Sacrifice

Chapter Forty

Present Day 

It was completely silent inside the train car. The only sounds that could be heard were the engines roaring and chains clanking as they traveled over the bumpy tracks. 

Minho stared down at his hands that were locked in cuffs, attached to a long chain hanging from the ceiling. His feet were also chained to the floor. All the immunes in the train car were secured in the same fashion. He glanced at Claire, who was seated next to him. She looked the same as she had since the beginning of the trip: tired, slumped in her seat and just plain sick of their whole situation. 

This wasn't their first time being moved. In the past six moths alone they had been moved more times than Minho could keep track of. He suspected they were kept on the move so much in order to make it difficult for anyone to find them, if anyone was still looking for them. The only silver lining in this was that Claire was still with him. Minho honestly didn't know if he would  have survived this long without her. 

Suddenly he picked up on a new sound. 

It was pretty faint, and for a moment Minho was convinced he had imagined it. Then he noticed Claire's thoughtful expression and knew she had heard the sound too. It sounded like a car engine. Minho locked eyes with her and instantly understood what she was thinking, that something unplanned was going on. Both of them were now on high alert. Even if this turned out to be nothing, then at least they'd be ready. 

************* 

Vince stepped harder on the gas in order to catch up to the train. They were running a couple minutes behind but it looked like they would still make it. Thomas, who was riding shotgun, turned on his communicator. 

"Brenda, we're coming up behind, keep them busy." 

"Okay," the girl replied from the other end of the radio. She and Jorge were already driving along the side of the train, trying to reach the front on order to cause a distraction. 

As quickly, and as carefully as they could, Vince drove the jeep onto the train tracks. Both he and Thomas hanging on as the vehicle rocked back and forth. 

"This is crazy, Thomas!" Vince yelled over the engine. 

Thomas didn't reply. Instead he unstrapped his seatbelt and climbed out onto the hood of the jeep as they got closer to the back of the train. 

"Get me closer!" Thomas yelled. 

Vince stepped harder on the gas. Thomas reached for the hook that had already been installed at the front of the jeep. Once he secured it onto the train he jumped onto the ladder at the back of the train car. 

"Vince, come on!" Thomas called. 

Keeping his hand on the wheel for as long as he could, Vince climbed onto the hood and got ready to jump. Just then, the jeep's right front tire popped. Vince fell down on the hood, clinging on for dear life. 

"Vince!" 

The man struggled to get back onto his feet. 

"Jump!" Thomas shouted, seeing that the hook connecting the jeep and the train was about to snap off. Vince made it onto the train just as the hook snapped and the jeep flipped over. 

"Shit," Vince muttered as he worked to get his breath back under control. 

"Alright, let's go." 

"Hey, berg." 

Thomas turned around to see what Vince saw. The large aircraft was heading their way, and it seemed to have locked in on the truck Brenda and Jorge were in. Thomas turned his communicator back on.