## An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by KP Presents » Sun Aug 19, 2012 2:21 am

Sitting here, trying to get my homework done, there’s only one word to describe how I feel.
Bored. Bored, bored, bored, so bored that it makes Dad talking about work sound like the most exciting thing in the world, that’s how bored I am.
I guess I can’t expect every day to be like that wonderful, fantastic day before Heidi left to go home. After all, nothing could match the amazing things that we did, al we said to each other, everything we found and discovered, from the moment Dad woke me up and stuck the plaster over out mouth to when we all sat in our finest clothes, and watched the amazing firework display that Lord Holderness had set up. Everyone, and I mean everyone, in the same place, playing with us and doing the things we did - nothing could ever match that.
Even so, going back to school wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I mean, we didn’t have any new teachers, unlike Jenny - the way she talks, you’d think half her teachers had up and left with no warning during the holidays. No, I mean that I missed seeing Suzie and Alicia every day, and playing our games with them.
On the toher hand, for some reason everyone wants to be my friend now, and is asking if I can introduce them to Suzie. I’ve no idea why that is - I mean, Suzie’s a great friend, but suddenly she’s made me one of the most popular kids in the class, and I’m not sure she deserves all of them trying to be friends with her.
There’s another reason as well - Alicia’s big sister came to babysit for us a week or so ago, and she brought Alicia and Suzie with her for a sleepover. She brought someone else as well - Suzie’s brother, Bobby.
Bobby Holderness - I have heard Suzie talk about her from time to time, but when this thirteen year old boy with flaxen hair turned up, I was shocked. Not because he was ugly, but because he was a complete and absolute idiot when it came to girls. Well, we taught him a few lessons, and he learned - learned fast as well.
I was hearing Jenny talking about something she was studying in science class - jentiz or something like that, and how it meant that some things get passed down from mother rot daughter, and so on. I wonder if what we do is the same sort of thing - Granny played these games, Mum and Dad did, and now so do we. Same for the Holderness family - so I want to embrace it and learn more and more.
As for Bobby - he’s cute, and he has a nice smile, but he’s a demon tickler, and if he tries that with me again then believes me I will have no choice but to tickle him right back again - whatever I need to do to do it.
I’m sure Suzie will be thinking the same thing - when he was tickling me that night, and her, I could see the look in her eyes that told me she was going to get him back for everything he was doing, and I’m sure he managed it.
Anyway, as for me, I have to get this homework done tonight, or else the special treat Granny has promised is not going to happen. She says she has something very very special to show me, and she won’t tell me a thing about it. That’s Granny - likes to keep things hidden from all of us...
“So where are we going Granny,” I said as I sat beside Jenny in the back of Old Bessie. We were both wearing shorts and t-shirts, but we had a scarf tied over our eyes as a blindfold and our hands taped together behind our backs to keep us from trying to remove them.
“You’ll see soon enough,” she said from in front of us as we travelled down the road. She had collected us about half an hour before, and we had absolutely no idea where we were. Eventually, we felt the car stop and heard a door open, then Granny’s hand on my arm as she said “Let me help you out, Cassandra.”
One day, she realise I don’t really like been called that - although when we’re tied up by people she sometimes forgets. At any rate, we could feel gravel under our feet, and then as Granny said “watch your step” we could feel wood under our shoes.
“Where are we, Granny,” I said as she made us stop somewhere. I didn’t hear a reply, and Jenny said “Granny?”
“Welcome to Casa Craig,” we heard a familiar voice say, and the blindfold was pulled off to reveal Aunt Cassie standing there, wearing a long sleeved blue tunic over some matching pants and sliver sandals.
“You finally found somewhere to live,” Jenny said as she looked round the bare large room.
“Yeah,” Aunt Cassie said with a smile, “I finally found somewhere to live. What do you think - enough room for you two tykes to writhe round in?”
“I’m not sure,” I said with a grin, “after all, we need an awful lot of room.”
“Well, let’s put it to the test,” Aunt Cassie said with a smile as she cut our hands free. “Mum, do you have the gifts I haven’t had a chance to give them yet?”
We turned to see Granny come in, carrying two small piles of brightly coloured clothes. “I thought you might like to try on what I used to wear out East,” aunt Cassie said with a smile as we were each handed one. “Go on, put them on.”
Mine was a bright shade of orange, with gold embroidery on the front and side, while the one Jenny had was black with silver highlights. They consisted of a pair of loose fitting pants, and the tunic which came down to our knees and had elbow length sleeves. We also had a matching long scarf, which we wrapped around our necks and shoulders in the same way Aunt Cassie had hers.
“All right, ladies,” Granny said as she held three lengths of rope in her hands, “Hands behind your back and let’s get you secured.”
We smiled as Granny tied our wrists together, and then our thumbs, before making sure our hands were pulled tightly against our backs. We all sat on the bare floor and watched as Granny tied out ankles together, then our legs below our knees, then our thighs as she lifted out tunics up and we all bent our knees.
“The idea is to see who can get to the far side of the room first,” Granny said as she passed some rope round my arms and tummy and pulled them together, making sure she cinched the coil between my arms and chest. She did the same to Jenny, but for Aunt Cassie she wound the rope above and below her chest.
“Why can’t we have that,” I said with a slight moan. “she’s got you there, Mum,” Aunt Cassie said with a smile, so Granny came and tied some rope around my and Jenny’s shoulders and arms as well.
I laughed as she made me lie down, roll over onto my stomach and pulled my legs up to secure my ankles to the ropes around my chest, then Jenny and then Aunt Cassie.
“So how are we going to be gagged,” I said as I looked at the other two. “Like this,” Granny said as she pushed small cloths into our mouths, then held them in place with thin strips of towel and finally wrapped the special tape around our mouths. I felt wonderful as I lay there, knowing I could not speak but determined to win the contest.
“you may begin,” Granny said as she stood back and watched us as we tried to move ourselves round. The rope felt wonderful, fixing the soft material of our outfits around ourselves as we started to slowly wriggle across the floor, heading towards the open doors that seemed to lead to the back of the house.
Aunt Cassie looked like she was going to win, but she stopped and rolled onto her back instead, which gave me and Jenny the chance to overtake her. We laughed through our gags as she looked back at us, her eyes shining as Jenny and I raced to the door.
Well, what can I say? Of course I won, although it was a close run thing. As we rolled over and laughed, the only sound that came through was “MMMMSAAAaaaaa” as Granny came over and started to tickle us on our sides.
“Once Aunt Cassie has this place fixed up,” she said when she eventually stopped.” Then you can come and have sleepovers here, all of you. But for now, keep it a secret from the other girls, all right?”
“Mdmdmmm,” I mumbled as I nodded.
It was the Tuesday that week that Jenny came in, a black look on her face as she threw her bag on the couch.”
“What’s wrong Jenny,” Mum said as she sat down and folded her arms.
“It’s Dr Wolfe,” she said as she looked at us. “She’s given the entire class a detention on Friday.”
“What for?”
“All because one girl was talking when she was describing the experiment. Ali isn’t very happy either.”
“Do you want me or Dad to have a word with her?”
“No, it’s all right,” Jenny said, “It’s only for an hour - and that’s fine.”
“Pity,” I said as I looked up from my book, “Aunt Cassie is bringing Suzie over - her Grandma is picking her up, so Aunt Cassie is going to collect me as well.”
“Guess I’ll see her later then,” Jenny said as she opened her bag. I could not wait for Friday - it was going to be so much fun!
Read stories of ordinary women in distress at http://www.kppresents.com

