Gaining Your Independence

“Wow – this place is amazing,” Bobbi said as she stood at the large window, looking down the street at the traffic and stores on either side. The country girl had moved to the city a month or so previously to attend college, and her mother and sister were visiting her for the first time.

She had shoulder length brown hair, and wore a blue denim blouse over a long sleeved striped top, a brown cotton skirt in a tiered design, and knee length brown leather boots. As she stared down the road, her sister Joanne looked at her and said “You really like this place?”

“Yeah I do,” Bobbi said as she turned and looked at her. Joanne had long dark brown hair, and was wearing a white lace top over a camisole, a dark short skirt, patterned tights and baggy brown leather boots. The boots was a clothes theme echoed by their mother Andrea, who wore hers over a pair of black leggings. A red vest top with a light brown and white lace top over it completed her outfit, as did the large bead necklace around her neck.

“Come on then,” Bobbi said as she looked at them, “let’s hit the shops and get what we need. You’re coming back to my room, and then we’re going out for dinner.”

“Fair enough,” Andrea said, “but after dinner you come back to the hotel with us – we’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Oh – what sort of surprise?”

“You’ll see,” Andrea said as they walked into the shopping mall.

“That really was a good meal,” Bobbi said as they left the restaurant, and hailed a cab. “So are you going to tell me about this surprise yet?”

“Not yet,” Joanne said, “I told you to wait until we got to the hotel.”

It was a short cab ride to the Doubletree, and as Andrea paid the driver the two girls walked in and over to the lift.

“I’ll take Bobbi up to my room, and you come and join us there,” Joanne said, Andrea nodding and waving as she went to the reception desk. The two girls chatted and talked as they went to the seventh floor, and Joanne opened the door, letting her sister into the suite.

“Nice room,” Bobbi said as she sat on the sofa, watching Joanne as she went and dropped her shopping bags in the bedroom.

“Coke,” she said as she opened the fridge and took two cans out. Bobbi nodded as she took one, and her sister sat next to her.

“Well, I like your dorm,” Joanne said, “nice and roomy.”

“Not as roomy as this,” Bobbi said with a smile. “So come on – what is this big surprise?”

“Well, all right, but act surprised when Mom brings it in,” Joanne said. “Dad came into some money, so she’s bought you a set of pearls – necklace, earrings, the works, and a sapphire ring as well.”

“She’s what,” Bobbi said. “We can’t afford that?”

“Well, Dad said we could – she just needed to get it from the hotel safe, hence the reason I need to keep you in here. Cheers!”

They touched cans and put the television on, watching a really bad movie for twenty minutes.

“So how much longer do you think she’s going to be,” Bobbi said as she finished her drink.

Joanne looked at her watch and frowned. “I thought she was coming straight here,” she said as she stood up, “I’ll see what’s keeping her.”

“And if you get delayed?”

“She’s in room 715,” Joanne said as she left the room, Bobbi heading for the toilet.

When she emerged a few minutes later, there was still no sign of either Joanne or Amanda. “Funny,” she said as she picked up and dialled the room, but there was no answer. So she put the empty cans in the trash can, walked along and knocked on the door of room 715.

There was no answer, but she could hear voices when she put her head to the door. “Mom? Joanne? Are you in there,” she said as she knocked again. This time she heard footsteps, and the door opened.

“What’s the holllll” she called out as a gloved hand pulled her into the room, and she stared at the sight before her.

Joanne was on her knees, a dark haired woman behind her wrapping rope around her arms and chest as her top was pulled up, exposing her midriff. Her wrists were already pinned behind her back, as she looked up and said “I’m sorry Bobbi” through her tears.

“Great – another one” she heard a voice say behind her, and then it said “not a word, sweet cheeks – or your mom and sis may not like it, and I know you would not.”

“Where’s my mom,” Bobbi said in a quiet, scared voice.

“In here,” the male voice said as she felt her arms being pulled behind her back, and then the cords rubbing on her wrists as they were crossed and tied tightly together, “come and have a look.”

She was pushed past Joanne and into the bedroom.

“Hmsswtlrddnnnnn!”

Andrea was lying on her side on the bed, struggling in the yards of rope that encircled her body. Her wrists, like those of the girls, were tied behind her back, and bands of white rope contrasted with the red and beige at her waist, as well as above and below her chest.

Her boots squeaked as they rubbed together, as well as the rope around her legs above and below her thighs, while her ankles were pulled back and tied to her chest, the heels of her boots almost sitting on her bottom.

Finally, a band of silver tape was wrapped round her head, sealing her mouth, but from the way her cheeks were bulging Bobbi could tell something else was under them.

“Just a simple snatch and grab, you said,” the male voice continued as Bobbi saw more rope being passed round her waist, “not a problem you said, and now we have three freaking hostages?”

“Stop panicking,” the female said as she appeared by Bobbi’s side, pushing Joanne into the room, “we tie and gag all three of them, and then we get the hell out of here.”

