The horse gained a burst of speed and pulled up alongside the train. Thomas guided the panting mare as close to the side of the train as he possibly could without endangering her.
As soon as he was close enough he let go of the reins and leant towards the bars of the end car. He stumbled and fell halfway out of the saddle as the horse veered away from the train to avoid hitting an oncoming rock. His face missed the rock by a few inches as he hung from the saddle.
Regaining control he swung himself up in the saddle and steered the mare back alongside the train. Reaching for the bars once more he gave it his best and leant in. Praying to God that it would work this time he gripped the bars and yanked himself onto the train.
His feet dangled in the air as his body bumped against the train a few times before he managed to heave himself up onto the platform. Tumbling over the railings he fell headfirst onto the train and lay there for a few seconds while he struggled to ease his breathing.
Pushing himself up he checked to see if his horse was alright. She was slowing down and lagging behind the train. He would send one of the ranch hands to fetch her as soon he got back. There were bigger things to worry about at the moment. Not wanting to waste any more time, he used the railings to pull himself up. Turning, he reached for the handle of the door that lead into the train. He jiggled it a few times to no avail. The door was firmly locked.
Bracing himself against the railings, he raised his leg and kicked the door off the hinges.
Thomas flew through the luggage compartment without caring if he knocked anything or anyone over. His heart was racing, he had one thought on his mind. Reaching Rosaline.
Passengers gawked at him as he pushed his way through, knocking several people over amidst shouts and complaints. Off in the distance, he thought he could hear the nasty sneer of Diederick laughing. Thomas raced towards the laughter near the end of the carriages. Yanking open a door he burst into a closed compartment.
“What the devil are you doing here?” Diederick roared in anger and grabbed Rosaline around the wrist as she sprang to her feet.
The federal marshal who was no longer in uniform jumped to his feet and whipped up the pistol that was lying beside him on the bench. Aiming at Thomas's chest he fired.
Thomas ducked quickly as the bullet raced past his ear. A few inches closer and he would have had a nasty head wound. His ears were ringing as he heard a muffled scream from Rosaline.
Diederick grabbed her around the waist as she kicked and screamed in an attempt to try and gain her freedom.
He was about to go after them when the federal marshal raised his pistol again.
Thinking quickly, Thomas ducked and ran full tilt into the man's abdomen, sending the gun flying across the compartment floor.
The men scrambled and fought each other as they both reached for the gun.
Diederick disappeared around the corner with a screaming Rosaline as a second shot rang out.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The world stopped turning as the shot rang out. Rosaline could no longer see anything around her with any clarity. The world was spinning in a nauseating slow motion that made her ill.
In a haze she heard a woman scream, and she looked desperately towards the door, praying that against all odds she would see Thomas walk out towards her. When all that came from the carriage was silence, she slumped against Diedrick and stopped fighting. Her world was collapsing as she let him drag her away, and she couldn’t bear the thought that she would never see Thomas again. Never touch him or kiss him or explore the love that had started to bloom between them against all odds.
A group of young men came running after Rosaline and Diederick.
“Stay back!” Diederick threatened them. “This has nothing to do with anyone else, she is a fugitive!”
The men hesitated but tried to form a circle around them so that Diederick had nowhere to escape.
His eyes were wild with anger as the men closed in, keeping a safe distance in case Diederick tried to harm Rosaline.
Behind them she saw people running towards the compartment where Thomas lay, and when what they were shouting finally pierced her consciousness she started to struggle again. One of the men was alive! She had to know if it was Thomas. She had to get to him.
There was a fire inside of her now that pushed her on. She needed to know that Thomas was safe. Raising her leg she stomped down on Diedericks foot with all the strength she could muster. The heel of her boot dug into soft flesh through the expensive leather.
Diederick yelped and let go of her as he reached down to access the damage to his foot. He grabbed at her wrist just as she tried to make a run for it.
Rosaline spun around and wildly threw a punch at his face, startling herself with the satisfying crunch when it managed to connect. Later she would remember the triumph she felt as his head bounced back and blood spurted over his cravat, but for now, all she could focus on was getting to Thomas.
As Diedrick went reeling back, the crowd of men caught him and pinned him to the floor, and Rosaline spun around, picked up her skirts and ran back to the compartment where Thomas had been struggling with the Marshal, her hair, completely undone from her struggles with Diedrick, flying loosely behind her.
The other passengers parted and allowed her to pass as she entered the compartment.
Rosaline froze and raised her hands to her mouth. She swayed against the wall as she stared at the scene in front of her, her stomach sinking as she saw the two men lying face down, neither of them moving.
