The following morning, it was Simon who was taking the first passenger train of the day down to Killdane. For his stop at Kirk Machan, his connection was with Wilfred and Elaine, with the other service being handled by Shane and Sharon.
"So you are these mountain engines and coaches I've heard about," said Simon. "Pleasure to meet you, Wilfred and Elaine."
"Likewise, Simon," said Wilfred. "Welcome to the island. How are you liking it thus far?"
"It's great and all," said Simon, "but I often wonder what's out there beyond Killdane."
"Well, that'd be pretty hard to go up past it for you," said Elaine. "Edward and Mildred mentioned there's no cables that way."
"There is more to this than just mere curiosity though," Simon admitted. "Did you hear the news about Bertram the other day?"
"Ah, yes, we heard about it in my driver's newspaper," said Wilfred. "However, there wasn't that much detail about it."
"That's what's gotten us perplexed as well," said Simon. "It was almost as if Bertram had vanished without a trace. An engine just simply can't disappear like that."
Wilfred's driver showed Simon the paper.
BERTRAM, SCRAPPED BUT NOT SEEN
The aluminum works' number one engine was said to be one of the bravest engines the island had ever seen. However, on the fifteenth of September, the aluminum works' unnamed number three had mentioned him to have "gone out bravely." No other details were given and the case remains open. Police are trying to get information but keep hitting dead ends.
"I think we can rule out the possibility of an avalanche," said Simon. "There would be plenty of fallen rocks if that's how Bertram was scrapped."
"You're right," said Wilfred. "This case is definitely an odd one."
"There has to be a way to solve this…" sighed Simon.
Meanwhile, Stevie was delivering some horse food and other supplies to Hawin Lake. The case of Bertram's mysterious scrapping was also on her mind.
"Are you alright there, Stevie?" asked Red as he and Jack, a newer stablehand, were unloading the supplies.
"Have you two heard about Bertram's recent scrapping?" she asked.
"Bertram?" gasped Jack. "Wait, how can a person be-"
"Not our controller," Stevie said quickly, and she explained to Jack about the little engines up at Peel Godred.
"Oh my…" said Jack quietly. "I'm sorry to hear that…"
"We're trying to figure out how and why it happened," said Stevie, "but not even the other little engines seem to know."
"It's a pity you're not people," joked Red. "Then you can ride in on horseback and figure it out."
Little did Red realize as he and Jack were departing on their tractor that eight pairs of ears were listening in from further up the trail, and Stevie too had an idea.
"That's it!" the blue electric engine exclaimed. Four shapes on horseback moved over.
"Did you say there's a mystery around here?" grinned Sophie.
"Very much." Stevie quickly told the quartet of humans and horses her plan.
"We'd do anything to help the little engines," said Kareen. "How about it, Starlight? You in, boy?" The buckskin horse neighed in response.
"We'll have to be careful," said Patch. "I've been hearing rumors about the guy who runs the aluminum works." Comanche stomped his hoof in agreement.
"What sort of rumors?" asked Lara.
"Well, his granddaughter Addison is completely frightened of him for a start," said Patch. "Her parents do everything they can to keep him away from influencing her."
"We'd better investigate as soon as we can," said Sophie. "Tonight, so that monster isn't at work."
"We'll have to be careful with how we go about this," said Kareen.
Night fell, and Patch and the girls slipped over to the stables at Pine Hollow.
"Thank goodness you board here now, Kareen," said Sophie.
"That makes things a little bit easier," sighed Kareen. "But still, we don't want to wake up the other horses."
It didn't take long for Patch and the girls to saddle up and ride off towards Peel Godred. They had to be very careful and couldn't gallop all the way due to it being quite dark.
Eventually, the friends made it to their destination. Patch shone his torch around the area.
"It feels quite eerie," he said quietly.
"And look at the rails," said Lara; Prancer was curiously sniffing at them. "There's a lot of worn spots near the platform."
