Uniform Stealing Board

The morning sun glimmered off the outdoor pool at the swanky Orlando hotel. It was an inviting sight, but not one to be appreciated, as most of the guests were still indoors, waking up and getting ready for the new day.

The hotel lobby was cool and comfortable, though at 7 AM, quite empty as well. Only a few workers bustled about at the front desk and in the adjoining dinette. Occasionally, one or two guests would appear for breakfast.

Linda sat on one of the comfortable lobby chairs, long legs crossed, scanning a copy of the morning newspaper. However, she wasn't really reading; she was keeping watch.

Betty was in this hotel, no question - and Linda had to find her. She simply needed a non-suspicious way to get into her room...

The phone at the front desk rang, and one of the receptionists answered. "Good morning... Yes, hello, ma'am. Ah, breakfast to your room? Not a problem... What would you like?" She scribbled down some notes. "Very good, we'll send it right up. Yes, Room 514. Enjoy your day."

Linda smiled. A stroke of luck to start her morning.

Ten minutes later, the doorway from the dining hall opened, and a room service attendant emerged, pushing a metal cart upon which sat a covered silver platter. The young woman was tall and light-skinned, her blonde hair tied in a low ponytail. She was dressed in a red waistcoat over a crisp white button-down shirt with black bowtie, black skirt, tan tights, and shiny black pumps. A little nametag pinned over her right breast read "Madge."

Linda scanned the woman as she pushed the cart toward the service elevator. She was roughly the right size, if not quite as muscular. Linda got up, folded up the newspaper, and set it back down on the nearby coffee table.

The elevator pinged, and Madge stepped in. As the doors slid shut, Linda headed for the stairs.

As a former athlete, Linda was quite fleet of foot, and her powerful legs allowed her to bound up four flights of stairs without breaking a sweat. She reached the fifth floor just as Madge had stepped off the rickety elevator, and intercepted the service attendant as she rounded the corner.

Though startled, Madge gave a professional smile. "Good morning, ma'am. May I help you?"

Thinking quickly, Linda gestured to a nearby linen closet. "Yes, please. I'm a guest here, and I appear to be in need of some new sheets. Spilled some food in my room and now my bedspread looks a mess."

The blonde smiled kindly. "Of course, ma'am. I'd be happy to help." She withdrew an all-access key from her uniform pocket and unlocked the closet.

Stepping into the dark room, she reached for one of the bedsheets on the shelf. "Which room are you staying in?"

"Don't know," Linda replied with a chuckle. "But you'll most certainly be staying in this one."

She elbowed Madge sharply in the back, sending the startled blonde to the floor. Then she stepped into the closet, shutting the door behind her.

At this early hour, most of the guests were still asleep, safe behind thick and mostly soundproof walls. Thus, Linda was afforded plenty of peace and quiet as her judo skills dealt with the unfortunate Madge. There were also no disturbances as the unfortunate hotel employee was stripped of her uniform.

Soon after, Linda emerged from the closet, straightening her black bowtie. She admired the fit of the shirt, waistcoat, skirt and tights, and even the slightly pinch-inducing pumps. Not perfect, but like the saying goes, the clothes make the woman.

"Apologies, miss," she addressed the room's occupant. "I swear this is all for professional purposes."

Her words brought little comfort to the frightened Madge, who had been reduced to a peach scalloped bra and lavender cotton panties. She had been bound and gagged with torn-up linens from the closet.

"Rest well, my dear." Linda shut the door. "I've got some breakfast to serve."

She grasped the cart's handle and continued pushing it down the hall.

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

Prema stirred, her eyes slowly flickering open. "Hmmm... uuhhhh?"

She looked around. All was dark. She was in a small, cramped space - presumably a closet. Apart from her tangerine full-cup bra and panties, her clothes were gone. Her hands were tied, her ankles were bound, a thick cloth filled her mouth.

The sickly smell of chloroform lingered in her nostrils. She still felt woozy.

Gathering what little strength she could muster, Prema tried severing her bonds. No use - they were too tight, or maybe she was too weak.

She sighed. Yes, she was too weak.

Why me? she thought. Who would want me kidnapped? Are Meredith and Lucinda behind this? I'll bet they are...

But Prema was wrong. Her new troubles were coming from a different source.

Outside the closet, Sabira and Yasmin sat at their hideout's conference table, immersed in another chess game.

"Sounds like our sleeping beauty is waking up," Sabira noted.

From the adjoining room, Karima overheard. "Excellent," she said. "I should call our client to let her know about last night's success."

"Still think this is a dumb plan," Yasmin noted. "What's the point of kidnapping that broad if we're only going to let her go?"

"The point is getting paid for it," Karima said flatly, reaching for her phone.

Still, she felt a small pang of inferiority as she dialed the numbers. There had to be a more exciting job than this. There had to...

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

As soon as she picked up her phone, Bianca heard Karima's voice: "It's done."

"Perfect," Bianca said. "Did you run into any trouble?"

"None," Karima replied. "Got a couple of disguises and grabbed her before she knew what was happening."

"Excellent," Bianca said. "We'll be over around noontime."

"Understood."

Bianca hung up the phone and turned to Olive. "It's done. Now we move on to Phase Two."

Olive yawned. "Er... what's Phase Two?"

"We're going to rescue Prema, remember?" Bianca explained. "Or at least pretend to rescue her, since Karima is in on the plan. Prema will see us as heroes, and we'll get our original salaries back."

Olive nodded. "Sounds great. When do we do it?"

"Pretty soon," Bianca smiled. "Let's just give Prema an hour or so to feel scared and helpless."

"Great idea." Olive yawned again.

"Honey, are you okay? You seem exhausted."

Olive nodded. "The baby woke me up three times last night." She managed a small smile. "Being a new mom is harder than it looks."

Bianca laughed. "I'll take your word for it."

"What's with the chitchat?"

