Hell train, p.4
Hell Train, page 4
Xavi leant in and kissed her on the mouth. When he pulled away, he said, “No hay mal que por bien no venga.”
“That sounded sexy as hell. What does it mean?”
Xavi grinned. “It means: there is no bad from which something good does not come. You are strong and you are beautiful, Clip. One day, your life will be exactly what you mean for it to be. In Spain.”
She punched him on the triceps through the padded sleeves of his puffer jacket. “I’ll think about it. Have to say, though, a lifetime in the sun sounds pretty good.”
“And the cooking. You have no idea of my madre’s cooking.” He kissed his fingers and smacked his lips. “Maravilloso!”
“I’m not keen on paella.”
“You English…” He shook his head. “You think all we eat is paella? I am talking about patatas bravas, jamon, albondigas. The spices are like magic in your mouth.”
“What about Cornettos? Do you have those?”
“Ay!”
Movement ahead caught their attention. Clip immediately looked towards the two youths, but they were both busy tapping at their phone. It was Gina. She had turned back around to face them through the gap in the seats. “Excuse me for sticking my nose in, but I’m an old lady and that’s what we do. I have to say that I’ve helped a lot of families with issues like the ones you’ve mentioned, and it’s always hardest on the siblings. Your brother can’t help his condition, of course, but you deserved a normal upbringing like anybody else. It’s difficult having a childhood robbed from you, but what your boyfriend said is right. It’ll make you a stronger person in the end, and one day you’ll make a life of your own.”
“You see?” said Xavi. “I’m right as well as handsome.”
It mortified Clip that this woman was butting in on their private conversation, and her first instinct was to get mad, but something in Gina’s eyes diffused her anger. The woman was presumptuous, but she clearly meant well.
“Thanks, Gina. I just feel guilty thinking about myself when my brother is the one who’ll never have a life of his own. My parents either. Their whole life revolves around taking care of him.”
“Their suffering doesn’t nullify yours, dear. We have to take care of ourselves first in this life, because it’s the only way we can ever be strong enough to look after others.” She nodded at Harley sitting beside her. The boy was playing with his Rubik’s Cube, one side almost completely red. “Everyone deserves a safe, loving home, and I’m sorry if you didn’t get one.”
Wow, this woman goes from nought to familiar in three seconds flat. What makes her think I need her sympathy? That I need anybody’s?
Clip didn’t want to keep talking about herself, so she changed the topic. “Hey, Harley. You like puzzles?”
The boy finally spoke. “Yeah. My mum got me this for Christmas.”
“Ooh, I love Christmas. My favourite time of the year.”
“Mine too.” He smiled and thrust his Rubik’s Cube up towards the gap in the seats. “Do you want to have a go on my— Oops!” The Rubik’s Cube hit the seat and tumbled out of the boy’s hand, bouncing off Gina’s knee and rolling across the aisle. It disappeared under the seats opposite and hit the foot of the youth sitting by the window.
The young lad flinched, looked down, and picked up the Rubik’s Cube. He held it for a moment, turning it back and forth in his hand as if he’d never seen such a thing. Then he looked across the aisle at Gina and Harley. “This yours, young blud?”
“Y-Yes,” said Harley.
Gina smiled nervously. “Can he have it back, please?”
“Course he can.” The youth leant across his ass-groping friend and held the cube out in the aisle. “Here you go, little man. Take it.”
Harley was silent, but he dutifully reached across Gina to retrieve the cube. It was too much of a stretch, though, so he had to stand up and move away from his seat.
Clip eyed the two youths warily. The one who had grabbed her ass was still tapping away on his phone, but he became annoyed when his buddy continued reaching across him. “Allow it,” he muttered and sucked at his teeth.
Harley put his hand on the cube, but the youth didn’t let go. “Man must be smart to do one of these, innit?”
Harley nodded. “I like school.”
The youth winced. “Boy likes school? Is you mad? Man hates that peak shit.”
