Linda's voice was hoarse as she tried to alert the other passengers. "We're being surrounded! We need to get out of here, now!"

The young woman's eyes widened in fear, while the businessman and the students looked at her in confusion. The elderly man was nowhere to be seen, and Linda's heart sank as she realized he might have been the first target.

As she tried to rally the passengers, the masked men began to move in, their guns drawn. Linda's hand instinctively went to her bag, but she knew her pistol would be no match for the gang's firepower.

Just as all hope seemed lost, the stranger reappeared, his eyes locked on the men with a fierce intensity. "Get down," he whispered to Linda, his voice low and urgent. "I'll handle this."

Linda's instincts screamed at her to be cautious. She didn't know this stranger or his motives, and she wasn't about to put her life in his hands. She slowly backed away from him, her eyes fixed on the gang closing in.

"I don't need your help," she whispered, her hand tightening around her bag.

The stranger's eyes narrowed, but he didn't move. "Suit yourself," he said, his voice low and even. "But you're making a mistake."

As the gang closed in, Linda realized her mistake. She was trapped, with no way out. The stranger might have been her only hope, and now she was alone and defenseless.

The leader of the gang, a tall, muscular man with a scar above his left eyebrow, sneered at her. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? A little police officer, all alone and vulnerable."

Linda's heart raced as the man approached her, his gun trained on her head. She knew she was in grave danger, and she had no one to blame but herself.


Linda's mind raced as she weighed her options. She knew reasoning with the gang leader was unlikely to work, and surrendering would put her at their mercy. With a surge of adrenaline, she decided to make a desperate attempt to escape.

She darted to the side, hoping to slip past the gang leader and make a run for the door. But he was too quick, and he grabbed her arm, yanking her back. Linda struggled to free herself, but he held her in a vice-like grip.

Just as he raised his gun to strike her, the stranger intervened, his movements swift and precise. He knocked the gun aside and delivered a swift kick to the gang leader's stomach, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Come on," the stranger urged, pulling Linda towards the door. "We need to get out of here, now."

Linda hesitated, unsure if she should trust this mysterious stranger. But as the gang members closed in, she knew she had no other choice.

Who are they?" Linda asked the young woman, her voice low and cautious.

The woman glanced around nervously before leaning in close. "They're part of a gang," she whispered. "They've been causing trouble on this route for months. The authorities are too afraid to do anything about it."

Linda's grip on her bag tightened. She had heard rumors of gangs targeting trains, but she had never thought she'd encounter one firsthand.

Just then, the train lurched to a stop, throwing Linda and the young woman off balance. The lights flickered, and the air was filled with the sound of grinding metal and hissing brakes.

Linda's heart racing, she pulled aside the curtain and peered out the window. The train was stranded in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by dense bushes and trees that seemed to stretch up to the sky. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the desolate landscape.

As she gazed out the window, she noticed something strange - a group of men, their faces obscured by masks and their bodies clad in black, emerging from the bushes. They moved with a fluid grace, their eyes fixed on the train with an unnerving intensity.

Linda's instincts screamed at her to get away, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot. The men began to surround the train, their movements choreographed with a sinister precision.

The stranger's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed intently on the group of youths. For a moment, Linda thought she saw a flicker of something - anger, perhaps, or concern - but it was quickly replaced by his usual impassiveness.

As she watched, he slowly rose from his seat, his movements fluid and deliberate. Linda's hand instinctively went to her bag, her heart racing with anticipation.

But to her surprise, the stranger didn't approach the youths. Instead, he walked over to the elderly man in the corner and began to speak to him in a low, soothing tone. The old man looked up, his eyes clouding with confusion, and the stranger gently helped him to his feet.

Together, they made their way to the exit, the stranger's eyes never leaving the group of youths. Linda was baffled - what was he doing?


Linda decided to return to her seat, her eyes still fixed on the stranger and the elderly man as they disappeared into the next carriage. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

As she settled back into her seat, she noticed the young woman who had been harassed by the youths earlier was now sitting in the stranger's vacant seat, her eyes fixed on Linda with a mixture of gratitude and fear.

"Thank you," the woman whispered, her voice barely audible over the din of the train. "Thank you for not intervening. Those boys can be dangerous."

Linda nodded, her mind racing with questions. Who was the stranger? What was his motive for helping the elderly man? And what did the young woman mean by her warning?

Here's the next part of Chapter 1:

As the train picked up speed, Linda's gaze wandered to the other passengers in the carriage. There was a young couple, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes, oblivious to the potential danger lurking outside. An elderly man sat in the corner, his eyes fixed on a worn-out book his lips moving silently. A group of rowdy students, likely returning to school after a break, laughed and joked, their carefree spirits a stark contrast to Linda's tense mood.

