Volume 5: Last Woman Standing

[tirepanted3]

The cold night air made Bridget and Felicia shiver as they were roughly escorted out of the Chrysalis building.

Felicia strained against the handcuffs that had been clapped around her wrists. She glared at the uniformed woman who held her arm in an iron grip.

"You're not fooling anyone with that disguise," she said angrily. "I know you're not a real SWAT agent."

Haleema gave her an angry, dismissive glance, but remained silent as ever.

"Get a load of Little Miss Super Sleuth," Chandra chuckled. "No, honey, we're not real SWAT agents. But we've got the uniforms, the weapons, the artillery. And you've got nothing."

She and Sonja led Bridget toward the waiting SWAT trucks. Haleema followed, never loosening her grip on Felicia. Cassandra, Marina, and Whitney brought up the rear.

Bridget glanced around at the six women. Chandra wasn't bluffing - they all had guns, knives, and miniature smoke-bombs strapped to their uniforms. And even without the weapons, they still heavily outnumbered Bridget and Felicia.

Still, Bridget kept a steady jaw. She had gotten out of tough situations before... and she'd risked death more times than she'd care to remember. She'd find a way out. She just needed a plan...

The women reached the nearer truck. Cassandra and Marina opened the rear doors, and Bridget and Felicia were roughly thrown inside. They landed on the dirty floor with a pair of THUDs.

Felicia felt sick, and a little dizzy. She forced herself to stay calm as she looked up.

"Ah, if it isn't the snotty sidekick." The voice sounded pleased, almost laughing.

Felicia glared at Dr. Chen, seated cross-legged on one of the crates. "You."

"Me." Chen grinned. "So good to see you again, Francesca."

"It's Felicia," the girl replied angrily.

"Can't say I care," Chen said blithely. "You'll be dead soon, either way."

Then she looked down at Felicia. "You're the one who started all this, you know," she said tersely. "You, not Bridget." She tapped her fingers on the crate. "I remember that night... all those months ago. You snuck into NASA labs, disguised as a lab technician. And then a few minutes later... you were disguised as a Lieutenant. Mugged some poor girl in the bathroom for her uniform."

Chen sighed. "Admittedly, that was my fault. I should have been paying more attention... Noticed that you were the same woman, wearing two different uniforms... Neither one of which belonged to you. If my mind hadn't been so preoccupied, I could have killed you that night." She laughed, a bit sadly. "I should have killed you. Would have saved me a hell of a lot of trouble."

Felicia glared at her. "Guess you were too focused on being an evil bitch."

Chen knelt down and smacked her in the face.

"Hey!" Bridget tried to stand up, but her hands were secured behind her.

"Language, dear," Chen chastened Felicia. "That's the problem with your generation - no respect for your elders."

Felicia felt the sting of Chen's slap against her cheek. She tried to ignore the pain. Her angry gaze remained fixed on the taller woman.

"Don't touch her!" Bridget said, infuriated. "Touch her again and you'll be sorry!"

Chen shifted her gaze to Bridget. "Do you think you're in any position to be making threats?" She chuckled. "That's cute. Real cute."

"You'll be sorry," Bridget said again. She tried to sound as intimidating as possible... but the laughter from Chen and her henchwomen told her it wasn't working.

"Bridget, dear, it's time to face facts," Chen cooed. "You tried your best... but it's over. You lose."

"Just what do you plan to do with us?" Bridget said stoically.

"Well, my original plan - as you know - was to have you reveal yourself to the world. Show everyone that you're a con artist, a criminal, a thug no better than the so-called 'villains' you go after."

"She's way better than you'll ever be, you scummy bitch," Felicia growled.

Chen frowned her way. "I'm sorry, darling, but you've just lost your talking privileges."

She motioned to Cassandra, who pulled out a thick white cloth.

"No! Don't you... mmppphh!" Felicia fumed as the gag was tied over her mouth.

"Much better," Chen smiled. "Now, where were we? Oh yes... I'd planned to humiliate and disgrace you... but those plans fell through."

She motioned to her henchwomen to take their seats. Haleema headed for the driver's cab.

"So now," Chen's eyes gleamed, "I'll just have to kill you."

Haleema started the engine. Chen stroked Bridget's hair.

"Don't worry... I promise it will be a quick death... for the most part." Her eyes gleamed. "We'll find a nice, steep cliff and throw you off. If the jagged rocks on the way down don't finish you, the sharks will." She chuckled. "A thrilling obituary. It will be your most memorable headline ever."

As Marina and Chandra reached for the doors, they noticed another woman in SWAT uniform heading towards the truck.

"Lucinda, is that you?" Chandra asked. "Hurry up, we're leaving."

The woman quickly jumped up into the rear of the truck and took a seat.

"Where's Darla?" Marina asked. "Shouldn't she be joining us?"

"Forget Darla," Chen said dismissively. "We have work to do. Shut those doors and let's move." She glared at the newcomer. "Lucinda, late as usual."

The woman gave an apologetic shrug, but Chen had already turned back to Bridget.

Bobbi let out an internal sigh of relief. Her disguise was working... so far. She didn't know what was keeping the real Lucinda, but Bobbi was happy to be mistaken for her, if it gave her a chance to get a ride on Chen's truck.

She looked down at Bridget and Felicia, lying helplessly on the floor. Bobbi wished she could comfort them, let them know that it would be okay. But she obviously couldn't risk blowing her cover.

And besides, she wasn't quite sure that everything would be okay...

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

Lucinda stood, mouth agape, for several seconds. Her frozen stare was fixed on the woman in front of her.

Meredith tilted her head and waved her hand. "Luci? Hello? Are you... Oh!"

She was startled as her wife suddenly embraced her in a tight hug. But the surprise quickly faded, and she returned the hug.

"Oh god," Lucinda whispered. "I... I can't believe this..."

"Believe it," Meredith whispered back. "I couldn't leave you for long."

Lucinda stopped hugging and stared at her wife. "How... how did you find me? We need to get you out of here... If Chen sees you, she'll kill you."

Meredith waved her hand dismissively. "To hell with Dr. Chen. I'm so sick of that woman. Never want to hear about her again."

"But she's here," Lucinda said, clearly intimidated. "And she's on the warpath. She'll kill anyone who gets in her way..."

"I don't care," Meredith said adamantly. "I'd rather die than live another day without you, Luci." Her eyes began brimming with tears. "I... I've lost everything else in my life... And I didn't know how much that hurt until I was about to lose you, too."

Lucinda pulled a tissue out from a nearby box and dabbed her wife's eyes. "Hey... hey, sweetie, don't cry... I'm here... I'm here, and I'm never gonna leave you again."

Meredith sniffled, and a smile formed on her lips. "You promise?"

"I swear it," Lucinda replied. "As soon as Bridget and her friends are dead, you and I will spend the rest of our lives in blissful paradise."

Meredith's smile faded.

"It will be great to be back together," Lucinda continued. "I just need to make sure I settle the old scores, and..."

"No."

Lucinda blinked. "...No?"

"No more revenge," Meredith said. "We can't let our hatred of these women consume us... It will only lead to more pain and more headaches."

"But..." Lucinda started to argue, but Meredith held up a hand.

"When I fell in love with you," she said softly, "it was against the wishes of my parents. They refused to speak with me, they cut off all connection. But I didn't care. I loved you, and I wanted to spend my life with you. No matter what anyone said."

Lucinda listened, and nodded slowly. Meredith dabbed her eyes again. "When we married, we promised that nothing would stand in our way. We would always put each other first. Luci," she said, barely above a whisper. "I put you first."

Lucinda stared forlornly at her wife, then nodded. "And I put you first."

She sighed. "Okay... you win. No more revenge schemes."

Meredith grinned. She put her arms around Lucinda and kissed her. "Thank you."

"We'll get out of here," Lucinda continued. "We'll escape. just you and me. No Chen, no Bridget, no nothing."

"Sounds amazing," Meredith said happily. "Let's go."

Lucinda peeked out into the hallway. "I don't see Chen or any of the other women on her team around," she said. "Doesn't look like any SWAT officers in the hallway." She blinked. "Maybe they left without me."

She reached for her radio, but stopped herself. "No... I'd rather not tell Chen where I'm going. She doesn't need to know my whereabouts anymore."

"That's the spirit," Meredith beamed. "Now let's get out of here."

"Okay, but..." Lucinda glanced down at her janitor uniform. "I think this building is still under lockdown. I don't know if they'll let me out, even dressed as an employee. A lot of the SWAT women have been mugged and replaced by Chen's team, but I'd rather not radio in and ask for the status..."

Meredith nodded. "Understandable... Wait here, I'll get you some more suitable clothes."

Lucinda smiled. "Thanks, honey."

Meredith stepped out into the hallway. She moved along carefully, unsure of whether any of Chen's women remained in the building. Were they gone?

She heard murmurs coming from the direction of the auditorium...

"Agent!"

Meredith turned around, a bit startled. Another woman in SWAT uniform was approaching her from a side hallway. She did not look pleased.

Meredith pointed at herself, inquiringly.

"Yes, you!" the woman said impatiently. "Where the hell is everyone? None of the other girls have been responding to my calls. Have they all just disappeared?"

The woman was tall and light-skinned, with a few strands of sandy hair peeking out from beneath her helmet. Judging by the decorative badge on her belt, she was the SWAT team's leader.

"This was supposed to be a routine operation," the woman grumbled. "Grab the criminals and get out. Nothing complicated." She picked up her radio again. "All units, this is Tess. Please respond!"

No answer. Tess groaned and replaced the radio. "Well, at least you're here. Any idea what happened to the others?"

Meredith had a pretty good idea what had happened to the other SWAT agents - they had all been subdued so other women could "borrow" their outfits. Tess appeared to be the only SWAT agent in the building who still had possession of her uniform.

"Agent," Tess repeated, "Do you know what happened to the others?"

Meredith hid a smirk. "I think I do, boss... Follow me."

She led the annoyed SWAT leader back down the hallway. All along the way, Tess continued grumbling to herself. "Gonna give these girls a piece of my mind. Can't believe they're slacking off while we're on a mission."

Meredith reached a door and opened it. "After you," she gestured.

Tess stepped through the open door, still muttering to herself. "I don't believe any of this... Gonna get my ass handed to me back at base..." She looked around. The room was a closet, with a smiling woman in janitor's uniform standing off to one side. "Hey... what's going on?"

"She's all yours, honey," Meredith said, stepping in and shutting the door.

Lucinda cracked her knuckles. "Thank you, dear."

Tess reached for her gun... but she wasn't fast enough.

Subduing the final SWAT agent was a piece of cake - a few solid hits, and she was out.

Lucinda and Meredith stripped her together - a fun experience they had not shared in a while. It was the first time Meredith had felt truly happy in ages.

Lucinda strapped on the black uniform and armor, while Meredith bound Tess with pliable grey cords and gagged her with an old kerchief. The SWAT leader was down to her vanilla comfort bra and mulberry cheeky panties.

"Feels poetic, doesn't it?" Meredith asked.

"What does?" Lucinda asked as she laced up the boots.

"Just a few weeks ago, we mugged those two SWAT agents for their uniforms... right in the Dennison office. God, so much has happened since then..." She smiled. "I was so worried then... I thought our lives were over. But you told me we'd carry on. That we'd find a private island somewhere... Use the money in your private bank account to live out a life in peace."

Lucinda smiled. "I said it... and I meant it." She adjusted the helmet on her head. "No more worrying about the law, or about revenge. Just get Prema and Moira out of that car trunk, and we're off to paradise!"

Meredith paused. "...Prema and Moira?"

Lucinda nodded. "Yes, they're Chen's hostages, in the trunk of her car. Although Chen's latest plans made it sound like she's leaving them behind."

Meredith bit her lip. She remembered how their careers at Dennison had collapsed... how Prema and Moira were in part responsible for their current situation.

She turned to Lucinda. "Y'know, honey... maybe we can get a little revenge."

Lucinda looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yes... I mean, if Prema and Moira are already hostages... it would be a shame to see the opportunity go to waste."

Lucinda grinned wickedly. "Indeed it would..."

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

Things at the Chrysalis auditorium were beginning to settle down again. People were a bit shaken by recent events, but no one appeared too frazzled by the experience.

The emcee addressed the crowd once more. "Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for that disturbance... I assure you that everything can now return to normal."

From Table 12, Robyn rolled her eyes. "Oh, joy... Nice and boring again," she muttered.

"I can't believe it!" Chloe whispered. "Bridget and Felicia... arrested! There must be some mistake..."

Robyn shrugged. "Maybe they were secretly criminals... In any case, they certainly this more interesting than the typical awards ceremony."

Chloe looked upset. "You're still unhappy? Aren't you even glad you won the award?"

Robyn shrugged. "It's just an extra-fancy paperweight. Nothing to get excited about."

Chloe simply stared at her sister, a look of anger and disappointment on her face.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the emcee continued, "if you'll all just settle down, we can continue our nice, pleasant evening of..."

The doors to the auditorium burst open again, and in marched a troop of seven women in SWAT uniforms.

The emcee sighed. "Not again."

"We're looking for a dangerous criminal," the woman at the head of the line announced. "Goes by the name of Bridget Baxter. Where is she?"

At this, several of the guests began to chuckle. Robyn felt a smile brim across her face, and she suddenly began to laugh.

"I get it," she said, amused. "It's like that movie Groundhog Day. We're trapped in this hellish building, and just doomed to keep repeating the same events again and again."

The emcee approached the team of SWAT women, clearly annoyed. "Didn't you just burst in and arrest Baxter and her friend a few minutes ago?" he said. "Please, we're trying to have a simple gala ceremony here. Can't you just leave us be?"

Josie looked a bit surprised, and annoyed. "Bridget was... already arrested?"

From her table, Chloe stood and called out angrily. "Shame on you and your friends for arresting Bridget! She's one of the kindest, bravest journalists I've ever known!"

Robyn covered her face with her hands. "Sis, you're embarrassing me."

Chloe ignored her. "Bridget deserves better than to be locked up. She's an icon to young women everywhere. Boo!"

Within a few moments, other guests - clearly spurred on by the constant interruptions to the event - began booing the uniformed women as well.

Josie felt her cheeks turn red. She turned to her associates. "Let's get the hell out of here."

The women quickly exited the room, a mixture of annoyed and flustered expressions on their faces.

Chloe sat back down again. "That felt good," she smiled.

"Please kill me now," Robyn groaned.

