Madame Mayor - Chapter 4: The Diplomat

[tirepanted3]

Heather Smythe was not in a good mood.

This was not an unusual occurence, as her employees and associates were aware. Ms. Smythe hadn’t attained her position as a powerful diplomat by being polite and easygoing. She worked long hours at a difficult job, and things didn’t always go as she’d planned.

Today, however, things were more aggravating than usual.

Heather Smythe typically liked to order lunch from Carter’s Coffee Beans, a sandwich shop and roastery that was quite popular in the tri-county area. Today, though, her order had not shown up. There was no sign of the delivery truck anywhere.

To make matters worse, Heather had – once again! – had received an email from the mayor’s office informing her that the budget for the city’s immigration board was being slashed. Mayor Hargrove, the email said, was focused on diverting more funds for the city’s “top priorities,” including combating women who… took people’s clothes off or something. (Heather hadn’t bothered to read the full email, but that was the basic impression she got.)

Mayor Hargrove… Goodness, Heather hated that woman. Hated even the sound of her name.

She pressed the button on her desk intercom. “Clara, do I have any appointments in the next few hours?”

The secretary’s voice broke in through the static. “Just one at the moment… a woman named Lupe Valdez. Her cousin is trying to become a citizen for…”

“Cancel it,” Heather interrupted. “I need some time to refresh myself. Not getting my coffee has frazzled my nerves.”

“Oh… but ma’am, they’re in the waiting room now…”

“I don’t care. Tell them to reschedule.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

There was a pause. Then Clara’s voice came through again.

“There’s someone else to see you.”

“I told you, I’m not interested in—”

“It’s your daughter.”

Immediately, Heather’s expression softened. “Well, why didn’t you say so? Send her right in.”

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

Clara hung up the phone and turned to Dahlia. “She says you can go in.”

Dahlia caught Oksana’s eye. The Russian woman, disguised as an embassy security member, simply nodded.

“M… may this officer escort me inside?” Dahlia asked the secretary. “She’s been keeping a lookout for me here… since Athena isn’t available.”

“Sure, I don’t see why not.”

Oksana hid a smile as she followed Dahlia towards the elder Smythe’s office.

Clara then got up and walked over to the nearby waiting room, poking her head inside. The only two occupants were a pair of young Latina women, Lupe and Elena.

“I’m sorry,” Clara told them. “Your appointment has been cancelled.”

Elena’s eyes widened. “What?!”

Lupe frowned. “There must be a mistake… We took the bus across town for—”

“Mrs. Smythe is very busy today,” the secretary replied. “I’m afraid you’ll have to reschedule. Our apologies.”

Lupe was about to protest further, but Elena put a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s okay, Lupe. Let’s just go.”

The two women got up and exited the waiting room, walking back down the corridor to the elevators.

“Can’t believe this,” Lupe grumbled. “How rude can this place be?”

She was about to press the button to open the elevator when the doors dinged and slid open on their own.

A cleaning woman stepped out, pushing a cart ahead of her.

She caught the eyes of Lupe and Elena, and immediately smiled. They instantly realized she was not a real cleaning woman.

“Polina?” Elena exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“Good question,” Lupe added. She clearly did not seem pleased to see this woman again.

“Hi, girls,” Polina beamed. “I just caught sight of you entering the building, and had to follow. I… wanted to talk to you.”

“So nice to see you again,” Elena grinned. “I haven’t forgotten how you broke me out of jail.”

Lupe eyed Polina’s outfit. “Why are you dressed as a cleaning woman?”

Polina gave a wry look. “This was the only way I could get to the elevators…”

Lupe frowned. “I suppose you shot a poor woman with a tranquilizer dart and stole her uniform.”

“I absolutely did not!” Polina replied.

“You didn’t?”

“I forgot my tranquilizer gun in the car,” Polina explained. “Had to use a sleeper hold. But never mind that. What are you two doing here?”

A disappointed look crossed Elena’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Polina asked.

Elena quickly explained the situation – how they had come to the embassy to make her a citizen, and how their appointment had suddenly and inexplicably been cancelled.

Polina frowned upon hearing this. “Well, that’s just not right…”

Then she brightened. “Wait. I think I can help you.”

“Help us? How?”

“My friend Oksana snuck into this building with Smythe’s daughter,” Polina explained. “She’s planning to make the two of us citizens as well. If we all go to the office, we can pressure Smythe to help all of us!”

“Great plan,” said Lupe dryly. “Except there’s no way that secretary will let us in, now that our appointment’s been cancelled.”

A mischievous look spread across Polina’s face. “Don’t worry, babe. I have a plan.”

Lupe’s expression turned horrified. “No…”

Elena brightened immediately. “Yes!”

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

Dahlia stepped into her mother’s office, Oksana right behind her.

“Hi, darling,” Heather smiled upon seeing Dahlia. “Sorry if I seem a little winded… That stupid coffee place forgot to…”

Her voice trailed off as she glanced up at the “security guard” who had entered the room. “Who are you?”

Oksana shut the door behind her. “Let’s keep things quiet.”

“Excuse me?” Heather did not recognize this woman. “What are you talking about?”

“I am a woman who needs to become an American citizen, right now,” Oksana replied. “If you cooperate, I promise that no harm will befall you or your daughter.”

“Is that a threat?” Heather reached for her phone.

Oksana smacked her hand away. “I’ll have to ask you not to call for any assistance,” she said. “This is best handled just between the three of us.”

Heather scowled. “I’ll scream.”

“Like daughter, like mother,” Oksana observed. “But no, you won’t do anything. Not if you value your daughter’s well-being.”

She gripped Dahlia’s shoulder. Dahlia tensed up. Her hand covertly went to her pocket.

“No, wait!” Heather looked frightened. “Please, don’t hurt her. I’ll do anything.”

“Smart,” Oksana nodded. “Now this won’t take long. I need you to – aaoowww!”

She gasped in pain as Dahlia jammed a metal hair pin into her arm.

“Damn it!” Oksana involuntarily let go of Dahlia, who raced to her mother’s side.

In the next moment, Heather had opened her desk drawer and whipped out a pistol. She pointed it at Oksana.

“Good job, honey,” she smiled at her daughter. “Are you all right?”

Dahlia nodded. She glared at Oksana.

Oksana scowled as she rubbed her arm. Then, realizing she was at gunpoint, she raised her hands.

