37: All Dressed Up

Summary: In the midst of their GCSEs, the girl detectives and Richard are invited by Maddie, Jenn’s classmate to her family housewarming. All proceeds fine until the house lights go off.

“Jenn?”

Jenn looked up from her revision notes and books, seeing Maddie Ranson, her classmate standing next to her.

“Where are the other two girl detectives?” Maddie asked.

Jenn raised her eyebrows – despite being classmates for around four years, Maddie never spoke to her. Nevertheless,  Jenn spotted Chelle and Lin across the school library.

Taking the trio outside, Maddie started. “My father got our home redecorated and it looks like a new residence. I’m inviting all our classmates,” she gestured to Jenn. “Would you two also like to come?” She looked directly at the other girls.

“Maddie we’re in the midst of our…” Jenn countered.

“I know, I know. My parents know. However, it’s only an hour or so and dad has antiques from historical eras we’re studying for our history exam. Interested?”

Jenn gave a reluctant nod and Chelle said ok. Lin was not interested in history but did not want to leave her detective friends out.

“What about Mark? What Reinhard?” The 11B girls mentioned their boyfriends.

“Oh, sorry the guest list is full.” The girls pondered and still agreed on her invitation.

“Great, I’ll text you my home address. Oh, by the way, it’s a formal dress code. Dad has some VVIPs there. Hope you have evening gowns.” Maddie disappeared.

Gown?! Jenn cried silently. I don’t have any gowns. Why must it be an evening gown? Meanwhile, her detective colleagues started talking rapidly. “Oh, I’ve a maroon gown. Just have to ensure it’s not that dusty,” Chelle said.

“I’ve a dark purple strapless gown resting in my closet,” Lin added, “Wait, Jenn, something wrong?”

The shortest girl detective gave the reason. “I only have simple dresses. Even for events like relatives’ weddings, I wear dresses. Can’t I go in them.”

“Well, you will look out of place amongst your classmates. A gown doesn’t hurt. I know a not to expensive dress shop. Want to go shopping with me?”

Lin was the ladies fashion expert. Jenn took a moment then nodded.

As the girls returned to revision, the thoughts of Maddie’s invitation lingered in Jenn’s mind. After so long, Maddie finally talked to her and it was an invitation to her home. Why? She finished up her revision then took her school laptop outside the library. She searched Maddie’s name but only found her classmate’s social media accounts on the first page. Jenn then narrowed down the search to ‘Ranson’, Maddie’s surname. She scanned through the results and on the bottom of the first page she saw a Wikipedia and a House of Lords transparency link. Clicking on the later, her heart leapt, finding Lord Ranson of Eastbury. The text read that this Lord was the Second Earl of Eastbury, but he decided long ago not to publicly use those titles. “Edward Ranson inherited half of his father’s inheritance and he invested in that fortunate constructing museums housing family and collected antiques. Despite being a crossbencher in the House of Lords, he rarely sits and uses his own money  not government expenses to travel to London.” Jenn clicked on the Wikipedia article and saw the same information albeit without a picture. Wow, Jenn thought. Maddie’s father is wealthy then she spotted a pdf document on the search. It was a recent court case between Edward Ranson and his older brother the First Earl, Robert ‘Ranson. Many lines were redacted but the gist was it was a dispute over their father’s will.

At the shop, Jenn and Lin looked up at the gowns on display. “Can we focus on strapped gowns? I don’t want my bra straps to show,” Jenn requested.

“You can always wear a strapless bra or an adhesive bra,” Lin suggested but the answer from her friend’s look said it. There weren’t many gowns with shoulder straps, Jenn concentrated on the thick strap ones and there were only a red gown and a beige gown. The chest area of the red one was a little revealing in Jenn’s view so it was the latter.

“The slit here is rather long, will my pants show?” Jenn wondered meaning her knickers.

“It’s called a high slit. No, not unless you walk improperly or lift it up high,” Lin answered. Jenn thought then chose it. The gown on display naturally wasn’t Jenn’s size but after a hated measurement  of her small frame, another was produced. The sales assistant instructed her how to put it on and she rented it instead of purchasing it still hating the formal dress code.

After shopping, Jenn called all the teen detectives for a meeting They all told their parents they were revising and in their headquarters, Jenn summarised what she had discovered.

“Well,” Chelle remarked after scanning through that pdf document.” We have stumbled across a family dispute. It could turn out to be detective case.”

Jenn didn’t like that; she wanted a simple evening and rush back to revision.

“Are you sure it’s Maddie’s father? There could be other Mr Ranson’s,” Reinhard wondered.

“We’ll find out that evening,” was Chelle’s simple answer.

“It’s time for gadgets then,” Lin said opening a nearby drawer.’

“Wait, you invented gadgets with GCSEs going on?” Mark asked.

“Made last year.” She smiled at her boyfriend. They look like Smartie Tubes? First brown one, ‘The Crackling.’ Throw the ‘Smarties’ on any surface and they will blend with the colour. Anyone stepping on them will created a large crackling noise, notifying you to move if needed. Second black tube, ‘Glow in the Dark’. Throw them again on any surface and they’ll glow in darkened areas. You will need these special glasses to view the glow.” She handed over three transparent glasses to Chelle, Jenn and Richard. “Very useful when you find yourself in low-light or very dark areas. Now just do not eat these fake Smarties. It will cause a person to vomit or give him or her a bad stomach ache instantly.”

Jenn kept them still hoping it wouldn’t turn out into an adventure or case. “Next, could you girls hand your purses, hope you’ll be using these that evening.”

She produced three microchip-like items and attached one to the inside her purse. Pressing on side of the attached device, it emitted a continuous shriek until she pressed that part. “The shriek can be changed to a cry ‘I’m stolen!’ if you press the bottom of the chip or ‘Help me!’ if you press the other side. Great if the purse may be stolen or you’re in danger.”

“Do I get that?” Richard asked.

“Well, I’ve not invented that many of this device.”

Then evening before the housewarming, Jenn finished up her revision then look at the dress lying on her bed. Grudgingly, she put in on and got right the second try, also remembering to wear knickers that won’t sow a visible panty line. She re-watched a YouTube video how to walk properly in a gown and how to lift in when going to the loo. She searched her range of footwear and found a pair that nearly matched the colour of her gown. Her mother told her not to stay too late and Jenn promised not to.

Mark and Reinhard despite not invited decided to watch the guests arriving. They found an eatery opposite Maddie’s place. “Wow, and I thought Lin’s house was large and majestic. This is grandiose, a place fit for a king.”

“You’ll score well in your GCSE English mate,” Mark remarked. “Definitely a symbol of wealth here.”

Reinhard prepared the telescope his girlfriend invented and just as it was set up the first guests arrived. They were all dressed in suits and dresses, giving the image of upper-class individuals. Reinhard now believed the mansion was quite definitely the home of an aristocrat.

“Here comes the students,” Mark noted. Maddie’s classmates were all in suits and gowns like the upper-class guests. As a taxi pulled up, Reinhard peered close through the scope. Chelle was the first to step out in her maroon thin strap gown and one-inch heels. Next came out Lin in her purple strapless gown, hair let down walking in heels half an inch taller than Chelle’s.

“Close your mouth boy,” Mark advised his classmate whose mouth was wide open. “It isn’t prom yet.”

Jenn gingerly came out last, holding the sides of her rented gown and wearing white flats. Inside, they were all greeted by the majordomo. If the exterior was rand, the interior was majestic, with decor from medieval and medieval modern times. Her father is definitely the Second Earl and a member of the House of Lords, Jenn thought. She spotted trays of food and putting those thoughts aside she headed there. As she picked up an open-faced chicken sandwich, Richard’s voice boomed behind her.

“Beautiful gown, Jenn.” He was wearing an all-blue suit with a blue tie that had yellow diagonal stripes.

“Thanks Richard, only if you aren’t wearing it. Want to leave by next hour?”

She’ll never get used to wearing anything but jeans and trousers, he nearly shook his head. “Alright, we’ll share a taxi.”

Just as she picked up a fruit juice, another voice boomed. Jenn spotted a man in a suit and bow tie, exactly like the picture in the House of Lords transparency website.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all, especially students taking their GCSEs,” how kind of him, Jenn thought dryly. “Welcome to the Ranson housewarming. It’s the same residence however, we renovated and redecorated much. As you also can see, there are antiques on display, many my team collected. They will shortly be moved to our various museums. Feel free to look around and ask me or my family members any queries.”

Chelle took a walk to see the various exhibits. Lin, totally uninterested in antiques, started talking to some of her science club members. Jenn finished her drink and sandwich then spied Maddie across the room, wearing a sky-blue strapless gown. “Nice place,” She started then slowly asked if Maddie’s father was an Earl and member of the House of Lords.

“You checked upon me yes to your queries. My may hold those titles, but as you discovered he just calls himself ‘Mister.’ My family is ultra-wealthy, I can’t hide that but I never wanted to be part of it. I work odd jobs, never wish for my father’s inheritance. I…”

“You’ve never talked to me then suddenly I’m invited into your home along with the other girl detectives. Why?”

“Well, I… hey are you interested in that rifle?”

“I may not be a military fanatic but it from the First World War? We studied that in history class.” Jenn asked.

“Yes, it’s my great great grandfather or uncle – not sure which – rifle. Usually, rifles aren’t kept by soldiers but he fought with distinction using so the army let him use it. Amongst the items on display here it is the most expensive.”

“So, I was asking…” Before Jenn could complete her sentence, she felt dizzy, her mind turned blank and the mansion lights turned off.

When she awoke, Jenn only saw a darkness. Slowly, she regained full consciousness. She quickly realised the darkness was not due to any blindness but a blindness dark piece of cloth wrapped around her head. I’m blindfolded! Jenn also felt an adhesive stuck on her lips and her wrists were secured behind her back with ropes. Her wrist bonds were further secured with rope tied around her waist. More ropes were tied around her ankles. Bound, gagged and blindfolded, what a way to spend an evening.

Just as she started to struggle, a human arm touched her. “Jemm, ist thatm um?”

“Maddiemm?” Jenn replied and shifted further. She moved her arms and felt the knots of her classmate’s wrist bonds and started tugging at them. Getting the cue, Maddie also felt and found Jenn’s wrist bonds and tugged at the knots. After a minute they faced each other’s back-to-back, working on the knots. The two teenaged girls worked furiously at their knots. After eight sweaty minutes, Maddie’s knots came free first and Jenn heard a ripping sound.  “Thanks Jenn!” Maddie called then fingers then peeled off Jenn’s tape gag and quickly pulled down her blindfold.

“It’s great to see and talk again. Do work on wrists bonds again, Maddie.” It took around three minutes before Jenn’s hands were free. Both girls picked at the knots on their ankle bonds and quickly they could fully move. “But where are we?” Maddie asked, Jenn noticing there was no blindfold around her neck.

In the mansion, there lots of calls and cries from guests and some staff when the whole place plunged into darkness. As Mr Ranson tried to keep calm, servants scurried to gather flashlights, while the majordomo rushing to check the circuit breakers. After fifteen minutes and three checks, the circuit breakers appeared fine. Just as the majordomo felt really frustrated, the lights return.

“Where’s Madeline?” Mrs Ranson called across the room.

“Where’s Jenn?” Chelle called.

“What happened to some of our antiques?!”

“Bell, could you handle this missing person’s case from the Ranson family? I’ve still have to write up the report on the drug case we solved.” Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Nikki Heath called.

“Sure thing Boss,” Detective Sergeant (DS) Bluebell Ransom responded. She preferred to be called this shortened name as opposed to her first name. Police Constables (PC) had already congregated when she arrived. She instructed some PCs to cover all exits, others to cover the grounds and brought in a few with her. Blubell was glad Mr Ranson was wise to prevent anyone from leaving. As DS Ransom announced that everyone would be questioned, there were groans from the students taking their GCSEs.

Jenn and Maddie saw their surroundings were all pitch-black. The girl detective searched around and was glad she found both her purse and Maddie’s. Everything was inside but there was no phone signal and as she checked her phone Maddie tapped her arm.

“I think we’re in an underground bunker dating back to the World Wars. It was an air raid shelter then an ammunition storage facility.”

“Well, whatever. Let’s find a way out of here.”

Jenn shone her phone around, finding that they were in a small chamber and there was only one tunnel to her left. Advising Maddie to dim her phone torchlight, she got on her knees and elbows, leading the way. It initially was wide for them but narrowed quickly, however, Jenn was thankful for her small frame. As she crawled further, she saw a light at the end of the tunnel and quickly whispered to Maddie to halt. Jenn inched closer to discover if it was a way out or if it was danger. There was a large chamber below her with figures huddling around crates. Suddenly, she heard voices then saw dark figures moving items. All of a sudden, a figure rose up, stared at her direction and shouted.

“Back! Go back, Mads!” Maddie crawled back but was not used be on all fours moving back. Her left heel then struck part the tunnel’s wall and the shouts grew louder. Jenn then collided with Maddie and a dark-clothed and masked figure appeared and grabbed Miss Ranson’s ankle.

“Got free eh, birds?”

DS Ransom finished interviewing Mr and Mrs Ranson and the household staff. With the with the assistance of a senior PC, started questioning the quests. She understood the students were sitting for exams, so allowed them to go home after interviewing them and taking their contact details. “I saw Jenn talking to Maddie over that corner near an antique.,” Richard said in his statement recalling from photographic memory. Another few guests also mention feeling sleepy. “Get Forensic scene investigators (FSI) here immediately!” DS Ransom told the PC.

Jenn and Maddie were dragged by masked men through the tunnel then leftwards through another shorter tunnel into a larger chamber than where the girls started. Both girls were forced down and instead of ropes, the girls’ wrists and ankles were secured with cables ties and taped gagged again. As one flipped Jenn over, her gown flared up, exposing her beige knickers and a gagged cry.

“Add more boss?” One thug asked while the girls gave muffled cries.

“Nah, go back and secure the antiques.”

The FSIs after testing the various guests, reported that the guests had inhaled some form of sleeping gas and another trio noted that there were marks on the floor and wall where the rifle antique was and the girls were standing. Acquiring a knife and a crowbar, she and two other PCs pried around that area and finally, traps doors opened, a smaller one in the wall and a larger one where the antique was. DS Ransom ordered her PCs to search the wall tunnel while she entered the floor tunnel.

Jenn wished she had her other gadgets as being bound with cable ties was far harder to get out than ropes. She tried the old trick of twisting her arms from back to her font but with her restrained ankles, she only got aching muscles. Meanwhile, Maddie kicked off her heels and using her hands, she drew out an object from one and used it to cut off her ankle bonds. Managing to draw her restrained hands in front, she reached over and cut off Jenn’s restraints.

“Wow, thanks Maddie,” Jenn remarked as she tore off her gag and removed all restraints from restraints her classmate. “Did you make this gadget?”

“Just an old razor blade I carry for self-protection. Came in useful. Looks like another chamber in this bunker.”

“Let’s find a way out.” Jenn pushed at the ‘panel’ they were brought in and thankfully it wasn’t sealed. She scanned the tunnel for any thugs, then grateful her purse and phone weren’t stolen, gingerly crawled out. As she did, she threw some of the ‘glow in the dark smarties’ on the floor.

Bluebell Ransom discovered a labyrinth of large and small tunnels as she descended. She wasn’t as small as the teenagers so she found difficulty moving through it and after finding two tunnels, she picked the one to her right. Jenn had led the way back to the large chamber she saw earlier. There was a ladder and they discovered there were no more crates as Jenn spotted earlier. “They said ‘antiques’, it’s a good guess that they stole my dad’s antiques,” Maddie remarked.

“Which means there’s some tunnel large enough to carry them. Could you check that section?” Jenn asked.

“There’s so tunnel, but it pretty high up and narrow,” On the other hand, Jenn found an easily-opened tunnel within reach and in her view, wide enough for them or a large to bring up items. Jenn climbed in first, then helped Maddie up. There was a long ladder and even in a gown and heels, the girls could easily climb. It appeared four levels up and the girls managed up to three levels. Meanwhile, DS Ransom found a small chamber with pieces of rope and packing tape on the floor. Moving through another tunnel, she turned to find another small chamber.

“Come on, Maddie, it looks like just on more level,” Jenn called. Jenn saw there was some man hole and unscrewing it appeared with all her might, it opened after three turns and Jenn felt a rush of cold wind as she peered up. No one else looked present so both girls came up. “This looks like my back garden,” Maddie remarked, brushing her gown.

“And these rightfully belong to me,” a loud voice said.

“Uncle Rob?” Maddie exclaimed. As the dark figure moved closer, both girls were grabbed from behind and hand gagged. One henchman snatched Jenn’s purse and emptied one ‘Smartie Tube’.

“Police! Release those girls!” A female voice yelled and a PC appeared shining her flashlight.

“Oh, how you going to stop us? My men are armed.” All the men raised submachine guns and handguns at her and her approaching colleagues. With the PCs unarmed, there was no way they could argue. Suddenly, the thug holding Jenn held his stomach, releasing her and started to vomit. Suddenly, taser shots rang out and the henchmen all collapsed on the ground.

“You’re under arrest for attempted kidnapping and stealing personal property,” DS Ransom announced as she handcuffed the first. Earl of Eastbury.

“Horrible uncle,” Maddie remarked as the girls sat in the open ambulance.

Jenn returned to the question why she, Chelle and Lin were suddenly invited to Maddie’s house.

“You win. I long suspected there were many attempts to steal Dad’s antiques. Besides the court case you read, there have been break-ins recently. I wanted you three girl detectives to spot anything peculiar here.”

“You could have told us that earlier!”

Maddie admitted her mistake and said inviting her class was the cover story. She promised to speak to Jenn and keep no further secrets from her. DS Ransom, noting it was late, told them she would clear the matter after their GCSEs. Jenn gratefully rushed back home, took off the gown and returned to revision.

Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark, Reinhard and Richard will return in ‘Missing in Action’.

25: Racist Rabbles

Summary:

An extreme racist political party is targeting all non-whites, and Lin and her family caught in the middle. The team naturally tries to uncover the true mastermind behind these actions.

Note: This story is entirely fictional.

Adult Bondage scene but performed on an adult.

“Come on Reinhard, come on!” Lin Ling called. The two of them were practicing running the 2.4 km length for the annual BnB competition, formerly known as QuizWhizz. The pair were missing a third member but they were hoping to find one especially a student who was an expert in humanities and current affairs.

The shorter teen detective finally caught with her and asked if they could pause. “It’s just another 200 metres. I’ll match your pace,” She called. True enough, she slowed her pace to match and they completed their practice ending near the town centre.

“12:20,” Lin read out the time on her stopwatch on her wrist. She assumed if she ran at her own time, she would have made it at 11:00 or around 12:00 minutes.

“Thanks for helping me. Gosh, I’ve never ran that far before,” Reinhard remarked after taking a long drink of water. They had hidden their bottles of water and towels in Lin’s special locked box that would emit a smell if anyone else tampered it. “It’s a great relief. The more you run, the more relaxed you become. I’m sure you’ll meet the running timings shortly.” As they drank and towelled off, they further discussed running and the upcoming quiz. As he talked, he kept his eyes on Lin’s outfit. She wore black running shorts and a purple Nike tank top. Her Y-shaped black sports bra was visible as the top straps ran across her shoulders and other straps came just below her armpits. The Jamaican-German boy found girls wearing sports bras fascinating. He had read that sports bra’s minimise the size of a woman’s breasts. In Lin’s case, this didn’t appear so and in his view her sports bra enhanced her beauty.

The pair continued chatting and Reinhard continued thinking. I really could be close to this girl. We share the same interests in all science subjects and we shared the love for international cuisine. She’s such a brave girl when captured and bound and gagged and knows martial arts. The challenges he mused, was that she was at least 5 cm taller him, smarter than him in most other subjects and faster than him in the sports they participated together. Lin, while wiping off sweat was also in thought. This is a guy I really like. He’s one of the few who knows all sciences extremely well, has great ideas at the science club, helped the team’s build gadgets. He’s also the one removing my restraints and gags lately.

“Let’s head to our homes. I need a good…” Before Lin could finish her sentence, they heard a cry, the bang then a group of men with shaved heads appeared and started chanting.

“One, Two, Three, Four, we own this place!

Five, Six, Seven, Eight get lost other race!

Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, white people first!”

The men repeated their chant twice much louder then, some broke away and vandalise a nearby Indian convenience store with red paint. “Hey!” Lin shouted and was about to run over to address them but the shorter teen held her arm and remark, “Let’s leave, they’re racist peeps.”

After both showered quickly at their respective homes, they caught up with Michelle and her Welsh boyfriend Mark in their detective headquarters, a rented caravan. Coincidentally, those two were reading the news on their phones. After reading about Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, the group of them caught up the local news. “A new extreme right-wing party has arisen in the West Midlands has risen up. Their single policy is that only white people, British-born whites can have access to housing, education, the NHS and other social services. They…”

“What the hell,” Lin remarked as she muted the video on her phone. “I never thought the UK political sphere would suddenly be so against minorities. My family moved here thinking there won’t be any racial discrimination.” Reinhard murmured ‘agree’ in response but was more focus on what the East Asian girl was wearing. Lin had sleeveless purple top on with thin black bra straps poking out. She wore a checkered unbutton jacket over it and a knee-length jeans skirt without any hosiery despite the temperature getting colder. This girl really picks clothing to enhance her looks. With all her smartness, her talents in sports and bravery in any danger and her beauty would she accept if I asked her out?

Reinhard’s thoughts were interrupted as Chelle finished watching the news clip and spoke up.

“The party’s called the White Shirts, how dull. The leader’s name is Barry Whitman and he’s gaining more followers daily and turning local councillors and MPs to this party.” Lin swore in Cantonese in response.

“And I thought the BNP was terrible party,” her boyfriend added.

“Sorry I had other activities,” Jennifer Thompson announced as she entered and the others applauded the heroine of the school hostage taking. She was quickly updated. “Racist party. Ok, what’s the actual investigation?”

“You got a point. But their activities spread, we may start digging. The party sounds more like a gang and we’ve handled gangs before.” Jenn silently cringed remembering how the school bullies group restrained her and looked up her skirt.

The detectives discussed the news then broken up with Jenn heading to the bus stop. Reinhard on the other hand, corner his taller classmate and asked him how he came to date Chelle. Mark gave a quick summary how Chelle collided into him and the dinner date. “Why do you ask?”

Trembling a bit, Reinhard blurted out he wanted Lin as his girlfriend. Unexpectedly, Mark didn’t laugh but instead asked his friend why and what he felt about Lin. After providing answers the shorter boy himself exaggerated, Mark then gave his classmate some general advice especially not to rush it. “The time to ask will come at a time you won’t expect.”

