Uniform Stealing Board

As a teenager, Julia Chen did not have many friends.

While other girls would spend their time chatting about boys and fashion, Julia was drawn to the world of science. She spent much of her adolescence poring over books about quantum theory and space travel. And it paid off. In college, she earned her master's in astrophysics, graduating at the top of her class. An internship at NASA soon blossomed into a full-blown career. Hers was a brilliant mind, free for her to use it as she chose.

And she had chosen to use it for evil.

She did not regret her decision, even as her cruel schemes had thus far failed to succeed. She was always willing to try again. To try and gain money... wealth... power. And she certainly did not need friends to achieve them.

Still, Julia knew the power of an alliance, especially when one was stuck on a strange and technologically advanced island so far from home. It was thus that she had struck up a friendship with Meredith and Lucinda. The three women had a few things in common - they were all dangerous criminals who had recently escaped police custody, they were all disguised as security guards on this island, and they all shared a common enemy. But for the moment, their most unifying factor was their intrigue at the facility around them.

"This place," Meredith said on their fifth morning together. "This place is incredible."

The three women had found a corner table in the complex's cafeteria, and were discussing their plans over a light breakfast.

"It's gorgeous," Lucinda agreed. "And so many weapons! Guns, tanks, armor - far more technologically advanced than anything we have back home."

"And the American government wants it to stay that way," Dr. Chen responded between casual sips of her coffee. "As I've said, this base was secretly established a few years ago for the USA to test out some of its most advanced - and dangerous - weaponry. We've stumbled onto a gold mine."

Lucinda sighed. "If only there was some way we could get back home with this tech. We'd be unstoppable."

"Indeed we would," Dr. Chen grinned. "And that's why I've got a plan."

Meredith and Lucinda leaned in as she spoke. "Tonight, we'll be going home - and we'll be taking the tech with us. To use with however we please."

The three women "clinked" their coffee cups and laughed.

"See you soon, Bridget," Dr. Chen mused. "I can't wait."

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

Bridget was not a fan of waiting.

She glanced anxiously at her watch, then at the clock on her apartment wall. When would it get here?

She was expecting an important package, one that was to be delivered soon. But it was getting late.

Her phone buzzed. A text from Bobbi. "We've just made it to Rucon. Will update shortly."

Bobbi texted back with the thumbs-up emoji, then glanced at her clock again.

"What's taking so long?" she muttered.

The deliverywoman had been running late that day. She had encountered one bind after another. She'd had to drop off her kids at school, had a lengthier work route than usual, and needed to stop at a gas station for fuel and extra air in her tires.

"Just one of those days, girl," she told herself.

But now she was approaching Bridget's apartment - her last stop of the afternoon. With a smile, she parked the truck and stepped out, package beneath her arm.

It was a hot afternoon, and she wasn't exactly dressed for the weather. Her light green uniform shirt was professionally buttoned up to the collar beneath a brown jacket, and her long dark green pants were tucked into a pair of brown boots. At least the sun was out of her eyes, thanks to the green baseball cap over her chestnut hair.

As the deliverywoman strode towards the apartment building, she was startled by a "Psst!" from a nearby alley. Turning, she saw a woman beckoning to her from the shadows.

"Excuse me," the woman said politely. "Perhaps you could help? I've dropped my diamond ring in a garbage dumpster, and I'm having trouble finding it..."

Though she was behind schedule, the deliverywoman couldn't turn down a fellow lady in need. "Sure, honey." She stepped into the alley. "Lead the way."

"You're too kind," the girl smiled. "Follow me..."

The area was rather quiet at this time of day, with no pedestrians about. Thus, the deliverywoman's cries of "Hey, what are you...? Let go! Let me gmmmmmppphhhhh! Hhhlllmmppphh!" as well as the bangs and crashes which followed, went unheard.

Before long, the deliverywoman found herself in another sort of bind - one more literal than the others. She was all tied up with strong cords and gagged with a grey cloth. Her uniform had been stripped off, leaving her in a frilly sky-blue bra and white hip-hugger panties. And she had been stuck in the very garbage dumpster she had intended to search.

Her assailant stood over her, now dressed in her delivery uniform, boots, and cap.

"Thanks, honey," she smiled. "Now you sit tight while I take care of some... personal business."

The deliverywoman's eyes were wide with terror as the dumpster lid was closed, plunging her into darkness.

The now-disguised woman returned to the street, package under arm, gun concealed inside her uniform. She checked the address and room number on the package.

"Bridget, here I come."

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

Standing at the edge of a large vacant lot, the coach checked her watch impatiently.

She was a tall and fit woman, her auburn hair tied in a low ponytail. Her team had finished practice an hour ago, but still she waited.

A small motorbike sped up to the lot, coming to a smooth stop. The rider removed her helmet. She was a tall, dark-skinned woman with black hair and an attractive yet athletic figure. She approached the taller woman and smiled. "Joanna, I presume."

