While Sergei lifted the bound, gagged, and hooded Madame Naumov into the trunk, Madeleine carefully kept watch. She had backed her luxury sedan into the alley so that they wouldn’t need to bring her out onto the street. By now, twilight had settled into darkness, granting them some precious cover, but even with darkness, it wouldn’t be hard for wandering eyes to see a bound woman in a leotard being loaded into a trunk.<br/><br/>The gag and hood muffled her cries and grunt as Sergei all but tossed her into the trunk then went back for Lila. Madeleine unraveled her second-to-last bundle of rope, then leaned in and pushed her so that she lay flat on her chest. Working quickly, she tied another few coils around her ankles, then pulled them up to her wrists, effectively hogtying her in a neat package.<br/><br/>“I suppose tying up a dancer has its benefits, Madame Naumov,” Madeleine said softly, knotting the rope tightly. She was nearly able to force her feet to touch her hands. “Your flexibility is admirable.”<br/>