Lin, heading back home was incidentally thinking about asking Reinhard out. She again thought of what they had in common then pictured him in her mind. He’s not skinny; he’s muscular. His height isn’t a problem but that might be an issue when I ask him. He may also prefer some guy closer to his ethnicity such as a Jamaican or German girl.

Lin was lost in thought when she spotted graffiti on the wall next to the main door. CHINKS GET LOST!!!! Spotting that the door knob broken, Lin prepared herself in a Taekwondo stance and eased open the door. “Ma? Ma!!!” Lin’s mother was struggling on the dining room floor hogtied with coarse rope. Another round of rope secured her elbows and a cloth gag. Her dress was yanked up to her waist, revealing red knickers. Lin quickly checked if any intruders were around then rushed over, undoing the gag first. As the cloth was removed, Pearlyn Chan spat out something from her mouth and it turned out to be another pair of her knickers.

“I’m sorry for your ordeal Mrs. Chan,” Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Nicola Heath replied after taking Pearlyn’s statement. Three masked men with hoods had surprised just as she returned home, mocked her looks, trussed her up and smashed some antiques and furniture. Thankfully, nothing was stolen and the knickers stuffed in her mouth was clean. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. With your permission, I’ll have an officer guarding your residence.” Pearlyn, simply nodded. “Lin? I’ll have the…”

“I don’t think a police officer shadowing me will work, Nikki. Just get this White Shirts nonsense gone.” Nikki didn’t think the new political group was responsible but just gathered the forensic team and left. The news of the anti-BAME party spread across the towns and cities, shocking all citizens alike. It undoubtedly was a topic of conversation amongst the students at Croonford school. “Racists. We’ve already been taken hostage by fanatics,” Harriet Coy, a classmate of Chelle remarked. She silently shuddered as one of the terrorists peeked at her while she was peeing into the toilet.

“They haven’t spread here,” Bethan Morgan added.

“I don’t want to. My family has seen civil war and conflict between ethnic groups,” Julia Humes, a black student whose parents came Uganda. Lin, hugged her classmate. They understood each other very well when it came to harassment over their ethnicity. Case in point came when Art Morton, a former school bully came by and made lewd comments about Julia’s hair. Lin’s glare and her arms quickly scared him away. Everything seemed normal across the school week until Lin received a WhatsApp message that her father’s car was vandalised with the same words written on the windscreen.

“That’s it! This means war!” She declared to the detectives minus Jenn who gathered outside the school gates. “No one attacks my family, no one attacks the Chinese Diaspora in the UK.”

Reinhard wasn’t clear on the word diaspora, instead responded saying no ethnic group should be harassed. He got a pat on his back from her in response. “So, what can we do?” Mark wondered. “This isn’t a simple local gang.”

“We can still look up the leader, come on,” Chelle yanked her boyfriend’s arm.

“So, what do…?”

“Can I see the graffiti?” Lin was curious why and stated her dad was still at work so brought him to her house where the graffiti still remained. “I know that smell but I just recall where,” Reinhard remarked. “This is my portable forensic kit,” he held up some rectangular box still wrapped in plastic. “Got it rather cheap on eBay.”

He received a light hug from her, causing him to tremble silently. Instead of travelling to their hideout, Lin let him work in her home. As Reinhard started working on the kit and his remaining homework, he glanced around the room. He had been at her place before for dinner and study but this time it appeared so majestic compared to his residence. She may reject me due to difference in our social classes. His thoughts were broken up 10 minutes into his forensic work with an update from Chelle and Mark.

“There isn’t much on social media or Google on Barry Whitman but after much digging, we found that his grandfather owns a spray paint shop…”

“That’s it!!! Reinhard interrupted Chelle. “I remember the shop that sold an assortment of paint, it had a distinctive smell that last longer than usual paint.” Mark provided the address even though his classmate knew it. All however, took time to fix a time when they could go there, especially Jenn who was walking.

“Hello Jenn,” the lanky guy greeted as he stood up for her. “I hope this meeting can last longer than the previous ones.”

“Do you want to gloat how many your team beat mine in debate competitions? Or how you’re ranked as top debater when I was in the lead?”

“Definitely not gloating. Tea for two? We can discuss the art of debating and other topics.” Sure enough, Jenn found the discussion not aggressive or arrogant. Midway through she somehow found her asking, “Richard, how do you debate just by looking at one card for less than a minute and present your argument so fluently?”

“I’ve got an Eidetic memory,” he noticed her raised eyes. “Commonly known as Photographic Memory though not exactly the same.”

“Oh,” was her reply. Jenn was silently scolding herself for not recognising the term immediately. Not exactly knowing how to test such a person, she pointed to parts of the cafe, asked him to close his eyes and recall the scene. She entered numbers on her phone’s notepad and similarly asked him minutes later and all answers were precise. “Either you’re a greater liar or really have such a magic skill.”

Richard smiled then suddenly asked if she was part of that Croonford Detectives group. “Our reputation has always preceded us,” she replied though not condescendingly. “Why, you want me to recount our activities? They are practically all over the news.”

“Actually, I…” His reply was cut off by a series of text messages on Jenn’s phone. “I have to leave. Can I catch up with you later?” Jenn threw some money for her tea but he paid. It was the first time a guy paid for her drink.

The five teen detectives reached the paint shop outside Croonford in the late afternoon. “Well, the clientele has certainly changed,” the elderly shop owner remarked.

Lin was about to start but Chelle held her arm and asked about sales of spray paint and Reinhard held up a sample of the paint spray on Lin’s home.

“Yeah, we sell that sort paint.” In response to Chelle’s queries about harassment and attacks against minority groups. “I’m not political. I sell pain to improve infrastructure. Now, are you buying anything?”

As the detectives exited, a man whom was also inside walked up to them and introduced himself as a journalist for Croonford Independent.

“We’ve no time to…” Lin started but Chelle recalled his articles praising their work. “Did you check out the owner carefully? I did. He’s definitely has Arabic features, perhaps even Indian.”

Lin thought a while and said, “So much for his grandson hating non-white people,” she shook her head.

“I’ll be writing up on the evening news. Sure, it’ll have great impact on the White Shirts.”

The break news indeed reduced support for this new extremist group. As Reinhard was trying to write an English essay, Lin sent him a WhatsApp message.

Free to catch tomorrow for breakfast?

Ok where? He typed. She named an outlet he wasn’t familiar with. I’ve got extra English classes, he typed and they set brunch meeting instead. What does she want to talk about? Should I confess I love her then?

Lin actually spotted an image in the shop. It was half a zig zag, almost like half a swastika. She had caught a glimpse of it on a paper on the desk as the shop keeper showed the set of spray paint. She had searched online and found it was the symbol of a rather new investment firm nearby. There was not much about it on its website or any new site but pictures showed that staff dressed in formal business wear. Lin, a fashion guru managed dug up one of the two business suits she owned.

It’s probably nothing to worry about one voice told her but she still had a lingering feeling the symbol meant something. There was no security at the front causing Lin to frown. Just as she pondered whether to turn back or explore any further way in, a lady appeared with a name tag reading Priscilla Hawkins.

She was dressed in a black trouser suit over a peach blouse. The high heels she wore accentuated her height, several centimetres taller than Lin. Long, rather mousy hair straggled around her shoulders. She held a clipboard. She extended her free hand to Lin. They exchanged greetings.

“So pleased that you’re interested in Weirs Investment, Miss Chan,” the lady responded introducing herself as the Deputy Human Affairs Director. Lin had lied to see if she could work part time at their company.

Lin, wished to know more about symbol, instead asked if she could be shown around.

“What would you like to see first?” Lin was escorted into the fastest moving lift ever and entered a small office area.” As you see …” Hawkins waved a hand expansively, “we have a small permeant staff; all our operations can be performed by them.” Lin greeted but no one responded and the curious fact was that everyone was Caucasian.

Before Lin could ask anything, Ms Hawkins led the way further in, through narrow office cubicles. Lin despite having worn high heels many times, didn’t like walking through the narrow space and furthermore uneven ground. Hawkins had brought her to one side of the office area with none of the staff now in earshot.

Suddenly a uniformed man who towered over Lin approached.

“This is Jake Bottomly, our security guard,”

“I was wondering why there was no security at the front desk,” Lin remarked and was ready to ask about the symbol.

“Oh yes. You’ve no idea how tough it in this working world. There’re spies everywhere, industrial sabotage and so on.”

“I suppose you’ll check on me then,” Lin remarked then wondering why she said that.

“Naturellement! One can’t be too careful. That’s why Jake’s here.” Lin was about shift away but the taller and burly guard was faster, grabbing her with on arm the other, hand gagging her. Simultaneously, Hawkins extracted a small tablet from his jacket.

“Ah, should have kept up with the news. Chan Lin Ling, so-called teen detective and science geek or gadget maker. Well, none of your little children toys will help you. You want to know what the symbol means? You’re gone Chink.” Lin spat into the guard’s hand but it was gloved and next felt a throbbing headache and fell into Jake’s arms.

Lin may not have struggled much or had the time to pull out any gadget, but while talking to Hawkins she did reach into her skirt and tape one symbol a * to a the most recent contact in her phone.

Reinhard always hated his extra English classes as he would disagree with the teacher’s over essay writing structure. This time however, the teacher had changed and let the class off at 10:50 am. It was then he caught the single * from Lin.

Lin, are you at the outlet? He typed in response to the text message, finding it strange she didn’t use WhatsApp. He typed the same message both through text and WhatsApp and failed to receive a double tick for the latter.

“Look, the Chink sent a text message,” Jake showed Lin’s phone to his colleague not boss, after checking the unconscious teen for her gadgets.

“We turned on the mobile phone blocker late. Never mind, we’ll have no trouble from her friends – get the transport ready and make sure she does look so smart.”

Not receiving any messages from his friend, Reinhard headed to the outlet, thinking Lin’s phone was damaged or the mobile phone signals were strong where she was. With the buses running late, he reached the small food outlet at 11:09 am, sweating. Even at brunch time, there however weren’t many customers so he waited ordering only a glass of water. 10 minutes later, He got up described Lin to the proprietor, asking if she entered the place earlier.

“No mate.”

“Oh, I did see a girl like that. Was on the 94 bus with early today,” the waitress fixing the coffee called. Upon further query, he learnt where Lin alighted then quickly paid for the water and rushed out, just hearing, “she’s too tall for you mate!”

Reinhard reached that bus stop and found himself near the north-western edge of Croonford. “Lin, are you there?” He called on his phone then saw the battery signal was down to 61%. Cursing, he then remembered the tracker she built. There was no signal initially but just as he moved a few metres, a weak signal from Lin came fifty metres ahead.

Reinhard ran like he never did before and the signal was the strongest in front of a building that simply said for environmental waste. With no contact via phone, text or WhatsApp, he drew out his wallet. The girls had earrings where Lin install minature radios but for the guys, they had to place the radios elsewhere and in Reinhard’s case, he kept in his wallet.

“Lin?” He radioed twice, then held his wallet against his ear. Nearly a minute later, he heard faint breathing.

“Lin, I’ll coming stay strong.” With no clear entrance in sight and the fences strung with barb wire, ‘I’m coming’ wouldn’t be easily fulfilled but suddenly the ground beneath him opened an he fell. It wasn’t a long fall but a little painful landing. Finding himself in a cliche dark chamber, he dug in his jean pockets and manage to find the pen torchlight.

“Oh my gosh!” Lin was restrained to a chair with shiny black duct tape was wound around her lips and head. Her business blazer was removed and her blouse was cut open revealing a black bra with the left strap hanging on her arm. Her bare legs were restrained to the chair’s legs with cable ties and her business skirt slashed with her purple knickers slightly visible.

“Hang on! He cried but the light from the invented torchlight was dim. Finally, he found the edge of the tape and undid the tape in one and a half minutes. Noticing her eyes were closed, he patted her cheeks while calling her name.

“I’m…here,” She coughed. “I don’t suppose you have any water with you, do you?” He shook his head.

“Never mind. Help me get free.” Reinhard used the laser pen to free her legs first then had to shine the light to find the edges of the tape wrapped around her torso. “What the hell!” He exclaimed seeing the words CHINK GO HOME written across her stomach.

Lin herself swore. Just as he tried to shine the laser on her wrist bonds, nothing came out.

“Scheiße!”He swore in German.

“Do you have the penknife?” He shook his head.

“Never mind,” she replied getting up unsteadily. She manged to bring her arms from behind to her front and twisting her bound wrists, she managed to button the only buttons left on her damaged blouse, covering what modesty she had left.

“Which…ow! Headache. Which way out?” Just as Reinhard tried to reach the tube he fell through, two metal doors at the sides swung inward and there was a distinct locking sound.

“What the?”

Lin quickly explained where she was earlier and what happened.

Swearing again, he searched around for another way out with Lin rubbing her head with her hands. Suddenly there was an enormous explosion outside, throwing Reinhard on top of Lin.

“Ow!” They both exclaimed. “Sorry,” he said.

“Apologies came come later,” she replied. “Can you get off me?” It was then he realised his face was on her partly-exposed breasts. He muttered ‘sorry’ again but as just as he did so, they both felt water against their footwear.

“They’re flooding us!” He cried, pushing against the nearest wall. The water rose fast, now reaching past their ankles. Lin, despite hating to leave her branded heels, kicked them away and also pressing against another wall, both now frantic.

“Got a loose panel!” He called, but just as he tried to pull the part of the wall, he slipped and dropped down into the rising water.

Lin screamed and taking a deep breath, she dived into the flood. She was an experienced swimmer but it was a challenge with her wrists still bound and her body feeling weak from whatever drug they gave her or stun weapon they applied. Kicking with her free legs, she headed to Reinhard who had slumped to the floor. Was he unconscious? Lin couldn’t lift him normally but still with all her strength yanked him up by lifting his right armpit.

“Breathe, come on breathe!” She called and indeed he did, spurting out water.

“I thought I was going to die.”

“Don’t you dare think that. Where’s that loose section?”

They both work their fingers and as they did so they took glances at each other. For Reinhard, it was a strange sensation, a small part of his mind wondered about all the cases and activities they’ve gone through. He now appeared could feel her mental and physical strain – or was it his own? In one way, it was perhaps the strain of the morning studies, the rush to that outlet and the dash to this unknown location. But in another way, it was something completely new, like nothing he’d ever experienced before. As he tried to widen the panel, the feeling changed. It wasn’t frightening or embarrassing as he might have expected; instead, something completely exhilarating. ever before had she experienced such a depth and closeness to another person, a person who definitely understood him. Never had he known such a friendship could exist.

Lin herself was also deep in thought. After pulling him out of the water, she suddenly and totally knew all about Reinhard Tomas. Everything about him: his likes and fears, his successes and failures, his strengths and weaknesses, what he liked and his deepest and most private sorrows. She saw into his innermost spirit, to the depths of his heart, to the very core of his being. Never before had she realised how badly she wanted such a relationship.

“It still not moving!” He wailed.

“Don’t give up. You came all the way for me.”

“Actually, it was your idea for a meet-up. What was the plan?”

There was a short pause. “Reinhard, will you be my boyfriend?”

With the water rising up beyond their upper torsos, it might be the weirdest time for a proposal ever. “You mean if we get out of here alive?”

She still didn’t like negative tone. “I mean regardless.”

Under other circumstances, he would have peppered her with many questions. Instead, he smiled in the darkness and replied, “Yes…yes I will.”

Just then, the panel they were pulling came free. Reinhard’s elation was dampened by the size of the shaft revealed.

“It’s better than nothing,” Lin remarked.

“Can you hands manage?” She attempted to lift herself inside but couldn’t and without a word, he helped lift his new girlfriend in. It was indeed a painful crawl for Lin with her wrists bound but with water behind her, she made no complaint. The was some sort of door at the end and despite feeling lethargic, Lin pushed and it swung open.

That was by fair not the end of their peril as dark-clothed figure approached them. “Shouldn’t have drown you first Chink,” Jake Bottomly growled, raising a semi-automatic at them. Reinhard shivered but there was the sound of a ‘click’ and the racist man collapsed.

“Always just in time,” DCI Heath remarked, holstering her TASER X26e.

“How’d you find us?” Reinhard exclaimed then saw the waitress from the food outlet waving.

This whole issue took the longest time to conclude. This shadowy firm that Lin found was a front for providing funding for the anti-minorities political party. That party was quickly dissolved although the anti-minority mindset lingered. Priscilla Hawkins and Jakes Bottomly were slapped were dozens of charges beside hate crimes but they set up an army of lawyers to defend them, calling Lin as an opposing witness. After a long legal battle, the pair were locked up for decades in separate HM prisons with no internet access as well as slapped with a lawsuit from Lin’s father. The symbol was really half a Swatika and the pair expected someone to notice.

“Am thankful for Papa winning the lawsuit and providing me with extra allowance this month. Replacing gadgets are expensive,” Lin remarked while she and Reinhard were re-building gadgets she lost from the latest adventure in the detective headquarters.

“You deserve it,” Chelle added. “And it’s good that you now have someone to really give real tender love while you work.” Reinhard turn a little red in response, not exactly sure how he would proceed with this relationship.

Lin hugged her boyfriend causing him to turn red again. “Hey, it’s great to have a partner. And not from running into one,” she laughed.

“There’s nothing wrong with getting a guy by running into him right Mark?” The rugby player was about to respond when the detective HQ’s door open.

“Where have you…” Chelle wondered.

“Hey you all, this is Richard Weaver from Wattersons Secondary,” Jenn nodded to the 1.77m guy behind her. “He has Eidetic, Photographic memory. I thought he would be a great addition to our team.”

The other teen detectives asked some light questions, then Chelle open up. “Why not? Another one would ease the rental payment here.” With the country-wide economic crisis, the owner of the caravan Mr Morden had to increase their rental fee.

“Another guy won’t hurt,” Mark added.

“Oh, that means I’ve to make a set of gadgets for you,” Lin noted. “Sorry, still have to construct those I’ve lost.”

“No worries,” the newest detective replied then Reinhard saw Lin packing up and held him hand.

“What..Where are we going?”

“To our first proper date!”

Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark. Reinhard and Richard will return in ‘Frenchies and Pansies’.

 

23: The Truth: Revealed?

Summary:

Michelle has recurring nightmares of her alien abduction’ and is determined to final other what really happened. While the girls return to the site, Mark and Richard received some clues from an anonymous figure.

Author’s note: This concludes the mystery here. I also misspelled cryopods in that story.

At the Summers’ residence, Michelle Summers was trying to sleep in the baking hot weather even with conditioning on. As she turned over to one side, a dream enveloped her mind. She dreamt she lying back down on some medical table definitely secured to it by unknown restraints. She knew she couldn’t speak but her sense out touch was numbed. The aliens, or alien-like figures hovered her…

Chelle blinked, snapping out of the nightmare. She tried to relax by drinking water and decided to wash her face. She suddenly stopped at her underwear drawer and opened it. Most were there except the pair that was removed, yes removed from her from that mysterious capture. I want this mystery solved, she thought.

With the sun still blazing down, Chelle walked to school and caught up with her close friend and fellow girl detective Chan Lin Ling.

“How’s the family? Must be a shock to learn that your parents worked as spies, I mean in the intelligence service.” Lin asked.

“Yeah, kind of expected. Solves the mystery why Dad kept on buying presents for Kate and myself from overseas yet won’t tell us where he travels to. And mum herself never really talked about her work. It’s over, well I hear Dad and his colleagues may face the ISC but nothing damming.” She meant the Intelligence and Security Committee.

“You were stunned by those students, was it like the way the Cat girl stunned you previously?” Lin asked.

“Now you mention it, it’s almost like. But that Madame Redmond or who every she is you previously now under interrogation by the authorities.”

Lin removed her sunglass and tried to carry on the topic but Chelle’s parents told her not to spread the news. “Say, I hear you went swimming with Reinhard while I was nearly eaten up by piranhas in Poland,” the shorter teen remarked.

“Yeah, just swimming.”

“Just?”

“Yes. No, we changed out in separate corners after receiving your message. Why?”

“Are you going to date him?” Just as Chelle remarked that the pair spotted a figure approaching them for the next lane. “Hi, girls,” Reinhard Tomas, greeted. The girls return the greeting and he explained due the scorching weather, the school allowed all boys to wear shorts, not just the Year 8s. Outside school, boys could go without their ties, explaining how he was dress. The trio discussed nothing of importance with Reinhard complimenting Lin’s sunglasses. The girls let him walked forward then Chelle blurted to her taller friend, “Are you falling in love with him?”

Hot weather or not, all students still had studies to focus though the teen detectives managed to gather at lunch break. After taking a large slurp of her iced coffee, Chelle recalled her dream and declared their new case.

“Nearly forgot about this one. You nearly got killed…I mean I don’t know what I could immediately think what you were going through in that tank, that cryopod,” Lin remarked. The others knew what happened previously but she quickly summarised what happened covering the sudden limo man giving her the location of the buried chamber, her failing down, finding the room with cryopods and how she barely managed to get Chelle out before it blew up.

“Cryopods…cryonics, isn’t that the act of freezing of human remains with the hope of getting resurrected in the future?” Reinhard wondered.

“Oh yeah, that’s correct,” the team’s first gadget creator smiled.

“So, I was going to be killed and my body kept chilled and return in the next life?!” Chelle gasped.

“That we shouldn’t jump to,” Lin tried to calm her down. “There still that farm with the mutated cattle, the flying objects,” she preferred not to say UFO, “and the sudden lost in time.”

“Lots of unknowns,” Mark Cadvish, Chell’s boyfriend with a funny surname and school rugby player remarked. “We need something …”

“Concrete.” Lin finished his sentence. “We should return to that farm.” The school bell broke up their discussion and as Lin got up, she heard a soft ‘damn’ coming from the short science whizz. “My English teacher gave me a ‘5’ for my latest English essay. I thought I structured it so well,” he groaned.

After Lin saw a copy of his essay, she did kindly say there were structures that could be improved and spotted a few grammar mistakes. “Would you like to meet up for some coaching on essay writing?”

Reinhard looked into her eyes then answered. “Well, uh, I’ll consider it. Will be discussing it with my teacher and other classmates.” As they went their own ways, he wondered if she had any underlying intentions with that offer.

The teen detectives’ plans were put on hold due to school work, their school club activities and the weather. One night, Chelle adjusted her room air-con to the right temperature and dozed off. Suddenly, the same dream clouded her mind with her strapped down on the examination table and still unable to talk. Suddenly, those strange figures hovered over her, they were in alien, they looked like aliens!

“No one knows what aliens look like Chelle. Ok, assuming aliens abducted you, we can call strange creatures kidnapping you,” Lin replied after hearing her fellow detective’s dream.

“That’s not helpful,” came the gloomy reply.

