INSIDE THE WAGON, THE FIGHT remained intense for the group. The crazed people who had entered tried in every way to get close to Kenan to attack him, but the agents, Gregory Evans and Floyd Kenagan, stopped them, either by pushing and kicking, or by using up the bullets they had left.
Finally, the doors closed.
Floyd Kenagan could see through the windows when the agent realized he was alone outside, turned around to try to get in and the mob of crazed people jumped on him, covering him like a school of piranhas in a jungle river. Some of the most agile ones tried to get in through the windows, falling around the train and being crushed by its movement.
We lost another one... shit!
The subway started moving again and accelerated rapidly. The fight, however, continued to haunt them, as many people were coming from other carriages, whether they were maddened or fleeing from them. There was only one solution left:
Reach the train driver's cabin and lock themselves in under cover...
With no bullets left, the agents could only rely on their strength to stop the horde from advancing. Floyd Kenagan also found himself with empty magazines, as well as his hope. Tommy left a few bullets for a more critical moment, if that wasn't enough.
They reached the train driver's door and began to knock as hard as they could.
— Open up! Quickly! — shouted Kenan and Katherine repeated the same.
The other three exchanged forces with the mob that invaded the carriage. It was an intense moment, the defenders received strong blows, as well as scratches and bites, from those who had lost their minds.
The cabin door opened and, before the engineer could see what was happening, Kenan and Katherine fell into the shelter. Floyd came right behind, followed by Gregory Evans, Tommy and the remaining agent. They closed the door, but some people almost managed to get in, forcing it against them, who struggled desperately to close it. A few shots from Tommy served to stop them. Finally the lock was in place.
— What is this? — shouted the engineer, a bearded man with a hoarse voice, as he took off his headphones. — Excuse me, I couldn't hear you calling, the radio was loud…
People were banging madly on the door, grunting and screaming in despair, in a disturbing symphony. As he helped Kenan and Katherine to their feet, Floyd answered:
— We are under hostile circumstances, we had no other option but to come in here. Is this door safe?
— Yes — the old man replied thoughtfully. — I think so... Well, I've never witnessed a situation like this, but who are you? What happened?
At that moment, already standing up, Kenan answered him:
— We are under attack and national security is at risk, we need to contain it...
It was only when Kenan stood up and started talking that the engineer realized who it was. Only then did he recognize him. His expression quickly changed, his breathing became labored, his pupils dilated and his gaze revealed great tension.
Here we go...
Grunting and groaning, the old man jumped at Kenan, in the cramped cabin, grabbing his neck like an animal. Everyone reacted eagerly, holding him until he let go, but the old man struggled and tried to strike Kenan in every way. Amidst the commotion, he hit some controls on the train's panel.
— Stop it, sir! — shouted Floyd Kenagan. — Stop or we'll have to react.
The man no longer spoke words, he only made noises and screamed as much as his hoarse vocal cords would allow. He struggled so much, even trying to bite the hands of those holding him, that the agent struck him hard on the head, knocking him out.
"Don't kill him, there's no reason to!" Kenan said.
"No, Mr. President, I just knocked him out," the agent replied.
Tommy turned to Katherine, who hugged him, distressed by the moment, but relieved to be with him.
— It's okay... — he said softly in her ear.
You could feel her heart beating fast during the hug, but she didn't say anything, just squeezed him tighter and tighter, pulling at the folds of his shirt.
— Are you okay, Mr. President? — Floyd Kenagan asked.
— Yes — Kenan replied, trying to catch his breath.
— So, what are we going to do? — Tommy asked in his impolite way.
— Unfortunately, we don't have any good options. — Floyd Kenagan replied.
— Actually, you don't have any — the nervous young man continued.
Katherine didn't say anything to reprimand him for his behavior, but she pinched him hard.
— Gentlemen — Floyd Kenagan said. — How much ammunition do we have?
— I'm out of ammunition — the agent replied.
— Out of ammunition — Gregory Evans said.
— And you? — he asked Tommy.
— I must have one or two bullets, I lost count when we got in here.
The train was still moving.
Floyd leaned against the dashboard and took a deep breath, closing his eyes and thinking of a solution, which most likely wouldn't exist.
No ammunition... no way out... locked in here... what else...?
He opened his eyes and saw the elocometer. He noticed that the numbers were rising slowly and steadily.
— Strange... — he said. — We're accelerating.
— I don't understand — Kenan asked. — What do you mean? Isn't this normal?
— I noticed that the engineer bumped into some controls — the agent said.
— Does anyone here know how to operate this? — Floyd asked worriedly.
No one answered.
— Does anyone know how to operate this? — he asked again, louder.
The silence continued and, to make matters worse, an alarm went off, a light started flashing on the panel. Something was really wrong there. Despair came when everyone saw many lights on the tracks; they had just passed a station.
— I can't believe it! — Floyd Kenagan shouted, already beside himself.
— This shit is out of control!
— Quick, does anyone have any idea what to do here?
The subway was going at a very high speed, above normal. Some felt the discomfort of the abnormal acceleration and felt the symptoms of the sonic attack returning to them. The cabin began to vibrate, tremble, and soon shook violently, demonstrating the irregularity of the situation. Tommy grabbed Katherine, trying to hold on to something, and the others tried to balance themselves, except for the old man, who remained unconscious.
— Quick! — Floyd shouted.
— Wake this old man up!
The agent held him, shook him, slapped him, but he showed no reaction. The cabin began to jolt and accelerated more and more. A very loud, high-pitched sound could already be heard, of metal clanging beneath them, an infernal noise, not only because of the annoying sound, but because of the meaning of death that it brought with it. There was nothing else to do, everything spun.
I have to do something, thought Gregoy Evans, but what?