Volume 4: A Most Wanted Woman

[esercito sconfitto]

the scene with Lucinda, Meredith and their prey Denise is delightful

please mr Tirepanted I need desperately to know if the color guard costumes/uniforms are based on real models and if this is the case which ones ( I want to draw them)

[tirepanted3]

No, they're not based on real specific models. (The uniforms in my stories rarely are.) But if you want to draw them , feel free - I'm sure you'll do them justice.

[rufusluciusivan]

I have to admit, I didn't anticipate Zuhal's betrayal. Though, ultimately, it's logical. A good twist.

Speaking of betrayl, I'm anticipating that Chen's alliance with Lucinda and Meredith won't last much longer...

"Like I said, we're the good guys. And that means we try to mug innocent civilians as gently as possible." "How reassuring." Probably my favorite exchange of this part. In general, the scene with the musicians was my favorite part of this post. Good set-up, takedown, banters after the musicians are knocked out, and description of the aftermath.

Bridget shouldn't be surprised by Prema's reactions though, since she's basically making her mug innocent people even though she doesn't want to.

I sense that Bobbi will end up at odds with Felicia and Bridget if she continues down her path. She does seem to become a little too eager to violence on innocent civilians... It may become interesting.

Farah's and Karima's reunion is a good way of humanizing them, though I admit that given the fact that one is a murderer and the other a human trafficker, I'm kinda hoping that this will be the occasion to see both of them going down.

Things are starting to unravel. I'm waiting to see how it will end.

[tirepanted3]

I feel like many of these characters' alliances were meant to be broken. Some people just don't work well together... Especially where Dr. Chen is concerned.

I don't think Bridget is surprised by Prema's reaction - she's just trying to help Prema get comfortable with one of the more "unladylike" (as she puts it) parts of her profession. Moira is a little more impatient with Prema's moral conflicts - she has Bridget's journalistic motivation, but not her patience.

Bobbi, similarly, has Felicia's playfulness when it comes to infiltrating, but not the same level of self-control. Felicia is learning to live and work without stealing uniforms, while Bobbi enjoys it more than ever. Things could indeed get interesting...

It's been a nice challenge to try and humanize Karima and Farah in this volume, but I don't expect either of them to ever be among the most beloved characters. In any case, there are only a few chapters left, so you'll see how it wraps up before long.

[Trackman281]

Hahaha, fantastic opening scene with Denise, Lucinda and Meredith.

Nice little standoff with Farah and Adelaide even if Adelaide wasn't sure why, but now Karima has walked on, I'm looking forward to reading how this plays out.

As always, I'm glad to see Bobbi and Felicia getting some screen time. I'm always a fan of the way Zuhal performs her takedowns , I'm sure I say the same this in all of my feedbacks on your stories but I just the way you write them and it is true what you've said to me in the past, sometimes it's the things you can't see what give it more life.

Amazing scene which followed featuring Bridget, Moira and of course Prema. Taking out the festivals string quartet was certainly a very very well written scene.

Whoe........A nice unexpected twist there at the end, so Zuhal's betraying them is she, well good luck to her but I certainly hope she knows who she's messing with after all.

As always you've crafted another fantastic chapter that I have enjoyed from start to finish and now the chapter's ended with that cliffhanger, you've got me excited to know just what happens next. Thank you very much for another fantastic edition to this ARC and as you know I'm enjoying every second of it.

[tirepanted3]

I do like varying the amount of visual time given to each uniform stealing scene, since it can indeed be more intriguing sometimes when it happens offscreen. Best to leave a few things to the imagination.

Good thing Bridget, Moira, and Prema had to take out a string trio instead of a quartet - otherwise one of the musicians might have retained her clothes. Wouldn't want anyone to feel left out...

[Trackman281]

aannndddd I realized what I said as you as you said that HAHAHA.

[tirepanted3]

"I knew it!" Bobbi spat. "I knew this was a trick! You were never trying to help us. Backstabbing bitch!"

"Sticks and stones, Roberta," Zuhal cooed. "Let's keep the name-calling to a minimum, shall we?"

She turned to the other women in the room. "Don't mind Bobbi. She's got a potty mouth."

