by Lee Wood
“One of them seems a nasty piece of work. The other seems alright. If the smelly one starts getting too fruity, kick him in the balls. If he wants one of us to give him a BJ then sink your teeth in and bite his dick off.”
“They’re men. We’ve dealt with enough of them in our time. We know what to expect. All the promises they never keep like ‘I promise I won’t cum in your mouth’. Liars the bloody lot of them.”
“Yeah. I guess it doesn’t help the only clothes we’ve got are these skimpy tops with our tits hanging out. What is it with men and boobs?”
“Must be from when their mothers fed them.”
Leona laughed.
“Sometimes I love having big jugs. But other times I think they’re more trouble than they’re worth. Just like men really.”
Now it is Erica’s turn to laugh.
“From the look of things, we could be here for a few days. Let’s see what they’ve given us.”
Under the left window is a grey metal office desk with a dozen bottles of water and a see-through plastic box containing a range of snacks, crisps and chocolate.
There are also items of plastic cutlery and plastic cups, sticks of sugar and sachets of condiments that appear to have been grabbed from a fast-food restaurant.
In the corner they see a small sink that obviously hasn’t been cleaned in years. Sitting there is a plastic bowl and two tea towels, obviously purchased recently as they still have price labels attached. On the worktop next to the sink is a kettle, four coffee mugs, some tea bags and a tin of powdered milk.
Next to this they find a small first aid kit, a box of tampons, rolls of toilet paper, a box of tissues and a packet containing four paracetamol tablets.
On the floor is a waste bin and over in the corner two buckets. There is a small table with soap and a stack of towels.
The girls look over to the opposite side of the room, away from the windows. They see two single inflatable camp beds with pillows and blankets. Facing the two beds is a TV set with the remote next to it.
Leona hasn’t mentioned to her sister but she is wondering if they are going to be safe. So far, apart from the wandering hand of the nasty one when he put the blindfold on and put his hands on her backside as they walked in, nothing has indicated they are in danger in this way, although the way they both dress might seem like an invitation to some men.
They overheard the man in charge saying to the others they should leave them alone but Leona doesn’t trust the nasty one. She knows what he wants. They will just have to hope for the best.
She is concerned about what is going to happen to them and if their family is aware of their situation.
If only they had phoned to check about the chauffeur instead of sending a text message, they might not be in this predicament.
Too late now.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Daniel follows the minibus from the airport car park as it heads north along the M6 motorway. He makes sure to keep a few cars back.
Thanks to the lady in the wheelchair, and the tracking device he attached, there is no need to take any risks and draw attention to himself. It is best to stay back anyway. They will probably be nervous and checking to make sure no-one is following them. Little do they know!
After driving for just over an hour, he watches as the minibus approaches the old car workshop in Tennis Court Road that had been closed down for as long as he knew. Certainly the two years he has lived here. But it could have been much longer.
The minibus stops. Daniel watches the driver get out and open the gates.
He parks just along the road on the opposite side, and observes through his binoculars as the minibus, closely followed by the Mercedes, drives in, and the gates are closed.
Daniel knows the area. One of the premises he patrols every night is the old telephone exchange on Lensfield Road. It backs onto where the van drove in.
On his nightly patrol, Daniel usually just checks the outside of the building. But he has a set of keys and on a few occasions he’s been inside he knows if you go up to the first floor you can look down into the courtyard where the vehicles have just driven in.
When he set out for the airport this morning, Daniel wasn’t sure what time the twins plane would arrive, so he has brought his uniform and work kit with him. It is sitting in the boot of the car. Inside his kit bag are keys to the buildings he patrols.
He drives to the end of Tennis Court Road, turns left and then left again onto Lensfield Road.
He parks outside the old exchange, climbs the stairs to the first floor, and walks over to the back of the building. The right-hand side gives him a good view of the old car workshop.
For security reasons, the windows had been covered in one-way privacy film. This means you can see out from inside but no-one can see in.
Using the powerful binoculars Daniel bought on Gumtree, he has a clear view. The four men are all standing in the factory area. At first he can’t see the girls then as he searches each window he sees them in a room to his left.
Daniel thinks he has worked it out. Now the girls are famous from the TV show, these men have decided to kidnap the girls and hold them until the parents pay the ransom money.
He keeps going over things in his mind. He’s trying to decide what is the best thing to do? He can call the police and they will rescue the girls.
But that would mean they get all the glory. Or, he can wait and see what happens and if he rescues them on his own, he will be their knight in shining armour and they will fall in love with him.
He knows from watching TV, with a kidnapping it will take time for the family to get the money together. Probably a couple of days. This will give him the time he needs to come up with a plan.
Daniel studies the layout. The four men are gathered in an area of about twenty-five feet square. He sees a sofa in the middle of the space facing away towards the TV set along the opposite wall. Next to it is a table and a fridge.
