The Salute

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Didn’t I tell you how fantastic that place was for Brunch, mom?”

 

“Yes, dear you did,” Eleanor Braddock said as she followed her daughter Elle out into the warm Seattle sunshine.  It was early summer, and even the wettest of states was enjoying a seasonal dry spell.  She had come to spend the weekend with her daughter, and also to have a chance to get away from some of the pressures of the office.

 

Eleanor had ash blonde hair cut to frame her face, and was wearing a black and white striped short sleeved dress, the round neckline hidden by the triple row of beads she wore around her neck, the hem coming to just above her knee.  A white watch and bracelet were on her left wrist, in which she also held her pink leather purse, and a pair of leopard skin mules enclosed her feet.

 

Elle had longer chestnut brown hair, which fell in soft curls down the front and shoulders of her combat print blouse.  A silver and jewelled necklace hung round her neck, while her leather skirt came to above her knees.  The black heels she wore had gold clasps, and her taupe bag hung across her chest and down one side.

 

“Right then,” Elle said as they walked down the main road, “I just need to pop into the bookstore and pick something up, before we...”

 

Her words were stopped as the two masked men ran out of the store, firing into the building and not seeing either woman until they literally bumped into them.

 

“What the fuck?”  One of them said as a grey van pulled up, the tyres screeching as it came to a sudden halt and the side door opening.

 

“Shit – get them in here as well,” someone inside said as both Eleanor and Elle were pushed into the van, the two armed men jumping in behind them as the door closed and the van drove off.

 

“Who the fuck are they?”

 

“No fucking idea – you two, on your stomachs, hands behind your backs NOW!!”

 

“Mum,” Elle whispered as her wrists were held together, while one of the men found a roll of duct tape and used it to secure her wrists and ankles together.

 

“Please, just let us go, we wontnmmmggddd,” Eleanor whimpered as one of the men slapped several layers of tape over her mouth, and then her world went black as a strip was pressed down over her eyes.  She tried to reach out, and found her daughter’s fingers, giving them a squeeze as the van sped to the destination...

 

 

 

 

“What the hell are we going to do with them?  We didn’t mean to take hostages!”

 

“I know – but we had no choice.”

 

“Yes we fucking well did – we could have fucking got into the van and not pushed them in with us.”

 

“You told us to push them in!!”

 

“All right, all right – I need time to think.  Get them down to the basement and find something to keep them there with.”

 

Eleanor grunted as she was lifted up and carried, then dropped on what felt like a leather covered chair.  A few minutes later, she heard a soft thud beside her.

 

“Llll?”

 

“Mmm – whtrthgnggtdtsss?”

 

“Edntknn...”

 

“Shut up – we’re going to take the tape off your eyes and mouths, but if you raise your voices or try and call for help, it goes back on, understand?”

 

Both women nodded and then yelped as the tape was ripped away.  Looking round, they realised they were sitting in what looked like a teenager’s den in a basement – the light coming from thin glass windows at the top of the walls.  In front of them stood two young men, wearing stockings that they had pulled down over their heads.

 

“Please,” Eleanor said as she tried to move her wrists, “I know you don’t want to do this, so just let me and my daughter go...”

 

“Can’t do that lady,” one of the young men said, “so just keep calm and we’ll work something out.”

 

The other man walked to a stool, Elle squirming as he picked up her handbag and rummaged through it.  “Heh – student,” he said as he looked at her university pass, “and a cute looking one too.”

 

“Hey – that’s personal,” Elle called out, as the first man walked behind her and removed her necklace.  “So are these,” he said as he also pulled her rings off her fingers, “so tough – we’re keeping them.”

 

“Look, take our purses and jewels, and let us go – we’ll say you dropped us off on a road, and there won’t be any talk of kidnapping...”

 

“Well, we have kidnapped you,” the second man said as he looked through Eleanor’s purse, “Mrs Braddock, so just shut up and do as you’re told.”  Looking round the cellar, he found several coils of rope, bringing them over and saying “we’ll tie their legs together, and then get them something to drink before we tie them together.”

 

“Please, don’t so this,” Elle whimpered as they knelt in front of the two women, and used a length of rope to secure their legs together above and below their knees.  They then cut the tape from their ankles, removing their shoes before they secured their ankles together, making sure they took the rope between their legs as well.