“I know, sorry it’s the science answer. I also made a mistake last; said time is a universal variant, I meant invariant and only the speed of light and charge are universal invariants. I’m confusing, yeah I want to know what caused the sudden time change and those flying objects.”

“Can you recall exactly what you saw what I was like in that cryopod?”

Lin detailed the eerie figures inside each sudden cryopod which Chelle did look a bit like, the organic tube that was stuck inside her mouth and how after immediately after Lin administer the vaccine how those creatures or people burst out of the cryopods and everything around exploded.

“Were they creatures or people? What was that liquid feel like?”

“Just sticky…”

“You know, we should consult the adults about this,” Jenn add as they met up with her. “I mean Dr Gordon Holden who examined you.” Chelle shuddered at the recollection of the medical test she went through but did agree that was another area to pursue.

“Why are you so engrossed with your phone?” Lin asked the shorter girl detective.

“Debate competitions results. That Richard Weaver and his team is topping all the regional debate teams and he’s always best speaker. I’m so going to thrash that guy.”

Lin nodded and noticed Reinhard also staring at his phone and several school-issued foolscap papers. After updating him with their latest plans, she queried him about his essay. “Well, my teacher just offered me extra English classes or simply buck up. “Well, what about my offer? I need some help with my business studies and heard your scored pretty well in yours. What about a trade?”

He raised his eyes, “Ok, where, school study area here after school?”

“No, I was thinking outside, food first…”

Reinhard started listing some places when sudden Lin said her own place. “I cook dinner then we study?”

He nearly fell down in surprise. “Uh, ok.” That resulted in her texting him her address.

“She’s inviting me to her place?!” Reinhard pulled Mark over to a corner during the next break. “Is it a date?!”

“Calm down, well how exactly look like – as in facial features – when she asked?” After hearing the answer, Mark patted him, “Just stand tall and ask if you’re unsure.”

“But what do I wear? What should I bring?”

After school, the five of them braced the scorching weather to head to the local hospital. Despite having a busy schedule, Dr. Gordon Holden met the teen detectives having known Jenn and having treated Chelle.

“It’s best you consult our senior lab examiner,” he started slipping an ID card which opened double doors. Each teen was given a dust-free lab coat before they met Mindy Patel, a high-flying Anglo-Indian researcher. “Hello, I did find a trace of an unknown liquid in a sixth test of your blood sample,” the bespectacled lady nodded at Chelle. They moved inside the camped research lab then heard her gasp.

“Wait, I just kept the sample here!” They heard her cry pointing at test tube rank with one empty test tube.

“But only you have the other access card to this lab,” Dr. Holden protested and Mindy nodded stating she only went to the loo for a short while and refilled her water tumbler.

The police were called in led by the teen’s ally, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Nikki Heath. After swapping everyone and interviewing every nearby staff, the police also could not find any traces of a break-in or any usual fingerprints. After much questioning, the teen detectives were released early afternoon with Lin darting first out. “Hey, where’re you off to?” Chelle called and heard some mumbling.

Lin in fact headed to the nearest supermarket to find a key ingredient – pork belly – for the dinner cum study later that evening. At the same time, Reinhard was in a gift shop pondering on the advice from Mark. Finally, he picked a box of Ferrero Rocher and rushed home to change. Promptly at 6pm, he reached Lin’s house with a backpack, the chocolates and a heart pounding.

“Oh, that’s so lovely!” She exclaimed, accepting the chocolates. While he was in dark blue jeans and short-sleeved light blue shirt, she wore a two-button lavender short-sleeved blouse and dark purple slacks. He noted she didn’t put on any make up or done lipstick and his heart stopped throbbing fast.

“Sorry, I over cooked the pork belly,” she remarked, introducing him Tau Yew Bak, or braised pork belly in soya sauce, a common dish in Malasia and Singapore. Reinhard was thankful she set fork and spoon and after trying on piece. “Really nice,” he said politely although found it amazing. She introduced him to Choy Sum or caixim, Chinese flowering cabbage which she added lightly salted prawns and crunch peanuts. As they ate, they conversed and started learning about each other. They were both single children with Lin’s mother having fertility issues. Reinhard parents have separated and his dad was often out. He explained that his father did also have Spanish origins, explain his surname, Tomas.

They were of course both highly interested in science with both learning scientific knowledge at a very young age. Lin recounted as how she fought against bullies who teased her for reaching puberty fast and always being the prettiest girl in class. Reinhard told her how he was teased for his short height but ignored it by exercising and thinking about science. Just as he reached to scoop another spoonful of Choy Sum on his plate, Lin’s hand also touched the spoon simultaneously. “Whoops,” they both remarked and he gave it to her. After learning more about each other, they finished eating, cleaned up and Lin proceeded to head to the study room. “Wait, Lin,” Reinhard asked, “It’s all study nothing else right?”

He looked at her face as she answered, “Sure, it’s an evening of study.”

As the pair helped each other with their different subjects, Chelle had already finished her dinner with her mother and sister and retreated to her room. After checking her homework was complete, she scanned the we then lay on her bed. Suddenly, memories of her weird kidnapping came back. At first, she was back on the examination table with the weird figures towering over her. In the next scene, her eyes were blurred and again she deduced her whole body was numbed. Only after her a soft bang, she knew someone was reviving her. Despite being blinded and numbed, Chelle now recalled being carried and suddenly through her blurry eyes saw advancing figures.

“Sis? There’s some extra carrot cake,” Chelle’s younger sister Catherine called and she mumbled a response before reaching for her phone.

It was close to 10pm when Reinhard and Lin finished their studies together. “I better return home in case my father suddenly returns and wonders where I’ve gone. Thanks for dinner and help with my English Essay.”

“And thanks with helping me with my business course and the chocolates,” came her reply. They shook hands with Lin initially expecting a hug. Mission accomplished though, she thought.

The team all received Chelle’s message and only Lin and Jenn managed to join her at the cattle farm. The owner Richard Stewart initially mentioned he was busy then with the look at their faces then answered.

“My cattle miraculously are fine; they suddenly show no signs of deformed body parts and are all healthy now.” He opened a gate to show the girls the evidence. “Look, my cows are pregnant and those who gave birth are producing fine milk. Any other questions?”

Chelle asked about those weird aerial objects and the farmer replied he was too concern with his cattle most of the time. Lin then queried about the farmer’s assistant and his eyes narrowed. “He left suddenly, not even leaving me a note. You lot know of any one wish to help a farmer?”

With not much to cover, trio decided to head to a site where the aerial objects were, with Jenn holding an umbrella shade them from the sun. “Where are those darn boys?” Chelle wondered.

Mark had finished meeting up with his rugby mates when he spotted Reinhard picked up some detergents from the convenience store across the road. As they head through a shaded path towards the local train station, a motorcyclist with his dark visor covered drover path, threw an object at the boys and sped away.

“Hey….” Mark picked it up finding a blank note.

“It’s not blank,” his classmate pointed.

“Where have you two been?” Chelle answered the group call started by Reinhard. The boys explained what happened earlier and were in the detective’s headquarters.

“It’s a message that can only be read by UV light,” Reinhard replied, explaining he just bought a UV flashlight. Lin excited congratulated him but Chelle quiet her down. He read it carefully and it revealed an address in Birmingham with the additional word ‘Experiment’.

“We’re going there!” Chelle declared.

“Wait, we should do it as a team!” Mark shouted but his girlfriend ended the call.

Jenn regrettably said she had debate practice but would alert the police. Lin and Chelle braced themselves against the heat as they reached the exact address in Birmingham. It was a shop house unlisted on the Internet. “That’s too mysterious enough for me,” Chelle remarked as she touched the door handle but cried. “No burns,” she added and the pair saw that no doorbell so proceeded to walk behind. Lin spotted what she was a hatched the girls, without the need of their gadgets, managed to pull it open.

“Ready? Remember you’re the one captured last time.” As they enter, the surrounds immediately matched the eerie chamber that Lin was directed to last time. Just as she was about to mention that, she heard Chelle cry as the floor beneath her opened and the teen detective fell with a noise that sounded like a suction machine. Chelle fell and felt pulled but suddenly again felt here muscles numb and then everything went blank.

Meanwhile, Lin was about to rush over to the spot which opened when a metal frame slammed down in front of her, obviously blocking her path. She back, only for yet another metal frame lowered down, trapping her. As she looked at the two walls, one opened up and mechanical arms grabbed her. Shouting and struggling, she found herself in a small room and the arms threw her on the ground. Figures rushed over her and despite being a Taekwondo expert, she failed to fight back those figures and soon was restrained with cable ties, duct tape wrapped several times over her lips and head then soon she was wrapped in industrial plastic wrapped. As the figures disappeared, she thought she heard someone muttered, “we don’t want your kind.”

Chelle regained her senses and found herself secured in handcuffs with chain securing her ankles to a ring in the floor and also the feeling of duct tape wrapped across her lips and head. At least I’m clothed this time, she thought. She immediately was beginning to have the uncanny feeling that she was somehow not alone in the extremely dark room she was now in. A faint movement confirmed that and as her eyes adjusted better to the dim light, Chelle could see the outlines of a figure against the wall opposite her. The figure moved slowly and there was a small patch of light revealing another girl who was also chained up. The other girl’s mouth was free but her teeth chattered uncontrollably in the cold air. A translucent nightgown was all that she was clothed in. Her knickers were visible and it appeared wet. How long had this poor girl been there?

‘H… Hullo. I … I g-guess you’re Michelle?’ I’m Frances.”

Michelle was surprised to hear her name and tried to reply but the gag turned her reply into ‘mmmphs’.

“They mentioned your name – those masked figures. Yeah, they looked like aliens but I’m guessing their human underneath,’ the girl said. ‘”One night I was sleeping the next moment I felt numb and here I am.”

Chelle felt the tape over her lips somehow tighten but managed to get her query across.

“No, I haven’t a clue. They hardly come by and only give me water and look how let me sit in my pee!”

The girl, Chelle judged was either age or a year younger tried to laugh but only shivered against the room’s low temperature. Chelle then recalled the usual gadgets she had and struggled against the fetter but failed to find any. They must have taken them. Lin’s going to be angry.

“It won’t do any good, these cuffs are invincible.” France assumed Chelle was trying to break free.” I envy that you’re clothed even in summer wear. I don’t want to freeze to death.”

Meanwhile, Lin was struggling wildly in the cocoon she was wrapped in. She as well was trying to reach the gadgets she also had on but the restraints and wrappings restricted the movement of her arms and fingers. What was worse was the summer’s heat was seeping into the place she was trapped in, making it even more uncomfortable.

“What do you mean you can’t get there!” Jenn cried and explained using the evidence she had to DCI Heath.

“Jenn, it’s not its weak evidence or I don’t have restrictive jurisdiction,” Nikki replied. She told the team she had long-term conflict with the detective and police force in that area of Birmingham though was trying to get officers to join her.

“Hurry! Chelle might be in danger!”

The boys finally reached the shop house after a train delay and broke through the front door with both their brute strength. in front of them was a narrow corridor with rooms at every side facing each other like in hotel.

“Where to…” Suddenly there was a muffled noise coming from

“What’s…” Mark began.

“It’s Lin! I’ve heard her cry like that before!” Reinhard answered and they rush forward. With Mark’s strength and the laser pen, the broken through the door and found the wrapped up East Asian girl. “Hu..rry!” She cried as the other team scientist slowly peeled off the gag. “Use your phone to find Chelle’s signal!” Sweat was pouring down her face.

Mark tracked his girlfriend’s to larger freezing room one floor below. Chelle and the other girl Frances were both strapped to medical examination tables and Frances was now tape gagged. There were IV drips standing next to the tables and several cryopods on the opposite wall. Six figures in wearing alien-like suits stood next to the tables and two of them neared Chelle, attempting to undress her.

“No!” Cried Mark, tackling the nearest figure in a ferocious tackle. But with six of them, he was heavily outnumbered and all turned to attack him. Thankfully, Reinhard appeared quickly with a dishevelled-looking Lin behind. All three teen detectives attacked all the suited figures and as Lin held one down, she heard a Brummie accent. “Who the hell are you?” She yelled as she found a zip and pulling it, it revealed a male underneath.

“All right, we’re here,” they heard the familiar voice of DCI Heath with some West Midlands police officers behind along with Jenn. “Get those two girls free and pointing and the ‘aliens’, “you’re all under arrest.”

Days later, the teen detectives gathered at a cafe which just installed air-conditioning.

“Climate change terrorists…” Jenn started.

“Yeah, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion. They were attempting to freeze people as they believe the earth is ending and keeping specimens for the next age.” Lin laughed. She was dressed in a one shoulder light purple top with a jean skirt with Reinhard secretly admiring her. Lin continued, stating these extremists first secretly tested their drug on the cows at that farm, causing the deformity. That cattle assistant, Mike Travers, was in cahoots with them and police found and arrested him. This group invented those stealthy unmanned aerial vehicles, preventing the military and civil aviation authorities from discovering them. They used some magnetic device to alter time, explaining why the minute hand on Chelle’s watch jumped. They created a suction machine along with an invisible and painless stun dart which explained how Chelle was pulled and numbed quickly. The lab assistant was paid to pass the vaccine sample to one of the organisation’s members and was cooperating with the police, hoping not to get jailed. Police across the UK were conducting raids to find other organisation members and that individual who passed Reinhard and Mark the message was still at large. The police suspected he was linked to the man in the limo who passed Lin the location of the chamber.

“Wow, climate change people with high tech gear,” Reinhard remarked. “I would like to check out they’re devices and invent stuff like that.”

“Well, those arrested still haven’t explained why they chose me and that girl Frances to be frozen. And some one must be funding all their technology. And there’s still that stunning, reminds me of Madame Richmond and the Cat, how we girls were also stunned,” Chelle added. “Man, this iced coffee sucks.”

“Take you some place for a meal?” Her boyfriend suggested. “Join us?” Jenn remarked she had to meet someone, leaving Reinhard and Lin by themselves.

“The coffee isn’t great. Want tea? I see they sell iced green tea,” Lin got up but he waved her down, remembering the nice dinner she cooked.

“I’ll get it and pay,” he smiled.

Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark and Reinhard will return in ‘To Paradise’.

21: Multiple Cases

Summary:

Barely surviving her ‘alien abduction’, Michelle’s parents place a stop on her detective activities while the others and the authorities clamber to find the truth. Meanwhile, the rest find mysteries of their own. Jenn finds it strange that one of her debate and drama club members is not performing as she should. Lin solves the reason why her classmate is harrassed online while Reinhard helps a junior science club member.

Bethan’s capture scene is based on Aimee-Ffion Edward’s scene in the horror TV series Inside No 9 episode The Harrowing.

The scene where the other captive is found is based on this classic from Lifetime’s Web Cam Girls.

Adult Bondage scene but performed on an adult.

Author’s note: Rest in peace Kenneth Tsang the inspiration for Lin’s father.

Lin Ling finished her breakfast, cleared the dishes and headed out, waiting for the school bus. She raised her eyes as her classmate, close friend and fellow detective Michelle Summers still wasn’t taking the regular school bus again. After rescuing her from that eerie unknown location, Chelle had to undergo constant medical test by doctors and police forensic personnel. They had checked her blood many times, her nervous system, menstrual cycle, urine samples all checks came out with the same conclusion – a healthy teenaged girl. Lin was also extensively question about the shady men who suddenly picked her up, gave her the unknown location where Chelle was held and the unknown vaccine. In the haste in rescuing Chelle, she had left the note with the geographical locations of that chamber behind as well as the syringe and canister filled with the vaccine. None of the test could detect the mysterious virus and authorities said they were looking into the explosions to gather more evidence. Lin found that as a cover up.

“Hey, you got special escort again,” Lin noted the plain-clothed authorised firearms officer (AFO) following her behind she entered the school grounds. “Yeah, Nikki’s idea. At least my mum agrees,” Chelle waved at the officer. She was referring to Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Nicola Heath, their long-term ally at the local police. “So far everything’s been calm. No UFOs, no little green men.” She laughed. Lin, having taken a scientific view over the last mystery but having saw those weird creatures emerging from the crypods, she was now a bit towards Chelle’s view.

“And your parents are still formally stopping you from any detective work?” Chelle nodded glumly. As they talked, Jenn joined them and Chelle wondered about the smart student’s look. “Bethan was late for drama planning and practice three times in a row. No, she’s usual always punctual and always arriving on time and occasionally earlier than myself. I think…”

Lin excused herself as she spied Reinhard Tomas, the newest member of their team. Ask she headed towards, he smiled broadly, no longer shocked by her beauty. “Hey, ready for the new science club members?” After his ‘yup’, she added, “We do need to present fresh ideas for the club if we really wish to be co-Presidents in the senior years.”

“You have the brightest ideas,” he replied.

“We both do,” she responded as the morning bell rang. “Beter button up or you’ll be cold and the discipline mistress will catch you.” She smiled in return although he didn’t know if that was the right line to say.

The gang plus Mark the rugby player with the weird surname Cadvish came together as usual during their lunch break. “So, you’re worried over Bethan’s sudden lack punctuality?” Lin started.

“She didn’t give a specific answer; just said she had some personal issues to deal with. It may or may not be worth investigating.” The five of them debated but no conclusion was made. Chelle was disappointed more from the fact her parents had halted her detective work. With lunch break over, Lin was about to head to the library first until she heard a cry and spotted Julia Humes, her classmate shaking her personal laptop.

“Julia? Something bothering you?”

“Oh, hey Lin. It’s…” the bell rang. “Explain about it later,” Julia replied, but her facial features indicate she was worried.

After their French class, Jenn pulled Bethan aside and questioned her again for her late attendance.

“It’s my personal activities,” Came the short answer. When asked to explain further, Bethan simply replied that it was something like Jenn’s detective gang and she’ll reveal it soon. Jenn still had doubts about Bethan’s new activities but did not press the matter at that time.

“It’s Fandom,” Julia started explaining to Lin as she exited her extra physics class. She refilled her tumbler from the nearby water cooler then continued. “I’m being harassed on the Michael Crichton novel Fandom. Users named WaterKong1, Third_Indominus and Spinosaurus Magnis Wutanis claim that I’m posting inaccurate information.” She drew Lin to a side table and showed the comments she received. “Good gosh,” Lin exclaimed. “I’m glad I’ve I didn’t edit Fandom when I created my account and similarly with my Wikipedia account.” Turning serious she continued, “What do the local administrators say?”

Julia scrolled down to show her classmate. “They gave rather bland response and blocked them only for a day and the…”

Lin’s phone buzzed and noting the message and said she’ll catch up later. The science club meeting she and Reinhard chaired later turned out to be rather short yet fulfilling as many Year 7 and Year 8 students were recruited after seeing the science demonstrations that Reinhard and Lin presented. The senior club presidents thus unanimously agreed to make the pair club presidents when they moved to Year 10. Just as the meeting ended however, Lin exclaimed she had a family emergency and ran off with Reinhard unable to form any words of comfort. As he headed out, he spotted one new Year 7 girl crying. Asking her what was the problem was and didn’t get a reply first. Still moving away, he heard a German accent stating her science project went missing. Reinhard greeted her in fluent German and learnt that she, Karin, couldn’t find the project — she remembered keeping in her locker but it was missing and now her teacher was not taking that as an excuse. “I’ll help you find your project,” Reinhard concluded though was not sure he could.

The team, minus Chelle planned to meet together at their meeting place but only Mark, Reinhard, Lin and Jenn appeared. A flurry of WhatsApp messages between the other teenaged detectives and the Malaysian-Hongkonger revealed that her dad was in A&E due heart problems. She messaged that he was stable now and it wasn’t life-threatening. Reinhard finally managed to form words and wished her and her family well. Thanks, you’re a nice friend, she wrote back, causing his heart to beat rapidly.

The group shared what they faced and only Jenn’s case a detective-centred one. “Well, being harassed online and a missing school project may still count,” she responded. “Got any new gadgets for us?”

“Uhm, haven’t thought any,” the newest member replied, though he wished Lin was here because she had the ideas when asked.

“Oh well, they usual ones will still work.” The group turned to their homework but as Jenn solved some advanced algebra questions, her thoughts wandered what exactly her drama and debate club friend was up to.

“Hey, is your dad alright? I heard the news,” Julia asked Lin as they exited their English class.

“Yeah, still in hospital but the doctors say after some checks, they’ll release him tomorrow or the following day,” came the reply. “You still getting that harassment on Fandom?”

“Yes.”

“Actually, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you get the surname Humes? I thought…”

“It’s ok to ask. My dad changed his last name when he came over here to escape any conflict. The original surname is…well he never told me.” Lin accepted that and looking at Julia’s laptop, shaking her head. “The admins basically support those three abusive accounts deleting my polite messages regarding what I received. They’ve either deleted my messages, blaming the server and worse now look,” Lin saw the phrase ‘mentally ill’ and nearly shouted. “Those twits, did you bring this up with the main Fandom staff?” Julia nodded but didn’t have high hopes they would be more helpful. The Fandom staffer named with a simple profile name AnnaW replied. Her act was to globally block WaterKong1 for a week and sent warnings to the Michael Crichton novel Fandom admins and other to users.

“One week? That’s like just a slap of the wrist,” Julia commented with a slight groan.

“Let’s see what happens after.”

The next day, before the start of school, Reinhard spotted Karin, the Year 7 student and immediately learnt she searched everywhere and still couldn’t find her project. “Could I perhaps take a look at your locker room?” That was a complex question as first each year had their lockers separated from each other and student from different years were not permitted to enter other Year’s locker area and all locker areas were monitored by CCTV. After convincing her that he had no ill intentions, he followed, spotting a blind spot and entered it. This precaution was further necessary as lockers were separated also by gender for privacy reasons. “Here’s mine,” she pointed and he focused on the sides. “There are some scratches on the sides, no it’s not paint peeling or rust.” He used his hankie and tried to move the combination lock, finding slightly loose. It’s not secure. Did you tell anyone about where you kept your project?”

She shook her head and he replied they should report it. As they exited, he noticed a male student with a hoodie on – in violation of school rules inside – heading back to the ladies’ side of the Year 7 locker. Reinhard immediately stayed back and sure enough, the hooded student pulled out a small penknife and jabbed around the edge of a random locker, then around the combination lock. The door was forced open and the figure ruffled through the contents, pulling out a school workbook.

“Hey, you just broken into a locker and…” Reinhard’s words were cut off as a blazer was flung at him and the figure darted off. The newest teen detective gave chase until both of them slipped on a just-mopped floor.

“You two, you both should know the school corridors are not for playing around,” scolded Mr. James Henderson, the discipline master.

“And what exactly where you,” Mrs. Janic Hughes the discipline mistress appeared pointing at Reinhard, “doing in another Year’s locker area, especially the opposite gender?”

