Episode 3
1479 Words
Every Secret Stays
Wolo Street was alive with cameras and quiet tension.
Maya stood poised before the lens, microphone steady in her hand, when a familiar figure stepped into frame. Captain Dogo’s presence shifted the atmosphere immediately. He stood beside her with the calm authority of a man who understood power—and how to bend truth without breaking it.
“Today, we have Captain Dogo with us,” Maya announced. “Sir, the town is troubled by the continuous mysterious deaths. What do you have to say to the public?”
Captain Dogo did not hesitate.
“Thank you,” he began. “The deceased were among a group of unruly elements within the Academy. They attempted to lure gullible students into criminal activities. Unfortunately, internal conflicts arose, leading to their deaths.”
His voice remained firm, rehearsed.
“We will not relent. Security has been intensified, and those responsible will be apprehended. I urge the public not to panic—we are fully in control.”
His eyes hardened.
“And to our students: if you are here to learn, then focus and serve diligently. But if any of you are found instigating unrest, you will face the full weight of the law.”
He gestured slightly.
“My assistant will address further details.”
Only then did Sergeant Miles come fully into view. She nodded once—no smile, no reassurance.
Miles away, in the Zonal Coordinator’s office, the same broadcast played on a flickering television. The man leaned forward in his chair, watching intently, Inspector Wojo standing by his side.
Maya concluded the interview, wishing the officers success.
The Zonal Coordinator smirked and lowered the volume.
“That was well handled,” he said. “The public will calm down now.”
He turned sharply. “Inspector.”
“Sir.”
“Send instructions to Captain Dogo. A curfew goes into effect immediately. No movement from nine at night until six in the morning.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Wojo left, the Zonal Coordinator stared into the air, satisfied.
Inside the classroom, Sergeant Miles stood before a blackboard, her posture rigid, her voice clear. The room was poorly maintained—cracked walls, peeling paint—but discipline filled the space.
The students repeated after her in unison.
“I will follow the school rules.
Be respectful, hardworking, and committed to excellence.
I commit myself to integrity, honour, and responsibility.
I accept the consequences of my actions.
I will do good, better, and best—
And I will not rest until my good is my better,
And my better is my best.
So help me God.”
Jabari recited the words with the others, yet his eyes wandered. Something about the academy felt wrong—too quiet, too empty. For a school of its size, there were far too few faces.
My first days were calm, he thought.
Too calm.
He had applied to study close to home. Somehow, he ended up here instead.
Training was brutal.
Captain Dogo drilled the students relentlessly under the scorching sun. They ran. They crawled. They rolled through dirt. They climbed and fell and rose again.
Jabari struggled.
Sweat soaked his uniform as exhaustion overtook him. When he collapsed to the ground, gasping, a hand stretched out beside him, offering a bottle of water.
Jack smiled. “You’ll survive.”
Jabari nodded weakly, grateful.
Night brought no rest.
Inside the hostel, Jamal, Jack, and Levi played cards while Jabari sat on his bed, pen moving across paper. He had written yet another letter—another plea to be transferred.
Jamal noticed first.
“You’ve been writing for a while,” he said. “What’s it about?”
Jabari hesitated, then sighed. “I’m writing to the Commanding Officer. I want a transfer.”
Jack chuckled. “You want to leave?”
“I never applied here,” Jabari admitted. “I was surprised by the admission.”
Levi shook his head. “None of us wanted to be here.”
Jabari frowned. “What do you mean?”
Jamal leaned back. “We’re all strangers here. But once you arrive, you stay.”
Jack’s smile faded. “That day you’re hoping for? It never comes.”
Confusion spread across Jabari’s face. “No breaks? No vacation?”
Levi laughed dryly. “If only.”
A chill crept into the room.
“What if someone tries to escape?” Jabari asked quietly.
“No way,” Levi replied. “Two students tried it days ago. They died.”
