Volume 5: Last Woman Standing

[tirepanted3]

Note: The following story naturally takes place after the events of Volume 4: A Most Wanted Woman; however, you may wish to at least read the epilogue from Sister in Arms if you haven't, since it ties in with the overall story arc.


PROLOGUE

The Women's Correctional institution of Tallahassee, Florida had a single, simple motto: "A place for everything, everything in its place."

The line had been written over two hundred years earlier by Benjamin Franklin, but it maintained its relevance to this day. The WCI was among the state's most renowned and well-secured women's prisons, and boasted some of the finest security in the region. That was because, as the state government often declared, it emphasized organization, efficiency, and routine above all else.

The prisoners were all given economically-fitted cells, shared in groups of two. They were given the same meals each day, and followed the same rigid schedules. The walls were painted with muted greys and dark blues, giving the building a sense of singularity and neutrality.

The security, too, had its own routine - every guard in the building worked an twelve-hour shift, with the shifts staggered and rotated around the clock. All guards wore identical uniforms - black body armor, including thick Kevlar vest and elbow and knee pads, dark grey shirt and elasticized black pants, shiny black combat boots, and black helmets with tinted face-concealing visors. This last detail was implemented to give the guards an extra layer of intimidation. The only way to distinguish the guards was by the different serial numbers on their vests.

The WCI used to hire plenty of male guards, but fearing public backlash after a couple of unflattering stories in the news, they decided it would be better to have female guards preside over female prisoners. The policies gradually changed over the years; by now, all the guards in the facility were women.

The prison now proudly touted itself on two levels - one of the most organized prisons in America, and one of the few with an all-female security staff. All seemed to be going well for the "everything in its place" facility.

But on this night, not everything was in its place.

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

Dylan paced back and forth along her assigned sector at the northern end of the prison. The tall, well-toned guard did not notice anything out of the ordinary. After three years working at the WCI, the tan-skinned, golden-brown haired woman had hardly seen anything resembling excitement, and nothing about this night told her that things would change.

Dylan had also been working the afternoon security shift at a local factory, in order to earn an extra paycheck. She and her boyfriend were trying to raise some extra money for their planned wedding in the Bahamas. Dylan was also busy organizing a charity fundraiser for her local animal rights group. In short, she had been quite busy as of late.

Couple all this with the fact that her shift would end at 10 PM, just fifteen minutes from now, and perhaps she could be forgiven for being a little out of focus.

As Dylan paced by one of the larger and thicker bushes in her sector, the leaves rustled, ever so slightly. Dylan paused. Was it just the wind, or...?

Her question was answered, rather abruptly, as a tall shadowed figure, dressed all in black, sprang up from the bushes, and wrapped an arm around Dylan's neck.

"Hhhhrrrkkkkk..." Dylan tried reaching for one of her weapons, but she wasn't fast enough. Her assailant pulled her into the thick underbrush, out of sight.

From a concealing spot up in one of the nearby trees, Julia Chen watched the bushes rustle, waiting with bated breath.

Her plan hinged on the ability to trust her new recruits. if they did not prove up to the task, her scheme would be doomed almost before it began.

The bushes grew still. Dr. Chen waited. The silent minutes dragged on.

Finally, a figure rose from the foliage, dressed in the security guard uniform and face-covering helmet.

Dr. Chen held her breath. Was it the same guard?

The woman looked up at the tree and tapped the left side of her helmet with three fingers.

Dr. Chen grinned. That was the signal. One of her henchgirls now occupied the uniform.

She raised her small radio to her lips. "Chandra, is that you?"

On the ground, the disguised woman responded. "Yes, it's me. Uniform successfully acquired."

"Splendid," Dr. Chen replied. "I trust you've taken care of its original owner?"

Chandra glanced behind the bushes. The guard lay on the ground, blissfully unconscious. She sported a pink full-cup bra with red striping and dark blue tanga panties. Her wrists and ankles were bound with copper wiring, and a length of silver duct tape was stretched over her mouth.

Smiling with satisfaction, Chandra returned to the pathway. "She won't be going anywhere."

"Excellent," Dr. Chen responded. "Meet the others around by the side gate. You'll coordinate your entrances there."

"Sounds good, boss," Chandra replied. "But how will you get inside?"

"Let me worry about that. Just take care of yourselves." Dr. Chen signed off.

Chandra reached the corner of the prison wall and turned. Another woman in similar uniform stood, casually leaning against a stack of metal crates. Upon seeing Chandra, she tapped three fingers to the side of her helmet.

Chandra lifted her visor, allowing the other guard to see her face. "Wow, you work fast."

Sonja lifted her visor as well, smiling at her best friend. "It was hardly a fair fight. I think the guard forgot to take her coffee this morning."

She opened the lid of one of the crates. Chandra peeked in and grinned. The guard whose uniform Sonja had liberated had been balled up, chin against her knees, and stuffed inside. She had dark skin and dark hair arranged in a bowl cut, and wore nothing other than a purple T-shirt bra and tangerine boyshorts. She had been secured with white rope and gagged with green tape.

"I tried not to make the knots too tight," Sonja explained. "I respect a woman with stylish taste in underwear."

Chandra rolled her eyes. "You and your obsession with underwear..."

"It's not an obsession." Sonja shut the lid. "I just find it refreshing that American women put some effort into their underwear choice. Back in Russia, every woman I stole clothes from..."

"...had boring white underwear," Chandra finished. "Yes, you've told me. I guess I understand... I just think we have more important things to concern ourselves with right now than stylish lingerie."

"You can say that again," came a voice in their radio earpieces.

Chandra lifted her wrist-radio. "Lucinda? Where are you?"

"I'm watching over you," Lucinda responded in a deep voice.

"What?"

They could hear Lucinda laugh. "Look up."

Chandra and Sonja looked up. At the height of the prison wall, about sixty feet above them, was a gleaming metal turret - a guard's watchtower. A woman in security uniform was waving to them.

"Lucinda?" Chandra asked. "How'd you get up there?"

Lucinda laughed again. "I was a champion rock climber back in college," she said. "With the help of some equipment, it didn't take much effort for me to scale the wall. The guard stationed here was a little surprised to see me..."

She smiled and glanced over to the other side of the turret. Seated on the floor was a woman with light skin and a blonde ponytail. She wore a leopard-print triangle bra and matching panties, and a liberal use of duct tape had been used to bind and gag her.

"... but I convinced her to hear my side of things."

"Perfect," Dr. Chen's voice replied over the radio. "You've got a great vantage point. Now it's like we've discussed - Chandra and Sonja will infiltrate the prison; Lucinda, you will keep watch of the area... Let us know if you see anything suspicious."

"You got it, boss," Lucinda smiled.

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

At this very moment, unbeknownst to Chen, Chandra, Sonja, or Lucinda, another incident was happening at the opposite side of the prison.