“What are we gonna do, mom? Arrest her? Shoot her?” Dahlia’s tone implied she was fine with any of these options.

Heather glanced at the broken phone cord on the floor. “Dahlia, be a darling and use that cord to tie up our guest, would you?”

She turned back to Oksana, a devious grin on her face. “I want a few minutes to interrogate her.”

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

Jessalyn breathed in the fresh forest air as she walked down the dirt path that led deep into the city park.

It was a gorgeous afternoon – one that encouraged a woman of her position to bask in the glow of nature.

It was her love of nature that first inspired Jessalyn to become a park ranger. She loved the great outdoors, and took every opportunity to take a stroll around the flora that dotted the city’s national preserve. It seemed almost obvious that she make that nature a part of her life.

Jessalyn was a tall and leggy woman in her late twenties, with light skin and midback-length auburn hair. She wore the standard park ranger uniform of light green shirt, dark green khaki pants, brown timberland boots, and a flat-brimmed brown Stetson hat.

As she took a moment to pause by a large tree and admire its bright green foliage, she heard a woman’s voice behind her.

“Excuse me. Do you have the time?”

Jessalyn nodded politely at the woman, and glanced at her watch. “It’s just a little past twelve…”

THWOK!

“Uurghh…!”

Knocked off balance, Jessalyn pitched forward. She collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Olga blew on her knuckles.

“Correction,” she said with a broad grin. “It’s naptime.”

She glanced around, realizing that no one was within earshot to appreciate her dry comic wit.

Then she shrugged and bent down, picking up the unconscious forest ranger and flipping her over her shoulder.

Olga carried the redhead deeper into the woods, stopping at a small storage cabin well away from the path. She nudged the door open with her shoulder and stepped inside.

Her teammates were already in the cabin, currently in the process of getting dressed. Katerina was buttoning up a green ranger shirt, Svetlana was pulling on a pair of khaki pants, and Marta was lacing up the brown boots. Nearby, Alisa sat on a bench, typing away at her laptop.

“I’ve got another one!” Olga announced with a grin.

Katerina glanced up at her for but a moment. “Good. Peel off her uniform and dump her with the others.”

The “others” were a trio of unconscious women currently lying in a corner of the cabin. A tall, light-skinned woman with shoulder-length orange hair, dressed in a green sports bra and white tanga panties. A muscular dark-skinned woman with a ponytail of jet-black hair, dressed in a purple bandeau bra and grey bikini panties. A broad-shouldered tan-skinned woman with crew-cut dark brown hair, dressed in a zebra-print bikini bra and matching boyshorts.

They were, of course, a trio of park rangers who had been taken “off-duty” by the Russian militants.

Alisa glanced up at her laptop as Olga dropped the fourth unconscious ranger at her feet.

“Looks about your size, doesn’t she?” Olga grinned and cracked her knuckles. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I still need to fetch a uniform of my own.”

She turned and exited the cabin.

Alisa closed her laptop and knelt down beside the unconscious forest ranger, and began unbuttoning her uniform.

“I still don’t get why we chose forest ranger disguises,” Marta griped. “There are plenty of cops in the area… It wouldn’t be difficult to jump a few policewomen and dress up in their uniforms. And we’d have better weapons.”

“We need to keep a low profile,” Katerina reminded her. “The police will draw attention to themselves all around the park. Dressed as forest rangers, we’ll blend right in with the surroundings. We’ll command some level of authority without any unwanted attention.”

Alisa nodded. “Vital to keep a low profile while we look for Sonja and her friend… what’s her name?”

“Chandra,” Svetlana replied, the bitterness readily apparent in her voice.

She turned to her associates. “I ask you all one favor: Do whatever you wish to Sonja – lord knows she deserves to suffer for her betrayal – but allow me to handle Chandra personally.”

Marta raised an eyebrow. “May we ask why?”

“That woman humiliated me,” Svetlana replied darkly. “During the NASA assignment, she captured me, tied me up… made me beg for mercy.”

Svetlana pulled the laces on her stolen boots so tight, they nearly broke. “No woman ever makes me beg and lives. Chandra Patel must die… and I must be the one who kills her.”

The words of the youngest of the Russian militant carried an air of chilling menace. Marta and Alisa glanced at each other, unsure of how to respond.

The outside sound of muffled screams and a couple of swift punches interrupted their thoughts.

Olga stepped once again into the cabin, dragging a fifth unconscious forest ranger behind her. This one had light skin and chestnut-brown hair in a braided bun.

“It’s too bad you girls can’t hear the one-liners I deliver when I knock these idiots out,” Olga said with a grin. “Some of them are pretty funny, if I do say so myself.”

“I’m sure they’re hilarious,” Katerina replied drolly. “But there will be time to discuss comedy later. Strip her and toss her with the others. We’ll tie them up and be on our way to track down Sonja and Chandra.”

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

Unbeknownst to Katerina or her fellow militants, however, Sonja and Chandra were now far away from the park.

They were also both in a helpless situation of their own – unconscious, handcuffed, and stripped to their underwear.

The two FEMME agents carried the two captured women over their shoulders towards their armored van, both grinning as though they’d won the lottery.

“What’s the payout for these two?” Ronda asked.

Carmen checked her phone. “One hundred fifty thousand dollars each,” she said.

Ronda laughed. “For such valuable women, they didn’t put up much of a fight.”

Carmen opened the rear doors of the van, then she and her partner tossed the two slumbering prisoners inside.

Then the two FEMME agents returned to the parked truck where they had located the deliverywomen and security guards that Chandra and Sonja had previously ambushed. The women had been freed and were now in the process of dressing in the uniforms that had been returned to them.

“Everything all right now?” Ronda asked.

Padma nodded. “We’re fine… thank you.”

But the looks on her and Kallista’s faces suggested that the two security guards were not too pleased about being rescued by FEMME. This was no surprise to Carmen and Ronda – they knew that security guards prided themselves on being protectors, and it was always humiliating when they became the ones in need of rescuing.

Ronda nodded an Carmen, and the two FEMME agents returned to their vehicle.

Carolyn and Atsuko approached the FEMME van. Atsuko was still rubbing her wrists from when she’d been tightly bound, and Carolyn was holding her closely.

