Now, every good degree course involves an element of research. While my new recruits are not going to be researching anything for a while, research is an essential part of my activities before taking them on.

In preparation for this group of five I had to carry out my usual trawl through the primary sources and I now find myself engaged in a essential data collection exercise.

"All right, bitch, where's the money?" I push the gun up under the girl's throat. "Where's the money?" I can be quite aggressive when needed.

"There isn't any, please believe me. There's nothing here."

We are in the administration office of the university faculty. It is early on Friday evening and the two girls who were just about to close up are wishing they had done so ten minutes earlier. For them the week-ed is definitely going to be starting late.

"Get down on the floor, both of you," I bark. It would have been easier if they weren't here but no matter. In some ways it helps to have some witnesses. "And get your hands behind your backs." While they do this I turn the key in the office door and slip the sign round to read "CLOSED" so that no one disturbs us,

"What are you going to do?" The younger of the two seems to want to chat. I'm not in the mood. Why are they always so impatient to know what happens next? They find out soon enough, and, anyway, haven't they seen enough movies to be able to make a half-way reasonable guess?

"Just keep quiet and you won't get hurt. Now do as I say." They both oblige. They seem pretty intimidated by the gun and the ski mask but even so it's always a good sign when they start to cooperate. I use cable ties to do the job on their wrists and ankles. The small blond one whimpers as I jerk the strip tight around her wrists.

As far as my two captives are concerned this will be a simple robbery. For my part I just want to get at the student files for a dozen or so prospective recruits without, of course, raising any suspicions. The search for cash gives me an excuse to ransack the files.

I tell them to sit up. It is always amusing to watch helpless women wriggling while bound. I guess that when I stop enjoying that I will know I have got too old for this little game of ours. They eventually succeed. I lift each of them up and sit them back on the chairs behind their own desks. I pull some phone cords and network cables from their sockets (the average office is now a complete warehouse of bondage goodies) and tie them in place. Hands are tied back to the chair upright, feet are lifted clear of the ground, waist ties lock them in the chair and a further length around the knees serves to keep them steady - standard stuff. I think that gags are going to be more of a problem until I spot a shopping bag on Blondie's desk - two packs of tights and some new panties that she must have bought in a shopping trip that lunch time: ideal.

I decide that I don't want to get engaged in the "please don't gag us - we'll keep quiet" conversation that is almost mandatory in these situations. So for each in turn I just jam the gun against their head and push a couple of pairs of panties in their mouths (Blondie's taste in underwear is such that it would take more than two pairs to make a really good gag but it does for what I need here) and secure them there with the pantyhose.

To maintain the fiction of a robbery, I let them watch as I turn out their handbags. There's not much cash and only a couple of credit cards each but I pocket them anyway. The credit cards provide me with an introduction to my captives. "Blondie" turns out to be Sue Clark while her younger colleague is Katie Reed. I try to be polite. They just scowl.

For the last bit I want them blindfolded. Fortunately Katie comes to my rescue. Sue is wearing a roll neck sweater over a short corduroy skirt but Katie has on a regular shirt and jeans. I decide the sleeves of Katie's shirt will make fine blindfolds and flick out my pocketknife, much to the consternation of the two girls. However, the cables keep them tight to their chairs and Katie can only squeal into her gag as I cut away the sleeves of her blouse. She's almost relieved when I tie one across her eyes to blindfold her. Sue gets the other sleeve and I tell both of them to keep still and quiet while I look for the money.

I give the office a good turning over, spreading files around and emptying drawers before heading off into the main file room. I find the files I want quickly enough. Sue and Katie obviously run an efficient office and it's almost a shame to make such a mess. I photograph the contents of the files I want and toss them back into the pile of muddle that I have made. In turning out one of the desks I find a cash box with five hundred pounds; not much but enough to justify my having been there.

"I found the cash, you liars," I snarl as I head back into the office. I check to make sure that they are still tied securely and the gags and blindfolds are still in place. The two of them struggle and mew as I work around them but they have been well behaved and haven't really made any progress I getting loose. I reckon the gags will last about 15 minutes before they get them loose. That is plenty of time for me.

"Sorry to be leaving," I say. "You are nice looking ladies and I'd have loved to stay and play. We could have cut some more from that shirt of yours, Katie, to see what's under there. I am sure that Susie's got a nice pair of tits under her sweater, too but I don't really have the time. You two stay very still and quiet until you hear my car leave the car park. Then you can try to get free. Understand?"

The two of them nod and make affirmative grunts. I bid them farewell and leave. I pull off my ski mask and walk away from the office. I guess they spend a while straining to hear the sound of my non-existent car before eventually starting wriggle free.

As the local paper had it, "University Raider Terrorises Staff". According to them a violent, masked, gunman had "seized several thousand pounds and tied up two staff in a vicious attack at the University's administration building". According to me, I now had the application forms, course details, accommodation addresses, and selection interview notes for each of my prospective recruits. Oh yes, and five hundred pounds - why do the press exaggerate so - and some loose change from the girls. (Also of course I also had the opportunity to meet two potential recruits if a client ever needs a secretary-slave. No qualifications, I'll bet, but really effective administrators.)

Anyway, the university admin office burglary gave me a substantial chunk of information. Nobody gets a Nobel prize for this sort of research but it always makes the rest of the job easier. I like to get the medical records and their banking details as well.

The banks are easy - its no effort to create a bogus credit checking company and they seem only too willing to pass over details of accounts and credit cards.

Medical stuff is usually harder but this time I manage to hack into the University Clinic's computer systems. In some ways it's a disappointment - I'd been looking forward to another little burglary spree, perhaps with the benefit of some of the clinic's nurses trussed up in their cute, white uniforms and gagged with that really sticky surgical tape. Still it wasn't to be this time around. I had my data and you really have to quit when you've got all you need.