Chapter 25
Maria and Svetlana---once they had managed to slip past one of the four routine patrols, of course---parted ways once the two made it to Maria's office. Svetlana gulped, then looked to her new friend and co-conspirator. "I will see you later, tovarisch," Svetlana whispered. Then in a louder, more normal voice, added, "Do try and keep out of trouble, Maria darling," she sneered, then when no one was looking, gave the somewhat startled Maria a knowing wink.
Maria cottoned quickly as to what the clever tigress' scheme was. "Da, I shall, Svetlana," Maria countered with a cold smile of her own. "See that you do the same." She then arched a dark eyebrow at her new clandestine friend, then watched her saunter away. Maria moved inside her office, then closed the door, and headed back to her desk…which was still cluttered with mounds of paperwork. The pretty Arctic vixen sighed, pausing to run her slender hands up through her wealth of lustrous white hair. "I hate bookkeeping," she grumbled as she took her seat and picked up a mechanical pencil. She glared down at the inch-thick sheaf of spreadsheets…but, the numbers on the paper were decidedly unimpressed with her stare. She sighed, but got down to work. Twenty minutes later, she tossed her now warm pencil down on to her slightly clearer desk blotter, and stretched her long legs beneath her desk. "Hmm?" she muttered as she felt something through the thin sole of her shoe. "What's this?" she added, frowning as pulled whatever-it-was back with her foot, then gazed down at it. She arched one perfect brow, leaning over to pick up the small blue oval cardboard card. She saw the card was a stylized rendition of a masked raccoon face, with white pupil-less eyes. It was---of course!---the calling card Sly had tossed earlier under her desk. She looked at it awhile, then gasped softly, one hand covering her pretty mouth. She lowered her hand, then smiled. "Ah! I knew I had seen that raccoon before."
Maria finally managed to finish her paperwork, and got something to eat…though, she found herself with no appetite to speak of. She returned to her room/office, and noticed it was nearly seven thirty. The pretty Maria frowned, not liking what was awaiting both her and Svetlana. Poor Svetlana, Maria fussed in her mind…knowing how the small lovely tigress attracted that tyrant Polarsky's eye, and attention. Before, Maria had been thankful for Svetlana having to endure Polarsky's rough advances and punishing 'love taps' to her behind. That saved that fate from her own tender skin. However, now that she had been forced together with the Ukrainian girl, she was having second thoughts. Maria opened her closet, and shuddered at the risqué outfit both she and Svetlana were forced to wear during their boss' massages. She retrieved the hanger it was on from the closet and tossed it on to her small bed. She glowered down at it…hating the outfit, as well as what it represented. It was a thin, outrageously tight kimono-like dress, done up in true green with silver trim at the throat, hem, and cuffs. A wide silver sash went around her slender waist, tying in the back. Maria sighed yet again, then undressed herself. She then wrapped herself in the kimono, and secured it tightly with the sash. She then moved into her small lavatory and worked a few minutes to pile up her mid-back length straight white hair into a bun high on the back of her head, securing it with two dark green wooden pins. She gave herself one last look-over, shuddered, then picked up her tote bag with her work clothes in it, and headed out toward Polarsky's office.
In ten minutes, roughly quarter of eight o'clock, Maria stood in the hallway that was adjacent to the one that led to Polarsky's office. "Dasfindanya, Maria," came Svetlana's soft, troubled voice behind her.
Maria whirled slowly to look to her friend, and immediately frowned. While her own outfit was deliberately snug at her bust, her waist and her hips, it did fit well. Poor Svetlana, however, well…the voluptuous girl threatened to explode out of her cherry red, gold-trimmed outfit any moment! "Ah, my poor Svetlana," Maria soothed, taking the tigress' smaller hand in her own, and squeezing it in sympathy. "That man is a monster."
Svetlana smiled, in spite of her current circumstances. Maria's concern for her nearly made the current situation all worthwhile. "Do not fret, my friend," Svetlana replied, moving very smoothly and slowly. "This shall be the last time I shall ever wear this…this costume again." Svetlana tried to cinch the front of her kimono tighter together…with not much success however.
