By Zapper

Synopsis: ‘Typical,’ I thought, stepping away from the ticket counter in Heathrow. The short business trip to Ireland, for no reason comprehensible to mortal man, required a layover in London. Now, due to an ice storm hitting Chicago, my flight was canceled.

“Well, at least I’ve got the first flight out in the morning and the airline is putting me up in a decent hotel.” I said, as I headed to baggage claim.

Unbeknownst to James Frost his layover would be further delayed. A young woman, with a terrifying secret, was at that moment packing for a flight to Mexico. Their paths would collide in dramatic fashion when she is accosted by a hooligan and James, never one to stand around when a beautiful girl was in need, steps in. Suddenly, James is thrust into Kristina’s blonde bombshell of a body and life. Desperate to get his body back, James’ only hope is to help her stop an evil that could threaten the civilized world.

James is quickly caught up in a whirlwind of magic and sex, and the ongoing struggle between two secret organizations. Will he get his body back or be forced to live the rest of his life as Kristina?

[Note: This story is set in the same universe as “On the Run With John and Meka”.]

Author note:

1. This story was written in response to Marusya’s writing challenge and was written with her help and daily involvement.

2. I need to send a shout out to my beta readers – Mr. 20 Inch Biceps, Eric, Hutcho, and BobH. Thank you – without your help this story wouldn’t be nearly as good.

3. An extra thank you to Mr. 20 Inch Biceps – proofreading isn’t much fun, I know, and the dedication and effort you put in to finding and fixing issues with this story is deeply appreciated.

The winter wind, from the southeast, whistled over the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It moved up into the hills, past Torrance and Lennoxtown, the wind shifted, swirling a bit, as the land rose to meet it. Nestled into these foothills a nondescript looking construction site.

The chain fence rattled in the wind as the unremarkable dark sedan came to a halt in front of the gate. In a few seconds a man in dark clothes jogged forward to unlock and swing the gate open. The car continued into the site and pulled to a stop next to a trailer marked ‘Office’. The driver’s door opened and a tall man climbed, painfully, out. He had to use a cane to assist with the walk to the office, due to the artificial leg.

Hidden security camera’s swiveled to track his progress as the man made his way to the office. The door to the trailer swung open spilling warm golden light into the night as a short, fat, man stepped out to meet him. A gust of cold wind caused the robes he was wearing to swirl and the fat man caught the hood as it slid off his bald head. Using a hand to keep the hood in place he met the tall man and extended a hand.

“Doctor.”

The tall man’s voice was rough, almost gravelly, as he reached out with his free hand to shake the one offered by the doctor.

“Mr. Jackson, it’s good to see you again.”

The man’s rough, scarred, face twisted into a sarcastic grin, “I wish I could say the same, doc.”

“Please, come with me.”

They moved, slowly due to Jackson’s injury, around the trailer toward another section of the job site.

“How have you been?” The Doctor asked, looking up at his much larger companion.

“Seriously? Half my body was fragged in that explosion and I lost my leg, and my eye. I’m learning to deal with it, but I’m now useless.”

They reached an uneven patch of ground and the doctor waited as Jackson stumbled around it. After that the light from the far end of the site gave both men a better view of the ground and they increased their pace a little.

“Yes, about that, what did Mr. Drake tell you about tonight’s . . . ah . . . procedure?”

“Only that the Syndicate had a way to get me back into the field, where I belong.”

“Yes, well, that is certainly true.”

The wind died and the sound of chanting drifted to them out of the night. Once they passed a stacked pile of lumber Jackson paused, for the first time able to see their destination. Nearly a dozen torches illuminated an area of the construction site, but what caused Jackson to stop was the sight of nearly a dozen people in long robes with hoods. The doctor looked up at his taller, sinister companion.

“Max, I don’t know why you’re so important to Mr. Drake, but I assure you that if you go through tonight’s ritual you will walk out of here with a completely healthy body.”

Max sighed, “Doc, if you’re going to go on and on trying to convince me to go through with this, then save it. I’ve known for years about the existence of magic. I’ve was a drinking buddy of Jason Drake’s before he was Chairman Drake. I doubt there is anything in tonight’s rite that will surprise me.”

At this the doctor seemed to smile, “Oh?”

“I may not be ‘gifted’ but I’ve seen it all over the years. Is this a rite of healing? Or perhaps one of transformation? Will you take someone’s vitality and transfer it to me to heal my wounds?” Then he used his cane to tap the metal leg, “It doesn’t matter, as long as I walk out of here without this, and can get back into the field, then I’m good.”

“Then by all means let us continue.” With that the doctor led the way into the circle. The chanting cultists of the syndicate didn’t pause as the doctor and Mr. Jackson moved into the circle. A trench had been dug into the bare earth and filled, with what Max assumed was, blood. Around the trench that formed the great circle with mystical runes had been drawn by using salt. A part of Max wondered why the wind hadn’t disturbed the salt but then he dismissed it as unimportant. In the middle of the circle a pair of chains had been fixed to stakes that had been hammered into the ground. Between the first pair of stakes Max could make out the form of a woman huddled.

“What’s this?” Max said, eyeing the chains, a hint of skepticism in his rough voice.

“Tonight’s rite will use powerful magic, you must remain within the circle until it’s complete. The chains are necessary, because once we start we can’t stop, even if you change your mind and want to run.”

“Fine. But I won’t run, even if I could.” Max said, stiffly. Then he moved into the circle being careful not to disturb any of the lines carved into the earth. The doctor moved with him and quickly locked each of his wrists into a set of chains. In a few seconds Max found himself facing the woman who looked up. Tears streaked her face and Max thought she was very pretty. Now that Max had been secured the doctor moved briskly out of the circle.

“I’ve seen magic before doc, why all the drama with these?” Max said lifting his wrists and shaking the chains.

“Yes, that maybe, but tonight we’re trying a new ritual. If this works, then the next step will be to see if we can freeze it into a crystal. That will allow it to be used in the field, and if I’m right this could change everything for the Syndicate. Think of this as a beta test.”

“Great, so I’m a fucking experiment.”

At this the woman who’d been staring at Jackson pushed herself to her feet and looked between him and the doctor who’d reached his position outside the circle.

“Please, help me.” she pleaded.

Now that she stood up Max was able to see that she was a little thing. The top of her head reached a point just above his chest. Despite her lack of height Max couldn’t help admiring her figure, she had curves in all the right places. Max licked his lips, the girl’s small firm breasts, slim, yet feminine hips, and wild midnight hair made her just the kind of woman Max was into.

“Look I’m sorry, please just, call Mr. Stonewall. He can vouch for me. I’d never tell any what the company does. I didn’t mean to read those files. Besides, who’d believe me? No one thinks magic is real, they’d just put me in an institute.” Her voice was the sort of high pitched voice that set Max’s teeth on edge.

Max ignored the girl, “So, doc, what is this spell? Are you going to give her my injuries and use her vitality to heal me?” Max had seen this done once before and had figured that was what was going on.

“What??” If the woman had been frightened before she now looked positively terrified as she had undoubtedly seen his scars. “Oh, God, please no.”

From the darkness the doctor answered, “Ah, no. That spell while quite effective, isn’t what I’ve got planned for you tonight, Maxwell.”

The chanting now gained strength and it was getting hard to hear the doctor. For the first time that night Max felt alarmed, he’d heard stories about the doctor and about his fascination with experimentation.

“What do you plan to do?”

“We have uncovered a new art, one that might allow us to infiltrate every government in Europe and at long last bring down the Society.”

“Infiltrate? I don’t understand, I thought you were going to heal me?”

At this the doctor pulled a crystal from under his robes and started chanting. After a second his eyes began to glow with a malevolent red light and a moment later the crystal lit up with a matching glow of its own. Max could feel the power rising in the circle and now he couldn’t help struggling against the shackles that held him, his cane toppling to the side.

“Does Jason Drank know . . .”

Max felt his mouth freeze mid-sentence as the power pulsed over him. It felt like his skin was on fire. Max tried to scream but his body refused to move. Then he felt some kind of unseen force hook him right above his navel and lifted him into the air. Abruptly the chains on his wrists went taunt arresting his upward movement. A part of his mind noticed that the girl was also floating, tethered to the ground next to him by her chains. Then the fire that had covered him somehow raced inside and he threw back his head to scream only he felt the fire burn up through his mouth, nose, and eyes and as it left his body he felt his spirit flow up away from his burning body along with the fire. The sudden absence of pain was almost pure bliss. Then Max became aware of another spirit floating only a few feet away and he felt drawn to the spirit. Before he know it the power that had lifted him from his body brought him to the other spirit in a strange embrace.

Max felt his spirit merge with the woman’s. For a moment he felt like they were one person. Then he became aware of the chanting and the tempo of the chanting was like the beating of a great heart. Max felt the magic around him pulse in response to the cultists and then his spirit slowly detached itself from the girl’s spirit only now he was hovering over her body. Now that same force that had pulled him up out of his body forced him down, down into the open, eyes, nose, and mouth of the girl. Max tried to fight it, he didn’t want to be inside that delicate, feminine, body and threw every bit of will against the spell. It didn’t make any difference as the last of Max’s spirit was sucked into the healthy female body. Then there was a sharp electric shock, the world twisted and snapped into place. As it did whatever force that had lifted them into the air released them. Max dropped to the ground and it was as if his brain was a minute behind his thoughts because he heard a voice, the high pitched female voice that had set his teeth on edge complete his sentence.

“. . . what you’ve got planned?”

Stunned Max struggled to his feet, his brain unable to process what had just happened. The doctor immerged from the shadows and strode over to Max, “How do you feel? Can you tell me your name?”

Max, looked up at the doctor, for a second too stunned to speak. Then in that high pitched voice, “I’m Maxwell Jackson, Syndicate assassin, and spy. And you better fucking well have Jason’s permission for this or I’m going to put a bullet between your ears at my first opportunity!”

At this the doctor grinned, “Mr. Drake, personally selected that body for you. I believe it’s his idea of an inside joke, something about that time in Manila.”

Max wanted to cuss, but the memories of that night hit him and he just started laughing. Then unable to stop himself Max reached up and started feeling his chest. The information being sent to his male brain as he groped his female breasts was the strangest experience of Max’s life.

“Look on the bright side, Max, it’s commonly known that women make the best spies.”

“Oh, shut up and get these off me.” Max held out her hands. The doctor produced a key and quickly unlocked the cuffs. As he did Max started to shiver, he wasn’t sure if it was cold or just a reaction to the spell.

Then a wail of horror caused Max and the Doctor to look over at the huddled form of a man. The new male had just pushed himself into a sitting position and was using his one good eye to stare with horror at his scared hands.

“Noooo, no, this isn’t possible. I must be dreaming.” Despite the base rumble the voice somehow had a feminine quality. “I’m having a nightmare . . .”

“Ah, just a moment,” the doctor said and walked over to the man. Then he smoothly drew a 9mm semi-auto and fired several shots into the man’s head. Max couldn’t help jumping at the sharp report of the gun and despite having killed on several occasions she had to look away. There was something about watching her former body die that was . . . disturbing.

A woman came up behind Max and draped a blanket over her shoulders as the doctor put the gun away. Max’s mind was still trying to understand what had happened and she failed to hear what the woman said.

The doctor stepped in front of Max and put his hand under Max’s chin forcing her to look up into the doctor’s face. “Now, Max, you need to go with Irene. She will take you to your new flat, and start teaching you everything you need to know to be a woman. I’ll come by and check on you tomorrow and we can discuss your training and exactly what Mr. Drake has in mind for you.”

I looked up from my magazine, the latest issue of ‘Field and Stream,’ at the woman who’d just cleared her throat.

“Mr. Frost, Mr. Flynn will see you now.”

I slid my magazine into my briefcase and stood up. I gave the middle-aged woman my most charming grin and moved toward a set of double doors. ‘I thought everyone in Ireland was either a blonde or a red-head,’ I thought as I moved past the secretary. Even though she was in her mid-forties, and was a couple of pounds overweight, I could tell she must have been a real knockout when she was younger.

Just then the doors opened and I forgot all about the secretary. The woman standing in the doorway was a couple of inches shorter and a few years younger than me. She gave me a slight professional smile and extended her hand.

“It’s good to see you again, Mr. Frost. Your presentation yesterday was very impressive.”

I took her smaller hand in mine and smiled in response. Things had gone quite well yesterday. “Thank you. Ms. Murphy, but you can call me Jim.”

“Please, come in Jim.” As she said this the woman took a step back and to the side. “And you can call me Judy.”

I allowed my eyes to quickly drink in Judy’s form and had to let out an internal sigh. I’d never dated a redhead and she had curves in all the right places. I would have asked Judy out for a drink last night after my presentation, if I hadn’t already been in a relationship. Now, with a flight back to Chicago later today it was too late. ‘Probably for the best,’ I thought. Then I glanced over at the man standing by the conference table.

“James, it’s good to see you again.”

Mr. Flynn, the Chief Executive Officer of Flynn International, moved around the table and walked toward me his hand extended. Even though he was in his early fifties he had a powerful grip and maintained an athletic appearance. I’d read his bio before coming to Ireland, and I knew that he’d spent most of his life in construction. In fact he’d built this business from the ground up.

“Please, call me Jim. Only my mother and Father Boyle call me James.”

“Jim it is then. Please have a seat. Oh, and call me Dave.”

With that Mr. Flynn gestured to the conference table to one side of the office. I pulled out a seat with my back to the door, cringing on the inside at putting my back to a door, yet knowing that it would be bad form for me to walk around the table to take a seat facing the door.

“So, what can I do for you? Did you have questions from yesterday’s presentation?”

Dave and Judy had both taken chairs across from me and at my comment Dave shook his head. “No, you’re proposal to take over security at our international sites was quite impressive. I’m also interested in having all of our job sites evaluated, not just the international ones. I’ll be sending your proposal to our directors later today, for their review. I think we will be able to give you an answer within a week.”

“Excellent.” I replied, trying to hide me excitement. I wasn’t a salesman by nature, but this wasn’t really a normal sales job either. Flynn’s construction company was responsible for nearly a dozen projects around the world with several important ones in the Middle East, including Bagdad. The company I worked for offered security, personal security, physical security, and security evaluations for buildings, homes, offices, and now, construction sites. The thing that made us so competitive was that we hired mostly from the U.S. Military including the Special Forces. Depending on what you needed we could come in and do a review of a site and offer suggestions to improve the local security, take over with one of our teams, or we could supply an executive with an elite detail to ensure his or her safety.

“I’ll get straight to the point. You know that my company has contracts with several governments and we have locations around the world?”

I nodded, “Yes.”

At this Dave turned to gesture toward Judy. “You met Judy yesterday. She was introduced as our director of information technology.”

I nodded, again, but didn’t say anything.

“What I didn’t specifically tell you, yesterday, was that she is not only responsible for making sure our IT works. She also prevents anyone from doing anything malicious on, or to, our network. Lastly, her division is responsible for the electronic security at all of our sites.” He nodded to Judy, who picked up the conversation.

“Jim, I’ve got something I’d like to show you. To get your professional opinion.”

At this I felt like I needed to interject, “I’m happy to look at anything you’d like to show me, but I’m not an IT guy.”

“This isn’t IT, it’s a security video. And we have, of course, turned this over to the proper authorities. None the less, it is very disturbing.” With that she picked up a remote and turned to look at the wall.

Above the conference table was a projector and the wall to my right had been painted white, with the kind of paint used for projectors to give you a high resolution image. Mr. Flynn dimmed the lights as the projector powered up. In a few seconds I could see the frozen black and white image of a construction site. The site was located in a dell with tall pine trees around it. It was obviously after dark and the security camera gave me a view of about a dozen people standing in a circle wearing strange looking long robes with hoods that hid their faces.

“Are these some kind of cultists?”

“We’re not sure.” Judy replied.

Judy must have hit play because the people started moving. I leaned forward watching as one of the people moved around the circle lighting a series of torches. For a second the flare of the torch light messed with the camera and then it automatically compensated and now I could actually see what was going better.

“Where is this site?” I asked not looking away from the security video.

“A remote location in Scotland.”

A van pulled up and two men got out carrying a woman between them. The woman was struggling, hard, fighting the men every step of the way. Unfortunately, for her, was much smaller than the men and they were able to drag her forward. At this Judy paused the video.

“We haven’t been able to identify the woman.”

“She’s five foot two inches, plus or minus an inch, between a hundred and ten and a hundred and twenty pounds, and in her early twenties.”

“How can you tell all of that?” There was a hint of disbelief in Judy’s voice.

“Back up the video please. Okay, stop.” I stood up and went to the screen, careful to stand to one side and pointed. “Here, do you see, as she’s being pulled out of the van. At this point she’s standing up. I know how tall that van is and based on that I can judge her height. She’s got a slim build and two men easily lift her between them, from that plus her height, and I can make an educated guess as to her weight.”

Both Judy and Dave were looking at me more than a little impressed. “Why do you think she’s in her early twenties?” Dave asked.

“Hit play, please,” and then after a second, “Pause.” I pointed again. “Here, do you see, as she’s fighting against the two men, you can tell that she’s in great shape, she’s using her abs, back, legs, she’s giving these two guys everything they can take just dragging her to the circle. Most people by the time they’re in their thirties start to let themselves go. Also, see the long dark braid? As a generality, woman tend to start going with shorter, hair styles as they get older. It’s easier to take care of and presents a more mature, professional look. That is of course a generalization, but based on those observations I’d guess, twenty one to twenty six years old.” Then I shrugged, “There are always exceptions but if I were going to start searching data bases for missing persons, I’d start with those search parameters and see what came back.”

“What about race?” Judy asked, impressed and curious.

I shook my head. “The video is too grainy to get a good look at her face, her skin is light, but in a black and white video, it’s just too hard to tell for sure. You can rule out African descent but that’s really it.”

With that I returned to my seat and after a second Judy hit play. The woman was dragged, still struggling, to the edge of the circle. At this point two of the cultists left their positions and moved to assist. They each grabbed a leg and now the four men moved, carefully, forward. The quality of the video was too poor to actually see what was on the ground but whatever it was the men were moving slowly and cautiously.

“Do you know what was on the ground?”

“Not entirely, no. Although the forensic team that looked at the site, thinks they’d drawn a circle and filled it with sheep’s blood. We think they used salt for additional symbols but it’s pretty hard to tell for sure.” Dave said.

I watched as they chained the woman by the wrists to a pair of stakes in the center of the circle. Then the men left, and for several minutes nothing appeared to happen. Judy it the fast forward button and then after a few seconds slowed it down to normal speed.

From off to one side a pair of men approached the circle. I watched, as the taller of the two men limped forward using a cane. The man walking with the tall guy was overweight and wearing robes that matched those of cultists standing around the circle chanting. As the two men passed the camera the tall guy turned slightly and gave the camera a full view of his face.

“Pause,” I said and Judy hit the button.

“Why does his face look familiar?” I mused. The man had a beard and dark hair, but he was missing an eye and there were scars on the right side of his face.

“That is Maxwell Jackson. He’s been wanted for several years for what some consider terrorism, but I have it on good authority that he’s really a mercenary and an assassin.”

I nodded making the connection. “It looks like he’s done with that line of work.”

“More than you might suspect.” Judy said, and hit play.

The short guy escorted Mr. Jackson into the circle and he fastened a second set of chains to Jackson’s writs. The girl had stopped struggling and had fallen to her knees. Now, she stood up and I could see that she didn’t even reach Jackson’s shoulder as they stood facing each other. The fat guy left the circle and pulled an object from his robe. Jackson said something and the fat guy responded. At this the girl looked around wildly and started struggling against her chains, while Jackson looked puzzled. Then the fat guy lifted the object above his head. As he did I noticed that it was about the size and shape of a baseball. The cultists standing around the circle also lifted their empty hands above their heads and I could tell that they were chanting in unison.

A bright light flared from the crystal and as it did both Jackson and the woman in the circle stiffened, their backs arched and it looked like every muscle in their bodies had locked up. Then as I watched they both were lifted by some invisible force into the air. In a second the only thing holding them to the ground was the set of chains.

“Is this some kind of joke?” I asked looking at the grainy video. “Some kind of special effects or someone hacking into the security camera?”

“Keep watching,” Dave said.

Abruptly light started pouring from the eyes and mouths’ of Jackson and the woman. The light lifted from each of them and flew together forming a single glowing sphere that hovered between the two. The sphere started pulsing, slowly at first, and then faster and faster. Then after several seconds the sphere separated pouring light back down into the two people still floating above the circle. Their bodies remained motionless every muscle locked for another second and then as if a string had been cut they fell to the ground.

“What was that supposed to be?” I glanced at Dave.

He shook his head, “It’s not done yet.”

I turned back to the video I saw the short guy who’d been holding the glowing thing walk into the circle. He stopped by the woman who was apparently starting to come around. She was looking at her hands, almost, curiously. Then, abruptly, she lurched to her feet. She grabbed her chest with one hand and reached between her legs with the other. For a second she felt herself up and this seemed to amuse the fat guy. Then she glared at the fat guy obviously angry. What puzzled me was her body language. It was completely different. Earlier, she’d been terrified, panicky, and fighting for all she was worth. Now she seemed unsteady, like she was drunk, but she wasn’t scared of the guy, she was pissed.

By this time Mr. Jackson was coming around and he pushed himself into a sitting position. The short guy stepped to one side of Jackson pulled out a pistol, calmly placed it to the side of his head and pulled the trigger. Even though the video quality was poor the sight of Jackson’s head exploding as the bullet tore through was shocking.

“What the hell?” I looked at Dave.

“We’ve given a copy of this to the authorities. Our security guard at that construction site found Mr. Maxwell Jackson’s body dumped at the edge of the grounds. So we’ve got positive identification on him.”

I glanced back at the video that was still playing. The woman had been unchained and she was no longer struggling with her captors. A person, about the same height as the woman, had come forward and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and was helping her from the circle.

“What about the others in the video? The woman, and the guy who killed Jackson?”

“We don’t know who they are, but the authorities are looking into it.”

I nodded, “We’ve got a few people who could look at this video for you. They could give you a professional, technical, evaluation. Is this indicative of recent threats against your company?”

At this Dave shook his head. “No, we’ve never had anything like this happen on one of our job sites. But you can see now, after this, why we’re interested in additional security.”

“When did all of this happen?”

“A couple of months ago. We started by working with the authorities, but so far they’ve not been able to come up with any leads. That’s why the board decided we needed to improve our physical security.”

I nodded, “I think we can put together a proposal that will ensure that nothing like this happens again at one of your sites.”

By the time I left Mr. Flynn’s office I felt sure that we’d get the contract. They needed an evaluation of each of their job-sites around the world and estimates on what they needed to do to improve security. They were also interested in what we could do to protect their people while they were overseas. Particularly, for those working in the Middle East. If this worked out like I thought it would this contract alone would be worth several million. I couldn’t help feeling satisfied as I drove to the airport.

I still had a couple of hours before my flight. Then I thought about the video. What the hell had happened? How had those two people been levitated like that? What was with all of that light? And most importantly why had the guy, who’d appeared to be friends with Mr. Jackson, killed him? I shook my head, obviously some of it was special effects. But the authorities had recovered Jackson’s body, so that part had been real. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d just watched something evil, and I didn’t understand it.

I looked down at the frumpy bored ticket agent for American Airlines and it took all of my self-control to keep from shouting at her. The line of annoyed people standing behind me shifted, restlessly, waiting for me to finish my business. I glanced around Heathrow and even though it was an international airport it had, to my mind, an English feel. The agent cleared her throat drawing my attention back to her, “Sir, here is your boarding pass. You’re in seat 3B, first class, you’re at gate B17.”

“Um, thanks. What time will I be boarding?”

“Six o’clock, tomorrow morning.”

I wanted to grind my teeth. It was just after seven p.m. and I was supposed to have been airborne headed back to Chicago forty five minutes ago. Instead I was standing in line getting re-ticketed for a new flight. Apparently O’Hare was closed due to an ice storm and the next flight AA could get me onto was tomorrow.

“What am I supposed to do for the next eleven hours?”

“I’m sure I don’t know.” Then seeing the look on my face she continued her double chin quivering, “I can print you a voucher for ten pounds off dinner in any of the Heathrow restaurants.”

I ignored her comment, “Can I leave the airport? I know there are some decent restaurants and hotels around here.”

“Yes, but you’ll need to go through customs.”

“That’s fine.”

I took my ticket from her along with the voucher. I had a small suitcase and a combination backpack computer case. My trip to Ireland had only been a couple of days and I liked to travel light so there wasn’t anything to get from baggage claim. As I followed the signs toward customs I saw a restaurant that seemed about two thirds full and based on the number of TVs I figured it was a sports bar. I hadn’t eaten anything since eleven a.m. and my stomach growled.

“Well, I guess I might as well use this dang voucher.”

As soon as I stepped into the pub I realized that I’d miscalculated, there were a lot more people in here than I’d thought.

A cute, petite, blonde in a tight t-shirt smiled at me, “Just one?”

“Yeah, uhm, I can sit at the bar. It looks like you’re pretty busy.”

“Sure, just go in and find a seat.”

I wove my way through the crowd and noticed that most of the patrons were focused on the rugby match on the TV. I’d played a little rugby while in the service and paused to check it out. The team in black, I was guessing this was Northampton, had just scored the first Try of the match against a team in mostly white. By the ticker at the bottom of the screen I was guessing this was Bath.

“What can I get ya love?” The red head behind the bar must have been in her mid-forties and even though she was busy she offered me a smile.

“Can I get a Guinness? And a menu?”

“Sure, thing.” And then she was gone.

I settled onto a stool and watched the match. It looked close but Northampton appeared to have the momentum. One thing I’ve discovered, no matter where you are in the world, sports bars are all the same. The slightly rowdy atmosphere and the sense of temporary comradery made it feel very comfortable.

Out of habit I scanned the pub for threats. There was a mixture of patrons, travelers just looking to get dinner, others wanting a quick drink, and a group obviously interested in the match.

I saw a family of eight, with an exhausted mother, who had an infant tucked up under a blanket on her shoulder breast feeding. The dad was busy chasing a three year old who wanted nothing more than to escape. The rest of the kids were engaged in coloring books and video games. Directly in front of the big screen was a group of four loud men. They were wearing casual clothes, obviously traveling for business, but one had changed into a Northampton jersey. By the way they were shouting they were obviously fans.

“Here ya go dear, will ya be start’n a tab?”

“Sure,” I said, taking a long pull from the draft stout before looking at the menu. ‘Fish & chips, stew, sandwiches, yep, English pub grub,’ I thought. There was a loud shout from the foursome and I glanced over to see that Northampton had scored another Try. The guys were celebrating loudly, obviously a couple of beers into the game.

Then I spotted her.

The woman sitting by herself in a booth in the same section as the loud rugby fans. She had a red wine in front of her and a mostly untouched sandwich. She was just staring into her glass ignoring the guys. ‘That’s a little odd,’ I thought and then shrugged it off.

“So, what’ll ya be hav’n?”

I looked over at the red head and read her name tag. “Mary, I’d like the Fish & chips. You can’t visit London and not have the Fish & chips, right?”

She, snorted and said something under her breath about tourists, and looked at me like I was an idiot before moving away. Feeling a little underappreciated I took off my jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. Then I stretched feeling my back pop, I was still a little sore from this morning’s workout. I had a few minutes before the food arrived so I headed to the restroom. The restroom was empty so I took the urinal in the far corner knowing it would protect me on two sides. All threats would have to approach from my left. I pulled out my shlong and let it rip. ‘Ah, nothing like a good piss, as long as there’s plenty of power behind it.’ I thought. I’d had a couple of cups of coffee and they’d run right through me. Once done, I gave my dick a couple of obligatory shakes and tucked away my pride and joy.

I moved to the sink just as a couple of young guys entered the head. They were obviously just out of high school and probably traveling on their own for the first time. I waved my hands under the faucet and water started coming out. As I washed I absently glancing into the mirror. A moderately handsome face with dark hair, blue eyes, and lightly tanned skin looked back. I had slightly more than a five o’clock shadow going now which looked kinda trendy with my closely cropped hair. Trendy isn’t a look I’ve ever gone for and it made me want to shave. Instead, I straightened up and ran a damp hand over my head and felt the seams of my shirt, along my shoulders, stretch in protest. I felt fatigued and knew that I needed a good night’s rest.

I returned to my seat at the bar just a few seconds before my food arrived and I tucked in. By the time my second beer appeared at my elbow I’d forgotten about the match and was thinking about work. The trip to Ireland had been successful and I felt pretty sure we’d get the contract. The security business can be tough and most of the deals are based on reputation. We’d cut our ties with Black Water, which had helped, but too many prospective clients thought we were a bunch of cowboys. I got an uneasy feeling as I thought about the security video he’s asked me to watch and then dismissed it. It was up to the authorities to deal with, our job would be to improve the security on the site.

Just then I heard a woman’s voice cut through the general noise of the bar. “Let me go!”

I glanced over and saw the blonde looker, who’d been sitting by herself nursing a red wine, was on her feet and one of the rugby fans was standing in her way. His large belly strained his Northampton rugby shirt and he had to be at least four inches taller and two hundred pounds heavier than the woman. She was obviously trying to get around him and he was using his bulk and the narrow space between the table and booth to stop her. Then I saw that he’d grabbed her arm.

I was moving before I’d even really thought about it. My cowboy boots made a clicking sound on the floor that was almost drowned out by the noise. I’m not a small guy, at five ten, but even with the two inches of height my boots gave me, the fat guy was taller.

“Please, just leave me alone.” The woman’s voice sounded a little on edge, more than what I thought this clown deserved. ‘Interesting, what had her so panicked?’ I wondered.

“Hey, don’t be that way. Come sit next to me, I’ll explain rugby to you.” The guy had a surprisingly high pitched voice, for someone so big.

I stopped a couple feet behind him and in a loud voice said, “Betty, where, the hell, have you been?” Before either person could respond I continued, “I’ve been saving you a seat for the last thirty minutes.”

The guy turned to look at me and for an instant I caught the woman’s eye, and gave her a quick wink. The look of surprise on her face changed to one of relief.

“Who the fuck are you?” The guy said, turning now to face me. His face was flushed with alcohol and he wobbled slightly as he turned. “Bugger off, before I teach you not to interrupt.”

I took a half step closer and met his brown eyes with a cold blue eyed stare. I didn’t say anything for half a second, I let my body and posture talk for me. I could tell in that instant he was sizing me up. I may not be the biggest guy in the room, but I’m very fit, from years of sports, military, and martial arts training. My posture said I was ready for anything and his size didn’t scare me.

“Who am I? I’m the guy who’s going to rip off your head and shit down your throat if you don’t step aside and let my fiancé by.” I said it with a cold, even, expressionless tone, my eyes never leaving his and my body ready for action. There was a second of evaluating, who’s the alpha, and then he looked away. I had to force myself not to grin, ‘Pussy,’ I thought.

“Sorry, mate, I didn’t know she was engaged.” he mumbled, and stepped aside.

I watched him for a second and then looked at the blonde. “Betty, let me help you with your bags, I’m just up at the bar.”

“Thanks,” she said, softly.

She had a carry on and a laptop case sitting in the booth. I picked them both up and headed to the bar where the blonde was now waiting for me. As I did two things struck me about her. She was tall for a woman, only a couple of inches shorter than me, and she was a knock out. The dark skirt and cream colored blouse showed a hint of leg and cleavage and left everything else a mystery. ‘Very tasteful,’ I thought.

“I’m sitting right over there.” I nodded toward where I’d been eating. “Would you care to join me?”

“Thank you for the help. I was trying to get to the ladies room when that jerk got in my way. Do you mind watching my things?”

“For a beautiful lady? Not at all.”

She flashed me a smile and I thought I caught a hint of dimples. “You’re smooth. I’ll be right back.”

