Chapter four

„Mhhhmm! Uuhhmm!“

Having been quiet and still for the time since her capture, Helena now seemed to be eager to draw Loredana`s and Angelique`s attention. She mmphhed through her gag and pleadingly looked at the two women who were guarding her whilst Valentine was taking a shower.

„Be quiet! I won`t let you go to the bathroom. It`s occupied right now, anyway“, Loredana said, pointing with her chin towards the bathroom door. The sound of the shower could be heard from behind it.

„Mhhmm!“

Helena shook her head and again looked at them. Now, Angelique lost her patience.

„Ahh, what is it, bitch?“, she asked, ripping the tape from Helena`s mouth.

„I`ve got an offer to make!“, Helena gasped.

„If part of this offer`s letting you go, we are not interested“, Loredana blurted.

Helena took a deep breath, then, she spoke:

„Well, that would be a part of the deal. Listen: a friend and I have stolen some files from Mr. Kawayama. Files that are worth quite a sum.“

„And that`s why you will go to prison for quite a time“, Angelique remarked.

Helena looked at here with cold eyes.

„That`s the reason why Mr. Kawayama want`s to get Loredana back in his hands. He thinks you are involved and he is quite keen on punishing you. I have to admit, my attempt in persuading you to help me yesterday was a bit – directly, but there are only two possibilities:

Help to get me to prison and you will gain nothing, since Mr. Kawayama still wants you back. Help me to get away and I can offer you my share – that`s half a million for each of you.“

Helena allowed her words to settle down whilst a loud sound told them that Valentine was drying her hair now.

Loredana spoke: „Who tells us you are not just lying?“

She only asked from curiosity, since she did not really consider to set the blonde criminal free. On the other hand – half a million was half a million. It would not be a crime to just ask.

Helena smiled: „You can tell by yourself. Just follow me to my colleague and you can make sure I am not lying. 500 grands for each of you – cash, of course.“

Angelique frowned: „Coming with you? You mean, we -“

She pointed at the bathroom door. The hair dryer still was turned on.

Helena nodded: „Yes, it would mean that you are leaving the legal path. But if we act quick, we can make it look like I got loose, overpowered you and took you with me. Once you have the money, you can go and feign a story about how you escaped from my clutches. Just think about it – half a million for just a few days on my side. You won`t even be in danger. There are two guns, mine and that of the policewoman. One, I need to persuade this policewoman“, she pointed at the bathroom door, „but one of you will have the other. And mine will be without bullets. So, what do you say? A little bit of foul play for a living on the sunny side of life?“

Loredana gasped: „Persuading her? But that`s-“

Helena interrupted her: „We will need a head start of an hour or so. She won`t get harmed, but we have to make it look convincing. Just decide now – wealth or legality.“

So, when Valentine, dressed in one of Sandra`s bathrobes, stepped out of the bathroom, she looked upon Loredana and Angelique who were kneeling on the floor, their hands folded in their necks and looking at her anxiously. Behind the two women, a freed Helena stood, holding a gun in her hand.

„All right, lady of the law. Time for you to take a rest. Just go to the bedroom and do as you are told.“

***

„What the-“

Inside their rented car, Baker and Hideki were just observing Sandra`s flat when they saw three women leave the house – Loredana, Angelique and a slim, blonde woman.

„What`s the problem?“, Baker asked.

„That`s Helena Carstens, one of our German employees. What is she doing here?“

At that moment, said Helena and the others entered a car. All three seemed to be a bit nervous, but obviously, noone seemed to be forced at gunpoint. Baker reacted quickly:
„Well, it`s just time to prove that some cliches are wrong.“

Hideki frowned and Baker smiled:

„You will just have to prove that not all Asians are lousy drivers. Follow that car, but please, don`t do anything before you have called me. I will take a look inside.“
Hideki hesitated: „Why not the other way round?“

„Because I know how to open a door without a key. And because the car is booked under your name.“

Having said so, he slipped out of the car. Not really convinced, Hideki tried to stay close, but not too close behind Helena`s car.

***

Baker slowly walked over to the house. A look at the door bells told him that, except for Sandra, four more parties were living there. He entered and rang at Sandra`s door, but noone opened. Taking a short look around, Baker entered the house, using one of his picklocks.

Once inside, he could hear a faint sound emerging from a closed door – obviously the bedroom.

