Sara and the Dramatic Date Night

The Herringford Glen leisure complex was only completed a few years ago, but it’s become one of the pleasure hotspots for Herringford, Carrington and other surrounding towns. There’s a swimming pool, some five a side football pitches and a load of restaurants among other things. Yet right in the middle of the development, positioned between a bowling alley, a cinema and a tapas restaurant, was an ugly, concrete building left over from when the area was an industrial estate. It wasn’t demolished because it was owned by military intelligence, and given the huge amount of security it employed, everyone assumed what it housed was extremely important.

    This is the story of the night when it was subjected to a very unusual break in


First Strike Bowling Alley – 8:00pm

“Three strikes in a row!” trumpeted Harriet in triumph, punching the air and bouncing about in celebration as her perfectly aimed bowling ball sent the pins flying.

    Kavita harrumphed in frustration, before asking, “Was it Harriet’s idea to go bowling by any chance?”

   “No, she wanted to go paintballing,” I answered. “Basically it was a choice between this, or being stalked through the forest by Harriet wielding an offensive weapon.”

    Kavita gave me a knowing smile and answered, “Good call Sara.”

    Suddenly my brown hair was playfully ruffled by Harriet as she sat down beside me. “You’ll be needing at least a spare to keep up with me boss.”

    I got to my feet and found a suitable bowling ball, took the run up and let it fly. At first it looked good, dead central. But at the last second it veered off course and, to my irritation, I ended up with another split. I could almost feel the smugness radiating off of Harriet. I’m not especially competitive, but I really wanted to beat Harriet, who could verge on the insufferable when she was winning.

    It was just the three of us playing. Everyone else was on a date night, so we’d decided to have a single ladies evening. Nothing special, just a night at the bowling alley for some drinks and some giggles. As a result neither of us had dressed particularly glamorously. Kavita was wearing a blue floral print casual dress and leggings, the Indian descended girl with her long dark hair held in a plait. Harriet was wearing her favourite green jacket over a dark T-shirt with jeans, her long red hair falling onto her shoulders. I was also in a pair of jeans with old faithful red hoodie, my brown hair held back in a ponytail.

    But I found myself regretting my casual attire when our food was brought over by a very attractive man who looked to be a year or so older than me. He had a very tanned complexion, bushy brown hair which just covered his ears and sparkling brown eyes. Even the hideous purple polo top and cream trousers he had to wear for his uniform didn’t detract from his general attractiveness. “So who’s for the plain burger with no faff on it?” he asked as plonked the plate down.

    “That’ll be me,” I blurted more than answered. “Sometimes you just have to eat something simple.”

    “I agree. Can’t beat a good old fashioned…Excuse me, aren’t you Sara Philips?”

    “Yep, that’s me. What gave me away?”

    “The hoodie actually,” he smiled. “You were wearing it in that picture printed in the press when you solved the mystery of the vanishing racing pigeons.”

    “Yeah me and this hoodie have been through a lot,” I answered. “But I do wear other things though.”

     Harriet, who had noticed I had entered flirt mode, couldn’t help interject, “I can tell you first hand that she looks damn fine in a dress and heels.” I closed my eyes, feeling my face turn the reddish colour of the bowling ball I’d been using, even as Harriet continued to tease me. “Also, you should know that she loves cheesy action films, she’s partial to a glass of sauvignon blanc…oh, and how could I forget that she’s single at the moment?”

   “Isn’t it your turn to bowl Harriet?” I said through clenched teeth.

    The man merely laughed and said, “Well great to get to know you a little better…actually I finish my shift in thirty minutes. Would you like to meet up for another chat then?”

    “Er…well I…OK then!” I eventually spluttered in amazement.

    “Great, I’ll see you outside the staff entrance. Enjoy your burger.” With that he moved away to finish his shift, leaving me to sit down feeling definitively stunned while Harriet grinned at me. “If only all dates were that easy to arrange,” she smiled.

    “It’s hardly a date Harriet,” I answered sharply. “He just wants to chat.”

    “Will you be going all googly eyed again when having that chat?”

    “Come on, I barely know the guy. I don’t even know his name.”

     Harriet merely shrugged at me. “Doesn’t have to be a serious relationship. Just go have a good time with him, and maybe indulge in a bit of tomfoolery before you decide to…”

   “Split!” Kavita howled as the seven and ten pins remained upright following her first bowl.

