Uniform Stealing Board

(I had to divide the latest part of the story in two posts due to length. This is the second post. Be careful to check the previous post first.)

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

Palla checked her wristwatch.

“What is taking her so long?”

“Didn't she say she was going to arrive earlier?” Genny asked.

“She did.”

Palla shared a glance with Catria and Est, her two younger sisters.

“Did you make sure to tell her that we were meeting at the dance school?”

“Of course!” Est retorted. “We're not daft!”

The dance school belonged to Carnela. However, today it was empty. Even though the businesswoman often rented it out, her dancers still had priority. The building was well thought-out: outside of the main dance room with its mirrors and horizontal ballet bar; there were also restrooms and several locker rooms with adjacent showers.

Palla ran her hand through her mid-back-long hair. She had to dye them entirely green for the next show in Frontier. Her sisters Catria and Est had to dye theirs blue and red respectively. Catria had a shoulder-long bob cut and Est's hair were closely cropped into a pixie cut. The dyes were perfect, and could be mistaken for their real hair colours. In the next spectacle, the three sisters were supposed to play the parts of the Three Legates, the three legendary bodyguards of Constantin Basileus. Strangely, since the fall of Olympus, the shows depicting the life of Utopia's founder had become incredibly popular abroad.

Sure, some people were looking at the three sisters as if they were aliens. But Palla didn't care about the glances. Given the sums of money she was earning, Palla would have shaved her hair if Carnela asked her to.

“Well, since we're not going to leave for the time being, I'm going to use the restrooms.” Genny said. The twenty-five-years old woman was the youngest member of their group of five. However, she was taller and more athletic than the norm, making her look older than she really was. She had shoulder-long blond hair, and was the only one in their group who didn't have to dye her hair.

“And I think I left my deodorant in my locker. I'm gonna retrieve it.” Catria added.

Being Carnela's dancers gave access to several privileges, the biggest being a permanent locker.

The four dancers had also been given customed clothes, which they were currently wearing: black comfortable shoes, dark blue pants, white t-shirts, and a dark blue jacket with a golden albatross stitched into the back.

“Suit yourselves.” Palla answered. “I'm gonna call Mae and give her a piece of my mind. We could miss the plane because of her!”

Est smiled. “I'm gonna stay here, and watch the show.”

Genny and Catria left the dance room.

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

The locker room was empty. The doors leading to the four small shower rooms were closed.

Catria's locker was next to Mae's. She quickly opened it to grab her deodorant. The blue-haired woman was sighing internally. Her friends always told that she was the most thoughtful and mature out of her siblings, even though she was the middle one. Palla may have been the oldest, but she was short-tempered and Est could still be so immature some times... Therefore, Catria didn't feel like watching her older sister lose her temper with Mae on the phone.

Still, Catria couldn't help but think that it was weird. Mae was the most energetic of their group. She wasn't lazy... If she told them that she was going to arrive early, she wouldn't stand them up afterwards.

Catria understood that something was wrong. She had to talk with her sisters.

Suddenly, the locker door next to her burst open and something fell out of Mae's locker.

Or, more precisely, someone. A small young woman, with dark blond hair dyed in pink and tied into two high pigtails. She was wearing pink panties and bra with red trimmings. She was also carefully bound with brown ropes and gagged with a piece of cloth tightly tied over her mouth, most likely holding something inside to muffle her screams.

Catria stared wide-eyed at the trussed-up young woman.

“Mae?!”

Catria rushed to her friend's side. Mae was unconscious, as if in a deep sleep, but otherwise she was unhurt.

“What's going on?!” the blue-haired woman exclaimed while kneeling down, her hands reaching to Mae's gag in order to unknot it.

“A change of plan.” someone whispered in her ear.

Catria barely had the time to gasp in surprise. Someone then clamped a thick odorous piece of cloth over her mouth and nose. She was brutally picked up.

The blue-haired dancer understood that she was being mugged. Where did she come from?! She tried to struggle, but the unknown woman had wrapped her other arm around Catria's waist, trapping her arms. And the dancer felt someone else grabbing her legs to prevent her from kicking. The showers! Catria understood. They were hiding in the showers!

However, it was too late for her to do anything. Her eyelids were already closing by themselves. No way... I have to warn... Palla and Est...

Then, everything faded into black.

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

Klenia and Mikani wasted no time stripping the blue-haired young woman, leaving her in her sky blue bra and matching panties. Mikani was already wearing Mae's clothes, so they left Catria's garments in a corner for later. Aster or Klenia would put them on once the other dancers were dealt with. Then, Klenia stuffed Catria's mouth with pieces of cloth while Mikani tied her hands behind her back, using a complicated knot.

After she was done with the arms, Mikani then tied their victim's shapely legs and her ankles. “I told you the closet door wasn't properly closed...” she commented.

“It was! It's not my fault if these things aren't sturdy enough to hold someone.” Klenia retorted while tying a cloth gag over Catria's mouth.

Mikani rolled her eyes. “Yeah... Right...”

“I had to improvise!” Klenia answered to justify herself. “The pink-haired girl arrived earlier than expected...”

“Just help me drag these two in one of the showers. It'll be better to keep them out of sight.”

Soon, the sleeping Catria and Mae were left in one of the showers, resting against each other.

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

Mae didn't answer her phone, so Palla was stuck with leaving a message. Even though she was mostly angry, she was also starting to feel a little worried now.

Suddenly, Est tensed up.

“Didn't you hear something?”

“What?”

“In the restrooms.”

“No. Did you?”

“Yes.” Est hesitated. “Maybe we should... go see...?”

“I'm not going in the restrooms to see what Genny is doing!”

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

The woman put up much more of a fight than Aster had anticipated when she assaulted her from behind. However, she had managed to tackle the blond-haired dancer to the ground before she could reach the door, and to keep the chloroform rag clamped on her nose and mouth. Aster entangled her legs with her victim's to immobilize them, pressing with all her weight on the woman's back. The blonde was fit, with shapely legs and curves, but she was at a disadvantage pinned on the ground. And the chloroform was starting to dull her senses. She tried to call for help, but the cloth was muffling her attempts. She tried to grab Aster with one of her hand, but couldn't get a good hold. Soon, her muffled cries became muffled moans. A few more instants, after one long almost sensual sigh, she was out cold.

Shayna was watching the door leading to the main room, in case the noise attracted the other dancers.

After they had dealt with the pink-haired dancer who had arrived early, the original plan was to hide in two groups to ambush their four remaining victims from two different sides. However, when they realized that two of the women were going to separate themselves from the main group, they chose to improvize and neutralize them first.

“Coast is clear?”

“Yes.

Aster rolled the unconscious woman on her back and started to unzip her jacket. She sighed.

“You're alright?” Shayna asked.

“Yes. It's just... Getting back into this gig is so easy... I find it almost scary. Guess you can't fight who you are.”

Stripping this dancer wasn't essential, but it would be a good way to cover their tracks. Aster removed the jacket first, then the t-shirt, revealing a red sports bra that was holding a generous chest. She took off the shoes before sliding the pants onthe woman's legs, leaving her in her black panties that were adorned by a cute little white bow. Blissfully unconscious, the blond-haired dancer couldn't protest against her treatment, outside of weakly moaning in her sleep.

Aster sighed again. She wasn't feeling the savage pleasure she felt when she stripped – and humiliated – Emery's two guards. But there still was this lingering feeling of satisfaction. The satisfaction that anyone could feel, even unconsciously, because they were feeling superior. Overpowering someone else was still as exhilarating to her as it was before. And it was scaring her.

“You want me to take it from here?” Shayna asked.

“If you don't mind.”

“I'll take the tape.”

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

“They sure are taking their time...” Est commented about Catria and Genny.

“I know! It's like I'm the only one serious enough to try to remain on schedule!” Palla exclaimed.

The red-haired young woman hesitated, before saying: “You know... Maybe something wrong is really going on...”

This time, Palla ran out of patience. “Come on! What are the chances that something bad could happen?” she retorted.

The doors leading the the restrooms and the locker rooms suddenly burst open at the same time. Four women, their lower faces hidden by scarves, rushed inside the room.

The two sisters barely had the time to glance at each other before the women jumped on them.

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

Aster zipped her newly acquired jacket, while Shayna was doing the same with the pants that formerly belonged to Est, and Klenia was emerging from the locker rooms dressed in Catria's clothes.

“So far so good. We got our tickets to Frontier.” Aster commented.

“What about you Mikani? You're finished?”

“Yep.” the latter answered while tying the knot of the ropes binding Palla's ankles.

The two unconscious sisters had been bound with ropes and gagged similarly as Catria and Mae. Both were now only clad in their skivvies. Palla was wearing dark green bra and briefs, Est was wearing light red underwear.

“The fifth one is taped up in one of the toilet stalls, so she shouldn't cause any trouble.” Aster said. “Let's put these two with the ones already in the shower...”

No sooner said than done, Palla and Est were dragged in the locker room and laid against their sister.

“And now, let's go! We have a plane to catch!”

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

Emery's first action after they arrived in South Window, and changed into civilian clothes, was to mount a surveillance of the international airport. However, a unexpected turn of events quickly hampered her operation. The musicians they mugged had been found and denounced them. Now that the police was looking for them, Emery and her team had to keep a low profile. She chose to hide in the apartment they were using as their operating base, the time to modify their strategy.

"The only reason these musicians were able to snitch on us is because they managed to break free. Which means that someone left her bonds too loose..."

Once again, Emery carefully watched her girls' faces, especially Cleo's. She was looking for any sign of guilt.

But she found nothing.

I will deal with that later...

"We will have to try a different approach." Emery turned towards Cynthia. "Cynthia, have you ever wanted to become a flight attendant?"

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

“Maybe we should mug some of the flight attendants, to lure them in a secluded area...” Coral commented when she saw two stunning women dressed in blue stwardess uniforms pass near them.

“They probably still remember our faces.” Helen objected.

“You're right.”

The two henchwomen were sitting at a coffee shop's table, in the international airport's main hall, pretending to be waiting for a plane. In reality, they were thoroughly watching the crowd. Their seats were giving them a perfect view on the main entrance.

Suddenly, Helen sat up straight. “Coral... I think this one is part of them.” she whispered.

The woman was wearing a unusual jacket, one with a golden albatross stitched into the back. But Coral recognized that face, as well as that voluptuous figure. She was part of Aster's team and she was one of the Rebels they almost caught in the Insuricare building.

She was Klenia.

The Okéani woman clenched her fists.

“We follow her? We have to find which town is their destination...” Helen continued.

Coral didn't answer at first. She simply gritted her teeth. She hadn't forgotten how Reka had decided to bench her. While she didn't bear her boss a grudge, she was still angry to have missed her chance to get back at the Rebels. For Sao. But also for everything else...

Coral was born and grew up in the poor districts of South Window, a little more than three decades before the fall of Olympus. Like many eldest children of her neighborhood, as soon as she was of age, she volunteered to join the Olympian army. Not because she believed in Olympus' cause, but to earn money in order to help support her family. Coral had four younger siblings. With the help of her salary, her parents were able to pay them better studies. In South Window, 'volunteering' was almost considered a coming of age ritual. Families held a feast, and the new recruits would enlist together. Coral actually joined the army with her two childhood friends, Zephyr and Azur. They endured the training camps together, they were sent to the same battalions, they patrolled together. They endured the drill sergeants, the weather, the rebels, the officers. They took their furloughs together. Sure, they weren't proud of everything they did during their service. They were, after all, enforcing the will of a brutal dictatorial regime. But the army forged them, made them who they were. How many years did they spend there? Ten? Twelve?

And one day, just like that, she lost Zephyr and Azur.

It happened so randomly. Almost like a footnote. It was shortly before the beginning of the Rebellion's big uprising, when they were sending their agents to stir up trouble in the Provinces. Azur and Zephyr had the bad luck to come across two 'special combatants' during a routine patrol in one of Lakeland's villages.

That day, Coral decided that she would make them pay. So, when she later heard that a woman named Sao was assembling a team specifically designed to hunt down the infiltrators working for the Rebellion, she immediately volunteered.

Unfortunately, because of that, she ended up on the wrong side of the fence when the war ended. She didn't care. She found working with her new companions pleasant.

However, she still had a score to settle with the Rebels. Klenia wasn't a 'special combattant', but someone had to pay.

Therefore, she said to Helen: “We have weapons and the element of surprise. Let's try to grab her.”

The blond-haired woman hesitated.

“Reka advised us to not engage them recklessly...”

“Come on... We have a score to settle with these b*tches... We'll catch this one and take her somewhere private. Remember the backyard we saw near the parking? The one with the emergency exit? There are dumpsters to hide the body...”

Helen thought for a moment, then smiled.

“When Reka comes back, we'll give her her head as a gift.”

