Adventure! RPG: Heroes of Our Time - episode 5: Walking in the Valley

[Winston Holmes]

Recognizing the whistle for what it is, Winston had spaced out his feet and grabbed the railing in time for the sudden stop. He had steadied himself to prevent Radha from falling but he shrugs when he sees her cool stance hasn't broken.

Once Jameson bursts out with the Beginning in hand Winston shakes his head and gives a resigned but amused sigh, "I guess a quiet trip was definitely a foregone conclusion." Reaching over his right shoulder, he pulls out a well-maintained trench gun: Adia. He keeps a steady eye on each end of the car while patiently holding Adia in one hand and he speaks to Radha with that same resigned but amused tone, "Shall we make sure my old friend and your associates don't do anything rash?"

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Janos helps Jozef to his feet and looks around.

"Everyone okay?"

He takes a deep breath and forges ahead.

"I think this implies someone has departed the train. Now we have someone who knows this part of the country, so unless we hear one of those motorcycle contraptions in the next minute or so, exactly were does he think he is going to run to?"

[Surya Lanadhra]

"Are all of the incidents involving you people like this?" Radha asks, grateful she's in something that she can run in.

[Winston Holmes]

Winston smiles wistfully while looking away, "I don't know about the rest, but with the Cowboy it always involves a gun." He leans over to look out a nearby window at the terrain. Shaking his head, he raises his voice so Janos can hear, "When we get outside I might be able to get a better bearing on our location. But this could just be a distraction by him or even something totally unrelated."

Looking back to Radha, he nods his head towards the door leading out of the car, "Come on, I don't think our subterfuge is going to matter anymore and James might need some back up." As he turns to lead the way, he quietly murmurs in amused and precise Hindi just loud enough for Radha to hear, "Or someone to stop him from shooting first and asking questions later."

[PM to Alex]

[Blaine]

Blaine holds a hand out to brace himself against a door frame. He sees Bradford pull his piece and he scowls. "Yeah." mutters Blaine as he puts his other hand inside his jacket on his own gun, though it didn't have a name.

"Alright, when this slows down enough, I'm hoppin' out this side" he jerks a thumb to the right. "I'll keep an eye out for him." he smiles at Radha "Yeah, this is about average Doc."

[Dr. Mystery]

John quickly climbs the car Luqmani headed through recently, running, full tilt, back toward everybody else, while scanning the area surrounding the train for Luqmani.

[Alex Craft]

Kate has remained steady on her feet, saying tersely to those with her in the hall: "I'll head to the front. You do whatever you need to do to catch Luqmani - I'll authorize it after the fact."

Suiting actions to words, she continues down the length of the car, making her way toward the front of the train. Jameson, Winston, and Blaine all head for the other (slightly nearer) end of the car and burst out onto the landing. Blaine jumps out to the right while Jameson and Winston head to the left.

Jameson hangs off the side of the train, peering up and down its length while Winston drops to the ground below. Nobody appears to have left the train (or, if they have, they have found cover in the relatively barren terrain with astonishing speed). Blaine's side is also clear - nothing but miles of rocks and scrub.

Winston can pick out a few landmarks on the horizon, and (fishing out a tattered book from his pack) sets to checking these against the train's route.

Well down the length of the train, John swings atop the train (finding it much easier to keep his footing now that the train has come to a stop). Rising to his feet, he looks down the length of the car in time to see Luqmani likewise climbing atop the vehicle one car ahead.

Further ahead, Blaine (followed quickly by Jameson) also spots the Egyptian, seeing Luqmani outlined against the sky near the far end of the train. Winston, unfortunately, is finishing with his copy of Lonestar Locations and is not currently looking up.

Luqmani's briefcase is gone, but he apparently produced a gun at some point and is now toting a pistol of indeterminate make. He goes running away from John, racing down the cars toward the front of the train.

[Andrew Murphy]

Jameson is still hanging partly off the train his left hand wrapped around the rail near the car's junction to the one behind it. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye movement draws his attention, compels him to look. Jameson see Luqmani clambering over the roof of one of the cars, and his body reacts almost instinctively, reflexively. The Beginning cracks to life in Jameson's hand almost before he's realized he's fired it. The bullet dashing with purpose toward Luqmani's hand and the gun it holds.

