Mrs McPhee
in Charge
As the men
walked across the car park, they looked round, before pulling the rims of their
hats down to cover their heads and climbing in the back.
“Guid murhnin Gentlemen,” the masked woman who was in the back
said as they closed the door, and looked at the other two masked man sitting
there. All of them were wearing blue
boiler suits, as one of the new arrivals said “good morning Mrs McPhee –
where’s Jay?”
“ach, the puir
man has the lurgy…”
“He’s not well?”
“Nay – but he wahns us tae carry on wi me in charge. Any
questions?”
All four men
shook their heads as the masked woman smiled.
“Guid – ahn rehmember,
be polite. Let’s gae…”
“and that makes
it four. Do you get it now Ivy?”
“Yes Mummy,” the
seven year old girl said with a smile as she looked at her mother. She had long brown hair with a black silk bow
tied in it at the side, while wearing a long sleeved black top and blue
jeans. The legs of the jeans were tucked
into a pair of knee length black cowboy style boots, the tops of a pair of
black socks with white trim sticking over the boots.
“that’s great –
now finish off the homework,” Holly Bush said with a smile. She and her daughter Ivy lived in a large
house set back from the main road with her older daughter Rose and her husband
Ken, the financial manager for a London based firm.
Ivy loved to be
like her mother – and there was n exception today, as
Holly was also wearing the black jumper, jeans, and boots with the black socks
sticking over the top. The main
difference were that Holly’s jeans had designer rips, and her boots were knee
length soft leather.
“Can I have a
drink Mummy,” Ivy asked with a smile, Holly nodding as she said “of course” and
left her sitting at the table. She moved
through the lower floor, the breeze blowing through her long blonde hair.
The breeze
blowing through…
As Holly
entered the kitchen, she saw the door to the rear of the house was open – but
that was not her immediate concern. What
was were the five people standing in the kitchen, all wearing blue boiler
suits, black boots, black gloves, and black balaclavas – and one of them was a
woman.
A woman who
smiled as she said in a Scottish accent “guid afternoon Holly - mah name is Mrs McPhee, ahn these
are my boys. Hae
ye heard o me?”
“Mrs.. Mrs McPhee?
Is one of these men Jay Edwards?”
“Jay is unwell,
so he ahsked me ahn them tae drip in ahn dae sum business wi yer husband – ahn tae make sure ye anhn the gahls are kept safe.
Ah trust ye understand what I ahm saying?”
“Oh god –
please no…”
“Stay calm,
lassie – dae as e say, yeh’ll
ahl be fine. Noo,
where are the gahls?”
“Ivy – Ivy is
doing er homework, Rose is coming home soon.”
“Guid 0 fix the
wee yin ae drink, ahn then we cahn
start…”
“Thanks,” Rose
Bush said as she got out of the car, waving as it drove off and she walked to
the front door of the house. The eleven
year old had long brown hair, and her silver jacket was over a grey t-shirt, a
blue skirt and mis-calf black boots completing her clothing.
She walked up
and let herself in the front door, calling out “I’m back – where are you?” When there was no answer, Rose shrugged her shoulders
and walked into the front room – stopping with her eyes wide open as she saw
her mother and sister sitting on the couch.
Ivy had ropes
around her upper body, holding her arms to her sides, and her wrists were tied
together in front of her. They were also
tied to a band of rope around her legs below her knees, and she could see
another band holding her ankles together.
Her mother also
had her legs secured, and rope round her arms and upper body, but her hands
were behind her back. Neither of them
could talk – white tape covered their mouths as they looked at Rose.
She wasn’t in a
position to say much either – a leather gloved hand had clamped itself over her
mouth and was holding her head against someone.
Someone who said in a soft accent “Dinnae struggle
lass – yer ma and sis are fine, ahn
ye’ll be as well if ye dae as we tell you.”
“Whtsgghhnnhhh?”
“Whrehshsthhjs,” Ivy giggled as Rose saw her lips try to
move under the tape.
“Mah name is
Mrs McPhee, ahn I winnae hert ye – will I, Holly?”
