Chapter five
After the Second World War, Germany had quite successfully proved itself to be a peaceful and civilized country. Like in all other European states, any kind of torture was strictly prohibited - including police interrogations. Even the possibility of saving a hostage`s life was not seen as an excuse to put hands on a suspect.
However, there had always been some „exceptions“, especially when it came to fighting terrorism. Some methods of „white torture“ - torturing methods leaving no visible traces – were not only used by the CIA, but sometimes by ordinary policemen, too.
„The end justifies the means“, those using these practices always said.
That very sentence Sandra always said to herself when they were carrying Helena down the stairs to a room in the cellar Elodie had given them for „special police work“. Actually it was a fitness room, but it had a solid iron door, a floor upholstered with foam mats and the training bench could be used to tie a victim to.
They released Helena from her hogtie and put her on the bench, then, they reapplied her cuffs in the same way. Now, the bra and pantyclad woman was lying on her back, tied to the upholstered bench with her left wrist tied to her right ankle and vice versa.
„Thank you. I think, we can handle this by ourselves now. You may go and help Sandra and Valentine“, Tiffaine said towards Mireille and the private detectives.
Mireille and Martina nodded, obviously glad to not being forced to participate in any kind of „strict interrogation“. Britta, however, seemed a bit disappointed not to be allowed to learn something new, but she finally obeyed and followed the others.
Now, Tiffaine took two black biker`s hoods, masked herself and handed the other to Janine.
„She has done such things before“, the German thought when she put the hood over her head. Anyway, she had bent the law in order to defend it during the past years, too.
With an energetic yank, she pulled the hood from Helena`s head. The look in the blonde`s eyes was angry, but defiant.
„You haven`t thought you would get away with tying and gagging a policewoman and kidnapping two women, did you?“, Janine asked, then, she ripped the tape from Helena`s mouth.
She spat out the balled up scarf and panted, then, she answered:
„I have no idea what you are talking about.“
Janine skook her head: „Please, do not insult our intelligence by playing the innocent. We know that you have them and we want to know where you`ve got them – and soon, we WILL know!“
Helena considered telling them a story about Angelique and Loredana having been willing accomplices in order to get a share of the wealth, but decided against it. The police would sure be able to track down the cell phones of the two girls – whom she had dumped into a public dustbin, together with their clothes. So, she answered:
„Well, let`s say I know where they are, but want to keep it to myself. What`s it going to be then? Waterboarding?“
The last word, she had spelled with a slight trembling of her voice. Since some stories from Guantanamo prison had made the round, nearly everyone knew that this way of torturing was one of the most brutal, yet effective ways of persuading someone to talk that a sick mind had ever invented.
„Well – not yet“, Janine said. „You may have heard that waterboarding may cause severe damage to the brain and the lungs. I prefer to leave no traces. But be sure, you will talk.“
„Maybe, you are ticklish“, Tiffaine said and caressed Helenas ribs.
Helena looked at her with a mixture of contempt and amusement.
„Really? That`s how you do investigations now? What is next? Will you deny me my pudding if I refuse to talk?“
Tiffaine withdrew, feeling sorry for having allowed their captive that temporary victory. Janine tried to save the situation:
„Oh, be sure we are more imaginative. After all, time is on our side. We will relax upstairs, having cool drinks, lolling about in easy chairs...Whilst you will stay like this for the next time. Sooner or later, your muscles will cramp, but there`s nothing you can do about it. You will grow thirsty and this“, she stuffed the gag back into Helena`s mouth and taped it shut, „will dry your mouth and throat terribly. You will have no sense of time in your blindfolded darkness.“
She pulled the hood back over Helena`s head.
„Be sure, you will talk“, she said before she and Tiffaine left their bound and gagged captive alone, carefully locking the door.
***
Before taking a look at Angelique and Loredana, Baker had done an extended shopping trip. Now, he parked his car at the abandoned factory`s parking lot.
Walking towards the cellar, he carefully examined wether this was a „safe place“ - a place where he could establish a hideout and where he could leave the damsels until it was time for their final departure. Baker knew that three groups of persons preferred abandoned factories – little children playing adventure games, teenagers who wanted to celebrate drug parties and criminals like smugglers or drug dealers.
