The Smuggler of Vale

Chapter 1: So it Begins

Location: Schnee dust transport train in Atlas en route to port.

Me and my temporary crew leaped across the decoy train cars, heading towards the car carrying our actual target. As we crossed the train cars I looked down reading their numbers, finally, we were on top of the car. I looked at my two partners, Adam Taurus, and his pet Blake Belladonna I signaled them to go to the other side of the car and enter from there. Adam nodded and turned as he did I grabbed his arm. I pulled down my mask and leaned close.

"Remember what I said Taurus, no killing," I shouted over the wind whizzing past us, it was cold, not surprising seeing as we were in the middle of a blizzard near Atlas. He yanked his arm out of my hand and I just pulled my mask up as they walked away. Working with the White Fang is becoming too risky, raiding and smuggling the fuck trumpet Schnee's is usually easy, but since I started working with that hot head Taurus he's been bringing to much heat. I think this should be my last job. I hopped down onto the platform in between train cars and typed the password I bought from my contact into the keypad on the door. It lit green and I drew my revolver with my right hand just in case I quickly opened the door and ducked inside clearing my corners as I went. There were no guards, this is too easy I smell a trap. I made my way towards the center of the car to meet up with Taurus who was already opening cases verifying the contents inside each container were at least five hundred large canisters of dust from the Schnee dust mine. There are about fifty cases total usually there would be more but in order to lessen the risk, Schnee started diversifying his shipments into different transports switching real dust cars, with cars filled with mercenaries or rigged to explode.

"Something doesn't feel right," I said, Blake looked at me with concern

"Should we abort?" she asked. I was about to say yes when  Adam turned to us.

"No, we stick to the plan." He ordered

I was constantly looking around for any sign of a trap this is our fifth train raid in Atlas, after about two dozen dust raids in Vacuo. This would be the first one that we haven't had to deal with any guards what so ever, we needed to move fast. I pushed a button on a device attached to my gunbelt signaling some help I hired that we were about to start tossing crates. In theory, we would toss the dust out of the train and since they were in high-stress containers they would come to a stop by the tracks relatively undamaged and my guys would come out of the frozen tundra with vehicles retrieve the dust and disappear into the tundra eventually rendezvousing with us at the White Fang camp to trade the dust for Lien and waiting for me to call again setting up another job. I walked over to an external wall and opened the door revealing the frozen wasteland in front of us. I looked to Blake as signaled her to keep watch she nodded and walked towards the door. Adam and I started tossing crate after crate out of the train we got to about twenty when I heard a door open three cars away, I turned toward it and drew a revolver.

"What is it?" Adam asked drawing his sword. I shushed him, it was hard to decipher over the general noise of the train, but I could swear I heard a door. I focused and thought I could hear footsteps slowly making their way towards us.

"We need to leave," I said

"What? We are nowhere close to done." Adam shouted he went for another crate. "I said that we need to leave," I shouted nodding to Blake she went towards the door.

Adam stepped in front of the door with his sword pointed at me "Don't move! Black, I pay you to raid the train so we raid the train." I stood there for a second and listened for any noise, there is too much noise in the train to tell even with my enhanced hearing. I then nodded and holstered my gun "First off your boss pays me and if you want to get us caught then fine, guard the damn doors you two." they nodded and I continued to throw crates out the door. I got through another five before I heard the sound of a door on the other side of the train and the sound of metal clanging loudly on metal above us. I quickly drew both revolvers and aimed them at either side.