The white linen truck pulled up to the employee entrance of the prison yard. The guard walked over and inspected the truck's papers.

"Here for the weekly laundry delivery," the driver explained. She had dark skin and hair, and was dressed in a set of white overalls over blue T-shirt and brown boots, plus a white baseball cap. Beside her was an identically-dressed woman with tanned skin and brown hair.

Satisfied with the papers, the guard waved the truck through, motioning it toward the service entrance of the prison.

Once out of earshot, the driver smiled with satisfaction. "That was easier than I thought."

"Those guards think they know the law," her partner remarked. "But I guess they don't know the laundry!"

Cassandra grimaced. "Your puns just keep getting worse."

Marina beamed. "Thank you."

Cassandra pulled the van over to a reserved parking space just outside the washroom entrance. "This should be it. Now let's not waste time. The goal is to find Darla and Whitney as quickly as possible."

Marina rubbed her hands. "This is so exciting. I can't wait to see them again."

"Just make sure you don't give yourself away, or we might be joining them in prison," Cassandra cautioned.

Marina dismissed her concerns. "Cass, we're professionals. They're not gonna catch us."

"I hope not. Are you ready?"

Marina straightened her baseball cap. "Let's do this," she said in her best action-movie voice.

The two women stepped around to the rear of the truck. Cassandra unlocked the doors. "Grab a pile of sheets," she instructed. "Be easier to sneak around if we look like we're working."

The back of the truck was filled with clean white sheets, crisp bed linens, and oh yes - two unwilling passengers. Seated side-by-side on the floor of the truck were a pair of women wearing very little. The light-skinned redhead had an ochre plunge bra and beige bikini panties; her olive-skinned, dark-haired coworker wore only a grey bandeau bra and violet hipsters.

These women were the two laundry workers tasked earlier that evening to deliver the fresh linens to the prison. Needless to say, the job had not gone quite as planned. As they had been loading their truck, Cassandra and Marina had jumped them. Now the two workers were bound and gagged with some of the sheets they were supposed to deliver, struggling in the back of their own truck, struggling helplessly while Cassandra and Marina had appropriated their vehicle and uniforms.

Marina smiled at the two women as she picked up a pile of clean sheets. "Cheer up, girls. It's never a bad idea to entangle yourself in your work."

Cassandra sighed. "I'm sorry," she told the two laundry workers. "I know we've put you through a lot tonight... but hearing her wisecracks is probably extra torture."

"That's rude!" Marina laughed. "Come on, girls, you like my jokes, don't you? Helps lighten the mood."

The laundresses looked fearfully at their captors, whimpering pathetically.

Marina shrugged. "Guess it's hard to laugh with those gags."

She and Cassandra exited the truck, shutting the doors.

"Here we come, girls," Cassandra said quietly as they entered the prison.

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

Whitney sighed as she bounced her rubber ball against the stone wall for what seemed like the ten thousandth time.

"Mom told be to be a fashion model," she muttered. "And I almost took that path. But no, of course, I had to be a career criminal."

She brushed a few strands of bright red hair from her eyes. "And I wasn't even that good at it... Got caught after only a few weeks. I never should've dropped out of beauty school."

She glanced over at her cellmate. As usual, the muscular tan-skinned woman did not respond. She was lying on her bed, hands clasped, looking up at the ceiling.

Whitney sighed again. Haleema was the most boring cellmate ever. The woman rarely spoke, outside of occasional grunts in apprehension. All their conversations were effectively one-sided.

Whitney stood up and walked over to her cell bars, glancing out. A guard was making her rounds. The woman glanced at Whitney, and the prisoner could feel the glare even behind the helmet.

"Back into bed, inmate," the guard growled.

Whitney gulped. "Y-yes, ma'am."

She returned to her bed, fuming silently. These guards were such bullies... How she'd love to put one of them in her place...

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

Chandra and Sonja walked through the prison's first-floor hallway, glancing at the inmates who shrank away from them fearfully. Their security uniforms were proving quite effective indeed.

"I think I recognize a couple of these prisoners," Sonja whispered.

"You do?" Chandra's eyebrows raised behind her visor.

Sonja nodded. "I worked with law enforcement for a couple of years after emigrating to the States. I think I arrested some of these women. They glared at me something fierce when I slapped the handcuffs on them... Good thing they can't see my face now."

Chandra chuckled softly. "I still can't believe you used to be a cop."

Sonja shrugged. "Did you think I was born a criminal?"

Chandra shook her head. "That's not what I meant... Oh, forget it. Let's go find the women we're looking for."

"Okay." Sonja glanced around. "But this place is huge. Six floors at least. And there over eight hundred prisoners. How do we..."

"We just go straight to the database," Chandra answered.

The two women approached an office at the end of the hallway. The main office of the prison complex.

"They should have complete schematics of the prison in there," Chandra whispered, "plus logs and locations of every inmate. That should narrow our search considerably."

Sonja nodded. "Great thinking."

"Now here's the plan... I'll slip into the office and hack into the database. I'll radio the coordinates. You locate the women and break them out. Got it?"

"Got it," Sonja nodded again. "While I'm waiting, I'll start sweeping the area from the first floor up. We'll meet back in the yard after I've got the gals we came for."

So saying, she turned heel and headed back down the hall.

Once Sonja had gone, Chandra turned her attention back to the office. "I don't suppose they let low-ranking security guards waltz in and access their computers," she murmured.

At that moment, the office door opened, and one of the executive workers walked out. The tall woman was dressed in a white button-down shirt, dark blue fitted blazer and matching knee-length pencil skirt, tan tights and shiny black d'Orsay pumps. She had rosy light skin and dark hair tied in a chignon, and was chatting on a cellphone.

Chandra bit her lip in thought. The woman was a few inches shorter than she was, and the shoes looked like they could pinch her feet. Probably not the best option for a new wardrobe.

As the woman walked past, she brushed the side of Chandra's shoulder. "Ow! Clumsy ox!" She spoke into her phone again. "No, not you, Martin... I swear, this prison hires the most incompetent security... Stupid women who just stand in middle of the hallway..."

Chandra watched as the rude woman turned down a side hallway, still chatting away.

On the other hand, she thought, I've worn tight outfits before...

She began to follow the unsuspecting executive.

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

"So how do we find them?" Marina asked.

She and Cassandra had wandered through the laundry room and were stepping out into the main prison complex.

"This place certainly is big," Cassandra admitted. "But Darla and Whitney are here somewhere."

Consulting a directory on the wall, she smiled. "I've got an idea. Follow me."

Cassandra headed up the nearby stairwell to the second floor, Marina in tow.

"I don't think these laundry uniforms are gonna get us very far," Marina observed. "We don't exactly look like we work here."

"Patience, girl," Cassandra whispered as they stepped out onto the second story. "Ah, here it is."

