Enid was a librarian who lived and worked in the inner western suburbs. Late one wet winter afternoon she was making her way home to the unit in which she lived alone.
This lady was two years short of forty, never married, though there had been occasions where it had seemed likely. She had had affairs, some satisfying, but these had been less frequent of late. She was, she sadly reflected, drifting toward old maid spinsterhood.
In appearance she was a slim athletic woman, slightly more than average height who enjoyed perfect health. A rectangular face, pointed chin, framed by short, straight brown hair. She wore heavy glasses. And today, a work day she was wearing her usual sensible working apparel. Comfortable knee length skirt, blouse, woollen cardigan and flat heeled shoes.
Because it had been a dreary midwinter day, rain most of the time, she was wearing one of the few expensive items she owned. This was a stylish blue trench coat, buttoned to the throat and tightly belted. She carried a leather handbag.
The streets, though wet from the constant drizzle, were well lit. Her small one bedroom unit was in the street parallel to the one she was walking along. She planned to take a short cut.
This was through a straight, level alley about two hundred yards long connecting the two streets. It was well lit at each end and even a few private lights along its length. There were tall high rise business premises on each side. It was considered quite safe and Enid had no qualms about using it.
Along most of one side was a tall, recently constructed high rise building which had no windows at all on the alley frontage. Only a single doorway in the middle of the structure. No one local knew who had built it, there was not even a sign on the street front on the other side. It was thought to be owned by some international organisation.
Not that any of this concerned Enid as she made her way along the alley. She was interested only in getting home to her unit and preparing her simple and solitary meal. After that she’d either watch TV or read.
She saw a car parked opposite the doorway into the new building. This seemed unusual. The place was known to have a large underground car park, accessible from the front. Why bother to park out here? As she got closer she saw it was a big car, grey as far as she could tell in this light and had heavily tinted dark windows.
It was a wide vehicle and there was only about five feet between it and the opposite wall and the door. Enid had to move over to get past.
She was just passing the door, a foot or so on her right when it opened suddenly. Startled, Enid stopped, turned and looked. Inside was a wide, well lit passageway. And that wasn’t all.
Immediately within, only a few feet from the surprised librarian, were two men and a woman. The two males were wearing grey boiler suits and visored caps pulled low down over their faces. They could have been contract cleaners though there was no insignia on their uniforms.
It was the woman that astonished Enid. She was perhaps in her very early fifties or younger, very solidly built, slightly taller than herself, She had a square determined face, short, wavy dark brown hair and looked as if she was used to giving the orders. This lady was wearing a very well tailored business suit. A skirt and jacket of small blue checked material. Sheer stockings and expensive black leather heeled shoes as well. But that wasn't all. She had been bound and gagged.
Several black leather straps had been secured around her upper body. Two underneath her ample bust, another above, two more around her waist. All notched very tightly. Her hands were apparently tied behind her back. Two pieces of surgical tape had been crossed over her lips and her somewhat distended cheeks indicated a gag in her mouth. She looked angry, unhappy and quite helpless.
Enid stared open mouthed at this trio, only about a yard away. The two men looked back. “Who’re you?” asked the nearest.
A strident woman’s voice rang out from the background, “Who’s that? Who’s out there?”
“A woman going past. She’s at the doorway,” answered the man who had spoken.
There was a commotion in the rear. A woman with a stout athletic figure and a firm determined look on her face hurried forward. Like Enid she was wearing a belted raincoat. She took one look at the amazed librarian who had seen them all and ordered, “She’s seen us. Grab her. Bring her inside.”
Enid by now realised something was very wrong here. A crime, kidnapping or abduction was taking place. She turned to flee. But it was already too late.
The two boiler suits acted quickly. One clasped their already bound victim by the upper arms and pulled her to one side. The other, the one who had already spoken, stepped through the doorway, seized the turning librarian around her upper body, clamped a gloved hand over her mouth and pulled her inside the building. The solid woman by now had come to the entrance. She looked quickly up and down the dimly lit alley, noted it was empty, picked up Enid’s fallen handbag then stepped back and closed the door.
