15: Bondage Hotel III
Leon City. Falenplaza District.
Red-haired detective Phoebe Wynters sat at her desk staring at her cell phone. She had been supposed to meet her friend Kim this week, but she hadn't shown up. She didn't answer her cell phone and her sister Chloe didn't answer either. Although the sisters said they were going on a camping vacation, they should have both been back a few days ago.
"I'll visit them tomorrow," Phoebe mumbled, glancing through her blinds. There was no one to be seen on the dark street, but she could make out a car under a broken street lamp. She had noticed the rusty vehicle a few days ago and it seemed to be following her. Not a good sign in Falenplaza, as she had already found out from some of her cases. Phoebe narrowed her eyes before disengaging from the window and turning out the light in her office to make preparations.
Phoebe opened her eyes when she heard the familiar creaking of her stairs. She carefully slipped out of her bed and crept into her hallway. Someone was trying to break into her home, not a very clever idea. The young detective carefully climbed over her alarm system and hid next to the door. There was a soft click in her door lock and Phoebe swallowed. Her mouth went dry with tension and she braced herself. The lock gave way and the door swung open as if by magic. A person dressed in dark clothes entered her apartment. She didn't move and seemed to be listening to see if anyone else was awake. Phoebe could see in the little light from the streetlights that the burglar was a woman. She was wearing a leather jacket and tight-fitting pants. The woman took a step forward and got caught in the fishing line as Phoebe had hoped. Cursing, the woman crashed to the ground and in the next moment Phoebe jumped onto her back and pulled out her handcuffs. In one swift movement, Phoebe tied the woman's arms behind her back and pushed her to the ground with her knee.
"Get off me!" the woman screamed, writhing under Phoebe like a fury. Phoebe ignored her and switched on the light. The burglar had flaming red hair like hers.
"Mmh, sure, as soon as the police take you away," Phoebe said, pulling out her cell phone.
"Hang on, I want to use your services."
"No problem. My hours are seven to one Monday to Friday or by appointment, so you're welcome to come when you're out of jail."
"Kim and Chloe recommended you to me," the woman said frantically as she heard the beep of Phoebe's cell phone.
"LCPD 911, how can I help them?" asked a voice on the phone.
"Sorry, it's been taken care of," Phoebe said curtly and hung up. The woman below her stopped struggling in surprise.
"You know them?" Phoebe asked, getting up from the burglar to help her up roughly.
"Yeah."
"Where from?" Phoebe asked curtly, pushing the woman into her office. She pushed her onto a desk chair and stared at the woman expectantly. The woman was no older than her and was wearing a catsuit under her leather jacket and tight faux leather pants over it.
"I… visited her once," she said and Phoebe could see from her face that this was not the whole truth.
"Oh, so you're friends, you exchanged numbers and they told you to break into my house in the middle of the night?"
The woman put on a forced smile and nodded.
"You broke into their house too, didn't you?" Phoebe asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I… yes I did, but I didn't steal from them! In fact, I saved both of their lives!"
"Saved their lives… I see," said Phoebe, patting the woman down for her cell phone and tools. She found lock picks, an earpiece for making phone calls, a pocket knife and cable ties. She scratched her chin and sat down on her desk. Phoebe looked down at the burglar like a predator at its prey.
"Are you also part of this slaver ring and want to take me with you?" Phoebe asked at the sight of the cable ties. The woman's expression changed abruptly. The smile disappeared and a sad, almost pitying one appeared in its place.
"I… no, I wanted to check on you. Like I did with all of Judy's victims… like Kim and Chloe."
Phoebe drew her eyebrows together.
"That's an extremely stupid idea, don't you think the victims want to put it all behind them?"
"Most of them… but some of them needed help."
Phoebe shook her head and said, "I don't need that help…"
"But Kim does."
Phoebe remembered Kim looking a little dejected at every meeting they had together. It wasn't until their last one that she seemed happy for the first time in a long time. Phoebe had thought it was because of the planned vacation.
"Since you're such a good friend of Kim's, surely you know where she is right now, don't you?"
"She said she was going on vacation. But she should be back home now," the woman replied, but at the sight of Phoebe's stare, she added, "shouldn't she?"
Silence. An uneasy feeling spread through Jade's stomach.
"You may be new to the city, so you don't know, but when someone disappears in Leon City, it's never a good sign. We should find them as soon as possible," the woman said. Phoebe saw her move her arms energetically back and forth, there was a click and the handcuffs fell to the floor.
"How?" Phoebe asked, puzzled.
"I have my tricks, but that's not important now. My name is Jade, by the way," said the burglar and held out her hand to Phoebe. Phoebe took it hesitantly and shook it.
"Phoebe Wynters…"
"Do you know which way they went? Do you have a map?"
Phoebe furrowed her brow, but she took a map of Leon City from her desk and spread it out on it.
"They wanted to leave the city via this highway to go camping," Phoebe said, pointing to a broad line. Jade's expression darkened.
"I think I know where they are…"
Edge of Leon City. Éternité Hotel.
Micah's mouth broke away from Lance and her hand stroked his muscular chest. She slid off his body and lay beside him. Lance's arm pulled his wife to him and they both stared at the new aquarium. A mermaid was swimming in it, her skin coated in golden-brown latex. She wore a breathing mask with a tube sticking out of it, from which bubbles rose regularly. Her blonde hair looked as if it had a golden sheen in the water.
