Every Friday night I have a ritual. I always go gas up my car and I get next week’s groceries. I do it every week without thinking, which is probably why those two surprised me. I was putting my groceries in the back seat when two women walked by, looking like they were going to the store. Suddenly the younger of the two ran up and gave me a hug and said “Hey sweetie! I missed you!”
“Uhhh, I think you got the wrong guy,” I said. I paused a second before I said it, she was pretty cute.
The other one put her hand on my shoulder and I felt the hard barrel of a gun in my back. “No, we got the right guy. Now open the door slowly and get in like you’re giving us a ride. Got it?
“Why don’t I just give you my keys? You can have the car.”
Her voice grew tense, like she wanted to yell at me, but knew that might attract attention. “I said get in the front seat and act like you’re giving us a ride.”
I obeyed. She moved my bags over and got in the back seat while her partner got in the front passenger’s seat and put her own grocery bags in the back with my own.
I always wondered what I’d do if I got carjacked. Would I fight, freak out, or just cooperate? Well, now I knew, I just quietly cooperated. “Where to?” I asked.
“Turn right and get on the north ramp to the interstate,” she said. “Don’t worry abut where we’re going. I’ll tell you when to get off.”
“Alright.”
“This car got enough gas?
“I just fueled up across the street.”
“Good boy. Let’s go.”
I did what I was told and we went north. I’m not sure just how long we drove, but it was far enough for the five lanes going north to dwindle to two. The various office parks and shopping centers along each side began dwindling to. The street lights ended and the intervals between exits grew longer. Eventually there was nothing but a grassy median on my left and rows of pine trees and wire fences on my right.
The one in the back then pointed to our exit. I turned onto it, then drove maybe thirty more minutes down a road that turned and twisted more than I could remember and was dark enough for me to use my high beams.
She finally ordered me to turn into this driveway that winded to the back of this one story ranch style house. I checked my watch, we’d driven for two hours.
The one in the back got out first and kept the gun on me as we went inside. The other one brought in their bags, and once the lights were turned on I was able to get a real look at these two.
The younger said “What‘s your name?”
“Paul“ I answered.
“Well, Paul, I’m Amy and this is Gail. Just relax, nothing’s going to happen.”
Gail had bright blond hair with dark brown roots around her crown. She had a lean face, high cheekbones, and a squared chin. At one time she was probably very nice looking but the years hadn’t been kind to her. Or perhaps she hadn’t been kind to herself. Now her skin was dry with pronounced crows feet and the skin around her neck and face were starting to sag. Even through her loose flannel shirt I could tell her breasts were dragging down and her waist and thighs were pressing hard against her jeans. Whenever she spoke there was a harsh tension in her voice. She’d had a rough life, and was used to treating people roughly.
Amy was Gail’s complete opposite. She was in her twenties, but she had the perky demeanor of a teenager. Her pink tank top and denim shorts were probably supposed to be tight fitting, but with her ballet dancer physique they still fit loosely. Her slender build was in sharp contrast to her broad, square face and thick brown mop of curly hair. Her demeanor made me believe she was just going along with Gail and that I might be able to persuade her to let me go.
Gail then ordered me down the hall to one of the bedrooms. The one she put me in only had a bare mattress and a lamp sitting on the floor. She turned to Amy and said “Get the stuff out of the bag.” Amy then left the room. Gail then raised her gun until it was level with my face, smiled, and said “Okay, strip.”
I paused for a moment, wondering about that smirk on her face. “If you’re going to shoot me I’d like to keep my clothes on.”
Gail’s eyes narrowed into two blue slits as she moved closer until almost all I could see was the revolver’s barrel. “I’m not going to shoot you after you strip dumb ass, I just don’t want you running out on us. Now if you don’t strip I‘ll just shoot you in the knees to keep you from running.”
As I began to take off my clothes she backed up and lowered her gun. Amy returned with a hand full of white rope and was startled when she saw what Gail was doing with me. “Oh my God” she said, giggling.
Gail then gave the gun to Amy as she came over and tied my wrists behind my back, then did the same to my ankles. She then pushed me onto the mattress, bent over and said, “Just stay quiet and this will all be over in awhile. Don’t think that because I’m a woman I’m going to put up with any bullshit.” She then turned off the lamp and they both left me in the dark.
I’m not sure how long I lay in there, maybe an hour or two. During that time I heard them talk, they played the music really loud, then played the television really loud. I’m pretty sure I heard the front door slam at one point. Then the television was turned off. I thought I was alone in the house.
I then heard Amy singing one of the songs they’d played earlier. The singing grew louder as she ambled down the hall into my room. She was wearing an oversized T-shirt and was holding a beer in one hand and a big joint in the other. She sat both down next to the lamp and turned it on to get a better look at me, then she lay down beside me like we were best buddies.
“I wasn’t laughing earlier” she said. Then she thought for a moment for the right words. “I mean, I was laughing but not at you. I was just surprised Gail made you strip. Don’t worry, I wasn’t laughing at your dick, your dick’s fine.”
“Glad to know that.”
She then draped her arm over me and stared into my eyes in a sort of drunk fascination. She began stroking my shoulder and I tried to ignore the sensation.
“Look, I know you’re a nice person and you’ll probably just going along with whatever she’s doing. But couldn’t you show me how nice you are and let me go?”
She smiled and shook her head. “It won’t be so bad. Gail’s not gong to hurt you. She just doesn’t want you calling the cops until she’s got her thing worked out with her friends. Then we’re gone and everything will be great.”
“I‘d feel better if Gail hadn‘t brought me here at gunpoint” I answered.