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

Shayna was at the check-in counter, Mikani went in the restrooms, and Aster was making a quick phone call to Thorn at a phone booth. Therefore, Klenia had nothing to do but wait. She was wandering in the main hall, waiting for her friends to come back and discreetly watching the crowd in case Reka or her cronies were here. She was also eyeing the stewardesses and their uniforms, regretting the missed opportunity.

I'll just add them to my list... Along with this handball t...

Suddenly, Klenia felt something metallic on her back.

“Why don't we go out for a walk...” a first woman whispered in her ear.

“You'll be coming with us...” a second woman added.

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

Even if she was trained in martial arts, with a knife on her back, Klenia didn't have many options. For now, she had to obey.

She had recognized these voices. The two women were part of Reka's team. Coral and Helen. She had already encountered them, during the mission in Wheat Junction's city hall. The encounter didn't end well for the two henchwomen, who were left bound and gagged in a secluded area of the building after receiving a good beating. Judging by where the voices were coming from, Coral was the one holding the knife on her back and Helen was walking next to her.

Her two aggressors forced her to leave the main hall and go to the less crowded secondary corridors of the airport. They passed by the public restrooms and continued to a nearby emergency door. Once they were sure nobody could see them, they went through the door. It was leading to a deserted corridor, which would itself lead to the emergency exit.

“This brings back memories, right?” Helen commented.

“Only this time, you won't be ambushing us like a coward.” her partner added.

They forced her to keep walking.

“You girls simply never quit, uh?” Klenia commented.

“Trying to stall for time?” Helen chuckled. “Don't expect any help. We've already noticed your friend at the check-in counter. She doesn't know we're here.”

So they don't know about Aster and Mikani... I still have a chance... Let's just hope one of the two had noticed what happened...

They exited the airport, arriving in a deserted backyard near the parking.

“Why did you bring me here?” Klenia asked.

“Simple. Because we didn't want to kill you in front of potential witnesses.” the blonde answered.

“You're gonna pay for the others.” Coral added. “Just know that, once we're done, your dear Naïad friend is next.”

Klenia bristled with anger. “Don't you dare hurt her!”

Coral wickedly chuckled.

"Look! The kitty is showing her claws!" she mocked. "She must really care for her girlfriend! I wonder why though. Doesn't she know that they are all inbred in Naïad? That is, when they don't mate with their goats." Then, her tone became filled with malice. "I think I'm going to enjoy this. It's time someone pays for..."

“Coral... Don't start monologuing and just finish her.” Helen intervened. “I don't want to give her a chance to slip through our fingers.”

“With gusto.”

Klenia tensed up, ready to take the blow.

So this is the end?

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

But instead of a flash of pain, Klenia heard the sounds of a fight, and Helen's shout of surprise. Coral let out a curse. What was going on?

Klenia wanted to turn around, but she felt Coral grabbing her, and the blade of the knife against her throat. The henchwoman forced her to take a few steps back, which at least allowed her to see what just happened.

Helen was on her knees. Aster had attacked her from behind, making her lose balance. She currently had the blonde's head in a headlock.

“Release her.” Aster growled, glaring at Coral.

“Or what?” the brown-haired henchwoman sneered.

“Or I'll snap your friend's neck. It would be easy. Like breaking a twig.”

Aster tightened her chokehold.

“You won't have the guts.” Coral retorted. Klenia felt the blade of the knife touching the skin of her throat, almost drawing blood.

“With people like you? Don't try me.” Aster calmly answered.

“Oh trust me, I've seen how eager your kind was to kill my people during the civil war. Usually, they were sending them back piece by piece.”

“Well, maybe if you turncoats weren't so eager to lick Olympus' feet and do their dirty deeds...”

“And what did Korê or Naïad achieve by fighting to the bitter end? At least, our children survived and our cities thrived. And, ultimately, we still got our independence.”

“Uh... When did this turn into a political debate?” Klenia commented.

“Shut up!”

Helen was having trouble breathing now, but Aster didn't loosen her chokehold. Her eyes were as cold as Emery's.

“How about we make a deal? I allow your friend to breathe, and you move your knife away from Klenia's throat.”

“I could call for help...” Coral objected.

“And be arrested with us?”

The Okéani woman gritted her teeth.

“You scum! My revenge... My friends... I was so close... But you're always lucky.”

Then, suddenly, the blade against Klenia's throat was removed. In one violent shove, Coral sent her to the ground. Still surprised by outcome, the latter fell face down.

Keeping her promise, Aster loosened her grip on Helen's throat. The blonde was already half-unconscious, but at least she could breathe freely again.

Coral suddenly drew the hidden small switchblade she was keeping in her jacket and lunged at Aster.

The latter pushed Helen in Coral's way, but the Okéani woman swiftly dodged. Aster didn't have the time to do anything else but desperately dodge.

Klenia shook her head to come around. She saw Aster battling against Coral near her.

Klenia didn't take the time to think. The moment Coral was taking a step back near her, and without even bothering to get up, she grabbed her ankle to throw her off balance. Surprised, Coral staggered. Aster's fist came hitting her face, and sent her sprawled on the ground. Her switchblade flew out of her hand.

Aster towered over her, cracking her fists. “Klenia, call Shayna and Mikani. I'll tuck this one up for her nap.”

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

Mikani and Shayna came running as soon as Klenia told them about the situation. Their faces were full of anxiety, but they were relieved when they saw Klenia and Aster unharmed, with the unconscious Coral and Helen lying on each other at their feet.

As soon as Klenia took a step towards them, she was met with a hug.

“Shayna?”

“I... I thought...”

Klenia returned the embrace. “Bah! These losers don't have what it takes to beat us! We're some tough cookies...”

“Though I'll say that we should split up as little as possible from now on.” Mikani intervened. She then motioned the two unconscious henchwomen. “And what do we do with them? We leave them here?”

“I heard from Hieron that they have performed some dirty deeds for the Okéani government recently.” Aster said. “I guess that if we leave them to be found, the Okéanis will either release or kill them to make sure no one can link them to their illegal activities.”

“The second outcome is the most likely.”

“They would deserve it...”

“Perhaps, but I don't want to go to such lengths. And besides, they will have useful informations for Hieron.”

“I don't think we would have the time to send them by train though. We can't miss our plane.”

“True...”

Klenia then noticed the nearby dumpsters.

“I think I have an idea... Just strip these two. I have brought a few tools in Shayna's bag. We'll put them to good use.”

“Why do you want to strip them?” Mikani asked.

“The right question isn't 'why?'. It's 'why not?'.”

Mikani looked at Aster.

The latter shrugged. “They tried to kill us. Honestly, they are lucky that we don't do anything worst. Let's make it quick.”

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

The two henchwomen were both tall fit women. But, working together, the four friends easily threw them inside the dumpster, were some garbage absorbed their fall.

Klenia then took a big padlock from Shayna's handbag bag.

“I knew I was right to bring this thing along...”

“Where did you get that?” Shayna asked.

“You don't wanna know.” the latter ominously answered.

She used the padlock to lock the dumpster's lid.

“Harsh...” Mikani commented.

“I don't intend for them to remain forever here. I simply want to make sure that the right person finds them first... Now, just let me make one brief phonecall...”

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

Palla woke up only to realize that her situation was very uncomfortable for three different reasons. First, she was stuck between Est and Catria. Second, she was in her underwear. Third, she was thouroughly bound and gagged. That was a lot of bad luck for just one day.

It took her some efforts, but she eventually managed to wriggle away from her two sisters. Est softly fell on Catria's shoulder.

Palla realized that she and her two sisters, as well as Mae – so that's where she was – were stashed in one of the shower rooms. The three other dancers were in the same predicament as her: trussed up and with little clothes left to protect their modesty. They were also still deeply asleep.

And Genny is probably tied up somewhere else...

Palla tried to loosen her bonds, but she soon realized that it would take her hours if she had to do it all by herself. Her captors' knots were flawless. She needed help.

The green-haired dancer then spent a long time lightly tapping Est with her bound feet to try and wake her up.

When her younger sister finally regained consciousness, it took Palla more time – and a conversation made out of muffled mumbles due to their gags – to make Est understand what she wanted.

Est positioned herself behind her older sister and, with her tied hands, Palla tried to grab the cloth tied over the red-haired young woman's mouth. It took her a lot of tries, but she finally managed to loosen Est's cloth gag. Her younger sister wasted no time spitting the material filling her mouth.

Then she screamed. “What are the chances bad things could happen, uh genius?!”

Her shriek actually woke Catria and Mae up.

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

“I think this is the place they were talking about.” Carnela commented.

“Boss. Will you now finally tell us why we came here? And why we had to bring our van?” her manager asked.

“In a few seconds...”

The businesswoman leaned forward to look under the dumpster.

“The key is there, as she said. Perfect.”

She took the key.

“There... Open this thing...”

The manager frowned, but did as he was told.

Carnela could hear muffled noises coming from the dumpster. She looked inside.

Two women were futilely squirming against their bonds, a blonde with fair skin and blue eyes and a brunette with tanned skin and green eyes. Their legs were bound and their arms were pinned to their sides with cables and plenty of brown package tape. The same tape was also gagging them. The businesswoman recognized infamous criminals Coral and Helen. The captives had been left in their undies. Coral was wearing beige panties and a black t-shirt bra with white stripes, while Helen was clad in aqua-colored boyshorts and a matching push-up bra.

Carnela raised an eyebrow at the sight of the two mewling women. “Well, I will admit that I legitimately didn't expect that...”

The businesswoman then noticed a written note taped to the inside of the dumpster lid. She grabbed and read it.

A gift. Get in contact with the Utopian Federation. They will reward you for these two.

“Then I guess this is the next step of our partnership...” she commented.

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

Cynthia nimbly climbed inside the back of her team's van. She was clad in a flight attendant uniform: dark blue jacket and skirt, white shirt, black high heels, and blue pillbox hat.

Emery, Yuna, Presa, Agria, and Cleo were waiting for her inside.

“I asked the employees, as you commanded. They were seen boarding a plane for Opal. We missed them." the short woman explained.

“There is another plane for Opal tomorrow.” Cleo said after a quick check on her phone. "And another one in two days."

“We will take tomorrow's plane." Emery decided. "I trust that your uniform donor didn't cause any trouble?”

“I left her bound and gagged in her car. She didn't see my face.”

"Perfect."

“How will we board the plane? Will we mug other stewardesses?” Yuna asked.

"I hope so! I'm looking forward getting my hands on one of these pretty flight attendants!” Presa dreamingly commented.

“Your eagerness to mug women for their clothes is reminding me of someone that I find very disagreeable. If you value your health, you will keep quiet.” Emery coldly answered.

The blond woman immediately lowered her eyes.

Satisfied, Emery ordered Agria, who was sitting behind the wheel, to drive them off.

"We will simply buy our tickets." the former assassin decided.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"But how will we get them? The police is still after us." Cleo said.

"I know a man who will sell us all the tools we need to disguise ourselves. Dyes, contact lenses. Everything. You don't necessarily need to mug someone to disguise yourself."

Emery could see Presa struggling to not answer a 'Too bad...', but the blonde wisely chose to keep her thoughts to herself.

1) Mr Rufusluciusivan, thanks for resuming this story ... it takes courage...given the lack of response from the board

2)thanks for the scheming Carnela 'selling' her dancers to the uniform stealing team...

3) thanks for leaving a handball team in the 'list' of Klenya... ( hey next time it's their turn)

4)thanks again for Klenya , who made a next step into a new and different level or stage...stripping her victims for no purpose

1) I know that I've not been very active lately, but it's more because of work leaving me little time and me needing time to plan the details of the story, than because of lack of interest. I'll try to do the same thing as with the previous story, and upload it at least once per month.

2) Well, there was a lot of money involved. And these five women will receive a very generous compensation bonus.

4) They did try to kill her didn't they? They couldn't hope to get away with it so easily...

What... What happened?

Libbie woke up with a sour taste in her mouth. The first thing she felt was the coldness of the floor against the bare skin of her legs, upper body and right cheek. She tried to move, but soon realized that it was impossible. She was thouroughly restrained with something, probably ropes given the coarse sensation on her skin. Her wrists were crossed and tied behind her back. Her ankles and thighs were also restrained, and she could feel another rope pinning her upper-arms on her sides.

Libbie tried to protest against her predicament, but was only able to produce a muffled 'Mmmmfffff!'. So, she was gagged too... The black-haired woman understood that the sour taste in her mouth was the result of the rags filling it, held in place by the tape wrapped around her lower face.

Libbie shook her head, gathered her thoughts, and suddenly realized why she was feeling cold.

She was almost naked!

Her boots, pants, her uniform jacket, and even her shirt. They were all gone! All that remained were her white bra with pink trimmings and blue panties.

How did I end up like this? How?! She forced herself to remain calm. Alright... Let's recap...

She had taken a break. There was no client in sight for now, and she had decided to quickly go to the airport's restrooms. She was busy washing her hands when the woman entered. The newcomer briefly checked the room, as if to see if they were alone, then asked her for time. When Libbie obliged and looked at her wristwatch, the woman suddenly clamped a thick odorous cloth over her mouth and nose. Probably filled with narcotic, as Libbie could only remember passing out... before waking up in this predicament.