Carmen glanced up at them. “Say… I remember you.” She nodded at Carolyn. “The bus driver, right? I assume you’re the one who called us this time.”

Carolyn nodded. She glanced at the van. “What are you going to do with those two women who attacked my wife?”

“Afraid we can’t comment on that,” Ronda replied, suppressing a grin. “But trust us, you won’t have to worry about them again.”

Carmen slid into the driver’s seat. “Come on, partner,” she called to Ronda. “Time to earn our reward from the mayor.”

An odd look crossed Atsuko’s face as Ronda jumped into the van. “Reward from the mayor?”

But the van had already roared off in a cloud of dust.

Carolyn hugged Atsuko tightly. “I’m glad you’re okay, Suki… I hope those women didn’t hurt you…”

Atsuko shook her head. “I’m fine, honey, I swear.” She glanced off in the distance as the FEMME van disappeared over the horizon. “I’m just… confused. What would the mayor want with those two intruders?”

“I don’t know… and honestly, I don’t care.” Carolyn gave Atsuko a kiss. “All that matters is that you’re safe.”

But she could sense that Atsuko was shifting uneasily.

“There’s something… suspicious about all this. I don’t think those FEMME agents were being entirely truthful with us. There’s more going on than meets the eye.” Atsuko drew a breath. “And I want to know what it is.”

Carolyn saw the look in Atsuko’s eye, and immediately recognized it. Her wife was once again hungering for adventure.

“Suki,” she said cautiously. “Come on, let’s relax. Don’t stress out. Remember, we’re trying to keep to a nice and normal life.”

But Atsuko simply shook her head.

“Our lives aren’t normal, Carolyn,” she said. “We’re constantly getting knocked out and tied up and tossed into closets. I can’t just stick my fingers in my ears and forget about things like this… especially not when there seems to be more going on than it appears.”

She turned to Carolyn. “I want to get to the bottom of this. I need to. But I can’t do it alone.” She held out her hand. “Will you help me?”

Carolyn bit her lip. “But… I mean…”

She stared into Atsuko’s deep brown eyes. The eyes that had taken her breath away ever since she first stared at them in a college dorm room years ago…

Carolyn sighed. “Of course I’ll help you.”

Atsuko grinned warmly at her. And, despite her reservations, Carolyn couldn’t help smiling back.

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

As a skilled thief and infiltrator, Adelaide had a few rules that helped her keep safe and evade the authorities. One such rule: Don’t infiltrate the same building twice in one day.

Today, however, she was about to break that rule.

She had only snuck into City Hall a few hours ago, and now she was about to do so again. But her first attempt had seen her confine her infiltration to the parking garage. Now, she needed to infiltrate the main building– and make her way to the office of Mayor Hargrove.

Lucille had sworn that Hargrove still had the incriminating tape in her possession. All Adelaide needed to do was get her hands on it.

Adelaide poked her head out of the bushes and stared across the street at the City Hall building. Another parking garage infiltration was out of the question –the parking attendant she had mugged was probably still bound and gagged in the bathroom stall, and Adelaide had discarded her uniform when she switched to usurping the identity of Lucille’s chauffeur.

She would need a different tactic.

Fortunately, an opportunity was just pulling up to the curb.

The large red-and-gold coach bus ground to a halt, not far from Adelaide’s hiding place. A procession of young women in military suits stepped out.

Adelaide immediately brightened. Now we’re talking…

The twelve women all appeared to be in their early to mid-twenties. They were dressed in dark green full-body flight suits with brown timberland boots. Most had their hair tied back in a military bun.

The leader of the group, a middle-aged woman in a smart military suit, stood out in front of the dozen girls.

“Congratulations, ladies,” she declared. “You’re the top female graduates at NASC, and the mayor has scheduled a photo op with you all. I trust you all know to stay professional when meeting with her and conducting yourselves at City Hall.”

NASC… Adelaide knew the name. The Naval Aviation Schools Command. A flight school in Pensacola that trained the new generation of military and naval pilots.

She grinned. NASC was about to have an impromptu new recruit…

“Now follow me,” the lead woman commanded the young pilots.

Single file, please. Adelaide crossed her fingers.

The girls began following their leader, marching down the sidewalk, orderly and in single file.

Yes! Adelaide’s grin broadened. You’re making this too easy, girls…

Still, Adelaide was not one to take her gifts for granted. She waited in the bushes with bated breath, watching as the girls filed past, one by one.

The last girl in line was of average height and slightly muscular build. She had light skin, green eyes, and dark red hair that was tied back into a sock bun.

Adelaide waited until the redhead had stepped past her hiding place, then sprang up and, in one fluid motion, wrapped an arm around the young lady’s neck. Her other hand went over the surprised graduate’s mouth. She pulled the girl down and into the bushes. A swift neck chop did the rest.

“Sorry to ruin your big day, honey,” Adelaide whispered as she began unlacing the redhead’s boots. “But I’ve got a bigger day of my own.”

Once the boots were off, Adelaide unzipped the girl’s flight suit. Beneath it, the graduate wore a white exercise bra and lime-green boyshorts.

A few grey zip-ties from Adelaide’s pouch ensured the girl would remain immobile, and a strip of black duct tape over her cheeks would keep her silent. Once the girl was secured beneath the bushes, Adelaide hurriedly changed into her flight suit and boots.

“We have liftoff,” she quipped as she stood up and raced to follow the other flight students.

She slipped seamlessly in line behind the other eleven girls, none of whom had noticed that one of their own had just been strongarmed and replaced. Adelaide guessed they were all too excited by the meet with the mayor to pay attention to trivial things like potential uniform thieves in their midst.

Adelaide shifted uncomfortably in her flight suit as she followed the rest of the girls up the steps of the City Hall building. The uniform was tight around her waist and shoulders. Adelaide hated wearing disguises that hindered her movement.

She noticed a few of the other girls walking ahead of her were closer to her in height and build than the redhead was. Why couldn’t that cute blonde one have been last in line?

Still, Adelaide kept her composure as she followed her “fellow” graduates into the building.

“To the main ballroom, girls,” the leader instructed. “The mayor will meet us and the photographers there.”

Adelaide smiled. So the mayor’s office would be empty for the next little while… Perfect.

As the team headed down the hall, Adelaide ducked into a side closet. From here on, she was going solo.

