by Alan Austin
As much as Sam was glad to be able to get back at Rosalyn for her deception, he still felt bad. There was no guilt for lying given what she’d done, but a feeling of loss. It was the loss of what could have been. She’d ruined it, but he still couldn’t deny that he had once loved the woman and that there was still more than just a small echo of that emotion left in him as he looked at her. Had things been different, he would have given her another chance, even after her first betrayal. She was worth the second chance to him. But this – no… no one could come back from this level of deception and betrayal. The others on the gang would likely throw her over the airship railing if they were given the opportunity, and Sam could hardly blame them anymore.
When Sam had finished going over the plan and answering the questions, most of which came from Navada who was less familiar with their way of operating, Ticks spoke up.
“I need to talk to you, Sam,” he said with what sounded like some sadness in his voice.
“Not now,” Grease said softly from his left.
“What is it?” Sam asked.
“We can talk when we get back from the mission,” Grease said looking at Ticks with a look that told him not to argue.
“Yes,” the shaky man agreed, still very tensely. “When we get back, we need to speak though. Nothing that can’t wait.”
“Are you sure? We can talk now. I don’t want anything hanging over your head while we’re out there.”
“No,” Ticks insisted. “I’ll be fine.”
Sam was perplexed. Ticks had wanted to speak with him all morning and the opportunity had kept getting pushed back. Now that they had several hours to talk, Grease wanted him to wait. It must have been something about their relationship. Did they want to leave? Sam had no clue, but for the very reason that Grease had insisted on waiting, he needed to let it pass from his mind and worry about it after the mission was over. Distractions got you killed doing what the Rosecrans gang did.
“It’s time,” Davinci called from the cockpit door. “Are we ready?”
Sam looked around the room to see if anyone had any concerns. When no one spoke up he gave the thumbs up and walked over to retract the ramp. All the divers were aboard, the team had their equipment, and everything was in order. As the one responsible for the mission and everyone’s safety, Sam couldn’t help but feel like he’d forgotten something after rushing to get going so quickly, but everything was taken care of.
Everyone went out to the outer gangway and watched as the ship took off in the light of day for the first time. With the support of the army now, they had no reason to launch under the cover of night. General Adams had assured Sam that his men had the ground covered for fifty miles in every direction to make sure no one knew where they had launched.
All the soldiers below who’d been helping prep their launch looked on and cheered as the ship lifted off the ground and steam pushed from the side exhaust at the rear of the ship at the same time that the propellers kicked up in speed.
Looking back to the rear of the ship, Sam caught sight of something else. Another airship passing over the tree line behind them, already at speed in the air. It was the army’s airship and it was far more impressive than he’d expected. It wasn’t as advanced as their own, but given how modular it must have been for ground transport and such quick assembly, Sam couldn’t help but be impressed.
The other airship passed by as DaVinci continued to ascend higher into the sky and picked up speed to match the other team. The wind was cold and everyone quickly headed back inside for shelter and warmth. Ticks was checking his watch the moment they stepped in, and Sam asked him if they were on schedule. He knew it was his friend’s favorite question, and judging from Navada’s smile, she was keenly aware of her brother’s issues with time as well.
“We still have one hour to spare,” Ticks reported happily.
“Excellent,” Sam said with a big smile. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk?”
“No,” Ticks said, seeming surer of himself this time. “Grease was right. It isn’t anything major and it would only be a distraction for the mission right now. Besides, I get to see my sister today and who knows how long that will last.”
The blonde woman lit up a little and hugged Ticks close. Sam was a little jealous of his friend who didn’t appreciate the beauty of the woman or how lucky he was to have her being so affectionate. He’d been taken with her the moment he saw her, but something about knowing that she was Ticks’ sister made her feel a little forbidden, and for Sam that was just another layer of excitement. He would never do that to Ticks though.
Sam left his friend to enjoy the family time and made his way to the back of the cabin where Rosalyn was lying in his bed.
“I didn’t want to lie in anyone else’s bed,” she said. “I know how they all feel about me.”
“Probably best,” Sam agreed. “I wanted to talk with you about things. It’s no secret that the others don’t trust you, but I think I can work on them and give you another chance if you don’t mess it up.”
“I won’t,” she insisted, sitting up to talk to him. “Thank you so much, Sam.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I don’t know how all this is going to go. You coming back into my life at the same time as this offer from the army – it’s a lot to process all at once. Are you sure that you want to be a part of the team this time? If you’re going to run again, it’s best for everyone if you just leave now.”
He looked at her meaningfully, trying to put a trace of vulnerability in his voice as he spoke. Sam wanted her to believe that he was placing his faith in her, possibly opening his heart to her again. Would she care? He watched her closely, searching for any sign that his words were piercing her, but there was nothing; not a trace of guilt, not the slightest hesitation. Could she really care so little?
“I’m here to stay!” she insisted, eagerness written all over her face. If he didn’t know better, he would have that she was excited about being with him. She was very convincing.
