First, to quickly answer you tirepanted:
Yes indeed, the pace of updating is quite hectic, though I reassure you, it's because most of the story was already written by the time the prologue was uploaded.
(Speaking of which, the next part is right afterwards... so you won't have to wait long for more...
) Glad you enjoyed the USB scenes. Imagining different banters and personalities for the victims (both at the Blue Dragon and in Irene's estate) had been a ton of fun, and I appreciated the result. Some of them were sympathetic, others not. Some of them were amusing, and some of them were returning characters.
Infiltration of a rich woman's estate is a classic tale, and it felt nice to return to the classics, so to speak.
Part 3
**************
“WHERE ARE MY SISTERS?!”
These were the first words Tina shouted when she was brought in front of Irene Eudokia. She had been restrained, separated from Marie and Angel, stripped down to her underwear, thoroughly searched, and brought to Irene while still in her undergarments. She didn't care about the humiliation through which her enemies were making her go. She only cared about her family.
Two strong bodyguards forced Tina to sit on a comfortable armchair.
Behind a gold-plated desk of precious wood, expensive but functional, Irene smiled patiently. As if she was a professor dealing with a slow-minded child. Behind Irene, there was a huge painting displaying the aristocrat surrounded by her children. The frame was made of gold, with one white diamond at each corner. Tina couldn’t even imagine the price of such a thing.
“Your sisters are enjoying their new accommodations.” Irene answered.
She pointed at a bunch of screens on the right wall. They were showing footage of security cameras. Footage of Tina’s sisters. Each was locked in a different small room, probably in the secret cellars of the manor. They weren’t wearing their stolen clothes anymore, but cheap plain-looking grey clothes. Tina deduced that they also had been stripped and searched, but at least her sisters then had been given some clothes to put back on.
Soph was furiously pacing back and worth, regularly shouting insults and kicking at the armoured door. BB was sitting on her mattress. She was apparently meditating, but Tina knew that she was in truth thinking of a way to escape and save her sisters. Marie was also pacing back-and-forth, though she wasn’t shouting and kicking things like Soph. Angel was looking worried sick, seated on her mattress. Tinker was terrified, probably the most out of everyone. Compared to her sisters, she was less used to field missions, therefore less used to direct danger. She had maybe asserted herself, but being at the mercy of ruthless foes and under the threat of an impending death was still too much for her.
Tina wished she could just go through the screens and take all her sisters in her arms to reassure them, especially Tinker.
They were all unharmed, at least for now. Tina couldn’t help but feel some relief. All hope wasn't lost.
“I admit that I’m a little disappointed. I didn’t think you would fall for my trap so easily.” Irene commented. “We were expecting you. When you mugged Jenny, we immediately saw you on the hidden security system. You only managed to get this far because I was curious to see how far you would get.”
Tina forced herself to stop looking at the footage of her sisters. She glared daggers at Irene.
The aristocrat added: “I knew that sending my daughter would catch your attention. That’s why I asked her to go in person, and to have a few of our sentries released. They were a bait. I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation to spy on us. That’s also why I asked Zoë to go to the Blue Dragon, supposedly to hire thugs to deal with you and to pave the way for a meeting with Heartfelt City’s gang leaders.”
“The manager told-”
“The manager didn’t know it was a trap. As if I would trust a low-life like her to keep my secret!” Irene interrupted Tina. “No meeting was planned. No gang leader ever set a foot into this estate. They had received another message to warn them that it was a trick, in secret this time. Since your little team has been a thorn in their side for quite some time, they were very understanding. That’s the beauty of the scheme. All you peons believed we were genuine. Only important people knew the truth.”
Tina chuckled mockingly, but without joy. “So gang leaders are ‘important people’ to you?” She shook her head. She wasn’t even trying to hide her scorn. “The more I hear about your family, the more disappointed I am. For all your talks of lineage and aristocracy, you’re nothing but thugs and criminals.”
Irene’s cheeks paled very slightly. As head of a powerful and ancient aristocratic house, she wasn’t used to be the target of someone’s contempt. However, Irene wasn’t Theophano. She didn’t lose her cool, she didn’t even raise her voice.
“If I was you, I would remain respectful. You and your sisters owe your lives to my generosity.”
Tina wasn’t naive. She raised an eyebrow. “Generosity? People like you don’t understand the meaning of that word. You didn’t spare us out of mercy. Get to the point! What do you want from me?”
Irene smiled slightly. “Ah! So you’re smarter than you look.” She chuckled mockingly. “Apologies. Your embarrassing way of falling into my trap made me doubt… I was starting to think that your reputation was exaggerated.”
Tina kept silent.
“I need your services as an infiltrator. I want you to rob a site belonging to your former company.” Irene explained.
Tina wasn’t even surprised to hear that, even though Irene supported the Phantoms, she was also hiring infiltrators in secret. The businesswoman didn’t believe in any cause, outside of her family’s.
“Why are you asking me? Can’t you hire other infiltrators?”
“Oh trust me, I am already employing other infiltrators. And I would never have tried to use you if I had the choice. However, to rob this specific site, I need you.”
“Why?”
There was an amused spark in Irene’s eyes. “Oh come now, we both know that you are ‘from a huge family’, so to speak. There are so many of your ‘sisters’ working for Anna’s company, that I’m sure nobody will notice if you take the place of one of them...”
This time, Tina wasn’t able to hide her reaction of surprise. “You- You know about the clones?”
“Let’s just say I have strong certitudes, and no valid proof. Among some circles of people, Anna’s clones are something akin to an open secret… Not that I would shout my knowledge from the rooftops either. Anna will do anything to prevent the information from becoming public. However, you see now why I can only use you.”
Tina’s mind was racing. “What do I get in exchange?”
“You get to live.”
Tina smiled derisively. “Of course. You’ll give me a good scolding and let me go home…” she snarked.
“I am a businesswoman. I am not wasteful. Technically, you can’t do anything against me. Thanks to some accords between Heartfelt City and my home country, this property is considered Federation soil. According to the laws of my country, the secret rooms and secret cells I built are 100% legal. Officially, I have captured a bunch of infiltrators, and detained them the time to negotiate their extradition to Heartfelt City. I’m sure the mayor will overlook some minor transgressions in the procedure to get his hands on you… You will be my ‘peace offering’, so to speak, after Theo’s disastrous little adventure with his daughter. He’ll take great pleasure in humiliating you during a trial, and sentencing you to a lengthy jail sentence. I trust you may have a chance to escape, but that wouldn’t be my problem anymore.”
