Chapter 1

It was almost ten-thirty when sixteen-year-old Bob Marks left work and walked outside into the warm, humid Virginia night. His shift at the coffee house had just ended, and he was eager to get home. He walked across the parking lot of the strip mall where he worked towards the road. He looked at his watch and debated whether to wait forty minutes for the bus or to try to hitch a ride home.

In many ways Bob looked like a typical teenager. He was five-ten, having undergone a recent growth spurt. He was thin, but like many boys his age, he was always eating, and he fully expected his weight to catch up with his new height.

His shaggy brown hair was nearly down to his shoulders. It was a pain at work, as he had to pull it back into a ponytail, but he liked it long. Partly it was because some of the girls at school liked it, and partly because it bugged his parents. Bob also played guitar, and he felt the longer hair gave him more credibility as a musician.

It was early summer, and traffic along the road was still fairly constant. He decided to give hitching a try first; after all, he could always catch the bus. Bob wasn’t worried as he hitched rides all the time and had never had any real problems. He had been propositioned once by a middle-aged businessman. Bob just told the guy that he wasn’t gay and to let him out, which the man did.

Bob shrugged this off as a necessary evil. He was currently saving for a car and would do whatever was necessary to get the money. Now that it was summer, he was working two jobs. In addition to the job at the coffeehouse, he was working under the table at the local golf driving range. His parents had told him that they would match whatever he saved for the car.

Bob sighed and moaned about working his entire summer vacation, but he expected to have enough money to get a car before school started in the fall. He stood by a street light and stuck out his thumb; hopefully, he could get a ride pretty soon.

Chapter 2

A wicked grin grew on the face of Monica Lee as she saw that her prey was standing by the side of the road. She had been stalking the teen for several weeks, ever since she’d first seen him in the coffeehouse. Her nipples hardened at the thought of what she was about to do to him, and she licked her lips in anticipation.

Monica seemingly had it all. At age twenty-nine, she had become a self-made millionaire. She had inherited fifty thousand from an aunt when she was nineteen and had immediately invested it in real estate. She had bought and sold property from Norfolk to Richmond. Over the years, she had become very savvy and could sniff out properties that she could turn over for a fast profit. She had become very adept in buying from military personnel, who often had to sell quickly. She made sure that they thought they got a good deal, but she always made a sizable profit.

She was also very attractive. Monica used her looks as one of her tools in her business deals, and she wasn’t beneath using sex to close a deal. She didn’t mind as she was a very sexual being.

Monica was proud of her body and did everything necessary to keep herself looking fit and sexy. Her thirty-six D breasts were still firm and round, and she often wore low cut tops to distract her business clients. She figured that her breasts had saved her thousands in real estate deals.

However, Monica didn’t just use sex to increase her personal wealth; it was the greatest thrill in her life. She was bisexual and had long ago graduated from what she considered run-of-the-mill sex. She was constantly on the search for new sexual thrills; this was where Bob came in.

She had quickly discovered that she was dominant and loved controlling her partner, but this also grew tame over the years. It wasn’t exciting enough, especially when the other person was a willing participant. She had fantasized about dominating an unwilling participant and turning him into her personal sex slave. Over the years this desire had become increasingly more and more dangerous. She began to add in the concept of physical transformation to her plans.

At first she debated abducting a young woman to play with, but then she stumbled onto a website about transgendered slaves. She was immediately aroused by the idea of turning a heterosexual male into a totally submissive sissy slave. She later met a woman who provided transformed teens for a price. Unfortunately, the woman had disappeared from the scene several years ago. The rumor was that she had been arrested and was presently serving a long sentence in a federal penitentiary. If it was true, it was too bad, as Monica had always enjoyed Margo Simon’s company.

Monica loved the combination of an ultra-feminine body, forced submissiveness, and under it all, the remnants of a male in her future slave. Over the years she had studied the techniques necessary to make her dream come true. She became obsessed with idea of having her own sissy slave.

She decided to start with a teenage virgin as this would allow her to train him from ground zero. All his sexual knowledge would come from her, and she could totally corrupt the youth and turn him into a totally submissive slut-slave.

What she couldn’t do herself, she sought out like-minded people who could do the more technical parts of the physical changes. She took her time and researched people who she could either trust or blackmail in order to cover herself.

She’d met Yvonne at an S&M party, and they had hit it off immediately. Yvonne shared her fantasies for turning boys into girls. Yvonne owned a salon and was accomplished in applying permanent makeup and in body piercing.

Monica had once watched in fascination as Yvonne worked on a male slave at a party. Yvonne inserted one steel ring after another around the man’s sexual organs. She explained that, once the piercings healed, she would connect the rings, which would create a chastity device.

Monica planned something similar for her new slave. She would turn him into a very sexual being, trained to perform in all manners of sexual acts, but at the same time remaining a virgin in terms of “normal” sex. She would use the carrot of sex to drag him along until he was totally under her control.

Another person necessary for Monica’s plan was found in a plastic surgeon who had recently run into some problems. He had given several women much larger breasts than they had requested. They threatened to sue him and take away his medical license until Monica stepped in. She personally paid for their reconstructive surgery in exchange for them dropping the charges. In the process she had Dr. Mark Butler by the balls. She told him that he could do several surgeries for her in exchange for being let off the hook. She also had additional dirt on him, regarding sex with his fifteen year old babysitter.

Everything was in place; all Monica had to do was grab her prey. She took a deep breath and put her car in gear.

Chapter 3

Monica had first spotted the boy three weeks earlier. She was driving home from dinner when she saw him hitchhiking on the other side of the road. In fact, it had been just a few hundred yards from where he was presently standing. Driving by, she’d noticed he was wearing the type of shirt worn by the employees at the local coffeehouse.

Over the next few days, she began to check him out. He was thin and not overly masculine. She suspected he would respond nicely to the cocktail of hormones she was planning to use on him. Through one of her contacts, she had acquired some rather potent experimental female hormones. The person who sold them to her told Monica that she could expect to see results starting in as little as two weeks.

What was also appealing about them was that they were mixed with a highly addictive narcotic. She was promised that her victim would be begging for his dose after just a few days. She planned on using that to its full effect.

As Monica watched her victim, she was able to estimate his height and weight. She bought a wardrobe that would allow her to feminize the boy. Later, she would expand his wardrobe so that she could dress him as she pleased. In a way, he was about to become her new doll.

What convinced her that he was the one was when she heard one of his friends kidding him about being a virgin. Unknown to Bob, this sealed his fate.

Monica’s home was located on a large piece of land just outside of town. Her nearest neighbor was almost a mile away, so she wouldn’t have to worry about being interrupted. She planned on picking the boy up and seducing him. Once she had him at her place, she would drug him and start him on his new life.

She wore a very tight top that night, a short skirt, and high heels, as she wanted to look like every teenage boy’s fantasy. Part of her look included a blonde wig and heavier makeup than usual.

Bob had no idea of the danger he was in as he watched the dark colored SUV stop next to him.

“Hi, do you need a ride?” asked Monica innocently.

Bob couldn’t believe his luck. “Yes, please.”

“Where are you heading?” she asked.

“I live six miles up the road. Do you know where Maple Lane is?”

Monica nodded. “Sure, come on, I’ll give you a lift.”

Bob got in and closed the door. “Thanks, I really appreciate this. My name is Bob.”

Monica smiled back. Soon it will be Brittney, she thought. “Nice to meet you, my name is Lisa,” lied Monica. She did this just in case he escaped.

Even in the dim light of the SUV, Bob noticed Monica’s body. Her clothes were so tight and revealing, it was as if her top was painted on her.

As they drove down the road, Monica reached over and placed her hand on Bob’s knee. As expected, this move caught Bob totally off guard.

“How old are you, Bob, eighteen?” she asked seductively.

Bob began to stammer. “Um… I’m sixteen.”

“Really? You look much older,” continued Monica. She smiled as she began to spin her web around the boy.

“You mean that?” he asked.

“Oh, yes. I bet the girls just love you.”

Bob shook his head. “I wish.”

“Oh, come on, you can’t tell me that you don’t have a girlfriend.”

“No, not presently.”

Monica smiled. “Do you like me?”

Bob’s eyes opened wide.

“I mean, do you think I’m pretty?” she asked. “Look at me, please be honest.”

Bob was now so distracted and confused that he didn’t even notice that she was no longer driving towards his street. “You’re beautiful.”

“That’s so sweet, Bobby, thank you.”

Bob didn’t know what to say next. He just kept staring at the gorgeous woman sitting next to him. The next thing he knew, her hand was rubbing against his cock.

“Hmm, well, I can tell that you like that; don’t you, Bobby?” she asked.

He tried to speak, but could only nod.

“Do you like to party?” she asked.

Bob nodded again.

“I thought so; why don’t we go to my place and have some fun? Would you like that?”

Bob could feel his cock pressing tightly against his jeans. “I’d like that, I’d like that a lot.”

Monica smiled. “That makes me so happy, Bobby.”

A few minutes later Monica pulled her SUV into her garage. She closed the door behind her and led Bob into her house. So far it was progressing as planned.

“What would you like to drink, Bobby?” she asked.

“Um, I don’t know,” he replied, caught off guard by her request.

“Don’t worry about it, I know exactly what to fix you,” she stated. She walked over to her bar and fixed her victim a very special drink. Outwardly, it looked and tasted like a screwdriver, but the secret ingredient was the drug that would soon render Bob unconscious.

She sat down next to him and handed him his drink. She touched her glass to his and smiled. “Here’s to a night you’ll never forget, Bobby.”

Bob nervously sipped his drink. He had smoked dope and drunk beer, but mixed drinks were something new. As Monica hoped, he drank it quickly.

Monica leaned over and began to kiss him. She knew that he would soon be unconscious and her true fun would begin.

“Are you a virgin, Bobby?” she whispered as they kissed.

Bob felt his head swimming and he struggled to reply. “Um, yes.”

“It’s okay, sweetie. In fact, it makes me happy to hear that you’re a virgin.”

“Really?’ he asked.

“Yes, I love helping a darling young thing lose his cherry,” she continued. She had no intention of having sex with the teen, but she couldn’t resist the opportunity to play with his mind.

Bob was confused by what she was saying. Cherry?

“You know, angel, I don’t think that Bobby is a pretty enough name for a cute thing like you.” She was now on top of him. He was on his back, and she was straddling him. “I think Brittney is much nicer don’t you?”

“Brittney?” he asked. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open. “But, but, that’s a girl’s name.”

Monica smiled down at Bob. “I know, my dear Brittney, that’s because you’re about to become a girl, my girl. What do you think about that, my sweet little slut?”

He tried to speak, but nothing came out. His eyes closed, and he was out cold.

Chapter 4

Monica surveyed her new toy. She had kept him sedated the past few days, during which his transformation into her slave had started.

A tall woman with short spiky black hair ran her eyes over Bob. “Everything appears to be healing nicely,” noted Yvonne. “I’m still surprised that you had me do all this to him while he was unconscious, I would have thought that you’d enjoy watching him struggle.”

Monica shook her head. “No, I’d rather watch his reaction when he awakes and sees the changes. Once he sees how feminine he now looks, it will help break his spirit.”

Yvonne chuckled. “He’ll definitely be shocked by his, rather make that HER new appearance. She’ll look even better once the swelling goes down.”

“I like the swelling; it makes her lips look thicker and fuller. I plan on having her get collagen injections anyway, so she might as well get used to them.”

“You mean you’re going to give her nice cocksucker lips?” asked Yvonne.

“Why not? She’s going to be a slut; she might as well look like one too,” replied Monica.

“I like her new name too,” added Yvonne, as she ran her finger under a tattoo above the young captive’s groin. It read “Sissy Brittney.”

“I enjoyed doing that,” replied Monica. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be; maybe someday you could teach me how to do permanent makeup.”

“I’d like that.”

Bob, now Brittney, was lying on a bed in front of them. Her arms and legs were tied down by leather cuffs. An IV was in her right arm. In addition to providing nutrition, it added the hormonal solution into Brittney’s comatose body.

Her face had undergone a radical transformation, thanks to Yvonne’s skills. Brittney had little facial hair, and what little there was had been removed by electrolysis. Additionally, her eyebrows had been thinned down and arched. The effect was aided by permanent makeup.

Yvonne had also given Brittney permanent eyeliner and had also colored her lips.

Brittney now had bleached blonde hair, styled in large curls. Her ears each had several studs in them, as did her right nostril and her tongue.

Yvonne hadn’t stopped there with the piercings; she had inserted a small ring into each of Britney’s nipples. She had also inserted a series of rings into her scrotum. A ring was also inserted into the head of Britney’s penis.

“It will take a few months for the rings to completely heal,” explained Yvonne. “Then you can attach them, which should seal up her little clitty quite nicely.”

“Good. I can’t wait,” replied Monica.

“Will you need a cock ring to hold down her erections?”

Monica shook her head. “No, by the time the rings heal, she won’t be able to get a hard-on, thanks to the hormones. She’ll be able to get off, but it will be very different than what she’s used to.”

“Sounds delicious,” replied Yvonne, as she examined one of Brittney’s hands. “The nails came out really nice.”

She had super-glued false nails to each of Brittney’s fingernails and had painted them a bright shiny red.

“I know,” replied Monica. “I’ve very pleased with everything so far. How soon will we have to apply the next hair removal treatment?”

“One treatment is usually sufficient. If she does have any body hair grow back, I’ll take care of it. I have to admit that I love the way her body looks without any body hair,” replied Yvonne.

“Great minds think alike. Oh, can that stuff be used on her head?” asked Monica.

“Sure, but why would you want to eradicate such a nice head of hair?”

“It would make it much easier to change her looks. I found a company that makes wigs that can attach right to the scalp. They make them for people who’ve lost their hair. But if I had some made for Brittney, I could transform her so much faster,” explained Monica.

“I have a better idea; let me shave her head first with a straight razor. Then we can apply the solution,” said Yvonne. “Wait, I have even a better idea. Before we shave her head, let me dye her hair pink; that would really enforce the idea that she’s now a sissy!”

Monica laughed. “I like the way you think. We’ll do it after she recovers from her surgery. I’ll let you dye her hair, and when she shows the slightest bit of displeasure over her new hair color, I’ll have you shave her head.”

“I like that. Tell me more about the plastic surgery you want to do to her,” asked Yvonne, as she opened a bottle of wine that she had brought. “Would you like some?”

“Please,” replied Monica. “Well, of course I’m going to have him give her big breasts. I think she could handle double D’s, maybe even larger, don’t you?”

Yvonne nodded as she handed Monica a glass of wine. “Definitely, maybe even F-cup.”

Monica smiled. “I want her to have a nice petite little nose and some high cheekbones. Also as I mentioned before, thicker lips.”

“And what about her hips?”

“Yes, I think she should have a nice curvaceous ass, maybe even some liposuction to give her a smaller waist. However I’ll leave it up to the good doctor. He mentioned something about removing a couple of her ribs might be just as effective.”

“When will this happen?”

“Dr. Butler will be available in a day or so. I want my slave to have a totally transformed body before I start her mental training. All she’ll have to do is look in the mirror to know that her old life is over. I expect that her resistance will fade pretty fast.”

“Can I watch when he does the surgery? I’ve always been fascinated by plastic surgery,” asked Yvonne.

“I think that can be arranged,” replied Monica.

“This is so cool. Thank you for including me on this,” stated Yvonne.

“I should thank you for all your fine work. If you want, we can pick out a slut for your own use when I get done transforming little Brittney here; would you like that?”

“Hmmm, that sounds delightful,” replied Yvonne as she took a long drink of her wine. “So, when do you plan on waking her up?”

“Tomorrow. I want her to be on another day of the drugs; that way she’ll be well on her way to being addicted to them. So even if she wants to fight back, she won’t be able to for very long,” replied Monica.

“I’m very impressed; you seemed to have planned for everything.”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” stated Monica as she ran a hand across Brittney’s face.

“What about her family?” asked Yvonne.

“There was a news story this morning. The police are treating it as a missing person case and are asking for any assistance. So far, no one has come forward,” replied Monica.

“Aren’t you worried that someone might have seen your car?”

Monica shook her head. “Even if they did, it wouldn’t do them any good. I borrowed the SUV from a friend-of-a-friend who deals in stolen vehicles. The plates were fake, and the SUV went to a chop-shop the night after I grabbed her.”

“I’m even more impressed now,” said Yvonne.

“No, I’m not leaving anything to chance on this. Oh, come with me; I want to show you her room,” commented Monica.

They walked down the hall to a large ornate door. “It looks like solid oak, but it’s really a laminate. It’s steel with soundproofing. She could scream her head off in there, and you’d never hear it standing here.”

She opened the door, and they walked inside.

“Wow, this is incredible,” exclaimed Yvonne.

Inside was a bedroom with an attached bathroom. There were no windows. The walls were painted a soft pink. The floors had thick plush pink carpeting.

“How did you manage this?” asked Yvonne.

“Through people in the scene. I told them I had a teenage girl fetish,” replied Monica.

The bed was an oversized canopy bed. The bedspread was a floral pattern, with the predominant color being pink. The rest of the furniture looked as if it came out of a teenage girl’s room from a ‘60s sitcom. It was all ultra-feminine.

“I like the makeup table,” said Yvonne.

“Well, Brittney will be judged on her makeup. At first, I’ll have her look sexy, but mainstream. Later, I’ll move her into more extreme looks. I think she’ll look fabulous in latex or maybe as a Goth.”

“What about leather?”

“That goes without saying. I’m also going to corset train her. After her surgery, I’ll have her fitted for several.”

“What about shoes?” asked Yvonne.

“High heels at all times. I’ve researched having her tendons operated on so that she can only walk in heels, but that will be later,” said Monica. “For now, I want to see her struggle to learn to walk in heels. Now that I know her shoe size, I’ll be able to get her appropriate footwear -- all very high heels. She’ll never wear flats again.”

“Kinda like Barbie?” noted Yvonne with a grin.

“Exactly,” said Monica. “I’ve made some inquiries about a skin tone latex body suit for her. Mainly it would restrict the use of her arms and legs, like a Barbie.”

“Oh, my, that sounds like fun,” said Yvonne. “You know, after we shave her head, you could use her as a mannequin.”

“Now there’s an idea. I should be able to get a body suit made that is stiff, so that she can’t move by herself. I could then rent her out to vendors at the parties!

“Look at this,” said Monica. She opened up the drawer of the nightstand. Inside was a large collection of vibrators and butt plugs. “I plan on training her to be very anal in addition to being very oral. By the time I’m done with her training, the only things on her mind will be pleasing me and sex.”

“And you’re sure that she won’t fight back?”

Monica stared back at Yvonne with a look of mild amusement. “Please! If I can’t break a little boy, then I deserve to be caught. Besides, once she tastes the pain of withdrawal, I doubt she’ll fight me, even if she wants to. For the next few months, she won’t be outside of this house. She’ll loose all track of time and become dependent upon me. I’ve studied many books on hostage responses. I’m pretty sure I’ve got all the right elements to induce Stockholm Syndrome. I’ve also talked to a few people who have trained their own slaves.”

“Wouldn’t it just be easier to drug her into submission? I mean, you’re already using drugs to weaken her; why not take it a little further? After all, it would save you time,” stated Yvonne.

“I don’t want a zombie. I’m using the addictive nature of the drugs to feminize her body. No, I plan on tricking her into trusting me. I will use the suggestion of severe threats to force her obedience. I’ll make it very clear to the dear child that unless she obeys me, I’ll just kill her in some horribly painful manner and then dump her body. The trick is to make her believe that her only chance of survival is total obedience,” explained Monica.

“I see, that makes sense. So after you train her, will you take her out?”

Monica nodded. “Oh, yes. I plan on taking her all over town. Imagine the thrill of taking her for a coffee at the place she used to work. Of course, by the time I’m done with her, not even her own parents will recognize her.”

“Sounds dangerous, but danger always spices up pleasure,” added Yvonne.

Monica smiled in agreement. “I knew you’d understand. It’s always been this way, the strong preying on the weak.”

“How true. I’ve noticed that you have several video cameras in here, is that for security?”

“Yes, but mainly it’s for recording her reactions. She’ll be dealing with some very loose emotions now, and I can’t wait to see her crying. I can tape everything that goes on in here.

“Well, why don’t we go upstairs and eat? We can talk more over a nice meal,” said Monica.

The two women walked out of the room and past the unconscious teen.

Chapter 5

Bob slowly regained consciousness. He was totally disoriented, and his head felt very foggy. He tried to move and couldn’t. It was as if he was tied down. He also heard someone talking to him — no; they were calling someone named Brittney.

He opened his eyes slowly and saw the woman who had given him a ride, although she was no longer a blonde. She was standing next to another woman and a fat older man.

“That’s a good girl, Brittney,” said the woman.

“What… what’s going on?” he asked weakly.

“You are my property now, Brittney, and you are being transformed into my sexy sissy slave,” chuckled Monica.

“My name is Bob,” he replied weakly.

“Bob is a boy’s name,” she countered. “Look up, Brittney.”

He looked up and saw that there was a mirror suspended above him. He didn’t realize that the image was his own at first. He was looking at a blonde girl. Her face was made up and her lips looked all puffy; when he licked his lips, it confirmed that he was looking at himself.

He then noticed the piercings. He stuck out his tongue and confirmed that he had a stud in it. It looked like one that some of the slutty girls had at school. He’d heard from a friend that the stud made getting a blow job even better. Did that mean he was going to have to suck dick? His jaw opened in disbelief.

“That’s right, my little sissy, that’s you. It’s just the start, as my dear friend here, Dr. Butler, is going to make some additional changes,” continued Monica.