I’m a dead guy, Reinhard thought. Then he rattled off what he spotted. “Really, and what excuse do you have?” The other student angrily shouted that it was Reinhard who was stealing stuff.

Both boys were escorted into the CCTV room and the tapes were played back, showing Reinhard and Karin in that locker section. Just as Mrs. Hughes was about to call that student when she burst into the room and corroborate Reinhard’s story. The tapes were playing until Hughes spied the other student damaging the locker. “Hoodie off,” that had to repeated twice and the penknife fell out.

“Alright Mr. Tomas, you are cleared and back to your class. You,” Mr. Hughes pointed his finger at the culprit, “Return the young lady’s project and you’re in serious trouble.”

“That was an excellent case solved,” Lin patted her fellow detective’s back at break time. The school had now rearranged the CCTV cameras so that would-be vandals or thieves could be easily spotted and ordered stronger locker doors. The thief and vandal, Lucas, was expelled from school and Reinhard received a thank you letter from Karin’s mother.

“It wasn’t much; just helping a junior student.”

“Anything counts. People will take credit and awards from you, never remove it from yourself.”

In another corner, Jenn thanked Bethan that her drama act was much better although she did miss one small line. “Ready for our debate competition this afternoon? We’ve got to take that Weaver guy and his team down.” Bethan said yes but Jenn still suspected her friend’s mind was somewhere else.

“The Fandom staff idiots unblocked that asshole WaterKong1before the seven-day block was over and won’t tell me why. Now the Kong guy is mocking me on his profile and undoing my edits on the Andromeda Strain article and others,” Julia reported ton Lin.

“I’ve not read The Andromeda Strain, Lin admitted. “What idiots indeed. Let me try activating my own account and I’ll write a response to other Fandom staff on your behalf.”

The debate competition was over and the judges declared the Michael Vincent school team the winner. Jenn was incensed, even though she was awarded best speaker. “Bethan, you totally screwed up your speech and rebuttal! What’s wrong…”

A ginger-haired student came by and started congratulating Jenn for her award. She was still angry at her team’s loss yet paused at the newcomer. “How do you manage to debate throughout without looking at a single note?”

“I…”

Jenn excused herself abruptly, noticing Bethan was exiting fast. “Bethan!”

“Jenn, alright I own up. It’s a drama training school that I discovered. The teacher, Mr. Jason Layton has an extensive CV and I hope to gain experience from him. Oh gosh, I’ll be late, tell you more about it later. Sorry for the poor debating.” One part of Jenn made her accept this explanation while another told her it sounded murky. Grabbing her bag, she aimed to follow her friend except that Bethan had already entered a taxi that drove off. Jenn could have classically hailed another taxi to follow but instead entered a bus that was on the same route as the taxi.

“Hey, look, another Fandom staff with username ReverieGuy overruled the decision and globally banned the WaterKong1 user, the others who harassed you and the local administrators were removed. He asks if you like take control of the Crichton Fandom?”

“Oh, yes I do! Thanks so much for all your help, Lin!” Julia shook her classmate’s hand and typed her reply. In any other situation, she would have hugged, however, the school now forbade any such acts or signs of affections. It was a silly rule but the majority of students obeyed.

Jenn had change buses in order to follow the Taxi Bethan took. The latter had alighted and entered some house with vines all over the wall. She was greeted by the Mr. Layton and told to wait and the only other occupant was a taller girl named Sierra who just moved to the UK with her divorced mother. “This place sounds exciting,” she remarked with an American accent, though Bethan now didn’t think so, given the weird artwork on the walls.

After school, Lin headed, home to change clothes then to the local library with the aim of finding a copy of The Andromeda Strain. Just as she was about to enter, she had a thought, drew out her phone and scanned Wikipedia. I guessed right, that Waterkong1 person also has a Wikipedia account. No wait, the other Fandom accounts who harassed Julia also have Wikipedia accounts! Nothing much on their edits then she clicked on Waterkong1’s talk page.

Oh, I’m so going to get that loser who knows nothing about Crichton’s work, Waterkong1 wrote.

Yeah, get her bro, you’re in the UK, right? Third_Indominus wrote. Rough her up.

Yeah, Croonford right? Find the other who persuaded the staffer to get ya globally blocked, Spinosaurus Magnis Wutanis wrote.

The B&B location was identified in initials and thus easily guessed so and after sending messages to her friends and the police ally DCI Nikki Heath, Lin hailed the nearest taxi.

The drama instructor called Sierra further into the house, leaving Bethan still wondering about the paintings which now scared her. Outside, Jenn wondered if she should return home and her friend was really was in a drama school when there was an audible noise from one of the windows then suddenly shutters were close for all the buildings windows. That’s quite strange for the now spring weather. She rang the doorbell but no one answered and there was no eyepiece at all. That was murky enough for her and also contacted the other detectives.

Lin couldn’t convince her way into the B&B despite her reasoning and plea. Dejected, she didn’t return until she spotted a nearby empty factory with lights on. It could be something to look at except there didn’t seem to any entrance and….

Jenn managed to use the skeleton key and laser pen to unlock the backdoor, finding her in an extremely dark interior. Diming the special torchlight Lin made for all the detectives, she still wondered if she made the right move breaking into someone’s building until she heard a loud muffled cry. There were two staircases nearby and she wildly chose the left, arriving in a narrow corridor. There were at least three doors on the right and the muffled sounds came from the second door. Again, she used her laser pen and skeleton key but the battery ran out. She turned on the special watch which also has a laser cutter and even with its lower power, the doorknob came loose and Jenn pushed with all her might, nearly slamming the door against the wall.

The room was freezing cold and quite dark. Bethan was sitting on an ornate and antique chair, just in her white bra and knickers. There was an IV drip, thankfully not connected to her nearby, with clear liquid in the bag. Her arms bent like the chair’s arms, her secured with white cable ties, one end not cut away. Her ankles were bound together with yellow cable ties, also secured to a bar between the two front legs. A crepe bandage was formed as a rather strong cleave gag and she naturally yelped in delight seeing Jenn, then directed her cries to another part of the room.

Further away, Lin awoke with sore neck, immediately scolding herself not to watch out for assailants. A quick look saw that her coat and jumper were both removed, leaving her in her maroon tank top and skirt. She was bound to a wooden pole, wrists secured with coarse rope, and similar lengths of rope wrapped below her breasts. A simple wounded piece of cloth was forced between her lips and tied behind her head to form a weak cleave gag.

Jenn held her finger to her lips to tell Bethan to calm down while she advanced towards the other noise. It initially appeared as an old frail man in a bed but on close look, it was just a mannequin with a tape recorder playing wheezing and ghostly sounds. With that switched off, she used the special penknife hidden along the waistline of her skirt to cut away her friend’s bonds. “Oh, Jenn, Jenn…”she lowered her voice as Jenn again placed her finger to her lips. “There’s another girl, Sierra, he’s got to hold her hostage here.”

Lin was naturally tugging at her bonds when a guy in white singlet and black trousers appeared, smoking a cigarette. “Ah, you must be user ScienceWhizz? Well, I’ll a show you a science test.” He moved behind her and blew a puff of smoke then prepared to jam the cigarette in any part of her bare skin. Lin anticipated this and was about to strike back when she heard a familiar voice cry, “No!”

“I don’t know; she was called ahead and I was left waiting,” Bethan informed Jenn as she rubbed her sore wrists and bare skin from the chill. Jenn passed over her coat and pondered her choices. Checking her phone, the signal was somehow blocked. Should she get Bethan out or find the other girl? “Stay close to me,” she advised, wishing the others were around. The two quickly heard more muffled sounds at another end of the corridor. The skeleton key easily opened the door and Bethan gasped. Sierra was still clothed but her ankles were bound with cable ties and in return secured to the railing of the bed she was on. Her hoodie was forced down and held down by a longer length of zip tie. Her arms were therefore held behind her and worse, there was a black ball in between her mouth held by black leather straps that around her head. “Don’t worry, we’re here to rescue you,” Jenn waved, thinking the restraints and gag reminded her of the netballers held hostage during a previous Halloween. She started working on the bonds — Sierra’s hands were also bound behind her back with cable ties but with the moaning Jenn worked her fingers and took time to unbuckle the gag.

Reinhard aimed the portable net and it wrapped around the smoking captor. It wasn’t large enough to cover the man’s height but it did knock the cigarette away and the guy fell. Lin by this time managed to loosen her wrist bonds and her fellow detective help her loose. She kicked the fallen captor then asked if the police were coming.

“DS Ransom,” Reinhard learnt not to mention her first name, “didn’t exactly get your question but patrols should be sent. What n…” The captor struggled out of the net and brandish a knife.

Jenn had just managed to unbuckle the straps and as Sierra coughed, the door opened and blinding light shone along with a snarl. “Well nosey little girl breaks into my place. Good addition to my…”

Despite the glaring light, Jenn fired another gadget she had – the pen with the pepper spray. “Girls, run!” They did so but the whole building was a maze and the darkness further hindered their moves. Jenn and Bethan managed down but the front door couldn’t open. “There’s no way out girls,” The evil man called and Jenn saw him holding Sierra by her neck and she was gagged again. With a pistol pointed at them, Jenn knew she had to surrender when there was a commotion and the front door broken open.

“Police!” The familiar cry of DCI Nikki Heath came.

“Oh, back away or her brains get blow away,” Layton snarled, as Sierra whimpered.

The thug swung, nearly striking Reinhard’s feet. “Let’s get out!” Lin cried, yanking his hand. Unlike earlier, she spotted a door and thankfully it was unlocked. They were far from safe as two more men dressed similarly approached them from different corners. The pair managed to dodge them but quickly found themselves in a set of leafless trees.

“Unusual for spring,” Reinhard muttered.

“What other gadgets did you bring?” Lin pulled him down and scanned the area. They were trapped. He only had the male version of the penknife and the pen with the pepper spray and ink. “It’s good enough, we can fight our way out.” Just then, there were shouts and a whistles and grunts. “Ok, kids, you’re safe.” Kids?! Lin raised her head to see a PC waving at them. Ignoring the insult, the pair got up and saw a familiar face. “Didn’t understand your message, ” Detective Sergeant (DS) Bluebell Ransom remarked, “but knife crime sure is a chargeable offence.”

“Where’s Nikki?” Lin wondered.

In the dark building, Jenn and Bethan were now shielded far behind a female PC and watched Nikki Heath negotiating with the hostage taker. All his demands were for the police to get out and for the girls to return. Nikki would agree to that but signalled for her accompanying officers to withdraw. As Jenn reluctantly followed the PCs out, there was a soft thud, causing Layton to momentarily turn around. This finally allowed Nikki to draw out her Taser X26 CEW, activating the flashlight and fired. “Subject is down!” She declared, advancing quickly, grabbing Sierra and removing her gag. “That was a risky act, Mark,” she spotted the rugby player and knew it was him who caused the noise. “But thanks.”

As per normal, the group, minus Chelle gathered in their headquarters. “Using an adult gag on a minor?!” Mark exclaimed.

“That girl Sierra is actually 18 going to 19-years of age,” Jenn corrected. “But yes, using that sort of gag is horrible.” Jenn also recounted that Nikki had to face much questioning from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regarding her use of the taser and other recent activities, however, was cleared from her actions.

“Sorry, just went to check on Papa,” Lin announced as she entered and told them he was fine. “Also learnt that it was the B&B owner who called the police to aid us,” she explained to Reinhard.

“Well, that’s two cases solved,” the other science whizz declared.

“Three, don’t ignore what you did,” she reminded him. “We should update Chelle.”

Chelle in fact was in her bedroom, wondering if the truth of her weird abduction would ever be revealed.

Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark and Reinhard will return in State Property’.

16: Operations and considerations

Summary:

The gang tries to rescue Jenn and Lin and Chelle get captured along with her. As the girls are freed, an old nemesis is back to haunt Michelle.

Author’s further note: This story is entirely fictional. No offence to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) or Royal Air Force (RAF). The story is entirely fictional.

Jenn Thompson had in fact had headed down to where she suspected the RAF aircraft had crashed. She deduced the location easily from various news reports although they were vague. Jenn knew she should have informed the others yet the feeling for her distant cousin pushed her to continue. Hailing a taxi from the local train station, the journey was delayed by traffic jams and she finally got there at 3:54 pm. Walking down a hillock, she was spot on, there were plastic gates with signs reading ‘Crash site, do not enter!’ and uniformed Military and MOD police patrolling.

Jenn rushed down but was stopped immediately by several officers. “No, we still won’t release any more details, definitely not to student reporters. She protested she was not and named her cousin along with his rank, Squadron Leader Phil Thompson. “No details to be released, now leave.” One officer tried to drag her but Jenn shrugged off the grip. Even as she headed back up the hillock, she couldn’t see much of the crash as the gates were high and there was water proof covering everywhere. Strange for an aircraft crash, she thought, the turning to notice vehicles exiting from one part of the site. They were all military-style vehicles roughly the same size exiting through the same exit. She suddenly noticed a new vehicle without military markings taking a different route from the others. Jenn ran as fast as she could but definitely couldn’t catch up. Stopping, she pulled out her mobile phone that was full of messages from her detective friends, other friends and even her mum. She knew she had to answer the last to calm her mum down, instead she snapped photos of the odd one out. Maybe Lin Ling or someone can help enhance this, she thought. The odd vehicle was definitely a case to investigate.

The sun unusually broke from the light cirrus clouds and bathed the path ahead as Jenn took a shortcut through the nearby botanic gardens to get to the main road. She tightened her scarf as the weather was now chilly and stopped in mid stride as four men and a lady stepped out from five different points out of the shrubbery. The group spread out and converged upon her, the men all ruffians. They appeared to represent mixed ethnic origins. The first three men were an East Asian Chinese, a South American or Mexican and an Arab-looking man or was he North African? The Asian sported a grey jacket black leather trousers and an equally black shirt unbuttoned to the navel to reveal a rich profusion of body hair. The second had a gold gewgaw of some sort hung from a chain, glinting intermittently in the afternoon sun when not obscured by the mat of hair. The Middle Eastern wore plain clothes as did a fourth man either French or German. The woman was wearing a slanted black hat and a dress that appeared more suitable for warm weather. It was definitely Parisian style.

“Excuse me, please…” Jenn started, though she expected they won’t.

“Good afternoon, Miss Thompson. We would like to take you to see your cousin,” The French lady stated with no trace of an accent.

“How do you know who I am and how do you know him?” She did not wish to reveal Phil’s name although she suspected this gang did.

“Just follow us,” She curtly replied.

“Answer my question,” Jenn fired back, louder. The group closed in on her and she desperately looked about her, seeking an avenue of escape. The botanic gardens were almost empty at this time of day, and the sector where they now stood was screened from the street and the rest of the park by rows of thick shrubbery and several even thicker oak trees. Simultaneously, the four men raised covered tasers. With armed men around her, there was no ready means of escape. Why on earth did I choose to walk to this area?!

“What do you really want from me?” asked Jenn with a pleading tone, though she suspected their motives well enough. “Are you abducting me?”

“That’s a nasty word. Let us say that we are detaining you. It would be convenient for all if you were to come quietly. My men have orders to stun you at the slightest provocation.”

Jenn canvassed her options. They were few, under the circumstances, yet wondering how far a yell would carry before one of the men cut it off.

“I’m afraid that you have no option,” was the woman’s reply. “But first, please place your bag on the ground,” The French lady ordered.

Jenn reluctantly complied and raised her hands slowly. If someone catches a glimpse of a teen with her hands raised, they might help her or call of help. But her ploy was short-lived.

“No,” said the French lady, shaking her head. “Arms down please.”

Jenn heard a ripping sound.

“No, you don’t have to g…”

Detectives’ meeting place
Croonford

Michelle Summers managed to get Lin back inside their converted caravan lest she act solely. Along with Mark Cadvish, they intensely search and judged where Jenn may have gone to. “Alright, let’s go down there before Jenn disappears for good,” Lin remarked.

“It is quite near the area where the rogue caravan was previously,” Chelle noted.

“Well, you rescued me and Jenn then and we have a strong rugby guy,” She nodded to Mark. “We’ve never ignored any case or adventure, come on!”

Back around the crash site area

Jenn’s voice was stopped with a wide piece of transparent medical tape over her mouth. With the French captor walking in front and the European and Middle Eastern men flanking her, she was escorted past the trees and along the short path to the curb side where a black limousine stood, its motor purring. The other gang members trailed loosely behind, slipping into the limousine at the last instant after Jenn was safely pushed in the back seat between the two henchmen. The other men had screened the sight of her from the eyes of any curious passers-by. Some onlookers from a distance probably thought how lucky a teenage girl was to be riding in such luxurious style.

It was as efficient and effective an abduction as any that Jenn had known. Her hands were quickly bound with a different kind of tape – she could tell the difference by now. Her tape gag was torn off and replaced with that new tape and it was a wider strip. The captors further taped her sock-covered ankles and covered her head with a really black hood -not that that mattered since the limo’s side windows were tinted black and the front window was darkened.

She had just begun to take note of where the vehicle was heading, however it was increasingly not possible with the hood and the bumpy ride, throwing her against the men to the side. The situation was becoming progressively worse by the minute. She had been captured by various criminals before and tried to focus on the men around her. Given then different ethnicities, they might be hired mercenaries or low-ranking private soldiers. The limo sped up and she tried to think positive: at least it’s a limo this time, yet the painful tape bonds and gag, and the almost suffocating hood were unpleasantly redolent of previous captures she had experienced.

By the time the vehicle came to a halt and she was immediately half dragged, half lifted from it, then carried by the thugs out and she smelt smells of first an unclean area then wood. She was roughly placed on the ground Then Jenn heard the French lady speak. “I hope you enjoyed your ride. You’ll soon see your cousin soon Miss Thompson,” she announced louder again without a trace of a French accent. “Rest now as you’ll be required later. Your restraints, gag and hood are unfortunately necessary. Do not try anything silly and you’ll see your cousin shortly.”

Jenn stayed silent in response, in any case, the gag was starting to dry out her mouth. She tensed then heard their retreating footsteps. She waited a few seconds more then started trying to remove the hood. After nearly three minutes, she failed to shake it off and the darkness sent shivers of apprehension through her. The inability to see and the lack of any sounds partly increased her fear and she knew it was pertinent to get free of the tape bonds before the captors return. Jenn didn’t bring along all of Lin’s gadget creations, nevertheless she reached for the most favoured gadget: the fake foundation powder kit. That item was actually in the right pocket of her jeans and after several attempts, she also failed to reach it. She had the laser pen but that might work like a water hose putting out a small fire and it could burn her skin. It’s the old fashion way then she thought, beginning to work the tapes securing her wrists. That actual came loose and soon her hands were free.

Trying to stay silent, she worked at the edges of the hood and finally that came off in a longer time. Quickly her gag and ankle bonds were off and she found herself s surrounded by dark dirtied wooden walls, grey ceiling, grey floor. No other item of furniture was present. Was I…no I’m in some old shed…she worked her around the floor she was on and felt the nearest wall. It was a carriage of a train! Definitely, not for passengers, the kind for goods. Jenn quickly wondered that if they moved away there had to be a door. Getting up at her second attempt, she silently walked, feeling along the walls and found the edges of a hatch or door. That was locked so she continued following the walls and found another larger hatch. It was also locked then she shook her head and used the laser pen to cut away the locks. She was naturally elated to see terrain through the gap, slowly yanked the door and stepped out.

It certainly was an old train carriage, a model which Jenn couldn’t identify. Where was my…she found her mobile phone but they had removed the SIM card. It was slightly dented but the apps were working so she snapped a few pictures of the carriage and moved away, determined to escape. Naturally, there were train tracks and she didn’t want to run after a speeding train or worse, get crushed by it. She therefore kept to the side of the tracks and hurriedly moved against the chilly weather – they had taken her coat. She kept on walking then increasing speed as dark clouds hid the sun.

As she moved further, she heard noise in her ears, initially thinking it was her captors, then heard her first name and garbled sentences mentioning ‘where can she be?’ It was radio messages from the special earrings Lin invented. Scanning the horizon wildly, she saw figures ahead towards her left. She cautiously then joyfully ran towards Chelle, Lin and Mark, the first two still in their school uniforms while Mark in the school’s sport shirt and jeans.

“Jenn! We thought you were missing again!” Chelle cried as she hugged the shorter girl.

“Never at all. I’ll explain further. Let’s…” Jenn’s reply was cut off as they all heard a vehicle’s roar and saw a dune buggy or something of that sort stop near them and Jenn gave a distressful cry as the French woman and her minions stepped out.

“So, there you are,” the woman snapped, gesturing four the men to secure the teen detectives. Mark was the first to strike the approaching South American. His kick struck the torso of the thug, however, he received a shot from the thug’s taser, cried out loud and collapsed.

“Mark!” Chelle also cried, kneeling down but before she could check if her boyfriend was alright she heard the lead captor growl. “Up and hands behind you.” She saw the Middle Eastern thug had and arm lock around Lin’s neck with Lin’s discarded ink or pepper spray pen on the ground. Jenn was similarly grabbed by the East Asian thug and hand-gagged. With the other man pointing his taser at her, she surrendered and the French Lady called them to ‘secure the schoolgirls tightly, the Thompson girl as before.’ Tightly meant Chelle and Lin’s wrists were bound with skin-cutting cable ties as well as their ankles. Not-so-clean cloth was forced inside their mouths and sealed with wrapped around black electrical tape. All three girls were hand-carried into the new vehicle and after a really bumpy ride, Jenn smelt she was back in the old carriage and was dropped again on the wooden ground. She expected that would be all until her hood was roughly removed.

Chelle and Lin were sitting at the far ends opposite of each other, hoods also removed, still bound and gagged. The East Asian and South American were towering over them, tasers still in their hands. The Middle Eastern thug and the French Lady stood, shew now smoking a small cheroot. Jenn immediately wondered where the fourth guy was.

She started to speak now but naturally her words were muffled and the Arab started raising his weapon. He received a loud slap in return and retreated back, shocked. The woman chuckled. “Ah, I’m in charge and naturally Miss Thompson you are not required to speak, just to listen, you two as well.” She paused and gazed reflectively at the tip of her cheroot. She flicked and a small stream of ash dropped from it to the grimy cement floor then passed the small cigar to the minion.

“I shall first introduce myself. Well, just call me Madame, so simple eh? I said you were going to see your cousin and for you not to try anything silly yet you did. Ah, so typical of you British girls these days. Your move still gave me two more of your kind, very nice.” Chelle’s mind was on Mark’s condition while Lin gave her the angriest glare with her eyes.

The woman paused then continued, “I wanted the whole issue to be resolved quickly yet your stupidity caused much delay. You will thus get a punishment,”

Punishment? Fear ran through Jenn’s mind.

