Volume 7: One Small Step for Women

[Void99]

Just a hunch but I think over the last few years there might be a slight pattern emerging with ES and a specific liking for boot stealing scenes!

[rufusluciusivan]

"Oh, this uniform? I got it cheap. It was practically a steal."

Good to read you haven't lost your touch.

The climax thickens and the various storylines collide. While I appreciate the twists this sort of narration brings (such as Sonja coming across Oksana, Jenna coming across Olga, and Polina or Ashley coming across Bridget), I confess I can't wait to reach the end. Many things are happening, but the general story moves slowly because there are so many storylines taking place in parallel.

Zephyr and Claudia must have some weird karma. Given the high number of impostors in the area, coming across a genuine guard seems like a miracle. It's almost as if there is a writer behind all that, who was longing to write a joke... A funny joke, of course.

I'm still calling it. Bobbi will be the one who finds Felicia.

And of course there are cliffhangers. Though Ashley better beware... She has maybe ascended to the coveted status of main character, but Bridget is more 'main character-y' than her... I don't think she'll come out on top of a confrontation...

It's always interesting to see characters debate about the topic of uniform stealing - such as Prema with Bridget.

I love America - the freedom, the joy, the colorful women's underwear.

I have only one thing to say...

[tirepanted3]

Good to read you haven't lost your touch.

The quips are still the most fun thing about writing these stories.

A lot of the stories do collide in this chapter, and there will be more of that in the following chapter as well. I do love these "unconventional character meetings," but it is true that there is a lot to cover. But things will continue to pick up from here. By my estimation, there are three chapters left to the story - two more for the climax, and then one for the epilogue.

Zephyr and Claudia are certainly a bit unlucky in this chapter, although only in the sense that they look foolish. Unlike several other women in this chapter, Sienna included, they are not mugged for their clothes, so one could argue they come off pretty well. In any event, there are indeed some NASA guards who have made it this far in the story without being mugged for their uniforms! (Although some of them may see their luck run out soon...)

I will neither confirm nor deny your Bobbi prediction, but you will have your answer quite soon.

The Bridget/Ashley confrontation has been a long time coming. Suspenseful it may be, but hopefully people like how it pays off.

The uniform stealing debate has been a major theme of this volume, and I love exploring the different perspectives on it. Glad it resonates so well.

And yes, I couldn't resist a bit of patriotism in the story. No offense to other countries; the USB stories I've read from around the world suggests that the underwear is quite colorful almost everywhere.

[tirepanted3]

Bridget raised her hands, slowly. Moira and Prema did the same.

Ashley kept her gun trained on Bridget, but briefly eyed Moira, who was holding the coil of black cable intended to bind the unconscious janitor.

"Drop it," she said tersely.

Moira obliged.

"You and your friends won't be attacking any more innocent women, Baxter," Ashley continued. "You're going to jail for a long, long time."

"How..." Bridget paused, trying to assess the woman. "How do you know my name?"

"You don't remember me?" Ashley said tersely. "All those months ago... you attacked me. Knocked me out, stole my uniform... Left me tied up and gagged in my underwear. Don't you remember?"

A guilty look crossed Bridget's face. "Well, I... I mean, I've done that to a lot of women..."

"Not helping, Bridget," Moira whispered.

"Look, I... know this looks bad," Bridget said, eyeing the unconscious and stripped janitress on the floor before her. "But I promise, whenever I knock a woman out and steal her clothes... I have a good reason."

"That's what they all say," Ashley replied bitterly. "Well, I'm not falling for it. The police can deal with you."

"Wait, please..." Bridget started to say, but Ashley clearly wasn't interested in discussion. She was already reaching for her cell phone.

At that moment, Prema interrupted. "Wait a minute... You're Ashley, aren't you?"

Ashley paused, then looked up at Prema. "How did you know my name?"

"I remember you now," Prema said. "You were that security guard who tried to rescue us when we were tied up at NASA. Then Bridget mugged you and tied you up next to me... You were unconscious, but I remember you."

Ashley paused, not sure how to respond.

"And then a few months ago," Prema continued, brow furrowed. "You were the security guard at the Gosford theater, weren't you? I remember reading your nametag - 'Ashley,' it said. But I couldn't quite place you... And then later, we encountered another guard with the same uniform and the same nametag... But she was a redhead, not a brunette. I remember thinking that was odd..."

She looked up. "You poor thing... Were you mugged for your uniform that night?"

Immediately, Ashley recalled her encounter with Jenna that night at the Gosford, and the conversation they'd had.

"I mean... Not exactly..." Ashley started to say. She looked up at Prema. "I just... I can't believe you remembered me. Most women I encounter just see me for my uniform... and a lot of them just want to mug me for it."

Prema nodded. "I understand," she said sympathetically. "I used to never pay attention to security guards or nurses or any women in uniform... I just thought they were workers, here to do a job and undeserving of any more attention. But that's changed." She sighed.

"I work for Dennison Drilling, and... we've had a few incidents in the recent past. A bunch of our female security guards were mugged and stripped of their uniforms by criminals who ended up kidnapping me. I was furious at the time... We paid our security guards well, and they let themselves be ambushed like this! I remember when we found the real guards, bound and gagged in their underwear... Some of them were crying... But I decided they needed to be punished, so I docked their pay... As if being found tied up in their bras and panties wasn't embarrassing and punishment enough..."

Prema took a breath. "Well, a bunch of those guards ended up quitting... They hated me, and at the time I didn't understand why. But... I get it now. Security guards may be tough, but they're also people. They're fellow women, and they need sympathy, even if they make a mistake. So I guess I... I started paying more attention to security guards after that, subconsciously at least. I saw the nametag on your uniform that night at Gosford, and it registered with me. You're not just a uniform, you're a woman. You're Ashley."

Ashley had stayed quiet as she absorbed Prema's words. Bridget and Moira looked on in surprise. Then to their even greater surprise, they saw Ashley wipe a tear from her eye.

"I hate this culture of uniform stealing that our world has built," Prema continued. "Trust me, I wish it wasn't this way. But... the last few months have forced me to look at things more deeply. Uniformed women deserve to be seen as more than just targets for disguise... but also, a lot of uniform thieves are in fact good people."

She glanced at Bridget. "I don't always agree with Bridget, but... she's saved my life more than once. And if it wasn't for her, I'd never have been introduced to the love of my life." She smiled here at Moira, who returned the gesture with a beaming grin.

Then Prema turned back to Ashley. "Bridget's a good person... If she says she doesn't mean to hurt anyone - that she's doing this for a good cause - I believe her."

Ashley stayed still for several seconds, grappling with a lot of emotions. Then she sighed and lowered her gun.

"I'm sorry... I thought you were working with Dr. Chen."

Bridget shook her head. "No, we're here to stop a potential attack... Did you say Dr. Chen?"

She glanced at Moira and Prema, who looked just as shocked as she did. "She's alive?"

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

"I've never felt more alive," Dr. Chen grinned, busying herself at her lab desk, mixing chemicals and maneuvering test tubes with expertise.

She turned to Sabira. "Go back to your position and spread the word among the Russians. Tell them to keep their eyes open for any other infiltrators who are not part of our team."

