Bound for Trouble, pt. 3

Triana Orpheus & Sirena Ong are kidnapped as part of a plan against their fathers and bond during their captivity.

The sound of the door creaking open jolted both girls from their silent planning. Triana stiffened as heavy footsteps approached, followed by the familiar tug of her gag being pulled down. Sirena let out a muffled sigh of relief when her gag was removed as well.

"Feeding time," one of the goons said gruffly, setting down two trays of food. He didn't bother removing their blindfolds, instead guiding a fork to their mouths with clumsy efficiency.

Triana swallowed a bite of the bland food and took her chance. "So, what's the big plan here? Kidnap two random girls and hope the world crumbles?"

The goon chuckled. "Hardly random. You're leverage. Your daddy is a hero and her daddy works with the Guild of Calamitous Intent. If they think you were kidnapped by the other, it might cause the hero community to break their pact with the Guild and attack it full force."

Sirena frowned. "That's your grand plan? You think the Guild's gonna crumble just because our dads might have beef?"

"Hey," the goon snapped, clearly offended, "it's more complicated than that. Not that you need to know the details."

Triana smirked. "Sounds like you don't know the details either."

The goon ignored her, shoveling another forkful of food her way.

After finishing their meals, Triana spoke up again. "Look, I get the whole gag thing, but seriously, we're not 'scream-for-help' types. Can we skip it for a bit? I mean, it's not like anyone's coming to rescue us right now."

The goon hesitated, clearly weighing his options. Finally, he muttered, "Fine. But the ropes and blindfolds stay on."

"Gee, thanks," Sirena quipped as the door slammed shut behind him.

The girls sat in silence for a moment before Triana broke it. "Okay, let's think. If they're keeping us alive, that means we've got leverage. We just need to figure out how to use it."

"Right," Sirena agreed. "But how? They've got us blindfolded and tied to chairs. Not exactly a great position to negotiate from."

Triana grinned, her tone playful. "Well, you could seduce one of the guards. You've got that whole 'femme fatale' vibe going."

Sirena snorted. "Yeah, because that'll totally work with these ropes and blindfolds. What's next? Bat my eyelashes through the blindfold?"

Triana laughed softly. "Hey, I'm just brainstorming. But seriously, we need to think like them. They don't want us dead�"they want us scared and compliant. If we can mess with that, we might get a shot."

Sirena nodded thoughtfully, her resolve hardening. "Okay. We play along for now, but the second we get an opening, we take it."

"Agreed," Triana said. "They think they've got the upper hand. Let's show them they don't."

�"�"�"�"�"-

The door creaked open again, and the girls sat up, both slightly more alert.

"Well?" the goon barked, glaring at them.

Triana leaned back against her chair, keeping her tone even. "So, we've been thinking. Now that we get why we're here�"leverage or whatever�"we've got a proposal."

The goon narrowed his eyes. "A proposal?"

Sirena chimed in. "Yeah. We won't try to escape, but we've got a few conditions. For starters, better food. The stuff you're giving us now is barely edible."

"And," Triana added, "if you insist on keeping us tied up, maybe consider something less medieval? Like, we're not going anywhere, so there's no need for all the bruises."

"And we need showers," Sirena finished. "Seriously, we've been here all day. We're gross."

The goon frowned, scratching his head. "Huh. I'll talk to the boss." Without another word, he turned on his heel and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Triana smirked. "That went better than expected."

A few minutes later, the door opened again, and the goon stepped back inside, looking slightly annoyed. "Fine. Boss says you get what you asked for. But don't push your luck."

The girls exchanged a victorious glance as the goon moved to untie them. Once their restraints were off, both stretched their stiff limbs, groaning in relief.

"Finally," Sirena muttered, rubbing her wrists.

They were led to a small bathroom with a shower, given some soap and towels, and left alone.

"Not exactly the Ritz, but I'll take it," Triana said as she turned on the water.

After washing off the grime of the day, the girls emerged feeling refreshed but exhausted. Back in their room, they noticed how dark it was outside.

"Wow," Sirena said, checking the clock on the wall. "We've been here the whole day."

Triana yawned. "No kidding. I could pass out right now."

The goon stood by the door, arms crossed. "You'll sleep unbound, but there'll be a guard outside. No funny business."

"Yeah, yeah," Triana said, waving him off.

Without a change of clothes, the girls opted to sleep in their undergarments, grateful for at least one small comfort.

As they settled in for the night, Triana glanced at Sirena. "Well, it's not exactly a five-star resort, but at least things are looking up."

Sirena chuckled. "For now."