Uniform Stealing Board

Shorter post. After that, we're reaching the epilogues... finally.

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

Ilana smoothened her beige knee-long skirt, her light brown pantyhoses, her matching beige jacket, and her white shirt. Her high heels were making clicking sounds on the hard floor. She was heading to the casino gaming room after a quick trip to the restrooms. However, right now, the money games weren't the main attractions of the night... Everybody was talking about the fuss Simon Solomon was making at the embassy. Some people were even placing wagers.

Ilana checked the latest news on her phone. She had bet that things would escalate, and was hoping that something was going to happen... The socialite pouted. Still nothing. Come on! Is this guy a mob boss or what?

A karate chop to the neck interrupted her train of thoughts.

“Uh!” she grunted. Her phone fell on the floor.

Klenia caught the crumbling woman from behind. She quickly checked that nobody had seen her, then dragged her victim in one of the secondary corridors, then in the room she and her friends were using as a hideout. She quickly went back to grab the discarded phone, before closing the door.

The room in which Klenia, Mikani, Shayna, Venia, and Salomé were hiding was illuminated by the dozens of security monitors which took up nearly an entire wall, each displaying a different part of the casino.It was supposed to be a security room. Or, more precisely, it *was* a security room until Klenia's and Mikani's team assaulted it a while ago. The two security guards supposed to monitor the place were drinking coffee when they were attacked by surprise. The first was tall, and had dark hair tied into a short ponytail, brown eyes, and dark skin. The second was shorter, had auburn hair cut into a bob, and green eyes. She was probably from the same ethnic group as Lena Jud. Even though they were wearing the traditional security guard uniforms, they weren't especially intimidating. And, given the fact that their job was to look at screens all night, it was no surprise. Klenia suspected that the real trained guards were in the casino's gaming room itself near the cash registers, and around the safe.

The two women surrendered without a fight.

Just to be safe, Klenia decided to make the two women take off their uniforms, leaving them in their underwear and socks, then asked Venia and Shayna to disguise themselves as security guards. The black-haired guard was clad in white lacy panties and a light pink bustier with white trimmings and an embroidered daisies pattern; while the auburn-haired guard was wearing a light blue bullet bra and limegreen high-cut briefs. Klenia, Mikani, Shayna and Venia bound their wrists behind their backs and their ankles with zip-ties, then wrapped strong brown package tape around their legs, their thighs and their upper-arms. More strips were taped over their mouths and their eyes, rendering them quite helpless. Currently, the two security guards were huddled together, trying to comfort each other. They were looking very cute together, at least according to Klenia.

“Aster was right. It's a real all you can eat buffet here! Even better!” Klenia commented while admiring her first catch's expensive clothes. The guest was looking gorgeous, her long black hair spread out on the ground, lying on her back, her chest slowly rising and falling as she softly breathed, her mouth slightly opened. With her arms outspread, she was looking almost lascivious.

Klenia moved to undress the unconscious woman, but then paused. She looked at Salomé. The tall woman was silently waiting in a corner of the room, observing them. Klenia couldn't figure her out. She didn't question Aster's instructions when the latter asked her to follow people who were, for her, complete strangers. Apparently, she didn't mind leaving her home country if it meant escaping the clutches of her brother. She had followed Klenia's and Mikani's instructions diligently, without complaining, but hadn't done or said anything since they entered the hotel casino. When they mugged the two security guards, she silently and passively observed them.

“Why don't you do it?” she generously offered her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mikani roll her eyes and sigh.

Salomé frowned. “Me?” She hesitated. “Why?”

“Trust me, Aster put you in good hands. You need to work on your confidence and, luckily for you, I happen to have enough confidence for two. I also know a good way to help you gain confidence. And this starts with stripping this woman. Pantyhoses included.”

“Um. Okay?”

Salomé complied. She was a little clumsy though, but Klenia could hardly blame her. Taking off the clothes of a motionless body was actually harder than it looked. She showed the tall woman how to quickly and efficiently do it.

“So, how do you feel?” she asked her once their victim was left in her undergarments: a lacy red and black bra, and black panties with red trimmings and a cute little bow.

Salomé shrugged. “Not different.”

“Wait until you put her clothes on! Speaking of which... Time to dress up!”

“Now?” Salomé asked.

“Now!”

The tall woman complied.

"And now, how do you feel?"

"Weird." the tall woman answered. "The clothes are still warm."

"This warmth is a good thing. That's the first step in gaining more confidence." Klenia confidently claimed.

Salomé blinked. "I guess..."

"Klenia." Mikani intervened. "Don't disrupt her. She's disorientated enough as it is."

“Fine! I think I heard another one coming from the restrooms anyway...” Klenia answered. “Perfect! I'm just getting jiggy with it...” She hurriedly left the room.

“How do you plan with her?” Salomé asked the others.

Mikani shrugged. “Klenia has two moods. 'Exuberant' and 'slightly less exuberant'. We usually take advantage of the 'slightly less' phases to give her instructions, then we watch her improvise.”

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

Mary chose to flee the town using a boat. A cruise ship was leaving Opal for the Utopian Federation in a few hours. This was a perfect occasion...

The brown-haired woman hid in the registration building, near the ticket office. She waited for an opportunity to arise. Or, more precisely, for a passenger to mug. Of course, she had enough money to buy a ticket with the money of the party goer she mugged. But where would have been the panache in that? After all, a keen eye for detail was the mark of a true artist.

However, this time, her luck seemed to have run out. Most of the women of adequate size weren't alone.

Finally, with a heavy heart, Mary resigned herself to buy her ticket.

However, while she was approaching the ticket office, a miracle happened.

The woman carrying a heavy wheeled suitcase was looking in a hurry and stressed. She had a slim body, sandy blond hair tied into two buns, a cute round face with a few freckles, and blue grey eyes. She was wearing an opened light grey jacket, a crisp white shirt, dark blue jeans held by a light brown belt, black shoes, and a brown purse. She obviously wasn't from Frontier, probably a tourist. Discreetly, Mary pricked up her ears to hear what she was saying.

“Excuse me. How much time do I have left before the boat leaves? I really need to go to the restrooms.”

The guard smiled patiently and explained to her that she still had enough time. The departure would only take place in one hour. The blonde smiled awkwardly, a little embarassed, then quickly walked to the restrooms.

Looks like lady luck still shines on me... Mary followed the tourist at a distance.

The ambush in the restrooms was a classic maneuveur.