“Nod if you understand me oui?”

Jenn nodded fervently, still wondering what she’ll get.

“Good…Strip those two down to their culottes or what you call knickers and their brassieres,” she snapped. The three men moved across to do so but she clicked her fingers. “Miss Thompson will perform that task on her friends.” She herself bent down and cut away the tape around Jenn’s wrists and ankles. Jenn suddenly hesitated

“My minions will perform the stripping tasks if you do not cooperate …”

Jenn hurriedly half-crawled, half-walked first towards Chelle. The thug near her had already also cut away Chelle’s bonds. Jenn sighed silently and easily removed her friend’s blazer, jumper and skirt. She paused, then unbuttoned her school blouse and gently removed the 50 denier tights, revealing high-leg pink knickers. It was only then Chelle snapped out of her worries and shivered due to the semi-nakedness. The female captor tossed her fresh cable ties but Jenn tried to plead that her friend was shivering.

“Shut up, pick up those cable ties and bind your friend!” the French captor yelled. Jenn picked up the cable ties and Chelle reluctantly re-crossed her hands behind her. Jenn quickly bound her and patted Chelle as a form of encouragement and crawled over to Lin. Her tights were 40 denier and somehow hard to take out. That revealed her skimpy bikini-style dark blue knickers and the men couldn’t help staring at Lin’s exposed undies.

“Collect their clothes and belongings.” The woman turned and grabbed Jenn, securing her wrist with cable ties then placed her back down where she originally was. Jenn wondered why her ankles were free then the answer came as the lady and the Arab yanked her jeans down, causing her to yelp as her legs felt the coldness of the planks and her white classic knickers with a bow tie were exposed. No, not again, she wailed silently.

“Ah, not exactly like your friends…no you don’t touch her jumper!” she scolded the Middle Eastern minion who shrunk back. “You will have some time to think through your rash actions, Mademoiselle Thompson. You,” she turned to the East Asian minion, “Stand guard. We’ll be back and you might just see your cousin.” The three partially naked girls shivered in the cold and the fright, with Chelle still wondering about Mark.

That rugby player had in fact regained consciousness and slowly yanked away the taser darts. Luck was upon him as a specialised railroad cleaning machine stopped up and the operator ran over to him. “Hey lad, you nearly got struck by my machine! What ya tryin to do?!”

“I…” Mark groaned. “Got to go…police…”

The worker still thought the student was playing a fool yet still sat him on his device and within the hour, Mark was checked by a duty doctor at a police station, surprisingly pronounced as healthy yet no officer understood or believed his story. When he started describing Jenn, a certain Detective Sergeant (DS) recognised the description and name. “Yes, I’ll take in thought it’ll be quite some resources,” the attractive DS said and he then saw the nameplate A. Mason.

The train carriage jerked, then moved like a racing car, definitely throwing everyone inside around. Lin was thrown face down, luckily only bruising her right cheek. Chelle fared worse: her arms were cut from the edges of the wooden planks. Jenn’s legs also suffered cuts, a distinct bruise on one of her knees and her thighs were bent so much that her crotch was more visible. The East Asian guard was also thrown around though his cuts and injuries weren’t visible as he fully clothed. This constant rocking finally subsided into a constant movement of the wheels and the East Asian thug managed to settle the three girls where they originally sat.

All three naturally glared at him and shout muffled protests and their semi-nakedness and tight restraints. As the man tried to sit down, Lin started talking to him. He initially did not respond, then they started a nakedness conversation. Her two friends immediately wondered what she was trying to say – Chelle thought Lin needed her gag removed, while Jenn caught some Mandarin Chinese words.

Meanwhile, DS Alison Mason was having difficulty officiating the matter as a police case with her superiors, especially Detective Chief Inspector or DCI Mark Walker who the Senior Investigating Officer or SIO of any major case. He asked lengthy questions, especially why her report came from a young student. It was only in the late evening when she heard DCI Walker would accept it as a case worth investigating, yet if it turned out to be like a children’s story tale, she would face reassignment. Typical.

Jenn then realised that Lin was trying to distract the guard and through the darkness, she signalled to Chelle with a single gag yell. Chelle caught it, and immediately worked with one of the few gadgets she had left: the watch cutter. She failed to get it right the first time and aimed to get right despite the moving carriage.

DS Mason received an internal police memo that made her heart leap. An India 99 or police slang for police helicopter returning from an escort duty noticed a solo train appearing out of a tunnel. The main front carriage was modern as were a few others while the last was rather old, almost from the late nineteenth century or early twentieth century. “One other carriage appears to house vehicles, one appearing like a dune buggy.”

Immediately taking it up to DCI Walker he let her take it, “however, DI Sanders,” referring to Detective Inspector Mike Sanders who just transferred in, “will control the investigation. If AFOs are needed,” AFOs meaning Authorised Firearms Officers, “He will be the SFC.” SFC is the highest commander for AFO operations.

Chelle continued to twist her bare arms and wrists and fingers, finally deciding the position was correct. Twisting the right crown, she felt it drop off and twisted the special watch at the presumed angle. There was a muted sound then she gratefully felt the middle of the cable tie snap. Unable to express her joy through the tight tape gag, she looked through the darkness. Lin was still distracting the thug through muffled talk and Jenn was focused on that and trying to keep her bare legs warm. Suddenly, as the carriage rocked, Lin stopped and Chelle took that signal and flung herself across the carriage, half hopping due to still bound ankles. Lin sprang, her wrists suddenly also free and also pounced and the two girls managed to tackle the East Asian guy down. Lin was the first to rub the tape off and with the cloth half spat out, she started to belt out English and Cantonese swear words at him, simultaneously yanking his arms behind him. Chelle first pushed away the thug’s taser away then roughly frisked him, yanking out a Glock 17. Jenn gave an elated cry and shifted over and Chelle first cut off her ankle bonds with the gadget then helped Jenn. As she tore off the tape, she yelled at the thug. “Where’s my cousin?! Where are they holding him! Who is that French….”

There was a whirling noise, a flash of sirens and the carriage jerked to a halt. One hatch was struck open with a loud bang and around a dozen of armed and masked police streamed in, the lead yelling “Armed Police! Hands up!” The girls complied until a female officer also wearing a ballistic vest entered and ordered the AFOs to handcuff the East Asian guy. “You’re safe! Well don’t just shine your lights at them, get them clothing and to the ambulance!” DS Alison Mason ordered the officers, staring at the semi-naked girls.

As Chelle was led outside in an over-sized shirt and jogging pants, she spotted Mark behind a police barricade and attempted to run towards him, however, the escorting PC stopped her. “Let her through for a while,” DS Mason called before radioing for the Forensic scene investigators (FSI) to enter.

All the teen detectives were questioned for hours before they were let off with their original clothes and gadgets, making Lin happy she didn’t have to reconstruct them. Days later, in their separate bedrooms, they chatted via Skype and WhatsApp.

“An attempt to steal technology from an experimental aircraft?” Lin questioned.

“Yes, the RAF is in the midst of building a future fighter commonly known as Tempest. This one is code-named Vanquish using material from the former Taranis demonstrator and new technology to allow the plane to fly itself often. My cousin Phil was forced to land and captured. They used that to lure me to also capture me since they knew Phil would only tell them about the technology when he saw me captive.” She went on to say the odd vehicle she spotted also belonged to the gang yet that was all RAF and MOD would say and there was conflict between them and the investigation now led by DS Mason. Most of the captors were either killed or injured in a firefight with the AFOs and after more than half a day, the main French captor was picked up before she could board a ferry. She was revealed as Cherie Blanchet, and was aiming to steal the technology for a French defence procurement firm.

The teen detectives reverted back to their usual school lives, with all their parents grateful. That meant assessment test for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) subjects. After Chelle and Lin completed torturous tests, their class teacher Mr. Lambeth and another came up to them just before the end of school.

“Miss Summers, Miss Chan just a moment. You two have scored extremely well in your assessment tests.”

They thanked them, however expecting that wasn’t all.

“We would like to you transfer both of you to Class 9A where you will have classmates or par with your academic standards and teachers that you may even surpass with your knowledge,” the other teacher added.

“I’m so flattered. What is the reason for this?” Lin asked.

“Is it compulsory?” Chelle added.

“Not at all,” was Mr Lambeth’s reply. “Just give me your decision by the end of the week.”

“They want to yank us out of the class?! What about the compulsory great friendship we’ve formed with Hattie, Julia, Heather and others,” Chelle exclaimed.

“Wel I won’t miss that bully Art who harasses me due to my ethnicity, although it’s fun to knock him or beat him especially in PE,” Lin remarked. “Transferring us would place us with Jenn.”

“I don’t know. Say I have to head down to the town library to copy some old archive documents. I’ve been behind in the Lit and Media club and Louisa is hounding me. Catch you later.”

Lin also had a science club meeting and the new student Reinhard Tomas was also voted in as Vice President of the lower secondary group along with her. “Congrats,” she acknowledged after the meeting broke up.

He nodded in response then remarked she had marks around her wrists and was wearing the special watch he suggested. “Yeah, it came in very handy, thanks for the idea.” She wanted to leave then he continued by adding he heard much about the gadgets she invented and the detective activities she was involved in.

“I would like to…”

If he’s asking me out on a date, I’m running away now, she thought.

“…Like to look at what you made and maybe help you invent new gadgets,” came the shaky reply. Reinhard was a few centimetres shorter than her and looked smaller in size.

“I can make…I can show you the stuff I make but it’s all locked up and I have to catch up with someone. Another time?” They exchanged phone numbers for the first time.

Chelle finished up copying the old articles she needed, wrote up the articles and emailed them to Louisa. As she exited the town library, there was a tremendous screech of car types and a police van struck a nearby pillar. Officers from the escorting vehicles rush out to check when suddenly a gun fight transpired. As smoke rose and Chelle ran to another path, strong arms grabbed and a rag was stuffed in her mouth. She was thrown on a padding she immediately figured was on the floor of a vehicle – that police van!

“So, we meet again, Chelle,” She heard the voice of Ken Danson, that former bank employee who robbed the local bank, trussed up her friends at her planned party and took her hostage.

“Mmmmp…”

“Shut up!” This came from a second man who handcuffed one of her wrists to a bar. The van rush away and Chelle soon felt it stop. She was dragged out and pushed down on a dusty floor with hands now fully locked behind her back and she felt her ankles were locked together with handcuffs.

“Stay down,” she saw it was a uniformed officer, definitely a rogue one. The hell, I’m taken hostage once more. The men were mumbling and she caught the phrase, ‘dump her soon.” Just as she tried to shift, there was another explosion with the familiar calls of ‘Armed Police!”

She immediately heard a muted sound and a yell of ‘Shots fired! Shots fired!’ Chelle was grateful as the fetters were removed then saw one of the AFOs asking his colleagues “Who the hell fired that shot?”

On a Friday afternoon, she was with her mum in the supermarket who kept remarking how Chelle survived all her wild adventures and tried to get her to change her ‘hobby.’ As their cart turned the next aisle, they nearly crashed into another.

“Hello, Nikki,” Chelle greeted the ever-so friendly and helpful DI Nikki Heath.

A learning who the police officer was and there was an invitation for meeting up after their groceries, her mother agreed on condition Chelle return home before dinner.

Over a shared carrot cake and tea for Chelle and coffee for Nikki, the latter summarised how she was second to other police commands in other territorial forces.

“That’s interesting. But you didn’t ask me for this meeting for your work,” Chelle wiped off the cream from her lips.

“You’re getting better as a young detective. No, I’ve been approved for promotion to DCI.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“Indeed. My superiors want to post me elsewhere; they feel I need to get wider experience with the rank,” Chelle saw Nikki’s expression change.

“Oh, what will our group do without you? You’ve been a gem for us and the whole of the town.”

“I know. DC Ransom is up for promotion and well, you can contact her. I know, she’s always dubious yet still a promising detective.” Nikki paused for a while, took a sip of her drink then replied.

“Actually, I also asked the promotion board if I could stay here. I’ll let you know the outcome. Come, I’ll drive you home.”

Detectives’ meeting place
Croonford

“Letter of commendation? That’s all we get after how painful the whole binding and gagging was?” Lin threw the letter across the desk.

“And I only got one short chat with my cousin,” Jenn added, continuing to rub cream around her sore wrists with Chelle also rubbing cream around her ankles as well.

“At least all of you returned safe quickly,” Mark added, running his fingers through his girlfriend’s hair.

Chelle’s phone buzzed. After reading she excited told them Nikki Heath was formally promoted to DCI and was allowed to stay in Croonford. The two of them had decided to stay in their original class, wishing to maintain the friendships they formed.

“Yay, it’s…” Lin voice was cut off as the doorbell rang. Checking it, she allowed no other than Reinhard.

“Someone invited you here?” Mark raised his eyes.

“I did,” Lin pulled out another chair. “As I mentioned last time, the laser watch idea came from Reinhard and he’s been feeding me great ideas for gadgets to allow us to escape and take down villains. And, if you all don’t mind, he also likes to join the group. Any objections?”

“Why not,” Mark replied.

“I’m sure he’ll be a great addition,” came Jenn’s reply.

Chelle was suddenly in deep thought. “Ok,” finally came her answer and after a round of applause, Lin equipped the newest teen detective with the necessary gadgets.

“Something’s bothering you?” Jenn queried Chelle who now stared out of the window.

“I was rescued from that evil hostage taker Ken by police and a shot was fired. Yet, they claimed none of them discharged their weapon. Someone did. Something’s up, no someone may be back, that Cat girl.”

Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark and Reinhard will return in a story, title not yet confirmed.

The End.

15: Gone West

Summary:

A RAF experimental jet crashes nearby and the team attempts to investigate.

Author’s note: I do realise I previously made Michelle fourteen years old in my last story, the maximum age for Year 9 in the British Education system, Key Stage 3. Nevertheless, it is the maximum age or oldest year for a Year 9 student. I haven’t yet stated the exact birthdays of the detectives but for a spoiler, Jennifer is the youngest. Also, this all shows the girls and boys grow up, unlike in the Famous Five and other teenaged detective series.

Author’s further note: This story is entirely fictional. No offence to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) or Royal Air Force (RAF).

“Any nightmares?” Lin Ling ask Michelle as the boarded the school bus.

“All with gagged sounds. No, I’ve, we’ve, experienced too much to recount them in nightmares.” Chelle laughed but explained her younger sister Kate kept recalling being taped up and gagged and Chelle had to comfort her several nights. All the girls including Chelle’s cousin Stacey gave their statements against the bank guard turned intruder, however his legal defence was really strong. She shook her head to forget what happened, couldn’t then turn to Lin who was engrossed in a science fiction novel, and she recognised it as Michael Crichton’s The Lost World.

“Hey, you’ve to design a new gadget that helps me, no us, to get our wrists removed from any bindings, especially cable ties.”

Lin lowered her book. “Of course. It won’t happen immediately and we have to test it out, with our hands secured behind our backs and where would we hide such a gadget?” Chelle just murmured in response that notice something odd: The other usual like Harriet ‘Hattie’ Coy, Julia Humes, Bethan Morgan and even the girl she had to attack, Heather Smiths weren’t on the bus. Something’s up.

Just as she entered the school yard, she also noticed those students weren’t present as usual. Suddenly the group burst out from various corners with Hattie and Bethan bellowing ‘Happy Belated Birthday’ to prevent violating of copyrights laws. The girls showered Chelle with presents: Hattie with an extremely realistic hand-drawn picture of her, albeit with a cloth gag drawn over her mouth; Julia gave her large discount coupons for an eatery they both liked and promised to treat her there while Heather gave her Amazon vouchers. Other students, female and male, also showered her with belated wishes and presents until she remarked her school bag and later her personal school locker would be overflowing. “Thank you everyone, yes I’m fine after the ordeal. And Hattie,” she turned to her talented classmate, “nice work with the gag, hopefully I won’t get something like that soon.” They laughed.

Chelle again noticed that there was another peculiar missing piece: Jennifer Thompson wasn’t in the peculiar piece vicinity as usual. Dragging Lin, they both found her a bench further away, engrossed in her phone. That was unusual for the most studious member of the team.

“Studying via the Wi-Fi or data?” Lin asked. Jenn looked up and only said she would discuss itwith them later. ‘Saved by the bell,’ the girls made their way to their respective classes. It was Year 9 and the start of choosing their General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) subjects. Within the core subjects, Chelle picked English Literature, maths, weighed between Combined Sciences and the individual sciences before picking Biology and Chemistry. For the optional subjects, she easily picked History, Geography, German and after a long decision, chose Philosophy and Ethics. Lin chose English along with the three sciences which included Physics, Geography, Computer Science, easily Mandarin Chinese and finally Business. “Thank you all, remember that proceeding classes will assess your various choices,” their class teacher Mr. Lambeth announced at the end with groans from nearly half the class. “It’s compulsory, see you later.”

Everyone rushed out for break time and Chelle and Lin found Jenn in one corner of one the school gardens, not the canteen. Looking around, Jenn held up her mobile phone and played a news video.

“A Royal Air jet crashed twenty miles roughly west of Croonford. Fortunately, no civilians were injured or killed and the pilot or crew’s details will be released after the next-of-kin have been notified. Property compensation will be reimbursed by the MOD and investigations will definitely be conducted. In…”

“Why are you interested in a military aircraft crash?” Chelle wondered.

Jenn fell silent again then answered. “My distant cousin is a RAF officer. I don’t really constantly keep in touch with him or his family but the last I recalled he was a test pilot, flying new or experimental aircraft.” She did send messages regarding his status; however, no reply came. “Don’t worry until you get the reply,” Lin added then with the bell ringing, they returned to classes. All students were kept busy with studies or other activities so the trio only met afterwards in their converted caravan.

Late Afternoon

“Yeah, my aunt texted, stating my cousin wasn’t replying to her texts and calls,” Jenn told Chelle and Mark. She had also sent him messages via Facebook and also yet to receive any reply.

“You care a lot for him?” Mark asked,

Jenn gave a summary how her cousin Phil stopped other family members and neighbours from bullying her. “That’s as much as I recall, hope he’s fine.” Only then Lin entered, still in her school uniform. “Sorry, was kept in a science club meeting. Met a new student with ideas that rival mine, Reinhard…

“Tomas?” Mark completed the line. “He just joined my class. German accent but nice guy. ” The discussion nevertheless returned to the crash. They quickly found repeated media articles of the crash and no new developments. The MOD and RAF only gave a summary of the crash and have not specified the pilot’s or crew’s names. With all agreeing to pilot’s check on the crash, they ended their meeting. All were however kept extremely busy with assessment tests. Mark had chosen English despite scoring high in his previous literature papers, Physics and Chemistry, Computer Science, Business, Design Technology and naturally Physical Education. Jenn, easily finishing her English Literature and History assessments, was focusing her mind on the crash. She had a deep feeling that her cousin was the victim in the crash, most likely the pilot. “Miss Thompson, you have yet to submit the full list of you GCSE subject choices,” her class teacher reminded her. Trying not to reveal her thoughts, along with the two subjects, she listed all three sciences, Drama, Geography, French and Ethics.

Towards the end of the week, Mark entered their headquarters and gasped. “What on earth are you doing?!”

“Don’t worry lover boy, I’m not interrogating your girl. Try it again.” Chelle was sitting on a new wooden chair, arms behind her back and it was quickly evident her wrists were bound with cable ties. Chelle twisted both her wrists and lover boy fingers, trying to reach a new crown just below the main one. She couldn’t and Lin prompted her to try again and finally she did, with the second crown opening and a needle protruded.

“Successful,” Lin declared, cutting off the bindings. Turning to Mark, she explained. “It’s my latest invention, the watch cutter. Instead of the needle, I going to instal a small laser powered by an additional battery along with that of the watch. Be careful,” she turned to Chelle, “the laser power is probably as powerful as the laser pen I previously made and it would cut our skin.” She handed Mark a duplicate watch and he accepted it, even though he had yet to be bound and gagged.

“Your classmate Reinhard gave me the idea even though I didn’t tell…”

Lin’s comments were cut off as Chelle wondered where Jenn was. Suddenly Lin’s phone rang and the ID indicated the third female teen detective.

“Hey, Jenn…” Lin started to answer but instead they heard aggressive male voices with various British and non-British accents as well as a female voice which sounded French.

“No, you don’t have to g…” The group heard one muted scream, muffled sounds then the line was cut off.

“Crap, she’s in trouble!” Lin yelled, running out.

“Deep trouble,” the couple added.

Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer and Mark will return in ‘Operations and considerations.’ where the story will be continued.

The End

14: Hostage

Summary:

Michelle’s birthday party is disrupted as she is taken hostage. What follows is a long ride across the UK and multiple failed attempts at escaping.

Author’s note: This story is inspired by, not a copycat, of Sleepover Hostages.

Michelle Summers’ fourteenth birthday was approaching and what should actually have been a joyful birthday was marred by the fact that it her father who was away in Russia. He did promise to return as soon as he could, but she wondered what exactly he was doing over there. As form of making up, her mum treated her and her younger sister Catherine or Kate to a meal at Croonford’s top Spanish restaurant. Checking her texts and WhatsApp messages afterwards, she squealed. “Oh wow. Stacey’s coming down to visit me this weekend. Excellent! I can’t wait to introduce her to all my new friends here; she would definitely mix well with them. Mum, do you think I could have a small party on Friday night? Have a few of my school mates over from school?”

“I don’t mind Stacey being here, she’s a sensible girl but I’m not too sure about you having a party, especially not when I won’t be around,” Mrs Margaret Summers replied.

In Chelle’s excitement, she’d forgotten that her mum had to go down to London Friday to sort out her previous job matters. She’d arranged to stay overnight with her dad’s sister and wouldn’t coming back until late Saturday afternoon. After much convincing and promising that she’ll look after Kate and not inviting any boys over, her mother finally agreed.

Stacey is Chelle’s cousin, the same age as her from her father’s side who moved to Telford, a town directly next to Croonford. Chelle hadn’t seen her cousin since she’d moved to Croonford and her to Telford, though she had e-mailed and texted her often and tried to chat up with her via WhatsApp call or Skype at least once a week and keep in touch regularly via Facebook. Stacey’s family lived in the same district as Chelle did when they were young and the two girls were totally inseparable. Stacey was also always an intellectual and also always been far more feminine than Chelle and was constantly experimenting with makeup and new hairstyles. Chelle checked her Facebook account to see what Stacey looked like yet she wondered idly what she’d look like in person on Friday in person.

Friday came and Chelle was extremely excited both about the mini-party and seeing Stacey. The guest list however was rather small besides Stacey. Chelle very much wished Mark Cadvish could come over but didn’t want to disobey her mum again. Julia Humes was the first to give a negative reply but promised to make it up later. Bethan and Harriet or Hattie both said they would arrive later. This meant Jenn and Lin Ling, her fellow detectives would definitely be there.

