Volume 4: A Most Wanted Woman

[darth chlorophorm 2]

"We'll need to commandeer your uniform." An excellent line!
Your story is so incredibly detailed with so many, many uniform steals.
It's an awfully wonderfully crafted tale & I'm enjoying it so much.
I'm just so sorry it's taken me so long to getting around to reading it, TP. You're always one of the first members to comment on my comics, not only that, you're a great supporter and fan.
Great work.

[tirepanted3]

Thanks, all!

Rufusluciusivan: Indeed, many of these maidservants and other employees don't know what they're getting into - perhaps their jobs should come with higher pay? I'm glad you liked the moment with the cravat; I thought it was a nice action moment to help close the chapter.

Carolyn seems to have become one of the more popular characters in the story, and I'm happy to see that. I think it's good to have some women with a conscience; helps to balance things out with the many villainous characters and situations in the story.

Bobbi's flirtation with the "dark side" will become more important in Volume 5. It was important for Zuhal to notice it since, being a former villain, she has been down that road herself. Whatever path Bobbi chooses, we'll have to wait and see...


Meditions: I decided to put in a guard scene in this chapter after the positive feedback to the one in last chapter. Probably will be the last one for this story. But there will probably be more women needing to disguise themselves as guards in the next volume.


Darth: Thanks for catching up! Very glad you're enjoying the story and dialogue. I feel like I haven't commented on your comics enough; will try to do more in the future.


As some of you are anticipating, this volume is almost over. I think only the epilogue is left - though it will be a long epilogue, as I tie up the various loose ends and plant the seeds for Volume 5.

[esercito sconfitto]

knowing how tirepanted stories are balanced I suspect that the epilogue will contain an astonishing twist and the main danger for these color guards - the desired and final prize of the story- will come from an unexpected side... this appears to be required by aesthetic reasons (the growing irrelevance of Farah and other 'bad ' characters) and YES some dialogues are revealing

I suppose that some protagonists are close to discover the USB as irresistible and pure joy

[rufusluciusivan]

Honestly, I'm all in to see Bobbi's story arc take a central stage. (Though I wish I could see in the future to read the end already .) As I said, it would be interesting to see how her friends would react to her evolution... or even how she would ponder about how much she's changed, given the fact that in the first instalment she was feeling sorry for the people she hurt... (That does not make us younger though. ) Just a random idea, I was thinking that it could be interesting to have the main characters (such as Bobbi) confronted to the fact that their muggings can have negative effects on their victims? You know, in a 'accidentally harm them while mugging them'. It could lead to interesting character developments. Though maybe it would be too dark for this series? Also, I must confess that every time you say that you will tie up some loose ends, I can't help but (internally) snicker. The choice of words is so accurate...

[tirepanted3]

Esercito: I won't give away any spoilers about the epilogue... except to say there will be one more appearance by the color guards. Stay tuned

Rufus: You'll have much to look forward to in Volume 5, I hope. I think that Bobbi and friends have seen the negative effects of their muggings, to an extent, with people like Prema calling them out on their tactics. But it's an effective tactic, so they don't plan to stop. I like exploring the consequences (which is why so many USB victims have been brought back in later stories), although I don't want to make the series too dark in doing so.

And yes, "tie up loose ends" is a great phrase that I will never tire of using.

[rufusluciusivan]

Indeed, they have already seen it, though it never made them question or second-guess themselves (even if it's to say that it's an effective tactic and they don't plan to stop (at my knowledge, I don't remember having read such a scene, but perhaps there was one I forgot about). I was thinking that Bobbi's incoming story arc could be a good way to emphasize these developments. Of course, they don't have to be too dark and feature death or the likes, though it would be interesting to see them react if for instance one of their victims had something akin to an asthma attack or the likes. It could bring interesting dilemnas: do they continue the mission or do they help her? This is just a random idea though, that I'd also like to find a way to implement, though haven't found the good occasion yet. I'm waiting for the epilogue then.

[Trackman281]

Haha, just as Lucia was putting all the pieces together too, another great opening scene as well with Bridget and Karima, there hatred for each other really runs deep and I really do like the way you really hammer this point home in all your chapters, you really know how to make every scene with them tense but extremely enjoyable.

That was a great scene with the two guards alongside Carolyn, Toshiko and Atsuko, I was just waiting for missile guided Karma hit the Brunette guard, but when it didn't happen I actually found myself smiling as instead of going the cliché route you didn't, I think it's more damaging to let the infiltrators get passed when you've just bragged about how that you'd never let that happen, I mean because if the brunette was to get mugged she could fall back and say the infiltrators took her by surprise, but here she won't have a leg to stand on and she'll be more embarrassed, I really liked the way you handled that scene and it definitely put a smile on my face.

The follow up scene back with Bridget and Karima was once again great, I was surprised of how Karima was taken down I think these two have really become a pillar in this overall ARC as every scene their in together is amazing and they really know how to steal the show.

And now it seems that Karma will strike after all for Kelly and Addison, I really enjoy the whole off screen punching sounds followed by the victor emerging triumphantly in her new acquired uniform, I'm sure I've said this many times before, but this sort of scene is a nice way to break things up, it's great to let the imagination run wild and it seems to be a type of scenario that I associate with your chapters which has given them a real sense of uniqueness and individuality, in other words it's Perfect.

It's nice to see Zuhal and Farah go one on one and of course it's always a fantastic delight to see one of my favourite characters Bobbi make an appearance as I was starting to wonder where she had gotten to myself in this chapter.

This was another fantastically written chapter, once again you wrote all of your characters perfectly and gave them all equal amounts of screen time. I really enjoyed reading this chapter from start to finish, thank you for this new addition.

On a unrelated side note as well. Thank you for taking the time and effort in hunting around for all those new clips and pictures you've uploaded recently.

[tirepanted3]

Rufuslucius: It's an interesting idea, although I'm not sure Bridget and Felicia are best-suited for scenes like those. I need a few fundamentally "good" and upbeat characters in my stories, and don't want to make their scenes too dark. I envision Bridget as always being in control of a uniform stealing situation, her main weakness is that she can sometimes be overly concerned for her friends. But I will definitely continue to explore the moral consequences of uniform stealing in later stories.