Tina briefly pondered about the woman’s speech.
Irene was lying. She was pretty good at that. Her face didn’t betray any emotion. She was looking sincere, and most women would have been fooled by her. But Tina wasn’t.
For the aristocrat, it was personal. Tina and her sisters had humiliated Irene’s daughter and had sullied her family name. Irene wanted her revenge. Forcing Tina to do her dirty laundry was only the icing on the cake, a way to humiliate them before dealing the finishing blow. A way to combine business and pleasure.
After all, Irene had a businesswoman mentality. She wasn’t going to lose an opportunity to net a profit. But she would never let Tina and her sisters live afterwards.
Still, what choice did Tina have? Her best course of action was to buy as much time as she could. Mag, Libido, and Stasis were still out there, already devising a plan to rescue them. Tina had to give them a few days.
“I require a way to be able to contact any of my sister at any moment of the mission.” Tina retorted. “Just to make sure that you won’t kill them the moment I leave this building.”
Irene didn’t bat an eye. “Of course.”
“Then we have a deal.” Tina lied.
She knew pretty well that each party involved in that deal would try to backstab the other.
Irene nodded. She shared Tina’s sentiment.
However, then she smiled, and that smile was terrifying.
“By the way… We only captured six of you. I know you are nine. Where are the three others?” the businesswoman asked.
Tina used her training as an infiltrator to remain impassible, even though internally she was petrified with fear for her sisters.
“They are dead. They were killed by the Phantoms.” she lied on the spot.
Irene chuckled. “Nice try, but I have a hard time believing you. I’m pretty sure the Phantoms would have warned me if they did.”
Tina refrained the need to curse. In the spur of the moment, she had forgotten about that crucial detail! House Eudokia had been in cahoots with the Phantoms!
Irene raised an eyebrow. “Hesitating? I’m sure that the sight of one of your sisters being tortured will convince you to talk… We’ll start with the one you nickname ‘Tinker’.”
“No! Wait!”
“I take it that you will talk?”
Tina lowered her head, and surrendered. “… Yes.”
She was ashamed with herself. She had failed her sisters. She had failed as a leader.
She had walked right into a trap, and had Stasis not been sick, all the sisters would have been captured by now. It was only thanks to pure dumb luck that Stasis, Mag, and Libido hadn’t been captured as well!
And now, she was forced to rat them out to save the rest of her sisters…
She could only hope that Mag did the right thing.
**************
The sisters knew that capture was a risk. And that capture meant questioning.
Of course, they would never betray each other. However, they also knew that there was one situation during which they would have no choice but talk: If their enemy threatened to torture or kill an other sister.
And, for that, they had imagined a plan. If several sisters were captured, the remaining ones would have to leave the flat immediately, in order to allow the prisoner to give away their location. Losing an apartment meant nothing compared to losing a sister.
Thanks to the credits the sisters had won during their missions, Tinker had bought several fallback places. Cheap flats that ones could rent for next to nothing were numerous in Heartfelt City. Sure they were horrendously uncomfortable, and sure it meant that they couldn’t buy many house appliances, but at least they could afford several of them.
Mag, Libido, and Stasis had grabbed all the things they could carry, and destroyed the computer equipment they couldn’t bring with them to prevent enemies from collecting their data.
They went to an other flat, at the other side of the town.
It was time for a council of war.
Mag took charge of everything. “We don’t have much time. We’ll have to be quick and efficient. We have an advantage though. We know the twist about the second security system.”
“Then what are we waiting for?!” Stasis exclaimed.
Libido approved her. "They won't know what hit them!"
“Wait.” Mag reflexively answered.
“Is there a problem?” Libido asked.
Mag refrained a grimace. She didn’t want to confess that she didn’t trust Libido and Stasis for this mission. She didn’t want to hurt their feelings. But she thought they wouldn’t be able to succeed with only them. Mag loved them dearly, but she was regarding them as the less reliable of their family, and this time the stakes were high.
“We need reinforcements.” Mag answered instead. “We need help to bypass the security system. And some extra hands to bind guards as well.”
Stasis and Libido exchanged a quick glance. If they had noticed Mag’s hesitation, they didn’t comment on it.
“Libido, you got Blink’s phone number? Then call her.”
“Got it.”
“Stasis, try to call Amai and Midori. Maybe they're still in contact with some of Irene’s guards. They were their colleagues after all.”
“I will, but if they still have friends there... they won’t help us if we want to hurt them…”
“We will not kill the guards. However, I can’t promise that some of them won’t lose a few teeth. And if one of them harmed our sisters…” Mag didn’t finish her sentence, but her intent was crystal clear. “Please, just try."
"I'll do it."
"First, we need to gather as many information as we can. I will call Felicity. Maybe… Maybe we can use their high-tech system against them... And after that, we'll bring in as many allies as we can.”
**************
Knipperen groused under her beard, and adjusted the position of her office chair. How could something designed to be seated on for hours be so uncomfortable? If she needed ONE reason to embrace the infiltrator lifestyle…
I’m starting to think the reward isn’t worth it.
Knipperen had been hired to steal a prototype. Basic industrial espionage. The target was Annagram Pharmaceuticals, one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies. Some brand new machine was supposed to be delivered to their main laboratory in Heartfelt City. A rival company wanted to steal it.
That was where Knipperen was entering the picture.
Currently, the infiltrator was posing as a night watchwoman. She was wearing black security shoes, dark blue uniform trousers with red stripes, a matching dark-blue uniform jacket with red stripes over a white t-shirt, a black belt, and a dark blue security cap.
Well, technically she was supposed to play the part of a night watchwoman. But in this building, the night watchwoman’s job was to receive the deliveries. Basically, she was a receptionist in everything but name. A ‘real’ security guard was monitoring all the security cameras from the control room.
The real night watchwoman was lying on her stomach at Knipperen’s feet, concealed under the desk. She was a fair-skinned woman with shoulder-long frizzy brown hair and hazel eyes, stripped down to a white t-shirt bra and white French-cut panties. Both undergarments had green borders and a pattern of blue, red, and yellow flowers. The watchwoman’s wrists and her ankles were restrained by zip-ties. Her forest green socks had been shoved into her mouth, and a red cloth-gag was tied over her mouth. Knipperen was casually using her back as a footstool. Currently, she was still unconscious, knocked out by the powerful sleeping gas that Knipperen had made her breath.
