Coming back down the stairs, Lana opened the front door and used the malleable but impermeable tips of her fingers to unscrew the bolts holding the door lock in place there. Sliding out the old mechanism, she replaced it with the final device she had taken from the box upstairs. The small rectangular black box molded itself to the slot as she inserted it, taking the place of the vastly inadequate manual lock as the guardian of the house’s only remaining access point. Unlike the passive tools she had used to seal the rest of the house’s windows and doors, this device would actively monitor the only remaining access point to her ‘home.’ It would vet any key that entered the lock it now controlled, and would prove surprisingly stubborn should an unwanted guest attempt entry, becoming ever more violent in proportion to any intruder’s vigor.

Along with its six-clawed friend attached to the inside of the closet door upstairs, it would be more than capable of defending the house’s now hard-working contents against all but the most ardent attack.

* * *

Marie and KC stood at the bar and took a deep breath: this was going to hurt. Looking at each other once more for reassurance, they each dropped a shot glass of unpleasantness into their pint glasses, turning their innocent beers into boilermakers.

“Down the hatch.” said KC.

“Fuck it.” replied Marie, and they both started drinking.

“Wow”, said Marie, grimacing, after slamming her now-empty glass on the bar.

“Ugh.”

“That was disgusting.” she shook her head, trying to clear it.

“I know,” said KC, “fabulous isn’t it!” They both laughed, wiping their eyes and mouths, and turned back to the dance floor. They looked at their friend Latesha who was getting very amorous with the man that had given them the money to buy the boilermakers, mostly so that he could get Latesha on her own.

Four of their male trainee counterparts were looking on from across the dance floor, commenting on the girls while trying to appear nonchalant. When the girls waved at them, they smiled, laughed, and turned away with feigned coolness.

“Amateurs.” said KC.

“Well, we did say we wouldn’t pee in our own bathwater,” said Marie, “now what about those two civvies by the door.”

KC was busy checking them out when her mouth dropped open in astonishment.

“Get the fuck out.” she said in awe, still staring over Marie’s shoulder.

“What?” said Marie and looked back at the two men. She was trying to figure out what had KC so shocked when she saw the ice queen herself walking across the dance floor. Lana Wilson, looking shockingly attractive, was strolling toward them.

“Evening, girls.” Lana said as she came up to them.

“Lana.” said KC in greeting.

“We thought you had done a runner after the way you walked off. Where did you go?” asked Marie.