Trackman: I was hoping the final confrontation between Bridget and Karima would meet expectations. I was always envisioning this story as Karima's finale, even if perhaps she could return at some point. Glad you liked it.

Yes, of course Kelly and Addison weren't going to end their day without getting their uniforms stolen. That's the price these security guards pay for being overconfident and rude. And yes, offscreen knockouts are still some of my favorites.

Happy you liked this chapter, as well as the recent clips and pictures. I'm always surprised when I find something new, but I'm guessing there are a lot of uniform steals in TV and comics yet to be discovered.

[tirepanted3]

And now, the epilogue:




The police found Karima and Farah tied up just outside the stadium entrance. Neither woman looked pleased to see them.

A quick scan of records confirmed that these two were both on the "Most Wanted" list. They were quickly handcuffed and led to the waiting van.

"You're all idiots!" Karima growled. "No prison can hold me... just wait!"

Farah said nothing, though she gave an icy glare to the officers as they loaded her into the van.

Bridget watched from afar as the doors of the police van slammed shut.

"Gotcha," she smiled.

Then, turning to Felicia, Bobbi, Moira, and Prema: "Well done, girls. I think this calls for a celebration."

The tournament had been cancelled early, despite the massive preparations for a reception. The Tigresses had taken their trophies and boarded their bus, humming a victory tune. Joanna was grinning from ear to ear - her scheme had not gone the way she'd expected, but it had worked perfectly nonetheless.

The Opals and Maples were recuperating in their locker rooms, unsure of what had happened. But they could not argue their case with the "referee" - Adelaide had disappeared. Meantime, a team of paramedics had been called to the stadium to check on the girls and their coaches, to ensure they had not suffered ill effects from the drinks.

"Whaddaya say, girls?" Bridget asked. "Ice cream? My treat?"

Prema rolled her eyes. "I need to get back to the office," she said. "Missed the whole morning at work."

"Just tell them you were kidnapped by a crazy criminal mastermind," Felicia offered. "I'm sure they'll understand."

"I'll drop you off at Dennison," Bridget told Prema.

Prema nodded slowly. "Thanks."

Bridget, Bobbi, and Felicia headed for the van. Moira held Prema back momentarily.

"Before we go," Moira scrawled something on a piece of paper, "take my number." She handed it to Prema. "In case you want to help me investigate this Rucon story."

Prema absent-mindedly put the paper in her pocket. "Sure... can we go now?"

Shortly after, the five women piled into their van, and headed off.

About a mile or two from the stadium, Bobbi slapped her forehead. "Damn! I left Sabira tied up in the closet. Do you think the police know about her? Maybe we should go back..."

"I think we've had enough adventure for today," Bridget replied. "Let's just head home. They'll find Sabira and take care of her."

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

Sabira stirred, slowly growing cognizant of the world around her. The world was dark, cramped... and a bit smelly.

She was in a closet, that much was clear. Stripped to her underwear. Tied up with intricate ropes and gagged with tape. But who had done this? The last thing she remembered was being knocked out by Felicia and Bobbi.

Bobbi... of course. Even by touch alone, Sabira could recognize the ropework restraining her - the double-knots, the upper-knee bindings. Bobbi had tied her up in this manner once before, albeit in less professional fashion. Seems like she had been practicing since then.

Still, that was to Sabira's advantage. After the humiliating way Bobbi had ambushed her last time, she had trained herself to escape those sorts of bindings. Bobbi's ropework was more advanced than last time, but so was Sabira's training. After several minutes of contortions, she had gotten her bound hands in front of her, and pulled off the gag. A few more minutes and her dexterous fingers had freed herself from the knots.

Sabira opened the closet door. The restroom was empty. "Karima? Farah?"

No response. Had they abandoned her? She had been a loyal friend of Karima's for years...

Flashing lights from outside the window caught her eyes. Approaching, she peeked out and saw a police van. To her shock, she saw a handcuffed Karima and Farah being led into the rear of the vehicle.

"No... No, no, no..." Her boss had been caught. How? What had happened?

There was also a pair of ambulances, dispatching paramedics into the stadium. Judging by the talk outside, apparently some of the athletes had been drugged. Was that Karima's doing?

Through the window, Sabira heard one of the leading officers speak to a couple of others. "Search the building. There may be accomplices."

"Damn it!" Sabira ran her fingers through her hair. She had to escape. But that would be rather difficult to do in her current state of dress, or lack thereof.

Footsteps... there were several sets of footsteps out in the hall.

Sabira peeked through a crack in the door. Four paramedics, two men and two women, jogged swiftly past the restroom, heading to the lockers and the recuperating color guard girls.

Sabira held her breath until they had left. All was silent for a few moments.

Then one more set of footsteps echoed through the corridor. Another paramedic, lagging somewhat behind her teammates.

The fair-skinned woman was of average height, a bit on the muscly side, her blonde hair pulled back into a short ponytail. She wore a short-sleeved green uniform shirt, matching pants, and short rubber-soled black boots. She carried a small medical kit under one arm, while checking her watch on the opposite wrist.

Sabira timed her ambush perfectly. As the paramedic strode past the restroom, the door opened. In one swift, fluid motion, Sabira grabbed the woman at the mouth and shoulder and hauled her inside, letting the door swing shut behind them.

A quick WHAK, a swift THUD, and the blonde was out for the count. Sabira wasted none of her precious time in stripping the woman of her uniform.

Within minutes, the paramedic had been reduced to a white comfort bra and checkered blue-grey panties. Sabira slid into the clothes and laced up the boots. They pinched, but she ignored the pain.

Rummaging around in the medical kit, Sabira found a roll of white gauze. Dragging the unconscious blonde into a stall, she sat the woman on the toilet and used the gauze to tape her in place. The blonde's wrists were secured behind the pipe, and two layers of gauze were wrapped over her mouth.

Shutting the stall door and working the lock from the outside, Sabira quickly approached the bathroom mirror and began tying her hair into a bun. Female paramedics were always supposed to tie their long hair back when on the job, and Sabira did not want to look out of place.

Once this was done, she left the bathroom and headed for the exits.

Her disguise worked - no one tried to stop her. Once she had cleared the stadium, Sabira headed for the trees and disappeared into the foliage.

