The Price of Ransom
Prisoner and Ransom, Story 5 (Conclusion). The captive and her ransom.
The sound of classical music greeted Jen as she stirred awake. Her headache and neck pain aside, she was fine. Her groggy eyes scanned the room - ornate furniture, gilded walls, and golden lights. This wasn’t a cell, at least not any she was ever aware of. This was a lavish bedroom.
Yet her comfort soon gave way to a freezing chill. Her bare midriff and her exposed legs served as clues - she wasn’t in her tactical suit. Instead, she wore only her undergarments. Instinctively, she covered herself, to no avail. Panic set in as she remembered what had happened to her…
A betrayal.
Megacorp, having taken a public relations beating, had been quiet for some time. Yet the EDC received word that they were up to something. Jen was sent to meet this contact on the remote volcanic world of Brohmo for some information. But it was a trap. Her masked contact was no contact at all.
A short fight ensued, one that she had no chance. The fight ended with the man holding Jen aloft with one hand, choking her out. The last thing she remembered before darkness overwhelmed her was the man removing his mask, revealing a scarred face. One that was disturbingly familiar.
But it couldn’t be… could it?
Jen’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an opening door. A man stepped into the room, his tall frame removed all doubt. Yet Jen’s eyes still widened in shock.
“Rizal Pryce?” she cried. “Impossible!”
The scarred bounty hunter grinned. “Surprised to see me, sweetheart?”
Jen frowned, her shock turned to anger. “Why are you here? I saw you captured and locked up by Sobieski himself!”
Rizal chuckled. “Ah, but deals were made. They released me… for a ransom.”
Jen gasped. “Who’s… ransom?”
“Who do you think?” Rizal asked with venom.
Jen’s silence said everything. To think that she was set free in exchange for a bounty hunter as dangerous as Rizal Pryce. She didn’t want to believe it, but she knew deep down it was true.
Rizal grinned while leering at Jen. “Thus, I owe my freedom to you, sweetie. But oh, how can I forget about him? Your precious Major was the one who made that deal, wasn’t he?”
“It can’t be…”
“Oh but it can!” responded Rizal. “Not that I blame you and all. I’m not happy about this myself. Who does he think he is? Setting me free for the sake of… his girlfriend? Sobieski will regret underestimating me.”
For Jen, it took everything in her power to remain calm. “What are you planning to do?”
Rizal shrugged. “Mostly the Megacorp’s dirty work, obviously. But not this one. This is personal. You have no idea how much I’ve thirsted for revenge. And what better way to hurt Paul Sobieski than through you?”
Jen cringed as she saw Rizal approaching. She lifted up her arms, as if to fight. “Stay away from me!”
Rizal laughed manically. “So there is still some fire in you. Good. That’ll make breaking you all the sweeter.”
But Jen had no intention to fight. She threw a pillow at Rizal, then made her way for the door. But Rizal was far too quick, he tackled Jen to the ground and pinned her down, his hand gripping her neck.
“No, no,” he said. “No escape for you, sweetie.”
For Jen, the world blurred as Rizal’s hand tightened around her throat. Her struggle was utterly useless and her arms fell limp by her side. And the darkness claimed her yet again.
***
“Get your hands off her!”
That voice, familiar and reassuring, roused Jen back to consciousness like a block of smelling salt. Her vision cleared to see the source of that voice, her beloved Major Paul Sobieski, holding a gun to Rizal Pryce. The fact that she was being carried by Rizal like a piece of cargo didn’t matter to her.
Rizal, still facing away from Sobieski, grinned. “Major, you’ve come to watch her suffer. How fitting.”
Sobieski repeated, “Get your hands off her.”
“As you wish.”
Rizal dropped Jen unceremoniously to the bed before turning to face Sobieski. Jen clutched her neck, her breathing painful. Weakened still, she could only watch.
The two men glared at one another in silence. No words needed to be wasted. Both knew what they were fighting for. And the room quickly erupted into chaos. Not willing to risk shooting Jen, Sobieski put away his gun, and fought with his fists. Rizal was much the same, though he simply wanted the pleasure of beating down his hated nemesis with his own bare hands.
Rizal was quick and brutal, his punches and kicks sent Sobieski back. But the Major was resilient and kept his cool. His precision and discipline allowed for some good hits on his opponent.
The fight moved from one end of the bedroom to another; the cracking sounds of broken furniture rang throughout. Jen crawled from one corner of the room to another, narrowly avoiding the crossfire. And she kept herself safe long enough to witness the final blow…
Sobieski’s well-placed kick struck Rizal’s abdomen, sending him through the large glass window. The bounty hunter’s scream echoed as he plummeted to the dark valley below.
