The Intruder and the Secret Item (M/F) PART TWO ADDED!

[ropeladygags]

Evening in late July.

The sky was splattered in deep oranges and yellows as the sun crept closer to the horizon. I sat on the couch in the front room of my modest home that was hidden deep in the woods. The main highway was about a quarter mile up the dirt road that stretched out from the front yard and disappeared into the trees.

Misty, my black cat, sat comfortably on my lap as I found myself engrossed in a fantasy novel. The rumbling of her deep purring acted like a massage against my legs and I felt instant relaxation.

In an instant, the moment of relaxation was extinguished as a large hand clamped over my mouth. I gasped and heard a low, gruff voice whisper in my ear,
“If you do exactly what I say, you will not be hurt,” after a short pause, he added, “do you understand?”

I closed my eyes tightly and nodded as I heard what sounded like a gun mechanism being cocked. How had he gotten in without me noticing?

“Now, you’re going to stand up and lead me to your basement. Say anything, and you will regret it.”
I nodded again and stood from the couch. Misty had run off and hid somewhere well before I rose, so at least I didn’t have to worry about that. The man moved his hand from my mouth, but then grabbed my left forearm roughly as we both made our way to the basement door.

…My basement was a hodgepodge of random stuff strewed about the room. The floor was cement and the walls still showed the skeleton of the house. I had felt completing the room was not necessary when I moved in. Most of the items were decorative and artsy in nature, stuffed into different sized boxes. Two large concrete, load-bearing poles were spaced out about ten feet from one another.

“Find something to sit on. Bring it to this pole.”
I did as instructed, finding a comfortable backless stool and bringing it to one of the poles.
“Sit down and stay there.”

As I sat on the stool, I saw a large duffel bag out of the corner of my eye. He brought it behind me, so I was unaware what he carried inside it. The zipper opened and I could hear him rustling around in it. A number of objects were being set on the ground, but I dared not move a muscle out of fear of injury.

“Alright, here comes the uncomfortable part. I am going to tie you up now. I promise not to cause you any harm, so long as you continue to follow my instructions. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” I said quietly.
“Good. Now, please bring your hands behind you so I can tie them together.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Who knew how long I would be stuck tied up down here? Timidly, I moved my hands behind me until I felt him pull them together behind the pole. The feel of rope on my skin made me jump a bit. My wrists were crossed and cinched together tightly after about five horizontal and vertical revolutions of the rope. He tied them off and then appeared before me and knelt down at my feet with three more bundles of rope. His face was hidden behind a ski mask and, unfortunately, I didn’t recognize his voice. I was being bound by a complete stranger as far as I knew.

He pushed my ankles together and began to wrap the rope around them several times. After the seventh revolution, he took one of the strands and wrapped it around the center of the loops, creating a set of rope ankle cuffs.

I began to test the bonds around my wrists as he moved to just below my knees with another bundle of rope. Before I knew it, my legs were completely immobilized with several loops of rope. One collection around my ankles, another below my knees and the last above them.

My assailant disappeared behind me again for a moment. Soon I saw another string of rope coming around me and pulling my torso toward the pole. I felt the rope fastening over my arms behind me as the loops continued around me about seven more times. When I thought he was done, another one appeared, this time coming across my chest, above my breasts and fastening me even more tightly to the pole. Another seven revolutions and I was completely immobilized.

The recognizable sound of duct tape being ripped from the roll made me panic slightly. I could not look around in my bound state, so I just sat and waited.

“Please lean back against the pole,” he said. I timidly did as I was told, making sure to gently push the back of my head against it.
Soon, the duct tape roll appeared in front of me and was pulled back quickly against my forehead, fastening my head to the pole. The roll was brought around one more time and I could not move my head in any way.

There was a moment of tense silence. All I heard was my breathing, which gave hints of my fear.
“Alright, one more thing. I know you’re not going to like this, but I have to do it anyway.”
I held my breath until I heard, “I have to gag you now. Nothing personal.”
I could not shake my head, but I was feeling brave enough to protest this time,
“Oh, no, no, you don’t have to. I live in the middle of the woods. No one would hear me anyway.”