The coach's eyes narrowed. "You're late."

Adelaide was indeed a few minutes late, on purpose. She preferred to make her clients wait a bit - it helped her extend control over the meeting.

"So," Adelaide began, "I hear you've got a competition coming up."

"Tomorrow morning," Joanna replied gruffly. "And my team must win. Our college needs the money - and if our team gets it, the school board will celebrate me as a hero."

Adelaide nodded understandingly. This woman was a tad power-hungry - probably meant she wouldn't want to finagle on the price. Still, Adelaide had her ways...

"What would you like me to do?" Adelaide said. "Kidnap all three rival teams?"

Joanna shook her head. "That might get people suspicious. I need you to infiltrate the stadium... Find a way to sabotage the other teams. At all costs, make sure Tampa wins."

Adelaide smiled. "You got it."

"I'd better," Joanna said tersely. "If we don't win... you will be sorry."

Adelaide nodded. This woman was a bit extreme, but she head dealt with worse.

As Adelaide motorbiked away, Joanna's phone rang. She picked it up.

"Natalie, I told you I don't need more help. I appreciate you finding this girl, but having too many people working for me could complicate things."

"Come on, cousin," Natalie urged. "I've got another friend who would love to help..."

"I said no!" Joanna hung up the phone.

Natalie sighed and turned to Betty. "She still says no."

"So I guess we're not going to sabotage the handball tournament?" Betty asked.

"Oh, we are," Natalie smiled. "We just won't be telling dear Joanna..."

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

Prema tilted her office chair back. She needed a break.

Things had not been going well for Dennison Drilling these last few days. Following the warehouse bombing the previous week, the company's stock had plummeted, and was only slowly beginning to work its way back up. It would take months before the corporation was back to its former glory.

The company's security issues ad also persisted. Prema's attempts to "punish" the security team by reducing their wages had backfired. Of the eight guards who had gotten mugged and stripped of their uniforms the prior week, six quite working for Dennison in protest. The remaining two, Olive and Bianca, continued to work alongside Alex, Wanda, Kimberly, and Eliza, though they seemed bitter towards Prema every time she crossed their paths.

Prema sighed. Much as she hated to admit it, she was regretting her promotion to supervisor. Authoritative work just wasn't her speed.

Down on the grounds behind the factory, Olive and Bianca were holding their own private little conference.

"The nerve of Ms. Khatri," Bianca muttered. "I was attacked... stripped... tied up... Some bitch stole my uniform. As if that isn't punishment enough..."

Olive nodded. "If I didn't have a family to support, I'd have quit this job," she said. "But what can we do?"

"There must be a way we can teach Prema a lesson." Bianca thought for a moment. Then she smiled.

"I have a plan," she whispered. "But... it's not exactly within the bounds of the law."

Olive leaned close. "What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters," Bianca explained, "it might involve a few Dennison employees getting mugged and stripped of their uniforms."

"But not us?" Olive asked.

Bianca laughed. "Of course not us!"

Olive grinned. "I'm liking this plan already..."

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

"No way."

Bobbi and Felicia were crouched down by the bushes just outside the large, fenced-in factory of Rucon Steel. The company was one of the most successful steelworks corporations in America, with established footing in at least a dozen states. Even from outside, the girls could feel the heat coming from within the plant - the heat, as Cheryl Cambron, the company's CFO often liked to say, of progress.

However, Bridget had done some investigating into Rucon recently, after receiving a tip that the company was engaged in a nationwide embezzlement scheme. One of the employees, a woman named Ramona, had tipped the State Department off a few weeks ago, but the inspector she met with had never gotten back to her. (Strangely, the inspector's business suit didn't seem to fit her properly, but Ramona had thought nothing of it.) Feeling desperate, she had reached out to the press, contacting Bridget, who in turn sent her two young associates to investigate.

So it was that Bobbi and Felicia were now just outside the Rucon factory, trying to determine the best way to slip inside.

"Come on," Bobbi urged. "This place is probably crawling with security. There's no way you're going to get in without a proper disguise."

"We'll see about that," Felicia replied.

"Girl, you're gonna get caught."

"You and Bridget challenged me to a bet," Felicia replied. "No uniform stealing for two weeks. I've gone five days so far... nine to go."

Bobbi sighed. "We'll rendezvous back here in an hour. Just be careful."

The two girls split up. Bobbi scouted the western fence, while Felicia circled around to the south.

The top of the fence was covered in barbed wire; therefore, Bobbi had to opt for going low. Fortunately, she found a spot where the earth had softened and the fence's fixtures had loosened. With a bit of digging and acrobatic skill, she was able to climb beneath.

Standing up, she dusted herself off. "Good thing I wore clothes from the cheap end of the closet... still, I should probably change."

