“I will.”
Once on the other side, I hunch down, staring back at Cole, Bruno, and Grace through the gridded wiring. I’m afraid if I move too much, my feet will disturb the gravel, alerting the guards to our location.
Bruno barely slides underneath. Grace follows, and then Cole slides through last, carefully replacing the fencing. The scraping sound of it snapping back into place gives me the jitters. It sounds ten times louder than I’m sure it is, but I can’t help my paranoia. People have been caught for dumber reasons than this.
Cole shrugs as if saying, “I told you so.”
That’s when I hear the low, familiar growl.
My head snaps to the left. Zeus’s head is low, ears back and teeth bared. His fur is ruffled, and his eyes are gleaming. Bruno shoves Grace behind him and begins to back away. But she stumbles and falls before she has a chance to get her footing. That’s when the figure comes into view.
My jaw drops.
Zeus charges toward the figure in full-on bark-and-attack mode. “Zeus! Don’t!” I rush to stop him, but Cole holds me back.
“Zeus. Stop!” Cole is forceful, firm.
Zeus stops immediately, dirt kicking up as he slides into place. He assumes a guarded stance, and his growl becomes deeper, fiercer. That growl is returned by one equally as deep and savage.
A black Doberman with pointy ears, ferocious white canines, and a gigantic chain around his neck faces Zeus, growling and barking. With the saliva dripping down his mouth, it feels like he’s just waiting for the command to eat us. The muscular creature licks his foaming lips. If he doesn’t shut up, the guards will know we’re here.
“Cole, shoot it!” I demand, drawing attention to myself.
The dog lunges in my direction.
“Lexi, move!”
Zeus jumps in front of me, snarling and snapping viciously, and then both dogs lock together in a mass of spit, fur, and violence. I can’t stop myself from screaming, watching Zeus be bitten and attacked like that. From somewhere in the compound, I hear others, but all I can think about is what’s unfolding in front of me.
I aim my gun. He can’t die!
I tighten my grip, ready, but they’re moving too fast. There’s no possible shot. Sweat beads on my forehead and drips, burning my eyes. Blood and saliva fling out into the air as the dogs continue their assault on one another. Deep down I know, only one can win this fight.
Cole steps forward and points his gun, his body completely tense and his jaw clenched. He closes one eye and slowly pulls back the trigger.
God, please … don’t let him miss.
Grace has grabbed my wrist by now, but I’m rigid, frozen in shock. Bruno’s yelling at her to get away, to follow him.
Cole shoots.
My breath hitches.
Everything moves in slow motion.
One of the dogs staggers, then moves slowly away.
The other collapses to the ground.
I cover my ears to drown out the sound of my own screams.
It’s Zeus. Oh God. Zeus.
I shove my gun into its holster and rush toward him. He saved us. He saved me. He’s swerving this way and that, losing his balance. I wrap him in my arms. “It’s okay, boy. You’re going to be okay.”
Zeus’s breathing is labored, his eyes are starting to gloss over. Cole looks wounded, crushed.
“Go! I’ll carry him,” Cole says. He pushes me gently away and lifts a whimpering Zeus into his arms. From this vantage point, Zeus’s torn flesh is more evident.
The other dog sounds just as bad; his crying and whimpering hits a soft spot in my heart.
“Hold on,” I say. The other dog shakes his head. “He’s suffering.”
“Look away,” Bruno says as he aims his gun at the poor dog. I turn away, close my eyes, and cover my ears. I can’t watch. Grace does the same. When Bruno fires, the dog makes one last yelp, and it makes me jump. I open my eyes and uncover my ears when I feel Bruno’s hand lightly pat my back. “Now he feels nothing. Now run!”
The guards are coming. Their shouts and the sound of their feet tromping on stones give away their position. They’re close.
We run alongside the long, sleek body of a newly polished railcar as the alarm blares, disorienting us. I dart between cars, hop over tracks, and check every door. My breaths are bursting in and out of my chest, and adrenaline pushes me to keep going. Please, let us find an open car.
Finally, I reach a long passenger car used to transport Sinners, and I dig my fingers into the door handle, managing to slide the heavy door open. My hands shake as I hold it open for Bruno and Grace.
Suddenly, the train creaks to life, jerking beneath my feet. I grab on to the doorframe, panic ripping through me. Where are Cole and Zeus? My shoulders tighten. Gunshots rebound around us, coupled with the whirring of wheels. I lean out the doorway, my hair flying in my face, obstructing my view.
“Where’s Cole?” Bruno asks.
The train picks up pace, clicking along the track.