Thomas Steps Up
Next Morning the Texas Rangers were at the office discussing the events of yesterday evening's conversation. Wyatt Hatt was visiting the Texas Rangers to discuss since this involved him and he already gave out the jobs for the day.
Wyatt: So Corrinne wants to put my cousin's apprentice into your Kick Drugs out of America Program huh?
Walker: That's right and it's helped a lot of kids. I even put some of the kids of Chisolm Middle School in to the program but I made sure that they could no longer belong to a gang.
Wyatt: That actually makes sense but don't forget what Paul said earlier.
Trivette: Yeah Jen's in the United Kingdom so getting her over here will take some time and even if she did show up who is gonna fill in her for as Controller.
Sydney: Sounds like a big problem then.
Wyatt: I think I may have an idea.
Gage: What do you have in mind?
Wyatt: I was thinking that we could get either my niece Emily Helen Hatt or my nephew Charles Nicolas Hatt to take Jen's place as the Controller of the other railway while she's in the foreign exchange program.
Trivette: But the question is will your cousin be up for that idea? Remember Corrinne said that Jen was Steven's apprentice.
Wyatt: I already called up my cousin and he says that it's a good idea.
Gage: Well that takes care of that. Anyway let's focus on getting ready for the festival.
Alex: Good idea. Everyone's excited about it. Provided Paul isn't abrasive as usual.
Wyatt: Paul's blunt and all but he's still one of my hardest working engines in the fleet. Don't forget.
Walker: We haven't forgotten. In the meantime we should get to work.
The others agreed as they went to work and Wyatt went to do his job as the Unova Railway Controller.
Speaking of whom, Paul the Pennsylvania M1 Class Mountain was heading to Fort Worth Texas with a goods train.
Paul: This is the life. Me, my crew, and a freight train.
Paul's Driver: Now Paul remember you're built for mixed traffic work remember that.
Paul: I haven't forgotten but don't forget freight has always been the primary traffic of the Unova Railroad or any railroad for that matter.
Paul's Fireman: Yes Paul we haven't forgotten and we also know of your preference for freight trains to passenger trains.
Paul: I'm not really a people engine and my personality would only get in the way. No offense. Still that doesn't mean I'm not gonna screw up on a passenger service if the situation calls for me to pull a passenger train.
Paul's Driver and Fireman agreed with their engine on that point as they continued to take their train to Fort Worth but as they did Paul had something else on his mind.
Pauls' Driver: Is there something else you had on your mind Paul?
Paul: Now that you mention it there is. It's about what our guests from the United Kingdom said.
Paul's Fireman: Yes I think I know what you mean. Corrinne was doing her best to help make things fairer and to clean up some of the schools over in the United Kingdom.
Paul: But she got banished by her enemies in the process for her efforts.
Paul's Driver: We know. But if what Gervase said about her is true then she would have put a plan together just in case she does become a target. Much like how that girl Faith became a target for the Los Diablos Street Gang when she led a campaign to clean up Lemmon Avenue Middle School.
Paul: Duh. This is Duchess Corrinne we're talking about. An engine like her would've had multiple plans and back up plans in place and have plenty of contacts ready.
Paul's Crew agreed as the Pennsylvania M1 continued the trip.
Over with Duchess Corrinne she was on a passenger service that was going to Fort Worth Texas. She was currently at the water tower taking on water and having a word with her crew about what was said last night.
Corrinne's Driver: So do you really think that Walker's Kick Drugs out of America Program is going to help?
Duchess Corrinne: At this point we can only hope so. We've only been here about a year but I have faith that this will work.
Duchess Corrinne continued to do her job as she continued to travel to Fort Worth Texas with her train.
Over with Thomas he had been assigned to shunting duties and was currently getting some coaches ready when he heard something faint.
Thomas: (thinking) That's odd.
Thomas edged a bit closer and he could see some people that weren't supposed to be there and they were spray painting some of the cars that were on the Unova Railway as well as the building in the process.
Thomas: (to his crew) call the cops tell them that somebody was spray painting the buildings.
Thomas' Driver and Fireman didn't need to be told twice as they called the cops and the controller and let them know what was going on while also being kept hidden.
Once that was done Thomas returned to his usual shunting duties before the yard foreman came up.
Foreman: There's a train load of supplies that needs to go to a military base serviced by the Unova Railroad. The engine that was supposed to collect them has been held up on another assignment. So you'll have to take the train.
Thomas: But I don't know where the base in question is?
Foreman: Don't worry Thomas. I'll tell you where to go and give you a map and directions to it.
Thomas: That's good to know but there's something else you should know.
Foreman: What is it?
Thomas explained what he and his crew had seen earlier which made the foreman cross.
