This story is based on the story called, "I, my sister" and was written by Diana Christy (07/97). I would like to thank Diana for allowing me to use parts of her story in mine. I would also like to thank Arcee and Darkside for their support and suggestions that I needed to finish this story. A special thanks to Elaine for all her hard work in proofing the story and her suggestions on a number of different issues. I couldn't have written this story without their support. Thanks guys!

Warning: This story contains sexual material and transgender themes. If you're not 18 or over, or are offended by such material then don't read it! This story can be posted on Fictionmania or any other free sites however, I do ask that you notify me first before doing so.

The Life and Death of Al Parker
Part 2 - What Ever Happened to Al Parker?
By Kelly Davidson

Chapter 1 - Lost souls

Tom sat back in his chair and took a long swig from the bottle. He needed a drink after viewing that last body. This was the third time in the past month he had been asked by police to try and identify a body. In this particular case the person had died a very horrible death. Tom knew he would be having nightmares tonight over what he had seen - just like had from his previous two viewings. To make sure it wasn't really Al, he had forced himself to look closely at the face of the grisly corpse. Its image was now burned soundly into his mind. The only comfort the detective had was knowing the body wasn't that of his friend.

The detective tried to remove that image in his mind as he took another long drink. The alcohol burned his throat and already he began to feel light-headed from its numbing effects. He would need it to sleep tonight.

***

Al stood in front of the window staring out at the darkness beyond. The clock indicated it was almost four in the morning and in less then an hour he would have to start getting ready for another day in hell. Being turned into a woman had been horrible enough, but being stripped of his freedom was unbearable. This place, with all of its comforts, was still a prison and Al's only purpose for living was to serve his two masters.

During the day Al's master was Dr. Jensen, who issued orders to clean the house and make the meals. In the evenings his master was Gerald, who made him do things that inside he found repulsing while outside his female body found to be very pleasing.

It seemed important to Gerald that Jennifer enjoyed what he did to her physically, even if he knew emotionally (and Al had told him many times before) he hated every aspect of their actions. There was no reprieve for Al from Gerald. If he resisted him in any way then a spoken command would end his resistance.

Al turned and watched him lying in the bed snoring softly. He didn't dare wake him up. Even after an exhausting night of sex, he could still wake up and find himself in the mood. He was a pig, containing the worse aspects of what a man could be. He cared nothing about Al or his feelings; he only cared about his own selfish desires.

So each morning Al would wake up and pray that this would be the day someone would come to rescue him. He figured someone, the police, Tom, or even one of Walker's men should have shown up by now. But no one ever did.

'Why hasn't anyone shown up to save me?' he asked himself. 'Hasn't my disappearance mattered to anyone? Isn't there anyone out there looking for Al Parker?'

The answers to these questions were as dark as the night outside the window.

***

Chapter 2 - First break!

"Hello. Can I speak with Tom McClain please."

"This is Tom, what can I do for you?" Tom didn't recognize the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Well, I don't know if you remember me but my name is Jim Baker and we met at a party last year. I'm a friend of Al's and I'm trying to get a hold of him. I tried his apartment but the phone has been disconnected with no forwarding number. I was hoping you could tell me where I could reach him."

Tom took a deep breath before speaking because he hated this moment. Al had a lot of friends he had kept in contact with and every week, Tom would get a call from one of them asking if he knew where Al was. Tom thought by now it would be easier for him to deal with Al's disappearance but he found the opposite was true. Each conversation was always more painful then the previous one.

"He's not...around. Can you tell me when you last talked to him?" There was a moment of silence of the other end as if the man wasn't sure how to answer the question.

"Well, it was about a week before Christmas. I was being shipped out on an assignment and..." Tom cut the other man off before he finished.

"When did you say you talked to him last?" Tom shouted in disbelief. The man on the other end gave him the same answer. "Are you sure it was the week before Christmas?"

"Well, let me think. Yea, that would be correct. I saw Al on the 20th. He told me to give him a call when I got back into town. I should have been back sooner but my assignment took a little longer then I thought it would. Why?"

Tom could hardly contain himself. Was this the break he had been praying for? Could this person fill in the pieces to the puzzle of Al's disappearance?

"We need to meet Jim and now! Where are you?"

***

Tom walked into the restaurant and over to the man sitting in the booth in his army greens.

"Jim Baker?" The man shook his head yes. "I'm Tom McClain. Thanks for meeting with me at such short notice."

"No problem. As I said, we met at a party last year. I guess you don't remember me; you were pretty plastered by the time I showed up. Now, can you please tell me what this is all about?"

The waitress brought over a cup of coffee for Tom and left. The detective stared into the cup for a moment before answering Jim's question.

"Al's been missing for almost two months now. The last time anyone heard from him was around Christmas, when he phoned in. That call was made on December 20th, the same day you talked to him. That means you may have been the last person to see Al alive before he left town. Since then no one has heard from Al."

The experienced detective looked intensely at the soldier to gauge his reaction. It was one of genuine shock and concern.

"What?" Jim gasped. "Al's missing? Do you have any idea where he might be?"

"A general idea but not enough to go on. Al said he was going on a trip but didn't say where. I've been able to track his movements to Utah but there the trail goes cold. Do you know where he was going or what he was up to?"

"No, not really," Jim replied in a voice that indicated he was holding something back. Tom picked up on it immediately. Normally he would have let Jim tell him when he was ready. But after two frustrating months of searching and coming up empty, Tom wasn't in the mood to play games.

"What is it? What are you holding back?" he demanded to know.

"I promised Al I wouldn't tell you," the soldier answered back, his face showing signs of conflict. Jim didn't want to break his promise to Al and yet...if his friend was missing shouldn't he tell someone?

"Jim, look. Al's been missing for almost two months now. If you know anything about where he was going or what he was up to then I need to know about it. His life may depend on it." Tom stopped long enough to swallow his pride. "Please Jim, I need to know! You don't know what kind of hell I've been going through since he disappeared. I have to find him!"

The soldier stared down at his drink trying to decide what to do. He had given Al his word he wouldn't tell and to Jim, his word meant everything. But that was before...before what? Before Al had been murdered or kidnapped? Jim didn't want to believe his ex-army buddy was dead. So if he was still alive but being held against his will then he needed help in order to get free. Wasn't helping out his friend more important than his promise to keep quiet?

"I don't know where he was going," Jim started off slowly. "Al didn't tell me that part. All he said was that he was doing a job for someone you knew and that he would be back in a few days. My God, he told me he was going to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve. He looked so...so happy when I saw him last. I can't believe he's missing."

Tom knew Jim was telling him the truth. No one except the jeweler and himself knew about the engagement ring. He pressed the army soldier for the answer that was burning in his mind.

"Who sent him? Who is the mysterious person who sent Al on this assignment?"

"You're not going to like it Tom," Jim whispered. "It was Klein Walker. I saw Al coming out of his building that day and he told me he'd been hired by Klein to do some kind of job for him. He didn't tell me what that job was and I didn't ask. That's all I know Tom, I swear."

'Klein Walker...Mr. fucking "W" himself!' Tom swore silently. 'Damn it Al, why did you have to get mixed up with that scumbag?'

Now it was all starting to fall together. Klein had hired Al to do something illegal by offering him more money then he had seen in his lifetime. The amount of money Al had on him had fit this scheme too. Klein usually fronted his pigeons with $1,000 for expenses unless the job demanded more.

"Thank you Jim. You've helped me out a great deal."

"If you find him, will you please let me know. If I'd known this would have happened..." Jim's voice trailed off. There was a lot of guilt in his tone.

"It wasn't your fault Jim." Tom replied as he stood up. "You couldn't have stopped Al if you wanted to. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go see the person who's responsible."

"Good luck Tom." Jim lowered his head and stared at the table in silence.

'Luck!' Tom said to himself as he left the restaurant. If there was anyone who needed luck it was Klein Walker when he got his hands on him. That son of a bitch had helped murder his best friend, someone Tom considered to be like a brother. His anger grew as each step took him closer to Klein's office a few blocks away.

***

Chapter 3 - Meeting with the devil

"I'm sorry sir, you can't go in there. Wait! Stop! Security!" The woman cried.

Tom buzzed by Klein's secretary and forced open the office door. The fat man was sitting at his desk looking over some business papers. For a brief moment there appeared a look of anger on Klein's face that someone would dare barge into his office unannounced. His anger quickly turned to fear however, when he saw the intruder was not an employee but rather Tom McClain.

"Where is he, you fat son of a bitch? Where is he? What suicide mission did you talk him into?" Suddenly two men grabbed Tom from behind and proceeded to pull him out of the office. Klein held up his hand to stop them.

"Well, well, if it isn't Tom McClain," he said, a forced smile replacing the fear that had been there just moments before. "It's been a long time since we've talked. So what do I owe for the pleasure of this visit?"

"You know why I'm here," Tom snarled back. "I want to know what happened to my friend, Al Parker. I want you to tell me what you did to him?"

Klein got a confused look on his face. "Al Parker? Aww, of course -your partner. I heard you quit the force and became a private investigator. You should have stayed where you were McClain; I've heard your business hasn't been doing to well lately."

"At least it's an honest living, which is more then can be said about you," Tom shot back while tugging at the two men holding onto his arms.

"Why, I don't know what you mean McClain," Klein replied back in a hurt tone. "As you well know, I've never been found guilty of any crime despite the fact the police and DA accuse me of something new each month. But that's the price I pay for being rich and successful. There will always be little scum like the police, the DA, or you who'll want a piece of my action. I've put more than one lawyer's kid through college, just to defend my reputation and good name."

"I'm not here to discuss your legal problems Walker!" Tom snorted back. "I want to know where Al Parker is! I know you gave him $1,000 and sent him to Utah. I want the address of where he went and the reason why you sent him. You can tell me what I want to know now or...I can come back after your goons have gone home and get it from you the hard way."

"Don't threaten me McClain," Klein replied back angrily. He was uneasy to learn that Tom knew so much about his business between him and Al Parker. "I've eaten people like you for breakfast. Hell, you're not even big enough to be considered a snack. If I tell you anything it will be out of the goodness of my heart, not because of your empty threats. I suggest you reconsider your position and actions before I have my boys throw you out of my office on your ass."

Tom knew deep down Klein was a coward. Without his bodyguards to protect him he was as helpless as a newborn baby. Unfortunately Klein did have his bodyguards and Tom realized a need to change his attitude. He took a deep breath to calm down and asked the questions again in a less threatening way.

"Okay, where is he Walker? Where is Al Parker?"

"I don't know where he is," replied Klein who held up his hand to stop Tom from saying anything more. "He didn't tell me where he was going in Salt Lake, only that he had something which would make us both really rich men. Where he was getting the product from I don't know. Of course if he were doing something illegal then I wouldn't have gotten involved. As you know, I run a legitimate business here." The last line was added with a touch of sarcasm. Tom frowned but didn't say anything.

"He told me this product was on the up and up. Said it was a new medical drug that the inventor was trying to sell to someone. Naturally I was interested and wanted to know who this person was but your partner wouldn't tell me."

"You supplied him with the money," said Tom knowing he wasn't being told the entire truth.

"So what? There's no crime in that," said Klein who went over to the bar to fix himself a drink. "He told me he needed some money up front for travel expenses and I felt it was worth the risk. As it turns out he took my money and ran. And they call me a thief boys."

There was a muffled laugh from his bodyguards. Klein swallowed his drink before continuing.

"The bottom line is, I don't know anything more than what I just told you and I didn't do anything wrong. If your friend was involved in something illegal then that was his problem, not mine. That's all I have to say to you. Now, before you leave I want you to see how the results of your reckless actions have hurt others around you."

Klein picked up his phone and spoke, "Janet, I'd like to see you in my office right now." A moment later the secretary Tom had buzzed by appeared in the doorway.

"I'm tired of your screw ups Janet. If this had been someone with gun I'd be dead by now. You're fired! You have five minutes to clean out your desk before security escorts you out of the building."

The middle-aged women looked like she was going to start crying right there and Tom felt sorry for her. She stood in the doorway for a moment as if she was going to say something then turned and left.

"Was that really necessary Walker?" Tom asked angrily. "She didn't do anything wrong. She couldn't have stopped me even if she wanted to."

"That's right," Klein pointed out. "You screwed up, not her. But since I can't punish you directly I'll let you live with the fact that you cost someone else their job. Maybe that will cause you to stop and think the next time you decide to come barging in on me again. Boys, show Mr. McClain the way out."

Klein's bodyguards roughly pulled Tom out of the office and toward the front door. On his way out they passed by the secretary cleaning out her desk. She had tears in her eyes. Tom had to say something, if nothing else to ease his own guilt.

"You're better off working for someone else Miss. Trust me on that."

She looked at Tom with angry eyes that could have melted the hardest soul. "Tell that to my three hungry kids when I can't afford to put food on our table you creep."

Suddenly Tom felt very ashamed about his actions.

***

Chapter 4 - Right way, wrong way

Tom knew a lot more than before his visit to Klein Walker's office. Al had gone to Salt Lake City to pick something up. What that was he didn't know but more then likely it was some kind of medical drug. While Salt Lake was still a major city, it at least it narrowed down the search. Tom planned on heading out there but first there was a little business matter he had to take care of. It was late and the detective hoped she would still be up.

Janet Arkley lived in a house that was old and rundown. The front yard was littered with toys and the bushes that bordered it looked like they hadn't been clipped in a long time. Her mini-van was over 10 years old and was showing signs of neglect. It was a clear case of a single mother who had too many jobs to do and too little time to do them. From the road, Tom could see there were still a few lights on inside. Gathering up his courage, he walked up to the door and knocked. Janet Arkley opened up the door and stared at him coldly.

"What do you want?" She asked in an unfriendly tone.

"A few minutes of your time," answered Tom holding up a folded one hundred-dollar bill in front of her face. "I really need your help."

"Really! And what makes you think I'd want to help you out or be interested in your money?" she replied back harshly.

"Three hungry kids," Tom answered matter of factly. Janet Arkley stood there for a moment deciding what to do before letting him in.

"I really don't know anything," she said while taking the bill from his hand. "You're wasting your money."

"Let me be the judge of that. Do you remember this man coming into Klein Walker's office on December 20th?" Tom showed her a picture of Al Parker.

"No. As a matter of fact I wasn't even there that week, I was on vacation with my kids. See, I told you that you were wasting your money. Until today I'd never even heard your friend's name mentioned. I take it he was a friend of yours?"

"You could say that. He's been missing since Christmas and I'm sure your ex-boss knows what happened to him. Look, did anything strange happen when you got back? Did anyone new or suspicious show up asking to talk to Klein Walker?"

Janet thought about it for a moment. "No one showed up but Mr. Walker did beef up his security right after Christmas. For a while he had two men standing outside his office door all the time. When I asked why they were there he told me to mind my own business. That's the only thing I remember being different."

'Right after Christmas!' Tom thought to himself. 'So Klein did know what had happened to Al. Maybe he was even involved in Al's disappearance. It wouldn't have surprised Tom any. Klein Walker was the worse kind of human scum there was.'

"Okay, thank you for your help Ms Arkley. You've told me more than you realize. Oh, there is one more thing." Tom handed her a card. "I felt very badly about causing you to lose your job today. So I made a few calls and was able to secure you a new job with the Seattle Police Department. The pay and benefits are good and well, it's my way of saying I'm sorry. If you like, you can start tomorrow at 9am. Just ask for Johnny, he'll take good care of you."

Janet took the card and smiled for the first time that night. "Thank you Mr. McClain. I thought you were just like Klein Walker and all his other associates. I've misjudged you."

"That's alright Miss Arkley. Now I have to be going."

Outside Tom felt a lot better about himself. He had pulled in a lot of favors from his former boss to get her hired but the look on her face had made it all worthwhile. Tom got into his car and looked at the map one more time. His next stop was Salt Lake City.

***

Al sat at the vanity table preparing his female body while Gerald watched TV in the next room. He hated this time of the day more than any other. Gerald was forcing him to do things that, as Al Parker, he wouldn't have dreamed of doing to Sally.

As Al brushed the long brown hair, his thoughts kept going back to Sally. He wondered if Sally still thought about him after all this time. How he wished he could be back in her warm, loving arms again. Sally knew how to make love to a man. What Al was doing trapped in Jennifer's body wasn't making love - it was far from it. All he was doing was serving one man's perverted desire. Oh, there was pleasure in the acts that his female body was forced to with Gerald, but it certainly wasn't love. And without love, no matter how enjoyable it was, it made the events seem empty and meaningless.

The nightgown, for lack of a better term, didn't even cover his exposed rear. That was just the way Gerald liked it, so he wouldn't have to work on taking something off. Al dressed like a tramp around him.

'No, that wasn't right,' he thought. 'I am a tramp; doing things no respectable lady would do.'

During the day he behaved as a prim and proper maid but at night he was Gerald's plaything and personal whore. Nothing Al did could prevent that from happening. And that's what hurt Al the most - being commanded to behave in a manner that was the exact opposite of what he was.

It was time. Al put down the brush and picked up some perfume to spray on Jennifer's body. If he were lucky, sex with Gerald would be over in less than an hour. Then he could get some sleep and forget about this living nightmare, at least for a little while. That was the only time Al was really free, when he slept. Only then could he dream about getting his hands around Gerald's neck and holding on tightly until he saw the life slip away in the bodyguard's eyes. Al opened the bedroom door and in Jennifer's shapely body, sashayed up to Gerald to begin another empty and meaningless night of sex with him.

Chapter 5 - A needle in a haystack

On the map, Salt Lake City didn't look that big. In reality the city was spread out over many miles and with no real starting place, it was like trying to find a needle in a field full of haystacks. The first thing Tom did was check out the police stations and hospitals to see if someone matching Al's description had been spotted. It turned out to be a dead end.

Next he purchased a detailed map of Salt Lake City and marked all the pharmaceutical companies. Klein Walker was a very sly person, using lies mixed with just enough truths to keep someone guessing. Tom reasoned Al probably had come to Salt Lake City to steal, not buy a new drug for Klein Walker that the fat man would turn around and make millions off of.

After checking out all the companies on the map, Tom started doing the same to the motels that were close by. The number of motels soon climbed to over 50. Tom looked at his watch and made some quick calculations. In 12 hours he had to head back home to take care of his own business. Figuring 2 motels an hour, he could visit maybe 24 of them on this first trip. He wrote down some information about the first motel to check out and then drove off.

***

"How long do you intend to keep me here?" Al asked freely yet unable to express his true anger. Dr. Jensen had private conversations with him from time to time where Al was allowed to speak freely. Al didn't know why Dr. Jensen did this nor did he care. All he wanted was to get out of this mad house.

"Oh, not for more than 10 years or so," Sarah Jensen answered back as she pulled out a cigarette. "You have to understand Jennifer, your change was expensive and it's going to take a while for you to pay me back."

"Pay you back?" Al replied back sweetly. "Just give me a gun and the control to pull the trigger and I'll pay Gerald and you back right now."

Dr. Jensen frowned. "I'm not amused by your answer Jennifer. You could at least show me a little gratitude. I took you out of a cold, drafty boxcar and provided you with a nice place to stay. You now have a warm bed to sleep in, nice clothes to wear, and real security in your life. In addition to that, I set you up with someone who cares about you deeply."

