Two chapter reviews for the price of one, hurrah for lateness!
In my defense (lol), I'd like to say the story has reached the "build-up" part. The main arcs have been set up, and they are now unfolding until they come together. I confess this is the part for which it's the hardest to find interesting things to say for, since I don't have the conclusions, outside of repeating the same things about your writing that I've repeated for years now. Oh well, might as well do it again.
Maybe a checklist will make things quicker?
- A lot of muggings for disguises and uniforms, of course. Many classics (maids, chauffeur, waitresses, cops), and a few more original (roller skaters, hazmat suits).
- Quips. Quips everywhere. (I won't make you suffer through my horrible Toy Story-meme photomontage again, but know I was heavily tempted to add it.)
Is it me, or are Polina and Oksana getting the best lines as of late?
Though Lucille's ""I've been out of prison for five minutes, and every woman is disguised in the clothes of another woman. Don't you have something better to do with your life than mugging and stripping one of my employees?" put them all to shame. This one made my day.
"How come her name is always mentioned first," Sonja grumbled.
It's called alphabetical order...
"Hey, I recognize her," she said. "When I infiltrated NASA last year... I knocked her out and stole her uniform too!"
Sabira chuckled. "Sounds like she's quite popular among women in our line of work."
Six years and seven volumes or USB stories will do that...
... More than six years have passed since you posted Volume 1... Ouch...
- Parallel storylines as always. I have the same opinion as always about them. I'm waiting for the pay-off during the climax.
- Also, improbable alliances as always. I've never commented much about them, but in hindsight I'm realizing it's an other staple of your stories - characters' allegiances are often shifting. It helps make things intersting - both because it allows villains to team up to be a bigger threat, and to keep us on edge because we' never know when a morally grey character will be an ally or an antagonist.
- A cliffhanger and a heroine under the clutches of the main villainess? Some things never change! I guess the climax is nearing...
On a side note, while people pointed out Zuhal's should have been more savvy, I'd like to make a case against Chen, who after all these stories still haven't learned the most important lesson (for our greatest pleasure )... When your mortal enemy is under your clutches, just shoot them! A true James Bond villainess through and through.
- Ashley is back. I can die happy. (Though I think I'll wait until the story is finished, of course... )
"I'm sure it will be a boring shift either way."
Now that you said it, it definitely WON'T be!
To celebrate the occasion, NASA will conduct its work tomorrow through exclusively female employees
Now that's a recipe for disaster... Or not, from a certain point of view...
One theme of these latest chapters seems to be 'Broken Friendships' - between Felicia and Bobbi, Felicia and Ellen, Bobbi's and Zuhal's relationship starting to show some cracks, Felicia being disappointed by Hargrove... Since we don't have the conclusion of these arcs, I have my theories on how things will turn out, but I'll wait to see it they're true...
About the direction taken by the Hargrove subplot though, I confess I feel conflicted. On the one hand I like the idea of making this character more three-dimentional, not just a mere plot device, and the cynic in me agrees it's logical that a politician has a few skeletons in her closet. Plus, it also brings an interesting moral dilemna to Jenna, which fits her character arc. And it fits the general theme of your saga: To feature morally grey characters in morally grey situations.
However, on the other hand, I admit that I found compelling the idea of having an antagonistic force (as in, a force going against the wishes of most of the protagonists - including the main heroines Bridget and Bobbi to some extent) which had the moral high ground. It gave this subplot a special edge: For the first time (I think) there was a main anti-uniform stealing faction which was 100% reasonable and using the legal way, therefore 100% sympathetic, in a uniform stealing story. To be honest, it seems the story is doing a pirouette to dodge the problem, by giving a flaw (hypocrisy) to Hargrove's side, so that it'll be easier for the protagonists to write off their argumentation for an eventual confrontation. (For instance, the narration takes the time to highlight that Claudia and Zephyr are just as callous as the uniform stealers they fight against when it takes to time to specify they didn't think twice of the waitresses they mugged, and left them without bothering to call someone.)
Maybe sometimes there isn't a good choice, only a choice with its pros and cons.
I conclude with one final crucial question.
...
Is Violet O'Hara a joke/reference to Scarlet O'Hara? I mean, the names are so similar, I need to know if there is a connection... There must be a connection... I need to know! I NEED IT!
Yes, hurrah for lateness - I would know, as someone who is never able to post chapters on a regular basis.
(Though I do hope to have the next chapter posted within a day or two.)
Yes, we're still in the build-up phase of the story, with some arcs still being established, but things will begin developing and interconnecting shortly. And in the meantime, I hope to keep the story engaging and fun.
And of course, two of the most vital aspects to making a story fun are quips and USB scenes. At least on this board, anyhow.
Polina and Oksana do seem to get some of the better lines; it may help because they are newer characters and are thus fresher and easier to paint as light and fun, not being quite as developed as some of the more long-term characters. Though they will have something of a developmental arc in this story as well.
Bringing Lucille back - and having Bridget disguise as her chauffeur - was a callback to Volume 1, which felt appropriate considering this is a "bookend" to the series. And of course, a perfect excuse to give her that line you quote.
Indeed, it has been six years since I first began writing this series - incredible just to think about. Though only about a year's time has passed in the series (luckily for Ashley, I don't think she could take that humiliation for that long).
Improbable alliances are one of the most interesting aspects of USB stories. It helps that most of the characters, heroines and villainesses, already engage in morally grey actions (i.e. mugging women for their clothes), so naturally there is not as much ethical daylight between them as you might expect. Plus it's fun to watch characters form unlikely alliances against a common enemy.
Chen is a fun villain to write in part because of her ego - she's technically quite smart, but her pride sometimes blinds her. Hence why she prefers more elaborate revenge schemes, rather than simply shooting her foes (even though that would sometimes make more sense).
Yes, Ashley is back. Couldn't wrap up the saga without her.
Felicia does seem to have a lot of broken friendships in the series - I try not to make her too much of a "sour" character, but she's going through a rough patch - particularly with Bobbi. No spoilers, but I do hope people will like where it turns out by the end.
I hear your point about the Hargrove campaign, and there's something to be said for moral high ground in the series. But I just love giving all characters some sort of flaw or moral shortcoming to grapple with. The Hargrove arc is mainly focused on Jenna, a strident feminist who has grown genuinely repulsed by the culture of uniform stealing. She thought she found people to ally herself with, but is discovering the world is more complicated than that.
Maybe sometimes there isn't a good choice, only a choice with its pros and cons.
It certainly feels that way. In a world where uniform stealing is so dominant, it's difficult to find any cause which is truly "good" and moral. Jenna's struggle to reconcile her cause with a "ends justify the means" of her allies is more interesting (to me) than simply having the Hargrove campaign avoid uniform stealing at all costs (especially since their top priority at this moment is winning the election).
As to your final question, I don't think Violet O'Hara was meant to be a reference to Scarlet O'Hara. Though I confess it's been a while since I introduced the character (she debuted in Volume 3), so it's possible I had it at the back of my mind then. At this point... frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.
Dora always liked to get an early start to her work each day.
It was two hours before sunrise when she first climbed into her delivery truck and powered the engine. And it was still dark as she drove down the road along the grassy, open plain.
Dora liked the early-early morning quiet, and the sense of serenity that came with it. As a truck driver by trade, she enjoyed the open road, particularly when it wasn't filled with lots of other cars, traffic snarls and angry, blaring horns. Starting an early drive each day ensured that she would not have to worry about any headaches on the road.
Today was a particularly good day to avoid headaches. Her bosses had assigned her to make a particularly important delivery, straight to the NASA launching site at Cape Canaveral. She was transporting equipment for a large ceremony that would take place that day, in celebration of a momentous launch - a spaceship that would take the first women to the moon.
Dora felt proud of partaking in such a momentous occasion, even if indirectly. So she had made sure to get a particularly early start that morning, the better to avoid any incident.
Dora was slim and of average height, with light skin and a ponytail of slick black hair. She wore a khaki brown uniform jumpsuit, a matching baseball cap, and thick black boots. Her truck was a large eighteen-wheeler, the better to carry all the stereo and stage equipment in the back.
Dora tapped her fingers on the steering wheel in tandem with the music playing over the radio. She smiled as she gazed out the window - clear skies and open road as far as she could see.
But a minute later, her smile faded. By the side of the road, she could see a small blue sedan, parked at a haphazard angle. Smoke was spewing from its hood. Standing near the car was a worried-looking young woman, trying to make a call on her cell phone. She didn't seem to be having much luck.
Dora immediately took pity on this woman. Although she had a delivery to make, it couldn't hurt to stop and help someone in trouble.
She stopped her truck, then hopped out and approached the young lady. "Good morning, miss... Are you okay?"
The woman immediately looked relieved. She was slim and blonde, wearing a casual blouse and jeans, and appeared to have been stuck on the road for a while. "Oh, thank you... My car started malfunctioning... I've been trying to call a mechanic forever... My cell phone gets no bars out here."
"Let me take a look," Dora offered. "Maybe we can figure out the problem."
She approached the hood of the car and popped it open, looking down at the engine. Then she frowned. The remains of what appeared to be a small smoke bomb were wedged within.
"Here's the problem," she said. "Some prankster must have wedged this little bomb in your engine... But who would do such a thing?"
"Yes... who indeed," the woman's voice purred from behind her.
Before Dora fully processed the change in the blonde's vocal tone, the woman had grabbed her from behind. The next moment, a white cloth had been clamped over her mouth.
Dora tried struggling, but she had already taken her first breath. Within a few seconds, she began feeling weak... dizzy...
"Enjoy the day off," she could hear the blonde chuckle right before she slipped into unconsciousness.
*********************
Once the delivery driver was out cold, Lana turned to the nearby bushes and gave the "all-clear" signal.
From the foliage emerged twelve athletic women in black stealth gear - Oksana, Polina, and ten of their fellow Russian militants. Dr. Chen and Sabira stepped out as well.
"So far, so good," Lana smiled. "She never knew what hit her."
"We'll celebrate your ingenuity later," Dr. Chen said coldly. "Get into her uniform. The rest of you, clear some space in the rear of the truck so you can all fit inside."
The soldiers obeyed. Two of the Russian women lagged behind the others, carrying a large crate between them.
"Just a moment," Dr. Chen stopped them. "Let's check on our precious goods."
She opened the crate and peered inside, smiling with satisfaction.
Inside the crate were the bound-and-gagged, underwear-clad figures of Bobbi and Zuhal, both glaring back up at her.
"Such a lovely sight," Chen grinned. "Don't be cross, girls - you're not the first ones to cross me and regret it. I always win in the end."
She chuckled and replaced the lid of the crate.
Then she turned to the two women carrying it. "Keep an eye on that crate. Don't lose sight of it. If those two escape, you'll both be very... very sorry."
The Russian women nodded, doing their best to avoid Chen's cold, steely gaze. They hurried off to join the others, crate in tow.
Lana was currently in the process of donning the delivery uniform. The unconscious Dora lay on the ground, clad in her blue comfort bra and white briefs.
Chen turned to Sabira. "Don't just stand there. Drag the real deliverywoman over to a tree and tie her up."
Sabira nodded. "Sure thing, boss."
She bent down and picked up the unconscious woman, then slung her over her shoulder and carried her over to a nearby oak. Before long, the girl had been bound to the tree with white cables and gagged with black tape.
"It's a good thing she stopped to try and 'help' me," Lana commented. "Otherwise we'd have missed our opportunity."
"It's always easy to take advantage of other women's sense of kindness," Dr. Chen said, eyes twinkling. "I've stolen more than one uniform that way myself."
Then she turned to the truck. "Enough dawdling. We've got a busy day ahead. Let's move out, girls!"
*********************
Bridget had not gotten much sleep during the night. How could she? There was no denying she had stumbled upon something - perhaps something big - pertaining to NASA and a seeming to plot against it. Although she had gone freelance and was now her own boss, she could not help feel pulled to continue investigating this story, even at the expense of other investigations in her purview.
So she had stayed up all night, typing away at her computer. Sheer determination had helped her power through the hours of research - well, that plus several cups of black coffee. She dug through the archives on NASA and Dr. Chen, plus anything relating to the Russians.
A snoring sound came from the nearby couch. Sonja was still catching up on some much-needed sleep.
Although she had once considered them her enemies, Bridget was slowly warming to Chandra and Sonja, and had taken pity on them for their unceremonious firing by their old boss. So she had allowed them to spend the night at her apartment while she worked - after all, it was nice to have some company. Bridget's apartment had only one guest bedroom, and Chandra and Sonja had flipped a coin to decide who would get the bed. Chandra emerged victorious, and spent the night in the room, while Sonja now dozed away on the couch.