Karima blinked. "Azimi?! What are you doing...?"

"Consider this a peace offering," Zuhal smiled. "Karima, I know we've had our... differences in the past..."

"Like the time you and Dr. Chen tried to kill me?" Karima growled.

"Like I said," Zuhal tried to maintain her sunny smile. "We've had issues in the past. But I want to start over. Be a part of the team again. And to prove it, I bring you Bridget Baxter's two bratty sidekicks."

"Sidekicks?" Bobbi's nose wrinkled at the word. "We're her partners!"

"Not the best time to get into that argument," Felicia whispered.

"Yes, do shut the hell up." Karima looked squarely at Zuhal. "How did you happen to bring these two here?"

"I tricked them into thinking I was reformed," Zuhal explained cheerfully. "Told them I wanted to find you. Took advantage of their resources... It was easy as cake!"

Karima considered. "And now you'll allow me the pleasure of..."

"Killing them, torturing them, whatever you want," Zuhal nodded. "Oh, and Bridget's somewhere around here, too. You can have her as well."

Karima smiled "Tempting..."

Sabira leaned over. "Boss," she whispered. "I don't think we should trust her. She's a traitorous skunk. And we still owe her from last time."

"Quiet," Karima hissed back. "Let me think..."

She turned back to Zuhal and was about to speak up, when Farah interrupted her.

"We've met, haven't we?"

Zuhal turned. "Sorry?"

"You're that woman from Miami," Farah said. "The one who sold me the handball team."

"Wait," Adelaide piped up. "I thought I was the one who..."

"Shut up," Farah said over her shoulder. "I'll deal with you in a minute."

Zuhal nodded. "Yes, I remember you. The young slut who cheated me out of my money."

Karima's eyes flickered. "What did you say?"

"This idiot," Zuhal nodded at Farah. "She was impossible to please. I brought her seven gorgeous handball girls, and she paid me in chicken feed!"

Zuhal shrugged. "But anyway, I'm the forgiving type."

"I'm not," Karima snarled, stepping forward. "Did you just call my cousin a slut?"

Zuhal blinked. "...Cousin?"

Karima brushed past Bobbi and Bridget and lunged at Zuhal, tackling the woman to the ground.

"You'll pay for that remark," Karima growled. "And for everything else."

Zuhal struggled even as she was forced to drop her guns. "Oof! So much for a happy reunion..."

"Hold her down, boss!" Sabira ran towards the two struggling women. But Bobbi quickly stuck out her foot, tripping the taller woman up. Sabira fell, right in the path of Felicia's jabbing elbow. "Uunghh!" She was out like a light.

Bobbi smiled. "I'm so glad we practiced that move."

Felicia smiled back. "Works like a charm."

Suddenly, Farah slammed into Felicia, throwing her off balance. Before Bobbi could react, Farah had dealt her a body blow as well.

"I don't know who the hell you two are," Farah said tersely. "But I don't allow anyone to mess up my plans."

Felicia and Bobbi exchanged a glance. "She's younger than we are," Bobbi noted.

"We'll try not to hurt her too badly," Felicia replied.

Farah smiled wickedly. "Trust me, you won't."

She swiftly looped her arm around Felicia's neck, trapping the redhead in a headlock, while delivering a judo kick to Bobbi's legs.

Adelaide watched the action unfold before her with a wince. "Um... if you ladies no longer need me, I'll be on my way."

She sidestepped the struggling forms of Karima and Zuhal and disappeared out the door.

******************

"Damn," Moira frowned. "This stadium looks even bigger on the inside."

She walked beside Bridget as the women stepped uneasily through the brick-lined hallway. Prema lagged a few steps behind them.

"Should be able to navigate by following the signs," Bridget replied. "I hope the others made it in okay. We need all the manpower... sorry, womanpower... we have if we're going to find Karima."

"And what exactly is your plan upon finding her?" Prema whispered, her voice mixing nervousness and exasperation. "From what you've told me, the woman is a deadly criminal. How are we going to stop her?"

In truth, Bridget didn't have a formalized plan for catching Karima. But she didn't want to concern Prema further. However, before she could answer the nervous woman, another voice sounded in the hall.