She just needed to find the mayor’s office…

Two pairs of footsteps interrupted her thoughts. Adelaide peeked through a crack in the door.

Her eyes widened as she recognized the two women striding down the hall. Cam and Gwyneth.

Immediately, Adelaide felt a surge of anger at these two women. For the way they had bested her at the art museum some weeks ago… and for the way they had broken into her apartment and drugged her dog.

Cam and Gwyneth were now dressed in City Hall security guard uniforms. Both women were grinning, looking quite pleased with themselves.

“This is amazing!” Gwyneth commented to her friend. “We break into the mayor’s office, mug her guards, hold her at gunpoint… and she responds by hiring us to her security team!”

“We’ll be rich,” Cam nodded. “Hargrove will pay anything to keep us silent and obedient. Easiest money we’ve ever made.”

Adelaide clenched her fists as she watched the two women. She wanted nothing more than to teach them a lesson. And now that they were on the mayor’s payroll, she had just the excuse to subdue them…

But Adelaide wasn’t stupid. She could see that Cam and Gwyneth were both athletically fit, and both armed with mean-looking pistols strapped to their belts. There was no chance that she could take on both of them, certainly not without raising the alarm, at least. And she needed to keep a low profile.

She kept quiet and still as the two women passed by her hiding place, too absorbed in their own conversation to notice her.

Next time, girls… Next time.

Minutes later, another set of footsteps put Adelaide on alert. Softer steps, only one girl this time.

The girl in question was a young lady with light skin and honey-blonde hair tied back in a bun, from which protruded the eraser end of a pencil. She wore a conservative blue button-up blouse, black vest, and grey pencil skirt, along with black tights and brown penny loafers. She clutched a ream of papers in her hands.

An intern. Adelaide smiled. Now there’s an outfit that says “low profile.”

As the intern passed by the closet, Adelaide reached out and grabbed her shoulders, yanking the startled girl into the darkness.

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

“Make the knots tight, dear,” Heather instructed. “I don’t want our guest to leave too soon.”

Dahlia nodded and smiled. “You bet, mom.”

She pulled the plastic cord tight. Oksana gritted her teeth as the bonds bit into her wrists.

Still, she could do or say nothing. She was now tightly tied to a sturdy metal chair, while Heather Smythe stood a few feet from her, pointing a gun at her head.

“Well done, dear.” Heather nodded at her daughter. “Now would you give us a few minutes alone?”

Dahlia nodded again and, casting one last dirty look at Oksana, exited the office, closing the door behind her.

Heather at last lowered the gun and strode toward Oksana. “Now, let’s have a little chitchat, shall we?”

Oksana glared at her. “Go to hell.”

Heather laughed. Then she bent down and grasped Oksana’s chin between her thumb and forefinger, forcing the woman’s head upward. “Oh, sweetheart… I can show you hell.”

Oksana kept firm and silent. But her mind was racing. She needed to alert Polina – but how?

“Your accent is Russian,” Heather noted. “And I can see you’re a fine, athletic young woman. And obviously quite proficient in disguise and infiltration, judging by that security uniform you’ve stolen...” She read the name. “… from Rosalie.”

Heather frowned. “That was a bad move. I like Rosalie. She’s a great guard.”

“Evidently, she wasn’t,” Oksana replied.

Heather fixed her with a steely glance. “A few months ago – there was that incident at NASA. A team of female Russian operatives snuck in, tied up and replaced a whole bunch of personnel as part of a sabotage mission. Most of those women were caught, but police reports indicate that a couple of them escaped.”

She eyed Oksana quizzically. “Might you be one of those women?”

Oksana said nothing, but the look on her face was enough. Heather Smythe’s face broke out into a grin.

“Oh, this is perfect,” she said. “A woman with combat and infiltration skills… without a country and wanted by the police. And she wanders into my office! You’re the answer to my prayers.”

“What are you saying?” Oksana asked tersely.

“I’m saying,” Heather replied, “that at the moment, it’s my choice what happens to you next. Whether you become a citizen or go to jail. In short, darling… I own you.”

Heather chuckled. “And I think I can put your skills to good use.”

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

Lupe crossed her arms, a scowl on her face. “Absolutely not.”

Elena put a hand on her shoulder. “Cousin, please… It’s the only way.”

“Elena, you should know better!” Lupe said in frustration. “You were arrested on suspicion of clothes stealing. You know it’s against the law…”

Polina gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s fine, babe. I’ve mugged dozens of women for their clothes over the years. And I’ve never been caught!”

Lupe glared at her. “That doesn’t make me feel any better. And don’t call me babe.”

The three women were currently conferring in a corner of the hallway that led to Heather Smythe’s office.

Elena gave her cousin a sympathetic smile. “Lupe, you know how important this is to me… Becoming a citizen, joining America. It’s my dream! I think this dream worth leaving a woman or two tied up in their underwear, don’t you?”

Lupe threw up her hands. “I can’t stop you,” she said. “But I refuse to join you.”

She glared once again at Polina. “I’ll be waiting outside,” she told her cousin. “If you have a change of heart, feel free to join me.”

With that, she stalked off to the elevators.

Polina watched her leave, then sighed. “I don’t think your cousin likes me.”

“She’s just a bit nervous,” Elena explained. “But she’ll be okay. Now, can you show me how to get a disguise?”

Polina nodded and smiled. “It’d be a pleasure. Follow me.”

The two women wandered down the hall a bit, away from any crowds or personnel. Finally, Polina stopped at a broom closet.

“This should do nicely,” she said, sizing up the interior. Her eye fell on a roll of black duct tape on a high shelf, and a coil of white flex in the corner. “And it even comes with some equipment!”

Her ears perked up at the sound of footsteps. “Someone’s coming. Quick, inside!”

She and Elena quickly slipped into the closet, peeking out through a crack in the door.

The newcomer, much like the woman whose outfit Polina had appropriated, appeared to be part of the building’s maintenance crew. She was a tall and fit woman with light skin, green eyes, and shoulder-length sandy brown hair. She wore light green coveralls with dark brown boots and a dark green baseball cap.

“Perfect target,” Polina whispered. “No one ever pays attention to the cleaning crew. In her uniform, you’ll blend right in.”

Elena nodded. “May I knock her out?”

Polina grinned. “Be my guest. Just don’t forget to make a funny quip when you do so.”

