26: The Wynters and Partner
Jade was startled out of a fitful sleep by her cell phone ringing. It was still dark outside and the occasional car lights flashed as they passed. After blinking a few times, she realized that she and Phoebe were driving Jade's car towards her next clue and she must have fallen asleep during the drive. She nodded to her red-haired partner and took her cell phone. At first, it didn't want to unlock, and Jade clicked her tongue when she realized she was wearing her gloves. She took them off and tucked them under her spandex-covered arm. While Phoebe wore her classic detective outfit, consisting of her fedora hat, a white blouse and pinstriped trousers, Jade preferred a catsuit made of spandex and tight-fitting pants that didn't restrict her movements. However, both were wearing thick jackets to protect themselves from the frosty temperatures.
Jade accepted the call and smiled in joyful anticipation of being able to talk to her friend.
“Hey Cait. What's up? Everything okay?”
There was a deep sigh from the other side of the phone.
“Are you stuck again?” Jade asked, amused.
"No, I'm not stuck anymore, um, funny story, but another time. My friends and I… we were attacked tonight.“
Immediately, Jade became serious and sat up straight.
”Attacked? By whom?“
”I'm not quite sure yet, but one of them considers you her Mistress and they… they control magic. The one who seemed to know you had long white hair. Do you know anyone like that?”
“No, I'm sorry. But to call me her Mistress…“ Jade murmured, looking up at the starry sky.
”Can you think of anyone?“
”Just one. Vale. She was one of Judy's victims. I went to check on her and found her tied up. We had some fun, but it wasn't like we were in a BDSM relationship or anything.”
“Vale,“ Caitlyn murmured, lost in thought.
”She lives on the same street as Summer, at number 84… or 48? I'm sorry, when I see the house, I could tell, but Vale is not the type to attack people. She also gave me the information about the bunker.”
“Really? If it really was her, Ava and Summer will tell you something else. They're lying on my sofa right now, trying to process everything,“ Caitlyn murmured, “I'll take a look at it when we've recovered. She said we shouldn't meet anymore.”
”Well, it should take a while before we get back to LC anyway. But please keep me posted and give them both my regards. The magic must have been quite a shock for them.“
”For Ava, definitely. Summer said she's known for months.“
”Seriously? Even with Celine and Rilliana… Trisha?” Jade asked in surprise and stole a glance at Phoebe, who was concentrating on the road.
“Well, not all the details, but Celine didn't exactly go out of her way to keep magic a secret,” Caitlyn laughed, but quickly fell silent, ‘Hey, I'd go to bed now. I just wanted to tell you that quickly… take care. I love you,’ Caitlyn said.
“I love you too,“ Jade whispered into her cell phone and hung up.
”Problems at home?“ Phoebe asked as she started flashing and pulled off the highway.
”Nothing Caitlyn can't handle,“ Jade muttered, but there was still a hint of concern in her voice.
”We could go back.”
“Well, this is our best lead so far and I don't think we can help,“ Jade said and closed her eyes, ‘We have to find Caitlyn's mom.’
”I realize that, Jade. But we can't rush it. If you're not one hundred percent focused on the task at hand, then…”
“Don't worry, this won't be a repeat of last time,“ Jade murmured, still with her eyes closed, but she gave Phoebe a cheeky grin. Phoebe rolled her eyes and shook her head.
”Are you sure this is it?” Jade asked impatiently, while she put her car keys. in her pocket and followed Phoebe with a flashlight through the tall grass.
“No. That's why we're checking it out,“ Phoebe replied and knelt down.
”Why are we stopping? Did you find the bunker?“
”Jade, shut up, I have to concentrate,“ Phoebe said gently but firmly, while she bent even lower and looked at the grass.
”What are you doing?”
“Bingo,“ Phoebe murmured, pointing at the grass. ‘Do you see the grass? Someone walks over it often and it's bent in some places.’
”What?“ Jade asked incredulously and bent down as low as Phoebe, but all she saw was normal grass.
”Have you been smoking?"
Phoebe rolled her eyes.
“No, but there's also a steel door back there."
Immediately Jade was wide awake and rushed past Phoebe when she saw the door too. And indeed, they saw an overgrown steel door in the tall grass in front of them. A padlock refused them access.
“Now I feel offended by Maike,“ Jade laughed and whipped out her lock picking set. She bent over the steel door and started poking around in the lock. There was a click and at that same moment a red spark jumped from the lock over Jade's tools into her fingers.
”Um… what was that?” Phoebe asked.
Jade was frozen while she examined the lock and then her fingers.
“I don't know. I don't think anything,” Jade finally lied, hoping it was really nothing. She put the lock aside and opened the door. A surge of warm and humid air hit the two redheads and Phoebe's glasses instantly fogged up.