"There you are!"

A short man with balding hair and a mustache hurried up to the three women. He was flanked by two tall male security guards. "You're late! And where are you going? The reception is that way!"

Bridget and Moira exchanged a glance. Bridget tried to speak. "I... We..."

"You are the musicians we hired for this venue, correct?" the man asked, gesturing at the musical instruments in the women's arms.

"Er... yes, of course," Bridget smiled politely.

"Well, hurry up! You were supposed to arrive ten minutes ago!"

Bridget and Moira exchanged another glance. The women couldn't refuse without risk of blowing their cover.

Resigned, they began following the man to the reception hall, the two security men in tow.

"What are we doing?" Prema whispered. "I can't do this. I flunked music in college!"

"Just hush up," Moira hissed. "We'll figure something out. Just don't panic."

Bridget's mind was racing. Men... why did it have to be men? Now the plan had hit a snag.

She hoped Bobbi and Felicia were okay...

****************

Farah tightened her grip around Felicia's neck. "Patented move, Red. You'll be unconscious within four seconds."

Felciia tried to break free, but she was already growing dizzy. Her vision began to cloud.

"Get the hell off my friend!" Bobbi tackled Farah to the ground. Felicia collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath.

Karima pinned Zuhal to the ground with her elbow. "You shouldn't have come back here, bitch," she said through gritted teeth. "How could you be this stupid?" She laughed, her free arm reaching for one of Zuhal's fallen guns.

"Did you really think I'd just forgive and forget?" She put the gun to the side of Zuhal's head and pulled the trigger.

Click.

Karima blinked. Zuhal smiled.

"Surprise," she said dryly.

For a moment, Karima looked bewildered and confused... and it was a moment she would come to regret. Felicia knocked her onside the head with her baton.

"Uhh..." Karima's eyes rolled back, and she fell forward, hitting the ground like a cold fish.

Felicia smiled. "Been waiting forever to do that."

"You're not the only one," Zuhal chuckled.

From the viselike wrestling hold she had placed Farah in, Bobbi looked up in shock as Felicia helped Zuhal to her feet. "What... what the hell?"

Zuhal dusted herself off. "Sorry, Bob. No hard feelings about the gun?"

Bobbi looked quizzically back and forth between her friend and her... enemy? "Felicia, what's going on?"

"We needed an extra precaution," Felicia explained. "Karima is pretty clever, and we couldn't risk her taking us by surprise. So we decided to take her by surprise. Zuhal and I worked this little plan out last night. She'd pretend to betray us at the opportune moment so Karima would let her guard down."

"Seriously?" Bobbi glared at Zuhal, who smiled and tilted her head coquettishly. "Why wasn't I told about this?"

"Well... we thought Karima would be more likely to believe it if your reaction was genuine," Felicia admitted. "Besides, you had your own advantages over me these last few days... what with being able to steal uniforms and all. I though it would be nice to have my own ace in the hole."

"And I just wanted to see your face when you learned this was just a trick," Zuhal added. "Totally worth it."

Bobbi looked as though she was about to have a fit. Then, the corners of her mouth twitched, slightly upward. She started to laugh.

"You two..." she said between chuckles. "I'll get you for this."

But in her laughter, she absent-mindedly loosened her grip... and that was exactly the opening Farah was waiting for. The lithe criminal rammed her elbow into Bobbi's side, knocking her backwards.

Farah leapt to her feet and charged at Zuhal. The taller woman poised for an attack... but at the last moment, Farah changed course and rammed Felicia with a neck chop instead. The dazed redhead fell beside Karima... who was already beginning to rise to her feet.

Farah blocked Zuhal's judo attacks and delivered a swift knee to the stomach, followed by an uppercut. Zuhal crumpled to the floor.

Then she held her hand out to Karima. "You okay, Kiki?"

Karima smiled as she took her cousin's hand and stood. "Kiki... No one's called me that in years. Yes, I'm fine."

She looked at the three fallen women. "Now... who shall we kill first?"

Farah shrugged. "I don't know any of these women. I just want to find Adelaide... or at the very least, leave this stadium with a truckful of bound-and-gagged color guard girls."

