Author's note: We're going to have two P. O. V.s in this one.
Part 1: In this part, Katie heads over to Linda's house for the day. We also meet Linda's Mother.
----Katie----
(I never thought I'd be talking about this one again.)
Well, this is one for the record books. It all started within the same week in which Sam and Lucy were still out of town. It was Friday morning. Normally I don't wake up until about ten O'clock or so during Summer time, but today I made an exception. Linda invited me over to spend the day with her, and Dad was going to drop me off on his way to work. This meant I would have to wake up at around Nine.
I was a bit more groggy then usual, and I stumbled a bit on my way to my bathroom. In fact, I almost walked right into the door jam. Rather then take a shower, I decided to enjoy a soapy and bubbly soak in the bathtub for a little bit before washing myself off.
Once I was done, I dried off, and headed back to my room to select my outfit for the day. I decided to go with the Army Girl look. I pulled out a black tank top and a pair of camouflage pants, and put them on. I then headed downstairs to make my breakfast.
Once I got to the kitchen I pulled out the blender along with some frozen fruit, a couple cubes of ice, some stevia, some whey powder, and finally the milk jug. I put one cup of fruit and milk into the blender. I followed them up with one scoop of the powder and the stevia. I finished by putting the ice in, and then blended the mixture thoroughly. The result was a perfect breakfast smoothie.
I emptied my smoothie into a large cup, and enjoyed it while watching some TV.
“Katie?!” Dad called.
“In here!” I called back from the TV room. It didn't take Dad long to find me. He was dressed for work in his usually attire. It was his usual attire with an unbuttoned collared shirt thrown over it...as usual.
“Just letting you know I'm heading out the door in a little bit, so make sure you're all set,” Dad said.
“I will,” I said back, and with that, Dad headed back upstairs.
After I finished my breakfast, I turned the TV off, and headed to the kitchen to rinse out my cup. I then put it into the dishwasher, and went back upstairs to grab my phone. I decided not to bring my 3ds with me, or any of my tie up stuff. Linda likely had her own stash anyway. I just put on a gray hoodie jacket, and left my room.
I met back up wih Dad in the hallway, and we both headed out to the truck. Dad fired up the motor while I rode shotgun. Soon we were headed for Linda's house.
Dad drove up to a very impressive looking white house with a very slick looking BMW parked at the end of the driveway. Linda's house wasn't quite a mansion, but it was getting there. I guess I'll call it a Semi-Mansion. The lawn was very well trimmed, and the trees lining the driveway were also nicely groomed. Linda certainly lives very well.
Dad parked the truck, turned it off, and we both climbed out. Dad and I walked up the stairs, and knocked on the door. The door was answered by a woman of about forty or so years old or so. She was wearing a floral sundress. She looked a bit like my mother, though she was considerably younger. She was short and thin with a kind face, and long light blonde hair. Now I knew where Linda got it.
“Oh, Hello Jeffery,” She said to Dad. “How are you?”
“I'm fine. You're looking good Debra,” Dad said. The Lady smiled, and then turned to me.
“And how are you today Kaitlin?” She then asked.
“I'm great Mrs. Trotter,” I greeted. As we stepped inside I could see Linda coming down the stairs into the living room with the rest of us.
“Hi Kate, Mr. Narrows,” She greeted. “Sorry I wasn't here to greet you. I was stuck in the restroom.”
“It happens,” Dad said. Linda and I then greeted each other properly with a hug. She was dressed in a pair of blue capris and a red T-shirt. Linda usually dresses in a formal manner, so seeing her in a T-shirt is pretty rare.
“Well, how about I get you all some lemonade,” Mrs. Trotter suggested.
“I gotta be getting to work,” Dad said. “You all have fun.”
“You can't stay just few minutes?” Linda's Mother asked. Dad pulled out his phone, and looked at the time.
“I guess I could stay just a few more minutes,” Dad said. We all grinned, and headed for the kitchen.
The kitchen at Linda's house was similar in build to ours, but it was almost twice the size. Mrs. Trotter pulled out a few glasses, and began filling them with Lemonade from her fridge.
“Is this made from scratch?” Dad asked. Mrs. Trotter gave him a wink, and a grin. “This is good stuff, thanks,” Dad added.
“My pleasure,” Mrs. Trotter said, as she then poured Linda and me some lemonade as well.
“Cheers,” We both said, and took a sip. It was very strong. It was sweet, but with just enough of the lemon tartness. Linda's Mother put the lemonade back into the fridge and turned to face her daughter.
“So, what mischief do you two have planned for today?” She asked, with a shifty look on her face.
“We didn't really have anything planned to be honest,” Linda said.
“Oh, you don't really expect me to believe that do you,” Mrs. Trotter said. The hint in her voice said she was just messing with us, so I played upon it a little.
“Unfortunately we can't cause any mischief. I left my ropes and bandanas at home,” I said, and we all burst out laughing. Linda's parents already knew about Linda's game with her cousin, so I thought that me now being involved wouldn’t hurt much.
“Linda told me that she managed to persuade you into playing that game,” Mrs. Trotter said to me.
“Well,” Dad said, “Katie actually has her own background in it herself.” Mrs. Trotters eyebrows popped up.
“Oh? Do tell,” She requested. Dad told her the story of Mom, the hospital, and the escape attempts with money riding on them.
“And she apparently passed it on to her daughter as well,” Dad said, casting me a grin.
“Well, it's a real shame she isn't able to see her enjoying it,” Linda's Mother said grimly. Dad nodded his agreement. “As long as you two keep it a fun activity, I see no harm in it,” She then added.
“I already went through a few rules with them,” Dad insisted.
“Right,” Mrs. Trotter stated. Dad then pulled out his phone, and looked at the time.
“Well, I gotta get going. I don't want to be stuck in traffic until tomorrow afternoon,” He said.
“You have a safe drive Jeffery,” Mrs. Trotter said.
“Sure. Fine. Take all the fun out of it,” Dad said sarcastically. Mrs. Trotter rolled her eyes while Linda and I giggled. He then turned to me.
“Don't worry Dad, I'll behave myself,” I said, predicting what he was about to tell me.
“Katie, you have a lot of your Uncle in you, so I rather doubt that,” He said. Linda and I got a laugh out of that while Mrs. Trotter blinked a bit trying to figure it out.
“What are you going on about?” She asked.
“Oh, I'm sure Katie and Linda will be glad to fill you in,” Dad said, with a sly wink. “You all take care,” He said, and left. We all said good-bye, and then Linda's Mother closed the door.
“So, what was that about your Uncle?” Mrs. Trotter asked, as Dad backed out of the driveway, and on his way to work. If he had known what was coming later on however, he never would have left...
(MMM/ffF M/ff MM/MM) Sailor's Daughter: Loose Ends (complete)
(MMM/ffF M/ff MM/MM) Sailor's Daughter: Loose Ends (complete)
Last edited by chaos846 5 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
Part 2: In this part, Katie and Linda's day of fun is cut short when they are taken for a ride.
----Katie----
“My Uncle Robert is someone you have to meet to believe,” I said. I didn't really know how to explain it better then that. “You'd never guess by looking at him that he's my Dad's little brother.” Linda snorted when I said the word little.
“He may be little by age, but he's about two feet taller then me,” She said. “He'll also take a pot shot at you if you say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time.”
“Well, to be fair, we all do that,” I insisted. “My Uncle's just perfected it to an art form.”
“He sounds like an interesting person,” Mrs. Trotter said. Linda and I both nodded.
With that conversation over, Linda and I made our way upstairs to where her bedroom was. She was seated at her computer looking up internet gaming videos on Youtube. Her computer was practically identical to mine in terms of efficiency. (The fact that my Dad helped her build it and set it up I'm sure has nothing to do with it.)
“Now, what was the one you were telling me about?” She asked.
“Just type in Battletoads Race,” I said, with a grin. I was standing behind her chair as she clicked to start the first video to The Battletoads Race.
* * * *
By the time Four O'clock rolled around, Linda and I had already finished the entire six video race, and had spent some time playing Smash on her Wii U. We also did a bit of Wii Fit as well. After that we adjured back to her room to watch some Pro Smash game play on youtube.
“Mum should be making Tea soon,” Linda said, as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall beside the door to her room. It was at that moment we heard the doorbell ring. Linda got up out of her chair, and left her room with me following behind her.
“I'll get it!” Mrs. Trotter called, as we made it halfway down the hall. We both turned on our heels, and headed back to what we were doing. “By the way Kate, have you ever participated in a traditional English Tea Time?” Linda asked.
“No, I can't say I have,” I said. Linda grinned at me.
“Well, after today you'll be able to say you have,” She said. I smiled back, as Linda typed in her next search. That's when we heard.
“Hello ladies!” From a voice behind us. Linda and I both let out a frightened yelp, and nearly jumped out of our skins. Standing behind us in the doorway was a man wearing black pants, a black sweatshirt, and used a pair of dark, wrap-around shades. He was about my height, and looked in pretty good shape. He was also carrying a pistol.
“Who the hell are you?!” Linda demanded. The Mystery Man just grinned.
“Right now, I'm just a guy with a gun pointed at you,” He said. “Do as you're told, and I won't have to use it.”
“What do you want?” I asked, getting the obvious question out of the way.
“Right now, I want both of you to put your hands up, and head downstairs,” He requested, and he gestured with his gun for us to start moving.
Linda and I looked at each other, and then did as he told us. I decided to see how close I could get as we passed him. If I could get close enough, I could disarm him of the gun.
“Uh uh, you keep your distance Missy,” He demanded coldly. That was pretty much it for my initial game plan.
Linda and I were marched downstairs at gunpoint to see three more men standing in the living room. They were all dressed in thick gray jackets, and thick gray pants. All three of them also had ski masks covering their faces. One man looked tall and thin. One was a bit shorter, and a bit pudgy. The third man was about Dad's height, but with none of his physique. All three of them were armed with small handguns.
Linda's Mother was seated on one of the couches with her hands behind her back. I'm guessing her hands were bound. Two of the intruders hovered over her. The tall man was standing a bit away with a smile on his face. His smile dropped when he saw me.
“Oh no,” He sighed, as if my being here was a problem.
“As you can see, we have a problem,” The man behind us added. The Tall Man nodded his agreement. His gun was pointed right at us both.
“Empty your pockets,” He ordered. Linda and I did as we were told. Linda didn't have anything where as I had my phone. “Toss it here,” He then demanded. Reluctantly I tossed my phone over to him. He tossed the phone to one of the other two guys. The short, portly guy to be exact. “Randy, Frankie, deal with these two, I have to go make a phone call,” The tall man said, as he pulled out his own phone.
“Leave them alone, they're just kids!” Mrs. Trotter protested. The tall man pointed his gun back at her. Mrs. Trotter flinched as he did.
“Quiet!” He barked, and then turned to the short man. “Well, what are you waiting for?” He asked, and then left the room to make his call in private.
The Short Man, who I now knew was Randy, put his guy away into it's holster on his belt. He reached into his jacket and pulled out several zip ties. He passed a few of them to his partner in black behind us. Randy took hold of both my hands. Before I could even think about what was happening, my hands were zip-tied behind my back. I winced in pain as my captor pulled it tight.
Of all the things I had been tied up with so far, this was by far the worst. I looked at Linda who had gotten the same treatment from her captor who I'm guessing was Frankie.
“Ow, that hurt!” She complained.
“Oh, stop wining you little bitch!” Frankie barked. “Now both of you, have a seat.” He then ordered. The short man then marched me to one of the chairs where I was pushed into it. Linda was pushed into the chair next to mine. Our captors were now hovering over both of us.
“Mum, what is this about?” Linda asked. Linda's Mother shook her head.
“I-I don't know,” She stammered, clearly just as clueless and scared as we were. “Just stay calm, and be brave,” She then urged.
“Yes, be brave Little Girl,” Frankie said, with a sick smirk. Linda and I just glared at him.
“No one asked you,” I thought to myself.
A few painful minutes later, the Boss came back into the room. He looked rather annoyed about something. Mrs. Trotter had finally mustered up enough courage to speak again.
“I don't suppose you'd mind explaining this,” She demanded. The Leader turned his grin to her.
“It's very simple Mrs. Trotter,” He stated. “This is a robbery.” The fact that he knew her name bothered me.
“The jewels, and money are upstairs. Just take them,” Linda's Mother begged. The Boss laughed at her.
“We're not robbing you of your jewels or cash,” He said, with a sneer. “Let's just say your daughter, and her friend here, are going for a ride with us.” Linda and I felt our blood run cold.
“WHAT!?” Mrs. Trotter shrieked. The Boss put the gun right on her head.
“Don't make me do this,” He growled. Linda looked ready to feint. Mrs. Trotter nodded her head yes with a tearful expression on her face. “You''l be getting a call from our client tomorrow. Turns out he's really pissed off with you and your husband,” He stated.
“But what-” And that's all Linda's Mother got out before she was interrupted.
“Shut it!” The Boss snapped. “Don't worry, you won't be alone. Randy here has graciously agreed to keep you company.” We all then looked over to Randy who just grinned. “You follow the rules, and nothing happens to these two lovely angels.” The Boss then gave one more order, “Gag um. I don't want to listen to them on the road.”
As the one man, who's name I never got, pinned Mrs. Trotter to the couch. Our captors then produced a pair of bandanas. They tied knots into the middle of them, and stuffed the knots into our mouths before tying them behind our heads.
Linda was then hoisted over one of the Men's shoulders, and soon she was carried out of the house. She and her Mother locked eyes one more time before she was taken outside. They both shared the same teary eyed expression.
Once Linda was out of the house it was my turn. The Man in Black took the liberty of walking up to me. He then gestured for me to stand up. I made my displeasure well known.
“Yll pyy frr thsh!” I snapped. He snorted at my defiance.
“I'm sorry, I don't understand you,” He said, laughing at my misfortune. With that I gave Frankie a hearty headbutt right into his collarbone. He staggered backwards a bit. (Ha! That shut him up.) He then glared at me.
“I'll remember that you little spitfire,” He growled at me. I just quirked an eyebrow at him, as I was manhandled through the living room.
Linda and I were both thrown into the back of a blue SUV truck, and a tarp was pulled over us. Soon we were on the road to a place unknown. I could hear Linda crying next to me. I did my best to move closer to her. To let her know that there was someone who cared about her during all of this. Linda rested her head on my shoulder and sobbed away.
I just took in a deep breath. Of all the times I've been tied up, this was without question the worst. There was one thing I knew for certain about this: These fools had no idea of the mistake they had just made.
----Katie----
“My Uncle Robert is someone you have to meet to believe,” I said. I didn't really know how to explain it better then that. “You'd never guess by looking at him that he's my Dad's little brother.” Linda snorted when I said the word little.
“He may be little by age, but he's about two feet taller then me,” She said. “He'll also take a pot shot at you if you say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time.”
“Well, to be fair, we all do that,” I insisted. “My Uncle's just perfected it to an art form.”
“He sounds like an interesting person,” Mrs. Trotter said. Linda and I both nodded.
With that conversation over, Linda and I made our way upstairs to where her bedroom was. She was seated at her computer looking up internet gaming videos on Youtube. Her computer was practically identical to mine in terms of efficiency. (The fact that my Dad helped her build it and set it up I'm sure has nothing to do with it.)
“Now, what was the one you were telling me about?” She asked.
“Just type in Battletoads Race,” I said, with a grin. I was standing behind her chair as she clicked to start the first video to The Battletoads Race.
* * * *
By the time Four O'clock rolled around, Linda and I had already finished the entire six video race, and had spent some time playing Smash on her Wii U. We also did a bit of Wii Fit as well. After that we adjured back to her room to watch some Pro Smash game play on youtube.
“Mum should be making Tea soon,” Linda said, as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall beside the door to her room. It was at that moment we heard the doorbell ring. Linda got up out of her chair, and left her room with me following behind her.
“I'll get it!” Mrs. Trotter called, as we made it halfway down the hall. We both turned on our heels, and headed back to what we were doing. “By the way Kate, have you ever participated in a traditional English Tea Time?” Linda asked.
“No, I can't say I have,” I said. Linda grinned at me.
“Well, after today you'll be able to say you have,” She said. I smiled back, as Linda typed in her next search. That's when we heard.
“Hello ladies!” From a voice behind us. Linda and I both let out a frightened yelp, and nearly jumped out of our skins. Standing behind us in the doorway was a man wearing black pants, a black sweatshirt, and used a pair of dark, wrap-around shades. He was about my height, and looked in pretty good shape. He was also carrying a pistol.
“Who the hell are you?!” Linda demanded. The Mystery Man just grinned.
“Right now, I'm just a guy with a gun pointed at you,” He said. “Do as you're told, and I won't have to use it.”
“What do you want?” I asked, getting the obvious question out of the way.
“Right now, I want both of you to put your hands up, and head downstairs,” He requested, and he gestured with his gun for us to start moving.
Linda and I looked at each other, and then did as he told us. I decided to see how close I could get as we passed him. If I could get close enough, I could disarm him of the gun.
“Uh uh, you keep your distance Missy,” He demanded coldly. That was pretty much it for my initial game plan.
Linda and I were marched downstairs at gunpoint to see three more men standing in the living room. They were all dressed in thick gray jackets, and thick gray pants. All three of them also had ski masks covering their faces. One man looked tall and thin. One was a bit shorter, and a bit pudgy. The third man was about Dad's height, but with none of his physique. All three of them were armed with small handguns.
Linda's Mother was seated on one of the couches with her hands behind her back. I'm guessing her hands were bound. Two of the intruders hovered over her. The tall man was standing a bit away with a smile on his face. His smile dropped when he saw me.
“Oh no,” He sighed, as if my being here was a problem.
“As you can see, we have a problem,” The man behind us added. The Tall Man nodded his agreement. His gun was pointed right at us both.
“Empty your pockets,” He ordered. Linda and I did as we were told. Linda didn't have anything where as I had my phone. “Toss it here,” He then demanded. Reluctantly I tossed my phone over to him. He tossed the phone to one of the other two guys. The short, portly guy to be exact. “Randy, Frankie, deal with these two, I have to go make a phone call,” The tall man said, as he pulled out his own phone.
“Leave them alone, they're just kids!” Mrs. Trotter protested. The tall man pointed his gun back at her. Mrs. Trotter flinched as he did.
“Quiet!” He barked, and then turned to the short man. “Well, what are you waiting for?” He asked, and then left the room to make his call in private.
The Short Man, who I now knew was Randy, put his guy away into it's holster on his belt. He reached into his jacket and pulled out several zip ties. He passed a few of them to his partner in black behind us. Randy took hold of both my hands. Before I could even think about what was happening, my hands were zip-tied behind my back. I winced in pain as my captor pulled it tight.
Of all the things I had been tied up with so far, this was by far the worst. I looked at Linda who had gotten the same treatment from her captor who I'm guessing was Frankie.
“Ow, that hurt!” She complained.
“Oh, stop wining you little bitch!” Frankie barked. “Now both of you, have a seat.” He then ordered. The short man then marched me to one of the chairs where I was pushed into it. Linda was pushed into the chair next to mine. Our captors were now hovering over both of us.
“Mum, what is this about?” Linda asked. Linda's Mother shook her head.
“I-I don't know,” She stammered, clearly just as clueless and scared as we were. “Just stay calm, and be brave,” She then urged.
“Yes, be brave Little Girl,” Frankie said, with a sick smirk. Linda and I just glared at him.
“No one asked you,” I thought to myself.
A few painful minutes later, the Boss came back into the room. He looked rather annoyed about something. Mrs. Trotter had finally mustered up enough courage to speak again.
“I don't suppose you'd mind explaining this,” She demanded. The Leader turned his grin to her.
“It's very simple Mrs. Trotter,” He stated. “This is a robbery.” The fact that he knew her name bothered me.
“The jewels, and money are upstairs. Just take them,” Linda's Mother begged. The Boss laughed at her.
“We're not robbing you of your jewels or cash,” He said, with a sneer. “Let's just say your daughter, and her friend here, are going for a ride with us.” Linda and I felt our blood run cold.
“WHAT!?” Mrs. Trotter shrieked. The Boss put the gun right on her head.
“Don't make me do this,” He growled. Linda looked ready to feint. Mrs. Trotter nodded her head yes with a tearful expression on her face. “You''l be getting a call from our client tomorrow. Turns out he's really pissed off with you and your husband,” He stated.
“But what-” And that's all Linda's Mother got out before she was interrupted.
“Shut it!” The Boss snapped. “Don't worry, you won't be alone. Randy here has graciously agreed to keep you company.” We all then looked over to Randy who just grinned. “You follow the rules, and nothing happens to these two lovely angels.” The Boss then gave one more order, “Gag um. I don't want to listen to them on the road.”
As the one man, who's name I never got, pinned Mrs. Trotter to the couch. Our captors then produced a pair of bandanas. They tied knots into the middle of them, and stuffed the knots into our mouths before tying them behind our heads.
Linda was then hoisted over one of the Men's shoulders, and soon she was carried out of the house. She and her Mother locked eyes one more time before she was taken outside. They both shared the same teary eyed expression.
Once Linda was out of the house it was my turn. The Man in Black took the liberty of walking up to me. He then gestured for me to stand up. I made my displeasure well known.
“Yll pyy frr thsh!” I snapped. He snorted at my defiance.
“I'm sorry, I don't understand you,” He said, laughing at my misfortune. With that I gave Frankie a hearty headbutt right into his collarbone. He staggered backwards a bit. (Ha! That shut him up.) He then glared at me.
“I'll remember that you little spitfire,” He growled at me. I just quirked an eyebrow at him, as I was manhandled through the living room.
Linda and I were both thrown into the back of a blue SUV truck, and a tarp was pulled over us. Soon we were on the road to a place unknown. I could hear Linda crying next to me. I did my best to move closer to her. To let her know that there was someone who cared about her during all of this. Linda rested her head on my shoulder and sobbed away.
I just took in a deep breath. Of all the times I've been tied up, this was without question the worst. There was one thing I knew for certain about this: These fools had no idea of the mistake they had just made.
Part 3: In this part, The girls meet their villainous captor who invites them to dinner.
----Katie----
Riding in the back of the truck was not fun. After all of the bumps, bangs, and sudden stops, I was beginning to appreciate the invention of seat belts more then ever. Add in the fact that both of us were bound and gagged...yeah, not fun. Linda was still crying. Can't say I blame her. I was scared too.
My thoughts then drifted back to what the Tall man had said earlier. Randy was waiting behind with Linda's Parents. I just had to hope my Dad would be alright when he arrives at their house. Boy was he in for a surprise, but then I remembered: So were they. There was no way that Creep would get the jump on my Dad.
After what seemed like forever, the truck slowed down for a ways, and then finally came to a merciful stop.
“Thnkk Ggd!” I snapped. A few seconds later the back door opened. The sun must almost be set, as it was still light, but only a golden hew remained. A group of at least six or seven men climbed into the truck to collect us, and drag us out. Once out of the truck, I could see we were taken to a rather large establishment near the coastline. I couldn't see the coast, but I could hear the ocean waves crashing in the distance.
The house looked very nice, and well kept. The lawn was large, and well trimmed. The trees and hedges that dotted it were also kept in good shape. As we were hauled up to the front door, we were greeted by a man wearing a well tailored gray suit with a black tie.
“Alright Mr. Sharp, where do you want um,” The tall man from before had asked. The man in the suit, who was likely named Mr. Sharp, was now looking us over. He looked to be in his late forties, or possibly his early fifties. He had a friendly face, and an almost deceiving pleasantness about him. It was like he couldn't be trusted. He examined us, and then frowned at The Tall Man.
“Take them to the guest room Tom, and make them more comfortable,” He instructed, and smiled warmly at us. A smile that made me nauseous.
After being dragged past what might be a living room, a kitchen, and finally up a flight of stairs, we were taken down a hall where we stopped in front of a door. The door was opened, and both of us were dumped onto the floor like bags of trash. I made my displeasure known.
“Yyh Jrrk!!” I barked. The men took no notice, and closed and locked the door behind us. This must have been the guest room that Mr. Sharp had mentioned.
It was quite large, and seemed to be made to accommodate two people. There were two beds, a dresser, two closets, and one more door. Maybe this one was unlocked. I crawled my way to the other door as best I could, and tried to stand up. I was just glad the handle was in reach of my hands. It was unlocked, but it also wasn't a possible way out, as it revealed a bathroom. I felt my heart sink just a tad, and slid down the wall back to my knees.
“Ktte, cmme hrr!” Linda had instructed to me. I shrugged at her, and made my way back over to her. She turned around, and motioned with her hands for me to do the same.“Ww mmght bh abbl t ffrr rrsslvvss frmm thsh,” She said. I think she was saying we might be able to free ourselves. I thought it was worth a shot. With the right mobility I could likely beat up any one of those guys outside.
I turned my back to Linda, and offered her my bound hands, so she could make the attempt. The problem was, as she pulled at my bonds, the zip ties just dug deeper into my wrists.
“Lndh, thsh ishnt wrrknng,” I said, after a few “ow” noises, and struggling with no effect.
“M trrng tt lssnn ih!” Linda had snapped back. The gags in our mouths were also proving to be a problem. I then tried a new tactic. I decided to see if I could slip my hands underneath my legs to bring them around front like I had before. I didn't have a chance to do this earlier with the men watching us. Thanks to my karate lessons from Dad, I was more then flexible enough to do this. But again, a sharp pain shot up my wrists, and foiled me once again. These guys were smart in choosing zip ties for means of tying us.
The sound of the door being unlocked distracted us briefly, and soon the door was opened. In walked Mr. Sharp, followed by the man I now knew as Tom, and a new face had entered. He, like Mr. Sharp, was well dressed in a white suit with a black tie. His short hair was slacked back.
“Ah, these must be our guests,” He said. He spoke with a smooth English accent just like Linda. Mr. Sharp was frowning.
“I said make them comfortable you idiot!” He barked at Tom. The Englishman seemed to share his sentiments.
“Indeed!” He added. “And Zip ties? Tom you should be ashamed of yourself.” He then motioned for his men to untie us, and remove the cloths from our mouths. After the hair raising experience, it was nice to just catch my breath.
“There was no harm done,” Tom argued. I flinched as Mr. Sharp, who had cut the zip-tie on my hands, took hold of my wrist, and presented it to Tom. It had a large red sore carved into it where the tie had been digging into it. Linda also had the same marks on her wrists.
“Look at this. You call this no harm?” Mr. Sharp barked. Tom was left speechless. “I must apologize for my colleague here,” He then said to us. The Boss then motioned his two colleagues to leave the room. Mr. Sharp nodded, and left with Tom at his side. Even with the door closed, we could still hear Mr. Sharp scolding Tom down the hall.
The Boss sighed, and shook his head. He then turned to face us again. I thought this might be a good time to mount our possible escape, but Mr. Sharp and Tom were right down the hall, and both were in a sour mood, so I decided against it.
“I must also apologize for the trauma you have undoubtedly endured,” He said. Linda was the first to speak up.
“Trauma? That's it?” Linda asked, flabbergasted.
“Yes, well, I assure you that wasn't supposed to happen,” He said, as he looked at us. “Anyways, I believe introductions are in order. My name is Derrick Bennett the Third,” He then greeted, with a quick bow. We hesitated a bit. This was someone we didn't know at all, and likely has bad intentions for us. Linda however gulped a bit when she heard him say his name. “Well? Don't be shy ladies. Please do introduce yourselves,” Mr. Bennett insisted. Linda took in a breath.
“I'm Linda, Linda Trotter,” She sighed.
“A pleasure to meet you Ms. Trotter, and again, you have my sincerest apologizes about what happened earlier,” Mr. Bennett said. Linda just shrugged. Mr. Bennett then looked at me expectantly. There was no getting out of this it seems.
“Kaitlin Narrows,” Was all I said.
“Kaitlin Narrows. Womanly, yet strong. It suits you well,” He said. I couldn't tell if he was sincere, or just trying to flatter me. “I'm pleased to meet you as well Miss Nar-” He started, but I cut him off.
“Just Katie please,” I insisted. Mr. Bennett nodded his acceptance to me.
“Right, now that the meet-and-greet is out of the way, I'm sure you girls are wondering why I went to all this trouble to bring you here,” He guessed.
“That's only one of many questions,” I responded. Linda nodding right along side me. Mr. Bennett smiled at us.
“We can discuss the whole thing over dinner. I would be honored if you would join me,” He then offered. We all looked at each other. What else was there to do? If it meant getting answers, then it was a good option.
