The setting was a large basement garage of a multi floored commercial building in an upmarket part of the city business district. An unmarked cream van was slowly driven in and parked in the service vehicles section near the security manager's office. Three uniformed women got out and unloaded a small trolley containing an industrial vacuum cleaner, buckets, mops and several closed boxes from the rear of the van. They then went to the door of the locked office. The time was shortly after 8:00 am.
All three were wearing identical blue boiler suits with the name "Crystal Cleaners" stencilled on the back. All wore caps with the same motif pulled well down over their foreheads. This would not have been unusual to anyone familiar with the premises. Crystal Cleaners was a large, well known firm of industrial and business cleaners and had several contracts with firms in the building. Their workers were frequently seen in the place. It was the women themselves who were unusual.
For a start they were not cleaners, despite the uniforms and caps which had been carefully acquired for their project. And they were definitely not here to clean. They were skilled professional thieves who were here to intercept an item which was shortly to be delivered to one of the business premises in the building above. This objective was a shipment of diamonds. Their task was to subdue and hold captive the legitimate intended recipients of these goods and take delivery themselves. And get away successfully before it was known what they had done. A difficult project but, if successful, one that would be very profitable. And this experienced trio were very well qualified for the job.
The oldest and leader of the group was Beryl. A fit, solid woman in her very early forties with a firm determined face, she was just the person to head such an operation. Next was Liz. Small, thin and slight with a pointed chin, she was twenty eight and had partnered Beryl in many ventures in the past. Finally there was Sarah, somewhat older and fuller than Liz, she was known as a dependable professional who could be relied on in an important mission such as this. All three wore carefully fitted wigs under their uniform caps.
They stood in front of the security manager's office and donned rubber cleaner's gloves and industrial safety glasses. Beryl opened the door with a key. Inside, she put a recorded notice on the telephone system that the security manager was delayed that morning and would not be in until ten, took some keys from a key cupboard and made some adjustments to the security alarm system. Before leaving she taped a typewritten notice to the inside of the glass panel of the entrance door. All of this was was done quickly and efficiently. As stated, these ladies were professional.
The security manager would have been outraged had he been there. But he was not, in fact he had not yet left his home and was actually still in bed. As was his wife beside him and both were likely to remain there for some time. This was because both had been bound and gagged and were now tied to the marital bed. They had been visited by Beryl and her team an hour earlier and caught completely by surprise and overpowered. They were now guarded by Trish, another member of the group who could be trusted to keep them secure for as long as was necessary. Trish, as well as being reliable, was also somewhat talented and of a mischievous turn of mind. She had already teased the manager's bound wife to orgasm and was now turning her attention to her husband. It promised to be a lively morning for these two.
Back in the city building the trio locked the manager's office with a key taken from his home, and then, with their trolley, took a service lift to the third floor. They went along the hallway to a point near premises designated "Gemstones International." This was the target of their raid. At 9:45 am the shipment of diamonds was to be delivered there. They stopped, lifted the vacuum cleaner off the trolley and raised its top cover. Liz and Sarah bent over it. With their uniforms they looked, to all appearances, like cleaners having difficulties with some of their equipment. This was just how they wanted to look.
Sometime before 8:30 the managing director of Gemstones International got out of the lift and walked toward the premises. This was Odelia Abrams. Aged forty five, trim, fit and a very capable woman as befitted someone in her responsible position. A square, not unattractive face with short, neat, brown somewhat greying hair. She wore a simple, neat and expensive grey business suit and a small trim hat and over this a beige overcoat, buttoned to the neck. And she wore a pair of heavy executive type glasses.
She was not surprised to see Crystal Cleaners staff for she frequently came across them, though usually down in the basement, where they put their gear in their vehicles before leaving the building. As she stopped at the door and inserted her key in the elaborate lock she looked at the three and inquired, "Working late today?"
"Yes," replied Liz, not raising her head, "Cleaner's broken down. We're trying to get it going again."
Odelia nodded, opened the complicated security lock and pushed the door partly open. Before going in she turned and looked at the three.
"You're new aren't you? I don't think I've seen you before."
The opening of the door was what the trio had been waiting for. "Yes," said Beryl, walking toward her, "This is our first day here."
As she reached the manager, she took out a small black pistol and pointed it at her. With her other hand she took her arm and pushed her inside the office. "And it's also our last, but before that we have some business with you, Odelia. Let's go into your office."
And with that the astonished woman was forced across the reception area to the locked door of her own office. Meanwhile Liz and Sarah had entered behind her, bringing the cleaners trolley with them, having loaded the vacuum cleaner back onto it. Sarah pushed this over to a side door leading to staff room/kitchenette, opened it and took it through.
