All the Stops

The sounds of luggage banging around and voices straining to be heard over one another were barely audible through the fog of sleep. Ali’s head vibrated against the glass as the train began to move. The window was hot from the eleven o’clock sun, which is what woke Ali. Narcolepsy had only affected her for the past year. As a result, Ali did not remember boarding the train. Everything else seemed to be in order so she did not let it bother her.

As Ali was beginning to think she would be sitting alone for the duration of the travel, a young man sat in the seat next to her. Ali looked away, but had to return her gaze to make sure her eyes weren’t lying to her. The young man was in fact, Australian tennis champion Naz Karembeu.

‘How you doing?’ Naz huffed as he dropped into the seat.

Ali hesitated, only because she had not spoken any English yet that morning. ‘I’m doing good. And you?’

‘Doin’ all right.’

Ali hesitated again. She didn’t want be intrusive, but really wanted to take the opportunity to practice English. ‘What brings you to this train?’

‘I’ve got a tournament tomorrow. I play tennis.’

‘Wimbledon?’

Naz nodded. ‘What about you? Headed to London but you’re not from there are you?’

‘I’m from Munich.’ Ali still felt uncomfortable pronouncing the English names for German cities. ‘I’m here for the summer to practice my English.’

Naz folded his hands. ‘Exciting summer.’

Ali launched into a detailed account of all the historical sites she had visited over the past two weeks and relayed the specifics of what she intended to do - and where she intended to do it - for the rest of her summer trip. She was babbling. Once she realised this she stopped awkwardly in the middle of explaining that she was going to Oxford University the following week to attend an event on the architecture of the faculty buildings; not because she was interested in architecture - she wasn’t - but to take notes and learn new English words and phrases.

Twenty minutes into the train ride, a stewardess stopped in the aisle beside Ali and Naz and asked to see Ali’s ticket. Naz displayed his ticket immediately.

‘Oh you’re fine.’ the stewardess assured him without inspecting the ticket.

Ali searched for hers in her backpack. It was nowhere to be found.

‘I must have had it when I boarded the train.’

‘If you cannot produce a ticket you will have to relocate to economy class.’

Ali looked around the train. She did not look like any of the other people in first class. She did not wear expensive clothes or take extensive interest in her appearance.

‘Just a minute.’ Ali searched her pockets and searched her bag again. She did not see her ticket although she did discover a hotel keycard that she had lost track of a few days prior.

‘It’s all right.’ Naz told the stewardess. ‘She’s with me.’

‘You sure?’ the stewardess raised her eyebrows.

Ali looked at Naz with an expression of bewilderment, and blushed as the stewardess returned to her hosting duties.

Ali looked at the seat in front of her. After a minute she felt she had to say something. She meant to say thank you, but an entirely different sentence came out. ‘You didn’t have to do that.’

‘Don’t worry about it. I don’t think you’re a stow away. I’m sure you had a ticket. No reason for you to be punished for such a small mistake as misplacing a boarding pass.’

The train unexpectedly slowed. Ali said nothing for a while. Then mumbled, ‘Thank you.’ without looking at Naz.

‘Don’t mention it.’

Just then, the door to the car opened and eight individuals wearing black ski masks and red tuxedos filed in. They were carrying assault rifles.

‘I ask politely that you all remain seated!’ one of the masked soldiers called out.

The train grew quiet and the passengers traded looks of fear and confusion.

‘We have taken control of the train.’ the robber explained. He sounded calm. ‘Your conductor and staff are in safe hands. My associate is going to come by and collect all of your phones to avoid any hiccups. Let’s make this efficient.’

Two of the red suits emerged from the back of their group and stepped out in front of their spokesperson. ‘Phones in the bag!’ the leader announced.

The two members of the gang walked the aisle. One with a garbage bag, the other with their weapon held in both hands. Nobody protested. When the duo stopped beside Ali and Naz, Ali hesitated.

‘Well, what are you waiting for?’ the armed half of the duo asked. ‘Devices in the bag.’

Ali did as she was told, and tossed her device in the bag. The two gang members finished collecting the phones of all the passengers and regrouped.