She gestured to a nearby door marked Infirmary. "Hopefully, the place is uncrowded for the night."

The women stepped inside the infirmary and looked around. A small office with an adjoining room that functioned as a medical bay. Seated behind the desk in a swivel chair was a nurse scrolling through the social media feed on her phone.

"Can I help you?" the nurse asked. She was a tall and athletic woman, with light skin and strawberry-blonde hair that was tied back into a thin ponytail. She wore dark blue scrubs beneath a black knit sweater, horn-rimmed glasses, and white sneakers.

"Yes," Cassandra approached her cautiously. "Are you the only nurse on duty tonight?"

"Afraid so." The woman gave a resigned sigh. "We're understaffed. Budget cuts, y'know? So I'm just trying to keep myself awake."

"Afraid that task just got more difficult," Cassandra smiled.

"What are you talking ab--uuurrgghhhh!" The nurse was jolted suddenly as Cassandra aimed a judo chop to the side of her neck. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped in her seat.

Marina shut the door. "You have such great one-liners, Cass."

"Thanks," Cassandra replied. "Your puns are still terrible, though."

Marina stuck out her tongue. Then she giggled. "So, what's the plan?"

"First thing, one of us needs to replace the medic on the night shift." Cassandra sized up the unconscious woman. "Looks to be a little closer to your size."

Marina gave a fist-pump. "Awesome. Believe it or not, I've never disguised myself as a nurse before."

"There's always a first time." Cassandra rolled the swivel chair with the nurse in it over to Marina. "Start stripping her. I'll find myself another set of clothes."

She stepped over to the door and opened it a crack. "Hopefully someone comes along soon... aha!"

"What is it?" Marina asked as she began easing the nurse out of her sweater.

A security guard had just come up the stairwell and stepped out on the floor.

"You'll do nicely." Cassandra reached out, grabbed the uniformed woman, and pulled her sharply into the infirmary.

"What the hell is this?" the guard exclaimed. Cassandra detected a Russian accent beneath her helmet. Interesting - she had not expected a prison in the Panhandle to hire Russian security guards.

Marina looked up to see her friend struggling with the guard, and shook her head in amusement. "Really, Cass? A guard? Again?"

Cassandra got the woman in a headlock, shutting the door with her foot. "It's an inconspicuous uniform. I'll blend right in."

"Please, wait," the Russian protested. "I'm not a real g... uurrkkk!" She gasped as Cassandra tightened her grip.

"I'm just saying," Marina noted, unlacing the nurse's sneakers. "You disguise yourself as a security guard on, like, every mission. There are so many other types of women worth mugging for clothes. Maybe try some of them instead?"

"I don't overthink these things," Cassandra grunted, as the guard finally lost consciousness. "She's my size and she happened to walk past when I needed a uniform. That's all that matters."

Marina sighed as she stripped off the nurse's scrubs. "You're always so 'business as usual' when you mug other women, Cass. Don't you know how to have fun?"

"When we get back to the hideout, we can rent a movie," Cassandra replied. "Microwave some popcorn, sit on the couch in pajamas... maybe braid each other's hair. That will be fun. This..." She began stripping the unconscious guard of her uniform. "...This is work. I wish you'd take it a bit more seriously."

Marina simply shrugged in response, and began changing out of her clothes.

Within minutes, she was all dressed up in the nurse's scrubs and jacket. She laced up the sneakers and tied her brown hair back into a medically-approved ponytail.

Cassandra, meanwhile, had changed into the security guard's suit, armor, and boots. She adjusted the helmet over her head and slid the visor down over her face.

"You look like an astronaut," Marina chuckled. "One giant leap for womankind..."

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Instead of making smart remarks, could you tie those two up?"

The two women in question lay on the floor, sleeping peacefully. The nurse was now down to her orchid comfort bra and yellow cotton hipsters. The guard, a light-skinned woman with short blonde hair, sported a teal razorback bra and bright pink boyshorts.

Marina scooped up a roll of medical tape from the desk. "Sure thing."

While she was taping the women up, Cassandra took a look at the medical records in the file cabinet. Included there were the cell numbers of all the inmates.

"Bingo," she grinned.

Turning back to Marina, who was now taping up the wrists of the two women, Cassandra explained the plan. "Darla is on this floor... you find a way to bring her here. Meanwhile, I'll fetch Whitney on the fifth floor."

Marina flashed a smile. "I love reunions."

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

"Martin, I don't care if you have to work late... I need those papers on my desk by morning," the executive growled. She hung up her cell phone and slid it into her jacket as she continued down the quiet hallway. "Honestly, so hard to find good help these days..."

Chandra followed at a distance, until, sensing they were alone, quickened her pace and swiftly closed the gap.

Hearing heavy bootfalls behind her, the brunette turned. "What is this?" she snapped. "Guard, are you following me? I don't have time for foolish gammmppphhhh!"

Her eyes widened as Chandra forced a hand over her mouth, then dragged her into a nearby closet.

Moments later, a few executive assistants walked by, chatting idly. But the prison had enforced all its doors - including janitorial closets - with metal sheeting, so the sounds of punching and muffled cries for help were effectively muted.

As Chandra had predicted, the clothes were a tight fit, with substantial risk of a button popping off in the event of her taking too many deep breaths. The shoes were particularly painful - Chandra had never been a fan of wearing heels, but the d'Orsay shoes were certainly half a size too small.

"Why the hell did I think it was a good idea to steal these clothes?" she muttered.

Then she caught sight of the wardrobe's original owner, seated against the back of the closet. The rude executive was unconscious, bound with blue flex and gagged with a grey cloth. She wore a black-and-white checkered full-cup bra and puce high-waist panties.

A smile spread across Chandra's face. "That's why."

She exited the closet and locked the door, then returned down the hall the way she came, ignoring the slight pinch that came with every step.

She spoke into the small radio concealed in her sleeve. "Sonja, I'm (ouch) about to gain access to the computers. Any (oof) luck so far?"

No answer. Chandra looked confused. "...Sonja, do you copy?"

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

Sonja couldn't believe it. Once again, she had been overpowered and tied up by another woman. And once again, her clothes had been stolen. Granted, in each instance, she had already stolen the clothes from another woman, but that wasn't the point. This was an irritating trend that needed to stop.

Now here she was, stuck inside a closet with some other girl, who was unconscious and also stripped, bound, and gagged. Angrily, Sonja pounded her feet against the door. No use - like the prison's other doors, it was thick metal.

Furiously, Sonja began working at her bonds, trying to untie herself. The medical tape was tight, but with practice, she could escape...

Just outside the infirmary closet, Marina dusted down her freshly obtained nurse uniform and picked up the phone. She dialed the floor's guardroom.

"Yes, this is Nurse..." She glanced at her nametag. "...Nurse Stewart. I have a check-up scheduled now for one of the prisoners... Darla Kerrigan. Yes, that's what it says. Please send her over immediately."

