The Adventure of the Happy Cat
By Jeb
Part Two
Garish flourescent light glinted off the metal of the gun barrel. Of all the sights and sensations that had overwhelmed Sophie on this strangest of days, none was burning into her brain with the frightening clarity of the gun that Erika Cain was casually displaying. Sophie had always hated the idea of the things, but her first up-close experience with one went far beyond anything she’d imagined—she was almost literally unable to move, so terrified was she by its cold unblinking gaze.
Erika Cain looked from the pistol to the brown eyes that goggled at it over Juno’s gagging hand, and Sophie understood something of the woman’s gift of perception: she recognized Sophie’s fear, and knew that their prey would remain docile.
“I think our little friend understands the importance of co-operation, Juno. Set her down so I can ask her a few questions.”
The Amazonian woman grunted, as though unwilling to relinquish her prize, but turned Sophie around and sat her in one of the small chairs, directly across from the full-length mirror. Having her mouth free was something of a relief for Sophie, even if she was too terrified to utter a sound, much less try screaming for help.
“Now, Sophie, dear…” Erika Cain stood over her prisoner now, the perfect lines of her suit knife-sharp, and even in the businesslike attire, her lush figure was accented like a runway model’s. Once more, Sophie felt a strange chill at hearing her name on the woman’s lips. The penetrating look in her eyes made Sophie wonder if this is what a lie detector test would feel like.
“Where is the little trinket that the rather dishy Agent Forge had you set aside for her?”
“In…” Sophie cleared her throat as quietly as she could manage. “In the drawer under the cash register.”
“Good. And the fake one I was supposed to get?”
“Still on the shelf.” Sophie desperately wished she were clever or brave enough to concoct some kind of story to mislead, or at least delay, the woman, but the combination of her terror, and the sinuous persuasiveness of the gorgeous blonde, left her unable to do anything but blurt out the truth.
Erika Cain raised an eyebrow in the direction of Minh; the sullen goth disappeared through the cubicle door and returned a few moments later, nodding. She reached out and handed one of the cat statues to her boss.
“Here’s the one from the drawer. What do you want me to do with the other one?”
“Well…” Erika smiled at Sophie. “That depends—what did our clever Agent Forge do to the one I was supposed to take?”
“There… there’s some kind of transmitter in it.” Sophie hated her betrayal of the beautiful spy, but the words seemed to be drawn from her almost without her willing them.
“I thought as much.” For the first time, Sophie read something other than controlled amusement on the blonde’s face—this was irritation, and evidently of long standing. “That redhead’s a persistent one.”
“Time we did something about her,” grunted Juno Briggs, and the look on her face was that of a woman who would deliver the cruelest punishment with lustful delight.
“Stay focused, Juno,” Erika Cain dismissed the advice. “We do this quickly and quietly, and we’re gone before she can interfere.” She looked up at Minh. “Run the fake one over the security demagnetizer at the cash register. That should scramble its little brain long enough to keep Agent Forge off our trail. And as for you, my dear…” the piercing blue eyes moved back to Sophie.
“W… what happens now?” Sophie found herself trembling.
Erika Cain bent down, her face level with Sophie’s. “What happens now is that we all stay back here, quiet as little mice, until your new friend arrives. Then Minh tells her you’ve gone home sick and gives her the happy little cat. She leaves, and once I’m sure she’s gone, we're on our way.”
She leaned her face closer. “But if things don’t go well…” the woman patted the pocket where she had dropped the gun… “it will get very messy for you, and her, and anyone else in the store at the time. Believe me, I want to avoid that kind of complication, but don’t think for a minute that I’m unwilling to make trouble to get what I’m after. So let’s just hope that Minh can convince your friend that all is well.”
“I don’t like it,” Juno muttered,
nodding at Sophie. “She should be out there. Won’t a substitute make Forge
suspicious?”
Cain shook her head, and ran a fingernail along Sophie’s left cheek; the girl
felt goosebumps follow its path. “Take a look at our little Sophie’s face.” Her
fingers gently tipped the unresisting girl’s chin back. “Do you think there’s even
the remotest chance she could pull this off without raising suspicions?” Juno
shrugged as Erika went on. “No, we’ll just hope—for everyone’s sake—that Forge
takes Minh’s story at face value.”
As the slender fingers released her face, both relief and frustration washed over Sophie. Of course, she’d have jumped at the chance be allowed to get out of this room and go out front, hoping there would be some chance for escape… but she also knew that the blonde was right—she was far too frightened to even dream of acting “normal”, and if she tipped off Agent Forge, they’d all be dead. Insane as it seemed, she was probably better off here, in the hands of her beautiful blond captor.