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

Once outside the building, the FBI women pulled off their SWAT helmets. They stared at each other in confusion.

"What the hell happened?" Parker asked.

"We were made to look like fools," Rebecca groused. "Again."

"Gee, what else is new," Nicole muttered.

Josie remained silent, staring pensively off into space.

Then she threw her helmet down on the ground, letting it hit the pavement with a thud. "Damn it!"

The other women stepped back, a bit startled. They had seen their leader angry before... but now she looked downright furious.

Bella approached her cautiously. "Hey, boss... it's okay. We can still nab them."

"How?" Josie asked in frustration. "Everything we try blows up in our faces." She pounded her fist against her forehead. "The universe just hates us."

She looked forlornly into the distance. "We just keep failing at everything. The only thing we've accomplished today is mugging a lot of innocent people and stealing their clothes."

"That's kind of an accomplishment," Nicole shrugged, before Rebecca gave her an angry look.

Josie surveyed the parking lot. One of the SWAT vans was gone... the other had its tires slashed.

"They've sabotaged us at every turn... Bridget... or Chen... or whoever's behind this!" She sighed. "I don't even know who we're fighting anymore."

All was silent for a few moments. Then Eleanor walked towards the SWAT truck.

"Where are you going?" Josie asked.

"I'm not ready to give up yet," Eleanor responded. "We've still got some criminals to catch. Right, Ashley?"

Ashley smiled. "Right." She hurried to follow Eleanor.

The two entered through the rear of the truck, and began looking around. "Whoever sabotaged this vehicle probably took off in the other one," she reasoned. "I'm guessing they weren't real SWAT agents."

Ashley nodded. "Probably Chen and her henchwomen."

"We need to find a way to track them down," Eleanor continued. "Some technology in this truck may allow us to find the other one. You check the front cab, I'll look in these compartments under the seats."

As Ashley headed for the front of the vehicle, Eleanor began opening the large compartments.

The first compartment contained an arsenal of weaponry, mostly guns and grenades.

The second compartment contained extra Kevlar armor and bulletproof vests.

The third compartment contained a young and unconscious woman with light skin and strawberry-blonde hair, stripped to her underwear and socks, secured with zip-ties and gagged with tape.

"Useless," Eleanor muttered as she closed the compartment. "Any luck, Ashley?"

Ashley stepped out from the truck's cab. "I think I found something."

She showed it to Eleanor - a small electronic device, shaped like a phone, with two small metal prongs sticking out from either end. Ashley pressed a button, and the screen lit up, showing a neon map with a few green blips.

"I think it's a tracer," Ashley reasoned. "Showing where other SWAT vehicles are. Look, right in the center of the screen... that's us. And there's another blip, moving away from this area."

Eleanor smiled. "Good find. Probably all these vehicles come equipped with one of these."

Rebecca poked her head in. "What are you two doing?"

Eleanor approached. "Becky, you and the team get the tires on this truck repaired. It's got a whole arsenal of weaponry we can use. Meanwhile, I think Ashley and I have a way to track down our quarries."

She beckoned to Ashley. "Come on, we've got some crooks to catch."

"Hang on," Nicole said, annoyed. "How come you two get to go hunting while we fix the truck?"

"Because we're the ones who rescued you, so we get first dibs," Eleanor said cheerfully. "Now come on, Ash, we've gotta move."

Eleanor hurried out of the truck, with Ashley behind her. She turned to Josie. "Boss, don't worry about it... We're gonna win. Mark my words."

Josie smiled weakly as Eleanor and Ashley hurried off. "I hope you're right."

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

Meredith and Lucinda reached Chen's car with no hassle. Lucinda popped open the trunk.

Moira and Prema were still inside, still bound and gagged. They looked relieved to see two women in SWAT uniforms come to their rescue... but their hearts immediately sank as the "SWAT women" raised their helmet visors and revealed their grinning faces.

"Hello, Prema," Meredith said in a malicious yet buttery voice. "Didn't think you'd seen the last of me, did you?"

Prema swallowed. She pulled anxiously against her bonds.

"And you," Meredith turned to the other captive, "you're Moira, aren't you? I don't believe we've ever formally met... but I know you've caused my wife and I a lot of grief."

Moira scowled, trying to hide her fear.

"Well, good news," Meredith said cheerfully. "She and I are back together. We're going to live the perfect life... Just as soon as we get rid of you two."

Lucinda chuckled as she pulled out a couple of large burlap sacks. "Bon voyage, ladies..."

Despite their struggles, Prema and Moira did not have much room to maneuver as they were each stuffed inside one of the sacks. Their gagged protests were muffled further as the sacks were taped shut.

Lucinda shut the car trunk, then headed for the driver's door. "Come on... I know exactly where to go from here."

Meredith grinned as she slid into the passenger seat. "Lead the way, darling."

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

Eleanor and Ashley reached the roadway and ducked down a quiet side street.

"So what's the plan?" Ashley asked.

"Get a car - one without flat tires - and gain some ground on the bad guys while we wait for backup."

"Okay." Ashley glanced down at her SWAT outfit. "Are we continuing to work in these clothes? They seem a little out of place, now that we're outside the Chrysalis cordon."

"The weapons and armor could prove helpful," Eleanor observed. "But we certainly attract attention... Probably too much..."

She glanced across the street. "Ah! There's a solution to both our problems."

Parked by the curb was a blue-brown van, with the words "Betty's Baked Goods" emblazoned along its side in dark gold lettering. There was also a picture of a cartoon muffin with eyes and a smiling mouth.

Two female employees were currently in the process of loading a few trays of baked goods into the rear of the van. Both of them wore eggshell-white coveralls with front and hip pockets, grey baseball caps with BBG logos, and tan lace-up ankle boots. One of the workers had ivory skin, water-blue eyes, and silver-blonde hair in a slim ponytail. The other had dark chestnut skin, brown eyes, and black hair arranged in a French twist.

The two workers did not notice Eleanor and Ashley observing them - the black SWAT uniforms allowed them to blend into the shadows.

"You really think it's the best idea?" Ashley whispered. "That van doesn't exactly look inconspicuous." She gestured at the cartoon drawing on the side.

"No one will anticipate it as a van carrying law enforcement," Eleanor responded. "Besides," she patted her stomach, "all this running around, fighting crime, stealing clothes... it makes a girl hungry, ya know? There's probably some delicious goodies in that van."

Ashley shook her head in exasperation, but decided not to push the point further.

"Last box," the blonde worker announced, carrying a crate of dinner rolls out to the van.

"Great," her partner smiled. "Hurry up and put it in the back."

As the blonde obliged, the dark-haired woman headed to the front of the van.

As she opened the driver-side door, she glanced at her watch. "Geez, it's getting late. Let's hustle, Connie. We don't have all night."

Getting no response, she glanced back towards the rear of the van. "...Connie? Hurry up, girl. You taking a nap back there?"

Still no reply. The driver sighed and approached the rear of the vehicle. "I swear, if we get our pay docked, the cut is coming out of your salary..."

She peeked around the open doors and glanced inside the rear of the van. What she saw made her eyes widen and her jaw drop.

"Who the hell are... uuurrkk!" It was all the talk she could manage before she was seized by the collar and roughly pulled into the rear of the van.

The rear doors quickly swung shut. The van rocked back and forth, squeaking slightly on its suspension, for several long but efficient seconds.

Eleanor laid the unconscious woman down beside her equally unconscious partner. "There we go... Don't think I hurt her too badly."

Ashley sighed. "I wish you'd be a little gentler with these women."

"There'll be time for gentleness some other night." Eleanor headed for the front of the van. "I'll drive. You strip those two and tie them up."

"Wait," Ashley said in surprise. "You want me to strip these women while the vehicle is moving?"

"We're already falling behind," Eleanor replied, taking the driver's seat. "Can't afford to waste more time. I'll drive carefully. You just concentrate on getting those women out of their uniforms."

She started the engine and pulled the van onto the road. "Hey, while you're back there, mind tossing me a blueberry muffin? Preferably low-fat."

Ashley sighed, and glanced down at the two unconscious bakery workers. She was beginning to have second thoughts about this endeavor.

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

Lucinda drove the car up onto a large metal bridge, overlooking St. Johns River. The water churned and flowed beneath them. Due to the late hour, no one else was in sight.

Lucinda turned to Meredith. "Shall we?"

Meredith smiled. "I think we shall."

Squeezing each other's palms, they exited the vehicle and walked back around to the trunk.

Lucinda popped the trunk open and grinned at the sight of the two burlap sacks, still squirming and writhing. "Last stop, girls," she said. "Everybody off."

She picked up the bag containing Moira and slung it over her shoulder. Meredith did the same with the bag that held Prema.

They approached the edge of the bridge and looked down. It was quite a drop, and quite a deep river.

Meredith sighed. Lucinda glanced over at her in concern.

"is something wrong, dear?" she asked. "If you don't want to do this, we don't have to..."

Meredith smiled at her wife. "No... no, of course I want to. It's just... after this, we're heading off, you know? We'll be gone from civilization. I'm... a little scared about what lies ahead."

Lucinda nodded sympathetically. "I understand, darling. And... I'm a little scared, too." She glanced out at the water. "But I've been taking risks all my life... Challenging the status quo, doing things my own way... And I think we'll be ready for whatever life throws at us."

Meredith nodded. "I hope you're right."

At that moment, Prema began thrashing around inside her burlap bag, striking Meredith in the shoulder.

"Ow!" Meredith winced. "Bitch." She glared at the bag, then held it over the edge of the bridge. "Well, I don't know what my future holds... but I take comfort in knowing that you don't have a future."

Lucinda took the sack containing Moira, and held it over the edge as well. "On three. Ready?"

"One..." Meredith began.

"Two..." Lucinda added.

"Three!" they said together, releasing their holds.

The two women watched in delight as their hated foes tumbled down... down... and landed with a pair of simultaneous splashes into the water. The struggling figures quickly sank beneath the current.

"Bon voyage," Meredith called.

"Arrivederci," Lucinda chuckled, with a mock wave of her hand.

Then she stepped away from the edge. "Ahh... that felt great. Now let's find Bridget and get her as well."

Meredith gave her a look.

Lucinda held up her hands. "I'm kidding! Kidding. No more vengeance. We got rid of Prema... I'm satisfied."

"Me too," Meredith agreed. "Now can we get moving?"

"Sure." Lucinda turned back to the car. "Let's get out of this crazy city."

Meredith began to follow Lucinda. Then she turned back and glanced out at the river.

It had felt good, tossing Prema off the bridge. The woman had destroyed her life, so it was only fair that Meredith exact her own brand of justice in return.

Still, Meredith now felt a bit... empty. Exacting revenge had given her a momentary thrill, but that thrill was already dissipating. Already she was anxious to move on with her life.

Lucinda opened the passenger-side door. "You coming, honey?"

Meredith turned away from the river, smiling at her wife. "You know I am."

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

For a brief, interminable second, Prema was falling. Tumbling through open air. She felt her heart in her throat as she plummeted downward, bracing herself for the impact that would almost certainly kill her.

Instead, she felt and heard a splash, and was immediately swallowed up in the ice-cold water. Water with a fierce tow, pulling her along with the current.

Prema had survived the fall - but that was hardly a comfort. If she didn't get free quickly, she was going to drown.

The ropes that bound her wrists were still tight - but the water, and the constant pull of the current, had loosened them considerably. Prema forced herself to stay calm, then began pulling determinedly at the ropes.

She was jarred as she felt the burlap sack she was trapped inside suddenly come to a stop - as though it had snagged on something. Trying to keep her cool, she continued working on the ropes.

The seconds ticked by relentlessly - but then, she began to feel some slack. Encouraged, she shifted her weight, using her remaining strength to widen the gaps in the rope.

Finally, she was free... and her lungs were starved for oxygen. Moving swiftly, she found the snag in the burlap sack and widened the tear, until it was large enough that she could swim out.

The sack had snagged on a piece of old rebar built into the river wall - Prema had been fortunate that it had not cut into her skin as well. Frantically, she swam up to the surface, even as her vision began to blur.

At last, her head burst through the surface, and she took in a deep breath. Never in her life had she so appreciated the importance of air, until now.

The current was still strong, but Prema was generally mobile now, and able to resist the worst of its pull. However, it was still moving quickly, and the sides were too far to climb out.

Then she looked around. Where was Moira?

Ducking her head beneath the surface, she squinted in the hazy waters. Another burlap sack, near the river bottom. It had been caught against an outcropping of rock in the riverbed.

After resurfacing for another gulp of air, Prema swam downward. She reached the sack and tried to lift it. Stuck.

Finding a weak spot in the fabric, she gripped it and tore it open. Moira was inside... but she wasn't moving.

Summoning what was left of her strength, Prema lifted Moira from the sack and began swimming upward. She kept Moira and herself as parallel to the river floor as possible, hoping the water and gravity would do most of the work.

Reaching the surface again, she took another breath. But Moira looked like she was out.

Using a technique she had learned several years ago while working at a summer camp, Prema hooked her arm around Moira and, keeping herself flat, maneuvered herself over to the side of the river.

Finally, her strength nearly gone, she pushed Moira up onto the lip of the river, then dragged herself upward as well. The blond woman was still unconscious.

Prema had not taken lifeguarding courses in over a decade, but she retained the memory well. She knelt over Moira and began attempting mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

After several attempts to clear the water from Moira's lungs, Prema was about to give up. Then abruptly, Moira coughed. Her eyes blinked open.

Prema felt a wave of relief wash over her. She put a hand to her still rapidly-beating heart. "You're alive!"

"I'm... alive..." Moira echoed. She looked down at her drenched figure, then back up to Prema. "I was about to drown... you saved me."

Prema blushed. "Well, I... you've saved my life a few times already. I..."

Before Prema could say another word, Moira grabbed her, pulled her close, and kissed her on the lips.

For a moment, Prema felt a jolt of energy surge through her body. It was the most passionate kiss she had ever received.

Then, just as suddenly, Moira pulled away. "Oh! Gosh... I'm so sorry... I know you're not gay and all... I just... My head was lost in the moment..."

Prema nodded. "I... I understand..."

Moira staggered to her feet. "We... we need to figure out where we are... What's our next move."

Prema nodded quietly. She also got to her feet.

Her heart was beating... rather fast. Perhaps it was due to the stress of nearly drowning in the river.

Or perhaps... perhaps there was some other reason.