She hung up the phone and leaned against her desk, waiting anxiously to be reunited with her friend.

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

Lucinda shivered slightly as she paced back and forth along the guard tower. It was a cold night, especially at her altitude.

She glanced down beyond the walled edge of the tower and winced. As a young girl, Lucinda had been deathly afraid of heights. She had outgrown her reservations years ago, but lingering pangs of vertigo still remained.

A few muffled sounds interrupted her thoughts. The real guard, whose uniform Lucinda now sported, was awakening.

Seeing the guard again, Lucinda was struck by how unthreatening the woman looked - particularly compared to twenty minutes ago, when she was covered in body armor. With her short blonde hair and muscular tone, she looked almost... familiar to Lucinda. Almost...

Lucinda sighed. The appearance of the guard was reminding her of Meredith.

She had not seen her wife in days. Lucinda hoped Meredith was okay. She had left her by the side of the road... and still felt bad about it.

"We'll be together again soon, my love," she whispered to the wind. "I promise, we'll be together. We'll have our happy ending."

Lucinda kept telling herself this... but she wasn't sure if she believed it. Their lives had gotten so complicated, so dangerous, in such a short time.

The bound-and-gagged guard began to weep, softly. Whether out of fear or cold or some combination of the two, Lucinda could not be certain. But she removed the tarp from the nearby searchlight and draped it over the woman.

That would keep her from freezing... and, more importantly, it would prevent Lucinda from looking at her again.

Lifting her helmet's visor, Lucinda wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

Grow up, woman, she thought. This is no time to get emotional...

Her earpiece crackled. "Lucinda." It was Dr. Chen. "Any signs of suspicious activity?"

Lucinda cleared her throat before speaking, in a calm and professional voice. "No, boss... Nothing at all."

"Perfect," Chen replied. "Now I need to go... Opportunity knocks for me as well."

She signed off. Lucinda took a deep breath and lowered the visor back over her face.

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

Dr. Chen crouched down in the bushes outside the prison, a cobra tensed and waiting to strike.

She was fit but not very muscular, and at five-foot-seven, not as tall as most of the prison guards. Ergo, she'd need to procure a different sort of disguise.

Chen had navigated herself to the rear vehicle entrance of the prison, no longer quite as well-guarded now that Chandra and Sonja had relieved the two stationed security officers of their duty and garments. Still, from her vantage point she could see several prison employees milling about inside the gateway.

She could also see a large red-and-black transport bus parked in the outdoor lot. The driver leaned against the metal siding, scrolling through her phone.

The driver was young, perhaps a few years below thirty, of ample frame and build. She wore a light blue button-down shirt, a black nylon jacket with company logo and zipper, dark blue slacks, and tan ankle boots. A ight blue baseball cap was pulled over her curly brown hair. She had tanned skin and full lips, from which a small cigarette precariously dangled.

Dr. Chen began wondering if there was any way to lure the young driver outside the gate in order to separate her from her uniform, when her plan received some unexpected assistance.

"Pardon me, miss," said a passing staff worker. "No smoking on prison grounds. City policy."

The bus driver looked annoyed, but decided not to argue. "Any laws outside the gate?"

"None that I know of."

The driver smiled and, with a shrug, stepped toward the exit.

Dr. Chen crouched down as the driver approached her hiding spot. The young woman took a few puffs of her cigarette, glancing at her phone once again.

The phone buzzed as she received a text from one of her girlfriends. 'Soooo bored. Want 2 catch a late movie?'

The driver was about to type a message in response when she became aware of creaking branches behind her. She started to turn around. "Someone there...? Whoouulllppp!"

It was not a silent cry, but no one was near enough to hear the driver's sudden yelp of protest as she was grabbed by the collar and pulled roughly into the bushes.

It had been a few days since Dr. Chen last had the opportunity to mug another woman, and although it was done mainly for professional purposes, a small part of her did enjoy the task. She hated cigarettes and the people who smoked them, and thus had no bones about punching the poor driver's lights out.

While stripping the woman, Dr. Chen noticed the cellphone - and the new text. She chuckled. "Millennials."

Then she typed out a response. 'Sorry, no movie tonight. Busy with work.'

Then she closed the phone and turned back to the unconscious driver, who was down to a taupe T-shirt bra and lavender boyshorts.

"So very busy," she mused to herself.

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

Darla paced back and forth her cell for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Goodness gracious," her cellmate muttered from her bed. "Have you nothing better to do?"

Darla glared at the blonde woman. "Sure. What's on TV tonight?" She looked around the prison cell. "Oh, that's right. We don't have a damn TV."

Willa groaned and rolled her eyes. "Americans..."

Footsteps outside their cell. Two guards approached, one brandishing a set of keys.

"Time to see the doctor," she announced.

Darla raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You have an appointment with the nurse, Kerrigan" the guard said, unlocking the cell door. Her partner stood by, hand on her holster, in case the prisoners tried anything.

"I don't remember hearing anything about an appointment," Darla said, a bit suspiciously.

"I don't recall you being in charge of the schedule," the guard said snidely. "Out of the cell. Keep your hands in plain sight."

"What about me?" Willa asked. "I haven't had a checkup in a while."

"You sit tight," the guard ordered. "You'll get your turn some other day."

The two guards grabbed Darla roughly by the shoulders and walked her down the long corridor. The redheaded woman glared at the two officers, her anger quite literally reflected in their dark visors.

Finally, they reached the infirmary.

"Wait outside, Gemma," one of the guards told the other. Then she escorted Darla into the room.

"Here she is, nurse," the armored woman stated.

The nurse looked up and smiled. "Thank you, ma'am. That was fast."

Darla's eyes widened as she saw the nurse. Her mouth dropped open. "Wha..."

"Guard, I'm afraid my coworker is out sick today," Marina interrupted. "Would you mind fetching me a syringe from the supply cabinet?"

"Of course." the guard turned away from Darla and opened the cabinet.

While the woman's back was turned, Marina smiled at Darla and put a finger to her lips. She held up a notepad upon which she'd hastily scribbled a message. 'Don't panic - I'm going to bust you out of here.'

Darla simply stared at her friend in astonishment. You're going to get us both killed, she mouthed.

Marina rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry, nurse," the guard said, rummaging around the cabinet. "I don't see any syringes in here."

"That's weird." Marina approached the cabinet, looking over the guard's shoulder.

Then she slapped her forehead. "Ah, of course!" She pulled a syringe filled with clear liquid from behind her belt. "Here it is."

Before the guard could fully stand up straight, Marina had grabbed her and jabbed the needle into the exposed part of her neck. The guard tensed for a moment. "Hey, what..."

She tried to struggle, but Marina held on tight, waiting as the sedative did its work. The guard tried reaching for her gun, but she was already feeling weak.

