story continues from part 8
Chapter 9
“Hi Lauren, I’m back.”
Steve’s shouted greeting as he entered the house was met only with silence. He wasn’t unduly worried about this lack of response at the time, however. Picking up the mail from the mat in the hallway, he absentmindedly threw this onto the table and went in search of his soulmate. Quickly ascertaining that she wasn’t on the ground floor, he hurried up the stairs and checked the bedroom, then the spare room - the latter known as their bondage playroom, or dungeon - but could find no sign of her.
This was a little unusual, but still no alarm bells rang in his head at that moment. Probably out shopping, meeting her friends for lunch, or something of that nature, he surmised. Normally, when he returned from business trips, the audible welcome on his homecoming would be muffled in tone, and usually emanate from either the dungeon, or from some obscure corner of the house, such as a wardrobe or cupboard. Upon opening the door from behind which these noises originated, Steve knew roughly what he would find. It would be his bondage loving girlfriend all tied up in as tight and inescapable a situation as she could muster on her own. Quite often, her wrists would be handcuffed behind her back, with the key having been secreted in some out-of-the-way place, where the subject of this demonstration of self-bondage couldn’t retrieve it on her own. Although he knew more or less what to expect, these discoveries always excited him, and Lauren’s ingenuity at some of the ploys she devised to ensure she was totally trapped never ceased to amaze him.
Naturally, at these times she was in no hurry for him to let her go; indeed she would often refuse to divulge the whereabouts of the keys to the various manacles and chains for some time. Nor was he in any great haste to release her until they had both enjoyed several fun-filled hours.
But today, if Steve had been looking forward to teasing and tormenting his willing partner, he was to be disappointed.
Walking back downstairs, he picked up the post from the table in the hallway and took this into the living room. Much of it was quickly discarded junk-mail, with only three envelopes that needed to be opened and read. The first was a credit card statement, whilst the second was a bill from the electricity supplier. The third gave no clue as to the nature of the contents from the outside, but bore a first class stamp and a local postmark. The address was printed in bold type, but the addressee name had simply been marked as ‘Steve’, without a surname. Odd perhaps, but he didn’t pay too much attention to this anomaly. It was only once he’d slit the top open with a letter opener and removed the contents, that he realised that this wasn’t some mundane piece of everyday post.
Steve collapsed back into his chair, not quite comprehending the nature of the document in his hand. It was a ransom note demanding a considerable sum of money for the safe return of Lauren! This had to be some sort of a wind-up, didn’t it? Who would play such a sick joke on anyone? But what was this? A rattling sound as he dropped the envelope, informed him that there was something else still inside. Slipping the small object out, Steve saw that this was a USB stick. Quickly powering up his laptop, he plugged in the memory stick and opened the only extant file thereon.
Steve couldn’t believe his eyes. For in the jerky, under-lit video footage that played out across the screen, he viewed a woman who had been encased in what looked like several layers of tights, with bands of grey duct tape strategically wrapped around her limbs and body for good measure. Not just any woman either, for although her head was immersed under the layered hosiery, it was clear straight away that this was Lauren cavorting and struggling before him. And although he knew only too well that she was one of the world’s biggest fans of being trussed up to the hilt, he also understood the difference between play-acting and real distress. And the performance he witnessed on this amateur video was, he was one hundred percent certain, that of someone definitely not at ease with the predicament they were in.
But who could be responsible for abducting his woman?
Hazel, for his and Lauren’s part in getting her sent down? But whilst she’d threatened revenge, she was, as far as he knew, safely locked up at Her Majesty’s pleasure.
The twins, perhaps? No, they might have been into all sorts of bondage mischief, but nothing malicious like this.
Amber then, as he knew she hadn’t been at all happy about being left in that packing crate for two days? Would she stoop to this level? He had no idea.
Or what if it was none of these candidates? Maybe this was the work of some person or persons unknown. That option didn’t even bear thinking about.
