Jay’s Second Japanese Day

Kensington on a Saturday morning was unusually quiet, especially on the street that the dark haired Japanese woman was walking down. She had long dark hair, and was wearing a white leather jacket over a white dress, her long white boots coming up to her knees.

She smiled as she held the shopping bags in her hand, and walked up the stairs to the front door of one house in particular, and then pressed on the front doorbell, her smile growing wider as the door opened.

“Sorry I took so long,” she said as she came in, “but I had to go to a new stall in the market. Have you completed your assignments?”

“Yes, Mom,” her daughter Anika said as she rolled her eyes. She watched as Miko removed her jacket, revealing the elbow length sleeves of her dress, and then smiled as her hair was ruffled by her hand. She also had black hair, longer than her mother’s, but was wearing an identical dress, with short white boots that came up over her ankles.

“Good – then you go and have a drink while I put these things in the rooms,” Miko said as she held the bags up. “We don’t want the girls to find out about their gifts until their birthday, do we?”

“No Mom – I saw Miss JoJo and Miss Soo when they took the girls out today. They all looked very nice in their outfits.”

“Well, they like to dress like their mothers – you would not know anything about that, would you?”

Anika giggled as she made her way to the kitchen, while Miko carried the shopping bags up the stairs. She did like to wear the same style of clothes as her mother, some of the time, but especially at the weekend. Miko was the housekeeper for JoJo and Soo, as well as their three girls, eight year old Hanna, Mariko who was seven, and six year old Soo. JoJo ran a bespoke boutique off Bond Street, while Soo as far as she knew worked in the city – but they both dressed in the latest fashions, and their daughters liked to dress like their mothers as well.

She liked all three of them – as a twelve year old, she acted almost as their big sister, and besides she got to live in the centre of London and go to a good school as well.

She walked down the staircase to the kitchen, and opened the large refrigerator, taking out the milk and closing the door – and then she saw the blurred reflections in the metal door. As she turned slowly round, the woman who was standing there smiled as she took the milk carton from Anika, and said quietly “Hullo lassie – get a glass, and ye can have a drink before we get started.”

“Who… Who are you,” Anika stammered as she looked at her, and the four men standing behind her. They were dressed identically – blue boiler suits, gloves, boots, and black balaclavas covering their heads so that only their eyes and mouths could be seen.

“Well, mah name is Mrs McPhee,” the woman said in a Scottish accent as she looked at the young girl, “you must be Anika, richt?” As the girl nodded, Mrs McPhee said “dinnae worry lassie – we’re no gonna hurt ye, so get a glass and hae some milk.”

Anika took a glass from the cupboard and walked over to the table, watching as the masked woman poured the milk in and then put the bottle back in the refrigerator, before she said “let me explain whas gonna happen noo. This is mar friend Jay Edwards, and he and mah other friends are gonna stay here for a while.”

“Are you – are you robbers,” Anika whispered before she took a drink.

“Aye we are – but we need ye tae do somefin very special when the offer girls came hame. Ye need to show them they dinnae need tae fear us, even though we hae tae make sure ye do as we say.”

“How… How are you going to do that?”

“Let me show ye,” Mrs McPhee said as she took a length of rope from one of the masked men, and doubled it over, before she knelt down and used it to secure Anika’s ankles together, the young girl watching as she wound the rope around and between her legs, forcing them together.

“Does tha hurt,” she said as she tied the ends off and looked up, Anika shaking her head as she lifted up her head and looked at the way her legs were held together, the rope making a neat band over her boots.

“So what else are you going to do, Mrs McPhee,” she whispered.

“Finish yer drink,” the masked woman said with a smile, “and Ah’ll show ye…”

“So what would you like to do this afternoon,” Miko said as she walked into the kitchen – and then she stopped short and looked at her daughter. Anika was still in the chair, but her arms were behind her back, and she had a strip of white tape over her mouth, which meant she said “hshllrhttmhhm” as she lifted her legs up and down.

“Don’t panic,” she heard a man say in a soft Geordie accent as a lather gloved hand was placed over her mouth. “As you can see, your daughter is safe and unharmed – and we have no intentions of changing that, so long as you remain calm and do as we say. Nod if you understand.”

“Hhhrhhuh,” she mumbled as she slowly nodded her head.

“My name is Jay Edwards – I presume you have heard of me.”

Miko’s eyes opened wide - she had indeed heard of him in the papers, and she knew what was coming. Looking at Anika, she mumbled “hfthhhhrtuh?” and smiled as her daughter shook her head from side to side.

“If I take my hand away, will you be calm?”

Miko shook her head from side to side as Jay removed his hand and she slowly turned round. “I have heard of you,” she said quietly as she bowed her head.

“Ah – and what have you heard?”

“That if you are here, we and the family will be your hostages, and we will be kept secure until either Miss JoJo or Miss Soo have completed the task you have prepared for them. That we may not be able to move or talk much, but that you will not physically harm us if we do all that you ask. And that you,” she said as she looked at Mrs McPhee “take especial care of the children. Was it you who secured my daughter?”

“Aye,” Mrs McPhee said, “ah did. Will ye do as we ask?”

“I will,” Miko said as she nodded her head, “but the girls will be dropped off from their classes soon, one at a time. I need to be free to welcome them – but after that, I know they will do as you ask.”

“I understand,” Jay said quietly, “because we will have your daughter here until they all arrive, I accept that you will be free until that point. After that, you will be secured with them.”

Miko nodded as she said “Anika, you will remain here until all three have returned. I promise, after that, we will be together if at all possible.”

“Uhknnhhhmhmm,” Anika said, Miko noticing the way the tape over her lips crinkled as she did so.

“Gentlemen ensure the rest of the house is secured,” Jay said as the other men left the room, Mrs McPhee sitting next to Anika. “So, which of the girls will be first?”

Looking at the clock on the wall, Miko said “Hanna should be home soon from a modelling shoot.”

“She is a model? At the age of nine?”