I watched her walk away, ‘nice butt,’ I thought and then shook my head. ‘Let it go Jimmy-boy. You’ve got a girlfriend.’

I looked down at my now cold fish & chips and decided not to finish. Instead, I threw the voucher onto the bar along with my card. Mary spotted my plastic from the other side of the bar and made her way over. She gave me a long look, “I saw wat ya did, yer dinner’s on me.”

“Did she already close out?” I said, waving at the booth were the blonde had been.

“I don’t know, would you like me to check?”

“Yeah, and if not, put it on my bill.”

Mary smirked at me and then headed off. It only took her a few minutes to close both our tabs. She handed me the credit card receipt and I wrote her a tip that more than covered the dinner. Just as I was signing my name, from the corner of my eye, I saw the blonde return.

I turned around, “I think we should get out of here before Tweedledum over there gets enough liquid courage to come back.”

“Tweedledum? Oh, the jerk. Okay, and thanks, again.”

We exited the bar and headed down the concourse toward the hub. After a few seconds I looked over at her and said, “I’m James Frost, my friends call me Jim.”

I extended my hand, “So what do you go by, Betty?”

At this she laughed, it was a light feminine laugh, like she’d been holding some tension inside and for a second it was gone. I liked it.

“Well, honey, since we’re engaged, I guess it’s only right you know my name.” She giggled, but then seemed to sober up quickly. “I’m Kristina, Kristina Curtis, and thank you, again. I could have handled it, but he was being a pain in the ass.”

We walked for a couple of minutes and then spotted a coffee shop. As if by mutual agreement we went in. I’d managed to down a couple of beers so the coffee would help me stay awake, plus there was something about this woman that intrigued me, something that didn’t add up.

“So where are you headed?” I asked, trying to sound her out.

“I’m going to Cancun, Mexico.” As soon as she said it I got the feeling that she wished she could take it back.

“I’m headed back home, to Chicago.”

“Oh, were you in London on business?”

“Not London, Dublin. I just seem to have gotten stuck in London. My flight’s delayed until tomorrow, so I think I’ll head out soon to find a hotel.”

She nodded and then suddenly sat up like something had just occurred to her. She looked me over, evaluating, “Tell me, James, what do you do for a living?”

I gave her an easy grin, the one that my girlfriend told me wasn’t fair, “I’m a private contractor.”

“Oh, that sounds important.”

“It’s not really. Mostly, I sit in an office and work on a computer. Just your average office drone.”

She gave me a look, clearly not believing it. Then she reached out and grabbed my bicep. Kristina was tall for a woman but her hand seemed small against my arm.

“Do all, ‘office drones,’ in America, have arms like this?”

At that I had to laugh. “Probably not, but it’s not anything special, I just workout, a lot.”

“And facing down a guy like that, drunk, bigger than you, and looking for trouble, that was nothing?”

I shrugged, “I’ve been in a scrape or two, and besides, I’m a guy. I know how to handle guys. Now tell me about you? What are you afraid of? Are you running from an abusive relationship or something?”

Her face went white for a second and then she glared at me. “Why would you ask me that?”

“I’m not blind. You were skittish before that guy stopped you. I bet normally you’d have put him in his place without any trouble. But not tonight, and I can tell you’re nervous. What’s wrong?”

“Why do you care, what’s it to you?”

“I just hate to see a beautiful woman in distress. If I can help you, I will.”

She gave me an intent look as though sizing me up. “You might be able to help me, but I don’t know if I should let you.”

“Aw, come on. Whatever it is, I can handle it.”

“There are some people, I might have pissed them off, and I thought it would be best to disappear for a while. But I can’t go away without causing even more problems.”

“It seems to me you’ve already decided, aren’t you headed to Mexico?”

“Yes, but with your help, I might not have to.”

“Okay, what can I do?”

“Are you sure? There might be risks and once you’re involved there’s no backing out.”

The sound of her voice was very serious, but her warning failed to reach my alcohol and testosterone soaked brain.

“I’m in. What do you need?”

She nodded once and then reached into her purse. It took her a few seconds of digging before she came up with a crystal. It was completely round and about the size of a golf ball. I looked at her curiously wondering what this might have to do with her trouble. She held the crystal cupped in her two hands, “place your hands over mine.”

I looked at her for a moment feeling dumbfounded. I’d thought she had a serious problem and here she was pulling out a crystal. Was she some kind of flower-child? I felt stupid but after a second I decided to humor her. I placed both of my hands over hers and noticed that mine were much bigger and that the backs of my hands showed the scars I’d acquired over the years.

“Okay, now will you tell me what’s going on?”

“Just hold on for a second.” Her voice sounded a little nervous, like she didn’t really know what to expect. Then she muttered something I couldn’t quite hear and I felt a shock run through me, like electricity, and I wanted to pull back but I couldn’t move. My mind felt fuzzy and I tried to speak but my mouth wouldn’t function. Yet I didn’t panic. For some reason I knew that I was okay. Then there was a vibration from the crystal and the sound of something cracking, splitting.

Kristina broke the spell by pulling her hands away. “Well, that was strange.”

“You can say that again,” I said, reflexively clutching half of the crystal in my hand.

“Uhm . . . I think you need to keep your half of the crystal close to you when you go to bed tonight.”

“Sure, fine, now what do you need me to do to help you?”

Kristina stood up, “Get a good night of sleep and don’t miss your flight.” She grabbed her luggage and started to walk away.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Back home, I don’t need to go to Mexico now. Sleep well James, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

My mind was still feeling fuzzy so it took me a second to realize that I’d not given her my number. I stood up and tried to catch her but she was already gone.

“Now that is one weird, chick.” I shook my head in amusement. “Well, it’s probably better that she doesn’t have my number. Jill would kill me if she thought I was seeing someone else.”

I glanced down at the crystal I was holding and saw that it was pulsing a deep blue color. I stared at it for several seconds mesmerized, I’d never seen a stone do that. Then as if directed by some outside force I put the crystal in my pocket, collected my gear, and followed the signs to customs.

It was already dark when I exited the airport looking for a cab. London’s got great public transportation but I didn’t feel like dealing with the tube. I got in line for a taxi and it only took a few minutes to get to Bath Street and the London Heathrow Marriott. Despite my fuzzy head, the Marriott with all the glass and steel, lit up the night, and was fairly impressive.

I checked in and made my way to my room feeling a wave of exhaustion hit me. It had been a long day but I shouldn’t have been this tired and I doubted that two beers would have this effect on me. I got into my room and avoided looking at the sweet seduction of the bed, instead I pulled out my shaving kit and brushed my teeth. Then, just to be stubborn I fired up my computer and got onto the hotel network.

I could feel a pulsing in my pocket and I pulled out the crystal Kristina had given me. It was still flashing only now instead of just blue it alternated, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue.

I blinked breaking away from the mesmerizing pulsing light and saw that my computer had gone into sleep mode. I woke it up and typed in the password and then opened my gmail account. I glanced at the bottom right corner of my computer and saw that it was after eleven. I’d just lost thirty minutes!

“What the fuck?!”

I glanced at the crystal and was instantly caught, like a fly in amber. Blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet.

I blinked but couldn’t see anything. It took me a second to figure out that I was in a completely dark room and that I was laying on my back in a soft bed. The only source of light was the strobe like light of the crystal I was holding. My view of the crystal was obstructed by something on my chest so I lifted my hands and confirmed that they held my flashing crystal. I looked to the side and made out the dim shape of a window. Just enough light was coming through for me to tell it was there, but not enough to let me see much of the room. ‘Where am I?’ I wondered.

I looked back at the crystal I was holding and I was caught; violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue.

This time when I blinked I was back in my hotel room. Sitting at my desk. My computer was still awake and there was a word document opened on the desktop. I looked at it and saw that it was addressed to me.

***

James,

I’m sorry if what I’m about to do seems mean, egotistical, or unfair. You seem like a good guy, and you did offer to help me out. I needed to act fast and I figured that this is my best chance, which doesn't mean that I like it myself, but I don't have much of a choice now. When you wake up, don’t freak out, everything will be okay. I’ll call as soon as I can, and explain. Remember, just stay calm and wait for my call. Oh, I took something to help you sleep.

Kristina

***

‘What the hell is she talking about?’ I wondered. I checked the clock and saw that it was now eleven fifty eight. Then I felt an urge to look at the crystal. I glanced to my right, where I’d left it sitting on my desk and saw that it was still flashing only now the tempo had increased. The strobe was flashing faster and faster, and I realized I couldn’t look away, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, I felt a tearing twisting sensation and then I was floating above my body looking down at a guy slouched over, staring into a crystal. I followed his gaze and was once again caught up in the flashing light, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet . . . blue . . . . Violet . . . . . blue . . . . . . Violet . . . . . . . blue . . . . . . . violet . . . . . . . . . Blue . . . . . . . . . . violet . . . . . . . . . . . Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . Violet . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Violet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VIOLET . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BLUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VIOLET!

Abruptly the flashing stopped and the light in the crystal became a solid violet. Then I felt a presence in the room with me. Another spirit, it felt familiar, yet different. Then a spectral wind hit me, pushing me up and away from the room. I was through the wall and the celling and into the night air above London. The lights were amazing as they went by in a rush and then I was falling.

The next thing I knew I was in a room. I couldn’t make out much detail only that it was small and the figure on the bed held a crystal. The crystal was filled with a cold blue light that called to me. I moved toward the crystal pulled along by what felt like gravity. I hovered over the crystal and the person holding it for an instant, or an eternity, and then dove in. There was another twisting, settling feeling and the pain that I’d felt when I was ripped from my body faded into a soothing darkness.

Very slowly, awareness came to me. It felt like I was climbing out of a deep dark pit and for a time I just lay there, eyes closed, breathing. ‘Wow, that was one strange dream,’ I thought, as the fuzziness of sleep faded. Then I became aware of something tickling my nose, every time I took a breath.

‘A fly?’ I wondered, and reached up to swat at it. The move felt uncoordinated and odd. For some reason the fly was still there so this time I reached for my nose, and felt, hair? At first my mind didn’t understand and I gave the offending follicles a tug. The sensation of someone pulling my hair at my temple didn’t make sense.

I opened my eyes and for a time they refused to focus. Then, blearily, I saw a thin, pale, arm. I blinked several more times, but instead of disappearing the arm, and the soft delicate hand attached to it came into focus. A hand holding a lock of blonde hair about two inches from my face. ‘Who is that?’ I wondered, and let go of the hair. To my surprise the hand released the blonde tresses. My mind felt like it was stuck in molasses, I turned my hand and watched the slender appendage respond. I spread my fingers and watched the girl’s hand move, my mind absently noticed the blue nail polish.

Still, dazed, I reached up with my other hand, distractedly noting that I was laying on my back propped up slightly with a couple of pillows. My left hand joined my right and now I saw that both hands were covered in a kind of glittery dust. My heart started to race and I looked down. I was wearing a t-shirt that shifted from black to yellow to red as my eyes slowly worked their way down to my stomach. Then my breath caught. There right in the middle of the yellow part of my shirt and then sliding off to my left was a pile of crystal dust.

I reached down and touched it and saw that it was the same dust that was on my hands. Then my brain kicked into gear. I remembered, the airport, the odd, yet sexy Kristina, and her new age crystal. I felt my breathing get faster as my heart started to race. I remembered, sitting in my room at the Marriott and the impossible light flashing from the crystal. And I remembered, floating up out of my body, flying over London, and dropping into a strange bedroom.

“No fucking way!”

The sound of the woman’s voice was the catalyst that broke the spell and I lurched from the bed rolling to my right away from the wall and froze. The full length mirror attached to a white wood door held the image of a girl. Sleep tussled blonde hair fell just past her shoulders, contrasting sharply with the black fabric at the top of the t-shirt, a shirt that fell to her mid-thigh. I took a step forward and new sensations assaulted my male brain. The shirt was too big and had slid to the right exposing a pale white shoulder blade.

It’s funny how the mind works in stressful situations. With one part of my brain I noticed the oddest details. Sunlight, streaming in from a pair of windows. Texture, the sensation of the worn purple carpet under my bare feet. Flowers, the faint floral scent of a woman’s perfume. As if in slow motion I turned my head, scanning the room. The large poster, a time lapse of Time Square hanging from one wall, caught my eye. I turned and took a step toward it, and as I moved I felt my shirt shift and noticed the soft chafing of the cotton t-shirt against my sensitive nipples. The sensation distracted me and caused me to freeze in place.

While all of this was registering with a part of my brain, a larger part of my mind clung to the vision of the blonde girl in the mirror, her mouth hanging open in stunned surprise. I turned again to face the mirror and watched the girl move, her chest shifting with the movement.

‘Chafing?’

The word associated with the odd sensation floated through my mind and as if of their own volition my hands slowly rose to my chest. There are a few moments in life, indelibly burned into a person’s memory. Learning to ride a bike. A first kiss. Scoring your first touchdown. That first hunting trip with Dad. And groping your new breasts after waking up in the body of a girl.

My mind seemed to snap into sharp focus as I felt the heavy breasts against my small hands. This wasn’t the first time I’d touched a woman’s boobs but it was the first time I’d felt hands probing a part of me that shouldn’t have been there! My nipples started to respond, growing hard under my fondling and I felt the skin around my breasts tug in response to my groping.

Then I heard a woman scream. In a detached way I wondered if she needed some help. The world was contracting around me as I got tunnel vision. I knew I was about to pass out and slid to my knees and closed my eyes breathing deeply. For several seconds I knelt there, on the floor my hands clutching the carpet in front of me for added support. I could feel the breasts dangling away from my body as gravity did its thing. The t-shirt offered no real support.

“What the hell is going on?”

This time, when I looked up, and saw the image of Kristina on all fours looking into her mirror I didn’t panic. I crawled forward very aware of my udders as they swung freely below me. When I moved I also noticed, for the first time, that I couldn’t feel anything between my legs. I reached out and touched the mirror and watched as Kristina touched my fingertips.

“This can’t be real! I can’t be a girl, I can’t be in Kristina’s body.”

But the image in the mirror and the sensations assaulting my beleaguered brain told me I was lying to myself. I don’t know how long I just stared but then I noticed the carpet was digging into the soft skin on my knees and the pendulous weight of the breasts was starting to hurt my back. I pushed myself into a kneeling position and the shifting of my chest, as the breasts settled back against my ribs, almost made me laugh. I glanced again at the mirror and this time saw Kristina kneeling legs spread apart flashing her black panties and a part of my mind told me I should bring my knees together, girls aren’t supposed to flash their delicate parts. Instead, I slowly stood up.

Everything felt different. From the shifting weight on my chest to my strangely wide hips and the missing presence between my legs. My balance was, just, off, and I reached out to steady myself against the door. For a second I stood there, breathing, trying to get my equilibrium.

‘As impossible as this is,’ I thought, ‘it’s either the most life like hallucination or it’s real.’ Then I remembered the note Kristina had left me last night. Something about her not being mean but she had to do this . . . and that she’d get in touch with me later. Did she mean, THIS? Did she take my body and leave me in hers on purpose? I felt a flash of anger and wanted to break something. I spotted a laptop on a small desk to one side. I had to fight the urge to pick it up and throw it against the wall. But that would be stupid. What if she planned to use it to communicate with me? I carefully moved to the desk and settled into the black modern chair swiveling to face the computer.

I touched the space bar and the computer woke up and wanted a password. I looked around and spotted an envelope, on the back written in purple ink was the word: 1_JustIn85

I typed it in and the windows operating system came up. There was an open video and the frozen image of Kristina, wearing the same shirt and body I was now wearing.

“She must have recorded this last night before the switch.”

The sound of my voice, higher, and very female gave me a weird feeling. I clicked on the icon and the video started. Over the tiny computer speakers Kristina’s voice sounded similar, yet different, from what I’d heard just now when I spoke.

“James, I’m really sorry about all of this.” she glanced to one side and in the semi-dark room I could see the blue-violet crystal doing its thing like a disco light. “I can't tell you what’s going on, for your safety, and mine. Ignorance is your best protection. That's why you'll make a better me, right now, than I possibly could... Well, forget about that. Basically, I just need you to pretend to be me for a couple of weeks. Then I should be able to swap us back. I’ll explain everything when we swap back. I’ll call you tonight and fill you in on what you need to know to pretend to be me.” Again she glanced away at what I was guessing was her crystal. “It’s almost midnight. If what I learned about the crystal is correct that’s when we’ll swap.” Kristina put something in her mouth and then lifted a glass of water and saluted the screen. “See ya on the other side.” she giggled and then drank the water. For a second I thought that was it but then she got serious and looked back into the screen. “James, as soon as you’ve watched this, delete it. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more, just trust me, everything is going to be okay. Oh, and thank you!”

The video froze. I sat there trying to think but my mind refused to come up with a reason for swapping bodies with someone. She was young, healthy, and from what I’d seen of her bedroom, normal. Why would a normal twenty something girl want to swap bodies with a strange guy? It made no sense. I hit play on the video and watched it two more times but I was still in the dark.

“Fine,” I said looking at the image of Kristina on the screen. “I’ll play along for now, but you better have a damn good reason for this.” Then I added, “Not that I’ve got any choice.”

I pushed away from the table and stood up and as I did I felt an urge from my lower region. It was kind of a pressure, but it felt different, not gas, and not like I needed to drop a duce. Then it hit me, I . . . er . . . this body needed to piss. Now that I’d identified the feeling it got stronger.

“Damn it.” I growled and moved to the door with the mirror.

I opened it and saw a walk-in closet. Feeling frustrated I spun toward the other door and the movement of Kristina’s breasts startled me. I’d turned quickly, for the first time, and there had been a sharp tug against the skin above the breasts and then they’d jiggled left, right, left before they stopped. I reached up without thinking to grab them, “Shit! It’s like they’ve got a mind of their own.”

Holding the breasts, I still couldn’t get myself to think of them as mine even though they were attached to the body I wore, and moved to the wooden door. I opened it carefully and looked out. The narrow hallway led away to the left and toward what I was assuming was the rest of the apartment. When I looked to the right I saw another door and, based on its heavier look, I assumed it led out of the apartment. ‘I’ll avoid that one for now,’ I thought. The idea of going outside right now was one I didn’t even want to think about.

Then the need to pee forced me to step into the hallway. I glanced down the hall and to my left and spotted an open door. Through the door I saw a small bathroom and most importantly a toilet. I took another cautious step, and the cold laminate floor sent a shiver up my spine and I saw that my arms had sprouted instant goose flesh. I took another step on that cold floor and felt my nipples start to tighten up again.

“Damn it, it’s not that cold!” I said, in my girl voice.

Somehow the swearing just didn’t feel the same. I moved into the bathroom and tried to ignore the way my chest moved as I groped around for the light switch. Once the light came on I turned around and shut the door, even though I could tell I was alone, I just felt like I needed the extra security. The idea of pissing as a woman made me feel strangely . . . vulnerable. I hated that feeling. I spotted a mirror over the bathroom sink and avoided looking into it. Instead I looked down at the toilet and for a second I didn’t know what to do. Never before had a piece of porcelain seemed intimidating. Then the urge to pee hit me and I was a little slow clenching up my bottom. I could feel some fluid leak out, where nothing was supposed to leak!

“Fuck it! If half the population can sit to piss, I can too.”

I turned around and slowly pulled the black panties down and hiked up the t-shirt before settling onto the toilet. For a second I wondered if I’d have trouble peeing. But the pressure had built to the point where all I had to do was sort of unclench muscles that I’d never had and the body did what it was supposed to do. When I heard the sound of liquid hitting liquid it occurred to me that I could press my legs together. This made the weird situation even stranger. I’d never be able to press my legs together like this, but it sort of shielded a part of this body from me. I just wasn’t ready to acknowledge, much less look at, what I knew was between my legs.

The feeling of relief wasn’t as intense as it was for me in my body and I noticed that it was a lot messier now, as my bottom felt a little damp. I rested my elbows on my knees and leaned forward putting my face into my hands. I noticed, distractedly, that my arms were now pushing against the sides of my breasts and they could actually touch each other. I felt a lump in my throat and for an instant I wondered if I was about to cry. I’d never felt so emasculated. Then I got angry!

“Fuck that! I’ll be damned if I’m going to start crying over having to sit down to take a piss!”

Again the incongruity between my feminine voice and my words struck me as wrong. I spotted the toilet paper and pulled off a wad, I knew women had to wipe after, and I remembered from high school bio that front to back was best. Carefully, almost afraid of what I was going to find I reached behind my back and patted the new skin. The feeling was indescribably odd. Where I should have a cock and balls was flat smooth skin, with a tight fold, and a softness that I didn’t want to think about. The area was sensitive to the touch and suddenly I felt like I was exploring instead of wiping. I dropped the toilet paper as if it were on fire and leaned forward to pull up Kristina’s panties. By the time I got them to my knees I noticed that the gusset was damp. I suddenly didn’t want them anywhere near me and tossed them into a corner of the bathroom.

The t-shirt was long enough to cover my new crotch but I could feel cold air hitting sensitive skin. I did my best to ignore that and moved to the sink. I quickly washed and dried my hands, and then paused to study my reflection. For the first time I really looked at Kristina’s face. I lifted a hand to lightly run my fingers over the sprinkle of freckles that appeared to be fading now that it was winter. Then my breath caught as I saw her eyes. Sort of a pale blue or light grey with a circle of brown around the iris. They were beautiful eyes, the kind of eyes that a guy could fall into and never escape. Then almost to distract myself from my eyes I ran the tips of my fingers over my straight perfect nose and then to the full pouty lips. Lips that even Angelina Jolie would have liked, although they were starting to look a little chapped. I felt around the inside of my mouth with my tongue noticing differences between this mouth and mine. My new incisors were less pronounced and there was a gap between Kristina’s two front teeth. I gave the mirror a tentative smile and discovered that my new pearly whites lit up Kristina’s face. ‘Even the slight gap is sexy,’ I thought.

“I’ve already spent more time today looking in the mirror, than I do in a month.” I groused, starting to feel a little narcissistic.

I turned around, trying to move slowly and smoothly to keep the damn breasts from bouncing all over creation. I opened the door and thought about exploring the rest of Kristina’s apartment but the cold air on my bottom made me cringe at the thought.

I returned to the bedroom and started searching for clothes. Kristina’s dresser drawers proved to be a waste of time, they were full of junk. The dresser had a pair of doors and when I opened them I spotted what appeared to be underwear boxes. It took a little snooping but between the boxes and the closet I managed to find another t-shirt, blue and not too girlie, a pair of grey sweat pants, fresh panties, and a pair of socks. I slid the dark blue panties up my hairless legs until they fit snuggly against my flat crotch and round bottom. For a second the sensation totally creeped me out and I wanted to scream.

“Take it easy Jimmy-boy,” I told myself and winced at the sound of my voice. Then with a sigh I pulled off the multi colored t-shirt and unable to stop myself from looking down.

Breasts.

BREASTS.

I HAVE BREASTS.

I could feel myself starting to freak out and clamped down on that emotion.

“Man up, damn it!” I snapped. “You’ve seen tits before.” ‘Yeah, my inner voice responded, but never from this angle.’

Now that they weren’t hidden under the t-shirt I was mesmerized. The soft pale skin, with dark reddish nipples and areolas the size of silver dollars, the breasts looked much bigger from this perspective. Yesterday when I’d been checking Kristina out, I thought she had a nice figure. Now I hated it. Yet I was fascinated by it. Drawn to it. I couldn’t resist reaching up to touch them and the dual sensation of touching and being touched, sent a shiver down my spine. The nipples reacted by tightening up, like a pair of tiny erections. I looked away from my new cleavage and saw the mirror.

As if some force were pushing me I slowly walked to it and stared at the girl. She was pretty. Not supermodel gorgeous, but girl next door pretty with a nice figure. Suddenly, I felt silly for being so overwhelmed. They were just breasts after all. Then as if to prove it was no big deal I sort of shook my shoulders. This resulted in the boobies swinging back and forth. Caught up in the moment I started jumping up and down. If I’d thought those things could bounce before I was really shocked now. I’ve seen how breasts can bounce but it was completely different having them moving around on my chest! And after a second it hurt! The weight pulling up and down could be sharply painful if I landed too hard. I couldn’t help laughing and my laughter turned a bit hysterical and then my brain sort of kicked in and I froze.

“What the hell am I doing?” I asked my reflection. I shook my head and my hair whipped around. “Alright, if I’m stuck for the moment I need to do something about these.”

It took a few minutes to find a dark blue bra and then I just stared at in wondering what to do.

“How am I supposed to put you on?”

Then I remembered watching my Jill turn it around and slip the bra around her waist. I followed suit hooking the clasps in front of me where I could see them. Although I discovered that I couldn’t just look down at the bra. I had to lean forward to get a view of my navel, because my tits were in my way. I fastened the tiny hooks and the spun the bra around so the cups were now in front. I slid an arm through each strap and pulled the bra up.

“Ouch!”

As I’d pulled it up I felt the underwire bite into a small mole, or growth just under my right boob before it slid into place. I rubbed the rough skin and then returned to the mirror. This time I really looked over this body and it hit me, I’d been thinking of THE breasts as MY breasts for the last few minutes.

“Oh, crap, I need to get out of this body before I become a girl!”

And then I started laughing as I looked at my nearly naked and obviously female body.

“You, dumb ass, you are, at least for the moment, a girl.”

I thought about posing in front of the mirror for a minute. Now that I was clad in underwear I felt safer and then I realized that my emotions were all over the place. One second angry and in denial, then next I felt emasculated and wanted to cry, and then I was giddily playing with my new rack.

“I’m an idiot.”

I turned away and picked up the t-shirt and pulled it over my head. The sweatpants were next and I was a little surprised at how tight they were as I pulled them over my hips but the waist didn’t feel too tight. Then I figured it out,

“Kristina’s hips are bigger than her waist.”

It was also weird to have sweatpants that once pulled up, fit tightly against my crotch. I sat down on the edge of the bed to pull on my socks and this time when I bent over I noticed that my tits didn’t swing around like before. ‘I’ve got a whole new appreciation for what a woman goes through getting dressed!’ I thought.

I stood up, and took a deep breath, and went exploring. I stepped into the hallway and went straight toward the living room-kitchenette. As I did I noticed the angled-roof and figured that I must be in a top floor apartment. I glanced around and saw a cozy little place with feminine touches everywhere. I moved through the living room to the kitchenette and paused when I saw all of the magnets on the refrigerator door. They were from all over the world, Dubai, Prague, Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, St. Petersburg, Oslo, Stockholm, Rome . . .

I opened the fridge and spotted two bottles of wine, a red and a white. A small bottle of milk, orange juice, plus an assortment of veggies, eggs, and yogurt.

“All this chick’s got is rabbit food.” I muttered.

Then my stomach growled and I realized I was hungry and dehydrated. I picked up the OJ and glanced around for a glass. I spotted a glass display case, ‘a vitrine?’ I wondered and saw some glasses inside it. Then I shrugged and twisted off the top drinking right from the jar. The OJ was much sharper with more of a bite than I’d been expecting. I could feel orange juice trickle down my chin to land right were my t-shirt tented out. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand gulped in some air and forced out a belch. It wasn’t as deep or full as I normally achieve, in fact it was kind of high and pathetic, but it was a burp!

“At least I can still belch on demand!”

Somehow this simple act made me feel more like . . . me. Then I wondered about the taste of the OJ. Would everything taste different to me now? It made sense, I had new taste-buds at the moment. I glanced at the time on the microwave and almost dropped my glass! Two p.m.!

I had no idea how long I’d been awake but it couldn’t have been for more than an hour! I’d been asleep for more than twelve hours! Then I remembered watching Kristina take a pill and she’d said something about that in her note to me. Before I had a chance to do any more exploring I heard a phone buzzing from the bedroom. I rushed back through the house and felt the strange sensation of my chest moving around as I ran. I got to the phone and saw that it had gone to voice mail and that I had a missed call from someone named “Lana.”

“Who the heck is that?” I wondered out loud.

Then I realized I’d been hoping that it was Kristina calling. I picked up the phone and carried it with me back to the living room. For the next hour I snooped and tried ignore my new body as much as possible. Kristina had family pictures along with knick-knacks on various shelves, tables, and cubbies. A woman, in her forties bore a strong resemblance to the face I now wore. I assumed this was her mother. There were pictures of friends. One, a brunette girl, about the same age as Kristina, figured prominently in several pictures and I wondered if this was Lana. There was a photo with the woman, I assumed was Kristina’s mom, which contained the image of a younger teenage girl and an older guy. ‘Sister, and father?’ I wondered and sat the picture back down by the entertainment center.

This girl obviously had a family and people who cared for her. Why would she need to swap bodies with a total stranger? It was a puzzle that made no sense. Then I heard the phone buzz again from the coffee table by the sofa. I went to it and saw that it was my number.

I hit the talk button, “You BITCH! What the hell are you doing in my body?!” I was shocked by the venom in my voice.

“Hey, just take it easy, girl, okay?”

The voice was mine, but the inflection was off and so was the pitch. Later on I’d wonder if this was because of the way I heard my voice, the way it sounded over the phone, or if Kristina’s hearing interpreted pitch and sound a little differently than my body did. It was also possible that Kristina in my body using her normal speech inflection and style and that made me sound different. However, at the moment I was too pissed to care.

“Don’t be a condescending ass. I’m not your girl! I’m the man whose body you stole.”

“I didn’t steal it, I borrowed it. I plan to give it back. I have no desire, whatsoever, to be a guy. Believe me! So don't think I'd just give up my own body that easily if I didn't really have to, okay?"

“Okay, how about switching back right now?”

“I can’t, not right now.”

“Can’t or won’t? You bitch.”

“CAN’T! And if you keep calling me names I’m going to hang up. Technically, you're still talking to a lady, so behave yourself, damn it!”

For a second I froze. If she hung up I had no way of finding her, she could be half a world away. “Don’t hang up.” I paused, and added, “Please.”

There was a long pause, “Okay, see that wasn’t so hard. I called to explain a few things and to try to help you.”

“Sure, you can start with why you did this and why you can’t undo it right now.”

There was a deep masculine sigh, “I can’t tell you why I did it, but I can tell you that I can’t undo it right now, because I only had the one crystal.” There was a long silence, “Are you still there?” My old voice sounded concerned.

“Yeah, I’m here. So you can’t tell me why and you don’t have another crystal so you can’t undo it. Do you expect to have one soon?”

“To be honest, I have no idea. Look, if I tell you any more about what’s going on it’ll put you in danger.” There was a pause, like she expected me to say something. Then when I remained silent she continued, “I left you the password to my computer have you checked it out yet?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, I’m in a hotel and can skype with you. If you get the computer and accept my call we can get started.”

“Started? With what?”

“You’re going to go through my flat and find the things I tell you to look for and hold them up to the screen. I’ll tell you the names of the people in the pictures and your relationship to them. Then we need to talk about my work, my friends, and my schedule.”

“You can’t be serious? There’s no way I can pass myself off as you. I don’t know anything about you!”

“I’ve got two weeks’ of holiday time. I’d already put in for the time off before you met me in the airport. So for the next two weeks you don’t have to worry about job.”

“So I can just hide out here?”

“Well, yeah, but I don’t recommend it. You’ll go crazy in that tiny flat. Plus, if you look at this as a unique opportunity and relax you might even have fun. Being a girl isn’t all bad!”

“Sure, riiiight, I’ll have lots of fun being a girl. If I was born a girl I’d probably be happy being one, but I was perfectly happy being me! I’m not sissy or a transgendered guy!”

“Look, I’ll call you back on Skype, in ten minutes.”

