Hello, everyone. What follows is another short story set after the events of the Spacesuit series. Just a note, if this story seems a little choppy in spots, it's because it was originally supposed to be part of a longer story, but it didn't seem to jell the way i was writing it, so I re-edited it into its own story. That's all I'll say for now. Hope you enjoy.
The sun was setting, its glistening rays reflected off the metal walls of the Modern Art Museum.
A delivery truck pulled up to the warehouse at the rear of the building, a few minutes before closing time. Two burly deliverymen got out and headed around to the back of the truck, to retrieve the large crate they had been assigned to deliver.
The deliverymen were running late, in part because they were new to the museum delivery route. Previously, the route was helmed by a pair of women - Lyla and Chelsea, two deliverywomen who always worked to get their packages in on time.
But a few weeks ago, Lyla and Chelsea had been subjected to an embarrassing situation that had derailed their careers as delivery workers. On a nightly route, their truck had been ambushed by a pair of women - later identified as a pair of Russian agents named Oksana and Polina - who had tied them up and stolen their uniforms and vehicle. The Russians had then proceeded to infiltrate a science museum to steal information for their then-employer, the notorious Dr. Julia Chen.
Lyla and Chelsea were eventually found - bound and gagged but otherwise unharmed - but their careers had been turned into a joke. They had been demoted to desk jobs, while a pair of male workers had been given the museum route.
Despite their relative inexperience, the two deliverymen made it to the warehouse with a few minutes to spare. They lowered the large crate, leaving it in a dust corner of the warehouse. It was getting late; the museum would open the crate and examine the statues and pottery within it tomorrow.
"Quitting time!" one of the men announced.
His partner smiled. "Great. I'm in the mood for a beer."
The men exited the warehouse, shutting the doors behind them. It was indeed quitting time, for both the delivery crew and most of the museum's personnel.
But for one person, the night's work was just beginning.
********************
The crate sat idly in the corner of the warehouse for several long minutes, as the museum closed and all the regular employees left for home.
Then, slowly, it started to move.
The top of the crate shook slightly, something pushing at it from within. The pressure continued, and slowly, the lid of the crate creaked open.
A pair of long, slender legs emerged first. Then a pair of arms, which gripped the sides of the crate and carefully eased the rest of the figure up and out of the confining space.
The intruder’s soft-soled shoes touched quietly down on the warehouse floor. She was a tall, lithe black woman with brown eyes and short dark hair in a bowl cut. She wore a black leather catsuit with matching neoprene gloves and shoes. A pair of tinted goggles sat perched over her head.
Adelaide stood up and stretched, happy to be free of the crate. "Ahh... I'm getting too old for this."
She wasn't being entirely serious, of course - Adelaide was in her early thirties, and she loved her job. The infiltrations, the disguises, and the contortionism. A girl's gotta know how to make an entrance.
A professional "fixer" by trade, Adelaide had worked for a variety of private employers who wanted jobs done outside the law. She charged high prices but always got the job done. And this night, she surmised, would be no different.
Adelaide had been hired by a mystery employer with an unusual gig - to steal three different paintings from three different art museums around the city. Adelaide didn't bother asking questions - she immediately started planning. The employer had paid half up front, and she was eager for the rest of her salary upon completing the job.
it was a complicated job, but Adelaide had still looked for ways to make it fun. She did not typically engage in heists, but she embraced the tropes associated with them. This started with tailoring herself a trademark cat-burglar catsuit, complete with a little belt with pouches to store her accoutrements. Perfect fashion for a museum break-in.
Stealthily, quietly, Adeliade made her way to the rear door of the warehouse, which - judging from the schematics she'd acquired - led straight into the museum. She held her breath as she turned the handle, opening it carefully.
No alarm sounded. Adelaide exhaled. The outer warehouse door was likely sensor-protected, to guard against outside intruders. But the museum did not have the same security measure for infiltrators who had already smuggled themselves into the warehouse.
Adelaide stuck to the shadows as she made her way down the hall. The painting she was after was in the main exhibition. It wouldn't be too much trouble to sneak into that area... if not for all those pesky security cameras.
Adelaide loved her catsuit... but regrettably, it was not the right outfit for the next phase of her plan. She would need a change of clothes.
And the footsteps echoing down the hall told her that a potential opportunity was close at hand.
Adelaide slipped behind a large statue as the newcomer stepped into view. It was the nighttime security guard, shining her flashlight ahead as she walked.
Adelaide studied the woman from afar. The guard was tall and athletic, with brown hair tied back in a ponytail and tanned skin. She wore a forest-green button-down uniform shirt, tan pants, a peaked black cap, and black shoes.
The guard stopped in front of an abstract painting, not far from Adelaide's hiding place, and shined her flashlight on it. She tilted her head slightly, as though studying the painting.
"Modern art," she murmured. "So boring."
