Chapter One — The Stranger at Platform Six
Rain had turned the windows of Harbor Central Station into sheets of silver.
Eli Mercer was finishing his evening cleaning round when he noticed an old man sitting alone beneath the clock at Platform Six.
The station was crowded, but nobody seemed to notice him.
The man was pale. His hands trembled, and his coat was soaked through.
Eli stopped his cart.
“Sir, are you all right?”
The old man tried to smile.
“I'll be fine.”
“You don't look fine.”
“I've had better evenings.”
Eli crouched beside him.
“Can you stand?”
The man shook his head.
Eli reached into his backpack and pulled out his water bottle.
“Here. Drink this.”
The old man hesitated.
“You keep it.”
“I can get another.”
It was not true. Eli had spent his last dollar that morning.
Still, he handed over the bottle.
The stranger drank slowly.
“Thank you,” he said.
Eli stayed beside him until station security arrived.
Before the medical team took the old man away, he looked at Eli carefully.
“What is your name?”
“Eli.”
“Eli what?”
“Mercer.”
The old man repeated the name as though it meant something.
“Mercer.”
Then he smiled.
“I think I owe you more than a bottle of water.”
Chapter Two — A Hidden Identity
The following morning, Eli was called to the station manager's office.
He expected a warning for leaving his assigned area.
Instead, the same old man was sitting inside.
He was wearing a clean suit.
His name was Samuel Reed.