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Plueschbabycd » Sun Aug 19, 2012 3:59 am

Hallo Kp,
nice start for the story. But as far I know are blanket punishment to the class for things only one does is forbidden.
"Don´t dream it, be it." Dr. Frank N. Furter in Rocky Horror Picture Show

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Tom Ford » Sun Aug 19, 2012 4:18 am

A great start to another terrific story, KP! I’m sure that it would be thrilling, especially with all the dangers that lurk around.
The entire class was given detention? I guess that during the entire time, Dr Wolfe was looking for a way to give detention to Jenny and Alicia, but both were too well behaved to give detention to. So she had to give the ole “fault of one is fault of all” rule to give that to her.
That is so unusual that I’m beginning to think that that is just a ploy for her to get her hands on Jenny and Alicia. What the exact plan is I don’t know, but I have a feeling that Jenny and Cassie would meet Friday under very unusual circumstances.
So if Dr Wolfe is somehow involved with kidnapping Jenny and Alicia, why the need for half the teachers to be replaced?
Or maybe it’s just me being paranoid and the entire thing is just a funny coincidence, and the Pearl of Great Price had something else in mind. Because come to think of it, unless they wanted to kidnap the entire class, that is the worst way to do it. And because of it, Jenny and Alicia would probably be fetched by Mom or Dad by car. Or maybe Aunt Cassie could fetch them from school and they can go straight to Aunt Cassie’s cabin! Oh my God. Maybe that’s their plan. To make sure the two girls won’t go home by bus so that they could easily kidnap them, alone in their cars!
I was thinking that they would probably do another home invasion like the one before. But why go to all the trouble with the teachers if that is their plan? And why the detention? Maybe all the new teachers were part of some diabolical plan that is unrelated to the plan of revenge against the family of Aunt Cassie?
Anyway, enough speculations. I guess we’ll see what that illegal organization what up to.
Ha, ha, Cassie might say those words about Bobby, and deny it to all the world, but we all know how she reacted in the last story, blushing whenever the other girls mentioned him!! And we know what would eventually happen to those two.
Aunt Cassie’s cabin was really cool. And even if Casa means house (which meant that her cabin is called Craig House in English), for the moment there, I read it as Cassie or Cassandra House. Those who are ignorant to what Casa means might interpret it that Aunt Cassie named her house after herself, or after her niece!! “Hey Cassie, she named the house after you,” Suzie might say. "Cassie Casa House. Cassie Casa House!!!"
It was a really nice gesture from her aunt. It would be a good place for the girls to play unmolested their favourite games.
Aunt Cassie’s outfit, and that of her nieces, reminds of Jasmine from Aladdin, albeit being more modest ones. Would they be kidnapped in middle eastern costumes? Or not!

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Plueschbabycd » Sun Aug 19, 2012 4:57 am

Hallo Tom,
if Pearl of Great Price come in this story than I can think why so many teacher replaced. The some new teacher are kidnapper the other undercover Bodyguards for Jenny and Alicia.
Andrew
"Don´t dream it, be it." Dr. Frank N. Furter in Rocky Horror Picture Show

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Tom Ford » Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:08 am

> Plueschbabycd wrote:Hallo Tom,
> if Pearl of Great Price come in this story than I can think why so many teacher replaced. The some new teacher are kidnapper the other undercover Bodyguards for Jenny and Alicia.
> Andrew

Hm. That makes sense. Pehaps Dr Wolfe is really a bodyguard, and she got wind of some plot to kidnap them that afternoon, so she gave that detention to keep them from the Pearl of Great Price.
Anyway, we'll see, hopefully the next update, what's this all about.