“Okay,” Sam said, knowing full well that she had no intention of sticking around long.
“What are you planning to do now that the army wants to work with you? Are you really just going to go along with their plans?”
Sam thought for a moment, making sure that he got the information across that he wanted her to share without making it obvious.
“I’m fine with it as long as they hold up their end of the agreement. When we finish here we can go back to their eastern staging base and see what they’ve got going on.”
Sam left it at that to see if she’d bite so he wasn’t offering it up too easily.
“Where are they based now?” she asked.
“They’re in Roanoke now. We’re going to take the ship there as soon as we finish here. Most of their heavy guns are still in transition to the new location, but once we have the train offloaded, we will move there in advance of their current defenses and the new inventory we bring in from the coast.”
Rosalyn didn’t react to the news at all, seeming to take it in as nothing more than conversation. She was very good.
“Well, perhaps once we get there I can talk more with the others. I understand their feelings, but if there’s anything I can do to help ease some of the tension, I certainly want to do that.”
“I think that would be good,” Sam lied.
There was nothing this con-woman and traitor could do to win anyone over, but she couldn’t know that yet.
She lay back down in the bed and Sam cursed himself for still feeling a sense of attraction to her. What was wrong with him?
Not wanting to ask her to move and figuring it would only help her believe that he was buying her story, Sam lay down next to her in the small bed to get some rest. The sun was just beginning to set and it would be sunrise before they were in position to engage the incoming train. Sam was still awake when Ben, Grease, and Boomer came back to get some rest too. The two men ignored him, but Grease gave him a sideways glance, clea
rly not thrilled with him lying next to Rosalyn, despite knowing why he was doing it. Perhaps she saw a risk of him falling for her regardless of her intentions. He wasn’t that weak and he’d never let that happen.
He woke to light once again entering the cabin from outside and knew that they must be nearing their destination.
Boomer was still asleep in his bed, but everyone else, including Rosalyn, was awake and out of sight. Sam climbed out of bed and pulled on an extra layer of clothing as the temperature had dropped. The crew was all sitting at the table eating some breakfast, and to Sam’s surprise, even Rosalyn was sitting with them. Navada was telling stories about growing up with Ticks and how they used to get in trouble together as little kids. Ticks seemed a little embarrassed at a few of the tales, but he was so clearly delighted to have his sister around that he didn’t say anything. Grease was sitting on the other side of him. Their chairs were so close they were touching and their hands entwined; the new couple was obviously making no effort to hide their relationship.
It had to be hard for Grease to have finally connected with him the way she had only to have his attentions pulled away by his sister. She was an understanding woman and didn’t seem upset at all, but after giving him some space the day before, she was making her desire for some of his attention quite known, and it had resurrected the glow in the shy man that Sam had seen the previous morning. They were adorable together and he couldn’t be happier for both of them.
Rosalyn leaned back as Sam approached and let her hand come to his leg, as though she felt like they were somehow back together. Before he could even think about it, Sam pulled back and there was an awkward silence at the table as everyone witnessed it clearly.
“I’m sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I thought…”
“That was too harsh,” Sam said, cutting her off. “It’s just been a long time and there is a lot of history. I’m glad you’re back, but we can’t just pick up right where we left off.”
Ben and DaVinci excused themselves as Rosalyn turned back with a downcast face. Wanting to try to just move past it, Sam walked over and grabbed a plate and some food before sitting on the other side of the table and asking everyone how they’d slept.
It didn’t take long for Ticks to open his watch again and let everyone know that they needed to get ready. DaVinci confirmed as much only a moment later when he called back from the cockpit that the lead ship was beginning to dive and must have spotted the train. The army’s ship could not recover its gliders from its cruising height the way the gang’s could. Mac and the rest of that flight team would be launching soon and engaging in one of the highest speed firefights ever to take place anywhere, let alone over water. It was exceptionally dangerous.
“Suit up!” Sam called and everyone headed back to their bunks where their bags were stored.
Sam stripped his shirts off and put on the warmer layers he’d wear on the dive, making sure that his pistols were securely holstered and that his knives and the longer machete he carried were secure as well. Rosalyn added a layer over the attire she’d been wearing. Navada, on the other hand, got several of the men’s attention when she pulled her uniform top off right over her head, revealing a very sexy undergarment that barely covered her nipples and left most of her chest uncovered. She was quick to pull on the heavier shirt she’d wear for the mission and looked at the boys with a grin when she caught them all staring.
“What’s the matter, boys?” she asked in jest, “Never seen a half-naked woman before?”
There was no time left to joke around as the ship tipped to the side and began to swing around to match the course of the train and the lead ship which was likely already turning back as well.
The last thing Sam grabbed was his goggles, and he looked around to see others checking over their gear one last time. Guns, gadgets, and blades. They were all set.
