Lindsay's face and chest hit the ground at the same time, knocking the wind out of her and digging her front teeth into the dark soil. "Uff!" Red cinnamon balls exploded from their sack and scattered onto the dirt.

"Going somewhere?" Albert asked, pushing hard on Lindsay's back. She was still seeing stars and her first thought was that she'd been hit by a wagon. She gasped, trying desperately to pull air into her lungs.

"Aww. Did that hurt?" His voiced dripped with sarcasm."Good."He laughed cruelly."Here, let me help you," he said much louder for the benefit of the few people on the street and in front of the shops.

Dazed, Lindsay blinked with exaggerated slowness and spat out a mouthful of dirt. She tasted the metallic tang of blood."Ph-Ph-Phft."Lindsay's eyes went round as the voice finally started to register."Ra-Rat Face?"

"That's my name. Don't wear it out."He punched her in the kidney just for the hell of it and then hauled her to her feet, smiling at several curious passersby, who weren't sure what was happening."My friend here tied one on last night and tripped."He gave Lindsay a good shake and grinned stupidly."Don't you just hate a clumsy drunk?"

The women grimaced at his grungy appearance and wrinkled their nose at the smell of putrid grease that clung to Albert's pants. A prim-looking blonde pulled her small son closer to her skirts as they scurried away.

"Nice to know you remember your old pal," Albert said once they were out of earshot. He grabbed a handful of the brown hair sticking out from Lindsay's cap with one hand and a chunk of the back of her coat with his other. Then he forced her off the road and away from prying eyes.

Ginny rose to her feet, her eyes scanning the street."Lindsay?"A light rain began to fall, pelting the passenger car and sending dirty rivulets of water down the window. Where is she? She was just there!

A depot worker stuck his head out of his ticket booth and waved to one of the train's porters, who called out in a strong, deep voice, "All aboard! Last call!" The town was a small one and they didn't bother to dispatch a car knocker to check the boxcars.

The train hissed and lurched forward, then stopped. Ginny began to panic. Her eyes shot to the door in the far end of the car, then darted out the window. "Lewis," she yelled, causing the other passengers to lower their newspapers or stop their murmured conversations to stare. She scrambled to pick up their coats and travel bag and ran towards the far door, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste to grab Lewis and get off the train. She crashed against the outer door of the lavatory, shoved it open, and then began furiously banging on the lavatory door with her fist."Lewis!"Her voice was rising with every word but she could hardly hear it over the painful thumping of her own heart."Get out...now!"

"Huh?" came the muffled response.

The train lurched forward again and this time it kept going.

"Now!"Ginny flung open the door and caught the boy in the middle of pulling up his trousers."We've got to get off."She grabbed hold of his hand and literally yanked him from the small stall. Kicking the outer door open, she began running down the aisle between the seats, dragging Lewis behind her.

Lindsay began to fight."Let me go!"Albert jerked her head back and pressed his lips against her ear, his coarse, dirty beard scratching her neck. The foul smell of his breath made her gag. Peripherally, she was aware that the train had started to move, and her struggle intensified. She slammed her elbow backwards and connected with his stomach, but his grip on her hair remained tight.

"No," Albert growled."You're not going anywhere."

Before Lindsay could say a word, Ginny's frantic scream rang out.

"Lindsay!" Ginny and Lewis were standing in the outdoor, railed-space between boxcars. The train's whistle blew again as Ginny desperately took in the situation. We need to jump, her mind cried. We need to do it now. With each passing second, the train began to pick up more steam. She quickly turned to her brother, trying to look past the terror in his eyes. She dropped their coats and bag and lightly gripped his shoulders.

"Lewis-"

"No!" The boy grabbed onto the railing and shook his head wildly, scattering the raindrops that had collected on his face onto Ginny's damp shirt. He knew what she was thinking and couldn't do it."I'm afraid."

Their eyes met and held and for split second Ginny considered scooping him up and jumping anyway."Lewis, please!" she begged, wanting to scream out her frustration."It'll be okay if we go right now."

He began to cry and tightened his grip on the railing until his hands hurt."I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he chanted. His fear was palpable and he was visibly trembling. It began to rain harder."You go."