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by John Kennon Smith » Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:12 am

Great story!!!

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by William F Somebody » Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:25 am

I must echo what the others said. Dr Jo Wolfe suspending the entire class for the infraction of one is mighty suspicious.
Hm, I wonder what happened to the boss? He was freed from jail, according to the epilogue of the last story. I wonder, would he take part in this? Because this operation is supposedly vengeance, he would probably have the most satisfaction in dishing out whatever punishment the Pearl of Great Price deem to impose on the Craigs.
Still, would they only target Aunt Cassie? They would also have to target Mrs Connie Brown and Lady Holderness too, if they really want to make it complete. Hm, would they target only Cassie and Suzie among the kids? After all, those two were the most responsible for the trouble that led to their capture, or would they also try to get Alicia and Jenny? Pity they couldn’t get Heidi too, they just were a few weeks too late. But the detention for Alicia and Jenny’s class would lead me to believe that the older girls were targeted too. How about Mom and Granny? Would they somehow be involved too?
Ain’t that cute. Cassie will tickle Bobby next time he tickles her. But he would probably do it when Cassie’s tied up, and I don’t Bobby think will allow himself to be tied up by a girl three years younger if he knows he will be tickled too! Suzie by Friday, would have been tied up many many times by his brother, some on Bobby’s initiative, and probably a lot more from Suzie’s instigation!
What day did Granny collect Cassie and Jenny to visit Aunt Cassie? I thought it was after school, but then, they weren’t in uniform. And its after the Sunday of the sleepover, as she has memories of that day. I thought it was after Alicia and Suzie left, but it couldn’t be because she was doing homework during schooldays, presumably a few days after that sleepover. Was it the next Saturday after that sleepover?
Aunt Cassie is a good wriggler while hogtied. I guess being tied up by her brother, the girls’ father, while young gave her a lot of practice!
Cassie suddenly became popular! Well, mostly because of Suzie, I guess. But Cassie should be thankful. It’s better to be popular than to be unpopular. Soon, she’ll learn why they all want to be friends with Suzie. And perhaps, Cassie will find new friends among them. And her own hanger-ons.

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Imp Caesar Augustus » Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:50 am

What another wonderful and delightful beginning!

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by KP Presents » Sun Aug 19, 2012 12:35 pm

> Tom Ford wrote:The entire class was given detention? I guess that during the entire time, Dr Wolfe was looking for a way to give detention to Jenny and Alicia, but both were too well behaved to give detention to. So she had to give the ole “fault of one is fault of all” rule to give that to her.
> That is so unusual that I’m beginning to think that that is just a ploy for her to get her hands on Jenny and Alicia. What the exact plan is I don’t know, but I have a feeling that Jenny and Cassie would meet Friday under very unusual circumstances.

It is a tad harsh as a punishment, although my younger son had this last year. Be assured, all will be explianed in the enxt couple of parts...

> Tom Ford wrote:Ha, ha, Cassie might say those words about Bobby, and deny it to all the world, but we all know how she reacted in the last story, blushing whenever the other girls mentioned him!! And we know what would eventually happen to those two.

Well, unless you buy the book you may have to wonder a tad longer...

> Tom Ford wrote:Aunt Cassie’s cabin was really cool. And even if Casa means house (which meant that her cabin is called Craig House in English), for the moment there, I read it as Cassie or Cassandra House. Those who are ignorant to what Casa means might interpret it that Aunt Cassie named her house after herself, or after her niece!! “Hey Cassie, she named the house after you,” Suzie might say. "Cassie Casa House. Cassie Casa House!!!"

Wait and see...
Read stories of ordinary women in distress at http://www.kppresents.com

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by KP Presents » Sun Aug 19, 2012 12:37 pm

> William F Somebody wrote:Hm, I wonder what happened to the boss? He was freed from jail, according to the epilogue of the last story. I wonder, would he take part in this? Because this operation is supposedly vengeance, he would probably have the most satisfaction in dishing out whatever punishment the Pearl of Great Price deem to impose on the Craigs.

An answer of sorts in part 2...

> William F Somebody wrote:Still, would they only target Aunt Cassie? They would also have to target Mrs Connie Brown and Lady Holderness too, if they really want to make it complete. Hm, would they target only Cassie and Suzie among the kids? After all, those two were the most responsible for the trouble that led to their capture, or would they also try to get Alicia and Jenny? Pity they couldn’t get Heidi too, they just were a few weeks too late. But the detention for Alicia and Jenny’s class would lead me to believe that the older girls were targeted too. How about Mom and Granny? Would they somehow be involved too?

Wait and see, wait and see...

> William F Somebody wrote:What day did Granny collect Cassie and Jenny to visit Aunt Cassie? I thought it was after school, but then, they weren’t in uniform. And its after the Sunday of the sleepover, as she has memories of that day. I thought it was after Alicia and Suzie left, but it couldn’t be because she was doing homework during schooldays, presumably a few days after that sleepover. Was it the next Saturday after that sleepover?