‘You should all know,’ the spokesman began. ‘That we are not here to harm you. We have come for a very specific reward. In case you are unaware, eight of the wealthiest people on the planet are currently on this train. For example, Tanya Andronikashvili. Her family owns a diamond mine in the north of Russia.’

One of the eight approached a woman with a plethora of jewels wrapped around her neck. She didn’t look as frightened as her company. Instead she gave a piercing stare and frowned with disgust.

‘She and her company hold half of our prize, hidden in the lining of their luggage. Another notable mention, Seamus Hammond. He spent the better half of his first fifty years manipulating the stock market. We’ll be visiting him shortly. Lastly, we have Steven Jung. Or as the internet knows him, McZuluPuffs Dark Bars. Last year he stole many millions of your valuable crypto currency. Now, the sooner these good for nothings co-operate, the sooner we all get off this train. And to be clear, these people are not victims. The aforementioned parties would rob you blind and you wouldn’t even notice. Not until they’re long gone anyway. We are honest about our intentions and would never stoop so low as to deceive you. Dare I say, we are even doing you a service as is our civic duty by cleaning out these scoundrels.’

Ali knew that they must have had help getting their weapons on the train. Maybe someone from the crew. Maybe even the conductor. Perhaps he was running the train unimpeded. They would be fine. As long as everyone just did as they were told.

One person from the masked gang eyed a bearded individual and indicated to him with his gun. ‘He’ll need to be kept in check.’

The leader of the gang smiled. ‘The ostentatious Cal Morgan is in our presence.’

After a moment’s hesitation the gang’s leader spoke again. ‘We will need to keep an eye on him. Up you get!’

The famous boxer from Ireland stood up with a venomous glare and straightened his necktie. He wore a purple suit and a gold wristwatch. ‘Yer a low life. All of you’s. Fo’kin lowlives.’

‘Careful Cal.’ said the gang member who had first caught sight of Cal. ‘Don’t do anything rash. I wanna see that Mason rematch.

‘You won’t see anything. You won’t see anything when I’m holdin’ the belt.’

A new member of the gang stepped forward - a female, Ali guessed from her shape - and indicated for Cal to walk the aisle. She followed him with her gun aimed at the floor, but ready to be lifted. From behind Ali noticed two braids pressed to the nape of her neck, barely visible under the mask. She told him to enter the bathroom at the end of the car. Cal did as he was instructed, but not without muttering something vulgar to the armed stewardess. She closed the door on him before he managed to finish the comment.

Ali glanced at Naz, who surprisingly looked tired. ‘What does that word mean?’

‘It means many things.’ he told her. ‘He meant it as an insult. Careful where you use it. Some places don’t take it so lightly.’

The leader of the gang indicated to two of his subordinates. ‘You two watch this car. Ms. Andronikashvili, this way! You will come with us to identify your luggage and that of your friends in the luggage car.’

The gang was off, leaving the car in the hands of the braided woman guarding the bathroom door and one other man, standing near his ally and doing a routine patrol of the aisle every few minutes.

After an hour of quiet muttering between passengers, the door to the car opened and everyone turned to see who entered. Ali couldn’t tell which member of the gang it was as their masks had no discernible features, but she saw a young man tied to a seat in the neighbouring car. She heard him scream as he was beaten with a cane. His face was red and swelling. People gasped and made fearful noises.

The braided woman shut the door quickly, before anyone else could see the happenings of the adjacent car and angrily whispered something to the newcomer. He responded calmly, also whispering. The two of them exchanged nods, reaching an understanding. The visitor left, slipping through the door - with the braided guard blocking the view of the doorway this time - and shutting it behind him quickly.

At that moment, the bathroom door burst from its hinges - colliding with the female of the two captors - and Cal charged into the aisle with raised hands, shouting.

‘You bastards try and stop me! I’ll knock yer heads off!’ Cal swung at one of the guards. The blow connected with the man’s cheek and he toppled, dropping his gun.

‘Get back!’ the woman with the braids yelled. She pointed her gun at Cal’s chest and stepped away so that she was out of his reach. ‘Do not impede us. I will use whatever force is necessary to get my crew off of this train, unrestrained.’