Karima smiled. "As you wish."

"Really?"

Karima nodded. "Farah, we haven't seen each other in so long. Whatever you want to do... even if it means holding off my personal plans for revenge... I'm game. We just need to tie these girls up so I can deal with them after."

Farah grinned. "I missed you, Kiki."

Karima and Farah busied themselves binding and gagging Felicia, Bobbi, and Zuhal, all while they chatted with one another about their past escapades. Finally, they dragged the three helpless women into a broom closet.

Farah gestured at the still-slumbering Sabira. "What about her?"

Karima shrugged. "She'll wake up pretty soon and join us. In the meantime, let's get on with your plan."

Farah smiled. Within moments, the two women were out the door.

*****************

Once outside the stadium, Farah led Karima to the bushes where she had stashed the helpless Maple girl.

Karima grinned as she stared down at the frightened bound-and-gagged redhead. "Gorgeous. You caught her all on your own?"

"I'm an adult now," Farah said straightforwardly. "I catch girls on my own all the time. And with your help, I'm going to get more."

Karima rubbed her hands together. "Got a plan?"

"Of course," Farah smiled. "That catering uniform you wear... it will come in handy. Have you a tray of food worth serving?"

Karima nodded. "Believe I spotted the drinks cart nearby."

"Excellent. By my watch, the color guard girls should still be in their locker rooms... it's their mid-game break. You will go around and serve them some refreshing beverages."

"Drinks?" Karima asked, confused. "Your plan is to get the girls drunk?"

Farah laughed. "Not exactly." She reached into her cleavage and produced a small glass vial, filled with a shimmering red liquid. "This special little chemical... my 'secret ingredient'... add a few drops into every drink. I used a similar drug to put the Jades to sleep last night; this one works much faster."

Karima grinned as she closed her fingers around the vial. "Farah, you're incredible."

"Indeed I am. Now get moving, quickly."

Karima disappeared back inside the stadium. Meanwhile, Farah began scouting the surrounding area.

"We'll need a vehicle to transport all those lovely girls," she murmured. "Ah! That should do the trick."

Her eye had settled on one of the larger coach buses in the nearby parking lot, a blue-and-silver striped vehicle that had transported the Opals.

Leaning against the bus was the driver, casually texting on her phone. She was tall and fit, with light skin and blonde hair that reached down just between her shoulders. She was dressed in a dark grey jacket over a light blue shirt, long grey pants, and black low-heeled boots that reached just below the knee. On her head was a dark cap with a shiny black brim.

Farah took pride in her work, and she felt that posing as a bus driver would be a bit lazy - after all, she had just pulled the same trick on the Jades the previous night. Nevertheless, she was not one to turn down an opportunity, and this was certainly a good one.

She approached the driver slowly, a concerned look on her face. Her skillful acting allowed her to look quite young and helpless - a perfect combination.

The driver looked up as the young woman in red leotard approached. "Something wrong, honey?"

Farah nodded, biting her lower lip convincingly. "I... I left my phone on the bus." She remembered how well that excuse had worked for the Maple girl. "My mom always tries calling me when I'm at these games... She's probably worried sick."

The driver nodded sympathetically, gesturing to the door. "Come on, I'll help you find it."

"You're too kind." Farah smiled as she follows the driver onto the bus.

The driver was indeed too kind... for her own good, that is. Hardly had the two of them stepped into the bus aisle when Farah jumped her.

The thick metal walls and tinted windows of the bus afforded Farah some much-needed privacy. Taken by surprise, the driver put up little resistance as Farah trapped her in a tight wrestler's hold.

"Hurrghh.... Aaggh..."

Farah chuckled. "So eloquently put, my dear."

The driver's eyes flickered for a few moments, then slid shut. Farah hoisted her by the underarms and dragged her towards the back of the bus.

Her fingers worked dexterously, unzipping, unbuttoning, and unfastening. Before long the supine driver was down to her cerulean push-up bra and green-and-white checkered midwaist panties. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, almost hypnotically.

