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“Does that question matter?” Rex responded.
“It matters to me.”
He breathed in deeply, then looked out the window at the miles of farmland that passed by. “He learned of your escape right after we did.” Then he rubbed his head in frustration. “As if it were possible to conceal the sudden disappearance of the star of our show!”
“When did Ned join the troupe?” I asked, indicating the gunslinger outside. “I didn’t see him at any of the auditions.”
Rex’s eyes darted around the compartment as if he feared someone could be eavesdropping on us. “He’s a gift from Mr. Grey. When I left the circus to find you, Mr. Grey insisted Ned come along.”
There was something else behind his eyes—something I couldn’t detect, although I knew it was there. I sensed he was holding back something, the truth of that fact was there in his eyes. “How did you find me?” I asked more quietly.
His arms were still crossed, and he shrugged his heavy shoulders. “Wasn’t too hard. I knew you were from Iowa and the fastest, most anonymous way to travel these days is by train. Ned and I checked out every major railway station.” He opened his arms wide, and the span nearly encompassed the whole compartment as he added, “Until we found you.”
Alice’s odyssey in Wonderland sounded more believable than his explanation. “The train stops at a lot of stations in Iowa,” I pointed out. “You could have gone months without a clue as to where I went. And I know you don’t believe in dumb luck.”
Before he could respond, the red tattoo on the inside of his wrist began to glow. I knew it all too well. It was the hateful scythe he used on the audience members to mark them as victims. I looked down at my own wrist and was shocked when the same mark cast its crimson light. Within moments, both Rex’s and my tattoos faded away, leaving no trace of either. The reasons behind how Rex had truly located me suddenly became more ominous.
Glancing up from my wrist, I faced him with concern. “What in the hell is going on?”
The unidentifiable look returned to his face but was quickly replaced by the iron mask of disdain that he always showed to the world. “As much I wish I could tell you, Bindi,” he whispered back, “I can’t... Not ever.”
My eyes drifted from him to the man watching our door. “What do you plan to do with me?”
Rex shrugged again. “Bring you back where you belong, keep a closer eye on you...” Then he startled me by leaning forward and jabbing his finger right into my face. “And if you ever try another stunt like this again, you’ll have to answer to Mr. Grey.”
The inherent threat in his words sent a shiver down my spine. Still, my dignity was tarnished, so I had to stand up for myself. “And what eternal bonds connect me toCirque du Noir?In case you failed to notice, I’m a free woman, one who can leave any job any time I choose.” I tried to match Rex’s anger and hatefulness before I added, “What you’re doing now is a crime, I might add, called kidnapping.”
To my surprise, Rex smirked and then snorted as he leaned back into his seat. “Need I remind you of the contract you signed with us?” he asked. “Laurent has written so many of them, there are no loopholes left to exploit. You have exactly two choices…” He held up his pointer finger. “Either finish the season with us...” then he held up his middle finger and said, “or we are fully entitled to liquidate your property, and that of your family, in order to cover our losses.”
“I never agreed to that!” A fresh spike of anger throttled me. “And don’t you eventhinkabout touching my family’s farm!”
“As long as you abide by our contract, neither that nor anything else unpleasant will occur.”
I couldn’t remember the exact verbiage of the contract I’d signed, but I had a feeling Laurent had done whatever he needed to to ensure he had me by the throat. Andupdatingsuch contract was certainly not beyond the realm of disbelief.
I then remembered some of the poor audience members who had died after being touched by Rex and Laurent. I didn’t doubt for a moment that the circus could and would do the same or worse to my family. If I made things hard for them, they’d return the favor and then some.
The conversation ended, and Rex leaned back in his seat and gave me a sullen look. Though he didn’t bother calling Ned back inside, I knew Ned was watching us through the frosted glass.
For the next twenty minutes or so, while Rex and I sat in silence, I contemplated escaping. My mind conjured numerous schemes, none of them seriously. Each one was impossible because the circumstances they required were far from reality. Yes, I’d already decided to return to the circus, but now that I was well on my way, my mind was flooded with regret.
The time passed, and I trashed the last of my escape plans. All I could do was sit quietly in my seat and watch the world roll past the window. I was definitely returning toCirque du Noirand there was nothing I could do to change that.
Chapter Three
We stayed inside our compartment for several hours.
The train made many stops along the way to pick up new passengers and discharge others. When dinner was served, Ned returned to the compartment for a silent meal as the sun began to set in the distance. I wondered how far away our stop was and how long it would take us to get there.
Eventually, our journey came to an end. After nightfall, the flat land surrounding us was plunged into a dark shadow. We pulled into a train station of prodigious proportion. A large clock tower and pitched roof made the station resemble a palace more than a train depot. The placard near the tracks marked our current location: Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Ned patted Rex on the arm before using the same hand to point to the sign. Rex nodded and rolled his shoulders forward.
“All right, this is our stop,” he said to me, rising to his feet. As I stood up, he gave me a scrutinizing look and asked, “Will you promise to behave yourself?”
I looked at him and his cowboy companion, who was also on his feet with his hand firmly wrapped around his gun. “That depends on how well you treat me.”
Ned cocked the revolver than uncocked it, seemingly less tense than before. I was sure he did it to remind me who controlled the situation. Rex shook his head and grunted before opening the compartment door. I felt the gun barrel gently prodding me in the ribs as we made our way off the train. Why Ned felt the need to constantly threaten me with it, I didn’t know. Seemed like overkill and then some.