But whatever the case, Steve was in a dilemma as to what course of action – or inaction - to take. Don’t call the police, we’ll be in touch in a few days, the note had said. And there was the little matter of £150,000 to come up with if he wanted to see his beloved Lauren again. Shaking like a leaf, his mind buzzing with a thousand questions, Steve knew he needed time to think. And the best way to do that and clear his head, was to get out of the house and get some fresh air; give himself time to mull this whole bombshell over before making any decisions on what he should or shouldn’t do. Still half believing – desperately wanting to believe, in fact – that this was all some distasteful yet harmless prank, he headed for the door, grabbing his car keys as he did so.
****
Jade turned her head and gazed up awkwardly at the ceiling. Through the gloom she could just make out the solid metal ring through which her securing chain was threaded, and which prevented her from bringing her arms downwards and standing up straight. She pulled half-heartedly, and a soft clinking noise harmonised with a similar jingling sound that emanated from the direction of her sister.
This jerking action produced no miraculous sudden release from her strict strappado bondage, although it did elicit a result of sorts. For a second or two after her tentative exploration of the chain’s restraining properties had ceased, a light sprinkling of what could only be cement dust fluttered into her upturned eyes and made her blink. And although this caused no alteration in her overall circumstances, the notion came to her that perhaps – just maybe – this fixture wasn’t quite as secure in its mooring place as Amber had intended it to be. With slightly more optimism and conviction than the first time, she again attempted to pull her arms down. The outcome was similar to the previous instance, only the dust that sprayed her face on this occasion seemed to be interspersed with slightly larger specks of masonry. And not only that, but as well as the rattling of the chain, Jade was sure she heard, very faintly, the sound of something cracking high above her. Was this wishful thinking? Or maybe a noise caused by some other agent? A third pull on her tether, however, yielded a repeat of this sharp report, and Jade was now certain that, if she was to persevere with this quest, there might just be a chance, albeit a slim one, that the ring could be ripped out of the ceiling. She wasn’t going to get her hopes up too high just yet, however.
But what then? What if she was successful? Would the opening of this fissure in the roof overhead result in, not only herself, but Jasmine and Lauren also, being crushed and buried under a ton of falling rubble? And even if she did attain her goal, what difference would this make to their overall bid to be free of this hellish place? Not a lot was the simple answer that came to mind. For even if she was no longer anchored to the fabric of the cell itself, she would still be handcuffed and her legs bound, and there would be no way for her to release the chains of her two colleagues. And, of course, the door to their cell was locked, so no great escape could be fashioned from this minor victory. In fact, when Amber came back and discovered Jade’s handiwork whilst she’d been away, the punishments would, no doubt, be severe.
So why, taking all these negatives into account, did she persist in her mission to extricate herself from the worst of her bonds? Well, apart from the fact that any form of release from the strictly stretched posture that she was currently stuck in would be an immense relief, the knowledge that she had very little to lose, given Amber’s intentions, spurred her on. It was a question of either giving in to her fate or trying to do something about it. And given this stark choice, Jade decided to fight back... however hopeless that battle might ultimately prove to be.
****
Hazel finished her drink and exited Isaac’s Bar on Ipswich Waterfront. The afternoon sun was still strong as she walked the short distance to her rendezvous, although a chilly wind blew in from the docks, making the boats rock and sway at their moorings. Reaching the University of Suffolk campus building, she made a beeline for the landmark which Amber had cited as their meeting place; a large sculpture of a question mark lying on its side.
There were few people about at present, and those that were paid her no attention as she made one quick circuit of this odd statue, before self-consciously leaning with her back against it. From which direction was Amber likely to appear? Watching the traffic moving past on Fore Street, she kept continually looking over her shoulder, keeping a wary eye on the harbour behind her. As the seconds ticked by, however, a sense of unease began to build, and although she couldn’t put her finger on exactly why the notion came to her, she now received the distinct impression that she was being watched. She tried to relax, telling herself she was being paranoid, but still the feeling persisted.