“I'll go first,“ Jade said while Phoebe cleaned her glasses. She climbed down a ladder that was firmly anchored in the walls. Jade looked down and could see the ground below.
”I'm coming, Terra,” Jade whispered, concentrating again on not falling down. The rungs were thin and Jade feared that she might slip if she wasn't careful. She didn't want to break her neck so close to her supposed goal.
Breaking one's neck wouldn't be good at all. It flashed through Jade's mind when she arrived at the bottom, and she shook herself.
“Focus, Jade!” She admonished herself and looked around. A long, wide and sparsely lit corridor lay before her, and at its end a thick steel door blocked her progress. A single red line had been drawn on the floor in front of her, standing out particularly against the gray concrete. Jade approached it and bent down.
“Mmmh, are there traps here?“ Jade murmured and examined the corridor. There was nothing to suggest that spears would suddenly shoot out of the walls or that a drop gate could trap them. Not even a tripwire had been set up.
”What have you found?” Phoebe asked, standing behind Jade and examining the corridor as well.
“Well, we have to go on. I don't want anyone to close the hatch behind us,“ Jade replied and wanted to step over the line, but Phoebe held her back.
”Jade, wait. You're rushing it. What if there are lasers or something else here?“
”Are you serious? Look around. These are smooth concrete walls, nothing is here and our goal is right there!”
“May I remind you that the first time we walked together, we almost fell into a pit of glue?” Phoebe said, but Jade didn't want to listen and pushed Phoebe's hand aside.
“Then wait here and cover my back. Behind this door could be my… Caitlyn's mom, and I won't hesitate!“ Jade hissed, stepping over the red line. She stood there for a second and raised her hands. She turned back to Phoebe.
”See? No problem!"
Phoebe rolled her eyes and followed her.
“I'm just saying.“
”I have to save her, Phoebe.“
”But you can't if you're stuck in glue or hanging from the wall in chains… or worse.“
”I…” Jade trailed off as they heard a whirring sound and both redheads jumped. A screen descended in front of the steel door, obscuring the view of it.
“Jade…” Phoebe murmured and took a step back while Jade stared at the screen. It turned on and Jade's mouth went as thin as a line when she saw her old partner, dressed in an elegant black dress, sitting on a chair. She held a wine glass in her hand and swirled it slightly.
“Hello Maike,“ Jade murmured, clenching her hands into fists.
”Hello Jade,” Maike said after taking a sip and looking up at Jade, ‘In case you haven't noticed yet, this is a recording. I can't look better than you every day.’
Jade clicked her tongue disapprovingly.
“Be that as it may. I regret that I won't be able to see the following. But I'll have something to remember you by for a very long time. Enjoy eternity, Jade,” Maike said with a diabolical smile and the screen suddenly lit up, blinding Jade and Phoebe. When both women could see again, the screen had disappeared and the steel door was open. Still squinting, Jade could see a woman with raven-black hair hanging from chains in the middle of the room. A steel mask was pulled down over her face, and her body was encased in a skin-tight gray suit with several D-rings attached. The chains were hooked into several carabiners in the suit, holding her upright like a living marionette.
“Terra?” Jade murmured and took a step forward. With every second and every step she was more and more certain. Terra was hanging there and only she could save her.
“JADE!” Phoebe called in horror, and only now did Jade notice that one of the bound woman's hands was pointing in her direction. A red beam shot out of her towards Jade, and she jumped aside to avoid the magic. But it followed her and hit her in her right hand as if she were holding a magnet for it. Jade gasped. She braced herself for a moment of pain, but it didn't come; instead, she felt a numbness in her hand that spread further and further. Jade took off her glove and looked in disbelief at her hand as it turned gray. In seconds, her fingers were engulfed by it and she could no longer move them. Panicked, she turned to Phoebe.
“Phoebe?“ she called and tears ran down her cheeks as a moment later her arm petrified and stretched out in the direction of her partner, asking for help.
”What the…” Phoebe murmured and hurried to Jade, who was losing more and more control over her body. She wanted to run to Phoebe, but Jade remained rooted to the spot. Her legs no longer moved and the stone grew over her neck and over her eyes. Three seconds later, her entire face, including her hair, was petrified and a lonely tear rolled down her face, while Phoebe stood completely stunned in front of her.
“Jade…?” she whispered, touching the burglar's cheek, but it was cold and unnaturally smooth, like a stone statue. Her eyes stared through Phoebe, reflecting the last fearful seconds of her life. The young detective swallowed hard and looked past Phoebe to the tied figure in the room. The door was still open and it seemed to be watching them. Phoebe's heart felt as if it was being held in an icy hand. What was preventing the figure from simply turning her to stone? Phoebe took a step back and watched the figure closely, but it didn't move.