Adelaide suppressed a chuckle. The guard's night was about to get a lot less boring.
Silently, she unclipped a pouch on her belt and withdrew a white cloth pad from within. From another pouch, she drew a small bottle of chloroform, using its contents to soak the cloth.
The guard was now a few steps away. Adelaide pressed herself against the statue, hardly daring to breathe. This was always her favorite part of any assignment... the moment of anticipation.
The guard stepped past the statue, hardly giving it a glance.
Adelaide seized her moment. She sprung from behind the statue and wrapped an arm around the guard's throat.
"What the – hhmmmppphhh?" The guard's startled cry was interrupted by the chloroform pad over her nose and mouth.
She dropped her flashlight in the skirmish. It hit the floor and broke, plunging the area into darkness. This suited Adelaide just fine - her night-vision goggles gave her another advantage over the struggling guard.
"Relax, babe," she whispered soothingly into the guard's ear. "I'm a professional."
Unsurprisingly, the guard was not calmed by these words. She continued struggling for several more prolonged seconds. But the fight only ever had one plausible conclusion. Her eyelids fluttered, her struggles ebbed. Moments later, she had passed out.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Adelaide smiled.
She dragged the unconscious guard into a nearby broom closet and lay her on the floor.
Adelaide eyed the girl's nametag. "Lacie... Would be funny if that also describes your underwear."
"Lacy" did indeed describe the guard's underwear - she wore a burgundy lace bra and matching briefs. Adelaide discovered these insights as she relieved the guard of her uniform.
Lacie kept quiet and motionless as Adelaide pulled some thin but strong white zip-ties from her pocket, and used them to bind the guard's wrists and ankles. A strip of black duct tape over Lacie's mouth completed the picture.
Adelaide stood back and smiled down at the shapely and thoroughly helpless guard. "I can see why they hired you to guard an art museum, Lacie... You look like a work of art yourself."
Lacie was not awake to take Adelaide's remark as either a compliment or an insult, but that suited Adelaide just fine. For that matter, so did the security uniform - it was a near-perfect fit.
"Be back in a few minutes, hon," Adelaide said with a tip of her newly acquired cap, as she headed out the door.
Wearing the guard uniform, Adelaide was no longer so camera-shy. She strode down the halls until she located the main exhibit room.
Dozens of priceless paintings lined the walls. Adelaide immediately spotted the one she was looking for - a blue-green pastel painting at the end of the room.
Even by just glancing at it, Adelaide could tell it was among the least valuable paintings in the room. She had no idea why someone would hire her to steal a painting like that when there were so many more expensive paintings nearby.
Nevertheless, Adelaide never questioned her client's motives. She approached the painting and got to work.
She moved swiftly yet delicately, using a penknife to remove the painting from its frame. Once that was done, she carefully rolled the paper into a tube and tucked it into a cylindrical container she'd procured from the warehouse.
"Piece of cake," she grinned.
Before leaving, she decided to retrieve her catsuit from the closet. Couldn't let such a great outfit go to waste…
She returned the way she came and entered the closet. Lacie was still sleeping peacefully on the floor.
Adelaide changed out of her guard disguise and back into her catsuit. She had just tightened the belt around her trim waist when she heard a low noise behind her.
"Hrrrmmm.... mmmmppphhh?"
Adelaide turned around and smiled down at Lacie, who had just begun to wake up.
"Sorry, doll... You're a little too early. Gotta go back to sleep."
So saying, she moistened another cloth with chloroform and approached the guard.
The guard's eyes widened, and she began to shake her head frantically. "Nnnmmmpppphh! Nnnn..."
"Shh, darling." Adelaide knelt down beside the guard, holding her head still as she pressed the chloroform pad against her face. "Just a little while longer, I promise."
The guard resisted for a few moments, but the chloroform did its job more quickly this time. Lacie's eyes closed, and her head drooped to the side.
Adelaide patted her affectionately on the cheek, then stood up. "This has been fun, but I gotta go."
Then she headed for the warehouse exit, the guard's passkey in hand.
******************
Adelaide returned to her apartment building a while later, the first stage of her job complete. She donned her coat before entering the building, so that her neighbors wouldn't ask any questions about why the shy, demure young woman in the third-floor corner apartment was wearing a catsuit.
She walked into her apartment and closed the door behind her, shimmying out of her coat. As always, her faithful dog bounded up eagerly to greet her.
"Hi, Duke." She knelt down and scratched the dog behind the ears. "Been guarding the house while Momma was out?"
Duke took a sniff of her outfit, and instantly recoiled.
Adelaide chuckled. "Don't like the catsuit, eh? I'm not surprised."
She sat down on the couch and started to unlace her shoes. "Just a little relaxing tonight, plus a hot shower. Then I gotta plan for tomorrow."
