The shower felt quite wonderful. The streams of hot water and the scented gel soothed away the aches and pains caused by my bonds.
I glanced to my left and through the steam and the damp shower curtain I could see Paula's outline.
'Don't take all day!' I heard her say, her tone was taut and impatient. I silently mouthed a rude reply to her and continued to soap myself down, enjoying every warm second. I wished that it could last forever but alas after too short a time I stepped out from the shower and accepted the towel from Paula. I dried myself in front of her watchful eyes.
'You're quite pretty.' She told me. 'Not as nice as my sister but good enough.' She was half smiling as she watched me. I did not make eye contact with her again.
We joined Barbara upstairs in the main bedroom. Barbara was standing by the window looking out over the rolling greens and browns of the landscape.
Carlos sat in a chair, reading another journal on boats, half watching her.
Barbara turned and smiled as Paula and I entered the room. Paula clad entirely in black leather and me just in a towel.
Barbara's long, dark hair was still damp from her own shower and she was now wearing a white blouse, blue jeans and black loafers. She pointed to some clothes laid out on the bed. I made a swift course for them, just wearing the towel made me feel very vulnerable.
'Carlos, privacy is required.' Paula told him. He looked up, shrugged and then stood and left the room.
I pulled on clean white panties, a long sleeved grey T-shirt and some baggy, grey jogging pants. I laced up some white Nike's and was pleased by the fit.
'You look about fourteen.' Barbara smiled at me. I smiled back, very glad of her company in this ordeal.
Barbara then turned to Paula.
'So what are your plans for us this day? Apart from ropes and gags.'
Paula dipped into a pocket of the hip length leather jacket she was wearing and pulled out her cigarettes.
'I'd rather you didn't smoke in my bedroom!' Barbara told her, frowning.
Paula ignored her and lit up a Marlboro Light. She blew the smoke in Barbara's direction.
'After breakfast, you get to stay in the cellar.'
My head was suddenly full of fearsome images. Darkness, damp walls with rivulets of chill water coursing down them, rats scurrying from dark corner to dark corner. I started to tremble. Then I felt Barbara's arm about me.
'Don't worry.' She whispered. 'I've had it converted, carpets, radiators and strip lighting.' I leaned my head against her.
'Now.' Paula smiled, exhaling more cigarette smoke. 'Breakfast!'
It was a strange gathering. Kidnappers and their victims, all gathered around the same table. Carlos had prepared a hearty fair, not suitable for those counting calories or concerned over cholesterol levels but Barbara and I ate like we were starving. Paula too showed little interest in present day dietary convention and ate generous amounts of egg, bacon, sausage and toast along with a substantial amount of caffeine.
'One needs one's calories prior to a long drive followed by a kidnapping.' Paula announced.
Barbara and I exchanged concerned glances.
Paula finished another cup of industrial strength coffee, daintily wiped her mouth and waved a hand at us.
'Right girls! One last visit to the bathroom and then we go downstairs.'
Barbara and I shrugged and got ready for the inevitable.
Suddenly we all started as we heard the sounds outside in the chill, grey morning. The sounds were of a motor vehicle approaching the house.
I had no time to think, let alone act. Paula was on me, twisting my arm up my back and sliding a hand over my mouth. I tried to fight her but she had a painful hold on me and despite shaking my head quite violently I could not dislodge her gagging hand.
'Nobody is supposed to know you're here!' Paula hissed at Barbara.
'I know!' Barbara retorted, her dark eyes fixing Paula with a cold look. 'I haven't a clue who this might be.'
I stopped struggling with Paula. Carlos hovered near the still seated Barbara, ready to seize and silence her if required.
Paula hauled me up from the breakfast table, still trapping my arm and mouth.
'Whoever it is--get rid of them!' Paula told Barbara. 'Or do you want Angela to get hurt?'
I was filled with an icy dread at Paula's words, my eyes went wide with fright.
'Please! Don't hurt her! I'll get rid of them--I will!' Barbara held up her hands in an attempted calming gesture.
'You'd better! I'm taking her downstairs, Carlos will be watching your every move.' Paula then dragged me out of the room.
'Angela--it'll be fine!' I heard Barbara call after us.
The walls of Barbara's cellar were painted a champagne pink and the soft carpet was a deep burgundy. It was well lit and felt warm. It did not appear to be too cluttered. There was some furniture down there covered in white dust shrouds and a selection of wooden and cardboard boxes.
Paula had a job maintaining her grip on me as she manoeuvred me down the steps and a mixture of fear and anger gave me the impetus to fight back.
I pulled free and lunged away from her.