“Maybe…“ Phoebe whispered and looked back at the ladder. She remembered the strange red spark that had jumped from the padlock to Jade.
”Maybe Jade was marked by it or something?”
Phoebe walked carefully towards the room, paying close attention to the woman's hand in front of her, but still she didn't move. The chains that held the woman in the air were connected to a machine that could be used to move her into different positions. Phoebe examined the mask the figure was wearing and could see that she couldn't see anything underneath it. She also suspected that she was connected to tubes underneath that fed her and perhaps more. This was suggested by the dozens of cables connected to the steel mask.
“I hope you can reverse this… whatever this was,” Phoebe murmured and carefully tried to remove the mask from the woman's face, but before she could do that, she heard noises behind her. Someone was standing at the hatch and apparently wanted to go down. Phoebe looked around in panic and saw a locker behind a table. She ran past a chemical station synthesizing a silvery liquid and took a look at the table. A digital map was displayed on it, showing Leon City, the island and even the east coast. In some places, various dots lit up, several of them right where she was standing now. Phoebe didn't know what she was looking at, but that didn't matter. She opened the locker, jumped in and closed the door.
“…you did this?” a woman asked and Phoebe recognized Judy's voice. She would recognize that fake friendliness anywhere.
"Not me. She did. I just made sure she had a target. I wonder how long that stupid brat's been standing there. Coincidences.”
“You're telling me that your doll over there petrified your burglar? Can you ask her to make me a Phoebe statue?"
Phoebe heard a groan from the stranger and then a giggle from Judy, which sent a cold shiver down her spine.
“If we catch her, maybe I can do something,“ the unfamiliar voice said, and a woman with long brown hair entered the room. Phoebe could see her through the slits in the locker. The woman, named Maike, went to the tied figure and stroked her hair.
”You did good, Terra.“
”Can she hear you?”
“No, but she's the only one who has never disappointed me. She has already given me so much,“ Maike whispered and went to the chemistry station. She took a glass vial and drew some of the silver liquid.
”Is that what we came here for?"
Phoebe heard another groan from Maike.
“Judy dear. It's thanks to this liquid that we haven't been discovered yet. Besides, we have Jade now. It's a good thing I have this.“
Phoebe could see that Maike took a black glove and a porcelain mask out of a drawer.
”What's with the mask and the glove?”
“In case you don't shut up,” Maike replied, and Judy's smile disappeared, but she didn't argue. Maike looked at her for a moment, but then she exhaled heavily and said, ”If you must know, these are just a few precautions. I don't think that this birdbrain found her way here on her own, and besides, I want to take her with me.”
“Take her with you?” Judy asked, stepping aside to let Maike through and see. Maike took a last look around the room and then nodded as she walked through the door. Judy followed her and closed the steel door behind her. A bolt slammed heavily into the lock, and Phoebe was trapped. The light went out in the room and only the digital map illuminated it a little. Phoebe waited in the locker until she was sure that the two women would not be coming back and then stepped out. She went to the map and saw that the points that had marked her position a moment ago were now moving.
“What does the map show? The mask and the glove? And the other points…" Phoebe wondered aloud, but she turned her gaze away and looked at the figure in chains. There were more important things to do, ”Let's get to you.”
Phoebe approached the woman and finally released the fastener of the mask and pulled it off the woman's face. It hissed briefly and then Phoebe had it in her hand. In addition to the cables, the mask had a long tube from which it dripped. A screen was attached to it, which flashed strange symbols. Phoebe quickly put the mask aside and looked at the woman.
“Oh my…” Phoebe let out, as she saw the beauty of the woman. Despite her unfortunate situation, to which she had been exposed for who knows how long, her face had lost none of its beauty. Her skin was smooth and flawless. Her red lips seemed to positively glow and her eyes, which now began to flutter, had a blue color that was mesmerizing.
“Hey, can you hear me? I'm here to get you out of here!” Phoebe said, stroking the woman's cheeks. Suddenly, the woman began to tremble, and a cough shook her body. The chains began to clink as she tried to speak, but the cough made it unintelligible.
“Easy! I'll get you out from under there,“ Phoebe said soothingly, but she saw no chain winch or control panel on the machine.
”Ahem.“
The woman coughed harder again, closed her eyes tightly, and swallowed before taking a deep breath and then looking at Phoebe, blinking.
”Jade?”
“No, Phoebe Wynters. Private investigator. Jade hired me to help her find you. Terra, right? Caitlyn Taylor's mother?“
The woman nodded.
”Where… where are my children? Is my husband all right?“ Rilliana…" the woman trailed off, looking at Phoebe for a moment before looking up at the chains, then to the chemical station.
