A pin dropping would have been like an explosion on this deathly silent night. The Rivcon warehouse was all but abandoned on the outside for the night, with nary a soul stirring beneath the moonless sky. Not a soul could hear nor see the three women who had snuck into the loading bay, waiting.

The owner of the Rivcon warehouse had contacted Kate Rivers about some heist he knew was about to go down at one of his warehouses. It seemed he had agreed to hold some valuable weapons for the military while they were in transit to a base along the east coast.

Rivcon was known to be a private contractor for the military and the manager was concerned about the security of the valuable materials. Some rich and powerful group had planned to steal and sell these weapons to the mob, apparently, but the manager had no hard proof.

He also suspected that his security detail was in on it but, again, he lacked proof. That’s where Kate Rivers and her partners, Deputy Joey Hudson and former Secret Service Agent Helena Harper came in. If they could find this proof, the manager could fire his security team, hire new ones, and prevent this whole heist and arms deal from happening. Of course, he had no information as to when all of this was to happen but he could only hope Kate Rivers and her team would help him get ahead of it.

Helena had gathered a bit of intel on the security detail and the group coming in for the heist. They remained hidden from even the warehouse’s security for many reasons, the main one being that the possibility still remained that they were in on whatever was going to happen.

Helena kept her sharp, brown eyes open and listened carefully, hearing footsteps here or the occasional casual conversation there. But nothing that stuck out. She wore an all black pantsuit with flat shoes and no jacket, just a vest, keeping her long, brown hair down.

“How many did you say there were again?” Hudson whispered. The green eyed deputy crouched low, her shotgun rested on the wall beside her, wearing her brown boots, snug blue jeans, black t-shirt and olive green jacket with the sleeves rolled up. Her long, black hair was tied off in a braid that hung down over her right shoulder.

“Eight armed guards on payroll,” Helena said. “Four hired from an outside contractor. And two supervisors. Fourteen total.”

Hudson nodded. “Seems a little light, even still,” she said. “All those crates of weapons and ammo, you’d think they’d have an army protecting those.”

“Well, the whole secrecy thing is supposed to solve that,” Kate said. “Can’t steal what you don’t know about, right?” Kate smiled as she said it, accentuating her bright, brown eyes and shoulder length, light brown hair. She had on a dark tank top, tight black pants and a loose, brown leather jacket.

“Except people do know about it,” Helena said.

“Right. Or else we wouldn’t be here,” Kate replied.

“So what are we looking for, exactly?” Hudson asked.

“Proof of some kind,” Kate said. “You know recordings, documents, that sort of thing. Something that tells us anything about who’s planning this ‘heist’ and which guards are in on it.”

“If they are at all,” Helena said.

“So... how do we do that?” Hudson asked. “They aren’t exactly going to be welcoming of us, you know. Their boss didn’t even want them to know we were coming in case these ‘insiders’ bolt.”

“You two stay here. Easier for one of us to move than three, right?” Kate said. “I’m going to search their offices for whatever I can.”

“And what are we supposed to do?” Hudson asked. “It’s dangerous to go in there by yourself.”

“It’ll be fine,” Kate said. “You two keep watch and come after me if anything goes wrong.”

“No problem there,” Hudson said.

“I’ll contact you if anything changes on our end,” Helena said. “Just be careful. You remember what happened last time...”

“That wasn’t our fault,” Kate said. “We were set up,” she said, remembering the whole affair at the Korlus Estate and their daring escape. But none of them wanted to dwell on how they pulled that all off.

“Still, it could easily happen again. So be careful,” Helena said.

Kate smirked. “I’m always careful...”

Creeping slowly forward, Kate disappeared around the corner, heading to the back of the long warehouse to the office space. She passed by rows and rows of explosives, ammo, and myriad weapons lining shelves from the floor to the ceiling fifteen feet in the air. It really was a lot and she realized Hudson was right. What they knew of the security for this kind of job was way too light.

Helena had the twelve main guards accounted for, all patrolling or standing near the front of the building. She had been careful not to get spotted as she counted heads, running back to the other two to report that they were all there.

So Kate nearly jumped out of her skin when she almost bumped into a remarkably tall, thin woman in full, grey and black combat fatigues, brandishing a heavy rifle.

“Woah!”

“Hey! Hands on your head! Now!” the woman shouted, pointing the rifle at Kate.

Kate raised her hands and eyed the gun nervously. “I don’t want any trouble...” she said.

“What are you doing here?” the woman asked.

“Uh... well... I can’t tell you that...”

“Really? Well I guess we can find out one way or another. Hands behind your back. Now!”