It was after nine p.m. when I ended our Skype session. I’d thought about yelling at her some more but there wasn’t much point to it. Assuming she was telling me the truth, I was stuck for at least two weeks. If she was lying I had no way to prove it and no way to force her to switch us back. So when the Skype video call came in I opened my mouth to speak and then closed it. I was looking at . . . me. It was the oddest thing.

“Hi,” Kristina said, and waived at me by holding up her hand and rotating it in a kinda princess waive.

“Stop, that.” I snapped, harder than I intended, “Your making me look, girlie.”

At this she gave me a lopsided grin and with the two days’ worth of beard it gave her a roguish look. Suddenly, I understood why my girlfriend always encouraged me to skip a day or two of shaving when I could.

“Wow, this is so weird!” Kristina said, her voice full of awe. “I’ve seen myself in pictures and videos but this is different. Watching you move and talk . . . And I’ve got no control over my body and no idea what you’re going to do or say. Oh, and you’re making me look, butch.”

“Watch it, or you might become a narcissist as well as a body thief.”

She ignored my comment and stuck her tongue out at me. “Come on, you can’t tell me that this isn’t cool. I mean, being able to look at yourself from someone else’s perspective?”

I sat back and tried to fold my arms, and only managed to squish my boobs. At that Kristina let out a little laugh and covered her mouth. ‘Was that a giggle,’ I wondered, and shook my head.

“What do you need me to do until you can swap us back?”

“You need to stay in London and be me. If someone from work comes by and wants to talk to you, do it. Just remember you’re on holiday so you don’t have to go into the office.”

“Okay, fine. Sit around this apartment for two weeks. I guess I can do that.”

“It’s a flat, not an apartment, and I’ve got friends and family. They’re going to try to get in touch me, I mean you.” At this she giggled again but continued quickly, “You can probably stall them with texts and emails for two weeks. But just in case you can’t we’d better go over a few things.”

With that Kristina started telling me about her life and what I’d need to know. After ten minutes I stopped her and went in search of pen and paper. Once she was done brainstorming her life at me, she insisted that I pick up the computer and carry it from room to room. That way she could stop me when she saw something and explain. Pictures, relatives, friends, where she put her purse and a firm order not to eat meat while in her body. Once the session sort of ran out of steam I asked the question that had been nagging at the back of my mind.

“Where do you work and what do you do?”

My question caught Kristina off guard and I could tell she wanted to tell me it was one of those things I didn’t need to know.

“Before you say it, I do need to know. How would it look if your mom, or your bestie, Lana, asked me about work and I didn’t even know the name of the company? And didn’t you say something about someone from work might stop by?”

After a moment Kristina relented. “New World Research and Development Corporation. I’m a graphic arts designer and I specialize in three dimensional imagery.”

I shook my head, and for a second was distracted by my hair swishing around. “Yeah, I could never pull that off. My degree was in history before I went into the service.”

There was a pause and then Kristina said,

"James, there’s a guy. Mr. Douglas Stonewall. He’s the head of the research department. He and I aren‘t exactly on good terms. If it wasn't for my qualifications he'd probably fire me, so if you have to go in to my office, stay away from him. Besides, he might ask you about a current project and since you have no experience in my field and wouldn't answer in the way he expects, I might find myself out of job when we swap back. Just, please be careful, okay?

I looked at her for a second. There was something different, Kristina’s posture, it was more upright, more serious. Something didn’t add up. ‘At first this girl is running, devil may care, and ends up halfway around the world, in my body, and now she’s worried about her job?! What the hell is really going on?’ I wondered.

“Sure, I don’t plan to go in at all. Remember?”

“Good. Now what can you tell me about your work? I never really thought about it, but I can’t go to your place or your work. I’ve got, well, other things I need to do. Can I take some holiday time?”

“I figured. As soon as we get off here I’ll log into my email and send Geoffrey a report on the Ireland deal. I’ll also tell him I’m taking a vacation here in the UK before I come home. He’ll be good with it.”

“That’s all I can think of for now. What can you tell me about your life? What do I need to know?”

I shrugged, and the movement of my breasts reinforced the reality of my situation. “It doesn’t sound like you’re going to my house. It sounds like you’re heading to Mexico so I doubt you’ll run into anyone I know. My girlfriend, Jill, might try to call or text. Just let it go to voice mail and then let me know what she wants. I’ll send her an email, and if I need to I can pull up instant messenger on Yahoo and do a chat session.”

“Won’t she get suspicious?”

“Yeah, probably, but somehow I think my life, including my love life, isn’t all that important to you.” When I said it I could see that my remark sort of hit home. “But what can I do? It’s not like I can call her and reassure her, and you can’t call her. You might sound like me but you won’t know what to say or how to say it, she would be suspicious in ten seconds.”

“Look, James, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mess things up for you, I’ll get us swapped back as soon as I can.”

For a second I just stared at her. I was still pissed but I could also see that she was sincere. I remembered last night, she’d been scared, no she’d been almost panicked. Whatever it was she was running from, it had her freaked out to the point where she hadn’t been thinking clearly. I sighed and relented.

“Look, Kristina, Jill would never believe us if we told her what’s going on. I’ve gotten stuck on business trips before so this won’t be so odd. I’ll send her a note to let her know I’m stuck in the UK for a couple of weeks on business.”

Kristina nodded looking relieved. Then after a second of silence, “So what do you do? Really.” Kristina asked sounding curious.

“I already told you. I’m an agent with a security consulting firm. And, no, we’re not part of “Black Water.”

Kristina nodded, “I don’t really know what that means, but fine.” Then she glanced down at her watch and back at me. “Look I need to get going. I’m really sorry to drag you into my problems and my life, literally, hahaha,” I couldn’t help smiling ruefully at her comment. “But you did say you wanted to help me, remember?”

“Yeah, but this isn’t exactly what I had in mind, and you know it.”

“You’d never have believed me if I’d explained. Hey, I’ve got to go. Bye.”

Then before I could respond she ended the call. I set there for a few minutes looking at the computer screen and then sighed. The sound was soft and girlie and it made me want to grind my teeth. Instead, I logged into my gmail account and started sending off emails.

I was sleeping on my left side and rolled over toward the edge of the bed and away from the wall as my cell phone alarm went off. I felt the shifting of extra flesh on my chest and paused, flat on my back to take stock. My head was pounding and my mouth tasted terrible.

“How much did I drink last night?” I asked, the ceiling and winced at the sound of my voice and remembered last night after Skyping with Kristina. I’d gotten off the computer and realized I hadn’t eaten anything all day. I wasn’t sure if what I was feeling was related to that but I went into the kitchen. I found some pasta and a red marinara and decided on spaghetti. As I was boiling the water I saw a loaf of bread and cut off a chunk. I don’t know if it was my new taste buds or just the fact that I was starving, but the bakery bread tasted like heaven. I got the pasta going and then dug out Kristina’s red wine.

The food tasted okay, but I could almost feel the carbs hitting my system and realized that I shouldn’t go so long between meals. The wine tasted stronger than I was expecting, but good. I poured a second glass and then Kristina’s phone buzzed. It was Lana, again. I felt like answering and telling her to leave me alone, but who knows, with women that could backfire and result in a barrage of calls and text messages. I turned the phone over and ignored it.

I powered up the TV, figuring a little escapism was just the ticket. I saw a Dr. Who marathon was just getting underway and I settled in to watch. Two hours later the red wine was gone and I stood up to planning to open the bottle of white wine when my head started to spin. I had to steady myself against the sofa for a second before I felt safe to walk to the kitchen. ‘Wow, I’m really a light weight now,’ I thought, ‘In more ways than one!’ and then a giggle bubbled up and I couldn’t stop laughing.

Instead of getting another glass of wine I grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator. I’m not sure when I went to bed, I sort of woke up when the Dr. Who marathon was over, and an infomercial was running about an exercise video. I turned the TV off and feeling out of it stumbled to the bathroom.

I remembered to brush my teeth while ignoring the face looking back at me. When I moved to the toilet to take a piss I reached for my dick and grab air. For a minute my alcohol befuddled brain didn’t understand and then I realized that I didn’t have a dick. This sobered me up a little, after my alcohol induced escapism, and I turned around and settled onto the toilet. I did my business, still uncomfortable with how odd it felt to pat myself dry, and headed to bed. I remembered to set the phone and then dove under the comforter with the grey and yellow dots.

Now, as the pounding in my head receded, I could feel that the bra I was still wearing had kinda gotten twisted and the underwire was digging into me. I also had to use the little boy’s . . . er . . . the little girl’s room. I got to the side of the bed and kicked my legs over and with one hand on my knee I ran the other through my hair.

“Jimmy-boy, you are so fucked.”

I’d left Kristina’s cell phone on the table by the computer and now I regretted since the annoying jingle made my head hurt. “Ugh,

Then I started laughing, it was either that or brake something and I didn’t have the energy for that. I got unsteadily to my feet. I’d seen Jill tuck her arms under her shirt, wiggle around, and presto, out pops her bra. That move had always been a mystery, and today I was in no condition to try. Instead I pulled off the wrinkly, smelly, and stained t-shirt, ‘when had I gotten spaghetti sauce and red wine on it?’ and tossed it onto the bed.

“Damn boobs are like catch trays for spills.”

I pulled the bra down and spun it around to undo the clasps and the feeling of relief was amazing.

“Who came up with those torture devices?”

I couldn’t help running my hands along my skin just below my breasts along the red marks left by the bra. As I did I caught a whiff of body odor, I’d avoided the bathroom and the shower yesterday, but I’d have to face it today.

Instead of putting my nasty t-shirt back on, I went to dig out a fresh one, and then spotted a light green cotton bathrobe. After a moment’s indecision I put it on, while trying to disregard how good it felt to let my boobs move around freely after being confined all night by a bra. Clad in sweatpants and a bathrobe I headed to the bathroom. This time the feeling of the floor under my feet wasn’t as pronounced. Maybe it was the hangover, ‘Or maybe your starting to get used to this body,’ a little voice inside my mind whispered.

I got to the bathroom and turned on the sink water and stuck my mouth under trying to get a drink. My hair got in the way so I used my left hand to sort of scoop it all up and then stuck my mouth under the faucet. The water was cold and tasted slightly metallic but I drank it greedily. When I straightened up I looked into the mirror and noticed that my face looked bloated, flatter, and my eyes kind of had an oriental shape.

“What are you a chameleon?” I asked the woman peering back at me.

I licked my slightly cracked lips and wondered if Kristina had to use Chap-Stick regularly to keep them from getting so dry. Then I felt that same pressure I’d learned yesterday meant I needed to pee. I tossed my bathrobe into a corner and pulled down my sweats and underwear, and settled onto the toilet. I tried to relax like yesterday and felt the oddest sensation. It was like I was extra aware of the crevasse between my legs as urine started to dribble out. I squirmed around a little and I could feel my lower lips sort of unsticking and abruptly whatever skin that had been in the way came free and pee shot out. But instead of down it sort of sprayed forward splattering the seat and the back of my knees before turning to a normal downward angle.

“Son of a bitch! How do women deal with this shit?!”

Still unwilling to look at the organ between my legs I dried up and feeling more than a little disgusted.

“Alright, Jimmy, two weeks in hell. It’s not like you haven’t done it before.”

Even as I said it I knew it was a lie. I’d done some pretty intense stuff, but getting stuck in the body of a twenty something hottie wasn’t on the list. I also was pretty sure there were a ton of people out there who wouldn’t consider this hell. I felt hung-over and grimaced, then I thought about my favorite hangover cure.

“Time to get a workout in.” I grinned at my reflection in the mirror before heading back to the bedroom. “This is gonna suck.”

It took a few minutes to find a sports bra, but I knew I needed it. It might feel good to let the girls flounce and bounce after a night of confinement, but I planned to abuse my body soon and I didn’t want the distraction.

The black sports bra felt tight but at least it didn’t have any of that goddamn underwire! I dug out a grey t-shirt and headed to the living room. It looked like there was enough room between the coffee table and the entertainment center to workout but I wanted to be sure. I moved both leather chairs away and slid the coffee table back until it was up against the grey sofa. The furniture seemed unnaturally heavy and then it hit me. I was probably a lot weaker now than I’d been two days ago.

Once I had a clear area I set the timer on my phone for thirty minutes and started. Pushups, Chinese sit-ups, eight count body builders, four count frog jumps, four count power lunges, jumping jacks, and four count windmills. I went through the rotation once, adjusting my numbers down and then down again. Everything felt awkward and unnatural, like moving in this way was foreign to my body. There was no muscle memory so it took more concentration. There was also the fact that I was still dealing with a hangover.

Then there was my new body parts. Boobs may look great, but they can get in the way at times! Even though I was now wearing a sports bra that practically flattened the damn things, they still jiggled and moved in a very distracting way, particularly when I was doing something that caused me to bend over or jump. I remembered back in high school joking around about girls giving themselves black eyes during gym. Now I regretted those comments.

After the first rotation I took two minutes to stretch, felt more than a little queasy and thought I might hurl. I took a sip of water and once the nausea passed went back at it. My second rotation through felt just as painful as the first and I had to take another two minute break but this time I didn’t feel like I was going to puke. By the time I started the third I could feel sweat running down between my breasts and my t-shirt had developed dark patches from sweat. My heart was racing when I started the fourth rotation and now I had to take twenty second rests between each set.

I was surprised by how strong Kristina’s legs were, but her upper body was shockingly weak to me. Pushups were the most startling. I normally did fifty reps per set, now I could barely do ten. On my third rotation I’d pushed myself and my arms had given out during a pushup causing me to land with a yelp on my chest.

I might not have balls anymore but I’ve still got sensitive parts! After my fourth rotation I returned to stretching. Kristina was flexible! It made me wonder who was more flexible. Twenty years of Tae Kwon Do and Aikido had left its mark on my original body. I’d started studying Judo six years ago to add more grappling to my game and that had helped. Now I was curious to see who was more flexible.

I dropped into the splits toes pointed in opposite directions. This move was easier without a package between my legs but I’d been able to do the splits since eighth grade. I brought my legs around in front and grabbed the bottoms of my feet pulling my chest forward. Soon my breasts were pressing into my thighs, then I sat up and with my feet together I pulled them toward my crotch, into a butterfly stretch pushing down on my knees. When my knees touched the floor I held this position for a slow ten count. Then I brought my legs together and tucked my feet under my soft backside so that I was sitting on my legs. Then I leaned back, until I was lying flat on my back with my legs bent double under me. After another slow count to ten I sat up and extended my legs out in front of me. Then I laid back down and put my hands to either side of my head and pushed up with my feet and my arms arching my back. I continued stretching, moving from one pose to the next for several more minutes before concluding we were about equal in the flexibility department.

Even though I felt tired, I also now felt like I was free of the effects of the hangover. I drank some water and returned to my improvised workout area. I got into a horse back stance and went through a series of punches and blocks. By the time I was done my arms were shaking. Next came kicks; stretch kicks, followed by snap kicks. Front, side, roundhouse, hook, and back kicks, each one felt uncoordinated and wrong. It was like my mind knew what I wanted to do but my body wasn’t on the same page. After this I went through a couple of katas before I felt I was too tired to keep going. I looked at the timer and saw that I’d been at it for an hour and forty five minutes. I was used to three hour workouts at the Dojo. I did a few minutes of light stretching in order to cool down and then went to the bathroom.

“I may be giving Kristina this body back in two weeks, but I’ll be damned if it won’t be in better shape!”

My endorphin high lasted until I got into the bathroom. I was wearing sweat drenched clothes so they needed to come off, and I needed a shower. I started the water and while I waited for it to heat up I surveyed the products in the stall. I didn’t recognize half of them and, to my chagrin, I didn’t see a bar of soap. There was something my girlfriend had explained to me was a loofah. She used it with a body wash to exfoliate. I’d taken showers with her and had been more interested in watching her tits than what she was doing with the spongy thing. Now I was confronted with female hygiene and I didn’t really know what to do.

The water was the perfect temp so I stripped out of my clothes and then paused, unable to resist taking a second to check out my temporary body. I’d spent most of the day yesterday ignoring it, denying the evidence of my senses, but today it hit me. I was this girl, at least for now, I might as well take a look. It was hard to look past my boobs but I ran my hands over my waist and discovered I could pinch a couple of inches of skin. I relaxed and leaned forward to look at my belly and saw that I had a slight tummy going. Then I allowed my eyes to drift lower and instead of the small patch of hair I was expecting all I saw was smooth pale skin and then the pelvic bone. I tried to lean forward for a better look, but my abused muscles rebelled, and my back started to spasm. I managed to catch a glimpse of a tight fold of pale skin, and that was it. I had to straighten up.

Still curious about this body, I reached back and felt a firm round butt but when I twisted to get a look my boobs got in the way. I tried looking over my shoulder but that didn’t work. So again tried to twist only this time I used my hand to pull my right tit out of the way while I looked at my ass and without thinking about it I turned a little. Before I knew it I’d spun around in a full circle and still hadn’t gotten a good view of Kristina’s ass. I suddenly experienced my first giggle fit, as I realized how ridiculous I was being,

“Just felt like a dog trying to chase its tail.”

As quickly as the giggles arrived they vanished and for a second I felt like crying.

“Why can’t I control my emotions?” I looked up at the ceiling but God didn’t answer. “I think He hates me.”

Instead, I stepped into the stall and learned what every girl going through puberty must discover. Nipples are sensitive! The blast from the shower directly into a breast stung! I covered my nipples with a curse and moved more fully under the water. Now with the water hitting my collar bone and chest above my breasts it was fine. I turned around and let the water massage my back and closed my eyes enjoying the sensation. I felt tension drain away. The workout plus the shower was doing what I’d hoped, it was helping me relax, helping me to cope, to sort of forget and just be in the moment. I tilted my head back and let the water work through my hair. It felt really nice. Finally I realized I needed to get clean.

“Okay, hair first.”

I spotted a bottle of what looked shampoo. I put a little in my hand and smelled it. Strawberries. Well, there were worse smells. I started working it into my hair and was surprised that it didn’t seem like it was doing much. I put a glob about twice the size of the first handful into my hands and started working it in. It wasn’t until I started rinsing that I realized my mistake. I normally keep my hair in a short military buzz cut. It lathers up in two seconds and rinses in two seconds. With this much soap in my hair, it just kept coming out, and out, and out.

I finally felt like I’d gotten most of it out so I returned to washing my body. The bottle labeled “body wash” seemed like the logical choice. I picked up the loofah and put some body wash on it and began scrubbing. It only took a second for me to figure out that Kristina’s skin was much more sensitive than mine. This forced me to slow down and pay attention to what I was doing. I started with my arms and legs. The soft pale skin had tiny blonde hairs that were almost invisible. It made me think that Kristina didn’t have any hair from the neck down.

I moved to my pits, sides, and belly, as I did I noticed that I was ticklish! I’d never been ticklish in my life, but here I was twitching and pulling away from the loofah. Now almost afraid of what I was going to feel I started working on my breasts. The water and the soft scraping sensation of the loofah felt fantastic! My boobs were so soft and the sensations they sent to my brain, seemed to be routed through every part of my body, from my gut, to my crotch, to the soles of my feet and back up my spine. It was amazing. My whole body felt connected in a very different way than my old. Without really thinking about it I started to use my other hand to massage my right breast while I worked on the left with the loofah.

“Ummm,” the soft moan escaped without me thinking about it. I felt a soft heat in my groin and seeing how good the loofah felt on my breasts I reached between my legs and started to slowly, softly, rub. Now this time the sensations were stronger and more instant.

“Ohhhh . . .”

I leaned forward and used my free hand to prop myself up against the wall and noticed how nice it felt when my breast shifted to hang away from my body. I spread my legs as far apart as I could in the stall focusing on the sensations coming from my pussy.

A part of my mind told me that I was clean . . . that I should stop . . . that I needed to stop. Another part, a part that was growing stronger and stronger with every second, was way more interested in the fire spreading from my groin, filling my whole body. I bit my lip to keep from moaning and dropped the loofah and started rubbing my vagina with my hand. I could feel my pussy lips sort of open up and the little button of skin that must be my clitoris become engorged with blood.

Now a part of my brain went into panic, it was shouting, “Stop, stop, you aren’t a woman, this is wrong!”

But that voice was silenced when the larger part of my mind, filled with these powerful new sensations, started throttling the first voice. I began rubbing my clitoris, focusing on the feelings as every stroke increased the fire building in my loins.

“Oh, God!”

I could hear a woman moaning, but it was a distant far away thing, completely unrelated to me and what I was doing. My knees were weak but I wanted to use my supporting hand to touch my breasts as they swung back and forth in time to my rubbing. After a second I leaned back and reached up with my left had pinching, squeezing, and massaging my right breast and nipple. Then the ache between my legs got stronger, and from the INSIDE I felt my lower lips, sort of, open up. The ache was intense, and the need to push something inside, to scratch that itch, left me shaking. My need drove all conscious thought from me, as I did what my body wanted. What it needed. I was caught up in a world of sensation, desire, and lust as I eased a finger between my pussy lips. In and then out, in and out, it was like I had an itch just inside and above my clit and if I used my finger . . . just so . . . I could hit the bundle of nerves, the warm heat turned into a fire running through my veins, I’d never in my wildest dreams felt anything like this!

“Oh, god, Oh, God, OH, GOD!”

My knees turned to water and the muscles in my pussy clinched up in a series of spasms that reminded me of a male orgasm in the way a house cat can remind one of a tiger! It was the same, and yet totally different. Instead of an intensity focused on the organ between my legs filling me with a need to thrust, dominate, and possess, my need was more intimate. Ripples of pleasure left me gasping, every part of my body seemed alive, hyper responsive, as if someone had taken the sensation knob and twisted it up to max. My knees buckled and I slid to the floor of the shower as the aftershock of my first female orgasm left my body singing and my mind numb.

I’m not sure how long I sat in the shower but when the water turned cold I got up and climbed out. There was a cabinet next to the sink and I opened it to discover towels. I dropped one onto the beige stone tiled floor to stand on like a rug and pulled out another towel to dry off with. I tried my normal method of vigorously rubbing the water away and regretted it. My skin was too soft for that kind of treatment. I thought about it for a second and remembered watching Jill sort of blot herself dry. I switched to this method and as I dried off I realized that my hair was still soaking wet and no matter what I did, gravity still ruled. The water in my hair going to end up on me, unless I did something.

I wanted to start cussing but I was still in too good a mood from my experience in the shower. Then it came to me, I remembered seeing Jill wrap a towel around her wet hair. I leaned forward so all of my hair hung down in front of me. Then I took the towel I’d been using and sort of wrapped my hair in an improvised turban. For a second I was proud of myself, I may be a man, but I can do this! Then the towel fell off.

“No!” I stamped my foot in frustration and held in the curse I wanted to use. “Alright, I can do this!”

I bent over once again wrapping the towel around my hair and this time when I stood up I held it in place until I was sure it was secure. I turned around to head to Kristina’s bedroom and paused, my hand on the door.

‘What the fuck,’ I thought, ‘I’m still naked!’ In that instant it was like my male mind woke up and I was shocked. I went to the cabinet next to the sink pulled out another towel and after a moment of thought wrapped it around my body tucking it under my armpits. I’d wanted to wrap it around my waist but there was no way I was wandering from the bathroom to the bedroom naked from the waist up.

I stepped into the bedroom and couldn’t help looking around, sort of inspecting it, yet still in a bit of a daze. White wall paper with a light blue print, clothes packed into boxes, and a dresser being used for clutter instead of clothes. It spoke of an organized mind comfortable with some gear adrift. I wasn’t sure what that said about Kristina, but I couldn’t live like this.

“Live like this? What the fuck am I thinking?”

I sat down on the edge of the bed and resting my elbows on my knees put my face in my hands. For the first time since I was ten I felt tears start to leak out of my eyes. My mind had been, sort of on auto-pilot, switching on and off ever since I woke up. I’d been going through stages of denial, anger, and grief but I hadn’t wanted to let myself really open up and think about what was happening to me. Now, after that shower, I had no choice.

“I’m a girl.”

Saying the words made the reality really hit home. Now the tears started coming and I didn’t fight them, after all, girls are allowed to cry. I’m not sure how long I sat there, but it wasn’t until I heard my phone buzzing that I sort of came out of my funk. I found it next to the computer and looked at it, it was almost nine o’clock and I was getting a text from Lana.

Reluctantly, I opened it.

Lana: Ku, where r u?

Kristina had told me that I had to keep up appearances and that included talking to her friends and family. Feeling nervous and a little uncertain I typed up a message.

Me: Hi, home

I pushed send and the reply was almost instantaneous.

Lana: Home? So u r not out of the country yet?

Lana: But you seemed to be in such a hurry

Lana: I’ve been trying to talk to u for 2 days

Lana: Why didn't you react to my calls?

Lana: R U ok?

Me: Fine, now. Been busy, then yesterday sick. Slept most of the day

Lana: Typical you :P

Lana: R we back on for shopping at 2?

I froze. The last thing I wanted to do was go shopping. But shopping was a normal girl thing. If I was stuck maybe I should try and see?

“Fuck that.” I started typing.

Me: Sorry, still not feeling quite myself.

Then rather than wait for a response I turned my phone off. My stomach grumbled and I realized that I hadn’t eaten.

“First things first.” I said, and went in search of a bra and panties.

Plain and comfortable was the goal. I found a matching black set with little red roses. The cut on the panties was a little higher than the one’s I’d found before, I wasn’t sure what they were called but they reminded me of a French bikini. I felt again the odd sensation of underwear designed to fit snugly against my flat crotch and round bottom, instead of allowing room for the lads.

“I’ll never get used to this.”

Then I picked up the bra and noticed that this one snapped in front. I tucked my arms through the straps and fastened the hooks but something wasn’t right. I cupped my heavy breasts moving them around until they were comfortably settled within the garment. It felt strange to adjust a pair of appendages that I shouldn’t even have, yet oddly normal. I reminded myself that comfort was the priority.

This time I went hunting for a pair of jeans and just as I pulled them up over my hips I noticed the same thing as before. The jeans were very tight getting past my hips but then loose around my waist. The jeans were far tighter than any I’d ever owned and when I pulled them over my hips the seam of the crotch sort of buried itself against my lower lips. I was abruptly very aware of the organ between my legs. I tried to wiggle around but that only made the tight feeling even more . . . erotic?

“Damn it, what is this body doing to me?”

I gave up trying to create room in the crotch and I buttoned Kristina’s jeans and noticed again that I had plenty of room around my waist now that they were above my hips. I knew from yesterday that I my hips were bigger than my waist, but the fact that I now had ‘child bearing’ hips was a little scary! My whole skeletal structure was different and this fact was almost more frightening than the more obvious female parts. Then my mind latched onto the word “child” I could get pregnant now! The implication caused my heart to race, what if I already was pregnant? How would I know? What if this were all a ruse and Kristina was just trying to escape becoming single mother?

I took a deep breath, “Don’t be stupid, Jimmy-boy. She said this was only for a couple of weeks, tops. It takes nine months to have a baby.”

I felt a little better until I wondered when Kristina had had her last period. I decided to ignore that thought. It took me a few minutes to find another t-shirt. This one was all black with the name of some band on the front that I’d never heard of. I tried to pull it on and discovered that a towel covered head doesn’t fit through very easily. With a sigh I took off the towel and was happy to note that even though my hair was still damp it wasn’t dripping.

Feeling a little better I headed to the kitchen. I’d seen beans, rice, and what I assumed was a veggie burger. I had no idea what to do with that stuff and I didn’t feel like a salad. So instead I scrambled a couple of eggs and made some toast.

“I wonder, if I can get Kristina to send me some meal ideas? Either that or I’m going to go to the grocery store and buy a steak!”

I finished eating and dumped my dishes into the sink to clean up later and absently scratched an itch just below my right breast. Then, needing to feel productive I returned to Kristina’s bedroom.

“How long will it take before I’m used to this?” I said, and then wondered if I wanted to be in Kristina’s body long enough to get used to it.

I turned on her laptop and got into my email. The first note was from Geoffrey, he told me to have fun and he’d see me when I got back. Oh, and the Irish had agreed, in principle, to the contract. That was good news. I had a note from my mom, she was wondering if I was planning to come home for Christmas and if I’d be brining my new girlfriend. I responded to that note letting her know I’d be home but I wasn’t sure if I’d bring Jill. Then I wondered what my mother would say if she could see me now?

I felt a small chuckle bubble up, “She’d be laughing her ass off! That’s what she’d be doing.”

The next note was from Jill. She wanted to know when I thought I’d be home and how the deal was going. She also warned me not to be hooking up with an Irish girl. She closed the note to remind me, “Looking is okay, but no touching!”

I stared at the email and then shook my head, damp hair swinging from side to side, “Jill, baby, I’m so far past looking but not touching!” Then I giggled and wondered if masturbating in a female body counted as cheating. Feeling a little guilty I replied to Jill and let her know that I missed her and I thought I’d be done in about two weeks.

Once through my emails I looked down at the notebook with the notes on Kristina’s life I’d taken and found her email address and pass word. She’d told me to check her email, but not to respond to anything. It was sort of like doing background research on her life. This way I’d know what was going on with her family and friends and she would write the appropriate responses. It was surreal to read through someone else’s life like this. After about a half hour of snooping I switched to her Facebook page. This was almost more enlightening than her email had been. Pictures of family and friends, I was starting to recognize her mom, step-dad, and half-sister on sight. There was a guy who’d been figuring prominently in several photos, Kristina had explained that this was her ex and that she wasn’t currently in a romantic relationship.

Then I wondered, just what the New World Research and Development Corporation was and why did the mysterious Mr. Douglas Stonewall have Kristina so scared. With nothing better to do I opened up Google.

Google is changing the culture, the phrase, “Have you Googled it?” is as common now as, “How are you.” So when I typed New World Research and Development Corporation into the search engine I got several hits. I found the link to the company’s official website and went to it. For the next forty minutes I read about the company. Founded in 1950, the company was dedicated to researching a number of new technologies, from green energy to direct human to machine interfaces and archeology. Those were the more normal sounding things, however it didn’t stop there. There was a whole department dedicated to running down ancient mysteries, the occult, and paranormal activity. Apparently anything that was so far into the extreme of what was possible that no one would touch it, interested the company.

I pushed my chair back and tried to think. There really wasn’t anything sinister about NWRDC. In fact it was the sort of place, a kid fresh out of college would want to work. It was really cutting edge, with fresh ideas, and the room to explore the limits of human knowledge. I wondered briefly where it got its funding and then moved on to looking up Mr. Stonewall.

I quickly found the part of the company website that listed its upper management and looked over the list of three vice-presidents. Then I drilled down to the director level and found Mr. Douglas Stonewall, Director of Archeological Research. What was surprising was there were no bios listed. I tried LinkedIn and got nothing. I went back to Google and tried Mr. Douglas Stonewall, no Facebook page, no hits anywhere. It was like someone, or some agency had gone in and erased his electronic profile. Curiouser and curiouser . . . who in today’s world has an invisible electronic profile? Nothing on a director of a department of a large corporation. Just then my stomach grumbled and I glanced at the clock on the computer and saw it was almost 1 pm.

“Wow, I guess time flies when you’re having fun, or screwing around on the computer.”

When I stood up to go get some lunch the odd movements of my chest combined with the feeling of my ass flexing inside my tight jeans made me want to scream. Damn it, won’t this body let me be? Just for a few hours? I knew I was being ridiculous and then I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror on the closet door. Even in a t-shirt and jeans the blonde was hot. Now with a mirror I was able to get a good look at my tight round ass and it reminded me of some of the female athletes in college. I took a second to run a hand over my rump and I noticed a weird feeling in my groin. The crotch of my jeans was pressing tightly into my new female parts. I reached down with my hand and pushed the jeans around trying to find a comfortable fit. Then it was like my lower lips under pressure from the jeans sort of parted. I turned around and saw that my jeans were now showing a classic camel’s toe.

