Weekend at the Cabin
As she headed down the Autobahn, Veronika looked out at the gently falling snow that was beginning to cover the road surface. It had been a long, difficult and tiring month at the offices of Dame von heute, and the thing she was looking forward to the most was quiet - peace and quiet, with no phone calls, no demanding designers, and absolutely no interruptions from anyone.
The Mercedes was working well in the cold winter conditions, hugging the road almost as much as her knee length black leather boots were hugging her lower legs, keeping the cold out. Even though the three inch thin heels made driving a little more difficult, Veronika loved the feel against her skin too much to want to change them.
She had come straight from the office, and so was still wearing the white satin blouse and long black skirt, the slit at the side from her knee allowing her to walk freely. Over this she had on a silver fox fur coat, fastened against the cold, while a black headscarf was keeping her long black hair safe from the elements. “When I get there,” she thought to herself as she turned off onto a side road, “I’ll run a hot bath, soak for an hour or three, and then put on something warmer.”
The road led deep into the forest, the snow falling more heavily as the car manoeuvred over the bumps until Veronika saw a cabin start to appear between the trees. This was her private hideaway, a home her family had owned since she was an infant, and it was perfect for what she wanted to do.
Stopping outside the patio, she turned the engine off and climbed out of the car, her heels sinking into the cover the snow was providing on the tarmac. She looked round before taking a packet of cigarettes from her handbag, putting the tip in her mouth as she fished out a lighter and lit the end. Drawing the warm smoke into her mouth, she started to walk up to the front door of the cabin, stopping as she opened her handbag to look for the keys.
.”Now where the hell did I put them,” Veronika said as she looked into the recesses of her silver leather bag, not noticing the growing shadow that was approaching her from behind. Finally, she smiled as she drew a large set of keys from inside, but as she selected one and moved to place it in the lock she heard a creak of wood from behind her.
“What th...” was all she managed to say before the cigarette was pulled from her mouth and a large pad of cotton wool was clamped over her nose and mouth. She reached up, clawing at the strong arm that held the pad in place with her black gloved hands, but even as she did so she started to breath in the sweet smelling aroma that seemed to permeate the cotton.
The fumes made her feel tired, sleepy, lethargic, and as her arm started to fall to her side she felt her eyes closing. “Whtshppnng,” she mumbled as her head drooped to the side, a deep unconsciousness settling over her.
The man lowered her slowly to the ground, almost tenderly, before placing the pad back into the plastic bag and sealing it. Picking up her handbag, he removed the keys and unlocked the front door, before placing the bag just inside the doorway.
Stepping back outside, he lifted Veronika in his arms and carried her over the threshold, walking down the dimmed corridors before pushing open with his foot a door at the far end. He had been here before, making preparations and laying plans, so he knew exactly where he was going as he entered the large bedroom.
Placing the unconscious woman on the bed, he reached round and removed her headscarf, allowing her long black hair to fall around her face and shoulders. She was as beautiful as her photographs suggested - perhaps more so, but he had to stay professional in this.
Reaching under the bed, he drew put a small bag he had placed there previously, and opened it to reveal some of the tools of his trade. After a few moments, he drew out a shank of coiled grey rope, and placed it on the bed before starting to unfasten the front of Veronika’s coat. He pulled the front open, gently easing her arms out of the sleeves before rolling her onto her side and removing the coat from the bed.
Walking to a wardrobe he took out a hanger and placed the coat on, hanging it in the space before closing the door. He had no wish to damage her clothing - or her, for that matter.
Returning to the bed, he manoeuvred Veronika’s arms so that her wrists were crossed behind her back, pausing only as he heard her murmur something. When he was satisfied she was not waking up, he took the rope and shook it out, doubling it over before he passed it round her wrists and pulled them tightly together over the buttoned cuffs of her blouse.
The rope was pulled tight, the soft satin forming creases as it compressed the material against her wrists, but he did not stop, passing the rope around several more times before taking the ends between her arms and cinching the coils. Tying a last tight knot, he took the lengths that were left and fixed them round one of the posts at the head of the bed, pulling her arms slightly back so that they were stretched behind her.
He brushed the hair away from Veronika’s face with his gloved hand, looking at her smile as she dreamed. She had not had a chance to see him, and he wished to keep it that way, so he reached back into the bag and drew out a black sleep mask with white trim. Raising her head, he fixed the mask over her eyes, noting with a cruel smile the word “SLUT” which he had written in white paint on the front. Resting her head back on a pillow, he stepped back and removed the next item he needed from the bag.