She ducked out of sight behind a large shipping container as a pair of guards walked past. Disappointingly, they were men. Bobbi had heard that Rucon wasn't quite as "progressive" as some of the area's other corporations when it came to hiring women in security.

Nevertheless, Bobbi continued to scan the area, clinging to the shadows. Eventually, she was rewarded by the sound of footsteps.

The young factory worker had stepped out, presumably for some fresh air. She was dressed in long dark blue overalls over a light blue button-up shirt, with black gloves and brown boots. Her oily blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail. Her uniform wasn't much cleaner than Bobbi's clothes, but it'd have to do.

Bobbi waited until the coast was clear, then quietly crept up on the woman, who had her eyes closed, enjoying a cool midday breeze. Unfortunately, her serenity was short-lived.

"Huuuurrrkkkk... Uuuurrrgggghhh...."

She grasped at the arm which now encircled her neck. Bobbi kept her grip tight as she gagged the woman with her free hand.

"Shush... Quiet, hon... I promise you'll be okay... You just need to nap for a while..."

The woman didn't seem to agree, so Bobbi tightened her sleeper hold as she dragged the struggling worker back behind the shipping container. By the time they were again out of sight, the woman's struggles had slowed; a few more heaves and gurgles and she was out cold.

Bobbi lay the woman down and stripped her, first by unlacing the boots and then unfastening the overalls and sliding them off. This revealed a pair of bright green bikini panties with blue piping. Bobbi then unbuttoned the woman's shirt and opened it to reveal a lacy purple comfort bra. She slipped the shirt off and removed the gloves.

Some other worker had been polite enough to leave a length of rubber hose lying around, and Bobbi put it to good use, tying the woman's hands behind her back and securing her ankles. An oily washrag from the girl's overalls made a good gag.

Spotting a small shed nearby, Bobbi flipped her prisoner over her shoulder and carried her over to the potential hiding spot.

Opening the door, she was surprised to find that the shed wasn't unoccupied. Inside was a dark-skinned, dark-haired woman, fast asleep. She was dressed in no more than a pink triangle bra and emerald-green panties, and had been bound and gagged with grey duct tape.

Bobbi smiled as she dragged her own captive inside the shed. Then she lifted her wristwatch-radio. "Felicia, you sly devil. I knew you couldn't resist stealing a worker's uniform to get in here."

Felicia's voice sounded confused. "What are you talking about? I haven't stolen any uniforms. I haven't even made it past the fence yet."

Bobbi seemed confused as she glanced back at the dark-haired woman.

"Felicia," she said. "I don't think we're the only ones paying Rucon an unexpected visit today..."

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

Valencia sat at her dresser, deep in thought.

Her plans to engage in a "hostile takeover" of Cerberus Chemicals had failed, and nearly taken her down with her. Most women would have given up on such a risky venture. But Valencia Steele was not most women. If at first you don't succeed...

A knock came at her oaken bedroom door. "Enter," she said.

In walked Willa, the mansion's head butler and Valencia's closest confidante. The handsome blonde was always on the lookout for her boss, though even she could not have anticipated the attack on her mansion the previous week.

No matter - it was in the past, and Valencia was more focused on the future. "Did you find anyone?" she asked.

Willa nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Another group of professional bombers. Experts at infiltration, disguise, explosives. Their ranks were thinned recently, but they're still quite active."

"Wonderful," Valencia grinned. "And they'd certainly have to be less incompetent than Karima's team."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Call them up," Valencia ordered. "Negotiate a price. And make sure no one else in the mansion knows of this."

"Of course, ma'am." Willa bowed and left the room.

Valencia turned back to her dresser and chuckled. Tonight... tonight, her plans would finally reach fruition.

a great start for a new story!

first of all, the 'Tirepanted's paradigm ' at its height...with Olive and Bianca , altready stripped of their uniforms, and now wanting to become uniform stealers

and some interesting details about the forgotten victims. Just pay attention:Julia Chen, Lucinda and Meredith are still disguised with the uniforms of the security guards they mugged in the mysterious Island at the very end of the previous volume

"This place," Meredith said on their fifth morning together. "This place is incredible."

The three women had found a corner table in the complex's cafeteria, and were discussing their plans over a light breakfast.

the women they mugged are tied up to some tree in the forest from 5 days

well...definitely a great starting point... but I start to be worried about the ...I don't know the English proper word... filling level; you know, to be the first installment of a new story, the secluded places where to stash the victims are already completely filled with tied up and gagged, unconscious young women!

Ah yes, that time-tested paradigm ... although, I think you'll find that the Olive/Bianca example isn't quite like the others.

And I suppose there's a chance that the security guards mugged by Chen, Lucinda, and Meredith got free at some point in the last few days... but even if they did, none of them got a good look their attackers' faces, so it's not like they could identify their captors on such a crowded island. Or perhaps they're too humiliated to return to their workplace. So many possibilities...