Sabira nodded. "Yes, ma'am." She hurried off, disappearing through the exit.

Nearby, Felicia and Sonja glared at Dr. Chen, but could do little else - after all, they were tied to chairs and being closely watched by Oksana and Polina.

Sonja turned a pleading eye towards her two former friends, speaking softly. "Come on, girls... You can't really be working with this sociopath."

Oksana ignored her. Polina caught Sonja's eye but quickly looked away, as though afraid to speak.

But Chen had overheard. "You're one to talk about questionable alliances, Sonja," she chuckled. "I thought you were on my side, trying to take down Bridget and her snotty friend here. And now you're working with them?"

"A lot's changed these last few months," Sonja replied defiantly. "Besides, I don't care to work with someone like you anymore... I remember how you treated Darla the last time..."

She turned to Oksana and Polina. "Chen treats her henchwomen like trash... And if you cross her, she won't hesitate to make you pay."

Polina glanced at Oksana, whose lip twitched momentarily - yet neither spoke.

It was a gesture that Chen seemed to notice. "These are not my 'henchwomen,' dear... We have a common alliance. The Russian government would love nothing more than to cripple the American space program, and they've recruited me to help them in their quest. After all, we share a common goal - the destruction of NASA. And with my affinity with Project Pluto, we can accomplish it... today."

"What exactly is Project Pluto?" Felicia inquired, glaring at Chen.

The scientist smiled down at her. "Ah yes, I've forgotten how inquisitive you are... Well, you'll be dead soon, so I suppose there's no harm in telling you."

She got a nostalgic look in her eyes. "Project Pluto was the codename for an experiment I dreamed up as a young scientist at NASA... It was the development of a new type of fuel, something so powerful and revolutionary that it could propel rockets to farther and faster than ever. It would revolutionize space travel! I was young, I wanted to change the world... The lure of fame, wealth, and power appealed to me. And I wanted to help society, of course."

"Of course," Felicia muttered.

"But once the grumbling old men in charge of NASA learned about my plan, they shut it down. Said the fuel was too dangerous, too unstable. I said I could fix it, make it more usable... But no one listened. They paid me no attention. I was just a stupid woman who dared to dream big.

"That's what taught me the lesson which carries me through life. If we women want something in this world, we need to take it. Climbing up the corporate ladder requires stealth, cunning, deception... There's simply no other way for us to succeed in a world designed to make us fail."

"That seems a little negative," Felicia replied.

"Silly girl," Chen rolled her eyes. "Look around you. Why do you think so many women in today's world are resorting to uniform stealing? Yes, it's desperate, it's dangerous, it's criminal... but it works. That's how you first infiltrated NASA, isn't it? By attacking a couple of innocent women and stripping them of their clothes?"

Felicia bit her lip. "I... That was wrong of me. I've changed... I don't mug women for their uniforms anymore..."

"Oh no?" Chen raised an eyebrow. "Then you're a fool. These tactics are necessary for women in today's world, and will only grow more so. Mark my words."

She smiled. "That's how I first got ahead in NASA's world, in fact... About ten years ago, I mugged a technician for her uniform, then infiltrated the computer systems and gave myself a 'promotion.' That was my first step upwards, and all I had to do was strip some hapless young woman and tie her up..." She grinned at the memory. "Eventually I made my way to the top, at which point I began looking for new ways to achieve power... I tried sabotaging the space shuttle last year to make my rivals look bad, but you and your idiot friends foiled that plan..." A sour look crossed her face.

"My reputation was destroyed that night... and now NASA is hitting new heights without me. But I'll show them... If I can't be a success, no one else will be, either."

Her wicked smile broadened. "As we speak, my Russian cohorts have infiltrated the ranks of NASA and are working to replace the fuel with the rocket scheduled for today's launch. Once the rocket takes off... BOOM!" She laughed. "A nuclear-level blast. NASA will be wiped off the map. And as a bonus, I'll be rid of you and Bridget and your awful friends as well."

Felicia stared at her in horror. "You're insane."

Chen smiled down at her. "Perhaps, darling... but I always win in the end."

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

Margot checked her watch and quickened her pace as she headed for NASA's main office building.

The young secretary had spent a little time at the event on the launch grounds, but she had a fair deal of work to catch up with. With much of the staff working the grounds, this seemed like a good day to file reports in peace and quiet.

Margot was a fairly demure young woman, with light skin and ash blonde hair tied back in a ballet bun. She wore a white button-down shirt beneath grey waistcoat, black pencil skirt, and brown oxford shoes. A pair of black-rimmed spectacles perched over her green eyes.

There was no one else in sight as Margot approached the office building - perfect! Finally, a day for her to get work done, free of distractions.

As Margot passed by some of the prestigiously trimmed hedges that lined the exterior of the building, she caught sight of them rustling out of the corner of her eye - despite there being no hint of a breeze around.

"You're imagining things, silly girl," she murmured to herself with a bemused smile, walking onward.

She made it another two steps before a hand burst from the bushes and grabbed her collar. With a sudden "Yeep!" she was jerked sharply into the hedge.

The bushes rustled again for several long seconds, though no one was around to take notice. Then they grew calm once again.

A few minutes later, Chandra stepped delicately from the hedges, brushing stray leaves off her new secretary outfit. After all, the disguise would be useless if she didn't look classy and professional.

"A couple sizes too small," she noted, observing the way the shirt buttons strained to remain closed. "But picking are awful slim in this area."

She brushed her dark hair back, and slipped the glasses over her eyes. They immediately blurred her vision. "Ugh! No thanks..."

She stepped back into the bushes and bent down over the unconscious Margot. The young secretary, stripped to an lilac T-shirt bra and white briefs, was now restrained with white zip-ties and gagged with black tape.

"Here you go, hon," Chandra said, bending down to slip the glasses back over the slumbering woman's face. "You're lucky they didn't break during the mugging."

The next moment, she heard a ripping sound behind her. The seam of her skirt had torn under the strain.

"Dammit," Chandra muttered, standing up quickly and covering her ass with one hand. "Good thing Sonja's not here - she'd have a field day mocking the size of my ass."

She considered waiting around for another woman her size to pass by, in order to acquire a better-fitting and undamaged disguise. But she was already running late after taking time to sabotage the Hargrove bus, and it could be several more minutes before anyone else passed by.

"Beggars can't be choosers," she murmured with a resigned sigh.

Keeping one hand behind her back to keep the skirt up, she strode around the bushes and stepped towards the building.

The guard sitting at the large front desk was flipping through the pages of a style magazine, and looked up as Chandra entered. She appeared to be wearing the usual NASA guard uniform - light green button-down shirt, slim black pants, polished black lace-up boots, grey peaked cap - of the other guards. The woman was tall and svelte, with dark skin and black hair in a low ponytail.

The guard looked up as Chandra tried quietly walking past the desk. She noticed the way Chandra was hitching up the back of her skirt. "Something wrong, miss?"

"Oh, um..." Chandra thought quickly. "I tore my skirt... It's no big deal."

The guard eyed Chandra strangely. "That uniform looks awful small... Usually the office provides women with a variety of sizes to choose from."