It was the weekend after the sleepover.
Read stories of ordinary women in distress at http://www.kppresents.com

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by KP Presents » Sun Aug 19, 2012 2:34 pm

NB I'm on holiday this week, so updates will happen but they will b erratic. What is certain is that I won't be around Saturday through Tuesday - bu tI will leave you with a little cliffhanger
Read stories of ordinary women in distress at http://www.kppresents.com

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by 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.
Read stories of ordinary women in distress at http://www.kppresents.com

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Tom Ford » Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:38 pm

OH MY GOD! What else can I say? That was one well executed kidnapping! As I read it, I trembled for their fate, but I’m reassured that in the end, they would be all right. But what would happen in the interim? I really hope that some tying up is the worst that they would endure, because they are only kids. But with the girl, and the man in the suit not wearing masks, they could already have easily identified them. So this time, I’m guessing that they are not meant to get out of this alive.
Let me guess. The three are Mom, Jenny, and Alicia. They were taken as Mom fetched the two from school. But how did they know that Aunt Cassie would fetch Cassie and Suzie from school and they wouldn’t get home by schoolbus that particular day? I don’t think they would have any way to know that the girls would have a sleepover at that cabin that particular weekend. I know they went to all the trouble to have Jenny and Cassie’s class detained to have them home by car. Then I wondered, did Aunt Cassie inadvertently blab this info about her taking Cassie and Suzie home to her new friend Dr Jo Wolfe, who in turn, informed the Pearl of Great Price?
They didn’t learn from the first incident, did they? The men tied them up and gagged them in the flimsiest way possible, alone in the room. I guess kidnapping isn’t their line of work. But that was very foolish of Cassie. She should have remained like that, to give the impression that they can’t escape, so they might be tied up very lightly for the remainder of the day, and to show the boss Gerald Coates how foolish he really was. Oh well, I guess she would have to learn the hard way.
So its five stories with true perils (Learning the Ropes, After School Special, Play Date, Surprise Visitor, and Price of Friendship), and four stories with lighthearted fun (Family Time, Suzie’s Sleepover, The Last Day of Summer, The New Teacher). Good job in keeping the balance between the two.

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by KP Presents » Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:03 pm

> Tom Ford wrote:OH MY GOD! What else can I say? That was one well executed kidnapping! As I read it, I trembled for their fate, but I’m reassured that in the end, they would be all right. But what would happen in the interim? I really hope that some tying up is the worst that they would endure, because they are only kids. But with the girl, and the man in the suit not wearing masks, they could already have easily identified them. So this time, I’m guessing that they are not meant to get out of this alive.
> Let me guess. The three are Mom, Jenny, and Alicia. They were taken as Mom fetched the two from school. But how did they know that Aunt Cassie would fetch Cassie and Suzie from school and they wouldn’t get home by schoolbus that particular day? I don’t think they would have any way to know that the girls would have a sleepover at that cabin that particular weekend. I know they went to all the trouble to have Jenny and Cassie’s class detained to have them home by car. Then I wondered, did Aunt Cassie inadvertently blab this info about her taking Cassie and Suzie home to her new friend Dr Jo Wolfe, who in turn, informed the Pearl of Great Price?

Can't say too much without giving away plot points, but be assured what happened to Mum, Jenny and Alicia, and who Jo Wolfe really is, will be explained soon. But yes, it does look bad, doesn't it? OH, and it was Alicia and Jenny's class...

> Tom Ford wrote:They didn’t learn from the first incident, did they? The men tied them up and gagged them in the flimsiest way possible, alone in the room. I guess kidnapping isn’t their line of work. But that was very foolish of Cassie. She should have remained like that, to give the impression that they can’t escape, so they might be tied up very lightly for the remainder of the day, and to show the boss Gerald Coates how foolish he really was. Oh well, I guess she would have to learn the hard way.

Yes, yes she will
And when did the Boss get called Gerald Coates?
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### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Tom Ford » Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:07 pm

> KP Presents wrote:

> > Tom Ford wrote:OH MY GOD! What else can I say? That was one well executed kidnapping! As I read it, I trembled for their fate, but I’m reassured that in the end, they would be all right. But what would happen in the interim? I really hope that some tying up is the worst that they would endure, because they are only kids. But with the girl, and the man in the suit not wearing masks, they could already have easily identified them. So this time, I’m guessing that they are not meant to get out of this alive.
> > Let me guess. The three are Mom, Jenny, and Alicia. They were taken as Mom fetched the two from school. But how did they know that Aunt Cassie would fetch Cassie and Suzie from school and they wouldn’t get home by schoolbus that particular day? I don’t think they would have any way to know that the girls would have a sleepover at that cabin that particular weekend. I know they went to all the trouble to have Jenny and Cassie’s class detained to have them home by car. Then I wondered, did Aunt Cassie inadvertently blab this info about her taking Cassie and Suzie home to her new friend Dr Jo Wolfe, who in turn, informed the Pearl of Great Price?

> Can't say too much without giving away plot points, but be assured what happened to Mum, Jenny and Alicia, and who Jo Wolfe really is, will be explained soon. But yes, it does look bad, doesn't it? OH, and it was Alicia and Jenny's class...

> > Tom Ford wrote:They didn’t learn from the first incident, did they? The men tied them up and gagged them in the flimsiest way possible, alone in the room. I guess kidnapping isn’t their line of work. But that was very foolish of Cassie. She should have remained like that, to give the impression that they can’t escape, so they might be tied up very lightly for the remainder of the day, and to show the boss Gerald Coates how foolish he really was. Oh well, I guess she would have to learn the hard way.

> Yes, yes she will
> And when did the Boss get called Gerald Coates?

Isn't he the one who absconded from jail as described by the TV?

