"Rumble…" The train approached with a low echo, like the panting of a monster.
The bandit stood in the middle of the tracks, frantically waving a red cloth strip at the train.
It was just dawn, and the train driver immediately noticed this scene and the obstacle on the tracks before the bend. He immediately pulled the air brake valve handle.
The entire 22-car train began an emergency stop. The train, traveling at about 60 miles per hour, slid for over 600 meters before coming to a complete stop more than 100 meters in front of the carriage.
Good, everything is going according to plan.
The four bandits ambushing ahead immediately rushed forward, pointing their guns at the driver and two engineers in the locomotive, telling them to come down obediently, then tying their hands behind their backs.
"Tat-tat-tat"
As soon as the train stopped, the machine gun on the small hill began to fire wildly at the second-to-last ordinary carriage, seventy to eighty meters away.
Henry was startled awake when the train braked abruptly. He immediately got up, put on his high boots, then ran to the left side of the train, opened the window, and peered out—he found nothing.
By this time, the train had come to a complete stop. He immediately ran back to his bed and looked out through the small glass window, about twenty centimeters wide—this small window could not be opened.
He happened to see a machine gun on the small hill a few dozen meters away beginning to spit fire wildly. The rhythm seemed like that of a military version, firing three to four hundred rounds per minute.
The target of the machine gun bullets was the guard carriage where Richard and his wife were.
However, fortunately, the bullets were aimed towards the last special carriage, but Richard and his wife were not out of danger—the machine gun's bullet spread was very wide.
The people in the guard carriage are probably doomed, with nowhere to escape.
Henry only had a small firing angle here and could not shoot at the machine gunner's position. He also did not want to attract the machine gunner's attention.
He immediately slapped the partitions on both sides of the compartment and loudly said, "Pete, Linda, Richard, get up immediately, remove the partitions, and come over to my side. There are bandits! Richard's side is the most dangerous, hurry!"
Everyone immediately sprang into action, and soon the compartment partitions were removed one by one.
Henry simultaneously attached a skill Flying Dagger holster with 12 skill Flying Daggers to his waist.
"Pete, go tell Conrad to open his partition as well. Bandits should board the train to rob us soon. I will protect them, hurry!" Henry continued to instruct.
Pete immediately went to knock on the partition on Tom's side. In fact, Tom and Conrad had also heard Henry's words, and one after another, all the partitions were opened.
This was thanks to Pete's bragging to Henry during the day; these people had an inexplicable confidence in him.
Moreover, Henry proactively offered to shelter them, making them act very quickly.
After all, facing armed bandits, thin partitions provided no safety for them; they were merely sitting ducks.
The machine gun spewed fire for over three minutes, unleashing more than a thousand bullets at the guard carriage before stopping due to an overheated barrel.
The thin metal skin of the guard carriage was completely unable to withstand 14.7mm caliber machine gun bullets, being easily torn apart like brittle crackers.
The sides of the train cars were covered with dense bullet holes. Dark red blood seeped out from many of the bullet holes, winding and flowing, carrying away the souls and vitality of the guards inside the car, like lava gullies in hell.
After the machine gun stopped, the bandits ambushing on the right side of the train acted according to plan. Three armed bandits each rushed onto both ends of the last four Pullman carriages and the guard carriage.
The bandits who rushed into the guard carriage delivered finishing shots to the guards who were still miraculously alive.
In the Pullman carriages, the bandits worked in groups of three. One bandit carried a large cloth bag to collect passengers' wallets, jewelry, and all valuables, while the other two bandits threatened passengers with guns. Those who did not cooperate were struck on the head with a gun stock, immediately causing a chorus of wails, and naturally, they complied obediently.
Into the carriage where Consuelo and other ladies and gentlemen were, Jesse and Frank, the Jesse Brothers, and a henchman, Charlie, rushed in from one end. From the other end, closer to the guard carriage, the three Younger Brothers, the Younger Gang, rushed in.
Frank held the cloth bag, Jesse pointed his pistol at everyone, and Charlie gripped his rifle.
"Good morning, gentlemen and ladies, we are the Jesse Brothers of the James Gang, and the three gentlemen opposite are the three Younger Brothers of the Younger Gang," Jesse said, scanning with satisfaction the terrified young masters and ladies.
"Perhaps you have heard of our reputation. We want money, not lives, but on the condition that you obey."
"Now, obediently put all your jewelry, wallets, coin purses, and everything valuable into the cloth bag, quickly!"
The henchman Charlie also said with a strange laugh, "Come on, obediently hand over everything! Yes, just like that."
Cathy and Amanda obediently put their wallets, wristwatches, necklaces, and so on into the cloth bag.
"Miss, your necklace! Now, do you think we're telling bedtime stories?" Frank stared impatiently at Chris.
"Please, I'll give you everything else, but this necklace has been passed down in our family for generations. Please spare it," Chris pleaded pitifully.
Frank stared at her delicate face and said with a strange laugh, "Charlie, this beautiful lady needs your persuasion."
Charlie grinned, took a step forward, and swung his rifle with both hands.
"Thud!"
The hard walnut rifle butt brutally smashed into Chris's right cheekbone.
"Ouch…" Chris let out an extremely painful sound.
Charlie showed no pity for the beautiful lady, and instead, gave Chris another rifle butt to her left cheekbone.
"Wuwuwu…" Chris could no longer bear the pain and burst into tears.
Charlie glared fiercely at Chris and raised the rifle butt again!
Chris, crying in pain, reluctantly unclasped her sapphire necklace and carefully placed it into the cloth bag, but Frank snatched it away with one hand and triumphantly tucked it into his inner shirt pocket.
"Bang! Ouch…" Gunshots and cries of pain came from the Younger Brothers' side.
Coleman chuckled strangely and said, "Dare to touch your gun again, next time I'll shoot your head. And you all, hand over all your guns."
It turned out that a brave gentleman, Dylan, had tried to draw his gun to fight back, but Coleman shot him in the back of his right hand, immediately blowing a large hole in it.
"Haha, you don't know what's good for you! If we weren't going to kidnap you, you'd be dead this time!" Tom, a Younger, mocked.
The other people in the carriage were stunned when they heard they were also going to be kidnapped.
Jesse said to Consuelo, "Who told your fathers and grandfathers not to let us go? You brought this upon yourselves! Be obedient, and you'll suffer less."
"Bang!" Mark was a little slow in his movements and was immediately struck on the head with a gun stock by Charlie without hesitation.
The Younger Brothers also struck hard whenever they were displeased.
--------------------------
Hate waiting for new chapters? Same here 😅
Good news — you don't have to wait anymore!
All the next chapters are already on Patreon, so go binge them now~
👉 [patreon.com/TripleCrown07]