Chandra smiled impishly. "I guess I put on a few pounds over the weekend..." She shrugged her shoulders.

The top button on Chandra's blouse responded poorly to this motion. It popped right off her dress, whizzing through the air and bouncing off the guard's petite nose.

Chandra and the guard stared at each other for several long, interminable seconds.

Finally, Chandra sighed. "Screw this."

She leaped over the desk and lunged at the startled guard. Both women disappeared behind the desk area.

The clock framed on the wall above ticked on for several otherwise quiet minutes. Then, at last, Chandra rose from beneath the desk, straightening the security cap over her hair. She had already donned the guard's fine-fitting uniform.

"Ah, that feels so much better," she smiled, glancing down beneath the desk. "Why can't more women be your size?"

The guard could not answer, of course, as she was unconscious, as well as bound up with white telephone cords and gagged with a green kerchief. She lay concealed beneath the desk, dressed only in a yellow balconette bra and orange cheeky panties.

Chandra tossed her hair back, then turned her attention to the guard's computer. "Ah, here we go... Let's see if we can tap into some security footage."

Her fingers flew across the keyboard, working their magic. Pretty soon, she had wormed her way into the NASA security system.

"Where are you, Sonja?" she murmured. "And why aren't you answering your comms?"

She tried playing back some of the security videos from half an hour ago. After several minutes of searching, something caught her eye.

Sonja had been a hallway, confronted by two women dressed in security uniforms. Chandra watched the video closely. The women looked familiar... Could they be the two Russian agents who had kidnapped Sonja a few months back? They certainly resembled Oksana and Polina...

As she stared at the video, one of the guards pulled out a gun and shot Sonja. Chandra gasped, her heart frozen. No...

She couldn't be dead... Sonja, her best friend... Chandra forced herself to keep watching. There was no sign of blood after the shooting. Could it have just been a tranquilizer dart? She remembered how Oksana had previously shot her with a tranquilizer, on two separate occasions.

Chandra felt a bit more relieved at this thought, but her pulse quickened again as she watched Oksana and Polina dragged the unconscious Sonja back down the hallway. Where were they taking her?

She switched to another camera's view, then another. Finally, she found them carrying poor Sonja into the main security room. Chandra could find no further video footage of her friend after that.

"Guess I'll have to investigate that room in person," she murmured.

She stood up, glancing down again at the guard beneath the desk. "Why is my life so chaotic?"

Even if the guard was conscious and ungagged, Chandra still wouldn't expect her to answer.

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

"So, where now?" Bobbi asked.

She and Zuhal had been surveying the main stage from afar for about ten minutes. They could find no signs of anyone who looked overly suspicious, either Dr. Chen or any of her cronies. Then again, Bobbi had not memorized the faces of most of the Russian agents, and they had all doubtlessly acquired new disguises since infiltrating NASA.

"We need a plan," Bobbi urged Zuhal. "And we need to come up with it fast... Chen could strike at any time."

Zuhal frowned. "We're doing the best we can. Not sure what you expect... There are hundreds of women at NASA today, and almost anyone could be an imposter."

"Just think," Bobbi urged. "Maybe there's something we're missing? Some place we forgot about?"

Zuhal smiled. "Hey, why don't we mug a few more ladies for their clothes? That usually helps me clear my head and think better..."

"Zuhal! This is serious."

"It was only a suggestion," Zuhal shrugged.

Then she bit her lip in thought. "Y'know... now that you mention it, I do recall something."

Her voice grew low. "You remember the last time I infiltrated NASA - when I was working with Dr. Chen?"

Bobbi nodded. "When you kidnapped me and my friends."

"Good times," Zuhal chuckled. "Anyway, Chen mentioned something to me then... about a secret lab she had somewhere on the NASA premises."

Bobbi grew hopeful. "Do you remember where it is?"

Zuhal's brow furrowed. "That's... a good question. There was a lot going on at the time, but I remember her mentioning it was at a warehouse... no, a hangar. This would be on the western side of the premises."

Bobbi considered. "There's only a few hangars in that area, as I recall... Near the shuttle-buses. I remember that from the first time I infiltrated NASA... When I mugged that shuttle-bus driver for her uniform."

At this, Zuhal instantly grinned. "You were our driver!" she exclaimed. "I remember now. You were wearing sunglasses, so I never pieced it together... That was the first time I ever laid eyes on you, and I didn't even know it." She chuckled. "Feels like a million years ago, doesn't it?"

"That it does," Bobbi nodded. "But there will be time to reminisce later... Let's find that hangar."

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

Claudia stood in the shadows behind the main stage, leaning against the metal beams. She was casually tossing a silver dollar in one hand, trying to pass the time.

She checked her watch, then spoke into her small communicator. "Zephyr, how's it going? Any trouble so far?"

Zephyr stood by the steps at the front of the stage, raising her own communicator to her lips. "Yes, lots of trouble. This uniform is itchy and riding up my crotch."

"Well, serves you right for mugging the real security guard," Claudia responded tartly.

So saying, she glanced at the lower deck of the stage rear. The interior was obscured by a tarp, but she knew that Sienna, the real guard whom Zephyr had replaced, lay within, still tied up and blissfully unconscious.

"I don't think I can delay the crowd anymore," Zephyr continued. "People are getting restless. If I keep trying to keep the speakers from the stage, folks will get suspicious."

Claudia nodded. "Just don't risk getting in trouble. Still not sure we should trust Jenna, but..."

"Excuse me?"

Claudia turned suddenly, and saw that another security guard had just wandered around the corner.

"Oh, um... hi," Claudia said, straightening her hair in the most non-suspicious way she could think of.

"Do you have a light?" the guard asked, holding up a cigarette. She seemed not to have noticed Claudia's conversation.

Claudia hesitated for a moment. "Oh... sure!" She fumbled around in her bag, then pulled out a cigarette lighter.

"Thanks," the guard smiled, holding out the cigarette for Claudia to light it. She was a tall and strapping young woman, with alabaster skin and short black hair cut in a bob. Her uniform was typical of NASA security guards, though she also wore a small pink lapel over her green button-down shirt, just above the nametag which read "Darby."

Claudia immediately recognized the lapel. It read "Hargrove for Mayor."

"You're a Hargrove fan?" she asked the guard.

Darby took a few puffs of her cigarette, then nodded. "Yes, indeed. Finally, a politician who's on our side. Defending women in uniforms everywhere."

Claudia brightened. "That's great to hear. You know, I work on her campaign."

"No kidding?" Darby smiled. "Well, best of luck. We're rooting for you."

"Thanks," Claudia smiled, happy to meet a new ally.

She moved to put the cigarette lighter back in her pocket, but it slipped out of her hand and bounced off the grass, rolling under the tarp beneath the stage.

"Damn, butterfingers," Claudia frowned. She was about to bend down to reach it, but Darby stopped her.

"Please, let me, ma'am. It'd be an honor to help someone from the Hargrove campaign."

"Oh, you really don't..." But the guard had already bent down to the grass.

"Please, wait... Don't look under the tarp..." Claudia knelt down, but the guard had already crawled into the space beneath the stage.

