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White Queen Checkmate

Suraksha swears fiercely -- she's learned some real whoppers from listening to some of the mule-skinners! She thinks for a heartbeat, then knocks firmly on the door. Can she startle someone into opening it for her? She is ready with zill and scarf to block the doorjamb if they do. Corbett comes swiftly down the alleyway, followed by Joan and Papa Sokoloff. They come to a stop near Suraksha, "They go in there?"

Suraksha nods, glaring at the door and muttering, "Dammit! Wish my godsmama was here!" She glances back worriedly at the others, "Any of you know how to pick a lock?" Hastily tucking the sash back into place, she adds, "Can I borrow at least a small blade from someone, please?"

Papa Sokoloff and Joan both go back toward the mouth of the alley, directing caravaneers here and there while Corbett pulls a small leather pouch from his inside vest pocket and offers Suraksha his bootknife before he goes to one knee; moment later he's working at the lock with a well-kept set of picks. Suraksha thanks the man, then steps back so Corbett can work on the locks. She stands so she's blocking view of Corbett should someone glance idly down the alleyway, casually fussing with a sash as if she's paused for just a moment. She adds softly to Corbett, "Should I change shape now? Once we're inside I likely won't have time to undress first."

Corbett mutters, "Don't change shape. Stay human if'n ya can. We might manage not to get kicked outta town and we don't wanna explain a tiger running loose."

Suraksha nods and murmurs, "Yessir." He's got the lock open in short order; he's apparently quite good at the whole lockpicking thing. Once he's back up on his feet, he pulls his larger knife from its hip sheath. Sura waits silently, and when the lock clicks she waves towards Joan, letting her know they're going in with hand gestures. Joan, who is standing watch at the alleyway alone, nods back and returns to being very wall-like.

Once they're inside, the two caravaneers are faced with a long hallway full of shabby, numbered doors. From the sounds coming from behind a couple of the doors, it might be doing business as a brothel, as well. None of the visible doors are open. Suraksha pads silently along, sniffing carefully. She knows what Sabrina smells like to her, but she doesn't know if her human nose is strong enough to catch the scent. Corbett swears under his breath, talking quietly, "The others'll be scattering and trying to find her through other doors and windows. Ain't gonna be easy, though, 'cause this is the kinda place keeps the curtains drawn."

Suraksha can tell Sabrina has been there recently. There's also, at the turn of the hallway up ahead and to their right, a place in the wallpapered plaster that looks newly damaged. The small woman holds up her free hand to shush Corbett, not looking back at him as she stalks slowly and silently down the hall. She's studying her environment carefully, and she gently brushes the fingers of her left hand over the damage, then contines down the turn, still bright-eyed and wary. She's thinking furiously as she sniffs -- were she Sabrina, she'd be trying hard to leave markers of her passing. The small woman keeps an eye out for the glitter of dropped zills or more scratches or caught threads along the walls.

Corbett follows her as she makes the turn down the second hallway. At the end of the hallway is an unnumbered door. In that hall there are a couple of doors standing open and women standing in them. They're dressed in various modes that are considered alluring. One is mostly in shabby lace and cheap cotton satin. One is wearing a bad imitation of a kimono and a third wears a long, white, girlish nightgown. Suraksha slides her hand under her sash so the knife doesn't show. She glances at all three, then smiles, doing her best to look friendly and as if she belongs there -- not so hard for a clever Hetaera who wants to blend in. "Hi! I'm looking for the new girl. Do you know what room she's in?"

Two of the women standing in the doorways seem cheerful and are chatting back and forth, but the third looks overtired and expressionless; it goes strangely with the kimono of bright reds and yellows she wears. The two who are chatting glance up at Suraksha when she speaks and the nightgown-wearing girl, who looks to be perhaps seventeen but might be older, laughs, "Well, there's Sarah there..." She motions at the kimono-wearing, listless seeming woman, "Or there's Jennie up a floor and two down on the right."

Suraksha shakes her head, "No, this was a woman that just got brought in moments ago?" She eyes the listless looking woman with some pity; she's no expert but she'd guess that one is still here due to a mix of violence and drugs. "Dressed a bit like me, dark hair, little older than me?" She studies the unnumbered door -- especially the area around it for any mark or sign that Sabrina got carried through it.

The woman in lace rolls her eyes and laughs, "Don't pay no attention to her. She knew what you meant. That one, though, she's not one of ours. Yet. So she's not a new girl." At the base of the last doorway, Suraksha sees a flash of bright red fringe... the same color and fineness as Sabrina's hip-scarf.

Suraksha says, "Oh!" She looks embarrassed, "I'm so sorry! I'm still learning. All right, I'll head on up front then. Thank you!" She waves, adding imperiously to Corbett, "Come along, Joe!" then turns and flounces down the hallway. She's doing her best 'embarrassed girl trying to act important when caught out' demeanor... just like a young newbie might. When Corbett and Suraksha head toward the back of the building, rather than the front, there are snickers from behind them at the new girl so lost she can't even remember which way is the front of the building.

