38: Missing in Action

Summary: The teen detectives long-term Police ally, DCI Nikki Heath, goes missing and they naturally attempt to find her.

Warning: Adult bondage but only on an adult. Also implied nudity on an adult.

“It’s the end of our GCSEs!” One Croonford student yelled.

“We’ve finished Year 11! Woo!” Another student shouted.

Many Year 11 students were also chanting those lines. Only a minority still had GCSE exams to complete and still joined in. After class photographs were taken by an irritating photographer, students gathered in their classrooms for an end-of-year tradition. They were allowed to write messages and draw pictures on each other’s’ shirts and blouses. Student councillors and seniors were present to ensure there were no racist and obscene messages and art and maintain order.

At Chelle’s and Lin’s class, everyone was engrossed with drawing and writing on each other. Heather Smiths, tall, blonde and well endowed, got many ‘pretty gal’, beautiful babe’ and allowed boys to write and sign ‘be my girlfriend’ on her front torso. Julia Humes,  the only black girl in that class got words of praise how she tackled her ethnicity through the years. Art Morton, a former school bully, accepted  words like ‘don’t play tricks on me ever again’. Hattie Coy, the talented art student, received words and basic sketches praising her. In return, she drew realistic pictures on her fellow students.

Chelle received several pictures on her blouse that looked like her and others with her looking down on others. Caption wrote: Girl Detective 1, Criminal 0! After she drew another picture with the caption: ‘Best Girl Detective in Town!’  “What about me?” Lin teased. She received ‘Another great girl detective and best scientist!’ under her picture. At Jenn’s class, most pictures and words stated she was a star student or the best school debater and drama queen. Richard received ‘Guy with unforgettable memory’.  There was no difference over at Reinhard’s and Mark’s class. Mark received dozens ‘Star Rugby Player’ messages. The shorter classmate got ‘Great Science Guy’ and ‘Computer Genius’.

Another rule was finishing Year 11 students could leave wearing their own clothes. That pleased Jenn as she walked out wearing jeans T-Shirt. Chelle wore a jeans skirt while Lin was in a dress with flowery patterns. As the teen detectives walked towards an eatery, they spotted several police officers dragging handcuffed people towards police cars. DS Bluebell Ransom was amongst the police officers and Chelle Lin waved at her. During their meal, while discussing their summer plans and future grammar school life, Richard spoke up.

“Did see DS Ransom’s facial expression? She looked quite stressed out.”

“Police and military personnel are usually like that,” Chelle remarked but the image stayed in Richard’s mind. Several days later, himself, Jenn and Chelle were walking out of school after confirming their subject choices for Sixth Form, they again spotted DS Ransom with another gaggle of police officers. The expression on the police detective’s was initially the same as previously. However, as Chelle waved to her, she only acknowledged with a slight nod and her facial expression changed to a worried look.

“Alright, she’s either stressed and worried out over work or personal problems. I say it’s personal,” Chelle remarked as they quenched their thirst from a roadside stall. “I guess it’s personal.”

“Could also be her workload. We haven’t seen DCI Heath lately,” Richard thought.

“Well, DS Ransom was assigned the last case by Nikki,” Jenn pointed out,

Two days ago, Nikki Heath was cuddling with her latest boyfriend, Max. Nikki, having spent most of her time buried with investigations, hardly had steady dates. Max was unlike the others; he appeared to be funny, muscular and helpful. Their cuddling soon turned to an extremely intimate act where each other’s clothes were removed. Nikki was the first to undress: She yanked of her T-shirt fast, then swiftly unclipped her black bra, exposing her D-cup breasts. Quickly, she reached down and expertly removed her jeans. Max on the other hand, had undressed down flimsy boxers. They resumed kissing now hugging each other then suddenly, Max reached down and yanked at Nikki’s skimpy knickers. Nikki protested she didn’t want to be totally naked or have sex.

The evening  after seeing, DS Random’s worried look, Chelle was shopping at a local, small Tesco for missing items in her toilet. As she headed to the toiletries section, she nearly collided another shopper.

“I’m sorry…oh hi DS Ransom,” Chelle greeted.