He did not seem to be listening. I saw his hands come around the pole again with the duct tape roll. He pulled one end off dramatically and far enough to thoroughly cover my mouth. I continued to protest,
“No, please. Please donMMMMPPPPH!!!”

The strand of tape was pulled back tightly against my mouth and behind the pole. I protested more into my gag as the duct tape roll was brought around the pole and over my mouth about five more times before he fastened it behind me. The tape was tight. I could feel the skin of my cheeks bulging over the edge. My jaw would not budge in the slightest.

He wasn’t done yet. Once again I was faced with the horrific image of the duct tape pulling off the roll, but the strand was brought over my eyes this time. My world was now covered in darkness as the tape blinded me.
“WHHHHHMPH NMMMMMMMPH!!!!” My screams were effectively muffled behind the tape.

“Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you. You have something I need, but I know you are unaware of it. I can’t allow you to know what it is or tell anyone, for your own safety. I know this sounds fucked up but it’s the truth. I’ll take it and leave. Once I’m on the highway, I will call authorities and tell them to come get you. You won’t be tied up more than an hour or so.”
The last part of his explanation made me feel a little more comfort, but I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth. I could hear the zipper of the duffel bag being pulled close as the man got to his feet and rummaged around. I sat quietly and listened for awhile while pulling against the bonds that encircled my body. There was no way there was something hidden in my house that I hadn’t discovered. I had looked in every nook and cranny.
The sound of clicking made me pause. The inability to see or speak caused my hearing to be even more heightened. The sound resembled the dial on a safe. There was a safe in my basement? Maybe he wasn’t lying.

The clanking of metal indicated he had successfully opened it. After some more rummaging, I heard the loud slamming of a mechanic door followed by his footsteps coming closer to me. I struggled and pulled at the ropes that bound me.
“I found what I needed. I promise to call for help. Thank you for cooperating. You will be left unharmed.”

I heard his footsteps disappearing up the stairs.
“MMMMMMMMMMPH!! HLLLLLLLPH MUMMMMMPH!”
Any struggling was in vain. The tape around my forehead, eyes and mouth kept my head completely still and my cries muffled. The ropes around my torso, wrists and legs held me fast and still. I sat there and awaited my fate, wondering what in the hell he could have possibly stolen from me. I wondered if I’d see him again and if he had kept his promise to send help my way.
After an hour of struggling, I heard the sound of my salvation from upstairs in the living room,
“Police! Anyone here?”

[GreyLord]

What a nice way to introduce yourself to this forum, [mention]ropeladygags[/mention]. Welcome!

I hope that this is only the first installment and that you will have further chapters coming in this interesting story. It would seem to have a lot of potential.

If I could offer one suggestion: your story would be easier to read if you would always put a blank line between your paragraphs.

[ropeladygags]

What a nice way to introduce yourself to this forum, @ropeladygags. Welcome!

I hope that this is only the first installment and that you will have further chapters coming in this interesting story. It would seem to have a lot of potential.

If I could offer one suggestion: your story would be easier to read if you would always put a blank line between your paragraphs.

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am glad you enjoyed this. Not sure where I’m going with it right now, but I hope to continue it soon. Great suggestion about the space between paragraphs! I will definitely do that next time!

[Tapedupcouple]

Great story, love the wrap around pole tape gag. Also really enjoyed the premise of the break in and the motives, thank you for sharing!

[Rtj65]

Really enjoyed that, an interesting take on a classic scenario. Definitely interested in finding out more about the motive for the robbery though!

[ropeladygags]

PART TWO:

Two months had passed since that horrifying experience. The police arrived, just as my captor had promised and found me bound and gagged in the basement. I was released and helped up the stairs to my couch where I was put through questioning.

I told them everything I could about what I had experienced. Sadly, since my captor had covered his face and body well, I could give them little other than the description of the sound of his voice. When they asked about what he wanted, I told them I was not sure what had been taken. I was unaware of any safe or lockbox in my basement. If there was one down there it was hidden well and had left me oblivious of its existence since I had moved in over five years ago. It appeared that someone had built a square frame structure into the corner of the basement large enough for the safe to fit in. On the outside was a trap door that blended in the with the concrete. A small latch was hidden at the bottom of the door, making the entire thing inconspicuous.

