Ladies Westward · Part 1

Ladies Westward · Part 1 (1/2)
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The scene was a comfortable middle class home in a well to do city suburb. The time, late afternoon on a cold Autumn day. Grace Lesage was sitting in her lounge room idly looking through a weekly magazine. She was in her mid fifties with a still trim, firm figure with an attractive oval face framed with short straight brown hair. She had a pleasant manner and smiled frequently. She had been widowed for eighteen years but had never remarried. Instead, she had concentrated on raising and educating her single daughter Tania. This young lady had had a troubled schooling and Grace had some difficulty putting her through university, but in the end had done it successfully.

Tania managed to get a good graduation pass and had immediately gone into the world of computerised finance and now had a very good position with a national corporation. She was regarded as a highly successful young woman. Her mother had trained and originally worked as a teacher. She had liked it but had given it up on losing her husband. Well provided for in her widowhood, she had concentrated solely on getting Tania a good start in life. And clearly her daughter had done that.

Now, Grace was able to relax and was also bored out of her highly intellectual mind. There were times when she wished she was back teaching again. At least out in the world meeting people. She was a fit, active and capable woman who had nothing on which to exercise her abilities. Furthermore, she had not enjoyed male companionship in years.

She still lived with Tania who came and went in her progress up the ladder of corporate computer finance. Grace's own social life was virtually non existent. She very much wanted male company and cursed the fact that there was not a single unattached male she wanted to associate with in the entire respectable middle class neighbourhood she now lived in. She balked at the idea of making social contacts via the personal columns in the press or internet. The pub/club scene was out of the question.

Quite literally Grace needed a man. She was a healthy active woman with demanding appetites, physical and mental. And wanted them satisfied.

And then the front door bell rang.

Mischievously, hopefully (but not realistically) she told herself that perhaps this was the male she long desired and hurried down the hall to the front entrance. Pausing at the doorway, she looked quickly through the small square window to the side of the door which gave a view of the porch outside.

Disillusionment. Two women stood there.

They were wearing overcoats, buttoned to the throat. And also hats with sloping brims which had the effect of hiding their faces. They both wore black leather gloves and dark glasses. Vaguely, at the back of Grace’s mind a question occurred. Why dark glasses? Nightfall wasn’t far away and the entire day had been dark, cloudy and overcast.

The woman directly in front of the door was well built, perhaps in her early forties, carried a large black handbag and had a friendly face. Her companion, standing slightly behind her, was turned to one side and seemed more interested in looking at the surrounding houses and the street behind than the place they had come to. This one was about thirty, somewhat below average height, thin with a narrow face and a sharp chin. She had a bulging shopping holdall over one shoulder.

Probably selling or collecting for something thought Grace. Well, they’ll do no good here. She flung open the door and said “Yes, can I help you?”

The initiative was very swiftly taken out of her hands.

“You can indeed Grace,” the older woman said, “For a start we can come inside.” And with that she stepped forward, pushed the surprised householder backwards with both hands, forcing her back into the hall. The other woman, after one last look around behind, turned and quickly moved in behind them. Once inside, she quickly closed and locked the heavy front door. All three were the wide hallway.

Astonished by this, Grace briefly lost the power of speech, but soon regained it. “What!” She cried in a voice of outrage. “Just what do you think you’re doing? And how do you know my name? And what..mfff…” A black gloved hand was clamped firmly over her mouth. The second woman moved behind her and pinioned her arms. She was helpless.

“Now Grace,” the first woman said with just a trace of a smile, “We have some business to transact here. Unfortunately it’s going to involve tying you up. But that needn’t be unpleasant if you’re sensible. We’ve got chloroform which we’ll use if absolutely necessary but we hope we won’t have to. Remember there’re two of us and we’re used to subduing people. It’d be better for us all if you remained calm and let us do what we have to do.” She paused. “Nod, if you understand.”

Grace thought quickly. She knew she had no chance against both of these two who were younger, stronger and were probably being quite truthful in saying they were adept in overpowering people like herself. She assumed this was a robbery, with herself as a victim. She was going to be bound and probably gagged. She could do nothing against these two presumed, professional thieves. Reluctantly, and difficult though it was with a leather gloved hand pressed hard against her lips, she nodded.

What really troubled Grace was the knowledge that Tania was due home in less than an hour. She hoped that these two would have done what they wanted to and be gone by then. Her daughter would find her tied up and helpless. She could release her and the two of them would call the police. The last thing she wanted was for the pair to still be here when Tania arrived. If her daughter came home before they were gone she would certainly end up bound and gagged alongside her. She was ready to co-operate if it speeded their departure.