Ginny's heart seized up in her chest."No," she whispered. Her eyes bore into his and in that second he knew deep in his soul that his sister's promise was gold. She would never abandon him. Even if it meant leaving Lindsay behind.

Ginny whirled around, but all she could see was a building that blocked her view of the depot and the street in front of it. The wind tossed wet hair into her eyes and she pushed it back as she called out desperately again, "Lindsay!"

Lindsay heard Ginny's scream and elbowed Albert a second time. This time his grip faltered and she was able to tear herself away.

With meaty hands he grabbed, but only came away with the navy blue blanket. He cursed furiously and threw down the blanket.

Lindsay bolted for the tracks. Every step was agony as her injured ribs ground mercilessly together. It felt as though a hot knife was slicing into her, and tears sprang to her eyes, her face twisting in anguish.

She rounded the corner of the depot and up ahead she could see Ginny and Lewis standing outside and leaning against the cold metal railing. She scrambled up a rocky ravine until she was running along on the flat, narrow area alongside the track itself.

Lewis' arm shot out and his eyes widened."Look!"He pointed. "She's coming!"

Ginny's heart leapt into her throat. Lindsay was gaining speed."Come on, Lindsay, you can make it!"

Lindsay's cap flew off her head as her arms pumped and her feet pounded the wet ground, a blur of motion. Faster and faster she ran until she had nearly drawn level with the last car. There was no caboose. The last one was Ginny's.

Albert was lumbering behind Lindsay and for a few seconds she could hear his labored breaths and heavy footsteps, but they faded from her consciousness well before they did in reality. He didn't matter. All that mattered was catching this train.

"Run!"Ginny's hands were white-knuckled fists and her throat hurt from yelling."Run!"She could see the strain in Lindsay's face and the steam that flew from her mouth and nose with each panted breath. She could hear the crunch of rocks under her feet, even over the whining of the locomotive's wheels. Lindsay's chin was covered in dirt, and blood and raindrops splashed against her face, painting clean lines through the soiled mess."Almost!"Ginny leaned over railing as far as she could and extended her hand."C'mon!"She could see the look of steely determination glinting in Lindsay's eyes. She was going to make it.

Lewis screamed, afraid Ginny was going to tip head-over-heels over the railing. He lunged for his sister's legs, using his bodyweight to help anchor her and holding on to her for dear life. He screwed his eyes tightly shut, knowing this was his fault. His tears had stopped, but he was still shaking."Please. Please. Please."

Lindsay stopped gaining ground as the train's momentum grew. The younger woman knew it too and the look of sheer panic on her face forced Lindsay into a final burst of speed. She threw her head back and forced herself forward, pushing herself faster and harder than she ever had before."Argh!"

Impossibly, Ginny reached out farther, extending herself dangerously over the tracks that flew by beneath her. "Take my hand, Lindsay. More! Reach!" Almost. Almost! Lewis screamed again as one of his sister's feet left the floor. Even using his entire body, he couldn't hold her down.

Lindsay's heart was trying to burst free from her chest. She leaned forward and threw out her hand. Her breaths were coming in sharp gasps and she was no longer aware of the pain in her ribs or the burning of her lungs. Only Ginny's face. With a final push she lunged forward and their fingers touched. Their eyes met and the cool feeling of Lindsay's fingertips registered with Ginny for the barest of seconds before...

Lindsay's hand fell away....

And the terrain changed, sending her sprawling headfirst to the ground.

"NO!"Ginny howled, watching Lindsay slam to the dirt, then disappear down the ravine along the side of the tracks. She blinked the rain out of her eyes, hardly believing what had just happened.

Lewis grabbed great handfuls of Ginny's trousers and leaned back, pulling her back from the edge. She crumpled onto the wet metal floor next to him and stared unseeing down the tracks.

"G-Ginny?" Lewis said in a small voice. The look on her face was scaring him.

She opened her arms and the boy surged forward, needing her acceptance and love like he needed air. Ginny's eyes slid shut and she heard her brother's breathing catch. She pressed her lips to his wet hair and left them there for a long time, her chest too tight to speak.

They both began to cry.

Chapter Thirteen.

