Status: Just a small short story
Taken for Ransom
Taken for Ransom
Bring 9 million dollars to the top of the Empire State Building. If you ever want to see your little sister again, you’ll come alone. I’ll be waiting like Cinderella. Come past midnight and I might drop my ‘shoe’, and run off. Don’t keep me waiting.
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Jackie stared at the note for another couple of seconds. Someone had her little sister? Who would want to hurt Emily? For a matter of fact, who would want to hurt her? The only person she was afraid of was her Art History Professor, Mr. Bronson. He seemed to have a very unhealthy interest in her. Always asking about her family, her love life, her friends, things Art History professors weren’t supposed to ask their students.
Jackie shook her head, trying to focus on the note she had found on Emily’s bed. She didn’t have 9 million dollars. She didn’t know anyone who had 9 million dollars. She lived in the Bronx for God’s sake. It would take her at least thirty dollars to get from her small apartment all the way to the Empire State building. Jackie checked the watch on her left wrist and her heart stopped. It was already 11:30. How long had Emily been gone for? Unfortunately for Jackie, her parents were on vacation in Florida, visiting Jackie’s old grandmother. Her parents had trusted her to keep her little sister safe and she couldn’t even do that. She had just gone down the street to that cute little market on the corner. They had this yogurt that Emily went crazy for. Jackie had only been gone for maybe eleven minutes at the most. That could only mean that the person who took Emily had been watching the house.
Jackie crumbled the note in her hand, rag coursing through her body. Who was the disgusting bastard that had taken her innocent five year old baby sister? She was about to find out. She unscrewed the jar on her desk that read: “Vacation money.” This was a little more important than a silly vacation. Then she ran into her parent’s room and opened her dad’s side of the closet. She carefully grabbed the Adidas shoebox from the top shelf and slid the lid off. A small pistol was nestled in between a large pile of cash (for any kind of emergency like a natural disaster or something of the sort) and a key to their safety deposit box. Jackie grabbed the gun, making sure the safety was on. Jackie’s dad had made it his top priority to make sure she knew how guns, and anything else she could use to protect herself with worked. She had learned how to use a gun when she was Emily’s age. She slid it into the back waistband of her jeans, making sure that her sweatshirt covered the bulge it left. Jackie walked outside and hailed a taxi, sitting in the seat carefully, so as not o accidentally set off the gun.
“Where to?” The cabby asked roughly.
“Empire State Building,” Jackie ordered in a determined voice. The cabby gave her a hesitant look, he obviously knew how much it cost to get there from here. He shrugged it off though and began to drive. With every minute Jackie sat in her seat, the angrier she felt. She was either going to kill him, or stall him long enough for the cops to show up. Obviously there would be some kind of alarm that she and the kidnapper would trip. The building had closed more than four hours ago. The cabby stopped in front of the building and waited expectantly. Jackie threw the money in the front seat, not even waiting for her change. She ran into the building, instantly hearing the click of an alarm being triggered. So the kidnapper hadn’t triggered it. Well now they would know where she was.
Jackie wasn’t used to it being so empty, when she was always here it was noisy and you could barely take two steps before a group of tourists engulfed you. She took the elevator all the way to the top and carefully stepped out. She looked around, afraid to say a sound. That’s when she heard the quiet sobbing. Jackie was positive that it was Emily’s. She rounded the corner and gasped. Emily was tied to one of the poles surrounding the ledge. She was maybe three feet up in the air, her short legs dangling in the air. Her pale blonde hair was matted to one side of her hair. The closer Jackie got, the more she noticed that it was matted down with something that looked suspiciously like blood. Emily’s bright blue eyes met hers and she let out a small squeak that was muffled by the cloth gag in her mouth.
“I got you,” Jackie smiled, trying not to sound terrified. Jackie untied her sister, setting her gently on the ground. She untied the gag slowly, hoping that her sister wouldn’t make any noises. Emily’s arms went straight around Jackie’s waist as more tears began to fall from her eyes.
“Emily you need to be quiet. Where is the person that took you?” Jackie asked. Emily opened to mouth to speak, but the sound of footsteps on loose gravel forced her mouth closed.
“Well what do we have here?” A familiar voice chuckled. Jackie straightened up, her spine completely rigid. She turned and was face to face with her biggest fear: Mr. Bronson. He was dressed in a casual manner, a simple white dress shirt, black pants, shiny black dress shoes, and a bow tie loose around his neck. He had a substantial amount of stubble, and by the bags under his eyes it looked like he hadn’t slept in days. There was a smattering of blood by his temple and his left hand was smeared with blood.
“Mr. Bronson?” Jackie gasped.
“I had to get you here somehow, and this was the only way,” Mr. Bronson chuckled. The way he acted reminded Jackie of the Batman super villain, The Joker. He was twitchy and laughed cynically and for no reason. He took a step forward and Jackie pushed Emily behind her. Mr. Bronson gave her a curious look and stood still.