Taking the woman’s place proved to be surprisingly easy. The Annagram Pharmaceuticals’ laboratory she wanted to infiltrate was part of a research park. Knipperen entered the building near the end of the visiting hours, quickly located the security cameras, and went to the restrooms. The company didn’t want any lawsuit, they hadn’t dared putting security cameras there. Sure, waiting hidden in a stall until the building closed was long and boring. However, a good infiltrator knew to be patient.
And Knipperen wasn’t merely ‘good’. She was the cream of the crop. An apex predator. Like a crocodile, she could stay motionless for hours… before striking.
Once all the employees save for the night shift had left the laboratory, Knipperen left her stall. Then all she had to do was to pay a visit to the guard watching the security screens in her control room... while avoiding the lines of sight all the cameras on her way of course.
A good dose of sleeping gas convinced the dark-skinned black-haired brown-eyed security guard to take a break. Knipperen relieved her of her duty, and of her black security uniform and socks, leaving her clad in navvy blue boyshorts and a matching sports bra. In exchange, she offered the woman new bracelets – or more precisely some zip-ties. And a copious amount of tape to restrain and silence her.
Once the security guard was out of the picture, Knipperen simply paid a visit to the night watchwoman, and relieved her of her duty too.
Currently, the disguised woman was pretending to read a magazine, and was chewing a gum. Her targets were supposed to arrive any minute now.
Knipperen let out a groan of relief when she heard them ring at the delivery door. She pressed the button to open the door.
The first woman was wearing the clothes of a lab technician: a white long-sleeved lab coat, blue scrub pants and a V-neck blue scrub top, and white laboratory safety shoes. She had a white skin and hazel green eyes. Her collarbone-long light red hair were tied into a bushy ponytail. There were freckles on her cheeks. She was slightly shorter and chubbier than average, with a round-shaped face.
The second woman was wearing the clothes of a delivery woman: a bright blue jacket and a matching cap over a white t-shirt, dark brown trousers with a black belt around the waist, and bright blue sneakers. She had light blond hair, faded blue eyes, and a white skin. She was tall and too lanky, with a long face and sunken cheeks.
They were using a trolley to bring a tall wooden crate.
Knipperen played the part of the bored wage-slave who had to take the night shift. She lazily raised her eyes from her magazine.
“Can I help you?” She was using a particularly annoying valley girl accent.
“You’re supposed to be expecting us. We’re bringing the new prototype.” the lab technician announced.
Knipperen popped her bubble gum. “Yeah, yeah… Can you show me your ID?”
The lab technician sighed in annoyance, but the complied. “Is it good?”
Mary-Jane Thompson. The target Knipperen was expecting.
“Perfect.” the infiltrator answered.
Knipperen lazily got up from her chair, and nonchalantly approached the two women.
“So this is the new prototype…”
The lab technician frowned. She had heard that Knipperen had dropped the valley girl accent.
“You-” she tried to say.
However, when Knipperen took action, neither the lab technician nor the delivery woman had the time to do anything.
As swift and quick as a snake, Knipperen hit a specific spot between Mary-Jane’s neck and shoulder. The latter grunted, knocked out instantly. As she was staggering, before her body even fell, the infiltrator jumped the flabber-gasted delivery woman. One of Knipperen’s fake nails was actually coated with a powerful knock-out serum. She scratched the woman’s neck.
“Ow!”
Knipperen clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle her cries for help. Behind her, the knocked out lab technician fell onto the floor with a dull thud.
The delivery woman’s eyes widened. She was feeling the serum flowing through her veins. Knipperen watched her in the eyes, as she was drifting into unconsciousness. She let out muffled screams. When she tried to struggle free, Knipperen tightened her hand-gag and grabbed her by the neck with her free hand.
“I suggest you to behave.” she warned her victim. Her voice was threatening. “Unless you want be to become really MEAN.”
The woman didn’t dare to fight back. She shook her head and stopped struggling. Her frightened eyes soon rolled back, and she lost consciousness.
“Good girl.”
Knipperen let go of the limp body, that harshly fell on top of the lab technician’s.
The takedown had taken her roughly one minute and a half. Not her best record, but still a very good performance. She was satisfied with herself.
Knipperen dragged the two limp unconscious women behind the watchwoman’s desk.
The infiltrator then stole the lab technician’s clothes.
Mary-Jane had freckles on her shoulders and thighs as well. She was wearing a striped blue-and-white strapless bra, light purple bikini panties with white borders, and black-and-white socks.
Knipperen couldn’t resist the temptation, and also removed the delivery woman’s clothes, leaving her clad in a kiddie-looking candy pink bralette with white little flowers, white knickers with light blue borders, and light pink socks.
Knipperen trussed up the two women with zip-ties and package tape. She tied the wrists and ankles with zip-ties, then mummified the limbs with tape. She wrap-gagged each woman.
Finally, the lab technician and the delivery woman joined the watchwoman under the desk. Sure, they were crammed and would end up with cramps, but Knipperen didn’t care. They had served their purpose, and she had gotten what she was paid to steal.
The infiltrator grabbed the trolley, and left the building without a second glance. She would use the delivery van to leave the area with her stolen crate.
She had to meet with her employer’s representative.
**************
Knipperen always found it annoying when her employers insisted to have her meet representatives in isolated abandoned places, in order to protect their identity and reputation. These people were so unimaginative... They were following the clichés. For them, an exchange of stolen technologies had to take place exactly like in a spy movie. Knipperen groaned internally.
If the infiltrator truly wanted to learn her employers’ identity, their little staging wouldn’t be enough to prevent her from doing so…
Still, she kept her thoughts to herself.
“The machine is in the delivery van in front of the building.” she announced to the sharply-dressed man.
The representative of her employers smiled. “My agents will retrieve it.”
He handed Knipperen an envelope full of cash. Then he added:
“My employers will be most pleased with your success. In fact, I have been instructed to present you to them if you performed well in this mission. They will give you another one.”
“You could have given that mission to me at the same time as the other. It would have saved you time.” Knipperen retorted. She wasn’t trying to hide her annoyance.
The ‘test’... Another cliché...
The man didn’t lose his smile in spite of the infiltrator’s insulting tone of voice. “Please follow me. My employers are in this room.”
Knipperen complied. They entered the other room.
The man suddenly closed the door behind her.
The infiltrator frowned. Her instinct whispered to her that something wasn’t right.
Suddenly, someone hit her in the back, sending her onto the ground.
