So Sin stepped over and offered Rissa his hand, pulling her to her feet—and they ran.
Chapter Forty-Four
In the distance, Rissa could hear the sounds of gunfire. Further away, sirens were moving, but they seemed to be heading in all directions. Then, just as they reached the edge of the Market District, she heard another of those deep booms—the ones that meant another bomb had gone off.
But somewhere up ahead was the train station. Whatever was happening tonight had turned New Cincinnati into a war zone. Her lungs were burning and her body couldn't keep this pace, but neither Sin nor Caleb gave her any other option. Thankfully, just when she was sure she couldn't make it another step, she saw the station.
The metal gates stood open, lit by warm white lights meant to make it feel safe. On the other side was a large concrete platform, decorated with carefully cultivated shrubs and metal benches. The important thing was the small building at the side. That was where the security systems were kept, along with the panic button in case of an emergency. Every train station was set up exactly the same, and that one room was going to be their sanctuary for the next few minutes.
"Cover her," Sin ordered, his words clearly for Caleb.
Then he pushed ahead, walking through the metal gate first, aiming for the building. Caleb shoved a hand against Rissa's back, propelling her forward by force. She stumbled, tripping on her stupid robe, but a hand against Sin's back kept her from hitting the ground.
In a chain like that, they headed for the metal door which led to the security room. But just as Sin reached out to activate the lock, the handle turned from the inside. Caleb grabbed Rissa, jerking her around the corner, but it wasn't fast enough. She saw the door fling open, revealing a man on the other side.
Sin lifted his pistol, but the other guy already had his up. The pop of a rail gun rang out, and then Sin stumbled back, clutching at his chest. Caleb was immediately in action. With one hand, the man pulled Sin back. With the other, he fired off five rounds at the doorway Rissa could no longer see.
But she could help Sin. The moment he was around the corner, she pressed him against the wall and pulled his hand away to see his chest. In her mind, she was trying to review all of her knowledge about first aid and anatomy, but her eyes saw nothing. No blood. No hole. No wound at all.
"I'm fine," Sin promised, sucking in a breath. "Fucking hurts, but the armor stopped it."
And then he shoved right back into the fray. Rissa pressed both hands to her ears, trying to block out the pain from the numerous guns going off. That meant she couldn't make out what the men were yelling, but she knew there was a lot of it. Some was Sin, some was Caleb, but most of it was whoever had been waiting in that building.
Then Sin and Caleb both spun. "We need to be on the far side!" Sin yelled, pointing at where he meant. "The private car's the last."
But the train wasn't here. Rissa turned to look just as Sin hooked her around the waist, and then the three of them were running again. The waiting platform wasn't very big, but crossing it felt impossible with bullets ricocheting around them.
She squealed in fright, snapping her mouth closed before she could do it again. Her feet barely touched the ground as Sin dragged her along, but she wouldn't complain. His hand wasgripping her side hard enough to leave bruises, and she leaned into it, trusting him completely.
Caleb slid behind a large concrete flower pot. As Sin and Rissa ran past, the man lifted up to fire back, slowing the number of bullets coming at them. Sin aimed for the next piece of cover, but it was merely a slightly larger flower bed. This one had enough room for both of them—and then some—so her priest shoved her behind it.
Rissa hit the ground and tumbled to her side, but Sin slid in right beside her. Immediately, he turned back the way they'd come, reaching out for her with his closest hand.
"You ok, Riss?" he asked.
"Scraped but intact," she assured him.
He nodded but never pulled his eyes away from the enemy. "Just keep your head down and don't bolt, because we're badly outnumbered, and our best chance is to make it to the train." Then he dared to glance over. "Have any news on that front?"
"No, I only have the schedule from before we left," she admitted. "I also seem to have lost track of time."
He nodded again, accepting that even as he returned his attention to the enemy. "Caleb?"
"Yup?"
"How's it going over there?"
The answer was just a maniacal laugh. "Good times, Sin. Working with you is always a blast."
But it seemed the men in the station heard them. "Turn over the Ingénue and we'll let you go."
"Not happening," Sin assured them. "Stick your head out and we'll take it off."
"Sounds like we're at a standoff then," the unknown man yelled back. "One little problem with that. I have friends on the way."
Rissa could hear even more voices over there, so that guy wasn't alone. She couldn't make out the words, but the tone made it sound like they were arguing about something. From the crease in Sin's brow, he could hear it too. It was enough to make him look over at Caleb.
Which was when someone in the security room yelled, "Blow it!"
