That's perfectly understandable. Mind you, I hope this story didn't drudge up any old concerns
Hahaha , no, no, everything is cool and I'm absolutely loving the whole "adventure on the high sea" vibes, I'm really am loving it. Just ignore me, I talk a lot sometime.....Okay, quite often......But nnnaahhh, it didn't do anything to me, I was just in a very talkative mood (what a surprise).
Alos, just a note, this is actually the second short story I've done recently. The first was "Strange Bedfellows" (https://www.uniformstealingboard.com/vi ... =51&t=6539). Not sure if you've read the full thing, but that was another attempt at elevating some secondary characters to explore and develop them on their own.
See that seemed strange because I remembered reviewing it and then I realized I had only reviewed the first part and not the second part. But don't worry, I'll be giving that part a good read and a good review either today or tomorrow, as my goal before the end of the week is to catch up on everyone's stories that I've missed. Because as I said, I know I was away from the story section for a while, but now I'm back and I just want to catch up with everyone's stories. Especially both yours and Rufus's tales.
"Stop dragging your feet and move," Siobhan said tersely.
She tightened her grip on Lucinda's arm and continued to forcefully drag her down the hall.
"I think Veronica's punch really knocked the wind out of her," Kristen noted.
"Then she'll walk it off," Siobhan responded. "Won't you, darling?"
Lucinda glared sidelong at the two women who had her arms trapped in their viselike grip. She thought about breaking free, but her strength was still at a low ebb. Besides, judging by the large guns each woman had strapped to her thigh, an attempted escape would probably not end well for her.
"Where's... Meredith?" she spoke hoarsely.
"Worry about yourself, darling," Siobhan responded. "You're the one who has to contend with Dr. Domina."
They reached the end of the hall, stopping at a large metal door. Kristen knocked loudly.
"Enter!" came a voice from within.
Siobhan and Kristen dragged Lucinda inside. Although still groggy, Lucinda was still level-headed enough to look around.
The room she was in was small and damp, with a metal chair at one end and a wooden table alongside it. Atop the table were a number of sharp metal instruments, plus some electrical implements which were attached to outlets in the wall.
Presiding over this table was a tall, wiry woman, humming softly to herself. She had light skin and short blonde hair tied back in a tight bun, as well as wire-rimmed spectacles over her dark green eyes. She wore a white lab coat over a grey button-down shirt and black knee-length skirt, light blue nitrile gloves, and dark blue boots.
Siobhan and Kristen secured Lucinda to the chair, strapping her wrists to the armrests. "Get comfortable," Kristen said with a wry smile.
As Lucinda's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, the white-coated woman approached. She smiled at Lucinda, a toothy white smile. The gleam in her eye suggested a hungry lioness discovering a fresh new lamb.
"A new prisoner?" she asked Siobhan.
"Yes, doctor... She was quite rude and wild. Veronica wants her... calmed down a bit."
"I can take care of that." The doctor chuckled as she looked down at Lucinda. "You're one of the prettier patients I've had lately. Perhaps this will be fun."
Lucinda glared at her. "Fuck off."
Dr. Domina nodded. "Oh yes... this will definitely be fun."
"We'll be outside," Siobhan said. "Let us know if you need anything."
"I've got quite everything I need," Dr. Domina assured them, glancing at her table of tools.
After Siobhan and Kristen had closed the door, Dr. Domina turned back to Lucinda with a sinister grin. "The only question is, where do we start?"
Lucinda kept a stoic expression on her face, even as the "doctor" before her seemed like nothing short of a medical nightmare.
*****************
Veronica led a still-shaking Meredith down a long corridor. Two guards followed, both well-armed and rough-looking.
Meredith tried to calm her nerves by breaking the heavy silence. "Are... are all your workers women?"
"Indeed they are," Veronica replied, a crafty grin on her face. "When it comes to my line of work - theft, kidnapping, infiltration - women are simply more efficient and reliable than men."
Meredith nodded slowly. She certainly agreed with Veronica - but agreeing with a woman who had taken her prisoner wasn't filling her with confidence.
Veronica reached the door at the end of the corridor and unlocked it. She beckoned Meredith inside. The two guards wordlessly followed.
Meredith glanced around. They were in an office space, not too different from the office she had once inhabited at Dennison. There was a desk, a couple of chairs, and a computer that - despite the mid-oceanic location - seemed to have a good Internet connection.
Meredith considered her options. If she engaged in a surprise attack, she could likely take down Veronica. Perhaps one of the guards... but likely not both. The women looked quite tough and mean, and seemed willing to use deadly force if the need arose.
Besides, Lucinda was still at their captors' mercy. Meredith decided it was in her best interests to play along.
Veronica beckoned her to the desk where the computer sat, idling. She typed in a password and gestured to the chair. "Have a seat," she said, the reptilian smile never leaving her face.
Meredith would have preferred to stand, but the cold eyes of the guards told her it would be best to accept Veronica's offer. She sat.
"Now I know you're a rich woman," Veronica continued, leaning her shapely rear against the desk. "And evidently a smart one. So I'm not asking for anything difficult. All I want - in exchange for sparing your wife's life - is all the money in your bank account. Access your account, and I'll transfer your money to our private fund, after which you're free to go."
Meredith gulped inwardly. She had lost access to most of her money and assets after being arrested - and while Lucinda still had a private offshore account, the two women had been saving that money for when they would reach the Bahamas. The thought of losing that money too... It would leave them with nothing...
Still, she had no choice but to comply with the demands. She nodded. "Okay, I'll give you everything."
She accessed the bank website, quietly impressed with how swift the base's Internet connection was. Then she typed in her account information and hit Enter.
All at once, a red box flashed up on screen. ACCESS DENIED.
Meredith's heart sank as she read the fine text. The account had been associated with criminal activity, and had thus been locked by the bank.
Meredith started to sweat as she realized what had happened. Undoubtedly the Feds had traced the account to her and Lucinda, a pair of wanted fugitives. All the money they had hoped to use in their backdoor plan - now gone.
Veronica frowned as she looked at the screen. "What the hell is this?"
"I..." Meredith tried to compose herself. "I can't access the account. I don't know..."
"Well, figure it out," Veronica said impatiently.
Meredith tried accessing from a different venue, with the same result. She was getting nervous. "Please, I don't know what to do. The authorities, they've blocked everything..."
"Meaning...?" Veronica pressed.
"Meaning... we don't have any money." Meredith felt the bitter sting of the words as they tumbled out. "We... we have nothing."
Veronica nodded. "I was afraid of that."
She stepped away from the desk and put a two-way radio to her lips. "Tell Dr. Domina to finish off the patient... We have no further use for her."
"No!" Meredith cried.
In a fit of rage and horror, she leaped from her seat and lunged at Veronica. But before her fingers could make contact with the woman's throat, one of the guards' gun barrels hit her upside the head.
Meredith fell to the floor, rubbing her sore temple. She was shaking with rage.
Veronica stood over her, a cold look on her face. "Calm yourself, darling," she said. "Your wife - disrespectful woman that she is - will burden the world no longer. But you may yet survive."
She turned to the two guards. "Kaylee, Nadia - take this woman to the dungeons and lock her up... We may find some use for her yet."
"You bitch..." Meredith tried getting to her feet, only for one of the guards to sharply knee her in the stomach. She gasped and fell to the ground.
"Perhaps it would be best to restrain her," Veronica noted. "Before she gets too hysterical."
Before Meredith could react, the guards had handcuffed and footcuffed her with silver restraints, and gagged her with a white cloth. They picked her up bodily and carried her to the door.
Despite the swirl of emotions dancing in her head, Meredith still found the strength to affix a death-glare on Veronica. I'll kill you. I swear I'll kill you.
Veronica just smiled coolly as she closed the door.
*********************
Dr. Domina had just finished laying out her medical implements when her intercom buzzed.
"Hey, doc." It was Siobhan's voice. "No need to hold back on this one. Just polish her off."
Dr. Domina's eyes lit up. She turned to the still-secured Lucinda with a predatory grin on her face.
"This is a pleasant surprise," she said. "Now I get to take my time... Enjoy this. And when you're finished screaming, the sharks that swim these waters will have a delightful midnight snack."
She picked up a tiny electric drill and approached Lucinda. "Shall we begin?"
Lucinda had been silent for several minutes, conserving her strength and letting her anger melt into kinetic energy. She had also noticed that the leather straps binding her wrists were not much stronger than some of the ropes that had bound her in the past.
She waited until Dr. Domina was standing over her, then - putting all her strength into one arm - she gave a tremendous tug at the strap which held it.
"No use struggling, dear," Dr. Domina smiled. "Though it will make this more fun."
Abruptly, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of snapping leather.
Lucinda's arm flew forward. Before Dr. Domina could react, Lucinda's fingers had closed around her throat.
"You're right," she said coldly. "This is more fun."
The look in Dr. Domina's eyes changed from excited to fearful within an instant. She opened her mouth, but could not make a sound.
"I suppose you want me to remove my hand from your neck," Lucinda continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I'm happy to... as soon as you use that sharp little tool in your hands to cut these other restraints binding me. Otherwise, I may just have to flick my wrist... and snap your neck."
The look in Lucinda's eyes told Domina that the unspoken threat was not an idle one.
*********************
Several minutes later, a knock came at the laboratory door.
"Doctor?" Siobhan called. "Are you finished yet?"
No answer. A suspicious look crossed Siobhan's face. She glanced at Kristen, who shrugged.
At that moment, the door opened. A woman stepped out, dressed in a white lab coat over her dark shirt and skirt, as well as blue gloves and boots. She also had goggles and a white surgical mask covering her face and a matching cap over her hair. Most notably, she had a large black bag slung over her shoulder - clearly, with another person inside.
"Dr. Domina," Siobhan said, a bit surprised. She glanced at the bag. "I trust the patient has been... dispatched?"
The woman nodded. She turned and began heading for the nearby stairwell.
A suspicious look crossed Siobhan's face. "Wait, I..."
At that moment, her radio flared to life. "Siobhan, Kristen." It was Dinah. "If you guys aren't still busy, I could use your help sorting the rest of the loot."
Kristen's eyes twinkled. "That sounds fun."
Siobhan nodded. "Yes, but..."
"The doctor will take care of the dead girl." Kristen tugged at Siobhan's arm. "Let's go sift through those pretty diamonds."
Siobhan's affection for sparkling rocks was well-documented, and she couldn't help but smile. "Let's do that."
They headed off down the hall, in the opposite direction.
The woman in lab coat watched them leave, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Close call." Then she began climbing the stairs.
***********************
The top of the island was rocky terrain, overlooking choppy and shark-filled waters. There were four guards stationed to keep watch up there, but Lucinda avoided all of them. Despite her disguise, she needed some privacy.
She found a quiet spot out of sight or earshot from any guards, behind a rocky outcropping, overlooking the churning waters. Then she opened the bag, letting Dr. Domina fall out.
The blonde doctor was still unconscious, now dressed in her black push-up bra and matching hipsters. The bra was decorated with a pair of skull-and-crossbones designs - fitting for a member of a pirate crew, but ironic for a supposed member of the "do no harm" profession. She was also bound and gagged with medical tape from a roll that had been lying around the laboratory.
Lucinda gave the woman a few light smacks to the face. "Wake up, doctor... Let's go, hurry up... before your patient runs out of patience."
She winced - that pun sounded like something one of Dr. Chen's other accomplices would have used. What was her name? Maria or something.
Domina stirred, and slowly groaned. "Hmmpphh?"
Slowly, she came to realize she was bound and gagged - and distinctly lacking in clothes. "Hmmpphh!"
"Yes, yes, we've all been there," Lucinda said dryly. "After you were kind enough to untie me, I slugged you and put on your clothes. Great fit, by the way."
Domina glared at Lucinda as she tried struggling against her bonds. Her cheeks were flushed in anger.