Farah broke her gaze and turned her attention to the discarded uniform. "Looks like a good fit... Fingers crossed." She slid her arms through the shirtsleeves and buttoned the crisp garment up to her collar, then donned the jacket over it. Her long legs comfortably filled the pants. Farah pulled on the boots and laced them up. They were indeed a good fit, and the low heels would make driving that much easier.

Farah used some jumper cables in the bus' glove box to bind the driver's limbs, and a torn scrap of leotard made an excellent gag. She popped one of the overhead luggage compartments and hoisted the driver inside.

"Your new quarters, madam," she smiled. "I hope you don't find them too cramped."

Shutting the compartment, she shook her head in amusement. Jokes... she was actually making jokes! Clearly, the reunion with Karima was just what her mind needed.

Returning to the front of the bus, Farah perched down in the driver's seat. She breathed in deeply, awaiting the arrival of her cousin... and her new prisoners.

*******************

The dark blue SUV pulled up to the gates of the Steele estate. The guard on duty approached the vehicle.

Atsuko rolled down the front window and smiled at the guard, a light-skinned, ginger-haired woman in her mid-thirties. "Hi... I'm here to meet with Valencia."

As with all of Valencia's perimeter security staff, the guard was dressed in a lavender jumpsuit and green elbow-length gloves and knee-high boots. Her dark sunglasses reflected Atsuko's smiling face in their lenses.

The guard recognized Atsuko as Ms. Steele's secretary, and an occasional visitor to the mansion grounds. "A business meeting, I assume?"

"But of course," Atsuko sighed. "The corporate world lets no woman rest."

"But of course," the guard nodded. "I'll gladly let you in... just need to perform a quick search of the vehicle. Are you traveling alone?"

Atsuko nodded. "Just me and my radio. It makes for a good companion."

"I'm sure it does." The guard strode around to the rear of the vehicle. "Nice car. Mind popping the hatch?"

"It's unlocked," Atsuko responded. "Just grab the handle and open."

The guard obliged. "Just going to give it a quick look, and then you should be good to... hey, what..."

The startled guard gaped in surprise as two strong female hands seized her just below the shoulders and pulled her into the rear of the vehicle.

The door quickly slammed shut, and Atsuko pressed the gas. She drove through the open gate and onto the mansion grounds. She steered the vehicle around to the rear of the mansion where the parking garage was situated.

Once Atsuko had pulled the SUV into the garage, she shut off the engine and jumped out of the vehicle. Then she skipped around to the rear of the car and waited, occasionally checking her phone.

After a couple of minutes, the hatch opened once again, and Toshiko stepped out. The taller woman was zipping the lavender jumpsuit up to her neck.

"Damn these tight-ass uniforms... How's a girl supposed to breathe in this," she muttered.

"Maybe we should find a guard closer to your size?" Atsuko offered. "I spotted a gorgeous blonde on the way over here..."

"No time, sis." Toshiko adjusted the fit of her belt. "We'll just take what we got. Carolyn, pass me the rest of the clothes."

From the rear of the vehicle, where she'd been hiding alongside Toshiko, Carolyn handed her the green boots and gloves. Then she turned her attention back to the real guard, whom she was currently in the process of restraining.

The ginger-haired woman was down to a fuchsia comfort bra and green cotton hipsters. Her wrists had been bound with long grey elasticized cords, and her mouth had been stuffed with a moth-eaten cloth. Carolyn was currently tying her ankles together with more cord... though she didn't seem particularly happy with the task.

Toshiko laced up the boots, ignoring the slight pinch they put on her toes. She pulled the gloves over her hands and forearms. "Think I'm ready for action. Wait here."

She stepped forward and exited the garage, disappearing around the corner.

Atsuko turned back to Carolyn, a beaming smile on her face. "Isn't this exciting? I feel like a... a superspy!"

"Good for you, honey." Carolyn managed a small smile as she finished binding the guard's ankles.

Atsuko admired the bonds. "Nice ropework... No way she'll be wriggling free." Then she caught her wife's eye. "Carol, is... something wrong?"

Carolyn shrugged. "I guess... I just feel sorry for this woman," she admitted. "I know how she feels... or will feel once she wakes up. I had my clothes stolen a few weeks ago. I was tied up... gagged... stuffed in a tight compartment. It was awful."

