### **Murder on the Bus (Continued)**

"Whoever did this wants us to know they're still out there," Thanh said, his voice barely above a whisper as he processed the chilling message.

Mai glanced around, her eyes wide with apprehension. "We need to find a way to secure this area. If the killer is still on this bus, we can't let them get away."

Thanh nodded, moving toward the back of the bus to keep an eye on the passengers. The young woman was still trembling, and the elderly lady looked on the verge of a breakdown. The teenager had retreated to a corner, staring blankly at the scene in shock.

"Everyone, listen up!" Thanh called out, trying to project calmness. "We’re in a dangerous situation, and we need to work together. I want everyone to stay seated and keep quiet. We're going to figure this out, but we need your cooperation."

As he spoke, Mai examined the bloodstained paper more closely, hoping to find any clue that could lead them to the killer. "It looks like there’s something written on the back," she said, flipping the paper over.

The back was smudged, but with the help of the flashlight, they could make out a faint outline of another message. It read: "They won't stop until the last one falls."

Mai's heart raced. "This feels like a warning—a threat. It’s personal, and the killer has a motive."

Just then, the bus lights flickered back to life, illuminating the interior. The passengers flinched at the sudden brightness, and Thanh took the opportunity to reassess the situation.

"Let's split up and ask everyone questions," he suggested. "We need to see if anyone noticed anything unusual before the lights went out."

As they moved from passenger to passenger, Thanh felt a knot tighten in his stomach. The atmosphere was tense, and the fear in the air was palpable. Each person’s story was more bizarre than the last, filled with half-formed excuses and frightened glances.

The young woman with the headphones finally spoke up. "I was listening to music when I heard a thud. I took off my headphones, but it was too late. I saw him... I saw the knife."

The teenager chimed in, his voice shaky. "I thought I heard someone whispering right before everything went dark. I thought I was just imagining it."

Thanh's brow furrowed. "Whispering? Do you remember what was said?"

"I... I don't know. It was too quiet," the teenager stammered, clearly still in shock.

Meanwhile, Mai returned to the front, her expression serious. "The driver’s jacket was soaked, but I didn’t find anything else. We need to get out of here and find the driver. Maybe he knows something."

"But the doors are locked," Thanh reminded her, glancing back at the still-seated passengers. "We can’t let anyone leave. Not yet."

Just then, a loud banging sounded from the front of the bus, jolting everyone in their seats. The driver’s voice came through, muffled and panicked. "Open the door! Please! I need help!"

"Is that the driver?" Mai exclaimed, rushing to the front to unlock the door. Thanh followed closely behind her, his heart racing.

As the door swung open, the driver stumbled in, drenched and gasping for breath. "They… they attacked me!" he shouted, eyes wide with fear. "I barely got away!"

"Who attacked you?" Thanh pressed, taking a step closer.

"Them! The passengers!" he cried, pointing back toward the seats. "They’re not who they seem!"

Panic erupted again among the passengers as they all shifted in their seats, eyes darting nervously. "What are you talking about?" Mai demanded, trying to make sense of the chaos.

"I was talking to a couple of the regulars when it happened," the driver explained, still panting heavily. "I stepped out to check the tire, and then someone hit me from behind. When I turned, I saw them—they were in masks! They were looking for someone!"

"Looking for someone?" Thanh echoed, bewildered. "Why would they attack you then?"

The driver shook his head, trying to collect his thoughts. "I don’t know! They were saying something about getting revenge, but I didn’t stick around to hear the rest. I ran back to the bus when I could. But now I don’t know who to trust."

The elderly lady gasped, clutching her handbag tighter. "This is madness! We need to call the police!"

"Not yet," Thanh replied firmly. "We need to figure out who is behind this first. If there’s a killer among us, we can’t let them escape."

The bus fell silent, and for a moment, the only sound was the rain pounding against the windows. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Mai stepped forward, her eyes scanning the passengers. "We need to confront each person and find out what they know. If there’s a chance one of them is involved, we can’t let them leave."