I think the English word you're looking for is "capacity"... and don't worry, I'm sure these women will always find new places to stash their victims.

Now THAT was a fantastic chapter. I loved it, I liked the whole delivery women get beaten up behind the scenes, kind of like one of those cartoons where they get lured off screen but the camera doesn't follow and instead all you hear are the punching sounds. I thought it was a great scene and I'm looking forward to reading what Bridget's assassin is going to do next.

The whole arc behind Chen is going to be an interesting one and I'm looking forward to reading how it will all play out. It still amazes me when I read about a woman who has been mugged for uniform (Olive) almost retelling it and describing about how it's effected them afterwards, It's quite an overlooked thing and I can see why it is but every now and then it's nice to know what goes through their minds after their whole ordeals.

I genuinely thought it was Felicia for a moment as well as I somehow knew she couldn't help herself and when your a clothes / uniform stealing expert like her, why wouldn't you be tempted, but no, no the plot thickens, another infiltrator eh? I am quite partial to having dark skinned women bound and gagged too, so thank you for that.

Overall this has been a great start and I really can't wait to know what happens next.

Thanks, Trackman! I'm also a fan of the "behind the scenes" mugging. Sometimes it's good to leave things to the imagination. I also sometimes like spotlighting women like Olive and Bianca who were previously mugged for their uniforms (my "paradigm," I'm told ) and trying to weave them into later events and stories. Helps the saga feel more natural.

Yes, I threw a bit of a curveball with the second factory worker. Felicia is certainly an expert when it comes to stealing uniforms, but she does try to exercise some self-control on occasion. We'll meet this other infiltrator in the next chapter, which I hope to publish soon.

Nice, really going to enjoy this story!

Happy to see how quickly the next story began. I assume that you have decided to fuse To Steal Another Sports team with Volume 4?

I don't have much more to say than what has already been said. I agree with Trackmann's comment about the "behind the scene" mugging of the delivery woman. As someone who enjoys a lot the few Uniform Stealing scenes that exist in anime and cartoon, this is the kind of scenario I like to see pop up from time to time. And I ended up sympathizing with that poor woman... She's having one of these days indeed... I always like the idea of fleshening a little victims of the uniform steal, to have them be more than a plot device. My favorite part of the post too.

I would agree with ES about the forgotten security guards though. While I perfectly accept your explanation in the comment, given the fact that this is a secret base, I think that there should be a small mention or explanation of how Meredith, Lucinda and Chen managed to remain infiltrated for so long (especially Chen who, given the timeline, must have been here for a few weeks at least, maybe even months). Unless the guards quit without telling anyone what happened to them, wether they disappeared or were found, such a breach of security would probably have led the higher-ups to decide a full search of the base and the staff, and I'd be curious to hear how they managed to slip through the cracks.

Great beginning nervertheless, and I understand that this little detail isn't very important for the rest of the story. If I understood correctly, this will be the final installment, the one where all the storylines will conclude? If that's the case, I'm curious to see where this is going.

FeMilImpos: I certainly hope so!


Rufusluciusivan: Yes, the intended events of To Steal Another Sports team will instead occur in this story. Because the storyline itself won't be complicated enough. It's great that people liked the delivery woman scene - the first uniform steal of each story should always leave an impression on readers, so I'm glad this one did.

At reader request, I will try to bring up the security guards in a later chapter. By my calculation, Dr. Chen has been on the island for two or three weeks, so perhaps a brief explanation is called for.

As of the moment, I'm not planning this to be the final installment. Some of the characters' storylines will likely conclude in this volume, but others probably have potential for a Volume 5. It always depends on whether I have the time and energy to continue (and whether I can come up with enough uniform stealing scenarios for another installment).

The doorbell jarred Bridget from her thoughts.

"Package for Ms. Baxter," a woman's voice called from behind her door.

Finally! Bridget rose from her kitchen table and padded through the living room to the door. She opened it and smiled.

The uniformed delivery woman had her cap pulled low over her head. She held out the package. "Here you are, Ms. Baxter."

"Thank you." Bridget was so focused on the package that she hardly noticed the familiarity of the woman's voice. "Do I need to sign, or..."

The delivery woman suddenly pushed the door wide open, knocking Bridget backwards. "No need to sign, honey... I'd recognize you anywhere."

As Bridget fell to the ground, the delivery woman yanked off her cap, shaking her dark hair free.

Bridget gasped. "Zuhal!"

"Hi, sweetheart," Zuhal smiled. "Miss me?"

Bridget swept her leg out, knocking Zuhal off her feet. The Arab woman fell backwards, involuntarily slamming the door shut.

"Well," she sat up and rubbed her head. "That should give us some privacy, shouldn't it?"

Bridget lunged at Zuhal, and the two women were soon wrestling on the ground.

"Okay, you've had your exercise," Zuhal panted, "but let's get down to business."

She threw a neck chop, but her target rolled with it.

