Chapter 13 - Descent Into The Ravine

We tumbled down the steep, muddy embankment of the ravine, sliding through wet ferns and sharp briars that tore at our clothes. Behind us, a shout pierced the morning air—someone had spotted the open ventilation grate. A volley of blind gunfire clipped the branches overhead, showering us with shredded leaves and splintered bark, but the dense fog and steep terrain worked in our favor.

We hit the bottom of the ravine where a shallow, freezing creek rushed over smooth river stones. I gasped as the icy water soaked through my shoes, numbing my ankles instantly, but Leo hauled me to my feet without pausing.

"Keep moving," he breathed, blood smeared across his left forearm where a stray bullet or sharp briar had sliced open his skin. "The railway line runs parallel to the ridge about half a mile down this creek. If we can reach the switching yard before they circle around the ridge, we can hop a southbound freight."

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We scrambled through the freezing water, our boots slipping against the slick stones. Every breath burned my lungs like fire, and the adrenaline that had fueled my escape was beginning to fade, leaving a hollow, aching exhaustion in its wake. But Leo never let go of my hand. His grip was an iron line anchoring me against the current, his eyes locked entirely on the dense tree line ahead where the rusted iron rails cut through the valley.

As we broke through the final thicket of brambles, the immense shape of a slow-moving freight train came into view, its massive diesel engine hissing as it rolled past a maintenance siding. Without hesitation, Leo sprinted across the gravel ballast, pulling me alongside him. As an empty boxcar clattered past with its side door wide open, he grabbed the iron ladder rung, hoisted himself up with a grunt of pure strain, and reached down with his free hand. I lunged upward, my fingers locking around his wrist, and he hauled me inside just as the train accelerated into the morning mist, leaving our pursuers far behind in the valley.