Strictly
Business
“Good morning
Hannah,” Angela said as she closed the door to the outer office of the legal
office, “I see you’ve got the new uniform on as well?”
“Yeah – like
the boss man gave us a choice,” the other woman said as she closed the filing
cabinet. “I thought brown went out with
the seventies!”
“I guess not,”
Angela said as she sat at her desk and uncovered her typewriter. The redhead was wearing a long sleeved cream
coloured blouse with a brown waistcoat over it, a belt tied round her waist
made from the same brown wool material. The
long skirt she was wearing was made of the same material, and a pair of long
tan leather boots covered her lower legs.
Finally, she had a tie made of the same brown material tied loosely
round her neck, under the collar of the blouse.
Hannah was a blonde,
but was dressed virtually the same way, save that instead of a waistcoat she
was wearing a tailored jacket, fastened up the front, and with a gold fern
brooch pinned to the left lapel.
“So who is the
boss expecting today,” Angela said as she opened the first file on her desk.
“The van der
Borgen girls are coming in to discuss the unlocking of their trust funds,”
Hannah said as she sat at her desk, “due in about an hour. The boss said he would be in time to meet
with them.”
“Fair enough –
good morning, sir, can I help you?”
Angela looked
over to see a tall, dark haired man who had walked into the office. He was dressed in an expensive dark suit,
Hannah noticing that it had been cut to flatter his figure. He wore a white shirt and a dark silk tie, as
well as highly polished black shoes, and he carried a large black valise in his
hand.
“I do hope so –
this is the office of Snark, Poulson and Hart, associates?”
“It is – but I
am afraid the senior partners are off site at a meeting,” Angela said, “I can
make an appointment if you wish – Mister Poulson is due in later this morning.”
“No, I don’t
think that will be necessary, I think you ladies will be able to assist me,”
the man said with a smile as he put the valise down and opened it.
“I am afraid,
sir, that we are not legally qualified,” Hannah said as she watched him look in
the bag, “as I say, we can…” She then
fell silent, Angela slowly raising her hands as he pointed a Luger at both of
them.
“I must ask
you,” he said as he looked at Hannah, “to disconnect the telephones in this
office – slowly. If I see you head for
the alarm button, your charming friend here would be dead before you touched
it.”
“Just… Just do as he says,” Angela whispered as
Hannah stood up, and started to pull the phone wires out of the sockets they
had been plugged into.
“As for you my
dear,” the man said as he took out of his valise and walked over to Angela,
handing her a blue silk square, “I want you to fold this into a pad.”
“And what are
you going to do with it when I have,” Angela said as she slowly folded the
square into a thick pad.
“I’m not going
to do anything,” the man said with a smile, “you are going to put it in your
mouth.”
Angela looked
at him, and whispered “please…”
“No more
talking,” he said quietly as he looked into her eyes, “do it.” As Hannah watched, Angela opened her mouth
and pushed the folded silk wad in, trying not to gag as she closed her lips over
it.
“Now,” he said
as he looked at Hannah, “I want you to take that brown tie off, and gag your
friend with it.”
“But you
already got her to…”
“and she could
push it out – so take the tie off, and pull it between her lips, then round her
head,” he whispered as he aimed the Luger at Hannah, the young woman nodding as
she whispered in return “I’m sorry” and removed her tie, Angela nodding as the
brown strip was pulled between her lips and tied round her head. She could taste the wool and silk on her
tongue, but knew there was nothing she could do about it.
“Now,” the man
said as he took a second blue silk square from his bag and handed it to Hannah,
“your turn. Fold this, put it in your
mouth, and then your friend here will use her tie to make sure it stays in
there.”
Hannah slowly
nodded as she folded and put the square into her mouth, then stood as Angela
removed her tie and used it as a cleave gag, tying it tightly round her head.
“Excellent,”
the man said with a smile, “now, both of you, turn round and put your hands behind
your back.” Hannah and Angela looked at
him, and then turned round as they both moved their hands, crossing their
wrists behind their back. They felt the
rope as it was pulled tightly round their arms, the binding going round and
between their arms so that their wrists were held tightly together. Hannah then grimaced as Angela’s tie was pulled
tighter round her head, the corners of her mouth pulled back as she looked over
and saw him doing the same thing to Angela.