"Enough of your jokes," Bridget said angrily. "You made a huge mistake coming here."

She hit Zuhal with a right hook that the smaller woman barely blocked. Zuhal rolled over, slightly dazed, and pulled a gun from her jacket.

"Lord, I hope that's not true," she said. "Hands up, darling."

Bridget scowled, but obeyed.

Zuhal got to her feet, rubbing her lip. "Damn, girl, you've got a prizefighter's punch."

"You're going to shoot me?" Bridget said through gritted teeth. "There are fourteen other people living on this floor alone. If any of them hear a gunshot..."

"I don't want to shoot you, Bridget," Zuhal said flatly. "I know I should, but I don't. The gun is just insurance so that you'd stop hitting me. Besides," she smiled, "you're not exactly an easy person to kill."

Bridget was losing patience, but she tried to keep her cool. "What do you want?"

Zuhal re-holstered her gun. "Let's sit down," she said. "Time for a little girl talk."

Bridget didn't know what to say... though a part of her couldn't deny being intrigued.

Zuhal plopped herself down on Bridget's sofa and patted the cushion next to her. "Come on, hon... we've got a lot to discuss."

Bridget walked over and sat down. "Okay... so why don't you want to shoot me?"

"Because I need your help," Zuhal responded.

Bridget was silent for a moment.

Then she burst out laughing.

"I'm serious!" Zuhal said. "You're the only one who can help me."

Bridget continued laughing. "You've... you've tried to kill me... twice... and now you're asking for my help? What on earth would make you think -"

"I want to kill Karima."

Bridget stopped laughing.

"Karima betrayed me, just like she betrays everyone. She's dangerous, she's deadly, and she needs to be stopped."

Bridget's face was serious now. "Zuhal..."

"I keep up with the underground establishment," Zuhal continued. "I know that she tried to kill you and your friends last week. Maybe she thinks she succeeded. If so, you're lucky. Because if she ever finds out you're alive..."

"Stop," Bridget said.

"I'm serious," Zuhal continued. "She's after me, she's after you. We have that in common. We need to finish her before she finishes us."

"Stop!" Bridget said. "I'm not a killer."

Zuhal sighed. "Really? The Girl Scout routine?"

"It isn't a routine," Bridget said. "I'm not a criminal."

"Sure." Zuhal rolled her eyes. "You routinely assault other women, steal their clothes, break into restricted areas, spy on others... but you're not a criminal."

"I may engage in some... unorthodox methods in my line of work," Bridget admitted. "But I'm a journalist, and I need to get the facts. And sometimes that means 'borrowing' clothes and sneaking into places I'm not supposed to be."

"How honorable," Zuhal said flatly. "Okay, Miss Goody Two-Shoes, you say you won't kill. Will you at least help me bring that bitch to justice?"

Bridget bit her lip. She didn't want to partner with a deadly criminal like Zuhal. At the same time, Karima was dangerous... both to her, and to Bobbi and Felicia... What if Karima targeted them again?

"I can help you," Bridget finally said. "But no killing."

Zuhal smiled. "I swear it. So let's get down to business... I can provide you with a list of contacts familiar with Karima to help pinpoint her whereabouts. But do you have any leads?"

Bridget thought for a moment. "The last time we encountered Karima... she and her girls were planting some bombs at a place called Cerberus Chemicals. But the bombs didn't go off - they may have been defused, or were duds, or something. There's a decent chance they're still undiscovered in the Cerberus basement. If we recover one, I could study its workings and trace them back to Karima's supplier... and maybe Karima herself."

"Interesting," Zuhal said. "Cerberus... that sounds familiar for some reason..." Her face brightened. "Ah, yes... I believe I know someone who works there."

She handed an envelope to Bridget. "Here's some info you can use to research Karima. While you're doing that, I'll pay a visit to my 'friend' at Cerberus and see if we can't recover the little bomb. Sounds good?"

Bridget nodded slowly. "...Sounds good."

What was she getting herself into?


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

The FBI compound was quite massive - and one of the most imposing facilities in the Southern US. Hundreds of men and women worked there, and security was some of the tightest that money could buy.

Between the abundance of workers and the sense of comfort brought on by the feeling that no one could sneak their way in, the employees could perhaps be forgiven for not realizing that two of their number were, in fact, impostors.

"This place is huge," Sonja whispered. "We've explored it for days, and it goes on forever. Even the basement levels have a down elevator."

"It's impressive, all right," Chandra agreed. "But for the moment, it's home... until we can find Lucille and get her out."

The two women, both dressed in stolen uniform armor of FBI security, were thus far passing themselves off quite well as federal agents. Tessa and Mallory, the women they'd replaced days earlier, had not shown up to expose them. Sonja and Chandra did not understand why, but they weren't complaining. But they still had not had much luck in finding their boss.

"Do we know if she's even in here?" Sonja asked. "Maybe they took her to another facility."