Knipperen cursed, but transformed her fall into a roll. Crouched down, ready to strike, she stared at her attackers.
They were two men, with copper red hair and fit bodies. In their eyes, there was a spark reminiscent of the jocks who bullied people in high-school. Irene Eudokia’s sons.
Well, I was wondering how the Eudokias would react after I robbed their estate. Guess I have my answer. Knipperen thought to herself.
“What are you dandies doing here?” she asked, still crouched down and waiting for an opportunity to escape. They had taken her by surprise, she didn’t have the time to get her hands on one of her tricks.
“Have you ever heard of the expression: ‘To kill two birds with one stone’?” Basile mockingly asked.
“Mother loves irony.” his brother added. “We hire you to hurt our rival’s assets, and when you come to receive your payment… Well, you deliver yourself into our hands for a sweet revenge. Besides, since you also robbed us, Anna won’t link the heist to us.”
“Years of being the best had made you complacent, it looks like.” Basile concluded.
Knipperen smiled harshly. “I’m the one complacent?” she defiantly exclaimed.
Suddenly, she jumped on her feet. Knipperen wasn’t the kind of infiltrator who would grovel and beg, even when at a disadvantageous position. Even at her foes’ mercy.
She was the kind of woman who would keep a cool head and fight. Her opponents were confident. Too confident. And most people were taken by surprise by how quick Knipperen could be. It was her best chance. She could push them out of the way and run.
However, she had underestimated her foes. The two dandies had also received a military training, and had been raised by a father who had made a point of being extremely harsh with his sons to teach them about life.
When Knipperen jumped on her feet, Constantin and Basile made their move. The twin brothers were perfectly synchronized, just like Knipperen was when fighting alongside with Blink. At the same time, the first one punched Knipperen in the stomach while the second one hit her in the face. The infiltrator was good, but even she couldn’t dodge two simultaneous blows.
Dazed, the wind knocked out of her, she staggered. Basile kicked the back of her calf while his brother hit her with his shoulder. Knipperen fell back on the floor.
Constantin pinned her onto the ground, and twisted her arm behind her back. “So much for the so-called ‘apex predator’…” he commented.
His brother smiled derisively. “I guess you’re not the top of the food chain after all… Peons like you should learn that true power lies in the blood. Men and women of our station are meant to rule over your kind.”
Knipperen kept calm. “You people are disgusting.” She was trying to anger them, to make them lose their focus.
Basile smiled brightly. “Says the one whose livelihood involves hurting other women daily.”
“Are you SERIOUSLY going to lecture me? I already have a sister for that, thank you very much.” Knipperen snarked.
Basile chuckled, acting as if they were two good friends sharing a joke. “Oh, we’re not going to debate about ethics with you. It would be pointless. People like you will never give a damn about the consequences of their actions.”
“We ought to know. We’re the same.” his brother commented.
"We are NOT the same..." Knipperen whispered through gritted teeth.
The brothers ignored her. “BUT we understand about trades and good business. The woman who traded information with us didn’t request money. She asked for a ‘payment in kind’, so to speak.”
“She asked us to make it SLOW and MEANINGFUL. She proposed that we walled you up alive. ‘Said it would be poetic justice. She doesn’t care that you feel remorse, she doesn’t care that you become a better person, she just wants to see you suffer and grovel. Mother was happy to oblige.”
Knipperen groaned. “Bet your informant is one of these nut-jobs who follow Sarah’s ideas, uh? Well, I’m sorry to disappoint her, but I’m not Mary Clyde. I won’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me beg.”
“Pretty sure you’ll change your tune after two days in the dark, when you’ll feel the effects of the thirst...”
“We have time. If the army taught us anything, it’s that everyone have their breaking point. Plus, it’ll give us the opportunity to lure your sister.”
“Blink is way too smart to fall for the bait! She won’t come!” Knipperen retorted.
Basile shook his head. “She’s your twin. She’ll come. She’ll do anything to keep you safe. We know how this works.” He grabbed his cellphone to send a text.
**************
Ellie had invited all her friends to the restaurant.
Willow and Magda had been feeling down ever since the events surrounding the Prophet’s defeat. She wanted to make them feel better.
It was working, at least for tonight. But Ellie intended to keep on helping them until they felt better. For now, she needed to find ways to keep their mind occupied, distracted from their morbid thoughts.
Currently, Louette was talking with Cassie and Magda. Willow was silently listening, as always.
Ellie’s cellphone vibrated. She had received a text.
The chubby woman checked that Louette was busy talking with Cassie, and discreetly looked at her message.
We’ve captured Knipperen. We’ll proceed with her as planned. Your information were very useful.
Ellie smiled.
Good riddance, Knipperen. Hope you’ll enjoy your accommodations. she thought to herself. She couldn’t wait to see how Knipperen would look once she'd start to feel the thirst, alone in the dark...
**************
Tina hadn’t been allowed to see her sisters in person before leaving the manor. And that was probably Irene’s most mean-spirited move ever since she had been captured.
A group of special agents had escorted the prisoner to a room, and had given her new clothes. She was changing herself.
Irene suddenly entered, preceded by her two bodyguards and followed by her butler Karen, her daughter Zoë, and two technicians. Apparently, the businesswoman was so self-important that she refused to walk without an escort to highlight her status.
“Preparations are over?” she asked.
Tina finished adjusting the black catsuit she had been given. She hated the feeling of this outfit. First, of course, because it had been given to her by the Eudokias. But also because it wasn’t even comfortable. Clearly, the people who designed it were not infiltrators themselves.
“You didn’t give me anything to defend myself.” she remarked.
Irene shook her head. “From what I heard, you wouldn’t have wanted a weapon. And I’m certainly not stupid enough to give you a way to knock out my guards. Besides, you’re supposed to be among the elite, aren’t you? I’m sure you’ll do great with your two little hands.”
Tina glared daggers at her. “For you, it’s a game. You don’t really care if I succeed or not. If I get your data, it’s perfect. But if I die trying, you’d still have the satisfaction of having humiliated me.”
“That’s the idea.” the businesswoman answered without any hint of embarrassment or shame.
Irene looked sideways at Tina, then suddenly asked:
“By the way. We’ve observed the flat. It’s empty. Where did your sisters go?”
She was trying to take Tina by surprise. When taken aback by a sudden question, some people had a hard time lying on the spot.
Tina didn’t fall for her trick however.
