“Jackpot,” Blair whispered, eyes wide.

  We moved in carefully. There was a small overhead speaker near the door. It crackled to life. “Well, well,” Porter’s voice said calmly. “So you found the supply car. Everything in here is locked. You’ll need my keycard to open it.”

  Alina cursed under her breath. “He’s taunting us.”

  Blair tapped the nearest cage of weapons, which was sealed behind an electronic lock. “We can’t brute force these. We probably do need that card.”

  Suddenly, the speaker hissed again. “I have a proposition,” Porter said. “Spare me, and I’ll open the cages for you. Show you a safe route to the next bulkhead. Sound fair?”

  Silence fell between the three of us. Blair’s look was uneasy. “Right. Because we can totally trust the assassin who’s been trying to kill us.”

  Alina stared longingly at the crates labeled ‘food’ and ‘ammo.’ “But we need supplies. Maybe if we pretend to cooperate…?”

  I considered our options. If he was truly offering a deal, we could get those supplies. But he was basically The Conductor’s top dog. There was no way this was straightforward. “He’s playing us,” I said finally. “But maybe we can outplay him. We’ll feign agreement, get him to open the cage. Then we’ll seize the advantage.”

  They nodded. I cleared my throat, stepping toward the speaker. “Alright, Porter. We’ll talk. Show yourself.”

  Silence. Then I heard a click, and one of the cage doors slid open with a pneumatic hiss. It was the cage with crates labeled FOOD. Another click from overhead. “See? I’m cooperating,” Porter said. “Help yourselves. Then we’ll talk about that keycard you really want.”

  My gut twisted. “He’s picking which cage to open,” I muttered. “Convenient that it’s not the weapons cage.”

  Alina quickly stepped into the opened cage and grabbed a few boxes of vacuum-sealed rations. Blair and I kept watch. Suddenly, I heard a faint mechanical whirr above us.

  “Turret!” Blair shouted.

  A hidden turret dropped from the ceiling corner, swiveling to aim at Alina in the cage. Red sensors lit up. She froze, eyes wide. “Get down!” I yelled, lunging for her. Bullets sprayed. We managed to duck behind metal crates. The firefight was deafening in that enclosed space.

  Porter spoke again over the speaker, his voice almost apologetic. “I might have left a tiny surprise in the supply cages. Sorry. Couldn’t trust you to not shoot me in the back.”

  I clenched my teeth. Bastard. We were pinned, with only half the supply crates for cover. The rest of the valuable gear was out of reach. One slip, and that turret would shred us.

  Blair gritted her teeth, reloading. “We need to kill that turret, or we’re stuck here.”

  The turret raked bullets across the floor, forcing us to stay low. In a pause between bursts, I glanced around, spotting a power box on the opposite wall with a blinking red diode. “That must control the turret. If we shoot it, we can cut power.”

  Alina looked uncertain. “How do we get a clear shot?”

  “Cover me,” I said. “I’ll draw the turret’s fire. Blair, you put a bullet in that box.”

  She didn’t like the plan, but we didn’t have time to argue. On my signal, I hopped out from behind the crates. The turret whirled, spitting rounds at me. My mind went blank with adrenaline as I sprinted behind another cage, diving at the last second. The turret tracked me, ignoring Blair’s position.

  Blair took the shot. Sparks flew from the power box. The turret made a dying buzz, then powered down, its barrel drooping. Smoke and acrid smell filled the air. I exhaled in relief, heart drumming in my ears.

  “Porter’s gone,” Alina said, pointing at an open doorway along the far end. “He must’ve slipped through there while we were pinned.” Even worse, that door was sealed tight now—red lights indicated a lockdown.

  We rushed over, but it wouldn’t budge. Blair slammed her fist on it in frustration. “He locked us in here.”

  I stared at the sealed exit. We were trapped in the supply car with the turret neutralized, but no way out. Over the overhead speakers, Porter’s voice came again, more distant. “You’ll have to forgive me. Nothing personal. I just can’t have you messing up The Conductor’s plan. Best of luck.”

  Silence.

  My jaw tightened. “He’s gone. And so is the keycard that opens these cages.”

