Evasion In The Woods - Conclusion

by RichardUK

They now turned their attention to Matthew, who was struggling on the ground in front of us. His hogtie was removed and he was helped to sit up, although his ankles were still bound. It occurred to me that James and I still had our shirts, so with luck we would escape any further torture. Matthew, however, was not to be so lucky. Roger and Andrew seized his arms while Peter untied his wrists and yanked his shirt over his head.

They then immediately retied his hands palm to palm in front of him using the same "handcuff lashing" that had been used on James and me earlier. Mike had disappeared inside the hut and now came out carrying a long length of rope, one end of which he threw over a tree branch hanging over the clearing. Matthew watched wide-eyed as he was hauled to his feet and made to hop into position beneath the branch.

Mike made one end fast between Matthew's bound wrists and the three of them hauled on the other end until he was almost on tip toe, his arms stretched above his head. Keeping the rope tight Mike made it fast to Matthews bound ankles, leaving him unable to move and highly vulnerable to tickle torture. Well pleased with his handiwork, Mike dispatched the other three to collect one of the border guards and recommence the search for Paul.

Once alone, he began by removing our gags before saying, "I'm going to leave you for a few minutes so you can consider your predicament together. Three of my team appear to be missing and it would help your circumstances if you were to reveal where they are before we catch Paul, which should only be a matter of time. Don't go far!" he laughed before going to the hut.

I immediately asked how the other two were and James said he was fine although his wrists were a little sore. This was hardly surprising since he had now spent the best part of the afternoon tied up in a variety of positions. Matthew said he was OK but didn't think he would be able to hold out for long when Mike got busy. We agreed that Paul was probably safe in the treetops but if he was making his way to the rendezvous he was in imminent danger.

We felt that if Matthew could hold out, his two prisoners would be a worthwhile bargaining counter. Paul did not know about these two, so if he was taken they would be unable to torture their whereabouts out of him. On the other hand, we could always give them Mark (still tied to his lofty perch) to take the heat off Matthew.

Mike reappeared and asked us if we wanted to do this the easy way. Matthew defiantly clamped his jaws closed and, if possible, his stretched limbs seemed to stiffen. Mike stepped behind him out of sight and then suddenly launched his attack with amazing ferocity, his fingertips dancing over Matthew's taught stomach, ribs and armpits.

He burst into fits of giggles writhing around in his bonds but completely incapable of avoiding the searching fingertips. After two minutes, he was drenched in sweat with tears rolling down his cheeks. Mike stopped at last and asked if he had anything to say but again he kept his mouth stubbornly closed. The torture commenced again and Matthew gyrated on his rope for a further two minutes by which time he was gasping for breath.

"Alright, I give in," he said weakly. Within a few moments, he had revealed where Mark was being held, but as he finished, Andrew and Roger burst through the bushes pushing Paul - arms tied behind his back, shirtless and gagged - before them. They were closely followed by Mark himself. Paul had been caught making his way towards "freedom" and Peter had immediately made it his business to extract what information he could. Peter and the others were now searching for our two remaining prisoners.

Mike fetched a second long rope. Paul was pushed to the ground and his ankles were tied. Within moments his hands had been retied in front and he was strung up like his older brother.

Mike turned to Matthew and said, "If you want to help your brother I would speak up now." Paul, still gagged shook his head vigorously at Matthew and within seconds his ribs were under attack just as Matthew's had been a few minutes earlier. Paul writhed in his bonds but with his mouth effectively stopped only muffled sounds were heard. After two minutes, his face was running with tears from his laughter and Matthew called for Mike to stop and agreed to surrender our remaining two prisoners.

Matthew was gagged and released from the overhead branch. Forced to kneel, another cricket stump was produced and he was pinioned as James and I had been earlier. Then his ankles were freed and he was made to lead a group of our captors to his prisoners. James and I remained tied to our trees and Paul was still strung up by his wrists to the branch above.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone returned, leading the still bound and gagged Matthew. His two former prisoners were swearing revenge - they had remained bound longer than either James or me - but Mike stepped forward with a good-natured grin.

"Unfortunately you loose and we claim the right to keep you bound for a further hour. The good news is that while you pay your penance the rest of us will prepare supper. We had originally intended that you would all be bound like Matthew, and I had four stumps for the purpose, however I doubt you will want to reveal where the first two are so Paul can join his brother while we find another way to deal with you two".

Matthew's ankles were tied again and he was made to sit on the ground as James and I had been earlier. Meanwhile his brother was taken down and made to kneel. He struggled ineffectually as the stump was slipped into position to pinion his arms and in a few moments he was placed alongside Matthew.

Now it was our turn. My hands were untied from behind the tree and I was forced to bend forward while they were crossed and tied behind my back. Then my ankles were freed from the trunk but otherwise left bound and I was deposited unceremoniously on the ground. Within moments my gag had been replaced. A few paces away, James was receiving the same treatment.

Now Andrew appeared carrying a mallet and some long steel tent pegs and I knew immediately what our fate was to be. My ankles were untied, hands grasped my legs pulling them apart and two pegs were driven deep into the hard ground. With my hands tied behind my back I could not resist and within a few moments each of my ankles had been tightly lashed to a stake. James watched wide-eyed but within no time at all he was receiving the same treatment.

My hands were now loosed, I was forced back onto the ground and each of my arms were grasped and pulled taut so that I would have no movement. Two more stakes were driven in and my wrists tied to them. With James similarly bound our captors stood back to look at us. They had done their work well stretching my arms out so far that my back was arched. Peter returned with two small logs one of which he placed under each of our necks for support and the relief was palpable.

"OK guys, be good and don't go far," he joked and returned to the hut from where the smell of supper was soon tantalizing us.

At last the hour was up and the whole group returned to liberate us. We sat up rubbing our stiff limbs and looking forward to our meal. James had received a blooding of fire in his first battle but in the good-natured discussions that followed he quickly realized that it would not be long before he had his opportunity for revenge.

Comments and feedback