"It's okay, ma'am, I found your lighter," Darby's voice called from under the tarp. "And... hey, there's someone here..."

Claudia heard the guard gasp. "Sienna?"

Claudia groaned, and quickly crawled under the tarp herself.

THWACK!

Ten minutes passed. Then Claudia emerged from beneath the stage and got to her feet. She was now dressed in Darby's uniform, and she did not look pleased about it.

Zephyr peeked around the side of the stage. "Hey, Claudia, why haven't you been answering my messages? I..." She stopped and stared at her friend. "Um... Why are you in that uniform?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Claudia muttered.

Zephyr approached, then bent down to the space beneath the stage, lifted the tarp and peeked inside.

Sienna was still there, dressed in her vanilla plunge bra and burgundy briefs, bound with black cables to a metal beam and gagged with a handkerchief. But there was also a second woman gagged and secured to the beam - this one stripped to a purple T-shirt bra and orange G-string.

Zephyr straightened up, looking at her friend in shock. "Claudia, what the hell?"

"She was another NASA guard," Claudia explained. "She caught sight of her friend tied up under the stage. I had to incapacitate her before she raised the alarm. And now I have to wear her uniform and take her position so no one will wonder why she's missing."

Zephyr sighed. "This is getting ridiculous."

"I didn't want to do it," Claudia defended herself. "She's a fan of our campaign. She wants Hargrove for mayor. I didn't want to mug or strip her, but... I had no choice." She paused. "I don't think she'll suspect me when she wakes up, do you? I mean, since I'm part of the campaign against uniform stealing..."

Zephyr rolled her eyes. "Whatever. The speeches have started, so hopefully the loud microphone drowns out any sounds of any muffled struggling beneath the stage. Let's get to our positions. Or more accurately, to the positions of the poor guards we've mugged."

She turned and walked away, disappearing around the corner.

Claudia stood there for a few moments, absent-mindedly fiddling with the small lapel pinned to her new uniform. Hargrove for Mayor.

"This will all be worth it," she whispered to herself. "Once we win, this will all be worth it."

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

Anja and Katja approached the rocket launch site, carefully carrying a pair of large crates.

The two Russian agents were still disguised in the technician uniforms they had liberated in the warehouse. The crates they held were filled with a mix of chemicals they had gathered from the NASA storage facilities.

Two security guards stood at the gate to the launch site. Both of these women were attired differently than most NASA guards - as their position was a bit more dangerous then most other guards at the facility, they were clad in dark blue protective body armor, with grey woolen caps and thick-soled black boots.

The guards spent a few minutes checking through the chemicals, while Anja and Katja held their breaths.

Finally, one of the guards nodded and waved them inside.

Anja and Katja grinned covertly at one another as they passed the guards. Dr. Chen's gambit had worked.

The chemicals they had carried, it turned out, were technically harmless. It was only when mixed with rocket fuel and ignited, as Chen had calculated, that the effects would be explosive.

Anja and Katja reached the base of the rocket and looked around.

"Where are Yuliya and Tatiana?" Anja asked.

They had communicated over the radio with two of their fellow Russian agents, who had both found disguises as mechanics, as well as three others - Katerina, Alisa, and Olga - who were disguised as engineers. The plan had called for the two fake mechanics, Yuliya and Tatiana, to pronounce some sort of mechanical issue with the rocket that would require its refueling. Then the three engineers would arrive with fuel trucks, and Anja and Katja would stealthily mix the chemicals they had gathered into the fuel as it was added to the rocket.

It seemed like a straightforward-enough plan. Yet the two mechanics were nowhere to be found at the launch site.

Katja held up her radio. "Tatiana? Yuliya, come in... Where are you?"

No response. Katja frowned.

Neither she or Anja knew, of course, that Yuliya and Tatiana were incapable of responding at the moment. After all, they were currently bound and gagged and stashed away in a dumpster, courtesy of Bobbi and Zuhal.

"What do we do now?" Anja asked.

Without the "mechanics" to make the call, no refueling would be allowed. The "engineers" would not be permitted to enter the launch site with the fuel tanks.

Katja spoke into her radio again. "Katerina, do you copy? Do you have the fuel trucks ready?"

Katerina responded right away. "Yes, I'm here with Olga and Alisa... We've got the trucks loaded. Just waiting on the mechanics' call to enter the launch site... Do you know where they are?"

"Afraid not," Katja replied. "Yuliya and Tatiana aren't answering. I was hoping you knew where they were."

"We don't," Katerina answered. "But we'd better figure out a way to get these trucks inside the launch site, and soon."

"I know, I know..." Katja turned to Anja. "I'm stuck. What do we do?"

Anja looked around the area, and her eyes fell upon the two armored female guards at the gate. Immediately, an idea clicked in her head.

She turned back to Katja. "Marta and Valentina are posing as guards, right?"

Katja nodded. "Yes... We saw them patrolling on the way here."

Anja smiled. "Do you suppose they'd fancy a change of clothes?"

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

Ashley finished telling her side of the story, then looked expectantly at Bridget, Prema, and Moira.

Bridget's brow was furrowed in thought. "This is bad... If Chen is behind all this, there's no telling how far she'll go to get her twisted revenge. We need to work fast."

She looked down at the unconscious, half-naked janitress, than back at her own underwear-clad body. Then she looked up at Ashley. "Look, I'm sorry I had to mug this woman - just like I'm sorry about the time I mugged you. But like I said, it's never personal... And if we're going to stop Dr. Chen and save NASA and all the good people who work here, I will need her uniform as a disguise."

Ashley still had a look of disdain on her face, but nodded. "I understand."

"Good," Bridget scooped up the cleaning woman's clothes and began dressing herself. "And we'll need to tie her up, too, to minimize any complications... Moira, take care of that. Make sure she's hidden in a place where she won't feel cramped or cold..."

Moira nodded. "You got it."

Ashley watched in surprise and amazement as Bridget and Moira did their work. They were clearly skilled at stealing clothes, given their speed and efficiency in doing so - yet they also seemed genuinely concerned for the safety and comfort of their victim.

"Most uniform thieves I've encountered have... not been this sympathetic," she remarked.

Bridget gave her a small smile as she buttoned up the uniform. "Let's just say I've had the opportunity to rethink some of my life choices as of late."

She finished lacing up the shoes just as Moira finished binding the real janitress. For a gag, Bridget recommended a clean white washcloth instead of duct tape, so as to spare the girl any pain when the gag would eventually be removed.

"We'll also use her laundry cart to hide you all," Bridget continued, heading to the door where the cart itself had been parked. "Except... there's probably only enough room for two of you. If only we had another disguise..."

As if on cue, the door swung open from the outside, and another woman strode in.

"Are there any spare uniforms in here?" she asked. She was a young lady with light skin and curly brown hair tied back in a hairnet. She was dressed in a long light blue button-through smock, black apron, and white sneakers; she appeared to be one of the cooks at the NASA cafeteria. "I spilled some soup on my apron while preparing lunch and was hoping there was an extra--"

She gasped at the sight before her - an unconscious woman, bound and gagged on the floor in her underwear, and four other women standing around her.

"What... what's going on?"

Bridget put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Easy... Don't panic... We just found her like this..."

