Uniform Stealing Board

What's this? A new story? Well, thank Tirepanted. Their announcement of a new story of their own actually gave me the motivation to pull out a draft that was sitting in my computer for weeks and finally finish it.

If you feel lost by the names of the places of the story, here is a quick schema to help visualize which Province is where.

https://i.goopics.net/W2j2w.jpg



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

Hana was feeling uncomfortable.

It wasn't because Macha's family was hostile towards her. On the contrary, they had warmly welcomed her and didn't seem to be bothered by her prolonged stay.

The Etaines were even treating her as one of their own. Almost as if they were considering her part of the family... And, ironically, this was the reason why Hana was feeling uncomfortable. Because she was perfectly aware of the reason why they were accepting her so quickly...

Among all the people of Utopia, the Ares were the most open-minded when it came to same-sex relationships. It was a legacy of the past, of the time when they were still living in tribes. Their youngs were apparently even encouraged to partake in such relationships, as part of their education.

Hana and Macha had arrived together, they were sleeping in the same room (albeit in separate beds), and the Etaines had heard the story of their misadventures. In hindsight, them making assumptions wasn't surprising.

Hana was embarassed by the whole misunderstanding, as well as confused. She never took the time to think of potential relationships, wether with a boy or a girl, as she was too busy with her studies. Of course, she and Macha had grown close to each other during the ordeal of the last months... But she needed time to clear her thoughts. And she needed to clear out the misunderstanding with Macha's family. However, her friend wasn't exactly helpful. Each time Hana was trying to tackle the subject, her friend quickly dodged it.

“Hello!”

Interrupted in her thoughts, Hana raised her head.

Then, she froze.

The woman was tall and muscular, with a statuesque figure. Her black hair were tightly braided. She was the epitome of Ares' beauty standards. But her dark eyes were as sharp as a blade.

Hana knew that woman. She was Sao's partner in crime, a mercenary and bodyguard who used to work for the Callianass Cartel.

Reka.

The former student remained speechless, paralyzed with fear.

“My, my, my... Cat got your tongue?” Reka asked. “My good looks usually leave the men stunned, not the women.” she then joked. Her tone was light, but Hana knew well-enough that it was only a façade.

Two women were standing behind Reka. The first had the brown hair, tanned skin and green eyes typical of the Province of Okéanis; the second had the blond hair, light skin and blue eyes of the Province of Hera. Both were almost as tall and as muscular as their boss.

“Wh... What do you want?” Hana asked while looking around her to see if someone in the village had noticed the predicament in which she was.

“Quick to the point, uh? I like that." Reka answered. "Well, you could say that I'm looking for... old acquaintances."

“Mikani...” Hana understood.

“Yes. As well as her friends. You could say that we have some unfinished business together.”

“Then why are you in this village? They are not here!”

“I know.” Reka answered. “But let's just say that I'm not exactly welcomed in Korê. At least, in Ares, I have friends and family members eager to help me.”

Hana was seriously contemplating the idea to scream for help. The only thing holding her back was the fear that it would make the three criminals attack her.

“What do you want from me?” she asked instead.

“Nothing much. Just a few informations on their whearabouts. I'm sure they left you an address, a name, or even a phone number.”

Hana shook her head.

“We weren't exactly best friends. More like brought together by circumstances. We didn't keep in touch.”

Of course, she was tweaking the truth a little, but Reka didn't need to know that...

Reka remained silent.

Her fake smile disappeared and she clenched her fist, as if she was about to attack.

“Excuse me, but what are you doing here?” a man suddenly asked.

Hana felt relieved to see Macha arrive with her father. The redhead quickly moved in front of her friend, and faced down the black-haired mercenary. While she was understandably tense, Macha was also looking confident. A good chunk of villagers were gathering around them.

Macha's father stared at Reka.

“Have we met before?” His question was clearly a threat.

Reka's fake smile returned.

“I don't think we had the pleasure. My name is Reka BlackHills.”

The BlackHills were another important family of Ares. Much like the Etaines, they were basically owning the village in which they lived.

“We have no bad blood with the BlackHills.” Macha's father calmly answered. “But we don't owe them anything either. I suggest you and your two friends leave. Now.”

A few men of the village gathered behind him. They were accompanied by some of the big vicous dogs the Ares liked to breed, and were carrying thick walking sticks that would be painful if used as clubs.

Reka's smile widened, but she didn't break eye contact. “Of course. We never intended to encroach on your territory. We don't want a vendetta between our two families. Especially now that the Rebels – I mean the new Government of the Utopian Federation – are looking for any excuse to reduce Ares' autonomy.” Her answer was also a threat.

The people from Ares were also notorious for their vendettas, which could spread across several generations. Olympus never tried to interfere, preferring to look the other way as long as the rivalries were kept under control. But, now that the Rebels had seized power, they also had begun to try to end the private vendettas.

“No. We don't want to give them an excuse to meddle in private matters.” Macha's father admitted.

Reka politely bowed her head to salute, then left. Her two cronies followed her.

Macha's father and the other villagers exchanged a few looks in silence.

“We... We should call the police...” Hana said as soon as Reka was out of earshot.

Macha's father shook his head. “There's no way I will involve outsiders in a conflict with the BlackHills. Especially the Rebels.”

“But...” Hana started, before stopping herself. But Mikani and the others are in danger... This argument wouldn't convince the man. Just like most Ares, he was (understandably) wary of the new government. The Province of Ares had been one of the most loyal supporters of Olympus during the civil war and, now that the Olympians had been overthrown, they were fearing reprisals.

Macha's father had already left anyway, asking some of his men to watch in case Reka tried to come back.

Hana grabbed Macha's arm.

Puzzled, the redhead looked at her.

“They're looking for Mikani and her friends...” Hana whispered. “We have to do something!”

Macha grimaced. Even though they parted ways on (relatively) good terms, she still wasn't very fond of the Rebels.

Still, she nodded. “We'll use my phone, and make it an anonymous call. Just... Make sure my dad doesn't see us.”

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

Helen and Coral were nervous. On their way to the car, they glanced several times over the shoulders to be sure that they weren't followed. The three women quickly got in the car. Reka sat behind the wheel and quickly drove off.

“You think that they will call the police?” Coral asked.

Reka chuckled. “The police?! This is the Province of Ares! We would be lucky if they just called the police on us! Usually, they take their weapons and their dogs, then they organize a hunt.”

Helen scoffed. “Savages...” she commented.

“I'll also remind you that they are my people. I would have been deeply disappointed, and ashamed, if someone from my Province would be cowardly enough to involve strangers.”

Helen stared down. “Sorry.”

“Although the pipsqueak from the Province of Smog will probably do it.” Reka charitably admitted. “However, by the time they arrive, we will be far away from here.”

“What do we do now? The pipsqueak doesn't seem to know anything...” Coral intervened.

“The hunt isn't over just because one trail led to nothing. We still have other solutions. After that squealer Lloyd was sent to take a bath in the harbor with some nice cement shoes, Maxie got his hands on his archives. It turns out that two of the Rebels we're looking for, Klenia and Shayna, didn't pay Lloyd a visit for nothing. They were looking for someone who was sold by the Cartel, a girl called Venia Iven.”

“So?”

“According to Max's informants in South Window, there are people currently looking for informations about Venia Iven in Okéanis. Two women.”

