by Gwen Cole
She nods, saying nothing. The wind blows through the silence between us, and I wait. I wait for her to say something or maybe admit my plan won’t work. Even though I’ve never done something like this—never had a reason to—I believe it’ll work. Believing is all I’ve got right now.
“If you don’t want to come, I can do—”
She cuts me off, “—No, I’m coming. I have to.”
“Then what is it?”
Avery fingers the end of her braid, staring at some point on the brown horizon. “I’m just … I’m worried this will all be for nothing, and tomorrow I’ll wake up and nothing will have changed. Finn may not even be on the train … or we might have already missed it.” Her eyes flicker to me quickly but long enough to see tears.
After finding out how strong she is, it’s like I’ve forgotten she’s human.
I lean closer and thumb a tear away from her eye. Her skin is warm and I take my hand away before I do something I’ll regret. I have trouble breathing, realizing how close I am to her. “Hey.” I nudge her shoulder and she looks at me again. “Everything is going to be all right. I promise.”
Time passes slowly and every touch of the wind is felt. For once in my life, I don’t mind sitting still.
From my periphery, Cade flicks an ear to the east and I turn my head slightly. Avery hears it, too, visibly filled with relief that we made it on time.
“Are you ready?” I ask.
“As I’ll ever be.”
We mount up and wait for the train to get closer. The engine grows louder and louder. The horses dance in place. I’m gripping the reins too hard and have to remind myself to relax.
The train rushes past, filling my ears with its noise. I count five cars, not including the engine train. I look at Avery and nod, and when the last train car passes by, I tap my heels into Cade’s side, telling him its time.
The horses bolt from their places.
I imagine this is what the pirates feel like when they attack other ships. They come out of hiding and sneak up without being seen. In the dead of night or during a storm. Pirate ships have smaller crews, but their advantage is the element of surprise.
Or at least I hope that’s how it works.
We overtake the train and the horses match its pace at a steady gallop. The train is loud and Cade doesn’t want to get too close, but I need him to. There’s a ladder running up the side of the last car and I inch him closer. For me, he does it. I grab hold of one of the bars with both hands and pull myself up, the rushing wind and the rattle of the train threatening to throw me off. It doesn’t feel right going this fast without Cade beneath me. I ignore the unease and climb until I reach the top, crouching low on the roof. The wind feels like it’ll push me off if I try to stand.
Avery has a little trouble with Jack so she has to jump a bit farther, almost losing her grip on the ladder. I go to help her but she calls me off, shaking her head.
When she reaches the top, the wind blows the loose strands of hair away from her face, braid flying behind her. Determination is set in her eyes, making her strong enough to do what she has to. She joins me on top and nods for me to go on.
Behind us, the horses back off but keep pace to never let us out of sight. I don’t know about Jack, but Cade will run himself into the ground as long as I’m here. I start forward, staying low to keep my balance. On the top of each train car, we find a trapdoor with an outside latch.
We pause over the first one. Hoping the soldiers are at the front of the train, I flip the latch and swing the door open. Inside are a dozen horses, heads turning to look at me. No people. I close the latch and yell to Avery that it’s only horses. I’m not sure if she can hear me but she nods. I don’t tell her how many horses, because that would mean it’s the two of us against a dozen Lawmen.
We continue on and come to the space between train cars. Earlier, I told her we would have to jump. It’s safer than reaching for the ladder between the cars and risking falling beneath the train and also saves us a lot of time. I glance back and she nods, remembering.
I stand taller and take a running start.
Then I jump.
For a long moment, I’m suspended in the air, wondering if the wind will blow me away. The train car roof comes up fast and I almost lose my footing on the land, just able to catch myself in time. I turn back and wave her forward. Avery makes a better jump than I do and she knows it. She smiles at me and I return it and then yell, “You got lucky!”
The next train is full of supplies and we make the jump again. This time my jump is better since I know what to expect. I pause before opening the next roof hatch, hoping Finn’s in here. Avery crouches across from me, waiting. The last thing I want to do is disappoint her—even when none of this is in my control.
I open the hatch.
Faces look up, some shielding their eyes from the sudden light. I scan quickly, not seeing anyone wearing white armbands.
I look back at Avery. “It’s not that far. I’ll jump first in case there are guards.”
She nods, trying to hide every emotion on her face—anticipation, nervousness, and hope all at the same time. I swing my legs over, grab hold of the frame, and lower myself in. I let go and the drop isn’t far, like I told her. The moment my feet hit the ground, my gun is in my hand and I take a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Compared to the howl up top, it’s silent inside.
The hatch above me lets in a modest amount of light, but the corners are still dark. And yet nobody comes for me and I still don’t spot any guards. The prisoners line the train wall, each separately chained to it.
My heart does a weird lurch because this is something I didn’t plan for. I don’t have a key or anything to break the cuffs if we do find him. I mouth a curse to myself.
Avery jumps down next to me and I steady her with a hand, the other still holding onto the pistol. Just because there aren’t Lawmen doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unlike Finn, a lot of these men probably do belong here.
“No guards?” she asks.