Placing it on the bed, he pushed Veronika’s skirt up, moving it so that he could pull down the concealed zip on her left boot. The zip worked silently, allowing him to remove first one, then the other boot and place them in the wardrobe as well. Returning to the bed, he placed together her ankles and tore free the end of the roll of tape, sticking it to one leg before wrapping it tightly around both ankles, sealing them together over her sheer silk stockings.
He repeated the process on her lower legs, before pulling the skirt back down around them. She was going nowhere now - he had time to take care of other matters. To make sure, he raised her eyelid and saw the non-responsive pupil, smiling as he left his captive in the room and then back to the front door.
Picking up her handbag, he removed the car keys and unlocked the Mercedes, opening the trunk so that he could remove her Gucci suitcase, and then closing and locking the car again. Carrying it into the house, he pushed the front door closed behind him and walked into the front room, placing the case on a long leather couch before looking in her handbag.
Taking her mobile phone, he switched it on and quickly looked through her contact list. Finding the number he wanted, he sent a message, switching off the phone and placing it on a coffee table when he had finished. He then opened the suitcase, and began to search trough the contents,
As eh looked through, he found a number of small cases and pouches, and left them to one side. Eventually, he turned his attention to them, examining the jewels that were inside each of them and smiling. Pearl earrings, gold necklaces, diamond rings - all were a useful bonus to him, but they were not the main focus of his attention, ro the real reason for his visit.
He had spent months preparing and planning for this, and now he was ready to carry out his plans to a successful end, or so he hoped.
Taking the cigarettes from Veronika’s handbag, he lit one and sat back, drawing on the burning stick and smiling. So far, so good - now all he had to do was wait....
“Mmmm.... Wh hppn?”
Veronika was coming out of what seemed like a mass of clouds, her head light as she struggled to open her eyes. Her feet and arms felt cold, and there was numbness in her fingers and toes. She tried to shake the feeling out of them, but something was preventing her from doing so, almost as if she was unable to move them.
As her eyes opened, she was surprised to see it was still dark, but after a few moments she realised it was not that it was dark - it was that something was covering her eyes. Worse, there was something holding her wrists together, something that felt rough to her fingers as she strained to reach it.
IT was cold as well - bitterly cold, and it did not take Veronika long to realise that her coat was no longer on her. There was something around her legs as well, holding them together so that although she could move them up and down, it was impossible to move them apart.
Was she tied up? Somebody had grabbed her from behind, made her fall asleep, so it was not beyond the realms of possibility. She called out “Is there anybody there?” but at first there was no answer. She started to throw herself around, but quickly realised whatever was holding her wrist together was also anchored to something else, something that was not moving as she did.
“HELP!!!” she called out, and this time she heard footsteps slowly walking down the corridor, and then the sound of a lighter firing up. The aroma of her cigarettes reached her as she heard a man say “So, bitch, you’re awake?”
“Who are you?”
“Me? That’s not important. What is important is that I am in charge here, and you need to do whatever I tell you - are we clear on that?”
Veronika tried to twist around again. “Please - whatever it is you want, money, jewels, and my car, just take them, but let me go. It’s freezing in here.”
“Oh, that? It will get warm enough soon enough, but I don’t think you quite understand your position, Ms Mueller.”
Veronika felt a hand grabbing her head and pulling it up, the hot smoke from the cigarette blowing in her face. “I have spent months planning this visit, waiting for the opportunity when you came here, and now I have it. You are going to make me a great deal of money, Ms Mueller.”
“How am I going to do that? Look, I’ll do anything you want, just let me go - I won’t tell anyone you were here.”
“You are in no position to argue with me - you’re just another rich little slut that I can use to get my money. Only in your case, I can make twice as much as I usually do.”
“As you usually - oh god, you’re a kidnapper. Please, for th love of god, let me go, I’ll pay you, I can afford to.”
“Yes you can, because you’re a rich slut. I don’t want you to pay, however - it’s your mother I want to talk to.”
“No - she‘s old, don’t...”
She heard him laugh - a cold, careless laugh as he said “One more thing - I don’t want just you here, so I sent a little message earlier.”
Veronika felt even colder. “A message? To who?”
“Antonella,” he said as Veronika sensed somebody sitting beside her. “Now, bitch, I need you to shut up and stay quiet.”
