At eight-thirty in the evening, Ryan, a ten-year-old, cautiously made his way out of the school’s game room. The typically lively hallways were unexpectedly somber and quiet. As he made his way towards the restroom in the senior block, he caught the sound of hushed voices emanating from Principal Wilson’s office.
“Principal Wilson is still here?” Ryan wondered, peering through the slightly open door. To his surprise, he witnessed his principal engaged in conversation with a menacing group of individuals.
“I’ve already wrongfully sent an innocent person to prison. What more do you want from me?” Ryan observed Principal Wilson, now older, pleading with the gangsters.
Recognizing the illicit intentions of the men involved and Principal Wilson’s association with them, Ryan discreetly positioned his phone and concealed himself behind the door, ensuring that their entire conversation was captured on video.
“In just two days, Principal Wilson, everything will be concluded! Only two days, and this town will forever remember our presence!” a menacing voice reverberated from within the principal’s office, sending shivers down Ryan’s spine.
Exactly two days later, Principal Wilson was apprehended and found himself in tears within the confines of the interrogation room, his hands restrained by handcuffs.
“Officer, please believe me,” he implored the detective, his voice filled with desperation. “I was framed. I never wanted any part in it. They left me with no real alternative.”
“There’s always a choice, sir,” Detective Rudolf responded sternly, seated across from him. “Now, why don’t you start from the beginning and provide us with a detailed account? Right from the moment it all commenced? Yes?”
Principal Wilson lowered his head, vividly recalling the ill-fated day that led to his imprisonment.
It happened on a quiet Sunday evening when Principal Wilson’s son, Nick, returned home appearing utterly defeated.
“Nick, what’s the matter, my son?” Principal Wilson began to inquire, but his words were abruptly interrupted as several imposing figures with tattoos crawling up their arms and necks barged into the house behind Nick.
“Who the hell are you? Nick, who are these people?” Principal Wilson leaped to his feet in shock. Nick appeared terrified and remained silent, while one of the gang members—their leader—made himself comfortable on the couch, casually placing his firearm on the living room table.
“Take a seat, won’t you?” The gang leader glared at the principal, causing the older man to gulp anxiously as he shifted his gaze between his son and the imposing figure.
“W-what do you want? Please, don’t harm my son,” Principal Wilson stammered.
The gang leader smirked. “If I were you, I wouldn’t waste time with questions, Principal! Your son lost $5000 to us in a card game last night at a local pub.”
A wave of relief washed over Principal Wilson. $5000 seemed like a relatively small sum to ensure these men would leave his house. However, the gang leader had more to reveal.
“Now, now, Mr. Wilson, take a deep breath,” the thug chuckled, observing the fearful father as he reached for his wallet. “Your son has already settled that debt. Remember that notorious robbery that rocked this town? Well, guess who my partner-in-crime was… your dear son, Nick!”
Principal Wilson gazed at his son, his disbelief etched on his face. “If we don’t comply, they’ll expose the video of your involvement to the world.”
The thug proceeded to play the incriminating video, causing Principal Wilson’s blood to drain from his face. He couldn’t bear the thought of his son languishing in prison.
“Oh, dear God! What… what do you want me to do?” he asked, his spirit crushed.
“Well, that’s more like it, Mr. Wilson,” the thug chuckled. “Now, let me lay out the plan.” The man demanded $100,000 from Principal Wilson, but the principal knew he didn’t possess such a substantial sum of money.
“Ah, don’t fret! We’ve got a Plan B!” The thug then instructed Principal Wilson to hand over the keys to the school’s computer lab, where a fresh batch of computers had recently arrived, allowing the gang to carry out a robbery.
With no alternative, Principal Wilson reluctantly surrendered the duplicate keys to the gang. He also provided them with the password to the surveillance camera system, enabling them to delete any evidence of their robbery. However, the next day, when Principal Wilson arrived at school, he discovered that the security guard, Joseph, had been apprehended for the crime.
“Sheriff, please, there must be some mistake,” Principal Wilson asserted, approaching the police officers. While he suspected the gang’s involvement, he feigned ignorance.
“We received an anonymous tip, sir,” the officer explained. “And we discovered two boxes of stolen computer accessories at Joseph’s residence.”
Before Principal Wilson could utter another word, his buzzing phone diverted his attention.
“Do not utter a word to the authorities, Mr. Wilson,” the voice of the gang leader echoed on the other end of the line. Principal Wilson discreetly slipped past the sheriff and sought a quiet corner to engage in the conversation.
The gang leader issued a stern warning, reminding Principal Wilson that he was under constant surveillance. Any misstep on his part would result in his son, Nick, being thrown behind bars. In order to safeguard his child, the principal reluctantly played along with the gang’s demands. He carried the burden of guilt for the wrongful imprisonment of Joseph, an innocent man, but he felt powerless to rectify the situation.