„Mhhmmm! Mhhmmmmmmm!“

Now, he was curious. He sneaked over to the door and spied through the keyhole. Inside, he could see a tallish brown haired woman lying on the bed. Her wrists seemed to be cuffed to the bedframe and her legs were tied to the lower end of the bed by two pairs of pantyhose, forcing her to lie with her legs slightly spread. She was wearing only a black bra and skimpy black panties. The woman`s mouth was taped shut and the way her cheeks bulged told Baker that she had her mouth stuffed with something.

„Uuuhhmmm! Mmmhhhhmmm!“

The girl fought her bonds, but had not succeeded in loosening any of her ties yet. Baker thought for a moment. If Loredana and Angelique had gone, this must be Sandra, or maybe another policewoman. That meant that Helena and the others must have tied and gagged her to make their getaway. He frowned. Was this Loredana really a criminal or was this Helena behind it all?

Hideki`s report about his first attack on Loredana and her friend had told him that the two women had been totally lacking care – quite unusual for someone who had just stolen several millions, albeit some thousand miles away.

„Mhhpphh! Uuuhhmmm!“

At least, now they were no longer protected by the police, but they were on the run. Thinking about the change of facts, he did a quick research throughout the flat until he could see a car stopping in front of the house. Janine stepped out of it, followed by a busty brunette.

***

After some 30 minutes, Helena stopped the car at an abandoned factory building near the Rhine`s shore and told the others to follow her.

Loredana and Angelique did so quite reluctantly, they still did not trust the blonde. But she seemed to play honest, having handed both guns to them. Angelique, who never had used a gun before, had left hers in the car, but Loredana, who had at least done some airgun shooting in her youth, kept hers in her handbag.

Helena was leading them to a rusty door that covered the entrance of an old cellar. In it, there was only an old matress and a sports bag – nothing else.

„Well, it seems my friend`s not here yet. Let me just see if he has left me a message on my reserve cell phone.“

Quickly, Helena opened the sports bag – and raised a gun.

Both Angelique and Loredana bounced back and gasped. Loredana reached for her gun, but Helena told her to drop her handbag and to raise their hands.

„Well, it seems I have told you only half the truth. It is true that I have stolen the files and it is also true that Mr. Kawayama is suspecting you. But, I never had an accomplice and, of course, I never planned to share the money with you. My plan was just to get rid of you so that Kawayama would never find out you were innocent.“

Loredana cleared her throat, then, she asked with a trembling voice:

„G-getting rid o-of m-m-me?“

Helena smiled, but the smile did not reach her cold brown eyes:

„Yes, my dumb blonde bombshell, but you may be glad to hear that I don`t want to kill you if it is not necessary. I will keep you two here for a while. Maybe, I will find someone who takes care of you. After all, there`s still a market for pretty European women in Saudi Arabia.“

She laughed when she saw the two women shiver.

„But now, just do as I say: strip.“

Loredana and Angelique pleaded, but Helena just pointed at them with her gun. Both girls stepped out of their sandals, standing barefoot on the concrete floor. Next, Angelique pulled off her top, opened her skirt and let it fall to the floor whilst Loredana took of her light summer dress. Now, both girls stood there in just their bras and panties.

„Bras too“, Helena ordered.

Reluctantly, both girls obeyed, covering her naked breasts with their crossed arms.

Helena smiled generously: „Keep the panties if you want. After all, I don`t want some rats or insects to examine you too closely.“

This made both girls shriek with horror, though they were relieved that they were allowed at least that last remnant of modesty.

Helena reached for the sports bag and tossed a pair of handcuffs to each of the girls.
„Put one end around your right wrist, do it tight“, she ordered Loredana, „And you“, she turned towards Angelique, „put it around your right wrist, too.“

Angelique and Loredana obeyed, trying to do so without taking at least one arm from their bare breasts. Again, they stood there with crossed arms, the handcuffs dangling from their wrists.

„Now, lean back to back and hook your arms.“

though it meant showing their breasts on full display, the gun in Helena`s hand told them not to be defiant and so, they leaned back to back and Loredana slung her right arm around Angelique`s left and vice versa. Helena now pointed at Angelique:

„Reach for your friend`s handcuff with your right – between her legs.“

„No, please, I can`t-“

Helena just raised her gun and waited. Finally, Angelique stopped pleading and obeyed. Given the fact that her right arm was hooked under Loredana`s left, Angelique`s hands hardly reached up to her crotch. It was all but impossible to reach between her and Loredana`s legs. Angelique had to squirm until her fingers could feel for the dangling cuff.