     I tried to avoid the subject for the rest of our game. Believe me, I’m not that easily swayed onto going onto dates with blokes I don’t know. But Harriet would not let it go, neither would Kavita when she found out. So after some serious pestering, and given the fact that he was quite dishy, I relented. After our game ended I ran back to hand in my bowling shoes, wrestled to put on my pair of red high top converse, before I ran out the building to where he said he’d meet me.

   He was already waiting for me, and raising his hand in greeting he said, “Thanks for coming.”

  “That’s OK, I can never resist a man who wants a mystery chat,” I told him.

   Smiling knowingly he answered, “So it would seem. You see that building over there?”

   He nodded in the direction of the concrete building just across from the bowling alley. “Yeah it’s run by the military or something. They wouldn’t move when the rest of the complex was built right?” I said.

    Mysteriously the man said, “What if I was to tell you that the schematics for a secret new military jet are hidden inside that building and are worth a small fortune?”

    Detecting that this conversation had steered firmly away from romantic matters I said, “Why would it matter if that was the case?”

    “What if I was to tell you that right at this moment a group of criminals are planning to break inside this building by tunnelling up from underneath it?”

    That piqued my interest. “Why, is that actually happening? Who’s trying to do that?”

    With a wry smile, the handsome man placed his hand on the staff door and said, “We are.”

    He pushed open the door, and I was greeted by the sight of Harriet and Kavita in the grip of men far more muscular then regular bowling alley attendants. Their hands had been pinned behind them and their attacker’s hands were clamped over their mouths, garbling their furious and angry protests.

    Suddenly the handsome man grabbed me by my forearm and said forebodingly, “If you know what’s good for you Sara, you’ll come inside without much of a fuss.”

   ‘Boy Sara, you sure do pick them,’ I thought with a mixture of glumness and anger as I was frogmarched back into the bowling alley, the door swinging shut behind me.


Silver Screen Cinema – 8:00pm

“You sure we can’t tempt you girls into seeing the latest superhero movie?” James asked.

    “Come on, you know you want to see muscled men in skin tight spandex saving the day right?” seconded Simon.

     Abigail looked at Felicity. Felicity looked at Abigail. Then together they both frowned at their boyfriends. “If you’re going to treat us to double date, then you should be gentlemen and let us choose the film,” Felicity informed them.

    “OK, but if there’s no explosions I’m demanding my money back,” James told her as he approached the snack counter. “A small bag of salted popcorn please.”

    “Not salted, get sweet instead!” Abigail interjected.

    “Oh in that case, best make it an extra-large bag of salted then,” James said with a smirk. He then couldn’t contain his laughs as his girlfriend squealed in protest.

    Simon and Felicity joined them at the counter as they chose their snacks. It was the first time both the Swann sisters had had a boyfriend to take out at the same time, so they decided to make the most of the novelty and go on a double date. The blonde haired sisters had dressed down, or about as dressed down as they got. Abigail wore a green halter top with denim hotpants, black flat pumps and expensive patterned nylons, while Felicity wore a sleeveless white blouse, tight fitting dark jeans and black high heels. Both the dark haired James and brown haired, stubble faced Simon wore coloured shirts with jeans and trainers, and they all huddled together at the counter as they prepared for a pleasant evening watching a cheesy movie.

   But the spotty faced man at the counter took a long hard look at Felicity before saying, “You’re that PI aren’t you? The one in the papers?”

   “That would be me,” Felicity replied politely.

    She and the others got a pleasant surprise when the spotty man said, “Wow you are like, amazing. All the things you’ve done, it’s really incredible.”

    “Sure is!” Simon answered as he reached into his pocket for his wallet. “How much do we owe you?”

    “Oh I couldn’t possibly charge someone so heroic,” the man said with a broad smile. “In fact, here, have something fizzy on the house!”

    “Oh that’s not necessary, really!” Felicity tried telling him as he placed four cups underneath the soda taps. But the spotty man was not to be deterred. Soon all four of them had their complimentary drinks and popcorn and were being directed to the usher guarding the cinema screens.

   “It’s at screen eleven, just around the corner on your left,” this usher told them all.

    Confused, Abigail asked, “Er, it says on the tickets it’s at screen four?”

   “Last minute change, the projector in four’s on the blink.”