“Antonella? Oh dear god no, please don’t mmmgsagsagasgsagdf” Veronika felt something smooth and silky been pushed between her lips, compressing her tongue down onto the floor of her mouth, before a band of some sort was pulled between her lips as well, forcing the material further back.
“Now, you just keep quiet,” the voice said, “and I’ll go and put the heating on. The last thing I want is you - either of you - freezing to death.”
“PLSDNTGW” Veronika called out, but the sound of receding footsteps was all she heard as she tried once more to twist her wrists free from whatever was holding them. “SMBDYHLPOM!!!!!” she screamed, but there was no answer as she kept twisting from side to side, the room slowly, slowly warming as she did so.
As he looked in several hours later, he saw Veronika lying on her side, her breathing heavy through the gag he had made from her headscarf. The edges of her stockings were sticking out from underneath as he watched her sleeping. Better she sleep now - when her sister arrived, it was going to get very, very busy...
Antonella pulled up outside the cabin as the morning sun shone down through the canopy of the forest. She had been surprised to get the inviter from her younger sister, but was in need of a break herself, so this provided an ideal opportunity.
She had a red fake fur coat over her half sheer red blouse and knee length leather skirt, the blouse covering her corset and the skirt her matching knickers. Black sheer stockings and a pair of red stilettos completed her outfit, and as she turned the engine off she wondered if Veronika was going to be in relaxed or formal mood today.
She climbed out of her car, fingering her silver necklace as she did so, and saw the smoke rising from the chimney. It was still bitterly cold outside, so the warmth was something she was going to welcome.
Pushing the front door open, she called out “Veronika? Are you awake yet?” There was no response, so she closed the door behind her and made her way into the front room, stopping as she saw the empty suitcase on the couch and the jewellery holders scattered on the table.
“Veronika?” Antonella called out, worried about what might have happened to her sister. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned round, expecting to see her sister, but instead was greeted by a man in a black boiler suit, wearing a clown mask over his face.
“What the f...” was all Antonella could say before he grabbed her and spun her round, clamping a large pad of damp cotton wool over her nose and mouth. She tried to break free, but her struggles only made her inhale the sweet fumes more quickly, and within minutes she was unconscious in his arms.
“I have some company for you,” he said as he carried the unconscious Antonella into the bedroom. Veronika turned her head in the direction of his voice, saying "Plsgdn” as she felt somebody been sat next to her.
He worked quickly, removing her coat and leaving it on one side before laying her on her side on the bed. Within ten minutes he had her bound like Veronika, her wrist behind her and secured to the other head post and her ankles and lower legs taped together, and a black sleep mask with “BITCH” painted on it covered her eyes. Her leather skirt had ridden up slightly, and he could see her lingerie under the sheer blouse, but again he was a professional, and did nothing to disturb her clothing.
He had not used as much chloroform on her as he had on Veronika the previous night, so he could see her eyes already starting to open as she said “Vrnka? Whst gng n?” Prising open her mouth with his hand, he pushed one of her sister’s stockings between her teeth, before tying a long patterned silk oblong between her lips to keep it in place, the scarf going over her long greying hair.
As Antonella regained full consciousness, she said “Whtthfk”, realising she was both bound and gagged. “Vrnk, uthr,” she called out, and when she heard Veronika saying “msrrntnmsrrr” she realised that both of them were in a little bit of bother.
“Right, sluts,” the man said as the two women turned their heads in his direction. “Listen carefully - I’m going to call your mother, and explain the situation to her. In return for her cooperation, the worst you will both experience is a long weekend without been able to move. If, and only if, you behave yourselves, I’ll let you both go to the toilet and give you something to eat. Misbehave, and not only do you starve all weekend, you stay where you are all weekend. Nod if you understand.”
The two women listened to what he was saying, before both slowly moving their heads up and down. “You are not the first people I’ve kidnapped, so don’t think I do not know what I am doing,” he continued as he picked up a cell phone. “Now, smile for the camera.”
“Smlfrthcmrw?” Veronika mumbles as he took several pictures of the two women, both of them drawing their knees up as they did so. She could hear the sound of her sister moving round - it sounded as if she was wearing leather - and then felt somebody bump against her. “Thtuvrnk” she heard a muffled voice say, and realising it was Antonella she grunted in response.
