The Kindergarten Ransom

"Absolutely not!" The words burst out of me before I even realized it.

William hurried to add, "We've already tried to get in touch with her dad, Lucas, but we haven't been able to reach him. Ms. Brown, we'll find your daughter, I promise you that. Just let the kids go first.

"I give you my word, we'll do everything we can. But if you keep going like this, how are you going to face her when we find her? Do you want her to know both her parents are criminals?"

For a split second, his words rattled me. That was when a small red rubber ball wobbled across the floor and rolled to my feet. A little girl called out, "Ms. Brown, can you pass it back to me?"

I steadied myself and tossed the ball back gently.

The children still had no idea what was really happening. They were still innocent, playful, untouched by the weight of the moment. Could my daughter still laugh and play like that? I couldn't bear to imagine.

I glanced at the clock and raised my voice toward the door. "18 minutes left. Do you have anything yet?"

…

Negotiations had failed. William exhaled heavily as his colleagues took their positions. A crisis team from the provincial bureau had arrived, including a trained negotiator.

The case had already drawn the whole city's attention. Reporters and livestreamers swarmed outside the cordoned-off area like vultures catching the scent of the blood.

Orders from above were clear. Not a single child was to be harmed. If necessary, Lilian could be taken out.

However, William still held onto a sliver of hope. He didn't think this matter was that serious yet. From years of experience, he didn't see a hardened criminal in Lilian.

She looked more like a mom who had lost her daughter and been driven past the edge. "Have we pulled the footage yet? Did the girl ever leave the school?"

A technician replied, "We managed to restore the deleted files. There's no sign of Evelyn leaving the premises."

William sank into deep thought. Could it be true? Was Evelyn still somewhere inside this kindergarten? Where could she be?

They had already searched every classroom, every office, the kitchen, and the principal's room. There was nowhere left to hide.

Teams swept the grounds again, combing every corner, but came back empty-handed.

William's colleague, Steven Sawyer, snapped. "This makes no sense! What, did the kid grow wings and fly out? We've got cameras covering every inch of this place. There are no blind spots!"

William's mind jolted with sudden clarity. "What about the bathrooms? There aren't cameras in there. Search the bathrooms!"

The preschool's bathrooms were inside the building, and the last place Evelyn had been seen was in Class B, the very room where Lilian now held her hostages.

Lilian's voice cut through the air again. "15 minutes left. What are you, idiots? You can't even find a child."