Uniform Stealing Board

Breaking Out

“The Myrmidia Museum was built to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Matilda Myrmidia's death. As you probably already know, Matilda Myrmidia is the most famous historical figure of Okéanis: a warrior maiden who led several campaigns against the Holy Kingdom's enemies. She was born in a small village of fishermen...”

Amelie resisted the urge to yawn and roll her eyes. Did the guide have to tell the entire story? Sure, it was an interesting story. But after having already listened to it dozens of times... Though she studied in the country, Amelie wasn't from Okéanis. However, she quickly understood that the people from Okéanis worshipped the memory of Matilda Myrmidia even more than the people from Olympus worshipped the memory of Constantin Basileus.

Amelie had black hair, light skin, and blue eyes. She was of average height, perhaps a little pudgy at the waist, but still attractive. Her nails were painted red and her hair were put in a loose bun.

There were two groups of students visiting the museum, from two different schools. The first group was from the University of Olympus. Their uniform consisted of black shoes, white pants with golden threads, a white shirt, a white uniform jacket with golden buttons and threads, and a crimson neckerchief. Their sashes were gold and crimson. The second group was from Amelie's school, the International Business and Management School of Matilda. Their uniform consisted of black shoes, long white socks, a beige knee-long skirt for the girls and pants for the boys, a white shirt, a dark blue jacket with golden buttons and white threads, and a striped red and yellow neckerchief. On the jacket's chest pocket, the school's crest and the first name were embroidered.

The visit to the museum was part of an exchange program between Okéanis and the Federation. Amelie heard that it was an important exchange program, a way to ease the tensions between the two nations. She couldn't care less.

Right now, she cared about Nera. Because of the divorce of her parents, and the memory of the mugging they had been victims of, her girlfriend was having a rough time.

Nera Skiron was a beautiful young woman in her early twenties. She was rather short for her age, which made her look a few years younger than she really was. However, she had a soft flawless tanned skin, beautiful hazel green eyes, and firm and well-rounded bosoms of average size. Her nails were painted red. Her loose shoulder-long hair were brown, wavy and frizzy. They were put in a loose bun similar to Amelie's.

Amelie was trying to support Nera as best as she could. And she was succeding, for the most part. When she was with her, Nera was able to forget for a moment about her complicated family situation, and about the rumours that had spread after they were found bound, gagged, and half-naked in her dorm room.

The guide showed them a painting.

“Here you have a depiction of one of the most well-known events of Matilda's life. After she became head priestess, the neighbouring people of the Holy Kingdom of Okéanis became afraid of Matilda's growing influence, but they were also afraid to face her in open combat. Therefore, the southern Ares Tribes sent a group of women to infiltrate Matilda's Temple, a place where men weren't allowed to enter. Versions differ on wether they wanted to assassinate her or to capture her and make her an hostage.”

The guide showed them a picture of women wearing long white robes, and silver bracelets, torcs and headbands.

“The infiltrators ambushed a group of priestesses and stole their robes and their jewelry. Since in Ares customs, the lives of religious persons were considered sacred, they bound and gagged them after taking their clothes.”

One of the boys of Amelie's group decided to try to be funny and asked: “So, did they leave the priestesses naked?”

The guide didn't get flustered. “Only uneducated monkeys don't wear underwear.” she softly retorted while looking into his eyes. “The traditional underwear at the time, at least when wearing a robe, was a white light slip not too dissimilar from some undergowns that still exist today. Anyway, this event is the first recorded instance of a practice that was widespread at the time, which historians now call the 'Infiltration Wars'. Indeed, the Fall heavily reduced the global population. As a consequence, for a long time, pitched battles were seen as a huge risk, as they could potentially threaten the renewal of the population. It was even one of the reasons why Matilda was so feared: because she always chose to fight her enemies in big pitched battles, and almost always won. At the time, a lot of nations chose to favour skirmishes and infiltrations to try to capture enemy leaders. It's only after the rise of Olympus that the human population was restored to levels similar to before the Fall, to the point that the Government could afford themselves to be wasteful with their repression in the decades after they overthrew Constantin IV and before the Civil War.”

A lot of students shared nervous glances. The guide understood she was making everyone ill at ease and quickly changed the subject.

“Historians and sociologists are currently studying the past practices of infiltration, as well as their influence in today's mentalities. The heavy use of infiltrators by the Rebellion before and during the Civil War, as well as the fact that other groups are now mimicking the tactics of the teams of infiltrators, are said to be subconsciously influenced by this historical baggage.”

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

Nera was looking glum. The guide's speech was reminding her of her mugging. Indeed, the woman who assaulted them stole her student uniform. Amelie decided that she needed to lift her girlfriend's spirits.

She grabbed her hand and whispered in her ear: “Babe... This visit is so boring... Let's just sneak off for an hour...” Her tone was suggestive.

Nera couldn't help but smile. “That would be breaking the rules...”

“I'm feeling like being a rebel today. Come on! Let's go somewhere more private!”

The two students walked more slowly, allowed the rest of the group to go past them, and then eloped hand in hand when they thought that nobody was watching them.

They didn't realize that they were seen by a brown-haired woman wearing a museum guide outfit: a red blazer with the museum's crest and her name tag on it over a white shirt, and a pencil knee-long black skirt. She was also wearing light brown pantyhose, and black shoes. However, this specific guide wasn't interested in turning them in to their teacher. Her name tag was reading: 'Iris', but she wasn't the real Iris. And she had other plans for the two students. She grabbed her cellphone.

