Chapter 18 - REX JUMPED ONTO A MOVING TRAIN
“No,” I said.
Rex looked at me.
I knew that look.
“No.”
The locomotive gathered speed.
A service road ran beside the tracks for half a mile before the river bridge.
I jumped into Mia’s uncle’s pickup.
Eli climbed into the passenger seat.
“You can barely walk.”
“Good thing I’ll be sitting.”
Sarah grabbed the door.
“Jack, don’t.”
“I have to.”
“That sentence is why I hate your job.”
“I don’t have the job anymore.”
She looked at the train.
“Could’ve fooled me.”
I kissed her once and drove.
The pickup bounced along the dirt road at sixty miles an hour.
Rex stood behind the seats, eyes fixed on the train.
Eli shouted over the engine, “Get us ahead of the gray car!”
We pulled alongside.
Mercer’s men fired from the platform.
The windshield starred.
I ducked and kept driving.
The road narrowed.
Bridge ahead.
No more chances.
Eli grabbed the wheel.
“Go!”
I climbed out the passenger window onto the running board.
Rex followed.
“Stay!”
He ignored me.
For the first time in years, Rex ignored a direct command.
“Rex!”
He jumped.
My heart stopped.
He landed on the rear platform of the gray railcar, claws scraping for grip.
A guard turned.
Rex hit him at the knees.
The man fell backward into the car, not off the train.
Good dog.
Crazy dog.
My dog.
I jumped next.
Pain exploded through my ankle, but I stayed aboard.
Eli kept the truck beside us for another hundred yards.
Then the road ended.
He braked hard.
I was alone with Rex.
The railcar door was locked.
I shot the latch.
Inside were equipment racks and two armed guards.
Rex went low.
I went high.
The fight lasted seconds.
Then a third man appeared behind me.
Gun raised.
A shot cracked.
I waited for pain.
None came.
The guard fell.
Eli stood on the coupling between cars.
He had jumped from the pickup too.
“You said I was done being heroic,” he yelled.
“I was wrong!”
“Write it down!”
We fought toward the locomotive.
At the engine cab, Mercer waited.
No panic.
No rush.
He held a pistol against the engineer’s head.
“Stop there.”
I did.
Rex growled.
Mercer looked at him.
“K9-417. Still disobedient at the worst possible moment.”
“You don’t get to say his name.”
Mercer smiled.
“I gave the order that saved his life after the IED.”
My anger flickered.
He saw it.
“Yes, Jack. Not everything you believe about me is false.”
The river bridge began beneath us.
Mercer moved the gun from the engineer.
To Rex.
Then he said, “Choose again.”
May you like
--- If you enjoyed the story, bookmark my site: https://vibe.treeiq.biz New stories are posted daily, so check back for updates.
