Chapter 99: Coincidence
The slow chugging of the steam trains was a well-deserved sense of relief. Half an hour had gone since John’s capture.
Ten minutes since they had cremated Paul and Tony. It was a unanimous vote led by Ksenia.
Inside the dining compartment, players peered out of the windows, eyes tracing the scenic beauty passing by. The train rumbled along, traversing lush green fields adorned with wildflowers that danced in the gentle breeze. A backdrop of rolling hills, cloaked in a verdant tapestry, stretched as far as the eye could see. Majestic mountains stood sentinel in the distance, their snow-capped peaks glistening under the brilliant sunlight.
Small villages emerged, quaint and inviting, nestled among emerald fields. Farmers toiled in the fields, and children waved excitedly as the train whistled past.
The landscape gradually transformed as signs of urban life emerged. The train approached Sapporo, the cityscape materializing on the horizon. Smoke billowed from chimneys of bustling factories.
The train pulled into the station, letting out a whistle and slowing down.
"Attention, attention, passengers! Danzaburou here! We have arrived at Sapporo Station! I repeat: we have arrived!" The obnoxious tanuki’s voice spoke through the moving coil loudspeaker. The doors jerked open. ’Be proud, my friends! You made it through the murder mystery!"
Kazi sat at a window seat and occupied himself with the snow outside. The clouds were white and rooftops were wrapped in thaw. In the middle of the compartment was a heated discussion. It had been going on since they had captured John Smith.
’It’s not him,’ Kazi thought to himself. ’He’s not Jack. He might wear the mask but it can’t be him. I don’t feel the darkness that Sun-young described. I don’t feel the blood chilling power. Not to mention his h—’
"Can I kill him?"
The question was posed by Nash, whose intent to kill froze the room.