"Don't kid yourself doctor!" Al replied back in a calm but cool voice. "Gerald is an asshole who only cares about himself. He isn't concerned about my welfare anymore than I am about yours or his. And no matter how good a life you give me, it can never compensate for my lost freedom and sexual identity. You had no right..."

Sarah cut Al off sternly. "I had every right to do what I did. You were going to steal from me blind without any considerations for my feelings. You weren't a member of our society. You were just some bloodsucking leech who makes the society of decent, hard-working people weaker. In time it would have been my tax dollars that would have supported you in prison or some other program; just so you can live a life with no responsibilities. I decided to get my money's worth. What I did to you served a higher purpose. From you I learned all kinds of things about my serum. You saved me almost a year's worth of work and if this information came at the expense of someone like you then so be it. But don't tell me I didn't have the right to do what I did to you; not after what you were going to do to me! At least my actions led to a successful conclusion. Where were your actions taking you? I'll tell you - to jail! At least what I did served a useful purpose!"

Al held his tongue. How grand it would be to tell Dr. Jensen the truth and let her know she'd screwed up again. But how would telling her the truth benefit anyone? Klein Walker would get his maybe but who else would suffer? Would telling the truth also put Sally's life in danger? And what about Tom? If he were looking for him then telling the truth about who he was would ruin any chance of a rescue. No, it wasn't time yet.

"I had a life which you had no right to change," Al argued. "You don't know how I would have turned out. What gives you the right to play God?"

"I'm tired of this," Sarah answered back. She spoke out a command and Al's freedom to speak his mind vanished as quickly as it came. "I want you to fix dinner half-hour later than usual tonight Jennifer. I have a lot of work I need to catch up on."

"Yes doctor," Jennifer said with a smile. "I'll let Gerald know. Will that be all?"

"Only one more thing." Dr Jensen took a puff of her cigarette and gathered her thoughts. "What I did to you Jennifer is permanent, it can't be changed. You can continue to hate Gerald and me or accept that fact and start living your 'new' life in your 'new' body. You'll never get an opportunity to hurt us...I guarantee it. And since Al Parker had no friends, no one even knows he's missing. Accepting these simple facts will make your life much more bearable. In time you'll even thank me for what I did. You are what most men want in a wife - pretty, affectionate, a good housekeeper. And with Gerald teaching you how to...well, how to be the perfect lover this will ensure you a long and happy life with whomever I decide you'll fall in love with. You see, I'm going to make sure you marry the right man with the right connections to help my research. I'll get what I want and you...well; you'll get a life that you could only dream about before I found you. So you see, I don't intend to keep you here as my maid forever. Once you leave, you'll be able to live your life the way you want to, with some restrictions of course. You'll be able to decide how many kids you want to have, what type of house to live in, what clothes to wear, and other day to day decisions. You'll be free but the first step to your freedom is accepting who you are now. Think about that Jennifer. You may go now."

"Yes doctor. And thank you for the talk." Al closed the door as he left.

"So damn close," Dr Jensen said out loud while pulling out another cigarette. She really needed to quit smoking. If only her boss would allow her to devote all her time to project Phoenix instead of project Peace. Then she wouldn't be so stressed out all the time.

She pulled up Jennifer's file on the computer and began typing in some notes. After all this time she seemed no closer to being broken and accepting her fate than the first day she'd been changed.

'What would it take?' Sarah asked herself. Well, there was still plenty of time to find that out. She made a few more notes then closed the file.

***

Chapter 6 - Change of plans

It had been two long fruitless days and Tom was exhausted. He'd actually been able to visit 27 motels during his short stay in Salt Lake City; but only a dozen of them could be ruled out as places Al hadn't stayed at. At this rate it would take months to check every motel in Salt Lake City.

Tom closed his eyes for a moment. He had managed a few hours of sleep in his car on the way back but that had only been enough to get him home. What he needed now was a decent eight hours of sound sleep to feel refreshed again. He checked the answering machine for messages; there were several of them.

Tom sighed. Being a private investigator was a cutthroat business. If you didn't get back with a client soon they would go somewhere else. He picked up the phone and started dialing the first number.

"Next time I'll plan my trip more carefully," he said out loud.

***

"Will that be all Miss?" the lady behind the checkout counter asked.

Al nodded and pretended not to notice the other woman's stares toward Gerald as she reached for her wallet. Today was Tuesday, grocery-shopping day. Sarah Jensen enjoyed eating fresh vegetables with her meals so every Tuesday and Friday Gerald would drive Jennifer down to the store to buy some. Normally nothing happened on these trips but today was going to be different.

The clerk's name was Dianna. Every time they came into the store she would stare at Gerald with big, wishful eyes; hoping that one day he would talk to her or even ask her out. Gerald enjoyed this game and made it a point of always getting in her line even if it meant waiting a little longer to pay. But today he had a little surprise for the love-struck cashier. He caught her eyes and smiled. She smiled back.

"What the HELL are you looking at BITCH?" Jennifer demanded to know in a loud threatening voice. The clerk was taken back by the rude and mean demeanor of the younger, more attractive woman.

"What? Why, um, nothing. I'm just doing my job Ma'am." She turned back to the register.

"The HELL you are!" Jennifer said loud enough so that others in the store could hear her. "I saw you checking out my man! MY MAN, not yours. Do you understand me? Mine!"

Before leaving the house, Gerald had commanded Al to act and respond to Dianna's flirting as an angry and jealous woman. Al was ashamed at his actions even though he couldn't do anything to stop them. The checkout lady had no idea this was just another little game to pump up Gerald's ego.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't like that at all, honest. I was just trying..."

Al cut her off at the knees. "That's right, you are SORRY! You're one of the sorriest women I've ever seen. No wonder the only thing you can do is LOOK at a man. You're a pathetic, ugly bitch!"

Al saw tears form in the woman's eyes as his words found their mark. How could Gerald stand there and be so cruel? How could he hurt someone who's only crime was to have a crush on him? This lady would have given the world to be with him for one night and he was trashing her feelings for his own personal enjoyment. She'd never know the real truth about Gerald or how better off she'd be without him. All she'd remember was the young witch who had come into her store and cut out her heart.

Al picked up his purse and headed out of the store. He heard Gerald tell the approaching manager with a chuckle, "bad PMS day," as they left. Once outside Al looked back and saw the woman crying uncontrollably at her register while the manager tried unsuccessfully to comfort her. A cold chill ran through his body. Gerald came up and put his arm around him.

"I didn't realize you cared about me so much," he said, very pleased with the results. "That was some cat fight you had back there over me."

"Not half the fight I'm going to give you once we get in bed," Al said with a seductive smile and totally opposite of what he really wanted to tell this asshole.

***

It was Tom's fourth trip to Salt Lake City in the past six weeks. His first three visits had been futile. No one had seen or even heard of Al Parker. The last motel, number 126 on his list, had been like all the others.

Tom was getting frustrated at his lack of progress. He checked the next motel on his list called the Sunset Motel. Tom compared its location on the map with the pharmaceutical companies in the area. It seemed unlike he would find any answers there, this place was at least five miles from the nearest one. Well, the place had to be ruled out didn't it? Tom decided to get some dinner first before continuing on with his search.

***

Chapter 7 - Paydirt

It wasn't much to look at. The motel was made up of 10 rooms and some of them had the windows boarded up. Clearly the entire place was in need of some major repairs. In this case its name, the Sunset Motel, fit Tom decided. The sun had definitely set on this dump long ago. Tom entered the motel office and found an old man sitting in a chair reading a newspaper.

"Can I help you?" the manager asked cheerfully enough.

"I certainly hope so," said Tom who pulled a picture of Al Parker. "I was wondering if you'd seen this man before."

The manager looked at the picture and tugged at his chin as he thought about it. "I sure have. He spent a couple of nights here and stiffed me for the bill. Even left some of his stuff here."

Are you SURE THIS IS THE MAN YOU SAW?" Tom shouted out in disbelief. After so many weeks of searching and coming up empty, he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

"No need to shout sonny, I ain't deaf yet," the old man replied back in an annoyed tone.

"I'm sorry mister that I got so excited. It's just that I've been looking for my friend for a long time and you're the first one who has seen him."

"Oh, a friend of yours is he?" the old man replied. "Well, to answer your question, yes, I'm sure that was him. And if you catch up with your friend you can tell him personally that I'm not returning any of his stuff until he settles up."

"Can I see what he left behind please?" Tom asked, hoping it would contain a clue about where Al had gone.

"Well, okay," the old man answered reluctantly. "But just to look at, I ain't letting you have it."

The manager ducked into the back for a moment then reappeared carrying a backpack in his hands. "Does this belong to your friend?"

It was Al's backpack all right, Tom could have spotted it a mile away. The pack was covered with railroad patches that Al had picked up from several railroad shows. It was his pride and joy and he would have never left his backpack behind without a good reason. That meant he must have been planning to go back to the Motel before he disappeared.

"Do you remember when you last saw him?" Tom asked.

"Well, lets see now. He was here just a little bit before Christmas. Came in off the street and boy, did he smell. Stayed a couple of nights and then vanished without a trace. He stiffed me for both nights."

Tom doubted the last part of the manager's story but didn't want to upset the man by calling him a liar. Besides, he really needed his help.

"So what's your connection to him?" the old man asked curiously.

"He's like my brother," Tom replied. "How much does his bill come to? I'd like to settle up."

"Well, lets see now." The man rubbed his chin in a greedy kind of way. "It was within a week of Christmas so I have to charge you our holiday rate. That would be $50 per night. Then there is the storage fee for his stuff; that's $30 per month. Tell you what, lets just call it an even $150."

Tom wasn't in the mood to barter. He handed over the money and took the pack from the manager's hands. Quickly he started going through it and came across a picture of a house surrounded by a high wall and a heavy gate. It wasn't anything Tom recognized so he laid the picture on the counter.

"Have you seen this house before?"

"Well...it's looks familiar. I just can't seem to place it yet," the old man answered back with a sly grin.

Tom sighed and laid a twenty-dollar bill out on the counter. "Does this help your memory?"

"Oh yea, now I remember. I pass that place on my way to the lodge every week. Funny how you forget things like that."

"Yea, real funny," Tom replied sarcastically. "You don't know who happens to live there, do you?" The man got another sly grin on his face. Tom laid another twenty-dollar bill on the counter.

"If I recall, the house is owned by a lady name Jensen. I think she's a doctor or professor of some kind. There's also a man named Gerald Rogers who lives in the house with his girlfriend. Her name is Jennifer something. I don't know what any of them does for a living."

"How do you know this Gerald fellow is living there with his girlfriend? Maybe he's romantically involved with Miss Jensen and this other lady is her daughter or niece."

"No, it's his girlfriend all right," the old man stated firmly. "One night I was at the bar minding my own business when they walked in. She was dressed real nicely in a way that gets stares; you know what I mean? And so I was sitting there drinking my beer and enjoying the view when all of the sudden this Gerald fellow walks up and knocks me to the ground. Told me I was staring at his girlfriend too much and he was going to teach me some manners. Fortunately the police arrived before he had a chance to hurt me."

"Sounds like a real sweetheart," Tom told the manager. "How far is this house from here."

"Not far. I can draw you a map if you want," the old man offered.

"How much?" Tom asked in a sarcastic tone.

***

The map to the house was free but it cost Tom $60 to rent the same room Al had stayed in. This was because someone had already reserved the same room for the night and now the manager was going to have to disappoint them by putting them in another. At least that was his story for charging him almost double the normal cost of the room. Tom didn't fret about it; he had a more important job to do.

He started searching the room to see if Al had left anything behind. When he pulled out the dresser drawer he found what he was looking for; a large envelope had been taped to the bottom. Inside the envelope was a wealth of information about the house and its security system, including a small blueprint. Circled on the blueprint was a small, windowless room at the back.

"What could be so important about this Jensen lady and the small room attached to the back of her house?" Tom wondered out loud. The room appeared to be to small for a complex research lab. On the other hand, while Tom didn't know a lot about security systems, he did know a high price setup when he saw one. Many of the top research labs he'd visited when he was a cop didn't carry this much security. Either this lady was paranoid about the outside world or she was trying to hide something.

Then there was Mr. Rogers and his girlfriend. Why were they there? Were they her companions, protectors, or guards? Tom would try to figure that out later. He looked at his watch; there was still enough time to see the house before it got dark. He got into his car and drove off using the map the manager had drawn him.

***

Chapter 8 - A view to a kill

"The doctor wants to know if dinner will be on time. I guess she's hungry. So am I, only not for food," Gerald said with a mischievous smile.

"I'm still on my period tiger," Al replied back. There was a sense of shock at saying the words, "my period."

"The curse," as Sally had called it, started happening to Jennifer's body a few days earlier. For some unexplained reason it had taken this long for his female body to experience its first period but once the process started it was long, hard, and painful. Al's mind was under a constant bombardment of strange, new feelings due to the hormone changes inside his female body. A wave of sadness gripped his soul and wouldn't let go.

Already depressed about his current situation, Al felt like he could break down and cry for a week. Not that any of this mattered to Gerald. He wasn't about to let Al's problems get in the way of his pleasures. He found out, much to his horror, that there was other ways to please Gerald that didn't include straight sex. A shiver went up his spine just thinking about it.

"That's okay babe, I'm not a selfish guy. You can find some other way to please me tonight." He gave her a wink and reached for her breasts.

***

Tom sat in a tree that provided a good view of the living room, dining room, and part of the kitchen of the house. He could see a young lady wearing a maid's uniform cooking something over the stove. Tom snapped some pictures using the telephoto lens on his camera. Suspect number one.

A man appeared behind the maid. Suspect number two! He said something to the maid and then started fondling her breasts. These two had to be Gerald Rogers and the woman Jennifer the motel manager had referred to. Gerald was a big man and he had to be at least 10 years older than the attractive maid who didn't even look 20. Tom sighed, maybe one day he would find a girl like that to be his true love.

Suspect number 3 walked into the living room from a hallway at the back of the house. She was an older woman, yet still very attractive. 'This had to be Dr. Jensen,' thought Tom.

Gerald must have heard her coming because he stopped what he was doing with the maid and went into the dining room to greet her. A moment later the two of them sat down at the dining room table and the maid started serving them dinner. From his binoculars it looked like roast beef and potatoes and Tom suddenly wished he'd brought something to eat. He made a mental note to bring some snacks next time.

Over the next several hours, Tom took more pictures and made notes on the three suspects. Later, after dinner was served and the dishes were picked up, he observed the maid walk towards her bedroom. It wasn't too long after, that Gerald did the same thing.

Tom couldn't see directly into Jennifer's bedroom window but he did make out the light shining from the area where her room was.

Moments after Gerald entered into her bedroom the light went off. Around 30 minutes later the doctor also went to bed, turning off the lights as she walked upstairs. In a few minutes, the house was completely dark.

Tom looked at his watch and could see from the luminous dials that it was almost midnight. Carefully he climbed down from the tree and made his was back to his car without a flashlight. He made another mental note to bring one the next time.

The private investigator started up his car and drove back to his motel room to get some sleep. In a few hours he would have to start heading back home. During the drive back he would try to figure out what his next move would be. There wasn't any rush; it would be at least five days before he could make it back.
Business had started to pick up for him. There were a lot of cheating husbands and wives in Seattle this time of the year.

***

Chapter 9 -- More questions

"Are you telling me this is all you could find out about these two people?" Tom asked Rob in surprise.

He could have found out more about the President of the United States than what his friend had on Dr. Jensen or Gerald Rogers. His own search for information on these two people (Tom didn't know what Jennifer's last name was) had come up empty so he turned to Rob to find something for him. Normally Rob always returned with good information but not this time.

"I'm sorry Tom, but it's as if they don't exist," Rob explained. "If you can get me their driver's license or social security number I could find out more about them but right now this is as much I can give you. It's very strange really."

"What do you mean?" Tom inquired.

"Well, normally I could find basic stuff like their full names, banking statements, or utility bills just from the information you provided me with. I couldn't even find that. It's as if someone wanted them to be invisible. But what's really strange is their tax forms. I have a direct line into the IRS building and I can't find one tax form on either of them. I mean NOT ONE and we are talking about 20 years worth of old records! That alone makes this situation strange. Who ever these people are, they have some very high connections to be able to hide stuff like that."

"Any idea who those connections might be?" Tom asked curiously.

"CIA maybe. Most likely it's some sort of secret faction of the government. If I had to guess, I would say this all points to some sort of black project; one which someone or some group doesn't want anyone to know about. This Gerald fellow is probably a bodyguard."

"Okay, thanks for your help Rob. You should get your check in a few days."

"Forget it, I didn't earn it this time. Look, get me a social security number and I'll get you something worth my fee."

"Sure, I'll just go and ask them for it," Tom laughed back. "Thanks for all your help Rob."

Tom hung up the phone and stared out the office window in deep thought. How could he get a hold of those numbers Rob needed?

***

Al was sleeping in his bed alone. For the first time in months, Gerald wasn't there to bother him. Tonight he'd gone out without taking Jennifer along. Al didn't know why nor did he care. He was happy not having him touch his female body for one night.

At that moment Al was having a dream and it was a wonderful dream. In the dream he was Al Parker again and he was lying in bed with Sally; just like they use to do before this nightmare began. Sally was touching him; whispering for him to wake up.

The dream felt so real; Al could feel Sally's warm hands rubbing the back of his neck. It felt so good to feel the touch of a real, caring woman again. And Al could smell Sally's perfume although it wasn't the brand she normally wore.

Al could hear her talking to him, telling him to "wake up" so she could play with him. That was when the dream became strange; Sally was calling him Jennifer, not Al.

Sudden Al realized he was only half-asleep and this wasn't entirely a dream. He woke up to find a blonde woman sitting on the bed touching and talking to him. Gerald was at the foot of the bed watching them with a smile.

"What the hell is going on?" Al demanded in a tone that held more shock then anger. "Get your hands off me you QUEER!" The woman quickly removed her hands from Al's body.

"I thought you said she liked women?" the blonde woman snapped at Gerald. "You promised me 200 bucks, where is it? I want it now!"

"Take it easy Lucy, you'll get your money. Jennifer, come with me."

Al covered himself up with a blanket and followed Gerald into the next room. Lucy heard Gerald saying something that sounded like a command but couldn't make out what it was. A moment later Jennifer came back into the bedroom smiling. She reached into her purse, pulled out a wad of bills and handed them to Lucy.

"Here's your $200...and two hundred more if my boyfriend gets to join in."

***

Tom had been sitting in the tree since before sunrise. For the past several weeks he had been watching the house off and on for days at a time; trying to learn the patterns of the occupants inside. There wasn't much to learn. The older lady rarely left the house, leaving the others to take care of things for her on the outside. Most of her time was spent hidden away in the back of the house.

Gerald and Jennifer went out frequently, usually on the weekends, but it was never to the same places. The only time Tom knew for sure when and where they would be was on Tuesday and Friday. Those were the days they went to the grocery store.

Searching the Internet had proved somewhat useful. Tom had discovered Dr. Jensen was scheduled to fly out to Washington, DC in a couple of weeks. He had been searching the airline computers for recent trips the three of them had taken and had come across the information. Her return trip was scheduled for a few days later. Tom knew an opportunity when he saw it, but he was unsure how to use it.

