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He heard footsteps behind him and he looked over his shoulder as he sprinted forward. He exhaled a short sigh of relief when he realized it was Lachlan. For a guy who had never worked with him before, he respected the trust he portrayed.
James’s eyes dropped to his watch as he pressed the timer. He had less than four minutes to find Matt, eliminate the threat that was keeping him on the track, and get out of the way of the next train. He pushed his legs faster, his eyes darting between the tracks and his phone.
He saw Matt the moment the tunnel turned to the left. He was lying on the track but his head turned toward the sound of footsteps.
“James!” he yelled, his word slurred.
As James ran toward him, he quickly realized at least one reason why Matt wasn’t moving.
Matt looked at him, his eyes unfocused, shaking his head. “I can’t... get out. Get off the tracks. Go...”
“No!” James said, kneeling beside him. He had a million questions about how Matt had ended up somewhat sedated with his leg fastened to the track, but now wasn’t the time for them.
His eyes dropped to the red cable wrapped twice around Matt’s ankle and then secured to the track with a padlock. James’s heart sank and his worst fears were confirmed when he pulled a pocket knife from his back pocket and cut through the plastic, revealing metal wire underneath.
He stopped breathing.
“Samuel, how long?” James asked quickly hoping the train had somehow been delayed since it’s last stop.
He maneuvered Matt’s ankle to see how much wiggle room he had. None.
“Three minutes,”Samuel replied and James was glad Matt no longer had an earpiece in. He wondered what had happened to it, but right now he had bigger problems.
He looked to Matt, whose eyes were filled with defeat. “At least... I got this,” he said, handing James a piece of folded white paper.
James grabbed it, tucking it into his back pocket.
“James... go. Don’t... do this... not for... me,” Matt said, visibly trying to keep his eyes open. “Make sure... Cami and the girls... okay. Take care of them...,” he said with pleading eyes.
“No! Don’t you dare give up!” James said, his voice rising. He’d never left a man behind and he wasn’t about to start now. He focused on the lock and pulled a pick from his back pocket—he never went anywhere without a weapon or a pick. He inserted it, applying pressure to the lock, sliding it back and forth, feeling for the internal pins.
“Two minutes,”Samuel said.
James blocked everything from his mind and focused on the lock, delicately shifting the pick, lifting the pins one by one.
“One minute,”Samuel said.
James didn’t look up as he continued trying to crack the lock. His heart stammered in his chest but he focused on his breathing, keeping his body and mind calm.
When he heard the sound of the train echoing through the tunnel, he worked faster.
“James,” Lachlan said beside him, his voice frantic.
He paused, grabbing the paper from his back pocket with one hand while holding the lock steady with the other. “Go! Give that to Samuel.”
Lachlan hesitated, his eyes bouncing between James, Matt, and the tunnel.
“Go!” James screamed as he turned his attention back to the lock. He was not ready to die, not ready to leave behind his wife and child. But he would not give up on Matt or this damn lock.
He wiggled the pick and felt a pin lift, then another.
“James... go!” Matt yelled as the lights shone on them,
James didn’t look up—he didn’t want to lose focus, nor did he want to see the fear in Matt’s eyes. He needed to remain calm—he was almost done. He had one more pin to lift and he wriggled the pick desperately. His breath caught in his throat as it gave way. James grabbed the wire, pulling it loose, then James grabbed Matt’s hand and yanked him up as they fell back against the tunnel wall. The train sped past them at breakneck speed as his T-shirt flapped in the wind and his mouth hung open.
When the train passed, James finally exhaled.
He looked to Matt. “You okay?”
