Michael (The Airel Saga, Book 2) - By Aaron Patterson Page 0,46

mocking expression that said, Wow, you’re ridiculous.

Airel moved very quickly, getting past Michael, who was seated between them, in an instant. There was a little plume of dust. In a crouch, she grabbed Ellie’s shirt front and pulled her face to within inches of her own. “Look,” Airel said, “I have had it with you, angel girl. Cut it out. You know what I mean, too.” Airel held her there for a moment.

Ellie turned her head away slowly, looking down and smirking. “Relax, doll. I don’t want your man-boy. Though he is pretty cute.”

Airel jerked her around. “Shut up.”

“No, really,” Ellie said, looking back up, meeting Airel’s threatening gaze. “I don’t. I’ll give you your little show of force this time round, girlie. But don’t do it again, ‘kay?” Ellie placed an index finger on Airel’s forehead. “Or you’ll regret it.” She pushed her lightly away.

Airel stood fully to her feet, releasing her. “Whatever.” She looked down the tracks and saw a faint light. “Hey…”

Michael stood up and joined her, looking down the tracks to the west. “Looks like our ride’s finally here.” His arm rested comfortably at her hip. He pulled her to him as they waited in the darkness under the bridge.

CHAPTER VII

“HERE IT COMES!” MICHAEL shouted.

My pulse was racing, but I tried to control myself, tamp the energy down a bit. The sunrise was on the way, but it was still dark enough for us to get away with what we were about to do.

The only one I worried about was Kim. I worried more and more about her, actually. What is going on with her? Poor thing. She just needs some rest. I hoped she’d be able to hop the train. Though it was only moving by us at about fifteen miles per hour, given how bad Kim was looking I didn’t give her much chance to actually make the jump when it came time.

And the time had come.

“This is it!” Michael shouted at us. “Get ready! Look for a handhold or a step or something!” Everyone tensed, bent at the knees beside the rumbling tracks as the train went by. We were all dialed in on the boxcar, “bird-dogging it,” as my dad would have said. I miss him, I thought, but immediately pushed the thought from my mind.

As it approached we all started jogging, pacing it.

To my shock, Kim took off first. At a dead sprint, she leapt up to the train car with ease, duffel and all. Standing on a foothold, she wrapped one arm through a handle and extended her free arm toward a small door, unlatching it, sliding it open and then jumping inside.

She poked her head back out. “Come on, guys! Let’s go!”

I guessed she was motivated for that hotel room I had promised.

Ellie was next. She moved gracefully, like an athlete. Before I knew it she was up and inside with Kim. Michael, running along beside me, said, “Ladies first.”

“Oh, you would,” I grumbled. I dashed for it and quickly made it inside as well. It was easier than I thought. I forced my way back to the door, nudging Ellie and Kim to one side, away, looking for Michael.

He was already up on the step and swinging in. He met me full force, crashing into me, wrapping me up and knocking me back inside the boxcar. “Oops,” he said, kissing me lightly on the lips. “Glad to see you here,” he said.

I blushed in spite of myself, and I could feel the heat crawl up my neck and spread across my cheeks. How can he do that to me, every time? I thought back to when we kissed on the side of the road and my skin prickled. He was so…so yummy.

“Hey! Where’d everybody go?” I called out to Kim and Ellie.

It made me nervous to think of waiting around in some small town knowing that the Brotherhood would be looking for us—and their missing Brothers—with bloodlust crazing their every action. Plus the FBI would be on high alert after the crash.

The train car was filled with large crates and boxes. We had to squeeze around some of them as we moved through it, looking for a place where we could all spread out a little, maybe even rest. The best we could find was a little nook created by the irregular shapes of different crates all shoved together.

A little patch of rough wood plank floor was ours, perhaps four feet by four feet. It was dry and