He lifted his binoculars and searched out parts of the house. There was still a slim hope Al was alive and being held against his will inside the house. He watched as the maid made her way around the living room dusting everything. Dirt didn't stand a chance around her because she went at her job in an almost fanatical way.

Tom yawned and stretched a little bit. Not much was happening today as was the case of the previous days. But today was going to be different from the rest. An event was taking place almost 1,000 miles away that would put a spin on his investigation.

***

Chapter 10 - The Accident

Keith Bennett turned to his left and looked down. He could see his sister, Cynthia, swaying slightly in her harness about 30 feet below. She gave him a frightened, worried look as she swung lightly up against the sheer granite cliff. She looked tired, a bad sign.

'Damn!' Keith swore to himself. 'Why did I let her talk me into this in the first place? If mom finds out she's up here with me, she'll have my head on a platter! I know better than to try this with a novice! '

He'd never climbed this part of the cliff before and it was turning out to be much harder than he thought. It was definitely not the place where a novice like his sister should be climbing. He looked around to see how their situation could be improved. About thirty feet to his left he spotted a ledge that jutted out from the cliff wall. If they moved over to the ledge, his sister could rest for a while and from there the climb up would be much easier.

"Don't worry, sis. I'll tie you off over here and then you can climb up and we'll move left. Just keep cool. This part is a little trickier than I thought."

He gave her a quick smile to try and calm her down. Cynthia tried to smile back but she was obviously a little afraid. Keith moved his left hand over to another finger-hold, stretching out with all his might. Just as he got a good handhold on the cliff-face he heard a sharp crack of breaking granite. Instinctively he looked over to his right where his own line was strung through. The piton was stuck deep in a small crack and was holding securely.

Then he heard the short, sharp cry from Cynthia. He looked down and saw his sister bobbing slightly in her harness. Immediately Keith looked over to her piton and saw it tilting dangerously downward -- an inch or so further out from the crack than it should have been!

Keith opened his mouth to tell his sister to reach onto the cliff face and find a handhold but it was too late. There was an even louder snap as the piton came out of the crack and flew downwards under her weight.

As Keith saw his sister start to fall, he felt the first tug of the slack end of her line. It quickly snaked out from the D-ring where it hung, as yet unsecured, on his climbing belt. Keith didn't even hear her terse cry as she fell. His mind was intent on getting the loose end fastened to his waist before the line went taut. As he grabbed the line to tie it around himself, he unconsciously braced for the inevitable jerk. But as quick as his hands moved, the line ran out; zipping through his clutching fingers just as he almost had it about him.

He looked frantically down at her as she as fell; tumbling once against the sheer wall -- her limbs flailing like a rag doll. When she finally reached the bottom there was a sickening thud followed by silence. His sister didn't move and Keith knew she was dead. No one could have survived that fall. He was responsible for the death of his only sister.

A nauseated feeling grew inside his stomach and Keith thought he was going to get sick right there on the rock ledge. Then he become distracted from the terrible sight by the glint of sunlight that reflected off the rooftop of a car as it pulled up next to Cynthia's body. To his horror, his mother stepped out and she was the last person he expected to see.

***

It took almost ten minutes for Keith to negotiate his way down to the floor of the narrow canyon. During the descent he wondered if it wouldn't be better to just let go and fall next to Cynthia. At least it would spare him from what was to come.

His mother was no longer crying when he reached the ground. Her tears had been replaced by a stoic, expressionless stare. Keith felt sick about what had happened to his sister, but he was now frightened of his mother. He knew there would be no forgiveness from her, even though it had been an accident. He wondered why his mother, someone who always maintained control, hadn't rushed to call an ambulance or someone for help. But then, certainly she could see that it would do no good. He had to face facts; his overconfidence had killed his twenty-year-old sister.

Keith took off his climbing harness and walked slowly over to where his sister lay. At that moment he wished he was invisible and his mother wouldn't notice him. His mouth was dry and his heart was pounding with fear and sorrow.

"You! You did this!" She hissed at him, almost on the verge of crying again. Keith recoiled, his fear of her growing again. He always wondered how a beautiful woman like his mother could make him feel so afraid. But looks only hid the domineering personality she had. Maybe it even enhanced it.

"How could you? You knew she shouldn't be climbing with you!"

"But -- but she -- she wanted to." Keith's emotions took over as he blurted out, "Oh, God, Mom! I didn't mean...I mean...can't we...shouldn't we call for help...or something?"

"What for?" she blurted out. "Can't you see what you've done? Your sister, my daughter, is dead!"

Susan Bennett walked briskly past him to her car. Thinking his mother was going to use her car phone to call for help, Keith followed. But instead of calling for help, she reached into the front seat and grabbed her purse. Opening it up, she pulled out a handkerchief and gently started wiping her eyes while staring down at the dirt.

She stood there, staring down for what seemed an eternity, while Keith grew more and more afraid and uncomfortable. He was scared and was looking to her for guidance, but none seemed to come. Then she straightened up, as though she had come to some conclusion in her mind, and stared at her son.

"Who knows you two were up here?" Her question startled and confused him.

"What? Why do you ask?"

"Just answer me! Who knows?" his mother asked in an angry and curt tone that unnerved Keith.

"No one. We didn't tell anyone where we were going. Honest!" Keith couldn't understand why his mother would be asking him something like that.

"Did you see anyone after you got here?"

"No, Mom. No one comes here but me." She nodded and looked down again, as if thinking over again some plan she had conceived in her mind. Keith had no idea what it could be until he remembered the money...his sister's inheritance.

Cynthia was the sole beneficiary of their grandmother's will --eight million dollars sitting in a New York bank. His mother had been one of her heirs before his father had been killed two years earlier. His grandmother had adored Keith's dad, who had died in a car accident after a visit with her late one night. It was a visit he'd made alone because Keith's mother hadn't wanted to go.

After the accident, grandmother blamed Keith's mother for her son's death and had removed her from the will. About two months later the old lady died and it was then that they found that Cynthia was the sole beneficiary. Keith didn't know why his grandmother had removed him from the will too nor did he care anymore. But his mother sure did!

The will stipulated that Cynthia would receive her inheritance only when she turned twenty-one. His mother had spent long hours lecturing them both on how wrong it had been for Grandma to have written her out of the will. Now Keith knew what was dominating her thoughts. Her daughter and their eight million legacy were lying dead a few yards away. The will stipulated that if for some reason Cynthia couldn't accept the money, it would go to several different charities.

Susan reached into her purse and took out a cigarette. Lighting one, she blew out a stream of smoke and looked sidelong over at Keith. She spoke deliberately, matter-of-factly.

"I knew you'd be up here with her. I saw your gear missing from the garage and the extra rope you'd just bought. I couldn't find Cynthia in the house and I just knew you'd try something like this with her!"

Keith felt daggers fly from her eyes as she spoke but it was familiar to him. They hadn't gotten along for a long time and now it was all coming to a head. But instead of defending himself, he looked down at the ground in shame and fear. His mother was right -- this was all his fault.

"I suppose you know what this means? Besides the fact that your sister, my daughter, is dead, we now have no way of recovering our family inheritance! Do you realize what this means?" She repeated.

Keith looked up at his mother, her anger registering harshly on her face. He opened up his mouth to plead with her but she cut him off.

"When you told me about this place, you said there was a cave -or a fissure or something nearby. Something that was deep and you couldn't see the bottom, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he shrugged, pointing to a clump of rocks not far from them, "it's over there. But why?"

"Never mind. Come with me."

His mother walked over to where Cynthia's body was lying. Keith instinctively followed; still shaken and not knowing what else to do then she stopped next to the body and turned to look at him.

Pointing her finger firmly at her son, she sternly said, "now listen to me, Keith. You're going to help me and you are not going to argue with me or say anything! Do you understand?"

Keith nodded, afraid to do otherwise.

"Now come over here and help me with your sister."

She grabbed one side of her body and Keith dejectedly followed her lead. They dragged Cynthia's body over to the fissure and proceeded to push her in. Despite her small size, it was a tight fit and they had to maneuver her body around to get her inside.

It was like a bad dream to Keith. He couldn't believe his mother was treating his sister's body this way and that he was helping her without hesitation. But fear was a very powerful tool and his mother knew how to use it against him. With one final push Cynthia's body disappeared into the darkness below. Several seconds later they heard a 'thud' as her body hit the bottom of the narrow cave. His mother picked up a rope and threw it in.

"If anyone does find her they'll think she was climbing into the cave and fell to her death. Let's go now Keith. We still have a lot of work to do."

The dejected son followed his mother back to cars in guilt and shame. Along the way he whispered a silent prayer to Cynthia; asking her to forgive him for what he'd done and for being to afraid to stand up to their mother to stop it. He wondered if his mother had said a prayer for her too.

***

As night came the temperature rapidly dropped well below freezing. This was the worst time of the day for Tom, sitting in a tree shivering while trying to keep his mind focused on what he was doing. To make matters worse, a stiff breeze had picked up making it seem even colder. He checked his watch. Soon they would be going to bed and Tom could go back to his motel room and craw into a nice warm bed himself. He noticed the maid walk over to the phone and answer it. The phone call was about to make the detective's night even longer.

***

Chapter 11 - Discussions

"Hello, Doctor Jensen's residence. May I help you?" Al answered pleasantly in Jennifer's voice.

"Yes, I need to speak with Sarah Jensen please. Tell her it's very important." Al detected a hint of distress in the female caller's voice.

"Who should I say is calling?"

"Tell her it's Susan Bennett and it's very important that I speak with her now."

"I will see if she is available. Please wait." Al put the call on hold and went back to the lab where the doctor was working.

"Dr. Jensen. There's a call for you from a Susan Bennett. She says it's very important that she talks to you. Do you want to take the call?"

"Yes I do. That will be all for now Jennifer. Please close the door as you leave." Dr. Jensen waited until her maid left before picking up the phone.

"Susan, how are you?" It only took a moment for Sarah to realize her friend wasn't fine at all.

***

Tom watched the maid come back to finish cleaning up the dining room. The phone call stuck him as being rather odd. Sarah Jensen had never had a phone call this late before. Apparently the call didn't concern Gerald in any way. He was still in his room glued to the TV set. Tom put down the binoculars and wrapped his arms around his body to stay warm. The night was getting colder and more miserable by the minute.

***

"How are you doing Susan?" Sarah asked in a concerned voice. She remembered how hard it had been on her friend after her husband had been killed.

"I see...good. I'll try to get a flight out tonight. What? Yes, I remember what I told you in December. Yes I was very serious about what I said." Sarah thought it was odd that her best friend would be asking her a question about her research at a time like this. Then she found out why.

"Are you sure Susan? Once I do that he can't be turned back...Alright, I understand. What about Cynthia? Are you sure no one will find her body? Good. And you're sure this is what you want to do? How do you think he'll feel? Un uh, okay. Now listen, I need you to bring me a piece of her hair off her clothes or brush. You need to be sure it's hers, understand? And pack some of her clothes, he'll need them when you're ready to return home. Then find out what time your flight comes in and call me back. I'll be there at the airport to pick you up...Okay Susan. Don't worry, everything will be all right. I'll see you sometime tonight. Take care of yourself. Bye."

Sarah hung up the phone and lit a cigarette. Smoking helped her think at times like these. She wondered if her friend had really thought this all out. Well, there was still time for Susan to change her mind wasn't there. The earliest they could start would be in the morning. Maybe she'd even try to talk her college roommate out of what she wanted to do. No, she wouldn't do that because there was a lot at stake for both of them.

Sarah grabbed a pen and started making a quick list of things that needed to be done. The first item on the list was going to be the hardest, telling Gerald about this breach in security.

***

Five minutes after receiving the phone call, Dr. Jensen walked into the living room and instructed the maid to do something. Tom watched Jennifer disappear up the steps and reappear a moment later with Gerald in tow. The doctor dismissed her maid, who nodded obediently and went off to her room. After she left, Gerald and Dr. Jensen became engaged in a very intense conversation.

***

"Her daughter was killed in a climbing accident and she needs my help. She's flying out here tonight with her son, or rather, her new daughter."

"Why didn't you tell me she knew?" Gerald asked, his voice teetering on the edge of complete rage. He wondered what the hell the doctor had been thinking about; telling friends what she was doing and worse, not informing him that she had done so.

"Do you realize what this could mean if someone from the agency finds out? You're not supposed to tell anyone doctor and if you do, I'm supposed to be informed."

"Look, it's my research," Sarah snapped back. "I know and trust Susan like she was my own sister. And even if you did know beforehand what difference would it make? I didn't feel like getting a lecture then and I sure as hell don't want one now. I told her Gerald. What's done is done and I can't change that. Right now she needs my help and I'm going to give it to her."

"And how many other people have you told doctor?" Gerald asked bitterly. "The agency has rules that we both have to follow. We just can't break them whenever we want."

"You mean like Jennifer?" Sarah quickly pointed out. "Remember, that was your idea Gerald. The way you spend so much time with her explains why you insisted having me use the DNA of a pretty, young female. Well, now it's my turn Gerald. My friend needs my help to get back her daughter and I'm going to do it."

"And if you friend decides a month later that she wants her son back what are you going to do about it? She does realize this is going to be a permanent situation, doesn't she?"

"Of course she does Gerald. Do you think I'm an idiot? I explained that to her twice and I'll do so again when she gets here. This isn't just about losing a daughter, trust me." Their conversation was interrupted when the phone rang again.

"That must be her," said Sarah. "I'll get it."

***

Tom saw the doctor pick up the phone and write something down on a piece of paper. After she hung up, the two of them talked for another minute and then she went upstairs. Whatever the conversation was about, it was clear that Gerald wasn't happy about what he had been told.

Sensing something big was about to happen, Tom decided to wait and see what unfolded next. Two hours later Gerald and the doctor drove off in her car leaving Jennifer alone. Shortly after that the bedroom light in the maid's room went off. For the next couple hours Tom stared at the dark, silent house trying to stay warm and wondering what the hell was going on.

***

Chapter 12 - The last night of Keith Bennett

"There they are," Sarah told Gerald. Susan saw them and walked up to her friend with her son in tow. Sarah gave her a hug and then turned to her son.

"So you're Keith," she said. Sarah stared at boy and made a summary. There wasn't anything special about him, just a typical 17-year-old. In fact, he was rather small for his age although rock climbing had firmed up his body. Well soon she would turn him into something more than just an average male.

"Let's get your things and we'll be on our way. We still have a half-hour drive ahead of us," Sarah told them.

Gerald turned and led the way in silence while the two ladies walked behind him saying very little to each other. Keith Bennett tagged behind them wondering how this friend of his mother was going to help them out with Cynthia's death. If he had known what his mother had planned for him he would have ran out of the airport screaming at the top of his lungs.

***

"Finally!" Tom said softly to himself as the car pulled up to the gate. He'd begun to wonder if they would be back at all that night. The car slowly drove up the driveway and stopped next to the front door. To Tom's surprise, four people got out of the car; the doctor, Gerald, an older woman and a young man who couldn't have been more then 17 years old.

Gerald went back to the trunk and pulled out three suitcases while the others went inside to get out of the cold. A few minutes later, Tom saw a light go on in one of the spare bedrooms. Gerald walked into the room carrying two suitcases and set both of them on an end table. Then the older woman walked into the room and started undressing.

"You really shouldn't be watching this you pervert," Tom told himself, yet unable to bring the binoculars down from his prying eyes. Despite being in her mid forties, she was still a very attractive woman. What she did next was a total surprise. After changing into her nightgown she sat down on the bed and started crying.

"What is that all about?" Tom asked out loud.

His binoculars turned to follow the doctor coming down the steps. She exchanged a few more words with Gerald and headed towards her lab while he headed for Jennifer's bedroom. Tom pulled out his stopwatch and started it. Almost 2 hours later Dr. Jensen reappeared and headed upstairs to bed. A few minutes later her bedroom light went out and the house became dark again.

By now Tom was totally confused. Just who were these people and what where they up to? Whoever they were there were two things that he was sure about. First, Gerald wasn't happy about them being there and second; the older woman seemed to be greatly upset about something. However he didn't have a clue why.

Too tired to think about it clearly, Tom climbed down from the tree and headed back to his car. He would get a few hours of sleep and be back in the morning before the sun came up. Maybe by then he would be able to figure out what was going on.

***

Chapter 13 - The Phoenix

Al walked into the kitchen at the usual time to prepare breakfast. He was surprised to see Dr. Jensen already up and waiting for him.

"I have a assignment for you Jennifer. I want you to listen to me carefully. Ekala!..."

***

Tom took his spot in one of the many trees he had scouted out before. This tree gave him an excellent view of the living room and dining room. He figured Dr. Jensen and her guest would be using these rooms the most. The detective was surprised to see Dr. Jensen already up and about at such an early hour. Normally she didn't appear downstairs for another half-hour. Tom tried to get comfortable in the tree as he waited for the day's activities to begin.

About 30 minutes later, the older woman and the young man, who Tom guessed be her son, walked into the dining room and sat down at the table with Dr. Jensen. It was then, Tom noticed the first strange occurrence of the day, Gerald wasn't joining them.

The bodyguard had never missed breakfast with the doctor in all the times he'd been watching them. Could he still angry about the events of the previous night? The maid came into the room and started serving them coffee. Tom noticed she picked up a different pot to serve the boy. It must contain tea or some other drink he deduced.

***

'He's just a young man!' Al said to himself. 'No, that wasn't right...he was still a boy. How could his mother or the doctor even think of doing this to him? Worse, he has no idea about what's going to happen and I can't tell him.'

Al gave him a sad look as he poured him a cup of the drugged coffee, hoping he would get suspicious by his actions. Instead he gave Jennifer a pleasant smile as if nothing was wrong. The doctor noticed the look on Jennifer's face with displeasure. Here was something else for her to take care of later on.

"That will be all for now Jennifer," Dr. Jensen said firmly. "I'll call you if we need anything else."

All Al could do was politely smile and walk away. Deep down he felt guilty about being part of the process that was going to end this young boy's life. Why couldn't he do something about it? He wanted to, he really did! Inside he was screaming at the top of his new female lungs not to let this happen. So why couldn't he save this boy from his fate? Why couldn't he warn him? Why? He prayed to God that he wouldn't have to go through this transformation and that this boy would wise up and go running out of the house before it was too late.

***

"Is everything ready, Sarah?" Susan Bennett asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Susan. We're all set. We need to finish our coffee and then we can get started." She glanced at Keith as she spoke, making him feel a little uneasy. He took a sip of the hot liquid, unaware it was drugged.

Dr. Jensen and Susan chatted for a little while as they finished their coffee, making small talk but not really saying anything. Keith wondered when the subject of his sister was going to come up. After he'd emptied his cup, Dr. Jensen stood up and nodded to her friend that it was time for the next step.

"Come with us, Keith. It's time we got started." Keith gave her a quizzical look but didn't say a word. He knew his mother would tell him what was going on in due time.

The doctor led them down the hallway to a metal but stylish door. She unlocked it and gestured both of them to go inside. Other than the lack of outside windows, Keith didn't notice anything strange about the room. There were a couple of computers on one table and a desk that was clean and bare except for a desk pad and a crystal ashtray. He noticed an expensive cabinet with a lock on it sitting next to the door they came in.