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by KP Presents » Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:08 pm

> Tom Ford wrote:

> > KP Presents wrote:

> > > Tom Ford wrote:OH MY GOD! What else can I say? That was one well executed kidnapping! As I read it, I trembled for their fate, but I’m reassured that in the end, they would be all right. But what would happen in the interim? I really hope that some tying up is the worst that they would endure, because they are only kids. But with the girl, and the man in the suit not wearing masks, they could already have easily identified them. So this time, I’m guessing that they are not meant to get out of this alive.
> > > Let me guess. The three are Mom, Jenny, and Alicia. They were taken as Mom fetched the two from school. But how did they know that Aunt Cassie would fetch Cassie and Suzie from school and they wouldn’t get home by schoolbus that particular day? I don’t think they would have any way to know that the girls would have a sleepover at that cabin that particular weekend. I know they went to all the trouble to have Jenny and Cassie’s class detained to have them home by car. Then I wondered, did Aunt Cassie inadvertently blab this info about her taking Cassie and Suzie home to her new friend Dr Jo Wolfe, who in turn, informed the Pearl of Great Price?

> > Can't say too much without giving away plot points, but be assured what happened to Mum, Jenny and Alicia, and who Jo Wolfe really is, will be explained soon. But yes, it does look bad, doesn't it? OH, and it was Alicia and Jenny's class...

> > > Tom Ford wrote:They didn’t learn from the first incident, did they? The men tied them up and gagged them in the flimsiest way possible, alone in the room. I guess kidnapping isn’t their line of work. But that was very foolish of Cassie. She should have remained like that, to give the impression that they can’t escape, so they might be tied up very lightly for the remainder of the day, and to show the boss Gerald Coates how foolish he really was. Oh well, I guess she would have to learn the hard way.

> > Yes, yes she will
> > And when did the Boss get called Gerald Coates?

> Isn't he the one who absconded from jail as described by the TV?

You'd think I read this stuff before posting it... Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa...
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### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by William F Somebody » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:54 pm

This is the fifth time in about a little less than a year where they were again subjected to being prisoners of thugs. Five times. Many people who were subjected to this sort of treatment just once became traumatized because of it—look at April. But I doubt that it would affect the Craig family much, or their friends. Mom is probably the one who will be most affected—Aunt Cassie was probably trained on how to cope with this kinds of situations.
Of course, the most interesting of this is the attitude of Cassie. She was held hostage four times before this, and all those times, she had genuine fun. And the robbers try to mask at least from Cassie their true natures—notice the first robber who said this was a game, the man who played Sorry! with them, Mr Small's politeness, and of course, the bumbling of the first visit of the Pearl of Great Price made them seem to Cassie harmless, just adult playmates, and all the times they tied her, even very tightly and stringently, only added to her fun. And everytime, she had came out all right. They either left them there to be found by their Dad or the servants, or they were rescued early enough.
To Cassie, this is probably just another game.
I suppose the same could apply to Suzie as well. As for Jenny, she knew enough to know the true, but she's young enough to treat it as a game, and has enough sense to simply behave in such a situation. She might be afraid, but her love of being tied up effectively overshadowed her fear, and so she emerged each time emotionally intact.
The fact is, I only fear for Alicia's emotional health.
Now we'll see how they cope with this. Cassie is only ten, and Jenny twelve. I hope that the thugs don't do things like physically harm them, or the adults in front of them. All the stories before, even those that they were held prisoner, were innocent and charming enough, and I hope this remains the same. I hope that in whatever way she learns her lesson, she remains basically the same, but a little bit wiser, just like her elder sister.
On other things...
I bet that the many times Suzie said Bobby played games with her, at least half of it was instigated by Suzie herself! Suzie is just blaming big brother for everything.

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by John Kennon Smith » Tue Aug 21, 2012 1:36 am

Great update! Poor girls!

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Tom Ford » Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:21 am

Cassie may learn a new lesson in this story, but I wonder, would the thugs learn too? If the boss was with them right now, I wager that he wouldn’t waste time tying them up lightly because they’re only children. He’d tie them up, Cassie and Suzie and Jenny and Alicia especially, as tightly as possible.
I just hope that if they’re going to wrap tape around the head, they’d use microfoam white tape, or if not, if they’re going to use duct tape, they’d take steps to protect their hair. I for one don’t want to imagine Cassie, or Jenny, or Suzie or Alicia sporting short hairstyles in future stories because it was ruined by tape.
Or maybe the boss is deliberately tying them up lightly to show to his colleagues that he’s not making up what he told them—that children thwarted him. By making sure the other gang members commit the same mistakes as he did, he could show that he really shouldn’t be blamed for the fiasco that happened. “See, I told you so! Now who’s laughing!” the boss might say.
And Cassie sure developed a lot of vocabulary fast. I remember Cassie saying “metal tubes with handles” in Surprise Visitor and now, a few weeks later, saying “guns!” when she sees metal tubes with wooden handles on them.
And I hope in the next chapter, the gang would leave them without gags for a short while, or if not, then with gags easily removed, so that they could have time for Mom and Jenny to tell Cassie how they were kidnapped, and to tell Cassie and Suzie that they really should do as they are told, both before they are regagged. I think Cassie could only learn her lesson if she disobeys what she's told to do and leads to bad things.
And I wonder, given the connections that Lord and Lady Holderness has, would they figure out where they are being held? Lady Holderness probably knows that her grandkids were spending time with Aunt Cassie, and even if both of them didn't know where exactly it is, they know that Aunt Cassie recently bought new property, and could easily look up the list of recently bought properties by someone called Cassandra Craig. Would they be suspicious, especially knowing that the boss Gerald Coates escaped? Probably. They have some influence with the local police, and they could easily stage a rescue if they are definite about what would happen.
Especially as both of them would expect that the two girls would call their parents once they arrived to make sure that they arrived safe, etc, the usual thing, and their parents would expect to call Aunt Cassie's house, or if not, then Mr Craig when he sees his family is missing. He knows where Cassie is supposed to be, and he would call to talk to Cassie and Jenny, and ask where Mom is. If the phoneline is dead, and if he cannot contact Aunt Cassie or Mom's mobile, he would get suspicoius. Of course, he would call Lady Holderness if there's something amiss. And he most probably knows where Aunt Cassie's house is.
On a completely unrelated note, would Suzie, if she has a sleepover with Aunt Cassie next time, would let Aunt Cassie check her homework? Because Cassie and Jenny presumably, like all children, let their parents check their work, or if they can't answer, ask them for help. Now, would Suzie have the gall to ask Aunt Cassie to check her homework (which Aunt Cassie most probably gave to Suzie's class), and to help her answer the difficult ones? Now if Aunt Cassie did so, then Suzie could have an unfair advantage over her classmates, as she probably would get perfect marks! After all, Aunt Cassie wouldn't wrong an answer she herself gave Suzie, right? "Aunt Cassie, can you help me with my homework? Mom and Dad always checks if I did it right, and with them not around, can you do it for me?"
Last edited by Tom Ford on Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:44 am, edited 2 times in total.