"Now, I needed to get the hell out in the fresh air and reassess things." Lucinda looked around. "Seems we really are on an island out in the middle of nowhere. But I want to know more. I need to know the layout of these caverns, everything about this place." She looked down at Domina, affixing a steely gaze to the woman as she lowered the gag. "And you're going to tell me."
Domina spat. "I will tell you nothing. You can't win, anyway... There's no escape from this rock... I won't talk."
"That's too bad." Lucinda stood up. She grabbed Domina and dragged her to the edge of the cliff, then held her head over the waters.
"Those sharks are probably pretty hungry," Lucinda noted.
Domina gulped. She stared down at the hundred-foot drop, and the silhouettes of large fish circling below the water's surface.
"I hear that silent, non-cooperative women make tasty fish food," Lucinda continued, her grip never wavering. "Should we test that theory?"
For the first time in years, Dr. Domina felt afraid.
*******************
Meredith did not struggle as her bound-and-gagged figure was carried down to the lowest level of the caverns - a dank and musty level that had been reoutfitted for a series of holding cells.
Instead, she was a cacophony of emotions - scared, sad, infuriated. She could hardly focus, though her new surroundings did give her pause.
As her pirate captors carried her through the corridor, Meredith noticed that several of them were filled with captured prisoners. She recognized some of the women from the cargo ship. Evidently they had all been captured and were being held down here.
The pirates reached an empty cell at the far end of the corridor and unlocked it. They tossed Meredith inside.
"Enjoy your stay," Kaylee sneered.
Nadia chuckled. "Why do you tell that to all the prisoners?"
Kaylee shrugged as she locked the door. "It's just common courtesy, I guess."
The women's laughter faded as they headed back down the hall, leaving Meredith alone in the darkness.
Meredith lay quietly for a few moments, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. She had only reunited with her wife a few hours ago - and now the world had conspired to separate them again. This time, it seemed, permanently.
Meredith felt her anger melting into useful energy. She was not through yet. It was time to fight back.
*******************
Faced with the opportunity of becoming a shark's midnight hors d'oeuvre, Dr. Domina proved rather talkative. Before long, Lucinda had learned about the full layout of the pirate lair, from the labs to the dungeons. She also learned about the different types of women who worked within the caves, including the hierarchy of security officers and the different uniforms they wore.
Once Lucinda had ascertained all the information her captive would supply, she regagged Domina and tightened her restraints. Then she left her hidden and squirming within the alcove beneath the rocky overhang.
"Thanks again, doctor," she said. "Now excuse me while I go save my wife."
Lucinda crept silently between the rocks, using both the large formations and the dark midnight sky as cover. She needed to get back inside the caverns below to find Meredith - but first she needed to shed her current clothes. If Dr. Domina was the only woman on the island with a lab coat, Lucinda would not be able to long use it as a disguise without drawing unwanted attention. She needed to blend in.
Peeking out from behind a craggy rock formation, she spotted her chance. One of the pirate security guards was pacing the area, silent and alone.
Lucinda sized the woman up and down. She was tall and tan-skinned, with chestnut-brown hair tied back in a braided bun. She wore a dark blue sweater and matching jeans, along with black leather cowgirl boots and a black woolen cap. Strapped to her belt's holster was a handgun and a jagged knife.
The guard was about the proper size, and there didn't seem to be any of her comrades in sight. Lucinda knew an opportunity when she saw one. She tensed and held her breath, clinging to the shadows.
The bored-looking guard turned and surveyed the area, her back now to the woman spying on her.
Swiftly, Lucinda charged. The guard heard the swift footsteps, and turned back just in time to see the determined woman running towards her. She opened her mouth to sound the alarm.
Lucinda swiftly covered the guard's mouth with one hand, using her forward momentum to tackle the guard behind the nearby rocks. They were far enough away from the other guards, and the steady crash of waves from the ocean drowned out any of the errant sounds of punching and muffled grunts of pain. The fight did not last long; within moments, all grew silent once more.
Minutes later, Lucinda was pulling on her new uniform and lacing up the boots. Though still tensed by the circumstances, she had to admit that she was now feeling a tad better. The uniform was a good fit, and appeared to give her an intimidating edge.
The real guard, however, now looked far less intimidating than before. She was now reduced to a vanilla-white underwire bra and cerulean boyshorts. Lucinda had used some spare medical tape to bind and gag her, and had squirreled the woman beneath a rocky outcropping, thus making her difficult for others to spot her.
Lucinda patted the gun in her holster. Now she had both a disguise and a weapon. Things were looking up... but she still had a long way to go.
"Rest easy, doll," she murmured to the slumbering guard. "I'll handle your shift from here."
She stepped out from behind the rocks, peering around cautiously as she made her way to the nearest cavern entrance.
One of the other guards was stationed near the entrance, but in the low moonlight, she did not clearly see Lucinda's face or recognize her as an imposter. She simply nodded at Lucinda. Lucinda curtly nodded back.
Then she entered the cavern and began descending the stairwell. "I'm coming, Meredith," she whispered.
*********************
Lucinda's disguise did the trick. She passed several other pirate women as she wandered the corridors of the cavern, but most of them paid her little attention, apart from a curt nod or salute. There was almost something familiar about the gait and gestures of some of these pirate women, she thought. Unearthing some memory within her...
"Ah, of course." Lucinda smiled to herself as she recognized the walk. Some of these women were evidently former members of USMC. Lucinda had joined the Marines straight out of college, serving with an all-female unit off the coast of Washington DC. It had been a rough two years, but the time was alleviated whenever the women were allowed entry to government-approved gala events. It was at one such event that Lucinda had encountered a gruff, bushy-mustached, and angry sergeant - as well as his demure and beautiful daughter.
It had been love at first sight. Lucinda and Meredith kept their romance secret for a while, confined to closets and backrooms. But the sergeant eventually noticed his daughter's strange behavior, and the occasional kerchief stains from lipstick that was not her own. He forbade Meredith from seeing Lucinda again - but she had stoutly disobeyed.
On one particularly cold night, Meredith had smuggled herself aboard the ship on which Lucinda was stationed. She tied up an unlucky cadet and dressed in her uniform, then made her way to Lucinda's quarters. After a few hours of private "conversation," Lucinda had agreed to run away with Meredith and begin new lives together. Soon enough, they were married, and their keen business acumen cleared them for successful careers in the world of corporate America.
Lucinda smiled to herself as the reminiscing ended. She steered herself to focus. There would be time to relive the past later, once Meredith was safe and sound.
She remained quiet and alert as she scoured the halls of the cavern. Before long, she had mapped out a fair amount of the pirates' hideaway. There was a munitions room, heavy with artillery and explosives. The bedroom quarters, where the women bunked between schemes. And a heavily guarded door that seemed to lead to the lowest level - presumably a prison for their captives.
It didn't take much deduction for Lucinda to figure out that Meredith was probably being held in that lowest-level prison. She watched the comings and goings around the doorway for some time. It seemed as though the only women granted easy entrance were specially designated guards. These women wore light grey flannel shirts, black jackets, dark blue pants, black boots, and dark red berets. They each had a pistol and taser strapped to their belts.
A small smile danced on Lucinda's lips. Those guard uniforms were certainly a fair deal more imposing than her current getup - and their weapons could come in handy as well.
Lucinda's eye fell on one of the guards who exited the doorway. The woman was tall and toned, with light skin and short sandy blonde hair beneath her beret. She stepped away from the crowds and headed down a quiet side corridor.
The smile on Lucinda's face broadened as she discreetly followed the woman.
The corridor was long but empty, apart from a few storage rooms lining the walls. Lucinda guessed that the guard was on break, attempting to catch a smoke or stretch her legs. She quickened her pace, closing the gap between them.
Hearing Lucinda's footsteps, the guard turned in surprise. She eyed Lucinda's uniform strangely. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Aren't you assigned to be watching outside?"
Lucinda shrugged. "Actually, I've recently been promoted."
"Promoted?" The guard was nonplussed. "To what position?"
Lucinda grinned. "Yours."
Although the guard had spoken with an air of strength and authority, it only took one solid punch to knock her out. Lucinda grabbed her by the underarms and dragged her into the nearest storage closet.
Within minutes, the guard had been reduced to a beige underwire bra and apricot bikini panties. Lucinda used some cables she found in the closet to tie her up, and a green dishrag to gag her.
Then she began redressing herself as befitted her new "promotion"...
*********************
The speedboat motor puttered softly, slowing to a muted purr. Lorelei shut off the engine.
"What are you doing?" Verna inquired.
Lorelei pointed at the waters ahead. A dark, craggy rock formation jutted out from the water, about thirty feet upward. From a distance, they could make out two or three figures moving at the surface of the island, lights reflected against the inky black sky.
"That's where the trail leads," Lorelei whispered. "That island... which doesn't appear to be on our maps. But there are clearly people there."
"Curiouser and curiouser," Doreen mused.
"We can't risk being spotted," Lorelei continued. "Not till we know what's going on. Our best bet is to ditch the boat and use our scuba suits from here."
"Ditch the boat... out in middle of the ocean?" Verna raised an eyebrow. "Seems risky. Besides, aren't there supposed to be sharks in these waters?"
"Don't be a fraidy-cat," Doreen ribbed. "Sharks won't bother us unless we bother them."
"It's a risk we need to take," Lorelei nodded. "Our jobs are on the line, girls. We can't screw this up."
So saying, she stripped off her outer clothing, revealing the neoprene black scuba suit beneath. "Could one of you fetch the oxygen tanks? They're under the rear compartment."
Doreen nodded, and hurried to comply. Verna sighed in exasperation. "Can't believe I dropped out of fashion school for this."
However, she joined Lorelei and Doreen in shedding her clothes for the scuba attire beneath. The three women strapped on the oxygen tanks and goggles.
"Remember, girls," Lorelei cautioned. "We need to stay beneath the surface, but not too far down. Avoid the eyes from above and the sharks from below."
"Comforting thought," Verna muttered.
One by one, the three women submerged themselves in the water and began swimming towards the mysterious island.
*********************
The young guard strolled along the prison corridor, peering into each cell as she went. Most of the prisoners were asleep, though a few could still be heard whimpering in their bunks. On the whole, a fairly quiet night.
Like the other prison guards, the woman wore a grey flannel shirt, black jacket, dark blue pants, and black boots, though she hadn't much fondness for the beret, opting instead for a black ski cap. She had tan skin and an intricate braid of black hair that hung just below her shoulders.
The guard reached the cell at the end of the corridor, the one that housed their newest prisoner. She glanced inside - and gave a start. The cell appeared to be unoccupied. The bed was empty, and there was not a trace that someone had recently occupied the room.
The guard fumbled for her keys, intent on investigating. She unlocked the cell door and stepped inside.
Glancing from left to right, the guard did indeed confirm her suspicions - the room was empty. Or so it seemed; the guard, much to her own misfortunes, did not think to look up.
Meredith lay about ten feet above the guard, gripping a metal stanchion at the ceiling. She waited... waited...
Finally, the guard was in the right position. Meredith leapt downward, feetfirst.
The guard let out an abbreviated grunt as Meredith knocked her to the floor. She tried to get to her feet, confused and winded. However, before she could find her bearings, Meredith used a neck chop to soundly put her out of commission.
Meredith paused to catch her breath. Freeing herself from the bindings had been difficult, and climbing up the smooth stone walls to the stanchion above had been even harder. But Meredith had determination on her side - determination to escape, to find Lucinda... assuming it wasn't too late.
Meredith pushed these thoughts from her mind. She had come too far to panic now. Kneeling down beside the unconscious guard, she began unlacing the woman's boots.
"What are you doing?"
The voice was barely above a whisper, but it still gave Meredith a start. Was it another guard, or...?
No, the voice came from the cell opposite her own. Meredith had not noticed anyone there before, though admittedly her mind had been preoccupied.
The woman in the cell had tanned skin, dark eyes, and magenta-dyed hair. Meredith recognized her from the cargo ship. Violet... no, Viola.
