Croonford Detectives Case 41: Revenge 2.0
Author’snote: Chelle’s capture restraints and gag are loosely based on Happy ValleySeason 1, Episode 1, The Disappearance of Alice Creed,Bloedlink,Kidnapping Stella and the musicvideo Hidden Away. However, there’s no nudity here.
Thecharacters of Katy, Amanda and Louisa are those ofWaistknot used with hispermission.
On GCSE resultsday, all graduating Year 11s were naturally full of anxiety. Paper results werereleased by surname alphabetically. Mark got 9 in English and Sports Scienceand 9s and 8s in the remaining subjects. He was elated as this meant keepingthe sports scholarship he was granted.
“How on earthdid I get 8 for Physics?!” Lin exclaimed as she stared at that number amongstthe rest of the 9s. “I studied so had!” She ran to apologise to her Physicsteacher who simply said there was nothing to apologise for. Her boyfriendhugged her but trembled with his exam results approaching.
Chellegrimaced, seeing she received an 8 in History but relieved all others were at9. Minutes later, Jenn opened her exam folder and jumped after seeing she got 9for all subjects. Richard patted her back although he was anxious to discoverwhether he would score higher or lower than her. Reinhard pulled out his resultslip and saw he got 8 for English. “Well, we’re even,” he told his girlfriend.Richard frown, seeing he got an 8 in Maths, making Jen the academicallysmartest girl detective. Furthermore, she received both the top EnglishLiterature prize and top Year 11 prize from Principal Homerton.
Chelle choseEnglish, History and Economics. Lin still chose Physics, Chemistry and Biology.Jenn went for four subjects: English Literature, History, Drama and TheatreStudies and Politics. Mark naturally went for Sports Science again, English andBusiness. Reinhard went for Physics, Computer Science and German. Richardfollowed Jenn but did not pick Drama and Theatre. These choices placed Chelle,Jenn and Richard in 12A although they would attend separate lectures for theirdifferent choices. Reinhard would join Lin in the Science-focused class, 12Bwhile Mark was allocated to 12C for Sports.
As the twoscience teens walked to their class, Reinhard spoke up. “I went to the doctor’sonce we returned from Frankenberg. I’ve Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome.”
Her eyeswidened. “Is that serious?”
“Well, it canbe operated on. But I’m in a queue for that and hoping for it operated on bynext week. I’m excused from all rigorous physical activities for now.”
“I’ll be withyou for this,” she declared.
Across town, asinister meeting was on.
“So, are weclear about the plan?” The deep voice asked.
“Are you sureshe walks that route and there’s barely any vehicles and pedestrians there?”
“She will.Number Two, scouted out the area for two weeks, Number Three. Have you got allthe tools ready?
He opened thebag and besides the usual gear was a compact handheld stun gun.
Chelle enjoyedher Year 12 subject lectures and individual classes. She continued to join theMedia and Literature club and passed over the vice-president role but acceptthe senior reporter position. Louisa Grant the president, required Chelle tohead to the west of Croonford to find news of a newbuilding a publish it in the school’s student newspaper. School finished at3:30 pm and by 3:35 she was headed westwards in comfortable socks and trainers.She was listening to a Jamiroquai song on her iPod when a loud voice called.
“Sorry, miss, I’mnew here. Which way to the town centre?”
“It’s that...”An arm pressed an object was pressed against her neck and after three secondsChelle collapsed into the arms of the man asking and the one who stunned her.They dragged her just across the pedestrian path into the back of a black vanwith black canvas covered all over. The captors handcuffed the seventeen-year-oldhands behind her back, the cuff chain held to a metal D-ring just screwed toone side.
“Get her really secure. Then stun last only around five minutes,”Number One called from the driver’s seat.
Number Two andThree quickly secured her ankles with cable ties and despite being unconscious,they slapped a long piece of black tape over her lips and wrapped her head in abreathable hood. The drive was not long and soon they parked in a deep undergroundplace. Chelle was conscious again and moaned through the gag and hood. Two ofthem held their grip on her while the leader unlocked a series of bolts anddoors. Chelle was flung on a rough bed with plastic sheets. Number Three pulledaway her shoes and socks, cut away her ankle bonds but locked each ankle toseparate cuffs at the edge of the footboard.