Beryl and Liz now had Odelia in front of the door to her own private office. The completely surprised manager still had her keys in her hand. "Well Odelia," said Beryl, "Since you've got your keys out, why don't you unlock the door and we can all go inside and have a little chat. Or do you want one of us to do it for you?" To emphasize her words she waved the pistol under her nose.
The managing director now found her voice. "Who are you?" she demanded, "How do you know my name? And just what do you think you're doing?"
Beryl simply smiled, Liz reached over, took her keys out of her hand, selected one that looked suitable and tried it in the door. It was a good choice because it worked. Liz pushed it open. "Would Madame like to enter?" she asked. Without further ado Odelia Abrams was thrust into her own private office.
"Now," said Beryl as all three stood beside Odelia's desk, "There's a lot we have to do and not much time to waste. Odelia, I'm going to take your place for a while and we'll unfortunately have to tie you up. My colleague will help with this."
Liz had opened a clothing locker which stood against a wall. She smiled at its owner, "May I take Madame's hat and coat." Without waiting for a reply she took off Odelia's hat and put it on the top shelf of the cabinet.
"How dare you," expostulated the outraged manager, "Don't you dare touch me. Just who do ...."
Beryl interrupted. "We're in charge here, darling and we can what we have to do with you unconscious if necessary." She glanced at the pistol which had been placed in a handy spot on the desk. "We're used to handling difficult people." Odelia was silent. She had now realised what she was dealing with some very formidable, probably dangerous, people.
Liz quickly unbuttoned the manager's overcoat, slipped it off her shoulders and hung it neatly on a hanger in the locker. At the same time Beryl slipped off her cleaner's shoes, removed her cleaner's gloves and unzipped her blue boiler suit. She stood there in a good quality white blouse and her underwear. "And now madam, I'm going to wear that nice suit you've got on. My friend and I will help you undress."
Odelia was outraged and felt she had to say something. "I,... Look, I don't know what you think you're going to do. There's nothing of value here at this time... I."
"Quite so, Madam," interrupted Beryl again and began to unbutton the manager's suit jacket. "Now just be quiet."
Liz unfastened and unzipped her skirt. Odelia gasped and raised her hands in protest. She promptly had her face slapped was told that she would be chloroformed if she made any further resistance. After that her clothing was removed in silence. Finally She stood in blouse and underwear, the same as Beryl who had picked up her suit skirt and was shaking it out prior to putting it on. At that moment Sarah entered through a side door between the managerial office and the staff room. She was carrying one of the boxes from their trolley which she put on the desk.
"OK, we'll need that," said Beryl, eyeing the box. It contained torn strips of sheet and other items to be used in securing their victims. "You tie Madam up," she said to Liz, "I'll prepare for my grand performance."
She put on the suit skirt and then the jacket, buttoning it up carefully. Both fitted well, as they had expected. An indication of how well this operation had been planned. Otherwise Beryl would have had to have brought clothing of her own. She had already taken the trouble to wear a good pair of stockings underneath her boiler suit, such as an executive lady would wear. She completed her appearance by applying a touch of makeup and lipstick from a small box from the container Sarah had brought in. Lastly she carefully adjusted the dark wig she she was wearing, making it look both neat and natural. "There," she said on completion, smiling at the glaring Odelia, "The managing director of Gemstones should look the part, don't you think?"
Meanwhile Liz was tying up the partly unclothed and fuming manager. She had bound her wrists behind her back. Next she lashed her arms to her sides using several strips of sheet from the box. Odelia by now realized with sinking heart that all of this was certainly to do with the expected delivery of the diamonds, now due in about forty minutes time. "You, you won't get away with this," she protested, "You'll, you ..."
"Ah, but we shall, just leave it to us," commented Beryl. "But now it's time madam was removed to the staff room. We can't have half- undressed ladies in the managerial office when important callers drop in. Can we?" The trio allowed themselves a muted chuckle at this. She took Odelia by one of her bound arms to propel her to the side door, then stopped. "But of course, I was forgetting." She pointed to the very solid, impressive safe in the corner of the office. "What is the combination of that, please?"
Odelia was furious. "You don't think I'm going to tell you that, do you?"
"Well, we have the means of making you do just that, if you won't tell us voluntarily," smiled Beryl. She reached inside the box on the desk and took out a small case which she opened and showed to the bound captive. It contained two hypodermic needles and several ampoules.
"These are truth drugs," she explained, "One injection of these and within ten minutes you'll be be happily telling us anything we wish to know. Not only about the safe but maybe a few intimate questions about your private life. Perhaps about that gentleman friend who visits you occasionally." There was no doubt the group had done their homework on Odelia Abrams.
