Seven Summits 4

Aurora felt the urge to look over her shoulder when she walked the 150 yards from the bus station to her apartment. She knew that it was unlikely that something would happen in broad daylight (and yet, the American girl had been abducted in broad daylight, too), and she had seen Emily’s car parking not too far away. And yet, she let out a sigh of relief when she had reached the door. Then, remembering another precaution, she phoned Emily, putting the phone in the pocket of her hoodie once the Policewoman had accepted the call.

»Just in case someone’s waiting at your apartment! If so, we will hear, and I will rescue you within the next minute!«

It had all sounded reasonable, and yet, Aurora only calmed down when she had checked her whole flat, including looking under the bed and into the cupboards. Only when she was sure that no one bigger than a cat could be hidden somewhere, she told Emily that the apartment was clean and ended the call to the Policewoman.

»All right, now, part two starts!«

Emily smiled towards her companions, though it looked a bit forced. Her small Fiat 500 seemed crammed by the four women inside, and for a reason that had to do with part four, Eileen and Helena had to share the backseat, though the blonde had issues in parking her long legs. Emily checked the handbag in her lap; it contained, among more common things, her gun and a pair of handcuffs.

She felt a bit ridiculous in the oversized trench coat and the straw hat taken from the Department’s lost and found box. However, it was very concealing, and since Aurora had called it »an insult to the eyes«, it was not too likely someone would recognize her. Putting on her sunglasses, Emily left the car and walked over to the house.

At Aurora’s apartment, the Argentinian had taken off her hoodie, and a bit reluctantly, she put on the trench coat. Putting her hair into a bun, she hid it under the straw hat and when she asked Emily how she looked, the Policewoman chuckled.

»Do you know the spies from the MAD comics?«

Aurora scoffed. Then, she quickly hugged Emily before she left. If she kept her head low, she would look a bit strange, but no one would recognize her from the distance. For a moment, she had almost shrieked when she spotted a van driving by, but it was blue, and it also didn’t even slow down.

She walked over to Emily’s car and smiled at the girls.

»The eagle has landed!«

Aurora took a few deep breaths before she started the car and drove off, only to stop after two corners. Now, Tamiko left the car, and Eileen took the opportunity to get onto the passenger seat. Her disguise was simply wearing her hair open, together with a bright pink jacket.

She had insisted on accompanying Emily when she was waiting if the kidnappers would try to abduct Aurora. At first, the Policewoman had been reluctant, but then, she had thought that having a black belt Karate Sensei as a backup wasn’t the worst thing, and she had agreed that the Japanese would show up at Aurora’s apartment, too.

»Now, let’s get into hiding!«

Both Eileen and Helena had mixed feelings about the whole plan. It was a trap that could work, and they guessed that with the element of surprise, Emily and Tamiko stood a good chance to overpower the kidnappers, or to at least fight them off. However, there still was a risk, and in addition, they were worried about Tamiko. Their Sensei, usually a calm person, seemed like a ticking time bomb. Helena wasn’t sure whether it was her worries about Yini or the embarrassment of having been defeated without even a glimpse of a fight.

»Emily’s a professional«, she told herself, »she will have an eye on her!«

She looked to the front, where Aurora had just reached the road leading to the village where Emily was living. She had told the girls to hide there, not only because it was some miles away from the potential crime scene, but it also had the most room. As a Kommissarin at the beginning of her career, her salary wasn’t too high, and so, she had chosen to live in the village where she could afford a three room apartment.

»Just feel at home – and, please, don’t be too judgemental! My father always said that a clean house is a sign of a sick mind!«

According to her car, this was an exaggeration. Sure, there were things lying around, but it was just a bit messy, not dirty. Helena relaxed a bit, and she even felt curious about how a veritable Policewoman lived.

»Has she said anything about a boyfriend?«, Eileen asked, and Helena gasped. Sure, if there was a man, he wouldn’t try anything, but spending the night with a stranger was a bit concerning nevertheless.

However, when they reached the house where Emily had a ground floor apartment with a small terrace, there was no one at the house, and also no signs that a man was living there. Helena now had to admit that Emily was indeed a bit messy. There were still the dishes from breakfast on the table, the bed wasn’t made, and some of Emily’s clothes were lying around. Aurora picked up a black lacy pair of panties from the backrest of the couch.

