“I’ve got you,” he said.
The door opened from the dining car. “Found you,” one of the men said with a sneer.
Max punched the man, knocking him backward. He and Sabine tore into the door just ahead of them, and they found themselves in a luggage car. Trunks and cases surrounded them, making it difficult to maneuver.
“They’re right behind us,” Sabine said, her voice sharp with fear.
“I’m thinking.” Max dragged a particularly large trunk in front of the door to block it. It wouldn’t keep them out for long, but it might give them a head start. Fortunately, this door was solid, with no window to allow the men to watch their every move.
“Max, in here,” Sabine said.
He turned and found her motioning to an armoire. She opened the doors. Dresses in every color imaginable filled the space.
The car door shook as the men tried to break in.
“You get inside the armoire, behind the rest of those dresses,” he told her. He handed her the pistol he kept tucked in the back of his trouser waistband. “Use this if you need to.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll be right there with you. First, I need to send our friends looking elsewhere for us.” He gave her a reassuring smile, and then he made his way to the opposite door. He opened it slightly to make it appear that they’d gone out that door and into the following car. Then he headed back for Sabine. He shoved trunks to block the path he took to prevent the men from seeing where they hid.
The door slid partially open. “There’s something blocking it,” one of the men yelled.
Max hurried to the armoire, stepped inside, and pulled the doors shut. Immediately the air around him warmed and everything went dark.
A hand grabbed his arm and tugged. He worked his way behind the lace-covered dresses to the back of the armoire where Sabine hid. She clutched his hand. They stood side by side, hidden amid satin and velvet and silk.
The men broke through the blocked door.
“We’ll find them. They can’t hide forever on this train,” one man said.
Sabine held her breath. They both stood still.
The men moved through the luggage car, pushing trunks out of the way, presumably searching for a suitable hiding place for Max and Sabine. Max could see nothing; he could only hear Sabine’s short breaths near his ear, feel her warmth as she huddled next to him. Her breast pressed against his arm, and he longed to turn her, hold her against him. Desire rippled through his legs.
The trunk outside the armoire shifted, scraping against the car floor. Max held firm to the armoire door. Gently, quietly, he pushed the bolt from the inside so that it slid silently into place. He just hoped he’d be able to pull it back and that they wouldn’t be stuck in here until the owners came to claim their clothing.
Someone tugged on the door, and it clattered against the frame. “This is locked,” the man said.
“They’re not in here,” another said. “Next car.” The door moved again, then stilled.
The outer door to the car slid open, then closed. It was too soon to leave the armoire, though. While Max didn’t suspect those men were clever enough to set a trap, he didn’t want to completely ignore the possibility.
“Are you all right?” he whispered close to Sabine’s ear.
She nodded. “Hot,” she murmured.
The air was tight, he couldn’t argue with that. “Just a few more minutes.”
“Then what?” she asked.
“I’ll think of something.”
Max didn’t know how long they hid within the confines of the armoire. Sabine’s breathing came in short spurts. The limited air was getting to both of them. He pulled at the latch, trying to unlock the cabinet, but the bolt would not move.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“The lock is stuck.”