THE ISLAND OF SHADOWS

Chapter 1: The Train Marked Mercer The train disappeared into the moun tains. Jack Mercer stood beside the railroad tracks, staring after it. He still couldn't believe what they had seen. A black train. An abandoned railroad line. And on the final car— MERCER. Sam Carter broke the silence. "Jack?" Jack didn't answer. "Jack!" He finally turned. "What?" Sam pointed toward the tracks. "The compass." Jack looked down. The iron compass was vibrating in his hand. The needle spun wildly. Then it stopped. It pointed toward the mountains. Clara Bennett opened the journal they had taken from Fort Mercer. "We need to figure out what this means