The suburbs of Fort Collins, Colorado were a quiet and peaceful place, home to the successful middle-class couples and families often found in such neighborhoods. They were known for their well-manicured lawns, porch swings and barbecue grills, and their residents felt secure in the knowledge that seldom did crime find its way into their idyllic lifestyles. It was in this sense of safety that Alec & Staci - a successful, white couple in their mid-30s - slept soundly, unaware that just outside their living room windows crouched three dark figures, hidden in the shadows.
A soft *click* echoed through the empty room as the window lock was sprung open, followed by the near-silent sound of a well-fitted window sliding up in its vinyl sheath. One after the other, the three figures slipped into the dark house and gently slid the window closed. They took in their surroundings, noting the modest but comfortable furnishings dimly lit by the low streetlamps outside. A quietly ticking mantle clock sounded from somewhere in the house. Noting the position of the master bedroom and its sleeping occupants, the intruders began their work.
Beginning upstairs, the trio - two male, one female - padded silently from room to room, gathering valuables small enough to fit into two of the three backpacks. The third remained unused, but bulged slightly as if already containing a number of articles.
It took only 20 minutes for the burglars to fill their packs, then they began their second task. Unzipping the third backpack, the masked trio unpacked and assembled a pair of high-end cameras on tripods with practiced ease, silently fitting the well-oiled pieces together and briefly testing the equipment. Then, with all the sound of a stalking cat, they moved into the master bedroom and strategically placed the cameras in the corners (plugging them into wall sockets to ensure no loss of battery power.) Confirming that all was ready with silent nods, the two men and woman swiftly stripped nude, save for the black masks that shrouded their features. The woman reached into the third bag for a final item and removed a strap-on dildo, which she deftly fastened around her waist before giving the thumbs-up signal to her two companions.
It was time.
Alec and Staci awoke with a start as the lights suddenly came on, accompanied by the deep growls of unfamiliar voices.
"Wake the fuck up! Now!"
"Get up, bitch!"
Staci cried out as rough hands pulled her from the bed, her wild gaze falling on a pair of tall, well-built men, one white and the other black...they were both naked. She screamed, and found a hand firmly clamped over her mouth and a gun in her face.
"Not a sound," growled the man through his mask. Unable to avert her eyes from the gun barrel in her face, she nodded, shaking in fear.
"Staci!" cried Alec from the other side of the bed, but a fist planted in his gut from the large black man dropped him to his knees, gasping for breath. For the first time, Staci was able to take in her surroundings with shock and fear. Two large, naked men in black ski masks and an equally-masked and naked woman stood over them. Her gaze took in the cameras in the corners, and then widened as it fell on the woman's strap-on dildo.
The white man holding her arm held a knife in one hand, which he gently rested on her right cheek.
"Here's how this works," he said in a soft, dangerous voice. "You're going to do whatever we tell you to, for however long we like, or your bodies will be found next week when your neighbors come to check on you. Understood?" He pressed the side of the knife a bit more firmly into Staci's cheek, and she nodded quickly, breathing heavily with fear.
"Got it, little man?" he said, looking over at Alec. Alec's return gaze was filled with loathing, but with his wife at knifepoint there was little he could do but nod.
"Good."
The man with the knife gently slid the blade down to the edge of Staci's nightshirt, and then with a sudden and violent motion, he slashed outward with the blade, tearing open her shirt. Staci cried out in fear and shame as her breasts fell open into the chilly night air, her nipples suddenly erect.
Alec made as if to move toward her, but was stopped by the gun held by the naked woman.
"Uh-uh, not so fast, handsome. Clothes off," she said from behind her mask. He glared at her, but recognized that he had little choice. As he slid out of his shorts and undershirt, his eyes met with the tearful gaze of his wife.