“How long have I been here?” Terra finally asked. ‘The last thing I remember was… eating with Maike and Cait. She was celebrating her graduation with Jade and Rilliana and then…’
Her gaze wandered and she stared into space.
“Jade didn't tell me much about her past, but as far as I can tell, Maike tricked you,” Phoebe said, trying to loosen one of the chains.
“Don't bother,” Terra murmured and closed her eyes. A second later, the chains shattered and Terra fell to the ground. She landed on her legs, but she collapsed under her own weight and Phoebe just managed to prevent Terra from slamming down on the concrete.
“I can hardly feel my body,“ Terra murmured as Phoebe carefully put her down on the floor.
”How did you do that?” Phoebe asked, but she shook her head. Breaking chains after seeing someone petrified didn't seem particularly impressive.
“I'm a sorceress, “ Terra said simply, looking around the dim room, but stopping when Phoebe didn't ask any questions, ‘Did you already know about this, or did Rilliana decide to share magic with humanity after all, while I was gone?’
”No, I… You turned Jade into a statue just before I freed you. Didn't you realise?" Phoebe asked dejectedly.
”No, I didn't. Where is she?" Terra asked with her eyebrows drawn together and looked around the room again, afraid she had missed Jade.
”Maike said she wanted to take her with her."
Terra took a deep breath and clenched her hands into fists.
“Then we have to save her and teach Maike a little lesson,“ Terra said with growing anger and wanted to sit up, but her arms gave way under her weight.
”Phoebe darling, would you be so kind as to carry me to Maike so that I can twist her neck?”
“That might be a bit difficult with the steel door.“
”Yes, of course,“ Terra murmured, pointing her hand at the door, which was suddenly squeezed into a ball and fell to the ground with a loud bang.
”Now help me up. After that, I should be fine,” Terra said, and Phoebe heaved her up off the ground, only to be held back by Terra again.
“I just found an explanation for why it feels like I have to go to the bathroom. Could you please pull the butt plug and the other stuff out of my ass?” Terra said, and despite the shame, there was an angry undertone to her voice. Phoebe did as she was told. She didn't want to end up like the door.
Maike and Judy got out of her and Jade's car.
“Tell your henchmen to bring Jade to my room. And don't let me see more than a scratch.”
“Can't you just use your magical floating glove like you did before?” Judy asked, staring greedily at the glove that was stretched over Maike's hand.
“And let all your henchmen see that there are magical artifacts? Forget it. Now do your job so I can do mine,” Maike said and went with her artifacts into the old, rundown factory building.
“No wonder Jade betrayed you,” Judy murmured, smiling, and shaking her head. She waved a couple of her men over and pointed at Jade, telling them where to take the statue.
Meanwhile, Maike had settled down on her armchair at her desk. She interlocked her fingers and put her chin on them. She waited for the henchmen to bring the statue in and leave her room until she turned to the statue and looked closely at Jade's petrified face.
“How did you fool, find the bunker? Did you have help?” Maike asked, but of course she didn't get an answer. She stood up and pulled a knife out of a drawer. She pointed at Jade with her glove, and the statue rose from the floor and floated to her. With her other hand, she cut the clothes off Jade's body. The spandex and leather fell to the floor, revealing Jade's gray body. Even though she had never been attracted to men or other women, she couldn't help but admire Jade's body. Slim and perfectly trained to break into houses. Maike had seen that immediately when she first entered her class, even though Jade hadn't known it herself at the time.
“I'm a little jealous of you, Jade,” Maike murmured, carefully setting the statue down and running her fingers over the smooth stone, ”Your body will stay this perfect forever. It's a shame about your talent. Well…”
Maike patted Jade's face, sat back down in her chair, and turned to her computer. Judy's operation was running at full speed, after all, and Maike had more than one job to keep everything running smoothly. Controlling the building, manufacturing the chemicals Judy used, and organizing her goods in the more distant warehouse. Each cage had a number and was neatly lined up. Without her system, Judy's henchmen, who carried out the feeding times, training phases and hypnosis sessions in Maike's place, would have been busted long ago. Maike switched through the cameras and stopped at a cage where a blonde was tapping on the steel bars. She selected the cage and skipped the next feeding, replacing it with hypnosis.
“I've been gone far too long, it seems; 158, that should put you back on the right track. Rebellious beast,” Maike commented and inspected a few more cages before she undressed and turned off her light. She climbed into bed and looked at the naked statue of Jade, illuminated by the moon.
“Perfection,“ Maike murmured, stroking her lips as she took in every detail of Jade's body. She closed her eyes and a rare honest smile played around her lips.
”Perfection.”
“Soooo, what are you two beauties doing in the middle of nowhere at this hour?“ the driver of the car asked, taking a closer look at Terra's skin-tight bondage suit.