She was free... but at what price?

Sabira breathed inwardly, trying to keep a level head. Not long ago, she had been part of a seemingly unbreakable team. Now, all of her former teammates - Karima, Nadyne, Malika, Zuhal, Yasmin, Haleema - were gone.

She was alone.

Sabira swallowed again. Easy, girl... Don't panic. She was no leader, but she was perfectly capable of handling herself.

She would find a place to lay low, to stay quiet for a few days.

She'd simply learn to work - for now - without Karima...

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

Karima was silent during the full trip to the police precinct. She stared at the floor of the vehicle, seemingly deep in thought.

Farah was also rather quiet, though she did inform one of the officers about her accomplice. An APB had been put out for Maxine Ventriss; the authorities were expected to apprehend her shortly.

But Karima said nothing, until they were escorted out of the van into the confining precinct.

Then, finally, when the cops were distracted with paperwork, she leaned over to her cousin.

"We can escape," she whispered. "We will escape. No prison can hold me."

"I overheard the guards talking," Farah whispered back. "They're taking us both to a maximum security prison upstate. Built like a fortress... and mostly male guards, so not many opportunities for disguise."

Karima scowled. "I don't care. I won't be locked up for long. I will kill Bridget... and Bobbi... and Felicia... and..."

Farah sighed. "Revenge... it's so stupid."

"What do you mean?"

"This whole endeavor of mine," Farah grumbled. "The color guard tournament... it all started because I wanted to get revenge on that Adelaide woman. I let my emotions get the better of me... and now I'm paying the price." She looked at Karima. "Revenge is a bad idea. You need to let it go."

"But..." Karima blinked. "But they're the reason we're going to jail..."

"And we'll definitely escape," Farah responded. "But when we do... no revenge schemes." She looked her cousin in the eye. "You taught me a lot when I was growing up... Now I'm going to teach you."

Karima looked indignant for a moment. But she couldn't stay angry at her cousin. She managed a small smile.

"Perhaps... but if given the chance, don't tell me you wouldn't try to put a bullet in Adelaide's head."

"Quite honestly," Farah replied, "I'd be perfectly content to never think about Adelaide again."

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

Adelaide arrived home to her apartment, tired but satisfied. A round of barking greeted her as she walked through the door.

"Hiya, Duke," she smiled at the terrier that bounded off the couch to greet her. "Been keeping an eye on things, have you?"

She picked up the dog, who promptly began sniffing her referee uniform.

"Confused by the scent? Yeah, these clothes aren't mine. Momma had to 'borrow' them for her job. Don't worry, I'm gonna change. Then maybe a shower and a late lunch."

The phone rang. Adelaide sighed. "No rest for the weary, eh, Duke?" She set the dog down and picked the phone up.

"Adelaide Finn?" came a woman's voice.

"That's me. How can I help?"

"I was told you're quite good at undercover work - disguise, infiltration, espionage. Is that correct?"

"Sure." Adelaide picked up a pen and pad. "What do you need?"

"There's a military base in Cape Coral. I need someone to infiltrate and obtain a few files for me. I originally tried to hire some other woman to do it, but it seems she's no longer working in this area. Betty, I believe her name was."

Adelaide nodded. "Betty... yes, I think I've met her." She put pen to paper. "Give me the details about this military base."

After a few minutes of discussion, Adelaide hung up the phone.

"Better start planning," she mused. "Still, I wonder what happened to Betty."

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

Betty looked around the terminal. "This place is huge."

She and Natalie had just stepped into the MCO airport, and trying to weave their way through the crowd. It was quite a busy day for travel.

Natalie finally reached an itinerary schedule, reading it studiously. "We're in luck! There's a flight to Hollywood leaving within the hour."

"Great, great." Betty glanced at her wristwatch. "So should we just find a couple of passengers and steal their tickets?"

Natalie chuckled. "Where's your imagination, Betts?" she whispered. "Plane passengers are boring. It'd be so much more fun to join the flight as stewardesses."

"I guess... but we don't really have time to find uniforms..."

"Sweetheart," Natalie grinned. "There's always time."

Betty sighed.

"Something wrong, hon?" Natalie asked.

"I'm... having second thoughts. Or third thoughts, I guess," Betty admitted. "Maybe I don't want to go to Hollywood? The idea that I could make a career..."

Natalie puncher her arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Buck up, girlfriend!" Natalie smiled. "You'll never make it with that attitude. You've got to walk the part... be confident... glamorous... stun them whenever you walk into the room."

She pointed. "Look at those two. They know what they're doing."

Betty looked up to see a pair of flight attendants striding through the airport. The women - one a light-skinned redhead, the other a tan-skinned brunette - wore navy blue uniform jackets and skirts, white button-down shirts, off-white tights, and dark blue heels. They looked crisp and elegant as they navigated through the crowded terminal.

"Those girls are amazing," Natalie smiled. "They walk confident. They act confident. They're pure professionals."

Betty nodded. "They do look pretty good."

"And it starts with the uniform," Betty said. "Wearing a uniform like that will give you the confidence you need when you step off that plane into Hollywood."

She tugged at Betty's sleeve. "Come on, let's go have a chat with those two lovely ladies."

Betty nodded and followed Natalie through the terminal.

The two flight attendants stepped down a side hallway and entered a lounge marked "Private - Airport Staff Only."

After checking to make sure there was no one around, Natalie and Betty followed them inside.

"Slight adjustment to the itinerary, girls," Natalie smiled.

The flight attendants didn't have much time to argue before the two newcomers had put them in headlocks. The oxygen drained from their brains, and the women lost consciousness.

Shortly after, Natalie and Betty were buttoning up the uniforms, rolling the tights up their legs, and wriggling their feet into the heels.

Betty smiled as she caught her reflection in the lounge mirror. "Damn... I'm feeling better already."

"Told ya," Natalie grinned.

The real stewardesses were down to their company-issued underwear - sky-blue comfort bras and white cotton panties with blue trimming. They were seated on the storage room floor, back-to-back, secured and gagged with generous helpings of adhesive tape.

"They'll thank us when they wake up," Natalie mused, locking the storage room door. "No long flight, no turbulence, no jet-lag. Just spending the day with a friend in a nice cool closet."