Maria felt her cheeks grow warm as her hatred for Polarsky ignited. Svetlana looked like some harlot, her curvaceous form straining the silken fabric of her skimpy mid-thigh length kimono until the seams pulled. She too had her jet black hair piled up on top of her head, all but for a long strand that hung down each side of her worried face.
"Come," Svetlana intoned, trying to smile. "It's time."
"Da," Maria responded, nodding. She turned to Svetlana, and quickly wrapped her arms about the startled girl. She held her close, now her only friend. "I am sorry for how badly I have treated you in the past, my poor Svetlana. I---" Maria began, only to have Svetlana shush her.
"Hush now," Svetlana told her, hugging her tightly back, resting her cheek against Maria's shoulder, drawing strength from the older woman. "He is waiting." Svetlana released Maria, then quickly kissed the vixen on both cheeks in rapid succession. "That is for being my friend."
Maria smiled fondly at the younger tigress. "Now, my friend," she said. "Now, we must both be very brave this evening. Perhaps---if we are lucky---this will be the beginning of something much better for we two, nyet?"
"Da," Svetlana agreed. She then drew herself up, flicked her eyes over to Maria, then nodded ahead. "Let's go."
A minute later, Maria and Svetlana moved into the waiting area just outside Polarsky's office. Ludmilla, Polarsky's cruel admin, sneered visibly at the two as they approached.
"Well, well," Ludmilla cooed, gloating at the two. "Umanova. Foloreva. My my, but I see you've finally found a look that suites you both…"
Maria's bright blue eyes burned. "At least we two are feminine enough to wear such as this…Comrade," she purred, jamming her point home…then pouring salt on the wound.
Ludmilla's ice blue eyes blazed in her anger. "Bitch!" she growled, knowing these two always got the lion's share of male attention in the organization…and hated that fact. But, Ludmilla composed herself quickly, and smiled evilly as she could manage. She leaned over, hitting the intercom switch. "Comrade Polarsky? Foloreva and Umanova are here, sir."
"They are?" came Polarsky's gruff evil voice. "I am impressed…right on time." He paused a moment, then in a gloating sort of voice, asked, "Are they attired as I asked, Ludmilla?"
"Da, Comrade," Ludmilla answered. "Like the tramps they are."
"Now now, Ludmilla, my pet," Polarsky chuckled. "You must hide that jealousy of yours. You know these two are but diversions to me, nyet?" Ludmilla smiled, surprised, and batted her eyes at the intercom coyishly.
Maria raised an eyebrow at Svetlana, smirking when Ludmilla wasn't looking. Svetlana grinned quickly in reply, but then recomposed her face neutrally.
"Give me a moment," Polarsky instructed, his voice weary. "Those buffoons tried my patience much this evening. I must change."
Meanwhile, Maria, Svetlana, and Ludmilla all exchanged glances and looks that said volumes…all without a word being spoken. "Very well, Ludmilla," Polarsky then thundered, startling them all. "Send my two lieutenants in."
Maria and Svetlana followed Ludmilla to the door, and then moved inside Polarsky's dimly lit office. "Back here, my pretties," came his weary yet contented voice.
Maria took the lead, having to pull Svetlana along behind her. Once inside of the polar bear's small bedroom, they saw his massive muscled form lying face down upon his huge bed, clad only in black boxers with red stars imprinted upon them. "You may start now," he grumbled to them sleepily.
Maria noticed the Ring of Fire immediately upon Polarsky's night stand beside his bed. She indicated it to Svetlana with a silent jerk of her chin, and Svetlana nodded as she too saw it. Maria moved to the foot of the bed, and began working, deftly massaging Polarsky's huge feet---which were each nearly the size of her entire head! Meanwhile, a nearly trembling Svetlana began her work upon the polar bear's massive shoulders.