The othersswiftly uncuffed her wrists and her right arm was yanked up, cuffed again toanother ring drilled to the headboard. Her left arm was treated similarly, thus the poor schoolgirl was restrained in aspreadeagle position. Chelle’s gag cries grew louder so they peeled off onesection and stuffed a cloth in her mouth. As she was held down, Number Oneproduced heavy-duty shears and started cutting away her school trousers. Chellestruggled in response but the fetters and the hands of the others. Her trouserscame off easily revealing her sky blue knickers. I’mgoing to be sexually assaulted, Chelle thought and tried struggling harder.That was not the case as the leader instead cut away her blazer again withease. Next removed was her blouse, exposing her white bra and after all thepieces were discarded in a bin bag, they put on balaclava hoods.
Yanking offChelle’s hood, large papers were placed close to her. ‘YOU CAN’T ESCAPE NOW,”the first read in large caps. “TRY TO GET LOOSE, WE’LL KNOW AND MAKE YOUR LIFEWORSE.WE WON’T RELEASE YOU IF YOU PEE. IF YOU WANT TO DO 2, SIGNAL Number Oneshowed a V-sign. Chelle cried, but the hood was tied back this time, the roomlights switched off and the door was bolted and locked up.
“That wasamazing!” The captors remarked simultaneously. They shared bottles of beer asNumber One removed her mobile phone’s battery and SIM card.The latter was crushed and the men changed their changes. “We’re goingto dispose of all this, “ Number One announced. “Youstay here.” He pointed to Number Three.
“Do I check onher?”
“You got to becrazy! She’s chained, down to her undies, hooded, locked in a room like a bankvault. At most, there’s the CCTV screen to look. But don’t keep it on; it’srunning on batteries.”
“Mark, do youknow where your girlfriend is? She was supposed to cook dinner.” Chelle’syounger sister Kate asked.
The answer wasno.
“Are youdetectives on another case? Or is she on her own?”
Mark was now really worried. Saying goodbye, he placed a group WhatsAppcall to the other teen detectives. Lin, Reinhard and Richard had no idea butJenn saw her entering the room where the Media and Literature club was held andChelle headed out via the back gate. “We’ve got to talk to Louisa tomorrow.Chelle can’t just disappear again,” Lin concluded.
Number Threetore off his fake moustache and occasionally checked his phone with mobile dataas there was no Wi-Fi in the room. He turned back towards the locked door. Theplan wasn’t kidnapping, so he wouldn’t get any ‘bread’ - Cockney slang formoney - not one quid. Yet he agreed to join his mates. Curious, he switched onthe night CCTV screen that had night vision capability and stared. Chelle wasn’tstruggling much or calling out through her stuff gag. He watched intensely thensuddenly a dark stain appeared on the crotch area of her knickers and despitethe lack of sound, he knew she was moaning. The spot grew larger and also wet the plastic-covered bed. Not wanting to watchthe digesting scene, he turned it off.
Minutes later,the others returned, bringing back a pizza.
“What happened?”Number One asked, noting the look on his friend’s face.
“She pissedherself.”
Number Oneswitched on and slyly smiled. “The plan is proceeding perfectly. Let’s have acelebratory dinner.” The trio at in silence then as Number Three was down tohis last slice, he suggested they should give Chelle food.
“Not a bloodychance. You turning into a softie?”
“Keeping herhungry might...”
Number Onenearly struck his colleague until Number Two said they were to humiliate not toget her sick. “You buy the food,” he pointed at the third captor. “But nothingheavy, we don’t want her to mess herself today.”
Number Threewent to a Tesco Express, picking a chicken and mushroom pot noodle. “Your debitcard doesn’t work, do you have notes?” The cashierasked. He dug out older versions of pound notes but came short by five pencewhich the cashier accepted. She glanced at his anxious look and through thestore CCTV, dumped the receipt in the rubbish bin outside. He was made to spoonfeed their captive and after a discussion with the leader, Chelle was allowedto sip some water from a squeeze bottle. All this was performed with the roomlights off and Number Three using a head torchlight.