"I was unsure about the new decoration at first, but I have to say, she's growing on me," Micah said, snapping her hand impatiently until the new maid pressed a wine glass into her hand. The servant bowed and took a step back.
"Even though she's blonde?" Lance asked his equally blonde wife.
"I think since she's just decoration, I can handle it. I'm also quite pleased with what you've come up with for Cass. She can finally make herself useful," Micah said, sipping from her glass. She set it down on a silver tray, which was held up by a woman. Her body had been fixed with bronze metal plates and the only thing that could be seen of her were her eyes, which emotionlessly followed the mermaid's movements. She knelt beside the bed and was forced to raise her arms forward. Occasionally Cass would close her eyes in pain as electricity was passed through her limbs to stimulate her muscles, but she found the tubes stuck in her crotch and flushing her regularly the worst. She had never felt so humiliated in her entire life, but after days as a living statue next to her captors' bed, she didn't care. At least the mermaid provided a little variety. The new woman swam well. If Cass hadn't seen the blonde occasionally show Micah and Lance the bras d'honneur, she would have thought the mermaid swam willingly and professionally. As it was, however, the woman in the aquarium was Cass's hero and managed to make her smile from time to time.
"Good job today, maiden, you're clearly smarter than the last one. You may retire for the day as soon as you have completed your evening duties," Lance said to the latex-clad maid. She bowed and said in a friendly voice: "Yes, Master. If you or the mistress want anything else, don't hesitate to ask, I'm at your service."
Lance waved her away as his wife snuggled against his chest and they both sank deeper into the latex bedding. The girl pressed a button on the wall and a tasteless substance flowed from the tube into Cass's mouth. Cass began to gulp it down quickly. The maiden stood in her line of sight and waited until Cass blinked several times to let her know she'd had enough. Cass thought she was nice. She would have loved to see what the girl looked like under the latex mask, but her captors forced her to hide her face. So Cass could only see the red lips and the bright blue eyes looking down at her with pity. The rest of her body was also hidden under a thick latex maid costume and her legs were in high heels. Hand and ankle cuffs were chained around her wrists and a metal hoop had been fastened around her stomach, to which a steel cable was attached, leading high up to the ceiling. With the help of a rail system, the maiden was able to move around the hotel and perform her duties without any possibility of escape. Cass blinked several times and the maid pressed the button again to finish her meal.
"Are you all right?" she asked and Cass closed her eyes once long.
"Don't give up," the maiden whispered, pressing a kiss to Cass's metal forehead.
"Are you done, maiden?" Micah asked indignantly and the girl quickly straightened up and bowed to her captors. The chains that bound her limbs rustled against each other as she did so.
"I'm done, Mistress, have a good night," she said quickly, leaving Cass alone.
Kim would never have dreamed of waking up in such a nightmare again, but here she was, locked in a latex maid costume and condemned to obey the orders of her captors. Unlike her fellow prisoners, she still had it relatively good. Kim turned a corner and entered a gym where a woman was stubbornly galloping on a treadmill. She had been introduced to Kim as Beatrice. She wore boots that went up to her knees and a leather harness that held her body captive and framed her bare breasts. Ropes were strung from the ceiling down to her, keeping her upright and on the treadmill. A biting gag sealed her mouth and she looked as if she would collapse at any moment. But she kept running for fear of making the acquaintance of the electric rod in her back.
"I'm here Beatrice!" Kim shouted and ran, as fast as her chains would allow, to the treadmill to turn it off. When the belt slowed down and stopped spinning, Beatrice let herself hang limply in the ropes. Kim gave her a moment to collect herself before releasing Beatrice from the carabiners and supporting her. Kim took the pony girl to her room next to the gym and sat her on her bed. Beatrice's cell was nicely furnished as she behaved decently. She had a comfy bed and a big shower so she could wash away the sweat of the day. Kim had strict instructions to free Beatrice from the horse hooves on her hands and then lock her up, but just like with Cass, Kim waited until the woman looked up at her.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, Beatrice?" asked Kim.
Beatrice fumbled for her gag and pulled it out of her mouth. She moved her jaw carefully before saying, "You really are an angel, Kim. How can you take care of the rest of us when you're like this yourself?"
Kim looked at her sympathetically.
"I've been in an almost identical situation before and… I'd given up hope, but then I met someone and she showed me that I have to keep fighting, no matter how bad it looks."
"I wish it were that easy," Beatrice muttered, pulling at her collar, which punished any attempt to escape with an electric shock. She turned away and began to free her legs from her boots.
"Good night," Kim said, but got no reply. She shook her head, walked out of the cell and locked the door behind her. Micah would free her the next day and continue training.
Next, Kim had to see Chloe. To get to her mermaid-turned-sister, she first had to walk up two flights of stairs. With the chains on her legs, this was already a strenuous undertaking. She opened a door and stepped onto a steel platform with a ladder welded to it, which in turn led down one floor. Kim climbed down it to reach her sister's living area. Like Beatrice, Chloe had been given a nicely furnished room, the only difference being that the floor was made of glass, revealing the view of the aquarium below them. Her furniture was also very close to the floor and her bed was covered in latex bedding. There was a steel hatch in the middle of the glass, which Kim opened with a lever. Kim could see her sister swimming up to her and lowered a loop into the water with a winch. Her sister sat on it and Kim pulled her out of the aquarium. Chloe's latex-clad mermaid form slapped on the glass bottom and she spread her arms out, exhausted. Kim carefully removed her breathing mask and hung it next to the hole, ready to hand.