Jack nodded. “Captain Dogo warned us himself.”
Silence settled heavily.
Jamal spoke again. “Have you noticed how few staff and students are here?”
Jabari nodded slowly.
“That’s because the government abandoned this place,” Levi said, walking to the window. “No development. No security. No real healthcare.”
Jack added, “And then there are the missing teachers.”
“Missing?” Jabari whispered.
Jack’s voice dropped. “Officer Adams.”
Three Months Earlier
Officer Adams stood in the laboratory, coat crisp, glasses perched on his nose. He taught with passion, guiding students through forensic techniques with careful precision.
“He told us he was close to uncovering something,” Jack’s voice echoed.
“Later that same day… he vanished.”
No trace. No explanation.
“And Officer Tia,” Jack continued.
Officer Tia worked in the computer lab, showing students how to track criminal patterns, his eyes bright with purpose.
“He disappeared too—just as he was breaking through.”
Back in the hostel, fear lingered in the air.
“We reported everything,” Jamal said. “The government ignored us. Captain Dogo warned us to stay silent.”
Jack’s voice hardened. “They won’t let us go home. If you talk, they’ll handle you.”
“How?” Jabari asked.
“They’ll make it look like an accident.”
Levi turned away. “Every secret stays within the school.”
Jabari’s chest tightened.
Death has been calling, he realized.
And somehow, it brought me here.
A shadow passed beneath the door.
Someone had been listening.
The next morning, all students assembled in formation. Captain Dogo arrived, Sergeant Miles behind him, a whip hanging from his hand.
He spoke with practiced reassurance—promising improvement, government support, change.
Hope flickered in Jabari’s heart.
Then Captain Dogo’s tone shifted.
“One of you,” he said coldly, “attempted to send a letter to the government—to tarnish this Academy.”
A pause.
“We intercepted it.”
Silence fell like a blade.
Jabari’s blood ran cold.
The Intercepted Truth
Captain Dogo sat alone in his office, the afternoon light slipping through the narrow blinds and casting sharp lines across the wooden floor. His fingers rested on the desk, unmoving, as someone stood before him.
The man’s face was hidden from view, turned away from the light. His presence felt deliberate—careful, cautious, practiced.
Without a word, the unknown visitor stretched out his hand and placed a thick khaki envelope on the desk.
Captain Dogo stared at it for a long moment before finally picking it up. He opened it slowly.
Inside was a printed email.
A student’s plea.
A desperate attempt to reach the government.
Captain Dogo’s jaw tightened. His lips pressed into a thin line as anger simmered beneath his calm exterior.
“So,” he muttered, “someone is brave.”
The visitor said nothing.
Captain Dogo slipped the contents back into the envelope and leaned back in his chair, eyes dark with calculation.
“Leave,” he said quietly.
The unknown man obeyed without hesitation.
When the door closed, Captain Dogo exhaled sharply.
Secrets, he knew, were like infections. If not crushed early, they spread.
Whatever Happens Here Dies Here
The students stood in formation beneath the open sky, their boots aligned, their faces stiff with discipline. Morning devotion had become routine, yet that day carried a strange tension.
Jabari felt it in his chest.
Captain Dogo arrived with Sergeant Miles beside him, holding a whip loosely in his hand. The sight alone commanded silence.
“Good morning, students,” Captain Dogo called.
“Good morning, Captain Dogo,” they replied in unison.
He paced slowly before them.
“I know things haven’t been right in this Academy,” he said. “But Sergeant Miles and I are working tirelessly to fix it. The government will soon approve our requests. Facilities will improve. Order will return.”
Hope flickered across Jabari’s face.
Then Captain Dogo stopped walking.
His eyes hardened.
“However,” he continued, “one of you attempted to destroy this Academy by sending a mail to the government.”
A ripple of fear spread through the formation.
“We intercepted the message.”
Captain Dogo raised his hand and pointed.
“You. Fall out.”
- Writer