    Not querying further, the four lovebirds made their way to screen eleven. They were the only ones present inside. Felicity found it odd that a recently released film would have barely any viewers, particularly one with such favourable reviews. What she also found odd was her drink, which tasted a little peculiar for a Diet Coke. Still as she settled into her seat and felt the arm of Simon place itself around her shoulder, she began to relax.

    “Shame Rachel didn’t want to come and make this a triple date,” James remarked.

    “Well she and Chris had other plans…It’s probably best that they…do what they…” Abigail began to say before she trailed off due to her uncontrollable yawning which came out of nowhere, her blue eyes repeatedly blinking as she tried to stay awake.

     She wasn’t the only one struggling to stay awake. James was shaking his head trying to stave off his sleepiness, while Felicity felt Simon’s arm relax as he dropped off to sleep. Felicity too was feeling overwhelmingly tired, like a switch had been flicked in her mind. Only then did she realise why their complimentary drinks had tasted funny. They’d been drugged!

   As to her right Abigail and James succumbed to sleepiness Felicity, with her mind foggy and her limbs weak, fished her mobile phone out of her pocket intending to call me for help. She had my number on speed dial and she quickly made the call, knowing I was at the nearby bowling alley and would be able to come to their rescue. ‘Come on Sara, where are you?’ she thought as her eyelids become intolerably heavy. But I didn’t answer, and by the time she got to my voicemail she had joined Abigail, James and Simon in a deep, impenetrable sleep.


Costa Tapas Restaurant – 8:00pm

“Explain again why I can’t have a burger?” Chris asked as he stared at the menu in confusion.

    “Have you really never been a tapas restaurant before?” Rachel giggled. Seeing the bemused expression on her boyfriend’s face she explained, “We order two or three smaller dishes and we mix and match, sharing them between us.”

    Chris raised his eyebrow at her. “What if you order something I don’t like?”

   “Come on Chris, I know for a fact you’re a sucker for anything spicy.”

    The happy couple spent the next few minutes picking what they wanted before placing their orders. Once that was done Chris leant across the table to take Rachel’s hand in his. “You look gorgeous tonight.”

   Rachel had indeed dressed beautifully, wearing a black dress with a single shoulder strap and knee length hem, dark tights and black, ankle strap, peep toe heels. Her long raven hair had been styled so it fell past her shoulders in waves. She smiled at Chris, his brown hair the same shade as mine yet scruffed up with wax, wearing a blue shirt with brown coloured trousers and black loafers. “You don’t scrub up too badly yourself handsome,” she replied, before they leant in for a kiss.

    Over two months had passed since my twin brother and best friend had first hooked up. I barely saw them apart from each other now, and my minutes alone with Rachel were few and far between now. I was little put out, but I told myself things would settle down soon. Besides, I must have been equally irritating when I was being all lovey dubby with Matthew when we were still together.  

    “There we are, turned off,” Rachel announced as she switched off her mobile. “No distractions from anyone asking me to investigate a haunted house somewhere. Tonight, it’s just going to be you and me.”

    “You don’t have to do that Rach,” Chris told her. “I only object to what you and Sara get up to when you go taking stupid risks without thinking.”

   “I know,” Rachel told him. “But with you, Sara and the gang watching my back I’ve got plenty of people to call for back-up.”

    “It’s just I don’t want to see you get hurt,” Chris told her, caressing her hand with his. “You’re one in a million Rach. You’ve got the brains of a scientist, the talent of an award winning novelist, and the beauty of…Vicky!”

    “Vicky!” Rachel repeated indignantly.

     Chris quickly explained himself by pointing over her shoulder, and Rachel turned to indeed see that my blonde haired, freckle faced detective rival was being shown to a table. She was dressed not in black for once, but in a V-neck purple dress, tan tights and ankle strap, high heel sandals.

   And she wasn’t dining alone. Taking his seat at the table with her, wearing a white shirt underneath a maroon pullover, with jeans and smart brown shoes, was my ex-boyfriend Matthew!

    Rachel’s jaw hung open so low a bird could have flown into it. Chris had to repeat her name five times before she came to her senses and stopped staring at them. Chris noticed her drumming her immaculately varnished fingernails into the tablecloth and her nostrils flaring as she took deep breaths. “Don’t do anything Rach,” he warned her.

   “What do you think I’m going to do?” Rachel snapped.

   “I dunno, but you’ve got that crazy look in your eyes that you get when you want to do something stupid.”

