"Class representative. Collect the scripts and follow me."
Tejumole stood up, and the students couldn't help but admire her appearance. She was dressed in a simple but elegant manner that enunciated her figure.
Dressed in a long brown trench coat with a black high neck jumpsuit and black heeled sandals, they strangely felt the professor gave of a Sherlock Holmes vibe. She paired her fashion choice with a silver watch that poked out of the sleeves whenever she moved.
The class representative quickly finished his task and followed Tejumole out of the class. He was a tall young man with a light complexion and a gorilla pendant hanging from his neck. They left the classroom under distressed sighs and exclamations, and soon arrived at Tejumole's office.
She walked over to her desk when they entered, and opened her drawer to bring out a record sheet.
After which she instructed the rep. to mark every person in attendance. She could do it herself, but didn't want to. Tejumole wanted to go home.
Additionally, she was no longer in the mood for the mission. The hunt for clues could wait.
The class representative, Galiu Excellent, handed the thick bundle over to Tejumole who placed it inside a satchel.
"Thank you." She uttered, but raised an eyebrow at the student who loitered with an expression of wanting to say something. "Anything else, Excellent?" She questioned, and the student gulped nervously under her stare. The professor, he thought, was extremely detailed and time conscious. Moreover, he had never heard of her cancelling a lecture.
She wasn't as inflexible as most lecturers and so long as you behaved and followed her instructions, your life as a university student would be smooth.
Else… He didn't want to think about it. However, what he really found astonishing was that she remembered the names of all her students.
It was even more shocking because she taught all five levels of literature, which was over five hundred students. Excellent thought that even though she was always expressionless, and scared them a bit, the professor was actually pretty nice. Personally, she was his favourite educator. Excellent looked at the professor and opened his mouth.
"Professor, I have something to tell you." He started solemnly. Tejumole tapped the desk and waited for him to talk.
"Be careful when you go out. There… I heard that the Red scorpions want to attack you." He said, and looked at her face for any signs of panic. However, she remained indifferent, which made him think she didn't understand the situation.
"Red scorpions…" Her fingers drummed the desk. The name sounded familiar.
"Yes." He uttered, concerned at her mild tone. Why did she sound so unruffled? Didn't she believe him?
Tejumole lowered her eyelids in thought and finally remembered where she heard that name.
The Red scorpions were a cultist group formed on school grounds with a history as old as the establishment of the school. About twenty years.
The school management had done everything it could to weed this group from the system.
Unfortunately, after two decades, these two groups were still at each other's throats. No party was willing to compromise, and therefore they could only choose to cohabitate in the university while staying out of the other party's hair.
The members of the Red Scorpion were very elusive and never actively identified themselves.
But recently, their activities had increased and were beginning to attract the school's attention.
Of course, Tejumole as a professor at the university also had a responsibility towards the school.
But, her status was a little special among the educators. So, even if she decided not to bother herself with the school's problems, no one would question her.
She much preferred conducting her lectures and doing other related things than interacting with the rest of the staff.
Her scope of activities were limited to teaching, going home and completing her missions.
Yet this bunch of delinquents actually targeted her? Now that was interesting.
"Thank you for the information, student." She nodded with an appreciative gaze.
What a promising kid who cares for his teachers. Not bad.
Excellent's impression had risen a bit in Tejumole's mind. He went from student to good student.
"Alright. Enjoy your day, Professor." Excellent said after a pause and left the place. As he walked away, his lips stretched upwards while thinking;
"As expected of Professor Teejay. Even cultists don't scare her."
Not long after, Tejumole carried the satchel and left the office. She locked her door and walked down the stairs before reaching the ground floor.
Thereafter, she strolled for about three minutes before reaching the parking space with fewer than four cars.
However, just as she was about to reach her car, two figures blocked her path.
"Bitch, we meet again. This time, there's nobody to save you." A malicious voice spoke in front of her, and accompanying the voice was an annoying smacking sound.
Tejumole stopped in her tracks and scanned the people blocking her way. Hearing the insult, her eyes glinted.
The two people before her were men who looked at her spitefully.
The taller one was dressed terribly, with a red bandana covering a part of his face and a trouser that was sagged below his buttocks.
The other was a few inches taller than she was and looked even more obscene. He was clad entirely in red, and his jaws moved to chew the gum in his mouth. He seemed familiar.
"You didn't think this day would come, ba (right)? Today, I will show you why you should respect me." The person who spoke was the red-clad person, who's every word tempted Tejumole to silence him permanently.
Her expression cooled as this thought formed, but she controlled herself and glanced at them impatiently. Unfortunately, the duo found her inaction irritating and felt like she was looking down at them. Annoyed, the taller fellow moved closer and attempted to drag her over to himself.
"I don't have time for this. Come here." He extended his hand towards Tejumole. But froze after hearing her voice.
"If you touch me, you will die." She uttered those chilling words simply but with certainty, and there was a momentary silence.
Faran paused his actions and shivered when he met Tejumole's gaze. Her brown eyes were beautiful, he admitted, however they also ignited an uncontrollable sense of danger within him.
Her voice wasn't loud, but her frigid tone made him uneasy. The uncomfortable feeling only increased when he looked at her still brown eyes. It was like being watched by a dangerous predator, who could kill you with a single swipe of their hands. Faran felt like an ant facing the threat of a foot bearing down on him. At any moment, he could be squashed.
"What rubbish are you saying? Abeg (please), you think your juju (magic) will work on us. You suppose know say juju pass juju (you should know that there are things stronger magic)" Jubril said aggressively but didn't try to touch her. His loud words freed Faran from the confinements of fear.
Faran looked at the professor and felt humiliated. To think this woman managed to scare him with just a few words.
Previously, he couldn't be bothered when Jubril came complaining about a professor who badmouthed the group. He only came with him following an order from the head.
But now it was personal.
Not wanting to waste any more time, he brought out a gun and aimed it discreetly at Tejumole.
"Move or I shoot."
The professor bit the tip of her tongue and narrowed her eyes in annoyance. These idiots had a death wish. She would gladly oblige.
Resolving to teach these delinquents an unforgettable lesson on human civility, Tejumole moved to put them in their place. Yet just as she took a step, she was forced to halt after hearing Ranta's voice.
"Host, wait! The compass is glowing. It's also brighter than earlier." Ranta spoke immediately, fearing that his host would turn murderous and lose the trail again.
The gears in Tejumole's head turned and her lips hooked at the unexpected turn of events. Her gaze appeared more 'friendly' and she said to the duo;
"Alright." They looked at each other before nodding.
The professor was suddenly being obedient, and although they found it strange, Faran and Jubril still led Tejumole away from the empty parking space, and towards a black car a few feet away.
'Humph, every one is afraid of guns', they thought. The scene resembled an innocent deer being forced into submission by the jaws of a crocodile.
As the car drove away, a hidden figure who witnessed the entire scene bit his nails in panic before saying.
"Oh my Lord! The professor has been kidnapped!"