by Amy Cross
She turns to me, and I wait for a smile.
“I should go to her,” she says finally. “I love you too, but... I have to check on Jennifer.”
She hurries through to the next room, and I stand for a moment and listen to the sound of her trying to calm our daughter. The truth is, Milly was okay until we got to this shack, but life here has been tough and she's not coping well. There's also the pressure of being a mother, which she's dealing with so well but still...
I just want everything to be normal. If I can just feed the tracks until they're fully satisfied, I might yet find a way to get Milly and Jennifer and myself released from this curse. That's the only word I can use for it now. We're trapped in a curse.
“Milly,” I say with a heavy heart as I head through to join her, “I met some people at the store today. I have something to tell you.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Richard
“You can't go,” Milly stammers as she finishes applying baby powder to Jennifer. “You can't leave us!”
“It'll be for one night,” I tell her. “I can't get there, do what I need to do, and get back with the bodies all before nightfall. Please, you have to understand, I need to feed the track.”
“But why do you have to go away overnight to do it?”
“Because there's no-one else around!” I point out, momentarily losing my temper a little before managing to regather my composure. “There's been no-one for so long, Milly. Maybe we picked the wrong place to stop, but now there are four fit, healthy men at the old Peak cabin and I can't miss this opportunity. This could be a real feast for the railroad, it could keep it satisfied for months. It could even help us break free from the -”
I stop myself just in time. I haven't yet suggested to Milly that we could escape the curse, and I'm not sure how she'd react to that idea. Anyway, deep down I'm not even sure that Milly is bound by the curse. When the tracks moved on and selected me, was she set free? Or are the two of us trapped together?
And what about Jennifer?
Stepping over to join them, I look down at my daughter's smiling, happy face. She was born into poverty and she's lived her life so far in a cold shack, but she shows no sign of misery. She's as happy as any baby could possibly be, and I guess that means she's happy so long as Milly and I are here. I envy her that simple joy, but I know that it won't last forever if I don't find a way to break us free from this lifestyle. We never meant to have a child, but one thing led to another and here we are. Whatever happens to Milly and to me, the most important thing is that I find a way to protect Jennifer.
“Will she grow up to be like us?” Milly asks.
“We've talked about this,” I reply with a sigh, “she's only -”
“Will the railroad take her too?” she continues, interrupting me. “I don't mean as a sacrifice, obviously we'd never allow that. But will she end up being its servant?” She turns to me. “I don't think I want that to happen, Richard.”
“Neither do I,” I tell her, “which is why I'm working on a few things. The problem is, we haven't fed the rails for a while now and we can't leave this shack until the weather improves.” I put a hand on her shoulder. “That's why I need you to understand that I have no choice. I have to go to the Peak cabin and bring those men down to the tracks. They might be our only chance for months.”
“But what if you don't come back?”
“I will come back.”
“But what if you don't?” she snaps. “There are four of them and there's only one of you!”
“I'll take that into account,” I reply. “I won't just blunder in there. I'll have a plan.”
“And how will you get them back down here?”
“That part's easy, I can use the sled.”
“You can't do it alone!”
“I can,” I tell her. “I have to, and I will. It's not the hardest thing I've ever done, and once it's over we can start making proper plans. I know you understand, Milly. Deep down, you understand that this is our best shot.”
“You can't pull four grown men on a sled!”
“I won't have to. It's all downhill on the way back. Listen, Milly, I have a plan. I can get this done, you just have to trust me!”
She looks back down at Jennifer, who's wriggling happily with no knowledge of our problems. Sometimes I worry that the railroad has already begun reaching out into her mind, but I always tell myself that Jennifer's simply too young. Why would the railroad care about her? Sure, when she's older she might be in danger, but by then we'll have managed to get her far away from the line. It can't reach across the whole country. We'll get her away and then we'll make sure she never comes close again. I'd rather die than risk letting her fall under the railroad's influence.
“Do you promise you'll be back in the morning?” Milly asks.
“Of course.”
“Early?”
“By sunrise.”
“And there are four of them? We've never fed it four at once before.”
“Which is why it'll be satisfied for a long time.”
“Long enough to last until we leave?”
“I'm certain.”
“And then do we have to walk along the tracks again?”
I hesitate for a moment.
“I don't think we have a choice at this stage,” I tell her finally, “but I'm constantly thinking and planning and coming up with ideas.”
“So am I.” She turns to me. “I'm so close to understanding this whole thing, Richard. When I do, I think I'll know how we can...”
Her voice trails off.
“How we can what?” I ask.
“Never mind,” she replies. “I'm just thinking out loud, that's all.”
