Anastasia Wall and her long term boyfriend recline on the sofa in their one bedroom apartment watching some over the top American cop show. Her boyfriend Steve is a large bellied, bald-headed man in his forties and he currently smokes his seventh cigarette of the evening.
Anastasia is in her mid thirties, very slim and tall with long chestnut hair and a tattoo of a snake on her right arm. She has full lips and is quite sexy in a rock n roll type of way. What is she doing with Steve? Well, he makes a lot of money sometimes and she likes fancy cars and drugs.
"Reckon I go check on her?" Anastasia asks, looking at Steve.
Steve grunts something which might be yes but he continues to smoke his cigarette and gazes at the TV where a criminal is trying to speed away from the chasing police cars.
Anastasia sighs, stands up and goes to the basement door.
She slowly descends the steps and smells the familiar scent of paint, mould and now some sweat and a hint of urine.
She hears the girl whimpering as she takes each step and heads over to where she sits tightly bound to the same chair she's been tied to for almost a week now.
"I've brought you some water."
Anastasia bends down and digs a fingernail under the silver duct tape that is wrapped around the girl's head and mouth and slowly unravels it while the girl whimpers. She wrinkles her nose as she yanks the large wad of balled up pink panties from her mouth and tosses it on the floor. When did we last freshen her gag? she thinks.
"Please, when are you letting me go?"
It's a familiar question that the girl has asked hundreds of times now.
"I told you already. When daddy pays up. Now open your mouth while I pour you the water."
Anastasia tips the water bottle into her mouth while she greedily guzzles it down.
"Careful, drink it slowly." Anastasia says as the girl gulps it down, some of it landing on her now torn and dirty school shirt. "That's enough for now." She puts the bottle lid back on and examines the girl. She checks the ropes are still secure, which they are. Her wrists are crossed behind her back and then secured to the chair. Her upper and lower body secured to the chair as well. Anastasia kneels down and checks her ankles and knees are still as secure as ever which they are.
She stands up and looks at the girl who is blindfolded with a pillow case. She had looked very pretty when they had taken her a week ago but now she looked dirty. Her school skirt had been ripped and her shirt was stained with sweat and a bit of food. Her long dark smooth hair had been tied back in a ponytail (to make it easier to put the gag on Steve had said)and her pretty dark eyes were hidden by the blindfold. Even her pretty full lips looked chafed now which was understandable with the duct tape being applied to them for almost 2 full days now.
"Please, can't you just untie me, or at least leave the gag off?" She whimpers. Katie her name is.
Anastasia considers. She feels some sympathy but not enough to override her feeling of joy at the thought of the thousands of pounds her and Steve were going to get from her rich daddy.
"Can't leave you ungagged honey. What if you scream to the neighbours?"
"I won't, I'll be absolutely silent." Katie pleads then begins to cry again.
"I'll make a deal with you then. I'll just tie some cloth between your lips, no duct tape for now."
Katie whimpers but nods her head.
Anastasia knows Steve wouldn't like this idea so she looks around quietly and spots a red bandana of Steve's. She stretches it out and ties it between Katie's lips tightly.
"Now be a good girl and sit still for the night. I'll be back to check on you in the morning." Anastasia says quietly and kisses Katie on the tip of her nose as she whimpers and moans.
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One week ago
"I'll see you at the party tonight then, see you later girls!" Katie shouts excitedly at her friends.
She is leaving her school yard, her mum is picking her up and she looks around to locate the Mercedes.
Katie is 17 and is a popular girl in school - she's attractive and smart and her dad owns a large restaurant franchise so she's able to host great parties at her large mansion.
Today was the last day of the school term so she's invited 5 girls and 4 boys over for the evening. Her parents will be upstairs and have promised not to embarrass her but have warned her that no one is to have over 2 alcoholic drinks and certainly no smoking is allowed. Katie promised to adhere to these rules but told her friend Sarah to get a crate of Coronas and some limes.
She waits outside the school gates and looks for the car but can't see it. She looks at her Iphone and sees the reason why.
'Hey, can't pick you up, Debbie's not well so gone to doctors. Get bus, see u later, mum x'
Katie frowns and rolls her eyes. Debbie is her baby sister who is always 'not well' lately.
Just then, Kelly walks up to her.
"Hey, you waiting for you mum?"
"I was. She's just text me saying she can't pick me up now. Stupid Debbie isn't well so they've gone the doctors."
"You want a lift? I think my mum will be here in about 20 minutes."
Katie considers and when she looks back on this moment later on she kicks herself for not taking her friend up on this offer.
"Nah it's ok. I'll actually walk to the shops to get some stuff for tonight then I'll get the bus from there."
"Ok, see you tonight babes." Kelly hugs her before walking away.
It takes Katie around 15 minutes to walk to the small row of shops she usually goes to when she buys cigarettes on the sly. Today she is going to get a bottle of wine for tonight - she usually gets served because she looks mature for her age and is a pretty girl so the pervy shop keeper flirts with her and always serves her eventually.
Before entering the shop she sees a woman standing outside with a snake tattoo on her arm, smoking a cigarette. The woman looks at her intently which kind of freaks Katie out but she brushes past her and enters the shop.
Katie is in the shop for about 8 minutes - she answers the usual questions from the shop keeper:
"How was school today?"
"You sure you're old enough for that wine? I don't have to go ringing Dad now do I to make sure?"
"Any of your hot friends coming in here today?"
Katie smiles and goes along with it all but she hates the attention she gets sometimes from old men.
She pays for the wine and exits with the bag but as she goes to walk to the bus stop a hand is placed on her shoulder.
She turns and looks upwards into the eyes of the woman with the tattoo.