And so Odelia decided she could give them the combination after all.
"Thank you," smiled Beryl, writing it down, "I knew you'd be reasonable. You can say afterward you were threatened or tortured or both."
On the other side of the desk Sarah had not been idle. She too had stripped off her boiler suit, gloves and cap, revealing herself to be wearing a neat lemon blouse and a pair of well tailored black slacks. She looked the classic picture of a well trained business girl who worked in an up market office. Beryl smiled at the captive manager, "Behold, your new receptionist. At least for part of the morning." And to the new front counter girl, "You'd better get out there and famillarise yourself with that desk. Those other two will be here soon. And you, Madam," this to Odelia, "You're moving to the staff room. You're not suitably dressed for the manager's office at all." Odelia scowled at her.
Sarah smiled and picked up the makeup case Beryl had used. "I'd better make myself look pretty too. And I'll take this," picking up the pistol from the desk. "Those other two should be in any minute now." She went out into the reception area. Beryl and Liz forced the bound manager through the door into the staff room. They took the two discarded boiler suits and their own box as well.
Once in the staff room Odelia was made to sit on one of the chairs it was furnished with. Liz knelt beside her and securely tied her ankles with more strips of sheet and then bound her legs above the knees. Finally she lashed her tightly to the back of the chair with two more long lengths. Meanwhile Beryl slipped off the cleaner's work shoes she was wearing and, sitting on another chair next to the fuming manager, reached down and removed her very expensive, stylish high heels and slipped them onto her own feet. They fitted almost perfectly.
"There," she said, standing up, straightening her back and smoothing the wrinkles in her newly acquired ensemble, "Now I really look the part." She even struck a model's pose. "Perhaps I could hold a position here."
The bound owner of the apparel glared but decided it was probably best to say nothing. Totally helpless, there was nothing she could do now.
She did not want to be slapped again and she suspected she was going to be gagged soon. She did not like the thought of that either.
"Now," said Beryl, "We await the arrival of those two ladies on your staff." Odelia's heart sank at this. Clearly this group had done their homework on her establishment very well indeed. "And at this stage it becomes necessary to gag you madam."
"That's quite unnecessary," fumed the very upset manager, "And furthermore I ...." But Beryl had had already taken a prepared gag out of one of their boxes and deftly thrust the rolled toweling in the centre of it into Odelia's mouth then swiftly knotted the trailing strips at the back of her neck. The captive manager gasped and her eyes bulged as she was deprived of speech.
"You'll be far more comfortable if you let your jaws relax and don't try to talk at all," she was advised. "And meanwhile, those two girls of yours seem to be somewhat late this morning, don't they?"
Those ladies were not really late. They had already met downstairs, come up in the lift and were making their way along the corridor.
They had both been with Gemstones for years and were completely trusted. They were --
Betty, managerial assistant. Age thirty five, full figure, short dark brown hair with an attractive oval face. She was very good at her job. And Sally, receptionist, whose desk had just been taken over by Sarah. Age twenty nine, slightly taller than her companion but with a somewhat lesser figure. She had black hair and a capable look about her. Each wore a well fitting business suit and a hat, Odelia insisted on this. Both were dressed for inclement weather. Betty wore a grey overcoat, buttoned to the throat, Sally a belted raincoat which emphasized her trim figure. Both carried handbags.
The pair walked to the door of Gemstones and were surprised to find it open. Usually they pressed the communications buzzer and Odelia, already inside, let them in. They went in and were astonished to see Sarah seated behind Sally's desk. "Good morning ladies," she greeted them with a cheerful smile. "Things are going to be different today. If you'll both step into the staff room please, we'll work things out." Still smiling, she indicated the door.
Both women stood where they were. "Who're you?" asked Betty, puzzled, "And where's Mrs Abrams?" Neither were inclined to move. They looked quickly at each other, then back at Sarah.
"Mrs Abrams is busy at the moment, a little tied up you might say," said the bogus receptionist. "Now if you'll just come this way." She stood up.
At that moment moment Liz, wearing her Crystal Cleaners uniform, came out of the staff room. "Hello girls. We've been expecting you. Step in here please," She smiled too but also held a gun in her hand, pointed at Betty and Sally who simply stared in amazement.
Seeing that all pretence had been abandoned, Sarah moved from behind the desk and, taking each of the new arrivals firmly by the forearm, marched them into the staff room. As she passed Liz she murmured quietly, "If you and our colleague can look after them, I'd better stay here at the desk. Those couriers could arrive at any time." Liz nodded and, still pointing her gun at the two captives, followed them and closed the door.