As the janitress passed by the closet, unaware of the two scheming women inside, Elena popped out with a grin.

“Time for your break!” she declared, delivering the side of her hand to the woman’s neck.

“Ow!” The janitress stopped short and rubbed her neck. She turned to Elena and frowned. “What the hell?”

Elena looked at her in confusion. “Why are you still conscious?”

“Why did you hit me?” the janitress demanded. She did not look pleased.

“Er…” Elena blinked, unsure of what to do next.

Polina popped out of the closet. The janitress glanced at her and her cleaning uniform.

“This woman just hit me,” she said, pointing at Elena. “Do you know her?”

Polina sighed. “Sorry, please forgive her. She’s new to this.”

“New to what?” the janitress asked.

Polina turned to Elena. “Honey, you can’t just hit a woman at any random part of the neck. There’s a specific spot that you have to hit with specific force.”

“Excuse me?” the janitress demanded. “You should not be hitting women anywhere, whether on the neck or—”

“Pardon me, ma’am,” Polina turned to her. “I think my advice is more helpful to her than yours.”

The janitress scowled. “Well, of all the nerve…”

“Correct! The Vagus nerve, specifically,” Polina nodded.

Then she swiftly hit the janitress at the side of her neck. The woman groaned, her eyes rolling back. Polina caught her unconscious body before she hit the floor.

“See? Nothing to it,” Polina smiled at Elena.

Elena grinned. “That was amazing. I guess I should work on my aim.”

“Neck chops take practice,” Polina explained as she dragged the janitress into the closet. “And you’re new to this. For rookie uniform thieves, I usually recommend using chloroform instead of physical force.”

Elena nodded as she followed. “And what about my quip? ‘Time for your break!’ Did you like it?”

Polina chuckled, shutting the door. “It’s not very original, but your delivery was spot-on. Maybe as you learn more English, you’ll start to use puns and wordplay as you mug women for disguises.”

Elena clapped her hands. “Oh, this is so exciting! May I take her uniform now?”

“Of course. Go right ahead.”

Grinning from ear to ear, Elena knelt down and began stripping the janitress.

“I’m so glad I ran into you today,” she told Polina as she unbuttoned the woman’s coveralls. “I haven’t stolen any woman’s clothes since the last time we met… I just don’t know how to do it myself.”

“Practice, practice,” Polina assured her. “You have all the signs of a great uniform thief.”

Indeed, Polina observed, Elena worked like a pro, quickly and efficiently shimmying the janitress out of her uniform. Before long, the unconscious woman was left in a blue bandeau bra and white cotton briefs.

“Can I tie her up, too?” Elena asked.

Polina smiled at her. “We’re already on a limited time budget, so why don’t you get dressed? I’ll tie her up.”

Elena nodded and raced to change out of her clothes and into the janitress’ uniform.

Polina smiled as she began using the flex to bind the janitress. Elena’s excitement was infectious… and she clearly admired Polina as a uniform stealing role model.

But Polina’s facial expression then turned glum as she thought of Lupe. A woman she loved… who would now probably hate her more than ever.

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

Chandra stirred, and groggily awakened. Her head ached, her thoughts were a daze.

“Hmm…?”

She immediately surveyed her surroundings, noting that she was lying on the cold floor of a van, dressed in nothing but her underwear, a pair of handcuffs locking her wrists behind her back. Sonja was lying beside her, still unconscious. She was similarly restrained, and in the same state of undress.

Chandra heard voices coming from the front of the van – the two uniformed women seated there. FEMME agents.

“So how much of a bonus do you think we’ll get for turning these two in?” Carmen asked as she steered the van down the road.

Ronda chuckled. “Let’s just say I’ll be able to put my daughter through college.”

Chandra scowled. She was really starting to hate the FEMME agents.

Ronda glanced in the rearview. “Well, well… Looks like one of our Sleeping Beauties has woken up.”

She turned to face Chandra. “How’s it feel to be outsmarted, Ms. Patel?”

“Screw you,” Chandra replied. “You FEMME ladies sure talk tough with all your weapons and armor.”

Ronda laughed. “Jealous? Although I suppose we should thank you – it’s women like you who’ve made us what we are.”

She smiled at her uniform. “The armor, the guns, the tasers… All this is government-funded, thanks to the rising threat of violent psychopaths like you and your friend. I’ve never felt like a complete woman till I put on the FEMME outfit.”

“That’s the saddest thing I’ve heard all week,” Chandra replied. “You’d be nothing without your little toys.”

Ronda scowled. “You uniform thieves think you’re so high and mighty,” she spat. “Just because you accost other women and steal their clothes, you think that somehow means you know the world better than everyone else.”

Chandra shrugged. “Wearing a lot of different disguises does give me a lot of different perspectives.”

“I used to work as a security guard, you know,” Ronda continued. “For Hobson Drilling. Good job, great pay. One night, me and five of my fellow guards were accosted by a gang of women who tied us up and stole our uniforms. They infiltrated the building and planted a bomb. Three men died in the blast.”

She felt her jaw set as she remembered it. “I should have saved them. But I was tied up in my underwear in the back of a van… It’d almost be comical if it wasn’t so tragic.”

She paused for a moment. “That was the day I realized the true threat of uniform stealing. And I made a vow to myself – that I would not rest until every uniform thief in this city had been pummeled into the dirt.”

She glanced at Chandra. “Women like you are scum. You’re not fit to lick the bottom of my boot.”

“I’m not like those women,” Chandra replied defensively. “I don’t kill people.”

“I’ve read your file,” Ronda shot back. “You love mugging women for their clothes. You’re all part of the same problem. And FEMME is going to solve that problem.”

Chandra rolled her eyes. “Good luck with that. Uniform stealing is a part of society now. Young women are going to grow up influenced by it… including your daughter.”

Ronda glared at her. Then she reached for a white cloth draped over the chair. “I think this conversation is over.”

She got up and strode over to Chandra.

“Hey, don’t… mmmpphhh!” Chandra could do nothing to resist as Ronda tied the gag over her mouth.

“That should shut you up,” Ronda said, returning to her seat. “Now why don’t you get some rest. We’ve still got quite a drive ahead.”

Chandra scowled at the two FEMME agents, and pulled against her handcuffs. They refused to budge.

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

Adelaide cautiously poked her head out of the closet and glanced around. She smiled in satisfaction – her little tête-à-tête with the intern had gone unnoticed.