Even though the bra hid them, I could feel my nipples getting hard and if anything this increased the moist sensation in my groin. Then it hit me, my male brain, seeing the hot blonde was starting to get turned on, and my female body was reacting to that arousal.

“God damn it!”

I opened the bedroom door and stomped down the hall ignoring the way my body felt and moved.

“Where’s that God Damned, veggie burger? This broad may be a vegetarian but I want a burger.” I snarled into the empty apartment.

I focused on frying up the fake meat and putting together a salad to go with it. Once done I carried everything, along with a glass of water to the glass dining room table that had been pushed against one wall. I took a bite of the burger and was actually impressed. I don’t know what I’d been expecting but this wasn’t bad. After a couple of bites I felt like the apartment was too quiet so I looked around for a docking station and plugged Kristina’s phone in. Then I set it to play songs at random, wondering what kind of music she listened too. By the time I finished lunch I realized she was into an eclectic mix. Show tunes, oldies, rock, and some current top 40. I let out a sigh, if only she was also into country we’d have had almost the exact same tastes.

I dumped my dishes into the sink and even though they were starting to pile up didn’t feel like cleaning them yet. Just then there was a sound from the front door, the lock turning, followed by the sound of the door opening. For a moment I didn’t know what to do and I froze in panic. Who would have keys to Kristina’s apartment? Mom, Dad, a friend . . . a boyfriend?

“Hello, Kris, are you home?”

The voice was female and suddenly I felt like I could move again. I stepped out of the kitchen just in time to meet the girl I’d seen in several photos walk into the living room. She was wearing a dark purple dress with leggings under and a warm looking dark jacket. Her dark hair and long bangs had been pulled back and tied with something I couldn’t see, leaving her face framed by dark hair. It was a casual sophisticated look. She was pretty with a figure similar to Kristina’s.

“Hey, Ku, how are you feeling?”

As she spoke the woman crossed the distance and leaned in to give me a hug. I was so surprised that it took me a second to react and by then she was look oddly at me.

“Okay, what’s wrong?”

“Uh, nothing, Lana.” I added her name as an afterthought almost to see if I was guessing right.

“Come on out with it, you know you can’t keep a secret from me.”

I felt my face blush, so I blurted out sarcastically, “Fine, I met a cool guy, and swapped bodies with him for my vacation.” Then impulsively I spun around in a tight circle holding my arms over my head in an imitation of a pirouette, “What do you think? Do I make a good Kristina?”

At this Lana burst out laughing. “You’re such a goofball.” Then she gave me a kind of inquisitive look. “So, what happened to your trip? One minute you were running to catch a flight, dropping your spare keys in my mailbox, with a barely decipherable note asking me to check on your flat, and then the next day you're home, sick?!”

I felt caught off guard, although it was a logical question.

“I . . . I thought . . . I mean, the company has a branch in Mexico and there was the possibility of taking a position there.” I lied, improvising as I went. “They wanted me to fly out for an interview, but then I got a message that the position had been filled.”

“You never said anything about taking a position in Mexico!” There was a hint of accusation in her voice, and more than a hint of hurt.

“I’m sorry,” I said without thinking about it. “It was all kinda sudden, I don’t know if I would have taken it, I mean, come on, my life is here. But it was a free trip to Mexico, and its winter!” I added a hint of a whine to my voice hoping to convince her.

Lana’s face softened, “An all-expense paid trip to Mexico would be nice. Sorry, that you didn't get to go, sweetie.” and then jokingly added, “You should have asked them for an extra ticket to get me on as your travel companion. Then I'd be off right now to pick a bone with that weird ass boss of yours, hah!” she chuckled and feeling like I needed to play along I forced a giggle.

“But why did you tell me you weren’t up for shopping then? That's just what the doctor ordered, after such a bad day!?”

At this I stopped smiling, “I really was sick, and I don’t know . . .” I desperately wracked my brain for an acceptable female excuse. “I think I’m PMSing.”

At this Lana gave me a sympathetic look and then with a mischievous grin said, “Well you know the cure for PMS?”

“Chocolate?”

“No! Shopping, and maybe a hot chocolate while we’re out.”

At this point I could see that I wasn’t going to win my argument and conceded defeat, “Fine give me a sec to find my . . . er . . . purse.”

Lana gave me a surprised look, “You’re not going out like that?!”

“Sure, why?”

“Cause you’d scare off anyone we might meet. What’s wrong with you today?”

“A severe case of melancholy.”

“Melancholy? Ha! Okay, then I’m your melancholy cure. Come with me, dolly.” Lana grabbed my arm and despite my protests pulled me into Kristina’s bedroom. As she opened the door Lana wrinkled her nose, “Foo! Did you turn your bedroom into a sleazy pub? I can still smell the alcohol!”

“Damn, I think I've been in this apartment too long, can't smell a thing, I should probably open the window . . .”

“Sit” she said in an authoritative voice and pointed at the bed. Then after looking at me she reached out and grabbed my chin tilting it up and then to the left and right. I wanted to slap her hand away and tell her she was invading my personal space. But then Kristina’s direction to, BE HER, for the next two weeks came back and I let it go.

“Kris, what have you done to your hair? And why are you talking with an American accent?”

“Uhm, well, I washed it.”

“With what, a bar of soap?”

“I wish,” I said under my breath. I hadn’t seen a bar of soap in Kristina’s bathroom.

“What?”

“Nothing, hey, look, I don’t look so bad and besides I’m not interested in meeting anyone right now. Oh, and I was trying to be funny.” I said, doing my best to imitate a Brit.

“Are you kidding? Who are you and what have you done with Kristina?

With that Lana collected a brush and hairdryer moving around the small bedroom like she knew where everything was and handed them to me with an expecting look. I looked down at them, sort of befuddled. At that she let out a sigh and mistaking my confusion for apathy.

“Okay, so just how much did you have to drink last night? A little too much tequila to drown your sorrow over not getting to go to Mexico? Hmmm?”

Before I knew it she was sitting behind me cross-legged on the bed brushing and blow drying my hair. Within a few seconds I figured out why women use conditioner. My hair was a knotted mess of tangles and as Lana worked I wanted to scream at her to let me be. This was almost as bad as when the government had sent me to Survival Escape Resistance and Evasion school.

As she worked Lana kept up a steady monolog, filling me in on the last couple of days. Apparently she and her boyfriend Andrewwere in the middle of a fight. There was the possibility of a promotion at work. She’d had to take her car into the shop, and can you believe how mechanics talk down to women? I sort of felt like a piece of flotsam caught up in a flood of conversation. I added a word here and there just to keep her going while pretending to know what she was talking about.

“There. All done!”

Lana clicked off the hair dryer and I moved over to the mirror and ran a hand through my newly dried tresses. The blonde hair fell down in a golden cascade that framed Kristina’s face perfectly.

“Wow, this looks a lot better thanks.”

I turned around and found Lana inside my personal space leaning in to give me another hug. This time I was prepared and hugged her back only I hadn’t taken my stupid boobs into account. I realized that girl’s sort of lean forward from the waist when they hug so they don’t squish each other’s breasts.

Lana let go, “You are out of it!” Then a note of accusation filled her voice, “Did Justin call?”

“No! It’s just been a really weird couple of days.”

“Weirder than normal? I mean, even taking into account where you work?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Fine, why are you wearing one of Justin's old punk band shirts? I'm surprised you haven't thrown them out yet.” Lana said folding her arms under her breasts.

“If you don’t like this shirt, then you pick one out.” I responded, feeling clever since I had no idea what Kristina would pick.

“Alright,” and with that Lana went to Kristina’s closet. Within a few seconds she came back with a black blouse, cut low enough to show a hint of cleavage and a light blue silk top that looked like it would cover more of me.

“Well?”

I grabbed the blue one and Lana giggled, “Feeling a little sexy are we?”

I had no idea what she was talking about, “Give me a second and I’ll change.”

Lana looked confused, “Go ahead.”

Then it struck me, she was expecting me to change in front of her. I felt a flash of irritation and I wanted to tell her to get out, but I knew that would make my poor job of imitating Kristina even worse. I reached down and pulled off the t-shirt, for a second it hung up in my bra and then I had it off. I picked up the blue blouse and it was then I realized it fastened in back, with a zipper! I put my arms through and then reached behind to try to zip it up but the damn thing was tiny.

Before I could ask her Lana was behind me zipping it up. “There you go, now turn around.”

“Thanks,” I said, and then I spotted myself in the mirror. The blue silk top was form fitting and clung tightly to my waist before flaring out to show off my chest. I instantly knew what Lana had meant, it was a tasteful, yet sexy top that called attention to Kristina’s best features. ‘Damn it this isn’t what I wanted,’ I thought.

“Now some mascara and lipstick and you’re ready.”

I wracked my brain for a second and then remembered seeing what looked like makeup in the bathroom.

“I think I’m a little too shaky from my hangover for makeup. I’d probably poke my eye out! ”

Lana, just snorted and led me to the bathroom. I was a little surprised at how quickly she was able to apply makeup to my face. In no time at all Lana moved around behind me so we could both look into the mirror at the same time, and announced, “Ta-da!”

“Uhm, gee, thanks?”

Lana shook her head, “You’re such a drama queen. Let’s go.”

I found a pair of calf high leather boots with a bit of a heel and slipped them on. I’d seen boots like this before so I didn’t need to be coached to tuck my jeans into them and zip them up. When I stood up I was relieved to see that the heel wasn’t any higher than the cowboy boots I typically wore.

“Alright, time to hit the stores!” Lana’s enthusiasm was contagious and I felt my lips quirk up in a smile.

Fortunately Lana volunteered to drive, since even though I’m somewhat familiar with London I wasn’t familiar enough to drive. As we left Kristina’s apartment I noticed that I now lived on the top floor and that the building was a much older style. I looked around the neighborhood trying not to be too obvious as I attempted to get my bearings. We passed a cemetery and that seemed like a good reference point. Lana had been talking but I hadn’t really been paying attention. Then I realized that she’d stopped, probably because she’d asked me a question.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I just asked if you were up for taking the tube to Oxford Street. I want to check out the Forever 21.”

“Uhm, sure.”

Going clothes shopping was the last thing I wanted to do, but I didn’t see any way out of it. At least if we took the tube it would mean less time alone with Lana and less risk of screwing up.

“Brilliant!”

Lana flashed me a smile, and it caught me off guard. Her enthusiastic expression brightened her whole face making her cute enough to take my breath away. If I’d been in my male body I’d have asked her out on the spot. Then she pulled the car into a parking lot and we headed off to the tube.

I’d found Kristina’s purse during my Skype tour of the apartment along with the closet that held her jacket. Now as we walked down the stairs I started searching for her pass. Then I spotted her Oyster card and got it out. By the time I reached the bottom of the steps Lana was waiting for me.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I just thought I’d left my card for a second.”

I followed Lana as we navigated the station to the platform and when I looked around at the people traveling I felt my heart race. At first I was afraid that someone would spot me and call me out for pretending to be a girl. I knew this was an irrational fear but it was hard to suppress. Then after we boarded a train I started to notice that I was taller than most of the women and a few of the men. I hadn’t really thought about it when I’d met Kristina but she was tall for a woman. I’d been taller than her, but I’d had an extra two inches from my boots. ‘I bet we’re almost the same height,’ I thought and then looked over at Lana and saw that she was a little taller than me.

It was early afternoon and the rush to get home from work hadn’t started yet, but there were plenty of people on the tube. I felt like I was being watched so I glanced over my shoulder and saw a guy, at least twice my age, and look away. Lana had seen and she giggled and nudged me. Then I realized that he’d been checking me out! ‘Pervert,’ I thought.

As we rode along Lana kept up a stream of conversation about people that we both knew. I couldn’t really follow, but did my best to say yes and no at the right times and make the appropriate noises. This was made even harder for me because I was distracted watching how people were reacting to us. Women for the most part ignored us. The men were a different story. For the first time in my life I suddenly felt small. Even though I was tall, for a woman, most of the men were taller. I was also acutely aware that I didn’t have the strength I normally did. The looks I was getting from the men around me practically seared my skin, particularly my butt. I was really regretting the tight jeans I’d opted for, I mean, hell, I could have just spray painted my ass!

Luckily, the journey ended and we headed up out of the tube and toward Oxford Street. I have NEVER liked shopping. It’s always seemed like a colossal waste of time. Even with an enthusiastic partner. Lana kept grabbing clothes for herself while simultaneously tossing things at me. Everything had to be tried on, holding it up for some reason wasn’t good enough. Then as if frustrated by my sluggish pace she started jumping into the changing booths with me. The first time she pushed her way in I was stunned.

“What are you doing?”

“What do you think, silly, you seem to have forgotten everything you know about clothes, so, I’m helping! Now, get that top off!”

She also had no shame, stripping down to her underwear in front of me and asking my opinion about this dress, or top, or skirt. That woman’s shopping endurance seemed supernatural to me.

Abruptly, I felt like I was being watched. I was standing between racks and Lana was about twenty feet away going through a rack marked 30% off with the enthusiasm of a miner panning for gold. I looked around cautiously and saw that the store was almost entirely filled with women. I’d been expecting that, it was a women’s clothing store, after all. There were a couple of unfortunate saps, standing by one wall, holding their significant other’s bags.

Lana made some kind of happy sound, like she’d just struck gold. I glanced at her to see her hold up a top for approval. I gave her a thumbs up and a smile. Lana frowned looked back at the top and then stuck it back on the rack. I shook my head in confusion, ‘women!’

Then I felt it again and this time when I looked up I caught a glimpse of a man in a suit looking in through the front window. We made eye contact and he turned around and walked away. ‘What the hell?’ I thought, and moved toward Lana. I knew, instinctively, that there was safety in numbers.

“Hey, there’s a great lingerie store just up the street, do you want to give it a try?”

I gave her a quick look and saw that she was serious, “Ah, no . . . not today . . . I’m . . . Ah . . . good on . . . uhm . . . undies and stuff.”

At this Lana gave me a strange look and then burst into a fit of giggles. “Okay, why are you talking with an American accent, again?” At the look of confusion on my face she shook her head, “Fine be that way.” Then she came over and grabbed my hand, “Come on girl, you need something sexy to take your mind off Justin, and that failed trip to Mexico.”

The next thing I knew she was dragging me out of the store. I tried to resist and discovered that Lana is stronger than she looks! There was no way this woman could manhandle me into a store full of frilly bits of silk and fabric. Yet, there I was being pulled down the street. I thought about twisting my arm and pulling against her thumb. That would break her grip, but it would also make her stumble.

“Lana, let go of me!”

There must have been something in my voice because she stopped. “What is wrong with you today? Normally you love shopping. Usually you’d be dragging me into a lingerie store.”

Then down the street I spotted the same guy who’d been looking at me through the window of the last store. Suddenly I didn’t want to be out on the street.

“Look, we’ll go in, you just don’t have to pull me the whole way.”

“Alright, let’s go, then.”

The first thing that hit me about the store was the flowery scent. After that I noticed that it had been painted in bright colors and there were mannequins all over wearing scraps of clothes that barely qualified as . . . well, clothes.

“Ohh, look a baby doll, in pale blue.”

I shook my head and looked around. In spite of myself I started to wonder what Kristina would look like in some of this stuff. Something black, with red or green accents, maybe. I moved to a rack and started looking through the clothes, if you could call them that. I tried to split my time watching the door, Lana, and the clothes in front of me.

Then Lana was next to me, “This would look perfect on you!”

She was holding up some kind of black corset thing with a matching pair of panties and stockings.

“I don’t even know how to put that thing on.” I blurted out.

Lana laughed, “I’ll help you!”

Before I could say no, I was pulled into a changing booth and ordered to strip. By now I was familiar with the process, but once I was down to my underwear Lana just laughed. She reached up and with one quick move unhooked my bra. I let out a little squeal, far too feminine for my male mind to reconcile, and I tried to catch the cups before they fell away.

“What are you doing?”

It’s got a built in bra, and for us to see how to looks you’ve got to take yours off. Now get moving.”

Reluctantly, I shrugged out of my bra and the cold air of the booth made my nipples stand at attention. Then she was pulling the corset on over my head. Once it was settled around my hips Lana came around to inspect the front. Again, before I knew what she was doing she reached into the top and moved my boobs around.

“Hey, I yelped,” and this time the yelp was two octaves higher than the last time and I swatted her hands away. “What are you doing?!”

Lana had already moved around behind me. “Since you seem to have forgotten how to get dressed I’m helping.” Then she giggled like she was having the time of her life, “And feeling you up.”

In a few seconds she had the strings pulled tight. I could still breathe but when I looked into the mirror I saw that the corset had pushed my breasts up making them seem larger, like a pair of balloons that had just been inflated. Then Lana moved to the front and started on a second set of strings.

“If you buy this you can leave the back tied and you’ll just have to tighten the front when you wear it.”

“Uhm . . .” was all I could think to say.

After a few tugs I found it hard to breath. “Enough, I can’t breathe like this.”

Lana gave it one more tug, tied it, and stepped back. Now when I looked into the mirror I was stunned. Kristina had a nice figure but this garment had changed it into a classic hourglass! My waist had to be under twenty eight inches!

“I’ll buy it if you just help me get out of it!” I said in desperation.

Lana put her hand over her mouth to stop the giggles, “Kris, you look fantastic in it!”

I know that I slipped up a few more times because Lana would give me an odd look and then shrug it off. I hoped she was chalking it up to Kristina’s ‘random and quirky’ personality and my supposed apathy resulting from my disappointment over not getting to go to Mexico. By the time we were headed back to the tube I’d only gotten one more look at my mysterious stalker and then he was gone. That was a good thing because I was now encumbered with a pair of shopping bags one with lingerie and the other with a pair of heels Lana had insisted I buy. Lana had twice the number of bags, including several things per bag! Lord that woman could shop.

“So do you want to go clubbing tonight?”

“What? Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”

“True, probably best to stay in.

At this Lana pulled her car to a stop in front of my building and put it into park. Then she smiled and leaned over to give me a hug. “An all-expense paid trip to Mexico would have been nice.”

I reached for the door handle to make my escape when she said, “Don’t forget, we’re going to the health club after work tomorrow. With the holidays coming we both need to get a little work in.”

After the day I’d had, all I wanted to do as escape, “Sure, send me a text tomorrow and we can firm up the details.”

I’d no sooner said goodbye to Lana and walked up to my apartment when my phone started buzzing. I sat the bags down, kicked the door closed and fished around in Kristina’s purse. I pulled it out and saw that it was Kristina’s mom. With a sigh I hit talk.

“Hi, mum.” I tried to sound cheerful, and British.

“Hi, Kristina, how are you doing?”

“Honestly, I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather.” I was trying for some of that classic British reserve. But I was off balance from my afternoon with Lana.

“Oh, darling, I’m sorry to hear that, do you need me to pop over?”

“No, mum, I’m getting better, I just need to get to bed early.”

“I guess you won’t be making it to dinner.” There was a bit of disappointment in her voice.

“Was I supposed to come over?”

“I invited you last week. Don’t you remember, we just don’t get to see you very much. Your sister misses you.”

I could tell she was trying to work a guilt trip on me but I wasn’t going to fall for it. I didn’t really know her and going to a strange house and pretending to be her daughter wasn’t something I thought I could pull off.

“I’m sorry mum. Hey, I’ve got another call buzzing in.”

“Okay, bye dear, I hope you’re feeling better.”

I pushed the end button and leaned back against the door.

“How, the hell did I get myself into this?”

I looked down at the bags and thought about Lana and watching her change. At the time I’d been so worried about blowing it I hadn’t really thought about how she looked. Now, however, I had the time and I couldn’t resist grinning. It was every prepubescent male fantasy to watch a hot girl change clothes all afternoon. Like I was the invisible man and I’d been following her around all day. Not, that I was a prepubescent male, but it was still kind of cool.

I picked up my bags and tossed them into Kristina’s closet not bothering to unpack them. ‘Kristina can deal with it when she’s back.’ I thought. Besides she was the one who’d be getting the credit card bill. I wondered briefly what she’d think of the lingerie I’d bought but dismissed it. I’d be back in my body so it wouldn’t matter.

I shucked off the jeans and top and not thinking twice about being in my underwear, dug up a pair of shorts and a loose black and green t-shirt with a sports team on it I didn’t recognize. As I went to pull the shirt on I realized the wires under my bra were digging into my ribs. With a sigh I took it off and flung it into a corner and then pulled the t-shirt on. The lycra of the sports shirt was a little rough against my nipples but I ignored it. I grabbed the computer and took it to the coffee table in the living room and hunted through the kitchen for something to eat. I spotted a can of vegetable soup. ‘Just the ticket!’ I thought and dumped it into a pot and put it on the stove to simmer.

I took a look at the white wine in the fridge, but then went to the cabinet in the living room that held an assortment of liquor. I spotted a bottle of gin and after a second some tonic water. Armed with a gin and tonic I returned to the kitchen and took a sip while I waited for the soup to boil. I almost sputtered when the harsh taste of a double shot of gin hit my tongue. ‘Maybe a little more tonic next time, and a twist of lemon.’ I thought. By now the soup was bubbling. I grabbed a spoon and took the pot over to the glass table. After a second I found a washcloth to put under it and started eating out of the pot.

“This place is too damn quiet.” I said into the silence. I found the remote and turned the TV on. There was another rugby match going on but I flipped it to a news channel and turned the volume down so that I’d have the background noise but wouldn’t really have to listen to it. The rugby reminded me too much of how I ended up here, in the first place.

By the time I dumped my soup pot into the sink I’d mixed a second gin and sat down on the sofa. I sort of leaned back spreading out as much as I could, legs wide, unlady like, arms along the back of the couch. My body was sore! The workout I’d put Kristina’s body through this morning left me aching, and then spending the whole afternoon walking around with Lana hadn’t helped. However, the alcohol was starting to kick in and dull the pain. I looked at the time on the computer and saw I had about an hour before Kristina was supposed to Skype.

I tried flicking through the TV but there really wasn’t anything on. I settled on a game show that involved trivia but after about twenty minutes gave up. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I thought about the events of the day and the number of times I’d screwed up with Lana. Did she know something was off? She hadn’t called me on it, well except the American accent thing, but hopefully she was writing it off to me being goofy or depressed over my canceled trip. Still, she’d given me plenty of odd looks. Of course there was no way she could suspect that I’d actually swap bodies with Kristina, it was too impossible to be considered.

Then I started thinking about what she’d looked like while changing. Dark hair, creamy skin, and a nice rack, bigger than Kristina’s if I was going to guess. I closed my eyes visualizing what she’d looked like with her bra off, sexy, yet totally unaware. As I turned my imagination loose thinking about Lana’s body my nipples started to get hard. As I imagined what it would feel like to rub Lana’s breast I reached up with my right hand to start rubbing my left tit, “uhmmmm.”

As I rubbed my chest the warmth in my groin increased and I spread my legs further apart and felt the skin in my groin stretch in response. I remembered staring at Lana in her blue panties, I’d been able to see the outline of her pussy lips. I imagined what it would feel like to touch them. Flat, soft, and hot with a slight crease. It felt like my pussy was on fire. I imagined it was Lana’s pussy I was touching as I reached down and slipped my hand under my shorts and started rubbing my own flat crotch through my panties.

“Hmmmm . . .”

The soft female moan sounded just like I imagined Lana would sound if I was rubbing her pussy. Then I moved from playing with my left boob to start working the right one. My mind was awash in alien sensations yet somehow I noticed that my underwear was getting incredibly damp. I could now feel a set of lips between my thighs and then I discovered the little nub of skin above my slit and when I rubbed it felt sharp electric jolts of erotic pleasure hit my system.

“Oh, God!”

I’d never imagined anything could feel so good! Then I thought of Jill and the look on her face as I pushed my cock into her tight pussy. The image was so erotic I almost came in that instant. I increased the pace of my stroking and the ache got worse and worse. The need to be filled was so intense I almost lost it.

“Ohhhhh” I moaned and even though I knew I shouldn’t I slipped my hand under my thin silk panties. My finger found my hot, wet, slit and without thinking about it I pushed inside. The angle was different from this morning, and spreading my legs so far apart made it feel different, better. There was a whole deferent tension in my vagina. I tried to wiggle my butt as I pushed my middle finger in. I remembered screwing Jill just before I’d left for Ireland. We’d been on the sofa at my hose, she’d been on her back and I’d been drilling her while she lifted her hips in time to my thrusts. I started lifting my hips, just as Jill had, in time to meet my thrusting finger, the sensations, the intensity . . . increased.

“Oh, Gooooooooood.”

It now felt like my whole body was on fire and I could somehow tell I was approaching a climax. I could smell my own arousal and that caused me to thrust harder, yet the desire to be filled only grew worse. Then before I could think about it I somehow managed to slide a second finger into my pussy. The stretching, filling, sensation felt wonderful and I imagined my hand was my own cock and I was fucking Jill with it. Then I found that spot I’d found this morning and I met each thrust of my fingers by lifting my hips I was right on the edge of a cliff . . . then I was over and my whole body was rocked by a series of spasms. I discovered I had a set of inner muscles that could clamp down on my grasping, thrusting, probing fingers.

“Aahhhhhh. . .”

The orgasm left me panting, my male brain flooded with female sensations. It felt so wrong. I was a man! I didn’t have an ache that needed to be filled! I had a desire to thrust, to fill, and to dominate. But I couldn’t deny this was what my body wanted and it felt soooooo damn good. As I came down off the orgasm I kept thrusting and stroking enjoying the aftershock of the orgasm. As I did I learned that I could use my thumb to play with my clit while hitting that sweet spot inside my cunt with my fingers. By alternating, thrust, stroke, thrust, stroke, thrust I could build up the tension, more slowly this time.

Every cell of my body felt alive, I switched my attention back to my left breast. Then I felt the heat build again in my crotch and I started trying to meet each thrust by squeezing my new inner muscles and pushing up with my hips. Once again I imagined that I was Jill and I was lifting my hips to meet my own manly thrusts. Very quickly my clitoris felt like it was on fire and I was coming closer to that amazing spasmodic clenching of muscles that I’d come to associate with my new female climax.

I was now working harder and harder lifting my hips into each powerful thrust. Thrust, stroke, thrust, stroke, thrust, stroke, thrust, stroke, thrust, stroke, thrust, stroke, thrust . . . “Oh, god, oh, god, oh, god, ohhhhhh” My arm was getting tired but I couldn’t stop now, in my mind’s eye I could see Jill’s face, sweaty, glowing with passion as she dug her fingernails into my back screaming.

“Ahhhhhhhhhh.”

The woman’s cry of passion was timed perfectly with my own powerful orgasm and I lifted my hips into that last powerful thrust the pushed me over the edge for the second time. Every muscle clenched up and those amazing muscles in my canal clamped down on my thrusting fingers!

As I slowly came down from the incredible sensations little spasms, orgasmic aftershocks, continued to hit my system. ‘So that’s what a multiple orgasm is like,’ I thought in awe, and realized that I just wanted to curl up around a pillow. My whole body tingled with pleasure and then I became aware of the smell and how wet and messy my crotch felt. ‘Where the hell did all of that liquid come from?’ I wondered, as I pulled my glistening fingers up for inspection. I couldn’t resist bringing them to my nose. The scent of hot pussy was strong, all of that had come from this . . . er . . . my body? I sat up and saw a box of tissues on the table. Using my left hand to keep my panties away from my soaking wet pussy I reached for the tissue and the computer chimed.

An incoming Skype call. Jill? I froze in shock and embarrassment. Then I realized it couldn’t be Jill, it had to be Kristina. I moved over so I could see the computer scren and confirmed that it was the icon I used when Skyping, then my current situation hit me.

“Shit! I can’t let Kristina see me like this!”

But I also really didn’t want to miss her call. After a second’s indecision I grabbed a wad of tissue and quickly wiped up my vagina and then moved over to the computer and hit answer. The screen came alive and I could see my former face sitting in front of a pool somewhere sunny and warm. Kristina was sitting there topless and I could see my sculpted chest and shoulders. I felt a flash of jealousy that he could sit topless in public.

“Hey, how are you holding up?” Kristina’s voice was a deep thrum that gave me goose flesh.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a shopping trip with Lana planned for today?” The accusation came out before I had a chance to think about it.

His face fell, “Shit! Look, I’m sorry. I forgot all about that.”

“Just like your forgot about giving her a set of keys to the apartment or dinner at your mom’s?”

“Damn it, yes, did Lana come over?”

“Yeah, and she dragged me out. That girl just won’t take no for an answer.”

At this he chuckled, “I know, right? It’s one of the things I love about her.” Then his face clouded over, “Do you think she suspects?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “Of course. I mean its obvious right. Her best friend just swapped bodies with some strange American guy.”

“Ha!” he said, and then lifted a Corona and took a long pull.

“So you had a good time?”

“I . . .”

Before I could answer he leaned into his screen. “What have you been up too?” There was an accusation in his voice.

“What do you mean?”

“Well you’re nipping out like crazy, your hair is sort of wild, your face is red and sweaty, and you have what Lana would call a freshly fucked look!”

I felt my face flush and I looked down, “I . . . I mean . . . well . . . I’ve just . . . worked out!” I could feel my face burning with embarrassment.

“Mmmm, worked out in my body? Or worked out ON my body?”

“Ummmmm . . . .”

“Hehehehehehehehe . . .” the sound of him laughing ended my stumbling attempts at misdirection.

“You’re not mad?”

“At what, a little self-exploration? No, not at all. I mean,” and here he kind of gestured at his groin. “This damn thing is like a piece of iron every morning. The only way I can walk around is if I . . . you know.” Now it was his turn to look a little embarrassed.

“Spank the monkey? Choke the chicken, Stroke the one-eyed snake? Snap off a quickie?”

I watched as my former face heated up and felt a little satisfaction. Then I sighed. “I guess some self-exploration is unavoidable. But now that the cat is out of the bag, I'd like to set some ground rules. And since I was the one who had no clue that I was going to be loaning out my body . . .”

He nodded.

“One, don’t make me a dad! If you’re going to use that thing, then use protection.”

“Uh, I’m not exactly attracted to women.”

“What?!”

“Well, I’ve always liked guys. I don’t think that’s changed just because, you know, I’m in a boy’s body. I mean, I can look in the mirror and think about how good it would fell if that stud stuck his cock into me and all of a sudden I’m hard.” He snapped his fingers, “Like that.”

I didn’t know what to say. I mean on the one hand it made sense, I’d started to get turned on when I remembered what Lana had looked like naked and then thinking of sex with Jill had really sent me over the top. But on the other hand the idea of Kristina using my body to fuck some guy made my stomach roll.

“And while we’re talking about it, why the hell do I get hard for no reason?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I was just sitting there on the airplane minding my own business and the flight attendant leaned over to pass a drink to the guy next to me. When she leaned back I was hard. Just like that. What, the fuck, is that all about?”

“Hehehe . . . maybe you’re not as into guys as you think.”

“What?”

“Well, just think about it. My body is a hetro male body. Mentally you’re a straight female. There has to be some kind of crazy conflict going on inside of both of us. Which side has the upper hand, the body or the mind? I think it might change from moment to moment. When the flight attendant leaned over did she brush up against you with her rack?”

Kristina nodded.

“So your body got a good whiff of her pheromones. Even though you didn’t think it very hot or sexy, the caveman in side of you just smashed his club on the ground and went, ‘Ugh, Mongo smell female! Mongo want female! Make strong babies with female!’”

The wide-eyed look of surprise on my former face was so comical that I burst into a fit of giggles.

“It’s not that funny, damn it.” But as he said it I could see his eyes twinkle and that he was struggling to hold back a laugh.

“Welcome to the world of male hormones and the masculine sex drive!” Then I sobered up a little. “Do me a favor, though. I’ve never been with a guy. For you to have sex you have to . . . you know . . . anal.” I paused feeling embarrassed.

