Black Friday

[esercito sconfitto]

Black Friday

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday 25th November, 8am

“You’re listening to the Morning Request show on W-KLZ, and this is for all of you out there who are working today. If you’re braving the stores, folks, be kind to them – this is not their favourite day. Here’s Lou Reed with Perfect Day...”

As Tanya drove into the parking lot outside the downtown branch of Jewels’R’Us, she silently cursed the DJ for picking such an inappropriate song, and Janey for dropping her in it on this day of all days. She had hoped to have a long weekend as well, but as her manager had so quaintly put it “Tough – it’s your turn.”

As she turned off the engine, she saw the three assistants waiting outside the front door. She had never met them, but Janey had provided a brief description. They all were wearing the regulation uniform – a short sleeved blouse made from light blue cotton, a short dark blue skirt, and black patent leather shoes.

One had slightly curled brown hair, and stood about five foot eight – that would be Kim. The second was slightly taller, with blonde hair cut around her head, who Tanya figured was Chrissie. That left the one she was told was “a bit of a rebel” – Yvonne, with hair dyed purple and cut into a bob.

“Good morning, ladies,” she said as she walked towards them. “Thanks for coming in today.”

“Our pleasure,” Kim said as she adjusted the large shoulder bag she had slung over her body.

“How was your holiday?”

“Not too eventful,” Chrissie said with a smile as the four of them walked into the store, Tanya disabling the alarm as they headed for the staff room. “Let’s get ready then,” Tanya called after them, “The store opens in two hours.”

Thursday 24th November, 8 pm

“Where the hell are they?”

Kim looked out of the front window of the house she shared with her colleagues Chrissie and Yvonne. They had gone to a boat party with some friends, while Kim had been at her own parents for a thanksgiving meal. She had returned half an hour earlier, so that she could get an early night and be fresh for her job in the morning.

It was a warm November day, and Kim was wearing a grey jersey top, off-white cotton shorts and black sandals. She looked out of the window again, looking for a set of headlights, but with little success.

Their house was set back slightly from the road, and the back looked out onto a recreation field. Today was a quiet day, with most people watching the late game on the television, so nobody noticed the party of four that moved silently across the ground towards Kim’s house, or heard them scale the wire fence that separated their back yard from the ground.

Kim did not even hear the patio doors in the rear of the ground floor as they were slid open and the party crept noiselessly in, the sound muffled by the radio playing nearby. One of the group looked at Kim, sitting in the window alcove and looking out, and signalled to two of the party. They moved forward, so quietly that the first Kim knew of their presence was when she was pulled off the alcove seat and forced onto the floor.

“What the hell,” she called out as one of the pair sat across her back, facing her feet as she pulled them up off the floor. The other grabbed her arms and forced them behind her back, holding her wrists together. Kim turned her head to the side and saw a glimpse of her attacker pulling a length of white rope from her pocket, before she felt a cold ring press on her forehead. A female voice said quietly “Don’t struggle, and this won’t hurt,” as she felt her wrists been pulled together as the rope was wound around them.

She could also feel her ankles been secured, presumably by more rope, but Kim could not see much of the second person save the black boiler suit they were wearing. She tried kicking her legs out, but it was no use as the rope went between her legs, tightening the coils around her ankles even as she felt the same thing happening to her wrists.

“What’s your name,” she heard the female voice say as the binder got off her back, still holding her legs as a further length of rope was used to secure her ankles to her wrists. “Kim,” she replied, “please, tell me why you’re doing this, we don’t have any money...”

“All in good time, Kim,” she heard the woman say as she felt her brown hair been pulled back. As she opened her mouth, a large wad of cloth was stuffed in, silencing her even as a large white scarf was pulled tightly over her mouth and lips, the cloth pressing hard on her face as it was secured at the back of her head.

Kim looked round and saw four people standing there, dressed in black boiler suits, but now she could see the black balaclavas that covered their heads, as well as the pistol one of them was carrying. “Just stay calm, Kim,” she heard the armed intruder say, and she realised she was the woman who had been speaking earlier.

“Whtsgnsn,” she mumbled as the woman and one of his companions took a seat, the other two leaving them alone. “You may as well get comfortable,” she said as Kim looked at him, “It’s going to be a long night.” She watched a third intruder carrying in a number of duffel bags as she allowed her head to hit the floor, wondering what would happen when the others finally returned.