The two marched Grace down the hall and into the lounge room. They made her stand were she could not be seen through the windows. The younger woman was behind her all the time firmly holding her upper arms above the elbows. The older woman slipped the holdall off her companion’s shoulder and emptied the contents onto a small side table. It was full of neatly rolled torn strips of sheet and what Grace took to be prepared gags. She shuddered and wondered how tightly they would tie her up. She was wearing a neat long sleeved white blouse and a trim brown skirt which emphasised her still slim waist. How firmly would they tighten the strips around the thin sleeves?

As if to re-assure her the first woman said, “Well Grace, we do have to secure you but if you’ll just relax and remain calm, we'll make you as comfortable as possible. You needn’t be upset.” And with that they set to bind her arms using the prepared strips.

They crossed her wrists behind her back and looped them several times with a thick strip and secured the binding with a firm reef knot. Next they lashed her arms to her sides with several wide pieces of sheeting and then cinched them above the elbows. All the time they bound with care and made sure none of the lengths were twisted, which could have been painful. They even tried to be neat. Finally they bound her secured wrists to her waist. Grace’s upper body now looked like a carefully wrapped mummy and she could not move her arms an inch, but, thanks to the care that had been taken, she felt reasonably comfortable. And she was appreciative of this. The two women stepped back to survey their efforts. They looked pleased too.

“And now Grace,” said the older woman, “If you’ll just step over here and sit down,” she indicated the lounge, “We’ll get on with tying those shapely legs.” Grace ignored the compliment and walked over and sat down in the middle of the sofa. Taking some more of the strips the woman knelt in front of her and began to tie her ankles. She turned to her companion.

“I'll finish this,” she said “You go and look at the rest of the house.” The thin woman turned an left the room. Grace wondered at the use of the phrase ‘look at.’ Was it a euphemism for robbery?

Meanwhile the woman finished binding her ankles, had lifted her skirt and was now tying her legs above the knees. She did this with the same neatness and care she and her accomplice had shown with the earlier part of the bondage. Grace was becoming puzzled. Something about this robbery, if that’s what it was, didn’t seem right. She decided to talk to her captor.

“I don’t keep much money in the house,” she began, “And there’s not much in the way of valuables. Are you sure you’ve come to the right place?” There were a some wealthy households in the neighbourhood and this did seem a possibility.

The woman by now had completely tied her captive’s legs. She stood up, carefully put the unused strips back in the holdall and smiled. “Quite sure Grace,” she commented, “And you can take some comfort from the fact we’re not going to ransack the place. Or steal the housekeeping money from the kitchen. Nothing so crude as that.” She assured her, “There’s only a couple of items we want.”

She looked around her, “You’ve got a very nice place here, you know. Fully paid for too.” Grace started. How did she know that? “Pity there’s no man in your life. You feel the need for one, don’t you?” How does she know all of this, wondered her victim? “But I don’t suppose it’s easy in this part of the world.”

She continued. “You see, I know what the unattached males here are like. They’re either never married because no-one wanted them anyway or separated, perhaps divorced for reasons good and sufficient. That’s if they’re not fortune hunters.”

How’d she find this out? Grace had the feeling she had been thoroughly investigated, long before this home invasion had begun.

The captor turned, walked slowly around the room. She made no effort to join her companion, she seemed only interested in staying where she could keep an eye on Grace. She looked carefully at some of the ornaments and furnishings.

She stopped in front of a glass fronted cabinet and studied some of the contents. Finally she opened it, took out a porcelain vase, held it with some care and looked at it closely. Then she turned and said inquiringly to Grace, “This’s late Ming Dynasty, isn’t it?”

Surprised, Grace simply nodded. The woman replaced it as carefully as she had taken it out. “I thought so. It’s valuable. You should keep it locked away. Though I suppose if they wanted it, they’d get it anyway. And you'd probably end up bound and gagged again.” She smiled.

At that moment the thin woman re-entered the room. “House all clear, neat and tidy.” She reported. “And the daughter’s just arrived. Her car's turned into the driveway.”

“Well then,” retorted her partner, “We must receive her. But first we’ll have to silence Grace. We don’t want her interrupting things, do we?” She took a prepared gag out of the holdall and moved over to the bound lady of the house.

Grace protested at the prospect of being gagged. “You don’t have to do this. I’m not the hysterical type. I’ll mfff…” Whatever else she had to say was lost. The gag, which consisted of a damp wad tied in the middle of a long narrow strip was firmly and effectively bedded in her mouth and secured at the back of her neck. She could now only make muffled mewing sounds.

All three heard Tania’s car going down the driveway and then the sound of the garage door closing. The back door opened and the sound of footsteps was heard in the kitchen and dining room. The two women silently positioned themselves on either side of the connecting door.

