Family Business

Pizza for Prudence

Farley Plaza Atlantic City 8.27PM.
Dodgy Dave parks his motor cycle by the payphone, he has just made it in time. At exactly 8.30pm the phone rings he picks it up "Miss Piggy is the only one left in the pigsty". The line goes dead.
"He takes out his cell phone and types the words "She is alone!".

Wednesday May 29th Sternwood Hospitality & Financial Services 9.20pm.

Peter Beard sits anxiously at his security desk. His left foot taps off the tiled floor uncontrollably. He received his money with the promise of another three thousand dollars to follow. The front doorbell goes off. He stares towards the door by it is a courier wearing a helmet with a pizza. His hand shakes as he lifts the phone receiver "Can I help you" he asks.

"I've pizza delivery for Prudence Sternwood!".

He slowly walks towards the door, hoping he doesn't look nervous. No sooner has he opened it then he is kneed in the stomach and a colt revolver held under his chin. "Do as I say and you will live".

"Of course!" groans peter as the pain tremors through his body. The assailant marches him towards his desk "Open up the car security gate" Peter does as he is told and sits down on his worn swivel chair as ordered.

Prudence yawns as she squints at the legal contract regarding the purchase of an apartment block in Queens New York.

Suddenly the lights die. "Ahhhh" she moans. She picks up her desk phone and dials zero for security but no answer. She opens up the security app on her PC and screams in horror at the sight of Peter Beard tied up".

Her heart races, her breathing becomes rapid and shallow. Then she hears a drill. She stands up grabs her handbag and cell phone. As fast as she can she waddles to her office door. She gasps in horror at the sight of torches and a drill working on the door. She couldn't see what they were doing but she knew it wasn't good. She couldn't stay. She clutches her chest as a sharp anxious pain cuts through it. She spots the fire escape to her left 20 metres away. She begins a fast paced waddle however that is short lived with her lack of fitness. She curses herself now for not exercising. Her legs feel heavier with every step.

She reaches the fire door, already sweating profusely. She fumbles with the safety bar "Surely I can't be this weak!" she moans in fear. She feels as if there is no power in her arms.
Her power was in the boardroom but when it came to physical strength hers lay in the stroke of a pen, but that was no use to her now. In the distance she could hear the drilling, This gave her some relief as it meant they hadn’t entered the office.
She shook the fire release as rigorously as she could. Her soft plump palms not use to such rigor. Her extensive chest compressed with each rapid heartbeat; restricting her breathing to short strained shallow gasps.

The fire release gives however setting off an alarm and poor emergency lighting. Pausing momentarily, she massages her left chest bone, an attempt to ease the tight pain caging it in. She wanted to cry the alarm ruining any hope of escape. She felt like she was breathing through a straw, her last asthma attack landed her in hospital for two days which was cut short as she had to get back to the business. The last thing she needed now was another one or worse still cardiac arrest.
The drilling ceases and replaced with a thunderous bang. As hastily as her three-hundred-pound frame allows, she enters the fire escape and as gingerly as possible closed the fire escape door behind her.
She rests her back against the cold unpainted concrete wall. A feeble attempt to catch her breath and try easing the pain cutting through her chest.

She was sure it was an inside job, how else would they get to cut the phone lines and power.
Fumbling with the clasp of her Vera Wang hand bag she removes her phone. Her hands shake uncontrollably. She stares down at the stairwell. She begins to cry, by the time she manages to dial 911 they will be on to her, she can't wait, she has to move as quickly as possible. She next fumbles for her inhaler or an improvised weapon, whichever she could find first. A gold credit card and silver parker pen were the closest to weapons she had. She wipes away tears from her eyes on the recognition that she's a businesswoman and not McGyver.
Her bumbling left hand searching the hand bag elevated the inhaler. Her fears worsen by the sound of its thud off the concrete floor.
She lowers her head and rubs her double chin with her trembling left palm. She sees it lying there. Ten centimetres to the left of her right foot.
At five foot three and obese; bending over or getting on her bad knees is not an option. She fears if she did, she would not be able to get up again.
With little choice she warily commenced a cumbersome waddle down the stairwell. Each foot carefully planted on each step one by one. The pressure on her ankles traverses up though her shins, joints and back in the form of sharp pain. Her breathing continues to labour. Dressed in her red silk blouse and black business suit, she felt like she was wearing an oven.
She continues to sweat profusely, readjusting her gold rimmed glasses with her right hand after each step as they slid down her sweaty nose. Her left hand grips the hand rail.
On ascending the second flight of stairs Prudence stalled; huffing and puffing while removing her suit jacket. Her mouth felt dry like the Sahara. Her whole body ached. Years of sitting and working at least fourteen hours a day and neglecting physical exertion now caught up with her.
The blood drained from her face on hearing the squealy sound of the fire door opening in the distance. Her bowels began rumbling, brought on by fear and increased adrenaline. It was not the time to have to use the bathroom.

