CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

As soon as the plane taxied to a stop at Detroit’s Wayne County Airport, Riley and her colleagues were out of their seats and on their feet. The flight attendant made sure that they were the first passengers off the plane. They ran through the jet bridge and into the terminal, flashing their badges at startled security people as they went.

The terminal wasn’t busy at that hour, so they were able to make an unbroken dash to the front of the building. Even so, Riley had the terrible feeling that time was slowing down and they were moving in slow motion.

It seemed impossible that they would get to their destination in time to catch Mason Eggers.

Worse, just as the pilot had warned—it was raining outside where their rental car was waiting for them. That hardly boded well for their efforts to spot and stop a killer.

Riley got behind the wheel of the car, with Jenn next to her and Bill behind them. Hardly a word was said during the short drive to Dunmore, but Riley was well aware that her colleagues must be as anxious and worried as she was.

The rain lessened to a drizzle as Riley drove, but the sky remained ominously dark and overcast, despite the fact that morning was near.

When they reached the outskirts of Dunmore, Riley turned on the vehicle’s GPS system to navigate through the quiet streets of the little town. They were soon making their way through the neighborhood where Mason and Arlene Eggers had once lived.

The area struck Riley as appropriately sad, full of rundown little houses that had seen happier and more prosperous days. Lights were coming on in a few of the windows as people were just beginning to stir. No one was out and about yet, which was just as well.

Riley quickly found the road she had already chosen—one that ran parallel to the train tracks. High streetlights shed some light on overgrown empty lots and the occasional shabby buildings that separated the tracks from the road. None of the buildings themselves were well lighted.

Riley pulled the car to a stop at the side of the road, and she and her colleagues stepped outside. The rain had completely stopped now, but the air and the ground were still wet, and the sky was still dark.

The three agents moved quietly and spoke in hushed voices, knowing that the killer might be anywhere. They couldn’t let him know that they were here, looking for him.

Riley pointed to the tracks and whispered, “Eggers’s wife committed suicide somewhere along this long curve in the tracks. The newspaper didn’t say exactly where. And we sure don’t have time to go searching through old police records to pin the place down.”

They all looked around, hoping to catch some hint of the killer’s presence. But Riley knew that it was of no use. He could have parked a car in any secluded place, and he could be anywhere. He might already be dragging a drugged woman onto the tracks.

Jenn whispered, “This is a long section of track and the visibility is really poor. The three of us won’t be able to watch the entire curve—not from here. Actually, not from any single point. Maybe we should roust up some local cops and raid the whole area with lights and guns.”

Bill shook his head.

“No,” he said. “If he sees anyone coming, he’s likely to just kill the woman and disappear for good. He knows his way around here. Anyway, we don’t have time for that.”

They all were silent for a moment, then Jenn said, “I’ve got an idea, but neither of you is going to like it.”

Riley immediately guessed what Jenn was thinking.

She said, “You think we should split up, check out separate sections of tracks.”

Jenn nodded and added, “We can text message each other when we see something.”

“You’re right,” Riley said. “I don’t like it.”

But as she stood there she realized …

What’s the alternative?

And they had to get moving.

She said reluctantly, “OK, Jenn. You cover this area. Bill and I will drive on ahead and find our own sections.”

Riley and Bill got back into the car as Jenn made her way among the lots and buildings, heading toward the tracks. Riley drove a short distance down the road and dropped off Bill. Then she continued on to find her own spot.

After she parked and made her way between a couple of storage buildings, she saw just how difficult a task they all faced. She had arrived at the tracks, but there was no lighting out here. She could only see a short distance in either direction. She didn’t dare turn on her cell phone flashlight for fear of alerting Eggers to her presence.

Now she knew that she and her colleagues had no choice but to stumble along the tracks until …

Until what?

The sun would come up soon, but the early morning was still and quiet—too still, deathly quiet.

It seemed impossible to imagine that there was anybody but Bill, Jenn, and her for miles around.

Just as Riley was trying to decide which direction to explore, a chilling sound broke the damp, dark silence.

It was the wail of a faraway train whistle.

It has to be now, she realized with a shudder. He must be somewhere near here.

Her phone buzzed. She looked at it and saw a single-word message that Jenn had sent to both her and Bill …

Here!

She’s found him! Riley realized.

Riley broke into a run in Jenn’s direction.

*

When Bill saw the message, he also took off running. He knew he was closer to Jenn than Riley was.

He still hesitated to turn on his cell phone flashlight, which would announce exactly where he was. At least the sky was clearing up and a faint lightness overhead showed that dawn was on the way.

Taking care not to trip on the railroad ties, he ran along as fast as he could.

Finally he saw something moving on the tracks ahead. In a few more strides he could see two struggling figures.

Jenn and Eggers! Bill realized.

He switched on his light and dashed in their direction. When he reached them, he could see that a woman was already bound to the tracks beside the combatants—completely motionless, still unconscious from the drug.

Jenn seemed to be prevailing over her opponent, but Eggers suddenly escaped her grasp. He started away alongside the tracks, with Jenn close behind him.

Bill looked down at the helpless woman at his feet. The sound of the locomotive was growing louder.

Much too close, he realized.

And the woman was taped to the track just as the others had been.

He yelled at Jenn.

“Leave him! I need help here!”

Jenn whirled around. She hesitated but then dashed back and crouched beside Bill.

“He’s getting away,” Jenn complained.

“We won’t let him get far,” Bill said. “Help me with the woman.”

Bill and Jenn both kneeled on the train track. They opened their pocketknives and desperately cut into the dense coils of duct tape that held the woman down.

The woman groaned aloud and murmured, “Where am I?”

By the time they got her loose, she was regaining consciousness.

Suddenly she writhed and kicked, and Jenn shouted out …

“Damn it!”

The writhing victim was free now, and she was terrified. Bill briefly struggled with her and finally managed to heave her completely off the tracks. She rolled over, crying, but stayed where she was.

He heard Riley’s voice call out …

“Bill! Jenn!”

“We’re here!” Bill yelled back.

Now the locomotive’s headlight was visible in the distance. The train was rounding the far end of the curve in the tracks.

Riley yelled, “Get off the tracks!”

Bill moved to do that, but Jenn screamed.

She was still lying where they had struggled with the victim, and Bill could see what was wrong.

The heavy sole of her shoe was wedged sideways under the steel rail.

She couldn’t pull herself loose.

“It’s no use,” Jenn moaned. “Get off.”

Bill’s mind flashed back to another young agent, Lucy Torres, who had died right before his eyes.

Not again, he thought. Never again.

With his pocketknife, he worked to slice the leather shoe, to free Jenn’s foot.

Then Riley was beside him, tugging at Jenn’s leg.

But the light was blinding now.

Bill glanced up and saw the terrifying shape of the locomotive hurtling toward them.

“Go!” Jenn yelled.

For a long moment, it seemed that they would all die there.

Just then, Bill saw Jenn’s whole body lift and turn. The movement twisted the shoe loose from the rail.

Bill looked up and saw Mason Eggers standing over them, lifting Jenn up off the track, turning her whole body so that her foot came free.

Then he tossed Jenn off to the side of the tracks.

Bill and Riley both dove off the tracks into the dirt beside Jenn.

A shattering whistle shook the air.

Then there was the scream of metal on metal as the engineer hit the brakes.

Bill looked back from where he lay and saw Mason Eggers still standing in the middle of the tracks, his arms outstretched, the full glare of the headlight bathing his body in dazzling whiteness.

Looking straight at the engine, Eggers shouted—so loudly that Bill could hear his voice over the roaring engine—

“Arlene!”

Then the locomotive roared past, and Eggers was gone.