Home Again

One Chance

Joe landed on the concrete with a loud thud. A quick look over his shoulder told him that he was running out of time. In little more than a minute there would be no more train to catch. He scoffed and he began to sprint toward the commotion Junior was causing; Joe couldn't believe he was actually going to help a Shelby.

A few moments later, Joe had wrestled Junior free of the man on top of him. "Get up," he told Junior quickly.

"What are you doing here?" Junior asked, wiping the blood from his nose and momentarily disregarding the bodyguards' pending counterattack.

"There's no fucking time to talk," Joe said, punching one man's lights out.

"That's impressive," Junior said before elbowing another across the neck.

Joe had the third guy on the ground, allowing Junior to easily knock him unconscious.

"I can't believe you're helping me-"

"Get your ass on the train!" Joe shoved Junior and they both took off for the train's rear. Sprinting as hard as their legs would take them, the men came alongside the train. Clover was too far up to be visible but they were only an arm's length from the vehicle. They needed only get on. Junior reached the car first. He gripped the iron bar of the rear balcony and hoisted himself up onto the moving surface. He extended his hand and helped Joe to do the same. Once they were both safely on, the laid flat on their backs and caught their breath. A few moments went by, along with the train platform, before either of them had air enough to speak.

"I'm too old for this shit," Junior heard the old man grumble.

With a sly chuckle, Junior pulled himself to his feet. He looked down at Joe and extended his hand, "Thank you," he said.

Joe slapped the hand away and stood on his own, his height easily towering over Junior's. They were at the back of the train all alone. It was quiet and all they passed were dry grass and metal train tracks. Clover was the only one who knew of their approximate location and even then, there was a handful of cars she had to cross in order to find them. All at once Joe grabbed Junior by the neck and bent him over the metal railing. Junior's back was uncomfortably pinned against the hot metal and he struggled to breathe in his compromising position. Junior's suit flapped in the wind but Junior was unable to struggle much for fear of falling over the edge onto the sharp, electric train tracks. "Wh-whtryou doing?" He choked helplessly.

"I could kill you for what you did you my niece," came Joe's cool voice. "I could kill you right now and Clover would never know." Joe took a deep breath.

"Please," Junior croaked.

Joe leaned in, "Give me one good reason."

"I-l love her," Junior said, focusing his piercing gaze on his assailant. His determined but stressed breathing caused the veins to be visible in his neck and the blood began rushing to his head.

"Alright," Joe said. He held him there for one more breath, and then he released him.

Junior stumbled back onto the metal floor of the train. On his hands and knees he coughed and sputtered until his breathing had returned to him. Once his breathing had settled, he rested a hand along his chafed neck, rubbing it subconsciously.

Joe stooped down until he was level with Junior. Junior met his eye, aggravated and unquivering. "One chance," he said. "One. Goddamn. Chance...Find your own way back to Clover." With that Joe stood and walked away.