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Imp Caesar Augustus » Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:37 am

What a fix those girls are in. With them holed up in their Aunts house, they won't probably feel like they are being kidnapped to a strange place.

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by John Kennon Smith » Tue Aug 21, 2012 3:04 am

Oh and please update soon.

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by KP Presents » Wed Aug 22, 2012 2:45 pm

“Right, you three,” the stranger said as he turned round, “take your blindfolds off, slowly.” Mum reached up, the elbow length sleeves of her cardigan falling down as she did so, and pulled the folded scarf off her eyes. “Oh god,” she whispered again as she saw Aunt Cassie, Suzie and me sitting there, “they really got your first.”
I watched as Alicia and Jenny removed their blindfolds, Alicia looking nervously from side to side. They were in their uniforms, while Mum had a white blouse under her cardigan, a knee length pleated skirt and kitten heeled black leather shoes.
“Take their gags out,” the masked man said, “they might as well talk while you bind all of them up - and for goodness sake, do it right.” He smiled at us as he turned and left the room, while the stranger removed the scarves from our mouths.
“Well, Jennifer, this is another fine mess we find ourselves in,” Aunt Cassie said as she worked her jaw. “I guess they decided to have a second go at me - I’m just sorry you all got dragged into this again.”
“So this is all about that group again - the Pearl of great Price?” As she said this, I could see the man pull Mummy’s hands behind her back, as she stared at us.
“Looks that way - they managed somehow to sabotage my car and stop it on the way to your house, and this woman made her intentions very clear. What happened to you?”
“I’ll tell you in a minute,” Jenny said as she hugged Alicia. “Ali, you need to be brave now. Remember what we talked about before - this is a game, all right?”
“Of course it’s a game,” I said brightly, “just like all the other times right Suzie?”
“Right, Cassie,” she said as she smiled at me, and I could see Alicia start to relax a little as Mum and Aunt Cassie just looked at me.
“we had the detention with Dr Wolfe,” Jenny said as the man finished tying Mummy’s wrists together,” and at the end of it she insisted on walking with Alicia and me to the front doors of the school. Mum was sitting in the car, and waved at us as we came out.
“Dr Wolfe then got called by someone, so we walked down to the car and opened the door to climb in. That was when Mr Bennett showed up.”
“Mr Bennett? Who is he?”
“You’re looking at him,” Alicia said as she felt her own arms been pulled behind her back and I saw the stranger start to bind them together with rope. “He walked up to the car, cool as could be, and while we got in the back he got in the front and produced a gun. He said that you three had already been taken, and that we were going to join you. He then told Mum to drive off, and as she did so we saw Dr Wolfe run out of the school after us. IT was almost as if she was trying to stop us.”
“She was,” Aunt Cassie said as Mr Bennett tied off the rope around Alicia’s wrists and moved on to Jenny, “That was what she was put in the school for.”
“What?” Mummy said as both Jenny and I looked at her. “She was placed there? Cassie, what have you not told us?”
Aunt Cassie sighed as she looked at all of us. “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, but I’d hoped the rumours we had heard were wrong. The escaped prisoner - the one who was on the news this morning - he actually was sprung from prison a week ago. You’ve already met him - he was the leader of the gang that invaded your home in the holidays.”
“You mean the guy who Cassie ran into,” Mummy said as the three of them were sat on the floor in front of us. “I recognised his voice when he opened the door. So you knew something was been planned.”
“I’m afraid so - the intel I was given was that an attempt was going to be made to kidnap the girls, so Jo - Dr Wolfe arranged the detention to try and thwart them at her end, and I thought I could ensure both Cassie and Suzie were safe. We knew they had agents planted somewhere, but we had no real idea where. I see they had at least one other teacher at your school, girls.”
“Well, at least that explains why he insisted on rope work,” Jenny said as he crossed and tightly bound her ankles together. “What,” she said as she looked round, “not the best time for jokes?”
“Ha ha, very funny,” Alicia said as she watched her ankles been tied as well. “Miss Craig, just how much trouble are we in?”
“Hopefully, they want me, and the rest of you are a diversion. We did manage to...” Aunt Cassie stopped and looked into space for a few minutes.
“Aunt Cassie, are you all right?” Jenny said as she watched Mummy’s ankles been tied.
“Oh, no...” Aunt Cassie whispered as she looked up at the man called Mr Bennett. “What are you going to do to us?”
“A message will be sent to your grandmother,” Mr Bennett said as he looked at Alicia, “asking for a sizable ransom for the return of all of you, and with very specific instructions as to how to deliver it, and who to deliver it to.”
“You do know our families are going to be expecting us soon,” Mummy said as she looked at all of us.
“Indeed - and they will be told to do nothing. For now, we need to keep the six of you here, nice and secure and quiet.”
“Oh, does that mean you’re going to gag us properly,” I said, finally get to have a chance to speak, “because what you did earlier was not nearly good enough.”
“CASSIE!!!” Aunt Cassie, Alicia, Jenny and Mummy said in unison as they looked at me. “I get the feeling you just said something you should not have,” Suzie whispered into my ear as the door opened and the woman who had brought the three of us to Casa Craig walked in.
“Ah, I see our next group of guests has arrived,” she said as she looked at Mummy and the other two. “Sorry I wasn’t here earlier, but I hope you got your homework done.”
“Miss Curtis?” Jenny said with a shocked expression. “Oh god, how many of the teachers were kidnappers?”
“Only us two - but I suspect your Chemistry teacher was more than she seemed as well,” she said as she untied the scarves around our necks and folded them into pads. “For now, you all need to shut up, so open your mouths and allow us to silence you properly.”
“Oh good,” Suzie said to me, “finally we get to be properly quiet.” I nodded as the woman pushed the cloth into my mouth, and then Suzie’s before she picked up a roll of grey tape.
“Cvfrrhhrr,” I mumbled, hoping she would put something over my hair, but to my dismay she only tore off three strips and then pushed them down over our mouths, before gagging Aunt Cassie in the same way. We then watched as Alicia, Jenny and Mummy each had a scarf stuffed into their mouths, and then tape pressed over their lips.
“That’ll hold them,” she said as she and Mr Bennett turned and started to walk out of the room, “after all, they don’t want to get one of their own hurt, do they?” As they closed the door, and we heard it been locked, I started to work my mouth and try to push the cloth and tape off and out.
“Rllldntlrndthhh,” Aunt Cassie said to Mum as they watched the four of use moving our jaws round, competing with each other to see who could be first to be ungagged without help from anyone. Eventually, it turned out that the winner as Alicia, as she pushed the scarf in her mouth right out and watched it fall to the floor, the tape landing with a soft thud.
“Right,” she said as she turned round and wriggled her fingers, “want a hand, Jenny?”
“No thanks,” Jenny said as she pushed the scarf out of her mouth, the tape still hanging to her jaw. “You take care of Suzie, while I ungag Mum. Come on Cassie, Aunt Cassie - I thought you would have beaten both of us!”
Well, that was it - we looked at each other and the race was on, at breakneck speed while Alicia and Jenny helped Suzie and Mummy. It was with some satisfaction that I managed it first, and then said “Let’s get untied!”
“No,” Aunt Cassie said as she shook her head, “let’s not this time, Cassie. Also, let’s keep our voices down - the longer they think we’re helpless, the more chance we have.”
“Of what,” Alicia whispered.
“Finding out what they’re up to - I’ve got a horrible feeling we’re not the last party guests.”
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### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Tom Ford » Wed Aug 22, 2012 4:59 pm