"Whoever owns this company doesn't do a good job of maintaining them," remarked Sophie.
"I say we split up and look around," said Kareen. "Sophie and I will take the track going that way."
"And we'll go toward those hills," said Patch.
The friends split off in the two directions. Sophie and Kareen saw many pieces of machinery on their ride through the light of their torches. One such machine was making ominous creaking noises, and Belle and Starlight tossed their heads.
"Steady, Belle," whispered Sophie. "It's just one of the machines."
"Maybe that's how Bertram got scrapped," said Kareen. "A machine crushed him…" She shuddered at the thought.
"Let's check it out," whispered Sophie, her heart tightening at the very thought.
Belle and Starlight walked as close as they could without being in any danger, and Sophie jumped down for a closer inspection while Kareen minded the horses.
Meanwhile, Patch and Lara headed uphill.
"Nothing up here," said Lara with a shrug.
"Engines simply can't just disappear," sighed Patch. "There's got to be something we missed."
Just then, Comanche put his nose to the ground and pawed with his hoof.
"Comanche, this is no time for digging up carrots," cried Patch. However, the dark bay horse appeared to be very persistent.
"Wait," said Lara. "That's not a carrot." Indeed, it was something metal with a gold rim around the edge.
"What is that?" Patch wondered as Comanche continued to dig at the metal object.
Lara scrambled down from Prancer to take a look. "That's a nameplate!" she cried. "Like the ones that the electric engines and mountain engines wear."
"Was it Bertram's?" asked Patch.
Lara shone her light on it. "No… it reads 'Stuart'."
"Stuart?" Patch repeated. "I've not heard of an engine with that name before."
"Neither have I," said Lara. "More mysteries to unravel, it seems. If there's one nameplate, there must be another."
Just then, the humans heard Prancer give a neigh from over the next hill.
"What is it, girl?" asked Lara. Patch helped her onto Comanche and they rode over to the chestnut mare, who had too been digging up something.
"I think she's found Stuart's other nameplate," said Patch. Prancer shook her head and touched her find with her nose.
"That one reads 'Falcon'," said Lara, shining her light on it.
"Two nameplates with two different names?" gasped Patch. "How's that even possible?"
"Wait," said Lara. "Remember what the electric engines had said? 'Two engines here don't have names.' But they came from elsewhere…"
"They must have been called Falcon and Stuart!" gasped Patch. "Lara, you don't think the man in charge revoked their names, do you?"
"Why would their manager do such a thing like dehumanizing them?" asked Lara.
"I'm not sure," said Patch. "But I do have a hunch that we need to find the remaining engines, and quickly."
Prancer trotted to the edge of the hill and gave a neigh, pointing her head toward the left.
"I think the sheds are that way," said Lara, jumping on Prancer's back. "Let's go, Prancer!" The two rode off towards the sheds.
Down at the sheds, Freddie, Falcon and Stuart all slept, still mourning the loss of their dear old friend. Suddenly, Falcon jumped when a bright light shone in his face.
"Ugh, who is it shining their light at this hour…?" he groaned.
"M-maybe it's Mr. Hockings…" stammered Stuart.
"Is that the name of your manager?" asked a female voice. The engines knew immediately that this wasn't Carole, Stevie or Lisa.
"Who are you?" asked Freddie boldly. "And why are you two here in the middle of the night on horseback?"
"My name is Lara Atwood," said the female rider. "This is Prancer, that's my friend Patch McMains and the horse he's on is Comanche."
"The four of us alongside two of our other friends and their horses are investigating what happened to your friend, Bertram," added Patch.
"We didn't have much luck," said another voice. Kareen and Sophie rode in with Belle and Starlight; the former being the one who spoke. "Apparently, Bertram wasn't crushed by the machine we saw."
"No…" sighed Stuart. "You wouldn't find his… remains up that way."
"It wasn't an avalanche, was it?" asked Sophie. "We didn't see any fallen rocks or debris."