"No..." The guard felt everything going black. She slid to the floor.

Darla had been watching in awe as Marina had made short work of the security officer. Then she grinned broadly.

Marina grinned back. "I guess she just couldn't handle the night shift."

Darla bounded over and gave her best friend a hug. "Mari! I never thought I'd see you again."

"You think I would've just let you rot in jail?" Marina chuckled, returning the hug.

"How are you? And how's everyone else? Cassandra, Toshiko, Sloane?"

Marina winced. "Er... We have some catching up to do... First, let's get you out of -"

At that moment, the door to the infirmary opened, and the other guard peeked inside. "Lucie, did something happen? I heard..."

Upon seeing her partner lying on the floor, she gasped. Pulling out her gun, she pointed it at Darla and Marina. "Don't move!"

The two women immediately put their hands up.

"Crap," Marina muttered.

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

Cassandra made it to the fifth floor without much hassle. There was less security than on lower floors; presumably, the jailers reasoned it would be more difficult to escape from a higher story.

Navigating the hallways, she soon reached the right cell. Peeking inside, she saw two prisoners. One was a broadly muscled Arabic woman, lying on her cot, eyes closed. The other was a woman with a ponytail of light brown hair, seated glumly on her bed, face propped up by her hands. Whitney.

Whitney looked up at the newcomer in security uniform. "What? What did I do now?" she grumbled.

Cassandra looked at her orange prison jumpsuit. "Nice outfit," she commented. "Didn't anyone tell you that orange hasn't been a thing since the late 2000s?"

Whitney nodded. "That's what I keep trying to tell... huh?" She looked at the guard in confusion.

Cassandra lifted her visor and winked at Whitney.

Immediately, the younger woman's eyes lit up. She sprang up from her cot. "Cass, is it really you? Omigod! How did..."

"Shh!" Cassandra put a finger to her lips. "Keep it down. If they catch me, I'll be joining you on the other side of these bars."

"Sorry," Whitney whispered. "I just didn't expect to see you again... What are you doing here?"

"Recuing you, obviously." Cassandra removed a key-card from her belt. "It was Marina's idea."

"Marina's here, too?" Whitney's grin broadened. "This is amazing. I love you guys so much."

Cassandra swiped the key-card. The lock buzzed and opened. "Don't thank me yet. We still need to get you out of here. And the lower floors are crawling with security..."

"Hey!" A voice came from behind her.

Cassandra turned to see two other tall female guards standing behind her.

"What are you doing?" one of the guards asked.

"Er..." Cassandra thought quickly. "This prisoner was... She was being insolent, and so I was told to transfer her to solitary..."

The guard laughed. "Solitary? We don't do that around here. Do we, Trish?"

"Nope," her friend agreed, removing a club from her belt. "Let's show this insolent prisoner what it is we do."

The two women pushed passed Cassandra and entered the cell, grabbing Whitney by her forearms.

"Ouch! What the..." Whitney tried to protest as she was pushed to the floor.

"Shut up, inmate," the second guard said. Whitney recognized her name and voice - it was Patricia, the officer who was always rude to her.

"Wait!" Cassandra said. "That's not necessary..."

"Isn't it?" the first guard said. "And how do you know what is or isn't necessary?"

"Um..."

"Say," Patricia said, looking at Cassandra's face. "I don't recognize you... Heidi, do you know this woman?"

"No," the first guard said. "But her ID number... that's an older number. She's wearing someone else's uniform!"

Before Cassandra could protest, Heidi had grabbed her and forced her to the floor.

Patricia raised her club. "We'll get this sorted out shortly," she sneered. "But first, we're gonna have some fun."

But as she was preparing to bring the club down on Whitney's skull, a noise alerted her from behind.

Haleema had not been sleeping very deeply.

Heidi and Patricia looked up in surprise as the six-foot-four woman rose up before them, clearly not in a good mood.

"F-freeze.. inmate..." Heidi stammered.

Haleema cracked her knuckles.

Ten minutes later, the tables had most certainly been turned.

Whitney was stepping into the black pants of one of the security uniforms and rolling them up over her long legs. Haleema was zipping up the shirt of the other guard and strapping on the Kevlar vest.

The real guards lay on the floor, fully stripped to their underclothes. Heidi, a woman with tan skin and blonde hair tied in a French braid, wore merely an aqua T-shirt bra and rose v-kini panties. Patricia, with her dark skin and light red hair, was down to a periwinkle contour bra and seafoam boyshorts.

Cassandra had utilized the bedsheets from the cots, tearing them and twisting them into useful strips. These she was currently using to bind the two insensible guards hand and foot, saving some smaller strips as gags.

Whitney reached for one of the recently liberated black boots. "Pyew." She wrinkled her nose at the smell. "When was the last time this uniform was washed?"

"Probably ages," Cassandra commented. "But put it on anyway."

Whitney eased her foot into the odoriferous boot and started to lace it up. "Yuck. I've forgotten how gross it can be to steal another woman's clothes."

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "It's preferable to spending years in prison, isn't it?"

Whitney nodded. "I guess... but these women are professionals. You'd think they would to a better job keeping their clothes clean."

"Maybe they would," Cassandra said dryly, "if they knew other people were planning to steal them."

Whitney reached for the other boot. "Maybe the guards here enjoy smelly clothes... It would explain a lot..."

Haleema put a hand on her shoulder and put a finger to her lips.

"Sorry," Whitney whispered. "Guess I was getting a bit loud..."

Cassandra finished tying up the real guards and got to her feet. "So... Haleema, is it? You... want to come with us?"

Haleema nodded.

Cassandra shrugged. "The more the merrier, I guess."

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

"What the hell is going on?" the guard demanded, keeping her gun trained on the two women.

Darla stayed calm. "The... the nurse over here was... er..."

"Nurse?" The guard glared at Marina. "I deliver patients to the infirmary all the time. I've never seen you before."

Marina smiled. "Isn't it nice to see a new face? I love meeting new people. In fact..."

"Shut up," the guard said tartly. "Both of you, down on the ground. I'll call for backup. Then we can get this sorted--"

She was interrupted as the closet door banged open. A blonde woman, dressed only in her underwear, stumbled out, bits of adhesive still stuck to her wrists.

The guard turned toward the newcomer in surprise. "...what..."

Marina took advantage of the momentary distraction and kicked the gun out of the officer's hands. "Butterfingers!" she giggled.

"Huh...?" The startled guard didn't have time to register before Darla had tackled her to the ground. The impact knocked off the guard's helmet, allowing Darla to easily punch her lights out.

Sonja stood, confused for a moment, surveying the scene. Then her eyes locked on Marina. "You!" she growled, advancing toward the woman. "You think you can tie me up and stuff me in a closet?"

Marina braced herself for a fight, but Darla stepped in. "Hold it! Who are you?"

