“Alright girls, great practice today!” Coach Williams said as the bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. “Keep up the good work and I’m sure we’ll have the regional dance competition in the bag!”

With that, the members of the Forest Springs High School dance team began to pack up. The 19 high school girls started to head towards the showers to change out of their dance uniforms and back into their regular school clothes.

“Hey, Hannah, Beth!” Coach Williams called out. Near the middle of the pack of girls, two of the dancers turned.

“Yes coach?” They said in unison. Hannah and Beth were close friends and both seniors in high school. The two were also both 18; Hannah had turned 18 during the summer while Beth’s birthday had been two weeks ago. They looked a lot alike as well; tall, slender figures, long dancer’s legs and large, round breasts. Hannah’s hair was a lighter shade of blonde, she was wearing it short at the moment, while Beth’s dirty blonde hair hung down around her shoulders.

They both had on the dance team’s uniform: tight black pants with red trim and red tops emblazoned with a stylized ‘F’ and ‘S’ in gold, the school colors. At the moment they were barefoot.

“Come here.” The older woman said, waving them over. Coach Williams was a young woman, just 28. Like her students, she was extremely fit, with a narrow figure and long, athletic legs. She had on tight athletic pants and a grey sweatshirt with the school mascot on it. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail.

The two girls left their friends and walked over to their coach. “What’s up, coach?” Hannah asked. By now, the other girls had left the room. The three women were all alone.

“Are you two busy this afternoon?” Williams asked. The two girls shook their heads. “I have a problem...I was wondering if you two could help me with it.”

“What is it, coach?” Beth said.

“I can’t explain it right now, but I need some help.” Their coach replied. “I’ll tell you all about it at my place.”

“Alright.” They replied, nodding. They ran over and grabbed their bags. Rather than changing, they just slipped on their flip flops and followed Coach Williams out of the dance hall still in their dance uniforms. By now, most of the people had left the school. The parking lot was empty as the three got into Williams’ car. She drove to her house. The girls had been there before, for a pool party to celebrate the team making it to the State competition last year.

“Can I get you two anything?” She asked as she unlocked the front door and let them in. Beth asked for juice, while Hannah said she’d be fine with some water. William’s pointed them to the living room, while she ran into the kitchen to get the drinks.

“Here you go.” Williams said, bringing in three glasses on a tray. She handed the two girls their drinks and took a sip from her soda.

“So what is this problem you need our help with?” Beth asked, sipping her orange juice.

“Well…” Coach Williams paused a moment. “It’s...about my older sister, Anne. She’s in trouble. Big trouble. She owes some people money, a lot of money, more then we can pay back. Three days ago, she went missing. The next day, someone sent me this…”

She reached over to the table and picked up a blank envelope and opened it. Inside was a photo print. It showed a woman with a family resemblance to Coach Williams seated on a chair in a bare room. Her arms were pulled behind her back, obviously restrained. A strip of tape covered her mouth. She was looking at the camera, eyes wide with fear. A paper sign was taped to her chest. In large, blocky letters it read: ‘Don’t Call the Police.’

“That’s awful!” Beth said. “You have to call the authorities.”

“I can’t. They’ve probably got people watching me. If I try and call the police I may never see Anne again.” Williams told her, tears welling up. “This group is ruthless. If I don’t do what they say, they’ll sell her into white slavery! I’ve only got one chance to get my sister back...” She sniffed. “And that’s why I need your help.”  

“What do you mean?” Beth asked, nervously.

“The men who kidnapped Anne got in touch with me.” Williams said. “They know I don’t have the money to pay them what my sister owes them...but they said they’d be willing to make a trade…”

Beth started to rise from the couch. As she did, a wave of disorientation washed over her. “Wha-at’s happnninnng…” she slurred. She suddenly felt very weak.

“Please don’t struggle…” Williams said, softly, as the two girls began to panic. “That’s just the drugs I put in your drinks. The slavers will be here for you two soon…”

***

“MMMPPPHHH!!!” The two girls screamed as loudly as they could. Only a quiet, whimper escaped their gags. Each girl had had a wadded up ball of cloth stuffed into her mouth. A narrow black scarf was pulled between the two captive’s teeth and tied, to keep them from spitting the padding out.

The dancers squirmed around on the floor of the living room, struggling helplessly against their bonds. Their arms were lashed behind their backs with rope at the wrists and elbows. Their legs were tied together at the ankles and above and below the knees. A strand of rope ran from the loops around their wrists to the bindings on their ankles, pulling them back in a tight hogtie.

Beth glanced over at Hannah. Hannah stared back, her eyes big with shock and fear. Beth knew her eyes must have been just as big. Neither could believe what was happening, that their dance coach had just drugged them, tied them up, and was going to trade them to a group of white slavers for her sister!

Coach Williams had been in the room when the two had woken from the knock out drugs, finishing tying Beth’s gag. Not long after words, she’d left to go watch for the men who were coming to pick the two of them up. Beth thrashed around, whimpering into her gag in miserable frustration. They needed to escape, somehow, before those men arrive. After that, it would be too late for them…

Hannah grunted something into her gag, trying to get Beth’s attention. She wriggled around, rolling over, until her tightly bound wrists were facing towards Beth’s. Beth stared for a moment, before she realized Hannah was trying to get her to try and untie her hands. Hurriedly, Beth rolled around, so her back was also to Hannah. She twisted her body, inching closer to Hannah, until their hands touched. Going by feeling alone, Beth tried to find the knots. It wasn’t easy. Reluctant as she might have been, the older woman had known what she was doing when she’d tied the two dancers up.

With agonizing slowness, Beth picked at the knots binding Hannah’s wrists together. Several times, she lost contact with the ropes and had to feel around again for a minute before she found the knot again. Finally, it seemed like she was making some progress and the knot began to loosen…

“Well girls, I guess this is goodbye.” Williams said, entering the room. Her two captives moaned in despair. Beth rolled over onto her other side and looked up at the coach. She wasn’t alone. A trio of cruel looking men in suits were with her. Coach Williams turned to them. “Alright. These are the two you wanted. Are you satisfied?” she asked unhappily.

The man in the lead nodded. “Very satisfied.” He turned and looked down at the two cringing captives. “And I’m sure our customers will be equally satisfied with these two.”

“Now what about my sister?” Williams asked.

“Oh right, your sister.” The slaver turned back. “She’s already been delivered to her new owner. In fact, he likes her so much, he asked if we could get him another girl just like her.” He nodded to his partners. Without warning, the men suddenly grabbed Coach Williams from behind.

“Hey!” The woman exclaimed, squirming in the grasp of her attacker. “What are you doing! Let me go-mmmppphhh!!!” Her cries were cut off as the slaver clamped a gloved hand over her mouth. Working quickly, the men quickly bound William’s hands and feet with several zip-ties. A wad of cloth was stuffed in her mouth and another tied between her lips for a gag. Kicking and struggling, Williams was carried out of the room by one of the slavers.

“Let’s get these two.” The lead slaver said to the other man. The girls whimpered as they were picked up. “These ladies have a plane to catch…”