xtc wrote:However, ENO are due to perform it, fully staged, early next year. I'll be there!
I came by the recording of Klinghoffer earlier this year and I've listened to it a couple of times. But I must admit, I found the solo portions somewhat... Tiresome hehe. The choruses are fantastic, the exiled Jews especially. But, I'm not sure I could deal with a fully staged performance. Anyway, back to the story!There was no telling how long they would need to argue before one of them came back to check on me. So I knew I had to start immediately and move fast. Chances were I would only get the chance to do this once.
I lifted myself off the rolling chair with my back and swept it aside, as quietly as I could, with my right foot. I crouched down and placed my back against the leg and pushed the desk. This was the dangerous part. If I pushed the desk too far it would topple with a loud crash and I would be screwed. On the other hand, if I didn’t push it far enough there would be no way I could slip my cuffed hands underneath it. I pushed, gently at first, then harder. The desk started lift. I tried to slip my hands underneath. The desk fell back to the floor. I set up and tried again. Still nothing. In fact, it took me four or five tries before I pushed the desk high enough. Then it occurred to me, I just had to slide down the tilted desk and slip my hands underneath. It worked.
Alright. Now, I dropped to the floor. Stretching my arms over my butt, slowly, gradually and somewhat painfully stretched my arms and my legs in a hellish aerobic bid to get my cuffed hands in front of me. It took a couple of painful minutes but I eventually succeeded. Thank God I took all that Pilates.
Now, more or less free I ripped the tape off my face and scurried around the office searching for the front door. Going back and down the main hallway from room to room, it became clear that the front door was right next to the boardroom. As quietly as I could, I snuck down the hallway toward the front door. My captor and his partner were still arguing in the boardroom. As I passed it was clear they were on the phone with their “clientâ€, asking him what to do next. I had to face up to the fact that he, quite probably, would want me dead.
Slipping past the boardroom door, I walked down the darkened corridor to the front door. I turned the handle and it spun, but the door refused to open. Much to my horror I noticed that they’d installed a heavy padlock about a foot above the handle, probably to keep from me leaving the office if I got loose.
Clever bastards! Now what?!
I slipped past the boardroom again and headed back to the office. I had to find a phone. If I could call 911 the cops could trace the call and come get me. But as I tore apart the room where I’d been cuffed to the desk, it became apparent that there were no phones in the room. Several phone jacks, but not phones. I went from one room to the next but there were none to be found. Finally I reached the last office and finally, a phone. I ran for it, put the receiver on the desk and dialed 911 with my cuffed hands. That done, I held the phone to my ear. There was no sound, no dial tone, no nothing. Only then did I notice that the cord had been ripped out of the wall. Again, probably for the sole reason that I couldn’t use it if I escaped my bonds.
“Shit!†I hissed.
Now what do I do? I couldn’t escape the office and I couldn’t call the cops. My captor would be coming out to check on me any second. As I stood there, in total panic, I noticed the computer that sat on the desk was still plugged in. Could it be?
I hit the start button and the machine whirred to life. The boot up was slow and shambolic; I guess it hadn’t been used in a while. The dust that covered its every surface and came blowing out the back seemed to confirm my suspicions. After a minute or two, I got the blue Windows XP log in screen. I was able to log into windows as a guest. Hoping against hope, I started up windows explorer. Never have I been so happy to see google!
But now, what do I do with it?
I noticed that a fair amount of time had passed since I’d first been grabbed around noon. In fact it was almost midnight. I knew it was a long shot but I had to get in touch with Chris. He could call the cops and tell them everything I knew. Without knowing what else to do, I logged onto facebook.
(Liz burst out laughing when she heard this. Chris, Hugh and Kate all shot her dirty looks)
Thank God, Chris was online. I knew he wouldn’t believe me, but somehow I had to convince him I was serious.
Chris: Hey Babe! Where’ve you been I called you like six times!
Kate: Chris… Listen very carefully.
Typing proved to be a challenge with my cuffed hands, but I figured out that if I held my hands parallel to each other, pulled the keyboard right to the edge of the desk and held the locks of the cuffs over the edge I could still type somewhat normally.
Chris: What is it?
Kate: Ok, this may sound like a joke, but please believe me, I’m totally serious.
Chris: What?
Kate: I’m totally serious ok?
Chris: Katie, what is going on?
Kate: I’ve been kidnapped.
Chris: Huh?
Chris: Do you mean Liz picked you up and forced you to go shopping again?
Kate: No! Listen! When I went to my accountant’s office today I got mistaken for some corporate bigwig’s daughter and I was kidnapped by one of his rivals. They pointed a gun in my face, chloroformed me, tied me up and only figured out when they called the guy I wasn’t actually his daughter.
