Rachel
Summary
Rachel works as a freelancer for the Daily Days information center. Her relationship with the railway industry is complex; while she harbors a deep love for trains, she holds a strong resentment toward the industry itself. This bitterness stems from her father, a train engineer who was unjustly blamed for a catastrophic accident that led to his ruin. Consequently, Rachel frequently travels by train but habitually avoids paying her fare. In 1931, Rachel boards the Flying Pussyfoot as a stowaway with the goal of reaching the Daily News headquarters in New York. She is seated in the Dining Room car when Bicky and the Lumeres men, along with Nick, simultaneously attempt to seize control of the car. Amidst the ensuing chaos, Rachel sneaks through a window and hides beneath the train cars. Initially, Rachel acts as an observer of the events unfolding on the Flying Pussyfoot. She witnesses the Rail Tracer killing several terrorists and Czeslaw Meyer firsthand. At one point, the Rail Tracer spots her clinging to the undercarriage. He approaches her and whispers in her ear, causing her to scream and retreat in fear. Eventually, Rachel shifts to a more active role, assisting Nice Holystone, Nick, Natalie, and Mary Berriam in their escape from the Lumeres. Following the events on the train, Rachel checks into the Daily News office and reports her observations to the Chief and Nicholas. The Chief remarks that her intervention was uncharacteristic for her. Rachel explains that she acted because she wished to prevent further bloodshed. When she expresses her belief that the Rail Tracer is a conductor, she experiences a flashback to his whispered words, which revealed that he was aware she was a stowaway. In response, the Chief reveals to both her and Nicholas that the Rail Tracer is actually