"You're quite good at helping people look on the bright side," Betty smiled.

"It's a talent." Natalie looked at her wristwatch. "We'd better hustle. The flight leaves soon."

The two women, now fully uniformed, exited the lounge and headed for the terminal.

"Now remember," Natalie whispered. "Chin up, shoulders straight, take confident steps. You're a professional airline attendant. You need a professional attitude."

"I know, I know." Betty straightened her shoulders, feeling the crease of her uniform against her back. Her heels clicked along the tiled floor, her hairbun bobbing with each step.

A few men turned to stare admiringly at the two pretty flight attendants who passed. Betty gave them a brief smile, but kept a confident look in her eyes.

"Seems like you're having fun," whispered Natalie.

"I am," Betty replied with a grin. "I only wish we could have helped Joanna a bit today..."

"I'm sure she's doing fine," Natalie replied.

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

Joanna was doing very fine. Having been declared the de facto winning coach of the color guard tournament, she wore a broad smile as the coach bus bearing her and her six athletes rumbled down the road.

The bus driver, a Southern woman with brown hair and violet eyes, had chosen a quiet, riverside path for the bus as a shortcut, allowing the Tigresses to sing their victory song without fear of irritating fellow drivers.

The driver was enjoying the song, and tapping her fingers against the steering wheel to the tune. She wore a dark blue uniform jacket and pants, a white shirt with blue tie, black boots with low heels, and a blue baseball cap.

She was scanning the road ahead for an upcoming bridge, when something caught her eye. A tall, dark-haired woman was standing by the side of the road, waving frantically with one hand. The other hand was behind her back. She was dressed only in a blue bra and pink panties.

The driver pressed down on the brakes, and the bus rolled to a stop in front of the underwear-clad woman.

"What's wrong?" Joanna asked indignantly. "Why are we stopping?"

The driver opened the bus door and looked sympathetically at the woman standing just outside of it. "Honey, what happened? Are you okay?"

The woman nodded. She looked at the windows of the bus, and could see several curious girls in leotards peeking out.

"I see you're carrying plenty of young women on this bus," she observed.

The bus driver nodded. "Athletes... champions, actually. But I'm more concerned about you. What happened to your clothes? Do you want me to call the police?"

The tall brunette groaned, stepping toward the bus. "Athletes... in damned leotards. Well, it's better than nothing..."

So saying, she pulled a large, peculiar gun from behind her back and fired a large cannister into the bus. The small grenade bounced off a window and hit the floor, immediately spraying gas everywhere.

The girls on the bus began to scream in terror, unsure of what was happening.

"Keep calm, girls," the brunette said, lowering her weapon. "It's just knockout gas. Perfectly harmless. Just find a place to sit down, quickly, so you don't collapse over each other on the floor."

The girls were quickly succumbing to the gas, but the driver was close to the doors. She tried to run out. "Please, what are you doing... oolp!"

Joanna grabbed her collar and shoved her back. "Out of my way!" The coach was chiefly concerned with saving her own skin.

A wobbly Joanna stepped off the bus. She tried to sidestep the gun-toting woman, but it was a futile task.

"Our sincerest apologies," the brunette said, bringing a judo chop down on Joanna's neck. The hapless coach crumpled to the floor.

By this point, all six color guard girls, plus their driver, were out cold as well. Some had been lucky enough to slump over in their seats; others lay in the aisle, limbs akimbo.

Josie snapped her fingers. "Okay, ladies, let's hustle."

From out of the bushes emerged four other women, all dressed in bras and panties.

"About time," Nicole grumbled. "I'm freezing my ass off."

"Help me drag them out," Josie ordered, entering the bus. "Then find a girl who looks your size. Looks like there are eight women here in total, versus only five of us... The excess clothes will make good binding material."

"Good thinking, boss," Bella smiled. Her nose wrinkled when she saw the clothes. "Pink leotards? Seriously?"

""No time to be picky," Josie said, dragging the first unconscious girl off the bus. "It could be hours before another vehicle comes across this road. Let's move."

And move they did. Before long, all six Tigresses, plus the coach and the driver, were lying on the grass. The FBI agents made their selection of clothes and began stripping the less-than-willing donors.

Being the boss, Josie had allowed herself to choose first, and had opted for Joanna's orange tracksuit and light blue running shoes. The clothes were warm and gave her a reinvigorated sense of purpose.

Rebecca was buttoning up the driver's white shirt and fastening the tie around her neck. She pulled on the jacket and buckled the pants and wriggled her feet into the boots.

Nicole, Bella, and Eleanor were trying to squeeze their bodies into the tight pink leotards.

"I hate pink," Nicole grumbled. "So unprofessional."

"It's not fair," Eleanor protested. "Becky gets the jacket and pants, while we have to settle for these oversized swimsuits."

"Sorry, girls," Rebecca said with a sympathetic smile. "I'm closest in size to the driver. That's how it works."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Honey, don't lecture me on the rules of proper disguise. I've been mugging women for their clothes before you even joined the Bureau."

"Just let her have the uniform," Nicole said. "She's probably embarrassed now that we've discovered her affection for teddy bears."

Bella chuckled. Rebecca stuck out her tongue at her coworkers and stalked over to the Delta Squad leader.

Josie was currently stripping the remaining three color guard girls and tearing their uniforms into bondage-ready strips. "Are you girls fighting again?" she asked. "Honestly, you're grown women. Act like it."

"Sorry, boss." Rebecca pulled the baseball cap on her head. "So what's the plan?"

Josie gestured at the eight unconscious women. The six color guard girls were dressed in hot pink sports bras and hiphuggers. The driver wore an aqua-green T-shirt bra and tiger-print boyshorts. Joanna had a grey sports bra and light blue bikini panties. "Once they're tied up, we put them in the bus' luggage compartment. They're innocent civilians, best not to leave them stranded."

"What about them?" Rebecca pointed to the van parked behind some of the taller bushes. Inside, still bound and gagged, were a very angry-looking Chandra and Sonja.

"Leave them," Josie said. "They're criminals, who apparently were impersonating FBI officers. I'll phone the police to pick them up after we've gone. Then we need to get back on schedule. Complete the mission, and find out what happened to Parker."