Kate spun around in place and did as the woman instructed. But as soon as she got close enough and lowered her rifle, Kate grabbed the gun and shoved it as hard as she could into the woman’s stomach. She grunted in pain and fell to the floor, her gun skittering away.

Seizing her opportunity, Kate ran hard toward the offices, charging through the door and slamming it shut behind her. Checking both ways, with no one coming, Kate had to think fast. That woman would surely be up and looking for her at any moment.

There were a few closed doors lining the hallway and now that Kate knew there was more security than they had planned for, she had to take a risk and choose one to hide in, hoping no more guards were inside.

Peeking down the hall, she noticed one door didn’t have light filtering out from inside, meaning the lights must have been off. Since it was likely empty, she headed for that door and shouldered it open...

Staring down the barrel of five guns with flashlights on them, shielding her eyes from the light, it didn’t take much thinking to realize Kate had chosen wrong. The room she opened seemed to be a conference room of sort where several armed people had been waiting for... something. Her eyes opened wide as another realization hit her. The heist was planned for tonight!

“You, stop there!” A man said, stepping forward. Before he could reach her, she was grabbed from behind and a familiar voice spoke in her ear.

“Bitch!” the woman from before said. “You’ll regret that!”

...

Waiting around for word from Kate proved to be agonizing... and now worrying. Helena had heard the guards nearby talking and their voices were so hushed she could barely make out the words.

“What is it?” Hudson asked, noticing Helena’s tension.

“Shh! I’m trying to listen!”

Helena listened carefully, digesting the words of the guards speaking to each other.

“The squad’s on standby,” said one. “Ready to move on the boss’s mark.”

“Is he on his way?” the other asked.

“He’s coming to make the deal,” the first replied. “It’s our job to get the cargo for him.”

“Christ, that guy scares me...” he said. “If we mess anything up-”

“Then don’t. ‘Less you want to wind up in a lunchbox at the bottom of the lake.”

“He... he would do that?”

“Enough talking about the boss. We’ve got a job to do. ETA five minutes until it’s go time. You got that?”

“Yeah...” the second guard said. “Got it.”

“Shit...” Helena said.

“What?” Hudson asked.

“It’s happening. Tonight.”

“Wait... it!?” Hudson hissed. “As in, this heist?”

“Yeah... and it sounds like there’s more here than we accounted for. Don’t know how I could have missed them.”

“Maybe these people are even better than we thought,” Hudson said.

Helena said nothing more, reaching into her vest and drawing her 9mm pistol. “We have to get out of here. Now,” she said. “Come on. Let’s-”

Helena stopped as she spotted a group of heavily armed and armoured people round the corner, sporting dark, visored helmets and carrying assault rifles. They approached from either side of Helena and Hudson, cornering them against the loading bay door.

“Hands up, ladies!” one of them said as eight guards all held assault rifles level with the women’s heads.

“Intruders located,” another said, tapping the side of her helmet. “You were right. Cameras did catch three of them.”

Helena cursed herself for not knowing about this much security. Checking over their intel, there wasn’t supposed to be anyone monitoring the security cameras. Hudson had been right... again. Something did seem off about how light the protection was. But the intel had come from the warehouse owner himself. Had they been set up again?

“All right, ladies. No funny business. Just come with us, nice and easy.”

With this much fire power pointed at them, the two women had no choice but to comply and follow the guards. They could only hope that Kate had gotten out okay...

...

“Mmmmph!” Kate grunted, fighting the tight ropes around her body.

The guards had stripped all three of their prisoners before binding them tightly in strong, white rope. Kate now wore nothing but her black and red bra and matching panties. The same went for Helena, wearing a surprisingly lacy bra and panties, both coloured a vibrant royal blue.

Hudson, however, only had her jacket and t-shirt stripped from her, as they left her tight jeans and boots on finding no weapons or equipment hiding anywhere but her jacket. She wore a white sports bra on her torso and that was all that covered her upper body.

They were all tied similarly, with tight rope harnesses framing their breasts and keeping their arms tightly pinned to their sides. Their wrists were tied behind their backs. But it seemed they thought Kate was more of a threat for running as they secured her legs at the ankles and knees. Helena and Hudson had only been bound at the ankles.

A blue cloth had been pulled tight between Kate’s teeth and then covered over with several strips of duct tape to keep her silent.

Helena had a red cloth cleave gagging her and several strips of transparent tape over that, pressing tight to her lips. Hudson had also been gagged with transparent tape but she had been the most noisy. A thick, green cloth was tightly stuffed in her mouth, between her teeth, and tied on behind her head. A heavy wrapping of the transparent tape went on over that and her tightly pressed and packed lips showed through as well.