 

As Elle tried to move her legs, the ropes rubbed on her bare flesh, making her feel rather strange – and then she noticed the way the two young men were looking at her.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing,” one of them said as he went behind and cut her wrists free, before she was handed a bottle of water.  “Here – have a drink.”

 

“Thanks, I think,” she said as she watched her mother’s wrists been cut free, before she was handed a bottle of water as well.  They both took a long, cool drink as they watched their captors sorting more ropes out.

 

“They can’t be that much older than me Mom,” Elle whispered as she took another drink.

 

“I know – let’s just hope they don’t hurt us,” Eleanor whispered back before they walked over.

 

“Both of you, on the floor, back to back.”

 

“You’ll need to help us,” Eleanor said, and then regretted that as they were both lifted and dropped to the floor, the two masked men sitting behind them as their arms were taken behind their backs, and their wrists secured together, the thin rope biting into their arms as they pulled it tighter.

 

“Hey – that hurts,” Elle complained – and then she was silenced as a rolled up bandana was pulled into her mouth, forcing her tongue down as it was tied round her head.

 

“You too mummy,” Eleanor heard before a black scarf was pulled between her lips, and then they were forced to sit back to back, ropes securing them together around their waists and their shoulders.

 

Elle gripped her mother’s fingers again as the two men looked at them.

 

“You take the first watch – I’m going to go and get some things sorted out,” the young man said as his companion sat in a chair, watching the two women sitting on the floor, his eyes fixed on Elle’s chest as he tried not to look...

 

 

 

“Well?”

 

Both women raised their heads as an older man came down, his grey hair visible under the stocking as he carried two bags and two drink cups with him.

 

“No trouble – what’s happening out there?”

 

“We’re good so far – but we need to decide what we’re going to do with these two.  We might be able to get out of here tomorrow, if the road blocks have been lifted.”

 

“We’ll have to keep them overnight then – I can scrounge a change of clothes for them, and we can secure them down here.”

 

“All right then – I picked up some supplies to use on them as well.  Untie the youngster first, and let her get changed.”

 

The young man knelt next to Eleanor and Elle, releasing them from each other and untying Elle’s legs before he helped her to stand up.  “Come with me,” he said as he marched her to the staircase.

 

As they went up, Elle realised they were in an ordinary suburban house, the man taking her up a staircase and then into a bathroom.  Untying her wrists, he said “get undressed and clean yourself up – I’ll be back in a few minutes.  Don’t forget we’ve got your mum downstairs, so no funny stuff.”

 

Elle nodded as he closed the door, and then reached round, untying the gag and letting the wet cloth drop to the floor before she sat on the toilet, burying her head in her hands and letting the tears flow.  Eventually, however, she got up, stripped and stood under the shower, letting the warm water wash over her and cleanse her body.

 

She didn’t hear the door open and close, but when she got out she saw her clothes had been taken, and a pink vest top and shorts left instead.  Drying herself off with a towel, she slipped the clothes on, and then opened the door to see the young man standing outside, a length of rope in his hands.

 

“Turn round and cross your wrists,” he said, Elle nodding as she felt him wrap the rope around and between her arms, holding her wrists firmly together as he tied the ends off and made sure the knot was out of reach of her fingers.

 

“Don’t we get to eat?”

 

“Yeah – let’s go,” he said as he took her by the arm and walked her down the stairs.  She passed her mother as she was taken up the stairs, and then back into the cellar.

 

“Sit down,” the older man said as Elle was pushed onto the leather couch, watching as the younger man crossed and secured her ankles together with white rope, before taking a sandwich from the brown bag and holding it to her mouth.  She took a bite, chewing and swallowing before she said “so what happens now?  Our family will be looking for us – as will the police.”

 

“Then you’d better hope they don’t find us,” the older man said as Elle was fed, and allowed to take a drink.  The older man then walked behind her, doubling over a long length of rope, before she felt him wrap it round her arms and body, pulling them into her side below her chest and forcing it out as the rope went above and below her breasts.

 

The two bands of rope rubbed on her, making her feel very strange as they were pulled tighter and tighter, and the rope passed under her arms and around the back of her neck.  The gloved fingers of the older man brushed over her breasts as he did this, tiny little shocks running through her body in response to his touch.

 

As the bands were pulled still tighter, and he secured them behind her back, Elle struggled to understand why she was feeling the way she did.  It was different, it was not that unpleasant – but she as a hostage.  She was afraid – but the ropes rubbing on her made her feel different...

