The Ties of Friendship

“How long until they get here, dearest?  It’s six o’clock now.”

 “They said they would be here at half past, Paul. Can you make sure the wine is properly chilled?”

“I’m on it, sweetie.”

Paul and Wendy Borland had plans for this evening.  Angelica Dew, one of Wendy’s oldest school friends, was coming round with her husband to discuss the possibility of a school reunion, and then go out for a late meal together.  As Paul and Angelica’s husband Pete were partners in a law firm, the women knew full well they would be talking business most of the evening, so Wendy was particularly looking forward to a long chat with Angelica.

Wendy was sat at her dressing table, making the finishing touches to her make up, while Paul was dressing in a casual suit.

“What will this be, then – the twentieth anniversary?”

“Yup – it seems as if it was yesterday, but its twenty years since we all left St Blazius.  I wonder how the old place is doing.”

“I’m sure it’s still a mouldering old pile,” Paul said, before dodging a well aimed hair brush.  “Look, you finish getting ready and come down – I’ll pour us both a drink.”

Tem minutes later, Wendy entered the main room of their country house.  She looked stunning in a Chinese style short sleeved dress of cream silk, and cream heeled shoes.  Paul let out a low wolf whistle when he saw her.

“Very nice, Wendy – here.”

In the road opposite, three men were sitting in a non-descript car looking over the road.  A black Mercedes came along, and pulled into the driveway of the Borland house.  A woman in a long black coat, and a gentleman in a dark suit, got out and approached the door bell.

“Is that the other partner?”

“Yeah – and that must be his wife with him.  You’d better call the boss.”

The door opened, and Wendy greeted the new arrivals.  The three went inside, and the door closed behind them.

“Boss?  They’re both at the Borland house – but it looks like their wives are there as well.

All right – leave it with me, we’ll take care of it.  We’ll have your guests with you within the next two hours.”

“Angie, darling – how are you?”

“Wonderful, Wendy, wonderful.”

“Here – let me take your coat.”

Paul took hold of the back of Angelica’s coat, and she stood revealed in an Yves Saint Laurent trouser suit with a white silk slip underneath the jacket, and black patent leather Jimmy Choo shoes.

“Where did you get that outfit?” Wendy cooed.

“Paris – Pete took me there for a weekend, and I shopped the day away.”

Pete and Paul looked at each other.  “Listen,” Paul said, “Pete and I need to discuss something in private.  Why don’t you two go in and have a natter and we’ll join you as soon as we can.”

The two ladies went into the main room, and Paul motioned to Pete to follow him into the kitchen.

“Now then, why are the police so concerned about this case we’re working on….”

The car pulled away from the side of the road, and slowly drove into the Borland driveway.

“All right, guys – let’s make this a quick and clean operation, or we may be in real trouble.”

They exited the car, and knocked loudly on the door.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” Paul called through.

“Probably just some salesmen,” Wendy said.  “So, Angie, how are we going to arrange this get-together?”

The sound of conversation could be heard from the corridor.”

“I wondered if we could go somewhere in town – after all, it is a special occasion.”

The sound of conversation seemed to be growing louder and more like shouting.

“Well, we could – Angie, what do you think is going on out there?”

The sound of furniture moving, and Pete now joining in, could be heard.  Suddenly, the door burst open and two masked men rushed in.  Grabbing the two surprised women, they held knives to their throats as both Paul and Pete were pushed in by a third man.

“Look, we are taking you to see our boss and that’s final.  He wants to talk to you about the case, and to make sure you co-operate we’re going to keep your wives here for a little while.  Understood?”

“Paul, what’s going on?”  Wendy cried out in a frantic voice.

“I’m sorry, Wendy.  Obviously something the two of us are working on has ruffled a few feathers.”

“Look, we’ll come with you,” Pete cried, “Just please don’t hurt our wives.”

“Get your coats on and go with my friends then – we’ll take your car,” the gang leader called.  He walked over to the women, who were now sitting on the couch.  “I’ll stay here and make sure your lovely wives come to no harm.”

The two men with knives let go of the women, and grabbing the men they pushed them out of the room.  As the leader sat on a chair nearby, he placed a pistol he had been carrying on his lap.

“Now, just sit still, and when they’ve gone I’ll make sure you won’t get in my way.”

Wendy watched through the window as the four men climbed into Pete’s car, and drove on to the main road.

“What do you want with our husbands,” Angelica asked.

“They’re working on a case my boss wants to be stopped – and he just wants to persuade them that is the right thing to do.  Do as you’re told, and if they do likewise, no-one gets hurt.”

He glanced at his watch.

“Right,” he said standing up, “I want you both to walk up the staircase in front of me, with your hands on your head, and do exactly what I tell you.  If you don’t, this baby can hurt – a lot.”

Wendy and Angelica looked at each other, then stood up and placed their hands on their head.  Walking slowly, they left the main room followed by the gunman and ascended the stairs to the top.

On the left was a small toilet.  “You,” the man said pointing to Angelica, “I suggest you take a toilet break now, as it may be a while before you get another chance.  No funny stuff or your friend here gets hurt.”