“Indeed – she takes after her mothers in all sorts of ways, as you will see…”

“Thank you,” the thin Japanese woman said as she paid the black cab driver, and opened the door, allowing her nine year old daughter to get out first before she stepped onto the pavement. She had on a long black coat, her black boots visible underneath with a three inch heel.

The young girl was wearing a grey fake fur jacket, and it was possible to see underneath the white cardigan she was wearing over a black jersey dress. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but the most striking thing about her look was the over the knee black fabric boots with a crepe sole.

“That was fun today, Mummy,” she said as her mother smiled at her.

“Well, you do some to like posing for the camera Hanna,” the older woman said with a smile as they walked up the stairs and she pressed the white button, waiting until the door was open.

“Welcome home, Mis JoJo, Miss Hanna,” Miko said as she opened the door, and stood to the side.

“Thank you Miko, I trust everything is well here,” the older woman said as she came in and removed her coat, putting it on the coat rack while Hanna walked into the front room. Miko looked at her, now revealed to be wearing a dark blue designer dress with wide black and light blue bands, her gloves now seen as ones that came up to her shoulders, her boots going under the skirt of her dress with leather thongs hanging down the back of them.

“Sadly, Miss JoJo, I cannot say all is well,” Miko said quietly as she stood with her head bowed.

“What do you mean by…” JoJo looked to the door to the front room as Hanna stood there, a woman in a blue boiler suit and with a black balaclava over her head holding her daughter with a gloved hand over the young girl’s mouth.

“Thank you Miko – go with the gentleman and wait with your daughter.”

The voice was soft, with a Northern accent, and JoJo turned her head to see the masked man standing there as well.

“What… What is the meaning of this?”

“They have Anika as a hostage in the kitchen – forgive me,” Miko said as a second man took her away, before the first man said “shall we go into the front room?”

“Cum along lassie,” the masked woman said as she walked Hanna in, JoJo following as she saw how the drape shad been drawn over the windows, and the bag with coils of rope on the floor.

“Allow me to make the introductions,” the masked man said, “I am Jay Edwards, and this is my good friend Mrs McPhee. My friends and I wish to conduct some business with your partner, and to help facilitate that, we shall be making sure you, her, your daughters as well as Miko and Anika stay secure and as an insurance policy.

“Jay Edwards? I have heard of you – you robbed an acquaintance of mine before?”

“We have? And that would be?”

“Nikki Yakamoto.” She looked at Jay, as he nodded and said “Ah yes – I remember that day.”

“Chnhhshhshmfhnn”? Jay looked at Hanna as Mrs McPhee removed her hand, before Hanna said “so it was you who tied up Tamiko and her sisters for the day and the night?”

“Aye, tha’s us,” Mrs McPhee said, “how did they describe it?”

“As scary, but fun – Mamma, I do not think we have a choice in this.”

JoJo nodded as she said “I had come to the same conclusion – so I presume you are going to bind and gag us now?”

“And your other daughters and your partner when they come home,” Jay said as Hanna nodded, and then took off her coat.

“I want to be the same as my Mamma – all the time.”

“Hanna that may be too tight…”

“I know, but I want to be – and so will Mariko and Rose!”

“No use arguing, Jay,” Mrs McPhee said as she took a length of rope from the bag, and handed it to Jay. As he nodded, he said “all right – Mamma first, then you. Kindly put your hands behind your back.”

JoJo nodded as she moved her hands behind her back, and felt Jay cross her wrists before he started to bind her wrists tightly together. Mrs McPhee took a second length of rope, doubled it over and smiled as she looked at Hanna.

“Yer turn lassie – put yer hands behind yer back as well.”

“Thank you,” the young girl said quietly before she smiled, putting her hands behind her back as she felt Mrs McPhee begin to bind her wrists together with another length of rope. JoJo smiled back as she said “so your business is with my wife?”

“It is,” Jay said as he doubled a longer length of rope over, and wrapped it round the older woman’s body, pulling her arms to her sides under her chest. Hanna looked at the way her other’s dress was stretched over her body as the rope was wound round above and below her chest, and then gasped as she felt the rope round her own body.”

“Are you all right,” JoJo said as she looked at her daughter, her cardigan openly slightly as Mrs McPhee made two bands around her body, holding her arms firmly in place.

“Yes Mamma – it just feels strange,” Hanna said quietly as the ropes were pulled tighter, and then Mrs McPhee used two smaller lengths between her arms and her body to make it tighter, while Jay fed the ropes he was using on JoJo under ne arm, up and around the back of her neck, and then under the other arm.

“I am glad I am wearing the gloves,” JoJo said quietly as Jay helped her to sit down, “it means my arms are protected from the ropes.”

“As are mine Mamma,” Hanna said as she sat next to her, Mrs McPhee smiling as she knelt down. “I like your boots, Hanna – where did you get them?”

“Mamma and mummy but them for all three of us – we like to dress like them,” Hanna said with a grin, “they are our heroines.”

“Is that why you want to be tied like her?”

“Yes,” Hanna said as Mrs McPhee wrapped the rope around her ankles and tied them together, Jay smiling as he said to JoJo “cross your ankles and rest your feet on that coffee table.”

“I am going to be the same as you,” JoJo said with a smile as she did as she had been asked to, watching as Jay wrapped the white rope around and between her ankles to keep them held tightly together.

“Why are your legs squeaking Mamma,” Hanna asked as Mrs McPhee started to tie her legs together below her knees, the white band contrasting with her fabric boots.

“Well, my boots are made of leather,” JoJo said with a smile, “and yours are fabric. When my legs rub together, the leather squeaks. See what sound your boots make.”

Hanna nodded as Mrs McPhee completed the binding of her legs, and then tried to move them. “It sounds like my jacket when I move,” she said quietly, JoJo nodding as Jay lowered her feet to the floor.

“So will Mariko and Rose be able to make that noise when they have been tied up as well?”

“I imagine so,” JoJo said as she looked at Jay.

“So they are also dressed like you?”

