Whumptober+ Short Stories - Volume 1

Prompt 18 - Hostage

"Looks like it's your lucky day, Shiloh." The group leader said with a smirk. "Your father has agreed to a virtual computer meeting, which will be starting in just a minute. Of course you'll be present for the negotiations." Behind him, the man sitting at the controls began prepping for the online meeting, adjusting various things on the panels in front of him. The head of the group turned to actually look at Shiloh for the first time since his abduction, a warning look on his rugged face as he said, "I'd suggest you cooperate. We can't have anything go wrong here."

Shiloh nodded silently. This man (he thought he remembered being told the guy's name was Stowne) was a man without integrity; one could tell just by listening to him. He guessed that his captor was also pretty self-confident in his actions, which probably meant he had done this before. In which case, it was best that Shiloh keep his mouth shut until the right time.

A loud sound of static interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced over at the massive screen mounted on the opposite wall. At the same time, the static ceased, and the image on the screen itself cleared up. Stowne walked over to stand next to the chair Shiloh was tied to, raising a gun to the young man's neck as he did so. "Eryk Rand, I presume?" He said, looking at the man whose face had appeared on the screen. Shiloh's father nodded. "Yes, that is correct." He replied, trying to maintain a professional image, though the sight of his youngest son being held hostage was clearly making it difficult. "Let's get straight to the point. What are your demands?"

Stowne pretended to consider this question for a moment, then shrugged. "Pretty obvious, ain't it?" He said. "Give us the means to get out of this situation you got us in, and you get your little boy back safe and sound."

Eryk looked stunned, and for a moment Shiloh wondered if his father might just refuse the other man. But then Eryk's expression changed, and he sighed heavily. "I'm not going to make that decision yet. My son is an adult; he has the right to have a say in this."

Shiloh closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at his father. "I'll only speak if you agree to cut the connection once I've made my decision." He said slowly. Eryk started to protest, but then he saw the look in his son's eyes, and stopped. After a moment, he nodded again. "Alright, Son." He replied. Shiloh gave him a small smile, then glanced over at Stowne briefly before continuing.

"Alright. I know that, at this moment, the police are outside waiting to arrest these men. And I know that all of these guys are prepared to go down shooting rather than be sent to prison. So then, how many men do you see here?" He asked. Eryk paused for a moment, then replied quietly, "Eleven."

At this response, Shiloh felt a surge of happiness burst inside his chest. Other than himself, the occupants of the room amounted to ten.

Exhaling deeply, he turned back to the screen. "If that's the case... then I've made my decision." He sighed, feeling Stowne lay a hand on his shoulder, presumably as a warning.

Shiloh ignored that warning.

"Dad... tell the police... that they're clear to move."

A second later the connection clicked off, accented by the sound of a singular gunshot.