What If –
Josie
What
If… We returned to Riverdale, and asked
what would happen if a local girl group attracted the attention of a particular
organization…
“So why are we
here again,” the man said as he sat next to the driver of the panel van.
“Special order
– this particular trio are to be invited to a new role.”
“And if anyone
gets in our way?”
“Use our
judgement – there’s the bass player now.”
He looked out
of the window as a thin blonde walked down the street. She was wearing a maxi dress made from a
fabric with a light brown colour, a pair of matching sandals clearly visible
under the hem of the skirt. It also
sported a large bow tie at the neck, with black spots.
“Which one is
this?”
“File says her
name is Melody – come on, I don’t think this is going to be a major problem.”
As the wind
blew the ends of her long hair from her shoulders, Melody was humming a new
tune to herself. It was one her fellow
bandmates had played the night before, and she was thinking of little
else. Certainly not of the fact a panel
van had pulled up beside her, certainly not of the side door opening.
But the damp
cloth which was clamped over her mouth and nose, and the sweet smelling fumes
she inhaled made her eyes open wide as she was pulled into the van. She tried to scream for help, but as she
heard the van door slam shut, her eyes slowly went out of focus, and her body
relaxed as she slipped into a deep sleep.
“Well, that was
certainly easier than I thought it was going to be,” the man said as he looked at
his partner. “Pass me the rope.”
“What on earth made
her wear something like this,” the second man said as he passed over a length
of brown rope, watching as Melody’s wrists were crossed and bound tightly
together in front of her, while he crossed and bound her ankles together.
“Hey- I don’t
follow fashion,” was the reply as he sat Melody up and wound rope round her upper
body, his partner taking another length and wrapping it round her legs as the
skirt of the dress was pulled against them.
“No – we just
do the work,” he replied as he tied the rope off, and then tore a length of
brown sticking plaster from a roll, pressing it down over Melody’s mouth as she
was blindfolded. “So what now?”
“She’ll be out
for a while – let’s get to the next house we have to visit. That one is not going to be as easy…”
“Have you lost
your mind, Alex?”
The dark
skinned young woman looked at her visitor as she stood in front of the
fireplace. Her long dark brown hair was
held in two pigtails by red bands, a white jagged streak running through the
top of her hair to her forehead. She was
wearing a yellow jumper with orange and black stripes at the bottom, yellow
stirrup pants and black kitten heels.
“Nom despite
what my brother may say, I have not lost my mind Valerie,” Alex said as she
looked at where her host was sitting. Her
black hair had been permed, and she was wearing a yellow vest top over a black
jumper, a wide brown belt round her waist.
The black leather skirt she was wearing was short, and a pair of yellow
go go boots hugged her lower legs.
“You think the
Pussycats should record a song, and then al the profits go to the
government? That sounds crazy.”
“Not if the
profits are ringfenced for a good cause.”
“So just give
the profits to a good cause – unless you have a plan to get some of the money.”
“Moi? You offend me Valerie. What on earth would make you think I would do
that?”
Valerie shook
her head as she stood up.
“Experience? Seriously, why
would… What the…” She turned as both girls heard the large
patio doors to the rear yard open, and two men walk in. They both were wearing blue denim jackets,
white t-shirts and jeans, but both also had stocking masks pulled down over
their heads – one of them pointing a gun as he said “looks like we got two
chicks to truss – lie down on the floor, babes, hands behind your back.”
“Now see here,”
Alex said as she stared at them “do you know who I am?”
“Yes,” the
other man said, “which is why you are going to do what we say – willingly or
not.”
Valerie looked
at Alex, and said quietly “They’ve got guns – we should do what they say.” She then lay on her stomach, Alex glaring at
the two men before she lay next to her and moved her hands behind her back.
“Well, we may
get some good publicity from this,” she said as the second man knelt next to
her, removing brown rope from a bag and wrapping it round her wrists before he
pulled it tight.
“HEY! That hurt, at least be gentle.”