Along another wall was a huge bookcase containing a large number of thick, medical books. On the opposite wall hung a drape with a metal door next to it. Keith wasn't sure if the drape was there for decoration or for some other purpose. He noticed the metal door next to it had two locks, one on the handle and the other a deadbolt.

Dr. Jensen motioned them to take a seat in the two chairs that were pulled up in front of the desk. Keith began to wonder if she was really some kind of hotshot lawyer. Perhaps that was why his mother had come here, to plan out some sort of legal strategy to get Cynthia's inheritance in spite of her untimely death. But any more ideas he had about Sarah Jensen being a lawyer ended when she went to the closet and put on her white lab coat. She sat down at her desk facing them but this time she spoke directly to Keith.

"Well, Keith. Your mother has told me all about what happened yesterday." She looked at him accusingly which caused the young man to squirm a little in his chair. It was obvious to him that Dr. Jensen thought Cynthia's death was entirely his fault.

"It's fortunate that your mother called me right away," she continued. "If we're to save the inheritance, we need to act fast and decisively. I'm sure you'll agree."

Keith didn't know what else to do but nod. It all seemed so clinical, as though his sister's death didn't really matter any more. The only thing that did seem to matter to them was the money. Sarah leaned forward and looked directly at his mother.

"As I explained to you Susan, what we propose to do requires only about an hour to accomplish the preliminary phase. The second phase, that is the physical modifications, will occur as fast or as slow as you want them to. I recommend that you take it slowly, maybe over a couple of days. That way there's less stress imposed on the body and it will give you time to incorporate the third phase, the personality modifications, into the physical moods without much discontinuity. In other words, you don't want to have the subject appear as one thing and act as another. Do you follow me?"

Susan Bennett smiled and replied, "yes, I'm clear on that point Sarah. You mentioned it yesterday and I believe I can work it out so everything will seem normal to anyone who might observe us."

"Good. Then I think we can begin. I'll give you a detailed list of the order in which to trigger the physical modifications. I'll also give you a list of behavioral modifications with my recommendations as to where and when to incorporate them. But you may deviate from that list if it suits your needs. Only the physical moods must be kept in order. Be careful not to deviate from that list too much or there might be some problems. And don't forget to stop for the time period listed on the sheet when you reach that stage."

Susan nodded while Keith tried to understand what they were talking about. None of it made any sense to him. Why were they talking about physical and behavioral modifications? What the hell did that have to do with the inheritance? Or with Cynthia?

He looked questioningly at his mother, who was looking over at him now and smiling slightly. Keith felt nervous and unable to grasp why he was being kept in the dark about everything. Why didn't they just tell him what was going on? He opened his mouth to ask when he felt a shiver start in his back and go up to the top of his head. He thought it was just a chill but then it happened again, only this time he went rigid in his chair. He sat there paralyzed, unable to even move his mouth as it hung partially open.

"Well, Keith. It appears that you're just about ready to begin." Dr. Jensen flashed him a re-assuring smile. "Just try and relax. This won't hurt and I'll be through with you in just a few minutes."

The doctor stood up and spoke as she walked past him.

"The drug that's controlling your movements right now will wear off in about fifteen minutes. Please don't worry. It has no lasting effects and only serves to keep you still while I administer these serums."

'Serums? Drugs? What the hell is she talking about?' Keith's drugged mind tried to make sense of what she said. He was petrified with fear. He heard the doctor opening up the cabinet behind him as she spoke to his mother.

"This first injection Susan is for the behavioral modes. Remember that it will not only trigger the behavioral modifications, it also serves to trigger the physical modes by use of a key word, followed by coded number arrangements. Before I give it to him, remember that all behavioral and physical modes will have to be preceded by a key word. This serum acts on the base of the brain, incorporating the key word into his genetics. It's like teaching him a word or phrase without him ever having heard it before. The brain synapses automatically recognize the word and they will react to it, triggering other responses throughout his system. Don't use the word unless you're ready to give him a set of instructions or trigger a physical change with the proper number arrangements. Understand?"

"Yes. What will the key word be?" Keith's mother asked calmly, as if she were asking for the price of a lettuce in grocery store.

"I chose a word that he wouldn't hear unless you said it. Actually, it's not a real word. There would be too great of a chance that he might hear it from someone else accidentally. So I made one up. When you're ready to trigger a mode, just say 'Jolexo'. The vowels are clear and can't be confused with other words. Got it?"

Susan repeated the word and told her friend that she did.

Keith felt someone's hand tilt his head forward. He wanted to bolt out of the chair but couldn't move. Then he felt the cold touch of an alcohol swab on the back of his neck.

"This injection will place the serum into the base of his brain. It will take effect in just a few minutes, so don't use the key word until I'm through and you have the list in front of you to refer to." A second later, Keith felt the sharp sting of a needle on the back of his neck. It was followed by a slight burning sensation that quickly faded!

'Oh, Shit! What are you doing to me?' Keith wanted to cry out. 'God mom, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt anyone! Please, don't hurt me! Please, I'm your son.' But he couldn't say any of the things that flooded into his head. He heard the cabinet door open again as Sarah continued to speak to his mother.

"This injection will place the genetic DNA and accelerator serum into his system. It contains the necessary instructions for all of the physical modes. In addition, it will incorporate any behavioral modes into his learned muscle responses. He won't have to think about changing his mannerisms, his physical movements and actions, or his behavior when you trigger a response. As you know, we all learn things as we repeat them while growing up. They become learned responses. He won't need to learn them. They'll already be there, waiting to be triggered. Once these learned muscle responses are triggered, they become the only responses he has. All the others are deleted from his brain. Make sure you're ready for them to occur before you trigger them, otherwise, remember what I said about the person not fitting the image. Understand?"

"I understand," Susan replied.

"Good. Here are the two lists. The first list, labeled 'B' for behavior, gives my recommendations for the order in which to modify his behavior in accordance with the physical modes. Simply say the key word once, read off the mode or say whatever it is you want him to do, then repeat the key word again when you're done. Speak clearly and slowly...don't rush it. And do it when it's quiet around you. You don't want him confused by background noise or something someone else might say while you're giving him an instruction. Okay?"

"Yes, I've got it."

"This list, labeled 'P' for physical modes, must be read in order. Each mode is followed by a number code. Say the key word, read off the physical change, then read the number code, then say the key word again. I've listed an example below so you'll remember. Make sure you're alone when you do this. The change will occur almost immediately and you don't want anyone to see it happen. By the way, the physical changes won't hurt him. A special anesthetic is released during the genetic and matter transformation process. He'll just lose mobility while it's happening and then he'll be fine. Understand?"

"Yes, it's all clear to me."

The panic in Keith had reached a fever pitch by now. He didn't know what they were planning to do but he knew he wasn't going to like it. He tried to get up but his body refused to budge. Dr. Jensen spoke again

"Now remember that during all of this, he'll be aware of what's happening. I can't change his memories or the basic persona in his mind. He'll be completely aware of what's happened, he simply won't be able to act in any other way than is prescribed by the modes. Don't worry though, each time we've done this, the subject never gave us any problems. In fact, you can even give him a command that will allow you to speak with him, as he really is, whenever you want. Just remember to turn it off when you're through, otherwise his physical appearance and physical behavioral won't match with what he says. The command for that is on the last line. Okay?"

Susan said that she understood and Dr. Jensen proceeded with the next step. Keith heard someone approaching him from behind again. He felt the cold swab on the back of his neck followed once more by a needle stick and then a burning sensation. He thought his heart was going to pound out of his chest as his mind reeled with fear and confusion. Then he saw Dr. Jensen come around and sit down at her desk again. He looked in horror at the large empty syringe that she placed on the desk in front of him. He realized that the contents of it were coursing through his body doing who knows what!

Sarah smiled, "don't be afraid, Keith. You'll be fine in a few minutes. The drug I gave you should wear off shortly. I'll leave all of the explanations of what's going to happen to your mother. If you haven't guessed at what we're doing here by our conversation, I'm sure it'll all be clear to you quite soon."

Keith wanted to yell and lash out at her for violating his privacy and his rights! But he was unable to do anything.

Sarah looked over at Susan and said, "in a few minutes you should be prepared to give him the first two behavior modes. You don't want him to regain his mobility without some measure of control over him, alright?"

"Okay, Sarah. Just let me know when to proceed."

She nodded and asked, "are you planning on returning to San Diego with him as he is now, or will you be making some changes first?"

Keith found that he could move his head a little and looked over towards his mother. 'As I am now? Making changes first? What the Hell was this mad doctor talking about?'

"I was hoping to return home with enough basic changes already made so there wouldn't be any questions about Cynthia's disappearance. Our flight doesn't leave until seven this evening. I can finish with the rest when we're home. Would that be alright?" Susan asked.

"Oh, that's fine. That way I'll be able to make sure everything is working out okay. You can start as soon as you're ready. I assume you brought enough things for him to wear?"

"Oh, yes. I packed enough to get by. You're sure they'll fit alright?" Dr. Jensen looked over at Keith, noticing that his head was now turning freely as he looked first at his mother and then back at her.

"No problem. All the changes will be made to exact specifications. If the sample DNA from the hair was only a few weeks old, all modifications will be to the most recent physical standards."

She looked back at Keith and said, "He's coming around now Susan. Get ready to give him the first two commands."

Keith felt himself being able to move slightly. His fear was gradually being replaced by anger over the way he'd just been treated.

'My mother and this doctor are insane,' he concluded. Keith wasn't sure what they were up to but he wasn't going to wait and find out. As soon as the drug wore off he was going to make a break for it. Then he was going straight to the police to tell them everything - including Cynthia's accident. It may mean he would end up spending some time in jail for dumping her body but this situation was getting out of hand. He started to stand up when the doctor spoke again.

"Okay, Susan. Go ahead. He's going to get up."

"Jolexo! You will remain calm and do as I say. You will not tell anyone about what has happened to you. And you will never speak the key word out loud for any reason. Jolexo!" Then Mrs. Bennett firmly added, "stay where you are, Keith!"

Just as he came to his feet Keith heard his mother speak those words. There was a slight burning in his neck that he ignored. However, when he tried to move towards the door, he found himself just standing there! No matter how hard he tried, Keith couldn't make his legs move! Susan Bennett stood up and walked in front of him.

Keith gave his mother a pleading look and said, "oh, mom! Please! Don't hurt me! Please let me go!"

"Keith, I want you to thank Dr. Jensen for her help and then I want you to follow me upstairs."

The young man looked over at Sarah Jensen sitting at her desk with an amused smile on her face. Anger rose up inside him. 'Thank her!' He was going to tell her what he thought of all this and threaten her. But as Keith tried to speak out the words he meant to say it was at that moment he began to realize the true extent of what she had been done to him.

"Thank you, Dr. Jensen," was all that came out of his mouth.

No threats, no four letter words, nothing different than what his mother had told him to say. Keith couldn't understand what was going on. How could they control him against his will? His anger was quickly replaced by fear again.

"You're welcome, Keith. I hope you'll be able to accept your situation and be a help to your mother. I'll see you later for lunch." She smiled again as she sat back in her chair while taking another languid puff on her cigarette.

Keith followed his mother back upstairs and into the bedroom where he'd slept the night before. She closed the door behind them and told him to sit on the bed. Unable to resist, Keith did as she commanded.

"Mom?" Mrs. Bennett looked up at her son with almost no expression on her face. "Mom? What are you doing with me? Why -why are you doing this? Please, I won't tell anyone! Please stop!"

The young man felt like he was going to break down and cry; partly out of fear and partly out of the way his mother was treating him. But instead of showing sympathy toward her only son, Susan gave him a look of disdain and moved within inches of his face.

"You'll find out soon enough!" she hissed slightly. "You didn't think I'd just let eight million dollars fly out the window because of your selfish stupidity, did you?"

She was just barely keeping her anger in check and Keith became more frightened over what she planned to do to him. It was obvious she had little regard for his own wants at that point!

"Since you are the reason we are in this situation - you're going to get us out of it! Now keep quiet and get undressed. When you are done put your clothes on the bed."

Keith tried to resist, but found himself doing what she had commanded him to do. A moment later he stood in front of his mother completely naked. She picked up the pile of clothes from the bed and left the room.

***

Tom had watched the two ladies and young boy drink their coffee and leave in the direction of the lab.

"Damn, why couldn't there be at least one window in that room," Tom muttered to himself.

Almost thirty minutes later Susan Bennett and her son re-appeared and headed upstairs. Tom kept an eye on the older woman's bedroom. A few minutes later she walked into the room carrying some clothes in her arms. She placed them on her bed and went over to a suitcase on a table. Tom couldn't be sure but the clothes she laid down looked like the ones the boy had been wearing that morning. The older woman grabbed the suitcase and carried it out the door.

"Damn it!" Tom cursed as he realized that he'd picked the wrong tree to sit in. The boy's room was located on the other side of the house. The private eye debated about moving but decided to wait and see what happened. It turned out to be the wrong choice. He watched the maid clean up the dirty dishes and then moved on to her next assignment, dusting. Gerald appeared, dressed in a pair of gray sweat pants and a T-shirt. He spoke to Jennifer for a moment and headed towards exercise room. The rest of the morning was uneventful.

***

Susan walked back into Keith's room carrying Cynthia's old suitcase. She placed it down on the bed and turned to Keith.

"Come over here," she commanded. Keith followed her over to the freestanding mirror in the corner.

"Now, you wanted to know what's going on here? Well, I'm about to show you. Look at yourself in the mirror and listen to me."

Keith looked at his reflection. He was still slightly taller than his mother who was standing next to him in her high heels. She looked at the list in her hand and started to speak clearly and slowly to him.

"Jolexo. Height and weight. 49837. Jolexo."

Keith felt a burning sensation grow in his neck along with a loud buzzing in his head. He felt a slight numbness creeping throughout his body until he couldn't feel his hands or toes anymore.

Suddenly the room began to spin as his mother seem to get taller right in front of his eyes. To his horror, he actually began to shrink in size by several inches. But that wasn't all. Keith also saw himself getting thinner. His weight, though there hadn't been much before, seemed to melt away into nothingness. A moment later, the buzzing subsided and he was looking at a much shorter image of himself.

His mother moved around in front of him, blocking the terrible reflection in the mirror. She was at least three inches taller then her son now and was actually looking down at him.

"Well," she said matter-of-factly, "Sarah certainly knows what she's doing. You must be five foot five inches now and that looks about right."

A fleeting, terrible thought ran through Keith's mind. 'That was Cynthia's height! Could mom be planning to - no, that's just not possible. Even if it was, she wouldn't do that to her only son, would she?'

"Alright, Keith. Watch yourself in the mirror again. Let's try the next step. Jolexo! Basic Figure Modification and Skin Modification. 36712. Jolexo!"

'Nooo!' Keith tried to yell out. 'Stop this!'

He felt the numbness return over his body again. This time the buzzing was much louder and sounded like a swarm of angry bees. Keith wanted to cover his ears to block out the noise but couldn't move his hands. He knew it would have been a useless gesture since the buzzing was coming from inside his head, not outside.

As he watched in horror, his shoulders narrowed, his arms shortened, his waist got narrower and raised higher up on his torso. His hips grew outwards into the basic shape of a - .

'Oh, God! Oh, please noooo! This can't be happening to me. She can't really be doing this to me!' Keith tried to scream. He watched as his hips became the basic shape of a girl.

When the buzzing stopped, Keith looked clearly at the image in the mirror. It was now that of a flat chested girl with a penis. Only the face looked familiar but even that had taken on a different look. The softer skin that covered his body made him look more like his sister.

'Oh, God! It was true!' Keith suddenly realized. It all made sense now. This was how his mother was planning to get the money! He was going to take Cynthia's place! He was going to become her!

"Well!" Susan started out. "I'm very impressed with the results so far. You're starting to look more like your sister now." She paused for a moment to give her son an evil smile and to take in what she had just said.

"I suppose you've figured this out by now, Keith," she went on. "Since you caused her death, it's only fair that you take her place and make sure we don't lose our inheritance, don't you agree?"

Keith was in too much shock to answer her.

"Well, let me see," she continued as she looked down at the paper in her hand. "A couple of more things and then we can get on with some of the behavioral modes. Jolexo! Facial Modifications and Hair Modifications. 2749726. Jolexo!"

Keith felt the numbness returning to his body. He closed his eyes so he couldn't see what was happening next.

***

An hour passed -- then two. Tom shifted in the tree trying to get more comfortable, an impossible task. Everything in the house seemed to be normal. There was no sign of the mother and her son since they went upstairs. Finally she appeared coming down the steps followed by an attractive, younger woman.

"Who in the hell are you lady and where did you come from?" Tom asked himself. Could this be the young man dressed up as a girl he wondered? The young woman did look a little like him but no; she was much shorter than the older lady was and the boy would have been taller than both of them. Maybe you could change the appearance of how someone looked but even Tom realized that you couldn't cut several inches off his or her body.

The two ladies walked into the dining room where Dr. Jensen greeted them. Each of them took a seat at the dining room table and started chatting.

***

Dr Jensen smiled at the two ladies when they entered the room. Seeing the look on her friend's face only convinced her more that she had done the right thing. Susan was thrilled to get her daughter back - even if it meant the loss of her only son. Of course, she already had plans to fix that little problem sometime in the future. But for now she stood there admiring her work.

"Oh, Susan! I'd no idea your daughter was so pretty! I'm so glad everything is working out so well! She's just - so perfect!"

"It's you who should be proud Sarah. We never could have done this without you! Thank you so much!"

"It was my pleasure Susan." She motioned for them to sit down at the table. "It isn't often I get to see the fruits of my labor in action." She followed every movement of her friend's new daughter as she femininely smoothed her dress underneath her thighs and gracefully crossed her legs after sitting down.

"Cynthia, honey. Why don't you thank Sarah for helping to make you such a beautiful young lady. Her voice came out just perfect Sarah, and I want you to hear her."

Deep inside the young man cringed. He hated being put on display like this. But as hard as he tried his smile remained and in a girlish, high voice -- his sister's voice, he said, "thank you, Dr. Jensen."

"You're welcome, Cynthia," Sarah turned to face her friend. "Did you stop the process where I recommended on the list Susan?"

"Yes I did. However, I did skip ahead one item to get her fingernails out to full length. I hate those fake nails and I wanted her to feel more natural."

"Oh, that's no problem. In fact, there are a few other things you can do if you want before tomorrow. You may have noticed there are items on the list marked by an asterisk. It really doesn't matter when you do them. But I placed them where they are for continuity."

The other woman nodded, looking once again at the list and smiling.

"Have you made sure you have given her all the behavioral modes that she'll need to fit into her new role properly?"

"I think so. We covered several things up in the room, but there are still a few other things that I was saving for later. I thought you might want to observe them, too. And if you have any suggestions, please feel free to mention them. I want to make sure there is nothing missing from her normal behavior...nothing to draw undue attention to herself. I'm sure you must have changed some things since experimenting on your first subject."

Dr. Jensen nodded. "That's right. After the first try, we noticed some errors in the way the subject assimilated the behavior of the donor's DNA. Sometimes there were abortions in the translation. But, we haven't had any problems where the two individuals involved were closely related. I'm sure she'll do just fine."

"That's comforting to know. By the way, how many transformations have you done?"

