A King's Ransom

by Shawn Bailey

  So, it was either Rozi or the women. Ae-Jong pointed to the women.

  “I thought you might change your mind. If you would have chosen me, I would have taken you right there in the tub. I’ll leave you to your bath.” He left the room.

  “He’s kidding, isn’t he?”

  Both young women shook their heads. The one named Candis left the bedroom and entered the bathroom.

  “Rozi is a very powerful lover,” Arjana told him. “Make sure he uses a lot of lubrication before penetrating you.”

  “Thank you,” Ae-Jong said. Powerful? Did that mean he had a big cock or that he fucked hard? He’d supposed he’d find out later.

  Arjana joined Candis in the en suite. He heard the water turn on, and the scent of coconut and pineapple entered the room. Okay, maybe he could deal with what was about to happen. One of the young ladies peeked her head in the room. “Your bath is ready, sir.”

  Ae-Jong stood and walked toward the bathroom. He gasped when he entered and saw both women already in the tub. They were both naked. He ran his gaze over their bare shoulders and breasts. Ae-Jong used the toilet and then undressed. “See, I am a boy.” Both females laughed. He stepped into the tub. The two went to work on him. No lie, like his servants back home, Arjana and Candis were very thorough. They washed every nook and cranny. Afterward, they dried and powdered him, dressed him in white linen pants and shirt and then styled his hair.

  “Thank you,” he said to them. He bowed respectfully. The two women bowed and left the room giggling. He looked down at his crotch. He’d been in a tub with two naked women. No erection, very much gay. Having nothing else to do, he sat on the bed. Even if he hadn’t left his cell phone back in Seoul in his bedroom, he doubted that he would have been able to contact his family. In his head he envisioned Andrew coming to rescue him. It would be a scene right out of an Indiana Jones or a James Bond movie. Andrew would ride in on a white stallion, and he would be dressed in a light-colored safari outfit, including a hat to protect his fair hair and skin from the sun. He’d also have on fashionable knee-high boots to call attention to his long legs and muscular thighs. He’d bring the cavalry with him, and they would fight and overcome Rozi’s guards. Then Andrew would comb the palace and beat up the men at Ae-Jong’s door. Afterward, he’d come in, and Ae-Jong would jump into Andrew’s arms and kiss him passionately, and they would fly back to Seoul on Andrew’s private jet. Ae-Jong sighed. He’d be lucky if he didn’t die from Ebola.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Celestine was right about this place,” Edward said as he piloted a helicopter over Rozi’s palace.

  Andy nodded and looked down from the seat beside his cousin. He didn’t expect something so large and palatial. The palace had lush gardens and trees surrounding it. The main building had two stories and looked similar to the White House in Washington, but bigger. There was another outer building, too. He spotted the guard shacks and the big metal gate and fence. Everything had been built in the middle of nowhere with a desert to the front and forest to its rear. He saw no movement from the guard shacks. Apparently, they hadn’t been spotted. The guards were probably asleep. It was late afternoon, the sun was high in the sky, and there was nothing but sand and forest as far as the eye could see. There was no way in the world he could live there. He needed people, traffic, and pavement under his feet.

  “What do you think of the probability of us getting inside that place and rescuing the prince?” John College asked. He was one of Edward’s friends.

  “Fifty-fifty,” Edward answered. “We don’t know who might be inside. My guess is they’re probably armed and just waiting for us to storm the palace.”

  Andy didn’t like those odds. They would be armed too when they entered. He and the others already understood that they had to shoot or be shot. Celestine had told them that most of the bedrooms, including Rozi’s, was on the second floor. He wondered if the king had forced himself on Ae-Jong yet? He shuddered in anger. He would personally kill him himself if Rozi had harmed the singer.

  “There’s a way in through the roof and the windows,” Edward said. “And there’s no guards posted out back in that shack.”

  “My guess is that there is no need to post them back there since the woods are probably filled with lions or some kind of dangerous big cats,” John said.

  Andy didn’t fancy himself being eaten by anything, or a python squeezing him to death.

