The Senator's Choice by Noel Nash

who—”
    Before he could finish, there was a loud explosion that rocked the ground. Luke tumbled off the stage and started screaming.
    “Dad! Dad! Where are you?”
    One of the men on security detail swooped in and carried Luke off. He craned his neck around the man carrying him to see if he could catch a glimpse of what was happening.
    “Dad!”
    When chaos subsided, one man was in custody and a factory worker was dead, crushed when the stage collapsed on him and he was impaled. His father, however, survived without a scratch.
    “Son, I ’ m sorry, but we ’ ll have to go to Kings Island another time, okay?” he told Luke.
    Luke didn ’ t care. Roller coasters would always be around. But his dad may not if one of these political extremists actually succeeded in killing him.
    A day that started with the anticipation of screaming on a topsy-turvy roller coaster ended with answering questions by law enforcement trying to piece together what happened and why.
    Luke wiped another line of sweat beading up on his lips with his shirt. A large bump led to him being sent air borne before crashing down in the trunk littered with a tire jack, toolbox, and spare car parts. The jolt shook him back to the gravity — and the reality — of his situation.
    If I weren ’ t tied up, maybe some of this stuff would come in handy. He pondered using the objects to break free but concluded it wouldn ’ t serve much purpose. It wasn ’ t like he was going to jump out of a car going 70 miles an hour down the freeway.
    Another jolt. We ’ re not on the freeway anymore.
    The constant hum of the highway had now been replaced with a scraping noise and a rougher ride.
    Where are we?
    A few moments later, the vehicle skidded to a halt. Doors opened and slammed shut.
    Wait for it. Three … two … one …
    Daylight flooded the trunk and Luke scrambled to shield his eyes despite being tied up.
    He had a hundred questions, none of which he could ask through the gag in his mouth. Two pairs of big hands reached into the trunk and snatched him out before throwing him to the ground.
    “ Get up, kid, ” one of the men said. “We ’ ve got a lot to talk about.”
    He ripped the gag off Luke ’ s mouth and held a bottle of water over him. Luke tried to lap up what he could as he leaned back and opened his mouth.
    The man scuffed at the ground, kicked dust in Luke ’ s face. “I said, get up!”
    Luke scrambled to his feet and wiped his face again with his sleeve. He glanced at the sun beaming on him just above the trees.
    The short one jabbed him in the back with a rifle. “This way.”
    Luke stumbled forward and tried to gather as much information about where he was. They appeared to be at a farmhouse. Other than the vehicle they came in, Luke didn ’ t notice any others. Just a few rusted out tractors and a hay trailer missing a wheel. The house needed a new paint job and the front screen door looked tattered and off one of its hinges.
    Ahead was a large barn. It also appeared dilapidated, yet plenty of hay covered the ground. In a matter of seconds, he was rolling in it as the taller of his captors shoved him down, sending Luke sprawling into the hay.
    “No need to be so rough,” Luke said. “I ’ ll do whatever you ask.”
    The short guy snickered. “Of course you will — we ’ re the ones with the guns.”
    Luke watched as the men disappeared into an office and locked the door behind them.
    Luke surveyed his surroundings for a moment and then shuffled up to the door. His feet and hands were still bound. He took a deep breath and knocked.
    The door swung open. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling, casting deep shadows on the walls.
    “What do you want, kid?” the kidnapper in charge asked.
    “I ’ m really hungry,” he said. “Do you have anything for me to eat?”
    The man nodded toward the stove in the corner of the room. “Fix him a plate,” he said to the short guy.
    It was the first opportunity Luke had to actually