door, letting in the cool fresh air of a late afternoon day. It swirled around them, refreshing everything. He looked at the three girls as they assembled in a line near the edge of the opening. Airel’s arms were crossed at her chest and she glared at him. “We don’t get a second chance for this,” he said, mostly to her, trying to get her to understand how serious things were.
He turned to Ellie, but she had already stuck her blue-crowned head out the opening and started to spy the way ahead, looking for a soft landing area. “Grass ahead,” she said to them.
It was clear that this would be it.
Michael looked to Kim. She stood with her chin drooping a little, hands in the pocket of her dirty red hoodie. She had her bag, at least. She looked really quite unwell; pale and disheveled. You need a shower, he thought, a little repulsed. And a good long sleep. She looked out the door at the rapidly passing scene.
Michael shook his head. He was going to have a look in that bag, one way or another. The group can’t continue on like this, and my curiosity must be satisfied. Especially if I have any kind of authority or position of leadership, or even responsibility, for this cackling walking train wreck. He shook his head and blinked. Whoa. Where did that come from?
But he knew. The fear that he might be right caused him to embrace his doubts about it. Doubt was a safe haven at times.
Ellie, head still poking out the door, reached back behind her. “Here it is!” She hooked arms with Airel, who was very surprised, and jumped out, taking them both for a tumble.
Michael was more than a little shocked, but there was no time to think about it. He gave Kim a violent shove in the back, sending her out of the car with a screaming yelp; the bag too, strapped across her shoulder. She landed awkwardly. He hoped she didn’t break anything.
Nothing left for him, he too jumped. The landing hurt. Even though he tried to roll with it, take some of the edge off, he realized that their little Kreios-hunting party might not have come out of this little misadventure unscathed. Jumping from a moving train was a really stupid thing to do, and nothing like the movies.
He finally came to a skidding rolling stop in the high grass along the embankment of the railroad. He sat up. “Ow,” he groaned, holding his forearms, which had borne the brunt of the impact. “That’s worse than football,” he decided.
He saw Airel and Ellie. They had already popped up, and Airel was giving her some words. “Uh-oh,” He chuckled. He had to admire her. Mostly he was just glad to see she was okay. “Where’s Kim?” he wondered aloud. He saw a little flash of red bobbing in the grass. “There she is.”
“Kim!” he called out. He got to his feet, his body complaining. “Did you live?” As he stood, he could see that she was on her hands and knees in the high grass.
She didn’t respond.
“Lose something?” He walked back up the line toward her as the train passed them by, on its way somewhere without them.
As he walked farther up the way, he could tell Ellie and Airel might possibly have more than words for each other, and pretty quick. He just shook his head. What was he supposed to do, anyway? If they wanted to fight it out—with swords, even—in broad daylight, so be it. He was tired. It might be a blessing to totally blow their cover, end it all right here. No way, he thought. What am I thinking? “Worst idea ever,” he said.
“No kidding, dude!” Kim said as she rose up into a crouch. “Thanks for the warning,” she cussed at him, adding all kinds of choice words her mother would be shocked to hear.
Or maybe not so shocked, he thought.
Kim stood there trying to dust herself off, pulling her ridden up hoodie back down, adjusting the strap of her bag as she stood, stuffing her hands back in the big pocket of the sweater.
He couldn’t help but laugh at her. “Looks like you’re no worse for the wear,” he said. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
She stepped back ever so slightly. “Maybe. What’s it to you?”
He laughed, a little too lightly. He sounded like a politician to himself, paper thin. “Nothing, Kim. Accept my apologies?” He extended