-----------------------

"What are we going to do, Professor Zachary? It's been almost four days since Miss Trent went missing." Durst asked in a panic-stricken voice as she paced in front of Z. They were both standing in the science lab, Z not having any classes at that moment. "I told Mr. Pearson, but he didn't seem overly concerned."

"It's going to okay, Principal Durst," Z replied, trying to convince not only Durst but himself. "She'll turn up at some point, I'm sure…"

"But the students, Professor Zachary… They know that she's missing! Have you heard what they've been saying?" She glared at Z as she continued to pace the floor. "Spies, indeed!"

Z chuckled slightly. "I have, and I have to admit that they're very inventive. I think you may have some writer's on your hands, really imaginative."

Durst whirled on him. "This is no laughing matter, Professor Zachary. This is serious. We have one student missing, and the whole school knows about it. What are we going to tell them?"

"Well," Z replied, with a twinkle in his eye. "You could tell them that she's now going to school in Switzerland."

"Or you could tell them the truth," a voice said from behind them.

They turned to see Lucas standing in the doorway. As they stared at him, Durst with a shocked expression on her face, he moved in to the classroom, and closed the door behind him. He walked up to Durst and z and stood before them.

"It's not like it would sound any stranger than the theories that are already floating around here," he continued, one eyebrow raised. "In fact, it makes a lot more sense than Josie getting kidnapped by the KGB, or the fact that she's hunting you down, Principal Durst."

"Mr. Randall!" Durst replied, shocked that someone would even think that they would tell anyone the truth. She wasn't so shocked by the rest of Lucas's statement, having heard most of the different theories that were floating around all ready. "I do not believe what I'm hearing from you!"

But the mere fact that they should tell the school the truth had never crossed Durst's mind. And it wasn't a thought she wanted to entertain. Durst knew that if the truth got out, then parents would pull their kids out of the school, the school would get shut down, there'd be a media frenzy and scientists would be crawling all over the school within the week.

"It's the truth though, isn't it?" Lucas continued. "Don't deny it, you know it's the truth, I know it's the truth. Even Victor Pearson knows it's the truth. Besides, it's not like anyone else would really believe it, would they?"

He glanced at Z, who glared at him warningly. His glance warned Lucas that he had better keep quiet, or else he was going to get in to some serious trouble. In the silence that had pervaded the room after Lucas's statement, Durst seemed to have gotten herself under control.

"Mr. Randall," she said in a booming voice. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

Lucas nodded. "I am. I have science now, as does quite a few other people," he replied with a sarcastic note.

He glanced back at Z, who was shaking his head in surprise at Lucas's daring. But right at that moment Lucas didn't care. All he cared about was getting Josie back, and if that meant standing up to Principal Durst, then that's what he was going to do.

-----------------------

Just a short part to keep you guessing about the mysterious writer... Don't worry, it's coming in the next chapter. I just had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and wanted you guys to read it, and that was the perfect place to put it in:D