Sorry for the long delay between chapters, The next one should be faster!

Chapter 5
Francine was ready to explode. She was making progress with Bethany on her first try and her jackass of a father ruins everything. She took several deep breaths to calm herself and then walked calmly over to the police officer guarding Bethany’s room.

“Officer, that man is not to have access to this floor until I say he can. Is that understood?”

The police smiled. “You bet, Doc.”

Francine re-entered Bethany’s room. She wasn’t on her bed. Instead Francine found her curled up in a fetal position on the floor, facing the wall.

Francine’s heart nearly broke for the traumatized child. She immediately knelt beside Bethany and began stroking the girl’s hair.
“It’s okay, sweetie. Your father just doesn’t understand yet”

There were no tears this time. “He’s got no reason to understand anything. He wants his son back. I can’t be that anymore”
“How do you see yourself, Bethany? Can I call you that?”

“Whatever. I suppose it’s better than slut, but that’s still my name” Her replies were lifeless, without emotion, and that worried Francine.

“Slut is a word that is very degrading to women. Is that how you feel about yourself?”

Bethany sighed. “It’s what I am. Good for nothing. I’m a fuck toy, Master said so”

Francine was completely lost at that response. That bastard Steele had done a number on this one. Her voice, so soft and sweet, was revealing the level of the programming that he had put her through. She decided to try another approach.

“Bethany, I’m going to ask you some questions. They are kind of personal, and you don’t have to answer them if you don’t want to. Is that okay with you?”

“Whatever”

“Were you with a lot of men?”

“Yes. There were a lot of them, I think”

“You think?”
“I was blindfolded most of the time. I sucked their cocks, and they fucked me. It was my job, Master said so”

“Do you like using that language?”

“What language?”

“The word ‘fuck’ for example”

“Master taught me to talk like that. If I didn’t, I was punished. Fucking was what I was good for”

No emotion, none at all. Francine knew that somewhere inside this girl was a nuclear bomb waiting to explode. Her job was to disarm it before that happened.

Francine continued to stroke Bethany’s long black hair. Interestingly, she didn’t fight the contact, and slowly, almost imperceptibly moved a little closer to Francine’s leg. “Good girl” thought Francine. “Fight the bastard. We’ve got a long time to sort this out”

“Let’s just give it time, Bethany” Francine mentioned casually, almost as an afterthought. “We’ve got lots of time, right?”

“Whatever, I guess”

“There are a lot of people that love you, Bethany. I know you can’t understand that right now. People that love you not for what’s on the outside, but the you that’s inside. I’m one of them, and I don’t think you’re a slut. I think you’re a wonderful person who had a bad, bad thing happen”

“I’m not wonderful. Not at all”

“Well, sweetie, I beg to differ on that point, but, let’s get you back into bed, okay?”

Francine helped the slight girl up off the floor and in to bed. She was light, not more than one hundred five pounds, despite being nearly five seven. Starvation is a great motivator, she thought. That could be fixed, but the inside, well, that was another thing. Dr. Davis hoped she was up to the task.

Forty thousand feet over Arizona

Kevin Howard was sitting in his seat in first class, busy on his iPad reviewing the particulars of the case. It was quite disturbing, and not unlike the case involving his fiancée, Belle. Kevin wanted to know what he was up against. The FBI didn’t understand why he wanted the transcripts and recordings of the interrogations.

Kevin was nothing if not thorough to a fault. Attention to detail was his strong suit, and was one of the qualities that led him to becoming the top protection specialist at Pluton Security and the CEO’s right hand man. Not bad for a man of twenty seven.
He shook his head in disgust as he read the transcripts from the interview. This Steele character was a real piece of work, but one who was being drastically underestimated by his captors, in his opinion.

The recordings of the interrogation sessions were also provided, and Kevin listened to them as he read the transcripts.

The flight attendant asked him on her way by “May I get you anything to drink, sir?”

Kevin smiled. ”Diet Coke, please”

“You seem to be rather involved in your work, if you don’t mind me saying”

“It’s not always pleasant, but it pays the bills” he replied non-committally.