»Eww, Emily’s secret!«

Eileen and Helena, who were reminded of Tamiko’s gag, smiled a bit forcefully, and Eileen now realized something:

»Speaking of underwear – has anyone thought of clothes for change?«

Both Helena and Aurora shook their heads. When staying with Tamiko, both Helena and Eileen had been too excited to even think of such things, and then, they had had no time to go for their own flats. And Aurora had thought of packing her sketch pad and a set of crayons, but not of clothes either. She shrugged.

»Well, it will go for one night! Now, let’s just phone Emily and tell her we have arrived securely! Then, let’s see what we can make for lunch, I am starving!«

***

The announcement about their gags had left none of the imprisoned girls indifferent. Yini felt her jaw stiffen, as she tried to move it as less as possible, and she also tried not to push against the gag with her tongue. Though she was standing quietly, she involuntarily panted, trying not to swallow, and also trying to ignore the taste she more and more sensed.

Yini looked at the two cells opposite to her, where Salome and Anna Rose were locked. The Black was trying to work on the tight gag strap, vigorously shaking her head from time to time, and the American still sat on the bed, whimpering and with her arms slung around her legs.

To her right, Yini could hear Maureen grunt and mew, as she obviously was still trying to get rid of her gag. She could also hear sobs, and though she was a strong woman that despised weakness, Yini suddenly felt the urge to somehow help the girl.

She pushed her cuffed hands through the gap between the wall and the first bar, reaching over to the bars of Maureen’s cell, and patting against the iron. After a while, she heard the not too ladylike sound of a nose cleared, and the sobbing ceased. Then, cold and sweaty fingers touched Yini’s hands, and the Chinese began caressing Maureen’s hands. It was the only consolation she could give.

On the other side, Salome stopped fighting her gag and watched in silence. Then, she offered her hands to Anna Rose, and after a while, the girl got up from her bed, staggered towards the bars and took Salome’s hands. Yini nodded towards them, trying to express as much confidence as she could, clad in just her bra and panties, and wearing a gag mask.

Not that the others were much better off. Salome was topless, clad in just her rainbow panties and pantyhose, and Anna rose also just had the knotted shirt, her thong and a pair of white sockets. Only Maureen was still fully dressed.

As time passed, both Anna Rose and Maureen calmed down enough that all four could withdraw and lie down on their camp beds. Yini examined her cell a bit closer. Not that there was much to be examined. The bed was a metal frame, screwed to the concrete floor, and it had a bare mattress on it. The toilet was made of stainless steel and had no seat, and now, able to see, Yini realized that if she used it, at least Salome and Anna Rose would be forced to watch.

She looked at the grid door that was closed with a padlock securing a latch. To Yini, it looked a bit improvised, as if the cells had not originally been designed for their actual purpose. However, they still were solid enough, and so were the concrete walls and ceiling. The lighting came from the neon lights in the corridor, and when she looked outside, Yini noticed another detail: above each cell door, a picture was fixed with tape. It looked like a simple coloured copy, and each showed a mountain.

Frowning, Yini stepped to the door and looked closer. The mountain above Salome’s head, she could recognize, for it had quite a specific ridge: it was the Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. The one above Anna Rose’s cell looked also high and snowy, and though she couldn’t remember its name, she was sure it was the highest mountain of the USA, or maybe whole Northern America.

She could see that the empty cell on Salome’s other side also had such a picture. It showed a snowy mountain with a double peak, and she knew it was the Elbrus, for it was subject of an ongoing discussion whether the Caucasus belonged to Europe and therefore, the Elbrus and not the Mont Blanc was the highest Mountain of Europe.

»I have no idea what this is all about – but I am quite sure that above my cell, there’s a picture of the Mount Everest!«

The corridor had five cells on each side, but the other two Yini could see weren’t marked. She frowned. If their abductors wanted a girl from each continent, it would explain why they had left Tamiko behind. She had felt relief when she had seen that the Japanese wasn’t with them, and she was also convinced that Tamiko hadn’t been killed. Yini couldn’t put her finger on it, but something told her that their kidnappers were ruthless criminals, but no murderers.

