Chapter 3
Sir Topham Hatt wasted no time on getting ready to go. He got up at quarter till 5' in the morning, and left at 5:30. He took a back road so there'd be no traffic. His lights were bright against the darkness and he had the radio on to his favorite morning show.
"Ah, this is it." he mused to himself as he took a sip of his coffee. Then suddenly, he saw some lights ahead of him. Sir Topham Hatt attempted to just move off to the side, but the vehicle was going quite fast! It drove up so quickly in fact, that Topham slammed on the brakes, creating a loud screaching sound. The light of the other vehicle almost blinded him, but he could barely make out that it was a truck. He heard a door open and a man walked out of the truck.
The man walked over to Topham's door. The person was wearing a ski mask that conceled the face. "Get in the truck." the man ordered. Topham said nothing and did nothing. "Get in the truck!" the man shouted again. This time Sir Topham Hatt did as he was told. Once he was out, the man grabbed him by the collar and pulled him over to his truck. "Where are you taking me?" Topham asked nervously. "Shut up and come with me." the man replied as he opened the truck door and threw Topham in. Then he drove away, leaving the car right in the middle of the road.
"How awful." Sodor Castle moaned. All of Sir Topham Hatt's engines were gathered at the sheds while their crews spoke off to the side. Percy looked towards Thomas and Toby. "Why would anyone want to do that?" he asked. Toby sighed. "I don't know." Thomas sadly replied. Just then Henry's driver walked over to the engines.
"As you know," he began. "Sir Topham Hatt went missing this morning. This was found out by Bertie when he was on his morning run." Duck's driver walked over. "Apparently Lady Hatt is worried sick." he added. Everyone groaned. Just then a loud horn was heard, and Buck and Gary slid in.
"Terribly sorry." Gary appologized. "I heard some things about Sir Topham Hatt going missing. I just don't know what to say." Then he walked back into Buck's cab. "Well, can't chat. The Thin Controller called me and asked me to take a look at their viaduct. Must go!" he shouted as he drove off.
"That was...strange." Bear commented. Everyone else agreed. Edward's crew spoke for a minute, then walked into Edward's cab. "We're going to investigate." said the driver. No one objected as Edward puffed out onto the main line.
Gary was going straight down the line, faster than ever. "All we have to do is ask that Thin Controller about where he found those old tracks and our problems are solved." Gary told Buck. Buck laughed, then paused for a moment. "Da' ya' hear sometin' behind us?" he asked. Gary looked back and saw Edward on the opposite track about 100 yards back.
"That stupid thing's followin' us." Gary told Buck. He hit the gas pedal down and took off. But Edward kept following them. "That's it!" Gary thundered. He stopped Buck and got out and walked over to the nearby set of points. Without waisting any time, he set it so that Edward would be diverted to the loop line and be sent back to the sheds. He waited for a moment, then Edward came and the plan worked just as planned. Gary laughed as he and Buck continued on to the Skarloey Railway.
When Edward got back to the sheds, the only engines left were Oliver, Duck, Bear, Gordon, Sodor Castle, Henry and James. "He switched me onto the loop line." Edward sighed. His crew got out and spoke with the others. Just then Lady Hatt drove in. Everyone quit what they were doing when they saw her.
"Well," she began. "I guess I've assumed ownership of this railway. And just to let you know, I've called for Topham's brother, Theodore to come in from London. Gordon, I would like you to pick him up at London station." Gordon smiled in agreement. Then she left.
Bear decided to strike a conversation. "Does anyone beside me find that that new person, Gary a little suspicous?" he pondered. The other engines all gave a 'yes' or a 'indeed.'
"I think that something needs to be done." Duck commented. Oliver agreed.
"I heard him saying that he wanted to find the same golden engine The Fat Controller was looking for." Oliver replied. Then James' eyes narrowed. "I just thought of something: If The Fat Controller was looking for the Benjamin, and Gary wanted to, then The Fat Controller would probably find it before him." "Continue." Sodor Castle requested.
"Anyway," James continued. "If The Fat Controller couldn't go on his journey, then Gary could get the engine without any trouble and-" "Could use it's power to take over Sodor!" Henry cut in. All of the other engines, including their crews shared shocked glances.
"We better keep this to ourselves." Oliver's fireman suggested. Everyone else agreed. Bear looked toward the group. "Gary is a threat." he noted. The others agreed. "And we must," Duck stuck in. "Stop him." James finished.