She flipped on the TV. The news was on, and the face which appeared on the screen was a familiar one - Delilah Hargrove, the new mayor, standing at a podium. A pair of young women - likely her assistants - were standing behind her.
"My administration has already made great strides," Hargrove said confidently. "We are already taking efforts to punish the so-called 'Uniform Swiping Babes' who have this city cowering and on edge. The police are rounding more of them up every day... as they will any woman who engages in the horrid crime of uniform stealing..."
Adelaide made an obscene gesture at the screen. "Up yours, bitch."
Then, glancing at her dog: "Sorry, Duke... But that type of language is necessary when it comes to people who threaten Momma's livelihood."
Then she paused, and squinted. One of the women standing behind Mayor Hargrove looked familiar...
Her eyes widened. It was Jenna!
Adelaide had encountered Jenna twice before, neither under the most pleasant circ*mstances - particularly the second time, when Jenna and her friends had chloroformed and kidnapped Adelaide. But they had parted on mutually decent terms, with Adelaide having saved Jenna's life from a gun-toting female thug.
And now Jenna was working for a woman who wanted to end all uniform stealing in the city. Adelaide frowned. What a traitor...
She changed the channel. A few light sitcom reruns were a much better viewing option to help her mind decompress, and help her be more primed for the next heist.
******************
NIGHT TWO
Adelaide adjusted her binoculars as she peered at the building ahead.
The European Art Museum was unremarkable, save for some impressive pillars around the front entrance. An entrance, Adelaide presumed, that was wired to the maximum. There was no way of simply walking through the front door. And sadly, she had not been able to smuggle herself in any packages delivered that day, as the museum had taken in its new deliveries earlier that week.
Nevertheless, she was far from deterred. There was always a backdoor plan - and sometimes, it involved a literal back door.
Stealthily, she moved through the alleyways and the shadows of aged buildings, till she had finally made her way to the rear alley of the museum. She crouched down behind a rusty barrel and checked her watch. Hopefully she wouldn't have to wait too long...
Adelaide was in luck, as she needed only wait a few minutes before the rear exit to the museum opened.
Out stepped a woman, lugging two large trash bags. She was of average height and somewhat athletic build, with light skin and stringy blonde hair. She wore a white cotton shirt and scuffed blue jeans beneath a light blue denim apron, as well as grey-white sneakers. A red-white checkered bandanna was tied around her hair.
Adelaide was quite prolific when it came to disguises and infiltrations, of course, and she knew that custodial uniforms were among the most popular disguises among women in her profession - yet oddly enough, she had never stolen a janitress uniform herself.
First time for everything, she mused.
The janitress in question had her back to Adelaide, and was dragging the two heavy trash bags over to a nearby dumpster.
Adelaide reached into her belt and pulled out a small capsule. She cracked it and poured a fine powder into her hand. One of the newer "experiments" she had bought for her work, and she was curious to see how well it did the job.
With the janitress now a mere six feet away from her, Adelaide stood up.
"Good evening," she said softly.
The janitress gave a start, and turned to look at the source of the voice - a tall, smiling woman in a black catsuit.
Adelaide held out her hand. "Care to try some knockout powder?"
Before the janitress could react, Adelaide blew the powder directly at her face.
"Oh! Ohh..." The blonde's eyes widened, then quickly fluttered. She appeared to momentarily be in a trance.
Then her body teetered, and she fell forward. Adelaide caught her.
"Oof! You're heavier than you look, darling... No offense."
The janitress could not take any offense, as she was now fast asleep. Adelaide quickly dragged her behind the dumpster for added privacy.
When Adelaide emerged from her hiding place, she had once again shed her stealth gear, this time in favor of the janitress' plain clothes and apron. She tied the bandanna over her hair and tucked in some errant strands.
The real janitress was now the picture of helplessness, reduced to a lavender push-up bra and maroon hipsters, zip-tied and tape-gagged. Adelaide hoisted her up and dropped her into the empty barrel.
"You may feel a bit cramped by morning, but otherwise you'll be fine," she whispered to the still-snoozing woman. "Toodle-oo, dear."
Adelaide gave herself one more quick check-over before approaching the rear door and entering the museum.
The interior of the building was dark and quiet, with sparse lighting in most of the halls. Nevertheless, Adelaide's eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and she began hunting for the painting she had been hired to steal - a French artwork from the late 19th century.
After a quick search, she found the main exhibition room. Crossing through it would let her access most of the paintings in the gallery. Unfortunately, the room was not empty. There was a security guard stationed to one side - a tall, trim woman with light skin and shoulder-length red hair.
Adelaide kept to the shadows outside the room as she watched the guard speak into her radio. "See anything suspicious?"
Another woman's voice responded. "No… I say the museum is overreacting.”
Presumably the museum had heard about the break-in at the Modern Art Museum the previous night, and had increased their own security as a result. There were probably several guards stationed around the museum. That would make Adelaide's job harder... But also more fun.