On their way back to the headquarters, both Maria and Svetlana had made an agreement. While Maria worked to distract Polarsky, Svetlana---who was actually a highly-trained masseuse---would do his shoulders…because, with her knowledge of the body's pressure points, she knew of a way to pull off the exchange of the real ring for it's duplicitious duplicate. Svetlana knew of a place, the juncture of the neck and shoulder, where---if just the right pressure was exerted on just the particular place---would cause immediate, though short-term unconsciousness.
"Da," groaned Polarsky, enjoying his massage…as well as the sight of the small yet curvaceous Svetlana's form just a half-foot from his hot gaze. "Ah…that is the spot."
Svetlana's cheek burned at his hot-blooded gaze, but she willed that away, and swallowed hard. She moved her fingers about until they settled into that very particular nerve plexus at the base of his neck. Svetlana worried, after all…both Maria and herself were dependent upon her this very moment…
Svetlana stiffened her thumb, then her entire arm, and rose up on her knees. That was when in one lightning quick movement, she drove her thumb home. Crack! The big polar bear shuddered in ecstasy a moment before his eyes rolled back in his head and he sagged. Svetlana then collapsed on to her knees beside the unconscious Polarsky and wept with relief.
Maria move quickly over to soothe her poor friend, rubbing her back. "Come, Svetlana," she urged, pulling Svetlana up, and wiping away her tears. "The Ring, my friend!"
"Da! I am sorry," Svetlana choked, sniffling. She quickly removed the fake ring from her pocket. She reached over, being sure to memorize the position of the ring on the nightstand. She lifted the Ring of Fire, and replaced it with its duplicate exactly!
"Hurry," Maria again urged, smiling. "We must be in place for when he awakes. Remember, sweet Svetlana, we must act as if nothing at all has occurred." Maria began again massaging Polarsky's feet with her aching fingers.
"Da, I know," Svetlana agreed, and she too continued her massaging of the brute's iron-hard shoulders. A moment later, Polarsky stirred, snuffling and smiling.
"Ah, that is wonderful," Polarsky opined aloud, sighing with pleasure. Maria and Svetlana then moved, each beginning to work on one of Polarsky's muscled arms. He opened a bleary, contented eye, and looked over to spy the Ring, still there in exactly the position he had left it, and grunted, much satisfied. He allowed the two to briefly massage his wide back for ten minutes, then---very sleepy and relaxed, he waved them away. "All right, both of you…go," he rumbled, adding, "But, remember…my office must shine by no later than tomorrow's sunrise. Understood?"
Both girls nodded emphatically. "Da, Comrade," Svetlana and Maria both replied, then each of them bowed once before they quickly exited their boss' bedroom.
In a minute, Polarsky's stentatorian snoring made the wall's buzz rhythmically. "Ah, but I thought my heart would explode, Maria," an excited Svetlana exclaimed breathless in a whisper. The two quickly changed out of their massage get-ups---particularly poor Svetlana, who breathed without effort for the first time in nearly an hour! They had just taken out their cleaning gear, when the door to the office opened. It was Ludmilla, whose expression revealed just how petty and venal a woman she truly was. "Ah, finally going to do some real work, I see," she observed evilly.
"Yeah, right, Ludmilla," Maria replied scathingly. "There´s no need for you to be so smug," Maria replied. "We did what Comrade Polarsky commands us to do. Nothing more, nothing less."
Ludmilla gloated still, smirking openly. "Da, I see. Though, it was not as if you had any choice in the matter," Ludmilla added.
Svetlana, feeling more herself in her regular jumpsuit, glared coldly at the evil mink. "Nyet, we did not, Ludmilla," she ventured. "At least we got the jobs we have without having had to kiss up to him…unlike you did, 'Comrade'."
Ludmilla bristled, her tail fur puffing up. "Slut! What's that supposed to mean, Umanova?" she hissed, her eyes narrowed.
"Pff! As if you didn't know, Ludmilla," Maria told the riled mink. "Everyone knows just where you used to work, and how you got your job now. I mean, come now, Comrade…it´s really no secret now, is it, my dear?"
Ludmilla hissed at the two venomously, whirled on her heel and thundered out of the office, closing the door firmly.