Coral and Helen exchanged a smile.

“So we need to follow the same trail, and it will lead us to our preys.” Reka concluded.

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

“I will tell you one more time. You can't see Boss Carnela today.”

The man who just talked was a manager working at the Aeolus Club, one of the biggest nightclubs of South Window.

“We were supposed to have an appointment!”

When she wanted, Klenia knew how to be persistent. She shook her head and tapped her foot. Her mid-back-long dark brown hair were carefully braided after the fashion of Korê and Lakeland, a hairstyle which left her face free and highlighted her hazel eyes. The casual clothes she was currently wearing (blue jeans and grey jacket), even though they were plain-looking, didn't hide her voluptuous figure.

Though Shayna would have found her gorgeous even in rags.

“Boss Carnela is a busy woman.” the man calmly retorted.

“But we need these dancer jobs!” Klenia retorted.

It was a lie, of course. But Shayna was still impressed to see how convincing her girlfriend could be when interpreting a role.

The manager shook his head. “We're wasting time here.” he said. “Tamiko and Ashley will lead you to the exit.”

The man waved at two women dressed in the club's dancer outfits, who were waiting in a corner of the room. Both had shoulder-length hair pulled back by golden headbands, although the first was a brunette and the second a blonde. Their outfits consisted of black short-sleeve crop tops, showing their waists and navels. The crop tops had golden trimmings on the bottom, the collar and the sleeves. They were also wearing black fabric wristbands, black long dance skirts adorned with golden stylized flowers, black shoes and matching socks.



https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/evi ... 1013090731


(Pictures courtesy of the EvilBabes Wiki.)

“This is an outrage!” Klenia exclaimed. “I will not let you get away with this! Just wait until I'm in your stinky club's main room! I'll just expose you for the frauds you are!”

The two dancers ignored her outburst, ready to lead them to the exit.

“Stop!” the man said.

A brief moment, Shayna hoped that he had changed his mind.

“Make them leave through the backdoor.” the man added to the two dancers. “I don't want them to make a scene in front of potential customers. I'll tell the bouncers to make sure they aren't allowed in our club anymore.”

Tamiko and Ashley nodded.

“By the way, if you try anything funny, I'll let you know that Tamiko and Ashley are trained in martial arts.” the man concluded. “Good bye.”

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

While they were escorted to the exit, Shayna thought back of everything they had to do to arrive here. Klenia had been of great help. And, thanks to their friends working for the new government of the Utopian Federation (mostly Hieron), they had been able to find a few more clues. Their search for her sister Venia had led them outside of the Utopian Federation, in the free nation of Okéanis. Apparently, South Window was the last place where Venia had been seen before being shipped overseas. The only thing they needed now was informations on which foreign nation exactly her sister had been shipped. According to everyone they met, Carnela Crow, the owner of the Aeolus Club, knew everything about the illegal world of South Window, even the parts in which she had no involvement whatsover. Such as the human trafficking business.

Trying to audition to be hired as dancers was a convenient cover to meet Carnela. Klenia was confident in her looks.

But the manager wasn't impressed, and Shayna could have sworn that her girlfriend's outrage after being dismissed so casually wasn't fully an act.

Ultimately though, it didn't matter. Because they were now exactly where they wanted to be.

Inside the Club.

Sure, they weren't welcomed anymore, but the only persons who knew about that was the manager and the two dancers currently accompanying them. Klenia and Shayna didn't need to stay long.

They just needed a quick change of clothes.

And, luckily, the corridors were empty. The sounds of the music coming from the main room would drown the potential noises of the fight.

“Now, ladies, be assured that meeting you has been a pleasure, but we'll have to part ways here.” Klenia suddenly said. “My friend and I must meet Carnela.”

The two dancers kept silent.

Klenia then took a wad of bills from the pocket of her jeans.

“And when I say that we must meet Carnela, I mean that we really must meet Carnela...”

Ashley, the blond-haired dancer, chuckled. “You're persistent, I'll give you that. But you heard the manager. No hard feelings, honey... Nothing personal.”

“Besides, your friend isn't welcomed here.” Tamiko added while rudely pointing at Shayna. “She may have dyed her hair brown, but she's not fooling anyone. She's from Naïad, and we don't want her kind of immigrants in Okéanis.” Her tone was harsh and contemptuous.

Shayna bit her lips and lowered her head. Damn Okéanis... For as long as people could remember, there had always been a well ingrained mutual hatred between Okéanis and Naïad. Even before Olympus took over, the two countries couldn't stand each other. The dislike probably found its roots in the rivalries to control trade routes and fishing zones, worsening with each generation. Olympus even used the resentment for its benefit, favoring Okéanis over Naïad. Therefore, the Okéani seemed to have developped a sixth sense to immediately recognize people from Naïad. Then, they made it their duty to crush them with all their contempt. Shayna was from Naïad. Her shoulder-long blond hair and blue eyes, coupled with her tanned skin, were a clear giveaway. And even though Shayna wasn't smaller or skinnier than the average person, she had to learn take the insults in silence.

Klenia's smile disappeared, and she pocketed the bills. “Well, I wanted to do it the nice way, but now...”

Without a warning, she attacked. Tamiko barely had to time to register what was happening. Klenia's fist violently collided with her jaw, sending the brunette on the ground.

Ashley opened her eyes wide.

“You... You...” she started.

Klenia smiled. “No hard feelings, honey... Nothing personal.”

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

A few moments later...

“Trained in martial arts, my a...” Klenia started.

"Language."

"...ss-stounding disappointment."

As expected, the noise of the music coming from the Club's main room drowned the sounds of the fight. The two dancers were currently lying on the ground, unconscious. Tamiko's beating lasted a little longer than Ashley's. At least, the blond-haired dancer was lucky enough to be dispatched with a sleeper-hold. Her brown-haired companion, not so much.



“You didn't need to do that...” Shayna muttered.

“I'm not going to let this spiteful tart insult you...” Klenia gently replied. “The days when the Okéanis could boss others around because they were oh-so favored by Olympus are over.”

“I know...” But Shayna had learned all her life to kowtow to Okéanis and Olympians. It was necessary to survive in an Olympus-occupied Naïad. The former thief was a little ashamed of herself and of her lack of confidence. But it was hard get rid of the survival reflexes she had used for years.

Klenia didn't insist and changed the subject. “Though, on the bright sight, we now have a neat set of clothes to blend in. We just need to stash these two somewhere and meet up with 'Boss Carnela'.”

No sooner said than done.

The two dancers' outfits were swiftly removed, leaving Ashley and Tamiko in their respective dark blue and dark red sets of underwear. The blonde was wearing a push-up bra and boyshorts, the brunette a brassiere and a tanga. In her purse, Klenia was carrying several rolls of strong package tape. She and Shayna used them to bind their victims' wrists and ankles. They also completely wrapped the women's hands, fingers included, before stuffing the women's worn socks in their mouths and winding several layers of tape around their lower faces to gag them.

A nearby janitor closet was put to good use. The two bound-and-gagged women were dragged by the shoulders and stashed inside, Ashley's head pillowed on Tamiko's shoulder.

Klenia and Shayna then quickly got dressed, leaving their former clothes in the closet with the two unconscious dancers. They closed the door, concealing the frames of their victims.