Freddie bit his lip, his mouth completely dry. Starlight inched towards the shed window and looked inside. The poor horse let out a mournful whinny.
"What's up, boy?" whispered Kareen as she dismounted. She walked into the shed. "Oh! Lara, Sophie, Patch!"
The trio walked over to where Kareen was at and gasped at the image that lay before their eyes. In front of them lay several engine parts, some were mangled and scorched, and the worst of it was the faceless smokebox door. Two nameplates stood in the wreckage.
"Bertram…" gasped Patch quietly.
"He was cut up…" gulped Kareen. "And his parts are just laying here?!"
"Y-yes," stammered Stuart. "Uncle Bertram… he… was turned down the wrong line and I took his train for him." The No. 4 engine had tears spilling down his face. "Mr. Hockings was going to scrap me, but Uncle Bertram…" He didn't say anymore, for the humans and their horses could already fill the gaps themselves.
"We have got to do something about this!" snapped Sophie.
"Let's wait until morning, then get the cops," said Lara. "Freddie, Falcon and Stuart can't live in these conditions." Falcon and Stuart stared at Lara in surprise.
"We found your old nameplates," Patch explained.
"You did?" gasped Stuart. "No one's found those for years!"
"Could you lot not let our names spread?" asked Falcon. "At least until Hockings is caught?"
"Well…"
"Please?" asked Stuart. "This is really important. Hockings has been really hurtful to us."
"Okay," sighed Patch. "But just remember; you two don't deserve to be dehumanized like this."
The next day, Patch and the girls told the story to Max, Mrs. Reg and Max's wife Deborah.
"Are you four absolutely sure?" asked Deborah.
"We saw Bertram scrapped with our own eyes," said Kareen. "And Starlight wouldn't cry like that without a reason."
"Usually, I wouldn't approve of riding horses out in the middle of the night," said Max, "but I do commend the four of you-"
"Eight," corrected Sophie.
"Eight of you," smiled Max, "for your bravery."
"I've just filed a report to the police," said Mrs. Reg. "Things should be fine from there."
That would've been the end of the story right there… except Mr. Hockings had chosen to dispose of Bertram's remains and have them sent straight to a scrapyard. By the time the police had arrived to investigate, there was nothing in the back of the sheds.
"Huh?" said Barbara. "I don't see anything…"
"There was!" insisted Freddie. "Bertram's scrapped parts were back here."
"This is a real puzzle, Barbara," said Mr. Leonard. "The report the girls and Patch provided sounded very serious, and yet it seems as though the evidence has vanished before we could act."
"In that case, we'd better keep a close eye on the company," said Barbara.
"You mean the case is still open?" asked Freddie hopelessly.
"We'll make sure you and your friends don't end up like Bertram," said Mr. Leonard. "Don't worry, Freddie."
But that would prove to be easier said than done…
Author's Comments
Zack: The next chapter to volume two is now among us with the mystery of the Peel Godred aluminum works further coming into light! The electric engines don't get as much focus this time around, with the major characters being the horse riders with Freddie, Falcon and Stuart getting a bit of a role as well. Also, Bertram's remains being left out of the open is perhaps the most disturbing image of the Seventyverse thus far.
Rachel: This chapter's set up was supposed to surround Simon befriending a young rider at Pine Hollow who shares his phobia of horses, a nod to his Saddle Club counterpart. Instead, it's played out like a Saddle Club mystery story somewhat akin to the episode Mystery Weekend, except the stakes are much higher than just a game with finding a hidden pony or someone actually stealing tack. Patch being included in the mix is something I was excited to do, but I was expecting his age to be closer to that of the girls. Ah well, nothing a healthy dose of intergenerational friendship can't handle. The title of this chapter is also a nod to series three, episode ten's title. The previous chapter was a nod to some lyrics in the Saddle Club's song "Together We Are", something I forgot to mention last time.
Next time, we go a little deeper Out of the Darkness!