Minh stuck her head around the corner. “All set. Anything else you need?”
“Why, yes,” Cain answered brightly. “Please go fetch me those lovely silk scarves that I saw hanging on a rack near the counter.”
“How many you need?”
Cain smiled at Sophie, and purred. “Oh, just bring them all. I’m sure we can find a use for them.”
The girl left, and Sophie stared, baffled. She was sure that she was missing something obvious—what on earth did the woman want with scarves?
In a moment, Minh was back, with shimmering lengths of brightly-colored silk trailing from her fists.
“Thank you, Minh.” Cain nodded. “Go ahead and mind the store—Juno and I can manage back here.”
The goth looked at Sophie, managed something that looked like a very cruel smile, and left.
“What are those for?” Sophie found the courage to ask in a tiny voice.
“As I said, my dear, we’re all going to sit back here quietly while Minh sends your friend on her way, and Juno and I are going to help you with that.”
“Help me to sit?”
“Well, that… and to make sure that you do it very, very quietly.” She picked up one of the scarves and shook it out to its full length.
And that’s how long it took for Sophie’s particular penny to drop. They’re going to tie me up! Like a character on a bad TV show!
“Oh, please, that’s not necessary…” Sophie was fairly sure it was her own voice she was hearing, but its tremulous timbre, and the roaring in her ears, made it sound hollow and strange. The notion of being bound by this impossibly beautiful woman had her trembling with something that seemed even deeper than fear.
Just a day ago, the idea of being “in the hands” of a beautiful, stylishly-dressed blonde would have filled Sophie with rapture; today, it filled her with an emotion that was completely different… or was it? To be helplessly in the power of a beautiful woman… wasn’t that the sort of thing you dreamed of? Of course, those dreams hadn't included being tied up at gunpoint.
“Now, dear, relax.” Erika Cain brushed off the objection as though Sophie hadn’t spoken. “Get as comfortable as you can manage in that chair, because I promise you nothing that comes next will be designed for your comfort. Put your arms on top of the chair arms.”
Sophie did her best to settle back into the chair, her stomach roiling with fear. It seemed impossible to imagine feeling more vulnerable, more helpless, than she did now, but the thought of being tied up and at these women’s mercy was doing it. But what choice did she have?
Erika Cain picked up one of the shorter of the scarves and laid a hand on Sophie’s right wrist. Gently but firmly, she turned it flat onto the arm of the chair, with a look that indicated that Sophie was not to try to move it. She then began to wrap the silk scarf around Sophie’s wrist and the chair. It startled the young shopgirl to realize just how much slack there must have been between the flesh of her wrist and the arm of the chair, as the scarf was pulled tight, and suddenly all the slack disappeared. Her fingers seem to flutter of their own accord, and it was if she’d lost all connection with them above the wrist. The silk, which usually felt so impossibly sensual when she toyed with the scarves, was now biting into her bare skin as though it had been some kind of harsh wire.
The blonde knotted the scarf one more time, then picked up another and applied this one just below Sophie’s elbow. Her forearm was now pinned to the arm of the chair, Erika picked up two more scarves to serve her other arm similarly
As Erika Cain lowered her head to tighten a knot, Sophie now had a complete view of herself in the mirror, and the bonds at her wrist and elbows looked like some kind of demented accessory.
Once her left arm had been bound to match the right, Erika Cain picked up one of the longest of the scarves, and, stepping behind the chair, draped it across Sophie’s lap. Holding the ends in each hand, she pulled it back and upwards, and in the mirror, Sophie saw the sinuous fabric snugged right up under her breasts.
The pressure pushed her back against the chair, and all the breath seemed to go out of her lungs... and not simply from the increased pressure. The fact that Erika Cain was applying her touch to such a sensitive area wasn’t slowing the blonde down even slightly.
The bonds under Sophie's breasts were now reinforced by more of the colorful scarves, in the form of a silken yoke that encircled her shoulders and crossed between her breasts, forcing them further up and out against the stiff fabric of her white cotton blouse. Even within the confines of blouse and bra, her breasts were feeling swollen and sensitive from their restraint; she could feel blood suffusing them, and had the horrible sensation that her nipples were starting to become visible right through her bra!
In fact, her blond captor paused for a moment, standing behind Sophie. Her icy blue eyes seemed to be studying the girl in the mirror, then flicked away to return to business; Sophie wasn’t sure if the woman had been checking out her breasts, and couldn’t decide how she’d feel if she had been.