Sonja looked at her in surprise. "Darla Kerrigan?"

Darla shared her surprise. "How did you...?"

Sonja extended her hand. "Sonja Baranova. My employer sent me to infiltrate this facility to break you out of prison... A task I was well on my way to completing when this woman..." she glared at Marina "...interfered."

Darla looked back and forth between Sonja and Marina. "I... I don't follow."

"Same here," Marina admitted.

Sonja sighed. "We don't have much time. I was sent here to find you and your friend Whitney Greene, since you both wound up in prison thanks to Bridget Baxter."

"Who?"

"According to our contacts, you and Whitney were beaten up, stripped to your underwear, bound and gagged, and left for the police by a group of goody-two-shoes women. Is that correct?"

Darla nodded. "Those bitches are the reason I'm in jail."

"They did the same to me and my friend," Sonja said. "Bridget Baxter and her snot-nosed sidekicks. My team and I came looking for other women who want revenge."

Darla took a moment to process this. "Revenge..." She remembered how humiliating it had been... beaten up by Bridget... tied up and gagged by Felicia... mocked and taunted by Bobbi...

She smiled. "I'm in."

"Me too," Marina smiled.

"But... Mari, you don't even know these women. They never humiliated you..."

"I know," Marina nodded. "But they beat up my best friend and sent her to prison. So if you want to go after them, I'm happy to join you."

She smiled sheepishly at Sonja. "Er... no hard feelings about tying you up earlier?"

Sonja crossed her arms. "I suppose not," she grumbled. "You just thought I was one of the real guards. But don't do it again."

"Pinky promise," Marina grinned.

At that moment, the door to the infirmary opened again, and three women in guard uniforms stormed in.

Immediately, Darla, Marina, and Sonja assumed fighting positions.

"Hold up, it's us!" Cassandra raised her visor. So did Whitney and Haleema.

"Whitney!" Marina smiled. "How you been, girl?"

"In jail," Whitney said flatly.

"Oh... right."

"Who's this?" Darla pointed at Haleema.

"Time for introductions later," Cassandra said. "We need to get out of here."

Darla glanced at the two unconscious guards on the floor. "Sonja, the one on the left looks about your size. Shall we?"

Sonja smiled. "I can tell I'm going to like you girls."

As Sonja and Darla stripped the guards and dressed in their uniforms, the other women quickly traded stories and explanations.

Marina and Haleema tied up the real guards. Gemma was a tan-skinned woman with closely cropped brown hair; she was dressed in a blue sports bra with green lining and a pair of coral boyshorts. Lucie had light skin and an updo of jet-black hair; she was clad in a grey T-shirt bra and a candy-cane striped thong.

Both women were soon secured with medical tape and locked in the same closet as the still-unconscious Nurse Stewart.

"All set?" Cassandra asked the other women.

"Just a second." Sonja retrieved her wrist-radio from where it had fallen on the floor. "Let me alert my friend."

She spoke into the radio. "Chandra? Ys, I'm back. Sorry, I had a bit of a delay..." She shot Cassandra and Marina a look, but tried to move on. "...Meet us by the back lot. We've got some new friends onboard."

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

Chandra and Lucinda met each other by the parking lot, where they were quickly joined by the other six women.

"Who are all these ladies?" Chandra asked. "Weren't we just supposed to pick up two prisoners?"

"Guess we got something of a bargain," Sonja smiled.

Lucinda eyed the other ladies as they lifted their visors. "I know these women..." She pointed at Darla. "You tied me up and mocked me!"

Then she glared at Whitney. "And you... you stuffed me in a trash can..."

"Can we rehash the past later?" Sonja interrupted. "Preferably when we're outside the prison walls."

"Where's Chen?" Chandra asked. "She said she'd meet us here..."

As if on cue, a large bus pulled up in front of the women. The door slid open.

"All aboard," Dr. Chen announced. She was dressed in the uniform and cap of a prison bus driver.

Quickly, the eight women piled into the bus. Dr. Chen shut the door and steered her way out of the prison.

"Mission accomplished," she smiled, glancing in the rearview mirror. "I see we picked up a lot of new girls. All interested in joining out cause?"

Sonja nodded. "I think so." She glanced over at Haleema. "Say... you are joining the team, correct?"

Haleema nodded, her face as stoic as ever.

"Wonderful," Dr. Chen purred. "Now let's get back to the hideout. It's time to start planning."

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

Chen's hideout was the abandoned shed that Sonja and Chandra had been using themselves. It was old and dilapidated - which, of course, made it a perfect cover.

Once all the women had settled in, Sonja broke out a bottle of wine. The women sat around on chairs and old sofas and chatted, catching up with old friends and greeting new ones.

Chen finished setting up a slide projector, then clapped her hands for attention. "Okay, girls. Listen up while I explain things."

She looked around. Chandra, Sonja, Cassandra, Darla, Marina, Whitney, and Haleema watched her expectantly.

Chen frowned. "Where's Lucinda?"

"I saw her step outside a minute ago," Chandra offered.

"Well, go get her," Chen said impatiently. "We need everyone present and alert."

Lucinda had indeed stepped outside, needing some fresh air. Her history with some of these new women had made her uncomfortable. Was this the right choice?

She needed someone to talk to... a closely personal someone. Taking out her phone, Lucinda dialed the number.

The phone rang... and rang... and rang. Lucinda but her lip. "Come on, honey... pick up..."

"You've got Meredith... I'm not available now..."

Voicemail again. Meredith still wasn't picking up her phone. Lucinda sighed inwardly.

"...Leave a message and I'll get back to you."

Lucinda heard the beep. She wanted to leave a message - an emotional message, telling her wife how much she meant to her.

But she just hung up.

Maybe Meredith didn't want to speak to her anymore. Maybe she had felt Lucinda was too caught up in the idea of revenge.

The back door opened, and Chandra poked her head out. "Lucinda? Dr. Chen is speaking now. You coming?"

Lucinda wiped her nose against her sleeve and turned to Chandra with a weak smile. "I'm coming."

Chandra nodded. "You okay? Who was on the phone?"

Lucinda pocketed her phone. "Just... just a wrong number."

She followed Chandra back to the meeting room.

"Perfect," their boss smiled as the women took their seats. "Now let's get to business. Those of you who have not met me before, I am Dr. Julia Chen. Renowned scientist and astrophysicist - formerly renowned, anyway."

She made a sour face. "That's where these women come in."

She clicked the slide projector and the first photo appeared on the far wall. A blonde woman in her late twenties.

"Moira Mitchell," Chen stated. "A local journalist - easy to manipulate, but difficult to get rid of."

She clicked the projector. Next was a dark-haired girl in her early twenties.

"Roberta Parks, known familiarly as Bobbi. Also known as a girl with way too much interest in other people's business."