“Yes, hi.” The police detective’s short response wasn’t as joyful as usual, so Chelle quickly asked, “Is something bothering you, Detective?”

Ransom looked at her then suggested they finish their shopping then go to a nearby cafe. Their groceries were stored in Ransom’s car then over juice for Chelle and coffee for Ransom, the truth was revealed.

“Nikki didn’t turn up to work  three days ago. We called her work and personal phone many times and there was no answer. After a rushed warrant from a judge, we searched her flat but everything was pristine, even her blanket was folded nicely. Forensics found no traces of a struggle or break in. She can’t have intentionally gone rogue or undercover. Initially, she was declared as a missing person but now a kidnapped individual.”

“We’d like to help, Detective,” Chelle quickly responded.

“You can call me Bell after knowing each other so long. No, I suspect it could be a dangerous case and I don’t want have teens in any trouble.” She saw Chelle’s facial reaction. “Alright, since you helped Nikki and myself fight crime here all this time, I’ll try to provide you updates when I can.” With that, they shook hands.

The next day was a Saturday and Chelle called a meeting of all the teen detectives at her home as their caravan was stifling in the summer heat. She quickly summarised what was told, adding Ransom’s advice to stay away.

“So, that explains her facial expressions. We’re not sitting on the sidelines, are we?” Richard asked.

“Most definitely not! We owe it to Nikki – she’d  helped us all the time and vice versa,” Lin declared.

“Where do we start? The police found no evidence at Nikki’s place,” Mark noted.

Chelle opened her laptop and accessed her Facebook account and within in seconds, showed Nikki Heath’s account. They crowded around and initially saw nothing unusual so Jenn suggested looking at her pictures. The first few were just of scenery while the fifth was of her hugging a muscular and taller guy. This person was not tagged thus Chelle returned to Nikki’s friend’s list.

“Max Smiith, what a generic name,” Jenn read out loud.

Evenings earlier, just as Nikki protested she didn’t want sex, Max moved his arm and jabbed a minute needle into her side. Instantaneously, the senior police detective drooled, then fell unconscious. “Oh, you’ll get an alternative to a screw,” Max growled and turned the unconscious, topless lady face down and wrench her arms behind her back. Her wrist were criss-crossed and her wrists were tightly secured by two sets of cable ties. Her elbows were also bound then  he flung her back face front. Her knees and ankles received similar treatment. Max then retrieved long-length industrial cable ties and used them to bind her arms to her side, pushing her huge boobs further out.

He stepped backed to admire the set of restraints then wiped clean the drool around her lips. Pieces of black duct tape were smeared across her lower jaw then breathable hood was secured over her head. He then sent a text message and minutes later, a dark-skinned and black-haired man entered. Both men wrapped her in a large canvas bag, then placed her in a large box with air holes. They expertly cleaned the whole room, made the bed, checked the coast was clear, then carried the box out.

The teen detectives couldn’t find anything regarding Max Smith; his Facebook profile was incomplete with no pictures. They planned to show it to DS Ransom but phone calls indicated the Detective Sergeant was not in her office. They all went their different ways with Lin and Reinhard heading to the detectives’ headquarters. They repaired and many gadgets then paused to decide what to create.

“What about that social media programme you created long ago?” Reinhard asked.

“Oh, it stopped working after a while,” was her reply. “Don’t think it can be repaired.”

“Well, that person’s profile may be so, we should focus on that single picture, using the good old photoshop.”

While, the science kids were focused on gadgets and the photo, Richard was over at Jenn’s house and he spotted pamphlets for a grammar school. “Well, my parents wish me to transfer to Raddleborn Grammar. It offers a scholar for students taking humanities subjects. Has a range of high-quality teachers…”

“So, are you leaving Croonford School? The detective gang?”

“No, it’s just their view. I haven’t made a final decision, after all, my schoolmates, teachers my life is at Croonford. I’ll miss the drama club, the debate club and..”

“Me,” Richard concluded.

She laughed, then he asked if she’ll like to try an online music quiz before they focus on the new case.