Loredana let out a disgusted gasp when Angelique`s fingers touched the soft flesh between her legs, and she blushed all over. This was so humiliating!

Angelique panted and blushed like a beetroot, too, when she had finally managed to close the cuff around her right wrist. Now, both girls stood there quite distracted, trying to minimize the pressure between their legs. Helena approached and said:

„Good. Now you, Loredana, cuff your left to your friend`s left, the same way.“

It took the now sweating, nearly naked girls some squirming, squeezing and rubbing until that order was fulfilled. Now, the two short chains were crossed between both girl`s legs, putting up quite some strain and pressure. Their arms pulled on each other`s and their hands were forced close to the panels of their panties. Both girls were panting slightly.
„Right“, Helena ordered, „now, spread your legs as far as you can.“

This was not only an attack on modesty, but also a challenge in keeping balance and, in addition, it made the chains pull even harder into their most intimate areas. But, finally, both Angelique and Loredana had managed to get their feet some yard from each other, both aching from the strain and the effort.

„Just to prevent you from trying to kick me.“

Stepping beside the two captives, Helena checked the tightness of their cuffs, ignoring the sounds of dismay from the two girls because her fingers quite deliberately touched them between their legs.

Next, Helena took two huge nerf balls and a roll of duct tape from the bag and approached Loredana. The girl knew what was coming and closed her mouth, but Helena just pinched one of her nipples.

„Aaauuhhmmphh! Uuuhhhmmppphh!“

Loredana screamed from pain, but this enabled Helena to stuff the nerf ball into her reluctant mouth. It was so huge it expanded behind her teeth, making it quite impossible to spit it out.

„Uuuhmmm! Mhhmmm! Nnnnnggg!“

Helena took the duct tape and wrapped it tightly over Loredana`s mouth and around her head, about a dozen times.

„Uhmmph! Glllg!“

„Please! You can`t leave us here like that!“, Angelique pleaded, Pleaaauuhhmmpphhh!“

Without a sign of mercy, Helena stuffed the other nerf ball into Angelique`s mouth and sealed it in with a dozen rounds of duct tape.

„Ohhmmm! Uhhmmm!“, Angelique protested.

„Mhhhrrrrr!“, Loredana joined in.

Helena smiled and packed the girl`s clothes and shoes into the sports bag before hanging it over her shoulder. Then, she hid the gun in the inner pocket of her leather jacket.

„Kind as I am, I will not tie your feet. So, you may walk around or relax on the matress. Sooner or later, you may need to relieve yourself. If we shall meet again, just tell me how you managed that problem, for I have not the slightest idea how you two could handle that.“

Giggling, she left the cellar and carefully closed the door with a padlock. Outside, every sound coming from the bound and gagged girls was stifled by the thick concrete walls and the rusty, but stable iron door.

Hideki ducked behind an old barrel. He had watched Helena binding and gagging the two women, but due to the thick glass of the only cellar`s window, hadn`t heard what any of them might have said. But, obviously, they were not so close friends anymore.

His first thought was to break the door and to take Loredana with him, but then, he hesitated. Both girls were well stored and it was unlikely that someone would find the at a place as remote as this. So, he could just meet with Baker, consider what to do and take care of Loredana later.

Immediately after Helena had disappeared, Hideki headed for his car and sent a message to Baker that they should meet at once.

***

„So, you say that this female criminal you caught yesterday evening has freed herself, overpowered you and taken the two with her?“, Janine asked Valentine who was just closing the buttons of her blouse.

Blushing slightly, Valentine nodded. She was still quite embarassed that she had failed in protecting the two women – and from being discovered bound and gagged in only her bra and panties. To her great relief, Helena had allowed her to put at least these on before she had ordered Loredana and Angelique to tie her to the bed and gag her with a washcloth and tape.

However, Janine had her reasons not to be as strict as usual. Actually, all this would not have happened if she had been able to react once Sandra had called her. But during Sandra`s call, she had been sitting bound and gagged in her chair, trying not to spill a glass of water on her thighs of which she thought it was acid. Janine remained calm on the outside, but she was still embarassed from the humiliation that Russian had forced her to endure.