"What are you doing?" Viola repeated. She was dressed only in her puce plunge bra and tangerine boyshorts, and tightly gripping the bars of her cell.
Meredith glanced down at the unconscious guard, then back to Viola. "I'm getting the hell out of here," she said. "And I'm using this bitch's uniform to do it."
Viola was silent for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle. "What goes around, comes around."
"What do you mean?" Meredith knew she shouldn't waste time engaging in conversation, but something about this woman intrigued her.
"These stupid pirates," Viola explained. "They attacked me a few hours ago when they first invaded the ship. Knocked me out, tied me up. One of them stole my uniform." She gave a lopsided grin. "So now they're getting some payback."
Meredith nodded. "I guess that's one way of putting it." She finished unlacing one boot and pulled it off the woman's foot, then went to work on its companion.
"I'd like to teach these pirates a thing or two," Viola murmured. "Think you could get one for me as well? A uniform, I mean. A disguise."
"I know what you mean," Meredith said. She pulled off the second boot and moved toward the woman's belt buckle.
Viola raised an eyebrow. "Wow, you're moving pretty fast," she noted.
"I have some... experience with this tactic in the past," Meredith explained.
Viola nodded. "I've heard stories on the news recently... People getting knocked out, having their clothes stolen. Apparently it's become real common in recent years, mostly among women." She drummed her fingers against the cell bars. "Never thought it would happen to me, though."
Meredith nodded, grinning wryly. "No one ever does..."
********************
The three FBI agents reached the island with minimal fuss or sound. Silently, stealthily, they began to climb up the craggy rockside.
The island wall was steep and slippery, but the jutting rocks provided a steady amount of footholds. Lorelei moved carefully from one step to the next, testing each rock for firmness, and indicating her friends to follow her lead.
Before long, they had reached the summit. Lorelei pulled Verna and Doreen up the last couple of feet and allowed them to settle on the solid ground.
Verna was breathing more heavily than normal. She sat down, looking a bit pale.
"You okay?" Lorelei whispered.
"I'm... no real fan of heights," Verna explained. "Or climbing, for that matter."
Doreen patted her on the shoulder. "Easy, girl. We're at the top. There's nothing to be scared of."
Verna rolled her eyes. "Thanks, mom."
Doreen stuck out her tongue. "I'm trying to be nice. Stop moaning."
"I'm not moaning," Verna replied. "I just need a minute, that's all."
Lorelei glanced around. "Someone's moaning..."
Her eye fell on a nearby rocky outcropping. "There..."
She approached cautiously, then glanced beneath the rock. Her eyebrows went up. Lying there was a tan-skinned, brown-haired woman, dressed in a vanilla-white underwire bra and cerulean boyshorts, bound and gagged with white medical tape.
Doreen and Verna approached, staring down at the woman, who was slowly beginning to regain consciousness.
"Now there's something you don't see every day," Doreen remarked.
"We do see it every day, dummy," Verna countered. "How do you think we get our disguises in the field?"
"How am I the dummy?" Doreen countered. "Didn't you hear how I've only been mugged for my uniform once?"
"So far," Verna deadpanned.
"Enough, both of you." The note of exasperation in Lorelei's voice was starting to rise. "Have your arguments later. Right now, we need to figure out what the hell is going on around here."
Doreen glanced down at the bound-and-gagged woman. "Want to question her?"
"I'm not sure," Lorelei replied. "Maybe we..."
Then her ears perked. The sound of footsteps - bootfalls on hard stone.
Putting a finger to her lips, Lorelei motioned for her friends to duck out of sight.
They cautiously peeked over the rock. Stepping into view was a tall, light-skinned woman, with a dark blue sweater and jeans, black leather cowgirl boots and a black woolen cap over her short and straw-matted blonde hair. She carried a gun in her hip holster.
"Who's that?" Doreen whispered.
"Better question," Verna continued. "Why is she patrolling? What is she guarding on this rocky old island?"
"I don't know." Lorelei's eyes narrowed. "But that's what we're going to find out."
She turned to her friends. "Doreen, she looks about your size. Do you think you could...?"
Doreen smiled, patting her fist into her palm. "I'm on it."
The guard had passed the rocks that obscured the three FBI women, and now stood with her back turned to them, staring out at the open sea.
Doreen rose from her hiding place and quietly stepped towards her, trying to avoid any slick-wet stones on the path.
The guard's eyes squinted suspiciously. Out in the water, some distance off, she could see the outline of a small speedboat. But... it appeared to be empty.
"Where did that come from?" she murmured.
Instinctively, her hand reached for the radio strapped to her waist. But just as her fingers closed around it, Doreen's fingers closed around her mouth.
"Hrpphh?" The guard's inquisitive cry was muffled by Doreen's palm. "Mmmphhh? Hhmmppphh??"
"Those are very good questions," Doreen whispered. "Let's find some quiet place where I can answer them."
She shoved the woman hard behind some nearby rocks, disappearing along with her.
From a distance, Lorelei and Verna listened with bated breath. They could hear the punches and muffled grunts emanating from behind the rocks.
"Why did you send her to knock out the guard?" Verna muttered. "She's getting her ass kicked."
"Have some faith," Lorelei assured her. "Doreen may not seem like a tough cookie, but she knows how to fight."
All grew quiet where once had been the sounds of fighting. Doreen's hand emerged from behind the rocks and gave a "thumbs up" signal.
Lorelei smiled. "Atta girl."
The minutes ticked by slowly and silently. Verna glanced at her watch every thirty seconds or so. "How long does it take that girl to get dressed?"
Finally, Doreen rose from behind the rocks, now disguised in the luckless guard's uniform, boots, and cap. She approached her friends, leaving the real guard - gagged with tape and bound with baling twine, and dressed in no more than her beige triangle bra and lavender hiphuggers - safely stashed in a small alcove.
"Great job," Lorelei said. "Did you have any trouble?"
Doreen coolly blew on her knuckles. "No more than usual."
Verna rolled her eyes. "Show-off."
"Let's keep up the track record," Lorelei continued. "There seem to be two other guards on nearby. Can you mug them and bring us their uniforms?"
Doreen grinned. "Piece of cake."
******************
The other two guards were indeed nearby, on the other side of the island - not that they'd have preferred to be elsewhere. The night had turned chilly, and the hours had begun to drag.
"When's the next shift change?" Aubrey asked. A tall woman with light skin and dark brown hair, she had grown bored of waiting and had wandered over to strike up a conversation.
"Not for another hour," Karla replied. She was of similar build and height, with dark skin and black hair in Fulani braids. "I'm sure you can make it."
"I'm so bored," Aubrey groused. "We don't get any phone service up here. I can't even check my texts."
"But the pay is good," Karla countered. "And we just got that new shipment of women and jewels. That should give everyone a nice bonus."
Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Assuming Veronica and her lieutenants don't take the lion's share again."
Karla chuckled. "Don't let her hear the way you talk about her." She took a pack of gum out of her pocket. "Want some?"
Aubrey shook her head. "No thanks... Not a fan of the mint flavor."
"Suit yourself." Karla popped a piece into her mouth. "Just enjoy the outdoor view. We spend too much time working below."
"I guess..." Aubrey glanced around. She noticed another woman in guard uniform similar to their own, walking towards them. It was dark, but she could see the woman had light skin and blonde hair beneath her cap.
"I see Shanna is kind of bored too," Aubrey mused. "Hey Shanna, anything interesting on your end?"
The blonde woman kept her head low and her pace steady. "Something interesting happened, just a few minutes ago..."
Aubrey frowned. The voice did not sound familiar. She squinted as the guard stepped closer and into the moonlight. "Hey... you're not Shanna... urk!"
She flew backwards as Doreen's foot connected with her stomach, and fell to the the ground.
"I see they're making security guards smarter these days," Doreen mused.
Karla immediately pulled out her gun and aimed it at Doreen. She spat out her gum. "Don't know who you are, bitch, but you better not move a muscle."
A look of horror crossed Doreen's face as she raised her hands. "Okay, don't shoot... Please, I surrender..."
Karla reached for her radio to sound the alarm... However, in doing so, she averted her eyes from Doreen for a quick moment.
Doreen took advantage of that moment. Her hands remained still, but her foot kicked out at a small stray rock. The projectile flew through the air and hit Karla's hand, knocking the gun from her grip.
"Huh?" Karla stared at her hand, dumbfounded, for a moment. Then her eyes glanced up just in time to see Doreen's fist speed between them.
"Well... maybe not that much smarter," Doreen mused.
Aubrey, still conscious, tried staggering to her feet. Doreen changed her mind with a quick neck chop. "Sorry, girl. But repeated research has shown me that guards are easier to strip when they're unconscious."
She picked up the two guards, one over each shoulder, and carried them back to her friends.
"Wonderful work," Lorelei said with satisfaction as Doreen returned and deposited her two victims on the ground. "Did you have any trouble?"
"No trouble. These guards go down like tenpins."
Verna groaned. "Okay, we get it, Superwoman. You want an award or something?"
"Well, a pay raise would be nice," Doreen admitted. "Maybe a bonus for each new uniform stolen?"
"We'll discuss our salaries once we're back at the office." Lorelei knelt down beside the two unconscious guards. "Verna, choose one of these women and start stripping her. Doreen, keep watch for the next few minutes."
Doreen nodded. She kept guard over the area while the real guards were parted from their clothes.
Beneath her uniform, Karla wore a neon-green bikini bra and eggshell tanga panties. Aubrey wore a chartreuse sports bra and cyan hipsters. Lorelei and Verna reappropriated some fishing line to bind the women hand and foot, and used a pair of cloth kerchiefs as gags.
Lorelei and Verna then dressed in the uniforms, boots, and caps. Before long, all three FBI agents were fully disguised.
Verna felt something in the pocket of "her" uniform. She pulled out a packet of gum. "Awesome," she grinned. "I always love when stolen uniforms come with a snack bonus."
Lorelei raised an eyebrow. "How can you think about food right now?"
Verna shrugged as she popped a piece of gum in her mouth. "Gum's not really food. It just helps me think... Keeps me focused."
"Can I have a piece?" Doreen asked.
"Check your own pockets," Verna replied. "Maybe you've got some food, too. I bet these guards get hungry up here, after all."
Doreen felt around the pockets of her own uniform. Then she brightened and pulled out a small pack of beef jerky. "Yum."
"Nice... I'll trade a piece for a stick of gum," Verna said.
"Two sticks," Doreen countered.
Verna scowled. "Why do you have to make everything difficult?"
Lorelei clapped her hands loudly. Verna and Doreen looked at her, startled.
"Girls!" Lorelei said sternly. "Enough talk about trading snacks. We're not on lunch break at the cafeteria. We're on a deadly mission, and we need to stay alert. That means no more squabbling, or bickering, or juvenile behavior. This is a life or death situation. If you can't handle that, I'll continue on from here myself."
"We can handle it," Verna said.
Doreen nodded. "Are you okay, Lore? You seem a little exasperated tonight."
"To us," Lorelei continued. "I overheard some news reports when we were at the lighthouse. Apparently Josie and Delta Squad just netted a big catch... They stopped that criminal maniac, Julia Chen. They'll get promotions for sure. What have we got?"
Silence for a moment. Verna spoke up. "Screw Delta Squad. We've got a good team, and we've got a group of marine saboteurs waiting to be captured."
Doreen nodded. "Let's get 'em."
Lorelei smiled encouragingly. "I knew I could count on you girls."
******************
Meredith finished dressing in her disguise. She glanced at Viola in the opposing cell. "So? How do I look?"
"Not bad," Viola replied. "Looks like it fits pretty well."
Meredith grinned. "That it does."
"Did you tie her up tight?" Viola asked.
Meredith glanced down at the real guard, now unconscious and lying on her cot. The dark-haired woman had been reduced to a black sports bra and hot pink hipsters. She had been bound and gagged with the remains of Meredith's bedsheets.
"Pretty tight, I'd say."
"Good," Viola replied. "These women deserve a little discomfort after what they've done to us."