Chris: Kate, sweetie, you’ve got to be shitting me here.
Kate: I’M NOT!!!!! For the love of God call the cops!
Chris: Ok, ok… If you’ve been kidnapped, how are you on the computer talking to me.
Kate: I’m in an office building downtown somewhere. After they figured out I wasn’t the actual daughter, I got loose, but the door is padlocked shut and there are no phones. They forgot about this computer.
Chris: Your really serious…
Kate: Goddammit Chris! I am still handcuffed right now while I’m writing this! Call the cops!
Chris: Ok. I’m trusting you.
Kate: Ok listen, this has something to do with a guy named Lee. His daughter’s name is Rosa Lee and his company is based out of my accountant’s building, metrotower 2 downtown. I’m pretty sure his partner or his second in command or somebody like that is behind this. I saw him leaning against the wall and calling someone on his cellphone as I got on the elevator. I got grabbed on my way down. Tell the cops to look for him.
Right on cue, I heard the boardroom door open down the hall.
Kate: they’re coming back
In a vain effort to cover my tracks I reached behind the computer and pulled out all the cords I could get my hands on. Hopefully they wouldn’t think to plug it back in if they found me in a different room.
I darted out the door, down the hall and hid in another office. I could hear them frantically searching the rooms. One by one they got closer until finally my captor entered my hiding place. He immediately saw me cowering behind the desk.
“Here she is.†He called out.
I looked down in defeat. Hoping to give him the impression I was as helpless as I looked.
“What do you think you’re doing?†He demanded.
I didn’t answer and looked meek. It seemed my tactic was working. He appeared to appreciate that if he were in my position he’d be doing the same thing. Without another word he took hold of my arm and dragged me out of the office. Unsurprisingly we headed straight back to the cupboard that I’d spent most of the day in.
Being somewhat disenfranchised with chairs, he threw the wooden chair I’d been sitting on out of the room and pushed me to the floor. Taking some of the white nylon rope he’d left on the ground earlier, he tied it around my feet horizontally and then cinched it vertically. He took the next piece and tied my wrists in much the same fashion above the handcuffs, which he took off as soon as the rope was secure. I wondered what he was thinking, considering rope wasn’t as secure as metal cuffs. But when he took a third piece of rope and tied my feet to my hands it became obvious. Putting someone into a hogtie with cuffs and rope is a recipe to kill nerves in the wrists. Apparently he still wanted to spare me.
Now in a tight hogtie on the ground, he recovered his role of duct tape and applied it back to my face. This time he wrapped it around my head at four or five times before he pulled it off the role.
“You should know†He said as he turned to leave. “Our client is going to decide what to do with you when he gets here. I don’t know what he’s going to say.â€
He shut the door behind him and left me on the floor of the closet, amid all the paper, boxes and other things I’d knocked off the shelves earlier. The hogtie he’d put me in was mercilessly tight, my outstretched fingers could easily brush the soles of my feet. I struggled desperately for a few minutes, but it did nothing to loosen my bindings. I decided to try and sleep and rested my head on a box. All I could do was pray that Chris had called the cops and told them what I knew.
I’d never been religious, but I decided to give it a try.
“God†I thought. “I know we’ve never really talked before. But, if you’re up there, I could really use a hand. Please help me get out of this alive ok?â€
Not long after I finally fell into a fitful sleep.
Some time later, how long it really was I have no idea, I heard the door opening. I decided to keep my eyes shut and act like I was sleeping. I heard three sets of footsteps. The “client†must have been with them. I could feel the weight of their collective stare as I lay there motionless.
“Well?†My captor asked him.
“We can’t kill her, at least not yet. She may be our only way out of this. Make sure the truck is ready to go though. If I have to get to Mexico I can dump her outside the city on my way.â€
With that they turned around and left the room. I was relieved they weren’t planning on killing me. But I could still be stuck here for a long time. With no better options I went back to sleep.
“GET HER OUT HERE! GET HER OUT HERE!†I heard the man scream.
I woke up again amidst a tremendous uproar. The men in the office were yelling and running around, as a loud engine hung just outside the office. My captor appeared and rapidly began untying my feet. Forgetting all about the connecting rope than still hung off my wrists, he pulled me to my feet and led me out into the office. A helicopter hung in the air outside the window, shining a bright spotlight into the office.
My captor delivered me to his “client†who immediately shoved his pistol into my head.
“You are ordered to lay down your weapons and surrender your hostage!†An authoritative voice called through a bullhorn on the helicopter.