The first thing she needed to do was ditch the janitress uniform. There was only one cleaner on duty that night, and Adelaide knew there was a decent chance of this guard noticing that the night's janitress looked very different than the one who was supposed to be on duty that night. The jig would be up.
Security guards appeared to be more abundant this evening. It wouldn't be much trouble to procure one of their outfits.
She set off back down the hall she had come from, peering cautiously around each corner. Eventually, she was rewarded with the sound of footsteps.
Another security guard stepped into view - this one slightly shorter and slimmer than the one in the exhibition room. She had fair skin and chestnut-brown hair in a ponytail. She was dressed in a light blue uniform shirt, dark blue pants, dark blue tie, and brown loafers, plus a blue baseball cap with the museum's logo.
Adelaide took out a rag and pretended to scrub a window as the guard stepped in her direction. Once again, she loved the anticipation.
As the guard stepped closer, not paying much attention to the maid, Adelaide caught sight of her nametag. It read "Gracie."
Naturally, this gave Adelaide the perfect idea for a quip.
The guard walked past, absent-mindedly fiddling with her tie.
Adelaide pounced, wrapping an arm around the guard's neck and covering her mouth with a hand.
"Say goodnight, Gracie," she purred.
The startled guard let out a cry of surprise, but it was all but muted beneath Adelaide's hand. The cat burglar tightened her sleeper hold around the woman's neck.
"Too late, babe," she whispered into the struggling guard's ear. "Your uniform is mine."
Gracie did not seem keen on the idea of surrendering her uniform, and struggled mightily in Adelaide's grip. Adelaide considered reaching for a chloroform pad from her belt, but she worried that the woman would break free if she loosened her grip to get something.
Fortunately for Adelaide, the guard did not fight much longer. Another fifteen seconds of angry, gradually weakened protests, and she was out like a light.
Adelaide wiped her brow. "Wow, girl, you're stronger than you look."
She dragged the unconscious guard backwards and into a nearby storage room and lay her on the floor.
After shutting the door, she knelt down beside the guard. She unlaced Gracie's shoes and pulled them off, then set to work divesting the guard of her tie, shirt, and jeans.
Gracie's underwear was more conservative than Lacie's - a full-cup light green bra and white hiphuggers. The guard remained quaintly unconscious as Adelaide used black cables from the closet to bind her and some white tape to gag her.
Then she shed her maid uniform and got dressed – another decent fit, though the uniform was a bit tight around the hips.
“Better cut down on those carbs a bit,” Adeliade mused.
The disguised thief made her way back down the hall and into the main exhibition room. The red-haired guard was still stationed there, looking tepidly at her watch.
She glanced up as Adelaide approached. "Hi... Anything to report?"
Then she glanced at the nametag on Adelaide's shirt, and frowned. "Wait a minute... You're not Gracie."
Adelaide hit the guard with a neck chop. "And you're not conscious."
She caught the guard, who was indeed now unconscious, and dragged her behind the desk. She did not bother stripping the woman, but instead unplugged some phone cables from the wall and used them to tie her up. She then gagged the guard with her own necktie.
Once that was done, Adelaide continued through the exhibition room.
Eventually, she reached the painting she was after, quickly and carefully peeling it from the wall. She rolled it up and turned back the way she came.
*********************
Adelaide was fairly tired by the time she reached her apartment, though the sight of Duke bounding up to greet her once again managed to lift her spirits.
"Been a busy couple of nights, boy... and there's still one heist left."
She sat down on the couch and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. Although she loved the thrill of heists and infiltrations, she had to admit that three nights of work in a row could be a little exhausting.
She could use a little assistance on her third heist. Someone who knew her, who was trustworthy, and was highly skilled when it came to infiltrations...
Adelaide opened her eyes and reached for her phone. She searched her contacts and quickly found the woman she was looking for.
The phone rang twice, and then a woman's voice answered. "Hello?"
"Hi, Tamara," Adelaide smiled. "Been a while."
Tamara was an old friend of Adelaide, dating back to the time they had shared as college roommates. Over time, they had developed a close friendship, with both girls sharing a passion for thrill-seeking, particularly when it came to sneaking into places where students were not allowed. Over time, this developed into a passion for infiltration and disguise for both women, which continued to endure after they graduated college and sought new careers - Adelaide as a private "fixer" and Tamara as a freelance investigator.
The women had drifted apart since graduation, but they had met again under unusual circ*mstances about a year ago. Adelaide had taken a job that involved kidnapping an all-female handball team, while Tamara had been working with some FBI agents on a mission that went wrong, leaving her and her friends in her underwear. Adelaide had arrived in the nick of time, providing Tamara and her friends with some handball uniforms to clothe themselves, and the two old friends had rekindled their bond over the shared joy of binding and gagging a team of helpless, underwear-clad female athletes.