Judging by the dull sound made by the pipes near her, she was in the maintenance closet she noticed while entering the restrooms. Her mugger probably hid her inside to put her out of sight.

And my uniform's been stolen... I can't believe Sarah was right...

Libbie had heard the rumours. Her colleagues were always talking about a gang of women active in Opal, robbers who had the habit of mugging members of the staff to disguise themselves during their heists. Apparently, these criminals had used as an inspiration the teams of infiltrators used by the Rebellion during the Utopian Civil War. Sarah even pretended that it had happened to her twice! But Libbie had always thought it was simply some kind of hazing, a way to scare her and the other newbies. She thought that this kind of characters only existed in the Infiltrators novels. Well, until now...

Well, luckily for her, she listened to her colleagues when they told her to pay for a good work insurance. At least, she would receive a lot of money as compensation. Now all she had to do was to wait for someone to enter the restrooms. She would then make enough noise to attract their attention. Given how crowded the airport was, it won't take a lot of time. she thought. With some effort, Libbie managed to roll on her stomach and crawl next to the door. Then, with a few more wriggles, she got into position ready, to bang on the door with her bound feet.

Of course, she didn't know that her mugger took the time to stitch an 'Out of Order' sign on the restrooms' door, and that it would take hours for the airport staff to notice...

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

“I don't get it. Coral sent me a message with her phone saying that they were going to arrive with this flight.”

Reka, Lucina, Selena, and Amara were currently waiting in a corner of Beryl's international airport. They were discreetly observing the people who were passing by. The plane from South Window had just landed.

“Still no sign of them...” Selena commented. “I think these were the last passengers.”

“I don't get it. Coral sent me a text, saying they were taking this plane.” Reka said.

Next to her, Lucina was checking her phone to see if Coral was sending them more informations.

Suddenly, she paled. “Uh... Reka?” the henchwoman intervened.

“What?!” her boss barked.

Without daring to say a word, Lucina showed her the online article she just came across.

“A kinky do-gooder.” Reka read. “Wanted fugitives Coral Reeve and Helen Par had been apprehended by the Federation's police, after several months of successfully evading the authorities. As of now, the police had refused to give an official statement, but this recent development can probably be linked to the recent discovery of two other members of the same gang bound and gagged in a train arriving from South Window.”

Reka was left stunned for a brief moment. Lucina sensed the danger and quickly pocketed her phone to put it out of her boss' reach.

“They used Coral's phone to trick us...” Reka quietly said.

Then she screamed.

“THEY USED CORAL'S PHONE TO TRICK US!”

The people passing by briefly glanced at her.

“Boss! Calm down!” Amara urged her.

“They want to play it rough? Well, we will play it rough.” Reka looked at Lucina. “Call Max. Tell him to ask his contacts in Opal if they've seen our targets.”

“Opal? Why Opal?” Selena asked.

“Because if they sent us on a wild goose chase in Beryl, that's probably because they intended to land in Opal today. Genius!” Reka retorted. "They know that they have to play against the clock if they want to find this Venia girl before us. They can't wait. So they took a risk, and removed us from Opal the time for them to land and hide in the town. And it worked! So hurry up and call Maxie! He may be able to find them before they disappear!""

Lucina hastily complied.

“We're also going to board the next plane to Opal.” Reka added.

“It's taking off in two hours.” Selena objected. “I don't think we'll be able to buy tickets. I don't even think there are tickets anymore!”

Reka resisted the urge to scream her frustration. “My Goodness! Are you doing it on purpose?” She leaned closer. “If there aren't any more plane tickets, we'll steal them. Just find me a few bimbos to knock around. I need to blow off some steam anyway...”

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

Just like her friends, Klenia had never left Utopia before. During Olympus' rule, the borders were closed; only Olympian citizens and the select few other people who had the adequate permit were allowed to leave the country through the airports of South Window or Olympus. Boats were actually tracked by GPS, and any ship that dared to go in unauthorized area used to be blown up without warning by the air force. Therefore, now that she was in Frontier, everything seemed exotic to her.

The different language. The different architecture.

And especially the people. Apparently, the typical inhabitants of Frontier had dark skin, darker than the tanned skin of the Okéanis or the Naïads but still lighter than the black skin of some people from Korê. They had eyes of various shades of brown or green, and their hair were usually either black or brown. Most of them were tall, with aquiline noses and thin eyebrows. They were dressed in outfits a lot more extravagant than the ones worn in Utopia. For their casual clothes, women apparently enjoyed wearing colourful dresses or pants and shirts, with various geometric patterns. Therefore, the few uniformed persons she could see stood out even more, as they were the only people wearing strict and monochrome clothes.

“So many opportunities...” she muttered.

“Stay focused.” Aster whispered – although Klenia could see she was also awe-struck by the novelty. “Hieron's contact is waiting for us outside, in the parking reserved for the buses and the professional drivers that provide a shuttle service between the airport and the city-center. Remember that Reka may have seen through our trick with the fake message. She's maybe somewhere here looking for us.”

Klenia nodded and became serious again. The memory of her almost-fatal encounter with Coral and Helen was still vivid.

However, they left the airport with no problem. Apparently, their ruse had worked. They arrived at the parking.

“I think she's the one.” Mikani said to her friends, pointing at a lone figure at the end of the parking.

The woman was standing in front of a black car which, while not a limo, was still more luxuous than your average cab. She was dressed in a driver's uniform: black boots, red pants and jacket, with a black cap. Her monochrome outfit made her stand out even more in the crowd. She was tall, with the tanned skin, brown eyes, black hair, and aquiline nose that seemed typical of the people of Frontier. Her thick mid-shoulder-long hair were carefully braided, with a few colourful beads attached to it. She was holding a sign reading: 'Zia'. The fake name Hieron and themselves agreed to be their password to find his contact.

They walked to the driver, quickly checking if someone else was nearby. Once they were sure that the woman was truly alone, they stroke up the conversation.

“We've been recommanded by Hieron.” Aster told her.

The woman nodded.

“You must be Aster, Klenia, Mikani, and Shayna. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Hieron's contact. My name is Judith.”

She was speaking their language with hardly a trace of an accent, although Klenia found a little strange her way of never using contractions.

“I didn't know Hieron's contact was a driver...” Mikani commented.

“That is because I am not really a driver. I merely...” Judith hesitated. “... aquired this uniform to talk to you.”

“So I guess you will be the one helping us with...” Klenia sarted.

“Yes, but I will have to demand you to refrain yourselves from mentioning serious matters before I tell you.” Judith interrupted her. “You will quickly understand that there are a lot of powerful people in this country that do not want to see the human trafficking business disrupted...”

Klenia saw Shayna stiffen, and she discreetly grabbed her hand to show her her support.

“We understand.”

“Let us go to the room I loaned for you.” Judith said. “We will be able to talk at our leisure. I have a few leads for you.”

“Of course, but first I'd have a question.” Aster intervened.

“What?”

“Why did you mug a driver when you could have just loaned a taxi?”

Judith hesitated.

“I... Hieron told me it would make a good first impression with you...”

Aster and Mikani exchanged perplexed look, but Klenia smiled broadly. Judith understood that she had been had.

“The a**hole...” she muttered. “I should have known he was just messing with me...”

“It's no big deal.” Klenia answered. “The fact that we're surprised doesn't mean that we don't appreciate the attention. Also, since we have a nice-looking car at hand, it would be a shame to not take advantage of it...”

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

Reka closed the stall's door, leaving inside a tall bound-and-gagged black-haired woman dressed in dark green lingerie without a second glance. The unconcious woman, sporting a huge black eye, was taped seated to the toilet bowl. Reka was now wearing a colourful red, green, and yellow long-sleeved tunic with a black diamond pattern, and matching pants.

“Uh... Boss... Why did you also take her clothes?” Selena asked.

“Because somebody had to pay.” Reka answered.

“That seemed... unnecessary.” the redhead commented.

“Do you want to join her?” her boss simply asked.

“No ma'am.”

“Then let's go. We have a plane to catch.”

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

Opal, the casino city, was filled to the brim with huge colourful neon signs, billboards, and buildings with multicoloured façades. Here, there was no such thing as a plain building. Even the most basic house was painted with several colours and most of them had images painted on them.

Amazed, Shayna was looking at everything. “It's crazy to think that such a beautiful place can be home to something as heinous as the human trafficking ring...” she commented.

Klenia nodded, sharing the sentiment. After Utopia and its stern functional architecture in which the only decorations and embellishments were used for propaganda, discovering Opal was a shock.

“Do not let this place fool you though.” Judith commented. “Opal is one of the most pleasant cities of the world, but also one of the most corrupt. Behind some of these nice buildings, the shadiest of deals are conducted.”

“And I guess that we will have to infiltrate one of them.” Aster commented.

Judith kept quiet a few seconds. Then she chose to not beat around the bush. “Yes.” she answered.

“Then please fill us in.” Mikani said. “I'd like to not have bad surprises.”

Judith nodded. “Have you ever heard of Opal's casinos?”

“So a casino then.”

“Yes. Although, this one is not ordinary.”

“Meaning?”

“It is called the ''Lucky Seven Casino''. It is a casino hotel resort that belongs to the Mob, the Solomon Syndicate to be more precise. It is a front for their many illegal activities.”

“Including the human trafficking...”

“Yes. The woman you are looking for probably went through the hands of their retailers.”

Shayna grimaced.

“Please, don't talk about her as if she was some merchandise.” Klenia intervened.

“Apologies. I meant no disrespect.”

“We know that. Tell us more about the place, please.”

“The Lucky Seven Casino doubles as a restaurant, a spa, and a hotel. The upper floors are strictly forbidden to the public. The director's office is there.”

“And in it, there are files about his shady business...”

“Yes.”

“Including the human trafficking.”

“Yes.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”

“We will stop at the apartment that Hieron rented out for you to organize ourselves.”

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

Hieron rented for them a spacious apartment simply decorated, but comfortable. Judith, Aster and Mikani were sitting on armchairs, while Klenia and Shayna were together on the couch.

“Before we discuss the plan, there is one last thing you need to know.” Judith told them.

“Frontier's language?”

Frontier's inhabitants were speaking hellàs, a dialect that shared similarities with old okéani, the language spoken in the Holy Kingdom of Okéanis before Olympus annexed it and imposed their own language.

“I studied hellàs when I was at the university and later when I was working for the Rebellion.” Aster intervened. “I know some words, probably enough to understand someone talking to me, but not enough to have a conversation.”

Judith shook her head.

“You would not have the time to learn hellàs. I was thinking of something else. In order to blend in, the language is less important than the attitude.”

“I don't understand.”

“The people in Frontier dress in extravagant costumes, but they are expected to be very formal in their interactions with each other. We act familiarly, or use the equivalent of your contractions, only with the people we are the closest to. Family members or dearest friends. I would never greet a colleague with anything less than the most formal and polite salutations, even if I have worked with them for several decades.”

“So you mean...?”

“The women you will impersonate are members of the staff. Therefore, they are expected to show a proper formal attitude towards their clients. Some of the things your people consider politeness are actually huge offenses in Frontier.”

“Enlighten us then.”

“Always keep a neutral face, and look the clients in the eyes. If a person speaks to you in your language, never use contractions. And, above all, never smile to a client. Never. You only smile with the people that are the closest to you.”

The four other women nodded.

“Got it.”

“Now, let us talk about the plan to infiltrate the Lucky Seven Casino. We will put it in motion tomorrow. First, we pass ourselves as clients. Then...”

Then, she explained them her plan.

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

The next day...

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

Emery hated the city of Opal at first sight. Everything was too bright, too loud, and too colourful.

“This city is so big... How are we going to find them?” Yuna commented. “It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

“Simple.” Emery answered. “They are looking for Shayna's sister. We find where she is and we wait for them here. But before trying to hard way... we try the easy way. We check the newspapers.”

She moved to a nearby newspaper kiosk.

Emery could read and speak hellàs. Learning several foreign languages was part of the training of the 'special combattants'.

After a quick scan, she located an interesting headline. 'Chauffeur found bound and gagged in her underwear at the airport. She claims her uniform was stolen.'

“This happened yesterday.” The clerk said. "Poor woman apparently had to wait for hours before someone noticed her...” Emery thought that the guy didn't seem that torn about the predicament of this chauffeur. He was looking stern, formal, and unsmiling.

The clerk continued talking, showing her a row of books. “Do you know what is strange with this case? This is very similar to the plots of the Infiltrators novels.”

“Infiltrators?” Emery asked while grabbing one of the books.

“You do not know them? They tell the story of a group of good-hearted thieves that disguise themselves to perform their heists. All women. Apparently, the author was inspired by the teams of infiltrators used by the Rebellion during the Utopian Civil War. You know, the ones that never killed a civilian? The novels are very popular. I heard rumours that a gang of thieves in Opal was even inspired to use the same modus operandi.”

