Chapter 51: Platform

Rather than retreating the length of the train to meet up with my friends, I step down to the platform from the locomotive, Chime behind me. She doesn't speak to me further, pushing past toward the door to the station while her people pile off the train and follow her, lanterns held aloft. I spot Beckett and the others heading my way, the dog loping forward to catch up with me.

The building is concrete and glass, remarkably intact. The interior of the station crawls with shadows as the crew from the train go about their work among the stacked boxes and pallets. I'm immediately grabbed, my arms loaded with a stack of what looks like tin cans in sleeves of plastic before I'm turned bodily around and sent back out toward the waiting train.

I have no idea how much time passes while we load the cars with supplies, but by the time we're done my back and arms ache from the strain, new bruises ready to bloom and the lanterns have faded, fuel almost expended.