Chapter 7

The train rumbled on, its wheels screeching against the tracks. Car 5 was dark and still, a sharp change from the chaos of the dining car. Jennifer sat on the floor, her back against a seat. Her metal pole lay beside her, scratched and bent. Her hands shook, but she hid them in her lap. Chloe sat across from her, rocking the first baby. Its tiny cries were soft now, almost gone. Marie rested on a bench, cradling her newborn girl, wrapped in a torn tablecloth. The air smelled like sweat and dust, but it was quiet. For the first time in hours, no growls, no banging. Just the hum of the train.

Jennifer looked at the window they'd climbed through. The infected had stopped hitting it. She didn't know why. Maybe they fell off. Maybe they were waiting. She didn't care. They were alive. That was enough for now. She pulled her backpack closer, feeling the BioGenesis box inside. It was heavy, a reminder of why this started. She wanted to smash it, but she kept it. Proof. They'd need it in Bordeaux.

Chloe brushed her purple hair from her face. "How long to Bordeaux?" she asked.

Jennifer checked her watch. "Three minutes. Maybe less."

Marie smiled, weak. "We're close."

"Yeah," Jennifer said. "We made it this far."

Jennifer's chest hurt. She saw Ken's face in her mind—gruff, tired, fighting to the end. "Ken gave us time," she said.

Marie nodded, holding her newborn tighter. "He was good. Brave."

"He was," Chloe said. "I didn't know him long, but… he cared."

Jennifer stared at the floor. "He didn't want to die. But he did it anyway."

The train jolted, making them grab the seats. The lights flickered, then steadied. "What was that?" Chloe asked.

"Don't know," Jennifer said. "Tunnel's rough, maybe."

Marie shifted, wincing. "My girl needs a name," she said. "Something strong."

Chloe smiled. "What about Ken?"

Marie laughed softly. "Kenna. Close, but a girl's name."

"Kenna," Jennifer said. "I like it."

"Me too," Chloe said. "It fits."

Marie kissed the baby's head. "Kenna it is."

The quiet settled again. Jennifer leaned back, closing her eyes. She was tired—more tired than she'd ever been. Her body ached. Her mind wouldn't stop. She thought about Paris, her job, her boss. She'd come to chase a story. Now she was running from monsters. She opened her eyes and looked at Chloe. "Why were you on the train?" she asked.

Chloe hugged the first baby closer. "Running away," she said. "Home's bad. Dad drinks. Mom's gone. I wanted out."

Jennifer nodded. "Where to?"

"Bordeaux," Chloe said. "Then anywhere. Didn't matter."

"You're tough," Jennifer said. "Staying alive through this."

Chloe shrugged. "Had to. For this little guy." She rocked the baby. "His mom didn't make it. I couldn't let him go too."

Jennifer smiled, small and sad. "You're good, Chloe."

The train jolted again, harder. A screech came from the wheels. Jennifer stood, grabbing her pole. "That's not normal."

Chloe held the baby tight. "What's wrong?"

"Don't know," Jennifer said. She walked to the door to Car 6, the next car forward. It was locked, quiet. She shined her flashlight through the glass. Car 6 was empty—seats in rows, no people, no infected. She turned back. "We need Ken. He'd know."

Marie sat up, slow. "Can we check the cabin? Where he was?"

Jennifer nodded. "Good idea. It's past Car 1. We'd have to move."

Chloe frowned. "What about them?" She pointed to the window, meaning the infected.

"They're gone for now," Jennifer said. "We've got a chance."

Marie stood, shaky, holding Kenna. "I can walk. Let's go."

Jennifer led the way to the door to Car 6. She pressed the button. It opened with a hiss. They stepped inside. Car 6 felt cold, empty. The flashlight lit the way—rows of seats, a few bags left behind. No blood, no mess. Jennifer kept her pole ready, just in case.

Chloe followed, the first baby asleep now. "It's weird," she said. "Too quiet."

"Yeah," Jennifer said. "Stay close."

Marie moved slow, her breathing loud. "I'm okay," she said. "Keep going."

They reached the door to Car 5—the dining car behind them. Jennifer locked it, just to be sure. The train jolted again, tilting a little. "Something's off," she said. "Feels fast."

"Too fast?" Chloe asked.

"Maybe," Jennifer said. She didn't know trains like Ken did. She wished he was here. His gruff voice, his steady hands. She shook her head. No time for that.