“Yeah, and?”

“How would you feel if this body, if you were a virgin, and I broke your Hyman with someone while you were in my body?”

I could see my point sink in but then he looked up, “It’s not exactly the same you know.”

“Yeah, but it’s similar. There are other ways to get off, just please?”

“Okay, okay. But if it puts your mind more at ease, I don't exactly have a lot of time for hooking up . . .” For the first time during our chat session he looked really unsure of himself. “But hey, the same rules apply to you. If you get me knocked up, you’re going to stay me, carry the baby, and give birth! And you’ll legally declare that you’re the father and pay child support!” he pointed a finger at me as if to emphasize the point.

“Don’t worry. I may have been doing a tiny, itsy-bitsy bit of exploring just before you called, but I don’t have any plans to have sex with ANYONE much less a guy.”

After that there was a long pause, “So do you have any questions?”

“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I’ve got a list and it starts with makeup lessons.”

The sound of my alarm going off pulled me from the dark pit I’d been in. I rolled onto my back and the shifting weight on my chest made me realize that it all wasn’t just a bad dream. The last two days had really happened. I slowly pushed myself up and groaned.

“Oh, man, am I sore.”

Every muscle hurt as I moved around Kristina’s bedroom looking for something to wear while I worked out. It took a full ten minutes to warmed up and get most of the stiffness out of my system. I set up a different set of calisthenics to run through, focusing more on my core and less on my chest and back today. I’d have thought, that after two days trapped in this awkward female body, that I’d have gotten used to the differences, not so much! My breasts still had a mind of their own, moving wherever momentum took them. My hair was a pain in the ass and I had to go hunting for something to tie it up with. Even then the pony tail flipped around tugging on my head was distracting. And then there was my ass!

Until now I’d noticed it was a little bigger, and I could really feel it sort of flexing and moving but now I noticed that unlike my male butt, it tended to jiggle as well. It was much less obvious than my new breasts but when I was doing flutter kicks the extra padding was very noticeable. But it was worse when I did any calisthenics that had my upper body going right and my lower body moving to the left, every strange, new, sensation was incredibly distracting.

After about forty minutes I moved into Katas trying to instill some muscle memory into my new body. I finished up with sets of punches, blocks, and kicks. I checked the clock and saw that I was right at ninety minutes and spent the next ten stretching before I grabbed a water bottle and headed to the bathroom. Today’s workout had been harder than yesterday, but that was to be expected, day two of a new exercise program always sucked!

This time when I got to the bathroom I focused on taking care of business. I used the toilet and discovered that dropping a duce was pretty much the same in Kristina’s body as it had been in mine. The only real difference was that as I bore down to push, I accidentally started peeing. I figured I just didn’t have the fine muscle control I needed for this body, yet. At least this morning everything went where it was supposed to go!

Based on my conversation with Kristina yesterday I searched through the bathroom cabinet and spotted a new bar of soap. And then my eyes landed on a scale.

“I wonder, how much does Kristina weigh?”

In a weird way, I felt like I was intruding on something private, but then I had to laugh. Based on what I’d been doing with her body, how much more intimate could I get? So I stepped on the scale, 61 kilos. I tried to do the quick mental conversion and figured it was around a hundred and thirty five pounds give or take.

My curiosity satisfied I got the shower going, and paid more attention to where I was aiming my tits when I stepped in. I’d learned to protect my sensitive nipples from a direct blast of water from shower. I was feeling a little guilty, after Kristina caught me yesterday messing around in her body, so I focused on getting clean and ignoring what I was feeling. I also didn’t want to deal with wet hair so I left it in the ponytail and did my best to avoid getting it wet. Out of the shower I started my normal drying off routine only to remember that my skin was more sensitive.

“God, there are so many things to remember about being female!”

I put on the cotton bathrobe and went back to Kristina’s bedroom. The search for clothes was starting to feel like a new routine. She had so many things to wear and such a variety. As a man I’d never had the need for so many different things. I supposed if I wanted to I could spend a half of a day playing dress up. In a way it was tempting, just to see what Kristina looked like in different outfits, but the male part of me rebelled. They’re just clothes after all!

While I was hunting through the underwear boxes in her dresser I found a pair of what I could only assume were “boy-cut” briefs designed for women. With a grin, at having found something that seemed a little manlier in her wardrobe I pulled them on and then found a light blue bra. I figured I’d give it a try, hooking the thing with my arms behind my back. After two minutes of frustration I returned to the hook it in front and spin it around technique. I guess I’m just not good enough, yet with female clothes. Then what I’d thought hit me, ‘Thank, God!’ Once my new girl parts were covered I went to the closet and stopped when I saw my reflection in the mirror on the door. It was just so impossible, yet, here I was. Then as I looked at Kristina I noticed a small discolored patch of skin near her bellybutton. I took a closer look, and even though I’d seen it earlier, it really hadn’t been very important.

The birthmark was a small spot, and after a minute I decided that it sort of added character to the white expanse of skin. Then, I looked at the small growth just below my right breast. It wasn’t a mole or a wart.

“Kristina, really ought to get that removed.”

I mused while looking in the mirror. At last done with my inspection I went into her closet and started rooting around. I found a pair of light blue denim jeans, a black t-shirt with some white letters on it and a light blue denim looking shirt designed to be worn as an additional layer and left unbuttoned. The outer shirt matched the jeans so I figured Kristina had bought them to be worn together. Since the weather was cold and damp I put this on and then looked into the mirror.

The girl that looked back at me, was ordinary in that cute, girl-next door, kind of way, I never would have guessed that she was hiding a man’s mind.

“Well, I guess that’s a good thing.”

I went to the kitchen and fixed a bowl of cereal and then sat down on the sofa to watch TV. It was typical morning television. A couple of overly caffeinated hosts discussing, current events, sports, and pop culture all to a backdrop of the London Bridge.

I was feeling a little bored so when I returned to the kitchen went to work cleaning. I don’t particularly like doing dishes, I mean who does, right? But they’d been piling up so I went to work. Once the dishes were done I started cleaning the kitchen and then expanded to cleaning the rest of the apartment. I found a broom and swept up. Dusted, and straightened everything before moving to the bedroom.

The two windows in the room were providing plenty of light and curious I went to the window set into the angled pitch of the roof. From here I had a good view of the residential neighborhood I’d seen yesterday when I went out with Lana. Houses lined the street and when I leaned toward the glass and looked to my right I spotted the cemetery I’d identified yesterday as a land mark.

I moved to the other bedroom window and saw that from here I could look into the backyards of the houses on my side of the street. This was very different from what I was used to in America as each house sort of had its own garden area. Although, this time of year everything was taken in, as winter was here.

I didn’t see a laundry bin anywhere so I went back to the kitchen and found a couple of garbage bags in a box under the sink. I returned to Kristina’s room and started stuffing everything that looked like it might be dirty into the bags. There really wasn’t that much so I only filled up one bag. I lifted it up, and was again surprised by how much effort I had to put into picking it up.

I dumped the bag of dirty laundry in the closet for now, I’d have to take a trip to the laundromat, then I paused, ‘No in the UK they call it a launderette, I’ve got to start doing a better job using the right terms.’ I thought. But that would be for later, right now I didn’t even know where the closest one was. So I set to work cleaning the bedroom. I remade the bed, noting that the grey and yellow-dotted bed cover gave the room a sort of whimsical feel. For a minute I was tempted to go through the junk drawers and organize them. After all having clothes in the drawers made more sense than junk. But then I let it go, this was her place not mine, as funny as the image of Kristina back in her body, running around looking for her stuff was, it would be sort of rude.

It was getting close to lunch time and I went back to the kitchen and started hunting for lunch. Salad, veggies, microwave popcorn, there were things to eat, but nothing really appealed. Then I settled on a veggie omelet, only when I checked the fridge I discovered that I was out of eggs, and really low on milk and bread.

“Well, it looks like I need to go to the store.”

The sound of my voice was still disturbing, but I was starting to get more used to it. I dug out the boots I’d worn yesterday and then grabbed Kristina’s purse and cell phone. Since I didn’t know where I was I used the navigation feature of the phone to help and searched for the closest grocery from my present location. As it turned out there was a small local store only three blocks away. Perfect, I wouldn’t even need to drive. It wasn’t that I was opposed to driving, I’m an American after all, but in the UK they drive on the wrong side of the road. I’ve adjusted to that before, but if there was no reason to use the car, then I was good with it.

I went to the hall closet by the outside door and pulled out her shiny black leather jacket and then on the top shelf I saw a baseball cap. With a grin I put it on and then cursed when the ponytail I’d forgotten about got in the way. I pulled my hair through the hole in the back of the hat and adjusted it on my head. Now all I needed was a pair of sunglasses and I’d be incognito!

Luck was with me and I saw a set of large sunglasses with a white plastic frame in her purse. I shut and locked the door behind me and as I walked down the stairs to the street I was more than a little self-conscious. Yesterday, I’d made this trip with Lana and her steady stream of chatter had distracted me from how much my balance was different. Now even with low-heeled boots, I felt like I could tumbled down the stairs at any second.

Safely on the street I turned right and headed toward the cemetery checking my phone’s app as I walked. The day was a common English winter day, overcast, cold, and wet. Still it was nice to be out of the apartment, ‘Damn it, not an apartment it’s a flat.’ I thought. My American accent and idioms had made Lana wonder what I was doing yesterday. At that I shook my head, ‘What was Kristina thinking? If she had to swap with someone why not pick someone from the UK? At least they’d get the speech right.’ I thought. Then I figured that it was probably because she hadn’t really planned it out. She’d been going on pure instinct. I spotted the store just up the street on the other side. When I got to the corner I took a quick look around and felt a weird sensation like I was being watched. I paused to look around and didn’t see anyone.

“Alright, Jimmy-boy, you’re just being paranoid now.”

There wasn’t any traffic so I crossed the street and then went into the store. It was a typical neighborhood grocery. Smaller than the Walmarts we had in the States and filled with things I recognized and stuff I didn’t. The store was almost empty this time of day during the work week and the click clack of my boots sounded unusually loud to me. Before I’d left Kristina’s flat I’d spotted a cloth bag that I assumed she used for quick shopping trips and had stuffed it in my purse. I pulled it out now and wandered up and down the aisles. Mostly just looking, I mean how hard is it to find eggs, milk, and bread? However, I had plenty of time to kill so I just sort of meandered. As I did I noticed a black sedan parked along the street just in front of the store. It was an expensive looking late model Mercedes and I wondered how it handled.

After picking out my things I added a six-pack of beer and a bottle of Merlot. If I had to sit around all day, I figured I should treat this as a vacation and tip back a few drinks. I got to the counter and saw a dark skinned guy, probably in his forties, manning the register. I put my bag on the counter and smiled at him, “Hi, how are you today?”

He sort of blinked at me and then grinned, “I’m good. Are you an American? I’ve seen you in here before, but I thought you lived around here.”

I felt my face heat up and wanted to curse. In my best fake British accent I said, “Nope, I was just playing around.” And then I flashed him a quick smile.

“Ah,” there was a little disappointment in his voice, but I felt relieved that he’d bought it.

He started scanning my stuff and I watched him closely still feeling apprehensive. I noticed that he was staring at my front. I glanced down, but other than the way my boobs pushed my shirt out, I didn’t see anything unusual. Then it hit me, he was staring at my chest! For a second I found this hilarious and I sort of leaned back pulling my shoulders up and back. This caused my tits to stand out even more and I watched as he almost dropped the jug of milk he was scanning!

“Careful,” I said, “those, jugs, can be . . . sensitive.”

At this he grinned broadly, “I imagine so.”

I paid him and took my bag out feeling pleased at having made his day and then what I’d done sort of hit me and I stumbled. ‘I am NOT a girl’ my mind screamed, ‘flaunting Kristina’s rack is just . . . wrong.’ Then another voice, a new voice, answered, ‘But what if I only use my super-boob-powers for good?’ At this thought I started to giggle. I stepped out onto the street and my good mood evaporated when I saw the guy, standing by the sedan. He was the same guy who’d been stalking me yesterday!

“Miss. Curtis, might I have a moment of your time?”

I felt my heart race but I tried not to let it show. Then I looked to my left and nodded, “There’s a coffee shop, if you buy me a cup, you can have ten minutes.”

“Certainly,” he said, and extended me a hand, “might I carry your bag for you?”

“Thank you, no.”

Then without waiting to see if he’d follow I headed to the shop. Unfortunately, he caught up to me in two strides and I was suddenly very conscious of the difference in our sizes. I might have been tall for a girl, but even with my boots on he was taller. He was also broader and thicker, I felt a switch sort of flip in my brain and I started evaluating him as a possible threat.

I guessed he was six two, two twenty, so he had four inches and ninety-ish pounds on me. His reach was longer and he was moving with a strong athletic stride. My first move needed to distract and surprise. I could fling my bag, with its ten pounds of groceries at his head. He’d react by bringing his hands up. I could use my momentum, generated by turning toward him and the toe of my boot to drive a roundhouse kick into his sternum. Kristina’s legs were strong and I knew this would double him over and knock the wind out of him. I’d need to step back and then an ax kick would bring my heel down to the back of his head. That should be enough to stun him.

Then I shook my head, what was I thinking? I wasn’t on an op, he wasn’t a threat, I just needed to pretend to be Kristina and see what he wanted. We walked up to the counter and I ordered a straight black coffee, no cream or sugar. The guy gave me an odd look and ordered a Cappuccino. ‘I guess he expected me to order a girlie coffee,’ I thought, with a smirk as I picked up my drink and moved to a table to one side. I picked the table because it was between a pair of doors. I could get out by heading in either direction, this would prevent him from blocking an exit.

I sat down and crossed my legs suddenly aware of the way my flat crotch dropped comfortably onto the hard plastic seat. I’d have been wincing in my body if I’d done that. Then I realized that I’d also crossed my legs by putting the ankle of my left leg onto my right knee. I quickly shifted so that one knee was draped over the other, girl style, before he got to the table.

After he sat down I nodded to him, “So, thanks for the coffee. What’s your name? How do you know mine? And what did you want?”

He sipped his Cappuccino not speaking, just looking at me for a moment. I wanted to squirm under his direct assessment. Instead I forced myself to sit up straight and meet his glance with a steady calm look. ‘Take that, bastard!’ I thought, knowing what he’d tried to do and why. That sort of direct, penetrating look isn’t one civilians are used too. Most of the time people will look away, trying to avoid conflict, or trying to not be rude. That simple professional assessment would often unnerve people and get them squirming before the interrogation even started.

I gave him nothing, and calmly took a sip of bitter black coffee. For a second I almost choked! ‘What the fuck!’ I thought, ‘why the hell is this coffee so strong’ then it hit me, ‘duh, you have new taste buds!’ Still, I managed to cover up my reaction or at least I thought I did.

“Miss. Curtis, my name is Mr. Black. We’ve corresponded, but this is our first face-to-face meeting.”

His voice was a low rumble and it sent a shiver up my spine. I also noticed the light dusting of silver at the temples of his dark hair gave him an older, competent look. Combined with the accent and I was thinking of a forty year old Sean Connery.

“Maybe, can you tell me the name of the organization you represent?” I had no idea what he was talking about, but I hoped my clumsy fishing wouldn’t be too obvious.

He looked at me for a long moment, “Perhaps I was miss-informed.”

Suddenly, I was desperate, I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know what Kristina had gotten me into, but looking at this guy, I knew he was a professional. Probably a former soldier, SAS, SBS, or Royal Marine by his posture and demeanor and he’d walk before he’d be tricked into spilling his info.

I dropped my foot to the ground, pressing my knees together in a way I’d never have done as a man, and leaned in, “I think we’re both dancing around things we don’t want to talk about. So if you won’t tell me who you work for, answer this, did you retire from the SAS or did you get out to join up?”

It was a shot in the dark, but I figured I had a thirty three percent chance of success. Even if I was wrong, I was letting him know that I saw the signs, the ones that most civilians would miss.

“Retired, actually. You’re very observant, Kristina. May I call you Kristina?”

“No, not just yet. My friends call me that, I’m not sure we’re friends.”

He nodded, “I’d like to be a friend, just as the Society would like to be your friend.”

He said it smoothly and I felt a thrill! I had no idea what the Society was, but obviously it was important.

I didn’t hesitate, “I like having friends. What does friendship bring?”

Now he leaned back his look still penetrating but also a little more open. “Why didn’t you get on the flight?”

“I thought I was being followed. I panicked and returned to my flat. Remaining unnoticed is my best protection.” I made it up, but based on the bits and pieces I’d gotten from Kristina it should fit the pattern of whatever the hell was going on.

“I see. Are you still being watched?”

“I don’t know. I spotted you a couple of times.”

At this he grinned, as if to say I’d spotted him because he’d allowed himself to be seen.

“Do you still have the item?”

“Item?” I was pretty sure I knew what he was talking about, but decided to be a little vague. I still wasn’t sure I could trust this guy.

Black shook his head, “Don’t waste my time. It’s too late to play dumb.”

I sighed, blowing a strand of hair out of my face, “I can get it.”

Mr. Black reached into a coat pocket and I tensed up. Depending on what that hand came out with he might be getting steaming hot coffee in the eyes.

“Easy, girl,” he said, pulling out an envelope and sliding it over the table to me. “Our resources are limited here, in London, at the moment. It would be best if you didn’t miss another flight.”

Then not waiting for my response he stood up, “It’s been a pleasure, Kristina.”

I watched him walk away and wondered what in the hell I’d gotten into. I slowly reached down and opened up the envelope. Inside was a ticket for tomorrow’s red-eye to Mexico. Okay, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but I wasn’t that dull. I had a weakness for helping women and it had gotten me in trouble in the past but this was a whole new level of trouble. I needed to talk to Kristina and he needed to come clean!

The walk back to Kristina’s flat was colder and felt longer since I was walking into the wind. At least the sedan was gone as was that feeling of being watched. I was lost in thought as I climbed the stairs. It was a bad habit I’d picked up over the last couple of years. So my first indication that everything wasn’t quite right was when the stranger, by Kristina’s door, cleared his throat.

I became aware of my surroundings in time to see two guys standing in front of the door. Then I heard movement behind me and didn’t need to look to know that the second pair, in the tactical team, had moved into position to block my retreat. I felt my pulse slow down. My training overcoming the fight or flight instinct. If there was one thing that I’d excelled at during my time in the service it was having a cool head under pressure and making sound tactical decisions. By the time I got to within arm’s reach of the pair by Kristina’s door I’d planed out my first two moves.

“Kristina Curtis,” the taller of the two greeted me and flashed an ID. “I’m agent Hopper, with NWRDC Security. Per your contract we need to ask you to come into the office.”

“I don’t understand, what’s this about?”

The shorter guy, a blonde, moved forward with a friendly smile. “Just a routine poly. There was an incident in your section a couple of days ago and everyone has to get screened.”

“But I’m on vaca . . . er . . . holiday. Can’t this wait until I get back?”

The larger man shook his head and moved forward as if to grab my arm and then stopped just short.

“I’m afraid not. According to your contract you’re obligated to come in for the screening. Failure to do so is grounds for automatic termination and possible criminal charges.”

I took a half step back not wanting him in my personal space, my mind racing. I was sure that Kristina didn’t want to lose her job, had she known about the ‘incident,’ whatever that was? My cynical side said, ‘yeah, she probably caused it.’

“Let me go in and drop off my groceries and then I’m all yours.”

I flashed the agents Kristina’s best smile wanting to have nothing to do with them. They stepped to one side, obviously, intending to follow me into the flat. I opened the door and left it open on purpose. Just as I thought, they followed me in and I felt a sense of violation.

“Why don’t you just come on in and make yourselves at home?” I said sarcastically. “Oh, wait, because I didn’t invite you in.”

This flat, as small as it was, had been my refuge for the last few days, these strangers felt like they were violating my personal space. I crushed these feelings as unproductive and hurried to the kitchen to put my food away. The blonde agent who’d failed to introduce himself followed me stopping in the living room.

I noted that he held himself in an alert posture but was too close to the coffee table. It would restrict his movement and give me an advantage. He was trained, that was obvious, but not to my level. Or to Mr. Black’s for that matter. Then for a moment I wished that Mr. Black were here. Between the two of us I was betting we could take out all four of these guys. ‘Well, if wishes were fishes every Friday would be a fish fry.’ I thought, and having finished in the kitchen returned to the living room.

“Shall I follow you in my car?”

“That won’t be necessary, we can give you a lift.” His smile was still charming but for some reason it made my skin crawl.

It was a thirty minute drive into the country to get to the New World Research and Development Corporation facility. The south side of the grounds had a tall hedgerow that prevented me from getting a good look at the building from the main road. We turned onto the drive that led up the compound and I spotted a gate barring the drive. Next to the gate was a small building with a board looking guard. I was sitting in the back of the black SUV with an agent sitting next to me. Agent Hopper was driving and blondie sitting shotgun. The fourth agent was trailing us in a second SUV.

Hopper rolled down his window and passed the guard a plastic card. The guard scanned it looked at the readout on the scanner and then handed Hopper his card back.

“Have a good afternoon, sir.”

The metal arm lifted and I saw that it was a straight drive up to a parking lot next to a large modern looking five story office building. I was a little surprised, the level of security was tight, yet the drive didn’t have any S-turns to slow down an assault force. There weren’t any additional barriers beyond the single metal arm. It was almost like the security was more for show and that whoever was in charge of this place wasn’t really worried.

My group didn’t waste any time hustling me into the building. We passed through a set of metal detectors and paused at the main desk. A brunette with her hair put up in a tight professional bun gave me a once over.

“Name?”

“Kristina Curtiss.”

She seemed to be looking at something behind her desk and then glanced up at me and nodded to a small oval pad, lit from behind by a red light. When I didn’t do anything she snapped, “Finger,” holding up her index finger.

I moved to the pad while my escort waited impatiently. I placed my right index finger on the pad and there was a click and the light under the screen turned green. The woman still looking bored handed me a badge with a clip on it. The badge had a picture of Kristina and it was obvious that I was supposed to clip it to my shirt. The picture was one of Kristina, looking professional, in a smart black business suit.

Then I heard, “Michael Hopper,” and when I glanced back Agent Hopper was already lifting a finger from the pad and collecting his badge. ‘Interesting, even the goon squad has to go through security,’ I thought.

“Brock Christenson,” the blonde agent who’d kept his name to himself said. I filed that away for later use.

My other two escorts stayed outside the check point so I felt a little better, my odds had just doubled. A pair of thick glass doors swung open as we approached and I was guessing the woman behind the counter had pushed some kind of button. Beyond the security check point was a lobby dominated by marble floors and white stone walls. Whoever funded these guys, they had money to spare. Then we approached a set of elevators. To my surprise Hopper pressed the down button.

I’d been expecting to go up to some office area and face whatever passed for a screening for these guys. Going down, my heart started to race. Perhaps it’s just too many movies, or perhaps it’s a part of the human psych but nothing good happens underground. That’s where the cells are, where the torcher chamber is located, and where one buries the bodies. I stepped into the elevator and for a second had trouble breathing. ‘Shit, shit, shit, shit,’ and then my colder more logical self-kicked in, and I started taking deep breaths. ‘You haven’t done anything wrong. You don’t know anything about this place, just take in easy.’ I thought.

I saw that tall, dark, and grumpy had to run his badge through a slot and then a whole new set of numbers lit up on the control panel. Evidently the floors you could access were coded to your badge. Hopper touched the digital screen marked B2 and we started moving down. ‘Curious, they aren’t worried about an external assault, but they are very concerned about their own employees and restricting what they can access.’ I thought. I didn’t know what it meant but I was sure it was important. The elevator was one of those new types, very smooth and vary fast. Before I knew it the doors slid open with a hiss and I was looking at a brightly lit, if sterile, corridor.

“This way, Miss Curtis,” the blonde, agent Christenson said reaching up to grab my elbow. I didn’t move. Instead I looked down pointedly at his hand and then into his face.

“Excuse me?”

He dropped his hand and gave me a bright, creepy, grin. A grin that made me worried that he’d enjoyed touching me way too much! Hopper looked between us and scowled, “Follow me, please.”

With that he led the way down the corridor. We passed several doors before we came to a set of double glass doors. They opened onto what looked like a waiting area you might have seen in a doctor’s office. The only thing missing was the receptionist.

Hopper looked at me, “If you’d take a seat, I’ll let Dr. Grossman know that you’re here.”

I went to a chair and sat down. I saw a magazine in the chair next to me on hunting. When I was a boy my dad had taught me to hunt and even though I didn’t get to go every year I still liked to keep up on it. I picked up the magazine and started thumbing through it. I sensed more than saw Agent Christenson watching me. ‘Crap!’ I thought, and put the magazine down. ‘Most girls aren’t into hunting.’

“You’re very pretty, you know.”

The comment came out of the blue and for a second I didn’t know how to handle it. It sort of knocked me off balance. I was used to being male, being the aggressor, being the person to make contact, to take control of the conversation and the situation. Now I found myself in a new role, that of the pursued, and I didn’t know how to respond.

“Uhm, thanks, I guess.”

“This won’t take very long. I can ask to drive you home, if you want to, maybe, get a pint?”

Just then the door opened and a short, fat, dishwater blonde woman, with coke-bottle glasses looked at us, “Miss. Curtis, please, come with me.”

I stood up and looked down at Agent Christenson, relishing the fact that even as a woman I was taller than he was, “Not if you were the last bloke on the planet.”

Then I turned and walked toward the doctor making sure to exaggerate the movement of my hips. Just before I reached the doctor I glanced back over my shoulder. Brock’s face was a bright red so I knew that my refusal had stung. ‘Well, he shouldn’t be such a creep!’ I thought, in satisfaction.

“I’m doctor Grossman,” she said, extending a hand.

I took it feeling a little nervous. “Uhm, Doc, I’ve got to say, I don’t really understand what’s going on.”

The doctor gave me a scowl, “No one told you?” Then she sighed, “There was a break in, in the mystical runes and incantations section. We’re calling everyone in for a quick scan. This won’t hurt a bit.”

‘Mystical runes and incantations? Kristina said she was a graphic artist!?’ I thought and then the operator in me spoke up, ‘She obviously lied.’ I wanted to pull my hair and scream. If Kristina was lying to me and had broken the law then I’d completely misread her. Usually my instincts on people are spot on, but I’ve known for a long time I’ve got a blind spot when it comes to women. I always assume the best and am often surprised when they turn out to be just as petty and vicious as men.

Dr. Grossman turned out to be a pleasant woman and talked me through the procedure. I was led to a small room with a chair that reclined as soon as I sat down. I was instructed to hold a pair of crystals while a couple of sensors were attached to my forehead, arms, and chest just above my collar bone.

“Alright, now I’m going to step out of the room. I want you to close your eyes and just relax. I’ll ask you a series of questions over the speaker system. Don’t bother answering. The purpose is to cause you to think about the question. The power of the crystals will allow me to ‘see’ what you’re thinking about.”

“I see,” I said feeling truly scared for the first time that day. “What are the sensors for?”

“To measure your stress. We don’t want you freaking out on us.” Then she patted my hand and left the room.

I focused on breathing, deep even breaths. I’d learned a technique while with the teams to control my breathing, pulse, and blood pressure and I focused on that now.

“What is your name?”

I drew up the image of Kristina Curtis that I’d become familiar with over the past few days.

“Where were you last night and the night before last?”

I thought about Kristina’s apartment.

“What do you know about the break in, in the mystical runes and incantations research section?”

I didn’t know anything so I let my mind go blank.

“What do you know about Jason Drake?”

My mind went blank. I had no idea who they were talking about.

“What do you know about Douglas Stonewall?”

This time I had the image from the company webpage along with the vague sense that he was my boss.

“Have you ever stolen anything from the New World Research and Development Corporation?”

Again my mind was blank.

“What do you know about the Syndicate?”

More blanks from me.

I’m not sure how long this went on but suddenly the lights in the room turned up and I sat up blinking. Dr. Grossman was there smiling, “We’re all done, dear. See, that wasn’t so bad.”

The ride back to Kristina’s flat was anti-climactic. As it turned out neither Agent Hopper nor Agent Christenson were waiting for me. Instead, I got a pimply faced, tall, geeky male intern still enrolled at the university. I could tell he wanted to ask me what I did for the corporation but I didn’t have the energy to talk so I ignored him until he stopped trying to talk to me.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that the screening that I’d just gone through was the reason that Kristina had wanted to swap bodies. She obviously knew things she hadn’t told me, things that would have flagged her during the interview. She might, even have had something to do with the ‘incident’ whatever that was, in the mystical runes and incantations research section. A part of me wanted to laugh that they even had a research section called, ‘mystical runes and incantations’. But one look down at my tits was all I needed to do, to know that it was no laughing matter! Then there was the fact that she’d been lying to me.

What could I believe? She’d said she was a graphic artist and specialized in 3D imagery. Yet, she was working in the mystical runes and incantations research section. I felt like I’d been betrayed by the person I had been starting to like.

It was after five by the time I returned to Kristina’s flat. I was feeling depressed, hurt, and angry. I opened the door and heard my phone ringing from the living room and it struck me that in my rush to go in to the facility I’d left both my purse and phone. I hurried into the living room just as the phone went to voice mail.

I saw that it was a missed call from Lana and rather than listen to the message I sent her a text.

Me: I just walked in the door. I 4got my phone. What’s up?

Lana: Swimming at six? ;-)

I thought for a second and as much as I loathed the idea of going out in this body the chance to get another workout was really appealing. Besides, I was pissed off with Kristina for swapping with me and leaving me in the dark about what was going on! A workout would help me blow off some steam and that was just what I needed. Then I had to admit, to myself at least, that I’d enjoyed spending time with Lana yesterday.

Me: Sure. Pick me up?

Lana: Sorry! I’m coming from the office. Met you there.

Me: K

Feeling more than a little pissed, I shot Kristina a text.

Me: I’m supposed to meet Lana, to go swimming. Where do you swim?

Rather than wait for a response I headed to the bedroom to pack a bag with the things I’d need. I remembered seeing a box with swimwear somewhere in that mess of a dresser. Lots of bikinis in different styles and colors, a sexy red one, an expensive looking Brazilian type that left nothing to the imagination and one with the Union Jack flag on the top and bottom. But the thought of showing myself off, in public, in one of those made me shudder. Luckily, there was also a marine blue one piece swimsuit in Kristina’s closet, even if it was a French cut, along with a bright orange duffel.

I tossed in the swimsuit, along with a towel. Then I went in search of goggles and a swimmer’s cap. After ten minutes of searching I discovered goggles in the ‘junk’ drawer and a cap in the bathroom. Obviously, Kristina liked swimming, and I now wondered if this was her main form of exercise. Then a thought hit me, ‘What if Lana wanted to get something to eat after working out? A part of me hated the idea but another part thought it might be fun to spend a little more time with Lana.’

“What could it hurt?”

And with that I returned to Kristina’s closet looking for something to wear. As I looked through Kristina’s clothes I remembered our Skype session from yesterday. She’d been appalled at some of my ideas on clothes and had insisted that if I was going to go out I needed to wear a dress. Then my eyes fell on a sexy little black dress. My heart literally skipped a beat. Suddenly, I had an image in my mind of Kristina in that dress, heels, stockings, hair all teased out in a sexy ‘fuck me’ look. It was a hot image and I shuddered. ‘Could I pull it off? Did I want to try? Was I brave enough?’ The thoughts bounced around in my mind and then I thought, ‘Why not, how many guys get this kind of an opportunity?’

