Chapter 3: Safe Passage
The train ground to a halt, jolting both of them awake. Christine sat up rigidly and looked around franticly for a moment, forgetting where she was. She gasped as the memories of the previous night hit her. They were in Calais and they were not safe. She looked to Erik. His eyes mirrored her own concerns.
"What do we do now?" she asked in a tense whisper. He took a breath and nodded, he had a plan.
"We got off this train and try to pretend like we are normal people with nothing to hide. If anyone looks at us like we're strange, we just look at them like they are the strange ones."
"That's your plan?" She pried, her fear showing in her face and voice.
"Most of it." He shrugged. "I'm not sure yet if we should stay in Calais. They might know we're here, be watching for us." He peered around Christine and through the window. People were already disembarking.
"Alright, shall we go then?" Christine said trying to sound cheerful to cover her nerves. They rose, straightening their sleep-wrinkled clothes. Erik pulled his collar high and his hat low, hoping that would be enough to divert prying eyes. As he opened the door he felt her hand in his. In his heart he promised that nothing would hurt her.
They walked slowly down the narrow passage to the exit. The steward barely looked at them as he gave his bored "Thank you and good-bye". The platform was bustling with all sorts of people. This was a busy port city and the diversity of the people as the train station alone seemed to promise that the two figures in black would go relatively unnoticed. They stayed close as they moved together down the length of the train to the main station. All seemed to be going well until the reached to front car. They both saw the gendarmes at the same moment. The uniformed men were speaking to the conductor and a steward. Thankfully there was a support pillar for them to dart behind.
"What..." Christine began to whisper.
"We listen," Erik's voice commanded in her ear, his lips not moving. Christine swallowed, resolving to be brave and very quiet.
"We got a telegram from Paris an hour or so ago telling us to look for a man and woman in black arriving from there." The gendarme was explaining.
"Well we there were a lot of people wearing black, I haven't seen anyone looking to peculiar," the steward replied vacantly.
"Well, apparently the man wears a mask. Are you sure no one has seen them?" The lawman pushed.
"Well, not no one. You might ask the other stewards." The conductor explained, distain for the gendarme edging his voice.
"Could you lead me to those men, then?" The gendarme asked bitterly.
"Of course, sir. If you don't mind me asking, what did these two do that they're being searched for?" The conductor asked flippantly.
"They shot a man and stole a few thousand francs from him, that's all we know. We've also been told the man is very dangerous." The gendarme's voice faded as the three men moved away from Erik and Christine.
"You stole a few thousand francs?" Erik asked her in a whisper, his voice a mix of amusement and surprise.
"I didn't know it was that much," Christine defended herself hastily. "Erik, what do we do now? If they think we're dangerous, all of Calais…"
"I know," he cut her off, looking at her seriously. "What we do is let them see us, then disappear." He explained simply, hoping she would be reassured if he sounded confident.
"And how will we do that?" She hissed as he began to lead them back to the trains.
"You won't do it if I tell you, so just trust me," he revealed. He looked back at her as they paused.
"I trust you then," she relied and placed her fate with him.
They walked swiftly, still close and directly in the direction of the gendarme. Christine's eyes widened as they got closer to the policeman. She was sure it wasn't possible, but it seemed Erik was going to run into him. Christine felt her heart stop, that was what he was going to do. The impact wasn't violent, just rude enough to grab the gendarme's attention.
"Watch yourself, fool!" The gendarme snapped very annoyed. He looked towards them just long enough to see Erik's mask. "You?" He asked stupefied for a moment.
Erik laughed softly for just a second, and then commanded Christine: "Run."
Christine turned and followed Erik, running for all she was worth. She heard a shrill whistle and cries behind then but she couldn't make out what they said. They tore through the crowd, alternating between dodging people and nearly crushing them. Christine began to make out that they were heading in the direction of a train that was about to leave, she didn't know for where. It was already moving as they approached. She heard some one yelling, but they were at the train now. It was as if she was watching from a great distance as she saw Erik leap to the car, and the saw herself take his hand and jump. From behind her she heard a gendarme cry out in frustration. They had escaped and the train was taking them away from Calais. She was panting as they rushed through the passage past closed cabin doors. They came to the end of the car and dashed out the door. They were outside again, but they had stopped running. Erik looked around; the train was leaving the station but not yet at full speed.
"Erik," Christine began, trying to catch her breath, "Why are we stopping here?"
Erik took a long breath, still scanning the landscape. "Because it's easier to get off when we're outside," he answered plainly.