Bianca and Olive turned to see Alex watching them, arms folded.

"Shouldn't you girls be at your posts?" Alex said sternly. "We can't have anyone slacking on the job."

Bianca nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Of course. I was just telling Olive about today's patrol plan."

"I've made the plan," Alex said. "You two patrol the inner factory today. Wanda, Kimberly, Eliza and I will take the four outdoor sectors."

Bianca nodded again. "Understood. We'll head right inside."

After Alex left, Bianca turned to Olive. "This isn't good. If we're supposed to be inside the factory, Alex or the others will get suspicious if they catch us near the exits... I was hoping we'd get outdoor duty... Be easier to sneak out."

Olive nodded. "Guess we'll have to find some way to exit Dennison without being noticed."

A crafty smile spread across Bianca's lips. "Good news, honey," she said. "I've got a plan for that, too..."

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

It had been a long night of undersea piloting and navigation, but Dr. Chen had finally spotted her destination.

"Land ho, girls," she grinned, gazing through the periscope.

Lucinda stood up and stretched. "About time. I can't wait to get out of this sardine can."

Meredith nodded. She was feeling a bit claustrophobic herself.

The sub surfaced just off the coast of St. Augustine. Waves crashed against the high shoreline.

"It'll take a bit of skill," Dr. Chen noted. "But I believe we can make it to dry land without this so-called 'sardine can'."

Abandoning the small sub to sink beneath the deep and murky waves, the trio tied their stolen weapons to their waists and carefully swam toward the shore, climbing their way onto the sandy cliffs.

Lucinda smiled as her boots touched the ground. "Ah, Florida. So good to be home."

"We're wanted fugitives here," Meredith replied.

"I didn't say it was a perfect home," Lucinda said.

Dr. Chen allowed herself but a moment to bask in the fresh air and solid ground. "Right, girls. We've got a busy day ahead. Are you ready?"

"You bet," Lucinda said eagerly.

"First things first," Dr. Chen continued. "We need some new clothes. These scuba suits will make us stand out in any crowd."

"And besides, they're pretty wet," Lucinda added.

"Looks great on you, though," Meredith offered.

But her wife didn't seem to hear her. She was pointing to the fenced area beyond the beach. "Look!"

They looked. In the distance, a lone female jogger came into view. She was jogging down the dirt pathway that ran parallel to the beach.

The young woman was tall and fit, with dark hair tied in a ponytail that whipped in the wind. She was dressed in a teal-colored tank top, black compression pants, and white tennis shoes.

"She looks about my size," Lucinda smiled. "Be right back."

The woman was oblivious to the world, jogging breezily along the path. She did not notice as Lucinda stepped up to the slatted fence and crouched down.

As the jogger passed by, Lucinda stuck her hand through the fence posts and grabbed her ankle. The woman yelped and fell forward. She landed with a "Ppffooouuagh!" in the soft dirt.

Hopping over the fence, Lucinda put the dazed girl in a sleeper hold. The jogger gasped and struggled as her assailant's strength became apparent.

Finally, she could take no more, and lapsed into unconsciousness. Lucinda dragged her into the bushes on the other side of the track, the girl's plimsolls leaving light ruptures in the dirt.

Dr. Chen and Meredith approached the path, climbing over the fence themselves. They stepped over the the bushes, where Lucinda was busy divesting the unconscious jogger of her clothes. Beneath her ensemble, the woman wore a grey sports bra and a blue set of cotton panties.

Dr. Chen tossed Lucinda some fishing line. "Here... I found this by the dock. Seems pretty strong."

"Thanks," Lucinda smiled. "You girls ready for some ambushing of your own?"

Dr. Chen and Meredith joined her in the bushes.

The next girl to come jogging down the path was tall and dark-skinned, with cropped black hair. She had a light blue tracksuit and black sneakers, and was listening to music on her headphones.

"This one's mine," Dr. Chen grinned.

As the woman jogged by, two arms reached out of the bushes and grabbed her forearm, pulling her into the underbrush. No one else was around to hear the heavy punches and muffled screams which followed.

Beneath her clothes, Jogger #2 wore a white T-shirt bra and light green boyshorts. The suit and underwear were quite sweaty, suggesting the girl had been jogging for a while. Nevertheless, Dr. Chen was willing to tough it out.

It took a while for the next suitable girl to pass, but eventually the final outfit arrived. A sunny-blonde girl, wearing a green crop top, matching yoga pants, and grey track shoes. Meredith had tied some fishing line to the fence across the path, and pulled it taut just as the girl was approaching. The surprised blonde went sprawling to the ground.

"Hope you had a nice 'trip', darling!" Meredith chuckled as she dragged the blonde into the bushes.

She looked eagerly at Lucinda to see if she would crack a smile at her dumb joke. However, Lucinda was busy discussing the next stage of their plan with Dr. Chen.

Meredith sighed as she stripped the blonde. Most days, she would be enjoying the sight of the wvictim's blue comfort bra and pink spandex briefs. But today, she just felt disappointed. Lucinda seemed to prefer hanging out with this Chen woman over her own wife.

Before long, all three victims had been tied with fishing line and gagged with tight strips from the discarded scuba suits. Once they had been safely hidden in the bushes, Dr. Chen, Meredith, and Lucinda dressed in the warm, dry outfits.

"Shall we be off, girls?" Dr. Chen said. "We need to steal a car and get moving."

Lucinda nodded. "Let's go."

Meredith nodded as well, though she kept silent as the three of them began jogging towards the nearby parking lot.

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

"Everyone clear?" Zuhal asked. "Or should we go over the plan again?"

Bridget nodded. 'We're clear. Right, ladies?"

Felicia nodded. Bobbi did too, albeit a bit more slowly.

"Lovely," Zuhal smiled. "Let's go have some fun."

