Madame Mayor - Chapter 7: The Escape Plan
Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2025 4:24 am
Lupe grit her teeth as she pulled against the bonds that restrained her to the metal chair.
Elena, bound in the chair next to her, glanced over. “Cousin, what are you doing? I told you we need to remain calm and trust Oksana and Polina.”
“Well, I don’t trust Oksana and Polina,” Lupe replied. “We need to get out of here. That deranged Heather Smythe woman kidnapped us and is holding us hostage in the basement of a government embassy building! We need to get out of here and call the police!”
Elena gave her an odd look. “Call the police? We don’t exactly have the best relationship with them, as I recall.”
Lupe stopped struggling. Then her face fell.
Elena was right, of course. It had only been a few weeks since she had been arrested by the police on suspicion of being a uniform thief. It had taken the combined skills of Oksana and Polina – plus several stolen cop uniforms – to break Elena from prison.
“So… we’re stuck,” Lupe acknowledged. “What do we do?”
“We just need to trust Oksana and Polina to do the job Smythe wants them to do at the mayor’s mansion,” Elena replied. “Then Heather will set us free and make me an American citizen!”
Lupe shook her head. “No, she won’t.”
Elena looked surprised.
“Smythe is a government official,” Lupe explained. “She can’t risk letting us go after holding us hostage down here. She thinks we could expose her… There’s no way she would let us leave this building alive.”
She swallowed. “Smythe is manipulating Oksana and Polina to do her dirty work… She’s using us as leverage. Once they carry out her orders, she’ll have no further use for us… and then…”
Elena understood.
“Then we need to escape,” she declared.
“How?” Lupe asked. “These ropes are too tight. I can barely budge them. Besides, there are two armed guards stationed outside this room.”
Elena smiled. “Yes… Two armed guards… Both women… Both a good size…”
“A good size for what?” Lupe inquired.
Elena chuckled. “Cousin, you have much to learn.”
**********************
Jenna frowned as she spoke into her radio.
“Claudia, Zephyr… Where are you? Respond, please.”
She was now striding through the foyer of the mayor’s mansion. Guests had begun to arrive, and the room was quickly filling up with wealthy men and women.
“Excuse me, miss,” one older lady holding a champagne glass said to Jenna. “Do you know when the mayor will be addressing us?”
Jenna politely smiled. “The mayor should be down in about a half-hour, I believe. In the meantime, enjoy the refreshments.”
Then she turned away and spoke into her radio again. “Claudia… Zephyr, where are you guys? Have you rendezvoused with the FEMME agents?”
As she spoke, she passed by an elegantly dressed, dark-haired female party guest standing in the corner, snacking on some hors d’oeuvres.
The woman’s ears perked up when she heard Jenna’s words.
“Excuse me, lady,” she said as Jenna passed. “Did you mention something about FEMME agents?”
Jenna nodded. “I was told they arrived a few minutes ago. I’m just trying to contact my teammates to learn their current status.”
She walked off, speaking again into her radio.
Polina watched her go.
“Crap,” she whispered. “This complicates things…”
**********************
Chandra glanced down at Sonja, who still lay slumped against the mayor’s desk.
Then she glared up at Oksana. “You bitch, you poisoned her! I’ll…”
Oksana quickly pulled out her gun – the one she had stolen from Anita at the LeRose mansion – and pointed it at Chandra. “Let’s all calm down.”
Chandra stopped moving. Her hands remained balled into fists.
Behind her, Hargrove quietly reached for the alarm button beneath her desk.
“I wouldn’t do that, Madame Mayor,” Oksana said. “This job is already complicated enough. No need to involve anyone else. Please step away from your desk and keep your hands where I can see them.”
Hargrove frowned, but slowly stood up.
“Who are you?” she asked, stepping over to the nearest corner of the room. “What do you want?”
“I’ve been sent here to kill you,” Oksana explained. “But luckily for you, I’ve chosen not to do that.”
“You chose to kill Sonja instead,” Chandra growled.
“Sonja’s not dead,” Oksana replied. “The pill in her drink – which was supposed to be Hargrove’s drink – induces a temporary death-like sleep. I was going to fake Hargrove’s death long enough to…”
“Long enough to what?” Chandra demanded.
At that moment, Sonja groaned. She lifted her head.
“You’re alive!” A look of relief washed over Chandra’s face. She grasped her friend’s shoulder. “Sonja, you okay?”
“Five more minutes, Mom,” Sonja grumbled, and slumped forward again.
“Huh?” Chandra glanced back up at Oksana.
“The pill induces a strong state of sleep,” Oksana continued. “It was developed by scientists in Moscow… But SVR agents like Sonja and I were trained to build up a tolerance to its effects. She’ll be dazed and confused for a few hours, but she’ll recover.”
“I want to ride the merry-go-round,” Sonja muttered.
“Again, my apologies,” Oksana continued. “I didn’t expect you two to be here. My job was simply to kill the mayor... and even that would have been a façade.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Hargrove said dryly.
Chandra glared up at Oksana again. “You don’t expect me to trust you,” she said. “You tried to kill Sonja before, and you’ve shot me in the past. Twice.”
“I shot you with tranquilizer darts,” Oksana replied. “I would prefer not to shoot you with anything more fatal now. So why don’t we all. Just. Calm. Down.”
Chandra said nothing, unsure of whether to make a move.
Finally, Hargrove spoke. “You’re Oksana, aren’t you?”
Oksana’s eyes widened. “How did you…?”
“I read your file,” Hargrove explained. “I read the files of all those Russian women who tried to sabotage the NASA launch I officiated. I recognize your picture.” She paused. “Who hired you to kill me?”
Oksana said nothing.
“You’re not an evil woman,” Hargrove continued. “You said you weren’t planning to actually kill me. I assume you’ve spared the life of the poor tea girl whose uniform you’re now wearing?”
Oksana nodded. “She’s bound and gagged in a closet.”
“Gillian, her name is,” Hargrove nodded. “Sweet girl. I suppose I’ll have to give her a raise.” She sighed. “Who hired you? Who wants me dead? You obviously don’t seem thrilled about working for them.”
Oksana paused. “It’s… Heather Smythe.”
Hargrove processed this, then nodded grimly.
“She’s holding a couple of women hostage, and threatened to kill them unless we assassinate you,” Oksana explained. “It’s… a long story.”
“I’ll bet it is,” Hargrove murmured. “Well, Heather Smythe is no friend of mine. I’ll be happy to call the authorities and have her arrested. We’ll rescue your friends and get this all sorted out.”
“No.” Oksana shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t do that. It’s too risky. If Smythe suspects anything, she could have those women killed. She doesn’t strike me as a woman who will surrender easily.”
“Well, what’s your plan then?” Hargrove asked. “Do you have another ‘poison pill’ you’ll force me to swallow?”
Oksana shook her head again. “Sonja took the only one I had.”
“I want to do ballet,” Sonja mumbled.
Chandra glared at Oksana. “Well? What is your plan now?”
Oksana didn’t know how to respond.
Then, abruptly, she heard Polina’s voice come in over her radio.
“Oksy, bad news. Bunch of FEMME agents are here.”
Oksana lifted her radio. “What agents?”
“Armored women with big guns. Not fans of uniform stealing. Don’t you watch the news?”
Hargrove smiled. “Looks like you’re in deep trouble now,” she said. “I advise you to surrender quickly. There’s no need for violence.”
For the first time in ages, Oksana found herself at a loss. She had no idea what to do next.
Then Chandra spoke up. “May I make a suggestion?”
Oksana frowned at her. “What is it?”
“I have an idea,” Chandra said. “It’s risky, but if it works, all of us will walk out of here unharmed. We can avoid the authorities and go our separate ways.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Hargrove interjected.
“You shut up,” Oksana growled at her.
Then she turned back to Chandra. “Why should I trust you?”
“Because I want to escape from here as much as you do.”
Oksana bit her lip in thought.
Then she lowered her gun.
“Okay. What’s your plan?”
*******************
Morgan approached to the large garden outside the mayor’s mansion and sniffed the air. She smiled. The aroma was wonderful.
The young security guard always took a minute of her day to “stop and smell the roses,” as her mother always taught her. She took her patrol of the mayoral grounds seriously, especially on a busy evening like this one. But she also enjoyed rewarding herself now and then by breathing in the scents of the mansion’s lush flower garden.
Morgan had been a security guard for Mayor Hargrove’s mansion for about three months. A tall, athletic woman with tanned skin and black hair worn in a short ponytail, she wore the standard uniform of light blue button-down shirt, black pants, shiny black loafers, and a dark blue peaked cap. Her sector of the grounds was usually near the rear of the mansion, not far from the garbage dumpsters. Thus, every now and then, she would approach the sweet-smelling garden for a change of pace.
Morgan closed her eyes and leaned close to the flowers, breathing in deeply through her nose.
The next moment, her pleasant activity was interrupted as a white cloth was clamped over her nose and mouth.
“Glllmmppphhh?!?”
Carolyn pulled the startled guard backwards, away from the rosebed.