Had Bridget known she would not have been spending any time in her own bed that night, she would probably have offered it to Sonja. Nevertheless, the blonde woman looked surprisingly comfortable on the couch, her head propped up on an embroidered cushion. Bridget guessed that Sonja had weathered more uncomfortable beds in her life.
A yawn emanated from the guest room. Chandra stepped out, still a little groggy. She blinked in Bridget's direction.
"You're up early," she remarked.
"Actually, I never went to sleep," Bridget replied. "There's probably some spare coffee on the counter... unless I finished it all."
Chandra raised an eyebrow. "You're really something, Baxter."
"And you look exhausted," Bridget replied. "I didn't want to wake you; looks like both of you really needed a good night's sleep."
Chandra nodded. "It's been a busy few months," she said. "Sonja and I have been constantly on the go... Trying to get away from those Russian agents... Avoiding the cops... Plus spending all our time trying to get Lucille out of jail..." Chandra made a face. "Not that she appreciates it."
"Sorry about that," Bridget said. She almost marveled at how casually she was conversing with a woman who had previously tried to kill her on more than one occasion. "Can I... get you anything? I'm sorry, I'm kind of low on food at the moment. I don't get a steady paycheck anymore..."
"Don't trouble yourself," Chandra replied. She stared down at her well-worn clothes. "God, I look awful, don't I?"
"I've got some spare clothes in the closet," Bridget offered.
Chandra shook her head. "Nah, I don't think your stuff would fit me... I'm heading to the diner down the street to grab some coffee. Guess I'll mug some woman on the street and get some fresh clothes."
Bridget gave her a funny look. "You're not serious?"
"Of course I'm serious," Chandra scoffed. "Like I told you yesterday, uniform stealing is a part of our lives now, and it's not going away. And it wakes me up in the morning - coffee is fine, but nothing beats the morning rush of knocking some dumb broad out and stealing her outfit."
Bridget decided it was pointless to argue further. "If you say so."
"I do," Chandra replied, heading for the door. "I'll be back soon. Want me to get you a muffin or something? Or want me to steal you some new clothes as well?"
Bridget shook her head. "No... no muffin... no clothes," she said.
Chandra nodded and left. Bridget let out a sigh.
"We lead such... bizarre lives," she murmured.
Then she turned back to her computer. If her theory was right, NASA was in trouble... and she needed to figure out how to help them.
********************
It was just past sunrise when the disguised Lana pulled the large truck up to the front gates of NASA. A perfect time, as Dr. Chen had said - just the right level of haze and serenity in the air to catch everyone off-guard.
Indeed, there was no trouble at the entrance. The brunette female guard at the gate asked to see the truck driver's employment ID, but did not look at it very long before waving the vehicle through. Lana made a quick note of the guard's height and measurements; her uniform could likely come in handy for herself or one of her cohorts at some point.
Lana drove the vehicle past some office buildings and a quiet launch site. Within a few hours, the airfield would be crowded with activity, but for the moment, everyone was concentrating on setup.
A female technician waved the truck over to an open warehouse. "Right this way... We're about ready to start unloading."
She was tall and broad-shouldered, with light skin and shoulder-length rusty-red hair. She wore an olive-green jumpsuit and thick-soled brown work boots, plus a green baseball cap. Her partner, standing nearby and dressed identically, had dark skin and short salt-and-pepper hair.
"Just pull the truck in and unlock the rear doors. We'll handle it from there."
Lana hid a smile as she pulled the truck into the warehouse. She hopped out of the driver's seat and strode around to the back.
"Lovely morning, isn't it, ladies?" she asked the two technicians.
The redhead shrugged. "Would be better without the humidity... This uniform's getting sweaty."
"Oh, you won't have to worry about sweaty uniforms today," Lana grinned as she unlocked the doors.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
As if in answer to the technician's curious question, the doors to the truck were flung open from the inside. Two pairs of hands shot out, grabbed the two NASA workers, and pulled them into the vehicle.
Lana shut the doors to muffle the ensuing scuffle. She grinned upon hearing the muted kicks and punches that heralded the two technicians being granted an early rest break.
Minutes later, the rear doors opened again. Two of the Russian agents, a pair of former athletes named Anja and Katja, stepped out. They had shed their body armor and had donned the uniforms and boots of the two technicians.
Lana smiled at the women. "That's what I call a shift change."
Anja and Katja didn't laugh, or even smile. Lana didn't expect them to - from her time spent with the Russian women, she could tell that most of them weren't very talkative or friendly. They had clearly been picked for their expertise in physical combat, and not in stand-up comedy.
Dr. Chen also stepped out of the truck, motioning for Sabira and ten more Russian women to follow. They left the box holding Zuhal and Bobbi, as well as the two NASA technicians, gagged and bound with black duct tape and stripped to their pink bras and white briefs.
Oksana was about to address her team, but Chen spoke first, in a voice that was both cold and authoritative.
"First things first," she said. "We have the element of surprise on our side, and we must not lose that. The press event starts at ten o'clock, which means we must be ready and in place by nine-thirty. You'll all need to obtain disguises before then."
"Including me?" Lana asked in a hopeful voice, eager to steal more uniforms.
"Not you," Chen said dismissively. "You have that truck driver disguise, which will do for now. You stay here and guard the prisoners."
Lana knew better than to argue with Dr. Chen. Nevertheless, she looked disappointed.
"The rest of you, get moving," Chen continued. "And be cautious. Anyone who accidentally alerts NASA to our presence will be sorry."
Oksana nodded. "And make sure you--"
"And make sure you get disguises which allow you real access around the base," Chen continued. "Don't waste time with pointless disguises. You must steal uniforms of value only."
"All uniform stealing has value," Polina whispered to Sabira, just low enough so that Chen couldn't hear her.
Chen turned to Oksana. "Is there anything you wanted to add?"
Oksana pursed her lips and shook her head. Although hesitant to say it out loud, she was beginning to strongly dislike Julia Chen.
"In that case, let's go," Chen said with a sinister grin. "It's time to finish NASA... forever."
********************
Bernice stifled a yawn as she looked at her watch. Pulling double duty as a NASA guard - a daytime shift, followed immediately by an all-night shift - had been difficult. Still, she was glad she had shifted her schedule to accommodate her daughter.
Being a NASA security guard was a full-time job, one that made it difficult for Bernice to function in her other job as wife and mother. Long hours, often stretching from early mornings and through late evenings, made it difficult for her to enjoy the more domestic side of life. Nevertheless, she had promised her daughter to attend her dance recital the next afternoon, and it was a promise she intended to keep.
She was quite glad and gracious when fellow guard Ashley had agreed to switch shifts for the day. As soon as her double shift was over - less than an hour to go now - she planned to return home, catch up on a few hours' sleep, and wake up in time to make her daughter proud.
Bernice was a tall and mostly fit woman, though her waistline told the tale of a guard who always tried to sneak in an extra donut. She had light skin and shoulder-length red hair. Like most NASA guards, she wore a light green button-down shirt, slim black pants, and polished black lace-up boots, as well as a grey peaked cap with the NASA logo.
She was currently idling in her position near one of the old warehouses at the edge of the launching field. After nearly twelve straight hours on duty, even with a few cups of coffee in her system, she had begun to feel tired and weary. Just another forty-five minutes to go...
It was thus understandable that Bernice was not fully attentive to all her surroundings - particularly not the lithe, shadowy female figure who was even now quietly and stealthily creeping up behind her.
At the last moment, Bernice caught a quick glimpse in the cracked reflection of a warehouse window. By that point, however, it was too late.
The Russian agent clamped a white cloth over Bernice's nose and mouth, shutting off any attempts by the guard to raise a vocal alarm. Bernice struggled in the grip of a woman who quickly proved to be her physical superior. That, plus the smell of the chemicals from the cloth, made the fight rather one-sided.
Soon, the unconscious Bernice was being dragged into the dark warehouse by a woman who was roughly her equal in height and build.
Bernice would not be heading home within the hour, nor would she be showing up at her daughter's dance recital that afternoon. Instead, she would spend the next several hours clad in just her neon pink sports bra and black control briefs, tied with grey flex and gagged with white duct tape, stowed behind some cable drums in an old NASA warehouse. All while another woman strode around the facility in her uniform.
*******************
Chandra stepped out of the diner, drinking the contents of a tall iced cappuccino. The cool morning air was a welcome breeze, helping her clear her head.
Chandra's focus over the last few months had been single-minded - find her boss and break her out of prison. And no sooner had she and Sonja successfully released Lucille Weldon-Grant from behind bars had the enraged woman fired them. The woman's words still stung in Chandra's ears. All their hard work and strategy for the last few months felt wasted and pointless.
Chandra finished the contents of her coffee in a few gulps, then tossed the empty cup in the gutter. A passing elderly couple gave her a disapproving glare, but Chandra ignored them.
The coffee had helped clear her head, but she still needed time to think. With her ties to Lucille - her boss of the past three years - now severed, what was her next move in life? What about Sonja? Chandra had become good friends with her fellow bodyguard over the years they had worked together, but without their shared goal of allying themselves to a well-paying boss, it wasn't clear where things would go next.
Chandra looked down at her clothes - she was still wearing the business suit she had stolen from that mayoral aide the day before. The suit was rumpled and disheveled, not to mention half a size too small. It certainly felt more restrictive than Chandra wanted to feel, particularly at this moment. She needed to think, and to do so, she needed to feel free and clear.
Chandra glanced up the block to see a young woman jogging in her direction. The woman was tall and toned, with light skin and sunny blonde hair tied in a short ponytail. She wore a sky-blue tracksuit and white sneakers. She appeared to be on a routine morning workout - jogging along the sidewalk while listening to music on her earphones.
Chandra smiled. A morning jog through the nearby park would be just the thing to help her clear her head. And the blonde's clothes were certainly more suitable to the task than the business suit Chandra currently wore.
As the blonde jogged past, smiling nonchalantly, Chandra grabbed her by the collar and yanked her into a nearby alley.
"Wha...??"
The blonde was the athletic type, but she was no match for her attacker, particularly not right after Chandra had been fueled by her morning coffee. The struggle was fierce but rather brief.
Soon, Chandra was zipping up the blue tracksuit and lacing up the sneakers. She tied her black hair into a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes, using the woman's scrunchie to hold it in place.
The unfortunate blonde lay unconscious in the corner of the alley, behind some trash bags. She had been stripped to a vermilion sports bra and white cotton briefs. Chandra had used some duct tape to bind and gag her.
Inserting the earphones into her ears, Chandra was pleased to be met by the sounds of a jaunty pop song. Normally she hated this type of music, but it seemed just the thing to get her going in the morning.
She gave a quick wave to the unconscious blonde. "Thanks, darling... This has been a big help, really."
And she was off, jogging along down the sidewalk towards the nearby park entrance.
It was indeed a beautiful day, and for the first time in a while, Chandra appreciated it. The sun was out, the breeze blowing, the tracksuit soft and form-fitting.
For the first time in ages, Chandra felt free.
*********************
Oksana and Polina clung to the shadows as they made their way past an old NASA bunkhouse.
"Not too many people here at this hour," Oksana murmured. "That's good... Less chance of being spotted."
"You're scared of her, aren't you?" Polina asked.
Oksana glanced back at her friend. "Hmm?"
"Dr. Chen," Polina clarified. "I see the way you look at her. She gives me the creeps... and I can tell she has the same effect on you."
Oksana frowned. "I'm a government spy, Polina. I don't get scared."
Polina placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "Hey... It's nothing to be ashamed of. I've been reading up on Julia Chen since our government assigned us to work with her. She sounds brilliant but insane... and acts that way too."
Oksana sighed. "Look, I don't love working with her either... But we have to follow orders. Our main enemy is NASA - permanently crippling it so Russia will have the advantage in the next space race. As long as Chen has similar goals - no matter her motivations - we've been assigned to work with her to bring down a common enemy."
Polina nodded. "Okay then... But I still think we should watch our asses when she's around."
Oksana rolled her eyes. "You've been watching my ass for years before she came along."
Polina shrugged. "Hey, you've got a great body. I'm sorry for noticing!"
Oksana held up a hand. "Shh... someone's nearby."
That "someone" was two security guards, wearing standard-issue uniforms and walking along their early-morning beat.
"Lovely sunrise, eh, Tabitha?" one guard remarked. She was a tall woman with light skin and shoulder-length salt-and-pepper hair.
Her coworker, a tan-skinned woman with blonde hair cut in a boyish bob, shrugged. "No different from any other sunrise, Kathleen."
"But this one is a bit different," Kathleen said. "Today's my birthday!"
Tabitha smiled. "Is that so. Happy birthday, girl."
Kathleen nodded. "I'm thinking of grabbing an ice cream after work... Wanna join?"
Tabitha winced. "Ah, that brings up some bad memories. We were supposed to go out for ice cream a few months ago on my birthday, remember?"