“Please let me go; I won’t tell anyone,” pleaded Bob. He looked back at his reflection and confirmed that his body now had a multitude of piercings. He could even see what looked like writing above his groin.

“Let you go? You’re not done, my sweet Brittney. No, that wouldn’t be right.”

Dr. Butler reached over and cupped Brittney’s chest in his hands. He ignored her feeble attempts to pull away. “Amazing, this growth has just been in the past few days? She’s almost an A-cup.”

“The hormones are very powerful,” said Monica. “So, how big can you make her now?”

He licked his lips. “D-cup, if her own breasts continue to grow. Later, I can increase her up to F-cup. That would be delicious.”

Bob shook his head. This couldn’t be happening. He had to fight back being physically sick as he realized that these perverts were talking about him.

“That’s sounds good. Now what about her face?” asked Monica.

“I read your suggestions, and I can provide everything you want. In addition to her cheeks and lips, I can work her chin and make her look even sexier. When I get done with her, I doubt her own mother would recognize her.”

“Excellent. Now, what about her ribs?”

Dr, Butler ran his hands down Bob’s waist. “That won’t be a problem either. It will make her recovery time longer. I can also make her hips and ass bigger, but again, it will increase the recovery time.”

“That’s not a problem, she’s not going anywhere!”

Dr. Butler laughed. He then ran his fingers over Bob’s pierced penis and scrotum. “Oooh, this is nice work, did you do this?”

“No, that was done by Yvonne,” said Monica.

“Very nice, I can’t wait to see it once you lock it up,” he said.

“That can be arranged. Oh, Yvonne would like to watch as you operate, is that a problem?” asked Monica.

Dr. Butler shook his head. “No, not at all. I can started tomorrow. Now, I think I’ll do the breasts last. That way, if they continue to grow I can go with the larger implants. Do you want me to keep her sedated and do it all at once?”

“Yes, that would be best. I want to start her training as soon as possible, but I don’t want to be interrupted by additional surgery, unless I decide on another modification,” replied Monica.

“Please, let me go,” begged Bob. He then winced in pain.

“Oooh, is my little sissy okay?” asked Monica.

Bob suddenly felt ill, he didn’t know what was happening, but it was getting worse with each passing second. He then felt a wave of cramps.

“Is she okay?” asked Dr. Butler.

“Oh yes, she’s just due for some more medicine. Now, Brittney, you are experiencing the onset of withdrawal. You’ve been on the drugs for several days, and a cold turkey withdrawal would be very painful; it might even kill you.”

She was right, thought Bob as he felt worse with each passing moment.

“Tell me you name, and ask me nicely, and I’ll take away the pain,” said Monica.

Bob felt a wave of nausea sweep through his body. “My name?”

“Yes, my dear sissy, what’s your name — your new name?”

Bob cringed and felt tears forming in his eyes.

“Look, she’s starting to cry,” said Yvonne. There was a taunting tone to her voice. “What a dear little sissy.”

“Well, that’s what sissies do,” remarked Monica. She reached down and ran her hand across Brittney’s face. “Tell us your name, and I’ll make it all better.”

Bob felt so weak, but he knew that it was pointless to fight this battle. He would have to save his strength and fight later. “My name is Brittney,” he said softly.

“And are you a boy?” asked Yvonne.

He looked at the other woman and cringed at the evil grin on her face. “No.”

“What are you, Brittney?” asked Monica.

Brittney felt tears rolling out of her eyes. “I’m a sissy.”

“That’s right; you’re a sissy, a sweet, submissive sissy. Now ask me nicely for your medicine. I am Mistress Monica, and I own you. Ask me nicely, and I’ll take away the pain.” She then reached down and gently wiped away the tears.

“Please, Mistress Monica, may I please have my medicine?”

“I should warn you, Brittney, the medicine will take away the pain, but it also contains lots of girly hormones. It will also make you even more of a feminized sissy, is that what you want?”

Brittney nodded. “Yes, Mistress Monica, please give me the medicine.”

“And do you want to be a sissy?”

Brittney nodded as she cried. The pain was now seeping throughout her body.

“Say it,” she ordered.

“I want to be a sissy,” replied Brittney.

“Whose sissy?” asked Monica.

“I want to be your sissy, Mistress Monica,” replied Brittney. She moaned as her stomach began to cramp up.

Monica smiled, reached over and turned on the valve that allowed the hormonal solution to enter Brittney’s body. Within minutes, Brittney was calm and sedated.

“That was amazing, I can’t believe how fast she turned,” said Dr. Butler.

“It’s a very strong drug. The good thing is that once I’ve totally broken her, it can be easily countered.”

“She looks pretty broken now,” he noted.

Monica shook her head. “No. She’s just trying to survive. She still has a lot of fight left in her and has a long way to go until she’s broken, but soon she’ll realize that escape is impossible, especially after you get done with her.”

Brittney soaked in the pleasure of the drug. It was hard to concentrate, but she knew that she would have to fight with all her might to gain her freedom.

“Well, we’ll let her drift off to dreamland. Come, Doctor, we’ll discuss the details of her surgery,” said Monica.

Chapter 6

Over the next few weeks, Brittney drifted in and out of consciousness as Dr. Butler reshaped her body. Her periods of being awake were short and done strictly to check on her medical status. Her body hurt all over, but that was minor compared to the anguish in her mind.

Brittney knew that her body was being transformed in order to serve the twisted desires of that evil woman. She cringed at what was in store for her when her body recovered.

Monica watched Brittney’s transformation with growing anticipation. Dr. Butler was a true artist and had been as true as his word. Brittney looked like a new person. Looking at her new face, it was unlikely that anyone would think that Brittney was once a boy.

The hormones were working even better than advertised. True, there was a risk to Brittney, and there was the chance of long term health problems, but that wasn’t Monica’s concern. She would wear out the young sissy long before that ever happened.

Brittney now had B-cup breasts. They were nice and firm. Dr. Butler was convinced that he could give her E-cup sized breasts. Monica told him to wait until all the other surgeries were completed.

Monica also decided that she would shave Brittney’s head and had already placed an order for a dozen wigs. They couldn’t be completed until a cast of the sissy’s head was made, but at least they would have the hair ready. Until they arrived, Brittney could go around bald or wear an over-the-counter wig.

Yvonne said that they could treat Brittney’s scalp now, but Monica wanted to wait until Britney was awake.

Monica checked on the status of the search for Bob. His parents had posted a reward and had hired a private detective to search for their son. They even went on local TV to plead for anyone who had seen their son. Monica decided that as soon as Brittney was totally broken, she would take her into her mother’s boutique. It would be so wicked.

She wasn’t worried about the detective. No one had seen her pick up Bob, and the SUV was now broken up into hundreds of pieces. There were only two other people who knew where Brittney was, and Monica knew she could trust them.

Yvonne was a kindred spirit, who shared Monica’s tastes for perversion. Monica wasn’t worried about her.

Dr. Butler was in equally deep. Monica had uncovered his taste for pre-teen girls, and she had more than enough evidence to make his life a living hell. So far, he had shown no hesitation in transforming Brittney.

As for Brittney, she wasn’t a problem. Once she saw her new body, she would break very easily and become a perfect slave.

Monica planned to eventually use Brittney in a variety of illegal acts. That way she would be even more enslaved. Monica already planned on having Brittney help her kidnap Yvonne’s future slave.

Everything had gone as planned, she thought. No, make that better than planned. Monica scoffed at the idea that the teen would give her any problems.

Chapter 7

Brittney woke up in a large bed. She looked up and saw a pink canopy above her head. She slowly sat up and immediately felt the weight of her huge breasts on her chest. They were enormous, and Brittney gasped as she realized that they were hers.

She carefully got out of bed and stood on shaky legs. There was a rising feeling of panic that she fought to repress. No, losing it would not help, she thought. She had to hold her shoulders back in order to balance with those huge boobs. She slowly walked over towards a large full-length mirror and stared at the strange reflection looking back at her.

Her face was so different. She almost thought she was looking at another girl. She reached up and touched her feminized face.

Her cheekbones were high and gave her face the look of a model. Her lips were thick and puffy. They looked red, and Brittney was initially surprised that the color wouldn’t wipe off. Then she remembered her mom once talking about something called permanent makeup.

She stuck out her tongue and saw the stud was still there. She reached up and touched the small stud in her nostril. She debated taking it out, but figured that it was the least of her problems.

She slowly soaked in her new body. Her waist looked so slim now. She touched it and felt some minor discomfort. She then remembered the doctor talking about removing some of her ribs.

The rings around her groin were shocking. They were now connected and seemed to seal her penis inside. Not that it really mattered now, she thought. She was barely a boy now. No, she was a sissy.

Brittney continued to stare at herself in the mirror. It would be so easy to give up and accept her fate. To fight back now seemed pointless. Her body was totally transformed, and she knew deep down that she would never look like a boy again. Bob was dead.

That thought angered her. Okay, Bob may be dead, but I can avenge his death. Both her parents were avid readers and had encouraged her to read. They also encouraged her to read books on many topics. Some of her favorite books were non-fiction; she’d read every book she could find on terrorism, elite military forces, police, and detectives. She would often take notes and then research topics she had read in a book. She had never thought that this hobby might be her way out of this living hell. No, she wouldn’t fight Mistress Monica. She would do as ordered and do whatever she was told, no matter how vile. But she would keep on guard and constantly look for a way to escape. There was no way she was going to let this bitch win.

Chapter 8

Monica watched Brittney examine herself on the closed circuit camera. It was hard to believe that Brittney had been in her captivity for three months. It was a long wait, but it was well worth it. Monica licked her lips in anticipation of starting the young sissy’s training.

Monica had taken special care in picking out her own outfit. The obvious choice was all leather, but she decided to go for a slightly different look. She was wearing a tailored suit, short gray skirt, low cut white blouse, gray jacket, and high heels. She decided for a more respectable look at first.

Brittney was still looking at herself in the mirror when Monica opened the bedroom door.

“Admiring yourself, my sweet sissy?” asked Monica.

Brittany turned around and stared back blankly. “Why did you do this to me… Mistress Monica?”

“Because I can, my dear Brittany. I’m rich, very rich, and money means power. However, I’m not out to hurt you. I want to teach you and train you. Soon you’ll know things that only a handful of people know,” stated Monica. She’d carefully picked out this story to seduce the teen into total obedience.

She’s lying, Brittney thought, but she decided to go along with it. “What do you mean? You’ve turned me into a freak.”

“Not a freak, my dear Brittney, a jewel. You have a body that others will crave, and with what I will teach you, you’ll gain great power and wealth. Consider yourself my apprentice. I will teach you how to be a much desired courtesan.”

Brittney just stared back.

“My sweet Brittney, I see great things in your future. Now, for you to gain this wealth, you must trust me completely. You are a child and cannot comprehend what I am about to teach you, so I will require total submission. If I wanted to really hurt you, I could have done that already.”

“But my body, why do I look like this now, Mistress Monica?”

“You are very lovely now. I have given you the tools you’ll need to become rich and powerful. I know this is confusing for you, but you must trust me. I don’t mean you any harm.”

“But I can’t leave, right?” asked Brittney.

“No, not presently. And if you did leave, you would be seen as a freak. No, when it is time, you will be allowed to leave, I promise you this,” stated Monica. She smiled softly. “As my apprentice, you will wear this collar as a symbol of your submission. It will come off when you are ready to leave.

Monica held out a black leather collar. It had a latch that would allow it to be locked around Brittney’s neck. There was a small metal box attached to the collar. She held out the collar to Brittney. Unknown to Brittney, the collar had a steel band sewn in between the two layers of leather. The collar had steel rings attached to it. The box had a function that Brittney would find out about later.

“As an example of my trustworthiness, I will allow you to place the collar around your own neck,” said Monica. “I could have attached it while you slept.”

She handed the collar to Brittney.

“You promise to let me go, Mistress?” asked Brittney.

“Of course,” said Monica with a smile.

Brittney took the collar and placed it around her neck.

“Allow me to lock it, and we’ll start your training,” said Monica.

Brittney nodded and felt a wave of dread as the small steel lock clicked shut.

“Excellent, now let me decorate you,” stated Monica. She attached some thin steel chains to the collar. The first two chains were attached to Brittney’s nipple rings. The last chain went all the way down to Brittney’s cock ring.

“There, that looks lovely,” stated Monica. She then pulled what looked like a small TV remote out of her bag. “Now, I know that you want to obey me, but there will be times when you will hesitate. It’s only natural, as I will introduce you to a variety of new experiences. I want to give you an added incentive to obey me of your own free will.”

“What do you mean?’ asked Brittney. “I have no choice but to obey you, Mistress.”

“I know that, my sweet sissy, but it’s human nature to resist. So let me give you a slight demonstration of what will happen to you should you disobey me.” She pressed a button on the remote.

Brittney screamed out as an electric shock struck her body. The pain was centered around her neck, but it also passed to her nipples and penis. She fell to all fours on the ground.

“That was the lowest setting. Now, just in case you try to escape, you will get the maximum dose if you should step outside of my house. I can turn it off if I want, but until I am convinced you are totally trustworthy, it will be on. Do you understand? I don’t want to hurt you, my sweet sissy. I didn’t have to tell you this; I could have let you discover this on your own. I want to show you that I really care about you. Do you understand?”

Britney slowly caught her breath and nodded. “Yes, yes, Mistress Monica.”

“Excellent. Now, please stand up, and we’ll get you dressed.”

Chapter 9

Monica began to tighten the laces of the corset that was now around Brittney’s waist. It was a store bought model, and it would have to do until she had Brittney fitted for a custom made model.

The combination of the corset and Brittney’s surgically altered body was stunning. It created the effect that Monica was hoping for. Brittney now oozed sexuality. There was a stark contrast between her enormous breasts, thin waist and large hips. In some ways, Brittney almost looked like a cartoon character.

“You look lovely, my dear sissy,” commented Monica.

Brittney just stared back at her reflection in the mirror in silence.

“I believe you should thank me for making you so beautiful,” stated Monica.

“Thank you, Mistress Monica,” replied Brittney softly.

Monica slowly dressed her slave, savoring every moment. She slipped stockings on Brittney’s smooth legs, which were followed by a pair of black pumps. They had four inch heels and a lock for the straps. Monica felt her pussy get moist as her slave struggled to balance in the unfamiliar shoes.

“For now that will do. I want you to become comfortable with seeing your lovely new body. Tomorrow I’ll pick out a nice dress for you to wear, something very feminine with lots of ruffles and lace. Now you will have you first makeup lesson.”

“Makeup, Mistress?” she asked.

“Yes, while your face looks fine for just sitting around your room, you need to learn how to apply makeup. I want you to look so pretty and sexy.”

Monica directed Brittney to the makeup table.

“I will show you how first, and then you will clean off the makeup and try it yourself; do you understand, Brittney?” she asked.

“Yes, Mistress.”

“Good, now I expect you will try your best, but if I suspect that you aren’t, you will be punished,” stated Monica. She then held out the collar remote.

“I understand, Mistress,” replied Brittney.

“Good girl. I don’t enjoy punishing you, but I have great plans for you, and you’re such a child. The problem with children is that they don’t know what’s good for them. You must learn to trust me completely. I know at first that this will be a problem as your mind was contaminated with the idea that you were a boy. We both know that isn’t true, right?”

“Yes, Mistress,” replied Brittney.

“Tell me what you are, Brittney?”

“I am a sissy, Mistress.”

“Very good. I’m very pleased that you know what you are. There will be a day when you will accept this fact completely and forget the fact that you were raised a boy.”

Monica then made up Brittney. She went for a mainstream look, but even that made Brittney look slutty. Monica made a note to reward the good doctor for his wonderful work.

Over the next hour, Monica monitored Brittney as she applied her own makeup. She was pleasantly surprised at how seriously the young slave tried to copy the techniques she was shown.

They were almost done when Brittney winced slightly in pain.

“Oh yes, it must be time for your girly medicine,” noted Monica. “I’ll go get it; you work on your lips.”

“Yes, Mistress,” said Brittney.

Monica returned a few minutes later with a small shot glass filled with a milky liquid. She handed Brittney the glass.

Brittney looked at the glass and its contents. Her eyes opened wide with fear.

“Yes, my sissy, that’s cum. Your hormonal medicine is mixed with it. I want you to get used to the taste. In no time at all, you’ll be begging me for more,” said Monica.

Brittney hesitated for a moment and then took a deep breath and, with shaking hands, raised the glass to her lips. She choked down the hormone-laced semen.

“Very good, Brittney. I’m very pleased. Now tell me how much you loved it.”

Brittney fought back tears. “It tasted really good, Mistress.”

“So you like drinking cum?”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“Tell me that you’re a cum swallowing sissy.”

“I’m a cum swallowing sissy, Mistress,” replied Brittney.

Monica smiled. “You will get your fill, slut. Every day from now on, you will get two doses, and by the time you suck your first cock, you won’t be able to contain your anticipation for cum.” Monica noticed the look on Brittney’s face. “Yes, you will become an accomplished cocksucker, my dear sissy. Everyone knows that sissies love to suck cock.”

Monica then walked over to the nightstand and pulled out an eight inch rubber cock. She placed it on a pillow on the bed.

“I want you to start practicing sucking this. I know it’s not the same as a real one, but you need to get used to the feel of a cock in your mouth,” continued Monica.

Brittney felt suddenly weak and slightly detached. She suspected it had to be something that was in with hormones.

“I’ll let you practice on this for a while. Just so you know, I’ll be keeping an eye on you,” stated Monica. She then pointed to the cameras.

Brittney nodded and walked towards the bed. She sat down and picked up the lifelike plastic cock. Play along, you have to let this bitch think she’s winning, she said to herself. She raised the cock to her mouth and began to suck on it.

“Good, I’ll be back later, sissy. If you do a good job, I’ll give you a reward.”

As Brittney worked the plastic cock, she told herself that she would escape. Failure was not an option, and if she surrendered, she would become a true sissy.

Chapter 10

Britney sat at her makeup table practicing the makeup techniques that Mistress Monica had insisted she learn. Brittney went along as she really didn’t have a choice.

As long as she was in the room, escape was impossible. An additional problem was the collar around her neck. She reached up and touched the lock that kept it secure. She would have to find a way of removing the collar. It was hard to believe that she had been wearing it now for several weeks.

Brittney suspected that the small key that Mistress kept around her neck was the one for the lock, but she had to make sure before she tried anything.

She studied her new face in the mirror. There was no doubt about it, she was now very attractive. Brittney realized that she now considered herself to be female. It only seemed logical, as the only remnant of her masculinity was her small cock. While she had never been big, she could tell that even though her cock was locked in the piercings, it was now smaller. She figured it had to do with all the hormones that she had been given.

Brittney also wondered how long she had been enslaved. Judging by the fact that even though she’d had numerous surgeries, she was in little pain, it had to have been months since that night when Mistress Monica grabbed her. Her mom had once had some minor plastic surgery, and it had taken weeks until she was pain free.

Brittney also wondered if her parents were still looking for her, and what their reaction would be to her new appearance. She decided that they were still searching for her and that they would love her regardless of how she looked; to think otherwise would be giving in to the monster who abducted her.

Even though she was disgusted by what had been done to her, she found that she was also fascinated by her new appearance. Her nipples were so sensitive, and the slightest touch sent a wave of pleasure through her body; it was very seductive.

Brittney began to rub her nipples and sighed from the sexual gratification. Her little cock began to get wet, and she found herself rubbing it through its enslavement. It was too hard to resist, and she was soon moaning in pleasure.

Monica and Yvonne watched on a monitor.

“She seems to be enjoying herself,” noted Yvonne.

“Yes, the conditioning she was given during her post-surgical coma seems to have taken hold. I want her to be a very sexual animal,” replied Monica. “I could have used the training to make her my slave, but where’s the fun in that?”

“True, it’s more entertaining to do it yourself,” added Yvonne.

“Exactly. I’m very pleased with her progression so far. You should see her drink cum; it’s very exciting, as soon she’ll be addicted to it as much as she is to the hormones. I can’t wait to watch her suck her first cock.”

“It should be very exciting,” said Yvonne.

“While she’s doing it, I plan on being right next to her, telling her what a lovely sissy she has become and that a real boy would never suck cock,” said Monica.

Yvonne laughed. “You’re so evil.”

“I know, isn’t it wonderful?”

“So where are you getting the cum?” asked Yvonne.

“I have a connection at a local sperm bank; it’s amazing how easily people can be bribed these days. The important thing is that the cum is clean, as the last thing I want is my sissy to get sick, and pass something on to me!” replied Monica.

“So when are you going to introduce her to her first vibrator?” asked Yvonne.

“I think today; after all, she’s progressing so nicely; so why should I hold her back?”

“Can I watch?” asked Yvonne.

Monica laughed. “Absolutely. In fact, why don’t we do it right now?”

“Do you think she’ll like it?”

“Like it or not, she’s going to do it,” replied Monica. “When she’s done, she can have her medicine.”

“I can’t wait,” said Yvonne.

Chapter 11

It was bad enough that she had to use a vibrator on her ass, but why did that other witch have to be there? thought Brittney. To add to her humiliation, the woman watched her drink the cum, making comments the whole time.

It was so degrading to have to shove the vibrator up her ass, correction, her ass-pussy, as Mistress Monica called it. Her cock was now her clitty, and Brittney was forced to repeat this aloud as she worked the vibrator in and out.

Still, in spite of the embarrassment, Brittney didn’t complain and followed the orders of the two women who had control over her life. She did her best to act defeated and submissive. Brittney wasn’t sure if they believed her performance, but it was the only chance she had of escape. Besides, she figured, what else could they do to her?

The next day she discovered how much worse it was going to get.