“Just stay where you are, ladies,” the man said as he pushed both girls up so that their backs were against the head of the bed, “I need to talk to your mummy now, so just stay nice and quiet until I tell you.”
Veronika and Antonella sat, listening as the man said “Did you get the messages I sent?
“Oh, you think it’s a joke do you? I assure you, Madame, it is no joke - I have your daughters, and if you don’t give me what I’m asking for you will never see them again alive.
“I see - so you need some convincing. Very well then.”
Veronika felt whatever was covering her eyes been pulled off, and as she blinked she realised she was in the main bedroom at the cabin. Looking to her side, she saw a man in a clown’s mask holding her sister’s head in one hand, and pressing a rather large hunting knife against her throat with the other.
“NPLSDNT!!” Veronika screamed out. “Mmm, dwhthsas.” The man released Antonella, before picking up the phone and saying “You heard your younger daughter - are you going to do what I ask of you now?
“That’s better - one million pounds sterling, transferred when I call you back to an account that I will give you details of. Any tricks, any hint of the police or the other security forces, and your daughters get to enjoy a very expensive funeral pyre.
“I’ll be in touch.” Switching off the phone, he walked over and sat next to Veronica, pushing her hair away from her face as he did so with his gloved hand.
“I meant what I said last night,” he said as he looked at her through the eye slits of the mask, “Do as I tell you, and you’ll be just fine. I’m sure your mother will give whatever I ask for.”
He reached over and stroked Antonella’s face as well. “You as well, older sister - just stay calm and do as you’re told. I’m going to take her to the toilet, give her a chance to freshen up, and then I’ll be right back for you. Don’t go away now.”
“Plsdnthrthr” Antonella called out as the man used the knife to cut Veronika’s legs free from the tape, and then untied her hands. Taking her by the arm, he walked her out of the room and down the corridor to the toilet.
“You will remain gagged for the moment,” he said as Veronika looked at him pleadingly. “Do what you have to, and then I will re-secure you before bringing your sister.” He opened the door and watched as Veronika walked in, keeping the door slightly ajar to keep an eye on her.
Through the clear window, Veronika could see the snow settled on the trees surrounding the log cabin. For a moment, just a moment, she contemplated trying to climb through the window and running for it, but then the picture of Antonella’s pleading with her as she was walked out came back to her mind, as she settled for slowly unfastening her skirt and sitting on the seat.
Ten minutes later, her captor heard the flush of water as Veronika stepped back out, staring at him as she did so. “Hands in front of you,” he said as he held up another length of rope, watching as Veronika slowly placed her hands together in front of him and watched as he tied them tightly together.
Antonella turned her head as she heard the two of them walking back into the room. “Rulrght,” she called through her gag to her sister, relaxing as she heard Veronika say “smchscnbexpctd” through her own gag.
“Sit down,” the kidnapper said as he pulled a seat into the centre of the room, his hand on the frightened woman’s shoulder as she took a seat. Picking up a second coil of rope, he lashed Veronika to the seat, passing the rope around her waist and lap while feeding it through the woodwork at the back and the sides of the chair.
She turned as she felt the ropes tightening around her body, looking down to see the grey bands digging into her skirt as it fell around her legs. Eventually, satisfied she was well secured, she watched the man in the clown mask walk over and untie her sister. As he removed her eye mask, she blinked and looked over at her younger sister.
“Mgdvrnkwhthpnnd?”
“Ntnweantla, ntnw.”
“Move,” the masked man said as he pushed Antonella through the doorway, leaving Veronika to stare down at the rope wound around her wrists, passed between her arms to gather the loops as the cords sank into the white satin. A few minutes passed before she turned her head to see Antonella walk back in, the heels of her shoes clicking as the masked man brought a second chair over and sat her older sister in it.
As he wound roe around her waist and the back of the chair, Veronika could see her sister’s wrists were bound in the same way as hers, palm to palm, the sheer fabric of her blouse stretching over her corset as he pulled the ropes tighter and tighter. Antonella turned and looked mutely at her sister, the tears running down her cheeks, black mascara stains growing as he walked in front of them.
As he secured their ankles to the front legs of their chairs, Veronika said “mhngrwe.” Tying off the last knot, he stood up and looked at both of them, before leaving the room for a moment. He returned with a camp table and a cooler bag. Setting up the table in front of them, he placed some packs of sandwiches and bottles of water on the table, before walking round and untying the scarf on Veronika’s mouth.
