Jay Pays A Visit

“Don’t worry, Sarah,” Mark Williamson said as he spoke on the telephone, “we’ll keep to our side of the bargain. Is there anything we can do for you?

“Good – I look forward to talking to you soon. Enjoy your day.”

Replacing the phone, Mark rubbed his head and walked back into the front room, where his wife Yvonne was sitting looking at some photos. “How are they?” she said as he sat down and picked up his wine glass.

“Good – they asked if we could spare some time when we go over in a few weeks to help them out with something.”

“Yeah, I guess we could, but they’d need to provide the details,” Yvonne said as she looked at the two young girls. “But they have no objections to this?”

“No – so long as we keep our word about guns and so on. So, Will Cranston,” Mark said as he looked at the tall fair haired man in the picture, “I hope you are ready for an exciting day tomorrow.”

“Well, Mum and Dad are taking the kids to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and then taking them out to dinner, so they’re cared for. Going to make the calls?”

Mark nodded as he stepped out for a moment, Yvonne looking at the younger of the two girls…

Trina smiled as she heard Lela and Honey running up the stairs. The young Malaysian girl was standing at the kitchen sink, washing the lunch dishes as she looked out of the window. She was wearing a white round necked jumper over a longer pale blue blouse, jeans and baggy black knee length boots.

“Just a closer walk with thee,” she hummed to herself as she dried the last of the plates. She liked working for Mister and Mrs Cranston, and loved their girls, as well as finding the time to complete her studies. All in all, she thought as she was standing there, life was good.

So when she heard the knock on the front door, she dried her hands and made her way along the corridor, smiling as she opened the door and said “Yes, can I …”

“Hello,” the masked man said in a soft Geordie accent as he pushed Trina back in, and held her against the wall, his gloved hand over her mouth. “Now, let’s stay nice and quiet and calm, shall we?”

Trina nodded as she watched two men and one woman walk in, all dressed like the man in front of her in blue boiler suits, and with black balaclavas pulled down over their heads, only their eyes and lips showing. They all had black leather gloves and Dr Marten boots on, and the two men carried a canvas bag each.

“Go in and make sure the curtains are drawn in the front room,” the man said, and Trina watched as the other three walked in. “Now then,” he said as he looked at her, “we’re going to be staying here for a little while, so your job is to help keep those two girls upstairs calm and quiet. You do that by listening to what I say, and then doing it without any questions. Understand?”

Trina nodded as the man took his hand away. “Good – now you come in here with me,” he said as he led her into the front room, while the masked woman put some lengths of cord into her pocket.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” she said as she slowly walked up the stairs, while the masked man crossed Trina’s wrists behind her back. She walked along the upstairs corridor, and peeked into one of the rooms where the blonde haired Lela was sitting at a desk and drawing. Smiling, she closed the door for a moment, and then went to the room next door.

The ten year old girl was lying on her stomach on the bed, reading a book as she walked in and closed the door. The noise that made was heard by the girl, who rolled over and then pushed herself up the bed as the masked woman came over.

“Hello,” she said in a soft Scottish voice as she sat on the bed, “you must be Honey.”

“That’s right,” the young girl said as she grabbed her knees and held them close to her chest. She had long dark brown hair, and was wearing a grey top under a black baseball jacket, black leggings and black leather laced boots with straps hanging at the sides. “Who are you?”

“My name is Mrs McPhee,” the masked woman said. “My friends and I have called round today because we want to talk to your daddy about something. Now, that means you, your sister and Trina are going to have to keep us company for a while, and it also means that we have to make sure we know where you are, and stop you talking for a while, but you have my word that we will not hurt you. All right?”

Honey looked at Mrs McPhee, and somehow she felt a little more relaxed. “So we will be together?”

“That’s right, but I need you to come with me so that I can tell Lela the same thing. I need you to show her there is nothing to be afraid of, and to keep her and Trina company. You need to be a very brave girl, but I think you will be, won’t you?”

“All right,” Honey said, “what are you going to do?”

“Can you hold your hands out in front of you?”

As Honey did that, Mrs McPhee took some cord from her pocket and tied them snugly together, the cord going around and between her arms.

“There,” she said with a smile, “how does that feel?”

“Funny,” Honey said as she looked at it.

“Well, come with me and tell Lela that,” Mrs McPhee said as she helped Honey to stand up, and walked with her into the next room.

Lela looked round as they came in, and said “Who are you?”

“This is Mrs McPhee,” Honey said as she sat on Lela’s bed, “and she and some friends are going to stay with us and talk to mummy and daddy. Do you see my hands?”

