While they waited on the platform, Lazaro put one arm around Rain and one around Graham, with Graham's neck in the crook of his elbow. He'd put the knife away for the moment, but Rain had no doubt he could pull it fast enough if he needed to.
“Everything's going to be cool,” he said. “We'll head down to Mexico, spend a month there, then maybe we send you back up to see your dad if he's good.”
Graham looked stiffer than a wooden Indian. Rain wondered if he felt the same greasy sweat she did, even through her shirt. Maybe she imagined the sensation. She'd never felt that way under her brother's touch before. She'd never felt a lot of things that she was feeling—outside of the crunchiness under her skin that she got when stress made her crave a dose. That was kicking in big time right now.
Lazaro must have sensed it. He leaned his face close to hers. “You gonna make it?”
“Sure.”
“You did all right, Rain. I appreciate you sticking by me. I promise I'll do my best to make it better. You know how I get when I don't take my pills.”
The sweat on her face turned cold.
“Then why did you stop?”
“I'm a screw up.”
“Like me? Since, you know, you didn't want Ali turning out like me.”
A train of cars rattled to a stop at the head of the line. The line shifted forward as the riders got out and let new ones on. One more group before them, then it would be their turn on the coaster.
“You know I didn't mean that shit. Ethan got me riled up.”
Rain's stomach turned at the thought of climbing on this rollercoaster. “Did you really do it? My little girl?”
He hugged her around the waist and pinned her against his side. “Let's not talk about it here, okay? We get out of here, I'll get you fixed up, and we'll get through this together. Brother and sister. Uncle and mom.”
Another set of cars rolled to a stop. Smiling faces and nervous laughing. A final shriek from a girl in the front car as if the ride's end scared her more than the plunge down the first hill.
The group of four in line before them climbed down into the car that belonged to their row. The main line had split into separate branches corresponding to each of the cars in the train. Each car seated four passengers, two in front and two in back. The foursome pulled the safety bars down over their bodies, locking them into their seats. The ratchet sound the safety bars made coming down sounded to Rain like a medieval torture device.
Her stomach hitched. Bile seared the back of her throat.
“I don't think I can do this.”
“Don't be a wimp. It's not that scary.”
But she realized her turning stomach didn't all have to do with the prospect of getting on a rollercoaster. Part of it was her body craving a high. Another part belonged to something else entirely, something she hadn't felt in a long time, before Ethan had taken Graham and Alison away from her.
“You killed her.”
Lazaro shook her. “Shut up. People can hear you.”
“And you'll kill Graham if you have to.”
“That's great. Keep talking, Rain. You'll get us both locked up.”
She cocked her head to look him in the eyes. “That really is all you care about. Saving yourself.”
“Don't make me do something you'll regret.”
The train hummed to life and coasted out on its way up the first hill. Not the biggest hill in the park, but high enough to send the cars through the massive corkscrew that came soon after.
“That's just it. The only way you'll get out of this is if you're willing to take us down with you.”
“And you're willing to take that risk? 'Cause you pull anything it might as well be your hand that cuts his throat.”
Cut his throat?
Graham stood quietly through the exchange of threats even though he could obviously hear every word. Their eyes met and for the first time she saw a bit of herself in his features. She'd always thought he took exclusively after Ethan. Now she saw that, not the eyes themselves, but the way they were set resembled her own. And his chin. Christ on a cracker, they had matching chins.
She couldn't let this go on. She'd let things fall too far out of control as it was. No way Laz would get away with this and not have it blow up in his face. Eventually shit would catch up with him and he would kill her and Graham both.
The tracks hummed, another line of cars on its way.
She turned to her brother. “You gotta promise me you'll let him go once we're safe.”
“If Ethan holds up his side of things, you can count on it.”
“No. You face me, look me in the eyes, and tell me you promise to let Graham go.”
“Whatever.”
Lazaro released Graham so he could turn to look straight at Rain. His back faced the tracks.
The humming on the tracks turned to a low growl.
Rain's muscles writhed. Her skin turned cold and wet. Nausea unlike anything going off the junk had triggered bubbled up from her stomach. Graham was her son, and he deserved no part of this hell she and Lazaro belonged to. Ethan had been right from the beginning.
Now she had to do something about it.
The growl turned to howl.
Lazaro said, “I promise I'll—”
Rain threw all her weight at him, slammed her shoulder into his chest and kept charging forward, walking him backward more than pushing him. But he hadn't expected the move and he stood close to the edge of the platform above the tracks. He lost his balance. Rain felt him dropping away into the gap behind him while the sound of the coming train swelled.
Someone screamed.
Rain felt Lazaro grasp her wrist. His weight carried her along with him.
Another scream.
As Lazaro dragged her to the edge of the platform, Rain realized it was her own.