“Mgggthank you,” she muttered as he pulled the nylon stocking from her mouth. Standing behind Antonella, he removed her gag as well, leaving both of the saliva soaked cloths on the bed as he stood in front of them. “Eat,” he said as he pointed to the food in front of his two captives. “It will be at least another 24 hours, so you need to keep your strength up.”
“I’m sorry,” Veronika said as she turned and looked at her sister. “He knocked me out last night, and then he told me he was going to get you as well.”
“I thought you had sent a text inviting me,” Antonella said as she picked up a beef sandwich in her bound hands, “but that must have been him. How much do you think he asked our mother for?”
“No idea - but he’s right, we need to eat and keep our strength up.” Veronika picked up a prawn sandwich and bit down, savouring the brown bread as she slowly chewed the morsel...
As the sun set on the forest outside, Veronika put her hand down on the table and smiled. “Mine, I think,” she said as she looked at Antonella and their captor, enjoying what little comfort the feeling gave her.
“Fair enough,” the man said as he stood up and looked at his watch. “I need to talk to your mother again, so I’m afraid I need to silence you now.”
“Please, not the stockings,” Antonella said as she looked at him, her eyes pleading. He said nothing, but instead looked in his back and took out a white roll, tearing off a strip about eight inches long and three inches wide, which he held taut in his gloved hands as he walked over to the two women.
“Close your mouth,” he said as he looked at Antonella. “I’ll talk to you later, Veronikammmmm” she said as he smoothed the tape over her lips, her younger sister watching as he smoothed it down and the contours o f her lips became visible underneath.
“What happens if out mother wants to talk to one of us? She will want to know if we are all right,” Veronika said as she watched the man picking up the roll of tape again. He looked at her for a moment, before nodding and picking up her black head scarf. “Good point,” he said as she watched him fold it into a pad, “keep this in your mouth after I put it in.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said as Antonella said “PLSDNTGGHR” through the tape. “Yes, I do, so open wide,” was his only reply, so Veronika opened her mouth wide and allowed him to push the cloth in, the edges sticking out of her mouth as she closed her lips.
“Thnku” she mumbled as she and Antonella watched him pick up his cell phone, and dial a number.
“Hello again, Madame - do you have what I asked for?”
He listened to the handset, looking over at Veronika and her sister as the conversation went on. “Of course you can,” he said eventually, walking over and standing next to Veronika. “Your mother would like a word with you,” he said as he pulled the silk square out of her mouth, and placed the headset to her ear.
“Mother?
“Yes, Antonella and I are safe, but we are both been held captive. Please, do what he asks you to do - we’re safe for the moment, but I dontrgagsggsfgfsgsdfgfg.” Her talking was interrupted by his gloved hand pressed firmly over her mouth, as he lifted the handset back to his ear and said “You’ve had a chance to listen to her. Now, are you ready?
“I don’t believe you.. You have access to a web based account - no, don’t ask how I know, I know. I will give you until nine am tomorrow morning to have the 1.5 million...
“Yes, one and a half - you should not have tried to delay me. I’ll be in touch.” Switching off the phone, he released his grip on Veronika/;s mouth and walked quickly over to the table, picking up the roll of tape and ripping off a length before he walked back.
“I guess you and your sister are staying a second night,” he said as he held the tape in front of Veronika's mouth, “So pucker up and shut up, you little slut” She looked hard at him as he smoothed the tape over her mouth, feeling the material stretch and mould itself to her face as Antonella looked on.
“Nwwht,” Veronika said as she looked at the masked man. He said nothing, but knelt down and released their ankles from the chair legs, before untying Antonella and helping her to stand up with her bound hands in front of her.
“Your turn,” he said as he released Veronika, helloing her to stand up and walk over so that her back was to her sister. Taking a coil of rope, he made a lasso and passed it over the heads of both women, pulling them together by their waist as he passed the rope around their waist and their lower arms, pinning the wrists in front of each of them as he did so.
“Move,” he said as he pushed the sisters towards the bed, both of them sidestepping as they tried to look over their shoulders at each other. At the end of the bed, they heard him laugh as he pushed them both onto the bed, forcing them to wriggle up before he started to bind their ankles together, then to each other.
“Plsltsg,” Veronika pleaded as she felt the rope biting into her bare ankles, but this just seemed to amuse him even more, as he wrapped more rope around their legs, pinning her skirt around her calves as he passed the rope around and between them. As he pulled the rope tightly, both Veronika and Antonella felt his gloved hands on their legs, rubbing up and down as he secured them together.
