Assault on the Train

Chapter 3

Up in the Air

The sunset had begun, it was very majestic to see how the Sun was gradually hiding in the clouds, that moment was one of the most exciting for the Captain. In the other airships, the voices of Lando and Zaidy were heard commanding their crew. Victoria felt very confident that they would emerge victorious from the robbery.

Although Captain Victoria and her crew were on their way to what they considered the perfect plan, she kept worrying about knowing the outcome of the robbery. Once again she took her metal hand telescope to observe the bright horizon. The cold and lonely sunset was the only companion of the three airships that were heading to where the train.

At that time the three ships allied side by side. Victoria slid one by one through a strong board that they used as a bridge. She checked the globe's grips, each piece in place, and if they had enough weaponry to last in a showdown.

- Attention, Captain on deck! - Little Lemi shouted.

- Keep working - Victoria ordered. - Of the three aircraft, the Midori was the smallest and fastest. it had the capacity for 22 crew but with only 5 it was able to maneuver at the same level as an attack airplane.

- Captain, me heard aeroplanes in the area. - Said one of the crew very agitated running towards the Captain.

- Silence! - Shouted Zaidy very alarmed.

Everyone on the ship listened as in the distance an engine of a steam airplane could be heard. Quickly Victoria's breathing was stirring she has transported a few years ago in the Arctic where she had an experience like this one. A sighting of them would mean that they would be attacked by the militia of the Kingdom.

- Start ascending! - Victoria ordered desperately.

- If we go up, they will see us for sure. - Zaidy added to the concern.

- Zaidy, check the military radio frequencies in case they detect us. - Victoria ordered as she looked through her telescope where the echo came from.

- No, I'll make sure the ships go up, Lando checks the radio

The other two ships followed Victoria's ship. Time was essential and both airships climb as high as possible following the ship where the captain was.

Gradually the engine noise was increasing in the sky. Everything in Victoria's mind began to falter. She began to doubt whether her plan would work. The moment was an intense one, the boats were going up where they began to be surrounded by several clouds.

- Do you hear anything? - Zaidy questioned Lando.

- Nothing on the military frequency. - Confirmed with the headphones on and trying to search a radio station for some conversation in the area.

- Well, let's attack them before they see us, prepared to attack! – Order Zaidy to each crew member of each ship.

Zaidy had Victoria's patients tested, fortunately, a gigantic cloud was starting to hold the ships.

- Stop, if we attack they will communicate with their superiors, it is best that we are in a cloud, we must be cautious. - Victoria ordered. Gradually each ship entered the thick cloud.

- Look around you guys. - Little Lemi said to a group of airmen. While each ship settled fairly close to each other within the cloud. There they stopped the propellers and remained silent among the dense fog.

They could clearly hear the passing of the airplane near them. The smugglers' eyes were full of dread. The entire crew remained silent. Victoria began to question herself again and again if they were looking for them in the clouds or if they were only piloted routinely.

The wind was blowing louder at that moment and without the propellers running the ships began to move from side to side through the windy gusts. Each airman took sticks, planks, whatever it was to keep the ships apart from each other.

Although in the air the cold prevailed the tension between the crew was a suffocating one. The minutes passed and everything was beginning to be against the long-awaited perfect plan.

Both Lando and Zaidy tried to observe everything that happened around them. Lando could not wait to get out of the tight situation and become an anecdote to tell while taking with his crew. Zaidy projected passive which tried to control her despair. Victoria left the bridge, making sure once again if on the radio frequency no signal or talk about a search for smugglers in the air. Everyone on the deck seemed confused at what to do. Little by little, everyone who was on the deck was watching Victoria. Even from the other boats, they appreciated the long black and slightly reddish coat and their golden skirt. Victoria realized that through the thick clouds it was not possible to see exactly outside them and although the noise of the airplanes diminished, it was still echoing in the area. Victoria settled her tricorn and resumed her position as Captain.

- Put down the nautical ladder! - The Captain ordered one of her airmen.

- But my Captain they may see you! - One of the airmen warned.

- If they see us, we will kill them - Those were Victoria's words that filled her crew with emotion.

She has no choice but to drop the stairs of the ship between the clouds. Victoria would not allow any other airmen to go down the rope stairs to inform her about the airplanes. She released her belt with her saber and stirred. She gave the tricorn hat to Lando to hold. She only took the telescope and put on a strong leather vest with a rope in case she fell from the nautical rope ladder.

The intrepid woman began to descend without counting on the strong wind that moved her along the stairs between the clouds. She could not see exactly what she was looking for, just a kind of fog that when touched it felt like touching a lot of water drops. Her hand went through the cold and wet cloud which made her a little tense at that height.

She followed the path of the stairs until she came out of the cloud. There she slid a little stronger along with the silence of the wind. She tangled a hand of the rope tightly. With the other hand, she took her telescope and looked around for a military airplane.

As she watched through the circle, she kept admiring the beautiful sunset. Just seeing the colorful sunset without any airplane she smiled as if it were a sign that everything would be fine. She carefully started to get back on the airship. There was little left to reach their destination and they were ready.