Holly shook her
head as she said “Phlssslhsshnnnrhs.”
“Noo, can I tak ma hand awa ahn ye’ll be quiet?”
Rose slowly
nodded as the gloved hand was taken away, and she turned to look at the masked
woman. “Mah name is Mrs McPhee – ahn mah friends ahn I are looing after ye before yer da does sumfhing fer me. Noo, that means ah
need you like yer ma and sis – ahl richt?”
“Does it hurt?”
“No – just put yer hahns togefer
in prayer fer me.”
Rose looked
over as both Holly and Ivy nodded again, and then held her hands out, watching
as the masked woman used some white cord to secure her wrists together. She could also see two masked men standing in
the doorway, and swallowed as more rope was passed round her body and pulled tight,
forcing her arms against her sides.
“Noo sit wi yer
sister.”
She walked over
and sat down, looking at Mrs McPhee for the first time as she knelt in front of
her and crossed her ankles, then sued more rope to bind them tightly together.
“Why am I not
scared anymore?”
“Dae ye hae a reason tae be,” the masked
woman said with a smile as she took the rope between her legs, and then secured
the ends together.
“Well, you are
masked, and we are hostages – but it’s not scaring me as much as I think it
should do. How do you do that?”
“It’s ae gift,”
Mrs McPhee said as she secured the young girl’s legs together below her knees,
and then tied her wrists to that band, before she stood up. “Ready tae be
quiet?”
“Mum,” rose
said as she looked at Holly, “aren’t…”
Holly slowly
nodded as Rose heard a peeling sound, and then saw the strip of white tape in
Mrs McPhee’s gloved hands.
“purse yer lips lassie – time tae keep
quiet.”
She felt the
tug on the skin round her mouth as the tape was gently pressed down over her
lips, Rose trying to talk but only mumbling as she looked at her mother and
sister.
“whnn?”
“Shhhn,” Holly said as she looked at the masked intruders.
“Aye,” the masked woman said as she left
the room, and talked to one of the masked men, and then looked in.
“Ye expecting visitors?”
Holly slowly nodded as the masked woman
said “Ach well – mair tae
play. Places Gentlemen…”
Sarah Calder smiled as she brought the
car to a stop, and looked over her shoulder as she said “well, here we are.”
“Don’t know why I had to come,” her
twelve year old son Steve said from the back seat. He had short straw blonde hair, and was
wearing a grey sweater over a white shirt, grey jeans and trainers.
“Come on – you love your aunt Holly?”
“Yeah, but I’m the only boy here,” he said
as he reached over and unfastened the straps on his sister’s child seat. Po was five years old, and his mother had
adopted her as a baby from Vietnam. The
young girl had dark hair, and was wearing a tweed jacket over a white blouse,
with a black lace cravat at the neck, grey culottes with dark tights, and knee
length grey fashion wellington boots.
“I’m sure you can find something to do,”
Sarah said as she helped Po out of the car.
She was Holly’s older sister by a year, and that day was wearing a blur blouson
jacket over a pink dress, and knee length black patent leather boots with three
inch stiletto heels.
“Come on,” she said as she walked to the
door of the house, “this should not take too long.”
Steve nodded as Sarah took Po’s hand,
and they walked into the house. He
followed them in – and then his eyes opened wide as he was grabbed from behind
a large, leather gloved hand was clamped down over his mouth. He could see two men, wearing boiler suits
and black balaclava masks, who had grabbed his mother and sister and were hand gagging
them as well, Po squirming as she tried to kick the man holding her and they
both screamed for help.
“Hey, hey, wha’s
ahl the rachet aboot?”
Steve watched as a masked woman walked
out of the front room, smiling as she said “Well, wha
dae we hae here?”
“Hhhhuuhhh?”
“Mah name is Mrs McPhee,” the masked
woman said, “ahn richt noo, ah need ye ahl tae calm
doon.”
“Whasshgnhnhmhhmhh?”
The woman walked over to Po and looked
at her as she said in a calm voice “ah know, it’s a wee bit scary, but look at
me lassie.” Po stopped squirming round as
she looked at the woman, and then said “yhsss?”
