This story is written by made2serve (Peter) in our forum, please send comments and appreciation to made2serve2000@yahoo.co.uk

Standing with his ear pressed to the door Ted listened for any sound coming from outside, and hearing nothing gently turned the door handle. It was locked.

He had no idea how or why he was here? How long he had been here? Or how much longer it was going to be?

He had been visiting Eastern Europe with a view to moving some of his companies’ production here. Production costs in the UK were beginning to get become unsustainable, and what with national insurance, business rates and all the red tape that went along with it Eastern Europe had a lot to offer.

At first he had still been a little sceptical, but after arriving and being shown around he had started to see the plus side, mainly the prices.  

His guide had been an ex pat named Elizabeth who had moved  here to start up a consultancy specialising in introducing British manufacturers to local companies who could substantially cut their manufacturing costs, and she certainly new her job.

Ted had liked her from the outset. She was obviously a product of the greed is good culture of eighties, but one who had matured into a very  competent and committed business woman, and the fact she was a bit of a looker didn’t hurt either. If he gad to spend time in here having pleasant company was a bonus.

She had introduced him to half a dozen local companies, each one determined to win his business. In the end he had found a supplier who could produce and deliver an identical product at a third of the cost of his own factories. He had signed a three year contract for them to supply about fifty percent of his current needs, and on his last night he had taken Elizabeth to the best restaurant in town to celebrate and say thank you for all her help. And that was where things became fuzzy?

He remembered the meal and leaving the restaurant, But after that nothing else until he had woken up here.

Whoever was holding him obviously didn’t want to be identified, so he was pretty sure it was some kind of kidnapping for ransom. They had been very careful about keeping him isolated and their identities a secret.

 He had been locked in this room for what was probably a couple of days. His food arrived regularly via a dumb waiter, and that was the only sign that he wasn’t alone. He had guessed the room was soundproofed, as the silence was unnatural, and more than a little unnerving. And it made his plan of escape much more difficult.

The last thing he wanted to do was open the door to his captors, but he would have to take a chance.

He had managed to break of a piece of thin plastic from a panel    on the back of the table where he ate his meals, and using it in the way a burglar might a credit card he managed to slip the lock.

With his pulse racing he carefully opened the door and took his first peek outside, and got quite a surprise.

He had been expecting some kind of deserted or derelict building? But instead found him-self looking along a beautifully decorated and spotlessly clean corridor, with soft lighting and what looked like polished marble floors. It was more like a luxury hotel than a kidnapper’s hideout?

He must have picked the right time as the corridors were deserted and the lighting was set low.

Moving cautiously he headed towards a set of doors, and soon found him-self in some kind of lounge. Again it was spotless and beautifully decorated and furnished, and on the wall, a clock; And according to that it was just after three am.

With adrenalin pumping through his veins he headed towards another set of doors on the opposite side of the room, and found himself looking into a deserted kitchen.

Pushing the doors open he moved inside and after a quick look round headed for another set of doors. These led into a kind of utility room, which in turn led out onto a garden, and freedom.

With his heart racing he opened the patio doors and stepped out into the cool fresh night air. Now all he had to do was find a way out of the garden, and he would be home free. Adrenalin pumped and he tingled with euphoria, and that was when he noticed the familiar aroma of Channel perfume, and then the smell of a menthol cigarette.  Startled he looked around, and as he turned his head to the left he saw the unmistakable glow of a cigarette, and even more of a surprise was the face it lit up, Elizabeth, and he found himself doubting what he was seeing. That was until the security light came on.

Elizabeth was standing with her bottom perched on the wooden rail that surrounded the patio smoking one of her long thin menthol cigarettes. Smoke hung unmoving in the still cool air above her illuminated by the bright halogen security lights.

As he stared in disbelief she spoke.

“Hello Ted, you look surprised?”

Looking around the now brightly lit garden spotted a gate.

Seeing where he was looking she laughed. “Don’t bother It’s locked”

“Then you better unlock it.”

“Oh Ted, is that a threat, are you threatening me”

“Look I’m leaving and you’re not going to stop me. I don’t know what you’ve been up to? But its over, and I’m getting out of here.”

Another laugh, “Don’t worry I’m not going too stop you, but they are.” And two white coated orderlies stepped out of the shadows.

“Don’t look so surprised, I’ve been expecting you. I’m only surprised it took you so long to figure out how to slip the lock.”

Unsure now Ted looked back in her direction. “What do you mean?”

Again that laugh, “It was a test, to see how resourceful you are?  But that’s enough chit chat, its time we got you settled in properly. And with a nod to the orderlies she waited while they restrained him.

Taken by surprise Ted didn’t even have time to react as one of the orderlies dropped him almost perfectly onto his knees with a beautifully placed right cross too his chin, and with glazed uncomprehending eyes he sank almost gently to his knees.