“Yes – and no,” Hanna said as she wriggled round.

“We need tae make sure ye cannae warn yer family we’re here,” Mrs McPhee said as she folded two white cloths. “Open yer moofs please.”

“Ready, Hanna?”

“Ready Mamma,” the young girl said as she opened her mouth, Mrs McPhee putting the smaller of the two sloths in her mouth as Jay gently stuffed the second one into JoJo’s mouth. He then tore a strip of white tape from a roll and pressed it firmly over her lips, handing the roll to Mrs McPhee before she taped over Hanna’s mouth as well. JoJo nodded as her daughter rubbed her head on her mother’s arm.

“Now,” Jay said quietly, “I wonder how long we…” He stopped talking as they heard the knock on the door, and then stood behind JoJo, Mrs McPhee standing by the door.

“Thank you for dropping the girls off,” the two of them heard Miko say and then a younger girl say “is my sister home yet?”

“Yes they are – and they have a surprise for you, if you go in the front room,” Miko said as JoJo and Hanna looked at each other. Looking to the door, they stayed quiet as a seven year old girl came in, wearing a black jumper with a white pattern at the neck, and a short orange skirt with a tiger print. Mrs McPhee raised an eyebrow as she saw the black leather boots that came up over her knees and nearly to the hem of the skirt, black tights just visible underneath.

“Mama? Hanna? What is…?” Her question was cut short as Jay gently put his gloved hand over her mouth and held her as a second girl said “Mariko, what has happened?”

“I am so sorry Miss Rose,” Miko said as she brought the youngest girl in, a brown patterned scarf tied as a band to hold her long black hair back. She was wearing a long black waistcoat over a long sleeved white top, decorated with thin black stripes, and a short denim skirt that the waistcoat covered. Her legs were in a pair of over the knee red leather boots, thin black laces at the back of the heels.

“What has happened, Miko” the six year old said as she looked at her mother and oldest sister, and at the masked woman holding Mariko with a gloved hand over her mouth. “Are we being robbed?”

“Yes – and no, not yet anyway. These people have taken charge – is that not right, Miss JoJo?”

Rose looked at her mother as she nodded and twisted round, Hanna doing the same before she said “who are you?”

“Ah’m Mrs McPhee” the masked woman said, “ahn this is mah friend Jay Edwards.”

“Hello Rose – Mariko, if you promise not to shout out, Mrs McPhee will take her hand away. Will you do that?”

As the seven year old nodded, Mrs McPhee removed her hand, allowing her to say “oh my – are we going to be tied up as well?”

“That’s right – so if you will put your hands behind your back, Mariko, Mrs McPhee will start to take care of you, and I will take care of you, while my friend takes your housekeeper to be with her daughter.”

“Anika? She has been tied up as well?”

“Yes, Rose – and I suspect I will be as well,” Miko said as another masked man led her away, JoJo twisting her legs round as she mumbled “hthhlbhllrhtghlss”

“Why can’t Mama talk properly,” Mariko said as she felt Mrs McPhee moving her wrists behind her back, and then the rope as it was tied tightly round them to hold them together.

“Well,” Jay said with a smile as he knelt behind Rose, and crossed her wrists before he started to tie them together, “we have put something in her mouth as well as your sister’s, and then covered them with the white tape, and once we have you both secured, we’ll do the same to you.”

“Ahn efter that,” Mrs McPhee said as she tied the rope off, and then doubled a longer length of rope before she wrapped it round Mariko’s arms and body, pulling it tight over her stomach, “we’ll get Anika tae join ye ahn we’ll hae some fun.”

“Fun? How if we cannot move,” rose said as she felt the rope forcing her own arms against her sides, Jay taking it around her stomach and her upper arms.

“Oh ye’ll see,” Mrs McPhee said as she tied the rope off behind Mariko, the young girl nodding as she said “this is comfortable?”

“Guid – go and sit wi yer sister,” the masked woman said, Mariko heading over and pushing herself onto the couch next to Hanna, and then Rose coming to sit on the other side. They both watched as Jay and Mrs McPhee took more ropes form a bag, and knelt in front of them, tying their ankles tightly together side by side, and then their legs together below their knees.

“We sound funny,” Mariko said as she tried to move them after Mrs McPhee tied the rope below her knees and between her legs, Rose nodding as her boots also made a noise as she tried to move them as well.

“Yhsswhddhhh,” Hanna said as she watched the two masked intruders stand up, and then they each took a cloth and folded it into a pad, Mrs McPhee saying “time tae be quiet – open wide.”

“How long will we be like this,” Mariko said as she twisted round.

“Fer a while – when yer other mammy gets home, we’ll see aboo cooking some supper, but until then and efter,” the masked woman said as she pushed the cloth gently into her mouth, and then covered her lips with white tape, Jay doing the same to Rose as she looked at JoJo.

“Hlhlhh.”

All three girls looked to the doorway as they saw Anika jump in, the bands of rope visible around her ankles, below her knees, and around her arms and body, her mouth also covered with white tape. Miko was walking behind her, white tape covering her lips as she twisted round in the ropes holding her own arms to her sides.

“Have a seat,” Jay said as he indicated another armchair, JoJo watching as her housekeeper sat down and one of the other masked men started to bind her ankles together.

“As fer ye three,” Mrs McPhee said as she stood with her gloved hands on Anika’s shoulders, “we’re gonna hae a wee jump around. Jay, would ye help them tae stand up please?”

“Shthhndhpp?” JoJo watched as Jay gently lifted each girl off the couch and helped them to stand on their feet, the three of them looking at each other as they tried to stand still.

“Take a small jump forward,” Jay said with a smile, both mothers watching as Hanna took a little jump forward and steadied herself, Mariko and Rose doing the same thing as their boots rubbed on the ropes.

“Whehhlrhhttt,” Rose said, the other two nodding as they jumped over towards Anika, their friend nodding as Mrs McPhee said “let’s go and see if we cahn find sumfing tae do until yer other mammie comes home.”

