A/N: I hope you all are having a great day! I'm a little distracted right now, so if I seem a bit MIA on Wattpad then I apologize.

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02 - 16 - 2089

The sun has left us. We are cloaked in shadows as we hurry down the streets, the shouts and voices of our pursuers not far away. Cade holds my hand as we run, keeping me steady as he leads us toward the train station.

Every now and then the voices of those chasing us fades into the sounds of the city, and I begin to hope we are safe. Then we turn a corner and they spot us.

There are more chasing us now. The men must have called in backup, and they are trying to surround us. If we don't reach the trains soon, all hope will be gone.

As if Cade can sense my fear, he squeezes my hand a little tighter. "We're going to make it," he says. "Just a little farther."

I nod, because my lungs ache too much to speak. All I can do is focus on placing one foot in front of the other. Again. And again.

We turn down another narrow alley, the place poorly lit. Up ahead, I see a towering building across the street. Almost there. I find a small hidden reserve of energy in my legs and push faster.

Before we reach the end of the alley, Cade yanks me back against the side and presses me against him. His breath is hot on my face as he speaks.

"Quiet. More men are across the street." He chances a glance at the street again, cursing softly at what he sees. "We'll have to go around the back."

I want to ask what he plans to do. How he plans to get us on a train without tickets. But my body is too tired to bother. Instead, I opt for a small nod.

Cade presses a hurried kiss to my temple and pulls away. "Stay here. I'm going to make sure it's all clear." Before I can process his words, Cade is gone.

I continue to catch my breath, forcing myself to count each breath so my thoughts don't wander.

What if he gets caught?

What if they hurt him?

What if they kill him?

I shake my head when I catch those rebellious thoughts in my head. Calm. Cade is going to be fine.

My heart won't stop beating erratically, my mind won't calm. I need Cade to return. I need him back.

Seconds tick by. They feel like minutes. Then hours. And just when I think I can't take it anymore, a figure slips into the alley and approaches me.

"All clear," Cade says, his face coming into view. The soft blue of his eyes is dark in the dim light. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding and take the hand he offers me.

"Let's get out of this place for good," Cade mutters, sending me a soft and light smile. It feels too light in the circumstances, but I shove that thought away. He's just trying to encourage me.

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I'm almost over the fence to the train yard when I hear a shout behind me. Cade, who is waiting for me on the other side of the fence, has his hands up and waiting to help me down.

I risk a glance down the street. A light flashes in my eyes a little ways away, and I scramble to climb faster. Darn these useless fingers. Pain stings my hands as I try to grab the fence and pull myself the rest of the way up.

"You there! Halt!"

The voice is nearer, as is the light that shines in my face. I'm on the verge of panicking now, but I know I can't give up. If only my arms were stronger!

"Gis, hurry," Cade beckons, trying to reach up and help me with his arms. But he's too far down and I'm not yet at the top of the fence. My arms are burning, the muscles quivering.

"A little farther."

I fight against the pain in my arms and push myself up just a little farther. My mind blocks out the pursuing men and everything else as I climb. Just a little higher...

My feet barely find traction, but I shove up over the edge of the fence, the metal snagging at my clothing. My arm stretches out to meet Cade's, just as something brushes against my pant leg. His hand wraps around mine, solid and strong, and pulls me over the edge away from the men on the other side.

I tumble off the fence and into his arms, knocking him onto his back. If we weren't in such a hurry, I might savor this moment. Instead, I scramble to my feet and turn to the fence.

Two men stare at me, while another is trying to climb the fence after us. A hand tugs at my arm, and I turn back to the train yard as Cade gets to his feet.

"We're running out of time," I whisper, afraid if I say it too loud that it will come true.

Cade grabs my hand and then we're running again, across the snow covered gravel and train tracks, skirting around crates and shipping containers. The occasional light overhead shines on the dirty snow, chasing away the shadows that hide us so effectively.

"In here." We reach a long row of train cars hooked together and stop in front of a car with chipping red paint. Cade and I crank the door open enough for us to climb inside, then we shut it and crawl through the crates to the back. Once my hands hit the metal of the car, I sink down and rest against it. Cade climbs in beside me, having to squeeze in between the crates to fit.

As we settle down, I press myself against Cade's side, shivering and wet from the cold. He doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around me. I savor his warmth, allowing myself to calm and slow my breathing.

"Are you okay?" I hear Cade's breath as he calms his own breathing.

"I think so." I press a tentative hand to my stomach where the fence ripped through my jacket. Thankfully, it didn't penetrate the skin.

"What do we do now?" The train car is too dark to see anything, but I try and peer up at Cade's face anyway. I can't tell if he's looking at me, but I feel his breath on my chilled face.

"Wait. This train should leave sometime soon, by the looks of it. And then it will carry us far away from those men."

I nod, then open my mouth to speak as another question comes to mind. But before I can form the first word, Cade wraps his hand around my head and pulls me against him, making it impossible to speak.

I don't struggle as he holds me still, my ears tuned to hear anything abnormal. Cade must have heard something, but what?

There. Faint voices coming from outside the train car. Oh no... Dread clings to my stomach and I tense my muscles to keep from shaking. The voices near, and I know they're searching for Cade and I. They won't find us. They won't find us. They won't find us. I chant over and over as Cade and I sit there in the dark.

"Check in there. They have to still be in the train yard."

I hear a sharp intake of breath from Cade and barely keep myself silent. Barely contain the thousands upon thousands of nervous tendrils tumbling in my mind at the strange voices.

"How can you be sure they're still around here?"

A train car next to ours rattles as I assume the men check it.

"They're trying to leave the city to cover their tracks. If they don't, they know we'll catch up to them sooner or later."

That man is exactly right, and I hate it. How can they know our exact plans? Is it that obvious?

"They're going to find us," I breathe into Cade's jacket as the men outside continue to search other train cars. It can't be too long before they check ours.

"No, they're not," he assures me, his voice a low rumble as he hugs me tighter. I can't breathe, I can't think. And then the worry in my mind becomes reality.

Our train car rattles furiously as the men outside struggle to pull it open. The beam of a flashlight shines into the car at the opposite end of where we are. It shakes as someone climbs up inside.

I look up at Cade. His face is grim, his jaw set. He pushes away from me, rising to his feet. I scramble up after him, thinking we're going to run.

Then the flashlight beam is shining in my eyes and the footsteps halt. I can't see the man behind the light, but I know our time is up.

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