»Maybe, they will be hesitant at the wrong moment – and then, they will feel the hard way that I am not broken yet!«

***

 »If such a thing happens again, we can call off the whole plan – or place a sign over the door, saying ›Caution! Gangster Trap!‹!«

Emily was angry, and she couldn’t tell whether Tamiko was guiltily or just defiant. Perhaps, taking her with her had not been her best idea.

It had started well enough. Both she and Tamiko had done some small talk about her Karate career, and the advantages of Ju Jutsu over Karate in general. Then, getting slightly hungry, they had inspected Aurora’s fridge and cupboards, finding out the Argentinian had a very selective choice of food. There was enough coffee, and a box of milk, several bottles of wine, and a well-equipped spice rack, but the only edible thing was half a glass of cornichons. After a short discussion, the two women had decided to order something from a delivery service, rice and shrimps for Tamiko, and a Pizza for Emily.

Tamiko had been suspicious when there had been two delivery boys, not believing the explanation that one was a trainee, and when one of them had pulled a spray from his pocket, the Japanese had slammed the edge of her hand on his wrist, and before the perplexed man knew what was going on, she had him in a chokehold.

The spray had turned out to be Asthma spray, something the panting guy had needed even more after Emily had cleared the situation and Tamiko had let him go. She had stammered an excuse about her friend being very nervous, and she had paid an extra tip of 20 Euro to the men who had seemed glad to leave the apartment.

Tamiko now said:

»I have no cash on me, but I will pay you back asap!«

»Oh, fuck the money!«, Emily shouted, »you just attacked an innocent man!«

»What if they had been the kidnappers, and I hadn’t reacted?«

For a few moments, both women stood face to face, glancing at each other. Then, Emily decided to be the bigger woman.

»Let’s eat!«

They sat down and where about to open the boxes from the delivery service when suddenly, they heard something from the corridor: steps, followed by the scratching of a key in the lock. A key – or a picklock! Since Aurora had phoned her just an hour ago, it couldn’t be her, and she was the only one having a key to the apartment.

Emily drew her gun and positioned herself close to the door whilst Tamiko, unable to completely hide an expression of »I told you so!«, hid behind the door, ready to attack from behind.

***

»Once this job is over, I will sleep for an entire week!«

Milena stretched her limbs. At least, the new car was more comfortable than the van, though it had of course disadvantages when it came to things like kidnapping people.

They had missed Emily and Tamiko entering the apartment for more than an  hour, and now, they were observing the house for some three to four hours. Sabrina, who had some unspecified military background, had managed to doze off, but Milena was still alert, though nothing had happened so far – if one didn’t count the two guys from the delivery service that had more ran away from the house than just leaving it, driving off with screeching wheels. Suddenly, Milena rose and wiped her eyes.

»Is this who I think it is?«

For obvious reasons, their employer had insisted that they memorized the looks of their targets instead of carrying pictures with them, and both Milena and Sabrina had done so diligently. In addition, the woman now walking along the street was meant to draw attention.

She was tallish, with a slender, yet busty figure, and she moved with considerable suppleness. The ankle-long turquoise wrap-skirt caressed her hips that swayed as if just walking down the street was like dancing. Her white, short-sleeved top left a strip of brown skin at her waist free, and Milena could see a small gem sparkle in her belly button. Her black curls were held from her face by a hair clip that looked like an orchid, and the whole girl looked like the embodiment of a Latina version of »I’m sexy and I know it!«.

»Beatriz de la Cruz!«, Sabrina whispered, and they watched her enter the house. Milena frowned. According to their research, Beatriz lived at a student’s hostel some half a mile away. Then, a smile appeared on her face.

»Do you think she and Aurora know each other?«

The private investigator their employer had hired had observed the targets for some time, but he hadn’t contacted them, and so, they hardly knew about their friends and acquaintances. Sabrina checked the notes on her phone.

»Well, they could have met, of course! Aurora studies Art, whilst Beatriz’ subjects are German and History of Arts. Perhaps, they attended the same History of Arts lesson, or perhaps, they met on a Salsa evening or something like that! We know that Aurora attends a dancing club, and if Beatriz isn’t a dancer, I have never seen any!«

Milena nodded. Far abroad, foreigners tended to stick together, and though Beatriz was from Chile, she and Aurora were both Southern Americans, so they spoke the same language and had a similar cultural background.