[Winston Holmes]

Winston smiles as he picks out the key locations in his book. Everything looks in order to him according to the train's projected path and nothing has seemed to jump out at him yet... the stop, he reasons, must either be an emergency or done in desperation.

Before he can finish confirming the last things in book, Winston's head snaps up when he hears The Beginning fires. Like his old friend, Winston acts reflexily: dropping the book to the ground, Adia swings up into both of his hands as he tracks the Cowboy's shot. But unlike Jameson, he doesn't fire right away, waiting to see if there really is a threat worth shooting and if he'll need to leap out of the way.

[Surya Lanadhra]

"Oh Vishnu," Radha sighs as she takes the path that the men have gone.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

"Seeing both Kate and Radha running off in different directions, Janos barks an order to Jozef,

"Stick with Kate. I'll be with the good doctor, here."

With that, Janos bounds after Radha and once more draws his pistol, which he keep lowered and close to his side as to not draw too much attention.

[Dr. Mystery]

John runs after Luqmani, as fast as he can, sliding his cane from his jacket pocket.

[Blaine]

"Sunuvabitch! That guy's slippery than a freakin' eel! Let's get him!" yells Blaine. He keeps the gun in his hacket for now, and tears down the the length of the train, always trying to keep Luqmani in sight.

[Alex Craft]

Radha and Janos emerge onto the landing between the cars just in time to hear gunfire erupt to their left - Jameson's revolver spitting down the length of the train. Blaine is already gone, with the sound of pounding feet vanishing down the right side of the train.

Luqmani drops, but Jameson knows that he did not hit his target. The Egyptian disappears from Jameson and Winston's sight, hitting the roof of the car on which he was standing. On the other side of the car, Blaine sees Luqmani roll and drop off the side of the car, landing on his feet in the desert (still a good, long ways ahead of Blaine).

John, of course, also sees Luqmani roll off the train. He quickly reaches the point at which the Egyptian left the train, looking down to see Luqmani still running toward the front of the train - charging towards a head-on collision with Blaine as he does so.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Janos gives Rahda a grim smile.

"Seems someone has determined to have fun already."

Janos draws his blade and begins buttoning up his Western-style Great Coat.

"This didn't have to happen," he can be heard to mutter as he takes a quick peek down the stairs to see what is being shot at.

[Winston Holmes]

"Damn," Winston mutters while sweeping his left arm down to retrieve his book and hastily tucking the thin volume in his belt out of expediency. He turns to look at Jameson and then landing where the Count and Radha are before jogging in the direction of the car Luqmani was standing on earlier, "Someone needs to cover this side of the train. Come on, James, looks like we're playing clean up again."

As he runs, Winston keeps switching his vision from the top of the train to whatever he can see below it, trying to find out where the Arab went, and Adia remains in both his hands, ready to intimidate or protect.

[Andrew Murphy]

Jameson draws the End into his left hand and jumps down onto the ground beside Winston. His back to the train he scans left and right for the arab. He begins to walk directly out into the dester and spins facing the train now and sweeping his eyes over the train. Its safe to say that the expression on Jameson's face is anger, but whether that anger is directed at Luqmani for showing up on the train or at himself for compounding the problem with his instinctual reactions is impossible to discern.

"Winston, this guy is like a greased snake, so be careful," he calls to his companion.

[Alex Craft]

addendum:

Looking down the length of the train, all Janos sees is Jameson and Winston moving away in different directions - there is no sign of anyone else, aside from the comments of the two men.

[Dr. Mystery]

John follows Luqmani's example, rolling off the train and landing as gracefully (read: quietly) as possible. Upon landing, John continues his mad pursuit of the Arab.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Janos looks around at the two men.

"Okay, I don't know this Winston chap, but I assume that Jameson would seek to shoot anyone percieved as an enemy, so we should follow him."

Looking over his shoulder,

"Doctor Kolani, please stay behind me. My Great Coat is armored and some people seem to be shooting one another. It would be bad form if I let you get hurt so soon after joining our company."

[Surya Lanadhra]

"I will not argue," Radha replies with an ironic smile as she steps behind Janos.

