Postby KP Presents » Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:29 am
A short while later, Jay went and stood by the door, the five children watching and listening as the front door opened and closed.
“Linda, Eric, where are…”
Mr Cottrell stopped in the doorway, eyes wide as he looked at us.
“What on earth…” he stammered as he saw all five children sitting there, tightly bound and with white tape round our mouths, as Eric said “msreeddd.”
“Good afternoon Mr Cottrell,” Jay said as he stepped in front of us. “My name is Jay Edwards – perhaps you have heard of me?”
“Jay… But I’m just a farmer, surely you can see that?”
“Indeed – a farmer who has very good taste in antique furniture, and who is also a highly placed stockbroker,” Jay said with a smile. “As you can see, we have your son and his friends safely secured, and your wife is upstairs. I strongly advise you continue to play the game, understood?”
He looked at us all, before saying “Have they hurt you Eric?”
The young boy shook his head, while Mrs McPhee said “They haven’t been hurt Mr Cottrell. Just do as we say, and everyone will be just fine.”
“I want to see my wife.”
“Of course – Mrs McPhee, keep them company while we talk?”
Jay took Mr Cottrell by the arm, and walked him up the stairs, into the master bedroom where one of the masked men was standing guard over Linda.
“Hmgddndrrww” she mumbled as she looked up.
“All right, all right,” he said quietly, “who are the four girls down stairs?”
“Friends of the family, I believe,” Jay said as he signalled to the masked man. “Now, we’re going to unite your wife and she will go and prepare dinner, while you and I have a nice little chat, all right Andrew?”
“All right – just don’t hurt them,” he said as he watched his wife being released, Linda hugging him as soon as she could.
“I’m sorry Andrew – they appeared at lunchtime, and held us hostage. Eric and the girls, are they…”
“They’re fine – but who are they?”
“Friends of Eric and Frank. I’ll introduce you to them later.” Linda kissed her husband before she was led off.
“I swear of you harm one hair on their heads…”
“Calm yourself, Andrew,” Jay said with a smile, “I have no intention of harming them unless you do something stupid.”
“I’ve heard of you – you want me to steal from my company, don’t you?”
“That would be the general intention, but the question is, how much and where from? After all, your brokerage has many accounts in many areas – pharmaceuticals, agriculture, retail, arms manufacturing…”
“No.”
“I beg your pardon? I know who you work for, Andrew Cottrell, and I know the deals they have been making.”
“We don’t deal in arms – I should know. I see the transactions and that does not happen.”
“Are you sure – a vast conglomerate such as yours.”
“If we were, I would know, and I would blow the whistle on it. Look, you’re going to rob the company, and I know your reputation – I’m not going to put my family in danger. But we do not trade in arms.”
“Well, if you say so. You strike me as an intelligent man, Andrew, and a hard working one – this farm could easily occupy you full time, yet you do both jobs.”
“I cope.”
“And as I say, cope very well. I like you Andrew, so I’m going to make you an offer.”
“I don’t…”
“Hear me out,” Jay said as he held his hand up. “yes, we will rob your company, using your access privileges – but you could benefit from it as well.”
Jay was actually pleased when Andrew looked at him in anger.
“I could cut you a percentage of the take, completely untraceable, all for you. You were forced to do what you will do – so why not take some of the profit from it for yourself?”
“I don’t make deals with crooks,” Andrew replied as he stood up. “I can’t stop you stealing from my company, but I cannot and will not take any willing part or anything at all from it. I trust you understand me.”
Jay looked Andrew in the eye, then smiled and nodded. “It is so rarely I meet a man of integrity. Very well – then let me explain. We will stay here, and later you will go with an associate to your offices. There you will do exactly what he says, while we hold your family and their friends hostage here. Only when we hear everything has been done satisfactorily will we leave, and you will remain at your office. Do anything we say not to, or try to alert the authorities, and it is them who pay the price, understand?”
Andrew nodded as Jay said “All right – why don’t we go and join your wife, and you can talk to her.” He led Andrew down the stairs and into the kitchen, saying “watch them” to the masked man.
As he went into the front room, he saw the five children watching television, before saying “I think you can remove the tape now.”
As they were ungagged, Eric said quietly “I need to go to the toilet.”
Jay nodded to his other associate, who untied Eric and took him out of the room.
“Now,” Mrs McPhee said to the four girls, “you are going to be staying here tonight, but we’ll make it like a slumber party and sleepover. You’ll need to let your parents know however.”
“I’ll do it first,” Cassie said as she looked at us, “just tell them you’re staying with one of us. We’ve done it before, and I don’t think they’ll object. It also means they won’t worry about us.”
The others nodded as Mrs McPhee said “Which phone is yours Cassie?”
“The blue one,” she said, watching as Mrs McPhee found the phone, dialled a number and then put it next to Cassie’s cheek.
“Mum? Listen, is it all right if I sleep over at Lisa’s place tonight? We really got into a game and we want to see it through to the end.
“Yeah, I’ll be careful. Thanks Mum – I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded to show Mrs McPhee she was finished, before she looked at Lisa and said “You next.” Jay watched as Mrs McPhee found the phone and put it to her ear.
“Granny? Hi it’s Lisa. Listen, I know you’ve come to watch us, but is it all right if I sleep over with Cassie Craig tonight?
“Yeah, that’s right my friend from across the road. We went to see a film and she’s asked me round for tea.