“Sure,” We said.
“Then I suggest you get cleaned up and get dressed in something nicer. Dinner is usually a formal affair for me whenever I have guests. Anyways, I think you'll find something suitable in that closet there,” He said, and pointed to the closet in between one of the beds and the bathroom door. “Oh, and you'll find the shower through the door right behind you,” He added, though we already knew where the bathroom was. Did he have this all planned out? He then left us in the room, and locked the door behind him.
“What does this Nutcase want from us?” I asked, as I looked through the closet. It was filled with various dresses, and other ladies clothes in various sizes ranging from small children to tall adults. The doors on the outside had large mirrors on them as well. Rather like my closet door in fact.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Linda answered, as she also searched the closet for something nice to wear. “I know My Family has had a lot of competitors over the years, and that man might be one of them.” I frowned at her.
“Linda, I saw your reaction when he introduced himself. You know him,” I stated. Linda sighed.
“Not formally. I only know him by name,” she said. I nodded to show I was listening. “My Dad owns World Trotter Airlines, and Derrick was Dad's right hand man,” Linda explained. I turned my attention from the closet to her.
“So what happened?” I asked.
“To make a long story short, Dad caught him using the business for his own purposes. Smuggling to be exact,” She then said. My eyebrows popped up at hearing that.
“What was he smuggling?” I then asked.
“I don't know,” My friend said. “When I asked Dad, he refused to tell me.”
“It would seem that Mr. Bennett might be a bit pissed off about it,” I stated. Vengeance is a powerful motive after all.
“It can't be coincidence that we moved here from England just after the news announced that Derrick had escaped from prison,” Linda said.
After that conversation was over, we both went back to looking through the clothes again. After passing over our options we came across a pair of dresses that finally looked like they would fit us. They were Double V-neck cocktail party dresses with knee length skirts, and ruched waists. There was only one question left.
“Do you want the blue one, or the burgundy one?” I asked Linda.
“I'll take the blue one,” She sighed. Now that our clothes were picked out, it was time to clean ourselves up.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41AEXx-kfKL.jpg
Linda and I took turns using the shower. After that trip in the truck, a shower felt really good on my skin. Once I was done, I blow dried my hair, and it was now time for me to get dressed.
----Katie----
Riding in the back of the truck was not fun. After all of the bumps, bangs, and sudden stops, I was beginning to appreciate the invention of seat belts more then ever. Add in the fact that both of us were bound and gagged...yeah, not fun. Linda was still crying. Can't say I blame her. I was scared too.
My thoughts then drifted back to what the Tall man had said earlier. Randy was waiting behind with Linda's Parents. I just had to hope my Dad would be alright when he arrives at their house. Boy was he in for a surprise, but then I remembered: So were they. There was no way that Creep would get the jump on my Dad.
After what seemed like forever, the truck slowed down for a ways, and then finally came to a merciful stop.
“Thnkk Ggd!” I snapped. A few seconds later the back door opened. The sun must almost be set, as it was still light, but only a golden hew remained. A group of at least six or seven men climbed into the truck to collect us, and drag us out. Once out of the truck, I could see we were taken to a rather large establishment near the coastline. I couldn't see the coast, but I could hear the ocean waves crashing in the distance.
The house looked very nice, and well kept. The lawn was large, and well trimmed. The trees and hedges that dotted it were also kept in good shape. As we were hauled up to the front door, we were greeted by a man wearing a well tailored gray suit with a black tie.
“Alright Mr. Sharp, where do you want um,” The tall man from before had asked. The man in the suit, who was likely named Mr. Sharp, was now looking us over. He looked to be in his late forties, or possibly his early fifties. He had a friendly face, and an almost deceiving pleasantness about him. It was like he couldn't be trusted. He examined us, and then frowned at The Tall Man.
“Take them to the guest room Tom, and make them more comfortable,” He instructed, and smiled warmly at us. A smile that made me nauseous.
After being dragged past what might be a living room, a kitchen, and finally up a flight of stairs, we were taken down a hall where we stopped in front of a door. The door was opened, and both of us were dumped onto the floor like bags of trash. I made my displeasure known.
“Yyh Jrrk!!” I barked. The men took no notice, and closed and locked the door behind us. This must have been the guest room that Mr. Sharp had mentioned.
It was quite large, and seemed to be made to accommodate two people. There were two beds, a dresser, two closets, and one more door. Maybe this one was unlocked. I crawled my way to the other door as best I could, and tried to stand up. I was just glad the handle was in reach of my hands. It was unlocked, but it also wasn't a possible way out, as it revealed a bathroom. I felt my heart sink just a tad, and slid down the wall back to my knees.
“Ktte, cmme hrr!” Linda had instructed to me. I shrugged at her, and made my way back over to her. She turned around, and motioned with her hands for me to do the same.“Ww mmght bh abbl t ffrr rrsslvvss frmm thsh,” She said. I think she was saying we might be able to free ourselves. I thought it was worth a shot. With the right mobility I could likely beat up any one of those guys outside.
I turned my back to Linda, and offered her my bound hands, so she could make the attempt. The problem was, as she pulled at my bonds, the zip ties just dug deeper into my wrists.
“Lndh, thsh ishnt wrrknng,” I said, after a few “ow” noises, and struggling with no effect.
“M trrng tt lssnn ih!” Linda had snapped back. The gags in our mouths were also proving to be a problem. I then tried a new tactic. I decided to see if I could slip my hands underneath my legs to bring them around front like I had before. I didn't have a chance to do this earlier with the men watching us. Thanks to my karate lessons from Dad, I was more then flexible enough to do this. But again, a sharp pain shot up my wrists, and foiled me once again. These guys were smart in choosing zip ties for means of tying us.
The sound of the door being unlocked distracted us briefly, and soon the door was opened. In walked Mr. Sharp, followed by the man I now knew as Tom, and a new face had entered. He, like Mr. Sharp, was well dressed in a white suit with a black tie. His short hair was slacked back.
“Ah, these must be our guests,” He said. He spoke with a smooth English accent just like Linda. Mr. Sharp was frowning.
“I said make them comfortable you idiot!” He barked at Tom. The Englishman seemed to share his sentiments.
“Indeed!” He added. “And Zip ties? Tom you should be ashamed of yourself.” He then motioned for his men to untie us, and remove the cloths from our mouths. After the hair raising experience, it was nice to just catch my breath.
“There was no harm done,” Tom argued. I flinched as Mr. Sharp, who had cut the zip-tie on my hands, took hold of my wrist, and presented it to Tom. It had a large red sore carved into it where the tie had been digging into it. Linda also had the same marks on her wrists.
“Look at this. You call this no harm?” Mr. Sharp barked. Tom was left speechless. “I must apologize for my colleague here,” He then said to us. The Boss then motioned his two colleagues to leave the room. Mr. Sharp nodded, and left with Tom at his side. Even with the door closed, we could still hear Mr. Sharp scolding Tom down the hall.
The Boss sighed, and shook his head. He then turned to face us again. I thought this might be a good time to mount our possible escape, but Mr. Sharp and Tom were right down the hall, and both were in a sour mood, so I decided against it.
“I must also apologize for the trauma you have undoubtedly endured,” He said. Linda was the first to speak up.
“Trauma? That's it?” Linda asked, flabbergasted.
“Yes, well, I assure you that wasn't supposed to happen,” He said, as he looked at us. “Anyways, I believe introductions are in order. My name is Derrick Bennett the Third,” He then greeted, with a quick bow. We hesitated a bit. This was someone we didn't know at all, and likely has bad intentions for us. Linda however gulped a bit when she heard him say his name. “Well? Don't be shy ladies. Please do introduce yourselves,” Mr. Bennett insisted. Linda took in a breath.
“I'm Linda, Linda Trotter,” She sighed.
“A pleasure to meet you Ms. Trotter, and again, you have my sincerest apologizes about what happened earlier,” Mr. Bennett said. Linda just shrugged. Mr. Bennett then looked at me expectantly. There was no getting out of this it seems.
“Kaitlin Narrows,” Was all I said.
“Kaitlin Narrows. Womanly, yet strong. It suits you well,” He said. I couldn't tell if he was sincere, or just trying to flatter me. “I'm pleased to meet you as well Miss Nar-” He started, but I cut him off.
“Just Katie please,” I insisted. Mr. Bennett nodded his acceptance to me.
“Right, now that the meet-and-greet is out of the way, I'm sure you girls are wondering why I went to all this trouble to bring you here,” He guessed.
“That's only one of many questions,” I responded. Linda nodding right along side me. Mr. Bennett smiled at us.
“We can discuss the whole thing over dinner. I would be honored if you would join me,” He then offered. We all looked at each other. What else was there to do? If it meant getting answers, then it was a good option.
“Sure,” We said.
“Then I suggest you get cleaned up and get dressed in something nicer. Dinner is usually a formal affair for me whenever I have guests. Anyways, I think you'll find something suitable in that closet there,” He said, and pointed to the closet in between one of the beds and the bathroom door. “Oh, and you'll find the shower through the door right behind you,” He added, though we already knew where the bathroom was. Did he have this all planned out? He then left us in the room, and locked the door behind him.
“What does this Nutcase want from us?” I asked, as I looked through the closet. It was filled with various dresses, and other ladies clothes in various sizes ranging from small children to tall adults. The doors on the outside had large mirrors on them as well. Rather like my closet door in fact.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Linda answered, as she also searched the closet for something nice to wear. “I know My Family has had a lot of competitors over the years, and that man might be one of them.” I frowned at her.
“Linda, I saw your reaction when he introduced himself. You know him,” I stated. Linda sighed.
“Not formally. I only know him by name,” she said. I nodded to show I was listening. “My Dad owns World Trotter Airlines, and Derrick was Dad's right hand man,” Linda explained. I turned my attention from the closet to her.
“So what happened?” I asked.
“To make a long story short, Dad caught him using the business for his own purposes. Smuggling to be exact,” She then said. My eyebrows popped up at hearing that.
“What was he smuggling?” I then asked.
“I don't know,” My friend said. “When I asked Dad, he refused to tell me.”
“It would seem that Mr. Bennett might be a bit pissed off about it,” I stated. Vengeance is a powerful motive after all.
“It can't be coincidence that we moved here from England just after the news announced that Derrick had escaped from prison,” Linda said.
After that conversation was over, we both went back to looking through the clothes again. After passing over our options we came across a pair of dresses that finally looked like they would fit us. They were Double V-neck cocktail party dresses with knee length skirts, and ruched waists. There was only one question left.
“Do you want the blue one, or the burgundy one?” I asked Linda.
“I'll take the blue one,” She sighed. Now that our clothes were picked out, it was time to clean ourselves up.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41AEXx-kfKL.jpg
Linda and I took turns using the shower. After that trip in the truck, a shower felt really good on my skin. Once I was done, I blow dried my hair, and it was now time for me to get dressed.
Part 4: In this part, The Girl's get some answers. Some, not all.
----Katie----
The dress I picked out actually looked very good on me. For the first time since I had been dragged out here, I was kinda pleased. The dress was a little more revealing then I would have liked, but oh well. There wasn't much I could do about that.
I brushed out my hair, and while I don't usually wear make up, I decided a bit of light toned lipstick might be in order. (Yep, Mr. Bennett had those in the drawer just under the sink.) Linda had similar feelings when I met back up with her.
“What do you think?” Linda asked me. I smiled at her.
“I think you look like a lovely young lady,” I said. I couldn't put it any plainer then that. Linda beamed at me. She looked very beautiful in that blue dress. Her hair tied back into a ponytail which she draped over her right shoulder. She had applied a lighter tone of lipstick to her lips, as well as a bit of blue eye shadow.
“I'll give Mr. Bennett credit where it's due. He certainly has good taste,” She said, with a grin, as she picked up her clothes from off the floor, and put the on top of the dresser.
“I just wish these weren't as revealing,” I said, as I did the same. Linda gave me a sly look.
“Aren't you proud of how your assets look?” She asked. She was right. I was very proud of how my assets were developing.
“Yes I am,” I responded. “I just hope he doesn't get too proud of them if you know hat I mean.”
Linda rolled her eyes briefly in a manner that told me I may have a point. We didn't have much time to talk about it anymore though, as the door soon opened, and Mr. Sharp stood there looking at us.
“You both look gorgeous,” He said smoothly. We both looked at each other, and smiled. “But, before you head down to the dining room, He has also asked that you be restrained on your way down,” Mr. Sharp then said. Our smiles dropped instantly when we heard that. He just had to kill the mood. It painfully reminded us of the situation we were in. Mr. Sharp then reached into his jacket, and pulled out two lengths of rope.
“Really?” I asked, in an annoyed voice.
“I'm afraid so young lady,” Mr. Sharp said. He went around behind me, and tapped me on the shoulder. I knew what he wanted. I put my hands behind my back so he could bind them.
The tie he was using was strangely familiar. It was a square lashing. The exact same one that Dad had used on me several days ago. It lead me to one obvious conclusion: Mr Sharp has done this before. Never the less, the tie was tight, and comfortable. It was a massive improvement from the zip ties.
Once my hands were bound, it was Linda's turn. She looked more annoyed then scared now. It was an improvement at least.
“There we go, all set,” Mr. Sharp said, as he finished. He then walked to the door, opened it, and allowed us to walk through first. (Such a gentleman.) We both took the opportunity to shoot him a glare as we passed him by. He then followed us on our way to have supper with the Man of the Hour, Mr. Bennett.
We walked down stairs, made a right, and soon made our way into the dining room. The dining room had a great view of the coast, and you could see the waves of the ocean crashing into the rocks in the distance. The dinner table was long and narrow with four chairs ready for us. Tom Mr. Bennett sat at the far end of the table, and stood up with a bow as we entered.
“Slime Bucket,” I thought to myself.
“Tom, for once in your life, be a gentleman, and assist my guests,” Mr. Bennett ordered, pointing to the chairs. Tom, who was standing off to the side, nodded at his boss. He untied us, and then pulled out our chairs for us to be seated. “Very good,” Mr. Bennett complimented. “You may now leave for the day. I'll call you tomorrow should I need you,” He then instructed. Tom gave his Boss a snarl, but left the room anyway. Where he went from there, I have no idea.
Dinner actually looked quite yummy. We were having pork roast tonight with steamed veggies, and roasted potatoes. As our plates were prepared for us, courtesy of Mr. Sharp, Mr. Bennett decided to break the silence.
“Well, my dears, I think it's time I told why you are here,” He said. I glared at him.
“Linda already told me the whole story,” I snarled at him. Mr. Bennett smirked at me.
“And do you believe every story she tells you?” He asked. I looked up thoughtfully.
“Let's see, I've known her for almost a year, and I've known you for almost an hour, hmmm,” I said sarcastically. Prompting him to figure it out for himself. “Plus, she hasn't kidnapped me yet,” I added.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, you were never part of the plan,” Mr. Bennett insisted. “But I didn't want to leave any witnesses behind who might ruin my plans.”
“Oh wonderful. That makes me feel so much better,” I moaned. Mr. Bennett just sighed.
“Look ladies,” He insisted. “As long as you are my guests I want you to be as comfortable as possible during your stay here. I'll be giving Mr. Trotter a phone call tomorrow at about noon, and if he meets my demands, you'll both be home by tomorrow afternoon,” He explained. Linda scowled at him as she cautiously took a bite of pork. It was like she was expecting it to be poisoned. For all we know, it was.
“And what are your demands?” She asked.
“That is between your father and myself, and I do not wish to discuss it with you,” Mr. Bennett said. “Now that that's settled, Katie?” He asked, getting my attention. I turned my head to face him. “I know much about young Linda's Family, but I know nothing of you. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself,” He suggested, in an attempt to change the subject. I finished my bite of asparagus, which was actually very good.
“Like what?” I asked. He shrugged at me.
“Anything, where you're from? Who your parents are? What they do?” He suggested. Gee, that didn't sound like a set up at all.
“Oh, so you can find out what you can leech from me too?” I asked. Mr. Bennett sighed. This conversation must not have been going as he had planned.
“Oh please!” He insisted. “I have been more then reasonable with both of you, and yet you insist on being hostile.” I almost choked on the bite of potato I was now eating.
“Tell us why not?” Linda asked. “You drag us away from our families. You leave them wondering what's going to happen to us. They are likely worried sick. We don't know what you have planned for us either, and your goons have treated us like rubbish right from the beginning,” Linda said. She then had to pause to catch her breath. Mr. Sharp eyed us.
“And I assure you that you will not be so cruelly mistreated again under my watch,” He stated very firmly. Mr. Bennett then continued.
“As I said before, as long as everything goes according to plan, and your parents follow the rules, everyone wins. The last thing I want is for harm to come to you,” He said. “If you don't believe me, you can ask your father when you get the chance,” He then added, which got our attention. From what I could tell looking at Mr. Bennett's eyes, he did seem sincere about that.
After the meal, Mr. Bennett looked at his watch, and then stood up. He then motioned for Mr. Sharp to stand us up as well.
“Well Ladies,” Mr. Bennett said. “I wish you hadn't been so confrontational, but maybe we just need a bit more time to get to know each other,” He stated. I just rolled my eyes. I really didn't want to get to know this guy more then I already had. We still didn't know what he was demanding from Linda's Father. It was likely something that would ruin them.
“Sir, shall I show our guests around the house?” Mr. Sharp asked.
“A splendid idea Mr. Sharp,” Mr. Bennett said. Mr. Sharp nodded, and picked up the set two sets of rope from before. He also produced two blue bandanas from his jacket.
“Is this really necessary?” Linda asked.
“I'm sorry, but Mr. Bennett insists on it,” Mr. Sharp stated. We both looked at Mr. Bennett who simply nodded yes. Linda sighed, and turned her back to him. Mr. Sharp took hold of Linda's wrists, and drew her hands behind her back. With her wrists in hand he coiled the rope around them several times. He then cinched it before tying it off.
“Does that feel okay?” He asked Linda. She didn't say anything, but nodded yes. Once he was done binding her hands, our captor picked up one of the bandanas, and tied a loose knot in the middle of it. Linda opened her mouth so he could place the knot inside. He then tied the gag off behind her head.
Now that Linda had been bound and gagged, it was my turn. I rolled my eyes, and put my hands behind my back so he could bind them next. Soon I felt the coils of rope around my wrists again.
“I hope it's not to tight,” He said, as he finished the tie.
“No, it's fine,” I said, reassuringly. Once my wrists were nicely secured, he knotted the other cloth to gag me next. He knelt behind me, and held the knot in front of my mouth.
“Wait, before you gag me, I just want to say one thing,” I said. Mr. Sharp however didn't listen. He popped the knot into my open mouth, and tied it in place at the back of my head.
“You can try, but I don't think anyone will understand you,” Mr. Sharp said, with a smirk. I just glared at him. “Now, shall we proceed with the tour?” He asked, and gestured us ahead of him.
“Oh, before you all head off on your tour, I want to inform the girls of a few things,” He stated. Linda and I gave him our attention. “Please don't make any foolish attempts to escape. I have men surrounding the house, and as for Mr. Sharp, well, let's just say he's earned his name,” Mr. Bennett boasted. Linda and I looked over at Mr, Sharp who just gave us a two fingered salute. “Understand?” Mr. Bennett then asked. We both nodded, and then Mr. Bennett then continued.
“Also, Tom is a trusted police officer, so if any call to the police is made by either you or your parents, he'll know about it, and inform me of it,” Mr. Bennett said. Of course. The corrupt cop scenario. Oh, how I longed to kick the grin off of Mr. Bennett's face.
----Katie----
The dress I picked out actually looked very good on me. For the first time since I had been dragged out here, I was kinda pleased. The dress was a little more revealing then I would have liked, but oh well. There wasn't much I could do about that.
I brushed out my hair, and while I don't usually wear make up, I decided a bit of light toned lipstick might be in order. (Yep, Mr. Bennett had those in the drawer just under the sink.) Linda had similar feelings when I met back up with her.
“What do you think?” Linda asked me. I smiled at her.
“I think you look like a lovely young lady,” I said. I couldn't put it any plainer then that. Linda beamed at me. She looked very beautiful in that blue dress. Her hair tied back into a ponytail which she draped over her right shoulder. She had applied a lighter tone of lipstick to her lips, as well as a bit of blue eye shadow.
“I'll give Mr. Bennett credit where it's due. He certainly has good taste,” She said, with a grin, as she picked up her clothes from off the floor, and put the on top of the dresser.
“I just wish these weren't as revealing,” I said, as I did the same. Linda gave me a sly look.
“Aren't you proud of how your assets look?” She asked. She was right. I was very proud of how my assets were developing.
“Yes I am,” I responded. “I just hope he doesn't get too proud of them if you know hat I mean.”
Linda rolled her eyes briefly in a manner that told me I may have a point. We didn't have much time to talk about it anymore though, as the door soon opened, and Mr. Sharp stood there looking at us.
“You both look gorgeous,” He said smoothly. We both looked at each other, and smiled. “But, before you head down to the dining room, He has also asked that you be restrained on your way down,” Mr. Sharp then said. Our smiles dropped instantly when we heard that. He just had to kill the mood. It painfully reminded us of the situation we were in. Mr. Sharp then reached into his jacket, and pulled out two lengths of rope.
“Really?” I asked, in an annoyed voice.
“I'm afraid so young lady,” Mr. Sharp said. He went around behind me, and tapped me on the shoulder. I knew what he wanted. I put my hands behind my back so he could bind them.
The tie he was using was strangely familiar. It was a square lashing. The exact same one that Dad had used on me several days ago. It lead me to one obvious conclusion: Mr Sharp has done this before. Never the less, the tie was tight, and comfortable. It was a massive improvement from the zip ties.
Once my hands were bound, it was Linda's turn. She looked more annoyed then scared now. It was an improvement at least.
“There we go, all set,” Mr. Sharp said, as he finished. He then walked to the door, opened it, and allowed us to walk through first. (Such a gentleman.) We both took the opportunity to shoot him a glare as we passed him by. He then followed us on our way to have supper with the Man of the Hour, Mr. Bennett.
We walked down stairs, made a right, and soon made our way into the dining room. The dining room had a great view of the coast, and you could see the waves of the ocean crashing into the rocks in the distance. The dinner table was long and narrow with four chairs ready for us. Tom Mr. Bennett sat at the far end of the table, and stood up with a bow as we entered.
“Slime Bucket,” I thought to myself.
“Tom, for once in your life, be a gentleman, and assist my guests,” Mr. Bennett ordered, pointing to the chairs. Tom, who was standing off to the side, nodded at his boss. He untied us, and then pulled out our chairs for us to be seated. “Very good,” Mr. Bennett complimented. “You may now leave for the day. I'll call you tomorrow should I need you,” He then instructed. Tom gave his Boss a snarl, but left the room anyway. Where he went from there, I have no idea.
Dinner actually looked quite yummy. We were having pork roast tonight with steamed veggies, and roasted potatoes. As our plates were prepared for us, courtesy of Mr. Sharp, Mr. Bennett decided to break the silence.
“Well, my dears, I think it's time I told why you are here,” He said. I glared at him.
“Linda already told me the whole story,” I snarled at him. Mr. Bennett smirked at me.
“And do you believe every story she tells you?” He asked. I looked up thoughtfully.
“Let's see, I've known her for almost a year, and I've known you for almost an hour, hmmm,” I said sarcastically. Prompting him to figure it out for himself. “Plus, she hasn't kidnapped me yet,” I added.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, you were never part of the plan,” Mr. Bennett insisted. “But I didn't want to leave any witnesses behind who might ruin my plans.”
“Oh wonderful. That makes me feel so much better,” I moaned. Mr. Bennett just sighed.
“Look ladies,” He insisted. “As long as you are my guests I want you to be as comfortable as possible during your stay here. I'll be giving Mr. Trotter a phone call tomorrow at about noon, and if he meets my demands, you'll both be home by tomorrow afternoon,” He explained. Linda scowled at him as she cautiously took a bite of pork. It was like she was expecting it to be poisoned. For all we know, it was.
“And what are your demands?” She asked.
“That is between your father and myself, and I do not wish to discuss it with you,” Mr. Bennett said. “Now that that's settled, Katie?” He asked, getting my attention. I turned my head to face him. “I know much about young Linda's Family, but I know nothing of you. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself,” He suggested, in an attempt to change the subject. I finished my bite of asparagus, which was actually very good.
“Like what?” I asked. He shrugged at me.
“Anything, where you're from? Who your parents are? What they do?” He suggested. Gee, that didn't sound like a set up at all.
“Oh, so you can find out what you can leech from me too?” I asked. Mr. Bennett sighed. This conversation must not have been going as he had planned.
“Oh please!” He insisted. “I have been more then reasonable with both of you, and yet you insist on being hostile.” I almost choked on the bite of potato I was now eating.
“Tell us why not?” Linda asked. “You drag us away from our families. You leave them wondering what's going to happen to us. They are likely worried sick. We don't know what you have planned for us either, and your goons have treated us like rubbish right from the beginning,” Linda said. She then had to pause to catch her breath. Mr. Sharp eyed us.
“And I assure you that you will not be so cruelly mistreated again under my watch,” He stated very firmly. Mr. Bennett then continued.
“As I said before, as long as everything goes according to plan, and your parents follow the rules, everyone wins. The last thing I want is for harm to come to you,” He said. “If you don't believe me, you can ask your father when you get the chance,” He then added, which got our attention. From what I could tell looking at Mr. Bennett's eyes, he did seem sincere about that.
After the meal, Mr. Bennett looked at his watch, and then stood up. He then motioned for Mr. Sharp to stand us up as well.
“Well Ladies,” Mr. Bennett said. “I wish you hadn't been so confrontational, but maybe we just need a bit more time to get to know each other,” He stated. I just rolled my eyes. I really didn't want to get to know this guy more then I already had. We still didn't know what he was demanding from Linda's Father. It was likely something that would ruin them.
“Sir, shall I show our guests around the house?” Mr. Sharp asked.
“A splendid idea Mr. Sharp,” Mr. Bennett said. Mr. Sharp nodded, and picked up the set two sets of rope from before. He also produced two blue bandanas from his jacket.
“Is this really necessary?” Linda asked.
“I'm sorry, but Mr. Bennett insists on it,” Mr. Sharp stated. We both looked at Mr. Bennett who simply nodded yes. Linda sighed, and turned her back to him. Mr. Sharp took hold of Linda's wrists, and drew her hands behind her back. With her wrists in hand he coiled the rope around them several times. He then cinched it before tying it off.
“Does that feel okay?” He asked Linda. She didn't say anything, but nodded yes. Once he was done binding her hands, our captor picked up one of the bandanas, and tied a loose knot in the middle of it. Linda opened her mouth so he could place the knot inside. He then tied the gag off behind her head.
Now that Linda had been bound and gagged, it was my turn. I rolled my eyes, and put my hands behind my back so he could bind them next. Soon I felt the coils of rope around my wrists again.
“I hope it's not to tight,” He said, as he finished the tie.
“No, it's fine,” I said, reassuringly. Once my wrists were nicely secured, he knotted the other cloth to gag me next. He knelt behind me, and held the knot in front of my mouth.
“Wait, before you gag me, I just want to say one thing,” I said. Mr. Sharp however didn't listen. He popped the knot into my open mouth, and tied it in place at the back of my head.
“You can try, but I don't think anyone will understand you,” Mr. Sharp said, with a smirk. I just glared at him. “Now, shall we proceed with the tour?” He asked, and gestured us ahead of him.
“Oh, before you all head off on your tour, I want to inform the girls of a few things,” He stated. Linda and I gave him our attention. “Please don't make any foolish attempts to escape. I have men surrounding the house, and as for Mr. Sharp, well, let's just say he's earned his name,” Mr. Bennett boasted. Linda and I looked over at Mr, Sharp who just gave us a two fingered salute. “Understand?” Mr. Bennett then asked. We both nodded, and then Mr. Bennett then continued.
“Also, Tom is a trusted police officer, so if any call to the police is made by either you or your parents, he'll know about it, and inform me of it,” Mr. Bennett said. Of course. The corrupt cop scenario. Oh, how I longed to kick the grin off of Mr. Bennett's face.
Part 5: In this part, the girls go on a tour of the house, and reflect on a few things. They also get in a bit of practice.
“Well, I guess we can begin now,” Mr. Sharp said, as he gestured us both ahead of him down one of the hall ways.
Mr. Sharp showed us the main points of interest. The first stop was the art gallery with many old paintings. Some of which he claimed dated back about fifty years or so. The gallery also provided another gorgeous view of the coast.