[Alex Craft]

Jogging alongside the train, Winston sees enough to guess that Luqmani dropped to the ground on the other side of the train - flickers of feet can be made out between the wheels further down the length of the train, though the distance is such that nothing else can be immediately seen.

John drops to the ground well behind Luqmani - it is becoming apparent that the Arab is putting an increasing amount of distance between himself and John (though there is no indication yet that Luqmani has noticed John's pursuit). Blaine is still well ahead of Luqmani and John, charging to meet the Arab midway.

[Winston Holmes]

A sigh escapes from Winston as he rolls his eyes and calls back to Jameson, "Other side, Cowboy!" He starts to dash further down the train, looking for the next break between cars so he can reach the Arab.

[Blaine]

Blaine charges on like a bull, witnesses would later say they thought they saw steam billowing out of his nostrils as he poured on the speed. As he races towards what will likely be a human train wreck, a grim smile crosses his lips, and he cracks his knuckles in anticipation.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

"Ah ... a fluid tactical situation," mutters Janos.

"Doctor, shall we race to the sound of the guns?"

Janos gets ready to take off after Winston, as he is the man he sees and seems to be shouting something important.

[Andrew Murphy]

"Other side, Cowboy!"

Jameson hears Winston's shout and begins a quick dash back toward the join of the two train cars. "Thanks Professor!" he yells as he leaps up onto the platform and dashes across and down onto the opposite side of the train. Guns in hand Jameson begins to search for Luqmani.

[Alex Craft]

Janos charges down the length of the car, but soon sees Winston cut between two cars - heading for the other side of the train. Reasonably enough, Janos follows suit, cutting between the next pair of cars.

Both of them pop out on the other side of the train, and do not see Luqmani. As Blaine and John both have seen, he stepped between a pair of cars - apparently once more moving within the train.

They are all still on that side of the train, and Jameson is still on the other side when a loud report sounds forth, echoing faintly off of a line of cliffs in the distance. It came from off toward the head of the train, and it sounded a lot like a particularly loud shotgun blast.

[Andrew Murphy]

Jameson hears the gunshot and skids to halt. The echos bouce off the cliffs nearby but the rapport was definately from the front of the train. Jameson pauses, He must have got by everybody, he thinks before taking off for the front of the train. Hopefully he's not dead, he's not going to be very talkative if he's dead ...

[Count Janos Rakozi]

"Where the hell is he?" shouts out Janos. He makes sure that he has Radha right behind him. Upon hearing the gunshot,

"Kate and Jozef were headed to the front," and he starts sprinting in that direction.

[Winston Holmes]

"Damn damn," Winston mutters after hearing the shot. This Arab was crafty and now it's just getting worse. Hearing the Count rapidly approaching, Winston takes off towards the front of the train as well, hoping to catch Luqmani before this spirals even more out of control.

[Alex Craft]

Another shot rings out, almost as loud as the first, as the three men head for the front of the train. Neither Blaine nor John (the two to see Luqmani last) see how the Arab could possibly have reached the front of the train so quickly - he has been out of their sight for mere seconds, and he would have had to cross the majority of first class in those seconds.

[Surya Lanadhra]

Radha's eyes widen. "Mem'sahib Schafer!" She shoves her way past Janos and runs at full tilt with surprising speed and grace.

[Winston Holmes]

At the sound of the second blast, Winston instinctively brings Adia to bear and his pace slows to steady his aim. He knows another scattergun out here is going to be a problem and he wonders why it just can't be something simple like natives with spears.

Upon hearing Radha's cry, Winston keeps his eyes and Adia aimed where the shots came from while still moving forward, "Hold on, mem'sahib, don't get in the crossfire." Jameson might be able to handle being on the wrong end of Adia but Winston isn't so sure about the good doctor.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Rather blithely, Janos comments, "And just who will heal the healer if she gets shot?"

He takes after her, but at a cautious trot, not a headlong rush.

[Andrew Murphy]

Jameson redoubles his efforts pouring on the speed liberally. Though he seldom needs to run as fast as he is physically capable he pushes himself to go as fast as he can, whatever is going on up front it doesn't sound good.

[Alex Craft]

The train begins to move again, kicking into motion with a protracted, metallic groan - stressed steel once again picking up the tension and grinding out inches, then feet, as the line of cars picks up speed. It would appear that the engineer has decided that the stop was a false alarm ... or, more likely, was 'convinced' by whomever is doing the shooting up ahead.