”We're coming from a costume party and my friend had to go to the bathroom. With her costume, it sometimes takes a little longer, and she needed help. Unfortunately, my car was stolen during that time. It was quite a shock for us,” Phoebe lied while Terra clenched and unclenched her fists. The man flinched at the sound of the cracking and quickly looked back at the road when his gaze met Terra's.
“I think this is it. Stop, please,“ Phoebe said after a while of uncomfortable silence. She had memorized the digital map and waited where the glowing dots stopped.
”All right,” Terra said, while her driver stopped and she opened the door, ”Wait for me here, this won't take long.”
Phoebe got out, too, and the driver drove off with screeching tires.
“Are you sure, Mrs. Taylor? You can barely stand!”
“It's all about concentration, dear,” Terra murmured, while she swayed slightly and sent additional magic into her legs to support her body.
"I could support you.”
“No, no. You stay here, safe and sound, and wait patiently while Terra takes care of everything. You'd only be in my way,” Terra said gently but firmly, throwing a smile at Phoebe, ”Maike and the rest of her gang have laid hands on my family for the last time. Just have the forgetting serum ready in case there are any survivors.”
Phoebe swallowed.
“Okay,” she said meekly, while Terra crossed the street. She raised her hand towards the closed gate and it morphed into a ball, which Terra then hurled at a door. The force of the impact was so strong that the door was torn from its hinges.
“MAIKEEEEE!” Terra screamed angrily, and her voice echoed throughout the courtyard as voices and shouts were raised in the old factory.
“MAIKEEEEEEEE!” Terra screamed again and briefly lost her balance. She leaned against a wall and entered the hall. Terra could see people loading boxes onto trucks and hastily getting in to make their escape.
“You don't believe that yourself!” Terra shouted, raising her arm. Suddenly, all the vehicles' engines died, and the stuttering of the desperate attempts to start them again echoed throughout the hall. A wave of weakness washed over Terra, but she ignored it and walked slowly but steadily towards the trucks.
“MAIKEEE!“ Terra called again and this time she got an answer.
”Hello Terra, long time no see. I somehow thought that Jade would never have found the bunker on her own,” Maike said behind her at the bottom of a staircase. Terra spun around and stared into the eyes of her former friend, ”Who helped you? Your daughter? That blonde friend of yours? Or was it a little detective?”
“Where is Jade?“ Terra interrupted with suppressed rage. She didn't notice that Maike was holding something behind her back.
”Upstairs in my office. You've done an amazing job. The stone is amazingly smooth,” Maike said with a smile.
“Then you won't mind switching places with her!” Terra shouted and fired a red bolt at Maike. However, Maike didn't evade the sign of magic but threw a Chinese porcelain mask in Terra's direction. The mask devoured Terra's magic and flew on towards Terra, drawn by her magic. Still weakened by her physical condition and by the surprise of having her magic neutralized, she didn't manage to dodge in time. The mask slapped her in the face with full force and knocked Terra over. Blue-sparkling ribbons shot out from under the mask and wrapped around her head in a split second. A gag was pushed into her mouth, silencing her instantly.
Before Terra hit the ground, her entire head had been wrapped in the shiny blue ribbons. Instinctively, she tried to get hold of them and pull them down, but her fingers slid off them. She felt the ribbons start to wrap her hands and quickly tried to cast a cutting spell, even if it cost her some of her black hair, but nothing happened. Perplexed, she lay on the floor for a moment without defending herself, until panic seized her heart.
Meanwhile, the ribbons hadn't paused and pinned Terra's arms in front of her breasts. They wrapped around her torso, leaving no part uncovered. Even more, They wrapped around Terra's arms above and below, pinning her so that she couldn't move them even a hair's breadth. The ribbons continued to wind down to her feet, robbing her more and more of her weakened legs until she lay completely mummified on the floor of the factory hall. However, Terra did not give up yet and pushed against the ribbons with all her might, but this did not have the hoped-for effect. Instead, the ribbons wrapped themselves from her feet back up and crossed over. As a result, the ribbons wove an even stronger cocoon and wrapped themselves ever tighter around Terra's body until she was as stiff as a board and could no longer move. Maike watched, not moving an inch away from Terra. A spiteful smile played on her lips and the tortured screams of her former friend were like music to her ears. She bent down to Terra's head and brushed aside a few of her hair.
“I hope you enjoyed your little trip, because it will cost you dearly. You'll never see daylight again, and I promise you one thing. Your little helper outside will get the Judy Special, and I'll have your family kidnapped, and the last thing they'll see is their own mother and wife turning them to stone,” Maike whispered in Terra's ear. The cocoon didn't move at first, and only when Maike waved at the henchmen to drag Terra to her office did Terra start to tremble. She couldn't do anything else. Maike didn't care and went upstairs. She took out her cell phone and called Judy.