“Not bad...” Klenia commented while looking at her new outfit. “Not bad at all...”

“Why do I have the feeling that you were hoping that this would end this way...” Shayna playfully retorted. Humiliating the brown-haired woman from Okéanis had lifted her spirits. After all, it was fair game.

“That's because I was.” Klenia smiled, happy to see that her girlfriend's cheerfulness had returned. "But don't worry, you look way better in that outfit than this bimbo." She kissed her on the cheek. “Now, let's find the boss' office.”

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

Finding the place only took them a few minutes.

“Alright, Boss Carnela, we have to talk!” Klenia exclaimed.

The businesswoman didn't even bother looking up from her paperwork.

“I already told you girls. Pay day is in three days.”

Klenia was left speechless for a few seconds, but quickly managed to regain her composure.

“We're not exactly part of your crew. We borrowed these clothes to two of your dancers.”

This time, Carnela looked up.

“Oh.” she simply commented.

'Boss Carnela' was in her late forties or early fifties. She had the tanned skin shared by all Okéanis and blue-green eyes. While there were strips of grey in her brown hair and wrinkles around the outer corner of the eyes, one could easily see that she used to be a stunning woman when she was younger and that she still retained a lot of her former beauty.

Shayna shifted nervously on her feet.

Their victim was way too calm for someone who just witnessed two unknown persons corner her alone in a secluded room.

“I guess that you have a button to call security, and probably a gun in a drawer.” Klenia commented. “I'm faster than you, so I advise you to keep your hands on your desk.”

“I don't think we will need to use violence to solve this situation. Pardon me, but you don't exactly look like the deadly hired assassin-type.” The businesswoman smiled. There was a spark of cunning in her eyes. “Though the whole mug-and-disguise shtick sounds familiar. It reminds me of the rumours of an all-female crew who used to work for the Rebellion during the civil war, and was specialized in infiltration.”

“We're here because we need informations.” Klenia cut her, not wanting to take the risk of saying too much by playing her game.

“Of course. That's why everyone want to meet me.” Carnela paused, then said. “People usually ask for an appointment though, instead of mugging the staff.”

“Your manager wasn't exactly cooperative.”

“It's his job. Although given your reputation, I trust that my two dancers aren't too mangled.”

“One will have an headache for the next few days, and a black eye, but other than that they are fine.”

“I see...”

Carnela put her hands together.

“So. What do you want?”

“I want intel on the human trafficking business.”

There was a long silence. Shayna was carefully watching the door, in case the businesswoman was stalling for time and waiting for someone to arrive.

“I'm not into this business.” Carnela finally answered.

“No. Your shtick is more blackmail and extortions. Perhaps a few heists from time to time.” Klenia calmly retorted.

The businesswoman didn't answer. She wasn't stupid enough to make a confession to a person who could potentially carry a microphone on her.

“I'm not into this business.” Carnela simply repeated.

Klenia leaned forward.

“I've also made my researches. I know about what you did at the beginning of your career, about how you managed to earn enough money to buy this Club.”

“I'll have you know that I inherited my money from a distant cousin.” Carnela retorted. “But please, continue. I'd love to hear your version of the story.”

“They were calling you 'Murmur'. The best thief of Okéanis, and a true mistress of disguise. Nobody was better at impersonating the elite, and nobody was better at impersonating the servant. Never leaving any trace, except the bound-and-gagged women she mugged for disguise. You robbed the most prestigious hotels of the Province and they never caught you. They even wrote stories about your feats. I've read them all. When I became a thief myself, you were my model.”

Carnela lightly chuckled.

“So, I need to ask you a favour, from one uniform stealer to another.” Klenia concluded.

“And what is it?”

“Just because you're not into 'their' business, it doesn't mean you don't know anything about what they do. We asked several people. Everyone just kept telling: 'Go ask Boss Carnela. She knows everything happening in South Window.' So, we're here.”

“We are looking for a girl called Venia Iven.” Shayna intervened.

Carnela quickly looked at her. Shayna saw in her eyes that she'd recognized her as someone from Naïad. Shayna didn't break eye contact. For a brief moment, Carnela seemed about to make a comment, but then she decided otherwise.

“And what's in it for me?” she asked instead.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? The Callianass Cartel imploded after Calypso's capture, but several of its remnants are still firmly established in your town. We could hamper their operations. But only if you give us informations... And if you don't send your goons after us the moment we leave your office. We could even put a good word to our superiors. After all, the help of an infiltration crew could come in handy some day...”

Carnela thought for a moment, then smiled.

“You've got yourselves a deal.”

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

Frontier.

The foreign country in which Shayna's sister had been sold was the Nation of Frontier.

The last country of the world to use slavery. Well, technically it wasn't called 'slavery'. But it still fitted all the criterions...

A warm sunny country, the northern half of Frontier was covered with orchards, fields, and plantations. To cultivate them, they were using unpaid labour: workers forced to work and not allowed to leave the plantations unsupervised. Basically slaves. A decade ago, the country's government started to expand their plantations by irrigating the desert covering the southern half of the land. Therefore, they needed more hands. A good chunk of the world's human trafficking was thus redirected towards their country, including the Callianass Cartel's. This was both good and bad news.

The good news was that, while Frontier was the last country to use a system that was institutionalized slavery in everything but name, its people weren't mustache-twirling saturday-morning cartoon villains either. A good chunk of them were perpetuating the system because it was part of their culture, and because their economy depended on it. Slaves were usually well-treated, if only because a dead slave can't make profit. Therefore, they could still hope to find Venia alive somewhere. Klenia would never have admitted out loud in front of Shayna, but two years was a long period...

However, the bad news was that Frontier and the Utopian Federation had nearly no relations, even when Olympus was still in charge. Going there would be difficult, and blending in would be even more difficult. They were going to need a plan...

Dressed back in casual clothes, the dancer outfit she had stolen now stored in the wardrobe as she had chosen to keep it, Klenia was sitting on their rented apartment's couch. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. Shayna was resting in the other room, so she picked up.

It was Aster.

Klenia smiled.

“Aster! It's always nice to hear from you...”

“Klenia, I have bad news.” her former leader interrupted her.

Klenia paused.

“How bad?”

“Hieron just called me. Reka and a few of her cronies working for the remnants of the Callianass Cartel have been spotted in the Province of Ares. They are looking for us.”

Klenia felt her good mood vanish. “So, very bad then...”

“They also put a contract on Emery's head. A hitman tried to kill her two days ago.” Aster continued.

“And she...?”

“What do you think? It's Emery. Apparently, a limp doesn't prevent you to shoot with a handgun. And I heard that she booby-trapped her house. I don't know exactly what she did to the guy, but according to the rumours, no other hitman is willing to accept a contract on her head now... Not that I'm gonna pity the man, given what I heard about him, but still...” Aster paused, then added: “Anyway, that's not important right now. What's important is that Okéanis is the last remaining place where the remnants of the Cartel still hold some influence. You have to be careful.”

“We will be.” Klenia promised. “What about you?”

“Don't worry. They won't be able to find me.”

“And Mikani?”

“I don't know where she is right now. Hieron said that he warned her, but he didn't say me where she was going. I will try to call her as soon as I can.”

There was a brief pause.