“I’m sorry about this,” she whispered. “I’ll make this as easy as possible.”
Morgan kicked out desperately, trying to break free of the grip Carolyn now had around her waist.
“Grab her legs,” Carolyn told Atsuko. “She’s scared, she’s confused. We don’t want her to hurt herself.”
Atsuko nodded and grabbed the guard’s ankles. She held them together and lifted them in the air.
Morgan continued to struggle, but with her body lifted entirely off the ground, she had no means of leverage. She squirmed in the grip of the two women who now carried her back to some nearby bushes.
“You’ll be okay,” Carolyn whispered. “Just calm down and go to sleep… I promise you’ll be okay.”
Morgan’s struggles weakened, her eyes fluttered closed. At last, her body went limp.
Carolyn glanced at Atsuko. “See? That’s how you mug a woman without hurting her.”
Adelaide, hiding behind the bushes, clapped sarcastically as Carolyn and Atsuko laid the unconscious guard on the ground. “Bravo. You really know how to take the fun out of everything.”
Atsuko came to her wife’s defense. “Don’t be so hard on Carolyn… She’s right, after all. These security guards are innocent women. We may need their uniforms, but there are ways to render them unconscious without hurting them.”
Adeliade rolled her eyes. “The chloroform may be ‘harmless’ but it takes too long. We can’t risk being spotted while dragging all these struggling guards out of sight.”
Carolyn turned to face her. “If you want our help, we’re doing this my way,” she said adamantly. “No innocent bystanders get hurt. Got it?”
Adelaide was a bit surprised by Carolyn’s assertiveness. But she nodded.
“Fine. Give me her uniform.”
Soon, she was changing out of her chauffeur disguise and into the guard’s clothes. Meanwhile, Carolyn and Atsuko carried the unconscious Morgan – bound and gagged with green gardening tape, stripped to a white camisole and pink bikini panties – over to the gardening van which currently held the similarly unconscious, stripped, and restrained Daisy, Jasmine, Cynthia, and Laurie.
“That van’s getting pretty full,” Adelaide remarked as she fitted Morgan’s cap over her hair.
“Better than leaving them out in the grass where they’re vulnerable to the cold and to bug bites,” Carolyn replied, shutting the door. “Now come on… We all have security disguises. Let’s get in the mansion and figure out who’s trying to kill the mayor.”
The three women exited the bushes and headed for the mansion. Adelaide brought up the rear, pausing briefly as her phone buzzed.
She glanced down and saw a text from Lucille Weldon-Grant. ”Have you located the tape recording yet?”
Adelaide sighed. She quickly texted back “Working on it” and hurried to catch up to Carolyn and Atsuko.
*********************
Cam and Gwyneth stood outside the door to Mayor Hargrove’s office, arms folded, staring straight ahead.
Finally, Gwyneth spoke up. “Been awfully quiet in there,” she said.
“The walls are soundproof,” Cam replied. “Mayor Hargrove likes her privacy.”
Gwyneth nodded. “But… that tea server we let into the room… She’s been there a while.”
Before Cam could respond, Hargrove’s voice sounded over the intercom.
“Cam… Gwyneth. Please enter the office. I need your assistance.”
The two guards exchanged a glance. Then they shrugged.
“Maybe some of the tea spilled,” Gwyneth said with a smile.
She opened the door and stepped into the room, Cam following behind her.
Hargrove was tied to her chair at her desk. Sonja sat near the desk, her head slumped forward.
An alarmed look crossed Cam’s face. “What’s going on?”
Hargrove sighed. “I’m sorry, girls. They forced me.”
“Forced you to what?” Gwyneth demanded as the door closed behind them.
She never got a vocal answer. At that moment, Chandra and Oksana pounced from behind the doorframe.
The fight which followed was rough and angry. Chandra had already faced Cam and Gwyneth twice that day – she had been overpowered by them before, but had learned enough from their fighting styles to know their weak points. A few punches to Gwyneth’s side took the wind out of her, and a knee to her gut sent her to the floor.
Cam cursed and reached for her weapon, but Oksana moved faster, clobbering her with a lamp. The second guard slid to the floor beside her partner.
Hargrove glanced down at the two unconscious guards, then up at Chandra and Oksana. “You girls fight rough.”
“I’m done playing nice.” Chandra massaged her knuckles. “Had to take them out quickly. No time for quips or anything.”
“Now what?” Oksana asked her.
“Now Sonja and I put on the uniforms of these two losers and walk out of here,” Chandra explained. “Hopefully Sonja doesn’t need much help for that part.”
“I want to order pizza,” Sonja mumbled, barely raising her head from the desk.
Chandra sighed. “I may need your help getting Sonja down the stairs.”
“You’re not getting my help unless we fix my dilemma,” Oksana said, irritated. “I need to convince Heather Smythe that Mayor Hargrove is dead… at least for a few hours. What’s your plan for that?”
Chandra smiled. “Well… it’s a little speculative, but it might work. I’ll explain while we strip these two.”
She bent down and began untying Gwyneth’s shoes. Oksana did the same with Cam.
“Earlier today,” Chandra explained, “I mugged a newswoman for her clothes and van. While in the van, I noticed the news channel she worked for had reserved an evening spot covering the mayor’s big event at the mansion tonight.”
“So?”
“So we can put on a show for the cameras,” Chandra said. “I’ll disguise myself as a news anchor and break a big story about how Mayor Hargrove has been killed. The truth won’t be revealed till hours later, and by that point your friends will have been freed.”
Oksana considered this for a moment. “That… might just be crazy enough to work.”
“You’re both insane,” Hargrove scowled. “You’ll never get away with this.”
“I’ve gotten away with plenty,” Chandra replied. “Besides, you should love this plan. Not only do you survive, but your approval rating will probably go up!”
Hargrove glared at her. “I offered you a chance to join my team. I offered to help you take down Lucille Weldon-Grant. You should have agreed to my terms. You’ll regret this, I promise.”
Chandra approached the chair to which Hargrove had been bound. “I think this conversation is over.”
She tore a piece of silver duct tape from the roll she was carrying and smoothed it over Hargrove’s cheeks. “Been an honor meeting you, Madame Mayor.”
Hargrove’s facial expression suggested the feeling was not mutual.
Still, she could only watch helplessly as Gwyneth, reduced to a green sports bra and grey hiphuggers, and Cam, down to a black bandeau bra and strawberry-red boyshorts, were bound and gagged with more silver duct tape. Hargrove could also do nothing Chandra donned Gwyneth’s security uniform, while Oksana helped a drowsy Sonja slip into Cam’s.
“I love playing dress-up,” Sonja smiled woozily.
“How long does this stupid drug last?” Chandra asked.
“Just a few hours,” Oksana told her. “I’ve known Sonja for years, she’s a strong woman.”
Chandra couldn’t resist replying. “Is that why you kidnapped and tried to kill her?”
Oksana was about to respond to this when she heard her radio buzz again.
“Oksy, remember the bad news before about the FEMME agents? Well… I got worse news. They’re… not FEMME agents.”
**********************
Polina had spotted one of the “FEMME” agents lurking around the edge of the foyer, and had immediately recognized her – it was Olga.
“I can’t explain how,” she whispered into her watch, “but I think some of our… ‘friends’ from that NASA mission have escaped from jail. Maybe they followed us here… Or…”
“Or maybe they followed Chandra and Sonja here,” Oksana replied.
“Huh?” Polina didn’t understand. “Chandra and Sonja are… in the mansion?”
“Yes. I’ll explain later. Polina, keep an eye on Olga and make sure she doesn’t spot you. And let me know if you see any other FEMME agents you recognize.”
“Roger that.”
Polina glanced around again. She had not been spotted by Olga, of that she was certain of. And yet, she had to lay low, avoid attracting attention for the time being. And Malina LeRose’s dress, gorgeous as it was, was not great for avoiding attention.
“Excuse me, miss?”
Polina looked up to see one of the event’s caterers standing before her. The young woman had light skin and sandy-brown hair that had been combed back into a bun. She wore a crisp white button-down shirt, black vest, black pants, and shiny black shoes, and was carrying a silver tray in one hand. The gold nametag on her vest read “Bonnie.”
“May I interest you in a petit four?” Bonnie asked politely.
Polina smiled. “No… but you can interest me in your clothes.”
Before Bonnie could inquire as to this strange remark, Polina had grabbed her by the collar and pulled the startled caterer into a coat closet.
******************
The mansion was large, and the Russian mercenaries had opted to split up in order to search the premises.
Their FEMME uniforms allowed them easy access around the building with no need to ask questions. They conveyed a sense of authority that few dared to question.
“We search the basement first,” Katerina had instructed. “Then the first floor. Then the upper floors, if necessary.”
They were now on the first floor. Katerina had positioned herself near the main lobby. Alisa was searching the guest rooms. Olga was roaming the ballroom where the guests were gathering. Svetlana searched the staff quarters.
This left Marta with little to do other than search around the walls and corners.