“Mum. Mum, where are you?" Tania’s voice was heard from the dining room.

Tania swept hurriedly into the lounge room, not seeing the two intruders against the wall on either side of the doorway. All she saw was her mother sitting on the couch, writhing against her bonds and trying vainly to speak through the gag in her mouth.

“Mum!” she gasped, “Who did this! Who tied you up like that.”

Tania herself, was a young woman around the thirty mark. Athletically, solidly trim like her mother, she had inherited her mother’s oval faced good looks. Her similarly short hair was neatly and carefully waved. As befitted a successfully rising young female executive she was wearing a tasteful, somewhat costly, blue business suit. Over this, because of the worsening weather outside, she wore an expensive, dark blue, belted trench coat, buttoned to the throat. In all, Tania looked like what she was – a young lady definitely going places.

After the first shock of seeing her mother bound and gagged, Tania looked looked sharply round the room. And saw her assailants. The older woman spoke, “Good evening Tania. As you can see, your mother’s a little tied up at the moment. As unfortunately, we’re going to have to do for you. But,” she continued, “She’s reasonably at ease. As you can be too. If you’re sensible. Then we’ll get on with what we have to do.”

Unlike her mother who still thought this was a common burglary, Tania seemed to have a better grasp of what was really happening. “Who are you?" she asked quietly, “Or, more importantly, who sent you?”

The woman smiled. “That will be revealed in the fullness of time. Meanwhile, it's necessary to tie you up. As your mother is.” A frown crossed Tania’s face. The woman went on, “I might point out we’re very skilled at overpowering people and we’re well equipped with anaesthetics, and -.” She opened the black handbag which she had been carrying when she entered the house and held up a small black pistol. “We have this. But we think you’re a sensible girl and none of these will be necessary.”

Tania looked at her long and hard and finally gave the faintest of nods. The woman replied, “Very well then. Let’s get on with it.” The pair stood Tania in almost the exact spot where her mother had been and began to tie her wrists and arms. The stiff, shiny waterproof fabric of her raincoat rustled softly as the cloth strips were pulled tight and knotted.

Their captive was inclined to talk. “You’re from Ardcorp, aren’t you?” she asked.

The older woman laughed, “You probably won’t believe this, but we don’t know. We're never told anything like that.”

“Oddly enough, I do believe you,” said Tania.

Swiftly, the pair completed the binding of the raincoated young woman, then marched her to the lounge and sat her next to her mother. As with Grace herself, the older woman knelt down and began to tie her ankles and legs. She said to the other, “It’s almost time for them to get here. Go to the front door and put the porch light on. That’s what they’ll be looking for. When they get here wave them straight into the driveway.” The other woman left the room.

“Might I ask,” said Tania, “Just what is going to happen to us.”

“Let’s say you’re both going on a journey to interesting places. But, if all goes according to plan you should both be back here again in a few days as good as new. However that depends on you being sensible and co-operative, Tania my dear.” By now Tania’s legs had been firmly tied. The woman smoothed the skirts of the raincoat over them

Tania became serious. “All right. I can understand your interest in me, but is it necessary to drag my mother into this? She has nothing at all to do with what you want. She’s of no use whatsoever to you.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong Tania. Your mother is going to be very useful to us indeed.” The older woman smiled. “But enough of this. You’ve already asked too many questions darling. Time to gag you too.” She pulled another gag similar to the one they had used on Grace out of the carry bag. “Open your pretty mouth.”

As Grace had, Tania protested. “You don’t have to gag me. I’m…mmff” Mother and daughter now sat side by side on the sofa, both tightly bound and each with a large and very effective gag in her mouth.

The second woman reappeared from the front. “They’re here,” she said “They’ve just turned in. I’ll go and meet them at the back door.”

All four could hear a vehicle going quietly down the driveway. Though they could not see it, it was a small plain unmarked grey van. It was driven by two women, both wearing identical grey boilersuits with matching peaked caps. They looked like contract cleaners, though their outfits were unmarked by any logo. The other woman met them at the kitchen doorway and led them into the house.

One was a strongly built, large woman with a square cheerful looking face and a round chin. The other was smaller, slighter and had her cap pulled down to conceal her face. She carried two folded plastic rain capes over one arm.

“Good evening ladies,” began the larger of the two newcomers cheerily, “I believe there are a couple of packages here awaiting shipment.” She looked at the bound mother and daughter. “And these, I suppose are them.” She playfully stroked Tania under the chin, “And neatly wrapped packages too, I must say. I’m sure they’ll travel well.” The young woman glared and jerked her head away.

