The seed

April 11th, 2020

Wagon D

"I'm sure it's him."

"No way, man ! One of the most wanted man in the country, would take the train ? Just like that ?"

"I know it sounds weird but have you noticed his scar ? That's exactly the way the man was described in the news 7 months ago !"

"Oh yeah ? What about the beard then ? And the Afro ? Suddenly our banker would run around like a he was guy coming from the eighties ? "

"Exactly ! That his disguise !"

"..."

"What ? You don't believe me aren't you ?"

"How can I believe you ? Who would ? And i'm not one hundred percent sure that's the guy !"

"Oh ? You don't remember the story ? The story of a man who has kidnapped, tortured and killed two young woman?"

"...Okay, I do remember it ..."

"No, you said you didn't ! So I'm gonna show you the article so that you will see that, THAT's our guy !"

"Shut up man ! Shut the UP ! Why are you yelling ? Show me the DAMN article alright !"

Johnny opened up his laptop and start browsing. He was holding it close to Daniel. Not only so that they would see the article together,

but also to prevent anybody else, especially the guy with the Afro who was seating two seats behind them.

"There you go ! Do you see now ? I'm not crazy !"

"Could you please shut up! Let me read the damn article"

"Alright, buddy, alright ..."

Daniel, looked at article. Then different pictures . Because he had some condition, he took his pair of glasses, adjusted them on

his nose and started to read the article from the Virginia Daily Post, while mumbling in his white beard 

" ...The two teenagers who were reported missing 2 months ago have been... Both of them were beaten to death...The police is looking for Joakim Hackman the owner of the property where ... "

" Mr Joakim Hackman a banker, the owner of the property and the first suspect has since disappeared without notice, leaving his wife and daughter ... "

Daniel, saw the picture of the man...It was a family picture. The face of the wife and daughter was blurred for obvious reasons.

Daniel, wasn't convinced yet.

"I need to see his face closer ! "

"How ? Are you gonna show up in front of the man and simply say : Hey man, I just want to see your face. "

"I'm not that stupid."

"So, what's your plan ... I mean what's our plan "

"Please, do not raise your voice like that it will make us more suspicious."

"So what's the issue ? We are in a fucking train. Going at 155 miles per hour, what he's gonna do ?"

"...Forget about it...Okay, here is what i'm going to do..."

Daniel explained slowly to Johnny what he wanted to do to see the man closer without raising any suspicion.

"That sounds good to me."

A few minutes later. Daniel got up, faked to fix his belt, passes Johnny and started to walk in the direction of the man's seat.

When he was close to the man he took a quick look at him. During these few seconds that seems like an eternity to Daniel, he noticed a few strange things.

The man didn't pay attention to him because he was concentrated on his laptop.

The laptop was a little bit too big and had red LEDs and some stickers on it. For Daniel, it wasn't his. What banker, put stickers of cartoons on his laptop.

The man had a big backpack that was on the other seat. 

Daniel was puzzled, he couldn't figure out to which type of guy this man was. 

But what striked him was the obvious resemblance between our man and the guy in the article he saw a few moments ago.

After passing the seat of the man, Daniel had a strange reaction.

" Damn it ! Toilet are in the other direction ! I'm getting old !"

He said to Johnny earlier that,with his grey hair, glasses and clothing style nobody will find that remark strange.

And indeed nobody seemed to pay attention to this old man.

And after that, he moved to the other direction while giving another look to our man's computer before going to the toilet.

His screen was black. He only saw green-ish letters everywhere. In his mind it looked like those stuff that we see in spy movies.

This further convinced Daniel. 

While going to the toilet he thought : " That's him. For sure that's him."

The toilet

There was a young mother with her child waiting for the women's toilet to be open.

The men's toilet was also occupied, so Daniel started to talk.

"Are you waiting to go in ?" He said while pointing to the men's room ?

" Oh, no i'm going with her in our room"

"Oh...OH ! I'm sorry, I thought she was a boy ... you know with the short hair and jean ..."

"They all said that at school." said the young girl.

"Sorry young lady"

"Whatever, I like my hair style."

"Hey, that's the most important ! Always do what's best for you, that's what my mother used to tell me back in the days."

"Back in the days ...That's explain the clothing style..."

" Leslie ! That's not how you talk to your elders"

"That's fine...that's fine. She's right, I'm not the young man I used to be."

At this moment, the women's toilets opened. The lady coming out didn't say a word. She simply nodded at the three people and went back to her seat.

"OK, let's go Leslie."

"But mom, i can do this on my own! I'm fourteen you know ?"

"Are you sure ?"

"Positive."

"Alright, be careful. Text me if something is wrong."

Leslie closed the door without answering to her mom.

"I'm sorry for her comment."

