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Day 7
"So long girls! Don't call us, we'll call you!"
Jessie cringed as the gate to the compound that had been her home for the past seven days slammed shut behind her. She looked back over her shoulder a whispered a silent prayer for Yates and the other instructors - she probably wouldn't see them for at least a year. A lot could happen in a year. Jessie felt grimy and disgusting. A week's worth of dust and bruises showed all over her body. A nice bath back at the cabin is just what I need, she thought to herself. Putting on a cheerful smile, she sauntered over to her jeep, tossing her duffel bag into the back. Hopping over the still closed door, she rested in the driver's seat and leaned over the side.
"So, who want's a ride?" asked Jessie, her question obviously directed at a small group of three ladies standing next to the car. With a grin, Kytty tossed her stuff next to Jessie's.
"I got shotgun! That puts you in the back, Umiko!" replied Kytty, leaping into the passenger's seat with well-practiced ease. Behind her, an Asian girl with long black hair and unusually large eyes did the same, sliding gracefully into the back seat. The third girl stood quietly in place. Jessie flashed her a grin and waved her forward.
"Come on Reece," she said. Reece tossed her bag alongside everybody else's and emitted an audible sigh. Reece was a young girl - only about 16 or so - and a rookie to Team Rocket. She was light of build and a little clumsy. But, she wasn't hired for her agility. Reece was exceptionally brilliant beyond anything anyone could imagine. She was wearing a pair of dingy cutoffs and an old tank top. She sat next to Umiko. Kytty snickered and Umiko giggled. Even Jessie had a large grin on her face. With another sigh, Reece ran her fingers through her long, curly hair.
Her long, curly, green hair. The elder Rockets had decided to play a trick on the rookies a few days ago. In was complicated and Reece had yet to figure out all the details. All it meant to her was that her hair was green. And that it would be staying that way until it grew out.
Triad (as Umiko, Kytty, and Jessie were often called) had taken a liking to Reece almost immediately. Umiko liked her because she was a good talker. Kytty liked her because Reece had an interest in Ponytas that, given a few years, might rival her own. Jessie liked her because in Reece, she found an intellectual peer. It had been a shock when Reece spouted off the convergence theorem for a power series. Jess had been passing time in the learning center by messing around with mathematical series and integrals. Reece approached her and together, they spent the rest of the free time working problems and getting a kick out of it. Kytty said they were nuts. Reece and Jess found, in terms of academia, they were equally matched. It was really different from James. Oh, it wasn't that James wasn't well educated - he was. But, he had a distinct dislike for most math. He was more of a philosophy man, reading obscure authors such as Borges and Achebe. Jessie smiled to herself. She could sit and listen to James for hours while he argued a theme or a spiritual point with himself. Sometimes, they would sit together in-between missions, Jessie resting her head on James' lap while he sat against a tree and read to her from one of his many books. She sighed dreamily.
Kytty looked over at her friend. She had a far off look on her face. A 'whap' in the back of the head from Umiko got Jessie to put the Jeep in gear and start them towards the Team Rocket cabin. Kytty turned in the seat and ignored a snickering Umiko to address a slightly confused Reece.
"When Jess gets weird like that, she's thinking about James," explained Kytty.
"James?"
"Oh, you'll meet him," replied Umiko, "assuming we can catch him before Jess does. Otherwise," Umiko winked at Kytty who began to shake with laughter, "he and Jess'll be locked up tight upstairs. It's amazing what a weeks abstinence can do for your love life."
Jessie glared at her laughing friends in the rearview mirror and turned the Jeep sharply around the corner, forcing all their heads to knock together.
They arrived to find the Cabin, a popular, well-hidden, Team Rocket hideout, dark and empty. Jessie was visibly disappointed and a little angry. James was supposed to stay put. Oh, well, thought Jess, her shoulders slumping, a light smile touching her lips. If she knew James, he probably was still stuck running from the police from the visitation fiasco. He would be here soon enough. Hefting a plastic bag from the back seat, as well as her duffel, she walked in the front door and headed straight for the kitchen. All the rest of the girls were already there.