Bridget rose from her chair, beckoning Felicia to follow. "Come on, let's pack the car. Gonna need a lot of equipment if we're going to infiltrate the FBI."

Felicia nodded and followed her to the door.

Zuhal rose and stretched. "Think I'll grab a snack before we go. Scheming always makes me hungry..."

As she stood up, Bobbi gripped her arm. Zuhal looked at the raven-haired girl in surprise.

"I don't know what your game is," Bobbi said tersely. "But I know you're up to something. You may have Bridget fooled, but I know you can't be trusted."

Zuhal grinned, her white teeth glimmering. "Little girl," she said softly. "What you know could hardly fill a thimble."

With that, she wrested her arm free and headed for the fridge.

"Want a cola, darling?" she asked. "There's more than one available."

Bobbi simply narrowed her eyes.

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

"We're never gonna find her."

Doreen looked up from her computer. "Huh?"

"We won't find Karima," Verna repeated. "We caught her once, and she escaped. Made us look like idiots. She'll be more careful than ever now."

Doreen chuckled. "Ye of little faith..." She resumed typing away.

"How is this going to work?" Verna asked. "The FBI is trying to triangulate her position based on limited data and unreliable sources. She's constantly on the move. How the hell do we find someone who's evaded the authorities for years?"

"Rather easily, in fact," came a voice from the door.

Verna and Doreen looked up. Lorelei stood in the doorway, proudly beaming.

"Girls," she announced. "I know where Karima is."

Her two coworkers exchanged a glance. "How?" Verna asked.

"All thanks to satellite technology," Lorelei beamed. "We discovered an acute level of radiation - the sort affiliated with high-power explosives - coming from a supposedly abandoned farmland in the middle of the Glades."

Verna stared at her. "The Glades? That's in the middle of nowhere."

"Excellent deduction, Watson. Sounds like something worth checking out?"

Doreen smiled. "It does. Who are we taking with us?"

"That's the best part," Lorelei smiled. "It will be just the three of us. We're going to surprise everyone by catching Karima and bringing her to the FBI in handcuffs."

Verna bit her lip. "We tried that once. Didn't really work out, as I recall."

"I know that," Lorelei sighed. "But we're better prepared this time. She won't escape us again. Come on, girls, let's show them all how tough we are."

Doreen smiled and stood up. "I'm in."

Verna hesitated. This seemed like a bad idea.

Then she remembered how humiliating it had been to be stripped and tied up by Karima and her goons...

She got to her feet. "Let's do it."

"Excellent." Lorelei beckoned. "To the garage, ladies."

On their way down the hall, they passed two other FBI guards.

"Carry on, girls," Lorelei smiled. "We'll be back in no time."

As the three women disappeared around the corner, Chandra turned to Sonja.

"Did you hear that?" she whispered. "Lorelei is leaving the premises."

"So?"

"So, the security chief responsible for Lucille's capture has left her office unguarded... allowing us to search through her computer and perhaps discover where they've taken our boss."

Sonja smiled. "This is why I like you, Chan. You've always got a new idea."

"Damn right I do," Chandra grinned. "Come on, let's get snooping..."

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

Although the color guard tournament was not set to begin until noontime, the stadium was open early. A large crowd was expected, and heavy security had been employed. The girls were advised to show up early - perhaps even by a few hours - to be as prepared as possible.

The first team to arrive this morning was the Miami Maples. This was not coincidence - the prior year, Miami had been late to the tournament, and had had points docked from their team as a result. The team, widely considered to be the worst of the four competing today, had become something of a joke in the sporting community, and the coach was determined to compensate for that.

Dressed in long-sleeved red leotards with an orange stripe running diagonally across the waist, plus red knee-high boots, the seven Maple girls were certainly eye-catching. But it would take more than bright costumes to win the top prize.

The bus pulled into the parking lot behind the mammoth stadium. The Maples stepped out, chatting happily with one another.

"Okay, girls." Coach Annette, a tall woman with dark skin and a bun of black hair, addressed her team. "We're here to wow the crowd today. So stay focused."

The girls stood to attention, though a few still cash sideways glances at their phone screens.

"No distractions!" the coach said sternly. "Do I make myself clear?"

The girls nodded. They all looked at their coach with a mixture of respect and trepidation.

None of them, not even Annette, realized that they were being watched.

From the bushes nearby, Farah smiled craftily. Her plan to arrive early and scope out the stadium had been a good one.

"Follow me, girls," Coach Annette said, heading for the stadium's rear entrance.

The girls began walking behind her. Then, the rearmost athlete stopped short. From the way she was patting her pockets, it seemed as though she had forgotten something on the bus.

Without notifying her friends or coach, the tall, fair-skinned redhead turned and dashed back to the parking lot.

Farah's smile broadened. The perfect opportunity...

Moments after, the color guard girl exited the bus, clutching her phone, and hurried back past the bushes that lined the stadium. Twigs crunched beneath her boots as she advanced to the large edifice; her friends had already disappeared inside.

"Now where's that entrance?" she muttered.

It was a question she needn't have asked, as she would not be setting foot in the stadium today. As she passed by a particularly leafy clump of bushes, Farah sprang upward, encircling the girl's neck with her arm.

"Gggllluuurrrgggghhhh!" the redhead gasped as she was sharply pulled backwards into the bushes.

She managed a few more gasps and gurgles before the requisite kicks and punches drowned out any further noise.

Minutes - blissfully silent minutes - passed. Then Farah emerged from the bushes, feeling a bit tight in the chest.

"Stupid leotard." The garment did not provide much comfort, and didn't offer her waist much freedom of movement. The boots were no picnic to walk in, either.

Still, the real color guard girl wasn't much the picture of comfort herself - lying in her orange bikini bra and matching panties, taped up and gagged with a moth-eaten towel.

"Sit tight, girl," Farah said. "And don't worry about getting lonely... The fun's just beginning."