Mark couldn’tsleep well that night even with an early morning lecture. Neither could Chellewith her arms sore from the strain of the cuffs and her knickers wet. The tasteof the pot noodle along with the cloth still lingered in her mouth and it wasdry. They lowered the temperature of the room, which added more torture. Whothe hell are these captors? What do they want? I will get out of this fast, shetold herself.
“I just senther to inspect the new building they just built and opened. The one towards thewest. She left just when school ended, saw her change into her trainers,”Louisa told the remaining teen detectives sans Reinhard.
“Someone orsome people definitely took her. Her sister said herparents didn’t receive any ransom demands and are worried sick. They’ve alreadycalled the police,” Mark said.
The policeindeed arrived after school hours led by Bluebell Ransom, now a DetectiveInspector. Louisa and the teen detectives, inspectedthe back gate then the Forensic Scene Investigators {FSI) were deployed alongthe route to the new building. The FSI leader gave his report. “Ma’am, there’snothing of interest to bag. Must have been the weather, pedestrians andvehicles. We can attempt again tomorrow.” DI Ransom nodded. No case was everthat straightforward but this one concerned one of the town’s most famous girldetectives.
That girldetective was fed a simple breakfast of bread and water in almost darkness andafterwards the masked captors placed ice cubes wrapped in pieces of cloth onvarious areas of her bare skin. These were on her arms, cleavage, upper thighsnear her crotch and even her face. Within minutes, Celle felt chilly and waterseeping down her cleavage and thighs. The trio suddenly increased the room’sthermostat causing Chelle to struggle and yelp with the sudden change intemperature. ‘DON’T LIKE?’ Number One heled up a sign with those word printedin bold. She didn’t react even with the torch nearly blinding her.
Suddenly, shefelt something with four legs crawling up one of her legs. The lizard reachedher wet knickers and stooped, then crawled over the waist band. Chelle tensedup, hoping the creature won’t cawl into her knickers. After nearly a minute,the lizard crawled up her lizard stomach, nearly tickling her navel. It reachedthe lower part of her cleavage, then Chelle gave a gagged cry as the creaturecrawled onto first her right bra cup, rested, then crawled across her cleavageonto her other bra cup. Chelle now lightly struggling against the fetters andher fetters and her gag cries were louder. After some laughter by Number Oneand Two, the creature was removed but Chelle’s eyes widen as the leader pickedup another reptile: a snake.
As Chelle facedthe snake slithering up her body, Lin found Reinhard sitting on a bench.
“Any update onyour surgery?”
“Yes, it’ll betomorrow or at least Monday afternoon. They will perform what’s called acatheter ablation.” Lin raised her eyes in a questionable look. He brought up awebsite and explained. “An electrophysiologist will insert flexible cathetersinto my blood vessels, usually either in the femoralvein then the catheters are advanced towards the heart. The catheters haveelectrodes mapping the abnormal pathways causing the abnormal heartbeat. Theelectrodes will deliver energy to destroy the abnormal tissue that is causingthe irregular heartbeat. Or they might use electroporation,” he scrolled downto let her read. “They say the former method is extremely effective,” heconcluded.
“Wow, it soundscomplex. Hope they can operate soon. “ Lin’s phonebuzzed. “I’ve got meet the others.”
“Use myforensic kit if you have to,” he called.
“Alright,Chelle is clearly taken for no hostage demands, so far no ransom demand thoughthe police are tapping the Summers’ home and mobile phones,” Jenn summarised.
“We need tocheck that path Chelle walked down, the police forensic team is already thereand we need to look at that new building Louisa sent her to..” Lin added.
“Hopefully, wecan find my girlfriend through this,” Mark softly remarked. They split up withLin and Mark heading to investigate that path while Jenn and Richard headed tothat specific building. The former team reached their destination first andwere lucky as the FSI team left and the police cordon was removed. The two teendetectives searched the area intensively for an hour, finding nothing ofinterest.