Since the area was some half a mile away from the last inhabited buildings, there were no kids around and from the lack of broken beer bottles and other leftovers from drunken people he could tell that this wasn`t a party area either. Of course, he could not see if this was a smuggler`s hideout from just taking a short look. However, Helena, who was no local either, had found this spot within a few days and he was sure the police would start searching the more obvious potential places where the two women could be very soon.
Baker took a look through the window and could see the two bound and gagged women. They were sitting on an old matress, their heads bent down and their disheveled tresses hanging into their laps. He could see beads of perspiration on their near naked bodies.
„Mhmm!“
Angelique weakly reacted when he approached the two women. She had just regained enough strength to start another attempt of trying anything that would get them free, but now she thought that she already halluzinating from thirst.
„The – black – man“, she thought, not believing her eyes.
Of course, it only was an optical illusion, caused by the bright sunlight shining on Baker from behind – and the fact he wore a black mask.
Baker put the bucket he had bought beside the women`s hips, then, he emptied three bottles of water in it. Taking a sponge, he thoroughly soaked it and started to wash the exhausted and dehydrated girl`s bodies.
„Mhm!“
Loredana twitched when he first touched her and the cool water was running down her body.
„Mhhmmmmm!“
Angelique just felt relief when she felt the moisture and the refreshment.
Baker did nothing quick. Again and again, he washed their naked bodies and rubbed them with the sponge, until there again came some life back into the captives. Loredana stared at him and blushed violently when he trenched her boobs.
„Mhhhmmmmm! Uuhhhhmmm!“
She weakly flailed about with her legs, but Baker just gently continued. Angelique, on the other hand, just sighed deeply and allowed him to give her some refreshment without resisting.
When both girls were totally soaked by the water, Baker sat down, just beside them, this forcing Loredana and Angelique to turn their heads if they wanted to look at him.
„Ladies, as you sure have already deduced from my mask, I am not a member of the police. But, as you may be pleased to hear, I am none of Helena`s henchmen either.“
„Mhmmmmm! Uuuhhhhmmmm!“
„Nnnnggg! Mph! Mph! Mph!“
Obviously, both girls wanted him to take their gags off, but Baker just made a gesture to them to calm down and continued:
„Anyway, I have good and bad news for you: one of the good news ist that your days in this sticky cellar are over and that you will soon be given some water and other refreshment. The bad news are that you won`t be free in the forseeable future – and that the trip will be a bit unpleasant.“
Now, both girls flailed with their legs and screamed into their gags, but Baker just left and fetched his car, driving as close to the cellar`s door as possible. He opened the boot`s lid and stepped back to his victims who had managed to get up. Leaning against a wall on one side, they tried to keep him away with some kicks, accompanied by frantic screaming through the nerf balls and the tape gagging them, but Baker just grabbed one of Angelique`s legs and pulled towards the door.
„Mhhmmmm!Hrrrrr! Ghhhmmmmmppphhh!“
Angelique squirmed and tried to pull her leg free, but she had no other chance than hopping on her other leg, following Baker.
Loredana, who was pulled backwards, had no opportunity but walking backwards if she didn`t want to slip.
When both women stood beside the car`s boot, Baker took a roll of duct tape and wrapped their legs. They flailed and tried to fight him, but finally, their legs were tightly tied from their thighs to their feet. They stood there shaking weakly and frantically moaning to attract someone`s attention.
Now, Baker took the light sleeping bag he had bought and pulled it over the bound girls. Since that sleeping bag was of course meant to give shelter to only one person, it took him quite some effort to get the bag over the two buxom bodies, down to their ankles.
„Mhhmmm! Hmmmmmm!“
Now, their moans were even further muffled by the bag.
„Relax, ladies, for breathing is much easier then!“
He heaved the two bound girls into the boot, making sure that they were lying on their sides, and closed the lid. Then, he took a last look if he hadn`t forgotten anything, sat behind the wheel and drove off.
***
Sitting in a small coffee shop, Hideki was working on his laptop and checked all the information he could get about the security systems he had discovered when he had been watching the mansion. Not wanting to look suspicious, he hadn`t looked that close, but he also had the internet and so he could imagine quite well what would await Baker and him if they tried to get inside the mansion.
Hideki divided security systems into two groups – the turtles and the onions. A turtle was very hard to crack – like the armour of a turtle - , but once you were in, it was quite easy. The other systems had several hurdles to overcome – like the skins of an onion. Hideki knew that both names sounded not very impressing, but he couldn`t imagine a better metaphore.