She was biding her time right now, hoping to come across some sort of clue that could lead her to Chandra and Sonja. But thus far, she’d been having no more luck than her associates…
“Excuse me! Officer…”
Marta turned to see a young red-haired woman in business attire approaching her, holding a clipboard.
“Hi,” the woman said. “I was hoping to run into one of you FEMME agents… My name is Jenna. My associates Claudia and Zephyr were supposed to meet you at the gate. Do you know where they are?”
Marta grinned. “I think they got a little… tied up.”
Jenna was buy focusing on her clipboard and thus did not appreciate the double-meaning of Marta’s words. “Well, we’re all tied up at the moment… It’s a busy evening. Not like them to avoid answering my calls… We need to confer with the mayor…”
A lightbulb flashed in Marta’s head. This woman was her ticket to confront the mayor!
Jenna looked up from her clipboard. “Well, if you contact your associates, maybe we can – hey!”
Marta grabbed Jenna by the lapels and shoved her against the wall. “Shut up.”
“What the hell?” Jenna struggled to get free. Marta pulled out her gun and pressed the barrel against Jenna’s cheek.
“Whoa, whoa!” A stunned Jenna raised her hands.
“I said shut up,” Marta ordered. “You say you’re one of the mayor’s aides?”
Jenna scowled. “What kind of FEMME agent are you?”
“The imposter kind, you moron,” Marta sneered. “Just like my associates.”
Jenna eyes widened.
“What did you do to the real – ?”
“Screw them,” Marta replied. “Worry about yourself. Specifically, worry about how I’m going to put a bullet in your head if you don’t do exactly what I say.”
Jenna grit her teeth. “What do you want?”
Marta grinned wickedly. “I want to meet the mayor.”
********************
Adelaide turned to Atsuko and Carolyn as soon as they slipped through the mansion’s side entrance.
“Okay… here’s where we part company.”
“What? Why?” Atsuko asked. “It’d be safer to stick together.”
“Can’t have three women in security uniforms walking around together,” Adelaide explained. “It’d look too suspicious. So unless you want to steal some new sets of clothes…”
“No,” Carolyn interrupted. “We’ve mugged enough women today.”
“So it’s settled then. You two stay down here and comb the area. I’ll head upstairs to the mayor’s office.”
“But… isn’t that dangerous? What if the killers are lurking upstairs?” Atsuko couldn’t hide her concern.
“Babe, I’ve dealt with a lot of dangerous folks in my time. Trust me on this.” Adelaide thought. “You two should keep an eye out for anything suspicious. If you sense any danger, hit the nearest fire alarm. We may need to evacuate the building. Don’t want any civilians to get hurt.”
Carolyn smiled. “I knew it. You do care about other people.”
Adelaide made a grumbling noise, but otherwise said nothing. She headed for the stairwell.
Atsuko turned to Carolyn. “You’re not splitting up from me, right? We need to stay together.”
Carolyn nodded and clasped her wife’s hand. “Together. Always.”
**********************
“Come on, Sonja, get up,” Chandra pressed.
“Don’t wanna go,” Sonja groused. She still looked out of sorts.
Chandra sighed. “I can’t carry her down the stairs. It’d draw too much attention.”
“I can hide her under the tea cart,” Oksana suggested. “She might fit if I drape a clothe over…”
“Too risky.” Chandra thought for a moment. “Okay… Listen up. You stay here with Sonja and try to get her to wake up. I’ll head down to the main floor and see if I can get myself on a news feed and report that the mayor has been killed.”
“You sure you can do that?”
“Of course. I just need to find a female news anchor, bonk her on the head, steal her clothes and say some words into a camera. Easy stuff.”
Chandra turned to Hargrove, who was still bound and gagged to her chair. “And keep an eye on our dear mayor,” she told Oksana. “Knowing her, she’s got something else up her sleeve.”
Hargrove affixed Chandra with a steely glare, but did not so much as breathe into her gag.
“All right, then,” Oksana nodded. “Hurry up… and good luck.”
Chandra nodded and headed out the office door.
In her security guard disguise, she didn’t encounter much resistance as she headed down the stairs. Through a window, she could see some news vans parked outside.
“Jackpot.”
Chandra decided it best to avoid the crowds in the main hallway, in case she was recognized. She decided to cut through the staff kitchen, which appeared to be empty at this time of day – most of the food had already been prepared and was being served to the guests.
Chandra hurried down the staff corridor and opened the kitchen door, hoping to use the back exit as a shortcut. Luckily, it was empty. Unluckily, the outdoor exit had been blocked off, likely for security purposes.
Chandra cursed quietly, but turned around to find a different exit.
Unfortunately for her, the kitchen entrance was now blocked. A young woman in a FEMME uniform stood there, arms folded across her chest.
“Chandra Patel,” Svetlana said, a sinister grin on her face. “I’ve waited so long for this moment.”
*********************
Polina opened the door to the coat closet and peeked out. The coast was clear.
“Sorry about that,” she whispered to the caterer. “You just stay in here and keep safe, okay?”
Bonnie was currently seated on the floor in the back of the closet, stripped to her blue T-shirt bra and grey bikini panties. Her wrists and ankles were bound with grey coat sashes and her mouth was gagged with a black sash.
She was also unconscious, a byproduct of Polina’s impromptu ushering her into the closet for a change of clothes, and it looked as though she would stay that way for a while.
“Thanks for the inconspicuous outfit,” Polina smiled at the caterer, exiting the closet and shutting the door.
She glanced around. Where did Olga go?
She picked up the metal tray from where Bonnie had dropped it. Balancing it in one hand, she began walking swiftly down the hall.
From around the corner, she heard a voice that was unmistakably Olga’s. “My sector’s all clear… Has any place not been searched yet?”
Polina peeked around the corner. Olga’s back was turned to her.
Polina walked up behind her. “Good evening, miss! Would you like some refreshments?”
Olga shook her head. “No, I’m busy…” She paused, recognizing the voice, and looked up.
Polina swung the metal tray, hitting Olga in the face. The mercenary fell to the floor.
“Oops!” Polina grinned. “That wasn’t very refreshing, was it?”
Although dazed, Olga snapped to attention at this irritating joke. She seized Polina’s ankle and pulled hard, sending the dark-haired woman falling to the floor.
“Have a nice trip! See you next fall!” she laughed as Polina clattered to the floor.
Polina felt dizzy, but tried to keep focused. “You need to work on your banter, Olga. It’s really lame.”
Olga frowned. “Oh, like your ‘refreshments’ joke was comedy brilliance?”
“Better than anything you can come up with,” Polina replied as she started to get to her feet.
Before she could do so, however, Olga pulled out her knife and held it to Polina’s throat.
Polina raised her hands nervously. “Er… Then again, I suppose it was worth a chuckle…”
**********************
“Move your ass,” Marta said roughly, giving Jenna a shove up the stairs. “One wrong move and I’ll shoot you.”
Jenna steeled herself as she walked forward. “Why are you trying to kill the mayor?”
“We’re not really after the mayor,” Marta admitted. “We’re after some former friends of ours who have turned traitorous. But the mayor is a nice bonus, considering she locked us up for several months.”
“You don’t need to do this,” Jenna told her as they reached the top of the stairs. “We can figure something out.”
Marta laughed. “Babe, we’ve already got things figured out. Now keep moving.”
They reached the mayor’s office. Jenna knocked.
*********************
From inside the office, Oksana looked up from the half-drowsy Sonja and glanced at Hargrove. The mayor’s face was an impassive mask.
The knock came again.
Oksana approached the intercom and pressed the button. “Yes?”
Jenna’s voice came through. “Is the mayor in? I need to speak with her.”
Oksana paused. “One moment, please.”
She strode over to Hargrove and pulled off the gag. “Do you recognize that voice?”
Despite the pain of the tape being pulled from her lips, Hargrove smiled in satisfaction. “That’s Jenna, my personal assistant. If you don’t let her in, she’ll suspect something’s wrong. I’d say you’re in trouble.”
Behind them, a shaky Sonja rose to her feet.
Oksana didn’t notice this. She kept her gaze on Hargrove, her eyes narrowing. “You seem awfully confident for someone who’s tied to a chair.”
“And ironically,” Hargrove retorted, “you’re in more of a bind right now than I am.”
“Oh, shut up.” Oksana hit Hargrove with a neck chop. The mayor slumped, unconscious.
The next moment, Sonja grasped at the doorknob.
Oksana whirled. “Wait, don’t…!”
Sonja pulled the door open. “Do you have the pizza we ordered?”
Jenna and Marta stared blankly at the semi-conscious woman who stood before them.
Then Marta grinned wickedly, shoving Jenna into the room. The redhead caught herself with her hands as she hit the floor.
Marta now pointed her gun at Sonja’s head. “Well, well… The traitor at last. Have you any final words?”
Sonja frowned. “I said no anchovies.”
Marta blinked. “…What?”
Jenna got up shakily, noticing her boss unconscious and tied to a chair with Oksana standing over her. “What is…?”