"Gotta be some way we can check the prison records in this place," Chandra replied. "Find out where they're keeping..."

"Ahem!"

Both women turned to see Lorelei, their squad commander - or at least the commander of the two women they had mugged the prior week. She had her hands on her hips and was glaring at them.

Chandra and Sonja gulped. Had their ruse been discovered?

"What are you two doing by the vending machines?" Lorelei asked. "It's bad enough that the guards around here sneak too much candy; you don't need to make a public display of it."

Chandra breathed an inward sigh of relief. "We weren't eating candy, we were..."

"Dawdling?" Lorelei tapped her watch. "Come now, the squad's holding a meeting on Sublevel 4 in ten minutes. We need to discuss what to do about Karima. Let's go."

She turned heel and walked off. The two women watched her leave.

Chandra turned to her friend. "What the hell's a Karima?"

Sonja shrugged. "Guess we're about to find out."

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

Kori yawned as she stood languidly at her military post. The young soldier had been guarding the old warehouse for hours without break.

"Fifteen more minutes, girl," she muttered. "Shift change is almost here."

Kori was tall and fit, with short blonde hair and an oval face. She wore the custom green fatigues of her unit - green camo shirt and pants, matching army cap, and brown Timberland boots.

On a typical day, she would be training at the military base, about half a kilometer away. However, her regular tardiness had gotten her punished - put her on warehouse duty for three full days. Thankfully, her punishment was almost up - and at least she wasn't the only soldier being disciplined this way.

Funny, though - glancing at the other warehouse in the area, she couldn't see the other two soldiers who had been put on duty alongside her.

"Must've quit early," she murmured. "Maybe I should join them."

She took a step away from her post... when suddenly, she was grabbed from behind. A hand pressed over her mouth, cutting off her cry of surprise.

"Not so fast, soldier girl," Marina said, forcing her captive into a headlock. "The fun's only starting."

She dragged the struggling woman back, into the warehouse, where the sounds of punching and scuffling echoed off the empty walls.

Ten minutes later, Marina emerged from the warehouse, now dressed in Kori's uniform, boots, and cap.

She turned and smiled at the real soldier, who now sat in the corner of the small dark building, dressed as she merely was in comfort bra and waist-high panties. Interestingly, the underwear was the same camo colors as the uniform - Marina found that amusing.

In any case, Kori would not be wearing her uniform again for a while. She had been tightly bound with hemp ropes from the warehouse and gagged with two strips of duct tape.

"Thanks for letting me borrow your fatigues, lieutenant," Marina smiled. "You look a little too 'fatigued' to wear them yourself."

She looked around. Usually, this was the point where one of her coworkers would yell at her to stop making lame jokes. But of course, two of her coworkers were busy, and the others had been captured by the authorities.

She sighed. I miss Darla...

From the distance, she saw Toshiko and Cassandra emerge from the other warehouse, buttoning up their own military uniforms. She waved and hurried to join them.

"Damn, Cassie," Marina smiled. "Green is totally your color."

"Heh... You should've seen it on the other girl," Cassandra replied.

Marina peeked into the other warehouse and quickly sighted the other two military women who had been relieved of duty - and clothing - that day. A redhead and a brunette of tall, pleasing proportions, both were down to their camo underwear and bound and gagged not too differently from Kori.

"They all wear the same underwear," Marina noted. "Think we should've stolen that, too?"

Cassandra shook her head. "Military underwear is awful. I remember my time in the Army. My crotch would never stop itching..."

"Enough nonsense," Toshiko said. "We were hired to plant explosives at that military base. Let's get going. We have more jobs lined up after this."

"We do?" Marina asked.

Toshiko nodded. "Some woman named Willa called my cell while we were mugging those two Army girls. Apparently, her boss wants us to bomb a place called Cerberus Chemicals. Plus, we've got that other assignment tomorrow..."

Cassandra felt the pocket of her pilfered uniform and smiled. "Well, how about that!" She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a small silver-topped lighter. "Looks like my girl's a smoker. Be a shame to let these go to waste..."

Toshiko smacked the cigarette pack out of her hands. "I always tell you - stop smoking. It's unhealthy, and it distracts you from your work."

"It does not!" Cassandra protested.

"Last time you took a smoking break, some bitch mugged you and stole your clothes," Toshiko responded. "Now stay focused. We don't need any problems here."

Cassandra scowled, but said nothing. She was not a fan of Toshiko's new leadership role - and she still wondered what had happened to Sloane.

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

Karima sighed. It had been another slow, uneventful day.

Since their failed attempt to bomb the Cerberus facility a few days earlier, she and her team had not received any major job opportunities. They were stuck lounging about their latest hideout, strategizing their next move.

