Dangerous Love (ONC 2019 - LGBTQ)

17. Ransom

☆ Dedicated to angerbda and her story "But, Grandma, Unicorns don't exist" - a children's fiction story for the ONC 2019 ☆

"What? That's crazy!" protested Maddon. "I had absolutely nothing to do with it. I'm a businessman, not a gangster, for stars' sake! I didn't even know the man."

"That may well be, ser," said Werner with rather too much doubt in his voice for Maddon's liking. "But those are the rumours we're hearing. And if we're hearing them, then you can be certain, so is Frank Yelt."

Maddon felt the blood drain out of his face and he thought he might faint. Rik!

He got rid of the police as soon as he could, frantic to get his own security people onto the job of tracing the rumours, and Yelt. Unlike the police, he could offer substantial rewards for information, but he couldn't help the dreadful fear gnawing at his stomach. Was there a terrible reason why the ransom demand hadn't been finalised? Had Rik been taken in an act of mistaken revenge?

He had only just finished issuing orders when he heard a low buzzing sound. For a moment he stared around in confusion, before snatching the wristcom off the desk. He'd actually forgotten the damn thing.

There they were, the details for the ransom deposit. Payment was to be made today at 16:00 hours, only two hours from now.

With trembling fingers, Maddon sent back a demand for "proof of life" first. Let them believe he was cold, too mercenary to pay without further confirmation—he just needed to see that Rik was alive.

~~~

Lu read the message on his wristcom. A flash of annoyance crossed his face.

"It's from Kam. Says Maddon wants to see some proof the boy is alive, before he pays. What does he want? A finger still dripping blood?"

"There are easier ways," said Harlan, calmly. "Send him an image of Rik, speaking today's date and the time. That should be proof enough."

"Right," agreed Lu, walking over to Rik. He held his wristcom up to his face. "You heard what the man said, today's date and the time. It's there on the 'com."

Rik hesitated, as if he was thinking about resisting. "Or I can cut off a finger and record that," said Lu with an unpleasant smile. "Your choice."

Sullenly, Rik gave the date and time into the 'com.

Lu forwarded the message quickly to Kam, then paused as he read further instructions from his boss. "Kam's already on his way to pick us up," he told Harlan. "He says the flyer will be here in about ten minutes, so we should get everything packed and ready to go."

"A flyer?" queried Harlan, surprised. He'd been expecting the shuttle. "How are we all going to fit in a flyer?"

Lu shrugged. "I'm sure Kam has a plan."

Rik and Patrick sat on the ground and watched as Harlan and Lu packed everything back into the containers, including the campbeds.

"Shouldn't be long now," said Patrick softly, hoping to give Rik some encouragement.

They heard the faint sounds of a flyer outside and only moments later, Kam squeezed into the cave carrying a small pack.

"Good. I see you've got everything ready," he commented, giving the cave a quick scan.

"It's going to be a tight fit," said Harlan, a faint question in his tone. "All those boxes, along with the five of us."

"Well, here's the thing," said Kam. "The boy and your man will be staying here. There's no need to transport them anywhere, this place will do well enough for the pickup." He took a sophisticated-looking lock out of his pack, followed by two sets of cuffs, a length of chain, and a disposable wristcom.

"We don't actually need a trader's container for the exchange. The lock, here, is the important thing. Once the payment's received, the lock will open and send its location to Maddon."

Picking up the equipment he'd brought, Kam walked briskly over to the metal ring which was bolted into the side of the cave. "Over here, you two," he ordered, looking at Rik and Patrick. "The sooner this is done, the sooner we can all get out of here."

Rik and Patrick both hesitated and Kam rattled the chain, impatiently. "The exchange is currently scheduled for today at 16:00... unless anything happens to hold it up," he added with a pointed look.

Patrick didn't look happy but Rik limped across to Kam, suddenly eager for this whole nasty episode to be over.

"It might take a bit longer than normal for you to be found out here instead of somewhere in Syden, but you'll be safe enough," commented Kam, pulling the chain through the ring. Carefully he attached the lock, connecting the chain to the cuff he'd just fastened around Rik's ankle.

Patrick was still standing in the middle of the cave, when Kam whipped out a stunner from his side pocket and pointed it at him. "Up to you how we do it," he told Patrick, "but one way or another, you're going to be on the other end of this chain in the next sixty seconds."

Patrick shot a quick glance across at Harlan, but he was motionless, looking totally impassive as he waited for Patrick to make up his mind.

Reluctantly, Patrick allowed himself to be cuffed to the other end of the chain.

"We'll leave you some water," said Kam, taking a couple of bottles out of his pack and placing them in reach, "but you probably won't need it. You should be out of here before nightfall."

Kam stood, stretched, and turned to his men. "Okay, let's pick up those boxes and get moving."

~~~

Harlan didn't like the change of plan, but he couldn't think of any real reason to protest. After all, Kam had a point. It made much more sense to leave Rik and Patrick in the cave, rather than take the extra risk involved in transferring them to a container somewhere in Syden. Leaving them here alone, chained together, made him feel uneasy, but if everything proceeded according to plan, it wouldn't be for very long.