Emery clenched her free fist. So their reputation even crossed the borders? They are seen as... heroines?

Disgusted, Emery put the book back in the shelf.

“You should give it a chance, madam.” the clerk said.

Emery looked him in the eyes.

The man quickly backed off.

Emery silently paid for the newspaper and left. At least, she now had a first clue...

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

Mikani laid the sleeping woman on the bed. “And that's the last one.” she commented.

Twenty minutes before, the short girl with braided dark brown hair was a croupier working at the Lucky Seven Casino. Then, she came across Aster disguised as one of the security guards, and things quickly went downhill for her. Indeed, she had lost most of her clothes, leaving her in her white bra and matching panties with lace trimmings and a floral pattern. Currently, it was Mikani who was wearing her black pants, white shirt, black waistcoat, and little black bow tie. The croupier's wrists and ankles had been quickly and efficiently restrained with zip-ties, and she had been gagged with tape. “Although I have to say we were lucky to come across one that's close to my size.” Mikani glanced at Judith. “You people are all way too tall!” she joked.

Judith's face remained impassive.

The unfortunate croupier was lying at the end of a line of sleeping underwear-clad women. They were all bound and gagged. A small injection to each was making sure they would all stay out of commission for several hours. The bed in which they were ''resting'' was a king-sized bed, giving enough space to all these sleeping angels.

Next to the croupier were the two maids Shayna and Klenia were impersonating. They had been mugged just before the croupier. Aster and Judith had led them into a ambush, using stolen security guard uniforms to lure them into a false sense of security. Finally, at the other side of the line, there were two more muscular women. The two real security guards. Judith had recommanded to start the operation with them, and her idea proved to be great. Just as much as they tended to never pay attention to the faces of the members of the staff, a lot of guests also never bothered to learn the security guards' faces. In their eyes, the uniform was enough. Now, the other security guards, it would be another issue, but they hadn't encountered any other guard yet. And the uniforms gave them the authority they needed to lure their other targets.

“So, is everyone in uniform?” Mikani asked.

“Yes.”

The pale woman looked at her own clothes. “Though, are you sure that dressing me like a croupier is a good idea? Contrary to a maid or a security guard, this isn't exactly the type of job where you can just keep quiet and not interact with others.”

“We will not send you at the gambling tables. You will come with Aster and I. Croupiers are sometimes allowed in the upper floors. Therefore, seeing one there with two security guards should not raise too many questions.”

“While Shayna and I keep a watch on the stairs to make sure nobody can surprise you at the wrong time...” Klenia completed.

“That is the idea.” Judith nodded.

“Then let's go!” Aster concluded.

“By the way, Judith, you can use contractions around us if you want. We're among friends.” Klenia added.

“I would rather not.”

Klenia shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

They all left.

However, none of them noticed that Judith was lingering for a moment in the bedroom. The tall woman quickly sent a message with her cellphone before exiting the room with the others.

The coast is clear. Time for you to take action.

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

The woman who received the message smiled a predatory smile. She turned to face her partner. “We enter the scene.” she said.

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

With their uniforms and stern faces, Aster, Mikani, and Judith were looking the part. They had encountered a few people in the corridors of the upper-floors, and none had stopped them to ask questions.

“So far so good.” Aster commented. “I dare even say that this is rather easy, for a building supposedly owned by the Mob.” Of course, she wasn't complaining. But she had learned to beware of works that seemed too easy...

“The Mob of Frontier is notoriously...” Judith struggled to find the word. “... complacent. The mob bosses have the authorities in their pockets, and they are surprisingly cooperative with each other. They do not have to worry about police raids or attacks from rival gangs. They think they are untouchable.”

“And of course, what kind of suicidal fool would dare try to infiltrate them?” Mikani snickered.

Judith suddenly gestured them to stop. The director's office was at the end of the corridor. Its door was guarded by three security agents. Two men and one woman.

“Wow. Male guards.” Mikani whispered. “I almost forgot that these actually existed.”

“I swear... Klenia has turned you into her mini-me while I wasn't looking...” Aster said while rolling her eyes.

“You think we can lure them with our feminine charms?” the short woman added.

“Be serious. The easy part is over.” Judith whispered.

Aster nodded. Mikani took her stun gun.

Then, they moved. They were walking confidently, as if they were perfectly in their place.

The first guard asked them something when she saw them.

Aster couldn't understand everything she was saying, but she recognized enough words to learn that she was asking them what they wanted. Now, it was up to Judith to play her part. Mikani and she continued to walk one step behind the tall woman, pretending to know what they were doing.

Judith answered her.

The guard frowned and asked something else. She was looking puzzled now, though not suspicious to raise the alarm yet.

Aster and her teammates were still walking. They had to keep a slow pace, to appear natural. Just a few steps closer, and the guards would be within their reach...

Judith hesitated, then said something.

Apparently, this didn't work. The guards barely took the time to exchange one look. Then, the woman who just spoke to them grabbed her walkie-talkie to push the button raising the alarm while the two others drew their weapons.

Mikani jumped first, closely followed by Aster.

The guard wielding the walkie-talkie was their priority. If she raised the alarm, the whole operation was going to fail.

Mikani neutralized her just in time, knocking her out with her stun gun when she was about to push the red button. With one swift kick, Aster disarmed the second guard. She took advantage of her opponent's surprise to follow with a kick in the stomach. The third guard took a step back to aim at her. Judith delivered one precise chop at his neck, knocking him out instantly.

“Quick. We have to hide them inside the director's office.” Aster said.

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

“I hope they're not encountering difficulties.” Shayna commented while pretending to clean a chest of drawers in the corridor. She shook her head and groaned. “I don't like the idea of staying behind...”

“Me neither, but in a good operation, keeping watch is as important as stealing the informations.”

“But this is my sister that we're talking about... And...” Shayna hesitated. “I know this is a stupid reaction... But... we were the ones taking all the risks since South Window... Even before that, when we infiltrated this criminal ring in East Harbour. I just don't want to be left out.”

“I would trust Aster and Mikani with my life. They're even better than me at this gig. They're more... level-headed. And they need Judith in case they meet someone they actually need to talk to.”

Shayna shook her head, but then she smiled. “Since when have you become the responsible one in our relationship?”

Klenia chuckled. “Since I needed to be.” She grabbed her hand. “Don't worry though. It'll only last the time we need to rescue Venia, then you'll be allowed to be the serious one again.”

Shayna briefly squeezed her hand. But, then, she suddenly stopped. Klenia noticed her girlfriend's eyes widening. She had just seen something behind Klenia's back. The brown-haired woman tried to turn around, only to be met by a generous spray of gas.

Sleeping gas.

Not again! Not like in the cruise ship!

Klenia coughed, mentally cursing herself. She had allowed herself to be distracted in the middle of a mission. A rookie mistake.

Between her half-closed eyelids, she saw Shayna being hit by the same gas. Two women had just assaulted them.

Klenia didn't recognize them. They had tanned skin and black hair. Probably from Frontier.

Who are they? Did Reka hire other people?

One attacker nimbly moved behind Klenia and immobilized her, the latter's head was locked into a sleeper-hold. The dark-brown-haired woman let out a dazed cry of protest. She knew what was going to happen next. But, with her vision blurry and her mind already dizzy, she couldn't do much about it.

Soon, everything faded to black.

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

Deborah felt the smaller maid's body go limp in her arms. She had lost consciousness. The black-haired woman gently held back her falling victim.

Deborah quickly glanced at her twin sister. Abigail was holding her own victim. She pointed the nearest bedroom door. “Use her pass to open it.”

Deborah nodded. With only one hand, the operation wasn't easy, but she had experience in this sort of things now. Soon enough, they were all in an empty hotel room, hidden from any prying eyes.

Deborah laid the maid on the floor. The woman's blond hair were spread.

“They're hiring strangers...” she commented while locking the door again. Then she rolled the maid on her stomach, unbuttoned the white apron, and took it off, before rolling her again on her back. The black blouse and the white shirt underneath were next. She lifted the blonde's upper-body a first time to remove the blouse, then a second time to remove the shirt. The blond maid was wearing a plain functional dark blue bra underneath.

Deborah quickly glanced at Abigail. Her sister had already finished taking off her donor's uniform. She had always been the quickest when it came to undress someone... Abbie's maid was more well-endowed than hers, with dark brown hair tied into a long braid. Her black bra and panties were designed to emphasize her curvaceous figure.

“I almost feel bad...” Deborah commented while removing the blonde's shoes and white stockings.

“What do you mean? We needed their clothes to access the safe room.” Abigail answered.

Deborah shimmied down her victim's black skirt, leaving her in her white cotton panties. “I know. It's just that they were looking so adorable, having a moment together... I think they're a couple.”

“So?”

Deborah grabbed the blonde under the arms. “So I think we should give them the occasion to spend some 'quality time' with each other. You know, as an apology gift.”

Abigail sighed. “If you want...”

Deborah smiled. It's the simple things in life... she thought to herself.

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

Aster crammed the unconscious female guard, whose hands were tied with her own handcuffs and whose socks were stuffed in her mouth as a gag, inside the cupboard. Then she closed it.

“Lucky woman. She will have two men all for herself.” Mikani commented.

Aster chuckled, and decided to play along. “Some people are just greedy...”

Judith remained impassive. “We have to hurry up. Take all the account books.”

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

When she woke up, the first thing Klenia realized was that she was gagged. She could recognize the sour taste anywhere...

Rags in my mouth, tape over my lips, AND a cloth gag over it? These people don't joke around... she thought.

The second thing Klenia realized was that she was thouroughly restrained with tape and ropes. Then, she noticed the warm feeling against her belly. Shayna and she had been bound to each other in a way that made them face each other. Tape was wrapping their ankles and lower-body together. They were lying on the floor. She realized that her hands were tied behind Shayna in a way that made her palms touch her girlfriend's panty-clad ass. And given the sensation in her own backside, Shayna's hands were similarly restrained.

They really paid attention to the details... Klenia couldn't help but think. In front of her, Shayna was blissfully unconscious, unaware of her predicament. At least they didn't harm us. So they're probably not working for Reka. Still, we have to break free. The others are probably in danger.

To wake her girlfriend up, Klenia gently nudged her with her forehead.

A few minutes later, Shayna opened her eyes with a soft moan. When she realized her dire predicament, she started to panick. Klenia used her bound hands to la press the blonde against her to calm her. Shayna let out a muffled shriek of surprise when she realized her girlfriend was with her. Klenia pressed her forehead against Shayna's. They remained huddled up a few seconds, then Klenia tried to talk.

“M'll bmhhh mhhhr bmmmd.” I'll break our bonds. she tried to say.

Shayna seemed to understand. She nodded.

However, Klenia quickly realized that, as strong-willed as she was, it was hard to keep focused when her half-naked body was pressed against the equally half-naked body of her girlfriend... Or when each movement made them rub against each other. Shayna was blushing furiously, and Klenia was feeling warmer and warmer. Their attempts to remove their gags were making it look like they were kissing.

Klenia couldn't completely control her body's reactions. Some of the roleplays she wanted to try with Shayna were vaguely similar to what she was experiencing right now, and even with the best will of the world it was hard to forget it.

Could a situation be more dangerous, awkward and strangely arousing at the same time?

Let's hope that the others will find us...

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

It took them some time, but they had finally managed to get their hands on three account books detailing the slave shipments of the previous years. Of course, the thing was coded, but Judith was adamant that it was the right informations. She was currently busy taking pictures of each page with her phone.

“How are we going to find Venia in this mass of informations?” Mikani asked.

“Shipments are organised by date and location.” Aster answered. "Though, I would like to ask why you take so many pictures?"

“It is just in case.” Judith answered.

Aster wanted to retort something but she was suddenly interrupted by a loud blaring sound.

Judith frowned.

“The alarm!” Aster understood. “But why?”

“Could it be... Have they found Klenia and Shayna?” Mikani asked, worried.

Aster took a deep breath to keep a cool head.

“The datas?” she asked Judith.

“I have it all.” the tall woman answered.

“Then we go. Lead the way Judith.”

No answer.

Judith was busy furiously texting with her cellphone. She was muttering something in her language, but Aster couldn't understand.

“Judith?” Aster repeated, louder.

This made the tall woman jump.

“What?”

“Lead the way! We have to go! Klenia and Shayna might be in danger!”

Judith blinked a few times very fast.

"Of course, let's go."

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

“Debbie! You moron!” Abigail spat while running in the service corridor.

“What? We managed to take the money, didn't we? The plan was a success.”

“And activating the alarm was a part of your plan?”

“A minor hiccup.”

“Just shut up and run. If the Mob's enforcers catch us, they'll feed us to morray eels!”

"They won't catch us. I have a plan."

"Explain."

Deborah smiled. "They will be looking for two maids. We just need a change of clothes."