"Roger that."

The other three agents soon joined them and assisted in binding and gagging the eight women, before opening the large doors to the bus' luggage compartment and shoving the new "packages" among the other briefcases and duffel bags.

The women piled aboard the bus, and Rebecca got behind the steering wheel. "All set?"

"Let's move," Josie ordered.

As the bus pulled away, Nicole plucked at her pink leotard. "Can you imagine if Doreen sees me in this thing? I could never set foot in the office again."

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

Doreen shoved Yasmin into the cell, sealing the unbreakable glass door shut behind her.

"Enjoy your time in prison, honey," she smiled.

Yasmin spat. "You bitch. I won't be here long."

"You got that right," Doreen mused. "We're shipping you off to maximum security in a few days. And if preliminary reports are accurate... Karima will soon be joining you."

Yasmin scowled as Doreen walked off. "You'll be sorry! Putting me in here was a mistake!"

"You got that right, too," said a voice from behind her.

Yasmin turned to see her two cellmates. Her eyes widened. Standing there, arms folded, were Nadyne and Haleema.

"Seems like they decided to give us a little reunion," Nadyne said dryly.

Yasmin immediately brightened. "Girls! This is amazing! Now we can plan our escape together."

"You're not escaping," Nadyne said angrily.

"...What?"

"You're a traitor," Nadyne continued. "Karima called me a traitor... but you're the real traitor. You let me and Haleema get caught. You didn't try to help us."

Yasmin tried to keep her smile. "But... girls! That was just a little joke. No hard feelings, right?"

Nadyne turned to Haleema. "Do we have hard feelings?"

Haleema cracked her knuckles and stepped toward Yasmin, her six-foot-three figure towering over the smaller woman.

Yasmin gulped. "Um... Doreen? You still there?"

But Doreen had already left the prison compound on Sublevel 7, whistling to herself.

As the elevator ascended, she spoke into her radio. "Lorelei, Verna... took a while, but the prisoner is secure. How's Prema doing?"

No answer. She tried again. "Lorelei? Come in. Earth to Verna..."

Where were her partners? It had been a while since she'd taken Yasmin down to the prison compound. Had something happened?

Fortunately, her phone's com-link allowed Doreen to keep track of her teammates' whereabouts. Upon reaching the ground floor, she followed the link to the FBI's parking garage.

It took a few minutes of wandering about, but finally she reached the stairwell. Moaning and grunting sounds could be heard from beneath.

Doreen sighed. "Gee, let me guess..."

She shined her flashlight beneath the stairwell. Lying there were a very unhappy-looking Lorelei and Verna - both bound and gagged and stripped to their underwear.

Doreen suppressed a giggle. Lorelei and Verna glared at her.

"Sorry... sorry! It's just... you two look so adorable like this. You're usually so serious with your body armor and stuff..."

The women growled into their gags. Doreen nodded. "Okay, okay..."

She removed Verna's gag, causing the dark-skinned woman to begin coughing. "Those bitches..."

"Which bitches?" Doreen asked, removing the gag from Lorelei. "Seems like you've been getting your clothes stolen a lot lately."

"It was those two agents," Lorelei explained. "They were phonies. They took our uniforms and escaped."

She shook her head angrily as Doreen cut the ropes binding her. "They're probably far away from here by now... laughing at us..."

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

Chandra and Sonja were indeed far away from the FBI complex, but they weren't quite laughing. They were too busy trying to break free of the ropes which bound them.

Chandra was the stronger of the duo, but her back still ached from the fight in the garage, and she was finding it difficult to flex. Fortunately, Sonja was able to find a discarded screwdriver in the trunk of the van, and after several failed attempts, was able to cut into the ropes which bound her friend.

Chandra swiftly freed herself, then went to work untying Sonja.

"What's the plan?" the Russian woman asked as Chandra freed her wrists.

"Plan?" Chandra was exasperated. "We have no plan. We have no clothes, we have no weapons, and this van is out of gas. We infiltrated the FBI and learned nothing. And we got out asses kicked like a couple of amateurs. We failed."

Sonja bit her lip, unsure of how to respond. Perhaps her friend was right.

Then at once, they heard the sound of an approaching engine.

Peering out the tinted window, Chandra and Sonja saw a large police van pull up to the river's edge. The doors to the cab opened, and two policewomen stepped out. They wore blue button-down shirts beneath dark jackets, blacks skirts with zippers on the side, and shiny black low-heeled boots. Peaked blue caps sat on their heads. The driver had light skin and jet-black hair cut into a bob; her friend was fair-skinned with shoulder-length honey-blonde hair. The policewomen were advancing towards the quiet-looking FBI van.

Sonja turned to Chandra, eyes twinkling. "May I suggest a plan?"

Chandra grinned. "Be my guest."

Officers Lora Clarke and Violet O'Hara casually stepped toward the van, noting its placid state against the rush of the river.

"Think anyone's inside?" Violet asked.

"That's what we were told," Lora replied. "The precinct received a tip... two wanted criminals, tied up in the back of a van at this location. See any other vans?"

Violet shook her head. "I guess I'm just nervous... I don't want this to end up like last time."

Lora chuckled, glancing at Violet as she opened the van's rear doors. "That was just a random fluke, partner. This won't be like last time."

She turned to gaze at the inside of the van... when an elbow quickly jutted out and clocked her in the jaw.

Sonja emerged from the rear of the van, watching as the policewomen fell to the ground. "Pardon me, dear ladies," she grinned. "But my friends and I have need of your vehicle and uniforms."

Violet gasped, and fumbled for her gun. "Don't move... don't -- aahhh!"

Chandra had thrown the screwdriver with expert precision, knocking the gun from Violet's hands. It fell into the river with a splash.

Violet turned to run. "No... no, this can't happen agai--uuugghh!"

Sonja tackled her to the ground. "Stay calm, little kiska. No use getting that uniform wrinkled before I have a chance to wear it."

"Please... please don't... uurgh!" Violet was quickly subdued with a sleeper hold.

Nearby, Chandra was putting a similar move on Lora, who was easily neutralized.

