Collared Souls

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The scratch of metal on metal and the grind of brakes jolted Todd awake. Nick was heavy against Todd’s side. He must have been cold, he had his nose pressed solidly into Todd’s ribcage. Todd wondered why the position didn’t hinder Nick’s breathing.

Todd heard something scurrying between them and the train yard, but he couldn’t see what it was. Whatever it was moved closer to the trains and crunched almost inaudibly along the gravel near the tracks. Enough hours had passed since fleeing the territorial army and taking cover near the train yard that it was dark. They’d been waiting for the cover of deep night, when the place would be almost deserted and any external lights were dimmed, to hop onto a freight train and escape, not only the city, but the soldiers pursuing them. Todd yawned and mumbled, “Great, probably something that needs killing. Like we’ve got time for that now.”

Nick shifted, lifted his head, and looked around, squinting first up at Todd, then into the night.

“Time to catch our train?”

“I think it’s that one,” Todd said, nodding to a train beginning to pull through the yard at a snail’s pace. “We get on that train, it’ll take us far enough out of New Colorado City. Once we’re at a safe distance, we can head back up north and swing west to home.”

Nick straightened his arms, pushing onto all fours and shook his head with a yawn. He leaned back until he sat on his heels. Cold air rushed in where Nick’s warmth had only seconds before been sprawled across him, making Todd shiver from the sudden temperature change.

Todd lumbered to his feet, twisted side to side, then swung his arms around to get the blood flowing again. Todd hoisted Nick to his feet with one hand and watched as Nick rubbed his arms a few times and rolled his shoulders.

“Let’s get moving. We’ll warm up faster, and once we’re inside one of those train cars we’ll at least have better cover, even if there is no heat.”

Nick nodded, gathered up their packs, handing over Todd’s before shouldering his own.

“Yeah. Think they followed us?” he asked as he scanned the area.

“No. Well, I doubt it.” Todd looked around before standing on tiptoe for a look over the half wall they’d been huddled against. “I’d think if they’d managed to follow us we’d have known about it by now since we’d be in custody.”

Nick chuckled, inched to the end of the wall and leaned around it, glanced about, and returned to Todd’s side.

“True.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “That way looks clear.”

“This way, too. Time to get while the getting’s good.”

Todd led the way, Nick only a step or two behind. Todd didn’t have to see Nick to know he glanced behind them more than once as they crossed into the train yard. Moving quickly, they stayed as much to the shadows as possible. They stopped behind a row of storage bins and had to hunker low to keep their heads below the top. Backs pressed against the bins, Nick inched one way, Todd the other, so they could get a view around each end of the line of metal containers.

A tap on Todd’s arm made him turn away from his end of the row and scoot closer to where Nick stood. Motioning with two fingers to one of the train cars, Nick glanced back at him, waiting for Todd to agree or not.

Todd stepped around Nick and took a good look at their surroundings. The yard wasn’t completely deserted. Their targeted train screeched to a halt and a few men wearing work coveralls with the railroad insignia patch on their right shoulders were performing what looked like a check of each car’s mechanical parts. They moved down the line of cars, ducking underneath, jiggling things here and there, making the occasional note on pads they carried. Todd saw two more pairs of legs on the far side of the train, other workers presumably doing the same thing.

Other small groups moved freight from storage bins closer to the train and into various cars. Once each car was loaded with its cargo, they moved on to the next. No one looked as if they were searching for anyone or anything. It all appeared a perfectly normal work night of preparing a train to ship goods from one end of the protectorate to the other. Todd had been through more than one train yard in his life, this one included. Nothing seemed unusual, suspicious, or different.

After waiting until the workers made their way far enough down the train that it was unlikely they’d see Todd and Nick, Todd took hold of Nick’s wrist and gave a gentle tug. Nick immediately stepped up behind Todd, close enough he almost touched Todd’s back.

Pointing with his free hand, Todd asked, “See that one there? Just before the train’s midpoint?”

“Yes.”