Next we went down to the wine cellar to view Mr. Bennett's wine collection. Mr. Sharp was nice enough to help guide us both down the stairs in turns. (how thoughtful of him.)The wine collection was as impressive as it was extensive. Some bottles were over a hundred years old.
Linda and I remained quiet throughout the tour as Mr. Sharp explained everything. Truth be told we weren't really listening. We just wanted this day to end. Our last stop was a living room of sorts that also had a TV, and a few DVDs on a shelf. Mr. Sharp then turned to us.
“Now then, are there any questions?” He asked. Linda and my eyes narrowed at him. The nerve of this Jerk. “Oh, of course, how silly of me,” He said, in a mocking tone. “Well, I guess it's back to the guest room then.”
Linda and I were marched back upstairs to the guest room. Once we were inside Mr. Sharp left us inside, and surprisingly didn't lock the door. This was soon answered by his return. He was carrying more lengths of rope with him.
“Why don't you sit on a bed, you'll both be more comfortable that way,” Mr. Sharp suggested. Linda and shrugged, and walked over to one of the beds. “Separate beds if you please,” Mr. Sharp stated firmly. I got up off the bed, and head to the one at the other end of the room. I shot Mr. Sharp a dirty look as I passed him though.
Now that we were both “comfortable”, Mr. Sharp knelt down in front of Linda, and bound her feet together at the ankles. Again, it was the same professional job he's displayed before. With her feet bound, he then took another length of rope, and ran it through the bonds on her hands. He then wound the rope around her body several times, and knotted it in front of her. This rope pinned her hands against the small of her back.
“There we go,” Mr. Sharp said, satisfied with his work. Once he was done with Linda, he moved over to me. He tied my feet together the same way, and he pinned my hands against my back with the same middle rope as he used on Linda.
Mr. Sharp certainly covered his bases well. The middle ropes would prevent us from sliding our hands out from underneath our legs. Putting us on separate beds meant we couldn't help each other, and with our feet bound, it would make attempting to reach each other risky.
“I'll be back later girls, but in the meantime, just relax, and enjoy yourselves,” Mr. Sharp mocked.
“Oh shht hp!” I snapped.
“Jsht gh alrrdy,” Linda demanded. Mr. Sharp let out a laugh, as he left the room, and locked it behind him.
There was one base Mr. Sharp did forget to cover though. I carefully slid off my bed, and onto my knees. Linda was watching me, and did the same thing. I then rolled onto my side, and rolled my way across the room. Linda followed suit until we both met up in the middle.
Now, from my experience, escaping bondage is less about struggling, and more about order of operation. The first thing we needed to get rid of was the middle ropes, so that's what we went for first. Given the fact that I couldn't see Linda in my effort to undo her rope made this a little tough, but after a few frustrating minutes I got the rope undone.
With the middle rope gone, Linda was able to slip her hands out from under her legs, and back in front. She then untied my middle rope. Once I was free of the middle rope, it was pretty smooth sailing from there. Once we were both free of the ropes, we then removed our gags.
“Nothing to it,” I said.
“You know we're going to be in trouble when he comes back,” Linda said, throwing the handkerchief that was used to gag her on the floor.
“It'll be worth it to show him that he can't hold us down,” I stated. “If he does it again, we'll just escape it again. It's that simple,” I said with a grin.
We just sorta sat on the bed for a few minutes pondering the next mutual question: What do we do now? The room had a window that we might be able to make an escape through.
“You want to make a run for it out the window?” Linda suggested, as if reading my mind. I walked over to the window ledge to scout out the possibility. Outside I could see no means of holding onto the exterior of the house, and one slip would lead to a rather bumpy drop down the cliff into the ocean below. Linda and I both looked at each other and sighed.
“I'll admit, he chooses his locations well,” I said, and we walked over to one of the beds to sit down. That was one escape plan that would not likely work. Linda was starting to look even more depressed.
“Why?” She asked. I looked at her.
“Why what?” I asked back.
“Why did this have to happen? There were so many things I was looking foreword to doing with you today, and now you and I are being used as nothing more then bargaining chips,” She said, now starting to cry. She had every right to. I stretched out my arms, and she nodded as I gave her a hug.
“It'll be okay,” I said.
“How do you know?” She asked. I snorted softly, as I looked her in the eye.
“Trust me, these guys better hope the police find them before my Dad does,” I stated firmly. “I guarantee you he's looking for us.”
“You heard what Mr. Bennett said. If they catch-” She started, but I cut her off.
“They're on alert for police activity. Not Navy-Seal-who-is-now-civilian activity,” I stated. This made Linda smile a bit, and she hugged me again.
“So, what do we do now?” She then asked. I grinned at her.
“We sit tight, and have a little faith,” I said. I then picked up a few pieces of rope. “And maybe get in a little practice,” I then suggested.
* * * *
Linda and I spent the next three hours tying each other up in various ways, and timing how quickly we could do it. We didn't have a stop watch to work with, but the clock hanging in the corner near the ceiling was sufficient. We also decided to try something new: How fast can one untie the other once the job is completed? We had actually gotten so caught up in it that we almost failed to notice Mr. Sharp opening the door into the room.
The sight he was greeted with was me, completely free of my bonds, and about to tie Linda's ankles one more time. I saw his arms slump to his sides as if completely drained of energy. I was so upset I didn't have a camera with me, because the look of pure disbelief on his face was priceless.
“Oh, hi,” I chirped, with a big grin on my face.
“This isn't an escape attempt is it?” Mr. Sharp asked, now finding his voice again. Linda and I just looked at each other. Mr. Sharp did seem a bit angry.
“Oh please, if we were trying to escape, would she be tying me up right now?” Linda asked. Mr. Sharp looked thoughtful for a second, and then nodded.
“I guess I can't argue with that logic,” He said. “Just thank your lucky stars that I was coming to untie you both anyway.”
“What for?” I asked.
“It's bedtime,” He said, flatly. “You'll find pajamas in that drawer,” He said, pointing at the top drawer of the dresser, and then started to leave. “Oh, and I suggest you both use the restroom, and take care of any business you have as well,” He then added. “I will be back in a few minutes to...tuck you both in,” He said, with a wicked sneer on his face. I didn't like the sound of that. He then left the room locking the door behind him.
“He makes me want to throw up,” I snarled.
“I know what you mean,” Linda agreed, as I untied her feet.
Linda and I then walked over to the dresser, and found two sets of cotton pajamas inside. I pulled out the white pair, while Linda chose a pair that was pink. I took off my dress, and hung it back up in the closet where I had found it. I then put the pajamas on. I found them to be quite comfy for this weather.
I then took Mr. Sharp's advice, and used the restroom while Linda took off her dress, and put her pajamas on as well. She then used the restroom once I was done.
“Are you both decent?” We heard Mr. Sharp call through the closed door.
“Yes,” I answered back, and Mr. Sharp then walked in. He was carrying a few more lengths of rope. These were a lot longer then the others he had used. He was also carrying the roll of duct tape. Linda and I both knew the drill. We both turned our backs to him, and placed our hands behind us.
“Nope, Turn around, and hands in front Ladies,” He instructed. (Shows how much we knew.) Linda and I both just shrugged, and did as Mr. Sharp requested. He tied our hands in front of us with the same technique he had used before. “Now, both of you pick out a bed,” He then said. I picked out the bed closest to the door. The back of which was facing the wall. Linda picked the one by the dresser.
Once in bed, Mr. Sharp took one of the long cords, and ran it around the bed, as well as me. He then did the same thing with another length of rope. This one he fed through the bonds on my wrists. He then repeated the process with one more around my ankles. I was now firmly secured to the bed.
Mr. Sharp repeated the same exact job with Linda and her bed. He then grabbed the tape, and peeled off a long strip. With the strip in hand, he walked over to me.
“You don't have to do this,” I insisted. But once my lips had closed, Mr. Sharp didn't hesitate. I could only watch as he pressed the tape over my mouth, sealing it shut. I just moaned as he walked over to Linda to tape her mouth shut as well. Mr. Sharp was a lot like that mean older brother who offers you a piece of candy, and then pulls it away when you try to take it.
“Good night Girls,” Mr. Sharp said, as he turned out the light, and proceeded to leave the room.
“Scmrw yhh!” I snarled through my gag as he left. It was now just me and Linda again. I heard Linda sigh to herself. I'm just glad the fear had subsided somewhat. These people, for the most part, didn't seem to want to hurt us, but we still don't know what they want, and that's what had me worried right now. Never the less, all we could do was wait. I just hoped Dad was hot on their trail.
“Ntt Lnddh,” I said.
“Ggdd Nghtt Ktee,” She replied, and I drifted off to sleep.
Well, that's how our day went. Now it'll be Dad's turn to tell you how things went for him. Besides, I have some homework I need to finish. [Dad, you're up!]
“Well, I guess we can begin now,” Mr. Sharp said, as he gestured us both ahead of him down one of the hall ways.
Mr. Sharp showed us the main points of interest. The first stop was the art gallery with many old paintings. Some of which he claimed dated back about fifty years or so. The gallery also provided another gorgeous view of the coast.
Next we went down to the wine cellar to view Mr. Bennett's wine collection. Mr. Sharp was nice enough to help guide us both down the stairs in turns. (how thoughtful of him.)The wine collection was as impressive as it was extensive. Some bottles were over a hundred years old.
Linda and I remained quiet throughout the tour as Mr. Sharp explained everything. Truth be told we weren't really listening. We just wanted this day to end. Our last stop was a living room of sorts that also had a TV, and a few DVDs on a shelf. Mr. Sharp then turned to us.
“Now then, are there any questions?” He asked. Linda and my eyes narrowed at him. The nerve of this Jerk. “Oh, of course, how silly of me,” He said, in a mocking tone. “Well, I guess it's back to the guest room then.”
Linda and I were marched back upstairs to the guest room. Once we were inside Mr. Sharp left us inside, and surprisingly didn't lock the door. This was soon answered by his return. He was carrying more lengths of rope with him.
“Why don't you sit on a bed, you'll both be more comfortable that way,” Mr. Sharp suggested. Linda and shrugged, and walked over to one of the beds. “Separate beds if you please,” Mr. Sharp stated firmly. I got up off the bed, and head to the one at the other end of the room. I shot Mr. Sharp a dirty look as I passed him though.
Now that we were both “comfortable”, Mr. Sharp knelt down in front of Linda, and bound her feet together at the ankles. Again, it was the same professional job he's displayed before. With her feet bound, he then took another length of rope, and ran it through the bonds on her hands. He then wound the rope around her body several times, and knotted it in front of her. This rope pinned her hands against the small of her back.
“There we go,” Mr. Sharp said, satisfied with his work. Once he was done with Linda, he moved over to me. He tied my feet together the same way, and he pinned my hands against my back with the same middle rope as he used on Linda.
Mr. Sharp certainly covered his bases well. The middle ropes would prevent us from sliding our hands out from underneath our legs. Putting us on separate beds meant we couldn't help each other, and with our feet bound, it would make attempting to reach each other risky.
“I'll be back later girls, but in the meantime, just relax, and enjoy yourselves,” Mr. Sharp mocked.
“Oh shht hp!” I snapped.
“Jsht gh alrrdy,” Linda demanded. Mr. Sharp let out a laugh, as he left the room, and locked it behind him.
There was one base Mr. Sharp did forget to cover though. I carefully slid off my bed, and onto my knees. Linda was watching me, and did the same thing. I then rolled onto my side, and rolled my way across the room. Linda followed suit until we both met up in the middle.
Now, from my experience, escaping bondage is less about struggling, and more about order of operation. The first thing we needed to get rid of was the middle ropes, so that's what we went for first. Given the fact that I couldn't see Linda in my effort to undo her rope made this a little tough, but after a few frustrating minutes I got the rope undone.
With the middle rope gone, Linda was able to slip her hands out from under her legs, and back in front. She then untied my middle rope. Once I was free of the middle rope, it was pretty smooth sailing from there. Once we were both free of the ropes, we then removed our gags.
“Nothing to it,” I said.
“You know we're going to be in trouble when he comes back,” Linda said, throwing the handkerchief that was used to gag her on the floor.
“It'll be worth it to show him that he can't hold us down,” I stated. “If he does it again, we'll just escape it again. It's that simple,” I said with a grin.
We just sorta sat on the bed for a few minutes pondering the next mutual question: What do we do now? The room had a window that we might be able to make an escape through.
“You want to make a run for it out the window?” Linda suggested, as if reading my mind. I walked over to the window ledge to scout out the possibility. Outside I could see no means of holding onto the exterior of the house, and one slip would lead to a rather bumpy drop down the cliff into the ocean below. Linda and I both looked at each other and sighed.
“I'll admit, he chooses his locations well,” I said, and we walked over to one of the beds to sit down. That was one escape plan that would not likely work. Linda was starting to look even more depressed.
“Why?” She asked. I looked at her.
“Why what?” I asked back.
“Why did this have to happen? There were so many things I was looking foreword to doing with you today, and now you and I are being used as nothing more then bargaining chips,” She said, now starting to cry. She had every right to. I stretched out my arms, and she nodded as I gave her a hug.
“It'll be okay,” I said.
“How do you know?” She asked. I snorted softly, as I looked her in the eye.
“Trust me, these guys better hope the police find them before my Dad does,” I stated firmly. “I guarantee you he's looking for us.”
“You heard what Mr. Bennett said. If they catch-” She started, but I cut her off.
“They're on alert for police activity. Not Navy-Seal-who-is-now-civilian activity,” I stated. This made Linda smile a bit, and she hugged me again.
“So, what do we do now?” She then asked. I grinned at her.
“We sit tight, and have a little faith,” I said. I then picked up a few pieces of rope. “And maybe get in a little practice,” I then suggested.
* * * *
Linda and I spent the next three hours tying each other up in various ways, and timing how quickly we could do it. We didn't have a stop watch to work with, but the clock hanging in the corner near the ceiling was sufficient. We also decided to try something new: How fast can one untie the other once the job is completed? We had actually gotten so caught up in it that we almost failed to notice Mr. Sharp opening the door into the room.
The sight he was greeted with was me, completely free of my bonds, and about to tie Linda's ankles one more time. I saw his arms slump to his sides as if completely drained of energy. I was so upset I didn't have a camera with me, because the look of pure disbelief on his face was priceless.
“Oh, hi,” I chirped, with a big grin on my face.
“This isn't an escape attempt is it?” Mr. Sharp asked, now finding his voice again. Linda and I just looked at each other. Mr. Sharp did seem a bit angry.
“Oh please, if we were trying to escape, would she be tying me up right now?” Linda asked. Mr. Sharp looked thoughtful for a second, and then nodded.
“I guess I can't argue with that logic,” He said. “Just thank your lucky stars that I was coming to untie you both anyway.”
“What for?” I asked.
“It's bedtime,” He said, flatly. “You'll find pajamas in that drawer,” He said, pointing at the top drawer of the dresser, and then started to leave. “Oh, and I suggest you both use the restroom, and take care of any business you have as well,” He then added. “I will be back in a few minutes to...tuck you both in,” He said, with a wicked sneer on his face. I didn't like the sound of that. He then left the room locking the door behind him.
“He makes me want to throw up,” I snarled.
“I know what you mean,” Linda agreed, as I untied her feet.
Linda and I then walked over to the dresser, and found two sets of cotton pajamas inside. I pulled out the white pair, while Linda chose a pair that was pink. I took off my dress, and hung it back up in the closet where I had found it. I then put the pajamas on. I found them to be quite comfy for this weather.
I then took Mr. Sharp's advice, and used the restroom while Linda took off her dress, and put her pajamas on as well. She then used the restroom once I was done.
“Are you both decent?” We heard Mr. Sharp call through the closed door.
“Yes,” I answered back, and Mr. Sharp then walked in. He was carrying a few more lengths of rope. These were a lot longer then the others he had used. He was also carrying the roll of duct tape. Linda and I both knew the drill. We both turned our backs to him, and placed our hands behind us.
“Nope, Turn around, and hands in front Ladies,” He instructed. (Shows how much we knew.) Linda and I both just shrugged, and did as Mr. Sharp requested. He tied our hands in front of us with the same technique he had used before. “Now, both of you pick out a bed,” He then said. I picked out the bed closest to the door. The back of which was facing the wall. Linda picked the one by the dresser.
Once in bed, Mr. Sharp took one of the long cords, and ran it around the bed, as well as me. He then did the same thing with another length of rope. This one he fed through the bonds on my wrists. He then repeated the process with one more around my ankles. I was now firmly secured to the bed.
Mr. Sharp repeated the same exact job with Linda and her bed. He then grabbed the tape, and peeled off a long strip. With the strip in hand, he walked over to me.
“You don't have to do this,” I insisted. But once my lips had closed, Mr. Sharp didn't hesitate. I could only watch as he pressed the tape over my mouth, sealing it shut. I just moaned as he walked over to Linda to tape her mouth shut as well. Mr. Sharp was a lot like that mean older brother who offers you a piece of candy, and then pulls it away when you try to take it.
“Good night Girls,” Mr. Sharp said, as he turned out the light, and proceeded to leave the room.
“Scmrw yhh!” I snarled through my gag as he left. It was now just me and Linda again. I heard Linda sigh to herself. I'm just glad the fear had subsided somewhat. These people, for the most part, didn't seem to want to hurt us, but we still don't know what they want, and that's what had me worried right now. Never the less, all we could do was wait. I just hoped Dad was hot on their trail.
“Ntt Lnddh,” I said.
“Ggdd Nghtt Ktee,” She replied, and I drifted off to sleep.
Well, that's how our day went. Now it'll be Dad's turn to tell you how things went for him. Besides, I have some homework I need to finish. [Dad, you're up!]
Part 6: In this part, Randy tries to be a tough guy with the wrong guy.
----Jeff----
[Thank you Katie] I hope she covered everything. We were indeed hot on their trail, but I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. In order for me to be hot on their trail, I need to take you all back to where that trail started: The Trotter's Estate. Which was my first stop once I got off work.
It was eight o'clock, and the sun was almost set. Traffic on the road was rather light. Most of it was likely the last few remaining people returning home from their own jobs. Thankfully it didn't take me too long to reach the Trotter Residence. I pulled into the driveway, turned off the truck, and headed for the front door.
I rang the doorbell, but didn't get an answer. What I did get was some hushed voices coming from inside the house. It sounded like an argument. I then very clearly heard Debra's voice.
“I tried to tell you, but you didn't want to listen!” She yelled. Okay, that was suspicious. I finally heard the sound of locks being opened. Imagine my surprise when I saw...not-Debra standing in front of me when the door was opened.
I was greeted by a short and portly weasel of a man wearing a thick gray jacket, thick gray pants, and a black ski mask covering his face. He also had a gun pointed at me.
“You would be the other girl's daddy I take it,” He said. That got my attention in a big way.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked, quite taken aback at the audacity of this twerp.
“Right now I'm the Man keeping your daughter safe,” He said. “You may as well come in and join the lady,” He added, and motioned me foreword with his gun. As the man closed the door behind me, I could see Debra sitting on the couch with their hands tied behind their back. Her face was stained with tears.
“Jeff, I'm so sorry,” She sobbed. I turned around to face the intruder. He was smiling broadly with his gun still fixed on me.
“Where's my daughter?” I demanded. The man snorted.
“She's not here,” He answered. I felt my blood run cold. “She wasn't the intended target, but I'm afraid she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” He explained. (Yeah, he was about to know all about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.) “You can rest assured that she and her friend are unharmed, but whether the two lovely ladies stay that way is completely up to you.” I was in shock. My daughter? Kidnapped? Along with Linda? “Now turn around,” He then added. I decided to do as he asked...for now.
The Mystery Man came up right behind me, and started patting me down.
“Okay, face me,” He ordered. I did as he asked. A look of triumph spread across his face, as he held his gun right at my nose. (Big mistake.) Now, the human eye reacts to motion within a quarter of a second. It took me less time then that to take hold of his gun hand, and hit him on the arm with the side of my right hand. The strike hit him on the nerve, and he dropped his gun. I then kicked him to the floor.
“Oh my god!” Debra yelled, at seeing me deck the intruder. The Masked Man was stunned at what had happened within that split second. He was shaking his right arm in pain while I just leered over him. Debra looked quite surprised at what she had just seen. Sure, they knew I was a martial artist, but they've never seen me utilize it before. My would-be-attacker wasn't quite done. He staggered to his feet, and pulled out a knife he had hidden under his jacket.
“You're a dead man!” He barked. I snorted at him.
“Oh really?” I asked. With his teeth bared, he lunged at me with his knife in full thrust. I don't even think his brain had time to register what I did to him. I'll go ahead and explain it anyway. I sidestepped to my left a tad, and let the knife run past me. Using his own momentum, I took hold of his hand, and pulled him chin first into my left elbow. The hit clocked him hard, and he was on the floor again. I didn't give him the chance to get up again. I pinned him down, and applied pressure across his neck in a couple spots. Within a few seconds he had passed out.
I took a bit of time to catch my breath. I then walked over to the couch to untie Debra. Or, so I thought.
“Ah, Zip-ties,” I commented. “Good thing our friend here has a knife,” I said. I grabbed the nearby knife from the floor, and proceeded to cut her hands loose with it.
“Alright, let's call the police,” I sighed.
“No!” Debra shrieked.
“What?” I asked.
“That man told me that they had someone in the police force,” Debra explained. “If we call the police, the kidnappers will be alerted, and the girls will be killed,” She said, with teary eyes.
“I see. In that case, it's on to plan B,” I said.
“What's plan B?” Debra asked.
“Something far worse then the police,” I said, as I pulled out my phone, and dialed Robert's number. I was just praying he was home. Thank my lucky stars he was.
“Robert!” I barked into the phone.
“What is it Jeff, I'm a bit tired here,” He said. Oh boy was he gonna wake up in a big hurry.
“Robert, get out to the Trotter's residence right now. Katie and her friend, Linda, have been kidnapped,” I explained. The paused silence was awful. As was the “WHAT?!?!” That boomed right into my ear.
“Yeah, I just met someone who was likely involved. I need you to head out here,” I explained, and then gave him the address.
“I'll be right there,” Robert said, and the phone went dead.
While I waited for Robert, I walked over to the unconscious man, and pulled his mask off. His hair was a mess, but that was likely due to the mask. He was balding on top with had a bushy brown mustache, His face was rather scrunched up with a permanent scowl plastered on it. It was now time for me to get some answers.
“What happened here after I left?” I asked.
Debra told me about the four men invading the house. I was informed about Katie, Linda, and her being tied up, that the invaders had taken the girls with them. And that this joker stayed behind to make sure Debra didn't do anything to ruin the plan.
While she filled me in, I continued to search our own brand new hostage. The first thing I found was a package of zip-ties. How convenient. I zip tied my new friend's hands behind his back. I also gave his legs the same treatment. I pocketed the zip ties just in case I needed them again.
“Did they mention their Client's name by any chance?” I asked, knowing that the possibility was slim.
“No, but they did say for Debra and I to expect a phone call from him at about noon tomorrow,” Debra explained. “I just don't understand why they want to wait until tomorrow.”
“They probably want you thinking about it,” I said. “Are you familiar with the term: Icing the Kicker?” Debra shook her head.
“No,” She said.
“Well, the point is, the longer this weighs on your mind, the more it will influence your decisions,” I explained. This didn't make Debra feel any better though.
The next item of interest I found on our mystery guest was his wallet, and saw that this Man's name was Randy Newton. The last objects of importance I found were his phone along with my Daughter's. All we could do now was wait for Robert to show up.
It wasn't too long before we heard the doorbell ring again. Debra got up to answer it with me right behind her.
“Oh my lord,” She said, quite aghast. Standing at the door was my hulking brother, Robert. He was dressed in black jeans, a black T-shirt with a howling wolf on it, and brown work boots.
“Debra, meet Robert,” I said.
“I wish we could have met under better circumstances,” He said to her, as they shook hands.
“I'm just very glad you and Jeff are willing to help,” She said, trying to fight back tears again.
“Don't mention it,” Robert said, and turned his attention to our prisoner on the floor. “Is this him?” He then asked.
“Robert, meet Randy Newton,” I said. “We have questions, and I'm sure he'll have answers.” Robert nodded at me. I then told him what had happened. About the girls missing, and the man I was gloating over who stayed behind to ensure nothing went wrong.
“I wish I was there to see it,” Robert smirked, looking at the pitiful excuse of a man. I nodded my confirmation. “Well, we can store him in my basement overnight,” He then said, and slung randy over his shoulder as if he were nothing more then a sack of potatoes.
We all followed Robert outside were he opened the trunk of his car, and dumped The not-so-poor man inside.
“Also, can I bunk down with you tonight?” I asked.
“Yeah, sure,” Robert said.
“Thanks. I want to be there when he starts talking,” I said, glancing back at The trunk of Robert's car. Robert chuckled to himself.
We then saw the headlights of a car that belonged to Debra's husband, Ted. Ted was only a bit shorter then me, and just a tad out of shape. (And don't tell him I said that.) He was dressed in slacks and a white dress shirt with a blue sweater on top of it. A pair of finely polished black shoes adorned his feet.
“What in the world?” He asked, starring at the sight before him.
“Ted, you may want to sit down,” I suggested.
We all went back inside the house, and all sat down in chairs and couches respectively. The first thing I did was properly introduce Ted to Robert. We then filled him in on the whole story. Including the fact that calling the police would mean an instant game over. Ted just buried his face in his hands while his wife sobbed on his shoulder.
“Jeff, what should we do?” He asked me.
“All I need you to do is sit tight, get something to eat, and try to get some rest,” I suggested. “Robert and I are going to do what we do best.”
“Jeff, you know that if you try to find them-” Debra started, but I just grinned at her.
“Debra, they're on the look out for police activity. Not ours,” I said. “Trust me, these guys will never be happier to see the police after we get through with them. This is my promise to you both. We WILL rescue those two girls. You can believe that.” For the first time tonight, Debra actually smiled.
----Jeff----
[Thank you Katie] I hope she covered everything. We were indeed hot on their trail, but I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. In order for me to be hot on their trail, I need to take you all back to where that trail started: The Trotter's Estate. Which was my first stop once I got off work.
It was eight o'clock, and the sun was almost set. Traffic on the road was rather light. Most of it was likely the last few remaining people returning home from their own jobs. Thankfully it didn't take me too long to reach the Trotter Residence. I pulled into the driveway, turned off the truck, and headed for the front door.
I rang the doorbell, but didn't get an answer. What I did get was some hushed voices coming from inside the house. It sounded like an argument. I then very clearly heard Debra's voice.
“I tried to tell you, but you didn't want to listen!” She yelled. Okay, that was suspicious. I finally heard the sound of locks being opened. Imagine my surprise when I saw...not-Debra standing in front of me when the door was opened.
I was greeted by a short and portly weasel of a man wearing a thick gray jacket, thick gray pants, and a black ski mask covering his face. He also had a gun pointed at me.
“You would be the other girl's daddy I take it,” He said. That got my attention in a big way.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked, quite taken aback at the audacity of this twerp.
“Right now I'm the Man keeping your daughter safe,” He said. “You may as well come in and join the lady,” He added, and motioned me foreword with his gun. As the man closed the door behind me, I could see Debra sitting on the couch with their hands tied behind their back. Her face was stained with tears.
“Jeff, I'm so sorry,” She sobbed. I turned around to face the intruder. He was smiling broadly with his gun still fixed on me.
“Where's my daughter?” I demanded. The man snorted.
“She's not here,” He answered. I felt my blood run cold. “She wasn't the intended target, but I'm afraid she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” He explained. (Yeah, he was about to know all about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.) “You can rest assured that she and her friend are unharmed, but whether the two lovely ladies stay that way is completely up to you.” I was in shock. My daughter? Kidnapped? Along with Linda? “Now turn around,” He then added. I decided to do as he asked...for now.
The Mystery Man came up right behind me, and started patting me down.
“Okay, face me,” He ordered. I did as he asked. A look of triumph spread across his face, as he held his gun right at my nose. (Big mistake.) Now, the human eye reacts to motion within a quarter of a second. It took me less time then that to take hold of his gun hand, and hit him on the arm with the side of my right hand. The strike hit him on the nerve, and he dropped his gun. I then kicked him to the floor.