“You should come back in Korê. Aster then added. "It's dangerous to stay in Okéanis.”

“Can't do that, Aster. We finally got a lead.”

“Where?”

“Frontier.”

“Where exactly in Frontier?”

“We don't know yet, but someone told us where in South Window we could find the exact location...”

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

Reka crossed the border between Ares and Okéanis.

Avoiding patrols and border crossing points was actually rather easy when you had informants among the customs officers. A good chunk of the guards working there were already employed when Olympus was still in charge, and while they had accepted the change of government, they weren't especially loyal. The former Rebellion simply was a new boss, nothing more. They used to accept bribes when they were under Olympian rule, and they didn't see why the situation should have been different because Utopia had been renamed the 'Utopian Federation'. Max took care of everything, as always. Therefore, the customs officers of the Federation didn't cause them any trouble.

Things would be a little different at the Okéani crossing point, which was located a kilometer away... The building appeared in front of them. It actually was a small crossing point, since they were driving on a secondary road.

“I hope the others have done their part.” Reka commented.

At the gate, they were greeted by a woman wearing a customs officer uniform: white shirt with black epaulettes, a dark grey tie, dark grey pants and black shoes. In a holster strapped on her belt, there was a gun. She had blue eyes and shoulder long black hair, and under the sun the sheen of her hair seemed almost dark blue.

The guard took a quick glance inside the car, then said: “I'm afraid you'll have to come with me, m'aam.”

Reka sighed and groaned.

“Well, I guess we can't avoid it...”

She then motioned to Coral and Helen to follow her, and parked and exited the vehicle. The blue black-haired woman led them inside the building, leaving a second guard alone to guard the gate, a redhead whose hair were tied into twintails.

They reached the door.

“You can drop the act now, Lucina.” Reka commented.

“Sorry boss, devil's in details.” the henchwoman answered with a small smile.

Reka sighed. Not too long before, she was the one making this kind of comments to her boss... I miss Sao.

They entered the building.

Three other women, all dressed in customs officer uniforms, greeted them.

Amara, Kjelle, and Karin.

“I trust that you didn't overdo it?” Reka asked.

“Not at all.” Lucina answered.

At the far end of the room, seven women were seated in a line, against the wall. They were the real customs officers, albeit currently a lot more undressed than usual. All were only clad in their undergarments. Their wrists and ankles were bound with zip-ties, and they were gagged and blindfolded with tape.

Although, if someone were to look closely at them, they would notice that these women were unusually unarmed for people who were supposed to just have been assaulted for their clothes. Their zip-ties were tight enough to prevent any escape, but still loose enough to remain comfortable.

“I must admit that it was strange, to bind and gag cooperative people...” Lucina added.

The whole operation was actually a setup devised by Max and the Okéani authorities. The guards were in the loop. They actually willingly gave their uniforms and allowed themselves to be bound and gagged. The entire so-called 'mugging' had been in reality very cordial. Okéanis would then frame the Utopian Federation, known to have used infiltrators during the civil war against Olympus.

“We get to safely cross the border, and Okéanis gets an excuse to accuse the Federation of a diplomatic incident. It's a win-win.” Reka explained.

“I suppose.” Lucina answered. “So, how was the trip in Ares?”

“Unfruitful.”

“Did you at least receive news from Katarina?”

“She's fine.”

Among the team assembled by Sao, only Katarina chose to part ways after Olympus' fall. All the others decided to stay with Reka. Wether it was out of loyalty, thirst of revenge or something else, Reka was grateful. Together, they carried out several missions for Okéanis and various crime bosses, earning them enough cash to live comfortably.

Reka wasn't angry at her former crewmate. Katarina had joined the team because Olympus promised her a full pardon for her crimes. She was a former soldier from Ares, who accidentally killed her officer when he tried to... force a romantic relationship with her. After being healed from the injuries she sustained in Wheat Junction, she only whised to go back to her family. Reka could understand that.

If she didn't long to avenge her former partner in crime, maybe Reka would have done the same.

“So, our last lead is...” Lucina started.

“We're going to South Window.” Reka interrupted her. “We'll meet up with old acquaintances here...”

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

Stupid...

She knew that she shouldn't have answered that phone call. But the call seemed important and, indeed, it was.

However, now she had been spotted by customs officers. And, as misfortunes never come singly, she had lost her phone during her running.

While she wasn't a wanted criminal, she knew that she wouldn't been allowed on Okéanis' soil and would simply escorted back in the Federation. She didn't want that.

She needed a way to escape the authorities...

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

Clair parked her car in the last rest stop before the border between Okéanis and the Federation. She wanted to make a pause before having to face the tedious administrative procedure needed to cross the border.

The civil war was over since a few months. Okéanis had become a free independent nation, and Olympus had relinquished power over the other Provinces to the Utopian Federation, with the blessing of the international community. Officially, the two nations recognized each other. But they were still wary, and the movements of both people and goods were strictly controlled.

Clair entered the public restroom to freshen up. She had the fair light skin, blond hair and blues eyes typical of the people from Hera. However, she left her Province several years ago and didn't intend to go back there any time soon. She never truly fitted anyway. Physically, she was rather short while her compatriots prided themselves in being taller than the average person. And personality-wise, she simply had never been able to fit with the rampant snobbery that was widespread in Hera. Clair quickly checked her hairdo and clothes. She had tied her light blond hair into a high ponytail that was reaching her collarbone. She was wearing a grey sweater with a light blue jacket that matched her eyes, with dark blue jeans and black sneakers. All in all, the mirror was reflecting her the image of a young woman with a nice figure, if a little too short in height.

Suddenly, a woman dashed inside the restroom. Clair jumped. The woman stopped in front of the mirror next to Clair. She seemed out of breath, as if she had to run from the border to here.

“Can I... help you?” Clair proposed.

The woman caught her breath, then looked at her, quickly examining her size.

“I think you can.” she answered.

Instinctively, Clair felt the danger. She also realized that the two of them were alone in the restroom and, when she parked, she saw no other car. Clair decided to go back to her car and lock the doors.

But the other didn't giver her the time to move.

From the outside, the noise of a brief struggle could be heard. But the rest stop was currently deserted, so nobody heard them.

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

Five minutes later, the unknown woman was leaving the public restroom, wearing Clair's clothes. She unlocked the blonde's car and took place behind the wheel, quickly driving off.

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

Alright. What just happened?

Left behind in a stall and secured to a toilet bowl, Clair still hadn't been able to completely fathom what happened to her.

One moment, I'm minding my own business. Then, this woman arrives, jumps on me with some kind of stun gun, and everything fades into black. The next moment, I wake up taped to a toilet seat. My legs are secured to the bowl with some kind of tape, my hands are tied behind my back and more tape is wrapped around my shoulders and upper-arms. She stuffed my mouth with some icky fabric and gagged me with even more tape. And most importantly, my clothes are also gone, save for my underwear!

Clair sighed, which came out as a soft "Mffffff..." due to the gag.

This really isn't my day...

At least, she had chosen to wear her black and blue sports bra and high-cut briefs that were at least giving her some semblant of cover, and not the string and strapless bra she originally wanted to wear...

Being tied up reminded her of the time when she was a child, playing with the other kids. And while she had always secretly liked the role of the damsel in distress during these games, she certainly didn't want to be tied up with no warning. Even less if it meant being left in her skivvies.