All four were now inside the building. No one had seen Enid’s seizure. She was now held firmly by the boiler suited man who continued to stifle any cries she might make. The woman, obviously in charge, faced her. “Well Madam,” she said, “You’re the classic example of an unfortunate person in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Enid squirmed, struggled and mewed but her captor held her firmly. “And it’s also unfortunate, but we'll have to tie you up too.” A brief nod toward the already strap bound and gagged other woman, “Now, we have, if necessary, the means of rendering you unconscious - hospital anaesthetic - but I suggest it will be better for all concerned if you quietly let us do what we have to do without any further resistance.” She paused for a while for her words to sink in. “Nod your head if you agree.”
After some thought Enid nodded her head.
“Very sensible,” smiled the woman, “Now if you’ll just face the wall, we’ll get on with it.” Enid was pushed around facing the side of the passageway. A satchel containing short lengths of white rope was produced and the raincoated woman and one of the men began to tie her up. The other held the strap bound woman.
First they bound her crossed wrists securely behind her back. Next they lashed her upper arms firmly to her torso with several more lengths. The waterproofed fabric of her trench coat rustled and creaked as they did so. Lastly they restricted her forearms with a long piece wound round and round her waist. “Very neatly packaged,” commented the woman, adjusting Enid’s glasses which had become slightly unsettled during this procedure, “And now Madam, we’ll gag that pretty mouth.” They spun her around so that she faced them.
“I’m not going to scream,” Enid at last found her voice,"You don’t have to gag me.”
“Oh yes, but we do.” A prepared wad gag was pushed between her lips and secured by two pieces of surgical tape crossed over her cheeks. Exactly the same as the other woman. Who watched all this in mute silence.
“A pretty little package, neatly wrapped,” smiled the woman, “And now we’ll get them both into the transport and be on our way.”
She opened the door and looked cautiously up and down the alley. All clear. She stepped over to the car parked against the far wall and opened the back door. "I’ll travel in the back with our two passengers. Put the new arrival in first and move her over to the other side.” Enid was placed on the back seat and pushed across to the far door. The woman got in next and seated herself in the middle. Lastly, the strap bound, suited woman was settled in the remaining window seat and the door closed.
“I’ll look after our guests,” the raincoated woman said. She leaned over, locked both rear doors and then did up all three seat belts. “You two get us back to base. And don’t do anything that’ll get us stopped on the way.”
The two boiler suits got into the front, settled themselves and slowly the car moved out of the alley. Its tinted dark windows made it impossible to see that two of the five travellers were bound and gagged.
The vehicle was driven carefully through the darkening streets. It reached a main road and headed westward. Its two bound captives became restive at this and started writhing and mewing through their gags.
“Our passengers are not at ease,” said their seated guardian, “Pass the equipment and I’ll quieten them down.” A wide necked bottle and a large, soft white cloth were passed to the back seat. She saturated this last with the container's contents and held it to the faces of the two unwilling travellers. First Enid, then the stout, business suited lady. It was a very powerful anaesthetic. Both lapsed into unconsciousness. They remained so for the rest of the journey.
Enid awoke about two hours later.
She was lying fully clothed but without her raincoat on a bed in a brightly lit room. This was large, rectangular with a concrete floor and painted plaster walls. At one end was a recessed washbasin and mirror with a curtained shower unit on one side and a wooden door, presumably a toilet, on the other. Furniture consisted of two cot style, metal framed beds in the centre.
Enid sat bolt upright and looked around. The first thing she saw was her fellow prisoner, the older, heavily built woman in the blue checked business suit. She was seated on the other bed a few feet away. This lady looked at her and smiled.
“Hello,” she said in a friendly tone, “I woke up a while back. I thought it best for you to revive in your own time. My name’s Adele.”
“I’m Enid, Enid Henderson.” Her gaze continued to take in their surroundings. She saw her trench coat neatly aligned on a clothes hanger, hanging on a peg in the wall. Her folded glasses were on the bed to the right of the pillow. There was no sign of her handbag.
“Where are we? Where is this place?” Enid wanted to know everything at once, “Who are these people? Why’ve they brought us here?”
“Questions, questions,” Adele was still smiling. “I don’t know myself where we are. Western mountains most likely. These people have places all over the map. As to who they are, well let’s say they’re not ordinary criminals. They’re more than that. International, not national.”
“And why have they brought us here?” She became serious, “In my case - information. And that’s going to be a tussle of wills.” Her face softened, “But as to you my dear. You’re simply here because as Madam - in - charge said earlier this evening, you were in the wrong place at the wrong moment. Apart from that they've no interest in you whatsoever.”