“Oh my god!” Debra yelled, at seeing me deck the intruder. The Masked Man was stunned at what had happened within that split second. He was shaking his right arm in pain while I just leered over him. Debra looked quite surprised at what she had just seen. Sure, they knew I was a martial artist, but they've never seen me utilize it before. My would-be-attacker wasn't quite done. He staggered to his feet, and pulled out a knife he had hidden under his jacket.
“You're a dead man!” He barked. I snorted at him.
“Oh really?” I asked. With his teeth bared, he lunged at me with his knife in full thrust. I don't even think his brain had time to register what I did to him. I'll go ahead and explain it anyway. I sidestepped to my left a tad, and let the knife run past me. Using his own momentum, I took hold of his hand, and pulled him chin first into my left elbow. The hit clocked him hard, and he was on the floor again. I didn't give him the chance to get up again. I pinned him down, and applied pressure across his neck in a couple spots. Within a few seconds he had passed out.
I took a bit of time to catch my breath. I then walked over to the couch to untie Debra. Or, so I thought.
“Ah, Zip-ties,” I commented. “Good thing our friend here has a knife,” I said. I grabbed the nearby knife from the floor, and proceeded to cut her hands loose with it.
“Alright, let's call the police,” I sighed.
“No!” Debra shrieked.
“What?” I asked.
“That man told me that they had someone in the police force,” Debra explained. “If we call the police, the kidnappers will be alerted, and the girls will be killed,” She said, with teary eyes.
“I see. In that case, it's on to plan B,” I said.
“What's plan B?” Debra asked.
“Something far worse then the police,” I said, as I pulled out my phone, and dialed Robert's number. I was just praying he was home. Thank my lucky stars he was.
“Robert!” I barked into the phone.
“What is it Jeff, I'm a bit tired here,” He said. Oh boy was he gonna wake up in a big hurry.
“Robert, get out to the Trotter's residence right now. Katie and her friend, Linda, have been kidnapped,” I explained. The paused silence was awful. As was the “WHAT?!?!” That boomed right into my ear.
“Yeah, I just met someone who was likely involved. I need you to head out here,” I explained, and then gave him the address.
“I'll be right there,” Robert said, and the phone went dead.
While I waited for Robert, I walked over to the unconscious man, and pulled his mask off. His hair was a mess, but that was likely due to the mask. He was balding on top with had a bushy brown mustache, His face was rather scrunched up with a permanent scowl plastered on it. It was now time for me to get some answers.
“What happened here after I left?” I asked.
Debra told me about the four men invading the house. I was informed about Katie, Linda, and her being tied up, that the invaders had taken the girls with them. And that this joker stayed behind to make sure Debra didn't do anything to ruin the plan.
While she filled me in, I continued to search our own brand new hostage. The first thing I found was a package of zip-ties. How convenient. I zip tied my new friend's hands behind his back. I also gave his legs the same treatment. I pocketed the zip ties just in case I needed them again.
“Did they mention their Client's name by any chance?” I asked, knowing that the possibility was slim.
“No, but they did say for Debra and I to expect a phone call from him at about noon tomorrow,” Debra explained. “I just don't understand why they want to wait until tomorrow.”
“They probably want you thinking about it,” I said. “Are you familiar with the term: Icing the Kicker?” Debra shook her head.
“No,” She said.
“Well, the point is, the longer this weighs on your mind, the more it will influence your decisions,” I explained. This didn't make Debra feel any better though.
The next item of interest I found on our mystery guest was his wallet, and saw that this Man's name was Randy Newton. The last objects of importance I found were his phone along with my Daughter's. All we could do now was wait for Robert to show up.
It wasn't too long before we heard the doorbell ring again. Debra got up to answer it with me right behind her.
“Oh my lord,” She said, quite aghast. Standing at the door was my hulking brother, Robert. He was dressed in black jeans, a black T-shirt with a howling wolf on it, and brown work boots.
“Debra, meet Robert,” I said.
“I wish we could have met under better circumstances,” He said to her, as they shook hands.
“I'm just very glad you and Jeff are willing to help,” She said, trying to fight back tears again.
“Don't mention it,” Robert said, and turned his attention to our prisoner on the floor. “Is this him?” He then asked.
“Robert, meet Randy Newton,” I said. “We have questions, and I'm sure he'll have answers.” Robert nodded at me. I then told him what had happened. About the girls missing, and the man I was gloating over who stayed behind to ensure nothing went wrong.
“I wish I was there to see it,” Robert smirked, looking at the pitiful excuse of a man. I nodded my confirmation. “Well, we can store him in my basement overnight,” He then said, and slung randy over his shoulder as if he were nothing more then a sack of potatoes.
We all followed Robert outside were he opened the trunk of his car, and dumped The not-so-poor man inside.
“Also, can I bunk down with you tonight?” I asked.
“Yeah, sure,” Robert said.
“Thanks. I want to be there when he starts talking,” I said, glancing back at The trunk of Robert's car. Robert chuckled to himself.
We then saw the headlights of a car that belonged to Debra's husband, Ted. Ted was only a bit shorter then me, and just a tad out of shape. (And don't tell him I said that.) He was dressed in slacks and a white dress shirt with a blue sweater on top of it. A pair of finely polished black shoes adorned his feet.
“What in the world?” He asked, starring at the sight before him.
“Ted, you may want to sit down,” I suggested.
We all went back inside the house, and all sat down in chairs and couches respectively. The first thing I did was properly introduce Ted to Robert. We then filled him in on the whole story. Including the fact that calling the police would mean an instant game over. Ted just buried his face in his hands while his wife sobbed on his shoulder.
“Jeff, what should we do?” He asked me.
“All I need you to do is sit tight, get something to eat, and try to get some rest,” I suggested. “Robert and I are going to do what we do best.”
“Jeff, you know that if you try to find them-” Debra started, but I just grinned at her.
“Debra, they're on the look out for police activity. Not ours,” I said. “Trust me, these guys will never be happier to see the police after we get through with them. This is my promise to you both. We WILL rescue those two girls. You can believe that.” For the first time tonight, Debra actually smiled.
Part 7: In this part, Jeff and Robert come up with a plan, and get started.
----Jeff----
“Sir, I don't know how to thank you,” Ted said to me. I nodded to him, and shook his hand one more time.
“Ted, you don't need to thank me. You and your wife can rest easy knowing we'll get our daughters back safe and sound,” I said. With that Mr. Trotter nodded, and I took my leave.
I walked back to my truck, got in, and drove back to my place briefly to pick up a few things. I went into my house, opened the safe in my bedroom, and pulled out a very old friend of mine. It was an M9 Beretta pistol. A sidearm that had served me well for many years. I also packed a change of clothes. It was now time for me to set off for my brothers house.
* * * *
After driving for about an hour, I finally turned right into a small neighborhood, and stopped at a modest two story house that may have been painted pine green once upon a time. I could tell by the sheer lack of attention compared to all of the other buildings around that this had to be Roberts house. The paint was chipping off, and the lawn was as brown as desert sand. I knocked on the door, and he let me inside.
The inside was better, but not by much. Loose papers, and other such crap had scattered around the floor. The furniture was a bit dusty, but otherwise, was in relatively good shape. I found Robert in his kitchen cooking up a late night snack for us.
“So Robert, where did you put our friend?” I asked.
“I told you, Randy's tied up in the basement” He said. “I gave him something to help him sleep as well. He'll be out until the morning.”
“Good,” I said, and sat down on the couch. I then pulled out my daughter's phone and sighed. That's when I remembered I also had Randy's phone as well. I put Katie's phone back into my pocket, and pulled out Randy's. Perhaps I could find something on it.
“What are you looking at?” Robert asked me.
“I'm checking Randy's call history. We might find something in there,” I said. I scrolled through his phone until I found a call log, and opened it.
“Anything?” Robert asked me.
“Yeah, one number has come up more then all the rest, and it's the most recent as well. It's to someone named Tom,” I explained.
“So we're looking for someone named Tom,” Robert said. I nodded yes.
“I'm going to call Dale, and give him the number,” I said. “Maybe he can dig up more.” For those of you who may not remember, Dale Peterson is a Cop, and a very good friend of mine. I also have his personal cell phone number which means that I can bypass Nine-One-One, and avoid alerting the kidnapper's inside man.
“You're going to try to call his personal phone?” Robert asked. “You know he turns that off when he's on duty.”
“I know, but I can still leave a message,” I insisted. Sure enough, that's what I had to do. I left a message on his phone for him to call me back, and then hung up.
“Well, maybe Randy can tell us who Tom is,” I suggested, as I settled in on the couch.
“I've already got something cooked up for him too,” Robert sneered.
“I bet you have,” I sneered back. “Good night Robert.”
“Night Jeff.”
Saturday morning...7:00am
My sleep was uneasy, and broken up quite a bit. Every time I thought about Katie I'd spring awake. It was maddening. I never thought it could possibly happen. However, it was the awful smell of something cooking in the kitchen that woke me up in the morning. I can not put into words what this Oder was like.
I got up off the couch, and walked over to the kitchen to see my brother stirring something in a tin pot. How he could stand it was beyond me.
“Robert, what the f**k is that?” I asked. Robert turned to me.
“Oh, hey Jeff. I'm just making Randy's breakfast for him,” He said, in a happy tone. He then lifted up the spoon to show me what he was cooking. It was a green blob sitting in a bright red liquid.
“I'm afraid to ask,” I said. Robert gave me a wicked grin.
“It's brussels sprouts simmering in cherry cough syrup,” He said, in a gleeful tone. “Just like Mom used to make.”
“Great, well, I'm going to get ready for the day,” I choked out. Also, I want to throw out a disclaimer here: Our Mom does NOT make these! Okay...
I went into the bathroom to change into the blue jeans, and green T-shirt I had brought with me. I then put my socks and shoes back on as well. Next, I made my way to the kitchen to help myself to some real breakfast. Robert was already set to go with a pair of blue jeans and a blank white T-shirt.
“Hey Robert,” I said. He was just putting his phone down, and when I spoke, he looked over to me.
“Who where you calling?” I asked.
“I decided to give Dale's phone a shot myself,” He said.
“Any luck?” I asked. He gave me a frown, and shook his head no.
“Dale must be on active duty right now, or he's charging his phone, or something,” He said. Dale usually has his personal cell phone turned off when he's on duty. He only turns it on during his breaks. “You know, it is likely that Randy and Tom report to the same person, so we could eliminate the middleman, and go straight for the big dog directly,” My Brother Suggested. I had my doubts though.
“I don't know Robert,” I said. “If Randy fears his boss more then us, we'll end up right back at square one. Randy may not fear Tom as much, and his location we might be able to get,” I said. “Once we have both of them, one of them will earn the-”
“The status of expendable,” Robert finished, catching my drift. I nodded my agreement.
“Right, and I'm hoping that will be the leverage we need to get higher up on the food chain,” I said.
“Then we'd best get started,” Robert said. “You wanna take Randy?”
“I think you would leave a much longer lasting impression,” I suggested with a sneer that would have made my own daughter's skin crawl. Robert nodded his agreement. He knew what I meant. It was time for him to take center stage.
We both walked down the hall and then opened a door which lead down a flight of stairs into the basement which Robert lit up by use of one light hanging from the ceiling. The Basement was far cleaner then the rest of the house.
The concrete floor was almost spotless. The tables and racks had tools and other such objects scattered around them. I then took notice of Randy who was zip-tied to a chair beside the furnace. I decided to take a seat in a chair by the far wall, and let Robert have the floor.
My brother picked up a chair, and slammed it down in front of Randy. The noise was enough for him to wake up from his sleep. As Randy's eyes slowly opened, he was able to take in what was happening in front of him. My massive brother sat down with his arms folded, and a big smirk adorning his face.
“Hello Randy,” He greeted, in his deep voice. Randy stared at the man sitting in front of him. His eyes darted over to me. I just gave him a small wave.
“You can't keep me here!” Randy snapped, showing a rather good display of courage. “I have rights!” He then yelled. Robert however, didn't yell back. He remained calm and cool as he spoke.
“He has rights he says,” My brother laughed, as he turned to see my reaction. I snorted at the statement. Robert then turned back to his captive. “Yes, when in police custody, you do have rights,” Robert said to him. He then leaned foreword towards Randy. “But you see, my partner and I aren’t cops,” He explained. Randy was breathing a bit heavier now.
“Then who are you?” Randy asked. Robert stood up from his chair.
“I'm glad you asked that my friend,” Robert said, and began to pace around the room. “Who are we? We're a pair of really ticked off guys. We know all about your little stunt yesterday at the Trotter residence. We know you kidnapped two girls. One of them was my partner's daughter,” Robert explained, as he pulled a small screwdriver off one of the tool racks nearby, and began twirling it in his hand. This caught Randy's attention. Tool in hand, my brother was now leering over his prey. “It's fairly obvious that you did not kidnap both those girls on your own. You must have had some help. Perhaps a group,” Robert suggested, as he sat back down again. “Would you be willing to arrange for us to...say...meet the team?”
“How about no,” Randy said instantly. Yeah, that was the wrong answer.
“No?” Robert questioned, as he stood back up. He looked back at me briefly. His eyes then shifted back to his captive. “That's disappointing,” He said, grimly.
----Jeff----
“Sir, I don't know how to thank you,” Ted said to me. I nodded to him, and shook his hand one more time.
“Ted, you don't need to thank me. You and your wife can rest easy knowing we'll get our daughters back safe and sound,” I said. With that Mr. Trotter nodded, and I took my leave.
I walked back to my truck, got in, and drove back to my place briefly to pick up a few things. I went into my house, opened the safe in my bedroom, and pulled out a very old friend of mine. It was an M9 Beretta pistol. A sidearm that had served me well for many years. I also packed a change of clothes. It was now time for me to set off for my brothers house.
* * * *
After driving for about an hour, I finally turned right into a small neighborhood, and stopped at a modest two story house that may have been painted pine green once upon a time. I could tell by the sheer lack of attention compared to all of the other buildings around that this had to be Roberts house. The paint was chipping off, and the lawn was as brown as desert sand. I knocked on the door, and he let me inside.
The inside was better, but not by much. Loose papers, and other such crap had scattered around the floor. The furniture was a bit dusty, but otherwise, was in relatively good shape. I found Robert in his kitchen cooking up a late night snack for us.
“So Robert, where did you put our friend?” I asked.
“I told you, Randy's tied up in the basement” He said. “I gave him something to help him sleep as well. He'll be out until the morning.”
“Good,” I said, and sat down on the couch. I then pulled out my daughter's phone and sighed. That's when I remembered I also had Randy's phone as well. I put Katie's phone back into my pocket, and pulled out Randy's. Perhaps I could find something on it.
“What are you looking at?” Robert asked me.
“I'm checking Randy's call history. We might find something in there,” I said. I scrolled through his phone until I found a call log, and opened it.
“Anything?” Robert asked me.
“Yeah, one number has come up more then all the rest, and it's the most recent as well. It's to someone named Tom,” I explained.
“So we're looking for someone named Tom,” Robert said. I nodded yes.
“I'm going to call Dale, and give him the number,” I said. “Maybe he can dig up more.” For those of you who may not remember, Dale Peterson is a Cop, and a very good friend of mine. I also have his personal cell phone number which means that I can bypass Nine-One-One, and avoid alerting the kidnapper's inside man.
“You're going to try to call his personal phone?” Robert asked. “You know he turns that off when he's on duty.”
“I know, but I can still leave a message,” I insisted. Sure enough, that's what I had to do. I left a message on his phone for him to call me back, and then hung up.
“Well, maybe Randy can tell us who Tom is,” I suggested, as I settled in on the couch.
“I've already got something cooked up for him too,” Robert sneered.
“I bet you have,” I sneered back. “Good night Robert.”
“Night Jeff.”
Saturday morning...7:00am
My sleep was uneasy, and broken up quite a bit. Every time I thought about Katie I'd spring awake. It was maddening. I never thought it could possibly happen. However, it was the awful smell of something cooking in the kitchen that woke me up in the morning. I can not put into words what this Oder was like.
I got up off the couch, and walked over to the kitchen to see my brother stirring something in a tin pot. How he could stand it was beyond me.
“Robert, what the f**k is that?” I asked. Robert turned to me.
“Oh, hey Jeff. I'm just making Randy's breakfast for him,” He said, in a happy tone. He then lifted up the spoon to show me what he was cooking. It was a green blob sitting in a bright red liquid.
“I'm afraid to ask,” I said. Robert gave me a wicked grin.
“It's brussels sprouts simmering in cherry cough syrup,” He said, in a gleeful tone. “Just like Mom used to make.”
“Great, well, I'm going to get ready for the day,” I choked out. Also, I want to throw out a disclaimer here: Our Mom does NOT make these! Okay...
I went into the bathroom to change into the blue jeans, and green T-shirt I had brought with me. I then put my socks and shoes back on as well. Next, I made my way to the kitchen to help myself to some real breakfast. Robert was already set to go with a pair of blue jeans and a blank white T-shirt.
“Hey Robert,” I said. He was just putting his phone down, and when I spoke, he looked over to me.
“Who where you calling?” I asked.
“I decided to give Dale's phone a shot myself,” He said.
“Any luck?” I asked. He gave me a frown, and shook his head no.
“Dale must be on active duty right now, or he's charging his phone, or something,” He said. Dale usually has his personal cell phone turned off when he's on duty. He only turns it on during his breaks. “You know, it is likely that Randy and Tom report to the same person, so we could eliminate the middleman, and go straight for the big dog directly,” My Brother Suggested. I had my doubts though.
“I don't know Robert,” I said. “If Randy fears his boss more then us, we'll end up right back at square one. Randy may not fear Tom as much, and his location we might be able to get,” I said. “Once we have both of them, one of them will earn the-”
“The status of expendable,” Robert finished, catching my drift. I nodded my agreement.
“Right, and I'm hoping that will be the leverage we need to get higher up on the food chain,” I said.
“Then we'd best get started,” Robert said. “You wanna take Randy?”
“I think you would leave a much longer lasting impression,” I suggested with a sneer that would have made my own daughter's skin crawl. Robert nodded his agreement. He knew what I meant. It was time for him to take center stage.
We both walked down the hall and then opened a door which lead down a flight of stairs into the basement which Robert lit up by use of one light hanging from the ceiling. The Basement was far cleaner then the rest of the house.
The concrete floor was almost spotless. The tables and racks had tools and other such objects scattered around them. I then took notice of Randy who was zip-tied to a chair beside the furnace. I decided to take a seat in a chair by the far wall, and let Robert have the floor.
My brother picked up a chair, and slammed it down in front of Randy. The noise was enough for him to wake up from his sleep. As Randy's eyes slowly opened, he was able to take in what was happening in front of him. My massive brother sat down with his arms folded, and a big smirk adorning his face.
“Hello Randy,” He greeted, in his deep voice. Randy stared at the man sitting in front of him. His eyes darted over to me. I just gave him a small wave.
“You can't keep me here!” Randy snapped, showing a rather good display of courage. “I have rights!” He then yelled. Robert however, didn't yell back. He remained calm and cool as he spoke.
“He has rights he says,” My brother laughed, as he turned to see my reaction. I snorted at the statement. Robert then turned back to his captive. “Yes, when in police custody, you do have rights,” Robert said to him. He then leaned foreword towards Randy. “But you see, my partner and I aren’t cops,” He explained. Randy was breathing a bit heavier now.
“Then who are you?” Randy asked. Robert stood up from his chair.
“I'm glad you asked that my friend,” Robert said, and began to pace around the room. “Who are we? We're a pair of really ticked off guys. We know all about your little stunt yesterday at the Trotter residence. We know you kidnapped two girls. One of them was my partner's daughter,” Robert explained, as he pulled a small screwdriver off one of the tool racks nearby, and began twirling it in his hand. This caught Randy's attention. Tool in hand, my brother was now leering over his prey. “It's fairly obvious that you did not kidnap both those girls on your own. You must have had some help. Perhaps a group,” Robert suggested, as he sat back down again. “Would you be willing to arrange for us to...say...meet the team?”
“How about no,” Randy said instantly. Yeah, that was the wrong answer.
“No?” Robert questioned, as he stood back up. He looked back at me briefly. His eyes then shifted back to his captive. “That's disappointing,” He said, grimly.
Part 8: In this part, we learn that Jeff and Robert are firm believers in cruel and unusual punishment.
“You know something Randy?” My Brother asked him. “It takes a lot of guts to say no to a guy like me.” Randy looked rather leery as Robert spoke. “You must think you're real tough...I like that. I respect that,” Robert then said. Randy remained still as my brother spoke. “I mean, look at me, I'm a tough guy too.” Robert then flexed his massive bicep in front of Randy's face. “Do you know how I got tough like this?” Robert asked.
“Um, no,” Randy choked out. It looked as though he was wavering slightly.
“I ate healthy,” Robert said flatly. “You need to eat healthier too.” Robert then turned his attention to me. “Dude, would you be so kind as to fetch Randy's breakfast for him?” He then asked.
“With pleasure,” I said, in a low voice. I then whispered something in Robert's ear which made him smirk. Don't worry. You all are about to find out what it was.
I went back upstairs to fetch the pot with the brussles sprouts, and carried it down stairs. I took my time though. I wanted Randy thinking about it. Once I got back down, Randy instantly reacted to the smell.
“Oh my god. What is that?” He asked. Robert sneered at him.
“These are brussels sprouts marinated in cherry cough syrup,” He said, in a gleeful tone. I then smirked at him.
“On the way down I also added a secret ingredient,” I said.
“Excellent, we always love secret ingredients around here,” Robert then chirped. He was having way too much fun with this. His smile then dropped when he looked at me. “Dude, why is your fly open?” He then asked. (Disclaimer: No, I didn't really do it!)
“Oh, whoops,” I said, as I looked in Randy's direction. I then pretended to zip my pants up. “I knew I was forgetting something,” I said, as Randy's eyes grew wide with fear. He was on the edge, now it was time to push him over.
Robert opened the lid, and let the putrid smell waft further into the room. He then did the unthinkable. He took hold of the spoon, pulled out a sprout, and began to eat it. I'll admit, this grossed me out a bit.
“Mmm mmm, just like Mother used to make,” He said, with a smile. Now lets look at this from Randy's perspective. The big question being: “If he is willing to do that to himself, what is he willing to do to me?”
After Robert chewed on the green slimy orb a couple times, he then spit it into Randy's face.
“Oh god!” Randy yelled, trying to wipe his face off on his shoulder. Robert then lifted another blob out of the pot, and leered over his captive with very evil intentions.
“Alright, one for Mommy,” Robert said, in a motherly voice. Randy was now fighting to get out of the chair, but nothing was working. Randy kept his lips firmly shut.
“I'll plug his nose,” I said, now joining the fun. “He'll have to open his mouth at some point.” I then walked around behind Randy, and pinched his nose shut. Randy was now in full panic, and there was only one way this was going to stop.
“Look, I don't know where they are!” Randy cried, his will finally broken. “I wasn't in charge either. It was Tom,” Randy said. He looked ready to start sobbing.
“Tom? Tom who?” Robert questioned.
“Tom Wilkins, he lead the raid on the Trotter's house yesterday,” Randy sobbed. “All I know about him is he spends most of his mornings out at Ralph's Club.”
“See that wasn't so hard was it,” Robert said. He then pulled a cloth off of one of the racks, and used it to blindfold Randy. We both walked back upstairs into the house again. Not only did we get the guy in charge, but we also now knew about Tom as well.
“Well, at least it's a place we know,” Robert said. Ralph's Club is a shooting range, and both Robert and I are members.
“Yeah, it's a bit of a drive from here, but it's better then nothing,” I said. “We'll need a place to interrogate these guys properly. Is there a tall commercial building that no one is using?” I asked. Robert would know if there was considering he works construction.
“There's an old hotel due for demolition down by Main Street,” Robert suggested.
“That's perfect,” I said. Finding that would be easy enough.
“Also, can you get us a pair of chairs, preferably with wheels, and a thick cable, or bungee cord, or something like that?” I asked.
“It just so happens that one of my neighbors is into extreme sports, so he might let me barrow a bungee cord,” Robert said, with a grin. “The chairs might be a bit tougher, but I'll see what I can do.”
“Lets go for it,” I suggested. Robert walked over to his table, scattered a few papers, and pulled out Two brand new roll of Duct Tape. He then tossed me one as he walked down the hall into what may have been his bedroom. He returned with two Seattle Seahawks Baseball caps. (We were raised in Washington. We are Seahawks fans.)
“Time to play ball?” Robert asked, as he handed me one.
“Time to play ball,” I smirked, and we both donned the caps. I then put on a hoodie jacket that I had brought with me, and put the tape in the left pocket.
The Hulk untied Randy from the chair, and then retied with his hands behind his back, and used his roll of duct tape to tape his legs together. Randy didn't even try to fight back. But then, how many people try to fight someone literally twice their size? As Robert crossed his front lawn to his car Randy got a good look over at me. I just gave him a grin and a wave as he passed. Robert opened his car trunk, and dumped Randy inside.
“We need as close to the top floor as we can get,” I told Robert, as he closed the trunk.
“You just worry about getting Tom,” He said. I could hear Randy protesting the cruel treatment he was getting.
“Don't you worry Pal,” I said. “We haven't gotten to the best part yet.” Robert laughed at my comment. He then fired up the engine of his car, and took off down the road.
* * * *
I got into my truck, and took off down the road. Within about forty minutes or so, I was parked in front of a Ralph's Club. I walked inside where I was greeted by the owner. He was an portly older man with a walrus like mustache, and shoulder length hair.
“Hey Jeff, how are you?” He greeted, as the sound of gunfire echoed outside.
“Hey Ralph, I'm doing alright,” I greeted back. “By any chance did a man named Tom Wilkins come in today?” I asked.
“Oh, you mean Officer Wilkins? He's right out back,” Matt told me. I paused for a minute. Did he just say Officer Wilkins? It was very likely I had found the inside man. “Jeff?” Matt then asked.
“Oh, sorry,” I said, snapping back to reality. “Can I see him?” I asked.
“I'll let him know you're here,” Ralph said, and walked off outside.
I paced for a bit, and soon enough, Ralph came back with Officer Wilkins in tow. Wilkins was a tall and thin man with a police crew haircut. He was also dressed in full uniform. Such a disgrace.
“Something I can help you with Sir?” He asked me. His voice sounding quite authoritative.
“Yeah, uh, could we talk outside?” I asked. I was trying to sound as though I was someone who needed his help with something.
“Alright,” He said. It looked as though he bought it. We then walked out into the parking lot where his police car was parked.
“I just want to say thanks for helping me,” I said.
“It's my job Sir,” the Officer said. “Now what troubles you?”
“My daughter went missing yesterday, I was wondering if you could help me get her back,” I pleaded. I noticed him shift uncomfortably as I said that. “The kidnappers told me that if I called nine-one-one, then she would be killed.”
“You needn't worry about a thing Sir, I'll get right on it,” Officer Wilkins said, in a determined voice. I then dropped the act. My eyes narrowed at him.
“Bull shit. You arranged it,” I then growled. I took the good time and trouble to kick him right in the gut. Next I sent my elbow into his back sending him to the ground. I turned him over and applied the same pressure on his neck that I had done to Randy. Within a few minutes he was out cold.
I used the duct tape Robert had given me to truss up both his hands and feet. I saw a large Garbage Can nearby and thought, “How poetic.” It even had wheels for easy transportation.
I placed Tom inside the can and locked the lid in place with a goodly amount of the duct tape. I then hauled my package back to the truck, and slid it into the flat bed. I used a few bungee cords I had laying around to secure it in place. It was now time for us to head to that hotel Robert had mentioned. It's so nice having two hostages. Why? Because as I said before, one will be expendable, and they both will know it.
“You know something Randy?” My Brother asked him. “It takes a lot of guts to say no to a guy like me.” Randy looked rather leery as Robert spoke. “You must think you're real tough...I like that. I respect that,” Robert then said. Randy remained still as my brother spoke. “I mean, look at me, I'm a tough guy too.” Robert then flexed his massive bicep in front of Randy's face. “Do you know how I got tough like this?” Robert asked.
“Um, no,” Randy choked out. It looked as though he was wavering slightly.
“I ate healthy,” Robert said flatly. “You need to eat healthier too.” Robert then turned his attention to me. “Dude, would you be so kind as to fetch Randy's breakfast for him?” He then asked.
“With pleasure,” I said, in a low voice. I then whispered something in Robert's ear which made him smirk. Don't worry. You all are about to find out what it was.