Hazel checked her watch anxiously. It was now two minutes to three, and she prayed that Amber would be on time. Being out in the open was not good, given her current standing with the authorities. And this feeling of being under scrutiny, far from diminishing as the minutes wore on, refused to go away, and indeed intensified. Right on the dot of three o’clock, however, a car pulled up at the roadside only a few yards from where she stood, and Hazel noticed, through the side window, a familiar figure beckoning her forwards. She instantly recognised the blonde woman as her most hated rival Amber de Sade.
Strolling as nonchalantly as she could towards the waiting vehicle, her high heels clicking on the paving stones, Hazel reached the car door just as a mechanical whirring sound coincided with the window beginning to slide downwards. Bending down to peer in, she was greeted with the same false smile that she had come to know and despise over the years. It was Amber who broke the uneasy silence.
“Aren’t you going to get in? You didn’t think I was going to bring the goods here and barter with you out in the open, did you? Come on, I’ll take you to the place where I’ve got them all snugly locked up.”
Despite being confident that she could overpower her enemy in the blink of an eye, and also eager to get the deal done so that she could begin torturing Lauren as soon as possible, Hazel feigned caution.
“Do you really expect me to just get in a car with you? After all that we’ve been through?”
Amber’s brilliant white teeth contrasted sharply with the bright red of her lipstick as she smiled broadly yet coldly.
“That’s the deal Hazel. Take it or leave it. I don’t like you anymore than you like me, but this is business. Now do you want to go through with this transaction or don’t you? If not, I can just drive away and you’ll never again get the chance to get even with Lauren and Steve. ”
The electronic window gradually began to rise, and Hazel perceived that maybe Amber wasn’t bluffing. Taking one last look around, and with the perception that she was being spied upon still strong, she swiftly grabbed the handle, pulled the door open and jumped into the idling car.
****
From his position by the water’s edge, Steve’s mind was in a whirl over the scene he’d just witnessed from a distance. He couldn’t get his head round it at present, but it was just too much of a coincidence; the meeting of these two traditional enemies, seemingly on cordial terms, just had to have something to do with Lauren’s disappearance, didn’t it?
He’d driven into town, parked in a nearby ‘Pay & Display’ car park, then walked along the Waterfront so that he could clear his head and decide what to do next. The thought that Lauren really was being held hostage somewhere, and that she was in mortal danger, chilled him to the bone. But the choices open to him were very limited at present. In fact, he was left with only two viable options; either hand the ransom note in to the police and let them take over the handling of the situation; or keep it to himself and await further instruction from the kidnappers. Having been advised of the consequences should he opt for the former, he chose – for the time being at any rate – to plump for the latter course of action.
The afternoon seemed to be getting colder as the sun disappeared behind the former warehouses adjacent to the waterfront; now refurbished and converted into restaurants, bars and luxury apartments. Steve walked slowly back towards the grey and white facade of the university building, not really taking in the deepening orange of the sunset now painting the sky above the dark waters. As he reached the open plaza in front of the campus, however, he suddenly stopped and stared; a sense of horror and amazement overwhelming him in equal measure.
For despite the hat, the dark glasses and the change in hair colour, such had been the dramatic impact that those incidents in the basement of Amber’s lair had indelibly stamped on his brain, that Steve instantly recognised the woman he’d Tasered then hog-tied. It was definitely Hazel, without a shadow of a doubt. And the skin-tight latex on the visible portion of her legs, together with the shiny black leather of her high heeled boots, only confirmed his initial identification. How could it be her? After all, she was serving a five year stretch in jail! But the question of how she came to be here was only of secondary importance now. The most pressing quandary that Steve needed to deal with right at this moment, was how did Hazel’s presence in Ipswich connect to Lauren’s kidnapping and the ransom note? For there was no doubt in his mind that these two events simply had to be interwoven in some way. And within no more than a minute or two, as he looked on in bewilderment, another incident occurred which confirmed this link, yet compounded still further his sense of bemusement.
****
Jasmine stood, bent forward, head bowed, as if seeking absolution from her two cellmates. To her left, Jade fought for all she was worth to break the chain that kept her anchored to the ceiling. To her right, Lauren’s less frantic, half-hearted attempts at imitating Jade betrayed the fact that she was simply going through the motions; having little belief in her own abilities and no faith in miracles. Neither paid any attention to the woman who stood between them; the woman who had double-crossed them, and who had landed them all – herself included - in the desperate situation that they were now forced to endure.
