This Week (MF/MFmf)

[KP Presents]

Monday

“Do you think you can tell me what happened?”

Amanda nodded as she sat at the kitchen table, holding the mug in her hands as she looked across at the young man. “Yeah – it started when I brought Richard and Carl back from the cinema. We went to see the new Pixar film.”

“For the record, what were you wearing?”

“Well, Richard had this white jumper on over a white t-shirt, jeans and trainers, while Carl had a red gilet on over a checked lumberjack shirt, jeans and shoes. I was wearing a blue denim dress with a brown belt and black boots.”

“Thank you – they have been taken for forensic examination. So you saw the film?”

“Yeah – we came home, came into the house – and then he pointed the gun at us and told us all to put our hands in the air, and not to raise our voices.”

“He?”

“The intruder – he was a young man, short brown hair, about the same height as me and casually dressed – but he was wearing dark glasses and what looked like latex gloves, and it was a gun in his hand that he was aiming at us. The boys just stared at him as he smiled, and told us all to put our hands on our heads and walk up the stairs in front of him.

“I looked at the boys and told them to be quiet, and just do as he said, so we walked up the stairs and into my bedroom. Richard was shaking, but I just told him to be brave as we walked in, and the man told me to sit on the bed, and the boys to stand in front of me.”

“I see – and what happened next?”

“Well, I saw him take some thin nylon strips from a bag he had carried up, and then he pulled Carl’s hands behind his back. I heard a rasping sound as he bit his lower lip, and then he did the same thing to Richard, before he told them to stand still, and told me to lie face down in the middle of the bed, my head on the pillows.

“I really felt as if I had no choice, so I lay face down, and put my hands behind my back before I felt him crossing my wrists. I then felt the thin strip as he used it to force them together, and there was the rasping sound again.”

“Your sons were watching the while time?”

“They were too scared to move I think – anyway, I felt him crossing my ankles and heard the rasping sound again as I felt my ankles when they were forced together, before her rolled me onto my back, and stuck the silver tape down over my mouth. He then rolled me back over, and that was when he pulled my ankles back and made sure they were secured to my wrists with another of those strips.”

“How do you know that was what he did?”

“Because I turned my head and watched as he went back over and gagged both Carl and Richard, then forced them at gunpoint to lie face down either side of me. I could see the strips round their wrists as he crossed and forced Richard’s ankles together, then pulled them back and used a third strip to secure his wrists and ankles together.

“He then did the same thing to Carl and left us struggling on the bed while he ransacked the room, and then left us. The strips were too tight for us to get free, and I was scared of the boys hurting themselves, so somehow I managed to convey the message we should just try and lie still. So they both rolled onto their sides and looked at me as I tried not to cry.”

“And you were like that until your husband came home?”

“Yes – he came home, found us and cut us free, then called your station.”

The officer nodded as he put his pad away and said “Well, we have the list of what was taken – we can refer you to a counsellor if you wish.”

“Do you think she will take you up on the offer?”

“She might – at any rate, I don’t think this was one of the Games Players.”

“No – their MO is to make it a game for the children, and every report I have seen of them has them wearing a stocking over their head or a balaclava. Jay Edwards and that young couple work as a team – this was a solo job.”

“So someone else?”

“Yeah – let’s hope this is a one off…”

Tuesday

Tracy and Hank were watching, their eyes wide as the man waved the gun at their mother and said “let’s make sure none of you can raise the alarm now.” Six-year-old Hank was wearing a brown jumper, jeans and white trainers, while his nine-year-old sister was wearing a brown fur waistcoat top over a cream-coloured woollen one, and faded jeans with the bottoms tucked into a pair of black fabric ankle boots.

Neither of them could say a word however – not with the latex gloved hands over their mouths, and the teenage girl behind them saying “watch what my friend does to Mummy” into their ears.

Their mother was wearing a long-sleeved white blouse and jeans tucked into knee length chestnut brown boots with a flat heel – and a frightened expression as she said “please don’t hurt my babies.”

“Then do what I’m telling you to do,” the young man said quietly, “and stand against the wall divider, hands on your head.” She nodded as she stood against the metal frame that went from floor to ceiling, watching as he took a length of cord from a bag and lifted her left wrist up before he tied it to the metal. He then walked round and tied her other wrist to the divider, before he secured her ankles as well, her legs spread slightly apart and tied so that her legs were a little way away from the divider.