The intern herself now lay on the floor of the closet, unconscious. She had been bound with grey nylon cords and gagged with thick red ribbon tape. Her current wardrobe consisted of nothing but a pink exercise bra that was decorated with small blue pastel teddy bears, and a pair of black tanga panties that were covered in yellow polka dots.

“Word of advice, honey,” Adelaide whispered. “If you wear underwear that tacky, you deserve to get your clothes stolen.”

And indeed, Adelaide was now the new owner of the intern’s clothes. The dress fit pretty well, the shoes were a bit tight, but she could make do. She stepped out of the closet and closed the door.

“Now where is Hargrove’s office…”

A quick look at the floor map told Adelaide where she needed to go. She had to duck out of sight more than once when a security guard passed by, on the off chance that it was Cam or Gwyneth. Adelaide had been a professional infiltrator long enough to know there was no room for error in a job like this.

Finally, she reached Mayor Hargrove’s office. There was no one around; Adelaide couldn’t believe her luck. She approached the door and turned the knob – it didn’t budge.

Locked… Well, I was bound to hit some kind of obstacle eventually.

Undeterred, Adelaide removed a pin from her hair and began picking at the lock. It wouldn’t take long; soon she would be in the—

“Can I help you?”

Oops. Adelaide straightened up and put on a polite smile as she turned to the sound of the voice. “Yes, hello. The mayor asked me to fetch something from her office, but…”

The newcomer, a light-skinned woman with her auburn hair in a short ponytail, raised an eyebrow as a look of recognition came over her face. “…Adelaide?”

Adelaide paused, and her eyes widened. “Wait… I remember you. Jennifer or something?”

“Jenna, actually.” Jenna frowned. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question,” Adelaide replied, recalling their previous encounter. “You gonna chloroform me and tie me up again?”

“I work here,” Jenna replied, irritated. “And you clearly don’t. I’m guessing those aren’t your clothes.”

“You work for that Hargrove psycho?” Adelaide said in shock. “The woman who wants to lock up all professional uniform thieves and throw away the key?”

“Uniform stealing isn’t a profession,” Jenna replied.

“I couldn’t make a living without it,” Adelaide shot back. “And as I recall, you have some experience stealing uniforms yourself. And now you’re working with the enemy? You traitor…”

“I don’t know what you’re doing here,” Jenna continued, ignoring Adelaide’s words. “But you’re breaking and entering, and you’ve probably just assaulted a woman for her clothes. I’m calling security.”

She reached for the radio on her belt. In one swift motion, Adelaide grabbed it out of her hands.

Jenna glared at her. “Give that back.”

Adelaide held up a hand. “Jenna, you owe me, remember? The last time we met, I saved your life. That Addison woman would’ve shot you in the head if I hadn’t knocked her out.”

Jenna considered this, her expression softening. “You’re right… and I’m forever grateful to you for that.”

“Great. So let me just get what I came here for, and I’ll be out of your way.”

Jenna steeled herself. “No. I can’t have a uniform thief waltz into City Hall without consequence. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you leave.”

Adelaide frowned. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

Jenna’s eyes flicked to the nearby wall, to which was affixed a fire alarm. Adelaide followed her glance.

“Jenna…” she said in a warning tone.

Jenna moved fast, sprinting towards the fire alarm.

But Adelaide moved faster. Just as Jenna’s fingers were about to close on the alarm handle, Adelaide wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her backwards.

“Sorry about this,” Adelaide whispered to the struggling woman as she tightened the sleeper hold. “But I did give you a choice.”

Jenna pushed hard, trying to break her assailant’s grip. But Adelaide held on tight.

“I wish I didn’t have to do this,” Adelaide said through gritted teeth. “There aren’t many women who I’ve ever been on even semi-friendly terms with… and before today, you were one of the few exceptions.”

Jenna fought valiantly, but she was clearly outmatched. Her struggles slowed, energy draining from her body. At last, she went limp.

“Cheer up. At least I’m not going to steal your clothes.”

Spotting a ring of keys on Jenna’s belt, Adelaide quickly swiped them. She found the right key and unlocked the door to Hargrove’s office, dragging the unconscious woman inside and shutting the door behind them.

There was a supply cabinet in the corner of the office. Adelaide found some black duct tape inside, and used it to quickly bind and gag the unconscious Jenna. She left the woman seated inside the cabinet, her head resting against the wall.

“Again, I’m really sorry about this.” Adelaide shut the cabinet door.

Knowing her time was limited, Adelaide began searching the drawers of the mayor’s desk. “If I were a little tape recording with the power to end a politician’s career, where would I be?”

Footsteps approached from outside, and the doorknob turned. Adelaide froze. Then, instantly regaining her composure, she ducked down behind the desk.

The door opened. From beneath the crack of the desk, Adelaide could see two pairs of feet enter.

“This isn’t fair, Claudia,” a woman’s voice said. “I had plans tonight. A date. I hate having to cancel…”

“Quit complaining, Zephyr,” the other woman replied. “Your love life will have to wait. The mayor asked us to attend the meeting at her mansion tonight, and our allegiance to her takes priority.”

Zephyr scoffed. “Why do we need to be there?”

“Because she’s meeting with the city’s top donors and investors, and she expects her head staff to be there. That means you, me, and Jenna.” She glanced around. “Where is Jenna, anyway? She said she would meet us at this office.”

Adelaide held her breath as Claudia approached the desk.

“It’s not like her to be late…” Claudia continued.

At that moment, a soft, low moan came from the supply cabinet.

Claudia and Zephyr exchanged a glance. Then they both looked at the cabinet.

As they approached the cabinet, Adelaide counted the seconds. She knew she’d only get one chance…

Claudia swung open the cabinet. Both she and Zephyr gasped at the sight of their coworker, bound and gagged inside.

While the women had their eyes trained on Jenna, Adelaide rolled out from under the desk and bolted for the door.

Hearing footsteps, Zephyr turned just in time to glimpse a woman disappear through the doorway.

“Hey! Who…?”

She rushed to the door and glanced out. But Adelaide was already gone.

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

Twigs crunched beneath Katerina’s feet as she stepped through the park’s bushes.

Dressed in her newly acquired forest ranger outfit, she blended in doubly. Her uniform gave her the appearance of someone with free reign to stride around the park, and the green color provided her a level of camouflage against the trees and fauna.

