Denim Denim

“Such a beautiful summer’s day,” the smaller of the two gentlemen said as they drove down the main road of the small town, “and so little traffic as well.”

“Indeed,” the person sat in the front passenger seat said, “Somehow it seems strange that people have adjusted so much to the admonitions these last few months.”

“True – but with the crisis now averted we can be about our business – ah here, we are. Shall we?”

“And here we are, here we ate, and here we go…”

Carol was standing in the front room of her house, listening to the sounds of Status Quo as she danced around. The self-isolation rules may be over, but somehow she had come to enjoy these afternoons when she could regain some of her lost youth and just have fun with nobody passing comment.

The fifty year old woman was wearing a crimson crocheted poncho, the fringe of her chestnut red hair on the edge, and the poncho covering a black t-shirt. She was also wearing faded blue jeans, the legs tucked into a pair of thigh high black leather boots with a brown band at the top of the legs. It was the sort of thing she would have worn when growing up and as a teenager, when she first saw the denim clad rockers in concert.

As the music ended, she smiled and took a small bow to herself – and then froze as she heard the clapping behind her. Turning slowly round, she was greeted by the sight of two men in the room, identically dressed in black – including the gloves on their hands and the balaclava masks that covered their heads, allowing only their eyes and mouths to be seen.

The most striking thing about them, however, was the disparity in height – to Carol’s eye, it seemed as if there was at least a foot in difference between the two men. She continued to stare at them, before the smaller of the two men smiled and said “I suspect unless one of us says something, then it will be even more awkward. Allow me to introduce myself – I am known as Mister Small, and this is my friend Mister Tall. And you would be Carol Kendrick, correct?”

Carol slowly nodded as she said “what… What do you want?”

“Well, it pays to be completely transparent and honest in these situations, Carol – I hope you don’t mind if we call you Carol.” Mister Tall looked at her as he said “we are here to relieve you of some of your valuables, and as part of our visit, with regret, we have to ensure that you are in no position to raise the alarm. With that in mind, I must ask you to remain still for a few minutes – take the time to understand that we are serious, but equally we have no wish to cause you any unnecessary distress.”

“Unnecessary… Oh my god, you’re going to tie me up?”

“Indeed,” Mister Tall said as his partner put a holdall down on the floor, opening it and removing from it a length of white rope, before he walked towards Carol while doubling it over in his hands.

“Please, put your hands behind your back,” he said with a smile, Carol slowly complying as he wound the rope around her wrists and began to secure them tightly together, as a new song started on the player.

“A vacation in a foreign land, Uncle Sam does the best he can
You're in the army now, oh-oo-oh you're in the army now

“Now you remember what the draft man said, nothing to do all day but stay in bed
You're in the army now, oh-oo-oh you're in the army now.”

Carol grunted slightly as Mister Small took the rope between her wrists, making the binding even tighter before he tied the ends off and tucked the ends into the bands of rope. She flexed her fingers, but could not find any way of reaching the ropes.

“You'll be the hero of the neighbourhood, nobody knows that you've left for good
You're in the army now, oh-oo-oh you're in the army now

“Smiling faces as you wait to land, but once you get there no-one gives a damn
You're in the army now, oh-oo-oh you're in the army now

“Hand grenades flying over your head

Missiles flying over your head, if you want to survive get out of bed
You're in the army now, oh-oo-oh you're in the army now”

“Well, at least it’s not too uncomfortable,” she said as she looked at Mister Tall while his partner walked round and took a longer length of rope from the bag, “even if it is tight.”