Our heroes catch on quickly enough, all grabbing ahold and swinging aboard before the train gets moving too rapidly. Jameson and Radha scramble up at one point - from opposite sides of the same landing between a pair of first-class cars - and, glancing at each other, turn as one to make their way through the cars toward the front of the train.

Winston and Janos climb aboard just a little ways behind (likewise heading for the front), while Blaine and John somewhat less gracefully climb aboard further down the train - both still on the lookout for Luqmani, who should be boxed in between the two of them.

Blaine doesn't have to look long. He caught ahold of a ladder on the side of a car as it swung past, and he is now edging around to the nearest landing between cars. Just as he sets a foot down on the metal decking, one of the cars' door opens.

Out comes Luqmani, who doesn't immediately notice Blaine, given the rising clatter of the wheels and that the detective is partially concealed (half hanging off the side of the car).

John is nearby as well, having made good time both without and within the train - still concealed from sight, he rounds the end of the corridor and sees Luqmani disappearing out onto the next platform.

* * *

The others are moving quickly as well, determinedly making their way through the remainder of first class. As they approach the engine, they hear more reports ringing out, their intensity deadened somewhat by the intervening cars but easily picked out by careful ears.

They soon leave behind the last compartment car, passing through the first class dining car. As they do so, they have to push through a crowd of people running the opposite direction - their luncheon disrupted by the gunplay just a little further on.

The door at the end of the dining car (now almost vacated by passengers) is perforated - the steel punched through with two rough holes the size of a large man's fist.

Jameson hits the door first, crossing the landing just in time to catch the edge of a nasty electrical current. He's just touching the door into the next car (undamaged) when a sudden charge runs through the steel, his muscles twitching painfully as the wave of electricity runs through him and dumps into the deck at his feet.

[no damage to Jameson - just discomfort]

The other three are just behind him as he bursts into the next car (the steward's car, just behind the coal car). The smell of ozone hangs heavy in the air, and two stewards cower in a corner, apparently victimized by (of all people) a pair of the twitchy 'surveyors' that boarded the train alongside Radha and Luqmani.

One of the two is sprawled motionless on the floor, his off-the-rack suit smoking slightly as he lays there. The other is standing, holding an ugly, oversized revolver that looks like it was designed to hold bullets two or three times the size of those used by a normal revolver.

He's turning in the general direction of the door, bringing his gun to bear on Kate, who is on the floor near the door (in front and to the right as our heroes enter the room). She does not yet appear injured, just knocked down.

Locky is further on, until now dancing to avoid gunfire. This would appear to be a good idea - between eight and ten holes are punched in the floor and walls of the car, each one large enough to put a fist through and feel the air outside.

With the surveyor turning toward Kate, Locky tumbles forward and snatches up a gun from the floor (a twin of the one in the surveyor's hand). Rather than mess with figuring it out, Locky simply hurls it at the man's head - striking him in the jaw, the heavy piece of metal hitting hard (staggering him and visibly knocking a tooth from the surveyor's head).

[Andrew Murphy]

Jameson moves forward through the door quickly and drops to Kate's side. Somehow the Beginning has found its way into its holster but the End is still out in Jameson's left hand and pointing directly between the remaining prospector's eyes.

"Don't move, don't even twitch if you want to live!" Jameson growls. He then reaches out to Kate, "Kate, are you ok?" he asks proffering his hand to help he up, all the while keeping a wary eye on the prospector.

[Surya Lanadhra]

Radha places a hand on Jameson's shoulder. "Let me examine her," she orders crisply, stepping around him to get to Kate.

[Blaine]

"Oh you gotta be kiddin' me!" grunts Blaine as he hoists himself onto the train and lunges for the fleeing Luqmani. "Hold it! I said hold it!" he shouts.

[Going for a clinch if he's in reach]

[Winston Holmes]

"S'alright, Cowboy," Winston calmly says, moving around the other side of Jameson while keeping Adia trained on the standing prospector, "You help the Doctor with Madame Schafer." He flashes the prospector a friendly but cold smile, "This guy isn't going anywhere."