There seemed to be an endless row of petty humiliations to follow, though. When she had been freed by Sandra and rushed for the bathroom, she had heard some policemen laughing about her hurry. And when they had left the departement, whilst walking over an airshaft, a warm air blast had blown up her skirt, nearly revealing that she wore nothing underneath. And now, she would not even have the fun of interrogating their captive.

„Well, we have to find them. As far as we know, she wants to get Miss Cortese back to Japan. That means she has to reach a plane, unless she decides to do a ship journey lasting some weeks. The next international airport is Strassbourg, of course, so, we will get her there, sooner or later. Valentine, do you have some colleagues that would assist in a rather – informal investigation.“

Glad to be a fully accepted member of the team again, Valentine nodded.

„There`s a friend of mine, Tiffaine. She is from Paris, but she told me that she`s at Strassbourg the next few weeks. Actually, she`s just occupied by assisting a colleague doing some protection for soeone I don`t know, but, perhaps she can help us.“

„Good. Call her. We will leave for Strassbourg immediately, for we have to stop that Helena and to rescue Miss Cortese and Miss Martin. Let`s go.“

Addicted by the commissioners enthusiasm, Sandra and Valentine quickly did some packing and within ten minutes, the three policewomen had disappeared.

Baker came out from under the couch where he had been hiding. This was more than interesting. According to what he had seen, Loredana and Angelique had followed Helena quite deliberately. So, maybe these policewomen would find three runaways instead of one. Which, of course would bring Loredana to jail, too. Of course, according to the fact that she hadn`t comitted any real crime, she would be free after a few weeks – but this was too late for Hideki and him, since the Asian was expecting him with the jewelry within six days and Hideki was expected back in Tokio the next week, too.

„Well, that`s gonna be a real tough week if we want to get all our business done“, Baker thought when his cell phone suddenly vibrated. It was a message from Hideki.

***

„Mhhmmpphh!“, Angelique moaned with frustration.

She did not know how much time had passed since Helena had disappeared, but she had not come any closer to freeing herself from the bonds and gag.

First, she and Loredana had just screamed through their mouthfilling gags. They had kicked against the iron door – the sound their naked feet made on the massive steel was suprisingly faint. They had pulled on their ties, only making the chains crossed between their legs irritate them even more. Finally, exhaustion had forced them to sit down, though this had consequences on their private parts, too. Their panty-clad crotches were squeezed permanently and every movement of one of the girls was felt by both.

Calmed down by exhaustion, the sweaty Angelique thought about freedom more methodically. By moving her unbound legs, Angelique discovered that, if she bent her legs and shifted her arms, she was able to push the chain up her legs a bit. It was only a few inches, but if she could reach for her gag with her fingers...

„Uuuhmmph! Mhhmmmm!“

„Mhm?“

Loredana had just tried to relax and to cope with the horrors of the last 24 hours. Yesterday, she had been knocked out and stuffed into a suitcase, bound, gagged and blindfolded. And now, this mean woman had left her in that hot and sticky cellar – again bound and gagged. In addition, she was nearly naked and she was meant to stay like this till she died from starvation – or till some white slavers would fetch them both. Loredana was short from fainting, but now, Angelique was squirming in her bonds again, pulling on their combined handcuffs.

„Mhmmm!“

Wriggling like an eel and grunting from the effort, Angelique brought her stretched fingers closer and closer to her gagged mouth. Three inches – two – one-

„Mmmhhhrrrrrmmm!“

With a sigh of sheer frustration, Angelique had to give up. No matter how much she stretched her limbs and fingers and bowed her head and upper body, there were still a few millimetres between her fingertips and the tape sealing her mouth. Panting heavily, she just tried to concentrate on another possibility.

As the sun rose, the cellar became more and more hot and stifling. Angelique vaguely remembered what Helena had mocked about her and Loredana having to relieve themselves.

„She won`t have that fun, because we have died from the heat long before“, she thought and giggeled hytherically into the nerf ball stuffing her mouth until she had to stop if she did not want to set off her gag reflex.