I went back upstairs to fetch the pot with the brussles sprouts, and carried it down stairs. I took my time though. I wanted Randy thinking about it. Once I got back down, Randy instantly reacted to the smell.
“Oh my god. What is that?” He asked. Robert sneered at him.
“These are brussels sprouts marinated in cherry cough syrup,” He said, in a gleeful tone. I then smirked at him.
“On the way down I also added a secret ingredient,” I said.
“Excellent, we always love secret ingredients around here,” Robert then chirped. He was having way too much fun with this. His smile then dropped when he looked at me. “Dude, why is your fly open?” He then asked. (Disclaimer: No, I didn't really do it!)
“Oh, whoops,” I said, as I looked in Randy's direction. I then pretended to zip my pants up. “I knew I was forgetting something,” I said, as Randy's eyes grew wide with fear. He was on the edge, now it was time to push him over.
Robert opened the lid, and let the putrid smell waft further into the room. He then did the unthinkable. He took hold of the spoon, pulled out a sprout, and began to eat it. I'll admit, this grossed me out a bit.
“Mmm mmm, just like Mother used to make,” He said, with a smile. Now lets look at this from Randy's perspective. The big question being: “If he is willing to do that to himself, what is he willing to do to me?”
After Robert chewed on the green slimy orb a couple times, he then spit it into Randy's face.
“Oh god!” Randy yelled, trying to wipe his face off on his shoulder. Robert then lifted another blob out of the pot, and leered over his captive with very evil intentions.
“Alright, one for Mommy,” Robert said, in a motherly voice. Randy was now fighting to get out of the chair, but nothing was working. Randy kept his lips firmly shut.
“I'll plug his nose,” I said, now joining the fun. “He'll have to open his mouth at some point.” I then walked around behind Randy, and pinched his nose shut. Randy was now in full panic, and there was only one way this was going to stop.
“Look, I don't know where they are!” Randy cried, his will finally broken. “I wasn't in charge either. It was Tom,” Randy said. He looked ready to start sobbing.
“Tom? Tom who?” Robert questioned.
“Tom Wilkins, he lead the raid on the Trotter's house yesterday,” Randy sobbed. “All I know about him is he spends most of his mornings out at Ralph's Club.”
“See that wasn't so hard was it,” Robert said. He then pulled a cloth off of one of the racks, and used it to blindfold Randy. We both walked back upstairs into the house again. Not only did we get the guy in charge, but we also now knew about Tom as well.
“Well, at least it's a place we know,” Robert said. Ralph's Club is a shooting range, and both Robert and I are members.
“Yeah, it's a bit of a drive from here, but it's better then nothing,” I said. “We'll need a place to interrogate these guys properly. Is there a tall commercial building that no one is using?” I asked. Robert would know if there was considering he works construction.
“There's an old hotel due for demolition down by Main Street,” Robert suggested.
“That's perfect,” I said. Finding that would be easy enough.
“Also, can you get us a pair of chairs, preferably with wheels, and a thick cable, or bungee cord, or something like that?” I asked.
“It just so happens that one of my neighbors is into extreme sports, so he might let me barrow a bungee cord,” Robert said, with a grin. “The chairs might be a bit tougher, but I'll see what I can do.”
“Lets go for it,” I suggested. Robert walked over to his table, scattered a few papers, and pulled out Two brand new roll of Duct Tape. He then tossed me one as he walked down the hall into what may have been his bedroom. He returned with two Seattle Seahawks Baseball caps. (We were raised in Washington. We are Seahawks fans.)
“Time to play ball?” Robert asked, as he handed me one.
“Time to play ball,” I smirked, and we both donned the caps. I then put on a hoodie jacket that I had brought with me, and put the tape in the left pocket.
The Hulk untied Randy from the chair, and then retied with his hands behind his back, and used his roll of duct tape to tape his legs together. Randy didn't even try to fight back. But then, how many people try to fight someone literally twice their size? As Robert crossed his front lawn to his car Randy got a good look over at me. I just gave him a grin and a wave as he passed. Robert opened his car trunk, and dumped Randy inside.
“We need as close to the top floor as we can get,” I told Robert, as he closed the trunk.
“You just worry about getting Tom,” He said. I could hear Randy protesting the cruel treatment he was getting.
“Don't you worry Pal,” I said. “We haven't gotten to the best part yet.” Robert laughed at my comment. He then fired up the engine of his car, and took off down the road.
* * * *
I got into my truck, and took off down the road. Within about forty minutes or so, I was parked in front of a Ralph's Club. I walked inside where I was greeted by the owner. He was an portly older man with a walrus like mustache, and shoulder length hair.
“Hey Jeff, how are you?” He greeted, as the sound of gunfire echoed outside.
“Hey Ralph, I'm doing alright,” I greeted back. “By any chance did a man named Tom Wilkins come in today?” I asked.
“Oh, you mean Officer Wilkins? He's right out back,” Matt told me. I paused for a minute. Did he just say Officer Wilkins? It was very likely I had found the inside man. “Jeff?” Matt then asked.
“Oh, sorry,” I said, snapping back to reality. “Can I see him?” I asked.
“I'll let him know you're here,” Ralph said, and walked off outside.
I paced for a bit, and soon enough, Ralph came back with Officer Wilkins in tow. Wilkins was a tall and thin man with a police crew haircut. He was also dressed in full uniform. Such a disgrace.
“Something I can help you with Sir?” He asked me. His voice sounding quite authoritative.
“Yeah, uh, could we talk outside?” I asked. I was trying to sound as though I was someone who needed his help with something.
“Alright,” He said. It looked as though he bought it. We then walked out into the parking lot where his police car was parked.
“I just want to say thanks for helping me,” I said.
“It's my job Sir,” the Officer said. “Now what troubles you?”
“My daughter went missing yesterday, I was wondering if you could help me get her back,” I pleaded. I noticed him shift uncomfortably as I said that. “The kidnappers told me that if I called nine-one-one, then she would be killed.”
“You needn't worry about a thing Sir, I'll get right on it,” Officer Wilkins said, in a determined voice. I then dropped the act. My eyes narrowed at him.
“Bull shit. You arranged it,” I then growled. I took the good time and trouble to kick him right in the gut. Next I sent my elbow into his back sending him to the ground. I turned him over and applied the same pressure on his neck that I had done to Randy. Within a few minutes he was out cold.
I used the duct tape Robert had given me to truss up both his hands and feet. I saw a large Garbage Can nearby and thought, “How poetic.” It even had wheels for easy transportation.
I placed Tom inside the can and locked the lid in place with a goodly amount of the duct tape. I then hauled my package back to the truck, and slid it into the flat bed. I used a few bungee cords I had laying around to secure it in place. It was now time for us to head to that hotel Robert had mentioned. It's so nice having two hostages. Why? Because as I said before, one will be expendable, and they both will know it.
Part 9: In this part, Randy and Tom play America's favorite game show.
I took off down the road with my new prisoner in the back of my truck to Main Street, and found an old hotel building that surely had seen better days. I saw Robert waiting for me leaning against the driver side door of his car.
I parked the truck next to his car. As I got out I also holstered my Beretta at my belt. It was now time to scout out the place.
“I tried calling Dale again,” Robert said to me.
“No answer?” I asked.
“No answer,” He confirmed. He then looked at my truck. “Is One Mister Tom Wilkins in the trash can where he belongs?”
“Yes, Officer Wilkins is in the trash can,” I said with a grin. Robert blinked at me.
“Did you say Officer Wilkins?” He asked. “As in Police Officer?”
“Yep, which means he's the inside man,” I replied.
“It would seem that way,” Robert said, with a smirk. I then nodded to him.
After hunting across the top floor we found a good spot for our big interrogation. It was a small hallway that lead to a big glass window, and had elevator doors on both walls. Before that however, Randy and Tom would need to spend some quality time together. No doubt they both would have quite a story to tell.
All of the rooms had the locks removed from the doors, so picking out a room was simple. They were completely bare and empty, and one room however had a small hole in the wall. This was the room we picked out.
“Robert, can you hand me Randy's phone please?” I asked. Robert reached into his pocket, pulled out Randy's phone, and tossed it to me. I called his phone with mine, and set both phones to their speaker function. I also set the volumes to maximum. I placed Randy's phone inside the hole in the wall, and out of sight. What was really nice was that my phone could record the “message” being left.
Robert, with his huge strength was able to haul our prisoners up to the room with ease. He dumped Randy onto the floor first, and then went back down stairs to collect Tom. I had my pistol out just to encourage Randy not to get any stupid ideas. A few minutes later, Robert returned with Tom over his shoulder. His radio, and sidearm had been removed.
You're both in big trouble for this,” Tom snarled. “kidnapping a police officer.”
“Yes, well, you would know all about kidnapping wouldn't you,” I snarled back. “I believe you two know each other,” I added, as Robert dumped him on top of Randy. We then taped up our prisoners into hog ties before we left the room. Finally we closed the door, and locked it through a very liberal application of duct tape.
“Time for me to go get the extra equipment,” Mr brother said, and walked off down stairs. I just sat out in the hallway with my phone beside me and listened...
About half an hour had passed while Tom and Randy bickered at each other. Robert was still out getting “the extra equipment” as he put it while I listened in on our friends.
“You told them where they could find me?!” I heard Tom shout.
“If you had been subjected to what I went through, you would have told him everything too!” Randy barked back in his own defense.
“Who the hell are these people?” Tom asked.
“I don't know, but I know one of them is the Father of that other girl we took yesterday,” Randy said. They now had my full attention. This was the final piece of confirmation that they were involved.
“They must be looking for the girls then,” Tom said, putting the puzzle together. “Did you also tell them about...you know?” He then asked. I almost had my ear pressed against the phone now.
“No, I didn't,” Randy grunted.
“Well, let me tell you this. If those bastards find out about this we are both dead.” It would seem that Tom and Randy didn't think too highly of their clients.
“What are we going to do?” Randy asked.
“We? We aren't going to do anything,” Tom stated. “If word gets out that I, one of the precinct's most trusted officers, kidnapped two girls, I'll be in jail for who knows how long. I'm all set to turn you in to avoid that,” Tom stated. Excellent, a confession, and he was pretty quick to sell Randy out too. All I needed to do now was just wait for Robert to come back.
Robert came back carrying a pair of office chairs. I recognized one of them as his own computer chair. He also had a short yet thick bungee cord slung over his shoulder.
“Your computer chair? Really?” I asked.
“I grabbed what I could find,” He said. “Did you find out anything from those two clowns?”
“They have two clients actually, and they confessed to the kidnapping. I have the whole thing recorded. It's now time for me to play my favorite game show,” I said, as my brother busted the nearby wall to reveal a steel pipe. He secured one end of the bungee cord to the pipe. Next, Robert peeled the tape away from the door, and we both entered the room. I pulled out my Beretta, and had it pointed right at them.
“This is a big-” They started, but I cut them off.
“Shut it, and sit down,” I interrupted. Robert forced them both into the chairs, pulled out the duct tape, and ran about half the roll out taping them to the chairs. I could see Tom and Randy getting very nervous. We both dragged them out to the hall that ended in the window.
Robert let them get a good look at the window before pulling out two long strips of black cloth, and blindfolding our two captives with them. Once our captives were robbed of their sight, Robert then attached the other end of the bungee cord to Randy's Chair. It was now time to play my favorite game show, and I put on my best game show host voice to go with it.
“Wwwwwwelcome Ladies and Gentlemen to America's new favorite game show!” I announced. “The show with one winner and one loser. The show called Name that Boss!”
“You can't be serious!” Randy panicked. I wasn't done though. I was having way too much fun. Tom also looked ready to start crying. I then continued my intro.
“We have two lucky contestants who have been chosen by me to take part in the first round,” I proudly stated. “Before we start, would you both like to hear the rules?” I asked. I didn't even give them a chance to answer before I interjected. “I really don't care, because I'm gonna to tell you anyway.” I was grinning so big at this point.
I then pointed my pistol at the window, and fired two rounds into the glass to soften it up a bit. Sure, I could have just kicked it open, but where's the fun in that? “The rules are simple,” I said. “One of you is going to tell me who your boss is, and where he lives, and where he's keeping the girls. The other one is taking a nice big plunge out the window to that very unfriendly, not to mention very un-soft, dirt below!” I barked. As if Tom and Randy weren't panicked enough already.
“Don't! Keep your mouth shut!” Tom commanded. I then stalked around the chairs looking at one terrified expression to the next.
“So, who's feeling in a divulging mood? You?” I asked from behind Randy's chair, giving it a slight bump towards the broken glass. “Maybe you?” I then asked Tom, giving him a push as well. I shrugged to myself. They weren't making it easy on themselves. “Okay, eenie meenie miney moe. Catch a tiger by the toe,” I said.
“Look you Maniac, It was just us!” Randy shouted.
“Judges?!” I asked outwardly. “Oh, I'm sorry Contestant Number One, but that is not the correct answer. I'm afraid you've been disqualified,” I announced, as Randy's skin turn milky white. “But don't worry, we have a consolation prize for your efforts here today. Tell him what's he's won Benny.” With that Robert took that as his Que.
“Well Ricky, it would seem that Contestant Number One has earned himself an all expenses payed trip...TO HELL!!” He shouted, and with one hearty push of his foot, He kicked the chair, along with Randy, out the open window. Now if you'll remember, we did set up a soft landing for him with the bungee cord. But that didn't stop him from screaming like a banshee on his way out, and that was all it took for Tom to get the picture.
“BENNETT!! His name is Derrick Bennett!” He bellowed. I turned him around, and pulled the blindfold off his face. I looked him right in the eye with my crazy eyed expression.
“Ah, but there are two clients. Remember?” I asked. Tom was looking over at the broken glass, but I redirected his attention back to me. “Stay focused on me Tom. I'm over here. Don't worry about Randy anymore. I'm afraid Randy has...left the building,” I said, as I got nose to nose with him.
“The other guy is called Mr. Sharp. It's just a title though. I don't know his real name,” Tom confessed.
“Very good Tom. You now qualify for the bonus round,” I said. “Where are the two girls that YOU kidnapped?” I asked. Tom's fear was swelling in him.
“They're at Mr. Bennett's house. It's a big white house around Beach Street, It's not part of any neighborhood, and is isolated on the coast,” Tom said. There can't be too many houses that match that description. I just smiled at him.
“Congratulations Tom, You win!” I stated proudly. Thanks for playing,” I then added, and got up to walk away.
“You're crazy!” He screamed. I got right back nose to nose with him.
“Yes I am!” I bellowed. “Especially when some Night Crawler like you kidnaps my daughter!” He couldn't even bare to look at me now. I just left the room with him still wrapped up in the chair. I think I made it clear that however powerful Mr. Bennett may be, he should be more terrified of a really pissed off Dad.
I took off down the road with my new prisoner in the back of my truck to Main Street, and found an old hotel building that surely had seen better days. I saw Robert waiting for me leaning against the driver side door of his car.
I parked the truck next to his car. As I got out I also holstered my Beretta at my belt. It was now time to scout out the place.
“I tried calling Dale again,” Robert said to me.
“No answer?” I asked.
“No answer,” He confirmed. He then looked at my truck. “Is One Mister Tom Wilkins in the trash can where he belongs?”
“Yes, Officer Wilkins is in the trash can,” I said with a grin. Robert blinked at me.
“Did you say Officer Wilkins?” He asked. “As in Police Officer?”
“Yep, which means he's the inside man,” I replied.
“It would seem that way,” Robert said, with a smirk. I then nodded to him.
After hunting across the top floor we found a good spot for our big interrogation. It was a small hallway that lead to a big glass window, and had elevator doors on both walls. Before that however, Randy and Tom would need to spend some quality time together. No doubt they both would have quite a story to tell.
All of the rooms had the locks removed from the doors, so picking out a room was simple. They were completely bare and empty, and one room however had a small hole in the wall. This was the room we picked out.
“Robert, can you hand me Randy's phone please?” I asked. Robert reached into his pocket, pulled out Randy's phone, and tossed it to me. I called his phone with mine, and set both phones to their speaker function. I also set the volumes to maximum. I placed Randy's phone inside the hole in the wall, and out of sight. What was really nice was that my phone could record the “message” being left.
Robert, with his huge strength was able to haul our prisoners up to the room with ease. He dumped Randy onto the floor first, and then went back down stairs to collect Tom. I had my pistol out just to encourage Randy not to get any stupid ideas. A few minutes later, Robert returned with Tom over his shoulder. His radio, and sidearm had been removed.
You're both in big trouble for this,” Tom snarled. “kidnapping a police officer.”
“Yes, well, you would know all about kidnapping wouldn't you,” I snarled back. “I believe you two know each other,” I added, as Robert dumped him on top of Randy. We then taped up our prisoners into hog ties before we left the room. Finally we closed the door, and locked it through a very liberal application of duct tape.
“Time for me to go get the extra equipment,” Mr brother said, and walked off down stairs. I just sat out in the hallway with my phone beside me and listened...
About half an hour had passed while Tom and Randy bickered at each other. Robert was still out getting “the extra equipment” as he put it while I listened in on our friends.
“You told them where they could find me?!” I heard Tom shout.
“If you had been subjected to what I went through, you would have told him everything too!” Randy barked back in his own defense.
“Who the hell are these people?” Tom asked.
“I don't know, but I know one of them is the Father of that other girl we took yesterday,” Randy said. They now had my full attention. This was the final piece of confirmation that they were involved.
“They must be looking for the girls then,” Tom said, putting the puzzle together. “Did you also tell them about...you know?” He then asked. I almost had my ear pressed against the phone now.
“No, I didn't,” Randy grunted.
“Well, let me tell you this. If those bastards find out about this we are both dead.” It would seem that Tom and Randy didn't think too highly of their clients.
“What are we going to do?” Randy asked.
“We? We aren't going to do anything,” Tom stated. “If word gets out that I, one of the precinct's most trusted officers, kidnapped two girls, I'll be in jail for who knows how long. I'm all set to turn you in to avoid that,” Tom stated. Excellent, a confession, and he was pretty quick to sell Randy out too. All I needed to do now was just wait for Robert to come back.
Robert came back carrying a pair of office chairs. I recognized one of them as his own computer chair. He also had a short yet thick bungee cord slung over his shoulder.
“Your computer chair? Really?” I asked.
“I grabbed what I could find,” He said. “Did you find out anything from those two clowns?”
“They have two clients actually, and they confessed to the kidnapping. I have the whole thing recorded. It's now time for me to play my favorite game show,” I said, as my brother busted the nearby wall to reveal a steel pipe. He secured one end of the bungee cord to the pipe. Next, Robert peeled the tape away from the door, and we both entered the room. I pulled out my Beretta, and had it pointed right at them.
“This is a big-” They started, but I cut them off.
“Shut it, and sit down,” I interrupted. Robert forced them both into the chairs, pulled out the duct tape, and ran about half the roll out taping them to the chairs. I could see Tom and Randy getting very nervous. We both dragged them out to the hall that ended in the window.
Robert let them get a good look at the window before pulling out two long strips of black cloth, and blindfolding our two captives with them. Once our captives were robbed of their sight, Robert then attached the other end of the bungee cord to Randy's Chair. It was now time to play my favorite game show, and I put on my best game show host voice to go with it.
“Wwwwwwelcome Ladies and Gentlemen to America's new favorite game show!” I announced. “The show with one winner and one loser. The show called Name that Boss!”
“You can't be serious!” Randy panicked. I wasn't done though. I was having way too much fun. Tom also looked ready to start crying. I then continued my intro.
“We have two lucky contestants who have been chosen by me to take part in the first round,” I proudly stated. “Before we start, would you both like to hear the rules?” I asked. I didn't even give them a chance to answer before I interjected. “I really don't care, because I'm gonna to tell you anyway.” I was grinning so big at this point.
I then pointed my pistol at the window, and fired two rounds into the glass to soften it up a bit. Sure, I could have just kicked it open, but where's the fun in that? “The rules are simple,” I said. “One of you is going to tell me who your boss is, and where he lives, and where he's keeping the girls. The other one is taking a nice big plunge out the window to that very unfriendly, not to mention very un-soft, dirt below!” I barked. As if Tom and Randy weren't panicked enough already.
“Don't! Keep your mouth shut!” Tom commanded. I then stalked around the chairs looking at one terrified expression to the next.
“So, who's feeling in a divulging mood? You?” I asked from behind Randy's chair, giving it a slight bump towards the broken glass. “Maybe you?” I then asked Tom, giving him a push as well. I shrugged to myself. They weren't making it easy on themselves. “Okay, eenie meenie miney moe. Catch a tiger by the toe,” I said.
“Look you Maniac, It was just us!” Randy shouted.
“Judges?!” I asked outwardly. “Oh, I'm sorry Contestant Number One, but that is not the correct answer. I'm afraid you've been disqualified,” I announced, as Randy's skin turn milky white. “But don't worry, we have a consolation prize for your efforts here today. Tell him what's he's won Benny.” With that Robert took that as his Que.
“Well Ricky, it would seem that Contestant Number One has earned himself an all expenses payed trip...TO HELL!!” He shouted, and with one hearty push of his foot, He kicked the chair, along with Randy, out the open window. Now if you'll remember, we did set up a soft landing for him with the bungee cord. But that didn't stop him from screaming like a banshee on his way out, and that was all it took for Tom to get the picture.
“BENNETT!! His name is Derrick Bennett!” He bellowed. I turned him around, and pulled the blindfold off his face. I looked him right in the eye with my crazy eyed expression.
“Ah, but there are two clients. Remember?” I asked. Tom was looking over at the broken glass, but I redirected his attention back to me. “Stay focused on me Tom. I'm over here. Don't worry about Randy anymore. I'm afraid Randy has...left the building,” I said, as I got nose to nose with him.
“The other guy is called Mr. Sharp. It's just a title though. I don't know his real name,” Tom confessed.
“Very good Tom. You now qualify for the bonus round,” I said. “Where are the two girls that YOU kidnapped?” I asked. Tom's fear was swelling in him.
“They're at Mr. Bennett's house. It's a big white house around Beach Street, It's not part of any neighborhood, and is isolated on the coast,” Tom said. There can't be too many houses that match that description. I just smiled at him.
“Congratulations Tom, You win!” I stated proudly. Thanks for playing,” I then added, and got up to walk away.
“You're crazy!” He screamed. I got right back nose to nose with him.
“Yes I am!” I bellowed. “Especially when some Night Crawler like you kidnaps my daughter!” He couldn't even bare to look at me now. I just left the room with him still wrapped up in the chair. I think I made it clear that however powerful Mr. Bennett may be, he should be more terrified of a really pissed off Dad.
Part 10: In this part, The Trotters, Jeff and Robert, and The Police exchange information.
I left the room, and proceeded downstairs to leave the hotel. Robert was right behind me. We had no problem leaving our captives where they were either. Someone would find them eventually. Little did we know that eventually would be now. The hotel wasn't as secluded as we had thought.
As we left the building, we were greeted by the sight of at least three police cars. Each had an officer with a gun pointed at us. One of them I recognized as my friend, Dale Peterson. Once he saw us, he pointed his gun up and away from us, and instructed the other officers to do the same. (That was lucky.)
“We got a call of two gun shots, and a man being pushed out a window,” He stated. Robert sighed to himself. “And now I see you two walk out,” He then added. “Something you want to tell me?” I rolled my eyes.
“Dale, we both called your phone multiple times, and left messages each time,” I explained. Officer Peterson just sighed.
“I can't use that phone right now. The battery needed to be replaced,” He said, to which I rolled my eyes again, and buried my face into my hands. “Do either of you care to tell me what is going on here?” He then inquired. Robert looked at me, and I nodded yes. We both then laid it all out for him, and the other officers.
Dale and the other officers were hanging onto every word we said. How my daughter and her friend were kidnapped. How calling the police would mean their deaths. Again, we told them everything.
“Tom couldn't have done it. He's one of the most loyal officers I know,” One of the other Officers insisted. I then pulled my phone out.
“I think this tells a different story,” I said, and played the recording for him. Dale shook his head in disbelief. “Where is he?” He growled. I pointed back at the hotel. Dale instructed his two colleagues to go fetch Tom and Randy. He then got back into his car, and informed his department about what was happening. He then turned to me again.
“What time did you say the client would be calling?” He asked.
“Noon,” I replied. Dale then relayed that to the department. Once he was done, he then turned to me. “We're sending some officers to the Trotter's estate with equipment to hopefully trace the Client's call.” He said.
“We actually have the location, but your trace will likely yield a better result,” I said. Officer Peterson nodded his agreement. We soon saw the officers coming out of the hotel with Randy and Tom. Both of them had been handcuffed.
“You are in big trouble Mister,” Tom growled at me. Dale and I both snorted.
“Not as much as the trouble you're in you Scum,” Officer Peterson snarled. He then looked back at his two assistants. “Take care of these two. I'm headed to the Trotter's estate,” He instructed. The other officers nodded, and did as they were told.
“As are we,” I said. Dale looked at me.
“Jeff this is a police matter now, you're involvement is no longer needed,” He stated. I continued to stare at him. He then sighed. “Somehow, I have the feeling I'm not stopping you.”
“No, you ain't,” I said firmly. Dale rolled up his window, and headed down the road. Robert and I got into our respective vehicles, and followed him.
* * * *
You can imagine how surprised the Trotters were when Robert and I showed up at their house with three or four police cars with us.
“What in the world?” Ted asked, and then looked at me. “Jeff?” I grinned at him and nodded.
“We got it,” I stated proudly. Mr. Trotter's eyes lit up.
“You found the girls?” He asked, in a hopeful voice. Debra was almost in tears with happiness.
“We got more then that,” I said, as we all stepped inside the house. While the police were setting everything up so that The Client's call could be traced, Robert and I went over our recent findings with the Trotters.
“Two of the kidnappers are in custody right now, and one of them was the inside source,” Robert said.
“But what about the girls?” Debra asked.
“Does the name Derek Bennett ring a bell?” I asked. Ted's smiled dropped instantly, and was replaced by a look of cold fear and rage.
“What?” He asked in a hushed voice. He was trying to hide his anger and fear, but it wasn't working.
“He's not a stranger is he,” I said. Ted stood up from the couch, and walked away for a sec. He then ball one hand into a fist with his other hand across his eyes.
“I somehow knew that...Monster would show up again!” He roared, which made everyone jump and look.
“Mr. Trotter, who is Derek Bennett?” Dale asked. Mr. Trotter took a deep breather, along with a shot of whiskey from a bottle that was nearby. He then turned to us.
“Derek Bennett was an old associate of mine,” Ted explained. “To make a long story short, I caught him doing a few illegal activities, and he was using my airlines to do it.”
“What sort of illegal activities?” I asked. Ted was hesitant. This was something he clearly didn't want to answer. It was like he felt ashamed of it. He took a deep breathe, and finally let it out.
“Human Trafficking,” He said, in hushed, yet raged voice. Now my eyes grew wide. This creature had my daughter as well Ted's.
“Oh shit,” I said. Debra was crying hysterically. Several of the other officers were trying to comfort her, but it wasn't working.
“Oh shit is right,” Ted said. “I don't know how he escaped Scotland Yard, but when he did, we knew we had to leave. We came here to America in hopes of escaping him. Poor Linda had to leave her friends and family behind, and now it was all for nothing.”
He was now in tears as well. I got up, and put my hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, it's not over yet,” I said. “He still has to call you. When he does, he'll give away his location, and We'll get them back safe and sound.”
“how do you know the girls are with him?” Ted asked.
“Because Officer Tom Wilkins was nice enough to tell me,” I said. Ted looked at me.
“Is that the name of Derek's inside man?” He asked.
“He's also the one who led the kidnapping yesterday,” I said. “He regrets it now.”
Ted nodded at me, and Dale gave me us a thumbs up. The equipment was in place, and it was only a few minutes until noon at this point. We just waited those precious few minutes, and sure enough, the phone rang. The police started everything up, and gave Ted the Okay to answer it.
I'm going to turn it over to Katie now, as the call was a bit more detailed from her point of view. She also asked me to remind you all that you may want to go back over parts 4 and 5 again to refresh your memories. Especially for...Mr. Sharp.
I left the room, and proceeded downstairs to leave the hotel. Robert was right behind me. We had no problem leaving our captives where they were either. Someone would find them eventually. Little did we know that eventually would be now. The hotel wasn't as secluded as we had thought.
As we left the building, we were greeted by the sight of at least three police cars. Each had an officer with a gun pointed at us. One of them I recognized as my friend, Dale Peterson. Once he saw us, he pointed his gun up and away from us, and instructed the other officers to do the same. (That was lucky.)