While Erika Cain was seeing to the upper portions of Sophie’s torso, Juno Briggs was making sure that the prisoner’s legs and feet were secured, and as she bent down and forced Sophie’s legs apart, the girl found herself glad she’d worn slacks, and not a skirt, to work today. The tall woman’s big hands were squeezing and pinching in ways that seemed to have little or nothing to do with tying Sophie up, and much more to do with emphasizing her vulnerability; she was pretty sure that if she’d actually had some leg exposed the woman would be doing even more than that.
Sophie wished that the latest shipment of silk scarves hadn't been such a large one: her captors had a nearly unlimited supply of them. Juno Briggs used one scarf to fasten her left ankle to the leg of the chair, looping it several times around and knotting it twice. The woman’s hands crept casually, insinuatingly, up the side of her leg before similarly securing her calf to the chair. She then looked up from her position between Sophie’s legs and smiled as she massaged the inside of her captive’s left thigh.
“It’s getting hot in here, honey. Think maybe you’d be more comfortable with the pants off?” Sophie was stunned by the brazenness of the suggestion.
“Business before pleasure,” Erika Cain rebuked mildly, and a chill grew in the pit of Sophie’s stomach as she realized that, whatever Juno Briggs might want to do to her, the elegant blonde’s only objection would be a practical, not a moral one.
Sophie had never imagined feeling so utterly in the power of another woman, or women. This wasn’t a little “bi” flirting, to fill the time between boy or girl friends—these women wielded power--physical, mental, sexual--in ways far beyond Sophie's experience.
Briggs went back to work with a vengeance, and soon Sophie’s legs were nearly welded to the legs of the chair, fastened at ankle, calf, and thigh, and spread distressingly wide.
Erika Cain finished Sophie’s bondage by winding a long scarf about her waist, then tying that back to the chair, as well, forcing Sophie to sit up even straighter, and doing nothing to reduce the prominence of her chest. While she still couldn’t quite read the blonde’s level of interest in her, Juno Briggs’ dark eyes were clearly missing nothing. At least Cain had got as far as her waist before the grinning Briggs!
And still there were more scarves. Cain had asked for all of them, and was putting a fair percentage of them to good use. Even if Sophie had dared to risk trying to free herself, she couldn't imagine where she'd begin--from shoulder to elbow, hip, waist, legs--there was no part of her not anchored in place with bonds of silk.
As Cain finished securing Sophie to the chair, Juno Briggs had picked up one of the longer scarves and was busily tying a knot in the center of it. As Sophie watched, she tied a second knot that encompassed the first, doubling it in size. Then a third, her movements hard and precise, the ball of silk growing thicker and more imposing. She caught Sophie’s look, and gave her a wintry smile.
“W... what’s that for?” Sophie asked as loudly as she dared, fearing that she already knew the answer. “You’ve got me all tied up already. I can’t move!”
“No, we’re not quite done yet,” Erika Cain smiled. “We still need to do something about that pretty mouth of yours.” That brought a lewd chuckle from Juno Briggs as she handed the knotted scarf to her boss.
“Oh, please,” Sophie found herself whimpering. “You don’t need to do that. I’ll be quiet. Please don't gag me.” The feeling of being tied to the chair was frightening, but not terribly uncomfortable; the thought of having her mouth filled with that mass of cloth, though, was causing her to feel panicked.
“Now, darling Sophie,” Erika Cain purred. Sophie felt the woman’s slender fingers stroke the top of her head for a moment, then furrow down through her glossy tresses, and finally close into a fist that forced her head back, leaving her no choice but to look up into the cold blue eyes.
“I think we all know how tempting it would be for you to warn Agent Forge.” Erika Cain’s mask of gentle indulgence slipped for a moment, and her face seemed harder, colder. “We’re just going to remove that temptation.” Her face was but inches from Sophie’s; the scent of perfume and the warm spice of the woman’s breath was intoxicating. The fingers in her hair tightened, and Cain’s eyes seemed to turn a darker blue as the last hint of warmth left them. “Don’t make me hurt you.”
With no choice that she could see, Sophie opened her mouth.
Erika Cain didn’t release her hold on Sophie, though. With her free hand, she took the knotted length of silk and, holding the girl’s head firmly in place, she wedged the huge ball of silk past her lips and between her teeth at the front of her mouth. Sophie prayed that the fabric would intrude no further, but her captor would evidently not be satisfied until the girl’s mouth was completely filled.
As the silk was forced up into her cheeks and to the back of her mouth, Sophie could already feel its ability to absorb any sound she might choose to make, and desperately tried to suppress her gag reflex. Her tongue felt thick and flat as the knot pressed down on it, and the blonde’s fingers felt cool and efficient as she worked the cloth fully into her prisoner's mouth.