Chelle finally arranged a meeting with DS Ransom and awaited being told off. “Well, boss previously said she never had a steady lover but this is certainly new evidence.” In reply, Bell said the neighbours heard slight footsteps past midnight but no one saw anyone exiting Nikki’s flat. “I’ve also ordered the forensics team to sweep her flat and exterior again.”

“Either she’s lying or that’s all she’s looked into her missing superior,” Mark remarked. “That’s information is very thin.”

“We need to find where Nikki lives. I know it’s searching for a needle in a haystack. Let’s reexamine the picture.”

As the couple focused on the picture, a girl cursed for the first time in many years. “Bloody Hell, how could I forget the Beatles number one single?”

“It happens. I’ll…” Richard began.

“I’m always first in everything! I’m going to be top of the Year 11 cohort!”

The new couple started arguing who I am score the highest in their GCSEs. Meanwhile, in a darkened room, Nikki Heath’s eyes fluttered open. A rush of cold air told her she was still topless. A tug at her wrists and ankles indicated she was restrained in a V-shaped position, with thick leather cuffs. A tough, plastic spherical object held with leather straps told her what she was gagged with.

“Ah, the great Detective Chief Inspector awakes,” Max voice broke the silence. “Or the one who incorrectly got my stepbrother locked up. Bitch!” He spat, the saliva running down her cleavage.” Nikki cried through the gag and struggled – what was his surname? Hastings? No Hamilton? Who is his…

Max stepped into view and a light shown, Nikki quickly shut her eyes. “Now, to punish you.” A camera clicked and he announced that he has a new sub and any followers will suggest what ‘punishment’ she will receive. “Ah, first suggestion.”

Chelle and Mark after much brainstorming, examined the surroundings of that picture. There was some vegetation behind the two individuals and a lane to their left. They started naming lanes in Croonford. Finally, Chelle checked Google Maps’ street view, she found two lanes that closely matched the picture. The first area was quickly dismissed as a park dominated the place. Their eyes raised as they saw a block of flats along Paterson Lane.

“Excuse me, do you know if a Nicola Smith lives here?” Chelle asked an elderly lady exit the block.

“Of course, she’s my neighbour   though haven’t for several days. Then the coppers came, told them that but they placed tape across her door.”

“Could you let us n? We’re friends of hers and want to leave a gift,” Mark half lied. The lady unlocked the gate though warned them the guard would chase them away if found. The couple quickly entered and after checking the letterbox, headed up to the third floor. Nikki’s door was definitely secured with police barrier tape. There were several yellow evidence markers on the floor as well.

“There’s a depression on the floor, as if something or someone very heavy was moved here,” Mark pointed. It took Chelle two minutes before she spotted the small depression then took a picture. They followed its direction which led to the back stairwell and out to the back garden. All of a sudden, the security guard appeared but they managed to exit via a nearby gate.

They found them on a pedestrian path but not far away was a lane for vehicles.

“So,” Chelle panted. “Nikki may have been carried out with no neighbour hearing or noticing, down the back stairwell, out and…”

“…carried to that lane and driven off in a vehicle. Still murky,” Mark completed.

:”OmW” Nikki screamed through the gag as she was spanked by Max. Bound spreadeagled, Max had a clear view of her thinly-covered buttocks. He gave her another spank then saw the new message. “Ah, bare bottom,” he proceeded to cut off the detective’s knickers despite struggling then switched to use a table tennis racket. Minutes later, another message came. Max approached her front and she screamed as he clipped her nipples with clothes pegs.

Reinhard was in a trance like previously and all Lin could give him his favourite Jasmine tea and snacks. Finally, just after an hour, he shifted back and cleaned his spectacles. “Finally got something after downloading half a dozen image enhancing programmes, I found this on his upper arm.” He showed her a minute tattoo in the form dagger on Max’s right ear.

“Ok, so he has a tattoo,” Lin said.

“One I’ve seen before on someone else. He’s a bit of a ruffian so I need support.”

“Well, you have me,” she kissed his head. “Let me get my special coat.” He saw her wearing an unusual coat but she simply said she’ll explain later.

Reinhard brought her to a dilapidated building in Coventry and immediately she smelt cigar and cigarette smoke. Inside, beside a whole range of laptops and LCD screens, were three men, one bearded with tattoos on his arms, the other pair dark-skinned.