She wipes her eyes and proceeds with her pitiful escape. Each step growing more painful. “I have your inhaler Prudence!!”. The voice loud enough to echo down through the stairwell. It sent a chill down Prudence's spine, she thought she recognised it. Bile filled up in her throat forcing her to stop to get physically sick. She then trundles on, her jelly like legs trembles with every step.
The sound of sadistic laughter began to draw nearer and nearer, Prudence's body shock with tears that violently rocked her body. Her gut begun to signal that she wouldn’t make it, her glasses hung loosely at the tip of her aquiline nose, she didn’t even have the energy to adjust them.
She glances quickly at her soft plump right fist. She never threw a punch in her life; she didn’t know how and didn’t have the energy to put up a fight. She realised she is a beaten ticket. The assailant now a few footsteps away.

She stops and sobs, her sweat saturated blouse glued to her "Prudence, Prudence you can't hide, we're coming to get you, give up! you can't hide fatty!!"

Prudence felt like her weight doubled, she was paralysed with fear, her energy sapped, she thought of her dreams were they a warning, should she had heeded them, but it was too late now.

A huge jeering laugh filled the stairwell as the blade of a knife sat firmly under her double chin "Hello Fatso!"

The voice familiar, the words cruel, to hurt her. Usually she would reply but she was too exhausted, her body shook once more from a river of tears.

"Now move fatso or I will dig out that triple chin of yours".

Very Carefully her eyes trying to keep a view of the knife, she places her left leg on the lower step, then the right one". Her body burns, she wants to get sick again.

"Hurry up fatso!" the voice threatens "I can't gasps" Prudence in fear, "you will cut me with the knife, please, it's hard enough for me without that".

The assailant removes the knife from around her neck but places it against her lower back "Now move fatso!"

She feels her legs wobble with every step, her stomach knotted more and more, her chest stung with every strained breath. Behind them more steps quickly trundle down the stairwell "Who was it this time?" she wonders, "Gretchen has her surely Richie".

"You have her good!" states the male voice. Prudence screams and breaks into wild sobs as the male shouts in her left ear "faster bitch or I will roll you down". She looks towards him, it no doubt it is him behind the Scream mask.

Prudence pants hard as she lands at floor minus one car park fire escape door. She yelps as Gretchen wraps her shoulder length hair around her fist forcing her head backways "Not even a whisper or I will slice this knife through your back"

With ease Richie snatches the Vera Wang handbag from her and removes the keys for her Lexus. "This is mine now!". He opens the fire door, makes a signal with his hand, next the silence is broken by the sound of the Vandura as it stops at the fire door. A female gets out and slides the rear door open "Prudence's head still tilted forward from the painful tug Gretchen maintained on her hair "move" roars Richie "Please" wheezes Prudence "I have one hundred thousand dollars in my safe at home, jewellery and thirty thousand dollars in Government bonds, they are all yours if let me go please"

"Get in" orders Gretchen as she forcefully drags her by the hair to the waiting van "Please, please" she sobs. Her whole body shakes once more as she feebly tries to hold the van door with her right had. She hears the drivers van door open suddenly she is doubled over and flung onto the van floor banging her left knee off the vans metal floor. Gretchen takes a seat behind Prudence who lies on the ground groaning.