“Hey!” Marta glared at her. “Stay down on the floor. And…” She looked up, noticing Oksana in the room.
Marta smiled and pointed her gun at Oksana. “Well, well… Looks like I’ve bagged two traitors for the price of one.”
Oksana clenched her fists. “Don’t you call me a traitor.”
“That’s what you are,” Marta replied. “The only question is whether I should shoot you or Sonja first. Either way, I’ll be getting a double promotion!”
At that moment, she felt the barrel of another gun clicking behind her.
“No one’s shooting anyone,” Adelaide said. “Drop your gun.”
Jenna glanced around the room, from Marta to Oksana to Sonja to Hargrove to Adelaide.
“Would someone tell me what the hell is going on?”
*******************
Polina stepped forward, into an empty lounge at the end of the hallway.
“Keep moving,” Olga ordered. “We need privacy for our little chat, don’t we?” She still held the knife a bare inch from Polina’s throat. Her other hand gripped Polina’s shoulder tight.
“You’re not… really going to kill me, are you?” Polina asked nervously. “Come on, Olga, I thought we were friends…”
“We were allies, once upon a time,” Olga replied, shutting the lounge door. “But you betrayed us. You and Oksana both betrayed us on that humiliating NASA mission.”
Polina frowned. “We didn’t betray anyone. We just… needed to get away. Besides, it wasn’t that humiliating.”
“I ended up getting knocked out by some bitch who stole my clothes and left me tied up in a bathroom stall!” Olga retorted. “That was pretty damn humiliating.”
Polina considered this and nodded. “Wow, I had no idea. Did you at least remember to wear non-goofy print underwear?”
Olga snarled and pressed the knife closer to Polina’s throat. “This is not a joke, Polina. You are a traitor to our country. If I kill you, I will be a hero to our country. Give me one good reason to spare your life.”
“I…”
Polina paused.
“I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
“Damn right it is,” Olga replied.
“Today was all my fault,” Polina continued. “I thought I could just break away from everything… Earn American citizenship for me and Oksana… Evade all the authorities hunting us since the NASA infiltration… I thought I could wipe the slate of my life clean and start over…”
She shut her eyes. “And now, because of that… Because of my impulsiveness and stupidity… Two innocent women are going to die.”
Olga looked at her funny. “What are you talking about?”
“Lupe – sweet, gorgeous Lupe, the woman I love – and her amazing cousin Elena…” Polina’s eyes brimmed with tears. “If I die today… then they die too. They don’t deserve this. They’re in this mess because of me…”
She wiped her eyes. “I thought I could save them… but now I’ve been caught. And now you’re going to kill me, and by extension kill them.”
Olga felt oddly uncomfortable. “I… I’m not killing Lupe and Elena. I don’t even know who they are.”
“They’re two of the only friends I’ve made in this country,” Polina replied. “I’ve lost everything… I’m stuck in this city, wanted by the police, with no citizenship in either the USA or Russia… And now my friends are going to suffer as well.” She was crying now.
Olga stared at Polina for several moments.
Then she sighed. “Goddamn it.”
She lowered her knife.
Polina looked at her in surprise. “You’re… not going to kill me?”
“You make everything so weird,” Olga replied. “I was just going to make a funny, badass one-liner and cut your throat, but you just started bawling about these two women I’ve never heard of. And now it’s weird.”
Polina wiped her nose on her sleeve. “I guess I’ve just been… bottling my emotions up lately. And the threat of being subjected to your knife, and one of your painful one-liners, finally broke me.”
Olga nodded. “I guess that’s understandable. After all, you…”
She glanced up. “Wait, did you just call my one-liners ‘painful’?”
Polina nodded. “Even scarier than the knife is the threat of you making a terrible joke.”
Olga growled and raised the knife again. She looked furious. “I’ve had enough of your insults, bitch. It’s time to CUT this conversation short—”
Polina slammed a fist into her temple. Olga groaned and fell to the floor.
Polina sighed. “See? That was a terrible line. Your material is so lazy.”
Olga was unable to receive any constructive criticism about her comedy, however, as she was now unconscious.
Polina took a deep breath. “Anyway… I think I feel better now. Time to tie you up.”
******************
Svetlana lifted a steak knife from the kitchen counter and admired its sharpness. “I’ve been waiting for this moment,” she said. “For a very long time.”
Chandra blinked. “Who are you?”
Svetlana’s jaw set. “You really don’t remember me?” she asked. “You attacked me. You knocked me unconscious, stripped me, tied me up and gagged me!”
Chandra rolled her eyes. “I’ve done that to a hundred women. Be more specific.”
“You tortured me!” Svetlana growled. “At the NASA offices. You nearly broke my hand while interrogating me.”
A look of realization came over Chandra’s face. “Oh yeah… I remember you. The crazy Russian girl.”
“Do not call me crazy!” Svetlana scowled. “I’ve spent every day since thinking about you… I’ve dreamed about you every night…”
“That’s nice, but I don’t swing that way.” Chandra tried to move around the other side of the counter, but Svetlana blocked her.
Chandra frowned. “Look, babe, I’m in kind of a rush right now. I don’t have time to fight…”
“I’m not here to fight you,” Svetlana replied. “I’m here to kill you. Slowly and painfully.”
Chandra looked into Svetlana’s eyes and saw nothing but cold fury.
“Look… It was nothing personal, okay?” Chandra said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I needed information, and…”
“Beg,” Svetlana interrupted.
Chandra blinked. “What?”
“Beg for mercy, and I will make your death a quick one. Resist, and I will torture you, far more than you did to me.”
Chandra scowled. “Get out of my way, right now.”
Svetlana grinned wickedly. “I was hoping you would say that.”
With a roar, she jumped over the counter, butcher’s knife in hand.
*******************
Carolyn and Atsuko wandered down a side hallway to where the guest rooms were situated.
“You sure we should be going this way?” Atsuko whispered.
“I saw one of those FEMME agents heading into this area,” Carolyn answered. “We can use their help.”
Atsuko was skeptical. “We’re wearing stolen uniforms, remember? FEMME isn’t exactly a fan of that…”
“Yes, but I’ve made friends with a couple of FEMME agents already, and I have a signal-button to prove it.” Carolyn smiled at her. “Obviously Adelaide doesn’t trust FEMME, but I do. These women are heroes. And they’ll help us.”
They heard a woman’s voice from around the corner. “Alisa! Where are you?”
“Right here, Katerina,” another woman replied.
Carolyn and Atsuko peeked around the corner. They saw two women in FEMME uniforms convening outside one of the empty guest rooms.
“Any luck?” Katerina asked.
“Nothing so far,” Alisa replied. “Haven’t heard anything from the others either.”
“Just how big is this mansion?” Katerina grumbled. “Let’s just find our targets, kill them, and get out of here.”
Carolyn and Atsuko exchanged a shocked glance. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“We may need someone who knows the lay of the land,” Alisa suggested.
“Good thinking,” Katerina nodded. “But where – hey!”
She had spotted Carolyn’s red hair, peeking around the corner.
Carolyn turned to Atsuko. “Run!”
The two young women ran – but the mercenaries were faster. Katerina grabbed Carolyn, and Alisa nabbed Atsuko. Both girls had their arms pinned and their mouths handgagged.
“Well, well,” Katerina sneered, eyeing the uniforms Carolyn and Atsuko were wearing. “A couple of nosy security guards eavesdropping on us. Sounds like they heard a little too much.”
Carolyn and Atsuko exchanged a frightened glance. Suddenly, Carolyn wished Adelaide were there…
“We can use them,” Alisa noted. “They’re probably familiar with all the inner workings of the mansion.”
Katerina nodded. “You hear that, honey?” she smiled at Carolyn. “You’re gonna help us finish our hunt.”
Then she looked over at Atsuko. “We only need to interrogate one guard,” she said. “Two of them is too much trouble.”
“What should I do with this one?” Alisa asked, restraining the struggling Atsuko. “Want me to tie her up?”
Katerina sighed. “That takes too much time, and we’re already behind schedule. Just dispose of her.”
Carolyn’s eyes widened. She began struggling frantically and trying to scream into Katerina’s handgag.
Alisa nodded. “You got it, boss.”
A horrified Atsuko looked over at Carolyn. The women’s eyes met for a single, infinite moment.
Alisa dragged the struggling Atsuko into an empty room, shutting the door behind them.
Carolyn fought mightily, but her captor held on tight. She heard the sounds of Atsuko struggling from behind the door. Then, slowly, the noise faded away.
Carolyn felt sick. She felt dizzy. She was panicking. No… No, it couldn’t be…
The door opened. Alisa stepped out, shutting the door behind her.
“Is she…?” Katerina asked.
Alisa nodded. “Of course.”
Carolyn felt her world shatter.
In a titanic burst of strength, she tore free of Katerina’s grip. For the first time in her life, she felt pure anger… Rageful, vengeful anger.
With a scream, she lunged at Alisa, her hands poised to wrap around the woman’s throat.
The next moment, though, Katerina had grabbed Carolyn by the collar.
