But first, you and I must come to an agreement. Do you understand that?" I nodded as we stood on the platform of the station. The conductor began ringing a brass bell, but all that was heard was the clatter of a distant train on tracks several miles away. Another train was pulling in, probably from the south. We all looked at the carriages, waiting for the conductor to pick up our tickets and tell us when to board. It didn't take long. He waved to a man from the other train. The man disappeared into the train and the doors closed. We passed through a wooden gate and entered a large depot. After walking through another gate, we reached a room lined with dozens of train tracks. Another train was on its way. "I need you to get on the train and find the train I was telling you about. I need you to stop and start the engine," I instructed. Warily, Alex asked, "How am I supposed to do that?" The conductor returned to us and said, "Here's what you do. Stand here and I'll tell you when to jump." The conductor and I had our backs to each other. I looked up and watched as the conductor took one long stride away. It was going to be difficult to stop the train, let alone start it. I jumped onto the nearest track and took several running steps toward the conductor. "When I tell you to jump, start running for the train. But, please be careful to step on the tracks, not the railings." Alex and I moved fast and didn't speak again. It was almost a minute before the conductor was in position to yell out his instructions. "Now!" I heard the conductor shout. The first engine was far ahead. I began to move at a fast trot, then a run. The train carriages passed me at what felt like a near blur. My body was covered in goosebumps. I looked over my shoulder at the conductor, who motioned to me with one finger. He was looking at Alex. He'd gone to the last car. Alex was standing near the carriage, as if he couldn't run quickly. He jumped, or rather, stumbled as he landed. He was on the ground by the time I reached him. The first train was very close now. I turned back and raced past Alex. His face looked ashen. The first train came to a halt. The doors were open and several men were running into the train. I saw Alex's face and said, "Hurry, the train will leave soon!" My voice barely got out. Alex didn't respond. His face seemed to be turning red, becoming pasty. He was about to collapse. "Alex, get up, the train will leave soon!" I screamed. I pulled on his arm, trying to keep him standing. But he collapsed and rolled to the ground. The conductor was close. "Quickly, to the engine!" he yelled. I grabbed Alex's legs and helped him up. "Jump!" I shouted and pulled on his arms. I looked back one last time as the conductor stood next to the last engine. I heard Alex scream, "Go, Nee!" He'd said his good-byes. I hoped that he'd said it to him. The last engine blew its whistle. Alex's arms were around my waist. "We made it!" I yelled over the din of the other engines. There was silence. Alex fell from my arms and onto the ground. The conductor shouted again, "Alex?" His head lay in a pool of blood. My breathing came in ragged breaths. I'd known what to expect, but seeing him lying so motionless sent me into a panic. My brain felt as if it was filled with clumps of cotton. I couldn't think. The conductor knelt beside Alex and began CPR. I put a hand to Alex's head. My eyes were on the ground, but my hand was at his head, just looking for a pulse. The train began to move. I stood and started to run, moving through the tracks. "Wait, the train," I yelled. "The train!" I'd heard a voice, but it was too distant. "Wait!" I screamed, looking behind the moving train. The conductor appeared and motioned for me to get up. I was panting, my heart still pounding in my ears. "Someone get this man help!" I shouted. I ran toward the other train's station, hoping someone would understand English and come to help. The conductor was just a few steps behind me, his face pale. I saw no one. The train was pulling out of the station. "Wait, the other train," I said and pointed. As we started to run, I saw the man who'd answered the train in the other station. He had his hands cupped over his mouth as he was shouting at the moving train. "Stop, stop the train!" I yelled. "Pull the emergency brakes!" I ran on and saw people rushing out of the last car. My heart jumped. "You have to stop the train!" A man saw me and began to run. He was close, but not close enough to see me clearly. He said, "Alex?" "He's over there." I pointed. He nodded and ran to help. The train continued to move. "Please, stop!" I cried. I was falling, still screaming, but not loudly. I heard an engine shut off, and then it started up again. I was sliding on my face into the tracks. I heard the train's brakes, and the wheels screeched. A man grabbed my arm and pulled me from under the train, then to his chest. I was lying on top of him. His face was just inches away. My eyes saw through him. "You're alive." His eyes were the eyes I'd been searching for since I'd moved into the room with the dead guard. My legs were crushed. They went from numb to rigid in a second. I wasn't in the room with Alex; I was with the dead guard. I heard the scream of the train taking off. We had to get away from the track. "My leg," I whispered. He looked down and held my leg, saying, "I'm going to move it, but I need you to be still." Alex was dead. The man had pushed him out of harm's way. I had no idea why he had done that. I felt the softness of a hand, and then another. Someone put a blanket around me. I stayed silent. I would never be able to thank the man. But I would always be grateful to him. He'd saved my life. ## CHAPTER NINETEEN **I COULD ONLY NARROWLY SEE THE ROOM** through my teary eyes, but I knew that the men were sitting, talking. The sun streamed through the windows and lit the room in brilliant light. I had lost sight of their voices as the sun became an orange disk at the top of the sky. I felt the man holding my leg. He was rubbing it with alcohol. The motion was soothing. _Please, not the morphine, not now._ I heard laughter and realized the room had emptied. I'd been lying on the floor and someone had put a light blanket over me. A doctor was talking to me and I focused on his words, trying to understand what he was saying. I had been injured. I was in the hospital. I remembered the sound of an explosion. I knew I was in London. My leg hurt, but I could stand. I remembered Alex and I'd been shot. I was being taken away to a safe place. An aide came in and was standing over me. The doctor said, "I'm going to cut her cloth away now. You can leave, if you'd like." A nurse was sitting on the bed, holding my hand. She smiled and said, "I'm just so happy you're going to be okay." I thought, _that's what I'll be. He saved my life_. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. As he pulled away, I told him, "I love you." I wanted to say it more than anything in my life. He looked down. He was crying. "You had me worried sick." He said that several times. I looked up at him. "What did I do? What did you worry about?" "I thought you were dead. I was going to pick you up and run to the train." "It's okay," I said. "I had my own protection." "Alex asked me to help you get on. He wanted you to go with him, but I told him we couldn't. You needed a safer place. We had no choice. What I did was the best I could. Alex didn't like me saving your life. He was angry at you. I could tell. He thought you betrayed him. I had to be careful about telling him that we'd saved your life. We knew what would happen if he found out that you were still alive. You were his