Jasmine began to emulate her sister in her drive to escape from her bonds. If anyone was going to break free, she told herself, at all costs it just had to be her. And the reasons for this sense of urgency were twofold.
Firstly, she was scared of what would happen if Jade got loose. Would she punish her twin for getting them involved in an ever worsening crisis, which she’d warned against getting drawn into right from the start, and which, due to Jasmine’s treachery, had resulted in the trio’s current state of captivity? Would she simply help Lauren to get away but leave her twin at Amber’s - or maybe Hazel’s - mercy? Jasmine had to reluctantly admit that, in all honesty, she couldn’t blame Jade if she did choose a course of action along these lines.
But secondly, and far more importantly to Jasmine’s way of thinking, she wanted to be the first to find liberation in order to redeem herself in both Jade’s and Lauren’s eyes, by helping them all flee this dismal prison. After all, it was really the least she could do. That way, maybe both her friend and her sister would see fit to forgive her... given time; her actions, she knew only too well, had been too underhand and despicable for exoneration to be immediately forthcoming.
Jasmine jerked at the chain that held her in check, almost wrenching her arms from their sockets in the process. Contorting her slim frame in every direction possible, the swish of her spandex cat-suit, as her legs glided against one another, accompanied the gentle rattle of her metal tether. For what seemed like hours, she twisted and turned, pulled and wrenched at her shackles, but without that triumphant yet stifled ‘mmph’ that she had hoped to be able to unleash, ever beginning to form in her throat. There seemed no two ways about it. They were stuck here. And, as painful as it was to admit, it was all her own, stupid fault.
****
For a few seconds, Amber and Hazel eyed each other suspiciously as they sat only inches apart in the front seats of the car. Both seemed to be on their guard, as if each was about to pounce and overpower the other, despite the semi-public nature of their arena. It was Hazel that finally broke the silence.
“Well Amber, what are you waiting for? I didn’t come all this way back to Suffolk just to look lovingly into your devious eyes.”
Amber’s gaze turned to the road ahead and she began to manoeuvre the car back into the flow of traffic heading for central Ipswich.
“I just want to make one thing clear Hazel. This is strictly a one-off business venture, and once we’ve sealed the deal and you’ve taken those three little darlings off my hands, I never want to see or hear from you again.”
Hazel laughed.
“My thoughts on the matter entirely. I want this whole thing cleared up as quickly as possible, as I’ve got a plane to catch to sunnier climes. Just don’t try anything that you’ll later regret.”
As she uttered these words, Hazel surreptitiously slid her hand into the pocket of her coat. Her fingers met with several strong, thin plastic strips; cable ties that she would be using to render Amber helpless at the first opportunity once the location of Lauren and the twins had been revealed to her. Any other binding equipment needed, she would “borrow” from Amber’s ample stash of such things. She smiled to herself. Everything was going according to plan. She just had to be vigilant, to ensure that she didn’t allow Amber to catch her unawares. For she was certain that, given half a chance, her traditional foe would do to her exactly what she intended to do to Amber.
Silence now descended in the compact space, as the car moved slowly along College Street and onto Franciscan Way. Although keeping an eye on the traffic and the road conditions, Amber found herself continually glancing at the woman in the passenger seat beside her. She was confident that, while they were on the move, Hazel wouldn’t try anything. After all, attempting to overpower the driver of a moving vehicle would endanger both their lives.
No, it was what Hazel had in mind once they’d reached their destination that Amber had to be on her guard against. For she was sure that this temporary truce was of a fragile nature, and would be broken by her arch rival the moment Hazel had what she wanted within her grasp. But Amber was confident that she could defend herself and triumph over her oldest enemy. She had a few tricks up her sleeve, and it was just a question of making sure she surprised Hazel with the force of her strike before her adversary had a chance to mount an attack of her own.
