Jade's Story

Daytime Delivery

It was a bright, sunny day in San Francisco, which did nothing to change Natalia’s mood. Still, Jo hopped around in the seat next to her excitedly.
“What’s the plan again this time, boss?”
Natalia ripped off a piece of tape.
“I leave you tied up in an open space and when this Jade chick comes to save you, I snatch her. Think you can handle that?”
“Right as rain, boss! I’ll-mmmph.” Natalia pressed the tape over Jo’s mouth. Her hands were already tied behind her so they were ready to roll. Natalia opened the car door.
“Remember, we just grab her and get out of here. Don’t get distracted by all those shiny talisman things she might know about. We’ll come back for them later. Got it?”
“Mmmph-hmmph,” Jo nodded her assent.
“Good. Now get outta here.” Natalia kicked her out of the car and sped off.
Heh-heh, Jo doesn’t have any idea how powerful those talismans are and I want to get to them first, Natalia thought sinisterly. I kinda love Jo but she can be really needy sometimes and get in the way. And I want to test these talismans all by myself! Now I’ll be able to check out this “Uncle’s” store and look for the talismans without her bothering me.
Natalia arrived at Uncle’s store but when she peered inside she saw the silhouette of a girl seated in a chair beside the opposite wall. Hmm, that’s screwed up, I could’ve sworn I saw that old geezer Uncle and that little twit Jade ditch this place earlier today, Natalia thought. Well, that’s alright, it will make my job easier, I’ll pick up the goodies and the girl at the same time and go back and find Jo later.
Natalia easily picked the lock on the door and slipped into the store. It’ll probably be easier to nab the girl now and take a look at the junk in this store later, Natalia calculated in her head. She darted through the store, a roll of tape in her hands, and sprung out in front of the chair.
But when she got to Jade she was in for a surprise. The Chinese girl sat with her hands and feet tied to the arms and legs of the chair with thick rope and a white cloth was tied over her mouth.
“What the Hell’s going on?” Natalia barked angrily.
“Mmmmph, mmphh!” Jade cried, her bright eyes darting at Natalia fearfully.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” a slimy voice said behind them. Natalia spun around. Two men, one with a Band-Aid over his nose and another in a sleazy leisure suit, stood cracking their knuckles and leering at her.
“I guess we can tie her up-ow!” Finn said, before an uppercut from Natalia sent him sprawling to the floor.
“You pathetic sleazeballs trying to take my prize, huh?” Natalia said mockingly. “Well, beat it, or I’ll beat you!”
Ratso lunged at her but Natalia easily dodged him and kicked him in the ass as he flew by. Now both goons struggled on the ground, tripping over each other as they tried to stand up.
“How’d you ever get grabbed by them?” Natalia asked the gagged Jade. She dusted off her hands after the easy workout.
“Hmmphh, mmphh!!” Jade grunted up at her. Her fearful eyes were locked on something directly behind Natalia. Just then a shadow engulfed them both.
“Haven’t had enough, huh? How stupid can you get?”
Natalia spun around in a fighting stance.
“I guess I’m just going to have to beat the…”
Ratso and Finn were still sprawled on the floor. But when Natalia looked up, she saw the biggest human rhinoceros she’d seen in awhile.
“…living…snot…out…of…you?”
Tohru grabbed Natalia with both hands and lifted her in the air. Natalia struggled, but it was like trying to fight a brick wall. He squeezed her tight and Natalia could feel her whole body contracting. Then she blacked out…

Who is this chick? Jade thought as Finn and Ratso tied the unconscious Natalia up with rope. Did she come to rescue me? I’ve never seen her before. Cool hair, though. I wonder if Uncle Jackie’d let me get something like that. Nah, he’d probably say I’m not old enough yet, or “it’s too dangerous:” everything’s “too dangerous,” even dying my hair. Man, what a buzz-kill. Though I gotta admit I wish he was here right now instead of on that trip in Mexico…
“Mmmgphh, mmmph!” she cried futilely into her gag. She struggled in her ropes.
“Keep a lid on it,” Finn snapped at her. “We don’t want you, just the talismans! We’d be out of here already if this little punk hadn’t come in and attacked us!”
“Mmmmph!” Jade moaned, glaring at him.
“Uggh…” Natalia groaned groggily.
“Cripes, she’s already starting to wake up! Finish tying her up already, I don’t want to go through all that again!”
Ratso finished cinching a rope around Natalia so that she was hogtied just as she returned to consciousness.
“Ohh… that was a cheap trick, sicking a big fat bozo on me! I could’ve taken ‘em too, if his fat ass wasn’t blocking the light so I couldn’t see him straight…”
“Should I gag her too, Finn?”
“Yeah, she’s giving me a headache!”
Ratso whipped out a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wrapped it over Natalia’s mouth.
“Grrrmpph, mmphher,” Natalia growled at them. She thrashed around on the floor.
“The talismans,” Tohru grunted.
“Yeah, yeah, the talismans,” Finn said, rolling his eyes. “C’mon, let’s leave these lovebirds alone for awhile.”
“Mmmmphhh!” Jade mumbled as the three thugs made their exit. She stared helplessly down at her fellow captive, yet strangely the other girl glared angrily back.
That’s weird, Jade thought, she looks like she’s almost madder at me than she is at them! Well, it’s not like it’s my fault she got caught up in this. I don’t even know who she is, and anyway I wasn’t even snooping around getting into trouble this time! Nice hair, though…
“Mmmmph…” she moaned dejectedly.

