Page 55 of Freedom Fighters
“Even though I’m not your type?”
“I’m not that woman anymore.”
“Not even close, thank god,” Garrett murmured and kissed her. Carmen smothered her surprise at Garrett kissing her in public and let herself enjoy it. Before she could respond properly, he let her go. “You’re on sentry duty in an hour. Get some food. You’ll have time to eat it before heading for the rail line.”
Carmen scowled. “Yes, boss.”
“Shouldn’t that be ‘sir’?” he asked, with a smile.
She glared harder. “I noticed you didn’t put yourself on the schedule.” The watch duty over the rail line had swiftly become the most hated duty in the camp. It was monotonous. Garrett had reduced the shifts down to four hours apiece and two people at a time, to keep each other alert.
“Someone has to lead,” he replied, standing up.
“Apparently not by example.”
“That last word of yours is goingto get you in trouble, Escobedo,” he said as he walked away.
“Too late, Garrett!” she shot back.
* * * * *
It was another stiflingly hot day. Carmen settled her back against a tree and looked up at the sky overhead, which she could just glimpse through the tree tops. It was a washed out blue and there were flecks of cloud across it that made her think of fish scales.
As the four hours woundon, the fish scales grew in number and the blue disappeared. It grew even hotter.
There wasn’t a breath of wind. Nothing moved among the trees, not even cicadas. It was as if the whole world was holding its breath.
Carmen didn’t sit down, because sitting would let her relax and that would decrease her alertness. Instead, she moved restlessly along a small track she had made, six feet insidethe tree line and parallel to the rail line. Back and forth along the track. Sometimes she rested by leaning against the trees, but otherwise, she walked.
Archie was somewhere on the other side of the line. She wondered if he had fallen asleep, because she hadn’t heard a whisper from him in nearly three hours.
She halted as something pricked her attention and stood listening. Had she imaginedit?
Your instincts know more than you do. Listen to them.Garrett’s voice, from a long ago training session.
The thick foliage among the trees would muffle sound, yet Carmen knew she had heard something. She checked carefully in both directions along the line, then stepped out into the open. The line here was built up with rock chips underneath the wooden ties. It sat about three feet higherthan the soft loam where she stood. The trees had been cleared for six feet on either side of the line, making a long funnel through the forest. Sound would carry better in the funnel.
She dropped her chin and narrowed her eyes, waiting for the sound again. It had been at the edges of her hearing…
“Carmen!” Archie whispered, from the other side of the track.
“Shhh.”
He stepped out into theopen, as she was and rested his rifle butt on his hip. “What are you doing?” he demanded, keeping his voice down.
Carmen lifted her head. “I think something is coming.”
“A train?” He cocked his head and listened, then shook it. “I don’t hear anything. Nothing at all. Not even mosquitos.”
“It’s too hot for mosquitos.” She rested her knee against the tie closest to her, then leaned down and pressedher ear against the rail.
The rail was vibrating. It was faint, but it was there.
Carmen straightened up again. “A train,” she said, her heart thudding. It wasn’t a scheduled train. The next expected train was tomorrow.
Insurrectos.
Archie bent and pressed his big hand against the rail. “A train,” he confirmed. “You’ve got the phone.”