She was on me again quickly, I felt her leather clad arm slide about my neck. I kicked back with my right foot and felt the hard edge of the heel of my Nike strike her knee. Paula gasped and again lost her grip on me.
The problem was that there was nowhere for me to run, I was truly trapped. The only way out of the cellar was the way I had come in.
I had hurt Paula but the fact that she was wearing leather pants had robbed my kick to her knee of having any serious impact. I turned to face Paula as she advanced on me, her face taut with anger and her eyes were on fire with bad intent.
Flight or fight? Flight was not an option. Soon Paula and I were grappling on the burgundy carpet. She had height, weight and reach advantage and was certainly stronger but for perhaps a minute I gave a good account of myself. Paula soon had me pinned beneath her with a very painful grip on my unprotected right breast. Her right hand became a fist and blurred in my vision as it crashed into the side of my head. My ears rang and pain shot up in a black sheet behind my eyes as all the fight rushed out of me.
I felt Paula roll me onto my stomach and draw my arms behind me. I felt the cords quickly loop about my wrists and tighten. Then I blacked out.
I heard voices. They seemed to be coming from a long way off at first but as I rejoined the land of the waking they got closer. My eyes flickered open.
'It was just some woman that took a wrong turn, she thought this led to The Old Priory!' It was Barbara's voice.
'That Priory is three miles away.' I heard Paula say.
'You've seen how narrow the roads are around here and how few buildings there are, it was a genuine mistake-nothing more!'
'You didn't know the woman?'
'I have never seen her before in my life!'
'Carlos?'
'I think she is telling the truth, she did not know the woman, it was just somebody who took a wrong turn.'
The purple patches in my vision then started to clear and I saw Paula confronting Barbara who was being held by the arms by Carlos.
I tried to move my body and add my words to the scenario but failed on both counts. I was back in the now familiar predicament of being bound and gagged. I was bound to a straight backed chair, my arms behind me and my mouth had been cloth packed, taped and scarved into silence.
'Hmmmm.' Paula considered the opinion of Carlos. She nodded to herself as she came to her decision. 'Ok, it was just somebody making a mistake.'
She turned to look at Barbara and gave her orders to Carlos. 'Tie her up!'
Barbara was dumped into a chair which was the twin of the one in which I sat secured and Carlos picked up several lengths of white cord and proceeded to tie his prisoner.
My head throbbed and I glared with as much negative emotion as I could muster at Paula over the gags in and about my mouth. The accompanying noises were rather pathetic. Paula ignored me which added to my impotent fury. Experience told me that pulling against my bonds was a complete waste of time.
'Not so bloody tight!' Barbara snapped at Carlos as her arms were bound behind the chair. 'I'd rather not lose my hands if at all possible!'
I saw that Paula was getting Barbara's gag ready so I thought it was wise for Barbara to get her protestations in while she still could.
'Was there really any need to strike her?' Barbara bobbed her head in my direction.
'There was.' Paula replied and then suddenly turned and jabbed a long finger at me. 'I've got plans for you, you troublesome little bitch.'
I continued to fix her with the blackest stare I was able to create.
'Paula, you are not only a liar, a thief and a kidnapper, you are also the most-Ummmph!' Barbara had run out of time as one of Carlos' large hands swiftly covered her mouth.
'Thank you Carlos.' Paula said and set about gagging Barbara on a more permanent basis.
Carlos took his hand away long enough for Paula to jam a wad of cloth into Barbara's mouth. Paula ripped off a length a silver-grey tape and strapped it over her captives lips, further strips followed. She then handed the obligatory black scarf to Carlos who in turn folded it over and lowered it in front of Barbara's tape covered mouth and then tied it firmly in place.
Barbara's torso, wrists and arms were already melded firmly to the chair by the tight turns of rope. Carlos dropped to one knee and then worked on her lower limbs with bindings above and below her knees and final ones on her ankles, mooring them to one of the stout wooden legs of the chair.
'Hurry Carlos, we're running late!' Paula exclaimed checking the (probably stolen) expensive Swiss watch on her wrist. Carlos grunted, nodded and tied the final knot on Barbara's bonds.
They then both turned and started to leave the cellar. Carlos left the room first. Paula paused at the top of the steps. She looked back at us and grinned fiendishly as her finger rested on the light switch. One flick would plunge the cellar into total darkness. It would be a very mean thing to do and she did it.
For a few, brief seconds Barbara and I made some muffled sounds of panic and then we heard the door slam shut and the click of the lock.
Barbara and I were bound and gagged and locked in a dark cellar. A classic kidnap scenario. Paula was off to make right her initial error by snatching Sabrina.
Barbara made a very muted sound which may have translated into something approaching reassurance.
I pulled at the bonds on my wrists. I then made an interesting discovery.