  Edward took the helicopter up higher and headed back in the direction they came. They traveled over the desert again.

  “Look, there’s a lot of vehicles headed toward the palace,” Andy said. “Could Ae-Jong be with them?”

  “Anything is possible, but I doubt it,” Edward answered. “My guess is that Ae-Jong is already inside of the palace. Plus, most of the vehicles are four-wheel drives. From what I’ve learned about this Rozi fellow, he’s very vain and probably wouldn’t be caught dead in something so primitive. He’d be traveling by limousine, even though there is no one out here to show off to.”

  “Look, there’s some camels headed this way, too,” John said.

  Andy looked down again. “I wonder why they’re going to the palace?” It would be dangerous for them to hang around to find out.

  “Probably a party,” Eddie said. “My guess is that Rozi is throwing a party to show off the newest member of the royal family.”

  “Ae-Jong would never submit to a guy like that,” Andy said angrily.

  “How do you know what Ae-Jong will or won’t do to save his life? You barely know him,” Edward said.

  “I’m his manager, and I think I’ve known him long enough to know he wouldn’t go down without a fight.”

  Edward looked over at him and shrugged. “We better get out of here. I think it’s best to come back and strike at night when everyone is asleep.”

  Andy decided to listen to his older cousin. After all, Edward did have more experience in saving damsels in distress than he did. They headed back to the American consulate building to return the helicopter. Tonight, they would need something more durable and untraceable to get Edward and his men across the desert or through the woods without being noticed.

  * * * *

  Ae-Jong was taken out of his room after Yuna had entered to bring him a veil to cover his face. Rozi’s main wife still hadn’t warmed up to him. It wasn’t his fault that her husband wanted a little variety in the bedroom.

  There were still guards with guns outside of his room. They all looked at him with smug expressions like they didn’t want to be there, or it was all his fault this was happening. It was pretty late when Rozi had brought him there, and he hadn’t seen much of the place. Yuna took him down a flight of stairs that was also lined with armed guards. Some of them followed them. He heard music. “Is someone having a party?”

  “Rozi is entertaining some friends. You are to be on your best behavior and do not embarrass him.”

  She had some nerve. Her man had kidnapped him. She led him to a door and opened it. She stepped inside first, and Ae-Jong followed him. There were other females waiting inside. Ae-Jong recognized Arjana and Candis. These must be the other wives. They are all dressed in long dresses and had their hair in fashionable braids.

  Yuna introduced him. “This is Rozi’s soon-to-be eighth wife. His name is Ae-Jong,” she said to them in English.

  All of the women looked at him.

  “That is not a female,” one of them said.

  Yuna fussed at her in their language. She pointed to one of the white chairs. It was embroidered in gold. “Sit.”

  Ae-Jong sat and looked around. They were in a big room.

  Yuna sat next to him. “We will be joining Rozi and his friends for dinner and entertainment soon. You are to keep your eyes lowered and only speak when you are spoken to. Do not try to get away. The woods behind us are filled with dangerous wild animals. There are guards stationed out front. They will pick you off with a bullet before you make it to the gates.”

  Ae-
Jong did remember Rozi’s limousine stopping at a guard shack when they arrived. Why did everyone think he was crazy? The palace was out in the desert. He would need a vehicle, food, and water before he’d ever attempted an escape.

  The women around him continued to talk among themselves. There were pictures on the walls, all men. Ae-Jong guessed these to be the kings before Rozi. The room they were in was perhaps the parlor or the receiving room. The palace back home had a room like this. His picture was on the wall along with all the others in the immediate family. He was quite surprised to see such a big palace when they arrived. He thought Rozi would take him to some kind of hideout. This guy was either very arrogant or very stupid to take a kidnapped victim to his home. Didn’t he know this would be the first place someone would look for him?

  Someone knocked at the door. Yuna went to answer it. Ae-Jong heard a male’s voice. The guy did not speak English. Yuna said something to the other women. They all stood. She turned to him. “They are going to line up according to rank and walk out of here. You and I will follow. Do not try anything stupid.”