“Whtsghnnhnn,”
Hannah mumbled as he walked round and looked at them.
“We’re going to
go for a walk,” the man said as he picked up the gun and valise, and motioned
towards the door, “let’s go – we’re not leaving the building, just going up a
floor.”
The two gagged
women nodded as they walked in front of him, down the deserted corridor and up
a service staircase. The man looked out
of a door, and then made them walk quickly down the hallway and into a deserted
office – save for the two chairs set in the middle of the floor.
“Go over and
sit in those chairs,” the man said as he closed the door, Angela and Hannah
walking over and then taking a seat as he put the valise down, and took out a
long length of rope.
“Swhhthhsghnnhnn,”
Angela said as he wrapped the rope round her body, pulling her against the
chair back as he proceeded to lash her into place, making sure her arms were
held tightly against her sides as the bands went around her and the chair back
as well. She was held fast, unable to do
anything but slowly turn her head as she watched him securing Hannah in the
same way.
Hannah glanced
down as she tried to move, wondering what was going to happen next as he knelt
in front of her, crossing her ankles and securing them together with the rope,
the leather squeaking as he pulled her ankles back and secured to them to the
spar linking the legs under the seat. He
then took another length of cord and bound her legs together over her skirt,
before he stood up and smiled.
“Your turn,” he
said as he did the same to Angela’s legs, the two women twisting round as he
walked behind them, and put his hand on their shoulders.
“I want to
thank you ladies for your cooperation,” he said quietly, “and assure you, you
will not be harmed – but I do need to do one more thing?”
“Hndwhtsshtht”
Hannah said as she tried to turn her head – and then her eyes shot open as a
damp, sweet smelling cloth was pressed firmly over her nose and mouth.
“Nothing
personal, ladies – this is strictly business.”
The man was
standing in front of her, smiling as through her rapidly blurring vision she
saw a second hand holding a cloth over Angela’s nose and mouth – before her
eyes closed, and her head slumped forward.
“Time to go to
work,” the man said quietly as he walked out of the door…
The blonde
looked up from her desk as the door opened and two women walked in.
“Elsa and Maria
van der Borgen to see Mister Paulson,” the darker haired of the two women said
as they looked at the secretary, dressed in a brown jacket and skirt, a cream
blouse with a brown wool tie, and tan leather boots.
She in turn
looked at the twin sisters. The one who
had spoken was wearing a tight fitting jersey dress made from a dark grey
material with white stripes and a cowl neck, a thick black leather belt round
her waist, and white leather boots. The
second woman had lighter streaks in her hair, and was wearing a chocolate brown
pinafore dress over a green sweater, also with a cowl neck, and black skin
tight leather boots. Both had their hair
in a Princess Leia type of hair style.
“Ah yes,” she
said as she stood up and picked up a folder, “Mister Paulson is expecting
you. Will you come this way
please?” She indicated a door to the
other side of the office, the two sisters following her as she knocked on the
door and looked in.
“I have the van
der Borgen sisters to see you sir?”
“Ah excellent –
show them in Angela,” the tall and impeccably dressed man said as he stood up,
“welcome. Can I offer you some coffee?”
“No thank you,”
the darker haired woman said, “I am Elsa, and this is my sister Maria.”
“Of course –
thank you Angela, you may close the door for now,” Mister Poulson said quietly,
the secretary nodding as she walked out and closed the door behind her. “So, thank you for calling into our offices
today, ladies.”
“It was our
pleasure,” Elsa said as they sat down, the leather of her boots creaking as she
crossed her legs and sat with her ankles to one side. “We are most anxious to ensure the disposition
of our late father’s estate has been sorted to our satisfaction.”
“Naturally,” Mr
Poulson said as he handed the two women a manila file. “I think if you read the summary that is in
there, you will be assured as to what the next steps are going to be.”
Elsa nodded as
she opened the file, looked at the sheet inside, and then said quietly “is this
a joke” as she handed the sheet of paper to Maria.
