The Games Player - Sunday Afternoon

I had a very special weekend last week a double visit, but it was not meant to be. It just turned out that way.

The Gooch family lived on one side of a pair of semi-detached houses on the outskirts of the village. I was watching from the car as aa SUV pulled into the driveway of their home, and Gina Gooch got out. She was in her late thirties, slim with long blonde hair, wearing a sleeveless boho style top and faded jeans, the legs tucked into a pair of botos with a dark grey upper and brown lace effect shoe. She was smiling a sshe opened the door and three of her four daughters came out.

The oldest, Ethel, was twelve years old, and she was wearing a white top over a vest, with a blue striped skirt and brown Frye style boots, a pair of brown socks visible at the top. Then there was eight-year-old Tammy and seven-year-old Dolly, both with long lighter brown hair than their sister, and wearing short sleeved blue denim dresses with lighter blue patch pockets. Tammy was wearing knee high grey biker boots, while Dolly was wearing a pair of brown cowboy boots with flowers on the material.

As they went into the house, Gina went to the passenger door and opened it, lifting four-year-old Shona out. The little girl had her hair in a bunch and was wearing a blue pinafore dress with white polka dots with blue booties.

I watched them walk into the house, and then checked the contents of my rucksack I had brought more than sufficient for the purpose of the game today. Prepared is forewarned, is a lesson I have taken to heart.

So, as they went in, I adjusted the leather gloves on my hands and then got out, putting my rucksack on my back. I was wearing a black sweater and stirrup pants with over the knee black suede boots that had a short heel, and as I walked to the side of the house I stopped for a moment, pulling the stocking down over my head and tucking the opening under the collar of my jumper before I looked round and made my way to the back door.

I tried the handle, not surprised that it was locked but I had been practising lock picking, so I squatted down with my tools, and a few minutes later I was inside the kitchen, looking round. I then heard footsteps and stood to the side as Gina walked in, holding Shona’s hand.

“You want a drink of water, Shona?”

“Yes, please mummy,” the little girl said and then she saw me. “Who are you,” she said as Gina turned and looked at me.

“Me? I’m here to play a very special game with you, your mummy and your sisters,” I said with a smile under the mask. Looking at Gina, I said “remember you made the booking, Mrs Gooch?”

“The Oh OH!” Gina’s eyes opened wide as she gripped Shona’s hand, and then said “I remember now I booked that for today. Shona, this lady is going to pretend that we are a family she takes hostage and she is going to make it realistic, so we can all have fun together.”

“Take us hostage? That sounds scary Mummy,” Shona whispered.

“I know it does,” I said as I squatted down and looked at her, “but I promise you, it can be fun to be like this. Tell you what why don’t you have a seat and have your drink, and I’ll show you on Mummy what I am going to do.”

“That’s a good idea,” Gina said as she helped Shona to sit on a chair, poured her a glass of water and handed it to her as I opened my rucksack. Taking out a length of rope, I whispered into Gina’s ear “this is a game, understand?”

“Yes,” she whispered back as I crossed her wrists behind her back and secured them together, then took the rope round her waist so they were fixed against the small of her back. Shona watched, the glass to her lips before she whispered, “why did she do that Mummy?”

“Well, she wants to make sure we can’t use our hands,” Gina said quietly. “Have you had enough to drink?” Shona nodded as I said “well, I am going to do the same to you, but with your wrists in front of you. Can you cross them for me?”

“You’ll be all right,” Gina said as Shoan slid off the chair and stood with her wrists crossed, watching as I bound them together and then took the rope round her waist as well. She smiled as I picked up the bag and said, “Right then, let’s go and get your sisters to play as well.”

We walked into the front room to find Ethel, Tammy and Dolly sitting on the floor, playing a game. They looked up at their mother and sister, as Ethel said, “why is the lady masked, Mum?”

“Well, I arranged for us all to play a special game today,” Gina said, “where we are all going to be kept as hostages by this lady. Have a look at me and Shona, and then the lady is going to do the same to all of you.”

The three girls looked at each other as Gina sat down, and I helped Shona to sit on her lap, before I said “all right girls stand in a line and put your hands behind your back. When I am done, you can sit on the couch over there.”

“Do as she says, girls,” Gina said a sshe kissed the top of Shona’s head, while I fetched more ropes from my bag and one by one made sure their wrists were secured together behind their backs, and the rope round their waists to keep them there.

As Dolly took the last seat, I took more ropes and then make sure they all had their ankles tied tightly together, as well as their legs below their knees. As they wriggled round, I walked over and secured Shona’s ankles and legs, and then helped her to sit to the side for a moment as I secured the legs and ankles of her mother, before lifting her daughter back onto her lap.

“Now then,” I said as I smiled at them, “do you promise to sit nice and quietly while I send the ransom demand?”

“We will,” Gina said, the other girls nodding as I turned the television on and then left them for a few moments as I went to search the house. I found a lot of nice things before I came back and said “I have to go and collect the ransoms and that means I need to keep you all quiet. Just stay here, don’t struggle, and in a little while you will be freed.”

“Do me first,” Gina said, Shona looking up as I tore a strip of tape from a white roll and pressed it down over her mouth.