“Lady,” he said
as he wrapped the rope round her wrists, “if you don’t shut up, I will shut you
up. Your choice.”
Valerie looked
over and whispered “Alex, for the love of Pete, stop aggravating them.”
“Why? What can they dothmmhhhhthth.”
Valerie could
only shake her head as the armed man knelt and pulled Alex’s head back, before
stuffing a white cloth into her open mouth, the edges sticking out before a
length of rope was used to make sure it stayed in place, tied tightly round her
head.
“And you?”
Valerie offered
up a silent prayer as the man came round and crossed her wrists, then said “I’d
never hear the end of it from her if you didn’t do the same to me.”
“She’s a
friend?”
“Hardly – but
do it.” Valerie opened her mouth wide as
the cloth was pushed into her mouth, then the rope was pulled between her lips,
pulling back the corners of her mouth as it was tied round her head. As this was happening, her wrists were
secured, and then her ankles before the second intruder made sure Alex was
bound in the same way.
“Search the
house,” the armed intruder said, the second man nodding as he left the main
room while he sat down. “You are two
very beautiful women,” he said with a smile.
“SChrrruh.”
“And yet so ill
mannered,” he said as he looked at Alex.
“Perhaps I need to do something about that.” Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled
out a small bottle and opened it, pouring some of the contents onto a cloth
before she knelt next to Alex, and pressed it firmly over her nose and
mouth. As Valerie watched, Alex opened
her eyes wide and started to struggle, calling out before her eyes slowly
closed, and her head slumped down.
“Shttdhduhdh?”
“Why don’t you
find out,” he said with a smile as he poured more liquid onto the cloth, and
then pressed it over the black woman’s nose and mouth. As she inhaled, the sweet cloying smell was
the first thing she experienced - and then the fog as she allowed the
chloroform to work on her, her eyes closing as she slipped into
unconsciousness.
“They out?”
“Oh yes,” he
said as he looked at his partner. “Did
you find them?”
“Indeed,” the
second man said as he laid two blankets out, and helped his partner to lift
Alex on one before it was rolled round her, then secured with silver tape. They did the same to Valerie, before they
were carried out of the house…
“So, you’re good
for the Spring Hop?”
“Oh yes,” Josie
said with a smile as she looked at her two friends. The singer was wearing a shirt denim jacket
and bellbottom jeans. The sleeves of her
jacket were rolled up to her elbows, while underneath was a red crop top with
thin black stripes. Her feet were in a
pair of red clogs, a black bow in her dark blonde hair.
The two girls
she was with were the best of friends.
The blonde had her hair in two pigtails, and was wearing a red vest over
a long sleeved white jumper, grey lips on the front of the red top. Her shorts were yellow, and microscopic,
while she wore yellow shoes with red details on her feet.
The other girl had
long dark hair, and was wearing a green top under a pair of purple bib shorts,
the shorts themselves also very short.
She had a green belt round her waist, and knee length tight purple
leather boots on her legs.
“Good,” Betty
said as she looked at Veronica, and then stood up. “We’d better get down to Pops – the boys will
be…”
All three
looked to the door to see the two men that walked in, dressed in black –
including the dark glasses over their eyes – as well as the guns they had in
their gloved hands.
“The boys will
be disappointed,” one of them said as the second one put down a small bag, and
removed from it a roll of black tape.
“All three of you, hands on your heads, and don’t say a word.”
“Oh lord,”
Veronica said as she rolled her eyes, “how long has it been since the last kidnapping?”
“A month,”
Betty said with a sigh as she put her hands on her head, “let’s get this over
with.”
“This happens a
lot to you,” Josie said as she looked at both of them.
“You have no
idea…”
“Enough,” the
first man said as he looked at Josie. “You
– take the tape from my friend, and tape her hands behind her back.”
“Who?”
“Her,” he said
as he pointed at Veronica. The dark
haired girl nodded as she slowly lowered her hands behind her, Josie swallowing
as she took the roll of black tape and used it to secure her friend’s wrists together.
