The wind roared like a hurricane.
Emily gripped the steel handrail with one hand as she moved along the narrow maintenance walkway outside the speeding train. Every step demanded perfect balance.
Inside the carriage, Victoria watched through the window, her heart pounding.
"Come on..." she whispered.
"You can do this."
The train entered another tunnel.
The walls flashed past only inches away.
Emily pressed herself against the side of the train as sparks flew from the wheels below. She reached the emergency brake housing at the front of the second carriage.
A heavy steel lever was secured by a safety lock.
She pulled.
Nothing.
She pulled again with all her strength.
Still nothing.
"It's jammed," she muttered.
Inside the train, Volkov calmly approached Victoria.
"You know what's going to happen."
Victoria never lowered her weapon.
"Stay away from her."
Volkov smiled.
"You'd die for her."
"Without hesitation."
"And she would do the same for you."
Victoria answered without taking her eyes off him.
"That's something you'll never understand."
For a brief moment, Volkov looked almost... sad.
Then the expression vanished.
Outside, Emily spotted the problem.
A steel pin had bent during the earlier explosions, locking the brake in place.
She pulled a combat knife from her belt and wedged it beneath the pin.
The train hit a sharp curve.
Emily's feet slipped.
Her body swung away from the train.
Only one hand remained on the railing.
Below her, darkness rushed past at nearly a hundred kilometers an hour.
Inside, Victoria saw everything.
"Emily!"
Without thinking, she sprinted toward the emergency hatch.
Walker tried to stop her.
"Victoria, don't!"
She ignored him.
She climbed onto the maintenance walkway despite her injured arm.
The wind nearly knocked her off immediately.
Emily was still hanging on.
Her fingers were beginning to slip.
Victoria slowly moved toward her.
"Don't let go."
Emily looked up and managed a weak smile.
"I wasn't planning to."
Victoria knelt carefully and reached out with her good arm.
Emily stretched as far as she could.
Their fingertips touched.
Not enough.
The train lurched again.
Emily slipped even farther.
Victoria moved another few centimeters, ignoring the pain shooting through her wounded arm.
"Take my hand!"
Emily reached again.
This time, their hands locked together.
Victoria pulled with every ounce of strength she had.
Walker and Gabriel rushed onto the walkway behind her, grabbing Victoria around the waist before helping pull Emily safely back onto the train.
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Emily was breathing hard.
Victoria wrapped both arms around her as tightly as her injury allowed.
"I thought I'd lost you."
Emily rested her forehead against Victoria's.
"You didn't."
"And you never will without a fight."
The moment was interrupted by another warning alarm.
Critical curve approaching.
Thirty seconds to impact.
Emily turned toward the brake assembly.
"We're out of time."
She looked at Victoria.
"Together?"
Victoria nodded.
"Always."
They both grabbed the emergency lever.
"Three..."
"Two..."
"One..."
They pulled with everything they had.
With a deafening metallic crack, the bent safety pin snapped free.
The emergency brake slammed into place.
The entire train shuddered violently.
Sparks exploded beneath the wheels.
The screech of steel echoed through the tunnels as the train began to slow.
Far ahead, the broken section of track came into view.
The train continued to skid toward it...
No one knew if it would stop in time.