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

Several people were running around in the hotel resort. Aster, Mikani, and Judith took advantage of the confusion to leave the upper floors. Strangely enough, the people didn't seem to be looking for them. With their uniforms, they avoided any embarrasing question. The three women arrived in the corridor in which they had left Klenia and Shayna.

No sign of their two companions.

There wasn't anyone else either. Everyone had gone to another part of the resort hotel.

“Where are Klenia and Shayna?” Mikani asked. She was sounding very worried now. “Do you think they have been spotted? Arrested?”

“No.” Aster answered. “I know this may sound strange, but it seems that security is chasing after someone else than us...” she added, voicing out loud her previous inner-thoughts.

“Apparently, the safe room has been burglarized.” Judith explained while still looking at her phone. “Someone took the money.”

“Talk about bad timing!” Aster added.

“Yes, bad timing.” Judith agreed.

Aster frowned. She wanted to ask the tall woman a question, but then noticed something on a nearby door.

A 'Do not Disturb' sign. Or more precisely its Frontier equivalent.

More importantly, there was no sign on this door when they passed in front of it half-an-hour ago. Maybe the owner of the room returned in the meantime, but Aster had serious doubts about that. The only other possible scenario was that someone put this sign here to make sure nobody would find by accident what was hidden in the room. What was hidden... Or 'who' was hidden?

Maybe Klenia and Shayna had taken shelter in this room.

Aster decided to follow her intuition.

“Judith. Open this door, please.”

“Do you think they're here?” Mikani asked, hopeful.

“Call it a hunch.”

Judith's pass opened the door.

They were greeted by a series of moans and grunts. Lying tightly huddled together, Klenia and Shayna were moving in unison to loosen the tape and ropes binding them. However, because of the way they were tied to each other, their regular movements were making it look like they were sharing an intimate (and passionate) embrace, and perhaps a small part of them was. But they were mostly trying to break free from their bonds, moaning in their gags because of the frustration.

Wow! Whoever did this, they really did a number on you two! Aster couldn't help but think to herself.

Then, she and Mikani rushed to free them.

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

Klenia felt a great relief when she was finally able to spit the piece of cloth filling her mouth, then gratefully hugged Mikani who had just finished untying her. The latter returned the embrace, but then couldn't help but joke:

“Now, you know how Aster felt..."

Indeed part of Klenia couldn't help but notice the gigantic irony of the most recent, and unfortunate, turn of events. She smiled sheepishly.

Next to them, Judith was untying Shayna. The tall woman was frowning even more than before.

"Finally!" Shayna coughed once she was free.

"Now what?"

"Search the drawers." Aster ordered. "Maybe you'll find something. I'll go watch the corridor."

Her leader instincts are returning... Klenia thought. She seems so calm... It's good to have her back... She complied.

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

Aster went to the frame of the door to watch the corridor. She was trying hard to not show the others how much she was panicking. She used to be excellent at handling tense situations. But that was before Aaria's death... Without the older woman's support, she found it harder to keep a cool head. Even if they probably weren't the fugitives everyone was searching, it wouldn't take long for the guards to discover them. The building belonged to the Mob. If they were captured, they were risking a lot more than a mere arrest...

Then, she saw them.

The three women were part of the casino's security. Currently, they were knocking at and opening each door. Probably a routine check to try and find the thieves.

Aster took a deep breath. Time to improvise...

“Forget about the drawers. I found a better disguise.” She motioned Judith to come next to her and showed her the burly women. “Can you lead these three in the room.”

“Why?”

“Because they are bringing us three sets of uniforms on a silver platter.”

Judith nodded thoughtfully. “What should I tell them?”

“The truth, of course. Two women had been mugged by thieves, who stole their maid uniforms, and we need their assistance.”

“Clever wording.” Judith said, before complying. She left the room and Aster could hear her talking with the guards. The others readied themselves.

A few seconds later, Judith was coming back. On her heel, there were the three women wearing the coveted black security guard uniforms.

The tallest guard shouted a word, probably some kind of swearword. A second said to Judith she had to call reinforcements. The third approached Klenia and Shayna to see if they were unharmed. All three failed to notice Mikani silently closing the door behind their backs.

As soon as she was done, five women jumped on the befuddled guards. The three black-haired women barely had to time to register what was going on. They were quickly subdued, knocked out, and stripped. Then, the ropes that previously bound Klenia and Shayna were put to use a second time...

“By the way, not that I'm complaining of course, but why did we strip the three of them when we only needed two sets of uniforms?” Klenia asked.

“The third is for Mikani.”

“What? But, it's way to tall...” the short woman retorted.

“I know. But if you dress like us, we'll be able to pass ourselves for a full security team.”

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

They had decided to flee the building through the emergency corridors supposed to be used in case of fire. Shayna was floating in her outfit and it was way worst with Mikani, who had to roll up her sleeves and pantlegs several times. But they didn't have the time to be picky...

Now that they were together again, and away from the hustle and bustle of the main corridors, most of them were starting to feel relieved.

“So tell me Klenia, when you were struggling, were these noises of frustration or of pleasure?” Mikani suddenly asked.

Shayna's face turned crimson red. “Goodness, Mikani! You can't ask people such personal questions!” she retorted.

“It's just her way of showing she's relieved.” Klenia intervened. "Ignore her." She smiled while joking: "It's easy, given how small she is."

Judith was still busy texting.

“I'm calling everyone to witness.” Mikani insisted. “I did say that you've always fantasized about something like that happening to you...”

Klenia pretended to punch her. “Mind you own business, runt!” Although her smile showed she was taking the thing with humour. They were just all glad to have made it out in one piece.

They thought it was over.

They were about to leave the building through the emergency door when their path was suddenly blocked. Half-a dozen guards, guns in their hands.

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

"I think they might be about to locate us..." Deborah said. "I'd say we have five minutes left."

Abigail glowered her. "And you say it so matter-of-factly!"

"That's because they have located two maids. But by the time they arrive, we won't be maids anymore."

Abigail rolled her eyes. "I swear! If you weren't my sister..."

"Admire my intelligence."

She quickly went in front of the door of a specific bedroom and knocked.

The occupier opened, clearly worried because of the alarm. She was a woman with hazel almond eyes, probably a stranger. Her auburn hair were tied into a crown braid. She was wearing a beige smock, with matching pants and white low-heeled shoes. Deborah's uniform put her at ease and she asked her what she wanted.

Deborah answered her with sleeping gas. Then with a handgag and a stomach punch, just to be safe. "This way, please." Deborah kindly said to the client gasping for air. She pushed her back inside the room. Abigail followed them, closing the door behind her.

The auburn-haired woman was staggering. The chemicals were acting very fast. Her legs were shaking. Deborah held the woman back when she fell forward, almost gently.

"She's our size. I'll take her clothes, you search in her luggage for spare clothes."

"How did you know?" Abigail asked.

"I used the guests' list big sister sent us and memorized the rooms of all the women that had a build close to us. When we passed near the receptionist's desk, I noticed that this specific client was returning to her bedroom."

Abigail shook her head. "And you say it so matter-of-factly..."

Deborah ignored her. She laid the woman (who was already half-asleep) on her back and meticulously stripped her. This time, Abbie couldn't keep the most attractive for herself... Deborah smiled and removed the shoes, then the pants and smock which she piled up nearby. Underneath, her victim was wearing a frilly half-see-through bright red bra and a black thong. Deborah couldn't help but notice her generous chest. Wow, she's sexy all the way... The auburn-haired client was already almost unconscious, and barely reacted when Deborah rolled her on her stomach, crossed her wrists behind her back to tie them up and quickly bound them. She then bound the woman's legs, before using a third rope to connect the two previous ties into a hogtie. Finally, she took a few spare clean panties in the woman's drawer and filled her mouth with, before turning a scarf into a makeshit cleave-gag and another into a blindfold.

Then, she started to undress. Abigail was already fully clothed.

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

Aster's first instinct was to move in front of Shayna, to make sure the security guards wouldn't be able to get a good look at her. Indeed, with her blond hair, she was standing out way too much in a country where this colour was almost unheard of.

The leader of the group of security guards was a tall burly man with a rough face. He was looking more like a mob enforcer than a law enforcer, and given who owned this casino he probably was one...

“What are you doing here?” the brute asked.

Unable to answer without her accent giving away that she was a stranger, Aster was forced to rely on Judith.

“We are pursuing the two false maids!” the tall woman answered.

“We are supposed to be guarding this door, not you.” the man angrily retorted.

“We saw them enter the emergency corridors.” Judith lied.

“Then did you at least warn the supervisor?”

“Well...”

“You idiot! If I had the time, I would report your incompetence!” The man took one step forward. Aster was afraid that he would notice Shayna, or Mikani who was clearly wearing a uniform too big for her.

Then, suddenly, the man's walkie talkie came to life.

“Intruders spotted. Two floors up your position. Send a team to capture them.”

The man smiled. “Perfect.” He pointed Judith. “We will catch the thieves. You and your women guard the door. Ava will stay with you.” He gestured towards a professional-looking woman with brown hair tied into a tight bun, tall like almost everyone in Frontier seemed to be.

He and all the other security guards save for Ava then rushed past Judith's group with the grace of a stampeding herd of rhinos.

The remaining women all shared an awkward glance.

“Men, am I right?” Ava commented. “They always want all the action for themselves. And all the glory too.”

Judith nodded. “Tell me about it.

"Although I would advise you to be careful. Aaron has you in his sights now."

"Thank you for the advice. Also, by the way, I am sorry.”

“For what?”

“For this.”

Judith punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She followed with a quick neck chop that sent her to slumberland. Ava crumbled on the floor like a sack of grain.

“Now the coast is clear.” Judith said.

The five women didn't waste time and exited the building. They arrived in an alleyway, then ran to the car they left a few buildings away.

On their way, they almost crashed into two women dressed in similar-looking smocks, the only difference being that the first was beige and the second was off-white. There seemed to be a family resemblance between the two women, with their black hair, oval faces and aquiline noses. The first had an asymmetric haircut, and the second had her hair tied into long cornrows with colourful beads attached to it.

"Sorry!" Klenia exclaimed, realizing too late that the two Frontalier wouldn't understand what she said.

The two women frowned while looking at her, but dirty looks from Aster and Judith prevented them from saying something.

Judith, Aster, Klenia, Mikani, and Shayna entered the car and immediately drove off. The five women collectively let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, this was harder than anticipated, but we managed to do it..." Klenia commented.

"Still, I'm worried about the people who attacked you." Aster said. "We may have other enemies..."

"Other than Reka and Emery? Tough to be popular..."

"Be serious Klenia."

"Sorry. It's just that, now that you have the informations, we'll be able to find where Venia is held captive. And we'll free her. I'm simply happy."

Shayna smiled. "Soon..." she muttered.

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

"I think it was her..." Deborah said.

"Her?"

"The maid we mugged. The busty one. She just walked in front of us, dressed as a security guard."

"So what?"

"I thought this was an interesting coincidence..."

Abigail lost patience. "Who cares? Just keep walking if you don't want the Syndicate to cut off your feet."

in my visual fantasy this installment will remain the one with 5 underwear clad women, robbed of their uniforms , sleeping and tied up in a king size bed at the "Lucky Seven Casino"


and not just this, but also for the best line of the Month

“Why did you mug a driver when you could have just loaned a taxi?”

Judith hesitated.

“I... Hieron told me it would make a good first impression with you...”

I'm always surprised when some of the scenes I myself found not that remarkable when writing them are the ones that are best remembered by others (pleasantly of course ).

Hieron is secretly a member of the Uniform Stealing Board. Mystery solved.

Been a while since I commented, but I'll take a minute to once again applaud of this story, which continues to expand in new and exciting directions.

Reka and her team may be the most entertaining characters in the series, and some of the best USB characters ever. Their banter, particularly Reka's exasperation with her troops over little details, is highly entertaining, as is their continuing journey to catch up to the heroines, always leaving a string of stripped, bound, and gagged women in their wake. (Shame that this latest chapter only shows them mugging one woman in the restroom; I'd have loved to see Selena, Lucina, and Amara steal some tickets - and perhaps some new clothes - for themselves.) Hope to see a lot more of them in the future.

The entire hotel sequence was a lot of fun, particularly the scene where the heroines mug the trio of security guards. Aster's nonchalant line about the guards bringing them "three set of uniforms on a silver platter" was a fun reminder of how nonthreatening the security guards are in this series - they're usually just opportunities for our leads to acquire new disguises.

I hope we'll be seeing Deborah and Abigail again; they're quite entertaining and resourceful (mugging the hotel guest in her room). Their little exchange at the end was an amusing little "crossover" to leave us with.

Belated answer, but it's always nice to read your comments, especially when they're as detailed. I didn't expect Reka and her team to become that popular but, hey, why not? I'll try to detail more their parts in the next parts of the story instead of having it happen offscreen. The story indeed isn't kind with security guards. Alas, such is the fate of nameless extras... Deborah and Abigail will indeed show up again. Not giving everything away now, since informations should begin to be given in the next part, but let's just say that this wasn't a coincidence if they happened to infiltrate the casino at the exact same time as Aster's team.