Mary had used it many times. She knew the procedure by heart: checking that the other stalls were empty, using a black marker pen to write 'Out of Order' on the restrooms' door, waiting for the sound of the flush...

When the door of the stall opened, Mary was waiting in front. All smiles.

The blonde, who was buckling her belt, froze. “Who are you?”

Mary pounced on her, like a lioness on her prey. She closed the stall door behind her.

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

Klenia was mugging party goers like others were shopping groceries.

“And here is another one!” she happily said, dragging a unconscious busty brunette clad in a gorgeous black dress.

“You do realize that we already had enough clothes for everyone.” Mikani commented.

Klenia smiled sheepishly. “I might have gotten a little carried away...”

Mikani sighed. “Just hurry up. You're the last one who needs to disguise herself...”

Klenia looked with envy at the sparkly black dress worn by the woman she just ambushed and knocked out. “Why do the prettiest clothes always have to be the less practical...” she complained. She really wanted the black dress, but roaming Opal's streets wearing it would be too impractical. She would attract too much attention. “Alas, poor me...”

She gently laid the unsconscious brunette at the end of the line of their mugged victims. In fact, the security room was now quite crowded. Besides the two security guards they captured first, there were now six unlucky guests of the casino. Between all these women, there was a great diversity of hair and skin colours, as the party in the casino attracted both tourists and locals alike.

The two security guards were still huddled together. The shorter aubrun-haired young woman was resting her head on the shoulder of her taller black-haired companion. If they weren't already a couple, Klenia tought that she was probably witnessing the beginning of a beautiful love story, or at least of a strong friendship.

To the security guards' right, there was the woman they mugged first – Ilana according to her ID card. Still in her underwear, since Salomé was now wearing her clothes. She had awoken by now, but couldn't do much against her predicament besides groaning in her tape-gag. She was seated against the wall, zip-tied, arms and legs taped, and blindfolded.

Next to Ilana was lying a short redhead. She had a round face, with a cute little nose and blue-green eyes. Her skin was light, there were freckles on her arms and cheeks, and her hair were pulled into a chignon. She was a tourist unlucky enough to be one of the few women of Mikani's size in the building. As a consequence, she had to ''donate'' her clothes after being captured and knocked out. Currently, the only article of clothes she was still wearing were her green briefs and matching full-cup bra. Mikani was wearing her white shirt, dark green suit and matching skirt. The redhead too had awoken, but she was remaining still and silent. Probably too scared of what would happen to her if she did otherwise... Klenia couldn't blame her. Not many people would react well to waking up discovering they were bound, tape-gagged, and blindfolded in their undergarments... “It's almost over.” Venia was saying to her. “Just a little more patience, and someone will find you.” Hopefully, knowing that her muggers were women would ease her fear a little.

The next two victims were most likely related. Probably two sisters, given the family resemblance. They shared the same dark brown eyes, curly black hair, dark skin, aquiline nose, sharp cheekbones, and pointy chins. In fact, Klenia's and Mikani's team captured the older woman while she was looking for her younger sister – whom they had previously mugged, of course. Shayna felt a little bad about stripping, binding and gagging two sisters, but Klenia reassured her by saying that this was necessary for their escape. At least now, the two women were together, and the older sister knew that her cadet was (mostly) fine. They weren't harmed and, outside of an embarassing moment when they would be found, they wouldn't suffer anything else. They were taped together, back to back, with their hands zip-tied in front of them and their arms almost completely pinned to their bodies thanks to the tape wrapped around. Just like all the others, they were tape-gagged and blindfolded with tape. The older sister, who had shoulder-long hair, was clad in a beige demi-bra and an orange slip. The younger, whose hair were tied into a long braid, was wearing a purple balcony bra with a floral motive and dark blue bikini panties. Shayna and Venia were now wearing their respective dark grey and dark blue dresses, black pantyhoses and shoes.

For her own disguise, Klenia had grabbed a blond-haired tall and curvy woman wearing a grey jacket, a light blue blouse, and black pants. After a few minutes in her expert hands, the blonde was left in her light red cheeky panties and matching padded bra; gagged, blindfolded, and all trussed up

However, right as she was about to put on the clothes, Klenia had seen this gorgeous brunette with her equally-gorgeous dress... A dress that she couldn't wear. Life was unfair.

“Couldn't I be allowed to mug a seventh guest?” Klenia pleaded. “Six seems to be an odd number. And seven is the number of luck.”

“You do realize that with the security guards, they are eight right? In fact, they would have been seven if you didn't become greedy and didn't mug the brunette...” Mikani countered.

With a heavy heart, Klenia put on the blonde's discarded clothes, watching in dismay Mikani binding the still fully-clothed brunette.

“Hurry up, Klenia! We have a boat to take, and we still have to steal a car to reach the port!”

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

Of course, technically, Mary didn't need to steal the tourist's clothes. She only needed her ticket. However, not taking advantage of the situation to change clothes would have been a shame in her eyes. Calypso and the rest of the Cartel never understood that Mary wasn't a mere thug, she was an artist. A good infiltration required both skill and style, and the latter was clearly missing as far as Reka and her cronies were concerned.

“I should thank you...” she said to her unlucky victim. “With your ticket, a new life is waiting for me. I'm turning over a new leaf, honestly!”

The blonde was still unconscious therefore she couldn't answer. But, had she been awake, she would probably have had a few objections to make. Indeed, as she was left seated on the toilet bowl pipe, clad in only her dark purple full cup bra and matching hipster panties, she would probably have doubted the sincerity of her mugger.

“Now, to make sure you stay still...” Mary commented to herself.

She quickly searched the restrooms, located the maintenance closet, opened it, and was happy to find duct tape and strings inside. Mary bound the underwear-clad tourist with the tape, securing her to the toilet bowl, wrapping several layers of tape around the ankles and the legs, then taping the woman's wrists behind the pipe. She used strings to reinforce her bonds. Opening the blonde's mouth, she wedged the woman's own socks inside before sealing her lips with several strips of tape.

“There you go. Be a nice girl and I'm sure someone will find you. Eventually.” Mary checked the woman's purse and took the precious ticket. “As for me, I have a boat to take.”

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

The police uniforms allowed Judith and her sisters to walk in the steets of the town without being disturbed. They went to their hideout, and retrieved all the cash they had hidden there. They also took some spare clothes, although they didn't change yet. Their police uniforms could still come in handy. Then, they went in search of a vehicle to escape town, since they had to leave the jeep stolen in the Solomon estate at the edge of the town, as it would make them too noticeable.