“Yuki... I think we may have an opening...”

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

Yuki beamed and closed her cellphone.

“It's my turn to take action!” she said excitedly.

Tiffany rolled her eyes and smiled indulgently.

“Go get them, then. I'll watch you through the monitors.”

Currently, they were in the building's security room. Tiffany was dressed in a museum guard uniform: black shoes, dark grey trousers and uniform jacket, white shirt, black tie, and a black security guard cap.

The real security guard sat bound and gagged in a corner, stripped to her red boyshorts and black bra. She was a brown-haired green-eyed woman with a tanned skin and a tall figure. Her wrists, thighs and ankles were tied with ropes. She was gagged with a sponge and a cleave-gag.

Next to her, there was another underwear-clad woman. She was Iris, the guide who had the bad luck to come across Lizéa before the beginning of her shift. She was a black-haired brown-eyed woman of average height. She too was bound and gagged, and stripped to her white bra with red polka dots and matching bikini panties.

“They'll never know what hit them!” Yuki exclaimed. She ran to the door and grabbed the knob.

The security guard tried to shout through her gag.

“I told you not to speak!” Tiffany barked at her. “Disobey one more time, and I'll tighten the ropes binding you!”

The guard fell silent.

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

According to Lizéa, her two targets were in the service corridor of the museum. Yuki avoided other people as much as she could and used secondary passages.

She found her targets in an isolated part of the museum, near the storage room. She hid behind the corner of the wall.

“Here, we shouldn't be disturbed...”

“But what if someone sees us?”

“Relax! No one will come here before closing time.”

Yuki recognized Nera and Amelie. It's a small world after all...

Amelie embraced her girlfriend. “Now, let's forget about these stories of infiltrators...”

Yuki waited a few minutes, until the two students were too busy smooching each other to notice the threat near them.

Déjà vu, much? the short young woman thought to herself.

She aimed the dart gun at Amelie and shot. The dart hit her in the neck.

The tall slightly pudgy student groaned. “Nhhh!”

Nera was currently kissing and sucking on the bottom of her throat. Her girlfriend therefore didn't pay attention to the slight sting she felt on her neck.

“Did you say something...?” Nera finally asked between two kisses.

But Amelie was already losing it. “I... I... Uh... I...”

“Amelie?” Nera said, sounding worried.

“Uhhhhhh...”

Amelie's legs failed her and she fell on her girlfriend. Nera held her back as best as she could to prevent her from falling on the floor and hurting herself.

“Amelie! What's...” The student noticed the dart on her girlfriend's neck. “No way! Not again!” she exclaimed.

Amelie was sound asleep now, and the shorter Nera had a hard time holding back the full weight of her motionless girlfriend now that her body was completely limp.

Yuki smiled. Perfect! She took a step forward, putting another dart in the chamber of her gun.

“Hello, rich girl!” she said.

Nera finally noticed her. “Who are you?”

Yuki made a grimace she spent an hour to perfect in front of a mirror. One that would make her look like a tough gangster. “I'm a criminal. A very, very mean criminal you do not want to cross!”

The student blinked, trying to better support her unconcious girlfriend. She was looking more confused and flabbergasted than scared.

Apparently, the grimace wasn't very effective...

“No offense but... Aren't you a little... young?” Nera timidly asked.

“Are you questioning the girl with the gun?”

“No, sir!”

“Good. Now, drag your sweetheart in that storage room over there...”

“Why would I...?”

“ARE YOU QUESTIONING THE GIRL WITH THE GUN?”

“But isn't it a dart gun...?” Nera asked, confused.

“And you want a dart in the face? Or in the eye?”

“No sir!”

“Good.”

The feeling of surprise had died down. Now, Nera was scared.

Yuki was making great efforts to not grin, as she needed to keep on her 'mean criminal' demeanour. Keeping in character was hard, as the short woman was overjoyed. She was talking like a real gangster. Making threats and everything!

And it was working this time.

Nera wasn't exactly the athletic type, so it took her some time and a lot of efforts to drag Amelie inside the storage room. Yuki followed her and closed the door, the gun still in her hands.

Nera delicately laid her girlfriend on the floor. She grabbed Amelie's hand and held it in hers. She was worrried. For her and for Amelie. “What are you going to do to us? We didn't do anything to you! I... I don't have a lot of money on me...”

“Now, I'm going to take your clothes.” Yuki explained.

Nera's eyes widened. Then she exclaimed: “I knew it! I knew it was you who mugged Amelie and I in my dorm room!”

“Technically the last time we met, I couldn't properly mug you for your uniform or truss you up, since you two lovebirds had already done almost all the work for me.” Yuki retorted, unable to hold back her smile anymore.

Nera's face became red. The anger at the thought of the predicament she was left in made her fear disappear. “I will call the police! They will...”

Yuki shot a sleeping dart in the student's left breast.

“Dang it...”

Yuki continued her monologue as if she didn't get interrupted. “It looks like that today, I will be able to right the wrong. This time, I will steal your uniform in good and due form.”

Nera's eyes rolled back. She fell forward. Yuki caught her before she could hit the floor and laid her perpendicularly on Amelie's stomach.

