The Locomotive

Ed and Charlie Whittle often escape their troubled home life by wandering the railway tracks through their small town. One day, they stumble upon a mysterious, overgrown siding, where an old, abandoned locomotive sits paired with a derelect passenger car. There, they meet Jim Smith, a former railway man working to restore the engine. Jim offers them an escape from their troubles in exchange for helping him get the train running, and the boys eagerly leave their old lives behind.

Once operational, the crew sets out on mysterious deliveries to remote northern towns, transporting cargo with unknown purposes. But when two rough new crew members, Sully and Lamont, join the team, life aboard the train quickly turns hostile for Ed and Charlie. What begins as cold indifference soon escalates into open hostility, making the boys feel like unwelcome intruders in their own escape.

The brothers' unease turns to fear when they uncover a disturbing secret about their fellow crew members. Isolated deep in the wilderness, far from help, Ed and Charlie must rely on their wits to survive-before the train delivers them to a dangerous destination from which they may never return. Unsure of who to trust, or how to escape, the boys must act quickly if they hope to make it off the train alive.

About The Author

Joel Reed is the co-author of three additional novels - The Expedition, The Counsellor, and The Faithful Witness. He is also a prolific curriculum writer, with over 80 educational units in use worldwide. You can find more of his work by visiting www.reednovelstudies.org and www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Reed-Novel-Studies.

Number of Pages: 212

Purchase Price: $6.95 (eBook) $10.95 (Paperback)

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