“I don’t know. They must have deduced that I would talk to protect my sisters, and must have left immediately.” Tina lied. “They’re not stupid.”
She was of course not going to mention the fact that her sisters’ departure was a plan thought in advance. She knew that Irene would then insist, and try to know about all their fallback hideouts.
The aristocrat looked her in the eyes during a long moment. She didn’t know if Tina was telling the truth, and was clearly pondering about whether or not she should insist and torture a sister to get to the bottom of it, at the risk of jeopardizing the mission to hurt Anna’s incomes.
“Perhaps.” she finally commented.
Apparently, hurting Anna was more important than making sure that Tina was not lying. Irene trusted her security system. Like plenty of smart people, she had one huge flaw: She was arrogant. She tended to underestimate her foes.
One technician gave Tina an earpiece and a small microphone.
“You will wear this at all time. It will allow you to communicate with us.” Irene explained. “Each of your sister has also been given a walkie-talkie connected to this earpiece, so that you can call any of them at will.”
“And it will also allow you to trace me.”
Irene didn’t even blink. “Of course.” she retorted, once again without any sign of embarrassment.
Tina grabbed the earpiece and microphone. “Let’s finish this quickly.”
“My bodyguards will escort you to your silent jet. We’ll be monitoring you. If you try to contact anyone, to flee, to betray us, or to cut off the communication… All your sisters are dead.” Irene smiled mockingly. “Good luck!”
**************
Tina was left restrained during the entire flight, and then once again while she was driven near her destination in a van, therefore she didn’t even know in which country she was dropped. The only information she had were about the place she was supposed to infiltrate.
The clone didn't want to look weak in front of Irene, as she knew her foe would listen to her conversations, but she couldn't resist the impulse to call her sister before starting her mission.
Talking to them was both a blessing and a curse however. She could hear how worried they were, how scared they were. Soph was furious. Marie and Angel were concerned. BB was keeping a cool head, and was giving Tina advices. And Tinker... Tinker was petrified with fear. Tina tried to reassure her sisters, to say to them she was going to keep them safe. But she couldn't tell them that she was hoping that Mag, Stasis, and Libido would rescue them. She didn't want to give clues to Irene.
When Irene ordered her to stop the conversation, Tina was left with a feeling of deep hopelesness.
However, she had no choice but remain focused.
Her mission was to infiltrate a place of Annagram Pharmaceuticals called Site Blue Grass.
Site Blue Grass was a big facility. Tina didn’t know what Anna Porsche was building here exactly, and she didn’t care. She was tasked with stealing data about their top secret project then to sabotage the installation with a computer virus, if she wanted to keep her sisters alive. She would accomplish her mission, and nothing more.
Tina approached the site on foot. The area thankfully had still enough bushes to hide.
The main buildings of the facility were protected by a fence with barb wires. A thorough observation of the area allowed Tina to notice that a few pairs of sentries were patrolling outside the fence.
The clone troopers were wearing military uniforms: grey boots, sandy grey camouflage trousers, a matching grey long-sleeved army camouflage uniform jacket over a grey t-shirt, an equipment belt with a few weapons, and camouflage grey gloves. They were armed with machine guns. Since they were acting as security guards, the troopers weren’t wearing a body armour, though their heads were still protected by a camouflage grey helmet. However, it was more a way to hide most of their head, to conceal the fact that they were clones. Tina remembered that spies were executed on the spot, but in case the intruder was simply a bystander that got lost, Anna preferred to avoid killing them as a first solution. It would attract unwanted attention. Hence also why there were zip-ties on the soldiers’ equipment belts.
Once she had memorized the patrol routes of the soldiers, Tina hid behind a bush, and waited.
The infiltration of a compound… A lone-wolf mission… A threat of death looming over my head... This was so reminiscent of her old infiltrations for the Company that it was eery… And of course the fact that she was about to mug clone troopers to infiltrate a facility belonging to her former company wasn’t helping the feeling...
Ten minutes later, a pair of soldiers passed near her hiding place.
The infiltrator waited the last moment.
When her targets were within reach, Tina jumped out of the bush. She kneed the first trooper in the stomach to cut her breath, and to prevent her from screaming while she was dealing with her companion. The second trooper raised her machine-gun. Tina grabbed the weapon before she could pull the trigger, and rammed the butt of the machine gun onto the woman’s belly.
“OOOOOFFF!”
A clean punch to the temple put the soldier out of commission.
“Ark!”
She fell face up on the ground.
The first trooper was bending forward, trying to recover from the blow. She attempted to grab her walkie talkie, but Tina didn’t leave her the time. She hit the back of the woman’s neck with the edge of her hand.
“Gah!”
Out cold, the woman fell face down on the ground next to her partner.
Tina knew that she didn’t have much time, as she didn’t have any serum to knock out the two women for a long period of time. She didn’t bother with stripping the spare trooper. She grabbed the woman’s zip-ties, and bound her ankles and her wrists. She used the trooper’s knife to cut a few parts of her uniform jacket, stuffed her mouth with a few strips, and cleave-gagged her, then blindfolded her to hinder her efforts to free herself.
Then, the infiltrator removed the second soldier’s clothes and boots. Thankfully, her victim hadn’t woken up yet.
Stripping the trooper was a strange surreal experience. It was almost like stripping herself, or one of her sisters. The woman was sharing Tina’s facial features: olive skin, hazel brown eyes, slim perfectly toned body, and black hair. The only difference was that her hair were shorter, as they were closely-cropped.
Well, at least she didn’t have to worry about the size of the clothes or of the boots. She knew it would be a perfect fit...
Tina stripped the clone down to her plain functional grey socks, boyshorts, and sports bra. She grabbed the zip-ties on the woman’s discarded equipment belt.
The trooper stirred and started to groan. She was coming to her senses.
Tina muttered a curse under her breath. She was so used to having her or Tinker’s various gadgets and knock-out serums… She felt naked without them!
The trooper opened her eyes.
Tina made sure to send her back to slumberland with a forearm blow to the forehead.
“Ugh!”
The clone went still.
Tina zip-tied her wrists and ankles. She gagged and blindfolded her with spare strips of the second trooper’s uniform. Then, the infiltrator peeled off her catsuit, and got dressed. She was glad to be rid of this uncomfortable catsuit! She slipped into the trousers, t-shirt and military jacket.
However, before she could put on the boots, behind her, the second clone trooper moaned angrily in her gag. She had also woken up, and was quite furious to discover that she was bound, gagged, and unable to see.