There was the blur of Katerina’s gun-butt, and Carolyn’s world went dark.
Elena, bound in the chair next to her, glanced over. “Cousin, what are you doing? I told you we need to remain calm and trust Oksana and Polina.”
“Well, I don’t trust Oksana and Polina,” Lupe replied. “We need to get out of here. That deranged Heather Smythe woman kidnapped us and is holding us hostage in the basement of a government embassy building! We need to get out of here and call the police!”
Elena gave her an odd look. “Call the police? We don’t exactly have the best relationship with them, as I recall.”
Lupe stopped struggling. Then her face fell.
Elena was right, of course. It had only been a few weeks since she had been arrested by the police on suspicion of being a uniform thief. It had taken the combined skills of Oksana and Polina – plus several stolen cop uniforms – to break Elena from prison.
“So… we’re stuck,” Lupe acknowledged. “What do we do?”
“We just need to trust Oksana and Polina to do the job Smythe wants them to do at the mayor’s mansion,” Elena replied. “Then Heather will set us free and make me an American citizen!”
Lupe shook her head. “No, she won’t.”
Elena looked surprised.
“Smythe is a government official,” Lupe explained. “She can’t risk letting us go after holding us hostage down here. She thinks we could expose her… There’s no way she would let us leave this building alive.”
She swallowed. “Smythe is manipulating Oksana and Polina to do her dirty work… She’s using us as leverage. Once they carry out her orders, she’ll have no further use for us… and then…”
Elena understood.
“Then we need to escape,” she declared.
“How?” Lupe asked. “These ropes are too tight. I can barely budge them. Besides, there are two armed guards stationed outside this room.”
Elena smiled. “Yes… Two armed guards… Both women… Both a good size…”
“A good size for what?” Lupe inquired.
Elena chuckled. “Cousin, you have much to learn.”
**********************
Jenna frowned as she spoke into her radio.
“Claudia, Zephyr… Where are you? Respond, please.”
She was now striding through the foyer of the mayor’s mansion. Guests had begun to arrive, and the room was quickly filling up with wealthy men and women.
“Excuse me, miss,” one older lady holding a champagne glass said to Jenna. “Do you know when the mayor will be addressing us?”
Jenna politely smiled. “The mayor should be down in about a half-hour, I believe. In the meantime, enjoy the refreshments.”
Then she turned away and spoke into her radio again. “Claudia… Zephyr, where are you guys? Have you rendezvoused with the FEMME agents?”
As she spoke, she passed by an elegantly dressed, dark-haired female party guest standing in the corner, snacking on some hors d’oeuvres.
The woman’s ears perked up when she heard Jenna’s words.
“Excuse me, lady,” she said as Jenna passed. “Did you mention something about FEMME agents?”
Jenna nodded. “I was told they arrived a few minutes ago. I’m just trying to contact my teammates to learn their current status.”
She walked off, speaking again into her radio.
Polina watched her go.
“Crap,” she whispered. “This complicates things…”
**********************
Chandra glanced down at Sonja, who still lay slumped against the mayor’s desk.
Then she glared up at Oksana. “You bitch, you poisoned her! I’ll…”
Oksana quickly pulled out her gun – the one she had stolen from Anita at the LeRose mansion – and pointed it at Chandra. “Let’s all calm down.”
Chandra stopped moving. Her hands remained balled into fists.
Behind her, Hargrove quietly reached for the alarm button beneath her desk.
“I wouldn’t do that, Madame Mayor,” Oksana said. “This job is already complicated enough. No need to involve anyone else. Please step away from your desk and keep your hands where I can see them.”
Hargrove frowned, but slowly stood up.
“Who are you?” she asked, stepping over to the nearest corner of the room. “What do you want?”
“I’ve been sent here to kill you,” Oksana explained. “But luckily for you, I’ve chosen not to do that.”
“You chose to kill Sonja instead,” Chandra growled.
“Sonja’s not dead,” Oksana replied. “The pill in her drink – which was supposed to be Hargrove’s drink – induces a temporary death-like sleep. I was going to fake Hargrove’s death long enough to…”
“Long enough to what?” Chandra demanded.
At that moment, Sonja groaned. She lifted her head.
“You’re alive!” A look of relief washed over Chandra’s face. She grasped her friend’s shoulder. “Sonja, you okay?”
“Five more minutes, Mom,” Sonja grumbled, and slumped forward again.
“Huh?” Chandra glanced back up at Oksana.
“The pill induces a strong state of sleep,” Oksana continued. “It was developed by scientists in Moscow… But SVR agents like Sonja and I were trained to build up a tolerance to its effects. She’ll be dazed and confused for a few hours, but she’ll recover.”
“I want to ride the merry-go-round,” Sonja muttered.
“Again, my apologies,” Oksana continued. “I didn’t expect you two to be here. My job was simply to kill the mayor... and even that would have been a façade.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Hargrove said dryly.
Chandra glared up at Oksana again. “You don’t expect me to trust you,” she said. “You tried to kill Sonja before, and you’ve shot me in the past. Twice.”
“I shot you with tranquilizer darts,” Oksana replied. “I would prefer not to shoot you with anything more fatal now. So why don’t we all. Just. Calm. Down.”
Chandra said nothing, unsure of whether to make a move.
Finally, Hargrove spoke. “You’re Oksana, aren’t you?”
Oksana’s eyes widened. “How did you…?”
“I read your file,” Hargrove explained. “I read the files of all those Russian women who tried to sabotage the NASA launch I officiated. I recognize your picture.” She paused. “Who hired you to kill me?”
Oksana said nothing.
“You’re not an evil woman,” Hargrove continued. “You said you weren’t planning to actually kill me. I assume you’ve spared the life of the poor tea girl whose uniform you’re now wearing?”
Oksana nodded. “She’s bound and gagged in a closet.”
“Gillian, her name is,” Hargrove nodded. “Sweet girl. I suppose I’ll have to give her a raise.” She sighed. “Who hired you? Who wants me dead? You obviously don’t seem thrilled about working for them.”
Oksana paused. “It’s… Heather Smythe.”
Hargrove processed this, then nodded grimly.
“She’s holding a couple of women hostage, and threatened to kill them unless we assassinate you,” Oksana explained. “It’s… a long story.”
“I’ll bet it is,” Hargrove murmured. “Well, Heather Smythe is no friend of mine. I’ll be happy to call the authorities and have her arrested. We’ll rescue your friends and get this all sorted out.”
“No.” Oksana shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t do that. It’s too risky. If Smythe suspects anything, she could have those women killed. She doesn’t strike me as a woman who will surrender easily.”
“Well, what’s your plan then?” Hargrove asked. “Do you have another ‘poison pill’ you’ll force me to swallow?”
Oksana shook her head again. “Sonja took the only one I had.”
“I want to do ballet,” Sonja mumbled.
Chandra glared at Oksana. “Well? What is your plan now?”
Oksana didn’t know how to respond.
Then, abruptly, she heard Polina’s voice come in over her radio.
“Oksy, bad news. Bunch of FEMME agents are here.”
Oksana lifted her radio. “What agents?”
“Armored women with big guns. Not fans of uniform stealing. Don’t you watch the news?”
Hargrove smiled. “Looks like you’re in deep trouble now,” she said. “I advise you to surrender quickly. There’s no need for violence.”
For the first time in ages, Oksana found herself at a loss. She had no idea what to do next.
Then Chandra spoke up. “May I make a suggestion?”
Oksana frowned at her. “What is it?”
“I have an idea,” Chandra said. “It’s risky, but if it works, all of us will walk out of here unharmed. We can avoid the authorities and go our separate ways.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Hargrove interjected.
“You shut up,” Oksana growled at her.
Then she turned back to Chandra. “Why should I trust you?”
“Because I want to escape from here as much as you do.”
Oksana bit her lip in thought.
Then she lowered her gun.
“Okay. What’s your plan?”
*******************
Morgan approached to the large garden outside the mayor’s mansion and sniffed the air. She smiled. The aroma was wonderful.
The young security guard always took a minute of her day to “stop and smell the roses,” as her mother always taught her. She took her patrol of the mayoral grounds seriously, especially on a busy evening like this one. But she also enjoyed rewarding herself now and then by breathing in the scents of the mansion’s lush flower garden.
Morgan had been a security guard for Mayor Hargrove’s mansion for about three months. A tall, athletic woman with tanned skin and black hair worn in a short ponytail, she wore the standard uniform of light blue button-down shirt, black pants, shiny black loafers, and a dark blue peaked cap. Her sector of the grounds was usually near the rear of the mansion, not far from the garbage dumpsters. Thus, every now and then, she would approach the sweet-smelling garden for a change of pace.
Morgan closed her eyes and leaned close to the flowers, breathing in deeply through her nose.
The next moment, her pleasant activity was interrupted as a white cloth was clamped over her nose and mouth.
“Glllmmppphhh?!?”
Carolyn pulled the startled guard backwards, away from the rosebed.
“I’m sorry about this,” she whispered. “I’ll make this as easy as possible.”