Sophie had expected the gag to somehow close her mouth, not open it, but she could now see herself in the mirror, gaping foolishly around a thick, brightly-colored ball of silk.
Cain released her hair, but before Sophie could appreciate the relief, the woman tugged on the ends of the long scarf, pulling the silken knot even deeper, and gouging painfully at the corners of her mouth. The way her startled screech turned into a pathetic little hum made it clear that her captor knew her business—Sophie would remain quiet so long as that was Cain’s intent.
Erika Cain wrapped the scarf around her captive’s head and over the long hair, pinning the silky locks tightly against Sophie's head, and as she knotted it at the nape of Sophie’s neck, the girl could feel the movement of her head painfully restricted.
A second knot followed the first, and in the mirror Sophie could see her captor take up the remaining three or so feet of shiny silk and start to wind it around her head again. It was folded into a wider band than before, so that by the time it reached her mouth it completely covered it, forcing her lips hard against the ball of silk.
The scarf was knotted twice more at the back of her head, and, in the mirror, Sophie could now see even less of her face—her hair was pulled into a shining helmet by the severity of the gag’s fastening, and her mouth had completely disappeared.
She could see herself sitting upright, her hands on the chair arms, a position that might have appeared almost normal if not for the bands of brightly-colored silk that anchored her in place; cinching and binding at her blouse and slacks, the scarves might have been some sort of bizarre accessories.
The cubicle's pale, harsh light reflected off the smooth dark hair at the top of her head, and she recognized her eyes and eyebrows. Below that, though, her face seemed to disappear behind the wide, double-tied band of silk. The white blouse below it was criss-crossed with colorful silk, and she was posed wide open, as though offering herself to her captors. Fully clothed as she was, and so secured in the chair that there was barely any part of her accessible, she still felt more naked and vulnerable than she ever had.
The next hour was the most surreal experience Sophie could ever recall. What little business the shop did went on as normal, Minh apparently knowing enough to ring up the sales, with not the slightest acknowledgement that one of the store’s employees sat trussed up and gagged just a few feet from potential rescuers. More than once, women walked right past the cubicle where she was imprisoned, chatting and laughing as they tried on clothing, sometimes barely an arm’s length from the tightly-bound captive.
It was at about the half hour point that Sophie started to feel a queasiness in her stomach. Her reaction to her bondage had gone from initial terror to acceptance of the discomfort. Now, though, a form of panic was starting to set in, as her limbs began to twitch and quiver at the restriction. The tiny movements earned her a warning look from Erika Cain, and, terrified, she closed her eyes to try and get control of herself.
She tried to imagine herself far away… someplace lush and green… tropical… maybe a remote jungle island… and there she was… it must be comfortable, because she was so still… unmoving… unable to move, in fact… because she was tied to a tree…
Wait… Tied to a tree!?!?!??
In her dream, she was wearing some kind of jungle-girl animal skin outfit. She was roped helplessly in place, her mouth stuffed with some kind of cloth tied in it, and two women—an icy-cool blonde and a well-toned redhead—were fighting over her: she was to become the bound prize of one of these gorgeous females! She could feel herself getting warmer, fighting the bonds, knowing she would soon be kneeling at the feet of…
Sophie’s daydream was interrupted by a low whistle from the area of the register, and Minh’s quiet whisper: “She’s here.”
The sound set her two captors into swift, silent motion. Juno went to stand by the cubicle door, her own gun drawn. Erika Cain slipped quietly behind Sophie, and pressed her palm over the girl’s silk-covered mouth, reinforcing the gag. Sophie had a moment’s glance at the mirror, seeing the slender fingers pressing into her cheeks, before the blonde pulled back, forcing Sophie’s face to look up, and her head to rest against her captor’s waist. Now, instead of seeing herself in the mirror, she was looking up at the blonde woman who had so thoroughly imprisoned her. She felt an almost insane sense of disappointment not to see the icy blue eyes staring back at her. Instead, Erika Cain was eyeing the curtain across the cubicle door, the bound and gagged girl in her grasp apparently no more than a manageable difficulty. For a moment, the only sound in the store was the canned music; then Sophie heard Kat Forge’s voice.
“I’m looking for Sophie.” Despite knowing it was coming, the bound girl’s heart leapt at hearing the beautiful redhead ask for her by name.
“Went home sick.” Minh’s voice sounded marginally less sullen than before, doubtless trying to allay suspicion.
“Sick?” Forge’s voice darkened with suspicion. “That seems odd.”
“If you’re Ms.Forge, she left this for you,” Minh volunteered.