    “How the hell dare he?” Rachel hissed. “First Matthew dumps Sara days after his deranged uncle tried to kidnap her. Then he goes running back to Vicky.”

   “You don’t know they’re getting back together. Look, let’s just have a glass of wine and forget it for now.”

    Rachel did her best to forget about it, but even as she idly passed conversation with Chris she kept on glancing over her shoulder. She couldn’t see Matthew’s face, but she could tell that Vicky was listening intently to every word he said. Eventually Chris stood up to go to the bathroom, and shortly afterwards Rachel saw Matthew do exactly the same thing. Realising she now had Vicky on her own, Rachel took a swig of drink for courage, then strode over to Vicky’s table and barked, “Having a nice evening then?”

    “Rachel?” Vicky spluttered in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

    “I was about to ask you the same thing,” Rachel snarled. “Bet your loving this, getting back together with Matthew. It’s the ultimate two fingered gesture to S…“

     “Two things Simpson,” Vicky interrupted brusquely. “One, where did you get that idea? And two, my personal life is none of your damn business.”

    “It is if it hurts my best friend,” Rachel shouted.

    With the legs of her chair screeching as Vicky stood to her feet she yelled, “And whose fault is that then?” Then imitating my voice (very badly I’m told), she continued, “Look at me, I’m Sara Philips. I’m a complete amateur who keeps putting everyone I love in danger, and when they blame me for it I act like it’s their fault, not mine.”

    “You complete cow!” Rachel shouted. But she never got the chance to start a counter argument as at that moment the waiter ran over and abruptly interrupted them.

     “Excuse me ladies, I must ask that you come see the manager,” he told them.

     “It’s alright, I was just going to sit down,” Rachel growled.

     But the waiter shook his head. “I must insist, otherwise we will be calling the police.”

    “On what charge?” Vicky spluttered. But the waiter said no more, beckoning the two squabbling girls to follow him. Not wanting the situation to escalate further both Rachel and Vicky obliged, grateful the restaurant was nearly empty to spare their embarrassment.

    They were quickly taken to the manager’s office, where the portly manager and a hulking great chef, both with tanned complexions, were waiting for them. “Look I can explain everything,” Rachel hastily said as the waiter closed the door behind them.

    “Yes, I’m sure you’ll need to explain how on the night we have been working towards for so many months, two of the area’s most meddlesome girls decide to come to my restaurant and have a bickering match. And I thought you were supposed to be friends.”

     Vicky and Rachel looked at each other in confusion, before Vicky asked, “Er, we’re not exactly friends.”

     Staring intently at Vicky the manager replied, “Oh don’t play the innocent card with me my dear. What was it we all overheard you yelling? Look at me, I’m Sara Philips!”

    Both girls felt their jaws drop open again in surprise, before Vicky spluttered, “Let me get this straight, you think that I’mmmmmmmgggggg!”

    “Hhhhhhmmmm nnnnnmmm!” Rachel mumbled as the waiter grabbed her from behind and clamped his hand over her mouth, while Vicky’s statement was curtailed by the hulking chef doing the same to her.

   The manager laughed as the two girls battled vainly to free themselves from his goons grip, before saying to Vicky, “Thought you could outsmart me Sara Philips, well I’ve been preparing for you to stick your nose in my affairs.”

    “MMMMM NNNNTTT SSSSRRRR!” Vicky roared behind her handgag, her eyes wide with the indignation of being mistaken for me.

   Suddenly the door to the office was flung open, and in ran Chris and Matthew. They both took in a second to assess the situation, before my blonde haired ex yelled, “Let them both go now!”

   “My dad is Carrington’s detective inspector, so don’t think you can do anything stupid,” Chris snarled.

    But the manager, coolly and calmly, produced a silenced pistol from underneath his desk and aimed it at the two boys. “Nice try, but I work under a higher authority then Carrington’s detective inspector. Now, if you want to save these lovely ladies, I suggest you surrender.”

    Both Matthew and Chris were left with little choice but to put their hands above their heads. Both Rachel and Vicky continued protesting loudly through the hands gagging them. It was difficult to know which one was more furious; Rachel for having her date night ruined, or Vicky for being captured by people thinking she was actually me.

   Not that the real Sara Philips was faring much better mind you.