“Do I frighten you?” He asked, a small smile spreading across his lips.
“Very much so?” Jackie frowned. Mr. Bronson chuckled and clapped his hands together.
“What else do you think about me?” Mr. Bronson smirked. Jackie’s face twisted in one of disgust. Was he trying to make her confess that she had feelings for him? Sure she had found him attractive, but he a teacher, she was a student, and he had just kidnapped her little sister!
“I think you’re a disgusting excuse for a human being and you should be put into prison or killed for what you did,” Jackie spat. Mr. Bronson’s smirk faded, only to be replaced by a twisted look of rage.
“How dare you talk about me like that! It’s your fault that we’re in this situation!” Mr. Bronson screamed. Jackie looked down at Emily confused. Emily looked back up at her, shivering in fear.
“What the hell are you talking about!?” Jackie screamed. She heard distant police sirens and really hoped that they were heading her way.
“You and your friends prance around in your little outfits. Making me want you. Then teasing me when you flirt with other men. You get uncomfortable telling me things, even though I’m just trying to get closer to you!” Mr. Bronson growled. Jackie’s eyes widened. Making him want her? Disgusting.
“The only thing I could think of to get you here was your little sister,” Mr. Bronson smiled, looking at Emily. Emily clenched the back of Jackie’s jeans tighter. Jackie tensed up, Emily’s hands were dangerously close to the gun.
“Why did you want me here?” Jackie asked. Mr. Bronson’s eyes turned to her, a different, unrecognizable expression in them.
“I needed to tell you that I loved you,” he smiled, a hopeful look on his face. Jackie’s chest clenched up. This was getting serious now. She knew if she told him that she didn’t love him, then he might hurt her, or worse, he could hurt or kill Emily.
“So?” Mr. Bronson asked, a creepy, psychotic smile on his face. Jackie knew she just had to tell him the truth.
“I don’t love you Mr. Bronson, I’m sorry,” Jackie sighed. Mr. Bronson’s smiled fell. His hands curled into fists and Jackie could see him panting.
“If I can’t have you, then no one can, not even your little sister,” Mr. Bronson snarled. He ran towards them, and in one swift move, Jackie grabbed the gun, pulled it out and pulled the trigger. Mr. Bronson stopped, a large red circle spreading across his stomach. He gave her one final look of despair before he fell face forward onto the ground. Emily let out a tiny squeak and Jackie held her a little tighter.
“I’ve got you Em, I’ve got you.”
_________________________________________________________________________________
Jackie stared at the note for another couple of seconds. Someone had her little sister? Who would want to hurt Emily? For a matter of fact, who would want to hurt her? The only person she was afraid of was her Art History Professor, Mr. Bronson. He seemed to have a very unhealthy interest in her. Always asking about her family, her love life, her friends, things Art History professors weren’t supposed to ask their students.
Jackie shook her head, trying to focus on the note she had found on Emily’s bed. She didn’t have 9 million dollars. She didn’t know anyone who had 9 million dollars. She lived in the Bronx for God’s sake. It would take her at least thirty dollars to get from her small apartment all the way to the Empire State building. Jackie checked the watch on her left wrist and her heart stopped. It was already 11:30. How long had Emily been gone for? Unfortunately for Jackie, her parents were on vacation in Florida, visiting Jackie’s old grandmother. Her parents had trusted her to keep her little sister safe and she couldn’t even do that. She had just gone down the street to that cute little market on the corner. They had this yogurt that Emily went crazy for. Jackie had only been gone for maybe eleven minutes at the most. That could only mean that the person who took Emily had been watching the house.
Jackie crumbled the note in her hand, rag coursing through her body. Who was the disgusting bastard that had taken her innocent five year old baby sister? She was about to find out. She unscrewed the jar on her desk that read: “Vacation money.” This was a little more important than a silly vacation. Then she ran into her parent’s room and opened her dad’s side of the closet. She carefully grabbed the Adidas shoebox from the top shelf and slid the lid off. A small pistol was nestled in between a large pile of cash (for any kind of emergency like a natural disaster or something of the sort) and a key to their safety deposit box. Jackie grabbed the gun, making sure the safety was on. Jackie’s dad had made it his top priority to make sure she knew how guns, and anything else she could use to protect herself with worked. She had learned how to use a gun when she was Emily’s age. She slid it into the back waistband of her jeans, making sure that her sweatshirt covered the bulge it left. Jackie walked outside and hailed a taxi, sitting in the seat carefully, so as not o accidentally set off the gun.
“Where to?” The cabby asked roughly.