“Ah shorty, what a surprise. I already paid my dues when I lost that C&C game. Oh, you brought me a hot chick.”

“She’s out of bounds, Harv and we need to discuss a mater,” Reinhard saw the burly men. “Privately.”

“Boy, this isn’t an online game. You don’t make demands. Teach him!”

The other men attempted to tackle Reinhard but Lin pulled off her coat and threw it on the nearest men. It formed itself around his whole upper body, preventing him from seeing, thus causing him to fall down. The second guy tried to strike Lin, but she easily caught his hands and pressed him against the nearby wall.

“Alright, let them go lass,” Lin glared but. “Step outside Karim, Josh,” The two other men gave Lin a dirty look and left.

“What’s so important to interrupt my poker game?” Reinhard pressed his phone against Harv, who narrowed his eyes.

“Look, I may have that ink,” he rolled up his sleeve, showing them a similar tattoo. “But I’m no longer a criminal., a clean man.”

“Do you know this person?” Lin tapped on the picture of Max but he shook his head. She then asked if he knew anyone who is a kidnapper.

“Yeah,” Harv stubbed his cigar and tapped his phone several times. “He’s Bart, don’t know what’s he’s up to but boy he was in the business taking women to film them in positions I don’t want to describe. I left the criminal world as he threatened to film my girlfriend naked to blackmail me.” Taking a long puff, he pulled up a known location. “Wait, you’re that famous teen detective right?” He jabbed his cigar at Reinhard. “Ya don’t want go near him, especially a pretty gal like ya.” He pointed at Lin.

“You actually played an online game against this ex-criminal?” Lin asked after thanking Harv.

“Once. The prize was a good range of electronic software. I only discovered his history when I claimed the prize at his shop. You turned your coat into a gadget like that in The World Is Not Enough?”

“Close, better than that net device, eh?”

He quickly asked if they were head to that criminal’s possible location, “I don’t want you to end up like Harv mentioned.”

“We’ll be careful.”

Lin’s message nearly made Chelle drop her ice cream. She checked the street map and the location was directly along that lane behind Nikki’s flat. Jenn and Richard who were arguing over GCSEs and music, grabbed their coats with Jenn checking she had gadgets with her. Reinhard and Lin were the first to arrive at the storage facility with only one entrance available.

“Should we wait for the others?” The short boy wondered. Lin just knocked on the entrance and after no reply just pushed and entered the main office. It was a darkened room and they soon enter another larger, very dark but barren room. Just as they were going to draw out their phones, Reinhard was struck on the back of his neck and Lin just fell on the ground.

Jenn was the next to arrive but found the entrance locked but easily opened it after a turn. She immediately found herself facing a dark-skinned man. She apologised, saying she found the wrong location but before she turned, a dart struck her.

Reinhard groaned as he recovered and quickly rubbed his sore neck. Despite the entrance lack of light, he immediately found himself in some small shed surrounded by workman tools and cleaning liquids. As he started looking for a way out, he heard a familiar soft moan. “I’m coming!” he shouted and threw away all the items blocking him. Finally, he found the exit but had to use the skeleton key his girlfriend made. Thankfully, he found all his belongings on him although his phone was dented. The moan came again and after unlocking a storage shed, he found her. Lin, was stripped down to her purple knickers and black bra which was unclipped , strapped to a metal table and tightly tape gagged.

“How many times must I find you restrained like this?” He shook his head as he peeled off her gag. Her reply interrupted as Chelle and Mark appeared.

“Ooops.  What happened? Did you find Nikki yet?”

Reinhard recounted what occurred and suggested they stay together as the guy was armed at least with a dart. Thankfully, Lin’s clothes were found and during the first minute of the search they found Jenn, unconscious but lightly bound and gagged with duct tape, her jeans slightly pulled down.

“I thought Richard was with you?” Lin asked as they freed Jenn.

“We got into an argument so made separate ways here,” she coughed. Resuming their search, they opened the largest storage shed and spotted the police detective and the two thugs, Max splashing water over Nikki while the dark-skinned man  aiming a video camera.