Elodie`s mansion seemed to be a mixture of both. First, there was the wall. It was some three yards high and had only one automatic door, made from solid steel. Two guards kept watch at the door and he had seen some infra red cameras and motion detectors on the top of the wall.
According to what he could see on the pictures taken from the streetview app, there were some more cameras and motion detectors throughout the court and garden – as well as on top of the roof. Though he did not know, Hideki was sure that the doors and windows were alarm-protected, too.
His fingers running over the keyboard, Hideki tried to find a gap in the mansion`s protection against uninvited visitors.
***
„Right, ladies, home sweet home – for a while.“
Angelique and Loredana moaned only weakly when Baker pulled the sleeping bag from their sweaty, pantyclad bodies. Since Baker had driven quite fast and taking many turns and curves, they had helplessly bounced and rolled within the narrow trunk. For some time, Loredana had been forced to lie on her front, with Angelique`s weight pressing down on her, nearly choking her, since breathing through their gags and under the bag wasn`t an easy task anyway. Both girls had screamed into their gags, but to no avail.
Finally, they felt being lifted from the trunk. They almost collapsed when Baker cut their legs free, but he grabbed their arms and led them a few meters before he started to work on the sleeping bag.
Blinking from the light and panting, the two women realized that they were inside a barn. Taking one of his picklocks, Baker said:
„You promise to behave if I free you?“
„Mhhmm! Hmmmm!“
Both girls nodded when he let them see the gun in his belt. Baker, who again had put on his mask, freed Angelique`s left ankle, only to cuff it to her right. He quickly grabbed Loredana who had slipped her now free arm from Angelique`s and prevented her from reaching her gag. Then, he freed her other arm and cuffed her hands in front of her, too.
„Please, the gags will come off soon. Before, you have to climb up that ladder.“ He pointed at a wooden ladder leading to the upper floor of the barn.
„Mhhhmm!“, Angelique protested, shaking her head no.
„Uuhmmph! Mhhmph!“, Loredana agreed.
Baker just raised his gun. Afraid, the two girls obeyed. With their hands cuffed and their legs weak from being totally eyhausted, it was not an easy task, but finally, they were on the upper floor where normally the straw and hay was stored. Now, it was empty, except for a straw heap.
Baker, who had climbed the ladder, too, said:
„Now, you may ungag yourself.“
Hastily, the two girls ripped and peeled the tape from their mouths and pulled the nerf balls out. Panting, they greedily grabbed the water bottles Baker handed them and emptied them. Before one of them could say a word, Baker spoke again:
„Please, don`t speak at all. I won`t answer any questions about your future, I am not interested in any offers and I am not interested in any threats about the police. Do you understand?“
Since Baker had used his harshest voice and again raised his gun, both girls nodded silently, staring at him with widened eyes.
Baker led Loredana to one of the posts and cuffed her hands behind it. Then, he tied Angelique to another post some four yards away. He stepped behind the post and, with a quick move, grabbed the waistband of her panties and pulled them down.
„No!“
Angelique was so surprised he had already taken the garment from her before she was able to react. She fumed and kicked at him, but he just stayed out of reach.
„You Bastard! How dare you, you-“
Not taking any notice of her, he approached Loredana.
„N-n-no, p-please, I-“
Baker peeled her panties down and took them, knowing that, instead of the spirited Angelique.Loredana was too frightened to put up more resistance.
„You really want these sweaty things back?“, he asked mockingly.
„Yes, of course, you fucking-“, Angelique shouted.
Baker rose his hand. „Language, Angie!“
„Lili“, Angelique protested involuntarily.
„Well, Lili then. Your wish is my order.“
Slowly, Baker picked one of the nerf balls from the floor. Then, he turned Loredana`s white panties inside out and draped them around the ball.
„You won`t shove these into my mmmmhhmmphh! Uuuhmmmmph! Gllg!“
Angelique`s protests were stifled by the huge ball that went into her mouth. It took Baker some effort to get the whole gag into her cheeks and throat, stuffing it to the bursting. The taste of Loredana`s body and sweat came to Angelique`s senses and she bucked and squirmed, fuming through the panty gag.
„Mhhrrrrr! Ghhhrrrmmpphhh! Mhhhmmmmmmmph!“
Baker wrapped tape over her mouth and around her head about a dozen times. She tried to kick him, sometimes even hitting him, but the veteran of several fights did not care.
