I Told You...

“Oh come on, Betty, it will be exciting. Nothing can possibly go wrong, Betty. It will be a blast Betty - we will be the heroes of the...”

“All right, all right - so I goofed. I’m sorry - but we need to find a way out of this.”

Veronica looked at her friend, as the man pulled her hands behind her back and she heard the ripping sound of silver tape coming off a roll, and let out a sigh. Betty was right, in a way - she had persuaded her to come into this, and now they were both in trouble.

Them and their friend Ethel...

The day had started just like any other at Burnfield College - the students walking in, chatting to each other and looking forward to their classes. For Veronica Berry, the first class of the day was Drama - a subject she tried her best at, but even she had to admit she was better at the technical and writing side then the acting.

That was the forte of her two best friends - Betty Drake and Ethel Corman. They had been friends for years, and even enrolled in the same classes, but both Betty and Ethel were much better actresses. That actually served Veronica and Betty very well in their out of school activities - as the premier girl detectives in Burnfield, they had been responsible for a number of well know arrests.

Indirectly of course - they knew it was the job of the police to do that. But a sneak look here, a gentle nudge there, and they knew they were of great help to the local authorities. A view not shared by Sheriff Corman, Ethel’s father, who tended to refer to the duo “as those damn stupid little girls.”

As Veronica walked into the lobby, she found her two friends waiting for her. Betty was wearing a black padded jacket over a pale green blouse, a knee length denim skirt and black patent boots with a quilted effect on the legs, while Ethel had on a blue fur lined gillet over a grey jumper and trousers, with a pair of brown Ugg boots on her feet. Veronica herself had on a red leather jacket over a matching sweater, tight black trousers and suede ankle boots.

“You’re running late,” Ethel said as she turned and walked down the corridor, her permed blonde hair bouncing slightly as she walked.

“She can talk,” Betty said as she walked with Veronica, “I had to wait twenty minutes today while her dad told her the schedule for the rest of today - right down to when she was expected home.”

Veronica laughed, her copper red hair falling just to the base of her neck. “The Sheriff is just concerned about his family, that’s all - he can’t help being an old fogey.”

“I suppose not,” Betty said as they walked into the auditorium. Veronica went to the director’s table, the script in her hand, while Betty went to join the others on the stage itself. Mr Benson, the drama teacher, finally came out.

“All right class, we are on Act Four, Scene one. Ethel, whenever you’re ready...”

Ethel took a deep breath, and then walked from the side of the stage, rubbing at an imaginary cloth as she began the soliloquy. “Yet here’s a spot. Out, Damned spot! Out, I say! One, two - why then, ‘tis time to do’t...”

“So are you going to the party tonight?”

The three girls were sat around the cafeteria table, eating what passed for lunch that day.

“Yeah,” Betty said as she took a spoonful of her dessert, “It should be fun - any of the boys going?”

“A few - I think Dave and Jack are going to be there.” Veronica could see Ethel blushing at the mention of Jack - she knew she had a bit of a crush on the tall dark haired boy.

“So what time will you be arriving?”

“I should be there for eight,” Ethel said with a sigh, “Dad is insisting that her drives me there. I don’t know what’s wrong with him at the moment - he’s acting as if I’m an eight year old again.”

“Well, when you were eight, you and your mum were snatched by that escaped prisoner. I guess he just feels protective of you.”

“But we’re eighteen - he knows I can look after myself, even with Mum gone. I know it’s only been three months, but he needs to let me move on.”

“I know,” Betty said as she put her hand on Ethel’s shoulder, “You just need to give him a little more time. So we’ll see you there at about eight?”

Ethel nodded, and as the three girls talked the college seemed to carry on as normal around them. They did not see the group of three people watching them from the far side of the cafeteria...

Veronica pulled up outside Betty’s house and sounded her horn, watching as her friend came out of the house and walked down the pathway. She was wearing a black vest style top, with thin straps over her shoulders and a small black bow at the centre of her front, a grey pinstripe skirt that had a little slit from the hem up her left leg, dark tights and knee length black leather boots.

Veronica was dressed in a similar way - her top was more like the top half of a pinafore dress, with a square cut neck and thicker straps over her shoulders and was cut to show a little bit of her belly, and her skirt was more black with thicker silver stripes, but she too had one dark tights and knee length leather boots.

“Great minds,” Betty said as she got into the car, and the two women set off for the Community Hall. “Oh yes,” Veronica said as they drove down the road, “After all, we’re there to have a good time, aren’t we?”