Click. A redhead in her early twenties.

"Felicia Wright. Another journalistic intern, and the one who started this whole mess."

Click. The final photo was of a dark-skinned woman with long black hair.

"Bridget Baxter. The brains behind this little team. A nosy reporter who always has a plan... or so she thinks."

Chen shut off the projector and turned back to the eight women before her. There were hushed whispers in the air.

"I know most of you have had encounters with some or all of these women before... or friends of theirs, like Prema Khatri or Zuhal Azimi. They have been a thorn in my side for too long, and it's time we dealt with them... permanently."

"Hell yeah," Darla said aloud. Other women chuckled in agreement.

"So I promise you this," Chen continued. "If we work together - if we follow my plan - these girls won't stand a chance. We will crush them like bugs beneath our feet."

Loud applause filled the room. Several of the women began whispering excitedly to one another.

"Now listen carefully." Chen's eyes glinted in the dim light. "Here's how we do it..."


END PROLOGUE

[Trackman281]

Don't worry I've read them all so I'm ready to dive right into this, I've been looking forward to this ever since you announced it earlier on in the week, though thankfully much to my delight, you've released it sooner than what I thought.

Amazing opening, you set the scene and the tone wonderfully and given us a little backstory of this institution, which of course is always welcome.

Fantastic scene with Dylan and Chandra, very professional and a well executed USB scene. I found it funny with Sonja's comparison with American and Russian women's underwear, good old western customs and eastern customs haha. Chandra though is a great character, I liked that we got to know a little bit more about her backstory as a fleshed out character is definitely a more enjoyable character and you always succeed in making enjoyable characters.

HAHA I thought the ban pun was going to be LAWndry, but I see what you did there. It's awesome to see Marina back for another bout of bad puns.

Oh I think the opportunity for Whitney to get a little payback will come a lot sooner than what she realizes.

It was good seeing Chandra actually sizing up her soon to be clothes donor, something that isn't really explored very much, but this way it feels more genuine and let's be honest here, if this woman hadn't of been rude to Chandra, then what happens to her next could of potentially been avoided. Let the karma flow.

The nurse USB scene itself was absolutely fantastic and when the nurse said she was just trying to stay awake, you just knew that sentence would immediately come back to haunt her. That's another thing you always get right, I like that you always come up with new unintentional lines that your victims say just before they get mugged, it's very refreshing, always puts a smile on my face and shows why you are a very talented writer.

HAHA, I loved the way Cassandra and Marina are just casually talking while not knowing that it's Sonja getting slowly chocked put under that helmet, nicely done.

Two great follow up scenes with both Chandra and Sonja. But it was the scene afterwards that really grabbed my attention. Lucinda's scene was a sudden change in tone, seeing her reflect over the love of her life Meredith was nice and she shouldn't be afraid to show her emotions, she's human after all. Also it makes sense that the guard she kept looking at resembled Meredith as things in the dark can play tricks on your mind, especially when your deep in thought. Expertly written.

Haha, I noticed it didn't take long before a bus driver was relieved of her uniform, seriously any woman who wants to be a bus driver as their career choice in your universe, should really think twice. Although I must admit I've grown rather fond of seeing bus drivers getting replaced, as it just wouldn't feel right if one of your chapters didn't include it.

It's nice seeing Marina and Darla together again, even if their reunion seems to be short lived.

Good God, those two security officers (Heidi and Patricia) are certainly on the ball aren't they, they managed to blow Cassandra's cover in no time at all. But their unseen takedown was great, one can only imagine the beating Haleema gave to them.

It's always nice to see villains uniting over a common goal, but I can't help but wonder, will this alliance remain strong like a rock in a stream, or will splinters start to form. Either way, I'm really enjoying this.

I have to admit, I quite like Haleema, the idea of this absolute tank, who just simply nods and grunts to situations is a fantastic idea, which could lead to some great comedy scenes and USB scenes. I think you've made another fantastic editions to your already perfect cast of characters.

I loved how that end scene played out, let Volume 5 officially commence, it's going to be one hell of a journey.

Well I absolutely appreciated and enjoyed all the hard work and time you put into this because this was an sheer joy going through this prologue and I loved every minute, as I said silent grunting Haleema is a great new addition, Lucinda's character was probably one of the characters who I feel the most sympathetic and relatable as the fear of the unknown is a lot worse that what things actually seem, so I can respect that and her.

Your prologue was filled to the brink with enjoyable scenes, great dialogue, great USB scenes, pieces of a comedy and over all fantastic viewing. Well once again you've shown why you are one of my most favourite story writers and world builders on this forum. Thank you very much.

[tirepanted3]

Yes, I wasn't sure if I would be able to release the first chapter this week, but I was able to find enough time to complete it. Hopefully can continue future posts at a regular schedule.

Sonja and Chandra are fun to write for, and I enjoy layering in backstory about characters who were initially written as traditional villains. (As I think I've mentioned before, evil henchwomen banter is my favorite kind of banter.)

I originally wrote the word "laundry" as "LAWndry," but decided that would be a little on the nose. Rest assured, more bad puns on the way.

Lucinda is another character I've tried to carefully develop over several volumes, from cold-hearted to sympathetic. Her relationship with Meredith has been a great way to give her depth and humanity.

Bus drivers are a popular choice for uniform thieves in my stories, partly since there are so many characters and they typically need a large vehicle to transport themselves (or in some cases, their victims) from one place to the next. They're mainly mugged for their vehicles, but the uniforms are a necessary accoutrement.

Haleema is actually not a new character - she's already appeared in Volume 3 of the series, as one of Karima's henchwomen. Although Karima will not appear in this volume, I couldn't help but include one of her team in this story. I feel the "strong, silent" mode she employs is a nice contrast to many of the wisecracking henchwomen in the stories. And her reintroduction here was a nice way to showcase an offscreen mugging.

Thanks again for your thoughts. This prologue was designed mainly as a way to explain how all the villains get together, while the meat of the story will begin in the next chapter. (And several of the main heroes will make their appearance.) As this is intended to be the final volume of the series, I will try to resolve as many of the character and story arcs as possible. Hopefully it meets people's satisfaction.

[Trackman281]

Ah well let me first of all apologise as apparently I have the memory of a siv. Yes Haleema was if fact part of volume 3 as I've just had to go back and do a bit of a memory refreshing, I'm sorry, won't happen again. As a matter of fact I'll probably do a complete refsher course and read through volumes 1 to 3 again to avoid any more embarrassment.

Oh never worry about puns being too much on the nose with me as any pun that goes all in deserves one heck of a high five.

While that it is true about ferrying around such a large group of characters, I'd automatically find it strange if a bus driver wasn't getting replaced at some point with your stories as they are one of your trademarks.

It's true, you can't beat a good old bit of henchwoman banter. I know this is the last volume in this saga. Bit I can assure you, I'm with these characters right the way through to the end.