Again, Loredana pleaded when he turned Angelique`s black panties inside out and wrapped them around the other nerf ball. But Baker gagged her just the way Angelique was muffled.
Then, he took a shoelace and tied it to the whimpering Loredana`s right big toe. Pulling on that. He forced her to sit down. The girl mewed, obviously she didn`t like her bare bottom to get in contact with the wooden floor.
Baker pulled again, forcing Loredana to lie on her back with her arms stretched. He had come quite near to Angelique who again tried to kick him. He grabbed her left ankle and pulled until she was lying on her back with stretched arms, too.
With some difficulties, he tied the other end of the shoelace to Angelique`s left big toe. Despite the girl`s flailing, he managed to tie Angelique`s right toe to Loredana`s left, forcing the girls to keep their quite straining position. Now, they could not reach for their gags with their hands.
„Mmmhhhmmmmm! Uuuhhmmmmm!“
„Relax, I will be back in the evening“, Baker said. After a last, long look at his naked, bound and gagged captives who squirmed in their bonds and screamed into the strange panties and nerf balls stuffing their mouths to capacity, he left.
Driving to Hideki, he tried to think about some things they hadn`t talked about yet, but that were of some importance, for example what to do with the plucky Angelique?
***
Since Elodie wanted to have a long planned art exhibition in her mansion that evening, she was busy with organizing and had asked Babette to assist her. For security matters, she wanted to have some of the policewomen around, too.
„Oh, you may all go. I will have to do something – in the cellar“, Janine told her colleagues.
Sandra wanted to protest. She didn`t like the turn of events at all and she wanted to stay on the right side of the law, but a look from Janine told her to only think about protesting. The private investigators had no such concerns and Tiffaine did not dare to protest since she was still a bit ashamed about her clumsy attempt in „torturing“.
Only Valentine asked if Janine would need help, but the German sent her with the others. Then, she went downstairs, to the fitness room. In her hand, she had a vibrator. It actually was her own, that she always kept in her handbag, but now, she wanted to see if it would help to get this renitent bitch talking!
As she opened the door, Helena lay there just as they had left her. Having masked herself, Janine pulled the hood from her captive`s head.
„Mhm!“
Helena blinked at her. Then, her eyes widened as Janine showed her the vibrator and turned it on.
„Well, I am sure the last hours have been quite boring. But now, this is over for you. The next time will be very, very – exiting!“
„Mhhmmphh! Uuuhhmmm!“
Janine stepped over the bench and stood astride Helena, her bottom towards the captive`s face. Then, she bent down and gently touched Helena`s pubic mound with the buzzing vibrator.
Suddenly, she felt being grabbed from behint and a hand clamped her mouth shut. Janine sensed a sharp sting at her upper arm.
„Uuuhmmph! Mhhhmmph!“
„Hhhmmph! Nnnnggg!“, the still gagged Helena responded. She needed all her strength to keep Janine in her grip and to prevent her from screaming, but quickly, the policewoman`s movements became weaker and weaker.
„Ooouuhmmm? Mhhmmmmm!“
„Mph!“
The sleeping drug quickly rendered Janine unconscious. Quickly, Helena let her down and removed the cuffs from her feet.
They had stripped her to her bra and panties, but they had not taken her jewelry from her. Whilst her earrings were just decoration, her ring wasn`t. It contained a little sting that could be pressed into another person`s skin and would inject a strong anaesthetic.
Helena had always been fascinated about people getting out of handcuffs without any key and so, she had learned the trick. It had cost her some weeks of intensive training, but now, a normal handcuff was no match for her. Since the door was locked from the outside, Helena had decided to wait until one of her captors was alone.
Since she had no other clothing, Helena took Janines blouse. When she pulled down the skirt, she smiled.
„Wow, quite daring!“
Since there had been more important things to do, Janine still had not found the time to put on some new panties and so, she was naked below the waist. Suddenly, a mean thought came up in Helena`s mind.
She and Janine had about the same size and measurements. The Policewoman was some inch taller than Helena, but no one would recognize that if she was tied in a hogtie. And with the hood on...
A faint buzzing reminded Helena of the vibrator. She turned it off, then, she took off her own black bra and panties.
Quickly, she loosened Janine`s pink and purple bra and put it on herself. Then, she dressed Janine in her discarded bra and panties before hogtying the policewoman just as she had been before. She stuffed the unconscious woman`s mouth with the still wet scarf and taped her mouth shut before she hooded her with the black mask, carefully hiding her dark blonde curls under the hood.