“Better tight and comfortable than a situation where it is uncomfortable,” Mister Small said with a smile as he walked back over, and passed the doubled over rope round her body pulling her arms into her sides as he tightened the band under her chest. That made her gasp as well, especially when he took the rope around her upper arms and formed a second band above her chest. As he continued, her poncho was trapped over her chest as the rope bands were reinforced, framing her breasts as she tried to control her fear, control her breathing…

“Shots ring out in the dead of night, the sergeant calls 'Stand up and fight!'
You're in the army now, oh-oo-oh you're in the army now

“You've got your orders better shoot on sight, your finger's on the trigger but it don't seem right
You're in the army now, oh-oo-oh you're in the army now
You're in the army now, oh-oo-oh you're in the army now

“Night is falling and you just can't see, is this illusion or reality?
You're in the army now, oh-oo-oh you're in the army, in the army now
You're in the army now, oh-oo-oh you're in the army now

“Oh-oo-oh you're in the army, in the army now
Oh-oo-oh you're in the army, in the army now
Oh-oo-oh you're in the army, in the army now”

She could feel the masked man making sure she truly could not move her arms, as he pulled the bands together behind her back, and then went back to the bag, returning with two shorter lengths which he tied between her arms and her body, pulling the two bands together so that they pressed down on her.

“Why does this have to be… be so tight,” she whispered as she also noticed how he took great care not to touch her chest more than he could not avoid.

“For your own protection,” Mister Tall said as he walked forward, and took Carol by the arm. “Now, I would like you to accompany me as I look upstairs, in order that a minimum of mess is made. Mister Small, can I prevail on you or ensure anything worth taking downstairs is considered?”

“Of course – but be sure to take some things with you,” Mister Small said as he put some of the contents of the bag into a smaller one, and handed it to his partner, Mister Tall nodding as he took Carol out of the front room and up the staircase.

As they reached the top, Mister Small smiled and started to look round the room, searching through display cases and bookcases with great care as the music continued to play in the background.

IT was about fifteen minutes later, as he was placing a gold watch into a small bag, that he heard the front door open and close, and a young female voice say “Mum, I’m home – I got the stud you asked for.”

He stood by the door to the front room, holding a small pistol in his hand as a dark haired woman in her early twenties walked in. She was wearing a black leather jacket over a dark blue round necked top, denim shorts and knee length black leather boots with a stiletto heel. She looked round the room, then turned round – only to stop as she saw Mister Small standing there, the gun pointing at her as he said “good morning – would it be impolite to know your name.”

She stared at him for a few minutes, before she whispered “Caroline…”

“How appropriate, given your mother’s taste in music. Allow me to introduce myself – I am Mister Small, my partner Mister Tall is currently upstairs with your mother. In a few minutes, I will take you to join her – but first, I regret to say it is going to be necessary to secure your arms. Please, no loud noises or sudden moves – simply place your hand bag on that chair over there, and then turn round and put your hands behind your back.”

Caroline stared at him for a few minutes, and then put her bag on the chair and turned round. She could feel the rope as her wrists were pulled together, before a new song started.

“Never thought I'd have a worry for me to be alone
Playing near or far too many times should have known
It can lose you all sleep at night
Twelve bar blues is now alright
Now it's up to you to try and find the reason to
Rock 'n' Roll and every song
Rock 'n' Roll and everyone”

She could feel the band getting tighter as Mister Small took the rope between her wrists, and secured the ends together.

“It's Rock 'n' Roll and Rock and Rock 'n' Roll
It's Rock 'n' Roll and Rock keeps rollin' on
Waiting all the time to find radio plays on Caroline
They say you'll get there in the end
We can pray, what we say
Makes a difference in the end”

“I have to ask,” Mister Small said as he fetched a longer length of rope from the bag as Caroline flexed her long fingers, “did your mother name you after this song or after Caroline?”

“I honestly don’t know – maybe I can ask her later?”

“Well, it may be a little difficult for you to understand each other, but by all means ask,” he said as he walked behind her, and started to wrap the rope around her upper body and arms as the song continued.

“Looking back it can be funny, it can be very strange
Everything we do, it's funny, we never rearrange
It can lose you all sleep at night
Twelve bar blues is now alright
Now it's up to you to try and find the reason to
Rock 'n' Roll and every song
Rock 'n' Roll and everyone

“It's Rock 'n' Roll and Rock and Rock 'n' Roll
It's Rock 'n' Roll and Rock keeps rollin' on
Waiting all the time to find radio plays on Caroline
They say you'll get there in the end
We can pray, what we say
Makes a difference in the end”

Caroline grunted as Mister Small fed the rope under one arm, taking it up and forcing the lower band of rope under her chest to press harder before he took the rope around the back of her neck, making sure her long brown hair was not trapped under it, and then under the other arm so that her arms were truly locked into place, making sure the ropes was secured behind her.