The attractive flight attendant gave him a dazzling smile. “Well, don’t work too hard, you’ll get worry lines”

Kevin smiled back. “Don’t worry, part of this job is also being very good at relaxing, and my girlfriend at home is very good at helping me do just that”

Kevin detected a slight look of disappointment in the flight attendant’s face. “Well sir, she is a very lucky girl”

“Nah” Kevin replied “I’m the lucky one”

Kevin returned to his work on his laptop, when he received a coded message in the form of a text message. His normal wireless connections were turned off, but the special low frequency modem was always on.

“Kevin, the bounty on the child is for two million in gold. Several takers already. Get her to location Charlie ASAP.” Cerberus

“Damn” thought Kevin. “This is no good. If he’s thinking Charlie, then we have a major problem”

Los Angeles, Gables Hotel

“The nerve of that bitch! Denying me the right to see my son!” Greg was fuming at what he saw as shameful treatment at the hands of Doctor Davis.

“Honey, STOP IT!” exclaimed Gail.

“Why? I have rights here. That quack is denying me the right to see my son!”

“I don’t think so, Greg. From what I see, we have a daughter now. One who has been brutalized beyond belief, and needs our support right now, not a big mouthed asshole throwing his weight around!”

Greg’s jaw dropped in disbelief at what he had just heard from his wife. “Did you just call me an asshole?”

“If the shoe fits, wear it! Stop stomping around like a bull in a china shop! Our DAUGHTER needs both of us, Greg. But if you insist on denying the obvious, then I’ll do this thing alone if I have to, do you understand me?”

Greg was mortified. In all their years of marriage, Gail had never talked to him this way.

“Are you taking her side over mine?”

“No, I’m taking Bethany’s side! Our daughter’s side” Tears were starting to form in Gail’s eyes.

“What in the hell is this? His name is Cody. I can fix all of the rest of this stuff, Gail. A few surgeries, and Cody will be back, good as new!”

Gail gasped. “Don’t you dare! We will talk to her and see what she wants to do. You are NOT going to rape her again with your insistence on ‘surgeries’ against her will. I swear to God, Greg, I’ll fight you all the way on this. Let the Doctor do her work, and stop being so damned impatient”

“You too, huh? All right, have it your way. I’m out of here. Stay out here if you like, but Justin and Cassie are coming back to Texas with me”

A female voice chimed in from the connecting doorway between the two rooms the family had rented. It was Cassie “I’m not coming back, Daddy, not without Cody, or Bethany, or whatever she chooses to call herself”

Greg was dangerously close to losing control. “So, does your brother feel the same way?”

“Ask him yourself, Daddy”

Justin poked his head around the door frame. “There’s nothing I can do here, Dad. I need to get back. Cody is safe. This arguing is completely bogus. Let things be, Dad. Give it some time”

Greg, still fuming wasn’t mollified. “I’m making reservations on the next flight out. Justin, get packed. I’ll leave, but not before I give that ‘Doctor’ a piece of my mind!”

Back at the hospital, Francine was busily working on a revised plan to re-integrate Bethany into her family when her phone rang. The caller ID gave her Greg Phillips’ number. Rolling her eyes, she hit the button to take the call. “Hello?”

“Greg Phillips. It looks like you’ve won. I’m leaving on the eight o’clock flight back to Texas”

“Greg, I haven’t won anything. And if you leave now, you’re the loser for an entirely different reason”

“Whatever. I’m on my way now. I’m not one to do my dirty work by phone. You’ve got an ass chewing coming, and I’m just the person to deliver it”

Francine sighed. “You do whatever you feel is necessary, but…” she paused, and suddenly had an idea. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but this man needed to be knocked out of his smug assurance regarding his new daughter.

“But what?” asked Greg.

“But nothing. Come on and give me my ‘ass chewing’. I have a couple of things for you too, so I’ll be expecting you. If you feel the same way after our discussion, I’ll leave the case”

“Good” came the curt reply. “I’ll be there in five minutes”

Francine disconnected and began preparing for the final conflict she intended to have with Mr. Phillips. This would be difficult, but there was no other way.

Francine was sitting at her desk when Greg was shown in. His face was twisted in anger. “All right, ‘Doctor’, I…”

Francine held up her hand. “Hold it right there, Mr. Phillips. I am not going to listen to one word you have to say until you do one thing”

Greg smirked. “What’s that?”

Francine pointed to the large flat screen on her wall. “Watch a little video for me is all. In glorious 1080p HD video. You should appreciate it. Watch it all, or the deal is off, and you leave. It’s what I do for a living, but you should be really good at it, since evidently I don’t know anything. It runs for thirty minutes”

Greg looked puzzled “What is it?”