As they jumped out of the room, a masked man going with them, Jay sat down and said “they will be fine, I promise you – when your wife gets home, we will secure her as well, but allow you to start to prepare supper.” He looked at Miko, who slowly nodded as JoJo said “hndhfthrtht?”

“We need your wife to conduct some business – but from home for once. Your housekeeper, and the girls, will be secured elsewhere – as will both of you once our work is completed. For now, however, relax – everything is going to be fine…”

“Well duhn,” Mrs McPhee said as Rose pushed herself up the last stair, and she helped her to stand up, the other three waiting. “Noo, who has the biggest ruhm?”

“Ehddhh,” Hanna said as she nodded. She then jumped down the hallway, the others following as Mrs McPhee nodded to her companion, and he walked quickly to join Hanna at the front. He then opened a door where Hanna stopped, the four girls jumping in as Mrs McPhee followed.

“Oh my – ah fine room,” she said as she looked round, and saw the large television. “Would ye like tae watch something?”

The girls all nodded as she turned the television on, and then a Blu-Ray player before she looked on a shelf.

“Dae ye like this,” she said as she held up a copy of Princess Mononoke. All four nodded, as she said “Richt – would ye all like tae lie on the bed?” As they nodded, the masked man lifted them one by one and let them lie on their stomachs on the bed, facing the television before he took four more lengths of rope from his bag, and started to bind their ankles to their chest ropes.

“Whhdhthsss,” Mariko asked as she looked up.

“Tae make sure ye stay there – ready?”

The four girls nodded as they looked at each other, and then the film started, Mrs McPhee and the masked man standing by the wall and watching. The girls didn’t hear the front door open and close, or the call of “what the…”

The latest arrival looked at her wife and her housekeeper, both sat in chairs, tightly bound and tape gagged, and whispered “if you have hurt them…”

“Be assured, my dear lady,” Jay Edwards said with a smile as he stood next to her, “they are unharmed – merely restrained and silenced. Will you confirm that for me ladies?”

She was surprised to see them both nod, her eyes fixed on the way the ropes looked on JoJo as she opened her hands, her beige purse falling to the floor. She was as tall as JoJo, and wearing a fawn coloured wool coat over her shoulders. Under the coat was a matching sleeveless dress, the sleeves and front of her white top visible underneath that, and a pair of thigh high white leather boots covered her legs.

Slowly turning her head, she whispered “who are you, and where are the girls?”

“A fair question – my name is Jay Edwards, perhaps you have heard of me, Soo?”

She slowly turned her head as he removed her coat, folded it and put it over the back of a chair, before she said “Jay Edwards? I have heard of you – and the girls are with your – friends?”

“They are – I believe they are watching a film at the moment, but will join you all shortly before we allow Miko to prepare supper for all of you. May I say, I complement you on your style –your daughters really have two fine role models to follow, and I am pleased they do.”

“Thrrfhnnshhh” JoJo mumbled under the tape as her wife slowly nodded.

“So what are your plans?”

“For now, to ask you to put your hands behind your back,” Jay said quietly, “while we ensure you are as well secured as the others. After you have all eaten, we will take steps to ensure the girls are all safely secured in their beds, and then I am going to ask you to do a little financial work from your home office here.”

“And then?”

“And then, we ensure none of you can alert the authorities as we make our exit – normally, we take you to your place of work, but I think we can be more efficient in doing that from the home tonight.”

“But by your reputation, none of us are going to be able to free ourselves – so how will we be freed?”

“Oh we will take care of that,” Jay said as he crossed Soo’s wrists behind her back, and started to bind tem tightly together with a length of rope, “but right now, let’s make sure you are secured…”

As the music played over the closing credits, Anika looked at the other three girls, and said “shnwwghhbhkdhnhh?”

“Whwhhnthhsshhrrmhmme.”

“Aye, we’ll dae that,” Mrs McPhee said as she nodded to the masked man, who released their ankles from the ropes around their arms, all four nodding as they stretched their legs out and then rolled over, wriggling their legs as the room was filled with the sound of leather rubbing on leather.

“Ane at a time,” Mrs McPhee said with a smile as she helped Anika to stand up, the oldest girl waiting as the three sisters were helped to stand next to them, before they lined up and jumped along the first floor corridor.

“Gae tae the bottom, wait fer them tae cum doon,” Mrs McPhee said to the masked man, the four girls watching as he walked down before the masked woman looked at them and said “so who’s furst?”

“Mhhh,” Rose said as she sat on the top step, and started to move herself down them one step at a time, Mrs McPhee watching as she got halfway down, before saying “who’s next?”

As she neared the bottom, Rose sat on the first step up as the masked man gently helped her to stand on her feet, before she jumped to the other wall and waited, watching as Mariko made her way down, and then Hanna, before Mrs McPhee walked slowly down after Anika. As she was helped to stand up, the masked woman beckoned with a gloved finger, as they jumped into the front room.

“Hmmghhdddd!”

“Hllhhmmhmmeee, whrrjhmhnn,” Rose said as she looked at Soo, now sitting in another armchair, her upper body and legs bound in the same way as JoJo, and white tape over her mouth.

“Dhhujhffhfn,” Miko mumbled as she looked at her daughter. Anika nodded as she looked at Mrs McPhee, seeing her smile as she said “you gahsl go and sit oer there, ahnd Ah’ll get ye all a drink.”

The four girls nodded as they jumped over and sat on the couch, their legs stretched out over the seat as they all wriggled round, while Jay looked at them.

“When Mrs McPhee comes back, we’ll remove the tape from all of you, so long as you all agree to speak quietly and not raise the alarm. Will you do that for us?”

Miko looked at her employers as they both nodded, and then nodded herself as she heard the noise coming from the kitchen, the girls giggling as Jay walked behind them, using his gloved hands to peel the tape gently away from their lips.

“Thank you,” Hanna said as she licked her lips, “and hello Mummy – guess how we’ve spent today?”

