Chapter 22 - Train Hijacking

Unable to stop her rascal boss from returning to the gambling table, Emma held her forehead.

It wasn't just because she was worried Noah might lose more money gambling.

I'm uneasy.

The fact that an outlaw whose crime was robbery had infiltrated as a train staff member made Emma anxious.

Of course, she understood Noah's words that they couldn't catch the outlaw right now.

Killing someone without a wanted poster, relying only on memory, was taboo for bounty hunters.

As Noah said, secretly subduing him at the San Francisco station and handing him over to the sheriff's posse would be the most rational choice.

"..."

But why?

Emma's instinct was screaming that they should catch that outlaw right now.

So Emma carefully headed back to the common room where that staff member was.

She wasn't planning to subdue the outlaw by herself.

She just intended to keep watch nearby, monitoring in case the outlaw tried anything suspicious.

I can do this.

Though she trembled at the thought of facing that outlaw again, Emma barely gathered her courage and entered the common room with a solemn heart.

But...

"Hello, ma'am."

"...Ah."

Entering the common room, she was greeted not by the outlaw Jackal, but by a different staff member.

Realizing Jackal wasn't here, Emma asked the staff member in front of her, "Do you know where the staff member who was here earlier went?"

"That fellow switched shifts with me a while ago, is there a problem...?"

"Ah... switched shifts."

As soon as she heard this, Emma's tension eased and she sat down on the sofa.

Then, realizing she was feeling relieved, she closed her eyes.

...Right, since it's come to this, I should stop worrying too.

There were more outlaws in the West than one might think.

They hide their criminal past and identity, disguising themselves as ordinary civilians to settle anew.

Perhaps Jackal, too, had given up his outlaw life and was living an ordinary life as a train staff member.

Emma tried to forget her memory of seeing an outlaw today, thinking like this.

But...

"..."

...It wasn't easy.

Soon gathering her thoughts again and opening her eyes, Emma got up and asked the staff member, "Do you know where that staff member might have gone?"

"...He probably went to the staff area to take a break. But why have you been asking about him..."

"..."

Emma first tried to gauge if the staff member in front of her was trustworthy.

At least, Emma's memory didn't match any outlaw mugshots with the staff member before her.

As Emma was considering whether to reveal to the staff member that Jackal was an outlaw and ask for cooperation, that was when it happened.

Boom... rumble rumble.

"Oh...!"

"Huh...?"

Suddenly, they felt the speed of the moving train drastically decrease, and then...

Screech—

With a long friction sound, the train stopped.

"The train has stopped, right?"

"...Y-yes, it seems so."

"Was the train supposed to stop according to schedule?"

"...No, it wasn't, but why on earth..."

The missing outlaw and the suddenly stopped train.

Somehow, it didn't seem like a coincidence.

Tap.

"Ma'am?! Ma'am!!"

Realizing this, Emma immediately started running towards the engine room.

Click.

With her hand in her clothes, gripping her gun.

***

Knock knock.

"Conductor, I'm Paul, a first-class attendant. Could you open the door for a moment?"

"Hm? What business does a first-class attendant have here... Guhk!"

As soon as the conductor opened the engine room door, the outlaw Jackal subdued him and pulled out a gun, aiming it at him.

"Say, 'Hi-Jack". Nice to meet ya."

"Urgh... Who are you...!"

"You don't need to know that, just stop the train if you don't want a hole in your head."

"..."

Click.

As Jackal pressed the gun to his forehead, the conductor couldn't resist.

Screech—

"Good, well done."

"..."

Soon, he had no choice but to stop the train as Jackal wanted.

Seeing this, Jackal smiled with satisfaction.

How many years of endurance had he spent for this day?

Of course, the identity of Paul the first-class attendant was forged by him.

Jackal had been pretending to be a staff member for three years, gaining the trust of those around him.

And as soon as he got information that big-shot rich people would be on this direct train to San Francisco, he conspired with his companions.

To rob the train, that was.

There were a total of 13 staff members on this direct train.

Among them, besides Jackal, there was one more outlaw who was his companion.

When Jackal stopped the train, the other one would first rob the luggage of the first-class rich passengers.