They both got down to work, and began cleaning the office as they had been instructed too. Maria began scrubbing the floors, while Svetlana began dusting the furniture and what-nots. The two worked for a solid fifteen minutes, grinning now and again as they heard Ludmilla sulking and pacing outside the door. However, both looked up a moment later, when they heard a meaty sounding crack…then the sound of a body collapsing to the floor. Maria looked over at Svetlana, "What do you---?" she began but was cut off as the door opened silently, admitting a seriously irritated looking Carmelita in her red thief outfit once more.
"That bloody mink," she growled softly, easing her one cane back into its sheath once more. "She's always in the way." Carmelita then turned to the two girls. "So…you got the Ring, I take it?"
Svetlana nodded in contentment, and got to her feet. She reached down into her jumpsuit pocket, withdrew it, and handed it over to Carmelita. "Your plan worked quite well, actually, Comrade," Svetlana explained with a smile.
Carmelita nodded in satisfaction. "Great," she replied. "Well, be seein' you ladies around then…" She turned.
"Wait! A moment, please!" Maria called out softly. "May I ask you something?"
Carmelita sighed, but nodded her head. "Sure, go ahead," Carmelita prompted her.
"Might I ask how you come to know Comrade Cooper?" Maria inquired, a small smile of contentment on her lips.
Carmelita looked back at the two. "Cooper?" she replied tersely. "Never heard of him."
"Is that so?" Maria challenged. "Well, then…he left this in my office after he had mananged to steal my keycard." Maria held up Sly´s blue calling card.
"The Ringtail was always a bit of a show-off," Carmelita replied, shaking her head. "Okay, you're right…we are the Cooper Gang." Carmelita then slipped her hand into her pant pocket and extracted a calling card of her own. "Well, since you've got his…let´s make it a matched set then," Carmelita said tossing one her calling cards fluttering over into Maria's outstretched hand.
"Ah, you must be Comrade Cooper's accomplice, da?" Svetlana said, smiling at realizing just who had pinched her pretty bottom. "So, Miss Red…who are you?" she asked, curious in spite of herself.
"I'm Carmelita Fox, girls," Carmelita told them. "You may of heard of me…"
Maria blinked rapidly, then gasped. "Bozhoi moi! But---you, I mean---then, Comrade Cooper---?" she stammered, clearly very surprised.
Carmelita smiled knowingly. "Yeah, kind of surprised me too, Maria," she explained. She then shrugged, her big brown eyes very expressive. "What can I say? Interpol wasn't doing it for me any more…so I decided to try a different approach to crime fighting."
Svetlana wasn't buying that! She knew the look in the tall vixen's eyes. "Of course, the fact that you love Comrade Cooper had nothing at all to do with your decision, da?" She grinned.
"Okay," Carmelita replied, smiling, and rubbing the back of her neck in mild embarrassment. "You could say that did have something to do with my decision, yes."
"I'll say," Svetlana replied, clasping her hands together and holding them to her right cheek. "He's so dreamy," she observed, sighing.
"Yeah, he is," Carmelita replied, her voice just a bit harder now. "And, he's mine. Understood?"
Svetlana blinked, then blushed. "Da, I understand," she replied hastily. She then looked curiously over to Carmelita. "Um, Comrade Fox?"
"Yeah?" Carmelita responded, looking at the blushing tigress with a small grin.
"Does he have a brother by chance?" Svetlana blurted out, then laughed.
Carmelita chuckled. "Nope," she replied. "He's a one and only, Svetlana."
"Damn," Svetlana fretted, shaking her head.
"Enough, Svetlana," Maria counseled, shaking her head. "Now, I suppose Interpol is on its way, da?"
"Will be any minute," Carmelita assured them both. "Don't worry, I've described you both---by name and physical stature---to my two friends. They'll see to keeping our end of our bargain."
"Da, da," Maria answered, nodding. "But, how will Svetlana and I know them?"