Kathleen nodded, her smile fading. The two women had planned a fun afternoon of activity on Tabitha's birthday, but their plans had been interrupted by a gang of women who had mugged them and stolen their uniforms. Kathleen and Tabitha had spent the rest of the day tied up and gagged in their underwear - along with their fellow guard, Ashley.
"I think Ashley brought us bad luck that day," Tabitha noted. "Even she admits it - she's gotten her own uniform stolen more times than she can count. Kind of amazing they let her back on the payroll."
Kathleen chuckled. "Where is Ashley, anyway? Wasn't she supposed to be on the night shift?"
"I think she switched with Bernice... Not sure why. Maybe she's less worried about getting her uniform stolen in the daytime."
"Well, it's daytime now," Kathleen grinned. "Looks like it'll be a good day, too."
"Got anything special planned for your birthday?" Tabitha asked.
Kathleen shook her head. "Probably gonna relax... Just lie around in my underwear all day."
Tabitha grinned. "Great plan."
"Excellent plan!" came a voice from behind them.
Before Kathleen and Tabitha could turn around, they had been forcibly grabbed and chloroform-soaked pads had been clamped over their mouths.
"Happy birthday, darling... Let's make your wish come true!" Polina sang.
Oksana sighed. "Please forgive my partner, officers... She has to turn everything into a comedy routine."
Kathleen and Tabitha had no idea what was happening, but there was little they could do to break free in the viselike grips of their assailants. They were dragged behind a nearby warehouse, the fumes of the chloroform quickly overpowering them.
"You girls are so lucky," Polina told the two guards, who were rapidly in the process of losing consciousness. "I wish I could spend the day lying around in my bra and panties... Unfortunately, some of us have work to do."
"Indeed we do," Oksana told her. "And it would be easier to do if you talked less and chloroformed more."
By this point, however, the chloroform had done its work. Oksana and Polina lowered the unconscious guards to the ground and began stripping them.
Minutes afterward, Kathleen was down to a cerulean bikini bra and aqua briefs, while Tabitha was left in a pink strapless bra and peppermint-striped boyshorts. Fast asleep, they offered no resistance as they were bound with black cables and gagged with white duct tape, nor as they were stowed inside a couple of empty oil drums.
Polina hummed the "happy birthday" tune as she dressed in her uniform, before Oksana silenced her with a look.
"Enough dawdling... Let's take our positions."
******************
Moira was up bright and early that morning, having already dressed by seven AM. It was going to be a busy day at NASA, and she wanted to be there to cover it.
A knock came at her apartment door, just as she was tying the scarf around her neck. She raised an eyebrow. Who could it be a this hour?
She approached the door and opened it, a bit apprehensively. But her concern quickly faded - standing there was Prema.
Moira grinned. "Good morning, sweetheart." She leaned over and gave her girlfriend a kiss. "What brings you here so early?"
Then she noticed that Prema wasn't smiling. In fact, she looked downright annoyed.
Moira's grin was replaced by a look of concern. "What's wrong?"
"Where were you yesterday?" Prema asked. She sounded upset, and there was an accusatory tone in her voice.
Moira was taken aback for a moment. "I... I was at the NASA records center. Working on the story for today's launch. Why...?"
Prema held up her phone. There was a news story on the screen, with the headline: "Break-In at NASA Records Center."
"A secretary was attacked yesterday," Prema continued. "A young woman named Gail. She was knocked out, stripped, tied up in a closet for hours. The poor girl was crying when they found her."
Moira was shocked. She glanced at the phone, then back at Prema's angry look.
"I... I didn't do it," she finally found the words.
Prema raised an eyebrow.
"I swear, it wasn't me," Moira continued. "Yes, I met Gail yesterday... She's a lovely girl. But I'm not the one who mugged her or stole her clothes."
Prema stared into Moira's blue eyes for several long seconds. There was no trace of dishonesty in them.
She sighed and lowered her phone. "I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me, coming here and accusing you first thing in the morning..."
Moira placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey... I understand. You've been working hard... It's been a stressful time."
"But I shouldn't take it out on you," Prema chided herself. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I..."
Her voice trailed off as she gazed into Moira's eyes. Moira grinned as her face turned a slight shade of red.
"You know... it's pretty early... I don't have to start work for another couple hours," she said. "And I imagine you don't either. Wanna come inside and have some breakfast?"
Prema smiled. "I already ate."
"Well, then," Moira continued as she guided her girlfriend inside the apartment. "I'm sure we'll find some other way to pass the time..."
Prema shut the front door with her foot. Her hands were already busy removing Moira's clothes.
*******************
It had been some time since Dr. Chen had walked the NASA grounds. Nevertheless, her years of familiarity with the facility allowed her to navigate the area with confidence.
Unlike her Russian associates, who at this moment were mugging any uniformed woman who approximated their size, Chen needed a specific type of disguise - one that required a bit more patience to find.
At last, she spotted her opportunity. Chen hid behind a small cabin and sized up her target.
The young woman was of average size, with alabaster skin and dark red hair tied back in a loose ponytail. Judging from her attire, she was a scientist - dressed in a white lab coat over grey blouse, black knee-length skirt, tan tights, and comfortable black shoes, as well as dark spectacles over her eyes. She appeared to be on her way to the lab, scribbling some notes on a clipboard in her hand.
As the girl rounded the corner, Dr. Chen stepped out from her hiding spot into her path. The young scientist jumped.
"You startled me," she said with a slight chuckle. "Sorry, it's early... I haven't had my morning coffee..."
"I'm afraid you won't be getting any coffee today," Chen said coolly.
The young scientist looked at Chen in confusion. Then her smile slowly faded.
"You..." She said slowly. "Y-you're..."
Chen chuckled. "I assume you know who I am?"
The young scientist slowly nodded. She took a fearful step back.
"And I assume you know that if you wish to remain alive, your best course of action is to do exactly what I say?"
The girl nodded again. She took another step back. Her back pressed against the wall.
"Smart girl," Chen grinned. "I can see why they made you a scientist."
The redhead gulped. "Please... I don't want to die..."
"I don't care what you want," Chen said tersely. "But you will give me exactly what I want. Namely... your clothes. You have sixty seconds to strip."
"My... clothes?" The young woman seemed confused, frozen to the spot."
Chen nodded. "Everything aside from your underwear."
"But..."
Chen glanced at her watch. "Fifty-four seconds."
The young scientist hurriedly began to strip, fast as her trembling hands would allow. She shed her coat, her blouse, and her skirt. Then she kicked off her shoes and pulled off her tights.
At last, she stood only in an orchid comfort bra and cyan bikini panties, eyes wide behind her glasses, trembling as much out of fear as from the cold morning air against her figure.
"Made it with five seconds to spare," Chen said with another look at her watch. "Lovely work. You scientists can be quite efficient when given proper incentive."
The redhead gulped. "Please... I..."
"Do shut up," Chen said tersely. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's begging. Turn around and cross your wrists behind your back. And keep silent."
The redhead did as she was told. Dr. Chen took some white clothesline from her belt and used it to secure the girl's wrists, pulling the bonds tight. The girl winced as the rope bit into her wrists... but she remained quiet.
Chen repeated the binding process on the girl's ankles, then tied a grey cloth gag over her mouth. Thoroughly secured, the scientist could only watch helplessly as Chen donned her uniform.
"Ah, this feels like old times," Chen smiled as she slipped on the lab coat. She tied her hair back into a bun, and glanced down at the girl again. "Just need one more thing..."
She knelt down and plucked the girl's glasses off her face, then slipped them on her own. "An added precaution... to ensure no one identifies me." The glasses were a bit thick, but Chen would get used to them.
She scooped up the young scientist and carried her over to a nearby dumpster. "You've done well, my dear." She opened the dumpster lid and dropped her inside, atop a couple of black garbage bags. "None of what happens today would be possible without you."
With a last glance into the girl's fearful eyes, Chen shut the dumpster lid.
************************
Chandra was grinning broadly as she returned to Bridget's apartment. The wind had made a mess of her hair, despite it being tied back, but she didn't care. It was the most refreshed she'd felt in ages.
Bridget eyed her as she stepped through the door. "Nice tracksuit."
Chandra nodded. "Looks better on me than the original owner."
Bridget rolled her eyes and returned her focus to the computer.
Chandra headed to the fridge and cracked open a soda can, downing most of it in two gulps. On the nearby couch, Sonja continued to snore away.
Chandra approached Sonja and gave her a gentle shake. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead. Come on, we got a busy day."
Sonja groaned and rolled over, continuing to snooze.
Chandra sighed, and gave Sonja a hard poke in the ribs.
"Ow!" Chandra winced. She sat upright, now awake.
"Good morning, sunshine," Chandra grinned.
"Why'd you wake me up?" Sonja said in annoyance. "I was having the best dream... I was at a basketball tournament, mugging the cheerleading squad for their uniforms. You should have seen them, they had the most gorgeous underwear..."
"Sounds riveting." Chandra stood up.
"Maybe it's meant to be a sign," Sonja grinned impishly. "Is there a cheerleading team in the area? I wouldn't mind mugging some pretty girls before breakfast."
"Mu goodness, you two are weird," Bridget murmured.
Chandra approached her. "So, Nellie Bly, have you found out anything interesting?"
Bridget nodded. "It's still a little dicey, but I've found some news clippings on Project Pluto... It's an old NASA experiment from some years ago that was shelved after a disastrous test run. One of the chief backers of the project was none other than... Dr. Julia Chen."
Sonja approached as well. "Big deal. She's dead, isn't she?"
"So it seems..." Bridget trailed off for a moment. "But her project still seems to have generated some interest. And it looks like the Russians have caught wind of it."
"So what's the plan?" Chandra pressed.
"NASA is having a major public event today," Bridget continued. "Delilah Hargrove - the mayoral candidate - is speaking there today, ahead of a major all-female space launch. Gonna draw a huge crowd... It's exactly the kind of time and place where trouble would ensue."
She turned back to her computer. "There's a story here, I know it. But we don't have tickets to the NASA event..."
Sonja grinned. "Guess we'll have to invite ourselves in."
"In a manner of speaking," Bridget nodded. "We'll need to infiltrate NASA and figure out what's going on. Could be dangerous, but..."
"We're not scared of danger," Sonja interrupted. "As long as the plan involves us mugging plenty of women for their uniforms, we'll be fine. Right, Chandra?"
Chandra pretended she hadn't heard anything. "You're sure there's trouble happening today?" she asked Bridget.
"It's a hunch," Bridget admitted. "But conditions are ripe for something bad to happen. I think we should check it out."
"I'm sold," Sonja declared. "What are we waiting for?"
Bridget thought for a moment. "Hang on... I've got to make a quick phone call first..."
***********************
Felicia hadn't slept well the previous night. It was evident from her face this morning - bleary-eyed and exhausted, with her red hair tangled and unkempt.
She had spent too much of the night thinking back on her conversation with Ellen, and the woman's cold, cutting words - "I never want to see you again."
Felicia couldn't blame her - she felt awful.
Still, it was another day, and Felicia needed to clear her head. She decided a walk in the fresh morning air would help.
The weather was good, and within a few minutes, Felicia was starting to feel better. She turned down a quiet side street to avoid some of the crowded midmorning hustle and bustle.
Felicia's phone buzzed, and she glanced down at the name. Bridget had just sent her a text.
"Following a case related to NASA. Could be big. Are you interested?"
Felicia sighed and slipped the phone back in her pocket without responding. No, she was not interested - considering all that had happened in her life recently, she was perfectly content never hearing the word "NASA" again.
She walked a little further down the block, and her mood slowly improved. She even managed a small smile. It was nice out here... serene... peaceful.
The only other person nearby was a young blonde woman sitting at a bus stop bench, flipping through a magazine. The brim of her baseball cap was pulled low over her face.
"Excuse me," the girl spoke up as Felicia walked past. "Do you know what time it is?"
Felicia smiled and glanced at her watch. "Sure... it's just after eight o'clock..."
Abruptly, the blonde grabbed Felicia's wrist.
Felicia gave a start. "Huh?"
The blonde stood up, grinning, and Felicia now got a look at her face. It was Summer, one of the two girls from the park yesterday.
"Correction," Summer said with a laugh. "It's time to steal your clothes!"
Felicia opened her mouth to cry out, but Summer immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. At that moment, a black van with tinted windows came barreling around the corner.
The van screeched to a halt right in front of the bus stop, and the side door slid open. Summer grabbed the still-startled Felicia by the scruff of her collar and flung her into the rear of the van. Then she jumped in herself, shutting the doors behind her.
"Go, go, go!" she called to the driver.
From the driver's seat, Autumn grinned. She hit the gas and the van roared off in a cloud of dust.
Felicia looked around, trying to get her bearings. "What the hell is going on?"
She tried to get to her feet, but Autumn swerved the van, sending her falling to the floor.
