Chapter 28

Friday,two weeks later

JOSH,JAKE,CLAIRE,and several other members of the community were waiting under a hastily erected tent at the Sampson depot when an old F Series diesel painted in the colors and containing the logo of a railroad whose name had disappeared in a series of mergers in the seventies,came to a stop beside the old depot.The engine was pulling a tank car and three passenger cars,and nothing else.The tent was equipped with a dozenchairs,a couple of tables,and bottles of water.

The group watched as two middle-aged men emerged from one of the passenger cars,followed by a younger man who was carrying a huge briefcase.One of the men was short and plump,with wavy brunet hair.The second man was as thin as the other one was plump,and was bald.The younger man was a stocky blond.

The short plump man introduced himself as Herman Watson,and his companions as CarltonFowler and Ethan Davis.

“And whom am I addressing,”Watson said.