"Get off?" Christine exclaimed, suddenly terrified again. "Erik, the train is moving!"
"That's what will make it hard," He said as if he was giving a lesson. Christine starred at him uncomprehending. "They think we're going where ever this train is going; that we're leaving Calais. They'll be waiting for us wherever this stops, but we won't be on it, that's how we disappear." He explained hastily. They were getting farther from the station and nearing a clear stretch of meadow. He looked to her, earnest and imploring. "We have to jump now while we're still moving slowly or we won't have another chance."
Christine drew a nervous breath, and then nodded. "I told you I'd trust you." She shook her head.
They took hands and stepped clear of the railing. The meadow rolled before them, but in-between the grass and the tracks was a line of dirt and rock. Christine bit her lip and braced herself; this might hurt. Erik squeezed her hand and they jumped. The moment in the air seemed like an eternity, as they flew towards the ground, still moving with the train's velocity. It felt more like the ground rose to crush them rather than them falling on to it. The train continued to thunder past, still a threat. Christine gaped at the machine in horror for a second before she felt Erik grab her and then found herself rolling away into the safety of the grass. She was still breathing hard when the train finally passed.
She closed her eyes in relief and felt her body finally relax. Only then did she realize that Erik was holding her, continuing keeping her still and safe. When her eyes opened she found herself looking into his. He seemed to be as awed by this closeness as she was. Christine swallowed, unsure of what to do next. A month ago she might have screamed, but now she had the urge to not move at all. She wanted to stay where she knew she was safe, to make time stop so nothing else would chase them or disturb them. In her mind she stopped to marvel out how her feelings and fears had changed in the last few days. Finally, she smiled wryly.
"Next time, I choose the plan," She whispered and Erik smiled. Once again they had escaped within an inch of their lives and a train; and yet he was still happier than he had ever been. He lingered on that thought for a moment, then moved to rise. She followed, taking his had to aid her assent. "So, your turn for a plan," he said, dusting of his clothes.
"Then I elect we discreetly walk to Calais, and never get on a train again." She answered without hesitation.
"I agree," he concurred with laughter in his voice. They began to walk and to Erik's surprise she took his hand. Christine looked at the city in the distance, staying close to him not to shield him, but because it was where she wanted to be.
The train ground to a halt, jolting both of them awake. Christine sat up rigidly and looked around franticly for a moment, forgetting where she was. She gasped as the memories of the previous night hit her. They were in Calais and they were not safe. She looked to Erik. His eyes mirrored her own concerns.
"What do we do now?" she asked in a tense whisper. He took a breath and nodded, he had a plan.
"We got off this train and try to pretend like we are normal people with nothing to hide. If anyone looks at us like we're strange, we just look at them like they are the strange ones."
"That's your plan?" She pried, her fear showing in her face and voice.
"Most of it." He shrugged. "I'm not sure yet if we should stay in Calais. They might know we're here, be watching for us." He peered around Christine and through the window. People were already disembarking.
"Alright, shall we go then?" Christine said trying to sound cheerful to cover her nerves. They rose, straightening their sleep-wrinkled clothes. Erik pulled his collar high and his hat low, hoping that would be enough to divert prying eyes. As he opened the door he felt her hand in his. In his heart he promised that nothing would hurt her.
They walked slowly down the narrow passage to the exit. The steward barely looked at them as he gave his bored "Thank you and good-bye". The platform was bustling with all sorts of people. This was a busy port city and the diversity of the people as the train station alone seemed to promise that the two figures in black would go relatively unnoticed. They stayed close as they moved together down the length of the train to the main station. All seemed to be going well until the reached to front car. They both saw the gendarmes at the same moment. The uniformed men were speaking to the conductor and a steward. Thankfully there was a support pillar for them to dart behind.
"What..." Christine began to whisper.
"We listen," Erik's voice commanded in her ear, his lips not moving. Christine swallowed, resolving to be brave and very quiet.
"We got a telegram from Paris an hour or so ago telling us to look for a man and woman in black arriving from there." The gendarme was explaining.
"Well we there were a lot of people wearing black, I haven't seen anyone looking to peculiar," the steward replied vacantly.
"Well, apparently the man wears a mask. Are you sure no one has seen them?" The lawman pushed.
"Well, not no one. You might ask the other stewards." The conductor explained, distain for the gendarme edging his voice.
"Could you lead me to those men, then?" The gendarme asked bitterly.
