What If… The
Lady Robbers
We all know
who the Gentlemen Robbers are, how they operate, their care and consideration –
even with the occasional male caught up in their visits. But here is my question – What If the genders
were reversed. In more ways than one…
“Are you both
about ready for some tea?
“Yes, Gran,” Jo
said as Petra nodded in agreement. Erica
nodded and smiled as she made her way to the kitchen, picking up a yellow apron
and putting it over her head so that it covered her blue floral print dress. She was also wearing blue leather heels, and a
double string of pearls was round her neck.
“Now, what
shall I prepare for them,” she said to herself as she opened the refrigerator-
and then she hear the doorbell ring. She
walked into the hallway, stopping to check her greying blonde hair and looking
out from behind her large glasses, before she opened the door.
“Yes – can I
help you?”
“I believe you
can Erica – kindly walk back in, nice and quietly, and do not raise the
alarm. It will be so much more beneficial
if you do as we ask.”
Erica was taken
by surprise y the polite, but firm instruction, as she slowly walked backwards
and the two visitors walked in. They
were identically dressed – black leather jackets over tightly fitting black roll
neck sweaters that were stretched over their chests, leggings tucked into short
black boots, leather gloves – and black balaclavas over their heads, showing
only their eyes with the black eyeshadow and their red lips.
“Who…”
“Allow me to
make the introductions,” the taller of the two said, “I am Miss Tall, and this
is my friend Miss Petite. And today,
Erica, is the day we are calling to relieve you of your valuables. So long as you do as we ask, there will be no
problems – will there…”
“Relieve me
of.. Oh no, my babies…”
Miss Petite
looked closely at Erica, before she said “I presume this is a lifestyle choice
when you are at home?”
“No – well yes,
it is a lifestyle choice, but not just at home – I live as Erica.”
“Then Erica it
shall be,” Miss Tall said as Miss Petite put down the holdall she was holding,
opened it and took out a length of white cord.
“We will join your babies in due source – but first, we need to ensure
your hands are secured where they can cause no issues. Please, turn round and put your hands behind
your back.”
Erica nodded as
she slowly turned round, and put her hands behind her, feeling the gloved hands
as they crossed her wrists and then the rope as it was pulled tightly round her
wrists. The rope felt soft, not harsh,
but it was being tied in a way that made sure she was not going to be able to
move her hands round again.
“Gran, who was
– oh my!”
Miss Tall
turned and smiled as she saw the teenager in the doorway, golden curls running
down their head. They were wearing a long-sleeved
blue romper suit, with elasticated cuffs and a belt round their waist, a floral
print on the material, and brown flat shoes.
“Hello,” Miss
Tall said, “and what would your name be?”
“Jo – Gran,
what’s going on?”
“It looks as if
we are being robbed,” Erica said quietly, “so I need you to keep young Petra
calm as well. Is he still watching
television?”
Jo slowly
nodded as Miss Petite picked up the bag.
“Then why don’t you introduce us to him,” she said, Erica nodding as
they walked into the front room.
Petra looked
over – and the looked again before he pushed himself back into the seat and
said “oh no…” The young boy had his hair
up in a bun on his head, and was wearing a party dress with elbow length
sleeves and a white frilled front, as well as a wide blue sash round his waist
and at the bottom of the skirt. The pattern
on the material was the same as that Jo was wearing, and he was wearing gold
slippers.
“Petra,” Erica
said quietly, “I know this looks scary, but these two have assured me if we do
as they say, they’re not going to hurt us.
I think they are ging to tie you up, but the ropes are not hurting me,
so they should not hurt you.”
Petra slowly
nodded as Miss Petite came and sat with her.
“Your grandmother is telling the truth – we will have to tie you and
your sister up, but I promise you, it will not hurt. Let me show you. Have a seat Erica – Miss Tall, kindly pass me
one length of rope, and use a second one to ensure your jo is comfortably
secured.”
Jo watched as
the taller of the two masked women handed a length of cord to the other one,
and then allowed her to take her arms behind her back as Miss Petite doubled
the rope over.
“Now – can you
cross your wrists in front of yourself?”
Petra nodded as she did that, then watched as the masked woman used the
rope to secure her wrists together, just as Miss Tall secured Jo’s wrists
together behind her back.
“It doesn’t
hurt, does it?”
“No,” she said
to Erica, who smiled and nodded as Jo sat next to Petra, both of them watching
as Miss Tall and Miss Petite took longer lengths of rope out, and then wrapped
them round both of them, forcing their arms against their sides as they formed
bands round their upper arms and their stomachs. Jo smiled as she said “I was scared – but
it’s not so bad, is it Petra?”
Petra shook his
head as Miss Tall said “Excellent – Miss Petite is going to make sure you stay
quietly there, while I take your grandmother and ask her to show me round the
house.”
“I’m very proud
of both of you,” Erica said as Miss Tall took her by the arm and walked her out
of the room, Miss Petite taking more ropes from the bag and kneeling down as
she crossed Jo’s ankles and bound them tightly together.
She then wrapped
rope round their legs below their knees and bound them together there, before
she looked at Petra. “So what is it
really – Peter?”
“Yes,” he
whispered as he watched the masked woman cross and bind his ankles together,
“but when I’m here with gran and the rest of the family, I am Petra.”
“So this is new
to you?”
“Being tied up
or being a girl?”
Miss Petite
smiled as she said “Both?”
Petra laughed
as he said “yes – it’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be.”