“Judy? The threat has been eliminated. Continue loading your monkeys, I want to go back to Leon City to make a few visits. Assign a few people to search the area. I have a feeling we have another guest, and I suspect it might be your great love, Phoebe.“
”My pleasure, darling.”
“Where is she?“ Phoebe murmured, looking anxiously from her hiding place behind a bush. ‘Should I call the police?’
Phoebe received her answer to the question when she felt a gun at her back.
”Better not, dear, we don't want to wake sleeping dogs. You're coming with me. My boss has been eagerly awaiting you.”
Phoebe was roughly pushed out of the bush and stumbled out onto the street with her hands up. She could feel the pistol at her back the whole time and was led through the destroyed gate into the factory. There, standing before her, was Judy, the most infamous slave trader in Leon City.
“Hello Ms. Wynters, nice of you to accept my invitation,“ the black-haired beauty said and her dark eyes flashed with a red glow.
”Hello Judy… I see prison wasn't too bad for you,” Phoebe scoffed and received a kick to the back of her knee in return. She lost the strength in her legs and kneeled on the concrete while Judy looked down at her with amusement.
“It was actually like a little vacation for me after I restructured the pecking order,” Judy said, motioning for her subordinate Phoebe to help her up. He pulled her up roughly by the arm and pushed her in the direction of a staircase.
"Tie her to the chair. I'll be there in a minute,” Judy said and followed them upstairs. She knocked on a door while she was being directed. Phoebe was pushed into a room and could still see out of the corner of her eye how Judy was let in by Maike. The guard pushed Phoebe onto a treatment chair that was firmly installed in the floor and strapped her arms to the armrests. He tightened the belt more than necessary and Phoebe gritted her teeth as they cut deep into her skin.
“So you don't run away,” he commented with a grin, patting her cheek. Phoebe snapped at him with her teeth, but he pulled his hand away in time and laughed amusedly as he turned around and left the room. Phoebe didn't waste any time and tugged at her bonds, but her arms didn't move an inch and seemed to be glued to the armrests. She couldn't see anything she could use to cut herself free either and started to throw herself against the backrest. There was a loud crack and the back of the chair folded backwards. At the same time, the armrests also shifted downwards and Phoebe squeaked in shock as she suddenly found herself lying horizontally on the chair.
“Not at all unpleasant,” she commented sarcastically and continued to struggle until the door opened and Judy entered. Phoebe didn't like the look on her smile at all, and she pulled on her arm with all her might.
“Now, now, who's trying to escape?“ Judy said gently and went to a closet, from which she took a small wooden box and a red latex catsuit, which rigidly presented its holes in the chest and crotch area with spread arms and legs.
”You won't get away with this, Judy!"
Judy blinked in confusion and shook her head.
“Do you know how often I've heard that? If the day we met hadn't been so burned into my mind, I'd even think you said that back then,” Judy laughed, grabbing Phoebe's jaw and her fingernails digging into her cheeks, ”you didn't, did you?”
She shook Phoebe's head.
"I remember correctly then, ” Judy said and threw Phoebe's head aside. She put the box on a small table next to the chair and put a knife, an ointment and a razor next to it.
“I briefly considered whether I should wait and ask Maike to simply turn you into stone. A tempting offer, frankly, but I think the Judy Special is a better punishment for you,” whispered Judy, deftly picking up the knife and placing it at Phoebe's throat. The detective swallowed hard and turned away from the knife.
“What? No smart remarks on the tip of your tongue? Or I know! Why don't you try spitting at me again!“
”I have nothing more to say to scum like you,” Phoebe spat between her teeth.
“Excellent,” Judy said happily and raked the knife under Phoebe's blouse and cut it open in one go. A few more cuts and the blouse fell to the floor in tatters. Her bra landed a few seconds later next to it, followed by her pants and Phoebe's underwear. She was now completely naked on the operating chair and goose bumps formed on her skin.
“Oh, are you cold? I'm really sorry about that, Ms. Wynters. But now that I see it, I usually anesthetize the women I give the Judy Special, but I think I ahhh, misplaced the syringe somewhere. Well, the glue might sting a bit, but it should be over in three or four hours.”
Phoebe turned pale.
“Pardon?” she asked barely audibly, and Judy's mouth contorted into a smirking grimace.
“The glue that bonds the latex to your skin. It's not a pleasant experience, but one that will remain in your memory forever. You'll be forced to remember it. Do you like the color of your new skin?” she asked, pointing to the stiff latex suit. Phoebe's eyes widened, and in horror she began to tug at her bonds again, stamping her feet on the operating chair. Judy rolled her eyes in annoyance and put the cold steel back on Phoebe's neck. Phoebe immediately held still and looked up at Judy with trembling lips.