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

Yuki removed Nera's shoes and socks first, then pulled down the student's skirt. Then, she unzipped the jacket, unbuttoned the shirt, and took both off while lifting Nera's motionless upper body. She also took the scarf to complete her disguise, and couldn't resist the temptation to steal the student's wristwatch.

Nera's underwear consisted of light blue satin hipster panties with black trimmings and a matching push-up bra.

Yuki grabbed the coils of rope hidden in her backpack. She moved Nera's unconscious body, and applied herself to trussing up the two lovebirds, using Lizéa's and Tiffany's teachings. It took her a few minutes.

“Now, this knot goes there, this one... there... and this one goes... there... … Perfect! All done!”

Nera and Amelie were bound together, lying on their sides, with Nera's back pressed against Amelie's chest. They looked like two spoons nested together in a drawer. Nera's hands were tied behind Amelie's back, while Amelie's hands were tied in front of Nera's stomach. Their legs and their ankles were bound together, as well as their waists. Each student's mouth was filled with a sponge. They were tape-gagged and blidfolded with scarves. Amelie's gagged lips were resting against Nera's neck. Yuki positioned them so that Amelie's fully-clothed back was facing the door. Therefore, she was offering some cover and protecting the modesty of her girlfriend.

Yuki changed herself and put on Nera's student uniform. Once she was fully disguised, she looked at her two drugged captives. Her second solo success. With the same people.

Think of a quip... Think of a quip... Think of a quip...

She imitated one of Lizéa's poses.

“Well, it looks like... real bonds are stronger than love bonds... 'Cause you're in love... and bound to each other...”

Dang it!

At least, nobody could hear it... She hung her head and left the storage room.

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

With her new clothes, Yuki caught up with the group of students. She took care to stay at the end of the group, to be sure that the other students of Nera's and Amelie's class wouldn't spot her as an impostor. She was carrying a bag, using its shoulder strap to hide Nera's nametag.

The short woman briefly smiled at the disguised Lizéa. The fake museum guide smiled back, then pointed at a specific young woman who was part of the group from the University of Olympus with her chin.

Coraline Shay. Their target.

She was a young woman around Nera's or Amelie's age, with light blond hair and blue eyes.

Yuki nodded, and positioned herself behind their target.

Lizéa approached the group of students. It was time to try a bluff.

“Excuse me.” She pointed at Yuki and Coraline. “You two, follow me. I will give you brochures that you will have to distribute to the students of your respective groups.”

The request took the student by surprise, but since Lizéa had designated a student of each group, her story seemed plausible and Coraline had no reason to doubt it.

She followed the woman she thought was a museum guide.

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

Nera woke up in panic.

It didn't take her long to assess the situation she was in. Not again! She immediately started to struggle.

However, she stopped when she fell something on her bare skin.

Amelie's fingers were carressing her stomach and she was nuzzling her neck and kissing it through her gagged lips to reassure and comfort her.

Goodness! I love her so much...

Without Amelie to support her, Nera didn't know if she could have put up with her parents' divorce. Or with the rumours.

The short student closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Their current situation was terrifying, indubitably, but in a way also strangely arousing.

There were worse people than Amelie to be trapped half-naked in a storage room with... Far worse people...

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

Coraline understood that something was wrong when she realized that Lizéa and Yuki weren't taking her to the museum's office. However, by that point, it was too late. They were in an empty corridor, isolated from the public parts of the museum.

She tried to move away from them.

“You're not a true guide! What do you want with me?!”

But since Lizéa and Yuki were two against one, they easily grabbed and immobilized her.

At this moment, Tiffany arrived in the corridor, still disguised as a museum guard.

The student called her.

“You have to help me... These two...”

She stopped when she saw the busty woman's smile.

“Who...?”

Wit her free hand, Lizéa shot a tranquilizer dart at her at point-blank range. Coraline struggled, but not for long. Soon, she was deep asleep.

“Selena will be satisfied...” Lizéa commented.

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

Selena was indeed satisfied when they brought her the drugged young woman, trussed up and hidden inside a wheeled suitcase.

“Now, we will finally be able to put our plan into motion.” she commented.

The other members of the team were with her.

Lizéa was pacing back and forth, waiting for her to make the phone call.
Tiffany was chugging a can of soda.
Aeris was checking the physical condition of the still unconscious Coraline.
Yuki was playing a videogame on a portable console.
Amy was scratching her closely-cropped chestnut hair, and was enviously watching the box Selena just bought this moring, in which there were wigs.
And Max was checking informations on his laptop and his phone at the same time.

The redhead dialed the number that Max found for her.

“Hello?” a female voice asked.

“Pamela Shay?”

“Yes. What is it?”

“Miss. We have your sister. If you want her to be returned to you unharmed, you will have to follow my instructions...”

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

It took Selena a few minutes to explain to Pamela what they wanted from her. Then she hung up.

The redhead looked at Max, Amy, and Lizéa's gang.

“So, the moment of truth. Will she try to call the police?”

Selena's phone rang.

“Well, she's smart. She knows that not calling the police is a dumb move.” Amy commented.

“Too bad we're smarter...” Selena retorted.

Unluckily for Pamela, Max and Selena had paid someone to hack her line.

The redhead picked up the phone.

“Hello, Pamela.”