“Thddhupphndghhghd?”

“Yeah – and it’s actually been fun,” Mariko said as Mrs McPhee carried in a tray with four glasses of milk. “So how do we drink this?”

“Wi these – ahnd uhr help,” Mrs McPhee said as she put straws into each of the glasses, and then she and the three masked men held one for each of the girls to take a drink, while Jay removed the tape from the mouths of the older women.

“Thank you,” Miko finally said as she looked at JoJo and Soo. “I am truly, truly sorry…”

“It is not your fault,” Soo said quietly, “I suspect they made it difficult for you to not cooperate – Anika?”

“Held in the kitchen while Miss JoJo and the rest of the girls returned. I ask your forgiveness…”

“There is nothing to forgive,” JoJo said as she looked at her housekeeper. “In fact, given we have been unharmed…”

“Unharmed?” JoJo looked at Soo, with her eyebrow raised, before she said “yes, unharmed, if tied up and unable to talk. The girls are not afraid, and neither am I. After all, Soo, money is just money.”

“A very healthy attitude to take,” Jay said with a smile as one of the men put the glass down. “Would you kindly untie Miko, and take her into the kitchen to allow her to prepare supper for all of them. In the meantime, I have a suggestion.”

“And that is,” Soo said as she looked over.

“Well, I was going to suggest Karaoke,” Jay said with a smile, “but I think we will keep that for later. For now, how about you all talk about your days…”

“How do you do it – manage to keep everyone so calm when we should be terrified.”

“Jay and Mrs McPhee just have a gift for putting people at their ease,” the masked man said as he watched Miko putting a variety of finger foods into the oven, and then starting to sort some vegetable sticks out. “We trust them, and once they have your trust, our job becomes a lot easier.”

“Which is why you are allowing me to use a knife to chop these vegetables?”

“That, and the fact that you know we still have the others captive in the main room,” the masked man said with a smile. Miko nodded, as she said “don’t you normally take the person doing the transfer to their office?”

“Indeed – but as I understand it, that is not necessary this time…”

Miko turned her head, and said quietly “what exactly are you going to do?” But Jay just smiled…

As Mrs McPhee removed the rope round Rose’s waist, the young girl smiled and said “thank you” as she rubbed her wrists. The family were seated round the dining table, Anika with them as Mariko placed plates with finger food, chopped vegetable and various dips round the table.

“Well, at least we have had the chance to talk, and now we can eat together. Miko – will you join us please?”

“thank you, Miss JoJo, Miss Soo,” Miko said as she took a seat, raising her arms as Jay bound a length of rope round her waist to hold her in place, and then sending the first of the plates around the table.

“May I ask ae question,” Mrs McPhee said as she stood at the head of the table.

“Of course,” JoJo said as she picked up a roll.

“Dae ye mind yer gahls dressing like you at their age?”

JoJo looked at Soo, and then said “no – in fact, we are flattered. We have brought them up always to be themselves, even at their age. Are you judging us for that?”

“Och nae - ah’m merely asking the question,” Mrs McPhee said with a smile as she looked over. “The girls are happy, aye?”

Both women nodded as Anika said to Hanna “so how did you feel, tied and unable to speak?”

“Is it wrong of me to say I found it exciting?”

Hanna smiled as Anika shook her head, and said “no, I actually found it exciting as well. I wonder what they are going to do to us after we have eaten?”

“I suspect we will be bound and quiet again,” Anika whispered as she watched Mariko eating a carrot stick, and Rose talking to Soo. “All of us.”

“The woman – Mrs McPhee – I feel safe with her, and with their leader.”

“Indeed – it is a very strange thing to say, but she is like a mother to us…”

“You know that they will leave all of us bound and gagged when they go,” JoJo said to Soo.

“I do – I know their reputation – but it would appear I am not going to be forced to go to my office, so I will be here with all of you, and can share with you in whatever happens.”

“Including with me?”

“Especially with you,” Soo said with a smile as she looked across the table. Jay smiled as he saw this, and then saw how the meal was progressing.

“Once the meal is finished,” he said quietly, “I think we will need to start the preparations for all of you for your bedtime, as it may take some time.”

“But you said we could have some Karaoke time after we had finished,” Mariko said as she looked over.

“And indeed you will – but I never said what you would be wearing at the time, did I,” Jay said with a smile. “While others get ready, we will have the others watching some television. So, when you have all finished, you can wait while Miko collects the dirty plates, disposes of any leftover food and loads the dishwasher.”

The girls and their mothers looked round as Mariko cleared the table, then turned and said “now what?”

“Now, you and Anika come with Mrs McPhee,” Jay said with a smile. “As for the rest of you, please lean forward and put your hands behind your back.”

“Cum wi me,” Mrs McPhee said as she released the mother and daughter, and they walked up the stairs. As they reached the top, Anika said “Mrs McPhee – will you be tying and gagging me when I have changed?”

“Aye lassie – why?”

Anika looked at her mother, and then said “I want my baby to be the same.”

“Your… Ah, ye mean yer dollie?” Mrs McPhee smiled as Anika nodded, and then said “richt – let yer mam get yer nightclothes and hers, then ye both go in and get washed and changed, before ye come wi me.”

“Is that all right, mother,” Anika said as she looked at Miko. Her mother smiled and nodded, as she said “it is – let’s go and get something to wear and then we can go and have a shower….”

Mrs McPhee smiled as the two women came out, once again dressed identically, their black hair hanging loose. They were wearing a long t-shirt as a nightshirt, with a pale blue body and short yellow sleeves, the neckline the same shade. On the front of the nightdresses were a black and white printed kitten with “Call Me!” printed above and “Call Me” below the picture.

“Ah take it…”

“Yes, we both are,” Miko said as she looked at the masked woman, “so what now?”

“Let’s go intae yer room,” Mrs McPhee said as they went into the bedroom, Anika sitting on the bed as Miko looked at her. “Richt – why don’t ye fix her hair? Is that yer baby?”