Chapter 12

Brittney suspected something was wrong as soon as she finished her morning dose of cum and hormones. Her head felt light, and she soon drifted off into blackness. There was no time to even cry out as she slumped to the floor.

When she came to, she was sitting on the bed. Her arms and legs seemed strangely stiff, and she couldn’t move them. As she opened her eyes, she found that this was the least of her problems.

She was facing a full-length mirror, and what she saw both horrified and shocked her. She looked like a toy, a large doll dressed all in pink.

Mistress Monica and Yvonne were sitting in chairs watching Brittney’s reaction.

Brittney stared at her image. The first thing her eyes were drawn to was the fact that her hair was now dyed bright pink. It was also styled in curls, so that she looked like Shirley Temple. Pink ribbons were arranged in her hair.

Her face was made up to look like a doll. Her lips were bright red, as were her cheeks.

The bodice of the dress was very tight, and it showed off her large breasts. Under the dress was obviously a very lacy petticoat. She had pink stockings on and matching pink heels.

Brittney tried again to bend her arms and couldn’t. She looked over and saw that her arms were encased in some sort of sleeve. The sleeves were rigid and prevented her from bending her elbows or wrists, and her arms stood out straight because of this. She couldn’t bend her knees either, and she suspected that something similar was around them.

“She looks so precious, doesn’t she?’ stated Monica.

“Oh, yes, a living doll!” exclaimed Yvonne.

Both women started laughing.

It was all that Brittney could do to keep in control. Still, her face showed her true feelings.

“I don’t think that Dolly Brittney is happy, do you?” asked Monica.

“No, I don’t the sissy is happy,” answered Yvonne is a mocking tone. “What’s the matter, Brittney, don’t you like being pretty in pink?”

Monica and Yvonne started laughing.

A tear rolled down Brittney’s face. She tried to wipe it, but her restraints prevented her from bending her arms. The inability to move her arms only caused her to cry more.

“Look, she cries just like a real baby!” stated Yvonne. “What a wonderful sissy!”

Brittney was now sobbing.

“I wonder if she wets herself too; do you think we should find out?” asked Monica.

Yvonne nodded and picked up an oversized baby bottle. She walked over to Brittney and leaned down in front of her. “Here, sissy baby, do you want a drink?”

Before Brittney could reply, the bottle was trust into her mouth. A warm fluid began to enter her mouth. She had no choice but to swallow it. Thankfully, it was just milk, thought Brittney.

However, the milk was laced with drugs, and soon Brittney was straining to control her bodily functions.

Seeing her discomfort, Monica stood up and grabbed Brittney by the chin. “I know it’s difficult, but you’d better not make a mess. If you do, you will be severely punished, do you understand?”

Brittney nodded and concentrated on trying to hold it in.

“I don’t think she’s gong to last,” noted Yvonne.

“I think you’re right. I think we’d better put our dolly in a diaper, just to make sure!”

To Brittney’s added shame, she was forced down flat on her back, and she could feel the two women placing her into a diaper.

“Now if she makes a mess, it will be easier to clean up,” said Yvonne.

“True, but she’ll still have to be punished. I tell you what, Brittney; if you can last an hour you won’t be punished,” said Monica, as she pulled Brittney back up into a sitting position.

“How should we punish the little sissy?” asked Yvonne.

“Hmm, I don’t know; let me think about it,” answered Monica.

Brittney struggled to maintain control, but it was so difficult. She suspected that there had been something in the milk, but that didn’t matter now; all that mattered was lasting the hour.

Twenty minutes later, Brittney lost control. She immediately began to cry due to the shame of soiling herself.

Monica was slightly surprised that the teen had lasted as long as she did.

“Oooh, did the little sissy have an accident?” asked Monica.

“I’m sorry, Mistress,” replied Brittney as she sobbed. “I really tried to hold it.”

“Still, you failed, and I must keep my word. If I didn’t, what would you think of me? I always keep my word, sissy,” said Monica.

Monica and Yvonne stripped and cleaned up the young teen. They then tied her down in an arm chair.

“Yvonne went to all the trouble of giving you pretty pink hair, and you show your gratitude by soiling yourself,” stated Monica. “Oh, well, since you don’t appreciate what she gave you, I suppose she should take it away.”

Before Brittney could reply, Yvonne, grabbed a big handful of her hair and cut it off with a pair of scissors. In a short period of time, Yvonne had cut Brittney’s hair down to short stubble.

Yvonne ran her hand across Brittney’s scalp. “That’s way too rough; I think I can improve on that.”

Yvonne then began to cover Brittney’s scalp in warm shaving cream. She then pulled out a shiny straight razor.

“Now, Brittney, if you know what’s good for you, don’t move. I don’t want to cut you, and if you struggle, it could get very bloody,” whispered Yvonne into the teen’s ear. She then showed the teen the razor.

Monica was watching and rubbing her right hand against her clit. It was so exciting to watch Yvonne at work.

Yvonne began to slowly shave Brittney’s head. With each stroke, she cleaned off the razor before starting the next pass. When she finished, she gently wiped Brittney’s smooth scalp clean. She inspected to see if she’d missed any places before rubbing in a cream to ease any inflammation.

“It feels so nice,” stated Yvonne as she ran her hands over Brittney’s silky soft scalp.

“I love how she looks now,” replied Monica. “Can you hold off applying the hair removal solution for now? I want to keep her like this for a while, and I want to watch you shave her again!”

“That’s no problem. In fact, the solution will work better if there’s some stubble. I will get her scalp mold now, so you can send it to the wigmakers.”

“Sounds good. Just think, Brittney, in a few weeks you won’t ever have hair on your head again. We will just slip a wig on your head when you need hair. It will be so much easier to take care of!” Monica began to laugh.

Brittney sat in stunned silence. She couldn’t believe that they had shaved her head, and even worse, they were going to make her permanently bald. She began to tremble slightly from fear at the thought of what they would do to her next.

Yvonne covered Brittney’s head in foam. It would soon harden, and after it was removed, Yvonne would make a cast of the teen’s scalp. This would be sent to the wigmakers, who would in turn create wigs that could stay in place on the teen’s scalp.

When Yvonne was finished, she untied the teen. They then reapplied the chains from her collar to her nipples and clitty.

“I think you’ve been though enough today. Here’s your protein drink, drink it and go to bed,” stated Monica.

Without protest, Brittney obeyed. She took the glass and obediently drank it. “Thank you, Mistress Monica.”

Chapter 13

Monica and Yvonne sat upstairs drinking wine, discussing Brittney.

“I’m totally amazed by her reaction. I would have thought she would have at least put up a little struggle when I began to cut her hair,” said Yvonne.

“I’m a little surprised myself. However, I’m not upset. This just speeds up her training. I was expecting her to fight more, but if her will has broken, so much the better. Her real training will start when she starts sexually pleasuring me and anyone I tell her to.”

“Do you think she’s really broken?” asked Yvonne.

Monica nodded. “I’ve been watching her, and she’s shown no signs of resistance. I think she has come to the conclusion that her only chance of survival depends on obeying me.”

Meanwhile, Brittney pretended to be asleep. She knew that she was being watched, so she always did as she was told. The shaving of her head convinced her that she would have to make her move at the first opportunity. There was no way that she would sit back and let those monsters make her permanently bald. Hopefully, they would take her outside of the room soon, and then Brittney would make her move.

There were risks involved, and she knew this. If she failed, the punishment would be awful, but that was a risk she would have to take.

Another thought came into her head. While escape was her number one priority, she also knew that she might have to fight the two women in order to escape. At a minimum, she had to get the key from Monica so she could remove the collar.

As Bob, she had never been that much of a fighter. Sure, she had gotten into a few fights, but they were never serious. But this was different; she might have to hurt them, maybe even worse. Brittney thought about it as she drifted off to sleep. She thought about the books she used to love to read, and how the heroes would do whatever it took to succeed. She knew that she would also have to do whatever it took in order to escape.

Chapter 14

Brittney woke to see Monica and Yvonne standing next to her bed.

“Good, you’re awake. You know, Brittney, I’ve done so much for you and asked for so little in return. It’s time you showed some gratitude,” said Monica. “Now, I want you to stand up and place your arms by your side.”

Brittney nodded. “Yes, Mistress.” She got out of bed and stood next to it, with her arms passively next to her sides.

Yvonne then began to wrap Brittney in plastic wrap, starting at her shoulders and slowly moving down, encasing her much like a spider would it’s prey. Soon Brittney was completely wrapped in a cocoon.

Monica smiled as she inspected Yvonne’s work. “Very nicely done.”

“Thank you,” replied Yvonne.

Monica then gently pushed Brittney back onto the bed. With Yvonne’s help, she positioned Brittney so that she was on her stomach and her head was extended over the edge of the bed.

Monica then retrieved a stool. It had an adjustable seat so that it could be raised or lowered. Monica carefully positioned the stool so that Brittney’s face would be at the same level as her vagina. It took her several minutes to get the height of the stool perfect.

“Now, Brittney, you need to learn how to pleasure your Mistress. I want you to only use the tip of your tongue and your lips, additionally you will obey my directions. I don’t have to remind you what the consequences will be should you disobey me,” said Monica, as she held out the remote for the collar.

“Yes, Mistress Monica. I will obey you,” replied Brittney.

“Excellent,” answered Monica. She pulled up her skirt and revealed that she wasn’t wearing any underwear.

Brittney was slightly surprised to see that Monica had no pubic hair, and she wondered if it had been removed the same way as hers had.

Monica pulled Brittney close so that her slave’s tongue could just reach her labia. “Okay, sissy, I want you to start licking me, take your time and be thorough.”

Brittney did her best to obey. It was all she could do to extend her tongue to reach her Mistress.

Yvonne sat down on the bed next to Brittney and positioned her as directed by Monica.

Gradually Monica moved closer to Brittney. She then directed her slave to press her tongue in deeper. It felt wonderful, and her pleasure was only heightened by the fact that her sissy slave was totally helpless. It was even better than she had hoped for.

“It’s a good thing that I found you, Brittney. It would be a shame to let your talents in giving oral sex to be wasted. The one thing I wonder is whether you will be as proficient in giving oral to men, real men,” stated Monica.

“Well, she loves drinking cum so much, I’m sure she’ll love sucking cock too,” noted Yvonne.

“How true. Sissies love giving pleasure; it makes up for the fact that they’re neither a real man nor a real woman,” added Monica.

“I know, she looks so much like a woman, yet she has that silly little clitty between her legs. It’s been rendered useless,” said Yvonne.

“I know, and it takes the place of a real pussy. Oh well, she’ll have to be content to be fucked in the mouth and up her ass,” continued Monica.

Brittney focused on her task and tried to ignore the insults of the two woman, but what they were saying was true; she wasn’t either male or female; she was somewhere in between.

“Oh, Yvonne, she’s so good as this. You’ll have to try it,” stated Monica.

“You’re so kind, I would love to have her between my legs,” replied Yvonne.

“This is almost as good as a vibrator. I think we’ll have to do this every day,” said Monica. Her breathing had become heavier, and she pulled Brittney closer between her legs. She loved the feel of her slave’s smooth scalp as she clasped it and pulled it nearer.

An hour later, Yvonne cut Brittney out of the plastic cocoon. Brittney was totally exhausted.

“You did very well today, sissy. I’m very please with your ability to obey. I want you to clean up and then spend the next three hours working on your makeup skills,” said Monica.

“Yes, Mistress,” replied Brittney meekly.

“This is just a taste of what you’ll be doing for me. I want you to clear your mind, slave. You exist now to entertain me and to pleasure me. That is your purpose in life from now on,” said Monica.

Brittney nodded. “Yes, Mistress.”

“What are you, Brittney?” asked Monica.

Brittney gently bit her lip. “I’m a sissy, Mistress.”

“That’s right, my sweet. There is no shame in this,” continued Monica. “The world needs sissies, and you will become my most valued possession.”

Brittney watched the two women walk out of her bedroom and heard the door lock behind them.

When she was a boy, she had always fantasized about having sex, but now sex seemed disgusting. She knew that she could do whatever it took to survive, but that didn’t mean that she would enjoy it.

Then there was the threat that she would soon be having sex with men. Brittney cringed at that idea, yet she knew that under her present circumstances she was helpless to resist. No, she would go along and follow orders; but at the same time, she would try to escape at the first opportunity.

Chapter 15

Monica continued to use Brittney to sexually pleasure herself. Even though the custom fitted wigs had arrived, she kept Brittney bald. There was something very erotic about holding the sissy’s smooth head close to her vagina.

Monica was also very pleased with how submissive and obedient her slave had become. At first, she suspected that the teen might be playing along, but with each passing day she was more convinced that she had broken the teen’s spirit. She was so certain that she decided to take her slave out for a trip to the outside world.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Yvonne.

Monica nodded. “You’ve seen how she’s been acting; do you see any resistance in her at all?”

“That’s true, but it’s a big risk. Her parents are still looking for her, and it’s been over seven months since you grabbed her,” stated Yvonne.

“I doubt they would recognize her now. I just want to drive her around town and let her take in the change of seasons. I mean, I doubt if she even knows how long she’s been my property,” said Monica. “I also want to take her to be fitted for her real corset; after all she’s been wearing that generic one for too long.”

“Okay, you know best,” replied Yvonne. “So what outfit are you going to dress her in?”

“I’m thinking short leather skirt, high heel boots, and that tight red sweater. I’m thinking that the blonde pageboy wig will make her look extra sexy.”

“I agree, it’s my favorite,” added Yvonne.

“Well, we’d better go tell her the good news!”

Chapter 16

Brittney couldn’t believe what she was hearing. They were actually going to take her outside. She nervously applied her makeup, making sure that she didn’t make even the slightest mistake. She didn’t want Monica to suspect a thing. She stared at her new wig. It seemed strange having real hair again, even if it was a wig; most of the time she went around with a bald head.

Monica and Yvonne led her out of the room and through the larger room that served as a dungeon. Brittney stared at the table where she had first awoken who knows how long ago.

They then led her through another thick door. Brittney was surprised to see that on the other side it looked like a normal basement. The door seemed to disappear into the wall behind them.

They took Brittney upstairs into a very luxurious home. For the first time since her abduction, Brittney could see outside. She was shocked to see that it looked like winter outside. Had it had been that long? she thought.

“Just a reminder that you’d better behave,” said Monica as she pressed the button on the remote.

Brittney screamed and collapsed on all fours.

“You know that I don’t like hurting you, my dear, but I want you to know that you belong to me, and escape is impossible,” stated Monica.

“Yes, Mistress Monica,” replied Brittney softly.

Brittney stood up and walked slowly behind her Mistress and Yvonne. They led her to a door that opened up into a large garage. There were two BMWs in the garage.

Brittney decided that this was the time. She glanced around and saw a shovel lying against the wall. It would have to do. In a flash, she grabbed it and struck Monica across the head with it, knocking her down.

Yvonne turned, and before she could react, she was struck across the face with the shovel. She fell back and struck her head against the side of the car. Brittney hit the woman two more times before turning back to the unconscious Monica.

Brittney crouched down and searched Monica. Around Monica’s neck was a gold chain that had the key Brittney needed. She snatched the key off the chain, and unlocked the hated collar from around her neck. She then detached the chains that connected to her piercings. For a moment she was about to toss the collar away, but another thought came to her.

She placed the collar around Monica’s neck and locked it in place. She then searched Monica’s purse and found the remote for the collar and the keys for one of the cars.
Brittney hurriedly walked towards one of the BMWs.

“What… are… you… doing?” moaned Monica. She was holding her head as she struggled to get up.

“Leave me alone!” screamed Brittney.

“I… I own you, sissy,” hissed Monica.

“You don’t own me! You’ve never owned me!” yelled Brittney. She then remembered the remote for the collar, and she pressed the button.

Monica screamed as she clutched the collar.

“That’s right! It’s hurts, doesn’t it?” screamed Brittney.

“You’re so dead, bitch,” grunted Monica.

Brittney’s months of frustration exploded as she pressed the button again. She then turned up the scale and hit it again. “Fuck you, I hate you, I hate you. Look what you did to me, you bitch!”

Monica rolled around on the ground in agony. Something was very wrong; her chest hurt, and it was hard to breathe. She tried to get up and collapsed on the ground. This can’t be happening, she thought. I must get up, she thought, but it was too hard. She drifted off into blackness.

Brittney tossed the collar remote on the ground and got into the car. She turned the key, and much to her relief the car started. Brittney noticed the garage door remote attached to the sun visor and pressed it. She let out a sigh of relief as the door opened, without hesitation she pulled out of the garage and headed down the long driveway. As Brittney drove out, she looked over at the two unconscious women and smiled. She was free.

Of course, she had no idea of where she exactly was, but she knew that she had to get away from the house as quickly as she could.

Brittney drove down the country road and scanned for any road signs. She was also hoping to see a police car. Ten minutes down the road, she came to an intersection. She drove straight ahead and continued to look for help. She kicked herself for not grabbing a phone, but there was no way she was going back to that house of horrors. She also realized that she had no money either, but again she wasn’t going back to the house. By now, Monica would have recovered from the shocking and would be looking for her.

She was becoming so flustered that she didn’t notice how fast she was driving or the local police car that came up behind her. She was startled by the sound of the siren, and she pulled over. It then hit her that she was now safe.

Officer Rick Jackson didn’t know what to think when the large breasted girl jumped out of the car and ran towards him. There were tears running down her face, and she was screaming “Thank you.”

“Take it easy, what’s wrong?” he asked her.

Brittney tried to catch her breath and tell him what happened. By the shocked look on his face, she could tell that he wasn’t sure if she was telling him the truth.

“Look, take to me the police station. You can take my fingerprints. My parents had them registered when I was three,” said Brittney.

Rick had the girl get into the back seat of his patrol car, and he radioed back to the station. They confirmed that there was a missing person’s report out for a Robert Wayne Marks.

Brittney sat in the back of the car smiling. She would soon be free and reunited with her family. It was all over.

Chapter 17

Once they arrived at the police station, Brittney was escorted to an interrogation room after they took her fingerprints. They told Brittney that this was being done to confirm her identity. Brittney told the cops that her parents had her fingerprints and DNA. It was done after several teens had been abducted when Bob was ten.

“Aren’t you going to call my parents?” she asked anxiously.

“All in due time,” said the detective. “My name is Detective Davis, and I’d like to hear more about what happened to you.”

Brittney nodded. “Still, you need to get to the house and arrest those women.”

The detective smiled back. “Everything is being taken care of. Now, do you mind if we record this conversation?”

She stared back and wondered if something was wrong. “Um, sure, I guess so.”

The detective set up a microphone on the table. Outside the interrogation room, two men were watching Brittney and the detective through the one-way mirror.

One man was the senior detective, and the other was the Commonwealth Attorney.

“Are you sure that they’re both dead?’ asked the CA.

“Yes, I just got a call from Detective Vasquez confirming that the two dead women are Monica Lee and Yvonne Johnson. Their purses were right next to their bodies,” said Lt. Cooper.

“Vasquez is the lead on this scene? Damn, Coop, what is that token doing out there? Don’t you have a more experienced detective available?” asked Thomas J. Hill.

Cooper shrugged his shoulders. “We’re short shifted right now. Look, I know that she’s new, but she has the making of a good detective.”

Thomas shook his head in disgust. “I tell you, Coop, times have changed. I mean, it’s bad enough you had to hire that little senorita as a police officer, but then you had to promote her.”

Lt. Cooper stared back at the CA. He knew better than to argue with the powerful man. Word was that Hill was considering a run at congress. Thomas Hill was also from an old Virginia family, and Cooper knew better than to mess with them. It wouldn’t matter to Hill that Vasquez was a third generation American with Puerto Rican heritage. She had also been honorably discharged from the Marines. He just kept his tongue quiet.

Thomas Jonathan Hill did indeed come from the old Virginia powerbase. He was related to the Confederate general A.P. Hill. Thomas was a graduate of VMI and later Duke Law School. He had firmly established himself as a no-nonsense, conservative, god-fearing prosecutor in his five years as the district attorney.

He was a tall man, starting to show signs of approaching middle age. He was slightly soft in the middle, even though he worked out three times a week. His once chestnut hair now had streaks of gray in it. Thomas actually liked this as he felt it made him look distinguished.

Thomas took a can of snuff out of the pocket of his vest and took a small pinch. It was funny, he had starting doing smokeless tobacco as an election ploy, and now he actually liked it. It played well with the common man.

“Well, don’t worry about Vasquez; this is looking like a cut and dry case. We have the kid in a stolen car, and she admitted to the officer who picked her up to having hit the two women,” said Cooper.

“You mean HE admitted to hitting the two women,” remarked Thomas. He pointed at Brittney. “Can you believe that thing is really a boy?”

Cooper didn’t reply. “Still, we should read her… I mean him, his rights. After all, we don’t want this one to get away on a technicality.”

“All in due time, Coop. Right now, we’re just talking to him. I want to get confirmation from the scene. We have her for grand theft auto; if her prints turn up at the murder scene, then we’ll charge her. Right now, we’re just letting the little freak relax. Oh, are his parents here yet?”

“No, but they should be here soon,” said Cooper.

“Have you told them anything?’

“No, just that we have their son,” said Cooper.

Thomas smirked. “Son, what a crock. I’d like to be in on the questioning of them, if you don’t mind?”

Cooper knew it was pointless to argue as this case as quickly getting out of his hands. “Sure, go ahead. I’ll have one of my other officers in with you, just to make it more legit.”

“Good. I’d like to see if they know about their son’s perversions,” said Thomas.

“So you think he did this to himself?” asked Cooper.