And now, they had found one.

“Madam. I will have to ask you to come with me.”

They were in an underground parking. The owner of the car, a tall woman with closely cropped dark hair, was put at ease by the uniforms. She didn't question anything. She followed Judith.

Deborah hummed a little song, mentally counting the seconds, and pricked up her ears.

“What exactly do you... Oooof!” Thump. The sound of an unconscious body falling on the ground.

Deborah smiled.

“I have the keys.”

“Do we keep the police uniforms?”

Judith shook her head. “We'll change after we're out of town. Everyone, in the car.”

Judith started the engine.

Deborah raised her hand and made the sign of victory. “Woohoo! No consequences for any of our actions once again!”

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

“Why did you come? Are you here to gloat?”

Emery was restrained in a strange fashion. Seated on a chair, the cuffs and chains were forcing her arms and legs to bend into strange angles. Aster hesitated.

“Go ahead.” the black-haired woman added. “Rub your victory in my face.”

“I'm not here for that.”

Emery seemed genuinely surprised. She tilted her head. “Then for what?”

“I don't even really know.”

Was it because she wanted to be sure that Emery couldn't escape? No. And it wasn't either because she wanted to humiliate her defeated opponent, as tempting as it would be. Perhaps, deep down inside, she just felt the need to confront her dark counterpart one last time.

She didn't even feel angry anymore, just empty.

“I was simply thinking to myself. Do things have to end up this way whenever our paths come across? Is there no other way?”

Emery looked her in the eyes. “No.”

Aster sighed. The black-haired woman said it so matter-of-factly... In a way, it was worst than if her words had been dripping with venom.

“I knew you'd say that. But I still thought I had to at least give it a try...”

“If you're afraid that I'd strike again, you don't have to. Hieron talked to me. This time, I won't avoid a punishment. Life imprisonment, if I'm lucky.”

Aster shook her head.

“I won't pity you, Emery.”

“And rightly so.” the assassin nodded.

In truth, Aster didn't know what to feel. Over the years, she had learned to fear and loathe that woman who was embodying her worst repressed vices. However, at the same time, she couldn't help but question herself. Would have she turned out differently, had she lived the same life? Aster wasn't under any illusions. Compared to Emery, or even to Mikani, Klenia or the late Aaria, she had lived a relatively pampered life before joining the Rebellion. Her family was rather well-off for non-Olympians, and she was allowed to go to the University. Sure, she had to face hardships. But it was only after she chose to fight Olympus and its oppressive government, not before.

Emery had a hard life but, ultimately, she made the choices that turned her into what she was now – a solitary bitter murderer who hated (and was hated by) the entire world. There were other women who faced the same hardships, but didn't become remorseless assassins. Emery was a victim of Olympus' repression, and of the hellish training imposed on the Rebellion's special combattants, but she still had a great part of responsibility in what she became.

“Then I guess it's farewell this time, and for good.” Aster concluded.

“Most likely. Hieron isn't the kind of person who underestimates people, especially me. He'll know what measures to take to keep me locked up.”

Aster nodded and moved to leave the room. Her hand on the doorknob, she paused. “Life imprisonment is a harsh sentence. I wish you good luck.”

“I have no regrets. Except not being able to ki...”

Aster closed the door on her. She knew what Emery was going to say anyway...

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

“I've never been so ashamed in my entire life...” Klenia complained while getting into the cruise ship.

“What happened?” Shayna asked her.

“Mikani insisted that we buy our tickets.” Klenia scrunched her nose in disgust. “We bought our tickets... Can you believe that? We BOUGHT them. That's just obscene...”

Shayna couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Salomé frowned while looking at the both of them. “I don't understand... Why are you against buying your tickets? Are you some kind of anti-globalist?”

This only made Shayna laugh louder.

“Come on! I'm serious! I had a perfect record track! Until today, I could proudly say that, in my entire life, I had never ever bought one ticket to get on a boat!” Klenia complained. “And Mikani ruined it!”

Of course, this didn't make her girlfriend stop laughing. On the contrary.

Salomé was still looking puzzled. “Or an anarchist perhaps? Of an extreme left-wing party at the very least.”

Klenia pouted and chose to sulk.

However, suddenly, she noticed something. Or more precisely someone. She smiled like the cat that got the cream.

“You know what? Nevermind. I've spotted something way more interesting... Call Venia and Mikani.”

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

Mary was relaxing in the reception room of the cruise ship, nestled in one of the sofas, a cocktail in her hand.

Ah... Sometimes, life truly is worth living...

“Well well well... Look who's there...”

Mary froze in fear. No... That voice... It can't be... She paled nervously.

Klenia sat in the armchair in front of her. “Oh my, when the stars align...” she commented with a huge grin. Before Mary could say or do anything, Mikani and Shayna sat respectively to her right and to her left.

“You left us without even saying good bye, Mary. That's not very nice...” Klenia said.

Mary realized that Venia was standing behind her.

“But ultimately it doesn't matter, since we've found you back.” Mikani said.

“And we'll have a wonderful time during this cruise...” Shayna added.

“I hope you didn't have anything planned tonight. Or during the next couple of nights, for that matter.” Klenia concluded. “Because you and we are going to have lots of fun in your cabin... The wildest slumber party you've ever seen...”

Mary felt herself being overwhelmed by despair. They were all looking so elegant, with their gorgeous (and probably very expensive) clothes... Mary felt ridiculous, with the plain outfit that she stole.

“I guess I can't win against you...” she said with a poor smile.

Lady Luck... Of all the moments, why now?

Fate was a cruel master indeed.

thanks for one of the most delightful scenes ever!

Klenia was mugging party goers like others were shopping groceries.

of course it's impossible to not compare this Klenia's shopping spree to the panic buying of these days...

the only flaw of the scene is that it is too short


PS monsieur Rufusluciusivan please remember that Klenia took an oath to do a job, and this requires a spin-off story ( maybe with Shayna and the USB therapy-treated patient Salomé ) and many handball 19 years old players

Definitely a more fun chapter. Klenia's mugging sprees are always amusing.

Didn't expect to see Mary back, but she's becoming quite entertaining herself. I like that she considers herself an artist of the infiltration set, and her little professional touches (like scrawling "Out of Order" on the bathroom door before she even attacks the woman inside) speak to her skill and surefooted work. Shame that she can never seem to catch a break, though.