Dr. Jensen straightened up smiling, obviously enjoying talking about her work.

"Well, let's see. We've done four same sex transformations. That is, we've changed two males to other males and two females into other females. Those are fairly easy and we did them primarily for government agencies. You know, witness protection programs and a couple of CIA operative jobs. They were actually the first tests we did. We were originally funded by the government and I can't really go into those cases."

Susan nodded, understanding the secrecy involved.

"Then, we received government approval to test out some gender changing experiments. We've done three so far. Cynthia makes the fourth. Of course, as I explained to you before, this is all still very top secret and I'm relying on you to keep this quiet. The advantage to this type of procedure lies in its secrecy."

Susan again nodded that she understood and Sarah went on.

"The first sex change procedure was with a volunteer. It was a young man who was working with the CIA in a foreign country. He was twenty-three at the time. We used a twenty-one year old woman from the agency as the DNA donor. He turned out just fine, but we had some problems with his personality and behavioral modes. It seems the female donor was, shall we say, a bit promiscuous and he, or shall I say she, became a bit of a problem. The CIA eventually asked us to reverse the process. I'm afraid she died in the attempt. That's when we learned the process was irreversible. Any attempt to change the subject back to how they were, placed too much stress on the nervous system. Once changed, it's for good."

Keith reeled in horror. 'Oh, God! That was it then! There is no going back if they completed the process.' At best, even if they stopped the process now, he would always appear more female than male no matter how he dressed. 'Why is this happening to me? Cynthia's death was an accident! How can my mother do this to me?'

Sarah continued while Keith's mother listening intently, obviously intrigued by her friend's description of the other subject's changes.

"The next subject was a woman who had been left for dead after a botched assignment for the FBI. She was in pretty bad shape, a victim of the Mafia. But they nursed her back to health and needed her to go back in undercover to finish the assignment. There was just no way to get her back in as a woman, so she was asked to undergo the process and go in as a man. I'm really not sure if she volunteered or was forced into it in some way. In any event, the process worked well with her because we used a cousin of hers as the donor. She's still working for them I hear and is doing just fine, except he's now married to one of the Mafia bosses daughters! I've always wondered what that must have been like for her." Susan smiled and wondered too.

"Now the last time I did this it was a little different. It was the first time I did one on my own. That is, I didn't have any orders to do it from the government. I had just gotten home late one evening after flying back from Washington DC. Gerald, who's a government security agent assigned to watch over the lab, told me he had caught someone breaking into the house. Gerald's been with me now for almost five years and he knows everything that goes on around here. He was about to call for the local police when I came home."

Now Keith and Susan were both getting intrigued over what she was saying.

"It seems the young man he caught was a vagrant; travelling through the area and looking for some easy cash. Needless to say, I didn't want the local authorities poking around here and Gerald decided that was best, too. But we were in a quandary as to what to do about the young man sitting locked up in my basement. That's when Gerald reminded me of how often I'd been complaining about not being able to hire a decent maid to help around the house. So to make a long story short, we used the DNA of a young woman that was around eighteen at the time. She had participated in a sampling my associates held in Florida a few months prior. I can't remember the details now, I believe her application said she was a high school cheerleader. Anyway, we put the young man, who was about twenty-two, through the process, changing him into a lovely, eighteen year old girl. The behavior modes were easy, I just turned him into a domestic, able to cook and clean and help me around the house."

Then she winked at Susan and added softly, "and Gerald put in a few modes of his own. Now he doesn't take any time off at all to go into town, unless it's with Jennifer, if you know what I mean." Both ladies laughed devilishly while Keith sat there stunned.

'Oh, my God! The maid!' The pretty, young woman he had found so attractive was just like him. Keith sat there smiling, unable to register on his face the horror he felt inside. 'That poor guy! Forced to be a maid to serve this evil doctor and worse...to be a playmate for her bodyguards amusement.'

About that time Gerald strolled into the room. He seemed bigger then Keith had remembered and was wearing a plain, gray suit. Now that he knew what the bodyguard really was, the man looked like a government agent.

"Oh, Gerald," Sarah announced, "you're just in time for lunch. Would you ask Jennifer to serve us please?"

Gerald smiled slightly and gave her a nod. "Yes, Doctor, I'll tell her now." He went into the kitchen and returned a moment later, taking a seat next to Dr. Jensen.

"Gerald," the doctor said as she stubbed out her cigarette in the crystal ashtray in front of her. "I'd like you to meet Cynthia Louise Bennett, Susan's daughter."

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Bennett," he said politely.

"How do you do, Gerald," Keith replied back sweetly in Cynthia's voice.

The bodyguard was about to say something else but was interrupted by the clicking sound of high-heels as Al walked into the room carrying a large tray in his small hands. Al flashed Keith a momentary sad, sympathetic look. Keith looked away from the stare, unable to stand the thought that she had once been a male like himself.

The maid resumed smiling and sat down the tray containing several small sandwiches and some juice. When Al was done setting out the plates he asked in a sweet, high pitched, obedient voice, "is there anything else I can get you Dr. Jensen?"

Sarah smiled and said, "that'll be all Jennifer. Have you already eaten lunch?"

The maid returned her smile and replied, "yes, Ma'am."

"Then why don't you go to your room and change into something more appropriate. You can join us for coffee in the living room after we've finished our lunch?"

"Yes Dr. Jensen," said Al who then flashed a quick smile at Gerald and left the room. Sarah took a small bite from a sandwich, passing the tray around to Susan before talking again.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy talking to Jennifer after we've had lunch Susan. It'll help you to see how well things will work out with Cynthia."

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fun. And maybe Cynthia can learn something from her, too," Susan replied giving her new daughter a quick wink.

***

"What the hell's going on here?" Tom asked out loud. He watched as the maid headed off to her bedroom.

'Isn't anyone going to take some food upstairs to the boy?' he thought. 'No the better question was why wasn't he joining them? Had he done something wrong and was he now being punished for it.'

There was also something else that caught the detective's eye. He noticed Gerald seemed to be more tense then normal. A couple of times, when the bodyguard moved just right, Tom was able to catch sight of the gun hidden underneath his suit coat. And his smile seemed forced, as if he was nervous, almost frightened, about the two houseguests sitting in front of him. It was the fear that confused the private eye the most. Why would he feel threatened? These people couldn't have posed much of a threat to Gerald even without his gun but it was clear something was bothering him.

After lunch, the bodyguard disappeared into the kitchen while the others went into the living room and sat down. The conversation appeared relaxed until Jennifer walked into the room interrupting them.

Tom gasped partly out of surprise and partly out of lust. She'd changed out of her maid's uniform and was now wearing one of the sexiest outfits he had ever seen. She'd put on a short, tight red dress with a pair of matching red leather, spiked heels. Her make-up was immaculate, with her shiny red lips locked in a perpetual smile. Tom was so busy watching her he didn't catch the expression on everyone else's face.

***

Sarah smiled as she saw the reaction on her friend's face. "Quite a difference, don't you think, Susan?" she asked coyly.

Susan Bennett raised her eyebrows and nodded, looking wryly over at her friend. Dr. Jensen chuckled a little.

"Like I said, Gerald had a few behavior modes for Jennifer of his own design. Oh my, how rude of me. Cynthia, I'd like you to meet my maid and Gerald's girlfriend, Jennifer Lynnette Anderson. Jennifer, this is Cynthia Louise Bennett."

"Hello, Cynthia. Pleased to meet you," Al smiled pleasantly at Keith as if he was unaware of who he really was - or had been.

Keith tried to look away, but instead returned her smile and replied back, "it's so nice to meet you, Jennifer." His sweet, feminine voice betrayed his inner anxiety over talking to this beautiful young woman who had also been a man like himself. He wondered what this person was really feeling inside. Was he still angry over what they had done to him? Did he still have his own thoughts?

Gerald came into the room with a tray of coffee and gave each of them a cup before settling down next to Jennifer. He placed his arm around her shoulders and gave her a slight squeeze. Al smiled and gazed lovingly up into his eyes. Susan lit a cigarette and blew a column of smoke off to one side while watching them interact.

"If there's anything else you'd like to try or do for Cynthia, Susan, now would be a good time. I would be more than happy to help you out with any suggestions or have Jennifer demonstrate her own conditioning, if you think it would help you out."

"Well Sarah, since you brought it up. I was wondering about something. Will this Cynthia be able to do everything that her sister did? I mean, her sister had many different aspects to her personality and habits. Will she assimilate all of these automatically or will I have to give her all the necessary commands to do so?"

Sarah thought about the question for a moment before answering it. "She'll assimilate almost everything her sister did in a natural way, but some things may require a command. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, her sister smoked and I haven't seen any inclination on Cynthia's part to do so." Dr. Jensen raised her eyebrows a bit.

"Well...I really don't know if she'll start doing that on her own or not. I'm sure you'll want to make sure she does everything just like her sister. I suppose you should just give her the proper command and let it go at that. It can't hurt to be redundant with behavior modifications."

Mrs. Bennett looked over at her ex-son who pleaded with his eyes not to do anything else to him. Then she turned back to her friend and asked, "does it matter if I say the keyword in front of Jennifer?"

"No, but first we should give them both commands to never say the other one's keyword out loud. Then they'll never be able to override a command for each other if they are left alone."

Sarah then commanded both of them never to use each other's keyword out loud. "Okay Susan, you can begin anytime you like."

"Jolexo! You'll begin smoking ladies cigarettes just as your sister did Cynthia," Mrs. Bennett commanded in a clear, crisp voice. "You normally smoke the same brand as her and you'll do so in the same fashion and manner as she did. You'll smoke as often as she did, about a pack and a half a day and you'll not quit smoking unless I tell you to. Jolexo!"

Keith felt the burning in his neck subside and realized that he didn't feel any different than he had a moment before. But then a strange desire started to grow inside him. He found himself reaching for his purse and opening it up. Immediately he understood what he was looking for. A feeling of frustration came over him when he didn't find what he was looking for.

"Mother, I've run out of cigarettes. Could I please have one of yours?" Keith asked.

"Of course my dear," Susan said smiling as she handed him a new pack of Virginia Slims. Keith thanked her and gracefully pulled one of the long, white cigarettes out of the pack. He started digging for his lighter but couldn't find one. Gerald leaned over with his lighter in his hand.

"Please. Allow me Cynthia."

"Oh, thank you Gerald," Keith leaned forward and lit the cigarette in his mouth. He took a deep puff and felt his stomach turn over from the taste. Now he remembered why he never got into the habit of smoking. Not only did it lower his ability to climb it also made him sick to his stomach. He found the cigarette he was smoking quite disgusting.

"Well that worked out fine," Susan said. "I'm going to have to make sure I remember everything about Cynthia's habits and incorporate them into her own as I think of them."

"You know," Sarah started out. "I've been wondering how difficult it would be to modify a subject into a behavior that neither the subject nor the donor ever had indulged in before. This might be a good time to try it out. Gerald, do you recall if Jennifer smoked prior to her transformation?"

Gerald looked thoughtfully for a moment then said, "I don't believe so, Doctor. But it was only about a day that he was held here before you began the process."

Dr. Jensen stared over at Jennifer who was fidgeting slightly and looking down at her lap. She already knew from past experience where this was leading.

"Ekala! Jennifer, I want you to speak as your true self. Answer me truthfully. Did you smoke prior to your transformation? Ekala!"

There was a sudden change in Al's attitude. Now able to speak freely, the smile vanished and he sat upright, moving slightly away from Gerald as he did so.

"No, Doctor. I didn't! And I won't do it now either! You people are crazy! You can't do this to..." Al was cut off in mid-sentence by Sarah's stern, quick voice.

"Ekala! That's enough, Jennifer. You will now assume your proper role as my maid and Gerald's girlfriend. Ekala!" Al resumed his ladylike posture and leaned slightly back towards Gerald as if nothing had happened.

***

Outside Tom noticed the strange behavior. For the briefest of moments it appeared as if the maid actually lost her temper with Dr. Jensen. It was something he'd never seen happen before. But then the doctor said something sharply to her and she settled back into her position against Gerald as if nothing had happened.

"Strange," Tom muttered to himself. He wondered what that was all about.

***

"Gerald, if you don't mind, I would like to try a little experiment with your girlfriend. I'm sure her donor wasn't a smoker either, being a cheerleader and all. So I'd like to see if the behavior modification process could incorporate that behavior into her personality as easily as it did for Cynthia. Alright?"

"Sure, Doctor. I don't mind at all."

Sarah looked over at Jennifer and spoke slowly and clearly. "Ekala! Jennifer, you are a cigarette smoker. You smoke about a pack and a half a day. You smoke the same brand as I do, Bensen & Hedges 120's. You'll not smoke when acting as my maid, unless you do so on your breaks. But you will smoke as often as I've commanded you to when you are off duty, such as now. You'll always smoke in a ladylike and graceful, seductive way. You especially enjoy having Gerald light your cigarettes for you, just like a lady would. You'll do this as I've commanded. Ekala!"

Keith watched Al's eyes glaze over slightly while the doctor was speaking to him. He wondered if this was the way he looked when his mother was issuing commands to him. After it was over Al opened up his purse and started searching. A look of disappointment appeared on his face.

"Oh, Gerald, I'm out of cigarettes again," Jennifer pouted. "Would you be a dear and get me a fresh pack?"

The bodyguard smiled and replied as he stood up, "sure thing, honey. I'll be right back." He left the room and re-appeared a minute later holding a freshly opened pack of cigarettes in his hand. He sat down next to Al who looked up at him, smiling brightly as he took the pack from him.

"Thank you, sweetheart," he purred sweetly. Then, without hesitation, he plucked out one of the extra long, white cigarettes and held it between her fingers as though he'd done it a million times before.

"Would you give me a light please, honey?" Al asked softly.

Gerald pulled out the lighter from his coat pocket again and lit the long cigarette that he held in the tips of his fingers. Al leaned back slightly and took a deep puff while smiling up at Gerald as if everything was normal. Sarah smiled proudly, obviously pleased with the results.

"Well I guess that answers my question," she chuckled. "Gerald, you may cancel that command at any time you wish. I'll leave it up to you."

Gerald stared back as Al took a long, lazy puff on the cigarette and then energetically exhaled a long column of smoke up and away into the air. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll keep that in mind."

It was obvious to Keith that Gerald enjoyed watching Jennifer behave that way and had no intention of stopping her from doing it. He tried not to think about the other things that the agent made her do. It was also becoming evident to him that his mother and Dr. Jensen enjoyed this level of control they had over others. He began to realize that his mother was not only unconcerned about how this bizarre change was effecting him...she was enjoying it!

"Susan, why don't I take this opportunity to give you a little tour of my facility? Gerald, you can join us if you like. I'm sure that Jennifer and Cynthia could use the time for a little 'girl talk' while we're gone. Besides, I'm certain that Cynthia could use a little respite from all this and would like to ask Jennifer a few things that only she could answer."

Gerald became uneasy over the doctor's suggestion. He didn't know which idea bothered him more; leaving Jennifer and Cynthia unattended to talk about their current situation or having Dr. Jensen give her friend a tour of the facility without him. It was a big breach of security but he knew better then to remind the doctor of that. He decided it was probably better if he did his job and tagged along with the doctor to see how much she said about the place.

Susan was also concerned about leaving the two young ladies alone and expressed it. "Sure, I'd love a tour of this place Sarah but...well, do you think it's okay to leave them alone together?"

Sarah gave her a reassuring smile. "Oh, it won't be a problem at all. I'll just give them the proper commands and it'll be fine."

She faced the maid and looked her straight in the eyes. "Ekala Jennifer, listen carefully! You may be your true self while we are absent from the room. But you'll speak and act only as the young lady you've been commanded to be. You may engage in conversation and speak freely with Cynthia, but you may not conspire against me or anyone else. You'll behave this way only until I return to this room. At that time, you will revert to the behavior that you are constrained to now. Ekala!"

Next Sarah spoke Cynthia's keyword and commanded her to do the same. As the three of them rose to leave, both Al and Keith felt the control to speak freely return to them. Gerald looked back at them as he left the room. He was sure it was going to be an interesting conversation and was almost sorry he would be missing it.

***

Chapter 14 - Personal Experience

Al stared intensely at the young woman who just a few hours before had been a healthy, young male.

'Just like me,' he said to himself. 'My gosh, he must be more terrified about what is going on than I was.' Keith, struggling to stem his emotions seemed embarrassed and unsure of what to say. Stubbing out his hated cigarette Al decided to break the ice.

"I guess they haven't had time to...you know...change you completely yet," Al started.

"Uh... no. I think they have to wait...for a while before...before they finish it." Keith looked down at the ground in embarrassment at the prospect of what was to become of him.

"Take it from me, it's not something to look forward to. I know."

Almost immediately Al felt horrible about what he had just said. This poor kid had enough problems without having him adding to them. At least in his case, he'd no one to blame but himself. But this poor child had been betrayed by his own mother, someone who was supposed to be protecting him from people like Dr. Jensen. What kind of personal hell was he going through because of this? And yet, Al had acted so insensitively towards him. The old Al Parker would never have said anything like that. What kind of person was he, or rather, had he turned into?

The scared, young woman looked up and asked a question. "Uh, Jennifer. Uh...when...when it happen to you...uh did...did it...hurt?"

What could he tell him? Al gave him a sympathetic look, realizing that if it hadn't been for the control holding back his emotions, he would have burst out crying before finishing the question. Al wanted to wrap his arms around Cynthia and tell him everything would be okay but knew better. What this kid needed more then anything was the truth. Sugarcoating what was about to happen would only make it harder for him to accept things when the final transformation was complete.

"No...no it didn't hurt...at least how you mean," Al started off slowly. He found the words painful to say. "But it hurts like hell inside. I mean...one moment you're a guy...and the next...and the next moment you're a...a girl. It was...terrible. But it was much worse later...when...when he started giving me commands and...and taking advantage of me."

That horrible moment where his life had been changed came back to Al. There was Gerald, standing there with an evil smirk on his face and the doctor, ignoring the plea's to spare his life, what was left of it by then. He would pay them back for what they did. But the words seemed hollow and empty now. A new feeling was starting to take over his mind; it was one of defeat. Was that really possible anymore? Would he be able to set the record straight some day? Nothing so far had broken the control they had over him. His fate seemed to be set in stone. Tears formed in his eyes and he quickly turned away. Keith could see and hear pain in her voice but he had to know. He had to ask the question.

"Did he...does he...uh, use you like that?"

Al looked straight at Keith with a stone expression on his face. Then his expression softened some and Keith saw it was a look of embarrassment, not anger. "I'm sorry, Jennifer. I shouldn't have asked."

Al managed to give him a weak smile. "It's OK, Cynthia. I know you're just as frightened as I was when they first did this to me. Yeah, he uses me all the time. The worst part is that he makes me like it. I mean, inside my mind I hate what he is doing to me but outside -- my body enjoys it." Al lit another cigarette and continued.

"The first time we did it...I was so scared and sick inside. But...but he commanded me to...you know, have an orgasm with him! It felt so...so", he closed his eyes and whispered, "so good! I couldn't stop it from happening. I think I passed out for a second and when I came to, I could feel his...his." He couldn't finish the sentence.

