Julian, Dick, George, Timmy the Dog and Anne were just about to finish another mystery. They had spent almost a whole night up taking pictures from a distance of a group of men who appeared to be spies from another country. With over three dozen photos of the men constructing some device, they were wasting no time in getting the film developed.
"How much longer?" Anne asked, stifling a yawn. She was definitely feeling the strain of staying up all night long. Unsurprisingly, the others including Timmy were as alert as ever.
"Oh Anne, you're always tired. Why don't you go home first?" her eldest brother said, poking her arm.
"Good idea," she replied, gathering up her bag and leaving the store. Anne was dressed as a proper girl unlike George. That meant skirt, blouse, cardigan, jacket and stockings attached via a garter belt since it was still chilly. Unlocking her bike, she rode off and within minutes was on the country road. All of a suddenly, she was knocked off the road and thrown on the thick hay fields. Before Anne could even get up, a quartet of masked men grabbed her and one slammed his fist around her mouth. "MMmmmmmpphhh!" She cried through the hand gag and also due to being lifted up and carried to a nearby lorry. She was thrown faced down on (luckily) some soft surface and immediately found her wrists handcuffed and her ankles chained together.
"Hee..mmmmpphhh! With a swift motion, the men yanked off one of her stockings and forced it into her mouth. The sound of tape could be heard and in a minute, she was gagged.
"…We don't have any clue so far as to who has taken her," the town Inspector said.
Just as the shocked four were about to react, the phone rang.
"Hello," a nasal and robot-like voice said. "We have Anne. Listen…"
The muffled screams of Anne could be heard in the background.
"You have one hour to return the photographs you took at the local square. If not, you will see the tortured body of Anne" The phone got cut off.
"We've got to save Anne!" Dick cried.
"How Son? I don't think we can dismiss this at all…."
Indeed, as soon as the call ended and the Five started arguing, the captors reached over and flicked on a switch. "MmmmmPPPHHH!" The still tape gagged Anne yelled as she was shocked with a huge voltage. She had been stripped to her bra and knickers and strapped to an operating table. "MMmmmmmypppphhh!" She yelled again.
An hour later…
After much argument, the Five minus one deposited the film and developed photos. Along with them in secret were several squads of policemen. Both groups surrounded the drop off point and began the wait.
They waited….
And waited…
And waited…
"Where could Anne and her captors be?" George said out loud.
Miles away…
Anne extracted the soggy stocking out of her mouth and coughing, remarked, "This better have been worth it".
"Yes it is," came the reply, showing her side of the bargain: over one million pounds.
"Fantastic."
THE END