"You lot, what are you doing in here?"
The voice was that of Irene Dunford, teacher of English at the exclusive college of St Matthias in the town of Newmeadows, Oxfordshire, England.
The students she was speaking to knew they were in trouble. Thomas Carter, James Pembroke, David Quincy, and Jack Lassiter had automatically turned and as they did so they heard a snap from a phone. Ms Dunford had caught them all spying through the window of the female students' shower room and had the proof through the photo she had just taken.
In panic, all four nineteen year olds fled the scene.
"I know who you are. You won't get away with this," Irene Dunford yelled as her quarry fled.
"Oh, come on, Irene. They're just doing what normal teenagers do."
Irene swung around and saw John Fenton, the sports Master, standing there in his tracksuit and smiling.
"Ms Dunford to you. That's just the typical adolescent attitude I'd expect from you."
"Alright, Ms Dunford," John made a strong almost mocking tone using the English teacher's last name. "They are just letting off some steam. No need to go overboard about it," the sports Master said anxiously, knowing all too well what Irene had in mind.
St Mathias College was very exclusive. It accepted only pupils with exceptional IO's. The college prided itself on turning out academic geniuses. Those who did not make the grade were quickly cut lose. The philosophy adopted by the college was one of study and discipline. A minor infraction of the strict code was punishable by immediate expulsion, and it did not matter who their parents were because they had signed a contract with certain clauses in it permitting this action.
For the parents' part they knew that their sons and daughters would get the best education money had to offer so they were all too willing to sign up.
'Here we go again,' thought John Fenton as he sighed deeply. He had been through it all before.
Irene Dunford stood just over six feet tall. Her blonde shoulder length hair always shone brightly. She had a very attractive figure and rounded breasts as well as long shapely legs to complement her beauty. Her attractive figure made her an object of desire for both staff and student, male and female alike.
However, Irene was a stickler for the college rules she was very inflexible about them. She had already been instrumental in the expulsion of several students for very minor infractions. This stance made her very unpopular not just with the students but with the staff also as they felt it their relationships with the students even more difficult.
John Fenton could see it now. Irene would demand a summoning of the disciplinary committee, chaired by Dr James Ross, the College President. Dr Laura Prentiss, the Vice President and Dr Alexander Toomey, Dean of Discipline, made up the committee. There would be a representative of the students also present, along with the students themselves as they plead their defence.
John was determined to speak up for the offenders, but he knew in his heart it was a lost cause. Irene Dunford always got her way.
***
So it was that the meeting was called for that Friday and the offences were read out to the four offenders and just as he predicted, despite his best efforts, all four were expelled.
For Dr Ross in particular, this had been a hurtful exercise. He did agree that there had been a breach of the rules. Ms Dunford was most correct in that point. Although he was inclined to some leniency, but Irene's argument swayed the rest of the committee and Dr Ross reluctantly agreed with the ultimate penalty.
As they all filed out of his office, Dr Ross sat back in is large black leather chair and sighed deeply. He knew things could not go on like this. There had been more disciplinary meetings since Irene Dunford had joined the staff than at any other time in the college's history.
Dr Ross had tried several times unsuccessfully to talk to Ms Dunford about her rigid approach. Irene's logical arguments were hard or even impossible to dispute. What he really feared however was unrest among his staff. The President had thought of dismissing Ms Dunford but, on what grounds? Despite her attitude Dr Ross knew Irene Dunford was a fine teacher. Some day she may even succeed him.
'Heaven preserve us,' thought James Ross, before opening the bottom drawer of his desk. He extracted a small bottle of Scotch whiskey and poured himself a drink. He raised it to a picture of the founder of the college, Dr Samuel Borden, and winked before emptying the glass in one swallow.
Frustratingly, Dr Ross knew his hands were tied.
***
"Well, Ms Dunford, it looks like you got your way again," said John Fenton as he confronted the beautiful blonde teacher as she stood outside Dr Ross's office.
"They broke the rules. They knew the consequences," retorted Irene forcefully.
"Speaking of consequences, Irene, there's an old saying. 'What goes around, comes around,'"
"Are you threatening me?" asked Irene with anger in her voice.
"Not at all. I'm simply reminding you that there are consequences for all our actions, even yours. How do you sleep at night?"
"I sleep very well, thank you," retorted Irene before swinging around and walking off.
'Yes, that's part of your problem,' thought the sports Master as he watched the blonde teacher stride up the hall and out of the building.
"I'm sorry guys. I did the best I could," said Fenton as he turned and addressed the now ex-students.
"It's not your fault, Mr Fenton. We all knew our goose was cooked the moment Ms Dunford saw us," responded Jack Lassiter. "But there's more than one way to skin a cat," continued the young man as he rubbed his hands.
John Fenton smiled. He knew Jack had a brilliant mind. The young man excelled at mathematics and science. He could see that Jack's mind was racing with a plot forming. He only wish he were part of it. He would love nothing more than to see the downfall of Irene Dunford.
***
Irene Dunford shared a fine two storey house with her younger sister, Zoe, a secondary school teacher at the local comprehensive. The house was down a laneway on leafy outskirts of the town. Indeed, but for the post box at the top of the lane you would not even know there was a house there.
Irene's parents had built the house there deliberately as both craved their privacy. The parents died in a tragic plane crash while both sisters were at university, and they inherited an equal share.
Like their parents, Irene and her sister craved their privacy. They were rarely seen in town except when shopping and kept very much to themselves. It was this secluded lifestyle that was to contribute to the fall of Irene Dunford.
Half term had just started, and Irene drove her car down the lane that led to her home. What neither sister realised was that they had been staked out for several weeks. Their movements and habits were carefully observed and noted meticulously.
Taking her case from her car Irene went to the door and turned the key. It was then she felt something like an electric shock, and then darkness. Zoe, who had been in the kitchen heard a thud.
"Irene is that you?" she asked as she came to the hall to investigate. Irene's sister was startled to see three hooded individuals standing over Irene, who lay in a heap on the floor.
Zoe left out a scream before fleeing into the house only to be caught by one of the individuals and like her sister, she too felt a jolt of electricity and her world was plunged into darkness.
***
When Irene woke up there was total darkness. She was clearly hooded, and she had a gag in her mouth that prevented her from speaking. Her hands and legs were also tightly bound.
