"Mom! I'm headed out to Christy's house to hang out. I'll be back later" I yelled loudly as I was going out the door.

"Be back by 6 for dinner" Mom yelled back.

I walked the four blocks to my best friend Christy's house and walked right in the front door like I had been doing for years. Our parents had been friends for a long time as both our father's were FBI Agents so Christy and I pretty much grew up together and shared many of the same classes in school. She also kept my secret. From the age of 4, I always knew I should have been a girl. She even helped me dress in clothes that she helped me buy when we went to the Mall, along with my own makeup. I had even ordered a long Red Human hair wig off the internet using a Prepaid credit card I bought and kept recharged for emergencies. My job at the Golden Starches allowed me to put some money away in an account cosigned by my mother, but I was able to withdraw any amount I wanted with her signature. I still kept quite a bit out when I cashed my checks.

"Hey Aaron! Christy squealed excitedly! "Lets go get our swim suits on and hit the pool. My mom will be gone for hours taking my grandma to get her hair done. You can be Erin for a few hours"

"Lead on" I gushed excitedly.

We went to her bedroom and she got my suit out of her bottom drawer. It was good thing we were the same size. She was able to hide my clothes in with hers without arising suspicion from her mother. As mothers go, Christy's mother Marsha respected her daughters privacy pretty well. Christy had never given her any reason to doubt that decision and didn't plan to. Her philosophy was she gained her mother's trust, so why do something to mess that up. We both had a healthy respect for the law because of what our father's did. We both wanted to do something in the law enforcement field, but we wanted to be the one to Prosecute the bad guys after our dad's captured them.

"Are you ready? She asked

"Lets go! The last one in the pool buys the ice cream next time we go to the mall" I said

We took off running and both managed to make it about the same time. She dove in and beat me by an arms length.

"You'll pay for that! I laughed. I dunked her under and she grabbed me and returned the favor. We came up laughing and giggling and played around a couple more hours. I made sure I tanned evenly without any strap marks showing on my shoulders. We got out of the pool and laid out on the lounge chairs for another hour before I noticed I needed to be heading home.

"Christy, Mom told me to be home for dinner by 6 so I need to get changed and get going". I said.

"Okay Erin, I'll see you tomorrow" She said.

I changed back into my shorts, t-shirt and sneakers and started walking toward home. I got a block away and heard gunfire and then an explosion coming from the direction of my house. I saw my house in flames and riddled with bullet holes. My dad's classic Mustang had been parked in the garage and the bullets hit the gas tank. I shuddered in fear immediately wondering what happened to my mother. I called 911 on my Cell, noticing I had a voicemail from Mom, when I spotted two black SUV's fleeing the scene. I was able to get a plate number on one as they drove by. I called in the info and I saw one guy look my direction as I dove behind a tree. They started turning around to come back my direction when I took off running. I dodged between two houses and jumped a couple of fences and came out on the next street over. I heard the sound of sirens and then more gunfire and squealing tires. I crouched behind a bush and noticed two police cruisers with their doors open. The officers were lying on the ground in a pool of blood. I noticed the SUVs had fled the scene. I ran over and picked up one of the radios. The dispatcher was trying to raise the officers, but got no response until I spoke.

"Three officers down at the corner of Clinton and Washington Streets. The suspects are described as two Hispanic males. One 5'6 and 180 and the other about 6'2, 225. I saw one of the Officers get into the back of the Suspect vehicle and they drove West on Clinton". I replied in as calm a manner as I could.

"Stay with the Officers until help arrives" the dispatcher replied.

"I'm afraid they might come back and kill me" I told her.

"This is what I need you to do" She replied. "Go check the Officers to see if they are still alive and move any of them that are to a covered spot close by"

I did as she asked and noticed one officer was breathing but just barely. The other two had taken head shots and there was nothing I could do for them. I looked at the name tag on the uniform of the of the Officer who was alive and noticed that he was my friend Janet's dad. They lived a few doors down from us on the opposite side of the street. I knew I had to help him if I could. It appeared that a round caught him under the armpit at the edge of his Bullet proof vest. the other rounds had hit him in the chest area, but they had been stopped by the vest.