I shake my head. Avery starts in the far corner, trying to look into their faces. Some of the men ask who she is and a few ask for her to free them. She ignores them, seeking one face, and with each passing one, I can see the hope in her eyes dwindle. Everything rides on this.
I turn and start in the opposite corner, trying to look for eyes similar to those I’ve looked into every day for the past week. Some of the men are sleeping and others don’t have enough energy to care why I’m here.
Then I catch sight of someone familiar.
He’s leaning against the wall, eyes closed. With an eye on the others next to him, I reach out and shake his arm. His eyes flicker open, focusing on me. “Seph?” He sits up straighter, looking like I’m the last person he expected to see. Then I remember—he probably thought I was dead. “What are you doing here? I thought—I thought you were killed.”
I can’t help but smile—and more than anything it’s for Avery, because we really found him. For days, I’ve seen the worry on her face and fear that she would never see him again.
I tell him, “I’m here to get you out.”
“But why?”
I back up a step and call, “Avery!”
She lifts her head immediately, her face asking an unspoken question.
I nod in return.
Finn stands when she gets closer, like he’s seen two ghosts in one day.
“Ave.” Something happens in my throat when Avery throws her arms around her brother. It gets tight and I swallow it away. I don’t see a lot of affection, and now it’s here right in front of me, slapping me in the face. Before now, I’ve never minded being alone. But now there’s Avery.
“You’re really here,” Finn murmurs into her hair. With his hands bound, he can’t hug her back and I know it’s killing him.
“I could say the same,” she says.
Finn pulls back, remembering something. “You can’t be here. The guard comes every hour to check on us
and he’s due any minute.”
“You sure it’s soon?” I ask, probably too eager by the look on his face. This will be exactly what we need to free him.
Finn nods. “Fairly sure. I fell asleep after the last time he came.”
“Why?” Avery asks me.
“Because we’ll need the key to get him out of here. If we don’t, I’ll have to backtrack to the supply car and find something to break the cuffs. But if the guard comes, that’s our fastest way out.”
Right on cue, we hear the slamming of a door from the train car ahead of ours. I push Avery closer to Finn.
“Stay here.” I run to an empty space near the middle and crouch down like the others, only hoping they don’t give me away. Some are still asleep and I don’t see how that’s possible.
Then I catch the eye of the last person I want to see here. Rami smiles—his weird, crazy smile—his eyes dancing with amusement. I don’t have time to say anything to him because the door opens, letting in light. I holster my gun; I don’t want the other soldiers hearing the shot.
The guard shuts the door behind him, and strolls through the car with a rifle in his hands. When he gets closer to where I’m sitting, he catches sight of the open hatch, and his eyes go slightly wide.
“Who’s in here?” he shouts, angling his gun a little higher.
When he turns his back, I rise from my crouch and take a step closer, my boots not making a sound against the straw-covered floor.
Right then, Rami says, “Behind you.”
The soldier spins and I grab the barrel of his rifle before he can get a good grip on it. I tear it from his hands but he’s already on top of me, tackling me to the ground with his arms around my waist.
The fall throws the air from my lungs. For a moment, I can’t breathe. I knee him in the gut and he throws a punch to my jaw. Somehow I’m able to elbow him in the nose, giving myself enough time to go for his gun. But when I spin around, the soldier has pulled out a pistol—one he had hidden on him.
Blood runs down from his nose and I’m frozen in place. Just when I’m sure he’s going to pull the trigger, a leg shoots out and kicks him behind the knee. He falls to his knees, giving me enough time to lunge forward and smash the butt of the rifle into his head.
He goes down and doesn’t move.
I check his pulse to make sure he’s still alive.
Avery steps out from her hiding place. I give her a nod and search the soldier for the keys. He has them. I toss them to Avery and she runs back to Finn, knowing we’re short on time.
“You could’ve killed him over and over again,” Rami says to me, staring at the man. “But you didn’t.”
“And you could have let him kill me, but you didn’t,” I counter. He might’ve tipped the guard off about me but at least he redeemed himself.
He has nothing to say to that and I leave him, stepping over the body. Avery meets me under the hatch, Finn rubbing his wrists behind her.
“Do you have the keys?” I ask, holding out my hand.
Avery doesn’t ask why or protest—she just hands them over and I return to Rami, grabbing his cuffs to unlock them.
“You can either come with us or go your own way,” I tell him. “But if you do anything to harm me or my friends, I will kill you.”
His eyes don’t change but he nods. The other prisoners start to protest, and I do everything I can to ignore them. For all I know, they’re murderers, and the moment I free them, they’ll jump me. I’m already taking a risk with Rami, but some part of me can’t leave him here.
I grab the soldier’s pistol and return to Avery, handing the gun to Finn. He takes it and shoves it into the back of his trousers.
Suddenly our group has doubled in size.
“Let’s get out of here,” I tell her.
She nods and I cup my hands to give her a leg up. She disappears up the hatch and I do the same with Finn.
“You ready?” I ask Rami.
He grins. “See you up there, cowboy.”
