Chapter 11 - The Terminal Trap
Elena’s blood ran cold. Marcus hadn't waited for them at the destination; he had intercepted the freight line at an intermediate switching station.
Beside her, Julian stirred weakly, his eyes fluttering open with glassy confusion. ""Elena...?""
""Shh,"" she breathed into his ear, pressing a finger to his lips. ""Don't make a sound.""
The sound of bolt cutters snapped against the outer security latch of their door. Elena knew they had less than ten seconds. She scrambled quietly to the far corner of the car, squeezing behind a tall pyramid of heavy grain pallets, shielding Leo entirely with her body. Julian tried to push himself up, but his limbs failed him; he collapsed back onto the burlap, completely exposed in the center of the car.
The heavy steel door rolled back with a deafening screech.
Sunlight poured into the car, momentarily blinding them. Two men in private security uniforms stepped inside, assault rifles raised.
""Found one!"" the first guard yelled. ""It's Julian Vance! He's barely breathing!""
The second guard moved forward, prodding Julian with the muzzle of his rifle. ""Where's the girl and the kid?""
Julian raised his heavy head, spitting blood onto the wooden floorboards. A terrible, defiant grin spread across his bruised face. ""Already in the capital... you're too late, you bastards.""
""Search the car!"" the lead guard commanded, stepping toward the stacks of grain.
Elena held her breath, her heart hammering so violently she feared the men could hear it. Leo was wide awake, his large hazel eyes staring up at her in the dim shadows between the pallets. She held her hand gently over his tiny mouth, praying with every fiber of her soul that he wouldn't make a sound.
The guard’s heavy boots crunched against the wooden planks, approaching her hiding spot step by step. The barrel of his rifle sliced through the gap between the pallets, inches from Elena's face.
Suddenly, a loud crash and the hiss of air brakes echoed from the tracks outside, followed by the furious blast of a locomotive horn.
""Hey! Clear the tracks! Number 4 is rolling through!"" an authentic yard worker shouted from the yard.
""Hurry up and drag Vance out,"" the guard said, turning away from Elena’s pallet at the very last second. ""Marcus said if the kid isn't here, Julian is leverage enough. Move!""
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They grabbed Julian by the collar of his coat, dragging his limp body out of the car. Elena watched through the narrow wooden slats as Julian’s eyes flickered toward her corner, a silent, desperate command in his gaze: Stay hidden. Run.
The door was left wide open as the guards hauled him away toward an idling black transport van. Elena waited until their footsteps faded, then stepped out from behind the pallets, clutching Leo tightly to her chest. She was alone in an unfamiliar industrial rail yard, with no allies, no weapons, and a dying man to rescue.