“Round her
waist as well.”
“Okay, this is
serious,” Veronica said as she saw the black band covering her own belt, and
then gasped as Josie was forced to wind the tape round her arms and chest,
forming a band above and below Veronica’s chest.
“Very good,”
the man said with a smile. “Give the
tape to Blondie there, and then put your own hands behind your back. Time for her to be secured.”
“You won’t get
any ransom out of my family,” Betty said as she took the tape and tore the end
free, then started to wind the tape round Josie’s bare wrists. “We don’t have any money.”
“You’re a
witness,” the man said as Betty took the tape round Josie’s waist, “so you come
along as well. Arms to her sides as
well.”
“They really do
mean business,” Josie whispered as she saw the black bands form, pulling her
jacket to the side as Betty followed the orders she had been given.
“Yeah,”
Veronica said quietly as the second man took the roll of tape from Betty, and
moved her hands behind her back. “Best
thing we can do is let them do what they are doing, and wait for Daddy to do
what they want him to do.”
“She’s right,”
Betty said as she twisted round, feeing the tight bands of tape on her body,
“we just need to go with the flow.”
Josie nodded as
she found herself as well secured as the other two girls, before she was turned
round, and black tape smoothed down over her mouth. Betty and Veronica watched before they too
were gagged in the same way, as the armed man stood up.
“Move,” he said
as he indicated the room door, the three girls walking out and through the
kitchen. Veronica’s eyes opened wide as
she saw Smithers asleep, his head on the kitchen table.
“He’ll do,” the
second man left as he put an envelope on the table, next to the butler’s head,
and then opened the rear door as the three girls were for4ced to walk to the
rear of a transit van.
As the doors
were opened, they were forced to get in – Josie opening her eyes wide and
saying “Hmgghdd” as she saw the other three women in there. She then felt the pinprick and her eyes
slowly closed as the anaesthetic quickly went to work.
Betty and
Veronica looked at each other before they too felt the pinprick, and were
lowered to the floor of the van, more tape wrapped round the ankles and legs of
all three.
“Okay – back to
the auction house,” the man said as he removed his glasses, “we have the
primary order.”
“And the other
three?”
“Objects of
Beauty will find someone for them….”
Epilogue 1
“Oh god – what
happened,” Melody said as she slowly opened her eyes, and looked round. She was in a large room, well lit, and as she
glanced down she saw she was wearing her band outfit – a leopard print leotard
with a white front, and matching shoes.
She could feel
the ears on her head – but as she raised her hands to feel them, she saw the
manacles round her wrists, linked by a chain.
Looking down her legs, she saw her ankles were secured together in the
same way.
Glancing to her
sides, she saw Valerie and Josie, dressed and manacled in the same way, and
then Josie slowly opened her eyes.
“Melody? Last thing I remember was seeing you and
Valerie in that van, and then… Where are
we?”
“I don’t know,”
Melody said as Valerie slowly came round, “but why are you wearing a
collar? With a leash attached?”
“So are you,”
Josie said as the room door opened, and a tall, well-dressed man came in.
“Ah good –
welcome to your new employment?”
“New
employment? What new…” The three girls looked at each other as two armed
guards came in, their situation clear now…
Epilogue “
The three young
women looked at each other, secured to the St Andrew’s crosses with their arms
and legs stretched out. They were
dressed in black corsets and knickers, fishnet tights and thigh high boots, red
ball gags in each of their mouths.
“Excellent,”
the elderly well dressed man said as he looked at Alex, Veronica and Betty,
“three new lots for the next auction…”
He turned and walked away, all three looking at the bound and gagged
women in various displays round the large room.
Epilogue 3
Archie, Jughead
and Reggie watched from across the road as the police worked behind the tape
cordon.
“Kidnapped? By whom this time,” Reggie said as he looked
at the Lodge mansion.
“I have no
idea,” Archie said as he turned and walked away, the other two young men
looking as he turned a corner. Stopping,
he sighed and then called out “By my pure heart!”
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