I give him a lift and then he reaches down to give me his hand. I take it, still listening to the other prisoners yelling after me. I forgot how loud the train is until I pull myself out of the hole. I crouch low on the roof to steady myself against the wind. Before I shut the hatch, I drop the keys inside, giving the others a chance to escape if they decide to take it.
My eyes first go to Cade, still keeping pace behind the train, but I can tell he’s wearing down from the sweat shining on his neck. I flick a finger toward the back of the train, signaling to the others, and Finn goes first, followed by Rami and then Avery. I bring up the rear, looking back to make sure nobody has noticed anything wrong.
Everything goes smoothly until the last jump.
As Avery leaps across the last gap, I’m right behind her when a shot rings out, the bullet hitting the roof right next to her boot.
She loses her balance and I don’t try to stop, seeing what’s about to happen. I land on the balls of my feet and dive as far as I can. Avery falls back, trying to grab onto anything to stop herself but there’s nothing. The moment her hand is about to disappear over the edge, I catch her wrist. My body keeps sliding forward from the momentum, and we’re both about to go over.
Someone grabs my legs just in time, stopping me with my chest on the edge.
Avery stares up at me with wide eyes, the ground rushing by under her.
I glance back to see Rami holding my legs and Finn, crouching low with his gun up, waiting for the shooter to appear again.
“We have to get inside!” I yell, my head half turned.
Finn hears me—taking one last look to see if someone is going to show themselves—and comes over to take Avery’s other hand. We pull her up together. Rami goes to the hatch and swings it open. Not a second later, they start shooting at us. I yell for the others to get through the hatch, and the moment I follow them through, I glance over my shoulder to see Torreck jumping the trains with his gun out.
I land beside Avery, and the horses are spooked with our sudden appearance—dancing in place with their ears flat against their heads.
“They’re coming for us,” I say.
Just as the words leave my mouth, the train lurches as they slow down. It’s only a matter of time.
I throw open the train’s door—I can feel them watching me, waiting for me to tell them what to do. With as much courage as I can muster, I turn around and meet their stares. Then I tell them what they want to hear.
“Rami, grab two of the nearest horses as quick as you can,” I say. “And Finn, keep that gun handy because you might need it again.”
Avery steps forward. “What are you planning?”
“The train is going slow enough for them to ride out of here.”
“Wait—what?” It’s Finn this time. He’s got a face that wants to argue but I won’t let him.
Rami comes up behind me with the horses, and I take the reins of the nearest one and give them to Finn, stepping close. “This is the only way we’re getting out of here. I didn’t come all this way to fail. Get on the damn horse, Finn.”
Rami mounts up, keeping low so they can get clear of the door, but still, Finn hesitates.
“We’ll be right behind you.” I tell him. “But once you get out, you can’t stop. Head south and we’ll catch up with you. They’ll be shooting once you’re clear of the train.”
Finn looks to Avery and she says, “We’ll meet you south.”
He finally nods and mounts.
Someone lands above us and I don’t pause. I slap the horses’ hindquarters. They don’t have time to put up a fight, or maybe they’re too frightened to. The horses jump from the train and land without a problem. Then they’re gone, and again it’s only Avery and me.
I run to the train’s door and whistle for Cade and Jack, the wind whipping hair into my eyes.
When I turn back around, Torreck jumps down behind Avery. I pull her forward and swing her behind me, bringing up my gun before he has time to
pull his own.
Torreck smiles and raises his hands. “You got me.”
“Take your gun out with your left hand, and do it slowly or I’ll put a bullet through it.”
He laughs and it itches every bone in my body. “I have to admit, you’re the last person I expected to see here.”
“Shut up and do it.”
He does and tosses the gun between us.
“Avery,” I say.
She gets it and doesn’t show her back to him. I take the gun from her and toss it out the door—I know the feeling of not having something familiar in your hands, and I don’t want to use anything of his.
Torreck does a double take on Avery once she’s at my side again. “Well I’ll be,” he says. “The townie girl, back to find her brother. You two make an odd pair, that’s for certain.”
I glance over my shoulder—Cade and Jack are here, waiting for us and keeping pace with the slowing train. We have to go before more Lawmen come.
“Avery, let’s go,” I tell her.
“I know who you are now,” Torreck says, tapping his temple with two fingers. “It was the eyes that finally made me realize it. Don’t get many with that color.”
“Seph—” Avery touches my arm, urging me to go. But I can’t. Something in his voice makes me stay, my legs locked in place just a little longer. The wind from the open door behind me tries to tug me away, warning me I shouldn’t listen to whatever he says. My curiosity always wins, though.
“Maybe this will help you remember,” he says. Then he takes off his hat, revealing a bald head with a jagged scar. My heart knows before my mind does—beating furiously inside me, and I try to make sense of it because I truly never thought I would see him again.
I don’t hear the words, just feel the shape of them on my tongue, “You killed my father.”
Avery’s hand tightens on my arm, like she’s trying to hold me back from something or maybe urging me on, I’m not sure. But there’s nothing for me to do. I made a choice a long time ago—I would never seek out my father’s killer. Revenge is not a thing on my heart. Not a thing to chase after. But now when my gun is pointed at his heart, a little voice whispers to pull the trigger.