I'm sure she was about to say that she's searching for a way we can break free from the curse. I guess she's just scared, she doesn't want to be the first one to say those words. I should tell her I've been thinking the same, but somehow I can't bring myself to do that, not yet. I guess we'll just have to have an unspoken understanding for now, so I lean close and kiss her on the cheek, and then I keep my face close to her so that at least my breath can warm her a little. We both want the same thing, but I guess we just have very different ideas about how to escape the curse. Maybe all that really matters is Jennifer.
“I should go and get ready,” I say finally, even though I hate the idea of leaving. “The sooner I set off, the sooner I'll be back.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Richard
As I make my way along the snowy path that leads away from the shack, dragging the sled as I go, I make the mistake of stopping and looking over my shoulder. Milly's still standing in the doorway, holding Jennifer, and for a moment my heart breaks as I realize that I'm going to be away from them for an entire night. I know Milly will look after Jennifer, of course, but I still feel as if I should be there to help them both.
But I'm doing this for them. Those four morons will buy us some time and allow us to come up with a proper plan, and that's all that matters. I still feel a great sense of duty toward the railroad, but deep down I know that our lives can't be like this forever. Once we've satisfied the railroad's hunger, it has to let us go and find someone else. We can't be expected to just give our lives over forever, can we?
Or can we?
I nod at Milly, and then I set off again. Ahead of me there's nothing but snow, and when I look up I see the mountain that rises high above. I don't have to go all the way to the top of the mountain, of course; that would be impossible for someone like me. I just have to make it the relatively short distance to the old Peak cabin, and those four guys will be sitting around like easy targets. I already know exactly what I'm going to do when I find them, and I'm completely confident that my plan is going to work. It has to.
For Milly, and for Jennifer.
Chapter Forty-Four
Richard
By the time I spot the cabin ahead, night has fallen, but that's perfect. I was always planning to use the cover of n
ight, and I carefully hide the sled behind some trees before wading through the snow and looking out toward the cabin. A couple of hundred feet away, bright lights fill the windows, and a moment later I spot a figure walking through one of the rooms. The snow around here is criss-crossed with signs of activity, so I guess the guys have retired to the cabin after a long day of snowboarding.
Good.
That means they'll be tired.
Reaching down, I take the baseball bat from the sled. This is going to be my primary weapon, since I'm pretty sure that all sacrifices have to be alive when they're tied to the tracks. Fortunately, Milly and I have managed to develop a powder that knocks people out for several hours, so all I need to do is stun the guys with the bat and then drug them. Then, by the time they come around in the morning, they'll all be tied to the tracks. I have to admit, I'm slightly in awe of the idea of all four of them being crushed at once.
I spot movement outside the cabin, and I duck down just in time to see one of the four guys coming this way. My heart starts racing, but I quickly realize that this might in fact be a great opportunity. If I can pick one of them off before I even reach the cabin, that would dramatically improve my chances, so I feel a growing sense of anticipation as I hear footsteps crunching through the snow and passing me to the left.
Finally I dare to peer over the nearest snowbank, and I see that the guy has stopped to pee against a tree. I don't know why he's not going to the bathroom in the cabin, but I guess everyone has their reasons, so I start sneaking up behind him. Immediately, however, my feet crunch in the snow, and the guy turns and looks straight at me.
“Hey, what are you -”
He stops, still peeing, and then he smiles as he recognizes me.
“You're the dude from the store, right?” he continues, turning his attention back to his business as he aims high up the tree's side. “What's wrong, did you decide you want to join in with the party?”
“Something like that,” I reply, getting closer and closer while keeping the bat behind my back. “I thought I'd see how you guys are doing.”
That sounded pretty natural. I think I'm being quite convincing.
“You didn't happen to bring some beer with you, did you?” the guy continues, as I raise the bat. “We've already managed to get through -”
He thuds forward as I hit the back of his head, but he's not knocked out and he turns to me. Before he has a chance to react, however, I smash the bat against his face, and this time he slumps down into the snow. I raise the bat again, ready for another strike, but this time the guy remains completely motionless and I see that there's some blood seeping out into the snow. For a moment I start to worry that I might actually have killed the idiot, but then I step forward and roll him over, and I breathe a sigh of relief as I realize that he's merely unconscious.
Perfect.
One down before I even get to the front door. That's already an improvement on what I was planning.
I reach into my pocket and remove the packet of powder, and then I sprinkle some onto the guy's lips. Milly's really the one who came up with this stuff, she's something of a genius, and I've learned to not ask her too many questions. Whatever's in the powder, it should keep this asshole unconscious for a good few hours, at least long enough for me to get him and his friends back down to the railroad. Once he's properly drugged, I drag him to the sled and secure him in place, and then I turn and look toward the cabin.
***
“What's up, Wiggy, did you forget your -”
As the door swings open, the second guy stares at me. For a moment, he seems confused, but then he too smiles. This is the guy I was talking to in the store, and he seems genuinely surprised by my sudden appearance.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, as a grin spreads across his face.
“I thought I'd come and see how you're all doing,” I reply.