“We got a call of two gun shots, and a man being pushed out a window,” He stated. Robert sighed to himself. “And now I see you two walk out,” He then added. “Something you want to tell me?” I rolled my eyes.
“Dale, we both called your phone multiple times, and left messages each time,” I explained. Officer Peterson just sighed.
“I can't use that phone right now. The battery needed to be replaced,” He said, to which I rolled my eyes again, and buried my face into my hands. “Do either of you care to tell me what is going on here?” He then inquired. Robert looked at me, and I nodded yes. We both then laid it all out for him, and the other officers.
Dale and the other officers were hanging onto every word we said. How my daughter and her friend were kidnapped. How calling the police would mean their deaths. Again, we told them everything.
“Tom couldn't have done it. He's one of the most loyal officers I know,” One of the other Officers insisted. I then pulled my phone out.
“I think this tells a different story,” I said, and played the recording for him. Dale shook his head in disbelief. “Where is he?” He growled. I pointed back at the hotel. Dale instructed his two colleagues to go fetch Tom and Randy. He then got back into his car, and informed his department about what was happening. He then turned to me again.
“What time did you say the client would be calling?” He asked.
“Noon,” I replied. Dale then relayed that to the department. Once he was done, he then turned to me. “We're sending some officers to the Trotter's estate with equipment to hopefully trace the Client's call.” He said.
“We actually have the location, but your trace will likely yield a better result,” I said. Officer Peterson nodded his agreement. We soon saw the officers coming out of the hotel with Randy and Tom. Both of them had been handcuffed.
“You are in big trouble Mister,” Tom growled at me. Dale and I both snorted.
“Not as much as the trouble you're in you Scum,” Officer Peterson snarled. He then looked back at his two assistants. “Take care of these two. I'm headed to the Trotter's estate,” He instructed. The other officers nodded, and did as they were told.
“As are we,” I said. Dale looked at me.
“Jeff this is a police matter now, you're involvement is no longer needed,” He stated. I continued to stare at him. He then sighed. “Somehow, I have the feeling I'm not stopping you.”
“No, you ain't,” I said firmly. Dale rolled up his window, and headed down the road. Robert and I got into our respective vehicles, and followed him.
* * * *
You can imagine how surprised the Trotters were when Robert and I showed up at their house with three or four police cars with us.
“What in the world?” Ted asked, and then looked at me. “Jeff?” I grinned at him and nodded.
“We got it,” I stated proudly. Mr. Trotter's eyes lit up.
“You found the girls?” He asked, in a hopeful voice. Debra was almost in tears with happiness.
“We got more then that,” I said, as we all stepped inside the house. While the police were setting everything up so that The Client's call could be traced, Robert and I went over our recent findings with the Trotters.
“Two of the kidnappers are in custody right now, and one of them was the inside source,” Robert said.
“But what about the girls?” Debra asked.
“Does the name Derek Bennett ring a bell?” I asked. Ted's smiled dropped instantly, and was replaced by a look of cold fear and rage.
“What?” He asked in a hushed voice. He was trying to hide his anger and fear, but it wasn't working.
“He's not a stranger is he,” I said. Ted stood up from the couch, and walked away for a sec. He then ball one hand into a fist with his other hand across his eyes.
“I somehow knew that...Monster would show up again!” He roared, which made everyone jump and look.
“Mr. Trotter, who is Derek Bennett?” Dale asked. Mr. Trotter took a deep breather, along with a shot of whiskey from a bottle that was nearby. He then turned to us.
“Derek Bennett was an old associate of mine,” Ted explained. “To make a long story short, I caught him doing a few illegal activities, and he was using my airlines to do it.”
“What sort of illegal activities?” I asked. Ted was hesitant. This was something he clearly didn't want to answer. It was like he felt ashamed of it. He took a deep breathe, and finally let it out.
“Human Trafficking,” He said, in hushed, yet raged voice. Now my eyes grew wide. This creature had my daughter as well Ted's.
“Oh shit,” I said. Debra was crying hysterically. Several of the other officers were trying to comfort her, but it wasn't working.
“Oh shit is right,” Ted said. “I don't know how he escaped Scotland Yard, but when he did, we knew we had to leave. We came here to America in hopes of escaping him. Poor Linda had to leave her friends and family behind, and now it was all for nothing.”
He was now in tears as well. I got up, and put my hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, it's not over yet,” I said. “He still has to call you. When he does, he'll give away his location, and We'll get them back safe and sound.”
“how do you know the girls are with him?” Ted asked.
“Because Officer Tom Wilkins was nice enough to tell me,” I said. Ted looked at me.
“Is that the name of Derek's inside man?” He asked.
“He's also the one who led the kidnapping yesterday,” I said. “He regrets it now.”
Ted nodded at me, and Dale gave me us a thumbs up. The equipment was in place, and it was only a few minutes until noon at this point. We just waited those precious few minutes, and sure enough, the phone rang. The police started everything up, and gave Ted the Okay to answer it.
I'm going to turn it over to Katie now, as the call was a bit more detailed from her point of view. She also asked me to remind you all that you may want to go back over parts 4 and 5 again to refresh your memories. Especially for...Mr. Sharp.
Part 11: In this part Mr. Bennett let's something slip.
----Katie----
I was really hoping that last night was just a really terrible dream I was having, but when I woke up, and saw that I was still bound and gagged, and in a bed that I knew wasn't mine, I just let out a sigh. Nope, no such luck. The sun was shining brightly outside. I looked over at the clock, and saw that it was around nine or so. The first thing on my mind was getting out of bed. Mr. Sharp's tie was good, but I had already spotted one flaw in it.
He was smart, and tied the knots away from my hands, but with the way he threaded the rope through my bonds, I was able to pull the rope around until the knot was within reach. That was the first knot I untied, and once my arms were free, it was pretty much smooth sailing from there. I peeled the tape from my mouth, and untied my hands with some assistance from my teeth. Once my hands were untied, removing the remaining rope was simple.
I got out of bed, and proceeded to untie Linda from her predicament. She was still sleeping, so I was careful not to wake her. I wasn't good enough though, because with a few shifts of the rope, she shot awake.
“Mmp!” She yelped. She then saw it was me, and relaxed as I worked on freeing her hands. Once I finished that, she was able to free herself from there. I used that time to use the restroom. Once I was done, Linda followed suit. We then just sat on my bed pondering our next move.
“Well, today's the day,” Linda said. I nodded at her.
“I hope Dad's getting close,” I said. [We were.] [Yes, thanks Dad, now go away.] Sorry about that. We then heard the sound of Mr. Sharp entering the room. He was dressed a bit more casually compared to yesterday. He was wearing a white suit with a black T-shirt. His black shoes were slick and polished very well. We gave him a smug smile, and waved at him. A good solid face-palm was his reaction.
“Wow, I'm impressed,” He said.
“Maybe you should step up your game,” Linda mocked. I looked her rather surprised. When did she get so brave? Mr. Sharp's eyes almost bugged out upon hearing that.
“Are you challenging me?” He asked. My friend and I both looked at each other and shrugged.
“Maybe,” We both said in unison. Mr. Sharp could only sigh.
“Well, you two better get dressed. Breakfast is almost ready,” He said, and left the room. Linda and I both got dressed in what we wore yesterday. I had on my green cargo pants, and black tank. Linda had on her capris and T-shirt.
“I think we're close to breaking him,” I said, with a grin. A grin that Linda returned. A few minutes later Mr. Sharp showed up, and imagine our surprise when we saw what he wasn't carrying with him. He had no rope with him at all.
“Ah, no restraining anymore?” I pretended to complain. He glared at me.
“I thought about it at first, but I didn't feel like wasting my time,” He said. It looked as though we had finally won. Mr. Sharp allowed us to exit the room, and closed the door behind us.
We made our way to the dining room where Mr. Bennett was already seated at the end. Upon see Linda and I show up, he instantly stood up, and gestured for Mr. Sharp to allow us to sit down.
“Did you both sleep well?” Mr. Bennett asked.
“As good as I could I guess,” I answered, and Linda shared her agreement with a nod. I then turned my attention to breakfast. Scrambled eggs, English muffins, and bacon make for a simple and well balanced breakfast. I loaded up my plate, and began to eat.
“So, I'm curious as to why they weren't restrained on the way down,” Mr. Bennett said, looking over at Mr. Sharp. Mr. Sharp shrugged.
“I tied them twice, and they broke free both times,” He said. “I decided not to waste the time.”
“Sounds like you need to step up your game then,” Mr. Bennett suggested. Linda and I both snorted when we heard that.
“That's what we told him,” I said, with a smarmy grin. One that Mr. Bennett was kind enough to return. Mr. Sharp however did not share the mood, as he looked kinda disgruntled.
“You two remind me of someone I knew once, but I can't seem to place it,” Mr. Sharp stated, in an annoyed tone. I didn't know what he was talking about, but Mr. Bennett interjected.
“Normally I'd upset at you both for trying to escape, but since this seems to be all in good fun, I'll let it pass,” Mr. Bennett said, in a reassuring tone.
“Oh, thank you,” Linda sighed.
* * * *
Once breakfast was over, Mr. Bennett insisted that we join him in the living room for a bit of conversation. What he could possibly want to talk about was was beyond us. It also came with a price.
“I must insist that you both be restrained, and not try to escape from it,” Mr. Bennett insisted. We both nodded. We all entered the living room where Mr. Sharp approached us with a roll of duct tape in his hand We both put our hands behind our backs, and we used the duct tape to bind them.
He wound it around our wrists three times horizontally, and then three times vertically. It was also noticeably tight.
“Are you mad at us?” I asked, guessing his motive.
“Yeah, a little,” He snarled. He then wound tape around our waists, and pinning our hands to our backs. Once we were bound, he pulled out his cell phone to make a few calls. Mr. Bennett looked very pleased for some reason.
“So far, I've had no bad reports from my associates out in the field as it were, so it looks as though your parents are cooperating Ms. Trotter,” He said. Linda rolled her eyes.
“What choice do they have?” She asked. Mr. Bennett just shrugged, as Mr. Sharp came back into the room. He looked upset.
“Something wrong?” He asked.
“Yeah, Randy and Tom should have reported in by now, and they aren't answering their phones,” He snapped.
“Well, Tom is a police officer, so he may not have been able to without getting caught,” Mr. Bennett said, trying to rationalize the situation. I guess he could taste victory, and didn't want something like that to ruin his mood. “And as for Randy, well, I'd say that no news is good news,” He insisted.
“Something's not right here,” Mr. sharp insisted. Mr. Bennett dismissed it, and turned back to us.
“As I was saying, It looks like you'll be going home soon Ms. Trotter,” He said, and then looked to me. “You too Mr. Narrows-Oh, sorry, Katie,” He added. My attention wasn't on him though. My attention was on Mr. Sharp. He looked as though he'd seen a ghost. His skin was very pale, and his eyes were wide with fear.
“What did you just call her?” He asked, clearly agitated. Now I was growing fearful. Mr. Bennett looked at him trying to figure this out as well.
“I called her Katie,” He said.
“No, before that,” Mr. sharp said.
“What, Ms Narrows?” He asked. Mr. Sharp nodded, and looked over at me with wide eyes.
“You wouldn't be related to Jeffery Narrows would you?” He asked. Holy cow, how did he know my Dad?
“No,” I lied, but Mr. sharp shook his head. He wasn't buying it.
“Your words say one thing, but your eyes say another,” He said. Linda looked just as confused and fearful as the rest of us. Mr. Sharp took a step back, and let out a deep breathe. “Now I know who you remind me of. She's your mother, and he's your father,” He stated, with a wild expression on his face. He knew my Mother too?
“Mr. sharp, what is the meaning of this?” Mr. Bennett demanded. Mr. Sharp pointed at a few of the men outside and gestured for them to come inside. They where armed with AR15 Rifles. Linda and I looked ready to panic. “Take these two up stairs, and restrain them well,” Mr. Sharp ordered. He then turned to his boss. “Sir, I need to talk to you in private.”
Linda and I were marched back up to the guest room where the two men forced us to the ground up against one of the beds. They then bound our legs together with the tape. They also reinforced the tape binding our hands to ensure we didn't get away. Based on how the situation changed so dramatically, Linda and I decided that trying to escape might not be a good idea.
“What the hell just happened?” She asked me. “how did he know your Dad?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said, with a shrug. “I guess we'll find out soon.” I had a bad feeling that any chance we had of a rescue has just been shot to hell.
----Katie----
I was really hoping that last night was just a really terrible dream I was having, but when I woke up, and saw that I was still bound and gagged, and in a bed that I knew wasn't mine, I just let out a sigh. Nope, no such luck. The sun was shining brightly outside. I looked over at the clock, and saw that it was around nine or so. The first thing on my mind was getting out of bed. Mr. Sharp's tie was good, but I had already spotted one flaw in it.
He was smart, and tied the knots away from my hands, but with the way he threaded the rope through my bonds, I was able to pull the rope around until the knot was within reach. That was the first knot I untied, and once my arms were free, it was pretty much smooth sailing from there. I peeled the tape from my mouth, and untied my hands with some assistance from my teeth. Once my hands were untied, removing the remaining rope was simple.
I got out of bed, and proceeded to untie Linda from her predicament. She was still sleeping, so I was careful not to wake her. I wasn't good enough though, because with a few shifts of the rope, she shot awake.
“Mmp!” She yelped. She then saw it was me, and relaxed as I worked on freeing her hands. Once I finished that, she was able to free herself from there. I used that time to use the restroom. Once I was done, Linda followed suit. We then just sat on my bed pondering our next move.
“Well, today's the day,” Linda said. I nodded at her.
“I hope Dad's getting close,” I said. [We were.] [Yes, thanks Dad, now go away.] Sorry about that. We then heard the sound of Mr. Sharp entering the room. He was dressed a bit more casually compared to yesterday. He was wearing a white suit with a black T-shirt. His black shoes were slick and polished very well. We gave him a smug smile, and waved at him. A good solid face-palm was his reaction.
“Wow, I'm impressed,” He said.
“Maybe you should step up your game,” Linda mocked. I looked her rather surprised. When did she get so brave? Mr. Sharp's eyes almost bugged out upon hearing that.
“Are you challenging me?” He asked. My friend and I both looked at each other and shrugged.
“Maybe,” We both said in unison. Mr. Sharp could only sigh.
“Well, you two better get dressed. Breakfast is almost ready,” He said, and left the room. Linda and I both got dressed in what we wore yesterday. I had on my green cargo pants, and black tank. Linda had on her capris and T-shirt.
“I think we're close to breaking him,” I said, with a grin. A grin that Linda returned. A few minutes later Mr. Sharp showed up, and imagine our surprise when we saw what he wasn't carrying with him. He had no rope with him at all.
“Ah, no restraining anymore?” I pretended to complain. He glared at me.
“I thought about it at first, but I didn't feel like wasting my time,” He said. It looked as though we had finally won. Mr. Sharp allowed us to exit the room, and closed the door behind us.
We made our way to the dining room where Mr. Bennett was already seated at the end. Upon see Linda and I show up, he instantly stood up, and gestured for Mr. Sharp to allow us to sit down.
“Did you both sleep well?” Mr. Bennett asked.
“As good as I could I guess,” I answered, and Linda shared her agreement with a nod. I then turned my attention to breakfast. Scrambled eggs, English muffins, and bacon make for a simple and well balanced breakfast. I loaded up my plate, and began to eat.
“So, I'm curious as to why they weren't restrained on the way down,” Mr. Bennett said, looking over at Mr. Sharp. Mr. Sharp shrugged.
“I tied them twice, and they broke free both times,” He said. “I decided not to waste the time.”
“Sounds like you need to step up your game then,” Mr. Bennett suggested. Linda and I both snorted when we heard that.
“That's what we told him,” I said, with a smarmy grin. One that Mr. Bennett was kind enough to return. Mr. Sharp however did not share the mood, as he looked kinda disgruntled.
“You two remind me of someone I knew once, but I can't seem to place it,” Mr. Sharp stated, in an annoyed tone. I didn't know what he was talking about, but Mr. Bennett interjected.
“Normally I'd upset at you both for trying to escape, but since this seems to be all in good fun, I'll let it pass,” Mr. Bennett said, in a reassuring tone.
“Oh, thank you,” Linda sighed.
* * * *
Once breakfast was over, Mr. Bennett insisted that we join him in the living room for a bit of conversation. What he could possibly want to talk about was was beyond us. It also came with a price.
“I must insist that you both be restrained, and not try to escape from it,” Mr. Bennett insisted. We both nodded. We all entered the living room where Mr. Sharp approached us with a roll of duct tape in his hand We both put our hands behind our backs, and we used the duct tape to bind them.
He wound it around our wrists three times horizontally, and then three times vertically. It was also noticeably tight.
“Are you mad at us?” I asked, guessing his motive.
“Yeah, a little,” He snarled. He then wound tape around our waists, and pinning our hands to our backs. Once we were bound, he pulled out his cell phone to make a few calls. Mr. Bennett looked very pleased for some reason.
“So far, I've had no bad reports from my associates out in the field as it were, so it looks as though your parents are cooperating Ms. Trotter,” He said. Linda rolled her eyes.
“What choice do they have?” She asked. Mr. Bennett just shrugged, as Mr. Sharp came back into the room. He looked upset.
“Something wrong?” He asked.
“Yeah, Randy and Tom should have reported in by now, and they aren't answering their phones,” He snapped.
“Well, Tom is a police officer, so he may not have been able to without getting caught,” Mr. Bennett said, trying to rationalize the situation. I guess he could taste victory, and didn't want something like that to ruin his mood. “And as for Randy, well, I'd say that no news is good news,” He insisted.
“Something's not right here,” Mr. sharp insisted. Mr. Bennett dismissed it, and turned back to us.
“As I was saying, It looks like you'll be going home soon Ms. Trotter,” He said, and then looked to me. “You too Mr. Narrows-Oh, sorry, Katie,” He added. My attention wasn't on him though. My attention was on Mr. Sharp. He looked as though he'd seen a ghost. His skin was very pale, and his eyes were wide with fear.
“What did you just call her?” He asked, clearly agitated. Now I was growing fearful. Mr. Bennett looked at him trying to figure this out as well.
“I called her Katie,” He said.
“No, before that,” Mr. sharp said.
“What, Ms Narrows?” He asked. Mr. Sharp nodded, and looked over at me with wide eyes.
“You wouldn't be related to Jeffery Narrows would you?” He asked. Holy cow, how did he know my Dad?
“No,” I lied, but Mr. sharp shook his head. He wasn't buying it.
“Your words say one thing, but your eyes say another,” He said. Linda looked just as confused and fearful as the rest of us. Mr. Sharp took a step back, and let out a deep breathe. “Now I know who you remind me of. She's your mother, and he's your father,” He stated, with a wild expression on his face. He knew my Mother too?
“Mr. sharp, what is the meaning of this?” Mr. Bennett demanded. Mr. Sharp pointed at a few of the men outside and gestured for them to come inside. They where armed with AR15 Rifles. Linda and I looked ready to panic. “Take these two up stairs, and restrain them well,” Mr. Sharp ordered. He then turned to his boss. “Sir, I need to talk to you in private.”
Linda and I were marched back up to the guest room where the two men forced us to the ground up against one of the beds. They then bound our legs together with the tape. They also reinforced the tape binding our hands to ensure we didn't get away. Based on how the situation changed so dramatically, Linda and I decided that trying to escape might not be a good idea.
“What the hell just happened?” She asked me. “how did he know your Dad?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said, with a shrug. “I guess we'll find out soon.” I had a bad feeling that any chance we had of a rescue has just been shot to hell.
Last edited by chaos846 5 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
Part 12: In this part, things take a turn for the worst when all is revealed.
----Katie----
We seamed to be waiting for hours, but when I looked at the clock only about a half an hour had passed. It was just about noon too, and our two hosts would soon be calling Linda's parents for whatever it is they wanted.
Sure enough, we heard the sound of footsteps stomping up to the room we were in. Both Mr. Sharp and Mr. Bennett opened the door, and let it slam against the wall. They were clearly upset.
“Maybe if we-” Mr. Sharp started, but Mr. Bennett cut him off.
“It's too late now!” He barked. He then glared glared at Linda and me. We both looked quite confused and fearful, as we didn't know what could have caused this. Mr. Bennett didn't speak. He just shook his head, and then dialed his phone.
“Greetings Mr. Trotter,” Mr. Bennett said. “Do you know who this is?”
“Yes I do,” I heard Linda's Father say bitterly. Clearly the phone was on speaker mode.
“Excellent, how have you been you old goat?” Mr. Bennett asked.
“Save it Bennett!” Mr. Trotter barked. “Where is my daughter?” He then asked. Mr. Bennett laughed.
“She's right here, would you like to speak to her?” Mr. Bennett asked. He then held out the phone in Linda's direction.
“Linda?” Mr. Trotter asked.
“I'm here Dad,” Linda said, glumly.
“Kaitlin?” He then asked.
“Yeah,” I sighed.
“Are you both alright?” He asked. Before we could answer, the phone was pulled away, and Mr. Bennett was nice enough to answer for us.
“They're both just fine, but whether they stay that way is up to you,” Mr. Bennett stated. I then saw a sneer cross his face. “And your private investigator,” He added.
“What are you talking about?” Mr. Trotter asked.
“Don't play dumb with me,” Mr. Bennett snapped. “I know all about your little hound dog. No doubt he's done a thorough job sniffing us out.” Linda and I looked at each other, and then back at the men around us. “In fact one of my associates would very much like to speak with him,” Mr. Bennett then said, and then gave the phone to Mr. Sharp. Mr. Sharp then spoke.
“Hello Jeff, remember me?” He asked. There was no answer. Nothing but eerie silence. “Come on Jeff, I know you're there. Say hello,” Mr. Sharp requested. Eventually my Dad finally answered.
“Go f**k yourself Henry!” Dad barked. I felt my blood run cold, and my eyes widen. Linda looked as though she'd been given a huge electric shock. I couldn't believe it. Now I knew why he knew my Dad and my Mom. Mr. Sharp wasn't his name at all. It was just a cover for his real name. The man who betrayed my Dad eighteen years ago when he was in the Navy: Henry Harrison.
“Is that how you greet all your old friends, Jeff?” Mr. Sharp-er, now Henry asked, with a chuckle.
“You are not my friend!” My Dad boomed. Henry didn't seemed too phased by it though.
“It seems that once again, you just couldn't keep your nose out of other people's business, and once again someone else has to pay for it,” Henry said, as he turned a sick look over to me. Mr. Bennett was thoroughly enjoying himself. The smile on his face was nauseating.
“My daughter is my business, and I swear to God-” Dad started, but was cut off.
“You will do nothing Jeff other then shut up and pay attention,” Henry snapped. Never before had I heard anyone back talk my Dad like that.“Mr. Bennett is going to ask Mr. Trotter for something, and Mr. Trotter is going to deliver it to him,” Henry stated. “You are going to butt the hell out, or I'll show your daughter just what a hot date I can be,” He said, and then pulled a gun out of his jacket. I was beyond terrified at this point. “In fact, why don't we start with a little appetizer,” He suggested.
In the blink of an eye, he pointed the gun in my direction and fired it. Linda and I both let out screams, and I looked over at my left shoulder. The hole left in the bed was so close to my shoulder I couldn't believe it missed me. I could only imagine Dad's reaction.
“Oh, I missed. My aim must be a little rusty,” Henry said. “If things don't go according to Mr. Bennett's plans, then I guarantee you the next one won't miss. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Dad sighed, after a few seconds. Henry smiled.
“Good, now that that's settled, I'm putting Mr. Bennett back on,” He said, and gave the phone back to his boss.
“Hello Mr. Trotter. Are you still there?” Mr. Bennett asked.
“Y-yes,” Linda's Father answered. His voice was now very shaky after what had just happened.
“Good, you will meet me in the park at the end of Main Street,” Mr. Bennett demanded. “There you will sign over your business to me.”
“What?” Mr. Trotter asked, sounding flabbergasted.
“Shut it,” Mr. Bennett ordered, and then continued. “Once the deed belongs to me, My men will vacate this location, and you may rescue your daughter and her friend,” He said
“How do I know you'll keep your word?” Mr. Trotter asked. Mr. Bennett laughed.
“I guess you don't really, but then, you don't really have much of a choice,” He said. “I'm the one holding all of the cards, and you're in no position to be negotiating.”
“How will I know where the girls are?” Mr. Trotter asked.
“Ask Jeff, I'm sure he's found out,” Henry said. “And if I, or the men here, see him or the police, it's game over. Have I made myself clear?”
“Quite clear,” Mr. Trotter sighed.
“You have two hours,” Mr. Bennett said, and then hung up the phone. I looked over at Henry.
“I know who you are now Mr. Sharp. Or should I call you Mr. Harrison,” I growled. The man looked over at me with an angry look in his eye.
“Yes, no doubt your father's told you all about me,” He growled back. “Had he left well enough alone, everything would have been fine, but no, he had to push.”
“Enough, both of you,” Mr. Bennett insisted, and turned to his Right Hand Man. “I'll need you to stay here.”
“Yes Sir,” Henry said, with a nod. His Boss then continued.
“Wait for the Trotters to arrive, and then finish them off,” Mr. Bennett requested.
“Nooo!” Linda shrieked.
“Quiet!” Henry barked, pointing the gun at her. Linda flinched, and turned away in fear. “What do we do with them?” He then asked. “They aren't worth anything to us anymore.”
“On the contrary my friend,” Mr. Bennett said, and then grinned at us. “I think you'll find that two lovely young birds such as these are worth a lot to the right people.” As if it couldn't get any worse. My eyes widened.
“You wouldn't,” I snarled.
“How do you think I made my fortune?” Mr. Bennett asked.
“You were a human trafficker?” Linda asked in shock.
“What, your father didn't have the courage to tell you?” Mr. Bennett asked back. “Of course. His airline was perfect, but I slipped up one day, and he caught me,” Mr. Bennett explained. “Now the one obstacle in my path will soon be removed, and I can resume what I had started, and you two will be the first on the list,” He said. Linda and I were at a loss for words. Well, at least I was.
“You Monster!” Linda screamed.
“Shut them up,” He then snapped to the two men with the duct tape. They nodded, and wrapped tape over our mouths several times effectively gagging us.
“Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to go to,” Mr. Bennett said, as he gave us a quick bow and left the room.
“You stay here just outside the door,” Henry told one of them. “You come with me,” He then said to the other. He then looked over at us. “I suggest you two share whatever quality time you you can with each other, as this will likely be the last time you ever see each other or your families again,” He said. He then laughed at our misfortune, and left the room.
Linda and I were crushed. The one thing I was counting on. The one thing I was holding onto was now taken away from me. Linda and I looked at each other. This probably would be the last time we ever saw each other again. The fun memories we had in such a short time together.
And what of Sam and Lucy? They were practically family to me as well. Finally there was Dad. He loved me more then anything in the world. There was no way he'd be able to rescue us now. It was too much for me. I broke into tears, and leaned my head on her shoulder. She then leaned on me sobbing away as well.
----Katie----
We seamed to be waiting for hours, but when I looked at the clock only about a half an hour had passed. It was just about noon too, and our two hosts would soon be calling Linda's parents for whatever it is they wanted.
Sure enough, we heard the sound of footsteps stomping up to the room we were in. Both Mr. Sharp and Mr. Bennett opened the door, and let it slam against the wall. They were clearly upset.
“Maybe if we-” Mr. Sharp started, but Mr. Bennett cut him off.
“It's too late now!” He barked. He then glared glared at Linda and me. We both looked quite confused and fearful, as we didn't know what could have caused this. Mr. Bennett didn't speak. He just shook his head, and then dialed his phone.
“Greetings Mr. Trotter,” Mr. Bennett said. “Do you know who this is?”
“Yes I do,” I heard Linda's Father say bitterly. Clearly the phone was on speaker mode.
“Excellent, how have you been you old goat?” Mr. Bennett asked.
“Save it Bennett!” Mr. Trotter barked. “Where is my daughter?” He then asked. Mr. Bennett laughed.
“She's right here, would you like to speak to her?” Mr. Bennett asked. He then held out the phone in Linda's direction.
“Linda?” Mr. Trotter asked.
“I'm here Dad,” Linda said, glumly.
“Kaitlin?” He then asked.
“Yeah,” I sighed.