During my interrogation, the forensics team had successfully found the safe in the basement. After using a large power drill of some kind, they were able to open it and reveal that it was empty. No trap doors hiding things behind it. There was nothing of interest inside. Whoever had tied me up had taken everything. Forensics left the safe and said they would come back in a couple of days with an extraction team. The safe would be removed from the premises so I would not be held liable for it.

The ropes and tape were taken as evidence, in the hopes of finding fingerprints. Lead investigator, Charles Morris ensured me that they would do their very best to find this person. He gave me his business card and, after waiting for me to be checked out by the paramedics, left with the entourage.

I sat on the couch for the rest of the night, my mind saturated with nightmarish thoughts. I was so in shock from what I had experienced that I couldn’t sleep. Misty could sense my discomfort and she curled into a ball on my lap, purring loudly. I burst into tears, scared to death that I would have another visitor. Who did this man work for? What was he taking with him? If I was supposed to be “unaware of it for my own safety” what would happen now that the safe was opened? Too many thoughts plagued my mind. I finally drifted off from exhaustion. Thankfully, I had a couple of days before I had to return to work.

The safe was extracted on schedule. These people were definitely experts. They successfully removed it without causing damage to the surrounding structures of the basement. A gaping hole was left behind, understandably, but the foundation and wood framing of the ceiling had been left untouched.

Inspector Morris kept in touch with me every couple of weeks. He gave me very few details of their progress which told me they had either found nothing of interest, or it went so high up that he couldn’t tell me. I preferred the former. It meant less trouble for me down the road.

Tonight was going to be relaxing. I promised myself a nice evening of lounging on the couch, eating pizza and binging Netflix with my cat in my lap. I wanted it to be as unexciting as possible for the sake of my sanity. People at work were beginning to wonder why I was so distant. My boss even had her concerns, but said nothing since I was completing my tasks on time. However I no longer went out for drinks on Fridays and ate lunch at my desk. Social interaction worried me. I didn’t want to have to answer questions.

After depositing my purse in the front area closet and hanging my jacket on the hook by the door, I walked to the bedroom and changed into comfortable pajama pants and an old t-shirt.

“Misty, honey. Where are you?” I called. I waited a minute or so and she did not approach me. This was strange. Usually she was always up for affection when I returned from work. Shrugging it off for now, I walked down to the basement to get a frozen pizza out of my freezer. After reaching the bottom of the stairs, I saw Misty standing on top of the large freezer against the opposite wall. Her tail flicked back and forth as we locked eyes. She meowed loudly as I approached,

“Hi, sweetie.”

Sticking her head out, she purred loudly and accepted my hand as I gave her gentle scratches behind the ears. The moment of affection was cut short. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she stiffened. Her eyes were locked on something behind me as she hissed.

I wasn’t able to turn around before I was apprehended by more than one set of hands. A gloved hand covered my mouth as I tried to scream. Oh shit, not again. Two people appeared on either side of me. The were both taller than me and well built. Each had a ski mask over their heads and black gloves on their hands. They wore black zip-up hoodies and dark jeans. Their feet were adorned with steel-toed boots. Without hesitation, one grabbed me around my legs and the other around my waist. I was carried up the stairs trying my hardest to fight them. It was useless.

When we reached the living room, I was placed on my stomach. One of them shoved a rag into my mouth and fastened it with a bandana which he tied behind my head. I heard the blinds pulling closed as one of the two men tying me up sat on my legs, keeping them pinned to the floor. My hands were wrenched behind me. The sound of duct tape coming off the roll plagued my ears. I felt the sticky side of the tape press against my crossed wrists as my assailant wrapped it six times around them.

“Nmmmmmmmph! Plmmmmmmmmz!” My words were muffled.

One of the men shouted some sort of expletive at me, but I couldn’t understand it. The accent was thick, but I couldn’t place it. My guess was Western European.