Cal puffed and breathed heavily through his nose.

The bandit grabbed his gun and got up from the floor, rubbing his jaw.

‘That’s a nice souvenir.’ Braids told him. ‘Come on. You watch the car. I’m going to find him a new bathroom.’

‘I can’t wait to tell the boys back home I took a punch from Morgan.’

‘Tell them you’re a weak link and that you won’t be there for the next heist.’ Cal spat. ‘They already know you can’t keep your trap shut. I’d be surprised if you make it back to the boys to tell them that you couldn’t even keep a toilet door shut to save your life!’

The bandit was taken aback. Ali was sure he had went pale under his mask. He looked at his braided comrade. ‘Just do what we came here to do.’ she told him.

Cal smirked.

‘Go!’ the woman shouted at her captive. She and Cal disappeared into the next car.

‘We can’t wait for God to take this into his hands.’

Ali looked up. The voice came from a fifty some year old man peeking over the seat in front of her. He had large eyes, determined and full of vigour.

‘I used to deal with this sort of thing.’ the man continued. ‘I have the training to take control of the situation, if the required support is provided.’

The retired tactical unit soldier bore into Ali and Naz with his piercing gaze. He was waiting for their commitment. Waiting for the ‘okay’ like an attack dog.

Ali hesitated, and contemplated.

The man spoke quietly, but clearly. ‘There is someone being harmed behind that door. These people are not Robin Hood. This is not an isolated incident. If they are successful they will likely do it again. Someone needs to put an end to it now. That someone might as well be us. We have the power to make that choice. To be that someone.’

His words were spoken powerfully, but not forcefully. The train jolted and Ali jumped, startled.

’What do you need?’

Ali was ready. She had been shaking for three minutes and Naz put his hand on her shoulder to calm her. She steadied her breathing and waited another minute. She had rehearsed the plan over and over and it was time to get on with it.

‘Excuse me!’ Ali called out, a little louder than intended.

The guard looked over. He must have made a face and then realised that Ali couldn’t see it through his mask.

‘What?’ the guard asked irritably.

He didn’t approach. It was okay. Ali still had time to make it work. ‘I need my medication.’ she mumbled.

‘What? Speak up!’ the guard stepped forward.

Ali cleared her throat. ‘I said, I need my medication.’

The guard swore under his breath and stepped forward again. ‘I can’t understand you. Speak more clearly.’

He was approaching and Ali took her time, letting him get closer. ‘I need my medication.’

The guard stopped approaching and Ali’s heart sank. ‘What kind of medication do you need?’

‘Insulin.’ Ali muttered, annoyed that the plan was not going to work.

‘Oh my God, once again speak up!’

‘I need my insulin!’

‘Get her some insulin!’ someone shouted. ‘She needs it now!’

‘She needed it fifteen minutes ago.’ Naz added.

The guard stood there. Ali imagined he look perplexed and vexed behind his mask. After a few moments pause, he went to the bathroom - the door across the aisle - and returned with a glass of water.

‘Drink this in the meantime.’ he said. ‘You’ll have to hold out until-’

John - the trained combat specialist - was on his feet and bolted so fast Ali only saw the blur that was his green shirt and grey hair. Water rained down on Ali. Once again the robber had been disarmed. He strained against John’s grip to move toward the weapon. Ali remembered the second part of their plan and dashed across the aisle. She picked up the gun and it felt awkward in her hands. She felt frightened too, like something bad could happen just from her holding it. She ran to the end of the train, taking the assault rifle far out of reach of the robber. He and John fought. John swung and Ali heard grunts. She heard shouts and blows connecting and she did not know what happened next. She fell asleep.

Ali awoke to a man standing over her with bloody knuckles, and a gun in his hands. The gun she had carried only minutes ago.

‘What’d you do that for?’ someone complained.

‘She has narcolepsy.’ Naz scolded them, having assumed her condition himself.

‘On your feet.’

Ali did as she was instructed.

‘Go.’ the bandit instructed, nodding at the door to the next car. ‘And to the rest of you, sit tight. The cars on either side of you have been secured, so don’t try to be a hero.’