“They won’t letus inside the new building,” Jenn called halfway. “It’s occupied by a securitycompany.”
“They sell securityequipment to businesses that require such items. Vault doors for banks,padlocks and combination locks and CCTV cameras that can work in low-lightconditions. Nothing illegal about it though the building is all black,” Richardadded, sending over an image.
Mark nudged Linand saw the very minute black scrap of paint blowed out by the wind. Lin pickedit up with disposable gloves After taking pictures of it, she called the CIDheadquarters and DI Ransom picked it up, annoyed that the FSI team didn’t spotit.
Number Threesat again alone in the outer room now disturbed by what his mates did to theirvictim. He was fine with the ice cube play but didn’t expect them to let alizard and snake crawl across her body. He didn’t know what the end game was ashe was never told, knowing he’ll be stuck and likely arrested. Partly due tohis disagreement, he turned on the CCTV screen. Chelle was frantically waving aV-sign using fingers from her right hand. Knowing that none of them would likea messy and smelly room, he grabbed the nearby bucket and roll of toilet paperand entered the room. The spreadeagled teen continued to signal even as heflashed his torchlight on the bucket. Number Three quickly unlocked thehandcuffs on her left wrist, her ankle bonds and signalled her to use thebucket.
Chelle insteadmoaned ‘toilet’ but he shook his head. This disagreement continued twice untilhe relented, locking her wrists behind her back, marching her out by coveringher with an older X26P taser. Chelle naturally moved slowly and unsteadilyafter being locked for hours in metal chains. Thetoilet wasn’t that clean and one of her wrists was handcuffed to a metal barthey installed. Again, he gestured her to do her business and she told him toturn around.
Just as he wasgoing to, she kicked a nearby toilet brush holder, striking one of his shoes.Even with her muscles still numb, she kicked him in the balls, making him cry,bending and hold his crotch. In the process, the fat captor dropped to hisknees, also dropping the taser. The girl detective grabbed it, tearing off hergag with the handcuffed hand and shouted.
“Give me thehandcuff keys!”
That pudgy guystood up and shook his masked head.
“Give me thekeys or I’ll shoot!”
He stayedsilent and Chelle fired but nothing came out. “Haha!” He shouted for the firsttime and lunged at her. It was a short struggle but he managed wrenched backthe conducted energy device but she managed to yank off most of his balaclava.
“You! One ofthose students trying to blow up the old chem lab and me! Why you doing this to me?!”
He didn’tanswer immediately then spoke up in his Cockney accent. “Look, it’s the others’idea of taking revenge on you. I was roped in to this scheme.”
“Cutting off myclothes, letting met wet myself, giving me ice cube torture and lettingreptiles crawl over my body, that’s not revenge! Release me and I’ll put in agood word for you.”
“That’s not goin’ to happen.” He did feel a little relieved she wouldprovide a supporting statement. “Thought you needed to use the loo.” Chellelied and he told her to re-gag herself though the adhesive was a little weakand taped lopsided. With a battery loaded, her wrists were cuffed behind herback. In the ‘cell’, he allowed her to rub her limbs before he restrained herto the bed. Just he patted her in a sign of encouragement, the main doorsnapped open.
The FSI teamwas still analysing the chip of paint Lin found and DI Ransom alerted nearbypolice forces on Chelle’s disappearance and possible kidnapping. With theirfriend still not found, the others turned to their own activities. Lin wasreading her A-level chemistry book when Reinhard notified her he was analysingundergoing surgery that Sunday morning. Mark had a rugby team meeting. Jenn andRichard travelled to Birmingham, to pick up literature texts and visit musicshops.
Just as theywere at the Shakespeare section, Jenn heard someone call her name. Behind themwere Katy Liggott, Amanda and Louisa Butterfield, theyounger detectives she met a Christmas a while back. As the bookstore requiredsilence, they made their purchases and outside, Jenn introduced her boyfriendto the girl detectives.
“So, how’reother Croonford girls?” Katy asked.
