Gentleman and Generations
The street was
a normal suburban one, quiet peaceful, one or two families walking down the
road towards their homes and a few cars passing by. As he sat behind the wheel of the Ford
Transit van, the tall dark haired man took a drink from a bottle of water as he
looked at one particular house.
“Remind me of
why we are doing this,” he said to the man sitting next to him as he sat
checking the contents of a bag.
“A request to
assist an old friend,” he said as he looked over, “and besides, my researches
tell me there is actually potential at this residence for far greater gain than
what we have been asked to obtain.”
“Fair enough –
so when shall we make our move?”
Looking at his
watch, the second man smiled and said “I do not believe there is any better
time than the present. Shall we?”
Nodding, the
two men stepped out of the van, closing and locking the doors before they
walked towards a side alley. Both men
were dressed in black, leather jackets over jumpers, jeans, trainers, gloves,
and woollen hats…
“Gran’s going
to come here before we go to the club?
And more to the point – she wants to go to the club? She’s over sixty, Mum?”
“I know,”
Debbie said as she sat at her dressing table, applying the dark pink lipstick
to her lips, “but she said she even had a good outfit for it, so coming she
is.” In her mid-forties, Debbie was a
tall, thin woman who kept fit through tennis and yoga, her body tanned through
the services of the local salon, her hair dyed blonde and freshly taken care of
at the hairdresser that afternoon. She
pushed the Alice band in to hold the long locks back, and then took one last
look at herself in the mirror.
“Perfect,” she
said as she stood up and brushed some lint from her dress. The black dress was more like a leotard at
the top, the straps thinning as they went over her shoulders and then joined
for the back panel, the skirt perhaps a little shorter than what was considered
normal – but she was going to a club, and she wanted to look good. Under the dress was a black and white striped
boob tube, while her lower legs were sitting in a pair of over the knee black
fabric boots, complete with three inch stiletto heel.
“Right then,”
she said to herself as she collected her purse, and left the room, “I’m ready
Milly – are you?”
“What do you
think Mum?”
Debbie smiled as
she saw her daughter walk out of her own bedroom. The twenty year old had her hair pulled back
in a ling ponytail, and was wearing a black strapless top with a sequined
front, a black miniskirt in the same style, fishnet stockings and a pair of
black heels.
“Are you trying
to get all the guys before me Mum,” Milly said as she shook her head.
“You snooze,
you lose,” Debbie said as she walked to the stairs. “Now, we go downstairs, we wait for your
grandmother to come here, and then we…”
“Well, may I
say it is rare to meet two such beautiful ladies so determined to have an
enjoyable evening – quite an achievement, Mister Small.”
“Indeed, Mister
Tall – a pity we may have to alter their plans to have fun slightly.”
Debbie and
Milly stared at the two men who were standing at the bottom of the
staircase. They were identically dressed
– black leather jackets over roll neck sweaters, dark jeans, black shoes, black
gloves, and black balaclavas pulled down so that only their mouths and eyes
were visible – the only real difference was their height, one taller than the
other by a foot.
“Who… What…
Milly, call the police!”
“I strongly advise
against you doing that, young lady,” the taller of the two men said as he produced
a gun from his jacket pocket and held it in his hand, “for your own personal
piece of mind and safety. Far better for
you to quietly walk down the stairs with your mother, would you not agree
Mister Small?”
“I would Mister
Tall, so if you would kindly make your way into the front room, hands where we
can see them, then we can sit and discuss matters of import to all of us.”
“Mister Tall,
Mister Small,” Milly said as she looked at the two of them, “Mum, they’re those
Gentlemen Robbers!”
“Our infamy
precedes us yet again, Mister Tall.
After you ladies?”
“Who on earth
are the Gentlemen Robbers,” Debbie asked as she and her daughter slowly walked
into the front room, sitting next to each other on the deep red leather couch
with their hands on their laps.
“We are, to
coin a phrase, exactly what it says on the tin,” Mister Tall said as Mister
Small unplugged the telephone. “Now, with
that in mind, we will be removing certain things from this house – and, with
deep regret, I have to inform you that we must ensure neither of you can raise
the alarm.”
“Any of them,
Mister Tall – remember they did say the grandmother was coming as they walked
down the stairs.”
“Ah, of
course,” Mister Tall said with a smile as the two women looked at him. “And when are you expecting her arrival?”
The ring of the
doorbell made both men come over as Mister Tall said to Debbie “please, invite
her to join us. Your charming daughter
can keep us company for this short time.”
Debbie slowly
nodded as she stood and walked to the front door, opening it as the woman
standing outside said “My, my – you look hot to trot tonight Debbie dear.”
“Thanks mum –
you’d better come into the front room first though, there’s something Milly and
I need to talk to you about.”