“Watch it and find out. But you need to watch it all, or you shut up and let me do my job”

“Deal”

Francine picked up the remote to the player and hit play. “Have fun, Mr. Phillips” She pocketed the remote and left the room.

For the next five minutes Greg watched the slow debasement of his son. He found out that Cody wasn’t at all happy as a boy to begin with, and the manipulation the boy experienced was obvious. Then the first hardcore video started. There were snippets of the different videos. He watched as the feminized boy was raped and forced to perform sex acts for masked individuals who berated him while he tried to please them. The tears rolled down his face as the scenes got more intense and degraded into bondage and torture. By fifteen minutes, Greg could stand no more. He walked to the screen and turned it off.

Francine entered the room shortly afterward. “Seen enough, Mr. Phillips?”

Greg was sitting on the edge of the chair in front of the monitor. He was staring at the floor, his body language indicating total defeat. “I had no idea…no idea at all”

“You had it easy. I had to watch ten hours of unedited video. It made me sick. But I had to in order to be able to understand what Bethany went through. Greg, I’m not making this stuff up”

“I…I’m sorry…it’s just that…Cody…my son…” Greg could go no further. He broke down into wracking sobs. Francine wanted to go to him, but he didn’t need that right now. He needed to realize the unvarnished truth, that his son was dead, and in his place was a beautiful yet extremely traumatized young woman.

Francine let Greg sort things out on his own. She wasn’t going to influence him one way or the other. After couple of minutes, Greg had regained his composure somewhat.

“Well?” asked Francine.

“Okay, you made your point. I won’t interfere any more. God, Cody…I mean Bethany must think I’m no better than the men who brutalized her”

“You did some damage, but nothing that can’t be undone, I think. If you’re on board, then the healing can begin, and you can have your child back…eventually”

“How long?”

“I don’t know. Weeks, months maybe. I don’t know. I’m worried about self-destructive ideas coming to her, up to and including suicide”

The mention of possible suicide made Greg take notice. “I was worried about that. Why would he…she do that?”

“They took every shred of self-worth away from her. The only positive reinforcement she got was when she did well at those video shoots, and that was only after she had been violently used”

“What do you want me to do?” he asked.

“Go home for now. She’s not going to be ready to see you right now”

Greg hung his head. “I thought so”

“You made this problem by not listening to me. It’s not forever, and I’ll call you as soon as I think it’s safe for you to see her”

Francine gave Greg some materials to study in preparation for his eventual reunion with Bethany. He was a changed man when he left her office. Francine hugged him as he left. “Stay strong, Greg. She still needs her daddy”

The Interview
Kevin was on his way to the jail to interview Steele. It was one of the least enjoyable aspects of his job, but one that he was very good at. He wanted to know what was going on in the mind of the suspect. That and he knew something that the rest of the police wanted to ignore. There really was evidence of a vast organization behind a lot of unsavory things going on. His boss wanted to know, and so did he.

He called ahead and the police liaison officer met him at the front door of the jail. He was escorted to the interview room where Steele was waiting. His lawyer was present with a smug look on his face. The lawyer looked way too expensive for the likes of Steele to afford, but Kevin was used to that sort of incongruity.

Steele laughed out loud when Kevin entered the room “The great Kevin Howard from Pluton Security. Your reputation is quite sterling in my line of work”

Kevin sat down on the other side of the table and pulled out a legal pad. He didn’t acknowledge Steele’s comment at all. He read his notes for the interview and looked directly in Steele’s eyes. “We won’t need your mouthpiece, Mr. Steele. I’m not law enforcement, as you so brilliantly pointed out. Nothing said here will be passed on to the boys on the other side. The mics and cameras are off. This little interview is purely for my edification”

Steele’s lawyer chimed in “Mr. Howard, my client is here entirely of his own free will. I won’t be…”

Steele interrupted his lawyer. “It’s okay, Bob. I think I’ll indulge young Mr. Howard. I think we can take him at his word”

“John, I strongly urge you to reconsider this” cautioned his attorney.

