The Games Player: Summertime (F/fF)

[KP Presents]

It was the week the temperatures hit 40 degrees - and I had to make sure a particular family spent the afternoon in the shade, but kept cool as well…

It also meant I had to adjust my style of dress slightly – if I had gone in wearing the usual black clothes, I would have been a walking pool of sweat before I had even started. In fact, I was wearing a powder blue one-piece outfit, with the neck open and capped sleeves as well as short shorts. I was also wearing a pair of large sunglasses and wedge sandals, as I approached the home of Miguel Ferrer. Mister Ferrer owns a line of hotels in the area they lived in, and lied there with his wife Anita and their ten-year-old daughter Maria.

Steve had also identified the fact that Anita’s sister Helena was visiting at the moment, with her fifteen-year-old daughter Leanne. Helena was a couple of years older than Anita, but as I approached the walled off house, my large shoulder bag by my side, I was ready for whoever may be home when I started.

Looking to each side as I stood at the gate, I then slipped through – careless if them to leave the gate partially open – and walked to the side of the house. The sun was shining down as I slipped on a pair of leather gloves, and then removed my sunglasses before I pulled the stocking down over my head.

Looking round the corner, I could see Maria was lying on a recliner, her eyes closed. The young girl had long red-brown hair, and was wearing a pink coloured short sleeved top, denim shorts and white crocs. I smiled as I made my way quietly past her, and then slipped into the kitchen – in time for Anita to walk in and see me.

The mother had the same style of hair as Maria, and was wearing a leopard print vest top tinged in pink, as well as denim cut-off shorts with a side brown leather belt and white sandals with a cork wedge sole. She looked at me, as I drew from my bag the starting pistol and pointed it at her.

“Hello Anita,” I said quietly, “please, stay quiet and clam and listen to what I have to say. After all, we do not want to frighten Maria, do we?”

She stared at me for a few minutes, before she said quietly “you are a Games Player?”

“I am indeed,” I said as I smiled under the stocking, “so you know that I am here to rob you, and that I will need to secure you, Maria and anyone else in this house – but if we let Maria know this is a game, then I am sure she will be able to cope much more easily with what happens. On which note – is there anyone else here at the moment?”

“No,” Anita said, “my sister and niece are out for the moment.”

“Good,” I said as I slipped my bag off and drew from it a length of white rope, “then let’s start the game. Turn round slowly and put your hands behind your back.” I watched as she did so, then put the gun on the table before I crossed her wrists and secured them tightly together – then tied the ends round a loop in her shorts waistline so they stayed secured behind her back.

“There – not so bad, is it?” I said quietly, “now, where is your handbag and your mobile phone?”

“In the front room…”

“Good – after you,” I said as I picked up the gun and my bag, Anita walking in front of me as we walked into the front room. She watched as I lowered the blinds, and then removed her phone from her handbag before placing it in my own.

I noticed there were tow large tower fans in the room, and said “we’ll make use of these to keep everyone cool. Now, shall we…”

“ANITA?”

I looked at Anita and put my finger to my covered lips before the room door opened and Helena came in with Leanne. They both had the same colour of hair as Anita and Maria, the older woman wearing a halter neck top with an ethnic print, pink shorts and blue sandals. Leanne had her hair in a ponytail on the top of her head, and was wearing a pink bustier top with thins straps holding it up, a cut off denim short skirt, and black slippers.

“Anita – what’s going on?”

“We’re being robbed,” Anita said quietly as she sat down, “you have heard of the Games Players?”

Leanne nodded as Anita continued “this is one of them – I fear we are all going to be bound and silenced, but she wants us to treat it as a game for Maria’s sake. She also promises we will be in here, with the fans on.”

“You guarantee this?”

“I do Helena,” I said as I stood pointing the gun at them “which means I secure both of you first. So stand in front of your sister, and your aunt, and put your hands behind your back – I will make sure you both are playing properly before we get Maria in to play.”

“We have no choice, do we Mama,” Leanne said, Helena shaking her head as I took ropes from my bag, and secured their wrists together behind their backs, making sure they were tied to the waistband of their shorts and skirt as well. I then used longer ropes to secure their arms to their sides, framing their chests as I did so, before I helped them to sit back-to-back on the floor – and I secured them together with rope round their waists.

“What are you going to say to Maria,” Anita asked as I knelt by Helena and secure her ankles together with rope, making sure it went round and between her legs as well.