The policewomen were soon stripped to their underwear - light blue sports bra and dark red hipster panties for Lora, pink triangle bra and magenta bikini panties for Violet. Some duct tape from the police van's glove compartment was used to render them quiet and immobile. They were locked in the back of the now-disused FBI van.

Chandra felt good as she slipped into her new uniform and boots, and patted the gun at her hip. It felt good to be in charge again.

Sonja approached, wearing the other police uniform. "So, how do you like my plan?"

"Excellent so far," Chandra grinned. "What's the next step?"

Sonja shrugged. "That was it. I just wanted to wear these uniforms."

Chandra sighed. "This is why I make the decisions around here, isn't it?" She looked at the police van. "Come on."

"So where are we going?" Sonja asked, following her friend to the van.

"Don't know yet," Chandra replied. "But we'll figure it out when we get there."

As she started the engine, the police radio crackled to life. "...has been arrested. I repeat, Valencia Steele has been arrested on the charges of kidnapping and corporate sabotage."

Chandra's face brightened. "Well, well... there's some encouraging news."

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

Valencia winced as the handcuffs were snapped around her wrists.

"This is all a misunderstanding... I want my lawyer..."

"You'll get to make a call down at the station," the officer said. "Until then, you've got the right to remain silent."

As the police escorted Valencia to the waiting car, she glared at Tessa and Mallory, who smugly smiled back.

"Think we should get back to headquarters?" Tessa asked.

"I do," Mallory nodded. "Guess we'll see if they let us back in."

"FBI agents get their uniforms stolen all the time. They'll understand."

Mallory looked around. "Say... where are those other women?"

But Toshiko, Carolyn, and Atsuko were already back at the garage, ready to exit the premises through the rear gates.

"I left another tip with the downtown authorities," Toshiko noted. "They'll arrest Willa where we left her."

"Perfect," Atsuko smiled. "Mission accomplished."

Toshiko smiled back. "Yeah..."

They approached the SUV. Toshiko put her hand on the hood.

"Listen... I... I don't want to be a bother..."

"You're no bother... sis," Atsuko said sympathetically. "What do you need?"

"I... Well, my friends are all gone," Toshiko sighed. "And I doubt they're coming back. I don't really have a place to go... I don't know what I'm doing with my life now."

Atsuko patted her shoulder. "Say no more. You can stay with us as long as you like."

"It'll only be a few days... I promise not to be a nuisance."

"You won't be," Atsuko assured her. She turned to Carolyn. "As long as you're okay with this..."

Carolyn looked from her wife to her sister-in-law, then back at her wife again. She wasn't sure what to say.

Finally, she managed a polite smile. "Of course."

Atsuko grinned. "You're the best, honey. Come on."

The three of them piled into the car. Atsuko started the engine. "I know a great place where we can grab lunch before..."

A sudden, slow "mmmmppphhh"ing sound caught their attention from the trunk.

Atsuko glanced at the rearview mirror. "Oh! Forgot we still had a couple of ladies tied up back there." She glanced at the bound and gagged maid and security guard, who were just beginning to regain consciousness.

"I'll stash 'em in the closet," Toshiko said, exiting the vehicle and heading around back to the trunk.

Carolyn said nothing, though she tried her best to ignore the women's muffled pleas for help.

As Toshiko popped open the trunk, she shook her head. Feels so weird to say goodbye to the old team... I wonder what Cassandra and Marina are doing now...

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

Cassandra puffed on her cigarette, gazing out the out the van window.

"I'm an idiot," she muttered.

From the passenger seat, Marina looked up from her phone. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Cass."

"I was a fool to trust Toshiko," Cassandra continued, turning the van down a lonely boulevard. "Now look where it's got us. No jobs, no money... nothing."

"You're not just blowing smoke," Marina replied. Then she chuckled. "Blowing smoke! Get it?"

Cassandra groaned and tossed the cigarette out the window. "Enough with the terrible jokes, Mari. Be serious. We've got no place to go now."

Marina pouted. "Darla would have laughed at that joke..."

Then she paused. "Say... there's an idea."

Cassandra stopped the van at a red light. "What?"

"Darla... and Whitney. They're in jail somewhere. Why don't we bring 'em home?"

"You mean... a prison break?"

Marina nodded. "Getting the team back together! Sounds like fun, right?"

Cassandra thought. "There will probably be dozens of guards... and there's two of us."

"Don't worry, we'll go easy on them." Marina's eyes were glimmering in her usual playful way.

The light turned green. Cassandra smiled.

"Let's give it a shot."

Marina pumped her fist. "Hell yeah!"

She glanced out the window. "This will be great. Gonna be fun to see Darla again... and Whitney, I haven't talked to her since we had that job at Dennison."

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

"We gotta get back to Dennison."

It had taken much effort - twisting, turning, bending and breaking - but Olive and Bianca had finally freed themselves and jimmied the lock on the back of the van.

Bianca stretched, squinting in the sunlight. "It's high noon... We've been out of commission for nearly two hours."

"So what's our next move?" Olive asked. Her sandy hair was stuck to her scalp with sweat - there had been no air-conditioning in the hot van compartment.

Bianca sighed. "I don't think we have a next move... Right now, we just gotta get back to Dennison and hope no one suspects us of our law-breaking little plan."

Olive looked worried. "I can't go to jail... I have a newborn... I can't raise a child from prison..."

"Calm down, girl," the dark-skinned woman shushed. "No one is going to jail. We'll be fine. We just need to get back and act like nothing's happened. Prema won't suspect a thing."

She looked down at her underwear-clad form. "Let's find some clothes. That'll make you feel better."

"But... where?" Olive glanced around nervously. "We're in the middle of the marshlands. There's no one around for miles."

Bianca considered. "Do you have your phone?"

Olive turned back to the van. She reached in and pulled out her cell. "Got it. Think it still has decent reception."

"Gimme."

Bianca swiftly dialed a local car service. "Yes, hello... I was wondering if you could send a couple of cars to my location... Have a lot of friends who need a lift. Female drivers only, please... The last male driver we had was something of a pig... Great, thank you..."

She hung up and smiled at Olive. "New clothes on their way."

It was only a matter of minutes before the first car arrived. The driver, a woman in her early thirties, pulled up her blue Camaro to the nearest roadway. She stepped out of the car and looked around, searching for her potential passengers.

