Heathen/Nemesis

Fifty-Seven

She knew she was going to die.

In that split second, as she and Benton fell from the train, Donna knew.

The stench of the tunnel filled her nostrils; the roar of the train drummed in her ears. She felt weightless as they pitched into empty air.

Benton, in his terror, released his grip on her waist. His scream echoed madly inside the tunnel as he fell was slammed against the brickwork then bounced back against the speeding train, his body pulped by the impact.

Something inside Donna’s mind, some shred of self-preservation, made her shoot out a hand.

She managed to grip the frame of the window on the door which was flying open now, banging against the side of the train.

Hold on, her mind screamed. Hold on.

She used all her strength to grip the frame, her body buffetted by the high-speed wind that swept against the train as it roared along. Her hair whipped around her face; she felt the icy chill filling her. Her fingers were beginning to go numb.

She was losing her grip.

The train burst free of the tunnel and Donna shouted in defiance, managing to get her other hand onto the frame, too. But all she could do was hang there from the side of the speeding train, unable to move, knowing her strength would eventually fade. It was only a matter of time before she fell.

‘Grab my hand,’ roared Ryker, extending a hand. ‘I’ll pull the door shut.’

He gripped the open door and pulled, one of his hands closing over Donna’s.

She had visions of him slowly unpeeling her fingers, prising them from the door until she fell.

But instead he used all his strength to heave the door shut, battling against the onrushing wind as the train continued to hurtle along.

Donna felt faint; she thought her grip was failing.

HOLD ON.

Ryker pulled the door another few inches, pulled her closer.

If only she could hang on ...

She felt her feet trailing through the weeds that grew at the side of the track, nettles and thistles tearing her skin as she was dragged through them at high speed.

‘Take my hand,’ Ryker shouted, bellowing to make himself heard. ‘I’ll pull you in.’

Donna didn’t have time to think. She hadn’t the luxury of considering her options.

She gripped his hand as tightly as she could, feeling a terrific wrench on her shoulders as he tried to haul her in, steadying himself against the door to ensure that he didn’t end up suffering the same fate as his companion.

‘Your other hand,’ he shouted. ‘Give me your other hand.’

She had one hand clamped in Ryker’s, the other wrapped round the door frame. If she relinquished her grip on the door she was completely at his mercy.

‘Come on,’ Ryker screamed at her.

There was another tunnel approaching, looming large and dark, ready to swallow her and the train.

She heard a loud roar and realized that the 125 was sounding its air horn. A warning as it entered the tunnel.

She looked ahead, saw the yawning black mouth and the dark hillside around it.

Saw the lights.

Lights which got brighter as they came closer.

There was another train coming the other way on the track next to her.

It would leave the tunnel as her own train entered.

There would be less than five feet between the massive engines.

She would be crushed between them.

Donna let go of the door and allowed Ryker to grab her other hand.

He pulled as the two trains drew closer.

‘Come on,’ he screamed and heaved her upwards, clutching at her dress to pull her inside while she held his arms, squirming her legs through the window.

They both fell in an untidy heap on the floor.

The other train swept past with a roar and a deafening hiss of air. Then it was gone.

Donna rolled onto her back, her eyes half-closed, her limbs numb. She could feel nothing but the cold, that seemed to have filled every pore of her body. Her ankles and shins were scratched and bloodied, her stockings shredded by the trackside weeds and nettles.

Ryker knelt beside her, shook her, rubbed her arms as if trying to restore the circulation. She was still cold. Numbingly, almost painfully cold and some of it was shock.

‘Why did you save me?’ she said quietly, looking at Ryker.

‘Because I need you alive,’ he said, still rubbing her arms.

‘I need information from you.’ He looked worried.

‘Who are you?’ she slurred, close to fainting.

He struck her hard across the face to prevent that.

Then she felt his arms beneath her shoulders, lifting her, pushing her into the lavatory, locking it behind him. He sat her on the seat and stood looking down at her.

She glanced up and saw the knife hidden inside his jacket.

A thought occurred to her and she almost smiled.

Out of the frying pan into the fire.

Don’t all laugh at once.

Donna rubbed both hands across her face, her body quivering as she began to regain some warmth, some feeling in her extremities. Her shoulders ached; her hands and legs were throbbing.

‘I saved your life,’ said Ryker. ‘Now tell me what I want to know.’

She closed her eyes.

The banging on the door made her open them again.