It only took fifteen minutes to get to the hall, and as they entered the car park they saw Ethel getting out of her father’s car. Their friend was wearing a blue denim minidress, with black leggings and suede boots, and she was leaning into the window of the car, saying something to her father. Eventually, she stood up and waved as her father drove off, and turned to look round.

“Let me park the car, and...” Betty was about to get out when veronica stopped her and pointed to the entrance. As the two girls watched, they saw two men walk up and take Ethel by the arms, forcing her to walk with them to a waiting car.

“Do you recognise them,” Veronica whispered as they watched. “Yeah - that’s Jonny Blake,” Betty whispered, “but I thought he was in juvey.”

“Obviously not - which means Ethel’s in trouble,” Veronica said as she started her car again. “Come on, we’ve got to follow them and find out where they’re going.”

“Follow them? Veronica, we need to tell her dad, this looks serious.”

“No time, Betty - come on, it will be exciting. Time for Betty and Veronica to be the heroines once again.” Betty slowly shook her head and sat back as Veronica followed the car from a distance, as it made its way through the streets to an old warehouse on the outskirts of town.

The building was dark, save for a single shaft of light that shone out from a doorway. The two girls watched as Ethel was taken from the car and walked towards the door, the two men keeping tight hold of her arms, and then darkness as the door closed behind them.

“Right, Veronica, we know where she is, and we know she’s in trouble - let’s just call her dad and get him to bring some men over now.” Betty looked at her friend, and then shook her head as she saw the look in her eyes.

“We need to at least call him,” she said as she reached into her purse and took out a cell phone, only to gasp as Veronica took it out and threw it into the back of the car. “Come on,” she said as she stepped out, “We’ve dealt with Jonny before - we can deal with him and his mates again.”

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Betty mumbled to herself as she followed Veronica out of the car and walked as quietly as she could to the building, There were no windows to look through, not boxes to climb on - just that single door in the wall. As she looked round, Betty sighed and said “Veronica, there is nothing that’s going to let us see what’s happening - except that door. Whoever has Ethel is bound to have someone on the other side of it - let’s go back to the car, call her dad and get help.”

“Oh come on Betty - where’s your sense of adventure,” Veronica said as she put her hand on the door handle and pushed it down, catching her breath as it opened inward. Both women waited to see what would happen, before Veronica pushed the door in and stepped inside. Betty took one last look round, then shook her head as she stepped in after her.

They looked across the empty space, and could see a light on through some frosted glass windows on the far side. “come on,” Veronica whispered as the two girls made their way across the floor, Betty praying that nobody heard the sound of her boot heels on the concrete floor. As they approached the far side of the floor, they began to hear voices at the other side of the glass window.

“.... Sheriff, you just do as you’re told and have your men as far away from the bank as possible, if you want to see your daughter again.”

Betty put her hand to her lips as she heard Ethel mumbling “Plslsdde dnt ltthm hrtm.”

“She must be gagged,” Veronica whispered as they both continued to listen to the male voice.

“You stay out of our way, and your daughter comes home tomorrow none the worse for wear. We’ll be in touch.”

“That’s it,” Betty whispered as she looked at Veronica, “We’re going now.”

“Nah - I think you both should stay. We’ll make you nice and comfortable.”

The two girls turned and looked at Jonny Blake, a big grin on his face as he pointed the large pistol at both of them. “Let’s go,” he said as she waved towards the door, “and talk to the boss.”

Betty and Veronica both gulped and walked in front of Jonny, their hands raised as he opened the door and ushered them both inside. Ethel stared at them from her seat, and said “Hgdddntgn,” to both of them. Her arms were taped to the side of the chair she was sitting in with silver duct tape, which was also wound tightly around her stomach and arms to hold her in place. Bands of tape were around her ankles and knees, and a large length had been pressed down over her mouth.

“Who the hell are these two?”

The girls turned to see a large, well built grey haired man looking at them, dressed in an expensive looking suit and well polished shoes.

“Our local Nancy Drew’s,” Jonny said as he closed the door. Betty could see one other man there, dressed like Jonny in jeans and a dark leather jacket. “They must have followed us here - I’ve dealt with them before. I don’t think they will have called her father, but they will raise the alarm if we’re not careful.”

“We don’t have time for this,” Smartly Dressed Man said, “Take them in the back room and make sure they can’t raise the alarm. You two need to be in position in an hour.”

“Right Girls,” Jonny said as he waved to a door at the far side of the office, “Inside.” Betty and Veronica walked towards the door, noticing the other man pick up two large rolls of duct tape before they walked through the door, and saw a large double bed in the corner.

“Stand facing each other,” the other man said as he closed the door, “and put your hands behind your back...”