She heard a gasp of surprise. “But I...”

“... thought that you were calling the police? You tried. We've hacked your line.”

“Listen, I can explain...”

“No need to, Pamela. I understand perfectly. You thought I was a dumb Provincial, one that you could easily outsmart.”

“I would never have...”

“Now listen well, Pamela. I've spent my entire life being looked down upon by people who thought they were better and smarter than me. Do not try my patience.”

A long moment of silence.

“I won't.”

“Good. If you think to call the police with an other phone, I'll let you know that I have contacts in the police as well. Consider this your final warning. Either you obey me, or your sister pays the price.”

“I will.”

Selena was satisfied to hear the defeat in the woman's voice.

“Make sure to take your shift at the prison tomorrow as if nothing happened. I'll call you to give you new instructions.”

A very welcomed new story, this is going to be awesome.

I loved how it started, the idea that USB scenes were actually recorded in history and told via tour guides throughout museums is truly a future I certainly hope becomes a reality one day.

I enjoyed the whole scene which evolved between Nera and Yuki, it's true when they say the world at times can be a small place and I'm afraid it seems Nera is learning this the hard way, it was a fantastic scene and I really enjoyed it.

This new story of yours has a lot of potential and a I'm already trying to formulate ideas in my own head as to where this going to go with future parts, needless to say, it's a new story arc of yours that already has me hooked. This was a fantastic start and you can certainly count me in with all the future installments.

Always good to see a new story in this ever-evolving universe. As far as introductions go, this was fun and well-written as usual.

The tour guide's monologue was amusing. I find it interesting the way you've evolved the uniform stealing in these stories organically, with it initially being utilized by the Resistance and then being picked up by other women. And now we learn that the technique is a key part of Olympus history. I don't give much background to uniform steals in my stories - for me, it's just a means used by women, both good and evil, whenever the need arises - but this was certainly one of the more interesting "history lessons" I've sat through.

Lizéa and her crew continue to be eminently entertaining, and I love the ongoing development of Yuki as the up-and-coming infiltrator, learning the tricks of the trade. I like her clever use of subtle disguise techniques (using a bag's shoulder strap to hide a nametag). At some point, however, she will have to mug women other than Amelie and Nera in order to prove she isn't just a one-trick wonder.

Selena and her team have proven themselves to be quite cunning and resourceful in the past, and I look forward to watching their plan unfold. Evil though they may be, they're plenty fun to watch, and it looks like they've got an intricate scheme ahead. Can't wait.

Thanks to both of you. I studied history, therefore I found it interesting to give an historical explanation about why everyone use uniform stealings in this world. Glad you liked the idea and didn't find the introduction too long and boring.

Nera and Amelie were indeed unlucky. I guess I listened to the voice of my conscience, who told me that technically their first time wasn't a true uniform stealing. Wink. Wink.

Centering a story on "villain protagonists" (or even morally ambiguous ones) can be tricky, as they can easily lose audience sympathy to the point that the readers are rooting against them. So it's a good thing Selena and Lizéa's team are fun to watch.

Not spoiling everything, but this story arc won't be as long as Rescue Operation (far from it) and will only center around Selena's and her team's plan. Expect something more around the size of the last few installments. Basically, my solution when facing the problem of writing a long story... was to split it into smaller stories. Indeed, this was merely an introduction. The next part will show the true plan being put into motion, though I think you easily deduced what was their goal this time.

Also, I wanted to apologize in advance if I'm slow to post, to answer to comments or to review other stories (especially to you tirepanted, I still haven't found the time to read the latest installment). Currently, as part of summer vacations, I'm visiting and spending time with the family, often driving, so I don't have much time.

It could be viewed from another angle such as. By having a story only focused on the villains and there less than sympathetic ways. Then when the stories come back featuring the heroes as well, you'll naturally route for the heroes even more knowing what the villains have done. But that is just my two penny's on another way to view it.

I love immensely college girls or schoolgirls as victims

nevertheless I have to admit to be a bit disappointed , since the cutest schoolgirl in the room ( Coraline Shay, the final target, with light blond hair and blue eyes ) is not robbed of her university uniform

but the whole tale is really enjoyable, well written, filled with humour!

I think that, so long as the villains are funny and given well-developed personalities, they have a certain level of audience sympathy. Indeed, I sometimes find the villains in your stories (such as Reka and her team, and now Lizéa and her squad) to be even more humorous and entertaining than the heroes. This sort of writing goes a long way toward building up different characterizations and viewpoints and make the world feel more detailed and complex than a simple "good vs. evil" story.

No worries about the lack of responses; I always look forward to hearing your thoughts about my stories, but I understand if you can't always make them. And I'm happy to see you continue your own stories in the meantime.

ES: So light blond hair and blue eyes? I didn't know. I'll keep that in a corner of my mind.

Focusing a story on the villains while stressing their despicableness to then give the satisfaction of the heroes giving them their comeuppance can be a good other way, but I think it's very risky. The closest I tried whith this method was with Jewel, and even then I didn't have her as the main character. I remember stopping reading a few stories because the villain was so annoyingly despicable (not even the kind of villain you love to hate, the spoiled prince or the bully types), and I didn't want to wait three books to see them receive their comeuppance. I guess it's a question of dosage. Personally, at least if they are the main 'protagonist', I think the villain should have either a three-dimentional personality / sympathetic qualities. Or enough charisma to balance out their despicableness.

