Back in the passenger car, Where Smokey and Knick had secured their hostages, they were ready for the next phase of the plan. They opened the bay doors of the train, revealing to their victims the height of their impending doom. The ravine they towered above was littered with sharp pointy rocks at the bottom of a very long drop. The hostages could only cry and plead for mercy.
"Alright, end of the line." Smokey said as he aimed his shotgun at the hostages.
"This train now belongs to Marlo Bandanawicz, and he don't take kindly to stowaways."
"What?" one of the hostages questioned.
"He means jump, maggots!" Knick ordered.
"You can't do this to us!" a civilian girl cried out.
"Congratulations! We have our first volunteer." Smokey grabbed her wrist and pulled her off the train as she screamed to her doom.
"He just killed a cute girl with no remorse?" one of the recruits stuttered in fear. "These guys are monsters."
Before the thugs could herd the rest of the hostages out of the doors, the sounds of Dwayne's gunfire had just echoed throughout the train.
"What was that?" Smokey questioned. Aiming his shotgun at the direction of the noise.
Moments later, they all heard the sounds of splintering wood. And the screams of Bubba and Gus now falling to their own demise.
"Who did that to them?" Knick asked. "They were just supposed to check the cargo car for loot."
That same loud splintering of wood was enough to stir Dwayne back to consciousness. His eyes rolled awake as his vision returned to him. Deacon was standing over him with a worried look.
"Oh good. You're awake. Hurry we don't got much time." Deacon ordered as he went off to a corner and pulled out a rolled up lasso that he seemed to have stashed there.
Dwayne looked around confusedly. There were no signs of the thugs that attacked him, besides the oddly thug shaped holes off to the side of the cargo car. He looked back at Deacon who was uncoiling his lasso. The handcuffs around his wrist were broken apart and no more than bracelets for the scrawny kid.
"What's happening." Dwayne asked as he stumbled back to his feet. Deacon was exiting off the side of ones of the new holes while prepping his lasso.
"I can take out those other guys, but you have to get the people to safety. Can you do that?"
"What are you talking about?" Dwayne asked. The frustration in his voice becoming audible. "What are you planning to do? What happened to those guys?"
Deacon just gave him a wide toothy grin. "Don't worry, just trust me."
For some reason, that smile seemed to put him at ease. Dwayne picked up the loaded revolvers that Bubba and Gus left behind and steeled himself. "I guess I have no choice but to. I'll cover you."
Deacon spun his lasso in the air aiming to loop it around one of the train tracks next to the now open bay doors of the passenger car. With one mighty toss, he managed to get it around his target. He gave Dwayne a final smile before jumping off the bridge.
"What the hell?" Dwayne panicked as he rushed over to see if Deacon was alright.
"Yeehaw!" Deacon hollered as he swung himself under the bridge and over to the opposite bay door.
"Crazy son of a bitch." Dwayne yelled back at him but then remembered he had a job to do. He went back into cover and aimed his gun at the passenger car. He opened fire, hitting the ceiling of the car and alarming the thugs and hostages.
Take cover!" the thugs all yelled as they scrambled behind the seats.
"You idiots!" Smokey barked. "We're bullet proof, line up and rush the bastard."
The Bandana gang listened to their boss and lined up with their weapons drawn, ready to charge, but that's when Deacon swung in from under them and kicked his way into the train. Knocking a good few of these thugs right off and into the ravine.
"Who the hell?" Smokey asked through gritted teeth.
Deacon just stood in the middle of the crowd of armed thugs who were too stunned to move. He expertly flicked his lasso and yanked the loop back to his side.
"Don't just stand there, get him!" Knick ordered as he rushed at Deacon with his oversized straight razor.
Deacon ducked under the slash and delivered an uppercut that lifted Knick off his feet and sent his head slamming through the ceiling. Deacon quickly rolled backwards into the crowd of thugs so that he was too close for them to set their guns off safely. One by one, Deacon delivered heavy blow after blow that was putting these thugs to sleep with one hit.