“Empire State Building,” Jackie ordered in a determined voice. The cabby gave her a hesitant look, he obviously knew how much it cost to get there from here. He shrugged it off though and began to drive. With every minute Jackie sat in her seat, the angrier she felt. She was either going to kill him, or stall him long enough for the cops to show up. Obviously there would be some kind of alarm that she and the kidnapper would trip. The building had closed more than four hours ago. The cabby stopped in front of the building and waited expectantly. Jackie threw the money in the front seat, not even waiting for her change. She ran into the building, instantly hearing the click of an alarm being triggered. So the kidnapper hadn’t triggered it. Well now they would know where she was.
Jackie wasn’t used to it being so empty, when she was always here it was noisy and you could barely take two steps before a group of tourists engulfed you. She took the elevator all the way to the top and carefully stepped out. She looked around, afraid to say a sound. That’s when she heard the quiet sobbing. Jackie was positive that it was Emily’s. She rounded the corner and gasped. Emily was tied to one of the poles surrounding the ledge. She was maybe three feet up in the air, her short legs dangling in the air. Her pale blonde hair was matted to one side of her hair. The closer Jackie got, the more she noticed that it was matted down with something that looked suspiciously like blood. Emily’s bright blue eyes met hers and she let out a small squeak that was muffled by the cloth gag in her mouth.
“I got you,” Jackie smiled, trying not to sound terrified. Jackie untied her sister, setting her gently on the ground. She untied the gag slowly, hoping that her sister wouldn’t make any noises. Emily’s arms went straight around Jackie’s waist as more tears began to fall from her eyes.
“Emily you need to be quiet. Where is the person that took you?” Jackie asked. Emily opened to mouth to speak, but the sound of footsteps on loose gravel forced her mouth closed.
“Well what do we have here?” A familiar voice chuckled. Jackie straightened up, her spine completely rigid. She turned and was face to face with her biggest fear: Mr. Bronson. He was dressed in a casual manner, a simple white dress shirt, black pants, shiny black dress shoes, and a bow tie loose around his neck. He had a substantial amount of stubble, and by the bags under his eyes it looked like he hadn’t slept in days. There was a smattering of blood by his temple and his left hand was smeared with blood.
“Mr. Bronson?” Jackie gasped.
“I had to get you here somehow, and this was the only way,” Mr. Bronson chuckled. The way he acted reminded Jackie of the Batman super villain, The Joker. He was twitchy and laughed cynically and for no reason. He took a step forward and Jackie pushed Emily behind her. Mr. Bronson gave her a curious look and stood still.
“Do I frighten you?” He asked, a small smile spreading across his lips.
“Very much so?” Jackie frowned. Mr. Bronson chuckled and clapped his hands together.
“What else do you think about me?” Mr. Bronson smirked. Jackie’s face twisted in one of disgust. Was he trying to make her confess that she had feelings for him? Sure she had found him attractive, but he a teacher, she was a student, and he had just kidnapped her little sister!
“I think you’re a disgusting excuse for a human being and you should be put into prison or killed for what you did,” Jackie spat. Mr. Bronson’s smirk faded, only to be replaced by a twisted look of rage.
“How dare you talk about me like that! It’s your fault that we’re in this situation!” Mr. Bronson screamed. Jackie looked down at Emily confused. Emily looked back up at her, shivering in fear.
“What the hell are you talking about!?” Jackie screamed. She heard distant police sirens and really hoped that they were heading her way.
“You and your friends prance around in your little outfits. Making me want you. Then teasing me when you flirt with other men. You get uncomfortable telling me things, even though I’m just trying to get closer to you!” Mr. Bronson growled. Jackie’s eyes widened. Making him want her? Disgusting.
“The only thing I could think of to get you here was your little sister,” Mr. Bronson smiled, looking at Emily. Emily clenched the back of Jackie’s jeans tighter. Jackie tensed up, Emily’s hands were dangerously close to the gun.
“Why did you want me here?” Jackie asked. Mr. Bronson’s eyes turned to her, a different, unrecognizable expression in them.
“I needed to tell you that I loved you,” he smiled, a hopeful look on his face. Jackie’s chest clenched up. This was getting serious now. She knew if she told him that she didn’t love him, then he might hurt her, or worse, he could hurt or kill Emily.
“So?” Mr. Bronson asked, a creepy, psychotic smile on his face. Jackie knew she just had to tell him the truth.
“I don’t love you Mr. Bronson, I’m sorry,” Jackie sighed. Mr. Bronson’s smiled fell. His hands curled into fists and Jackie could see him panting.
“If I can’t have you, then no one can, not even your little sister,” Mr. Bronson snarled. He ran towards them, and in one swift move, Jackie grabbed the gun, pulled it out and pulled the trigger. Mr. Bronson stopped, a large red circle spreading across his stomach. He gave her one final look of despair before he fell face forward onto the ground. Emily let out a tiny squeak and Jackie held her a little tighter.
“I’ve got you Em, I’ve got you.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Hope you guys enjoyed!