“Man. What the hell? How long have we been asleep?” he asks, scratching his head. Bruno and Grace squint against the light. “Sleeping on the way to the Hole … Who does that?”
“Apparently we do,” Cole says with a light chuckle. It’s nice hearing him laugh.
“How long before we arrive?” Grace asks.
“There’s only one more stop before the Hole,” Bruno says. I watch as he digs around in his bag. He swigs some water, then hands it to Grace.
“I’m afraid to ask, but how exactly do you know that?” Grace asks, before taking a drink.
“My first assignment was in the rail yard, before I became a rock-star guard inside the Hole.”
More silence follows as the seriousness of what we are about to do sinks in.
I wrestle with my bag, searching for a bottle of water, when Zeus flops onto his belly and shoves his head into my lap as if asking for water too. The heat inside this railcar is suffocating; I imagine it must be even worse for Zeus.
My stomach rumbles, and my neck muscles tighten at the thought of trying to pass another station before getting to the Hole. This is what my nightmares are made of.
We travel for the next ten minutes or so in silence.
The gentle thumping of the wheels grind to a halt.
We all freeze, staring at each other, not knowing what to expect.
Cole and Bruno immediately jump up, checking their weapons and gathering their wits. We hear noises from outside, voices yelling. I can almost smell the blood that might shed any second. My hair stands tall on my arms as I scramble to get my bag, Zeus, and my weapons secured. Shouting and crying catch my attention. Even through the walls, I can sense their fear.
“Are we here?” I ask Bruno. His attention is fixed on the door, his jaw’s locked, and his eyes are narrowed.
“It’s the last stop. That’s all you need to know,” he says in a tight voice.
I imagine the desperation of Sinners at the last stop. Their last breath of freedom before losing their freedom forever.
“Stay hidden and we won’t have trouble,” Bruno says.
Yeah, okay.
A glimmer of light reflects off my ring. It’s been so long since I’ve looked at it. I find myself reading it again.
“You can overcome anything, short of death.”
You’re right, Dad. I sure as hell can. But how many times?
Suddenly, a loud squealing sound echoes throughout the metal car we’re in, and the door begins to slide open. Grace and I take positions behind Cole and Bruno. At first, nothing happens. I hear Zeus let out a low, menacing growl, and I put one hand on his neck to break his fixation on the door. My heart’s getting ready to explode out of my chest.
And we wait.
The guards shout orders as Sinners respond with cursing and cries. I’m frozen in position, holding my breath … waiting for something. Anything.
And we wait some more.
Anxiety gnaws at my insides. I clench my teeth as a single droplet of sweat travels over my brow.
“Form lines!” a loudspeaker blares over the din. “Sinners will no longer be allowed to work outside the Hole. If any of you try anything, try to leave, you will be shot.”
Why can’t Sinners work outside the Hole anymore? Why keep them locked up when they are needed for work? Now, getting back out is going to be harder than I thought.
Bruno slowly slides toward the door, peeking outside quickly and then snatching himself back. My eyes widen, waiting for him to signal to us.
“How many?” Cole asks in a whisper.
“Too many,” Bruno responds. Please don’t let them find us.
“Okay, let’s get this car loaded,” a voice says from beyond the door. He’s close. Too close.
I hear footsteps resembling those of an army and brace myself. First, a dirt-covered hand appears. Then, slowly, a shoe appears through the doorway, and a person enters the car. Neither Cole nor Bruno move. Grace tenses behind me, and I’m a ball of nerves and adrenaline.
She doesn’t see us yet. I pinch Zeus’s neck, like Cole taught me, to quiet him.
The moment her eyes flick up, they bulge with terror. I motion her to move further into the car and allow others on, so she doesn’t arouse suspicion. To my surprise, she steps forward. Upon seeing Zeus, who stands beside me with his ears perked up at full attention, she stops in her tracks. Her eyes flit from Zeus to me, and back. When she begins to back away, I pull Zeus away from her. She finds a spot in the corner and cowers, curling into the fetal position.
Next, a man enters. Then more people file in, their eyes surprised, but their mouths sealed. It’s almost like a comradery between us. We won’t hurt anyone, if they stay quiet.
“Move faster!” I hear the loudspeaker shout.
People begin shoving in, piling in until there’s only standing room. Bruno and Grace are separated from Cole, Zeus, and I. I’m starting to feel claustrophobic. By now, I’ve lowered my gun. Zeus is getting restless. Every time he moves, he steps on someone or something and they groan.