Since then, Adelaide had tried keeping up in contact with Tamara, but as her line of work didn't allow for many partnerships, she had not had many chances. But perhaps this was time for that to change.
"Adelaide?" Tamara asked in surprise, recognizing the voice. "How have you been?"
"Just peachy," Adelaide responded. "Listen, I was wondering if you’re free tomorrow night.”
“Oh? What for?”
Adelaide quickly explained her plans for the heist the following night.
“It’ll be fun,” she said. “Like back in college… Sneaking around, stealing disguises… All that fun stuff. What do you say?”
There was a pause on the other line. “…Sorry, honey, I can’t.”
Adelaide looked surprised. “You can’t?”
“I kind of… gave that life up about a year ago,” Tamara explained. “I have a family now… Husband and a new baby. I’m not the type of woman who can go around seeking thrills and avoiding trouble with the police.”
Adelaide’s face fell. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Tamara replied. “Besides, the new mayor says she’ll start imposing harsh penalties on women who engage in uniform stealing… I’m a little nervous, honestly. Don’t want my daughter growing up while her mom’s in prison.”
Adelaide frowned. “The mayor’s an idiot,” she countered. “I’m not afraid of her.”
“I’m sorry, Adelaide,” Tamara replied. “I have to go now… Talk to you soon, okay?”
“…okay.”
“Great. And whatever you do… please be careful.”
Adelaide nodded and hung up.
She lay back on the couch and sighed.
Duke, sensing her mood, approached and licked her hand.
Adelaide smiled and patted him on the head. “Don’t you go anywhere,” she said.
Duke barked happily.
Adelaide sat up. She had one more long night of planning ahead… but she was ready for it.
***************************
NIGHT THREE
The delivery truck idled out by the curb. The driver was inside the nearby garage, rummaging around for any remaining packages therein.
Adelaide, watching from an alley across the street, saw her chance.
She slid from the shadows and quietly made her way towards the vehicle, where its open rear doors seemed to beckon her. She climbed inside, feeling the rush of adrenaline that always accompanied the start of a new job.
All she needed to do now was find a crate or barrel large enough to squeeze into. Her contortionist skills would do the rest. Then it would be a quick ride to the museum, where she would once again be literally delivered to the place she needed to infiltrate.
There was just one problem, which became clear as she surveyed the contents of the delivery truck – none of the crates were big enough to fit her.
Adelaide was not a large woman, but she was on the tall side, with an athletic build and some rather… healthy assets. She was able to hide in a cramped space… but most of the boxes in this truck wouldn’t fit a woman half her size.
Her eye settled on one wooden box, somewhat larger than the others. It was probably her best bet…
She tried prying the box open, but the lid seemed stuck. Damn it, this isn’t my night…
She pressed her foot against the side of the crate and tried forcing it open. Wish I’d brought a crowbar…
“The heck are you doing?”
Adelaide looked up in surprise. Standing just outside the rear of the truck, staring at her, was the driver. A tall, toned woman with light skin and short, frizzy orange hair, she wore a forest-green jumpsuit, black woolen cap, and brown timberland boots.
The driver looked rather bewildered at the sight of a woman in a stealth catsuit in the rear of her truck. She didn’t seem sure how to react.
Adelaide simply smiled at her. “Oh, thank goodness… I didn’t realize you were a woman my size. That makes this easier.”
“Huh? What are you – hey!” The driver was startled as Adelaide grabbed the scruff of her collar and pulled her up and into the truck, slamming the door behind them.
The delivery vehicle rocked back and forth for a few moments, as the muffled cries and struggles from within grew weaker and lower. Before long, all was still and quiet again.
Ten minutes later, the truck doors opened, and Adelaide hopped out, dusting off the delivery uniform she now wore. She tightened the laces on the boots and pulled the cap down over her short black hair.
The real driver lay quietly on the floor of the truck, stripped to a pink demicup bra and light green bikini panties. She had been bound and gagged with a roll of brown packaging tape that Adelaide had found on the floor of the truck. She lay amidst the very boxes she had been assigned to deliver to the museum that night, before Adelaide had commandeered her route.
“Thank you kindly, dear,” she said to the unconscious deliverywoman. “Appreciate you saving me from twisting my back in a tiny hiding place.”
She shut the doors and hurried around to the cab of the truck.
*********************
Twenty minutes later, Adelaide had pulled the van up to the Museum of Central American Art.
The museum was devoted to a wide array of ancient cultures, such as Aztec, Mayan, and Incan art. Adelaide had been tasked with stealing a small statuette from one of the Mayan exhibits. It was more valuable than the exhibits she had stolen from the first two museums, and the security – based on her research – was likely tighter as well.