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

Stripping a pair of unconscious women on a moving vehicle was indeed a difficult task, though Ashley was able to accomplish it within a few minutes. She was growing more used to the prospect of stripping other women of their clothes and uniforms - and was not sure if that was a good or bad thing.

The two bakery workers were now down to their underwear. The blonde wore a beige push-up bra and pink French-cut panties. The brunette had a turquoise plunge bra and seamless white panties dotted with dark red hearts.

Ashley changed into the uniform of the blonde, who was closer to her in size. She turned to the front of the van. "How do I look?"

Eleanor glanced in the rearview mirror. "Perfect... Now I'll pull over. You take the driver's seat and keep us moving. I'll change into the other uniform and tie them up." So saying, she pulled over to the side of the road.

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Ashley noted as Eleanor climbed into the rear of the van. "You think we can catch them... Bridget... Chen... whoever."

"We have to," Eleanor replied as Ashley sat down in the driver's seat. "No more failures... No more embarrassments. The FBI can't be a laughingstock anymore."

As Ashley began driving, continuing to follow the blip on the tracking device, Eleanor changed into the second uniform.

"Phoebe," she read off the nametag. "Well, that's a coincidence... The waitress I mugged for her uniform this morning was also named Phoebe." She sighed. "What a busy day it's been."

"How many women have you mugged?" Ashley asked curiously. "I mean... how many disguises have you stolen?"

Eleanor shrugged as she began binding the two women with white zip-ties. "Honestly, I lose count after a while," she admitted. "This week has been a little busier than usual, though... Why do you ask?"

Ashley sighed. "I've just been thinking... You and your FBI friends... You hurt a lot of innocent women. Tie them up and steal their clothes. But... you usually do it for the right reasons... for noble reasons, anyway. You don't want to hurt them. So I'm thinking... couldn't that be true about some of these women we're chasing?"

"You mean Dr. Chen?" Eleanor asked. "I doubt it... She sounds like bad news."

"I wasn't talking about Chen," Ashley responded. "She certainly needs to be locked up. But Bridget Baxter... I know this sounds insane, but... maybe she's not such a criminal... I've been mugged for my uniform several times, and she's the only one who ever apologized to me while doing so."

Eleanor rolled her eyes as she covered the workers' mouths with black tape. "So she apologized... big deal. That doesn't prove anything. You should still want her to face justice."

Ashley nodded. "I do."

But internally, she wasn't quite sure of what "justice" would entail in this case.

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

Still dripping from her her unwilling swim, Moira sat down at the side of the river and looked at her watch. "Damn it... I guess this thing isn't waterproof."

She glanced down at her chiffon dress. "And crap... this gown is a rental. I'm so screwed."

She tried to wring the water out, but the dress was clearly soaked. "Cannot believe this... When I get my hands on Meredith and Lucinda..."

"Bridget," Prema interrupted, shivering slightly from her own time in the river. "She's in trouble."

Moira paused, trying to regain her composure. One positive side of being dunked in the river was that the effects of the drugged alcohol had mostly subsided. She was thinking more clearly now.

"What exactly happened?" she asked.

"Dr. Chen," Prema said, voice shaking. "She's alive... She means to kill Bridget, Felicia, Bobbi... we need to stop her."

Moira looked momentarily shocked. But after the night she'd just had, it was hardly the biggest shock she could receive. "Okay... I think I have a way to find Bridget."

She looked down at her dress. "God, my clothes are drenched. I can't go anywhere if a waterlogged dress is weighing me down."

Prema nodded in agreement. The cold breeze wasn't helping matters, either.

"Let's get out of here." Moira motioned in the direction of the road. "Maybe we can dry off while we figure out how to find our friends."

Prema nodded and followed Moira as they headed for the road beyond the fence.

As they exited the perimeter surrounding the river, a few peals of mocking laughter reached their ears.

Moira and Prema turned to see a pair of college co-eds smiling at them from the side of the road. They were leaning against the hood of a red roadster while holding a pair of half-empty beer bottles.

"What's the matter, girls?" one of the young women called. "Forget to change into your swimsuits before taking a dip?" She was tall and slim, with light skin and short hair, dyed seafoam green and arranged in a temple undercut. She was dressed in a white tank top, blue skinny jeans with frayed kneecaps, and brown cowboy boots.

"Maybe they couldn't afford to find a washing machine," the other girl laughed. She was slightly shorter, with dark skin and frizzy shoulder-length black hair. She wore a blue denim jacket over a yellow top, a black knee-length skirt and low-heeled yellow sandals.

Moira felt her cheeks turn red as the two co-eds laughed at her. She had been through a truly stressful evening, and this certainly didn't help.

Fuming, she turned to Prema. "Do you see anyone else around?"

Prema glanced about. "No... just those two morons."

"Good." Moira cracked her knuckles. "This will only take a minute."

Wearing a pleasant smile, she approached the two college girls, who continued to chuckle at her appearance.

"Better get that dress cleaned, honey," the dark-haired girl grinned. "Don't want people mistaking you for the Loch Ness Monst... EEP!"

She gasped as Moira grabbed her collar and pulled her off-balance. Before her friend could react, Moira had grabbed her, too.

Prema watched in awe as Moira dispatched the two young women - quickly, though not entirely painlessly. A few WHACKs and THUMPs was all it took.

Moira dropped the two unconscious co-eds and dusted off her palms. "Sorry, girls... But it's been a long night."

She turned to Prema. "Come on. Their clothes look a lot warmer and dryer than ours do."

Prema nodded. She was not a great fan of Moira's tactics... but she knew these were desperate times.

Dragging the two young ladies behind the roadster, Moira and Prema stripped them of their clothes. The green-haired girl wore a mauve balconette bra and ochre bikini bottoms, while the brunette sported an amethyst T-shirt bra and coriander boyshorts.

Moira found some cables and electric tape in the trunk of the roadster and tossed them to Prema. "Get them secured while I change."

Prema nodded and got to work, binding and gagging the two girls. Meanwhile, Moira turned her back and pulled off her wet chiffon dress.

Prema's eyes gazed upward as Moira stepped out of the dress and stood in her white underwear. She swallowed. Despite never being attracted to women before, Prema couldn't deny that Moira's shapely figure made her pulse quicken.

Focus... focus. Prema forced herself to look away and returned to the task at hand.

Once the two co-eds were all wrapped up and stowed in the nearby bushes, Prema joined Moira in changing clothes. Moira chose the white tank top, jeans, and cowboy boots. Prema donned the yellow blouse, denim jacket, skirt and sandals.

Moira dusted down her new clothes. "How do I look?"

Prema glanced her over. "You look... good."

In fact, Prema thought she looked gorgeous... but decided not to push the point.

Moira found some car keys in the jeans' pocket. "Come on. That roadster will take us where we need to go."

"How will we find Bridget?" Prema asked.

"My dress might not be waterproof, but my phone is," Moira explained, hopping into the driver's seat. "I can track Bridget's phone... A handy gimmick in case of emergencies."

Prema nodded and strapped into the passenger seat. "Let's hope we're not too late."

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

The SWAT truck turned off the main highway and onto a side road, through a thick grove of trees. Haleema kept her eyes focused on the road as the large vehicle ground its way across the track.

In the rear of the truck, Chen smiled at her two captives. "Another few minutes," she mused. "Just sit tight, ladies... this will all be over soon."

From the floor of the truck, Bridget and Felicia simply glared in response.

"Killing us won't solve anything," Bridget said stoically. "It won't restore your reputation. It won't give you the power you so desperately crave."

"Maybe not," Chen said curtly, "but it will be fun."

She glanced around at her henchwomen, all still wearing their SWAT disguises. "Girls, you can take off those helmets now. No need to keep sweating in those hot outfits."

"Fair point," Cassandra noted. She, Marina, Chandra, and Sonja all unbuckled and removed their helmets.

Whitney pulled off her helmet with a gasp of relief. "This uniform sucks." She glared in Haleema's direction.

Chen turned towards Bobbi. "Lucinda, why not remove your helmet as well?"

Bobbi silently gulped. The moment she revealed her face, Chen's goons would pounce on her.

"Lucinda," Chen repeated, slightly annoyed. "Take off your helmet. I prefer to see the faces of the women I work with."

Bobbi began to sweat. She spoke in her best impersonation of Lucinda's voice, hoping the helmet would muffle any discrepancies. "I... I think the strap is stuck..."

Felicia's ears perked up. The voice was muffled, but it sounded a bit familiar...

Chen removed a knife from her jacket. "In that case, I'll cut the strap... Hold still."

She stood up and began walking towards Bobbi.

"I... I think I'm fine..." Bobbi stammered, trying to deepen her voice.

Felicia's eyes widened. It sounded different, but it was similar in cadence to a voice she had known for years... Could it be?

As Chen advanced towards Bobbi, Felicia rolled over, knocking into Chen's foot with her shoulder.

"Oof!" Chen stumbled, falling to the floor.

Cassandra and Chandra quickly pulled out guns and pointed them at Felicia.

"Boss, you okay?" Cassandra asked.

Chen got to her feet. She grabbed Felicia by the hair and hoisted her up. "Insufferable brat! I'll make you sorry..."

Bridget wanted to cry out, but steeled herself. Any sudden moves, and Chen could kill Felicia then and there.

The truck was silent for a few seconds as Chen glared at the young redhead.

Then she let go, dropping Felicia back to the floor with a KLUNK.

"You're going to pay for that," Chen said coolly, sitting back down. "Just a few more minutes, I swear it."

Bobbi glanced in Felicia's direction, and was relieved when Felicia winked.

No one in the truck spoke, as everyone tried not to look at Chen.

Then Marina spoke up, barely above a murmur. "Hope you had a nice trip, boss."

An annoyed Chen glanced in her direction. "Did you say something?"

"I said... I hope you had a nice TRIP," Marina repeated. "Get it? 'Cause you tripped and fell on your ass."

"Rina, shut up," Whitney whispered.

Chen felt her anger rise as she glared at Marina. "You dare speak to me like that?"

"Maybe we'll see you next FALL," Marina smirked.

"Rina, what are you doing?" Whitney hissed. "You're gonna make her mad."

"I don't care," Marina said, looking rather angry herself. "I want to know what happened to Darla."

"Who the hell cares about Darla?" Chen said furiously. "She was an idiot. Our team is better off without her."

Marina clenched her fists. "Did you kill her?"

Whitney and Cassandra had never seen Marina get genuinely angry. She was usually the smiling jokester of their group... but now there was a fire in her eyes.

Cassandra spoke up. "Darla's still alive. She's okay, she just... tied up in a closet! Chen tied her up."

She instantly regretted blurting it out.

Marina looked shocked. "And why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it wasn't your business," Chen interjected. "Your job is to do what I say. Darla failed to do that, which is why I had to remove her from the picture. I can't have idiots on my team."

"She's not an idiot," Marina growled, getting to her feet. "Stop the damn truck. I'm getting off."

"No one is stopping the truck," Chen snapped. "Sit down. I'll deal with you later."

But Marina remained standing. "I don't like you," she said to Dr. Chen. "You're rude, you're selfish... and you don't know how to have fun."

Chen scowled at her. "This is your last warning. Sit the hell down."

Marina didn't budge. Whitney watched her fearfully. "Rina, please... You... You're..."

Then she paused. "Y'know what... Screw this."

Whitney stood up as well. "I'm getting off, too," she said. "I'm done with this, Chen. You're not the boss of me."

Chen sighed. "Mutiny, is it? Okay then..." She pulled a gun from her holster, aiming it at Marina and Whitney. "Which one of you should I kill first?"

Cassandra gasped. "No!" She lunged for the gun, inadvertently tackling Chen to the ground.

Chandra's eyes widened. "Stop! Calm down!"

Bridget and Felicia lurched to one side, trying to avoid the close-quarters fight. Bobbi sat frozen, wondering what to do, until Felicia bumped against her boot.

Chandra and Cassandra tried to grab the gun out of Chen's hands, but Chen held on tight. "Let go! I'm in charge here! I'll kill anyone who disobeys!"

Sonja watched in horror. Whitney and Marina tried the back door, but it was heavily bolted.

"Let go!" Chen yelled. "I will not stand for this! I will not--"

BANG

It was a sudden, shocking noise, echoing through the confined chambers of the truck. It was the sound of the gun going off... and hitting a woman with its bullet.

All was silent for a split-instant - yet in that split-instant, an eternity of events occurred.

Chen gasped and dropped the gun to the floor. Cassandra and Chandra let go of her. Whitney and Marina backed up against the rear door. Sonja shut her eyes. Bridget gasped. Felicia gulped. Bobbi felt her knees go numb.

And in that selfsame, brief yet eternal split-instant, Haleema let go of the steering wheel.

She let go, and fell out of her seat, and hit the floor with a thud.

In that moment, the bus lost control. As it came to a corner, it broke free of the road's confines, smashed through some trees, and reached a clearing, where it began to tip over.

Bobbi quickly grabbed Bridget and Felicia, pulling them under the seat while using her free hand to hold on to the seat itself. "Brace yourselves," she whispered.

The truck skittered forward and tipped upon its side, landing with a loud, metallic crash in the muddy grass.

Most of the women inside the truck had been thrown for a loop - and removing their helmets had been a mistake. Some of them were dazed, others unconscious.

Whitney held her head as the dust cleared. "Ouch..."

Marina glanced at the door. "Hey, look... it's busted open!" She pushed at the door, and it indeed swung open.

Marina reached for Whitney's hand. "Come on... let's get out of here while we can."

Whitney hesitated for a minute. "Where will we go?"

"The world is full of possibilities. Come on!"

Chen shook off the dazed feelings in her head. She glared at Marina and Whitney. "Stop! I'm not finished with you!"

"But we're definitely finished with you," Marina replied. "See ya never!"

With that, she and Whitney disappeared out the door.

"No!" Chen growled. She glanced around at the rest of her henchwomen. "Get up, you idiots! The rest of you still have a job to do!"

She looked around. "Hey... where's..."

Then her eyes widened. The crash had ripped a hole near the front of the truck. And now Bridget and Felicia - along with the woman she presumed to be Lucinda - had disappeared.

Chen glared at Cassandra, Sonja, and Chandra, who were still trying to shake off the effects of the crash. "On your feet, you morons! Bridget is escaping!"

She poked her head through the hole in the wall. About forty feet away, she could see a woman in SWAT uniform cutting the bonds on Bridget and Felicia.