Chelle was kept at school until late afternoon and only managed to leave late in the afternoon. There was a bus stop round the corner from the school, and she scrape together just enough change for a single child’s fare to the local station; she decided to bring Stacey to her house via taxi. The train was just pulling away when she arrived there. Desperately, she searched through the crowds for the familiar face, but she couldn’t spot Stacey anywhere. Where could she be?

A voice in her ears made her jump. “How ya, Chelle?” She swung round and Stacey stood behind me holding a big black rucksack, a stupid grin on her face. They hugged and kissed each other on both cheeks, and then they both took a step back and looked at each other closely.

“Chelle, you better change out of this bland uniform the instant we’re at your house.” Stacey exclaimed, jabbing her finger.

Chelle blushed as she was still in her school uniform – a black blazer, white blouse, and pleated dark black knee length skirt along with 40 denier black tights since it was getting cold and black loafers – certainly she didn’t look anywhere near as cool or as beautiful as Stacey. She was wearing a stonewashed black denim jacket over a pink crew neck t-shirt with ‘Telford’ in white letters across the chest, a figure hugging dark blue lycra mini skirt, pattern translucent blue tights and red mid-calf boots. Her hair was a mass of golden blonde curls loose down to her shoulders and a floppy fringe hanging down over her eyes.

“You like?” she asked, twirling around. “I should hope so, this outfit cost me a small fortune. Feel my tights, go on, feel them.”

She lifted one leg and Chelle stroked it, finding so incredibly soft.

“I was stuck in my Literature and Media Club meeting,” Chelle explained. “Don’t worry; I’ll change into something pretty once we get to my home.”

“I haven’t got you a present,” She informed Chelle as they lined up at the Taxi stand. ” But I thought maybe tomorrow maybe we go on a little shopping spree and eating, my treat.”

They continued the usual talk and naturally Stacey asked Chelle how the detective work was going. “Challenging,” came the answer and Chelle described how Stacey might get along well with the others detectives, especially Lin. They finally entered a taxi and just two minutes later, Stacey suddenly asked, “Excuse me could you turn the radio up a moment please,” and the driver complied. Chelle raised her eyes but listened carefully to the news.”… The man who is believed to be armed and highly dangerous remains at large after robbing Croonford’s Bank in the early hours of this morning, stealing a guard’s firearm. He is described as Caucasian, over 1.8 metres tall with a sightly bald head and scarred left face to his left eye. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt and has a tattoo of a heart across it on his lower right arm. Residents of Croonford are warned not to approach this man but to call the police immediately if they think they have spotted him. In other news….”

Stacey giggled nervously.

“Oh, great so there’s an armed maniac on the loose in Croonford? And to think people say Telford is dangerous,” She squealed. “A case for you and your detective gang Chelle,” she added.

Chelle shrugged. “It might be but this is my birthday, time to relax. The police will catch him…” She knew capable people like Detective Inspector (DI) Nicola Heath would be right after him but sill she couldn’t help wandering if he would be worth looking into.

Arriving home, she called out to Kate but she didn’t reply as she would usually. That’s strange, she wondered as she hung up outer coat in the hallway coat rack while Stacey also hung up hers and her branded handbag and pulled off her pink boots. Kate would usually be watching the Telly or creating sounds from the kitchen. Maybe Kate finished preparing for the party. Kicking off her own school shoes, Chelle prepared to go upstairs and change until Stacey asked for where she could find water. Chelle naturally gave her cousin directions but halfway up the stairs, she heard Stace shout. “Err…Chelle, come here!”

“What’s the problem, Stace?” Chelle asked. “Spider in the kitchen?”

“No!”

Chelle gave an involuntary gasp as she raced back down and entered the kitchen. In the far corner of the kitchen, half hidden behind the table was Kate. She lay on her side her back to Chelle and Stacey, lying and not moving. Kate was dressed in her black T-Shirt and matching jeans, white ankle socks on her feet. Chelle noted her sister was not just unconscious but her wrists and ankles were bound with parcel tape. She immediately rushed up and knelt down and saw that more tape had been wrapped around her head, trapping her long hair and her cheeks were swollen under the tape, indicating some object had been stuffed into her mouth before the gag were applied. Kate laid so still and Chelle was definitely worried she might have choked on her gag but the twelve-year-old let out a low moan. Chelle immediately felt and found the edge of the gag and slowly removed the tape. Just before she could pry open Kate’s mouth and pull out what was some serviette bought for the party, she heard a gruff voice behind her.

“Okay Miss student, that’s enough. Stuff it back in, tape it right back.”

Chelle turned and came face to face with a bald, bearded man wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. his left eye and cheek was scarred and his right arm locked around Stacey’s neck, an arm that revealed a tattoo. A semi-automatic pistol was pressed against her head and he had a full backpack on his back.

“You!” Chelle cried recognizing him straight away from the description earlier on. “You’re the man who robbed the local bank.”

“Yah, that’s me,” he announced proudly.

“What the hell you doing in our house?” She raised her voice, though she could guess why.

“Don’t sweat it kid, just found this place. I ain’t looking to hurt no-one, yet. “His words made her flinch and she hated people using double negatives like that. “Now stuff the serviette back, gag your sis.”

“She’s nearly choking on it!” Chelle protested.

“Lower your bloody tone! Ok, just stick the tape it back, all around her hair.” Chelle wanted to protest again but gave in. The tape didn’t stick well but he tossed her a roll of parcel tape and soon Kate was gagged again with a fresh piece of tape. “Sorry,” she mumbled to her sister who just nodded her head in return.

Releasing his hold on Stacey’s neck, the robber literally her towards Chelle. “Catch your friend.” Not my friend, Chelle wanted to shout but Stacey skidded across the kitchen, her branded tights slipping against the well-polished linoleum floor and tumbled into Chelle’s arms, nearly toppling both of them both over. She held her cousin tightly, looked at her frightened and started slowly crying.

“Catch,” the intruder repeated, and another roll of tape and an open pack of serviettes landed at her feet. “Tape and gag your friend like I did to the little one,” he ordered. Chelle considered defying him again but knew she had no chance both of them would probably be shot. At least while they were alive, they would have some chance of escaping. Stacey had now calmed down and as if to read her cousin’s mind, she whispered “Best do as he says Chelle.” Turning so her back was towards Chelle, she crossed her hands behind her back and offered them up to her. Reluctantly, Chelle wrapped the tape around her slender wrists. “No, another round,” he ordered, pushing the gun closer. Soon enough, Stacey’s hands were bound extremely tightly as were her ankles. She turned and obediently opened her mouth to receive the serviette.

“All the way in,” he ordered sharply. Chelle pasted a small piece of turned tape over Stacey’s lipstick-covered lips when he objected.

“Na, right around her head, just like I did with your sister there,” he indicated at Kate who was slowly sobbing through her gag. Chelle reluctantly wound the tape right round, trapping Stacey’s hair in it, then up onto her cheek again and across the first layer so her lips were covered not once but twice.

“Okay, that should be enough.” Chelle felt relieved when the intruder stopped her. “Now place her on the floor but not too near with your little sis.”

“Don’t call my sister little,” she snapped, although that statement was so obviously full of fear. “Of course, sweetheart; but it’s your turn, wait you’re the Croonford girl detective trying to all crimes here and nearby. Chelle Summers right?”

“You can call me Michelle. Only my friends call me Chelle,” she retorted. “How the hell do you….”

“I’ll call you what I want; I’m the one in charge here. You think there’s no news about you and your gang? Oh, throw your silly gadgets towards me. I know you have them on you, now!” Chelle still wondered who exactly he was but threw the fake makeup kit that held a pen knife, the laser pen, the pepper cum pin spray pen and the anti-rape device. “Mobile phone!” That too the thug caught and kept in his bag. “Hands behind your back.” She sighed and did as told but before he could finish binding her wrists, the doorbell rang and they both literally jumped.

“Who the hell is at the door?” he barked.

Chelle had a fairly good idea it would be either Jenn or Lin or both but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “I… I don’t know.”

“Bullshit!” The man grabbed her roughly by the arm and pressed the pistol against her back. “Don’t try anything stupid, girls, ” he called to Kate and Stacey. “Or Chelle gets a bullet.”

The intruder marched the teen detective back out into the hall and up to the front door. Through the peep hole they both could make out two familiar girls on the far side of the door.

“Ah, the other two junior detectives,” he declared. “What they here…oh for your birthday party?’

Chelle wanted to say ‘of course, silly’ but that would anger him so she nodded her head instead.

“Just these two plus that blonde and your sis?” Chelle nodded again, hoping Hattie and Bethan wouldn’t arrive just after.

Before she could talk, he whispered. “Let them in. Careful lass, no tricks. Remember I’ve got this gun and I will start hurt youngsters if I have to.” He removed the tape.

Forcing herself to smile, Chelle opened the door. “Hi babes, glad you could all make it.”

Jenn was the first through the door. She was wearing a white denim jacket, orange T-shirt, cropped navy-blue jeans and white trainers with white ankle socks. Behind her was Lin who had tied her hair in a French plait and was wearing a black leather jacket, a low-cut maroon spaghetti top and a red tartan mini skirt. Her legs were sheathed in matching shiny red nylons and a pair of black open toed heels added a good 10-15cm to her 170cm height.

“Why have you still got your uniform on Chelle?” Lin wondered. “I thought you’d be dressed up to the nines and ready to party.”

Chelle paused, wondering if she should give some danger signal. If her friends’ parents discovered that their daughters didn’t return home on time, they might worry and drive over. On the other hand, if she gave a signal, Lin or Jenn might give an excuse, turn back and alert the police. But…

“Chelle? Why are you stunned? Wait, why are there tape marks around your…”

A door slammed shut, cutting off Jenn’s question and making them all jump. “Hello girls,” he boomed. The girls spun around and Jenn screamed with fright as the man who stood behind them pointing his weapon at them. “Hello, Lin, right? Jenn? Good or rather bad notice, seeing the tape marks. Hand over your gadgets, girls.” Chelle looked at her fellow detectives and mouthed a silent ‘please, there’s no other choice.’ Soon enough, the same set of gadgets were kept in the intruder’s bag.

“Okay ladies, let’s move it, to the kitchen if you please and hands up.” That is so cliche, all three girls thought. With Chelle leading the way, they walked through the hall to the kitchen where they found Kate and Stacey back-to-back, with Stacey trying to peel off Kate’s gag.

“Thought you’ll be trying to do that. Bitch,” he swore, using his leg to kick them away, slightly bruising both girls. He then opened up his back pack and motioned to Jenn and Lin. “Ok, shortie and you, on the floor, hands flat down on the floor where I can see them.”

“I ask again, can I expect any more girlies this evening?” He snapped. Chelle shook her head, wondering if that was true. Would Hattie and Bethan suddenly arrive?

“Right… Michelle,” he said. “You look the perfect catch for me.”

“You mean hostage,” she replied, trying not to quiver.

He didn’t answer as her twisted her arms behind her again. Suddenly, he cried as Lin kicked his knees with both her legs. “Bloody C****,” he swore, swung and pointed his weapon at her.

“Nooo!” Chelle cried. “Please don’t shoot her!”

He tensed, then released the pressure on the trigger. “Right, both of you, bind her up. First, gag yourselves.” Chelle and Jenn obeyed, a serviette both in their mouths then a strip of tape all around their jaw. Lin was soon trussed up with not tape but cable ties he stole from the Summers’ back garden. “Sorry,” Chelle told her classmate as she un-did her plait and administered the wrap-around tape gag. “Wrap tape all under and above her boobs,” came the next order. “Nice,” he noted Lin’s black bra and protruding breasts. “Your turn,” Jenn’s wrists were also bound, albeit with tape. “No, no no, I want them all separate. Get up and take her in there,” he ordered. “The rest of you, any more tries to escape, someone will really be shot!”

Chelle reluctantly led Jenn into what was the washing area. “Perfect. Tape her ankles. Now, Jenn, crawl inside the that plastic tub.” She did so and all the clothes were thrown over her. They left, not before he wedged a chair against the door.

The robber cut off Stacey’s, then Lin’s ankle bonds then along with Chelle, they were force-marched upstairs, directly to Chelle’s parents’ room. Stacey was ordered to lie down again and not to move while Chelle and the captor pushed Lin into the bathroom and shower stall. Her ankles were re-bound but Chelle cried through her gag as she was told to switch on the shower.

“Enjoy it,” he cackled as the shower door was shut with a chair. Stacey was roughly dragged up and brought directly to Kate’s bedroom. The guy must have thoroughly examined my house, Chelle thought as she was ordered to open the wardrobe. Stacey’s ankles were tightly bound and she was left mmmphing as the doors were closed and a chair jammed against it.

“Your sis will be fine on the kitchen floor,” he muttered, pushing Chelle into her own room. “Change out of your uniform and put these on,” he picked up black trousers and matching long-sleeved shirt.

“Mmm not takmming ofmm my clothes im front of u!” She replied through her gag.

“Do it!” Chelle did so, turning around to hide her underwear as best as she could but as she pulled on the shirt, she felt a massive strike on the back of her neck.

Sometime later….

“Mmmpph….” Chelle wailed, realising she was still tape gagged. She also discovered it was a different tape; not wrapped around her head, less adhesive and couldn’t feel the stuffed serviette in her mouth. Her wrists were now bound in front of Sometime her, her ankles like wise. She was draped in the same coat she hung up which covered her bonds.

“Welcome back sweetheart,” she heard the familiar voice, heard a familiar rumble and knew immediately she was in her mother’s car. “Man, those coppers manning the cordon were damn blind.” He explained how he convinced them he was taking his ill daughter to a doctor. Chelle immediately murmured through her gag how the police didn’t recognise him, based on the description all over the news. “Oh, I’m a master of disguise,” she then noticed the lipstick stain on his cheek.

“Mmmmph!”

“A tad too loud. I’ll tighten that gag soon.”

Summers’ residence

Naturally, all the bound and gagged girls were struggling wildly despite the various confinements they were kept in. Jenn was twisting around on her bum, trying to get out of the washing tub and cut off the tape. Not far from her, Kate managed to crawl up to the kitchen drawer as she knew there were scissors but they were in the top drawer. She was trained in gymnastics but none of the moves involved her taped up. One, two, three she managed to stand up, but with bound ankles and arms behind her, she fell down within a few seconds. Upstairs, Stacey was in pitch darkness and constantly pushing against the wardrobe door with no success. She wailed through her gag, thinking how else to get free. Lin naturally was suffering the worst, with her clothes and tights fully soaked with the pouring water. She too managed to get up but constantly slipped down and failed to pry open the shower door. The only gadget she had left was the skeleton key hairpin and that couldn’t pick cable ties.

Some run-down house

The stolen car slowed to a halt. “Think that garage door is locked, Chelle?” The now-kidnapper asked, then lowered his right hand and it rolled up and he drove in. “Now, no tricks while I exit.” Chelle’s mind was racing but just as she silently drew up a plan, the door on her side open. She expected him to cut away the tapes binding her ankles, instead she was ordered to hop inside.

Back at the Summers’ residence, Jenn managed to get out of the tub after scratching her hands, elbows and bum. She too couldn’t stand but managed to shift and crawl over. Expecting the door to be jammed, she pushed many times as best as she could and the door finally inched open. Kate spotted her and cried happily through her gag, indicating there were scissors in the drawer. Still bound, it took Jenn, with Kate’s back holding her legs before she could successfully open the drawer, feel for the scissors, then drop back down on the floor. Soon enough, both girls were free and Kate yelled, “Got to pee!” Jenn instead ran around, calling for the others.

Simultaneously, Chelle was now bound to a chair, her ankles and legs secured to the chair’s legs with loads of tape. Another round of tape secured her torso to the chair, her wrists now secured with cable ties but her arms were left dangling.

“Cheers,” the captor toasted a warm can of Heineken at her. “Oh, my manners,” he turned and yanked out a mineral water bottle. “You utter a scream, you don’t get a drink but another strike on the head, got it?” Chelle nodded and only received a large sip before he stuffed a cloth in her mouth and wrapped tape around again. I’ll get free, she thought.

Jenn found Stacey, whose dress was now out of place and tights laddered. Jenn shook away the hug as she was freed and shouted, “Where’s Lin?”

“I… parent’s room…bathroom!” With Stacey leading, the raced there and pulled the heavy chair away. Entering the bathroom, they found Lin just managing to exit the shower stall. Before they could attempt to undo her gag, the doorbell rang and Jenn ran back down, telling Stacey to free Lin. Jenn encountered Bethan and Hattie but in response to their ‘did we miss the party’ she cried back, “Call the police!” But they heard Kate mention she already did. As if on time, sirens blared and the familiar face of DI Nikki Heath entered. “Looks like you girls will be here for a while. Start your work,” she motioned to the FSIs or Forensic scene investigators officers as she drew out her notepad.

“Mmmp! Mmy I usmm the luu?” Chelle called three times before the captor turned. “Toilet? K, don’t you dare remove that nice gag. Two minutes.” He freed her and she found herself in a smelly toilet. She spotted a closed window high up, and quickly flushed the bowl and ran the tap. She managed to climb up but as she touched the window’s handle, the door burst open.

“I knew you would try that!” He held up a mobile phone with a blinking light. “Get down!” He pointed the gun at her.

The girls were let off after intensive questioning by DI Heath. Stacey was driven home in a police car but asked to be kept in touch. Mr and Mrs Summers were notified and the latter took the first train back while there was a police guard around their house, with Kate already falling asleep. Lin and Jenn’s parents forbade them from meeting at their detective meeting place but that didn’t stop the two from starting a WhatsApp group call, including Mark.

“Hey, sorry to hear what happened,” the rugby player announced. “I did some research, that guy’s not simply a bank robber but the security guard himself.” Mark shared pictures from the local news report and an enlarged picture of the guard with the name tag reading ‘Ken.’ Lin immediately tried to contact DI Heath but her number was engaged. “My parents want me to sleep early,” Jenn commented. “Convene tomorrow?” They agreed, with Mark naturally worried for his girlfriend.

Croonford Police CID Headquarters

“No, you silly, that was a stolen car with kidnapper with a kidnappee!” DI Heath shouted to the junior Police Constable (PC) who manned the cordon and let the vehicle pass. “Where’s the India 99?” She referred to the police helicopter. “It’s searching the area boss,” DC Bluebell Ransom answered. The phone rang and Ransom passed it over to her superior. “Heath, I know you’re pulled virtually all units on this case,” came the deep voice of Detective Chief Superintendent (DSU) Robert Gates, Nikki’s superior. “The kidnapper has moved way the Croonford region which you don’t cover. Call the helicopter back and let the other regions handle.”

“Sir, it’s a serious case and I’ve…”

“Do it Heath. Conduct your normal duties, Night.”

Seething, she turned to her colleague, “Call your boyfriend Ransom, we’re spending an all-nighter.”

The run-down house

“Hey you’re late,” Chelle, now lying hogtied with cable ties and tightly taped gagged with cloth in her mouth heard. The new person, a dark brown curly-haired man, around more than 185 or 186cm, entered.

“Not too late…well you brought more than your stated share,” Chelle heard the new voice.

“Couldn’t be helped… and some collateral will help us cross,” she heard the captor reply and looked up. He was now wearing a wig and a tight rubber face mask.

“Whatever, she’s your care. Let’s go.” Chelle, despite her struggles, was dragged and thrown into a van and cover on loads of blankets. She immediately smelt the foul stench of frozen fish, knowing what sort of vehicle she was in and kept in but continued to think how to escape.

Back at Croonford CID HQ, the two police detectives spent the night unofficially calling their colleagues across nearby Territorial Police Forces. “Hey Das, thanks, I’ll buy you a meal sometime.” DC Ransom terminated the call. “That was my old friend at the Midlands Force, Das Sharma. He got authorisation to get an India 99 up and this appeared,” she opened up a new tab on her screen with a two-minute video showing the stolen car travelling past the cordon south-west to a deserted area with only one residence in view.

“Great, alert your friend’s team to raid that residence, used armed officers; the guy has a firearm,” Ransom replied it was happened and the pair finally called a night.

As coincidences go, the team that approached the run-down house approached just after the disguised van left. In typical fashion, they covered all possible exits and the Operational Firearms Commander (OFC) yelled the usual ‘Armed police! Surrender!” An OFC has tactical command of the team of Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs). He yelled those words three times before the team stormed in and then there was a loud explosion.

Detectives’ meeting place
The next morning

“Wow, this guy is an expert in explosives,” Lin commented as the teenagers read how the Midlands police officers were severely injured in the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fitted to Mrs Summers’ car, using the petrol as part of the detonator source. “Or maybe he’s got an explosive-trained accomplice.”

“Uhm, more importantly, Chelle was not in that house when it detonated,” Jenn read the news report and Mark nodded, thankfully.

“Let’s see, this Ken is petrol as a generic disgruntled employee. He took not massive amounts of money but some from the cashier and locked deposit boxes. Those can be traced. He’s originally from, hey, Ireland. Maybe that’s where’s he’s headed.” Jenn regretfully stated her parents didn’t wish her to leave the town, leaving Lin and Mark to head down to that location.

Despite the bumpy ride and restraints she was kept in, Chelle managed to successfully shift and kick the nearest boxes. It took two tremendous kicks before the boxes pushed the back door open and fell out.

“What?!” the two goons in front brought the van to a halt and turned it to a side. “Shit,” Ken swore. “I thought you secure them.”

“Whatever, let’s get them back in.” Chelle waited until both men back were turn and slowly shifted herself on her bum out of the van. She thought she had managed to escape until two hands lifted her.

“Don’t you dare try!’ Ken shouted as she was literally thrown back inside.

“Told ya we need to dump her,” she heard the other guy call.

“When we cross the border.” The two men continue to argue with Ken made to sit and watch the bound and gagged captive.

Lin and Mark rented bicycles and cycled towards the bombed house. There was nothing unusual to spot until Mark spotting a shiny object.

“That’s Chelle’s watch!”

A police car coincidentally drove by and luckily the officer, a blonde female PC with the name tag S. Knowles stopped. “Charlie Four Six, update on the Summers abduction case, victim’s watch found on middle of Southwood Road.”

Inside the van, Ken and Chelle stared at each other before the former started boasting how easy it was to grab to money and safe deposit boxes and how he would escape any police. Chelle could only give now irate glares at him since the cloth stuffing soaked most of her saliva. Her hogtie had been removed but more tape was secured below and above her knees.