She headed for the stadium entrance. The two female guards on duty - a tall blonde and a taller redhead - let her in without question.

"Hope Adelaide shows up," Farah mused to herself. "But even if she doesn't, this will be a pretty good day..."

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

Carolyn stirred and slowly awoke. She was surprised to see Atsuko standing over her.

"Suki! Oh. honey, I just had the worst nightmare. Some woman kidnapped us and took up to a chemical plant, where she ended up knocking out a couple of janitors for their clothes... It was ridiculous..."

Then she looked down. "Er... why am I dressed in a janitor's uniform?"

She sat bolt upright in the bed. "Oh no... it wasn't a dream, was it..."

"Easy, girl," Atsuko tried soothing her. "We're safe... I think."

Toshiko stuck her head into the room. "She okay?"

Atsuko nodded. "Coming around."

Carolyn raised an eyebrow. "Who is that?"

Atsuko sighed. "I've got a lot to explain..."

As she began doing so, Toshiko continued down the hall toward the conference room. Her two coworkers were waiting.

"Well, this is a lovely pickle," Cassandra said dryly. "I know she's your sister, but... we can't very well let her go... She may alert the authorities."

"What are you suggesting?" Toshiko glared at her.

"Maybe we could bribe them?" Marina suggested.

"Sure," Cassandra countered. "But only from your cut of the money."

"Hey!"

"Quiet, both of you," Toshiko said angrily. "We'll figure out what to do... For now, let's just concentrate on today's big job."

Cassandra kept quiet, but Marina nodded. "Right. Remind me where we're going today?"

Toshiko smiled. "Ever hear of a color guard tournament?"

a wonderful new installment, especially because scuba-clad Meredith Lucinda and Dr.Chen looking for three jogger outfits are partially fulfilling an old fantasy of mine... that is imagining the USB scenario like a triathlon game switching from swimming to running to cycling ( with the outfits obtained at the expense of other people )

Late comment, finally managed to find the time to read the latest post. I agree about the part with the joggers, great because of the running gag. Though my favorite scene has to be the first, with the maid/room service attendant. One of my favorites.

Also, to correct my previous comment, I am not waiting to see Farah's plan into action. I'm waiting to see it foiled and to see it fail.

This was a really REALLY good chapter.

The opening scene with Linda and Madge was really good and after reading a great scene like that, I knew that the rest would be great.

It always nice to see two of my favourite characters Bianca and Olive taking the spotlight. Also tying up those joggers with some fishing line, not going to lie that's a very nice idea, thank you for making me realize that their are many options for bondage materials than I originally thought.

Farah's plan is still in full swing I see, this is going to be good.

I have had a busy week hence why it's taken me a lot longer than usual to respond, but I thoroughly enjoyed just sitting back and reading through this new chapter of yours. This really was a fantastic chapter and was jammed full with all the characters I enjoy, so thank you very much for this new addition.

Thanks, everyone!

Esercito: I like that triathlon comparison. Perhaps you've given me an idea for the next chapter?

Rufusluciusivan: Glad you enjoyed the room service attendant scene - I enjoyed writing it. I'm trying not to introduce too many new characters in this volume, but I've got some ideas for Linda, and felt it was worth taking a moment to let her show off her mugging skills.

No, I don't expect you to root for Farah. She's a villain, after all. We'll have to see whether the heroines can foil her plans.

Trackman: Bianca and Olive are becoming quite fun to write for, so I'm glad you're enjoying them. And yes, I try to get creative with bonding material - there's so much for girls to use beyond rope and duct tape, they just need to be resourceful.


Like others, work has been keeping me busy as of late, but I'll try to have the next chapter posted later this week.

TP, I realize I said I would read your stories, but I still haven't.
It's not that I don't want to, it's just my mother suffered brain damage last year and most of my time is spent with her.
Even though she can still function, She gets very lonely and we watch a lot (And by a lot, I mean 24/7) of TV together.
I've got to do all the cooking, cleaning and just about anything else you can think up.
When I do get to my Laptop, I mostly work on my old comics and art.
So, at some point I will get to your stories.

"Are you sure this is the best idea?" Olive asked.

"You've got a better one?" Bianca responded.

The two guards were standing in the shadowed alley behind Dennison's oil processing unit. Bianca had chosen the spot since it was less crowded than the main factory.

"Well..." Olive considered.

"Shhh.... Someone's coming."

The pale-skinned woman who now approached appeared the small factory to be an engineer, at least judging by her uniform. She wore light blue overalls and a white cotton shirt, and her brown boots were less oil-stained than that of the typical worker. Her chestnut-brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, presumably less for fashion than for safety concerns - Dennison engineers were instructed to tie back long hair when around large machinery.

"Looks about your size," Bianca said. "I'll be right back... Try not to screw anything up."

Olive scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The engineer was scrawling some notes on a clipboard as Bianca approached.

"Howdy, ma'am," Bianca said. "Do you have the proper credentials?"

The engineer looked up. "I'm sorry?"

"Since the recent warehouse bombing, we've begun random security checks around the facility," Bianca said. This was half-true - the security team had begun instigating security checks, but only Alex was authorized to confirm them. Still, this employee probably didn't know that... and Bianca wasn't about to tell her.

"Let's just find a quiet spot and review your papers for a moment." Bianca flicked her thumb out in the direction of the alley.

The engineer nodded. "Okay... let's just make it fast. I've got a busy day ahead."

"I promise it'll be quick," Bianca smiled as she followed the engineer into the alley.

"Golly, it's dark in here," the engineer noted. "Are you sure this is the best place to... Ooouugghhff!!"

She doubled up as Olive emerged from the shadows and rammed a fist into her stomach.

"To mug you?" Bianca chuckled from behind. "Yes, it's the perfect place." She delivered a neck chop that sent the engineer out of commission.

"Strip her," Bianca said. "I'll find someone my size."