“Is it all right Mummy,” Shona said a sshe looked up. Gina smiled under the tape and nodded as I pressed a length of tape down over her mouth, and then did the same to the other three girls.

And that should have been that until I heard a young boy say “wow you’re all tied up and gagged!”

“Whllduhhshhm,” I heard Ethel say as I turned to see a boy the same age as her standing there, looking round the room. He had short brown hair and was wearing a checked shirt over a white t-shirt, jeans and black trainers.

“Well now and who do we have here? A gallant rescuer?”

“I’m Sam, and I live next door,” he said as Ethel rolled her eyes. “Is this a robbery?”

Gina looked at me and shook her head as Is aid “no, it’s a game where I am keeping them for a ransom but I can’t have you raising the alarm either, so You’ll need to lay along as well.”

Sam looked at me and said, “but I’d need to let my mum know she’s with my sisters next door.”

“Well, I can’t let you go and ask and then come back,” I said quietly, “but I can take you hostage as well, and then get them to play the game too. So, turn round, and put your hands behind your back.”

“Thmhshwhlmhm,” Ethel said as Gina nodded, all of them watching as I took Sam’s wrists behind his back and tied them together with rope, before taking the rope round his waist as well. I then pressed a length of tape over his mouth before I checked the ropes on the Gooch family and said, “Wait here while I make sure the family next door is taken captive as well and collect the ransoms.”

They all nodded as I took Sam by the arm, and my rucksack in my other hand, and we left the room.

“Did you come from the back door,” Isaid, and as Sam nodded, we went out through the kitchen and through a gate, before we went into the kitchen next door, the blonde-haired woman standing at the sink turning and saying, “oh my god, Sam?”

“Let’s not get upset,” I said as I closed the door, “Sam walked in on me visiting next door, and I felt the best thing to do was visit here as well and get you and the rest of his family to play the game they are playing next door. What is your name?”

“Tracy you say you are playing a game? But that means “

“Indeed who else is in the house?”

“Jane, Jill, and Joan oh my god, you mean “

“I do indeed as you can see Sam is already my captive, and soon you all will be. But you need to set the example.” I looked at Tracy, her white blouse over a dark vest, jeans and brown sandals, and said “so, turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

“Are you all right playing this game Sam,” Tracy asked, and I saw the grin under the tape as Sam watched me secure his mother’s wrists together behind her back, and then tied the rope round her waist. Picking up the rucksack, I said “well, let’s go and meet the rest of my second family of hostages.”

Tracy slowly nodded as we walked up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms, to see three girls sitting on the bed reading books. The oldest was slightly taller than Sam and was wearing a short sleeved pink cardigan over a top with a spiral pattern, and black jeans tucked into a pair of chocolate brown Ugg boots. Then there was a girl a few years younger than Sam, wearing a denim military jacket, black shorts with a fabric belt tied round her waist, and knee-high tan leather boots. Then there was a third girl., I’d guess at the same age as Dolly who has braided blonde pigtails. She was wearing a cap sleeved dress which is aw was the same material and pattern as the middle girl’s belt, and black leggings with burgundy short boots.

All of them looked at Tracy a sshe said “girls, we’re going to play a special game together. Sam stumbled on our neighbours who are playing this game, and they want us to play as well. This actress has already tied my wrists if Sam and I sit down, then you can stand up, and she will do the same to you as well.”

“Will it hurt mummy,” the youngest girl said.

“No Joan Jane, you are the oldest, let her take care of you first.”

The girl with the pink top got off the bed and looked at her brother, then turned round as I took ropes from the bag and secured her wrists in the same way as Sam and Tracy.

“You next Jill.”

The girl in the denim jacket stood up and then allowed me to tie her wrists as well, before Joan got up and allowed me to do the same.

As the three girls looked at each other, I said “now I need you to lie on your backs, side by side on the bed, and I’ll maker sure you have to stay there.”

The three girls lay side by side, as one by one ~I used ropes to secure their legs together below their knees, to secure their ankles so there was the sound of squeaking when they tried to move, and then secured their ankles to the foot of the bed.

“Where are Mummy and Sam going to go,” Joan said as she looked at me.

“They will be in Mummy’s room” I said as I pressed a length of the tape down over her oldest sister’s mouth, “and they will be just like you. Now put your lips together.”

“Don’t worry, just lie quietly and you’ll be fine,” Tracy said as I gagged her daughters and turned on the television in the room, and then walked Sam and her into the master bedroom. As they sat on the bed, I secured Sam’s ankles and his legs below his knees, and then I said, “close your eyes.” As he did, I pressed another length of tape down over his eyes and helped him toile down, as I whispered to Tracy “you know what is happening, so where do I find your valuables?”

“Look in there,” Tracy whispered back as I searched the drawers and wardrobes, before I knelt down and bound her ankles together, as well as her legs below her knees. I then rolled her onto her side and pulled her ankles back, securing them to the ropes at her waist before the tape was pressed down over her mouth.

“There now don’t move while I arrange the ransom collection,” I said as Tracy kissed Sam’s forehead, and he smiled under the tape.

“Fhnkkuhmhhm,” he mumbled as I made my way out of the room, down the stairs and out of the house, walking back to my car as I pulled the stocking off and wondering when they would be found

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