Cody's fear-filled eyes nearly crossed as the business-end of the dull black gun shoved in to rest against her forehead. "Doing fine so far, sweetie. Now keep cooperating and I won't have to use this. Okay?" Heartbeat thundering in her ears, she managed a tiny nod, meaning it. The man drew the gun away and she felt a little of her immediate terror abate, but she still shook and swallowed hard as his hand came away from her mouth, for all of that.

Without hesitation, the intruders rolled her over onto her stomach, laying her out with legs straight and feet side-by-side. The one with the satchel settled onto the bed beside her shoulders and opened his bag, drawing out a fiendish gag, which consisted of a thick leather pad that covered her face from just under her nose to the base of her chin, and wrapped more than halfway across her cheeks on the sides. A sturdy leather band was riveted to the center of each side of the pad, and these straps were swiftly wrapped around her head and buckled at the nape of her neck. The only thing which made this near-smothering muzzle even remotely bearable was the layer of soft padding which lined its inside surface. That was faint comfort though, and instantly forgotten as the frightening assault swept onward.

Next, the one who'd brandished the gun snatched up her wrists and moved them together near the small of her back, while his friend moved down and sat on the bed near her feet. The man holding her arms wadded each of her hands into a fist and stuffed them side-by-side within a thick, soft leather bag-like device, before zipping a strap tight around the top, binding her wrists as he buckled it firmly in place. Then he slipped a second strap up her arms, which was linked to the pouch by another leather strip, and looped that horizontal band around near her biceps. He pulled this one tight as well, drawing her elbows toward one another and hauling her shoulders back, until she let out a muffled groan. The coldly-methodical villain backed the tension off that strap until it was merely uncomfortable, then buckled the belt firmly in place. Meanwhile, the other intruder busily wrapped a thick, padded leather cuff around each of her ankles, cuffs which seemed to be joined together by some sort of end-jointed bar. Once buckled in place, they bound her feet very effectively, but left her with a severely limited range of motion which would make it possible for her to walk - but not fight or run.

It all took only a few, terrifying hearbtbeats, her assailants' movements so precise, so practiced-seeming, that it sent a fresh trickle of ice down Cody's spine. Whoever these people were, they weren't "mere" burglars...


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On to Rude Awakening, part 4


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For those who are interested, the thugs in this series were made using the "Stocking Mask" freebie kit created by Geralday (head on over to his site, at [link] , for LOADS more great, free stuff), for the Poser 4 Male figure.