My ankles were pushed together and the tape wrapped around them several times. The third man pulled a chair into the living room. I was lifted off the floor and placed in the chair where the tying continued. Both men worked in tandem this time. One stood behind me and began to wrap the tape around me and the chair. Several revolutions went around my waist, at my shoulders and below my breasts. The man at my feet, armed with his own roll of tape, had successfully looped bands around my shins. He moved to just below my knees and wrapped six loops around my legs. He stopped after doing the same just above my knees.

The third man said something to him in an authoritative voice. He proceeded to stick the end of the duct tape to my already bound thighs and begin wrapping it around the bottom of the chair seat and then back over my legs until they were sufficiently pinned down.

The two men who tied me up and gagged me stepped back, awaiting new orders. The third man approached me. I could sense the tension in his body and, even though I saw no weapons, I cowered away from him. He reached out and pulled the gag out of my mouth.

“Where is it?” He asked.

The next minute or so consisted of me trying to catch my breath. Tears soaked my face and my voice caught in my throat as I tried not to hyperventilate. This man was patient. He waited silently, his eyes drilling holes into my head.

“Where is what?” I said through my sobs.

This man did not want to hear me say that. He came close to my face, balling up his fist,

“Don’t play games with me. Where is it?”

“You are just saying ’it.’ How the fuck am I supposed to know what ‘it’ is unless you tell me?!” I shouted. The man chuckled.

“I would be careful with your tone, lady. You are the one tied up, not me,” he looked angry, but he continued, “where is the safe?”

My heart jumped into my throat. Oh, fuck. My worst nightmare had come true. The people looking for what was in the safe were now coming to collect. But I didn’t have it and I had no name to give them.

“It’s gone. The police took it after one of your friends paid me a visit.”

All three men looked at each other, they seemed panicked. The leader turned to me again,

“Friends?” he asked.

“Yes. Two months ago. I was minding my own business when he forced me into the basement. He tied me up and gagged me much like you three did. He was dressed in a very similar way, and I couldn’t see his face.”

The leader’s shoulders slumped as his hands went this head, grabbing imaginary bundles of hair. He walked in small circles angrily as he grumbled under his breath. After shouting a few times, he came back into my field of view,

“Who took the safe? I need a name.”

“Charles Morris. He’s an inspector.” The leader paused for a second, the tension in his body seemingly melting away. He chuckled,

“Oh, good old Chucky.” The two other men laughed along with him. He walked over to one of the men and whispered something to him. My heart began to race as this man walked behind me again with the roll of tape. The leader turned to face me,

“We will just have to send him a message.” He signaled to his henchman with a glance. I was wondering what was happening when the other henchman walked out of the house to their waiting vehicle.

The bandana was untied from behind my neck and I sighed with relief. It was short lived, however. Without warning the bandana was forced into my mouth. I tried to spit it out, but the leader approached me, pulling a blade from his pocket and placing it against my face,

“Close your mouth.” He said. Whimpering, I obliged and heard the man behind me pull more tape off the roll. The leader placed his finger under my chin and tipped my head toward the ceiling. I was faced with his henchman holding the tape above me with a long strand hanging off the roll. He pushed it down over my lips, smoothing it against my face. My head was tipped up and once again I was feeling the horrible sensation of the duct tape securing my mouth closed as it went around six times. Each revolution was tighter than the last, creating a true vice against my jaw.

“Hope that your friend Inspector Morris gets that safe back in a month. Otherwise we will be paying you another visit, as collateral.”

My eyes widened and they turned toward the door. I yelled and screamed into my gag, but the sounds were effectively muffled. The door closed behind them and I was left alone bound and gagged tightly to a kitchen chair. I didn’t know how I was going to escape this one. There was no promise to call the authorities this time.

As soon as my assailants disappeared, I looked around frantically for something to use to cut the tape.

[Mr Underheel]

[mention]ropeladygags[/mention] Great story! Very professionally written! Exciting and descriptive in great detail! Congrats! Looking forward to the next chapter

[GreyLord]

You continue to build suspense nicely. Well done.