"Thanks Kimmy," Chloe said, blinking up at her little sister.
"No problem Chloe, how are you?" asked Kim, opening the latex mask to at least free her sister from that. The rest of Chloe's body was covered in latex, which she couldn't take off, thanks to a lock in her neck. The heavy mermaid tail gave Chloe an advantage when swimming, but she was doomed to crawl across the floor if she was allowed to leave the aquarium. What's more, her hands ended up in almost rigid fins, so she couldn't climb up the ladder.
"You know me… under different circumstances I'd like it, I'm more worried about you," her sister replied, stroking Kim's face with her wet fin. Kim took her hand in her own and squeezed it gently.
"I'll be fine… they treat me well as long as I follow their orders," Kim said, "And unlike Judy, they almost let me run free."
Kim smiled weakly and Chloe returned the smile.
"You've gotten so strong," Chloe murmured, crawling over to her shower, "I'm really proud of you."
Kim blushed, which Chloe couldn't see because of the mask, but she could see the corners of Kim's mouth forming a happy smile.
"Thank you… is there anything else I can do for you?" Kim asked.
"Just the usual…" her sister said and they both hugged before wishing each other a good night.
By the usual, Chloe meant the daily apology that had to be delivered by Kim, to Caitlyn and to her brother Luke. Every day, the siblings had to walk in circles and turn a beam. This powered a machine or pump that ensured Chloe got air while she was trapped in the aquarium. Luke had volunteered so that Kim didn't have to do this backbreaking job. Caitlyn, however, had become too dangerous for the two slavers. At first, Lance and Micah had wanted to make her a pony girl like Beatrice, since she already had strong legs and excellent stamina, but they had quickly changed their minds. Caitlyn had somehow managed to ignore the cattle prod's powerful electric shocks and break free of her restraints. Had the slender Micah and not the muscle-bound Lance entered the gym, she might have escaped. As it was, however, Lance was able to overpower her and Caitlyn was put with Luke as punishment, giving Chloe the precious breath she needed. Kim opened a steel door and immediately the smell of latex and sweat wafted towards her. Caitlyn and Luke lay breathing heavily on the beam that powered the pump. Like Kim, the siblings were locked in latex suits and a steel belt was fastened around their waists. A steel cable wound upwards from there, giving them enough freedom to move around the cell, whether to go to the toilet or to bed once Chloe was out of danger.
"Luke!" Kim shouted and rushed to her friend. He rose swaying and wrapped Kim in his arms. They shared a kiss and Luke wished he could see his girlfriend's enchanting face.
"Are you okay?" Kim whispered as their lips parted and Luke nodded.
"Yeah, yeah… getting into a routine," he murmured weakly, letting Kim help guide him to his bed.
"How are you, Cait?"
Caitlyn didn't answer at first, looking up at the camera that was watching their every move. She cracked her knuckles and flopped down on her own bed.
"'Looking forward to using police brutality,'" she muttered, sighing. Luke nodded in agreement and Kim giggled, bringing a smile to the siblings' lips.
"Chloe sends her regards, and apologizes for the inconvenience," Kim said as she squeezed Luke's hand.
"Anything for our little mermaid," Caitlyn said, pointing to a television. He showed them the aquarium and Chloe's vitals, "She really is a sight for sore eyes. When we get out of here, I want to see her live in Ava's pool."
"I'll let her know tomorrow," Kim said, planting another kiss on Luke's lips.
"Don't go yet," he whispered, resting his forehead on hers.
"I have to before they see me," Kim whispered, removing her hand from his grasp, "see you tomorrow, sweetheart, see you tomorrow, Cait."
The siblings looked longingly after Kim as she left the cell. The door closed and Kim stood alone in the corridor. She held back her tears, she had to stay strong. She couldn't show any weakness when she was doing so well compared to the others.
"You mustn't give up, Kimberly," she admonished herself and went to her room. The door closed behind her and the ring hanging around her waist opened by itself. She went to her closet, where maid costumes in different colors hung, and stood in front of the mirror. Her lips were trembling now that she was alone, but she forced herself to suppress it and took the key that would give her freedom until tomorrow. Kim undid her hand and ankle cuffs and placed them neatly on a shelf. Next, she felt for the lock on the back of her neck and unlocked it. Kim was now able to unzip the mask and the pressure on her face was immediately released. She then unzipped her dress and all the latex ended up in the laundry basket next to the wardrobe. It always felt very strange at first to be free of the rubber. She stroked her smooth skin and sighed softly.
"Stay strong," she murmured again and stepped into her shower. She closed her eyes under the stream of water and then it was almost as if she was at home, away from all this.
Leon City Highway
Phoebe stared out of glassy eyes at the highway. This was the third time she'd driven down the road and she was beginning to wonder if Jade was just messing with her with everything she'd said, wasting her time and especially her gas. Jade had told her about her partner Maike, who was a close friend of Judy. Judy, in turn, had partners who were supposedly looking for fresh slaves on the highway.
"Jade, what are we waiting for again?" Phoebe asked, annoyed and drumming on her steering wheel.
"You'll know…" Jade muttered.
"Yeah, I don't think that's going to work, but I've got some contacts in town, maybe they'll know…" Phoebe fell silent as her car suddenly lost speed and any pressure on the gas pedal had no effect.
"At last," Jade muttered and Phoebe stared at her accusingly.