“Had to. Come on, do you think that two of our most reputable and successful businesswomen turned him into that?” asked Thomas as he pointed to Brittney again. “No, he sought out someone to help him become that abomination, and then was somehow befriended by Miss Lee and Miss Johnson. I suspect he killed them to rob them; he panicked and stole the car to escape.”

Cooper didn’t say a word. It couldn’t be that simple, but he wasn’t about to make waves. He was just six months from retiring, and he didn’t want any trouble. Besides, if the CA was taking charge of this case, that cleared him of any trouble should the case blow up in the department’s face.

“Great, I’ll go wait in your office; come get me when his parents arrive,” said Thomas.

Cooper nodded and decided to stay and listen to the teen tell his story. It was a wild story, and Copper wondered if it was true. It was very detailed for a lie. He called up Detective Vasquez.

“I want you and your team to search the house, and let me know if you find anything unusual,” he said.

“What should I be looking for?” replied Det. Nina Vasquez.

“You’ll know it if you see it; search every room,” he stated.

“Okay, Boss,” she replied. Unlike many in the department, Lt. Cooper had always treated her with respect, and she wasn’t about to let him down.

The case initially looked like a simple robbery gone bad, but then she saw the strange collar around the neck of one of the women. Also, the blow to her head didn’t look like a fatal sort of wound.

The second woman apparently died from the blow to her head. Nina saw the shovel with the blood on it. It wouldn’t take Gil Grissom to determine that it was what was used to strike the two women, she thought.

She did an initial search of the purses and found that both women had large amounts of cash and several credit cards. They also were wearing expensive jewelry. It didn’t make sense that a thief would pass up on this.

She spent the next few hours searching the house, but nothing looked unusual, and she wondered if she’d missed anything.

“The lab guys have finished up,” said one of the uniformed officers.

“Okay, we should be done here soon,” Nina replied as she walked back into the garage.

“Can you believe that little freakin’ trannie killed both those women?’ asked the patrol officer. “Damn, I hate fucking faggots. This is just proof they’re dangerous.”

Nina cringed and fought back her anger. She loved being a cop, but hated the bigoted comments she heard on a daily basis. It was even worse when she was in the marines. What made it worse was that she was a closeted lesbian herself.

“Enough,” she ordered. “The press is just outside; if they hear you, you’ll catch shit.”

The policeman nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. But doesn’t it make you sick? I don’t know the other woman, but Monica Lee was a wonderful person. She donated ten grand to my kid’s school so they could buy computers.”

“Our personal feelings don’t matter; we’re paid to find the truth,” said Nina.

“Hey, Nina, have you been down in the basement yet?” asked Det. Jeff Underwood. He had arrived at the crime scene an hour after Nina did. “The office just called, and the suspect says that’s where he was held hostage.”

“No, I haven’t been there yet, you want to join me?” replied Nina.

Chapter 18

“Mr. and Mrs. Marks, I want to thank you for coming here so quickly,” stated Thomas.

He was sitting across from them in one of the interrogation rooms.

“I don’t understand why we can’t see our son,” stated Dave Marks. He was a large man, having worked most of his life at Newport News Shipyard. He had started working there as a teenager. He went back to work there fulltime after leaving the navy. Over the years, he’d earned his degree in electrical engineering.

“Your son has changed a lot since his disappearance last summer,” said Thomas.

“What do you mean?” asked Mary-Ann Marks. She was a petite woman, in marked contrast to her husband. They had been high school sweethearts and had been married for twenty-one years.

She was the current owner of a small, but very successful boutique.

“You’re son is apparently a transsexual. He looks very feminine and has had surgery to make him look more like a girl,” said Thomas.

Mary-Ann and Dave looked at each other in disbelief.

“That’s not possible,” stated Dave.

“I wish it wasn’t. I suspect that when Bob ran away, he did it to be with someone who helped him change his body,” continued Thomas.

“Bob didn’t run away; he was abducted!” stated Mary-Ann angrily.

“What does he say?” demanded Dave.

“He claims that he was abducted and that he was changed against his will, but he has no proof,” said Thomas.

“We want to see him immediately!” stated Dave.

“In a few minutes,” replied Thomas. “Are you sure that he didn’t run away?”

“We hired a detective after Bob disappeared. He talked to all of Bob’s friends, and from what he found out, Bob was perfectly happy. I can have him come here and tell you that to your face,” continued Dave.

Thomas cocked his head. He hadn’t expected this, but it really didn’t matter. The lab was presently running the prints from the murder scene, and as soon as they came up he would have his case.

“Sure, but I have to tell you that your son is in big trouble,” said Thomas.

“What do you mean?’ asked Dave.

Thomas told them how Bob was found in a stolen car and that he might have killed two women.

“That’s crazy,” stated Dave. “I demand to see my son right now. I’m also calling our lawyer.”

“You’re son hasn’t been charged yet. We’re waiting for evidence before we arrest him,” said Thomas.

Dave stood up, barely holding in his temper. “You mean you’ve been holding him just so you can arrest him?”

Thomas stared back. “Look, I’m sorry; it’s always a shock when parents find out that their child is a criminal.”

“Where is Bob?” demanded Dave.

“Okay, but prepare yourselves, I doubt you’ll recognize him,” said Thomas.

Chapter 19

Dave and Mary-Ann stared at Brittney through the glass of the interrogation room.

She was sitting in the room alone as the police were waiting for the lab work. She was holding her arms across her stomach. She had forgotten about the drugs when she escaped. She’d told the detective that she had been on drugs. She was now feeling the initial stages of withdrawal.

“I know, it’s shocking,” commented Thomas. “We confirmed it’s him through his prints.”

“I want to see him,” stated Mary-Ann.

“He looks like he’s sick,” noted Dave. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He said something about his abductors drugging him,” said Davis. “I called medical, and they said that they would send someone over when they could.”

Thomas glanced over at the detective with annoyance.

“Can we go in and talk to him?” asked Mary-Ann.

The CA nodded, and Detective Davis led them in.

Brittney turned as the door opened and saw her parents walk in. She was overcome with emotion and began to cry as she stood up to greet them.

“Mom, Dad, oh my god, I thought I’d never see you again!” she cried. She ran over and threw her arms around them.

“Is that really you, Bob?” asked Mary-Ann.

“Yes, Mom, this is me. It’s a long story,” she cried.

Mary-Ann wrapped her arms around her child. She was shocked by his appearance, but she knew that he was her child.

“Dave, we have our child back!” stated Mary-Ann, as she began to cry.

Dave nodded and wrapped his huge muscular arms around both of them. He would get to the bottom of this and find out who had hurt his child.

Chapter 20

Detective Vasquez arrived back at the station and met with Lt. Cooper.

“The lab should have the results back soon,” he stated.

“Okay. I didn’t find anything in the basement. But it’s possible that there’s a hidden door that we didn’t see.”

“That sounds like something from a movie,” said Cooper.

“So, is the CA going to arrest the teen?” asked Nina.

“He can’t wait,” replied Cooper as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

“You don’t sound so sure that the kid is guilty,” said Nina.

“It’s just a hunch. I listened to that kid tell his story, and it sounded true. I can’t remember how many suspects I’ve heard tell their alibis, and I usually knew the instant they were lying. I don’t know the truth, but the kid is convinced that what he said is what happened. If he was going lie, why not pick a less outrageous story?”

“But the evidence doesn’t support him,” stated Nina. “I mean, there was nothing unusual at the house.”

“Nothing that we found. What about the collar that the kid said he put on Ms. Lee’s neck?”

“It looked like a modified collar used to train dogs. The lab has it now and are looking it over,” said Nina.

“Also, if it was a robbery, why didn’t the kid take any money?”

Nina nodded. It didn’t make sense.

There was a knock on the door.

“Excuse me, Lt. Cooper, but there’s a PI here, says he’s connected to the freak we’ve got in custody,” said the tall officer.

“Watch your mouth, Morgan,” snapped Cooper. “I’ve warned you about that sort of thing before. Show him in.”

The officer nodded. He kept his mouth shut and went out to get the PI.

“Sounds like most feel the kid did it,” said Nina.

“It’s that damn CA. He’s got everyone worked up on this one. This is going to get ugly, Vasquez.”

The PI was brought in. His name was Jim Rhodes, and he worked out of an office in Norfolk. He was twenty-nine and looked much younger. He had short brown hair and sparkling blue eyes.

Cooper extended his hand and greeted the PI. “I didn’t know you were working this one.”

Jim smiled back. “I usually get the teen missing persons in the firm now.”

Copper nodded. “How’s your old man?”

“Still kicking butt,” replied Jim. “I sometimes do some skip trace work for him.”

His father was a retired Master Chief Petty Officer who now ran a bail bond agency in Norfolk.

“Oh, Jim, this is Detective Nina Vasquez; she was in charge of the crime scene,” said Cooper. “Nina, this is Jim Rhodes.”

“Pleased to meet you,” said Jim, as he extended his hand.

Nina shook it.

“I know you want to talk to the Marks, but what’s your feeling about the kid?” asked Cooper.

“I talked to the parents on the way over on my cell phone and I have to tell you that I’m stunned. I found nothing that would indicate that he was involved in anything like this. I talked to his friends, co-workers, teachers and neighbors, No one, and I mean no one, had anything negative to say about him. I also checked his computer and it was clean. If he was leading a double life, then he was damn good at hiding it.”

“Okay, thanks. Oh, one thing, watch out for the CA, he’s out for blood on this one,” said Cooper.

Nina was surprised that the Lieutenant was so revealing with the PI.

“Thanks,” replied Jim. “Nice meeting you, Detective Vasquez.”

Chapter 21

By the time Jim arrived in the interrogation room, Brittney was telling her parents and their lawyer what had happened.

Jim couldn’t believe how the teen looked. He never would have suspected that he was Bob Marks. In fact, he knew that he would have been fooled if he had seen the teen on the streets; he never would have suspected that the teen was really male. He also felt that the teen looked much older that sixteen.

“They can’t be serious about charging Bob with murder, can they?’ asked Dave.

The Mark’s family attorney was George Longstreet, and he had little experience in criminal matters.

“It certainly looks like it. Look, Dave, Mary-Ann, this is beyond my scope of expertise. I can give you basic advice, but you need a crack criminal attorney to defend your son. I only know Thomas Hill by reputation, and he’ll stop at nothing to put Bob behind bars. This is the sort of case that will project him into the headlines, and the word is out that he wants higher office,” said George. “You’ll also need some good investigative help, no offense, Jim.”

“None taken,” said Jim. “I’m not jumping ship, but you need someone with more experience to investigate Monica Lee’s background.”

“So you believe me?” asked Brittney.

Jim nodded.

Brittney smiled slightly and then winced in pain.

“Are you okay, honey?” asked Mary-Ann.

“It’s from the drugs they were giving me. They sometimes took me off them as punishment, so I would be in pain,” answered Brittney.

“I think we should get you into a hospital. They haven’t charged you yet, so they have no right to hold you,” said George. “Besides we should get you a full physical to document everything that was done to you.”

“I’ll go talk to Lt. Cooper. He’s pretty reasonable,” said Jim.

Chapter 22

“Absolutely not!” snapped Thomas. “The lab is going to have the results soon, and I’m not about to have this criminal slip away.”

“No offense, but that kid is going nowhere. I’ve seen drug withdrawal before, and the kid is starting to hurt. In a few more hours, you may have to take him to the ER. If it makes you feel better, post a cop outside his hospital room,” stated Jim.

Thomas glared at the PI. “No one asked your opinion.”

“Look, Thomas, it does make sense. I can post an officer at the hospital, and we’ll make sure the kid doesn’t go anywhere,” said Cooper. “I’ve talked to the parents, and when charges are filed they’re ready to make bail. Besides, if we do lock up the kid, where do we put him? He’s a juvenile.”

“I plan on prosecuting him as an adult. Two murders, grand theft, for starters. I’m also going to push for no bail as the kid’s a flight risk. As for where we’ll keep him, what’s wrong with the county lock up?”

“You can’t put him there; he wouldn’t last five seconds!” stated Jim angrily.

“Cooper, get that civilian out of here!” demanded Thomas.

“Jim, leave. I’ll handle this,” said Cooper.

Jim reluctantly left the room.

“Look, I know you want this kid bad, but there’s no sense in being vindictive,” said Cooper.

Thomas shook his head. “Why are you standing up for this pervert?”

“I’m not; I’m standing up for my department. If the kid is abused or hurt, it will reflect on my men. If this case is as strong as you feel, then it will all work out,” explained Cooper.

“Okay, I suppose you’re right. It’s just that I knew Monica Lee. I met her at a few political functions, and she seemed like a real upstanding citizen. I stand for law and order, and I can’t have one our prominent businesswomen being murdered. I also don’t want to see her slandered by that… that pervert.”

Cooper sensed that the CA was hiding something. He also knew better than to ask right now.

“So, we’ll let the parents take the boy to the hospital, okay?”

Thomas nodded. “Fine. If we have to, we’ll arrest him there.”

Chapter 23

“He’s sedated and should sleep throughout the night. We’re still analyzing the narcotic that we found in his system,” said Dr. Armistead. “Whatever it is, it’s very exotic. It doesn’t match anything in our database.”

“So it’s not something that Bob could have acquired on the streets?” asked Jim.

“I would say that’s pretty accurate,” said Dr. Armistead.

“Would you testify to that?” asked George.

“Absolutely,” replied the doctor.

“Bob said it was used to keep him addicted to the female hormones he was given,” stated Jim.

“That would make sense, it doesn’t appear to have a recreational use,” he replied. “I also recommend that we keep him on female hormones for now.”

“Okay, if you feel it is best,” said Mary-Ann.

“What about the surgery that was done on him?” asked Jim.

“Whoever did it was very good; there’s almost no scarring. After we stabilize his withdrawal, I’ll conduct a full physical and write it up,” said Dr. Armistead. “I can also bring in a plastic surgeon to provide a more detailed analysis.”

“That’s sounds good, it should help with our defense,” said George.

“I’m also going to suggest that you bring in a mental health expert to talk to Bob,” added Dr. Armistead.

Jim looked at Dave and Mary-Ann who nodded. “That makes sense, do you have any suggestions?” he stated.

“I’ll see what I can do. Is there anything else you’d like me to do?” asked Dr. Armistead.

“I’d like you to record any scarring you find. I mean, did you see the chafing around his neck?” asked Jim.

“Yes, it looks as if he was wearing some sort of collar for an extended period,” said the doctor. “Look, I’d better check in on him”

“Thanks, Doc,” said Jim.

“I’m heading back to the office. We’re going to need help on this case. I imagine that the CA will be filing charges soon,” said George.

“I’ve already talked to my dad; he has the paperwork ready to go as soon as bond is set. I don’t want that kid to spend a second in custody.”

“I agree,” said George. “I’ll have my firm ready to go. But I must admit that we may not be the best to handle this sort of case.”

Chapter 24

Brittney was unconscious from the sedatives that the doctor had given her.

Her parents were sitting in the room next to her bed. They were both in shock over the condition of their only child. Bob’s body was totally changed. There was very little evidence that he was male.

“We’ll fight this, honey,” said Dave.

“I know, but what happens when we win?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied.

“How do you think Bob sees himself now?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he said again.

There was a long pause before Mary-Ann spoke again.

“How would you feel if he… decided that he wanted to be a girl?” she asked.

Dave was not an overly emotional man. He had been brought up to be tough and to think that a man doesn’t cry. But looking at his only child, he felt his emotions loosen.

“That’s our child; I will support him or her. I just want him… or her to be happy,” he said softly. He reached out and took his wife’s hand into his. “Right now, we need to fight to keep him safe.”

Chapter 25

Nina Vasquez was sitting in her apartment drinking her fourth Jack Daniels and Coke. It was a drink she had picked up when she was in the Corps. Why was life so complicated? she thought.

She loved being a cop, but she didn’t know how much longer she could keep quiet in the face of all the homophobia in the department. It seemed like she had been fighting this sort of shit her whole life.

She joined the marines out of high school because she loved the idea of serving her country. There was also another reason that seemed silly now. Her favorite movie when she was growing up was Aliens, and it was because one of the space marines was a female named Vasquez. The character was one of the toughest in the movie, and she saw her as a role model.

Nina had known she was a lesbian from the age of twelve, and she also had known she had to hide it. Her parents were Roman Catholic, and they would freak if they found out. She’d survived four years of “don’t ask, don’t tell” before she couldn’t take the pressure anymore. Her few relationships were very secretive and usually lasted only one night.

The easy thing to do was to leave the department and get another job, but she loved being a cop. There was one thing that she didn’t like; that was when she saw abuse of LGBT victims and even suspects. It wasn’t right, and it made her feel dishonest.

Her mind turned to the teen suspected of the two murders. The CA was out for blood, and that poor kid was probably innocent of murder, if anything it was self-defense. She knew that she wasn’t good enough to find the hidden room in the basement, but what could she do?

It then hit her, and she put down her drink and sat down at her computer. It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for. The question was what she should do next.

She did some more searching and found the PI that she had met that afternoon. She didn’t email him the information; instead, she left him a message on his machine. For now, it was all she could do, and it was better than nothing.

Chapter 26

Thomas sat in his office looking over the charges he was about to file against Bob Marks. He didn’t like the fact that the boy was currently in the hospital, as it might create some sympathy for the teen.

This could be the case that would give him lots of press coverage — just what he needed to jumpstart his upcoming campaign for congress. To him, it looked cut and dry; drugged out pervert kills two prominent businesswomen. It was too bad that the teen wasn’t eighteen, that way he could have made this a capital case and press for the death penalty.

His assistants told him that the case might bring in activists from the gay community; Thomas could only hope this would happen. It would mean more press for the case. The groups themselves would also play into his hands, especially if they caused problems. He had already contacted some of his friends in local religious political action groups, and they were ready to help. Let the perverts protest, and my supporters will pray; it would be great press.

Thomas wasn’t a fool, and he knew that there was a possibility that Monica might not be totally innocent. He would have the police provide him with anything they uncovered. She was dead, and there was no reason to have her name dragged through the mud. He could count on most of the cops, but that female detective worried him. It was too late to pull her from the case, but he wasn’t sure if she would play along. He would have to do something about her.

Chapter 27

Jim walked into the hospital and found Dave and Mary-Ann Marks sitting in the waiting area.

“Bob is undergoing a physical,” explained Dave.

Jim looked around and saw that they were the only ones in the area.

“I got a strange message on my office machine last night. It gave me the number of an activist group that provides legal aid to LGBT teens,” explained Jim. “I checked them out, and they have an excellent reputation.”

“Bob isn’t LGBT,” replied Mary-Ann.

“The CA is going to treat him as if he is. And like it or not, his gender has been altered,” stated Jim. “I think we’re going to need all the help we can get. I also have a feeling that the CA will have Bob arrested today.”

“Who gave you the number?” asked Dave.

“The person didn’t leave their name, but I suspect that it’s a cop; no one else knows about the case yet,” replied Jim. “I suspect that not everyone is a fan of the CA.”

“Contact them,” ordered Dave.

Jim nodded. “I’ll get back to you as soon as I talk to them.”

A nurse walked out and motioned for Mary-Ann and Dave.

“We’ll be with our child,” said Mary-Ann.

Jim pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number that had been provided to him. He was immediately passed on to one of the directors.

“I’m Marlene Hamilton; how can I help you?” she asked.

Jim told her about Bob.

“Where are you right now?” she asked.

“I’m at the hospital; the kid’s having some sort of withdrawal reaction to the drugs they had him on.”

“Does the teen have a lawyer?”

“Yes, but we’re going to need help. The Commonwealth Attorney is out for blood on this one.”

“Okay, I’ll get back to you shortly. I need to contact one of our lawyers in Virginia,” said Marlene.

“I hope they’re good,” said Jim.

“She’s the best; her name is Trish Andrews,” replied Marlene. “Give me your number, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I know something.”

Chapter 28

An hour later, Jim’s phone began to vibrate. He immediately answered it.

“Jim, this is Marlene. I’m on my way down as we speak. Our lawyer will also be arriving sometime this afternoon. Can you recommend a good hotel?”

Jim was pleasantly surprised at how fast Marlene had responded. “Sure, there’s a good residence type hotel just down the road.”

“Perfect, that will be where we’ll set up our headquarters. Now, how do you feel about some assistance on the investigation side of this case?’

“I would welcome it. My specialty is missing persons. I don’t have a lot of experience in criminal investigations.”

“I have someone in mind who might be willing to assist,” said Marlene. “His name is Max Bowie and he’s semi-retired, but he’s done some work for us. He also has some experience in dealing with teen slavery sex rings.”

“His name is familiar,” replied Jim.

“Have you ever read ‘Corruption in a Small Town’ by Faith Collins?” asked Marlene.

“Of course! He was the PI who helped break up that sex-ring in Maryland,” stated Jim. “Damn, if we could get him that would be fantastic.”

“I’m glad to see that you don’t have any problems with it,” said Marlene.

“Only a fool would turn down a chance to work with someone like Bowie,” said Jim.

“Good, I’ll contact him. Now, one more thing, if what you’ve told me is right, the CA is planning on making this a media event, right?”

“It looks like it.” replied Jim.

“Well, two can play at that game. I have a friend who is pretty media savvy herself; in fact, she’s also mentioned in the book,” said Marlene. “I think Diana Bowie is just the sort of help we’ll need.”

“You know her? I’ve seen her on CNN, and I love her books,” replied Jim.

“She’s almost as tough as Max, and she loves a good fight,” replied Marlene. “Well, I’ve got some more calls to make. I’ll be in touch.”

“I call the hotel and reserve you some rooms,” said Jim.

“Good, tell Bob and his parents that the cavalry is on the way,” said Marlene.