"Gawd Jess! What took so long? You're the one carryin' the goods!" cried Kytty. Umiko nodded, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"Probably thinking about all the things she's going to do to James as... punishment when he gets back," she replied smoothly. Umiko was character. Her normal attire consisted of tight, black, leather body suit with silver studs and chains. Her long silky black hair hung down far past her waist. She often used black lipstick and eyeliner to in a fashion that made her appear to be in ultimate shadow. Today, however, she looked just as grimy and mussed up as the rest of them. She was raised in the gutter, and that's where her mind usually strayed, much to Jessie's delight. Only through Team Rocket could such an unusual group of people be friends.
Kytty put her hand over her mouth in response to what Umiko said and tried to stifle a laugh. Reece looked horribly confused. Jessie grinned good-naturedly at Umiko and stuck her tongue out at her.
"At least some of us have men to punish," replied Jessie, to which she got a rude gesture back from Umiko. Reece looked as though she was going to ask something, then bit her lip and said nothing. Kytty laughed and began to dig around in the bags on the table. Jessie picked hers up and tossed it in the freezer.
"Got it!" exclaimed Kytty suddenly. Out of the bag she pulled at a number of plastic bottles filled with gel-like semi-transparent liquids. Umiko reached into another bag and withdrew two six-packs of beer and winked at her friends.
"Shall we bathe, girls?" she asked.
Jessie sighed deeply as she sank down up to her neck in the warm water. Her hair was piled on top of her head. Reaching over the side of the tub, she lifted her beer can and popped it open, taking a long pull of it. Resting it back on the floor, she sighed again in contentment, closing her eyes.
"Nice..." she murmured under her breath.
"You said it, girl," replied Kytty, sitting in the large tub across from Jessie. The room was full of steam and Kytty could hardly see her friend. Sitting to her left was Reece, who looked to be almost asleep. Umiko was sitting to the right of Kytty on the side of the tub, brushing her hair. It felt wonderful have gotten the dirt and mud off of them and it felt even better to soak in the clean, warm water.
"So..." said Jessie, after a minute, "Where are you all heading after this short reprieve is over?"
Umiko and Kytty shrugged. Reece looked up drowsily and shook her head.
"Dunno," murmured Reece, sitting up. "I haven't gotten an assignment yet. I don't even know if I'll have a partner."
"We haven't gotten any word from the higher ups yet either, Jess," replied Umiko. She and Kytty had been partners for a long time. They worked together very well, despite their different backgrounds and upbringing.
Jessie shook her head. Usually, the boss would have contacted her by now. James was still listed as out of commission. Maybe that's why. She didn't say anything, though. Nor did anyone expect her to. Direct conversations with the boss were classified. Instead, she took a long sip of her beer.
"Maybe they're getting ready to do something big," intoned Reece.
"Best not ta speculate," stated Kytty. The others nodded, and the conversation stopped there.
Jessie walked into the kitchen. Her still damp hair was braided down her back and she was wearing a pair of gray sweat pants (James') and a white, baby-doll style shirt. She reached into the freezer, grabbed the plastic bag she had tossed in there earlier, walked over to a drawer, grabbed four large spoons and dropped them into the bag. Stretching to reach the cupboard above the sink, she pulled down four shot glasses and four carafes. Then, she turned on her heal and walked into the living room.
The rest of the girls were sitting on the floor around a coffee table in front of the fire. Kytty had raided the wine cellar and the booze cabinet and on the table rested about four bottles of wine, two bottles of scotch, and a bottle of vodka. Jessie sat cross-legged on the floor and reached into her bag.
"Okay... who had Double Mocha Chocolate Chip?"