Foreman: Figures. Those gangbangers are always spray painting and we end up cleaning or painting over their tags.
Thomas: Well don't get discouraged. At least you're stepping up and showing them that they won't get away with this.
Foreman: That's something Walker would say.
Thomas decided to carry on with the job that he had been given as he arranged the cars he'd be taking to the military base.
On his way there he had to stop at a red signal and while there he met up with Duchess Corrinne who was currently taking on water.
Duchess Corrinne: Hello Thomas. I didn't expect to see you out of the yards so soon. What are you doing here?
Thomas: I'm taking a train to a military base.
Duchess Corrinne: Well good for you. At least you're exploring more of the Unova Railway. I remember being stuck on Dallas' Commuter lines doing small jobs before I finally got to explore the Line. Sure it's a far cry from the Top Link Expresses I used to pull in the United Kingdom but at least I'm not being overworked just because I helped the kids make the school a fair place only for a snobby stool pigeon of a diesel to rat me out to Chantal Payne who in turn forced the Pink Controller to give me and the Steam Engines extra work and less rest and repairs.
Thomas had been given the briefing about her by Wyatt Hatt about Duchess Corrinne's Situation and how she ended up here so he had a good idea as to where the Stanier Duchess was coming from.
Duchess Corrinne: But enough about that. What's been happening?
Thomas: Well while I was in the yards I saw some vandals spray panting some of the Trucks in the yards as well as some of the buildings so I had my crew report them to the Controller and the Cops.
Duchess Corrinne: Well it's about time somebody did that but remember. You can't rely on the cops all the time. Sometimes there will be cases where you have to step up to the plate and take action and those are the times you need to be ready.
Thomas: I'll be sure and remember that. Back on Sodor if anybody were to spray paint property of the North Western Railway then they'd be punished and we'd have the graffiti cleaned.
Duchess Corrinne: Now that's what I call stepping up to the plate.
Just then the signal dropped as Thomas had to leave with his trucks while Corrinne finished taking on water and left with her coaches.
Meanwhile with Rangers Walker and Trivette, they were currently in a high speed pursuit of some Bank Robbery Suspects. So far they had put some distance between themselves and the Texas Rangers and they were in a souped up getaway vehicle.
Trivette: These have obviously got to be the fastest bank robbers we've chased yet.
Walker: I know Trivette but like all bad guys they'll get what's coming to them.
Little did Walker know that he and Trivette were about to have a little bit of help from a very unlikely ally.
The Bank Robbers continued fleeing at high speeds as the driver of the vehicle was racing like a professional avoiding traffic and weaving around turns and traffic. But up ahead was a railroad crossing and little did they know was that Thomas the Tank Engine was heading at full speed to the military base with his cars.
The Crossing gates flashed and the arms went down just before the Robbers made it and Thomas was at the level crossing but if that wasn't enough a Semi was blocking the robbers escape path thanks to having been tipped off earlier by the Texas Rangers over the radio allowing them to catch up and by the time they did Thomas had stopped at the level crossing with his train to give the Texas Rangers the time they needed to catch the Bank Robbers.
Trivette: In all my years of working with you Walker I never thought we'd be getting help from a Steam Engine, and a Truck.
Walker: Well Trivette, this goes to show you that in law enforcement anything can and almost does happen. Now let's book them.
Trivette agreed as he and Walker arrested the suspects as soon as other officers arrived. Once the cops had the bank robbers and recovered the Cash Thomas prepared to head off but he had to build up steam pressure first and once he did Rangers Walker and Trivette came to speak to him.
Walker: Thank you for helping us Thomas.
Thomas: No problem. My driver heard about the pursuit and I offered to help.
Trivette: Where did you get the idea to hold up the level crossing with your train?
Thomas' Fireman: To be honest Thomas came up with it. We were a bit worried about blocking up traffic but then again we did help with the pursuit.
Trivette: That you did so at least that's one less group of bank robbers on the loose.
Walker: Indeed but I got a call from Duchess Corrinne's Driver. She said you wanted to talk to me about something.
Thomas: Yeah I did.
Thomas told the Texas Rangers what he had seen earlier in the yards before he had his crew report it to the cops before explaining his conversation with Duchess Corrinne.
Thomas: And that's the story.
Walker: Well Corrinne certainly has a point about that. There is a time and a place for everything and in this case you were in the right place at the right time. Also what you want to do for the Unova Railroad reminds me of what some people I know did for a middle school and a neighborhood.
Thomas: I'd love to hear it but I gotta get going. Maybe you can tell me back at the sheds.
Thomas steamed off as he left with his train but little did he and the Texas Rangers know was that the Unity Festival was about to have some uninvited guests in the form of a dangerous enemy thought to have been defeated before.