Summer had braced herself against a handle at the side of the van. "Dear, dear..." She grinned down at the addled Felicia. "A bit clumsy, are we?"
Felicia tried to keep calm, though she stared daggers at Summer. "Are you kidnapping me? What do you want?"
"Not much," Summer smiled, cavalierly tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "Just your clothes."
Felicia was dumbfounded. "My clothes? Again?"
"You humiliated us yesterday," Autumn called from the front seat. "All we wanted was to steal your clothes, but you tied us up and left us for the cops."
"Big mistake," Summer added. "After we escaped, we decided you needed to be taught a lesson."
She stood over Felicia as if daring her to stand up again. "Now we're going to steal your clothes and tie you up. Only this time, we're not going to hide you in some bushes. We're going to leave you somewhere public, bound and gagged in your underwear, so that people can see you and take photos. You'll be a viral Internet sensation by lunchtime!"
Felicia glared at her. "Why do you do this? Why do you keep trying to mug innocent women of their clothes?"
"Because we can," Summer grinned toothily. "Who needs more reason than that?"
She pressed one of her boots on Felicia's back. "Now, surrender your clothes. This is the last time we ask nicely."
Felicia shrugged. "I'll never give my clothes to you creeps."
Summer shrugged and bent down. "Sorry, dear, but you don't have a choice."
From behind her back, she drew a white cloth pad, forcing it over Felicia's mouth.
"Maybe some chloroform will put you in your place," she chuckled as Felicia struggled beneath her foot.
**********************
All around the NASA facility, multiple shift changes were occurring - none of them voluntary.
Over on the north side of the grounds, not far from the rocket launch, a broad-shouldered female guard with light skin and sandy blonde hair was walking past an oil truck. She was abruptly grabbed and pulled behind the vehicle, where a skilled Russia agent quickly and roughly rendered her unconscious.
Moments later, the Russian woman emerged in the guard uniform, squinting in the early morning sunlight. She found a pair of sunglasses in the guard's pocket and slipped them on appreciatively.
The real guard did not have to worry about the glare of sunlight - she was now in the shade beneath the truck, stripped to a cerulean underwire bra and grey briefs, zip-tied and gagged with black tape.
Over on the north side of the facility, two mechanics were working on repairing an ATV in a garage. Both wore oil-stained green jumpsuits and brown boots. One of them, a dark-skinned woman with greasy black hair, was currently working under the vehicle, adjusting some loose wiring. Her associate, a light-skinned woman with brown hair in a low ponytail, was handing her tools upon request.
"Wrench," the mechanic beneath the car requested, sticking her hand out from beneath the ATV. Her partner reached into the toolbox and obligingly handed her the wrench.
"Screwdriver," the woman added from beneath the ATV.
The brunette reached for the small Phillips tool - but never made it. A cloth was suddenly clamped over her mouth, and she was dragged into the darkness of the garage.
"Screwdriver," the mechanic beneath the car requested again, unaware of what had happened to her partner.
After getting no response, she poked her head out from beneath the vehicle. "Come on, Rosalyn, I need the scr--"
The sentence was not to be completed. A white cloth covered her mouth, and the startled mechanic found herself staring up into a pair of cold blue eyes.
"I need you to fall asleep," the woman said in a softly-accented voice.
The mechanic obliged, not that she had much choice. Soon, she and her partner were lying in a corner of the garage, stripped to their grey bras and white panties, bound with black cable wiring and gagged with old cloth rags.
Meanwhile, on the south side of the facility, three engineers were in a small locker room, getting themselves ready for the day ahead. All wore light blue coveralls, white construction hats, goggles, and short black boots.
"Interesting, isn't it?" one of them, a tall woman with short dark hair and an apricot skin ton, remarked. "No men at all working at NASA today. Gonna be a different experience."
"I'll say," remarked the second woman. She had light skin and silver-blonde hair that reached her shoulders. "Maybe we'll finally get some work done."
The third woman, slightly shorter than the first two with tan skin and crew-cut golden-brown hair, chuckled. "Finally, a day for women to run the show."
None of them noticed a gloved hand quietly slip through the doorway, reaching for the light switch.
The next moment, the locker room was plunged into darkness.
"Hey, what happened?"
"Who turned out the lights?"
"Is this some kind of prank? I don't -- mmmpphhhh!"
"Sheila, did you say something? What -- hrrmmph!"
"Girls, where are you? I can't see anyth -- mmrrrppphh!"
The sound of crashes and thuds filled the air, but no one outside the room was around to hear them.
Shortly after, the lights flicked on again, displaying a very different scenario. Three other women now wore the engineering uniforms, and were lacing up the boots.
The real engineers now sat in an unconscious heap in the corner, stripped to their bras and panties. Two of them wore plain white underwear, though the brown-haired woman had gone a little more creative that day with an orange triangle bra and seafoam bikini panties.
One of the Russian women now approached the engineers, a roll of black duct tape in her hand. "Finally," she echoed with a grim smile. "A day for women to run the show."
**********************
Felicia had been chloroformed a few times before - it was one of the risks that came with her line of work in a dangerous world. So she had learned through experience how to avoid falling unconscious - holding her breath, and only occasionally inhaling through her mouth, as necessary.
She continued to struggle, albeit weaker than normal - she wanted to give the impression that the chloroform was working, and to catch Summer off-guard. "Mmmmpphhh! Mmmmmppphhh..."
Autumn turned on the van radio so the music would drown out the sounds of Felicia struggling. "How's it going back there?" she called to Summer.
"Easy as pie," Summer grinned. She glanced down - Felicia had stopped struggling, and her eyes had fluttered closed.
"Perfect." Summer kept the pad pressed to Felicia's face for another ten seconds, then let go. Felicia dropped limply to the floor.
"Now to gag her," Summer grinned. "Where did I put that duct tape?"
She turned away from Felicia and began rummaging through a nearby compartment. Felicia slowly opened one eye.
Summer was busy searching for the tape and did not hear the sound of movement behind her. It was her mistake.
Felicia struck quickly, wrapping one arm around Summer's waist and pressing the discarded chloroform pad over her nose and mouth. Summer's eyes widened, and she tried to struggle free.
"First rule of mugging someone, amateur," Felicia whispered, holding on tight. "Don't turn your back on the victim."
Summer's eyes darted helplessly to the front of the van, but Autumn had her eyes on the road, and humming along to the Indigo Girls song blasting over the radio. She did not hear the commotion behind her.
"Mmmmpppphhh.... rrrmmppppphhhhh..." Summer's strength ebbed away, and she fell limply in Felicia's grip.
Autumn glanced in the rearview mirror with a smile. "How's it going back there, Summ?"
Her smile quickly faded, replaced by a gasp. Summer was lying in the rear of the van, motionless.
Autumn quickly hit the brakes, then turned around in her seat. "Summer, are you okay? Where's that stupid redhead?"
A blur of movement caught Autumn's eye. The next moment, she felt a judo chop at the side of her neck, and everything went dark.
********************
Autumn awoke, feeling a bit chillier than before. Glancing around, she quickly realized why. She was now in the rear of the van, stripped to her purple sports bra and teal bikini panties. She was also bound with black duct tape and gagged with a white cloth.
Nearby, Felicia was in the process of similarly binding and gagging the unconscious Summer, who had been stripped to an aqua-blue T-shirt bra and matching bikini panties.
Autumn tried to free herself, but these bonds were tighter than the ones she had been restrained with yesterday. "Grrrmmmppphhh!"
Felicia finished restraining Summer, than turned back to Autumn. "Oh good, you're awake. I've got some questions to ask you."
She approached the enraged young woman. "Sorry about stripping you both, had to make sure you weren't carrying any weapons. Especially after last time."
She reached up and removed Autumn's gag. Autumn scowled at her.
"Let us go, you bitch! You have no right to do this to us!"
"But you have a right to try to kidnap me and try to steal my clothes?" Felicia asked incredulously.
Autumn gave a short laugh. "You act like clothes stealing isn't something that happens regularly around this city," she countered. "Plenty of women do it!"
Felicia frowned. "Some women do it. Sometimes they have important reasons to do it. Why do you do it?"
"Because it's who we are," Autumn replied tersely. "Me, Summer, all our fellow Uniform Swiping Babes - we do it because it's fun. Uniform stealing is a perfect way for young women in the twenty-first century to express themselves. To be themselves."
Felicia gave another look at Autumn, and could see that she was rather young - perhaps about nineteen or twenty. Summer looked about the same age.
"So... you've taken this to its next step," Felicia said slowly. "Uniform stealing isn't just something you do. It's like... part of your identity?"
Autumn nodded. "You're starting to understand," she grinned devilishly. "We live in an age where girls are encouraged to craft identities for themselves, a way to help them stand out on a crowded world run by an ever-growing Internet. Some girls write poetry. Some girls play music. Some of us play sports or help the environment. My friends and I mug women and dress in their clothes." Her smile broadened. "It's fun and exciting. And it gives us a opportunity to explore the world in new and distinctive ways. Just last week, I've become a nurse, a flight attendant, a hotel concierge..."
As she watched this young woman talk, Felicia couldn't help thinking of Bobbi, who had grown to view uniform stealing as an indelible part of her own identity. Was this the new normal? Was there a whole generation of young women, raised on Internet memes and viral videos, that was now primed and encouraged to go out and mug women for their clothes, simply because it gave meaning to their lives?
"You're crazy," she interrupted Autumn. "Both of you. The police will know what to do with you."
Autumn gave a sour look. "We will not be silenced!" she said indignantly. "Uniform stealing forever! You'll never... mmmpppphhhh!"
She scowled again as Felicia retied the gag over her mouth.
"Looks like you've been silenced," Felicia said with a wry grin, patting the furious Autumn on the head.
But her features hardened once more as she headed back to the front of the van. What was the world coming to?
Her phone buzzed again - a call this time. It was Bridget.
Felicia decided to answer. "Hello?"
"Felicia!" Bridget sounded relieved. "Oh, I wasn't sure you'd respond. Look, I know things have been kind of tense these last few months, but I could really use your help... It's NASA... I know you're not interested in any more infiltrations, but..."
"I'll do it," Felicia interrupted.
There was silence on the other end of the line. "...You will?"
"Sure," Felicia said. "Like you always say, it's a crazy world out there... And we need to do our part to help."
Bridget let out a happy sigh. "I'm so glad to hear that... But look, this job may require us to mug some innocent women of their clothes... I know you don't really care for that..."
"I said I'll do it," Felicia repeated. "We'll worry about the details later."
She glanced in the back of the van, towards Summer and Autumn. "Just give me an hour to get across town... I need to drop off some trash first."
Autumn seethed.
"Okay... I'm currently drafting a plan with Chandra and Sonja - long story, I'll explain later. Maybe we'll meet you on the way."
"Okay... Talk to you soon."
Felicia hung up, then got in the driver's seat.
"Hope you're both comfortable back there... This could be a bumpy ride."
It was a more acidic tone than she was used to... But Felicia didn't much care to be polite with these two.
Last edited by tirepanted3 on Sun Sep 03, 2023 11:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
im sorry but chandra needs to be put behind bars for a while lol ....mugging a jogger ,,she has become a caricature...very unlikeable lol and now you got felicia going back to mugging ..come on tire . after all her soul searching and regret, now just like that shes going back to mugging, sorry that just doesnt ring true or make sense lol nevertheless an epic,superbly written storyline is drawing to a close i have faith that the good will be rewarded and the bad wont lol
Okay, this time I'll be quicker (quicker TO answer, and with A quicker answer ).
Mostly because I haven't much to say. The story is still building up the climax - and I suppose it will do it in the next couple of posts as well.
The team of infiltrators sneaking into a compound and slowly taking the place of the real workers. Still a classic. A well-done classic, but since this is a classic, I don't have anything new or interesting to say except that it's well-done so... It's well-done! This time, the theme seemed to be "offscreen takeouts" - between the technicians pulled inside the truck and the mechanics - and chloroform.
Dr Chen's scene, with her intimidating the scientist, therefore had a special edge.
Unlucky guards are a staple of the genre... Between Bernice who now probably regrets having changed shift with Ashley, and Kathleen and Tabitha who are regulars...
Some nice lines with the Russian team ("That's what I call a shift change." "Happy birthday, darling... Let's make your wish come true!" "I wish I could spend the day lying around in my bra and panties... Unfortunately, some of us have work to do." ), but Felicia takes the cake.
"We will never be silenced!" "Looks like you've been silenced."
Simple, and efficient.
This is most likely an unpopular opinion, but I'm not very fond of Autumn and Summer. I have nothing against them as characters, as always I'm fond of the meta comments. (USBs - the joke's already been done, but I can't help liking it.) It's just that every time they appear, I'm like: "Stop hogging the spotlight! I wanna see the main plot!"
