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Especially heading in with the notion I wasn’t returning.
A slam jolted my eyes open, voices barking into the carriage, my brain trying to make sense of everything.
“Documente de calatorie!” A man shouted, his tone booming with anger and power, jerking my body fully awake and pouring fear into my bloodstream. A handful of figures stomped into the carriage dressed in dark pants and jackets with red and gold Romanian flag patches on their sleeves. They each carried a rifle, with a handgun and blade hooked to their jacket belts.
“Hey.” I nudged Scarlet, pulling her up with me, her body still wanting to sleep, to heal itself. “Get up.” I tucked her in close, our hoods covering our faces. I wanted to put her in my backpack and keep her hidden.
“Documente de calatorie!” The man bellowed sharply again, demanding our travel papers in Romanian, putting everyone on edge. Soldiers moved to the first grouping, their rifles down, but their fingers on the trigger ready to act, as the man in charge snatched documents from a couple, purposely intimidating and creating fear. Another man stood to his left with a clipboard, his mouth pursed, his eyes like an eagle. His sharp gaze moved over each person, lingering on the men longer, as if he was trying to pick apart their features.
“Ash,” Scarlet muttered, a flutter of panic in her tone.
“Stay quiet. Give them your papers and do what they say.”
“But...” she croaked under her breath, the guards moving up the line to us. “I don’t have travel papers.”
“What?” I breathed out in a hiss, my gaze shooting to hers, anxiety ramming up my throat.
“We don’t need them in Austria. It’s part of the Unified Nations. I didn’t even think about it.”
Of course she didn’t. It was something she probably never thought about or carried in her life.
“Fuck.” My brain circled with what to do as the guard moved down the line. “Okay. Stay calm. We’ll say they were taken from you.” It happened all the time. Travel documents were a hot commodity on the black market. People were robbed of them constantly. “Say as little as possible. The more you explain, the more you look guilty.”
The guards came to the family next to us, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Ash…” Dread colored her tone.
“It will be okay.” I gripped her arm. I wasn’t sure it would be.
“No.” Her voice was low, but the emotion screamed through me. “Isn’t that you?” Her chin flicked to the man with the clipboard. His back was turned to us, displaying his notepad.
Blood drained from my body, the ground tipping over as I stared at a photo… of me. It was grainy, but there was no denying it. Especially when next to my mugshot was Warwick, Brexley, Caden, and Scorpion’s photo. The wordWantedwas written in big letters, and below it wasShoot to Kill.
Oh. Holy. Fuck.
Scarlet’s missing papers were the least of our worries.
“What do we do?” She peered at me, gulping. I knew she could feel my terror, because I could feel it battering against me like a windstorm.
My throat was dry, panic trying to steal any rational thought from me. I peered around. The train was congested with travelers and crates, but behind the jammed carriage, I narrowed in on the door we came in when we boarded. There would be a camp of soldiers outside, loaded rifles, barbed wire fences, roadblocks, trained dogs, and trenches.
It was suicide, but it was our only chance.
“The back door.” Looking like a loving boyfriend kissing her temple, I spoke into her ear. “You run. No matter what happens.”Even if I’m gunned down. “You don’t stop for anything. You understand?” I wouldn’t let the notion of her getting killed tonight even enter my mind. I wouldn’t let it happen. “On my word. You run.” My lips pressed against her head again. For good luck… or maybe it was a goodbye.
The guards were handing back the papers to the family next to us, still preoccupied with them before they moved to us.
“Now.” I grabbed her hand, yanking her with me, threading through the throng of people.
“Stop!” Voices shouted as we shoved and pushed to the door. Ripping it open, Scarlet darted through. Taking a second to glance over my shoulder, I saw guards ramming through the crowd only feet behind us.
Sprinting out the door onto the platform right as Scarlet jumped down, her hand touching her ribs, but adrenaline was pumping too high for her to feel the pain.
Leaping down next to her, my brain tried to map out the lay of the land, decipher a path with the least threat. The darkness swamped the rural farmland, stretching out into nothing but night and obscurity. No nearby houses or towns glinted in the distance; only a few stars peered through the thick clouds above. The immediate area was lit by fires and battery-charged spotlights, which dotted the guards’ encampment.
“This way!” She motioned me to follow, her nose sniffing in the air, running into the darkness.
“Get them! Shoot!” A man’s voice rang behind us, setting off an alert throughout the camp. Dogs started barking, loud car engines turned over, and men shouted as a spotlight from a tower flashed on, pointing in our direction.
