Chapter 1: The Trans-Underground Express.

"Wake up, Johannes. We gotta hurry up!!"

Johannes stirred a bit, hearing Rebekah's voice in a hushed whisper. The young next-door neighbor tugged on the blind woman's arm a bit, and Johannes hastened to get her shoes on with the neighbor's help. Together the two quietly snuck out of the barracks that they had slept in, and made their way behind the building, to the Eastern Wall of the concentration camp. Awaiting them stood Elizabeth, Anneke, and the seamstress guard who was kind to her.

"Alright" Elizabeth spoke quietly to Anneke and the guard. "Johanne and Rebekah are here."

"Right" acknowledged her childhood best friend.

"We must hurry" spoke the guard as he looked around carefully. "There isn't much time left for us."

The guard carefully removed the sod covering, reavealing a metal door. On it were the initials T.U.E., and immediately Rebekah looked to the guard.

"Do you mean to tell us that..." she spoke, but silenced herself fast, for fear of the other guards listening.

The guard nodded. "Yep" he answered in a hushed whisper. "This is the Trans-Underground Express, and I'm one of the Underground guardians. Gregorio. From the Lisbon Order of the Clandestinians."

Rebekah realized that he was a secret ally, because only to the Clandestine Rebellion and its allies did they share the title of Clandestinians. It was a sort of secret identity that the Darkstrom knew nothing of.

"Alright, one final check" Gregorio whispered as he looked around. "So far about a fifth of the camp has escaped because of this route.

"This" he then said to the girls as he opened the door, "will lead you through much of Lisbon, to the Station of the Trans-Europa."

"The... the Trans-Europa?" Johannes asked softly.

The guard nodded. "Yes, the Trans-Europa will be awaiting you. I've already sent the transmission to the Clandestinians there. They'll be thrilled to know the Düsseldorf Quartet will be boarding the great Trans-Europa homeward bound."

Elizabeth smiled to Gregorio as she took her sister's hand. "Thank you for all you have done for us while we've been here in this Portuguese hell" she whispered with a dry smirk. "The Clandestinians will be glad to know that the secret guardian has done another rescue task well done."

"Very" affirmed Anneke as she looked to the Trans-Underground transport. It was similar to the underground subway, but it was a small car on rails. The car itself was red, with the T.U.E. initials in white. She then looked to the others.

"Friend, Johannes, Rekah" she spoke quietly.

The other girls nodded, and Gregorio also nodded.

"You four better get going, lest we all get in trouble and meet our Maker" he spoke again in a hushed whisper as Elizabeth, Anneke and Rebekah started down the stairs to the transport car. Johannes however just stood there, unsure of herself, before she slowly started down the stairs. Gregorio watched in wonder as the blind woman carefully descended to join the rest of the Quartet.

"You are, perhaps, the bravest woman that the Rebellion will never realize" Gregorio spoke as he watched Johannes walk into the arms of her older sister.

"I thank you for your kind words, Gregorio" she replied as Elizabeth hugged her sister. Anneke and Rebekah boarded the transport car, as Elizabeth looked up one last time at the guard.

"A thousand thanks eternal," she spoke, with one smile more to him, and with that helped her sister on boarding the transport.

After the Quartet boarded, Gregorio pressed a few buttons, and the transport car kickstarted. It started slowly, then gained speed as it left its port with the precious cargo on board.

"Godspeed, children of the Rebellion," the guard sighed. "I do pray that your escape is successful... and that you girls find happiness." With that he sighed once more, wiping tears that welled up in his eyes, and ran up the stairs from the T.U.E. dock. Closing the metal door, he replaced the sod over it carefully, and quickly ran to resume his morning rounds.

Meanwhile onboard the T.U.E., the Quartet sped through the Underground, the route making its way through the Medianoche Lake tunnel. Rebekah held onto Anneke, somewhat scared of what could happen en route to the Trans-Europa. Johannes meanwhile just sat there, Elizabeth holding her hand.

"It's alright, Rekah" Anneke comforted the youngest of the Quartet with a smile. But Rebekah just looked back at the neighbor with a questioning glare.

"You're talking to someone who's gonna break the Panic button down!" she retorted with a wry smile.

Elizabeth laughed watching her two friends go at it, but Johannes just smiled softly.

"Rebekah and Anneke are at it again, aren't they?" she asked her older sister.

Going through the Underground Checkpoint at the Castelo Real [Royal Castle], Prince Antonio greeted them on the Intercom screen. The Prince and the Quartet exchanged a small conversation, pertaining to their destination.

"I wish you four the best of luck on your journey" the Prince concluded.

"And we thank you kindly, Principe Antonio, Sir" Elizabeth replied.

The transport weaved through the Underground network of the Downtown Smalltown Lisbon district. Rebekah watched on in curiosity, Anneke looked to Elizabeth and Johannes with a kind smile. Elizabeth smiled back and looked to her younger sister, who just sat there quietly as the transport made its way through the district.

"Are we almost at the Trans-Europa, Elizabeth?" Johannes finally asked.

"Almost there we are, Johanne" her older sister answered with a smile. "Almost there we are."