I don't even want to think of the moment they will have to take off the tape...




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

Author's note: Just wanted to say here a huge thanks to noochy for giving a link to the EvilBabes wiki, which allowed me to come across these two dancing henchwomen that gave me an idea for a scene.

Interesting. Glad to see there's still room for these characters to develop, even after the main arc has been resolved. Claire's scene was a particular highlight - I do love restroom takedowns - although I am curious about the identity of her assailant. (Emery?)

I'm not personally a fan of inserting pictures mid-story - I think it's better to leave the appearances of characters and clothes to the reader's imagination - but that's just my own taste. Other than that, the scene with the dancers was quite good as well, and Shayna's "Language" comment punctuated it with a good bit of humor.

Also, for the record, I am a guy. You may refer to me as "he" rather than "they." Mystery solved.

Who is her assailant? I'll keep the suspense a little longer. The answer should be given in the next part. Although I can tell that, luckily for Clair, it wasn't Emery. Glad you liked the scene, as I added it at the last minute. As for the pictures mid-story, I see your point. Personally, I rarely use them because I think they break the rythm of the reading. Although when I come across an outfit that would be too hard to describe for me, I think it can be a good idea to put one. I don't intend to use them often though. This time was more of an exception, as I wanted to give credit to the pictures that gave me the idea for the scene with the dancers. Glad you liked the return of the humour. Without weakening the stakes or the antagonists' threat, I want this story to be less dark than the finale of To Overthrow the Utopia.

I loved the row of tied up custom officers , and appreciate the insertion of pics


but there is a question; then , straight to the point: is the ringleader " Carnela " an homage to the character by Tirepanted , " Carmela"? they share name, line of work, and other details


Rufusluciusivan, no handball teams in these provinces? or Majorettes?

esercito sconfitto wrote:Is the ringleader "Carnela" an homage to the character by Tirepanted , "Carmela"?

Yes. I hesitated to change her name to make it less obvious, but then decided to roll with it anyway. (I also found it ironically amusing that this counterpart, while involved in shady business, is actually opposing the human trafficking business.)

No handball teams or Majorettes as of now, but maybe in the future? Can't make any promise though.

I'm glad you liked the insertion of pics although, as I said, I will probably not do it often. (There is one more I want to show in the next post though.)

I never made the Carmela/Carnela connection, though I did notice that your use of the "slave trade" concept was similar to mine. Just how many references to my stories have you subtly put in yours?

Who knows? More seriously, as you guessed it, it's mostly linked to the slave trade. (Calypso was directly inspired from Carmela for once: lesbians, ruthless businesswomen coming from a difficult background but who nevertheless managed to crawl their way at the top, showing no sympathy for their victims because it's their business, being benevolent bosses to their employees.) The main difference being of course that she was cast as an antagonist. On a side note, while I've always liked Carmela as a character, I've also always thought that she would make a good antagonist. Hence why, even though it was just as well-written as the other stories and contains some of my favorite scenes, I haven't enjoyed The Greatest Cheerleader of All as much as the other stories of yours... because I ended up rooting against the protagonists.

Though now that we're on that topic, now that Venia's abduction is not part of the background but has become the focus of a story, one of the biggest challenge is to make sure that this story doesn't become a repeat of The Greatest Cheerleader of All. It's actually more difficult than I expected.

The Greatest Cheerleader of All was my attempt at writing a story from the perspective of some more villainous characters, so I understand not necessarily rooting for them. I tried pitting them against even more villainous characters (Riya, Madeline and Jennifer) to make them look good by comparison. I usually prefer my protagonists to be good people (who only mug uniformed women as a necessary part of the job), but an occasional change-of-pace is good.

In any case, I'm sure your story will feel different enough.

I've never thought that Madeline and Jennifer were more villainous than Carmela and her assistants, though. Sure, they were ready to use lethal force, but only against a remorseless criminal and human trafficker. (Although I'll admit that I haven't read the story for a long time.)

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

Carnela had revealed to Klenia and Shayna the adress of the building in which the mob boss in charge of the Okéanis human trafficking ring had his office.

Officially, the immeuble was the head office of an insurance company, Insuricare, but the whole thing was actually a front.

It took Klenia and Shayna a few days to plan their infiltration, but now was finally the time to take action. They striked early in the morning, when the night just started to end, and the streets were deserted.

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

So this is the building they're in. At least I hope. Now, all I have to do is to find a way to enter. Wouldn't want to raise the alarm before our big reunion... Now, where to start?

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

“You do realize that Carnela might have lied to us, to make us attack one of her rivals?” Shayna asked.

“Maybe. But it's a little too late to worry about that, isn't it? Now, help me carry this one.”

'This one' was a woman. Tall and curvy, with a voluptuous figure, chestnut eyes and curly auburn hair. She was supposed to be an accountant, working for the crime boss in charge of the human trafficking ring of Okéanis.

Although, currently, it was hard to tell, as she was only clad in her black lacy underwear and stockings. Her wrists had been crossed behind her back and zip-tied. Her ankles were also zip-tied. Tape wound up around her legs and back was securing her into a ball tie, forcing her to remain seated with her knees pressed against her breasts. Several rags were filling her mouth, her cheeks bulging because of them. Tape was sealing her lips, with a cloth gag tied over it.

Shayna and Klenia moved her inside a nearby cupboard, ignoring her muffled indignant cries.

“We didn't have to strip her you know...” Shayna commented while closing the door.

“It's not my fault if she was uncooperative. And she probably deserved it, what with the whole 'working for a mob boss and everything'.” Klenia answered with a shrug. “Anyway, now that we forced the password out of her, we should better look at her employer's files before the real cleaners wake up.” she added while mentioning the green overalls, white shirts, green caps and black sneakers Shayna and she were currently wearing.

“Or the three security guards.” Shayna completed. “Or the intern. Or the switchboard operator.”

“I didn't realize there would already be that many people in the building so early in the morning... Clearly their boss should give them all a raise for their motivation.”

Shayna shook her head, but couldn't help but smile. Some things would never change...

Klenia sat behind the laptop computer. “Now, let's find all this baby's secrets...”

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

Outside of the building, in an alleyway, a group of eight women were gathered near the Insuricare building's backdoor.

“So, how do you know that they are already inside?” Coral asked. “We may have arrived first...”

Reka pointed at the large grey van stationed nearby. The words 'Cleaning' were painted in red lettering on the side, along with a phone number. From close, Reka and her team could see that the vehicle was slightly moving back and forth. And was it muffled cries for help coming from behind the metallic bodywork?

Coral quickly picked the lock and opened the van's backdoor. Their group was greeted by the sight of two tightly bound-and-gagged half-naked women lying on the vehicle's floor. Their muggers apparenty used material found in the van to truss them up. They were bound with a mixture of brown package tape and black cables; hands, legs and arms well-secured. The same brown tape was also sealing their mouths, probably filled with a few rags. The first, a well-endowed dark-skinned woman with a shapely figure and frizzy black hair clad in red lingerie, was still unconscious. The other was a cute fair-skinned smaller girl, with red hair tied into a short ponytail, big blue eyes, and cheeks full of freckles. She was clad in a plain white t-shirt bra, with grey boyshorts and woolen socks. This one was awake, and desperately trying to draw somebody's attention.