“Rushing always in a hurry, and try to give it up
Everything we do it's funny, it's never good enough
It can lose you all sleep at night
Twelve bar blues is now alright
Now it's up to you to try and find the reason to
Rock 'n' Roll and every song
Rock 'n' Roll and everyone

“It's Rock 'n' Roll and Rock and Rock 'n' Roll
It's Rock 'n' Roll and Rock keeps rollin' on
Waiting all the time to find radio plays on Caroline
They say you'll get there in the end
We can pray, what we say
Makes a difference in the end”

“Okay, so I can’t move my arms,” Caroline said as she saw the way her jacket had been forced open and to the sides. “Now what?”

“Now,” Mister Small said as he stripped her rings and gold bracelets off her fingers and arms, and put them into the bag, “we take you to join your mother. But before we do this, I think we need to ensure you cannot find it easy to communicate.”

“Should have seen that coming,” Caroline said as she watched him take a red sponge ball from a clear bag, and compress it in his gloved hand as he walked back over. “Now, if you would kindly open your mouth?”

As he eased the sponge behind her teeth, Caroline could feel the sponge expanding in her mouth, pressing her tongue down and filling the empty space as she closed her mouth, then heard the soft peeling sound as the masked man removed a long, wide strip of white tape from a roll. He then pressed it gently over her mouth, using his gloved fingers to make sure the tape formed to the contours of her face and chin, before he said “shall we” and indicated the open doorway.

Caroline nodded, impressed in a way by his manners and his skills as she walked up the staircase in front of him, hearing a second man and her mother as they walked into the master bedroom.

“Oh my god – Caroline!”

“Hmnfhhnnmhmmm,” Caroline said, the tape holding firm over her lips as she was walked to sit on the opposite side of the bed to where her mother was lying. Carol now had her ankles bound tightly together, the band of white rope clearly visible over the black leather, and a second band of rope securing her legs together below her knees.

Caroline could hear the squeaking as her mother tried to move her legs, while she looked at the tall man, identically dressed to her binder, who was replacing a now empty box to the chest of drawers. “Ah – so this is your charming daughter Carol? May we know her name?”

“IT’s Caroline – why?”

“First name terms are always better – Caroline, please sit still for a few moments.” As the gagged young woman nodded, Mister Small knelt down and started to secure her ankles together, the rope going around and between her booted ankles as she looked down to watch.

“What did you do to keep her quiet,” Carol asked as Mister Tall walked back over to her side of the bed.

“I will show you in a moment,” he said as he gently pulled her ankles back. She could feel the rope tightening round her knees as he did this, and then the increased tension on the ropes round her upper body as he secured them to the ropes behind her back.

He then took a yellow sponge ball in his gloved hand and compressed it, Carol’s eyes opening wide as he held it in front of her mouth, and said “this is part of it, so please, open your mouth as wide as you can.”

Caroline grunted as Mister Small passed a second band of rope around her legs, the band sitting on the tops of her boots as her legs were further secured together. He then helped her to lie on her side, facing her mother as Mister Tall gently pressed the white tape over her mouth to keep the sponge he had pushed into her mouth in place.

“Ughththushddthht,” she mumbled, Carol nodding as she watched the smaller of the two masked men pull her daughter’s ankles back and secure them to her chest ropes in the same way as hers had been. She tried to wriggle round – with little effect, as the two men checked each other’s ropes, and then picked up the two smaller bags.

“The Gentlemen Robbers bid you adieu – may we never meet again,” Mister Tall said before they both bowed and left the room, the mother and daughter looking at each other before a new song started to play downstairs.

“We get it together now and then
But I can feel we won't again
Still I can't stop this endless strain of you

Listen to my words and talk the sadness that I bring you
I'll leave you today, 'cos I am nothing to you

Oh-oh make me stay a bit longer
Make my heart and my body get stronger
Make me stay, don't send me away or I'll be alone
Make me stay a bit longer”

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