So far, nothing bad has really happened. But who are the other kidnapees? Most probably Connie Brown. I thought Lady Holderness too, but then, they’re going to use Alicia and Suzie as compensation for their losses. Why don’t they kidnap Lady Holderness too, and contact the baronet for an even larger ransom than could be had by just the granddaughters? They should also kidnap Mrs Holderness and Mrs Bowden too to get an ever bigger amount of ransom! I thought of Miranda Craig, but the only reason Mom was kidnapped was because she was with Alicia and Jenny, and Granny didn't offend them in any particular way. She just sat still tied up throughout the ordeal. Unless of course she was with somebody who they would kidnap too.
So they have easily ungagged themselves, but they’re still tied. I agree with Aunt Cassie. It would be wise to remain tied up like that. That way, when they really need to be free, they could easily do so. Like this, they won’t provoke the gang to tie them up tighter. By the way, we know Aunt Cassie, Cassie, and Suzie were tied by scarves around their crossed wrists, which is extremely easy to escape. Good thing they had the sense to tie Mom, Alicia,and Jenny with rope, but not the sense to retie the first captives hands with rope. Hm, how were Mom, Alicia, and Jenny's hands tied, crossed or palm to palm?
I bet that those that have scarves as their wrist ropes could simply pull their hands free with brute strength, if not, the knots on these scarves are so big they are so easy to undo with their fingers. And the cloth ropes round their ankles are a joke too. The first robber tied them better than this (which they could also escape, except both Cassie and Jenny enjoyed being tied up with Mom that time), and he gagged them identically to how they were gagged now.
Hm, so Dr Wolfe was their friend. Well, well, well, since she is an agent, she witnessed the kidnapping of Cassie and Jenny. She would immediately inform her superiors of what happened, and of course, those superiors would try to contact Aunt Cassie and tell her of what happened. But then, they would be unable to contact Aunt Cassie, and they would know immediately what happened. Hm, do they know Aunt Cassie bought that property? I think she would have informed them. If only to update her current address. But if not, then they would inform Mr Craig of his family’s kidnapping, and he would tell them the location of Casa Craig anyway. And I’m betting that Aunt Cassie has some electronic bug on her that would let her superiors know where she is. After all, with all the kidnapping threats about, it would only make sense to have that precaution.
Perhaps one of the girls would have watched enough spy movies to ask Miss Craig about that?
All in all, despite the elaborateness of it all, an operation of the Pearl that has so many holes in it that it could easily crash and burn. The best thing for them, once they got all they need to get, is to put them in a secure location. But if Aunt Cassie has a bug on her, it won’t even matter.
Did any of them have any mobile phones with them? Maybe Mom and Aunt Cassie could call someone and tell them what’s happening. Or if it would be too loud, then text them. I bet Jenny and Alicia and Cassie could text while their hands are tied behind them.
They already have seen the faces of some of the kidnappers. Now I’m really worried. Would they make sure that all of them can’t permanently identify who they are?
I know what Cassie could do to amuse herself by putting her hands over her bottom and to her front, since her hands weren’t attached to her waist or body, then text someone. She can then put her hands back behind her back. I’m guessing the only distress Cassie and Suzie are feeling up to this point is that they aren’t being tied tight enough!!!!