»I tell you what we do! we wait for another, let’s say, two hours and observe the house from all sides. We have to move the car anyway, and besides, I need a little walk. If both aurora and Beatriz will go out, we can see whether we can get them both. If Beatriz leaves alone, we can at least get her. And if she stays with Aurora for the night-«

»It’s like fishing in a barrel«, Sabrina finished the sentence, patting the pocket in which she kept her picklocks and also her knockout spray.

***

»Okay, this time, I also overreacted!«

Both she and Tamiko were leaning against the wall side by side, looking at the bathroom door behind which Beatriz had disappeared. The Japanese just nodded slightly.

Once the door had opened, Emily had aimed at the entering woman, and Tamiko had attacked from behind, slinging her arm around her neck. The woman had been so perplexed that the Japanese had been able to push the door close, and when the girl had opened her mouth to scream, Emily had grabbed a scarf from the clothes hook and crammed it between her lips whilst still threatening her with her gun.

For a few moments, the only sound had been the panting of the frightened girl that stared at Emily with eyes like saucers. Then, the Policewoman realized that this was maybe not a professional kidnapper. She lowered her gun a bit.

»Are you a friend of Aurora?«

»Mhhmm!«

The girl nodded, accompanied by a chortling sound. Emily realized that she might have difficulties in speaking through a wad of silk, and she withdrew the scarf. At the same time, Tamiko released her grip a bit, and Beatriz croaked something in Spanish. Emily managed not to shout at her to speak German; instead, she begged her to speak either English or German. Beatriz panted and cleared her throat. Then, she breathed:

»Please, I just wanted to – visit Aurora!«

Now, Emily made a gesture towards the girl that she should wait, and she darted into the living room, to search for her Police ID card. meanwhile, Tamiko still held Beatriz in the chokehold; not blocking her breathing, but since she was five inches smaller than the Chilean, Beatriz had to arch backwards, thrusting her breasts towards the ceiling.

»This is a Police operation! You have to excuse – Tami, let her go!«

Tamiko released the girl, and Beatriz massaged her throat whilst looking at the card. She didn’t have much experience with the German Police, but though Chile was no longer a dictatorship, Police forces there were still feared, and so, she didn’t dare to express her anger. Instead, she just pointed at the open bathroom door.

»May I-«

Reflexively, Emily told her to hand her handbag to her, and she checked the girl’s ID whilst Beatriz relieved herself, followed by a prolonged washing. Tamiko chuckled.

»We really scared her! Maybe, it was a good general rehearsal!«

Emily glanced at her, but then, she had to oppress a giggle, too, though she knew that she could easily face a disciplinary complaint.

»God really must have a strange kind of humour when he heard me complaining about my life being a little boring!«

The bathroom door opened, and Beatriz appeared, showing traces of water in her face. Her legs seemed a bit wobbly, and Emily led her to the couch before she handed her the handbag back. Tamiko offered to make some tea, and absent-mindedly, Beatriz said she would prefer coffee.

»Or some Rum, if it is allowed!«

Usually, even during justified controls, people were often stropping towards Emily or insisted on their rights. She was a bit confused by the girl’s shyness, and she went for the sideboard, picking a bottle of Rum and a glass. Then, she began pouring the amber liquid in it, and she had almost reached the hilt when Beatriz realized she was meant to say »stop«. She took the full glass, sipped from it and sighed. Then, she looked at Emily and asked:

»So, what is this all about? I-Is Aurora okay?«

Quickly, Emily gave her a report of why they were here. She then added:

»Miss de la Cruz-«

»Beatriz!«, Beatriz insisted, showing a glimpse of a smile, and Emily continued:

»Beatriz, I am very sorry for attacking you, but we were both a little nervous! Now, you may leave, of course. I would just beg you not to contact Aurora before the next morning, for she might otherwise feel the urge to come here.«

Beatriz nodded, once again sipping from her Rum. Then, she cleared her throat before she asked:

»May I – may I stay here as well?«

Emily’s jaw dropped, and Tamiko also didn’t believe her ears. Beatriz showed a timid smile.