“No shit, now five,” that captor growled, dart gun in his right hand. Lin was faster, throwing her special coat which wrapped all itself over that thug, causing him to misfire and thankfully missing the teen detectives. Mark simultaneously tackled Max but even with Reinhard joining, Max struggled. The three girls pinned the other thug down but he soon managed to get out of the cocoon. A hidden Glock 26 appeared in his hand. “Ha! Now you lot give in!”

“Armed Police! Drop that firearm now!” DS Ransom appeared with her Glock 17 raised along with other authorised firearms officers (AFOs) and Richard behind. “I have to admit, you lot performed much better detective work than myself.”

One and a half weeks later, the six detectives received letters of commendation from Detective Chief Superintendent (DSU) Robert Gates, Nikki’s and Blubell’s superior. Jenn briefly glanced at Richard whom she thought was unworthy of this award. Max’s real name was Roger, whose stepbrother Jeff was imprisoned for paedophilia. Their live filming of Nikki was to an adult site run by an organised crime group which Ransom and National Crime Agency (NCA) officials took down.

“Well, that’s our post-GCSE case completed Chelle remarked.

Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark, Reinhard and Richard will return in ‘Prom Wrecker’.

 

36: The Next Generation

Summary: No longer suffering from the tabloid disinformation, Michelle and the other teen detectives have to focus on their GCSEs while Michelle’s sister Kate attempts to be a girl detective.

Chelle, Lin and Jenn were in the detectives headquarters revising for their GCSEs. Despite adding a portable heater, the converted caravan was still chilly. They congregated here as other study areas such as the libraries and school were far too crowded or noisy. Their boyfriends decided to study elsewhere or had other activities to tend to. To brave the cold, Chelle and Jenn wore thick jumpers with equally think long-sleeved shirts and still scarfs around their necks along with jeans for the winter. In contrast, besides a long-sleeved blouse and a jumper, Lin wore a below knee-length skirt with dark purple 60 denier tights and boots.

As they all were buried in their books and notes, the sound of the doorbell jolted them. Knowing their long-time nemesis the Cat was still not discovered, Lin slowly got up and checked the CCTV camera she and Reinhard enhanced last December. “Chelle, it’s your sister.”

“What the…Kate how did find this place?” Chelle asked ‎incredulously. Besides a few adversaries and friends, the detectives always kept the location of their headquarters cum science lab a secret.

“It’s nothing difficult. I’ve always noticed you turning towards the same road after school or during the weekend,” her younger sibling answered, unbuttoning her coat to reveal a dress that reached almost reached to her ankles, her legs encased in dark blue 80 denier tights.

“Oh crap. So much for thinking I was discreet,” Chelle felt defeated.

“Do I have to sign some confidentiality document is it you have to kill me before I leave?” Kate laughed.

“What brings you to our humble liar?” Lin asked.

“Well, I just finished meeting up with friends and thought I see how my big sis is coping with her revision,” Chelle gave a weak smile in return. “I’ve got your favourite flourless chocolate cake in the oven and should be ready in an hour to keep you going.” Chelle smiled happily.

“Yum!” The other girls cried as Kate placed her mobile phone on the table. The news report and clip showed that some unidentified figure had been raiding homes in the Baltic States and Poland, stealing bras and sometimes knickers of young girls.

“Kate, we’re studying for our GCSEs and we’re definitely not travelling to Eastern Europe,” her elder sister argued.

“Oh, just to let you all know. Your cake should be ready by the end of the hour, don’t be too late.” Kate waved and exited.

Ten minutes later, the Summers’ sisters took a taxi back home as a bus would not be that warm. Kate was always engrossed with her mobile phone but instead of listening to music or playing games, Chelle noticed Kate scanning through various international news sites covering the bra and knickers thief. Kate continued to be fixated on the news articles as they walked up to their home. While taking the cake, she continued playing a longer video clip of the similar stealings.

“Kate, what’s got you? It’s a case in Eastern Europe.” Chelle asked as she came down, changing her jeans to joggers.