"But... who would do such a thing?" the cafeteria attendant asked.

"That's what we're trying to find out," Bridget replied, gently rubbing the woman's shoulder. "We just need to remain calm... Figure out what happened..."

At last, Bridget's fingers located the woman's vagus nerve. She gave the area a quick squeeze. The woman gasped and froze. Then she crumpled right into Bridget's grip.

"Moira," Bridget said, dragging the cafeteria attendant into the room. "She's about your size. You'll wear her uniform. Prema, Ashley, you two will hide in the laundry cart I'll be pushing around."

Prema nodded. "That's fine." She turned to Ashley. "Is that okay?"

Ashley was still a bit taken aback by the latest turn of events, but nodded. "Y... yeah, that's okay."

Soon after, the cafeteria lady was down to a lavender exercise bra and black boyshorts. She joined the unconscious janitress in a rear closet, with both women cloth-gagged and trussed up with cables. Bridget draped a blanket over them to keep them warm.

Moira tucked her blonde hair beneath the greasy hairnet. "Yuck... I'm gonna need a shower when this is over."

She caught Prema's disapproving eye, and quickly added, "But... the women we mugged, they're the real victims."

Bridget shut the closet door. "Okay, ladies... No more time to waste. We need to stop Dr. Chen."

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

"Now, this is your last chance," Chen said coolly, approaching the still-tied-up figures of Felicia and Sonja. "Tell me where your friends are hiding... How they're disguised around the facility... If you don't, you will regret it."

Out of the corner of her eye, Sonja noticed Oksana wince when Chen referred to the Russian agents as "my girls."

Felicia, meanwhile, kept her eyes firmly trained on Chen. "You don't scare me," she said defiantly. "You're a sad, pathetic woman... We've beaten you before, and we'll do it again."

Dr. Chen's eyes flared at this. Without warning, she smacked Felicia across the face.

Polina opened her mouth to protest, but Oksana silenced her with a look.

"Stupid imbecile," Chen said to Felicia, who was trying to ignore the stinging red mark on her cheek. "You think I haven't planned for every opportunity? I have your friends, Bobbi and Zuhal... They're my captives as well. I can interrogate them too... The first girl to give me the information I want gets the reward of having the quicker and less painful death."

Felicia didn't know if Chen was lying, though her cold demeanor certainly suggested a woman speaking the truth.

"You're lying," she said. "Bobbi and Zuhal have been off the grid for months. There's no way you could have found them, let alone kidnapped them."

Chen laughed. "You underestimate my abilities, idiot girl," she said, reaching for her radio. Then she spoke into it, without wavering her sight from Felicia. "Lana, put Bobbi on the radio. I want her redheaded friend hear you make her scream for mercy."

Felicia froze, not sure what would come next. But there was no response from the other end of the radio.

Chen frowned, and spoke again. "Lana, answer!"

Still no response. Chen sighed. "Why must I be surrounded by morons?"

"Takes one to know one," Felicia said with a smile. Despite her situation, she couldn't help herself.

Chen looked as though she were about to strangle Felicia, but after a moment's thought, held herself back. She turned to Oksana and Polina.

"Keep an eye on these two. I will go see what Lana is doing instead of watching our other two captives. If she's dawdling, she will be sorry."

So saying, she stormed off and out the laboratory door. Felicia could hear her footsteps echoing up the stairs.

Sonja waited till Chen was out of earshot, and then spoke to Oksana and Polina. "I truly can't believe you two have partnered with... with her."

Oksana said nothing, but stared at the floor. Polina didn't respond either.

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

Bobbi and Zuhal approached the dark hangar, entering it with caution.

"What makes you think this is the one?" Zuhal whispered.

"Well, it's the oldest and dirtiest," Bobbi explained. "Grime on the windows, flat tires on that plane... So it's probably the best one to house a secret laboratory."

Zuhal grinned. "Wow... You watch a lot of spy movies."

"No, I just learn a lot from Bridget," Bobbi replied. Then she paused, and quickly pushed Bridget from her mind. "But anyway, let's have a look around. There must be something..."

"Hide!" Zuhal suddenly hissed. She grabbed Bobbi and pulled her behind some crates.

The two women peeked out from behind the crates, at the back wall of the hangar. A panel in the wall had just slid open, revealing a descending staircase beneath.

Zuhal and Bobbi watched as a woman emerged from the doorway. It was Dr. Chen.

Zuhal grinned. "Jackpot," she whispered.

Chen did not notice them; she seemed angry and preoccupied, heading straight for the hangar exit.

"Should we follow her?" Bobbi whispered.

Zuhal glanced at the sliding panel, which had now begun to close. "Actually... I want to know what she's hiding down there." She pulled off her shoe.

The moment Chen disappeared from the hangar, Zuhal moved with lightning speed, throwing her shoe directly at the closing door. It caught the door in the nick of time, wedging it open.

"Three points," Zuhal grinned. "And the crowd goes wild."

Bobbi smiled and rolled her eyes as she headed for the secret doorway. "Come on, let's check it out."

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

Chandra reached the security room, thanking her foresight in acquiring a security uniform. She knocked.

There was no response. Chandra considered for a moment, then remembered watching in the video feed that Oksana gave a special, peculiar knock to the door.

Chandra knocked again, trying her best to imitate the pattern.

There was silence for a moment, and then the door opened. A dark-haired woman in security uniform stuck her head out, and looked at Chandra in surprise.

"Who are you?" the woman asked, and Chandra quickly caught the hint of Russian accent in her voice. Her nametag read "Barbara," but it was safe to say this woman was not the real Barbara.

"Oksana sent me," Chandra replied quickly. "To make sure everything was going according to plan."

The dark-haired Russian eyed the tan-skinned Indian woman suspiciously. "You are not part of our team."

Chandra sighed. "Worth a shot."

The next moment, she shoved herself into the room, elbowing "Barbara" in the ribs. The dark-haired guard groaned, but did not fall.

Chandra was momentarily distracted by the sight of another woman in the room - a bound-and-gagged, frightened-looking blonde in her underwear, seated in the corner. It didn't take a scholar to guess this was the real Barbara. But her momentary distraction gave the imposter time to reach for her gun.

Chandra quickly turned her attention back to the Russian woman, and just in time. She kicked the gun from the woman's hand, then slammed a fist into her jaw. The woman crumpled to the floor.

Barbara looked relieved to see her mugger knocked to the ground. She looked up at Chandra expectantly, wriggling her bonds.

But Chandra simply smiled and shook her head. "Sorry, darling... You're a cute damsel in distress, but I've got no time to play knight in shining armor."

Turning her back on the shocked and appalled Barbara, Chandra checked the concealed ID of the woman she had just knocked out. "Svetlana... Nice to meet you, dear. Says here you work for the SVR... I've tangled with some of your friends in the past..."

Then she turned her attention to the security screens, dozens of video feeds which gave her a view of nearly every building at NASA. "Ah, here we go..."

As she scanned the feeds, looking for signs of Sonja or any suspicious figures, Svetlana quietly rose to her feet behind her.

"Gotta be something here..." Chandra murmured.

With a sudden snarl, Svetlana launched herself at Chandra, knife in hand.