  He wondered if all first wives were this bossy. The other woman left the room. Ae-Jong and Yuna followed. The guards were still posted in the halls. They went through beautifully decorated rooms with shiny floors. This probably was the wives’ wing. He was not an uneducated person either. He’d studied African culture. The walls in the halls were lined with tribal masks, spears, and more portraits. The throne room had white thrones, outlined in gold. Since he was going to be wife number eight, he wondered if he would get his own throne and crown. He chuckled to himself. Never going to happen.

  The palace had a woodsy scent. Not bad, but not his favorite. The music grew louder as they approached. He heard drums and other instruments. Two servants stood at the doors dressed in black uniforms. They opened the doors when the queens approached. They all stepped into a large ballroom. There were women dancing for the entertainment of the guests. There was a band with drums and wooden instruments. There was even a piano. The queens waited until the performance ended before walking in. They all bowed and then took their seats at a long table. There were two seats open. Yuna brought him to the one at Rozi’s left, and she took the one at Rozi’s right. Rozi was fashionably dressed in a tan suit with a brown sash. On the sash was a red, black, and green emblem. Rozi looked at him. Ae-Jong nodded respectfully.

  Servers began arriving with food. The first dish was a soup made from fermented cassava roots, followed by spinach stew cooked with onions, peppers, tomatoes, peanut butter, and chili. There were plenty of meat dishes, too. Ae-Jong passed on all of them. He settled for porridge made of rice, sugar, and peanut butter.

  “You do not eat meat?” Rozi asked him.

  Ae-Jong shook his head. “No, Your Majesty. I never developed the taste for it.”

  “I think I remember reading that somewhere. Please enjoy as much fruit as you like. I know how hard they are to come by in your country.”

  “Thank you,” Ae-Jong said. “I like grapes.”

  Rozi beckoned for a servant and pointed to the bowl of grapes. “Rewash the grapes in chilled water and then bring them back to me.”

  The servant bowed, took the big bowl of grapes away and returned a few minutes later. She placed them in front of Rozi.

  Rozi reached for one, peeled it, and lifted Ae-Jong’s veil and fed it to him. It was a very intimate gesture. Ae-Jong chewed and swallowed. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, beautiful one.” He fed Ae-Jong more.

  Yuna cleared her throat and said something to Rozi. Rozi stopped feeding Ae-Jong and said something back to her.

  “You have a new wife, Rozi?” one of the male guests asked him.

  Ae-Jong recognized him as King Contee.

  “Yes, Contee,” Rozi said.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce her?”

  “Ah, maybe later. First, she will entertain us with a song.”

  Ae-Jong gulped. He might look like a girl, but there was no way he sounded like one. The veil kept his identity a secret.

  Rozi pointed toward the piano. “Would you please entertain our guests with one of your songs?”

  Ae-Jong nodded, stood, and walked away from the table. All eyes were on him as he made his way to the piano. He heard a lot of comments behind his back. None of it was in English. Ae-Jong sat on the bench, lifted the door, and exposed the keys. He started out by playing a medley of classical music. Then surprised his guests with his rendition of Toto’s, “Africa.” He got a surprise of his own when the band accompanied him with the beautiful beginning. He began singing. Some of the musicians sang backup for him. They were very good. Ae-Jong looked around. Some of the guests were clapping and tapping their feet along with the song. A lot of the men were looking at him curiously, especially King Condee. The man was dressed in royal garb. He too wore his country’s sash and emblem. Ae-Jong sang the song from beginning to end. The guests applauded.

  One stood and bowed to him. “Ae-Jong!” he shouted loudly. He rose and made an attempt to walk to him.

  Ae-Jong recognized him. It was King Kashmi. He was dressed in a tailored black suit with a red sash. He looked very regal.

  The guards came out of nowhere and surrounded Ae-Jong and the piano.

  “What is he doing here?” King Condee asked as he too hopped to his feet.

  Shit! Jig’s up, Ae-Jong thought.

  Rozi rose. “Relax, fellows. He is my guest.”

