Prisoner
Narrator: Florian
“Do I really have to sit like this all the way to Cologne?” Toby squirmed in the passenger seat. I’d strapped him in tight, hands still cuffed behind his back. Not the most comfortable position but I wasn’t feeling particularly generous.
“Stop whining,” I said. “We’ll be there in a few hours. You’ll live.”
“You really think they fell for that obvious trick? That they’re all chasing after your dad now?”
“Well, if they didn’t, we’ll know soon enough.”
“Just hear me out. I know a place nearby where we’ll be safe.”
“I’ve no reason to trust you.”
“Oh come on, Florian. What would I gain by lying to you? I don’t want those guys catching us any more than you do.”
“Nice try. Still don’t buy it.”
I started the engine. My thoughts were a mess. This was the same boy who’d spent a night in my arms - the one I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since. Had he really spent eight months among a gang of hardened thieves and killers?
The car slipped eastward along the river. The first twenty minutes passed without incident. I started to believe we might actually make it. Then, up ahead, I saw them: three hover vehicles emerging on the horizon.
Shit.
I yanked the wheel and floored the accelerator. We were faster - but not invisible.
Toby shook his head. “They’re calling in reinforcements. It’s a trap.”
He was right. Moments later, more vehicles appeared on the far bank. They were trying to box us in.
“Alright, Toby. Here’s your chance. How do we get out of this?”
“Go back to where your dad picked me up. Near there’s the entrance to an old lithium mine. We can hide there. No one knows it’s even there.”
“Except you.”
“Yeah.”
I hesitated. No time. I spun the car around and headed where Toby directed. We reached a small orchard, with a few sacks of apples and pears left out. Once I’d loaded them in, Toby guided me to a clearing ringed with trees and thick hedge.
I undid his seatbelt and helped him out of the car. “Alright, Toby. Where’s this mine of yours?”
“Behind that hedge.”
I pushed through the branches. Hidden behind them was a small, dark-brown wooden door. I tried the handle - locked.
“Helps if you’ve got the key,” Toby said with a smirk.
I strode back over. “I’m not in the mood for games. Where is it?”
He looked at me with that same maddening calm. “On your knees, officer. It’s in my pant leg.”
He nodded down, and sure enough, there it was: a tiny flap. I grabbed his arm and marched him over to a tree stump near the entrance.
“Sit.”
“You could at least ask nicely.”
He winced as his butt hit the wood. Looked like my father hadn’t gone easy on him. But I couldn’t afford to feel sorry for him.
I crouched beside him and pulled the key from the hidden pocket.
“Come on,” I said, jerking my head toward the hedge.
“Yes, officer.”
The door opened smoothly. I stepped inside cautiously, Toby following close behind. Beyond it was a kind of entry chamber - spacious and echoing, with small wall-mounted lights casting a soft, steady glow. Four tunnels branched off into the darkness. From somewhere deep within we heard the slow drip of water.
We stood at the top of a stone staircase, a few meters above the damp floor below. I glanced sideways at Toby. Getting around with his hands cuffed behind his back would be tricky. And if we had to move quickly, it could become a real problem.
I made a decision. My father could go to hell.
“Turn around. I’m taking the cuffs off.”
He smiled. “Thanks for your trust.”
“Trust is pushing it,” I muttered, clicking them open. “Don’t get any ideas, you’re still my prisoner.”
“Fine by me, if that’s what gets you going.”
“And if you get off on being smacked around, that can be arranged, smartass.”
We went back to the car to collect the food bags. Toby also brought his backpack. Last, I grabbed the radio transmitter from the trunk and carried it inside.
“Not much use for that in here,” Toby remarked. “You won’t get a signal.”
“I’m not planning to stay long,” I replied curtly.
Once we’d brought everything of value inside, I activated a hidden device in the dashboard. I set the timer for two minutes.
Toby raised an eyebrow. “Destroying government property? What would your dad say?”
“Shut up and get inside. You don’t want to be standing here when this thing goes off.” I grabbed his arm and shoved him ahead of me.
Toby sniffed. “You’re just as charming as your father.”
Moments later, a muffled explosion echoed through the air. Our hovercar was now a smoldering heap of wreckage. Not much use to the Holy Boys anymore.
“I’ve rigged explosives at the entrance too,” Toby said. “We can collapse the tunnel and keep anyone from getting in after us.”
He placed a detonator at the top of the stairs and began wiring it. I crouched beside him and watched. He clearly knew what he was doing.
“They’ll be here soon if they heard that blast,” Toby said. “I’ll set the timer for five minutes. That gives us just enough time to grab our stuff and get clear.”
He pressed the activation button.
****
A dull bang followed by a thunderous rumble of falling rock filled the space. We walked back towards the entrance. Toby hadn’t been exaggerating. The doorway was completely buried beneath a pile of heavy boulders. I glanced up at the walls and ceiling.
“Nicely done,” I said. “Perfectly controlled. Entrance sealed, structure still stable.”