He then knelt on her left side, and said to Tracy “come over here kid, and do what I tell you, and not a word – got it?”

She nodded as she slowly walked over, the man looking at her as he said “wrap your rms round your mummy’s leg, and don’t move.” Once she had done this, he took more cord and tied her wrists tightly together on the other side of the leg, before another length of cord was used to tie her ankles tightly together.

He then rolled up a black scarf and pulled it between Tracy’s lips, tying the band round her head and on top of her brown hair. She looked up at her mother as the young girl brought over Hank, and then watched as he was forced to do the same thing, his wrists tied together as he held his mother’s other leg, his ankles tied together, and then a scarf pulled between his lips to act as a gag.

“Now,” the man said as his partner stroked the hair of the children, “we don’t want them to be hurt, do we? Where are your valuables?”

“Just don’t hurt them…”


“He struck again?”

“Two of them this time – a young man and a young woman. Her husband came home to find them tied to an old-style wall divider, the kids with their arms round their mother’s legs, all three gagged, all three crying.”

“And it was not the Games Players?”

“No – same as yesterday, no way this was pitched as a game by anyone. So we have a pair of real and not particularly friendly thieves targeting families?”

“It certainly looks that way – let’s hope they just move on…”

Wednesday

“Does it have to be so tight,” Zoe complained as the rope forced her arms against her sides.

“Do you want to stop talking now or do I have to make sure you stay quiet,” the man said as he pulled the ropes tighter still, and then secured the ends behind her back, the bands stretching her black blouse over her chest. Her wrists were secured behind her back, while the armed girl was standing with her four children, all of them staring at her.

The man knelt by Zoe’s side and passed rope round her ankles, pulling them together as there was a squeaking sound that made the girls giggle. Zoe’s jeans were tucked into a pair of tan leather pirate style mid-calf boots, but as he tied her legs together below her knees she only had one question in mind.

“What are you going to do to my babies?”

“I’ll show you,” he said as he tied the ropes off and stood up. “Tell your daughters to sit on opposite ends of the couch, hands on top of their heads.”

Zoe looked at eight-year-old Hannah and ten-year-old Beryl. Hannah was wearing a blue denim waistcoat over a black and white striped top, and black leggings tucked into brown Ugg boots. By contrast, Beryl was wearing a long grey cardigan over a white dress with yellow flowers, and knee length brown fabric boots.

“Do… Do as he say, girls,” she whispered as the woman held her sons by her. Sammy was four, and Zach three, both of them wearing jeans and brown shoes. Sammy was wearing a green and black checked shirt, and Zach a black fleece top.

The man then came over with the bag, and took more cords out before he made sur the girls both had their ankles secured together, and then their legs below their knees, before he handed two lengths of cord over to the girl. She then bound Sammy and Zach’s wrists together in front of them, before she lifted them up and placed Sammy on Beryl’s lap, then Zach on Hannah’s.

“Thank you girls – put your arms round your brothers and hold them tight now,” the woman said, both of them doing just that as her partner made sure their wrists were secured together as well, and then bound the ankles and legs of the two boys.
“Look at me Mummy,” Zach said, “Hannah’s hugging me.”

“So I see,” Zoe said as she tried to smile – and ten she had to watch as strips of brown sticking plaster were pressed down over the mouths of her children – and then she was gagged in the same way, forced to watch as the room was ransacked, and praying her children would not panic. She had seen that old film.

“If you struggle, you’ll puke, and if you puke…”



“The same couple.”

“The same couple – they tied the mother up, then the daughters, then the sons as the daughters held them. Their grandmother found them all an hour later.”

“What they must have been thinking…”

“At least they stayed calm – I just hope if they hit another family, and there is a genuine issue, they take account of that…”

Thursday

“Please, no – they’re asthmatics, they need their inhalers.”

Lesley’s eyes were wide as she looked at her two children. Brian was four years old, and was wearing a tartan shirt over a grey t-shirt, jeans and blue sandshoes, while seven-year-old Zandra was wearing a denim jacket over a grey dress, white tights and tan short boots. The two children were sat back-to-back on the floor, their hands secured together at their wrists behind their backs, and rope holding them together round their stomachs. Their ankles were also tied tightly together, as well as their legs below their knees – but the reason their mother was upset was that they were both coughing and trying to breathe.

