Where was she? I clung to the railing, looking down at the trains. There were so many. How could I-

There. A glimpse of black hair with streaks of blonde. Her face was stern but her cheeks were still round with youth. Just a single guard was with her. Just one? They didn’t know.

My heart picked up pace as the train began to move. I couldn’t let her go like that. So, I vaulted over the railing.

I tumbled onto the roof of the first car. I’d made it. Or not. It was picking up speed. There was nothing to hold onto. The wind pushed me back. I scrambled for a hold. Any hold.

My feet thumped against something. I held there for a second. The wind was blinding me. But it had to be the gap between the cars.

I scooted into the gap. My foot slipped. And my heart leapt. But I’d managed to grab the door handle before tumbling off into the water far below the tracks.

Once inside I forced myself to breathe. And wiping the sweat from my brow, I looked around. This seemed to be the control car. Several screens sat before a control panel. And before that was the single guard. Asleep. Here I was wheezing with my heart about to give out. And this guy was sleeping.

I pulled back on his chair hoping to get a better look at the security cameras. My arm twisted back. I yelped at the strength of the man.

His gaze was dark. “What’s a sweaty little fat boy like you doing here?”

“The duchess is in danger.” I gasped out. “Look.”

He followed my gaze. Several people were pulling up beside the train on hover cars. They were already boarding.

“Not on my watch.” The guard let go of me and started fiddling with the controls.

The train shook as parts began to move. Some parts shook off assailants. Others crushed them. I’d never seen a convertible train in action. But something was wrong. The bodies were blocking the moving parts.

The guard swore. He sat me down in the other chair and pointed at a few controls. “We’re coming to the river. Once I clear everything, push this button, flip this switch, and pull the lever that appears into full throttle. It must be in that order, understand?”

I nodded. Then he was gone. I watched the screens as I felt the sense of weightlessness. This car was being stacked on the on behind it. But the cameras showed several bodies in the way. Without a good seal we’d drown.

The guard came into view. He knocked the dead into the water. And those still alive tasted his blade. I touched my own sword that I kept on my belt. But I could never be as good at wielding it. Too slow. Too fat. Too-

I shook my head. The river was coming up quickly. Too quickly. The guard was still on the outside. But if I waited too long we’d sink. I pushed the button and saw the roof retract. A flip of the switch brought a wheel out of the ground as the floor raised to where I could see the river with my own eyes.

I ran to the wheel. It had its own controls but the most important was the lever. We hit the water. I managed to keep my footing. And I pushed the lever into full throttle.

We zoomed down the river. And it was all I could do not to hit any other boats. Boats that happened to be firing at us.

“Joey?” The duchess had come on deck. “What-“

“Behind you.” I tossed her my sword just as a man attacked.

Unlike me she excelled at the blade. I kept an eye on her only just glancing at the river before us. The guard was down below, jumping from boat to boat. He was dispatching them so easily.

“Joey!”

I looked back to see a man had the duchess at knifepoint. He smiled at me. “Now you’re gonna dock this boat nice and easy.”

My heart thudded as I slowed the boat. Looking around I saw one of the bodies holding a gun. An illegal weapon. But at least I knew how to use it.

I grabbed it. The guy never stood a chance. Neither did the others behind him. Soon it was just me in the duchess. She smiled. And I smiled back.