Game Day · Bound · Part 1 (1/2)
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Simple things can trigger happy memories, for me it’s the sound of a key in a lock, until now.
That’s what happens when you get sloppy. Okay, don’t panic, find the circuit and cut the alarm. Breaking into a safe should be easy when you have the key, who knew they’d wire the tumbler. Me, I should have known, that’s three mistakes on this job. 60 seconds before someone shows up, concentrate.
Just a little snip Mr. Blue wire, it won’t hurt a bit. That’s it, now let’s get what we came for and get the hell out of here.
“You should have made that 45 seconds.”
Anne Frost turns to see a silhouetted figure in the open doorway, there is no mistaking the shape in the figures right hand. She squints when the wall switch is flipped flooding the darkened office with light and revealing her untimely intruder is a woman. Anne searches her mind for a plausible reason to be dressed in black in front of an open safe holding an envelope from said safe, but a deep sigh while lowering her head says it all.
Delilah Keenan, wearing FBI standard charcoal grey slacks and blazer over a crisp white blouse with sensible black heels, moves toward Anne without breaking the invisible line between the safe cracker’s chest and the 9mm Beretta.
“Still talk to yourself during a job, old habits die hard don’t they Ms. Frost.” Delilah said.
“Like old wardrobes?” Anne said.
“A stint at Quantico would do you good.” Delilah said.
“This was a perfect heist, except for that alarm.” Anne said.
“And these clever little devices that seem to be everywhere, right Alexa?” Delilah said patting a black cylindrical object on the desk. “There hasn’t been a break in this sloppy since Watergate.”
“Watergate, a reference to a failed break in during…”
“Thank you Alexa.” Delilah said, “Well, time to take you into custody. You will be coming peacefully?”
Delilah removes a set of Peerless hinged handcuffs from her blazer with her left hand while maintaining that invisible line with her right, yeah she’s good, and tosses them on the desk.
“I guess you’ll want this?” Anne said, offering the envelope and looking for an opportunity to turn the tables.
“Keep it, it’s my recipe for Rice Krispy Treats, they’re a big hit at pajama parties.” Delilah said.
Anne releases the envelope over the trash can next to the desk, picks up the cuffs and locks them behind her back.
“Charming interrogation room, I love what you haven’t done with the place.” Anne said.
“I’m sure you will add your own style in time. Take your clothes off and sit down.” Delilah said.
“Not even a drink first?” Anne said.
“Consider it a favor, those pants don’t do a thing for you.” Delilah said.
Anne contorts her body to check her own derriere, that’s obviously what Delilah was referring to. What she can see of it looks fine. Anne huffs in mock disgust, strips and sits in the heavy high backed wood chair in the center of the room. Delilah applies the wide leather straps attached to the chair for arms, legs, waist and chest.
“I don’t recall seeing this in the employee handbook.” Anne said.
“As owner of Carrington Investigations, Blake personally creates real world training exercises to fully develop the potential of his people.” Delilah said.
“You get tied up naked in basements much?” Anne said.
“I meant the safe cracking part, but there should be consequences to a botched job, don’t you think? Now, shall I start with the pain or the pleasure?” Delilah said.
“Please, start with the pain.” Anne said.
“You’re going to fit in just fine here.” Delilah said.
“Conference call in five minutes ladies.” The voice on the intercom belonged to Coco Durand.
“Another caper foiled.” Anne said.
“Blake does spoil the fun from time-to-time, but that’s why we’re here.” Delilah said unbuckling the straps.
Anne and Delilah climb the basement stairs, after Anne dresses, and enter the living room of the converted 4 bedroom ranch that serves as the headquarters of the agency.
Coco sits on the corner of the large oak desk that looks over two sofas, two arm chairs and a coffee table. Coco Durand is the senior investigator at the agency, if you consider 32 senior, but it still beats Delilah at 27 and Anne at a youthful 22. Coco proudly traces her lineage back to French aristocracy.
Well, at least French Quarter gamblers, but she’s pretty sure they came from aristocracy. Either way her mastery of the poker face serves her well. The phone rings and Coco puts it on speaker.
“Good morning Blake.” The ladies say in unison.
“Good morning girls. I have an assignment for you, and it will be the perfect ice breaker for our newest member Anne.
“My alma mater, All Saints College, is meeting their arch rival Puritan University on the grid iron for an important play-off game. It seems some Puritan students have kidnapped the All Saints Badgers mascot. These types of shenanigans happen frequently between the two schools, except this time the young lady who wears the costume on the field was still inside when it was taken. The administrators of Puritan in no way condone this behavior. I have money riding on this game, but fair competition and the whereabouts of the missing student are paramount, so I’m sending you all back to school. Good luck girls.”
Coco disconnects the call.
“So what’s the plan Coco?” Delilah said.
“Blake has made arrangements for all of us. Delilah, you’re an assistant to the Admissions Administrator. Anne, you’re a mechanical engineering student transferring from another school, and you will be on the football cheer squad. The school is known for its engineering disciplines, your engineering degree means you won’t have to fake it, the class work anyway. And speaking of discipline, it’s named Puritan University for a reason. This is your school uniform, dress code is strictly enforced, and Blake made it very clear that you will be treated like any other student to maintain your cover.” Coco said.
“What about you Coco?” Anne said.
“I’ll be a visiting history professor.” Coco said.
“They offer a degree in riverboat gambling?” Delilah said.
“Is that a BS program?” Anne said.
“The discipline could start now if you like.” Coco said.