The heeled sandals, and black stockings with a seam in back seemed like good choices. The black dress was a given and I’d seen a black leather jacket I could wear over the top. Then I thought about underwear. Jill was really into sexy underwear. I’d teased her about it more than once but now I wondered what it would feel like to wear something like Jill would. The first thing she’d say is that this dress would show a panty line and she’d have opted for a thong. I dug into Kristina’s underwear boxes and discovered that she and Jill must have an underwear fetish in common! I pulled out a black thong and tossed it into the duffel and then, on the off chance that I’d chicken out a pair of granny panties. The black push-up bra seemed almost conservative compared to the thong.

I returned to the bathroom and grabbed a few shower products dumping everything into the duffel. After a moment’s consideration, I added the mascara that Kristina had forced me to practice with last night and lip gloss to the bag. By the time I returned to the living room my phone was flashing.

Kristina: Timor Thermal Bath and Health Club, it’s a 15 min drive.

Me: Thx

Me: OBTW – thanks for the fun session at the facility!

Kristina: OMG!! What Happened? R U Ok?

Me: Yeah. I’m Ok. Passed the screening. Guess u got just what u wanted.

I looked down at the ladies watch I’d slipped on while I’d been packing the duffel. It was already five forty. Kristina had told me she owned a Ford Focus and I thought I’d seen it when I’d walked to the grocery store. Then it sort of hit me. I’d been nothing more than Kristina’s puppet since she’d orchestrated the switch. This realization made me even angrier with Kristina and I decided to have fun tonight and ignore her.

Me: I gotta run. Talk to u tonight. Bye

I stuffed the phone into Kristina’s purse grabbed the duffel and rushed out of the flat. I still had to watch my step on the stairs, particularly since I was carrying a purse and a bulky duffel, but I didn’t want to be late. After the day I had some time at a fitness center was just what I needed.

I ignored the next two texts from Kristina and used my phone’s navigation feature to get the fitness center. It was tough enough driving on the wrong side of the road, but factor in, boobs, a missing dick, heels, and a manual transmission on the wrong damn side, and I needed to just focus on driving. I reminded myself to make sure that the steering wheel was always closest to the middle line. I parked the Ford and then dug through Kristina’s cavernous purse looking for something . . . then I spotted the membership card! “Perfect.” I got out of the car and headed into the building pausing inside the door to look around.

I didn’t see any sign of Lana so I figured I could sort of walk through the building and sort out where everything was before she showed up. That way I wouldn’t look so strange trying to find my way around.

The club was modern, with authentic Indonesian décor in the spa area, and really nice weight and cardio rooms. I ducked into the main pool deck and looked around. I was impressed. Besides the various mineral Jacuzzis, sauna, steam-bath, it had a thermal basin, and vented steam into the cold night sky! There was also an Olympic sized pool with plenty of swim lanes for people to use. I paused, watching a group of guys sitting by the shallow end, in disgust. ‘Why do European guys insist on wearing speedos? We all know they’ve got dicks . . . geez. Do they think by advertising they’ll get a female to just jump in bed with them?’ From my current perspective the idea was laughable.

I could feel a couple of guys look my way but I ignored them. I returned to the reception area and still didn’t see Lana. ‘Is she normally late, or is this unusual?’ I didn’t know what to think so I went into the ladies locker room. It was surprisingly similar to a men’s locker room. Aisles of lockers with benches to sit on in one area. A separate area with changing cubicles, an area with sinks and stalls, and then a third area with booths for showering. That last part was a little unexpected. Most men’s locker rooms were open showers with a dozen or so faucets in one room. Apparently the ladies needed privacy.

I found a locker with no one else around and quickly changed from my street clothes into the one piece suit. Getting in and out of Kristina’s clothes was starting to become a familiar exercise, but then I held up the tiny piece of stretchy fabric and just looked at it.

“How, in the hell am I supposed to wear this?”

When no one answered I sighed and carefully stepped into each leg hole. This was more challenging considering I had to try to look around my breasts to find the leg holes. Then I pulled the suit up and tucked one arm after the other through the shoulder straps. The ability of Kristina’s swimming suit to stretch was amazing. I felt it pull extremely tight against my groin as I drew the straps up over my shoulders. Then I had to reach into the front and fiddle around with my boobs to get them adjusted.

Three days ago the idea of adjusting a girl’s breasts so they sat just right within her swimsuit would have been unbelievably hot. Now it was just uncomfortable, and I needed to fix them. The fabric had somehow bunched up between my legs so I bent at the knees and sort of thrust my hips forward while I used my hands to adjust the bottom of the suit. Once it was in place it actually wasn’t uncomfortable as long as I just stood there unmoving. However, the whole thing seemed a bit too small for Kristina and when I ran my hands through my hair the suit pulled up uncomfortably in my crotch, outlining an organ I didn’t really want to advertise!

I locked my locker and paused to look in the mirrors before going to the main pool area. The blonde that looked back was really pretty and it still felt odd to see her move when I did. I turned around to check out my butt in the mirrors and suddenly I realized it was one of Kristina’s best features, round and firm with a tight swimsuit to show it off. I grabbed a towel and headed for the pool.

Just before I pushed open the door, I spotted a room to my right. It was an open area with several shower faucets and I figured that I was supposed to rinse off before getting into the pool. With a sigh I went to the shower room to get wet. The water felt cold and I tried to get the obligatory, rinse done as quickly as possible before leaving the locker room and moving into the main pool area.

The guys I’d seen earlier were gone and I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought about waiting for Lana but then shrugged and found a chair. I’d brought a bag with me from my locker and I pulled out the swimming cap I’d found in Kristina’s flat and started tucking my hair under it. This took longer, and was a lot harder than I’d thought it would be. Next, I pulled out a pair of goggles and strapped them on over the swimming cap. Then I spread a towel over my chair and after a moment’s hesitation decided to get in the pool. Just as I stood up Lana stepped out of the locker room wearing a tight violet two piece suit with a modern interpretation of a vintage cut! She spotted me and rushed over.

“Ku, sorry I’m late. I got held up at work. But guess what?! I got the day off tomorrow! Ladies night, here we come!” she shouted, with an overly cheerful intonation, probably expecting the real Kristina to be enthusiastic about it. All I could manage was a smile. I leaned in to give her a hug, this time remembering our breasts.

“That’s brilliant! No problem, I haven’t gotten started yet.”

Then she looked at me with a frown and a sparkle in her eyes. “Did you inherit that swimsuit from your grandmother? And a swimmers cap, seriously? What is this, an enactment of the golden twenties?”

Now, she was laughing openly and for a second I felt my face flush with embarrassment.

“I thought you hated this type of one-piece suit?”

“I . . . err . . . I'm still feeling axed about all that rubbish in my life right now. Just want to get a good workout, and with all the guys around here, I don't want to feel like a piece of meat and . . .” I stammered, trying to come up with something that would sound normal.

She interrupted me, with a companionable smile, “Yeah, kitty, I get it. You were going for unattractive, well, congratulations, you succeeded, admirably.” The look she gave me was so sympathetic there was no way I could take offense, “Go ahead, and get your workout. I’ll head to the sauna first, I'm feeling really tense. I'd like to relax a bit before I get started here.”

“K.”

I couldn’t resist watching her walk away, one hip at a time. For an unending instant I was frozen in place, watching Lana’s back side move in a seductive undulation of muscle and flesh. I could feel the conflict going on inside my mind.

‘The sauna or the pool?’ I was caught in a whirlwind of internal conflict. The caveman in me said, “Ugh, me like!” and wanted to take Lana here and now not caring who might see. The more sophisticated part of my male brain thought following Lana into the sauna would offer the best chance at a totally unobstructed view of a possibly completely naked Lana! With the added bonus of additional hot girls, and none of them would ever have any clue that a horny man had been watching them!

Then Lana’s comments struck home and I felt my face flush with embarrassment at once again having picked the worst possible outfit. I looked around feeling self-conscious and after a few seconds relaxed when no one was looking at me. I turned around and headed to the pool, looking for something, anything, to distract me from what I’d been thinking. I felt a voice inside of me sort of reassert itself. It reminded me that even if I was trapped in the body of a female, I was still a guy. It was ok for me to be attracted to other females. I just needed to make sure that I didn’t get her fired. Eventually a lone voice of reason finally took over, ‘Don't push it, Jimmy! You wanted the workout and who cares what you look like! You're not really a girl!’ Heeding my own inner voice I moved toward the ladder. As I approached it I was hyper aware of my body and the way my swim suit made it move. My ass swung to one side while my chest moved to the other, it was like I had more jiggly parts my male brain could process. I eased into the pool thankful for the cover provided by the water. I knew that the water was warm, yet it still felt cold at first. I remembered how my nipples reacted to the cold so I quickly slipped the all the way in.

For a few seconds I just stayed, shoulder deep in the water, trying to wrap my mind around the different signals my body was sending me. I was at the shallow end so it was easy to stand but the cool sensation of water moving over my vulva and caressing my breasts was both erotic and normal. I pushed off using a breast stroke. Gliding through the water my face down, I could feel the it rushing over my chest. I lifted my face out of the water and pulled my arms down and around. Then while simultaneously frog kicking and thrusting my arms forward I put my face back into the water and cut smoothly down the lane. The sensation of the swimming suit pulling tight against my flat crotch and then relaxing was enough to drive me crazy.

‘Why is it that every physical act in this body feels sexual?’ I wondered as I focused on moving down to the far end of the pool. The lanes to either side of me were empty but that didn’t last long as Lana joined me in the water. I did two laps with the breast stroke and then switched to the side stroke leading with my right hand. After two laps I rolled over to do the side stroke leading with my left hand. Then I switched to free style, followed by the back stroke and then feeling a little more daring I gave the butterfly a try. I’d expected this to be a disaster, I assumed that I didn’t have the strength or coordination for this while in Kristina’s body. I’d assumed wrong.

For the first time it felt like my mind and my body’s muscle memories meshed perfectly. I got to the far end of the pool out of breath and my heart was racing but I felt excited at finding something I could do, physically that Kristina also knew how to do. By the time I was ready for a break Lana was sitting on the side of the pool watching me. I swam over and folded both of my arms under my chin, holding onto the side while I floated against the edge.

“Are you trying to kill yourself?” There was a touch of amusement in her voice.

“What do you mean?” I tried to make it an innocent question.

Lana shook her head, “Kris you’ve been going at it for forty five minutes straight. Did Justin call and tell you you’re fat or something?”

I felt a flash of annoyance, “Just because I want to workout hard, doesn’t mean I’ve got a man issue.” Although, truth be told there was a very big ‘man’ issue I just couldn’t tell her about it.

“Don’t be so touchy.

“Sorry.”

“Are you done?”

“I think so.”

“Then let’s get out of here.” She gave me an almost accusatory glance, “Did you at least bring clothes for a night out?”

“Uhm, yeah, I’ve got a dress.”

“Good, girl! Since we’re both off tomorrow, we’re going dancing after dinner.” I opened my mouth to protest but she continued, “And I’m not taking any excuses!”

With that she stood up and moved toward the ladies locker room. I just sat there enjoying the way her ass shifted from side to side with each step. Then I sort of shook myself out if it and moved to the ladder in a rush to get out of the pool. When I pulled myself up I couldn’t help feeling the water rush down my body and the way my suit pulled tight in my groin as my hips moved from side to side. In a hurry I took a big step skipping the last two rungs to step directly on the main deck. ‘I could go for some dinner.’ I thought to myself, as my stomach rumbled.

Just before Lana left the pool area, she turned around, obviously checking on me. Then she grinned for a split second before putting a hand to her mouth to hold back a laugh. She pointed in my direction, so I looked over my shoulder to see what it was she thought was so funny. I didn’t see anything. “Kuuuu....” she shouted, caught between laughter and consternation, “Kuuuu!” This time when I glanced back at her she sort of pointed down. ‘Did I step in something?’ I wondered. Whatever it was it was funny, important, and she was trying to avoid drawing attention to us.

Having no idea what she was talking about, maybe it was some kind of secret girl thing, then she used to fingers to point to her eyes and then pointed to her crotch. She wanted me to look at my crotch? . . . When I did, I finally understood what she meant. I didn’t know until that moment that it was humanly possible to do a full body blush! That damn, ill-fated, French designed, stretchy swimsuit, with its narrow crotch and high French cut had kind of traveled upwards on my body, the lower end tightened and retracted until it was more like a string than a bottom, and . . . somehow, it had ended up between . . . my . . . er . . . Kristina’s pussy lips!!! I was now happily flashing Kristina’s private parts to Lana and the world!

As quickly as I could I reached down and adjusted the bottom feeling the top go tight and for a second I thought I might pop out. Then I was done and as covered up as I could be at the moment.

“Damn, is it just Kristina, or is being a girl always so . . . for a moment I couldn’t think of the right word, “humiliating!” I asked myself. Then I let out a sigh, and answered my own questions. “Naw, I’m just such a newbie I’m making mistakes she’d never make. She probably knows just by feel what to watch out for.”

As I headed toward the locker room, trying to act like nothing happened, I was acutely aware of how my body jiggled. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a couple of guys had stopped what they were doing to watch. ‘Did they catch my peep-show?’ I wondered, blushing anew. In a flash of irritation, I almost went over to them to insist they needed a ticket if they wanted to watch a show. Instead, I fled to the sanctuary of the woman’s locker room.

As soon as I pushed the door open I spotted Lana to my left in the showers. She was still wearing her swimming suit, rinsing off under the water. Guessing this was the normal procedure I went into the room and adjusted the water, this time, unlike before, I waited for the water to get hot before I got under it. It felt really weird to be standing under a shower, with a plastic cap on my head, cleaning off, while wearing a swimming suit! Lana finished first and gave me a quick grin as she moved into the main locker room. I finished as quickly as I could and followed.

There were a lot more ladies changing now. An aerobics class and a yoga class had just ended. It was like a peeping Tom’s paradise. Women of all ages, sizes, and body types were moving around in every state of dress and undress. It took me a second to realize I was gawking, ‘probably not unlike those guys outside a minute ago,’ the cynical side of me remarked. Then my face flushing, yet again, I hurried to my locker.

Just as I started pulling out my bag Lana turned up at my elbow. By the sparkle in her eyes and the quirk of her mouth, I knew I was in for it.

“Kris, did you stop to collect a couple of pounds from the guys watching the show?”

My face still red, I looked at her, “You don’t think anyone saw that, do you?”

“Heheheheh,” Lana’s laughter made me turn even redder.

“It’s not funny! I feel soooo . . . . Humiliated!”

“Yeah, Kris, it’s okay. No, I don’t think they saw, and besides, you’re pretty cute down there, it’d make their day if they got a glimpse of little Krissy!” When she said this she made air quotes with her fingers. I thought about punching her. I turned back to my locker and reached up to unhook the top of my swim suit.

“What are you doing?”

I looked over at Lana confused, “After putting on a little show now you want to change in public? What’s wrong with you? You hate changing around strangers.”

“I think, I’m just a little off, today.” I said in a soft, small voice, hoping to get a little sympathy. It worked like a charm and Lana gave me a quick hug.

“Come on.”

I followed Lana to one of the changing rooms a little curious since I’d never seen one of these things before. Lana open the door and looked at me expectantly, then I realized she meant for both of us to use it together! I tried to come up with an excuse for privacy, but when nothing came to me I stepped in. As I walked by I felt a sharp sting to my left butt cheek.

“Ow!” I spun around, boobs and ass bouncing. “Did you just pinch me?”

“Well, you’ve got such a cute butt, how was I supposed to resist?” Lana said laughing. I tried to maintain my frown but her laughter was so infectious that I found myself responding.

“Just remember, pay back’s a bitch!”

The booth was bigger than I’d thought with a bench along the side wall, a shelf opposite the bench, and a full length mirror on the wall across from the door. Lana locked the door and I moved as far away as I could to strip off my suit. Even though the booth was good sized, it was a little tight with two of us using it. I watched Lana out of the corner of my eye as she changed and couldn’t help noticing she had a great pair of toned legs that connected to a cute butt.

I felt a little flushed and by the ache in my groin I knew that my body was responding to my male thoughts. I grabbed my towel and started drying off while watching Lana as much as I dared. Her dark hair hung wetly down to the middle of her back and her breasts moved freely when she pulled off her top. Her nipples were darker and larger than mine and they sprang to attention in the cold air. I hung my dress on a hook in the booth and then dug out the black thong I’d picked out to go with the dress. I glanced back at Lana just in time to see her bend over, giving me an unobstructed view of her cleanly shaved pussy. I dropped my thong and stared.

‘My God, this is better than the strip club!’ I thought.

I felt my nipples start to tighten up and suddenly I was damp between my legs and not from pool water! I fought an urge to press my thighs tightly together and desperate to hide my arousal! I draped my towel over the bench and then sat down on it, staring at Lana’s cunt. It was within arm’s reach and I had a fantasy about leaning in and blowing on it! The feeling of being wet increased and I wanted to spread my legs apart and start rubbing, just as I had last night! Then I remembered where I was! ‘Oh, God, what the hell am I doing?’ I thought.

Lana straightened up and stepped into her panties and then turned around, boobs swinging freely, and looked in my direction. When she did she glanced at my crotch. ‘Shit!’ I thought, and brought my legs tightly together in a way no guy would ever do. I felt my face flush, ‘Did Lana know that I’d gotten horny while watching her?’

“Getting a little rough down there, aren’t we?”

I glanced down again and figured out that she was referring to the stubble that had started on my private area. I wondered what the right ‘girl’ response should be, and tried for playful.

“I’m entitled to be a little lazy, its winter and I’m between boyfriends.”

I’m not sure why I said that, I only knew how relieved I felt that she couldn’t tell how horny I was. Obviously, this was a female advantage, if I’d been back in my male body, I’d be sporting a nine inch hard-on!

Lana just shook her head, “Ku, you’re so funny!”

I stood up and when I did I couldn’t help noticing how close we were in the booth. Our nipples were practically touching! I turned around very aware of the way my boobs moved and bent over to pick up my thong. I stepped into the underwear sliding it up over my legs and felt the tiny bit of fabric cover my damp crotch. When I pulled them over my hips I felt the bit of butt-floss slide between my ass cheeks. I took a peek at Lana and saw that she’d already donned her bra and had pulled out a pair of pantyhose.

“Hey, can we trade places? I need to use the bench.”

I stepped to one side and she slid past sitting down and tucked a foot into the hose.

I’d already pulled out the black bra that matched the thong so I slipped it on and spent a few seconds getting it clasped and then adjusting my breasts. All of a sudden it hit me. There I was playing with Kristina’s boobs in front of Lana, like it was the most normal thing in the world. My face flushed with embarrassment, ‘What the hell is happening to me?’

“Hey, I don’t think I’ve seen those before.”

“Seen what?” I asked feeling confused. “My underwear?”

Lana giggled, “Well I’m not talking about your body! I’ve seen that since we were thirteen!” Then Lana made a little twirling motion with her fingers so I spun around. “They’re cute!”

After that Lana started in on a diatribe about her boyfriend Andrew and how insensitive he was. It took me a moment to remember who Andrew. Feeling like I was now on safer ground I pulled the LBD off the hanger and unzipped it before stepping into it. It fit me like a glove and before I could think to ask, Lana was behind me zipping it up.

It was now my turn to use the bench and I looked at the stockings I’d brought with me wondering how to put them on. I’d seen the kind with a garter belt but I’d thought, based on the dress, that it would show a line so I’d opted for these. Slightly dark, based on my quick glance, I figured I was supposed to pull them up over my waist. I’ve seen girlfriends over the years do this, so I tried my best to imitate what I’d seen. Fold them down, toe in, slid them up to the knee. Other toe, up to both knees, stand up and pull them up. The dress was in the way, but I just lifted it up over my waist as I pulled the pantyhose up. Once the stocking was settled over my hips, I did a couple of deep knee bends to settle them and then dropped my dress and smoothed it into place. By the time I was done Lana was already in her dress, stockings, and heels and was looking at me.

“Have you heard a word I’ve been saying?”

“Of course, Andrew forgot the two year anniversary of your first kiss. The lout! And when you brought it up he thought you were joking. Then instead of wanting to go out with us tonight, he chose to watch some stupid game at the pub with his mates!”

Lana rushed over to me to give me another hug, and I leaned into it, ‘I think I’m starting to get the hang of this!’ I thought, and then shuddered. ‘What the, fuck am I doing?!’

Lana dragged me to the mirrors over the row of sinks, apparently it was against ‘girl code’ to do makeup in the changing area. I felt a little scared now, I mean I’d talked to Kristina last night about makeup and she’d had me put it on and take it off several times while watching me from the computer. I knew that minimal was better for right now. A little cover up that pretty much matched Kristina’s skin and lipstick was easy, but the mascara was still a challenge. Luckily Lana had to dry her hair, and that gave me extra time to fix my makeup. Even so, she was done first.

“Come on slow poke, I’m starving.”

I put Kristin’s makeup away and hurried after Lana, hopefully dinner would be less stressful!

Sitting in the dark Italian restaurant with a sexy woman next to me would normally have been my idea of a perfect evening. Now, I kept fidgeting, pulling the bottom of my dress down. ‘What the hell was I thinking?’ I wondered. I’d picked out this dress because I thought it looked hot. What I’d failed to process at the time, was that it would be ME in the hot little dress! From this perspective it wasn’t so great, particularly since I had a piece of butt-floss riding up my crack!

My only consolation was that Lana had approved of my dress choice so I’d avoided suspicion. ‘God, this is only day three! I’ve got eleven to go before we swap back!’ I thought, a little desperate.

Dinner consisted of bread sticks, house salad, and a fettuccine, no meat. Surprisingly, I’d gotten full quickly. Lana ordered a desert wine. I took a sip and was shocked at how good the light sweet wine tasted. It was almost like the liquid dissolved into air on my tongue. We split a bottle and then just as I was thinking about ordering another Lana grabbed my hand.

“So there’s a new dance club right up the street. Why don’t we go check it out?”

Her face was slightly flushed with alcohol and excitement. I wanted to say no, but another part of me, the curious part, wondered what it could hurt.

“Sure, but only for an hour.”

“Brilliant!” Lana said pulling me to my feet. Before I knew it our bill was paid and we were at the disco. The music was pounding as we walked in and I noticed that there weren’t very many people in the club. Lana dragged me to a table where we stashed our purses and coats. Before we could move away from the table a waitress arrived and asked if we had a drink order. Lana asked for a white wine and without thinking I ordered Guinness. The waitress gave me a strange look but hurried away.

Lana just shook her head, “Ku, I know you like that stuff, but it goes right to your hips!”

“Is there something wrong with my hips?” I asked, and then feeling like messing with her added, “Are you saying I’m fat?”

At that Lana snorted, “I just don’t want to listen to you complaining! Come on, Ku, let’s get out there!”

She grabbed my hand and dragged me onto the dance floor. I’ve been an athlete my whole life, martial arts, wrestling, football, but I’ve never really been a dancer. Tonight, I had enough alcohol in my system to get me to give it a try. I watched Lana for a minute and then started moving with the music imitating her moves. Soon our two person circle was joined by a couple of complete strangers. Both of them girls, in sexy, little dresses. Nothing too intrusive, just other girls out for a night of fun on the dance floor.

It amazed me how girls, total strangers, would just dance together like this without a second thought. As a guy I’d never have started dancing with other guys. Then I couldn’t help noticing how different this body was from mine. I could feel the beat of the music from the soles of my feet to the top of my head. As I moved, I discovered that with a body like this, dancing was really fun, and for the first time tonight I was enjoying myself. Between songs Lana and I returned to the table where I slammed my pint.

“So, if beer makes me fat, what do you recommend?”

With a grin, Lana turned to the bar and held up her hand, “Two tequila shots! Patron!”

‘Oh, God,’ I thought. The last time I drank Patron I was in Tijuana . . . well let’s just say I woke up in a strange bed, with a strange woman, a decade older, and leave it at that. At some point after my third Guinness a pair of guys cut between me and Lana. They were both tall and thin with broad shoulders and seemed to know what they were doing. I glanced over at Lana and saw her eyes sparkle as she looked up at her new partner. I couldn’t hear what she said, but she put both her hands behind his neck and they started dancing.

Something inside me felt like I should remind her that she had a serious boyfriend. Andrew, seemed like a nice guy, based on what she’d said, did girl code demand I remind her of this? Or was it similar to guy code? Should I help her have her fun and then cover for her with Andrew? I wasn’t sure what to do but then decided that as her BFF I should just keep an eye on her and make sure she didn’t do something she’d regret later.

“Hi, I’m Brad, would you care to dance?”

The guy facing me was almost a half a foot taller than me and had dark red hair, cut close and an intense sort of face. Since Lana had abandoned me, and I was currently fortified with plenty of alcohol, I figured, ‘What the hell.’

“Sure, but just one. I’ve got to leave soon. Work, tomorrow, ya know.”

As it turned out Brad was a great dancer and an actual gentleman. I was ready to grab a groping hand or to slap a fresh face. Instead, we danced together and he kept his hands to himself. Luckily, with modern dancing I didn’t really have to worry about who was leading, and my body just sort of knew what to do. So I relaxed and let it go. Kristina may not have the muscle memory of a fighter, but her body knew how to dance! When the song ended I looked up into his green eyes and for a second felt what a girl must feel in the arms of a strong man. Small and vulnerable, yet safe, comfortable, protected, the emotions rolled through me and I didn’t know how to deal with them. So I pushed them away and stepped back.

“Thank you. That was lovely, but I really do need to find my friend.”

“Can I get your phone number? I’d like to see you again?”

The request caught me totally by surprise. “Uhm, you realize a girl’s phone number is like the super-secret ingredient to the ultimate recipe? Why don’t you give me yours instead?”

I was making it up but there was no way I could give him Kristina’s phone number, for one thing I hadn’t memorized it! And my number made no sense.

He pulled out a pen, “Let me find something to write on.”

“No need,” I said and offered him my hand.

I felt a thrill when his rough, large, hand engulfed my smaller one and he wrote the number on my arm. Once done he looked into my eyes and I could see a sparkle of humor.

“This is okay, but it needs something to seal it.”

Then he leaned in and kissed my arm. As soon as his lips touched the soft inner part of my wrist I felt like it set off a fire along my veins. My skin prickled up with gooseflesh and I felt my nipples got instantly hard. His eyes met mine and I could see the desire in them. For a second the girl part of me wanted to dive into the green depths and never come out. But another part, the James part, recoiled in horror!

“Uhm, I really do need to get going.”

“Alright, please, call me.”

“Sure, ah, bye.”

I looked at the table but Lana wasn’t back yet. So I grabbed my purse and went to the bar. I jumped up onto a stool and almost fell off before I got my balance.

“Damn dress and stupid heels,” I grumbled and signaled the bartender. “Give me a Kamikaze!”

The bite of the alcohol mixed with the tart citrus taste of the drink helped steady my nerves. ‘What the hell is happening to me?’ I wondered. I’d just danced with a guy, and if I was being honest, enjoyed it. ‘Damn it, I don’t like guys, I like girls. What is this body, with its female hormones doing to my male mind?’ Abruptly, I was desperate to switch back! If I didn’t get out of Kristina’s body soon I wasn’t sure what the long term impact on my psych would be, but I was sure I’d be in therapy for years! Then I made up my mind, it was time to go!

I rushed back to our table and saw that Lana’s purse and jacket were still there. For a moment I thought about getting a cab and just leaving Lana, but that would be a guy-foul. You never leave your wingman! So I looked around and saw Lana dancing closely with the guy she’d picked up. I was more than a little tipsy, and even though I was seeing a blurry Lana, I was a sober enough to be relieved that they weren’t kissing. I figured it was time to pull her off the dance floor and pour us both into a cab!

Suddenly, I heard a high pitched voice across the room shout “Krissyyyyyyyyyy!” and saw a small oriental girl in a pretty white dress with long black hair run over to me.

“Hey, long time no see! How are you, dear?” she leaned over and air kissed me on both cheeks in that modern Euro way.

“Ahh... hello,” I said, slurring slightly while I wracked my brain for her name. For some reason she looked familiar to me. Where had I seen her before? My poor abused brain, through my alcohol induced haze, came up with nothing. I tried to focus on the information Kristina had passed to me during our Skype sessions but still drew a blank. Yet she seemed to know me, or at least she knew Kristina.

I didn't really like the intrusion. I’d felt the same way about Lana's hugs at first, but I’d gotten used to them pretty fast. With Lana, it felt natural, normal, like an outgrowth of a genuine friendship. This just felt . . . perfunctory. Besides, I was ready to go!

The girl, however, was oblivious to my internal conflict and chatted away, happily blubbering about stuff I didn’t even have the energy to follow. Normally, when I meet strangers I spend some time assessing them. What motivates them, are they a threat, but tonight, drunk, tired, and wanting to go home the tiny girl just didn’t seem worth the effort.

“Hey, guess what, Kenneth and I finally got married six months ago! Can you believe it?”

I opened my mouth to say something but she continued in a rush.

“But yeah, actually marriage is kind of a bore, so happy that I finally have a proper night out again. So are you and Justin still together?”

Now I felt trapped, she obviously knew Kristina, and I’d give him my word to do my best to pretend that I was the real Kristina Curtis.

“Err, well, yeah, no, not really . . .”

I clenched my empty Guinness bottle. I had nothing to say.

“Awww, that's such a shame, what happened?”

“Uhm . . .”

Damn it! I had no idea who this person was and I certainly didn't know her name and Kristina hadn't filled me in on any petite Asian girl, I felt frustrated beyond belief.

“Look, it still kinda hurts, so I’d rather not talk about it.” Then I took a step away, “Hey . . . err . . . it's been really great seeing you again, but I'm here with a friend, I guess she must be pretty drunk by now and I really need to keep an eye on her.”

“Meh, you wanna go already? Alright. At least have one drink with me, for old time's sake, will you?”

I reluctantly nodded and her face lit up like I’d just agreed to give her my car.

“I’ll be right back.”

With that she darted away. For a moment I considered escaping now that she was gone. I glanced onto the dance floor and spotted Lana in the middle of a group dancing away like she didn’t have a care in the world. I’d taken a half step toward the dance floor when the girl returned holding up a pair of glasses.

“Two pinksters!” she said, with a wide smile.

“Wow that was fast, you must be a regular here.” I remarked, looking skeptically at the gooey, syrupy pink liquid.

“Hey, what Elvira wants, Elvira gets!”

Elvira, well at least I now had her name! Then I looked again at the drink she was offering me. I was betting it was full of sugar and punch and had almost no alcohol, this wasn’t something I’d ever, normally, order. ‘The things I do to keep my word,’ I thought, and plucked a glass from her hand. In the back of my mind I knew that it wasn’t safe for a girl to accept a drink from a stranger. Except that Elvira wasn’t a stranger, she was a friend of Kristina’s and besides, I wasn’t a girl! Elvira raised her glass in salute. With my best fake, girl enthusiasm, I lifted mine, “Cheers!”

Through my drunken haze I knew that I shouldn’t drink this, all of my training said to slip and drop it. So, I hesitated. Elvira drained her glass and then as I brought mine to my mouth Lana stumbled up next to me.

“Guys are such assholes!” she slurred. “The guy I was dancing with seemed so nice, buying me drinks, and all that, but then the next moment he’s grabbing my ass!” she paused as if for dramatic affect and I made the right horrified noise and sat my pink drink on the table. “And when I told him off, he grabbed my arm and said ‘that's okay, we can skip the foreplay and go right over to my place!’ As if! And where the hell is Andrew when I needed him?! Off to some rugby match with his low-life friends, while I am on my own, unprotected, in this world of bloody idiots! And most of all, where were YOU, bestie?”

At this Lana glared at me and I couldn’t tell if she was really angry with me or not. I started to feel guilty . . . But then I noticed that by the end of Lana's monologue, that the annoying Elvira was gone, Lana must have scared her away with her whining.

“Uhm . . . I’m sorry. I didn’t really like the guy I was dancing with so hid for a while. Forgive me?”