“It is,” Anika said as she looked at the rag doll on the bed. Mrs McPhee smiled as she stroked the red hair, and said “richt then – she’ll be ae guid girl fer me while yer ma sorts ye out.”

As Anika watched, Mrs McPhee took a roll of string from the bag she had carried up, and crossed the doll’s wrists in front of it, using the string to tie them together as Miko sat behind her daughter and started to brush her hair. Mrs McPhee then wrapped the string around the doll’s arms and body, holding them to her sides. The doll was wearing a pair of pink pyjamas, Anika watching as her legs and ankles were secured in the same way.

“So are you going to do that to me,” she whispered as McPhee put the doll down with her head on the pillow.

“No quite – we dae sumfing else fer ye,” Mrs McPhee said as she went back to the bag, and took out two half sponges as Miko put her hair into a ponytail and then looked on. “Furst, I wan ye tae hold these an make fists wi yer hands.”

“Like this,” Anika said as she made the fists, her fingers sinking into the sponge as the masked woman took a roll of silver tape, and covered her hands so that it looked as if she was wearing gloves.

“aye, jes like that – it’ll be yer ma’s turn in ae minute, once I finish,” she said as she took a pair of socks, and pulled them over Anika’s arms before she taped the sock tops to her arms with white tape. As she looked at them, she said “my hands are like baby’s now!”

“Indeed – and now it’s yer ma’s turn. Hold yer hands out lassie.”

As she watched her hands slowly made into useless balls, Anika kissed the doll’s head and said “we’ll be together Baby, and we’ll make sure each other is all right.”

“Now then,” Mrs McPhee said as she put the tape back into the bag, and took out several lengths of rope, “put yer hands behind yer back.” As Anika watched, Miko said “very well – see what she does” as Mrs McPhee crossed her wrists behind her back, and then secured them together with the rope, keeping it on top of the socks as it went around and between her arms.

“Does it hurt, Mom,” Anika asked as she watched Mrs McPhee tie the ends off. Miko actually smiled, as she said “no – it is comfortable, so you can let Mrs McPhee do it to you as well.”

“Once Ae hae yer muther’s arms secured to her sides,” Mrs McPhee said as she took a longer length of rope from the bag, and wound it round Miko, Anika watching as her eyes widened at the way the ropes tightened and stretched her mother’s nightdress over her chest.

Once Mrs McPhee had the bands secured, she took two more lengths from the bag, and gently took Anika’s wrists behind her back before she tied them together. She then wrapped the longer length of rope around her body, above and below her chest, as she watched her mother twisting round.

“Now, time tae be quiet,” Mrs McPhee said as she tied shorter lengths of rope between Anika’s arms and body, making the bands tighter before she took two more half sponges from the bag and compressed them in her gloved hands. “Open wide.”

“May I say something to my daughter?”

As Mrs McPhee nodded, Miko looked at Anika and said “you have been a very brave young girl, keeping Miss JoJo and Miss Soo’s daughters happy. Will you continue to do that?”

“As much as I can, Mom,” Anika said with a smile as she leaned forward and put her head on her mother’s body, Miko nodding as she said “I’m ready” and opened her mouth, allowing Mrs McPhee to push the sponge into her mouth and then a knotted strip of towel between her lips as she closed her mouth over it. White tape was then wound tightly round her head, covering the knot, her lips, her mouth as Anika said “wow…”

“And now,” Mrs McPhee said as Miko nodded, “yer turn lassie…”

“Oh wow,” Rose said as she saw Anika and Miko come into the front room. She, her sisters and her mothers had their wrists secured together with tape behind their backs, and watched as the housekeeper and her daughter sat next to each other, Jay smiling as two of his friends knelt down and started to bind their ankles tightly together.

“We have the Karaoke set up for when you are all ready,” Jay said with a smile, “the question is, who is next?”

“May I go next Mama?”

JoJo and Soo both looked at Rose, as the youngest girl said “I know we are all going to be like Anika for the night – and I want to show I am not afraid.”

“Very well then,” Jay said as Mrs McPhee helped the young girl to stand up, “if you will allow her to change after her shower, and prepare her, then the two other girls can go up after her.”

As the two went up the stairs, JoJo said “is the plan to ensure the girls are secured first?”

“It is,” Jay said with a smile, “and then we will take you to prepare for bed. Once you are ready, we can start the karaoke down here while we have your wife conduct some business for us, and then then she will change as well. By then, we can start to make sure you are all comfortable for the night.”

“As if we have a choice?”

Jay just smiled as they heard the water running upstairs…

“Lhkhhtmhmhhmmm!”

JoJo and Soo looked to the door, the smile evident as Rose came back into the room with Mrs McPhee. She had changed into a pair of pink pyjamas, with a Snow White print, but her arms were behind her back, bands of white rope holding them to her sides around her upper body. A band of white tape was wound tightly round her head, covering her mouth, but they could both see the small bump between her lips as well.

“Hae a seat, lassie, ahn Jay will take care o ye legs,” the masked woman said, rose nodding as she sat next to Anika. As she walked past, both women could see the socks pulled up over her arms, and the rope holding her wrists together.

Jay smiled as he knelt down and started to wrap a length of rope around the seven year old’s ankles, as Hanna and Mariko shuffled forward and stood up.

“I guess it’s our turn now,” Mariko said as she looked at JoJo.

“I think so – go and get ready, and then the four of you can have some fun,” she said as Anika and Rose both nodded. Miko nodded as well, playing the part of the nanny she sometimes was as well as housekeeper.

As the two girls walked up, Jay secured Rose’s legs together below her knees, and then nodded to one of the other masked men as he started to set up a microphone.

“Feeling better, lassies,” Mrs McPhee said as the two girls came out of the bathroom. Both had on a pair of grey bottoms, Mariko a long sleeved green top and Hanna a pink one.

“We do, but we’re going to be tied and gagged now,” Mariko said as she rubbed her arm.