PS: Noticed a bit of a typo.
Chandra emerged victorious, and spent the night in the room, while Chandra now dozed away on the couch.
I suppose Chandra hasn't mastered the gift of ubiquity yet...
Simon4242: Don't get too far ahead just yet on Felicia - she did mug and strip Summer and Autumn, but I think it's fair to say it was not without decent reason. As for the rest, well, just wait and see...
Rufusluciusivan: Yep, still building to a climax - although the main action is just now starting to kick in.
I love the classics, and infiltrators slowly but surely mugging the real workers is one of the best, even if it's been used a great many times before. Here, the offscreen muggings helped keep the action moving, since there were quite a few muggings and I didn't want to make them feel too bogged of repetitive. And yes, it makes Dr. Chen's scene with the scientist more effective in comparison, particularly as she uses psychology rather than brute force to overpower the woman.
Brining back former USB victims (like Kathleen and Tabitha, from their brief scene in Volume 4) for a curtain call felt right. And it gave rise to some fun lines from Polina.
I totally understand about Autumn and Summer - honestly, I'm not writing them to be likable (since they're not longtime regulars and are mainly mugging women for the fun of it). But while they are not part of the main plot, I think it's important to have a "wild card" element to the story, if only to emphasize how chaotic the world these characters inhabit is.
Good catch with the typo - I fixed it. Wouldn't want anyone to think Chandra is beside herself.
Hey, everyone. Been a little while since my last post, but I decided to push myself to get the next chapter done by the end of this month. Enjoy.
Lyra Linden was, for the first time in a while, in a very good mood.
As the owner and CEO of the Linden Lumber Corporation, she presided over the richest and most successful lumbering company in the state. Nevertheless, her company had taken a financial hit in recent months, following a scandal relating to her company's expensive logging equipment. One night, while her lumberjacks and lumberjills were working tirelessly at their jobs, all the woodcutting machines had broken down and ceased to work.
It took a bit of time to piece together what had happened - a spy, most likely a woman, had mugged one of the lumberjills and infiltrated the worksite in her uniform. Then she had set about secretly sabotaging every one of the priceless machines. When the other workers had tried using the machines, they had simply broken down and collapsed. It cost millions to replace the machinery, and set the company's production schedule back months. The saboteur had never been caught.
Nevertheless, things were finally looking up for Linden Lumber. They had once again regained their footing, their stock had improved, and they were working on rehabilitating their image after the production embarrassment. To this last end, Lyra had obtained tickets to attending NASA's all-female space launch, which was generating plenty of buzz as one of the biggest events of the year. There was also the fact that Councilwoman Hargrove - a rising political star and mayoral candidate - would be at the launch, and Lyra saw this as a golden opportunity to secure some coveted funding for her company.
So it was that Lyra's sleek black Rolls-Royce now cruised along a stretch of South Floridian roadway, headed towards the NASA launch site. Lyra sat in the back of the car. A tall and broad-shouldered woman in her late thirties, she had light skin and cherry-blonde hair in a bob haircut. She was smartly dressed in a lavender pantsuit over wine-colored button-down shirt, and shiny black high-heeled pumps.
Seated beside Lyra was her secretary, Cailyn. A shy, mousy young woman with light skin and a short ponytail of brown hair, Cailyn's blue eyes were unusually magnified by the pair of rimless glasses she always wore. Her outfit was typically conservative - light green blouse, grey skirt, and brown penny loafers.
And seated up front behind the driver's wheel was Daphne, Lyra's chauffeur and bodyguard. A tall and athletic woman with dark skin and short pixie-cut black hair, she wore a finely pressed black chauffeur uniform - black suit with pants and tie, white shirt, peaked black cap, and low-heeled black driving boots. She was well-trained in three different forms of martial arts, and always knew her way around a traffic jam.
Today, in fact, she had successfully navigated the Rolls-Royce away from the usual midday traffic, down a lesser-known side road. Even there, however, things proved unreliable, as a detour sign had closed off part of the road. Nevertheless, Daphne was now steering them towards the next-best path, a bridge that was only a few miles off from the space camp.
And Lyra Linden was in a very good mood.
"This is the perfect opportunity," she kept saying aloud. "I just need some time to talk with Councilwoman Hargrove... Promise to donate to her campaign if she promises to make lumber funding part of her platform..." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I just hope she doesn't babble too much about that 'uniform stealing' nonsense."
"Nonsense, ma'am?" Cailyn inquired.
"Don't you follow politics, girl?" Lyra scoffed. "It's part of her platform. 'No uniformed woman left behind' or some crap like that. I swear, she could be a great mayor if she ignored that conspiracy theory... As though there are dozens of women being mugged for their uniforms every day..."
"B-but uniform stealing is a real problem," Cailyn replied. "That's what caused Linden Lumber so much trouble... Someone stole the uniform from one of our lumberjills, and..."
"Don't correct me, silly girl," Lyra interrupted. "And don't spread this foolishness. Maybe a spy did steal an employee's uniform, maybe she didn't... The point is, now we have a lot of employees demanding for more security so that they don't get mugged and stripped. I suppose they'll start demanding our company start offering 'anti-uniform stealing insurance' at some point... Those imbeciles."
"But..." Cailyn started to say.
"Daphne," Lyra addressed her driver. "You wear a uniform every day. Has anyone ever mugged you for it?"
"No, ma'am," Daphne grinned, glancing in the rearview mirror. "I'd like to see someone try... Any woman who tries to steal my uniform will end up in the hospital for weeks."
Lyra nodded, then glanced at Cailyn. "See?"
Cailyn didn't respond, growing quiet once more.
Lyra was about to mention the finer details of her planned conversation with the Councilwoman when the Rolls-Royce came to a sudden halt.
"What's going on?" she asked indignantly.
"The bridge, ma'am," Daphne said, pointing, a note of confusion in her voice. "We can't get through."
Through the windshield, they could all see a metal bridge ahead, spanning a bubbling river. The barrier to cross the bridge was closed, and the adjoining tollbooth appeared dark and empty.
"What on earth?" Lyra was incredulous. "How can the bridge be closed? Isn't this a public roadway?"
"It's not commonly used, but yes," Daphne replied. "And it's a short route from here to NASA. If we turn back, it could take hours to go around through the main roadway."
"Well, we're not turning back," Lyra said. "Daphne, see if you can get into that tollbooth. Use the controls and open the barrier yourself."
"Yes, ma'am," Daphne nodded. She unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car. "Even if it's locked, it shouldn't be too difficult to break in."
"Good girl," Lyra smiled.
She and Cailyn stayed in the car as Daphne approached the tollbooth, circling around to the door on the other side. They could hear her call: "It's open, boss!"
"Splendid!" Lyra called. "Hurry up now."
Daphne disappeared into the tollbooth. All was quiet for the next few seconds.
"Any luck figuring it out?" Lyra called.
The response from within the tollbooth was muffled. It sounded like a struggle, with muted grunts and groans.
"Daphne?" Lyra leaned out the window. "What are you doing in there?"
No response. The tollbooth grew quiet once more.
"Daphne?" Lyra called again, her voice growing increasingly annoyed.
Cailyn spoke up. "Maybe... maybe she needs help?"
Lyra glared at her. "Go see what she's doing."
Cailyn glanced around. "Ma'am, I... I don't like this... Something's not right..."
Lyra scowled. "You're such a child," she said coldly. "Do I have to do everything myself?"
Scoffing, she opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle.
Cailyn watched, trying to keep calm. But the moment Lyra's feet hit the ground, she gave a sudden startled cry. Something abruptly grabbed her, yanking her out of sight.
Cailyn's froze, her mind on the verge of panic. What had just happened? What was going on?
The police... She needed to call the police... Cailyn fumbled for her cell phone, dropping it on the floor of the vehicle. She was so intent on retrieving it that she did not notice another arm reaching through the open door.
The next moment, Cailyn felt a hand on her shoulder, and a sudden squeeze applying pressure to the side of her neck. She tried to scream, but her vocal chords felt frozen.
"It's okay, honey... This won't hurt..." Cailyn's vision was blurring, and her mind grew hazy. The last thing she heard before losing consciousness was a woman's voice saying something about her clothes.
*********************
Ashley breathed in the fresh morning air as she arrived on the NASA lot, ready for a new day of work.
Switching shifts with Bernice had been a good idea, she thought. Ashley didn't necessarily hate night shifts, but they could prove tiring after a while. Switching times meant Ashley had gotten a good night's sleep, and now felt ready to face the day ahead.
Speaking of Bernice - where was she? Ashley passed by her friend's usual post, but the sprightly redhead was not around.
Maybe she left early, Ashley reasoned as she passed an old warehouse. She's probably got a busy day ahead.
Little did Ashley know that Bernice had in fact not left early - and she was in fact nearby, inside the warehouse. Still unconscious, bound and gagged, stripped to her underwear and hidden in a corner.
Nor did Ashley know that several of her other NASA coworkers had been similarly stripped, bound, and gagged, and were currently stowed in various places around the facility while other women had appropriated their uniforms.
And Ashley certainly did not know that, at this very moment, she was being watched.
From a different warehouse, Lana peered out curiously. She eyed Ashley with unmistaken interest.
It was her! The guard that Dr. Chen had identified. The one that Lana had herself mugged, over a year ago.
Lana remembered Dr. Chen's words: "If Ashley poses a threat to my plans, I want her taken care of. We may need to dispose of her."
No one else was around. Lana knew that Dr. Chen had ordered her to stay and guard the prisoners, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up.
Besides, Ashley's security guard uniform was a lot cooler and more imposing than the drab truck driver disguise Lana was currently wearing...
Lana turned back to the inside of the warehouse, and glanced inside the crate. Zuhal and Bobbi, still bound and gagged, glared at her.
Lana grinned at them. "I have to run a quick errand, okay? You girls stay here and behave yourselves." She patted the gun strapped to her hip. "Don't do anything silly like try to escape, okay? I wouldn't want to kill you... yet."
Zuhal and Bobbi continued to glare, but remained silent. Lana ducked away and stepped out of the warehouse.
She approached Ashley from behind with controlled stealth. It was now morning, the sun was up. Fortunately, Ashley's back was turned and there was no one else around to warn her.
Ashley took another deep breath of fresh morning air - but this one was interrupted. She felt something hard and metallic press into her back, and a hand clamp over her mouth.
"Hello, dear," Lana purred. "That's a lovely uniform you're wearing. Why don't we go somewhere private and discuss a change in its ownership?"
Ashley's eyes widened. No...
She considered struggling, but the feel of the weapon at her back convinced her to remain calm.
"Keep it nice and quiet," Lana grinned, removing her hand from Ashley's mouth and stepping back. "The next sound you make will be your last. Walk that way, please..."
Ashley had no choice. She was led at gunpoint into the warehouse.
Once inside, Ashley turned to face her assailant. The blonde woman grinned. "We meet again, darling."
A look of confusion crossed Ashley's face. "Do I... know you?"
"Well, you weren't exactly conscious during our previous encounter," Lana grinned. "About a year ago, perhaps... You were on patrol. I crept up behind you and slugged you over the head, then helped myself to your uniform."
Ashley's eyes widened. "You..."
"Me," Lana nodded.
Ashley's mind immediately flashed back to that night. She remembered it vividly - the first time someone had ever mugged her for her uniform.
The first time... but certainly not the last, she thought grimly.
"It's lovely to meet you again," Lana continued. "And this time, I figured we should meet face-to-face. I like to show professional courtesy to security guards the second time I mug them." She gave a throaty chuckle.
Ashley clenched her fists. "I'm not getting my uniform stolen again... I won't let you..."
"Oh, but you will," Lana replied coolly. "I'm the one holding the gun, and I'm the one giving the orders. Now strip."
Ashley scowled. "And then what? You'll just tie me up and leave me stuffed in a crate all day?"
"Um... sure," Lana replied. But Ashley caught the note of hesitation in her voice.
"You're... not going to tie me up?"
Lana tilted her head sideways. "Well, sorry, but... Dr. Chen has her orders."
"Dr. Chen?" Ashley let an involuntary shudder at the name. Slowly, the realization dawned on her, and her face paled. "No..."
"Yes," Lana replied. "You're apparently the one person at NASA who saw and recognized her the last time she was here. She doesn't want to risk any slip-ups this time. Most of the guards and other personnel our team is replacing today are merely being tied up, but you... sadly, you will need to be eliminated."
Ashley gulped. "But... But..."
"Just strip off your uniform," Lana said stoically. "Once that's done, I promise to kill you fast. Thus gun has a very effective silencer, and you won't feel a thing..."
Ashley felt herself trembling. "Please... I don't want to die, please..."
"This isn't up for discussion," Lana replied. "Now hurry up and strip off your uniform. That's all you're really good for, aren't you?" She couldn't suppress a sneer. "I'm told you get your uniform stolen a lot... Classic security guard, always getting mugged for your clothes. I suppose this was inevitable..."