Tina sighed in annoyance.
She grabbed a part of the bound woman’s body between the shoulder and the neck, and applied a nerve-pinch. The clone froze, moaned feebly in her gag, then went still once more.
Tina finished disguising herself. She buckled the belt and put on the boots.
The first trooper, the one she had knocked out with a forearm blow, started to stir and weakly moan once again. Tina had to use a nerve-pinch to calm her down.
The infiltrator realized that a few zip-ties wouldn’t restrain these two long enough for her to finish the mission. She glanced at the second trooper, who was still mostly clothed, save for a partly torn upper-part of the uniform.
“Sorry, but looks like there’s no escaping it... You'll also end up in your skivvies...”
Since she didn’t need to wear these clothes, Tina had no qualms about cutting them to shreds with the knife so that she wouldn’t have to untie the trooper. Once she was done, the clone was left wearing underwear similar to her sister’s: grey socks, grey boyshorts and a matching sports bra. The Company was trying to erase the individuality of its troopers even with details like their choice of undergarments…
The strips of army uniform were used as makeshift ropes. Tina thoroughly restrained the two troopers’ upper-arms and lower-limbs.
Finally, she dragged the two troopers out of sight, and concealed their trussed up bodies in the bush.
Tina glanced one final time at the clone troopers. She remembered how she used to argue with sisters like them, when they were calling her weak for her non-killing policy. It seemed so far away now...
She couldn’t even feel angry at the clone troopers anymore. In a sense, they were victims too. Just like Angel, they had been deceived all their life. In an ideal world, Tina would have tried to rescue them all from the Company’s influence. But she knew that it was impossible. A mass-rebellion was too hazardous. Even convincing them to defect was too hazardous, given how indoctrinated they were.
Therefore, Tina had chosen to be selfish, and to only rescue her close infiltrator sisters.
Suddenly, she felt the need to exchange a few words with her sisters through her hidden microphone. She resisted it however. She was in the open. It was too risky.
“CT-3444, CT-3445, status report.” a voice asked in the stolen walkie talkie.
“All is quiet.” As a fellow clone, Tina shared the trooper’s voice.
“Perfect. You still have three hours left before your change of shift.”
Perfect indeed. Hopefully, nobody would notice these two’s disappearance before the end of their shift.
**************
Tina entered the facility. Security was as tight inside the fence as outside. The place was crawling with activity. There were also a lot of workers.
These women were wearing black security shoes, thick dark green work jumpsuits, and bright orange safety helmets.
When she got her first good look at the workers, Tina had to hide a reaction of surprise.
The workers were all similar looking! They all had Maryse’s (and Tina’s) appearance. Olive skin, short black hair, and hazel brown eyes. The only difference was that they looked slightly burlier and stockier than clone troopers or clone infiltrators.
These women were clone workers. On the tag pinned onto their jumpsuit, there wasn’t a name. There was a serial number.
Tina realized that the Company had diversified their assets. In a sense, for a corrupt woman obsessed with profits such as Anna, the choice was logical. These clone workers didn’t ask for a salary, didn’t fight for social rights, and were totally devoted to the Company. Thanks to a few genetic tweaking, they even had more stamina than a normal human.
A quick observation of the place allowed Tina to understand that clone troopers weren’t supposed to roam freely inside the buildings. Her soldier uniform made her stand out too much. She needed to look more innocuous…
She needed to get her hands on one of these workers…
… a feat which proved to be a lot easier than what she feared. All she had to do was to approach a lone worker who seemed off-duty, and to give her an order.
“You there, CW-0024.” she said after checking the tag. “Come with me. I need to check something.”
The worker didn’t try to argue. Just like all her sisters, this clone had olive skin, black hair, hazel brown eyes, and a placid obedient facial expression. She was slightly burlier than a clone trooper or a clone infiltrator.
CW-0024 followed the woman dressed as a trooper. Tina suspected that clone workers were conditioned to be more obedient than the average human, or than the average clone for that matter.
There was something unnerving in the clone worker’s placidity. Tina felt as if she was taking a lamb to a slaughterhouse...
Tina led the woman into a storage room she had spotted during her scouting.
“What do you need?” the worker asked.
Tina closed the door. “Your uniform.”
Obedience to a superior was so ingrained in the woman’s head that it actually took her a few seconds to realize that a trooper wasn’t allowed to ask her that. By the time the realization dawned on her, the worker had already grabbed the zipper of her jumpsuit and opened it.
“But… You can’t ask me that.”
The worker’s retort was still done with a meek tone of voice. She was so conditioned, she couldn’t even sound angry in that kind of scenario.
Tina looked at her with pity. “I’m sorry.”
She moved too fast for the worker to react, and grabbed the nerve that would allow her to knock the woman out without causing her pain. She pinched.
The worker stammered. Her eyes widened. She was feeling strange, as if she had suddenly been plunged into a warm bath.
“Oooooohhhh…” she moaned.
The worker was thinking that the sensation was strange, but somewhat enjoyable.
Her head fell backwards. Then her body went limp.
Tina grabbed her, and briefly held the unconscious woman against her own body, as if to hug her. She briefly stroked her hair. "I'm truly sorry..." Then she gently laid the worker onto the floor.
She removed the clone’s security shoes. Next, she unzipped the woman’s work jumpsuit, and peeled it off. She also pulled off her plain grey t-shirt, and stole the white security socks. However, she didn’t touch the white tank top, the light green t-shirt bra, or the matching light green knee-long boxer shorts.
Tina grabbed a few coils of white strings and a roll of grey tape on a shelf, and used them to restrain the clone worker. She trussed up the worker as gently as she could. The infiltrator did the bare minimum to restrain her. She cross-tied the wrists, bound the ankles, and wrapped a few layers of tape around the upper-arms and the lower limbs. She suspected that the clone worker wasn’t a fighter. These simple restraints would be enough to hold her. She gagged the woman with the remaining tape.
There were a few tarpaulins in the storage room. These weren’t blankets, but they were better than nothing. Tina rolled the worker into one tarpaulin, giving her some weird ‘rolled carpet’ look; though she didn’t cover the head, only the body and legs. The infiltrator wrapped strings around the tarpaulin to maintain it wrapped around the trussed up body of the clone worker. At least, CW-0024 wouldn’t catch a cold… Tina dragged her burden across the room, and concealed her behind a big closet, seated against the wall. She couldn’t bring herself to stash the worker into the closet...
