Chapter Five
“Hiro!” Soul cried in alarm.
Hiro jerked awake, feeling Soul shaking him hastily. Hiro sensed her fear and looked up at her. “What is it?” He asked, sitting up at once. The room was dark and so was the world outside.
“The train is stopping but there’s no station ahead!” Soul replied frantically. “What’s happening?”
Hiro jumped to his feet and ran to the window. He looked ahead and saw the train was indeed coming to a stop, but it was on a bridge over top of a large lake. Hiro stepped back. “That can’t be good,” he said. “Soul, grab the bag and follow me.” He went to the door while Soul seized the duffle bag, threw it over her shoulder, and hurried after him. She knew if he wanted her to carry it then that meant he needed his hands free in case of danger. They left the room and walked briskly down the hallway. To the left and right people stuck their heads out, asking each other what was going on. None stopped Hiro or Soul as they went towards the back of the train.
Soul didn’t ask questions, which relieved Hiro. He didn’t feel like explaining to her that they were in danger again.
They came to the caboose and Hiro forced open the door. Before he had time to think he was seized and shoved to the ground with a gun pointed at his head. Soul screamed as she was pulled forward and thrown down beside him. She held tight to the bag and Hiro looked at her. He lifted his hands over his head, showing he would not attack. As he looked around he found several men standing around him with masks made of metal and bullet proof outfits.
“I take it this is a train robbery?” Hiro asked, listening to the train squealing to a stop.
One of the men struck Hiro over the head with the butt of their rifle. Soul shouted in terror, but Hiro simply looked up with a scowl. “Fine,” he hissed. “I’ll come quietly.”
“Good to hear,” said a female voice.
Hiro and Soul both looked up with shock in their eyes. A woman stepped forward, removing her helmet and letting her blond hair uncoil over her shoulders. She grinned down at Hiro, wearing bright red lipstick, deep blue eye shadow, and an evil glimmer in her dark eyes.
“Anna?” Hiro whispered, fear filling his body to the point of numbness.
“Mom?” Soul squeaked.
The woman laughed. “Oh my,” she said, pushing her fingers though her hair and laughing. “Like two lost children.”
Hiro whipped around to stare at Soul who was watching Anna with tears flooding her eyes. “Anna is your mother?” He demanded in alarm.
“My mother is the Anna you told me about?” Soul looked traumatized as her silver eyes gawked at Hiro. They both looked up at Anna who lifted a pistol from a holster at her hip and aimed it at Soul.
“Both of you behave,” she said with a crooked smirk. “Or I’ll kill my daughter.”
Hiro had no choice but to obey. He allowed the masked men to chain his arms and wrists, lifting him to his feet and forcing him into the caboose. Soul was bound as well and dragged after him. Hiro’s mind was spinning in angry circles. What was happening? How was Anna alive? He knew he had seen her die. The memory was still as scaring as the moment he had witnessed it. Now, without warning, he was facing her again. This time she was nowhere near the kindhearted woman she had been. Something about her was evil and Hiro couldn’t help realizing he had no idea what was happening.
“Close the door and tell the conductor that we can continue,” said Anna, following Soul inside.
“Yes ma’am,” came three voices from the masked men. They then hurried off, leaving two guarding Hiro and Soul, and two guarding the door.
Anna smiled from one to the other. “I’m happy to see you’re both doing well,” she said. “In a sense.”
Soul flinched. “Mother,” she said in a small voice. “I thought you were dead.”
Anna burst out laughing and Soul sank back a step. Hiro felt an overwhelming pain of pity for Soul. She looked lost and scared and he wished he could comfort her. “What’s going on, Anna?” Hiro demanded, looking at the woman sharply.
“Nothing that you haven’t been programmed for,” replied Anna, sliding her hand lovingly over the top of her pistol. “I really am surprised at you two. I didn’t think you’d ever cross paths. Thankfully that made my job easier.”
“How did you even know we were here?” Hiro asked. He wanted to get as much information from her as he could.
“Geicko was left at a train station not too far away,” said Anna, examining her pistol. She spoke as if she were speaking to herself. “He called me and told me about the woman who had chained him to a locker.” Anna looked at Soul who blushed in embarrassment. Anna smiled. “I’m glad my daughter has proven to be gifted in a crafty way,” she said.
“Why didn’t you tell me that yourself?” Hiro whispered, glancing at Soul who hunched her shoulders and looked away.
“He was on the train,” she muttered. “I didn’t want you two to fight so I got him off the train while you were sleeping and tricked him long enough to use a bike chain I had found.”
Hiro said nothing in reply.
“Well, this is all very heart warming,” said Anna, sticking the pistol in her left hand and snapping her fingers. “But we have work to do.” She looked back as a man hurried to her side.
“Yes, ma’am?” He asked hastily.
“Why aren’t we moving?” Anna demanded darkly. “I told you to inform the conductor that we’re ready.”
“It takes a while for the train to start up again, ma’am,” said the man. On his face shown signs of terror.
Anna looked him up and down. “So, we have to wait?” She asked slowly.
The man nodded.
Bang! Anna shot him in the leg and he fell to the ground screaming in agony. Soul’s bound hands flew to her mouth and her eyes were wide with terror. Hiro had eyes only for the man rolling on the floor in pain. He glared and then looked at Anna who pointed her pistol at Soul again.
“I’m sure you two will behave now,” she said with an attempt at a sweet smile, but it failed from the weight of anger Soul and Hiro now held for her. “Some would kill as punishment, but I find leaving them in anguish much sweeter.” She paid the man no mind as she continued to fawn over her pistol as if it were the only thing she held dear.
“You shot him,” said Soul, her eyes misting with tears of alarm. “You shot him!”
“Yes,” said Anna. She lifted her head when the train began to rumble and jerk. “Finally,” she grumbled.
Hiro watched Anna as she turned towards the man on the ground and shoved him with her foot. She smirked at him and didn’t bother to help him. Hiro had never seen cruelty at such a level before, especially not from Anna. Was she even called Anna? Or was even that a lie? Hiro narrowed his eyes and tried to plan a way to escape. There were many, but then again he was doomed to die either way, and Anna had the answers Soul wanted. There wasn’t reason to escape. Not yet.
“Soul,” said Hiro.
Soul looked at him, finding him watching the man on the ground. “What?” She whispered.
“Anna knows you.” Hiro glanced at Soul. “You’ve found what you were waiting for.”
Soul blinked, but then looked at Anna who arched an eyebrow at them.
“You’ve become awfully dramatic, Hiroshima,” she said.
“I’ve been on my own for years,” replied Hiro coldly. “So I’m bound to be more than I used to be.”
Anna snorted and walked past them. “Stay put,” she said over her shoulder. “I’m going to get myself something to eat. You two don’t need to eat, right?” Anna smirked and then left.
Soul stared after her. “I still need food,” she said in a small voice.
Hiro gritted his teeth. “It will be okay, Soul,” he said, looking at her sadly. “Please, don’t get upset.”
Soul tightly shut her eyes before looking at Hiro. “She’s going to take you apart, isn’t she,” she whispered with tears spilling down her face. “I don’t want her to take you a
part, Hiro.”
“It’s my fate,” replied Hiro calmly, gazing at the floor. “It was bound do happen sooner or later.”
Soul shook her head, but neither could think of anything more to say. They both had a feeling that Anna would not be returning until they reached the ocean. Anna knew the worse torture for them would be if they were forced to sit in the caboose the whole time without food or water and nothing but their thoughts to haunt them.