“Do not move,
this is a kidnapping,” she read out loud, “you cannot be…”
“Oh I am,”
Mister Poulson said quietly as the office door opened, and Angela came in with
another woman 0 this one dressed in black, as the sisters saw when they stood up
and turned round – then raised their hands in the air as they saw the guns in
Angela and the stranger’s hands.
“Now,” Mister
Poulson said as he walked round from the other side of the desk, “you ladies
are going to do exactly what I tell you to do – and for starters, Miss Elsa van
der Borgen, I need you to slowly, carefully, lower your hands and put them
behind your back.”
“Oh my god,”
Maria whispered quietly as she watched her twin sister slowly do as she had been
ordered, Mr Poulson smiling as he opened a black valise, and took a length of
brown rope out, doubling it over and using it to secure her wrists tightly together.
“Your turn,
Maria,” he said quietly as he guided the other twin’s hands behind her back,
and used a second length of rope to secure them together, the two women smiling
as he did so.
“You… You’re not Mr Poulson, are you,” Maria
whispered as the rope was pulled tightly between her wrists.
“How observant
of you – Angela, would you and your friend care to do the honours?”
“Smile,” Angela
said as she produced a wide roll of brown sticking plaster, Elsa scowling as
she tore a long strip off and pressed it firmly down over her mouth, silencing
her as Maria shook her head.
“No… Please…
I’ll be quiet, you don’t have to…”
“Put your lips
together,” the man said quietly as she felt a small pressure against her back,
Maria nodding as she went quiet, and a second strip of sticking plaster was
firmly pressed down over her mouth. The
two sisters looked at each other, the fear clear in their eyes as the second
woman opened the door and went out, returning a few minutes later as she said
“all clear.”
“Shall we,” the
man they thought had been Mr Poulson said as he took Elsa’s arm, Angela taking
Maria’s as they were frogmarched out of the office, along the corridor and onto
the service stairway. The two bound and
gagged women made no noise as they were walked down the stairs to the basement
car park, Angela opening the door and making her way to a large Daimler that
was parked nearby.
As the boot
opened, the two sisters were walked over and then lifted up and put into the
large open space, both of them watching as the woman clad in black secured
their ankles together with more rope.
“Enjoy the
ride,” Mr Poulson said as the boot was shut, Maria barely able to see Elsa as
they heard the car doors open and close, and then felt the vehicle move off…
“Hello? Angela, Hannah, where are you?”
The grey haired
man looked round as he walked into the office, surprised to see that it was
empty. He had tried to call to tell them
that he was unable to make it to the office for the scheduled meeting, and
needed to reschedule, but for some reason had bene unable to get through.
“What the hell
is going on here,” he said to himself – bad enough someone had poured sugar
into the petrol tank of his car, and he had required assistance with that, but
to find nobody at their desks?
He then picked
up one of the telephone handsets, and tried to dial, but heard nothing – and
then he saw the phone had bene disconnected.
No – all of
them had been. Shaking his head, he went
into his office, and saw a thin white envelope on his desk. He picked it up, looked at it, opened it and
read the message inside.
“You should
check the empty office on the next floor up – you will be surprised.”
“What the hell
is going on,” he said to himself as he left the offices, and went to the next
floor, opening the door to the empty office above – and then staring into the
room.
“MSHTTHRHRPHLSSHHNHLPSSSS!”
Angela screamed as she and Hannah struggled in the chairs, their ties pulled
between their lips and darkening at the corners, their blouses undone from
their attempts to escape….
“Madame?”
Emilia van der
Borgen looked up as the butler handed her a large brown envelope. “This was just delivered by hand, Madame,” he
said as he bowed and left the room. The
grey haired woman looked at the envelope, and then opened it removing some photographs
and staring at the pictures of Maria and Elsa.
They were lying on two beds, ropes holding their arms tightly to their
sides, their ankles together, and tied over the skirts of their dresses to hold
their legs together. They stared out
over the plasters covering their lips, their mother shaking her head as she
looked at the note included.
“Do not call
the police, or tell anyone. We will be
in touch with details of how you may get your daughters back…”
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