Negotiating the roundabout at the top of Civic Drive, Amber took the third exit and followed the snaking traffic into St Matthew’s Street. By now dusk had begun to fall, and with the coming darkness, a tense atmosphere descended on the vehicle, as they made their way along Crown Street and onto Woodbridge Road. Before long, they had reached Rushmere Heath. With the traffic now thinning, and the light failing by the second, they headed for the A12 and the road that would take them into the heart of the Suffolk Sandlings, where lay the secure fortress-like building that would be the scene of their deciding skirmish.
****
Steve knew that he had to act fast if he wasn’t to lose sight of the car which, he was convinced, contained a vital clue as to the fate of his girlfriend. Luckily, his car was parked only yards from where he’d encountered the two women’s assignation, on the other side of Fore Street, and within thirty seconds he had sprinted across the busy road, risking life and limb dodging between the oncoming traffic, and was back behind the wheel and negotiating the junction that would take him back into the flow of vehicles. Fortunately, being one of the main arterial routes through town, the combination of slow moving trucks, plus the numerous ‘Give Way’ signs and sets of traffic lights, meant that he could still make out the car he was tailing, around ten vehicles or so in front of him. Revving the engine impatiently as the meandering traffic crawled at a snail’s pace towards the town centre, he knew that he simply mustn’t lose contact with the car that held the answer to the vexing conundrum he’d been set.
The next few minutes were fraught with tension, as several times he’d lose sight of his quarry in the constantly changing sequence of interweaving vehicles. But each time, to his great relief, he’d glimpse the one he sought, and to his delight, the frequent comings and goings as other road users turned off onto side streets or changed lanes, meant that he was actually gaining ground on his target, until, by the time they reached the row of shops at Woodbridge Road East, there were merely two cars between himself and Amber’s distinctive red Volvo.
And that was how he intended things to stay for as long as possible; not too close so as to be visible to the driver in her rear view mirror, but near enough to be alert to any turns or changes of direction she might happen to make.
****
Lauren watched through the grey twilight as Jade tried her hardest to rip the chain from its cement anchorage. She took comfort from the fact that, if anyone could forge an escape from this dire predicament, then it would be one or other of the twins that would be capable of this feat. And this show of defiance on her friend’s part, found Lauren – who had never escaped from a bondage situation in her life – taking heart from her fellow captive’s exploits and joining in with the fight for freedom.
A few seconds of this struggle, however, was enough to convince her that escapology was not her forte. For a start, the ropes that bound her legs together refused to in any way budge from their fixed positions, and the fact that she was balancing somewhat precariously on tiptoes, made her sway and feel as if she was about to fall. The strict nature of her arm bonds ensured that this was an impossibility, of course, but the fact that she was unsteady on her feet caused the tension in her arm muscles to tighten still further as she rocked to and fro, as each movement found her leaning, first left then right, forward then back again, in an effort to regain her balance.
Giving up, she tried to urge Jade verbally, and offer her some encouragement in her endeavours. But the words – if you could call them that – were swallowed up by the gag in her mouth and the sealant across her lips, and such was the intensity of Jade’s concentration, that she failed to respond to this confidence boosting support. Jasmine too failed to react to this muffled encouragement, although the fact that she continually failed to make eye contact with her former friend, suggested that she was too embarrassed and ashamed by her collusion in this whole kidnapping episode to acknowledge Lauren’s stifled attempts at communication. And this made Lauren wonder what would happen should Jade manage to get free. For if, as seemed likely, the twins had fallen out over Amber’s plan to take her hostage, would Jade’s reaction to her wayward sister be hostile, with retaliation on the menu?
As this question took shape in Lauren’s head, however, the sound of two female voices approaching concentrated her mind on far weightier matters. For as well as Amber’s familiar lilt, the harsh pitch and tone of the other woman’s speech, although not heard for several months, was instantly recognisable, and caused Lauren’s blood to run cold.