At least Principal Wilson found solace in the thought that the gangsters would no longer trouble him or Nick. However, on a day when he was preparing to depart for an important conference call, the thugs forcefully entered his office, surrounding him menacingly.
“What brings you here? This is my school! I demand that you leave immediately!” he whispered sharply.
The gang leader chuckled. “Keep your voice down, esteemed principal! Even the walls have ears. You wouldn’t want the entire world to learn about your actions, now, would you? You must assist us, or our secrets will no longer be kept!”
“I have already unjustly condemned an innocent man to prison. What more do you want from me?” Principal Wilson retorted, anger seeping into his voice.
“Ah, well, my boys hit the jackpot in town tonight… at the antique store. The police are on high alert, so we require someone to help us escape without detection. As a respected figure, who better than you to accomplish this task? They won’t suspect you. And just so you don’t get any bright ideas, your son, Nick, will be accompanying us in the same vehicle until we are safely out of this town.”
Principal Wilson slumped into his chair, overcome with a sense of helplessness. He listened to the gangsters’ plan and reluctantly nodded in agreement. “I pray this will be the final favor I have to carry out,” he murmured, his gaze fixed downward.
“You’re quite the resourceful individual, sir! Absolutely!” The gang members laughed as they departed. Principal Wilson couldn’t contain his silent sobs, his tear-filled eyes fixed upon a photograph of his beloved son. After the tragic loss of his wife, Nick was all he had left, and Principal Wilson was prepared to go to any lengths to ensure his son’s safety.
Following the agreed-upon plan, on that fateful Friday night, Principal Wilson parked his minivan near the children’s park, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the gangsters and his son. He snapped back into focus as three of the gang members hopped into his vehicle, accompanied by the loot and Nick.
“Drive! What are you waiting for?” one of the men barked, and Principal Wilson swiftly accelerated, propelling the vehicle forward. The individuals, Nick, and the stolen goods were concealed beneath blankets in the backseat, while Principal Wilson had strategically positioned empty cardboard boxes on top, creating the illusion of transporting household items.
Principal Wilson exercised caution and made the spontaneous decision to take a detour onto a dilapidated road that wound through the woods, deviating from the original plan. He knew this was his only chance to evade detection at the main checkpoints and successfully drive the gangsters out of town.
However, luck was not on Principal Wilson’s side. Just as he glanced up, his heart sank as he spotted police officers conducting vehicle checks at the checkpoint near the edge of the woods.
“Please exit the vehicle, sir,” an officer approached Principal Wilson’s van, instructing him to lower the car window. “We need to conduct a thorough inspection.”
“Oh, Sergeant Davidson!” Principal Wilson forced a smile. “Don’t you recognize me? I’m the principal of the district school. I used to teach your son! You know me well!”
Despite the principal’s attempt at familiarity, the officer remained skeptical and insisted that Principal Wilson step out of the van. With a calculated move, Principal Wilson pretended to comply, swiftly opening the van door. As the officer momentarily stepped back, Principal Wilson seized the opportunity, slamming his foot down hard on the gas pedal, propelling the minivan forward with incredible speed.
The minivan careened down the muddy path, crashing through the barrier at the checkpoint. Startled police officers chased after the fleeing vehicle, while others swiftly alerted the control room and nearby checkpoints in all directions.
Principal Wilson had no idea where he was headed, his foot pressing harder on the accelerator. The speed became uncontrollable, and eventually, he lost his grip on the wheel, crashing violently into a tree with a bone-jarring impact.
As consciousness faded, Principal Wilson’s gaze fixated on the fresh streak of crimson seeping onto the deployed airbag, a result of the devastating collision. The haunting sound of anguished cries echoed from the backseat, especially his son’s voice.
“…And that’s the account of what transpired, officer,” Principal Wilson concluded his narration, his voice filled with sorrow. He glanced out of the corridor window and witnessed Joseph, now free from handcuffs, being embraced by Ryan, a third-grade student from his school.
“Oh, that brave young boy!” Principal Wilson exclaimed tearfully, observing the heartwarming scene. “He’s the grandson of the security guard.”
Just then, an officer entered the interrogation room, whispering something into Detective Rudolf’s ear. The detective’s expression changed, and he cleared his throat before speaking.
“Um, well, it appears that the boy you mentioned, Ryan, provided us with evidence against you, Principal Wilson,” Detective Rudolf revealed. “On another note, I regret to inform you that we’ve just received news from the hospital. Your son, Nick… he didn’t make it. He has passed away.”