“Surprised I pulled it off?”
“Just one detail - how do we get out later?”
“Oh… yeah, totally slipped my mind. Silly me.”
“Don’t joke. I assume there’s another way out, one only you know about?”
“Two, actually.”
“And?”
“They’re a bit of a hike.”
“How far?”
“Closest one’s a day and a half on foot. We’ve got enough food for two days.”
“You couldn’t have mentioned this earlier?”
“Why? Would you have preferred trying to reason with the Boys?”
“I’m saying I’d have liked a heads-up.”
“Well, pardon me, officer.”
“Which way now?”
He pointed to one of the tunnels. “That way.”
“Is there lighting down there?”
“Most of the way. I hooked it up using City batteries.”
“Let me guess - you stole them.”
“Obviously. Got a problem with that?”
“We’ll sort that later.”
Toby shrugged and wandered over to a metal table farther inside. He picked up a backpack and handed it to me. “Here. You can chuck your stuff in this.”
Next to the table lay a stack of travel blankets. He grabbed four and passed me two. “For tonight,” he said.
I stuffed the blankets into the pack and looked at him. “You really are prepared for everything down here, aren’t you?”
He spread his arms. “What can I say? I lived here for nearly four years.”
“And you figured out how to run the place.”
“I had help. Arranged myself a way into the old City Library.”
“Maybe even a map of the tunnel system? That would come in handy.”
A smirk crept across his face. “Sorry, Florian. You’ll have to make do with me. Can you handle being dependent on me?”
“Careful, unless you’re asking for another spanking.”
He gave me a defiant look, then turned and headed into the mine.
****
We wandered through the endless tunnels for hours. The lights flicked on as we approached and dimmed again behind us. Toby had restored the system himself, a feat I couldn’t ignore.
His talent was undeniable. If he’d been born in the City, he could’ve made a top-tier engineer. But for someone from Outside, those opportunities didn’t just come along.
And now, he had no shot at all. He was looking at more than twenty years in prison. His life was over before it had even begun.
It was already late when a gaping black hole appeared ahead of us. Part of the path had collapsed.
“Fuck,” Toby muttered. “That’s new.”
I tossed a stone into the darkness. It took ten seconds before we heard it hit bottom.
“Well, that’s not an option,” I said.
“We could cross that ledge,” Toby offered.
“No chance. If it gives way, you’re dead.”
“So what then? The other exit’s four days on foot.”
Toby hesitated, then pulled off his backpack and produced a folded sheet of paper. “There are a few routes to get there. Here’s a map of the mine.”
“Why are you only showing me this now? Were you trying to keep me dependent on you?”
I caught that same rebellious glint I’d seen in his eyes back in Zürich. “Yeah. Seemed like fun, after you tried to drag me to Cologne in handcuffs this afternoon.”
I let out a long breath. “Don’t tempt me to slap those cuffs back on, kid.”
“Relax. Here’s the map. You can find your own way now.”
I took it from him, and he pointed to where we were. “Clear enough?” he asked once I’d looked it over.
“Crystal. And how generous of you to finally share.”
Toby turned and stepped out onto the ledge.
My stomach clenched. “Toby, no…”
“Relax. It’s just a short distance.”
“Don’t!” My voice cracked. My legs tensed, ready to leap - but I couldn’t just grab him. One wrong move and….
Crack.
My breath caught. A stone slipped from under his foot and tumbled into the depths. We never heard it land. Toby wobbled, arms flailing, eyes wide with shock.
“Toby!” My heart pounded. Panic surged - raw and unstoppable. “Get back here! Now!”
“Florian, calm down.” But his voice wavered.
“Damn it, listen to me! If that thing goes….”
But Toby kept going, inch by inch. Every step was an eternity. I barely dared to breathe, afraid even that might throw him off.
Finally - after what felt like forever - he made it to the other side. He turned, looking far too pleased with himself. “See? No big deal.”
My knees were shaky. I took a breath, fury rising to swallow the fear.
“You... are completely out of your fucking mind,” I growled.
“Chill out, Florian,” he called cheerfully. “The path’s solid. Just go slow and you’ll be fine.”
I took several deep breaths, then gathered the supplies from the ground.
“Want me to carry something?” Toby asked.
“No! Stay there! Don’t even think about coming back over!”
He raised both hands. “Alright, alright.”
With Toby’s backpack slung over my shoulder, I stepped onto the ledge. It turned out to be stable enough. After a few tense minutes of careful footing, I made it across.
I dropped the bags and let loose. “Have you lost your mind? What the hell were you thinking, risking your life like that?”
“Well, this way’s a lot shorter, isn’t it?”
“And if you’d fallen?”
“Then you’d have had the map to find the other exit yourself. What’s your problem?”
“When I give you an order, you follow it.”
“Oh, don’t start with that nonsense. I’m not in the mood for one of your BDSM power trips.”
Frustration and disbelief surged through me. He clearly didn’t take me seriously. I wasn’t about to let this slide.