“All right, I’ll wait for you to call back.” As the call ended, Jay stood up and left the room, going upstairs. He took out his own mobile phone and waited for it to start ringing.
As it did, he put it to his ear and said “Hello Mark Williamson” in his usual voice.
“Mark?”
“Oh hi Mum – what’s up? Charlie and Lisa behaving themselves?”
“Charlie’s fine – but Lisa rang a few minutes ago, asking if she could stay at Cassie Craig’s overnight?
“An unscheduled sleepover eh? Well, you know the Craigs – I went to school with their dad. I don’t think there’s a big problem with that.”
“I didn’t think there would be, but I wanted to check. When do you go to the dinner?”
“In a couple of hours. See you tomorrow Mum.”
As he ended the call, Mark smiled and went back down, in time to hear Lisa say “That’s great – I’ll see you in the morning.”
Once the other two girls made their calls, Louise was released and went upstairs with the second associate.
“You are all incredibly brave girls, to make this a game for her.” Mrs McPhee smiled as Jay nodded in agreement.
“It worked for me last time,” Patty said with a smile, “so I imagined it would work for her as well.”
“You… “
“Oh come on Cassie,” Patty said as she looked at us, “I’m not that stupid. I know this is a real robbery, I know these are real criminals. Mum eventually told me what really happened that weekend.” She then smiled and said “Having said which, you are both very nice and kind people, Mrs McPhee. If I am going to be held hostage, I’m glad it’s by Jay and you and the others.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment – and thank you,” Mrs McPhee said. “How do you feel Lisa?”
“Not nearly as scared as I did when you walked in,” Lisa said with a smile. “Thank you for being so gentle with us.”
“You’re welcome,” she said as Louise walked past us. “Your turn Patty.”
As they came through from the dinner table, their wrists pinned behind their backs with zip ties, Jay and Mrs McPhee watched them closely, until Jay took Andrew out.
“When you get to the offices,” Jay said as he handed the masked man a USB stick, “you will log into your systems, and my friend will insert that stick into your computer. Follow his instructions, and your family will be unharmed.”
“I have your word?”
“You have my word.”
Andrew nodded as Jay turned to the man. “Inform me when all is completed and you have vacated the premises,” he said, the man nodding before they both went out.
Returning to the front room, he said “They are perfectly safe with me,” as Mrs McPhee took Linda to change and find some pyjamas for the girls. When she came down, they went up two at a time, Jay trying not to smile when he saw Lisa in the blue pyjamas.
Once they had all had their supper, he said “Time to go to bed,” standing up as they went to the bedrooms. He and Mrs McPhee made sure Patty and Louise were secured and silenced, before he and the other man took the remaining group to Eric’s bedroom.
As he tied Cassie up, he watched Lisa from the corner of his eye, trying not to smile as she seemed to be enjoying the fact it was Eric who was securing her. The boy was actually quite good at tying knots, and not as nervous as he had been earlier, as he laid both girls on the mattress and secured their ankles to the foot of the bed.
“Come with me,” he said as he led Eric and Linda to the master bedroom. “Both of you hold these now,” he said as he handed them the sponges, and taped their fists over.
“You can stay with your mother, or go to your older brother’s room,” he said to Eric. The boy nodded and looked at his mum, before saying “if Mum’s all right with it, I want to stay with her, keep her company.”
“I’d like that,” she said as Jay smiled.
“Very well then, turn and put your hands behind your backs,” he said, and he started to bind their wrists, and then their arms – around the stomach and upper chest for Eric, then above and below her chest for Linda.
“You were very good with the girls,” Linda said as they sat on the bed, and Jay bound their ankles and legs, pulling the skirt of her nightdress around her legs as he did so.
“Yeah – I didn’t want them to be scared like I was,” Eric admitted.
“And Lisa?”
Eric blushed as Jay stood up. “Time to be quiet,” he said, both of them nodding as he put the cloths in their mouths, then cleave and tape gagged them. Laying them on their sides on the bed, he put them both in a loose hogtie, before turning the light off and closing the door.
“Keep an eye on them,” he said to the associate as he looked in on Cassie and Lisa, smiling as she saw them sleeping.
“The other two are out as well,” Mrs McPhee said as she came in and looked at them.
“Good – let’s clear up downstairs,” he said as they walked out.
“Good – destroy the stick, and I’ll be in touch with payment in due course.”
“All done,” Mrs McPhee said as they stood up.
“It is – lights off and move out,” Jay said as they left the farmhouse, and drove off into the night. Dropping the associate at the car park, they then went to a lock up and drove in, Yvonne removing her mask as Mark closed the doors.
“Please God, never let that happen again,” she said as Mark pulled off his mask and rubbed his hair.
“Tell me about it, but we’ll need to go home instead of the hotel – we’ll just say we wanted our own beds,” Mark said as he dialled a number.
“Holderness-Carter?”
“Brian, it’s Mark. Mission accomplished.”
“And for yourself?”
“One million. I’ll make a substantial donation to war charities for my penance.”
“Believe me, you’ve done far more than that Mark. I’ll let my contacts know – and thank you. I know this could not have been easy.”
“You have no idea,” Mark said as he looked at Yvonne. “We’ll talk again in a few days.”
“Of course, and thanks again,” Brian said as the line went dead.
“Right, let’s go home,” Mark said, “and wait for the inevitable.”