Characters:
Kay (Based on Instagram model Kayleigh Swenson)
Sommer (Based on Sommer Ray)
Skylyn (Based on Skylyn Beaty)
The black Phantom hurtled through Seattle. The woman behind the wheel handled the expensive car with the insouciant recklessness of youth as she tore through the streets. Light from streetlights, skyscrapers, and other cars spangled in incandescent blur. A car was in pursuit but could not keep pace with the stolen Phantom, falling further and further behind in vain pursuit.
Sommer adjusted the rearview view, catching a glimpse her tired but still pretty face. It was a score that was a result of weeks of preparation with her sister. A score that, assuming some things went right, could pay off their debts, and give her crew a jumpstart on a new, brighter future. She adjusted in her seat, straightened her back, and applied further pressure to the gas pedal.
With a loud roar, the Phantom stole through night.
---
Kayleigh stepped out onto the porch, cigarette in hand. The fresh, cool air was a welcome relief after an evening prepping in a hot, stuffy garage. Oil and paint fumes still permeated her nostrils. Despite her best efforts, her long, blonde hair was patched with soot and motor oil, and her face with splotches of paint and gear grease. She unlatched her overall straps to expose her white sports bra. It cosseted her generously large breasts. The breeze gave her goosebumps as it wisped through the porch.
The tall, tattooed blonde took a long drag of the cigarette, exhaling wistfully. It had been at least two hours since she heard from Sommer, and she was ready to do her part. If the score was as big as she said it was, maybe she could get a half-decent garage. For now, though, this would have to do. Her talents throttled by having to work in this shitty, ill-equipped industrial park.
A comet streaked across the luminescent sky as she took a drag of her cigarette, the smoke drifting languidly towards the sky. The cold moon glimmered peacefully in the star speckled sky. A small amount of translucent industrial smog pocketed the firmament. An unusually strong zephyr wafted through the screen-less porch, shaking the old sheet metal and causing them to dance and clatter. She smiled as she took another drag.
Kayleigh withdrew her free hand from the side pocket it was residing in, and reached up to activate her HUD. It utilized a toggle switch residing just below her left ear. This HUD made making phone calls, analyzing physical material, and utilizing AI much easier and streamlined. For mechanics, hackers, and soldiers, there was no going back. Neural computers were as essential as food, water, and shelter. Unsure where they fit in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, they punched their way into the guts of the pyramid in order to make their own room.
The second cigarette was being lit when her visual HUD picked up on movement, a small object weaving sharply and quickly through the outskirts of the park. It was too far at the moment to be identified. She looked down at her F-Turbo LCD watch. It's stainless steel casing glimmered wonderfully from the single overhead fluorescent light fixture. It read *12:13.* Unlikely to be anyone else, given the time, but the vehicle was still too far to tell. She strained her eyes in an attempt to assist her ocular implants in focusing on the object. Then, a call came through.
*Incoming Call : Sommer*
"You bitch; I've been worried. Where the fuck have you been and why haven't you called?" said Kay, vexingly. A laugh came from the other line.
"Aw, did baby girl worry about me?" Sommer replied, mockingly. "I'm sorry, the streets of Seattle are not exactly conducive to great conversation when the fucking cops are on your ass---and you just stole a Sianok vehicle."
Kay smiled at this. Her tongue was adept as her ability to commit grand theft auto.
"You better have shaken them off that ass, then; that's mine, you know," said Kay, eyebrow raised.
"...you're such a smartass," the reply finally came in. "I'm almost there; prep the garage. We don't have much time. Sianok will want this back."
Kayleigh sprung into action, quickly dashing her cig into an ashtray on the railing and sliding down a fireman's pole to the ground. Her athleticism allowed her to hit almost a full sprint to the sliding warehouse door. It slid open with a resounding groan. Rust and wear had taken it's toll on the old door. The sound of the incoming car was sonorous and becoming louder as it approached.
The Rolls Royce rounded the final turn and came barreling down their street. It was a beauty. Black as midnight and accented with low, warm yellow lights. Black chrome ran throughout the chassis. It slowed down but only slightly as it entered the warehouse garage. Kay hit the key fob to close the door, and ran and ducked underneath as the door screeched shut. Sommer disembarked the vehicle, alone.
"Where is your sister? Thought she was with you?" said Kay, nonplussed.
"She was on her bike following me. Figured it was the only way to make sure no cops were still on my trail," replied Sommer. "I told her to pull in the alley and park her bike so we can keep the door shut."
"Ah, makes sense," Kay said, sounding relieved. "I was worried something...happened."
Sommer smiled and approached her. "No...went just as we planned." She slipped her arms around Kay's waist, pulling her in for a kiss. Their lips met with torrid intensity until Sommer pushed away. "We celebrate later. I managed to disable the remote tracking but it's a temporary fix. Do what you need to do."
Kay nodded in agreement before briskly walked to her workbench to gather her tools. She saw Sommer walking up the stairs. "Where are you going!" Kay called out after her. Sommer looked back with a white toothy smile.
"My part is done! And I have a shower and a bottle of prosecco waiting for me." She gave her a wink and went through the door, closing it behind her.
Kay smiled and got to work. Hours would pass.
---
She had lost all concept of time by the time she finished. It had been only three hours, but Kay had achieved a flow state that would be more aptly ascribed to religious trance than mere focus. At some point, she heard the faint rumbling of a motorcycle pull into the adjacent alley and then go silent. Skylyn, the younger sister, came through a door and kissed her on the cheek, but she was too focused to notice. She was in a fever dream of focused chaos. Craning her neck, she looked at her watch. *0303 *it displayed.
"Fuck..." she moaned, almost inaudibly. Her body---and mind---ached and pained from sliding in and out from under the car, crouching inside it, running for missing tools, and performing complex computations to bypass the cryptographic code protecting their vehicles.
She access her ocular HUD and checked all locks on the warehouse as she began to trudge her way up the stairs to their apartment. The tools could wait until the afternoon to be picked up and put away; her job tonight was done.
And there was celebrating to do.
---
The apartment that nestled on top of the warehouse was small but cozy. The entrance led to a cramped kitchen with a small stove, refrigerator, and metal food storage racks. Something was cooking in a crockpot, and it smelled delightful as she panged with hunger.
She pushed through a curtain that led into the small room that served as both a bedroom and living room. The sisters were cuddling and lay intertwined wrapped in towels on the bed as they watched TV. Some kind of reality television was playing. Kay looked at the TV and then looked at them, rolling her eyes as she walked by. They looked completely entranced as they sipped their prosecco, eyes glued to the screen.
"Let us watch our trash!" yelled Skylyn
"Of course! But we're changing shows when I'm done; that's a promise," Kay replied with a smile and a wink.
"Just go wash your ass! God!" Skylyn said with a laugh.
"I'm going to assume you two already have?" said Kay looking back, halfway inside the bathroom door, leaning on the frame.