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

Jade Agate was excited.

The last few months, she was going through a rough time. She had a lot of money problems, and wouldn't be able to pay the rent of her office for very long. However, everything changed the previous day, when she received the phone call of a new client.

This case would bring her both money and exposure. It was perfect...

Today was going to be a good day.

And she was in a good mood.

The lawyer pulled a small pocket mirror from her purse. She adjusted her rectangular shaped glasses, then she checked her make-up and her hair. Jade had a soft oval face and a delicate nose. Her hair were tied up in a high braided crown.

She was wearing a grey business suit with matching pants. Under the suit jacket, she was wearing a crisp white shirt.

Jade was from the Province of Karst, and shared the peculiar physical features of her fellow countrymen and countrywomen. White skin, light brown hair, and these deep emerald green eyes coupled with soft facial features.

However, while she did look like them physically, she had always felt out of place in her birth Province. Karst was a conservative place. Its inhabitants didn't like change. They wanted things to always remain the same: same landscapes, same customs, same food, same fashion for the clothes... And most importantly, they wanted to never leave their Province, its mountains, its hills and its valleys.

On the contrary, even as a child, Jade wanted to explore the world, see new landscapes, discover new customs, try new foods and new clothes... She felt restricted by her conservative household, and left her Province as soon as she was old enough. Even now, while she always enjoyed returning to her home Province from time to time, she would never want to live there.

Jade exited the building in which her office was located. She barely had the time to study the case, but her client told her that an assistant lawyer would be assigned to help her. They would take stoke of the situation on their way to the prison. And she knew a lot of details about the case anyway. She heard a lot about it on TV.

Indeed, Reka BlackHills was one of the most infamous convicts of the country.

However, you could not write 'infamous'... without 'famous'. For a lawyer, defending Reka was a guarantee of huge media coverage. Huge media coverage meant huge publicity, and more potential clients. Therefore, more money. Perhaps enough to save her office.

The car was waiting for Jade in front of the building, just as she was told on the phone. Her client said he was sending her a driver and a vehicle. The assistant lawyer was supposed to be waiting for her inside the car.

There was already an other woman in the back of the vehicle. She had the tanned skin of the people from Okéanis, brown shoulder-long hair with segmented bangs framing her face, and green eyes. She was wearing a sharp black business suit with matching pants and high-heels.

“Good afternoon.” Jade said with a smile. “I take it that you're the assistant my client attributed to me...”

The brown-haired woman smiled. “Call me Primrose. Pleased to meet you.”

The lawyer sat next to her.

The driver of the car, wearing the traditional driver uniform, drove off.

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

The car had been driving for a few minutes when Jade addressed the question of her assignment.

“So. Do you have complementary informations on the case?”

Primrose smiled. “No.”

Jade frowned. “Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

The lawyer paused. Something wasn't adding up.

“Are you sure you're my assistant lawyer?” she finally asked.

Jade was starting to wonder if, maybe, there wasn't a big misunderstanding. Perhaps she got in the wrong car by mistake?

“No. I could have been a lawyer, but I just had too much heart...” Primrose answered.

Jade blinked and looked at her in silence. She was trying to comprehend what was going on.

“Sorry. The joke was too easy.” the brown-haired woman added while the lawyer was remaining silent.

“Who are you?” Jade finally asked.

“You could say that I'm a magician. I create illusions and I trick people into believing what I want them to believe. For instance, I put on a nice-looking suit, call myself 'Primrose', and everyone assume that I'm an assistant lawyer. Just because I look like one. But I'm not an assistant lawyer, and my true name isn't even 'Primrose'. That's the name of a policewoman I mugged recently, and that I left trussed up with her girlfriend.”

Jade lost patience.

“I don't know what kind of joke this is, but it stops now. I want you to leave this vehicle.” She asked the driver: “Please stop the car.”

“Sorry, ma'am. I'm afraid I can't do that.” the woman retorted.

“Why?”

“Because I'm not a true driver.”

“What?! How is that possible?”

“Simple. I grabbed your driver, gave her a small injection to put her to sleep, and took her clothes. Then I bound and gagged her, and hid her in the trunk.”

Jade blinked. The woman was saying it so matter-of-factly... As if this was a normal everyday occurrence... Everything seemed so surreal to the lawyer.

“You took the place of my driver? But... But how? How did you know which car I was going to take?”

“Now, now, didn't I tell you I was a magician?” 'Primrose' intervened. “A true magician never reveals her trick...”

Jade grabbed the car door's handle, ready to jump off the running vehicle, but the fake driver had locked all doors. The lawyer tried to open the window. Maybe she could scream for help before they...

'Primrose' grabbed Jade's arm with one hand. With the other, she was holding a strange-looking gun. The brown-haired woman pulled the trigger. There was a soft 'Pffft!' Jade felt a sting in her left side. She looked down and saw a small dart.

“What...? I don't... understand...”

Her eyes rolled and she fell in her kidnapper's arms. Sound asleep.

'Primrose', aka Lizéa, stroked Jade's hair.

“We don't need you to understand, girl. We just need your clothes and your ID card.”

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

They stopped the car in the middle of nowhere, under the cover of a grove of trees. The others were waiting for them next to a grey van.