"Officer Jenkins is still breathing with what appears to be a wound under the armpit. Officers Johnson and Brooks are both deceased" I told her solemnly.

Just as I relayed the info the place was swarming with Cops, and Paramedics . A team of Officers secured the area while the paramedics and coroner worked at evacuating Joe Jenkins out and recovering the bodies of Johnson and Brooks. I sat in the back of a cruiser until one of the Officers could talk to me.

"Hey Aaron, I'm Officer Tim Mullanix. I'm proud of you for staying here with the Officers. The suspects abandoned their vehicle and fled in another car when we were getting too close, so you are safe for now. I understand you witnessed another officer fleeing the scene with the suspects. Are you the same one who called about the fire and shootout at your home?

"I did. I was coming from my friend Christy's house when I got about a block away from my house and witnessed two black SUVs pulled up in front raking our house with bullets. One must have hit the gas tank on my dad's Mustang in the garage and it exploded. As for what happened here, The Officer fled the scene and it looked like he knew the suspects well by his body language and yelling instructions to them in Spanish.

Officer Mullanix got on his radio and notified Dispatch that he needed to put an APB out for Officer Jesus Rodriguez last seen in the company of the suspects.

As he was doing that, Christy's dad rolled up on scene in his unmarked car.

"Are you okay? He asked. I was sent here to take you back to my place. I can tell you that your mother and father are both somewhere safe and will contact you soon" He assured me.

"I'm so glad Mr. Benson" I said tearfully. I didn't know what had happened to Mom. I knew Dad was off working somewhere, but we hadn't heard from him in a few days" I told him.

"Aaron will be at my house if you have any more questions Tim" He stated

"That's fine John, but it appears we have to put him in protective custody. He said one of the suspects saw his face and they started chasing him until two of our units intercepted them here at this intersection. Now we have got three cop killers on the loose and a dirty cop to contend with.

Mr Benson nodded his head, but I couldn't escape the look that passed between them. I knew they both knew more than they were saying.

"Lets get you back to my house' He stated.

We left the scene and I started plying Agent Benson with questions. "What is this all about anyway? I demanded. I came home to find my house being riddled with bullets and my mother missing. On top of that, I now have them gunning for me" I exclaimed.

"I said I would tell you more after we get home" He reiterated again.

I realized I wasn't going to get any more info out of him, so I settled back into my seat.

We pulled into his driveway and Christy came rushing out of the house in tears. She hugged me tight and started asking questions at a million miles an hour.

"Are you okay? What happened? and a few other things I didn't quite catch.

"I'm okay, but I now have a price on my head. One of them saw me" I explained.

"Your mother called a couple minutes after you left and told me to tell you not to come home, but I was in the shower and didn't catch the answering machine until after I got out. I knew you were almost certainly already there. I called Daddy on the phone and relayed the info and he set out from his office to find you.

"It was awful! I saw three Police officers gunned down before my eyes and had to render aid as best I could. Janet's dad was the only one who survived" I filled her in on the rest of it.

OMG! I was so scared for you! She replied. I think you and I both know how we can hide your identity don't we?

I sighed with resignation, realizing I had to reveal my secret to her parents.

"Mr and Mrs. Benson, I know that you understand I will need to go into Protective custody now. I need to tell you something that might help to that end" I stated."I am a Transsexual. I was born in the wrong body and have known I was a girl from the time I was 4. Christy has known for a long time and helped me keep the secret because I was afraid of what you and my parents might think"

"We have known for a long time" Mrs. Benson stated. Your mother said she noticed you with a smidge of black eyeliner and fingernail polish still left over a few times, but wanted to wait until you came to them to talk about it"

"I was scared of what they might think" I replied tearfully. You know my sister Jessica is Daddy's girl and I always thought I was expected to live up to being their son, but I'm not" I choked up sobbing.

"Your parents both love you very much. John and your dad have had extensive diversity training as part of their job, so they took an oath to defend everyone no matter what their circumstances. Granted, there are the old school Agents out there, but they are retiring more and more" Mrs. Benson replied.

Okay? What's the part of the story you didn't want to tell me in the car? I asked.