Epilogue:

During the second day of the siege of their embassy, the Federation made an official statement. Simon Solomon's actions were regarded as an act of war. If the mob boss and his goons didn't withdraw immediately, the Federation would stop all commercial and diplomatic relationships with Frontier, and would declare war. To emphasize the point, the Federation prepared six squadrons of bomber aircrafts. Then made it clear that their first targets were going to be all the Solomons' estates. That day, Simon learned the hard way that he was maybe at the top of the food chain in his home country, but in the eyes of a foreign nation born in the fire of a civil war he was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Frontier couldn't afford a potential conflict, especially since they were the aggressor and therefore the ones at fault. Its officials dropped the mob boss, and Simon had no other choice but return home the tail between his legs. Only to discover that his wife had been humiliated by the woman they were keeping prisoner.

However, the last straw that broke the camel's back happened some time later.

Ultimately, Simon Solomon didn't realize that his sister had been smuggled out of the country until it was too late. When, after they had arrived safely in the Province of Naïad, Klenia posted several pictures of his sister chilling and sending him her regards from there. Her testimony denouncing all his crimes followed soon. That final nail in the coffin definitively ruined his reputation among the other crime lords.

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

Emery, Cynthia, and Yuna were transferred to the Federation as soon as the crisis with the Solomons ended, to be court-martialled.

Hieron escorted them in person in the plane carrying them.

The trial was quick. Logical, since the sentence had been decided before the culprits even set a foot in the courthouse.

Emery was sentenced to life imprisonment. Her two accomplices were sentenced to fifteen year jail sentences.

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

Agria, Cleo, and the liberated workers were discreetly transferred by plane a few days after Emery and her accomplices.

Lena, her girlfriend, and her driver chose to not accompany them. They moved to the north of the country, eager to return to a normal life. Lena opened a new practice there.

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

Reka and her cronies were the last to be transferred.

Their imprisonment in the embassy was a terrible ordeal. Even though after Klenia's departure they were allowed to put on some clothes, everyone in the building had already seen them naked. Everyone was making fun of them, day after day. A true humiliation... To the point that Reka was glad when they were finally put in a plane to be transferred to the Federation in order to be judged. Even prison would be better compared to the laughs and lecherous looks...

Firmly chained to her plane seat, Reka could barely move. At her right, next to each other, Amara and Lucina were bickering. The black-haired woman sighed. These two didn't stop arguing with each other ever since they had been ungagged. Each was blaming the other for their failure. Reka couldn't bare it anymore, to the point that she even begged one of her guards to gag them again. The woman simply smiled mockingly.

Apparently, they're using this as a form of torture... Well, if they were, it was efficient.

The tall black-haired woman closed her eyes and tried to ignore her two henchwomen. She was finding solace in one thought.

Max and Selena were still outside somewhere, free. Reka knew that Maxie, at least, would never give up on her. And the small accountant still had a lot of contacts. By this point, he and Selena had already most likely joined forces.

While their plane was taking off, Reka was confident. Selena and Max were going to rescue them.

Yes. They were professionals. Or at least Max was. Reka wouldn't even be surprised that the two were already waiting for them in the Federation, with a perfect plan to break them out... Reka smiled.

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

“We missed the plane.” Selena said.

Max looked at her in annoyance. “We wouldn't have missed it if you didn't insist on mugging these two women to steal their tickets... and this suit.”

Selena smoothened her freshly-aquired striped dark-green suit and skirt. “But everyone around me is constantly doing this...” she said to justify herself. “I wanted to go with the flow! I simply...” She lowered her head. “I simply miscalculated the time it would take to find the right victims... and to knock them out... and to take the clothes... and to truss them up in the restrooms...”

Max raised an eyebrow. He wasn't impressed.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time, okay?” the redhead defended herself.

The small accountant sighed, and rubbed his forehead. “I take it that you at least made sure they couldn't free themselves...”

They suddenly heard the alarm being pulled off.

“Apparently not.”

Selena smiled apologeticly. “Sorry.”

They hurriedly ran to an emergency exit.

“This is why it's best to buy your clothes!” Max commented while they were slipping away. “Goodness, you muggers can be so needlessly convoluted when you get started...”

“I said I was sorry!”

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

From the outside, the hotel wasn't much to look at. However, it was one of the places in Opal where people went when they were searching for a night of thrill and debauchery. Presa had a knack for finding such places...

Blending in the town of Opal proved to be easier than she expected, given the fact that her physical appearance made her stand out a lot. A first passerby allowed her to change clothes and to throw away her guard uniform. However, the woman she stashed all trussed up in a dumpster didn't have much cash on her, therefore the blonde needed another victim. Hence why she was there.

It didn't take Presa much time to find the right person. The woman was tall and curvy. Her clothes were simple, but elegant, and highlighted her hourglass figure: a white blouse and, black high-heels, and black figure-hugging pants. She had chestnust eyes, and long dark auburn hair, with some locks dyed in red. She was a tourist from Olympus. She had also made it clear that she wasn't interested in men.

Presa needed her money, her ticket, and most likely her clothes.

Approaching the woman was easy, and getting her attention was even easier. Presa was a master of smooth talking and enticing smiles. Before being recruited into Emery's corp by Cérès, she was a socialite quickly rising up in high society... by seducing everything that had a pulse to gain money, informations and influence. The blonde was exuding confidence and the short sparkly red dress she was currently wearing left little to the imagination. Presa had previously “borrowed” the outfit of one of the escorts roaming the building... by ambushing the woman when she was leaving her car in the hotel's underground parking. (A gorgeous ebony-skinned beauty with dark eyes and coarse black hair braided into a multitude of small braids. Presa wished she had enough time and privacy to play with her a little when she left her gagged and bound, stashed in her own car, with her sexy flowered lacy black push-up bra and matching panties as her only clothes. However, alas, she couldn't afford taking the risk of being caught.)

The woman was called Alexie, from the Basileus Faction. After a pleasant conversation, the auburn-haired woman invited Presa to follow her in her hotel room, for a night of thrills.

Presa however had other plans. She intended to truss up this woman, maybe have a little fun, and take some money. Not everything, just enough cash to leave the country.

Of course, she was going to do everything her way. So gently that Alexie would enjoy every second of her mugging...

As soon as they were alone in the hotel room, Presa was sure that she could neutralize the woman before she could call for help. Therefore, the blonde couldn't help but reveal to her soon-to-be victim exactly what she was about to do. She thought it was funnier that way.