“I promise you, ah’m
no hurt ye, and mah boy won’t either – but ha need ye
tae calm doon and stay quiet gonna
while I talk. Will ye do that?”
Sarah and Steve watched as Po slowly
nodded, Mrs McPhee smiling as she said “let her go – ye taw take them intae the front room and make them comfy.” The man let Po stand as she watched her
mother and brother been taken into the front room.
“What are you,” Po said quietly.
“Well, ah’ll
be honest – ah’m a robber, ahn
my boys are robbers. We need yer uncle tae do something fer
us, and your aunt, her daughters, your family – you – are all going to stay
here tae make sure he does wha
we say.”
“Robbers? What are you going to do to me?”
“Guid question – can ye put yer hands in prayer fer me?”
Po nodded as she put her hands out,
palms together, then watched as Mrs McPhee took a length of white cord from her
pocket and used it to bind her wrists tightly together.
“Does that hurt?”
Po shook her head as the man behind her
took a longer rope, and then passed it round Po’s body, making her gasp in
surprise as her arms were gently forced against her sides.
“You’re tying me up?”
“Aye – like yer
cousins, yer brother, yer
ma, yer auntie,” Mrs McPhee said. “Wahn tae see?”
Po wriggled round, then smiled as Mrs McPhee
took her into the front room. She could
see Steve sitting with Ivy and Rose, watching a sone of the men bound his legs
together below his knees, white tape over his mouth. Her Aunt Holly was sitting in one armchair,
her mother in the other, but both also had their hands behind their backs,
ropes around their arms and body, ankles and legs, as well as the tape over
their mouths.
“Can I sit with Mummy?”
“Aye,” Mrs McPhee said as she lifted Po up
and sat her on Sarah’s lap, then took some cords and secured her ankles
together, as well as her legs below her knees, before tying her wrists down to
the leg ropes. She then took the roll of
white tape from one of the men, and said “Ah’ll put
some o this oer yer moof – just relax qi yer Mammy.” Po
nodded as she felt the tape being pressed down over her mouth,
She nestled against Sarah’s chest as
Holy said “hmmshrrheee.”
“Mhsshmhcphe?”
Holy slowly nodded as the woman turned
on the television, the girls smiling and Steve groaning as a Barbie movie came
on…
“Can I watch
something I want to later? I had to
watch two of those films!”
“We’ll sort somefin oot,” Mrs McPhee said
with a smile as Steve rubbed his wrists.
The masked men had untied the wrists of all the children, Po now sitting
in the armchair opposite her mother as she watched the man untying Sarah’s
arms. Holly was standing up, as she said
“so if anyone calls, I’ll call them back?”
“Aye,” Mrs
McPhee said, “ahn ye can all eat in here when the
food comes, but richt noo
ye can see they’re all fine?”
“We’re fine
Mum,£ Rose sad, “honestly. O what else
is going to happen, Mrs McPhee?”
“Well, when yer pa comes home ah’ll talk tae him, ahn he will eat wi you. Then he goes
wi one of my boys – and the rest of us make sure ye
all stay nice ahn quiet somewhere.”
“so you’re
going to tie us all up again,” Holly whispered?”
“Yes – but
ye’ll be fine. Noo,
place the order, please.”
Holly nodded as
she took her phone and placed a pizza order – just as the front door
opened. Mrs McPhee put a finger to her
lips and looked at the children as two of the men stood by the door, the other
two behind the couch and looking at Sarah and Po.
“Hey – where is
everyone?”
“Ken,” Holly
said quietly, “you… You’d better come
into the front room.”
“why, what have
you..” The flaxen headed man came in,
dressed in a suit with a shirt and tie, and said “oh my god” as he looked round.
“We’re fine
daddy,” Rose said,” and we’re having pizza for tea.”
“Holly, who…
What…!
“Ken,” Holly
said quietly, “They took us hostage this afternoon – this is Mrs McPhee…”
Ken looked at
the masked woman as he said “so which one is Jay Edwards?”