Chandra turned abruptly, seizing Svetlana's wrist. She twisted it sharply. Svetlana let out a cry of pain and dropped the knife.

"Glad you're still awake," Chandra said. Svetlana tried aiming a fist at Chandra's head, but Chandra caught it in her free hand. "Calm down, please. I want information. Who are you? Where have you taken Sonja? And what exactly are you and your friends planning?"

Svetlana struggled in Chandra's grip, her eyes blazing. "Stupid bitch, I will tell you nothing!! I -- aaaauuuuggghh!"

She let out another cry of pain as Chandra squeezed her hand sharply, bending her fingers inward.

"Oh, honey," Chandra said in a sweet yet unmistakably threatening voice. "You will tell me everything."

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

Marta and Valentina strode across the uncrowded path from the warehouses to the launch site. They had both been briefed over radio on what they had to do.

The two Russian agents were both still dressed in the guard uniforms they had stolen early that morning. Marta, a tall, athletic woman with olive skin and close-cut dark brown hair, sported the sunglasses she had stolen from the blonde guard not far from the launch site. Valentina, a woman with porcelain skin and mid-back-length blonde hair, had previously had an easy time stealing the uniform of poor double-shift Bernice.

Marta stopped and disappeared into a warehouse not far from the launch site, though still some distance away. Valentina continued on, quickening her pace.

The two female guards stationed at the launch site looked up as the newcomer hurriedly approached. Compared to the basic uniforms that Marta and Valentina wore, the two launch site guards looked significantly more imposing, in their dark blue protective body armor and thick black boots.

Both of the launch guards were also quite tall and athletically fit, as their positions entailed. The one on the left had light skin and blonde hair tied back in a thick ponytail. The one on the right had a caramel skin tone and short, frizzy black hair.

Valentina gave a smile of relief at the women. "Thank goodness you're stationed here," she said. "Please, you need to help me... Someone broke into the warehouses."

The two armored guards exchanged a glance.

"Intruders?" the brunette asked.

Valentina nodded. "I... I think so... Probably trying to sabotage the launch... I want to stop them, but I can't do it alone... I don't have the artillery or expertise... But you ladies..."

She tried not to lay on the flattery too thick, but it seemed to work. The blonde raised her eyes with interest.

But the brunette spoke up. "Wait, a minute, Kath. We're not supposed to leave our post... Can't you call for some of the other guards?"

Valentina nodded. "Good idea... They could probably use the work. After all, there's bound to be a healthy salary bonus to any guards who catch intruders ahead of such an important launch..."

At this, the brunette raised her eyebrows as well. Valentina could practically see the dollar signs in her and her partner's eyes.

As she started to turn away, the blonde guard, Kath, spoke. "Wait, miss... We can help! Show us where you found them..."

Valentina hid a smile as she beckoned to the guards. "Follow me.... This way..."

The guards followed her, guns drawn. Valentina almost admired their opportunism, and willingness to trust her simply based on the clothes she wore.

She led them to one of the darker warehouses, showing them a shattered window. "In there, I think... Please, be careful..."

"Don't worry, miss," the blonde smiled. "Whoever's in there should be more afraid of us than we are of them... Come on, Alexa" she said to her partner.

The two armor-clad guards entered the warehouse cautiously. It was dark, and the lights appeared to be broken.

"Whoever's in here, you've made a big mistake!" Kath called out. "You're trapped!"

"Funny," Valentina said from behind them. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Kath and Alexa whirled in surprise, to find that Valentina was now pointing her gun at them.

"Drop your weapons, ladies," Valentina said with a cold grin. "And strip off those uniforms."

Kath tried to raise her gun, and immediately came to regret it - Marta sprung from the shadows and coshed her over the head. She crumpled to the ground and lay still.

The two Russians now turned to Alexa, waiting expectantly for her to try something.

Alexa gulped. She dropped her gun, and began unclipping her vest with trembling fingers.

Soon after, Marta and Valentina were dressing themselves in new, upgraded security uniforms, strapping on the vests, pulling on the caps, and lacing up the thick-soled boots.

Kath and Alexa sat in a cold corner of the warehouse, back-to-back. They had been tied up with cords of blue flex and gagged with black duct tape. Kath had been reduced to an olive-green camisole and black bikini panties, while Alexa was left in a pink-white polka-dotted triangle bra and tan control briefs.

"Enjoy your time off, girls," Marta said with a sinister grin. "Not that you - or anyone else in this facility - has much time left."

The two laughing Russians exited the warehouse, shutting the door and plunging their two helpless uniform donors into darkness.

Once Marta and Valentina had taken up their new posts at the launch gate, Valentina radioed Katerina. "We're in position... Bring the fuel trucks now."

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

Katerina turned to her two compatriots. "Come on, girls... Let's move out. We've got a rocket ship to blow up."

She joined Alisa in one of the trucks, then turned to the third woman. "Olga, you follow in the other truck."

Jenna, still in the guise of Olga, nodded. She climbed up into the second truck.

She had been lucky so far - no one had found the real Olga or guessed that she was an imposter - but she needed a plan. How would she stop these women from blowing up the rocket?

Jenna hadn't thought that far ahead. She racked her brain to formulate a plan as she drove the massive truck out of the garage.

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

Bridget pushed the laundry cart along the perimeter of the NASA fence, keeping away from the crowds. Moira walked behind her in lockstep, absent-mindedly scratching at her hairnet.

"You girls okay?" Bridget whispered at the laundry cart.

From beneath the white sheets, Prema's voice sounded. "Yes, we're okay... Right, Ashley?"

"I'm getting a cramp in my leg," Ashley said. "But... otherwise okay," she added quickly.

Bridget looked around. "If only we knew where to search for... eh?" There was a sudden buzzing in her earpiece.

"Hey, Bridge." It was Chandra's voice. "I think I found something."

"What is it?" Bridget motioned for Moira to stop as she listened.

"Chen and her cronies are planning to blow up the rocket," Chandra said bluntly. "They've got their own special fuel and everything. Apparently it's powerful enough to blast this whole facility to smithereens."

It took a moment for Bridget to process this, then she nodded. "I'm on it... Heading to the rocket now."

She turned to Moira. "This is more serious than we thought... You need to get to the crowd and find some way to sound the alarm... make sure everyone evacuates in case..." She didn't wish to finish the sentence.

Moira looked momentarily scared, but nodded. She lifted the sheets off the laundry cart and helped Prema out. "Come on, honey..."

"What? Where are we going?" Prema looked bewildered, not to mention a bit frightened.

"We need to get people out of here safely... I need your help."

Prema had not heard Chandra's side of the conversation with Bridget, but it took only a moment of looking into Moira's blue eyes to strengthen her resolve. She nodded. "Okay... yes, let's go."

She took off with Moira, while Bridget helped Ashley out of the cart as well.

"I need you to come with me," she said. "We need to stop those psychos from blowing up this whole base."

"What??" Ashley looked mortified. "Why me? I can't..."

"Because you've been working at NASA for years," Bridget replied. "You know this area, and you can help me navigate where I need to go. There's no time to waste."

Ashley bit her lip. "I... I don't know... I..."