"An impostor!" Chen screamed. She fumbled for her gun.

Bobbi hastily finished cutting the bonds. "Uh-oh... let's move."

Chen fired a couple of rounds at the fleeing trio, but in her rage, she didn't have very good aim. Bridget, Bobbi, and Felicia disappeared into the trees.

"Goddamn it!" Chen pounded the side of the truck. She turned back to her henchwomen. "Well, hurry up! Find them! Kill them! This idiotic game has gone on long enough!"

By now, Cassandra, Chandra, and Sonja had recovered from the effects of the crash. They nodded and quickly headed out the door.

Chen scowled as she glanced over at the fallen figure of Haleema. The woman wasn't moving, or breathing. She was gone.

Chen scowled. "Idiot."

She grabbed Haleema's gun and holstered it. Then she turned and looked out toward the trees where Bridget, Felicia, and the woman she now suspected to be Bobbi had disappeared.

"Enough is enough," Chen muttered. "This is where it ends."

[Trackman281]

Right, first of all, I am sorry it's taken me this long to review this next chapter, because I usually like to be quick, purely because I'm always very eager to see what happens next. Right then, shall we proceed?

What a great opening! Dr. Chen is just as vile as ever and I love it. The interactions between the three women were fantastic, Bridget's care for for Felicia was very sweet and very natural, I'd expect nothing less from Bridget at this point. And heck yeah, everyone's favourite, lean, mean, butt kicking machine Bobbi is now amongst them. Seriously you really know how to fill up the excitement metre.

Aaawww man, I love Meredith and Lucinda, I really do. They're such a sweet couple, yeah fair play they find themselves on the wrong side of things from time to time, but damn, they're so perfect for each other, that I always find myself routing for them. They really are a shining example of how USB couples can truly make things work in life and the fact they've lost so much already, just so they could be with each other, is such a beautiful thing, I love them, they're awesome sauce!

And we then follow up with Tess getting mugged for her uniform, I'm not going to lie, the fact that Tess, almost disappeared altogether in the last chapter, I genuinely thought that everyone had forgotten about her, but I see, you had a plan all along.

Oh damn..........They were so close........When will these two awesome love birds learn, just walk away, let the hostages go, they said themselves, the time for revenge is over, *sigh*, well here comes the laser guided karma hahaha.

Good god, it really must feel like groundhog day in there. Someone might want to tell Josie and her team to check the building, as there are a few, shall we say "surprises" that they might be interested in finding.

HAHAHA! Sorry, it's just the idea of Eleanor, opening up three compartments, finding a load of weapons, gear and even a half naked bound and gagged woman and just simply replying with "Useless".......That probably wasn't meant to be funny, but it made me chuckle.

The following scene, still has me hooked, I'm really drawn to every scene featuring Meredith and Lucinda lately, I honestly don't know why, I just find myself wanting to see more of them......It's great!

YES! Good work Eleanor, channel your inner hunger, let the idea of pastries, cookies and other delicacies overflow you, feel the movement of your stomach and listen to it, there are INDEED loads of delicious goodies in there. Now channel that inner hunger and GO for those goodies! Oh and make sure you grab one of the baker's uniforms on the way.

Loved the knock out scene as well, as I've said in my own stories and some of Rufus's stories before. "If that van's a rocking, don't come a knocking." Excellent scene, quite enjoyed the takedowns to be honest and then we finished it off, with Eleanor getting a blueberry muffin, heck yeah. Also, I fully understand Ashley's hesitation, this is all still incredibly new to her, this must feel strange, but she's doing great, she really is, even if she doesn't feel completely onboard with what infiltrators do come the end of this. At least she'll have a lot more confidence in life, Ashley certainly is one of thee most stand out characters in this arc.

Holy hell, you actually did it.........Prema and Moira......Just went over the cliff. ...............Well done, I genuinely didn't think you'd actually do that, okay now I'm curious, please bare with me, while I read on...........

..............WOW! That next scene made my heart skip, what a well written and nerve wrecking scene, it was truly a delight, now I see that while yes indeed, Prema is probably overflowed with adrenaline and her body must still be in fight or flight mode......that passionate kiss though, might also trigger something else, who knows?

Hhhmm, a rather interesting sudden turn of events for Ashley's mindset there. Now, in all fairness here, I actually completely see where Ashley is coming from, I mean after all, as we all know Ashley has been mugged for her uniform several times, so naturally when the one attacker actually apologizes to you, you have to start to think that maybe this one individual is actually doing it for a greater good...........I liked Ashley's scene here, you made her character more complex and unique, nicely done indeed.

Okay, I absolutely loved the following scene! I just love it when a couple of "morons" have no idea who their yelling abuse at, only to have their butts kicked moments later and find themselves, stripped, bound and gagged whilst the woman they just mocked puts on their clothes, it truly is a fun and awesome scenario.......Also, I loved the one sea foam green dyed hair, you know me all too well don't you.

YES! Let those puns go through hard and fast Marina, I love her jokes, I really do, they're those eye rolling, can't believe what your hearing type of jokes, but damn, they always makes me laugh.

Jesus.............What an ending.......So that's Haleema dead.........Again, I genuinely wasn't going to expect you for killing off a character like that. You REALLY are full of surprises with this chapter, heck I don't know what to expect next, this is amazing.

*sighs deeply*.............Damn it......There's the ending again.........


Wow, what a fantastic, suspenseful and thoroughly enjoyable chapter. Plus Chen's been so cold hearted to her dead henchwoman (Haleema) only solidifies her place and your most evil character to date..................So the mutiny has happened, Marina and Whitney have made a run for it........Bobbi is finally with Bridget and Felicity..........Darla's still tied up............Lucinda and Meredith have driven off into the night thinking they've finally had some revenge...........Leaving only Chen, Cassandra, Sonja, and Chandra left to carry on the fight.........What an incredible chapter.

I loved it all, I loved all the characters scene's, I loved their interactions, I thought the USB scenes themselves were outstanding and I honestly, just thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish, what a fantastic experience and what a great way to start of the weekend. Thank you very much for giving such an amazing chapter. Thank you again!

[esercito sconfitto]

Moira, Prema and the two college girls... I loved the scene! thanks!

[tirepanted3]

Trackman: No worries. I always look forward to your feedback, but if you're not able to read right away, I'm totally okay with that.

With this story nearing its end, it was time to reunite our three main characters, and no one was happier about that than I. That's not to say everything between Bridget, Bobbi, and Felicia will be perfect from now on, but it was fun to reunite them in time for the climax.

Meredith and Lucinda remain a delicate balance to maintain. I want to show their love and affection for each other, but also demonstrate that, when all is said and done, they're still not good people, and they still bear a grudge against their enemies (especially Prema). It was easier to make them sympathetic when they were apart from each other, since once they've reconciled, some of their old habits resurface. (I also felt sorry for Tess for being left out of the action in the previous chapter. )

Josie and her team could probably restore some of their reputation in they find and free the dozens of other women who have been mugged for their clothes around the building. Although it may get a little awkward, since they're responsible for some of the muggings. Still, they're more focused on the current mission right now.

Eleanor's "Useless" reaction was indeed meant to be somewhat funny, although it also shows how set she is to track down the FBI's quarries, to the point that she doesn't care enough to free the bound and gagged SWAT agent. Certainly no harm in finding the scene amusing, at any rate.

I didn't originally envision Eleanor as much of a "foodie" but I thought it would make sense that, after the night she's having, she would be drawn to something to sate her hunger, as well as provide some fresh uniforms as well. I think she's a good character to play off Ashley as well - willing to listen, but also wanting some action, and pulling a still somewhat hesitant Ashley along for the ride.

The Prema/Moira drowning scene was a bit of a change of pace from usual, but I wanted to show how desperate the situation was getting for the main characters. Also an important part of Prema's development arc as she tries to break free of the "damsel in distress" trope that has constantly defined her.

I'm glad with how Ashley has developed in this story; exploring the mindset of a woman trying to break free of the USB cycle she's trapped in has been a fun experience.

I'm also a fan of scenes where rude women get their comeuppance and get their clothes stolen. This was also a good way to show Moira reassert herself after nearly drowning. And yes, a bit of hair dye always adds some extra color to the scenes.

I was worried the final scene would be a bit shocking to some readers, even as I tried to levy it with some of Marina's puns (still difficult, as she's not quite as fun and happy as she was earlier). I don't often kill off characters, but there needed to be some kind of stunning event to show how malicious Chen was at this point, her "take no prisoners" attitude coming to the forefront right in time for the climax.

Chen's team has fragmented at this point, though there may still be other conflicts and reconciliations to come before the story is out. As I said, we're almost at the end - probably another two chapters to this volume. Hoping they deliver on expectations.

Thanks as always for the feedback.


Esercito: I figured you'd enjoy the college girls scene. It was a late addition to the chapter, and I wanted it to fit with the rest of what I'd written, so I'm glad it worked out.

[rufusluciusivan]

I’ll start with details, but I appreciated a lot the call-backs to your previous stories. Gives this installment of your ‘To Steal a Spacesuit’ series a Finale-vibe.

Not that much uniform stealings compared to other updates, but by that point I think I made it clear that I don’t mind a more ‘plot-heavy’ and ‘action-heavy’ part. My favorite was probably the one with the bakery employees, a more original costume and a van rocking back and forth. Who could ask for more?

Poor Tess though. Falling victim of the classic ‘a-uniform-donor-arrives-just-in-the-nick-of-time’ joke. A classic.

And these women should really start to learn that being rude in this universe is just an invitation to have your clothes stolen… Not sure it would have spared these two the ‘full treatment’, but at least it would maybe have been less painful...

Now, the juicy part, the characters and the plot:

Chen once again proves herself to be a compelling antagonist. It has something to do with her attitude : that mix of superiority complex and (over)confidence, combined with a sadistic streak, a complete lack of morals, and a crafty devious mind. She’d be perfectly at her place while stroking a white cat, saying ‘No Mister Bond, I expect you do die.’ I enjoyed a lot her conversation at the beginning. I always love when the villains taunt the heroines by pointing out that they are not as moral as they think they are. Villainesses or ‘negative’ characters are often blunt, and it’s perfect to bluntly make points.

It’s a lot easier to sympathize with Bobbi when she’s rescuing her friends rather than when she’s mugging innocent people or letting innocent people get mugged by Zuhal without batting an eye, sometimes for flimsy reasons. After several parts highlighting the negative ‘cruel’ part of her personality, I think it was important to highlight the more ‘positive’ aspects of her personality. Making sure we still empathize with a morally grey character needs a delicate balance, and you’re carefully… balancing things out. (sorry, couldn’t find a better word )

Speaking of moral greyness, I think you did a good job balancing out Meredith’s and Lucinda’s positive aspects (their love for each other) and negative aspects (the fact that they are still criminals and bad persons). Though I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I want them to have a happy ending, I sympathize with them the more out of your antagonists. (Even more than with Marina and Whitney.)

I don’t even know if I should feel amused or angry to see that the events of tonight seem to have reinforced the notion that Bridget is a person with stellar morals. In any case, it was brilliant!

Speaking once more of moral greyness, I think you did a pretty good job at humanizing the FBI team with this post and the previous one, after the rest of the story (and even series) portrayed them as rather unsympathetic. While funny, their defeat and humiliation help me sympathize with her a little. Though Eleanor’s callous little remarks here and there (‘Useless’, ‘There’ll be time for gentleness later’...) remind me why I’m still not rooting for her. Once again, good work at balancing things out. I’m often pointing out trackman’s attention to detail in his stories, but this is a quality that I also find in yours.

Ashley proves to be a compelling protagonist – especially through her interactions with the more cynical Eleanor and her second-thoughts about the whole ‘mugging-innocent-people’ thing. Maybe a little too passive at time, maybe also a little too quick to justify the FBI’s actions or to accept Bridget’s actions during the scene in the van, but I end up rooting for her the most, and I hope. Good job at turning a joke-character into a full-fledged sympathetic heroine! In my opinion, featuring at least one unambiguously ‘positive’ character is important in a story, to make sure that it doesn’t fall into ‘Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy’.

Quite good suspenseful moments at the end. The near-death or the death of characters are powerful tools to catch a reader’s attention, and it’s appropriate to use them during a climax. As expected, Chen’s alliance didn’t last. A nice pay-off that was well-set up in advance. Now, I’m wondering how the final confrontation will play out… One thing is sure, a lot of women will be mugged in the crossfire. Now the question is, who will come out on top, who will escape, and who will get some karma? Given how most characters are at least morally grey, it can go any way for them. Suspense... suspense...

Finally...

We just keep failing at everything. The only thing we've accomplished today is mugging a lot of innocent people and stealing their clothes.

Gotta love these moments of self-awareness!

The universe just hates us.

No, just the author – and I’m sure it’s only to bring funny moments to life. I'm sure there's nothing personal!

[tirepanted3]

Thanks for the feedback. No worries about the delay (as you mentioned in your "Chronicles of Heartfelt City" post); I understand that things can get busy, and it's best to read these stories when you can concentrate on them.

I like including callbacks now and then, to help emphasize the continuity and character growth between volumes, and to reward longtime readers. Chen's reference to Felicia's first disguise(s) in Volume 1 also function as a sort of bookend.

I tried to include a few good USB scenes in this chapter, but it's not quite as easy to do when the plot is surging forward (as opposed to earlier chapters, which were largely built on infiltration and subterfuge). The scene with the bakery employees worked well as a means to an end (for Eleanor and Ashley) and the "van rocking" is always an irresistible detail.

Tess arriving in the nick of time was a fun way to rope her (no pun intended) into the USB shenanigans. As I told Trackman, I just didn't want her to feel left out. And the college co-eds' rudeness was an excuse to let Moira revert to her tough side without making her appear overly callous.

As always, I love writing the villains in these stories, and Chen is no exception. Evil as she is, there is a cold and calculating logic to her actions, even as she is at risk of being tripped up by her own ego. She could almost be a Bond villain, The fact that she's also able to criticize Bridget - with her criticisms carrying some validity - is also a great way to explore the main characters.

I see Bobbi's positive and negative actions in these last few chapters as all stemming from a positive motivation - wanting to rescue her friends. Some of her methods in doing so, and the enjoyment she derives from those methods, are where it gets a bit greyer, of course.

Meredith and Lucinda are similarly grey, although their methods are more selfish - they love each other deeply, but have little care or concern for others. Highlighting their relationship helps make them sympathetic, but it can't fully obscure their evil actions.