The words rang harshly in Ashley's ears. She hung her head in defeat.
"I... I guess you're right," she said. "This... Getting my uniform stolen... It's all I'm good for."
"Glad you understand," Lana replied. "Now start stripping."
Slowly, tremblingly, Ashley began unbuttoning her uniform.
*******************
Moira pulled her car up to the front gate of the NASA facility. She turned and smiled at Prema, seated beside her. "I'm so glad you changed your mind and decided to join me."
Prema blushed slightly. "You were... very persuasive."
But her facial expression still betrayed some concern.
Moira noticed. "Nothing's going to happen," she assured her. "This is just going to be a nice, ordinary day, with some nice, ordinary speeches. I'll get some interviews, snap some photos. Simple as that."
The front gate guard approached them, motioning Moira to roll down her window. She was a tall, sturdy woman with light skin and shoulder-length light brown hair. She was dressed in a light green button-down shirt, slim black pants, and polished black lace-up boots. Her grey peaked cap was emblazoned with the "NASA" logo.
"Tickets, please," she said, holding out a hand.
Moira reached into her pocketbook and drew out two tickets. However, before she could hand them over to the guard, Prema stopped her.
"Are you a real guard?" she asked the brunette.
The guard looked surprised at the question. "Beg pardon?"
Moira chuckled. "Sorry, my girlfriend is a little on edge... The last time she was at NASA, a bunch of guards had been mugged and replaced by imposters."
The guard looked surprised, then nodded. "Oh yes, I'd heard about that... Apparently it's happened more than once."
"So you're... you're not an imposter, are you?" Prema asked hesitantly.
The guard laughed and pointed at the ID badge clipped to her chest. "See for yourself," she said.
The photo displayed on the ID was of a woman with light skin and brown hair, identical to the woman who wore it, next to the name "Mackenzie."
"I understand your concern," Mackenzie told Prema, who still looked a bit flustered. "I only started working here six weeks ago, but I've heard about the... embarrassing incidents that have happened here in the past. Guards found tied up in their underwear... So NASA started requiring photo ID badges for security personnel. Can't be too careful, I guess."
Prema was silent, then nodded. "Sorry... I didn't mean to accuse you..."
"No problem," Mackenzie said, tipping her cap. "It's good that you're cautious... But you can rest assured that I am a genuine security guard, here to keep you safe."
Moira nodded. "Thank you, ma'am."
Mackenzie smiled and waved the car through.
"Nice ladies... A little paranoid, though," she chuckled to herself.
***********************
"Best two out of three?"
"No."
"Come on... please," Sonja pressed. "It'll only take a second."
Chandra sighed. "Okay, fine."
She flipped the coin into the air again.
"Heads!" Sonja called.
Chandra caught the coin and held it up. "Tails."
Sonja's face fell. "Crap... Best three out of five?"
"Sonja..."
"Are you just using a rigged coin?"
"What are you two squabbling about?" Bridget interrupted.
She was kneeling by the nearby trees, looking up from her ropework.
"Just debating who gets to wear which uniform," Sonja explained. "I'm not interested in wearing the business suit - it looks itchy. And my feet don't care for high heels."
"Well, you've got to wear it," Chandra replied. "You look more like the businesswoman than I do, short blonde hair and all. Besides, I won the coin toss."
Sonja sighed. "But the chauffeur uniform looks much more comfortable..."
"Girls, can we stow the debate?" Bridget said, standing up. She had just finished securing all three of their quarries to the trees. "We're already pressed for time as it is. Let's hurry up."
Sonja frowned. "You can't rush us, Bridget. Uniform stealing is an art... and art should never be rushed."
She surveyed the three unconscious women now secured to the trees, and grinned. "Speaking of which, there's some real art."
Each of the three women had been secured to her own oak tree, bound with orange rubber cables and gagged with white cloths. Lyra the businesswoman had been stripped to an aquamarine comfort bra and dark blue hipsters. Daphne the chauffeur/bodyguard had been reduced to a violet sports bra and black boyshorts. And Cailyn the secretary wore a plain white T-shirt bra and matching bikini panties.
"They look so peaceful, all lined up in a row," Sonja said, eyes glinting. "Creative underwear, too - well, except the secretary. Well, two out of three ain't bad."
"You knocked that secretary out pretty quick, Baxter," Chandra noted. "With a nerve pinch, yet. Where did you learn that?"
"I've been practicing some new mugging techniques lately," Bridget explained. "Trying to knock out women without harming them. Pressure-point pinches are an easy way to make women lose consciousness quickly and painlessly."
Sonja scoffed. "Quickly? Painlessly? Oh, come on... What fun is that?"
"This is not supposed to be 'fun'," Bridget said tersely.
"Wrong," Sonja replied. "Women like us don't have a lot to enjoy these days. Society has all these 'rules' they expect us to follow. Uniform stealing is a way of getting a rush in life - breaking the rules, forming our own path. If you're not enjoying it - the prospect of overpowering another woman and wearing her clothes as reward - then honey, you're doing it wrong."
Bridget sighed. "If you need to mug other women for their clothes in order to 'enjoy' life, then maybe you need more to do in your life," she stated. "Uniform stealing should be treated as a necessity, nothing more."
Sonja was about to argue further, but Bridget held up a hand. "We can't spend all day debating this. Put on the business suit. Chandra, get dressed in the chauffeur's uniform. I'll wear the secretary's clothes - she's closer to my size than the other two."
Sonja scowled, but Chandra put a hand on her shoulder. "Easy, Sonja... We're working together now. Let Bridget lead things. When this is over, you can steal all the comfy uniforms you want."
Sonja gave her friend a wry look, but did not press the matter further. She reached for the business suit, which had been folded into a neat pile next to the other two sets of clothes.
The three women dressed quickly, at Bridget's urging. Every so often, Bridget would glance at the trees, and the three women secured to them. She cast a pitiful glance at the secretary, who seemed quite peaceful and demure, even while unconscious.
Bridget had indeed grown more ambivalent about uniform stealing over the last few months - but she knew she could never truly give it up. Though she hated to acknowledge it, Chandra's earlier comment was right - the world had changed, and women would have to change with it.
Once they'd finished dressing, the three women sized each other up. With their new disguises - and their tickets - Bridget, Sonja, and Chandra would have no trouble infiltrating the NASA event. They headed for the Rolls-Royce.
Chandra got behind the steering wheel, glancing in the rearview mirror as the other two sat down in the back. "Where to, Madame?" she said in a mock British accent.
Sonja laughed. "If these high heels weren't killing my feet, I'd give you such a kick in the ass."
"Please, just drive," Bridget said in exasperation. She was already beginning to grow restless.
She also hoped that Felicia - who had said she would meet the three of them at the NASA facility - wouldn't get second thoughts.
*********************
Ashley pulled off her white socks and dropped them on the pile of discarded clothes - jacket, shirt, pants, shoes, cap. She now stood shivering in just her white bikini bra and green boyshorts.
"Wonderful," Lana said with a grin. "You stripped yourself faster than I could have stripped you. I guess that's a bonus of having so much experience getting your clothes stolen."
She laughed at her own joke. Ashley did not join her laughter - her face remained a mix of fear and concern.
Lana stopped laughing, and her face turned serious once again. "All right, honey... Now comes the last part." She raised her gun. "Turn around and close your eyes... I'll try to end it quickly. I don't want to do this, but orders are orders..."
"W-wait!" Ashley stammered. "I'm... I'm not finished stripping."
Lana raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you?"
"My... my bra," Ashley continued, trying to keep her composure. "And my panties... I need to remove those as well."
Lana rolled her eyes. "I don't need to wear your underwear, sweetie. My disguise doesn't need to be that detailed."
"But..." Ashley paused. "But... this is the last time I'll ever get to strip off my uniform, isn't it?"
"I suppose it is," Lana said.
"So... wouldn't it be a little more... final... if I took off everything? Every time I get mugged, the woman leaves me in my underwear. This time - the last time - shouldn't it be something more special? I should take off everything."
Lana looked at her suspiciously, her gun still trained at Ashley's chest. "Are you trying to flirt your way out of this, honey?" she asked. "Because it's not going to work. I'm not interested in girls..."
"I'm not trying to flirt with you," Ashley responded - although there did seem to be a note of seduction in her voice. "But you said it yourself: This is all my life is good for now. Getting my uniform stolen. So I should end everything by taking off everything, including my underwear."
Lana sighed. "Can't believe I'm standing here arguing with a woman about how much of her clothes she should take off..."
But then she shrugged. "Fine. I'll grant your last wish. If it makes you happy, you can take off your underwear. "
Ashley nodded. "Thank you... thank you."
She slowly reached her hands around her back, toward her bra strap. Her eyes remained trained on Lana the whole time.
Lana kept her eyes trained on Ashley as well - but as Ashley's hands centered on the bra clasp, Lana's attention shifted slightly, momentarily, toward Ashley's chest.
What happened next happened very quickly.
Ashley unhooked the small can of pepper spray she had stuck in the strap of her bra and whipped it in front of her, spraying its contents directly in Lana's face.
Lana let out a cry of shock, and in that moment dropped her gun, pulling her hands to her face.
In the next instant, Ashley tackled her to the ground.
The two women struggled on the floor for the next several prolonged moments. Lana was strong and athletic, but her ability to fight was hampered by the stinging sensation in her eyes.
"I knew that would come in handy," Ashley puffed, trying to pin Lana to the floor. "Didn't know it would take a week, or a month, or several years... but I knew... somehow I knew someone would try to rob me of my uniform eventually."
Lana slammed her knee into Ashley's stomach. Ashley gasped and doubled up with pain. Lana rolled away and groped around for her gun.
"No!" Ashley got there first, grabbing Lana's gun from the floor. "Not this time!"
Lana's vision cleared in time to see Ashley standing before her, pointing the gun right at her.
Immediately, Lana raised her hands. "No... please, I surrender."
"Not so tough anymore?" Ashley glared at her.
"P-please... please, I wasn't really going to kill you..." Lana gave a nervous smile. "I just... I was joking... Please, I don't want to die..."
She fell to her knees, seemingly on the verge of tears. Ashley couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for her.
She lowered the gun. "It's okay, I'm not going to kill you... I just..."
"Bitch!" Lana suddenly pulled a knife from her boot, then lunged at Ashley with a snarl.
Ashley moved quickly, sidestepping Lana, then hitting her on the side of the head with the butt of the gun. With a groan, Lana fell to the floor and lay still.
Ashley spent several long moments catching her breath. Her penchant for sympathy had nearly cost her her life. If not for her quick movements...
Ashley's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of muffled moaning coming from a corner of the warehouse. They appeared to be emanating from a nearby crate.
Cautiously, Ashley approached the open crate. She peered inside and gasped.
Two women were lying inside the crate - both in their underwear, both bound and gagged.
"Who are you?" she asked incredulously.
Their responses of "Mmmmpphhhh! Hhhrrmmmppphhh!" provided scant clarification.
Ashley was immediately reminded of another scenario, several months ago, quite similar to this one. She had been patrolling the NASA grounds one night, when she had heard moans coming from a nearby hangar. Inside, she had discovered no fewer than eight women, all bound and gagged and stripped to their underwear.
And - perhaps it was her imagination - but one of those eight women appeared to be staring up at her now! The younger of the two women in the crate, a girl with light skin and dark hair, looking up at her and pleading for assistance.
Ashley reached down toward the girl's gag. "Who... are you?"
The girl coughed as the gag was removed. "I... My name is Bobbi. Please, untie me and my friend..."
"Have I seen you before?" Ashley asked, as she impulsively started to untie the woman. "Last year... weren't you bound and gagged in a NASA hangar, in your underwear?"
Bobbi nodded. "Yes, it... wasn't my finest moment..."
Ashley stared at the other woman. "And who is this?"
"That's Zuhal," Bobbi explained. "She's the one who stripped and tied me up last time. But... we're friends now."
Ashley stopped untying Bobbi and stared at her in astonishment. "Is... is this a prank?" She glanced around. "Are there hidden cameras here?"
"Look, it's complicated," Bobbi said. "Please, untie us... We need to..."
"Wait a minute," Ashley interrupted. "I untied your friend last time..."
Bobbi paused. "You mean... Bridget Baxter?"
"I don't know her name... But as soon as I untied her, she knocked me out! When I woke up, I was tied up and stripped of my uniform!"
She glared at Bobbi and Zuhal. "I'm not falling for this again."
"It's not a trick," Bobbi pressed. "Please, untie us... We're all in danger... Dr. Chen is going to kill us... And Bridget might be the only one who can--"
"Stop talking." Ashley stood up. "I can't trust anyone right now... I need to figure out what's going on... I need..."