The first step, as she had instructed her team, was always to blend in. If you looked like you belonged, you could more easily notice what didn’t belong.

The crackle of a radio sounded nearby. Katerina looked up to see a woman approaching – a woman who looked like she didn’t belong.

The woman was tall and athletically built, with light skin and sandy blonde hair tied back in a short ponytail. She was dressed in a black Kevlar vest over black bodysuit with elbow and kneepads, thick black boots, dark sunglasses, and a black baseball cap. The letters “FEMME” were emblazoned on the cap in white lettering.

The woman was speaking into a small radio strapped to her shoulder. “Northeastern sector clear. Continuing to search perimeter…”

She glanced up as she noticed Katerina, eyeing her forest ranger uniform. “Ma’am, you shouldn’t be out walking alone. There are criminals on the loose.”

“Sorry,” Katerina replied, doing her best impression of a slow American accent. “I was just taking a bathroom break… The door jammed and it took a while to get it open. What happened?”

“Two women were found in the woods nearby,” the FEMME agent responded. “Both tied up and robbed of both their clothes. Fortunately, they were able to give us a description of their muggers.”

“Have you identified them?” Katerina asked.

“We have. A pair of women named Patel and Baranova. We’ve been looking for them for a while, and…”

Immediately, her radio buzzed. She leaned in and listened.

“You sure? Well, that’s excellent news.”

The FEMME smiled and looked back up.

“What is it?” Katerina asked.

“They’ve been caught,” the FEMME agent replied. “Patel and Baranova tried breaking into a chemical plant… Two of our agents caught them.”

“Where are they being taken?” Katerina inquired.

“Afraid that’s all classified information,” the FEMME woman answered. “Go back to your work, ma’am, leave the criminal catching to us professionals. I need to regroup with my team.”

Katerina nodded. “Of course, how silly of me.”

As the FEMME agent turned to go, Katerina continued. “It’s always a mistake to ask politely.”

The FEMME agent turned to her. “What did you sa—”

BAM!

Katerina let loose with an elbow to the woman’s left temple. The FEMME agent staggered backwards, dazed.

Instinctively, she reached for her gun, but Katerina slammed a fist into the woman’s stomach. Even through the Kevlar of her vest, the blonde felt the force of the blow.

“Why, you…” The FEMME agent never finished her thought, as Katerina tackled her with full force. The two women went tumbling into the bushes.

The punches and kicks which followed were loud and forceful enough to scare some nearby birds from their nest. Still, the sounds did not last more than thirty seconds. All was soon quiet, save for the sound of a woman catching her breath.

The woman in question was Katerina, a bit sweaty and winded in her victory over the FEMME agent, who now lay unconscious on the grass.

“You’re a good fighter,” Katerina told the slumbering woman, brushing some errant strands of hair from her own face. “But good isn’t good enough.”

She knelt down and began unlacing one of the blonde’s boots. “Now, I believe this uniform…” She pulled the boot off the woman’s foot. “…needs a new owner.”

The FEMME agent was in no condition to dispute the nature of Katerina’s argument, nor to put up any protest as she was divested of her other boot, followed by her vest, belt, elbow and knee pads, suit, and her baseball cap and sunglasses. She was left in a set of white exercise bra and matching boyshorts while Katerina dressed in her clothing.

“Better,” Katerina smiled as she laced up the boots. “Much better.”

She reached for the weapons belt and snapped it around her waist, admiring the gun at her hip. State-of-the-art weaponry, now at her disposal.

There were two pairs of handcuffs strapped to the weapons belt, and Katerina put them to good use, snapping them around the FEMME agent’s wrists and ankles. She used the red neckerchief from her ranger disguise as a gag, tying it over the woman’s mouth. She left the woman secured to a tree some ways from the park path.

Then she stepped out onto the pathway herself, resplendent in her new uniform, and glanced around. At once, the radio strapped to her uniform buzzed.

“Alix, do you copy? Please respond. All us FEMME agents are to reconvene at the park exit in thirty minutes.”

Katerina reached for her radio and spoke in a voice nearly identical to the woman who – not that she cared one way or the other – was named Alix.

“Yes, of course. I copy. Will be there.”

Then she glanced at her watch. Thirty minutes… That didn’t give her team a lot of time. Still, it was a plan worth attempting.

She reached for her other radio – the one she used to keep in contact with her fellow Russian agents. “Girls, your attention please. I know how to locate Sonja and Chandra… but we can’t do it as park rangers. We’ll need to become FEMMEs.”

“We’re already femmes,” Olga replied. Then, with a giggle, she added, “Well, I don’t know about Marta …”

“Oh, fuck off!” Marta’s voice interjected angrily.

“Girls,” Katerina said sternly. “Enough bickering. There are government officers known as FEMMEs combing the park. They are our key to locating Sonja and Chandra. You each need to obtain one of their uniforms. And do it quickly… There’s no room for error.”

“You got it, boss,” Alisa responded.

“I’d better think up some more one-liners!” Olga mused.

Katerina ignored her comments as she shut off the radio.

Revenge was close. She could almost taste it.

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

“Hope you like the taste!” Polina grinned.

She stood back and admired her handiwork. The unconscious, underwear-clad janitress had been bound with flex and gagged with duct tape, her cheeks bulging with the dishrag stuffed within her mouth. She had been stowed behind some cardboard boxes in the corner of the closet.

Despite her own conflicted feelings about Lupe, Polina had to admit that stealing another woman’s clothes never failed to cheer her up.

Elena approached, dressed in the janitress’ uniform. “How do I look?”

Polina smiled at her. “Perfect. Shall we get going?”

The two women exited the closet and headed back down the hall, Polina pushing her cleaning cart.

“This is exciting,” Elena whispered. “No one’s paying attention to us so far… You think these disguises will fool the secretary?”

Polina grinned. “I’ve done this quite a few times, girl. Just let me do the talking.”

They approached the administrative desk, behind which sat Clara, the woman who had cancelled Elena’s appointment a scant twenty minutes earlier. The woman was now flipping through a fashion catalogue.

“Ms. Smythe called the janitorial line,” Polina said brightly. “Apparently she spilled some coffee and needed a cleanup.”