“Well, this is pretty much their calling card.” Reka dryly commented.

She took off the tape off the redhead's lips, allowing her to spit the material gagging her.

“Thank Goodness you found us!” she exclaimed, overjoyed as she thought she was going to be rescued.

“What happened?” Reka asked.

“We're the cleaning crew. Two women ambushed us when we exited our van. They took our passes. And our clothes!” the young redhead cried.

“Of course...”

“It's a good thing you were here!” the red-headed cleaner added. “Otherwise, it would have taken hours to notice our disappearance...”

“Oh, we're not going to free you.” Reka casually retorted.

“What?!”

“Trust me, it's better for you.”

“Better?! How is that better for us?! We're tied up and almost naked! Please...”

Reka cut her tirade short by putting the rag back in her mouth, hand-gagging her to prevent her from spitting the material.

“It's better for you because you won't risk getting hit by a stray bullet once I get my hands on the two women who took your place.” Reka calmly answered, ignoring the young woman's 'Mmmmmfff!' of protest. “Can someone give me the tape? I don't want this one to raise the alarm before we're done here.”

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

“Still no relevant informations, but apparently our guy likes to watch movies at work. And not even porn! These are animated flicks. Talk about a crime boss...”

She sounded almost disappointed.

“Keep looking please...” Shayna answered. “I want to leave this place as soon as I can... I have a bad feeling.”

“Aye-Aye, sir!”

While Klenia was busy searching the computer's files, Shayna didn't have much to do besides looking around. The office's decoration was luxuous. The former thief didn't know who said that 'Crime doesn't pay.', but clearly he or she was mistaken. Apparently, in spite of the Utopian Federation's best efforts, the human trafficking business was still thriving. There were several expensive paintings on the wall, the desk was made in precious wood, and the guy had decorated his vast office with four sculptures. One of them was a big imposing black marble obelisk, probably more expensive than a car. There were two doors. The first was the one they used to enter and the other was supposed to lead to the safe room.

Shayna resisted the urge to try to open the safe. She hadn't forgotten her reflexes from when she was a thief...

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

Reka and her team were careful not to make too much noise when searching the building. They had decided to let Karin and Kjelle outside. The first was supposed to guard the backdoor, and the latter was tasked with keeping an eye on the front door. The remaining members of the team then split into two groups: Reka with Lucina and Selena, and Amara with Coral and Helen. Each group was carefully listening through each door they were passing by, then silently opening it. They would only bust it open if they were sure that someone was on the other side.

There was no sign of the security team. Which, to the criminals, was a sufficient proof that their preys were in the building.

Reka listened through the next door.

She could hear noises in the other room.

They're here!

She motioned to Lucina and Selena to get their guns ready.

Then, she kicked the door open.

“Surprise motherfu... uh?”

Reka interrupted herself in the middle of her charge.

In the room, there were only three underwear-clad, hog-tied and cleave-gagged women lying on the floor.

“Well, now we know where the security guards went...” Lucina commented.

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

Shayna had a bad feeling.

In appearance, everything was calm. But she could have sworn that she had heard a noise...

During her time as a thief, she had learned to trust her intuition.

Shayna approached the door from which Klenia and she had arrived. It was still half open. She listened carefully.

She could hear noises, even if they were almost inaudible. She was sure of it.

“Shayna! I think I found the right files!” her girlfriend happily exclaimed. “I'll copy-paste them!”

“Klenia... I think we have a problem...”

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

“Alright, this is getting awkward now...” Lucina commented.

They had just found a young woman with short light brown hair, probably the switchboard operator. Lying tape-gagged and hogtaped behind her desk, in her brown hosiery and red underwear. Tape was tying her hands behind her back, was pinning her upper-arms on her torso, and was wrapped around her thighs and legs, pressing her heels against her shapely backside.



(Picture belongs to WossaRem on Deviantart. https://www.deviantart.com/wossarem)

“I think they have mugged everyone in the building! Just how long have they been here?!” Selena exclaimed.

“Quiet.” Reka ordered. “Given what we've found, they can only be in one place. The director's office.”

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

Shayna was trying to remain calm. “What do we do?”

Klenia kept a cool head. “They haven't raised the alarm, which is strange. But it gives us a chance.”

“So... What do we do?”

Klenia was looking at everything. The paintings, the sculptures, the cupboard in which the bound-and-gagged accountant was stashed, the laptop computer, the window, the door leading to the safe, and the door leading to the corridor.

“We could quickly leave the office, hoping that we would reach the lower floor without meeting our pursuers in the stairs... Or..."

“Or what?”

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

Reka stormed the director's office, ready to shoot at anyone who was inside, Selena and Lucina following her closely.

The room was empty.

There were sculptures (including the reproduction of a black obelisk), paintings, another door leading to the safe room according to Max, a shaking cupboard that Reka didn't need to open to know that it contained another bound-and-gagged woman in her skivvies, and a desk with nothing on it.

But no human being. (Well, except for the bound-and-gagged woman in her skivvies inside the cupboard...)

“How did they manage to evade us?” Selena exclaimed. “There's only one way out! And it's the stairs we just climbed!”

Reka motioned her to keep quiet.

They heard voices, coming from through the other door.

“They're in the safe room!”

The three women charged, kicking the door open.

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

Well, this complicates my intervention...

From the alleyway in which she was hidden, in front of Insuricare's building on the other side of the street, she could see a lone woman watching the front door of her destination. The tall woman was posted near the entrance of her alleyway.

Too close from my hiding spot...

Tall and muscular, the woman was looking vaguely familiar.

Things are getting pretty dicey here... And I can't enter as long as this one stands guard...

Well, there was only one solution then...

At least, I'll be able to know who she is. And my car is already parked in the alleyway anyway.

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

The safe room was empty.

Save for the laptop computer on the ground.

It was currently playing a movie, which was the reason why Reka heard voices coming from the room.

“What the?” she started.

The three armed women wasted a few seconds looking at the movie.

“It's Jumbo.” Lucina said. “I used to watch this movie when I was a kid...”

Reka lost it. “WHY DO THEY ALWAYS MANAGE TO FOOL ME WITH THE SAME TRICKS?!” she screamed.

She was interrupted by the sound of a door closing.

Reka exchanged quick glances with Lucina and Selena. They rushed in the office just in time to hear the door being locked from outside.

“They were in the office the entire time?! But how?!” Selena screamed.

“They were hidden behind the obelisk!” Lucina understood.

“GUTLESS COWARDS!” Reka exclaimed. “COME AND FACE ME!”

She shot several times through the door because of her frustration.

“Call Amara's team! We can't let them escape!”

But before Lucina could speak in her walkie-talkie, a loud blaring sound rang out in all the building.

“What is...?”

“The little rats! They pulled the alarm signal!” Reka exclaimed. “That's... That's cheating!”

Now, the police would quickly get involved.

“Stand aside! I'll break the door!” Reka said.

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

“Did you recognize that voice?” Shayna asked while they were running.

“Yes. Reka.” Klenia answered.

Sao's former partner. A far bigger threat than any police or security force that could have been sent after them.

“That was close.” she simply added.

They weren't facing the threat of arrest. If Reka and her cronies caught up with them, they were dead.