“And there are two questions I might ask you myself. What is your occupation? And is there anyone in your circle who might report the matter when you don’t come home tonight?”
Enid was puzzled at this but answered anyway. “I’m a librarian with the local Council. And I live alone. No one’ll know if I didn’t come home.” She paused and went on, “What’s that got to do with it? I want to know what’ll happen to both of us?
Adele was happy to continue. “Well, as to myself, after they’ve finished with me they’ll have to take me back to my place. I’ll talk them into taking you along too. I should be able to do it. But there’ll have to be some agreement made. They won’t want you talking about where you’ve been or what’s happened to you.”
She became serious, “I remind you, they’re very big people. Quite able to make you disappear as if you’d never existed.”
Enid took this in silence. At the same time she was mystified how this new companion of hers, a bound and kidnapped victim like herself, seemed to be in a position to negotiate with their captors.
Adele then took a lighter note. “But nothing’ll happen tonight. We might as well take advantage of their hospitality,” she looked around the room, “And it’s about time they gave us something to eat.”
And, as if in response to this the door opened. In came an African lady wearing a neat grey uniform and carrying a tray on which were two covered plates, a pot of tea, two cups and cutlery. Even paper napkins. She placed these on a small table at the far end of the room. As she walked out she smiled at the two captives and said “Enjoy your supper ladies.”
The plates contained hot snacks, which they tucked into avidly, seated on two chairs each side of the table. The tray was collected an hour later by the same smiling African. Adele then turned to the shower recess, “I’m going to make use of their bathing facilities,” The wash-basin shelf contained folded towels, toiletries, and soap. On completion she pronounced the water comfortably hot.
Later both captives retired in the two metal framed beds, sleeping in their underwear as they lacked night attire. They slept well.
In the morning Enid tried the shower. Both performed their toilette with combs and brushes from the wash-basin cupboard. Breakfast came on a tray delivered and later taken away by the African. “Who is she?” asked Enid after the girl had gone.
“Who knows?” was the answer, “Someone from one of their African connections? Perhaps an illegal immigrant being provided with faultless documentation. They can do these things."
Adele was restive. This morning she was wearing her tailored blue skirt and an expensive long sleeved white blouse. Her matching jacket was hanging on the wall next to Enid’s raincoat. “And today they’ll want to talk to me. Possibly you too. And soon I’d say. It’s going to be a difficult day. I’d like to know when it’s all going to start.”
As if to answer this the door opened and three people came in. First, the stout firm woman of yesterday. Today she was wearing a neat belted blue stripe dress that could have been tailored to fit her. She looked like the matron of a hospital. With her came two others, strong, solidly built ladies with square determined faces. Both were wearing belted grey uniforms such as the African girl had worn.
The lady in charge had Enid’s handbag, which she placed on the bed near her.
“Good morning ladies,” she began, “I trust you slept well. We’ve got a lot of work to get through.”
Adele was on her feet facing them. “I’ve got a good idea what your organisation is. Just who’re you?” This to the boss lady.
The woman laughed, “Around here, I’m addressed as Ma’am. You can call me that if you want to speak to me. I’m Madame behind my back I believe. One thing’s certain, I’m in charge here today. And I repeat, we’ve got a lot to do. So, you two’ll stand ready we’ll get on with it.”
Adele was already standing. Enid stood up and the two uniformed women stepped behind each, crossed their wrists and began to bind them with ropes from a bag one was carrying. Neither thought of protesting.
“And you’ll both have to be blindfolded,” said Ma’am, taking two black hoods out of the bag. These were draped over the two captives' heads and shoulders. “Your glasses should be OK Enid, these’re loose fitting. Just don’t move your head too much.” The pair could not see a thing.
Hooded and bound, the two lady captives were guided out of the room. They were steered along what seemed to be a couple of long corridors. Finally they heard a door close behind them. The hoods were removed.
They were in a long room about fifty feet long and twenty wide. There were a series of horizontal windows high up on one side. At one end were tables around the walls with computer screens along their entire length and office chairs at intervals. At the other were locked filing cabinets and storage cabinets. In the centre, near the computers, were two very solid looking wooden chairs. There was a table between these two items, containing what looked like medical equipment.