Betty grimaced as she felt her wrists being crossed behind her back, and the tape sticking to them. She had spoken more out of frustration than anger - it was not the first time the two of them had being held hostage, and more than anything she was mildly amused at the fact that once again she and Veronica were going to be bound and gagged together.

For her part, Veronica was trying not to blush as she felt her wrists being taped tightly together. As with Betty, it was not the first time this had happened, but there was something Betty did not know - the fact that Veronica was beginning to like it when this happened. It gave her a thrill to be held hostage, and it was part of the reason she had done what she had done that night.

Yes, it meant placing them both in some danger, but that was part of the thrill. As she felt the tape smoothed down on her arms, she looked over her shoulder at Jonny while the other man took Betty over to the bed and forced her to lie down on the side next to the wall.

Veronica walked over and lay next to her, trying to hide her excitement as Jonny put her ankles together and started to tape them tightly side by side. She could hear Betty’s gasp as the same thing was done to her, and then as the tape was wound tightly around her legs, at her knees, her boots making a strange squeaking noise as she tried to move her legs.

“That should keep both of you safe,” Jonny finally said as he tore the tape loose and smoothed it down behind Veronica’s legs. She looked over at Betty and said “I’m sorry, Betty - I keep getting us both into these situations.”

“It’s all right,” Betty said as her legs squeaked from her boots rubbing together while she tried to move her legs, “We’ve got through worse than this before. You know you won’t get away with this?”

“Funny how they always say that,” Jonny said as the two girls looked up at him, “and how we always say this - you’re not going to say anything, so open wide.”

Veronica suppressed a small smile as she opened her mouth, allowing Jonny to push a clean white handkerchief in, and then cover her mouth with several strips of tape. She looked over at Betty and watched as a cloth was pushed into her mouth as well, and for a second she thought she saw her friend purse her lips in a kiss before it too was covered in duct tape.

“Must have been my imagination,” Veronica said as she and Betty turned to watch the two men leave the room. “Don’t go anywhere now,” Jonny said as he closed and locked the door, leaving the two alone.

Veronica lay still, listening to her friend’s breathing as she tried to find some way of loosening the tape around her wrists. She then began to wriggle around, trying to force her legs and her hands free, and panting slightly as she did so.

“Plsdntdt.”

Veronica turned her head to see Betty looking at her, her face red.

“Bttiwnttgtfr.”

“Iknwndsde. Bt.....”

Veronica looked at her friend, wondering what was going on. She heard Betty take a deep breath through her nose, and then say “btifnkulkhtlkt.”

Veronica looked at Betty and rolled over onto her side, looking deep into the eyes of her old friend as she looked back at her. She blushed slightly as well, as she said “Fnku - duknwilkbnnlkts?”

Betty nodded, her cheek rubbing on the pillow as she said “ysss, ndifnkulkfnttklkt. Pls, ksm.” She shuffled over onto her side and looked at Veronica, as she in turn realised that the lips Betty had made were not just an illusion.

Slowly, carefully, she shuffled closer as well as the two of them touched their gags together, a sigh coming from both of them before the door opened and they heard Ethel say “Are you two...”

They broke contact and Veronica rolled over to look at Ethel, free from the chair with Jonny behind her. “You are both the greatest friends, and the most stupid pair of girls I have come across in equal measure,” she said as she walked over and peeled the tape away from Veronica’s mouth, “It’s just as well Dad knew what was going to happen.”

“He knew,” Betty said as the gag was removed from her mouth, “How?”

“I told him,” Jonny said as the two girls shuffled to the edge of the bed, “I’ve changed, you know - come over to the side of the good guys. Ethel’s dad is right now arresting the gang, and my ‘friend’ is unconscious in the other room.”

“Allowed myself to be kidnapped,” Ethel said as she rubbed her wrists, watching Veronica and Betty as Jonny cut the tape away, “and you two walked right into the scene. Anything to say for yourselves?”

“Sorry,” Veronica said with a small smile. “Do you think we can still make the party?”

It was nearly midnight by the time Betty and Veronica were allowed to go to their car, Ethel and Jonny leaving with Sheriff Corman. As Veronica fished her car keys out, Betty put her hand on her shoulder.

“Veronica - look, I think...”

“It’s all right, Betty,” she said as she turned round, “I guess we’ve been keeping a secret from each other. I love been bound and gagged, and I think you do as well.”

Betty nodded, and said “A little more than that, if truth be told, but I don’t know how you...”

Veronica silenced Betty with a hand over her mouth. “Why don’t we find out,” she said as she unlocked the car, “and practice escaping together?”

“I’d like that,” Betty said as Veronica opened the door, “I’d like that very much...”

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