CHAPTER ONE
JORDIN Tyler stepped out of the shower and quickly wrapped a towel around her slender body. Still dripping wet she grabbed the remote and turned the television up. An emergency report blared, covering the developing hostage situation at a downtown jewelry store. Jordin sighed in dismay. It seemed she could not even take a hot shower without being interrupted. Since the young woman had become the super heroine calling herself Victory it seemed there was always one crime or another needing her attention. Jordin barely had time to towel off before the red cell phone on her dresser began to ring. That was the number Capital City authorities used to contact Victory. “Yes I see, Mr. Mayor,” Jordin said when she answered. “It’s all over the news.”
“Ms Victory the Capital City PD are on the scene,” the voice of the mayor crackled over the phone. “But I believe you could end this a lot quicker and easier.”
“I’m on it Mr. Mayor,” Jordin said. “Just tell your boys to keep things calm until I get there!”
“Will do,” the mayor responded.
Jordin clicked the phone off. She did not bother getting dressed but grabbed her magic bracelets from the vanity and put them on. She brought her wrists together and there was a blinding flash. When the light faded Jordin had become Victory! Her thick brown hair was now mysteriously dry and tucked under a silver headband. Her uniform consisted of a purple lycra halter-top, perfectly hugging the curves of her pert B-cups and matching hot pants which left her toned abs and long, sexy legs bare. A pair of silver boots came almost to her knees and a matching silver belt rested on her slim hips. The belt was actually the source of her powers. Jordin, now Victory, glimpsed herself in the mirror of her vanity and smiled. These thugs had no idea what they were in for tonight!
By the time Victory reached the jewelry store, the situation already seemed to be deteriorating. The assembled CCPD were growing antsy and apparently so too were criminals inside. A mighty bound brought the heroine from an adjacent rooftop onto the roof of the jewelry store just as a few shots were fired from within. Victory glanced over the side, the officer in charge was calling for his men to maintain position and continue holding their fire. He must have known she was on her way. She waved down and got his attention. He smiled but did not wave back.
Smart man, Victory thought. Now be a dear and cause a little distraction, so I can end this!
As if on cue the officer grabbed a bullhorn and began to shout in at the thugs inside. Victory moved to the rear of the jewelry store and dropped over the edge into the alley that ran behind it. There was a get-away-car idling there. She thought fleetingly of smashing or disabling the car but decided it would serve as better evidence in one piece. She went to the door that led into the rear of the jewelry store, it was locked but with her super strength she pulled it open easily. It was dark inside, so Victory proceeded cautiously. She could hear nervous voices in the show room but could not make out what they were saying; probably just blustery threats against those poor hostages. Whatever they were saying, it meant they were distracted. Confidently Victory strode into the showroom ready to dole out some justice!
“Alright boys, I’m gonna give you one chance…” the heroine began boldly. “To come…” she trailed off as she took in the scene before her. “…quietly…”
Four hooded men stood facing the door she had just entered through. Each man held a large, automatic weapon aimed directly at her. None of the jewelry cases were open or broken. In the center of the room was a row of seven stuffed dummies, all positioned to look like they were kneeling. Instantly Victory realized she had walked into a trap.
“Funny, I was going to tell you something similar,” one of the thugs said.
“You must be so pleased with yourselves,” Victory said. “But I’ll warn you, better men have aimed bigger guns at me and now they’re all in jail!”
She was standing confidently with her fists on her hips. The heroine looked from man to man letting them appreciate her threat. To her surprise each man only grinned at her. Suddenly there was a pinch in the side of her neck. A fifth man had snuck up and stabbed her with a long syringe. A burning sensation swept over Victory as he thumbed down the plunger, injecting her with some vile concoction. Instantly her head began to spin and her knees buckled. Victory managed to keep her footing but her confident posture almost instantly became an unsteady sway.
Two of the men threw down their guns and rushed at her, each grabbing one of her arms. Normally with her super strength she’d have been stronger than them both but whatever she’d been injected with had her reeling. Victory could not focus or concentrate to resist them! The man who had spoke came over then, almost casually. Victory tried to pull free of the men holding her but she could not. The speaker, clearly their leader, grabbed a handful of the heroine’s thick brown hair and yanked back! Victory let out a startled yelp, but it was instantly stifled as the leader shoved a wadded cloth past her glossed lips. Victory shook her head trying to get away but he held her and persistently shoved in the rest of the rag, filling her mouth. The heroine tried to scream as the fourth man came forward and pressed a long strip of duct tape over her mouth, sealing it tight.
The room began to spin and Victory was shoved to the floor. Even in her disoriented state it now took all five men to hold her down. She struggled desperately but they were able to pull her arms behind her back, and cuff her wrists. A ball of dread dropped into the pit of the heroine’s stomach as she heard the metallic ratcheting of the handcuffs! Then they quickly bound her ankles together so tightly she could feel the rope digging through her boots. The drugs were growing stronger and Victory felt herself growing weaker. Before she knew it, another length of rope encircled her knees, and then another around her midsection trapping her arms against her torso. With her belt on she should have been able to easily snap the ropes and handcuffs but the powerful drug did its work, leaving the heroine struggling helplessly against her bonds.
She could hear the muffled orders of the leader but in her disorientation she did not understand. Then she was lifted off the floor and carried out the very back door she had come in through. The get-away-car was still idling, now with the trunk opened. She wondered how this could be happening to her, how she could have walked into such a trap and how she, the mighty Victory, could have been so easily captured. She hadn’t even been able to put up a fight! They stuffed her roughly into that trunk and even as they shut the lid, Victory finally succumbed to the drugs. In every way possible total darkness enveloped the heroine.