She paused for a moment, then repeated her earlier question. "Could you get me a disguise too?"
"Well, I..." Meredith did not know this woman, and wasn't sure what to say. Her top priority - as it always had been - was to escape. And perhaps find Lucinda, if she still had time.
But something in the woman's voice softened her. "Okay... I'll find you a uniform."
Viola smiled. "You've got a heart of gold. Thank you."
Meredith exited the cell, now at a loss for words. It had been a while since any civilian had complimented her that way - perhaps justifiably, as the only civilians she had interacted with in recent weeks were women whose clothes she had robbed.
She had been on the run for weeks now - so much had happened, and yet she had been given so little time to stop and reflect on the direction of her life. Every day seemed to require new disguises, and new strategies, to evade the authorities and get her elusive happily ever after.
As Meredith proceeded down the prison corridor, the sound of other footsteps echoed from the other direction. She quickly straightened and refocused herself.
Another uniformed guard descended from the stairwell. Tall and blonde, her cap pulled low over her face. From a distance, Meredith attempted to size her up. She appeared to be about the same size as Viola.
The gears began turning in Meredith's head as she weighed her options. What would be the best way to knock this woman out? She had grown partial to the neck chop as a mugging technique, although the sleeper hold still worked quite well. Perhaps she could get experimental with a nerve pinch... but no, those hadn't always worked out in the past. Still, this guard did not seem so threatening...
Meredith couldn't help noticing that her heart was pumping a little faster than usual, growing more rapid the closer she approached this other woman. Was it fear? Nerves? No... something else... A flash of dawning recognition...
"Luci?"
The blonde looked up. "Meri...?"
The two women looked at each other for an eternal moment.
Then they swiftly embraced, drawing each other in tightly.
"I thought... I thought I'd lost you," Meredith whispered.
"You won't get rid of me that easy," Lucinda replied, a broad smile on her lips.
The two hugged for a long minute. Then Meredith stepped back, wiping a tear from her eye.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I don't mean to get emotional... It's just been too much... Everything we've been through..."
"It's been a lot," Lucinda agreed. "Don't apologize, honey. I know exactly what you mean."
"Everywhere we go, there's more trouble, more danger." Meredith took a breath. "It's like the universe is conspiring to keep us from a quiet, happy life."
"Well, screw the universe," Lucinda scoffed. "We're still here - and we're still together. Nothing has stopped us yet, and nothing will."
Meredith smiled. "You always know what to say."
Lucinda nodded. "And right now, I'm saying we get out of here. Shall we?"
Meredith nodded back, then paused. "Wait... What about the others?"
Lucinda was confused. "Others?"
Meredith gestured to the other cells. "There are over a dozen women here, all from the cargo ship. They've all been captured... We can't just leave them to be sold into slavery..."
"Meri," Lucinda replied. "Every minute we spend talking here is further risk to our lives. We need to get out of here while we can. If those pirate bitches catch us again, we're toast."
"But won't they be less likely to catch us," Meredith responded, "if we can take them by surprise?"
"What do you mean?"
"There are eighteen crewwomen in these cells," Meredith continued, warming to the point. "And there are dozens of pirate women in this complex. If one of those pirate women recognizes us as prisoners, we'll be shot on sight. But if we could thin their numbers..."
A dawning look of comprehension appeared on Lucinda's face. "Interesting idea."
"So what do you say?"
"I say... it sounds like you have some sympathy for these women," Lucinda replied. "But they could certainly be useful. I'm willing to give it a shot."
"Perfect." Meredith turned back to the cells, raising her voice enough for the prisoners to hear her without allowing her voice to travel upstairs where the other pirates could be alerted. "Okay, ladies... listen and listen well."
The eighteen women, curious at the sound of the woman's voice, stood and approached the doors of their cells.
"My name is Meredith... This is my wife, Lucinda." Meredith spoke in a calming yet authoritative voice, trying to engender both sympathy and command. "Some of you may recognize us from the cargo ship where we all recently and unceremoniously kidnapped."
She paused for effect, glancing at Lucinda. Her wife nodded in encouragement.
"We have a confession to make," Meredith continued. "The two of us... are not actually longshorewomen. Earlier tonight, we ambushed two of your crewmembers and stole their clothes to board your ship. The truth is, my wife and I are really..."
Meredith paused. She wanted to be honest - in fact, she could already feel a great weight being unburdened from her shoulders. However, she realized that too much honesty could be a problem. These women would be less liable to trust her if she identified herself and Lucinda as "wanted criminals" or "escaped convicts."
"My wife and I are secret agents," Meredith said. Noting Lucinda's surprised look, she continued. "Yes, we are spies, tasked with infiltrating this complex and stopping these evil pirates."
By now, all the prisoners were listening with rapt attention.
"But we need your help," Meredith continued. "There are only two of us, and dozens of these pirate women. We need strength in numbers... and you ladies, you are just the ones to help us."
The prisoners looked uneasily at one another. Just what was this woman asking of them?
Meredith moved from one cell to the next. "What I'm asking you is not easy," she said. "But if we succeed, it will mean your freedom... freedom for all of us. I have faith in you. You're all strong women... and you want revenge."
Meredith knew how potent the word "revenge" was - it had driven her fight against Bridget, Prema, and their friends for the past several weeks. And it struck a chord between the prisoners, who now began whispering excitedly amongst themselves.
Lucinda leaned in towards Meredith. "Great speech, darling. I didn't know you were such a talented orator."
Meredith blushed. "I learned it by watching you at those board meetings."
Then she raised her voice once more. "Okay... who's with me?"
From within the cells, every woman raised her hand.
Meredith smiled. "Ladies, let's kick some ass."
*********************
Quietly, cautiously, Lorelei descended the stairs to the bowels of the inner cavern, Verna and Doreen in tow.
As the trio reached the floor, they glanced around. Doreen let out a low whistle. "This place definitely looks bigger on the inside."
Other women, dressed in uniforms identical or similar to the ones they had stolen, milled about. Most brandished weapons - guns, knives, some razors. Some women carried large crates or cannisters which overflowed with glittering coins and jewels. Occasionally one of the women would nod in the direction of the trio, who stood, mouths slightly agape, taking in the scene around them.
"There's a whole criminal operation down here," Lorelei whispered, a detectable note of excitement in her voice. "And we're right in the middle of it."
"Amazing," Verna replied dryly. "That is, assuming we don't get caught or killed or anything."
"Don't need to sound so negative," Doreen chided. "Where's your sense of adventure?"
"I think I left it on the mainland." Verna glanced around. "Seriously, girls, this place is huge and we're sorely outnumbered. Maybe we need to call for backup."
"We will," Lorelei assured her. "Just as soon as we get a better feel of the place and figure out what's going on here. Follow me, girls."
The three women moved quietly through the hallways of the vast criminal complex, taking in the detail in the walls and the various rooms that they passed.
Not far off, at the other end of the hallway, Kristen was conferring with Siobhan and Diana.
"This is so strange," she muttered. "Could there be something wrong with radio reception?"
"What's strange?" Siobhan asked.
"I'm trying to check in with the security lookouts up top," Kristen explained, holding up her radio. "But I'm not getting any response. Aubrey, Shanna... They're not picking up."
Siobhan frowned. "Weird."
Diana glanced over. "I think you're on the wrong channel."
"What?"
Diane pointed to the switch on the side of the radio. "We set the communications with outdoor patrol guards to channel 6. Your radio is still set on channel 8, from when we infiltrated the cargo ship and communicated with the submarine."
Kristen glanced down at her radio in surprise. "That's... actually true. Good call."
Diane smiled proudly. "That's why I'm the genius of this group."
Kristen rolled her eyes and switched channels on the radio. "Aubrey, come in? Karla, do you copy?"
Almost immediately, there was a level of static feedback that made the three ladies wince.
Siobhan blinked in annoyance. "The hell...?"
The three women turned around. The static was a result of being in close proximity to the recipients' radios. Three women stood nearby, stopping short in their tracks.
"Who are you?" Kristen squinted in confusion. They were dressed like security guards, yet she did not recognize their faces.
Lorelei covertly motioned for Verna and Doreen to keep quiet. She tried to think of something to say. "We..."
"Those aren't your uniforms," Kristen continued, as she quickly pieced things together.
Shit, Lorelei thought.
She tried reaching for her gun, but wasn't fast enough. Siobhan and Diana pulled out their weapons first and pointed them at the trio of newcomers.
Lorelei raised her hands in surrender. Verna and Doreen did as well, sour looks crossing their faces.
"Well, well." Kristen folded her arms. "More infiltrators, eh? Must be a special occasion tonight."
More infiltrators? Lorelei did not know what she meant. Were there other FBI agents on the premises? Had they also been captured?
Perhaps Delta Squad got here first... But Lorelei pushed the thought from her mind, trying to concentrate of the threat before her.
Kristen stepped close to Lorelei, eyeing her interrogatively. "Who are you?"
Lorelei saw no purpose in dancing around the truth. "We're federal agents... And you're under arrest."
Kristen was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. "You're in no position to arrest anyone, darling. I suggest you save your threats."
She glanced back at Siobhan and Diana, who kept their guns trained on the trio of infiltrators. "Ladies, what say we take these three losers to an interrogation room and learn all about their precious federal agency."
Siobhan nodded. "Sounds good."
"Okay, ladies... keep your hands raised and move those asses." Kristen stepped behind Lorelei and shoved her along, motioning for Verna and Doren to follow.
The three FBI agents moved with resigned frustration, as their captors led them down the hallway.
Lorelei silently cursed herself all the while. Just great... What are we going to do now?
-------------
Sorry for the long delay between chapters, everyone. Hope you enjoyed. I hope to have the third and final chapter posted more quickly.
Interesting new chapter in that there are multiple guard take out and all are on the more physical punch out/neck chop side of things. Probably does fit the story best.
I think I enjoyed the take out of Aubrey the best. Such a good scene given it started with the good old bored guard. Then we get the great scene of her being tricked into thinking an approaching guard is a colleague until it is too late.
And I love the take out with a kick to the stomach. Then, when poor Aubrey starts to get up, she gets a neck chop that knocks her out. And I loved the "Sorry, girl. But repeated research has shown me that guards are easier to strip when they're unconscious." What a great comment.
The scene with Shanna right before it was great too. Love the old sneak up behind a guard as she is about the raise the alarm idea. Fun too Doreen's comment of "Those are very good questions. Let's find some quiet place where I can answer them."
The scene of Meredith hiding up on the ceiling and dropping down on the guard before knocking her out with a neck chop was also wonderful. Really good scene.
Yes, this is certainly a guard-heavy chapter. It helps that it's mostly in a confined space (the island) with the main characters as prisoners.
I like the idea of introducing the guards as being bored on the job. Like they're hoping something interesting happens - and then it does, in a way they would prefer it wouldn't. Doreen's dialogue was fun to write too.
And it had been some time since I'd done a sort of "prisoner drops down from the cell ceiling" scene, so this chapter seemed like a good opportunity.
this chapter screams summer . and yes, it is a series of scenes of guards mugged, one after another, but I believe there is more; I believe this is the preparatory set up for a mass scene , an unexpected return to the early novels... with the capture of a whole island
by the way, a personal plea from me... Tirepanted, would you kill this disturbing Dr. Domina? thanks in advance
tirepanted3 wrote: ↑Wed May 25, 2022 11:03 am
I like the idea of introducing the guards as being bored on the job. Like they're hoping something interesting happens - and then it does, in a way they would prefer it wouldn't.
That really is one of my favorite ideas. I love a woman on guard duty, bored, wishing for some excitement only to be knocked out by an intruder.
While not a uniform steal, one of my all time favorite comic scenes involves just that. It is from the New Mutants comic.
Three of the heroes are sneaking onto an island and need to get past a female guard. The guard is thinking to herself how bored she is and how she wishes something would happen to break the monotony. At that moment the one character, Dani, uses her mental powers on the woman to make her, oddly enough, she the Easter Bunny hoping by.