Back at the First Strike Bowling Alley – 10:00pm

   I gave a frustrated grunt as I once again gave a tug on the ropes connecting my hands to my feet in a simple yet effective hogtie. I uselessly jiggled my feet and shifted on the spot, all the while trying to dislodge the white rag that had been pulled over my lips, keeping a rag stuffed in my mouth that tasted like bowling ball polish. I was pretty frustrated in all honesty, having been kept in my least favourite tie-up position for well over an hour with my escape attempts achieving nothing. On either side of me neither Harriet nor Kavita were having much more luck, the three of us hogtied and gagged identically, unable to shift from where we’d been left to wriggle on a musty rug in the back rooms of the bowling alley. Harriet rocked from side to side and inhaled deeply through her nose, bashing against me as she struggled with everything she had. Kavita remained fairly motionless, though I could see her flexing her hands as she methodically sought a weak point in her bonds.  

   Of our captors we caught passing glances as they moved throughout the building, carrying spades and tools as they went. The handsome bloke hadn’t been lying. These men were really planning to tunnel from the bowling alley to the military building next door. What’s more, from their hushed conversations it seemed like they were nearly finished. Evidently our arrival meant they were forced to move their plans forward. So once again, despite me wanting to go out and just have a good time with some mates, my meddlesome reputation had meant the goons had thought I was on to them, and they had taken measures to ensure me and my friends would not go spoiling their plans. And as I arched my back to try and break free of my bonds, twisting my head so my ponytail fell down one side of my face I was feeling pretty sick of it happening.

    The handsome bloke who had lured me into this trap then returned, a pickaxe slung over his shoulder. “Just thought I’d let you know that we should be breaking through into the building’s basement in about half an hour,” he gloated. “Once inside me and my comrades will find the plans for the military’s new plane and sell it to the highest bidder on the black market. You going to come up with some kind of dramatic escape to stop me?”

     “Jjjjjsss wwwtttcchhh mmmmmggg!” I snarled through my gag as I stared daggers at him.

    He gave a snort of laughter before saying, “For the record Sara, you are pretty cute. But the truth is, I sort of have a thing for Asian girls.”

     Kavita noticed that he was oogling her at that point, and gave a defiant cry of, “Ssssccrrrr yyymmm,” to him to register her displeasure.

    The handsome bloke laughed again, before moving to the exit. “Keep having fun ladies, we’ll be back for you once we’ve got what we came here for!” Then with a sarcastic wave he exited the room.

   I felt a deliberate nudge against my right hand side, and looked over to see Harriet was trying to get my attention. She rolled onto her side with her bound hands and feet facing me, and gave a garbled exclamation of, “Cnnnnn yyyymmmm llllssssnnn nnnyyytthhhnnn?”

   Realising she was inviting me to try and find a weak point in her bindings, I too rolled over. It was difficult to align myself with her, but with some effort we managed it. I set to work trying to find a knot to pry with my ever numbing fingers. But after a couple of minutes work it seemed like it was useless. All I managed to do was exhaust my tired limbs and inadvertently kick Harriet a couple of times. I fell still as Harriet took her turn trying to pull at my bonds, and as she did so I stared at Kavita wondering if we were really going to get out of this mess.

   This meant I was perfectly positioned to witness Kavita pulling her hands free.

   “Kkkkvvvvtttmmm, wwwllll dddmmm!” I squealed in delight as I watched her throw away the ropes that had bound her before she pulled away her gag.

    As she got to her knees Kavita afforded the time to smirk triumphantly at me and Harriet, before saying, “Am I really the only girl in Carrington who’s thought to take the time to learn some escapology tips? Come on; let’s get you out of these ropes so you can call your dad!”  


Back at the Silver Screen Cinema – 10:00pm

As Abigail shifted against the multiple strands of duct tape being used to keep her fixed against her seat, she reflected that this was far from how she’d envisaged spending the evening. Snuggling up to James and enjoying a light romantic comedy? Yes. Being held prisoner in the empty cinema with her older sister and their respective boyfriends? Not exactly.

   Yet all she and Felicity, James and Simon could do was emit muffled groans through the strips of tape gagging them as they strained for freedom. They’d certainly been bound ingeniously, with her conjoined hands tucked underneath her knees where they had been fixed to the underside of her legs by yet more tape. As a result her feet had been pulled up so they were resting on the seat, leaving the petite blonde held in a ball shape, unable to move from the cinema seat due to more tape wrapped around her lap and waist. With her able to rest her chin on her knees Abigail was glad she had chosen to wear hotpants instead of a miniskirt.