If dozens of companions waiting nearby according to plan subdued the armed staff and robbed even the regular passengers' luggage?

— That's when life blooms, fuck yeah.

Now that the train had already stopped.

His companion was probably already in the bar where all the first-class passengers were gathered, stealing their money.

Bang—!

"...!"

Just then, a gunshot was heard from far behind.

Judging by the distance, it was from the car where the bar with the first-class passengers was located.

"Hehe, this friend seems quite aggressive in his robbery method, perhaps because it's been a while."

Jackal sensed that their train robbery would end successfully.

Unless there was a really unexpected variable, of course.

***

10 minutes earlier.

"Hoho, Young Noah. Did you get scolded by your wife? Your expression looks solemn."

"...Scolded? No. Come on, let's start the game."

"Your spirit is good! Seems you've brought enough money too... Well then, shall we enjoy ourselves again?"

Having taken out plenty of money from my inventory before coming in, I rejoined these rich men's battlefield.

Stay calm. I have plenty of bullets, so I just need to play it safe...

I had just been fleeced for a lot of money, but it wasn’t like these rich gentlemen had used any sleight of hand.

Thinking about it, I hadn't lost that many hands, but the stakes were so high that the losses were big.

In pure skill, those gentlemen had a slight edge over me, but Hold'em was clearly a game where luck played a role.

I was confident that I had a good chance of winning.

So the game started and.

"I'll raise 300 dollars."

"...I'll call."

"Haha, seems everyone has good hands?"

...From the first hand, the betting amounts started to rise crazily.

"1000 dollars."

"......"

"How about it, Young Noah? Will you call?"

Soon the betting amount rose to 1000 dollars and...

I slowly calculated the probability of my winning in my head.

I have a chance at a full house... Is the opponent going for a flush?

If I can just complete the full house, it's my victory.

And if I win this hand...

I can recoup my losses this time.

I could make up for all the losses from the previous games.

...A true man should seize the opportunity when it comes.

"...I'll call 1000 dollars."

"Ohhh!"

"Hoho, this is exciting from the first hand!"

Amidst the cheers of others, it was time to reveal the cards.

"Well then, let's show them!"

Please... please! Just let me get a full house!

I prayed to God to please let me complete a full house.

And the result...!

"It's a Queen of Hearts!"

"Wooooow!!"

God had answered my prayer.

With the Queen of Hearts coming out, I had made a full house.

"Ahahaha-! I have a full house! I'll take it all~!"

I tried to sweep all the money on the table towards me, feeling the exhilaration and thrill of victory.

But that was when it happened.

"Wait."

"...?"

The railroad tycoon gentleman who was my opponent in this hand stopped my hand as I was sweeping up the money, smiling.

"Young Noah. Shouldn't you look at my hand?"

"You just have a flush at best, right? I have a full house... huh?"

I tilted my head and checked his hand.

8 of Hearts, 9 of Hearts, 10 of Hearts, Jack of Hearts, Queen of Hearts

"..."

It wasn't just a flush... it was a straight flush.

"That's unfortunate."

"..."

The railroad tycoon gentleman coldly brushed my hand aside and started sweeping the money toward himself.

I watched the scene, frozen like a stone statue.

Please just let me get a full house!

???: Okay.

I thought I was praying to God, but it turned out to be a monkey's paw.

It granted my wish for a full house, but the opponent had a straight flush.

It was my perfect defeat.

"This is ridiculous..."

Thud.

Having burned everything on this hand, I slumped down in my seat.

— Boss! Have you really lost your mind? How much more are you going to lose this time!?

— Don't go-!

I should have stopped when Emma tried to stop me.

Why does an idiot like me only regret after losing all the money? Haha, fuck.

As I was lost in severe self-loathing, that's when it happened.

Boom... rumble rumble.

Screech—

"Hmm...?"

"Looks like the train has stopped?"

"What's going on?"

As we felt the train stop in the middle of the tracks with a long friction sound...

Bang—!

"...Hmm?"

Suddenly, the bar's entrance door was roughly opened and a staff member in uniform entered.

And in his hand...

"Everyone put your hands up!!"

"...!"

He was holding a gun.