“I didn't realize that they would find us so soon... Guess they still have a lot of contacts.”

“As if we needed more complications. Couldn't they just...” Shayna suddenly stopped herself. She quickly grabbed Klenia by the arm and they disappeared in another corridor.

They heard footsteps.

“Quick! Reka said they were in the director's office!” a woman ordered.

Luckily, Shayna had noticed the danger just in time. Their enemies didn't spot them and kept running without taking the time to check their hiding place.

“Good work...” Klenia whispered. She took the time to give her a quick kiss.

“How do we leave?” Shayna asked.

“The cleaners' van.”

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

The streets were calm and almost devoid of people. It would take at least an hour before they would become crowded.

Kjelle was bored. Guard duty wasn't exactly riveting. The woman scratched her head and resisted the temptation to call Reka on her walkie-talkie, as it would risk giving away her leader's location.

Kjelle wasn't made for waiting. She was made for action. The woman was tall and muscular, with brown eyes and a chin-length bob cut. Her hair were black. She used to be a soldier in the Olympian army, but had been deemed a reliability by her superiors because of so-called 'anger issues'. Kjelle scoffed. What a load of bull... Some Olympians in the army simply couldn't accept that a Provincial was better than them. They tried to push her around, and she showed them how they dealt with people like them in Ares. Being recruited by Sao was like a breath of fresh air. Kjelle didn't care that Sao and Reka were criminals involved with a lot of illegal traffics, and she would stick with Reka until they crushed these women who humiliated them in Wheat Junction.

Suddenly, she heard a sound coming from the building. Kjelle took a few steps to have a better view.

The alarm... she understood.

At the same moment, she felt something hit her neck. Somebody had thrown a small object at her, probably a coin judging by the size and the sound.

Kjelle immediately saw red. She turned around. The alleyway was dark and empty. She could see a few trash cans, two dumpsters, a parked car, backstairs... But not the wise guy making fun of her.

“Alright, who's there?” she said.

Kjelle was hesitating between facing this unknown joker or trying to see what was going on with the others. She saw some movement in the dark and another coin was tossed at her, hitting her in the forehead.

“Oh, you asked for it, punk!”

Kjelle chose to deal with the most immediate threat first. She had a hunch that this joker was somehow linked to the events happening in the Insuricare building. She walked in the dark alleyway.

“If you're trying to be funny, be prepared for a lesson in pain.” she threatened while cracking her knuckles.

She saw a figure emerging from behing a dumpster. The girl looked small and scrawny.

“There you are...”

Kjelle advanced, confident in her strength.

It was her mistake.

The smaller woman suddenly dashed towards her, dodging Kjelle's powerful right hook.

The henchwoman was maybe tall and muscular, but a quick jolt of a stungun was still enough to put her out of commission...

She was then quickly dragged inside the nearby car parked in the alleyway. The door closed after her. Then, the car started to move slightly. The vehicle's windows were tinted, allowing for some privacy while the tall woman was carefully searched, undressed, then secured.

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

Klenia kicked the exit door open and dashed outside.

There, she met face to face with a woman with short blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and a pointed chin. Klenia immediately recognized her. She was part of Sao's former team. The mercenary that Hana and Macha neutralized during the mission at Wheat Junction.

Karin.

Klenia saw in the blonde's eyes that she had recognized them too.

Klenia jumped on her while she was drawing her gun.

First, she disarmed her. Then, she warded off and dodged a few blows. Then, she subdued the henchwoman with a few well-aimed punches.

Behind Karin, Shayna opened the van's backdoor.

Klenia pushed the groggy henchwoman inside. The two cleaners, who were both awake now, let out muffled shrieks of fear when the blond woman fell near them. Klenia jumped after her.

“Close the doors and take the wheel, honey!” Klenia said. “I'll deal with her!”

Shayna complied.

“Oh no! Not again!” was the last thing Karin could say before Klenia was on her.

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

“Kjelle and Karin aren't answering!” Amara said.

“These damn b*tches duped us!” Reka cursed.

“We go after them?” Selena asked.

“First, we leave the building before the cops show up.”

“What about Kjelle and Karin?” Lucina intervened.

Reka clenched her fists, furious at the idea of having lost two teammates.

“We can't do anything for them, at least for now.”

She was disgusted by her own helplessness.

“We'll meet up with Maxie. We have to learn what they have learned in this building...”

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

Shayna drove a long time to make sure to lose possible pursuers. Then, once they were sure they weren't followed, she drove to the place where her and Klenia's car was parked, a small parking hidden between two huge buildings. There was no one in sight. They stopped the van near the car's trunk.

Shayna was the first to get out. She unlocked the car, then quickly checked the surroundings. Once she was satisfied, the former thief knocked on the van's backdoor then opened it.

Klenia exited the van. She had felt like stripping Karin and acquiring her clothes. Therefore, she was now dressed in the mercenary's dark blue jeans, white shirt and brown jacket. Klenia briefly stretched, then slung the unconscious Karin, now only clad in her purple sports bra and boyshorts, over her shoulder. The blonde was bound with cables and gagged with tape. A scarf was blindfolding her.

Klenia quickly strode over their car and threw the henchwoman in the trunk that Shayna had obligingly opened.

“Hopefully this one will have the answer to some of our questions...” Shayna commented while closing the trunk.

“Fingers crossed. Now, can you start the engine? I'll have one last thing to do before we leave.”

Klenia returned to the van. Inside, the two trussed up cleaners were still vainly trying to loosen their bonds, mewling and sobbing in their gags.

Klenia drew the switchblade she found in Karin's jacket. She approached the first cleaner to cut her bonds. The redhead started to furiously struggle, her eyes widening in fear as she saw the blade.

“Stop that!” Klenia said. “I'm not going to harm you. I will release your arms. Now, don't move or I might hurt you.”

She started to carefully cut the cables and tape binding the redhead's arms.

“There you go.”

The young woman immediately reached to her gag to remove it. Her dark-skinned companion was looking at Klenia with wide eyes.

“I trust you'll have no problem freeing your legs, and your friend.” Klenia added.

The girl looked at her, too bewildered to say something. Klenia threw a pile of clothes in front of her, as well as the keys of the van.

“Here! Have the uniform back. You'll also find my former clothes for you. And please accept our apologies.”

Then, she climbed inside the car, leaving behind two flabbergasted women. They watched the vehicle disappear in the distance. Then, the still bound-and-gagged dark-skinned cleaner mewled in her gag to snap her companion out of her trance.

“Sorry! Sorry! I'll free you!”

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

With their prisoner safely hidden in the trunk, Klenia and Shayna drove to their fall-back hideout, a small abandoned motel in the town's outskirts.

There was already a car parked in the building's backyard. Its windows were tinted.

Shayna frowned.

“Yes, I noticed.” Klenia said. “I don't know who this is. Only Aster knows about this place. Be careful. I'll exit the car. You stay behind the wheel. If things go out of hand, I want you to drive off.”

“No.”

“But Shayna...”

“I'll go with you. If things go out of hand, I'll help you.”

While they were talking, a woman exited the car with the tinted windows.

She had a rather plain physique, with dark eyes and raven-black hair tied into a ponytail. Her skin was rather pale, giving her a fragile appearance. But her posture showed a lot of assurance.

It was Mikani.