Chapter 29

“Do you really think that they’re going to charge me with murder?” asked Brittney weakly.

“It looks like it, Bob,” said Jim.

Brittney let out a sigh.

“What’s the matter, honey?’ asked Mary-Ann.

“Everything. I can’t believe that they don’t believe me. Didn’t they find the room in the basement?” asked Brittney.

“No,” replied Jim. “Tell me about it.”

Brittney told them about the room where she was kept.

“We should be able to find it, assuming we can get access to the house,” said Jim.

“Do you think the police found it and aren’t telling us?” asked Dave.

“Maybe, but I doubt it. Cooper is pretty straight, and I doubt he would lie or hide evidence. My guess is that they didn’t find it and just assume that it isn’t there,” replied Jim.

“What else is wrong, Bob?’ asked Mary-Ann.

“My name — Bob; it doesn’t exactly fit anymore,” she replied softly. “They called me Brittney, and I hate that name.”

“What do you want to be called?” asked Mary-Ann.

“I don’t know. I’m really not a boy or a girl right now,” she replied. “I mean, no one is going to believe that I’m a boy.”

“How about we call you Bobbi? It’s gender neutral,” suggested Mary-Ann.

“Is that okay?” she asked.

“We just want you to be happy; we’ll support your decision,” said Dave.

“The doctors said that it would take a lot of operations to make me like a boy again, and even then I would always look… different,” replied Bobbi.

“Did they tell you that?’ asked Dave angrily.

“No, I heard them talking; they thought I was asleep,” replied Bobbi.

“We’ll support you whatever you do,” said Dave.

George walked into the hospital room.

“What’s wrong?” asked Dave.

“I just got a call from a friend in the CA’s office. They’re planning on filing charges any day. Two counts of murder in the first degree, grand theft auto, and several other charges,” replied George.

“They can’t take him out of the hospital!” exclaimed Mary-Ann.

“They plan on arresting him here and declaring this room as a temporary cell. When the doctor releases him, they will move him to the county jail,” said George.

“The jail? He’s only sixteen,” stated Mary-Ann.

“The CA is going to charge Bob as an adult,” said George. “Now, we have time and assuming bond is set, we should be able to keep Bob out of jail. They can process him here.”

“Please call him Bobbi,” said Mary-Ann.

George looked around at the others and nodded. “Whatever you want.”

“George, have you heard of Trish Andrews?” asked Jim.

George nodded. “Sure, why?’

“She’s heading down here to help with Bobbi’s legal defense,” said Jim.

“I’m impressed; she has a reputation for being an excellent attorney. How on earth did you get her?”

“Through a friend,” replied Jim. He then updated George on Marlene and the help she was providing.

“Dave, Mary-Ann, I strongly recommend that you take her help,” said George.

“You don’t mind?” asked Dave.

“No, not at all, my firm will provide assistance, but you can’t go wrong with a lawyer like Trish Andrews. I don’t imagine the CA will be happy to hear that she’s defending Bobbi.”

“What are we going to do about the way he’s trashing our child in the press? Granted, he hasn’t actually named Bobbi, but he’s been saying some horrible things in the papers and on TV,” asked Dave.

“We’ll launch our own offense as soon as Trish gets here,” said George.

Chapter 30

Bobbi woke up with a start. It took her a few seconds to realize where she was. She looked around the room and saw her mom asleep in a chair next to the bed. Bobbi suddenly felt an overwhelming feeling of dread. It was bad enough that the police didn’t believe her, but she could also see the pain it was causing her parents.

The door to her room opened up and the nurse walked in.

“How’re you doin’, honey?” asked the nurse, a large, but friendly African-American.

Bobbi shrugged her shoulders. The pain wasn’t too bad right now, but it seemed to come and go. “Okay, I guess, thank you.”

The nurse smiled. “You feel like eatin’ something?”

“Maybe some soup, please,” replied Bobbi.

“I’ll see what I can do. I know you’re scared, but you seem to have a lot of friends looking out for you,” said the nurse.

Bobbi suddenly felt tears forming. She wiped one away as it ran down her face. “I know.”

“I’ll be back shortly, honey,” said the nurse as she left the room.

Bobbi wondered what she had done to deserve this. It was bad enough that she had been abducted and abused by those monsters, but now she could go to prison. She couldn’t understand how the police couldn’t find the hidden room that she had been kept in.

She also thought about her life should she be set free. She’d listened to the doctors as they talked during her physical. It was a skill that she had perfected while in Monica’s hands. They were oblivious to her presence.

The doctors felt that it would take multiply surgeries to make her look masculine again, but they weren’t even sure if that would work.

Then there were the long term effects of the hormones. The doctors seemed to think that it was unlikely that Bobbi could ever perform as a male again.

Bobbi absorbed all this and decided that maybe she should just stay a girl, maybe even get the surgery to finish the job started by Monica. She knew that mentally she saw herself as female now, thanks to the mind games that Monica had played on her.

She also couldn’t believe that the two women were dead, not that she was sorry; they deserved to die, but if they were alive it would make her defense easier.

The nurse returned with some chicken noodle soup. “I went down to the cafeteria and got this for you. It’s usually pretty good.”

Bobbi smelled the soup. It did smell delicious, and she started to eat.

“Thank you. I really appreciate your kindness; I mean, I know what some people must be saying about me,” Bobbi said.

“Hush child, don’t worry about what others might think. I’m a good judge of people, and I can tell that you didn’t do what that damn CA said you did.”

Bobbi looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“He was on TV tonight talking about you. Oh, he didn’t name you by name, but he said some pretty bad things. I don’t trust him, never have. He uses the Lord’s name too often and too easily.”

Bobbi nodded. This gave him hope that not everyone would be so quick to believe the CA. “Thanks.”

“Call me if you need anything, honey.”

Chapter 31

Dave, Jim, and George were sitting in the cafeteria drinking coffee. Sitting across from them were two women.

One was a short thin woman with brown curly hair. It was currently pulled back into a ponytail. She was dressed in jeans and a red sweatshirt that advertised a coffeehouse named Spencer’s.

Sitting next to her was an older woman with short naturally curly hair. She was around the same height as the other woman. She was dressed more formally in a plaid skirt, white blouse and navy jacket.

The younger woman had a laptop computer open in front of her.

“Okay, so it looks like the CA will be pressing charges any moment now,” she said as she typed.

“That’s right, Marlene,” said Jim. “We’re not sure why he’s waiting, maybe to get some test results back from the house.”

“Well, eventually he’ll have to disclose all his evidence to us,” said the other woman.

“Ms. Andrews, what do you think our chances are?” asked Dave.

“Please call me Trish. I can’t give you an answer until I see all the evidence. I don’t know how strong a case he has. Additionally, we need physical evidence to support Bobbi’s story,” she replied. “But, just so you know, I’m going to put up a strong defense, and part of that is putting up a strong offense. We’re not going to just sit here and let the CA make all the moves. Max Bowie should be down here sometime tomorrow, and he’ll get started on our investigation,”

Trish Andrews was a graduate of Stanford and later Harvard Law School. Initially, she was a public defender in San Francisco, but was later a member of a congressman’s staff. After ten years of Washington BS, she left to form her own legal organization. She focused mainly on fighting for LGBT criminal victims and those accused of crimes. She had a well-earned reputation as a legal bulldog. Even her rivals begrudgingly admitted she was a superb lawyer.

“I’m looking forward to working with him,” said Jim.

“Look, I appreciate all this help, but we’re not rich people. Don’t get me wrong, we’re willing to do whatever it takes to help our child, but we really can’t afford all this,” stated Dave.

“My rates are very affordable, Dave,” explained Trish. “I’m not in this for the money, but for justice. Yes, I know that sounds corny, but there’s another reason why I love taking cases like this; your CA is just the sort of self-righteous, pompous moron that I love to knock down a notch.”

“And our organization is funded by several grants and major contributors,” added Marlene.

“What about this Max Bowie?” asked Dave.

“He’s semi-retired. He takes cases like this for something to do,” said Trish.

“Is he good?’ asked Dave.

“One of the best. He has a personal interest in these sorts of cases. He also has connections to the feds, and that can be very useful,” continued Trish. “Now, as soon as the CA files charges, I’ll be filing motions to keep Bobbi out of jail. Unless the judge is a total neanderthal, he’ll see that there’s no way Bobbi will survive in a male prison. From what you’ve told me, Bobbi will be here in the hospital for at least another week or so. I believe we can get the judge to agree to that. If the CA declares Bobbi is a flight risk, then we’ll agree to an ankle monitor.”

“What then?” asked Dave.

“Hopefully, we can uncover enough evidence to shoot the CA’s theories out of the water. First, we need to get into the house and search for the hidden rooms. Jim, do you think that, what’s his name, oh yes, Lt. Cooper will allow us in?”

“He’s a good cop; I think he’ll allow it. We may have to do it with some of his officers,” replied Jim.

“That’s better than nothing. We’ll also start background investigations of the two women. I also want to start a search for this doctor. Are you sure his name is Butler?”

“That’s what Bobbi said,” replied Jim.

Trish nodded. “Okay. I also want a copy of Bobbi’s medical records. It’s obvious that someone spent a lot of money to transform Bobbi.”

“When do think that the CA will push for the Grand Jury?” asked George.

“I suspect he’ll do it quickly,” said Trish. “He won’t want to give us time to put together our defense. Right now, he still thinks he’s going up against a single lawyer from a small family firm — no offense, George.”

George laughed. “None taken, I’m just excited about working with a legend like you.”

Trish laughed. “Well, we’ll still have to work fast. The earliest he can get into the Grand Jury is in three weeks. That doesn’t give us a lot of time; however, if we can turn up enough evidence, we should be able to knock the legs out of his case. He’s going to argue that Bobbi murdered two innocent women in order to rob them. He’s going to play up the fact that Bobbi’s body has been surgically modified. So we need to show that the two women weren’t innocent, and that they’re the ones who abducted and abused Bobbi.”

“Sounds simple enough,” stated Jim. “However, this guy is very ambitious. I wouldn’t put it past him to bend the evidence or to hide it.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” noted Marlene. “He’s been suspected of railroading some of his cases. No solid evidence, but there have been rumors of him doctoring evidence and having witnesses lie under oath. He knows how to play hardball.”

“So do I,” replied Trish.

“He’s already using the local press to work up the community,” noted Jim. “He’s been on TV every night stating how he’ll get justice for Monica Lee.”

“Again, two can do that; after all, we have Diana Bowie on our side,” added Marlene.

Chapter 32

The next day, Thomas filed his charges against Bobbi. As promised, he planned to charge Bobbi as an adult. The most serious charges were two counts of first degree murder.

He was caught by surprise when Bobbi’s legal team showed up at the arraignment. For a moment, he appeared flustered when Trish filed her briefs to keep Bobbi out of jail.

She successfully argued that due to the special circumstances of the case, and the facts that Bobbi was still undergoing treatment for apparent addiction to an unknown narcotic, as well as continuing evaluation of the effects of female hormones, Bobbi should be kept under medical supervision. The judge agreed, and a police guard was placed outside Bobbi’s hospital room.

The judge also set bond, which was immediately paid. The police guard was removed. The judge ruled that there was sufficient evidence of felonies and the case was referred to the Commonwealth Circuit Court.

Thomas was furious and glared over at Trish.

***

He sat in his office and cursed out his staff.

“How the hell did that woman get involved in this case? And why didn’t anyone here find out about it?” he bellowed to the five young lawyers in the room.

The staff just kept quiet; they knew better than to interrupt him when his temper was erupting.

Thomas eventually calmed down. He could play this to his advantage when he ran for congress. He would use this as another example of liberal judges overstepping their boundaries. It didn’t matter that Judge Price was one of the more conservative judges in Virginia.

“Okay, we need to get our case in order. We need to make sure that there are no other surprises,” he stated.

“Um, I may have found a slight problem,” said John Breckinridge, one of more experienced aides.

“What is it?’ asked Thomas.

“It turns out that Yvonne Johnson once owned a body piercing studio in Wilmington, Delaware. She also may have been involved in the local S&M scene.”

“When?” asked Thomas.

“She sold the studio two years ago and opened her hair salon down here. However, she made regular trips up north, usually once or twice a month.”

Thomas absorbed this information. It hurt his case, but it wasn’t fatal. It then hit him. “Okay, maybe we saw this all wrong, and Yvonne was the one who transformed the kid.”

“So why did he kill her?” asked William Pender, a recent addition to the staff.

Thomas nodded. “Her creation got out of control; she’s dead, so we can badmouth her all we want.”

The aides glanced at each other, but no one dared argue with Thomas.

“Um, I need to talk to John for a moment. The rest of you get out there and start working on the case,” said Thomas.

John closed the door after they left.

“Do you have it?” asked Thomas.

John nodded and pulled out a file from his briefcase. He handed it to Thomas who opened it up and began to read.

“This is even better than I hoped for; well done, John!”

“Do you think this is really necessary?” asked John.

“I just consider this as insurance. The last thing we need is some unexpected testimony during the grand jury. Where on earth did you get these photos?’

“We got a tip and had a PI follow her to DC,” said John.

“Good, I think I’ll call her up and have a little talk. Thank you, John; I knew I could count on you.”

Chapter 33

“How’s Bobbi doing today, Doc?” asked Jim.

They were standing just outside Bobbi’s room.

“It’s been rough. To be honest, I’m not sure how much good we’re doing. It would help if we knew what sort of drug was in Bobbi’s system; so far we’ve been unable to identify it,” replied Dr. Armistead.

“Maybe I can help with that,” stated a large man with grey hair who walked up drinking a cup of coffee. He was dressed in jeans, loafers, a plaid shirt and a Connecticut College warm-up jacket. He extended his free hand to Jim. “You’re Jim Rhodes, right?”

Jim nodded. “I assume you’re Max Bowie?”

Max nodded. “Can’t slip one past a fellow PI,” said Max with a smile.

“Max, this is Dr. Armistead; he’s been Bobbi’s primary physician,” explained Jim. “Max is also part of the team defending Bobbi.”

Max shook his hand. “What I was saying, Doc, is that if you can give me a sample of Bobbi’s blood, I can pass it on to some friends who have experience in identifying these sorts of things.”

“I’ll have to get the parents permission first,” replied Dr. Armistead.

Max pulled out a sheet of paper from his coat pocket. “I already have it. I stopped by the hotel on the way over here; they were talking to Marlene and Trish.”

The doctor read the paper. “It seems in order. I’ll have it for you in the next hour.”

“Great. If you’d like, I’ll have them contact you directly,” said Max.

The doctor nodded. “So, may I ask who ‘they’ are?”

Max smiled back. “Sure, I have some friends with The Agency, and they owe me a few favors.”

The doctor looked over at Jim to see if they were playing a joke on him. Jim just nodded.

“Well, I have to admit that this case gets more and more interesting,” replied Dr/ Armistead.

“How’s the kid doing right now?’ asked Max.

“Bobbi is presently asleep. It was a rough night, and Bobbi was in a lot of pain. The withdrawal symptoms have gotten worse in the past twenty-four hours. I don’t know what it is, but I can tell you that it’s not something that someone would take for recreational use. It looks like it was used to control the teen, but I’m not an expert in these sorts of things.”

“I was briefed on what Bobbi said happened, and what you say only seems to support this,” said Max.

“Well, I’ll get you a blood sample and copies of all the previous blood work,” said the doctor.

“Thanks,” replied Max.

Jim and Max stepped quietly into Bobbi’s room.

“Wow, they really did a job on her, didn’t they?” said Max.

Jim nodded. “Pretty sick.”

“I’d like to talk to Lt. Cooper and see if we can get a look at the house,” said Max.

“I’ll introduce you to him, but I wouldn’t hold out any hope. He hasn’t returned any of my calls lately. I suspect the CA has been putting pressure on him,” said Jim.

Max nodded. “There’s a cop sitting down the hall in the waiting room, and there is one following Bobbi’s parents. He was sitting outside the hotel in an unmarked cop car.”

“So do you think the CA knows about you?” asked Jim.

“If not, he’ll know soon enough. I guess the CA is using this case to kick off his congressional run,” said Max.

“I’m voting for anyone else,” replied Jim.

Max smiled back. “Okay, as soon as Bobbi’s parents get here, you ready to get to work?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“We start a full investigation of Monica, Yvonne, and we try to track down the doctor who did this to Bobbi. We also try to get into the house and see if we can find the hidden rooms.”

“What if Cooper says no?” replied Jim.

“Then we find another way. We’ll first see if we can get blueprints of the house. That should give us some ammunition when we talk to Cooper.”

Chapter 34

Nina sat in her cat trying to decide what to do next. The CA had just told her that he knew she was a lesbian and that unless she did everything he said, he would out her.

She could take leaving the force; with her experience, she could get hired elsewhere, but it was a different story when it came to her family. She knew that she would have to tell them someday, but she wanted it to be on her terms. Now that bastard CA was forcing her into a corner.

Nina wondered why he was resorting to this sort of tactic; was he worried about the case? So far, it looked like everything was going his way.

She then thought of the supposed hidden rooms in the basement. Maybe there was something there after all, she thought. There was no way she could find out, as the CA had told her that she had to clear everything she did with him… or else.

Nina debated leaving the force, but she knew that the CA would expose her out of spite. What made matters worse was that he could do it and leave no proof that he had done it. It would be her word against his, and she knew that under the present circumstances, no one would believe her. She cursed her bad luck and headed to the station.

Chapter 35

Diana Bowie stood just outside Bobbi’s hospital room. She had just spent the last two hours talking to Bobbi’s parents. It pleased her that Bobbi’s parents were so supportive, especially considering the lack of support that Diana had gotten from her parents.

Even though she had worked on several stories over the years regarding sexual abuse, she had never gotten over what had been done to her back when she was in high school. While she had helped put the spotlight on many abusers, there always seemed to be new ones ready to hurt the innocent. The easy thing would be to avoid these sorts of stories, but Diana couldn’t turn down a call for help.

She had first met Marlene during an interview in Philadelphia, and the two women had hit it off immediately. Diana admired Marlene’s self-confidence and her fearlessness in opposing injustice.

Then there was Max. In many ways, he meant more to her than her birth father. After all, it was Max, along with Aunt Faith who had saved her back when she was running for her life from the Camerons. There was no way she could ever turn down his request for help.

While she was very successful professionally, her private life was still a roller coaster. She wondered at times why her current lover, Kari, put up with her; not that she was complaining. Kari was the first person with whom she could feel truly close in her life. Diana missed her deeply and couldn’t wait to be back in bed with her.

As much as Diana wanted to help with the case, it had brought up many bad memories of her own abuse. Why did people think they could hurt kids for their own sexual pleasure and get away with it? Well, at least the two women who had abused Bobbi hadn’t gotten away with it. Diana wished she could feel even the slightest remorse over their deaths, but she couldn’t. The only thing bad about their deaths was that they might mean Bobbi’s imprisonment. However, she had faith in Max to find the evidence to free Bobbi.

Still, having the charges dropped would be the just start of a long road for Bobbi, thought Diana. She took a deep breath and headed inside Bobbi’s room.

“Hi, Bobbi, I’m Diana,” she announced as she entered.

Bobbi smiled slightly and sat up in her bed. “I’ve seen you on TV. I’ve also read your books; they’re great.”

Diana nodded and sat down next to Bobbi’s bed. “How’re you feeling today?”

“So-so. I guess they’re still not sure of what was given to me. The best they can do is relieve the pain at times,” replied Bobbi. “I’m also having a lot of nightmares; do they ever go away?”

Diana debated her wording before answering. “You get used to them.”

“Oh. That’s what I thought. So, do you think that they’ll find the proof that I was held captive?” asked Bobbi.

“Max is working on it, and he’s the best,” replied Diana. “He saved me.”

“He had me draw out a floor plan of my room and the other room where that doctor worked on me,” stated Bobbi. “I hope it helps.”

Diana nodded. She knew that Max was also trying to get blueprints of Monica’s house. There had to be some physical proof. Max was also checking out plumbing and electrical diagrams. Max figured he could find the hidden rooms if only the CA would let him in the house.

As if she could read Diana’s mind, Bobbi spoke. “Has the CA given permission to search the house yet?”

“No, but Max is working on it,” replied Diana.

Bobbi nodded and took a sip of water. “Why won’t he let us look?”

“I think that he’s hoping that we’ll just try to make a plea. He’s planning on running for congress, and I think he feels this case will give him lots of good publicity,” replied Diana.

“How?” asked Bobbi.

“I suppose he feels he’ll gain the support of conservative voters,” replied Diana.

“If I had been a real girl, I suppose he wouldn’t be prosecuting me,” stated Bobbi softly.

Diana then decided to bring up a topic that had been on her mind since Max had briefed her on the case. “From what your parents have told me, you’re planning on staying female, is that right?”

Bobbi nodded. “It makes sense. My body has been so messed with that it would be difficult to ever look like a boy again. The hormones they gave me also sterilized me; at least, that’s what I overheard the doctors say.”

“Looks aren’t everything; how do you feel about this inside? I mean, I always wanted to be a girl. Just so you know, internal conflicts are very difficult to deal with. If you stay female, then it will change the way you’ll have to live your life. I’m not trying to talk you out of it, but I do want you to know how difficult it will be.”

“I know. I talked to a therapist yesterday, and she told me that it will be difficult either way. I’ve sort of accepted that I’m always going to be different from now on. As for being how others see me, I don’t see it being an issue; I’m so disgusted by the idea of having sex with anyone right now that I doubt I’ll ever want to be with someone ever again,” said Bobbi sadly.

Diana reached over and took Bobbi’s hands. “Please don’t make any snap decisions. Speaking from my own experiences, it doesn’t make you feel better.”