To her surprise, Alexie didn't react with indignation or fear. On the contrary, the prospect was greatly arousing her.

“I was gonna pay for your services anyway.” she softly purred. “And your idea is way more exciting than anything I could have imagined...”

Alexie was apparently into bondage. A lot...

Therefore, Presa decided that she could afford spending the night here. And spending the night they did. Alexie proved to be the most eager partner she had ever had, and the blonde had to surpass herself to pleasure her while also greatly enjoying herself.

The following day...

In front of the bedroom's mirror, Presa was putting on Alexie's clothes. She admired how pretty she was looking in her newly-aquired white blouse and black figure-hugging pants. Classic, but elegant. The clothes steal was part of the roleplay her partner accepted. The night was fun, but now the blonde needed to go.

Alexie was tied with ropes on the bed, gagged with panties and a scarf. The sheets were covering her naked body. She was gazing at the blonde forlornly, hoping for more bondage and fondling.

Presa gently kissed her on the forehead. “I'm sorry, but I have to leave now...” The other woman was looking so sad, Presa couldn't help but add: “You know what? Tell me where you live in the Federation. I may decide to pay you a visit one day, soon...”

She ungagged the woman, who eagerly complied. Presa noted down her address and phone number, then took this opportunity to give her a long passionate kiss.

“Call me.” Alexie softly purred once the kiss was over

“You bet I will.” Presa gagged her again. The blonde then slightly loosened the ropes tying the woman's wrists on the bed posts.

“There. That way, you should be able to free yourself with some efforts...” She winked. “See you soon.”

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

Mary didn't manage to escape this time. To be fair, she spent most of the trip restrained in her own cabin, therfore she didn't have much opportunities. When the ship arrived, a nice committee of police officers was welcoming her.

“You will testify on my behalf during the trial, right?” she pleaded with Klenia, Shayna, and Venia just before being taken away. “Since I've helped you...”

The three women shared crafty smiles, enjoying watching her squirm a little.

“Come on!”

Klenia pinched her cheeks, as if she was a cute child, and commented: “Look how adorable she can be when making the puppy eyes...” She let the brown-haired woman go. “Don't fret, Mary, we will.” Two police officers grabbed the handcuffed brunette to escort her to the car. Klenia waited until Mary was about to enter the vehicle, then shouted: “MAYBE!”

Mary's face fell instantly. “Come on! That's not fair! That's...” The car door was shut, cutting her in the middle of her sentence.

Klenia, Shayna, and Venia shared a laugh together. Watching the scene from behind with Salomé, Mikani smiled. “You girls can be so mean...” she commented.

Shayna wiped a tear. “After what she did, it's only fair that we make her squirm a little...”

“Though we're not heartless.” Venia completed. “We will testify on her behalf... But she doesn't need to know that.”

“Indeed.” Salomé intervened. “You will be able to ask her a lot of money in exchange of your testimony.”

The other women stared a her, then burst out laughing again. “I guess growing up with a mob boss teaches you some... reflexes...” Mikani dryly joked.

“I think I'll miss these comments...” Klenia added. “Are you sure you don't want to go with us, and be part of the team?”

“Not really. Your way of dealing with people is a little too... odd.”

“Trust me, this is the best medecine I know.”

“I don't really believe in the alternative medecine.”

“I wasn't talking literally.”

"Oh." Salomé paused. “Still, I don't wish to follow your path.”

“You won't be able to influence her Klenia...” Mikani commented. “Maybe you were too efficient when teaching her how to be self-confidant during the journey...”

“At least I succeded. And besides...” She took Shayna's shoulder. “As long as I have my girlfriend with me, I'm unstoppable...”

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

Aster returned to the Federation by plane after the situation with the Solomons was resolved, a few days after her friends had arrived. The others were waiting for her at the international airport of Olympus.

Klenia, Mikani, Shayna, Venia, and also Thorn.

“It's good to be back home...” Aster commented. She took the time to embrace everyone, before asking: “What about Cérès?”

“Let's just say she's desperate to hush up the fact that several of her precious special combattants went rogue...” Thorn explained.

“I assume that it means that if we keep our mouths shut, there won't be legal proceedings against us for almost creating several international incidents.”

“Pretty much.”

Aster shook her head. “She always finds a way to worm out of everything, doesn't she?”

“For now. But her luck has to run out someday...” Klenia intervened. “And we may take part in the party. After all, when it comes to infiltrate and dig up informations, we're among the best...”

“Maybe... But one thing is certain: I don't intend to go on an adventure again any time soon." Aster softly answered. "I'm tired, Klenia. Ever since we lost Dimitri and Aaria, I'm tired.”

“Sorry. I didn't mean...”

Aster smiled. “What I'm saying is that we should celebrate while we're together. We got rid of Reka and Emery, we saved Venia and all these people, we escaped the Solomons' clutches, we survived this entire ordeal... We should celebrate, not plan out.”

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

The tall black-haired woman was looking at her pleadingly, with her big teary brown eyes. She tried to mewl into her gag, but with the copious amount of tapes wrapped around her lower face, and the cotton wad filling her mouth, she couldn't even make a peep. She was clad in lavender bikini panties and a matching t-shirt bra. No other clothes on her, since Abigail was the one currently wearing her light blue summer dress. The woman's hands and forearms were taped behind her back. Tape was also mummifying her legs from the ankles to the thighs. Abigail sighed, then closed the door of the maintenance closet and asked Judith:

"Big sis. Why do we still have to do this? It's becoming tiresome after a while... I mean, isn't it like the fourth time today?"

"Fifth actually." Judith corrected her. "And yes, this is necessary. We need to change clothes as often as possible to confuse the police."

Abigail mumbled under her breath. "I think we left at least one victim in each rest stop between Beryl and here..."

"I know, right. Isn't it awesome?" Deborah said. "They're gonna write a story about this. They have to! Another Infiltrator novel... Our fame will go through the roof! Do you think there's a way we can ask for royalties?"

Judith ignored her. "Don't worry though. We're almost out of the country. Soon, with all the money we got, we'll be free to do whatever we please..."

The thought made Abigail smile. "Finally, we will achieve our fantasy of becoming disgustingly rich..."

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

Just like all the other new prisoners, Emery had to go through a complete medical checkup at her arrival. The doctors didn't like what they saw in one of the tests, therefore they asked for more tests, and then for even more tests. The results weren't pretty.