"What the hell does at last mean? What's wrong with my car?"
"I'll tell you what's about to happen. We're going to stop on the right and shortly afterwards a nice man who happened to be passing by in his tow truck is going to pull over," Jade said, unbuckling her seatbelt as Phoebe pulled onto the hard shoulder and stopped.
"And then what?"
"You'll know," Jade said, opening the passenger door before jumping out and disappearing into the darkness.
"Jade! What the… COME BACK!" Phoebe shouted after her, but the burglar didn't listen. Frustrated, she looked in her rear-view mirror to see if she could get out safely and opened her door. She walked around her car and opened her hood and shined her cell phone inside, but nothing indicated that her car had a problem. Phoebe furrowed her brow.
"Was that an EMP or something?" she mumbled doubtfully, since her cell phone was still working. Phoebe looked up from her car as a tow truck drove past her. It pulled onto the hard shoulder and backed up until it stopped just in front of Phoebe. A friendly-looking man got out and waved to her.
"Hey, do you need help?"
Phoebe narrowed her eyes as Jade's words ran through her mind. It had turned out to be true, he was also part of the slaver ring. She quickly put on a smile and waved back at him.
"Yeah, for some reason my car broke down. I thought I could fix it, but the engine looks so intimidating!" she said in a sugar-sweet voice, stepping aside to give him room.
"Haha, engines do that sometimes, but don't worry I'm sure I can fix it for you quickly and you can drive to your costume party in no time," he said, letting his eyes wander first over Phoebe's outfit and then over her car.
"Costume?" the redhead interrupted herself and looked down at herself. The pinstripe trousers, white shirt and Fedora hat were her trademark and indicated from a distance that she was a detective. Luckily, he thought, however, it really was a costume, "Yeah, one friend is having a theme party, haha."
Phoebe laughed affectedly and the man joined in, before muttering as he looked at her engine.
"Ohohoh, I'm afraid I can't do that here. But a friend of mine has a hotel and the right tools. How about I take you there and fix it there?" the man asked, smiling encouragingly at her. Phoebe could see that he was hiding something, but she had to admit that he was playing his part well.
I wonder how many people were taken in by him? She thought and said, "Uh, I think I'll have my friends pick me up, thanks anyway."
His smile disappeared and the next moment he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Phoebe.
"Too bad, Ms. Detective, your friends will have to wait a while for you. Redheads pay decently," he said in a seething voice, "How about a little kidnapping role play?" he asked, motioning her to go to her trunk. Phoebe gritted her teeth and did as he asked.
How could I have been so stupid as to trust a burglar? Phoebe thought again as the man pushed her into the trunk and forced her to put her arms behind her back. The man reached into his pocket and fished out a roll of duct tape. Putting the weapon to the back of her neck, he forced her to hold still while he taped coils around her hands until they were useless stubs and stuck tightly together.
"You'll regret this!" Phoebe growled before he applied tape to her mouth the next moment. He reinforced the gag with more strips and began to work on her legs.
"Ha, you've got guts, little one, Micah will love to break you," the man said after he had wrapped her legs tightly at her ankles and above and below her knees. He slapped Phoebe's defenseless ass and started laughing as she roared in rage into her gag. Before she could jump out of the car, he quickly slammed the trunk shut and began chaining Phoebe's car to his tow truck. Phoebe was furious. She kept asking herself how she could have been so blind. The burglar had betrayed her and thrown her to the lions. She struggled against the tape, but her kidnapper knew his trade. And after her car was hung on the hook of the tow truck, Phoebe rolled backwards and got stuck in the trunk. Her already useless hands were buried beneath her and the next moment she felt a jolt. They were driving off to who knows where and Phoebe couldn't help but fume with rage. They drove on the highway for quite a while until they slowed down at an exit and went up a ramp. Phoebe guessed it was a freeway interchange, because she was pulled to the outside until they picked up speed again and finally slowed down again and drove along a bumpy country road.
Jade breathed calmly and waited for the right moment. She had put on her eye mask and sat hidden behind the kidnapper. When he pulled over, she knew immediately that he was the ticket to the slave ring, because when Jade and her partner Maike were driving on the highway once, that's exactly what happened to them. Maike's car suddenly wouldn't move. Maike was more than just annoyed about it and waited behind the wheel. When asked what she was waiting for, she just waved it off until the same tow truck drove past and stopped. The man got out and asked if he could help. Maike had only said her name, however, and the man instantly turned pale before hurriedly returning to his truck and somehow magically restarting Maike's car.
Jade's questions about this strange encounter were completely ignored and she dropped the subject. But when Phoebe confirmed that Kim and Chloe weren't home yet and showed her the road, all Jade had to do was put one and one together. Under the cover of darkness, Jade had snuck into the tow truck as he was tying Phoebe up. She felt a little sorry for the detective, but after all, she didn't know where the headquarters of the slave ring was. But with the trees getting thicker and thicker and the bumpy country road they were driving on, she was beginning to have an idea. Jade pulled out the taser she'd found in Phoebe's apartment and borrowed, without Phoebe's knowledge. She hoped the man wasn't made of the stuff to resist a taser. The tow truck lost speed and parked in front of a massive building. The man was happily whistling a tune and rummaging in his jeans for his cell phone. When he finally pulled it out, he glanced in his rearview mirror. He saw Jade one second and the next he started shaking uncontrollably as she jammed the taser into his neck and sent him into the realm of dreams.