“Are you both alright?” He asked. Before we could answer, the phone was pulled away, and Mr. Bennett was nice enough to answer for us.
“They're both just fine, but whether they stay that way is up to you,” Mr. Bennett stated. I then saw a sneer cross his face. “And your private investigator,” He added.
“What are you talking about?” Mr. Trotter asked.
“Don't play dumb with me,” Mr. Bennett snapped. “I know all about your little hound dog. No doubt he's done a thorough job sniffing us out.” Linda and I looked at each other, and then back at the men around us. “In fact one of my associates would very much like to speak with him,” Mr. Bennett then said, and then gave the phone to Mr. Sharp. Mr. Sharp then spoke.
“Hello Jeff, remember me?” He asked. There was no answer. Nothing but eerie silence. “Come on Jeff, I know you're there. Say hello,” Mr. Sharp requested. Eventually my Dad finally answered.
“Go f**k yourself Henry!” Dad barked. I felt my blood run cold, and my eyes widen. Linda looked as though she'd been given a huge electric shock. I couldn't believe it. Now I knew why he knew my Dad and my Mom. Mr. Sharp wasn't his name at all. It was just a cover for his real name. The man who betrayed my Dad eighteen years ago when he was in the Navy: Henry Harrison.
“Is that how you greet all your old friends, Jeff?” Mr. Sharp-er, now Henry asked, with a chuckle.
“You are not my friend!” My Dad boomed. Henry didn't seemed too phased by it though.
“It seems that once again, you just couldn't keep your nose out of other people's business, and once again someone else has to pay for it,” Henry said, as he turned a sick look over to me. Mr. Bennett was thoroughly enjoying himself. The smile on his face was nauseating.
“My daughter is my business, and I swear to God-” Dad started, but was cut off.
“You will do nothing Jeff other then shut up and pay attention,” Henry snapped. Never before had I heard anyone back talk my Dad like that.“Mr. Bennett is going to ask Mr. Trotter for something, and Mr. Trotter is going to deliver it to him,” Henry stated. “You are going to butt the hell out, or I'll show your daughter just what a hot date I can be,” He said, and then pulled a gun out of his jacket. I was beyond terrified at this point. “In fact, why don't we start with a little appetizer,” He suggested.
In the blink of an eye, he pointed the gun in my direction and fired it. Linda and I both let out screams, and I looked over at my left shoulder. The hole left in the bed was so close to my shoulder I couldn't believe it missed me. I could only imagine Dad's reaction.
“Oh, I missed. My aim must be a little rusty,” Henry said. “If things don't go according to Mr. Bennett's plans, then I guarantee you the next one won't miss. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Dad sighed, after a few seconds. Henry smiled.
“Good, now that that's settled, I'm putting Mr. Bennett back on,” He said, and gave the phone back to his boss.
“Hello Mr. Trotter. Are you still there?” Mr. Bennett asked.
“Y-yes,” Linda's Father answered. His voice was now very shaky after what had just happened.
“Good, you will meet me in the park at the end of Main Street,” Mr. Bennett demanded. “There you will sign over your business to me.”
“What?” Mr. Trotter asked, sounding flabbergasted.
“Shut it,” Mr. Bennett ordered, and then continued. “Once the deed belongs to me, My men will vacate this location, and you may rescue your daughter and her friend,” He said
“How do I know you'll keep your word?” Mr. Trotter asked. Mr. Bennett laughed.
“I guess you don't really, but then, you don't really have much of a choice,” He said. “I'm the one holding all of the cards, and you're in no position to be negotiating.”
“How will I know where the girls are?” Mr. Trotter asked.
“Ask Jeff, I'm sure he's found out,” Henry said. “And if I, or the men here, see him or the police, it's game over. Have I made myself clear?”
“Quite clear,” Mr. Trotter sighed.
“You have two hours,” Mr. Bennett said, and then hung up the phone. I looked over at Henry.
“I know who you are now Mr. Sharp. Or should I call you Mr. Harrison,” I growled. The man looked over at me with an angry look in his eye.
“Yes, no doubt your father's told you all about me,” He growled back. “Had he left well enough alone, everything would have been fine, but no, he had to push.”
“Enough, both of you,” Mr. Bennett insisted, and turned to his Right Hand Man. “I'll need you to stay here.”
“Yes Sir,” Henry said, with a nod. His Boss then continued.
“Wait for the Trotters to arrive, and then finish them off,” Mr. Bennett requested.
“Nooo!” Linda shrieked.
“Quiet!” Henry barked, pointing the gun at her. Linda flinched, and turned away in fear. “What do we do with them?” He then asked. “They aren't worth anything to us anymore.”
“On the contrary my friend,” Mr. Bennett said, and then grinned at us. “I think you'll find that two lovely young birds such as these are worth a lot to the right people.” As if it couldn't get any worse. My eyes widened.
“You wouldn't,” I snarled.
“How do you think I made my fortune?” Mr. Bennett asked.
“You were a human trafficker?” Linda asked in shock.
“What, your father didn't have the courage to tell you?” Mr. Bennett asked back. “Of course. His airline was perfect, but I slipped up one day, and he caught me,” Mr. Bennett explained. “Now the one obstacle in my path will soon be removed, and I can resume what I had started, and you two will be the first on the list,” He said. Linda and I were at a loss for words. Well, at least I was.
“You Monster!” Linda screamed.
“Shut them up,” He then snapped to the two men with the duct tape. They nodded, and wrapped tape over our mouths several times effectively gagging us.
“Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to go to,” Mr. Bennett said, as he gave us a quick bow and left the room.
“You stay here just outside the door,” Henry told one of them. “You come with me,” He then said to the other. He then looked over at us. “I suggest you two share whatever quality time you you can with each other, as this will likely be the last time you ever see each other or your families again,” He said. He then laughed at our misfortune, and left the room.
Linda and I were crushed. The one thing I was counting on. The one thing I was holding onto was now taken away from me. Linda and I looked at each other. This probably would be the last time we ever saw each other again. The fun memories we had in such a short time together.
And what of Sam and Lucy? They were practically family to me as well. Finally there was Dad. He loved me more then anything in the world. There was no way he'd be able to rescue us now. It was too much for me. I broke into tears, and leaned my head on her shoulder. She then leaned on me sobbing away as well.
Part 13: In this part, Jeff and company come up with a plan.
----Jeff----
“Jeff, are you okay,” Dale asked. I hadn't moved for about five minutes, and I took no notice of his question. I was sat down in a chair with my face buried in my hands. I was filled with so much regret. I just couldn't bring myself to pull that trigger eighteen years ago. I should have known this was going to come back to haunt me.
“Hey, let the man be,” Robert said, in a gentle, but firm tone. What made it worse was that creature now had my daughter. I then heard Dale speak again.
“He used a cell phone, but we were able to find it's location, so we know where they are now,” He said to the Trotters. Debra was crying nonstop into her husbands shoulder. This whole ordeal has effected them just as badly. Their lives as they knew them were about to be completely shattered.
“Do you-do you think I should go through with it?” Ted asked. “Do you think he'll keep his word, and return our daughters if I make the exchange?”
“No,” I said finally. Everyone was now looking at me.
“Well, it's nice to know you're still alive Jeff,” Officer Peterson said. I lifted my face up just enough to glare at him.
“Dale...not now,” I snapped. Dale nodded at me.
“Sorry,” He sighed. I then continued.
“Ted, your daughter is the one thing keeping you in check. He can't afford to let her go,” I said. I saw Ted's face sink. “You told me yourself he was a human trafficker right?” I then asked. Ted's eyes grew wide.
“You don't think he would-?” He asked. I nodded yes.
“If I were in his shoes, it's what I would do. The final insult to crush you beneath his heel,” I said. “Going through with the exchange will not get them back.”
“Besides, it's likely Henry or someone else may be waiting for you at that house when you go to rescue them,” Robert suggested. “I don't think I need to tell you what that means.”
“But the police would likely be going in first,” Ted stated. “Surely that man couldn't take down all of them.” It was a good point, but there was one flaw in it.
“Ted, do you really want to let those two win?” I asked.
“If it means getting our daughters back, then yes,” He said.
“That's what I've been saying. We won't be getting them back. They'll either already be gone, or a death trap could be waiting for you, or both,” I said. Ted nodded, and sank back down into the couch.
“Then it seems we're going to have to arrest Bennett, and rescue the girls at the same time,” Dale said.
“Do you have any ideas?” Mr. Trotter asked.
“We'll stay a safe distance away,” Dale said. “Once he walks up to you, and you confirm his identity, we will then rush in to make the arrest.”
“How will I signal to you that it's him?” Mr. Trotter asked. He seemed to be feeling a lot better about this. Unlike me.
“You won't” The Officer who was performing the recording said. “I'll set you up with a wire tap. Anything you or him say will be heard by us.”
“But how do we rescue the girls?” He then asked.
“I'm still working on that,” Dale sighed. I then let out a sigh of my own.
“I'll do it,” I said. Dale looked at me and shook his head.
“Hell no Jeff. You are in no mental shape to being involved in this anymore,” He stated firmly. I got up off the couch, and walked right up to him. My eyes met right with his.
“Dale, I'm not going to sit idle while Henry has my daughter,” I growled.
“Jeff you heard what he said!” Dale snapped. “If you go there the girls are history!”
“Dale, I have to,” I insisted. “You can lead if you want, but whatever it is you're doing, I'm going with you.”
“Don't forget Dale, Jeff and I are the reason you have the information that you do up until now,” Robert pointed out. “We're already committed to this.”
“Jeff. Robert. I understand this isn't easy for you. It certainly isn't easy on the Trotters,” Dale said, trying to keep things calm. “But we will handle this from here.”
“Dale,” I said.
“I'm done talking about this Jeff. I'm sorry,” Dale said, and then turned to have a word with some of the other officers. He seemed quite distracted with them too. I strolled over to the desk where the police had recorded the phone call and traced it. The officer had in fact wrote down the address on a piece of paper.
I took a photo of it on my phone, and them slipped away through the front door. I then raced for my truck. I heard an “Oh shit!” from someone just before I closed the door, started the engine, and took off.
“I'm sorry too,” I said aloud.
* * * *
My first stop was my house. I wasn't going to need a lot. All I needed was my Beretta, and a tack vest that I had stored in my safe. I also grabbed a pair of binoculars. With everything I needed in hand, I flew down the road to the house.
* * * *
the house looked very beautiful. It was large, and sat right on the coast with the waves crashing onto the cliffs below it. I was a safe distance away, and was scanning the area with my binoculars for several things. How many men were stationed at the house? Where were they stationed? Things like that. Anything that would allow me to get in unnoticed.
I then turned my head to see Roberts car pull up right behind my truck. I turned back to look at the house again.
“You mad at me?” I asked.
“You never did take no for an answer,” Robert said. He also had a pair of binoculars with him, and was looking at the house now as well.
“I'll bet Dale's pissed,” I commented.
“He seemed more annoyed,” Robert said.
“Thanks for coming,” I said.
“Hey, Katie's family to me too, and Linda's a nice girl. She and Katie didn't deserve this,” Robert snapped. “Besides, Henry's on the lookout for you, and not me.”
“That's true,” I said, as we continued to look things over.
“I'm not seeing any real weakness,” Robert said, as he looked at the guard's positions.
“No, We're going to have to do something that gets their attention, but also doesn't put them on alert,” I suggested.
“I can think of a couple ways to do that,” Robert said. He then turned to look at me. “But Jeff, I gotta ask: What's more important to you? Revenge on Henry, or Katie?” He asked. I turned a glare to him.
“Of course Katie's more important, why?” I asked.
“I'm just making sure you have your priorities straight,” Robert grumbled. We both then heard another car pull up. It was Dale's car. We just watched as he stepped out of his car, and walked over to us.
“Are you here to arrest me?” I asked, in a firm tone. Dale shook his head.
“No, I'm here to join you,” He said. I cracked a smile. A grin he returned in kind.
----Jeff----
“Jeff, are you okay,” Dale asked. I hadn't moved for about five minutes, and I took no notice of his question. I was sat down in a chair with my face buried in my hands. I was filled with so much regret. I just couldn't bring myself to pull that trigger eighteen years ago. I should have known this was going to come back to haunt me.
“Hey, let the man be,” Robert said, in a gentle, but firm tone. What made it worse was that creature now had my daughter. I then heard Dale speak again.
“He used a cell phone, but we were able to find it's location, so we know where they are now,” He said to the Trotters. Debra was crying nonstop into her husbands shoulder. This whole ordeal has effected them just as badly. Their lives as they knew them were about to be completely shattered.
“Do you-do you think I should go through with it?” Ted asked. “Do you think he'll keep his word, and return our daughters if I make the exchange?”
“No,” I said finally. Everyone was now looking at me.
“Well, it's nice to know you're still alive Jeff,” Officer Peterson said. I lifted my face up just enough to glare at him.
“Dale...not now,” I snapped. Dale nodded at me.
“Sorry,” He sighed. I then continued.
“Ted, your daughter is the one thing keeping you in check. He can't afford to let her go,” I said. I saw Ted's face sink. “You told me yourself he was a human trafficker right?” I then asked. Ted's eyes grew wide.
“You don't think he would-?” He asked. I nodded yes.
“If I were in his shoes, it's what I would do. The final insult to crush you beneath his heel,” I said. “Going through with the exchange will not get them back.”
“Besides, it's likely Henry or someone else may be waiting for you at that house when you go to rescue them,” Robert suggested. “I don't think I need to tell you what that means.”
“But the police would likely be going in first,” Ted stated. “Surely that man couldn't take down all of them.” It was a good point, but there was one flaw in it.
“Ted, do you really want to let those two win?” I asked.
“If it means getting our daughters back, then yes,” He said.
“That's what I've been saying. We won't be getting them back. They'll either already be gone, or a death trap could be waiting for you, or both,” I said. Ted nodded, and sank back down into the couch.
“Then it seems we're going to have to arrest Bennett, and rescue the girls at the same time,” Dale said.
“Do you have any ideas?” Mr. Trotter asked.
“We'll stay a safe distance away,” Dale said. “Once he walks up to you, and you confirm his identity, we will then rush in to make the arrest.”
“How will I signal to you that it's him?” Mr. Trotter asked. He seemed to be feeling a lot better about this. Unlike me.
“You won't” The Officer who was performing the recording said. “I'll set you up with a wire tap. Anything you or him say will be heard by us.”
“But how do we rescue the girls?” He then asked.
“I'm still working on that,” Dale sighed. I then let out a sigh of my own.
“I'll do it,” I said. Dale looked at me and shook his head.
“Hell no Jeff. You are in no mental shape to being involved in this anymore,” He stated firmly. I got up off the couch, and walked right up to him. My eyes met right with his.
“Dale, I'm not going to sit idle while Henry has my daughter,” I growled.
“Jeff you heard what he said!” Dale snapped. “If you go there the girls are history!”
“Dale, I have to,” I insisted. “You can lead if you want, but whatever it is you're doing, I'm going with you.”
“Don't forget Dale, Jeff and I are the reason you have the information that you do up until now,” Robert pointed out. “We're already committed to this.”
“Jeff. Robert. I understand this isn't easy for you. It certainly isn't easy on the Trotters,” Dale said, trying to keep things calm. “But we will handle this from here.”
“Dale,” I said.
“I'm done talking about this Jeff. I'm sorry,” Dale said, and then turned to have a word with some of the other officers. He seemed quite distracted with them too. I strolled over to the desk where the police had recorded the phone call and traced it. The officer had in fact wrote down the address on a piece of paper.
I took a photo of it on my phone, and them slipped away through the front door. I then raced for my truck. I heard an “Oh shit!” from someone just before I closed the door, started the engine, and took off.
“I'm sorry too,” I said aloud.
* * * *
My first stop was my house. I wasn't going to need a lot. All I needed was my Beretta, and a tack vest that I had stored in my safe. I also grabbed a pair of binoculars. With everything I needed in hand, I flew down the road to the house.
* * * *
the house looked very beautiful. It was large, and sat right on the coast with the waves crashing onto the cliffs below it. I was a safe distance away, and was scanning the area with my binoculars for several things. How many men were stationed at the house? Where were they stationed? Things like that. Anything that would allow me to get in unnoticed.
I then turned my head to see Roberts car pull up right behind my truck. I turned back to look at the house again.
“You mad at me?” I asked.
“You never did take no for an answer,” Robert said. He also had a pair of binoculars with him, and was looking at the house now as well.
“I'll bet Dale's pissed,” I commented.
“He seemed more annoyed,” Robert said.
“Thanks for coming,” I said.
“Hey, Katie's family to me too, and Linda's a nice girl. She and Katie didn't deserve this,” Robert snapped. “Besides, Henry's on the lookout for you, and not me.”
“That's true,” I said, as we continued to look things over.
“I'm not seeing any real weakness,” Robert said, as he looked at the guard's positions.
“No, We're going to have to do something that gets their attention, but also doesn't put them on alert,” I suggested.
“I can think of a couple ways to do that,” Robert said. He then turned to look at me. “But Jeff, I gotta ask: What's more important to you? Revenge on Henry, or Katie?” He asked. I turned a glare to him.
“Of course Katie's more important, why?” I asked.
“I'm just making sure you have your priorities straight,” Robert grumbled. We both then heard another car pull up. It was Dale's car. We just watched as he stepped out of his car, and walked over to us.
“Are you here to arrest me?” I asked, in a firm tone. Dale shook his head.
“No, I'm here to join you,” He said. I cracked a smile. A grin he returned in kind.
Part 14: In this part, Katie and Linda make a stand.
----Katie----
Linda and I were still slumped up against the bed. I was still reflecting on what had just happened a little bit ago. The rescue was almost definitely off. No police, no Dad, no nothing. I turned my head, and looked her in the eye. I could tell she was thinking the same thing as me. We were not about to spend the rest of our lives as slaves to God-knows-who off in God-knows-where. This left us with only one option: We'd have to try to escape on our own, and pray we didn't get caught.
Unlike Rope, Tape is something you can struggle against to some extent. Unlike Rope, it'll stretch over time, but with the amount that was applied to our hands, it still held quite firm. We gave up after about ten minutes or so.
Also, this time around, our hands were made into fists with tape wrapped around those as well. This made it impossible for us to free ourselves that way. But that didn't stop us from trying.
“Lnndh, trrh thth,” I tried to say through my gag. I then started rubbing my hands in the floor in an effort to slide the tape off my hands that way. Linda followed suit soon after. Unfortunately, the tape around our waists ensured that that didn't really work either.
“Mmmmgh! Whmp rrh ww ggnng tt dh?” Linda asked, clearly getting frustrated. Thirty minutes had passed. We had an hour and thirty minutes more before we were history. I was looking around the room for...something...anything. That's when something caught my eye. I did my best to scoot over to the leg of the bed.
“Wwhh rrh yyh dnnng?” Linda asked. I turned my back to the leg of the bed, and started rubbing my bound hands on it. The leg had not been sanded. Or if it was, then it wasn't done very well. It was rough enough to cut through the tape on my hands. It was slow, but after a few minutes of persistence, my hands were free at last.
Linda let out a squeak through her gag, as I was now able to remove the tape around my fists with the aid of my feet. I was pleased to see that the time spent rubbing my hands on the floor wasn't completely wasted. With my hands free, I freed Linda of her bonds. I then removed the tape around my feet, and finally my mouth.
“That was painful,” I said, in a hushed tone. As Linda removed her gag, she was about to say something, but I put a finger to my lips indicating her to shush. I crept up to the door, and knocked on it.
“What the-” The guy on the other side of the door said. He unlocked it, and stepped inside. He had his gun drawn, but I swatted it out of his hand. After a few punches were thrown, we both took hold of each others wrists. The guy then headbutted me on my collarbone which made me stumble backwards.
“I told you I'd remember that,” He said. Well well. It was Frankie. The guy I had headbutted just before we were taken. He then aimed a punch at me which I easily dodged. With momentum in my favor, I kicked him twice in the chest. He tried to kick me, but I ducked, and punched him right in the jaw. With him staggered, I gave him one more kick across the side of his head, and he was on the ground out cold.
“Wow,” Linda said, in awe.
“Nice to see those lesson's pay off,” I said. After taking a few deep breaths, I walked over to the pistol that Frankie had dropped, and picked it up.
“Do you know how to use that?” Linda asked. I snarled at her. I then started field stripping it. “I guess that was a stupid question,” Linda mumbled, as I finished. We both looked at the open door, and then back at each other. I held out my hand for her to shake it. She decided to give me a hug instead.
“No matter what happens. Friends forever?” She asked.
“Forever,” I answered. We both then went through the door, and into the hallway.
Linda let me take point considering I had the gun. We carefully peaked around every corner before proceeding further. So far we hadn't run into any trouble which kinda surprised me. As we turned one corner, we had to double back, as we heard fast foot steps from downstairs. I then heard Henry's voice.
“What is going on out there? Why did they leave their posts?” He asked, sounding angry. The men leaving their posts? This may have gotten a bit easier. Some luck at last.
“There's a couple of drunk guys causing a commotion in the yard,” Another man said.
“Well, do something about it!” Henry ordered. I then heard them leave. We both breathed a sigh of relief. I risked a peak down the stairs. The coast was clear from what I could see. I then gestured Linda to follow me down the stairs. Once I hit the last step I checked around. There was no one in sight. We crept further still...until...
“KATE!!” Linda yelled. I whipped around, and almost had a heart attack. Henry was holding Linda as a shield with a pistol pointed right at her head. I had my gun pointed right at him with a determined look on my face.
“Somehow I knew that moron would screw it up!” Henry growled. “Do all three of us a favor and drop the gun!” He then ordered. I stood my ground. However, Henry also stood his. “Drop the gun, or I drop your friend. You know I'll do it!” He barked. I looked at the gun and let out a sigh.
I didn't want to risk shooting and missing, or hitting, and Henry's gun still going off. Linda looked at me with wide eyes, and nodded yes. I took in a deep breath, and with a pained and angry look on my face, I tossed the gun away.
“Good girl,” Henry said. He then reached into his jacket, and pulled out a zip-tie. “Hands behind your back,” He told Linda. “Do it!” He then barked. Linda obeyed, and the tie was looped around her wrists. He then pushed her to the floor with his foot. “Don't move!” He barked, as Linda began to cry again.
Henry was now walking towards me. His gun pointed right between my eyes. I knew I'd have to be fast and precise. Unlike Frankie, Henry was an former Seal like my Dad. Once he got close enough, I took my best shot. I tried to swat the gun away, and kick him in the chest. Unfortunately he caught my hand, and kicked me in the thigh. The force sent me to the floor.
I looked up at him with a pained expression on my face. I had one chance and failed. Henry was leering over me with his gun still pointed at me. He didn't look to pleased with my show of defiance.
“Hmmm,” He then hummed. He looked at his gun, and then back to me. He looked at his gun again, and then back to me again. Very much to my surprise, as well as Linda's, He smirked, and put his gun away back into his jacket holster. He then motioned with both hands for me to come at him.
“With pleasure,” I snarled at him. I didn't need to be convinced twice. Soon we were both locked in combat. I found out very quickly just how outclassed I was though. After only a couple missed hits, he sent me to the floor again.
“Not bad,” He complimented, as he recomposed himself. I could only imagine what was going through Linda's mind right about now. All she could do was watch from the foot of the stairs looking horrified. “Did Daddy teach you those tricks?” Henry then asked. He certainly knew how to push my buttons, and we were at it again.
This time though, he made one mistake, and I took full advantage of it. I aimed one very strong roundhouse kick to his face. Henry staggered backwards clearly stunned. Even Linda winced a bit when I hit him. I saw the damage as he stood back up. I saw he was bleeding a bit just above his eyebrow. He also wasn't smirking anymore. One look into his eyes, and I knew he was livid.
I barely had any time to react. He rushed at me with a kick which I ducked. I blocked a few of his other kicks, and tried one of my own. That was a mistake. He grabbed hold of my leg, and sent me to the floor. He then tried to stomp me, but I rolled out of the way just before his shoe hit the floor. As I got up, he backhanded me across the face, and I was sent to my knees. I then felt his forearm club against my back. I buckled, and fell onto the floor. Henry then kicked me in the side of the chest. I let out a cry of pain.
“Stop it!” Linda yelled frantically. Henry turned to face her with a smirk. He then kicked me in the side again which made me scream again. He then clubbed me over the back again. Next he stamped his foot onto my left leg. Linda was screaming right along side me the whole time he'd hit me. With each hit he'd pause and let my pain sink in until he finally decided to stop.
I had never experienced pain like this before. I could feel rivers of tears stinging my eyes. I was barely able to roll onto my other side. Once I did, I saw Henry pull the gun back out. I didn't look at him though. I was looking at Linda. The fear and sadness in her tear stained eyes was gut-wrenching. I tried to help us escape, and I failed.
“So, do you have any last words?” Henry asked me. The pain and injustice was too much for me. All I could do was lay there and sob. Then we heard it...
“Do you!?”
----Katie----
Linda and I were still slumped up against the bed. I was still reflecting on what had just happened a little bit ago. The rescue was almost definitely off. No police, no Dad, no nothing. I turned my head, and looked her in the eye. I could tell she was thinking the same thing as me. We were not about to spend the rest of our lives as slaves to God-knows-who off in God-knows-where. This left us with only one option: We'd have to try to escape on our own, and pray we didn't get caught.
Unlike Rope, Tape is something you can struggle against to some extent. Unlike Rope, it'll stretch over time, but with the amount that was applied to our hands, it still held quite firm. We gave up after about ten minutes or so.
Also, this time around, our hands were made into fists with tape wrapped around those as well. This made it impossible for us to free ourselves that way. But that didn't stop us from trying.
“Lnndh, trrh thth,” I tried to say through my gag. I then started rubbing my hands in the floor in an effort to slide the tape off my hands that way. Linda followed suit soon after. Unfortunately, the tape around our waists ensured that that didn't really work either.
“Mmmmgh! Whmp rrh ww ggnng tt dh?” Linda asked, clearly getting frustrated. Thirty minutes had passed. We had an hour and thirty minutes more before we were history. I was looking around the room for...something...anything. That's when something caught my eye. I did my best to scoot over to the leg of the bed.
“Wwhh rrh yyh dnnng?” Linda asked. I turned my back to the leg of the bed, and started rubbing my bound hands on it. The leg had not been sanded. Or if it was, then it wasn't done very well. It was rough enough to cut through the tape on my hands. It was slow, but after a few minutes of persistence, my hands were free at last.
Linda let out a squeak through her gag, as I was now able to remove the tape around my fists with the aid of my feet. I was pleased to see that the time spent rubbing my hands on the floor wasn't completely wasted. With my hands free, I freed Linda of her bonds. I then removed the tape around my feet, and finally my mouth.
“That was painful,” I said, in a hushed tone. As Linda removed her gag, she was about to say something, but I put a finger to my lips indicating her to shush. I crept up to the door, and knocked on it.
“What the-” The guy on the other side of the door said. He unlocked it, and stepped inside. He had his gun drawn, but I swatted it out of his hand. After a few punches were thrown, we both took hold of each others wrists. The guy then headbutted me on my collarbone which made me stumble backwards.
“I told you I'd remember that,” He said. Well well. It was Frankie. The guy I had headbutted just before we were taken. He then aimed a punch at me which I easily dodged. With momentum in my favor, I kicked him twice in the chest. He tried to kick me, but I ducked, and punched him right in the jaw. With him staggered, I gave him one more kick across the side of his head, and he was on the ground out cold.
“Wow,” Linda said, in awe.
“Nice to see those lesson's pay off,” I said. After taking a few deep breaths, I walked over to the pistol that Frankie had dropped, and picked it up.
“Do you know how to use that?” Linda asked. I snarled at her. I then started field stripping it. “I guess that was a stupid question,” Linda mumbled, as I finished. We both looked at the open door, and then back at each other. I held out my hand for her to shake it. She decided to give me a hug instead.
“No matter what happens. Friends forever?” She asked.
“Forever,” I answered. We both then went through the door, and into the hallway.
Linda let me take point considering I had the gun. We carefully peaked around every corner before proceeding further. So far we hadn't run into any trouble which kinda surprised me. As we turned one corner, we had to double back, as we heard fast foot steps from downstairs. I then heard Henry's voice.
“What is going on out there? Why did they leave their posts?” He asked, sounding angry. The men leaving their posts? This may have gotten a bit easier. Some luck at last.
“There's a couple of drunk guys causing a commotion in the yard,” Another man said.