Hieron chose to bring the medical results himself. He met Emery in an interrogation room, one with a two-way mirror, and gave her the report. She read the file in silence.

“So this is what the doctors found...” she commented.

Then she grabbed a chair and threw it at the mirror in a display of rage that Hieron had rarely seen with her before.

“I WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE ON THE FIELD, LIKE ALL THE OTHER SPECIAL COMBATTANTS!” she shouted. “NOT TO BE KILLED BY SOME VULGAR SICKNESS!”

Her rage reminded Hieron of a young woman, whose eyes were burning with anger. Emery, years ago. She wanted to become a special combattant. She wanted her revenge on the soldiers. She wanted to become strong, to never be hurt again. She trained days and nights, until she became the best. But by the time she succeded, her anger had burnt everything inside her, leaving only ashes and coldness.

“There are still chances. The ailment is curable.” he softly said.

“To be left weak and frail, with no hair and no strength?” she retorted.

“Temporarily, hopefully.”

Emery kept quiet during a few seconds.

“Does Cérès know... about my disease?”

“Yes.”

“But she's not here.”

Hieron didn't answer.

Emery understood.

“She will not come, won't she? She will never come to check me up, ever. It would give her bad PR.”

“Yes. I'm sorry.”

There was a pause. Emery blinked.

“I remember she used to tell me that I was her number one girl, you know? Her best soldier. She told me that I was going to accomplish great things.”

The black-haired woman was looking disgusted, or perhaps disappointed. For Hieron it was hard to tell. Most of the things of this world were disgusting her anyway, and she was considering her life one long list of disappointments.

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

Emery blinked.

She remembered the training camp, hidden in the mountains of her home Province of Rift. The place was cold and arid, just like her now.

Cérès' first teaching to any new special combattant was that survival is a constant struggle.

Good and evil were meaningless, morality was meaningless. Survival was the only thing that mattered. Survival and the success of the mission.

Emery survived everything, both the trainings and the missions. Not necessarily because she particularly cared to live, but because surviving at the expense of others was one of the things she did best.

Was she facing her biggest trial right now? Perhaps... After Aster, after Mikani and Klenia... Perhaps now her next opponent was going to be herself...?

Her death would be convenient to so many people. Especially Cérès... Emery decided that she was going to spite them.

She was going to survive simply to spite them.

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

They threw a huge party at Aster's shop to celebrate their victory, and everyone was invited. Mikani. Klenia. Shayna. Venia. Thorn. Hieron, who paid them a flying visit and was looking a lot glummer than usual. There were also other familiar faces, some of them them they hadn't seen for a while: Zia travelled all the way from her home Province of Shield to be there in person. She was fine, though her life was a lot quieter now. Hana couldn't come in person, but (and Mikani was very happy) thanks to a video conferencing software, she was able to see them and to talk to them. Macha briefly saluted them through the video conference, before retreating out of the webcam's field of view. Apparently, she still wasn't feeling comfortable around them.

Klenia was sitting a little away from the main party. Shayna sat next to her.

“Feeling melancholy?” the blonde asked.

“No. Just enjoying the moment.”

“I was simply a little surprised to see you so quiet. Usually, you enjoy being the center of attention...”

“I was just thinking...”

“About what?”

“Well, love, I still took an oath... Remember?”

“Oh, joy...”





THE END




















… almost.


















A few weeks later...

Shayna was observing the teams from afar.

The town of Matilda's main training ground was located near a forest. While their games were obviously always indoors, the handball teams often trained outside to enjoy the calm and peaceful setting near the woods. Thanks to the cover of the trees, she and Klenia could watch the different teams without being seen.

“How about these ones?” The blonde pointed at a group of young women, all around 19 or 20, dressed in green jerseys and black shorts, with white kneepads, sports shoes and socks. They were running a few laps outdoor.

Klenia shook her head. “Too young for my taste. I'm not a cradle-robber.”

Shayna rolled her eyes. “You're not that much older yourself. I even bet that most of these girls are more mature than you...”

“I don't have any constraint. Hence why, this time, I want to be picky.” Klenia explained.

The blonde sighed. “Remind me why I'm helping you again?”

“Because you love me, obviously.” Klenia walked in her back and snuggled up to her, hugging her girlfriend from behind. She kissed her neck, then rested her chin on the blonde's left shoulder.

Shayna smiled. She enjoyed the feeling of their two bodies touching each other. “To follow you in your convoluted plans, I have to love you. This operation will end just like the last one, you know? With us having to run for our lives, while half of the police forces of the town are chasing us...”

“Don't be defeatist... My strategy is foolproof this time.” Suddenly, Klenia pointed at a group of slightly taller handball players. “Jackpot! Look at these ones.”

The women were around Klenia's and Shayna's age. They were dressed in dark blue jerseys with red numbers and a big M symbolizing the town of Matilda on the back and in front, black shorts, black kneepads, black socks, and light blue running shoes.

“They're about to go jogging in the forest.” Klenia chuckled. “They're making it too easy...”

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

Luck truly was on Klenia's side, as the handball players chose to not jog together. Most of them went alone or in pairs. The jogging was the last part of the training session: it was more laid-back than the other exercises, and was treated as a spare time.

Klenia, followed by her girlfriend, hid behind some bushes in a strategic part of the woods: near the crossroads of several main paths.

“And now we wait...” Klenia said.

Ultimately though, they didn't have to wait for too long.

They let go the first two pairs passing near their hiding spot because the girls were too small. Then, Klenia spotted the lone brunette.

The girl was tall and had an athletic body, with a particularly nice-looking chest. She had brown hair tied into a high ponytail, tanned skin, and green eyes. She was listening to some music with her iPod, explaining why she chose to jog alone.

Unaware that she was being watched, the girl passed next to their hiding spot. Once she had her back turned on them, Klenia came out from behind the bushes and grabbed her by the collar.

The brunette could barely manage to grunt a little: “Guh!” before she disappeared in the bushes. After a few moments of vain struggles, she was rendered unconscious thanks to a handkerchief soaked with sleeping drug.

Klenia gently laid her down on the ground. “Let's get to work!”

She removed the woman's shoes, socks, and shorts first, revealing her red boyshorts; then she took off the jersey. Underneath, the brunette was wearing a red sports bra.

“Ah! Comme to mommy, little sports uniform." Klenia muttered to herself. She looked at her girlfriend. "Do you want one too?”