“Aye – but it willnae hurt, and it will be fun. So, I need ye both to hold these.”

“Why,” Hanna said as she and her sister held a half sponge in their hands, making fists.

“So that ah can dae this,” Mrs McPhee said as she wrapped silver tape round their fists, both girls giggling as they watched, then pulled socks up over their hands and arms before using the silver tape to secure them to the sleeves of their tops.

“We really can’t use our hands now,” Marko giggled as she looked at her hands.

“Nope – now watch as I take care o ye sister, then I’ll take care o ye,” Mrs McPhee said, the smile on her mouth clear as she guided Hanna’s wrists behind her back, and tied them tightly together with rope. She then doubled over a longer length of rope, and wrapped it round Hanna’s body, pulling her arms into her sides as she made a band round her upper arms and one round her stomach.

“There,” she finally said as she secured the ends behind the young girl’s back, and then used two shorter lengths to cinch the bands between her body and arms, “how does it feel?”

“Tight, nice – does that sound wrong,” Hanna said as she twisted round and felt the ropes rubbing on her.

“No, ah lot of girls say that – and some boys,” Mrs McPhee said with a smile as she took Mariko’s hands behind her back, and bound them together.

“You’ve tied up boys as well,” Hanna said as she watched Mrs McPhee binding her sister’s arms and sides.

“Aye – ahnd ah’ll tell you a secret.”

Hanna looked at her as she pulled the rope tight round Mariko’s body, as Mrs McPhee said “the boys tend to be less brave than the girls - except for one or two. I remember a very brave boy who wanted to be a girl, and he was a very good hostage as well.”

“He wanted to be a girl,” Mariko whispered as Mrs McPhee started to tie the shorter lengths of rope between her body and arms.

“Aye – his name was Michael, but he wanted to be Michelle, ahnd so he was. There noo – I need to make sure ye’re both quiet.”

“Well, this is going to make singing interesting,” Mariko said, Hanna nodding as she opened her mouth, allowing Mrs McPhee to put the folded cloth in and then tie the knotted strip of towelling around her head so that the knot sat between her lips.

“Uhfhnnkk,” Hanna said as Mariko was gagged in the same way, before Mrs McPhee peeled the end of the tape free, and then stuck it to her cheek, winding the tape tightly round her head to add to the silence.

“And here they are,” Jay said as the two sisters walking in, nodding as they took a seat and watched Jay binding their ankles and legs as well.

“So when do we go to get ready,” JoJo said as Jay stood up.

“Oh, I think you can enjoy the fun for a little while longer. So which of you girls want to go first?”

The four of them looked at each other before Miko said “Lthmhhh.”

“Well, if you go first, you can then judge who is best,” Jay said with a smile as he helped the housekeeper to stand up, the others watching as she jumped over to where the microphone was set up on a stand. She nodded as the music started, and then she started to try to sing.

Thrhhtthfmhhnshhteethchntnhhesfrhmyhsthrdee
shffrssmhhwhkshlffbhgnsshtsmhdnhtjhrneee
thghntlllhttphkkhnfhrrmthhwhdnh
bhrthnnssnhfhthrrtheehhfnhffrshnn

Whdhhhrhrtssshttllhngfhreshhfr?
hffntwhhlrdeeeshdhrghddbhs?
Bhtthsdhssntmhnwhllnhfrrshsshfrhghn

Phlssthhshmlhn… Thdee,thmhrrrh,fhrhfr
Phlssthhshmlhn… Chtnhheethlhff

The girls watched and then started to sing along with Miko, the mothers raising an eyebrow and shaking their heads as they watched.

Phlssthhshmlhn … effnhsththrsshrhbhhtthfhl
Phlssthhshmlhn… Thdee,thmhrrrh,fhrhfr
Phlssthhshmlhn… Chtnhheethlhff

As the song ended, the girls cheered through their gags as JoJo and Soo said “well done.” Miko blushed and nodded as she sat down, Hanna jumping up and over as Mrs McPhee scrolled down the list on the screen.

“That one?”

She nodded as Jay lowered the microphone, and then the music started.

Nhnhnh… H! thssshtwhhwhhr
Nhnhnh… thwh, thwh, twhwhhr
Nhnhnh… H! thssshtwhhwhhr
Nhnhnh… thwh, thwh, twhwhhr

Htsshbhthmbrrsshnthbhrnnhpnh, bht
hmmmshfhnlfhlthatwhwhrrhblethmht

“Keep an eye on them and her,” Jay said as JoJo looked at him helping Soo to stand, “while Mrs McPhee and I take care of some business with Soo.”

The masked men nodded as Jay and Mrs McPhee escorted Soo to her office, Jay closing the door as Soo sat down, then raised her hands after Mrs McPhee had freed them to allow her to use more rope to tie her waist to the chair. The masked woman then knelt down and secured her ankles, as well as he legs below her knees, before Jay smiled.

“Brian Holderness-Carter sends his greetings, Soo – what did you find out?”

The Japanese woman looked at the masked intruders, and then shook her head as she whispered “so this is all a cover?”

“Oh no – we ae robbing you,” Jay said with a smile, “but we have an – arrangement with Brian and his superiors, and sometimes do him a favour or two. And this is one of those times.”

Soo shook her head as she said “very well then – tell him he was right, the evidence is somewhere on their systems, but I cannot get to it without rousing suspicion.”

“Which is where we come in,” Jay said as Soo looked at him, “log into your systems – we are going to do some transfers, and at the same time set something up to find the evidence he needs.”

“How do you know Brian anyway,” Soo asked as she typed on the laptop.

“We met through mutual acquaintances – you?”

“He was a colleague in the Australian services,” Soo said quietly, “both retired at the same time. Right – I’m in – what do you want me to do?”

Jay smiled as he produced a USB stick. “Put this in, run the program – and when it’s done, we take you to get changed.”