“Ah,” the
masked woman said with a smile, “Jay is unwell, ahn cannae be here today – so I’m in charge. I trust ye understand wha
I ahm saying?”
Ken slowly
nodded as he saw the way all of the others had their legs secured, and the
faint residue of gum round the mouths of his wife.
“Yes, I
understand – you are in charge.”
“Guid – gie yer wife ah hand. One o my boys will
go wi ye.”
“Just do as
they say – we haven’t been hurt.
“yet.”
Ken nodded as
one of the masked men walked out with him and Holly, As Mrs McPhee said “noo then – we cahn hae a wee sing-song…”
“Thank you –
here’s a tip,” Ken said as he took the Pizza boxes and handed over a note, the
masked man closing the door and then walking with the boxes into the front
room.
“YEAH!”
Ken actually smiled
at the cheers from the girls as Steve hook his
head. “Thanks Uncle Ken,” he said as the
pizza boxes and snacks were laid out, and then he sat with Holly.
“Just a normal
pizza night for them,” Sarah said with a smile.
“Ahn we keep it
tha way,” Mrs McPhee said with a smile as she handed a
paper cup with Coca Cola in it to Rose.
“tha way it’s mair
fun fer them.”
“I think that’s
the secret,” Holly said as she squeezed Ken’s hand. “!I can be braver if you can Sarah - and
we’ll all do what they ask so you don’t have to worry Ken.”
Ken nodded and
then looked at Mrs McPhee. “so, how is
this going to work?”
“After they
finish,” the masked woman said , “you ahn yer family cum wi me tae get ready. Then
we make sure the man o the hoos
is unable tae stop us – anh
then the offers.”
“I’m ready
Mummy.”
Ken and Holly
watched as Mrs McPhee brought Ivy into the master bedroom. She was wearing a pair of peach pyjamas with
long sleeves, a print of a grey dog on the material. The top had a round neck, and she had bare
feet.
“That’s good,”
Ken said as he knelt down and looked at his daughter. “Mrs McPhee has told me that you and your mother
are going to stay in this room before I go and do what they want, but I need to
know if you really want to be like Mummy.”
“I always do,
daddy,” Ivy said with a smile as she looked at Holly. Her mother was wearing an identical set of
pyjamas, but her hands were behind her back, and she could see the two bands of
rope that framed her chest and held her arms against her sides.
“Guid,” Mrs
McPhee said, “ah need ye tae hold yer
hands out, and then makes twa fist wi these in
there.” She watched as Ivy held her
hands out, and then gripped the two sponge balls, watching as she wound the
silver tape round her hands to make it look as if she was wearing boxing
gloves. The masked woman then pulled a
pair of white socks up her arms, and taped them to the sleeves with white tape
as Holly sat down on the bed.
“Mah friend is goona tie yer mammy’s legs,” Mrs
McPhee said as she took a length of rope from a bag, “ah need ye tae put yer hahns
behind yer back.”
“Does it hurt, Mummy?”
“No it doesn’t
hurt,” Holly said as she felt the rope being tied round her ankles. Ivy nodded as he felt Mrs McPhee take her
covered hands behind her back, and then felt the rope on her wrists as they were
secured tightly together. She then saw
Mrs McPhee double over another length of rope, and pass it round her, feeling
her arms as they were forced against her sides like her mother.
Ivy could also
see the masked man take the rope between her mother’s ankles and tied the ends
off, before he took another length and secured Holly’s legs together below her
knees. She smiled as Ivy was helped to
sit next to her on the bed, Mrs McPhee kneeling and starting to bind the young
girl’s ankles together as well.
“It does fell
funny, daddy,” Ivy said as her own legs were secured as well. Ken nodded and said “now, I need to do what
they want – promise me you’ll stay here and try to sleep.”
“We’ll be all
right,” Holly said as Mrs McPhee tied the last rope off and stood up.
“Richt – open
wide.”
“Stay safe,” Holly
said before a folded cloth was pushed into her mouth, and then white tape was
pressed down over her jaw and lips. Ivy
felt the cloth on her own tongue as she was gagged in the same way, before they
were both helped to lie on the bed, looking at each other as Mrs McPhee tied a
length of rope from Ivy’s ankles to Holly’s.
