Night Fall (The Quantico Files #1) - Nancy Mehl Page 0,55

he might be able to help us, and if he’s on the level, he may need WITSEC.”

“We’ve already talked to him, as has Chief Rogers,” Harrison said. “We’re bringing him in, and I’ve alerted the U.S. Marshals. They believe he would definitely qualify for the Witness Security Program.”

“Good,” Alex said. “He can at least shed more light on what it’s like to be inside the Circle.”

Harrison reached for a pile of papers and pulled off the top one. “I agree with you about the murders of those women. I doubt it was Walker. And not only because the timeline doesn’t fit. Seems he’s been busy sending another letter to the Kansas City Journal, telling them where we could find sacrifice number five. Thankfully, the paper contacted us and promised not to print the letter . . . for now.”

“I wish they hadn’t printed the first one,” Logan said.

Harrison shrugged. “I guess they thought it would interest the public. At least they’re willing to work with us this time. We impressed on them how dangerous printing this letter could be. We don’t need this guy glorified, and we also don’t want him to know what we know.” Harrison sighed. “He’s trying to be more creative. He knows we’re watching the trains closely. Frankly, if he stuck with the trains, we’d be more likely to catch him. Now we have no idea where he could be. We can’t even find the car registered to him. I’m hoping this letter will tell you something I’m not seeing.”

“When was it mailed?” Alex asked.

“I know why you’re asking. The postmark indicates he was somewhere near Kansas City when your aunt was killed in Wichita.”

“That settles it for me, then. I don’t think he killed Willow or Nettie. In fact, I’m confident of that. The timeline doesn’t work with the first letter from him, and the MO between the murders here and the murders in Wichita doesn’t match.”

Logan took the copy of the letter Harrison handed him and began to read it out loud.

“‘The Master has judged the world and found it wanting. The fifth sacrifice has been offered. The worldly, blind police still haven’t found him. Here is your clue. This is the only help I’ll give you.

‘I’ve sadly benched our number five. Too late to find our friend alive. Instead, I’ve staged a great grand hunt. Don’t rail against my latest stunt.

‘The last sacrifice is already being prepared. It is time for the Virgin to be offered. When this happens, the demons will set the earth on fire. The angels will fight for mankind, but they will lose. The world will know the Master is God. It is the will of the Master, and I delight in serving him. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can understand the plague I will visit upon the earth. You cannot. It is stronger and more dangerous than you can comprehend. We have created something so powerful there is no cure for it. And as you die, I will laugh. LONG LIVE THE MASTER!

‘You should close your eyes, pretend to sleep, and very softly pray,

or else the evil Train Man may carry you away.

‘The Train Man.’”

“I hate that poem,” Logan said. His throat felt tight, and he had to clear it. “So what does this clue mean?”

“It’s Union Station,” Alex said.

“How do you get that?” Logan asked, surprised.

“The words,” she said, looking at Logan as if he were simple. “Grand refers to the Grand Hall. Hunt is the Jarvis Hunt Room. Of course, rail—”

“I get it,” Harrison said. “And stage is probably the City Stage Theatre.”

Alex nodded. “I think our victim is sitting on a bench somewhere near or on the stage.”

Harrison stood and hurried across the room to where a group of detectives from the KCPD had gathered in front of a large map of the trains that ran through their target area. Karen stood and followed him. After the two spoke to them, the detectives grabbed their coats and hurried out the back door, obviously headed for Union Station. One of them already had his phone up to his ear.

“Did you notice this letter says the virus has no cure?” Alex asked Logan.

He nodded. “What does that mean?”

Harrison returned to the room. “We should find our victim soon,” he said. “Karen is staying here so she can coordinate the search.”

“We were just talking about this part of the letter,” Logan said. “‘We have created something so powerful there is no cure for it.’ He