"I wanted to die. It was the worst moment I've ever experienced. He had no right to do that to me." Keith felt the pain and shuddered at what might lay ahead for him. What did his mother have in store for his future? Keith wanted to comfort Jennifer somehow but didn't know how.

An idea flashed into Al's mind. Maybe he should tell Cynthia the truth about who he really was. Then, once Cynthia left this place, he could get a message to Tom and let him know where he was. But he quickly dismissed that idea. The plan was too risky, not only to Cynthia but to everyone else involved. If Cynthia was caught trying to make the call, and it seemed unlikely his mother wouldn't monitor whom he talked to, Tom's life could be in danger. No, he had to wait for the right moment. But in the back of his mind Al wondered if that moment would ever come.

"I hate them," Al continued. "They'd no right to do this to me. I was just looking for enough money so I could eat that night. I wasn't going to hurt anybody. Jesus, I was just looking for some quick cash! I was wrong...doing what I did. But that didn't give them the right to do this to me."

"I know how you feel Jennifer. I didn't mean to kill my sister. It was an accident. Then the next thing I know, I'm here and this morning...this morning they did this to me. I think my mother has gone insane! I can't believe she's done this to me."

Al nodded as he took another drag on the long cigarette and held it gracefully off to his side. "I hate the things Gerald makes me do! This smoking thing is just another way to make me look like the whore he wants me to be! Someday...someday I'll get even."

There was a question that had been gnawing at Keith since this nightmare started. "Jennifer...Uh...are you...I mean...completely a girl now? I mean...could you have a...a baby?" Al blushed slightly.

"I have to take my birth control pill every day. Yeah, I could get pregnant...if I'm not careful. And with Gerald around me all the time I have to be very careful. The first thing I do every morning is go into the bathroom and take that damn pill. My worse fear is that the doctor may decide to experiment with me and allow me to get pregnant. I know she's interested in seeing how this would affect her serum. She's made comments about me having children several times already." Al shuddered at the thought of having a baby. "I guess in her own way the doctor sees me as her daughter."

"Jennifer? Can you remember everything about what it was like before they changed you? I mean...can you remember your name and where you came from and who you were?"

Al smiled slightly at the question. "Sure I can Cynthia. You don't forget anything. But you can't talk about it much. Even now, when we're granted free speech, you can't say your real name. Go ahead and try. Tell me your real name."

Keith tried. "My real name is Cynthia . . . Cynthia Louise Bennett."

"See what I mean? My real name is...my real name is...Jennifer...Jennifer Lynette Anderson. You can no longer control certain things that you say. You'll never be able to tell anyone you were once a guy. And even if you could, by the time they're done with you no one would believe you anyway."

"But they didn't command me to say I was a girl yet. And I'm really not a girl...at least not yet. I'm still a man. See? I can say it. I'll bet you could, too, if you tried. Maybe someday you'll be able to tell someone and find a way to make them believe you."

Al slowly shook his head. "They have already taken care of that with me. Though I can speak freely of other things, if anyone ever questioned me, I know I would have to tell them I am and always have been a woman...or a girl. And Gerald makes me say things even worse. I hate him."

Al and Keith hadn't noticed Gerald standing near the entrance to the living room. Leaving them alone to talk had been too much for him to bear. So when the doctor suggested that he go check up on them Gerald jumped at the chance. He knew the doctor was now probably telling her friend all kinds of things that she wasn't supposed to tell anyone. But he didn't care.

'How can I stop her?' he asked himself. 'I can't be with them every minute of the day.'

He knew that Dr. Jensen would simply wait until he was gone to tell her friend everything about her research. Hell, she may have already told her that already. So let the doctor have her fun -he was going to have some fun of his own.

"She's right, you know, she does hate me. But she can't help but love me, too. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" He touched Jennifer's hair and smiled evilly at her.

Although still smiling from the control he was under, Al's free speech hadn't been removed yet and he planned to make it count.

"You're a pervert, asshole...and a pathetic excuse for a lover. The only women you're able to get are the ones you can control or pay for...and even then I bet they fake it pretty well so you won't feel bad. I never had to pay for my women Gerald...but I bet you've had to all your life. And someday you'll pay for this too!"

Anger flashed in Gerald's eyes. Despite everything he had put this bitch through she still had the strength to go toe to toe with him and worse...win. He knew he shouldn't let her get to him but he couldn't help it. This tramp wasn't fit to be in the same room with him and yet she was the one who was constantly making him feel like it was the other way round. He was better than her, he knew it. And yet she knew just what to say to get under his skin. Well, this time he would teach Miss Smart-mouth a valuable lesson on who was really better than who around here. This time he would do it in front of one of her new friends.

"Jolexo! You will return to full control and behave as a young lady again. Jolexo!" Gerald turned to Jennifer and said, "Ekala! You will return to full control and behave as I've instructed you to. You will behave completely as my girlfriend and lover. Ekala!"

After Al's eyes cleared up, he looked lovingly up at Gerald and asked, "hi, handsome. Where's the Doctor and Ms. Bennett? Cynthia and I have been having a lovely talk. You know, just girl things."

"The Doctor and Cynthia's mother are talking in the study. They asked me to come out and entertain you two lovely ladies while they get caught up on old times." He flashed Jennifer an evil smile. "Cynthia, why don't you accompany me and Jennifer to our playroom. I'm sure Jennifer would love to show you her room and our playroom attached to it, wouldn't you dear?"

Al nodded readily and grinned. "Oh, yes Gerald. That's a great idea. Come on, Cynthia! You'll just love it!"

All three of them stood up and headed to Jennifer's bedroom.

***

Tom watched the three of them leave. He lowered the binoculars and pondered over what was going on. This entire visit didn't add up and yet he didn't know why. What he found most puzzling was that he hadn't seen the young boy since early that morning. From the resemblance with the young woman who showed up today, Tom deduced they were related, maybe even brother and sister. And yet, stranger still, he hadn't seen them together. Why did the girl appear only after the boy had disappeared? He raised the binoculars and stared back at the house wishing it would reveal some of its secrets.

***

Chapter 15 -- Project Peace!

"Project Peace," Susan said. "That's an ironic name."

"Yes, isn't it," Sarah replied. "I laugh when I first heard the name and read what it's objective was all about. Remember Susan, now that you know what the real purpose of my serum is you can't tell anyone."

"I understand Sarah. But why not talk to your bosses about Phoenix? I'm sure they would see the importance of the project."

Sarah sat back in her chair and took a drag from her cigarette.

"I've tried Susan, but they don't want to divert any funds or time from Project Peace. Once I work out all the details and Project Peace is completed, then maybe they will listen and allow me to continue my research. But that could be 5, 10, or 15 years from now. I don't want to wait that long." She paused to put out her cigarette and light another one.

"For the first few years I worked hard on Phoenix and got some very interesting results. Then someone higher up decided it was pointless to continue my project without world security. So they came up with Project Peace and told me to put Phoenix on hold. In a way some very useful things have come out of this project. What we did to Keith is a result of what I learned from Project Peace. Without it, I wouldn't be as far along today as I am now."

"Well I'm impressed Sarah. As soon as Cynthia turns 21 I'll get you the money you need. I promise!"

"Thank you Susan. I can't tell you how much that means to me. Like I said, I can't use my own funds without them being aware of what's going on."

"But why would they care? You'd be working on Project Phoenix during your own time and with your own money. Why would it matter to them?"

"Because my bosses feel that if I have time to work on Phoenix then I'm not devoting all my time to the Peace project. The two projects are identical in many ways but yet they are also totally different. And then there are the clinical studies which have shown that the average researcher who tries working on multiple projects at the same time ends up working three times longer to complete just one of them. In other words, he or she is less effective working on two projects at the same time than if they were focused on just one project. In some cases they end up not completing either one of the projects they were working on. Of course I am not your normal researcher but my bosses won't listen to me." An exasperated look appeared on the doctor's face.

"Male bosses can be idiots," Susan joked, "because they have two heads to think with and usually think with the smaller of the two."

Sarah let out a loud laugh. "Oh Susan, I missed your humor so much. Lets go make ourselves a drink and talk about something else."

***

There wasn't much for Tom to observe the rest of the day. The four of them sat down at the table while the maid, who had changed back into her regular uniform, served dinner. The young man who had been present in the house that morning didn't join them. After dinner, the bodyguard packed up the car and pulled it in front of the door. Dr. Jensen, the older lady and her daughter got into it and drove off, without the young man.

'Where could he be?' Tom wondered.

He observed the maid stand in front of the window smoking a cigarette as they drove away. There was a sorrowful, almost painful expression on her face, much too painful for just a common parting of old friends. A minute later she stubbed out her cigarette and walked back to her bedroom.

The private eye waited around for a while. A couple of hours later, the doctor and her bodyguard returned home. They talked about something for a moment before departing in different directions -- the doctor headed upstairs to her bedroom while Gerald made his way to Jennifer's room for his nightly activities.

Tom climbed down from the tree and drove back to his motel room. He sat down in the recliner with a pen and pad of paper to write down his thoughts. There were a few things bothering him.

First, an older lady and her son show up at the house in the middle of the night. Their visit appeared to have been unexpected and Gerald wasn't happy about them being there. Shortly after they'd arrived, the doctor ended up spending two hours in her lab working on something. In the meantime, the other woman just sat in her room and cried about something for almost an hour.

The next morning Dr. Jensen, the older lady, and her son have a quick breakfast and head off in the direction of the doctor's lab. Thirty minutes later the mother and son leave the lab and go upstairs. After a couple of hours the mother comes back downstairs only this time with a young woman in tow, maybe her daughter. They leave later that night without the boy, who hasn't been seen since the early morning.

Then there was Jennifer. Who was she really and where did she come from? The motel manager indicated she wasn't from around this area. He had first seen her sometime in late January at a local bar with Gerald.

Private investigators relied on their instincts and something about Jennifer set off alarms in his head. She just didn't fit in and yet Tom didn't know why. Maybe one of the reasons was her age. She was too young to be a government agent and Gerald was almost 10 years her senior. True, some women were attracted to older men, but it was the way she dressed for the bodyguard that bothered him.

While younger women did tend to wear shorter outfits, off duty Jennifer dressed more like a call girl as if to please Gerald. Why would a young woman, with such good looks, put herself down by dressing that way? During the day she was a prim and proper housemaid but after hours she dressed totally differently, like a cheap hooker. Nothing about Jennifer added up.

The solution to this dilemma was simple; he had to meet Jennifer and find out what she was really like. The problem was finding a time when she was outside the house by herself. Gerald always seemed to accompany her whenever she went out and 90% of the time that was to a bar or club. The only time he knew for sure when Jennifer would be alone was when they went grocery shopping. Like clockwork, Gerald and Jennifer always went to the same store on the same days and at the same time. This pretty much limited his options on where and when he could meet her. Unless he wanted to wait around for months in the hopes of finding a better location he would have to risk trying to talk to her at the store.

Tom got out his calendar and checked to see what his schedule looked like. It would be at least 10 days before he could make it back to Salt Lake City due to several new cases he'd picked up. Actually this worked out to his advantage. He needed the time to think up a way of convincing a certain highway patrolman to help him out.

The private eye got undressed and laid down in his bed. One more time he prayed to God, as he had been taught in the orphanage, that Al was still alive and he would find him. Tom forgot that God sometimes answered prayers in his own way.

***

Chapter 16 - Cold, hard decisions

The clock on the dresser read 4am. Al had just experienced a nightmare, a horrible nightmare. In it he was Al Parker again and he was standing on the edge of a dark, bottomless pit. His legs were frozen in place, preventing him from moving away from the edge to safety. All he could do was stand there, using his arms to balance his body from falling into the dark abyss below. Then Jennifer appeared out of the dark, a perpetual smile painted on her face. He begged her to pull him away from the pit before he fell into it but she didn't lift a finger to help. Instead she continued to smile and said two words to him, "my turn."

Al felt her hands press firmly against his back. With one hard push he fell forward into the darkness below. As he started to fall Al got one more look at Jennifer who was standing over the edge watching him, a perfect, waxed smile still on her face. Then everything went black and Al woke up with a sudden jerk. The bed sheets were wet from the sweat of his soaking body.

Al stood in front of the bedroom window looking out at the cold, dark night as he had done so many nights before. It was only a dream but to Al it had seemed more then just that. To him it was a sign. He took a long, deep, hated puff and felt the smoke burn his throat. How he hated these damn things.

When he had been Al Parker he had treated his body as a temple. Each morning he woke up early and ran between 5 to 7 miles before breakfast, usually in the cold Seattle rain. In the army he'd been careful to limit the amount of alcohol he drank each week, which was unusual for someone in the service. And he never put these cancer sticks in his mouth. Too much smoking and drinking defeated the purpose of trying to keep in shape. But now, thanks to Gerald and Dr. Jensen, he was being forced to do a detestable habit that he hated so much. Could it really get any worse?

"Could it?" Al asked himself. What was life going to be like for him now as a young woman? What kind of future was he really facing? It was time to start facing reality. For the next several years he would begin his day at five in the morning. He would cook, clean, do laundry and make beds like a mindless robot just to please his female mistress. Then, after all this was done the real personal hell began, pleasing his male master.

True, one day Gerald would leave for bigger and better things but then who knew what his replacement would be like. He, or she, may end up treating him worse then Gerald did, if that was possible.

Al considered the situation was about as bad as it could get. He had been stripped of the freedom to live life the way he wanted too and was being forced to have sex with someone that he deeply despised. Maybe the next person would fall in love with him and treat him right but would he be happy with them, knowing they could change any of his actions with a simple command? And what about Dr. Jensen's promise to set him up with the perfect husband. Would he be happy with a new partner based on the doctor's agenda and not his own love? What kind of future was that? What did the future really hold for him now?

"Nothing!" he said out loud. For months his hate and anger had kept him going. It had kept him focused on staying alive while all these new and terrible things were happening to him. But seeing what they did to Cynthia had touched his soul. He had been fooling himself all this time. There was no way out of this for him or for Cynthia.

"That poor kid," Al whispered. "He didn't do anything wrong. His sister's death was an accident. But he paid the ultimate price anyway and worse, I helped them do it."

Seeing the process done to another person had broken Al. These people could and would continue to do this to others and there wasn't anyone who could stop them. Not him, not the police, no one. They were above the law.

"There's no one to help him," Al said softly. "Or help me." At that moment it became clear to Al they had won! He accepted that now. No matter what he did, it wouldn't make a difference. He couldn't stop them...he couldn't even stop himself from helping them. What happened to Cynthia was just as much his fault as theirs. His fantasies of getting even with Dr. Jensen and Gerald were just that, a fantasy. It was over.

A train whistle blew in the distance, catching his attention. Al walked over to the living room window and stared out at a certain spot in the horizon, between the trees and front gate. There he caught a glimpse of what he was looking for. In the dark distance he could see the headlight of a Union Pacific freight as it headed westwards toward...home. If only he could catch that train and get out of here. If only he could be himself for 5 lousy minutes. But there was only one way out now. He had to take his own life. It was time to die.

While it had taken months to come to this conclusion, the answer seemed easy for him to accept. The hard part was figuring out how to end his life? It wasn't like he could slit his wrist or take some pills. The doctor had made sure that as Jennifer he wouldn't be allowed to hurt or kill anyone, including himself. No, if he wanted to die then he had to do it in a way where it would be an accident and not intentional. But how could that be done? Al stared out the window and thought about it some more.

***

Chapter 17 -- Meeting of old friends

The next ten days passed quickly for Tom. He had worked on seven cases during that time and had been able to close five of them. All in all it had been pretty good week. Now he focused on this current dilemma, meeting Jennifer Anderson. Tom parked his car across from the store and waited. He didn't have to wait long because right on schedule Gerald's red Mustang pulled into the store parking lot.

Tom waited until they both went inside before pulling into the parking lot and heading into the store. He quickly spotted them picking up items off the shelves. Being careful not to be seen, the private eye watched and waited for his opportunity. When Gerald went off to another area of the store, Tom saw his chance and took it.

Grabbing a head of lettuce, he trotted up to Jennifer and asked, "excuse me Miss, can you help me with something?" Her reaction to his question shocked the hell out of him. Her eyes got real big as if she was seeing an old friend for the first time in years. Then she threw her arms around Tom and gave him a big hug.

"Oh Tom, you found me. Oh God how I missed you"

"Excuse me Miss, have we met before?" He tried to pry the young woman off but she held on tight. What was going on here? He knew they hadn't met before and yet she was acting as if they were old friends.

The young woman released her grip slightly and whispered cautiously, "Tom, listen to me. There is great danger here. Please help..." She stopped in mid-sentence when she saw Gerald approaching them.

"What's going on here honey?" Gerald asked unpleasantly as he took his position beside Jennifer. Tom answered for her.

"Nothing mister. I needed some help and thought she worked here. Excuse me Miss, but have we met before?"

Jennifer shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I've never been to Dragon's Lake before. In fact, I don't even like caves. You must have mistaken me for someone else."

Her response mystified Tom. Not only had Jennifer lied about knowing him, although he had no idea where they may have met, she also knew about Dragon's Lake. Only a handful of his closest friends knew about that place and most didn't know anything about the cave she was talking about. In fact Dragon's Lake wasn't even on the map. It was just a name Tom had given the place after finding it years ago. The lake's real name, if it even had one, was unknown to him.

He had stumbled onto the lake by accident a few years back while hiking in the wilderness. It was a small, beautiful lake fed by runoff water from the melting snow of a nearby mountain. The lake was filled with fish, turtles and other water creatures and just a few feet above it sat a small cave that overlooked everything. The area reminded Tom of a childhood fantasy when he pretended to be a knight heading off to fight dragons and so, he gave it the name Dragon's Lake.

Tom visited the lake at least 5 times a year. It's remoteness made it the perfect place when he wanted to fish, camp, and get away from the rest of the world. In all the time he had gone there he had never once taken anyone with him. Yet this woman seemed to know all about the place. How could that be? Tom was about to ask her something else when Gerald ended the conversation abruptly.

"You got the wrong person pal. I suggest you get some help up front." Gerald gave him a slight push with his hand, a warning that Tom picked up on, while at the same time grabbing Jennifer's arm and pulling her away.

As they walked away the young woman turned and looked back at Tom with eyes that almost seemed to be pleading with him to help her. The odd thing about her reaction was, she wasn't struggling to get away from Gerald.

The private eye watched from a safe distance as Gerald led her up to the cashier to pay for their groceries. Only then did he release his hold on Jennifer so he could pull out his wallet. She kept looking at Tom with her sad, empty eyes. Her boyfriend didn't notice; he was too busy trying to pay for everything and get out of there as quickly as he could. Once that was done, he grabbed the bag of groceries with one hand and Jennifer with the other and pulled her quickly outside to the car.

Inside the vehicle he angrily asked, ""WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT? WHY WERE YOU HUGGING AND TOUCHING HIM THAT WAY?"

Suddenly Al realized that he'd been a fool. His actions had raised Gerald's suspicions and put both him and Tom's life in danger. If he started asking him straight questions then everything would be lost. It was time for some more half-truths here.

"He was kind of attractive," Al said softly. "I just wanted to talk and get to know him a little better, that's all."