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

This wasn't Ava's lucky day. Not only had she been humiliated by a bunch of intruders, who took her out in two hits... Not only was she now on Aaron's blacklist for letting them escape... Not only was she going to receive a huge wage cut... But she hadn't even been allowed to take the rest of the day off!

Aaron didn't care that she had been knocked out. He said that she was still able to perform her duties. So he had her stationed in front of the boss' office while he and his men searched the nearby streets.

Well, at least she hadn't been found by him in her underwear, like several of her colleagues...

The elevator's door at the other side of the corridor opened.

Ava sighed when she saw the group of people wearing business suits. Based on her experience, sharply-dressed people were always trouble...

A little man wearing glasses was leading the walk. He was looking like an accountant. A group of women were walking behind him. They were four.

“This area is restricted.” Ava said, adopting her 'professional' tone, as she didn't want to give the boss more arguments to cut her wage. “I will have to ask you to state your business here.”

The little man adjusted his glasses and gave her a card.

“We are the inspection team.” the man said. “Sent by the insurance company.”

Ava inspected his card. It was authentic.

“Already?” she commented. “News travel fast... The director has not even arrived yet.” But in reality Ava wasn't surprised. Insurance companies were notorious for having sharp teeth. Of course they would send their vultures immediately after the incident... to find a way to pay as little money as possible.

“I have contacts in the police.” the man answered. “Now, if you do not mind?”

Ava looked at the women standing behind the little man. They were all sharply-dressed: black or dark grey business suits with white shirts, matching business pants and high-heeled shoes. Though Ava was surprised by how athletic they looked. Guess no client would dare question their reports... They would probably mop the floor with most of the guards working here...

Ava nodded. “I guess everything is in order if they let you in at the entrance. Although I will have to remain with you in the room.”

“Of course. This is standard procedure.” the man said with a polite nod. “Thank you.”

Ava opened the door and entered the director's office with them.

Then, everything occurred too fast for her to understand what was going on before it was too late.

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

Reka wasted no time. As soon as the office door was closed, she ordered: “Grab her.”

The time the black-haired guard finally registered what was going on, Lucina had already tackled her on the floor. The threat of a small knife, that Lucina had previously hidden in her cleavage, was enough to douse the woman's fighting spirit. Then, Amara started to undress her prisoner, intending to put on her uniform to then take her place outside. At the same time, Max was already looking at the account books while Lucina was preparing the material to bind and gag the guard.

I just love when things are going smoothly... Reka thought. It's good to see that we can still be efficient. I'll show them we're not some kind of joke.

“Selena. Stop standing there gawking and go help Maxie searching through the books.” Reka exclaimed.

The redhead quickly complied.

Well, mostly efficient.

Amara had finished undressing the guard. Lucina had already taken over and was currently tying the woman's wrists behind the back, still pinning her to the floor. At the same time, Amara was putting on the security uniform. Now that she had washed away the red dye giving away that the was an Olympian, the brown-haired woman could pass herself for a Frontalier. Especially since, as most Olympians, she had learned hellàs and knew enough of the language to not be lost in case someone talked to her.

“Maxie. Did you find something?”

“I found the right year. It's a matter of minutes now.”

Reka smiled. “Bunch of fools. They've just been robbed and yet they still fall for one of the oldest tricks in the book.”

“At the same time, nobody would expect to be robbed twice the same day.” Lucina commented.

“Less talk and more bindings please.”

“Almost done, boss.”

“When she's all trussed up, drag her in a corner of the room. I don't want this bimbo in the way.”

“Got it.”

No sooner said than done. Ava was abandoned in the right corner of the room, between two cabinets; dressed in her purple tank top and matching bra, blue boyshorts and black socks; wrists and ankles tied with zip-ties and mouth gagged with tape. She wasn't even struggling. She was still dumbfounded. Amara was already outside.

“Venia Iven. I found her.” Max exclaimed.

“Where?” Reka eagerly asked.

Reka didn't think it was a coincidence that the casino had been robbed just before they arrived. Klenia and her friends had already visited the place. Therefore, they knew where Venia was sent. And now, Reka knew as well.

“Apparently, the Solomon Syndicate kept her for themselves. She had been sent to one of their estate, a plantation at the south of Opal, near the entrance of the desert.”

“You sure?”

“I know the code they use, Reka. Of course I'm sure.”

Reka smiled. It was a predatory grin. “Perfect. Let's move then.”

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

Ava helplessly watched the fake inspectors leave the room. She still had trouble to accept the reality of what had just happened.

And now, she was going to be found in her underwear by Aaron...

Worst. Day. Ever.

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

Reka and her team exited the building through secondary corridors, to avoid as much people as possible. They crossed no one, except five women of the cleaning crew that were going up. At the entrance, two burly guards stopped them but Max once again flashed them his nice little card and they let them out without any question.

They got onto their van.

“Well, it was harder than expected, but we're arriving at the end of the tunnel...” Selena said.

Reka didn't comment on her weird expression, probably something they were saying in the Province of Shield.

“Though one question remains.” Lucina intervenes. She pointed the direction of the van's trunk. “What do we do with the generous donors who gave us our suits?”

Inside the trunk, four unconscious women were currently having an extended drug-induced nap. Four unconcious half-naked bound-and-gagged women.

“Maxie will find us a nice garbage dump.” Reka commented with a huge smile.

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

Ava raised her head when she heard the door of the office open.

A group of five women dressed in black work shoes and blue coveralls entered, pushing two carts.

The cleaning crew!

Ava couldn't believe her luck. She was saved! And by women no less! She loudly mewled through her gag to get their attention.

The women jumped and turned toward the bound-and-gagged guard, surprised to see her.

Then Ava realized that something was wrong. The women were talking to themselves in a language she couldn't understand. And, now that she could get a good look at them, she noticed that they were probably wearing wigs.

Other imposters? Come on! How many of them are there today? the guard thought.

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

Emery watched the black van drive away through the stained-glass window of the back of the van in which she was currently waiting. She thought it was weird that women dressed in expensive business suits would use such a... common vehicle.

Her left eye twitched when she heard a muffled cry behind her.

“I told you to shut up.”

The woman was seated at the other side of the back of the van, dressed in cheap underwear: a plain green bra and white cotton panties. She was pretty with her curly shoulder-long light brown hair and had nice curves, but her modest lifestyle didn't allow her to invest in hairdressers or beauticians that would help her look her best. She was tightly bound with ropes, gagged with tape, and blindfolded with more tape. She was one of the building's janitors. Near her, four other women in a similar state of undress, were similarly bound, gagged and blindfolded, albeit these ones were smart enough to keep quiet. They were the other members of the cleaning crew Emery's team was currently impersonating.

Emery approached the light brown-haired woman and talked to her in hellàs. “You disgust me. Your whinings disgust me. Your weakness disgusts me. Now, if you make another peep, I'll shut you up by stabbing your throat with my knife. Understood?"

The woman stiffened, then started to silently sob.

Emery shook her head. Pathetic...

Her phone suddenly vibrated.

With a groan, Emery picked it up. She ignored the jolt of pain that came from her left leg and spread across her entire body. It happened from time to time, and she had learned to endure the pain. She had felt worst during the trainings anyway...

Emery let out a noise of disgust when she saw Hieron's name on the screen. Her former teacher was calling her at least once a day to check on her progress. And to keep her in line.

“Hello Emery! Have you killed anyone already?” Judging by the tone of his voice, he absolutely loved playing the part of the ruiner of fun.

“The only person I'm going to kill is you when I get back.” she retorted.

Hieron laughed. “Of course not! We both know you will never do it!”

He was annoying, smug, and, worst of all, he was right. Although even Emery couldn't have explained why she couldn't do it...

Her phone bipped to signal her that Agria was trying to call her. Emery smiled.

“Sorry, Hieron. I have another call. I'll have to leave you.”

“Hey, wait a minu...”

Hanging up on him was maybe petty, but it made her feel incredibly good. She picked up the other call.

“Emery on the line. What's going on, Agria?”

“They were here before us. There is a woman in the office. She's bound and gagged in her underwear.”

Emery took the time to register the information before answering: “Chloroform her. I don't want her to raise the alarm.”

“Understood.”

“And what about Venia Iven?”

“We located the place where she was sent. It's the Solomon Syndicate's estate.”

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

Ava understood that her bad day was going to become far, far worst when one of the impostors approached her while soaking a handkerchief with the odorous liquid of a small bottle.

Of shi...

The woman clamped the handkerchief over her nose and Ava passed out.

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

Salomé Solomon was bored. Listening through Aaron's explanation of the whole situation was a torture.

I need a drink... She felt the familiar sensation of dry throat. Dr. Jud said that she was cured, but Dr. Jud was a charlatan. On her way here, Salomé had passed near the bar, and all its liquors. Since then, she knew that she wasn't healed.

Just one little glass... It couldn't hurt...

Salomé mentally shook her head to get rid of the image. She had promised to herself she would stop drinking this time! She knew what damages alcohol could do to her body in the long run...

“Madam. Are you listening?”

Shit! He probably saw me staring vacantly...

“I don't think this concerns me. I believe it's my brother's job to deal with this.”

“But madam, this is important! Our security has been breached three times in a row! By three different groups of people! One even ambushed the cleaning crew, we've just found them trussed up in their own van.”

Salomé blinked several times really fast. Need a drink. Or two... Or three...

“We'll wait for my brother. He'll decide.”

Aaron's jaw stiffened, but he nodded. Salomé could see the contempt in the man's eyes. Contempt for her appearance. Contempt for her lack of care. Contempt for her vulgar way of talking. But she didn't say anything, as she knew she deserved his contempt. Who would have respect for a lazy alcoholic who was already on the verge of plunging back into her old vice literally two days after finishing her latest rehab?

Salomé was maybe the sister of the powerful mob boss leading the Solomon Syndicate, but she was miles away from the typical mafia princess stereotype.

She wasn't attractive: too tall and lanky, not enough curves. Her raven black hair were tied into one long braid in the back and two small braids, one on each temple. There were dark rings under her brown eyes. She was wearing a plain beige dress and her only jewelry were a golden bracelet at each wrist and the colorful beads in her hair. Her bearing was lax, highlighting her passive nature. No, she wasn't the kind of person that inspired respect.

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

Simon Solomon arrived shortly after his younger sister. The head of the Solomon Syndicate was a tall emaciated man with short black hair and a goatee. His wife, Jezebel Solomon, was walking at his side. She was a stunning beauty with long lustrous dark brown hair, voluptuous curves, and round firm breasts, who was wearing an expensive bright crimson dress. Her walk was graceful, she was athletic, practiced several sports to keep in shape, and, to boot, had a sharp cunning mind that allowed her to climb to the top of the criminal world. In short, she was everything Salomé wasn't.

Jezebel took the time to briefly take a look at her sister-in-law. She made a scornful scowl, then turned her head away.

Simon was furious. He ignored his sister and went straight for Aaron, at whom he stared until the head of security lowered his eyes.

“Aaron. Explanations. Immediately.”

The man complied. Once he was done, Simon was actually livid. And when he answered in a deep hollow tone, Salomé knew that he was now beyond mad.

“I want all these women found. Dead or alive. Alive if possible. We will make an example.”

Jezebel smiled. “Allow me to deal with this task, dear. I will find some use to these women...”

His tone and her smile made Salomé shudder. I need a drink...

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

Aster and her friends had decided to leave the apartment they were using as a base until now. As expected, the Solomon Syndicate didn't appreciate their little excursion in their casino, and had placed a hefty bounty on their heads. News travelled fast in Opal, therefore they had chosen to hide in another apartment during a few hours, the time for Judith to find them another hiding place.

Of course, the two students that were roommates in the apartment they chose didn't agree to allow squatters in their home. But lots of ropes, some strips of tape, and a quick breath of sleeping gas convinced them otherwise. Currently, the two young women were deeply asleep in one of the beds, huddled together. Their hands were tied behind their backs with rope. The two girls' legs were tied together. Clean undergarments from their drawers were used as a gag, held in place with tape.

Klenia was admiring the blue, orange, and green dress she was currently wearing. She had taken advantage of the situation to relieve one of the students of her clothes – the tallest one with the curviest figure –. Therefore, the black-haired young woman was left in her light pink balconette and a brown slip, while Klenia had donned her dress.



“Did you have to steal her clothes?” Shayna asked.

“Well, I've had my eyes set on this country's pretty colourful clothes ever since we landed...” Klenia answered. “It would have been cruel to force me to only wear plain uniforms all the time. I had to try them at least once!”

Shayna sighed. “You realize that these two girls have done nothing against us...”

“Collateral damages. But don't worry, I'll loosen their bonds once we leave. And I'll also leave them a little compensation...” She showed her a wad of cash.

