The Night Vigilante

XII. Grace

Chapter 12- Grace

            “Let’s start training now,” I say, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

            Cole glances to the right at me, an exasperated look on his face. “With your arm looking like that? Funny.”

            I frown, picking up the pace in an attempt to keep up with him. Christine’s shirt hangs long on my body, her body a lot taller than mine.

            “I might as well start now before Thatcher starts asking where I am,’” I mutter, mostly to myself. “Plus you didn’t explain to me what I have to do in order for you guys to train me.”

            Cole bounds down the stairs, his back to me.

            “Believe me, you don’t want to know the ideas they have planned for you.”

            He pushes through a heavy metal door and I slam my body into it, using all my strength to prop it open.

            “I’ll ask Salem,” I say.

            It’s a low blow, I know.

            Even though I hardly knew their relationship enough to judge this, there was tension between them and that much was clear.

            Cole stops, his face looking back, eyes dark. “I highly doubt that, but you’ll find out soon enough so I might as well show you myself.”

            Not even waiting for my response, he loosely takes my hand, guiding me quickly down the stairs and past darkened halls.

            I was starting to realize Cole’s different attitudes and responses to things.

            When we reach the fire exit, the exit looking like all the others, Cole easily flings it open, pulling me through.

            Instantly, the sound of wheels on train tracks meet’s my ears, and I inhale the cool night.

            Wasting no time, Cole detours into the back where grass comes up to the height of my chest.

            I try not to think about what can be hiding within these grass reeds and he pushes through, like he’s done this a million times.

            When we’re close enough to see the deserted subway, I expect Cole to stop a few feet away for it to stop but that’s doesn’t seem like part of the plan because he moves closer, pulling me.

            “Cole,” I begin to protest, his body so close to the subway flying past that one more inch and he’d scrape his nose right off.

            “Run,” he tells me.

            I don’t even have a chance to question him before he’s running, reaching out to grab onto the handle.

            His elbow hits the button and the doors open but I can’t run that fast and our hands part as he stands on the edge, waiting for me.

            “I can’t make it,” I gasp, heaving as I push my legs hard, my eyes zeroing in on his hand.

            Glancing behind me, I realize that it’s the end of the subway and there would be no more openings for me to get in so taking one last final push, I throw my hand forward, feeling his fingers clasp around my wrist.