Lindsay lay on the cold ground panting, her eyes gazing dully at a growing mud puddle as the last sounds of the train carrying her heart faded into the distance.

Something inside her snapped.

"Rat Face, you bastard!" she roared, shooting to her feet, then immediately faltering as a wave of dizziness swept over her. She dropped down to all fours once again. Her hands sank into the sodden soil, so cold it burned. Her stomach chose that moment to rebel and she heaved up the bitter remains of her breakfast."Ugh."

She stayed on her hands and knees, breathing shallowly as the icy rain washed the sweat from her face and the blood and dirt from her chin.

Lindsay waited to hear Rat Face's heavy footsteps with a grim sense of anticipation. Seeing him again was no accident, though she couldn't imagine what had induced him to follow her all the way from New York. He wouldn't cross the street to see his own mother. Not that it mattered. This would be the last time she ever dealt with the miserable excuse for a man. The next time we meet, only one of us is going to walk away, she promised herself darkly.

But all she heard was the uneven pitter-patter of the rain and the mournful whistle of the wind through the spindly branches. An unknown time later, she opened her eyes and willed herself not to dissolve into tears."God dammit," she whispered. She felt cheated of the satisfaction of pummeling Rat Face and her mood turned bleak. Lindsay slumped back on her heels, her hands making loud sucking noises as she extracted them from the mud. She wondered how this could possibly hurt so badly-how she could possibly feel this lost-when she knew exactly where she was. In the middle of Hicksville....

Without her.

She wiped her hands as best she could on a nearby tuft of grass. It didn't help much, but at least they weren't dripping slop anymore. With a groan, she stood and slowly climbed back up to the flat strip of land alongside the tracks."A plan. That's what you need, String Bean. You always need a plan."She thought for a moment, her coat growing heavy as it absorbed the falling rain.

"Okay, first things first. Get my goddamn blue blanket back and kill Rat Face if I see him along the way."Pleased with both ideas, she nodded and smiled to herself."Then I've got to find a way to Ginny."

Mentally she ran down the list of cities where Ginny and Lewis would change trains. Atlanta, Macon, Columbus. They would stop at a dozen, tiny others but stay on the train, or perhaps only step off to stretch their legs. Her eyes narrowed as she continued to puzzle out Ginny's next move, which would determine her own.

"She'll continue on to the stop where the orphan train tried to place the children. Her ticket won't let her turn around, and even if it did, she'll keep going. She knows I'll find her."Lindsay looked skyward for guidance and reassurance; what she got for her troubles was a boom of far off thunder."Figures."She sighed, then whispered, "Please let her know I'll find her."

Much to Lindsay's disappointment... and relief, Albert was nowhere to be seen when she made it back to the depot. The rain had shifted to snow, and Talking Rock was getting its first dusting of the season.

Her blue blanket lay crumpled in the street. Groaning quietly, she picked it up and shook off the snow before slinging it over her shoulder. How was she going to get to Alabama before Ginny? A brief conversation with the stationmaster had proved fruitless. No other passenger or even supply-trains would be by today. And the coal train that would pass tomorrow would be heading in the opposite direction.

There was a bench outside the depot and, dejected, Lindsay plopped down on it. She began fiddling with her hat, which she'd picked up on the way back to the depot. Finally, she put her head in her hands."Christ." "Lindsay?"

A familiar female voice caused Lindsay to turn her head. A woman and little girl approached her, both with odd looks on their faces. The girl waggled her fingers shyly at Lindsay.

Unable to stop herself, Lindsay grinned and waggled her own back.

"I thought you were taking the train with Virginia and Lewis," Mrs. Barguest said, her slender eyebrows pulled together in distress over Lindsay's dirty, drenched appearance.

Lindsay smiled weakly."I... um..." She gestured with one hand then looked down at her muddy shoes."Something... well, something happened and I missed the train."

"Oh, dear."

"You could say that."Although to say 'I'm fucked' would be more fitting. The younger woman looked as though she was about ready to burst into tears, and Lana laid a comforting hand on her shoulder."Come on, our wagon is over there. We're done with our business in town. Let's go back to the house."