“You did, huh? That's some real nice local hospitality.” He turns toward a nearby doorway. “Hey, guys, do you remember -”
As soon as the bat hits his face, he crumples to the floor with a thud. This time I was much more forceful, and I managed to knock him out with a single impact. I've had a fair bit of practice over the years, and I also happen to know what it feels like when I've properly put someone on the floor. This guy won't be coming around any time too soon, and that's before the powder, so I step over him and start making my way along the hallway.
My heart is racing, but I know I can do this. After all, I'm already halfway through these morons, and I still have the element of surprise.
Suddenly the third guy emerges from the doorway ahead. He's casually looking at his phone, and he doesn't even look directly at me.
“Hey,” he says, “what -”
I swing the bat and hit the side of his head. He drops his phone and falls forward, and then he turns to me. Blood is running down from a cut on his temple, but I don't give him a chance to fight back. I hit him again, then again, until he falls to the floor. He's still twitching, however, so I raise the bat high and then smack his head one more time. There's a risk that I might have seriously injured him, but I guess he'll still be good to sacrifice, just so long as he's at least clinging to life.
I step into the next room, expecting to find the fourth and final moron, and sure enough I spot him getting up from the sofa. He looks concerned, as if he's heard the crashing sounds, and as I step toward him I realize that he's going to be a little tougher.
“What the hell?” he gasps, ducking out of the way as I swing the bat at him.
I miss, but that's okay. The first three guys were so easy, I don't mind taking a little longer on the last of them.
“Wiggy!” he shouts. “Andy! There's some kind of psycho in here!”
“They can't hear you,” I tell him, as I try to pick the perfect moment to strike again. I'm already covering his only escape route. “There's no point fighting, you'll only make things worse for yourself.”
“Is that right?” he asks, before grabbing a vase from a nearby table and throwing it straight at my head.
I duck out of the way, and then I use the chance to rush at him. He holds his hands up, but I swing wildly and hit his left arm, cracking the bone. He cries out, but as he tries to turn away and swing again, this time hitting him square on the back of the head. He falls forward onto the sofa, and I use that opportunity to hit him one final time, smashing the top of his skull.
Taking a deep breath, I realize that I got this done in record time. I was expecting much more resistance but, as I step around the fourth guy and get ready to put some powder on his lips, I can't help sighing with relief. Really, I never expected this to be so easy.
I hear footsteps racing down the stairs, and I turn to the doorway just as I realize that I never actually confirmed that there were only four people here. Sure, there were only four in the store, and there's only one car outside, but that doesn't mean -
Another guy appears in the doorway, aiming some kind of rifle at me.
“Oh -”
Before I can finish, he fires. I duck down just as the wall behind me explodes, showering me with splinters of wood. I've made an absolutely terrible mistake. As I steady my grip on the bat, I'm already trying to think of ways to get out of here. The rifle looked like something that people use when they're shooting and skiing, but I have no idea how many times that kind of thing can be fired before it needs to be reloaded. And whatever ammunition those guns use, it's clear that the damn thing fires more than just darts.
“Get up where I can see you!” the guy yells. “Now!”
Chapter Forty-Five
Richard
I pull myself right up behind the sofa, but I can already hear footsteps coming closer. Damn it, why was I so sure that there'd only be four people here? In all my planning, why didn't I consider the possibility that there was another guy I hadn't seen?
“I said get up!” the guy shouts. “I won't tell you again!”
Realizing that I need to
buy some time, I take a deep breath and then I very slowly get to my feet. I hold my arms up in the air, while still clutching the bat, and I see that the guy is aiming his gun straight at my face.
“What the fuck is going on here?” he shouts. “You've got ten seconds to explain yourself before I blow you away!”
“Um,” I reply, “the thing is...”
“Eight!”
“Listen,” I continue, “I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding...”
“Five!”
“It's not how it looks.”
“Four!”
“You can't shoot me!”
“Three! Two!”
“I didn't do anything wrong!”
“One!”
“I'm trying to save you!”
I see his hand move, so I duck down. As I do so, the gun fires again, blasting another hole in the wall. Slamming down against the floor, I realize to my horror that his threat to shoot me wasn't empty, and the bat – which I'm still holding – isn't going to be much use. I take another deep breath, and then a set of feet appear right in front of me. Looking up, I see the guy aiming his gun straight down at my face.
“Are you alone?” he shouts.
“I -”
“Are you alone?”
I swallow hard.
Before I can think of anything else to say, he jabs the gun against my face. I pull back, and then I'm grabbed by the collar and hauled up from the floor. I start spluttering and trying to push the guy away, but in the process I manage to drop the bat, and a moment later I'm swung around and slammed against the wall.
“So you thought you could rob us, huh?” the guy sneers. “Well, you're about to learn a lesson about what happens when you piss off five guys in the middle of nowhere. That's not a very -”