The room where Daniel can see the girls being held is about twelve feet square.
Daniel continues to watch.
After a few minutes he sees two of the men drive off in the minibus. The two who remain sit down and watch TV.
What Daniel needs to do is to find a way to get his listening device attached to one of the windows so he can hear what the men are saying.
He can imagine it now. The girls will be so happy when he rescues them. Both of them hugging and kissing his cheek and saying thank you for saving their lives.
Daniel checks his watch and notices it is getting late. He is torn between going off to work or staying to watch. In the end, he decides nothing will happen until tomorrow morning at the earliest.
The hire car doesn’t need to be back until tomorrow morning but he does need to be at work for 8pm. It doesn’t get dark until just before 9pm, so he will come back later and sneak around the back and fix the listening device to one of the windows. He doesn’t think anyone will notice as they don’t appear to have been cleaned in years.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Mitten household has been getting ready for the return of the twins. After the success of the reality TV show, the girls had moved to London. It has been more than three months since they’ve been home.
Diane is busy in the kitchen. She has found the ‘Welcome Home’ banners from when the twins’ older brother Gordon came home from uni.
The minute Diane’s husband Francis, who not long arrived home from work, came in he was put to work putting up the banner and blowing up balloons and tying them to doors and anywhere else they would be seen. In truth, both parents were eager to see their daughters.
Since their son Gordon moved out a year ago following an argument with his father, it seemed even more important to keep the rest of the family together.
According to the schedule the twins sent in a text, they should be home very soon. Their flight was due to land at 12.30, so allowing for them to catch the train and then a taxi from Trentbridge station
, they are expected to arrive around six o’clock.
Their dad is still puzzling over the text message received from Leona, which, based on the time it was sent, was when they were still at the airport which simply said Thanks for sending the surprise. He wonders what she means.
Their mother has spent hours cooking food and along with the cleaner who comes in three mornings a week, every room in the house has been cleaned from top to bottom.
Diane calls out to her husband. “You could phone them and offer to pick them up from the station.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. The traffic will be horrendous this time of night. And when I get there, where do I park? No, best let them get a taxi. Besides I could do with a good stiff drink, the day I’ve had.”
Francis walks into the lounge and over to the drinks cabinet, just as the grandfather clock strikes six. He takes the lid off the whiskey decanter and pours himself a double measure.
The telephone rings. Diane picks up the hands-free set in the kitchen.
“Hello.”
“Is that Mrs Mitten?”
“Yes. Can I help you?”
“Mrs Mitten. Listen very carefully. Take heed of what I am about to say.” The voice is slow and deliberate.
“We have kidnapped your daughters. Don’t worry. They are both safe, for now. I will call you back later. Make sure you are by the phone and don’t be stupid and get the police involved. We’re watching your house.”
“What? What are you talking about? How have you got my daughters?”
“When they arrived at the airport. Do as I say. Wait for our call and remember if you want to see either of them again alive, don’t involve the police.”
“Is this for real? Hello? Hello?”
All she can hear is silence.
Diane rushes through to the lounge with the phone still clutched in her hand.
“Francis. Francis. They’ve got the girls. Do something.”
“What on earth are you on about? Who’s got who?”
“The phone call. A man. He said they’ve kidnapped the girls. From the airport.”
“Don’t be silly. It’s a joke or some stupid prank. They’re due home in a few minutes.”
“Call them. Call them now.”
Francis pulled his mobile from his pocket and rang the number for his daughter Erica. It rang eight times and then went to voicemail. He rang Leona’s number. It did the same.
“What do we do, Francis? The man said not to involve the police. He said they are watching the house. Oh God. Oh dear God.”
“It’s got to be a mistake. We’re not some big shots or multi-millionaires. It must be some sort of a prank. I don’t know, some idiot who’s seen them on TV.”
“It didn’t sound like a prank. His voice on the phone. It was cold and… nasty.”
“I’ll phone our solicitor. He plays golf on a Thursday. He should be on the nineteenth by now. He will know what to do.”
After a few minutes, Francis ended the call.
“His advice is to phone the police. He says it’s highly unlikely they’re watching the house. It’s something they say to frighten you into paying over the money.”
“But what if they are?”
“He said the police have ways of dealing with that. We must phone them. We can’t deal with this on our own.”
“Oh God. This is really happening, isn’t it? This isn’t some stupid trick. Someone really has got our angels. Whatever they want, Francis. You’ll pay it, won’t you?”
“Of course I’ll bloody pay it. If I have to sell the business and the house, I’ll find the money somehow.”
Francis rang 999. After being transferred to the police, he was connected to a Detective Inspector Eden Gold and explained the situation.
"Okay, Mr Mitten. I understand you're concerned but please stay calm. Tell me, have they ever gone missing before. Could they have decided to visit a boyfriend or other family member on their way home?”
