Chapter 5. Something fishy.

The last thing Indy saw before blackness engulfed him was the tunnel wall racing toward him. There wasn't even time to duck. Almost instinctively, he grabbed his hat and held tight. The whack of wind hit him full on and he was pushed back by the force of it. Suddenly, there was darkness and a few moments went by before Indy realised he was still all right, standing on top of the railway carriage. He was only mere inches shorter than the roof of the tunnel but it had missed him! He stared into the smoke and wind and crouched down, trying to shield his eyes from the streaming soot and grit from the engine funnel. Far ahead he could see a faint spot of light which he realised must be the end of the tunnel and daylight. He remembered that there was a gap between carriages only feet in front of him and carefully, feeling with one hand, he groped his way toward the space as he rubbed the filth and tears from his eyes with his hat. Moments later he found free space and realised he was nearer the carriage end than he thought. Quickly, he laid on his stomach, still fighting the rushing wind and smoke threatening to push him backwards off the train. He had difficulty breathing and began to choke and cough on the acrid engine fumes. His free hand felt over the end of the car and groped blindly until he felt the access ladder top rail. Gasping, fighting, Indy dragged himself over the roof edge and almost fell down the narrow gap between the carriages, clinging on fiercely to the ladder rail with one hand. Seconds later, a sudden drop in air pressure as the train left the tunnel almost made him lose his hold but he clung on, drawing deep lungfulls of clean air into his body, retching and coughing violently between breaths.
Slowly, his breathing settled down and Indy rubbed at his face once again. Then, with a sudden resolve, he jammed his hat back onto his head and swung down the ladder and heaved himself to the side of the train.
Still holding his hat to his head, Indy peered round the side. There was a door right beside him. He smiled grimly and forcing his hat down tight once again, he swung round and grabbed the door handle, giving it a sudden twist and tug at the same time. The result as the wind got under the open edge of the door took him by surprise and Indy was almost yanked off the train as the door was ripped from his hand to slam back against the side of the carriage.
Stretching round, Indy gripped the side of the door way and swung his left foot onto the step. Pulling hard as he did a kind of sideways skip, he was propelled with the wind behind him almost across the carriage floor to land inside at the feet of a very startled female passenger. Indy stood, blinking through a comic mask of black soot and white eyes and said, "Don't use the outside toilets." The lady turned and fled.

At the rear of the train, the remaining thugs were smiling at the death of Indy but were concerned about the loss of the map.
Suddenly, the taller of the two exclaimed, "Fool!" and yanked hard on the trains communication chord. Moments later, the train lurched forwards, throwing the passengers to the floor as the emergency brakes took effect. The smaller thug clung on to his seat, yelling, "What the hell are you doing?"
The train came to a stop and all about could be heard the yells and cries of passengers and the shrill whistles of the guards and engineers.
The tall thug let go of the window frame and casually opened the carriage door. "Shall we go?" He said, indicating out of the train. "Jones can't be too far back." He jumped down from the train and his colleague followed, still slightly bemused. "The mess will be unpleasant but no more than Jones deserved and still, it will make it easy to find him." He bent down at the side of the track and plucked a small flower, then stood and threaded it into his lapel buttonhole. "I just love the autumn blooms, don't you?" He continued, strolling back the way the train had come. His small friend followed on wordlessly.

Back on the train, Indy picked himself up and ducked into a washroom, locking the door. He didn't want to get the blame for whatever had happened to the train and anyway, he had no ticket and in his current filthy state he would soon be spotted and certainly questioned. He stared in the mirror and almost laughed himself at the sight that greeted him. Quickly, he soaked the hand towel in the sink and rubbed his face frantically, wiping away most, if not all, of the soot and dirt. He decided that he looked better but had looked better.
A few minutes later there came the sound of several whistles and the train began to move again. Indy waited until he was sure that all was clear again and then cautiously opened the door and peered down the corridor. All was quiet, save the frantic chatter of the mystified and angry passengers. It was only a few cars back to Marcus and Robert and Indy covered the distance in moments only to find a crowd of angry passengers and guards surrounding a babbling Marcus and silent Robert. Thinking on his feet, he pushed himself to the front of the crowd and yelled, "OK, OK, Let me by!" The onlookers moved aside at the sight and smell of this tall dirty American, dressed in scruffy cowboy style clothes.
"And who might you be sir?" Enquired one of the guards who was not so easily intimidated by Indy's appearance.
"Indy..." Marcus began but he was cut of as Indy called out dramatically, "Well, Capone, I've got you at last!"
At this, virtually all the passengers and guards vanished. Indy drew his museum I.D. from his inside pocket and quickly flashed the 'U.S. Government' heading, carefully covering the 'Department of Education' part with his thumb.
"Special agent Jones. F.B.I." He snapped, stuffing his I.D. back into his pocket as the guard was still trying to read it. "I've chased these two half way round the world and thanks to you brave guys, I've got them at last. " He gripped the two guards hands in turn and pumped them furiously. "'I'll make sure your government gets to hear about how you helped capture All Capone."
One of the guards frowned and scratched his head.
"I thought he was only just released from prison." He said. "And he don't look like the pictures of Capone I've seen." He added.
Indy nodded frantically. "New charges." He whispered, conspiratorially. "And surgery." He added, seeing the guard was still non too convinced.
Indy gripped Marcus by the chin and pulled his face from side to side. "Look at those eyes." He said. "You can't hide them. Eyes of a KILLER." He said this so vehemently that the guards almost jumped back a pace. Marcus tried to look menacing but only succeeded in looking even more unconvincing than Indy.
"And who's he?" The other guard asked, pointing at Robert.
"Him?" Indy replied. "That's ah, that's Robert, ah, Robert, er, ROBERT THE BRUCE." He blurted.
The guards' eyebrows shot up.
"Aw, hell!" Indy exclaimed, punching the first guard unconscious with one hit. The second guard threw up his hands to ward off Indy's second punch but lowered them again when Indy dropped his fist and said, "Into the washroom." The man obeyed without question and dragged his companion into the small room. Indy pulled the door shut and locked it with the key the guards had used to open the door and release Marcus and Robert.
"Now what?" Indy said, looking around for the crooks. "We have to get off this train." He added.
Robert spoke up for the first time since being let out of the washroom. "There's a small village coming up but I don't think the train stops there."
"It does now." Said Indy grimly, looking out of the open window at the approaching buildings.
"Oh no, not again..." Marcus cried, gripping the window frame as Indy pulled on the communications chord.
Up in the engine cab, the alarm bell rang once again and the driver and stoker both exclaimed in unison, "Oh no, not again..." as they held onto the cab window frames and applied the emergency brakes once more....
The train screeched to a halt almost level with the village platform which was far too short for it. Locals and passengers stared with disbelief as Indy, Marcus and Robert stepped off the train and Indy walked straight up to a short fat man standing on the platform and asked, "Can you tell me when the next train to Euston is?"