They moved through Car 6 to Car 7—not the old Car 7 where it started, but a new one, closer to the front. The numbering was strange, but Jennifer didn't care. Car 7 was empty too. The tunnel's black walls rushed by outside. Two minutes to Bordeaux, she guessed.

Marie stopped, leaning on a seat. "Need a break," she said. "Just a second."

Jennifer turned. "Okay. Sit."

Marie sat, holding Kenna. Chloe sat next to her, rocking the first baby. Jennifer stayed standing, watching the doors. The quiet was nice, but it made her nervous.

Jennifer paced a little. "I ran from stuff too," she said. "Back home. Family fights. Bad choices. Came to Paris to start over."

"Did it work?" Marie asked.

Jennifer shrugged. "Till today."

Marie smiled. "You're strong. You'll make it."

"Hope so," Jennifer said. She stopped pacing. "We all will."

The train screeched again, loud and sharp. The floor tilted. Bags slid across the aisle. Chloe grabbed the baby tight. "What's that?" she yelled.

Jennifer steadied herself. "Brakes. Something's wrong with the brakes."

Marie's eyes widened. "Can we fix it?"

"Don't know," Jennifer said. "We need the cabin."

The screeching got worse. The train shook hard, like it was fighting itself. Jennifer ran to the door to Car 8. She pressed the button. It opened. Car 8 was empty too, but the noise was louder here. She shined the flashlight forward. "We're close to the front," she said. "Come on!"

Chloe helped Marie up. Marie held Kenna, grimacing. "I'm slow," she said.

"We've got you," Chloe said. They moved together, step by step.

Car 8 led to Car 9, then Car 10. Each one was empty, dark. The train's shaking got worse. Jennifer's stomach twisted. "It's speeding up," she said.

"How do you know?" Chloe asked.

"Feel it," Jennifer said. "Too fast."

They reached Car 11. The door to Car 12 was ahead. Jennifer pressed the button. It opened slow. A loud bang came from behind—the door to Car 5, way back. The infected were moving again. "They're coming!" Chloe said.

"Keep going!" Jennifer yelled. They rushed into Car 12. The cabin was close now, past Car 1. The train tilted again, hard. Jennifer fell, her flashlight rolling. Chloe caught it, shining it back.

"Thanks," Jennifer said, standing. "We're almost there."

Car 13, Car 14—empty, shaking. The screeching was deafening. They reached Car 15. One more to Car 1, then the cabin. Jennifer pressed the button to Car 1. It opened. Inside, the conductor's cabin glowed faintly, screens flickering.

"Inside!" Jennifer said. They ran in. The cabin was small, full of buttons and screens. Jennifer shut the door and locked it. The banging from behind was closer—Car 10, maybe Car 11 now.

Chloe set the first baby on the floor. Marie sat, holding Kenna. Jennifer looked at the screens. One showed the tracks—tunnel still, but light ahead. Bordeaux was near. Another showed the train's speed. Too fast. Way too fast.

"The brakes," Jennifer said. "They're off."

Marie's voice shook. "Can you fix them?"

Jennifer stared at the controls. Levers, switches, numbers. She didn't know them. "Ken would," she said.

Chloe pointed to a red lever. "That says 'brake.' Try it."

Jennifer grabbed it and pulled. Nothing happened. She pulled harder. A loud clank came, but the speed didn't drop. "It's stuck," she said.

"Hit it!" Chloe said.

Jennifer swung her pole at the lever. It moved a little. She hit again. The train jolted, slowing a bit. "It's working!" she said.

The banging reached Car 1. The infected were outside the cabin door. The glass cracked. "They're here!" Marie yelled.

Jennifer hit the lever one more time. The train slowed more, but not enough. The speed screen showed it dropping—fast, but still dangerous. "One minute to Bordeaux," she said. "Hold on!"

Chloe grabbed the babies. Marie clung to the wall. Jennifer stood by the door, pole ready. The infected smashed the glass. Hands reached in. "Come on!" Jennifer shouted, swinging.

The train burst out of the tunnel. Light flooded the cabin. Bordeaux was ahead—station lights, buildings. But the brakes weren't enough. The train was still too fast. Jennifer's heart sank. "We're going to crash," she said.

Marie closed her eyes. "We tried."

Chloe hugged the babies. "Yeah. We did."

Jennifer swung at an infected hand. The station loomed closer. One minute. They'd made it this far. She wouldn't give up now.