“No. Never. And the phone call. It means someone has our daughters. This is not some sort of kids’ prank. I trust you will be treating this as a top priority. I don’t want to have to go above your head but I will. This is my two daughters we’re talking about.”
“Yes, Mr Mitten. I fully understand. But I must be sure. This could require a great deal of resources. I just had to be certain this was not some sort of student joke. From what you have told me I’m convinced it’s not. So please know we will do everything we possibly can to ensure they arrive home safe and well. In the meantime, I can assure you we have experience in this sort of thing and our track record is very good. Just remain calm. We’ll need you to stay on top of things. I know you are under pressure but I would ask that you don’t drink too much alcohol. I realise under the circumstances you might be tempted but we need you to keep a clear head. If I give you an email address can you send over a recent photo of the girls?”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
As a detective with eight years’ experience, Eden Gold is aware he needs to move fast. He calls the number his system gives for the Birmingham Airport Police and speaks with an officer called Ken Douglas.
“Strange you should call at this time. I’ve just started looking at some footage from the car park. A lady collecting her husband reported what she thought were two girls being bundled into a van.”
“Do you have a description of the two girls?”
“Yes, we’ve got some footage of them walking to the car park. They look like identical twins. Hang on, as we speak, I’m just watching some footage of them next to a Mercedes. Yes, yes, I can see them being forcibly put into the side door of those, oh what are they called, you know, those taxi vans with the sliding side rear doors. Bloody hell. The bloke in the Mercedes must be in on it. He doesn’t try to stop it. Just gets on with putting luggage into the car and then calmly drives off.”
Eden explains what is happening at his end. “The family report being contacted by someone who says they’ve kidnapped them. From what you say, this could be the real thing. That’s not good news. Can you send the videos over to me?”
“I’ll send the file right now. You’ll be able to see the entire flow from the point where they disembark until the vehicles leave the airport.”
“Thanks, Ken.”
Five minutes later, after Ken has sent the files over and Eden has access to the footage he notes down the registration number of the two vehicles and runs them through his police ANPR computer system entering the reason why he needs the information so it is logged as official police business.
The information that comes back shows him the number plates on the vehicles are false. The registration number from the Mercedes belongs to a Volvo and the van from a Ford Transit.
Eden is now satisfied the kidnapping isn’t a hoax. This is the real thing and his bosses are not going to be happy. Undertaking such an operation requires a lot of time and plenty of resources, which means spending money from a limited pot. This is one of those cases where he needs to make the top brass aware of the situation. A phone call he is not looking forward to.
Although the kidnapping has taken place in Birmingham, the report has been made in Trentbridge and therefore the crime, if it is one, falls under their jurisdiction as procedure states it is the area where the report is made that is in charge.
Now all he has to do is obtain the information he needs from the girls’ father as prescribed under Section 3 of the FTAEI, The Fast Track Action and Early Investigation. It states you need to obtain:
Name, age, description of the person(s) and what they are wearing, where they have gone missing and the circumstances surrounding the event, and the name address and contact details of the person reporting the disappearance. The officer also needs to establish if the behaviour is out of character.
This is just the beginning. Like all police work, there is a ton of paperwork to deal with. The guidance material Eden was referring to went on:
> • Is there any information that the person is likely to cause self-harm or attempt suicide?
• Is the person suspected to be a victim of a crime in progress, e.g. abduction?
• Is the person vulnerable due to age, infirmity, or any other factor?
• Are there inclement weather conditions which would seriously increase risk to health, particularly where the missing person is a child or elderly person?
• Does the missing person need essential medication or treatment not readily available to them?
• Does the missing person have any physical illness, disability or mental health problems?
• Is it believed that the person may not have the ability to interact safely with others or in an unknown environment?
• Has the person been involved in a violent, homophobic and/or racist incident or confrontation immediately prior to disappearance?
• Has the person been the subject of bullying?
• Has the person previously disappeared AND suffered or was exposed to harm?
Much of this is irrelevant but Eden needs to make a priority assessment. Given the circumstances, he decides, in this case to mark it as high risk.
Nowadays the job is all about risk assessment. Rather than call themselves a police officer, many joke their job title should be crime risk assessment officer.
Eden calls Francis Mitten to update him and explain how the police will get people into the house, even if it is being watched, which he says he doubts.
“You did the right thing in calling us and not trying to handle it on your own. Now let us deal with it.”
Eden makes some calls to assemble a team.
In his experience, this is a genuine kidnap situation. And it is every detective’s nightmare as you never know how it is going to end.
Eden won’t tell the parents but he knows 43% of kidnap victims never come back alive.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
At 7.30pm the Tesco food home delivery van arrives at the Mitten residence and drives to the front door. Nothing unusual about this, apart from the fact Mrs Mitten does all her grocery shopping at Waitrose.