"You mean you actually thought he was good looking?" Gerald asked although not really too surprised. Dr. Jensen had told him this could happen. She suspected that once Jennifer accepted her situation she would start reacting the same way a real female would around the now, opposite sex; actually giving up her past male ideas and feelings. And Gerald had to admit this stranger was fairly attractive.

"Well...yes I did," Al answered carefully. "I don't know why but I found him very attractive. I just couldn't help myself, I had to hug him."

'Won't this make Dr. Jensen's day when I tell her what happened,' Gerald thought to himself. Every time the doctor made a breakthrough in her research she would go out and celebrate. That meant a long night for Gerald, who would have to go with her and listen to the doctor rambling on about how smart she was. Maybe he wouldn't tell her what had just happened. Jennifer spoke again, interrupting his thoughts.

"You do know he's not half as good looking as you," Al said with a twinkle in his eyes that Gerald hadn't seen before.

'Damn,' Gerald said to himself. 'Jennifer must have forgotten who she used to be. She's acting more like a normal woman than I've ever seen her act before. Maybe this was a sign that things where changing inside her. It could explain her mood swings over the past several days.'

Al reached over to give Gerald a kiss but he pushed him away. Normal reaction or not, he wasn't about to share Jennifer's affections with anyone else.

"We can take care of this little problem right now," he said with a frown. "Ekala! You will no longer find other men attractive. You will only devote your attention to me and not look at other men. I'm your only lover and you will only want to have sex with me. Ekala!"

'Only sex with you,' Al chuckled to himself. 'Oh Gerald, if you only dropped your ego for a moment you may find out what's really going on here.'

Al placed his hands on Gerald's chest and smiled sweetly into his eyes. For once Al's insides matched the happiness that the female outside showed. Tom was here, in Salt Lake City. That meant he was looking for Al. He hadn't been forgotten. Al Parker was still a someone in the world. The fact that he'd tried to contact Jennifer at the store while she was alone could only mean Tom had some idea of what was going on. Al hoped the clues he gave him would help.

'If you are going to do something Tom, please do it fast. I can't take much more this.' Al started kissing Gerald's neck as Jennifer's hands moved down to unzip his pants.

***

From inside the store, Tom watched the car peel out of the parking lot in a hurry. His impression of Gerald was that of someone who had a really short fuse with a powerful body to match. That type of combination could turn into a dangerous situation.

"You might as well forget her friend. Not only is she is totally devoted to that guy, she's also a real BITCH." Tom turned and came face to face with a lady cashier.

"So you know her then? Can you tell me something about them?" The tag on her uniform said Dianna. She must have been close to 30 and while not totally unattractive, she could have improved the way she looked if she invested a little bit more time in her hair and makeup.

"Know her?" The lady looked to make sure the manager wasn't close by then lowered her voice. "She's the biggest BITCH I know and such a phony too. A few weeks ago she started smoking to impress her boyfriend. I guess she felt it made her look more grown up! All it does is make her look like a cheap slut with a bad habit...and I don't mean the boyfriend."

"I see." That piece of information was interesting. Tom pulled out his pad and started making a few notes about her smoking. "When did you first meet her?"

"I'm sorry, I don't answer questions very well on an empty stomach." Tom looked up from his writing and saw the cashier smiling at him.

"You know, I'm the same way Dianna," he replied smiling. "Maybe we could talk about this over dinner tonight? What time do you get off?"

***

Chapter 18 - Old debts

The next morning Tom left Dianna's apartment with an extra spring in his step. It was amazing how one night with a soft, warm woman could straighten out a cluttered mind and make everything clear again. Tom didn't have a steady girlfriend and opportunities like that didn't come along very often due to the hours he worked. Yesterday had been just another day, nothing out of the ordinary. Today the sun was shining brighter then normal and the birds were singing louder then usual. Everything was as it should be.

Quickly he made his way back to his motel room to shower, change and checkout. Ahead of him lay an hour's drive to his next destination, a meeting with an old friend. Tom hoped they would still be friends after their conversation. He had a feeling it was going to turn ugly.

***

Al had found it impossible to sleep that night. Every half-hour he would wake up and go to the window to see if there was some sign of Tom out there. Every shadow raised his hopes only to have them shattered when he discovered it really was just a shadow, not someone lurking about. Al assumed, incorrectly, that his friend knew all about what had happened and had come to rescue him. What he failed to realize was that his story was so unbelievable that not knowing all the details would lead someone to a different conclusion. Outside of the doctor and Gerald, no one else had any idea that inside Jennifer's body was the mind of Al Parker.

By morning his spirits had fallen as quickly as they had soared the day before. Today was going to be no different than any other day. He was still a prisoner trapped in his female body.

***

Tom noticed Kevin Brown as soon as he walked into the restaurant. It was really kind of hard not too. At 6'2", 225 pounds (all muscle), the Black State Highway patrolman looked more like a football player than a cop. In fact he'd played football at a Texas high school and at least three colleges had been interested in recruiting him at one time. But that was before Kevin had decided to go into law enforcement and once he made up his mind it was set.

His presence caused instant respect among the people in the building, not so much by his size but by how he was dressed. Like most law enforcement officers, Kevin took a lot of pride in the way he looked and how he did his job. It was obvious by looking at his waist that the patrolman kept in shape and hadn't seen the inside of a doughnut shop in years. His uniform was pressed and spotless and his shoes were so shiny that you could see your face in them. He waved at Tom and walked over to the table.

"Tom, it's great to see you again. How are you doing?" he asked with a big Texas drawl. Kevin had the whitest teeth Tom had ever seen. During their training at the academy, Tom use to kid Kevin that if he just showed his teeth and growled he could stop any crook in his tracks by scaring them. Kevin, who was a good-
natured guy at heart, would always let out a bear-size laugh at the ribbing he received.

"I see you're still a Seahawks fan," he said pointing to the Seattle Seahawks cap that Tom was wearing. "When are you going to pick a real team to follow?"

"They beat your team this year, didn't they Kevin? I would say they're doing okay. Anyway, sit down and order something, I'm buying."

The patrolman got a shocked look on his face and grabbed his chest like he was having a heart attack.

"What? You're buying? My heart can't take it. Who are you and what did you do with the real Tom McClain?" The two men laughed and quickly started getting up to speed on what each other was doing. After they finished eating Tom decided it was time to talk business.

"Kevin, it's great to see you but I didn't ask you here just to talk. I need a really big favor. Only you have to promise that you won't tell anyone what I am about to say."

"Sure Tom, I owe you a few. What do you need me to do?"

"I'm afraid you won't like it much." The big State Patrolman's toothy smile faded.

"What is it?" he asked in a cool and businesslike tone.

"I need you to get some information for me. I need a driver's license and social security number from someone I'm investigating."

"Why?" Kevin inquired so Tom spent several minutes telling him why.

"Look Kevin, recently I found out that Al went to Salt Lake City. Klein Walker sent Al out to retrieve something, an experimental drug I believe. I'm not sure what this drug does but you can bet Klein Walker figured he'd make millions stealing it."

A frown appeared on Kevin's face. The State Trooper didn't like Klein Walker any more than Tom did. A few years earlier, a police officer and his young son had been murdered because of Mr. Walker. The problem was they could never prove it but cops didn't forget things like that.

"Why come to me? You could let one of the detectives in Seattle handle it. I'm sure the Salt Lake City Police Department would cooperate with them."

Tom shook his head. "I haven't told anyone about this Kevin. Look, there is something wrong here. I don't know what it is but the fact that Klein Walker is involved is the icing on the cake. And to be honest Kevin, I don't trust anyone else's ability to solve this case without more facts."

Kevin understood Tom's position because Al was Tom's best friend and that made it personal. It was also the reason why Tom needed to let someone else to help. The problem about a case becoming personal was that the person investigating first starts bending, then breaking the rules to find out what really happened. Even if the investigator did find out the truth, by that time he'd probably have broken so many laws that a third year law student could get the charges dropped without any trouble.

"Look Tom, let me make a call. I have a friend on the Salt Lake force who is a first rate detective. He can check this out..." Tom didn't let him finish.

"No Kevin!" He stared into his friend's concerned eyes momentarily before continuing. "Kevin, you don't understand. I can't tell you why, call it a hunch, but this case is bigger then you, me, or any detective on the Salt Lake force. Look, if someone from the police department goes poking around, these people are going to hear about it and then Al's life will be in danger."

"After almost four months? You really don't think Al is still alive, do you!" Kevin phrased it more as a statement of fact than a question.

Tom stared down at the table and said softly, "no, I don't." Then his face shot up and he stared angrily into Kevin's eyes. "But that doesn't mean I should give up. I'm close Kevin, real close, but I need your help."

"What exactly do you want me to do Tom? It's not like I can pull someone over without a reason. Salt Lake isn't even in my patrol district."

"Oh hell Kevin, the entire state is your patrol district. You guys can go anywhere you want."

"If I'm going to be patrolling in the Salt Lake City area then I need a damn good reason," Kevin replied. "I just can't take off and drive, I need to let my superiors know where I'm going and why. It's that simple Tom."

"Okay, say you got a tip from a concerned citizen about a speeding car that almost hit a few kids. Sure you could turn it over to someone else. But explain to them that it's a matter you want to handle personally. They would buy that."

"Except that would be a lie," Kevin answered strongly. "Tom, you're asking me to lie to my superiors, people I look up to and respect. You know what that means to me and then you want me to pull someone over for no real reason just so I can get some personal information to pass on to you. Tom, we're talking about lying, breaking patrol rules and wasting taxpayer's money. I can't do that. Look, let me talk to my friend..."

"I said NO Kevin." Tom took a few seconds to calm down before playing his trump card. He hated to do this but he didn't have any other options left.

"Kevin, you owe me. Remember the harbor incident. I covered your BUTT and it almost cost me my job. But I never told them. NEVER! Don't talk to me about rules. If you were so DAMNED CONCERNED about the rules you would have cleared my name back then. Instead I took the heat for your mistake. You owe me Kevin. You owe me BIG TIME!"

It was rare for Kevin to lose his temper. Tom could have counted the number of times he'd seen him do so on one hand and none of those times had been directed at a fellow officer. But today was a first. Kevin didn't say anything but his mood changed quickly and his face got red. Tom knew what that day at the harbor meant to the State Trooper. From that point on Kevin had vowed to follow all the rules and be the best, most honest cop he could be. To this day, Kevin had done just that and now Tom was unfairly shoving a mistake he had made as a rookie back in his face. Worse, he felt Tom was trying to blackmail him into breaking the rules again to get what he wanted. Tom saw the change in Kevin and switched tactics.

"Look, I'm sorry buddy. I know what you're thinking. Yes, I could get this information through other means but that'll take months. If there's a chance Al's alive then I need this information now, not later. Please Kevin, I'm begging you."

Kevin stared coldly into Tom's eyes, obviously still upset despite Tom's humble apology. For a moment the Tom didn't know what he would say. Finally the state trooper spoke.

"Okay, I'll do it. But let's get one thing straight MISTER HOTSHOT INVESTIGATOR. I do this and we're EVEN! YOU GOT THAT? The books are closed on what happened three years ago. You never mention what happened that day to me AGAIN. ARE WE CLEAR?"

Tom nodded his head. "I understand buddy...and I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"Don't be sorry." Kevin snarled back. "Just tell me what you want me to do."

***

Chapter 19 - Joyride

Officer Brown sat on the side of the road waiting for the target to appear. Tom informed him the two suspects always went to the market every Friday at the same time. Just to be on the safe side, Kevin still got to his spot 30 minutes early. Right on time, the officer saw the car speeding around the bend. He put up his radar gun and in two seconds had three different hits. They all showed the car was doing 51 in a 45 M.P.H. speed zone. Only six miles over the limit; not much but enough to ease his conscience that he wasn't stopping them without a good reason. He pulled out behind them and turned on his lights.

"Oh Shit!" said Gerald when he saw the patrol car. "What the hell is he doing out here?" He made a nasty comment when he discovered that the officer pulling him over was also black. Al sat there and listened to the garbage spilling out of Gerald's mouth. He never understood this type of hatred in anyone.

By the book, Officer Brown walked slowly up to the driver side window while checking out the car. Before getting out, he noticed the driver was angry and had been yelling some profanity, which included the "N" word. The things you could pick up by looking at the person's mouth in their rear view mirror.

"Good morning, sir. I need to see your driver's license and registration please," Kevin requested as politely as possible.

"What for officer?" Gerald asked in a defiant tone. He didn't hide the fact that he had a problem with police officers, especially black ones. "I wasn't doing anything wrong. You had no reason to stop me. None at all"

Kevin ignored Gerald's remarks and attitude. He was too much of a professional to let some bigot get the better of him. He continued his routine in a very businesslike fashion.

"Well, for one thing sir you were speeding. I clocked you doing 51 in a 45 mph speed zone." Gerald rolled his eyes as if he couldn't believe he'd been pulled over for going six miles over the limit. "And the second reason is your passenger isn't wearing her safety belt. That's not safe either. I need to see your license as well ma'am."

Al started to open up his purse but Gerald stopped him. "Wait a minute, she's a passenger. Isn't that my responsibility?"

"Are you over 18 ma'am?" Kevin asked. Al nodded to indicate that he was. "Not when she's an adult sir."

"This is BULLSHIT officer! If you're going to give me a ticket then do it so I can be on my way -- but leave her out of your personal crusade! I'm sure you'll still get your quota, being so early in the month and all."

Kevin kept his temper. The worst thing he could do right now was get mad and cause a bad situation to get worse. He had learned this lesson through years of experience and staying calm and business-like had helped him get out of more then one bad situation. In a way it was kind of comical to watch this grown man act like a five-year-old who had just had a toy taken away from him. But Officer Brown didn't dare laugh either.

"This isn't a crusade sir, it's a traffic stop. Now, I need your license sir and yours as well ma'am. Or, if you prefer, we can all go back to the patrol office and you can talk to my supervisor about these violations."

Gerald's temper flared at the options the trooper had just given him. He grabbed Jennifer's license and threw both of them at the officer.

"Here, now don't take all day. I'm a busy person!" Kevin noticed the young lady turned her head and looked out the window, too embarrassed to even look at him.

"Please wait right here sir, I'll be back with you in a moment." Kevin got into his car and ran the licenses. While waiting for the reply he jotted down the information Tom had requested. The young lady seemed so nice, why would she hang around with a creep like that? He noticed the man was yelling out the "N" word again mixed in with a few, choice four-letter words.

The dispatcher called back and gave officer Brown some additional information on the car. He debated about writing Gerald up but decided against it. He wasn't supposed to be there anyway. Besides not handing out a citation would take away this bigot's reason for being angry and maybe make him realize just what kind of a jerk he had been. Kevin got out of his car and walked back to the Mustang.

"I suggest you slow down Mr. Rogers. Speeding killed more than 150 people in this state last year. And I also suggest you have your passengers buckle up as well. Seat belts do save lives."

Gerald, surprised that he wasn't going to get a ticket despite the way he'd treated the officer, took the licenses out of the officer's hand. "I'll remember that next time...sir. Thank you."

As Kevin watched them drive off before getting in his car, he thought 'maybe that guy killed Tom's friend?'

He looked at the information and debated; there was still time to back out. No, he would send Tom the information once he got back. Perhaps some good would come out of it. Maybe his friend would see he was way over his head and finally seek some help. Deep down Kevin wasn't mad at Tom for what he did - he was concerned. The fact that he'd brought up his screw-up at the harbor years ago to get his help only showed how desperate he really was to find Al Parker. Kevin cleared with his dispatcher and sped off.

***

Chapter 20 -- Questions but no answers

Almost 24 hours after Tom faxed the information to Rob he received an answer back. It was all very interesting. Gerald had been an above average high school student before attending Yale University to study law. But into his second year he dropped out of college and all records about his life had ended. There were no income tax returns, no traffic citations, no bank records, no social security, work information, no nothing. It was as if he didn't exist anymore, which of course, he did. His last official residence had been in Washington, DC but that had been several years ago.

The report on Jennifer was much more complete and interesting. She had been a top student in high school that had earned her several scholarships; including one to the University of Florida, which she had accepted. But then, for some unknown reason, the scholarship she had earned and accepted went to someone else.

Tom sat back in his chair in puzzlement. Why would someone with a real future want to become a housemaid? That just didn't make any sense. Even if there had been some kind of parent trouble at home, she was old enough and had the means to attend college on her own. Why throw away something like that for a low paying, manual job when you could get a higher paying and more challenging job with room to grow? It was as if Jennifer had lost her focus on life.

He shifted through her papers some more. Her last known address was her parent's house in Lakewood Florida. Tom picked up his phone index and pulled out the business card of T.J. Byrd, a private detective living in Miami, Florida. They'd met at a Private Investigator's convention in Atlanta the previous year. Tom had attended one of the classes the older investigator was teaching and had been impressed by TJ's natural ability to solve the unsolvable cases. Like Tom, TJ ran his own investigating service in Miami only his business was doing very well and he had three full-time people working for him. Tom picked up the phone and dialed TJ's number. He was surprised to hear TJ answer the phone.

"Hello, this is Byrd's investigating. How can I help you?"

"Hi TJ! This is Tom McClain. How's the weather down there?"

TJ laughed. "Sunny and warm. Better than what you've been having. I heard it's been either raining or snowing in Seattle for the past 12 days now."

Tom laughed. "Only 10 days TJ, but the weatherman is predicting more rain over the next several days." He wondered how TJ knew what the weather was like on the other side of the country. The man seemed to know everything. "Look, this is costing me money TJ. I need to hire you to do a job."

"Okay Tom. Is this for you or someone else?

"It's for me, it's a personal matter and I need you to be discreet about it. I don't want the parents contacted, at least not yet, and I'd like you to handle this personally TJ."

"Okay Tom. As one PI to another I'll give you a special rate. I know you could use a break. What do you need me to do?"

"I want you to get me everything you can on a Jennifer Lynette Anderson. I'll fax you the information I have on her. I need personal stuff, her school records, what kind of person she was, how she used to dress, any problems she had at home, stuff like that. Oh, and I'd also like a recent picture of her if you can get me one."

There was a moment of silence on the other end as TJ scribbled down the information. "Okay, send me what you have and I'll get right on it. I should be able to get back to you in a couple of days. Can I reach you at this number during the day?"

"Yes and TJ, thanks for the special rate. You're right, I could use a break right now."

"I understand buddy. The first couple of years are the hardest until you build up a reputation. Oh, and by the way, my offer is still good. If you ever decide to leave Seattle you can get a job working down here. I could use another good investigator. And as an extra benefit, there are plenty of pretty, young girls in bathing suits looking for a single, young man."

"What, and give up all this snow and rain?" Tom laughed. "Do you know how many women there are running around in long trench coats? I'll think about it TJ. Talk to you later."

Tom hung up the phone and turned to his current case. This time it was a husband who suspected his wife wasn't being faithful. All the facts he had dug up so far seemed to point that the husband was right.

***

The phone rang a couple of days later. Tom picked it up and was greeted by the friendly sound of TJ's voice. "Hi Tom."

"Hi TJ! What have you got for me?"

"Plenty," TJ said. "This Jennifer Anderson was one smart cookie. She held an "A+" average in High school and finished number one in her class. Let's see, what else." Tom heard some papers being moved around.

"She was a high school cheerleader...a club leader in SADD, Students Against Drunk Drivers, which is ironic...and was also a member of the local drama club. Looks like she enjoyed the arts a lot."

