Page 7 of Night Fall (The Quantico Files 1)

“‘Do you hear the Train Man rumbling in the night?

Can you see his dreadful face grinning with delight?

If you hear his horrid wheels clicking round and round,

Cover your head and plug your ears to block the frightful sound.

For any little boy or girl who hears the Train Man speak,

Who feels his rancid breath caress their pretty cheek,

Must close their eyes, pretend to sleep, and very softly pray,

Or else the evil Train Man may carry them away.’”

She looked up. “The title is ‘The Train Man.’”

The color drained from Jeff’s face.

“TM,” Alex said, her voice cracking. “Train Man. This guy is definitely our UNSUB.”

“Alex, Logan, get to Wichita,” Jeff said, his expression tight. “Monty, I want you to coordinate with Kansas City. They’ll want the task force there, and you can help them set up a command post. I’ll let Stephen know what’s going on. Alex, are you certain your aunt will give you this book?”

She shook her head. “I honestly don’t know. It’s her reason for living. A sacred text that can’t be replaced. All I can do is try.”

“A serial killer may have an extremely deadly pathogen. We don’t have time to worry about her feelings. You bring me that book, Alex,” he said forcefully, “or we’ll do it the hard way. I don’t want to tear apart an old lady’s home, but we’ll do whatever we have to.” He stopped and fastened his gaze back on Moreen.

“What’s this guy’s name?” he asked her.

“Adam Walker. We’re doing a deep search on him now. Trying to figure out where he is. How to find him.”

“Has the CDC been notified? Homeland?”

“The lab has contacted the CDC. I’ll check about Homeland.”

Alex could barely understand the conversation going on around her. Logan was going with her? He would meet Aunt Willow. See where Alex spent her teenage years. It was too much. She had to find a way to stop it.

A thought popped into her head. “I need to confront her alone,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “If Logan is with me, she won’t cooperate. She’ll see him as an enemy. Someone she has to protect herself from. I’m the only one who can talk her into giving up The Book.”

“If she hands it over to you, fine,” Jeff said, looking at her over the rim of his glasses. “Hart will go as backup. He can stay in the car unless he’s needed.”

He stared at her through narrowed eyes, then leaned forward in his chair. “Look, there’s still a slim chance this Walker guy might not have the virus. Perhaps the lab will find their sample. I hope so, but at this point I’d bet money they won’t. Everything’s starting to line up. The poem and the initials on the trains ... too much coincidence for me. The bodies have been found in Missouri, and the missing sample was taken from a lab in Kansas City. We need to proceed as if Adam Walker has the virus and intends to use it. Time is of the essence.”

He stopped and frowned at her. “Why not just get the virus if that’s what he really wanted? Why the murders on trains? Obviously, there’s something about trains and this ... Train Man poem that’s important to him. But how do these killings relate to the virus?”

Alex took a deep breath, again trying to keep her voice steady. “We might actually have a little more time than we think. I’m pretty sure six sacrifices are required before the Destroyer brings death on the earth. I think that’s what these murders are about. I should have realized it sooner.”

“Six sacrifices?” Jeff said.

Alex nodded. “Yes, sir. If I remember right, the sixth sacrifice has to be a virgin. I think he plans to keep going until the last sacrifice has been offered. Then he’ll release the virus.” She cleared her throat. “Having access to The Book will really help. I tried to forget all this. We can’t rely on my memory alone.”

Jeff straightened up in his chair. “I’ll call Alice and tell her to get a flight arranged to Wichita. I want you and Hart at the airport within two hours.”

Alice Burrows was Jeff’s capable and reliable administrative assistant. Alex had no doubt the plane would be ready when Jeff said it would.

Alex and Logan answered “yes, sir” at the same time. Although Jeff usually called them by their first names, when it came to a situation like this, the atmosphere in his office changed. He changed. First names went out the door, and Jeff became “sir.”

“Do you have any idea how we can find this guy, Donovan?” Jeff asked.

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