"Time we were moving,” said the older woman. She and her companion knelt, quickly untied the captives feet and ankles and lifted them to their feet. The other two took the rain capes the smaller one had carried and deftly slipped them over the pair, pulling their heads through the neck holes and then pulling the rain hoods right over them. This completely concealed the fact that both were bound and gagged.

A quick look round, and then the quartet pushed their captives out of the room. The smaller woman carefully put out the lights.

Outside in the darkened driveway the large back door of the van was opened and mother and daughter were lifted inside. A light was put on showing a padded bench seat along each side. Grace and Tania were forced to sit down facing each other and straps were used to secure them to upright wall supports. “I’ll travel in the back and keep an eye on them,” said the older woman. Her smaller companion opted to do the same, saying it would be too crowded with three in the front. The other two nodded, closed the door and went around the vehicle and got into the passenger and drivers seats.

The van was quietly reversed back down the driveway. Out on the street the lights were switched on and the vehicle driven off into the gathering dusk. The whole abduction had taken little more than an hour.

The van travelled for about half an hour and was then parked in what appeared to be a quiet, dark side street off a main road. The two in the front got out and opened the rear door. “Transhipment point for one of you, ladies,” said the larger of the pair. Meanwhile the other two had already unstrapped Tania and hoisted her to her feet. She was lifted out and moved to a car already parked under a shadowy tree a few yards away.

Tania was forced into the back of this vehicle and one of the van’s two original drivers got in with her. This second car was then immediately driven away. The older woman turned and said to her companion, “You travel in the front. There’ll only be two of you now. I’ll stay and keep Grace company,” she said, “She’s probably wondering what’s going on.”

Grace was indeed wondering what was going on, and not at all pleased at being separated from her daughter. Meanwhile, the other two closed the van's back door and got in the front. They turned it round and back onto the main road.

During this time the other woman turned the van’s interior light on, checked Grace’s strap bindings and then thoughtfully removed her gag. Which she hung conveniently around her neck. “I think you’re sensible enough not to shout or scream,” she smiled, “And, we can perhaps talk.”

And there was a lot Grace wanted to talk about. “Where’ve you taken my daughter?” She snapped.

“Not far,” was the easy response, “I can at least tell you that. It’s only information they want out of her. Nothing physical’s going to happen to her.” She went on, “It’s possible they might use truth drugs but she won’t be hurt. She’s not going to be shipped out of the country, though there are some people who would pay a great deal to have her in their power. There’s a very good market for talented young ladies like her in the Middle East. We've even sent them as far as Latin America."

Grace ignored this, “This’s to do with the work she does? Isn’t it?”

“Well I think I can tell you that certain people are interested in the connections between Com-International. Her firm, as you know. And a certain, recently come to power, African dictator. This man has an appalling war crimes record. When you deal with people like that you must expect others to use unorthodox methods too.”

The woman went on, “If your daughter’s sensibly co-operative she should be back with you in a couple of days and you’ll both be back in your own home.”

“My daughter’s not easily intimidated. A threat to kidnap her and send her out of the country wouldn’t frighten her.”

The woman laughed, “It’s not her they’d be threatening to send overseas. It’d be you, Grace darling. But being the dutiful daughter we know her to be, she’ll do anything to prevent that. And in any case they’ve got some very sophisticated truth drugs to jog her memory.”

Grace was appalled at the thought of herself being abducted and transported to parts unknown. “Me!” She ejaculated, “Are you serious? I haven’t got any skills that’d be any use in those countries. I know nothing about computers, finance or international big business. I’m not even tertiary educated. I was a teacher, a primary school teacher, and not even for many years at that. What use would I be there? And besides,” she added, somewhat reluctantly. “I’m no longer young. What use would I be to those men?”

“Don’t sell yourself short Gracie,” the woman chuckled,”You’d be surprised at the number of potentates over there who want a mature English speaking governess to make sure their children learn to speak correct English fluently, and learn western ways and manners thoroughly. Very important to them later in life. You’d be discreetly attached to a well supervised household, probably in a remote area, to look after several of the little darlings. Of course, you’d be the personal property of the master the house, subject to whatever he wanted to do to for his own amusement and those more mature men prefer English speaking women of their own age group. There’d be a wife as well, more than one perhaps, but she’d have to accept you as part of the household. She’d be used to him having mistresses. The women don’t have much say in that part of the world.

“You’d be part of a large household,” she went on, "And indeed, if you did your job well enough, you might end up in a favoured position. There’d be a few expatriate western males, possibly some fellow countrymen in the area. Trained men who practice their skills for some of the locals and who don’t want to come home for whatever reason. If you became essential you might be allowed to form a discreet relationship with one of them to cater for your needs.” She smiled, “Yes Grace, you’d be very much surprised at how useful you’d be in that part of the world.

Ladies Westward · Part 1 (1/2)
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