Rani's eyes darted around the class room as she tried to figure out an escape plan. I have to find a way to get out of here and get reinforcements. I have… Her face clouded over as she realized the fatal error in her plan. Even if I manage to make it out of here alive the others will still be in danger, and he might strike out at one of them in anger, she sighed. What would Sarah Jane do at a time like this?
The students and teacher had all been sitting on the floor by then so Joshua could keep an eye on all of them. Joshua had been examining the room as well as he tried to figure out how he could get out of there alive without harming anyone else. He finally figured what would work best. "One of you will be coming with me until I'm able to get out of the country that is."
"Leave the children alone and take me," Karen Jennings said.
Joshua shook his head. "The police will be less likely to attempt any heroics if I take one of the kids. They're smart enough to know that any attempts to take me out will get the hostage killed."
"Take her she's the head masters daughter," the red haired boy from earlier that joked about the previous days killing said.
"Matthew," the brown haired guy from earlier who also joked about the killing chided. "Do you want me to punch you?"
"Come on, Jake, once he makes a decision we get to leave and more than likely go home for the rest of the day," Matthew pointed out.
"You are such a weak coward," another student with blonde curly hair and brown eyes snapped at Matthew. "Are you trying to get her killed? Are you still upset that she put you in your place earlier?"
"Shut up Holly," Matthew glared at her.
"Quiet, all of you," Joshua ordered and then looked at Karen. "Is he always that ruthless?"
"Maybe he's just scared due to your gun," Karen snapped and then turned to look Matthew in the eye. "Don't you ever try to offer up one of your fellow students as a sacrifice ever again. We're in this together, Matthew, you might want to remember that."
Matthew sighed and decided to keep his mouth shut.
Rani glared at him and shook her head. Should I tell Luke and Clyde what he said? Should I tell my dad? Naah, one shouldn't get beat within an inch of their life just for having a big mouth.
"Even if you tried to take one of us hostage there's a strong probability of CO19 taking you out and saving your hostage," Karen pointed out. "The only way you're getting out of here alive is if you don't harm us, and if you surrender."
Joshua sighed. "I'll take my chances," he said as he grabbed Rani's left arm intent on taking her. He angered when he saw Karen grab on to Rani's right arm. He aimed the gun at Karen.
"You are not taking her anywhere," Karen snapped. "You are not taking any of these kids."
Joshua smirked and aimed the gun at Rani's head. "Let go or I'll kill her right now," he threatened.
Karen let go of Rani's right arm. "Please I'm begging you don't do this."
Sarah Jane had spent nearly twenty minutes walking through the silver air ducts on her hands and knees. She made her way to the English class as quickly as she could. She finally reached it and observed the scene below her through the holes of the air vent. What she saw sent chills through her spine. Joshua had been about to walk out holding Rani at gunpoint and do heaven knows what to her. Oh I don't think so, Sarah Jane thought as she took out her sonic lipstick and aimed it at Joshua's gun through one of the vent holes. Sarah Jane then fired at the gun disabling and destroying it.
Rani elbowed him in the gut while Jake grabbed Joshua away from her and held him down to keep him from leaving.
Sarah Jane sighed in relief as she tried to catch her breath. She finally got herself composed and began to shuffle backwards to where she had entered the air ducts. She didn't want to have to explain the sonic lipstick to the police.
Karen Jennings used her green mobile to contact the police and let them know that they had apprehended Joshua Adams.
One by one the children's parents showed up to retrieve them. Also, some of Karen's local relatives came to see about her. There had been a lot of hugging and crying that day.
Rani had been about to walk out of the classroom to find her loved ones when her dad walked in. They looked at each other for a while before they were both hugging.
Haresh sighed in relief. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"
"To the moon and back," Rani whispered.
"And much further than that, sweetheart," Haresh continued to hug her not wanting to let go for anything.
"Rani," Gita cried out.
"Mum, I'm okay, I'm not hurt." Rani assured her. They were hugging seconds later.
Gita shed tears of relief as she hugged her daughter. She had feared that she would never see her daughter alive again. "I love you, darling."
"I love you, mum, dad," Rani said as the events of the day finally hit her and she began crying.
Haresh hugged both of them as his own tears fell.
Sarah Jane, Sky, and Clyde were waiting outside for the Chandra's to walk out of the building. Clyde and Sky wanted to rush to Rani's side the second they discovered that the ordeal was over; however, Sarah Jane had held them back so the Chandra's could have their privacy. Sarah Jane had wanted to come through the air vents to make sure Rani was all right but she couldn't due to the sonic.
Luke hadn't of arrived in Ealing yet he was still fifteen minutes away, but he had received the phone call from his sister letting him know that Joshua Adams was on his way to jail and that the hostages were unharmed.
Sky saw them walk out first, ran to Rani, and hugged her seconds later.
Rani hugged her back. "Are you okay, kid?"
Sky laughed while hugging her. "Am I okay? You're the one that was in danger."
"Yeah but you were one of the people outside worrying," Rani pointed out.
"I'm okay now," Sky said.
Clyde hugged Rani next. He held her close and tight. "I love you, Rani Chandra," he confessed. Before she could reply he pulled back and kissed her full on the lips.
Rani began to kiss him back.
Haresh was angered and made a move to pull them apart but Gita stopped him.
"Don't you dare," Gita chided. "You let them be happy. Clyde is a good man."
Haresh sighed but listened to his wife and backed away.
"I love you, Clyde Langer." Rani confessed when they had finally come up for air.
They kissed and hugged for a bit longer. When they had finally let go of each other, Rani and Sarah Jane hugged.
"Thank you, Sarah Jane, you saved our lives today," Rani whispered about the sonic lipstick.
"You never have to thank me for that," Sarah Jane whispered back. "You're one of my kids of course I'll always be there to rescue you."
Rani hugged her closer. "And us you," she whispered.
Sarah hugged her young friend closer very thankful that her plan had worked.
School had been cancelled for the rest of the week and counselors had been made available to the students and staff to talk about the hostage crisis.
Luke dropped off K-9 at his house and also his clothes and supplies. He greeted his mum and sister in the attic and then asked. "Is Rani here?"
Sky shook her head. "She's at home right now. Gita and Haresh are having trouble letting her out of their sight."
"Understandable," Luke replied. "Just how close did we get to never seeing Rani again?"
"We came much too close," Sarah Jane answered. "He was worse than an alien."
"I'm considering beating him up," Luke commented.
"Ditto," Clyde said as he walked into the attic and he and Luke greeted each other.
"Stay away from Joshua Adams, both of you," Sarah Jane ordered. "We have someone much more important to worry about."
"Mum, Rani's fine," Sky assured her. "You saved her life today."
"Physically she's fine, but she still experienced a trauma today. Therefore, she might need us to help her through the fall out," Sarah Jane pointed out.
Luke mulled her words over and not long after he left his house and walked across the black paved road to the Chandra's yellow house. He knocked on the glass door and waited for one of the Chandra's to answer.
Rani opened the door and smiled. "Hey, Luke," she hugged him.
He hugged her back. "Hey, Rani, it's really good to see you right now."
"It's good to see you too. You won't get into trouble with your professors will you?" Rani asked about the classes he had missed that day.
Luke shook his head. "I can make up whatever I miss."
She led him inside and they sat on her living room sofa and talked for a while before he went home. He wanted to make sure she was truly okay and not just pretending to be all right for his benefit.
The End