Jenn answered thatLin was worried about her sick boyfriend and Chelle was missing with only aminute piece of paint as evidence.
“Black paint? Idon’t if it’s a coincidence but I spotted a black van accelerating pass myurban geography class field visit,” Amanda added as she held down the hem ofher dress. “It was near the Tyseley Energy from WastePlant.”
“My friend whoworks in a Tesco Express near where Amanda’s class was encountered a fat ladunable to pay five pence more for the pot noodles he bought, threw the receiptfast and ran away, Louisa added. “Don’t think it’s related to Michelle’sdisappearance, but that area has isn’t crime-free.”
Jenn andRichard decided to head there as they has sometime before their train wouldarrive.
In theunderground room, Number Three, mentally and psychically attacked by Number Onefor letting their captive out of the room. After staying silent for aroundthirty minutes, he had to help the others lift a large rectangular crate intovictim’s chamber.
“You stayoutside,” the leader growled to his fat colleague. Number Three did but leftthe ajar to listen. He heard the box open. Next, something was pushedunderneath the bed and through open gap, he saw them raise a series of cards asusual but this time, she screamed loudly through her tape gag after the lastcard was raised.
“What was itthe crate? What made her scream?” he asked twice as Number Two secured thelarge door.
“What we shouldhave done properly back then. One move she is blown to bits!”
“That’s murder!I don’t want to...” Number One slammed him hard against the nearby wall andphysically assaulting him, insulting him with names like ‘fat prick’. NumberTwo joined in and quickly their disloyal friend. One he was knockedunconscious, they locked up in the same room as Chelle and Number One suggestedthey prepare to get away.
“Hey, the poweris on in that old residential flat is on. It wasn’t when my class passed by,”Amanda pointed as they exited the Tesco Express.
“It’s the oneslated for demolition?” Louisa asked. “The city council hasn’t decided, “wasthe answer.
“Well, someoneis there. Footprints leading out towards the Tesco and oh, there are thefaintest tyre tracks I’ve ever seen,” Katy nodded towards those tracks andfootprints.” There was a silent discussion, and Jenn and Richard followed,amazed how inquisitive these girl detectives were. Before all could cross theroad, a black van darted out from that building and drove away.
“That van didhave a chipped area...that does match the piece Lin picked up,” Richard, theone with photographic memory declared.
Knowing Chellecould be in there, they rushed forward but all entrances appeared locked. “There’sone,” Katy pointed at the small door. “I’m small enough to enter.”
“You need this tocommunicate with us,” Jenn handed over her wireless radio
earpiece thatLin made for all the teen detectives. After fifteen minutes, Katy radioed backexcitedly. I’m in a two-room area in the basement. The inner room is sealedwith a thick door like those for bank vaults but I can hear soft sounds inside.”
The policearrived after much persuasion and the door was cut away. The injured NumberThree was helped but the officer gasped. “Thee’s an IED here! We need Expo!”
Expo meant apolice EOD operator and Helen Barkson, Croonford’sskilled Expo arrived as other were busy. Approaching in her bomb suit, shepeeled off Chelle’s gag. Even with a dry throat, she told Helen what she knewabout the device. “Alright, hold on.” The device was quite complex but after aclose inspection, she isolated the various power sources, slowly removed thetrigger and placed the explosives in a seal box. The two captors were caught asRichard recalled part of the van’s licence plate. Lin and Mark rushed over withthe former also bringing news that Reinhard’s surgery was successful. Numers One and Two, real names Lucas Malton and RonSedgefield were given life imprisonment for abduction and attempted murder.
Number Three orJon Wakefield got seven years with parole granted due to Chelle’s statement.The new office building in Croonford supplied thethick door, locks and CCTV for the three captors and the owner, along with hisbrother who made the IED, were also charged.
“Thanks a lotfor helping to find me,” Chelle treated Katy, Amanda and Louisa to a meal. “Ifnot, I’ll be blown to pieces.”
“You’rewelcome!” Came the simultaneous reply.
Michelle,Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark, Reinhard and Richard will return in a case title notyet determined.
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