Selena was talking on the phone.

Amy was pacing back and forth.

Aeris was changing her hairdo: usually, her hip-long light brown hair were braided in her back, with segmented bangs framing her face. Currently, she was tying them up in a crown braid. Yuki was helping her.

“Did it work?” Selena asked Lizéa when the brown-haired woman exited the car.

“Like clockwork.” the latter answered.

She dragged Jade out of the car. The lawyer was still sound asleep.

“Take off her clothes and give them to your partner.” Selena said.

Lizéa complied.

In the meantime, Tiffany, still wearing the driver uniform, opened the truck. She was whistling.

Inside, there was the real driver, wearing nothing but her undergarments: a sky blue t-shirt bra, white panties, and grey socks. She was a woman in her early thirties, with a dark skin, short medium brown hair, light brown eyes, a pointed nose, and a square-shaped face. Her wrists and her ankles were bound with zip-ties, and she was gagged by a sponge filling her mouth and tape wrapped around her mouth and lower face. She was still asleep, breathing through her nose.

The busty woman smiled, then grabbed the underwear-clad brunette and threw her over her shoulder.

“Put her in the van, please.” Selena ordered.

“On my way.”

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

Jade was breathing softly.

Lizéa unbuttoned the suit jacket and the shirt, and took them off while lifting the lawyer's upper-body and arms. Then, she removed the shoes, not touching the green socks though, and she slid the woman's pants.

Jade was living up to her name. The lawyer was wearing jade green lingerie: hip-hugging panties and a matching padded bra with laced trimmings. Wish I took the green ropes... Lizéa thought to herself.

She grabbed white plastic zip-ties (with a sigh) and quickly bound the woman's hands behind her back, then with another pair she zip-tied her ankles. She needed to be quick and efficient anyway, and zip-ties were the quickest restraints that she could think of. Just like with the driver, she shoved a sponge into Jade's mouth, and sealed her lips with tape.

Once the lawyer was secured, she dragged her inside the van and put her next to the driver. For now, there was still room in the van. However, if everything went according to plan, the vehicle would become a little more crowded by the end of the day...

“First step, complete.” she commented to herself.

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

“It's crazy how a different hairdo and some fake glasses can change a woman's appearance.” Tiffany said while looking at Aeris. “Once we throw the right clothes to the mix, nobody will be able to recognize you...”

“Why do I have to take the lawyer's place?” Aeris asked.

“We chose this woman as Reka's lawyer specifically because you two looked alike.” Selena explained. “Max and I actually drew our inspiration from a movie.”

“Then, why didn't you find a lawyer that looked like someone else?”

“Because you're the most innocent-looking.” Tiffany intervened with a smile. “I mean, look at your face. Give them one of your smiles, and they'll think you're an angel!”

Aeris grimaced.

“Come on, girl, change yourself!” Amy impatiently exclaimed. “We haven't got all day!”

Tiffany made a pretence of hitting her. “Then start by looking elsewhere! Respect a woman's intimacy, jerk!”

Amy rolled her eyes. “Unbelievable...” she commented. Still, unwilling to be punched in the face, she turned around.

Aeris took off her red bolero jacket and unbuttoned her pink dress, then let it slide on the ground. She also removed her light pink slip, only keeping her pink bra and panties, and her socks. Lizéa threw her Jade's shirt and pants, into which she quickly slipped. After buckling the pants and buttoning up the shirt, she grabbed the suit jacket and put it on over the shirt. Finally, she slipped into the shoes.

“I don't like it.”

“Bah, don't worry. You won't be alone.” Lizéa reassured her. “You will have your 'assistant lawyer'. Me. Just stick to the plan and, if you have trouble, let me speak for you.”

Selena checked her wristwatch. “We're on schedule. Tiffany, Yuki, take the van. You have twenty minutes to drive to the point where we will retrieve our second disguise.”

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

Delia was in a bad mood.

Her boss refused to allow her to take the next week off. The stingy landlord of the apartment she was renting refused to have the stairs of the building repaired. And today she was forced to work overtime.

Today was going to be a bad day.

And she was in a bad mood.

Delivering food to the prison was a pain. She would have to endure several annoying security checks that were going to make her waste even more time.

Just like every time something was wrong in her life, Delia cursed at her mother. She was the one responsible of her current situation!

With her soft skin, tall figure, bulgy chest, light blond hair and blue eyes, surely Delia could have become something else than a lowly delivery woman.

But her mother refused to allow her to work in the fashion industry. She said it was too 'risky'. And what was the result? Delia failed her medical studies, and was forced to take this dead-end job to earn some money.

I should have...

Suddenly, Delia's eyes widened. There was a van in the middle of the road!

The delivery woman cursed and brutally braked. Her vehicle stopped just in time.

This day was going from bad to worse...

Delia exited her vehicle angrily.

“Hey pal, you're in the middle of the road!” she shouted.

The other driver, a busty woman with dark brown hair, retorted: “Think I had the choice? One of my tires just burst!”

“I don't see why it prevents you from moving your banger.” Delia said.

“Maybe because I don't want to damage the axle?”

“Buddy, that's not my problem. I have an important delivery to make and if I'm late, they'll cut my salary. So move your junk out of the way! Or I'll make you!”

The dark-brown-haired woman took a step forward, menacingly.

