The Subway Had Reached the Terminal

Night fell like a heavy black curtain, slowly covering Houston's sky.

The last glow of sunset vanished beyond the horizon. One by one, the city lights came on, outlining the skyscrapers but unable to penetrate the darkness deep underground.

The lights at the subway entrance cast a cold, ghastly pallor over the four words "Central Station."

Tommy parked by the roadside and pointed at the subway entrance, his voice trembling slightly. "Mr. Li, this is the place. The platform where it happened is Southbound Platform Three. Go down from here and turn left."

Besides Tommy, three men who looked like subway supervisors stood by the road, their faces full of terror.

They held flashlights, their beams wavering over the dark entrance.

"Mr. Li, we'll have to trouble you."

One of the bespectacled supervisors stepped forward and handed him a key.

"This is the key to the platform control room. There are surveillance cameras inside, so you can see what's happening on the platform. But... the cameras failed last night. That thing may have damaged them."

Li Dan took the key, slipped it into his pocket, and said nothing.

"We... we'll only escort you this far."

Another supervisor stammered, avoiding the subway entrance with his eyes. "It's really... we still have things to do, so we'll be leaving now."

Before he had even finished speaking, the three supervisors turned and dove into another car parked by the road as though some monstrous flood were chasing them. They hit the gas and vanished into the night.

Tommy rubbed his hands together and said to Li Dan, "Mr. Li, I'll wait for you up here. If anything happens, contact me through the radio anytime."

Li Dan waved a hand, signaling that he could leave. Tommy hesitated, but eventually started the car and drove