“You don’t have to do this,” Joanne said as she twisted her tightly bound body round, “we won’t raise the alarm.”

“No, I know you won’t,” the woman said as she pulled back on Joanne’s hair, Andrea screaming as Bobbi watched her stuff one of her mother’s scarves into her sister’s open mouth, and then wrap silver tape around her head, keeping her hair out of the way.

“Get on that bed and stop whimpering,” the woman said as Bobbi looked at her. About five eight tall, slim build, dressed in black sweatshirt, jeans, trainers and wearing black leather gloves.

“HmfknggddHLPPPPP” Joanne called as the woman bound her ankles tightly together, then her legs below her knees, and finally her thighs, the rope going between her legs with each band.

Bobbi watched, barely aware of the fact her own arms were been tightly tied to her sides, the rope framing her own chest as her denim blouse stretched over her breasts.

IT was only when a sharp tug was made that she looked down and whispered “shit”, while the woman pulled Joanne’s ankles back and tied them to her chest.

“Where do you want this one?”

“Through there,” the woman said as she looked at Bobbi, “lay her out on the couch or something.”

“Let’s go kid,” the voice said as she was pulled back into the room, and made to sit down. She finally got a look at the man – six four, about 140 pounds, short dark hair, nice smile.

“Sorry kid,” he said as he wrapped some rope around Bobbi’s ankles and pulled them together, “we need to keep you from raising the alarm for a while.”

“I understand,” she whispered, “but does it have to be so tight?”

“Be glad it’s not HER,” he whispered as he tied her legs together below her knees, and then went back into the bedroom, returning with a folded blue scarf.

“Just open your mouth and don’t fight it,” he said, Bobbi nodding as he pushed the cloth in. It felt strange on her tongue, slightly perfumed, as she heard the tearing of the tape before it was wrapped firmly round her head.

The tape tugged on her skin, and she breathed slowly in and out of her nose as he laid her on her side, her head on the arm of the couch. She watched carefully as the two intruders picked up a canvas bag, and then let themselves out of the room.

“Hmggdghmswtggddd” she heard her mom mumble from the bedroom, as well as her sister crying, before she decided enough time had elapsed. She managed to swing her legs round and sit herself up, looking round the room to see if there was anything that might be of use to her.

Forcing herself onto her feet, she took short hops across the floor, squatting down to see if there was anything in the drawers under the television that might be of use, but the only things in there were a Book of Mormon, a Bible and a guide to the city. Shaking her head, she pushed herself up and then hopped to the desk, her skirt rising and falling with each hop, and her boot squeaking as her legs rubbed against each other.

“WHTSGNGG” she heard Joanne shout through, but Bobbi was concentrating on getting to the drawers, and then opening them, looking over her shoulder again, but they only had letter paper and envelopes inside.

Looking at the small kitchen area, she cursed the fact the coffee maker was designed to work with paper cups and single use filter bags, before she slowly and carefully jumped into the bathroom.

This time she allowed herself a smile, as she saw the two glasses on the cabinet, both used. She jumped forward a little, looking over her shoulder as she picked up her mother’s toothbrush, took careful aim, and then knocked the glass off the sink and onto the floor, praying it would break cleanly.

“WHTHPPNNPD” she heard her mother call out as the glass broke.

“MLLLRRRTBPSHNT” she called back, before she carefully lowered herself to the floor, and picked up a long shard of the glass, positioning it between her wrists and waist as she slowly rubbed on the binding.

“Whsshdnng,” Andrea mumbled as she twisted round, looking at her wrist as her leg rubbed on the duvet.

“Nddeee – mmmwhtrwgngtdd?”

Joanne looked at the hotel phone, which had been pulled away from the wall, and tried to ignore the rubbing on her wrists of the thin ropes. She was sore, tired, scared, and just wanted the nightmare to end.

“Htrhhrrr”

Both women looked over to see Bobbi jump in, waving her hands in front of her as a belt of rope hung loosely round her waist.

“Hwddu…”

“Nttmm,” Bobbi said as she knelt on the bed, and started to pick at the knot holding her sister’s ankles to her chest. As it unravelled, Joanne slowly stretched her legs out, and then watched as her sister started to unravel the knot holding the rope around her arms and chest…

“Yeah, we know these two,” the officer said as he talked to Bobbi. “Don’t worry; we know where to find them. You did well to note all that – and to get yourself free.”

“Tell my arm that,” Bobbi said as she held her left arm up, the plaster red with the last of the bleeding.

“Small price to pay, considering,” he said as he looked at Andrea and Joanne. “We’ll be in touch ladies.” He touched his cap and walked out, while the other two embraced Bobbi.

“You were amazing – where did you learn to do that,” Joanne said as Andrea kissed her daughter.

“Hey – I live in a university dorm? Hazing can get a little rough,” Bobbi said. “And besides, a major in Forensic Science and Criminology needs to know these things…

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