“Then make me.” she retorted. She was speaking softly, but her voice was colder than ice.

Delia suddenly realized that the busty woman was also looking very athletic, the kind of woman who was probably practicing a combative sport. She realized that, maybe, she shouldn't have been rude...

She reached for her pocket, and grabbed the small tear gas spray that was inside. She brandished it.

With one hand, the busty woman grabbed her wrist and twisted it, making her drop her spray. With her other hand, she punched Delia in the stomach.

The delivery woman gasped and bended over, the wind knocked out of her. Her aggressor moved behind her and compressed the upper airway, though leaving just enough leeway to not choke her.

“Wait... I... I'm sorry!” Delia stammered.

“I don't think you really are. Not yet at least. A nice sleeper-hold will teach you some manners.”

The dark-brown-haired woman stopped compressing the upperairway and compressed the carotid arteries.

The delivery woman couldn't do anything to escape her opponent's grip. Even though her vision was becoming blurry, Delia could see another woman arrive. She was short and black-haired. The newcomer was previously hiding on the other side of the van.

“We were supposed to use the dart-gun...” she said.

“Well, she shouldn't have gotten on my nerves.” Delia's aggressor retorted.

Then, the delivery woman lost consciousness.

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

First, Yuki shot a sleeping dart in the delivery woman's left buttock.

Then they threw Delia in the back of their van next to Jade and her driver after zipping her wrists behind her back, just in case she would resist the sleeping drug. They quickly drove the two vehicles, theirs and Delia's, away from the road, to make sure that no undesirable witness would ruin the operation.

Once they were out of sight, Tiffany and Yuki entered the back of their van. They moved the trussed up slumbering forms of Jade and her driver further inside the van, to make sure that they wouldn't be in the way when they stripped Delia.

Yuki cut the zip-ties binding the delivery woman's hands, in order for them to divest her of her clothes. Delia was wearing a dark green baseball cap, a light green uniform shirt beneath a dark green jacket, and her long dark green pants were tucked into a pair of black boots.

Under her delivery girl uniform, Delia was wearing a dark green tank top, a white support bra, blue knickers and grey socks. They also removed the tank top, since it seemed to match the uniform, but didn't touch the rest.

They zip-tied the woman's wrists once again, then zip-tied her ankles, and gagged her with a sponge and a few strips of tape. Tiffany also blindfolded her with tape. “Because that way, she will have an unwanted removal of her eyebrows once she's freed...” she explained when Yuki asked her why.

“So mean...” the short woman said in awe. “Just like a true criminal!”

“Exactly.”

Tiffany checked her wristwatch. They were on schedule.

“Now, you drive our van back to Selena and the others while I take the delivery van. Our partners are going to need our vehicle to stash the next captive.”

Yuki beamed, delighted to be given an important task.

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

Selena checked her phone. Tiffany had just texted her.

“The others just aquired the uniform and the van of the delivery woman. Yuki is bringing our van here.”

Amy nodded in silence. She was looking sullen.

“I'll give you the wig after we capture our next target.” the redhead added. “So stop sulking.”

Aeris, now disguised as Jade, and Lizéa, who continued to pretend to be an assistant lawyer, were waiting a little further. They were hidden, along with Jade's car. They would only go to the prison after their group acquired all the disguises they needed. If they wanted their plan to succeed, they had to be perfectly synchronized, and to arrive in the prison at the right time.

Selena and Amy had slipped into the police uniforms they stole a few weeks ago, to cover Lizéa's team's escape during their attempt to recruit Emery and her special combattants. They would need the outfits once more.

They heard the sound of a car.

“A red car. According to Max's contact, that's the one.” Selena said.

Amy gestured the car to stop. The police uniform fooled the driver, who complied.

The driver was a woman with dark blond hair and grey eyes, a white skin slightly tanned due to the use of a tanning bed. She was of average height, with a heart-shaped face, sharp cheekbones, and a pointed nose. Her collarbone-long hair were down and slightly curly. She was wearing casual clothes: a light grey t-shirt, a beige cardigan sweater, blue jeans, and brown ankle boots.

“What is it?” the driver asked.

“Routine check, ma'am. I will have to ask you to exit the vehicle.” Amy said.

“Will that take long? I am supposed to take up my new post at the prison, and I don't want to be late.”

“Don't worry, ma'am. I will be as quick as I can...”

The dark-blond-haired woman smiled. “Thanks a lot!” She opened the door and exited the car.

“Don't thank me. In fact, it is I who thank you.” Amy said with a mocking tone. “Thank you for being on time.”

“Wha...?”

WHACK!

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

Selena searched the unconscious woman's wallet and pulled out her ID card.

“Celine Veber. That's her.”

The redhead smiled while looking at the knocked out woman on the ground. They had dragged her to the other side of her parked car, therefore she was invisible from the road.

Celine Veber was a prison guard.

A prison guard who, today, was supposed to take up a new post as warden in the prison where Reka and the others were locked up. A new guard whom the other guards hadn't encountered yet. Of course, a close check would maybe allow them to recognize Amy as an impostor. However, it happened that the guard who was going to brief the newcomer was Pamela Shay. This was actually the first instruction Selena gave her: volunteer to greet the fake 'Celine Veber' and to show her the different parts of the prison.