She glanced at her discarded uniform, lying on the floor nearby.
"I need to get dressed," she muttered.
"Hey, wait..." Bobbi called out, but Ashley had already hurried back to where her uniform had fallen.
She picked up her shirt and was about to put it back on... when something made her pause.
She glanced at the shirt, and at the gleaming gold name tag. "ASHLEY."
"This uniform makes me a target," she said aloud. "It always has. Whenever I put it on, I put myself at risk of crazy women who want nothing more than to mug me and strip me... Dr. Chen... Lana... Bridget..."
She glanced down at the unconscious Lana, dressed in her truck driver uniform.
"If I'm going to figure out what's going on... I can't do it as a security guard."
She knelt down beside Lana, then rolled her over and unzipped her khaki brown jumpsuit.
Minutes later, Ashley zipped that same jumpsuit up over her own body. She laced up the black boots and pulled the brown baseball cap over her hair.
"There we go..." she muttered to herself. "I'm a truck driver... No one pays any attention to a random truck driver..."
She used some black electrical tape from the warehouse shelves to bind and gag Lana, who was only dressed in a frilly pink triangle bra and white cotton panties. Then she dragged her to the side, near the crate.
"Please, help us get free," Bobbi pleaded from inside the crate. "You can trust us..."
"Sorry, but I can't trust anyone right now," Ashley repeated. "I don't know what's going on at NASA today, but whatever it is... I need to stop it."
She stepped away before Bobbi could utter another word.
Once outside the warehouse, Ashley glanced around. There was a major event starting soon, before the launch. Whatever was happening, she reckoned that was her best place to start.
It had felt liberating to take down Lana, the woman who had once humiliated her and stolen her uniform. Ashley wondered if she would meet some of the other women who had mugged her over the past few months, like Dr. Chen or Bridget Baxter.
Either way, they would be sorry if she did.
*****************
Bobbi was left struggling against the ropes which still bound her - although thankfully, Ashley had begun to loosen them.
"I think I have enough slack to get free," she told Zuhal. "Just... give me a few minutes."
Zuhal simply nodded, and did not make any clever quips. After all, she was still gagged.
*****************
Delilah Hargrove's mammoth green-and-gold campaign pulled up to the NASA entrance, its wheels grinding to a stop.
"This is where we get off, everyone," Hargrove told her staff. "Samantha, be a dear and find a good spot in the parking lot."
Samantha, the blonde uniformed bus driver, grinned. "Sure thing, boss."
"Come on, girls." Hargrove stepped off the bus.
The guard at the front gate stuck out her hand. "Councilwoman Hargrove. It's an honor to meet you."
Hargrove shook the guard's hand warmly. "The pleasure is mine..." She glanced at the guard's ID badge. "...Mackenzie. It's an honor to speak at NASA today."
"We're thrilled to have you," Mackenzie said. Then she paused and lowered her voice. "Say, you're not going to speak about... about uniform stealing, are you?"
Hargrove looked a bit surprised at the question. "I plan to mention it, certainly," she said. "It's the lynchpin of my campaign. I've pledged to end 'uniform stealing' in our culture, including here at NASA."
Mackenzie nodded. "I understand, but... well, it's something of a controversial subject. This is supposed to be an uplifting event. People might get uneasy if you start talking about women getting mugged and stripped..."
Hargrove pursed her lips in thought. "Tell me, Mackenzie... How long have you been working as a security guard?"
Mackenzie looked a bit surprised at the question. "Er... six weeks."
"So you're new to this occupation?"
"I am," Mackenzie nodded. "But I'm getting the hang of it pretty quickly..."
"It's a high-risk occupation," Hargrove continued. "Women in security positions are nearly three times as likely to be mugged for their uniforms as women in other professions. I don't suppose you've had any such situations?"
"No, ma'am." Mackenzie seemed a bit thrown by the line of questioning, but kept her composure. "I'm a black belt in karate... I can take care of myself."
"I can assure you that every guard who ever got her uniform stolen previously thought the same thing," Hargrove replied, a note of coldness in her voice. "Some people think I exaggerate or fearmonger in my speeches. I assure you, though, when it comes to the dangers of uniform stealing, I merely speak the truth."
"But..."
"It is statistically probable," Hargrove continued, "that at some point in the next six months, you, dear Mackenzie, will be mugged for your uniform by someone who wishes to impersonate you. In fact, there is a slight chance - below five percent, but still significant - that you have in fact already been mugged for your uniform. A chance that I am speaking to an imposter, and that the real Mackenzie is bound and gagged in her underwear in the booth behind you."
Mackenzie glanced back at the booth, not sure what to say. "I... I'm not an imposter. I'm me... I'm a real security guard."
"And I believe you are," Hargrove responded, her voice now more soothing. "The point is, I cannot know for sure. That is the true damage that uniform stealing has done to our society. No longer can women trust each other. No longer can we feel safe knowing that the nurse tending to us in hospital is a real nurse... that the waitress serving us drinks is a real waitress. There is so much paranoia, so much denial. Any woman around us could be an imposter. None of us would know for sure!"
She smiled again. "But when I am mayor, we will no longer have to worry about any of this. My administration will crack down on uniform thieves all across the city. And women will finally know peace again - safe in their identity, and their security."
Mackenzie did not know what to say. She simply nodded.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mackenzie," Hargrove said again. Then she turned to her entourage who had finished filing off the bus. "Come on, girls... We have a speech to give... and a race to win."
Claudia and Zephyr led the way, with Zephyr giving an impish grin at the guard. Jenna brought up the rear - though she still managed to catch every word that Hargrove had said to the guard.
Despite her disillusionment with the campaign, Jenna still heard the words ringing in her ears. "Women will finally know peace again - safe in their identity, and their security."
"Your boss is an impressive woman," Mackenzie noted to Jenna.
Jenna paused, then nodded. "Yes... she really is, isn't she."
*******************
Dr. Chen felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her as she stepped into the laboratory compound.
She had not set foot in this area for months - yet she was immediately familiar with the smell of chemicals, the buzzing of machinery.
There were surgical masks available at the entrance. Chen scooped one up and fitted it over her nose and mouth - another precaution, atop her lab coat and glasses, to ensure she wasn't recognized.
She moved along a row of tables and stations, speaking quietly into her earpiece. "Oksana... Have all your agents acquired disguises?"
Oksana's voice whispered in reply. "Nearly all, ma'am - it's been tricky finding so many uniforms that are the proper size..."
"Don't give me excuses," Chen interrupted. "Tell your girls to squeeze their asses into Barbie doll uniforms if they have to. I want them clothed and blending in as soon as possible."
There was silence on the other end, before Oksana responded. "...Yes, ma'am."
Chen detected a sour note in Oksana's voice - but she chose to ignore it. There were more important things to focus on today.
She found a computer station in the corner of the laboratory, quiet and unoccupied. She sat herself down in front of the computer and cracked her knuckles in anticipation.
I wonder if they've changed the clearance codes...
True, she had not been to NASA in months - but with her finely honed memory, Chen retained knowledge of some of the facility's top-secret passcodes. After a few false tries, she was able to bypass the computer's security.
She pulled up some schematics of the rocket that was set to launch today.
A launch that will never occur, she thought with a chuckle.
She whispered into her earpiece again. "Oksana, I have the schematics. It should be no trouble finding the fuel tank - provided some of your girls are disguised as maintenance crew. I'll send you the passcodes..."
Minutes later, Chen wiped the computer of any evidence of her activity, then stood up to go.
On her way back down the corridor, another scientist stopped her. "Excuse me... do you know if we get off shift early today? My friends and I want to see the rocket launch..."
Dr. Chen nodded at the young woman. "Of course we get time off early... And I'd certainly recommend seeing the rocket launch up close. It's going to be... a blast."
She grinned wickedly behind her mask as she exited the lab.
************************
Ashley moved cautiously across the NASA compound, keeping away from any public areas. Every so often, she would spot another worker - a woman who looked like one of her fellow guards, or a maintenance employee.
But although the uniform would look familiar, the face of the woman would not. Ashley deduced that most of her fellow guards - Bernice, Kathleen, Tabitha - had all probably been mugged and replaced by imposters.
More pressingly, these imposters looked tough - strong, athletic women would could probably more than handle themselves in hand-to-hand combat, even without the guns strapped to their belts. Ashley knew better than to take these women on herself.
Still... what could she do? How could she trust anyone at NASA today? Anyone could be an imposter... and she did not have any friends she could contact. She considered calling the police, but what would she tell them that wouldn't sound unbelievable or outlandish?
She had no plan, no ideas. And it wouldn't be long before someone saw through her driver disguise. It probably wouldn't be long before she was grabbed, stripped, bound, and gagged...
"Buck up, girl, come on... Don't think about that," she murmured to herself. "Just figure something out. Just..."
Voices interrupted her. Ashley quickly ducked inside a warehouse entrance, peeking out cautiously.
A procession of women was filing past, headed towards the main offices. They were led by a tall woman in a smart business suit, whom Ashley originally recognized from TV. It was Councilwoman Delilah Hargrove, the outspoken anti-uniform stealing crusader - a woman whom, for obvious reasons, Ashley very much admired.
Ashley considered approaching Councilwoman Hargrove directly, but was worried about attracting too much attention when she still wasn't sure what the NASA infiltrators were planning. Still, she needed to do something, fast...
Ashley eyed the women following Hargrove, and was surprised to recognize the one bringing up the rear. It was Jenna!
Immediately, Ashley's mind traveled back to her first encounter with Jenna, several months ago. Of all the women who had stolen her uniform, Jenna had undoubtedly been the kindest - she had been truly sorry, to the point that Ashley had felt sympathetic for her and had needed to urge her to take the uniform and tie her up.
Ashley had never reacted that way with a woman before - and yet, something about Jenna had just seemed incredibly kind and trustworthy. She had never met another woman like her.
Jenna's words from that night still echoed in Ashley's brain. "I promise you this... I'll do everything in my power to put an end to uniform stealing in this city. You'll never have to worry about getting mugged for your clothes again.
That explained why she was working for Councilwoman Hargrove... and it affirmed that she was someone Ashley could definitely put her faith in.
Still, Ashley didn't want to risk confiding in anyone else. She had to speak with Jenna alone - and fast.
The women filed past the warehouse, not noticing Ashley hiding inside.
Luckily, Jenna was last in line. As she passed by, Ashley lunged out, clamping a hand over her mouth and pulling her into the warehouse.
"Hhmmmppphhh?!?" Jenna was clearly startled, but no one else in her entourage noticed as she disappeared from sight. She broke free from her grip, then whirled to face her attacker, fists raised.
"Wait, wait! Jenna, it's me!" Ashley raised her hands up. "I just... we need to talk."
Jenna's expression softened, as the face before her grew familiar. "...Ashley?"
"Yes... Sorry if I got a little rough with you there. I just had to get you away from the crowd."
"For a moment, I thought I was being mugged for my clothes," Jenna replied. "You're lucky I recognized you; I almost broke your nose."
"Please, can we talk?" Ashley asked, the concern bubbling in her voice. "I need to speak with someone... and you're one of the few people in my life I can trust."
Jenna nodded. "Of course, honey... What's wrong?"
Quickly, breathlessly, Ashley explained to Jenna everything about her encounter with Lana, and what it meant for the NASA procession that day.
"Even as we speak, at least a dozen women around this facility have been replaced by imposters," Ashley said. "I don't know who to believe... so I need your help. We need to stop Dr. Chen... and maybe Bridget Baxter as well."
Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Bridget Baxter?"
"You know her?"
"I... sort of," Jenna admitted. "The last time we met... when I was infiltrating the Gosford theater and stole your uniform... Sorry again, by the way..."
"It's fine," Ashley replied.
"Well, the reason I was there... was because my crazy boss wanted my friends and I to kidnap Baxter. But we ended up kidnapping the wrong woman, and my boss tried to kill us..." She sighed. "It... wasn't my proudest night."
"Do you think Baxter could be working with Dr. Chen?" Ashley asked. "Both of them have mugged me for my uniform in the past - and unlike you, neither of them seemed particularly sorry about it."
Jenna gave her a strange look. "How many times have you been mugged for your uniform?"
"I'd rather not talk about it," Ashley said quickly.
Jenna nodded. "I don't know much about Baxter... but if she's around, she could be trouble as well. Best not to take any chances."
She glanced around, then back at Ashley. "You lay low for now - see if you can find some other imposters, but don't engage them. I'll see if I can find anything out at the big event happening soon - there are a number of big speakers attending, Hargrove included. Maybe some of the infiltrators are there as well."
Ashley nodded. "Okay... but please, be careful."
Jenna nodded. "I will... I promise." She put a hand on Ashley's shoulder. "And trust me... in a few days, Hargrove will win the election for mayor, and she'll put an end to all this uniform stealing that has infested our culture. You won't have to worry about Chen or Baxter or anyone else."