"Hello?" The woman had blonde hair tied in a chignon, hazel eyes, and an angular face. She wore a maroon sweater over a light green blouse, blue denim jeans, and brown cowboy boots. "Anyone here?"

She checked her phone. "Funny, I'm sure this was the addres... Hhhmmppphhhh!"

She clutched at the hand over her mouth as she was dragged backwards into some nearby bushes.

Five minutes later, the second car showed up. The driver, a woman in her late twenties, stepped out of her white Dodge Challenger. Her orange hair hung below her shoulders, contrasting with her alabaster skin. She wore a dark blue jacket over an aquamarine tank top, tan capri pants, and scuffed white sneakers. She removed her Ray-Bans and looked around.

"Car service," she called. Noticing the Camaro nearby, she raised an eyebrow. "Hello?"

"Hello!" From the bushes stepped Bianca, dressed in a maroon sweater, green blouse, and blue jeans. Her cowboy boots squished into the dirt beside the road. "Thanks for arriving so promptly."

The driver looked around. "Is it just you? I was told there were multiple passengers."

"Girlfriend, you shouldn't believe everything you're told."

Before the driver could ask about the meaning of those words, Bianca had dealt her a swift neck chop, just below the woman's ear. There was a droning "Uhnnnn..." as the driver pitched forward. Bianca caught her with one hand.

"Easy does it." She dragged the woman back into the bushes, where Olive sat over the fallen Camaro driver. The blonde wore a turquoise T-shirt bra and vermilion boyshorts. Olive had retrieved some cable wiring from the van and was using it to bind the woman hand and foot.

Bianca deposited the second driver at Olive's feet. "She's a little shorter than you... I'm hoping you can squeeze."

Olive shrugged. "I'll do my best."

The clothes were indeed a bit tight - particularly the capri pants - but Olive was able to wriggle herself into them without tearing anything. It was uncomfortable, but certainly preferable to walking around half-naked.

Bianca used some more cables to bind the orange-haired driver, who was now in a violet full-cup bra and cream-colored bikini panties. A pair of clean kerchiefs from the woman's jacket made useful gags.

Rather than let the two women languish in the mosquito-filled marshland, Olive and Bianca locked them in the back of the Dodge, where they sat uncomfortably in the footwells. Bianca drove the vehicle off-road and obscured it behind the bushes.

Then she and Olive piled into the Camaro. Bianca started the engine as she turned to her friend.

"So remember... this day never happened."

Olive smiled. "What day?"

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

"What a day," Prema sighed.

She stepped into her office and plopped down into her swivel chair. She slumped down, closed her eyes and tried to ignore the factory noises outside her window.

A knock at the door. Nita poked her head inside.

"Hi, boss... I held a number of calls for you. Didn't know where you were all morning."

"Just the usual," Prema sighed. "Got kidnapped... stripped, tied up... was rescued... got kidnapped again... mugged a few women... tied them up, stole their clothes... Just another ordinary day in the never-ending hell that is my life."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

Then Nita spoke. "So... you want to take some of those calls?"

Prema opened her eyes. She sat up in her chair. "Yes... yes, back to work. Of course..."

Nita nodded and left the room.

Prema tapped her fingers on her desk. She still did not love her job. Working at a desk all day was simply dull.

And, much as she hated to admit it, a part of her did... enjoy... the excitement.

She pulled the paper Moira had given her from her pocket.

Then she sighed and tucked it into her desk. "Maybe another time."

For now, she just wanted to forget about Bridget and her crazy friends...

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

"What an unforgettable day," Bridget mused.

She, Bobbi, and Felicia had returned to Bridget's apartment. They had dropped Moira off in her neighborhood and left their stolen van at an impound lot - it was best, the women mused, not to leave any evidence.

"Finally!" Bobbi clapped her hands. "Karima in handcuffs is one of the most beautiful images I've ever seen. So glad we don't have to deal with her anymore."

Bridget nodded. "You did great, girls... and infiltrating the FBI! I'm so proud of you."

Felicia snapped her fingers. "That reminds me... One more thing I want to show you."

She pulled out her phone and uploaded the photos she had taken at the FBI lab. "Check this out."

Bridget examined the pictures closely. "Say, these markings look familiar... Like the ones I saw at the cave..."

Felicia nodded. "Apparently the FBI has been investigating aliens as well!"

Bobbi rolled her eyes. "Here we go again... Felicia, aren't you ever going to outgrow the sci-fi stuff?"

Felicia crossed her arms. "Bridget, you be the judge. Do these look like alien markings to you?"

Bridget ran her fingers through her hair. "I... don't know. My going hypothesis is still that they're made by humans - it's just a code, after all, and people have dreamed up plenty of complex codes in the past. But I'll definitely examine it more closely."

She handed the phone back to Felicia. "But... let's not worry ourselves with something new right now. We deserve a nice rest. How about that ice cream?"

"Sounds good to me!" Bobbi grinned. She headed for the kitchen. "Let me put on some music."

She flicked on the radio. It was set to a news station. "...that Karima al-Bariqi, one of the state's most wanted criminals, has finally been caught. Also apprehended is Farah Fayad, a young woman believed to be al-Bariqi's accomplice..."

Bobbi smiled. "This is my new favorite station."

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

"...The two women will be transported to a maximum-security facility while they wait to be tried for their many crimes..."

Dr. Chen shut off the radio. "Damn!"

She and Lucinda had stopped their van by an empty self-service gas station to refuel. Chen sat in the driver's seat while Lucinda filled the tank.

"I wanted to look into Karima's eyes," Dr. Chen muttered. "I wanted to make her pay... so, so dearly..."

She sighed. "Ah well. Guess we should move on to the remaining names on our list."

Lucinda brightened. "Bridget, right?"

Chen nodded. "Bridget, Felicia, Bobbi, Moira... plus that other woman you mentioned..."

"Prema."

"Yes, her too. They all need to die."

Lucinda rubbed her hands together. "I can't wait. Sweet revenge... then reunite with Meredith. She'll be so proud."

"Yes, yes..." Dr. Chen consulted her map. "But we must plan carefully. Bridget is no fool. She's outsmarted me on two occasions... I can't let there be a third."