"Of course, sir. If you don't mind me asking, what did these two do that they're being searched for?" The conductor asked flippantly.
"They shot a man and stole a few thousand francs from him, that's all we know. We've also been told the man is very dangerous." The gendarme's voice faded as the three men moved away from Erik and Christine.
"You stole a few thousand francs?" Erik asked her in a whisper, his voice a mix of amusement and surprise.
"I didn't know it was that much," Christine defended herself hastily. "Erik, what do we do now? If they think we're dangerous, all of Calais…"
"I know," he cut her off, looking at her seriously. "What we do is let them see us, then disappear." He explained simply, hoping she would be reassured if he sounded confident.
"And how will we do that?" She hissed as he began to lead them back to the trains.
"You won't do it if I tell you, so just trust me," he revealed. He looked back at her as they paused.
"I trust you then," she relied and placed her fate with him.
They walked swiftly, still close and directly in the direction of the gendarme. Christine's eyes widened as they got closer to the policeman. She was sure it wasn't possible, but it seemed Erik was going to run into him. Christine felt her heart stop, that was what he was going to do. The impact wasn't violent, just rude enough to grab the gendarme's attention.
"Watch yourself, fool!" The gendarme snapped very annoyed. He looked towards them just long enough to see Erik's mask. "You?" He asked stupefied for a moment.
Erik laughed softly for just a second, and then commanded Christine: "Run."
Christine turned and followed Erik, running for all she was worth. She heard a shrill whistle and cries behind then but she couldn't make out what they said. They tore through the crowd, alternating between dodging people and nearly crushing them. Christine began to make out that they were heading in the direction of a train that was about to leave, she didn't know for where. It was already moving as they approached. She heard some one yelling, but they were at the train now. It was as if she was watching from a great distance as she saw Erik leap to the car, and the saw herself take his hand and jump. From behind her she heard a gendarme cry out in frustration. They had escaped and the train was taking them away from Calais. She was panting as they rushed through the passage past closed cabin doors. They came to the end of the car and dashed out the door. They were outside again, but they had stopped running. Erik looked around; the train was leaving the station but not yet at full speed.
"Erik," Christine began, trying to catch her breath, "Why are we stopping here?"
Erik took a long breath, still scanning the landscape. "Because it's easier to get off when we're outside," he answered plainly.
"Get off?" Christine exclaimed, suddenly terrified again. "Erik, the train is moving!"
"That's what will make it hard," He said as if he was giving a lesson. Christine starred at him uncomprehending. "They think we're going where ever this train is going; that we're leaving Calais. They'll be waiting for us wherever this stops, but we won't be on it, that's how we disappear." He explained hastily. They were getting farther from the station and nearing a clear stretch of meadow. He looked to her, earnest and imploring. "We have to jump now while we're still moving slowly or we won't have another chance."
Christine drew a nervous breath, and then nodded. "I told you I'd trust you." She shook her head.
They took hands and stepped clear of the railing. The meadow rolled before them, but in-between the grass and the tracks was a line of dirt and rock. Christine bit her lip and braced herself; this might hurt. Erik squeezed her hand and they jumped. The moment in the air seemed like an eternity, as they flew towards the ground, still moving with the train's velocity. It felt more like the ground rose to crush them rather than them falling on to it. The train continued to thunder past, still a threat. Christine gaped at the machine in horror for a second before she felt Erik grab her and then found herself rolling away into the safety of the grass. She was still breathing hard when the train finally passed.
She closed her eyes in relief and felt her body finally relax. Only then did she realize that Erik was holding her, continuing keeping her still and safe. When her eyes opened she found herself looking into his. He seemed to be as awed by this closeness as she was. Christine swallowed, unsure of what to do next. A month ago she might have screamed, but now she had the urge to not move at all. She wanted to stay where she knew she was safe, to make time stop so nothing else would chase them or disturb them. In her mind she stopped to marvel out how her feelings and fears had changed in the last few days. Finally, she smiled wryly.
"Next time, I choose the plan," She whispered and Erik smiled. Once again they had escaped within an inch of their lives and a train; and yet he was still happier than he had ever been. He lingered on that thought for a moment, then moved to rise. She followed, taking his had to aid her assent. "So, your turn for a plan," he said, dusting of his clothes.
"Then I elect we discreetly walk to Calais, and never get on a train again." She answered without hesitation.
"I agree," he concurred with laughter in his voice. They began to walk and to Erik's surprise she took his hand. Christine looked at the city in the distance, staying close to him not to shield him, but because it was where she wanted to be.