I wouldn't say that Bridget has truly stellar morals, but she's certainly one of the more upstanding characters in the series. I don't know if it's a good thing that the main heroine seems so morally righteous despite constantly mugging other women for their clothes, but that's a constant issue that USB stories grapple with.

Humanizing the FBI was something I've tried to lean on these last few chapters, and it's helped by pairing them with the generally sympathetic Ashley. She's about as positive as a character can get in this story, and she elevates the rest of the FBI characters in their arc, even if they're still not truly admirable. Also helped by the little self-awareness jokes. As you say, it's all about balance.

The final confrontation is indeed near, and I hope it will prove satisfying. There are two chapters left to the story - one will feature the final climax, and the last will be the epilogue. The climax might not feature a lot of uniform stealing, but I will ty to make it exciting just the same. I want to do these characters and storylines justice, but I also want to keep to the spirit of the board and feature more memorable USB scenes, right to the end. It's not always easy, but again, it's all about balance.

[tirepanted3]

"Let's go!" Bobbi said as she pushed Bridget and Felicia along. "Hurry up!"

Bridget didn't need much convincing, but Felicia was still a bit shaken up by the crash. She staggered along on wobbly legs, trying not to trip over her dress.

Bobbi linked an arm beneath her shoulders. "Come on, come on!"

From behind them, a gunshot rang out, splintering the wood from a nearby tree. A few inches to the left, and the target would have been Felicia's head.

The gunfire perked Felicia up, and she raced for cover in the woods. She joined Bridget and Bobbi as they disappeared into the dark grove of trees.

Moments later, Cassandra reached the edge of the clearing and peered into the woods. The foliage was thick - it was quite difficult to see anything in the pitch black of night.

Chandra and Sonja reached her a few moments later. "Well?" Chandra asked. "Did you get them?"

Cassandra unclipped one of the pockets on the belt of her SWAT uniform, then another. She seemed to be searching for something.

"What are you doing?" Sonja asked.

"This isn't my first time wearing a stolen SWAT uniform," Cassandra explained. "These outfits usually come equipped with gear we can use. Aha!" She pulled out a pair of high-tech, green-tinted goggles.

"Night-vision lenses," she explained, strapping the goggles over her eyes. "They're perfect for this environment. We'll be able to track those girls, no matter how dark it gets."

Chandra and Sonja examined their own belts and found similar goggles of their own.

"These SWAT uniforms are the gift that keeps on giving," Chandra mused as she donned the useful eyewear.

"Let's go," Cassandra pointed into the woods. "Make sure your guns are loaded. Spread out... Find them. This shouldn't take long."

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

Bridget, Bobbi, and Felicia were deep into the woods by the time any of them dared to look back.

"I think we lost them," Bridget said between breaths. "For now, anyway."

Felicia turned to Bobbi. "You... you..."

Bobbi looked at Felicia, a little guiltily. "I know... I'm sorry... I... oop!"

She was startled as Felicia swept her up into a hug.

"I'm the one who's sorry," Felicia said bitterly. "I was a jerk, I know. But you still came to rescue me and Bridget..."

Bobbi hugged her back. "Of course I did... And I'm the one who's sorry... I feel so..."

"Um, girls?" Bridget interrupted. "I'm relieved to see you as well, Bobbi, but... can we postpone this reunion? We're still in serious danger."

Felicia and Bobbi quickly separated, and nodded at Bridget.

"Okay," Bridget continued, trying to remain calm. "We need to stay close and stick to the shadows. Maybe we can avoid those creeps... and if we're lucky, maybe we can gain the upper hand to fight back. But for now... let's just keep moving."

As they continued to wander through the trees, Felicia felt her dress snag on a stray branch. The outfit had already torn, and at this point was only weighing her down.

"Screw this," she muttered. Grasping the fringe of her dress, she ripped the lower half of the skirt right off.

"That's better," she mused. She now had more freedom of mobility and less risk of getting dragged behind.

"Felicia, hurry up!" Bridget hissed.

Felicia nodded and hurried to catch up to her friends.

Thirty seconds later, Cassandra stepped through the foliage. Twigs and branches crunched beneath her thick black boots as she scanned the area.

Her eye fell on a piece of discarded green fabric, nearly invisible against the green underbrush. But against night-vision goggles, they stood out clear as day.

Cassandra recognized the fabric as belonging to Felicia's dress. She shone her flashlight ahead, noting the footprints on the ground.

"Better hurry, girls," she chuckled. She unslung her gun once more and continued forward at a quicker pace.

Sure enough, the three women were up ahead, running as best they could through the narrow pathways between the trees. Cassandra took aim and fired.

Bridget heard the bang, and felt the rush of wind as a bullet whistled mere inches from her ear. The small projectile struck a nearby branch, frightening a bird from its perch.

Bridget whirled momentarily, as Cassandra clicked another round into the chamber. "Damn it... Run!"

The next gunshot aimed wide, nearly splitting a small bush at the center. Felicia and Bridget continued to hurry along, but Bobbi jumped behind one of the thicker trees and drew her own weapon.

As Cassandra prepared her next round, Bobbi fired two shots - warnings, although she did not take much care to ensure they would miss.

Cassandra ducked for cover as the shots rang out, jumping behind a nearby stone outcropping. When she poked her head up, Bobbi fired again. Cassandra ducked back down, but the bullet hit a rock about thirty feet away.

Cassandra chuckled. "Don't have much experience with firearms, do ya, honey?" She leveled her own weapon. "I've been a champion markswoman since I was eighteen. And here's where..."

She looked up from her hiding spot again, but Bobbi had already disappeared, hurriedly following her friends.

Cassandra scowled. "Why do they always have to make it difficult..."

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

Bobbi reached her friends, panting slightly as she caught up.

"Well?" she asked between deep breaths. "Where do we go from here?"

Bridget tried glancing up at the sky, but the trees were too thick. "Our phones don't work out here... If I could get a good view of the stars, maybe I could tell which direction we need to go to get back to the city..."

"We better figure out something fast," Felicia said breathlessly. "Those bitches are playing for keeps."

Bobbi held up her gun. "Well, so am I."

Felicia gave her a strange look. "You're not actually going to kill anyone?"

"I will if I have to." Bobbi's voice was deadly serious. "If Chen thinks she can just take us down, no questions asked, she's in for a rude awakening."

"For now, we need to concentrate on surviving," Bridget said, trying to maintain her typical authoritative tone without succumbing to panic. "If only i could see better in this darkness, I'd... AUGH!"

She let out a sudden cry as she toppled forward, and tumbled down a sudden incline with gathering speed. Her dress snagged on a bramble and tore, stunting her fall, but she continued downward, barely coordinated enough to brace herself for impact.

Bridget was lucky enough to land feet-first at the bottom - and luckier still that the ground was covered in mossy grass - but she still took a tumble, with the ground delivering a sharp pain to her left shoulder. She winced in pain and lay there, nearly motionless.

Bobbi and Felicia had stopped short upon seeing the cliff, and thus had avoided the twenty-foot drop. They looked down in horror.

"Bridget!" Felicia called out. "Are you okay?"

Bridget raised her non-throbbing arm and tried to give a thumbs-up. "I'm... winded," she said. "Just... give me a minute..."

Bobbi glanced at Felicia. "We don't have a minute," she whispered. "Chen's goons will be on us any second!"

Felicia looked down the cliffside again. It was steep, but not steep enough that they couldn't climb down. But doing so would take time, and time was something they were currently in short supply of.

As she weighed their options, Bridget spoke out. "Go... Get moving. I'll catch up."

"But..." Felicia stammered. "You're hurt..."

"I'll be fine," Bridget said, ignoring the pain. "Go!"

Bobbi grabbed Felicia's arm. "We gotta go, now."

Indeed, rapid footsteps could be heard in the distance. Felicia gave one last glance down at Bridget, then followed Bobbi back into the trees.

Bridget summoned her strength, then tried to get back on her feet. She winced - her left arm was badly hurt. Shifting her weight to her right, she managed to drag herself into some nearby bushes, just as Cassandra's footsteps hurried past on the clifftop above.

Concentrate, concentrate... The girls can take care of themselves... for a little while. Bridget kept herself as calm as possible. Fix the arm and get back on your feet.

She gripped one end of her skirt and, keeping it in her teeth, tore off a substantial portion of the fabric. She fashioned the cloth into a bandage and wrapped it over and around her left arm. Not great, but it would have to do for now.

She was in no condition to climb back up the cliff. She'd have to follow along the path she was on and hope it would link her back with Bobbi and Felicia.

One positive- Bridget now had a better view of the night sky. She could see the stars, and had a better perspective on where she was.

Now it was just a matter of getting herself and her friends out of there in one piece.

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

Not far off, Chandra and Sonja were busy searching another section of the forest.

"Here, girlies," Chandra cooed softly, peeking around a grove of trees. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

She turned to Sonja. "These goggles are great... And so are these uniforms. I feel unstoppable."

Sonja smiled, a bit weakly. "You look like you're ready to kick ass, babe."

Chandra gave her a funny look. "You okay? You look a little distracted."

Sonja shrugged. "Fine... I'm fine."

Chandra pressed. "No, you're not. Something's wrong."

Sonja sighed. "I don't know... It's just... The past few weeks have been such a blur, you know? Since Lucille was arrested, we've hopped around from one environment to another. Now we're trying to kill this nosy reporter and her punk friends... What happens after that?"

Chandra shrugged. "I don't know... But that's what makes life so exciting, doesn't it? So unpredictable..."

"I guess," Sonja replied. She glanced sidelong at her best friend. "Look, I need to tell you something..."

"What is it?"

"Well..." Sonja paused. "Were you wondering why... how those SWAT agents knew to show up at Chrysalis?"

"I guess..." Chandra replied slowly.

Sonja looked a bit sheepish. "I... I may have tipped them off."

"What?!" Chandra was shocked. "That was you? Why? Are you insane?"

"I swear, I didn't mean for it to get out of hand," Sonja tried to sound defensive. "I just... I wanted to..."

Chandra held up a hand. "Hold that thought," she said. "Do you hear something?"

She brushed a few branches aside and adjusted her goggles. There, about twenty yards off, was Bridget Baxter, holding her left arm and shuffling through the bushes.

Chandra smiled. "Gotcha."

She drew her gun silently, notching a bullet into the chamber. Then she aimed...

"Wait!" Sonja cried.

Chandra was startled by the noise... and so was Bridget. The journalist whirled in shock - and then ran for cover.

"No!" Chandra fired two shots, but Bridget had already disappeared.

Chandra glared angrily at Sonja. "Why did you cry out like that? I had her!"

Sonja rubbed her neck. "I don't know... I thought... maybe Chen wants her alive."

"Whose side are you on?" Chandra grumbled. Then she spoke into her radio. "Chen, do you want Baxter and her cronies dead or alive?"

Chen didn't hesitate to answer. "Stone dead. Just get rid of them. Permanently."

Chandra turned back to Sonja. "Okay?"

Sonja nodded. "Okay."

"You and I... We're going to talk later," Chandra added. "But right now, bagging Bridget is more important. She can't have gotten far."

Gun in hand, Chandra leaped from the bushes and bounded after Bridget. Sonja hesitated for a moment, then followed.

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

Felicia and Bobbi continued to run, fast as they could, avoiding any roots or brambles that obstructed their path. Felicia could feel her eyes blur with tears, and in her blindness, she stumbled over a stray branch.

"Yikes!" Bobbi caught her and helped her up. "That would've been a nasty fall."

Felicia wiped her eyes. "Th-thanks," she muttered. She was still slightly trembling.

"Come on, we need to keep moving," Bobbi urged.

"What if they kill her?" Felicia gulped. "Bridget's hurt... She's in no position to fight back. They're gonna kill her."

"Don't worry about Bridget," Bobbi immediately replied. "She's the toughest, most capable person I've ever met. She's survived more near-death experiences than I can count. She'll be okay."

"But..."

"No buts," Bobbi said stoically. "We need to focus on our own predicament. Good thing we have protection of our own." She patted her holster.

Felicia looked strangely at her friend. "You really have changed."

"What?" Bobbi looked around, alerted by a new sound. "Damn it, she's getting closer!"

Bobbi grabbed Felicia and pulled her down beyond a fallen tree trunk, into a muddied ditch.

"Don't think anyone will spot us in here," she whispered.

Felicia continued to stare at her. "You've changed," she repeated. "You used to be such a shy, nerdy bookworm... Always nervous around boys and stuff. And now you..." She glanced up and down.

Bobbi rolled her eyes. "Can we discuss this later?"

"When did you even learn how to use a gun?" Felicia asked.

Bobbi groaned. "Licia... I've had an insane night. I've had to knock out a lot of women... steal a lot of clothes... sort through a lot of personal issues. But I did it all, because I knew you and Bridget were in trouble. And I had to find you."

She grabbed Felicia's hand. "Okay, maybe I have changed a bit... But I like the change! It feels like... Like I've discovered the real me." Her eyes got hazy for a moment. "That night when we first infiltrated the NASA facility... I thought you and Bridget were crazy... Knocking out innocent women and stealing their uniforms, all so you could write a news story!... It seemed ridiculous at first... but the more I took part in your nutty adventure, the more I started to appreciate it. And the more I started to realize that I could be more than the 'shy, nerdy bookworm' I always was." She squeezed Felicia's palm. "You're right - my life changed that night, went in a new direction... But it's been a better direction than ever before."

Felicia stared at Bobbi for long moments, unsure of how to respond. She wanted to feel happy for Bobbi... but part of her felt sad, and a little scared.

At that moment, she heard a beeping noise, and glanced down at her watch. The clock had just struck midnight.

Bobbi smiled. "Congrats, Felicia. You win."

"I... win?" Felicia seemed confused.

"The bet," Bobbi explained. "You've gone two whole weeks without mugging a single woman for her uniform. Unless, you've been doing it in secret?"

Felicia shook her head. She had completely forgotten about the bet.

"Congratulations," Bobbi whispered. "Fourteen days! I honestly didn't think you could do it. Personally, I can barely go fourteen hours without beating up some bimbo for her clothes." She chuckled.

Felicia didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to challenge Bobbi to a similar bet... for her own good. But now probably wasn't the time.

Suddenly, Bobbi clapped a hand over Felicia's mouth and put a finger to her lips.

Footsteps... heavy bootfalls on a twig-strewn dirt path.