She raised up her hands as Lela stared at them. She had long light blonde hair, and was wearing a vintage style of sleeveless dress, with a 50’s floral print on it and white trim at the hem, sleeves and where the front panels crossed. She also had on a pair of brown Ugg boots.

“Why have you tied my sister’s wrists together,” the eight year old said as she looked at Mrs McPhee, her eyes questioning.

“Well, Lela, we need to make sure you as well as Trina stay where we can see you, and keep quiet for a while until Mummy comes home,” Mrs McPhee said. “So, I want to do the same to you as I have done to Honey, and then we can go down and join Trina, all right? We can watch a film or some cartoons then.”

“all right,” Lela said, and she watched as Mrs McPhee tied her wrists together, tightly but firmly. “All right,” she said as Lela twisted her wrists round and then stood up, “let’s go downstairs.”

She led them down the stairs and into the front room, where Trina was now sitting in an armchair. They could see her wrists were tied together in front of her, and they could also see rope around her ankles and her legs below her knees.

“Hello girls,” Trina said, “have you come to sit with me as well?”

As they sat on the couch, both girls could see that Trina’s wrists were actually tied to the rope around her legs.

“Do you mind if I take the boots off both of you,” Mrs McPhee said as she removed the boots from both girls, putting them in front of the couch.

“Are you going to do this to us as well,” Honey said.

“That’s right,” Mrs McPhee said as she tied Honey’s ankles together, and then her legs below her knees, before she used a last length to tie her wrists to her legs.

As she took care of Lela, Honey looked at the three men standing in the room. One of them looked at her and smiled as he knelt in front of her. “Hello Honey,” he said in a Geordie accent, “my name’s Jay. I hope you don’t mind that we are going to stay for a while.”

“You’re not going to hurt us, are you?”

“No, we’re not going to hurt you,” Jay said with a smile. “We’re just going to do something to stop you being able to tell Mummy and Daddy we’re here when they come home, but that’s all.” As he said this, Mrs McPhee tied Lela’s wrists loosely to her legs, and then stood up.

“All right then,” Jay said as he looked at the clock, “were going to put something over your mouth to stop you talking, but you can still hum along to the film that Mrs McPhee is going to put on the player for you.” He produced a roll of white tape and peeled a length away, before he said “who’s first?”

Polly Cranston pulled up outside the house and jumped out of the car, wondering who the grey van at the end of the driveway belonged to, before she let herself in and called out “Trina, kids, where are you?” There was no reply, but she could hear the television on, and so she walked into the front room, saying “Daddy will be ho…”

“Hello, Polly,” Jay said as he stood by the chair Trina was sitting in, while Mrs McPhee and another masked man stood behind the couch her girls were sitting on. “Please, remain calm – my name is Jay Edwards.”

Polly looked at her daughters, their legs stretched out and secured at their ankles and knees, and the strips of white tape over their mouths, before she said “oh no – please not us.”

Jay looked at the woman, in her pink and brown jacket, work jeans and brown zipped boots, and simply said “Oh yes. Please, remain calm and believe me when I say no harm will come to you or your family, if you do as I say. For now, please give your bag to the gentleman standing next to you, and put your arms by your side.”

“Are you all all right,” Polly said as she held her bag out, the girls nodding as they watched the cartoon while Trina simply looked at her. She also had a strip of white tape over her mouth, but unlike the girls behind that tape was a folded cloth filling her mouth and pressing her tongue down.

The mother felt her arms being drawn behind her, and her wrists crossed and tied together, before more rope was passed round her waist to hold them in place against her back.

“How long have you been here,” she said as she was walked to another armchair and helped to sit down.

“Long enough,” Jay said as the fourth man knelt, crossed her ankles and began to tie them tightly together. “You husband will be home soon, and then we can get down to business, but for now, relax, and enjoy the afternoon. This is actually quite a good film.”

Polly looked at her girls settling down again, and then at Trina, who simply shook her head in anger and sorrow while the white tape was smoothed over Polly’s mouth.

“Honey, I’m home!”

Will Cranston pushed the door closed behind himself and put his bag down, before he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Taking a cold beer from the fridge, he opened it and took a drink before turning round and seeing the balaclava masked man behind him.

“Hello Will,” he said in his soft Northern accent, “My name is Jay Edwards, and your family have been waiting for your return.”

“Jay… Jay Edwards? Oh no,” Will said quietly. “POLLY!!! GIRLS!!!”

He heard a faint sound of “Welrrtt” as Jay put his gloved hand on Will’s shoulder. “They’re fine,” he said quietly, “and so long as you and your wife do as we say, they’ll remain just fine, so relax – behave, and we won’t have any problems.”