Kevin decided to poke the bear a little bit. “Come on John. What have you got to lose? I’m not going to reveal anything we say here, and I really not here to discuss the case in question”

Steele smiled evilly. “This I have to see! Take a hike, Bob. If I need you, I’ll signal”

Steele’s attorney pointed a bony finger at Kevin. “No physical stuff, Mr. Howard, or I’ll have you up on charges faster than you can think”

Kevin smirked a bit at the attorney’s threat. “No problem here, Counselor. From the evidence I’ve seen, he’ll most likely be entertaining the boys at the Federal prison of the judge’s choice in a few months anyway. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of that”

Steele’s smile faded a bit at that comment.

The lawyer left the room, but Kevin knew he was on the other side of the one way mirror in the room.

Kevin started. “I know you’re guilty as hell, my friend. The boys here think you’re nuts, blowing off about your big organization”

Steele leaned back in his chair confidently. “Go on, Kevin. This is an interesting start”

“I know one thing they don’t, Mr. Steele. You aren’t lying, and that is very interesting to me”

“I see. Well, do go on, Kevin. This gets more interesting by the minute”

Kevin held back a smile. Steele was underestimating him, and that was going to work in Kevin’s favor.

“I’m guessing there is a lot of cash out there, people in high places. The sex trade is only a small part of your organization. Am I getting warm?”

Steele’s face betrayed subtle hints that Kevin was actually right on. Kevin caught those hints.

“I would have no idea, Kevin. I’m a simple businessman”

“Yeah, Mr. Steele, I’ve heard that very thing. Started from nothing and built an empire of sleaze. I wonder where that initial stake came from. You’re certainly not smart enough to do that on your own”

Steele’s face betrayed the sting of Kevin’s remark. “Listen, you snot nosed little bastard…”

Kevin allowed himself a smile. “Easy, Mr. Steele, easy! What’s with all the temper? My employer simply wants to know a little more about your employer. I mean, if it’s that big a secret, they won’t be real tolerant of a guy letting himself get caught like you did. You may not make it to trial. Maybe my employer won’t let you make it to trial. Who knows? Why don’t you get rid of your guilt and tell me a little more about your organization? I mean, nobody believes it exists anyway”

Steele looked like he was about to have a heart attack. He was breathing heavily. Kevin was beginning to get a little worried when suddenly Steele’s breathing evened out. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they were completely white, devoid of pupils. He exhaled smoke or mist from his nostrils.

“I smell the stink of Hades’ bitch dog on you, worm” The voice was not Steele’s. It was a deep basso profundo and full of menace.

Kevin was surprised, but not frightened at all. He was told to expect the unexpected. “Friendly guy. I like you too”

“Don’t toy with me, boy. You’re dealing with forces you can’t imagine. A new order is coming to this world. An order to set things right”

“I’ve heard that one before, Ace. It hasn’t happened yet. So what’s the deal? Why all the bullshit?”

“We are the Centimani, whelp. Our sign is EX” he held up his forearm, and the Greek letters Epsilon and Chi appeared, glowing on his skin. Our mission is to subjugate this world and prepare the way for the Destroyers”

“Tell your master that the Titans will rise again. The Centimani will come and aid us in our quest to banish the Olympians to Tartarus”

“But why are you punishing kids like the one here?”

“Because we can, fool. Women are nothing. We punish them for trying to be men, for trying to take the place of men. Men who strive to be women are less than nothing. They deserve death after suffering. And it pains your master to see this. We will not stop, not as long as it distracts him”

“We will fight you, you know that. The Olympians still rule”

“For now, perhaps, but we are patient. Meanwhile, we will continue to plague your world”

“Who are you? Not your organization, but you”
“In time, you will know, whelp. In time”

Steele came out of his trance, as the normal color returned to his eyes. He looked exhausted. “Satisfied? Did you get all your answers?”

“Not really”

“Too bad, it will have to do. I’m done” With that, he motioned to his lawyer, who entered and laid his briefcase on the table. “I believe we’re done here, Mr. Howard”

Kevin knew it was pointless to argue. He collected his notes and briefcase and left the room.

The liaison officer was there to meet him in the observation room. He looked puzzled. “Was that strange to you as much as it was to me?” asked Kevin

“I guess. What language were you to speaking?”

“What?” Kevin asked, incredulous. “What are you talking about?”

“You and Steele were jabbering in some sort of lingo I’ve never heard before”

“Could you identify it if you had to?”