“Hold still, dear, or I might slip,” Judy said simply, and Phoebe nodded cautiously, “Very good, dear.”
She twirled the knife artfully in her own hand and put it back in the wooden box. Judy took a pair of gloves out of the box and put them on before she opened the glue. She smeared the glue on her hands and began to rub it into Phoebe's body. She made sure not to leave out any part.
“You know, after I was released, I immediately had a suit made for you. I might not have remembered your measurements correctly, but that's more of a 'you' problem now,” Judy explained, taking off her gloves and throwing them into a trash can.
“So we're getting the suit on. The glue will help us put it on, but we don't have much time, so since you can move, I'd like you to help a little. All right?“ Judy asked, but Phoebe didn't answer.
”You can help, right?” Judy asked, pinching one of Phoebe's nipples hard and twisting it in her hand.
“YES, I'll help! I'll help!” Phoebe screamed and Judy let go of her nipple. She picked up the red suit from the floor and showed Phoebe the open back.
“Feet!” Judy ordered, and Phoebe stuck her legs into the opening at the back. The glue was still serving as a lubricant, as Judy had said, and Phoebe's feet slid almost effortlessly into the footlets of the suit. Judy pulled the suit further up over her hips and it settled with a smacking sound. Phoebe felt her crotch being released and her legs forced apart by the suit. She could fight it, but it took a lot of strength.
"I'm going to untie you now and I trust you to hold still. Otherwise, your first customers will be my henchmen, understood?”
Phoebe nodded weakly and Judy untied one of her hands. The place where the belt had cut into her skin was clearly visible, and Judy drew in a hissing breath.
"I'll probably have to give someone a raise. Don't you think?”
Phoebe didn't answer again, but this time Judy didn't seem to mind and pulled the suit further up, putting her hand into the sleeve. She slid along the tight latex tunnel, and the journey ended in a ball-shaped mitten. Her hand was forced into a fist, but Phoebe doubted that she could even cause a bruise with the stiffness of the suit and the latex padding around her hand. Judy went around Phoebe and pushed her other hand into the suit.
“So, now for the zipper,” Judy murmured and pushed the detective forward roughly to get to her back. She took the glue and poured it over her back before pulling up the zipper. When it reached the top, it released itself and Phoebe threw it into the trash with the gloves. The moment Judy pulled up the zipper, the suit around Phoebe became much tighter. Her breasts were pushed through the openings until they popped through, cutting the latex slightly into her skin.
“Beautiful. Almost there,“ Judy said, pushing Phoebe's hand onto the back of the chair and buckling the belt around her arm. She walked around the chair and smiled at Phoebe's desperate face.
”What is it, love?“
”What's going to happen to me?”
“Well, I'm going to tie up my little sex doll, that's you, for the night before we leave for Leon City in the morning. I'm also going to shave your head bald and then put this awesome mask on you!“ Judy announced, lifting a spherical inflatable latex mask out of the box.
”No…”
“Yes, dear. This is the Judy Special, after all,” Judy laughed, while Phoebe started fidgeting again and the chair groaned. Judy rolled her eyes and grabbed Phoebe's hand, pressing it onto the armrest. But before Judy could tie Phoebe to the chair with her belt, Phoebe managed to break free and, with the help of the stiffness of the suit, her arm was flung upwards. It hit the table and Judy's box was catapulted into the air. Both women watched the box as gravity took hold of it again and it fell exactly on Judy's head. Judy collapsed and the contents of the box were scattered all over the room. Judy's knife sank into the chair next to Phoebe's neck and she let out a hissing sound.
“Oh fuuuuck,” Phoebe shouted, looking down at Judy, who was bleeding from her head but still breathing.
I have to get out of here and save the others. Phoebe thought and looked at the belt that tied her to the chair. She pushed the belt through the metal opening with her “free” hand and slid off the chair. She bit into the belt and pulled it out of the metal needle. After that, she could easily free herself and walked carefully around Judy. The stiffness of her catsuit made walking a hundred times harder and she had to be careful not to tip over backwards while putting one foot in front of the other. She pushed down the latch with her fists and carefully opened the door. There was no one outside and Judy's henchmen seemed to have loaded everything.
“I hope Terra is with that Maike,” Phoebe murmured as she slowly felt her skin begin to warm up, ”I have to hurry!”
She walked along the dock and went to the door where she had just seen Maike. Phoebe opened the door as quietly as she could. The room was illuminated by the moonlight, and Phoebe swallowed when she saw Jade's statue again. In the bed, Maike was fast asleep, at least she hoped so, and next to the bed, there was a mummified woman with blue ribbons, wearing a Chinese porcelain mask. Phoebe sat down on the floor and crawled on all fours to the woman. She was breathing regularly and calmly, and Phoebe nudged her lightly.