“True, but the modus operandi is so perfect and despite extensive policing, no police force can capture him or her, no victim could describe what this thief looks like.”

“It’s very typical, Kate. Look, this is occurring thousands of kilometres away. Try finding something closer to home.”

Kate didn’t reply and sisters just ate their cake with tea and coffee. With Chelle returning to her studies, Kate still glanced at the news reports then finally changed out of her dress and tights. Despite her sister’s argument to ignore it, the news of the bra and knickers thief stayed much in her mind.

At school, while the Year 11s were naturally given more mock exam papers and revision classes, the Year 9s were started on advanced topics that they might face in their GCSEs. After Kate faced a tough maths class, she bought a bowl of chicken pasta and activated her phone. Several news sites repeated the same old news but English versions of German news sites like Der Welt and Der Spiegel stated that there were stealings of young female teenagers’ underwear, an exact copycat of those in Eastern Europe. Several reporters screamed it was the work of the bra and knickers thief.

“Hey, Kate you listening to your usual music…oh!” Kate turned to face her classmate and close friend Stacey Barker. Stacey pulled Kate’s phone to properly read the news. “Oh, yucks, “she remarked which drew the attention of their other class and level mates. They all read the articles then added their views.

“Eek,” Helen French, another classmate, shook her head. “Definitely a guy, someone with a fetish with girl’s undies,” she argued. “Don’t this thief steal my bra and undies, ” Harriet Stone a fellow choir member stated. “My sisters and cousins gifted me lovely underwear and bikinis last Christmas.” The sole Afghan girl in Year 9, Zahra spoke in her thick accent that her mother’s and sister’s underwear and clothes were stolen as they fled the country. As word spread, all Year 9 girls and some boys agreed the shadowy thief had a fetish while other boys like the act as they had tried viewing girl’s undies during sports.

With these comments flooding her mind, Kate only managed to listen to the other subject teachers. Coming home earlier than Chelle, she finished most of her homework then took out an old notebook. How did he know the residences contained young teen girls or teen underwear? Why could no one identify this thief? How could he move so easily between residences and now countries? Kate surmised there could be assistants aiding him, or multiple thieves performing similar crimes. That however did not explain the ghost-like figure for this fetish lover. Kate heard Chelle return home but decided against discussing these questions with her. She returned to her maths questions and took a longer time to solve them, her mind just filled with what she wrote in her notebook.

After dinner, returned to her room and while she checked her homework she turned to her phone. The Sky News Europe section flashed, “BREAKING NEWS: Underwear thief overpowers a teenaged girl from Berlin, restrained her and stole almost all of her underwear. Our German correspondent is now interviewing her.

“I had just returned home,” the girl, Sofia Hoffman, said through a translator. Suddenly, a leather-covered arm pulled me inside my house. I struggled but he was very strong. Still managed to pull off his glove, scratched his hand, but he didn’t scream much. I was roughly pushed into a chair, taped up all around, gagged with tape. I saw him march upstairs as I struggled to get free. He came down with a thick sack and left. It was only an hour later that my brother helped free me and I discovered most of my bra and panties were stolen!”

The reporter asked if she heard any accent from him and Sofia replied he didn’t speak at all even when she scratched him. The police took swaps of her fingernails, clothes and the tape but the victim just wanted him caught as her parents weren’t wealthy enough to help her replace all stolen underwear.

Poor Sofia. Kate saved the video clip even though she didn’t think there was any peculiar info. There was nothing new the next two days so Kate focused her choir activities. Then news broke that the masked thief struck at Frankfurt, this time blindfolding the fourteen-year-old after she broke free from the chairtie, also stealing all the underwear from her drawers. Hours later, the French newspaper Le Monde broke a story that there was such a case in a town in the Alaace region. “Police are investigating if it is the same person or a copycat.”

“Either this fetish loser is like Superman, flying by himself at top speeds or someone is transporting him in fast private jets,” Stacey guessed as Kate showed her the latest news.

“Or there could be multiple thieves, all performing the same crime in various cities just at different times,” Kate added.

“That would require precision coordination,” As Stacey said that Kate drew a map where the stealings occurred.

