EPISODE 9
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Grade 1, Class A
The pupils sit neatly at their desks. At the back of the room, nannies and private attendants occupy a row of chairs against the wall. Tiberius approaches Damen Von Brandt's desk, small but resolute.
Tiberius: (Soft, polite) Hello there. I'm Tib…
Damen: (Eyes fixed on his book, voice calm and unhurried) Stay away from me.
Tiberius pauses, expression blank for a moment, then presses on gently.
Tiberius: I rather like your pencil. I know—why don't we exchange pencils? As a sign of friendship…
Damen looks up slowly. Without expression he lifts his pencil.
Damen: You want this?
Tiberius: Mm. (Nods).
Damen snaps the pencil in two with a clean crack. The halves clatter to the floor.
Damen: There. You can have it.
Yancy: (Quietly, to himself) Well, that's rather impolite.
Nanny Amina: (Approaching with a warm smile) Good morning. I am Amina Bahati, nanny to little Von Brandt over there. (nods toward Damen)
Yancy: (Light laugh) 😄 And I'm with little Kamen over there.
Nanny Amina: I do apologise for Damen's manner. He is carrying a great deal at present, so he does not socialise much.
Yancy: Ah. I see.
Class Mistress: Right, everyone—let's begin.
Thirty minutes pass in quiet lessons.
Yancy Wil jots down notes as well.
Yancy: {Hmm, rather an interesting concept—I still haven't the foggiest what they're on about.}
The Assistant Class Master walks in carrying a box of A4 sheets.
Class Master: (Closing the marker) Ah, Mr. Alice, you're here.
Mr. Alice walks calmly to the nannies, face blank.
Mr. Alice: (Voice low) Any of you have your charge's parents' numbers?
A Nanny: Yes…
Mr. Alice: (Walking away) You'd best start ringing them.
He sets the box on the table by the window. The Class Master approaches.
Class Master: Right, everyone, we're going to have a little quiz.
As Mr. Alice lifts a stack of papers from the box, the Class Master freezes.
Class Master: Mr. Alice, what is…?
Mr. Alice hurls the papers at him. Before anyone can react, he slips his finger into a wired clip connected to—a bomb.
Mr. Alice: Nobody move! There's a bomb in here.
A murmur ripples through the room.
Tiberius: (Shocked) {A bomb?}
Mr. Alice: (Commanding) Quiet! (They fall silent). Once I pull this wire, the bomb goes off. (Grinning) Which means death for us all.
Yancy: (Detective mode) {His sweat glands are working overtime despite the cool room temperature—he's nervous.}
Mr. Alice: If you nannies want to get out of here alive, you'd better start calling these children's parents. Ransom: five million each.
The nannies hesitate only a heartbeat before phones are out, fingers dialling.
Mr. Alice: (To the Class Master) Lock the door.
Class Master: Mr. Alice…
Mr. Alice: I said lock the door!
Class Master: Okay, okay. (Obeys, hands trembling).
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Moments later,
Muffled voices rise outside—school security and frantic parents, all helpless. They had been warned earlier: no police.
Class Master: (Palms pressed together, whispering) Please… if we escape safely from here, I promise to give my life to You…
A thin, clear voice echoes in his mind.
Thin voice: The windows.
He blinks, dismissing it as nerves, then walks over and pushes all windows wide open.
Mr. Alice: What do you think you're doing?!
Class Master: Merely opening the windows. The room is far too stuffy for the children! (To the pupils, gently) Everyone, please move towards the windows—stale air isn't good for delicate little ones like you.
The children obediently shift their chairs closer to the open windows.
The Class Master returns and sits on the floor between Yancy and Nanny Amina. He resumes his silent prayers.
Yancy: (In a whisper) You believe in God, sir?
The Class Master looks up at the beautiful man whose eyes shine with quiet interest.
Class Master: No. But I'm willing to if He can get us out of this mess.
Yancy: Hold on to that hope 😁. (Small grin) Nanny Amina… what do you make of my briefcase?
Nanny Amina: (Staring in disbelief) {How in the world can he be smiling right now?} …It appears quite sturdy, I suppose.
Yancy: Oh, does it now?
Mr. Alice: What are you two chattering about…?!
His phone buzzes—an unknown caller ID. His face drains of colour; fresh sweat beads on his forehead.
Mr. Alice: Y-you!
Class Master: Hm? Me?
Mr. Alice: Get over here.
The Class Master obeys. Mr. Alice clips the detonator wire to the man's bare finger.
Mr. Alice retreats into the tiny adjoining restroom to take the call.
A Nanny: (Scared, urgent whisper) The lunatic's distracted. Take that thing off and toss it out the window.
The Class Master carefully removes the clip, places it safely inside the box so as not to trigger the device, then slips his hand back into the box to feign still wearing it.
Mr. Alice: (Stepping out) Plans changed. All nannies—call the parents again. Tell them to add more money. The children with the highest sums on their heads leave first.
Few Nannies: What?!
Right then, Damen Von Brandt stands and walks straight toward Mr. Alice.
Nanny Amina: Damen!
She starts forward but is quickly held back by two other nannies.
Damen: You coward!
Mr. Alice: Huh?
Damen: Instead of finding honest way to live, you lower yourself to such despicable methods. This is pathetic.
Tiberius: {Is he mad?!}
Mr. Alice: (Drawing a knife).
Nannies: (Gasps).
Mr. Alice: Watch your words now, boy.
Tiberius: (Stepping forward, arms spread to shield Damen) He isn't entirely wrong. At least a pig works for its worms, but you are far more miserable.
Mr. Alice: Shut up!
The blade slices through flesh—but not the boys'. Yancy Wil has knelt in front of them in an instant. The knife opens a deep gash from his left shoulder side down his upper arm.
Tiberius: Yancy!
Nanny Amina: Lunatic!
Amina shouts as she swings Yancy's sturdy briefcase with both hands. It connects solidly; Mr. Alice staggers and falls, the knife skittering out of reach. Yancy groans, blood pouring from the wound, soaking his white sleeve crimson.
Nanny Amina: (Dropping to her knees beside him) Yancy, are you all right?
Yancy: (Grinning through the pain) Yes… quite all right…
Mr. Alice: (Cackling from the floor) Fools. I warned you. (Pulls out a small remote) Now let's all die…
Class Master: No…!
Yancy throws his body over Nanny Amina, Tiberius, and Damen.
The Class Master, risking everything, dashes forward and hurls the box toward the restroom—the windows are too narrow for it to pass through.
Before the box can hit the floor, the bomb detonates.
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