Runaway Train Rankin

In Runaway train the character Rankin ran the prison. Being at such a high positition, and being feared by some prisoners, it also would seem that he is brave and fearless. Throughout the Film that is exactly how he is portrayed. He seems to have no fear whatsoever. For example in the begginning when he is shown during the Prison Riot,  all the guards are wearing helmets, body armor, and other protective gear; Rankin however wears nothing but a suit, and walks fearlessly infront of the guards. Another example would be him leading the search for Manny, as well as bravely going into the train from the Helicopter, even though another guy just died trying the same thing. In most scenes he is portrayed as a fearless character. However in reality the film shows the exact opposite. He appears to be a fearless character, but their are three scenes which actually show the his true character. During the scene where Rankin was supposed to release Manny from the isolated cell, all he actually did was talk with him. But when it came down to releasing him, he ordered some guards to do it, and walked away from the area. Later on when the prisoner attacks Manny with a knife, and Manny goes berserk, Rankin is shown laughing "behind" a metal cage, guarded by two guards. And off course the most important scene would be when he is trapped on the train and starts screaming at Manny to stop the train. His true character showed at that moment, and it was revealed to be nothing more then cowardly.