ROTWOTA: Book 2 - The Falling City of Anthros

Acts of Espionage

At first, I was scared that he were going to be mad at me because of something I did. However, when he looked rather frightened but then relieved, I began having second thoughts. And it turned out my initial thoughts were incorrect as my father knelt down and hugged me tighter than he ever had before.

"Oh thank god your safe!" He said. "Your mom and I thought something horrible happened to you." When he said that, I was confused and I obviously asked him what I was as I hadn't really thought I had done anything wrong in the last hour or so. "Oh, so you don't know what happened at the site?" Asked my father. "No. What happened?" I asked.

"Nothing sweetie. I'll explain it in the car." My father said. And so, I was brought into the parking lot where I got into the car and surprisingly found Jake and Jayden looking nervous and shaken up. It was on the drive home that they began explaining to me about all of what had happened while we were at the hospital.

And I couldn't be more shocked to hear what they told me.

~~~~~1 Hour Earlier~~~~~

It wouldn't be too long before 1477 would leave with his train as he was sitting in the siding, waiting for the all clear so he could leave the yard. Meanwhile, his crew went about filling his tanks and restocking him on coal. However, somehow no one noticed someone in the shadows lurking near where the engine and his train were.

Right behind the engine was a utility van carrying cargo of all sorts and right behind that were two fuel tankers, two trucks filled up with drums of oil, two vans carrying food and medical supplies, and finally there was the break van. And whilst the rest of the train wasn't even touched, the figure did have the insensitive to tamper with the fuel tankers.

Eventually, 1477's train was set to leave and the first few minutes on their trip to the docks were normal aside from a red signal until Charlie, 1477's ferret driver started smelling something strange. "Hey Marshall? Do you smell something funny?" The driver asked. "Well, yeah actually. I can smell it too. It smells like gas." Said the bear fireman. "Are you two ok? What's going on back there?" Asked 1477. Then, he could smell what his crew was smelling. It was also then that Charlie was seemingly proposing a horrifying explanation based on the look on his face.

"Cmon man, you don't think that, do you?" Asked Marshall. Just to make sure, the two anthros looked back through the cab windows. And to their horror, both fuel tankers had somehow caught fire and were leaking. And from there, the engine's crew quickly began dissolving into panic. "Wait! What is it?!" Said 1477, who was now quickly becoming lost within the same state as his crew. "THE TRAIN IS ON GODDAMM FIRE! ITS GONNA BLOW!" Yelled Charlie.

Thinking quickly, Marshall grabbed the shovel meant for coal and smashed the coupling with it repeatedly, luckily managing to break it which allowed 1477 to rush away from the train. And it was barely even a couple seconds after the uncoupling that the fuel tankers blew up taking nearly the entire train with it.

Thankfully, the engine's crew survived unharmed aside from being cut by flying debris from the utility van. As for the engine, he was still operational, although his cab had been damaged from the debris and being dealt rough burns from the explosion. Not too far up the line, fire trucks and police were at the next station up ahead and quickly rushed over to the scene.

Meanwhile, an ostrich signalman saw the event that had recently transpired in front of him, and was ready to telephone back to the yard to let him know of the news. However, he wouldn't be able to as his throat was quickly slit by a green figure that had snuck into his signal box. "Snitches get stitches." The figure laughed as they left their victim bleeding to death on the floor.

Back at the yard, 1478 had recently arrived to help with the shunting just as Cuba had arrived to collect his coaches from the sidings for an important passenger train. "About time we got some help, Dodge is knackered. Nice to see your looking out for him." Cuba said. "I'm not looking out for him, I was called to get another Diesel's goods train. I have my own duties elsewhere." The 1400 said. "Sad you're not being a team player. I saw him a minute ago and it looks as if he'll get overheated if he keeps this up." Cuba said.