Morgan kicked out desperately, trying to break free of the grip Carolyn now had around her waist.
“Grab her legs,” Carolyn told Atsuko. “She’s scared, she’s confused. We don’t want her to hurt herself.”
Atsuko nodded and grabbed the guard’s ankles. She held them together and lifted them in the air.
Morgan continued to struggle, but with her body lifted entirely off the ground, she had no means of leverage. She squirmed in the grip of the two women who now carried her back to some nearby bushes.
“You’ll be okay,” Carolyn whispered. “Just calm down and go to sleep… I promise you’ll be okay.”
Morgan’s struggles weakened, her eyes fluttered closed. At last, her body went limp.
Carolyn glanced at Atsuko. “See? That’s how you mug a woman without hurting her.”
Adelaide, hiding behind the bushes, clapped sarcastically as Carolyn and Atsuko laid the unconscious guard on the ground. “Bravo. You really know how to take the fun out of everything.”
Atsuko came to her wife’s defense. “Don’t be so hard on Carolyn… She’s right, after all. These security guards are innocent women. We may need their uniforms, but there are ways to render them unconscious without hurting them.”
Adeliade rolled her eyes. “The chloroform may be ‘harmless’ but it takes too long. We can’t risk being spotted while dragging all these struggling guards out of sight.”
Carolyn turned to face her. “If you want our help, we’re doing this my way,” she said adamantly. “No innocent bystanders get hurt. Got it?”
Adelaide was a bit surprised by Carolyn’s assertiveness. But she nodded.
“Fine. Give me her uniform.”
Soon, she was changing out of her chauffeur disguise and into the guard’s clothes. Meanwhile, Carolyn and Atsuko carried the unconscious Morgan – bound and gagged with green gardening tape, stripped to a white camisole and pink bikini panties – over to the gardening van which currently held the similarly unconscious, stripped, and restrained Daisy, Jasmine, Cynthia, and Laurie.
“That van’s getting pretty full,” Adelaide remarked as she fitted Morgan’s cap over her hair.
“Better than leaving them out in the grass where they’re vulnerable to the cold and to bug bites,” Carolyn replied, shutting the door. “Now come on… We all have security disguises. Let’s get in the mansion and figure out who’s trying to kill the mayor.”
The three women exited the bushes and headed for the mansion. Adelaide brought up the rear, pausing briefly as her phone buzzed.
She glanced down and saw a text from Lucille Weldon-Grant. ”Have you located the tape recording yet?”
Adelaide sighed. She quickly texted back “Working on it” and hurried to catch up to Carolyn and Atsuko.
*********************
Cam and Gwyneth stood outside the door to Mayor Hargrove’s office, arms folded, staring straight ahead.
Finally, Gwyneth spoke up. “Been awfully quiet in there,” she said.
“The walls are soundproof,” Cam replied. “Mayor Hargrove likes her privacy.”
Gwyneth nodded. “But… that tea server we let into the room… She’s been there a while.”
Before Cam could respond, Hargrove’s voice sounded over the intercom.
“Cam… Gwyneth. Please enter the office. I need your assistance.”
The two guards exchanged a glance. Then they shrugged.
“Maybe some of the tea spilled,” Gwyneth said with a smile.
She opened the door and stepped into the room, Cam following behind her.
Hargrove was tied to her chair at her desk. Sonja sat near the desk, her head slumped forward.
An alarmed look crossed Cam’s face. “What’s going on?”
Hargrove sighed. “I’m sorry, girls. They forced me.”
“Forced you to what?” Gwyneth demanded as the door closed behind them.
She never got a vocal answer. At that moment, Chandra and Oksana pounced from behind the doorframe.
The fight which followed was rough and angry. Chandra had already faced Cam and Gwyneth twice that day – she had been overpowered by them before, but had learned enough from their fighting styles to know their weak points. A few punches to Gwyneth’s side took the wind out of her, and a knee to her gut sent her to the floor.
Cam cursed and reached for her weapon, but Oksana moved faster, clobbering her with a lamp. The second guard slid to the floor beside her partner.
Hargrove glanced down at the two unconscious guards, then up at Chandra and Oksana. “You girls fight rough.”
“I’m done playing nice.” Chandra massaged her knuckles. “Had to take them out quickly. No time for quips or anything.”
“Now what?” Oksana asked her.
“Now Sonja and I put on the uniforms of these two losers and walk out of here,” Chandra explained. “Hopefully Sonja doesn’t need much help for that part.”
“I want to order pizza,” Sonja mumbled, barely raising her head from the desk.
Chandra sighed. “I may need your help getting Sonja down the stairs.”
“You’re not getting my help unless we fix my dilemma,” Oksana said, irritated. “I need to convince Heather Smythe that Mayor Hargrove is dead… at least for a few hours. What’s your plan for that?”
Chandra smiled. “Well… it’s a little speculative, but it might work. I’ll explain while we strip these two.”
She bent down and began untying Gwyneth’s shoes. Oksana did the same with Cam.
“Earlier today,” Chandra explained, “I mugged a newswoman for her clothes and van. While in the van, I noticed the news channel she worked for had reserved an evening spot covering the mayor’s big event at the mansion tonight.”
“So?”
“So we can put on a show for the cameras,” Chandra said. “I’ll disguise myself as a news anchor and break a big story about how Mayor Hargrove has been killed. The truth won’t be revealed till hours later, and by that point your friends will have been freed.”
Oksana considered this for a moment. “That… might just be crazy enough to work.”
“You’re both insane,” Hargrove scowled. “You’ll never get away with this.”
“I’ve gotten away with plenty,” Chandra replied. “Besides, you should love this plan. Not only do you survive, but your approval rating will probably go up!”
Hargrove glared at her. “I offered you a chance to join my team. I offered to help you take down Lucille Weldon-Grant. You should have agreed to my terms. You’ll regret this, I promise.”
Chandra approached the chair to which Hargrove had been bound. “I think this conversation is over.”
She tore a piece of silver duct tape from the roll she was carrying and smoothed it over Hargrove’s cheeks. “Been an honor meeting you, Madame Mayor.”
Hargrove’s facial expression suggested the feeling was not mutual.
Still, she could only watch helplessly as Gwyneth, reduced to a green sports bra and grey hiphuggers, and Cam, down to a black bandeau bra and strawberry-red boyshorts, were bound and gagged with more silver duct tape. Hargrove could also do nothing Chandra donned Gwyneth’s security uniform, while Oksana helped a drowsy Sonja slip into Cam’s.
“I love playing dress-up,” Sonja smiled woozily.
“How long does this stupid drug last?” Chandra asked.
“Just a few hours,” Oksana told her. “I’ve known Sonja for years, she’s a strong woman.”
Chandra couldn’t resist replying. “Is that why you kidnapped and tried to kill her?”
Oksana was about to respond to this when she heard her radio buzz again.
“Oksy, remember the bad news before about the FEMME agents? Well… I got worse news. They’re… not FEMME agents.”
**********************
Polina had spotted one of the “FEMME” agents lurking around the edge of the foyer, and had immediately recognized her – it was Olga.
“I can’t explain how,” she whispered into her watch, “but I think some of our… ‘friends’ from that NASA mission have escaped from jail. Maybe they followed us here… Or…”
“Or maybe they followed Chandra and Sonja here,” Oksana replied.
“Huh?” Polina didn’t understand. “Chandra and Sonja are… in the mansion?”
“Yes. I’ll explain later. Polina, keep an eye on Olga and make sure she doesn’t spot you. And let me know if you see any other FEMME agents you recognize.”
“Roger that.”
Polina glanced around again. She had not been spotted by Olga, of that she was certain of. And yet, she had to lay low, avoid attracting attention for the time being. And Malina LeRose’s dress, gorgeous as it was, was not great for avoiding attention.
“Excuse me, miss?”
Polina looked up to see one of the event’s caterers standing before her. The young woman had light skin and sandy-brown hair that had been combed back into a bun. She wore a crisp white button-down shirt, black vest, black pants, and shiny black shoes, and was carrying a silver tray in one hand. The gold nametag on her vest read “Bonnie.”
“May I interest you in a petit four?” Bonnie asked politely.
Polina smiled. “No… but you can interest me in your clothes.”
Before Bonnie could inquire as to this strange remark, Polina had grabbed her by the collar and pulled the startled caterer into a coat closet.
******************
The mansion was large, and the Russian mercenaries had opted to split up in order to search the premises.
Their FEMME uniforms allowed them easy access around the building with no need to ask questions. They conveyed a sense of authority that few dared to question.
“We search the basement first,” Katerina had instructed. “Then the first floor. Then the upper floors, if necessary.”
They were now on the first floor. Katerina had positioned herself near the main lobby. Alisa was searching the guest rooms. Olga was roaming the ballroom where the guests were gathering. Svetlana searched the staff quarters.
This left Marta with little to do other than search around the walls and corners.
She was biding her time right now, hoping to come across some sort of clue that could lead her to Chandra and Sonja. But thus far, she’d been having no more luck than her associates…
“Excuse me! Officer…”
Marta turned to see a young red-haired woman in business attire approaching her, holding a clipboard.
