by W.J. Smith
CHAPTER THIRTY
Redeeming Ticket
It took a moment for her eyes to focus when she opened them again. Dim daylight filled the concrete room around her. Madison's head felt thick and heavy as she tried to move. She was cold, but a good cold, not freezing. Her body was sluggish to respond when she thought to rub at her dry eyes.
Reality slammed into her like a burning brick wall. She instantly broke through the fog and reached for Skyler. He was completely still as he lay in her arms. Her hand went to his chest. She felt warmth beneath her palm and his heart beating steadily. Relief flooded her as she watched her hand move with the rise and fall of his chest at each breath.
Madison took in every detail at the sight of him. His head rested on her arm, his black eye to her. She could plainly see the white scar that ran diagonally across his chest from the ambush at the factory on the outskirts of Miami. There were more dark bruises on his arms, shoulders, and chest that matched his face.
What was left of her broken heart crumbled for him. She leaned her head against his neck and wrapped her free arm around him. He stirred at her movement. The sound of him taking in a deep breath was interrupted with a groan.
Madison eased her hold on him as he tensed up and slowly rolled onto his back. "You're all right," she tried to comfort him when he winced.
His eyes were slow to open as he blinked heavily and repeatedly. But when they finally did open, and he looked to her, their blue reminded her of the summer skies over the shores back in Miami. She smiled involuntarily for the sheer happiness to know he hadn't froze to death when she failed to keep him awake. Everything was going to be just fine.
Skyler began to rub at his arms. Madison gently shifted both blankets onto him to block the cold air from getting to him. She hurt to remember how violently he had shivered during the night. She was afraid of him starting again. Yes, he was now dried, but he wasn't ideally dressed for the surrounding environment, clad only in his socks and boxers.
He closed his eyes again and held to his left wrist. "What time is it?"
Madison shook her head and guided his arms back under the cover of the blankets. "I don't know. But we're safe here and you should rest. Don't push yourself."
"Not yet," he grunted as he sat up. "We have to go." Skyler fumbled some as he staggered to his feet. The blankets fell to the ground beside Madison. She could only stare in confusion as he took his coat and picked through it until he found his watch. He muttered something under his breath and slipped it onto his wrist, the latching clasp sounding loudly in the cold and silent enclosure.
He let the coat drop and shuffled to the pile of his clothes. He was slower to pick them up, his hand clutching at his side where a blotchy bruise reached from low on his chest to his hip. His motions halted and he stood there with his other hand holding loosely to the rumpled slacks.
"Are you all right?" she questioned as she nervously approached him.
Skyler turned to her and gave a stiff nod. "We have to go. I was still too long. It'll get better once I move around some more." He struggled to step into his pants, so Madison got under his arm and steadied him.
She quickly gathered his shirt and shook it out, trying to chase away the damp wrinkles. Most of them remained. She passed it to him, cringing when he winced as he pulled it to his shoulders. He buttoned it up, then ran his hands down the front of his shirt as if he hoped to smooth it out.
Madison studied him for a breath before wrapping her arms around his waist and cautiously hugging him. She hated to see him like this. He was obviously hurting and there was nothing she could do for him.
She gazed up at him when he took hold of her shoulders. Skyler's hands slid down her arms and pulled them from around himself, then stepped back. "Skyler?"
"Not yet," he interrupted. "We're not out of this yet."
That wasn't what she was getting at. She was worried about him. Even so, she let him turn away and gather the suits and blankets. She helped him stuff them into the bag. One of the two tanks was left out because of it not fitting.
"They would have gotten the truck out by now and will be searching the area," he started to explain in a hushed tone. "We're lucky no one has found us yet. But we need to get out of here and keep moving. We've stayed too long as it is." Skyler sounded frustrated.
"What about that detective? Payne? Won't he help?"
The look on his face started as one of puzzlement, then faded to doubt. He shook his head once. "He thinks he can. I hoped he could. But he's only interested in catching Morgan. I agreed to try his plan when it was just me, but things have changed, and he doesn't know Morgan like I do."
He was doing this because of her. She fought back a frown. She wondered how long he was going to last especially if he was planning on running for any part of the day. The last thing he needed was to be rushed about.
Madison helped him into his coat and didn't voice her concerns. He caught her hand when she shifted to gather her own coat. She eyed him as he turned her arm and inspected the sleeve. He looked troubled.
"Are you hurt?"