Cassandra had spotted enough footprints and freshly broken branches to cobble together a makeshift trail... but the tracks appeared to go no further.

She readied her weapon. Her targets were somewhere in the area.

Adjusting her goggles, she swept the surrounding trees, searching for any sign of movement.

From their hiding spot, Felicia and Bobbi held their breaths. Bobbi kept her hands curled around her gun, steadily counting her own heartbeats.

Cassandra stepped closer to the tree trunk which obscured the ditch. She kept her breathing to a minimum, waiting for any sound... any at all...

A sudden nick-nick sound made her whirl toward the trees, gun ready.

She scowled upon getting a closer look. It was only a squirrel.

Cassandra was about to turn her attention back to the fallen tree when her radio buzzed. "We've got eyes on Baxter," Chandra's voice came through. "She's heading northward, towards the lake."

Cassandra nodded to herself, then turned away from the tree trunk and continued onward.

Felicia and Bobbi remained motionless until her footfalls had faded into the distance.

Bobbi got to her feet. "Those bitches," she muttered. "If they touch a hair on Bridget's head..."

"She's still alive," Felicia said, voice still shaking. "We need to rescue her!"

Bobbi nodded. "You're right... of course you're right. I'll find her."

"Wait for me!" Felicia started to climb out of the ditch.

Bobbi held up a hand. "No... You can't come. You've got no weapon, no body armor, you've been low on action for weeks... They'll kill you easily. I can't protect you every moment."

"You don't need to protect me," Felicia said indignantly. "I can protect myself."

Bobbi paused for a moment, then nodded. "Fine... you're right. Come on, there's a shortcut that way."

She pointed past Felicia's head. Felicia turned to look, and Bobbi immediately gripped and pinched the spot where her shoulder met her neck.

"What are... uuurrgghhh..." Felicia felt the strength drain from her body. She fell forward into Bobbi's arms.

"I am so, so sorry about that," Bobbi whispered to her unconscious friend. "I swear you'll thank me later."

She carefully dragged Felicia back into the ditch to hide her from any outsiders and left her there as comfortably as possible.

Then she got to her feet and began hurrying north. Hold tight, Bridget. I'm on my way.

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

Bridget, meanwhile, was trying to lose her pursuers in the thick grove of trees and bushes.

By now, her eyes had grown accustomed to the dark, but it was still difficult to maneuver in such a difficult environment.

Chandra and Sonja were having an easier time, both seeing and maneuvering, and they were closing in.

Bridget hid behind a particularly large oak tree near the lake, trying to catch her breath. She needed a plan... and fast.

The footsteps were growing closer. Summoning her reserve strength, Bridget gripped the large tree trunk and began to climb. Perhaps the higher ground would benefit her.

Chandra and Sonja swept the area attentively.

"See anything?" Chandra whispered.

Sonja shook her head. "You sure she came this way?"

"Positive. Keep looking."

From atop one of the tree's long branches, Bridget held her breath. Chandra was nearly right below her.

"Come on, little kitten..." Chandra sang. "No use hiding... Might as well come out..."

Bridget timed her moment precisely. She leaped down from the tree, feet first, aiming right for the gun-toting woman.

With an "Oouughh!" Chandra went down, hitting the ground with an ungraceful splat. She lay unmoving in the dirt, the wind knocked out of her.

"Chandra? What's wrong?" From her spot twenty feet away, Sonja turned, fumbling for her gun.

But Bridget had already found Chandra's gun, and was pointing it at Sonja. "Drop it."

Sonja was surprised, but didn't have much choice. She dropped her weapon to the dirt.

"Hands behind your head," Bridget ordered. There was a coldness to her voice that unsettled the Russian woman.

Sonja did as commanded. She looked at Bridget intimidatingly. "Don't hurt her. She's the only friend I've got."

Bridget rolled her eyes. "I didn't think you mercenaries had any friends. Certainly don't seem to care about me and mine."

"I'm not a mercenary," Sonja said indignantly. "I spent six years as a cop. And I had a good job working for Ms. Weldon-Grant before you ruined everything."

"You were a cop?" Bridget looked surprised. "Probably should've stayed on that side of the law. What prompted the change?"

Sonja shrugged. "Wasn't the life for me. Too many rules. I like to make my own, y'know?"

From behind her, Chandra was slowly stirring, recovering from Bridget's attack.

"Well, you really screwed up by joining forces with Chen," Bridget said, eyes trained on Sonja. "I've beaten her before, and I'll do it again... No matter how many thugs she has on her payroll."

Sonja bristled at this. "Stop calling me a thug. I'm not some common criminal."

"Coulda fooled me," Bridget said dryly. "Now step over to that tree and put your hands behind the trunk. I'm going to handcuff you."

Sonja obeyed, stepping slowly over to the tree. Come on, Chandra, get up...

Chandra had by now regained consciousness, and was silently rising to her feet. Bridget had her back turned.

As Bridget cuffed Sonja to the tree, Chandra slid a knife from her belt. She quietly crept towards the unsuspecting reporter.

At that moment, the moon broke through the clouds above. In the new light, Bridget could see a blur of movement reflected in Sonja's helmet. She quickly leaped out of the way, dodging Chandra's lunge.

Before Chandra could get back on her feet, Bridget aimed a powerful karate chop at her neck. Chandra let out a groan of pain and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Bridget took a moment to catch her breath. That had been a close call...

But in her haste to dodge Chandra's attack, Bridget had neglected to secure the second handcuff around Sonja's wrist. With a snarl, the blonde reached for her fallen gun.

"Bye-bye, Baxter," Sonja sneered as she leveled the weapon.

Bridget turned in surprise. She had not time to dodge.

But before she could squeeze the trigger, Sonja was swept literally off her feet, as Bobbi caught her in a flying tackle.

Sonja hit a nearby tree and slid to the ground. Bobbi kneeled over her, catching her breath.

Then she turned to her friend. "You okay, Bridget?"

Bridget' heart was still pounding, but she could feel her adrenaline slowing down, melting into more useful kinetic energy. She nodded. "Thanks... so much. I thought I was a goner."

"Not while I'm around," Bobbi said proudly.

"Where's Felicia?" Bridget said, a bit worriedly. "Wasn't she with you?"

"She's safe," Bobbi said. "I... had to leave her somewhere to hide. She doesn't have armor or weapons like I do."

Bridget looked down at the fallen figures of Sonja and Chandra. "Speaking of armor... I could use some of my own. Chen is still out there, and she's deadlier than ever."

Bobbi nodded. "We'll stop her. I swear it."

Bridget approached Sonja and knelt down. "This moron looks to be close to my size." She began unlacing the woman's boots.

Bobbi began doing the same to Chandra. A precautionary measure; the woman would be easier to restrain and less likely to escape without her armor.

As she unstrapped Sonja's vest, Bridget couldn't help but chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Bobbi asked.

"It's weird," Bridget mused. "I thought it would be a peaceful, uneventful day. I've gone the whole day without stealing a single woman's uniform. But I guess I'm never allowed anything normal."

"It's past midnight," Bobbi told her. "So it's technically the next day."

Bridget smiled, despite their current situation. "This is so weird... I was about to throw my whole career away... About to reveal to a whole auditorium full of people about my... less than noble methods of acquiring stories. And I would have done it, if Chen hadn't intervened."

"What do you mean?" Bobbi asked.

Bridget pulled Chen's paper from her dress and handed it to Bobbi. "This speech... It's like a 'tell-all' written by Chen. Explains how I constantly go undercover in order to investigate stories... How I tend to acquire disguises by mugging civilians for their clothes." She sighed. "Much as I hate to admit it, Chen isn't really wrong. I'm not exactly the most noble of journalists."

Bobbi glanced at the speech, and rolled her eyes. "Bullshit. You're the most noble journalist I've ever met."

"You're just saying that."

"i mean it," Bobbi insisted. "You're an inspiration, both to Felicia and to me. Without you, I wouldn't be half the woman I am today. You've inspired me to try new things... go new places... wear all sorts of uniforms I never would have worn otherwise."

Bridget chuckled as she finished stripping Sonja. "I guess that's one way to put it."

"It's the right way to put it," Bobbi replied. "Screw Chen. She doesn't understand or appreciate all you do. She just cares about petty revenge."

Bridget smiled as she donned the SWAT uniform and armor. "Yeah... maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Bobbi replied as she finished stripping Chandra. "Now I'll take care of these two. You go find Chen and kick her ass."

Bridget strapped on the helmet and holstered her gun. In her hurry, she didn't bother tying the boots too tightly. "You bet I will. Thanks, Bobbi."

"Anytime," Bobbi grinned.

As Bridget disappeared into the trees, Bobbi turned back to Sonja and Chandra. The former was down to her pink elastic bra and golden bikini briefs; the latter wore nothing beyond an eggshell-white sports bra and fuchsia boyshorts.

Bobbi rubbed her hands together, a sly smile on her face. "Last time I tied you idiots up, you escaped," she said. "Let's try some tighter knots this time..."

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

Cassandra stepped gingerly through the ever-thickening trees, glancing around in annoyance. She could have sworn she'd been heading in the right direction, but the forest appeared to have more twists and turned than she had anticipated.

Groaning inwardly, she lifted her radio to her lips. "Chandra, Sonja. Location?"

Silence from the other end. Cassandra scowled. "Chandra, Sonja, do you read?"

No answer. Cassandra groaned and tucked her radio back into her belt. "This is so stupid," she muttered. "Just give me someone to shoot..."

A flash of movement caught the corner of her eye. She hoisted her gun and aimed at the nearby trees.

"Wait, wait! Hold your fire!" The woman put her hands up. "We're friends! A little lost in the woods, but still friends!"

Cassandra looked up. "...Marina?"

Marina stepped out from behind a nearby copse of trees. Whitney did as well.

"Marina, what the hell?" Cassandra re-holstered her weapon. "I almost shot you."

"I'm glad you didn't," Marina smiled. "This outfit doesn't go well with bullet holes."

She chuckled at her own joke, then paused. "No... wait, no. I'm still angry with you."

"What did I do?" Cassandra said indignantly.

"You let Dr. Chen hurt Darla," Marina shot back. "And then you lied to me about it. About my best friend!"

Cassandra sighed. "Marina, it's not like that..."

"Yes, it is." Marina sounded quite angry. "I don't have many friends anymore... Sloane's locked up... Who the hell knows where Toshiko is... and now Darla's probably going to jail as well."

"Look, stop blaming me, okay?" Cassandra responded angrily herself. "Chen's plan went wrong. She couldn't tolerate the fact tat she had screwed up, so she blamed Darla. And she didn't kill her. Consider that."

"This was such a bad idea," Marina groused. "I hate Chen, and I hate you..."

"Enough!" Whitney interrupted.

Cassandra and Marina both looked at her in surprise. They weren't used to Whitney raising her voice.

"Stop fighting," Whitney said sternly. "I'm so tired of this. What happened to being a team?" She sighed. "When I first joined the Saboteuses, I thought being a criminal would be exciting, maybe glamorous. Instead, I saw a lot of fighting, a lot of betrayal, and the inside of a jail cell."

"We broke you out," Marina offered.

"And the disguises!" Whitney continued. "The movies all make it look like going undercover is exciting and fun. But the uniforms we steal are always drab and colorless, and usually smell like they were fished out of a lake." She threw up her hands. "I'm done with this. So done."

Marina stepped over and patted her shoulder.

Cassandra rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "I can't believe this. I'm standing out in middle of a forest, in the middle of the night, arguing about the smell of stolen clothes." She looked around. "I need to find Baxter and her friends... Almost had them a while ago."

"Why don't you join us?" Marina asked. "I'm going to help Whitney start a new life in the fashion world. Maybe I can help you too! It'd sure be better than following a killjoy like Chen around."

Whitney nodded. "Cass, you don't even have anything personal against Baxter, do you? Why bother trying to kill her anyway?"

Cassandra shook her head. "I'm sorry, girls. I look at this in purely professional terms. When I accept a job, I don't give up until it's done."

Marina shrugged. "If you insist, Cass," she said, bowing slightly. "May the 'forest' be with you."

Cassandra groaned. "We can't have a single conversation without one of your puns, can we?"

"Nope!" Marina turned to Whitney. "Come on, let's go. We'll find our way out of these woods eventually."

The two women quickly disappeared into the trees. Cassandra watched them go.

She sighed inwardly. On the one hand, she never cared much for the way those two never took their work seriously.

On the other hand... now she was the last woman remaining from her original team. Sloane... Toshiko... Darla... now Marina and Whitney... To think that, not long ago, they were an unstoppable team of kickass criminal women. True, Cassandra didn't get along with all of them... But she valued the job and the varying skills of her coworkers.

Cassandra felt tired... exhausted, even. It had been a long night, and she was still on the clock.

Absent-mindedly, she patted the side pocket of her SWAT uniform... and was surprised to feel a bulk there. Reaching in, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

Cassandra looked amused. Apparently, the SWAT woman she had mugged for this uniform was a smoker.

She still had a job to do... but perhaps a brief cigarette break would help calm her nerves.

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

"Ooghh..."

Felicia awoke, feeling a bit woozy. The base of her neck ached slightly from where Bobbi had pinched it.

"What the hell, Bob," Felicia muttered to herself. She felt sore and angry at her friend.

Spurred by the need to go into action, Felicia climbed out of the ditch and headed off in the direction of the lake. Perhaps she could catch up with her friends. She hoped she wasn't too late.

Footsteps... Felicia jumped behind a tree as two figures in SWAT uniforms stepped around the bend.

"The uniform I'm wearing has a compass in the pocket," one of the women noted. "We can use it to get out of these woods. We just need to go west."

"Agreed!" said her friend. "I definitely need to go 'west'. And I gotta 'welax' as well."

Felicia had to stop herself from groaning at the awful joke. Making any noise would give away her hiding spot. She stayed quiet until the two women had passed by.

Once they were out of sight, Felicia continued on her way. She hurried along, trying to dodge the roots and branches that continually obstructed her path. She'd come too far along to stop now.

But she did finally stop short at the sight of another woman in SWAT uniform, standing ahead on the pathway. Her back was turned and she leaned against a tree. One hand rested on her hip, while the other held a cigarette to her mouth.

Felicia was eager to reunite with Bridget and Bobbi - but she knew Cassandra was a dangerous woman. She had to be subdued, and the sooner, the better.

Felicia hadn't engaged in any fighting in the last few days - but her adrenaline was surging. She could take this woman out. She had to.