   The others had been taped up identically to her, so that the four lovebirds were limited to sitting in the same row like taped up balls, unable to do much more then jiggle and try to send muffled communication’s to each other. They’d been this way since they’d woken up from their drugged sleep. But for what purpose none of them had a clue.

   A door at the side of the cinema was opened, and the four captives strained their eyes through the darkness as their captors returned. Felicity strongly suspected that the culprits were no more than the staff members who had served them those drugged drinks, but she could not tell for certain because the men had concealed their identities behind a couple of fancy dress masks depicting various cinematic villains.

    “So Carrington’s finest PI and her little band thought she could outsmart us,” said the bloke wearing a Darth Vader mask. “Well you have now met your match in the form of ‘The Villain’s Club.’ Adopting the personas of some of cinema’s greatest villains we shall strike fear into the hearts of the establishment!”

    “Our plan is simple!” said the man in the Voldemort mask, “To liberate the secrets which the governments of the world have kept hidden from its citizens. We will not rest until the information we are so rightly owed is in the hands of the people.”

    “To that end we have constructed a tunnel leading from this very cinema to military complex next to it,” explained the man in the Ming the Merciless mask. “We shall infiltrate the building and steal its secrets. What we have done to you is for your own benefit. One day, when you see the information we shall uncover, you will thank us for this.”

    “Nnnnnttt bbblllldddnnn lllkklllllnnn!” James snarled through his gag as he shifted on the spot, but he and the others were unable to do anything to stop the masked gang from walking back through the doorway and once again leaving the four of them alone in an empty cinema.

   But they had made the crucial mistake of under-estimating the resolve of my friends, particularly that of Abigail. With a body of a gymnastics and yoga enthusiast she was pretty flexible, and right now she was putting that to the test. She felt a slight nick in the tape connecting her wrists to the underside of her knees. Realising that all she would need was a bit of force, she strained and tugged with everything she had until, with the sound of both ripping tape and ripping nylon, she freed her hands from her legs.

   Taking a moment to mourn the destruction of her expensive pair of tights, she then got to work shuffling her body into position. She lifted up her legs so they were almost perpendicular to her body; then tucked her lower legs against her thighs to create the space for her to bring her hands around to her front. With her hands now no longer trapped she was easily able to peel away her gag, and free herself from the tape used to pin her against the seat.

    “Wwwwlllll dddnnn nnbbbbgggglll!” Felicity exclaimed in delight, waggling her fingers and high heels expectantly in anticipation of release.

   But as Abigail got to her feet she was formulating another plan. “Be back in a minute,” she hissed to James, Abigail and Simon, before she started bouncing through the aisle on feet still encased in tape at the ankles. Struggling to maintain her balance Abigail finally made it to the end of the row, her blue eyes fixed on the fire alarm positioned by the door. After a few more bounces she reached, it, and with her hands still taped together she pressed hard against the glass, breaking it and therefore setting off the silent fire alarm throughout the building.


Back at the Costa Tapas Restaurant – 10:00pm

    Rachel usually enjoyed being in close proximity to Chris, but it was a different matter when strong ropes were being used to keep them pinned back to back. She rested her head against his as she flexed her hands from where they had been pulled about his body, underneath his arms and bound against his waist. She stared down at Chris’s wrists as they flexed and twisted from where they had been tied against her own waist. They were sitting on a table in the now closed and empty Tapas restaurant, her nylon clad legs bound and the ankles and knees with her feet dangling just above the floor. She moaned through the thick tea towel being used to cleave gag her, hearing Chris’s frustrated moans through a similar gag trying to vent his frustration at being bound against his girlfriend.

    Sitting on the table across from them sat Vicky and Matthew, both bound and gagged identically to Rachel and Chris. Their blonde hair seemed to interlock as both fought valiantly against their bonds, Vicky in particular looking very frustrated as her face flushed red behind the white tea towel pulled between her teeth. Matthew meanwhile looked straight outwards as he alternated his shoulders up and down, trying to find some purchase against his bonds.