“You will come with me,” I said as I secured her sister’s legs together below her knees, “and tell her her aunt and cousin are already playing – and she will send time with them while we go and pretend to look for your valuables.” I moved round to Leanne as she watched me secure her ankles and legs. “You will bot h be able to talk to her when she comes in, reassure her this is just a game as I secure her – and then I gag all of you while Anita comes with me.”

“It is hot,” Leanne said, “we will need to keep our mouths moist.”

“I have a plan to deal with that,” I said quietly as I secured the rope below her knees and stood up. They had both left their handbags by the chair, as I removed their phones and put them in my bag as well. “Do you promise not to raise the alarm while we bring Maria in?”

Both of them nodded as I helped Anita to stand up, and walked her to the back garden. She smiled as she said “Maria, wake up – I have a very special surprise for you.”

“What is it, Mum,” the ten-year-old said as she opened her eyes – and then saw me.

“Hello Maria,” I said, “your father hired me to play a special game with you and the rest of your family – I hope you are going to play as well.”

“A game – what sort of game,” Maria said as she stood up.

“Well, this lady is pretending to be a robber,” Anita said, “and she has already taken your Aunt Helena and Leanne captive, as well as fixing my hands behind my back. Have a look.”

Maria stood up and looked at her mother, before she looked at me.

“Are you going to do this to me as well?”

“I am,” I said with a smile, “once you have a drink in the kitchen. But part of the game is making sure none of you can stop me or raise the alarm – so you will all be the same. So, come on in, have a drink, and we can start.”

Maria nodded as she walked with us into the kitchen, and picked up the glass of water I had put out for her. As she drank it, I used a longer rope to secure Anita’s arms to her sides, Maria watching as she said “so you will do that to me as well?”

“Once you have had enough to drink – are you ready?”

She nodded and put the glass down before I guided her hands behind her back, and tied them in the same way as her mother.

“It doesn’t hurt does it,” Anita said, Maria shaking her head as I tied her wrists to the waistband of her shorts. Maria nodded as I then secured her arms to her sides with the longer length, before I said “good – now we are going to make sure you stay with your aunt and cousin.”

“What’s that for,” Maria said as I picked up a jug that had four white cloths in it, covered with water.

“You’ll see,” I said with a smile as we walked in.

“Hey cus – come to be a hostage with us,” Leanne said.

“Yeah – do I have to sit on the floor?”

“No – you sit on the couch,” I said as Anita watched Maria sit on the couch, pushing herself back before I used two lengths of rope to secure her ankles together, as well as her legs below her knees.

Maria wriggled her legs round as I took one piece of cloth from the jug, and squeezed it out before I said to Helena “time to be quiet – open your mouth.” The young girls watched as I pushed the cloth into her aunt’s mouth, before squeezing out a second one and putting it into Leanne’s mouth.

“What does that do,” Maria asked as I took a roll of white tape and wound it tightly round the heads of her family on the floor.

“Well, the tape keeps you from talking,” I said, “but it does not hurt. The cloths are because it is hot – it will help keep you cool for a while. So – ready to have it in your mouth?”

Both Helena and Leanne nodded to show they were all right, as I squeezed the cloth out.

“So the other one is for Mum?”

“When she comes back to join you, yes – would you like to watch something on the television while we walk round?”

“Can we watch Coco, Mum?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you,” Maria said before she opened her mouth wide and I eased the damp cloth into her mouth, then wound the white tape tightly round her head. She nodded as I turned the television on, found Disney+, and started the film. I then positioned one of the tower fans next to Helena and Leanne, and set it to oscillate so cool air was passed over both of them before walking out of the room with Anita.

“Thank you – she is not scared at all,” she whispered as we walked put the stairs.

“As I said – if she thinks it is a game, she will not be afraid. So for now – show me where your valuables are…”




When we returned, Helena and Leanne were struggling slightly – but they stopped when we came in, and I sat Anita on the same couch as her daughter.

“Thshshfhnmhmm,” she mumbled as the film continued.

“Yes it is – and now I am going to be like you,” Anita said as I knelt down and secured her ankles together, and then her legs below her knees with more rope. Squeezing out the last cloth, I said to Maria “would you like to lie down with your head on your mother’s lap?”

She nodded as I eased the damp cloth into Anita’s mouth, and then wound the tape round her head, before gently laying Maria on her side. I then moved the second fan over so that it blew cool air over both of them, Maria humming to herself as I looked at them.

“Now – when the next film finishes, you can try to get free,” I said with a smile as Coco came to an end, and I started Encanto before leaving them, and taking my gains in my shoulder bag as I slipped out. Removing the gloves and stocking mask, I put my sunglasses back on, and walked to the nearest station…