Mr. Benson sighed "You better sit down. Your house and you were targeted by a Mexican Drug Cartel. Your dad has been involved in a deep cover operation to find out who the mole is in both our agency and the local Police. A DEA team pulled a raid on one of their Stash houses this morning and got your dad out of there. One of the suspects apparently was watching from the outside and then phoned in to the Mole within the Department. We found out that the Mole in the FBI, told the one in the Police Department which one was the Undercover Agent investigating their connection to the Cartel. We found out that one of our higher level Agents with knowledge of the operation had a son who had been kidnapped because he owed them money and in the course of begging for his life, he told them his father was an FBI Agent. The Cartel made him call his father and told him that they would kill his son if he didn't tell them who the Agent was. Fortunately, we traced the call and found out where he was, but not before they tipped off Rodriguez. He decided to play it cool and carry on as if nothing was amiss,but he apparently looked up your father's name in the phone book before he left the station and then called the street level enforcers for the Cartel and told them where your family lived. They wanted revenge, so they shot up your house. Fortunately, your father called your mother and told her to get to a Safe House after the raid went down. She was on the road to the Safehouse when she called to tell you not to go home. I guess you had your phone turned off, until you called 911 to report the gunfire, so she couldn't get hold of you. She called us instead and got our Answering machine. I guess she felt you were safe here. After Christy called me, I immediately went searching from my office and the rest you know. Unfortunately, two fine Law Enforcement officers died in the process. He replied glumly.

"What next? I asked.

"We have to get you dressed in your feminine alter ego and out of here to safety. I'm also insisting Christy and Marsha go too. We still don't know how deep the corruption goes, so until we do, you are all going into hiding. Go pack all your clothes and anything else you might need. Mr. Benson said.

"We all got up to go pack. We were both very quiet lost in our own thoughts as we got to her bedroom door.

"Have you decided on the outfit you are wearing out of here? Christy asked.

"I think I will wear my Blue sleeveless blouse and white knee length skirt and boat shoes" I said.

"You will need to take everything in your wardrobe. I'm glad you got yours ears pierced a while ago and you just bought a new supply of makeup during our last trip to the Mall. She said.

Christy had me lie down on her bed and got the adhesive ready to attach my breastforms. Once that was done , I got dressed, did my makeup and brushed out my wig and put it on. I added silver hoops in my ears, and a matching necklace. I got the suitcase out and put everything I had in it and was ready 30 minutes later. Christy got everything she needed and was ready a few minutes later. Just then, my cellphone went off. It was my dad.

Get gone! He immediately said. We just intercepted a phone call that indicated that someone leaked your new location to the Cartel. Put John on" He told me.

I ran down the hall and handed Mr. Benson my phone. He put it to his ear, listening to what Daddy said and his face showed the frustration that was on his face. He finally said to Daddy "You mean to tell me Tim Mullanix is dirty? My God! He was at the scene with Aaron today. I guess the only reason why he didn't do anything was that there was too many people on scene. I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn't been there to pick him up" Thanks for giving me a heads up.

He handed me the phone after he hung up and grabbed his Bullet proof vest and his pistol with extra ammo clips. He gave Marsha another one and she put it in her purse. We gathered all our stuff up and headed out the door. We made it to the car and loaded all our stuff before we heard gunfire. Agent Benson showed his expert driving skills. He had his bluetooth activated and called someone he knew he could trust. He told them we needed an escort to the airport. We were coming up to East Main. Across the intersection, we were joined by four heavily armored swat vehicles flanking us on all sides. We arrived 15 minutes later and drove out to a non descript jet. I was surprised to find that there was a rear ramp that was large enough to accommodate their big Suburban in the cargo hold. We were dropped at the door of the plane and climbed the stairs. Mr. Benson then drove the SUV to the rear of the plane and it was loaded into the cargo hold. I looked at Christy with wide eyes.

"I thought the Presidential motorcade was the only ones that traveled on planes like this? I stated incredulous.

"This vehicle is like my mobile command post" Mr. Benson explained.

"You mean it goes everywhere you do? I asked. "Now I know why Dad always took his vehicle even if he was flying somewhere on an assignment"

"Your Dad sent someone to get his car at the same time your mom left with hers. It's just too bad that the Mustang was destroyed. Your dad was pretty pissed about it when he found out" He said.