Case in point: This museum had a watchwoman stationed at the front door. A tall, muscular woman, with dark skin and shoulder-length black hair, standing with her arms crossed. She looked quite imposing in her dark blue gold-buttoned uniform shirt, tan pants, tall black boots, and sunglasses – not to mention the gun strapped to her hip.
Still, Adelaide was never one to be deterred by tight security. She put a professional smile on her face, scooped up a package under her arm, and strode confidently towards the museum entrance.
The watchwoman had a stern but bored expression on her face, and she eyed Adelaide with a note of suspicion on her face. “Can I help you?”
“Special delivery,” Adelaide replied.
The watchwoman’s expression did not change. “I’ll need to see an invoice.”
Adelaide nodded. She reached into the pocket of “her” uniform and pulled out a roll of paper. “This should be it.”
She handed the paper to the watchwoman, who studied it closely.
“Been some break-ins lately,” the watchwoman commented. “Two other art museums in the past two nights.”
Adelaide nodded. “I heard about that… Terrible shame.”
The watchwoman handed the paper back to Adelaide. “I’ll need to see some ID.”
Adelaide paused. “Pardon?”
“Your ID. I can’t let anyone into the museum without confirming they are who they say they are. You might be an imposter, for all I know.”
Adelaide laughed. “You got me, I’m an imposter. The real delivery girl is tied up in the van.”
The watchwoman didn’t laugh. “Is she?”
Adelaide gulped. “Of… of course not. That was a joke.”
“Nevertheless, I’ll need your ID,” the watchwoman said. “Or I could call the delivery company and make sure you’re the one they sent over. Will that work?”
Adelaide shook her head. “No… no, I’ve got my ID.”
She reached into her pocket – where she did not keep an ID card, but a capsule of knockout powder. The only question was, would she be quick enough to use it? The watchwoman already looked tensed and suspicious.
At that moment, there was a low crash from the alley behind the museum.
The watchwoman raised an eyebrow. “What the…?” Here eyes narrowed. “Stupid teenage vandals. What are they up to this time?”
She stepped away from her post. “Stay here,” she told Adelaide. “I’ll be right back.”
She disappeared into the alley, leaving Adelaide standing alone at the entrance.
Adelaide couldn’t believe her luck. She quickly opened the museum door and stepped inside.
The door was locked, and a security camera told Adelaide she was better off. She hit the buzzer.
A moment later, the response came over the intercom. “Can I help you?”
“Special delivery,” Adelaide announced.
“At this hour?” The woman at the other end sounded surprised.
“Sorry, I’ve been running a little late today… Had to suddenly take over the shift of the usual delivery girl.”
Adelaide impulsively wanted to add that the usual delivery girl had “gotten a little tied up,” but she resisted. Her sense of disguise-related humor was more mature than that. Besides, she had already risked a similar joke on the watchwoman.
There was a pause, and then the door clicked. Adelaide entered.
The front lobby was dark and quiet. A lone guard sat at the front desk, flipping through a magazine.
Adelaide approached the guard. She was a young woman, on the tall side, with light skin, green eyes, and shoulder-length dark hair. She wore a tan button-down shirt, dark grey slacks, and black shoes, the latter of which were propped up on the desk. A peaked black cap was perched upon her head. She looked comfortable, at ease.
“Hi,” the guard smiled at Adelaide and the brown package she was holding. “So what do you have for me?”
I’ve got some chloroform for you, darling, Adelaide thought to herself, hiding a smile.
The only problem was, how to knock the guard out? The woman was behind a desk, and Adelaide didn’t want to risk any sort of attack that would cause undue noise – especially since there were likely other guards positioned around the building.
Besides, there as a security camera positioned in the corner, trained on the front desk. Adelaide bit her lip. She couldn’t make a move without alerting anyone watching. What could she do?
Fortunately, the guard stood up at that moment, and beckoned Adelaide to follow her. “I’ll unlock the storage room… We’ll keep the delivery there until morning.”
Adelaide brightened at the sound of the words “storage room.” A favorite location of any professional infiltrator.
She followed the guard around the corner, to a hall that did not seem to feature any security cameras.
“Here we are,” the guard announced, taking the key ring from her belt and unlocking the door.
Adelaide couldn’t believe how easy this all was. Thank goodness for dumb security guards!
The guard opened the door and turned back to Adelaide. “So, if you’ll just give me the… mmmppphhh!”
Adelaide grinned as she pressed the chloroform pad to the guard’s face. “Oh, honey… I’ll gladly give it to you.”
The guard struggled, though not particularly well. She wasn’t much of a fighter, and Adelaide speculated that the guard had been hired for her looks rather than her brains or muscle. A pretty face at the front desk.
“Nitey-nite,” she whispered as the guard sank into unconsciousness.
Wasting no time, Adelaide dragged the limp security officer into the storage closet, and shut the door.
The storage closet made for a good changing room. Minutes later, Adelaide had swapped out her delivery disguise in favor of a security outfit.
