The thought seemed to please her. “I have the perfect place.” She hurried through the door, pausing only a second while the door to the adjoining car slid open.
Ellyssa waited while the attendant strolled away. As soon as the woman’s head bobbed out of sight, Ellyssa descended into the baggage compartment.
Except for the light that crept in from the platform above, pooling below Ellyssa’s feet, the car was shadowed and cramped. Metal gates held a mound of luggage in place. A thin walkway led from the steps between the rows of towering bags; in the middle of the car, slivers of day peeked between the doors where the baggage was maneuvered in and out.
Ellyssa grabbed the top rail of the gate and made her way to the sliding doors. She grasped the lever and pulled, but the door didn’t budge. It was evidently locked in place while the train was in motion. She’d have to disconnect the wiring.
With the aid of the limited light, she ran her hands down the smooth metal, over rivets, to the edge of the door, then down the wall until she touched the plastic-coated wires. Using the cable as a guide, she moved her hand back up until it stopped at a little box. She gripped the wire and yanked. Friction burned her palms as the cable slipped beneath her fingers.
Ellyssa reestablished her grip, wrapping the cable around her wrist and hand, and placed one foot firmly on the wall. Taking a deep breath, she kicked back with all her force. The cable easily snapped, catching her off- guard. Backpedaling, she stopped when her spine smacked against the gate.
The pain was instant and sharp, but quickly cooled to a soft throb. The flesh was tender to the touch, but besides the bruise destined to discolor her pale skin, no real harm done.
She returned to the door and wrenched back on the lever. The door slid with a groan, revealing a grassy landscape past the blackened rocks that whipped by at a staggering speed.
Holding tightly onto a handle bolted into the frame of the door, Ellyssa poked her head out into the wind. Her breath hitched in her chest as the sudden blast of air hit her. Her hair flapped wildly. She pulled back inside.
The original plan of hitting the ground and ducking into a crouched roll dissolved into bouncing and tumbling wildly along the long, green blades of grass. Jumping at the current speed was possible, but if she landed at a wrong angle…she shook her head. Whatever she was looking for certainly wasn’t intended to end in massive injury or death.
But what other avenues were there? Attendants stood outside the door of the compartment she’d purchased. Ellyssa knew police would be waiting for her at the next stop. She’d have to take the chance.
She moved into the shadows behind the luggage and slipped the jumpsuit over her skirt. Draping the bag over her left shoulder, she readied herself, calculating the distance to the grass past the jagged rocks. She grabbed the handle again and tensed on her haunches, but instead of jumping, she swayed to the right as a thin squeal of rubbing metal emanated from beneath her, then she rocked back as the train slowed.
Ellyssa leaned out again. Ahead, the ground gave way to a slope. Anything beyond was lost in greenery.
Another squeaking protest, and she swayed again. Were the police stopping the train before it reached town? Her father wouldn’t be stupid enough to give her a warning. He’d want the element of surprise.
Ellyssa wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
As the brakes were applied again, she ducked inside and tightened the strap on her bag. Peeping around the edge one more time, the drop-off quickly approaching, she counted to three then flung herself out into the air. For a moment, time slowed to a crawl. The black rocks, the landscape, and the grass sharpened into fine detail as she flew over them, then gravity snatched at her legs and everything blurred. At the sudden jolt of impact, she wrapped her arms around her head and let her knees buckle beneath her to absorb the shock. She tumbled through bracken and bramble.
Every stick, bit of unleveled ground, dirt clot, sticker, rock, and clump of grass struck Ellyssa’s body with a vengeance. Pain exploded through her, keeping her alert and aware of Mother Nature’s retribution.
After a few more painful thumps, Ellyssa came to a stop on her stomach, her arms still wrapped around her head. She stayed motionless and listened as the rumblings of the train sped along the track.
As the roar faded into a soft rumble, she looked up and immediately regretted the movement. Tortured muscles screamed in agony. She watched the caboose disappear around the bend.
She wanted to run, but her body wasn’t ready. Breathing in short, shallow gasps, Ellyssa wiggled her toes and fingers and flexed her legs and arms. Her muscles moaned, and the joint of her elbow popped, but nothing seemed broken.
Gingerly, she pushed herself onto her knees. Then, with even more care, she rose to her feet. Angry muscles shook under her weight as she looked down the tracks.
The shiny cars had disappeared around the bend and behind a wooded area. Just beyond the curved tracks, less than seven kilometers away, grey and black roofs, like the grains of pepper, peeked through clusters of trees and rolling hills.
The police would be there, waiting at the depot, stupidly thinking she’d soon disembark, completely unaware. But only if no one had seen her jump from the train. If that had happened, then they would be alerted already, possibly with close coordinates to where she lingered now.
She had to move.
Urgency signaled Ellyssa’s taut muscles, and pain shot through her leg into her hipbone. Unexpectedly, she staggered before regaining her footing. She had to take control. This wasn’t the first time she’d been pummeled. Defense and martial arts classes had left her bleeding and bruised, limping away the few times she’d been defeated. None of her peers held back, nor did she. Weakness was not tolerated.
Using her years of training, Ellyssa inhaled and, like her emotions, shoved the pain into a small box, then let adrenaline flow along with the release of endorphins. She sprinted across the grassy length onto a recently sown field, leaving evidence of her flight within the newly overturned soil.
Time was something Ellyssa couldn’t afford to waste on erasing her steps. She had to hide, and was unsure of what lay on the other side of the tree line. For all she knew, the trees served as a divider between unseen farms to help with soil erosion, or maybe a vast forest stretched beyond the field. In either case, she was determined to put as much distance between her and the town as she could.
Her breaths even and deep, she picked up her pace. Puffs of dust kicked from beneath her hammering feet. Beads of perspiration formed on her forehead and trickled into her eyes. Warmth clung to the edges of her sinewy muscles, reminding her that pain from her tumble was sure to visit later.
Leaping over a low fence and slipping between rails, she left the train tracks about four kilometers behind. Gradually, the vegetation started to take more distinct shapes. Instead of a blur of greens, the darks separated from the yellows. Browns and tans peeked between the sheltering leaves.
Adrenaline surged, and a metallic taste flooded Ellyssa’s mouth. She embraced the extra boost and plowed forward, bursting through the tree line and into an area thick with bushes, ferns, and tall trunks of various shades from greys to browns to rusted colors.
Safely hidden within nature’s cover, she kept her strides long and quick. She angled left and ran parallel to the tree line. For a moment, she wondered why she chose that direction, but her speculations eased as an intense stitch in her side caused her sprint to dwindle to a light jog and finally into a fast-paced walk.
Huffing, Ellyssa stopped and stooped, hands on knees. The stitch was bad, but the threat of her overly taxed muscles seizing up was worse. She let her hands fall between her feet and stretched before she made her way back to the edge of the farmland.
From between two hickory trees, with limbs stretching over into a latticework of twigs and leaves, she peered out across the rolling field. The town was completely hidden, lying behind a canopy, except for one building with a steeple shooting free from the greenery.
She wished her gift could extend to the train station to snatch the thoughts of her pursuers. Had they searched the train? Did they know she had jumped? Were they organizing a search party?
Even though she couldn’t predict their exact plans, she knew they’d eventually resort to using dogs. She turned and disappeared into the foliage, looking for trees to help hide her scent.
Depleted of the adrenaline rush and the sweet numb of endorphins, Ellyssa’s muscles and bruised flesh moaned under her sweat-sodden clothes. Her thigh sang a song of pain beneath the crimson-colored rip running