Pamela Shay who, of course, would never dare to denounce Amy as an impostor as long as they were holding her sister captive.

“Take her clothes. She may have told them that she would wear a specific outfit.” Selena instructed to Amy.

The redhead was smiling internally. She was really liking her new role of chief.

Amy stripped Celine down to her plain lavender t-shirt bra, pink boyshorts, and black socks. Just like with the other women they captured today, the blonde was then zip-tied and tape-gagged.

“Done!” Amy said once she got changed. “Now you do realize that I will need another hair colour to impersonate her?”

Selena groaned in annoyance and grabbed the dark blond wig.

“Here, take it and stop pestering me...”

Amy yanked the wig out of Selena's hand and eagerly put it on.

“Sheesh... How old are you?” the readhead commented, annoyed.

“It's important for me, okay?” the other woman answered. “I need it!” Amy then grabbed the small box holding the grey contact lenses.

Selena decided that she didn't have time to waste in pointless debates and watched the road.

“Yuki is bringing out the van. Perfect, we will be able to hide Celine inside.”

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

They loaded the unconscious prison guard into the van, next to Delia.

Then, Amy climbed into Celine's car and sat behind the wheel. She drove off.

Lizéa, Aeris, and Yuki regrouped around the redhead.

“Put on Jade's driver's outfit.” Selena said to Yuki. “You will drive Lizéa and Aeris to the prison.”

The short woman nodded.

While she was disguising herself, Selena dialed Pamela's number.

“Hello Pamela. It's me. I hope that you have taken your shift in the prison as if nothing happened.”

The other woman growled a 'Yes'.

“Perfect. My friend, the new guard, will arrive soon. I hope that you will give her the welcome that is her due. For your sister's sake.”

“How is she doing?”

“Weren't you allowed to talk to her this morning? She's fine. Well, Max is currently binge-watching the series Game of Crowns, and it may be bad for her eyes. But other than that she's fine.”

“I swear that if you hurt her...”

Selena groaned in annoyance and interrupted her. “Were you in the army, Pamela?”

“What...? No.”

“I figured so... Well, for my part, I was conscripted. They dragged me against my will, shaved my head, trained me, thrashed me several times. They sent me fight Cérès' guerilla fighters in Lakeland and suppress labour strikes in Smog. Have you already guarded a camp at night knowing that your enemy could send at any moment special combattants to slit your throat from behind? Have you already patrolled a forest knowing that each bush could hide a guerilla fighter about to attack you by surprise? Have you already been almost trampled to death by a panicked crowd?” Selena paused. “Have you already been forced to shoot at poor saps who hadn't done anything wrong to you, because if you refused your officer would put a bullet in your neck? That was the life of a conscript. So, you have to understand that your threats mean nothing to me. They don't scare me. In fact, they amuse me.”

“I never...”

“Didn't I already tell you to not look down on me?”

“Yes.”

“So shut up and obey my instructions.”

She hung up.

Lizéa whistled between her teeth. “Being conscripted in the army was tough...”

Selena shrugged. “I became something. Perhaps not something good, probably not even something to be proud of, but something at least.”

“I understand. Being part of the crowd of unknows is indeed the worst fate I can imagine.” Lizéa agreed. “I feel the same. No matter what I do with my life, I want it to be spectacular.” Then she asked: “Are you sure it's a good idea to have Amy take the guard's place? We won't be able to keep an eye on her.”

“She's our best choice when it comes to impersonate someone. With her knowledge of wigs and contact lenses, she can completely change her appearance. And there's also another reason...”

“Which is...?”

“We don't know for sure that Pamela didn't betray us. She may have warned the other guards, or the head warden of the prison.”

“Hence why we didn't tell her about the replacement of the lawyer, or the delivery woman...” Lizéa completed.

“If things go south, your team will be able to flee before they're outed as impostors.”

“And the only one who may get arrested would be Amy...” Lizéa smiled. “That's not very nice.”

“Amy's a backstabber. There were people like her in the army. Snitches who were spying on the troops and reporting everything to the officers.” Selena answered. “I'm not the kind of person who would execute a henchwoman because of the potential betrayal. But on the other hand, if I can give her the most dangerous jobs, I won't refrain myself from doing it...”

Lizéa nodded, a little impressed by Selena's train of thoughts.

“I will hide the van, to make sure that all our captives remain nicely out of sight during the next two hours.” Selena said. “Then, I will bring the minibus at the rendezvous point. You know what to do?”

Lizéa nodded. “Of course. First...”

And so the big plan continues to gather steam. Selena further displays her scheming skills by giving just the right amount of information to different people (notably Amy and Pamela). Interesting to see how she's developed her backup plan in case anything goes wrong - and as we've seen so often in these stories, meticulous plans do have a habit of going wrong.

I admit I was thrown off by the opening of this chapter. When the legal assistant introduced herself, my initial thought was that really was Primrose, and that the driver was in fact Yusufa in disguise. Given their track record of getting mugged, I was wondering if the tables had finally turned and they were becoming USBs themselves. Turns out this wasn't the case, but still, a nice continuity nod.

Again, I like the bits of personality and backstory you give to (the diametrically opposed) Jade and Delia. Helps add flavor to the scenes. And poor Celine, mugged on her first day on the job, before she even arrived at work. Most victims are lucks enough to wear their uniform for a bit, before it gets stolen from them.