"Oh, they won't be too hard to spot," Carmelita assured the two Russian girls. "One of them is a tall handsome snow leopard fella with an accent. He's polite, kind of quiet." Carmelita then shook her head, grinning. "Now, the other one is anything but quiet! She's a petite vixen---about Svetlana's height---with freckles across her nose and sports short bright blonde hair. Trust me, you´ll know it's Kitty when you see her." Carmelita then opened the door, and ushered the two out. "All right, you two…head back to your rooms and wait." Svetlana and Maria were about to do just that…until they turned and both hugged one very startled Carmelita quickly, then dashed away.
"What is with those Russians girls?" Carmelita asked herself. "For that matter, now that I think on it…what's with Kitty?" She dashed up to the window, sidled out on the ledge, and did a quick Rail Slide back to the warehouse and safety.
Once safely upon the roof, Carmelita smiled remembering her call to Kitty to bring Interpol in to bust Polarsky. Well, you'd be pressed to imagine her surprise when it was Ling and not Kitty that answered her call. "Good evening, Ms. Fox," Ling's polite voice answered. "What may we do for you?"
"Is Kitty there?" Carmelita had asked. "It's important."
"Of course," Ling replied, then the line went silent a moment.
"Okay, girl," Carmelita replied when Kitty came on the line. "Up to anything at the moment, sport?"
"As a matter of fact," came Kitty's saucy reply. "I was just about to lose my virginity to that handsome hunk of a Tibetian you were just talking to. Why?"
Carmelita gasped, her big beautiful eyes blinking in her shock and surprise. She then shook her head, realizing that the rascally Kitty was probably silently chuckling on her side of the phone. "Yeah, right," she scoffed, disbelieving.
"Don't believe me, huh?" Kitty had replied. "Too bad, see ya!"
"Kitty!" Carmelita barked, stopping her before she could hang up. "Look, you and Ling need to get back to Interpol ASAP. We've got enough evidence to bust that thug Raikon Polarsky but good. We have the Ring of Fire, and a taped confession of him admitting to its theft…as well as confessing to killing those museum guards too."
"You what?" Kitty had demanded, then what Carmelita had just said caught up to her. Carmelita frowned as she heard Kitty begin swearing loudly in what must have been her native tongue…as she didn't understand one word of it…other than Kitty was one very unhappy vixen just about now. Now that Carmelita thought on it, Kitty never really had told her just what country she called home. If Carmelita had to guess, she place the pale eyed, pale furred girl as somewhere in Scandanavia…Denmark, Sweden, Finland, or maybe even Norway. Carmelita shrugged, realizing that it really didn't matter just that moment.
"We'll be there in fifteen minutes, Carmelita," Kitty promised, grunting as she was obviously getting dressed as she talked. "I've already called out the QRF, and the Chief said he'll join us too."
Carmelita had then hung up and moved into Polarsky's office, knocking that viscious irritating mink out cold again. Damn, but that woman was forever in her way!
Carmelita came to her senses then back on the warehouse rooftop, and shook her head, smiling. She made her way downstairs and back to the van. She spotted Bentley ejecting a CD from his laptop, and handing it over to Sly. "Finito!" Bentley had softly crowed, smiling broadly.
Carmelita cleared her throat then, and flicked the heavy ring over to Sly, who deftly caught it in his free hand. "There you go, Ringtail," she quipped. "You can thank me later…" She grinned cleverly at the raccoon.
Sly laughed. "Oh, I will, pretty lady," he assured her. "I will indeed…it'd be my pleasure, querera." He winked as Carmelita softly blushed, quite forgiving him for his previous transgression with the lovely Svetlana.
Sly held up the CD in one hand, and the Ring in the other. He then tucked both in a fancy finished box, and sealed it. He then tied on a bright blue and bright red bow, and slipped first his own, then Carmelita's calling cards in underneath the bow. "Think the Chief will like our present, Carmelita?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.
Carmelita giggled. "Oh, I don't know if he'll like it per se, Sly," she answered. "But, he'll be impressed…oh, and Polarsky will get what's coming to him. And…isn't that the important thing?"
"Agreed, my sweet," Sly replied, reaching up to softly trace the back of his finger against Carmelita's smooth cheek. She shivered from his touch, and grinned.