“I know, my therapist said the same thing,” replied Bobbi.

“You have a long life ahead of you, and I’m not about to say that everything is going to get better overnight, but you can’t cut the world off from you; trust me on that one. Now, back to the person you’re going to be, are you sure that you want to be a girl?”

Bobbi nodded. “Yes. I even want to get the sex-change surgery so that I’m complete…. more or less.”

“It’s a big step,” replied Diana.

“I know, but at least there’s a chance of being somewhat whole that way. I’m never going to be a real man anyway. Besides, if I had been more of a man in the first place, this never would have happened to me.”

“You don’t know that. I wasn’t targeted because I was transgendered. The people that grabbed you had some criteria that you fit,” stated Diana. “You did nothing wrong.”

Bobbi nodded. “Did you blame yourself?”

Diana nodded. “Yes, but I grew to see that I was a victim and not responsible. It took time, and I didn’t have the benefit of my parents supporting me.”

Bobbi tried to smile and instead her lips began to quiver. Tears began to roll down her face. “I’m so lucky… they love me so much.”

Diana reached over and hugged Bobbi.

Bobbi slowly pulled back and wiped her tears. “Sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay to cry, especially over something like your parents loving you,” replied Diana.

Bobbi cracked a small smile.

“Look, we’re going to clear this mess up. You still have a long life ahead of you. If you really feel that it would be better for you to live as a female, then I have a suggestion,” stated Diana.

“What is it?” asked Bobbi.

“I met someone through my work who runs a facility that helps transgendered teens, especially those who have been abused or forced into their gender change. It’s up in Connecticut, and in addition to helping you adjust to your new gender, they will ensure that you don’t fall behind in your education. They’ll also pay for your surgery, including breast reduction if you want.”

Bobbi nodded and looked down at her chest. “The doctor had a thing for huge breasts. I wish they were smaller.”

“They can take care of that, along with almost anything else you want.”

“It sounds expensive,” said Bobbi.

“It’s not. It won’t cost you or your family a thing,” said Diana.

“How’s that possible?”

“Part of the money comes from good hearted people who want to help, and the rest comes from the confiscated funds of sickos who have been caught. Once we find the proof that Monica did this to you, her estate could end up making a sizable contribution to the facility.”

Bobbi laughed. Diana was pleased to see the teen show some joy.

“Have you talked to my parents about this place?” asked Bobbi.

Diana shook her head. “I wanted to talk to you first. If you’d like to know more, I can have the woman who set it all up call you; then you can talk to your parents.”

“I’d like that,” replied Bobbi. She then winced slightly.

“You okay?”

Bobbi shook her head. “It’s the latest cycle of withdrawal. It’s going to get worse; can you get the nurse?”

Diana nodded and stood up. “I’ll be right back.

The nurse sedated Bobbi, and Diana left the room. She was seething in anger that the CA was trying to prosecute Bobbi. Any idiot could see that the teen had been brutally victimized and needed help. She called Max to see if he had made any progress.

Chapter 36

The ringing of the phone snapped Nina out of her deep sleep. She fumbled for the phone as she tried to clear her head from the bottle of Jack Daniels that she had consumed the previous night.

“Hello?” she asked.

“Detective Vasquez, I’m sorry if I woke you,” stated the man on the other end of the line.

“Umm… what time is it?” she asked.

“Nearly ten.”

Nina rubbed her eyes as she tried to wake up and clear her head. “Who am I speaking to?”

“My name is Max Bowie; I’m a private detective working for the Marks family.”

Nina recognized the name immediately. It was one that the CA had specifically warned her not to talk to. She wondered if this was some sort of test.

“Detective Vasquez, I’ve worked with many law enforcement departments in the past, and yours has to be the least cooperative; either that or it’s incompetence. Personally, I suspect that it’s due to a certain Commonwealth Attorney, and therefore I don’t hold it against you personally. However, WHEN we clear Bobbi Marks, I have no intention of stopping there. If I find that there’s been a cover-up, I promise that I’ll bring down anyone involved,” he stated.

“That sounds like a threat,” said Nina.

“No, it’s a promise,” he replied bluntly.

“Look, even if you are who you claim, why should I talk to you? Besides, how do I know you’re who you claim you are?” stated Nina.

“I’ll give you my home number; check it and you can see that I’m legit. I figure you can handle that much,” replied Max.

“And you expect me to help you after insulting me?” she replied angrily.

“I’ve tried everything else,” replied Max. “Look, I know something is going on. The CA is totally uncooperative, and your lieutenant is too much of a short-timer to care any more. My sources say that you’re a good cop and not the kind to see an innocent kid get railroaded.”

Nina absorbed Max’s words. She wondered if he really had checked on her background.

“Think about it, detective,” added Max. “You can check out my reputation and see that I don’t bluff.” He then gave her his number.

Nina hung up the phone and stumbled to the bathroom to find the aspirin. Max was right; something was wrong and she was up to her neck in it.

Chapter 37

Nina quietly checked out Max Bowie. Overall, she found that he had an outstanding reputation. While he was still currently licensed as a PI in Connecticut, he had also been involved in many federal cases. Nina played out a hunch and called a friend in the FBI.

“Dave, I need a favor; what can you tell me about a PI named Max Bowie,” she asked.

“Max Bowie — THE Max Bowie?” asked Dave Whitaker.

“I suppose,” she replied. She was surprised that Dave knew who she was talking about.

“Most of what we have on him is classified. Off the record, I can tell you that he has a near spotless record and has been on many special cases.”

“Can he be trusted? I mean, does he keep his word?” interrupted Nina.

“I don’t know him personally, but I’ve heard some stories about him. From what I’ve heard, you can trust him,” said Dave.

“Thanks, Dave,” she replied.

“Sure thing,” he stated.

Nina stared at the phone number that Max had given her. If she called and the CA found out, her life would be turned upside-down. But there was also the fact that Max was right when he said that something was wrong. It was bad enough to not do a thorough inspection of the Lee house, but to let the CA blackmail her into framing a teenager was inexcusable.

Nina also began to realize that the CA would find a way to get rid of her. He was known for being anti-gay, and as soon as the case was over, he would probably find an excuse to have her dismissed from the force.

If would be so easy if her family wasn’t involved. There had been many times she’d tried to work up the courage to tell her family, and each time she’d backed down. She debated having a drink, but decided against it. After all, she would just have another hangover to deal with along with all same problems. It was so frustrating.

Chapter 38

Diana was sitting across from Bobbi. The nurses had told Diana that it had been a rough night for the teen. The sedatives didn’t seem as effective. Bobbi looked worn out from the experience.

“Good morning, Diana,” she said wearily.

“Good morning, Bobbi. I heard you had a bad night; if you don’t want to talk, I’ll understand.”

“No, please stay, I can’t really rest right now anyway. The drugs they give me put me out, but I’m still really tired. My whole body feels exhausted; does that make sense?”

Diana nodded. “I had some bouts of depression, and it sounds similar.”

“That’s what I like about you, Diana. You treat me like an adult and don’t try to shield things from me. I know they do it to protect me, but it’s nice to hear the truth, unfiltered.”

Diana was growing very fond of the teen. In so many ways, Bobbi was stronger than she had been.

“Have they tracked down the doctor yet?” asked Bobbi.

“No. I don’t think the police think he really exists. Max has contacted some of his connections, and they’re trying to locate him. It’s not that easy as there are hundreds of doctors with the last name Butler, assuming it’s his real name,” replied Diana.

“I’ve searched my mind to think of anything else I heard that might help us find him,” said Bobbi.

“Oh, changing the subject, I talked to the woman who runs the foundation I told you about, and she’s not just willing to talk to you, but she wants to come down here and talk to you in person,” said Diana. “I think you’ll like her, she’s been through some of the same things as we have.”

“What do you mean?’ asked Bobbi.

“She was abducted and transformed to be sold off as a sex slave. However, the man who bought her turned out to be kind, and to make a long story short, he married her. He died of a heart attack, and she’s now devoted her life to helping others like herself.”

“I had no idea that so many others had gone through something similar,” replied Bobbi. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy that others have been abused, but I’m glad that I have others to talk to who have experienced the same sort of things.”

“I know. I wish there had been others that I could have talked to when I was younger. I had some great help, but it would have helped to have others to talk to,” said Diana.

Bobbi nodded. “So, what’s her name?”

“Celeste Farnsworth,” replied Diana.

For the next hour, Diana and Bobbi talked about the foundation and the case. They were interrupted by Dr. Armistead.

“Great news, we just got back the test results from the samples, and they identified the drugs that are in your system,” he announced.

“So can you help me?” asked Bobbi.

“Yes, the treatment should be here this afternoon. Max Bowie said it was being flown in as we spoke.”

“Excuse me, but what is the drug that was used on Bobbi?’ asked Diana.

“A synthetic narcotic, very addictive, very strong. It was developed by the East Germans and was used to control political prisoners. It has no recreational use. Max said that it’s not only rare, but very expensive,” said Dr. Armistead.

“So, it’s not something that someone could just buy on the streets?” asked Diana.

“That’s right. Marlene and Trish have the data and plan to use it as part of the defense,” said Dr. Armistead. “Now, Bobbi, the treatment is harsh, but it should clean you from all effects of the drug in three to four days.”

“I can take it,” she replied as she smiled at Diana.

Chapter 39

“How’s Bobbi doing?’ asked Max.

“She’s sedated, but the doctor says that she appears to be responding to the treatment,” said Trish. “Her parents are with her.”

They were sitting in the hotel room that was acting as their command center.

“That’s good news,” replied Max.

“I’m still getting no response from the CA’s office regarding a search of Monica Lee’s house,” said Trish.

“I’m waiting to hear back from the detective in charge of the case. I suspect she’s not fully supportive of the CA’s tactics,” said Max.

“How do you know that?” asked Jim.

“Instinct,” replied Max. “She had pride in her job and doesn’t like the way the CA is playing.”

“I hope we get something soon. The CA just informed us that he got the case on the next Grand Jury, which is next week,” stated Trish. “I think he’s pushing this so fast so that we can’t get our case ready.”

“What do you think will happen?” asked Jim.

“Identifying the drug used on Bobbi helps, but we’re still facing an uphill battle. The CA has the evidence that Bobbi hit the two women; we don’t have the evidence that they were abusing her. It’s not the end of the world, but if I was a betting woman, I’d say that we’ll be going to trial.”

“Then what?” asked Jim.

“We fight like hell,” said Trish. “This is far from over, but I’m really worried about the CA’s tactics. He seems to be taking this one personally, and I don’t think he’s going to play fair.”

Chapter 40

It was just before nine when Max arrived at the hospital. He had stopped off to call Detective Vasquez again, but all he’d got was her answering machine.

Jim had just left with Bobbi’s parents, and Max decided to check on the teen before heading back to the hotel.

He walked into Bobbi’s room and was surprised to see a new doctor standing over the sleeping teen.

The doctor didn’t turn around. “Visiting hours are over,” he stated.

Max felt that feeling he got when something was wrong. He noticed that the doctor had a syringe in his hand.

“I’m sorry, but who are you?’ asked Max.

“I’m Dr. Carter. I was brought in to administer the treatment for the addiction,” stated the doctor. “It’s a very complicated procedure, and we need to monitor the patient’s progress regularly. There have been cases of cardiac arrest from the treatment.”

Max had read the report on the drug and hadn’t seen anything regarding what Dr. Carter was talking about.

Just then, Bobbi woke up and a look of pure horror appeared on her face. She tried to speak. but appeared to be unable. Max saw it immediately.

“Step back from her, Dr. Carter,” ordered Max. “Or is it Dr. Butler?”

Dr. Butler turned around and approached Max holding the syringe. “I was prepared to kill the teen; I don’t suppose another person will matter.”

In an instant, Max pulled his Glock semi-automatic from his hip holster, chambered a round, and aimed it at the doctor’s head. The sound was deafening in the small hospital room.

“You appear to have brought a syringe to a gunfight, doctor. Drop it, step back, and face against the wall,” ordered Max. “I’m not bluffing.”

Doctor Butler looked at the huge gun in Max’s hand. He estimated that he was only four feet from the man. He also knew that it would take at least five to ten seconds for the drug to take effect; by then the man could easily shoot him. Dr. Mark Butler wasn’t a brave man. It had taken him three days to get the nerve up to try to kill the teen. That was easy compared to facing a man with a gun. Defeated, he dropped the syringe, turned and faced the wall. He began to tremble from fear, and the front of his pants felt warm and wet.

Max shook his head as he picked up the phone to call for security and medical assistance.

Chapter 41

Max was talking to Trish on his phone. “Bobbi is okay. Apparently, Butler was going to inject him with a drug to induce cardiac arrest.”

“I want to question the good doctor as soon as possible,” stated Trish. “I’m also going to have a guard posted at Bobbi’s room from now own.”

“The police took Dr. Butler in. I don’t imagine that our friend the CA will be happy to see that he has shown up,” said Max.

“If we can get the doctor to talk, the CA will have to drop the charges,” continued Trish.

“I imagine he’ll talk; he doesn’t seem like the brave type,” said Max.

“He didn’t really piss himself, did he?” asked Trish.

“Yep.”

Chapter 42

Thomas Hill was far from happy when he learned of the arrest of Dr. Mark Butler. If this had been a normal case, he would have been ecstatic, but he couldn’t bear the idea of that freak walking free. He knew that he was too emotionally involved in the case, but it was too late to turn back. No, something would have to be done to take care of the doctor before he could talk. Thomas picked up the phone and called the county jail.

***

Trish, Marlene, and Max arrived at the county jail at eight the following morning. Max immediately sensed that something was wrong as they saw emergency vehicles parked outside.

Mark walked over to two of the deputies and asked what happened.

“One of the prisoners knifed another, killed him good,” he stated in a matter of fact way.

“What was the name of the deceased?” asked Max.

“I think it was Butler. They just brought him in last night,” said the deputy.

Max gritted his teeth and walked over to Trish and Marlene. “They killed him.”

“What?’ asked Trish.

Max told them what he had been told.

“What do you think, Max?” asked Marlene.

“I don’t believe in things just happening, especially in a jail. I’m going to place a few phone calls,” he stated.

“So you think the CA is behind this?” asked Trish.

Max nodded as he pulled out his cell phone. “You can do me a big favor. Go in and get the full identifying information they have on Butler. I suspect he’s from out of state. I may have some friends who can locate and search his place before the CA gets someone there.”

Chapter 43

Trish sat across from Thomas Hill. She wanted to find out more about the killing of Dr. Butler.

“Look Ms. Andrews, we’re as upset over the murder of Dr. Butler as you are. It’s a bad reflection on law enforcement any time a suspect is killed while in custody,” stated Thomas.

“Did you get a chance to question Dr. Butler before he was killed?’ asked Trish.

“No, he refused to speak,” replied Thomas. “However, this has no impact on the case against Robert Marks.”

“I would think that you might want to at least delay presenting the case before the grand jury. I mean this does support Bobbi’s claim that she was abused at the hands of the two women. Up to yesterday, your office was arguing that Dr. Butler might not even exist,” countered Trish.

“So the doctor may have been the one who operated on the boy, but there’s no connection to the two victims,” stated Thomas. “For all we know, the teen sought out the doctor for the operations that mutilated his body. Maybe the doctor was involved in some perverted sex and was afraid the kid would tell the authorities about him. I think that’s why he tried to kill the boy.”

“Unfortunately, due to your department’s incompetence, we’ll never know, will we?” asked Trish.

Thomas rolled his eyes in disgust. “I won’t even dignify that with a reply. I’m a busy man, is there anything else you need?”

“What about the man who killed Dr. Butler?” asked Trish.

“It’s an ongoing police investigation; I’m not at liberty to discuss it. However, the suspect is a known gang member and has a past history of violent crime. I guarantee that he’ll be punished.”

“What’s his name?” asked Trish.

Thomas searched through some papers on his desk. “Here’s a copy of the press release. Because I like you, I’ll give it to you now so that you don’t have to wait until this afternoon.”

Trish took the paper and read it. The suspect’s name was Marcus Richardson, age twenty-six. He had a long record and was listed as a member of a local gang.

“And why does your office feel that he killed Dr. Butler?”

“Who knows with these sorts of animals? Maybe the good doctor bumped into him and didn’t apologize. No one is talking,” stated Thomas. “It makes me sick; this sort of scum should have been locked up years ago.”

“May I have this?’ asked Trish.

Thomas shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, why not? Anything else?”

“What about our request to search the Lee house?”

“The police have searched it several times and have turned up nothing. I really don’t see the point in allowing some civilian in,” replied Thomas.

“What are you afraid of?’ asked Trish. “This is a simple request and I can promise you it will be the first item on my agenda when we’re allowed discovery of evidence.”

“That’s up to the judge after the grand jury indicts him,” he replied. If things went the way he was planning them, there soon wouldn’t be a Lee house to search. He was currently arranging for the house to be burnt down. It would look like an accident, and by the time the fire department arrived, the house would be fully engulfed. He hated to resort to these sorts of actions, but the case was too important to his political future. “Now, if you don’t have any additional questions, I need to get back to work.”

Trish could tell that he was lying, but she knew that it was pointless to continue to talk to him. No, she needed to talk to Max.

Chapter 44

Trish handed Max the press release on the murder of Dr. Butler.

“Okay, I’ll see what I can find on this guy who killed Butler,” said Max. “Jim, can you see if your father has any info on him?”

“Sure, he’s always wanted to play detective,” replied Jim.

“Oh, Trish, it seems that the good doctor was in some trouble last year. He had a successful practice in the Philadelphia area, but he was sued by several of his patients. Seems he gave them more than what they paid for,” said Max.

“How did you find out information on Butler so fast?” asked Trish.

“I worked some magic last night. A friend in The Agency was able to track down info on Butler. All it will cost you is a good bottle of wine for the woman who dug it up for me,” replied Max.

“Red or white?” asked Trish.

“Make it red,” replied Max.

“Okay, so what did this wine lover find out?” asked Trish.

“Apparently, he gave the women larger breasts than what they wanted. There were several cases filed against him in civil court, but all were dropped suddenly,” replied Max.

“Why?” asked Trish.

“The women agreed to settle out of court. So far the lawyers aren’t talking, but all the women involved recently moved into new homes,” said Max. “All the houses were very nice and in much nicer neighborhoods.”

“New homes, huh? I wonder if Ms. Lee had anything to do with it.”

“We know that Yvonne Johnson had a piercing salon and was known in the S&M community. I think, if we dig deep enough, we’ll find that Doc Butler and Monica Lee were also involved,” said Max. “I doubt if Monica would have played close to home, so I’ve expanded our search. If we can link Butler and Johnson, then Lee won’t be far behind.”

“I still want to get into that house,” stated Trish.

“Me too,” replied Max.

Chapter 45

“I was so shocked to see Dr. Butler standing over me,” said Bobbi. “I was even more surprised to see Max pull a gun on him. It was like a TV show. If I hadn’t been so scared I might have enjoyed it.”

Diana smiled. “Max is somewhat larger than life.”

“He saved my life,” continued Bobbi.

“Join the club,” added Diana. “How’re you feeling today?”

“Better. The doctors say that the treatment is working, and they expect I can leave the hospital in less than a week… just in time for the grand jury.”

“I know it’s scary, but you have some great people fighting for your freedom. Don’t give up,” stated Diana.

“I know, but the CA was on TV again saying that he fully expected a complete victory.”

“He’s bluffing,” said Diana. “He’s trying to get us to cop a plea and save him the trouble of a trial. He has no idea what he’s up against.”

“Maybe it would be best for everyone if I did plead guilty,” stated Bobbi.

Diana stared at the teen. “Why would you think that?”

“I overheard my parents talking last night. Business is way off at my mom’s shop, and Dad’s getting hassled at work. They’ve been through so much; I can’t keep hurting them.”

“Don’t think that way, Bobbi. You did nothing wrong. As for your parents, the last thing they’d want you to do is give up,” said Diana.

“I just hate the fact that they’re being hurt by all this,” continued Bobbi. She then stared off to the side and sighed. “Maybe it would have been best if I were dead.”

Diana reached over and hugged Bobbi. “Trust me, Bobbi; I know what you’re going through. I considered suicide, and I used self medication to try to ease my own depression; it doesn’t solve anything.”

Diana released Bobbi and sat down next to the teen.

“We’re going to win this,” stated Diana.

“I hope so,” replied Bobbi.

Chapter 46

“This is very interesting,” stated Max as he looked at the files that Jim had acquired.

“I thought you’d find this useful,” said Jim.

“Where did you get this?’ asked Max.

“Through my dad. He has friends in many of the local police departments.”

Two hours before Dr. Butler was killed, T.K. Richardson, the younger brother of the killer was released from jail. He had been arrested on several charges of drug dealing and assault.

“Just like that that, they drop charges on the younger Richardson, amazing,” said Max.

“From what my dad said, the police are pretty pissed off about this. T.K. is a real punk, moving up to more serious crime,” said Jim.

“And the case was dropped by Thomas Hill’s office,” added Max.

“Coincidence?” asked Jim.

“No such thing when it comes to crime. No, I suspect that the good CA made a deal with the older Richardson. From what it says here, he’s going away for a long time anyway, what’s another murder?”

“But I can’t believe that Hill would let someone like T.K. walk.”

Max shook his head. “I suspect that both Richardsons aren’t long for this world. If the CA is involved in this, he can’t leave any loose ends. I’d love to talk to them, but I doubt that’s possible.”

“This doesn’t make sense. Does Hill really think that this case is that important?”