Satisfied, he stepped back and lit another cigarette, breathing the smoke in as Veronika watched him. “Well,” he said as he breathed out, “I need to go and sort things out. Have a peaceful night, sluts.” Turning, he walked out of the room, turning the light off and locking the door behind him.
“Antn, hwru?”
“Scrd”
“Dntb, wllwrktot.”
Veronika opened her eyes, the dark confusing her for a moment, making her think she was blindfolded again. As they adjusted to the dim light, however, she remembered where she was. Her skin felt clammy, the sweat from the last day and a half making her skirt and blouse stick to her body.
Behind her she could hear Antonella sleeping fitfully, the leather of her skirt squeaking as she shifted round. Veronika closed her eyes again, praying, hoping against hope that the nightmare would end soon...
Antonella was woken by a smell of tobacco, and opened her eyes to see the man standing in front of her, no longer wearing the clown mask but now with a black balaclava covering his head. Only his thin lips and his cold, blue steel eyes could be seen as he took another drag on the cigarette.
“I have good news,” he eventually said as he put the cigarette out. “Your mother is going to pay the ransom for both of you. She must really love you very much.” His gloved hand reached over and stroked her cheek as she tried to twist her head out of the way.
“I’ll be leaving in a little while, but first I need to make sure you and your sister are quite secure. She’s still sleeping, so I’m going to release you from her, and then re-tie her ankles. Say nothing, do nothing to wake her up.”
Antonella stayed quite still as he released her from the ropes holding her to Veronika, only moving when their captor took her by the arm and helped her to sit up. As Veronika rolled onto her back, he helped her to stand and walked her to the bathroom, releasing her hands so that she could take care of herself.
“Indadrnk,” she mumbled as she walked out of the bathroom.
“I beg your pardon,” the man said as he reached up and peeled the tape away from her mouth.
“I need a drink - my mouth is so dry,” she said as she wiped her mouth.
“Fair enough - I’ll give you a drink once I’ve got you secured,” he said with a smile. “We’ll go into the front room.”
As they walked in, Antonella saw two leather bags sitting on the coffee table. “Your jewels,” he said with a smile, as Antonella realised for the first time her necklace was no longer around her neck.
“So what are you going to do,” she asked as she looked at him.
“Sit on the floor, then reach down and grab your ankles with your hands, one on each side.”
Antonella sat herself on the floor, and reached forward as much as she could, bringing her knees up so that her skirt rode down slightly in order to be able to do as he asked. Looking up, she saw him uncoil a long, long length of white rope, a smile on his face as he leaned forward and said “Now, hold still.”
“mmmm... Mmmmm.... NTNLA!!!”
As Veronika turned over, and saw she was alone on the bed, she started to scream through her tape gag, the garbled and muffled words sounding like deep moans. Looking towards the door, she watched her captor coming in, seeing into his deep blue eyes as she sat by her and stroked her head.
“Hang on,” he said as he pulled the tape away, waiting as she coughed before saying “Where’s my sister, you bastard?”
“She’s in the front room - we can go and join her once you’ve done what you have to do” her said as he reached down and started to untie Veronika’s ankles.
“You haven’t harmed her? Because so help me, if you have...”
“Calm down, Ms Mueller - she is fine.” As he untied her wrists and helped her to sit up, Veronika rubbed her wrists in front of her. “Come - once you have relieved yourself, I will take you to her.”
Ten minutes later, Veronika was pushed into the front room of the cabin, to be greeted by a call of “hlvrnka, fncmtnguhr.”
“Very funny, Antonella,” she said as she looked down at her older sister. She was sitting in front of the fire, her wrists bound tightly by a long, thick coil of rope that held them fast to her legs just above her ankles, her knees resting under her chest. The rope was cinched between each arm and leg, as well as between her legs, making it impossible for her to separate them.
A longer length of rope held her forearms tightly to her legs just below her knees, again cinched in three places. The squeak of leather as she tried to wriggle on the floor was unmistakable, as were the muffled grunts as she tried to move round. Her mouth was stuffed with something, while Veronika recognised the patterned scarf that was pulled tightly between her teeth.
“The good news, as I told your charming sister, is that your mother has paid up,” their captor said as he guided Veronica to the long recliner. “The bad news is I must leave you ladies slightly - incapacitated for a while longer.”