  Alina’s shoulders slumped. “I grabbed some rations, but we’re missing the real jackpot: better guns, ammo, everything.”

  Blair kicked a metal crate in frustration. “Damn him.”

  A deeper problem presented itself as the overhead lights flickered. A faint alarm beeped in a new tone. Then a digital voice, “Warning, door seal engaged. Oxygen regulation compromised. Please exit the car immediately.”

  My heart sank. The Conductor or Porter had triggered some failsafe. We only had a matter of minutes before the environment system locked down. Possibly, we could be suffocated or gassed if we didn’t exit.

  Blair looked at me, alarmed. “We’re stuck inside unless we can break out.”

  I frowned, scanning the walls. “We’ll find a workaround. We’re not letting Porter or The Conductor bury us here.”

  A hiss of releasing air along the ceiling sent chills down my spine. We had to move now.

  “Spread out,” I ordered. “Look for anything that might help us break or bypass the door.”

  We skimmed the supply car, the faint hiss overhead growing louder. My lungs felt normal for now, but that wouldn’t last forever. I spotted a stenciled hatch near the floor labeled EMERGENCY CRAWLWAY. That was likely our ticket. It looked narrow. The handle was sealed, but maybe not locked.

  I moved toward it, motioning the others over. I tugged on the hatch. It groaned but gave an inch. We had a shot. “Come on!” I yelled through the rising hiss.

  Blair and Alina hurried over. The last thing I saw behind us were the locked cages of weapons—just out of reach. We had to leave them behind or risk running out of air.

  “Damn,” I muttered, forcing the hatch open. “We’re going. Now.”

  And that was it. We had no choice but to crawl single-file into darkness, hoping the route led us somewhere we could keep chasing Porter—and eventually get closer to The Conductor. Our situation was dire, but at least we were still breathing. For now.

  Chapter 27

  Crawling through the tight steel tunnel felt claustrophobic. My shoulders brushed the walls, and I had to keep my head down to avoid the wiring overhead. Ironically, the darkness and the scramble forward was a welcome alternative to suffocating in the supply car.

  Blair was in front, her petite form helping her move faster in such a cramped space. Alina was behind her, and I brought up the rear with my battered katana awkwardly strapped across my back. We shuffled along, each of us trying not to think about the possibility of the tunnel leading nowhere.

  Eventually, we reached a small intersection. Faint overhead lettering indicated a maintenance corridor that paralleled the main cars. Blair slithered out first, dropping into a dimly lit side passage. Alina followed, and I came last.

  We found ourselves in a wide supply corridor lined with pipes and overhead cables. Dim red emergency lights glowed from the corners. The air felt stale, but at least it wasn’t actively depleting like in the supply car. I took a deep breath, relief washing over me.

  Blair tested a side hatch that presumably led back into the train’s main walkway, but it was sealed. “Locked,” she said, frustration in her tone. “Porter’s one step ahead of us.”

  Alina nodded. “We have to figure out another route. That or find him again.”

  Suddenly, a speaker on the wall crackled. Porter’s voice. “I see you found the old service corridor. Impressive. Look, maybe we can come to terms—”

  “It’s a trap,” Blair whispered.

  Porter continued, “I’ll open the door to the rest of the train if you’ll just back off. We can both get what we want. Nobody has to die.”

  I practically snarled. “You tried to gun us down with a turret. You really think we’re going to trust you now?”

  “Circumstances changed,” Porter said, somehow managing to feign casual confidence. “There’s a squad of assassins ahead—ones I don’t control. We could help each other.”

  Blair rolled her eyes, checking her pistol again. “Is he for real?”

  Alina looked torn, hugging herself. “We can’t just keep ramming our heads into kill squads. If he can get us past them…”

  I flicked my gaze to a sealed metal door ahead. The sign read: Access to Car #16 – Security Clearance. “I bet that’s the next step. He must have the card for it,” I said. “We can’t move forward without him. But that doesn’t mean we have to trust him blindly.”

  Blair gave me a sharp look. “What’s your call?”

  I sighed. “We pretend to agree. Let him unlock the door for us. Then we get the drop on him.”

