Page 14 of Edinburgh Escape
The steward left the crowd and moved further along the line of cars to meet with others just coming out of the train.
The clump of passengers began to disperse, some talking about going back to bed, others looking at their smartphones for alternate train connections.
Callum circled the crowd, staying out of Maggie’s line of sight, wondering if she’d choose to go back to London or try to make it the rest of the way to Edinburgh on her own.
She stared at her cell phone for a long time, scrolling through what Callum assumed were options.
The group of passengers thinned, leaving her standing alone.
A man emerged from the train, wearing a hat pulled low over his forehead and a dark trench coat with the collar pulled up around his neck.
Callum’s eyes narrowed.
The man glanced left, then right. He didn’t carry a suitcase, and he wasn’t in a hurry until he moved toward Maggie.
With her focus entirely on her cell phone, she didn’t see him until he was almost upon her.
Callum dove for the man, but not soon enough.
The guy in the trench coat wrapped his arm around Maggie’s neck and dragged her toward the edge of the platform.
She dropped her cell phone and grabbed the man’s arm in an attempt to loosen his hold around her neck.
Callum jumped on the man’s back and caught him in a neck lock similar to the one the man held Maggie in. Only Callum applied enough pressure long enough that the attacker let go of his prey, dropping her over the side of the platform onto the track below. Then he reached over his shoulder in an attempt to grab Callum and flip him over his shoulder.
Callum held his ground. Almost as large as the other guy, he wouldn’t easily be flipped over the man’s shoulders. He dug in his heels and held on, leaning back with all his might.
The attacker must have realized he wasn’t going to outmaneuver Callum; he quit trying to flip him over his shoulder and went limp. Either that, or he really had lost consciousness.
Callum refused to loosen his arm around the man’s neck, now taking on all of the big guy’s weight. He staggered several steps but remained unrelenting.
A whistle sounded down the line of cars as a steward warned the train would be leaving soon.
Callum had to rid himself of the oaf and get Maggie off the tracks soon, or she could be crushed when the train started moving.
With the steward too far away and facing the opposite direction to see what was happening, Callum couldn’t rely on him to help.
Callum dragged the man backward, away from the tracks. Once he was out of view of the steward or anyone else who might be watching, he loosened his hold on the man’s neck.
Immediately, the man jerked free and swung around, his fist bunched and ready.
Callum kicked him in the groin.
As the man doubled over, Callum brought his fists together and slammed them into the man’s nose, sending him staggering backward. He hit the wall and slid downward, his nose gushing blood.
Callum gave him one last glance and dove for the train and the track below.
Maggie pulled herself up to the edge of the platform.
When Callum bent over the edge of the platform, Maggie shrank back.
He held out his hand. “It’s me,” he said. “Callum.”
Her brow furrowed as she stared up at him. “What are you doing here?”
His lips twitched on the corners. “Saving you from an attack.”
“What happened to the man who attacked me?”