The secretary glanced up for but a moment, enough time to acknowledge the cleaning uniforms of the two women standing before her. “Sure… Go on in.”

Polina grinned and winked at Elena, who smiled back. The two women walked past the desk and towards the doors leading to the executive office. There was a buzz, and the doors opened into the inner hallway, allowing Polina and Elena to walk inside.

Clara continued to flip through her magazine. Then something made her pause.

“Wait… Ms. Smythe didn’t get her coffee today…”

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

Still bound to the chair, Oksana kept her eyes locked on Heather, who was now pacing her office in deep thought.

“I have a job for you,” the diplomat finally announced.

Oksana scowled. “Not interested.”

“I’d advise you to get interested, and quickly,” Heather replied. “Like I said, I own you. I could have you arrested and locked up for life. Or I could set you free. Or…” She eyed the gun on her desk. “…Well, I’m not a violent woman by nature, but you did intrude into my building and threaten my daughter.”

Smiling coldly, she picked up the gun and approached Oksana, who tensed ever so slightly.

“I think I’d be justified in putting a bullet in your kneecap… at the very least.”

At that moment, the doors to the office swung open. Two women strode inside.

“Hi there!” Polina smiled. “We were just… huh?”

She froze in confusion at the sight of her friend and colleague tied to a chair, while Heather Smythe stood over her, brandishing a gun.

Heather froze as well, unsure of what to say. “Wh—How did you two get into my office? You… oof!”

Oksana took advantage of Heather’s momentary distraction and kicked her leg out, catching the gun and knocking it from the diplomat’s hand. The weapon skittered beneath the desk.

“Get her!” Oksana called to Polina, but her friend didn’t need instructions. Polina launched herself at Heather, grabbing the startled woman by her lapels.

“Tying up my partner and threatening her with a gun?” Polina asked angrily. “That doesn’t seem very diplomatic!”

Heather growled. “Let go of me! You’re in serious trouble!”

Polina shrugged. “Story of my life.” She turned to Oksana. “You all right, Oksy?”

Oksana was too relieved to see her friend to get annoyed at the use of her least favorite nickname. “Yes. I’m fine. Would you mind untying me?”

“Allow me!” Elena approached the chair.

Oksana glanced up at her. “Who? Oh… I remember you. From the police station.”

“You rescued me, now I will rescue you!” Elena said with a grin as she began cutting the ropes.

“This isn’t right!” Heather said angrily. “Let go of me now!”

“I’ll let go of you,” Polina assured her, “as soon as you sign some papers allowing all of us to be legal citizens.”

“I’d sooner die than help you!”

“Happy to oblige,” Oksana said as she stood up, rubbing her wrists.

At that moment, Clara poked her head into the room. “Ma’am, there are intruders in your office! They – oop!”

Oksana grabbed her and pulled her into the room, pressing a hand over her mouth. “You’re a bit late, honey.”

Polina turned back to Heather. “So… are you gonna help us or not?”

“I…” Heather paused, unsure of what to do.

At that moment, the phone on her desk rang.

“Ignore it,” Oksana said.

Heather scowled. “You idiots. That’s my security personnel. They’re the only ones outside of Clara who have a direct line to my office. If no one answers the phone, they’ll know something’s wrong.”

Polina caught Oksana’s eye. Oksana sighed.

“Fine. Let her answer it.”

She glared at Heather. “You will tell the security guard that everything is fine, you don’t have any problems. If you even hint that there’s a problem, I will break your elbows.”

Heather nodded. Polina loosened her grip, allowing Heather to pick up the phone.

“Hello?” She listened. “Oh, hello, Diana… What? You found…? Where?”

She glanced up at Oksana and Polina. Then, slowly, a smile crept upon her lips.

“Hang on. Let me put you on speaker.”

She pressed a button on the phone pad. The guard’s voice echoed through the office.

“I said, I found an intruder trying to poke around the back entrance. She clearly didn’t belong here.”

This was followed by a voice that was all too familiar to some of the women in the room.

“Please, I was just looking for my cousin… I don’t want her to get hurt. Please, she doesn’t mean to do anything wrong…”

Polina went pale. Elena’s eyes widened. “Lupe?”

“Ah, so you know this other woman?” Heather said with a smile. “Isn’t that lovely.”

Polina scowled. “Let her go, or I’ll—”

Heather raised a hand for quiet. “I would advise you not to make threats,” she said calmly.

Then she turned to the phone. “Diana?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Would you mind pointing your gun at the intruder?”

“Right away, ma’am.”

There was a clicking sound, followed by Lupe’s scream – a scream which was quickly muffled by a woman’s hand.

“No!” Elena cried.

With a satisfied grin on her face, Heather turned to Oksana and Polina. “Now, I assume I have your attention.”

Polina gritted her teeth. “Let her go. She’s innocent.”

“Correction: She’s insurance,” Heather replied. “If you lay a finger on me, she dies. Is that clear?”

Oksana and Polina exchanged a glance.

Then they both turned back to Heather and, slowly, nodded.

“Very good,” Heather beamed. “I can see we’re off to a good start. And…” She turned to Oksana. “Would you mind letting go of my secretary?”

Oksana loosened her viselike grip, allowing Clara to break free. The secretary looked ruffled, but unharmed.

“Back to your desk, Clara,” Heather ordered her. “Make sure no one else enters this office. I need a private conversation with our new guests.”

“But ma’am… they could be dangerous.”

“I think I’ll be fine,” Heather said with a smile. “Off you go.”

Clara gave a quick glance at Oksana, then quickly left the office, closing the door behind her.

“Now,” Heather glanced at Polina. “I assume by your accent that you’re this woman’s partner?”

Polina nodded.

“Wonderful. Two highly skilled Russian agents, at my mercy. I can put the two of you to very good use.”

“What the hell do you want?” Oksana growled.

Heather’s grin broadened. “I just have a little job for the two of you. Something I need done, that can’t be traced back to me. If you succeed, I’ll give you back your dear Lupe, unharmed. If you fail, well…” She traced a well-manicured fingernail across her throat. “…You get the picture.”

Elena looked like she was on the verge of tears. Polina gave her a concerned look, then turned back to Heather.

“Please, we’ll do anything. Just don’t hurt Lupe.”

“What do you want us to do?” Oksana said angrily.

“It’s very simple,” Heather replied. “I need you to kill Mayor Hargrove.”