Bridget put her hands on Ashley's shoulders. "You're a security guard, aren't you? Your job is to guard this place, and keep it secure."

Ashley looked glum. "I've done a pretty crummy job of it, these past few years."

"Well, that changes today," Bridget replied firmly. "I need your help. Hundreds of lives depend on you. Are you in?"

Ashley stared at Bridget, who no longer seemed like the cruel woman she had often imagined her to be.

She nodded. "I'm in."

Bridget smiled. "Let's go!"

As she and Ashley hurried off in the direction of the launch site, Bridget spoke into her comm-link. "Chandra, have you heard from Sonja? She isn't responding to my calls."

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

"She's not responding to me either," Chandra replied from her seat in the security room. "But I think I know where she is."

She turned to the corner of the room. "Got a lot of useful information just now."

Seated on the floor in the corner, Svetlana glared at her. The dark-haired Russian had been stripped of her stolen security outfit, and now sat fuming in a vanilla demicup bra and spartan white bikini panties. She had been bound with white zip-ties and gagged with green tape.

Sitting next to her was Barbara, also bound-and-gagged but slightly happier at seeing her captor join her in the corner.

"Sorry about stripping you," Chandra said, not sounding at all sorry. "But I don't want there to be any confusion when the police come to cart your ass away. They need to know that Barbara here is the real guard." So saying, she picked up the security cap and placed it on Barbara's head. "Hope that helps," she told the bewildered blonde.

"Anyway, gotta go." She headed for the door, then turned back for a moment. "And by the way," she told Svetlana, "my friend Sonja is right - you girls really should put more imagination into your underwear."

She exited before Svetlana could angrily "mmmpppphhh" a response.

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

Bobbi made her way cautiously down the dark stairwell, with Zuhal right behind her. There was a door at the bottom; Bobbi opened it a crack and peeked through.

Her eyes widened in surprise. The room within looked like a laboratory - and at the far end, there were two underwear-clad women tied to chairs, being watched over by a pair of tough-looking women with guns. She didn't need to squint to recognize the captives as Sonja and... Felicia?

Zuhal peeked over her shoulder. "What the...?" she whispered. "Your friend manages to get mixed up in everything, doesn't she?"

It had been a while since Bobbi had heard anyone refer to Felicia as her friend, and the word sent a twinge of pain through her spine. She quickly shook it off and turned to Zuhal. "We need to rescue them. Any ideas?"

Zuhal nodded. "I've got the perfect plan. Let's steal some uniforms and sneak inside."

Bobbi sighed. "That's your plan for everything."

"It works, doesn't it?" Zuhal grinned.

"Well, there are no other uniforms around right now," Bobbi whispered. "So that plan isn't gonna work."

Zuhal shrugged. "Okay... Plan B, then."

She abruptly kicked the door open, with enough force to splinter its hinges. She burst into the room , gun drawn and pointed at the two guards.

"Freeze, ladies! Drop your weapons!"

Oksana and Polina whirled and looked at her in shock. "What the...?"

Felicia's eyes widened as well. "Zuhal?" Then they widened further the next moment, seeing the other woman in the doorway. "...Bobbi?"

Bobbi tried to avert Felicia's gaze.

"I said drop your guns!" Zuhal called again. "You've got five seconds, girls! One... four..."

Polina dropped her gun and raised her hands. Oksana scowled, but did the same.

"Great, great," Zuhal nodded. "We're off to a great start."

"How did you escape?" Oksana growled.

"Please, let's hold all questions to the end," Zuhal replied. "Hey, Ponytail - mind untying your two prisoners?"

Polina glanced around, even though she was the only one in the room with her hair in a ponytail.

"Yes, you, darling," Zuhal urged. "Please hurry up, we're on a time budget."

Polina glanced briefly at Oksana, who was busy glaring at Zuhal. Then she approached Sonja's chair and started untying the ropes.

"Nice and easy... no tricks," Zuhal continued, her gaze and gun not wavering from the two Russians. "Do you have any more binding material around here? After you free these two, we'll need to tie you to the chairs in their place."

Oksana fixed her with a steely gaze. "Go to hell."

"Bobbi, be a dear and find some ropes or cables or something," Zuhal told her companion. Then, to Oksana: "You know, I kind of respect you girls... You snuck into my motel room pretending to be maids and chloroformed me... I don't usually get tricked like that."

"I'll do a lot worse than knock you out in a minute," Oksana said menacingly.

"Found something," Bobbi called to Zuhal, holding up some thick black cables. "We can tie them up with this." She tossed them to Zuhal.

"That's great... Wait, don't throw them..." Zuhal fumbled as she caught the cables, dropping her own gun in the process.

Oksana didn't miss her opportunity. She lunged at Zuhal, knocking the woman to the ground.

Zuhal kicked out, missing Oksana and sending the gun skittering beneath a cabinet.

Bobbi gasped as she watched the two women struggle. "I'm so sorry, I..."

Thinking quickly, she reached for her own gun - but immediately heard another voice behind her. "Uh-uh, honey..."

Polina had scooped up her own gun first, and was pointing it at Bobbi. Chandra and Felicia were still half-bound to the chairs behind them.

Bobbi dropped her gun as she turned to Polina. "Please... I just want to help my friends..."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Felicia's face turning as red as her hair.

Polina stared at Bobbi for several seconds, as if trying to read the young woman's mind.

"Polina!" Oksana's voice rang out. "Help me with this wildcat!"

Polina turned to see the two women still grappling on the floor. Oksana was stronger, but Zuhal was not one to give up.

"Shoot her!" Oksana yelled.

Polina turned and pointed her gun in Zuhal's direction.

"No!" Bobbi cried out.

Polina fired.

The small projectile whistled through the air and struck Oksana in the neck. Her eyes widened in shock.

"What... wha..."

She slumped to the floor.

Bobbi turned and stared at Polina.

"Tranquilizer gun," Polina explained, holding up her weapon. "Never leave home without it."

Then she turned back to her fallen comrade. "I didn't want to hurt her... but... I don't want to hurt anyone else, either. We need to figure some stuff out, preferably far away from here."

Zuhal got up and dusted herself off.

"Here's the deal," Polina said. "I'm going to help set your friends free. I'm going to take my friend and get out of here. She'll be angry at first, but I think she'll eventually understand. I don't know where we're going, but it's gonna be someplace where Dr. Chen and the Russian government don't find us."

She returned to Sonja's chair and used a knife to cut through the ropes. "I know you and I have our disagreements, Sonja... but I don't think you and your friends deserve this... And I don't want any part of it."

Sonja stood up, rubbing her sore wrists. Then she turned to Polina and hugged her.

"Oh! Okay..." Polina was a little startled at first, but reciprocated the hug.

All was quiet in the room for several seconds. Then Felicia broke the silence.

"Er... could someone untie me as well?"

"Oh, sorry," Polina said. She made to move towards Felicia, but Bobbi reached her first.

"I'll do it."

She cut the ropes binding Felicia's wrists, then did the same to the ropes around her ankles. Felicia stared at her for several seconds before standing up.

"...thanks," she murmured.

Bobbi nodded, and managed a small smile.