The sentry is so entranced by the image that Dani is able to come up behind her and knock her out with a nerve pinch.
esercito sconfitto wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 9:53 am
this chapter screams summer . and yes, it is a series of scenes of guards mugged, one after another, but I believe there is more; I believe this is the preparatory set up for a mass scene , an unexpected return to the early novels... with the capture of a whole island
by the way, a personal plea from me... Tirepanted, would you kill this disturbing Dr. Domina? thanks in advance
( Ok I was kidding, don't kill her )
It gives me a vibe of the old school spy show like The Man From Uncle, but all girls... but the multiple guard muggings just make it that much better.
IMo if this dude could find an artist to work with him then these stories would be even more epic.
Esercito: I suppose this is the sort of short and light story that is good for summer reading, and potentially a throwback to some of my earlier stories in the next chapter - guess we'll see...
Dr. Domina is certainly a cruel woman, but she has received some level of punishment/humiliation in this chapter, so she will probably survive. Besides, Lucinda and Meredith are trying to move past their own criminal pasts (even if the world won't always let them), which means letting the villains live to face justice.
Meditions: Part of the fun thing about a bored guard scenario is the idea of "tempting fate" and the irony that comes with her wishing for something interesting. I try to capture this in some of the security guard replacement scenes (or scenes with other types of replacements, for that matter).
That's a great little New Mutants scene, even if it doesn't involve a uniform steal. Despite my affinity for Chris Claremont's X-Men comics, I don't think I've read that one before. (Claremont is always very good at giving female characters personality, even nameless female security guards.)
RandomGuy: I love some of those old spy shows like Man from UNCLE, and perhaps they've had an influence on my stories (though with a lot of gender-swapping, of course).
I don't directly work with any artists, but Esercito has created wonderful illustrations of some of my stories, both here and at DA. I'm always flattered by his work.
The two pirate guards stationed at the head of the dungeon stairway stood at attention, if a bit laboriously.
Like their fellow guards, they were dressed in standard-issue uniform - light grey flannel shirts, black jackets, dark blue pants, black boots, and dark red berets. And like their fellow guards, they had settled back into routine following the cargo ship score from earlier that night.
One of the guards, a woman with light skin and chestnut-brown hair that fell in a V-shape between her shoulders, perked up slightly at some noises that seemed to be echoing down the corridor.
"Sounds like the prisoners are getting awfully chatty," she murmured.
Her partner, a woman with pale skin and platinum blonde hair tied back in a knotted bun, shrugged. "Not like they've got anything else to do."
The brunette chuckled. "Not unless you go down there, Alison."
Her friend bristled. "What do you mean?"
"I've heard the rumors," the brunette replied. "How you like to... have fun with one of the prisoners every now and then. Why not go downstairs now and find one of the prettier girls? Maybe you can talk her into some excitement."
Alison frowned. "Those girls in north sector are always spreading these bullshit rumors, Kinsey... you should know better than to believe them."
"Rumors... right." Kinsey rolled her eyes and was about to goad her friend further when the door behind them suddenly opened.
A blonde woman in guard uniform and beret poked her head out, a look of concern on her face. "Hey," she addressed the two stationed guards. "Some of the prisoners down there are causing a bit of fuss. Would you two be able to help straighten them out?"
Alison and Kinsey looked at the uniformed woman in surprise, exchanged a glance.
"Sure, be happy to," Alison said.
"I just bet you are." An impish grin spread across Kinsey's face.
"Oh, shut up." Alison scowled, then glanced at the woman who had addressed them. "Lead the way. I'll teach those prisoners a thing or two." She patted the taser that was strapped to her hip.
The blonde woman nodded. "Follow me."
She led them down the stairs to the prison cells below. Alison twirled her taser in one hand, smiling slightly.
They reached the foot of the stairs. The blonde opened the door to the nearest cell. "Here, take a look. We had to restrain this one for her behavior."
Alison and Kinsey stepped in with surprise. The woman was lying on the cell's only cot. She had tan skin and braided dark hair, and wore merely a black sports bra and hot pink hipsters. She had been bound and gagged with bedsheets, and was struggling furiously.
Alison couldn't help but chuckle as she stepped toward the prisoner. "Wow... she must have really been acting up to deserve this treatment."
"I bet you say that to all the girls," Kinsey joked.
Alison gave her a dirty look and was about to say something when something about the prisoner caught her eye. Something familiar...
Here eyes widened as she realized this wasn't a prisoner at all. "Tory, is that you?"
Kinsey's eyes widened as well. She opened her mouth to speak, but it was at this moment that the blonde woman behind them gave the signal.
At Lucinda's wave, Pamela and Viola swiftly entered the cell and attacked Alison and Kinsey from behind, stuffing pillowcases over the head to muffle the inevitable screams of surprise. The guards struggled - another inevitability - but they had been caught unawares, and their two assailants had momentum and leverage on their side in keeping the captives from breaking free.
Pamela grabbed Alison's taser and shoved it into the side of her neck. Alison let out a stifled cry as the electricity shot through her and she lost consciousness.
Kinsey got comparatively light treatment - she was stunned by a sudden neck chop from Viola. A long moan escaped her lips as she drifted off into dreamland.
The two prisoners lowered the unconscious guards to the floor, then turned back to Lucinda. "Well, how's that?"
"Very good," Lucinda smiled approvingly. "For a start, that is. Undress these two... We've got a lot more work to do before this is over."
Pamela and Viola did not need to be told twice. They bent down and began stripping the guards of their attire.
Meanwhile, Lucinda stepped out of the cell and gave the "all-clear" whistle. Meredith and the other sixteen women stepped out of the cells where they had been hiding.
"We're doing well so far, ladies," Lucinda said. "Now we need to head upstairs, take out the guards in the immediate vicinity, and cut the power. Who wants to come along?"
Several hands went up. The women were rapidly regaining their confidence and motivation to fight back.
Lucinda smiled. "Wonderful." She glanced at Meredith, who nodded approvingly.
It only took a few minutes for Pamela and Viola to get dressed in the guards' uniforms, boots, and berets.
Viola looked Pamela up and down. "Wow, Pam... you look badass."
Pamela laughed. "Getting kidnapped by pirates is not how I expected to spend my night... but things are looking up."
"For us, anyway," Viola noted. "Not for the pirates."
She glanced over to the cots, where the captured guard had now been joined by two associates - the women who had been so kind as to relinquish their uniforms. Both Kinsey and Alison were still unconscious, now bound and gagged with spare bedsheets, and were left in nothing but their underwear. Alison wore an ochre sports bra and zebra-striped boyshorts, while Kinsey sported a mauve triangle bra and lemon bikini panties.
"Thanks for the clothes, ladies," Pamela smiled at the prisoners as she and Viola exited the cell.
Lucinda nodded at them. "Good... I see those uniforms fit pretty well. Ready?"
"You bet," Viola nodded. "Lead the way."
********************
Lucinda led Meredith, Pamela, and Viola up the stairwell, with six other women following behind at a distance.
Lucinda cracked open the doorway and peeked out. The hallway was mostly clear. At one end of the corridor, two guards were chatting idly with one another.
From down the hall, Lucinda could hear the echoing sounds of laughter, plus the clinking of glasses and scraping of dishes.
"Sounds like they're having a feast," she conferred to her associates.
Pamela nodded. "I overheard one of the guards mentioning that earlier... Apparently the pirates have this sort of banquet celebration every time they bring in a big 'catch'..."
Lucinda nodded. "Interesting..."
She caught Meredith's eye and could tell that her wife was thinking along the same lines.
Lucinda turned to Pamela and Viola and motioned them to the doorway. "Ladies, see those two at the end of the hallway?"
Viola nodded. "They've got the same uniforms as we do."
"Yes, but they look a little... sleepy at this hour," Lucinda continued, a twinkle in her eye. "Do you think you could persuade them to... take the rest of the night off?"
Pamela grinned, cracking her knuckles in anticipation. "Piece of cake. Come on, Vi."
Viola followed Pamela out the door and along the corridor. The two idly chatting guards looked up as the newcomers approached.
"Good evening, fellow pirates," Viola said, a note of self-satisfied bravado in her voice. "My friend and I were about to find a quiet room and share a few glasses of fine brandy... But we're of the opinion that four is better than two. Would you care to join us?"
The two guards exchanged a glance. They had been instructed not to leave their post outside the dining hall.
"I know what you're thinking," Pamela added. "But everyone's busy eating. No one will notice if we slip away... just for a few minutes..."
The guards' eyes lit up, and both smiled.
"Right this way," Pamela said with a beckoning finger, stepping down the corridor, away from the banquet hall.
The two eager - if somewhat naïve - guards followed her and Viola down the hall.
Once they had disappeared from sight, Lucinda stepped out from her doorway.
"Coast is clear," she whispered. "Come on, let's not waste any time."
Meredith stepped out into the corridor, with the six crewwomen following.
"Follow me," Lucinda whispered. "These hallways have a tendency to make your footsteps echo, but try to keep the noise to a minimum."
Quietly, the eight women began walking down the corridor, away from the crowded banquet hall.
"I discovered the generator room on my earlier tour of these corridors," Lucinda explained. "It should be right this way..."
Indeed, it was not long until the women reached the room in question. The door was padlocked, but a pair of bolt cutters from a nearby storeroom took care of that.
"Now," Lucinda rubbed her hands as she opened the door and eyed the electronic fuses. "The fun begins."
********************
Verna grit her teeth as she felt the ropes pull tight and bite into her wrists.
"You'll be sorry for this, bitch," she growled.
"I'm afraid you're the ones who will be sorry," Kristen said coldly. "Sorry you thought you could take this base by surprise."
Verna was now tied tightly to a chair in the cold storeroom, as were Lorelei and Doreen. Siobhan and Dinah stood back beside Kristen and smiled at the three captured women.
"So... you three are FBI agents, eh?" Kristen mused. "Bad news for us... worse news for you."
"There are reinforcements on the way," Lorelei said defiantly. "I sent out a signal as soon as we arrived on this island. If anything happens to us, you'll regret it."
Kristen chuckled. "Nice try, darling... But I know you're lying. Our tech blocks any signals traveling outside the island, unless they have express authorization."
Lorelei's cheeks turned red. The pirate women had called her bluff without hesitation.
"So the real question is... what do we do with you now?" Kristen paced the floor in thought.
"Why not just let us go?" Doreen said perkily. "We don't know your names or anything... and I'm sure we could forget your location. I'm terrible with directions, just ask my boyfriend..."
"Shut up," Kristen said in annoyance. "Let me guess... You're the comic relief of the team?"
"She thinks she is," Verna muttered.
"Well, Miss Funny Girl." Kristen leaned close to Doreen. "I can assure you that there is nothing humorous about your current predicament."
Doreen shrugged. "Maybe you just don't have a sense of humor."
Kristen raised an eyebrow at the backtalk. But before she could respond - perhaps with the back of her hand across Doreen's cheek - Verna interjected once more. "Shut up, Doreen. You're embarrassing us, and the whole FBI."
"Yeah, right," Doreen scoffed. "Like I could embarrass you any more than you've already been."
"If my hands weren't tied, I'd really let you have it," Verna snarled. "A right cross would do wonders for your attitude."
Kristen glanced at Dinah and Siobhan, who were trying hard not to laugh. The two FBI agents were behaving like a pair of bickering girls.
"I'd like to see you fight me," Doreen taunted. "After getting your clothes stolen twice, I bet a flower could knock you over."
"Bitch, you're asking for trouble," Verna seethed.
"Enough!" Kristen said indignantly. "Stop this, you're both grown women!"
"She sure doesn't act like one," Verna responded.
As the pirate women focused their attention on Doreen and Verna, Lorelei sat off to one side, quietly but quickly trying to escape from the bonds which held her wrists.
Come on, come on... Sweat beaded her brow. If any of the pirate women glanced her way, the opportunity would be lost.