  A moment of tense silence. Alina nodded, though her brow was furrowed with worry. Blair shook her shoulders, loosening up. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  I found a small speaker panel on the wall and pressed the talk button. “Fine, Porter. We’ll work together. Open the door.”

  There was a pause. Then a small beep from the Security Clearance door. The lock indicator turned green. Blair aimed her pistol, ready for a double-cross. I nodded for her to open it. She hit the button, and the door slid aside with a faint hiss.

  We stepped into a large supply area—like a sub-car used for equipment storage. Porter stood across the room by another exit, a safe distance away. He wore black tactical gear, a half-mask over his face, but I could see dark hair and sharp eyes. He kept one hand near his holstered pistol.

  “All right,” he said, voice echoing slightly. “We’re here. My keycard can unlock these cages and that door behind me. You let me walk away. Deal?”

  I shot a glance at Alina, who had her hand near the shock-stave. Blair had her pistol aimed discreetly at the floor. We advanced a few steps. “Open the weapons cage first,” I said, gesturing to a locked wire cage along the side that looked full of guns.

  Porter tilted his head. “One cage at a time. I’ll open this smaller one, give you a taste of cooperation.” He tapped a device on his wrist. A beep, and the smaller cage door clicked open.

  Inside it were a few sidearms and some ammunition. Nothing huge, but definitely helpful. Alina moved to step in. “Wait,” Blair hissed. “Could be another trap.” Alina paused. Porter stood there, posture easy.

  Finally, Alina sighed and went inside the cage, picking up two pistols, some extra mags, and a partial bulletproof vest. I kept my eyes locked on Porter, waiting for him to spring a trap.

  He spoke calmly. “Grab what you need. Then we’ll talk about the big cage.”

  I inched closer, forcing a tone of compromise. “Looks like you’re legit. Once we get better gear, we can blow through those assassins, yeah?”

  Porter nodded. “Exactly.” But I could see the tension in his stance. He was waiting for an opportunity.

  Alina stepped out, handing one pistol to me and a vest to Blair. I took the gun with relief. My baton was about to break, the katana was battered, so having a firearm felt like a lifeline. I checked the mag—only half full, but better than nothing.

  “You ready for the next cage?” Porter asked. “It’s got bigger guns, plus armor. Good stuff. But you have to promise me you’ll let me go after.”

  I took a slow step toward him, raising the pistol, trying to appear non-threatening but also not letting my guard down. “We just want to get to the next bulkhead. That’s it. If you help us, we won’t kill you.”

  His eyes flicked to the pistol in my hand. His lips curled in a half grin, though he kept the mask on. “You know, The Conductor told me to bring you in alive. But I never said I was loyal to him.”

  That piqued my curiosity. “What do you mean?”

  He exhaled. “I’ve seen what happens when assassins like me outgrow our usefulness. The Conductor discards us. I’d rather not end up floating in space or whatever the hell he does with the bodies.”

  Blair frowned. “Space? We’re just on a train, right?”

  Porter shrugged. “None of us really knows the bigger picture. The train never stops. Might as well be traveling through a wasteland or… who knows. I just know I don’t want to be next on The Conductor’s list.”

  Suddenly, he tapped his wrist device again. A beep sounded from the large weapons cage. The lock hissed, and the door slid open. My pulse pounded. This was it. The moment we could score big on supplies.

  But before we could move, a panel in the ceiling popped open, revealing a turret barrel aiming straight out. Porter leapt back as the turret fired a burst, forcing Alina and Blair to dive for cover behind crates.

  I cursed, raising my pistol to shoot the turret, but it pivoted to me with inhuman speed. I dropped to a knee behind a short metal container. Bullets whizzed overhead, pinging the walls.

  Porter used the chaos to slip away, sprinting for the door at the back. He slapped his keycard on the reader, and the exit hissed open. “Sorry,” he called over the gunfire. “I did say I can’t trust you to not kill me. Good luck!”

  He disappeared through the door, which slammed and locked behind him. In seconds, the turret’s bullets were shredding the floor and crates, pinning us away from the newly opened large weapons cage. It was exactly the same trick he’d pulled in the previous car, just more direct.