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by William F Somebody » Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:41 pm

So the plot thickens!!
So the entire thing turns out is not only revenge. But also a kidnap for ransom operation designed to recompense them for the losses suffered as a result of the Craig sisters’ activities. But I can’t remove the feeling that something else is in store for them to “punish” them for all the trouble they have caused.
Guess Cassie’s weekend is ruined. She’s probably forward to a weekend of fun being inescapably tied up and stringently gagged with the friends and sisters and aunt. Now she’s thinking that she would only have a weekend being lightly tied up and gagged with joke gags. Same for Suzie.
I wonder what the original plan was? We know that the detention was Dr Wolfe’s way of preventing the kidnapping. But without it, Jenny and Alicia would go home by bus, and I don’t think they have the gall to kidnap them in it. Maybe they are planning to kidnap them when they got home. But why not wait? Probably because the kidnappings are synchronized and needed to be done early enough. Dr Wolfe nearly ruined the timing of the kidnapping, of course, but they made up for it by being brazen about it when Mom fetched them. Which only meant that Jo Wolfe saw the entire thing. And immediately alerted the authorities.
Why did they choose Aunt Cassie’s house as the place to stash them? They could be easily found there, and the entire thing ruined. Well, I guess they have a good reason to do so.

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by John Kennon Smith » Thu Aug 23, 2012 3:07 am

Poor Cassie, aunt Cassie, Suzie, Alicia, Mom, Jenny.

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by Imp Caesar Augustus » Thu Aug 23, 2012 7:36 am

Well, at least they won't be alone in this ordeal.

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by KP Presents » Thu Aug 23, 2012 12:38 pm

> Tom Ford wrote:So far, nothing bad has really happened. But who are the other kidnapees? Most probably Connie Brown. I thought Lady Holderness too, but then, they’re going to use Alicia and Suzie as compensation for their losses. Why don’t they kidnap Lady Holderness too, and contact the baronet for an even larger ransom than could be had by just the granddaughters? They should also kidnap Mrs Holderness and Mrs Bowden too to get an ever bigger amount of ransom! I thought of Miranda Craig, but the only reason Mom was kidnapped was because she was with Alicia and Jenny, and Granny didn't offend them in any particular way. She just sat still tied up throughout the ordeal. Unless of course she was with somebody who they would kidnap too.

Who the other guests are will become clear - eventually...

> Tom Ford wrote:So they have easily ungagged themselves, but they’re still tied. I agree with Aunt Cassie. It would be wise to remain tied up like that. That way, when they really need to be free, they could easily do so. Like this, they won’t provoke the gang to tie them up tighter. By the way, we know Aunt Cassie, Cassie, and Suzie were tied by scarves around their crossed wrists, which is extremely easy to escape. Good thing they had the sense to tie Mom, Alicia,and Jenny with rope, but not the sense to retie the first captives hands with rope. Hm, how were Mom, Alicia, and Jenny's hands tied, crossed or palm to palm?

I'#ll make that clearer.

> Tom Ford wrote:Perhaps one of the girls would have watched enough spy movies to ask Miss Craig about that?

Could be...

> Tom Ford wrote:All in all, despite the elaborateness of it all, an operation of the Pearl that has so many holes in it that it could easily crash and burn. The best thing for them, once they got all they need to get, is to put them in a secure location. But if Aunt Cassie has a bug on her, it won’t even matter.
> Did any of them have any mobile phones with them? Maybe Mom and Aunt Cassie could call someone and tell them what’s happening. Or if it would be too loud, then text them. I bet Jenny and Alicia and Cassie could text while their hands are tied behind them.
> They already have seen the faces of some of the kidnappers. Now I’m really worried. Would they make sure that all of them can’t permanently identify who they are?

They do appear to have made a lot of elementary errors, haven't they? It's almost as if they want them to be found...
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### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by KP Presents » Thu Aug 23, 2012 12:40 pm

> William F Somebody wrote:Why did they choose Aunt Cassie’s house as the place to stash them? They could be easily found there, and the entire thing ruined. Well, I guess they have a good reason to do so.

It would be a very stupid place to pick if they were wanting secrecy, wouldn't it?
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### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by John Kennon Smith » Thu Aug 23, 2012 8:31 pm

Update soon.!

### Re: An Education - The Price of Friendship

Post by William F Somebody » Thu Aug 23, 2012 8:34 pm

I laughed when the all said CASSIE when she said that their gags weren't good enough!
I'm guessing that the location of Jenny's school is in an isolated rural countryside, and with most of the students and the faculty already gone home, otherwise, Mr Bennett would not be confident enough to pull a gun on them and kidnap them in broad daylight in front of Dr Wolfe.