Page 29 of Because I Killed Him
“Indeed. A Gibson with three pickled onions, please.”
“Your request has been noted.”
“I would like the smoked salmon breakfast with truffled eggs, please,” I say. “And bill both of our orders to my student tab.”
The Pinkie stiffens, its limbs twitching again. “Apologies, Miss Waldsten, I am unable to assist you at this time.”
Heads turn toward me, whispers rustling through the carriage like paper. Jane spins toward the Pinkie, and when she notices its twitching limbs, her eyes widen. With a graceful lunge, she abandons her seat, heading for the exit. That’s when I realize Jane and I are both thinking the same thing.
I have to get the hell off this train.
Your Blood Ring is your identity. It serves as a secure, gene-locked system that enables you to conduct financial transactions, access restricted areas, and enter into formal agreements. Depending on your rank, your Blood Ring also exempts you from specific laws.
—THE CIVIL CITIZENS’ GUIDE
CHAPTER 6
“All aboard!” a voice announces over the PA system.
The train whistle blows as steam shoots from the undercarriage and the wheels lift off the tracks. The windows shake with the acceleration, pinpricks of light flickering behind the darkening glass. On the platform, passersby stop to watch, and a media crew from The Civilized Voice films our departure with high-speed cameras.
I pull Charlotte from row seventeen and rush toward the exit. She fights me every step of the way, but there’s no time to explain. At the door, I strip off my glove and wave my Blood Ring over the biometric scanner.Access denied.
I try again, but the screen still shows an error. Confusion morphs into panic as I rush back down the aisle. Jane waits at the second exit, trying to deboard, but before I can reach her, the door of the neighboring carriage swings open.
Two black dogs in leather muzzles charge inside, their muscular bodies straining against their leashes. Behind them, a Copper grips the leads, his one-shoulder cape billowing around his tall, muscular frame. The dent on the right side of his helmet reveals it’s the same Copper from Harrison’s jet.
Charlotte’s hand goes limp in mine as she processes what’s happening.
“Miss Bradford,” the Copper says, bowing his head formally. “Please return to your seat.”
“A pressing issue has come to my attention, sir,” Jane replies. “It is imperative that I disembark at once.” As she reaches for the door scanner, the dogs lunge. She jerks away, hands flying up, and presses her back against the wall.
“Heel, boys. Heel.” The Copper yanks the dogs back by their leashes. One shakes its head furiously, trying to chew through its muzzle, while the other snarls, ears pinned back. The Copper blocks the door with his body. “Exiting the train during departure is prohibited, Miss Bradford. Please return to your seat.”
Jane drops into a trembling curtsy. Her makeup-smudged eyes scan the ceiling as she retreats down the aisle, clearly searching for a roof hatch. But besides the two exits, the only other way out is through an adjacent carriage, and neither of our Blood Rings has the status to unlock those doors.
I drag Charlotte into the ladies’ lavatory, where I crouch and check under the stalls.Empty.We don’t have to use formal language here.
“What the hell is going on?” Charlotte snaps as I lock the door. “How’d you know that greasy bastard was gonna show up?”
“I didn’t.”
“Then why were you rag-dolling me up and down the aisle like that?”
“ThePinkie, Char.” I fling my purse onto the sink. “Didn’t you notice it ignored everyone but Jane and me?”
“Yeah? So?”
“So, Pinkiesdon’tpick favorites.”
Her lashes flutter anxiously. “Oh, shit. You think it was reprogrammed?”
“Yes. Which means someone’s planning to take me out.”
“What, onthistrain? In front of cameras and witnesses?”
I turn on the faucet and splash cold water on my sweaty neck. “If they can hijack a Pinkie, they can kill the cameras, too. And let’s be honest—if I dropped dead in the middle of the aisle, most of these people wouldn’t even move their feet.”