“No thanks. As much as I enjoy humiliating people from Okéanis, this time I will pass. The clothes are way too sweaty.” Shayna answered.

“Your loss.” Klenia shrugged and quickly took off her own clothes, then she wriggled into the handball outfit. She spinned around, like a model in a fashion show “Finally... Feeling much better now!”

Shayna bound with ropes the snoring brunette's hands behind her back, then her ankles, before connecting the two with a hog-tie. “Give me the coton gaze and the tape in your purse so I can gag her instead of boasting. I want to leave this forest before a catastrophy happens.”

“Sir yes sir! And while you finish your handiwork, I'll check to see if the coast is clear.”

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

Klenia looked over the bushes.

She was greeted by the sight of a stunning red-haired beauty in a dark blue jersey and black shorts. Her hair were tied into a short ponytail. A ray of light piercing through the trees was illuminating her, highlighting her athletic figure. Her firm thighs and buttocks were an especially fascinating sight. The number seven was embroidered on her jerssey.

Seven... The number of luck...

Klenia bent down to hide behind the bushes again.

“Shayna! I just had a vision!” she whispered.

"A vision?"

"An illumination, if you will."

“You already got what you wanted. You're not mugging another woman...” the blonde objected.

Klenia put a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. She had a serious look on her face. “Listen Shayna, I have a confession to make... When I was but a little girl, I used to have a dream. I wanted to be a professional handball player. Day after day, I watched games, dreaming of the day I would finally put on my own handball outfit... Alas, life had other projects for me, and I had to renounce my dream." Little fake sob. "Ever since our rescue operation started, fate cruelly tortured me time after time, dangling in front of me opportunities to finally get my hands on one of these outfits, only to crush my hopes every time... But now, the dream is finally becoming true. And I don't want a handball jersey and a handball pair of shorts. I want THE handball jersey and THE handball pair of shorts. So that the little girl in me can finally... find peace...”

“You won't fool me twice, honey. I remember the last time you went trough this charade, with the football players. You're just making lame excuses because you want to mug another girl... ”

Klenia dropped the façade and beamed. “Of course I am! Just check this out!”

The redhead was now within reach.

Klenia jumped out from the bushes.

“What the hell?!” exclaimed the startled handball player.

Klenia giggled excitedly, grabbed her by the jersey and dragged her in the forest's undergrowth.

“Let me go you... mffff!”

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

Two to one, the fight was unequal. The red-haired handball player didn't stand a chance and was forcefully rendered unconscious in no time.

“I swear, honey, one day you will be the death of me...” Shayna mumbled under her breath.

"As late as possible, love. I want us to grow old together."

For the second time today, Klenia removed the jersey, shoes, kneepads, socks, and shorts of an unconscious handball player. Underneath, the redhead was wearing blue seamless panties and a matching t-shirt bra. Shayna hog-tied the girl with ropes, filled her mouth with coton gaze, then sealed her lips with tape.

Then, Klenia quickly changed herself again. Maybe it was her imagination, but this new outfit seemed more comfortable than the previous one.

Perfect!

She took Shayna's had, and raised her other fist.

“Then, onward to new adventures!” she claimed.

THE END

A great end to a great story. It's impressive how each story of yours becomes more detailed and engrossing than the last.

Because there are so many characters and intersecting storylines resolved in the final chapter, I'll use Esercito's method of breaking down things by number.

1. Klenia and Shayna's relationship has developed into the heart and soul of the series, so it's fitting to end on them. There's no urgent "mission" involved in them taking out the handball girls (nice fakeout ending, by the way), but that Klenia commits to it so readily - to the point that she ends up mugging a second handball girl because of "lucky number seven" - shows how engaged she is in her work, to the point that Shayna can't help but be drawn in to the fun. She knows the little handball adventure won't end well, but like the readers, she's just too caught up in Klenia's escapades to care.

2. Judith, Abigail, and Deborah didn't have much importance during the final third of the story, but I love the way we constantly cut back to them to see them appropriate new disguises. Fun interludes all the way. They're criminals, but not truly evil, and their banter was some of the most fun in the saga. Nice to see them get a happy ending (or as happy as can be, since they're on the run from the law).

3. Glad that Reka (unlike Sao) survived, even if she doesn't have any ready means of escape. She and her henchwomen were my favorite characters - excellent banter and a great balance of humor and evil. The scene where they take out the bounty huntresses was the highlight of the story.

4. Poor Selena - she can't get any respect. I'm not sure it's fair to say she has the worst luck, since she manages to evade capture by the end of the story. Still, she's not a particularly reliable sort, and her "playing dumb" might be more than an act after all. Still glad she was able to get in one more mugging by the end of the story - didn't go as planned, but practice makes perfect.

5. Presa got an unexpected conclusion to her unusual little arc. I'm not really a fan of victims who willingly give up their clothes, but it worked here. Presa's unhealthy levels of obsession with mugging other women (like a more twisted version of Klenia) could and should have gotten her in trouble, but it's an interesting subversion that she ends up with one of the happiest endings of all.

6. Emery has gotten a little too dark for this saga, like she's undercutting the more fun and engaging parts (which are the bulk of the story). Just doesn't quite work. I did enjoy her henchwomen, however, and even felt a little sorry for Cynthia and Yuna, between their cruel boss and double-crossing coworkers.

7. Also feeling sorry for Mary, who (for her limited time in the story) was one of the more engaging characters. It might sound like bad form that I loved so many of the villains, but that's testament to how well-written these characters were.

8. Nice to get a brief Macha cameo. Her arc seems to be over, but it's nice to see her again (and telling that she still isn't comfortable around the rebels).

9. "Rescue Operation" is probably the best story on this website, excepting maybe "Amanda Strikes Back" by DaveDorc. That's a pretty high compliment, since "Amanda" was the story that first inspired me to start writing USB sagas of my own.

10. Not sure if you're planning another sequel with these characters (I certainly wouldn't say no). If not, this has been a excellent saga that's only gotten better with time. Looking forward to what you do next.

I thank you a lot for the compliments. The last parts of the story proved to be a lot harder to write than I expected, as I didn't have much motivation, so I'm very happy to have been able to finish the story and give it a conclusion. Also, a comment as long deserves a long answer:

1. Klenia and Shayna indeed became the main characters of this new installment, just like Aster was for the previous series.

2. For these three, I fell head first into the problem of writing the details of the story as I went along. After a while, I realized that I couldn't fit them in the story anymore, but at that point they were already established as main characters and I couldn't just make them vanish with no explanation. (I had the same trouble with Salomé, to some extent.)