"That's OK, i'm used to it now. Different generation. I guess."

"Yeah ... to be honest...I'm a little bit worried about her...you know...With all those stuff that we see on the news. I really want her to have a happy life and avoid all those dangerous stuff that teenagers do nowadays."

"I understand. I understand you perfectly...And speaking of dangerous stuff ..."

At this moment, Daniel glanced to take a look inside his wagon. To see if the man was still at his place.

"I do have to warn you madam."

"Warn me ? About what ?"

"I ... I don't know how to say it ... but it seems that we have a predator in our train."

She wide-eyed and opened her mouth like she was about to scream. But before any sound came out of her mouth, she covered her mouth with her hands.

" Please, keep it for yourself, for the moment. I have to talk to my friend before speaking to a steward. But it seems that our guy is the one that have killed two teenagers a few months ago."

"The Belle Haven case?"

"Yep."

"Are you sure ?"

"Madam...I wasn't convinced when my friend told me that...but I've seen the man with my own eyes and despite the Afro and the beard...i'm convinced that's him"

"O Lord !"

"Shh...please do not panic...We have to remain calm and keep act as if nothing changed...If he notices a change in the way people act...I'm sure he will do something...Maybe harm someone"

She nodded.

"So as soon as ..."

At this moment, they were interrupted by a man coming out of the men's toilet.

" The throne is yours my friend! ", he said it with a big smile and then went back to the wagon D.

Daniel smiled back at him and waited for the door to close, before continuing his conversation.

" So as soon as we are one hundred percent sure, we will contact the authorities. In the mean time, you better remain calm and watch your daughter."

Melinda was shocked; but remained calm until Daniel disappeared in the men's toilet.

She was puzzled. Am I going back to my seat ? Do I wait for Leslie ? She wasn't sure about what to do.

But after a few seconds of hesitation. She rushed into wagon C where she was seating with her daughter and without noticing the car attendant that was preparing a hot beverage for an old lady, crashed into her.

Fortunately, the beverage didn't spill.

" Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't saw you and ..."

She was hyperventilating. The car attendant noticed it.

"It's OK, madam. Everything is fine. Nobody was harmed."

After those last words, Melinda's face became livid.

The car attendant saw it and asked her to wait. It seems that to her, something bad happened.

"Are you okay ?"

"I...I'm fine...it's just..."

"Okay, this is what we are going to do. I'm gonna give the lady right here her cup tea and we will go together to the kitchen to give you some water. Is it fine for you ?"

She simply nodded as an answer.

The Kitchen

Melinda was drinking the glass of water.

Sonia looked at her.

At first she thought that something happened while she was in the toilet.

But she waited to hear what could possibly worry this young mother.

When she finished, Sonia took her glass and put it with the other glasses to be washed later. 

She drew the curtains that separated the kitchen to the rest of the wagons.

First the one leading to wagon C where Melinda was coming from. And then the other one.

" Now, nobody is watching us. You are in a safe space now. "

She nodded again.

"Did something happened ... in the toilet."

After these words, Melinda whose the face had retrieved some colors a few moments ago, became livid again.

But this time, she was ready to talk. 

" I met a man ..."

" In the toilet ?

" Yes ..."

" Did he do something to you ? "

" The man ? "

" Yes ."

" No ... but he said something about another man ?"

" Which one ?"

" Another man in his wagon "

" Okay ..."

" He said that ... ", she couldn't contain her tears.

" Okay, Melinda, please calm down. There is nobody here, nobody is going to judge you, it's just you and me like two sisters alright ?"

"...I don't want something happens to my daughter ..."

" Nothing will happen to your daughter. Just tell me what the man you've met in the toilet said to you, okay?"

" Okay ...He said that the predator that have killed the two teenagers a few months ago is one the train! On his wagon!"

" The Belle Haven case ? "

" Yes ... this one !"

" If i'm not mistaken, the police is still looking for the murderer."

" That's what i'm telling you! There is a murderer in the train and I don't want my daughter to be harmed by him ! "

" OK Melinda, you'll have to lower your voice okay. We are already in a complicated situation, don't make it more suspicious for the other passengers alright?"

" Fine."

" Okay...you know it's a very serious accusation."

" I know it. But he SAW him ! With his own eyes ! That should be enough to convince you !"

" Okay, okay. Listen, here is what we are going do. Go back to your seat ..."

" No i'm going to wait in front of the toilet until my daughter is finished."

" Perfect. Go wait your daughter. As soon as she comes out, you both go back to your seats and wait patiently. Alright ?"

" Yes."

" We don't want to alarm other passengers. Do not talk about it to anyone else alright ?"

" Okay."

" Okay. I ... I'm gonna talk to the captain and we will take all the necessary actions."

" Thank, you . Thank you very much."