   Right on cue the man responsible for their situation returned. The manager had a seriously smug grin on his face, and he seemed to be revelling in how well the evening had turned out. “I thought that you should know that my men will be breaking into the military building within the hour,” he announced smugly. “The secrets I shall obtain from inside will be truly valuable to my countrymen. No longer will the British and the Americans think they can police the world. We will be able to ensure that they never interfere in our affairs ever again. What do you have to say to that Miss Sara Philips?”

    “MMMMMM NNNNNTTT SSSSRRRR FFFFLLLPPPPSSS!!!!” Vicky roared as loudly as her gag would allow, having been unable to inform her captors of this case of mistaken identity before the towel had been forced between her lips.

     Unable to understand her, the manager gave a cackle and said, “Oh you can squeal as much as you like, but it won’t do you any good. Just sit and be a good little detective. We shall figure out what we’re going to do with you once our tunnel into the building has been completed.”

    He paid no heed to the cacophony of gagged protests as he left his restaurant to continue his work.  As soon as he had left Rachel, Chris, Vicky and Matthew renewed their struggles, but the knots proved too tight to wriggle out of. All they got for their efforts were chafed limbs and grunts of discomfort from the person they were bound against.

    Rachel had been tied up enough times to know when wriggling alone wasn’t going to get them loose. They needed to form another plan. She scanned the restaurant with her deep blue eyes, and when she saw a phone by the reception counter she formed an idea. But she would need Chris’s co-operation. She deliberately jiggled against him to get his attention, also giving a cry of, “Ccccrrrrssss, tttthhh ffffnnnn, vvvrrrr ttthhhrrr!” At first Chris didn’t seem to understand what she meant, but eventually through her garbled words he managed to realise she was referring to the phone. They just needed to reach it.

   “Nnnnn, tttwwwmmm, ttthhhrrrnnn!” Chris counted down, and then working together he and Rachel slid off the tabletop they had been perched on and landed on their bound feet. Then working with perfect synchronicity they began hopping towards the phone. Bound back to back as they were, such a task was uncomfortable as well as difficult. Rachel in particular wished she hadn’t worn ankle strap heels so she could have kicked them off to give her better balance. As it was she had to rely on Chris for support as her stiletto heels clopped loudly against floor with every hop.

   At first their progress was slow, but gradually they established a rhythm. Vicky and Matthew at first watched them intently, then when they realised what they were trying to do they too slid off their perch and began hopping over. Matthew did so in case Rachel and Chris fell, Vicky because she wasn’t going to be outdone by Rachel if she could help it. But they failed to establish the same rhythm as the couple bouncing ahead of them. Then after one particularly impatient hop from Vicky sent Matthew off balance, and with two frustrated yet muffed squawks they tumbled into a conjoined heap on the floor.

   Rachel and Chris ignored Matthew’s groans of discomfort and Vicky’s gagged swearing as they neared their goal. For one nervy moment Rachel teetered on her heels, but Chris managed somehow to steady her. Then with a couple more bounces they reached the phone. With that part accomplished they now had another problem; how to use the phone when their hands were bound to each other’s waist?

   Eventually it fell to Chris to try and grasp the phone with his back turned and his hands tied together, with Rachel only able to guide him via muffled exclamations. He quickly managed to grasp the receiver in his hands, but finding the right button to press was another matter. “Ddddnnn nnnn bbbttt!” Rachel mumbled as she saw his fingers hovering over the number three. When his thumb was hovering over the number nine she squeaked, “Yyyyysss, ppprrss ttt!” Hearing the excited tone in her voice Chris obliged, entering the number nine. “Grrrt, nnnd gggnnn!” Rachel exclaimed. Chris pressed the button again. “Nnnnnddd gggnnn!” Chris pressed the number nine a third time.

    “999, state your emergency!” the voice at the end of the phone chirped.

     “Hhhhhlllpp ssssss, wwwwrrr ttttdd nnnn gggdddd!” Rachel yelled through her cleave gag, Chris making similarly loud noises as they tried to get the attention of the operator.

    “I’m sorry, I’m having a little difficulty understanding you at the moment. Can you speak a little clearer please?”

   “Wwwww cccnnnttt, wwwrrrr tttttddd pppp!” Rachel cried in exasperation. Behind her she could hear Vicky and Matthew making similarly desperate cries from where they lay sprawled out on the floor, hoping that their combined noise would get the message across.

   Eventually it seemingly did. “Is there something inhibiting you from speaking clearly at the moment?” the operator asked.