A couple stood near the computer equipment. The woman, thin and wiry, perhaps in her mid 50’s with a narrow face with a sharp chin and greying hair. She wore glasses and a short white medical coat. The man was taller, also thin but younger, possibly little older than Enid herself. He too had a narrow face, a high forehead and a full head of hair, just starting to go grey.
These two looked at the bound newcomers. They appeared interested and not unfriendly.
Madame took charge. “Put them down,” she said pointing to the heavy chairs. Enid and Adele were forced to sit in the wooden seats. Leather straps were used to secure them to the solid upright backs.
The white coated woman spoke, indicating Enid, “Why’ve you brought the young lady?” Enid was flattered.
“There’s a few things I’d like to find out about this young lady, as you call her,” said Madame, “And we’ll do her first. If you’d kindly prepare her.”
The thin woman pulled on a pair of rubber surgical gloves, rubbed Enid’s neck with a swab and took a prepared needle out of a sterile box. The librarian looked concerned. “Don’t be alarmed,” she was told, “It’s quite harmless, and painless. It’ll simply put you to sleep.” And with that she deftly injected her.
Enid began to lose consciousness.
She woke up over an hour later. She was back in the room where she and Adele had spent the night. Once again she revived on the bed with her folded glasses next to the pillow. Dimly she could remember a voice speaking to her, questions being asked and her replying. Just what had they got out of her?
She sat up, then stood and looked around. How long before she saw Adele again? And what of her pledge to get them both released together?
And as if to provide an answer to this the door opened. The thin man from the long room where she had been questioned came in. He came in and sat on one of the beds and indicated she should sit on the other.
“I thought I’d come in and see how you were,” he smiled, “They’ll be busy with Ms Helmsbach for quite while yet.”
“Ms who?” Enid queried.
“Adele Helmsbach,” he explained, still smiling, “Your room-mate. “More correctly, Adele van Helmsbach I believe. A big name in international finance. Perhaps you’ve heard of them?” Enid hadn’t, but decided to let it pass. “Anyway,” he went on, “At one stage she spoke quite firmly about you both being let go together. I’m here to talk about that.”
“Well yes,” this was something Enid wanted to talk about too.
He continued, “Whatever is done, it’ll be done on the understanding you’ll say nothing whatsoever about what you’ve seen during your stay here.”
“Otherwise, you’ll kill me, I suppose,” Enid was not one to mince her words.
Again a smile, “Nothing so crude. You’d simply vanish. Never to be seen again in this country.”
Enid was puzzled. “What’d actually happen to me?”
“If we wanted to get rid of you, you’d be bound and gagged and moved to a place west of here that has it’s own private airstrip. From there you’d go, still under restraint, to where? The Middle East, the Far East, Latin America? There are magnates out there, fantastically wealthy, well educated, they’ve had the best of schooling. Many have their own private libraries and they'd like nothing better than a trained, well educated, reasonably attractive, English speaking librarian, such as yourself, as part of their household to look after it.”
Enid was astonished, “I’d be in charge of some multi-billionaire’s private literary collection?”
“Not in charge Enid. You’d be part of the collection. Just as the master might like to indulge in the classics from time to time, he'd also have his pleasure with the custodian as well. And if you could provide intelligent conversation, so much the better. Something of a hetaira you might say. There’re men out there who’d pay many tens of thousands for a woman such as yourself.”
Enid was flabbergasted. To be a chattel, just like the books she processed, staggered her. And she wondered how correct the statement that men would pay a fortune for her was. Very flattering, if true. Coming back to earth, she spoke “Well then, to avoid a fate like that I’m required to say nothing about this place?”
“You and Ms. Helmsbach both. She won’t. She can’t. There’s too much she’d prefer to keep hidden that would come to light if she spoke in public.” He paused a while and then went on. “And what about you? Will you keep quiet?”
“Well,” she began, “It seems if I don’t, I’ll end up on some potentate’s estate as a tame librarian-cum-sex-slave. Which does sound more interesting than some of the things I do but since I don’t speak Arabic or Spanish, I’d better give it a miss. I might add,” she looked around at her surroundings as she said this, “I haven’t been badly treated while I’ve been here.”
She looked directly at him. “But how is it you know so much about me being a librarian? That truth drug or whatever it was you used on me back there?” He nodded. “And my private social life. I suppose you learned about that too?” Again he nodded.
He spoke, “It was Madame’s, Ma’am’s doing. She pressed the questioning. Why, I don’t know. It didn’t benefit the organisation.”
