Chapter 20: Heading to the Front of the Train

The train continued to speed wildly along the tracks through the dense forest amidst the wind and rain. The friction between the wheels and the rails produced a piercing roar, and the train car jolted violently from time to time, as if it might derail at any moment.

Inside the Dining Car, broken tableware lay scattered about. The smell of rotting food mixed with a faint scent of blood, making the atmosphere increasingly suffocating. Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen had just finished organizing their shared ammunition when they were shaken by the constantly accelerating train.

"The train is getting faster and faster. If we don't find the control switch at the front soon, something is bound to happen." Rebecca Chambers gripped her shotgun tightly, her brow furrowed as her gaze swept across the narrow passage hole at the end of the Dining Car. "The doors to the cars ahead are all blocked. This hole is the only way through; it should lead to the car behind the Dining Car."

Billy Coen crouched down and checked the size of the passage hole, confirming they could pass through smoothly. He nodded and replied, "I'll go first. You follow behind me. There might be zombies hiding inside, so I'll clear the way."

With that, he was the first to bend down and crawl into the hole. His movements were agile, his handgun always aimed forward, remaining alert at all times.

Rebecca Chambers followed closely behind. The narrow passage was filled with dust and cobwebs, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. They traversed the short distance of a few meters with extreme caution. After emerging from the passage, they indeed arrived at the Baggage Car behind the Dining Car.

The area was piled high with various suitcases and cargo in a disorganized mess. Under the dim light, everything felt eerie.

The two of them explored along the Baggage Car toward the rear of the train, their feet occasionally stepping on scattered debris and making faint crunching sounds.

Billy Coen, walking ahead, suddenly stopped and pointed at a metal device in the corner. "What's that? It looks like a specialized climbing tool."

Rebecca Chambers immediately approached and crouched down for a closer look. It was a Portable Grappling Hook. The claws were sharp, and the rope was sturdy. Although it was covered in some dust, the parts were intact and fully functional.

Her eyes lit up as she suddenly recalled a discovery from her earlier exploration of the first-floor cars. She quickly said to Billy Coen, "I remember now! Earlier, by the window of a car in the middle of the first floor, there was a broken metal ladder. The brackets were still fixed to the outer wall of the car, but the ladder itself was incomplete, making it impossible to climb directly.

This kind of grappling hook is meant to be used with damaged climbing facilities to reach the roof of the train, which is otherwise inaccessible!"

"Now we finally have a way to bypass the dead ends in the cars." Billy Coen picked up the grappling hook and weighed it in his hand, confirming it was in good condition. "Let's head back to that car now. We'll clear out any zombies along the way so we don't leave any trouble behind."

The two turned around and headed back toward the target car on the first floor. They hadn't gone far when three foul-smelling zombies slowly crawled out from behind the piles of luggage on both sides, lunging toward them with stiff movements and letting out guttural growls.

"Watch out!" Billy Coen barked, raising his gun to fire first. The bullet accurately struck the head of the foremost zombie, and the body collapsed instantly.

Rebecca Chambers also coordinated immediately, raising her shotgun and pulling the trigger at the other two zombies. The powerful firepower knocked them to the ground, and gunsmoke instantly filled the narrow car.

"Let's go, the gunshots might attract more monsters," Rebecca Chambers said urgently. They quickened their pace, clearing out the occasional zombies along the way, and successfully reached the car with the broken ladder.

The windows of this car were wide open. The incomplete metal ladder extended from above the window toward the roof. Half of the ladder was rusty, making it indeed impossible to climb directly.

Rebecca Chambers walked to the window and said to Billy Coen, "This is the place. This grappling hook can hook onto the sturdy bracket above. I'm lighter and more flexible at climbing, so it's safest if I go up."

"Are you sure you'll be okay? The roof is slippery and jolting, so be very careful," Billy Coen urged, handing the grappling hook to Rebecca Chambers, his eyes filled with concern. "I'll keep watch for you down here. If anything happens, call out to me immediately."

"Don't worry, I can do it." Rebecca Chambers took the grappling hook, took a deep breath, and stood by the window. Aiming at the sturdy metal bracket above the car, she threw the hook.

The sharp claws instantly locked onto the bracket. She tugged on the rope to ensure it was secure, then grabbed the rope with both hands and pushed off the broken ladder with her feet, steadily climbing toward the roof step by step.