“Hi,” the woman said. “I was hoping to run into one of you FEMME agents… My name is Jenna. My associates Claudia and Zephyr were supposed to meet you at the gate. Do you know where they are?”
Marta grinned. “I think they got a little… tied up.”
Jenna was buy focusing on her clipboard and thus did not appreciate the double-meaning of Marta’s words. “Well, we’re all tied up at the moment… It’s a busy evening. Not like them to avoid answering my calls… We need to confer with the mayor…”
A lightbulb flashed in Marta’s head. This woman was her ticket to confront the mayor!
Jenna looked up from her clipboard. “Well, if you contact your associates, maybe we can – hey!”
Marta grabbed Jenna by the lapels and shoved her against the wall. “Shut up.”
“What the hell?” Jenna struggled to get free. Marta pulled out her gun and pressed the barrel against Jenna’s cheek.
“Whoa, whoa!” A stunned Jenna raised her hands.
“I said shut up,” Marta ordered. “You say you’re one of the mayor’s aides?”
Jenna scowled. “What kind of FEMME agent are you?”
“The imposter kind, you moron,” Marta sneered. “Just like my associates.”
Jenna eyes widened.
“What did you do to the real – ?”
“Screw them,” Marta replied. “Worry about yourself. Specifically, worry about how I’m going to put a bullet in your head if you don’t do exactly what I say.”
Jenna grit her teeth. “What do you want?”
Marta grinned wickedly. “I want to meet the mayor.”
********************
Adelaide turned to Atsuko and Carolyn as soon as they slipped through the mansion’s side entrance.
“Okay… here’s where we part company.”
“What? Why?” Atsuko asked. “It’d be safer to stick together.”
“Can’t have three women in security uniforms walking around together,” Adelaide explained. “It’d look too suspicious. So unless you want to steal some new sets of clothes…”
“No,” Carolyn interrupted. “We’ve mugged enough women today.”
“So it’s settled then. You two stay down here and comb the area. I’ll head upstairs to the mayor’s office.”
“But… isn’t that dangerous? What if the killers are lurking upstairs?” Atsuko couldn’t hide her concern.
“Babe, I’ve dealt with a lot of dangerous folks in my time. Trust me on this.” Adelaide thought. “You two should keep an eye out for anything suspicious. If you sense any danger, hit the nearest fire alarm. We may need to evacuate the building. Don’t want any civilians to get hurt.”
Carolyn smiled. “I knew it. You do care about other people.”
Adelaide made a grumbling noise, but otherwise said nothing. She headed for the stairwell.
Atsuko turned to Carolyn. “You’re not splitting up from me, right? We need to stay together.”
Carolyn nodded and clasped her wife’s hand. “Together. Always.”
**********************
“Come on, Sonja, get up,” Chandra pressed.
“Don’t wanna go,” Sonja groused. She still looked out of sorts.
Chandra sighed. “I can’t carry her down the stairs. It’d draw too much attention.”
“I can hide her under the tea cart,” Oksana suggested. “She might fit if I drape a clothe over…”
“Too risky.” Chandra thought for a moment. “Okay… Listen up. You stay here with Sonja and try to get her to wake up. I’ll head down to the main floor and see if I can get myself on a news feed and report that the mayor has been killed.”
“You sure you can do that?”
“Of course. I just need to find a female news anchor, bonk her on the head, steal her clothes and say some words into a camera. Easy stuff.”
Chandra turned to Hargrove, who was still bound and gagged to her chair. “And keep an eye on our dear mayor,” she told Oksana. “Knowing her, she’s got something else up her sleeve.”
Hargrove affixed Chandra with a steely glare, but did not so much as breathe into her gag.
“All right, then,” Oksana nodded. “Hurry up… and good luck.”
Chandra nodded and headed out the office door.
In her security guard disguise, she didn’t encounter much resistance as she headed down the stairs. Through a window, she could see some news vans parked outside.
“Jackpot.”
Chandra decided it best to avoid the crowds in the main hallway, in case she was recognized. She decided to cut through the staff kitchen, which appeared to be empty at this time of day – most of the food had already been prepared and was being served to the guests.
Chandra hurried down the staff corridor and opened the kitchen door, hoping to use the back exit as a shortcut. Luckily, it was empty. Unluckily, the outdoor exit had been blocked off, likely for security purposes.
Chandra cursed quietly, but turned around to find a different exit.
Unfortunately for her, the kitchen entrance was now blocked. A young woman in a FEMME uniform stood there, arms folded across her chest.
“Chandra Patel,” Svetlana said, a sinister grin on her face. “I’ve waited so long for this moment.”
*********************
Polina opened the door to the coat closet and peeked out. The coast was clear.
“Sorry about that,” she whispered to the caterer. “You just stay in here and keep safe, okay?”
Bonnie was currently seated on the floor in the back of the closet, stripped to her blue T-shirt bra and grey bikini panties. Her wrists and ankles were bound with grey coat sashes and her mouth was gagged with a black sash.
She was also unconscious, a byproduct of Polina’s impromptu ushering her into the closet for a change of clothes, and it looked as though she would stay that way for a while.
“Thanks for the inconspicuous outfit,” Polina smiled at the caterer, exiting the closet and shutting the door.
She glanced around. Where did Olga go?
She picked up the metal tray from where Bonnie had dropped it. Balancing it in one hand, she began walking swiftly down the hall.
From around the corner, she heard a voice that was unmistakably Olga’s. “My sector’s all clear… Has any place not been searched yet?”
Polina peeked around the corner. Olga’s back was turned to her.
Polina walked up behind her. “Good evening, miss! Would you like some refreshments?”
Olga shook her head. “No, I’m busy…” She paused, recognizing the voice, and looked up.
Polina swung the metal tray, hitting Olga in the face. The mercenary fell to the floor.
“Oops!” Polina grinned. “That wasn’t very refreshing, was it?”
Although dazed, Olga snapped to attention at this irritating joke. She seized Polina’s ankle and pulled hard, sending the dark-haired woman falling to the floor.
“Have a nice trip! See you next fall!” she laughed as Polina clattered to the floor.
Polina felt dizzy, but tried to keep focused. “You need to work on your banter, Olga. It’s really lame.”
Olga frowned. “Oh, like your ‘refreshments’ joke was comedy brilliance?”
“Better than anything you can come up with,” Polina replied as she started to get to her feet.
Before she could do so, however, Olga pulled out her knife and held it to Polina’s throat.
Polina raised her hands nervously. “Er… Then again, I suppose it was worth a chuckle…”
**********************
“Move your ass,” Marta said roughly, giving Jenna a shove up the stairs. “One wrong move and I’ll shoot you.”
Jenna steeled herself as she walked forward. “Why are you trying to kill the mayor?”
“We’re not really after the mayor,” Marta admitted. “We’re after some former friends of ours who have turned traitorous. But the mayor is a nice bonus, considering she locked us up for several months.”
“You don’t need to do this,” Jenna told her as they reached the top of the stairs. “We can figure something out.”
Marta laughed. “Babe, we’ve already got things figured out. Now keep moving.”
They reached the mayor’s office. Jenna knocked.
*********************
From inside the office, Oksana looked up from the half-drowsy Sonja and glanced at Hargrove. The mayor’s face was an impassive mask.
The knock came again.
Oksana approached the intercom and pressed the button. “Yes?”
Jenna’s voice came through. “Is the mayor in? I need to speak with her.”
Oksana paused. “One moment, please.”
She strode over to Hargrove and pulled off the gag. “Do you recognize that voice?”
Despite the pain of the tape being pulled from her lips, Hargrove smiled in satisfaction. “That’s Jenna, my personal assistant. If you don’t let her in, she’ll suspect something’s wrong. I’d say you’re in trouble.”
Behind them, a shaky Sonja rose to her feet.
Oksana didn’t notice this. She kept her gaze on Hargrove, her eyes narrowing. “You seem awfully confident for someone who’s tied to a chair.”
“And ironically,” Hargrove retorted, “you’re in more of a bind right now than I am.”
“Oh, shut up.” Oksana hit Hargrove with a neck chop. The mayor slumped, unconscious.
The next moment, Sonja grasped at the doorknob.
Oksana whirled. “Wait, don’t…!”
Sonja pulled the door open. “Do you have the pizza we ordered?”
Jenna and Marta stared blankly at the semi-conscious woman who stood before them.
Then Marta grinned wickedly, shoving Jenna into the room. The redhead caught herself with her hands as she hit the floor.
Marta now pointed her gun at Sonja’s head. “Well, well… The traitor at last. Have you any final words?”
Sonja frowned. “I said no anchovies.”
Marta blinked. “…What?”
Jenna got up shakily, noticing her boss unconscious and tied to a chair with Oksana standing over her. “What is…?”
“Hey!” Marta glared at her. “Stay down on the floor. And…” She looked up, noticing Oksana in the room.