“How did you get that?!”

“I stole it, of course. At the casino. Did you forget I used to be a thief?”

“But... But when did you have the time? And where did you hide it?”

Klenia smiled. “Do you really want to know?”

“Not really.”

Klenia shrugged and asked Aster: “Is Judith done already?”

“Not yet. She's still on her phone.”

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

To say that Judith was furious would have been an understatement. She had to wait a long time before she could find an excuse to isolate herself from the others.

And, when she could finally call them, Abigail and Deborah didn't answer at first. She had to try five times before Deborah finally deigned picking up the phone.

“What did you morons do?!”

“Well, wasn't it the plan? Take advantage of the strangers' infiltration to gain access to the safe room and grab the money?”

“You mugged two of them!”

There was an awkward pause.

“The maids?” Deborah then asked.

“Yes, the maids.”

“A regrettable mistake. But that didn't put you in danger, didn't it?”

“Of course it did, you twat! And now, thanks to you two, they think that someone is after them!”

“Is that a problem? The two we got weren't even that tough...”

“Do not underestimate them. They helped to topple the Olympian government. Their leaders are not persons you want to cross.”

“You're using formal speech. You're mad?”

“Of course I am! From now on, try to be a little more careful about who you mug. Understood?”

”Yes. Although I can't believe I may have mugged one of my sources of inspiration...”

“Shut it!”

”Sorry! Sorry!”

“Just keep focused. This was merely the first step. Now, they are coming up with a plan to infiltrate the Solomon estate and they will need my help. This will be our chance to strike. I will call you again soon.”

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

Lucina laid her cards on the table and beamed. “Four of a kind! Read it, and weep!”

“Damn it!” Selena threw her cards across the room. “I've always hated poker...”

“That's because you suck at it.” the first retorted. “Feel lucky this is not strip-poker though. You'd be naked by this point...”

“Hey, Dumb and Dumber, keep it low!” Amara exclaimed from across the room. “I'm trying to concentrate here.” Indeed, she was cleaning her firearms.

“It's not my fault if Selena's poker face is awful!” Lucina retorted. “Why don't you stay in your corner, you killjoy?”

At the other side of the warehouse in which they were hidden, Reka sighed. “They are falling into bad habits...” she commented to Max, who was typing something on his laptop. “This would never have happened if Sao was still here. She knew how to be a real leader...”

“Not you?” he asked back without looking up his screen.

“For so long, I played the part of Sao's foil. The laid-back second-in-command to her stern leader. But since I'm in charge, these b*tches have humiliated us two times, and half of the team have been captured...”

“Oh.” The little man stopped typing. “You shouldn't worry too much about it. Utopia's jails are anything but impenetrable. I have envisioned several solutions to break them out. For now, focus on the task at hand.”

Reka nodded.

“We need a victory.” she then said.

Max raised an eyebrow.

“Before confronting Klenia and the other b*tches, we need to remind ourselves who we are. We need a victory over real opponents. Not ganging up on one security guard or beating up some poor saps in the airport's restrooms. A victory that would unite us and boost morale.”

Max looked at his computer for a short while, then said: “I may have a solution that would also allow you to get closer to the Solomon estate.”

“Do tell.”

“Do you know the Archangels?”

“No.”

“A group of guns for hire. They call themselves 'bounty hunters' and like to give themselves an aura of mystery, but in reality they're more like thugs selling their services to the highest bidder. All women.”

“They are after us?”

“Technically, they are after everyone that had broken in the Lucky Seven casino. Including us. They are among the people who are trying to earn the bounty offered by Simon Solomon.”

“Therefore, they have an excuse to go near the Solomon estate... Interesting...”

“I have contacts that will be able to give them a 'lead' on your position.” Max concluded.

“But we will prepare a little 'welcome' party for them...” Reka smiled. “I like the idea.”

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

“So this is the Solomon estate?” Aster asked while looking in her binoculars.

“Yes. This is their main plantation.” Judith answered.

Aster grimaced. The 'plantation' looked more like a village than anything. The estate was huge, organized around a gigantic manor. The workers' houses, small buildings, were gathered nearby, surrounded by watchtowers and an electric fence. All around, there were orchards, greenhouses and cotton plantations as far as the eye could see. And, around these, miles and miles of barb wires, fences, and guardhouses. Thanks to Frontier's climate, the Solomons could have several harvests per year, hence their need of plenty of workers. Hence the forced labour.

“One has to wonder why nobody tries to escape." Aster asked out loud. "A place this big... The Solomons can't be able to watch everywhere all the time.”

“If the stories I have heard about them are true, they have dogs to track the runaways. And even if they manage to escape, where would they go? The workers have no money and, more importantly, no passports. These are the first things that the foremen confiscate.”

“And with no passport, they can't leave the country...”

“To the south, there is the desert. You flee there, you will die within the next few days. The only inhabited place around here is the city of Opal. Here, the police is under Simon Solomon's payroll and arrests anyone who doesn't have a passport. The next city is Lapis, and on foot it takes several days to reach it. If you walk along the road, the Syndicate's men will easily find you. And...”

“I think I've understood...” Aster cut her. “We will have to steal a vehicle if we want to have a chance...”

“Indeed.”

“Then let's regroup with the others in the new hideout.” Aster concluded. “We will have to plan something and I will need your advices.” She paused for a brief moment, then added: “I will also need a phone. I have to call Hieron. Gotta plan our escape after we break in the estate.”

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

Sharon, leader of the Archangels, couldn't believe her luck. The group didn't get many jobs during the past few months, and they were short of money. Their debtors were on their back. Then, the Solomon Syndicate put up that huge bounty. A golden opportunity to restore their finances. And now, she just heard about their targets' probable location...

“Girls! We have a lead!”

She was greeted by a round of applause and cheers.

Sharon jumped on her feet from her chair.

“Magdala, Elona, Liza, grab the weapons. Rachel, Suzanne, start the engine.”

They all eagerly complied. Sharon watched them proudly. They were all looking the part of the bounty huntress. Dark hair, dark eyes. Beautiful and athletic. Beauty and brawns. This was actually the reason why they joined forces. This gave them an identity, something that would help them distinguish themselves in the eyes of the employers. Also, in general, most women felt comfortable hiring an all-female team as bodyguards.

Sharon dusted the left shoulder of her jacket. She and her team were all using the same dress code: black tank tops, dark grey camouflage jacket with matching pants, thick black shoes. These clothes showed that they meant business. Sharon liked them. They were also giving her some kind of wild charm, along with her braided slick jet black hair, athletic body, dark eyes and aquiline nose. Yes, she digged this whole 'paramilitary look'...

Now, time to earn some cash... Let's catch these suckers...

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

“The suckers are about to come in.” Selina said on the other side of the line.

“Understood.” Reka answered in the walkie-talkie. She then ordered to her remaining troops: “They're here. Everyone to their positions! And remember, we have the element of surprise, but they have the advantage of number. Don't screw this up.”

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

The Archangels entered the warehouse. There was no one in sight and the building was plunged into semi-obscurity. The only rays of light came from the blocked windows and an electric light behind the glass of a door at the other side of the main warehouse.

“They must be in one of the offices.” Sharon whispered. “Let's surround them.” Through signs, she gave her orders to her troops.

The bounty huntresses deployed.

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

Elona slightly went away from the others to walk around a pile of crates, keeping in sight the door that was her goal. She would never have admitted it in front of her partners, but she was a little nervous. She had always been, which was logical since she was the smallest of the team.

Elona quickly checked her surroundings. She didn't see anything but, given the dim light of the room, it didn't mean much.

Then, a woman jumped from between two piles of crates where she was hidden, and attacked her from behind.

Without having the time to say 'Ambush!', Enola found her head prisoner of a vicious headlock. She tried to scream, to warn her teammates, but the woman was completely cutting off her breathing... as well as the oxygen to her brain. She couldn't make a peep. Another person grabbed her handgun before it could fall on the ground and make noise. She then silently departed, probably to reach another target.

Enola passed out.

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

At the other side of the warehouse, Magdala was moving along the far wall. She was confident. Thanks to both her muscular frame and the handgun in her hands.

A pile of crates briefly isolated her from the main core of the team: Sharon, Liza, Rachel, and Suzanne deploying in the center of the warehouse.

A figure, hidden in the shadow of a metal beam, suddenly moved.

In one swift movement, the black-haired woman grabbed Magdala's gun by the barrel and snatched the firearm from her hand. The bounty huntress didn't even have the time to react, only to realize with horror that her attacker was as tall and as athletic-looking as she. Magdala opened her mouth. The woman clamped her free hand over it and, at the same time, punched her hard with the other hand in the stomach, using the butt of the gun to make it even more painful. Magdala gasped, the wind knocked out of her. But the hand clamped over her mouth muffled her grunt of pain. The tall woman then moved behind her and applied a vicious sleeper-hold to the stagerring woman. Magdala couldn't do anything but lapse into unconsciousness.

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

“I heard something.” Rachel whispered to her partners.

Sharon briefly hesitated. Spealing out loud would alert their targets of their presence. However, if Rachel was right, they were maybe already aware – and may even be assaulting Magdala or Enola right now. She decided to trust Rachel's judgement.

“Archangels. Status report.”

Only Rachel, Liza, and Suzanne answered.

Sharon suddenly felt her throat had become very dry, while her neck started sweating. Not only their targets were aware of their presence, but they had already neutralized two of her huntresses. The easy job was suddenly looking not so easy anymore...

“Regroup!” she immediately ordered.

Her three remaining teammates immediately complied.

“Compass rose.” Sharon added.

The four women positioned themselves back to back, in order to be able to watch all four sides.

“Reveal yourselves!” Sharon screamed.

No one answered.

“There! I see one!” Rachel suddenly said. She had seen a figure move between two crates. She shot without warning. The figure jumped under cover. A few seconds later, Suzanne opened fire as well. Pieces of wood flew in the room when their bullets hit some wooden crates.

“Cease fire!” Sharon screamed. The sound of the gun shots were too defeaning and were preventing them from hearing anything.

A heavy silence fell. Neither Rachel nor Suzanne had hit someone.

They waited, carefully watching each shadow.

A loud blaring sound made them jump. They reflexively turned to face the new threat and shot at it.

Someone had just used a gas foghorn near the door leading to the office, before jumping under the cover of nearby crates. A short man from what Sharon could see. They missed him, but not by much.

Then Sharon understood. It was a diversion. The man was merely a decoy, and not the real threat. It was the women still lurking in the shadows, and who had now the perfect opportunity to jump them, that they should beware of! A balled up fist violently crashed into her left jaw, preventing her from sharing her warning with her partners.

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

As Reka had planned it, Max's diversion had allowed them to jump from their hideouts behind the crates and attack the remaining bounty huntresses. While Reka was busy taking out their leader, Lucina and Amara did the same with the bounty huntresses at her left and at her right, subduing them with a few well-aimed punches. The last Archangel took a step back.

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

Liza quickly understood that the situation was getting out of hand. She couldn't use her handgun in such that confusion, at the risk of hitting her teammates. She swiftly turned the other direction and ran away. Her destination: the exit.

“One of them is trying to escape!”

“Shit! There's only Selena outside!”

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

Selena Fitch wasn't dumb. She may have been born in a rural Province, one that had a (false) reputation for being inhabited by narrow-minded hillbillies, but she wasn't dumb. However, she had learned very young that, when people assumed you were dumb, they were expecting less of you; therefore, they would ask less from you.

So, she chose to be the one who always asks the questions, even when they seem stupid. She chose to be the one who never takes a part in the decision-making and only carries out the orders. She chose to appear dumb. And above all, she chose to hang around Lucina a lot: already back when they were in the same unit in the Olympian army; and even more after the latter chose to join Sao's team and Selena followed her. Lucina was like the sun. She couldn't stand not being the center of attention. She talked loudly, laughed even louder, and always had a comeback under her sleeve – as lame as it was sometimes – simply to have the last word. Selena remained at her side, in the shadows, letting her divert the attention.

Playing dumb always worked out for her eventually. For instance, today it allowed her to be left out of the action and to lay idle while the others were doing all the work, and taking all the risks. And she also had the easiest way out to escape if something went wrong...

Suddenly, she spotted a lone woman running out of the warehouse.

Oops. Gotta have to work a little after all!

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

Liza rushed at her team's van. Sharon seriously underestimated their targets and they had tried to bite off more than they could chew. Escape! She had to escape! Warn other bounty hunters and come back with reinforcements. Better share the bounty with others than suffer whatever these women had in store for them...

She was grabbing the door handle when she suddenly saw a reflection in the van's window. A woman with red hear tied into twin-tails.

Liza raised her handgun. “You bitc...”

The redhead grabbed her head and made it collide with the metallic frame of the van. Hard. Liza saw stars after that blow.

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

“Here is one you missed!” Selena commented while dragging by the legs the unconcious bounty huntress inside the warehouse.