“All right,” he said quietly, “what do you want?”

“To let you finish your drink,” Jay said quietly. “then you can come and keep your daughters company while your wife and Trina prepare tea for all of you. After that, you can take a trip with one of my friends, and make a small transfer of funds from your bank to my account. We’ll take very good care of all of the family while you do that.”

Will nodded slowly as he put the bottle to his lips and took a drink. “I want to see them,” he then said.

“This way,” Jay said as he took Will by the arm and led him to the front room. “Hllddeee,” Lela and Honey called out, while Polly wriggled as she tried to get up.

“Are you… Are you all all right,” Will said, the four of them nodding as he looked around the room.

“Now then,” Mrs McPhee said as she looked at Lela, “would you like to go to the toilet?” The young girl nodded and watched as the masked woman untied her wrists from her legs, and then removed the ropes around her wrists and ankles. “Come with me then,” she said as she helped her to stand up and walked her out, Will sitting next to Honey.

“Untie Polly and Trina,” Jay said to the other two men, “and take them into the kitchen before you remove the gags. They need to prepare tea for everyone. Will, kindly put your hands behind your back.”

Their father nodded as he leaned forward, Honey watching as he had his wrists tied together, and then her mother and their carer were untied. Polly came over and hugged Honey and Will, before she was led with Trina to the kitchen.

“Now then,” Jay said as he sat in an armchair, looking at Honey and Will, “once Lela comes back, Honey can go to the toilet, and then the three of you can watch something together. Fathers should spend time with their kids.”

“Hello daddy,” Lela said as she came in, her hands now behind her back as Mrs McPhee helped her to sit on the couch, before she untied Honey and led her away. “We’ve been watching DVDs all afternoon.”

“Are you all right,” Will said.

“I was scared at first, but the lady has been very nice to us, so I’m not scared anymore.”

“Good – they’re going to be here for a while, so promise me you will behave for them?”

Lela nodded, Jay smiling as she did so.

It was easily the strangest tea the Cranston family had ever had, with all five of them sitting at the table, sharing the pizza and chips as the four masked guests stood and watched them. All five of them had their waists tied to the chairs, and while Lela and Honey had their ankles tied together, the three adults had their ankles and knees tied to the front legs of the chair.

“Now,” Jay said as he looked at Lela and Honey, “your dad is going to go with one of my friends in a few minutes, and he won’t be back until late, so when I let him, he’ll give you both a big hug and good night kiss, all right?”

They both nodded as one of the men started to release Will from the chair. He walked over, reaching from behind the chair as he hugged and kissed the forehead of both his daughters, before he hugged and kissed Polly.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he looked at her. “I’m sorry to all of you.”

Trina nodded as Jay and one of the other two men left with Will, while the second man untied her. “Why don’t you clear up the dishes,” Mrs McPhee said, “and once their daddy has left, we can all go through to the front room and play a game. Do you girls have Sorry?”

Lela and Honey nodded as Polly said “You’re kidding, right?”

“No,” Mrs McPhee said, “we are sorry for the distress we cause, even as we try to keep it to a minimum. Now, would you like to be untied as well?”

The clock showed eight as they finished their game, and Mrs McPhee came back into the room. “I’ve run a bath for these young ladies,” she said as she looked at the two girls, “why don’t you come up with me and Trina, and get cleaned up and ready for bed? Mummy will come up when you are both ready.”

“Let’s go,” Trina said as she took the girls upstairs, Mrs McPhee following them as Polly turned to Jay.

“You’re going to tie us up in our beds, aren’t you?”

“That is what we normally do, yes. I promise you they will be just fine.”

“I have a request to make – let the girls be with me. I know Trina needs to be in her room, and she will do what you ask, but when you take me to my bed I want the two girls to be beside me.”

Jay thought for a moment, and then said “very well – but they will stay in Honey’s room to begin with, while Mrs McPhee puts them at ease and reads them a bedtime story. You may watch as we prepare them, and then see where Trina is first.”

Polly nodded in agreement as they heard the splashing from the bathroom. Looking at the other masked man, Jay said “Make sure all phones and internet access is disconnected.”

As he went out, Polly said “I guess I should thank you – you have been as kind as you could be.”

“We don’t like scaring people,” Jay said with a smile. “Now, let’s go and get them comfortable.”

As they walked up the stairs, Mrs McPhee was watching from the doorway to the bathroom. “They have their nightclothes in there,” she said as Jay took Polly to the bedroom of her oldest daughter. A few moments later, Lela and Honey came in.

