Postby KP Presents » Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:40 am
As it was, there was still three more days of school to get through, but as I say at the breakfast table on the Friday morning I just wanted to go, get to three thirty and meet up with Aunt Cassie. I knew Suzie’s school ended at three, so she would pick me up from the school gates afterwards.
“I’ll come and collect you from school,” Mum said to Jenny as she finished her cereal. “I want to take you shopping for some new shoes anyway.”
“Yeah, well it will be nearly five by that point,” she said as she stood up and headed for the door. I followed her out, but saw that she had stopped at the doorway. Looking in, I saw that Dad was sitting on the couch, watching the news.
“Police are still looking for an escaped prisoner, who absconded from Wormwood scrubs prison earlier today. The man is not described as been dangerous, but the public have been told not to approach him. Gerald Coates is six foot tall, heavy build, with a strong North England...”
Dad turned off the television set and stood up, looking at us as he turned round. “Nothing for you two to worry about,” he said with a smile as he hugged us both. “Just enjoy your day, and we’ll see you both tonight.”
I looked at Dad’s face, and he seemed worried about something. “Are you sure everything’s all right, Dad,” Jenny said as she looked at me.
“Yes, everything’s fine. Get your bags and I’ll drop you off on my way back from work.”
Well, Dad dropped me at the school gates, and waved me off as I threw my satchel over my shoulder. From there it was like any other day, nothing spectacular, and at three thirty I came out to find Aunt Cassie and Suzie waiting for me. Suzie was in her school uniform, her blue v-necked sweater over a white polo shirt, grey skirt and socks and black shoes. Her red hair was tied in two pigtails, which stuck up and out at each side, and she smiled as she called out “Hi Cassie.”
Aunt Cassie was wearing a long brown suede skirt and waistcoat, over a long sleeved white peasant blouse. I could see short leather boots under the hem of the skirt, as she took my bag and said “Come on, you two - I’m going to take you back to Cassie’s house and wait for her mum and Jenny there.
“Does this mean I can get out of doing my homework,” Suzie said as we walked towards the car Cassie was using, an old Skoda Octavia with slightly bashed panels.
“No it does not, Suzanne - you can do it while Cassie does hers, all right?” Aunt Cassie smiled when she said that, as we climbed in the back seat and buckled in. Aunt Cassie got into the driver’s seat and set off down the road, for what should have been a fifteen minute trip down the road.
So when after five minutes the car sputtered to a halt, Aunt Cassie looked in a worried way at the fuel gauge. “That’s funny,” she said to herself, “I thought I had more fuel in the tank than that. You two stay in the car, and I’ll see if I can see what the problem is.”
Aunt Cassie got out of the car. And as she popped the bonnet and it lifted up Suzie nudged me in the ribs. “You aunt seems a bit on edge today - she wasn’t exactly the life of the party in class today. Is everything all right?”
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong,” I said as I saw a grey van drive past and pull in somewhere in front of us, “After all, she may just be a little bit tired, and that’s all. She has just decided to buy a house after all.”
“That would not make somebody cranky, surely,” Suzie said as she pulled a face. “Dad never has problems like that.”
“Well not everyone has a dad who is the heir to a country estate - or a brother who is the next in line. How is Bobby anyway?”
“Worse than ever - he insists on getting me to play games with him whenever he can, and hang the ‘No School nights’ rule we are meant to have. Cassie, I’m telling you he’s becoming an even bigger pest than...”
Our talk was interrupted by the car bonnet been closed, and we saw that a woman neither of us recognised was standing next to Aunt Cassie. She was a bit taller than her, with long flaming red hair, and was wearing a grey sweatshirt and pants. She was also carrying a coat over her arm, wore dark sunglasses, and was saying something which Aunt Cassie was listening to very carefully.
Eventually, she got back behind the driver’s seat, and the stranger got in beside her. “Small change of plans, girls,” she said as she looked over her shoulder. “We’re going to go to my new house first, and spend a little time there. This is a kind lady, who has offered to call for a repair man when we get there.”
“Hello girls,” the stranger said as she looked at us. “I hope it’s not a problem me tagging along.”