For the second time recently, Professor Smith sat quietly in his office, studying the furnishings and trappings his job as Supervisor of the British Museum had brought him. He smiled to himself, thinking that things could only get better.
A faint sound from the next room made him snap back to reality. He called out, "Who's there?"
There was no answer. Smith furrowed his brow and stood, then walked over to the connecting door and bent his ear to the wood.
Instantly, the door swung open and Smith almost fell into the room. He jumped back, startled, and was stunned to see Indy framed in the doorway. Marcus and Robert were standing behind him.
"You!" He exclaimed. "But how.... I mean, er, what happened..."
He got no further. Indy grabbed him by his jacket lapels and almost lifted him off the floor.
"Exactly!" He scowled. "But how what?. How did we escape? Is that what you were going to say?, you son of a bitch!"
Indy almost threw the professor back into his room and advanced on him menacingly. The professor backed around his desk, straightening his jacket and stammering, "N, N, No... You've got it all wrong. I mean..." He tripped back into his own chair and sat down on it with a thump. Indy gripped the chair arms, trapping Smith in his seat and pushed his face close up to the frightened professors.
"You've led me a helluva dance halfway round the world and around London. I've been hit, taken hostage, shot at and almost thrown off a train!"
Smith began to speak but Indy cut him short.
"I'm in no mood for bullshit. What's going on and how do you fit in to it?"
Smith began to stammer again. "It wasn't me. I'm innocent. All I want is to find the cats."
"Every time we went anywhere, we were attacked. How did anyone know where we were?" Indy said in a quiet, menacing tone.
"I, I, I don't know...Really. It, It must have been Robert. Yes, that's it. Robert." Smith pointed a finger excitedly at the young man behind Indy.
Indy was about to speak, when the phone on Smiths desk rang. They all stared at it.
"Aren't you going to answer it?" Said Indy, picking up the phone and shoving into Smiths face.
The professor took the phone and mumbled, "Hello? Smith here?"
A few words were spoken to Smith and Indy could tell by the colour of the professors face that he was very frightened.
He snatched the phone from him and listened.
"....and he was gone. Got off the train somehow. We searched and....." Indy took the phone away from his ear and held it back to Smiths. Smith closed his eyes and gulped as he listened to the words pronouncing his guilt. Then, suddenly, his expression changed and he blurted out, "Jones! Jones is here! He knows everything!...."
Indy raised the receiver and cracked Smith hard on the skull with it, knocking him cold. He listened to the phone again. The line was dead.
"Great!" He scowled. Now we don't know what's going on, and everyone else does!" He put the receiver back on the phone and jumped as almost instantly it rang again.
Indy picked up the phone again and listened a moment before saying cautiously, "Who is this?"
Indy's expression immediately told Marcus something was wrong.
"Indy, what is it? What's the matter?" He said.
Indy stared vacantly as he listened to the voice on the phone.
"Well it's nice to hear from you after all these years, Indiana. But I really must go now. You know how it is. Things to do, people to see..."
"But you're dead." Indy murmured. You were killed on the island..."
"Do I sound dead? Really, Indiana, you should try to pay more attention to what is happening around you, instead of burying you head in the sand. But I suppose that comes with the job, eh?. Now, as I say, I have to be going, but don't worry. We will meet again soon. Real soon, my friend. Au Revoir."
The line went dead but Indy remained holding the phone to his ear for some time.
"Indy. Indy. What was it?" Marcus repeated nervously.
Indy gently replaced the receiver and turned to stare with almost unseeing eyes at his friend.
Again, Marcus asked, "Who was it?"
Indy blinked once then said the one word guaranteed to send a shiver up Marcus' spine.
"Belloq!"