"This will hopefully put you out of action for a while," Jade muttered, exhaling in relief. She climbed out of the tow truck and crept around it to free her partner from the trunk. She opened it and looked down at the angry and disheveled Phoebe.
"Heeeyyyyyy," the burglar said guiltily as Phoebe's expression seemed to get even angrier. The detective started shouting into the gag and hurling wild insults at Jade's head. Jade struggled to regain her composure.
"Phoebe, calm down! I'm really sorry, but I didn't know how else we were going to get here. Now hold still so I can untie you," Jade explained and pulled firmly on the gag. She ripped it off with a flourish and Phoebe instantly fell silent as the sharp pain blew all thoughts from her head.
"Fuck!"
"Sorry, now come here, we have to hurry," Jade said, helping Phoebe to sit up. Under Phoebe's accusing gaze, Jade undid her restraints.
"What's with the mask?"
"I don't want to be recognized and I'm asking you, should we make it out of here, not to name me to the police."
Phoebe huffed, again something she had to keep from the police. She nodded though, Jade certainly had her reasons.
"The front entrance probably isn't our way in, is it Mrs. Burglar?" Phoebe said contritely, looking up the stairs to the white walls of the hotel, "Or should I go in the front and 'I'll know' what's happening?"
"Come on, how else would we have found our way here?" asked Jade sulkily. She had a feeling she was going to have to hear that for the entire operation.
"It's fine, at least we know where it is now," Phoebe mumbled, refraining from saying that she had five easier solutions at hand, "Can we call the police from here?"
Jade pulled out her cell phone, but it had no network. Shaking her head, she put it away.
"Then we should stay alert."
After the two redheads had dealt with the kidnapper, who now lay tied up with his own duct tape in Phoebe's trunk, they crept around the hotel. It was huge and light shone from many of the windows, but rarely was anyone to be seen behind them, and when they were, they looked like ordinary travelers.
"Really creepy that they're trading slaves while guests are in the hotel," Jade muttered and Phoebe nodded.
"They seem very sure of themselves, or they're all part of it. Do you recognize anyone?" Phoebe asked, ducking under a window where she could hear movement.
"Listen, just because I…" Jade fell silent as she glanced into the room. A woman was lying on the bed, massaging her breasts. Her television showed her a young woman and a young man in latex catsuits. Both were asleep, but you could see from their faces that they weren't doing very well.
"Cait?" Jade whispered, ducking away quickly as the woman on the bed looked towards the window. Phoebe shook her head uncomprehendingly, but fortunately the woman didn't seem to have seen her. Jade was pulled along by her partner until Phoebe flicked her on the forehead.
"Ouch!"
"What the hell was that about?" hissed Phoebe.
"My girlfriend's here too…" muttered Jade, biting her index finger.
"That woman who was giving herself a massage? Is she one of them too?"
"No, she was on the TV with her brother. They got caught too, and I didn't notice. It's my fault, I'm sure Maike found out," Jade said. She began to shake as hundreds of thoughts exploded in her head. She had to save Caitlyn, she had to save everyone and those criminals… her train of thought interrupted as Phoebe wrapped her in her arms.
"Pssssht, Jade, you're not to blame. We'll get Cait and the others out of there and put a stop to them," Phoebe whispered in her ear and hugged her gently. Jade sniffled loudly into her shoulder.
"Thank you… thank you Phoebe. It's just so much…"
"No problem," the detective said sympathetically, letting go of Jade as she tried to break away, "If you want to talk about it, whatever, my office is always open for you."
Jade nodded her thanks before shaking her head to focus on her task.
"Come on, we should get in here quickly," Jade murmured, rubbing her eyes. She took a step forward and Phoebe was about to follow her when the ground beneath Jade sank away. A trapdoor opened beneath her and she waved her arms frantically, trying to find somewhere to grab hold. In a flash, Phoebe dropped to the ground and grabbed Jade's hand at the last moment.
"Uuuuf! Oh, shit," she squeezed out between her teeth.
"Wow, what the hell!" said Jade, looking down carefully. A slide led down to a yellowish surface. It looked a bit like an oversized fly trap.
"Can you pull me up?" asked Jade, but she could see from Phoebe's flushed face that she was running out of strength, "Forget it, can you swing me over a bit? If I can get to the edge of the slide, I can slide down in a controlled manner."
Phoebe nodded and swung her arm back and forth until Jade grabbed the edge of the slide. Jade let go of Phoebe and slid a short distance, but she managed to hold on and slid to the end. She clamped down with her legs, took off her leather jacket and threw it onto the yellow surface before stepping onto it herself.
"It's really glue," she called up in amazement, "If you manage to get down slowly, I can catch you."
"Do you really think you can do it?" Phoebe asked doubtfully and Jade nodded, "All right, let's do it."
Phoebe lay down on the edge of the trapdoor and turned. Then she slowly let herself slide down until she was only holding on with her fingers and let go. She fell a short distance down the slide and slid towards Jade. She caught her partner and helped Phoebe to stand on her leather jacket.
"Thanks, now what?" Phoebe asked, looking at the sticky trap that stretched out in front of them. Behind it was a door that would allow them to get further inside the hotel. Jade looked at her, embarrassed. Phoebe exhaled heavily.
"I get it," she sighed and took off her blouse. With a heavy heart, Phoebe threw it on the pavement in front of them.
A shrill alarm woke Kim from her sleep and she almost fell out of bed. She rubbed her eyes and crawled to her closet.