She followed his stare and found blood stains on her sleeve. She didn't recall getting cut, and she quickly pulled the sleeve up to check her arm. Nothing. Shaking her head, she looked to Skyler and found the source of the stain. It was his cheek. She lowered her head and rubbed pointlessly at the spots. "It's yours."
He touched her arm and bowed his head. "I'm sorry."
What did he have to be sorry for? She gaped at him. She couldn't think of anything to say or do that would pull him out of his unnecessary moping.
"Come on," he said despondently as he hefted the overstuffed bag to his shoulder. "We need to hurry."
Madison took hold of the air tank when she caught onto his intent. He had already weighed himself down with the bag and was about to pick up the left over tank. "I've got it," she murmured and scooted it out of his reach.
"It's heavy. Are you sure?"
"I've got it." It was heavier than she thought, but she didn't want him lugging it around and adding to his burden. She forced a weak smile when he continued to look at her.
Skyler finally lowered his eyes and gestured for her to follow him. He led the way, taking a hall that was nearly hidden in the towering concrete room. It was narrow and dark and smelled damp. The large bag rubbed against the walls a few times. He didn't seem to try to avoid them.
It wasn't long before they came to a flight of metal stairs. Skyler paused at the first step. He shifted his weight gingerly. Madison remembered his limp. She adjusted her hold on the tank she carried and freed one hand. She then reached up and pressed it against the bottom of the bag on his shoulder. "Thank you," he puffed without looking back.
They were a little more than halfway up when he paused again. Madison stopped behind him, maintaining her support on the bag. He tilted his head from what she could see in the poorly lit stairwell. She listened closer when she heard what had caught his attention. It was the rhythmic clattering she had heard in the night. It was a train.
Skyler took the stairs more quickly when he started again. He grunted with each step. Madison tried to stay with him and help with the heavy bag, but she wasn't keeping up well enough.
"Come on," he panted. "We've got to hurry."
She tried to pick up her pace. "Right behind you."
The stout door at the top of the stairs opened the second time Skyler rammed it. He peered out for a few moments as the loud racket of the passing train blared around them. "Let's go!" he shouted after he scanned the area.
They ran along side the tracks and kept even with one of the cargo cars. Skyler gave the bag a sloppy toss. It landed solidly on the platform at the back of the car. He waved at Madison to hurry up next to him, "Hop on!"
She followed his direction as best she could. It was cumbersome with the tank throwing off her balance. She tried holding it under one arm after hi
tting her knee on it twice. The adjustment made her lopsided, but it was actually easier.
With one hand grasping the railing of car, she looked up and noticed the bridge narrowed a short distance ahead. The gravel shoulder dropped away where the tracks stretched over the width of the river. She then understood Skyler's urgency.
Turning her concentration back to the rail car, Madison edged closer in hopes of finding a simple way to climb on. She had seen people do it in movies, and they made it look like it was nothing at all. It reminded her of when she was a kid playing on the playground, trying to jump on an already speeding merry-go-round. One has to defy gravity.
She respected gravity. She feared gravity at this point unable to ignore the terrifyingly accessible wheels of the train cars. Her hesitation cost her when she second-guessed the distance as she tried to hop up to the platform. She lost her footing and tripped in the gravel. Panic rose within her. She tumbled away from the deafening wheels and took Skyler down with her.
They both scrambled to get back up, dragging one another along the way. Madison let go of the tank to keep from skidding on her face. "No!" She made a frantic reach for it as it fell away from her. It rolled down the slope of the rocky embankment.
"Forget it," Skyler growled and pulled her back to her feet. "Out of time!"
He kept a death-grip on the collaring of her coat as they caught back up to the car. Madison climbed up quickly with his rushed assistance. He was on the platform as soon as she cleared the top step.
She scolded herself for the foolish clumsiness as she watched the tank splash into the river at its icy bank. "I'm sorry," she muttered when she realized Skyler, too, was watching it.
He didn't blink or look away from the sight of the dropped breadcrumb. "Don't worry about it. It was my fault."
Madison spent the duration of the wordless ride replaying the misstep that she should have avoided. She should have put the tank on the platform instead of trying to climb with it in her hands. She should have moved faster; she would have been able to catch it before it slipped out of her reach. Most of all, she shouldn't have fallen asleep.
She tentatively looked to Skyler at his continued silence. His gaze was fixed on the fallen tank. It was long gone and out of sight, but his scowl in its direction made her think he could make it disintegrate into nothing with the power of his will. She wished it were so. She wished they could undo the one mistake that could get them caught. Her mistake.