Karima didn't have many ideas, but she was using her time wisely - or at least, as wisely as she could. She had begun experimenting with her appearance - wearing skirts instead of pants, applying lipstick to her face - a dark shade, but glossier than her usual look. Today, out of sheer boredom, she was refashioning her hair into a bun.

Sabira and Yasmin sat at the conference table, playing a game of chess. Their third game of the day.

"And... mate!" Yasmin smiled, knocking the king off its square. "I win again."

Sabira grit her teeth. "Best of seven?"

Yasmin laughed. "Just admit I'm a master of the game, Sabi. Pay up."

Sabira rolled her eyes, but reached into her pocket and handed the beaming Yasmin a crisp hundred-dollar bill.

"Stupid game, anyway," she muttered.

Karima stepped out of her room and approached the bookshelf.

Sabira smiled at her. "Hey, boss. Wow... your hair looks great."

Karima nodded, but didn't smile. "Any phone calls?"

"Nothing." Sabira shook her head. "No one's hiring us anymore. These 'Saboteuses' are monopolizing the bomb industry."

"Maybe we should take them down," Yasmin suggested. "I hear you guys did that with the Bombshelles."

Karima smiled. "It's a thought," she said. "Perhaps we could..."

Her phone pinged. A new email.

Karima picked up the phone and scanned the message. Then she looked up in confusion.

"What the hell is Dennison Drilling?"

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

"Easy does it... Easy..."

Felicia had thrown her jacket atop the barbed wire fence, and had carefully clambered over, shielding herself from any sharp cuts or scratches. Now she was trying to lower herself to the other side.

"Eas... Whoa!"

She slipped and fell the last twelve feet. Fortunately, her honed athletic skills allowed her to touch the ground with just enough grace.

Quickly ducking behind a large tanker, she looked around. Coast was clear.

"How's it going?" Bobbi's voice came over the radio.

"Good, good," Felicia responded. "I just need to get to the factory without being caught on any security cameras."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Bobbi replied. "Just grab a passing worker, put on her uniform, and..."

"I told you, I'm not doing that," Felicia said stoically. "There's got to be another way..."

At that moment, she heard the sounds of a rumbling truck. Peeking out, she noticed a large flatbed, carrying a load of crates beneath a tarpaulin. It was headed for the factory.

"Bingo," Felicia smiled.

As the truck passed by her hiding spot, Felicia hopped on, crawling beneath the tarp.

"I'll be joining you soon," she radioed Bobbi. "Without a disguise."

"Good luck with that," Bobbi rolled her eyes. "As it is, I'm still trying to figure out who the other 'uninvited guest' at Rucon is..."

She was currently wandering through a large, heat-filled smelting plant, eyes darting this way and that.

"Gotta be some clue," she said to herself. "Some kind of..."

She stopped talking as she turned the corner. Standing against the wall, chewing gum and scrawling notes on a clipboard, was a petite woman dressed similarly to her, but with a hard hat over her blonde hair.

Bobbi sighed as she approached. "You're kidding me."

The woman looked up, and nearly swallowed her gum in surprise. "Bobbi?!"

"Moira, what the hell are you doing here?" Bobbi hissed.

"Um... I work here now?" Moira ventured.

"Nice try... Cindy," Bobbi read off Moira's nametag. "Drop the act, I found the worker you tied up. Why are you here?"

Moira folded her arms. "I could ask you the same thing. Are you following me?"

"What? Of course not! We're researching a story."

"Well, so am I," Moira scoffed. "And I'm not trying to stop you, so I'd appreciate if you returned the courtesy."

Bobbi's eyes narrowed. "Fine. I have to go the other direction, anyway."

With a last suspicious glance at the woman, Bobbi turned and strode toward the factory loading bay.

From there, perhaps she could locate the offices...

"Psst!"

Bobbi whirled at the sound coming from beneath the tarp of a flatbed truck.

"Felicia? What are you doing?"

"My job, obviously." Felicia peeked out from beneath the tarp.

"You're going to get caught," Bobbi said.

Felicia sighed. "I'll be fine. What have you found?"

"Not much... though I did have an unfortunate run-in with Bridget's journalistic 'buddy'."

"Moira? What's she doing here?"

"The same thing we are, apparently." Bobbi sighed. "Listen, sit tight. I'm going to try breaking into one of the offices. You can stay hidden and... um, stand guard."

Felicia nodded. "Roger that."

Bobbi shook her head as she walked off toward the Rucon offices.

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

Alejandra hummed to herself as she stirred the large, simmering soup pot.

It was atypically quiet in the dining hall of Jacksonville University. The college had issued a "study day" for students to prepare for finals, including athletic competitions. Most of the school's teams weren't practicing on campus grounds - with the exception of the Jacksonville Jades, the university's color guard team.

Thus, with few students around to feed, most of the dining staff had taken off that day. Alejandra was the only cook on duty, working to prepare a good supper for the Jades before their competition tomorrow.