Tina removed her trooper uniform, and hid it under a shelf with the machine gun and the equipment belt. Then, she put on her new socks, slipped into the jumpsuit, laced the security shoes, and fastened the security helmet.
Now wearing her new disguise, Tina left the storage room.
**************
Impersonating a worker proved to be harder than expected. Indeed, Tina had a hard time imitating their docile way of walking with their head slightly down, as well as their placid obedient expression. After all, as an infiltrator, she had been bred to be more independent. Still, she managed to not raise suspicions – partly because the other workers were too placid and obedient to cause a fuss when they were seeing her acting strangely.
Tina went into the administrative building of the facility. The servers she had to hack and then sabotage were located inside.
Her senses were now on alert. A worker wouldn’t be roaming this part of the compound without a good reason. She could be stopped and interrogated at any moment. Sure, workers were beneath notice and no trooper was even imagining that a worker could try to rebel against the Company. But one was never too cautious...
Tina discreetly roamed the corridors, looking for the computer that would allow her to access the facility’s server.
She ducked and took cover when she heard footsteps and voices.
“… mission against Eudokia Technologies has been aborted. The decision comes from above. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Tina had found the commander in charge of the compound. Her name tag read CO-4242.
Contrary to normal troopers, clone officers were allowed to have more individuality. They were usually showing it with hair dye, exotic hairstyles, and extravagant clothes. Some of them even had different eye colours.
Tina still remembered CO-5052, with her pink eyes, magenta silk cape, and matching dyed magenta hair. Or CO-1284, and her dyed frost blue hair. Or CO-1010, with her Japanese kanzashi, obsidian black lipstick and eye liner, and her black-and-white uniform.
CO-4242’s hair were tied into a tight professional neck bun. She wasn’t dyeing all her black hair. Only a strand was dyed scarlet red, ironically mirroring the common practice in Irene’s home country. She was sharing Tina’s olive skin, hazel brown eyes, and fit body. Compared to other clone officers, her genetic template had barely been modified.
CO-4242’s army uniform, while clearly not standardized, was also not too extravagant either. It consisted of a blue ‘uniform suit and uniform trousers’ ensemble with golden trimmings, buttons, and borders. Her small army beret was of a similar blue with golden borders. Under the army uniform suit, she was wearing a white shirt with 3 bottom round golden cuff. There also was a red tie, and black comfortable shoes.
All in all, CO-4242’s appearance was rather simple compared to most of her sisters. Had her uniform been of a more ‘classic’ colour, she could have easily passed herself for a regular army officer. Tina suspected that it was actually CO-4242’s way to stand out among her peers. In a crowd of women with colourful appearances, a plainer one ironically stood out more.
CO-4242 was talking with another clone. This specific one looked younger, but Tina wasn’t able to identify her. Her clothes were plain and innocuous-looking, but she wasn’t a trooper or a worker.
“Now, get back to work. I’m busy. I still have a lot of paperwork to finish, and a lot of folders to classify.” CO-4242 concluded.
The other clone left.
Tina followed the clone officer, who was heading towards her office. She had gotten an idea. It was a risky bluff, but she thought it would work. She was going to take advantage of the Company’s unethical genetic experiments.
Because indeed, since the workers were supposed to be bred to be more obedient, the troopers and officers would never suspect one of them of foul play…
Tina came out in the open as CO-4242 was unlocking her office’s door. “Madam.” she saluted.
The officer looked at the small tag on Tina’s jumpsuit. “CW-0024. Why are you here?” she imperiously asked.
Tina made sure to keep her head low, and to use a meek obedient voice. “I was instructed to help you, madam.”
“By who?”
“A trooper. I don’t know which one.”
The officer shrugged. “Probably CT-3469. She’s way too zealous.”
Tina kept a neutral face, but she was smiling internally. Sometimes, the best lies were the simplest ones! Her good old-fashioned bluff was working.
“Well, anyway, since you’re here. Follow me. I need someone to carry a few files.”
“At your service, madam.”
Tina followed the officer inside her office. She closed the door.
Then...
“Hey! You’re supposed to grab the folders! Not me!”
PUNCH! WHACK! WHAP!
“Ow! Urf! Uhhhhnnn...”
**************
Tina searched CO-4242’s desk, and found her bottle of hair dye. She quickly applied one layer of red on one strand of her hair, then she tied her hair into a tight neck bun while using spare hair pins also found in the drawer, to imitate the commander’s hair style. The infiltrator was clad in CO-4242’s white shirt, red tie, black shoes, and blue-and-golden uniform ensemble and beret. She had also taken the officer’s white socks. Now that she had fixed the details of her hair, she was the commander’s carbon copy.
Concealed under the desk in a seated position, the real CO-4242 moaned faintly. She was still only half-conscious.
Tina hadn’t been very gentle with her, but she wasn’t feeling much guilt either. She wasn’t very fond of the Clone Officers. While not all of them had been bad bosses, some of them WERE. And in general, Tina had learned to be wary of them, as she knew even the most lenient ones would have severely punished her, if they had guessed just how much individuality and free will she had. Plus, as far as thrashings went, CO-4242 had had it easy. Tina had only used a few stomach punches, then a conk to the back of the head and a neck-chop to finish the job. Her victim wouldn’t sport any lasting injury, save for a few bruises and a bump which would be hidden by her clothes and hair.
The clone officer had been stripped down to her black lacy push-up bra with a pattern of red lacy flowers and her bright red lacy thong. Said thong also had a pattern of translucent light red lacy glowers. Even her choice of underwear was made to assert her individuality compared to troopers and workers…
Tina had used the thick worker socks to fill the commander’s mouth, then had grabbed the tape dispenser on the desk and had used the entire roll to gag the woman. A lot of clone officers were keeping a few tools in their desk to ‘discipline’ disobedient troopers, and CO-4242 was no exception. Tina had found several pairs of handcuffs in a drawer, and had put them to good use to restrain the commander’s ankles and wrists.
Now impersonating CO-4242, Tina sat behind the desk, and searched the commander’s computer. Thanks to it, she could access the facility’s servers and steal the data Irene wanted.
She was copy-pasting the data when she heard a knock at the office’s door.
A clone trooper entered. However, thanks to the frames of the desk and of the computer screen, she could neither see the real CO-4242’s current predicament nor the fact that secret data was currently being stolen.
Tina quickly glanced at the number on the soldier’s tag and imitated CO-4242’s speech pattern. “CT-3469. What do you want trooper? I’m busy! I still have a lot of paperwork to finish, and a lot of folders to classify.”