Lucinda shut the gas nozzle and returned to the front of the vehicle. "So what's the plan?"

Dr. Chen thought for a moment. "Two of us... we may not stand much of a chance against Bridget and her team... But if we can find others..."

Lucinda slid into the passenger seat. "What others?"

"Bridget Baxter has made a career of being a goody two-shoes... She's probably made enemies." Dr. Chen's lips tugged into a sly smile. "Other women who have had their plans ruined by Baxter and friends... If we can find them, convince them to join our cause... We could have a small army on our side."

Lucinda grinned. "I like where this is headed."

"Then let's go searching." Dr. Chen started the engine and pulled away from the gas station.

She knew the power of an alliance - the unity of women who shared a common enemy. And she had the brains - plus an abundance of high-tech weaponry in the back of her van - to make it happen.

As the van lurched back onto the road, Chen began to hum a happy tune.

Her final revenge was approaching... and it would be very sweet indeed.

THE END

[rufusluciusivan]

I'd have to say that the heroines and the FBI in this story wouldn't have as many problems with returning criminals if they bothered to make sure the bound-and-gagged criminals were safely apprehended BEFORE leaving. I mean, I can understand why Bridget and her team wouldn't do it with Sabira - as I guess they don't want to be around when all the women they've mugged are found - but for FBI agents to just go while simply intending to just call a few cops... That's just begging for trouble!

About the epilogue himself, not much to say, outside of the fact that it's very satisfying to read, as it takes the time to wrap up the storylines of most of the main characters (except Ashley LOL I'll never give up on that joke...), AND to set up the next story.
I noticed that you're using some stylistic devices (hopefully it's the right expression) to link the paragraphs via association of ideas and I liked it. A very nice little touch that allows me to comment on the quality of your writing. So I comment on the quality of your writing.
The uniform stealings themselves had the same quality as before and we could witness some of the classics such as the flight attendant, the paramedic, the driver or the police woman uniforms. As always, there were good lines, such as the conversation of the FBI agents around the pink leotards (and Rebecca getting the privilege of having the driver uniform), or the classic "Let's never talk about what happened."/"Nothing happened." conversation. Still a good joke.
I liked the little details you added, such as uniform stealers that are (more) on the side of 'good' choosing to not leave their innocent victims stranded in the middle of nowhere (such as with the colour guards). Or Olive and Bianca being considerate enough to left the drivers they mugged inside a car and not in the middle of a swamp. Or how some people now react with amused indifference to the sight of bound-and-gagged underwear-clad women who were mugged for their uniforms - shown with Doreen's.
On a side note, I was happy to see Joanna receive some sort of comeuppance - ironically via uniform stealing-related mugging. Her getting away scot-free at the end of To Steal a Sport's Team always left a sour taste in my mouth, especially since we never get the confirmation if she truly sold the Miami girls to slavery. (Though I guess that's just my intense loathing and hatred for human traffickers speaking here - the same reason that explains my huge dislike of Farah and why I could never truly enjoy Thirty Maidens all in a Row and its sequel; or that explains why in my stories the people who took part in human trafficking often end up shot, executed by the Rebellion, drowned, or with a broken spine.)
Yasmin too got her comeuppance, and it was funnily glorious. Or gloriously funny.

As for a more general review, I'll be honest and say that I think that this story shares a lot in common with Volume 3, so I don't have much to add: most of my points will be the same.

- The strengths of your story remains the same. I'll repeat myself, but I think it's important to also spend time on the positives:
-> the humour, good dialogues and one-liners; I won't quote my favorites, because it would take me too much time, but I'll say that they are many and are featured in each new post; they are in my opinion the biggest strength
-> the little details you often add to help distinguish a scene or a conversation (the policewomen rolled in tarps to give the first example that comes to my mind)
-> the rythm that's well-paced and the balance between plot-driven parts and uniform stealings that's well-balanced (I'm jealous )
-> good well-paced descriptions that take the time to give a few details about each victim, the takeout and the aftermath; with the occasional more described scene that gives more informations about the physical features and/or details the takeout, the stripping and/or the aftermath (which I wouldn't mind seeing more by the way )
-> well-described main characters with colourful personalities; wether I personally like them or not, I won't deny that they are well-fleshed out (including the antagonists). Special mentions for Meredith and Lucinda whom I never thought I'd find so sympathetic, for Carolyn and Atsuko, big surprises that caught my attention at the end of the story due to their personalities different from the others, and for the arc revolving around Bobbi, which is the one that interested me the most.
-> the quality of the writing

- However, I will maintain the position I had at the end of Volume 3 and still say that, in my opinion, having so many regular characters and storylines is a downside. I know it's a little paradoxical since I also praise (and still praise) your ability to make diverging storylines cross and interwine. However, I think that the key resides in the number. Between Bridget's and her friends' storyline, Prema's, Valencia's, Chen's, Karima's, the sport tournament's, the FBI's, Toshiko's, Atsuko's, etc. Depending on the moment of the story, there are always at least between three and half-a-dozen storylines competing for the spot of main storyline when it comes to frequency and size, each with their set of half-a dozen characters. All of this is emphasized by the fact that, law inforcement being what they are, no antagonist seems to ever be really definitively neutralized. Some even come back, which makes the characters even more numerous. As I said, in my opinion, I think it prevents the story from having a clear red thread and leaves some characters 'out of the spotlight'. Have you considered seperating the story into several spin-offs, each featuring a set of characters? On a side note, I'm starting to notice a pattern of all the main criminals seemingly being able to easily escape the authorities, which I think could become a hindrance in the long run, as it risks to desensitize readers when it comes to the stakes of the story. The idea is that if the bad guys can never truly be stopped, readers may start to stop caring about the stakes of the story since the heroes seemingly never truly win.

The story seems to be gearing to the gathering of a 'League of Villains' to try to bring down Bridget and her friends during the next (last?) installment of these series, and honestly I'm impatient to read about it. I also think that having the characters form bigger teams could be a good way to keep a high number of characters while reducing the number of competing storylines: by having groups of numerous characters having at least one similar goal: for instance, a team of 'heroines' around Bridget, one of 'villainesses' around Chen, and the FBI as the 'wild card third party'.

Hoping to read more soon!