That stupid little snot, Natalia thought angrily. I wouldn’t be in this mess if she hadn’t let herself get kidnapped already. And I could’ve easily taken care of those two thugs and that big moron if she had warned me properly. Ugh, I hope that slimeball doesn’t use this handkerchief!
“Grrmmmphh…” Natalia grumbled into her gag.
“Mmmph?” Jade asked her, cocking an eyebrow.
“Mmmmphh,” Natalia answered, shaking her head. She tried shifting around and rubbing the gag off on the floor but it was hopeless.
Just then the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Ratso yelled from the other room. He stormed to the door and threw it open.
“Yeah? Whaddya want?”
“Pizza delivery!” a familiar female voice chirped.
“Pizza? Well, I am pretty hungry… c’mon in …” Ratso led the pizza girl into the room where Natalia and Jade were held captive. A baseball cap covered the pizza girl’s eyes.
“How much is it?” Ratso asked.
“Twelve fifty,” the girl answered.
“Aw jeeze, that’s a lot of money. Lemme see here…” Ratso turned around and took his wallet out and started counting his money. While he was turned around the pizza girl lifted her cap up and winked at Natalia. It was Jo!
“Mmmmphh!!” Natalia grunted at her. The little idiot, what is she doing here against my orders? How did she get free? Natalia thought angrily.
“Damn, I don’t have enough,” Rasto said. “Hey Finn, can I borrow some money?”
“Whatdya want- aw, jeeze,” Finn said storming into the room and spotting Jo. “Why’d you let her in?”
Ratso shrugged. “I was hungry, and she’s got pizza.”
Finn blinked. “Fair enough. But I don’t want anything with anchovies on it. And we’ll have to tie her up with the others once we’re done eating.”
“Hi-ya!” Jo cried dramatically, and leaped on top of Ratso. The thug dropped to the floor and Jo bounced up and down on his face. Finn ran toward her but Jo threw the pizza box at him and it hit him square on the forehead. Dazed, Finn slumped to the ground. The pizza box slid open next to him, revealing its contents: a sewer plate.
“Mmmmphh!” “Mmmgphh,” Jade and Natalia moaned at Jo through their gags.
“Hiya, boss,” Jo said. “That Jade chick never showed up so I thought I’d look for her here. I did good, huh, boss?”
“Mmmphhh!” Natalia wailed, trying to tell Jo to take her gag off. The shadow of Tohru darkened the room and Jo spun around.
“Hi, I’m Jo,” Jo said to him. Tohru went to lunge at her but she held her finger up and he stopped.
“A moment, please. It seems my shoelaces are untied.”
Tohru waited while Jo bent down. Then she got up in a fighter’s stance.
“Okay, let’s rumble!”
Gnashing his teeth, Tohru stepped forward to grab her. But something was wrong. He looked down and saw his shoelaces were tied together and he was losing his balance
“Look out!” Ratso and Finn cried as the giant tumbled backwards and on top of them with a thud.
“Let me get you free, boss,” Jo said, untying Natalia.
“Eck,” Natalia spat, once she had pulled the gag from her mouth.
“Don’t feel so smart, anyone can outsmart a dumbass. And why didn’t you stay where I told you to?”
Jo dropped her head in shame. “Sorry, boss. It won’t happen again.”
“Ah, It’s alright. Let’s grab the girl and get out of here.” I’ll have to look for those talismans some other time, Natalia thought bitterly.
Jo untied Jade from the chair and the spunky Chinese girl pulled the handkerchief from her mouth.
“I have no idea who you two dudes are, but thanks a bunch for rescuing me,” Jade said. “I, uh, was just about to get the upper hand on them, but you sure saved me some time. My Uncle Jakie will be glad to know- mmmph. Mmmphh?”
Jade’s words were cut off as Natalia fixed the handkerchief back over her mouth and tightened the knot.
“Mmmphh!” Jade protested, her eyes bulging in surprise.
“Ugh, this girl sure can talk,” Natalia said, as she retied Jade’s hands behind her. She looked over at Jo, who still hung her head in shame.
“Ah, don’t worry about it, kid, you’ve still got a lot to learn,” Natalia assured her. “But next time, just follow my instructions, okay?”
“Okay!” Jo beamed. “I’ll never rescue you again!”
You’d better not, Natalia thought as she dragged the struggling Jade to the car. If I need rescuing from mental midgets like that again, I might as well just quit this kidnapping business altogether!

(End)