Ali walked toward the door. John was in front of her with a split lip, and Naz just behind her. Naz stopped walking. Ali turned and felt her heart rate increasing rapidly. The man behind them started to lift his gun but before he could point it at Naz, someone grabbed the barrel of the assault rifle from their seat.

‘Help him!’ someone shouted. More people grabbed the man’s limbs and overpowered him.

‘Quick! Pass the French press!’ Naz yelled.

‘The what?’ Ali knew those words but did not understand them in that context.

‘The coffee!’

Ali grabbed a pot of coffee from the nearest table and handed it to Naz. Naz raised the pot and smashed it across the gunman’s face in a powerful volley, splashing hot brown liquid and coffee grinds on the wall of the train. He attacked again from the other side with a backhand and finally, struck his target to his knees with a downward serve.

The gunman collapsed unconscious, steam rising from the cotton mask over his head. The train car cheered.

John collected the gun from the floor. ‘I need belts!’

Three people approached and offered their belts - one brown, one black, and one pink. John strapped the robber’s feet together. He bound his hands behind his back and tied another belt around the arms and waist of the bandit for good measure. John removed the mask so that the criminal could be identified as well as to inspect his injuries. His face was cut and swollen, but the mask had protected him from burns.

‘Keep a watchful gaze on him.’ John instructed the passengers. He turned to Ali and Naz. ‘You two did good. I need to check on the engine. The conductor can stop this train. Right now we’re not near any establishments. We can call for help and get this under control.’

‘I’ll go with you.’ Ali told him. ‘Someone needs to know where you are if anything happens.’

‘Are you sure about this?’ John lowered his eyebrows meaningfully. ‘There could be shots fired. This could become a hostage situation real quick. Do you want to put yourself in that position?’

‘I’ll be fine.’

‘Stay two meters behind me, and directly behind me. If I tell you to get down, you drop. If I tell you to take cover, you dive behind the seats.’

‘I’ll go too.’ Naz told them.

The next car was empty. Not a single person - robber or passenger - was to be seen.

‘They must have moved them.’ John deduced.

The engine was only two cars away. Sure enough, when the approached the next car, they could see through a window in the door that it was stuffed to double capacity with passengers - or protection for the bandits from outside intervention.

John gave the gun to Naz to hold. He ripped the door open and pounced on the lone guard, directing the barrel of the gun to the floor while pulling his victim into the evacuated train car. John disarmed the bandit like he did the last one and proceeded to wrap his arms around the neck and head of the criminal.

‘Silence him.’ John instructed as the bandit shouted.

Ali pushed the robber’s mouth shut and covered it with her hands. She watched his eyes lose focus and eventually close. Ali felt sick. John got up from the floor and took the gun from the sleeping bandit.

‘I don’t have any spare belts, so we’ll have to be quick.’

They pushed their way through the overcrowded train toward the engine. Two men in red suits stood guard by the door to the engine. The weapons that John and Naz were holding were concealed by the sea of people teeming in the aisle.

‘We wait for them to look away. Don’t be conspicuous. Ready? One, two.’

John and Naz burst from the crowd. John cut through the air with the stock of the gun like a scythe, the blow connecting with the jaw of his target. Naz kicked his opponent in the torso, knocking him back and into the wall of the train. It wasn’t enough to stun or disarm. John had his weapon aimed first.

‘Drop it.’

Two more citizen’s arrests were made and John was moving toward the engine.

‘Stop right there.’ someone called from behind.

Ali turned around. The gang leader was there. Standing behind him was the braided bandit and one other goliath lackey.

‘This is not a day for heroes.’ the gang leader told them. ‘We have got what we came for. All that is left for us to do is get off this train. You will not impede us any further.’

‘I am obligated to protect this train and its passengers.’ John aimed his gun at the gang leader. Naz and Ali stepped back, clear of the barrel.

‘Very well. I have prepared for such an event as this.’ the bandit spokesman waved to someone behind John, in the engine. He made a gesture and Ali felt the train speed up. It accelerated rapidly until all that Ali saw through the windows was a blur of greenery.

‘This train will not stop or slow down until such a time that you surrender your weapons to my guards and return to the car from which you began your mission to defend the good people of this train.’