“Well, do something about it!” Henry ordered. I then heard them leave. We both breathed a sigh of relief. I risked a peak down the stairs. The coast was clear from what I could see. I then gestured Linda to follow me down the stairs. Once I hit the last step I checked around. There was no one in sight. We crept further still...until...
“KATE!!” Linda yelled. I whipped around, and almost had a heart attack. Henry was holding Linda as a shield with a pistol pointed right at her head. I had my gun pointed right at him with a determined look on my face.
“Somehow I knew that moron would screw it up!” Henry growled. “Do all three of us a favor and drop the gun!” He then ordered. I stood my ground. However, Henry also stood his. “Drop the gun, or I drop your friend. You know I'll do it!” He barked. I looked at the gun and let out a sigh.
I didn't want to risk shooting and missing, or hitting, and Henry's gun still going off. Linda looked at me with wide eyes, and nodded yes. I took in a deep breath, and with a pained and angry look on my face, I tossed the gun away.
“Good girl,” Henry said. He then reached into his jacket, and pulled out a zip-tie. “Hands behind your back,” He told Linda. “Do it!” He then barked. Linda obeyed, and the tie was looped around her wrists. He then pushed her to the floor with his foot. “Don't move!” He barked, as Linda began to cry again.
Henry was now walking towards me. His gun pointed right between my eyes. I knew I'd have to be fast and precise. Unlike Frankie, Henry was an former Seal like my Dad. Once he got close enough, I took my best shot. I tried to swat the gun away, and kick him in the chest. Unfortunately he caught my hand, and kicked me in the thigh. The force sent me to the floor.
I looked up at him with a pained expression on my face. I had one chance and failed. Henry was leering over me with his gun still pointed at me. He didn't look to pleased with my show of defiance.
“Hmmm,” He then hummed. He looked at his gun, and then back to me. He looked at his gun again, and then back to me again. Very much to my surprise, as well as Linda's, He smirked, and put his gun away back into his jacket holster. He then motioned with both hands for me to come at him.
“With pleasure,” I snarled at him. I didn't need to be convinced twice. Soon we were both locked in combat. I found out very quickly just how outclassed I was though. After only a couple missed hits, he sent me to the floor again.
“Not bad,” He complimented, as he recomposed himself. I could only imagine what was going through Linda's mind right about now. All she could do was watch from the foot of the stairs looking horrified. “Did Daddy teach you those tricks?” Henry then asked. He certainly knew how to push my buttons, and we were at it again.
This time though, he made one mistake, and I took full advantage of it. I aimed one very strong roundhouse kick to his face. Henry staggered backwards clearly stunned. Even Linda winced a bit when I hit him. I saw the damage as he stood back up. I saw he was bleeding a bit just above his eyebrow. He also wasn't smirking anymore. One look into his eyes, and I knew he was livid.
I barely had any time to react. He rushed at me with a kick which I ducked. I blocked a few of his other kicks, and tried one of my own. That was a mistake. He grabbed hold of my leg, and sent me to the floor. He then tried to stomp me, but I rolled out of the way just before his shoe hit the floor. As I got up, he backhanded me across the face, and I was sent to my knees. I then felt his forearm club against my back. I buckled, and fell onto the floor. Henry then kicked me in the side of the chest. I let out a cry of pain.
“Stop it!” Linda yelled frantically. Henry turned to face her with a smirk. He then kicked me in the side again which made me scream again. He then clubbed me over the back again. Next he stamped his foot onto my left leg. Linda was screaming right along side me the whole time he'd hit me. With each hit he'd pause and let my pain sink in until he finally decided to stop.
I had never experienced pain like this before. I could feel rivers of tears stinging my eyes. I was barely able to roll onto my other side. Once I did, I saw Henry pull the gun back out. I didn't look at him though. I was looking at Linda. The fear and sadness in her tear stained eyes was gut-wrenching. I tried to help us escape, and I failed.
“So, do you have any last words?” Henry asked me. The pain and injustice was too much for me. All I could do was lay there and sob. Then we heard it...
“Do you!?”
Part 15: In this part...Henry pays the Piper.
We all turned to the direction of the voice. A voice I had known since I was born. Leering over Henry was my Dad. He had his trusty Beretta aimed right at his face. I've seen Dad angry before whenever I may have misbehaved, or anything like that. The look on his face right now was unparalleled.
Linda closed her eyes, and let the relief wash over her. Dad looked over to me, and saw the condition I was in. His rage filled eyes then turned back to Henry who also looked steamed.
“Be very careful what you do Jeff. It could cost you more then you're ready to lose,” He warned.
“You should have adhered to that advice yourself you -,” Dad growled. I better not repeat what Dad called him. Henry looked at me, and then back at Dad. He quickly turned his gun at Dad, and shot his Beretta out of his hand. Linda and I both screamed. Dad let out a yell, and was now clutching his hand in pain.
“Did you really think my aim was that rusty?” He then asked. His gun now pointed away from me, and now at Dad. I still didn't know if that was good or bad. “I could have easily killed you you know, but since you were nice enough to spare me last time, I'll spare you this time,” Henry said.
“Shove it up your ass,” Dad growled. Henry just sighed.
“You know, I didn't want any of this to happen,” Henry insisted. “We were best friends, but you just didn't like the fact that I was making a little money on the side.”
“By selling secrets and weapons to our enemies!” Dad barked.
“They cut me a better deal then this stupid country ever could,” Henry said back. I had heard enough. I still had one good leg left, and I made the most of it. Henry's attention was on Dad, and not me. With one swing, With a determined growl, I kicked Henry in his shins causing him to stumble. Dad didn't hesitate. He pounced on Henry instantly. The gun flew out of his hand, and both men started brawling.
Henry was good enough to outclass my fighting abilities, but not my Dad. It was almost a role reversal. Although Henry was still pretty good, and did manage to kick my Dad to the floor.
“Why Jeff?” He asked. “You were like a brother to me.” It was easy for Henry to kick me while I was down, but Dad was too experienced for that to work on him. Dad got up, kicked him twice, and then belted him in the face.
“What about Rivers!?” Dad roared, as he thwacked Henry again. “What about Bailey?!” (Thwack) “What about Simmons!?” (Thwack) “What about Rogers!?” (Thwack.) Those must have been the names of all the other members of Dad's team that Henry got killed. “Where they not your brother's too!?” Dad then yelled.
I was so concentrated on the fight I didn't even see Linda walk up behind me.
“How bad are you hurt?” She asked.
“It's bad,” I said, still holding my chest.
“Come on, you gotta get up,” She then insisted. Even with her hands bound behind her back, she seemed determined to help me get to my feet. I grabbed one of her hands, and she attempted to pull me up. A sharp pain shot through my chest, and I let go.
“I think he broke a couple ribs,” I guessed. We then tried again. I had to use her a support, but I did eventually make it to my feet. I had to lean on her though, or I might risk falling back down again. We then turned our attention back to the two men.
The fight had moved into the kitchen, and was clearly in Dad's favor now, as he was advancing while Henry was retreating. Dad was almost like a wild beast hunting prey. There was no grace in his movement like he has when we'd spar in the basement. He was just throwing wild punches and kicks while Henry was doing his best to fend them off.
Henry still had one trick up his sleeve. Almost literally. He pulled a second gun out from under his jacket. Dad already had it scouted, and kicked it out of his hand. As the gun flew up to the ceiling, Dad kicked Henry in the chest, and the force sent him through the pantry door.
Henry was left laying on his back while Dad picked up the gun and pointed it him. It was the same thing that had happened eighteen years ago. Henry looked up at Dad and nodded.
“Not bad Jeff. Not bad at all,” He complimented. Dad leered down at his victim with full hatred. He then turned his head for a second.
“Katie, look away,” He instructed. I didn't need to be told twice. With Linda's help we turned the corner, and hid behind the wall.
“You remember what I told you last time?” Dad asked Henry. Much to my surprise, Henry laughed.
“Jeff, you couldn't bring yourself to do it before. What makes this time any different?” He asked. Dad's response still sends shivers down my spine to this day.
“You made it different when you put your hands on my baby girl,” He growled. After hearing that, Linda and I both looked at each other and braced ourselves.
BANG!
I then heard a clattering sound. Likely Dad tossing the gun onto the kitchen floor. He then came to see us. He looked pretty bruised from the fight. I let go of Linda, and immediately embraced my Dad in a hug.
“thank you Daddy. Thank you,” I said, as I cried into his shirt. Dad hugged me in return. I could feel my side hurting again, but I didn't care. This was more important. Linda kinda looked like she was feeling left out, but Dad stretched out his hand, and invited her in too.
We were soon interrupted by Uncle Robert rounding the corner, and seeing us. He was followed by Officer Peterson. Both had guns drawn, but put them away when they saw us.
“You alright?” Officer Peterson asked. We all nodded yes. The officer then pulled out a knife to cut Linda's hands free.
“Where's Henry?” Uncle Robert asked.
“Where he belongs,” Dad grumbled. Uncle Robert just sighed and nodded.
We all walked outside-well, they walked. I limped. Anyways, we all went out the front door to see a dozen or so police cars, along with a dozen or so officers, who where arresting a dozen or so of Mr. Bennett's guards.
“Here they come,” One officer said. They then parted to reveal Linda's Parents.
“Linda!” They both yelled, and rushed to their daughter. Without a word, Linda rushed to meet them. Linda and her mother met in a hug as both sobbed tears of joy. Mr. Trotter soon joined in as well. Uncle Robert nodded his approval.
“Now that's what it's all about right there,” He said. Dad and I nodded our agreement along with Mr. Peterson. Mr. Trotter then approached Dad.
“Sir, I can not repay you for what you have done for us,” He said.
“I'm not asking you to Ted,” Dad said, with a grin.
“Well, if you ever need a favor, just let me know,” Mr. Trotter said. I knew he was serious too.
We all turned to the direction of the voice. A voice I had known since I was born. Leering over Henry was my Dad. He had his trusty Beretta aimed right at his face. I've seen Dad angry before whenever I may have misbehaved, or anything like that. The look on his face right now was unparalleled.
Linda closed her eyes, and let the relief wash over her. Dad looked over to me, and saw the condition I was in. His rage filled eyes then turned back to Henry who also looked steamed.
“Be very careful what you do Jeff. It could cost you more then you're ready to lose,” He warned.
“You should have adhered to that advice yourself you -,” Dad growled. I better not repeat what Dad called him. Henry looked at me, and then back at Dad. He quickly turned his gun at Dad, and shot his Beretta out of his hand. Linda and I both screamed. Dad let out a yell, and was now clutching his hand in pain.
“Did you really think my aim was that rusty?” He then asked. His gun now pointed away from me, and now at Dad. I still didn't know if that was good or bad. “I could have easily killed you you know, but since you were nice enough to spare me last time, I'll spare you this time,” Henry said.
“Shove it up your ass,” Dad growled. Henry just sighed.
“You know, I didn't want any of this to happen,” Henry insisted. “We were best friends, but you just didn't like the fact that I was making a little money on the side.”
“By selling secrets and weapons to our enemies!” Dad barked.
“They cut me a better deal then this stupid country ever could,” Henry said back. I had heard enough. I still had one good leg left, and I made the most of it. Henry's attention was on Dad, and not me. With one swing, With a determined growl, I kicked Henry in his shins causing him to stumble. Dad didn't hesitate. He pounced on Henry instantly. The gun flew out of his hand, and both men started brawling.
Henry was good enough to outclass my fighting abilities, but not my Dad. It was almost a role reversal. Although Henry was still pretty good, and did manage to kick my Dad to the floor.
“Why Jeff?” He asked. “You were like a brother to me.” It was easy for Henry to kick me while I was down, but Dad was too experienced for that to work on him. Dad got up, kicked him twice, and then belted him in the face.
“What about Rivers!?” Dad roared, as he thwacked Henry again. “What about Bailey?!” (Thwack) “What about Simmons!?” (Thwack) “What about Rogers!?” (Thwack.) Those must have been the names of all the other members of Dad's team that Henry got killed. “Where they not your brother's too!?” Dad then yelled.
I was so concentrated on the fight I didn't even see Linda walk up behind me.
“How bad are you hurt?” She asked.
“It's bad,” I said, still holding my chest.
“Come on, you gotta get up,” She then insisted. Even with her hands bound behind her back, she seemed determined to help me get to my feet. I grabbed one of her hands, and she attempted to pull me up. A sharp pain shot through my chest, and I let go.
“I think he broke a couple ribs,” I guessed. We then tried again. I had to use her a support, but I did eventually make it to my feet. I had to lean on her though, or I might risk falling back down again. We then turned our attention back to the two men.
The fight had moved into the kitchen, and was clearly in Dad's favor now, as he was advancing while Henry was retreating. Dad was almost like a wild beast hunting prey. There was no grace in his movement like he has when we'd spar in the basement. He was just throwing wild punches and kicks while Henry was doing his best to fend them off.
Henry still had one trick up his sleeve. Almost literally. He pulled a second gun out from under his jacket. Dad already had it scouted, and kicked it out of his hand. As the gun flew up to the ceiling, Dad kicked Henry in the chest, and the force sent him through the pantry door.
Henry was left laying on his back while Dad picked up the gun and pointed it him. It was the same thing that had happened eighteen years ago. Henry looked up at Dad and nodded.
“Not bad Jeff. Not bad at all,” He complimented. Dad leered down at his victim with full hatred. He then turned his head for a second.
“Katie, look away,” He instructed. I didn't need to be told twice. With Linda's help we turned the corner, and hid behind the wall.
“You remember what I told you last time?” Dad asked Henry. Much to my surprise, Henry laughed.
“Jeff, you couldn't bring yourself to do it before. What makes this time any different?” He asked. Dad's response still sends shivers down my spine to this day.
“You made it different when you put your hands on my baby girl,” He growled. After hearing that, Linda and I both looked at each other and braced ourselves.
BANG!
I then heard a clattering sound. Likely Dad tossing the gun onto the kitchen floor. He then came to see us. He looked pretty bruised from the fight. I let go of Linda, and immediately embraced my Dad in a hug.
“thank you Daddy. Thank you,” I said, as I cried into his shirt. Dad hugged me in return. I could feel my side hurting again, but I didn't care. This was more important. Linda kinda looked like she was feeling left out, but Dad stretched out his hand, and invited her in too.
We were soon interrupted by Uncle Robert rounding the corner, and seeing us. He was followed by Officer Peterson. Both had guns drawn, but put them away when they saw us.
“You alright?” Officer Peterson asked. We all nodded yes. The officer then pulled out a knife to cut Linda's hands free.
“Where's Henry?” Uncle Robert asked.
“Where he belongs,” Dad grumbled. Uncle Robert just sighed and nodded.
We all walked outside-well, they walked. I limped. Anyways, we all went out the front door to see a dozen or so police cars, along with a dozen or so officers, who where arresting a dozen or so of Mr. Bennett's guards.
“Here they come,” One officer said. They then parted to reveal Linda's Parents.
“Linda!” They both yelled, and rushed to their daughter. Without a word, Linda rushed to meet them. Linda and her mother met in a hug as both sobbed tears of joy. Mr. Trotter soon joined in as well. Uncle Robert nodded his approval.
“Now that's what it's all about right there,” He said. Dad and I nodded our agreement along with Mr. Peterson. Mr. Trotter then approached Dad.
“Sir, I can not repay you for what you have done for us,” He said.
“I'm not asking you to Ted,” Dad said, with a grin.
“Well, if you ever need a favor, just let me know,” Mr. Trotter said. I knew he was serious too.
Final part: The aftermath.
I had to spend two days in the hospital recovering from the whole ordeal. The doctors confirmed that I did indeed have several broken ribs. This meant that Dad and I were going to have to halt our exercises for a bit until they healed.
I woke up on the morning of the third day, and saw Dad sitting in a chair close by to my bed. He had a bandage on his arm, and one over his left eye, but nothing worse then that. Once he saw I was awake, he smiled warmly at me. The raging monster from before was nowhere to be seen.
“Hey Baby Girl,” He said softly. I grinned back.
“Hi,” I said back. I tried to sit up, but I was feeling very stiff. Never-the-less, I powered through it, and sat up anyways. I then took in a deep breathe.
“How are you feeling?” He asked. I tilled my head in thought.
“Better I guess. The pain isn't as bad,” I answered. Dad then looked me in the eye, and gave me a soft and slow clap.
“Katie, I am so very proud of you,” Dad stated firmly. I felt myself blushing as he spoke. “You and Linda both in fact.” That jogged my memory on something else.
“How is Linda?” I asked. Dad gestured to the door.
“Why don't you ask her yourself,” He suggested. I looked over at the door leading into the room, and Linda walked in. She was still wearing her hospital apron as well. She wasn't alone. Her parents were with her.
“It's so good to see you up and awake,” Linda said, with a smile.
“How are you doing?” I asked. Linda shrugged.
“I'm alright,” She said. “I was more worried about you.”
“Thanks,” I said. I then turned my attention to Linda's Father.
“Mr. Trotter, did Bennett get caught?” I asked.
“Yes. He'll be going away behind bars for a long time,” He stated. He then looked over at my Dad. “That reminds me Jeff. What was your story with Mr. Harrison?” He then asked. Dad and I looked at each other. He then gave Mr. Trotter the same story that Linda got a while back. He also gave him the conclusion that Linda and I were both witnesses to.
“Eighteen years overdue,” Mr. Trotter said.
“Indeed,” Dad added.
“How's everyone doing?” A new voice asked. The voice belonged to Officer Peterson who was now entering the room. Dad kinda just waved at him.
“Hey Dale,” He greeted. “You mad at me?” He then asked.
“No,” He sighed.
“Why would he be upset?” I asked. Dad and the officer then told their story on what happened back at the Trotter's house. I didn't really have anything to say in response to it.
“Jeff always was a rogue,” Uncle Robert said, as he now joined us. I wasn't surprised to see he was involved in this. “How are you two doing?” He then asked Linda and me.
“I'm stiff, and my side hurts, but other then that I'm okay,” I said.
“I'm alright,” Linda said.
“That's good to hear,” Uncle Robert said.
We all exchanged our individual stories on what had happened during the event until the Doctor came in, and shooed everyone out, so he could perform a few tests.
By the time evening rolled around, it was finally time for me to be released. It was about nine O'clock at night by the time we got back home. What a story Linda and I had for Sam and Lucy. Even though it wasn't quite bedtime yet, I got dressed in my pink T-shirt and pajama pants. I then got into my bed, and turned on my 3DS to work on some of my pokemon in my Alpha Sapphire game.
After about an hour, I looked at my game clock to see that two hours had in fact passed. I decided this was a good time to call it quits.
“Come in,” I said, as I got a knock on the door. Dad entered my room and walked over to me.
“You feeling okay?” He asked. I nodded yes.
“Good night princess,” Dad said, and gave me a kiss on the forehead.
“Good night Dad,” I said back. I pulled the covers over myself, as Dad started to leave the room. Once he got to the door, he paused.
“And Katie?” He asked.
“Yeah?” I asked back.
“No mater what ANY-one says. I will always be there for you,” He said, and gave me a sly wink. I smiled at him. I knew he was referring to Henry's failed attempt to keep him at bay. With that thought in mind, I drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
I woke up the next morning at around nine, and saw that clouds had moved in again. I just shrugged, and went to my bathroom to enjoy a nice refreshing shower. Once that was done I returned to my bedroom, and pulled out my outfit for the day. I wanted something on a more comfort level today. Something that just makes you feel good inside. I didn't plan on going anywhere, so I decided to wear a pair of black sweat pants, and a red plaid flannel shirt with long sleeves.
I left my hair loose, although I did use a couple barrettes to hold it in place. Once my outfit was done, I went downstairs to the kitchen to have some breakfast. Dad was there, but we didn't really talk much. Everything we needed to say had already been said. Once breakfast was done, I headed into the TV room to watch a few shows.
It wasn't long before I heard the ring of the doorbell. I put my show on pause, and got up off the couch to answer it. I opened the door to see Both Lucy's and Sam's entire families standing on our porch.
“We saw the news,” Lucy said. I just grinned and nodded. Lucy and Sam both gave me a hug. I let out a groan of pain.
“What? What is it?” Lucy asked. She didn't know it, but she had put pressure on my side. It doesn't matter how tough you are. Broken ribs are broken ribs.
“My ribs were cracked,” I moaned.
“Oh. Sorry,” Lucy said. Dad then came over to see our neighbors at the door.
“You Sir, are something else,” Lucy's Father said.
“You would have done the same for your daughter Albert,” Dad said. We then invited them in, and told them all about it.
To this day. That was one of the most terrifying things I have ever experienced. Not just from the fact that Linda and I were almost sold off like animals, but the fact that Dad revealed a side of himself that I had never seen before. I got to see what he used to do back when he was in the Navy, and to tell the truth, it scared me. I'll touch up a bit more on that next time though. I have homework to deal with right now.
I had to spend two days in the hospital recovering from the whole ordeal. The doctors confirmed that I did indeed have several broken ribs. This meant that Dad and I were going to have to halt our exercises for a bit until they healed.
I woke up on the morning of the third day, and saw Dad sitting in a chair close by to my bed. He had a bandage on his arm, and one over his left eye, but nothing worse then that. Once he saw I was awake, he smiled warmly at me. The raging monster from before was nowhere to be seen.
“Hey Baby Girl,” He said softly. I grinned back.
“Hi,” I said back. I tried to sit up, but I was feeling very stiff. Never-the-less, I powered through it, and sat up anyways. I then took in a deep breathe.
“How are you feeling?” He asked. I tilled my head in thought.
“Better I guess. The pain isn't as bad,” I answered. Dad then looked me in the eye, and gave me a soft and slow clap.
“Katie, I am so very proud of you,” Dad stated firmly. I felt myself blushing as he spoke. “You and Linda both in fact.” That jogged my memory on something else.
“How is Linda?” I asked. Dad gestured to the door.
“Why don't you ask her yourself,” He suggested. I looked over at the door leading into the room, and Linda walked in. She was still wearing her hospital apron as well. She wasn't alone. Her parents were with her.
“It's so good to see you up and awake,” Linda said, with a smile.
“How are you doing?” I asked. Linda shrugged.
“I'm alright,” She said. “I was more worried about you.”
“Thanks,” I said. I then turned my attention to Linda's Father.
“Mr. Trotter, did Bennett get caught?” I asked.
“Yes. He'll be going away behind bars for a long time,” He stated. He then looked over at my Dad. “That reminds me Jeff. What was your story with Mr. Harrison?” He then asked. Dad and I looked at each other. He then gave Mr. Trotter the same story that Linda got a while back. He also gave him the conclusion that Linda and I were both witnesses to.
“Eighteen years overdue,” Mr. Trotter said.
“Indeed,” Dad added.
“How's everyone doing?” A new voice asked. The voice belonged to Officer Peterson who was now entering the room. Dad kinda just waved at him.
“Hey Dale,” He greeted. “You mad at me?” He then asked.
“No,” He sighed.
“Why would he be upset?” I asked. Dad and the officer then told their story on what happened back at the Trotter's house. I didn't really have anything to say in response to it.
“Jeff always was a rogue,” Uncle Robert said, as he now joined us. I wasn't surprised to see he was involved in this. “How are you two doing?” He then asked Linda and me.
“I'm stiff, and my side hurts, but other then that I'm okay,” I said.
“I'm alright,” Linda said.
“That's good to hear,” Uncle Robert said.
We all exchanged our individual stories on what had happened during the event until the Doctor came in, and shooed everyone out, so he could perform a few tests.
By the time evening rolled around, it was finally time for me to be released. It was about nine O'clock at night by the time we got back home. What a story Linda and I had for Sam and Lucy. Even though it wasn't quite bedtime yet, I got dressed in my pink T-shirt and pajama pants. I then got into my bed, and turned on my 3DS to work on some of my pokemon in my Alpha Sapphire game.
After about an hour, I looked at my game clock to see that two hours had in fact passed. I decided this was a good time to call it quits.
“Come in,” I said, as I got a knock on the door. Dad entered my room and walked over to me.
“You feeling okay?” He asked. I nodded yes.
“Good night princess,” Dad said, and gave me a kiss on the forehead.
“Good night Dad,” I said back. I pulled the covers over myself, as Dad started to leave the room. Once he got to the door, he paused.
“And Katie?” He asked.
“Yeah?” I asked back.
“No mater what ANY-one says. I will always be there for you,” He said, and gave me a sly wink. I smiled at him. I knew he was referring to Henry's failed attempt to keep him at bay. With that thought in mind, I drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
I woke up the next morning at around nine, and saw that clouds had moved in again. I just shrugged, and went to my bathroom to enjoy a nice refreshing shower. Once that was done I returned to my bedroom, and pulled out my outfit for the day. I wanted something on a more comfort level today. Something that just makes you feel good inside. I didn't plan on going anywhere, so I decided to wear a pair of black sweat pants, and a red plaid flannel shirt with long sleeves.
I left my hair loose, although I did use a couple barrettes to hold it in place. Once my outfit was done, I went downstairs to the kitchen to have some breakfast. Dad was there, but we didn't really talk much. Everything we needed to say had already been said. Once breakfast was done, I headed into the TV room to watch a few shows.
It wasn't long before I heard the ring of the doorbell. I put my show on pause, and got up off the couch to answer it. I opened the door to see Both Lucy's and Sam's entire families standing on our porch.
“We saw the news,” Lucy said. I just grinned and nodded. Lucy and Sam both gave me a hug. I let out a groan of pain.
“What? What is it?” Lucy asked. She didn't know it, but she had put pressure on my side. It doesn't matter how tough you are. Broken ribs are broken ribs.
“My ribs were cracked,” I moaned.
“Oh. Sorry,” Lucy said. Dad then came over to see our neighbors at the door.
“You Sir, are something else,” Lucy's Father said.
“You would have done the same for your daughter Albert,” Dad said. We then invited them in, and told them all about it.
To this day. That was one of the most terrifying things I have ever experienced. Not just from the fact that Linda and I were almost sold off like animals, but the fact that Dad revealed a side of himself that I had never seen before. I got to see what he used to do back when he was in the Navy, and to tell the truth, it scared me. I'll touch up a bit more on that next time though. I have homework to deal with right now.
I just binge-read your Sailor's Daughter stories, and - although I'm a notorious lurker, and there stories appear to be over 2 years old now - I have to write you some lines!
Your style of writing, the characters, the overall story line... it's all on a totally different level than any other story I have found on the TUG
site!
I've read a lot of stories in my days, and rarely ever have I been able to remember a character, his/her name or any part of the plot so clearly after having read about it, even a couple of days later.
As with anything you really enjoy, I wish there were A LOT more chapters with those characters.
By the way, I really loved the way you were able to introduce the delicate matter of non-consensual tie-ups during the kidnapping scenarios, and the fact that the head-villain was a "gentleman-kidnapper" was brilliant!
Everybody's tastes are different, and if I should mention the only thing I missed it would have been to state the obvious when the damsels' attire was mentioned - especially the footwear - since it is not only a very relevant part of the overall look, but also very important for the way the ties feel (with or without any fabric between the skin and the restraints).
Furthermore, that fact of being barefoot often increases the feeling of helplessness or vulnerability ... as well as the appreciation from the
foot-lovers in the community ^_-
I personally find all the other parts of your stories much more important than those tiny little details that I mentioned, but it would have made me grin and drool like a mad person.
P.S.: I need a road-runner t-shirt... NOW!
Your style of writing, the characters, the overall story line... it's all on a totally different level than any other story I have found on the TUG
site!
I've read a lot of stories in my days, and rarely ever have I been able to remember a character, his/her name or any part of the plot so clearly after having read about it, even a couple of days later.
As with anything you really enjoy, I wish there were A LOT more chapters with those characters.
By the way, I really loved the way you were able to introduce the delicate matter of non-consensual tie-ups during the kidnapping scenarios, and the fact that the head-villain was a "gentleman-kidnapper" was brilliant!
Everybody's tastes are different, and if I should mention the only thing I missed it would have been to state the obvious when the damsels' attire was mentioned - especially the footwear - since it is not only a very relevant part of the overall look, but also very important for the way the ties feel (with or without any fabric between the skin and the restraints).
Furthermore, that fact of being barefoot often increases the feeling of helplessness or vulnerability ... as well as the appreciation from the
foot-lovers in the community ^_-
I personally find all the other parts of your stories much more important than those tiny little details that I mentioned, but it would have made me grin and drool like a mad person.
P.S.: I need a road-runner t-shirt... NOW!