Generations
Taken
Clodagh, 17
“Is that the
first target?”
“It is,” the
woman sitting in the driver’s seat said as they watched the groups coming out
of the main entrance of the college. Her
attention was fixed on one young lady in particular, talking to what appeared
to be her friends. She had long blonde
hair, and was wearing a long sleeved white blouse with a thin blue check on it,
faded jeans and knee length white leather boots that had a black sole and heel,
zipped up the inside leg.
As she adjusted
the brown bag slung diagonally over her left shoulder, she waved at the other
girls as she walked off, the driver feeling the tap on her shoulder as she
heard “right – follow until we get to the agreed point.”
Clodagh smiled
as she walked down the street, feeling the soft breeze in her face as it blew
over her. The week was done, the weekend
was here, and she was looking forward to what she had planned, without any
cares in the world.
Turning down
the alleyway, she hummed to herself as she fished a small box out of her bag,
removed the earbuds and put them in, then started the music app from her phone
and continued walking. She saw the grey
van pull up across the exit from the alleyway, but didn’t think much of it as
she came closer.
Closer…
IT was the
sound of the doors opening that made her look up, just as the black clad women
jumped out and grabbed her, forcing her into the side of the van before the
doors were slammed shut.
“What the
hell…”
“Don’t say a
word, Darling,” a female voice said in a London accent, “Kneel down, hands
behind your back.”
Clodagh felt
the pressure on her shoulders as she was pushed down, kneeling as her arms were
pulled behind her back, and she felt rope on her wrists as they were bound
tightly together. At the same time, she
heard a ripping sound, and looked up as a woman in the darkness pressed some
sort of tape over her mouth.
The next thing
she felt was the rope round her body as her arms were forced into her sides,
the bands pressing on her as she tried to speak, to call for help – but her
calls were muffled, unintelligible… And
then there was the cloth pressed over her nose and mouth, as her eyelids
fluttered and closed…
Doris, 62
As she poured
the hot water into the mug, Doris smiled to herself. It had been a good day, and now she had the
entire evening to herself.
The dark haired
woman was wearing a light blue knee length jersey dress, with dark hose, and an
old pair of knee length brown suede boots with a fur lining. Comfortable, practical clothing – just like
her, as she took the mug in her hands and walked back into the front room. Picking up a remote control, she turned the
television in and sat down to watch Pointless.
The knock on
the door took her by surprise, as she stood up and walked to see who was
calling. To her surprise, she opened the
door to a tall young woman, with long blonde hair who smiled as she said with
an American accent “Hello – you are Doris McMahon?”
“Yes – I’m
sorry, can I help you?”
“I do believe
you can,” the American woman said with a smile.
Doris looked at her – a tailored trouser suit with a white camisole
underneath, and black heels – but she was also wearing black leather gloves.
And it was the
gloved hand that withdrew from her shoulder bag a pistol and pointed it at her,
the woman saying “now, darling, no fuss, no bother. Go back in and face the wall, hands behind
your back.”
“Oh my god,”
Doris whispered as she walked back, the woman coming in and closing the door
before she said “face the wall please.”
“Who are you?”
Doris said as she faced the wall, feeling the woman take her hands behind her
back and then the rope rubbing on her wrists as it was used to secure them
tightly together.
“I’ve come to
invite you to take a trip,” the woman drawled as she took the rope between
Doris’ arms, making the binding more secure before she tied the ends off out of
reach of her fingers. She then reached
into her shoulder bag again, taking out a much longer length which she doubled
over, and then passed round the older woman’s body, forcing her arms into her
sides as she took it round above and below her chest.
She grunted as
the ropes were pulled tighter, and then she was turned round, glancing down to
see her dress stretched over her chest.
“Open your
mouth Doris – please.”
She saw the
compressed sponge in the gloved hand, and nodded before opening her mouth – she
felt she had no choice, as the sponge expanded behind her teeth, pushing her
tongue down as she closed her lips. The
blonde then tore a strip from a roll of white tape, and pressed it firmly down
over her mouth, making sure there were no creases or air pockets as they both
heard the car horn outside.
“Shall we?”