  “Get that turret!” Blair shouted, taking potshots from behind a metal crate. She only had partial cover, and the turret’s aim was too quick. One bullet ricocheted, grazing her shoulder. She hissed in pain, pressing a hand to the wound.

  I peeked out and spotted the turret’s power cables snaking along the ceiling and into a control box on the left wall. “Alina, see that power box?”

  She nodded, eyes tracking my line of sight. “Got it.”

  “We need to take it out!” I shouted. “Blair, lay covering fire. Alina, shoot the box. I’ll keep the turret distracted.”

  Blair gritted her teeth through the pain, raised her pistol, and fired several shots at the turret. Sparks flew—she managed a near hit on the turret’s base. Meanwhile, I ducked out to draw its attention. Sure enough, it swiveled toward me, spraying bullets across the floor. Alina sprang up and snapped off two rounds at the power box. The second bullet hit, and green sparks erupted. The turret whirred, then dropped limp, smoke curling from the base.

  We scrambled out, breathing heavily. The entire exchange had lasted maybe fifteen seconds, but it felt like an hour.

  “You good?” I asked Blair, eyeing the blood seeping through her tank top.

  She pressed a hand to it. “Just a graze. I’m fine.” Her voice was tight with pain, but I could see it wasn’t life-threatening.

  Alina exhaled, glancing at the unstoppable door that Porter had fled through. “He’s gone. Again.”

  I patted her shoulder. “At least we have the big cage open, right?” With careful steps, I moved to the newly unlocked cage. Inside were rifles, shotguns, bulletproof plates—more than we’d dared hope for. We rushed in, rummaging for the best gear.

  We found a decent rifle with a collapsible stock for Blair, a new pistol for Alina, plus extra magazines and some heavier ballistic vests. I also spotted a slightly battered replacement baton, but more importantly, a functional katana with a sharpened edge. My eyes lit up. “This is perfect,” I said, lifting it.

  We donned new vests, loaded ourselves up with as much ammo as we could carry, and snatched some med supplies for Blair’s wound. The relief of better gear was overshadowed by the fact that Porter had sealed the exit. We were stuck here unless we found another route.

  I tested the door, confirming it was locked tight. Red lights blinked on the reader. “He must’ve locked it from the inside. Another sealed exit.”

  Alina glanced at the overhead sign: CAR #16. We were so close to the control terminal or wherever The Conductor wanted us to go. “Now what?”

  I looked around the room. My gaze landed on a single corridor branching off to the side—a heavy door labeled DO NOT ENTER. The lock was partially busted, maybe from prior damage. “We can try that.”

  Blair reloaded her new rifle, wincing. “Can’t be worse than staying stuck here.”

  We approached the door, hearing a faint hiss from behind it, like a pressurized system. No other choice. I forced it open. A wave of cold air slapped us in the face. The corridor beyond was lined with pipes and apparently connected to some environmental system that whipped cold wind through the train. The floor was slick with condensation.

  Alina tested a few steps in. “It’s definitely not meant for passengers. But maybe it leads around that sealed door.”

  I nodded, motioning them to follow. “We’ll loop around. We can catch Porter and settle this.”

  As we moved into the corridor, the door behind us clanged shut, sealed by an automatic mechanism. The entire train felt like it was shifting to a new level of twisted. For now, though, we had no choice but to press forward. Porter had outplayed us this round, but we’d gained weapons and armor. The next time we faced him, we’d be ready.

  Together, we stepped deeper into the cold passage, uncertain what fresh dangers lay ahead. Our hearts pounded, but we were resolved. We were done letting The Conductor call the shots. We would adapt, survive, and eventually force our way to the front—no matter what it took. The chase wasn’t over. It was only beginning.

  Chapter 28

  I nearly dropped to my knees when I heard the oxygen alarm start wailing in the supply car. I hadn’t realized how stale the air had become until that moment. A thin, blinking monitor above our heads flashed a warning in red letters: “O2 LEVEL CRITICAL—IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED.” The sealed exit Porter had left behind must have triggered some fail-safe, choking off our airflow.