Page 37 of Trapped with the Undercover Prince

Marie hurried off.

Luke began to sniffle and cry.

“Hey,” Anna said to him as she put her hand gently on his head. “She’ll be right back.”

Luke seemed to relax a little.

Zar bent close to her ear and said quietly, “Any idea what injuries he might have?”

“I don’t guess or assume anything in cases like this. Especially not with a child.”

Marie returned with a coat in hand.

Anna took it and covered Luke while Marie crooned to her son.

“What’s the status of this rail car?” Anna asked Zar in a normal speaking voice.

“It appears to be propped up or lying on something on the other side, which is why it’s not flush with the ground. We might be able to move the boy if we can raise it a little higher.”

Anna looked at the car with a wince on her face. “Any ideas on how to do that?”

“We’re going to need equipment we don’t currently have at the moment.” More people, too. Zar gestured at Anna to follow him. “Come and see. I’d like your input.” As soon as they were out of earshot of Marie and Luke, Zar asked, “How is he? Should we try to get him out now?”

“I know I told you I don’t guess, but the boy is likely suffering multiple internal injuries and broken bones. We could kill him if we move him without the right equipment at hand.” Her expression, tight and with a clenched jaw, told him what she didn’t say out loud—He might die no matter what they did.

Anger threatened to suck him under, but he beat it back with conscious effort. He’d hold it in reserve until he found the people responsible for this heinous act.

Zar checked his watch and was surprised at how much time had passed. “Help should be arriving any minute.”

“I’m staying with him,” Anna said. “Could you bring medical help here as soon as it arrives?”

“I’ll go, Your Highness,” Jean Paul said.

“No.” Zar put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Stay here with Anna and help her however you can. I need to check in with Marc and Charles, and the first responders are appraised of the entire situation.”

Jean Paul’s gaze narrowed, and he nodded. “Yes, sir.”

With one last glance at Anna, he picked his way through the debris and wrecked rail cars to the emergency exit where he’d left Marc and Charles.

Marc was leaning over the other man, looking no better than when Zar had last seen him. “How is he?”

Marc turned and leaned away, though he kept one hand on Charles’s shoulder. That gave Zar a good view of Charles’s face, but that wasn’t what caught Zar’s attention. There was a piece of metal sticking out of the other man’s neck surrounded by a ring of bloody gauze.

“What—” he began.

Marc cut him off. “His throat was so swollen, he couldn’t breathe.” Marc’s voice was shaky. “Dr. Anna only had her first-aid kit, so she cut a hole in his throat and put in a metal straw one of the other passengers had.” The younger man swallowed hard enough to tell Zar he was having trouble keeping his food down. “He’s better now, breathing at least, but he’s in a lot of pain.”

“He’s just had surgery without an anesthetic; I’d be more worried if he wasn’t in pain.”

Marc swallowed again. “I’ve never seen anything like that. It was... I mean, there was blood, but she just stuck it in, and all of a sudden he could breathe again.” Marc’s gaze met Zar’s. “She’s really...resourceful.”

Zar almost laughed at the revulsion and respect warring on Marc’s face. He patted the other man’s shoulder. “Stay with Charles. Anna is trying to help a child caught under a rail car.”

“Sir,” Marc asked in a quiet voice. “Was it a bomb?”

“Won’t know until the scene is examined by the experts, but a bomb would be the most likely explanation for what happened. There’s very little left of the royal car.”

Around them, the background noise increased. Zar stood and saw that another train going in the opposite direction had come to a stop and train employees had opened the emergency doors on that side of the tunnel.

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