Sold, Packaged, and Shipped

Chapter 2: Accepting the Goods
“We got what you asked for - and a little bonus, too.” Matt tried to sound proud for having exceeded expectations but, in truth, he
was afraid. Their boss was a harsh man who did not tolerate any deviation from orders.
The van was parked inside of a modest warehouse in an area of many small businesses. It was, however, late at night and the
area was deserted save for an occasional private patrol car that came by once an hour.
“Oh?” the boss man said quietly.
Matt swallowed. “We was lucky,” he blurted out. “We were picking up this young blonde, just like you ordered, when the other
woman popped out of the car and saw us. We grabbed her, too. Nice looking dame, she is. I’m sure you can sell her.”
“Open the door,” came the curt order.
Matt hurried to obey, sliding the van door wide open. Within, the two women were lying on the floor, still hogtied, gagged and
chained to the wall. The younger one was awake now, and staring around with eyes widened by fear. For a long minute the boss
simply stared at the two tied woman, noting many things about them, from the nice legs showing to the firm breasts and long
blonde hair. Then he turned to Matt.
“Why did you grab that one?” he asked, pointing to the older woman.
“They were both in the car. That one must have been in the backseat. Or something. She got out and we had to grab her too.”
“Two girls together are usually the same age,” the boss said.
“She says she’s the other one’s step mother.”
For long, agonizing moments the boss simply stared at Matt, his face an unreadable mask. Then he spoke, “The orders were to
take one young, slender blonde. I did not ask for an older bitch, did I?”
“No, sir. But... I know you’re just filling an order, but couldn’t you just hold on to her, sort of like an inventory? Until you find a
buyer?”
The boss grunted but turned back to the van to glance once more at the two helpless women lying there. “You’re lucky, Matt,” he
finally said. “I don’t maintain an inventory of girls like a car dealer has a lot full of cars. Well, not usually. But, as it happens, I
have an outstanding order for a mother and daughter pair. I guess step-mother and daughter will fill that.”

Matt sighed with relief.
“But...” the boss continued, “Just got a new order. I need a redhead. Go get one. And, Matt, only one. Right?”
“Yes, sir. We’re on it.”
Matt and Oscar hurried to unload the van, dumping the women none too gently on the concrete floor, then getting into the van. A
fourth man standing by the vertical lift metal door pressed a button and the door opened to allow the van to exit.
“Prepare them for transport,” Thomas Crofton told his right hand man, Rocky. “We’ll take them to the safe holding house while I
contact his lordship.”
Rocky was dragging over a wooden shipping crate while Crofton checked the ropes and gags on both women. The younger one
tried to talk to him but he ignored her. The other just looked at him with fear in her eyes.
“You’re lucky,” he told her. “You two won’t get separated.” Darlene looked up at a rather handsome man in his early forties or so,
black hair and a van Dyke beard trimmed to a point. He was smiling. “Yes,” he went on, “this is your lucky day.”
A wooden shipping crate was dragged up alongside the younger one. Grabbing arms and legs, the two men easily lifted her up
and set her down inside the crate. Apparently she did not want to go in there, for she struggled with all her might to fight them, a
useless effort, of course. It almost looked as if the crate had been made specifically to accommodate a hogtied girl of that size. In
a way, it had. There was a selection of such crates. All Rocky had to do was select the right size. They put the older woman into
the another crate, then closed the lids and padlocked the hasps.
There were air holes in the crate sides. Another van was brought up, one with letters on the side proclaiming “Secured Transport
Service,” a little pun that amused Crofton. They loaded the crates inside and closed the door.
“Take them to the Winston house and tell Arnie to hold them until I call. Tell him I want a full set of photos emailed to me as soon
as possible. I have a buyer to interest in this pair.”
“You got it.”
“You know, it’s kind of funny,” Crofton said with a smile. “Those two jackasses don’t have a hell of a lot of smarts between them.
Still, they can fall into a pile of shit and come up smelling like roses. In this case, they were lucky that I have a client who wants a
pair like this. Otherwise I might have to consider removing them as employees.”

Rocky grinned. “Yeah, they’re lucky, boss. Real lucky.”