“Well, your reputation precedes you in every respect,” Soo said as she saw the rope Jay was passing round her body, forcing her arms into her sides as she stood there. After the transaction had been completed, Mrs McPhee had taken her to shower and change, and she was now wearing a pair of blue pyjamas with white, black and brown kitten faces on it. Jay had then covered her fists with silver tape, her fingers sinking into the sponge she was holding, and then pulled blue socks over her hand and up her arms, the sleeves of her pyjama jacket tucked into them, white tape around the top.

Jay had then taken her hands behind her back, using rope to bind her wrists tightly together and then round her waist, and now he was forming bands of rope above and below her chest, her top opening slightly as he did so.

“Well, I know I am not going anywhere now,” Soo whispered as Jay took the rope under one arm, up and around the back of her neck, moving the pigtail she had platted her into out of the way, and then under the other arm.

“That is the idea – but we will make sure you and your wife are secured together.”

“Very thoughtful – the girls?”

“Ah’ll see how they are when we go doon,” Mrs McPhee said, “but thy will be in their beds.” Soo nodded and then grunted as Jay tied the rope off, and then twisted round.

“They have not been afraid all day – how do you do that?”

“It’s a gift,” Jay said with a smile. “Now, let’s take you down to look after the girls while your wife changes.

“Once we have you silenced.”

“Hllhhmhhmmmh,” Rose said as Soo was escorted back into the front room, her mother nodding as Jay guided her to an armchair.

“Are you all right,” JoJo said as she watched Jay cross her wife’s ankles and begin to bind them together. Soo nodded – the white band encircling her head was covering a knotted silk scarf, the knot sitting on a sponge ball which was in her mouth. She knew JoJo would be like her soon – and strangely, she was looking forward to that.

Mrs McPhee looked over at Anika, her eyes slowly closing as she rested her head on her mother’s chest.

“Wi yer permission Jay,” she said quietly, “they should go to their room.”

“Hwwhlrhddee” Mariko mumbled as she looked at her friend.

“I think so – come along,” Jay said as he untied Miko’s legs.

“Miko.”

“Yhssmssjhhjhh?”

“Thank you for been so good with them today – we’ll talk in the morning.”

The housekeeper nodded as Jay picked the sleeping Anika up, one of the masked men carrying some more ropes as they walked slowly to her rooms. Once inside, Jay put Anika on the bed and tied her ankles to the bottom, while Miko sat down, watching as he secured her ankles and legs again.

“Lie down,” he said quietly Miko turning to look at her daughter as she felt the masked man pull her ankles back and secure them to her chest ropes as well. As he turned the light off, he said “check them every fifteen minutes” to the masked man, the young woman nodding as they closed the door. Turning, Jay saw Mrs McPhee walk up with JoJo.

“Time fer their mammie tae change?”

“The girls?”

“Dosing on the couch – ah’ll take care o them in a wee while.”

Jay nodded as the two women walked into the master bedroom, Mrs McPhee smiling as she said “I see ye hae a walk-in – go and shower, then come out in what ye find in there.”

JoJo nodded as she was untied, and then walked in, stepping under the running water and smiling as she thought through the day…

When she came out, Mrs McPhee smiled as she said “nice – matches yer wife.”

“She left them in there for me,” JoJo said as she fastened her pigtail, now wearing a pair of pink pyjamas in the same style as Soo, except for grey kitten heads rather than black. “I presume it is time for me to be secured and silenced?”

“Aye – hold these,” the masked woman said as she handed JoJo two sponges, waiting as she made fists with her hands before she wrapped duct tape round them, then pulled a pair of socks up over them and taped the socks to the sleeves of her top.

As she felt the rope around her wrists behind her back, they both heard footsteps on the stairs, and she turned her head to look at Mrs McPhee.

“The bairns are going tae their beds – ye’ll go doon wi yer wife, at her request.”

“May I see them before I go down?”

Mrs McPhee nodded as she pulled the rope between JoJo’s wrists, tied the ends off, and then wrapped more rope around her arms and body. “Aye- when ye’re ready…”

JoJo nodded as she felt the rope forcing her arms into her sides, the bands framing her chest before Mrs McPhee took the rope under one arm, round the back of her neck, and then under the other arm. As it was tied off, she said “how will we be freed?”

“Och, there’ll be a way – noo, open wide…”

A few minutes later, Mrs McPhee took JoJo into Hanna’s room, to see the three girls lying on mats on the floor, their heads on pillows, their eyes closed as they breathed in and out through their noses.

“Shllhhpthttt,” she mumbled through the layered gag, before she slowly walked down the stairs, Jay smiling as she came back in.

“Thgrllsss?”

“Hslhhpsthll,” JoJo said as she sat on the floor next to Soo. As Jay knelt down and bound her ankles together, the two women looked at each other and then pressed their taped lips together for a moment.

“We thank you for your cooperation,” Jay said with a smile as he secured her legs, and then said “we have an extra treat for you –we found something when preparing upstairs.”

“Whtsthttt,” Soo said as the two women were laid on their sides, and then hogtied. They then looked up at the matching sleep masks the masked associate was holding, and looked at each other.

“Shhuhlhtrr,” Soo said as the pink mask was placed over JoJo’s eyes, and then the blue one over hers, before they head Jay say “good night ladies,” and footsteps – then JoJo felt her wife nuzzling her chest….

“Mhmmee?”

Miko slowly opened her eyes as she saw Anika looking at her, wriggling round as she said “hfthghnnn?”

“Hfhnkshhh – hsthrrrr?”

She looked over her daughter’s shoulder as her three charges jumped in, as tightly gagged and bound as them, then came over to the bed as Miko said “Hhhhruhhh?”

“Stfff – whnndwhghtfhrrr?”

“Hdhntknhh,” Rose said as she wriggled round, and then they heard the front door open.

“Soo? It’s Clara –I have those documents you wanted, but I can’t get to the office, the police are…

“Soo?” The girls could hear muffled shouts, and the footsteps, before the woman said “oh my god – what happened here?”

“Ghshththndsnhh,” Mariko said, the others nodding as they waited patiently…

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