    “YYYYYYYSSSSSS!” the four of them chorused.

    “OK, keep the line open. We’ll trace the signal and send someone around as soon as possible.”


The Military Building – 10:30pm

At approximately half past ten the gang from the bowling alley managed to complete their tunnel and break into the basement of the military building. Immediately they moved up to the ground floor and began combing the building looking for the plans of the top secret military jet that they believed would bring them great fortune.

   What they didn’t expect was to encounter the gang from the tapas restaurant, who had burrowed in via the kitchen, looking for exactly the same thing. After the surprise of seeing another rival gang had worn off, they each began to hurl insults at each other, both insisting that the other gang had worked too hard to back off now, and if they knew what was good for them then they’d best step back.

    Then to really confuse the situation the gang from the cinema arrived. Their tunnel had come out in the staff room, and in their haste to find the top secret government information they unwittingly blundered into the argument between the criminal gang and the foreign secret agents. The cinema gang accused the other two gangs of working for the establishment, while the bowling alley gang refused to take anyone dressed up in a Darth Vader mask seriously.

    The bickering went on for some time. Unfortunately for them each of the three sets of captives had managed to alert the authorities. As it was all three gangs were very surprised indeed when the building was surrounded by the police forces of both Carrington and Herringford and the local fire service.


Outside the First Strike Bowling Alley – 11:00pm

“You know, I just realised that between them those three gangs managed to capture more of us in one evening then Mr White or Emerald ever managed,” Rachel pointed out from where she was sitting next to me on the pavement outside the bowling alley, having just been checked over by the paramedics.

   As I watched the handsome bowling alley attendant get bundled into the back of a police van I replied, “Dunno if that reflects more badly on Mr White and Emerald or on us.”

   Rachel laughed at my joke, before saying, “Sorry your single ladies night out was ruined.”

  “And I’m sorry your date with Chris was ruined,” I replied. “One day we’ll be able to enjoy an evening out without this kind of thing happening to us.”

    “That’ll be a novelty,” Rachel laughed. “Truth be told, the evening wasn’t going according to plan any…”

    “Is that Matthew?” I asked with wide eyes as I saw him get out the back of the ambulance having just been checked over by paramedics himself. “What’s he doing here?”

     Rachel suddenly grimaced, and looking at her feet she told me, “Oh he was, kinda, held prisoner with me and Chris.”

   “I thought you said Vicky was the one who was held prisoner with you?” I asked suspiciously.

    Rachel, now looking anywhere but me, answered, “Well…thing is Sara…he was kinda having a meal with Vicky…”

    That was all I needed to hear. I felt like a volcanic eruption of emotion had exploded inside of me. A vicious cocktail of resentment and betrayal took over my entire body, and before I could stop myself I was on my feet marching over to him. Nothing Rachel could call after me could sway me. All I was focused on was the blonde haired boy who had done me wrong.

    “Sara hi,” Matthew said quite brightly. “I heard you went through another escapade your…”

    “How the hell could you?” I bellowed at him.

     As I came to a halt just inches from him Matthew frowned at me in confusion and asked, “Sorry, what does that mean?”

    “You know damn well what it means,” I roared, wagging my finger at him in accusation. “Go out for a little romantic meal with Vicky did you? I mean of course you can go out with other girls, but why did it have to be her? Do you want to completely break my heart? Do you want to…?”

    “Vicky and I are not going out,” Matthew yelled at me.

     It took a while for his words to infiltrate my brain. But when I realised the implications of his words I swallowed and said, “But Rachel said that you and her were having a meal together.”

    “As mates, yes,” Matthew answered. “A lot has happened in my life since we broke up, not all of it good. Vicky’s been one of the few people I’ve been able to talk to about it. It was her idea for us to go out for a meal and get away from it all.”

    My anger slowly being replaced by a decidedly gnawing sense of embarrassment I asked, “So you aren’t going out with her?”

    “Course not,” Matthew retorted. “We’re just mates, that’s all!”

     Well that got awkward fast. Suddenly I could barely say a word, and found myself looking down at my converse shoes I muttered. “OK…well…I’m glad you’re alright.”

    “Yeah…I’m glad you’re alright as well,” Matthew muttered, before he turned around and retreated to where Vicky was waiting for by the ambulance. I watched him as they retreated into the darkness, suddenly overcome with a desire to bang my head against a brick wall for being such an idiot.