“I love you
both,” Ken said as he kissed them both on the head, and then walked out with
Mrs McPhee as the masked men stayed in the room. They saw a second man walking Peter to the
bathroom, as Ken said “Peter, you are the man of the house – stay calm and keep
them all safe.”
“I will, Uncle
Ken,” the young by said as he went into the bathroom, Ken walking down the
stairs with Mrs McPhee as a third man stood there.
“Call at set
intervals, aye?”
“Aye, Mrs
McPhee” the man said as he took Ken by the arm and escorted him out of the
house. The masked woman then walked into
the front room where Po and Rose were sitting with Sarah.
“Are they all
right?” Rose asked.
“Aye -ye’ll see
them afore yae go tae bed,” Mrs McPhee said. “Ye wahn a drink?”
Po nodded as she
said to the guard “Go ahn get them – ah’ll stay here until the wee man comes doon.”
“Oh lord,”
Sarah said as Steve came into the room, wearing a pair of blue pyjamas with a
darker blue pinstripe. The sleeves of
the top were short, so Sarah could see the white rope that held his arms against
his sides with his hands behind his back.
“Po…”
“I can be like
that, mummy,” Po said quietly as Steve nodded and then sat down.
“Steve, are you
all right?”
“I feel a bit starenge,” the young mans aid as
the masked man knelt down and started to bind his ankles together with more
rope. “My hands are covered behind my
back, but – it does feel nice in a funny way.”
“Steve?”
“Mum,” he said
as he looked at Sarah, “I don’t have a choice do I? I just have to accept it and try to stay
calm.”
Sarah nodded as
the man bound Steve’s legs together below his knees, and then stood up.
“Mrs McPhee?”
“Open yer moof laddie?”
Po’s eyes
opened wide as she watched Mrs McPhee push a folded cloth into her brother’s
mouth, and then heard the soft peeling sound as the white tape was torn free from
the roll, and pressed firmly down over his mouth. She then turned and looked at Rose, as she
said “cum wi me, Lassie – it’s yer
turn.”
“Aunt Sarah?”
“Don’t be
afraid,” Sarah said as she took the gloved hand, and then walked up the stairs
and along the corridor. As she looked
into her mother’s bedroom, she saw her mother and sister lying on their sides,
Ivy’s eyes closed as her chest rose and fell.
“Get changed
lassie,” Mrs McPhee said as Rose removed her jacket5 and then stripped off,
putting on instead a short sleeved nightdress with a butterfly print on it
which came down to her knees. The sleeves
were short as she saw the tape and the pair of white socks, and the two sponge
balls in Mrs McPhee’s hands as she said “noo then – mahk twa fists.”
“Is this what
you did to Steve?”
“Aye,” Mrs
McPhee replied as she wound the silver ape round her fists, and then pulled the
socks up her arms. Once they were taped
into place, she took some rope and made Rose put her hands behind her back, the
young girl biting her lower lip as she felt the pressure on her wrists.
“Where are you
going to leave us?”
“Somewhere safe
- why?”
“Can – Can Steve
and I be together?” She grunted and then
felt the rope pushing her arms gently against her sides.
“Oh? Got ae wee fing fer
your cousin?”
Rose blushed
and nodded as the ripe formed two bands that framed her chest, before it was
taken under one arm, up and around the back of her neck, and then under the other
arm.
“Ah fink he has
a wee fing fer ye as well,” Mrs McPhee said as she
tied the ropes off behind her back.
“Tell ye what - if ah dae this, ahl four o ye
need tae stay ion the main
room. Is that a problem?”
Rose shook her
head as Mrs McPhee smiled. “Okay then,
cum wi me.”
As they walked
back into the room, Steve blushed as he saw his cousin, and then Mrs McPhee
said “Sit doon while ah tie yer legs. One o my boys is gonna move Steve?”
“Whhrrr,” the young man mumbled as a masked man put a seat
cushion on the floor, and then lifted Steve off the chair, making him lie face
down as he pulled the young boy’s ankles back and then secured them to his chest
ropes. He turned his head and looked at
his mother and siter as Rose felt the ropes forcing her legs together below her
knees.
