The Kindergarten Ransom

Five minutes earlier, the principal had been brazen and defiant. I leaned against the door while the children inside the classroom continued to play, completely unaware of my presence. Only the two female teachers watched me with fear in their eyes.Outside, the principal kept pounding on the door, snapping, "What are you trying to do? Your daughter's disappearance has nothing to do with me! Open up, school's almost over!" I frowned, took an assembled firearm from my pocket, and fired once over her head without a word.The principal went silent at once and took two shaky steps back. "Are… Are you serious? I'm telling you, this is against the law. I'll call the police! You're going to get shot for kidnapping children, you know that?"I let out a cold laugh as I ran a finger along the gun. "Go ahead and call them. You're in no position to talk to me."Five minutes later, sirens wailed outside. A calm male voice called through the door. I recognized him. He was William Turner from t

I leaned against the wall and sneered, "You tore apart a junkyard looking for a rich man's lost watch, but when it came to a living child who had been missing for seven days, there were no leads?"William fell silent at my accusation. "Ms. Brown, maybe your daughter is still nearby," he said.For a moment, I couldn't process the suggestion. My daughter had last been seen here. I had searched every cupboard, the bathrooms, and every corner, but there was no sign of her."The cameras cover everything except the restrooms. We suspect she was taken through the restrooms. Ms. Brown, give yourself up. The police will get to the truth," William said.The restroom. I replayed the layout in my head. The kindergarten's bathroom wasn't split by gender. It had only two tiny stalls and a small exhaust fan.I looked toward the restrooms and couldn't help but feel that something about the fan was nagging at me. However, I couldn't put my finger on what was strange.I licked my dry lips. "Ten mi

I frowned and looked over. A little girl was clutching her mouth and coughing violently, her cheeks flushed bright red as she struggled to catch her breath."She was probably startled by the explosion. She has asthma, too…"I took a deep breath. "Officer Turner, how about a deal? You tell me what was found in the restroom next door, and I'll let one child go."The parents immediately erupted, urging William to speak. One piece of information couldn't compare to the life of a child. William had no choice but to tell the truth. They had found a hidden passage behind the toilet tank, and inside, they discovered my daughter's watch.I pushed the asthmatic girl out first. Her mother immediately rushed forward, scooping her up, tears streaming as she thanked me.The mood shifted instantly. People began murmuring."The kidnapper actually has a conscience. She really wouldn't kill before time's up!" "Yeah, I think she must have her reasons. If my kid went missing, I wouldn't even wan

At that moment, I finally understood his plan. From the very beginning, his target had never been my daughter. It had been me. If I were sentenced to death, he had a thousand ways to get my heart. I leveled the gun at him. "Since I've already killed someone, I'm not afraid to kill one more."Leon gave a sinister smile. "You wouldn't dare. If you kill me, your daughter dies, too!""She's in your hands, isn't she? Where is she?" My voice was sharp, my patience wearing thin. I wanted to tear him apart right there. "You didn't know where she was? So, it was all just a bluff? Relax, go turn yourself in. I'll release your daughter immediately," Leon said.I laughed at his smugness. "My daughter's here in this preschool, right?""Spot on. But only I know exactly where," Leon said."She's on the school bus," I said.Leon's smile froze, struck awkwardly on his face. I glanced at the clock. It was exactly eight o'clock in the evening. Outside, chaos erupted again. "They found her! They