Thomas sat in silence in the extremely well-appointed stagecoach, listening to the rain patter against the roof. The lavish use of gold trim, emerald mink upholstery, and the miniature chandelier struck him as gaudy, but by now, he was well accustomed to Mr. Porter’s taste.

The man sitting opposite him, currently known as Mr. Liu, appeared oblivious to the luxury around him. He barely acknowledged Thomas when he boarded the coach, remaining entirely absorbed in his notebooks. Occasionally, Mr. Liu grimaced as if grappling with a thought, chuckled when something clicked, or silently mouthed conversations with himself, lost in private musings.

Thomas had read the documents provided on Mr. Liu. The man had once served as a high engineer for the court of the Faceless Emperor and had studied at the twin universities of Russ and Pruss. This explained why Mr. Liu spoke English with a Russ accent, despite being of Han origin.

While at the universities, Mr. Liu’s genius caught the attention of one of Mr. Porter’s contacts. It also attracted the interest of a Prussian nobleman’s daughter, and their ensuing affair caused her arranged marriage to collapse. Enraged, her father placed a bounty on Mr. Liu's head. Seeing an opportunity, Mr. Porter intervened, orchestrating Mr. Liu’s escape along with his companion, providing them with new identities and safe passage to his estate.

This, however, angered both the Prussian nobility and the Han imperial court. They made it clear that they would pay an obscene amount of money to have Mr. Liu killed—and anyone aiding him would meet the same fate. As a result, Thomas now found himself responsible for escorting Mr. Liu, wedged between the wrath of two powerful nations, a swarm of bounty hunters, and the enigmatic organization known as Latores Veritatis.

This was not Thomas’s first time escorting a high-value target, though Mr. Liu was easily the most important. He felt confident in the plan to get to Blackwater: maintain a low profile, travel by stagecoach to New Orleans, board a train to Houston, and then take another stagecoach to Blackwater via El Paso. It was the most efficient route, but also the most predictable, meaning anyone determined to intercept them would anticipate it. Their success would depend entirely on speed and discretion.

The stagecoach sped away from Mr. Porter’s estate, following the Great River Road along the Mississippi’s winding banks. At their current pace, Thomas estimated they would reach the train station in about two hours. With everything under control for now, he turned his attention to the additional documents Mr. Porter had provided.

The first document contained hearsay about a creature whose existence had never been confirmed and was widely dismissed as myth. Still, the text detailed the creature’s supposed abilities—chief among them, the power of self-resurrection. It also included a report of a recent sighting and a plan to capture the beast.

The second document outlined experiments conducted by Mr. Liu using a rare magical crystal in combination with samples from various magical creatures. It described how the crystal could be incorporated into a bullet, along with the specialized equipment needed for such an endeavor.

Thomas spent the remainder of the ride contemplating these documents, trying to piece together Mr. Porter’s intentions. His thoughts were interrupted as the stagecoach’s wheels clattered onto the cobblestone streets of New Orleans. Glancing across the carriage, he saw Mr. Liu still deeply engrossed in his work.

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Thomas was pleased with how smoothly the journey had gone so far. Once they arrived at the train station, he oversaw the loading of their luggage before hurrying Mr. Liu aboard the train. He selected seats with his back against a wall, giving him a clear view of the doors. Though the train seats were not as plush or private as the stagecoach, they were comfortable enough.

Ever vigilant, Thomas scrutinized each passenger boarding the train, taking mental notes of anyone suspicious. He spotted two men seated at the rear of the carriage and another to their right. All three were clearly armed. The pair at the back kept casting subtle glances in their direction, trying—unsuccessfully—to appear casual.

The train whistle blew, a long and loud signal, and the locomotive began to move. The rhythmic chug of the steam engine jostled the carriage as it picked up speed, carrying them out of the bustling city. They passed New Orleans’ busy ports, where steamboats and ships lined the riverbanks, cargo being loaded and unloaded from the dense warehouses.

Beyond the city, the train followed the river, cutting through vast sugarcane plantations. Smoke drifted from the few mills still operational after the war. Though many plantations had fallen on hard times, the stately homes and oak-lined avenues retained a certain charm. It was the post-war hardships that had allowed Mr. Porter to acquire much of the land in the region.

As the landscape shifted to the Mississippi River Delta, the train moved through marshlands and bayous filled with cypress trees draped in Spanish moss. Egrets and herons waded gracefully through the calm waters. Occasionally, Thomas caught sight of alligators basking along the banks, and at one point, he saw one covered in what appeared to be translucent red crystals.

Five hours into the journey, one of the men at the rear stood and walked toward the bathroom, passing Thomas on his way. The man tried to appear inconspicuous but kept sneaking glances at Mr. Liu. Thomas knew the signs—this man was trying to confirm Mr. Liu’s identity based on a description he had been given. No doubt, he would report back to his companion, and together they would attempt to extract Mr. Liu at their next stop: Vermilionville.

Thomas glanced around, ensuring no one was watching, then rose and followed the man. As he slipped into the cramped bathroom, the noise of the train masked his approach. The man, finishing his business, turned—and found himself face-to-face with Thomas.

The man reached for his gun, but Thomas was faster. A sharp headbutt connected with the man’s nose, sending him reeling onto the toilet. Without hesitation, Thomas followed up with a heavy right hook to the jaw, knocking him unconscious.

Disposing of the body was trickier. Thomas shattered the window, the glass falling away easily. But lifting the unconscious man and forcing him through the narrow opening proved more challenging. By the time he returned to his seat, sweat beaded on his brow. Mr. Liu, still absorbed in his notebooks, remained blissfully unaware of what had transpired.

The train continued through the wetlands, the marshes giving way to pine forests and small farms as they approached Vermilionville, their first stop. Passengers disembarked to stretch their legs, and at last, Mr. Liu spoke.

“I think… needing use restroom, yes?”

Thomas nodded and escorted him into the train station, standing guard outside the restroom door. As he waited, the second man from the train hurried toward him, hand hidden in his coat pocket, the outline of a gun unmistakable.

“What the hell did you do with Clancy?” the man growled.

Thomas raised an eyebrow in mock innocence. Then, with lightning speed, he drove a short uppercut into the man’s gut. The winded man doubled over, collapsing onto a nearby bench. Thomas followed with a clean right hook, knocking him out cold. He adjusted the unconscious man’s hat to cover his eyes, then confiscated the gun and discreetly disposed of it in a trash can.

Mr. Liu emerged from the restroom, oblivious to the encounter. The two men reboarded the train, settling in for the next leg of their journey. The train departed slightly behind schedule, delayed by the absence of two missing passengers.

The locomotive rumbled on, passing through Lake Charles and on to their next stop, Beaumont, Texas.