****
Night time was well and truly upon them when Amber pulled her car off the road by the heavy gates that guarded the prison’s entrance. Hazel gazed out at the unlit building with its impenetrable walls. She had to hand it to Amber, this was certainly a great, out-of-the-way location to keep captives in, if you were that way inclined. The past forty five minutes had passed with barely a word uttered between the two deadly rivals, and Amber failed to break her silence now as she jumped out and began removing the padlocks that would allow them to enter the compound. Hazel watched as her old adversary - in her trademark black latex cat-suit and high heeled boots - fought to push the gates open. She knew that this could be - indeed, almost certainly was - a trap. But the fact that she was confident that she could counter any offensive action that Amber hurled at her, ensured that she had no real qualms about entering this forbidding place. And even when Amber got out again to reseal the gates once she’d driven onto the premises, Hazel wasn’t too fazed that her way out had now been cut off. She did, however, break her silence, to feign discomfort at the lack of an easy exit.
“You know something Amber, I’m really not happy with this set-up. For all I know you may have a whole gang of your cronies inside just waiting to jump me.”
Amber’s face broke out into a mirthless smile.
“If you want this deal to go through, you’re just going to have to trust me. Now come on. It’s cold inside the building and I don’t want this to take all night.”
Slamming the car door, Amber made her way towards the prison’s main entrance, with Hazel following a few steps behind. Looking up at the darkened building, she felt that, once she’d taken care of Amber, this would be as good a place as any to keep her and the other three girls captive - if indeed they were here at all. Her thoughts on the subject were interrupted by Amber, who had by now opened the heavy security door and was removing two torches from her holdall. She handed one to Hazel.
“Follow me and you’ll see the merchandise on offer in just a minute... Actually, you’ll probably hear their muffled cries before you see them.”
Amber led the way down a long, dark corridor, up a flight of metal stairs, then along the landing until a specific door – one of many they’d passed en-route – was reached. She unlocked the door and began to push it open; shining her torch into the blackness of the interior as she did so.
“Now do you believe that my offer is genuine, Hazel?”
****
As Steve drove slowly past the entrance to the run-down, former top-security prison, he witnessed the unmistakeable figure of Amber, in her skin-tight one-piece outfit, unlocking the gates by the light of her car’s headlamps. This just had to be the place where Lauren was incarcerated.
But what was he to do about it? Go in with all guns blazing and try to rescue her right now? If Hazel and Amber really had formed some kind of alliance, then it would be two against one, making any such venture foolhardy in the extreme, with the possibility that Lauren’s safety could be jeopardised. Bide his time, perhaps, and wait until this unlikely double act vacated the premises again, so that he could move in and rescue her without fear of being caught? But how was he to break in to an institution that was designed to be an impenetrable barrier between those confined within and the outside world?
Driving a short distance further down the otherwise deserted road, Steve stopped in a lay-by and quickly switched off the car’s headlights. Looking back, he watched as Amber began manoeuvring her vehicle along the now obstruction free driveway, before closing and relocking the gates behind her. Not once did she glance in his direction, and Steve was sure that he hadn’t been observed. This he took some small comfort from, as this gave him the element of surprise.
He stared up at the outline of the high walls, with just the tops of the buildings beyond visible; a panorama of blackness against an only slightly lighter sky. With a thousand conflicting thoughts running through his head, he killed the engine and stepped out into the freezing night air. Slowly, he began to walk back towards the place where Amber and Hazel had disappeared. As he’d guessed, the imposing gates were now locked with heavy chains and unbreakable padlocks.
Over the next half an hour or so, he reconnoitred the perimeter of the uninviting edifice that he knew he must somehow get into; many times tripping and stumbling on the uneven terrain in the darkness. But this circuit of the property’s boundaries gave him little cause for optimism that there was any feasible way in, such was the unbroken nature of the high, razor-wire topped outer fortifications of this former penitentiary.
Returning to his car, it was now clear to him that there was no access other than through the main gate, and the only way to get past that formidable barrier was to wait until someone opened it for him. And that someone, it was blatantly obvious, would have to be either Amber or Hazel.
Then, by either strength or stealth, he would have to make his entrance.
Story continued in part ten
o0o