“Funny, I just knew you were going to say that,” Veronika joked as she was made to stand in front of the couch, eliciting a “vrfnee, sss” from Antonella. She looked over her shoulder and watched as he crossed her wrists behind her back and pulled the rope tightly around them, passing it around and between as she felt the now familiar sensation of the rope biting into her wrists.
“So what happens now,” she asked as she watched the rope going over her head, her arms forced into her side as their captor wound the thick binding around her upper and lower chest before tightening and bringing the loops together behind her back. She let out a grunt as he secured her wrists to the rope as well, while he said "I’ll tell your mother where you are - I’m sure help will come eventually.”
“Btshsinnglnd,” Antonella called out.
“I’m sorry?”
“She said she’s in England - it’ll take hours to get somebody here. You can’t lust leave us likmmasmasmffmssfmmf.” Veronika’s pleas were cut short as the man stuffed a wad of cotton into her mouth, before taking another of her sister’s scarves, this one a black and silver cotton head square with a gold embossed Louis Vutton pattern, and winding it into a thick band. As he pulled it into her mouth, she grunted “Whtbts,” feeling the band pressing into her cheeks as she secured the ends tightly together under her hair.
“Not my, problem,” was all he said as he made Veronika sit down, then lie on her stomach, using more rope to secure her crossed ankles together, and then folding he skirt back so that he could tie her legs together just below her knees. She rolled over onto her side, looking at him as he picked up the two leather bags and headed for the door.
“PLS,” she called out as he opened the door, “DNTLVSLKTHS!!!!”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine, ladies,” he said as both women saw him smile, before closing the door on them. They listened as the sound of the front door opening and closing came through, and then the sound of a car engine starting, the noise fading into the distance as they stayed still.
“Hwrwgngntgttfths,” Antonella mumbled as she tried to pull her arms free from her legs, with little success, the leather squeak getting more loud and intense instead. Veronika looked down her own body, noticing the white loops around her chest and her legs, before grunting “Idntkln - btwcntlk.”
“hw?”
“rembrrgms? Tmtprctis.”
Antonella nodded as she watched her sister roll onto her back and force herself to sit up, then turn and place her bound feet on the floor. “Kpgng,” she shouted in encouragement as Veronika slipped off the recliner and sat on the floor, her skirt covering her legs as she did so. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she then started to push herself along the floor, pushing forward on her bottom and then extending her legs.
It was a slow, painful, agonising process, that seemed to take forever, but eventually she managed to manoeuvre herself to sit next to her sister. She placed her head on Antonella’s shoulder, and said “mhrhnwantnl,” as she felt the tears flowing down her cheeks again.
“lnfrwrd,” the older sister said, and as Veronika lowered her head onto her chest she brushed her dark hair away from the knot holding the scarf in place. The hot breath on her neck was a feeling that Veronika found oddly comforting as Antonella started to pick away at the scarf with her teeth, slowly loosening the knot and drawing the material through, millimetre by agonising millimetre, until finally it was loosened enough for Veronika to use her own jaw to wriggle the scarf down around her neck. As she spat out what was actually a pair of her own silk knickers, she gasped for a moment, before saying “Thank you” in a hoarse voice.
“Whtrsstrsfr,” Antonella said as she smiled at her younger sister. “Urtrnnw.” Veronika pushed herself a foot or two further along and turned over onto her knees as Antonella bent her own head forward, her grey hair falling away from her neck as she did so.
“Polizei! Fräulein Mueller, wo sind Sie?”
Veronika raised her head from her sister’s lap and called out “In hier - helfen Sie uns!” The door opened to the room as a uniformed officer looked in, a gun raised in his hands. He saw Veronika lying on the floor, her head in Antonella’s lap as the two women looked back at him.
“Sie sind innen hier,” he called over his shoulder, “Anruf für einen Krankenwagen - und Hast.” Holstering his gun, he walked over and helped Veronika to sit up, looking at the ropes around her and her sister as he did so.
“Rief unsere Mutter Sie an?” Antonella said as the officer untied her arms from her legs. As she rubbed her red and bruised wrists, he replied “Nein- hatten wir einen anonymen Anruf und baten uns, herzukommen.”
“It’s not important, Antonella,” Veronika said as she hugged her sister, “It’s over now - we’re safe, we’re safe...”
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