Cautiously, quietly, Felicia approached the tall woman from behind. Cassandra did not seem to notice her; she was too busy with her smoking break.

Her cigarette finished, Cassandra dropped it to the dirt and ground it beneath the heel of her boot. It was only a brief moment of distraction, but it would cost her.

Cassandra turned at the sound of rapidly crunching leaves behind her. She saw Felicia and gasped. "You!"

Cassandra's fingers closed around her gun, but she was a split-second too late. Felicia tackled her and both women fell into the bushes.

The two grappled with one another, each trying to gain an edge. In the ensuing struggle, Cassandra dropped her gun. She kicked Felicia and rolled over, reaching for the weapon. "Enough of this, you little bitch..."

But Felicia looped an arm around Cassandra's neck and pulled her back, applying a tight sleeper hold. Cassandra was unquestionably stronger, but Felicia tried to use the leverage to her advantage. An old but effective judo move... and it was working.

Pass out... Just pass out already...

Cassandra struggled mightily, but Felicia refused to relent. Finally, the taller woman's reflexes slowed. Her eyelids fluttered, and she blacked out.

Felicia caught her breath. It had been a while since she'd engaged in a fight like that, and she had to admit - it felt good.

She looked down at the unconscious Cassandra - more specifically, at her uniform and weapons.

Well... It has been over two weeks...

Kneeling down, Felicia began undoing the woman's bootlaces.

The process was not unfamiliar to Felicia, who moved dexterously to separate Cassandra from her boots, armor, and uniform. She had done this sort of thing plenty of times in the past, and the two-week hiatus had not slowed her down at all.

Still, Felicia had to admit that the process wasn't quite as exciting as it had been before, even when the clothes were being stolen from an evil woman like Cassandra. Perhaps Felicia had gotten a little too interested in other methods of infiltration or disguise... perhaps she was concerned with what was becoming of Bobbi... perhaps it was the stress of her current situation. Whatever the reason, the thrill of stealing a new disguise wasn't quite what it used to be.

But there would be time for thrills later. Felicia hastily got into the uniform and armored up. She slid on the boots and laced them tight. The uniform was a bit large for her, but the dress beneath compensated for some of the space, and it would provide adequate protection in any event.

Cassandra was now down to her violet demicup bra and magenta cotton briefs. Felicia grasped her wrists and dragged her to a nearby tree, securing her there with wire rope from the belt. The gag was a scrap of cloth torn from Felicia's ragged dress.

Cassandra had been threatening and dangerous just a few minutes earlier, but she now looked helpless and a bit silly - which calmed Felicia's nerves a bit. She remembered the advice Bridget had given her two years ago, the first time she had accompanied her on an undercover assignment: "Don't let a tough-looking officer or security guard fool you... Once you pry them out of their uniforms, you'll see that their bras and panties are cute and colorful and nothing to be scared of."

Felicia smiled. It had been good (and often true) advice, and she felt the energy bubbling back into her veins. She felt tough, strong, and capable once again.

Turning swiftly, she cut through a grove of bushes, hoping that she could reach Bridget and Bobbi before anyone else did.

The path was long and winding, but the night-vision goggles certainly helped, and Felicia found it easy to navigate through paths that had been recently trod upon. She was on the right track.

Bursting into a clearing, she was alerted by the sounds of muffled moaning and furious struggles. She approached the sounds, fearing the worst.

Fortunately, it was nothing to be scared of. The moans came from Chandra and Sonja, who were stripped to their underwear and currently gagged and bound to a pair of thick oak trees.

The two women ceased their struggling and looked up hopefully as the figure in the SWAT uniform approached, assuming it was another member of their team. No such luck - Felicia lifted her visor and smiled down at them.

"Not so much fun when the tables turn, is it?" she asked.

She approached Sonja, noticing the tight and detailed knots which bound her. Probably Bobbi's handiwork...

The blonde glared at her angrily. "Rrhhmmmppphhrrr..."

"Well said." Felicia examined the tracks near Sonja. They appeared to be heading east.

"You two sit tight," Felicia told the two captives. "I'm gonna find your boss."

The moans of the two criminals faded as Felicia disappeared into the trees and kept moving.

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

"Bingo!"

Marina smiled as she stepped out of the bushes and onto a paved road.

"This probably leads to the nearest town," she told Whitney. "We can follow it along and then transfer to the nearest highway."

Whitney nodded. "Sounds nice," she said. "But where do we find a car?"

Marina glanced up the road, at a pair of approaching headlights. "How about... right there?"

The two women ducked down into the bushes as a blue-brown van rumbled into view. On the side of the van were the markings of "Betty's Baked Goods."

Marina and Whitney were puzzling over how to get the van to stop, when their problem was solved for them - the van pulled to the side of the road just a hundred yards from their hiding spot.

Two women emerged from the van, dressed in white coveralls and tan boots. They began shining their flashlights around the area.

"I think they're looking for something," Whitney whispered.

"I hope they're looking for trouble," Marina replied with a sly smile. "Because they're about to find it."

Eleanor and Ashley were not looking for trouble - but they flicked their flashlights around apprehensively.

"This is as far as we can go on paved roads," Eleanor said, stepping towards the woods. "I've still got a read on the tracer... Follow me."

Ashley gulped as she followed her into the trees. "Are you... sure this is a good idea? Two women, entering the woods in the dark of night."

Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Come on, Ashley, don't chicken out on me now."

"I'm not a chicken," Ashley said, a little irritated. "I just think we should wait for backup."

"Cluck-cluck," Eleanor grinned. "No time for backup, girl. One thing you learn while in the field - it's best to strike when the opportunity presents itself."

Ashley whirled, shining her flashlight on a nearby tree. "I think... I think that shadow moved!"

Eleanor laughed. "Ash, I'm telling you... There's nothing to be afraid ommmpppphhh!" She gave a sudden start as a hand muffled her speech and jerked her sharply into the bushes.

Ashley whirled back, shining her flashlight on the bushes. She could see them rustling.

Swiftly, she reached for her gun, pointing it at the fauna. "Come out, right now... Hands up!"

There was silence for a few moments. Then, slowly, a pair of hands raised upwards from the bushes. Marina arose and stepped out.

"Whoa there, bakery girl," she said. "I didn't expect you to be packing heat."

Ashley noticed the SWAT uniform the woman was wearing, and instinctively lowered her weapon. "Oh, thank goodness... I was hoping the rest of you FBI ladies would show up... Which one are you again?"

Marina smiled. "Um... none of them."

"Oh... are you a real SWAT agent? It's hard to keep track... So many different women are running around in those outfits..."

Abruptly, Ashley felt a hand seize her shoulder. In fear and shock, she dropped her weapon.

"Please don't scream," Whitney said softly. "We just want your uniform and vehicle."

"Still don't know why these bakery women are carrying guns," Marina muttered.

Ashley glanced up at Whitney. "Wait... did you say you want my... my uniform?"

Whitey nodded. "We don't want to hurt you, but..."

Ashley blinked, processing this new information.

The she started laughing.

Marina gave her a funny look. "What's so funny? I didn't even make any puns."

Ashley kept laughing. "This is... Of course. Of course the night was leading to this. I can never escape it. Never."

"What are you talking about?" Whitney asked. This woman's behavior was striking her as a bit disturbing.

Ashley started unbuttoning her uniform, still chuckling. "Don't you see? I tried changing things tonight. I've always been the victim... Tonight I tried to do something different. I tried to be one of the women who doesn't get mugged for her uniform. But it's pointless." She knelt down and began pulling off her boots. "Totally pointless. I'm fated to get my clothes stolen, no matter what I do, no matter where I go. I might as well stop fighting it."

Whitney and Marina exchanged a glance. Still, as Ashley was currently doing what they wanted her to do, they weren't sure what to say.

Ashley pulled off her coveralls, revealing her coral sports bra and orange boyshorts. "Twice in one night," she mused. "That's a record, isn't it? That's pretty exciting." She handed the uniform to Whitney. "Here, it's almost your size. Wear it in good health."

"Um... thank you." Whitney took the uniform in her hands.

"You want my underwear, too?" Ashley reached around her back to unclasp her bra. "I have plenty of clothes to steal. Why stop at just the uniform?"

Whitney shook her head. "Please, no... keep your underwear. Look, I'm sorry if I've upset you..."

"It's not upsetting at all," Ashley replied. "It's just who I am. No way around it. No way to escape." She turned to Marina. "Speaking of escape, isn't this the part where you bind and gag me? To make sure I don't go anywhere?"

Marina paused, then nodded. "Um... yes... I've got some ropes here. I'll try not to make them too tight..."

"Make them as tight or as loose as you want," Ashley said cheerfully. "Like I said, it doesn't matter. My entire purpose in life is to be a 'uniform donor' for other women. It's why I was put on this earth. Don't waste time, just tie me up and put on my clothes."

Marina wasn't sure if she should argue or continue the conversation, so she simply did as Ashley requested, binding her to a nearby tree.

"Don't forget the gag," Ashley advised. "A good uniform theft is never complete without a proper gag. Trust me, I would knoooommmmpppphhh..."

Marina secured the cloth over Ashley's mouth, quietly relieved that it would shut the young woman up.

Meanwhile, Whitney stripped Eleanor down to her sky-blue demicup bra and vermilion briefs. She tied and gagged her to another tree.

Finally, Marina and Whitney changed into the bakery outfits. Whitney's uniform smelled like it had been worn by two other women recently... but she was too perplexed to comment on it.

Trying not to look at Ashley, they quickly headed back towards the road.

"That was... weird, right?" Whitney whispered.

"Bizarre," Marina replied.

The two women reached the idling van and climbed inside.

"This is a piece of cake," Marina said as she got behind the steering wheel.

"It was pretty easy," Whitney agreed.

"No." Marina held up a pastry that had been sitting on the dashboard. "This is a piece of cake. I guess one of those women must have been planning to eat it. Wanna share?"

Whitney wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, no. Do you know how many calories are in that thing?"

Marina shrugged. "You only live once." She took a generous bite of the cake as she pulled the van back onto the road.

From the trees, Ashley watched as the van's headlights traced along the roadway and disappeared around the bend. Then, all was quiet.

She was still in the woods... It was still dark... And to make things presumably worse, she was tied to a tree.

But Ashley didn't feel scared anymore. For the first time that night, she felt content. Calm and even a bit relieved.

Because she had finally learned to accept herself for who she was.

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

Bridget reached the crash site of the SWAT truck, nerves tensed, alert for any trouble.

She kept quiet and listened. There didn't seem to be anyone here. Only a smashed truck, not far from the open cliffs. The cliffs that Chen had threatened to throw Bridget and her friends from.

Where are you, Julia?

Bridget had no way of knowing if Chen was still here... but she didn't think the doctor would stray far from the scene. Chen still had a score she wanted to settle, and wasn't going to let a minor inconvenience like a truck crash get in her way.

Bridget swept the area with caution, watching, listening for any sounds that seemed out of the ordinary. Come on, Chen, where are...

She heard a clicking noise.

Damn it.

She turned to see a smiling Julia Chen, brandishing a large gun. No, not a gun - a grenade launcher.

"Found you," Chen grinned. "Poor, stupid Bridget. I've been tailing you for the last four minutes... waiting for you to get out in the open."

Bridget glared. "Give up, Chen. None of your cronies could take me down. It's over."

Chen laughed. "That's very funny, coming from the woman who has the grenade launcher pointed at her chest." She took a step closer. "But in fairness, I don't want to kill you... yet. I want to kill Felicia and Bobbi first, and make you watch. Where are they, if I may ask?"

Bridget had no idea, but she kept up a bold front. "They've escaped. You'll never catch them."

Chen laughed again. "We'll see about that, won't we?" She motioned to the nearby cliffside. "Start walking, Baxter. You're about to take a short trip... and a very long fall."

Bridget wanted to stall for time, as she thought up a plan, but Chen didn't seem interested in giving her options. "I said move your ass, Baxter. Now."

Bridget began slowly walking backwards, to the cliff's edge. She kept her eyes trained on Chen. "So what's your plan, Julia? After you kill me. You'll still be a fugitive. Are you going to be on the run forever?"

Chen rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about me... I'll rebuild my life somehow," she mused. "It may take months, or years, but I'll find a way back. And this time, you won't be around to stop me."

Bridget was now standing at the edge of the cliff. She could feel the wind, hear the faint churning waters a few hundred feet below her.

"Well?" Chen asked, stepping closer. "Any final words?"

Bridget maintained a fixed glare on her. "I was never the one who 'stopped' you, Chen," she said. "You stopped yourself. your ego, your lust for power... That was your downfall. And it will be your downfall again."

Chen scowled. "I think it's time for your downfall." She took another step forward.

"FREEZE!"

Chen turned in surprise. From out of the foliage emerged five women in black body armor. Bridget recognized them - the FBI agents she had encountered not long before.

"Drop the weapon!" Josie ordered. She had her gun at the ready, as did Rebecca, Bella, Parker, and Nicole.

"You're under arrest," Josie said, stepping forward. Her associates kept their guns trained on Chen. "Step away from the edge, slowly."

Chen pretended to think for a moment. "Hmmm... nah."

Quick as a flash, she fired a gas grenade from the launcher. The projectile landed in the midst of the other four FBI agents and exploded, scattering toxic fumes everywhere.

The FBI women hadn't enough time to don their gas masks - and all it took was a quick whiff. Their reflexes slowed, their brains dulled, and they fell to the dirt.

Josie glared at Chen. "You..." She raised her gun, but Chen had already fired a second blast. Another gas grenade exploded at Josie's feet, sending her down for the count.

"Pathetic," Chen mused. "Truly pathet-- oof!"

She grunted suddenly as Bridget rammed an elbow into her back. Chen toppled forward, dropping the launcher.

Bridget pounced on her, and the two women wrestled on the ground - still just a few short feet from the cliff's edge.

"You're going back to jail," Bridget said. "For good."

"Never," Chen growled. She grabbed Bridget's hair and pulled tight.

Bridget screamed in pain and loosened her grip. Chen used the opportunity to knee her in the stomach.

Bridget lay on the ground in a daze. Chen approached her. "Sorry, dear... Were you expecting a fair fight?"

She grabbed Bridget's bandaged arm, twisting it and enjoying Bridget's yelp of pain. She began dragging Bridget back to the cliff. "I'm going to kill you now... and all these other women too. And there's not a damn thing you can do about..."