Lindsay shook her head. "No thank you, ma'am. I have to get to Ginny. There won't be another train for two days and I've got to find a way to southwest Alabama." Lana smiled kindly and used the hand that was resting on Lindsay's shoulder to cup her chin. She used her thumb to wipe away a stripe of dirt as she thought of what kind of help she could offer this young woman. It was clear Lindsay's relationship with Ginny, no matter what its exact nature, wasn't casual. She expected to be a part-time mother to Lewis for many years to come, so she assumed that this dark-haired woman who dressed like a man would also be part of her extended family.

Lindsay found herself leaning into the unexpected, maternal contact.

"You can't go anywhere soaking wet." She hauled Lindsay to her feet."We'll find a way to get you to Ginny and Lewis."

"But-"

Lana gave her a scolding look. "Sometimes, young lady, you need to just do what you're told and stop fighting it."

Lindsay's nape hairs bristled and any trace of warmth melted from her face. She was about to pull away when Lana dropped the hand from her arm, realizing that, if she truly wanted to help Lindsay, she'd started off all wrong. Lana had seen the anger brewing in those intense brown eyes the night before, when Lindsay had initially refused to simply hand over Lewis. She'd also heard the softly spoken, gentle words Ginny had used to calm her. Perhaps the redhead had the right idea when it came to dealing with this headstrong northerner.

The older woman's face flushed with embarrassment. "That came out all wrong. I, well, I-"

"Can you help me?" Lindsay asked, her initial resentment quickly being replaced by an earnestness that made Lana blink.

"I can try."

"Why?"

Lana was a little surprised that Lindsay had asked so directly, but she found herself liking her simple honesty."Because you are important to Virginia. And Virginia is important to Lewis."Her voice deepened."And Lewis is important to me."

"Then let's go."

"A horse?"Lindsay looked like someone who had just stepped in what comes out of the hind end of a horse, rather than someone being asked to ride one. "You've got to be kidding," she said flatly.

She was dressed in a pair of Jon's trousers and a shirt while her own clothes and coat hung drying in front of the fireplace. She was freshly scrubbed and sporting a tiny bandage on her chin.

Jon looked up from the map spread out on their kitchen table."It's the only way. Look," he pointed to the dot that represented Atlanta, "you can ride here and then catch a train straight to Montgomery and the south. You'll be maybe twelve hours behind Virginia, if you're lucky. Your route will be more direct. She's going all the way down to Columbus and then west." He drew an "L" on the map with his finger.

"What if I walk?"

Jon and Lana stared.

Lindsay rolled her eyes."Really fast."At this point she didn't think she was physically capable of running more than a few feet.

"To Atlanta?"Lana laughed. "Honey, even taking the back roads that's near on fifty miles. Take our gelding, Diablo-"

"Diablo?" Lindsay croaked."You want me to ride a huge beast named after the Devil?" Her eyes widened as her own words registered.

"He's a sturdy boy," Lana continued, trying not to smile."You can leave Diablo at the northern train station. I'll wire our daughter, Katherine, and she'll go to pick him up. It's the only way."

Lindsay cursed inwardly. Through gritted teeth she admitted, "I...I don't know how to ride."

Jon and Lana exchanged worried glances."Well," he scratched his jaw, "if it's any consolation, you will by the time you reach Atlanta."

Lindsay paled. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

Albert jerked as the toe of Bo's shoe tapped his sagging head.

"Finally. I've been looking for you for hours. Get up."

Albert blinked stupidly and lifted his head."Ugh."

"Oh, boy."Bo's jaw dropped when he got a good look at Albert's face, which wasn't exactly pretty to begin with."What the hell happened? Did String Bean do this to you?" he asked incredulously."Damn."

"Wasn't her," Albert muttered. He was leaning against the back wall of the depot. Without his coat. Or shoes. Or anything else except for his shirt, pants and stockings.

One dark, beady eye was swollen shut, and his lips were nothing more than bulbous, bloody masses that hung sadly from his face.

"Uh huh. Sure it wasn't."

"It wasn't! Ouch!"Albert's face twisted in pain and his hands shot to his mouth."Now look what you made me do," he mumbled pitifully.

"Who then?"