“Apparently so. He’s trying to establish himself not just as a law enforcement candidate, but as a righteous one. The sad thing is that it’ll probably work. If he wins the case, it will help his campaign. If he loses, then he can blame it on the ‘liberal judicial system.’ He’ll claim that he’ll fight this when he gets into office.”

“At least he’s consistent?” asked Jim.

“Has this guy established a campaign organization?” asked Max.

“I think so,” replied Jim.

“So he may have started fund raising too,” said Max.

Jim nodded.

“I wonder if Monica made any contributions,” continued Max.

“Wouldn’t he have to disclose that?” asked Jim.

“Yes, but it would explain why he’s so determined to protect Monica’s reputation. I have some phone calls to make,” said Max.

Chapter 47

Nina watched the news story on the killing of Dr. Butler. It didn’t make sense. True, people died in jail all the time, but there was usually a reason. No, there was a reason, she thought. Butler was tied to Bobbi Marks, and Nina suspected that the CA was involved.

He was blackmailing her, so why not kill someone who might destroy his case too?

Nina felt a chill run up her spine. Maybe the CA had a similar plan for her, she thought. It would be easy for him to set her up.

Nina pulled out the number with Max Bowie’s phone number on it.

An hour later, she got into his car.

“Why the secrecy?” he asked. Nina had insisted that he pick her up several blocks from her home.

“I have to ask that this conversation stay between us for now,” stated Nina.

“Okay,” replied Max.

“You have a good reputation,” she said as she looked out the window. “A few large holes in your background, but a good reputation.”

“I’m saving the good stuff for my memoirs,” he replied.

“Hill is out for blood,” she said.

“I know,” answered Max. “I just don’t have the proof yet.”

“I’ve always wanted to be the ‘good guy.’ That’s why joined the corps; that’s why I became a cop,” she said.

“I read your record too,” said Max.

This didn’t surprise Nina, but she did wonder if the file had everything in it.

“Hill has something on me; it could destroy my life,” she confessed.

“What is it?’ asked Max.

Nina took a deep breath and then looked over at Max. “I’m a lesbian.”

“Oh. I could see how that could cause some problems for you with your fellow officers,” said Max.

“That’s not the worst part,” she said.

“Your family?” asked Max.

Nina nodded. “They’re rather conservative and a little old fashioned. My mom is always asking me when I’m going to get married.”

“I see, and Hill said that he would out you if you didn’t do what he said?” asked Max.

“Yes. If I don’t do what he says, I’m screwed; if I fight him, it will be his word against mine, and I’m screwed; and if I do what he says, eventually he’ll out me, and I’m screwed,” she said.

Max didn’t say anything.

“I don’t know if the kid is innocent or not, but that’s up to the courts. I hate the idea of lying, and even worse, I hate the idea of not doing my job the right way,” she continued. “If my family is going to find out, I’d rather that I was doing the right thing. I can’t talk to anyone in my department; can you help me?”

Max glanced over and cracked a soft smile. “I’ll do my best. Detective Vasquez, this case is going to get very dirty. Did you hear about Doctor Butler?”

“Please call me Nina, and yes, I heard about it. It’s part of the reason why I contacted you.”

“Do you feel that you might be in danger?” asked Max.

“Maybe,” she replied.

“Can you get me into the Lee house?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“If we find the hidden rooms, then that would confirm Bobbi’s story and pretty much derail the CA’s case. It will also give me enough evidence to go to the Feds for an investigation of Hill. I seriously doubt that this is first time he’s fudged a case.”

“Fudged?” she asked. A slight smile grew on her face. “I would have thought you’d use a stronger word.”

“My wife has been a bad influence on me, making me clean up my more colorful language.”

Nina let out a short laugh. “So, my sexual orientation doesn’t bother you?”

“It’s your life, Nina. I judge people by how they work, not who they fall in love with.”

“That’s not a common attitude in law enforcement,” she said.

“You’d be surprised,” he answered. “In fact, I know several feds who are LGBT.”

“Really?” she asked.

Max nodded. “I told you that I saw your record; you’re a good cop. If you’re forced out here, I know several agencies that’d jump to get you.”

“I can’t get you into the house for a couple of days. I’ll call you as soon as I’m ready to go back,” she said.

“I appreciate that, Nina,” he said.

“I’m also on the witness list for the grand jury, I was told to be ready next week.”

“If we find something at the house, would you be willing to tell all under oath?”

“Sure, it’ll probably be the last thing I’ll do as a detective in this department; it might as well be the right thing,” she said.

“Look at it this way; it’ll be worth it just to see the look on Hill’s face when he finds out. I imagine that he’ll have a fit when he hears what you did.

Nina laughed again. “I can see why Hill wanted me to stay away from you.”

“I have some info for you. Butler had a house in northern Delaware; the local police, along with the feds, did a search and uncovered that he was most likely the source of the drugs used on Bobbi,” said Max.

“How did you manage that?” asked Nina.

“Long story, but let’s just say that I cashed in a few favors. Butler was in some legal trouble regarding his fetish for large breasts, and we’ve recovered evidence that he received help in having the lawsuits dropped.”

“Go on,” she said.

“We now have evidence that Monica Lee paid off the women who were suing Butler. We also have proof that Butler knew Johnson, in many ways.”

Nina cocked her head.

“Butler had some rather explicit videos in his house; seems that he was into some rather unusual sexual acts,” said Max.

“What about Monica Lee?”

Max shook his head. “If she’s in any of the videos, we haven’t discovered it yet. That’s why we need to get into the house.”

“I suppose that you haven’t turned this evidence over to Hill,” asked Nina.

“We’re saving it for the grand jury; after all, he seems to like surprises,” said Max.

“I’ll try to get you into the house sooner,” stated Nina.

“Good. When we uncover the rooms, I’d like to keep it quiet until the grand jury meets. It will help in bringing down Hill,” said Max.

“Of course,” replied Nina. “Is there anything else?’

“Monica Lee made several contributions to committees that are supporting Hill’s run for congress,” answered Max.

“I assume you have proof,” she asked.

Max nodded. “We’ll make it available to the right authorities. I figure the commonwealth deserves first shot at him, but I also know a federal prosecutor who loves to take down corrupt officials. However, we need to find those rooms first.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Max dropped Nina a few blocks from her home. He watched to make sure that she wasn’t being followed before heading back to the hotel.

Chapter 48

T.K. Richardson couldn’t believe his luck. He’d thought he was looking at several years in prison, and just like that, he was back on the streets. He was slightly shocked that his brother had killed some doctor, but the guy probably had it coming.

T.K. felt that his release from jail would only help his reputation, and he was looking for some friends to party with. He pulled out his cell phone and called up some of his friends to set up the celebration. Maybe if he hadn’t been distracted by the conversation, he would have heard the car that slowed down next to him. He turned just in time to see the chrome-plated barrel of a large handgun pointing at him. In an instant several shots struck him in the chest, and he was dead before he hit the ground.

His murder would go down as another gang-related drive-by shooting.

If Marcus Richardson had heard that he had been double-crossed, he would have immediately sought revenge by turning in Thomas Hill. However, as his brother was lying in a pool of blood on a street in Portsmouth, Marcus was gasping his last breaths. Officially, it would be listed as a failed escape attempt. The official report would state that Marcus had somehow gotten out of his cuffs and tried to jump a guard. He was killed as he fought for the officer’s handgun.

Chapter 49

Diana watched as Trish and Marlene briefed Bobbi on her testimony.

“Do I really have to do this?” asked Bobbi.

“I know this is going to be difficult, but we need to make it clear to the grand jury that you’re a human being and not the monster that Thomas Hill’s witnesses will try to describe you as,” said Trish.

“You’ll do great, Bobbi,” said Marlene. “Just be yourself and tell them what happened.”

“That’ll take a while,” said Bobbi.

“Be sure to give detailed physical descriptions of Monica,” added Trish. “That way you can prove that she was intimate with you. The police report states that she was found fully clothed at the crime scene.”

“But if Max finds the room, then it’ll prove that I was her captive, right? I’m afraid that they’ll look at me as some sort of a freak,” said Bobbi.

“The room will just be physical evidence; your testimony will help us lock up the case,” said Trish. “Look, in most criminal cases the defendant refuses to talk, even when they’re innocent. I find that juries like it when the defendant is willing to tell their side of the story.”

“Okay,” replied Bobbi. “So what should I wear?”

“I’m going out to pick you out a nice skirt, blouse, and matching jacket,” said Diana.

Bobbi smiled at Diana. She was growing very close to her. “Thanks, Diana.”

Diana smiled back. “No problem.”

“If it doesn’t bother you too much, you should take off your wig and show them that they shaved your head,” Trish added.

Bobbi shook her head.” I’m just glad my hair is growing back. Monica was going to treat it with the same stuff they used on the rest of my body.”

“It’s very important that you tell the grand jury that Dr. Armistead has x-rays, lab data, and other physical evidence of what was done to you, including information on the exotic narcotic they drugged you with. We’ll provide you with a complete set of photos to show them the external changes that were made in you, but they can call Dr. Armistead to testify about the really serious things that have changed you permanently.

“I won’t be allowed to represent you when the grand jurors question you,” continued Trish. “My biggest job in this proceeding will be to convince the judge to add you to the witness list for the grand jurors, and hopefully, to get him to insist they actually hear your story. After that, it’ll be up to you to get them to call Dr. Armistead, Max, and any other witnesses we may dig up.”

Bobbi gulped. “It’s really scary to think about doing that all by myself.”

“I know it is, Bobbi. Just remember that if you can convince the grand jury your story is true, you should be free to go about your own life again next week. If you don’t, that just means that we’ll have to wait for a jury trial to clear you, and that could be months away.”

“I know. The doctors have removed the rings from my body. I just hope they can get rid of that awful tattoo,” said Bobbi as she looked at Diana.

“I talked to my friend, and she says that they have an excellent plastic surgeon near the facility who can work wonders,” said Diana.

“Cool. So when is this woman coming down here?” asked Bobbi.

“Celeste will be here right after the grand jury,” said Diana.

“I can’t wait until this is all over,” remarked Bobbi.

“I know what you mean,” said Diana.

Chapter 50

It was mid-morning when Nina led Max into Monica Lee’s house. They immediately went down into the basement.

To Max it was obvious that the present basement was too small. He walked to the far wall and began to inspect it. There were shelves built into the wall. A variety of boxes and household items filled the shelves.

“Don’t tell me that you’ve already found it?” asked Nina.

“No, but it’s pretty clear that this wall is hiding something. The basement is barely a third the length of the house, that’s pretty unusual,” stated Max as he ran his hands over the wall.

“I should have noticed that,” said Nina.

“I’m not surprised. This room has been designed to give the impression that it’s bigger than it looks. I’ve seen these sorts of things before. They’re common in many houses in Europe and in border states.”

“Okay, I’ll bite, why?” asked Nina.

“Houses were modified in Europe during WW II; remember Anne Frank? They also were used in communist Europe. They were used to hide people and for smuggling. You can also see houses with rooms like this here in the states; they were used in the Underground Railroad. This one is obviously very modern and much larger than those. Usually the ones for hiding runaway slaves were very small,” stated Max.

“How do you know all this?”

“Partly professional and partly just out of historical curiosity,” he replied. “Look here, you can see how the ventilation duct goes in here. It looks like the duct dead ends, but see how it goes through the wall?”

Nina stood on her toes to see what Max was pointing at.

“Did Monica have any electronic remotes with her, besides the one for the collar?” asked Max.

“Yes, I brought them along,” she said. She reached into her purse and pulled out two remotes. “We initially thought they were for the garage door and security system, but after talking to you I began to wonder.”

Max smiled. “Well done.” He pointed the first remote at the wall and pressed it; nothing happened. He did this with the second remote, and the center section of the wall opened up.

“Oh my god, it’s just like in the movies!” blurted out Nina.

Max laughed and walked over to the door. “Whoever did this was a real master.” He closed the door, and it blended back seamlessly into the wall. “Look, you can barely see the seams — superb.”

He reopened the door, and they walked in. The first room was the large space that Bobbi had described. On one wall was an expensive video system. Max walked over and noticed that the monitors were still displaying a bedroom. Next to the monitors were hundreds of videotapes. Each was dated and labeled.

Max put on a pair of gloves, and with Nina’s permission, inserted one of the tapes into a player. It showed Monica using a bound Bobbi for sexual pleasure.

Nina gasped in horror. “My god, it’s all true.”

Max nodded.

Over the next two hours, Nina collected evidence in the room. Max took photos and videotaped the room. He was pleased to see that Nina’s evidence handling technique was almost perfect.

“I have several good prints. I’ll have our lab compare these to the ones we took from Monica, Yvonne, and Dr. Butler. I also have some hair and what looks like blood,” said Nina.

“You ready to look at the next room?” he asked.

Nina nodded.

The door was bolted shut. Max opened it up and noticed how thick it was. “Lots of insulation, Bobbi could have screamed her lungs out in here, and you never would have heard a peep if the door was closed.”

The bedroom was as Bobbi had described it. They spent several hours collecting more evidence.

“I feel like I should call my boss over this,” said Nina. “I’m trained in collecting evidence, but there’s so much here to process.”

“Do you trust Cooper?” asked Max.

Nina lowered her head. “I’m not sure any more.”

“What we’re doing is legal. Everything collected here can be brought in as evidence. The CA is going to have a fit that you came back here, but now that we have this stuff, he’s going to have enough problems keeping his own sorry ass out of the fire,” said Max.

“Yes, but you’re a PI, and I’m an about-to-be disgraced junior detective,” said Nina.

“Wrong on both counts. You’re going to come out of this smelling like a rose, and I’m not exactly a PI,” replied Max. He pulled a badge and ID out of his pocket and showed them to Nina.

She stared at them, and then looked at Max. “This explains a lot. So, the whole time, you’ve been a fed?”

Max shook his head. “I’m semi-retired. I was reinstated last week as I began to see more and more problems with the legal system here.”

“I feel better now,” said Nina. “Do you think we have enough evidence?”

“Yes. Actually, I’m a little surprised that the house is still standing. I wouldn’t put it past Hill to have the house burnt down. Have you gotten any info on the deaths of the Richardsons?”

Nina shook her head.

“Do you want protection?” asked Max.

“No, I think I can protect myself. However, I’ll be glad when this case is over and Hill is locked up,” said Nina.

Chapter 51

Diana was sitting up watching the late news when the blonde with big hair announced they had a breaking story. The house of recently murdered real estate agent Monica Lee was on fire. A live report showed the mansion fully engulfed in flames.

Diana picked up the phone and began to place a series of calls.

“I guess we got lucky,” said Max.

“Won’t the fire department find evidence of arson?” asked Diana.

“Not if the guy who did it was any good,” replied Max. “We’ll let Hill think he got away with it. This way he’ll dig himself in even deeper.”

“I contacted my producer, and she’s excited about me doing an exposé on Thomas Hill and the corruption that is going on down here. I didn’t give her any specifics, and as you know, she’s pretty trustworthy.”

Max laughed. “Yes, I know we can trust Marissa. I still don’t know how she can stand to sit behind a desk and not do stories herself anymore.”

“Trust me, she’s jealous. I hear it from her every time I work with her.”

“Of course. Oh, do me a favor and give Faith a call; she’s anxious to hear from you.”

“I’ve been meaning to. I’ve just been spending so much time with Bobbi.”

“She’s something. I’m amazed that she was able to keep from falling under Monica’s power.”

“I know. I like her a lot.”

“Well, unless the grand jury is totally incompetent or corrupt, all the charges against her should be dropped,” said Max.

“What about Detective Vasquez?” asked Diana.

“Her career around here is going to end; I’m going to see if I can help her move onto bigger and better things,” said Max.

“Have you talked to Robert Ledyard yet?”

“Last week. He was the one who reinstated me. When this is all over, I’ll introduce them. If he gives me any problems, I’ll just bring up the topic of the scar he has on his butt,” said Max.

Diana laughed. “You wouldn’t!”

Just over twenty years ago, Robert Ledyard had been accidentally shot in the rear by a Maryland State trooper during the raids in Carbonville. Max had kidded him about it ever since.

Max just laughed. “No, Robert knows a good law enforcement officer when he sees one, and Nina is good.”

Chapter 52

Bobbi was standing in front of the bedroom mirror in the hotel. She turned to the side and studied herself in the reflection. It was the first time that she was dressed in a ‘normal’ outfit since her transformation.

The slate gray wool skirt was hemmed just above her knees. The shoes were plain black pumps. The white blouse was just large enough to contain her huge breasts. Bobbi couldn’t wait until she had the surgery to reduce the size of them. She didn’t mind having breasts, but the ones that freak of a doctor gave her were ridiculous.

“Try on the jacket,” suggested Diana.

Bobbi nodded and slipped on the navy blue jacket. She was surprised at how much older she looked now.

She was just wearing a touch of makeup, not that it mattered, thanks to the permanent makeup on her face.

“This looks nice, where did you buy it?” asked Bobbi.

“At your mom’s place. She has some really nice things there,” said Diana.

“I don’t really look like I’m sixteen, do I?” asked Bobbi.

“No, but I wouldn’t worry about it; many teenage girls look more mature than their age,” said Diana. “You may have to remind the grand jury though; make sure they see the pictures of you before the transformation.”

“You know, it’s funny, but wearing this outfit is the most normal thing that’s happening in my life right now,” said Bobbi with a snicker.

“I saw the photos of the things that Monica had you wear. She was quite the pervert.”

“I’m just glad I had a chance to escape before she took me out to be shared with others. I was never with a real man, but I was made to practice all the time. It was disgusting,” she said. “Diana, I know that you were with men; did you hate it too?”

“It was different for me. I hated being raped and abused, but I did have some enjoyable times when I was in my twenties. However, the feelings of abuse always came back and made it impossible for me to really take pleasure in it.”

“Thanks for being so honest with me,” replied Bobbi. “When this is over, can we stay in touch? I don’t have any sisters or many friends right now.”

Diana smiled. “I’d like that.”

“I talked to my parents about going to that place in Connecticut; they agree that it might be a good idea,” Bobbi continued. “I’m sort of resigned to the fact that I’m going to have to start my life over. There’s nothing around here for me, other than my family, and they’re not sure if they’re going to stay here. I can’t believe how mean some people can be.”

Diana nodded. She had talked to Bobbi’s parents, and they’d told her how the community was shunning them. None of Bobbi’s friends from school had returned phone calls to come and visit her. The reason that Bobbi was staying in the hotel was that her parents had gotten some threatening phone calls.

“It hurts; I went through the same thing. You know, I finished my high school in Connecticut; it’s a beautiful state,” said Diana. “I also went to college there.”

“I can’t imagine going to college right now,” said Bobbi.

“Why not? What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. I like science classes, especially biology. But college is pretty expensive.”

“Don’t worry about the money. Part of the foundation’s goal is to send all the teens to college. They currently have twenty teens in college all around the country.”

“I don’t know, I mean, it seems weird that I’m getting rewarded for being a victim,” said Bobbi.

Diana shook her head. “Don’t think that way. You’re life was disrupted, due to no fault of your own; the foundation just wants to give you your life back. I wish there had been something like that when I was transitioning; it might have saved me a lot of pain.”

Bobbi nodded.

“Now, why don’t you get changed into something more casual, and we’ll order dinner?” suggested Diana. “You have a big day tomorrow.”

“Okay, that sounds good.”

Chapter 53

Judge Cleburne motioned Trish and Thomas towards the bench.

“I’ve read your request to have the defendant on the witness list. I find it rather unusual,” said Judge Cleburne.

“Your Honor, I vigorously protest having Robert Marks appear before this grand jury,” stated Thomas.

Trish ignored Thomas and addressed the judge.

“Your Honor, this is a rather unusual case. The defendant has nothing to hide, and is willing to tell her entire story to the grand jury. The Commonwealth Attorney has no witnesses on his list that offer any evidence to support his theory that Bobbi sought her transformation voluntarily and then out of the blue attacked and killed the two women. We’ve never denied that Ms. Marks was in the house. I believe having Ms. Marks speak is key to showing that it was self-defense and that first degree murder charges are not warranted.”

The judge nodded and looked at Thomas. “Your turn, Mr. Hill.”

“I object to the fact that Robert Marks will get to assault the two victims a second time and they have no chance to defend themselves.”

“Your honor, the CA has no evidence to support that because there is none. If the CA wants to indict for first degree murder, he needs to demonstrate intent and/or premeditation. I maintain that he has no evidence to support that, that he has made no effort to obtain such evidence or to verify my client’s story, and that my client is entitled to tell the truth about what happened,” stated Trish.

“What’s more,” she added, “the Commonwealth Attorney should be well aware that this is a grand jury proceeding and no one but the grand jurors will hear my client’s testimony. The risk of damage to those two women’s reputations is minimal, and they wouldn’t have a chance to defend themselves in this proceeding even if they were still alive.”

Judge Cleburne sat for a moment in silence. “I’m ruling for the defendant. Something happened to Marks, and if he, or make that, she is lying, then it will all come out in the end.”

Thomas was seething inside but kept his mouth shut. He glanced over at Trish. Okay, bitch, he thought, you won this small battle, but you have no evidence to back up the boy’s story. Too bad the Lee house burnt down, but those things happen.

“Thank you, your honor,” said Trish.

Chapter 54

Bert Hoskins wasn’t surprised when the judge picked him to be the foreman of the grand jury. At 67, he was definitely the most mature of the other five. He was secretly proud of being given the responsibility. He knew it was a big responsibility, because he’d read the state’s Manual for Grand Jurors from cover to cover three times since he’d received it in the mail with his jury summons.

He had been a regular juror many times in his life. He’d often been selected during his summer break from teaching high school history. This was the first time he’d had an opportunity to serve on a grand jury. He was looking forward to the experience.