Olive knelt down and began unlacing the engineer's boots. "Attacking innocent women for their clothes," she said bemusedly. "I don't think my husband would approve..."

"To hell with him," Bianca countered. "Sometimes you just gotta be your own woman."

Olive smiled as her friend stepped away. "Well said, Bee."

Beneath her overalls, the engineer wore a tangerine triangle bra and lavender briefs, as well as white socks with a vertical green stripe. Olive admired the woman's underwear choice appreciably.

"You're lucky, hon," she told her unconscious victim. "When I got mugged and stripped a week ago, I had nothing to show for it... Just a dull grey set of bra and panties."

The sounds of a struggle caught her ears. Bianca reappeared, dragging a wriggling Dennison technician in a headlock. "Honey, are you talking to the sleeping girl?" Bianca chuckled.

"Just passing time," Olive said sheepishly.

"Hey, it's fine with me. Just so long as these girls end up stripped and tied up..."

Upon hearing this, the technician began to struggle more desperately, but Bianca held on tight.

"Easy, girl... I know exactly how you feel..." Bianca tightened her grip, pressing down on the girl's carotid. "Getting mugged and stripped isn't fun... But I promise you, in your case it's necessary... Now let's get some sleep..."

Her strength ebbing, the technician slowed in her muted protests. Finally, her struggling ceased.

"Nitey-nite." Bianca lowered the girl to the ground and began stripping her. Both she and the technician were similar in their build as well as their dark skin tone and hair.

"It's so strange," Olive noted with a bemused smile. "We get paid to protect these women... Yet here we are attacking them."

Bianca shrugged. "Sometimes you gotta break a few lemons to make lemonade."

Olive looked at her strangely. "I don't think that's the expression."

"Just find something to tie these girls up with."

Beneath her outfit, the technician wore a sunny yellow full-cup bra and light blue boyshorts. Bianca found a small tattoo of an arrow-pierced heart on her thigh.

"So adorable," she commented.

Olive located some discarded wires in a factory closet and tossed one coil to Bianca. They bound the two workers hand and foot. The engineer's long socks made a pair of efficient gags.

Bianca shut the closet door on the two women and turned to Olive. "Let's get dressed," she said. "We've got a boss to... um... rescue."

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

Betty lay back on the bedspread in her hotel room and let out a sigh.

"Something wrong?" Natalie looked up from the TV.

"A lot's wrong," Betty replied. "I shouldn't be here... I shouldn't be running from the law. I should be living my life somewhere else."

"Where?" Natalie pressed.

"I dunno... I always wanted to go to Hollywood." Betty smiled. "See the sights... become an actress.Stealing clothes is fun, but I'd like to earn some of my roles."

Natalie was about to respond when there came a knock at the door.

"Room service."

"Ah, breakfast!" Natalie got up and padded to the door. "This should cheer you up."

She opened the door and smiled as the uniformed woman wheeled her cart in. "Smells great! Just set it down by the desk."

"Of course," Linda smiled.

"What do I tip you?" Natalie asked, reaching for her wallet.

"Oh, not much," Linda smiled, returning to the door and shutting it. "Just... a little information."

She turned past the perplexed Natalie and approached the bed. "Betty, get up."

Betty sat bolt upright. "How do you know my name?"

"I work for Cheryl Cambron."

"Cheryl...?" Betty blinked. "What does she want? It's over. I did the job."

"Not quite." Linda pulled a photo from her pocket. "Recognize this woman?"

Betty studied the picture of the tall, wiry blonde. "Actually... yes. Met her a few weeks ago. I may have... kidnapped her, actually."

"Well, isn't that fortunate," Linda said dryly. "What's her name?"

"Moira... She's a journalist. She works for the Globe, I think."

Linda smiled. "Excellent. Anything else you can tell me about her?"

"Er... One of her coworkers is a woman named Bridget Baxter. We had a little... adventure, a while ago."

"Thank you, honey," Linda smiled. "Now why don't you enjoy your breakfast and forget this little meeting ever happened."

Betty nodded. "O.. okay."

With a last smile at Natalie, Linda exited the room.

Natalie turned to Betty. "So... mind explaining what that was all about?"

Betty signed. "It's a long story - one I don't care to rehash. I just... I just want to forget about my previous life, and that woman just reminded me why."

Natalie smiled. "Understood. And hey... I hear Hollywood's nice this time of year."

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

Bridget adjusted her binoculars as she stared down from the rocky outcropping at the large, heavily guarded FBI complex.

"This won't be easy, ladies," she said.

Behind her, Felicia and Bobbi nodded.

Zuhal chuckled. "Don't tell me you're giving up already?"

"Just saying we need to be careful," Bridget said. "Infiltrating a federal complex without permission could earn us many years in prison... if we're caught."

Bobbi adjusted her satchel. "So we won't get caught."

"I've been inside that facility before," Zuhal added. "I know a little about the inner workings of the complex. I'm happy to help."

She flashed a brief grin at Bobbi, who simply glared in response.

"Let's start with getting inside," Bridget responded. "We need to find some new clothes."

"Except for Felicia," Bobbi smiled.

Felicia shrugged. "I'll find another way in."

Zuhal raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"They have a bet going," Bridget explained. "Felicia promised not to mug any women for their uniforms for two weeks."

Zuhal laughed.

Then she stopped. "Oh, you're serious."

Felicia ignored her. "I'll head around back... find some other way in."

Bridget nodded. "Okay, but if anything goes wrong... please, steal some clothes. Our bet isn't worth getting caught."

"I won't get caught," Felicia replied. "See you soon."

She climbed down the outcropping and disappeared into the trees.

Zuhal watched her leave. "You girls are weird."

"You're the last person who should be judging us," Bobbi muttered.

Bridget shifted her high-powered binoculars to the long winding road north of the building. From just over the horizon, a polished black sedan was approaching. Zooming in, Bridget could just make out a few dark-suited women behind the tinted windows.