I glanced around and spotted a bench up against the wall. Without a word, I grabbed Toby and marched him over to it. The smirk vanished from his face as I positioned him in front of it and sat down.
He was starting to realize I meant it.
“You asked for this,” I said coldly. “Jeans down. Underwear too.”
“Are you out of your mind?” He took a step back, and I saw the anger rising in him too.
“Toby, it’s very simple. You’re still my prisoner. And as a police officer, I have the authority to spank you if you don’t do as you’re told.”
“Your authority doesn’t mean shit to me. And I still don’t get why you’re making such a fuss.”
“You really don’t understand?”
“No.”
“I saw you almost fall to your death. Don’t you get how scared I was?”
“You seriously expect me to believe you were worried about me?”
I paused, searching for the right words. Toby sat down on a bench a few meters away.
“Did it mean nothing to you at all?” I asked at last.
“What?”
“That night we spent together on the train.”
The angry look on his face softened. Quietly, he said, “It was the best thing I’ve ever experienced.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
I took a deep breath. “Ever since you stepped onto that tram, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I’ve wondered, over and over, how you were doing. And now that I’ve finally found you again, you almost get yourself killed with that big, stupid mouth of yours. Do you really think I’d just let that happen?”
He looked at me, puzzled. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry.”
“That doesn’t fix anything,” I snapped.
We sat in silence for a while. Toby stared at the floor, head bowed, hands resting on his knees. I waited, saying nothing.
Eventually, he looked up and licked his lips. “Were you really worried about me?”
“Of course I was. I care about you. I don’t care what you’ve done. I care about you.”
His eyes widened in surprise.
After a moment, he stood up. He hesitated, then slowly walked over to me and began unfastening the buttons on his jeans. I held my breath as he lowered both jeans and underwear right in front of me.
He noticed where I was looking and gestured awkwardly at the empty space beside me on the bench. “Do you want me to lie across it?”
“No. Over my knee. Come here.”
I took him by the wrist, and at my direction, he lay across my lap, his head and arms resting to my left on the bench, his feet on the floor to my right. I pushed his shirt halfway up his back with my left hand. The marks from the spanking my father had given him were still visible, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me.
“Toby, when I spanked you on the train last year, it was just a game. This is different. This is going to hurt.”
“I know,” Toby said. He gripped the bench tightly and waited.
I wrapped my left arm around him and brought my right hand down hard. The smack echoed off the tunnel walls. I landed another full-force slap across his bare ass. Toby let out a soft groan, and I felt the tension in his muscles as he braced himself.
I spanked him steadily, one blow after another. The sharp smacks bounced around the corridor, a strange cacophony in the quiet of the underground world. If anyone else had been in the mine, they’d have heard it from miles away.
I kept going for minutes. The blows landed across his whole backside: center, edges, lower curves, even down the crease. Gradually, the entire surface turned a uniform, glowing red.
My hand was starting to sting, but I ignored it. Teaching Toby this lesson mattered more than any pain I felt.
He took it all without complaint. Only his heavy breathing betrayed how much it must have hurt.
Then I noticed he was crying - quietly, but unmistakably. I hesitated. Had I gone too far?
I placed a hand on his shoulder and helped him sit up, kneeling in front of me. He quickly wiped the tears from his face.
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards me. With my face close to his, I said, “Promise me you’ll never do anything that reckless again. Never put your life at risk like that.”
He nodded, still sniffling. “I promise.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Really. I promise.”
“Good. I’m holding you to it.” I stroked his cheek and kissed him gently. “You can pull your jeans back up now.”
Instead, he threw his arms around me and clung to me tightly, burying his face in my shoulder. Surprised, but happy, I ran my fingers gently through his beautiful blond curls.
It was a long while before he let go of me. He looked up at me with tearful eyes, still kneeling on the ground, jeans around his ankles. On impulse, I leaned down and kissed him full on the mouth.
He kissed me back. When our tongues met, a sparkling warmth surged through me, as if every fibre of my body had lit up from within.
He didn’t resist as I slowly undressed him, pausing now and then to stroke his taut belly, his ribs, his arms. In return, Toby began fiddling with my pants. I stopped him gently.
“What do you think you’re doing, naughty boy?”
“I want to thank you,” he whispered. “For not forgetting me. Please… let me.”
I smiled, deeply moved - and let him carry on.
He undid my pants and freed my swollen cock, which had been straining against the fabric. When his tongue touched the tip, the sensation surged through me - so intense it made everything that came before feel dull in comparison.
For the next few minutes, I drifted in a state of pure bliss - weightless, breathless, overwhelmed - until I came with a shuddering climax, spilling across his skin.
Later, we lay together on one of the travel blankets, another pulled over us for warmth.
“I missed you,” I said.
“I missed you too,” Toby replied. “God, I’ve wanted you so badly.”
I pulled him close, wrapping my arms around him. The silence around us felt warm and full.