Isn't it still far too early? Kim thought and staggered to her feet. She pulled a new latex dress out of her wardrobe and went back to her bed, where there was a bottle of lubricant. She rubbed it on almost automatically and slipped the costume on. Kim put on the matching mask and locked herself in the latex. Finally, she tied herself up with the metal cuffs and fastened the metal ring around her waist. She knelt on the floor in the center of the room and waited, hating herself for thinking that Lance, and not Micah, would be the one to schedule her for today. She closed her eyes and dozed off.
I wonder what they've come up with for today. Kim thought and looked up as the door to her cell opened and Lance walked in.
"Good morning, master, how can this slave be of service to you?" Kim asked, stifling a yawn.
"Save it, get up, come with me!" he ordered Kim and pulled her roughly to her feet. Kim immediately noticed that he was tired too and something seemed to be bothering him. He used a key to release the steel cable from the rail and pulled Kim along behind him. Lance paid no attention to her and strode ahead deeper into the hotel, Kim having to take short, quick steps because of the chains between her feet. She didn't know where he was taking her as the rails only allowed her to visit her friends from her room and the bedroom of her captors. Lance opened one last door and dragged Kim to the center of the room. Screens lit up the bare floor and Micah, who was looking intently at a screen.
"Where are they right now?" asked Lance, placing one hand on the desk and one on her shoulder.
"They're peeping into a guest room right now. But if they make it into the secret passages, we're blind. Did you bring it?"
By it, Micah meant Kim, who rose hastily and bowed.
"I'm here, mistress. What do you need?" asked Kim. Micah turned to her and pointed into the shadows next to Kim. Only now did Kim realize that Cass was standing there. She was still encased in the metal plates. Her eyes darted from Kim to Micah in panic.
"I want you to get that oxygen waster out of there and put it in the machine!" Micah ordered, then pointed behind Kim. The young blonde turned around and saw a machine the size of a public toilet. The door was open and inside Kim could make out metallic arms.
"Mistress?" asked Kim confused, but fell silent and quickly rushed to Cass when she saw a vein appear on Micah's forehead. She began to undo the quick-release fasteners, carefully setting aside one panel at a time.
"Are you sure, darling?" Lance asked softly.
"She's bringing bad luck! Why else is that damn detective here all of a sudden! Did you call Maike about that traitor Jade?"
Kim looked up in surprise at these words. She could actually see two women on one of the screens. Both had red hair and when Kim recognized them both, a cry of joy almost slipped from her throat.
"Yes, but she's not answering, but don't worry honey, they'll be ours soon, but Cass…" Lance said but was interrupted by his wife.
"I gave you permission to make the little one a servant and the other blonde a mermaid, so Cass has to go! Now watch out, they're almost at the glue trap." Micah said, holding her fingers over the trap's trigger.
Kim glanced at Cass, seeing sheer horror in her eyes.
"You need to get out of here," Kim whispered to her, releasing another panel. She revealed Cass's battered body, "push me!"
Cass didn't need to be told twice and shoved Kim aside and fled towards the door. Kim cried out in surprise and stumbled towards the control panel. Lance was about to look around to see what the commotion was about when he was knocked over by Kim and shoved his wife. Her finger pressed the button too soon and Kim saw that only Jade fell into the pit, but was just caught by Phoebe.
"What are you doing girl!" Lance and Micah hissed at Kim as if from the same mouth as Cass disappeared from the room.
"Oh sorry my masters!" said Kim theatrically, getting in front of Lance and Micah as best she could to stop them from running after Cass, "I hope you didn't hurt yourselves!"
"Move aside, maiden!" yelled Lance, shoving Kim to the ground. He ran after Cass, leaving her alone with his wife. Annoyed, Micah looked at the screen and then looked at Kim.
"You did that on purpose!" she screamed, standing up and pressing her foot against Kim's chest. Kim whimpered, but she couldn't help but smile briefly as she watched her rescuers carefully lower themselves into the pit on the screen. Micah followed her gaze and her anger-twisted mouth formed into a wicked smile.
"You know them…"
Jade fiddled nervously with her lock picks on the locked door as Phoebe stood seething behind her. They had both had to sacrifice a top and a pair of pants each to jump the sticky trap. For Jade, that meant she was left wearing only her spandex catsuit, but for Phoebe it meant she had to walk around a house full of slavers and criminals wearing only her bra and panties.
"Why do I feel like today isn't my day?" she asked Jade and the door clicked softly. Jade ignored the question and replied, "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find you something new to wear."
"I only hope so. I don't feel like explaining to the police what's going on here with nothing on but my underwear."
The two redheads crept through the narrow underground corridors of the hotel. They were careful not to set off any more traps. Machines and pipes ran alongside them, but the purpose of them was a mystery to them.
"Do you think they have more traps down here?" Jade asked as they stood at a fork in the road, wondering which way to go.
"I'm going to assume so. They've got plenty of room down here," Phoebe muttered and decided to go to the right. She stepped through a light barrier and unwittingly activated a trap. To Phoebe's left and right, the walls shot towards her. They weren't concrete and steel walls as usual, but huge latex sheets. Before she could react, they pressed against Phoebe's body, trapping her before they began to suck the air inside dry a moment later.
"Shit Jade helpppppmmmm!"