"Yeah, He told me that he was going to pass it on to me when I graduated from High School, but I guess that won't happen now. I said disappointed.

"I guess you can find another one after all this is over" Christy said.

"I think 65' Mustangs are the least of our worries right now" I replied.

"You're right! Mrs. Benson said.

"I am wondering if Jessica is okay?

"Your mother called her and she is on the way to the Safe House too" Mr. Benson said

"I would think staying at Quantico would be the safest place to be for her. I mean she is going through training to be an Agent and she is surrounded by other Agents. I doubt some Mexican Drug Lord would dare attack the Academy.

"We aren't taking that chance. We don't know who has else may have been compromised in the Agency. We have to assume that they want to hurt everyone associated with your dad" Mr. Benson explained.

"I guess your right" I admitted.

Since it was dark, We couldn't see much outside the plane window and we knew better than to ask where we were going. We just settled back and went to sleep.

I was shaken awake by the landing gear coming down on the runway. I looked out the window and noticed Mt. Hood in the distance. I figured out we were in Seattle.I had been here before for vacation three Summers ago. I got ready to debark from the plane. We were met by an Agent Mitchell from the Seattle office. She seemed like she was friendly enough and she greeted us with an air of professionalism. I got a surprise when I saw the SUV. It had a Washington State license plate instead of the standard U.S Government issued one.

"I guess you aren't leaving anything to chance? I replied with a smile.

"No we thought that if we had a State plate it would blend in better" Mr Benson explained.

Mr Benson and Agent Mitchell insisted that we put on blindfolds as part of protocol. I was disappointed because I wanted to see the scenery along the way. We did as we were told and were soon on the road. We drove for it seemed like an hour but could have been a few minutes. I had a clue when I heard foghorns that we were approaching the coastline and I felt the SUV drive up on a platform and then felt us move up and down as we rolled over waves. We drove up on solid ground again and then a short time later we pulled up to the Safe House. We were told we could remove the blindfolds. As my eyes adjusted, I noticed there was a rustic looking cabin that was around 3,000 square feet. All of a sudden, Mom , Dad and Sis came out on the porch to greet us.

"Oh Honey, You look so pretty! Mom gushed. "I always knew you would"

"Hi Sis! I agree. You look like Mom at that age except for the Red hair" Jessica said.

"Hey Sweetheart! I agree with Mom and Sis" Daddy said.

"I love you all. I was terrified when I saw what happened to our house and I was terrified about what you would think of me as your daughter" I replied tearfully.

I ran to them and we met in a huge group hug. The rest of the gang followed in greeting.

"Hi Marsha! Mom greeted. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter as usual"

"Think nothing of it. I consider her another daughter" Mrs. Benson replied happily

"I think of you all as family. I was thinking about our cover and if it is alright with you. I want to call you Uncle John and Aunt Marsha from now on" I stated.

"Works for me" They chorused.

"Well that's settled" I giggled.

We got all the gear put in our rooms and sat down to my mother's famous Chicken and Dumplings. I felt safe for the first time in nearly two days and began to relax a little. I knew I wouldn't be able to rest easy until the killers were caught. I imagine they will be pretty busy hiding from every Cop in our city and State, because it is well known that Cops don't like people who gun down their fellow officers. Mullanix apparently had a gambling problem and sold me out for fifty grand. It didn't do him much good, because he was arrested as soon as he was heard compromising my location. I guess they still couldn't get to the house in time to stop them shooting at us, but we found out that a team of Swat officers killed the team that was sent to kill us, as soon as they got there. The team that was sent to kill us the second time was not the same one that killed the Officers and destroyed our house. They were still at large.

The days flew by as the rest of my family got to know me as Erin and I fell in love with the house and the Island. I loved getting up and looking out over the Bay as the Fishing boats came by. It was so peaceful compared to the bustle of the East coast. I settled into a routine and it almost seemed like my troubles were far away and forgettable, but something told me that it wouldn't be for a while. There had been a major crackdown according to Daddy. The DEA raided 5 more houses and killed anyone who gave them any armed resistance. They put a serious dent in their business.

"How are you this morning? Christy asked.