The train was still traveling at high speed. Strong winds carrying rain lashed against her face, causing sharp pain, and the jolting of the train made the climb exceptionally difficult. Rebecca Chambers gritted her teeth, and relying on the physical training she had undergone in S.T.A.R.S., she finally managed to reach the roof.

"I'm on the roof, it's safe!" Rebecca Chambers shouted to Billy Coen below, her voice swallowed by the wind, rain, and the roar of the train. She could only wave her hand vigorously to signal him.

Seeing her reach the top safely from the window, Billy Coen felt half the weight lift off his heart. He immediately gestured toward the roof, signaling her to continue toward the front of the train.

Rebecca Chambers nodded, lowered her posture, and moved slowly across the slippery roof. Her hands occasionally gripped protrusions on the roof to avoid being thrown off by the train's inertia.

After walking about two cars' distance along the roof, a large hole appeared ahead. The iron plating around the edges of the hole was twisted and deformed, and a faint light from inside the car shone through from below.

Rebecca Chambers slowly approached the edge of the hole and leaned over to look down. She found an independent train guest room below, containing a bed, a table, and chairs; the environment was relatively tidy.

"There's a guest room below. It looks like something's moved; I'll go down and check." Rebecca Chambers muttered to herself. After confirming there was no immediate danger below, she grabbed the edge of the hole and leaped down, landing steadily on the floor of the guest room.

As soon as she landed, a zombie beside the bed suddenly snapped its head up. Its cloudy eyes stared fixedly at her as it struggled to lunge forward.

This zombie was wearing a train attendant's uniform. Its flesh was rotting, and it moved slightly faster than a normal zombie. Rebecca Chambers reacted quickly, immediately taking a step back, raising her gun, and pulling the trigger without hesitation.

The gunshot exploded within the small guest room. The zombie fell to the ground, completely motionless. After confirming the zombie was dead, Rebecca Chambers's gaze fell on the floor beside it. A blue hard-plastic card lay there quietly—it was the blue keycard they had been searching for!

"Found it! It's the blue keycard!" Rebecca Chambers picked up the keycard in surprise, wiped away the dust, and carefully tucked it into her pocket. She quickly walked to the connecting door of the guest room, turned the handle, and successfully opened the door. Billy Coen was already waiting there.

"How was it? Did you run into any danger up there? Did you find the key?" Seeing Rebecca Chambers unharmed, Billy Coen quickly asked, his tone full of concern.

"I'm fine. I just took care of an Attendant Zombie and found this blue keycard next to it!" Rebecca Chambers pulled out the blue keycard and held it up to Billy Coen, unable to hide the joy in her voice.

"Earlier, next to the Conductors Office, we saw a card reader that takes this exact kind of keycard. It should open the door leading to the front of the train!"

"Great, our efforts weren't in vain." Billy Coen breathed a sigh of relief, a rare smile appearing on his face. "No time to lose. Let's head over there now before any more mutated monsters show up."

The two wasted no more time and quickly headed back toward the Conductors Office along the car corridor. Along the way, any stray zombies were quickly cleared by their seamless cooperation.

After fighting side by side just now, their coordination grew even more proficient. Their original wariness had completely vanished, replaced by a mutual understanding of survival.

Soon, they reached the closed security door next to the Conductors Office. A card reader was embedded in the wall beside the door, perfectly matching the specifications of the blue keycard.

"This is it. Behind this door should be the final stretch to the front of the train." Rebecca Chambers stopped and looked at Billy Coen, taking a deep breath.

"You swipe the card. Be careful of an ambush behind the door." Billy Coen stood in front of Rebecca Chambers, raising his handgun and aiming it at the door, ready for combat at any moment.

Rebecca Chambers nodded, took out the blue keycard, and slowly brought it close to the card reader. With a soft "beep," the reader lit up green, and the closed security door immediately made a mechanical unlocking sound, slowly opening inward.

Behind the door was a narrow corridor with dim lighting. At the end, the silhouette of the train's front was faintly visible, and the roar of the train grew even more intense. They looked at each other, both seeing hope in the other's eyes. As long as they reached the front and stopped the train, they could escape this place of death.

"Let's go. We're finally about to reach the front." Rebecca Chambers gripped her gun tightly and, side by side with Billy Coen, walked steadily toward the front of the train.