The real guard had been tied up and gagged with a roll of black elastic tape. She looked quiet and peaceful. Adelaide always loved how calm and serene women looked after she mugged them for their clothes.
The nametag on Adelaide’s new uniform read “Stacie.”
What’s with all the rhyming security guard names? Lacie, Gracie, Stacie… Have I wandered into some Doctor Seuss book?
Enough dawdling, though… She still had a heist to complete.
After politely tipping her cap to the real guard, Adelaide stepped out of the storage closet, shutting the door behind her.
Her next phase was to neutralize any alarms around the building. She returned to the front desk and studied the control panel for a moment or two. Before long, she had found the right buttons, and clicked them to the “off” position.
“That was easy enough,” she mused. “Now let’s find this little statue…”
She set off down the hall toward the museum exhibitions. The lighting was dim, but even without the night-vision goggles, her eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly.
Minutes later, Adelaide had found the Mayan exhibit and located the statuette – a small wooden idol of what appeared to be some sort of fertility goddess.
Adelaide couldn’t even pronounce the name of the figurine, but that did not stop her from delicately removing it from its perch and slipping it into her bag.
“That was easy enough,” she mused, stepping back the way she came.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the hallway. Adelaide quickly stood up straight.
In the dim lighting, Adeliade could see a woman approaching. It appeared to be the watchwoman from earlier.
She thought quickly, trying to hide her face behind the cap. “Er… good evening, officer…”
The woman smiled. “Good evening, Adelaide.”
Adelaide blinked. How did this woman know her name?
The watchwoman stepped closer, and Adelaide could suddenly see it was not the same watchwoman from outside the museum.
This woman was of similar height and build to the watchwoman, and seemed to be wearing the same uniform. But she had light skin and shoulder-length copper-red hair, and a few freckles dotting her face.
Before Adelaide could question any further, the watchwoman had drawn her gun.
Adelaide raised her hands in shock. “Er… I think there’s been a mistake…”
“And you’re the one who made it,” the woman grinned. “Thanks for shutting off the alarm. Makes our job easier.”
Adelaide raised a perplexed eyebrow, but the woman continued speaking before she could start asking questions.
“The statue,” she said. “Hand it over.”
Despite being held at gunpoint, Adelaide was defiant. “I don’t know who you are, but I’m guessing you’re not really museum security…”
“Good guess,” the copper-haired woman chuckled. “But I’ve got a gun, which is all that matters right now.”
Adelaide scowled, but had no immediate backup plan. She held out the bag, and the redhead took it.
“Thank you kindly,” she grinned.
“How did you know I was hired to steal this?” Adelaide asked indignantly. “How did you know I would be here?”
The redhead chuckled. “Let’s just say we work for the same boss.”
Adelaide’s eyes widened.
“My employer needed some museum artifacts stolen, but also needed the thief to take the fall… Sorry, honey. We’ll be taking your goods and leaving you for the police… I hear you’ve got quite a criminal record already.”
“But…”
“Enough chitchat,” the redhead said firmly. “Get moving.” She beckoned with her gun to a side hall that led to a rear exit.
Furiously, Adelaide walked down the hallway to the exit. All the while, she kept berating herself in her head. How could she let herself slip up so easily?
Maybe I am getting too old for this…
The exit led to the alleyway behind the museum. Adelaide could see a woman lying in the dumpster – the watchwoman she had met at the front door – dressed in a purple sports bra and white briefs. She had been bound with white nylon rope and gagged with black tape.
“We were worried the watchwoman would blow your cover,” the redhead explained. “And we couldn’t have you getting caught before you’d shut off the alarm and grabbed the statue. So I created a distraction behind the alley, lured her away, and quietly liberated her of her post… and her uniform, of course.”
As they reached the end of the alley, a van pulled up. The driver, a tall, athletic Asian woman with a ponytail of black hair, smiled at the approaching women.
“Hey, Gwyneth… Looks like it went well?”
The redhead grinned. “Perfectly, Cam. This loser had no idea she was being set up.”
Adelaide scowled but kept silent.
“I’ve got the idol,” Gwyneth continued, holding up the bag. “How about you?”
Cam nodded. “I broke into her apartment and got the two paintings… Easy stuff. Her dumb dog started barking at me, but I took care of him.”
Upon hearing this, a cold fear gripped Adelaide’s heart. “…Duke?”
She lunged at Cam, eyes blazing, no longer caring for her own safety. “You monsters… If you’ve hurt Duke, I’ll…”
But Cam was too fast, slamming her elbow into Adelaide’s chin. Adelaide staggered backwards, before Gwyneth abruptly coshed her from behind.`
She could hear the two women laughing as she lapsed into unconsciousness…
*****************
Adelaide didn’t know how long she was out… but she could hear voices… Slowly, her world swirled and returned into focus.