“Don’t you have your AA card, Aunt Cassie,” I said as I looked at her. “I left it at home - don’t worry girls, just sit back and relax,” she said as she started the car, and we drove off. I noticed the grey van had moved on as well, so Suzie and I just talked in the back seat while the two others sat in front of us.
When we got to Casa Craig, Aunt Cassie turned off the engine, and then said to the other woman “For goodness’ sake, they’re just kids. Why drag them into this?”
“These ‘kids’ caused us a great deal of trouble, Captain Craig, and they need to be taught a lesson as well.” She removed her coat from her arm, and I watched Suzie’s eyes widen as she saw the gun in her hand.
“All three of you, very calmly and slowly, get out of the car and walk up to the house. Don’t try to run off or of anything, you don’t want whoever you leave behind to be hurt/”
We both looked at Aunt Cassie, who nodded as she said “Do what she tells you to, girls. IF we do as they say, then maybe it won’t be so bad.”
Now, I had been tied up and gagged many times, but this was the first time I had ever been kidnapped. Do you know what the first thought that went through my mind was?
“Where’s Scooby?”
I felt like Daphne as we stepped out of the car, and walked up to the front door. I expected Aunt Cassie to unlock the door, but instead it was opened from inside There was a man standing there, in an outfit I recognised - white overalls, leather gloves and heavy boots, and a balaclava covering his head.
“House secured,” he said as we walked into the hallway. “Where do you want these three?”
“Put them in one of the bedrooms upstairs, and make sure they are secured - I do not believe the tales that have been told of them, and I’m sure their aunt will keep them in line.”
“Look, I know who you are - these are innocent kids. What could you possibly want with them?”
“Do you question our motives Captain Craig? If nothing else, Miss Holderness here can fetch a small fortune to recuperate the losses you and your sister have inflicted on us. Now, move,” she said as she waved the gun in the direction of the staircase, and we started to walk.
“Aunt Cassie,” I said as we started to climb the staircase, “Are these the same people who held us when you came to dinner that night?”
“I think they are from the same group, Cassie,” she whispered back at me, “so I need you both to do exactly what I tell you - and this time, no sneaking off to try and find out what is happening. Stay in the same room as me at all times, all right?”
Well, we nodded, but no way was I going to stay in one room for all the time if there was fun to be had. So even as we were made to go into a bedroom, and sit down on a large double bed, I was already making plans.
We watched as the man closed the door, and then picked up some scarves that had been dropped on the floor. “Nice to see you have already been through my things,” Aunt Cassie said with a smile as he took three long green chiffon scarves and walked behind us, crossing our wrists behind our back one by one and tying them tightly together.
Walking round in front of us, he knelt down and used three blue rectangles to bind our ankles together, side by side, and then stood up to collect three handkerchiefs. Aunt Cassie opened her mouth and allowed him to push the scarf in, and then pull a red bandana between her lips.
“Jstltmmdtgrls,” she mumbled as he held the handkerchief in front of our mouths. I allowed him to push the scarf in, as did Suzie, and then we bit down on the cotton bands as they were pulled tightly into our mouths, pushing the cloth down on our tongues a she secured the ends together at the back of our necks.
“Now stay there,” he said as he left us alone in the room. Aunt Cassie looked at us both and said “dntmmvvplsss,” but I thought I knew better. So I managed to stand myself up, and started to shuffle on my feet towards the bedroom door.
“Cssdsdnnnnt,” I heard Aunt Cassie call out but I was far too sure of what I was going to find, as I reached the door and turned my back to it, pushing it open slightly with my hands. “Llbrgtbk,” I said to the other two, but as I turned round I ran straight into a big, masked man who I had met before.
“I told you,” he said as he looked over his shoulder, “I told you she was trouble.” He picked me up and carried me back in, putting me on the bed as four more people came in.
One was a man I did not recognise, as he came in wearing a suit, shirt and tie but with a gun in his hand. He was followed by three other people, with their hands on their heads, and I let out a moan as I recognised them even with the blindfolds tied over their eyes.
“MMMMMMMMMM”
“Jnnnnffrr?”
“Cassie? Oh my god, they got you three as well,” I heard Mum say as the door closed on them.