The young woman looked at Lesley, and said “where are they?”

“Kitchen - white box, the masks are in there as well, she said as she twisted on her side on the couch.” She was wearing a white cardigan over a black top, and jeans tucked into knee length tan leather boots - but her own hand were secured together behind her back with ropes, as well as ropes round her arm sand body, her ankles and legs.

As the young woman stood up and walked out of the room, she looked at her children and said “I know you’re scared – I’m scared too – but remember what the doctor said to you. Try to calm down and take deep breathes – the lady has gone to get your medicine, and you will feel better after you have a few doses.”

They looked over as Zandra said “it’s tight Mummy.”

“I know – it’s tight for me too – but you need to be brave for all of us,” Lesley said as the young woman came back with a clear lozenge shaped chamber that had a face mask on one end, and a brown inhaler. Shaking it, she put the mask over Brian’s face and fitted the inhaler into the hole on the other side of the chamber, pressing down and holding it there as the young boy breathed in and out. She took the inhaler out, shook it and then replaced it before pressing down for a second time, the young boy calming down as he stopped coughing.

“Thank you,” he whispered as she then put the mask over Zandra’s mouth, the young girl visibly relaxing as she inhaled the medicine. The young woman brushed her long light brown hair away from her face, before she said “do you promise you will both keep quiet?”

As they nodded, Lesley sighed, then saw the man as he came in.

“The kids panicked, but they’re going to be quiet,” the woman said as he walked over and looked at Lesley, then peeled away from inside his jacket a length of white tape.

“Mummy will be quiet, won’t she,” he said as he pressed the tape down over her lips, and then they both left the family, Lesley watching her children as she tried to pick at the ropes round her wrists…

“Whoever this is, they almost had a tragedy on their hands – are we any closer to identifying who they may be?”

“Not at this time – but we have a good description of them now. Young, casually dressed – we will find them…”

Friday

The four chairs were arranged facing each other, the evening meal still on the table. They had come in and forced the family to move the chairs away at gunpoint – the young man in the fitted suit, white shirt, dark tie and dark glasses, the young woman wearing a black leather dress and knee length felt boots.

Then they had been told to sit in the chairs with their hands on their heads, the woman covering them with her gun as her partner started with the grandfather. He was wearing a grey fleece over a blur t-shirt, jeans and black trainers, but the man had pulled his hands behind the back of the chair and tied his wrists together before securing them to the chair back. He had then tied his ankles to the front legs of the chair, before wrapping rope round his waist and the chair back. A wide strip of black tape had then been pressed down over his mouth, followed by two more.

The man then took the gun as his partner dealt with the grandmother. She was wearing a grey sweater, purple pants and black ankle boots, and she talked to the other two constantly as her wrists were secured and her body to the chair back, before he knelt down and bound her ankles together, then took them to the side and secured them to the chair leg before he secured her legs together below her knees as well.

She told them to be brave before her mouth was sealed over with black tape, and then he took the gun back as his partner looked at the twelve-year-old boy. He was wearing a green long sleeved top, jeans and black trainers, but he offered no resistance as she guided his hands between the slats in the chair back, tied his wrists together and then secured them to the centre spar, and then tied his upper body to the chair. She then knelt down and secured his ankles together, as well as his legs below his knees, and then pulled his feet under the chair before securing the rope to the chair back as well.

Watching this was his nine-year-old sister, who was seated in the last seat, wearing a mustard-coloured corduroy dungaree dress over a long sleeved patterned top. Ad purple tights with no shoes. She swung her legs to and for as she watched the lady put black tape over her brother’s mouth, and then realized the man had taken her hands through the chair back as well, and tied her wrists together before he forced her against the chair back with a longer rope.

As she knelt down, she looked up and smiled before she wound the rope round the young girl’s ankles and secured them together, then another length round her legs below her knees before she swung her legs up and down – then felt the tape over her mouth as it silenced her.

“Sorry we interrupted the Sabbath dinner,” the woman said as she stood up, “but you have so many valuable things we want for ourselves. Enjoy this time of quiet reflection and prayer.”