The other orderly immediately grabbed him by one of his wrists. twisting the wrist the orderly applied pressure against the wrist joint, and at the same time straightened the arm and used his other hand to press downwards against Ted’s elbow joint, and very effectively held him restrained and kneeling.

With him being held on his knees Elizabeth used her bottom to push herself away from where she leant and casually sauntered up to where he was kneeling. Dropping her cigarette and crushing it beneath her foot she looked down, and hooking a finger under his chin lifted his head until their eyes met. Waiting until his eyes were able to focus she smiled. “Take him to the quiet room and get him settled.”

Ted cried out in pain as the orderly used his arm as a lever to lift him to his feet and bending him forward waited while his friend took a similar grip on his other arm. With his hands twisted palms upwards they made him move forward be forcing his wrists back towards his forearms, and kept  him bowed almost double by lifting his wrists upwards while pressing down against his elbows.

He had no choice but to go wherever they directed, and they seemed to delight in banging his head against every wall and door frame they could find.

Where they were taking him he had no idea and no choice in the matter. Suddenly they stopped and forced him down onto his knees, and he heard the steady rhythmic tap of heels on marble. They kept him kneeling until the feet had passed before once again using his arms like levers to lift and propel him headfirst along the corridor until they reached a lift, and with him kneeling between them they took him down into some kind of basement.

Down here there was no soft lighting or marble floors. Just roughly rendered and unpainted wall’s, and rough concrete floors.

There was a strong smell of disinfectant, and the floors and walls although rough and in need of repair looked clean, almost to clean.

The quiet room turned out to be a padded cell. Where he was taken inside and unceremoniously stripped.

They made a game of it by pushing him from one to the other while they removed his clothes one at a time. With him naked they took it in turns to slap him until he was almost senseless, and then they took turns at dragging him around the cell by his penis.

Ted had never in his life been touched by another man, and weakened as he was he tried to resist and break free. But every time he did they just laughed and slapped him again, until in the end he just gave up and let them do as they pleased.

As if through a fog he heard Elizabeth’s voice. “Well I can see you three are having fun? But I think it’s time Ted was settled down for the night. And while she stood there watching one orderly kept Ted up on the tip of this toes by twisting and pulling upwards on his penis while the other expertly fitted him with a canvas straight jacket. That done and with his arms crossed and pulled tightly across his chest then tied behind him he was totally defenceless, and while an amused Elizabeth watched the two men spent a little while tormenting him. A few light slaps pinched nipples were interspersed with bouncing him off the soft padded walls. When she eventually called a halt to their games Ted was exhausted and without one of them supporting him he collapsed.

Standing over him and resting her foot on his head she turned his face slightly upwards. Looking at him, but talking to them she said “Bread and water for three days, I’ll see him after that.   

How long it was before his first meal arrived he had no idea, but as promised it was just bread and water. It was delivered by a young girl wearing a nurse’s uniform and a blue plastic apron and as she put the bowls on the floor Ted asked “Please helps me.” and smiling pleasantly she assured him she would. Her accent was eastern European, and young as she was it had a hard edge to it. “Just eat your food and drink your water and I will be back to help you soon.”

Ted had to kneel to eat which he found difficult, but he managed and ate every last scrap. When she returned the young girl smiled. “I have these” and she held up what looked like a giant nappy, and a plastic bag with a long tube. “I think you can guess what they are for, so just stand with your legs slightly apart. It is much less painful if you relax so legs apart.”

Standing there with his legs spread while the young girl knelt in front of him and inserted the tube into his penis was the most humiliating experience of his life. Her latex covered fingers were soft and worked quickly, and after quite a lot of painful pushing, twitching, and trembling the tube was in. thinking it was over Ted relaxed for a moment until standing up and unclipping the clasp on her medical bag and took out a candle, and at the same time a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from her pocket and after lighting the candle lit her cigarette.

“I have to seal it with hot wax” she smiled. “I must make sure you don’t leak.” And while the wax was melting she taped the bag to his ankle.

“There we are almost finished?” 

Squatting down in front of him with her cigarette hanging between her lips she lifted his flaccid penis and just poured the hot wax over the head. Ted screamed and ran, but all she did was wait for a moment and then tell him to come back.

“Please don’t, no more.

She smiled. “Now, or do I need to have you restrained even more?

Ted new she meant the orderlies, and very painfully walked back to where she waited. When she was finished he was in agony. Lastly came the nappy, and then it seemed the humiliating abuse was over.

As she collected her things together Ted asked. Doesn’t any of this bother you?”

“Why would it? It is a job, I get paid”

“But what you’re doing, what you just did to me.”

“You are the one in pain, the one crying? Not me, so why would I care, you are nothing to me. I am paid to feed you and keep you clean, nothing more. Tonight I will be out eating and drinking with my friends, and all thanks to you and the others like you, so no I don’t care.”