“Perfect! You brought the last one.” Reka commented. “Good job!”

“She'll have a huge headache when she wakes up though, and a big bump too.” the redhead answered.

“Who cares? They should consider themselves lucky we let them live. Throw her with the others.”

She pointed the other Archangels, who were lying motionless in a corner of the warehouse. They had been dropped there without any concern for their comfort. Magdala, Rachel, and Sharon were actually lying face down.

“We take their clothes?” Lucina intervened.

“Yes.” Reka answered. “These bimbos use a dress code. We'll need to copy them if we want to assume their identities. Also, we'll take their car.”

“What do we do with them afterwards?” Selena asked.

“I will have them sent to South Window in the next airplane.” Max answered. “By the time they find a way to contact someone in Frontier, you will have been able to scout the estate's surroundings. With some luck, you will even be able to already settle the score with the Rebels. They are also chased by bounty hunters, they won't want to waste time. They will probably take action tomorrow, perhaps even tonight.”

“I'm looking forward to it...” Reka said. Then she turned to her troops. “It's settled then. Everyone get dressed up. Chop chop!”

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

The Archangels were quickly undressed. Reka and her squad had decided to strip all six of them, in order to teach them a lesson. Their dark grey camouflage jackets were removed first, followed by the black tank tops underneath, revealing several nicely shaped well-rounded chests in the crew.

“Stay focused and stop drooling.” Reka commented.

Then they unlaced the shoes and took them out, before sliding the dark grey camouflage pants on the women's tanned well-toned legs. Clearly these were people who exercized a lot.

It also allowed Reka and her team to notice that the six women were even using the same dress code with their underwear: They were all wearing the same white sports bra, white boyshorts, and black socks; undergarments that were probably chosen because they were comfortable and didn't hinder their movements.

Once stripped, each bounty huntress was zip-tied: one zip-tie for the wrists, one for the ankles, and one for the knees. Theirs mouths were filled with rags, then sealed with tape. Finally, they tied a light cloth over their lower faces, over the mouth and nose. The fabric was lightweight, allowing to breath through it with ease. However, it was also soaked with a narcotic. The Archangels were going to breath it for hours, making sure they wouldn't wake up any time soon.

Afterwards, each bounty huntress was lifted and set down inside a wooden crate with air holes, the kind used to carry living animals. The crates were then closed.

The dozing women were now packaged and ready to go.

“I guess this gives a new meaning to the expression: 'Sleeping angels.'” Lucina couldn't help but comment.

“For the love of... Can someone dope-slap her for me please?” Reka said, exasperated while putting on her new pair of pants.

Amara happily obliged.

“Ow!”

“Thank you.”

Reka was the last to finish dressing up in her new clothes. Max was patiently waiting near her. She didn't mind changing in front of him. After all, they had already went much, much further in bed...

“You know, sometimes I wonder if we deserve to win.” Max suddenly commented.

“What do you mean? Of course we do! We have to avenge Sao.”

The little accountant seemed lost in his thoughts.

He explained: “Objectively, we're not good persons. We've never been. And Sao and Callipso weren't either. Back when the Cartel was still around, we earned our money over the misery and sufferings of others. Drug, prostitution, human trafficking... Maybe we deserve all that happened to us.”

“Nonsense. Having the higher moral ground doesn't make you immune to bullets. The world's not just sunshines and rainbows. The strong thrive and the weak suffer. Might makes right. I don't regret what I've done, and I don't believe we should feel that we 'deserved' what happened to us.” Reka didn't comment on his sudden philosophical reflection. Max's mind's was always going like a mile a minute, analyzing dozen of subjects at the same time. That was the reason why he was so good at his job, or at planning things in general. But that also meant the he sometimes lost his time with this kind of pointless debates.

The mob accountant shrugged. For him, the topic was closed. “I will call my contacts. They will send the crates. Then, I will arrange our depature of the country. You can settle the things once and for all with the Rebels in the meantime.”

Reka grinned from ear to ear. “With gusto.”

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

Deborah was busy counting the money they stole at the casino. All in all, a good day's work. Especially since they managed to have other people do most of the work for them by distracting the guards.

Suddenly, Abigail entered the room while slamming the door. “Debbie! Put your calculator down! Judie sent us a message. It's for tonight.”

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

The plan was set. Aster had decided to strike tonight. She was currently talking with Hieron on the phone to plan the details of their escape.

Klenia, Mikani, and Shayna were killing time in one of the bedrooms, waiting for her.

“And where is Judith?” Shayna asked.

“On the phone. Again.” Mikani answered.

Klenia rolled her eyes. “Phoneaholic, much?”

Mikani thoughtfully scratched her cheek. “Yes... Phoneaholic...” she repeated.

Aster suddenly entered the room. “We leave the building now. Some people are starting to be too curious about this place. I think they're after the bounty the Syndicate has put on our heads.”

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

Hidden behind some small thorny bushes, Emery was silently watching the nearby guardhouse. They were near the fence boarding the Solomon estate.

This situation was bringing back memories. How many times did she raid similar guardhouses before and during the civil war?

Under the cover of the night or of the rain. Crawling under the barb wires.

During an infiltration, taking out the first guard was always the hardest part. If one wanted to disguise themselves, they had to make sure the clothes weren't stained. During her first try, Emery was surprised by how long it actually took to choke someone to death.

Then it became routine. Start with a clean kill. Remove the uniform. Disguise. Hide the body. The rest of the killings had to be done with knives, firearms would have been too noisy.

Special combatants were supposed to go behind the enemy lines, do as much damage as they could, then retreat if possible. They weren't supposed to survive for long. Yet, Emery survived each time.

Emery focused on and took her binoculars when she noticed a woman in uniform exit the building. She was dressed in a light kaki camouflage uniform shirt and matching pants, with solid thick black shoes and a light kaki cap. She had black hair tied into a small ponytail. The guard moved away from the building, put something in her mouth and light a lighter.

Smoke break. The number 1 mistake of the stereotypical dumb guard. Emery couldn't count how many times a smoke break gave her the perfect opportunity to snatch a disguise or take out a guard. This was even how her very first mission started. Emery remembered a young woman with short blond hair, a new recruit assigned to the most tedious shift. Emery didn't remember all her victims, yet she never forgot that one. She ambushed her from behind, without giving her a chance. When she was lying on the ground, her blue motionless eyes were looking at her accusingly.

The guard finished her cigarette and threw it on the ground, before crushing it under her heel. This was the moment of inattention Agria was waiting for. Jumping from her hiding spot, she tackled the black-haired guard and the two women disappeared in the nearby bushes. Emery saw the leaves shake briefly and, even though she couldn't hear them, she could perfectly imagine the sounds of the punches and grunts of pain. Hieron had been clear. No lethal takedowns.

A few minutes later, a now fully-uniformed Agria emerged from the bushes. She grabbed the unconcious guard under the shoulders to drag her further in the vegetation to hide her. The black-haired woman, clad in her dull beige underwear, was now tied up and gagged.

This looked so much like Aster's modus operandi that Emery felt sick to her stomach. And to think that Cérès had chosen to honour her... In general, Emery found Cérès' latest actions disgusting.

They didn't win the civil war by playing nice and sparing others. They won it by being merciless, by slitting the throat of unsuspecting sentries because they couldn't afford to have them raise the alarm while they were trying to reach the officers. For years, Cérès had been satisfied with Emery's work and never once was she talking about 'only punishing the leaders' or about 'thinking of the grunts' families'. War wasn't pretty. War wasn't fair. You couldn't choose to spare the 'innocent' in order to only punish the decision-makers. But now that the World was looking, Cérès was sweeping under the rug anything that wasn't 'politically correct' enough. No matter how much they contributed to the Rebels' victory. No matter if they died for the cause. No matter if they sacrificed everything, including their humanity, for the cause.

Contrary to what a lot of people believed, Emery didn't enjoy killing. She liked to dominate. She simply didn't care if her victim died and, when you were behind enemy lines and would be tortured and executed if you got caught, leaving alive sentries who could raise the alarm was downright suicidal. No, what she didn't like was hypocrisy. She still obeyed, of course. She had been trained to follow orders. But it disgusted her...

Seeing her team in action improved her mood though. They were perfectly synchronized. Through an open window, Cynthia threw a teargas grenade inside the guardhouse. Then, wearing gas masks, the five women of her squad ran inside the guardhouse. The timing was perfect. The coughing guards didn't have the time to call for help in their radio. There were pleas of mercy, screams, groans, punches, and kicks. Five minutes later, the six remaining guards were subdued and the guardhouse was theirs.

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

The guards were all hogtied in the same way. To gain time, plastic cuffs were used to bind their wrists and ankles instead of ropes or tape. then, a solid zip-tie was each time used to connect the first two plastic cuffs, forcing the guards' bodies to bend into a uncomfortable position. They were stuff-gagged with their own socks, with strips of tape and a cloth gag added for good measure. They were also blindfolded with tape.

After binding and gagging the guards, Emery and her squad locked them in the storeroom.They had had stripped some of them and donned their uniforms.

"Double checked their bindings. They're all secured." Cleo commented.

"They won't wake up for a while. We shouldn't be disturbed." Cynthia added.

“Now what?” Presa asked.

“The shift of guards happened an hour ago. There won't be anyone coming before tomorrow morning. We take control of this guardhouse.” Emery explained. “Then we listen to their frequencies. The moment we hear that something unusual happened, or if they're spotted, we strike.”

“How do you know that they will try to infiltrate the estate this night?” Agria asked.

Emery didn't answer. Sooner that day, Cérès had sent her a message. She had realized that Hieron was helping Aster and the others in secret. She wasn't angry, or even surprised. Hieron acted his own way, as always. Instead, she wiretrapped his office and his house. Therefore, when Aster called him to plan her infiltration of the Solomon estate and its aftermath, she inadvertently revealed to Cérès – and Emery – the moment she was going to strike. However, Emery still suspected one of the members of her squad to be a mole. Cleo maybe. Or perhaps Presa.

“You know... I have been thinking...” Yuna intervened. “They have already managed to mess up in Frontier, what with the whole incident at the casino. Isn't it already... too late to try to stop them? I mean, the damage has already been done...”

“We have orders. Your concerns are irrelevant.” Emery retorted.

What she didn't tell was that she didn't especially want to make sure Aster and Klenia would come back alive. Emery had been thinking. If things got out of hand, some people might unfortunately get killed in the crossfire... She liked the idea.

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

"There are several places where they may have been spotted, according to our informants." Jezebel explained to her husband. "I know this may seem weird, but it's almost as if there are several independant groups."

"That would explain why their patterns are so erratic..." Simon thoughtfully commented.

"Just in case, I have told security to be more vigilant in our estate and all our properties. I don't want us to be embarassed again." Jezebel added.

Simon laughed. "I would like to see them try to break in now! This would make our work easier..."

"Remember dear, if possible I want them alive and mostly unharmed. I have plans for them."

"I know. You want some new toys."

Salomé was sitting, absent-mindedly eating her meal while listening to the conversation. She was doing her best to look at the table to avoid seeing their smiles, pretending to not hear their conversation and the foul plans they were hatching. Keeping her head buried in the sand. That's what she had done all her life; first to avoid her father's wrath, then her brother's.

Simon glanced at her.

"By the way, Salomé, your psychologist will arrive later this evening." he said. "Don't forget the appointment this time. I don't want you to embarass yourself a second time. Or to embarass me..."

"Dr Jud is a charlatan..." Salomé weakly mumbled under her breath, keeping her eyes low. A pathetic retort.

"Did you say something?"

Salomé bit her upper-lip, but kept quiet.

"I asked you something, Salomé. Answer me." His tone was deep and hollow, just like with Aaron earlier that day.

"No." she feebly answered.

He leaned closer. "No who?"

"No sir."

Simon nodded, satisfied. "That's what I thought..."

Jezebel chuckled.

Salomé lowered her eyes and forced herself to stare at her plate. Keeping her head buried in the sand. As always.

And so it looks like things are finally starting to come together. So intriguing to see all these various storylines on the brink of converging.

I like the different dynamics and moral standards of the different "teams" in the story. Aster and her band of heroines, Reka and her squad of villainesses, Emery and her group of antiheroes. They share much in common - particularly when it comes to their preferred means of acquiring disguises - yet their different motivations add great flavor to the story. Also can't forget about Judith, Deborah, and Abigail as the wild cards in the story. So many conflicting agendas, yet all are understandable in context of the story.

The scene where Reka and her team take out the bounty huntresses was quite detailed and entertaining, particularly Selena's takedown of Liza. I was actually reminded of the scene from my "Greatest Actress" story, where Carla, Liana, and the Majorettes take out a group of armed female security guards. I mean that in a good way - I love the scenario of strong, confident women getting ambushed and picked off for their clothing one-by-one, and this one was a worthy and detailed example.

I like the character of Salomé already, and can't wait to see how her story will be folded into the others. All in all, another great entry.