"I'm doing fine. I love it here! Wouldn't it be nice if we could live here all the time" I gushed.

"Daddy says it's pretty expensive here on Bainbridge, but I know there were quite a few houses at home that were just as expensive. My grandma's house is one of them" She said.

"I know. Beachfront property is a premium there anyway" I added.

"How are you two doing? Mom said as she came out on the porch.

"Hi Mom! How are things going this morning? I asked

"They're fine Sweetie. I was just telling your dad that I love this place. It's so peaceful. I wouldn't mind living here permanently after all this is over. I just wish they would catch the perpetrators who did all this. I did hear that Joe Jenkins is still alive thanks to you. Everyone tells your dad that they consider you a hero"

"I just did what I could for him and fortunately he survived" I said softly.

"I know Janet and her family are thankful for your quick actions" Christy added.

"I just wish I could have done something to help the other officers, but after I saw they were shot in the head, there wasn't anything I could do"

"Let's talk about something more pleasant" Mom suggested."I made arrangements for a Gender Specialist to come here and evaluate you. She was very interested to meet you and get you started on your way"

"Oh Mom! I can't wait! I screamed excitedly.I have waited so long to have a body that matches what you, Jessica and Christy have"

" I know Dear. I just wish I hadn't been so long in bringing it up. Jessica and I knew very early on that you weren't a boy. I know you tried because you thought that was what was expected, but Honey, We love you very much no matter if you are our son or daughter"

I ran to Mom and grabbed in a great big hug. We were both crying tears of joy. Christy even joined in, followed by Jess and Aunt Marsha a few seconds later" We were all just women enjoying the day together. The phone rang in the house and we ran to grab it. A man's voice on the other end said they had spotted Rodriquez and a couple of his cohorts coming across on the ferry. I was thinking Here we go again!

Daddy and Uncle John must have gotten word because they were loaded and ready. Agent Mitchell, Agent Walsh and Agent Randolph were there too. It seems that the dirty Agent that started this mess passed a message out of the jail to the sister of Rodriguez when she visited him. They had been dating and that was how his son got mixed up with the Cartel in the first place. The Cartel no longer cared about me, because the perps(except Rodriguez) who killed the Cops, were killed in a raid and I couldn't identify anyone else.It was getting too messy for them. Dad would be getting plastic surgery and reassigned in the Seattle office with a new name.

"Get some sharpshooters up on that hill behind the house. I want them to have a welcoming party when they land" Daddy said.

Agent Mitchell had her two way radio relaying instructions to the sniper team. The trio of bumbling idiots walked right into our trap and were taken down in a hail of bullets when they tried to open fire. The ordeal was over in five minutes. The idiots only had one thing on their mind and never cared about strategy. They were so consumed with getting even, that they didn't think that we would know they were coming. Oh well, he who lives by the gun will die by it apparently. The FBI and other local agencies around there converged on the house and grounds and had things wrapped up quickly.

Epilogue,

George Trumble, the dirty Agent had a few more charges added to his already long list for sending Rodriguez to try and kill me again. He was facing a mandatory life sentence for his role in this fiasco. I flew back there one last time to receive an award for helping Officer Jenkins. He greeted me at the airport with a big smile and a hug. Janet burst into tears when she saw me and remarked how beautiful I was. Her mother told me that I was now a member of their family and that Christy and I could come out and visit anytime. They weren't shocked at all by my appearance because I had emailed them pictures over the last several weeks. I took the time later that day to visit the graves of Officers Raymond Johnson and Kendrick Brooks. My new Endo in Seattle found out I was actually intersexed when she ran tests. I had surgery to open my vaginal canal get rid of the useless skin that was thought to be my penis and testes and had my first Monthly visitor a month later. Dad and Mom got a good settlement from the Insurance company on the house and combined with the inheritance from my grandmother bought another place on the island that was even more beautiful. Aunt Marsha and Uncle John and Christy found a nice home next door to ours and we settled in wonderfully. I got another surprise on my sixteenth birthday. Daddy had found and restored another 65' Mustang that belonged to one of his new colleagues at the office. Christy and I have decided that we will follow our dads and my sister into the FBI after all. Life is so good!