The walls pulled back, sending the latex-encased Phoebe crashing to the floor. The latex stretched tight around her body, forcing her arms to hug her legs in front of her chest. Jade stood rooted to the spot, her mouth wide open. Her heart began to race and her face flushed red as a whispered, "Hot," escaped her lips.
"MMMMMH!" Phoebe screamed into the latex and Jade quickly shook her head to recollect herself and reached into her tool bag to fish out a small pocket knife. She used it to cut through the latex with ease and free Phoebe from her latex bag.
"HAAAAA, what the hell was that?" Phoebe asked, kicking at the remains.
"Some kind of latex vacuum bag," said Jade, looking a little disappointed at the trap. Phoebe looked at the burglar uncomprehendingly until her expression brightened in surprise and then darkened.
"YOU LIKE THIS?" Phoebe asked accusingly and Jade hid her face behind her hands.
"I can't help it! You just looked so sexy in it!"
"Sexy?" Phoebe asked incredulously, blushing in turn, "What… what's wrong with you? I could have… never mind, we have to save the others. Pull yourself together, we've got to watch out for everything…" At that moment, bolas shot out of the wall opposite Phoebe and behind Jade. Jade managed to drop to the floor at the last second. Phoebe, however, was hit by both of them. They wrapped themselves around her arms and legs, knocking her off her feet and sending her crashing to the floor again.
"Jade, get me out of here!" Phoebe ordered annoyed and braced herself against the bolas but to no avail. The ropes were just too tight around her.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Jade said hastily and scrambled to Phoebe. She immediately began to untangle the bolas and had to wipe away the saliva that had collected on her lips.
"Why do I always have to work with the perverts?" muttered Phoebe, dropping her head to the floor.
Cass ran through the corridors as if her life depended on it, which it did. She didn't know if she was running for the exit, but she had to at least try to escape. She slipped around a corner and froze, standing in front of her was Lance. He must have taken a shortcut or she must have been running in circles.
"Cass…, if you come with me now, I'll make sure nothing happens to you," he said calmly, raising his hand placatingly. Cass didn't believe a word he said and took a step back as she thought feverishly.
"Cass…" he admonished her, but the woman whirled around and ran down a different path. Lance clicked his tongue in disappointment and reached into his pocket, where he had hidden a taser.
"The hard way, then."
Cass ended up at a dead end, but the lever sticking out of the wall in front of her looked familiar. She pressed it and a hidden wall opened, revealing the way into Lance and Micah's bedroom. The huge aquarium was unoccupied, apparently only the maiden and she had been awakened. She quickly ran to the door that led them into the ordinary hotel facility, but as she touched the handle, a jolt of electricity ran through her hand and threw her backwards onto her captors' bed.
"Oh… oh shit, what was that?" muttered Cass. She could see stars and shook her head to get rid of them. With trembling legs, she stood up and was about to go back when Lance appeared in the secret doorway. With a wicked grin on his lips, he held up a taser and flashed a blue lightning bolt through it. Cass swallowed.
"I'd come with you now," she whispered hopefully and Lance snorted contemptuously.
"I'm afraid that offer has expired," he said, walking towards her.
Lance carried the unconscious and roped Cass back to the control room. He hoped that the intruders were already tied up in one of the corridors and that he would soon be able to go back to bed with his wife.
At least the two redheads would be spared their wrath. Cass and Kim though… Lance interrupted his train of thought when Cass groaned.
"Oh, you're awake already? Silly thing to do, Cass. You didn't have to witness the following," he said.
"What else do you want to do to me? You've already taken everything from me and when you're at the bottom, there's nowhere to go but up."
"Heh, let's just say you had a little taste of what Micah has in store for you. I might have been able to dissuade her, but after that little stunt, I changed my mind," Lance told her, smiling down at the blonde woman in his arms.
"No…"
"Yes, and forever," he expected Cass to resist her restraints, to curse or even attack him, but she did none of that. The last gleam in her eyes had gone out. She had surrendered to her fate.
Unfortunately, too late. He thought and took a deep breath as he turned a corner and suddenly two women stood in his path. One of them was dressed in a catsuit and had a taser in her hand, while the other, clad only in her underwear, was swinging her fist. Startled, he backed away, but the next moment a sharp pain shot through him as the Taser was rammed into his side. Lance collapsed in the corridor. He gasped and tried to get up again as another electric shock shot through his body. He let go of Cass and she was caught by one of the women before a final blow knocked him unconscious.
"Shit, the guy took three electric shocks!" shouted Jade, turning to Cass and Phoebe worriedly, "Are you all right?"
Cass nodded as Phoebe carefully sat her on the floor to undo her restraints.
"What's your name? Are you a prisoner here too?" Phoebe asked.
"Yes… Yes, my name is Cass. My friend Beatrice and I were captured here… I don't know how long ago," said Cass and the detective could see that she was visibly relieved. Phoebe remembered the names. Cass and her friend had been reported missing a few weeks ago. As always, the police were in the dark, but Phoebe hadn't been able to find any clues to their whereabouts either, until now.
"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here," Phoebe said, undoing the last knot. Jade took the ropes and began to tie Lance's muscular body in a hogtie. She pulled the rope that connected his hands to his feet tight and made sure that his fingers couldn't reach any of the knots.
"Do you know where the others are?" Phoebe asked meanwhile, not noticing that Jade had slipped a silvery capsule into his mouth.
"Not exactly, but the maiden knows," Cass fell silent and turned pale, "We have to get to her, now!"