“Mmmhppf?“ she asked in agony and Phoebe recognized it as Terra.
”Terra, it's me,” Phoebe whispered and tried to push Terra's mask, but without success. And with her useless fingers in the latex balls, she doubted she could even pull the tightly woven blue ribbons from her.
“I don't know how to get the mask off.“
”Mmmhmm,“ Terra murmured into the gag, but Phoebe didn't understand what she wanted to say.
”Maybe…"
Terra knocked her head on the floor, Phoebe understood and looked up at Maike.
She had only one try. Unless Maike was a very firm sleeper. She turned Terra onto her stomach and jammed Terra's head between her fists. It took an enormous amount of strength to fight against the pull of the suit, and she raised her head. Under the mask, Phoebe heard Terra groan as her back was bent backwards. She hesitated for a moment, looking at Maike, then she pushed Terra's head down with force. The mask hit the ground and a loud bang filled the room.
“W-w-what?” Maike exclaimed, as she woke up with a start and looked around the room in confusion while Phoebe lifted Terra up again.
“What the hell do you think you're doing?” Maike asked angrily when she saw Phoebe and leaped out of her bed, but it was too late. Phoebe slammed the mask down on the floor again and this time it shattered into a thousand pieces. The shards flew in all directions and at the same moment the bands vanished into thin air. Maike opened her eyes in shock when she saw Terra and sprinted out of the room without looking back. She knocked over Phoebe, who fell on her back and started to wriggle like a turtle in an attempt to get up again.
“Ow…“ Terra murmured and slowly turned back onto her back. Her nose was bleeding and she looked over at Phoebe in puzzlement.
”What happened to you?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“That’s the ‘Judy Special’,“ Phoebe said and she winced as the glue now really started to burn and she felt the latex bonding with her skin.
”Please get me out of here before I'm stuck here forever!“
”Of course,” Terra said worriedly when she saw Phoebe's pained face and raised her hand. The latex around Phoebe liquefied and flowed down her skin. At the same time, the glue came loose and, except for a few red spots, nothing of the latex on Phoebe could be seen. Relieved that she no longer had to spend her days as a sex doll, she fell on her back and relaxed her muscles. She didn't even care that she was completely naked.
“I don't have much magic left,“ Terra murmured, looking through the open door as Judy's henchmen ran to the trucks and drove away one after the other.
”We're here for Jade,“ Phoebe said, and Terra nodded.
”I know… they'll turn up again,” Terra whispered, turning to the statue of Jade, ”can you help me to the bed? I think when I cast the spell, I won't be able to do another thing."
Phoebe did as she was told and lifted Terra onto the bed. She raised her hand towards Jade and blue threads flew from her to the statue and wrapped around her petrified form. The gray skin became paler until it finally disappeared and Jade was gently set down on the floor. Her eyes were closed, but she was breathing deeply and relaxed. Terra's hand fell onto the bed and her eyes began to tremble from exhaustion. Phoebe went over to Jade and gently lifted her off the floor. She put her next to Terra in bed and covered both women.
“I'll take care of the rest, you should rest,” she whispered, and Terra nodded slightly.
Caitlyn was sitting in an armchair in the living room in the evening, watching TV with her friends Ava and Summer. The two were sitting next to each other, wrapped up in blankets, taking bites from the huge pizza that had been delivered. Caitlyn, however, was not hungry, even though she hadn't eaten all day.
“Hey, I'm going to lie down for a bit,“ Caitlyn murmured, getting up from the armchair. Her friends gave her a concerned look.
”Don't you want to at least have a bite?” Ava asked sympathetically, pushing the pizza box in Caitlyn's direction.
“Well, I… I need a little peace and quiet. Come up when you want to sleep,“ Caitlyn said, giving Ava a shoulder squeeze as she passed. They watched her run up the stairs and then gave each other a sympathetic look.
”Should we go up too?” Summer asked, but Ava shook her head.
“Not yet. Let's give her a little time,“ Ava whispered. Summer nodded and leaned against Ava. Suddenly, someone knocked loudly on the front door and all three women jumped. Caitlyn immediately came running down the stairs.
”Hide!” she shouted, and Summer and Ava turned off the TV and looked out cautiously from behind the sofa. Caitlyn looked at the cameras and saw three women, shivering slightly in the cold and standing thickly veiled in front of her door. Caitlyn tilted her head to the side and carefully opened the door. Her face lit up when she saw who was standing in front of her, and tears of joy welled up in her eyes.
“Hey sweety…”
"M…Mom?!”