Lorelei could feel the ropes weakening around her wrists. She had stiffened her arms at the moment of binding, and thus had afforded herself a few centimeters of slack - which her fingers and nails were now putting to good use.
At that moment, Siobhan glanced over at her. "What are you doing?"
Shit! Lorelei froze. "Err..."
Siobhan drew her gun and stepped toward Lorelei, a suspicious look on her face. "Not trying to escape, are you?"
Lorelei bit her lip. She had blown her opportunity. It was over...
It was at that moment, though, that the forces of fate seemed to intervene. There was a dull fizz from the light fixtures above them. At once, the storeroom was plunged into total darkness.
"What the hell?" Kristen looked around, squinting. "Who turned out the lights?"
"Not me," Dinah said. "Hang on, I think the switch is right here."
There was a clicking noise, followed by silence. "The lights don't work," Dinah announced.
"Someone must have cut the fuses." Siobhan's voice, carried through the darkness, carried a note of trepidation.
"Great," Kristen deadpanned. "As if we don't have enough trouble."
"It's okay," Dinah said. "I've got a flashlight. Let me just... hmmmpphh!"
There was a muffled scream, followed by a pair of dull thuds. Then silence.
"...Dinah?" Soibhan asked cautiously. "What happened? Are you... huurrkk!"
She gasped suddenly, her voice cut short as though an arm had wrapped around her throat. The sounds of punching, then silence once more.
Kristen curled her hands into fists. She held up her gun. "Enough. This little game has gone far enough."
"It's no game, darling," a voice whispered in her left ear.
Kristen whirled toward the sound of the voice - thus exposing the right side of her neck. The sound of a well-aimed neck chop echoed through the storeroom, followed by a grunt of pain, followed then by the sound of an unconscious woman slipping to the floor.
Moments later, Dinah's flashlight flicked on - but she was not the one wielding it. Instead, Lorelei stood triumphantly, the bodies of the three unconscious pirates around her.
"Way to go, Lore!" Doreen beamed. She and Verna were still tied to the chairs, but both were relieved to see their colleague had gotten free.
"You sure kicked their asses," Verna nodded.
"I knew that distracting them with a fight between me and Verna would give you time to escape," Doreen continued.
Lorelei gave her a look. "Wait... you staged that whole argument?"
"Yep!" Doreen said proudly.
"No," Verna replied. She still looked at Doreen in annoyance.
Lorelei sighed, running her fingers through her blonde hair. "Whatever. Let's get both of you out of those bonds."
********************
The storeroom was not the only area of the pirate complex that had felt the effects of a blackout.
In the main dining hall, where Veronica was about to raise her glass before the meal, her toast was interrupted as all the lights went out.
"What is the meaning of this?" she said in anger, as the other pirate women buzzed in confusion.
One of the guards, a sandy-haired, light-skinned woman named Melina, glanced out from her post at the entrance. "Ma'am," she declared, "it looks like many of the lights in the facility have gone out."
Veronica's eyes narrowed. "Well, find the problem and fix it," she said through gritted teeth.
Melina nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'll take my team to the generator room."
"If any of those prisoners have escaped, I want them shot," Veronica continued.
"Of course, ma'am."
*********************
it did not take long to assemble her crew. Melina was soon stepping cautiously down the dark hall, followed by the five other guards in her team. The six women all wore the same uniforms as the prison guards, though they also now bore night-vision goggles, the better to see in the darkness.
Still, as the women walked down the long corridor toward the generator room, their vision was mostly concentrated on looking forward. They did not focus much on what was happening to their sides... or behind them.
So it was that as the pirate soldiers stepped down the hall, their bootsteps echoing down the corridor, none of them noticed as one of the doors they passed slowly creaked open.
The last soldier in line was also the newest addition to the pirate team - a young woman named Madison. She had light skin and curly brown hair that reached her shoulders. She had just joined up with the pirate team a few weeks ago, eager for the thrills and riches she assumed the life would bring. Madison had not considered any of the potential hardships of the endeavor - one of which she was about to face right now.
As Madison adjusted her night-vision goggles, she detected the faint sound of a door opening behind her. Before she could turn around, however, a hand abruptly slid over her mouth. Her eyebrows arched in surprise, but she was immediately pulled backwards into a side room before she could squeak.
The next guard in line, a woman named Linh, heard the faint sound of a door clicking shut, and turned around. A tall Vietnamese woman with straight dark hair and olive skin, Linh was known among her fellow pirates for being cautious, and was now tensed at the discovery that Madison was no longer walking behind her. She opened her mouth to alert her fellow guards - but that mouth was immediately covered from behind by a thick cloth, and the surprised woman was quickly yanked through another doorway.
The third guard was a light-skinned blonde named Ava. The fourth was a dark-skinned brunette called Margaret. The fifth was a fair-skinned woman with pink-dyed hair named Eloise. They were systematically picked off, one by one, plucked from their patrol like grapes from a vine and swallowed up by the shadows.
At last, Melina reached the generator room. She held up a hand for silence. "All right, girls... not a sound," she whispered. "Something tells me there's trouble behind this door... so just keep quiet."
Judging by the silence behind her, it seemed as though the other five guards were heeding her cautious warning. Melina felt proud of herself.
She tried the door; it was locked. "Anybody have the key?"
No response. Melina rolled her eyes. "Girls, you're allowed to answer when I ask a question..."
She turned around to reprimand her fellow guards, and her voice immediately trailed off. The other guards were nowhere to be seen.
"Margaret?" she whispered. "Ava? Linh, where are you? What happened to everyone?"
So perplexed was Melina that she failed to notice the generator room door slowly unlock and slide open.
Within moments, Melina felt a hand over her mouth and a rough pull on her arm, as she was swiftly yanked back into the generator room.
"What happened to everyone," Lucinda whispered with a chortle, "is the same thing that's about to happen to you."
The door closed on the sixth and final guard, and masked the crashes, thuds, and muffled grunts of pain which followed.
********************
"Hhkkk... uurrgghhhh..."
"Goddammit, just pass out already," Pamela muttered.
She had been holding the guard in a sleeper hold for nearly a full minute now. The sandy-haired, light-skinned woman's struggles were weakening, but she was still conscious.
"You keep shifting position," Viola advised. "You need to apply steady and consistent pressure to a specific point on her neck." The sleeper hold she had used on the other guard, a tan-skinned woman with dyed blue streaks in her black hair, had taken effect nearly fifteen seconds ago, and she was now lowering the unconscious girl to the ground.
"I'm trying," Pamela grumbled, "but the slippery bitch keeps squirming around. Don't you have any chloroform or something?"
"Sorry," Viola shrugged. "Must have forgotten to take any with me... Guess I didn't expect we would be kidnapped, and have our boat blown up, and be taken to this island, and..."
"Okay, okay... never mind..." Pamela glanced down at the guard. "She's finally going to sleep."
Indeed, the last of the guard's strength had now drained from her body. With a soft sigh, she lapsed into unconsciousness.
"There we go." Pamela lowered the defeated guard to the ground. "Okay. What now?"
"Now we strip them of their uniforms," Viola replied. "They'll probably fit a couple of our friends."
Pamela laughed. "Wow, look at us," she mused as she began unbuttoning the unconscious guard's uniform. "We're becoming a couple of regular USBs."
Viola raised an eyebrow. "Did you just call me a flash drive?"
Pamela shook her head. "It's an acronym I've heard about. I think it stands for 'Uniform Swiping Babes' or something. It's a way to describe women who routinely mug other women for their clothes."
Viola raised her other eyebrow. "Is that... a common thing?"
"I think it's become pretty common in recent years," Pamela nodded. "Don't you watch the news? You hear all these stories of women being discovered in back rooms, supply closets, alleyways... Bound and gagged and stripped down to their underwear. They got beaten up or chloroformed by some other woman who stole their clothes."
Viola nodded. "I heard stories like that... I guess I just never believed them. They just sounded like media sensationalizing."
"A lot of people probably think that. Lots of women assume it's ridiculous, that it could never happen to them. Until it does."
"Well, in the case of these women... they may not have expected it, but they sure as hell deserve it."
The two pirate women were now down to their underwear. The sandy-haired guard wore a pink cami top and orange cotton panties, while the brunette wore a sky-blue underwire bra and grey butt-lifters.
"So lovely," Pamela cooed. "Do we have something to tie them up with?"
Viola grabbed some rolls of black duct tape from the storage room shelf. "These should do the job." She tossed one roll to Pamela, then began using the other one to bind the sandy guard's wrists. "I like being a flash drive," she remarked.
Pamela rolled her eyes, but retained a smile on her face.
********************
Lucinda nodded in satisfaction as she gazed upon the handiwork of her little troop.
"Not bad, ladies... not bad at all."
The results of this handiwork were now on the closet floor before her. Six pirate women, all stripped down to their underwear, all bound with grey nylon ropes and gagged with silver duct tape.
It was the sort of sight Lucinda had seen a few times before in her various escapades over the past few weeks, though the women before her certainly boasted a diverse array of underclothes. From Madison's pink wireless bra and red French cut panties to Linh's pink t-shirt bra and white high-cut control briefs, Ava's sapphire push-up bra and purple tanga panties to Margaret's forest-green control top and mint boyshorts, and Eloise's orange balconette bra and tan Brazilian briefs to Melina's surprisingly reserved Spartan white triangle bra and grey bikini panties, the pirate women had no shortage of taste in their choice of wardrobe - even if their outer uniforms had all been about the same.
It was these uniforms that now adorned the bodies of the six women in Meredith and Lucinda's current troop. Having shed their prisoner garb, these women now looked quite intimidating in their dark clothes, boots, and berets.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Lucinda asked the six newly disguised women. "Ready to kick some ass?"
The women nodded.
Lucinda glanced at her wife as the lights around them went up again. "I see you've finished repairing the fuses. Shall we proceed, darling?"
Meredith grinned. "Yes, of course. Let's head to the banquet hall... I hope our dear hosts have not yet had their dessert..."
********************
Lorelei bent down and locked eyes with Kirsten. "Tell me everything. Everything you know about this whole pirate enterprise."
Kirsten glared at her with venom in her eyes. "Bitch, I'm not telling you shit, so fuck off."
"Yikes, she's got a mouth," Doreen murmured, clucking her tongue. "That sort of language isn't very ladylike."
Lorelei glanced over at Siobhan and Dinah. "Someone's going to tell me what I want to know."
But the faces of Siobhan and Dinah suggested that they weren't interested in talking, either.
Still, regardless of the interrogation, the three FBI agents had made sure the three pirate women would not be going anywhere. Kirsten, Siobhan, and Dinah had all been strip-searched for weapons and were now down to their underwear, securely bound to the three chairs they had used on Lorelei, Verna, and Doreen.
"First girl to talk gets her clothes back," Lorelei said. She wasn't really serious, but figured it was worth a shot.
But the pirates remained silent, simply glaring daggers at their captors. It was all they could do to muster their own sense of courage, given their current state of dress. Having not changed their underwear since the scuba mission, the three women now only wore their waterproof bikinis - a fire-engine red pair for Kirsten, a sunflower yellow set for Siobhan, and an aqua blue pair for Dinah.
"Think we should... persuade them?" Verna asked. She curled her hand into a fist, rubbing it into the opposing palm.
Lorelei shook her head. "No... No time for that. We need to call for backup. I think there should be a communications room somewhere around here... Let's put on their uniforms and go find it."
Doreen brightened. "Sounds good to me. Always up for a new change of clothes!"
After gagging the three prisoners, the three FBI agents began getting dressed. The pirates looked on angrily, but could say or do nothing in protest as Lorelei, Verna, and Doreen donned their uniforms.
*******************
Gretel hummed to herself as she doted over the large cooking pot. Though the kitchen was rather hot at this time of night, with several stovetops alit with cooking meats and chickens for the ongoing celebration, she didn't mind the temperature.