Alejandra stepped away from the pot, wiping the sweat from her brow. The kitchen air-conditioner had broken weeks ago, meaning the room could at times feel like a furnace. Dressed as she was in light blue long-sleeve uniform shirt, black skirt and apron, with white sneakers on her feet and a red headscarf tied over her oily black hair, the culinary Latina wasn't exactly dressed for warmth. Still, the Jades were counting on her, and she couldn't disappoint them.

Lifting the stirring spoon to her lips, Alejandra took a taste of her vegetable soup. "Hm... Needs more parsley."

She headed for the dark storeroom at the rear of the kitchen.

"Where is that parsley?" She scanned the shelves. "I thought I told the school to order a month's supply..."

She stopped, suddenly, as she felt cold metal press against the side of her head. The sound of a pistol clicking into place.

"Not a sound," a woman's voice ordered from the shadows. "Make any noise, and I put a bullet in you. Nod if you understand."

Alejandra felt her heart race in fear. She nodded.

"Good," the woman continued. "Now... remove your clothes."

Alejandra wasn't sure she'd heard correctly.

"Move it!" the woman hissed. "You have till the count of ten to start stripping. One... two... nine..."

The frightened Alejandra began unbuttoning her blouse as quickly as her shaking hands could do so.

Once Alejandra was down to her tangerine full-cup bra and light blue boyshorts, the assailant lowered the gun. "Hands behind your back," she said. "No sudden moves."

Alejandra tried to stay calm as her wrists were tightly zip-tied, and as her ankles were likewise secured. The gag, torn from an old burlap sack in the storeroom, tasted of old onions. But it was her woeful predicament, rather than the acrid taste, that now brought her to tears.

"Stop crying," the woman ordered as she lay Alejandra down in a corner of the storeroom. "You're extremely lucky. Unlike some of my victims, you won't have any lasting physical injuries."

Farah dressed in the cook's uniform and shoes and tied the scarf over her hair. From afar, her hair color and skin tone made her look rather similar to Alejandra; with luck, no one would notice the switch.

Locking the storeroom behind her, Farah returned to the kitchen and eyed the large soup pot.

"Time for my own special recipe," she grinned.

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

"What are you looking at?" Meredith inquired.

Dr. Chen pointed. "There."

She was watching the doorway at the end of the main hall, past the various cubicles and testing facilities. A door marked "Gold Level clearance only."

"I've been watching that door for days," Chen explained. "If my calculations are accurate - and they usually are - that door leads to the deadliest of weapons on the island. No one without top security clearance can get in."

"And I'm guessing we can't," Lucinda finished. "But why not? Aren't we disguised as security guards?"

"We're disguised as junior security personnel," Dr. Chen explained. "Those are all the guards in white uniforms. Senior level security personnel guard the more important wings of the facility. They typically wear gold-colored uniforms."

"How prestigious," Lucinda said dryly. "It's nice to know that the US government has a penchant for subtlety."

Dr, Chen chuckled. "Come, ladies," she said. "It shouldn't be too difficult to find three senior guards in our size..."

As she walked off, Meredith held Lucinda's shoulder, beckoning her to stay a moment.

"What's wrong, hon?" Lucinda asked.

"I just... I don't know if I trust this Chen woman," Meredith whispered. "Something about her just... unnerves me."

Lucinda patted her wife's shoulder. "I understand she seems a little suspicious," she said sympathetically, "but she's the only friend we have right now. Besides," Lucinda grinned, "if she tries to hurt you, I'll knock her into next Tuesday."

Meredith smiled. "Now I know why I married you."

"I thought it was because I got you drunk that one time." Lucinda said it with a straight face, though her eyes twinkled.

Meredith laughed. "Come on, let's find some new clothes."

So it was Zuhal who had impersonated the delivery woman, very nice indeed. Speaking of which it seems that poor ol Karima is about to have her hands full with both the FBI after her and now this fragile alliance between Bridget and Zuhal, it sounds like Karima's going to be in trouble..........I can't wait to see it.

I liked the scene with Kori and she was a lieutenant so you thought she would of been more prepared for an ambush But it was pretty cool to see her all bound and gagged after her mugging, also I liked Marina's little jab to Kori about her being Fatigued, I like the nice little jokes that your characters sometimes give to their victims, just that little added humiliation makes it all better haha.

Aaaahhhh so the other infiltrator was Moira eh, well this is going to be interesting to see how this unfolds, also I'm looking forward to seeing what scheme Farah is cooking up (no pun intended, honestly).

Speaking of which it was interesting to see her overpower a chef for a disguise, chef's seem to be a profession that USB women rarely go for when it comes to infiltration assignments or jobs, so this was a nice change, thank you.

Overall I really did enjoy this chapter and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next, it seems as if most of the characters are now in play and are begging to set everything in motion. Thank you again for this, it's extremely well written, the description of each scene was fantastic and as I said it was an enjoyable read, great work.