Harley looked mortified, but the youth lowered his mask and smiled. “Allow it, blud. Man should try hard in school. Be a doc and make some of that mad money, yeah? Don’t end up a G like me.” The youth’s words had a harsh tone, but he appeared genuine as he smiled at the young boy. It was more like he was speaking aggressively out of habit than intent.
“What’s a G?” asked Harley.
The youth chuckled. “Someone that don’t like school, fam.”
Harley nodded as if he understood. “W-What’s your name?”
“My name? What boy want to know a man’s name for?”
Harley shrugged. “To be friendly.”
“Friendly? Yeah, okay, fam. Man’s name is Kyle, but don’t go telling no pigs that.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“Here, take your thing, innit?”
“Thanks.” Harley took the Rubik’s Cube and went back to his seat.
Gina gave the youth a smile, but when Kyle eased back in his seat, his friend gave him a swift backhand across the chest. Clip assumed it was against gang code to act human.
“Least they ain’t both shitheads,” said Xavi, making Clip chuckle. His Spanish accent made his use of English swear words delightfully skewed.
“Judge not lest thee be judged.”
Xavi frowned. “Thought you were doing psychology, not religion.”
“Okay, then how about: thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge?”
“Who said that?”
She shrugged. “I forget. Jung, maybe? It’s funny, I’ve spent most of my degree so far studying people who have been widely discredited by modern psychology. I suppose the mistakes of the past pave the road to enlightenment, huh?”
“Ay! Your brain is sexy, la chica.” Xavi thickened his accent, making his compliment sound even better.
“You’re sexy,” she said. “Now I’m really looking forward to tonight.” She winked at him, prompting him to slide a hand up her thigh. She swatted him away and raised an eyebrow. “Still not up for train sex, though.”
Xavi tutted, but also smiled. “Can’t blame man for trying, bruv, innit?”
She put a finger to her lips and shushed him as a spike of fear made her look over at the thugs several feet away. “Quiet,” she said. “They’ll hear you and start up all over again.”
And maybe end up doing worse than just grabbing my butt.
Xavi nodded, his smile fading. “Don’t let them worry you. We’ll be at the university soon.”
“Maybe we should have got off the train earlier. I feel… trapped.”
“You are not trapped, baby. Everything is okay. I am here.”
The train entered a tunnel.
The flickering lights became more distracting as sunlight deserted the carriage.
Gina put a hand in front of her eyes and groaned. “Dear me, I think they need to change those bulb strips.”
“They wouldn’t all go out at once like that,” said Xavi. “It must be a wider electrical issue. I expect no less from British trains.”
Clip pinched his arm. “Shut up, you! Stop being mean to my country.”
He put his hands together in prayer. “Forgive me, señorita! I am in love with your country’s rain and endless traffic, and I agree we should serve all meals with chips and ketchup. Oh, and your royal family are a credit to your modern democracy.”
A grunt from across the aisle alerted them. The black youth turned in his chair, placing his gleaming white trainers in the aisle. “Man should go back down his own ends. No one asked him to leave his fucking donkey to come here. Fucking Pedro.”
Clip groaned. Her earlier patience was harder to come by since this bastard had grabbed her ass, but she attempted once again to appease the thug, terrified by the threat of violence. “He’s just joking around,” she said. “His dad is English.”
The youth kissed his teeth. “Then his mom must be a Spanish whore, innit? Man should piss off back to her.”
Clip knew how close Xavi was to his mum, and one thing sure to push his buttons was hearing her be insulted. That was why she immediately turned to keep him from exploding, to keep him from escalating the situation.
But it was too late.
Xavi leapt out of his seat and dived into the aisle. “The fuck you say, hombre?”
CHAPTER 4
Xavi launched himself into the aisle and collided with the youth who rose up to meet him. To Clip’s horror, the thug pulled out his knife and lunged.
Is this actually happening?
Xavi moved fast, thrusting out his forearm and deflecting the incoming knife by hitting the inside of the youth’s elbow. Then he grabbed the thug by the collar of his hoodie and shoved him against his friend, Kyle, preventing him from joining the fray. “You think you’re a tough guy, huh, idiota? Are you supposed to be scary? Am I supposed to piss my pants?”