“CT-3444 and CT-3445 aren’t responding, commander.” the trooper explained.
These were the two troopers Tina had neutralized. The impostor knew she had to think fast to prevent the alarm to be sounded.
“There’s no need to worry. I’ve sent them on a reconnaissance mission.” she lied on the spot. “Orders from upstairs. Our mission against Eudokia Technologies has been canceled, but we fear Irene may send spies to sneak into this facility. I ordered them to cut off their walkie-talkies to avoid potential noises that could alert their target. Spread the word among the other troopers. I don’t want the alarm to be sounded for nothing.”
CT-3469 hesitated.
At Tina’s feet, CO-4242 was stirring. The officer let out a few faint moans. She was about to wake up.
Tina had to make the soldier leave, and quickly!
“Are you questioning my decisions, trooper?” she asked while imitating the cold tone of voice of a challenged clone officer.
The trooper shook her head. “No! Of course not!”
Tina saw in CT-3469’s eyes that she was worried for her sisters. The clone troopers were arrogant bullies who belittled anyone they deemed too ‘soft’, but Tina remembered that between themselves they had a strong camaraderie.
“I can assure you that they are as fine as they can be in their situation. You are dismissed.” Tina concluded.
Technically, it wasn’t a lie. CT-3444 and CT-3445 were stripped, bound, gagged, and bruised; but other than that they were alive and well. Which was more than any low-ranked grunt such as them could have hoped for, after falling into the clutches of a clone infiltrator.
CT-3469 had no choice but comply. Like all troopers, she had been taught to never question a superior. She saluted, and left.
As the door was closing, CO-4242 started to come to her senses. She groaned, and shook her head. Then, she realized her predicament, and let out muffled angry shrieks.
Tina looked under the desk and smiled at her. “Sorry, but too late. Better luck next time?”
The officer’s eyes widened, and she glared daggers at her.
“Trhhthr! H’ll hhvh yhhr hhhd fhr thhs!”
Traitor! I’ll have your head for this!
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Don’t have the time for that. You’ll have to take another nap.”
She moved her hand to nerve-pinch the officer.
The latter’s eyes widened even more.
“Dhn’t yhh dhrh!” CO-4242 tried to bark.
Don’t you dare!
Tina ignored her orders, something she had always dreamed of doing when dealing with a clone officer.
When she nerve-pinched the officer, the latter briefly had a silly expression. (She actually squinted.) Then CO-4242 went still and silent again.
“I like you officers better like that…” Tina muttered.
She left the woman seated against the frame of her desk, then resumed her mission.
**************
Once the data was stolen, Tina uploaded the computer virus with the USB-port that Irene’s technicians had given her. Soon, Site Blue Grass would be inoperative, and for a long period of time…
Tina left the office, and locked its door with CO-4242’s keys.
Just before closing the door, she heard the moans and groans of the commander who was waking up a second time. It made her smile. CO-4242 would certainly have an interesting story to tell her sisters at the officers’ mess hall!
The officer’s guise allowed her to freely roam the facility without anyone asking questions. She walked across site Blue Grass, and went to the parking area. She noticed that there were a few jeeps, and climbed into one. The keys were already in the ignition. Perfect!
The trooper in charge of the parking area approached her. “Commander! Are you going out?”
Once again, Tina lied on the spot. “I gave CT-3444 and CT-3445 a special mission, and I want to check on them.”
“Do you require an escort or a driver?”
“No.”
The trooper hesitated, and Tina understood that she had made a blunder. Apparently, she hadn’t acted like the real CO-4242 would have. The sentry tried to protest: “But you usually-”
“Are you questioning my orders?!” Tina barked. She was aware that this woman was making her waste precious time. One of her four victims could be discovered any minute now…
“Of course not!” the sentry protested.
“Good.”
Tina started the engine.
“Commander! Please, just sign the register before you leave!” the trooper exclaimed as she was sitting behind the wheel.
Tina was tempted to just knock her out, throw her in the jeep, and dump her somewhere once she’d be out of reach.
However, before she could carry on with it, a voice interrupted her.
“Commander! I’ve been looking for you everywhere! We have a problem. One worker is missing.”
It was the young clone whom Tina had seen talking with CO-4242 earlier. From up close, the infiltrator finally realized why this clone had looked familiar.
The young woman was reminding her of Soph’s appearance. Ever her way of walking had similarities.
The young woman was a clone infiltrator of the new batch! One of Soph’s batch sisters! The second generation, meant to be more obedient and more deadly!
Tina felt a shiver down her spine, but kept her composure and stayed in-character.
“I have no time for a clone worker. I have to check on-”
Suddenly, the clone infiltrator’s walkie-talkie came to life.
“Attention all units!” It was CT-3469.
“We’ve found CT-3444 and CT-3445! They’ve been captured and impersonated! There’s a spy in our midst!”
The young clone infiltrator blinked one time.
“Commander. Why are you leaving?” she asked.
Her voice was blank and polite, but her gaze was piercing.
“It’s none of your business.” Tina retorted. Her tone was harsh. Most troopers wouldn’t have dared to take the risk of upsetting an officer talking like that.
But in spite of her young age, the clone was an infiltrator. She was expected to be more free-minded than a trooper. She wasn’t intimidated.
“Commander. What’s my identification number?” she asked. Her voice was still neutral. Still polite.
However, as she was talking, she was grabbing a weapon hidden under her vest.
The trooper in charge of the parking area was glancing at the two of them. She was looking uneasy. Both infiltrators and officers were above her in the hierarchy, and she didn’t know which side she should support.
Tina knew her cover was blown.
Without any warning, she got up on her seat and kicked the trooper in the face, sending her colliding with the infiltrator. The young clone wasted a few precious seconds pushing away the soldier.
Tina stepped on the accelerator. Thank God she had been able to start the engine in advance!
The clone infiltrator drew a gun.
Tina saw her in the rear-view mirror, and bent forward.
The clone infiltrator opened fire without warning, and immediately shot to kill. However, the bullets flew over Tina’s head, and hit the windscreen.
“Close the doors! Close the doors!” the clone infiltrator was shouting.
However, she was too late. Tina’s jeep exited the compound before its doors could be closed.
Once she was out of range, Tina sat normally. She knew she wasn’t out of danger yet, however. The troopers would probably send jeeps after her. The car chase risked to be long…
I'll try to give scattered thoughts on the last few chapters.