Marta smiled and pointed her gun at Oksana. “Well, well… Looks like I’ve bagged two traitors for the price of one.”
Oksana clenched her fists. “Don’t you call me a traitor.”
“That’s what you are,” Marta replied. “The only question is whether I should shoot you or Sonja first. Either way, I’ll be getting a double promotion!”
At that moment, she felt the barrel of another gun clicking behind her.
“No one’s shooting anyone,” Adelaide said. “Drop your gun.”
Jenna glanced around the room, from Marta to Oksana to Sonja to Hargrove to Adelaide.
“Would someone tell me what the hell is going on?”
*******************
Polina stepped forward, into an empty lounge at the end of the hallway.
“Keep moving,” Olga ordered. “We need privacy for our little chat, don’t we?” She still held the knife a bare inch from Polina’s throat. Her other hand gripped Polina’s shoulder tight.
“You’re not… really going to kill me, are you?” Polina asked nervously. “Come on, Olga, I thought we were friends…”
“We were allies, once upon a time,” Olga replied, shutting the lounge door. “But you betrayed us. You and Oksana both betrayed us on that humiliating NASA mission.”
Polina frowned. “We didn’t betray anyone. We just… needed to get away. Besides, it wasn’t that humiliating.”
“I ended up getting knocked out by some bitch who stole my clothes and left me tied up in a bathroom stall!” Olga retorted. “That was pretty damn humiliating.”
Polina considered this and nodded. “Wow, I had no idea. Did you at least remember to wear non-goofy print underwear?”
Olga snarled and pressed the knife closer to Polina’s throat. “This is not a joke, Polina. You are a traitor to our country. If I kill you, I will be a hero to our country. Give me one good reason to spare your life.”
“I…”
Polina paused.
“I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
“Damn right it is,” Olga replied.
“Today was all my fault,” Polina continued. “I thought I could just break away from everything… Earn American citizenship for me and Oksana… Evade all the authorities hunting us since the NASA infiltration… I thought I could wipe the slate of my life clean and start over…”
She shut her eyes. “And now, because of that… Because of my impulsiveness and stupidity… Two innocent women are going to die.”
Olga looked at her funny. “What are you talking about?”
“Lupe – sweet, gorgeous Lupe, the woman I love – and her amazing cousin Elena…” Polina’s eyes brimmed with tears. “If I die today… then they die too. They don’t deserve this. They’re in this mess because of me…”
She wiped her eyes. “I thought I could save them… but now I’ve been caught. And now you’re going to kill me, and by extension kill them.”
Olga felt oddly uncomfortable. “I… I’m not killing Lupe and Elena. I don’t even know who they are.”
“They’re two of the only friends I’ve made in this country,” Polina replied. “I’ve lost everything… I’m stuck in this city, wanted by the police, with no citizenship in either the USA or Russia… And now my friends are going to suffer as well.” She was crying now.
Olga stared at Polina for several moments.
Then she sighed. “Goddamn it.”
She lowered her knife.
Polina looked at her in surprise. “You’re… not going to kill me?”
“You make everything so weird,” Olga replied. “I was just going to make a funny, badass one-liner and cut your throat, but you just started bawling about these two women I’ve never heard of. And now it’s weird.”
Polina wiped her nose on her sleeve. “I guess I’ve just been… bottling my emotions up lately. And the threat of being subjected to your knife, and one of your painful one-liners, finally broke me.”
Olga nodded. “I guess that’s understandable. After all, you…”
She glanced up. “Wait, did you just call my one-liners ‘painful’?”
Polina nodded. “Even scarier than the knife is the threat of you making a terrible joke.”
Olga growled and raised the knife again. She looked furious. “I’ve had enough of your insults, bitch. It’s time to CUT this conversation short—”
Polina slammed a fist into her temple. Olga groaned and fell to the floor.
Polina sighed. “See? That was a terrible line. Your material is so lazy.”
Olga was unable to receive any constructive criticism about her comedy, however, as she was now unconscious.
Polina took a deep breath. “Anyway… I think I feel better now. Time to tie you up.”
******************
Svetlana lifted a steak knife from the kitchen counter and admired its sharpness. “I’ve been waiting for this moment,” she said. “For a very long time.”
Chandra blinked. “Who are you?”
Svetlana’s jaw set. “You really don’t remember me?” she asked. “You attacked me. You knocked me unconscious, stripped me, tied me up and gagged me!”
Chandra rolled her eyes. “I’ve done that to a hundred women. Be more specific.”
“You tortured me!” Svetlana growled. “At the NASA offices. You nearly broke my hand while interrogating me.”
A look of realization came over Chandra’s face. “Oh yeah… I remember you. The crazy Russian girl.”
“Do not call me crazy!” Svetlana scowled. “I’ve spent every day since thinking about you… I’ve dreamed about you every night…”
“That’s nice, but I don’t swing that way.” Chandra tried to move around the other side of the counter, but Svetlana blocked her.
Chandra frowned. “Look, babe, I’m in kind of a rush right now. I don’t have time to fight…”
“I’m not here to fight you,” Svetlana replied. “I’m here to kill you. Slowly and painfully.”
Chandra looked into Svetlana’s eyes and saw nothing but cold fury.
“Look… It was nothing personal, okay?” Chandra said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I needed information, and…”
“Beg,” Svetlana interrupted.
Chandra blinked. “What?”
“Beg for mercy, and I will make your death a quick one. Resist, and I will torture you, far more than you did to me.”
Chandra scowled. “Get out of my way, right now.”
Svetlana grinned wickedly. “I was hoping you would say that.”
With a roar, she jumped over the counter, butcher’s knife in hand.
*******************
Carolyn and Atsuko wandered down a side hallway to where the guest rooms were situated.
“You sure we should be going this way?” Atsuko whispered.
“I saw one of those FEMME agents heading into this area,” Carolyn answered. “We can use their help.”
Atsuko was skeptical. “We’re wearing stolen uniforms, remember? FEMME isn’t exactly a fan of that…”
“Yes, but I’ve made friends with a couple of FEMME agents already, and I have a signal-button to prove it.” Carolyn smiled at her. “Obviously Adelaide doesn’t trust FEMME, but I do. These women are heroes. And they’ll help us.”
They heard a woman’s voice from around the corner. “Alisa! Where are you?”
“Right here, Katerina,” another woman replied.
Carolyn and Atsuko peeked around the corner. They saw two women in FEMME uniforms convening outside one of the empty guest rooms.
“Any luck?” Katerina asked.
“Nothing so far,” Alisa replied. “Haven’t heard anything from the others either.”
“Just how big is this mansion?” Katerina grumbled. “Let’s just find our targets, kill them, and get out of here.”
Carolyn and Atsuko exchanged a shocked glance. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“We may need someone who knows the lay of the land,” Alisa suggested.
“Good thinking,” Katerina nodded. “But where – hey!”
She had spotted Carolyn’s red hair, peeking around the corner.
Carolyn turned to Atsuko. “Run!”
The two young women ran – but the mercenaries were faster. Katerina grabbed Carolyn, and Alisa nabbed Atsuko. Both girls had their arms pinned and their mouths handgagged.
“Well, well,” Katerina sneered, eyeing the uniforms Carolyn and Atsuko were wearing. “A couple of nosy security guards eavesdropping on us. Sounds like they heard a little too much.”
Carolyn and Atsuko exchanged a frightened glance. Suddenly, Carolyn wished Adelaide were there…
“We can use them,” Alisa noted. “They’re probably familiar with all the inner workings of the mansion.”
Katerina nodded. “You hear that, honey?” she smiled at Carolyn. “You’re gonna help us finish our hunt.”
Then she looked over at Atsuko. “We only need to interrogate one guard,” she said. “Two of them is too much trouble.”
“What should I do with this one?” Alisa asked, restraining the struggling Atsuko. “Want me to tie her up?”
Katerina sighed. “That takes too much time, and we’re already behind schedule. Just dispose of her.”
Carolyn’s eyes widened. She began struggling frantically and trying to scream into Katerina’s handgag.
Alisa nodded. “You got it, boss.”
A horrified Atsuko looked over at Carolyn. The women’s eyes met for a single, infinite moment.
Alisa dragged the struggling Atsuko into an empty room, shutting the door behind them.
Carolyn fought mightily, but her captor held on tight. She heard the sounds of Atsuko struggling from behind the door. Then, slowly, the noise faded away.
Carolyn felt sick. She felt dizzy. She was panicking. No… No, it couldn’t be…
The door opened. Alisa stepped out, shutting the door behind her.
“Is she…?” Katerina asked.
Alisa nodded. “Of course.”
Carolyn felt her world shatter.
In a titanic burst of strength, she tore free of Katerina’s grip. For the first time in her life, she felt pure anger… Rageful, vengeful anger.
With a scream, she lunged at Alisa, her hands poised to wrap around the woman’s throat.
The next moment, though, Katerina had grabbed Carolyn by the collar.
There was the blur of Katerina’s gun-butt, and Carolyn’s world went dark.
. Was writing the review on the spot.