2:45am
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA
STANLEY'S HOUSE
Mr. Cunningham sat cross-legged in the middle of his living room. He had been in this position for several hours, waiting. Looking forward to his "daughter's" arrival. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked at the door, staring at it. A few seconds later, the doorbell rang. "Yes? Who is it?"
A man's voice answered, "Mr. Cunningham? We here on urgent business for Mr. Tan."
Ahh, Jack Wong. Stanley got up and went to the door. He opened it.
Sure enough, it was Mr. Wong, dressed in his usual business attire.
To Jack's right was Xia. She wore a red dress, with a black cape-gown over her bare shoulders. Her hair hung down. "Father? Is it you.."
Stanley smiled in recognition. He bowed with the Shaolin salute. "Of course it is. Please come inside, so we can talk about our plans."
Mr. Wong nodded. "Yes..that's a good idea."
They followed the teacher into the living room, where they sat down on the couch..Cunningham sat in the chair, facing them.Mr. Wong was the first to speak. "So, I remember speaking on the phone earlier today. I regret I did not believe you at first..but I had my suspicions, which is why I called Xia-"
Stanley held his hand up. "It's alright, Jack. I would expect that from you. You did well."
Xia asked, "So, what do we do now?"
Stanley/Tan replied, "We control this community from within, of course. As a teacher, I'm in a position to control the young. The third-graders do as I say..no questions asked. They are weak-willed, believing whatever the *kind* and nice Mr. Cunningham teaches them. Xia, I need you to work there with me."
Xia asked, "As a teacher?"
Her father replied, "Yes, as my assistant, a 'teacher's aide', I think they call it."
She said, "Sure. But I'll have to supply records, 'proof' of my teaching credentials."
Cunningham nodded. "Of course. I'll let you take care of that."
Jack answered, "Yes. She can make some calls, talk to some people..they can arrange for her records to appear in their education database. Give her an exceptional history. Graduated from Yale, taught for five years at Pennsylvania State College..she's authorized for a position at this school as Mr. Cunningham's assistant and substitute, if such a need should arise."
Xia smiled. "Yes, that should work. I'll make the proper arrangements tomorrow morning, around 6:30."
Tan agreed. "Yes..do that. Now, as for other matters. This child, Cole..he may figure out my true self..he's a mystic of sorts. I need him taken care of, before the other children take his side and figure it out also."
Xia said, "I can help you in that area. The children listen to authority..they believe your host, father. Next time there's an outburst in class, find an excuse to get him into trouble..make him look foolish. Then, his classmates will be less likely to trust him."
The teacher laughed. "Yes! I like that, Xia. With the children distracted, we'll be free to focus on our true purpose: the destruction of Kwai Chang Caine."
Jack interjected, "Right. And if that doesn't work..well, of course it will, but we could do this as an extra torture--we could use our people to go after the child's mother. We have ways."
At that, Tan and Xia laughed in agreement.
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA
STANLEY'S HOUSE
Mr. Cunningham sat cross-legged in the middle of his living room. He had been in this position for several hours, waiting. Looking forward to his "daughter's" arrival. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked at the door, staring at it. A few seconds later, the doorbell rang. "Yes? Who is it?"
A man's voice answered, "Mr. Cunningham? We here on urgent business for Mr. Tan."
Ahh, Jack Wong. Stanley got up and went to the door. He opened it.
Sure enough, it was Mr. Wong, dressed in his usual business attire.
To Jack's right was Xia. She wore a red dress, with a black cape-gown over her bare shoulders. Her hair hung down. "Father? Is it you.."
Stanley smiled in recognition. He bowed with the Shaolin salute. "Of course it is. Please come inside, so we can talk about our plans."
Mr. Wong nodded. "Yes..that's a good idea."
They followed the teacher into the living room, where they sat down on the couch..Cunningham sat in the chair, facing them.Mr. Wong was the first to speak. "So, I remember speaking on the phone earlier today. I regret I did not believe you at first..but I had my suspicions, which is why I called Xia-"
Stanley held his hand up. "It's alright, Jack. I would expect that from you. You did well."
Xia asked, "So, what do we do now?"
Stanley/Tan replied, "We control this community from within, of course. As a teacher, I'm in a position to control the young. The third-graders do as I say..no questions asked. They are weak-willed, believing whatever the *kind* and nice Mr. Cunningham teaches them. Xia, I need you to work there with me."
Xia asked, "As a teacher?"
Her father replied, "Yes, as my assistant, a 'teacher's aide', I think they call it."
She said, "Sure. But I'll have to supply records, 'proof' of my teaching credentials."
Cunningham nodded. "Of course. I'll let you take care of that."
Jack answered, "Yes. She can make some calls, talk to some people..they can arrange for her records to appear in their education database. Give her an exceptional history. Graduated from Yale, taught for five years at Pennsylvania State College..she's authorized for a position at this school as Mr. Cunningham's assistant and substitute, if such a need should arise."
Xia smiled. "Yes, that should work. I'll make the proper arrangements tomorrow morning, around 6:30."
Tan agreed. "Yes..do that. Now, as for other matters. This child, Cole..he may figure out my true self..he's a mystic of sorts. I need him taken care of, before the other children take his side and figure it out also."
Xia said, "I can help you in that area. The children listen to authority..they believe your host, father. Next time there's an outburst in class, find an excuse to get him into trouble..make him look foolish. Then, his classmates will be less likely to trust him."
The teacher laughed. "Yes! I like that, Xia. With the children distracted, we'll be free to focus on our true purpose: the destruction of Kwai Chang Caine."
Jack interjected, "Right. And if that doesn't work..well, of course it will, but we could do this as an extra torture--we could use our people to go after the child's mother. We have ways."
At that, Tan and Xia laughed in agreement.