“Aw, don’t worry…”

“Coppers cordon! Shut up back there!” The yell came from the front and Ken dragged her face down on the even smellier floor, pressing the grip of his weapon against her, warning her not to make the slightest sound. Chelle now decided not to aggravate him further and listened as the other criminal sweet-talked with the police. Suddenly there was silence then the back doors were unlocked. Finally, they’ll check thoroughly, find me and I’ll be home. All of a sudden, there was a loud thud on the doors and two shots. “Couldn’t convince them, had to end it there,” the other criminal called as he re-started the engine. “Looks like a collateral is a good idea.” No, Chelle wailed.

“Status Zero…” PC Sarah Haynes heard on her radio as she drove Lin and Mark back to Croonford. “No!” She slammed the wheel. “That was my sister!” Status zero meant officer in life-threatening situation. She calmed down as she heard the radio say she was injured not killed. Lin immediately wanted her to turn around, however, the radio announcer mentioned cordons were tightened, with more air support searching for the vehicle since all police forces had a description of the van. “My people will handle, best for you two to stay home.” Lin wanted to further argue

The van was jolting wildly now off-road now something it was never built for. Chelle, the only one gagged gave continuous muffled cries as the van sped and turn wildly through the plains and into a wildly wooden area. Chelle thought it would be long ride until the car jerked to a stop.

“Freaking set of rocks!” The criminal cum driver swore and just as he wanted to exit, a series sirens blared and there was a loud shout, “Armed Police! You are surrounded! Do not harm the minor and drop all your weapons!”

The van doors flung open but the area was filled with anti-infrared smoke cutting the vision off the AFOs.

The lead commander swore. “TFC to SFC, heavy smoke obscuring subjects and victim. Unable to execute critical shot.” A critical shot in British policing ensured subjects were definitely incapacitated and prevented threat to civilian life. A SFC or Strategic Firearms Commander has overall strategic command of firearms operations, with responsibility and accountability for directions given. Lower down was a Tactical Firearms Commander who developed the strategy for AFOs to deploy.

The smoke actually dispersed faster than expected revealing Chelle held at gunpoint by the other captor, now really scared. She didn’t want to end her fourteenth birthday this way.

“Armed Police! Drop your weapons!” The call came but this was opposed as Ken emerged, his weapon also trained on Chelle.

“All AFOs, SFC, critical shot rescinded!” the urgent call came.

“You drop your guns or the girl gets it!” The second yelled, unflinching. The situation was definitely beyond tense until a squirrel crawled on Ken’s foot, causing him to cry out and discharge his weapon, the shot thankfully didn’t strike anyone. Chelle risked it and used both of her bound legs to kick her captor and more shots rang out, knocking out both thugs.

The lead TFC ran over, shouting the required, ‘shots fired’ in his radio, finding Ken wounded while the other was succumbing to his wounds. “Subjects down, victim freed” he further radioed as he undid Chelle’s gag and binding.

Epilogue:

“There’s the saying ‘saved by the bell,’ maybe now we should have ‘saved by the squirrel,” Lin laughed. The girls, along with Mark and Stacey had gathered at an eatery a week after whole events. The second criminal was revealed as Chris Longcross, a former member of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) who specialised with IEDs and weapons proliferations. Ken, full name Ken Danson, was remanded in custody but acquired a solicitor who put a remaindered fierce defence.

“Just risk and luck, part of all of our work,” Chelle said, smearing moisturiser over her sore wrists and cheeks.

“You detective work is definitely risky but sounds fun,” Stacey added, smearing lip balm on her cheeks. “Anyway, cut your cake, make a wish!” They were all carefully not to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ in public and violate copyright laws.

“Wish for safer cases!” Jenn added and Chelle did wishing her dad would be home more often.

“Anything can happen in the future. Thankfully, I’ve got you lot,” she hugged them all, especially her boyfriend, not knowing they were being watched.

Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer and Mark will return in ‘Gone West.’

The End

12: Scarborough Fair

Summary:

Lin and Jenn are taken hostage along with someone else and Michelle, despite her parents’ objection, secretly sneaks down to Coventry to rescue her friends.

Author’s note: This is Part 2 of a two-part story; therefore, it is around the same number of words as the previous ‘case‘.

This story is entirely fictional.

Lin Ling tried to show a brave face as the gunman held his weapon – she identified it as a Sig Sauer P226 – while the other held up ropes. She instantly wanted to resist but the threat from the nearing gun made her give in for once. “Good little nosy Chinese girl,” the Canadian accent from the masked gunman was distinct though Lin couldn’t tell which English region. His accomplice tightly bound both her wrists and elbows then lifted her legs up to bind her ankles. “Cute, I didn’t teen girls that young wear black knickers,” the gunman laughed at the unintentional upskirt. Cloth appeared in the accomplice’s hands and she was also blindfolded and gagged, then carried and dumped in a theme box similar to the one she found Rachel in with a board covering her. Thankfully, there was some air hole to breathe. Lin tried to squirm around and realised she either dropped her laser pen or they snatched it. Never mind, I have other gadgets that help me get free.

Jennifer Thompson hurriedly ran through the train station’s gates and hailed a taxi to the arena, constantly pestering the driver to reach the speed limit. Not bothering to take the change, she ran up the grass and saw the tents and equipment were being removed and the area cleaned up. She spotted one of the debating teachers and started rapidly describing Lin and asking if he noticed any female student from nearby schools was reported missing. “Hey, hey Miss star debater, welcome back. No one is missing unless in your mind.” Jenn protested but the teacher just walked away.

Shaking her head, she dialled her taller friend directly but only received constant rings. Where could that girl…the cafe! Jenn remembered the location and quickly found herself at the counter speaking to a certain ‘Nathan.’ “No school girls here in the past two hours. In fact, none here today.”

“Are you sure?” Jenn showed him a picture of the Malaysian-Hongkonger and asked if there was another girl with her.

“No one I said,” the tattooed guy folded his arms. “We’re closing to clean up. Ann, show this girl out.” Jenn was about to continue arguing but the elderly cleaner held her arms. Just as they reached the door, she spotted something. “Hey! That belongs to my friend!” The net was thrown at her and she was locked out of the café, stuffing the item in her bag. They have something to do with Lin’s disappearance and definitely the other girl Lin was meeting. But where could they be hiding them?

Croonford
Summers’ Residence

The latest WhatsApp message from Jenn ‘I think Lin got herself in trouble, am heading back down’ literally shocked Michelle Summers out of her chair.

‘Jenn, what’s your update? Did you find Lin?‘

‘..hold on…’ Came the studious student’s reply. Jenn wasn’t skilled at reading lips but still managed to through the cafe’s windows.

‘Lin and another student…have been kidnapped/taken hostage…on some truck…a fair or carnival’ Jenn quickly typed her reply and wondered what action to take next. The cafe doors were locked and the staff were rolling down the shutters. ‘Truck’, ‘fair’, that carnival they spotted when they first arrived!

‘It’s a carnival again!!!‘ She typed, looking around. How am I going to find the vehicle?!

‘Jenn, get help, notify the authorities down there,’ Chelle typed her reply. ‘Mark, can you get down there?’

The reply from the newest detective and first male came in one and half minutes. ‘Sorry girls, still trapped with my rugby games and practice. Look I’ll look into this ‘carnival’ for you’

‘I’m heading down xx’ Chelle typed.

‘But you’re still grounded,’ her lover typed but Chelle had switched off her phone.

At some central police station in the Warwickshire region

Jenn, nearly out of breath, managed to meet with some police and repeated again her missing friend and the other girl. Unlike the Croonford police, this slightly curly Detective Inspector Marc Blampied wasn’t immediately amicable and questioned Jenn’s trouble, especially since she couldn’t describe the other girl.

“I think that the cafe,” Jenn gave the name of the shop, “helped kidnap or take hostage my friend and the other girl.” The DI scribbled notes and told her he would handle it and she could head back home. Despites Jenn’s protest he simply showed her out of his office. A blonde police sergeant (PS) in uniform with the initials ‘A. Mason’ who gave her a smile and mouthed the words ‘he’s like that.’ Just as Jenn was about to exit, she heard the DI tell that PS to focus on her screen and add a slight lewd remark.

Outside, Jenn again paused to ponder. It was nearing late afternoon and her parents would be angry again if she didn’t return home on time. She retrieved her phone and managed to get hold of DI Nikki Heath.

“Marc the arsehole,” came her reply. “We were competitors at the academy, dated until there was nothing in common and had a messy break up. He’s also slacker in detective work, prefers only to try to date girls in uniform.” That was exactly what I saw, Jenn, thought then Nikki said she may try to send help but couldn’t guarantee. Thanking her, Jenn suddenly noticed a younger girl on a bicycle that was an ancient model.

“Hey, do you know how old that model is?” She smiled.

“My Pa and Ma won’t give money for the newer one,” came the reply.

“Oh no. Say, do know you of any carnival that was in this area?”

“Yeah, started coming by recently. Old but funny magic acts the usual. Bought these sweets,” she held up an open packet. “Why?” Jenn just asked her which way the carnival trucks or vans headed and the names.

“Thought I left some valuable with one stall. Why not I give you enough to buy that old model and you buy yourself a better one?”

“Ya will?” Thankfully, the girl sold her bicycle and Jenn gave up nearly half of her monthly pocket money. This better be worth it, she thought.

The truck was moving as Lin was trapped in a box smaller than her 168cm and growing height. Painfully yet successfully, she twisted her bound arms and managed to draw out her foundation kit penknife. So far, the school teachers haven’t caught the girls with it; make up was out of bounds per school rules. Not gadgets that help when you’ captured. After five minutes, her wrist bonds came off. Managing to bend her legs as best she could, she also managed to cut away her ankle bonds. Her elbows were still tied and as she squirmed and pushed, the top board, then the box cover came off. Simultaneously, the sides of the box fell apart. The wonders of a magic box, she thought happily, but the fallen boards had little edges for her to rub the ropes against. Nor could she see in the dim light of the truck interior anything to cut the ropes around her elbows.

“Mmmph,” she then heard the muffled cries. “Rachel, hang on,” she called and shifted herself on her bare knees towards the other box. Turning around, she managed to lift the two covers. The other science student was still bound, gagged and blindfolded and groaning through the gag, “Sssh,” Lin remarked then twisted. After having been bound and gagged in many positions, she managed to turn around and cut away the girl’s elbow and wrist bonds in the same time she did her own. Rachel gave an elated yelp and undid her own ankle bonds then final her gag and blindfold.

“Oh, thank you thank…” Lin placed a finger on her own lips and Rachel lowered her tone thanking her again. “Where did you get that weird penknife from? Did you invent it?”

“Yes, long story. Wait, why were you captured? And you…” Lin smelt the same slightly foul odour but didn’t want to say the term.

“I used to have a weak bladder, though I got it in control two years ago then suddenly got it in the cafe,” Rachel replied. She then explained they wanted her father, who migrated from Kenya, to give up his chemistry documents to them in exchange for her release.

“We got to get away. Hey, help cut away the ropes around my elbows.” That free, Lin tried to guide her out but that wasn’t easy in the dim light. Suddenly, the truck slowed down and a door opened, the light nearly blinded both students.

“Naught girls,” the lead kidnapper called. Lin quickly drew out her ink or pepper spray pen and squirted it, but missed, only hitting the arm of the accomplice. “Haha,” the lead kidnapper laughed. “Throw that here,” Lin was about to shoot again but the captor fired his own weapon first, the bullet striking the ceiling. “Now!” With the threat, Lin gave up her gadget and both girls were told to lie down, hands on their heads.

“Bind that Chinese one first, ” he instructed his accomplice. “No, get her uniform off so she won’t have any more nonsense stuff to get free.” The second man hesitated but Lin yelped as her school blazer and then blouse came off, exposing her school-standard skin-tone bra. Her skirt was unclipped, fully exposing her black knickers. Cable ties quickly were wound twice around here wrists, cutting through her skin. Her knees then ankles received the same treatment. The pièce de résistance was a further cable tie securing her ankle bonds to her wrist bonds in a hogtie, causing her to cry again. “Shut her up,” came the command but Lin refused to open her mouth. With the Sig Sauer pressed against her neck, a cloth was jammed inside her mouth and two rounds of black packing tape around her jaw and head, trapping some of her hair in the process. The lead kidnapper yanked Lin’s bra straps down to her mid-arms, further restraining her and humiliating the usual tough student. The semi-naked teen was carried and laid in another box and dreaded hearing the sound of locks. She could only just breathe through this thicker gag and barely struggle as she heard Rachel being trussed up again and re-gagged.

Jenn was cycling for twenty-five minutes and still didn’t catch sight of any carnival trucks. The vehicle drivers she hailed weren’t helpful until she received a WhatsApp group message giving her more precise directions where the trucks could be headed. ‘Thks’ she replied, turning and was delighted that Mark was spot on — in front of her were trucks with the words ‘Scarborough Fair’ stencilled on the side. She pedalled faster and waved at the driver of the nearest truck but he ignored her waves and the trucks were speeding faster than she could cycle. Could this be the correct lot of trucks where Lin was hiding? Jenn nearly lost the convoy until she spotted a side lane of a very small hillock. She cycled up and looked down. The series of trucks looked normal until she spotted a hole in the top of one. Either that’s a hole from normal wear and tear or something worth looking at, she got off and luckily there were traffic lights, slowing the vehicles down. One, two, three…she jumped and landed on the top of that specific truck.

Ow…she cried but the pain thankfully didn’t last long. It was a vinyl tarp and with her own laser pen she started cutting away through the tarp. The gap wasn’t that big when the vehicle jerked and she fell down through the small gap. Jenn landed crying out loud, noting the gap above was much larger. Ow…this was a silent groan but a quick check of herself revealed no sprains and only a bruised left arm. Jenn was rubbing it when she heard some noise and spotted a sack which was squirming. Shifted closer the muffled sound increased and she called out “Lin? Is that you?” Wincing in pain, she neared the sack and undid the rope on the top, revealing a black girl blindfolded and gagged with cloth. Just as she was about to undo the cloth she heard, “Oh, another nosy girl. Looks like Nat’s warning was right.” Jenn surrendered and the masked man threw her school bag to the corner, splitting the top slightly open. Soon enough, Jenn was tightly tape bound and gagged. No, not again.

“Any more heroines?” The man scoffed. Just then, another figure dropped down from the gap above. The masked man fired another shot but received a squirt of ink directly on his eye slit. “Yeow!” he cried not just from the squirt but from the ferocious kick he received, throwing his gun away. Jenn immediately recognised that it was Chelle, clad in dark clothes and yelped thankfully through her tape gag. A fight naturally continued, with Chelle appearing to gain the upper hand, pushing the captor to a corner and kicking him down. However, she received a painful kick in return, throwing her to the corner.

“I had enough of you little girls,” the man growled, his weapon miraculously appearing in his right hand. “Now…” before he could complete his line or fire, something was thrown at him, tearing the gun from his hand again and keeping him on the ground.

“Now you receive my turn,” Chelle declared, quickly moving and ensuring he was unconscious. She was about to head over to free Jenn when there were familiar police sirens then the truck jerked to a halt. A door opened and Jenn recognised the familiar female sergeant she saw at the police station. Quickly she was freed but as her gag was peeled off, she yelled that her friend Lin had to be somewhere. With Chelle activated the ID app on her mobile phone, the police officers found the box and Lin was freed, just in time as she nearly choked on her stuff gag. Another siren was heard and they heard, “Sergeant Mason, what the hell did you do?”

“The job you should have done, sir,” she spat out the last word, ensuring all four girls received paramedic treatment and covered Lin with a spare police shirt.

Epilogue:

“You intentionally broke my grounding order and endangered yourself,” Mrs Summers sternly addressed her oldest daughter who still had bandages and ointment as a result of her fight. “I have the very idea to…”

“Maggie,” Mr Arthur Summers who returned home upon hearing the incident, “perhaps we two should discuss this first.” Their private discussion didn’t last long and Chelle was no long punished, on condition she keep her parents, particularly her mother, on any dangerous detective work. Arthur in fact recounted how Chelle secretly followed Jenn to almost rescue her using Lin’s competition item to trap the kidnapper and the supporting comments from Jenn’s parents who didn’t punish their daughter.

Both she and Lin also received medical treatment, with Lin’s mouth tested from any infection from the stuff gag. Lin’s parents scolded her but only gave her a stern warning. The other student, Rachel Adjewa, indeed received a modified diuretic from the cafe manager Nathan West who was in league with the kidnappers, Victor Hector, a Canadian and his accomplice, Larry Sawyer. PS Alison Mason, who left her desk and helped rescue the girls, quit her position to train as a police detective. Lin, Jenn and Chelle received a small monetary award from Rachel’s dad, allowing them to improve their detective headquarters. Mark, the only male teen detective remained in the shadows and he and Chelle still decided to be a couple, secretly.

Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer and Mark will return in ‘Doggy Business.’

The End

06: 6: Halloween Horrors

Summary:

It’s the end of October and naturally Halloween is here. But ghosts and haunted houses are supposed to be fictitious or is that really so? And who’s this Catgirl?

Author’s note: This story was inspired by both the stories The Ceypt and Halloween Surprise.

Adult Bondage but only on adults!

Croonford
Summers’ Residence

Michelle hated tests in the last few weeks; they tortured her especially maths. Thankfully, the perfect mind relaxation activity presented itself as there was a town All-Hallows Eve costume party with food and traditional prizes for the best costume. She had spent much of the week between exams thinking about her costume. Chelle chose a pink track suit jacket over a black t-shirt with the ‘Croonford 20’ in shiny blue and orange on the chest, along with a pleated dark black sports skirt with 70 denier black tights. With her homemade attached red pom-poms, she thought she looked exactly like a cheerleader. With white face paint which mixed with green and red dots on her face, she was a zombie cheerleader.

“So, you ready?” Lin asked, tying her hair.

“I am,” Chelle replied. “Where’s your costume?”

“What do you mean?”

Lin was in a black, almost sleeveless sweater with black bra straps visible on her shoulders, skin-tight black skirt with a towel attached, black 50 denier tights with white skeletons randomly splattered randomly and shiny one-inch black boots. Her face was painted in black and white streaks. “I’m a scary waitress!” She declared.

“What happened to the psycho cheongsam dress you talked about?” Chelle asked.

“So, you ready?” Lin asked, tying her hair.

“I am,” Chelle replied. “Where’s your costume?”

“What do you mean?”

Lin was in a black, almost sleeveless sweater with black bra straps visible on her shoulders, skin-tight black skirt with a towel attached, black 50 denier tights with white skeletons randomly splattered randomly and shiny one-inch black boots. Her face was painted in black and white streaks. “I’m a scary waitress!” She declared.

“What happened to the psycho cheongsam dress you talked about?” Chelle asked.

“I couldn’t design it and my parents were against the idea of me using any of my proper cheongsams for any Halloween,” Lin replied. “What about Jenn?” She added. “She coming?”

“Nah, she said something about Halloween being a curse on humans,” Chelle replied.

“She’s not back to her shell-shock mood, is she?”

“Nope, she’ll be skipping the party for tending to kids for trick or treat. Shall we?”

As they headed down, they encountered Michelle’s mother. “Mich, I want you to head the party and return straight back before midnight. You too Lin Ling; I talked to you parents. I don’t want you girls wandering around, finding would-be suspects, getting caught and nearly killed.” She had heard about the last adventure the girls went through but with a long discussion, she let her older daughter off. “Take the straight road to the town centre, clear?”

Chelle replied with a loud ‘Yes, Mum’ and Lin with a ‘Yes, Mrs Summers.’ It wasn’t that cold an evening so the two teenagers decided to walk. “Have you heard about the haunted mansion in this town?” Lin commented. “There was an old man named Marley, who was the richest man in the town in the 19th Century. Town folk would rather gather at his place rather than at religious buildings during festivals. One day, someone veered from the main gathering and found literally hundreds of skeletons in his closet. Because Marley was very influential in the town, there was no investigation conducted but there were no gatherings at his place after that and the mansion was locked up. Marley passed away at the turn of the 16th Century but rumours say his ghost can be seen across the graveyard in front of his mansion and through the windows of his mansion.”

“Lin,” Michelle replied. “You seriously believe this crap?”

The half Hongkonger, half Malaysian girl laughed. “Just trying to get into the spirit of Halloween.”

Croosworth School

Girls shower room

Earlier Late Afternoon

“I’m not doing it,” remarked Harriet Mingfield, stamping her feet. “It’ll be damn cold,” she added, “and pitch black.”

“But you lost the bet,” Sophie Boff argued. “You agreed to the forfeit,” Sophie added as she dried herself vigorously after the post-netball shower. She and her friends had just finished a tiring game and Harriet had lost a bet over a boy’s football match. All girls had finished their A-levels and instead of heading to university, they decided to take a gap year and still play netball for the school one last time. Wrapping her large towel around her breasts, Harriet sighed.

“You have to do it,” Virginia or Gina Winterbourne also argued.

“Okay fine,” Harriet finally gave in. “I’ll do it, just so you don’t tell others all the time after.”

“Great, all twelve hours: eight pm to eight am the next day,” Sophie smiled.

“We’ll meet you at seven thirty and take you there,” Gina added.

On the way to the town centre

As Chelle and Lin neared the town centre, they saw a large barrier with a sign reading, ‘Construction work undergoing, please take an alternative path. Apologies for the inconvenience’.

“What the hell,” Lin groaned. “Hey, maybe we can climb that slope which leads back down to the town centre.”

Chelle initially wasn’t in the mood to climb a slope even if it wasn’t really very steep but agreed. As they did and head down, they spotted a huge building to their left.

“Is that…” Chelle started

“Yes, it’s Marley’s mansion,” Lin confirmed. The Mansion was extremely dark, lighted only by the moon but the girls could clearly its full outline and the graveyard just in front. Lin sprinted towards the structure and Chelle, shaking her head, followed suit.

“Lin, we’ll be late for the party,” Chelle reminded her. She didn’t receive a reply as Lin moved further towards the mansion but suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Lin held up one hand. “Sshhh,” she whispered. “I think I just saw something.”

“It’s probably Marley back from the dead,” Chelle laughed out loud.

“Chelle, I’m serious. It looked like a torchlight.”

Lin switched on and off the pen torchlight she herself had. It was her latest invention – a torchlight that could be set to various degrees of brightness and even infrared light that could be viewed with night vision googles she was constructing. In the darkness, they saw a light sweep round a few metres ahead.

“There’s really someone over there,” Lin whispered.

“It’s probably a trick or treater,” her fellow sleuth suggested.

Croonford

Harriet’s house

Harriet emerged from her bathroom wearing a black skirt with black 80 denier tights and flat black shoes. She also wore a black woollen sweater under the sleeved top. “Hope the old mansion isn’t really that cold.”

“Nah, it’s just another building,” Gina reassured her although she didn’t know much about it. She and Sophie were in their Halloween costumes as they were also attending the town centre party. Gina chose a bear suit with fake sharp paws and fake bear legs with her boots underneath. Sophie had a ghoul-like mask on, almost akin to the Ghostface in the Scream movies along with a dark gown.