Helena put on Janine`s Blouse, skirt and shoes. It was strange to wear pumps without a pantyhose and even stranger not to wear panties, but she could not be picky.
Before she left, Helena carefully shoved the vibrator into Janine`s panties and positioned it`s head on her clit. She secured it with some tape and turned it on again.
„Have some fun“, she purred before she left.
***
At their next meeting at a small gotic church, Baker couldn`t believe his ears when Hideki told him what he had found out.
„An art exhibition? Are you kidding me?“
Hideki smiled: „Every month, Elodie Lasalle helds a small, but exclusive art exhibition at her mansion. It`s not for the public, only serious art dealers and art historians are allowed – and the artists, if still alive, of course. And this very evening, there will be one of these events. The only problem is that we are no professional art dealers.“
Baker grinned: „Well, that`s true – if you are talking about yourself.“
He reached for his wallet and presented a french ID card to the perplexed Hideki. It was an official document on the name of Henri Reno and as a profession, it said „arts and antiques dealer“.
„Well, since I am more or less in the arts and antiques-business, I thought it was a good idea to start a convenient profession. This card has been quite useful for taking a look at some valuable things – before I came back in the night with a big bag.“
Hideki still wasn`t convinced.
„But what if someone asks you something about an artist or an epoche?“
Now, Baker seemed piqued.
„My friend, I am in a business where you don`t get very far if you don`t have some expertise. My – customers would be quite disappointed if I brought them some replica or offered them a Picasso as a Vermeer. I am not as skilled as someone who has studied history of arts for years, but since I don`t go there to hold a speech-“
„Okay, okay“, Hideki gave in, „but what shall we do once we are inside?“
Baker stretched his legs.
„When it starts, I will go there in my best suit – remember me buying one! - and disguised as the honourable art dealer Henri Reno. But Henri Reno will also be the Trojan Horse.“
Hideki laughed: „ you want to smuggle me inside under your jacket?“
„In your wildest dreams. No, you will be leashed to the bottom of my car. If we approach and I see that the security checks the cars too thoroughly, you still have the opportunity to run and hide and I will be on my own. But I am sure, once the car is parked among some two dozen others, you will be able to hide yourself in the garden.“
Hideki frowned.
„So, I am in the garden now and you are standing in the hall, admiring some paintings and sculptures and drinking champagne. But there are still the security guards, the alarm system and the cameras in the garden.“
„No wonder you didn`t win the war. Once inside, I will start a bit of a confusion. Believe me, I know how to be a party pooper. Once you hear some – unusual noise, like shouting, shooting, exploding-“
Hideki did not believe his ears.
„You mean, you will run amok and I get in and grab Babette?“
Baker shook his head: „No, my impulsive friend. Whilst I am keeping the security on my tracks, you will sneak in and hide somewhere inside. When everything has calmed down, in the middle of the night, we will be both inside and can see what we can do with all the girls.“
Hideki could not stop laughing. It was so ridiculous! This crazy Englishman just thought about getting inside, having a shootout with a dozen security guards and even planned to stay inside the mansion unseen. In his eyes, there would be a better chance if they just asked Babette to come with them voluntarily.
Baker, who could imagine his friend`s concerns, clapped his shoulder and said:
„Well, if you are afraid...“
„Oh, don`t play that card on me! It was only yesterday when you told me that it is idiotic to start such raids without a plan!“
Baker smiled: „That`s unless you are a skilled SAS and Foreign Legion`s veteran. Do you know the Emir of Dubai?“
„Eh-what?“, Hideki asked, thinking Baker had gone completely mad now.
„The Emir of Dubai`s a billionaire and he is guarded by some 200 men. His palace is said to have more than 2000 rooms and that people got lost inside...“
„And his harem consists of Shakira, Oprah and Godzilla“, Hideki blurted, „what is it you want to tell me?“
Baker smiled and looked directly into his friend`s eyes:
„Seven years ago, he tried to play afoul with the West. He was conspiring secretly with the Iran. But one night, someone sat by his bed and talked to him. After some minutes, he promised to forget about his plans and to stay a loyal ally of Britain. Then, this man disappeared and none of his guards could tell the poor Emir who this man had been or how on earth he managed to get in and out unseen. Believe me, I have a plan, though it might seem I`ve gone insane.“
***