Dangerous Love (ONC 2019 - LGBTQ)

9. Kidnapped

☆ Dedicated to let_alpha_write and their story "Enthralled Danger" a steamy mature story for the ONC 2019 ☆

Kam stared at Harlan, speechless. Could this operation get any more nebfucked? It was supposed be an easy job. Go in, grab the boys and leave. What could be simpler? But one damn thing after another had gone wrong. First, the boys had run, and they'd managed to catch only one, and now his newest recruit said he could be identified by the tour leader.

For a moment he felt like turning his stunner on Patrick Morgan, but switched to the "kill" setting instead of "stun". Luckily, he stopped himself just in time. They didn't want to leave any bodies here for the Rescue Unit to find. Hal had the right idea. Take Morgan with them, and then dispose of him later, someplace where he wouldn't be found for a long time—if at all.

"Well, you'll have to carry him," he told Hal gruffly. "Andre and Lu have already got the boy to manage."

He waited impatiently as Hal hooked his arms under Patrick's elbows, pulled him upright then and slung him across both shoulders, thanking his lucky stars that Patrick was slightly built.

"Let's go," said Kam abruptly. "We've wasted enough time here!"

Panting slightly, Harlan followed, Andre behind him, still carrying Rik, with Lu bringing up the rear.

As soon as the last man had disappeared from sight, Hetha sat up, rubbed her wrists and turned to Lisa.

"Well, at least that distracted them from checking our bonds. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Then I'll start freeing the others. If you could find a light that isn't broken, that would help."

"But do you think we should go after Patrick? I'm worried about him. And Rik, too, of course," asked Lisa, anxiously.

Hetha sighed. "Much as I'd like to, I'm not sure we could really do much against four armed men. I think we'd be more useful looking after this lot. We'll have to make everyone as comfortable as we can for the rest of the night and then guide us all back to Cascade in the morning. It's too dark to try and find our way out of the forest tonight."

Lisa chewed her bottom lip. "You're probably right, but I remember Patrick said the trail branches into three a bit further on. I think I'll just follow them until I see which way they go. At least that will give the search party somewhere to start from. Whenever they turn up."

"As long as you don't let them hear you!" Hetha called after Lisa's retreating back.

She bent down to free Katy and Pieter first. The adults could wait a minute. "Well that was quite an adventure, wasn't it?" she said chattily. "Just think, you'll have so much to tell your friends when you get home."

~~~

Lisa hurried along the track taken by the raiding party. Her night vision had always been good and there was just enough light from the moons to enable a seasoned hiker to move confidently. On silent feet, she kept her ears tuned for sounds of movement ahead. Four men, two of them carrying heavy loads, would have to make some noise, surely. She reached the point where the tracks diverged and stood still, listening.

There! To the right. There was a sound like branches rustling as someone pushed through. She followed the track for a few metres until she was confident she'd found the right path, and then turned back to the campsite. If she was any judge, Hetha would be waiting eagerly for her help. She couldn't imagine either Carl or Beth being much use in restoring the camp to any sort of order.

Lisa had just reached the campsite when she heard the distinctive whirr of a shuttle taking off. She spun around and looked up, to see a cloud of dirt and leaves billowing up into the night sky. Then a small craft shot up into the stratosphere. It must have been waiting about one or two kays to the north, a bit further to the west than she'd expected, but... Frack. She should have guessed the raiders would have an escape plan. And not a rescue vehicle in sight, not even a flyer. She'd been really hoping Georg still had his wristcom and had called for help.

No-one could track them now, not unless they had the craft's signature code. Patrick and Rik could be anywhere, even on their way to another planet.

"Did you see that?" Hetha called.

"Yes," answered Lisa in grim tones.

"Can't be helped," said Hetha. "Professionals, I'm guessing. They must have a lot of money behind them to afford a shuttle," she mused. "I wonder what sort of ransom they're expecting to get to offset those costs?"

Lisa shrugged. "I'm going to get the fire going again," she said. "Just in case anyone is looking for us, it will act as a beacon."

Briskly pressed into service by Hetha, the six survivors managed to salvage enough from the mess to construct a couple of shelters. The camp was almost looking respectable when they heard the sound of a shuttle approaching from the south. At last.

A sleek looking craft appeared, hovering over the rainforest nearby and sending a cloud of dirt, leaves and twigs in their direction. A stairway rippled its way down to the forest floor and a man wearing a space-black evening suit stepped out of the shuttle and came down the stairway, ignoring the wind blowing around him. He strode over to the campers, who were bent over, coughing and spluttering.

"Who's in charge here? Where's my son?" he demanded.