Atsuko put a hand on her wife's shoulder. "I know. I can't imagine how that must have felt."

Carolyn sighed. "And this woman... she was just doing her job. Then we come along, ambush her and leave her tied up and half-naked in the back of our car. Doesn't that seem... kind of wrong?"

Atsuko sighed. "It does... but we had to do it. Like it or not, Valencia Steele is evil... and we're the only ones who can stop her." She smiled again. "We left that Willa woman tied up at our place... All we need is to find some evidence here that will put her and her boss behind bars."

Her comments were interrupted by the sounds of a struggle outside. "Unhand me... let me go, por Dios!" A couple of muffled THWACKs. "Uunnggghhhh..." Then silence.

Toshiko reappeared in the garage doorway, a smaller woman slung over her shoulder like a burlap sack. She stepped in and dropped the unconscious woman at Carolyn's feet.

"Your new clothes," she explained.

Carolyn looked down. The tan-skinned woman lying at her feet was a maid, if her uniform was any indication - blue blouse with white collar, starched blue skirt, sheer tights and white clogs.

Carolyn looked up. "I... but I..."

"Hurry it up," Toshiko pressed. "Atsuko doesn't need a disguise around here, but you do. Get into her uniform... Then we can start snooping around."

Carolyn cast a helpless glance at Atsuko, who tried to offer an encouraging smile. The redhead sighed inwardly as she knelt down.

The maid's underwear consisted of an electric-blue underwire bra and red-and-black checkered bikini panties. Atsuko though the underwear choice was pretty interesting, but decided not to say anything.

*******************

Lucinda met Dr. Chen and Meredith outside the rear gate, her mission accomplished.

"Planted the little device without a hitch," she bragged. "No one suspected anything."

"Perfect," Dr. Chen smiled. "When the engines start, that special explosive we stole from the island will melt the inner workings beyond repair. NASA will never know the cause, but it will ruin them financially. A fitting punishment." Her eyes gleamed in malicious delight.

"You're amazing, honey," Meredith smiled at Lucinda.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Lucinda grinned back.

As the two women kissed, Dr. Chen rolled her eyes.

"Enough of this mushy crap. We need to move on to the next phase - revenge against Karima."

"Who?" Meredith raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were going after Bridget... Prema, their bratty friends."

"We will," Dr. Chen said. "But I want to finish business with Karima first. That woman needs to pay for what she did to me."

Meredith crossed her arms. "We've already helped you settle business with NASA. Now we want to go after someone with whom we have a personal stake."

Dr. Chen glared at her. "Don't talk out of turn with me, girl. You forget who the boss is here."

Meredith had to resist the urge to lunge forward and throttle the woman. "You ice-cold bitch. You're not my boss."

Dr. Chen set her jaw. "Enough of this. Either you follow my orders, or you don't work with me at all."

"That's no choice," Meredith scoffed. "I quit. Come on, Lucy." She turned to go.

But Lucinda didn't follow.

Meredith turned. "Honey... you coming?"

"I..." Lucinda turned to Dr. Chen.

"Make your choice... Lucy," Dr. Chen said in a terse voice. "Either go for romance or revenge. Take your pick."

Lucinda turned back to Meredith. "Sweetie... I love you. But this is something I need to do. Bridget, Prema, Moira... all those snotty girls need to pay. I won't let them get away after what they did. And Dr. Chen is the only one who can ensure they get what's coming to them."

"But..." Meredith's voice quavered. "What happened to sailing off into the sunset?"

Lucinda stepped forward and clasped her wife's hands. "When this is over... Once Bridget and her friends have been permanently disposed of... I'll be back. We'll have our happily ever after. I swear it."

She leaned forward and kissed her wife on the lips. "Take care of yourself, my love. We'll be together again before you know it."

Meredith watched stoically as her wife got into the passenger side of Dr. Chen's van. Chen gunned the engine, and the van was off in a cloud of stinging dust.

Meredith kept a serious, professional facial expression - the one she had trained herself to use over the years as a woman in the corporate world - as the van grew smaller in the distance.

But once it was gone, her façade began to crack. She felt the hot tears slowly stream down her cheeks - and they weren't from the dust cloud.