Adelaide could sense that she was seated in the alley beside the museum. More importantly, there were now two other women standing over her. Both of them, judging by their uniforms, were police officers.
Adelaide gulped. She tried to move, but she was already handcuffed.
“Oh good, you’re awake,” one of the officers remarked. A woman of average height and build, with light skin and sandy-blonde hair, she wore a light grey uniform shirt beneath black jacket, dark blue pants, and brown loafers, along with a peaked black cap. “You’re under arrest.”
Nearby, Adelaide could see the second policewoman was in the process of extricating the bound-and-gagged watchwoman from the dumpster. The second officer was dressed identically to her partner, though she had tanned skin and chestnut-brown hair.
“Get up,” the blonde officer ordered Adelaide. “We got an anonymous call about a break-in, and you match the profile of the suspect. We’re taking you in.”
“W-wait…” Adelaide was pulled roughly to her feet. “Please, there’s some mistake… I…”
“You can explain it all down at the station,” the officer replied. “Now move it.”
“But… my dog…” Adelaide said shakily. “He… he may be hurt, or… Please, I need to see him…”
The blonde officer gripped Adelaide roughly by the arm. “Honey, you’ve got much more to worry about right now than a stupid dog.”
At this remark, Adelaide felt a hot flash of anger surge through her body.
In a swift motion, she broke from the policewoman’s grip and rammed her elbow into the officer’s stomach. The blonde gasped and doubled up in pain.
The second policewoman, alerted by the noise, turned in shock and reached for her gun. She was fast – but not as fast as Adelaide, who rammed her with a headbutt to the chest, knocking her right into the alley’s brick wall. She slid to the ground, out cold.
The blonde fumbled for her own weapon, but Adelaide put a stop to her efforts with a swift kick to the jaw. The officer dropped to the dirt, unconscious.
Adelaide retrieved a ring of keys from the blonde officer’s belt and uncuffed herself. She rubbed her wrists, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.
I have to get home…
But if the police had been called and given her description, she was now a target. Adelaide needed to change clothes, and fast.
Fortunately, the blonde officer was about her size…
Adelaide quickly divested the woman of her uniform, then quicky pulled on the shirt, pants, and jacket. She grabbed the cap and laced up the shoes.
Normally, Adelaide would have taken the time and satisfaction to tie up the two officers, but she had more pressing concerns at the moment. She left the two women lying sprawled where they were and hurried out of the alley.
The police car was parked at the corner. Adelaide hopped in, turned on the ignition, and hit the gas.
*******************
Adelaide didn’t bother turning on the siren as she sped through the streets, but she still ran every red light. The police car provided good cover, but it was beside the point – she just wanted to make it home as quickly as possible.
The car screeched to a halt outside her apartment building. She shut off the engine and hurried through the doors. Most of her neighbors were probably fast asleep by this hour, so none would be awake to wonder why she was dressed as a police officer. But for the moment, she didn’t care either way.
She fumbled with the keys to her apartment for a few moments, then unlocked the door.
The apartment was a mess – drawers thrown open, rugs overturned. The window had been broken, a sign of the burglar’s entrance and exit.
In one corner of the living room lay Duke. He was lying on his side, motionless.
Adelaide felt a cold fear grip her heart as she hurried over to her dog and knelt down beside him. “Duke? Duke, boy, I’m home… Duke, get up…”
No response. Adelaide didn’t know how to take a dog’s pulse. She was suddenly finding it difficult to breathe.
“Duke, please… please wake up…”
Beside him was a half-eaten steak – not a brand that Adelaide recognized. Had it been poisoned?
She stayed by his side for several long seconds, waiting… hoping… yet also on the verge of panic. She forced herself to stay calm… to stay strong…
Slowly, yet suddenly, Duke shifted. He let out a soft whimper.
Adelaide felt a jolt to her senses. “Duke!”
Slowly, wearily, the dog lifted his head. Then he shifted his position and managed to sit up.
Adelaide felt a wave of relief wash over her. She cradled Duke’s head. “Oh my god… you’re okay.”
Duke licked her hand. Adelaide smiled down at him as she took a deep breath.
Then, despite her best efforts, she started to cry.
Duke could sense she was distressed – he cuddled close to her. Adelaide nodded appreciatively as she wiped her eyes. “Thanks, Duke… I was just so scared… I thought you were… I thought…”
She took another deep breath. “I’m okay. We’re okay now.”
But even as she felt herself calming down, Adelaide knew that she wasn’t okay – not really. She had been set up and nearly apprehended by the police, who may have put out an all-points bulletin on her now that she’d attacked two cops. And someone had broken into her home, drugged her dog, and stolen the paintings that she’d rightfully obtained… well, stolen herself.
Adelaide was not okay. She was scared. Who was she up against?
And more importantly, how could she respond?
THE END (for now)