“Dhhfachs?”
“Not really,
no,” the blonde said with a smile as she opened the door and took Doris by the
arm, looking to see if anyone was passing before she walked her captive out and
closed the door. A grey van was parked
there, the side doors open as Doris was harried down the path and into the
back.
“Hmghdd –
chldghg!”
Her eyes opened
wide as she saw the young blonde sitting on the floor, her eyes closed and her
head to one side. Like her, her hands
were behind her back and she could see the bands of rope holding her arms against
her body, her ankles and legs together.
And then she felt
the pinprick, as her eyes slowly closed…
Maria, 42
Leaving John Lewis,
Maria made sure the bags were balanced on her arm before she started to walk
down the mall, looking from side to side.
She was casually dressed, her long white Arran sweater matched with
faded jeans which were stylishly ripped at the knee, and long white pull-up
leather boots with a cork heel.
She had a plan
for the rest of the day, once she had driven home – her daughter and mother
would be there, and they could have a girl’s night in.
A good plan,
she thought to herself as she got into the lift, joined by a smartly dressed
woman with short blonde hair, a camel coat over her dress and a shoulder bag
across her chest.
“Beautiful day,
isn’t it?”
Maria nodded
and said “yes it is.”
“I’m so glad
you agree Maria.”
She was
startled when her name was said – and then shocked as she felt the small disc
pressing into her side.
“Do not panic
or shout for help Maria – just walk with me.
You’re going to take a little trip.”
“Who are
you? What makes you think you can do
this?”
“The gun pressed
into your side – and as to who I am, I am the woman who has your daughter and
your mother captive already. So, are you
going to do as I say?”
The voice was
calm, controlled, but the hint of menace was clear as Maria slowly nodded. “Where are we going?”
“You will see,”
the blonde said as the lift doors opened, and they walked along the carpark
footways, past Maria’s car and towards a grey van. As they came closer, the doors opened, the
blonde smiling as she said “get in Maria, and kneel on the floor.”
As she stepped
in, Maria saw the two women sitting against the van wall, both tightly bound
and gagged, and both unconscious. She
slowly knelt down, hearing the woman get in behind her and the doors closing
before her bags were taken from her, then her arms pulled behind her back, the
soft rope rubbing on her wrists as it was pulled tight and forced them
together.
“Do you know
who I am?”
“Slightly more
importantly,” the blonde said as she tied the rope off, then picked up a longer
length and wrapped it round Maria’s body, forcing her arms against her sides as
she made two bands that framed her chest, “we know who your husband is, and we
have a small task for him to perform.”
“My husband? But I’m divorced!”
“That will not
be a hindrance for my employer,” the woman said as she pulled the ropes
tighter, Maria gasping before they were tied off, and she felt the tape as it
was pressed over her mouth. She was then
made to lie face down, her ankles and legs secured as the van moved off….
The meeting
Clodagh slowly
opened her eyes, the nausea passing as she wondered what had happened. The last thing she remembered was being
pushed into the van, and then…
“Chldhhh?”
As her eyes started
to focus, she realised she was lying on her side on a bed, and she could see
her mother looking at her. She could
also see the white tape over her mouth, and the concern in Maria’s eyes as she
wriggled round, the ropes holding her firm.
“Mhmmm?” She wriggled round as well, feeling the ropes
on her own upper body, and finding no give – and then they both heard
“Hmgghddwhthpphnd?”
“Grhnnn?”
“Mhmm?”
Both of them
looked at a third bed as Doris tried to sit up, twisting her body round as well.
“When do you
plan to go in?”
Lily looked at
the three women as they managed to sit on the bed and twisted round. “I’ll send some food and water in in a few
minutes, Tracy. Any word from the
target?”
“He knows we
have the three women – with luck, he won’t make the broadcast we were warned
about, and we’ll avert the issues that would have provoked.”
Lily slowly
nodded. “When Madame briefed us today,
we knew we only had a little time. At
least when Sherry had that interview, we were warned something might
happen. Drastic, but necessary to
protect the YY myth.”
“But why did
Madame take such a strong view?”
“Family
honour…”