Delilah and Anne are waiting in a conference room in the University’s Administration building when Coco arrives from her meeting with Dean Saunders.
Coco said, “Dean Saunders doesn’t have any new information on the missing student, he said this type of thing happens frequently between the schools because the campuses are so close to each other and it’s usually innocent fun. He wants to take a cautious approach with this, no one has reported a missing person but they also can’t reach the girl’s parents.
“He has arranged your housing Anne, your dorm mate’s name is Jeanie, she’s a nursing student and on the football cheer squad, the Dean thinks it will be your quickest way of meeting all the students of interest. I have your class schedule here, I’m your advisor so we can meet without suspicion. I’ll learn what I can from the faculty and Delilah has full access to student records.
“It’s Sunday and most of the faculty is off, you get settled into your dorm and we’ll see you in a day or two. We have to wrap this up before game day next Sunday, the priority is the missing student.”
“And a full length skirt looks good on you.” Delilah added.
“I feel like a nun.” Anne said.
“I think that’s the idea of it.” Coco said.
Coco watches from the second floor window as Anne exits the building to head across campus.
“She’s had so little training, do you think she’ll pull it off?” Delilah said.
“She’ll be fine,” Coco said, “look, she’s already talked a young man into carrying her things.”
Anne’s young man gets her to the entrance door of her dorm building, from there she hauls her stuff inside to the elevators and up to the fourth floor. She knocks, and hears some strange commotion before the door opens.
In the doorway is 5’2” of full on adorable, with jet black shoulder length hair, chocolate brown eyes and rich Mediterranean skin tone. The young woman is so striking it takes Anne a moment to realize she is also wrapped shoulder to ankle in rope.
“Hi, I’m Jeanie, come on in.”
“I’m Anne, I guess we’ll be roommates.”
Jeanie said, “They told me you’d be here. I’d help you bring your stuff in but the guys got here before you. I bet your wondering why I’m tied up like this, it’s an off week. I mean, our team isn’t playing this Sunday so we have an after church get-together, it’s kind of a thing.”
“I think I missed the tied up part of the story.” Anne said.
“This is how we get there, some players go room-to-room tying the girls up, then they come back to collect us. I grew up with a bunch of brothers so I’m used to it, I don’t think a week went by that I didn’t get tied up. When I wasn’t tied to something and could move around I didn’t mind at all, in fact I got pretty good at doing just about everything while tied up. It’s kind of fun. How about you?” Jeanie said.
“I had sisters, but we did the same thing, and my dad was a cop. Take your kid to work day meant spending the afternoon chained to the wall in booking.” Anne said.
There is a knock, Anne opens the door and Jeanie introduces her new roommate to Brad and Kevin, both football players.
“Hey, I heard your filling a spot on the squad, you want to come and meet everyone? I’ll help you unpack when we get back.” Jeanie said.
“We have lots of fun, we’ll have to tie you up though.” Brad said.
Kevin spins Anne around and Brad ties her wrists behind her back, then Kevin picks her up and Brad ties her ankles. Brad collects Jeanie and the boys head down the hall toward the elevators with the girls slung over their shoulders. Dean Saunders knows his students, this will be the fastest way to meet every one of interest.
It’s Wednesday morning, the investigative team meets for the first time to compare notes.
“All Saints is continuing its internal investigation into the disappearance of Carol Bosley, the student in the badger costume, but so far has found no evidence of a kidnapping. Students who claim she was kidnapped cite social media as their source of information, they still can’t contact her parents.” Coco said.
“The players are definitely betting on the game, their bookmaker is a student named John Rowe.” Anne said.
“I’ll check his record.” Delilah said.
“Let’s keep digging, the clock is running out.” Coco said.
That afternoon Anne goes to the pool for her PE class. Swimming is one class at Puritan not taught co-ed, and the swimwear the University provides is even less fashionable than the uniforms. After class Anne returns to the locker room with the rest of the girls. The routine is place your wet suit in the laundry bin, take a towel and enter the showers. Or in this case, wait for a shower to become available.
Anne showers and goes back to the lockers, most of the girls are gone or leaving. She opens her locker and finds her school uniform has been replaced with a modified version. This one is missing all the buttons on the frock above the breastbone and has a much shorter skirt with a slit up the side guaranteed to show her undies, the white leggings missing entirely. It’s also two sizes smaller than the one she started the day with.
Wearing a towel around campus not being an option, Anne struggles into the uniform and checks herself in the mirror glued to the inside of the locker door. She tries to stuff her breasts into the uniform but there is not enough material. Maybe it’s take-the-girls-to-class day? She’ll run back to her dorm and take the consequences for being a few minutes late to her next class.
Anne checks the hall for teachers and makes a dash for the exit, she doesn’t get far before hearing the shrill voice of Ms. Claxton.
“Good day Ms. Claxton, I can explain.” Anne said.
“I have no doubt your excuse would be entertaining, the consequence for uniform transgressions is, however, mandated.” Ms. Claxton said.
“I’m kind of new here.” Anne said.
“Ignorance of the rules is no excuse, you will step into my office and bend over the desk.” Ms. Claxton said.
“You’re joking, right?” Anne said.
“You would prefer an hour in the pillory?” Ms. Claxton said.
Anne enters the room and bends over the desk. Ms. Claxton retrieves a thick wooden ruler from the drawer.
“I do this far too often, it almost makes one believe students get in trouble on purpose.” Ms. Claxton said.
Game Day · Bound · Part 1 (1/2)
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