One Stupid Thing

3:5:89

JJ and I wait in the shadows beside the train tracks as it continues towards us. My heart is thumping in my chest and adrenaline is flowing through me.

"It's gonna work. It's gonna work," JJ assures me. As if on cue, a harsh squealing sound commences from around the corner. The train is still out of view, but it is apparent that the sharp sound is the breaks straining to stop. "She's slowing down." JJ looks over at me, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Oh my God," I gasp. "We did it."

We creep forward to get a better look at the scene past the leaves of the trees when headlights shine from the side road behind us. "Wait, El. Back up. Back up," JJ grabs my waist and practically drags me back into the shadows.

"No, no, no. That's not part of the plan," I groan. Two security officers get out of the front two seats. Thankfully, they don't bother to glance in our direction. They approach the tracks with a flashlight aimed on the ground ahead of them.

"What is going on here?" one of the officers asks.

"Hell if I know," the other replies. They stop in their tracks as the beam of light falls over the ground where the jumper cables are attached.

"What is this bullshit? You see this?" The man with the flashlight in his hand guides the light over the cables until it reaches the light pole we attached them to. "Unhook that for me." Both officers unclamp both sides of each cable from the tracks. "Throw that in the back for me."

"All right."

As one officer walks back to the truck with the cables, the other watches the light until it switches back from red to green. "You're all set over here," he says into his radio. "Some asshole put jumper cables on the tracks."

I look up at JJ with concern. "They've had enough time, right?" I ask him. He continues staring ahead as the truck drives away from the tracks and the breaks hiss.

"The train's starting."

"We have to go get them."

"There goes the plan," JJ sighs. "We gotta help them. Come on." The two of us scurry back behind the trees back to JJ's bike. As he scrambled for his keys, something else falls out of his pocket.

"Hey, you dropped your...." I reach down to pick it up and I stare down at it in confusion. It's a money clip customized with the initials M.C. "JJ, what is this?"

He looks at the ground in shame. "If I'm gonna be accused of being a thief, I might as well get something out of it."

"So you steal, Mr. Carrera's money clip? You're just adding fuel to the fire," I protest.

"They're already against me. So who cares?"

"They didn't have a good reason to be before. You just gave them one!" I hiss back, keeping my voice low.

"We don't have time for this. Just get on the bike," he snaps. With a sigh, I swing my leg over to sit behind him.

"Fine, but we're talking about this later." Just as JJ is starting the engine, another pair of headlights shines on us as another truck drives alongside the tracks past us. "That's Ryan," I tell him, recognizing it.

"And that's the cross," JJ adds, referring to the box in the truck bed. "Hold on!"

The bike lurches forward and skids as it gains traction on the uneven terrain, but JJ handles the slip like a professional. He lays on the throttle and speeds up until we see Ryan's truck ahead of us. We follow it back onto the street and tail close behind it.

Behind us, I hear sirens blare out. A blue light flashes and illuminates the night around me. "Jay," I warn him, glancing back.

"I know. I know." JJ speeds up even more, swerving into the opposite lane and lining up with the truck.