Through the excitement, Dwayne had managed to sneak into the car and signal the hostages to follow him to safety. The hostages hurriedly rushed to Dwayne before they were intercepted by Smokey.
"Where do y'all think you're going?" Smokey said as he aimed his gun at the hostages.
Dwayne raised his own revolver and once again emptied his cylinder. His terrified screams overtaking the sound of the gunfire as Smokey fell forward from the impact of the shots.
"This way!" Dwayne yelled as they all scurried off to the cargo car.
By the time Smokey and Knick could recover, the rest of their men had been put to sleep or thrown off by Deacon, who now stood alone with them in an empty car.
"Just who the hell do you think you are, boy?" Smokey asked as he aimed his shotgun menacingly.
"Deacon." he answered plainly.
"Oh, we got a smartass here." Smokey said as he circled Deacon.
"Careful Smokey, this kid packs a wallop, even though he doesn't look it." Knick warned, as he too began encircling Deacon like a pair of hungry wolves.
"oh yeah, he's just some scrawny kid. I doubt he could take a shotgun to the chest well."
"Or a slash to the throat." Knick added.
"Probably not." Deacon answered.
A bead of sweat began to drop out of Smokey's face, as he made intense eye contact with Deacon. He could tell that Deacon was watching him carefully for his next move. He just needed this kid to keep his focus on him and not worry about Knick creeping up behind him, blade ready.
Before Knick could get his blade to Deacon's throat, his face was palmed forcefully as Deacon pushed him so hard, he went flying into the opposite wall and leaving a dent on the door.
"What the-" Smokey steadied his aim to pull the trigger, but Deacon was faster, he got his lasso looped around Smokey's wrist and pulled the thug straight into his fist as he slammed Smokey into the ground. He burst through the floor of the car and sticking out from under the train.
With both Smokey and Knick put down, and no other immediate threats, Dwayne and the hostages rushed into the car and cheered for their savior. Within seconds, they swarmed Deacon. Showering him with praise and thanking him profusely.
"It's alright. Sheesh. Get a hold of yourselves." Deacon scoffed. "Hey give me some space will ya?"
"Aww man. The conductor is dead. How are we going to get out of here?" Dwayne lamented. "We're going to have to wait for someone to find us and hope it's not more robbers."
"Oh please, I can handle a Steamrail model three." Deacon said confidently as he climbed onto the locomotive. He grabbed the bloodied conductor's hat and put it on his own head. "I've always wanted to drive one of these."
"You mean you've never done this?" Dwayne asked, ready to kick him off.
"Nah not with a real train, just with models. But it's okay. My Uncle Ted taught me everything there is to know about trains. All aboard!" Like a seasoned conductor, Deacon gave the recruits orders on how to start the train and had it ready to move within an hour.
"Alright, well I'll direct you to Fort Tuskegee so we don't get lost. No way I'm trusting you to read a map."
"Fair." Deacon said plainly. "Oh and about my arrest?
Dwayne smiled nervously. He looked over at the broken cuffs on his wrists, which he is sure he snapped himself. He was probably always able to break out at any moment and escape. He could've easily taken him down and left them to deal with the robbery. But he didn't. he stopped to help some strangers. Including one that was kind of rude to him. "You know, I'm sure I can let you off with a warning."
Deacon gave another wide toothy grin. Exposing his gap and bright yellow tooth. "Sounds good to me!"
Dwayne sat back and, for the first time since the train ride started, relaxed. He put his hands behind his head and watched Deacon make the final preparations to depart.
"So, what's waiting for you over at Stillwater?" Dwayne asked. "Looking to get hired by the railroad as a laborer or something?"
Deacon for the first time, stopped smiling. His face turned emotionless as he stared off into the distance. "Revenge." He said coldly.
"Uh. Maybe Its best I don't know." Dwayne said. Not wanting to be witness to anything incriminating.
"Probably best that way." Deacon replied, his smile returning to his face.
"I will say this, I feel sorry for whoever pissed you off."
As the train took off and began speeding out of the bridge, Deacon pulled the whistle and rang the bell enthusiastically as he let out a loud "Yeehaw!"