There was silence in the room, and only Cricket’s ragged breathing could be heard in the quiet.

“Let’s say I had a way to…release your teacher,” she said, bending down to face me.

“Let’s suppose I had a way to guarantee his safety and yours,” Lin continued, her eyes looking like a pair of fake emeralds.

“And that way would be…?” I gasped, coughing from the kick she had delivered.

“If you could for – I mean, with me,” Lin proposed, putting an elbow on her knee and looking me in the eye, “I’m sure all of this would be much easier.”

I smiled, letting her believe I would actually accept her preposterous offer.

“Well…since you put it that way,” I grinned loopily, “I’ll just say ‘NO!’”

I grabbed her ankle, deciding to end this situation. I yanked backwards angrily, and she came tumbling down with a shriek of horror.

I got her into a headlock, and held my hand over her hand and nose until she went limp in my arms.

I let her drop unceremoniously to the ground.

Temporarily detained.