A young light-skinned woman with blue eyes and sandy-blonde hair, Gretel may not have looked like the sort of woman in a pirate crew. But while she rarely went out on plundering missions, she kept firm in her place at the hideaway's extravagant kitchen. Like the other chefs who worked in the pirates' employ, she was always determined on keeping her friends and coworkers well-fed and happy. She wore a light blue button-down shirt and black pants beneath a white smock, plus a red hairnet and comfortable black slip-ons.
Gretel stirred the large stew pot and raised the ladle to her lips, taking a soft sip. She wrinkled her nose. "Needs paprika."
She stepped away from the stove and headed for the nearby storage pantry, humming to herself. She opened the doorway and glanced inside, perusing the spices and condiments within.
Gretel's thoughts were interrupted as she detected a presence behind her. However, before she could make a move to turn around, a hand slipped its way over her mouth, and the unmistakable cold metal of a gun pressed into the back of her neck.
"Not a sound," a woman's voice whispered to the frightened young chef.
Minutes later, Ariadne walked past Gretel's station on her way to the supply closet.
A tall woman with olive skin and curly brown hair, she was one of the more respected chefs among the crew, though she kept most of her best cooking secrets to herself. She wore the same uniform as Gretel, though her hairnet was lime-green with decorative white stars.
Ariadne noticed another woman with red hairnet at the table near the closet, back turned, chopping vegetables on a cutting board.
"Hi, Gretel," Ariadne smiled as she opened the pantry door.
A most unusual sight greeted her. Seated on the floor of the closet was a young blonde woman, dressed only in her cyan bandeau bra and periwinkle thong. She had been bound with blue flex and gagged with a white kerchief.
"...G-Gretel?" Ariadne stammered. "But then who..."
Before she could finish her question, she felt the blade of a knife against her throat.
"Be a smart girl," the woman wearing Gretel's uniform whispered. "Keep quiet, just like your friend."
From behind the table stepped several other women. Ariadne recognized them - they were some of the prisoners who had been brought to the island earlier that night. She felt more nervous with each passing second.
"Get in the pantry and strip," the knife-wielding woman commanded. "Your clothes should fit one of my friends."
Ariadne wanted to cry out in protest, but she figured the women would not take kindly to that. Trembling, she allowed herself to be led into the dark pantry.
********************
Veronica sat at the head of the table, watching with satisfaction as the two dozen or so women in her employ wined and dined in the banquet hall. Such celebrations were a regular occurrence for the marine criminals, but that didn't make this one any less special. In fact, the crew they had just captured was their best haul in months.
Veronica rose from her chair lifted her gleaming silver goblet, filled as it was with bubbling liquor.
"A toast, ladies," she said with satisfaction. "A toast to us and our continued success at controlling the oceans."
The women cheered, raising their glasses in tribute to their leader.
Veronica took her seat again, turning now to the two bodyguards who flanked her. "Kaylee, Nadia... where are Siobhan, Kirsten, and Dinah? They were supposed to join us here a while ago."
The two guards exchanged a glance. "I haven't seen them since the unloading," Kaylee said.
"Same here," Nadia agreed.
"Well, find them," Veronica said in irritation. "This is a moment of celebration, and I'll not have anyone missing it."
Kaylee nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"Also, stop by the kitchen and see where the chefs are holding," Veronica added. "It should be time for dessert soon, so tell them to pick up the pace."
"Of course, ma'am."
*********************
Kaylee and Nadia sniffed the air as they made their way to the kitchen.
"Smells like something good is cooking," Kaylee noted. The taller of the two, her skin light and her blonde hair done back into a fishtail bun, she could never resist the temptation of sweet food.
Nadia, a woman of tan skin and chin-cut black hair, chuckled in response. "You need to stop thinking with your stomach, girl."
As Veronica's personal bodyguards, the women were allowed to wear slightly more casual uniforms than the standard - white cotton shirts beneath olive-green jackets, black leather pants and low-heeled boots, plus grey woolen ski caps.
The two guards entered the kitchen, circumventing the hot steam that emanated from a nearby oven. They noticed two women in chef uniforms, prepping large pots of what appeared to be tapioca pudding.
"How's it going?" Nadia asked. "Boss is getting impatient."
"We're nearly ready," one of the women replied. "Just need to add our special ingredients."
Nadia noticed an open jar on the counter, filled with a light blue powder.
"Special ingredients?" she asked.
"I bet it's extra cinnamon," Kaylee mused.
Nadia looked a bit closer at the powder-filled jar. "Wait a moment." Her eyes narrowed. "I recognize that label. It's a jar from Dr. Domina's lab." She looked up at the chefs. "What's going on?"
One of the uniformed women sighed. "You ask too many questions." She snapped her fingers.
Instantly, Kaylee and Nadia felt arms wrap around their necks and sweet-smelling white cloths pressed against their face.
Instinctively, the two bodyguards tried to struggle - but they were outmatched in both leverage and the element of surprise. The chloroform fumes began showing their effects in moments.
"Keep her steady, Quinn," Danica ordered, tightening her grip around Nadia.
"Aye aye, Captain," Quinn nodded. She kept a viselike grip on the rapidly weakening Kaylee.
Despite their squirms of protest, it took less than thirty seconds for the bodyguards to lapse into unconsciousness. Quinn smiled. "This stuff works wonders."
"That's two more goons out of the way," Danica said. "Grab their clothes. Then we'll tie them up and put them with the others."
"Aye aye, Captain." Quinn tossed a quick salute.
Shortly after, Nadia had been stripped to her lemon-yellow sports bra and zaffre-blue boyshorts, while Kaylee was down to her candy-cane striped triangle bra and matching briefs. They were dragged into the storage pantry, which by now included not only the two chefs but the four waitresses tasked with serving the food to their fellow pirates. All were now in their underwear, gagged and bound with whatever cloth or adhesive implements the rebellious prisoners could get their hands on.
Four of the other women from the cargo ship now wore the waitress uniforms - white button-down shirt, grey waistcoat, black pants, and black slip-on shoes. They were preparing to serve the "special" dessert that the cooks were bubbling up.
Lucinda and Meredith, still wearing their stolen security outfits, conferred with Danica and Quinn as the latter two women got dressed.
"All seems ready," Lucinda said. "Now we've got just one shot at this. We need to hit 'em fast and hard."
Danica nodded. "Don't worry. The women of my crew know what they're doing."
Meredith smiled. "You've got a badass crew, captain. You should be proud."
"And you're both pretty badass yourself," Danica replied. "I doubt we could have done this without you to rally us."
Meredith and Lucinda exchanged a happy glance. Despite the stress of the situation, they couldn't help but beam at the compliment.
*********************
Veronica drummed her fingers on the table. "What is taking them so long?"
She was beginning to grow impatient... and a bit suspicious. Kaylee and Nadia were not answering their radios... and neither were Kirsten, Siobhan, or Dinah.
There was something going on. But what?
Her thoughts were interrupted as the doors to the banquet hall opened. Four women in waitress uniforms stepped in, wheeling large carts topped with cakes, pudding, and flan.
"Anyone want dessert?" one of the waitresses asked.
A cheer went up from the crowd. The uniformed women pushed their carts from table to table, serving each woman a plate of delicious food.
One woman, a freckle-faced redhead at the end of the south table, declined the offer. "I'm trying to watch my figure," she told the waitress.
"You needn't worry, darling," the waitress replied. "It's all low-fat and low-sugar."
The redhead shook her head. "Sorry, but I need to keep to my diet. No exceptions."
The waitress thought quickly. "I understand... but Veronica may not. She insisted that everyone be served a full meal tonight... and she can get quite angry at those who decline her generosity."
The redhead gulped. "Er... maybe I'll have one slice."
"As you wish, dear." The waitress hid a smile as she cut another piece of the specially prepared cake. "Bon appetit."
Several women in guard uniforms took position at all the exits as the pirates began chowing down on their dessert. The feasting women were so engrossed in their food that they did not recognize anything different about the guards - be it their different appearances, or the fact that not every uniform was a perfect fit.
Lucinda, stationed with Meredith at the front exit, snuck a peek at her watch. "Should be another sixty seconds," she whispered.
Indeed, it was just over a minute before some of the women in the banquet hall began looking rather woozy.
"What... Why am I so exhausted..." a raven-haired woman at the front table slumped over in her chair.
"Isobel? Are you okay? What... urrgghhh..." The woman's blonde companion now fell forward and joined her in slumber.
All throughout the banquet hall, the diners began dropping like flies as the fast-acting sleep chemicals did their work. Several groggy groans filled the room, typically followed by the sound of a woman's head colliding with a heavy oaken table.
"What the hell... is happening..." One of the taller pirates tried getting up, her knees shaking as the chemical spread throughout her body. With a dizzied moan, she fell forwards, knocking into a couple of her friends. All three were asleep in a matter of seconds.
A few of the pirate girls at the last table looked around in confusion as their friends headed into dreamland. They were the last to be served and thus had not begun eating their final course yet. One of the women realized what was going on. "It's the dessert!" she said, knocking the spoon out of her friend's hand. "Don't eat it!"
"Au contraire, my dears." Viola now stood before these women, decked out in security uniform, gun pointed at the pirates. "The cooks worked very hard to prepare this meal. You don't want all their efforts to go to waste, do you? Start eating."
The pirates looked down at the food, then around the room. Most of their friends were now asleep or on their way there. None of the security guards in the room seemed surprised by the turn of events; all affixed a steely gaze onto the still-awake pirates.
"I won't ask again," Viola said tersely. "Start eating."
With the gun silencing all forms of debate, the glowering pirates began taking bites of the cake and pudding before them. Within a minute, they had joined their associates in slumber.
Lucinda glanced around the room. "Excellent work, ladies. They're all fast asleep."
She approached the head table, where Veronica sat motionless, head buried in her plate. "Good night, darling. When you wake up, you'll be in jail... probably forever... urkh!"
She gasped suddenly as the pirate leader's hand shot out and wrapped around her neck.
Veronica sat up, steely venom in her eyes. She pointed a gun at the gasping Lucinda's head.
"Bitch," she spat. "Did you really think I'd fall for the poisoned food trick? I knew something was wrong around here... so I only pretended to eat the dessert... then faked unconsciousness when I saw everyone was falling asleep."
She tightened her grip around the gasping Lucinda's neck. "Stay back!" she growled at the other women preparing to come to Lucinda's aid. Then, turning back to her captive: "You think you've won? I'll see you all burn before I surrender. Maybe I'll go down, but I'll take as many of you with me as possible."
She pressed her gun against Lucinda's temple. "Starting with you specifically..."
KLONK!
The sound of the metal tray bouncing off of Veronica's head reverberated through the banquet hall. Veronica's eyes widened, then slowly shrank as her pupils rolled up. With a groan, she slumped forward, no longer faking in unconsciousness.
Meredith tossed the metal tray aside. "I don't like when people threaten my wife."
The other disguised guards in the room applauded. Lucinda grabbed Meredith and planted a long kiss on her lips.
"I don't do that often enough," she whispered.
"I'll say you don't," Meredith smilingly replied.
Pamela surveyed the scene. "Well, we've got a few dozen criminals all taking their naps here," she mused. "Question is, what do we do with all of them?"
As if in response to her question, the muted sound of helicopter rotor blades filled the air above.
"What's that?" Quinn asked.
"It's the cavalry." Lorelei entered the room, followed by Doreen and Verna. "We're FBI agents, and you're all under arres..."
She glanced around. "What the hell happened here?"
***********************
It took a while for explanations to be made. But after some exchanging of stories and clarification of details, the picture began to clear up.
Danica and Quinn conferred with Lorelei and her friends, explaining the situation - how their ship had been attacked, how they'd been gassed unconscious and kidnapped, how an elaborate plan had helped them retaliate against their pirate captors.
"And we couldn't have done any of it without the help of those two special agents," Danica said with a smile.
"Special agents?" Lorelei raised an eyebrow. "Were there other FBI agents here before us?"
"I'm not sure if they were FBI," Danica admitted. "We should ask them..." She glanced around. "Not sure where they are, though."
