CHAPTER 1
Mischief
2003 Oakland CA. (B.A.R.T.) Bay Area Rapid Transit Station: James Patrick McKandle, 16, brother John Alexander McKandle 18
Sliding down the escalator was not easy these days. The train stations now have the anti-slide plates in between the escalators. One has to get small, cock up on one hip, when sliding down, and hope that neither your pant leg nor your shoelaces get caught. If that happened, it would be a world of pain. "Still the squeaking sound you make while gaining speed is cool" Thought Jimmy as he was almost to the bottom. Then whoosh! Off the end, and hit the ground running. Or be run over by big brother John, who was just about five feet behind him. The B.A.R.T. police department was at the top running down the escalator.
Running, Jimmy looks back over his shoulder, even though he heard his brother hit the ground running just like he had, and can now hear his foot falls behind him.
"Which way Jim?" John asks as they run towards the train platform.
"To the right! to the right!" Jimmy yelled back over his shoulder.
Still running, Jimmy looked forwards once again just in time to half knock a woman over who was waiting for the next train. "HEY!" the woman screamed as she righted her self almost falling over.
Jimmy yelled back at her "Sorry!" and kept running.
This train station was, an under ground train station, and John could see that they are just about out of platform. "Jimmy what now?" He yelled asking.
"Jump down, and go into the tunnel!" Jimmy was yelling as he did just that.
They both landed on the tracks, running at full speed, right into the tunnel.
By this time the police chasing them were now four men, half way across the platform, two of police officers saw them run into the tunnel, and stopped running. One of the guards grabbed his radio microphone held to his chest with Velcro. "Central this is Blake, they ran into the tunnel, should we pursue?"
Central responded immediately "Blake DO NOT Pursue! Repeat: DO NOT PURSUE! You've got a train entering that tunnel from the other side as we speak! "
Blake yelled to the other to Officers "Hold up!", "Do not pursue!" even though they could hear the radio as well, Blake did not want any chance of one of his people getting hurt for lack of listening.
Jimmy yells, "Stay to the right! Do not touch that rail that looks like it has a hood on it! That is the Third Rail, and it will kill you! " John looks at it, and the tunnel as a hole and replies, "I know"!
"TOOT! , TOOT!" the electronic horn sound the trains made now, coming from up ahead of them!
"Jimmy! That's a Train!" John yells, not able to see the full light of the train yet, the tracks bend to the right, what looks like a mile or so away.
"Keep running!" Jimmy yells.
TOOT,TOOT! Again this time loader then before, and the light is bending around the corner now as the train is making the turn!
John is running so fast now he is passing Jimmy.
"Were to Jimmy?" He yells.
Jimmy replies, "On the right! That door on the Right!"
John grabs the doorknob tries to turn it ...
"Locked! Jimmy! "
TOOT, TOOT!
"Look out!" yells Jimmy as he reaches into his backpack.
John steps back out of the way, and looks at the on-coming train. Noticing for the first time that he can feel the air being pushed by the train, on his face.
John looks back at his brother and asks. "What are you doing?"
Not saying anything, Jimmy pulls out what looks like a computer wire. The kind that attached to the hard drive. On one end was a box of some kind, not much bigger than a cigarette pack. On the other end was what looked like a credit card? Jimmy inserted the card into the slot just to the left of the doorknob. Witch looks like an electronic locking mechanism of some kind. The little box lit up with a row of lights, moving so fast John could not make out any number, it was a blur. TOOT!, TOOT!. The very ground John stood on was now vibrating under his feet. He looked at his brother Jimmy, who was looking back and forth between the on-coming train, and the box in his hand. They both feel the Air rushing by. The ground moving under there feet, now the squealing of the metal tires on the train tracks!
TOOT!, TOOT!
"JIMMY!" John yelled one more time!
Jimmy did not answer, he just kept looking at that box, and then the train, back, and forth so fast, it is a surprise he could see either clearly!
The ground moving faster now under foot, the Air was blowing so hard it was moving the boy's cloths back in the direction of the station! John looked as fast as he could in the direction of the station, to see if anyone was following! Just flash lights, at the end of the tunnel trying to see them. "Thank god!" John thought as he looked back at the train. John realized that the train was so close, there was now way they were going to make it now! "OH GOD!" John heard a sound coming from the door! He looked at the door! The light that had been red until now, turned green, the door made another sound, like a clicking sound! Jimmy turned the doorknob with his right hand, and pulled the card out with his left!
John saw the door start to open in; He just tackled Jimmy into the room beyond. Not sure were the door was taking them, but sure that if they stay here they will be dead! Crashing down on the floor just as the train f lashed by so fast, that all they could see was a blur of light, then dark, then light. So fast, they could almost not tell each one from the other! The Air blew so Hard into the room, that papers were f lying in all direction. Along with what looked like candy wrappers, gum wrappers, and God knows what. Along with dust, so thick it hurt there eyes to the point they had to close them. As fast as it started it all stopped. John kicked the door closed. They hurried to there feet, looked around the room, and saw a door at the other end of this room. The room seems like a break room, or some such thing, and not that big. With a table, and a few chairs in the middle of the room. Not spending any more time, they both bolted for the door. Jim opened it, look outside both ways. To the right, was nothing, just a dead end. To the left, a long hallway. Across the hall, was a door. On the door was a sign that read "Looker room"; the boys looked at each other, and ran for the door. Going inside fast but not as to alert anyone inside the locker room, they listened, and silently crept in looking around they saw that they had gotten lucky no one, was inside right now. So they tried some of the lockers "click" one opened. Jimmy was the one that had the luck; the locker door opened, and inside was, slickers, hard helmets, and goggles. John heard the click of the locker door jimmy was opening.
He turned, looked at Jimmy, just in time to see, and catch a Hard helmet flying through the Air, right at him. Followed by goggles! He caught the Hard Hat in his left hand, the goggles in his right Hand, and a slicker hit him in the face! Hanging on his head. Jimmy giggled as he put a hard hat on His head; he was already wearing the goggles. Grabbing another slicker out of the locker he said "Put them on, let's go". John pulled the slicker off his face looking angrily at his little brother for about a second, then smiled and hurriedly put his stuff on.
After making there way back to the streets of Oakland, Jimmy looked around as they discarded there stolen Hat, goggles, and slickers they had, in a dumpster behind some...