»I didn’t come here by accident! I got the warning from the Police, about some criminals maybe abducting girls, and my apartment is at the ground floor! So, I wanted to stay with Aurora!«

As if to prove it, she opened her handbag, producing a small sponge bag and a bag that seemed to contain a reserve pair of panties. Emily still sat motionless, and Beatriz added:

»I don’t want to play the heroine! If you have to arrest someone, I will stay behind and hide behind the couch, or in the cupboard, promise!«

Though she was on duty, Emily took a sip of the still full rum glass now. If something would happen, Beatriz could be in danger, but on the other hand, the girl was scared, and she and Tamiko had added to her fear. So, she nodded, and Beatriz seemed relieved.

»I have been here before, and on that occasion, Aurora and I shared the bed – as friends! However, if you and your partner need it, I can sleep on the couch, too!«

Now, Tamiko needed some of the liquor, and Emily chuckled.

»We are not – such partners!«

Tamiko just shook her head, hoping that the others would consider her slightly reddened cheeks as an effect of the alcohol.

***

»If this turns out to be false alarm, I will kidnap you! That really was delicious!«

Though Aurora had almost nonstop complained about the contents of Emily’s spice rack, and though Helena and Eileen had been forced to peel and chop what seemed a dozen of different vegetables, the product had indeed tasted marvellous. After the lunch, they had played a game whether Helena or Eileen had to do the dishes, and Helena had lost. Meanwhile, Aurora had produced her sketching pad and crayons and asked Eileen if she could sketch her.

When Helena had finished her chores, she leaned over the armchair Aurora was sitting in, to admire her drawing. She oppressed a giggle, as she saw Eileen draped on the couch in a classical pose, with one arm behind her head.

»Wow, you have to do me next! You are an even better painter than a cook!«

»Well, I study Arts, not housekeeping!«, Aurora smiled, not able to hide she was flattered. Eileen wanted to sit up, but Aurora ordered her to hold still. Helena, who had  continued to look at the almost finished drawing, chuckled.

»You really have caught every detail!«

»Oh my God, what is it?«, Eileen asked from the couch, forcing herself to keep her position, »Is there a pimple on my forehead, or did I miss a spot when shaving my legs!«

Helena now giggled even more.

»No, everything’s fine! However, if this was a photo, and if Aurora was a man, you could accuse her of upskirting!«

The combination of Eileen lying on her back, with one leg slightly bent, and her short dress had caused the hem to slide up her thigh, and Aurora had portrayed the white glimpse of her panties showing. Eileen blushed and rose from the couch, demanding to see the image whilst pulling down the hem of her dress.

»That’s really good! Could you – could you just paint a black bar over my crotch?«

Aurora giggled, and Helena insisted:

»Before, she had to do me, too! Please, Aurora, do me next!«

Now, Aurora burst out laughing, and when she could speak again, she put her arm around Helena.

»I am not sure about German, but in Spanish, if you say ›do me!‹, it means something for which- Well, let’s say, you would wear less clothes, and I would need something bigger than a crayon!«

When her words had sank in, Eileen gleefully enjoyed the fact that for a change, Helena was the one blushing all over.

***

Though this was just a coincidence, the house Aurora’s apartment was in was ideal for being observed by just two persons. The main entrance was always open, allowing access to the letter boxes in the lobby and to the staircase, so, Sabrina had easily found out that Aurora Delgado lived in 4 B. When she had checked the corridor, she had seen something that had made her think that obviously, Aurora was either foolish or had the memory of a goldfish: on the outside, the keys were still in the keyhole, as if she wanted to invite potential criminals. Sabrina had no idea that this was actually Beatriz’ fault: she had used the key Aurora had given to her, which was attached to her own key ring, and before she could even think of removing it, Emily and Tamiko had assaulted her. And then, in all the commotion, she had simply forgotten about it, and neither of the girls had opened the apartment door yet.

Since there was no one in the corridor, Sabrina had listened at the door, hearing indistinct talking of two or three females, together with an occasional laugh. So, their prey was unsuspecting, it seemed. Sabrina left the building and sent a message to Milena.

Aurora’s apartment had no balcony, but being an artist, she had chosen a flat with large windows that gave a good light when she was painting in her living room. Of course, these windows worked in both directions, and so, Milena, in the security of the car, could have a good look at what was going on inside through her binoculars.