"You really believe that?" Ashley said hopefully.
Jenna ignored the twang of skepticism at the back of her head. "I do."
**********************
The Rolls-Royce pulled up to the NASA gateway. Chandra rolled down the driver-side window.
"Just like we discussed," Bridget said from the back seat, across from Sonja. "No comedy, no tomfoolery. Just go with the flow."
"Yes, Madame," Chandra said, maintaining her mock accent.
The guard at the gate, a handsome brunette with a nametag reading "Mackenzie," approached the vehicle. "Good morning..."
"...Daphne," Chandra said. "Pleased to meet you, I'm sure. I'm the chauffeur for Lyra Linden."
"Hello, Daphne. Do you have the tickets?"
Chandra reached into the glove compartment and retrieved the tickets that had initially been intended for Lyra Linden and her secretary. She handed them to the guard.
Mackenzie nodded, glancing at the backseat of the Rolls. "Welcome to the event, Ms. Linden. You and your secretary may get out here if you wish - just follow the signs to the main stage. Your driver can take the car to our company parking lot."
Sonja nodded. "Thank you, dear."
She stepped out of the vehicle, wincing slightly as the compressing high heels hit the pavement. Bridget followed.
"Chandra," Sonja addressed her driver. "Leave the car at the lot... And try not to dent it this time."
Mackenzie gave her a funny look. "I thought your driver's name was Daphne."
Sonja gulped inwardly. "Well, er..."
Bridget chuckled suddenly. "Ms. Linden goes through so many drivers... She fired three of them in the past week. Sometimes she gets them confused."
Sonja was caught off-guard, but said nothing.
Mackenzie was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Well, enjoy the event."
Sonja and Bridget walked off in one direction, while Chandra drove the Rolls in the other direction, toward the parking lot.
Bridget gave Sonja a strange look. "You almost blew our cover... Try to be more careful."
"Sorry," Sonja replied. "I think it's these high heels... They're cutting off the blood flow to my brain."
Bridget sighed. "Well, that's certainly one of the more original excuses I've heard."
"Can't I steal a disguise that fits better?"
"No... you need to stay in character for now. Come on, let's get to the event."
*********************
"Almost there... finally!"
Bobbi sat back, a look of triumph on her face. Zuhal sat up, rubbing her wrists.
Both women were tired and shaken - but they were free.
"So who was that woman who refused to free us?" Zuhal asked.
"NASA guard," Bobbi said, standing up and exiting the crate. She shivered - like Zuhal, she was still only dressed in her underwear. "Probably one of the dozens of security guards my friends and I have encountered in recent months - one of many whose uniforms we've stolen. They start to blur together after a while..."
Zuhal grinned. "I know the feeling."
She stepped out of the crate as well, then glanced nearby at the bound-and-gagged, unconscious figure of Lana. "Looks like she left us a gift, though." She cracked her knuckles, kneeling down beside Lana. "Wake up, honey... You is going to pay for what you did to us..."
"Not now, Zuhal," Bobbi urged. "If Chen or any of her cronies come back here, they'll shoot us before we can move. Hide that idiot in the crate and let's get moving."
Zuhal momentarily looked like she was in the mood of protesting, but relented. "Fine."
She picked up Lana and dropped her into the crate. "Consider yourself lucky, darling."
She turned to Bobbi. "Okay, let's get out of here. Which way's the exit?"
"We can't exit," Bobbi retorted. "Didn't you hear Chen? She's planning something here today... Something bad."
"Bully for her," Zuhal said. "But that's not our problem. Let's go."
"It is our problem," Bobbi insisted. "Hundreds of people may die today, unless we stop her."
"And we might die if we stick around," Zuhal replied. "Chen kidnapped us for whatever reason, but I want to get back to my vacation. I want to enjoy life. I still have lots of places to go, women to mug, uniforms to steal."
Bobbi scowled. "Zuhal, don't do this..."
Zuhal shrugged. "Sorry, kid... I like you, but I'm no superhero."
She walked toward the rear exit of the warehouse.
Bobbi folded her arms. "No... you're a coward."
Zuhal stopped in her tracks, but did not turn around. "Excuse me?"
"You're a coward," Bobbi repeated. "I thought you were a strong-willed woman who took risks. But when situations get really risky, you run away? You've spent the past few months mugging civilian women for their clothes - but when the women get tough, you back down?"
She sighed. "I'm disappointed."
Zuhal paused for a moment, then turned around. "I know what you're doing, Bobbi."
"I know you know."
Zuhal sighed. "Okay, fine... I'll help. But only if there's a lot of action involved."
"I'd be surprised if there wasn't," Bobbi replied. "First things first, though - we need to get clothes."
Zuhal grinned. "Now you're playing my song."
*******************
Felicia hadn't bothered to stick around the police station.
She had dropped off Summer and Autumn - still bound and gagged and in their underwear - at the rear of the nearest precinct, along with a note explaining who they were. She knew that the Uniform Swiping Babes had been wanted by the police for weeks, and that these two in particular would probably have their descriptions logged from the fact that Felicia had called the cops on them the day before. Hopefully the authorities would take care of them.
Hopefully, Felicia mused, Summer and Autumn wouldn't be left alone in a room with two more policewomen who were their approximate size.
Nevertheless, Felicia had her own priorities to deal with. And she was now driving the black van - stolen from Summer and Autumn, true, but she didn't feel particularly bad about that - towards the NASA facility where Bridget had instructed her to meet.
Bridget had sounded like she needed help, and despite her own increasing reservations about their line of work, Felicia still considered herself a loyal friend. She had already severed ties with Bobbi, with the two girls having not spoken to each other in months. So Felicia valued her friendship with Bridget, and wanted so much to preserve it.
Still, she was not interested in returning to her roots as a uniform and clothing thief. There had to be other ways of resolving her problems without resorting to violence against women whose only crime was wearing a specific set of clothes.
Now, if these women had committed other crimes - well, that was a different story. Felicia surmised she wouldn't feel quite as bad about mugging evil women for their clothes.
Nevertheless, she would prefer to use the tactic as a last resort.
Felicia parked the van a half-mile away from the NASA entrance. After all, she did not have a ticket or access pass, and didn't want to risk pulling up in such an obvious vehicle. Maybe there was a more covert way to enter.
She stuck to the bushes, sneaking closer to the main gateway. Once close enough, she peeked out and surveyed the entrance.
A lone security guard was standing there - a tall woman with light skin and brown hair. Through her binoculars, Felicia could see the guard's nametag read "Mackenzie."
In the old days, Felicia's plan to enter the NASA facility would have been simple and straightforward - get the attention of Mackenzie, lure her away from her post and over to the bushes, then knock her out, strip her, and don her uniform. Leave her tied up in the bushes while Felicia would enter the facility in the guise of a security guard.
That was the way Old Felicia would have done things. But New Felicia was different.
New Felicia understood that Mackenzie was in all likelihood a fine, morally upstanding woman who was doing a good and important job. She did not deserve to be mugged, knocked out, and tied up in her underwear. And Felicia knew her conscience wouldn't forgive her for doing such a thing to this woman.
New Felicia would find another way.
Felicia eyed the trees above her. They were quite tall, taller than the fence surrounding the NASA facility, with long, sturdy branches. She could climb up one of them, and then maybe swing her way over the fence.
Not too complicated...
Felicia began climbing up the trunk of the nearest thick oak, trying her best to stay out of the guard's line of sight. It was tricky, but she had previous experience. She and Bobbi had gone rock-climbing several times during college.
Felicia grimaced, and pushed Bobbi out of her mind. She climbed higher.
Soon she was high enough to grasp one of the thick branches. Felicia shifted her weight, holding her breath as she gripped the branch. So far, so good. Now there was only the hope that the guard wouldn't look up...
Felicia moved her way from one tree branch over to that of an adjoining tree, one not far from the gate. Just a bit more navigation, and she would make it. Just a bit more...
CRACK
Felicia froze and, for a split-second, understood exactly how Wile E. Coyote must have felt.
There was a whoosh of air as Felicia felt herself falling, plummeting... The ground rushed up to greet her quickly and eagerly...
THUD! She landed not-so-gracefully in a heap.
Felicia lay there for several seconds, too dazed and distorted to think of appreciating how soft the grassy ground was. She only moved when she heard a voice above her.
"Are you okay?"
Felicia sat up, ignoring the pain in her shoulder. The security guard - Mackenzie - was standing over her, a look of surprise and concern on her face.
"That was a nasty fall," Mackenzie said. "Are you all right?"
Felicia felt quite embarrassed and humiliated. "Er, I..."
Then she noticed that the guard had left her post to approach her, and the two of them were now obscured from the NASA site by the bushes. It was a prime opportunity to mug her... To steal her...
Felicia quickly pushed the thought from her head. "I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me..."
She looked up at the guard. "I'm such an idiot."
The guard stared at her for several seconds. "Look, I don't know what you were doing up in those trees... But you look hurt. Can you stand?"
Felicia nodded. "I... I think so."
"Come on, I'll help you up. See if you're okay, then we'll have a talk."
Despite the stern tone in her voice, the guard did not seem particularly angry at Felicia. She seemed more puzzled than anything.
"Okay." Felicia managed a small smile. She held out her hand to Mackenzie.
At that moment, a blur of movement caught the corner of Felicia's eye. Someone had quickly moved into position behind the guard.
"Hey..." she started to say.
Mackenzie noticed her expression - but before she could respond or turn around, something immediately struck the back of her neck.
"Uurrghh!"
Felicia watched in shock as Mackenzie's eyes rolled back into her head. She slumped to the ground, revealing another woman standing triumphantly behind her.
"Well, hello, Felicia... It's been a while."
Felicia stared in shock at the cruelly grinning woman standing over her. Sabira!
"I've been waiting quite a while for the right opportunity to knock out this dumb guard and steal her uniform," Sabira explained. "But I couldn't attack her when she was at her post - too open and public. But now you gave her a reason to leave her post, and for that I thank you."
Felicia opened her mouth to speak, but struggled to find any words.
"if I recall correctly," Sabira continued, "the last time we met was at that color guard tournament. You elbowed me in the face and knocked me unconscious. I want you to know... that hurt."
Felicia, rooted to the spot, stared up at Sabira.
"So from the bottom of my heart," Sabira grinned, "I hope this hurts even more."
Her foot suddenly lashed out, and Felicia's world went black.
******************
Sabira hummed to herself as she buttoned up the security guard uniform.
"Such a good fit," she mused. "This was worth the wait."
She removed the nametag and tossed it into the bushes. Then she drew a fake nametag - one with her own photo ID - from her bag and fitted it over her shirt.
"Dr. Chen thinks of everything," she chuckled.
She glanced down at the unconscious Mackenzie, now stowed behind the bushes. The unfortunate guard was dressed only in her forest-green sports bra and black lycra panties. She had been bound and gagged with thin but strong grey duct tape.
"Some things never change," she mused. "You NASA security guards are such pushovers."
She fitted the security cap over her hair, completing the disguise.
Then she glanced down at the unconscious Felicia, lying nearby, and grinned. "As for you, darling... Dr. Chen will be thrilled to see you again."
Some really fun scenes. I really, really liked the Bridget's take out of Cailyn. Love the idea of Cailyn panicking, trying to call the police and then dropping her phone. Then the great imagery of as she fumbles for her phone an arm snakes through the window. The hand then pinches that special spot on Cailyn neck that will send her off to sleepyland. Love that Cailyn is basically frozen by the nerve pinch and cannot cry out. Then the great comment to "It's okay, honey... This won't hurt..." before Cailyn passes out.
We then get the great discussion:
"They look so peaceful, all lined up in a row," Sonja said, eyes glinting. "Creative underwear, too - well, except the secretary. Well, two out of three ain't bad."
"You knocked that secretary out pretty quick, Baxter," Chandra noted. "With a nerve pinch, yet. Where did you learn that?"
"I've been practicing some new mugging techniques lately," Bridget explained. "Trying to knock out women without harming them. Pressure-point pinches are an easy way to make women lose consciousness quickly and painlessly."
I really kind of liked to image Cailyn. You described her as shy, mousy and demure. However, something about that made her intriguing to me.
Great conversations about both the underwear and Bridget talking out her techniques.
I have to say I also really enjoyed the take out of MacKenzie. I love how Felicia decided against knocking her out for the uniform and the ended up crossing paths with her only to watch her get knocked out. And it doesn't hurt that from her description MacKenzie was quite a pretty girl.
The Ashley scene was quite amazing. I was worried about our wonderful guard girl there for a second. What a great job she did to turn the tables!
I guess the climax is nearing...
This time, the theme seemed to be "offscreen takeouts" - between the technicians pulled inside the truck and the mechanics - and chloroform.