CHAPTER 14
798 Words
Chapter 14: No More Lies
The old train station fell silent.
Only the distant whistle of a passing freight train echoed through the empty platform.
Daniel stood in front of Lena, shielding her from the armed men.
His grip tightened around the black metal box.
The leader smiled.
“Your choice is simple.”
“The box…”
He pointed the gun toward Lena.
“…or the girl.”
Lena’s breathing became uneven.
She still didn’t know who these men were.
But she knew one thing.
Daniel was terrified.
Not for himself.
For her.
⸻
“Daniel…”
Lena whispered.
“What’s happening?”
He didn’t turn around.
“I’m sorry.”
Those two words caught her off guard.
“For what?”
“For bringing this into your life.”
The leader chuckled.
“Touching.”
“But we’re running out of patience.”
He c****d the pistol.
Daniel slowly knelt and placed the metal box on the ground.
“I’ll give you the box.”
“But let her leave.”
The man laughed.
“You think you’re in a position to negotiate?”
He motioned to one of his men.
“Take it.”
The second man walked forward carefully.
Just as he bent down to pick up the box—
Daniel kicked it across the platform.
The box slid beneath an old cargo train parked on the next track.
“What the—”
Daniel lunged at the man.
His fist connected with the man’s jaw.
The platform erupted into chaos.
⸻
“Run!” Daniel shouted.
Lena stood frozen.
“Run, Lena!”
His voice snapped her back to reality.
She turned and sprinted toward the station entrance.
Two men chased after her.
Daniel blocked one of them with a powerful tackle.
The other kept running.
Lena could hear footsteps gaining behind her.
She looked back—
The man was only a few feet away.
Suddenly—
“Hey!”
The stationmaster swung a heavy luggage cart into the man’s path.
The attacker crashed into it and fell hard onto the platform.
“You alright, miss?” the old stationmaster asked.
Lena nodded breathlessly.
“Daniel…”
She looked back toward the platform.
⸻
Daniel fought desperately.
He wasn’t outnumbered because he lacked skill.
He was outnumbered because he refused to leave Lena behind.
One attacker charged.
Daniel dodged and slammed him into a steel pillar.
Another grabbed him from behind.
Daniel threw him over his shoulder.
But before he could recover—
The leader struck him across the back with a metal rod.
Daniel dropped to one knee.
The leader picked up the pistol.
“This ends now.”
He aimed directly at Daniel.
⸻
“Stop!”
Lena’s voice echoed through the station.
She had come back.
Daniel’s eyes widened.
“What are you doing?”
“I couldn’t leave you.”
The leader smirked.
“How touching.”
He shifted the gun.
Now it pointed at Lena.
Daniel’s heart stopped.
“No!”
Without thinking—
He threw himself between them.
BANG!
The shot echoed through the station.
Everything fell silent.
Lena stared in horror.
Daniel stood motionless.
Then…
He slowly looked down.
A streak of blood ran down his left arm.
The bullet had grazed him.
Before the gunman could fire again—
The sound of police sirens filled the air.
“Weapons down!”
Sheriff Brooks and several deputies rushed onto the platform.
The attackers exchanged panicked looks.
“Move!”
The leader shouted.
Within seconds, they disappeared behind the abandoned freight cars, escaping into the surrounding woods.
⸻
The station became quiet once more.
Lena rushed to Daniel.
“You’re bleeding!”
“It’s just a scratch.”
“A scratch?”
She grabbed his injured arm.
“You’re impossible.”
Despite the pain…
Daniel smiled.
“You’ve said that before.”
She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes.
“You could have died.”
“I know.”
“Why would you do that?”
Daniel met her gaze.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Because I couldn’t lose you.”
Lena’s heart skipped a beat.
For the first time…
Neither of them looked away.
⸻
Sheriff Brooks approached, holding the black metal box.
“I believe this belongs to you.”
Daniel looked at it silently.
The sheriff frowned.
“Who were those men?”
Daniel hesitated.
He could lie again.
Or…
He could finally stop running from the truth.
He looked at Lena.
She gave him a small, reassuring nod.
Taking a deep breath, Daniel spoke the words he had hidden for so long.
“My name…”
He paused.
“…isn’t Daniel.”
Lena’s eyes widened.
The secret she had been waiting for was finally about to be revealed.
- Writer