****************

The dining hall was certainly an elaborate affair. Large tables brimming with steaming food and luxurious flowerpots, decorative banners on the walls. Most of the food was of the health variety, as befitting the need for the color guard girls to keep fit.

Up on the stage in one corner of the room were the three musicians - or at least, three women trying their best to appear that way - setting up their instruments.

"Okay, boss-lady," Moira whispered. "How do we get out of this one?"

Bridget's eyes furtively darted around the room. "I'm thinking.. Just keep quiet."

"This day just keeps getting worse," Prema sighed. "Getting kidnapped... twice... Having to mug innocent women for their clothes... And now I'm expected to perform in front of an audience?" She picked up her flute. "I've never used one of these things in my life."

"Real music comes from within," Moira said. "That's what my teacher once told me. Not sure what the hell it means, though."

"Shh," Bridget held up a finger. "I've got an idea, but you two need to be quiet. Just carry on as if you're getting ready to perform."

"And what will you be doing?" Moira asked.

Bridget smiled. "I'm taking a little bathroom break... and finding a change of clothes."

She stepped off the stage and walked toward the exit. Moira and Prema watched her disappear.

"How come she always gets to do the fun stuff?" Moira muttered.

Prema just shook her head. "I just don't understand how you two consider this 'fun'..."

"It's a living."

Bridget waited until she could no longer hear the sounds of the dining hall before ducking down a side corridor. She hated leaving Moira and Prema alone... hopefully they could look out for each other.

For her own part, she needed to get out of her tuxedo and into something less eye-catching... and fast.

The sound of humming caught her ears. Peeking around the corner, she saw a lone woman, mopping the floors. The fair-skinned brunette had her back turned to Bridget; she was dressed in grease-stained light blue smock and calve-level brown boots. The woman had a pair of earphones in, and was humming along to the tunes of Taylor Swift.

The cleaning woman seemed the right size, or at least close to it. Bridget began stepping quietly toward her, taking care not to slip on the freshly-mopped floor.

Bridget's eyes scanned the walls - they were high and solid. That was bad news - a single sharp cry from the custodian could echo down the corridor and bring the guards running.

Her eye fell on the cleaning woman's bucket, and the washrag draped over the side. Perfect...

The brunette was still humming to herself. Bridget didn't waster her opportunity. She immediately looped the rag over the woman's head and pulled it over her mouth. The woman let out a stunned and puzzled "Hhmmmppphhhh?" as she was pulled backwards, but it was not nearly loud enough to carry an echo.

Bridget pinned the struggling woman's arms to her side, keeping one hand firmly clenching the cloth gag. She avoided the slippery puddles on the floor as she dragged the woman into a nearby storage room.

"Very sorry about this, but I've got no time to be gentle." Bridget hit the woman with a neck chop. The brunette gurgled... her eyes slid shut.

Bridget's mind raced as she began stripping the custodian. Once more, she hoped that Felicia and Bobbi were okay... and that there was still time to stop Karima.

*****************

Slowly but surely, the defeated women began to recover. As heads cleared, eyes opened, and minds comprehended, Felicia, Bobbi, and Bridget realized they had been beaten but good.

But it's not over yet. Felicia flexed her body and strained her wrists to reach into her left boot.

In their haste, Karima and Farah had forgotten the first rule of combat: Always strip your victims before typing them up. Felicia smiled as her fingers closed on the small penknife she had stowed in her boot in case of emergency.

It took some contortioned effort, but Felicia was able to maneuver her way over to Bobbi and cut through her friend's bonds. Wrists freed, Bobbi was able to cut the ropes holding Felicia and Zuhal. (Bobbi did consider jabbing the tip of knife into Zuhal's elbow - just to cause the woman a little pain and teach her a lesson - but decided against it.)

Felicia staggered to her feet. "We have to stop them," she said woozily. "We can't lose Karima now... We can't."

Bobbi nodded. Then she noticed the unconscious Sabira was still lying on the floor beside them. "Looks like Karima forgot something."

"Abandoning one of her henchwomen?" Zuhal scoffed, rubbing her wrists. "Color me surprised."