[meditions142]

I have to agree with Trackman that the take out of Dylan by Chandra was excellent.

First off, I love that you learn a little bit about her and why she might have other things on her mind and be careless. Plus the idea of seeing her grabbed and pulled behind the bushes and seeing the bushes rustling as Chandra finishes knocking Dylan out.

I also liked the take down of Lucie where she is tricked into looking for a syringe only to have one used to knock her out.

[Gruber]

Cool, but only one detail. Russian surnames have a female form - the letter "a" is added to them at the end. This means that Sonja's surname is "Baranova".

[tirepanted3]

Trackman: No worries. There are certainly a lot of characters to keep track of in the series. And in fairness, you don't need to remember Haleema's prior appearance to understand her role in this story. But if you wish to reread my older stories, I certainly won't say no.

It's true that I've had a bus driver get her uniform stolen in nearly every one of my stories. Certainly not an ideal job, but an ideal disguise in the right circumstances.

Meditions: I think it's good to give the first USB victim in the story (in this case, Dylan) a bit of background, as a way of drawing the reader in. Helps set a tone for the storyline where even the victims are sometimes given a bit of depth/personality. The Lucie scene was a way of underscoring Marina's playful personality, which is key to her character. (Also a rare example of a character in my stories using a syringe as a knockout technique.)

Gruber: Good call, I fixed it. Thanks.

[rufusluciusivan]

The Women's Correctional institution of Tallahassee, Florida: Has an all-female security staff.

Everyone at the Uniform Stealing Board: ITS FREE REAL ESTATE!

Not too much to add compared to everyone else. I guess that the perk of being late to the party: It makes voicing your thoughts easier since you can use the vocabulary used by the others...

I agree with the importance of giving a bit of background to the first USB victim, as well as making her the first viewpoint character. It really The scene of Dylan being neutralized was top-notch in my eyes. Just the image of the guard disappearing in the bushes only from an impostor to emerge from the foliage... Perfect.

I concur with trackman. Nurses should be very careful with their choice of words when in a USB story. And the executive also should have been careful. She was just begging for karmic punishment... such as angering a uniform stealer enough for her to look over the fact that her clothes would be too tight. And drivers should know by now that smoke breaks are a strict no-no.

I didn't expect for different plans to hinder each other so soon, but I always appreciate the irony of a uniform stealer having the uniform she stole stolen by another uniform stealer. Reminds me of All Tied Up with No Place to Go...

I appreciated the little moment with Lucinda and the guard looking like Meredith. I always appreciate three-dimentional villains, and Lucinda (and Meredith) proved to be unexpectedly sympathetic in some ways. Though she can only blame herself: she chose revenge over fleeing with her love. And she did it knowingly.

Did Patricia and Heidi perform their 'bully duo act'? Their routine seems very honed if you ask me... Though given Whitney's reaction, their hygien is lacking. Indeed, being a uniform stealer can be a burden when you come across unclean people...

"I tried not to make the knots too tight," Sonja explained. "I respect a woman with stylish taste in underwear.", "... but I convinced her to hear my side of things.", "The back of the truck was filled with clean white sheets, crisp bed linens, and oh yes - two unwilling passengers.", "Cheer up, girls. It's never a bad idea to entangle yourself in your work.", "I guess she just couldn't handle the night shift." -> Goodness! You're unstoppable! You're a Porshe with no brakes!

Not copy-pasting all the memorable banters between the characters because I don't want to dwell on this comment for too long, but you sure were in good shape for this new prologue! Especially between Sonja and Chandra, and Cassandra and Marina.

Dr. Chen: "Millennials." Me: "OK Boomer."

To conclude, the uniform stealings were as good as ever. It's a nice prologue introducing us to the stakes and the team of antagonists. I admit that I'm a little surprised to see some of these women being okay with murders (such as Marina and Co who didn't strike as the types willing to kill people), especially as some of them don't have a beef with all of Chen's targets, but I'm curious to see how things will turn out. I'm anticipating potential betrayals. These women don't have many things to keep them united, and there are already uniform stealing-related conflicts between them... Anyway, good luck for your next installment. This huge confrontation between all the heroes and all the villains probably will get interesting!

[esercito sconfitto]

well, according to this prologue, this new volume will host the final showdown and confrontation...Dr Chen and ALL the villainesses vs Bridget Baxter and her girlfriends...the "bad" USBs seeking revenge against the "good" USBs, a brilliant concept - no coveted heist, no conquering the world plan , but just plain retaliation

as usual, I am surprised and almost shocked by the "non sexual-attitude" of all the protagonists, women overpowering and then stripping other women just like playing a sport game, if not reluctantly ( like in the case of Whitney considering how gross this action can be)

Tirepanted, thanks for this new installment and thanks for starting a new book of this long time saga!

[tirepanted3]

Rufusluciusivan: "All-female security staff" is indeed a familiar sight at this board. But I tried to come up with a grounded explanation for it anyway.

Dylan's scene was an important one to draw people into the story, so I'm glad it was well-received - as were various other scenes. Smoking breaks in general never seem to be a good idea in my stories.

I felt it was important that the two USB teams in the prologue meet and interfere with each other's plans quite quickly, the better to move the intro along. Good comparison to All Tied Up... That story seemed so complicated when i first wrote it, but I've done plenty that were more complex in the years since.

Developing Lucinda as a sympathetic villain has been a thrill. It's true, she is largely at fault for her predicament. She wants to have it all - cold-blooded revenge, plus a happy ending with her love - but alas, life is more complicated than that. I like exploring this sort of internal conflict.

I believe Patricia and Heidi have a routine perfected, which is why they so enjoy being cruel to the prisoners. And why Whitney enjoyed gaining the upper hand over them, smelly uniform or no.

As always, the dialogue is one of the most important parts for me when writing. Interesting characters need interesting dialogue. (I know you were joking, but I don't think Dr. Chen is a "Boomer" per se - she's far too young, being in her mid-thirties. I just like showing how exasperated she is with the young generation, even commenting on it when stealing uniforms.)

Marina and her friends may seem like a bright and comedic bunch, but working under Sloane, they committed some dangerous federal crimes. So most of them have no qualms about murder. Still, it's possible there will be some conflicts within the ranks...


Esercito: There will be a couple of secondary threads in this volume, but yes, the main driving plot will be on revenge - Chen and her team going up against Bridget and her friends. (With lots of unlucky uniformed women getting caught in the middle. )

Like Cassandra says, stealing uniforms is just "business as usual" for most of the women. They do it for disguise purposes, not for sexual liberation. Although some of them enjoy the task. And in the case of Whitney, she is more feminine and fashion-sensitive about her wardrobe, so is more resistant to clothing that doesn't smell great.


Thanks for all the feedback; I hope to have the next chapter posted this week.