 

The older man knelt down and bound her legs together below her knees, and then around her thighs, before he said “Lie face down.”  Elle managed somehow to lie on the couch, her feet hanging off the armrest as he took another length of rope and fed it under her waist, using it to secure her wrists against her back, but she wondered why he left two lengths lying across her legs.

 

“Roll over.”

 

With some difficulty, Elle managed to roll onto her back, looking at the older man as he said “I think you need a reward for doing as you’re told.”

 

Reaching under her legs, she saw him push the ends of rope up between her legs, just above her knees, and wondered what he was doing – an answer coming as he pulled them sharply up, pressing the rope on her body between her legs as he secured the ends between her breasts, drawing the two bands together.

 

“OH god, what have you done,” she moaned as the rope rubbed on her – and then she saw the folded scarf in his hand.

 

“Open wide.”

 

Nodding, she allowed him to push the cloth into her mouth, pressing her tongue down and filling the space behind her teeth, before he tore the backing paper from a wide strip of white tape and smoothed it down over her lips, the tape conforming to the contours of her face.

 

“Oh no – are you all right Elle?”

 

The young woman looked to see her mother being escorted down the stairs to the cellar.   Eleanor was wearing a pair of white silk pyjamas, her eyes wide as she saw the way her daughter had been bound.

 

“Don’t worry Mommy – you’re going to get exactly the same treatment,” the older man said as Eleanor was made to stand in front of her daughter, Elle too frightened to move as she watched the older man bind her mother’s arms to her side in the same way as she had been tied. 

 

As Eleanor’s chest was forced out by the ropes, the buttons holding the pyjama top in place strained, Elle’s eyes full of tears as she watched her mother being humiliated in this way – and then the rope around her waist, and taken through her legs, making Eleanor gasp as the silk was forced against her crotch and the ropes tightened around her chest.

 

One of the younger men threw a cushion down on the floor and Eleanor was made to sit, the rope tightening on her as she watched them bind her ankles and legs together.

 

“Hmgssmmtfflslss” Elle mumbled, Eleanor nodding as the scarf was stuffed into her own mouth, and then the white tape pressed into place, the contours of her lips visible as she was made to lie on her stomach, her head on the pillow as her ankles were pulled back and secured to the crotch rope.  The younger woman was barely aware of her being rolled over and her legs bent as well, until the pressure increased on her crotch as they were tied in place.

 

The sensations she was feeling were driving her crazy, and as she looked at her mother she could see Eleanor was struggling with the same feelings.

 

“Maybe we can...”

 

“No – leave them be.  We have things to do upstairs.”

 

The two women watched as the lights were turned off, the cellar plunged into darkness, the only noise their moans as they shifted round, unsure of whether or not they should...

 

 

 

 

“Hmsswtggddd,” Eleanor mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes, and saw the sunlight shining through the thin windows.  She looked at her daughter, who was still sleeping, the damp patch between her legs visible as she lay still.

 

Several times during the night both of them had found themselves unable to stop their bodies reacting, until eventually they had fallen asleep, exhausted in body and spirit.  Eleanor tried to stretch her tired legs, and then yelped as she remembered her position.

 

“The police will be here as quickly as they can,” she heard a woman say as the door to the cellar opened, “whoever broke in, it looks like all they did was eat some of the food and take some of our clothes.”

 

“So I see,” a male voice called out, “you don’t own a leather skirt like that, do you?”

 

“I think you’d know if...  Holy shit!”

 

“Plsshlpsss,” Eleanor moaned as Elle opened her eyes, and saw the dark haired woman standing on the stairs leading from the cellar.

 

“Cath?”

 

“George, you’d better get down here – there’s two women trussed up in the cellar.”

 

“What do you mean the...”  A red haired man came down, looked at the two hostages, and said quietly “What the hell happened here?”

 

“Hgdddplshlpsss,” Elle moaned as she started shaking again...

 

 

 

 

“Well,” the detective said, “looks like they saw the house was empty, broke in and held you both hostage here.  It’s pure luck the owners came home today.”

 

“Thanks,” Eleanor said as she sat in a track suit, “and I’m really sorry about the pyjamas...”

 

“You didn’t have a choice, from what I could see,” the woman said as Elle sipped her drink.  “But who would do this?”

 

“If you ever catch them, I have a message for them.”

 

“And that is?”

 

All three watched as Eleanor and Elle looked at each other, and then raised their middle fingers.

 

“Quite right – come on, let’s get you both home.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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