Bridget turned to Bobbi and Zuhal. "I think I see our chance. We'll need to act fast..."

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

Dr. Chen angrily tapped the fuel gauge on the dashboard.

"That never works," Lucinda noted.

"I'm well aware," Chen said tersely.

The women had stolen a rather plain-looking beige Camaro from the parking lot, and for a while, everything had gone smoothly. But in their haste to find a vehicle with an adequate level of blandness, they had neglected to choose one with an adequate level of gas.

Now they were stranded along the lengthy strip of road that ran alongside Palm Coast. In the distance, cars whizzed by along the I-95 highway. It would be impossible to steal one of those.

"What now?" Lucinda asked.

"I don't know," Dr. Chen said, opening the door and stepping out. "Maybe there's a spare gas tank in the trunk?"

From the backseat, Meredith stared out the window in boredom. She already felt like the third wheel on this little adventure.

Abruptly, something caught her eye. Squinting off to the shoreline, she saw a small drinks bar on the beachfront. Three women sat on stools, chatting and sipping piña coladas. They appeared to be dressed in cyclist outfits. Nearby, three bikes were chained to a post.

Dr. Chen returned to the front of the car. "Nothing in the trunk but some extension cords and a few dishrags," she said. "We're stuck."

Meredith pointed out the window. "Maybe not."

Her two associates looked out at the beachfront.

After a moment's thought, Dr. Chen nodded. "Could work."

"It will," Meredith smiled. "I'll be right back."

The three cyclists were enjoying the sun and the occasional cool breeze that blew their way. They were dressed in tight short-sleeve jerseys and biker shorts, as well as fingerless gloves, black socks, white sneakers, and helmets. The first biker was tall and dark-skinned, clad in a pink outfit. The second was fair-skinned and red-haired, with an angular face and a green ensemble. The third was slightly shorter than the other two - tan skin, brown hair, dressed in blue.

They looked up from their drinks as a dark-haired woman in crop top and yoga pants jogged over to them. The owner of the drinks bar had stepped away for a walk.

"Oh, girls!" Meredith called out. "So lucky I spotted you. My car," she gestured behind her, "My car is stuck in a pothole, and I need some strong, strapping women to help get it out. Do you suppose you could lend a hand?"

Despite her own imposing physique, Meredith knew how to look helpless when the opportunity arose. She blinked her eyes and gave the slightest pout of the lips - just enough to sell her "damsel in distress" act.

It worked. The women set down their drinks and followed Meredith's beckoning finger past the sandy dunes and the beach fence, over to the innocent-looking Camaro.

The ambush went smoothly. Dr. Chen and Lucinda jumped two of the startled bikers, while Meredith attacked the third from behind. Protected though the girl's head may have been by her helmet, the soft flesh of her neck was perfectly exposed for a judo chop.

Dragging the three bikers into a rocky alcove to shield them from the beach and the interstate, the trio of attackers stripped them in unison. Interestingly, the three women had all chosen sports bras and briefs to match the colors of their respective outfits.

"You did great," Lucinda smiled at her wife as she pulled on the blue jersey.

Meredith blushed as she stepped into the pink shorts. "Just trying to help."

Dr. Chen laced up her sneakers and buckled the green helmet beneath her chin. "Right, girls. We've wasted enough time already. Let's tie these bitches up and get moving."

Lucinda nodded. "Yes, ma'am." She turned to Meredith. "Do you think you could tie them up? I'd like to discuss the plan with Julia."

Meredith blinked, then nodded. "...Okay."

Lucinda flashed her a smile. "Thanks, honey." She stepped over to the mouth of the cave where Dr. Chen was standing, watching the waves roll onto the shore.

"How poetic it would be," Chen mused, "to send Karima to a watery grave. No less than the fate she'd reserved for me."

"Who's Karima?" Lucinda asked.

Dr. Chen smiled wryly. "A woman who thinks I'm dead... and will be most displeased when she learns otherwise."

Lucinda chuckled. "You are a fascinating woman, Julia."

Normally, Meredith enjoyed tying up the women she'd mugged and stripped. But as with the joggers, she found it difficult to concentrate even as she used old netting ropes and rags from the beachfront to bind and gag the three bikers. She kept watching, from the corner of her eye, as Lucinda and Dr. Chen talked and laughed with one another.

Was she being paranoid? Or was her wife beginning to take a... more than professional interest in this Chen woman?

Meredith bit her lip. Whether her suspicions were correct or unfounded, she was beginning to feel like she didn't belong on this little escapade...

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

"So whose idea was this?" Marina asked.

"The coach of the Orlando Opals," Toshiko explained. "She's worried that her team isn't ready to compete in a statewide color guard tournament. She wants us to infiltrate the stadium, plant a non-lethal bomb, and cause enough pandemonium to get the whole thing cancelled."

"That plan sounds idiotic," Cassandra muttered.

Marina smiled. "Most of the good ones do."

Cassandra sighed. "So how do we do this?"

"That's up to you," Toshiko said.

"Huh?"

"You two are doing this job alone. I'm going to stay here."

"Why?" Cassandra asked, a bit suspiciously.

"My sister and her wife are in the other room. I need to keep an eye on them. Make sure they're okay."

Cassandra sighed. "Maybe bringing them to our hideout wasn't the best idea."

Toshiko glared at her. "Are you questioning my authority?"

Cassandra glared back. "Is that a problem?"

Marina immediately stepped in. "Ladies, ladies... We're all friends here. Let's be cool, okay?"

Cassandra held her gaze for a moment. Then she turned to Marina. "Come on... let's go pack our gear."

Marina nodded and smiled. "This job is gonna be fun."

After her two coworkers had left the conference room, Toshiko let out a breath. Cassandra was beginning to irritate her.