“Sounds serious,”
the two masked men said as they walked to the door and saw a woman in her early
sixties come in, her grey hair cut to frame her face. She was not dressed for a woman of her age,
however, with an electric pink blouse that was open at the neck over a short
black leather skirt. A wide black belt
with a brass front buckle was fastened round her waist, and they could both see
the tops of her stockings over her over the knee black leather boots.
She stared at
the two masked men, and said “well, I see we do have something serious to
discuss.”
“Good evening,”
Mister Tall said as he stood next to her, “would it be impolite to ask your
name?”
“Babs – I guess
by your attire I have walked into a bit of a robbery?”
“That would be
correct Babs – now, if you will take a seat over there, I need to ask Debbie to
come with me for a few minutes. Mister
Small, I wonder if you could ensure that Babs is kept comfortable there?”
“With pleasure,
Mister Tall. Milly – it is Milly isn’t
it – I must ask you to remain where you are.
You may talk to your grandmother if you desire. Your mother will return shortly.”
As Mister Tall
took Debbie by the arm and walked her up the stairs, Mister Small opened the
bag they had brought in, and took out a length of rope. Babs looked at it, then at her granddaughter
as she said “Milly, I think he’s going to tie us up?”
“Well, I will
be making sure you stay in the seat first, as requested Babs. Would you be so good as to turn slightly to
the side, and put your hands behind your back?”
“Please, you
don’t have to do this to us,” Milly whispered as she watched the masked man
doubling the length of rope over, “none of us will raise the alarm.”
“I appreciate
the offer, Milly, but there is a professional courtesy and code to follow,” Mister
Small said as he walked behind Babs, and crossed her wrists at her back before
he wound the rope around them and began to secure them together.
“It’s all right
Milly,” Babs said as she felt the rope forcing her limbs together, “you’ve
heard of these men?”
“Yeah – there
have been reports in the papers about them.
They are, like the reports said, very well mannered.” She watched her grandmother as Mister Small
passed the rope around and between her arms, and then tied the ends off out of
reach of her fingernails.
“I must say,
even if we are not going to be able to go to the club, I find this quite –
exciting,” Babs said quietly as she twisted round, then watched Mister Small as
he retrieved a longer length of rope and started to double that over as
well. “And what do you intend to do with
that, young man?”
“Ensure your
upper body is appropriately secured, Babs,” Mister Small said with a smile as
he passed the rope round the older woman’s arms and upper body, then pulled the
ends through the centre loop behind her back, forcing her arms into her sides
as it formed a band under her chest. He
passed the rope round her several times, above and below, Milly watching as the
bands stretched her grandmother’s blouse over her chest even as it forced her
arms tightly against her body.
“I see what you
mean,” Babs said quietly, biting her lower lip as Mister Small pulled the rope around
both bands behind her back, and then took the rope under one arm, pulling it up
and around the back of her neck before he fed it under her other arm, the bands
tightening even more as Babs started to tickle.
“Oh I am
sorry,” Mister Small said as he secured the rope, “I did not mean to tickle
you.”
“It… It’s not you who is tickling me,” Babs said
quietly as she wriggled round, “if anything, I appreciate you took great care
not to touch me anywhere inappropriate.”
“Well, we pride
ourselves on trying to maintain the dignity of those we visit,” Mister Small
said with a smile as he selected another length of rope…
“What are you
going to do when you leave,” Debbie said as she sat on her bed, watching Mister
Tall use the combination she had given him to open the safe in her wardrobe.
“As we said
earlier, we will make sure you are comfortable, but unable to raise the
alarm. Mister Small will be taking care
of your mother as we speak up here,” the tall masked man said as he opened the
safe, and started to put jewels and cash into a sack he was holding. “I know this is an inconvenience, but I
assure you we mean no harm. This is
strictly business.”
“You know, I
actually believe you,” Debbie said as she watched him emptying the contents of
her safe into the bag.
“Would it be
rude to enquire about your husband?”
“Long gone –
with his bimbo secretary.”
He looked over
and nodded. “Such is, regretfully, often
the way,” he said as he found the item he had been asked to retrieve, and
slipped it unseen into the bag.
“Although I must say, I feel he may have made a grave error in your
case. You are a beautiful woman.”
“Flattery will
get you nowhere with me, even if good manners have,” Debbie said with a smile.
“And the desire
of all three of you to spend a night at a nightclub?”
“We all get
lonely – even my mother – so why not?”
“Why not
indeed,” Mister Tall said as he closed the door. “Now, your daughter’s room…”
Milly watched
as Mister Small pulled the rope between her grandmother’s legs, and then tied
the ends off behind them as Babs twisted round.
As she did this, the leather of her boots squeaked as they rubbed
together, her ankles crossed and tied together with the rope, and now her legs
secured together below her knees.