The doors of the train car Todd indicated were open wide enough he could get enough of a view of the inside to make out bales of hay and straw at one end. Sacks of what looked like grain were stacked along the far side, leaving the back quarter and a few feet of the midsection of the car mostly empty. They’d be able to move some of the sacks or bales around without it being obvious it had been done, creating some shelter and cover. Once the doors were shut and locked, there would be no reason for anyone to open them again until the train reached its designated delivery point.

“No matter what, once you start, you don’t stop running until you’re on that car,” Todd said when the train lurched into motion once more.

Nick yanked his arm back, forcing Todd to spin and face him. “What about you? I’m not leaving without you.”

Todd smiled and squeezed Nick’s wrist. “Trust me. I have no intention of going anywhere without you either, but there are plenty of places for people to hide around here. And just in case there is someone here looking for us and we get caught, I doubt they’ll chase us both. So, you get on that train and don’t get off until you’re well out of the city and can get to Jimmy. Got it?”

“But—”

“No buts,” Todd snapped. “That’s how it is. I only trust one person to get me help and that’s you. If they do catch us before we get out, it’s likely Larry Witze will be with them or not far behind. As long as I don’t fight, they won’t hurt me.” Todd let go of Nick’s wrist, grabbed his chin, and forced him to look directly at Todd. “Are we clear?” He moved his hand to Nick’s slave collar, hooked one finger between it and Nick’s neck, and pulled gently.

Nick bit his lower lip, drew his eyebrows together, nodding sullenly. Todd hated making his mate look so miserable, but he wanted Nick safe above all else.

“Let’s go.” Todd let go of Nick, turned, and sprinted at the train car. He heard Nick’s footsteps right behind him.

They had approximately a hundred yards to cross that would leave them in the open and exposed. Running, Nick right on his heels, Todd made a beeline for the open doors of the car. There was some shouting, one worker to another about taking a break. Something else crunched along in the gravel again, making Todd glance to each side as he ran.

Shadows moved in quickly from either end of the yard. Todd slowed down only long enough to see if they were natural occurrences or not.

Nick’s hand pressed flat between his shoulder blades and shoved him along faster, breathing out, “Run! Soldiers!”

Todd turned on the speed, having no intention of being caught or letting Nick be captured. Keeping pace with him, Nick ran at the train car, puffing near Todd’s ear.

People were shouting, commanding them to stop. Footfalls, dozens of them, charged from either side. Todd picked out the voices of the territorial army captain and her lieutenant, among others. Todd’s fingers wound around Nick’s biceps, pulled him ahead, pushed off him and veered to the right, shouting at Nick, “Go!”

He wasn’t sure Nick would comply, but Todd’s action might split their pursuers up enough to buy them time to get onto the car. Nick held true, running full tilt at the train car. Todd sprinted along the line of cars but didn’t make it further than the car next to their target car before four soldiers veered in and cut him off.

After skidding to a stop, Todd twisted on his heels, and, before the soldiers could react, ran toward Nick, betting they wouldn’t shoot him since they hadn’t already opened fire. Todd banked on the fact Witze had threatened the captain with all sorts of things if Todd and Nick were killed. The captain might have been in Raleigh’s territorial army, but in the end, she still answered to the office of the chancellor, and that meant Geoffrey Clarke and, by extension, Larry Witze.

There was no doubt in Todd’s mind Witze’s orders had been if the Rugers were found they were to be taken alive at all costs.

More soldiers ran in, getting between Nick and the train car. When they raised their rifles, he threw both hands in the air, sliding over the gravel for a few feet before he started backpedaling.

“Down!” It was the captain shouting at them.

Nick did what Todd knew was a fake drop, not going completely down. As a second set of soldiers were closing in, he bounced back to his feet, kicking out, leg going in a wide arc. Nick relieved one of the soldiers of his rifle when the blow sent the weapon wheeling through the air before it crashed into the train car, cracking into pieces.

Todd stopped so quickly two of the soldiers chasing him ran right past. He did another turn and sprinted away from the train car. The second the soldiers caught up to him, he stopped again, spun on his heels, and landed a punch to the closest man’s face. Caught off guard, the soldier stumbled, dropped his rifle, and landed on his ass, sprawled in the dirt.