***

Meanwhile, Baker and Hideki were sitting in the car again and had told each other the latest news. Baker said:

„So, at least your part of the business is quite save and sound. Actually, you could leave with her now.“

Hideki seemed offended: „We are partners. Besides, I might need some help in getting Loredana back to Japan. By the way, how long can we keep them in that cellar, bound and gagged as they are?“

Baker shrugged: „I have been in the desert and I can tell you, the thirst drives you mad long before you are actually dying. But they can`t do much harm to themselves if they get mad, trussed up like they are. I think they will not suffer severe damage during the next twelve hours. Loredanaa will have to get used to lack of comfort anyway, because otherwise, she won`t enyoy her journey back to Japan.“

Hideki nodded and they continued their trip to the airport of Straßbourg where they placed themselves near the departure desks of the planes heading to Japan. They had no exact plan yet, but Baker couldn`t stop thinking about what Valentine had said about her colleague from Paris protecting someone at Strassbourg. It would be a great coincidence, but maybe, it would get them closer to Babette and the jewels.

***

At the Airport, there were more people who investigated the departure desks. Tiffaine had indeed agreed in helping her German colleague. She had shortly inaugurated Janine and her colleagues about their mission at Elodie`s mansion. Janine and Tiffaine had decided that, since Helena had already seen them, Valentine and Sandra would stay at Elodie and protect the mansion and Babette. Since the vast security system of the house, this would not even been necessary, but Tiffaine insisted on that.

Equipped with an exact description of Helena, Janine, Tiffaine and Mireille observed the desks, supported by Britta and Martina. Firts, Janine had been against the two private investigators helping them, but in the end, she had agreed that at such a big area ten eyes were better than six.

„There.“

Tiffaine had spotted Helena, who, now wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt and who carried a small suitcase, was approaching the departure desks.

Pretending to be a group of travellers, Britta, Martina and Mireille stepped into Helena`s way and asked her if she could tell them the way to the station.

Before Helena could answer, Janine and Tiffaine approached from behind. Helena felt something hard in her back.

„Don`t move, and no sound, or you are dead.“

Helena gasped and wanted to spin around, but now Mireille held another gun to her belly.

„Just relax and follow us and noone get`s hurt.“

The five women had surrounded her completely and directed her towards the exit. To any observer, it looked like a group of female tourists leavig the airport.

Helena desperately looked for a way to run away or to alert someone. But she felt the two guns in her ribs and she knew that if she screamed or tried to run, she would be killed within seconds. So, she obeyed and allowed the women to direct her to a van with tinted windows.

Once they were inside, Martina started the car whilst the others took care of Helena. Before she could utter a sound, Britta stuffed her mouth with a large sponge and wound some rounds of tape over her mouth and around her head.

„Mhhmph!“

After pulling a black hood over her head, the four women stripped her captive to her bra and panties. Hdelena weakly resisted, but she was no match for the four.

They handcuffed her wrists and threaded another pair of handcuffs through the chain connecting her hands before cuffing her ankles, leaving her in a simple, but effective hogtie.

Then, they drove off, ignoring the girl`s muffled cries for help.

***

Baker had taken the wheel, but even he had difficulties in following the disappearing van without looking suspicious. After a hunt of some miles, the van finally passed a huge automatic door.

„That`s the mansion! I can`t believe it!“, Baker said.

The girl that had captured Loredana and Angelique had just been brought into the very mansion where Babette was hiding! He forced himself to calm dowm and to drive along.

„Well, all we have to do is getting in and get Babette and Helena in our hands“, Hideki said as if he considered buying an icecream.

Baker looked at him suspiciously:

„Helena? Why? We know where Loredana is!“

Hideki lowered his voice: „Loyalty to my employer.I have to bring Loredana to him because I have promised to do so. But I also want to protect the company from damage. And I am quite sure that whatever Helena is doing here, will be for the company`s worst. So, just to  be sure, I have to take her with me, too.“

Hideki seemed a bit uneasy, as if he expected Baker to mock about his exaggerated loyalty towards his company. However, Baker smiled with sad eyes.

„Ther has been a time when I would have done that and even more for my country. But now, I am just a mercenary, a Ronin, as you would call me. So, maybe, I should help those who still have someone to be loyal to and who are still Samurai.“

Though Hideki was pleased to hear that, the situation was becoming a bit sentimental, and so, he said:

„Well, just drop me at the next corner. I will try to find out about the alarm system. You may take care of Loredana and Angelique.“

Baker laughed: „So, you may do the cool boy`s stuff while I am entitled to feed, wash and pamper the girls.“

Hideki smiled: „HavenT I told you that Helena has left them nearly naked? I am quite sure you won`t be that disappointed from your part of our business.“

Still smiling, he left the car.

***