Forced to sit together on a crate of high explosives just outside the loading bay, the three women could do nothing but watch as crate after crate was brought out to the loading bay and a waiting truck.

A few of the guards had been knocked out by the ones paid to steal the weapons but they were stashed away inside the warehouse. Resistance proved to be minimal as the overwhelming force that had arrived to secure the cargo was far too strong and numerous.

A black sedan pulled up beside the truck and an older woman in a business suit stepped out, eyeing the cargo and the three captive women. She approached a man who stood in front of the force of guards who had brought out the cargo.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and wore a very serious expression. The man had a grey, three piece suit on and a matching bowler hat with a pair of thin-rimmed, square glasses with round corners. Angry, tired grey eyes and a rough, brown beard framed his square face and jaw, the beard matching short, dark brown hair.

The man didn’t even pay the captives a second thought, keeping his stare on the woman who approached and, more importantly, the suitcase she carried.

“So... do the girls come with the guns?” the woman asked, flashing a glance at the mewling captives.

“Mmmmpphh!” Kate squealed, worried at her tone.

“Mmmppphh...” Helena said, trying to keep her calm.

“MMMMRRGGGGHHH!” Hudson growled, still fighting her tight bonds.

“They are no concern,” the man said. “And no. They don’t come with the cargo.”

“Shame. I rather like them... Who are they?”

“A mild complication. Nothing more. Ordinarily...” he said, turning her hard gaze upon them. “I’m not in favour of taking prisoners. Much too complicated. Simpler to just bury a few bodies. But my people are much more... merciful than I am.”

“MMMPPHH!” Kate screamed, struggling. She hated hearing the man talk. He spoke about how they should have killed them several times in speaking to the guards. And his voice, the eerie, calm with a deep, seething anger just below the surface... he was far more than just unsettling.

“Do you know who sent them?” the woman asked.

“I haven’t bothered asking. Though I suspect they did fall for the fake intel I fed to every Rivcon manager. From what I understand of their reactions, they were caught off guard.”

“You kept your people hidden.”

“Naturally,” the man said, without a hint of emotion to his voice.

The three captives realized then that they hadn’t been set up. Nobody there knew who they were, who had sent them, nor even what they were after. The lax security was just a deliberate ruse in case of any potential interruptions.

“You are good Mr... I never did catch your name.”

“Names are for friends,” the man said. “We are conducting a business transaction. Nothing more.”

“Very well,” the woman said, holding up the suitcase. She flicked it open and displayed rows and rows of hundred dollar bills in thick wads. He picked one up and handed it to a large man beside him. The other man thumbed through it, looking at the stack carefully, before handing it back to his boss.

“It’s legit,” he said.

“Of course it is. People know better than to cross me,” he said. “Even the mob.”

The woman laughed. “Aren’t you just the bad boy,” she said.

“Enough of this. We have our money. Get your people to load up the truck and be on your way.”

“Of course.” The woman snapped her fingers and people got to work loading the truck full of crates, save for the one the captives were sitting on, bound and gagged.

The man in the glasses approached them, tapping the crate with his foot.

“Grenades,” he said. “They don’t want these. So you’re not going in the truck.”

“Mmmph! Lmmt mmph gmmm!” Kate said, squirming again in her bonds.

“You three will stay here, out of the way, until our business is concluded. Once it is, well, I’m certain you can figure out how to get yourself out this mess you’re in, can’t you?”

“HMMMPH!?” Hudson roared, thrashing about and kicking her legs.

“Count yourselves lucky. If it had been me it would have been one bullet to the brain for each of you. But my people like to do things differently. As it is, I have no interest in keeping prisoners so we are going to leave you here. Don’t follow us. You won’t find me, anyway. I am naught but a shadow...”

He stepped away from the three tied up women, his guards following him. In no time, everyone who was there was gone. The truck pulled away, the black car with the mob boss drove away and nobody was left at the Rivcon warehouse save for the three tied up and gagged women.

“Mmmmph! Hhllmmmp!” Kate called, struggling hard. She couldn’t believe another job had ended like this...

But Helena and Hudson weren’t so keen on reflecting on what went wrong. Shuffling closer to each other, both of them started working away to escape. Hudson leaned forward, picking at the rope on Helena’s wrists. It would take some effort, and time, but the three of them would have to escape again.

For the time being, Kate had to get used to the ropes binding her body. And she didn’t like the thought of waiting bound and gagged again... not one bit. Still, they had been in worse situations. Kate suspected this wouldn’t be their last predicament, either...