“You know Kate you’re so deeply engrossed in this. You’ve certainly caught the girl detective bug from your sister.”

“I thought of getting you involved in this.” Her best friend remarked there were school activities and studies to worry about.

Undeterred, Kate looked at the map she drew during her free time and kept scanning the news online. European police forces such as France’s Police nationale, the National Gendarmerie, Netherlands’ Korps Nationale Politie and Span’s Cuerpo Nacional de Policía were placed on higher alert. Borders and ports of entry saw an increase in checks, casing annoyed travellers. Eurpol was also on alert. Where will he or they strike next? Kate looked at her map then back to her questions several times.

Kate woke up on Saturday to shocking news: the bra and knickers thief struck at Penzance, in Cornwall, UK. Then, just a few hours, there was a similar case in Torquay in Devon. The Devon and Cornwall Police were setting up checkpoints and checking almost every vehicle for anyone hidden. The Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire went on major news networks, reassuring thee public that all police forces were aggressively searching for this criminal. Under much questioning, he advised girls to keep their clothing stored and all to watch for any suspicious individuals in their neighbourhood.

Mr. and Mrs. Summers watched the news with their daughters but the parents didn’t register much concern. “Well, he’s definitely here. I really want to investigate,” she told Chelle, in her elder sister’s room.

Chelle knew what sister meant instead said, “What?”

“I want to be a girl detective.”

“Kate, I’m sure the police will tackle this and it’s happening further away…”

“Oh, don’t give me that protective-big-sister nonsense. I’m no longer the little sister you’ve to protect at the park. I’ve faced danger: I was bound and gagged before. That pervert could strike here.”

Ok, I suspected you had really deep interest in this thief long ago. What do you need? Are others joining you?”

Kate replied she was by herself on this and had investigate the actions of the thief. “Well, being solo isn’t a huge challenge. I’d recommend you meet Lin to get equipped with gadgets – they have been so invaluable in many of our cases. If the criminal strikes near us, you might formally introduce to DCI Nikki Heath who will aid you and arrest him.”

Kate indeed met up with Lin who was elated there was another girl detective. Kate was quickly equipped with the fake foundation powder kit, the recording device for her phone cover, the identification device to attach to her clothing, the laser pen, the ink-and-pepper spray pen and the portable net. “Oh, you don’t have earrings,” Lin was about to issue her with the radio earrings.

“I’ve never found the time after mum told me I was too young a few years ago.”

“No worries, I’ve got these,” Lin handed over what looked wireless earbuds. “I made this last year for the boys after they said the devices clipped to their shirt collar failed to work occasionally. They look like your normal ear buds but there’s markings to differentiate them. There are other gadgets but these are the essential ones. Good luck.”

Filled with gadgets, Kate returned to her questions. She decided that given the time interna; of the similar acts across towns and cities, it had to be different individuals stealing young teens bras and knickers. They must be situated in these towns and cities then, someone must be ‘activating’ them, some main controller. But how can I prove it? Kate wondered.

She turned to reading her Modern History textbook. After finishing several chapters, she turned on the Wi-Fi on her phone and clicked on Sky News. She gave a short squeal as the breaking news said the bra and knickers thief was finally caught in East London, after coordination between Met Intelligence and Frontline police officers. “The suspect will be held with much intensive questioning from our detectives,” the Detective Chief Superintendent declared. Kate paused that video, thinking. Great work for the Met, teen girls throughout the UK can relax. Or can they? It appeared far too easy – why couldn’t European police capture him while the Met could?

Kate went out to purchase toiletries for herself and just so happened to bump into DCI Nikki Heath. After introducing herself, she discussing the shadowy thief issue and her theories. “Those are plausible theories, but my superiors required strong evidence-based theories. Luckily, he’s caught so these can put aside.” Kate brought up her opinion that the arrest was quite simple and the real culprit may be lurking. Nikki pondered then said that’s a possibility.