The EDC Major was all cuts and bruises, but the job was not done. He rushed to Jen, his eyes scanning for injuries. “Are you okay?”
Jen nodded, tears welling in her eyes. She threw her arms around him. “I’m fine, Paul. Thanks to you. You saved me again!”
Sobieski held her tightly. “Don’t mention it, Jen. You know I’ll always come for you.”
Pulling back slightly, she looked up to him. And she kissed him, putting all her gratitude and affection into it. He returned the kiss. And for a moment, nothing else mattered for the two lovebirds.
When they finally parted, Sobieski blushed, and not because of the kiss.
Jen looked on curiously. “What’s wrong, Paul?”
Sobieski motioned towards Jen’s sparse article of clothing. “You’ve… had better mission gear. Not that I’m complaining.”
Jen chuckled, though her voice was still trembling from excitement. “Don’t remind me.”
***
Major Paul Sobieski, always the gentleman, gave Jen his jacket for her to wear, ensuring that the rest of the EDC wouldn’t see her… exposed. At the moment, the two of them were sitting on the bed where Jen was once held captive.
Jen took a deep breath, she knew she could hold back no longer. “Rizal said you released him as part of my ransom? Is that true?”
Sobieski nodded, his expression grim. “It was the only way to get you back from the Megacorp. It was a risk I took. We kept track of him, hoping that we could prevent him from causing whatever damage he might have done, but he was able to ghost us, no doubt with Megacorp’s help. I’m sorry, Jen. You shouldn’t have paid the price for my…”
Jen kissed Sobieski, interrupting him. “No,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “You saved me, Paul. I’ve thought about my time in that prison. If you hadn’t done what you did, I’m sure they would have broken me.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jen,” responded Sobieski. “But I can’t let this happen again. This can’t go on. And I can’t lose you again!”
“Paul?” Jen asked, her voice hopeful.
Sobieski took a deep breath. “I’ve been holding back for too long, thinking that if I keep you at arms length, then you’ll be safe. But I can see that’s not working out very well, in more ways than one. I don’t want you out of my sight again. I love you, Jen.”
Jen smiled, her breath filled with relief. “Well, it took you long enough.” Her expression became serious. “Now what? The EDC’s been content to look the other way when it comes to our… kisses. But if our relationship becomes official, I’m sure they’ll break us apart, put either me or you in another team.”
Sobieski smirked. “Not necessarily. I’ve been keeping this on the down-low since it hasn’t been officially announced yet, but I’m being promoted to General.”
Jen gasped. “You mean…”
“Yes,” Sobieski said. “That means my duties will be political, off the field. And you know how Senta is. Between the Megacorp lobbyists, the Kingdoms and Republics competing for our support… even Old Earth seeking to regain their prestige. Senta is no less dangerous than the battlefield.”
“I’ve been told it’s a different type of battlefield,” Jen added.
Sobieski responded, “Indeed. And I need you there, Jen. Not just as an ally, but as a companion. Now and for the rest of my life.”
Jen blinked, the weight of his words settling in. “You’re… asking me to marry you. To marry a general.”
He nodded. “It’s not an easy life, to be a general’s wife. But I know you can do it. More importantly, I can’t imagine life on Senta without you.”
She smiled, her eyes glinting. “You know, Jen Sobieska has a nice ring to it.”
“You mean…”
Jen hugged Sobieski. “Yes, I accept… as if there was ever any doubt. Personally, I look forward to not getting knocked out and kidnapped on a semi-regular basis.”
Sobieski laughed. But before he could say anything, he was interrupted by a comm message. The Major answered, and his expression soon relaxed. “They found him,” he said to Jen, “Rizal’s body. It was charred beyond clear recognition by the lava of Brohmo, but we know it’s him. It’s over, Jen.”
Leaning onto him, Jen took a sigh of relief. “For the first time since my imprisonment on Usuria, I felt truly free,” she said, her voice soft.
“I’m glad you’re finally putting it all behind you,” responded Sobieski. “Because we’ve got a future to plan.”
Jen nodded. “And I’m with you all the way. Senta here we come!”
The End
Thanks for reading. If you love my work, consider supporting my work through one of the following:
Buy my books:
Tip via Buy Me A Coffee.
Bitcoin: bc1qydz05wsjqmuhqv6yu6zr0l45wewzhgkg96xqt0
Thank you in advance for your support, it keeps me writing and helps me considerably. Germanicus Publishing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