Suraksha fumbles one of her scarfs and pick both it and Sabrina's up as she goes past, as if she'd dropped them both. After that she opens the door and finds -- unsurprisingly, considering what she'd just been told -- a stairway going both up and down. She pads up it with careful wariness. Once they're in the stairwell, Corbett spits and says, "Hate houses 'at git their girls by force. Woman oughta make that kinda decision freely." He looks up and down as Suraksha starts up, "They mighta took 'er to the basement." Indeed, on the next lower landing is one of Sabrina's zills.

Suraksha nods and quietly murmurs, "Think Sarah was forced." She nearly pounces on the zill, with a small hiss of triumph, when she spots it. When she straightens she looks worriedly back at Corbett, "There had to have been at least four men involved, Corbett -- two to guard the alleyway, two to carry her. Do we want to press on, or try to pull in more of our people?" She hesitates, then adds in a small voice, "I... would really like to press on, if you do not mind?"

Corbett smiles in a way that's cold and would be disconcerting if she didn't know the man was as gentle as a lamb -- usually, "Oh, we're pressin' on. They'll be along shortly, I'm sure. Pretty sure we can handle just four on our own. Townies mostly got about half an idea of fightin' dirty. I got the whole concept." He's moving with her down the stairs and seems intent. Suraksha looks relieved, flashing a quick grin at him before she whirls and starts heading on down the stairs. Her walk is so careful and light-footed that her bells do not even jingle -- clearly she's had lots of practice!

There's a door at the base of the stairway -- closed, of course -- and the sound of fighting going on from the other side. There's no screaming, but there are a lot of crashing noises and some yelling of male voices. Suraksha darts down to the doorway to whip it open and stand back for Corbett -- she's no fool! That will give her a heartbeat to see where she can be of most use, too. Just in time she realizes the door was bolted from the other side -- and she manages not to slam into it as she's trying to shove it open. The heavy nails going through the door to hold the brackets in place are a giveaway of a heavy bar across it. Suraksha snarls in frustration, then whirls towards Corbett, "Bolted! Can you pick that?" She's already starting to yank off her anklets and bracelets as she asks -- she's going through the damn door in tiger form if she has to!

Corbett swears as he realizes the same just moments later. He eyes the door, seeing the hinges are on the inside and away from them, and peers at the side of the door with a knob, "No. They got it barred." He rolls his shoulders and says, "I can try 'n break it down."

Suraksha shakes her head, shimmying hastily out of her wide skirt and throwing it at Corbett, "No, need you to talk! Wrap my stuff up in that, tie it together, save a sash to use as a collar!" Corbett starts to protest, then realizes she's right. They don't have time. He starts shoving clothes into the skirt and saves the last of the sashes back. By the ongoing noises inside the room, they're either brawling with each other for the fun of it, or Sabrina is giving them much more trouble than they expected. Suraksha is swiftly nude -- she doesn't even bother unbinding her hair before she shifts form. With a guttural snarl of rage she rears back in tiger form, taking a deep breath -- then ferociously attacks the upper half of the door with her powerful claws. Corbett, quite prudently, steps back a couple of risers up the stairs, giving her room to be a living battering ram.

Suraksha rapidly breaks through the wooden upper half of the door, but that's not good enough for her. She doesn't want Corbett going in there without back-up -- she wants in herself at the people hurting one of her dearest new friends! She's eerily silent, her eyes flashing with rage and her powerful jaws working and tearing at the shattering wood along with her paws. Half a ton of angry tiger soon makes short work of the door!

On the other side of the door, they find Sabrina and three conscious men. She's cornered behind a desk, but she seems to have been holding her position by throwing heavy ornaments and pieces of small furniture at them. This method has knocked out two men already, but Sabrina looks to be flagging. When the door splinters and begins to come apart in chunks, two of the men look over at it and there are shouts of alarm. Suraksha spots Sabrina and pauses only long enough for an encouraging snarl -- then with renewed enthusiasm she keeps tearing at the door. If she can reach one forearm through and slash back the crossbar, that'd do it!

The two who have noticed what's going on are starting to throw the things Sabrina was using as ammo at Suraksha. The third one is either too intent or too stupid to turn away from their captive at all the noise. Several of the projectiles hit Suraksha, one of the brass ornaments hitting her painfully on the nose. If she were less intent upon getting into the room or just a regular tiger, she might have run. As it is, she simply knocks the ornament away, even more irritated than before.

Suraksha finally manages to hook her claws into the crossbar! She flattens her ears with the effort of using her foreleg in a way it's not used to, ducks her head to try and keep from being beaned with a heavy ornament, and yanks the crossbar back. A moment later, with a powerful shove, the door slams open and the big tiger bounds through with a triumphant snarl. She'll swiftly herd the men back into a corner -- and if they aren't behaving she'll sheathe her claws and smack them over there! She's clearing a path between Corbett at the door, and Sabrina.