"Hmm." A suspicious look crossed Lorelei's face.
"Well, we'll have plenty of time to sort the details," Verna said. "The important thing is to get all these pirate bitches behind bars."
And at the moment, that was exactly what their friends were gearing up to do. Dozens of other FBI agents in black combat gear milled about, handcuffing the still-groggy pirates and escorting them out of the banquet hall and up the steps to the top of the island, where two large carrier seaplanes were waiting to be filled with the criminal prisoners.
"Au revoir, girls," Doreen smiled and waved at a leering and handcuffed Kirsten, who was being led into one of the planes along with Siobhan and Dinah. "Don't forget to write."
Verna gave her a look. "Can't you be serious just once? You always treat our job like it's a joke."
Doreen shrugged. "Our job kind of is a joke," she said. "We get paid by the federal government to travel around the country, so that we can knock out civilian women, undress them, and put on their clothes. Many of the women we've mugged and tied up in their underwear are taxpayers who pay our salaries." She laughed at the thought.
Verna wrinkled her nose. "There's more to our job than just mugging women for their clothes."
"Right," Doreen nodded. "Sometimes we're the ones who get mugged."
Verna groaned. "Why do I even bother trying to have serious conversations with you?"
She turned to a pair of other FBI agents who had just escorted a few more pirate prisoners onto the plane. "You two..."
The two agents she addressed were Tonya and Cherise, a pair of rookies. Both women were clad in standard black tactical gear - sweater, pants, Kevlar vest, knee-length boots, and sunglasses, plus black baseball caps with white "FBI" lettering. Tonya had tan skin and oil-slick black hair tied in a bun, while Cherise had freckled light skin and stringy blonde hair that hung loosely around her shoulders.
"Double-check behind the rocks," Verna told them. "We found a few criminals tied up around here... make sure we didn't miss anyone."
Tonya nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
She and Cherise stepped away from the general crowd and began wandering through the rocky outcroppings that dotted the island surface.
"Can you see anything?" Tonya asked her friend. "I forgot to bring my night-vision goggles."
Cherise chuckled. "I don't think we'll need night-vision goggles to spot any women tied up in their underwear," she chuckled. "Not exactly a needle in a haystack."
"Fair point." Tonya cupped a hand to her ear. "I hear... something nearby. This way."
Cherise followed her past some winding rocks, glancing around. "I don't see anything," she whispered. "Are you sure you--hmmpplff?"
Her question was cut short as a hand covered her mouth and dragged her off the path.
Tonya turned around. "Cherise? Where did you go?"
From the corner of her eye, she could see her friend's boot-clad feet disappearing as they were dragged behind one of the rocks.
"What the... hhngh!" Tonya's own question was interrupted by a sharp judo chop to the neck. Her eyes lolled back and she drooped into her assailant's arms.
"This just gets easier and easier," Lucinda grinned as she dragged the unconscious Tonya behind the rocks.
Meredith had already begun stripping Cherise of her uniform. Lucinda lowered Tonya to the ground and began unlacing the woman's boots.
"Some things never change, do they?" Meredith said dryly.
Lucinda nodded. "We're still fugitives, and we still need disguises," she agreed. "But I gotta say, stealing clothes is much more fun when we get to do it together."
Meredith smiled back. But the glow that radiated in her usual smile had dimmed.
Lucinda noticed. "What's wrong, honey?"
Meredith sighed. "I don't know... I'm just... so tired of running, I suppose. Everywhere we go, no matter where we turn... we run into trouble. Our lives have been hell for the last several weeks, and we're still in as much trouble as ever." She ran her fingers through her dark hair. "All I want... all I want at this point is a happily ever after. Just you and me, living the rest of our lives in peace and quiet."
She sighed. "But life's not a fairy tale. And there is no happily ever after."
Lucinda was silent for a moment. She stopped stripping the FBI agent and looked over at her wife.
"It's just you," she said softly.
Meredith looked at her. "Just me what?"
"You're my happily ever after," Lucinda explained. "You're the reason I get up in the morning, and the reason I keep finding new ways to keep ourselves safe. Even the last few weeks, as our lives have been turned completely upside down, I've never felt completely hopeless... because I know you're there for me."
She bit her lip. "Before you showed up at Chrysalis earlier tonight, I was confused and worried... I thought I might never see you again. But then you appeared in that SWAT uniform, and it was like a great weight lifting from my shoulders."
She glanced up at Meredith again. "I don't need a happily ever after... because I've already got one."
Meredith smiled and, despite all the stress she had recently been through, could feel her heart sing. She wiped a tear from her eye. "I love you."
Lucinda smiled back. "I love you. too."
For a moment, the two women forgot their surroundings and just became lost in each other's eyes.
The the sounds of whirring rotor blades in the distance brought them back to earth.
Lucinda looked down at the two unconscious FBI agents. "We should finish stripping these two."
Meredith nodded. "Yes."
They got back to work, Meredith more energetic than before.
Before long, the officers had been reduced to their underclothes - Tonya to a pink scalloped bra and matching tanga panties, Cherise to a lavender sports bra and ecru boyshorts. Both women were tightly bound back-to-back with white cable cords and gagged with black adhesive tape.
Meredith and Lucinda dressed in the new uniforms, donned the caps and sunglasses, and laced up the boots.
"Looking good," Lucinda mused, giving her wife a once-over glance.
Meredith grinned. "Ditto, darling."
They left their two victims and returned to the crowd of agents gathering around the planes. Their disguises worked; they blended right in with the crowd.
Lucinda nudged Meredith and pointed at one of the planes. It was nearly finished boarding its passengers and prisoners, and getting ready for takeoff. "There's our ticket off this rock. Let's hurry."
The women quickened their pace and reached the plane. They were the last two aboard. They found some seats in the rear next to some other FBI agents, all attired in similar uniforms as the ones they had stolen.
Meredith and Lucinda grasped each other's hand and interlaced their fingers as the plane took off. Meredith felt her heart pattering as the aircraft soared into the clouds.
"Where do we go from here?" Lucinda whispered.
Meredith smiled. "It doesn't matter... as long as we go together."
She closed her eyes and allowed a deep breath to course through her. It was a fine and liberating feeling... only interrupted by another woman's voice cutting through the whir of the plane engines.
"You'll be going together, all right."
Meredith opened her eyes. She could see that the other FBI agents in the rear were all staring at her and Lucinda. They did not look happy.
Lorelei, the woman who had just spoken, stood up. "I knew I recognized you two from somewhere," she said. "Saw your faces on one of the monitors when my friends and I broke into the pirates' comms room. You're those two Dennison ladies... Mary Beth and Lucilla."
"Meredith and Lucinda," Doreen piped up from beside her.
"Yes, whatever. I recognized your faces from the FBI logs, but I wasn't sure how to place you. Then this alert flashed." She held up her phone. "You two are wanted accomplices of Julia Chen. You managed to escape earlier tonight... but the feds put out an all-points bulletin for anyone connected with Chen. And now we've got you." She grinned triumphantly. "Didn't think those FBI uniforms would fool us, did you?"
Doreen nodded. "We FBI agents get mugged for our clothes all the time. We've learned to stay alert and be on the lookout for imposters in our ranks!"
Meredith felt the color drain from her face. She looked over at Lucinda, who also looked pale.
Before the two women could react, they were grabbed and held by Verna and Doreen.
"B-but... no..." Meredith tried to get the words out. "You can't... you can't arrest us... We... we..."
"We stopped those pirates!" Lucinda interjected. "If not for our plans, you'd never have been able to catch those saltwater bitches."
"Your help in capturing the pirates is appreciated," Lorelei said curtly. "But you two are both dangerous criminals. You'll be able to plead your case to the judge at your trial."
"T-trial?" Meredith felt herself trembling. "No, please... don't lock us up. Please, we've been through so much... please..."
"You're not the only women who have been through hell these last few weeks," Lorelei replied, a note of irritancy in her voice. Then, turning to Verna and Doreen: "Put them below in the cargo hold until we get them back to the mainland."
Meredith looked like she was about to panic. But then she caught Lucinda's eye, saw the note of reassurance in her wife's face. And she remembered her earlier words.
Meredith turned back to Lorelei, now calmer and more direct than before. "Do what you want with us."
Verna and Doreen grasped Lucinda and Meredith's arms, then escorted them down to the cargo hold. About two dozen of the pirate women had been tied up down there; some were still sleeping off the effects of the drugged food.
"I don't suppose you're actually going to tie us up alongside these women?" Lucinda asked. "They probably want to kill us for capturing them."
Verna didn't seem to much care one way or the other, and was about to say as much. But Doreen spoke up first.
"No, we won't keep you here with the pirate gals. There's a storage compartment nearby... Should be big enough to hold both of you while keeping you isolated from the Jack Sparrow ladies."
She caught Verna's eye. Verna wanted to say something, but decided against it. She nodded.
They led Meredith and Lucinda to the storage compartment, which was indeed large and maneuverable enough to fit two people. Air vents at the top supplied oxygen and a small bulb afforded some light.
Verna and Doreen sat the two prisoners down, side by side.
"We'll need to secure them," Verna said.
"I'll take care of that," Doreen replied. "You head back up with the rest of the crew. I think I hear champagne corks."
Verna shrugged. "Whatever." She turned and left.
Once she was gone, Doreen turned back to Lucinda and Meredith. "Hey... earlier tonight, my colleagues and I were caught by the pirates. They were ready to kill us, when suddenly, the lights went off, and we were able to save ourselves." She paused. "Was that... your doing?"
Lucinda nodded. "I cut the fuses."
Doreen smiled. "I knew there had to be a reason... Thanks, we owe you our lives."
She glanced around, then lowered her voice. "Listen, intel says you two have done some bad stuff in the past... but deep down, you seem like good people. I'll put in a good word for you. I can't promise that you'll avoid any jail time, but you'll probably get a lighter sentence for your help tonight."
Meredith smiled. "Thank you... so much."
"My pleasure," Doreen smiled. "I couldn't hurt such a cute couple."
She looked around. "Normally, I'd handcuff you to the pipes, but... I seem to have forgotten my cuffs. Well, this compartment locks from the outside, so I'm sure you two will be secure until we reach land."
Meredith caught the slight glimmer in Doreen's eye. "Yes... I think we will."
Doreen nodded. "Okay then... see you soon."
The door clanged shut, and Doreen's footsteps faded into the distance,
Meredith and Lucinda sat in silence for a minute, absorbing their new situation.
"Well," Meredith spoke, "here we are now... alone at last."
Lucinda nodded. "Just like the old days."
"Well..." Meredith shrugged. "On a plane. In a metal storage compartment, in the cargo hold. Not exactly the old days. And certainly not the Bahamas."
"I don't know," Lucinda mused. "If you close your eyes, you can hear the roar of the ocean... Smell the sea breeze... Maybe you can feel the sun's rays on your soft skin."
Meredith closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You know... I think you're right. I feel warm and tingly... Must be the sun."
Lucinda had already begun unbuttoning her uniform. "And if you listen further, you can hear the seagulls... The sounds of the surf. Just a picturesque holiday time."
Meredith was also unbuttoning her uniform . "It feels great. Like everything I ever dreamed of."
She opened her eyes and looked right at Lucinda. "The perfect getaway."
With a knowing smile, Lucinda reached up and shut off the lightbulb.
The scene with the six guards getting grabbed one at a time and pulled out of sight was fantastic.
I also really liked the scene with Pamela having trouble putting the guard to sleep with the sleeper hold. Love the little dialogue with her and Viola about both how best to perform the sleeper hold and not having chloroform all while the guard is struggling but slowly losing consciousness.
, no, no, everything is cool and I'm absolutely loving the whole "adventure on the high sea" vibes, I'm really am loving it. Just ignore me, I talk a lot sometime.....Okay, quite often......But nnnaahhh, it didn't do anything to me, I was just in a very talkative mood (what a surprise). 