TJ cleared his throat before continuing. "She was the youngest of three children in her family. Her sister, Linda, was raped and murdered a few years ago. I talked to a friend down at the station and that case is still unsolved by the way. The police think it was a serial killer that is currently on death row for a few other murders. They're hoping he'll confess some day so they can close it. Until then her case remains open."

"Lets see, what else? Her brother died of cancer about eight years ago. Her teachers told me Jennifer wanted to be a research doctor because of his death. She wanted to help find a cure for cancer so other families wouldn't have to go through what her family did. They all thought she was smart enough and had the drive to accomplish what she had set out to do. Overall, everyone I talked to described her as a friendly, outgoing, and well-liked kid. An All-American girl you might say. I fell in love just listening to people talk about her. It's very sad about what happened," TJ added with heartfelt sorrow. "I wish I'd met her."

"I'm sure your heart will mend buddy," Tom joked. "She's one small fish in a big sea. There are others out there." He noticed there was a long pause of awkward silence as if TJ hadn't found his humor funny.

On the other end of the phone TJ was thinking it was a rather cold thing to say considering what had happen to Jennifer Anderson. Didn't Tom have any feelings for what the parents must have gone through? TJ thought Tom was a warm and understanding person but maybe he'd misjudged him.

"Do you want me to tell you where she can be found?" TJ asked in a business-like tone. The hell with a special rate, he was going to charge Tom full price for being such a jerk.

"No thanks. I have her address in Salt Lake City." There was another long moment of silence from TJ.

"Tom, are you sure you have the right girl?"

"What do you mean TJ? Sure I'm sure. I talked to her less then two weeks ago. The information I sent you came off her own driver's license."

"Tom, I thought you knew...okay, now it makes more sense. Look, you couldn't have talked to the real Jennifer Andersen."

"Why not?" Tom replied, more confused by TJ's demeanor than ever.

"Because Jennifer Anderson, the real Jennifer Anderson, is dead. She was killed by a drunk driver last July."

"No way! Are you sure TJ?" 'This really threw a monkey wrench into the case,' thought Tom

"I have the newspaper article and death certificate to prove it Tom. Her boyfriend was drunk and drove them both into a tree. Jennifer Anderson wasn't wearing her safety belt and was thrown out of the car. She died an hour later at the hospital. Over 400 people attended her funeral, most of them classmates. There was also a big write up about her in the newspaper. Her boyfriend walked away uninjured and is attending college now."

"TJ, do you have a picture of her?"

Sure do. One from her yearbook and another from the newspaper. Let me fax them to you." A moment later the fax machine started spitting out her image and Tom looked at the pictures. The woman he had spoken to and the person on the fax could have been twins.

"TJ, are you sure her parents didn't have any more children? Could Jennifer have had a twin sister perhaps?"

"I didn't run that down Tom but my gut feeling is no. If Jennifer did have a twin sister most likely I would have run across her some time in my investigation. No one I talked to mentioned she had a twin sister but they did tell me about her older brother and sister. Even the write up in the newspaper doesn't mention one. I kind of doubt that everyone would forget to mention a twin sister if Jennifer had one. Why do you ask Tom?"

"You won't believe this TJ but I talked to this same person a couple of weeks ago."

"Then you were talking to a ghost buddy, or someone who looks just like her. Jennifer Anderson is dead."

"Okay, can you confirm that for me TJ? I mean other than the death certificate."

"Are you thinking she faked her own death? Forget it Tom. Once I found out she'd been killed I talked to a friend on the Lakewood force. He happened to be the first person on the scene and handled the investigation. He was there when Jennifer Anderson died at the hospital. Hundreds of people viewed her body at the wake. No Tom, she's dead. No question about it."

"Okay TJ, thanks for everything you've done. Go ahead and fax me what you have and UPS me a hard copy along with your bill. You've earned it."

"Let me know if I can help you anymore Tom. Bye." TJ picked up the bill he was going to send to Tom. It came to $250, half of what it should have been and a bargain for all the running around he had done on this case. He thought about it for a moment then wrote, 'Paid in full! You owe me one Tom.' TJ slipped the bill into a large envelope and prepared the contents for delivery.

***

Chapter 21 - New trade

Tom knew this day would come. He knew from the moment he found out Al had broken into this house that he was going to have to follow him inside. Staring at the house through a set of binoculars all day wasn't going to get him the answers he needed. He had been waiting for the right moment and now it had arrived. The doctor was leaving for Washington the following night and wasn't scheduled to return until two days later. If Tom caught his own flight and rented a car; he could get there just before she left. That would give him the opportunity he needed to get past the security wall.

But there were still a couple of problems to tackle. First, the bodyguard and maid would still be in the house, at least part of the time. And second, he needed the equipment and training to get past the security system. There was only one thing to do. Tom picked up the phone and called Al's friend, Jim Baker.

***

"Okay, you did good that time," Jim told him. "However, you still need to be careful with the amps here. This security system is very sensitive to electric relays and if you aren't careful they'll set off the alarm. You came close to doing it that time."

"Right. I guess we should try it again then." They had been at it for almost five hours straight and Tom was getting tired. Jim saw that.

"Lets take a ten minute break Tom. I could use one and so could you. Do you want something to drink?"

"Diet Pepsi if you have it," Tom said as he rubbed his head, trying to work out the headache he had developed. In three hours he was going to be on a plane heading towards Salt Lake City. Once there he would have less then two hours to rent a car and get to his hiding spot before the doctor left. Tom knew he was cutting it close.

He had called Jim not only to supply him with the equipment to turn off the alarm but also give him some training. As it turned out, the security system was much more complicated then he'd imagined. His last attempt to bypass the security system had taken over 30 minutes. In contrast, Jim was able to bypass the alarm in less then two minutes and he wasn't really trying.

"Look Tom." Jim began. "I know what you said before. But maybe I should go..." Tom stopped him off before he finished.

"No Jim. Not only is this job dangerous but it's also illegal. I know how much the army means to you. I won't have you risk your career because of me."

"But it's not for you, it's for Al," explained Jim. "Tom, you don't even know if the system they are using is the same as in these diagrams. The Security Company could've upgraded it by now. And even if you do get in undetected you may not get out. Time is against you and that's where I can help."

Tom knew Jim was right. He also knew that two people brought a lot more attention to themselves than one.

'No,' Tom decided. He couldn't handle the responsibility of putting someone else in danger.

"Jim, I know you want to help out and you have so far, but I need to do this alone. Look, if I run into trouble I'll give you a call and fly you out myself. Is it a deal?" Jim nodded. "Good, then lets try this again. I need to get my time down to less than 20 minutes."

***

Chapter 22 -- Discovery

The flight to Salt Lake City had been uneventful. Tom grabbed his bags, rented a car, and in less than an hour after stepping off the plane was outside Dr. Jensen's house. Immediately he moved behind a bush next to the gate and waited. Phase one was complete.

About 20 minutes later Gerald walked to the back of the car carrying a couple of bags with the doctor right behind him. He placed the bags in the trunk of the car as the doctor said something to him. Whatever it was Gerald nodded in agreement. As he turned and went back inside, Dr. Jensen got into the car and drove slowly up to the entrance. Tom scrunched down low behind the bush and watched as the gates opened slowly. He had to time his entrance perfectly. Just as the car drove past the gate, Tom ran the other way keeping his body lower then the passenger window. Once inside the compound, he flung himself to the ground and waited. The gate started to close and the car drove off. Phase two complete.

Carefully he moved closer to the house, darting between the trees that lined the driveway so he wouldn't be seen if someone was looking out a window. When he got close enough to the main window he peeked inside. There was Gerald on the couch reading a book while Jennifer stood in the kitchen cleaning up. After she was done, she strolled over to the bodyguard and started kissing him. It wasn't long before he had removed her dress and bra to expose her firm breasts.

"Come on, get a room you two," Tom said softly to himself.

No sooner had he made the suggestion than Gerald picked Jennifer up and carried her off to her bedroom. Tom moved to the side of the house looking for a way in. He found one when he got to the garage window and discovered it had a broken lock. Quietly he slid it open and used his flashlight to look around. He noticed there were several cans laying on the floor where he needed to step.

Slowly the private investigator worked his way inside the garage, being careful not to make any unnecessary noise. Once he was firmly on the floor, Tom tip toed over to the house door and quietly opened it. Carefully he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Phase three was now complete.

Tom played with the idea of trying to open the lab door first but decided against it. Now wasn't the time to fool around with a lock while there were still people in the house. Instead he headed up the stairs to check out the bedrooms. He first looked in the guestroom at the top of the stairs. A five-minute search turned up nothing. He tried another room only to come up with the same results.

Tom wasn't sure what he was really searching for, only that he would know what it was when he found it. He turned his attention to Gerald's room and it was there that he found something interesting. Inside a desk drawer was a crumpled up piece of paper entitled, "Behavior codes". On it was a list of commands that began and ended with a key word. The last command contained an instruction to let the person speak freely as their true selves.

"So they can control people!" Tom said out loud. If that was true then Al could still be alive only unable to control his own actions.

This particular list had commands related to a female subject. Did this mean Gerald was controlling the maid, issuing orders to dress and act the way she did? It would explain a lot about her actions. It also meant she was an unwilling partner in all this, whatever all this was, and why she had warned about the danger in this house.

However, it also left a lot more interesting questions unanswered. Why did this maid look like someone who'd been killed in a car accident the year before? And how did she know who he was when they hadn't met before? What was the connection? And what was the keyword mentioned on this list? He had to get closer to Gerald and Jennifer if was going to find the answers to any of these questions.

Swiftly Tom made his way back down the stairs towards Jennifer's bedroom. The door was wide open and he could hear some moaning noises coming from inside. Tom crept into the other room connected to the bedroom and peeked inside. The two of them still engaged in their business. Tom waited them out.

Finally Gerald rolled over on his back breathing heavily. Jennifer, completely naked, moved over and lay on top of him.

"You're such a great lover," he said seductively.

"So I've been told," Gerald said with a chuckle. He reached over and touched her. "And you're a horny little thing, aren't you? Can't get enough of me, huh?"

"Lets just say I'm in love with you tiger." He started to run his hands through the hairs on his chest. "I love you so much. You mean everything to me."

Gerald frowned. The last thing he wanted was to have this...this person desire him that way. Well, he could fix that easily enough.

"Ekala! You will not say you're in love with me anymore. You will not refer to being in love with me at anytime. You only want to please me, and be pleased by me, but you do not wish to seek a permanent relationship with me. Ekala!"

'There, that should take care of that,' he thought.

"I'm going out to get a beer. I want you stay here and get ready for our next session. I'll be back in an hour." Gerald needed to get away for a while. Jennifer's comment had left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Sure thing lover. I'll be waiting."

The bodyguard got dressed and walked out of the room. Tom heard the front door close and the sound of his Mustang starting up. Al put on a silk robe and walked into the bathroom. Tom peered out the door far enough to see Gerald's car drive past the gate. They were alone now. It was time to learn the truth about what was going on here.

Carefully he made his way into her bedroom and stopped by the bathroom door. He could see Jennifer looking in the mirror, working on her face. Tom took a deep breath and got ready. Then in one quick moment he reached around the corner and grabbed her from behind, putting his hand over her month at the same time. It was a useless gesture; no one could have heard her scream anyway. But Tom didn't want to have to hear it. Jennifer struggled for a moment and started making a muffled sound that Tom didn't understand. He spoke to her softly.

"Shhh, shhhh. I'm not here to hurt you. I need some information about a friend of mine that's all. Calm down." Jennifer became relaxed and stopped fighting.

"Ekala! You will revert back to your normal self. You will not try to hurt me in anyway. You will answer my questions truthfully when I ask you. Ekala!" Tom released his grip on her but to his surprise, instead of stepping away from him, Jennifer turned and buried her face into his chest.

"Oh TOM! Oh GOD, you FOUND ME. I HAD ALMOST GIVEN UP HOPE!" Tears flowed freely down Jennifer's soft face.

Tom found her reaction totally out of place and so far, par for the course. Why was this stranger acting like she had known him all her life? Tom didn't ponder her reaction very long - he wanted answers.

"Look lady, I don't have a lot of time. I need your help. I'm trying to find a friend of mine. His name is Al Parker. Have you seen or heard of him before?"

Al inside Jennifer calmed down enough to speak. There was pain and frustration on her face as if she was struggling to say the next words. "I'm....I'm......I'm Jennifer Lynnette Anderson."

Tom noticed the stress from saying the words seemed to overwhelm her. She let out a frustrated wail and started crying uncontrollably in his arms again. Tom held Jennifer's head up and looked straight into her eyes.

"I know who you are lady...or at least who you claim to be. I'm not interested in your story right now. I'm trying to find my friend. He's very important to me and I've been searching for him for a long time. Now, have you seen him or not? Do you know if he is still alive?"

"Yes...yes...he's right here...." Al said between sobs. "My name is...my name is Jennifer...Jennifer Lynnette Anderson. Oh God please help me for once!"

'This lady's becoming hysterical,' Tom thought to himself. He became frustrated at her answer and shook her a little in the hopes she would regain her senses and start making sense.

"I don't CARE what your name is LADY! Look, if you help me out I promise I'll help you but RIGHT NOW I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT MY FRIEND! NOW WHERE IS HE? TELL ME!"

"My name...my name...my name is Jennifer Lynnette Anderson."

Tom's anger grew. He gripped the maid's arms tightly and brought her face only inches away from his. DAMN IT, STOP TELLING ME WHO YOU ARE. I WANT TO KNOW WHERE MY FRIEND IS RIGHT NOW! WHERE IS HE? DAMN IT, TELL ME!"

Al didn't know what to do. How was he going let Tom know who he really was when he couldn't even speak out his old name? God, so close and yet just out of reach. He couldn't even tell him something simple like who he really was. It was so damn frustrating. There had to be a way to let him know. Then he thought of one.

"KIDDO!" Al shouted out at him. "KIDDO!"

"Kiddo? What about Kiddo? That was my nickname for Al. Where is he? TELL ME!"

"It's me Tom...Kiddo. I'm right here. I'm Kiddo!"

"Al?" Tom released his grip and blinked hard. Could this young lady standing in front of him really be his friend? It was all starting to make sense now. "Is that really you Al? My God, what...what happened?"

"Oh Tom, you wouldn't believe what they've been doing to me." Al buried his head back into Tom's chest and started sobbing loudly.

Tom wrapped his arms tightly around Al's body and gave him a big hug. "It's okay Kiddo, I'm here now. I'm here."

***

Chapter 23 -- Revelations

It took almost 10 minutes for Al to calm down to the point where he could talk again. He sat on the bed smoking a cigarette and wiping away the remaining tears from his eyes.

"I've been wondering if you'd ever show up," Al told him. "God, I had given up hope that anyone was even looking for me until I saw you at the grocery store. I wanted to reach out and tell you everything but I couldn't say a word."

"Al, what's going on here? Who are these people and what are they doing?"

"You mean you don't know? Didn't Klein Walker tell you anything?"

"Klein Walker took the fifth Kiddo. He told me you approached him about selling him some kind of drug but he didn't know where you were getting it from."

"That fat bastard! He set this entire thing up." Al thought about it for a moment. "But if he didn't tell you where I was, how in the hell did you find me?"

"With a great deal of luck Kiddo. It wasn't easy and there were a lot of dead ends. My big break came when I found your backpack and all your diagrams hidden in your motel room. To be honest, after all this time I didn't expect to find you alive!"

Al shook Jennifer's head. "I'm not alive, not the real me. Kiddo died a long time ago Tom. Now there is only Jennifer and her existence is unbearable. At least I'll get my revenge before I die."

Tom wasn't happy about what he had just heard. It meant Al, or rather Jennifer, was in worse shape than he first thought. Tom was going to have to work real hard to save Al and he would need a plan soon.

"Let's not talk about that right now Al. I want you to tell me everything; how you got here, what happened to you, what they are doing in this place, everything. Start talking."

And from that point on Al told him everything he could. He told him about the conversation with Klein Walker and how Gerald had beat Al up once he'd been caught. Then he told him about the doctor and her serums, how they'd changed Al's body into Jennifer's and controlled his mind and were later used to do the same thing to Keith Bennett. Then Al told Tom how Gerald had been using and abusing him all these months. By the time Al was through talking he was close to tears again.

"It's okay Kiddo. You're safe now." Tom said giving Al a reassuring hug.

"Look Tom, lets destroy this place and get the hell out of here. I'll get dressed and then we can start a fire and burn this place to the ground." Tom grabbed Al's arm before he had a chance to stand up.

"You can't leave yet Kiddo."

"What the hell do you mean I can't leave? If I stay in this place one more minute I'll go crazy. I have to leave right NOW!"

Tom looked straight into Al's eyes. "No, you can't. Think about it Kiddo. If you leave they'll start looking for you. You'll never be safe no matter where you go. You know too much about what they are doing for them to leave you alone now. Your disappearance would leave too many questions unanswered. They'll keeping searching until they find you. Maybe it won't be tomorrow or next week or next year, but they will find you. And when they do they'll bring you back here, only the treatment you'll receive will be far worse than it is now."

"Alright, then lets stay and when Gerald and the doctor get back we'll kill them."

"And then what?" Tom asked calmly. "Instead of being hunted by them it would be the entire United States police force that would be searching for you. Even if you told the authorities the truth they wouldn't believe it. You would either be sent to jail or a mental institution for the rest of your life."

"So what are you suggesting I do? STAY HERE and continued to be this asshole's sex slave and the doctors personal maid?"

"For right now, yes. But only for a little while longer until I can put together a plan of action." Al began to panic at the thought of being left behind. Tom couldn't really be serious about this.

"I...I can't...do...do that Tom. You don't know what it's...it's like. You don't know what he is going...going to make me do...do to him...to please him," Al sobbed. "I can't Tom, I can't. Not any more, not when I've tasted freedom. Please, don't make me stay. Please don't leave me alone with him, I'm begging you." The light on the security box went on signaling that the gate was opening up. Gerald was back home again.

"Look Kiddo, I don't have time to argue about this anymore. I promise, I'll be back in two days - 48 hours. I need time to think this all out. Trust me Kiddo. I'm not abandoning you, I'm thinking of your safety. Right now this is the safest place for you. I'll be back, I promise."

"Noooo, please don't leave me," Al begged as he clung tightly to Tom's arm. "I can't do this anymore. Please don't make me stay Tom...please. Don't leave me alone with this asshole. Take me with you."

"I'm sorry Kiddo, I really am. Ekala! You will revert back to your old self. You will not tell anyone about this conversation or that you met with me. Ekala!" Tom hoped that would do it. Then he then gave him one more command and some instructions.

"Okay, get into the shower and remember Kiddo, I'll be back in 48 hours. Hang in there."

She gave him a slight smile and went into the bathroom to take a shower. A few moments later Tom heard the front door close followed by footsteps coming down the hallway. Gerald walked into the bathroom and said something to Jennifer that Tom couldn't understand before getting into the shower with her. Tom peeked around the corner just in time to see Jennifer get down on her knees. He shuddered at the thought of what must be going through Al's mind. It had to be hell on him. Carefully Tom crept out of the room and made his way back to the front door.

To Be Continued