Chapter 9
The ground beneath the wooden railway ties shuddered violently as the heavy locomotive roared up through the gorge, its massive headlight casting blinding beams of white light across the swirling snow. The deafening blast of the train’s horn shook the rusted steel girders, drowning out the howling wind and turning the freezing night into a sensory nightmare.
Officer Miller lunged forward, slipping slightly on the icy wood before catching his balance. "Elena, step back from the edge! Now!"
Elena didn't budge. She stood tall at the very precipice of the platform, the blue-wrapped bundle held securely in one arm while her free hand hovered over a small, metallic electronic device strapped to the railing—the remote switcher.
"Don't take another step, Miller!" Elena screamed over the deafening roar of the oncoming engine. "One press of this button, and this entire bridge section locks into the lower spur. We all go down together!"
Clara pulled the baby in the green reindeer onesie even tighter against her chest, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. Despite the freezing temperatures, sweat was beading on her forehead. She knew Elena was unstable, but looking into her sister's eyes, she saw something far more terrifying than madness: absolute, calculated indifference to human life.
"Elena, think about what you're doing!" Clara yelled, taking a slow, calculated step forward onto the icy planks. "You're our sister! We grew up in that house together! Is a twisted grudge really worth destroying your entire family?"
Elena’s lip curled in disgust. "Family? You mean the family that coddled you while I worked myself to the bone keeping the estate afloat? You were always the golden child, Clara. Even Dad couldn't remember my name half the time by the end."
"That’s not true!" Marcus shouted desperately, his hands outstretched. "Your father loved you just as much, Elena. He just didn't know how to express it!"
"Save your breath, Marcus," Elena hissed, her thumb pressing down slightly harder against the metallic remote device.
The roaring train was only seconds away now, its massive steel wheels screaming against the icy tracks as it approached the junction below. The wind pressure from the engine tore at their coats, making it nearly impossible to maintain footing on the iced-over railway ties.
Officer Miller calculated the distance. He knew he couldn't make the lunge across the open gap before Elena triggered the switch. His hand hovered near his holster, but shooting was out of the question with the infant in her arms.
Clara took another slow step forward, ignoring the freezing wind biting at her face. Her eyes locked onto the blue blanket in Elena's arms, noticing a tiny, pale hand escaping the fabric.
"Elena," Clara whispered, her voice surprisingly steady over the engine's roar. "That baby in your arms... that's not just a pawn. That's an innocent human being. Look at her face. She looks just like you when you were a baby. Mother showed us the photographs."
May you like
Elena flinched. The cold, unfeeling mask cracked for a fraction of a second, her gaze dropping instinctively to the infant in her arms.
It was the opening Marcus needed. With a sudden, explosive burst of speed, Marcus dove forward across the icy planks, tackling Elena hard around the waist just as her thumb slipped off the remote trigger.