With Cass's guidance, Phoebe and Jade quickly found the control room and opened the door. Micah stood at the console, smiling at the two women, while Cass waited beside the door. Jade and Phoebe each had a taser in their hands and raised them towards Micah.
"Welcome to my hotel, ladies. I hope you've enjoyed it so far?"
"Not in the slightest, but I'd appreciate it if we could get this over with quickly and you put the cuffs on!" Phoebe demanded, throwing a pair of handcuffs in Micah's direction. They slid across the floor and came to a stop right at her feet.
"I have a better idea," Micah said, turning a screen so the women could look at it. On display was Kim, completely naked. Metallic arms held her a good hand's breadth above the ground and several hoses were pointed at her, from which steam was pouring, "Give up or she'll be a statue forever!"
Micah's hand hovered ominously over a red button. Jade and Phoebe hesitated.
"Well, what now?" asked Micah, lowering her hand.
"It's okay," said Phoebe, lowering the taser. Jade followed suit and they both put the tasers on the floor. Micah kicked at the handcuffs and they slithered back to the two redheads.
"Tie yourselves to that radiator!" she ordered and grudgingly Jade picked up the handcuffs. She snapped them around her wrist, threaded them through the radiator and Phoebe locked her own hand in them. Micah smiled.
"Really obedient ladies," she said, walking towards them both, "Maike will certainly be interested in what you're up to here," she said, addressing Jade, then turned to Phoebe.
"It really is you… the great detective Phoebe Wynters who took on the city's slave traders and put Judy behind bars. Not the first time we've met, is it?" Phoebe frowned thoughtfully, but suddenly remembered.
"You were there! At Judy's party!"
"That's right. I wish I'd bought you back then. But now I got you for free, so that's a good thing!" Micah said, but her smile froze when she saw Phoebe's grin.
"What?"
"I was actually hoping the slavers would choke on their own bile. Too bad, really, but maybe next time."
Micah's face contorted with anger as she was reminded of the evening and reached out with her hand to slap Phoebe when she saw someone run past her out of the corner of her eye.
"What? Who?" she barely got it past her lips as Cass picked up both tasers from the floor and rammed them into her body. Micah didn't even manage to cry out as her body slumped to the floor. Phoebe and Jade cheered and immediately started to undo the handcuffs.
"Good work Cass, it's finally over!" Phoebe praised but fell silent as Cass dragged her captor to the machine, "Cass?"
"It's not over yet," Cass muttered, her voice distorted with anger, opening the door of the machine and releasing Kim from her arms as she threw Micah inside. Kim stumbled aside as Cass walked past her and began to study the control panel.
"Wait Cass, she has to go in front of a judge, along with everyone else," Phoebe called out, glancing nervously at Jade who was struggling to unlock the handcuffs. Cass looked at them and pressed a button, and they could all see on the screen that Micah was being lifted up by the arms.
"Witches don't go before a judge," she whispered and pressed the red button.
Immediately there was a humming sound from the machine and they could see on the screen that Micah had been woken up by it. At first she seemed confused as to where she was, but the next moment she turned pale and started screaming. None of this could be heard from outside. They could see the arms lifting Micah up and the hoses started spraying her with a black liquid. Then gags and plugs were inserted into her body openings and connected to more hoses before another layer of the black liquid was poured over her. Her skin and hair turned pitch black and shone in the light of the machine. Micah's initially wild squirming became slower and more strained with each layer, until she could no longer move at all. The robotic arms then set her down and pushed her into the desired position, kneeling with her hands up as if she were holding a bowl, until more liquid latex was sprayed on her to firm the position.
"What the hell is this?" Phoebe finally asked when she could tear herself away from the screen.
"My revenge," Cass said curtly, walking over to Kim to help her up. Kim watched the screen transfixed and gulped as she realized that she had almost met the same fate.
A few days later, Phoebe was sitting at her desk looking through the files of her latest case. Lance and his staff were behind bars and Micah stood as a solitary latex statue inside the Éternité Hotel connected to machines that kept her alive. Not a very nice ending, but as Phoebe thought, a better one than Kim or Cass standing there. Meanwhile, there was no sign of Jade. She had asked Phoebe to leave her name out to protect everyone else and even Lance didn't seem to remember her name. Phoebe was a little uncomfortable with withholding important details from the police again, but Jade had helped her, so why would she call the police on her. Kim, meanwhile, was doing much better than after her last abduction and her friends seemed to be recovering quickly too. Phoebe shook her head as she remembered that Chloe had asked the police officers if she could keep the mermaid costume.
"Cass and Beatrice…" Phoebe mumbled as she read their names. Beatrice had been flown home, while Cass had been interrogated after it was revealed what she had done. She had probably got off lightly because of the extreme circumstances she had been subjected to. Phoebe hoped that they were both being helped to put the events behind them as quickly as possible. There was a knock on Phoebe's door and it snapped her out of her thoughts. She went to it and opened it. Jade stood in front of Phoebe, this time in casual clothes and visibly nervous.
"Jade, what a pleasant surprise, come in," Phoebe said, stepping aside. Jade accepted the offer and walked past the detective.
"Hey, you didn't tell anyone, did you?" asked Jade nervously and Phoebe nodded.
"No why?"
"I think my partner somehow got wind that I was helping you and I'm afraid my time is running out. But before that's the case, I need to find a woman. Her name is Terra Taylor."
"Like Caitlyn and Luke Taylor? The siblings?" Phoebe asked. Jade nodded and began to tell her story.