The youth gritted his teeth and fought to direct the knife towards Xavi, but Xavi grabbed his wrist and twisted, causing him to hiss in pain. “You’re a dead man, bruv.”
Xavi turned red in the face, spittle on his lips. “You mention my madre again, and you’ll be the dead one, boy!”
“Please, stop this!” Gina begged, pulling Harley closer. “I’ll call the police. I will!”
“Call the police and man will end you,” the struggling youth warned, trying to headbutt Xavi as he sought to free the knife from him.
The other youth, Kyle, slipped out from the ruckus and clambered into the aisle. He, too, had a knife.
Clip clutched the edge of her seat so hard that her nails bent. “Please…”
I have to help him. I have to stop this.
How? I can’t fight them.
Her thoughts came like laser zaps, each one hitting quicker than the last. What were the youths afraid of? The police? Prison? Being recognised?
Xavi rotated himself, putting himself in front of both enemies so they couldn’t blindside him, while still fighting with the older youth over control of the knife.
Clip reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. She wanted to call the police, but her stomach plummeted to the floor when she realised she had no signal. Outside the window, there was still only darkness. She wouldn’t be able to make a call until they left the tunnel, which should have already happened by now.
She had to do something.
The lights inside the carriage flickered rapidly, a full-on disco.
Kyle held his knife at the ready, but seemed to hesitate about using it.
“Please, don’t do it,” Gina begged the lad, and he seemed genuinely conflicted about what to do. Meanwhile, his mate bounced back and forth between the seats with Xavi, both of them struggling to get the knife. “I’m sure you’re a good boy.”
“You’re talking shit, woman. Good boy? What you smokin’?”
Clip had an idea. She switched on her phone’s camera and hit record, panning back and forth. “I’m recording,” she shouted. “I’m recording both of you.”
Kyle pointed his knife at Clip, his hesitation ending. “Allow it. Man don’t like being filmed, you get me?”
“Tough shit. Give me a smile. How about a wave?”
“Woman! Man will take that phone and shove it up your snatch if you don’t stop filming.”
The sheer anger of his tone made Clip woozy, but she didn’t give in. She wouldn’t be a victim. “You can do that,” she said, as calmly as she could manage, “but it won’t help. I’m live-streaming. This is going straight to social media, Kyle. That’s your name, right? Kyle. Oh, your mask has slipped a little, Kyle. I can see your face, Kyle. Is that a knife you have there, Kyle?”
He put an arm up in front of his face. “Stop filming me, woman.”
Clip kept the phone pointed right at him. “That’s it. Keep talking to the camera, Kyle. Every second of this is going out to all my friends and family, Kyle. If anything happens to me or Xavi, the police will have everything they need, Kyle. Enjoy prison, Kyle.”
The knife in Kyle’s hand lowered, and he slipped it back inside his hoodie. “Mudz! We is on camera, fam. Let’s roll.”
‘Mudz’ was gaining the upper hand against Xavi, forcing him back against the chairs with his knee. Soon, the knife would be back in play.
“Are you listening?” Clip yelled, trying to keep her hands from shaking. “Hey, Mudz – stupid name, by the way – I got your ass on camera. Say cheese.”
Mudz gave Xavi a shove that sent him clambering back across a row of seats. Finally free of the struggle, Mudz lifted the knife and turned to face Clip. His mask had slipped down and his straight white teeth flashed at her. “Woman don’t know who she’s messing with.”
“Yes, I do, and so do a thousand of my contacts. Give us a smile, Mudz.”
Mudz stepped towards her, knife held out to his side. “Gonna chef you up.”
Gina gasped in horror, but Kyle leapt in front of his friend and held him back. “She ain’t worth it, fam.”
Mudz looked past his friend and glared at Clip, who still held the camera on him. “Real talk,” he muttered. “Bird is clapped, innit? Wouldn’t let her suck a man’s dick, fam.”