“Nah, if it’s not English or Spanish, I’m out”

Kevin scratched his chin, intrigued at the possibilities that presented. The boss would need to know this, and quickly. In the meantime, Kevin needed to get to the hospital to meet Janice Rodgers and his new charge.
He dialed the boss’s number, but the call went to voice mail.

“I wonder what he’s up to now” Kevin thought.

The Hospital

Bethany woke from her short nap and yawned. She still couldn’t sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time before a nightmare would wake her. She still wasn’t entirely sure that she was really free from the men who had kept her all those years.

She accepted the fact that she was female now. It was what Cody wanted, but not like this. Bethany wanted to be a normal girl, not a sexed up freak. Even now, she felt the need inside her growing more insistent every day. She needed the release of sex.

Being penetrated was like a drug to her. She got nothing out of self-stimulation, the bastards who programmed her saw to that.
Bethany hadn’t said anything about this to Francine because she was ashamed of it. Somehow, they made her this way but didn’t remove her conscience, her revulsion at being a slave to her body. Soon now, she would have to do something to relieve the need.
“What have I become?” she asked aloud, to no one. She rolled over and began to cry.

Janice greeted Kevin in the lobby of the Hospital building. She reached for his hand to shake it.

“Sorry I couldn’t meet you at the jail for the interview, but duty called. I had another case pop last night and I had to finish the paperwork”

Kevin shook her hand. “I trust it was another successful outcome?”

“Oh yes. A predator looking for teen boys. He’s been on my watch list for a couple of months now”

“Good. I hope they throw away the key”

“We’ve got a solid case, so I think that if his last words to his wife were ‘I shall return’, she shouldn’t wait up”

“Shall we meet the Doctor?” Kevin asked.

“Sure! Don’t beat around the bush do we”

“I think it’s best to stay focused for now, at least until I have a better handle on things. I plan on taking her to our company retreat north of LA as soon as it’s feasible. I have a team ready to move when we get the go ahead. I understand you already had some action here?”

“Yes. Two morons thought they had everything figured out. We got lucky, but a good man was killed”

Kevin nodded as they made it to the elevator bank.

Janice led Kevin to Francine’s office, where she briefed him on everything that had happened to this point.
Kevin was jotting notes during the briefing. “I’m not unfamiliar with this type of manipulation, Doctor Davis. I have a feeling that you are seeing the tip of the iceberg, though, and you’re the watch on the Titanic. Don’t be surprised if there are some things that are buried yet. I’ve met this Steele character, and he is definitely into some, let’s just say next level shit, pardon my English”

“I suspect the very same thing, Mr. Howard. I just don’t know when it will crop up. She was programmed to need to be humiliated, but also programmed to hate it and at the same time be unable to stop it. She has ‘Property of JS’ tattooed over her genitals and a stylized version of the same thing on her lower back”

Kevin sighed, clearly disgusted. “Well, Doctor, we need to get her out of here as soon as possible. With the bounty on her head, her presence here only puts other patients at risk. We can’t have that”

Francine nodded, as did Janice.

Kevin continued. “How soon can we have her discharged?”

“Medically, she is on the mend. Some liver issues, as well as minor kidney problems, from improperly administered estrogen and other drug issues, but I think tomorrow is okay with medical supervison”

“Good. Are you up to the medical supervision?”

Francine pointed at herself. “Me? Just try to keep me away. I was brought here for this, and I’m not backing away now”
Kevin smiled broadly. “I thought so. Okay, we pull her out on the down low. No one outside this room knows when we pull her out, okay?”

Nurse Jenn Nelson was making her normal check on room 586, the Phillips girl. It was almost shift change, and she wanted to get it out of the way before grabbing a smoke. She knocked on the door and entered.

“Good afternoon, Miss Phillips. How are we doing…” she was stopped in her tracks. Bethany was cowering in the corner like an animal, shaking violently and drooling like a rabid dog. Nurse Nelson covered the distance to the emergency call button in what seemed like a fraction of a second. She hit the button and ran around the bed to Bethany.

“Are you okay, Bethany? Talk to me”

Bethany just looked at her with wild eyes “Ohhhh God, Oh God! P-p-please! I need someone to…to f-f-fuck me. Oh god. Please kill me!” her eyes rolled back white and her shaking increased.

Jenn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. At about that time, help in the form of two more nurses arrived. “Help me get her back in bed and call for Doctors Smith and Franks. Move it! I think we’re losing her!”

To be Continued