Dark Zone

94

Dean’s first thought as he rolled onto the track was that he hoped he didn’t hit the third rail and fry to death. Then as he rebounded he realized the back half of the train was still moving in his direction at a very good pace and very likely to run him over. He felt the rumble and sensed the air closing in on him — he pushed to what he thought was the middle of the track, squeezing himself down as a tornado engulfed him.

Lia jumped from her seat when she heard the explosion. But as she got up, a man came into the car firing a submachine gun. She threw herself down between the seat and the table, rolling on the floor as the car exploded around her.

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie — are you OK?

The gunfire continued, the man and then another passing through the car. There were screams and then another explosion.

Lia wondered why she was still alive, why the gunman hadn’t shot her.

She was in the interrogation room in Korea, rolling and fighting them off, attacked.

I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them.

But she couldn’t. For the first time in her life she couldn’t win, no matter how hard she fought.

The wind stopped. Dean remained prone against the ballast segment at the base of the tracks, the scent of burnt metal thick in his nose, his lungs choked with dust and smoke. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and at his temple. The train had seemed to scrape along the top of his back, but he didn’t think he’d been injured.

When his heart stopped pounding he pushed to get up. He slammed his head so hard that he fell down immediately, stunned; it was only then that he realized the train had stopped over him.

Finally he began to push forward, but he got only a few feet before his way was blocked; the rear power car was too low to the tracks for him to get under. There was no way around it. He tried to turn, but there was no room, and so he had to back up, working out slowly.

Lia’s alive, he thought to himself. And I’m going to go get her out.