Bert was born and raised in the Tidewater region of Virginia and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else in the world. He loved the outdoors, although he no longer went hunting. He still enjoyed fishing, both fly-fishing and the occasional trip out to the Atlantic for bluefish.

He also loved the proximity to so many Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields.

His wife of forty-five years, Carol Ann, was pleased that he was out of the house, as he was getting to be a pest since his retirement. She’d told him that he should accept the volunteer position with the local high school track team, if only to keep him busy. She’d also suggested that he volunteer to work at one of the battlefields as an interpreter.

Politically, Bert was middle of the road, liberal when it came to civil liberties, but conservative when it came to economics and world politics.

He looked at the other members of the jury. There were two other men and three women — despite the name, Virginia grand juries were smaller than the petit juries used for trials. The only one that made him uneasy was a middle-aged woman. He had first noticed her when they were waiting to be interviewed. She sat away from the others reading her bible. Bert wasn’t against religious people; he went to church almost every Sunday, but he also believed in the separation of church and state. Her name was Mary Watson.

The first part of the morning was strictly procedural. The Judge swore them in and read them their instructions.

Next, the Commonwealth Attorney gave them his Bills of Indictment for the cases they would hear. Burt was surprised to see that they would be getting the Monica Lee case. It would also be the first case they would hear.

Bert sat down with the other jurors, and they reviewed the information for the case.

“Okay, the prosecution has a short list for this case: the lead detective, the medical examiner, the officer who apprehended the suspect, a lab technician who processed the victims, and the detective who conducted the initial interview,” said Bert. “Oh, and the judge has added that the accused has volunteered to testify, if we want to hear him/her, whatever the case may be.”

“Um, I have a question; how do we refer to the suspect?” asked Mary Watson.

“Does it matter? We’re not here to judge the person’s gender, but whether or not we believe there’s sufficient evidence that the person murdered two women to send that person to trial,” said Bert. “Now, does anyone have a problem with this? I want to know now and save us some time.” He looked each of the other jurors right in the eyes.

No one said a word.

“Okay, now does anyone object to the Commonwealth Attorney conducting the questioning for his witnesses?” asked Bert.

“I don’t mind him being here for the technical stuff from the lab guy and the medical examiner, but I don’t like the idea of him questioning the police,” said Ray Johnson. He was a gray haired African-American man. He was an oyster farmer. “No offense, but I want to be able to talk to the police without the CA being here.”

Bert looked around the room. “How do the rest of you feel?”

“I have to agree with Ray,” said Alice Harris, thirty-six. She was an associate professor from Norfolk State. “I think between the people in this room we can get what we need from the police officers.”

“Okay, so we’re in agreement on this, right?” asked Bert.

The last juror nodded in approval. “I mean, that’s why we’re here, right?” she asked. Her name was Liz Davis, aged forty-one, and was a housewife. “And isn’t it unusual that the… uh, accused is allowed to testify?”

Bert smiled. He could tell that this was probably the most exciting thing that she had done in her life. “Yes,” he said, “it seems unusual for a defendant to testify, but it might be an interesting and educational experience for us.

“Okay. We’ll hear the prosecutor’s witnesses first, and that should take most of the day Remember, we’re not trying the defendant, just establishing whether there is sufficient evidence to support the CA’s indictment. We base our decision on the facts and not our own beliefs or opinions,” said Bert. He looked at each of the other jurors. “Okay, let’s get this started.”

Chapter 55

Thomas was sitting in his office, sipping some bourbon. The questioning of the technical witnesses had gone very well. He was still annoyed that he wasn’t allowed to do the rest of the questioning.

He wasn’t too worried about the patrolman who’d brought Marks in, nor was he worried about Detective Davis. However, he didn’t totally trust that dyke Vasquez. She would rue the day if she disobeyed him. No, she wouldn’t be a problem, she was too afraid that he would out her to her parents.

***

Meanwhile in the jury room, Nina was presenting her evidence that was collected at the Lee house. The Federal lab had delivered it just before she entered the grand jury.

“Um, Detective Vasquez, we were told by several others in your department that there were no secret rooms at the Lee house. Now, you walk in with everything from photographs to fingerprints confirming that the rooms exist,” said Bert.

“This is new evidence that was uncovered the day before the fire. The rooms no longer exist, as the house was burned down the other night,” said Nina.

“We were told the house caught fire, yet by your choice of words, you seem to be implying that the fire was arson,” said Bert.

“Yes, that is correct. A team from the Agency is conducting an investigation as we speak.”

“Why are the feds involved?” asked Bert.

“Because I doubt that my department is capable of conducting an unbiased investigation,” said Nina.

The members of the grand jury began to glance at each other in shock.

“Those are serious charges,” said Bert.

“I agree,” said Nina. “However, when I became a detective I swore an oath. The law is there to protect everyone.”

Nina talked for several hours before being dismissed. Before taking their lunch break, the jurors sent a note to the judge, asking him to summon Max Bowie and the doctors who had treated Bobbi Marks.

Chapter 56

John Breckinridge walked into the CA’s office with a worried look on his face.

“Now what?” asked Thomas.

“Did you look over the list additional witnesses the grand jury submitted?” asked John.

“Yeah, I didn’t see any problems; I think the grand jurors are just curious for a little juicy insider info on the scandal,” said Thomas. “The doctors can only tell what they saw on the kid, not who did it.”

“What about this one?” asked John, as she showed Thomas the list.

“Max Bowie? He’s that old fart of a PI. I must admit that he’s still pretty sharp to capture that doctor, but I don’t see any real problems from him,” said Thomas. He saw the look of concern on his aide’s face. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“He’s a fed,” said John.

Thomas stared back. “What?”

“I was in the hallway outside the jury room talking to a friend of mine who works for a federal prosecutor. When Bowie walked into the grand jury, my friend recognized him. I placed a few calls and confirmed that he was re-instated as an agent last week.”

“Son of a bitch!” cursed Thomas. “What do you think he knows?”

“I don’t know,” replied John with a worried look on his face.

Chapter 57

The next day, Bobbi’s doctors talked to the grand jury. They confirmed the drugs that were in Bobbi’s system were not recreational drugs, were very difficult to obtain, and were most likely used to control the teen.

It was then Bobbi’s turn. Her parents gave her a hug before she entered the room.

She sat nervously across from the six adults who would decide her fate. From the looks on their faces she could tell that they were confused by what they were seeing.

“Please state your name,” asked Bert.

“Robert Marks,” she replied.

“We’ve heard from a variety of witnesses, and they have referred to you as both male and female. For the sake of simplicity, what do you prefer?” asked Bert.

“Female, please,” she replied. “I also use the name Bobbi, not Robert.”

Bert nodded and looked at the others. Mary seemed slightly upset, but the others didn’t seem to mind.

“Okay, that sounds reasonable. Now, Bobbi, would tell us what happened?” asked Bert.

For the next three hours Bobbi described her ordeal at the hands of Monica Lee, Yvonne Johnson, and Dr. Mark Butler. She broke down several times and had to regain her composure.

“So, you admit hitting both women?” asked Ray.

Bobbi nodded. “I just wanted to get away. That’s what I told the police. I didn’t mean to kill them. They told me that the collar would go off if I left the house without it being turned off. I knew that I had to get the collar off. Thanks to the hormones they gave me, I wasn’t sure if I could wrestle the key away from them, so I hit them. If I hadn’t, I would still be with them. I fought the whole time to keep from falling under their control. I pretended to obey, but… but it was getting harder and harder to resist; you have no idea how hard it was.”

“Why did you place the collar around Ms. Lee’s neck?” asked Mary. “You could have left without doing that.”

“She loved hurting me almost as much as she loved… using me. She turned me into… into this… I guess my emotions got the best of me. You have no idea how badly that collar hurt — not enough to kill, but it could drop you to your knees. I wanted her to feel some of the pain she’d caused me. I didn’t think it would kill her,” said Bobbi.

“Still, you admit that you shocked her, right?” asked Mary.

“She was turning me into her sex slave. I admit that I was stupid to go with her to her house in the first place, but I didn’t deserve to have my body changed like this or be forced to do the things she made me do,” said Bobbi as she started to cry again.

Mary pushed a box of tissues towards the teen.

“Thank you,” said Bobbi.

“Does, anyone else have any questions?” asked Bert as he scanned the rest of the grand jury. No one spoke up. “Okay, Bobbi, thank you very much. I realize that speaking to us has been very difficult and painful for you. You may leave now.”

Chapter 58

“I think we’d better inform the judge that there’s more going on here than whether or not Bobbi Marks committed murder,” said Alice.

“I agree, but first let’s finish with the Marks case,” said Bert.

The jurors began to discuss the case. Ray was furious with the fact that the police appeared to have hidden evidence from them. Alice joined in his anger, and then she brought up the possible blackmail of Nina.

“We can work together on calling for a Special Grand Jury later; that’s entirely within our power here. However, let’s finish up the Bobbi Marks case first,” reiterated Bert. “Now, Bobbi admitted that he hit both women, but was it murder?”

Liz Davis spoke up for the first time. “Monica’s death might even have been an accident. The medical examiner said she died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, and my Uncle Art had urgent surgery for one of those two years ago. The doctors told him that until he had the surgery, any little unusual stress could cause it to rupture and he’d be dead before he could call for help.”

“To me, it appears to be self-defense in any case,” said Mary to the surprise of the other jurors. “It seems to me that Bobbi had no other choice if she was ever going to escape those evil women.”

The others nodded in agreement.

“I believe we should take a vote,” said Bert.

Chapter 59

Nina Vasquez stood outside Thomas Hill’s office with Diana Bowie. They had just spent the last three hours talking about the case.

“You sure you want to do this?” asked Diana.

“Yes, it’s going to happen anyway; I’d rather I be in control of it,” said Nina.

“Okay, let’s do it,” said Diana.

Thomas reluctantly agreed to see them.

“What do you want, Detective Vasquez?”

“I want to let you know that I just dropped off my letter of resignation with Lt. Cooper,” said Nina. “I can’t work under these sorts of conditions.”

At first Thomas smiled, and then it hit him that something was wrong. “Wait a minute, what the hell did you do?” he asked angrily.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” said Nina.

Thomas began to feel his face turning hot with anger. He looked at the other woman. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place her.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Diana Bowie.”

It took him a second to register the name.

“Yes, you’ve probably seen me on TV. I’m working on a new corruption story, and it involves a Commonwealth Attorney who resorted to all kinds of illegal activities to build up his record and how he planned to use this prestige to get into congress,” said Diana.

“What are you talking about,” he said. He was relieved to see that there were no cameras with her.

“You’re about to become very famous, but not in the way you expected. I’ve been doing some digging, and in just a short time I’ve uncovered some rather disturbing things. I imagine as I dig deeper even more garbage is going to come to the surface.”

“If you think I’m going to be worried by some negative TV coverage, you’re greatly mistaken,” stated Thomas with a smirk. “I’ll just use it to my advantage and show how the liberal press is out to get me; that always sells well down here.”

“Oh, it’s not just going to be some negative coverage. I can crucify you just for the way you’ve handled the Marks case,” countered Diana.

Thomas made a motion with his hand to wave them off. “Get out of here.”

“No, we’re not leaving — not yet — not until I give you a piece of my mind. You probably could have gotten elected to congress, but you’re too much of a bully, and you had to pick on a victim like Bobbi just to make you feel more like a man. You’re just as depraved as Monica Lee,” argued Diana. “Just so you know, I’m going to enjoy seeing you brought down.”

“I’m sooo worried,” said Thomas. He wasn’t about to show any fear, especially to a couple of women.

“You should be,” stated Max as he walked into the office.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” asked Thomas.

“I’m just the bearer of bad news for you. I don’t know what the Commonwealth is going to do, but I’m here to arrest you for arson. The man you hired to burn down the Lee house was just taken into custody for some other fires he set, and your name came up.”

Thomas stared down the agent. “An arsonist tries to dirty my name — if that’s the best you have, get out of here.”

Max laughed. “You made the mistake of hiring someone even sneakier than you. He taped your phone conversation, and since he lives in North Carolina, it’s a federal matter. Thomas Jonathan Hill, you’re under arrest.”

Max waved in some other agents who cuffed Thomas as he read him his rights.

“Is it over?” asked Nina.

“No, it’s just starting for him,” said Max.

“You can say that again,” said Diana. She had a wicked smile on her face.

“What do you mean?” asked Nina.

As they stepped out of the CA’s office, they saw dozens of reporters and television camera crews. Marlene had briefed the press before they entered the office. When she saw Diana and Nina walk out, she broke out in a big smile and gave them a thumbs up.

“I called a few friends when Max told me how this was going to blow up,” said Diana. “Marlene gave them a rundown on some of the details, so I’m sure that they’re all very anxious to talk to Mr. Hill.”

Nina laughed. “Well, he’s always loved the press!”

Chapter 60

“So, I’m free?” asked Bobbi.

They were having a celebration party at the hotel.

Trish nodded. “The Grand Jury found that the deaths of Monica Lee and Yvonne Johnson were self-defense and that your brief use of Monica’s car was justified. They voted that all the Bills of Indictment against you were ‘not true bills.’ As a result, the judge has released you from bail, and you’re free.”

“We can’t thank you enough,” stated Mary-Ann Marks, who had her arm around Bobbi’s waist.

“Thank you so much,” said Dave. “You gave us our family back.”

“It was a pleasure,” said Trish.

“So what’s happening to the CA?” asked Marlene.

Marlene was sitting next to Jim. They had worked closely the past few days, and Diana knew that Marlene wanted to recruit Jim to work with her organization. Marlene saw how useful a private investigator could be when it came to providing assistance to teens in trouble. Diana couldn’t help but notice that they seemed to be sitting rather close. Oh, well, they do make a nice couple, thought Diana.

“He’s facing a variety of charges on the arson, both federal and state. The Grand Jury also voted to call a Special Grand Jury to investigate his handling of your case and activities related to it, and the judge has already appointed a special counsel to assist them. This is going to reverberate throughout the entire legal system around here. I would imagine that many people he convicted are going to appeal,” said Trish.

“Too bad,” said Diana.

“Where’s Max?” asked Bobbi.

“He’s busy right now helping the feds work out their case against Hill,” said Diana. “He asked me to give you this. Don’t worry; he’ll see you when all this is cleaned up.” She handed Bobbi a card.

Bobbi opened and read it. The closing line brought a smile to her face.

“You’re alright, kid. Have a great life. Love, Max.”

“So what happens now?” asked Mary-Ann.

“Well, I’d like to sue the estates of Lee, Johnson, and Butler to set up a trust fund for Bobbi,” said Trish. “What’s more, I think we can sue the CA for the value of Monica’s house as well.”

“I don’t want a thing from them,” said Bobbi firmly.

“Don’t be so hasty, Bobbi. This ordeal cost your family dearly,” said Diana.

“Okay, I guess you’re right,” said Bobbi.

“Oh, Celeste is on her way down here to talk to you and your family. She should be here tomorrow,” said Diana.

“Are you going to be here?” asked Bobbi.

“No, I have to work on this story; my producer wants to get it on the air tomorrow, so I’d better be going. Don’t worry, we’ll stay in touch,” said Diana. She then hugged Bobbi. “Take care.”

Chapter 61

Bobbi and her family continued to stay in the hotel to avoid the press coverage that followed the arrest of Thomas Hill.

It was strange for Bobbi, because for the first time since her abduction, she could actually start to think about the future. She had put all her plans on hold when she was arrested as she didn’t want to be disappointed. Now she was facing the reality of living out the rest of her life as a woman.

She also thought about the two dead women and tried to feel some remorse for their deaths, but she couldn’t. She didn’t feel any joy over their deaths either. This bothered her as she thought she should have some emotions regarding the deaths, but she didn’t. Diana told her that it would take some time for her to totally accept what had happened.

Celeste Farnsworth arrived the day after Hill’s arrest. Bobbi was surprised at how young she looked. In some ways, Bobbi looked older than Celeste.

Celeste was dressed in jeans and University of Pennsylvania sweatshirt. Even though she was dressed casually, she still carried an air of sophistication.

Celeste told Bobbi how she had been abducted by a woman named Margo Simon to be transformed into a sex slave. Thankfully, Celeste was purchased by a very understanding man who was a deeply closeted crossdresser. He wasn’t looking for a slave, rather a kindred spirit. They later married. He passed away from a heart attack, but he left Celeste his entire estate.

“So the Shirley Farnsworth Center is named after him?” asked Bobbi.

Celeste nodded. “It seemed appropriate. I wanted to do something for the other victims of Margo Simon, and it sort grew into something much larger. Now we help transgendered teens who have been abused.”

“Diana Bowie showed me the website and told me a lot about the facility,” said Bobbi.

“Well, we’d be happy to enroll you. It’s a wonderful place to heal and to move on with your life,” said Celeste. “Your parents forwarded us your medical records. I just want you to know that we work with an outstanding plastic surgeon. In addition to breast reduction, he can remove that tattoo you have. Dr. Ayres has a very successful practice in New York City, but he always finds time to help us. Also, if and when you’re ready, we can also arrange for your SRS.”

“I’d love to go there, but I don’t want to be away form my parents. I missed them so badly when I was abducted. They’re also going through some hard times. They don’t think I know, but I got to be very good at overhearing things while I was in captivity.”

Celeste nodded. “I know what you’re talking about. I may have a solution; let’s go talk to them.”

Chapter 62

“I understand that you’re quite the electrical engineer, Mr. Marks,” said Celeste.

“Please call me Dave. I wouldn’t quite use those words, but I’ve been working with electricity for my entire adult life, and I’m still here with all my fingers.”

Bobbi groaned, as she had heard that joke so many times. Still, it gave her a sense of normalcy.

“Our center in Connecticut has a very antiquated electrical system. I would love to hire you to oversee the upgrading of the entire facility. If you like working up there, I can assure you the job will become permanent,” said Celeste.

Dave looked at his wife.

“I’d also like to hire you, Mrs. Marks,” said Celeste.

“What on earth can I do up there?” she asked.

“We have many teens who need to learn how to dress for the real world. Part of the foundation’s goal is to produce young women who can do more than just function in the world; we want them to excel. Diana Bowie told me that you have a wonderful sense of style. From what I saw of your store, I must concur. I need someone like you to help them. It’s a paid position.”

Mary looked at Dave and he nodded.

“This isn’t just being done because of Bobbi. We’ve been looking to expand our staff, and from what I’ve heard about both of you, I know that you’ll make excellent additions to our organization.”

“I assume that Diana told you of our situation down here,” said Dave.

Celeste nodded. “I think that all of you can do with a change of environment.”

“How’s the fishing up there?” asked Dave with a smile.

“From what I’ve heard, excellent,” said Celeste.

“Mom, Dad, this will be perfect. I really want to go there, and this way we don’t have to be separated,” said Bobbi.

“I agree with our daughter, Dave,” said Mary. “I’ve always wanted to see New England.”

Bobbi started to choke up when she heard her mom refer to her as their daughter.

“It looks like you’ve got all three of us, Celeste,” said Dave.

Bobbi instantly hugged her parents.

Chapter 63

“Bert, you’ve never been a slouch,” said CarolAnn, “but I’ll swear you’re standing taller and have a new spring in your step these days.”

“Well, you know, honey, I’m feeling right good about things. When I retired, I figured I’d done about all the good that I could with my life, but I’ll tell you something. I’ve learned that six ordinary citizens can make a really big difference in the life of a person and in their community. Serving on that Grand Jury is probably the most important thing I’ve done in my life — aside from marrying you, of course.”

***

Diana Bowie was amazed at what she uncovered as she continued to investigate Thomas Hill. Her first show attracted a lot of attention, and soon after it aired, she starting getting e-mails and calls from people who had additional dirt on Hill. She decided that there was more than enough information to write another book.

Max told her that the Special Grand Jury was close to tying Hill to the murders of Dr. Butler and the two Richardsons. This really didn’t surprise her at all. She had a sixth sense when it came to corrupt officials. Some of her friends suggested that she run for public office as a crusader, but she preferred to do things in her own way.

She was pleased that things appeared to working out for Bobbi and her family. Diana loved how her Aunt Faith and Max had taken her in and raised her, but it would have been nice to have a foundation like the Shirley Farnsworth Center when she was going through her transition.

Marlene and Trish were filing lawsuits against the estates of Monica, Yvonne, and Dr. Butler. This would ensure that Bobbi wouldn’t lack for funds.

There was more good news in that Nina Vasquez was being hired as a Federal Agent. She’d had a long talk with her family. Nina was stunned that her parents had suspected that their daughter was a lesbian, but were waiting for her to say something first. They were very proud of her for her role in bringing down the CA. There would still be some rough spots, but it looked promising.

Diana knew that Bobbi would have some struggles, and she decided that she would be there for the teen. She admired how strong Bobbi had been in resisting her captors and how she’d fought for her freedom.

She was also pleased to have worked on another case with Max. Faith said that if she was younger and had the time, she would start another series about a father-daughter detective team. As it was, Faith was busy with both her books and being the executive producer for the new TV series based on her characters. Both Max and Faith had told Diana how proud they were of her, and this meant the world to her.

All of this combined to make Diana realize how badly she missed Kari, and she couldn’t wait to get back home to New Hope. This case had allowed her to vent out some of her own personal demons, and maybe that would allow her to open a new chapter in her own life.

Diana hoped she could finish the book before the fall, as she had finally accepted the teaching position at Penn. Celeste was very excited to hear this and couldn’t wait to introduce Diana to her roommate and some of the other people who lived in her building. But that, as they say, is another story.

The End

Note: Readers who are curious about the Virginia Grand Jury system may find more information at: http://www.courts.state.va.us/gjury/cover.htm