She gave a short laugh. “Then you’ll know there wasn’t much to learn. My sex life’s been pretty limited these last eight years,” another laugh, “Perhaps it’s the job I’m in. Or perhaps it’s my fault. I’ve always preferred not to take up with someone I can’t talk to on an intellectual level.” She had been aware for some time that this man might fit that category. How many men would use the word hetaira?
He looked sympathetic. “I gathered so. You came across as bored, unhappy and frustrated.” He became serious, “Tell me, when did you last have a love experience?”
Mischievously, she replied, “You mean, when did I last have a fuck. And the answer is nearly a year ago.”
Enid was not a prude. She did enjoy the company of men. And this man had been right when he spoke of unhappiness and frustration. A feeling was building inside her. Here, she considered, an opportunity was offering and she felt the need to rise to the occasion. She was not going to let it go. Why should she let it go? The predatory female was in full control.
“Very well then,” she spoke, a woman with her mind made up, “Let us become lovers. You say yourself that Ms. van Helmsbach is not likely to be back for some time and I can assure you that the mattresses on these beds are comfortable. Perfect for our purpose.”
She stood up in the space between the beds. He stood too. Impishly she smiled, “If you try to withdraw now, I shall be very displeased.”
He also smiled “No gentleman would ever refuse a lady’s request of that nature.” As one, they both turned, faced one of the beds and began to undress, each piling their clothes neatly. This last was not lost on Enid who mused privately that tidiness was one thing they had in common.
Naked, their footwear also removed and carefully placed under one of the beds, they turned and again faced each other. She took off her glasses and put them safely under the bed. They embraced. They kissed. “Darling,” murmured Enid, “I don’t know about you but for me it’s been so hellishly long. Too bloody long.”
“It hasn’t been all that frequent for me either,” he responded, “Despite what you might think there aren’t many love opportunities here.” His member began to stiffen and rise, she became very moist. They kissed again. The next two hours were utter bliss for both of them.
Three hours later Enid was alone in the room. There had been some changes. The beds had been made and things tidied generally. She was reading a magazine her companion of a few hours before had brought at her request. It was a quality publication she noted.
Idly she wondered when she would see Adele again. And it was well past midday, she would have liked something to eat.
And as if in response to her thoughts the door opened. In came Adele and the blue dressed woman whom the staff called Ma’am and who it seemed was Madame behind her back. Both looked serious. Adele’s wrists were tied behind her back. Her companion untied her and addressed herself to the other occupant.
“Well Enid,” she began, “You’ll be pleased to know we’ve completed our business and you’ll both be going home at the end of the day.”
“Alright.”
“And I’ll tell you now you’ll be bound, gagged and hooded and taken back in the car, much the same as how you were brought here only not drugged.”
“Alright,” again.
“And you’re never to say a word about this place or anything you’ve seen here. Otherwise….” She was interrupted.
“I know. Otherwise I’ll go on a one way trip to Latin America or wherever and it’ll be as if I never existed. I fully understand and that’s alright too.” Enid sounded both serene and unconcerned.
“Just so long as you do understand.” Madame frowned and turned. She glanced at Adele “I don’t have to tell you anything, do I?”
An expressionless look on her face, Adele nodded. “Well then, I’ll bid you two ladies adieu and bon voyage. You’ll get a late lunch in a few minutes.” She turned and walked out of the room. They heard the door locked behind her.
Still serious, Adele commented, “No need to upset her. She could get us both shipped off to heaven knows where.”
“Nonsense. She wouldn’t dare do that to you, would she?"
“You seem to have become well informed since I last saw you. Has that man from the big room been around here? You know you’ll never see him again?”
“Well I understand he’ll be driving the car that takes us back to the City. He’s not stationed up here you know. He lives not far from both of us.”
“Indeed? You are well informed aren’t you? Well then. The only thing left for us to do is to sit and wait for this lunch that’s supposed to be coming.”
Both women sat on the bed side by side. Their gaze wandered to the suit jacket and Enid’s trench coat hanging on the wall. “I don’t think it’s really necessary for them to tie us up and gag us for the return trip,” said Adele, “But if they do we’d better be wearing those. And you’d better tell them not to forget your handbag.” Clearly she was a practical woman.
Meanwhile Enid pondered the events of the last twenty hours or so. Certainly a change, but for the better? She wondered.