" Remember what i told you. Do not talk about it, i will handle it alright."

" Alright."

After that tense discussion, Melinda went back to the toilet. Sonia was puzzled. Was it real ? Did the man she mentioned really saw the same man that the police didn't catch for months?

How one of the most wanted man in the country right now, could take the train just like that ? 

While she was thinking about what just happened, the curtain leading to wagon B suddenly opened.

Sonia almost screamed.

" Huh ... are you alright ? Did i scared you ?"

"Shh Alison " she said while drawing the curtain back to block the view and rushing Alison inside.

" Are ... you ... OK ?"

" I am ... I am sorry...for pushing you but i think we have a situation."

" What ? Again ? Don't tell me it's again a couple use the toilet to do their business! I'm not cleaning for their mess anymore! People have houses, with rooms so they should use THEIR room! I'm tired of this shit!"

" No no no no...calm down... That's not it. It's far more serious than that."

" What? Another juicy story ! Tell me more !"

" No! When i mean serious, i mean real serious !"

" Okay, you're frightening me right now."

" You better remain calm because, i am the one who has been frightened by what i just heard."

" I'm listening."

" Well...it seems that we have a problem in wagon D."

" A problem ? What kind of problem ?"

" That's what i'm about to tell you ... can you please just listen to me without interrupting me every damn second!"

" Alright, alright tell me more about this problem."

" OK. Do you remember the Belle Haven story ? About the two teenagers that were beaten to death ?"

" Yeah...how can anybody not remember that horrible story..."

" Precisely. Well, it seems that the man who did it is here !"

" What do you mean by here?"

" I mean right here in this train, sitting in a wagon D"

" Wait what ?!?"

" Yes, you've heard me very well. We have a murderer in our train."

" O Lord ! It has to be on my train ? Why it has to be on my train ?!"

" Calm down ! Calm down because there is only the four of us in this locomotive and we don't know what this guy is capable of."

" Four ... you're talking about us and the two drivers "

" Yes! So since only one of them will remain at his post, we are down to three."

" O Lord !"

" Please stop with the O Lord ! He is not here to save us ! If we have to do something to stop that bastard, we have to do it right now. "

" Why right now ? We can wait until we arrive to our destination and alert the police ?"

" Are you serious ? A murderer of that caliber can easily vanishes ! And that's precisely what he has done the past 7 months. So if we have to do something, it's now or never."

" What are we gonna do ?"

" We will first tell Bob and Malik about this. I'm sure they have a gun or something to protect us and keep the man in his place."

" I prefer Bob, because Malik seems too cute and skinny, he wouldn't be as frightening as Bob."

" Alison, who cares?! Who cares ?! It doesn't matter who comes. What's important is that we capture this guy and keep him far from the other passengers.Understood"

" Understood!"

After a brief discussion with the two drivers, Bob decided to take the safety gun and go to wagon D with the two stewardesses to capture murder.

The idea was to lock up the man in the toilet while they arrive to the next station.

In the meantime, Malik , the other driver, would contact the authority in order to make sure they are already there to intervene.

The three people were walking toward the wagon D. Bob was in the front. The two ladies followed him behind.

They didn't walk fast. But their group did catch the attention of some passengers.

People spoke after their passage. When Melinda saw Sonia and the captain, she grabbed her daughter who didn't understood why.

Sonia gave her a discrete nod. She answered by whispering a " thank you " that only both of them understood.

When they entered the wagon D, people didn't notice them at first. But as soon as Bob started to walk, everyone paid attention.

Our 6 foot 8, 249 pounds driver couldn't be unnoticed. His bald head and especially his beard, made his look fear-inspiring.

And fear was indeed what he wanted to project to that murderer to diffuse the situation and lock him up without causing any ruckus.

Daniel and Johnny were discretely arguing. But as soon as they saw the uniform of the man coming, they knew he was there for HIM.

They saw Bob talking to the guy asking him his papers. The man did seem worried. 

" I told you that it was him! Look how he trembles ! "

" I know ... I know... But who warn them ?"

" Who cares man ! That bastard is going to spend the rest of his life behind bars !"

Then the man stood up.

Bob and him started to walk toward the toilet.

The two stewardesses took his belongings. 

The four people left the wagon without causing any trouble.

April 18th, 2020

Virginia Daily Post, front page

"Update on the Belle Haven murder case"

Last week, it was reported in the issue 4910 that the murderer of Jennifer Grant (18 y/o) and Sylvia Donnovan (17 y/o)

was arrested...

Although, all the information we had from our sources indicated that the man was indeed Mr Joakim Hackman,

the man was released today....

His DNA didn't match with Mr Hackman...

The Police issue his apologies to Mr Rodney Becker and his family for the ...

....

Chief Editor, Edmund Dawson.