Inside the staff room Betty and Sally looked incredulously at Odelia, seated, bound and gagged and in a partial state of undress. "Well ladies," said Beryl, standing beside her, "As you can see, Mrs Abrams is definitely not available. And we haven't got much time left. Will you please put your things on the table and sit down here." She indicated two chairs alongside the bound manager.
Both women stood still, apparently stunned into immobility. Liz acted for them. She took their handbags, removed their hats and put these on the staff room table. "Sit on the chairs," she ordered. Betty, her face freezing into a resentful glare, did so reluctantly. Sally by now somewhat distressed, was pushed onto her seat by Liz. Teardrops trickled down her cheeks. "It's alright love," she was soothingly told, "Just relax, be quiet and keep calm and you'll be OK." Liz, who was as tough as nails, could be compassionate if required.
Swiftly, the two invaders began to tie the Gemstones employees to the chairs they sat in. First they crossed their hands behind the chair backs and bound them securely around the wrists. Next they tied their upper arms to the sides of the chair and then lashed their waists to the back supports. They worked quickly and in silence, the only sound being the rustle of the cloth strips on the waterproof fabric of Sally's raincoat. Finally they knelt and bound both women's ankles and, last of all, their legs above the knees. Both victims were quiet throughout. Betty, sullenly silent but Sally was obviously upset.
"Well now." said Beryl, "Thank you for your co-operation girls. The only thing that remains is to gag you both." She rummaged in the box on the desk and produced two such already prepared items.
"You don't have to do that," said Betty tartly. Sally began to sob.
Liz took both gags from her partner and moistened the cloth wads of each at the kitchenette sink. She smiled at the distressed Sally.
"It'll be more comfortable if you just let your jaw go completely slack. You'll hardly notice it. Now, open your pretty mouth." This comforted the worried girl somewhat and she submitted to being gagged. Beryl had to force Betty's gag into her less than willing mouth.
"Now that is a lovely picture," smiled Beryl as she looked at the entire work force of Gemstones International as they sat bound and helpless in a line of chairs in their own staff room. They in turn looked back at her over their gags. Odelia, mewing and muttering, Betty, silent and scowling, Sally, still somewhat tearful. "We now await that consignment of goodies you've been expecting. Don't worry, we'll take good care of it." Odelia and Betty looked furious. "Meanwhile, I'll get used to the opening and closing of that safe of yours." She turned and went into Odelia's office.
And the consignment was not far away. Down in the basement car park a small van marked Security Couriers had driven in and parked near the vehicle Beryl and her team had arrived in. Two people, a man of about fifty and a woman in her mid thirties got out. Both wore zipped leather jackets with insignia, peaked caps and black uniform trousers. Both had holstered pistols. The man carried a flat metal strong box attached to his wrist by a chain.
They went to the security manager's office and though obviously not expecting to find it locked, read the notice Beryl had taped to the inside of the door over an hour before. This was carefully typed on a sheet of Gemstones stationery and said the manager would be away from his post for two hours and that they should go to the office of delivery on the third floor. The letterhead was genuine and had been obtained with some difficulty by the group and the message itself was well worded and typed. It appeared quite authentic. The two read it, accepted it and walked to the service lift.
Up on the third floor they walked along the corridor and pressed the attention buzzer on the Gemstones door. This was always kept locked, no one was admitted until they had been verified by the receptionist or management.
And in this case they were admitted by Sarah, playing to perfection the part of the well groomed, smartly dressed concierge of an upmarket, prestigious business firm. She smiled as she opened the door. "Come in. You're expected. Mrs Hirschel will see you in her office."
The man looked at her questioningly, "Mrs Abrams not here now?"
Sarah continued to smile. "She's overseas at the moment. In South Africa. Mrs Hirschel is filling in until she returns." The man nodded.
The choice of the name Hirschel was a good one. It was that of a family well known in the world of precious gems. "She'll be very pleased to see you." She walked with them across the reception area and opened the door to the office.
"Come in please," said Beryl, getting up from behind the desk. She was also smiling pleasantly and expertly played the well dressed, coolly efficient lady executive, "I'm very glad you're here. We've been waiting for this for some time." She talked knowledgeably about the origin of the gems and the journey they had made to get there (her organization really did their homework in these matters) and signed the receipt book the male courier produced from inside his jacket. "Please put them in here." She pointed to the wide open safe in the corner.
The man took a key from his lady partner, unlocked the chain from his wrist (it was security procedure the key should not travel with the goods carrier) and put the metal strongbox into the safe. He then turned and handed it to Beryl as it was the key to the box itself. She accepted it then knelt, closed the door of the safe and adjusted the lock. She had familiarized herself with this procedure while waiting for them. "I'm glad that's safe in there," she said with apparent relief, "Now, is there anything else that needs to be done?" She hoped they would both go quickly.