"Go get Karima," Bobbi told Felicia and Zuhal. "I'll make sure her friend is secure till the police arrive."

Felicia nodded and headed out the door. Zuhal gave Bobbi a little wink. "Gonna have some fun?"

"Just move your ass," Bobbi said tartly.

Zuhal smiled and left. Bobbi turned her attention back to the unconscious Sabira.

"Last time we met," she said angrily, "you and your friends tried to blow me to smithereens." She reached for a roll of tape on a nearby desk. "You can bet I'm going to have some fun..."

[rufusluciusivan]

Male guards, the bane of uniform stealers everywhere! Luckily, the cleaning lady was here to provide Bridget with a new set of clothes. Still a funny scenario when the clothes stealers get into trouble because of the clothes they stole. I realized that it didn't come as often as one could think it would...

A more plot-driven new installment, not that I'm complaining of course.

I felt a little sad for Lucinda. It must be hard to witness your loved one choose revenge over you. You did a good job at humanizing her and Meredith, especially since they were originally more or less nothing but secondary villains.

Atsuko's and Carolyn's part was my favorite. Carolyn is one of the characters I emphasize with the most in this story. I guess it's because she's forced into a situation she doesn't like.

I'll admit, you got me by surprise with the twist that Zuhal's betrayal was fake. Well-played, sir! Always like it when you pull out a twist to keep the suspense...
It will lead me to my nitpick for this part though: the way Farah and Karima escape felt contrived in my opinion, as if the plot was on their side. I know that people make mistakes, but still, for a now-experienced uniform stealer such as Bobbie to make such a big mistake... Somehow, I have a hunch that this slip up wouldn't have happened, if Karima and Farah had been less important in the story and them reamining free wasn't important for the climax. And Karima's decision to postpone her revenge felt a little odd as well. I know the idea is to show that she cares more about her cousin than about her revenge, but it clashes with the personality she has shown so far in the four installments. I guess it probably has to do with the fact that we didn't see her interact much with her cousin as of now – at least not enough to really showcase the family love between each other that would justify her decision.
Though it leads to my favorite exchange of this part, so I can't complain too much... "Hurrghh.... Aaggh..." is indeed a very eloquent retort in Uniform Stealing language...

Nothing much to say about the uniform stealings themselves. I think you've found a balance between having a fast pace and providing enough details to allow the readers to picture the appearance of the women, their clothes, and their undergarments.

I wish I could already know what is going to happen next... I'm sure that everything is about to come up together...

[Trackman281]

Really pleased to see you have written another chapter.

Well that certainly escalated quickly between the characters a the beginning although to be fair, we all knew this was coming. It was a really good opening scene watching them all come to various realizations, I like it when that happens, very nice. Plus Zahul's fake betrayal was a definite surprise,

Bridge, Prema and Moira are basically stuck between a rock and a hard place, on one hand you blow your cover by flunking your disguise and on the other hand, oh dear there are male guards. You've added another layer of intrigue and I'm really curious and eager to know just how their going to handle this. Nicely done.

The action really doesn't let up with the following scene either, well that's Zuhal temporarily out of the picture as well and it seems that Karima's dark side is coming through again, I like her she's a bit of a wild card and at times unpredictable and that's what I like.

Once again as well you come with something original and new, that being having Farah stash the driver's unconscious body in one of the overhead compartments on the bus. Well played.

I see you've given us another glimpse into the dark side of the world of USB and that's the victims aftermath as spoken by Carolyn, this is definitely a nice trait that you've put into your stories as this shows that not all of your victims are just one time faceless grunts, I like the way you write these sort of scenes.

The good ol cleaning lady disguise for Bridget, I'm still curious to know how Bridget is going to get the others out of this, I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.

Well it sounds like Sabira is up for a surprise come the next chapter, this has been a fantastic chapter and was definitely worth the wait, this was a great read for start to finish, the banter between your characters is always one of the highlights of your chapters. This chapter definitely focused on driving the plot itself forward which is always a welcomed thing as it gets us ready for the what's to come next.

Thank you very much for giving us another welcomed chapter to this amazing story ARC of yours and always you've left me wanting more.