Kyle nodded and eased Mudz backwards down the aisle. The lights continued to flicker, sending the two youths in and out of darkness. For a moment, Clip thought she saw someone else standing with them, but when she blinked they were gone. A trick of her eyes, caused by the flickering LED bulbs.
“She’ll get hers,” said Kyle.
“True that,” said Mudz, walking backwards until he reached the end of the carriage. There he proceeded to turn, punch the button to open the door, and slide into the next carriage.
And just like that, it was over.
Xavi clambered up off the seats, seething and spitting. “Bastard assholes. I’m going to kill them. Ay! Idiotas.”
Clip slid her phone into her pocket and grabbed her boyfriend by the arm. “Sit the hell down. You could have ended up in the morgue. You moron!”
“You’re blaming me?” His eyes went wide. “They were the ones threatening people with cuchillos.”
“And you’re the fool taking their bait. You want to act like a neanderthal, Xavi, then find another girl.”
“I thought you were brave,” said Harley meekly.
Gina stood up and stepped into the aisle. She went to put a hand on Clip’s shoulder, but Clip shrugged away from her. “Get off me! Don’t touch me. I… I…” She doubled over. “Jeez, I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
Gina took a step back and nodded, her lively green eyes full of angst. “Sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to overstep. Can I do anything?”
“It’s fine.” Clip took some deep breaths and grabbed her knees to keep them from trembling. “I just… do not like violence.”
“Neither do I. That was smart of you, by the way, what you did. You can record video right to the Internet nowadays?”
“You can,” said Clip, straightening up as she began to calm, “except that I didn’t. My phone has no signal because we’re inside a tunnel. I was only recording to my phone’s memory card. Those psychopaths didn’t know that, though.”
Gina grinned. “You’re a smart cookie, dear. I think your boyfriend should thank his lucky stars that he has you.”
Clip glared at Xavi. “The way he’s going he won’t have me much longer. This could have been really bad. You could have been hurt.”
Xavi was panting and red in the face. Fists clenched, he kept glaring at the door at the end of the carriage, but despite his anger, he nodded in agreement. “I screwed up, Clip. My temper got the best of me.” He turned around, his anger gone in an instant as he looked at her. “Forgive me, mi corazon. Don’t break my heart.”
Clip sighed. Perhaps she was being too hard on him. It wasn’t his fault there were thugs on board the train causing trouble. She was actually a little glad that he had attacked the one called Mudz. It was justice for him grabbing her butt. Their fight may have ended in a stalemate, but Clip had won the war. The two bullies had fled with their tails between their legs.
“Sit down,” she ordered him, “before I chuck you out the window.” She had an odd sensation in her tummy, like she was falling. It seemed like a long time since the windows had shown anything but darkness outside. “Maybe I’ll forgive you by the time we get to the university.”
“Give me a minute,” said Xavi, once again glaring down the aisle. “I’m still wound up. I need to walk it off.”
“Here.” Harley reached across the aisle towards Xavi, offering his Rubik’s Cube to him. “Play with this. It always makes my bad thoughts go away.”
Xavi frowned, but then he smiled and reached out to take the toy. “Thanks, kid. I’ll give it right back.”
The lights went out. Darkness engulfed the carriage.
Clip whimpered, picturing Richard’s bloody face. Harley yelped, which prompted Gina to shush and reassure him.
“What on earth is going on?” said Clip.
“I thought these trains had been refurbished,” said Gina. “They’re more on the blink than ever.”
There was a sudden thud followed by the sound of Xavi hissing. “Ouch! I smashed my elbow.”
“I-I can’t see my seat,” said Clip, reaching out blindly. “I can’t see.”
Xavi found her in the dark and pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay, I’ve got you. Here, sit down here.”
Clip groped in the darkness until she found the back of her seat, and then shuffled in front of it, moving over to the window. The horizontal pane was still open, but she couldn’t detect a breeze coming from it. Likewise, she saw no shadows outside – no shades of grey or subtle shapes in the dark. It was like staring into a void. “Something’s wrong,” she said.