"Sorry to startle you. I was wondering if you could help me?"
"What's the problem?"
"It's my little dog Suzie, she's hurt and I need someone to take a look at her."
The woman looks genuine and upset and Katie loves dogs - she has two at home.
"I'm kind of in a rush" She says.
"Please, it will only take 2 minutes, I just need to know she's ok."
Katie bites her lip. She doesn't like to get involved with strangers but she figures why not?
"Ok then, quickly. Where is she?"
"Over here. Please follow me."
The woman leads Katie to the back of the shop and to a side road. Katie feels a little weird now and knows she shouldn't be following this woman but doesn't know how to get out of it.
"She's just in this van here."
The woman points to a blue van parked up in the road. She looks at Katie - a pretty girl in her school uniform - white shirt, red tie and grey and black skirt with white school socks. The girl is looking suspicious now so she needs to hurry it up.
"Erm, look I really need to get going sorry."
"She's just in here, please it will take a minute, she looks really hurt."
Katie nods and when the woman opens the back of the van Katie freezes in terror as a large man is in the back pointing a gun at her.
It happens quickly. The woman shoves her into the van and she falls on her knees and grazes one of them. She tries to scream but the man has placed his hand over her mouth and she smells cigarette smoke.
She tries to struggle but he points the gun into her neck and the woman holds her knees still forcefully.
"Shut up you little bitch." The man says, his voice is deep and husky.
Katie is breathing hard into his hand and her heart is thumping.
"Looks like you caught a really good one. Is this the rich bitch?"
"Oh yes, daddy is Mike Slenski - we'll get good money out of him. And look what she brought us"
She holds up the bottle of rose wine and smiles.
"nomppph!"
"I said shut up!" Steve says aggressively.
"Let's get her tied up quickly." The woman says and Katie's eyes widen in fear.
The woman picks up coils of white rope and ties Katie's knees and feet up.
The man takes his hand away but shoves some kind of rag into her mouth and duct tapes it shut with a roll of silver tape.
He then ties her wrists and elbows behind her and pushes her violently onto her stomach. The woman takes her school tie off and ties it around her eyes in a blindfold while the man hogties her with the rope.
"That ought to hold her until we get her home. You aint gonna scream are you?" Steve asks her - she barely hears him, she's crying and her knee is cut. The ropes dig into her flesh and she feels sheer terror.
"Even if she does no one's gonna hear through that" The woman smiles, pointing to the gag.
The journey back to their flat lasts half an hour and it is the most uncomfortable half an hour of Katie's life she thinks...she didn't know what was in store for her.
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"You know her gag aint been changed in 2 days now?"
"I don't give a shit."
"No but she could suffocate. And then daddy sure as hell aint gonna give us our money."
"We'll be getting it soon. I think we need to send a more powerful message."
"Like what?"
"Let's make sure daddy knows we aint fucking around."
"How?" Anastasia gets worried when Steve talks like this. He's a violent, dangerous man.
"I'll show you."
Steve struggles off the sofa and goes to the kitchen draw. He pulls out a sharp butcher knife.
"Steve, what are you doing?"
"Just follow me."
"Steve - we said no violence, we aint hurting her!"
"Shut up! I aint hurting her, I'm just scaring her and her fuck ass, daddy."
Steve opens the basement door and climbs down the stairs with Anastasia behind him.
The girl muffles in terror at his approaching footsteps.
"What kind of a gag is that?" He asks.
"She can breathe easier now, she won't choke." Anastasia says.
Steve furiously grabs Katie's throat and she cries out. "You better not fucking scream and you better not ruin my favourite bandana!" He screams into her face and a bit of his spittle flies into it.
He lets go and erupts into loud laughter. Katie cries hard now.
"Now listen you little bitch. I'm gonna ring daddy and you're gonna tell him that your captors have a knife and they might get a little clumsy with it."
He unties her blindfold and holds up the knife. Katie's eyes are wide with terror, the tears roll down her cheek and she struggles.
"Relax. We aint gonna use it, but your daddy needs to know it's here." Anastasia says.
"Well we aint planning on using it now. But who's to say what can happen in the future?" Steve grins.
He digs out his mobile and dials a number, putting it on loud speaker.
Anastasia walks behind Katie and clamps her hand over Katie's lips.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Mr Slenski?"
"You again. Listen, the money will get to you soon. Just don't hurt her, please don't-"
"Shut the fuck up and listen." Steve cuts him off. "Your little daughter has something she wants to say to you."
Anastasia yanks out the bandana and Steve holds up the phone while holding the knife to her throat.
"D-dad. Ple-ase. I'm ok, but they have a knife."
"Sweetie - don't worry, you'll be free soon."
Anastasia puts her hand over Katie's mouth again and Katie smells the perfume she's been getting used to over the last week - a coconutty scent.
"As your daughter says Mr Slenski, we do indeed have a very sharp knife. If we don't get all of the money tomorrow by 1 PM then you may get
something sent to you instead. Then something else the next day and so forth, do you understand?"
"Yes, just don't hurt her, you'll get it tomorrow I promise."
"Thanks for your continued understanding." Steve says and hangs up.
"Well, looks like you get to keep all your fingers this evening sweetie. But I'm sick of your whimpering." Steve grabs the balled up panties that have been lying on the floor and stuffs them in Katie's mouth - they taste and smell awful. He grabs the roll of duct tape and tapes around her lips and head 6 times.
Anastasia frowns at him but he orders her to go back upstairs.
"Sleep tight sweetie." He laughs as he reties her blindfold and kisses her on the head. She shudders and moans as she hears his footsteps up the stairs and the door at the top locked shut.
Katie swings her head back and cries all night long.
To be continued.