“Sure,” Lana leaned in to give me another hug. Then when she let go she spotted the drink sitting on the table. “May I?”

Before I could answer she picked up the pink thing and downed it. After she drank it she stood there blinking for a couple of seconds. Then she looked at me owlishly.

“Okay, Lana, we’ve both had too much to drink, time to head home!”

“But I gotta peeeee” she squeaked, and pulled me toward the ladies room, both of us staggering a little. ‘Right,’ I thought, ‘girls only go to the “loo” in groups.’ After she’d just pounded that drink, I knew I had to make sure that Lana was ok.

The bathroom was crowded and there was a line for a stall. Lana kept up a steady stream of chatter which was both entertaining and hard for me to follow in my intoxicated state. When a stall opened up Lana dragged me in with her. I was starting to think this was more of a Lana thing than a girl thing.

“Hey, was that Elvira, at the table? I thought, the company had transferred her to the Scotland branch?”

I didn’t know what to say so played along, “Yeah, but she’s back down here for a few days.” ‘God, I’m so drunk,’ I thought, and closed the door and then leaned against it. But if I was drunk, then Lana was shit-faced because I could actually smell the alcohol coming out of her! Before I knew it Lana was using the toilet. I tried to focus on keeping the floor from wobbling around as I waited for her to finish.

“Lana, as soon as you’re done we’re outta here! We’ll need to get a cab because we’re both drunk.”

“Okay, but can I sleep over? You’re place is closer.”

Feeling like I needed to agree to anything just to get us out of here I nodded. “Sure, yes, absolutely!”

She stood up, “You’re turn.”

I hiked up my dress and feeling a little embarrassed, exposed my girl parts. As soon as I started to sit down Lana giggled. “Ku, you're not, seriously, going to sit down on that, are you?” That’s when it hit me, Lana had been kind of squatting over the toilet.

“Of course not.” I said, trying to figure out how to hold my dress up, and aim with my bottom, while not falling over. Did I mention I was drunk? I cut lose and then lost my balanced and sort of stumbled forward a little. I caught myself with the hand that wasn’t holding up my dress but I could tell that I was spraying pee all over the place. I pushed myself back and got the rest of it, more or less, into the toilet. ‘Damn girl body, damn girl clothes, damn public restrooms!’ I cursed silently. Then it started to dawn on me that I had actually forgotten to wipe, and that my messy attempt at public peeing was another possible screw up in front of Lana. Then I realized she was either too drunk to notice or being a little messy when drunk wasn’t that unusual.

I settled the tab and ushered Lana out front. There was a line of cabs waiting, so I pushed Lana into the first one. As I did I just sort of ignored her babble and gave the driver the address Kristina had made me memorize.

The trip back to Kristina’s flat was a quick one but the cold wind cut through the alcohol fueled euphoria. We rushed up the sidewalk toward the main entrance our heels clacking on the cold concrete. Lana had leaned into me for warmth and support and I needed it as much as she did. So we stumbled happily along the sidewalk clutching each other. The warmth of my building was a huge refuge from the cold although the climb to my floor proved to be a challenge. Once we were in my flat I insisted on pouring two glasses of chardonnay.

I held mine up, “Friends.”

Lana lifted her glass to my toast and we both took a sip. “So you had fun tonight?”

“Yeah, more than I thought I could.”

Lana slipped an arm around my waist to give me a hug, “Good, because you’re job, and that trip to Mexico, really has had you acting odd lately.”

Suddenly, I could feel the heat of her body through my dress. Our breasts were only inches apart and even though her lips were thinner than mine they were still kissable. I felt my, new, female body respond to my thoughts and I leaned in and before she knew what was going on and I tenderly brushed her lips with mine.

The touch of soft skin to skin was electric to me, my nipples got rock hard and once again I felt damp between my legs, and the start of a now familiar ache. I wanted nothing more than to lean in for a second kiss but Lana pushed me away. The look of surprise on her face as almost comical.

“Ah . . . what are you doing?”

Suddenly, I felt totally embarrassed and foolish. ‘Kristina is obviously heterosexual and hitting on Lana is just wrong!’ I thought.

“You’ve got the best tasting lipstick and you never share!” I said trying to come up with something funny.

For a second I didn’t think it would work and then she rolled her eyes, “You’re so crazy!”

“I might have had a little too much to drink.” I added, in a quieter voice.

Lana looked over at me, “Yeah, me too!”

Then she put one hand out and stumbled slightly dropping her empty glass. It crashed to the floor shattering, but Lana didn’t seem to notice as she leaned against the wall.

“Wow, the whole room is spinning and I’m tingling all over.”

“Are you okay?”

I moved over to her avoiding the shards. Lana had one hand up rubbing her eyes while she used the other one to keep her balance against the wall.

“I . . . think I need to go to bed.”

I sat my glass down and slip an arm around her waist.

“Come on, girl, let me help you.”

We made it to Kristina’s bedroom and then Lana started shucking off clothes. Her balance seemed a little better so I grab a t-shirt that must have belonged to one of Kristina’s ex-boyfriends, based on the size, and gave it to Lana.

“Are you better?”

“Shuure . . . I’m fine.” she said, slurring slight.

Lana pulled the t-shirt on and then flopped onto the bed. She was really drunk, and she was in my bed. There was a part of me that sort of perked up at the thought. I tried to squish that part, I was not going to take advantage of Kristina’s drunk friend!

Lana curled up into a tight ball under the covers. I didn’t blame her, for some reason Kristina kept the room as cold as an icebox at night. I stripped out of my clothes found a light blue nightgown that was made from a flimsy, material that came down to my mid-thighs. Then I turned out the lights and dove under the covers to escape the chilly air.

As it turned out the bed was big enough for both of us so I wiggled around trying to find a good spot and ended up on my left side hugging a pillow. Then I heard Lana sigh and roll over toward me.

“Do you mind sharing a little heat, Miss Ice Queen?”

“Uhm, no, I guess not.”

I felt Lana’s warm body press into my back, her breasts pushing into me and she draped an arm over my hip to lay across my stomach.

‘Okay, think about baseball . . . golfing . . .’ I thought.

I could feel Lana’s breath on the back of my neck, light almost caressing and I got goose flesh on my neck. Then she draped her naked thigh over the back of my leg.

‘Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety nine bottles of beer, take one down, pass it around, ninety eight bottles of beer on the wall!’ I sang to myself, silently, anything to distract from my overly sensitive body from what my mind wanted to do. My nipples were as hard as nails and the damp feeling between my legs, told me that my attempts at distraction weren’t working. Then I caught a hint of her, a musky odor mixed with the fresh lavender smell of her perfume.

“Good night, sweetie”, Lana whispered and then started to turn around, retracting her arm from my stomach, and accidentally brushed her hand against my panties. ‘Oh, God, I hope they’re not wet!’ I thought.

I felt nervous and humiliated once again, ‘How many times can you screw up in a single day?’ I wondered. ‘Obviously, there’s always one more opportunity,’ a sarcastic voice inside my head answered.

“Oops, sorry for that! Didn't mean to grope you, dolly.” Lana giggled drunkenly.

Bantering had proven to be a good way to relax the atmosphere. “Oh, it's alright, Lana. You can say whatever you want . . . but, come on, admit it! You are totally into me, you’ve always wanted to seduce me! It’s because I’m so damn hot!” I joked, added a little laugh at the end.

There was a pause and then I felt Lana shift, moving back toward me. “Yes . . . I AM totally into you.” she said, slowly, with a shy, but serious tone in her voice, like she couldn't believe her own words.

I was startled. What had she just said? She must be yanking my chain, just responding to my joke by playing along. So I figured I’d push things a bit.

“I know you want to fuck me, but you’ll have to sweet talk me first. What do you love about me?”

There was a long pause, “Did you know you have the cutest little ears?” With that she leaned in and nibbled at my ear. “I could just eat them up.”

If this was still a joke, I was missing the punch line. Now I was starting to question if this was really only a platonic friendship? I thought back to my last Skype conversation. I was convinced Kristina was heterosexual, but she’d never actually said anything about Lana's sexual orientation! Perhaps she was bi? Before I could really let this idea sink in, Lana put her hand against my cheek and turned my face toward her. Then she drew me down to her and kissed my lips. This time the kiss was soft, almost tentative at first, and then it blossomed into a full open mouthed tongue dancing passionate kiss. This was too good to be true! I had such a hard time keeping my male side away from Lana and in the end it was actually her, taking the initiative and seducing me?!

We broke apart for a second and she looked at me, in the dark I could hear her panting, I leaned into her and felt our breasts sort of squish together, the sensation was intoxicating and our lips met again, this kiss was even longer. My alcohol saturated brain realized that kissing as Kristina felt very sensual, much more so than in my normal body. I wondered if I had more nerve endings in my pouty lips, than in my normal male ones. The sense of it was so different it felt like my whole being was centered on that kiss. Then I realized I’d been highly attracted to Lana ever since she pushed her way into a changing booth with me!

By the time we were done kissing she was on her back and I was partly on top of her. Lana opened her eyes and her mouth made a little surprised “O”.

“Ku . . . I don't know . . . but . . . I think . . . I think I want you,” Lana whispered.

The fire that her kissing had stoked in me turned into an inferno. I was so wet, so horny, I had to have this girl!

“Lana, I know I want you.”

A small voice in the back of my mind warned me that this was too good to be true and that I had a girlfriend, and that this constituted cheating! I told that voice to shut the hell up. I wanted this, she wanted this, why the hell shouldn’t we? I decided it was time to return the nibbling favor and started kissing her just below her ear while reaching down to rub her breast through her t-shirt. Her nipple felt large and hot in my tiny hand. Lana sort of writhed around, rubbing her thighs together and moaning. I could smell our arousal and knew that she had to be as wet as I was. She looked into my eyes and hers seemed huge and dark.

“Kiss me,” I commanded and she leaned up her arms went around my neck and her lips were soft, hot, and eager under mine. I darted my tongue into her mouth and felt her respond. I continued to rub her breasts focusing on her sensitive nipples. As I did, I felt confusing signals from my body, normally by this point I’d be as hard as a piece of iron. I reached down and grabbed the bottom of my nightgown and pulled it off tossing it to one side. I pushed my breast into Lana’s mouth, “suck.”

Almost as if under my command she complied. The feeling of her hot mouth on my left nipple was far better than me playing with it on my own. My crotch was so wet and gooey I wondered if it was possible for a girl to drip. Then she started sucking and I felt my toes curl.

“Ohhhh . . .”

How is it possible for these things to be so sensitive? Unable to resist I reached down between Lana’s legs and felt the smooth flat arc of her pelvic bone and the soft cavity below. I began to stroke Lana’s clitoris through the thin silk panties and within a few seconds they were sopping wet. Then Lana moved to my other breast and I thought I was going to faint from the sensations rushing through me.

I hooked her panties to one side and teased her lower lips with a gentle stroking. The feeling of her sex under my tiny fingers was so thrilling I thought I’d cum from anticipation. I leaned away pulling my breast out of her mouth. Lana’s face was flushed and she looked up at me with wide loving eyes.

“Do you want me to lick your pussy?”

Lana just stared so I kissed her lips, “I know you want me to eat your pussy, admit it.”

“Yes,” the word was said softly but it filled me with anticipation. I slid down grabbing her panties and pulling them smoothly off. Then I stood up and tossed my panties to one side.

“Take off your shirt.”

Lana sat up and pulled the t-shirt off and tossed it toward the closet. I felt a thrill of domination run through me as she responded to my commands. Then I climbed back onto the bed and I pushed her knees apart and started kissing the soft creamy inner thigh just above her right knee. I took my time as I worked my way toward her vagina. Slowly, lovingly, I kissed my way to Lana’s soft center and as I got closer to the prize the taste and texture of her skin changed. The smell of female arousal was so strong I wanted to bury my face in her crotch. Instead, I blew gently on her glistening lower lips and Lana moaned and squirmed in response. Her pussy was cleanly shaved and the moisture of her excitement made me even hornier.

“Ohhhh . . . stop teasing me.”

I ignored her and went to her left knee and repeated the process, slowly, I approached her pussy. This time when the texture of the skin changed and I could taste a salty flavor I continued on until I was able to run my tongue over her outer lips.

“Oh, god, oh god, Ku, what are you doing to me!”

I now went to work licking and stroking and her pussy got wetter and wetter, then I started using my fingers to spread her vagina lips and rub her clitoris. This allowed me to use my tongue to lick her inner folds dividing my attention between her clit and her sweet lips. I set up a rhythm of licking and stroking and she started to writhe in passion.

“Oh, god, don’t stop, don’t stop.”

Abruptly her body clench up and Lana grabbed my head pushing my face into her pussy. For a second I had trouble breathing but then I was back to work licking and stroking.

“Ahhhhh!!!!!”

I could feel her shudder under the force of her orgasm and knowing from past experience I kept at it until I’d taken her through the heights of passion. When I lifted my face I could feel saliva and pussy juice on my chin but I still moved up to lick and stroke her breasts. However, Lana was on fire now.

“You’re turn, roll over,” she said, pushing me onto my back. I was so horny I couldn’t stand it. Lana moved between my legs and went to work. The feeling of her lips on my vagina drove me wild, and when she parted my outer lips and started licking, inside and out, I had to grab handfuls of blanket to either side.

“Oh, oh, oh, oh. . . .”

Then I felt something different at the outer edge of my pussy. I tried to lift myself up to see what she was doing and then I felt her push a pair of fingers up inside of me. I was so wet they slid right in and for a second I thought my ears would pop. Then Lana worked a third finger into me. Now she went to work stroking, in and out, up and down hitting the perfect angle as she stimulated the secret bundle of nerves, of my G-spot. Jolts of pleasure shot through my body and every never ending was alive with desire. I felt my whole body tense up at the amazing sensations hitting my system.

I’d thought my earlier sessions, exploring Kristina’s body, had been intense but they were nothing compared to this. In and out, in and out, in and out, Lana kept building up a rhythm and I felt my body clench up in preparation for an explosion. I was now lifting my hips in time to meet her thrusts and I had my legs spread as far as I could get them. In that moment I was driven over the edge of a cliff and my inner muscles spasmed trying to clamp onto her fingers while I moaned in pleasure. But Lana didn’t stop, she kept up the rhythm she’d established until my body was shuddering in aftershock of the most amazing orgasm I’d ever had. Lana didn’t stop. My body was already responding to the stimulation rapidly climbing the mountain for the second time.

“Oh, God, what are you doing?” I could hear the awe in my voice.

“Shush, Kris, just enjoy.”

Somehow Lana managed to slide forward without disrupting what she was doing with her hand to start sucking and licking my breasts. The dual stimulation was so intense that I almost came in that moment. My second orgasm put the first one to shame and made me realize I’d only scratched the surface of the pleasure this body was capable of.

“Hmmmm . . .”

I heard the soft feminine moan and thought that I’d just been having the best dream. The dream involved flashes of clarity, passion, and hot lesbian sex. I smiled, and rolled onto my back, the feeling of extra flesh on my chest shifting and settling to either side brought me fully awake, and I realized I’d been the one to moan.

I opened my eyes and spotted long blonde hair and then looked over at the soft shape in bed next to me. ‘Oh, God, what have I done?’ I wondered. Then I realized what I’d thought was a pleasant dream had really happened.

“I’m so dead.”

Lana sighed, and readjusted, and I used her movement to cover my escape from the bed. As I stood up I realized that at some point I’d put my nightgown back on but when I moved to the door I could tell that I’d forgotten to replace my panties. My head was pounding, ‘How much did I drink last night?’ I thought as I made my way down the cold hall to the bathroom.

I pushed open the bathroom door and flicked on the lights wincing at how bright they were. I took a quick look in the mirror, blonde hair, puffy eyes, flattish face, yup, this was the hung-over Kristina face. I hiked up my nightgown and settled onto the toilet seat. It took me a second to cut loose and I thought I could almost smell the alcohol in my urine. I must have been pissing for something like a minute straight. By now patting my flat, new, parts dry was becoming a normal routine. Then I started up the shower.

I climbed in cautiously and spent several minutes with my head under the stream allowing the hot water to wash away my alcohol induced stink. Feeling a little better I grabbed the loofah added some of the body-wash and went to work scrubbing my borrowed body. Twenty minutes later I wrapped a towel around myself and headed back to the bedroom.

Lana had rolled over onto her side but was still out. I got dressed quickly opting for comfortable underwear, jeans, and a t-shirt. I tried to be as quiet as possible because the last thing I wanted, at the moment, was to wake up Lana. I had no idea what I would say to her. Had I just destroyed the relationship between Kristina and her seemingly bi-curious friend? I knew it was a relationship formed between young girls and carried forward into adulthood and I might have destroyed it. I felt ashamed, and even though I was physically clean I still felt dirty.

I went to the living room and nearly stepped onto a shard of glass on the floor. I’d used Kristina’s broom yesterday, so I got it out and swept up the glass. On the couch I spotted the lap top I’d left there. I opened it and as soon as I typed in the password I saw that I’d missed two Skype calls. Then I spotted Kristina’s phone and it was blinking at me. I went over to it and saw several missed text messages.

Kristina: James, call me! What happened at the Facility?

Kristina: I tried to Skype w you where r u?

Kristina: Called your phone/skype/text . . . I’m worried. Call me

Kristina: You better be in trouble, if not, I’m gonna kill u

I suddenly felt even guiltier, if that were possible. I’d intentionally blown off Kristina because she’d used me and left me in the dark. There was obviously a lot going on here that I didn’t understand, and I was just sitting here in her apartment, like bait. That had made me angry and I’d gone out and done something stupid. With a sigh I picked up Kristina’s phone and dialed my number. I let it ring until it went to voice mail and then hit one.

“Hey, it’s me. I was out last night with Lana, spa, dinner, dancing. Sorry I didn’t see your messages until this morning. So it looks like we’re playing phone tag, so, you’re it.” Then I hit end.

“Who were you calling?”

Lana’s voice made me jump and I turned around. She was standing just inside the living room her brown hair in a morning tussle around her face. Lana took a step forward and I could make out her semi-erect nipples through the thin fabric of the t-shirt.

“Uhm, just a friend. How are you feeling?”

Lana reached up and ran a hand through her hair and then smiled at me.

“I feel like a whole new woman!” she said, grasping her breasts with both hands as if to emphasize her point.

“Well, based on how much you drank, I was expecting you to be hung-over.”

Instead of answering me Lana went over to the vitrine and looked at her reflection in the glass, in a mix of wonder and amusement. With one hand she touched her face, with her other hand she felt her ass, causing the t-shirt to shift and giving me a view of her naked cheek. Then she froze.

“I’m not wearing any underwear.”

She turned around, and looked at me with a frown, “Why aren’t I wearing underwear?”

“Uhm . . . well . . . I, how much do your remember from last night?”

Her frown turned into a scowl and she said suspiciously, “I don’t know. What happened?”

“Err . . . well, now, we . . . both of us weren't exactly sober when we got to the club, if you recall. But then you seemed so frustrated and annoyed with Andrew . . . and when this guy you were dancing with turned out to be such a jerk, you were really eager to get hammered and . . .”

She interrupted me. “Yeah, and so what? You just let this happen? The Kristina I know would never let someone drink until they blacked out! Who knows where else I could have ended up?”

I was blushing with guilt and then I had a flash of anger. “I WAS keeping an eye on you, how do you think you made it safely to my flat? But you’re an adult, and besides you handled yourself pretty well. I was fighting my own fight, when this Elvira person just showed up and started talking my ear off in that annoying voice she has. If you hadn’t escaped the dance floor and scared her off, who knows how long I would have been stuck listening to her babbling.”

At this she froze and then when she looked at me it was with a whole different expression. Gone was the bewildered and slightly confused look, it had been replaced by a look that demanded answers. Every inch of Lana was alert.

“Elvira Chen?” She held out her hand at about shoulder level, “This tall, skinny, black hair, cute?”

I nodded, “Yeah.”

“What did she want from you? Did she ask any strange question or was there anything unusual about her?”

“No, nothing. Ah, just the same old obnoxious El. Probably had a few too many of those pink drinks and just wouldn't shut up.”

“Elvira! Damn it! You must tell me exactly what happened, James.”

When she said this her whole body posture was different. Then it suddenly dawned on me.

“Kristina?!”

At this Lana’s body nodded, “Yeah, for a little while. I don’t have the time to go into details, but I’ve learned a thing or two about astral projection. It's almost morning in Mexico, and I’d been trying to call you and skype with you all night. So I figured I’d give it a shot and see if I was good enough to work the spell on my own and check on you. I made it to my flat, and I saw that you were taking a shower but I sensed another person in the flat. I spotted Lana and there was something odd about her. Most people are surrounded by an aura of spiritual energy that keeps psychic and spiritual predators away. But Lana was lying there with no aura and I reached out to touch her, worried, and as soon as I did, I was sucked into her body.”

“Kristina?!?” The disbelief had turned to surprise.

Lana nodded, “I was worried about you and wanted to talk to you.”

“If you’re there, is Lana in my body?”

At this she shook her head, “No, she’s in here, just . . . sleeping.”

“Okay, what the hell’s going on?”

Lana moved forward stopping only a few feet from me. She tilted her head to one side studying me.

“I’ve never seen myself from this perspective before.”

With that she walked around me in a full circle. I grabbed Lana’s wrist and pulled her around to a stop and forced her to look at me.

“Kristina, what the HELL is going on? Why did I get hauled into the facility? Who is Mr. Black? Why did they ask me about Douglas Stonewall and Jason Drake?”

Kristina looked down at where I’d grabbed her. Then up at me and shook her head as if remembering why she’d originally come to spy on me.

“We don’t have much time. I think you’ve been compromised. I don’t know how, but they know that I used the crystal and that you aren’t the original Kristina. If you go back in to the facility you won’t come out again.”

I nodded, “Okay. What is the New World Research and Development Corporation?”

“They’re a front company for a criminal organization known as the Syndicate.” Then she shook her head, “Look, I don't know how long I've got with this spell. You need to get out now. Get out of the country as fast as you can. Pack light and run.”

“Alright, where should I go? Mexico?”

“No, they’ll be watching the airports now, use a ferry or a train and get to the Continent. We’ll talk tonight and coordinate a location to meet up.”

“Fine, at least with you here, you can help me pack.”

Lana started to nod and then stopped. “James, why isn’t Lana wearing any underwear?”

The question caught me by surprise. “Uhm . . . er . . . maybe she likes sleeping in the buff?” As I said it, I took a step back.

Kristina took a step toward me, “Why does Lana’s crotch feel so STICKY?” She pulled up at the collar of the wide t-shirt to examine the rest of Lana's body. “Is that a hickey?!” she asked, pointing to a dark red spot just above Lana's right breast.

I felt my face turn bright red, “Well . . . we both had a lot to drink last night . . . and we were in bed together, and . . .” I held up my hands in a helpless shrug.

“Are you telling me you had sex with my best friend when she was too drunk to say no?”

“Not at all! She started it!” I protested. “Perhaps you've never noticed, but she's into you, and probably the alcohol brought it out, ok?!” I said, defensively and folded my arms. Once again I forgot I had breasts and squished the girls.

Kristina stopped mid-tirade. “Earlier, you said something about Elvira Chen. Did she bring you or Lana a drink?” At my slight nod she continued, “And you drank it!” The accusation left me feeling confused so it took a second for what she’d said to penetrate my befuddled brain.

“What? Yeah, she wouldn't let me go before we had a drink . . . But I didn’t want it so I gave it to Lana. Why?”

Now Kristina shook her head, Lana’s heavy dark hair swished from side to side. “I think I understand.”

“Well, could you explain it to me?”

Lana looked at me and I could tell she was worried, “Unlike everything you’ve been taught, magic is real.”

That simple statement, uttered so factually, took me by surprise. It shouldn’t have, since I’d been swapped into a female body by magic, but it was the calm, factual, way she said it, that caught me off guard.

“Elvira must have slipped you some kind of psychic potion designed to break down your mental and spiritual barriers. I don’t know what she had planned, maybe just a quiet conversation to find out what you know.” She shrugged, “Or maybe she planned to hit you with some kind of psychic attack while you slept . . . I just don’t know.” Then Kristina paused, “That makes sense, I shouldn’t be able to possess Lana with this spell but there was nothing stopping me from taking her body.” Then she refocused on me. “That would also explain why she was willing to sleep with you, since normally she’d never have done anything like that.” Kristina glared at me, “Did you try to encourage her?”

My mind was racing, replaying the event from last night. “Actually, now that you mention it . . . she touched me by accident, and by now I’ve figured out the two of you like to banter back and forth. So I made a joke, I think I said something like, 'That’s alright, I know you want me.’ And before I knew it, we were kissing and...” Not wanting to give more details, I decided to change the subject. “But this Elvira chick, Lana seemed to know her.”

Kristina looked at me, “Yes, we all went to the University together. Elvira is a year older than me and helped me get my job at the Corporation. She was transferred six months ago to Scotland. After a couple of months she just stopped talking to us.” A strange look flashed over Lana’s face as Kristina reflected, “I had to go up to Glasgow to visit my maternal grandmother and I figured I’d drop in to surprise El. I went over to her flat and when she answered the door she had no idea who I was.” At this Kristina gave me a strange look.

“You mean?”

“Yes, it was Elvira’s body, but El wasn’t home. Of course I didn’t know what was going on at that time. But that was the event that caused me to start digging into the Corporation’s hidden records.” Abruptly, Lana looked at the clock on the wall. “Shit! I’ve probably got a half an hour, tops.” Then before I could say anything she rushed ahead, “Lana doesn’t know anything about magic. She doesn’t work for the Corporation and it would be best if we kept her in the dark.”

With that she rushed back to the bedroom and it hit me. The reason why Elvira looked so familiar was because I’d seen her before in a grainy security video. I followed a little more slowly and got there in time to see Kristina toss the t-shirt to one side and start climbing into Lana’s clothes. Without stopping to look at me she said, “Ring me up a taxi. It would be best if I got Lana back to her flat and into bed before I release her. That way when she wakes up, if we’re lucky, she won’t remember last night. And if she does she’ll think it was just a dream.”

I returned to the living room to grab my phone and placed the call. By the time I got done I caught Kristina going into the bathroom.

“A cab will be here in five minutes.”

“Brilliant.”

A couple of minutes later Kristina opened the door, still looking like a mess. I’d thought that she’d at least brush her hair and teeth but she seemed focused on getting out as fast as possible. I followed Kristina to the door and she paused and turned to face me.

“Remember, you need to run, get out of here as fast as you can. I’ll call you when I wake up.”

“Fine. But when you call I’ll want more answers.”

“Sure,” and then she slapped me. It wasn’t a hard slap, more like a little sting, but I was caught totally by surprise. “What was that for?

“What do you think? Sleeping with my best friend!” Then she was out the door.

I shook my head feeling a little relieved, it wasn’t like I’d given her a date rape drug, and we’d both been drunk, but I still felt like I got off easy.

Kristina had said to travel light and I knew that was sound advice. I went to her closet intending to grab clothes to stuff into her duffel bag and then I saw the backpack. It was light blue and girlie, but it was a backpack, which meant if I was running I’d be able to carry it and have my hands free.

I started to dump everything I could think of into it absently noticing some tubular rubber thing in the bottom. A few changes of underwear, jeans, tights, t-shirts, and then on a whim a dress and matching set of heels. I went to her junk drawers and rummaged through them just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. Satisfied, I rushed into the bathroom and went through Kristina’s cabinets as quickly as I could dumping everything I thought I might need into the pack. Then I returned to the living room.

I did a quick search on line and found that the Eurostar would get me from central London to Brussels in about two hours. If I hurried I could make the one p.m. departure. I briefly considered getting Kristina’s car and leaving it at the station but then decided not to. If anyone were trying to track me, leaving it by the club might throw them off a little. Kristina’s laptop went into a soft leather laptop case and I did a quick inventory of Kristina’s purse and I was ready to go.

Suddenly I heard a loud pounding coming from the front door. For a second everything sort of clicked into place. That wasn’t Kristina or Lana, no way was she back here already. Kristina had said that I was in danger and I needed to run. I felt sure that the danger was now on my doorstep. My training kicked it.

I killed the lights in the apartment and made sure the curtains were pulled tight. By the time I got to the front door the apartment was almost completely dark. Even though my body was moving at a slow deliberate pace I felt like my mind was racing along at warp speed. It was light outside so a dark apartment offered a little advantage and I knew I needed every advantage. I stopped at the closet by the front door where I’d found the broom I’d used earlier today and pulled it out. I continued to the front door to peek out the spy hole while my hands worked to unscrew the broom head. When I looked through the spy hole I saw a pair of men in suits.

“Can I help you?” I shouted through the door tossing the broom head to one side.

“This is the police, open up, we have a warrant.”

“Hold your badge up, so I can see it.”

“Are you refusing to comply?”

“No, I’m asking for proof that you’re cops. Give me your station’s number and I’ll call to verify your identity.”

“Open the door now or we’ll force it open.” As he said this I saw him pull out a small black square package and move toward the door.

I opened Kristina’s bedroom door and stepped inside putting my back to the wall next to the door and held my broom stick tightly to my chest. The nice thing about a broom stick is that it’s almost the exact size of a Japanese Jo and I’d spent thousands of hours training with the Jo staff. I opened my mouth to allow the coming pressure wave to move through my sinus cavity without blowing out my eardrums. ‘One, one-thousand, Two, one-thousand, Three, one-thousand.’

The explosion came a tenth of a second later than I’d been expecting. It wasn’t very loud, as breaching charges go, but in the confined space of the apartment, even prepared, it left my ears ringing. I let the first guy move by and timed my Ski-strike to take the second guy in the ear as he moved past the bedroom. I wasn’t very strong, and didn’t have a lot of weight to put behind the thrust, but I used my legs to drive a twisting motion through my hips, up my lats, through my shoulders, and down my arms. I struck with all the force my one hundred and thirty five pound body could generate and put it right behind the end of the broom handle.

The broom handle was a circle about a half an inch in diameter. Accounting for the energy my muscles added to the weight of my body, all of it behind the thrust, I figured I’d generated about a hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds of force per square inch or three to four hundred pounds per half inch. All of that energy was concentrated on a surprise strike that connected with a crunching noise against the man’s temple.

He dropped bonelessly to the floor, his body going into convulsions. I glanced to the right and confirmed that there wasn’t anyone else outside the apartment, then moved toward the living room. I didn’t hurry, instead I focused on being smooth and aware. I carried my Jo in the high ready position and got to the living room just as the first goon turned around to look for his partner. I was shocked to see he was carrying a gun! I didn’t give him a chance to react. I had the light from the hallway behind me and the guy hesitated. I brought my improvised Jo down in a Shomenuchi strike to his wrist.

The crack of his wrist breaking was louder than the sound of the gun falling to the floor. I used my forward momentum to take a forward slide step and then moved smoothly to one side while I brought my weapon up and spun it around my head. Then I brought it down at an angle against the side of his head, in a classic Yokomenuchi strike. As I moved I could hear the whistling snap of the round wooden staff cutting through the air before it connected with his head.

The second thug dropped to the floor. For a second I stood there, utterly still. Nothing moved. It was a moment of perfect silence, a moment of ultimate beauty. Then reality returned.

“Son-of-a-Bitch!”

I knew I had to move quickly so I hurriedly collected my backpack, purse, and laptop case. I sat them by the door and then closed it as much as I could before turning the lights back on. The door was ruined and wouldn’t stay closed, but for now it would do.

I knelt to check the pulse of the guy in Kristina’s hallway. He wasn’t breathing and there was no pulse. The large purple bruise above his ear and the blood trickling from his nose and ear told me I’d probably crushed his skull and caused a massive brain hemorrhage. I returned to the living room and checked the guy there. He was breathing, probably had a concussion and certainly he had a broken wrist.