"That's mine," said Umiko with a smile, taking the quart of ice cream and the spoon from Jessie. Instead of her usual provocative nightgowns, Umiko was wearing a long (it went down to her knees) Chinese-style sleeveless silk shirt and a loose pair of drawstring pants. She set her ice cream down on the table and waited patiently until everyone else was served.
"Cherry Cheesecake Praline Nut Crčme?"
"Mine!" cried Reece, a little giddy. She hadn't drunk very much, but she had yet to develop a tolerance that the more experienced Rockets had. She had changed into a loose, oversized t-shirt and a pair of flare-style blue sweat pants.
"So, that makes the Ice Mint Choco-Chunk yours, right Kytty?"
"Yup, that's it," she drawled. Kytty had no tolerance at all. She was a smooth drunk, actually calming down as she sipped her beer. Kytty was wearing a simple, long, black, sleeveless nightgown with an "R" embroidered just below the point on the V-Neck.
Jessie reached and pulled out her own quart of ice cream, Honey Nut Vanilla, ripped off the top, and dug in with her spoon.
"Let's eat!" they all cried together. It is a well-known fact that no slumber party is ever complete without grotesque amounts of ice cream and alcohol. Kytty was managing pouring the wine into the glasses Jessie had brought and soon, they were all giggling and telling bad jokes like school girls.
"...so, so..., Chick, she says, 'Dammit, that's a pencil!'"
The four girls exploded with laughter. Kytty fell over and grabbed her side laughing until tears came to her eyes. After a few moments, she pulled herself together and sat up.
"Jeez, Reece! Whare did ya learn such dirty jokes from?" gasped Kytty, still snickering.
"Well," giggled Reece, very, very, nearly drunk, "That I heard when I was at camp when I was 13." She snickered again. "Didn't get it until last year, though."
The four girls laughed easily and sat back. The ice cream was a thing of the past. Three bottles of wine lay empty on the floor and they had a good start on the scotch. Umiko had staggered into the kitchen earlier and brought out some limes and rock salt. They intended to hold off on the vodka shots until later. An easy silence fell between them. Suddenly, Umiko's eyes snapped wide.
"Heeey," she began, slurring a little, "did you hear about Butch and Cassidy?"
"Cassidy?" asked Reece, cocking her head sideways.
"Not Yates," clarified Umiko. "A different one. I heard she and Butch got sent up the river."
"I bet they got set up. They deserve it, too," snarled Kytty. "It may be part of our job to capture pokémon, but Butch and Cassidy were always way too rough. I remember that most of their pokémon that arrived at the business were injured and sick. A lot of them died right after they got there."
"Yeah, I was kinda surprised when they got promoted so quickly. I guess Giovanni wanted to find out what they were doing. I wonder who set them up," murmured Umiko.
"We did."
The three girls turned to look at Jessie in shock.
"Wha..."
Jessie shrugged. "James and I did. The Boss had us break into their little pokémon daycare scheme and try to find out what they were up to. Just as he suspected, they sold me and James out to the cops." Jessie eyes narrowed. "The Boss doesn't like it when members of his organization start getting other members thrown into jail. If they betrayed us, who's to say they won't betray him. Giovanni coordinated with us and we set the whole thing up. 'Course," Jessie flashed a bright smile, "we are not in jail anymore, as you see. Butch and Cassidy are in for a long, long, time."
"Damn," whispered Umiko. She smiled brightly at Jessie. "Remind me to NEVER get on your bad side."
James ran his fingers through his knotted hair. His clothes were torn, he was muddy, he smelled something fierce, and worst of all, it looked like it might rain. This was not fun. At least I'm not tired, he thought with a sigh.
It was dark and muggy outside. James guessed it was around eleven o'clock at night. His watch had been broken when he had fallen down a small bluff and he had no way of knowing for sure. After a dizzying chase for about three days, James had finally managed to lose the police about 35 miles back. Pushing aside a long branch, he looked across the field and saw...