The passengers shifted nervously in their seats, fear written on their faces. Thanh could feel the pressure mounting, and he knew they needed to act fast before chaos erupted again.

"Alright, let’s start with you," Thanh said, pointing to the young woman with the headphones. "You were the last to speak before the lights went out. What else did you hear?"

The young woman looked terrified, her eyes darting around the bus. "I swear, I don’t know anything! I just wanted to get home!"

"Then tell us why you looked so nervous when the lights went out," Mai pressed, stepping closer.

Before she could respond, the teenager suddenly shouted, "Wait! I remember something!" Everyone turned to him, and he continued, "When the lights went out, I saw someone move toward the back. I thought it was just my imagination, but now... it might be important."

"Who was it?" Thanh asked urgently.

"I couldn’t see their face; it was too dark. But they seemed tall, like they were wearing a hood," the teenager stammered.

The bus erupted in a cacophony of voices, everyone talking over each other, panic setting in once again. Thanh took a deep breath, trying to regain control.

"Enough!" he shouted. "We’re going to take turns speaking. I want everyone to sit still and wait for your chance to talk."

As he spoke, Thanh noticed something out of the corner of his eye—a shadow moving at the back of the bus. He turned, flashlight beam sweeping toward it, but it was gone.

"Did anyone see that?" he asked, his voice low.

The driver nodded. "I saw someone move back there earlier. I thought it was just the shadows."

Mai took a step toward the back, determined to confront whatever—or whoever—was lurking there. "Stay behind me," she instructed, as she approached slowly.

The atmosphere grew tense as everyone watched, holding their breath. The shadows seemed to deepen, and the flickering lights cast eerie shapes across the back of the bus.

Suddenly, the back door of the bus flew open, and a figure burst in—a man in a dark hoodie, his face obscured by shadows. He looked around frantically, eyes wide with panic.

"They’re coming! We need to get out of here!" he shouted, breathless and terrified.

Before anyone could react, he lunged forward, pushing past Mai and Thanh, heading toward the front of the bus.

"Stop him!" Thanh shouted, but it was too late. The man barreled through the crowd, knocking passengers aside as he tried to escape.

As he reached the front, he grabbed the driver and swung around, holding him hostage with a knife. "Get back! I’ll kill him if you try to stop me!"

The bus was plunged into chaos again, passengers screaming, desperate to get away from the scene. Thanh felt his heart race as he tried to think of a way to defuse the situation.

"Wait!" he called out, raising his hands in surrender. "Let’s talk! You don’t have to do this!"

But the man’s eyes were wild, filled with desperation. "They’ll come for me! I have to get away!"

"Who’s coming for you?" Mai asked, trying to understand. "We can help you!"

"I can't tell you! They’ll kill me!" he shouted, glancing nervously toward the back door.

In that moment of distraction, Thanh saw his chance. He moved closer, trying to keep his voice steady. "Please, just put the knife down. We can get you out of here safely."

As he spoke, the driver slowly shifted his weight, trying to free himself from the man’s grip. It was a dangerous game, and Thanh knew that one wrong move could lead to tragedy.

Just then, the back door burst open again, and two figures rushed in—masked individuals brandishing weapons. "Get down!" one shouted.

The chaos escalated as passengers screamed, and the man holding the knife turned in shock. "No! Stay back!" he yelled, pushing the driver forward as a shield.

But before anyone could react, the masked figures opened fire, the shots echoing in the confined space. The sound was deafening, and Thanh ducked to the ground, his heart racing as he tried to process what was happening.

In that moment of turmoil, everything seemed to slow down. He caught a glimpse of the driver stumbling, falling to the floor, and the man with the knife crumpling as bullets struck him.

The bus erupted into chaos, screams mingling with the sound of gunfire. The masked assailants rushed toward the front, their focus on the fleeing man.

"Get back!"