Just as she was starting to relax, the stranger's eyes locked onto hers again, sending a shiver down her spine. She quickly looked away, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

Just then, a harried-looking businessman, briefcase in hand, rushed into the carriage, apologizing profusely for his lateness. He nodded to Linda and the stranger as he made his way to the last empty seat, his eyes fixed on his phone.

As the train rumbled on, Linda's attention was drawn to a commotion at the far end of the carriage. A group of boisterous youths, clearly intoxicated, were harassing a young woman, their lewd comments and catcalls making her visibly uncomfortable.

Linda's instincts kicked in, and she rose from her seat, her eyes locked on the group. The stranger's gaze followed hers, his expression unreadable.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Asp Linda Garba settled into her seat on the train, her eyes scanning the familiar landscape of Abuja's outskirts. She had made this journey countless times before, but today felt different. Today, she was on high alert.

The recent string of abductions and robberies on this route had her on edge. She had her service pistol hidden in her bag, and her mind was racing with scenarios.

As the train chugged out of the station, Linda noticed a peculiar stranger sitting across from her. He was tall, with piercing eyes and a scar above his left eyebrow. He seemed to be staring at her, his gaze unnerving.

"Who is this guy?" Linda wondered, her hand instinctively reaching for her bag.

What happens next?

DISCLAIMER

This novel is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real events, persons, or places is coincidental. The characters and their experiences are fictional, and any similarity to actual individuals or events is unintentiona.

The story is meant to entertain and provoke thought, not to perpetuate harmful stereotypes or glorify violence.



PROLOGUE

The rails stretched out like a snake, winding its way through the heart of Nigeria. The train hurtled forward, a steel beast carrying dreams, hopes, and fears. In its belly, passengers slept, unaware of the fate that awaited them. The darkness outside was about to seep in, and the journey would become a nightmare.



INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Abuja-Kaduna railway, a route that promised connection and progress. But on this fateful day, the train would become a battleground, a testing ground for courage, wits, and survival. Meet Asp Linda Garba, a police officer with a fierce determination and a heart of gold. She's about to face her greatest challenge, as the train becomes a scene of tragedy, sorrow, comedy, and mystery.

You can call me crazy
No Nuts

I have issues with my sanity
Madness!? Surely not

It's inside and I hid it
Fro my selfish glut

They say my brain is unfit
Some even said I was a smut

Please just call me crazy
Because I'm loosing it

In here it feels so mazy
Like ancient riddles of Greeks

I am going so dementia
I need to go south or haywire

I think I am crazy
Please save me from myself

Ahmadgani©

It is not the hunger
Nor the thirst of water
Making rumbling noise in my tummy

It is not the lies
Nor the empty promises
Made every four years

It is the pain that have been caused
By the guns and ammo of Brutes

It is the pain that have been caused
By unrepentant rapists and paedophiles

It is the pain that have been caused
By preachers telling lies while misleading the gullible

What do I know?

I am but a messenger of Hope and truth
With strong convictions of firm resolute

For how long shall we live by their rules?
For how long shall we bury our own soak in Blood?

Blood of greed
And west conspiracies

I am not a coward
Nor am I a fool
Who shall continue to remain a mute

I raise my voice through my pen
I speak for all without a pence

Let your ear hear what you can see
And let your eyes see what you can hear

Till life do us part

Love in my heart
Lust on your mind
Affections on my part
Trust from behind
Thoughts of your touch
None to be precise
How is the much
Role you reprised
Taste of your lips
Felt in my tongue
Curve of your hips
Eternal bonds
Texture of your skin
Sweet in my head
Mixed with your kiss
Soaked off the bed
The love making
My heart unlocked
The moan sounding
Place i was stuck
My body your want
Minus the love
Resist you i cant
Despite this though
You are my friend
Just for the benefit
How can this end
When we couldn't just be

The ding ding from the gluttons belly
Is like the sound of thunder from Satan's roar

A finger from a greedy hand
Is like an arrow from a hunter's bow

The heart beat from a looter's thirst
Is like a shot from a robber's gun

The saliva from a liar's tongue
Is like a venom from mamba's vain

The smile of a mischievous soul
Is like a pain caused by bad harvest
i dance in circles i fly in cradles

The deed's been done
Waiting we are sarcastically
The sky vomited
Blood it poured
The earth erupted
Pain it bore
I thought of time in time
Man in a state of loss
Knoweth He not
Dirty linen cleaned in public
Hunters then began to tremble
Scared of things Unknown
I am but just a hope
Of dreams unrealised
What do my brains know?
That made my heart heavy
And made my mind plumping
With pains and tumor
I had to take a chance
So help me God