“Hmmmm.” There was a long pause, and Sophie wished she could see what was happening. Does she believe her? Will she leave? Will she find me? Any of the options terrified her.
“Excuse me.” She heard Kat Forge snap at Minh, and the goth called “Hey, you can’t go back there unless you’re trying on clothes!”
“Sophie?” Agent Forge’s voice was tantalizingly close, and Sophie heard her boots on the carpeted floor as she stepped back into the dressing room area. In Sophie’s tiny prison, three women held their breath.
Every one of Sophie's instincts urged her to fight her bonds, to twist and squirm against the imprisoning slk, to force a cry for help past the stifling gag, anything to attract attention, but Erika Cain's hold on her--mentally as well as physically--was just too strong.
“Sophie?” This time, they heard the red-haired agent push her way into a changing-room cubicle across the hallway—followed by a high-pitched screech.
“You mind? We’re changing! No ‘Sophie’ here!”
“Sophie!” came the call again, and the bound girl fretted. How could Kat fail to find her? There weren’t that many cubicles, it would only take moments to search them all… her mind filled with horrible pictures of that terrifying gun placed at Kate’s head, or her own…
There came a low chirping sound, and in a moment, Kat Forge’s voice.
“Yes? Yeah, I’ve got it. Now? Sure, on my way, but … OK, I’ll be right there.”
And there came the sound of Kat's boots on the carpet again, this time heading back into the main part of the store. Under Erika Cain’s muffling hand, Sophie found herself heaving a sigh of disappointment… and of relief.
She barely heard the last exchange between Kat and Minh, but her ears registered all too clearly the sound of Kate’s departure, and the door closing behind her. Now, even the hope of rescue was gone; she was completely in the power of her captors.
It was nearly silent in the store, Cain and Briggs every bit as quiet as the thoroughly-gagged Sophie. Finally, the curtain parted, and Minh stuck her head in.
“She’s gone. She drove away.”
Cain nodded. “We’ll perhaps give her another minute or two, to be on the safe side.”
“You sure we have to sneak around like this?” Briggs growled. “Personally, I’d love to get my hands on that red-headed slut.”
“I thought you didn’t like Feds,” Erika murmured in a low, amused tone.
“Hell, so what if I don’t?” Juno laughed. “Doesn’t mean I can’t think of some fun I could have with her. In fact, not liking her would make it all the more fun!”
Sophie’s stomach lurched at this reminder of Briggs’ nature as a sexual predator, and at the fact that Cain was at least tolerant of the dangerous woman's depravity.
“No doubt,” Erika responded drily. “No, Juno, best not to attract attention. Once I’m sure the coast is clear, we’ll just be on our way.” She glanced at the mirror, and held Sophie’s gaze there for a long moment.
“Customers are gone. I closed up.” Minh was standing in the doorway of the changing room. “We can go now.”
“What about her?” Juno grunted. The tall woman’s eye fixed on Sophie’s chest, and even bound as tightly as she was, the girl squirmed uneasily.
“Oh, she looks comfortable enough in that chair,” Cain smiled. “I think we can leave her there.”
“You sure that’s a good idea? She’s seen us.”
“Yes, she has,” Cain mused, and she came to stand over Sophie. “You were surprised, weren’t you, that I knew so much about what Agent Forge was up to?”
Sophie nodded her head as far as the tightness of the scarf bound over her hair would permit, and the blonde went on.
“Without going into particulars, let us just say that I have sources in many places that you, and Agent Forge, might not expect. If you don’t keep your mouth shut about us, trust me, I will find out. And you will not be the only one to regret it.” She nodded toward the curtain, and Juno Briggs scowled, as though wondering if Erika Cain had gone soft. Finally, she shrugged, moved the curtain aside, and preceded her boss out the door.
As the two women were leaving, Sophie found herself unable to tear her eyes from the well-shaped ass slinking under Erika Cain’s Italian suit. As though she had spoken aloud, the blonde turned and stepped back into the room, bending down to Sophie’s face again.
“Darling Sophie, you are just the most delicious thing, and under other circumstances I feel certain you and I might have grown… close.” Her breath was warm on Sophie’s cheek now, but the smile on her lips seemed to harden. “But circumstances are what they are, and the simple fact is that it will be better for everyone concerned if, after you’re rescued, you forget everything that happened here today.” Her blue eyes bored down at the gagged girl. “I would honestly prefer not to have anything truly bad happen to you, Sophie… but I promise you, you really do not want to see me, ever again.”
With that, she planted a soft kiss on the bound girl’s forehead, and exited the room behind her partner, leaving behind a bound, gagged, slightly confused Sophie.
Never see her again? I wish I knew if that was a good thing or a bad thing.