There were three women, and she frowned as she could only recognize Beatriz in her turquoise skirt. The second one was a girl with a dark blonde ponytail, definitely not Aurora, and whilst the other one had long black hair, it was straight, and she also seemed too petite to be the Argentinian.

She checked Sabrina’s message, frowning. So, they had left the key dangling outside, and Aurora wasn’t even in the apartment? Then, she thought twice: Aurora had seen them kidnapping Anna Rose, had even taken a picture of their van, as far as she had seen in the rear mirror. Now, how likely was it that after reporting that to the Police, the girl would allow a few friends to come over and use her apartment whilst she was away?

»Let’s guess she’s somewhere else – why isn’t the apartment empty?«

Milena was sure that Beatriz had showed up by coincidence, but what was with the other two. She could see that now, all three were standing, and she reached for her binoculars.

»Are you fucking kidding me?«

She could see Beatriz, holding her cell phone in her hand, and directing the other two who were now positioning themselves back to back, close to the window. Milena frowned when the two then took the position of »Charlie’s Angels«, and her jaw dropped when she saw that the blonde was holding something in her hand that resembled a real gun. Then, she saw the other one gathering her hair together, and when her face was visible, Milena cursed. This was the Japanese, the one they had left naked, bound and gagged when they had abducted Yini!

Milena was still coping with this when she saw that now, the girls were trying another pose: Beatriz was trying to get the gun from the blonde, but she seemed to refuse. Now, the little cogs in Milena’s head rotated even faster as she tried to explain the situation: the only reasonable explanation for the blonde’s refusal was that the gun was real, and she had been repeatedly told not to handle a weapon like a toy. So, the blonde was either an ex-soldier, a Policewoman, or someone else who had had weapon training.

The Problem seemed solved, for now, Beatriz and the Japanese were posing in some Karate Kata, whilst the blonde took the picture. Milena lowered her binoculars.

»So, the Japanese somehow got free, and now, she’s at the house of our next target, together with yet another target, and with someone who might be from the Police!«

She sent a message to Sabrina that she should come asap, and a few minutes later, she entered the car and watched through the binoculars that the three girls now had obviously lost interest in the photo shoot and were sitting by the table where they couldn’t see exactly what they were doing. Most likely, they were having some food.

»Now, what’s your explanation for all that?«

Sabrina frowned.

»I think that Beatriz just wanted to visit Aurora – but now, she is staying with someone we had an encounter with, plus someone who could be a Policewoman. And Aurora herself is gone!«

Before Milena could remind her that this was just the summary of what she had said just recently, Sabrina smiled.

»Of course! The van! That was what I was wondering about! Aurora photographed us – but before she could even see the forgotten hat! She couldn’t know yet that we had just kidnapped Anna Rose. However, she had the phone ready and took a picture of our car! because-«

»Because she had a suspicion about it!«, Milena finished the sentence. They had chosen the white van on purpose when they had started their observations: the white van pursuing innocent victims had become such a meme that it was like a disguise if it happened for real. But obviously, Aurora had noticed that she had been observed, and she had reported it to the Police.

»And now, she’s hiding somewhere, whilst the Police is at her apartment, waiting for us to make our next move!«

Sabrina was already dialling a number, and Milena didn’t have to ask whom she was talking to. Quickly, she gave their employer a summary of the latest events and their conclusions. Then, she fell silent, only interrupted by an occasional grunt, when she listened to what the old man had to say.

»So, what does he say?«, Milena asked when Sabrina had finally ended the call. She had to wait until her partner had readjusted her hairband before she got an answer:

»He says he adds 25 grand for each of us if we get Beatriz right now!«

Milena nodded silently. It was more or less what she had expected, or rather feared. However, Sabrina wasn’t finished:

»He says the extra money isn’t just a danger surcharge! It’s also for our creativity! He wants us to arrange the other two in a way that shows them, and those who will find them that it was a bad idea messing with us!«

Sabrina couldn’t hide her smile, and Milena also grinned. Suddenly, she remembered her long gone days at the high school:

»Was it Kant or was it Schiller who said that if duty and affection are the same, it is the most delightful coincidence!«

***