Still, she couldn't think about that now. She had more pressing concerns...

Stopping by the room at the end of the hall, she poked her head in.

"You girls doing okay? Want any breakfast?"

Atsuko smiled at her, though Carolyn remained apprehensive.

"Sure," Atsuko said. "Just give us a few minutes."

Toshiko nodded and exited the room.

Carolyn turned to her wife. "Suki, I want to go home."

Atsuko nodded. "I understand. But my sister..."

"...is a fugitive from the law," Carolyn finished. "God only knows what crimes she's committed. We're not safe here."

"That's not a nice way to talk about your sister-in-law," Atsuko frowned. "Trust me, she's really a good person."

She gazed toward the door, trying to make herself believe it. "Really good... really..."

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

Sabira glanced at her watch. "When are those two idiots supposed to get here?"

"Any minute now," Karima replied, without looking up from her computer. "Just keep doing what you're doing until then."

"What she's doing is getting her ass beat at chess," Yasmin chuckled. "I'm about to win my fifth game!"

Sabira grit her teeth. "We'll see about that."

Karima rolled her eyes. "How the mighty have fallen..." she muttered.

"What's that, boss?"

"Nothing... Just keep one eye on that closet. Can't have that Dennison girl escape."

Little did any of these three women know that Prema escaping was the least of their worries this morning...

The small, dark van pulled into a grove of trees in the center of the Glades.

"I don't see anything," Doreen noted, looking out the side window.

Lorelei pointed out the driver's window, off into the distance. "Other side of the lake," she said. "That old wooden shed."

Verna squinted. "Looks totally harmless."

"Exactly," Lorelei smiled. "That's what Karima wants us to think. But the radiation readings are coming from there."

Doreen rubbed her hands together. "Awesome. Let's go arrest her ass."

"Slow down," Lorelei said. "We do this cautiously. After what happened last time, we've got no room for error."

Doreen nodded. "What's the plan?"

"You two go north - circle around the lake to the front entrance of the shed. I'll come in from the south. We'll surround it. But remember - be discreet."

Verna gave a thumbs-up. "Let's go. Good luck, boss."

She and Doreen exited the van and disappeared into the trees.

Lorelei took a deep breath, and then stepped out of the van herself.

"Easy, girl," she said. "You're one of the top agents at the FBI. Karima is just another idiot criminal. Nothing to be scared of."

She didn't quite believe it, but she stepped forward anyway.

Lorelei tried keeping to the trees as she rounded the perimeter of the lake. Still, it was a long distance to the shed, and in her black tactical outfit, she wasn't exactly the picture of camouflage. What if Karima or one of her cronies spotted her from the shed and opened fire?

As Lorelei concealed herself behind a particularly large oak, she heard the sound of soft whistling. Someone else was at the lake.

Peering out as much as she dared, Lorelei saw a young woman sitting by the edge of the lake, dressed in a blue denim shirt, bright yellow coveralls, and black galoshes. Her brown hair was cut short and covered by a red baseball cap. She had a long rod and reel in her hands, cast over the water, while a small bucket sat beside her.

A fisherwoman. Out on her own, by the looks of it.

The woman was clearly just an innocent civilian trying to relax, and Lorelei did not like hurting civilians. Nevertheless, she was on a dangerous mission, which could mean resorting to some rather unorthodox measures.

She would be as gentle as possible.

Fortunately, from the angle where the fisherwoman sat, the shed across the lake was obscured by some large ferns. Lorelei approached the woman silently from behind, taking care not to step on any strewn twigs. All was quiet.

As Lorelei loomed right behind her, the fisherwoman happened to glance down at the water. She saw her own reflection... and the sight of a blonde woman, dressed in black body armor, looming right behind her.

The startled woman was about to scream - but any sound was immediately cut short by Lorelei's hand over her mouth. The tall woman pulled the woman up and backwards, pinning her arms to her sides.

"Federal agent," Lorelei explained as she dragged the poor, struggling fisherwoman back into the trees. "I'm truly sorry about this."

The frightened girl didn't know what was happening, but her efforts to break away were futile. Lorelei applied steady pressure to the back of her neck, cutting off the oxygen to the fisherwoman's brain. In twenty seconds, the poor girl was unconscious.

Lorelei stripped the woman, down to her seafoam-green triangle bra and lavender bikini panties. Then she changed into the outfit. The bright yellow coveralls, pulled over her weapons belt, would not exactly help her "blend in" in the traditional sense, but no one would think twice about a harmless woman in fishing clothes.

Lorelei sat the unconscious woman against a tree and used fishing line to bind her wrists around the trunk. More fishing line secured her ankles in place, and the gag was some tape from Lorelei's belt.

"Get some rest, sweetie," Lorelei said. "If it's any comfort, I'll make good use of your clothes."

Continuing her path around the lake, she murmured to herself: "I hope."

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

While Lorelei was preoccupied with the mission to capture Karima, she had no idea that two other women had broken into her office back at FBI headquarters.

Chandra's eyes fixated on the computer screen, her finger tapping the desk in frustration. "Damn it."

From the doorway of Lorelei's office, where she was keeping lookout, Sonja glanced her friend's way. "What's wrong?"

"Griffiths has protected her computer with some of the most sophisticated firewall tech I've ever seen," Chandra groaned. "Impossible to get in."

Sonja smiled wryly. "And here I thought you were a hacking genius."

"Don't rub it in," Chandra said angrily. "I can't believe how frustrating this is. We've infiltrated one of the most powerful and information-laden buildings in America, and yet we can't find a damn thing."

Sonja thought for a moment. "Say... wouldn't there be a main database somewhere in this building? A place where all the info on individual computers gets routed and backed up?"

Chandra considered. "I'd be surprised if there wasn't. But it's probably even more impossible to hack into than Lorelei's laptop."

"Maybe we won't need to hack in," Sonja suggested. "The techno-geeks might be willing to give us the information..."

