Page 25 of Chained

"Anyway, most convicts aren't exactly excited about this journey. It's a kindness really." She shrugged.

"Everyone wins," I said sarcastically.

"I suppose so. It's not far now anyway." Laurie smiled wryly.

"What did you mean about him?" I jerked my head in the direction of the giant behind me.

"There's no reason to be worried really, they won't let him near you. You're just messengers, he's a lifer." Laurie screwed the top back on her nail polish and chucked it on the chair with her other things.

"You mean he killed someone?" I gasped, leaning across the gap between our seats so that I could hear Laurie's whispered response. She paused and glanced about before continuing.

"You remember those girls who went missing? It was all over the news. Anyway, they weren't found alive and they didn't die easy." She frowned over my head at him. "His name is Grey Sinclair." She paused again. "SubWar is too good for some people." Her eyes blazed with anger.

"Did you know one of the girls?" I asked, surprised by her reaction. It was her job to work with criminals, she must have come across murderers before.

"Not directly, but he took a girl who was my sister's neighbour. Just a bit too close to home for my liking."

I suppressed a shiver. Some of the other convicts were stirring now too.

I looked at Taylor. His face was pressed to the window with his mouth hanging open. I gave him a light shove, then a harder one, he didn't wake up. I glanced at Laurie who just shrugged.

"What if he's not awake when we get there?" I asked.

"We give him a shot of adrenalin, then he wakes up perky." She smiled wickedly.

The train started on an incline and I was pushed back into my seat. After a few minutes we spilled out of the tunnel and daylight streamed in through the window, blinding me.

We cruised to a stop at a platform surrounded by tall metal fences topped with razor wire. There were yellow signs on the fence with little pictures of a stick man being hit by a lighting bolt.

I peered past Taylor to get a look at the rest of the surrounding area but all I could see was a big, grey building on the other side of the fence and even more Wardens pacing the platform.

The windows on the other side of the train revealed a brown wasteland that sloped upwards beyond another fence. I couldn't tell what was beyond the hill.

I shook Taylor as hard as I could and he mumbled something unintelligible.

Laurie got up and unchained both of our leg manacles.

"I'm actually doing a round of guarding here for the next few months, so you won't be getting rid of me just yet," she said.

"Great, it'll be nice to have a friendly face around," I said, feeling genuinely pleased.

She smiled and helped me to pull Taylor to his feet. He staggered, clearly still under the effects of the sedative.

"Do you want a shot to wake you up?" I asked him and he nodded sleepily.

Laurie pulled a canister marked 'adrenalin' from her bag and took out a syringe. Taylor blinked at her stupidly.

"You're pretty," he slurred the words.

Laurie tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear.

"You might not think that in a moment." She took hold of his arm, pushed his sleeve up, and plunged the needle in. Taylor's eyes flew open and he stopped leaning on me for support. He stepped forwards and kissed Laurie right on the lips.

I felt my mouth fall open as Laurie recovered and slapped him round the face.

"I'm sorry,

I don't know what I was thinking," he spluttered. His hands were shaking and he looked about ready to bolt.