The man replied by turning his gun toward the window and firing three shots at the helicopter. I flailed over, desperately trying to cover my ears and escape the roar of the gunshots. My bound hands made it difficult. The helicopter pulled up and away from the building.
“Let’s go!†The man called.
He pulled me along as he and his two minions stormed out of the office toward the front door. My captor’s partner opened the padlock on front door and opened it. As they dragged me down the unfamiliar hallway, the elevator door opened and a full swat team emerged, guns pointed and laser sights blazing.
The pistol was pushed against my head once again.
“Drop the gun!†One of the swat guys yelled. “The building is surrounded, there’s no way out!â€
“I’ve still got her don’t I?!†He yelled back.
“Drop the gun!â€
“You guys get back on the elevator and go downstairs or I’ll kill her!â€
The swat guys didn’t back off.
“Mr. Thompson†My captor said quietly. “They’ve got us.â€
“What the hell are you talking about? I’m giving you guys five seconds!â€
The swat guys slowly advanced.
“Five!†He cried as he pulled me in front of him.
“Four!â€
“Give it up!†The swat commander yelled.
“Three!â€
All of a sudden, from my right, my captor, the one who had kidnapped me in the first place jumped behind me and pushed the gun away from head. I instinctively dropped to the floor and rolled away. Deafening machine gun fire roared through the hallway. By the time I turned around, the client, the man who’d ordered my kidnapping lay on the ground, riddled with bullet holes.
My captor threw his gun to the ground and put his hands up. With a scowl his partner followed suit. The swat guys wasted no time in arresting them, while one came and helped me off the ground.
“Are you alright?†He asked with a gentle voice.
I nodded, with the glint of a tear hanging off my eye. As gently as he could he pulled the ring of duct tape off my mouth, trying his best not to pull my hair. Though it was unavoidable to some extent. When the tape was finally removed I gratefully took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. My swat trooper silently untied my hands and led me to the elevator.
On the street in front of the building sat an armada of police cars with lights flashing. A few uniformed officers ran up to me with a blanket that I gratefully accepted and hung over my shoulders. They led me to a nearby ambulance. But even as the paramedic did his routine check, I stared in wonderment at the army of people who had mobilized to come and rescue me. As I sat there, I finally saw that familiar buzz cut hair that Chris insisted on having. He ran right past the paramedic and grabbed me.
“Katie!†He exclaimed. “You’re ok!â€
“Yeah.†I replied quietly. “I’m fine.â€
Losing any sense of propriety he leaned in and kissed me for a good minute. I finally pulled away when I noticed a bunch of cops snickering at us.
“Was this all your doing?†I asked him.
“Kinda, yeah.†He replied sheepishly. “After I called the cops and reported you missing, the dispatcher told me about how Mr. Lee had received a ransom demand for his daughter Rosa. I managed to call him and guilted him into helping me. He knew immediately who the guys was and that he owned this empty office downtown. He even managed to convince them into sending that air cav unit.â€
“Air cav?â€
“That helicopter.â€
“Is he here?â€
“Yeah, he wanted to talk to you.â€
“Well, let’s go find him.â€
After thanking the paramedic, Chris held my hand as we started searching for Mr. Lee, the anonymous corporate fellow who’s daughter I’d been mistaken for. As we combed through the fleet of police cruisers and other cars, I saw my captor being loaded into the back of a nearby cruiser. I led Chris over to him.
“Hey.†I said to him.
He looked over to me.
“Thank you. You kidnapped me, but you also saved my life. I’ll make sure to tell them that in court.â€
He smiled as the car pulled away.
Not long after Chris and I managed to find Mr. Lee, sitting on the concrete steps of a nearby building, with his real daughter sitting next to him. He stood up and shook hands with both me and Chris.
“I’m so sorry about all this.†He said.
“Yes I’m sure you are.†I replied, somewhat sarcastically.
“I mean it. I feel somewhat responsible for what’s happened.â€
I wanted to blurt out “Because you are somewhat responsible!†But I managed to bite my tongue.
“I’d like you to have this.†He said, while handing me a small piece of paper.
I looked down in disbelief at what I was holding. A cheque for five hundred grand.
“Please take it.†He said.
It probably would’ve been the more ladylike thing to have refused and given it back. But, let’s face it, I’d been chloroformed, kidnapped, tied up, brutalized and had several firearms shoved in my face that day. I was in no mood for generosity. I took the money.
“C’mon Chris. I need a drink.†I said as we walked away.
There's a permanent tension in music isn't there? On one hand you have three chords, you know, four four and three chords. Then there's the people like me, who say "Well, why don't we add a fourth chord and put it in five four?" - Bill Bruford