3. Reka and her team were indeed a ton of fun to write (including Max). They're probably the best kind of villain for the tone of my stories, contrary to Emery who's ultimately too grim.

4. And indeed poor Selena can't get any respect. She evades capture mostly because I didn't want to close the door of a possible return of Reka and her cronies. Sorry Selena...

5. Presa's "happy ending" actually wasn't planned at all. Originally, she was supposed to end the story at the hands of the Solomons. However, I got the idea of her escape in the moment and since I was motivated to continue (and this was one of the arcs motivating me the most to write the lasts posts), I continued.

6. Personally, I really liked writing Emery as a character and I liked the idea of her darkening the story's atmosphere to highlight the threat she was, but I see the point of those who didn't appreciate her. She's the one I feel the most sorry for, in a way. As I explained in a previous post, she faced a traumatic event that shattered her and twisted her into a bitter hate-filled person; and instead of receiving the help she needed, the people around her exploited her talents for their own gain, before dropping her the second she wasn't useful to them anymore. In a way, she's the more tragic character of the story: all of her old companions are dead, and outside of Hieron, the only persons who still may feel a little sympathy for her are the ones she regards as her worst enemies. Her life is destroyed and she's the first responsible. Anyway, it was time to bench her, and I like the conclusion of her arc. As for Cynthia and Yuna, I wouldn't worry about them. Cérès is the kind of person who will bend the law and recruit them as black ops in exchange of a remission of sentence. They'll probably continue their escapades offscreen... and out of the sight of the media.

7. I like her too, hence why she kept popping up in the latest posts. And yes, of all the story's shady characters (though by the point of Rescue Operation I don't think she's a true villain anymore), Mary's the most unlucky. However, would we have felt as much sympathy for the character if we didn't pity her because of her bad luck?

8. Another thing added on the spur of the moment (much like Hana's and Zia's cameo), literally while I was reading over the draft before clicking the submit button. Glad to see that you appreciated her being mentioned.

9. Many thanks!

10. During the second part of 2019, I felt a huge loss of motivation, to the point that at one point I was afraid I'd never end this story; and even during the last 4 months, I clearly sensed that I wasn't as motivated as when I was writing To Overthrow the Utopia or even when I started this story. The story became way more massive than I expected, and my work was robbing me of a lot of my time (and, more importantly, of a lot of my energy and motivation). Therefore, as of now, I don't really know if there will be another story in the coming weeks or months. (Of course, I remember that the last time I said something like that, I got an idea that motivated me one week later... However, this time I think it will take me more time.) I have a few ideas for a sequel with these characters and if people aren't tired of seeing them, I may try to build a story around them, but one thing is sure: if I write another story, it will try to keep it more modest (shorter and with less characters).

many thanks for an unforgettable epilogue of one of the greatest stories ever presented at our board

currently I am almost speechless





seven...the number of luck...

Alright, since this story was posted over three years ago, and I even made some comments on it previously, it might seem odd for me to comment now. However, even though we have been getting some wonderful new stories lately I also still enjoy going back and re-reading older stories too. I happened to be re-reading this one and a couple parts really jumped out at me that I maybe hadn't focused on before. I wanted to comment on them. I think what I like the most about the scenes is that they are short and concise yet somehow pack in numerous little touches that make them spectacular.

The first scene I thought was particularly good was the scene where Deborah and Abigail take out the two maids. The way the scene starts as the blonde maid goes limp as she loses consciousness is a really great touch. We then get a really nice description of Deborah stripping the maid.

Then I love the chat between them with Deborah feeling bad and thinking the two maids were couple and wanting to give the "quality time" together. Meanwhile, Abigail could care less and is all business with matter of fact comments like "use her pass to open it" about using the blonde's card to open a room with detachment from the fact they just knocked the two women out. I also like Abigail's comment "What do you mean? We needed their clothes to access the safe room". Abigail is all business and sees the woman as objects to complete the mission while Deborah has at least some sympathy.

Another scene that really stuck me as fun was also with Deborah and Abigail when Deborah tricked the brown haired guard to come over to the bushes. As Abigail noted what a dumb guard move. Abigail's comment "Did she really just fall for the 'Hey! Psst!' trick? Where do they hire these buffoons anyway?” is terrific. Indeed it is so much fun to think the woman really feel for that trick.

It is also a fun that as the scene unfolds and we see that Abigail has already taken out a guard. This also created a touch that I really appreciated. That is the speculation that the first guard had been hired for her looks while the second guard had not. I also find it an interesting touch that you point out about the second guard that "this one wasn't much attractive." This adds an interest touch. In so many of our stories we of course always portray the guards as hotties. Fun for the story but, let's face it, probably not realistic.

I actually liked that you made it that the dimwitted brunette who so easily was tricked by Deborah is not some outrageous hottie. Not sure if your intent was truly to portray her as ugly but in my mind I like to think of her as being a bit plan and not as pretty as the other guards. Plan but still kinda cute. Just how I picture her. Not sure if that was your thoughts as well.

There were other great touches in the scene. Actually I definitely liked Deborah's knock out. First some punches to quickly but only temporarily knock her out followed by making her breath some sleep drug to keep her asleep.

I also liked "Abigail, having finished gagging the poor girl, let go of her head that softly landed on the first guard's exposed back." Love the imagery of Abigail just casually letting the woman's head fall back on her half naked colleague.

I too really liked the scene where Klenia, Mikani, Shayna, Venia, and Salomé deal with the two guards in the camera room. I like the idea that the women just surrendered. Fun to that they were then made to give up their uniforms and then allowed themselves to be bound and gagged.

I also liked the take out of the two guards in the truck hanger. First off we get the classic scene of the guards chatting with each other and being less diligence making them easier targets. Also love the way the auburn haired one never even gets a chance to defend herself and ends up taken out with a neck chop. Always love to see use of that one special spot on a woman's neck that when hit just right (or pinched) puts her to sleep. And of course I like the touch that each of the women was given a nice dose of sleeping gas to keep them asleep. I just really like the comment that the heroes "made them breath sleeping gas".

So glad I went back and re-read this chapter. You get to appreciate it all over again!

A bit late to reply, sorry for that. This is a slow month...

Of course, it's always a pleasure to hear that some people like to re-read these old stories, and still find enjoyment. They belong to simpler times, when it was easier to come up with fresh ideas.