“Others are there others?” But all she did was smile and walk out.

Over the next few days she was his only visitor. She came in twice a day to feed him, and once to change his nappy and bag.

Thee was no real cruelty involved in what she did, she just seemed t have a callous disregard for his feelings. Once when he moved she had hit him. But even that had been without emotion, it was simply a lesson. He had to learn to stand still, and if he moved she hit his testicles. Not a punch? Flat handed from below.

On what he judged to be his third day in the safe room she arrived as usual to feed and water him, but this time while he ate she prepared a syringe. He had learned not to speak unless he was spoken too, but this was new, and he had to ask. “Please what’s that for?”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Please what is it”

“Have you ever been injected in the eye socket.”

Ted felt sick, “God no please”

She smiled. “It is very painful, and if you speak again you will be finding out just how painful it is, so any more questions?”

Ted just shook his head.

The needle stung a little as she jabbed it into his exposed thigh. “This will help you to relax and sleep.”

And as the drug took affect it felt wonderful, and Ted just let it take him.

But when he woke it wasn’t so wonderful. The white light was back, and his head felt as if someone was playing a drum inside it.

It took a few minutes for him to remember, but when he did he groaned with frustration.

A voice he vaguely recognized spoke, but as if from a distance. “He’s awake, but don’t expect him to make much sense will you?”

Lifting his head and squinting against the blindingly white light and  pain he could make out two figures standing just inside the door. “Does he know who I am, can he see me and hear me.”

“Oh yes, he’s probably got a blinding headache, but he should be able to understand.” One of the figures came closer and squatted down beside him.

Whoever it was slapped him? Not hard, but it stung. “Dad; Dad, Can you hear me it’s Sandra your daughter, it’s Sandy?”

As his eyes began to focus another slap stung his cheek. “Look at me, c-o-n-c-e-n-t-r-a-t-e. Two more stinging slaps and the fog cleared enough for him to mumble her name Sandy?

“Yes Sandy, do you know where you are? He shook his head

“Your in Czechoslovakia, you came here on business, remember? It wa my idea.

Now he remembered, and nodded.

“Yes I remember.”

Holding up some papers she waved them in front of him. “This is a medical certificate and an enduring power Attorney signed by the doctors here stating that you’ve had a very serious stroke and are to ill to move. So the courts have given us a power of attorney to look after all your affairs.”

As his mind became clearer he frowned, “But I never, there’s nothing wrong with me?”

“I know, but once we get home these papers give Tony Moira and me control of your affairs so we can sell that big old house of yours, cash in your shares, and take over running the business completely.”

“You can’t, I won’t let you.” 

“You won’t be able to stop us. You’re staying here. This is a very secure psychiatric hospital. It’s a little primitive compared to the ones at home but it’s cheap. All we have to do is pay a flat fee of fifty thousand pounds to have you committed and after that you have to work too earn your keep. I’ve even arranged for you to work packing our stuff. How’s that for irony?”

Standing up she looked at the other figure an asked. “You’re sure this place is secure, I don’t want him turning up back in England in a few weeks.”

“No need to worry about that. I told you he starts his shock therapy in a few days, and once he’s had a few sessions of that he won’t even remember his own name. You would be amazed how a few ice baths and half a dozen sessions of electric shock therapy help them to forget.

In the old days when the state ran everything the locals called this place the robot factory because all manner of dissidents, activists and enemies of the state came in? And a few months later they came out as newly motivated and obedient robots.” She smiled. “I still have quite a lot of the original staff too, and I only employ people they recommend.”

“But how do you get away with it?”

“Elizabeth laughed. “The whole country runs on bribery. All you do is pay the right people. I bought this place complete with all its re-education equipment for next to nothing. And as per my planning application I have converted the main buildings into a luxury retirement complex. Upstairs anyone rich enough to afford my prices can live in obscene luxury. There is nothing they can’t have, at a price.

But down here we keep the ones like your father, the ones shall we say whose families would rather not spend too much money on keeping them in their retirement.

The system is perfect. Those upstairs live in pampered luxury, while those down here work long hours in the kitchens and laundries, or in a packing and production unit. It’s nothing like England here. There are few if any regulations. Once someone is committed here they virtually become the property of the hospital. There is no national health service, so either they or their family pay? Or as in your father’s case they work to earn their keep.”

Lying at there feet Ted could hardly believe what he was hearing.

“His life will be harsh, but then that is no concern of yours.”

Sandy smiled “None at all, we just want rid of him, and his death certificate?”

“We usually wait about nine months before reporting their death and cremation. And as soon as that’s done I will send you his death certificate and certificate of cremation, and then you can claim his life insurance, and we take twenty percent, don’t forget, or you might just get him back”.

Sandy laughed “Don’t worry about that its worth every penny just to know he’s going to spend the rest of his life in misery, now I have a plane to catch. And she left without even a backward glance.