“Ready lass?”
“Aye,” she said
before the cloth was pushed into her mouth, and then the white tape pressed
down over her lips, Steve looking at the shape of her lips he could see under
the gag. She was then helped to lie face
down on the floor, another cushion being placed down for her head, and she was
hogtied as well.
“And us?”
“Cum wi me,” Mrs McPhee said as Po took her mother’s hand, Rose
rolling not her side and looking at Steve as he did the same.
“Shwtthdwhdhnh?”
“Hfhhlrhllyfhnneee?”
“Mhthhh,” Rose said as they both tried to get comfortable.
“I want to stay
with them,” Sarah said as they walked into a spare bedroom.
“O course- yer clothes are on the
bed, so get changed.”
She watched as
Sarah sat on the bed and started to undress Po as her phone pinged.
“This is Mrs
McPhee?
“Aye – guid, mahk sure he keeps behafing noo.”
“Ken?”
“Doing wha he heeds tae do,” Mrs McPhee
said as Sarah nodded, and then pulled down over Po’s head a long pink t-shirt,
a pair of eyes and a smile on the front that looked like Patrick Starfish.
!I know we need
to be like the others – but let me make sure Po’s hands are covered and you can
tell me how to secure her upper body, before you do the same to me.”
“Please,” Po
said quietly, Mrs McPhee nodding as she handed Sarah two sponge balls.
“Tell her tae make fists, than cover her hands wi
the silver tape, that wi the socks, then use the
white tape tae make sure the socks stay on.”
“We’ll both be
the same,” Sarah said as she stroked the young girl’s hair, and then gave her
the sponges to hold, then covered her hands as she had been ordered. Po looked at her sock covered hands, and then
turned round as Mrs McPhee showed Sarah how to secure her daughter’s hands
together behind her back.
“It doesn’t
hurt, doesit,” Sarah said as she tied the ends off.
“no mummy – it
actually feels better than before,” Po giggled as Mrs McPhee gave Sarah a longer
length of rope, and told her to double it over.
She then ordered her to pass the rope round Po’s body and pull the neds
back through the middle, as her arms were forced against her sides. She made several more passes, the rope going
round her upper arms and below her elbows, and then pulled the band together
behind her back before it was cinched as with Rose.
“Yer ma’s
turn,” Mrs McPhee said, Po nodding as she watched Sarah change into a pair of
short red pyjamas with a white trim. Her
hands were then covered, her arms secured to her body so that she could only
wriggle round.
“We’re going to
join Steve and Rose again,” she said, Po nodding as they walked back down int
the living room. They sat on the couch, Steve
watching s Mrs McPhee bound his sister’s ankles and legs together, and then one
of the masked men his mother’s legs. He
tried to ignore how he was feeling as both of them were then gagged, Mrs McPhee
helping Po to lie down with her head on her mother’s lap as Sarah smiled.
“ushllhrhhttt?”
Steve slowly
nodded as he felt his eyelids closing…
It was the sound
of the door opening that made Sarah open her eyes, and look down at Po as she
slept peacefully on her lap. Steve and
Rose were now lying facing her, as she heard someone call out “Police? Anyone here?”
“Hnhhhhhrrrr,” she called out as the door to the room
opened, and two policemen came in. One
came over and peeled the tape from her mouth as Ken looked in.
“Sarah – Holly,
Ivy?”
“Hpphn their bedroom,” she sad id
as the cloth was removed from her mouth, Ken nodding as he and another
policeman ran up the stairs. He went
into the main bedroom to see Ivy with her head on Holly’s chest, the two still
asleep as he walked over and looked at them.
“Khhhn? Hshhthfffrhr?”
He nodded as Holly
looked at him, Ivy opening her eyes and saying “hlldhdhdhheee?”
“There you go,”
Yvonne Williamson said as she handed Mark the steaming hot water and lemon.
“thanks – so no
problems?”
“None
whatsoever – how are you feeling?”
“Bette r- and
richer…”
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