Lela was wearing a short sleeved purple nightdress with a picture of Winnie the Pooh on the front, while Honey was wearing a pair of pink and white pyjamas with Hello Kitty on them. Polly watched as Trina came in after them, and then noticed the pairs of white socks that were taped over their hands.

“Now then young ladies,” Mrs McPhee said, “you two are going to share this bed tonight, but we need to make sure you can’t wander off in the night or call out. So, cross your wrists in front of you, and I’m going to do what we did earlier to keep them together – except this time I’ll tie rope around your waists as well, all right?”

Trina and Polly watched as the two girls had their wrists tied together in front of them, and then held down to their bodies, before Mrs McPhee also tied their arms to their sides just below their elbows, taking the rope round in a double figure of eight for each of them.

She then helped them to lie on the bed, their heads resting on the pillows, as they watched her tie their ankles side by side, and then their legs below their knees.

“Comfy,” she said as the two girls wriggled round, and then nodded. “Now,” she continued, “we’re going to put a cloth in your mouths, and then the tape back over them. It means you won’t be able to speak very well, but you can try talking to me and to each other while I read a story to you.”

“I’ll go first,” Honey said as she opened her mouth and the folded cloth was put in, and then a strip of the white tape pressed gently down over her mouth.

“Me next,” Lela said as she was gagged in the same way, and then Mrs McPhee sat down, taking a book from Honey’s shelves and starting to read to them. As she did so, Polly leaned over and kissed each of them on the forehead, before she, Trina, Jay and the other man left them.

“What now, Mrs Cranston,” Trina said as she looked at Jay and the man.

“Take her into her room, allow her to change if she wants, and then secure her,” Jay said as he handed the masked man some rope and tape. “We’ll wait downstairs for a few moments.”

Jay took Polly by the arm and walked her down, Trina looking back as she was escorted into her room.

The clock showed ten as Jay said “It’s time – please, come up to your bedroom.”

“May I see the others first?” Polly said as she stood up.

“Of course,” Jay said as they walked up, first looking into Holly’s room to see the two girls sleeping. Mrs McPhee stood up and went with them to Trina’s room.

The Au Pair had chosen not to change, and was lying on her side on the bed, looking at them over the band of white tape wrapped around her head and trapping her hair. Her upper body had bands of rope above and below her chest, as well as round her waist, and her legs were bent back, the rope squeaking slightly on her leather boots as she moved her bound ankles to and fro.

“Her choice,” the masked man said, Trina nodding as she said “thgrlslsls?”

“Sleeping – be brave Trina,” Poly said as Mrs McPhee said “Why don’t I take you to the room and let you change before Jay comes in?” Jay himself checked the ropes, and then nodded as he left the man standing guard.

He went to the toilet, and then came back out and along to the master bedroom. Polly had changed into a pair of blue silk pyjamas, and was standing in front of Mrs McPhee, her sock covered hands behind her back as she tied her wrists together.

“We’ll make you as comfortable as possible,” Jay said as Mrs McPhee tied her wrists to her back with rope around her waist, and then started to wrap rope around her upper body, above and below her chest, pulling her arms into her sides. As she did this, Jay checked her wardrobe, and took out two scarves, one smaller one made of green silk, the other larger one with a horse pattern.

“I saw the bulge under Trina’s tape,” Polly said, “I should be grateful you did not do that to the girls.”

“no need,” Mrs McPhee said, “they did as we asked them. Now, open wide.”

Polly opened her mouth as Jay folded the smaller scarf and pushed it in, and then rolled the larger scarf into a band before he pulled it between her teeth, knotting the ends together at the base of her neck. He then wound the white tape around her head to cover the scarf and her lips, before she was allowed to lie down, and her ankles and legs were secured.

“Get comfortable,” Jay said as he opened the door, Polly wriggling round until she saw him carry Lela in, and lay her on her left hand side. The girl mumbled a little as she turned and lay facing her mother, before Honey was brought in and left on her right hand side.

“Fnkuu,” Polly said as she gag kissed both her daughters on the forehead.

“Watch them,” Jay said as he turned the light off, Mrs McPhee watching as Polly’s eyes slowly closed…

“Where are you!!!”

Polly opened her eyes as Honey called out “NMMMSRRMMDDEEE!” She heard the footsteps running up the stairs and then saw Will come in, walking over as he looked at them and then said “are you all right?”

“Wrffnn,” Polly said as Lela stirred, “u?”

“I survived,” he said as he looked at the ropes. “Trina?”

“Hlpmmm,” they heard a faint voice say as Will went out, and then came back again. “It’s over now,” he said as he removed the tape form his daughter’s mouths and then the cloths, “it’s over…”

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