“Well, we do
not like to use fear as a way of making sure you do what we ask,” Miss Petite
said as she bound the young boy’s legs together below his knees, cinching the
binding between his legs as well as Jo twisted her legs round. “There – think that is going to keep you both
there?”
Jo and Petra
looked at each other and nodded as she said “good – now, I have some things I
need to take care of on this floor, so I need to make sure you cannot call out
and raise the alarm.” Reaching into the
bag, she drew out a white silk scarf and rolled it into a band, before she said
to Jo “open your mouth nice and wide…”
“Why am I not
afraid?”
“Because you
believe me when I say we have no desire to hurt you,” Miss Tall said with a
smile as she looked at Erica sitting on the bed in her bedroom. She tipped the contents of another jewellery
box into the bag she was holding – a bag that now had Erica’s pearls, rings,
earrings and watch in it. “My turn to
ask a question, if I may?”
“Of course?”
“For how long you
have lived as a woman?”
“Twenty years –
at first it was me, but after Jessica’s divorce the rest of the family have
joined in as well.”
“Your
daughter?” Miss Tall looked at Erica as
she shook her head, and laughed as she said “A silly question, but one worth
asking. Did Jessica know beforehand?”
“She found out-
but she accepted me as I am.”
“As do we –
ah.”
Both of them
heard the front door open and close, as Erica felt the gloved hand over her
mouth…
Jessica was
staring at the sight before her, as Jo said “Hllhhmhmhm” through the white silk
band that was pulling back on the corners of their mouth. Petra nodded as he swung his bound legs up
and down, looking at his parent.
The blonde was
wearing a white slip dress with a black floral print on it, and white heels,
her long blonde hair falling down her back as she stared at both of them – and then
she felt the gun against her back as a female voice said “ah – and your name
would be?”
“Jessica… Who are you?”
“I am known as
Miss Petite – your children are perfectly safe, but I regret to say that it
will be necessary for you to be like them.
Remain calm, and do not try to panic and raise the alarm, and all will
be well.”
“Do I have a
choice?”
“Not really no
– so please, slip your handbag down and hold it out with your left hand.”
Jessica
swallowed, her Adam’s apple moving as she held her bag out and saw a gloved
hand take it.
“Excellent –
now, slowly put your hands behind your back.”
She did this, and then felt the rope on her bare wrists as Miss Petite
secured them tightly together, taking the ropes round and between her slim arms
to do this. She then saw the rope pass
round her as it was pulled tight, forcing her arms against her sides before the
binder started to form two bands that framed her chest.
“Where’s
Erica?”
“With my
partner upstairs,” Miss Petite said as the ropes were pulled tighter, “kindly
walk over and take a seat in an armchair.”
She walked over
and then turned round, surprised to see the woman stood about five foot three
tall as she sat down and put her ankles to the side. Miss Petite took two more lengths of rope
from the holdall and walked over, as Miss Tall walked Erica back in.
“Erica, what’s
going on?” Jessica looked at the second
masked woman, a whole foot taller than Miss Petite.
“I’m being
robbed, and we’re being tied up,” the older woman said as she looked at Jo and
Petra. “Are you both all right?”
Both of them
nodded as Miss Tall selected a longer rope, and started to bind her arms to her
sides, the two bands clearly visible over the yellow apron as she watched Miss
Petite securing Jessica’s ankles and legs in the same way as the girls.
“Did you manage
to find everything down here, Miss Petite?”
“I found the
safe and managed to open it with no difficulty,” her partner replied as she
pulled the rope tight around and between Jessica’s legs below her knees, and
secured the ends where she would not be able to reach them. She twisted her legs round as Miss Tall
pulled the ropes tight round Erica and bound them behind her back, before she
invited her captive to take a seat on the other armchair.
She watched as
the masked intruder secured her ankles and legs in the same way as the others,
before she heard Miss Petite say “open your mouth as wide as you can.”
“Mhmmmsslhkhsnh”
Petra said as the rolled up white scarf was pulled between Jessica’s lips,
trapping her blonde hair against the back of her neck as Miss Petite ensured
she was gagged.
“I guess I will
be the same way as well,” Erica said quietly, “so what happens if we cannot get
free?”
“Well, normally
we would inform the authorities of your predicament after a suitable gap,” Miss
Tall said as she rolled up another white scarf, “but perhaps you would prefer
to give Miss Petite the number of a – trusted friend.”
“That would be
better – contact Michelle,” Erica said as she gave Miss Petite a number.
“Excellent - now
open wide.”
Erica nodded as
the rolled-up scarf was pulled between her lips and tied round her head, noting
how much darker the scarves in the mouths of Jo and Petra at the corners of
their mouths. All four watched as the
masked intruders cleared everything away, before they stood in the doorway.
“We thank you
for your hospitality,” Miss Tall said with a smile, “and so we bid you all a
good afternoon. Please, if we ever meet
again – remember how you were treated and just pass by.”
Erica nodded as
she watched Miss Tall and Miss Petite walk out of the room, and she heard the
front door open and close.
“Whthshwhdhnh,”
Jessica said as she started to struggle, searching for a way to get free – and
eventually stopping as she realized she could not reach any knots easily.
“Hdhntknh,”
Erica said “bthwhllhtlhthr.”
“Chnwhhhffchpsssghrhn?”
“Hfhnksh,”
Erica said to Petra as Jo managed to stand up and jump over to where Jessica was
sitting. They turned back-to-back,
trying to find the knots holding the ropes round each other – with no success….
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