"...if we're wearing the right clothes," Chandra finished, a smile spreading across her lips. "Sonja, honey, you're a genius."

The blonde beamed. "I learn from the best."

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

The small equipment truck pulled up to the front of the stadium. Two burly men got out and began unloading the crates from the back.

They carried two particularly large crates up to the entrance where two tall female guard stood, clad in blue uniforms and dark caps.

The redheaded guard looked at them disdainfully. "What do you want?"

"Just delivering the sound system, ma'am," one of the men said. "They ordered some replacement speakers for the tournament."

The blonde guard nodded. "Equipment room is in the south wing, at the end of the hall. Hurry up."

The men carried the heavy crates through the empty stadium hall. The first one turned to his partner.

"Those lady guards were gorgeous. Think they'd like to double-date?"

"Why don't you ask," the other man replied. "I'm sure they're as liable to break your arm as go out with you."

They dropped the crates in the dark equipment room and left.

A minute passed... Two... Three. Finally, one of the crate lids began to shift, as though pressure was being applied from beneath.

Slowly, the crate lid popped open. Adelaide uncurled herself from her ball-like position, stretching her arms and enjoying her new, free space.

"Whew." Her background as a circus contortionist was something Adelaide could never fully leave behind - hence why she enjoyed stuffing her body into impossibly tight spaces on very job - yet she was always happy when she was once again allowed freedom of movement.

She surveyed the room. Empty, apart from some boxes and furled-up, colorful banners. A good place to plan her next move.

The coach of the Tampa Topazes had been very clear - make sure her team won, at all costs. Adelaide had a cunning plan to ensure this, though first she'd need a way to sneak around the stadium unnoticed.

Peeking out into the hall, Adelaide scanned the surrounding area. Two security cameras was positioned at the end of the hall. Adelaide scowled. Judging by their angles, it would be impossible to avoid one without being caught by the other.

Still, she stepped back into the equipment room, allowing herself to relax. "Patience, girl," she said. "Opportunity will knock soon enough."

And it was about ten minutes later that she heard the knocking - or rather, the footsteps - of her opportunity.

The woman was tall and slender, with fair skin and an ovoid face. She wore a bright red T-shirt, red-and-white checkered shorts, and white sneakers. Her cinnamon-brown hair was tucked beneath a red baseball cap, on which was printed a logo with a picture of a hot dog and the words "Southern Meat, Inc."

She was one of the refreshment girls, getting ready to stock up for today's big event. Alas, fate had other plans for her.

As the woman nonchalantly strolled past the equipment room, the doorway swung open and a banner looped its way over her body, lassoing her. The girl's eyes widened. "What the hellggggghhhh!" One sharp yank from Adelaide pulled the poor girl into the room, where she was quickly - though not painlessly - rendered silent.

Adelaide lay the unconscious girl to the floor. "Looks like Southern Meat is about to get a new employee," she chuckled.

Though it appeared tight and form-fitting, the uniform was quite easy to pull off the brunette. Before long, the hot dog girl was down to an orange full-cup bra and teal panties.

Adelaide selected a couple of the more colorful banners and tore them into strips, twisting and retying them into thick but pliable ropes. In no time at all, the banners had been turned into useful binding material. She used them to tie the woman up, and repurposed a spare strip as a cloth gag.

Once she had checked to ensure the bonds were tight, Adelaide picked up the girl and deposited her into the crate she had herself recently vacated. It was a tight fit, but manageable, with the girl's chin now resting against her knees. Adelaide pushed the crate into the corner of the equipment room and covered it with a tarp.

She dressed quickly, enjoying the fit of the T-shirt and shorts and ignoring the pinch of the sneakers. Tucking her hair beneath the baseball cap, she took a deep breath.

Subduing the hot dog girl had been easy, but the next stage of her plan would be more difficult. Getting caught was a certain possibility.

Still, the prize money if she succeeded was too tempting to ignore. Whistling to herself, she exited the equipment room, shutting the door behind her.

all these many scenario's ( especially the cyclists and the fisherwoman ) are little gems but the " Southern Meat" refreshments girl in the crate is priceless

Well I think I speak for all of us of where I see, if anyone of us were Olive's husband or wife, I think we would DEFINITELY approve of her mugging women for their uniforms. Olive must realize that this is how it is in the USB universe, it's take or be taken.

The entire scene with Chen, Lucinda and Meredith was fantastic and not just for the mugged cyclists, but I like the way that you actually made them stop and take on moment to reflect on the situation that they find themselves in, revenge can drive many into making foolish decisions, I'm really enjoying this entire story, not just the individual chapters but the entire story as a whole.

The scene with Lorelei and the fisherwoman was an extremely welcomed and nice new addition, that's what I love about your stories I know I've said it time and time again but I really do like the way you always manage to find new disguises that never would of come to my mind, very nicely done.

As you know I'm a big fan of this story arc and this chapter is certainly no different, it was a fantastic read from start to finish and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Each character has just the right amount of screen time and you supplied enough to have me looking forward to the next installment. Fantastic work.

Thanks for the feedback!

Esercito, I can credit you for supplying the idea of the cyclists. And yes, it was high time for another "crated" victim.

Trackman, appreciate the thoughts. Olive will need some time to get used to the "mug women for their clothes" techniques, but I'm sure she'll come around eventually. As you touch upon, I am trying to give all the characters - even the cold-hearted villains - a layer of personality and depth, which is why the Chen/Lucinda/Meredith scenes are so fun to write.

The fisherwoman was inspired by a scene in Rufusluciusivan's "Rescue Operation" in which Klenia and her friends mug a trio of fisherwomen. Decided to use a similar concept myself, plus it was a good way to help develop Lorelei's character. I'm happy you approve of the level of screentime for each character; it can be tough writing so many story threads, but I always enjoy weaving them into a larger tapestry.