Salvation! James let out a sigh of relief. The Cabin! The lights were on, which meant Jessie was back. James grinned. So maybe the whole night wouldn't be wasted. Slowly, he walked up to the front walk and opened the front door.
And walked straight into a Hen Fest. The room fell silent as all four girls looked at James. They all looked at though they had swallowed something bad. James recognized Umiko and Kytty, but the fourth girl he didn't know. She had green hair? He blinked. They all continued to stare at him.
"Uhh, hi everybody," he stammered. No one responded. "Um, I'm going to go take a shower, okay?" They all nodded and smiled, a knowing kind of smile that made shivers run up and down his spine. James looked over at Jessie, but she wouldn't meet his eyes. "All right then, I'm going." James backed carefully out of the room. The minute he was out of sight, he heard the room explode in laughter. James looked over his shoulder and decided not to go back in.
It was quiet when James finished getting dressed. It seemed as though the party had ended in a flurry of vodka shots and tequila. James stepped softly over the snoring form of the young girl he didn't know. Umiko was curled up on the couch. James figured he could give her the Lucky in the morning. Kytty had managed to get into a bedroom - well, almost. James found her passed out halfway in the hallway and halfway in the room. He carried her to bed.
Strange, thought James, it seems like the whole gang is here. I wonder why?
James looked around and saw the back door was open. He walked outside and closed it so as not to disturb any of the slumbering occupants of the Cabin. Seeing the object of his desire leaning on the porch railing, staring up at the stars, he snuck up quietly behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, feeling her jump in surprise. He leaned against her and held her very close, noticing her relax.
"Are you drunk?"
"Not really," said Jessie quietly. The night was so still and calm, speaking almost felt like a crime. They stood together in the dark, fireflies flitting about in a last dance before an oncoming storm.
"Some party, huh?" asked James, leaning over to whisper in her ear. He began to massage her shoulders. He frowned, noticing how tense and knotted they were. Whatever mission Jessie had been on, it must have been very trying.
"You have no idea."
"Who's the new girl?"
"Her name is Reece," whispered Jessie. "She's new. I think we might be the ones assigned to watch her for her first few months. How're Arbok and Lickitung?"
"Fine, fine. They didn't mind the journey on foot back from Michael's hospital nearly as much as I did."
"So I heard," purred Jessie. James had started to rub her arms in the most pleasant of ways. "Not to bright nearly getting caught like that."
"Well," murmured James, "These things happen." He wrapped his arms around Jessie's waist, drawing her body close to his.
"Oy, oy," she exclaimed suddenly, her eyes widening slightly. "Is that all you can think about?"
"Please, Jess," growled James, nuzzling her neck, his hands threatening to roam beyond status quo. "It's been over a week, most of which has been spent horribly alone and bored in the woods with only a few pokémon to talk to!"
"Well," replied Jessie, giving him a sensuous smile, "Perhaps we can work something out." She turned around to face James. He smiled at her and helped her to sit on the wooden railing. As she leaned into a kiss with him, Jessie began to wonder how strong the railing really was. Suddenly, just as things looked to get interesting, it started to rain. With a yelp, Jessie and James ran into the house through the kitchen door, slightly damp.
James cursed under his breath. The water had been icy! He began to wring out his shirt over the sink. Jessie walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor rooms.
"Now, now, James," began Jessie. He looked over at her. She seemed to be beckoning to him from the top of the stairs. Giving him a theatrical wink, she laughed lightly. "We don't want to catch cold. Let's get out of these wet clothes." With a few smiles and a flurry of motion, they were both upstairs, James happy to oblige to Jessie's suggestion.
Outside, the sky broke open and the rain began fall, a prelude to one of the worst storms in Team Rocket History.
Elsewhere...
"Why hasn't the project been started yet?"
"We don't have the necessary components."
"Call Him. Find out why we don't have them."
"I still say the timing is off."
"So what if it is?"
"Lives are at stake."
"Only the goal matters. Call Him. It's time we began."