Giving Rosalyn a look to follow him, Sam walked over and pulled the lever to open the doors that would extend to the divers. The force of the turn held them all firmly to the floor, but it was disconcerting to see the ocean out the door as he walked to the left side of the ship that was leaning down in what looked like a terrifying angle. Rosalyn gave him an unwelcome kiss on the cheek before climbing into the rear seat before he slid in front of her and got adjusted up to the controls. Her legs were under her arms on either side with only a short backrest between their bodies.
He pulled the canopy closed and sealed it, cutting of the outside noise all at once and listening to the ringing in his ears from the roar that had assaulted his senses for the past few minutes. It felt like he’d lived all this just yesterday, and the truth was that it hadn’t been all that much longer than that.
“Sorry for the kiss,” Rosalyn said from behind him.
“Don’t worry about it,” Sam said in a cold tone. “Just focus on the mission. We can talk about the rest of it later.”
She did not respond and he wondered if he’d upset her again, but he had no time to worry about it, and didn’t care all that much to begin with.
With Mac gone, Sam would be the first ship to drop this time. Navada had taken Mac’s place on the team, but she’d never done a dive approach on a train. Sam and Rosalyn also had the heaviest ship aside from the carrier which increased the risk of overshooting and made them a good lead ship. With that, Sam also knew how sudden the release was going to feel. The abruptness of it had been jarring the last time he launched a diver, and there had at least been an indication of when that was coming. There would be no warning this time.
“How will we know whe…” Rosalyn started to ask, but she never got to finish her thought.
The airship had only just begun to level out again and the diver was released with a loud clunk and nosed down right away, picking up speed and pressing Sam back hard into the small seatback which was much less comfortable than the bucket of his last diver.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” Rosalyn screamed from behind him.
She’d never been in any of their airborne missions and only been in the airship once for a drop in heist when it was first built. Sam felt the smile on his face as they plummeted toward the earth. He pulled the first lever to open the smaller fins on the diver and the ship’s rattle eased; he felt a measure of deceleration from the increased drag. There was no way to look back for the others on this approach and he had to trust that everyone else was behind him and doing well. He looked up a few times to see the train out in front of them already and was pitching the nose up to guide it in that direction before deploying his wings.
Up to that point, Sam had only been mildly aware of some of the secondary movement out in front of him, but as the nose came up, he saw the other teams’ gliders swooping in from either side of the train and exchanging streams of fire with gunner positions that had been extended from the sides of a few cars as well as several that were built into the top. He was mesmerized by the scene. A glider swooped across right in front of him before diving and pulling out toward the rear of the train where twin gunner turrets unleashed a cross-stream of bullets. The glider responded by firing a rocket that completely destroyed the defenses and punched a hole in the back wall of the train car itself. The army hadn’t messed around with their gliders!
Realizing how close they were getting, Sam wished that he’d been able to follow Mac again, but pulled the wings out to full length, giving the small ship a quick lift before pointing the nose back down and beginning to overtake the train. He could see a gunner turn a heavy machine gun toward him from the top of the fourth car and was about to pull up when another rocket explosion wiped that turret right off the top of the train. Mac rolled his glider upside down over the train and managed to flash a wink at Sam in the process. Leave it to Mac to show off while saving his ass.
Sam could see that the rest of the upper defensive positions were all taken care of, and he focused on his speed and destination; he was aiming for the first car behind the engine. He had a brief moment of concern that he was losing too much
speed, but he managed to glide right into position just as he matched the train’s speed. He set down and knew that it was much more luck than skill, but was glad to have made it look so easy for the others to follow him in. He wondered if even Mac would be impressed by that landing.
With the magnets engaged on the landing struts, Sam popped the canopy and was met with immediate gunfire from behind. He drew his pistol to engage whoever it was, but just as he spun around, another glider passed over and tore up the four guards who had been running up from the back of the car. There was a spray of red in the air where the men had been, but it vanished on the wind, leaving no trace of them.
Rosalyn was already climbing from her seat and their feet hit the train at the same time.
“We need to help protect the other landers!” Sam screamed over the roar of the wind sailing past them at nearly a hundred miles an hour.
He reached into the diver and pulled two rifles out, handing one to Rosalyn and then dropping down under the ship and laying down on the other side. He dialed the scope in and watched as Navada came gliding forward. Scanning the tops of the cars he saw some guards climbing ladders on the next car back and took his first shot, hitting the one on top right between the shoulders. He loaded the rifle again and had just lined up his next shot when the guard went down, shot by Rosalyn. She was at least proving herself useful.
Another head appeared on the far side of that same car just as Navada passed above them and prepared to set down. Sam was about to shoot him when Navada pulled her flaps too hard and her diver lost speed; she was pulled back nearly a hundred feet in a second. She had lowered herself enough that she nearly scraped the top of the car with her landing struts, and when she tipped to the side in a panic, one of her wings cut right through the guard’s body. Sam watched in horror as his two halves fell backward between the cars.