Polina strode over to the unconscious Oksana and scooped her up, flipping her over her shoulder. "Well, it's been fun, but we gotta split... Good luck stopping Dr. Chen and our ex-comrades."

"Wait!" Sonja called as Polina headed for the door. "Isn't there any more info you can give us?"

Polina scratched her head. "Er... I don't think so... Maybe check out that back room." She pointed to a metal door at the rear, labeled NO ENTRY.

"Chen told us not to open it under any circumstances, but since I'm not taking orders from her anymore, feel free to open it... Anyway, gotta go! Good luck, Sonj!"

In the next moment, she had disappeared through the exit with the snoozing Oksana.

Sonja, Zuhal, Bobbi, and Felicia exchanged a glance.

Sonja approached the thick metal door and tried the knob. "Locked, obviously."

"Stand back, I found the key," Zuhal said, stepping forward.

She aimed her gun and shot the lock off.

Sonja grinned. "I like your style."

She gripped the door and wrenched it open.

The four women peered inside. The only thing in the small, dark room was a large metal device - a solid black bar with several wires coming out of it from all angles, and a small clock attached.

"What is it?" Felicia asked, although she already knew the answer.

Zuhal answered before anyone else. "It's a bomb."

[simon4242]

wow,,building to a great climax, great unforced alliances,character growth just need chandra to be taught a lesson ......

[meditions142]

What a great update.

Loved the entire scene of Bridget getting Ashley to come around to accept what Bridget is doing. It is really fun to imagine while this serious conversation is going on the woman Bridget has already knocked out is laying on the floor unconscious in her underwear.

Of course it is funny that just as Ashley comes around Bridget ends up knocking out another woman for her uniform. And I have to say I love that knockout scene. So wonderful the way Bridget puts her hand on woman's shoulder as if she is trying to comfort her but in reality is simply getting her hand in position on the Vagus Nerve. Then a skillful squeeze and the woman is out like a light. Very sexy to imagine her gasping, freezing and then slumping into Bridget's arms. Man I love Bridget using the neck pinch!

The Margot scene was wonderful. The old grab the victim and pull her into the bushes trick. Then we get the rustling of the bushes as Chandra knocks Margot out. Since Margot was just a innocent secretary hope Chandra was not too rough on her.

We also have the fantastic scene where poor Claudia has to knockout Darby and steal her uniform. Such a funny scene!

I also loved the scene where Chandra made it to the security room. Fun to imagine her fighting Svetlana while the now conscious but still tied up Barbara watches on. Love that Chandra leaves poor Barbara tied up. Great comment "Sorry, darling... You're a cute damsel in distress, but I've got no time to play knight in shining armor." And then the way she puts the security cap on Barbara to show who the real guard is is so perfect.

Thanks for another wonderful chapter!

[tirepanted3]

Simon4242: Thanks! Building to the climax and tying all the various threads together is a challenge no matter how many times I attempt it, but it usually feels rewarding to me, and I'm glad others feel the same.

Meditions142: Thank you! I've been waiting forever to write a proper dialogue scene between Bridget and Ashley (who, despite being characters in this series since Volume 1, have only shared one prior interaction with one another). And certainly the fact that the conversation is occurring in light of a USB scene adds some levity.

Bridget's technique with the neck pinch is quite fun as well - I thought it would be fun to have her using the move while pretending it was a way of comforting the cafeteria woman. Adds a layer of sympathy, even if she had an ulterior motive.

Chandra isn't known for being gentle with her victims - but she may have gone a little easier than usual with Margot, as evidenced by the fact that her glasses stayed intact. Beyond that, I never get tired of a classic "rustling bushes" mugging.

The scene with Darby came about because I really liked how the scene with Sienna turned out and wanted to do a follow-up. So another guard had to lose her uniform. Sorry, Darby...

I like to think that Barbara gets off a bit easier than many other USB victims in the story - she doesn't get free, but she gets to watch her mugger get mugged herself, and even gets the identifying mark (her cap) for when she is discovered. That's pretty lucky compared to some other guards in the saga.

[rufusluciusivan]

First of all, CALLED IT! ("Felicia's eyes widened as well. "Zuhal?" Then they widened further the next moment, seeing the other woman in the doorway. "...Bobbi?")

Some upcoming conversations will most likely be interesting...

Characters are regrouping, strange alliances are forming. (I'm not that much surprised to see Ashley joined the club of the Uniform Stealing victims forced to team up with Uniform Stealers.)

Karma (i.e. you) seems to be having a great time coming up with embarassingly ironic (or ironically embarassing) situations... Between Chandra's misadventures with her secretary clothes that are too tight (and a guard), or Zephyr and Claudia who keep mugging people supposedly on their side by accident... Misery, misery...

And of course, plenty of women are mugged in the crossfire. Though I have the feeling soon a good number of impostors will share the fates of their victims...

I'm also getting the feeling you're having a lot of fun writing the characters debate around uniform stealings. Prema, Ashley, and Bridget; Chen and Felicia, though for different reasons.

The scientist smiled down at her. "Ah yes, I've forgotten how inquisitive you are... Well, you'll be dead soon, so I suppose there's no harm in telling you."

I'm amazed... A villain monologue that doesn't give the heroes a chance to get a shot at them? The world is going crazy!

Chen will sadly never learn... Gloating that nothing will stop her because she's thought of everything, and leaving her prisoners alive watched by a few henchwomen...

She glanced at Moira and Prema, who looked just as shocked as she did. "She's alive?"

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

"I've never felt more alive," Dr. Chen grinned, busying herself at her lab desk, mixing chemicals and maneuvering test tubes with expertise.

I've always loveed this kind of stylistic effects.

[tirepanted3]

Yes, you called it. I considered editing the rescue scene to throw a curveball, but it only made sense with the Bobbi/Felicia dynamic (which will carry forward into the remaining chapters).

A lot to wrap up in the story with the impending climax, and I'm hoping some of the conversations and team-ups will indeed prove interesting. As I said above, I've been wanting Bridget and Ashley to have a proper conversation for a while, and this finally presented the opportunity.

Karma always plays a part of some sort in these stories, though it hits different people at different speeds and in different ways - as Chandra embarrassingly found out with that secretary outfit...

As we ratchet up to the climax, it becomes harder for bystanders to be the designated USB victims in each chapter, and more opportunities for some of the uniform thieves to get a taste of their own medicine. Stay tuned; I sense another of your predictions may yet come true...

I am having a ton of fun writing the "uniform stealing debate" scenes, which was one of my main inspirations for this volume and why I decided to structure a whole story around the election campaign (set up at the end of Volume 6). Feels like uniform stealing has become such an ever-present dynamic of this world that the characters have no choice but to bring it up, especially considering their conflicting and complicated feelings towards the practice.

Chen's villain monologues are also fun to write, and they underscore her main weakness - that being her ego, which blinds her to any flaws in her plan and the chance of it going wrong. She will never learn, but that's potentially to the benefit of our heroes.

I love the stylistic transitions as well, and often look for an excuse to use them. Having so many different perspectives in these stories gives plenty of opportunities, even as they start to merge.

[simon4242]

need more karma for chandra lol