“Uhbhsthrrdsss…”

“Please,” the man said as he looked in the grandfather’s eyes, “such language in front of the grandchildren? Consider your sins…”



“This is getting beyond a joke!”

“I agree sir, but they have proven – elusive. Somehow, I do not think they are just going to call on one of us.”

“That would be different, would it not?”

“Yes Sir…”

Saturday

“There now – do they look as if they are unhappy?”

“No – but they look scared…”

“Well they take your example – so show it,” the man said as he pulled the rope round Fiona’s wrists, forcing them together behind her back as she sat on the couch. She grunted and then looked across to where her three sons were sitting on the floor, looking over at her.

They had been about to go shopping when he had walked in and held them at gunpoint. Andrew was eight years old, and was wearing a black and white striped t-shirt, jeans and trainers. Dan was six, and had on a checked short sleeved shirt and denim shorts, with black ankle socks and flat shoes, while four-year-old Jack had on a pair of dungarees over a white polo shirt, as well as his one white socks and brown shoes.

She knew who he was as soon as she had seen him – she and her supervisor had spent the week following his exploits – so when he told her she was going to tie her sons up, she told them all it was going to be a game. If it worked for the Games Players, it might work for them – a little.

She started with Jack – he handed her a long rope, and she made a lasso before putting it over his head and pulling his arms against his sides. She had then tied his wrists together in front of him, and then to his legs as he bent them, before she tied the end round her ankles and secured it as tightly as she could.

She then did the same to Dan, and then to Andrew, before he had made her sit down and was now tying her up, the rope going round her arms and forcing them against her sides as well. She was wearing a denim romper shorts set with short sleeves, and knee length brown biker boots with a floral motif on the side – boots which squeaked as he knelt down and pulled her ankles tightly together, and then her legs below her knees.

“Lie down, get comfortable.”

“Be brave – we will try to get free when he has gone,” she said as she lay down, her head on the armrest as he peeled a length of white tape from the roll and pressed it down over her lips. She tried to speak, with no success, as he gagged each of her sons in turn, and then left them alone. She could hear him searching round upstairs, tying to remember as many details as she could, to report back…

As he came back in, he smiled as he said “enjoy your day – my friend is visiting your boss as well. We do like to end our visit on a high…”











As she held her baby boy in his arms, watching him drink from the bottle, she tried not to look at the woman who was pointing the gun at her.

“All right – I haven’t hurt you, have I?”

“No Daddy,” Paula said as she looked at her father. She had her blonde hair in a ponytail, held in place by a blue ribbon tied with a bow, and lifted her legs up and down as she looked at the ropes round her ankles and below her legs. She was wearing a blue wool cardigan, blue jeans, and red sandals over white socks, but her hands were secured together behind her back, and there were ropes round her arms and stomach.

“Is Ford all right?”

His wife looked up and nodded, then looked at the baby boy, who had a blue neckerchief on over his blue jumper and pants. She herself was wearing a blue denim blouse, and a long blue skirt with old scuffed burgundy leather boots – boots which had rope tied round them at her ankles, and also below her knees as well.

“You did a good job, daddy,” the woman said as she looked at him, Ford burping and smiling as he detached himself from the bottle, and then smiling as his mother winded him. “Take him, help him to sleep now.”

Nodding, he took his son from his wife’s arms and rocked him gently, as the woman went behind her back and pulled her arms back, forcing him to watch as she bound her wrists together behind her back, and hen wrapped ropes round her arms and upper body to secure her further.

Walking round, she looked at the baby boy as his eyes slowly closed, his father kissing his forehead as he laid him in a car seat – and then grunting as she began to bind his wrists and arms.

“Why hit this area anyway?”

“Why not – but the added bonus of you and your deputy was too good to resist. We’ve watched you visit those we have visited – so you get a taste of it as well.”

“Wonderful,” he sighed as the ropes forced his arms against his sides, opening up the black gilet he was wearing over a blue shirt, and then he sat down and watched as the intruder walked over and lay his daughter down so her head was on her mother’s lap.

“They have done this all week?”

“I’m afraid so,” he said quietly as he heard a ripping sound, and then saw the brown sticking plaster over both their mouths as the woman walked over.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” she said quietly as she bound his legs, and then gagged him as well, before leaving them to wonder what had just happened…