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

The reunion was filled with emotion. After the recent events, Klenia and Shayna were overjoyed to meet a friendly face.

“Hieron told me about Reka, so I decided to come to Okéanis to see if I could help. Aster called me and told me about your planned infiltration in Insuricare's building.” Mikani explained once the embrace was over. “I had a few troubles of my own at the border. I lost my phone and had to lay low. It took me a few days, but I've arrived just in time. Not that it mattered. You managed to escape them without my help, and quite masterfully if I do say so myself.”

“Still good to see you here.” Klenia answered. “And if you're up for it, we would be happy to have you stick around with us a little longer.”

“You planning something?”

“A journey. Outside of the country.”

“Interesting. Will it involve hijinks?”

“Plenty. And, hopefully, lots of opportunities to disguise ourselves too.”

Mikani smiled.

“I've missed you.”

Klenia smiled back.

“Don't say that in front of Shayna." she joked. "She's jealous!”

“I'm not!” the latter retorted.

“You're right. You're just protective...” Klenia teased.

Mikani chuckled, then walked to her car.

“By the way, before we leave, I brought you two a gift.”

She opened the car's door. On the back seat, stripped to her blue boyshorts and sports bra, Kjelle was secured with black nylon ropes. A tight cloth gag covering her mouth was preventing her from spitting the material gagging her. She was blindfolded with a black scarf.

“So nice!” Klenia played along. “But...”

“But?”

Klenia opened the trunk of her own car, revealing the still bound-and-gagged Karin.

“We already have one...”

Mikani paused, then said in mocked sadness. “Why does it always happen with my gifts?”

The three women laughed together.

“Well, now we can ask them a few questions...” Mikani concluded once they were over.

“And afterwards, what do we do?” Shayna asked.

“I may have an idea...” Mikani calmly answered.

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

“I have to say, Mikani. I like your ideas.” Klenia commented.

Inside a wooden crate, Kjelle and Karin were lying facing each other. Actually very close to each other, as their noses were almost touching. Their entire bodies had been mummified with tape, from the feet to the mouths. They were still blindfolded with scarves.

Their heads were resting on pillows that Mikani had generously left for them, although it was more as a mean to humiliate them than out of the goodness of her heart.

“We left holes to allow you to breathe. Simply enjoy the ride and try to not get too intimate with each other...” Klenia mocked them.

She was answered by two angry: “Grmmmffff!”

“I mean, Klenia already fantasizes something like that happening to Shayna and her, so we don't want someone else to do the same...” Mikani intervened.

“Ah... Mikani... I've missed your cutting remarks.” Klenia playfully retorted.

They closed the lid of the crate, then nailed it.

“Don't worry, you will be found in two hours when the train reaches its destination.” Mikani commented. “Although, unfortunately for you, it will be by the Federation's police...”

“Two hours?” Klenia picked out.

“Well, more like five or six. But I sended a text to Hieron. He will make sure that this specific crate will be opened first.”

“Now, let's go before the employees supposed to load this crate carrying 'rare and exotic animals' arrive...” Shayna added.

They left the two women at their predicament.

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

“Ultimately, they didn't know anything that we couldn't already deduce...” Shayna commented, while they were watching the train leave the station with its precious cargo safely stored inside.

“Yep.” Klenia answered. “Reka is after us with the remaining members of Sao's former team of mercenaries, and Max Shroud uses his contacts to track us. Every time we do something that reaches the criminal world's ears, he learns about it.”

“The question is... How do we manage to leave the country without them knowing it?” Mikani asked.

“I don't know. We should start by laying low.”

“And leaving Okéanis.” Shayna added.

“Are you sure? How are we supposed to go to Frontier then?” Klenia asked.

“By taking a plane, of course.”

Embarassed, Klenia scratched the back of her head. “Oh yes... Planes... Completely forgot that we could use those, now that Olympus isn't in charge anymore...”

“So it's settled then.” Mikani concluded. “Although we shouldn't leave the country through the border with Korê. I've had an... incident there. Let's go to Naïad instead.”

“Matilda then?” Shayna asked.

“Matilda.” Mikani agreed. "I will call Aster. She will want to know how we're doing... and she may be able to help us after we cross the border."

“We just need to make sure Reka doesn't find us.”

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

After hours of unfruitful researches, they were forced to face the facts. They had lost track of their preys.

Reluctantly, Reka ordered a withdrawal. Because of the burglary in Insuricare, cops were starting to swarm the district. Reka and her team were still officially regarded as runaway criminals by Okéanis, as part of their peace treaty with the Federation. In spite of the off-book missions Reka's team performed for them, if they were caught, Okéanis' officials would deny having any connection with them and would happily deliver them to the Federation.

On their way back, two policewomen had the misfortune of stopping them to ask for their identity papers, therefore earning them Reka's wrath. Wether they had recognized them as criminals or not had become irrelevant at that point. She needed to take it out on something... or someone. The two beaten up and unconscious women were abandoned naked in two adjacent trash cans, bound with zip-ties and gagged with their own panties and tape.

Afterwards, they returned to the appartment Max was renting for them. The former mob accountant, now the spokesperson of their team, was waiting for them.

The small thin man's biggest quality was his conciseness. After learning about their failure, he didn't bother with the 'why' or with needless reproaches. He adjusted his glasses, asked only essential questions, and, as soon as he had learned everything he wanted to know, he took out his cellphone to start calling all his contacts.

The list was long and he had already spent several hours on the phone.

Currently, Max was still talking to one of his many informants. He was trying to learn the informations that their preys were searching in the Insuricare building. Everyone else was trying to keep busy in the meantime. Coral, Helen, and Amara were playing cards. Lucina was browsing the Internet while Selena was lazily leaning on the back of Lucina's chair, watching the laptop with her. Reka was pacing back and forth.

After several hours of unfruitful searches, then several more hours of waiting for Max to find something, she was running out of patience. How much time had they already lost? Seven hours? Eight? Ten? Perhaps she needed to sleep...

“Well, I think that I found what happened to Kjelle and Karin...” Lucina suddenly said from behind her laptop.

"What?"

Reka looked over her and Selena's shoulders.

“What happened?”

Lucina showed her an online article.

“Two criminals literally delivered to the police." she read. "Our correspondent in Wheat Junction had just learned that two notorious criminals were caught by the police less than one hour ago. Informed by a reliable source, the police found the two women bound and gagged in their underwear inside a crate in the latest train coming from South Window..."

Reka's left eye twitched. Then she gently took the laptop... And threw it across the room, sending it flying in front of Max and crashing against a wall. Engrossed by his conversation, the man didn't even notice.

"They are mocking us!” Reka exclaimed. “These... These bimbos are mocking us! I won't let them treat us as if we were some kind of joke! I..."

Max closed his cellphone. Reka immediately stopped her rant.

"Well?" she asked instead.

"They stole datas about the destinations of the slave ring's merchandises. My informant mailed me the list. I think that we can safely bet that Venia Iven's name is somewhere in it. All we have to do now is check my mailbox. Once we know where she had been shipped, we will know their destination. And we will be able to go there and wait for them. Now, where is the lapto..."

He interrupted himself. All eyes turned on the remains of the laptop that suffered Reka's anger.

"These things are expensive you know..." he sighed. Max then shook his head. "I'll get the second laptop..."