Angelica opened the door, and seeing there was only a small skylight in the roof she mentally resigned herself to not escaping that way.  Some minutes later, the sound of flushing was followed by her exiting.

“What about me?” Wendy asked.

“Your turn will come later,” the man said, “now go into your bedroom.”

In the room, both women were sat on the edge of the large double bed, while the man stood and watched them both.

“Where does your husband keep his ties?”  He asked Wendy.

“They’re hanging up in the cupboard – why?”

“I want you to go and pick half a dozen of his ties out, and put them on the bed.  You,” he said pointing at Angelica, “Stay exactly where you are.”

Confused, Wendy stood up and did as she was asked.

“Now, I want you to take one of the ties and use it to secure your friend’s wrists together behind her back.”

Wendy looked at the gunman.  “You want me to tie my best friend up?”

“Well, I can’t do it and keep an eye on you as well, so yes I want you to tie your friend up.  If you don’t, then she will have to do it to you.”

“It’s all right Wendy,” Angelica said quietly, “Just do as he says.  I know you won’t hurt me.”

As tears started to roll down her face, Angelica let Wendy pull her hands behind her back.  Taking a tie, Wendy wrapped it around her friend’s wrists in a figure of eight pattern before tying it off tightly.

“Now, do the same to her elbows.”

Taking a second tie, Wendy fed it between Angelica’s arms and back, and wrapped it once around her arms above her elbows before pulling it tightly.  As Angelica’s elbows were drawn together, her chest was pushed out so that her jacket started to show the strain.

“Now, help your friend to lie down on her stomach, and tie her ankles together as well.”

“Angie, can you let yourself fall back please,” Wendy said with a sob, and as Angelica leaned back Wendy helped her to roll over so that she was lying on her stomach across the bed.  A third tie was wrapped, as with her wrists, around her ankles in a figure of eight and tied off, and a fourth around her legs.

“Why are you doing this to us,” Wendy cried.

“I need to be sure you can’t raise the alarm when I leave – and as I say, I can’t tie one of you up and watch the other at the same time.

Now, I want you to take one of the other two ties, sit down and tie your ankles together in the same way you did your friends.”

“Please, Wendy, just do as he says,” Angelica pleaded.  Her tears were flowing freely now, causing a damp patch to appear on the duvet.  Wendy sat quietly down, and as she was asked her ankles were soon tied together.

“Now you legs, above your knees, with the last of the ties.  Then I want you to lie on your stomach next to your friend.”

Pulling the last tie tightly around her own legs and tying it off, Wendy rolled over and pushed herself up so that she could lie next to her friend.  The gunman went to where Wendy had got the original selection of ties, and pulled another half-dozen out.  He also went to a set of drawers, and after rummaging around placed two objects in his pocket.

“What do you think ahs happened to the boys,” Wendy grunted as the intruder came over and pulled her hands behind her back, before tying them together as well.

“I have no idea, but I hope they’re better off than us” Angelica cried back.  She looked over her shoulder and watched as the man bound Wendy’s arms together in the same way as hers was, causing the silk on Wendy’s dress to bulge as well.

“Now, I need you two to stop crying.  I need to gag you, and I don’t want you to start choking – which is what will happen if you keep crying and struggling.  Take a moment and calm down.”

“You don’t have to gag us – we won’t call out, I promise,” Wendy said.

“I hear that every time, doll – and every time they lie.  Now, open wide.”

Wendy tried to stop him, but in the end he managed to push a pair of her panties into her mouth before securing them in place with another tie.  Angelica received the same treatment.

“Now, One last thing to do.”

With that, the man grabbed Angelica’s ankles, and pulled them up until they almost touched the backs of her legs.  They were then secured to her wrists with another tie, and the last one was used to secure Wendy in the same way.

Rolling both women over so that they were facing each other, the intruder checked over his handiwork, then left without a word.  The two women listened as they heard the sound of footsteps going downstairs, and the front door opening and closing.  For half an hour they lay there, not daring to move in case the sounds they heard were a ploy to trick them into thinking they were alone, but eventually they realised that man had indeed left them both bound and gagged – and alone.

Angelica began twisting wound to try and loosen the ties between her wrists and ankles, and in the struggle her jacket came loose and began to slip down her arms and back.  In a similar way, Wendy rolled onto her back and pushed herself up and down in an attempt to get loose, but only succeeded in forcing open the buttons on the diagonal at the front of her dress, so that her bra started to show through.

For an hour they kept this up, until Angelica finally managed to get out of the hogtie.  Sitting her self up, she motioned to Wendy to come over to her, and began to pick at the knots on Wendy’s ties with her mouth.  It took more time, but eventually she managed to undo the ties around Wendy’s wrists, and she shook her arms until they were free from the elbow tie.

Bringing her arms round, she pulled the gag out of her and Angelica’s mouth.

“We need to call the police,” she said as she undid Angelica’s bonds.

“Yeah – whatever this was about, that hurt!”