Redemption

Chapter Thirty-One: Lucky Boy

Back at the train, Sean pulled himself up. The door of the caboose had bars and when he tried to open it, he yelped and ducked when he saw the glint of a gun barrel inside. A bullet dinged off the bars of the window, missing him by inches. Thinking quickly, Sean ran to the side of the caboose. Peeking around it, he saw the ladder that led to the roof. Hesitating to go for it, he finally made up his mind when the door was kicked open. Grabbing the ladder, Sean swung out over the rushing ground to climb up the ladder. The wind tugged at him to try pulling him off, but he managed to reach the roof and scrambled to run across the top. The roof was peppered with fire everywhere that his boots hit the roof. Fueled by adrenaline, Sean picked up his pace and jumped from the caboose to the next train car roof. Behind him, he heard doors opening and people yelling out. "He's on the roof! Shoot him!" Glancing back briefly, he saw people trying to climb up the ladders to chase him down. Grinning, Sean uttered to himself. "Alright. Let's do this." Putting his long legs to work, Sean ran across the train car and jumped to the next. Landing a bit unsteadily, Sean tried to get his balance, when a man reached the top of the ladder near him and struggled to withdraw his pistol.

Without thinking, Sean grabbed the ladder handle for support, sending a swift kick to the man's face. The man fell back off the ladder. Catching movement to his left, Sean gasped and flinched as a gun went off. Whirling around, Sean started running again as a man on the roof yelled out. "STOP! You're under arrest!" Ignoring the man, Sean bolted for the next train car, counting the train cars ahead of him to the one with Nathan. Someone surprised him by clipping his leg in his jump, causing him to hit the next train car chest first. Clawing at the roof, Sean tried to get his leg up until he saw men getting up the ladders ahead of him. They stomped toward him to grab him, but with a deep exhale, Sean let himself slide backward. Gripping the edge of the roof at the last second, he let himself hang before dropping down before another barred door. A man on the ladder cursed, yelling out. "He's going down! Wilson! He's coming your way!" Yanking the door open, Sean slipped inside and dropped into a low crouch. A deputy inside fired a shot where his head would have been, before Sean tackled into him. Slamming him against the other door, Sean pulled out every move Nathan taught him to knock the gun from the guy's hand.

Once the gun was out of his hand, Sean gripped the man's arm and quickly flipped him over him and away from the door. The man hit the floor hard on the flat of his back, while Sean quickly dashed through the door before he could recover. Jumping over the small gap between the train cars, Sean went to the next door. Reaching for the handle, Sean yelped as someone dropped behind him and wrapped their arms around his neck. The man tightened his arm on him but wasn't prepared for Sean to grab the man's arm and heft his legs up to kick the door. The force of Sean kicking the door sent the deputy holding him stumbling backward. The deputy fell over the gap between the cars, his hold Sean releasing to keep himself from falling off the train. Sean quickly sat up off him, scrambling back toward the door as the deputy snapped out. "You crazy fucker!" Opening the door, Sean panicked when he saw a deputy inside. The man extended out his gun hand, only to have Sean slam the door on his arm. The deputy screamed in pain, allowing Sean to swipe the gun from him before reopening the door and yanking the guy out into the recovered deputy behind him.

Running into the room, Sean slammed and locked the door behind him. Inside the train car, prisoners that were in small cages against the wall stood up in surprise. One or two reached out to grab him, but he dodged their hands and used the other door to smack another deputy out of the way. Sean leapt over the gap, but the other door opened, and the man opened fire. Forcing Sean to throw the gun he'd collected at the deputy to buy him time to run for the side of the train. Hopping over the rail, Sean grabbed the ladder and swung himself onto it. Climbing up it faster than he thought possible. At the top, a deputy aimed a gun at him and snapped out. "It's over, Lucky Jack! You've got nowhere to go." Sean tried to think of a way out, but he'd been cornered. The deputy grabbed his wrist, pulling him up from the ladder. The deputy kept ahold of his wrist, then twisted his arm to turn him around. The deputy fumbled with his cuffs. While Sean's eyes were forced on the deputy heading over to help. Sean's free hand moved toward his gun, prompting the other deputy to yell out as he lifted his gun. "HEY! Don't even think about it!"