But they stood there. Finally the man smiled and said, "Mrs Abrams usually gives us a cup of coffee. We've been working since before seven."
"Of course," said Beryl with an obliging manner she did not feel. Nothing should be allowed to arouse the suspicions of these two. A departure from accepted procedure might just do that. "I'll arrange it." She walked to the door of the reception office.
"Hazel," she said to Sarah, using the name they had agreed on, "Can you organize three cups of coffee please." She nodded toward the kitchenette. The look on her face told all that needed to be said.
"Of course, Mrs Hirschel." The look on Sarah's face showed she understood. She went into the kitchenette by the connecting door.
Though everything had gone well in the managerial office it was not quite so in the staff room/kitchenette. Each one of the bound Gemstones people could hear what was being said in the main office and all were reacting differently. Liz had put crisscross strips of duct tape over their already gagged mouths. Betty and Sally were enduring in agitated silence but Odelia had been infuriated by the presence of an impostor sitting in her chair and dealing with people she should have dealt with. Her mewing and grunting might have become audible if she had not been anesthetized with chloroform from the box on the trolley. She now sagged in her bonds, sleeping peacefully. Her gag had been removed.
Liz was standing guard over her other two charges with the chloroformed pad in her hand ready to silence them if necessary when Sarah told her they had to produce coffee for the couriers.
The kitchenette had an elaborate and expensive coffee making machine and it said a lot for the resourcefulness of the pair that they were able to operate it and produce three cups of coffee within minutes. Liz produced a tray and Sarah found milk and biscuits in the refrigerator. They even located some paper napkins.
In a little over seven minutes after being asked Sarah was walking back into the managerial office with the required refreshments. By then the two couriers were sitting on chairs in front of the desk behind which Beryl was playing the gracious hostess. "Thank you Hazel," she smiled. The beaming waitress handed a cup of coffee to each and placed one in front of Beryl. Then she handed a plate with folded napkin to all and put the tray of biscuits in the middle of the desk where all could reach it. "Thank you, that will be all," she was further told. Smiling, Sarah withdrew.
The next fifteen minutes was given over to sipping coffee, munching biscuits and small talk about the heavy traffic they had encountered on the way from the airport where they had taken delivery and the likely problems on the route to their next job. Beryl encouraged conversation on this easy subject, all of it audible to the bound and gagged Betty and Sally.
Eventually they finished, stood up and were escorted to the front door by a still smiling Beryl. Standing in the corridor the man grinned and said, "You know, your young lady makes much better coffee than Mrs Abrams' girl ever did. She seemed to have no idea." Sarah, seated at her desk, acting the part of the busy receptionist, lifted her head and smiled her thanks. In the staff room the tied up Sally also heard and was mortified.
Twelve minutes later Security Couriers were driving out of the garage, thinking only of their next assignment.
The trio would not be long behind them. All three were quickly back into their Crystal Cleaners uniforms. Beryl reopened the safe, took out the strong box and everything else of value there. She stowed it all in one of their boxes and put it carefully in the trolley. Liz and Sarah washed and dried the coffee things to remove fingerprints, not out of any sense of tidiness. They were all wearing their cleaners' gloves again.
"Well ladies, it's been nice working with you," Beryl addressed the securely bound Betty and Sally. Sarah checked their bonds and made sure the gags were firmly in place. Liz had untied the still unconscious Odelia and was now giving her another dose of chloroform.
The staff room was equipped with a long, flat topped seat, covered with soft quilted padding, evidently a place where the the ladies might lie down if they felt unwell. Beryl eyed it and said, "I think we might put Odelia on that. She might fall out of that chair, the way she's lolling around."
"The very least we can do," commented Liz. "She's been so co- operative." Together they picked up the unconscious manager and placed her on the seat. Her skirt that Beryl had worn was neatly folded and considerately put under her head. The suit jacket was thoughtfully draped over the back of the chair she had been removed from. The other two watched them mutely over their gags and tape.
"Well girls, time we were off," said Beryl, "Thank you again for your assistance. Madam will untie you when she wakes up. You can thank her for us." The uniformed trio, caps, gloves and glasses firmly in place pushed their now laden trolley out of the Gemstones premises and down the corridor.
Fifteen minutes after the couriers they too were driving out of the building.
"Well," commented Beryl as they got on their way, "A rewarding morning. I'll phone Trish and tell her she can leave her charges too. I trust she's given that security man and his wife an entertaining time."
The others laughed.
Uto
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28.08.15