The first two are easily cowed by an obviously pissed off giant cat. The third turns out to be stupid, because it takes Suraksha whacking him on the side of the head and knocking him out to get him to stop trying to get to Sabrina around the enormous old desk in the corner. Suraksha paces back and forth before them, growling and with her tail lashing as she keeps them herded back. She glances over her shoulder at Corbett and Sabrina, wondering if the caravan leader will want to say anything to the men, to warn them off from trying any sort of stupid retribution. She sniffs carefully too, hoping she doesn't catch the scent of blood. Well... from Sabrina, at least.

Sabrina looks like she's a little bruised up, but she doesn't look seriously damaged. In fact, her eyes are burning with anger as Corbett turns on the two men still standing, "Think ya'll understand we ain't to be fucked with, yeah?" Sabrina is rifling the desk as Corbett talks, looking for something they can use against these men or this place. Suraksha grins a tigerish grin at her new older sister -- smart move! She goes back to pacing before the men, although she pauses to stand next to Corbett when he comes over. She's doing her best to look like a well-trained trick animal.

Corbett plays that up like a true showman, laying his hand on her head and patting her ears. Suraksha rubs her broad feline head up against the stroking hand, purring with her eyes half-closed. "You come 'round looking for more trouble or more women, and things are gonna go real, real bad for ya. Worse than they did here." Sabrina shoves a couple of things into her hipscarf, using it like pockets. Corbett makes an obscure motion with his hand, like he's giving Suraksha signals, "Don't think either of you need to be conscious while we leave, neither." At that, Suraksha darts forward with blinding speed, batting each man with her broad, powerful paws to knock them down and out.

When that's done, Corbett looks around and spits again, turning his head away from Suraksha, "We should get outta here. Maybe see what we can do about the girls that don't wanna be here later. For now, I'll bet there's others that'll get curious eventually." Suraksha snuffs thoughtfully at the men once they've both fallen, checking to make sure they're out and not just terrifiedly playing possum. Once she's sure she'll tilt her head inquiringly, waving a paw at the bundle of her clothes that he's carrying. Corbett arches a brow, "Bob that big head once if you want these back, twice if you need to stay a big cat." Suraksha's throaty growl is more chuckle than not, and she bobs her head once. She figures if he's willing to offer them back to her, he doesn't think they need her to stay a tiger in order to get out.

Corbett unties the clothes and lays them on the ground for her, "Be easier getting out if I'm a drunk ole lech with a couple pretty girls."

Suraksha's laugh is clear as she changes shape and starts hastily pulling on the clothing. She gets Sabrina to help with the buttons on the back of the shirt, and she simply tosses the sashes around her neck rather than dressing completely. She throws one around Corbett's neck too, grinning, "Then you should look like you've been... busy with us, yes?" Once she's sure she looks like someone who's put on only enough clothing to see a client to the door, she smiles grimly, "Let's bolt! I can continue tying up my hair and stuff as we go." She darts over before they leave, though, to give Sabrina a very heartfelt hug! She whispers, "Thank goodness you're all right!" then grabs a hand and starts tugging the older woman along as she adds a bit shakily, "I was so worried for you!"

Sabrina says, "In all my years with the caravan I have never been raped. I didn't intent to start now!" She laughs shakily herself and then they all head out the door. When they reach the first floor landing, they're both half-dressed and Corbett has managed to muss himself up considerably. None of the same doors that were open before are still open. There are some different women looking out into the hallway, but none of them give the old man (obviously drunk with his staggering walk) and his two doxies a second look. His money is already spent; he's of no interest to them. The three of them make it out the same side door through which they entered with no comment. They find Joan and Mama Minta in the alleyway, waiting.

Suraksha sighs in relief at sight of the two women, relaxing. She hangs back a bit, handing the bootknife back to Corbett and tidying herself up some, so Sabrina has time to run forward and exchange hugs with the others. Suraksha grins up at Corbett, adding quietly, "Even if they try coming forward with accusations of wild animals... we've got no tigers in the show, right? You just used your knife creatively, yes?"

Corbett says with every appearance of sincerity, "What tiger? I carry a hatchet on me when we're on th' trail. Never know when you'll have t' get a log out the way."

Suraksha laughs at that, giving Corbett a quick hug, "Thank you!" before she nearly skips up to hug the other women. He winks at her, tucking his bootknife away before the five of them move to start calling off the rest of the caravaneers and making it back to their wagons to rest a bit before showtime. Sura adds softly to Sabrina, "What'd you find?" as they head back arm in arm.

Sabrina says, "Engraved letter opener. Some personal stationery. It'll be enough to at least put us in the room." Suraksha nods -- she's not sure how that helps, but she's willing to trust the others.

Once back at the caravan Sabrina is fussed over and told in no uncertain terms she is not performing as a dancer that night! Buddy, without comment, brings Suraksha three large, nearly raw steaks. Suraksha is relieved and thanks Buddy with a fervent hug! As the adrenaline had worn off, she'd been getting droopy. She wolfs down the steaks, then hugs Buddy again. This is going to be an interesting stay, she can already tell. Buddy, along with Joan, also insist Suraksha take the next several hours to recover. Little Joe is set over her as guardian to make sure she stays put. Suraksha doesn't protest much at all -- in fact, she curls up and goes to sleep without even completely undressing.

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Last modified: 2010-Aug-28 20:29:49

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