The Academy: Detective Stories - Part I

Chapter 5. At the Labyrinth of Fear

They reached a massive kitchen door where the rest of the group was waiting. Tim, the speedy guy, was already here, which meant the rest of the team would arrive soon.

"One-minute warning!" Theo waved his time crystal in the air.

Riley's voice echoed from the stairs. "I told you we'd find her!"

Jackie smiled. They were all together, all three teams united by the same purpose. At this moment, as they were about to 'rescue' Elisa, nothing else mattered – not their previous misunderstandings, not a desire to win. It didn't matter who was taller or smarter, and it did not matter what gender they were. Now, they were all one complete team – The Guardians.

Theo pushed through the heavy door, and they walked inside.

Elisa lay on a table with her arms crossed, her eyes shut. Don stood nearby. Seeing the cadets, he smiled and began clapping. "Congratulations on cracking my message! Now, please prepare to listen for the last part of your quest."

The cadets lined up along the wall, and Jackie took a place closer to Elisa. From where she stood, she could see Elisa's eyelashes trembling. It was as if she was only pretending to be asleep.

"Today, you have the privilege of solving Ghost's case as a detective," Don continued as he stepped aside and pointed at Elisa. "You might not know, but by the time the last victim was found, she was unconscious."

"And she was rescued," Jackie interjected.

Don nodded. "Yes, but let's consider a different scenario now. The victim is still alive, but considering a massive blood loss, she's on the brink of death. Also, you know that the criminal who put her asleep is one of the people in this room. It is the one whom you started to trust."

Jackie exchanged glances with Urchin. "You mean we must apprehend someone from our group?"

Don grinned. "Exactly. So, Cadet Robinson, you are a guardian, and you know that this criminal is a serial killer. If you don't interfere, he might kill again very soon. And here is the question – what would you do to prevent the next murder?"

"Elisa is a witness," Jackie said. "So, someone can heal her –"

"You don't have a healer in your team," Don reminded her.

Urchin raised his hand. "One of us can read her thoughts while she's asleep."

Everyone looked at Jackie, so she had to step up. Remembering that she couldn't touch Elisa's hands, she stood over her head. Her golden locks appeared to be soft and warm to the touch.

Jackie raised her eyes at Don. "I don't have to read her for real, right?"

"You must read her," Don pressed. "No worries, she gave me her permission."

"I won't do that."

"Why not?!"

Jackie sighed. "If I read her, she might... I mean, if it was exactly like in your quest and I used my Gift on her, the weak victim would lose her last energy, and it might lead to her immediate death."

A murmur rolled across the room.

Don smiled. "You guys are smarter than I thought. Well, you're right."

She caressed Elisa's hair. "I would rather wait for someone to heal her."

"If you wait, she will die anyway, and the other victims will follow. If you read her now, she would die an hour sooner, but we will know who the killer is."

"This isn't fair! I won't let her die without trying to save her. Then, what's the purpose of this job?"

Don shifted his gaze to the male cadets. "Well, here is the greatest dilemma of being a guardian. How ethical is it – to let someone die so the others can live?"