A crack sounded, and Chen felt the breeze as a bullet whizzed just past her face.

Bobbi stepped out of the trees, gun ready. "Next one won't be a warning shot," she said coldly. "Get the hell off my friend."

Chen laughed. "If you shoot me now, I fall off the edge, and Bridget falls with me. You want to take the risk of killing your own friend?"

Bobbi hesitated, weighing her options.

At that moment, there was another rustle of bushes nearby, and Felicia jumped out. She too had body armor and was brandishing a weapon. "Let her go, Chen!"

Bobbi looked at her in surprise. "Felicia? But..."

"We'll talk later," Felicia said, a bit angrily. Then, to Chen: "Let her go, right now."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Chen grinned. "If you're going to shoot me, better do it now." She was holding Bridget near the edge.

Felicia and Bobbi exchanged a nervous glance. Neither one knew what to do.

"Time's up." Chen pulled out her own gun and pointed it at Bobbi. "Game over..."

"No!" With a surge of energy, Bridget shifted her weight and bumped into Chen. With a scream, Chen lost her balance, and she and Bridget both tumbled over the cliff's edge.

For a moment, Felicia and Bobbi stood frozen in stunned silence. then they rushed forward to the edge of the cliff.

Glancing down, they saw Chen hanging by her fingers from an outcropping a few feet below the ledge. A few feet below that, Bridget clung to a branch of root that jutted out from the cliff face.

Bridget glanced up at Chen. "Julia... stop this. We need to stop fighting, or we're both dead!"

Chen glared down at her. "Will you shut up?" She angrily kicked at the branch - and lost her grip on the outcropping. She fell... but managed to grab at Bridget's foot.

Bridget held on to the branch and looked up at Felicia and Bobbi. "Get a rope... get something!"

Felicia nodded. "I've got it..."

But Chen refused to let Bridget be rescued. She pulled at Bridget's ankle. "Let go! Fall, damn you, fall! Fa--"

At that moment, Bridget's boot came loose and slipped off her foot. Chen's eyes widened, and her mouth opened - but no sound emerged.

She plummeted down, down, until she disappeared in the fog below.

Bridget shut her eyes. She hadn't wanted it to come to this... but it now seemed inevitable.

Felicia and Bobbi were also stunned by the sight of Chen's fall, but quickly shook off their nerves. Felicia tossed Bridget a rope. It dangled just two inches above the branch. "Quick, grab this!"

Summoning her last reserves of strength, Bridget jumped, and grabbed hold of the rope. Bobbi and Felicia braced themselves, but were still thrown off-balance by the pull of the rope. They had failed to anchor the other end, and gravity was now pulling them to the cliff's edge.

"No!" Bobbi tried to dig in her heels as the rope slid from her grasp. "We need more leverage!"

"Coming right up."

Moira and Prema grabbed hold of the rope's other end, firmly anchoring it and holding it steady.

Felicia looked at them in shock. "Where did you two come from?"

"Long story," Moira replied. "Now pull!"

Working together, the four women pulled steadily, slowly moving backwards until Bridget was able to reach the edge of the cliff.

Moira and Prema then grabbed Bridget's arms and hauled her upward.

Once Bridget was safe, the five women sat or lay on the ground, gasping.

"That... was insane," Bobbi whispered.

"It was." Bridget slowly sat up. She embraced her friends in a hug. "I can't thank you enough."

They sat there, eyes closed, hugging, for several long moments. Each girl trying her best not to cry.

Then a throat cleared behind them.

Bridget opened her eyes, as did Bobbi, Felicia, Prema, and Moira. Josie was standing over them, arms folded, having more or less recovered from the effects of the gas grenade.

"This," she said with a distinct note of exhaustion, "has been a very long night."

Bridget slowly got to her feet. She looked at Josie, trying to remain calm. "Look... I know why you're after me. I'm... not going to fight. If you want to arrest me, go ahead."

By this point, the other four FBI agents had also managed to stagger to their feet. They all looked apprehensively at Bridget and her friends.

"But please," Bridget continued. "Let my friends go. I'm the one you want."

Josie glanced out over the cliff's edge. "That woman... the one who was about to kill us... That was Julia Chen?"

Bridget nodded. "She's been after me for weeks. Two of her henchwomen are tied up about a quarter-mile east of here."

"And another one, about two hundred yards north of that," Felicia added.

"And one of them is dead in that truck," Bobbi finished. "Chen killed her."

Josie nodded, and turned to her fellow agents. "Find these other women... put them under arrest," she said. "I'll take care of Baxter."

"But..." Nicole started to protest.

"Get moving, agent," Josie said sternly. "And while you're at it, find Eleanor and that Ashley girl as well."

The FBI agents quickly took off, back into the woods.

Josie turned back to Bridget. "You've caused me a lot of grief, Baxter," she said. "I don't like grief."

Bridget nodded. "Please understand..."

"Let me finish," Josie continued. "By rights, I should lock you up forever. You've likely committed multiple felonies, and encouraged your friends to do the same.

"Still," Josie continued, "you did probably just save myself and my team from that madwoman... and you've clearly gone through a lot of grief yourself tonight." She glanced at the fallen truck. "So here's what we're gonna do. You and your friends will have ten minutes to get as far away from here as possible. Get moving, don't stop. Don't look back. And my team and I are going to take all the credit - I repeat, all the credit - for stopping Dr. Chen and arresting her lackeys. Is that clear?"

Bridget nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"And if you or your friends ever," Josie continued, "ever assault another FBI agent again - whether to steal her uniform or her weapons or even her lunch money - I will lock you all up and melt the key into scrap metal. Is that clear?"

Bridget, Felicia, Moira, and Prema nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Bobbi simply rolled her eyes, but Josie didn't seem to notice.

Josie nodded. "Good." She glanced at her watch, then turned her back. "Now you have nine minutes."

Bridget, Felicia, Bobbi, Moira, and Prema turned and began hurrying off, as quickly as they could.

"Our car's parked this way," Moira beckoned.

"You brought a car?" Felicia asked.

"Borrowed one," Moira replied. "Stole. Whatever. Come on!"

Josie kept her back turned until the footfalls had faded away. Then she sighed.

She had no idea if she'd made the right decision... but it was her decision, and she would have to live with it.

And besides, she would now be the woman credited with defeating one of the world's greatest criminal masterminds. Josie couldn't help but smile thinking of that.

[Trackman281]

The fact that Bobbi is immediately starting this chapter off with the phrase "let's go" says it all. I couldn't agree more, let's roll with this amazing new chapter of yours.

Very good opening and a great use of the swat uniforms too, having that actually use the useful gadgets that said uniforms usually provide seems to be something that genuinely gets overlooked, those equipment vests aren't just for show you know.

Although the fact that Cassandra wants them all to spread out kind of means, she's doomed herself and her colleagues to some USB style fun / takedowns now hasn't she. Bring them on.

I see that this is not the first time Felicia has moaned about her dress getting in the way, let's cue those USB lasers.

I must admit, I really like the attention to detail here in this scene. You've made every bullet feel powerful and effective as if you can really feel the impact of them, it's amazing of how well you've written this scene, plus Cassandra is showing that she's a bit of bad arse. Needless to say, it's great!

Again, another truly amazing scene to follow, the sense of fear and dread for our ladies is really strong here, although I noticed that Bobbi quickly grabbed her title back of absolute "Bad Arse" with her awesome dialogue here. Bridget herself is showing everyone again of how she is a calm and collective leader, she handles extremely well under pressure, even when things seem at their bleakest. Now I know this isn't the first time we've seen Bridget like this, but it's nice to give us all these reminders now and then as just how much of a confident leader Bridget really is.

Interesting scene there with Sonja and Chandra.......Hhhmm, where are you going to go with this, you've got me wondering now.

Mmmm, that was a very well crafted and very well written monologue their for Bobbi. It's true, when you truly do look back and realize what she was like when we were first introduced to her and where she is now, look at her evolution......Good grief, she truly is something special, she's an all round awesome character, with so many amazing traits and choc full of personality, She's truly one of your finest characters, other's may disagree with me, but I'm only telling you the truth.

WOW! You know in all the excitement and everything, I'll be honest, I actually forgot for a moment that Bobbi and Felicia had that bet on didn't they. I remember a previous scene of where Felicia almost couldn't take it anymore and she jumped one of the main characters for her uniform thinking it was a random security guard. Naturally I remember she was stopped at the last moment, but this is just to show that I certainly do remember that they made.......Nice to see it come full circle.

It was fully understandable why Bobbi did that to Felicia, I mean I get it. Bobbi is right, Felicia has been out of the game for a while, she's clearly injured and Bobbi can't protect her at every given moment in this instance. I fully understand why she did this, I just hope in hind sight, Felicia will understands this too, because these two have had some great scenes together in this chapter, especially the bit they embraced each other in a well needed and a well deserved hug!

The baton of awesomeness is truly getting passed around quite frequently in this chapter, because this scene with Bridget was absolutely amazing, her entire scene was powerful, she's a heck of a resourceful woman and even though she's injured, she still took out Chandra and Sonja, what an amazing scene.

Plus, the whole interaction as well with Bridget and Bobbi afterwards was really sweet and quite touching if I'm being honest. It was nice little scene that truly shows the friendship and the unbreakable bond between these characters. Very well done.

Oh come on, we both knew I was going to immediately rate this next scene a ten out of ten when Marina showed up, her constant bad puns are the stem of all things awesome sauce. A very welcome return indeed.

Getting down to it though, it is strange when you think about it. This group really was one of the best of the best weren't they. I certainly remember Toshiko and of course we all know Sloane and Darla, but now without Whitney and Sonja, that does jsut leave Cassandra as the last woman standing..........If that was me, I think I'd be tired too.

And the baton gets passed once more, I see it was time for Felicia to have her bad arse moment and what a moment it was, I seem to have misjudged Felicia about her condition earlier, the fact that she was able to take down Cassandra just shows that she truly can handle anything at this point. Nicely done.

I think Ashley's lost her mind. .................Haha, this was quite a surprise of a scene to be honest, it was very enjoyable and to be honest Marina's "piece of cake" line was great, I mean she wasn't joking, it actually WAS a piece of cake.........Subtle, yet just as funny, nicely done.

Haha! WOW! What a final confrontation. But I can't help but wonder, is this going to be one of those cliffhanger endings for Chen, because we didn't actually see her body or anything, all we know is that she fell into a layer of thick fog. Oh questions, oh questions.

The entire scene itself was great. The build up was well worth the wait, you could really feel the intensity of this final fight and it was an absolute joy to witness. Plus seeing all our heroines come together here at the end was a lovely surprise, plus a nice little but very much welcomed cameo appearance in this chapter from Prema and Moira, excellent stuff and if I'm being honest, I truly liked the fact that all the FBI agents are still alive and kicking too, all they need to do is look for Eleanor and Ashley (who seems to be having a meltdown of some kind haha).

Damn you end of chapter, spoil my fun will you! Well I'll.....I'll.......write.....Something......Meh screw it haha! ....................Joking aside though I am genuinely sorry that I've reached the end of this chapter, but that's just me, because I think I could read this for a number of hours and still not get tired of it.

Well here we are, at the end of the next chapter and once again I have thoroughly enjoyed it. You see my reviews are always long for one genuine reason. You see I truly enjoy this series so much, that I really want you to see that I am not just skimming my way through them, trying to find USB scenes, oh no, no........I'm reading all through these wonderful chapters of yours. Word for word and paragraph by paragraph, I truly do take my time and properly read through it all thoroughly. You create such wonderful characters, that this is why I feel the need to write such long reviews, just to show you that I am paying attention to everything your writing, I'm loving every second and I truly do appreciate all the hard work and dedication you put into these. Their wonderful, they really are!

Thank you once again for another truly phenomenal chapter and I truly can't wait for the next part.

[esercito sconfitto]

thanks for the new installment Tirepanted and sorry for the late comment

But of course the whole chapter is dominated by the major turning point of the story; Ashley accepting her fate of uniform donor is a real milestone and an important moment for the history of our genre

[rufusluciusivan]

A suspenseful final confrontation. You did a great job at conveying how bad the situation for the heroines is: with them hunted by women with better equipment and having to hide, with Felicity's and Bridget's clothes being unpractical, with Bridget being wounded... Of course, it makes the moments when they turn the tables even more awesome! Your writing style is very good at conveying suspense and at narrating fights and action scenes.

The uniform stealings were rarer, but well used, as a way to show the heroines taking the upper-hand.

The reunion between Bobbi and her friends, finally! Hopefully the epilogue will continue the conversations they started... because it seems that Felicia really wants to deal with the subject again. Bobbi having to make the same bet would definitively become an interesting development.

Speaking of which, her comment about being unable to spend fourteen hours without mugging someone hints that this has become an addiction, unless it's a joke... Though if not, I give her Tsuki's seal of approval!

Interesting developments. Felicia's character development looks like a 'reversed mirror' of Bobbi's, with her becoming less enthusiastic about uniform stealings. Was it deliberate?

I appreciated the little moment between Marina, Whitney, and Cassandra. Still good to add moral greyness to the story.

I'll be honest and say that I was bothered by Bobbi's interventions when she defends Bridget's actions as the most noble journalist ever. It's in-character for her to do that, but Bridget more or less letting herself be convinced is feeling like a step backwards. Bobbi seems to become a bad influence around her, and more and more callous and unsympathetic with some of her reactions as times go by (I'm of course speaking about when uniform stealings are concerned, NOT about when she saves her friends as during these moments she ROCKS ), I wonder if it's a deliberate development.

I think that poor Ashley has lost it though... The effect of style of her 'anticlimax' was definitely well-done and comical. However, honestly, I'm feeling sad and sorry for her. Her character arc ultimately was for naught. At least, that's how I feel it.

I agree with Chen when she comments on how pathetic the FBI was.

Speaking of Chen, a suspenseful final confrontation. Once again, her arrogance and her sadism were her downfall. Had she just immediately shot Bridget, things would have turned out differently. Had she tried to climb instead of making Bridget fall, she may have not fallen. Truly a great characterization moment, and a good villain defeat. I don't know if we'll see her again or not. She managed to survive a seemingly fatal situation once. Honestly, I'm fine either way. Chen's a good villain so I'm all in to see her more, but that sendoff could be a perfect way to end her. One can't have too much of a good thing.

Enjoyed a lot the action of this part. Now, I'm hoping the epilogue will be out soon...