Ali heard the door to the engine room lock. The leader and his escort left the train car. Ali held onto a seat, having a hard time standing with the train moving at such a pace.

‘We need to get into that engine so that we can call for help.’

‘No we don’t!’ Ali shouted to be heard over the loud mechanical noises of the train and the panic rising in the train car. ‘I have my cell phone.’

‘Didn’t you throw it in the bag earlier?’ Naz asked.

‘I gave them a calculator.’

‘Give me that phone.’ John demanded urgently.

Ali surrendered her device, and watched John jab the screen with a thick finger. He explained the situation in a detailed although concise manner to someone on the other end of the call. The only words that Ali heard from the call recipient were, ‘We’ll direct all other trains away from your location.’

John hung up the phone and gave it to Ali. ‘They’re on the way.’

Not long after the call, Ali saw a helicopter close in on the train and lower its elevation alarmingly close to the engine.

‘They’re communicating with the engine, via radio.’ John explained. ‘They’re also looking in the windows.’

The door to the empty car burst open and the gang leader was back, this time his large lackey was holding the bruised and beaten man - the one Ali had seen earlier - by the shirt and pinning him to the wall.

‘You tell them to leave or he gets it.’ the spokesman told John.

‘You know they won’t. Even if I told them.’

The door to the engine opened and a skinny masked bandit in a red tuxedo spoke. ‘They want proof of life for the conductor.’

The gang leader puffed and exhaled audibly. ‘Bring him in then.’

The braided bandit left and returned a few minutes later dragging a gagged and bound conductor. ‘Step aside.’ she instructed John.

John stood in a position from which he could keep his focus on the woman while being shielded from the rest of the gang. The door to the engine opened and Ali saw the skinny robber as well as one other member of the gang. John took his chance and bolted in behind the woman before the door slammed. Ali saw fists fly.

‘Everybody get down!’ the gang leader announced aiming his gun toward the engine door. He fired the fully automatic weapon through the window in the door to the engine, somehow missing everybody. Some people dropped to the floor but it was too crowded and others panicked, running into each other and diving over seats.

Ali heard and saw another window in the engine car shatter at the same moment as one of the hijackers collapsed. They did not get back up. John was trading blows with the braided bandit and one other, the captive conductor being thrown around between them. None of the aforementioned were in possession of their weapons.

The gang leader was fast approaching with the goliath behind him. Many of the passengers cowered away from the guns but several of them stood in the way, causing enough interference for the liberated conductor to slow the train. It slowed at an alarming rate causing many passengers to fall - Ali and the gang leader included - and eventually came to a stop.

The robber didn’t wait for his crew. He stood and ran for the back of the train with his muscle clambering over toppled passengers, desperate to not be left behind.

The train shook, once again causing Ali to lose her balance. The engine had been disconnected from the rest of the train. It wasn’t long before the door opened to John, his weapon at the ready. Rolling hills and blue sky could be seen behind him.

‘They left.’ Ali informed John.

‘Let’s clear this car. Everybody out!’

Ali was one of the closest to the door, therefore one of the first to jump down onto the tracks. She quickly stepped aside to make room for the sea of people spilling out and pooling on either side of the train. More armed men - this time covered head to toe in tactical gear - escorted them all to a safe zone where they would be shielded from any potential projectiles.

‘The professionals will take it from here.’ John announced. ‘You two were amazing. I can’t thank you enough for the bravery and wit you showed. Naz, that was a hell of a serve. I’ll make a note of that when I report the details of these events to my associates. I wouldn’t be surprised if you find yourself being presented with another medal. You’ve earned it.’

John left the two of them so he could watch from afar as the tactical unit swept through the train cars one by one.

‘It’s too bad your train ride was ruined.’ Naz sounded unexpectedly cheerful. ‘You wanna come to Wimbledon with me?

‘You can get me in?’ Ali was in disbelief.

Naz laughed. ‘Of course. It’s my show.’

A week later, Ali sat next to John at the much anticipated tennis match. She even spotted Cal Morgan somewhere in the stands.

‘You see where a good heart can take you?’ John said to Ali. ‘You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. Just keep it that way. You’ll be all right.’