“Does it hurt,
Gran?”
“Surprisingly,
no,” Babs said as she looked at her granddaughter, “I think I might be able to
cope for a while like this. You are very
good at this, young man.”
“I accept the
compliment in the way it was given,” Mister Small said as he walked back to the
bag, and took out two more lengths of rope.
“And now, it is time to begin to ensure you stay in the chair, Milly. Please, put your feet up on the coffee table,
and cross your ankles.”
“Somehow, I
knew this was coming,” Milly said as she obeyed the request, watching as Mister
Small wrapped the rope around her crossed ankles and secured them together in
the same way he had with her grandmother.
He then took a second length, and secured her legs together below her
knees, Milly looking to the doorway as Mister Tall brought Debbie back in.
“MUM! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,
darling,” Babs said as she twisted in the chair, “and besides, given what this
young man is doing to my granddaughter, I suspect you are going to be in a
similar position to me before too long.”
“That is indeed
the case,” Mister Tall said as he took two lengths of rope from the bag. “Debbie, kindly take a seat next to your
daughter. Mister Small, perhaps a small
drink for each of the ladies before they are unable to appreciate it?”
“What can I get
for you, Babs,” Mister Small said as he looked at her.
“Just some
water please,” Babs said, the other two nodding in agreement as he headed to
the kitchen. Both watched as Mister Tall
crossed and secured Debbie’s ankles together, the ropes compressing the black
fabric of her boots around her limbs as he did so. He then bound her legs together below her knees,
the band of white rope sitting on top of the black tops of the boots as the
rope went around and between her limbs.
Mister Small
returned with three glasses of water, handing one each to Debbie and Milly
before he put a straw in the third one, and held it while Babs took a drink.
“Thank you,”
Debbie said as she looked at the two masked men, “I don’t know why I should say
that – you’re tying us up and have tied my mother up, and I suspect you’re
going to gag us – but still, thank you.”
“That was very
kind of you, young man,” Babs said as she took one more sip, “but if I have any
more, I may regret it later. So what
now?”
“Now,” Mister
Small said as he held a folded cloth in his hands, “I need you to allow me to
put this in your mouth, and then I will use some tape to cover your lips. It will not hurt you, but it will keep you quiet.”
“And as for you
two beautiful ladies,” Mister Tall said as he looked at Debbie and Milly, “I
want you both to sit back to back on this leather sofa, your legs over the
arms, and then hold hands.”
“Well, at least
we will be together,” Debbie said as she turned herself and put her bound legs
over the arm of the couch, Milly nodding as she did the same on the other side,
watching Mister Small as he gently, but firmly, pressed a long wide strip of
white tape over her grandmother’s mouth.
Babs looked over and nodded to show she was all right, while Mister Tall
took two lengths of cord and used them to secure Debbie’s wrists to those of
Milly.
“We’re going to
be all right, Mum,” Milly said as she watched the rope been passed round her
upper arms, securing them to her sides above her chest before Mister Tall did
the same to Debbie, and then started to bind them together at their
waists. She then looked up to see Mister
Small holding a folded blue cloth in his hand, the roll of white tape in his
other gloved hand as he said “your turn, young lady. Please, open your mouth.”
“Well, since
you asked so politely,” Milly said as she opened her mouth, feeling the cotton
on her tongue before she closed her lips and watched Mister Small tear a strip
away from the roll of tape, and then press it over her mouth. He was gentle, but firm, as he made sure the
covering adhered to the skin on her jaw and around her mouth, and she gave her
mother’s hand a squeeze.
“It is your
turn now,” Mister Small said as he walked round, Mister Tall tying the rope holding
their waists together off as Milly looked at her grandmother. “Dhsshhttphllhnuhrrmffhswhlll?”
“Hlhhttlt,bhthhsnhtthbhddd,” Babs replied as she watched the
smaller of the two masked men gag her daughter in the same way as her and her
granddaughter, and then put the roll of tape into the bag before he collected
the glasses.
“Whrshshthkhnthm,” Debbie said as her lips moved under the
tape.
“To put them
into your dishwasher and start it off of course – no sense in leaving too much
waste,” Mister Tall said as he tided other ropes away and closed the bag. “Would you all care to listen to some music
to pass the time?”
As they all
nodded, he turned the radio on as he said “We will contact the appropriate authorities
in a few hours, once we have had time to make a safe exit.” As Mister Small came back and picked up the
bag, both men looked at the bound and gagged women and smiled.
“The Gentlemen
Robbers bid you all adieu,” Mister Tall said with a smile, “may we never meet
again.” Debbie, Milly and Babs all
watched as they left them in the front room, Radio Two playing as the footsteps
retreated to the rear of the house…
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