The possibility increased the next morning as the news stated the suspect was not the bra and knickers thief but some low-key criminal attempting to copy the stealing. Girls in the UK were shocked again with many placed their bra and knickers under lock and key and families installing more house alarms. Then the stealing occurred: this time in Birmingham, close to Croonford The thirteen-year-old girl Katy was thoroughly shocked so her parents had to explain. Just getting out of the shower, the masked man tackled her despite her striking him hard twice in the stomach, he managed to twice pin her down, wrap tape all over her legs, bind her wrists behind her back and her cries were cut off as he wrapped tape around her head twice. Katy was sat up and wailed as he dumped all her underwear even the clean pair she was going to wear in a sack a disappeared.

Creep, Kate thought still wondering how he knew which household to strike. How did he successfully enter without making noise? Kate looked and her eyes rested on her Facebook app. Quickly thinking, she used her spare email to set up an alternative Facebook account including pictures of her room, clothes and adding where she lived. Thirty-six hour later, Chelle was out late revising maths with her classmates. Kate’s mother also had to head out to meet old friends. After acknowledging her mum to lock up windows and doors, Kate settled down, spending time watch TV and reading links on her phone. Around ten minutes into reading international news, Kate heard a minute footstep but as she was about to turn, a thick leather hand cupped over her jaw. A ferocious struggle ensued yet Kate managed break free and ran. The intruder was faster and snatched Kate carrying her in a tight hug. “Ok, whoever you are, I give in,” she panted following the plan she devised.

Without a word, Kate was dumped on the nearest chair and quickly restrained her to the chair, her legs opened wide and bound to the chair legs, naturally creating a large upskirt for the intruder to stare at. A large round of tape was stuck around her lower head, trapping her read hair then the intruder silent headed upstairs.

Kate immediately struggled, but while the tape bonds weren’t terribly tight, she couldn’t remove them after several attempts. After some painful twisting, she pulled out the laser pen and with her free hands and fingers, she attempted to the switch. Lin had warned her if the laser was incorrected fired, her burning skin would be painful. The moment she thought she correctly positioned the pen, she heard the thief’s soft footsteps and quickly hid the gadget.

The fully dark-covered thief stood directly in front of her and held up her old white knickers with diamonds patterns and a matching AA cup bra. “Is this all?” The intruder finally spoke, with a Brummie accent.

Those were her oldest set of underwear and she outgrew them. “I’m cleaning up my drawers, so my underwear is stored in storage.” In gap speak that turn out as ‘I’m cleammning up mmmy drammwers, so mmy undemmrwear is storednm im storage.’

“What?’ The thief then tore off part of the tape gag. With the sting of the adhesive, she repeated herself clearly. In response to his ‘where’, she said she couldn’t fully describe the location and had to show him. There was nearly a minute of pause, then he tore away the chair bonds, leaving Kate’s wrists still bound.

“Don’t try to escape,” he growled. Kate silently hoping her plan was in motion, took him upstairs, then past the bedrooms, she brought the thief to a large closet. “Inside, it’s not locked” she announced as she worked the laser pen back into position. He yanked it with his free hand then releasing his grip on Kate, he pulled with both hands. The door swung open and smelly cooking pots fell on him, pushing him down on the ground with a loud cry. At that moment, with the aid of the laser pen, Kate’s wrists bonds snapped free. She stamped one foot on his back and yanked off his full-face balaclava. Pulling out the other pen, she squirted pepper spray and ink at his face. “That’s for stealing girls’ underwear!” She shouted, then kicked his ribs hard. “And that’s for looking up my skirt!” Without, access to her phone, she used the radio ear buds to call her sister to call the police.

Kate’s hunch was correct, there were many of such thieves located across UK and European towns and cities. “After much intensive interviewing of the UK bra and knickers thief, Romanian police raided Brasov, arresting the kingpin controlling all the bra and knickers thief, With him arrested, police forces can identify the remaining dormant thieves,” the Sky News reporter announced.

“Wow my sister took down not just a thief but a former SRR soldier,” Chelle remarked, referring to the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, Britain’s unit where personnel move stealthily. “And helped bring down a whole gang of thieves. Catherine Jo-Anne Summers, you make me extremely proud. Would you like to formally join our detective group?”

“Well, it was trilling, I’ll consider but I do love choir.”

Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark, Reinhard and Richard will return in ‘All Dressed Up’.

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’.

 

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