  Guest my ass. Rozi had stolen him from his family. He removed his veil and began singing one of his famous songs. The women in the audience began to squeal. Ae-Jong wondered what was about to happen as the three kings squared off. He got his answer. It sounded like all hell was breaking loose. He heard windows breaking out, and guys dressed in black ninja garb swung in through the opening on long ropes. It seemed so familiar. It was like the night of his uncle’s anniversary celebration. The guards around the room were taken care of first. One of the ninjas snatched him into his arms, kissed him and then the two of them escaped back out of the window. The ropes recoiled into the air, taking the two of them with it.

  Ae-Jong looked up. There were several dark green planes hovering in the air above the palace. Guards fired at them as the ninjas all retreated to the darkened skies. He and his capturer entered the plane. It reminded him of something Americans used in their armies. He was placed in a seat.

  “Buckle up,” the man said to him.

  Ae-Jong buckled his shoulder and waist harness. The plane started moving. The guy who had flown with him disappeared into the cockpit. Ae-Jong closed his eyes. He was tired and didn’t know where he would end up next.

  * * * *

  “We have him, Jung-Woo,” Andy said into the phone. “He’s fine. He’s asleep. We’re on our way back to the base.”

  “Grandfather is going to be so proud of you,” Edward said. “Your first successful mission.”

  “First and last,” Andy replied. “After this, I will only be rescuing Dazed from their fans.”

  “Do you think Ae-Jong recognized you?”

  “I don’t think so. I still had on the mask when I dumped him in his seat.” He frowned. Ae-Jong hadn’t put up much of a fight when he kissed him.

  “I can’t believe he went to sleep so quickly. Normally he has trouble falling asleep,” Edward said.

  “Yes, I know. He’s been through a lot lately, with you giving up as his manager and announcing you were getting married.”

  “Do you think that bastard Rozi touched him?”

  “I don’t know,” Andy said. “I can’t see him letting any guy take advantage of him.”

  “Ae-Jong is a little badass, Andy, but he’s in a strange country with even stranger customs than he’s used to in South Korea. And he’s a small fry. Rozi might be young, too, but he’s bigger than Ae-Jong. He could have taken him against his will.”

  Andy didn’t want to think about it. “Let’s hope not.” He wished Edward would stop talking about
it. He didn’t want to think of another guy with Ae-Jong. They rode the rest of the way to the base in silence, hoping Rozi and his men would not follow.

  They arrived at the base. All four planes landed, carrying the rest of the rescue squad. Edward got out first to get a head count of the men even though he’d been assured over the radio that everyone was accounted for. Andy went to the back of the plane. Ae-Jong was sleeping like a baby. He hated to wake him. “Jongie?”

  Those long-lashed lids slowly rolled back, revealing those raisin-colored eyes. “Huh?”

  “Wake up, Jongie.”

  “Andrew?”

  “It’s me.”

  Ae-Jong nearly strangled himself getting out of his seatbelts. He sprang into Andy’s arms, crying like crazy. “You came for me.”

  Andy kissed him. “Of course, I did. Edward did, too. Did Rozi hurt you?”

  Ae-Jong shook his head. “No.”

  “Did he…”

  “No,” Ae-Jong answered. “I would have killed him. Only you.”

  Andy blew out a breath of air. “Let’s get off this plane and out of this country.”

  Jung-Woo jumped out of his seat when they entered the hangar. Ae-Jong ran to his father. Jung-Woo picked him up like he was a small child and hugged him tightly. He eventually put Ae-Jong down. “I was so scared. I thought I’d never see you again.”

  “Andrew came for me just like I wished he would.”

  “Hey, I flew the plane,” Edward said.

  Ae-Jong walked over to him and hugged him, too. “Thank you. How can I ever repay you?”

  “Sing at my wedding,” Edward said.

  “You know Noel would never go for that,” Ae-Jong said.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Andy said. “He might.”

  Ae-Jong started crying again. “I thought I was never going to see you again,” he said to Andy.

  Andy picked him up and kissed him passionately again.

  “Hey, what is this?” Eddie asked.