“Well you two better save some Halloween food for this,” Harriet replied. They all piled into Sophie’s car. Less than half an hour later, they were at Marley’s Mansion.

“I don’t like this one little bit,” Harriet announced as she surveyed the living room in the haunted mansion, it was extremely spooky with rotten floors, walls and ceilings. She managed to find a sort of sturdy surface and laid down her sleeping bag, a portable heater, her water bottle and snacks and ensured she had her phone connected to the portable charger.

“Don’t worry,” Gina consoled her. “Just remember to send us a picture message that your still in place and not broken the forfeit. It’ll be a simple ‘sleepover’ and we’ll save food for you. Bye!”

Back outside the mansion, Lin was still scouting around for the figure she saw while Chelle kept pestering her to head back to the town centre and reminded her what mother warned them. Suddenly, Lin pointed, in the darkness, both girls could see not one but two figures, wearing thick masks with small eye slits, moving randomly around the graveyard.

“Hey, there’s a third figure, a person in some cat-like costume hiding amongst the trees back there,” Chelle pointed. Just as she did, the two masked men turned on both their torchlights towards the two teen detectives and ran towards them.

“I think it’s time we got the hell out of here!” Chelle cried.

They heard a cry of ‘grab them’ both girls didn’t turn back and ran. Lin unfortunately tripped and was easily caught. Despite her ferocious taekwondo fighting, one of the men managed to pin her down while the other forced a thick cloth in her mouth and sealed it in with strips of tape. The man then twisted her, face down and bound her hands behind her back with coarse rope and further pressed a pistol against her back. Chelle managed t0 hide behind the nearest tree, watching Lin being trussed up and the mysterious third figure observing them. It was indeed a figure wearing a female cat face mask, along with a one-piece leather jump suit and two-inch heel boots.

“There’s a second girl,” She snarled at the men in a masked voice. “Hey girl, we know you’re out there, come out and we won’t hurt your pretty little friend here,” she called.

“Please, please don’t hurt her,” Michelle cried, stepping forward and holding her hands up.

One man continued to press his weapon at the back of Lin’s neck while the other grabbed Chelle. As she was trussed up and gagged like her friend, she noticed that the ‘Cat-girl’ had disappeared into the shadows.

Back inside the mansion, Harriet found it really hard to settle. There would be creepy sounds like owls hooting or growling. Worse, the whole room was getting much colder, despite her warm clothing and portable heater. She finished the last of her sandwiches and tea. Minutes later, she felt an unwelcoming signal; she had to answer the call of nature. Damnit, she thought, as she again surveyed the room once again. I don’t want to spend the night smelling my pee, she thought. She headed to the next room as just as she passed through the open door, it swung and locked itself.

That’s strange, Harriet wondered as she tugged the handle but her bladder signalled. Is there any hole or even a pot, she wondered as she searched around the new room. Ow, she cried as she tripped as fell over a split plank. Harriet got up to see a figure flit across the next doorway. He had long grey hair or was that a mask? Was he a trick-treater or a relative of Marley?

“Hello?” she called out.

But the man didn’t answer as Harriet moved towards the figure. As she did so, she felt a blast of pain in her midriff and fell to the floor. The stun shot rendered Harriett unconscious and she was dragged into another room of the haunted mansion. Hands pulled her jumper and shirt over her head and fingers unfastened the belt around her waist and her skirt and tights were swiftly removed.

By the time she was tied up, she had regained all her senses. She found her arms stretched out and wrists strictly bound with zip ties, her ankles treated the same. The captor traced the contours of Harriet’s black underwired lace bra, before fondling Harriet’s skimpy matching knickers.

“Nice,” the figure croaked metallically. “Lucky I let you pee; I don’t want a wet victim. Do your parents know about your sexy lingerie?”

Croonford Town Centre

Sometime later

Both Gina and Sophie were full from all the Halloween food at the party but neither won any place for best costume. That was hardly on either girl’s mind as they had not received any WhatsApp or text message from Harriet in the last hour and as clock moved to 11pm, ” Gina remarked, “What do you think? She fell asleep or lost signal?”

“Or maybe she made a run for it,” Sophie countered. “We should head back there,” Gina raised her eyes. “If she did break the forfeit and returned home, she gonna it going to worse from us. If she’s still around the mansion, we can surprise and scare her.”

“She knows how we’re dressed,” Gina pointed out.

“But she won’t like this scream,” Sophie shouted a very scary scream with her mask on. “In the darkness, she be shocked at least. Game? Let go.”

Back outside the spooky mansion, Lin and Chelle were marched forward, guns held to their back until the men forced them to sit down on the wet grass opposite before binding their ankles with more rope, binding each girl in a hogtie. Then, Catgirl approached them.

“Well well,” the Catgirl purred, still using a disguised voice. “If it isn’t Croonford’s very own child detectives, Michelle Summers and her Chinese companion. Well you’ve met your match this time. Nobody’s going to rescue you really this time.”

Catgirl knows who we are, Michelle thought. Is she a student of the school? Or is she some town folk who heard about them? Meanwhile Lin tried to work the knots securing her wrists, but the thugs noticed and yanked her hair. “That’s not going to help you Lin Ling,” the disguised voice snarled. She reached over and frisked both girls, yanking out their gadgets. “Ooh, the toys invented by you,” she poked at Lin with her boot. Stuffing the gadgets back into the girl’s clothes, she ordered, “Right, drop these so-called detectives in their resting place.”

Michelle was lifted and thrown onto a hard wooden surface. She shrieked as she saw a skeleton next to her with the skull broken with holes around its head. Lin was also unceremoniously dumped next to her. It didn’t both detectives long to realised they were trapped in a coffin, with panels more than six feet high.

The Catgirl peer across the edge of the coffin and sneered, “You two are now trapped along with one of Marley’s victims, maybe even the first guy he murdered. In a few moments my henchmen here will seal this coffin up. Once that’s done, you’ve probably have about two hours of oxygen, maybe slightly more if you lay still and don’t struggle. You might as well just lay back and wait for the air to run out, it’s not as if anyone could hear you through this thick wooden box even if you weren’t gagged. Have a final Halloween!”

Back inside the mansion, the captor managed to pry open Harriet’s mouth and jammed a ball into her mouth, buckling the connecting straps to the back of her head.

“Ah, nice muted cries, perfect for this,” the masked figure sauntered over to the opposite side and with several clicks a red light and a rolling sound started. “My client will be paying per hour and I’ll be super rich,” The captor shouted in ecstasy. Just then another vibrating noise was heard. “Ah, I’ll be a millionaire, no billionaire!” The figure left, leaving Harriet screaming through the adult gag.

In the Coffin

Both teen detectives were intensively trying to free themselves. Suddenly, Lin had a brainwave and called to Chelle through the thick stuffing in her mouth “Chmme, mommmve closm tu mm,” she called.

Chelle, still focused on her own bonds, didn’t catch Lin’s call. Lin pushed forward with her bound limbs, squirming like a worm and finally she was back-to-back and Chelle realised what she wanted to try. Lin first attempted to reach for her foundation powder kit penknife but after several tries, she gave up. Both girls continued to work furiously on each other’s’ bonds. Chelle’s came off first, so she focused on Lin’s bonds and gag and finally both girls were free.

“Thank goodness,” Chelle exclaimed, “I think that cloth was really dirty.”

“We’re hardly free; we’re stuck in a really small coffin with air run out,” Lin pointed out. “Best to stop talking and continue thinking.” Lin shone her torchlight around, focusing on the coffin’s cover. Chelle meanwhile slumped against the side feeling dejected but then started shifting around. After a few minutes, Lin suddenly called, “Hey, Chelle, I think I feel cold air.” Chelle didn’t respond at first then replied, “Hold on, did you say you could feel air?”

“Yeah, it’s coming from this corner.” Her friend bolted over.

“Wow! You’re right, Chan Lin Ling, you are wonderful! So much for the threat,” Chelle remarked. Grabbing her torchlight, Lin examined the source of the cool air. “Chelle look at this,” she pointed “Does it look like anything to you?”

“A trap door!” Michelle Summers exclaimed.

Back inside the mansion

Gina and Sophie arrived back in the living room where they left Harriet. Their netball friend was clearly not there but her sleeping bag, her mobile phone and other belongings were still there.

“Maybe she left in a hurry,” Gina suggested.

“I doubt it,” Sophie replied. “She wouldn’t leave her valuables no matter what. Look,” She shone her phone light, indicating footprints, well ‘dust prints’ leading to a door. They both approached but found it locked.

“Clever girl, locking the door, or jamming an ancient door,” Sophie remarked.

“Hey, there’s a gap over here,” Gina pointed and both of them squeezed through the gap, although it tore their part of their costumes.

“Harriet?” Gina called.

“Shssh,” Sophie whispered. “We’re supposed to scare her!”

“Wooh, wooh!!!”

“What the hell was that?” Gina asked.

“Not sure, but still we’ve still got to find her.”

Back under the ground, Lin wondered, “If that is a trap door then it may be possible to open it from the outside and inside. What are we looking for? A secret panel? A lever?”

They immediately felt around the trap door, but the whole panel was almost smooth, so they shifted their search to around the panel. After a long search, they heard a ‘click’ and the door slid open.

“What?!” Lin exclaimed.

“I think my bum rested on one of the bones of Mr. Skeleton over there,” Chelle explained.

The entrance the door ‘reveal’ a very narrow tunnel. “Not sure I can fit through that,” Chelle noted.

“You wanna stay here with Mr Skeleton?” Agreeing, both girls got down on our hands and knees and crawl through the hole, guided by Lin’s small torchlight. The air there was also stuffy but neither teen cared. The tunnel curved twice then enlarged to reveal another trap door. Lin pressed all her weight against it and it snapped open. She lifted herself up then helped Chelle up. Shining her torchlight around, the girls could make out two wash basins, several boxes, broken wooden floorboards and a wooden stairwell with quite rotten steps or missing steps.

“Don’t tell me we’re in a basement,” Chelle started, watching her steps, lest she get trapped in a gap.

“We are, and I believe this is the basement of Marley mansion,” Lin said.

Harriet in an unknown room in the mansion clad in just her black bra and black knickers, shivered not just from the increasing cold but from fear. The zip ties around her wrists were extremely tight and the binding cinched leaving no possibility of slack. Her legs were stretch out wide so that she was in a X-shape. That allowed the camera to move slowly on top of her slowly scanning her body. Whoever was watching at the other end who be seeing a semi-naked eighteen-year-squirm, causing her blush deep red. She had never felt so helpless in her life.

After thirty minutes looking for Harriet, both Sophie and Gina came up blank. “She’s definitely not in the vicinity or anywhere,” Gina remarked. “I’m taking this off.” She pulled off the bear mask.

“Yes,” Sophie concurred. “You know, perhaps it’s us being spooked.”

“We being spooked by Harriet? Nah. What should we do now? I think we should clear off and leave.” Gina’s exasperated tone was quite evident.

“Problem is that if we stay together, she can easily avoid us,” Sophie ignored Gina’s wish to stop this plan. “But if we split up and you go to the right corridor and I take the left broken gap there…”

Back in the basement, the girls were trying to figure out how to climb the broken staircase. Chelle suddenly exclaimed and pointed, “The floorboards! We can use those sticking out to fill the missing parts of staircase, even the handles.” Lin looked at the floor and both girls started picking out loose floorboards and inserting them in the empty spaces in the staircase and using some extra ones to fill in gaps in the handles and strengthen them.

“Ok, let’s see if this is like a Bailey Bridge,” Chelle quipped, remembering World War Two movies. They both moved up gingerly step-by-step. At the top was yet another door with a missing latch. With a simple push, the girls were in a bigger room.

Higher up, Gina was slowly moving through her designated area, getting increasingly getting bored at Sophie’s game. She was no longer wearing her bear mask despite the chilly environment; she found the mask stuffy. Through another broken door way, she only saw dust, torn curtains and rotten furniture, walls and floors.

“Okay guys,” Gina cried out. “I give up. Harriet you’re let off, Sophie, let’s stop this nonsense. Let’s all go out for a late night meal.”

Sophie on the other hand was moving stealthily, her mask on and covered with roughly clean curtain she had ripped off to change her appearance. She had gone three rooms without spotting any trace of Harriet. That devious girl, she thought, hiding deeper in this haunted place. She scanned around the room she was in and noticed she hadn’t spotted the smaller door on the east wall before. Unlike the first door she and Gina encountered, the handle looked a little broken. Gingerly, she took hold of it and turned. She knew that at the very worst, Harriet would leap out at her and scare her out of her wits.

“Ok, so we’re in another room but hardly out of this damn place,” Chelle noted with a dejected tone.

“It could be worse,” Lin replied then agreed with her friend.

“We should contact our folks,” Chelle suggested but found there was no signal on her mobile phone and Lin likewise. “I think we’re too far away from Jenn’s house for the radio earrings or the ID devices to work right?” Lin nodded but replied, “We’ll we still can move.”

As soon as Sophie stepped into the new room, she only heard an eerie cry before a stun shot was fired into her back. Sophie lurched but didn’t fall unconscious immediately fall unconscious. She lifted her head up to spot a man, no, someone wearing the mask of an old man.

“Har..iett, how did…you,” before Sophie could finish her sentence, another blast came, this time knocking here out.

“That makes two,” the masked captor said gleefully. “What a terrible choice for a Halloween costume,” the figure remarked.

Michelle and Lin were moving through various rooms and corridors in the much rotten mansion. This is worse than any maze I’ve been through since young, Chelle thought. Just as they passed through a door, it swung and a ‘click’ came next.

They both spun around. “Did that door just lock itself?!” Chelle gasped.

Lin tested it. “Dunno what happened. We should just move on to find a way out.” Just as she said that, an eerie cry sounded.

Somewhere in the mansion, the masked captor was dragging the unconscious Sophie. It was this person who closed the newly-built door and sent out the eerie sound to ward off any trick-or-treaters. Man, you are a heavy girl for a netballer, the figure thought. But soon along with your friend, I’ll be rich. Then I’ll capture your other friend and I’ll never have to work again, the figure thought.

The two teenage girl detectives continued moving through the mansion but now even Lin thought they moving in circles. Suddenly Chelle stopped and held up her hand. “Did you hear that?”

“Probably the wind bowl through narrow holes, that explains the eerie sound,” Lin replied.

“No, no, listen.” Chelle cocked her head towards the left. “That’s not a howl,” Chelle scampered towards the wall and pressed her ear against it. “…it’s the sound of someone gagged!”

With Lin agreeing, Chelle led the way, pushed away dozens of spider webs, torn and rotten curtains, through two narrow corridors, nearly fallen into two broken holes and encountering a door. It was locked but the sound was coming from behind so with all their might and the help of a loose plank, the girls pushed and broke through the door. It was a large room, and it contained and three tables with a young woman clad in just her underwear, strapped to one like a starfish. Her nipples had puckered up so much that their outline was clearly visible through the cups of her bra.

“Oh my gosh, it’s…Harriet Mingfield, the former secretary and Wing Attack of the netball team! Her playing kept our school in the top position!” Chelle exclaimed.

“Let’s get her free,” Lin added. While Chelle worked on the buckle of the gag, Lin focused on the girl’s bonds. She didn’t bring her pen that could burn through zip ties, but her small penknife worked just as well with strong muscles. Harriet quickly came loose and with the usual ‘who are yous’ over, she was about to move then pointed, “Camera!”

The detectives turned and Lin rushed over to switch the camera off. Harriet, still rubbing her wrists and ankles, noticed small card clipped to the base of the bench. There was just enough light to read what was written. It stated her full name, her hair colour, age and measurements and She cringed when she saw 32A-24-36. How could the masked guy know? Now rubbing her bare skin against the cold weather, the teen detectives led the way they took back.

Minutes later, the captor entered carrying still unconscious Sophie. The captor screamed noticing the cut zip ties and discarded gag. The figure dumped the unconscious girl on a second bench and bound her like Harriet was. Jamming a needle in her neck, Sophie woke up just in time for her nose to be pinched. This allowed the evil captor to jam another black ball into her mouth and lock the straps behind her head. “Demi almost black bra, skimpy pink knickers and lovely body, excellent,” the captor noted. The camera was reactivated and the captor inserted a card at the base reading 34D-24-34. The captor left, receiving an update from the client how Harriet escaped.

Meanwhile, Gina was really lost. She thought she was moving back towards where she parted with Sophie but was moving in circles. Her phone barely helped her; there no signal and the battery level was decreasing fast. Shit, why did I get involved in this?

“Grr, I’m freezing,” Harriet grumbled as she followed the two teen detectives. “Sorry we didn’t have the time to find your clothes,” Chelle told her and rubbed her shoulders for warmth. “We just have keep moving.” Lin meanwhile was staring at her mobile phone, hoping the data signal would return. It returned for one second, then drop dead again. Someone is really jamming us, she thought.

Young teenagers in Halloween costumes freeing my beautiful captive?! The masked figure silently screamed as the client gave a recording of the video earlier. I’ll get them but first, I’ll get this third netballer.

“So, you’re the ones involved with the almost explosion of the old chem lab, you solved why the museum artifact was missing, the rigged quiz and race and you were part of identifying the Marksville smuggling ring?” Harriet quizzed the girls.

“And we were nearly killed by our so-called history relief teacher,” Chelle added.

Harriet stopped for a moment, adjusting her bra cups. “Oh crap! There were two more benches there. I think that captor is also aiming to capture my friends Gina and Sophie who got me into this forfeit. We must return to check if either have been captured – I’m sure they are back here – or if the captor is there.”

Back in the lair, Sophie had changed her mind. Once she was aiming to scare Harriet out of her wits. Now she was strip down to her skimpy undies, bound in the shape of a starfish and a ball locked in her mouth. Her arms and shoulders were beginning to ache as were her legs from the form she was restrained in. The gag threatened to choke her. Her struggles only cut her wrists and ankles so she continued to wail through her gag. Halloween this year had no treats, just a terrible trick.

“I know that sound; it’s Sophie’s she wails like that when she’s hurt,” Harriet remarked. “We got to return.”

“It could be a trap. You did say you were shot with a stun gun,” Lin replied, remembering how she was shot previously.

“But I thought you two are detectives and adventurers,” Harriet countered. “She is my friend.”

The two younger teens discussed the situation privately then finally agreed, provided they move back stealthily. Indeed, they found Sophie there. “Wait, the camera,” Lin held back Harriet before she inched across the side, checking if there were any traps, then switched off the camera again. The girls quickly freed Sophie who coughed and informed them the captor was most likely searching for Gina. “Well, we have to find her and really find a way out of here,” Lin added. As they moved out, Chelle wondered what Jenn was doing.

 

Jenn’s residence

That the last of those trick-or treaters, Jenn thankfully thought she hung up a sign on her front door stating no more treats. Halloween really is a curse of humans, she sighed, remembering a bunch of eight-year-olds performing a devilish act before asking for treats. All those kids must return with rotten teeth with all the home-made and shop-bought snacks she and her parents gave them.

Wonder what Chelle and Lin got to eat at the party, she thought and sent out text and WhatsApp messages to her fellow detectives. She waited, no response. Was it like last time, were they caught? No, it was just a party. Still wondering, she called Lin then Chelle. Both calls were engaged.

There really is nothing to worry about, one voice told her. The other told her something uncertain is happening. Jenn went to her room and changed to jeans and warm clothes. She was about leave before she saw her father. “Dad, I’m meeting Bethan and Molly for a late-night supper and they saved me snacks from the town centre party. May I head out please?” Her palms were sweating from lie until he agreed on condition, she return home before midnight.

Back in the mansion, Gina was still lost amongst the dozens of similar rooms. “Harriet, Sophie, come on, show up and we can all end this crap,” She called three times.

“So, there you are,” a voice said and Gina jumped to see that masked person. “Don’t think your netball friends are around,” the masked figure continued, “but now you’re my prize. Strip to your undies so your 34-24-35 figure can be seen. You can do it while conscious, or I can do it for you unconscious. Then I’ll get you secured.”

Back out in the town, Jenn still couldn’t contact her friends. She tried her radio earrings but couldn’t even get any tone. As she walked down the road, she then remembered the ID tracker app Lin built. Activated, there was no signal initially, when suddenly two dots appeared on the screen but disappeared one and a half seconds later. Jenn ran towards the directions of the ‘blimps’.

“You two sure you can’t remember the route you to into the living room or when you,” Chelle turned to Sophie “parted with your friend Gina in the next room?” Both semi-naked netballers who were rubbing each for warmth, shook their heads. Eerie sounds blasted again and nearby doors slam shut. The team just ran forward lest they get trapped.

Jenn stared at the broken-down mansion. The last signal had to come from the building. With no contact with her friends and the clock moving closer to midnight, she entered the structure.

The four girls inside entered another arch way and then heard a loud cackle. “There you are, my victims and young kids who like to play hero,” the masked person growled. One arm held Gina, who was semi-unconscious and striped to her dark blue underwear, the other arm pointing the stun gun at the four girls. “Hand those netballers over kids, and maybe you’ll survive tonight. Or maybe you’ll join them!” The figure cried.

“Never!” Chelle cried, though she had no plan and was outmatched, facing a stun weapon.

Jenn heard Chelle’s cry and dashed towards the source.

“Here you go!” The masked captor cried but before the trigger was pulled a plank struck the person’s neck. Lin quickly jumped, kicking the stun gun away. “How many times must I arrive just to save you two?” Jenn asked, holding the loose floorboard.

“I want to know who the bloody asshole is,” Harriet growled and ripped away the mask. “Miss Harris!” She exclaimed, turning, “This is our netball coach! She must have snuck into our shower room to know our body measurements. Bitch!”

Girl Detectives’ meeting place

Two days later

The trio of detectives were eating Halloween snacks Jenn made and drinking tea. The netball coach naturally was arrested, along with her client, a guy whom she met online and willing to pay to see girls restrained and gagged in their underwear. She had a placed another camera at the main door so she spotted the netballers entering. She also had a jamming device, explaining why the girls had no phone signal and their other communication devices couldn’t work well. Both her and her client upgraded the doors, explaining why they could be shut and locked.

“I got you into trouble Chelle. Thanks a lot again, Jenn for coming to save us,” Lin as she savoured another spider biscuit.

“I really want to know who that Catgirl is; she’s the main villainess of the night,” Chelle stated.

“Who? Oh, that girl with henchmen throwing you two into that coffin,” Jenn recalled.

“She’s our nemesis for sure, and I really want to get her,” Chelle declared.

The End.

 

Michelle, Lin Ling and Jennifer will return in ‘Who’s afraid of the big bad boy?’