Nick ran full speed, parallel to the train. He’d likely seen the same opening Todd did and was going for it, with Todd right behind him. The train picked up speed, pulling away from the station. If they weren’t on it soon, it would be moving too fast for them to jump into a car.

A sharp whistle slithering through the air as Todd turned toward Nick caused his heart to skip, then thud against his sternum. Whirling along, no more than a foot off the ground, a bolas collided with Nick’s legs just below his knees. The balls wrapped the rope around his legs, taking him down.

Nick pitched forward and hit the ground with a harsh grunt, hands out, preventing him from landing face-first in the gravel. He looked up, watching the movements of the rifles trained on him.

One of the soldiers motioned with his rifle and said, “On your back.”

At once, Nick obeyed, rolling onto his back, hands held up and to his sides. A few more strides brought Todd to Nick. He dropped beside Nick, holding one hand out and pressing the other against Nick’s chest. Todd might have expected Nick to follow through and escape without Todd, but there was no way Todd would ever consider abandoning Nick.

“You two are very slippery, and I’ve had quite enough of your shenanigans,” the captain said. She strode through her troops and stood in front of them, staring down at Todd. She jerked her chin at Nick’s legs. “Get that thing off him and get them cuffed. We’ll take them to the stockade and get this mess with Witze straightened out. In the meantime, you two are under arrest. Try running again and the other gets a bullet between his eyes.”

Nick lifted his legs so the bolas could be unwound. Todd climbed to his feet. He grabbed one of Nick’s hands for Todd to pull up against. Their packs were taken, and they were forced a few paces apart, hands pulled behind their backs and cuffs slapped into place.

A horse was brought forward.

“Time to mount up,” one of the soldiers said and shoved Todd at the animal. He slung the packs’ straps over the saddle pommel. Another soldier dropped a noose around Nick’s neck, gave a tug, and tied him to the horse’s saddle.

Todd dug his heels in. “Where’s his horse?”

“He’s roped to it. Now get on.” The soldier slammed a fist into Todd’s back, forcing him forward a few steps.

“Either he rides with me or I walk with him,” Todd ground out.

“Oh, for the love of…if the fool wants to walk, let him,” the captain said. She held out her hand, fingers waggling. “Give me another rope.” A second noose was handed over to her, which she promptly dropped around Todd’s neck, then gave a jerk, pulling it tight. When he groaned out a breath, she smirked and stepped closer to Todd.

“My advice? Don’t piss me off again or I’ll forget my orders and put you both out of my misery.”

“You’re working for the wrong man, lady,” Todd said.

“It’s Captain Felicity Howard.” She turned away from Todd, but not before elbowing him in the solar plexus. Todd bent in half, blowing out a harsh breath.

“Now shut it or your boy here pays the price.” Captain Howard tied the loose end of Todd’s rope to the same saddle Nick was fastened to.

Todd clamped his mouth shut but didn’t refrain from lifting his head far enough to glare daggers at the woman. Nick sidestepped close enough he could get his shoulder against Todd’s and help Todd stand straight again.

The captain mounted the horse and nudged it into motion. Todd had a fleeting image of the horse tossing her onto her nice, round ass. With short hair so dark red it was almost black and pale gray eyes, she gave Todd the impression of an angry cat. A very angry cat. She was average height for a woman, with the type of build that came from rigorous physical activity. He was sure that, pitted against her in a fight, he’d have to work hard to keep her from kicking his ass. A rifle poke in Todd’s back stopped his thinking and got him walking.

“Nice job following your own rules of being a hostage,” Nick muttered in his ear. The horse was far enough ahead and they had enough length of rope, they walked side by side. No one seemed to be paying attention to their conversation.

He turned visual daggers on Nick and grumbled, “Next time I’ll just let them take you.”

“No, you won’t.” Nick looked behind him for a few seconds before leaning in closer. “What do we do now?”

Todd sighed and shrugged. “Nothing until we get to the stockade. She said Larry was there. These cuffs come off…”

“And we leave together.”

“Yep.”

It sounded like a good plan. Now all he and Nick had to do was put their words into action.