I went into the kitchen. It took a few seconds but I found some duct tape under the sink along with a few tools Kristina kept in the apartment. I returned to the unconscious thug. I rolled him onto his back and taped his arms together starting at the elbows all the way to the wrists. Then I wrapped a strip around his mouth encircling his whole head a couple of times. I checked to make sure he could breathe and then I gave his eyes the same treatment. Unable to see or talk he should feel pretty helpless. Lastly, I tapped his legs together. ‘That ought to hold him for a little while.’ I thought. Hopefully, he didn’t have back up waiting on the street. But then if these guys were from the company where Kristina worked they’d struck me as semi-trained amateurs. A real team would never have passed the bedroom. An unknown threat at your back was really stupid. I looked at my watch, exactly five minutes since the charge had destroyed Kristina’s door.

“Okay you’ve got two minutes Jimmy-boy, make’em count.”

With that I searched the guy who’d come through the door first. His credentials said, Sgt Thomas Murphy, NWRDC – Security. They were from the corporation.

“Time to go.”

I returned to the hallway, picked up my gear and headed carefully down to the street. I didn’t feel like messing with public transportation at this point so I pulled out my phone and called a taxi service. I gave them a corner three blocks from the apartment and then hung up. As I hurried along I started to realize that the backpack stuffed with everything I could think of along with my laptop and purse was a lot of weight.

“Damn, girl-body!” I cursed and stuck to my steady pace.

I hadn’t had time to worry about fixing myself up for the trip, I’d skipped makeup, and decided to use my time waiting for the taxi to pull my hair back. I dug into the backpack, ‘Why is it that whenever you want something it’s all the way at the bottom?’ I wondered. Then I spotted the rubber object that had been in the bottom of the backpack. I started to pull it out curious about the soft rubber and the round tubular shape of the object. I had it about half way out of the backpack before the size, shape, and texture registered. I looked down and it took me a half a second to understand what I was seeing. Then I dropped it as if my hand was on fire.

“Shit!” I said, softly, looking around as my face heating up with embarrassment.

‘Why the hell does Kristina have a purple dildo in the bottom of her backpack?’ I thought. Once I was sure no one had seen my accidental discovery I dug back in and found a hair tie. It only took a few seconds to get my hair pulled back into a ponytail, and I tried not to think about what happened in the flat. If I was lucky I’d fit in with the Euro backpacking crowd. Kristina was young enough to pull it off.

I had to wait almost ten minutes for the taxi to get to my corner and spent the whole time listening for the wail of sirens. I breathed a sigh of relief when the cab pulled up and I climbed in without hearing anything abnormal. I asked the driver to take me to the central London Eurostar station and then leaned back and tried to relax. One of the more useful things I’d learned in the military was how to compartmentalize things and how to relax on demand. I used that skill now taking the events of the last hour and sealing them off to be examined later while I closed my eyes and focused on breathing deeply. I started with my toes, wiggle, and relax. Lower legs, clench relax, upper legs, clench, relax I slowly worked my way up my body forcing my heart rate and blood pressure into a normal range.

By the time I arrived at the train station I felt like nothing odd had happened. I paid the cabbie and frowned when I realized that I was going through Kristina’s cash at a pretty high rate. I just hoped that Kristina’s credit cards weren’t maxed out or this was going to be a very short run. Then I realized that I needed to be careful using plastic. If the corporation was as savvy with technology as they were with magic, tracing my movements via my credit card purchases would be very easy.

I didn’t worry about security until I dropped my pack, purse, and laptop onto the belt that would take it through the scanner and it hit me. Would they see the toy hidden inside? I felt my face flush, but there really wasn’t anything I could do about it now. ‘Why the fuck, didn’t I toss that into a trash can?’ I wondered.

I went through the metal detector and moved over to collect my items. There was a tall man in uniform who handed me my backpack.

“Does this belong to you, ma’am?” The smirk on his face made me realize it was possible to blush from your hair to your toes.

“Uhm . . . well . . . yes.”

“Enjoy, your holiday.”

I took the pack from him and collected my purse and laptop case. ‘The prick, he just assumes that because I’ve got a sex toy in my pack I’m on holiday!’ I thought, furiously. I moved away from the security check point before I realized that maybe distracting the agent as I went through security wasn’t such a bad thing.

I settled into my seat just a bit before the train accelerated away from the station. Kristina’s visit, possession of Lana, and revelations had left me feeling even more off balance than the body swap. Then the attack from the Corp, that was unexpected, but it explained Kristina’s fear and the reason why she’d acted the way she did when she couldn’t get in touch with me. I sat there trying to puzzle my way through what I knew and what I’d observed and there were still more questions than answers.

Being tracked was going to be a problem. I pulled out my phone and removed the battery before returning it to my purse. Then I got out my laptop and did the same thing. Now, at least no one could track me until I allowed it. I felt a little safer and closed my eyes. How did I get myself into all of this? My days of doing this kind of shit were supposed to be over. The movement of the train sort of lulled me, making me feel drowsy, and before I knew it I was out.

Normally, I sleep deeply and wake up refreshed unable to recall anything I dreamed. Now, I tossed and turned fitfully my dreams filled with color and light and me running from some unidentifiable threat. I woke up several times and then went back to sleep for most of the two hour trip. Then I awoke with a start when we pulled into the station in Brussels. For a long second I couldn’t figure out who I was, or where I was.

Then a lose strand of blonde hair fell into my eyes and it all came rushing back. Obviously, the Syndicate was behind the attack, what would they tell the police? Or would they clean it up themselves? Then I thought about Kristina possessing Lana, and the mind blowing sex I’d had with Lana last night. That thought left me more than a little confused.

Everyone else, in the train, was up and moving, but I wasn’t in a hurry. I spent a minute just watching the people around me. ‘People are people,’ I decided as I watched them hurry to get off the train. At last, I stood up and reached up to pull down my backpack and settled the weight on my shoulders. ‘God, this feels heavy,’ I thought, as I pulled it from the overhead storage. Yet, another, reminder that I was now much weaker, physically, than before. I slung my purse over my shoulder and picked up my laptop case by the handle and exited the train. Once on the platform I wasn’t in a hurry, so I paused to look around.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to do next. Kristina had wanted me to go to ground in Europe, but I didn’t have a destination. I could grab another train at random but that would require plastic. As risky as it was I needed to make contact with Kristina. That meant I needed a phone. I pulled out my phone, snapped the battery in, and powered it up. I didn’t have any missed calls or texts from Kristina, but I did have a missed call from Lana.

She was probably trying to figure out why she’d woken up in her bed, in her flat, when she’d gone to bed with me. I figured Kristina had taken care of the Lana situation somehow, and at the moment there were more important matters to consider. I dialed my cell phone number and it went straight to voice mail.

“Kristina, call me. Things have changed since we talked. This is urgent.” Then I hit end.

Okay, the next priority was to find a safe place to kill some time until Kristina called. If she was in Mexico then it would be around eight a. m. But I figured that probably didn’t mean much, since she’d spent most of her night calling and sending me texts and then, once desperate enough, she’d used her new ability to astral-project herself to check in on me. Based on all of that I was guessing she was tired and wouldn’t be calling for a few hours. That meant I could either find a public place to wait, like a café or I could hole-up somewhere like a hotel. I opted for the hotel.

Since I’d already powered it up, I figured there was no harm in using my phone, so I clicked on an App to locate hotels close to my current position. It came back in a couple of seconds with one hundred and twelve hits! I pick one at random the Floris, just a little over half a mile away. I could either use the metro or walk. I opted for the hike, I needed to take advantage of every opportunity to get some exercise in this body.

The Floris was a nice looking hotel and I felt a little underdressed when I went into the main lobby. I moved up to the counter and a short thin man, with advanced male pattern baldness looked up at me.

“Goede dag, hoe kan ik u helpen?”

“Hi, could I get a room for one night?”

“Certainly,” he switched to a lightly accented English so smoothly I wondered how many English speaking customers he got.

“Will this be for one, or do you have a traveling companion?”

“Just me.” I said, and dragged out one of Kristina’s credit cards.

The room was on the third floor and turned out to be a little nicer than I’d been expecting. It had a combined bedroom-living area with a window that gave me a good view of the street in front of the hotel. I collapsed onto the couch feeling wore out, but strangely not tired.

I leaned back and closed my eyes. I was a little surprised that I hadn’t gotten a text or had a missed call from Kristina. I really needed to talk to her, there was so much going on I didn’t understand. Just then my stomach rumbled and I realized I hadn’t eaten anything except a granola bar today.

“Well, time to see if this place has room service.” I said to the empty room and stood up.

I toyed with the idea of going out to a café but if I did I’d need to take everything with me. If I left anything here I might as well consider it gone. Getting separated from your gear on a mission meant missing gear. I picked up the hotel menu and was happily surprised to see everything printed in English, Deutsch, and French.

‘Late lunch or early dinner?’ I wondered as I dug into a veggie wrap. “At least I can still eat fries. What I wouldn’t give for a nice steak right now.”

I glanced at Kristina’s phone for the tenth time. I still didn’t have anything from Kristina. I felt very exposed at the moment. I didn’t have any proof that the Syndicate had the expertize to track me using technology, but I hated taking the risk.

“Alright, Jimmy-boy, what are the priorities?” I said, thinking out loud. “One. Survival. Two. Link up with Kristina. Three. Get your body back.”

I took a sip of the diet coke that had accompanied my meal. “Assets?” I looked over at the backpack, “Three days’ worth of clothes.” I then surveyed my computer and phone, “Decent comms.” Inside Kristina’s purse were credit cards and an ATM card. “Adequate funds.”

I paused to spend a few seconds eating and then returned to my planning. “Liabilities. Any use of comms or electronic funds risks exposure.” Then I looked down at my body, “Physically, very limited direct action capability.”

I finished the wrap and checked my phone, still nothing. “Time to focus on survival.” I said to the empty room. ‘I need resources with lower exposure risks,’ I thought. I glanced at Kristina’s ATM card and credit cards, a trip to the bank was in order. There were other options for getting untraceable funds, but everything that I could think required me to break the law in some way. And while survival was more important than keeping a clean record, those ideas held risks. I also knew I was on the clock.

I’d left a dead body in Kristina’s apartment. I wasn’t sure how the law in the UK would go on this one. It was obvious that they’d blown my door down and I’d had to defend myself. I’d wiped the broom down and screwed the head back on before leaving so the weapon might be a bit of a mystery. Or not. I was pretty sure that if the situation were, in any way normal, Kristina should have stayed and called the police and claimed self-defense. So, what was the risk? Best case, the Syndicate cleaned it up. Not wanting the exposure from a failed kidnapping attempt and the death of one of its employees. Worst case, the Syndicate tampered with the scene to make it look like I was a murderer . . . er . . . murderess. Most likely? I had to admit that I didn’t know. I lacked the information I needed to make the assessment.

“Okay, Jimmy-boy, hope for the best, plan for the worst. You’ve got a few hours and then assume there is a warrant out for your arrest. You need to fall off the grid quickly.”

Done eating I grabbed my gear, I’d seen a bank on the walk to the hotel. Time to get as many Euros as possible.

The trip to the bank was uneventful if a little nerve wracking. I couldn’t tell if people were looking at me because they thought I looked odd, or out of place, or if this was just the way the world reacted to a beautiful woman. I’d made the max withdrawal on all the cards and Kristina’s ATM, this resulted in several hundred euros.

It was starting to get dark when I made it back to the hotel. I was feeling full of nervous energy so I figured a workout was in order. I’d brought sweats and spent the next two hours going through a routine that left me gasping for breath. Once done I went to the shower and got the water running and just then I heard my phone ring. I rushed back to the living area and picked it up off the desk where I’d left it. It was my number so I pushed ‘talk.’

“Kristina?”

“Yeah, James, it’s me. What’s so urgent? What happened?” It was my voice, but it sounded tired.

“After you left the Syndicate showed up at your place. Two thugs with guns blew the door.”

“Oh, my God! Are you alright? How did you get out?” Now the fatigue was gone from his voice and I had his full attention.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I took them down and ran. I’m in Brussels right now. Where do you want to meet?”

There was a pause, “You took them down?” The disbelief was a little insulting.

“Yes, I took them down. I killed one and left the other tied up.”

“You KILLED one?” The shock in his voice was clear. “Are you telling me you killed someone?!” Now there was shock, horror, and disbelief in his strong voice.

“Kristina, calm down and focus.” I said as calmly as I could. “They blew down the door with a breaching charge and were carrying guns. I didn’t think they wanted to have a lovely chat over tea.” I said the last part a little more harshly than I intended. “We need to talk about this, but save it for later. Now, WHERE do you want me to meet you?”

There was a long pause, and then my former voice sound calmer, “James, I’m sorry to have dragged you into all of this . . . I never thought they’d try to kill you . . . uh . . . me.”

“Kristina, we can talk about this LATER, right now, I need you to focus. I’ve got to keep moving. I’m too exposed and too public to sit still. If I do they’ll probably catch me.”

“Okay, can you get to Berlin?”

“I think so.”

“Alright, I’ll text you an address. I’ve got a friend there, Jenny Hömann, she’ll help you . . . er . . . me.”

“Fine. Have you figured out how to swap us back?”

“Uhm, no, but I’ve learned a lot. I’ve got some new friends, they’ve agreed to help us. They’re kind of the opposition to the Syndicate. Look, I’ll explain everything when I see you. I should be able to be there in two days.”

“Alright, I’ll see you in two days!” Then I pushed the end button.

Less than thirty seconds later my phone buzzed and I looked at the text message:

Kristina: Stirnerstraße 33b, Berlin

Me: Got it. Shutting off my phone. I’ll call or text you in twelve hours.

I found a pen and paper on the hotel desk, jotted down the address and then killed the phone and popped out the battery. I had two days to get to Berlin, well, staying at a friend’s house would be much better than a hotel. I glanced at my watch, it was starting to get late. ‘I bet they’ve got trains leaving here at all times of day.’ I thought.

An all night train trip would be perfect, if they had one. I jumped into the shower trying to ignore my body and just focus on getting clean. My hair had gotten sweaty and stinky so I washed as quickly as possible, hoping that I wasn’t adding to much risk. Something just told me that I needed to be out of here as soon as possible. I was still uncomfortable with the girl routine, but I reminded myself that I need to blend in. Looking small, harmless, and female was now my best protection. If it took an extra twenty minutes to blend in with the rest of the female population, so be it, it might save my life later.

As it turned out it took almost a half hour to blow dry my hair, and another fifteen to put on a touch of makeup and get into a set of traveling clothes. By the time I left the hotel the temperature had dropped and I was wishing I had more than just the light leather jacket I’d taken from Kristina’s place.

I tried to hurry, but I’d worked out pretty hard and I soon had to slow down and pace myself. I got to the train station without any incident. It was now after 21:00 and I discovered there was an overnight train that departed at 23:41 and arrived at 08:13 in Berlin. Luckily there were plenty of seats, I got a funny look when I paid cash, but from this point on I planned to limit my use of anything that could be traced electronically. Hopefully, the syndicate wasn’t powerful enough to access government records, or they’d see that I’d entered Germany.

With nothing else to do I found a shop selling magazines. The latest Field & Stream, magazine was out and the cover article talked about Elk hunting. Just as I reached out to pick it up I spotted the nail polish on my right hand. It was slightly chipped from my failure to properly take care of Kristina’s hands, but it was an instant reminder of who and what I was. A cute, blonde, sitting in the train station reading a hunting magazine would be a little odd. In resignation I looked around for a fashion magazine, if I couldn’t read something fun, then I might as well do some research.

I took my time looking through the magazines, I had plenty of time to kill and this gave me a chance to people watch while I looked. There were people of all varieties moving through the train station and I realized that this was a place that never really slept. I could see families arriving and meeting loved ones, young people obviously intent on exploring Europe, and others who appeared to be traveling for business. In many ways it reminded me of an airport, but it had an older feel, as if the period of time that had given birth to the train station was very different from today. There were plenty of modern things, so maybe it was just my American perspective that colored my impression.

I finally settled on a fashion magazine and then impulsively grabbed the issue of Field & Stream. I figured I could put the one inside the other and then people would think I was reading something on fashion. The woman at the cash register was a little older than me and looked bored as she rang up my purchases. It almost surprised me that I didn’t even get a second look.

The wait proved uneventful and even though I didn’t get a sleeper car the seat I had was quite large and reclined with a leg rest coming out so that it was almost in a bed. As luck would have it another woman, traveling by herself took the seat next to me and then a group of nuns filled the next two rows. ‘Good,’ I thought, ‘no kids and maybe some divine protection.’

The train pulled smoothly away from the station and I closed my eyes. The last twenty four hours had taken a toll on me and I could feel my body wanting to shut down for some much needed rest.

I don’t normally dream. However, since becoming Kristina my sleep had been filled with dreams. It was no different now. It started out with me, in uniform, in the field. It was a training event, land navigation, our team was moving toward the objective when the ambush happened. Everyone reacted with precision each person knew their job and went at it, except me.

I knew that if I got down on the ground it would get my dress dirty. Then I sort of blinked in the dream, instead of wearing the full battle rattle I was expecting I had on a frilly white dress.

“What the hell?”

I looked around but the fire fight had continued while I was distracted. The team was moving forward breaking out of the ambush; Sgt. Davis looked back at me.

“Frost, get your butt in gear or you’ll get us all killed.”

Then he looked ahead just as his MILES (Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System) gear went off. “Fuck, now I’m dead!” he said and glared at me. “Well, are you going to get that pretty little butt moving or not? We didn’t train you to sit around and let the enemy come at you. Attack the ambush!”

I tried to explain that I was a girl and that I wasn’t in the service when the dream shifted. I found myself back in Kristina’s apartment. The door was wide open as a group of men in suits entered. The thug I’d tied up was free and he met them at the door. I couldn’t hear anything but they pulled out a long canvas bag and rolled the body of the second thug into it, zipping it up. While they were at work I saw someone else had taken my door off the hinges and to my surprise they had another door they were already fitting onto the apartment.

Then one of the guys, older, with a touch of grey in his rust red hair, froze and looked around. At last, as if sensing me, he looked in my direction and said something and his eyes started glowing. At that I panicked and tried to run, and the dream faded away.

I found myself still in that same white dress, but now I was on a train. Not the same car that I was sleeping in but rather the dining car, and there were four men that drew my attention as they ate. They all had the look of low level crooks and it made me wonder what they were up too. If I were to guess they were locally hired cheap muscle, but for what?

“The boss said she’d be on this train.” The oldest crook said, and took a long pull from his beer.

“What’re we supposed to do, again?” The smallest of the group asked.

“Easy, find her, and at the next stop escort her from the train. Then we just hold her and call the boss in. She said, that she’d pick the girl up herself.”

The crook of African descent spoke up, “Too, easy.” And cracked a couple of knuckles.

“What if she causes a fuss?” The small guy asked looking a little worried.

“That’s what we’ve got this for.” The leader held up a small glass jar with a clear liquid. “The boss said put some of this on a rag and then hold it to her mouth. After she breathes it in she’ll do anything we ask.”

The little guy sat up and a creepy grin filled his face showing off rotten teeth. “Anything?”

Now all four were grinning, “Yeah, and the boss said that she wants the girl, alive, but she didn’t say anything about us not having some fun with her while we wait.”

With that the dream faded and I found myself shivering as I sat up. I looked around the dark passenger car and didn’t see anyone moving. ‘Was that a dream? Or something more than a dream?’ I wondered. It had, and it hadn’t, felt like a dream. The quality had been dream-like, but it had been so vivid and there was no doubt in my mind that the guy in Kristina’s flat had seen me, somehow. Did that mean those criminals were actually on this train?

As quietly as I could I collected my gear and moved into the aisle, the best way out of an ambush was to push through it. If I just waited for them I was doomed. I’m good, but even in my body, I wouldn’t have wanted to take on four guys at once. Now I didn’t even want to fight one of them if I could figure out a way around it.

I hadn’t done any exploring when I’d boarded the train and now I regretted that, it’s always good to know the ground when you’re facing a fight. I turned right and decided to try going forward to see what I could find. As I moved through the compartment I spotted a couple, obviously together since she was snuggled into him, sleeping. On the seat next to the woman was a large hat, without slowing down I snagged the hat and as soon as I opened the door into the next car I put it on. It didn’t really fit me but I could use the floppy brim to hide behind, it was a poor disguise, but it was something.

It took me a few minutes to figure out that I was headed to the dining car. I pushed the door open and when I spotted the four guys I felt my blood run cold. They looked just like they had in my dream! I didn’t know what was going on but I turned around and headed back the way I’d come. As I did out of the corner of my eye I saw one of the guys point in my direction. “Shit!”

I knew better than to run, but I moved as quickly as I could. As I passed the sleeping couple I dropped the hat back onto the empty chair. If they’d seen the hat, maybe this would slow them down. I doubted it, though.

I passed through several passenger cars and paused only to grab my gear before continuing aft. When I saw the sleeper cars I cars I was tempted to break into one of them. I shook my head, dumb idea, although the fearsome foursome had no idea if I’d booked a sleeper or a seat, I was suddenly sure they had a way of checking. I just needed to find a place to hide. I kept going further and further back, not seeing a good hiding place. At last I got to a door to a car that wouldn’t open. ‘Crap, I’ve reached the end.’ I thought, and in the dim light provided between the cars saw that this was the baggage car.

I tried the handle again, and it didn’t budge, then in desperation I dug into Kristina’s purse and pulled out a credit card. I pushed and pulled the door a couple of times to see how much slack was in the lock. Satisfied, I leaned against the door and then pushed my credit card in, wiggling it against the bolt. It was lose, with, a little luck . . . It took several tries but then I slipped the card between the tongue and the lock, and the door pushed open.

I moved into the dark compartment and was instantly struck by how cold it was. This part of the train wasn’t heated! I pulled out Kristina’s key ring, attached to it was a small flashlight and I used it to look around. The passenger’s luggage was neatly stacked waiting to be off loaded at the proper destination. Just then I heard someone rattle the door to the baggage car. I could see shadows through the frosted glass window in the door and I moved away between a set of shelves.

Could it be the thugs who’d spotted me earlier? I wasn’t sure but I was hoping that they didn’t have the same idea that I’d had to pick the lock. Then the rattling stopped and I let out a sigh. ‘Alright, Jimmy-boy, time to get off this rolling death trap. As soon as the train stops, get off and let it take those creeps as far from you as possible. There are other ways to get to Berlin.’ I thought to myself.

I sat my backpack on the floor and used it as a seat while I leaned against the wall behind me. “Well, this isn’t first class, or even coach,” I said to the darkness, “but at least it’s dark, quiet, and safe.”

I wrapped my arms around myself trying to conserve heat and started shivering as the cold began to soak in. As I shivered I looked at all the luggage around me, I was willing to bet that somewhere in all of that baggage there was a coat. Just then there was the sound of a key turning in the lock and I barely had time to pull my feet in when the door opened and someone flipped on the overhead light switch.

“Now, which bag is yours?”

I peaked between the luggage racks and saw a man in the uniform of a train conductor looking over at the short crook from the dinner car. Next to him was the slightly taller guy who’d remained silent during the conversation.

“Be a good chap, and stand over there please. Be quiet and don’t move, we’ll just be needing a bit of a look around.” The short guy said, and I could see a handkerchief in his hand. The conductor moved over and stood where he was told like it was the most natural thing in the world.

‘Shit, shit, shit, shit,’ I thought. ‘My dream was right!’ There was absolutely no way, I was going to allow them to use whatever it was, that they’d put on that hanky, on me! I slowly moved to a low squat and got ready. The short guy led the way down the narrow walkway between the shelves. When he was a few feet away I moved. I stepped into the aisle and shouted, “Surprise!” I threw my backpack at his face and caught off guard he brought his hands up to block. That gave me the target I’d wanted and I planted a front thrust kick with all the power I could generate into his groin.

The nice thing about boots, from a fighting perspective, is that the toes and heels are great weapons. The hard toe of my leather boot made solid contact with his groin and he folded over. The back of his head was a perfect target for an ax kick, I just had to be careful since the aisle was too narrow for a normal wind up. Instead, I stepped back and did a sliding front leg ax kick that used the heel of my boot to make solid contact with the back of his head. He hit the ground, hard.

The second thug looked at me, shock written plainly on his face, what I wouldn’t have given for a nice 9mm at that moment. I moved over the semi-conscious guy on the ground and tried a step behind side thrust kick. He just moved back out of range. Now I was in the wider area of the baggage car and he grinned at me.

“I always liked girls with some spunk.”

He lunged forward and grabbed my left wrist. Big mistake. I kicked him with my right leg in the left shin, he did the normal thing, bending over slightly in the direction of the pain. His grip also loosened just a little. I reached over to grab his wrist with my right hand and ducked under the arm that had been holding my left wrist and then spun around in a tight circle so I ended up facing him. As I did I applied a Sanyko lock.

He tried to turn toward me reaching out with his free hand to grab me and I stepped back with my left foot creating a little separation between us and then, with my hips and legs behind the move, I used all the force I could generate to sharply twist his wrist into him. The crack of his wrist breaking reminded me of the sound a bat makes when it hits a ball.

For most people, unless they’ve made pain a friend, on a daily basis, that first blow, slap, or joint popping out of its socket, is uniquely painful and shocking experience. Pain and I are old friends, in fact we’re on a first name basis, evidently that wasn’t the case for tall, dark, and silent.

“Arghhhhh . . .”

I let go of the now broken wrist and not wanting to risk breaking a hand on his head, did a front heel kick to his jaw as he stood there hunched over cradling his arm. I felt my heel make a satisfying crunch and he dropped onto his side. The first guy was starting to move so I rushed over to where he’d dropped the hanky and put it over his nose and mouth before he was fully aware of what was going on. It took second but I saw a change come over his body, it was as though all the tension fled, he just sort of relaxed. I moved the hanky away.

“Sit down, and don’t move.”

He drew his legs under himself and sat cross-legged. I moved over to the conductor who was just standing there watching but not moving.

“Give me your keys.”

Woodenly he unclipped a large key ring and handed it to me.

“Go back to your seat, sit down, close your eyes and take a nap. When you wake up you’ll be back to your normal self and not remember any of this, got it?”

He seemed to focus on me and then nodded, “Yes, Ma’am.” With that he shuffled out of the baggage car closing the door behind him.

I cringed a little at the ma’am but ignored it. The second goon wasn’t moving yet but I went over to him and used the hanky on him. I could see his body relax as whatever it was took effect. I didn’t know if he could hear me but I figured it couldn’t hurt.

“Sleep. Forget everything you saw inside this baggage car.”

A second later a soft snore escaped his lips so I crossed my fingers and went to the short, sexual predator. I studied him for a minute, he had sandy brown hair, his dark brown eyes were glassy, and he looked like he could have a few less beers in his diet.

“Tell me your name.”

“Patrick MacDonald.”

“Okay, Patty, why were you looking for me?”

“Because Big John got a contract to grab you.”

“Who put the contract out?”

“I don’t know, some broad, I didn’t talk to her, or see her.”

“Do you know anything else about her?”

“John, thought she was hot, but said she had the eyes of a killer.” Then he grinned, “John’s got her phone number, we’re supposed to call her once we’ve got you.”

“Okay, Patty, I want you to get up and go over to your buddy over there and spoon him, and take a nap.”

For a brief second I’d considered having Pat fuck his buddy and let him have those memories. Particularly, when I thought about the dream and what it would have been like for me to have been at the mercy of these guys. But I didn’t do it. It would’ve been unprofessional, and besides, it would have made me responsible for a rape. Pat moved over to his buddy and laydown snuggling up to him.

“Oh, Patty, when you wake up, you won’t remember anything that happened in the baggage car. You came in and then just woke up. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Then almost as an afterthought, I did a quick search of my two goons’ pockets. I ignored their IDs but took all the cash. They each had a pair of knives and tall and silent had a Leatherman. I stowed these in my backpack. Then very carefully I put the hanky in a side pocket. I wished I had some hand sanitizer because I didn’t want to risk accidently smelling my own hand! For now there was nothing I could do so I started looking around. That’s when I spotted the hanging bag with the large Roman Cross embroidered on it. One of the great things about transportation security these days is that you can’t lock your checked bags.

I opened the hanging bag and grinned, “Bingo!”

When I left the baggage car I was wearing a full nun’s habit. I stopped at the first bathroom I found and checked myself in the mirror. I couldn’t believe how much the clothes changed my appearance. I made sure to wash my hands twice before leaving and rather than return to my compartment I picked an empty seat just a few cars from the baggage car.

It wasn’t long after I’d found my seat that the other two thugs made their way back toward the baggage car. I hoped they had a plan for getting the door open. I grinned, remembering that when I’d left I’d put the key in the door, and then using the Leatherman’s plyers, twisted the key in the lock breaking it. Opening that door would take a lot of work now. ‘Unless someone thought to use a credit card,’ I reminded myself.

About twenty minutes later the train pulled into the station at Hagen. I slipped off the train, it was very early and I moved quietly through the train station to a spot where I could watch the platform without being observed. I saw the leader of the thugs get off and look around, then just before the train pulled out he got back on board. He looked red-faced and frustrated. Once the train was gone I let myself breathe a sigh of relief. I went through the station and found a security guard by the main entrance.

He saw me coming and nodded, “Guten Morgen, wie kann ich ihnen helfen?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t speak German.”

The guard smiled, “Ja, what can I help you?”

“Is there a twenty-four hour rental car service, here?”

“Ah, nein . . . sorry.”

“Is there a hotel close?”

“Ja, go out turn right, zwei blocks, nice hotel.”

“Thanks.”

“Bitte sehr.” he said, and tipped his hat.

I found the hotel and even though it looked old enough to have survived WWII the guy at the counter accepted cash. Once in the room I collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

Normally, I’m a light sleeper. I can count the times I’ve slept so deeply that it felt like I was climbing from a deep, dark, comfy, pit into reluctant awareness on two hands. This was one of those times. At some point during the night I’d rolled onto my left side, away from the window, so now I rolled onto my back and glanced at the curtains that diffused the sunlight streaming in.

For a time I just lay there, enjoying the comfort, not wanting to move. Then I felt a cramp and pressed my hand into my stomach. ‘What now?’ I thought, and then it hit me. I’d been laying here, enjoying the simple comfort of being warm and I hadn’t been consciously aware of my female body. Was I now so comfortable as Kristina that I no longer noticed the differences?

“Fuck, just two more days, and then I’m back to being me.” I said, although a part of my mind reminded me that Kristina hadn’t said that she’d swap us back, only that she’d meet me. I became aware that I needed to pee and was a little alarmed that my bottom felt wet.

“Ugh,”

I groaned and threw back the covers and climbed out of the bed and headed to the bathroom. Sitting down to pee was still annoying, but it had become a familiar annoyance. I did my business and patted myself dry, but when I went to pull up my panties I saw that the crotch was dark with blood. In horror I looked into the toilet and confirmed the impossible.

I was bleeding from Kristina’s pussy! For a moment I couldn’t think and then I just sat there and started laughing. Here I was, trapped in the body of a twenty six year old woman, running from some kind of organized criminal group, with magic issues, and to top it off my plumbing had picked this moment to start bleeding! My chuckle turned into a belly laugh that bordered on hysterical, as a comment from Jill popped into my head.

“How can you guarantee that you’ll have your period? Go on vacation.”

I pulled out a wad of toilet paper stuffed it into the crotch of my panties and pulled them up. I knew I’d seen feminine hygiene products in Kristina’s purse so I went in search of them.

It took me far longer to get ready than before. It was like my energy level had just been drained, I even blew off working out for the first time since I’d been in this body. Then when I’d tried to pull on a pair of jeans, they’d just been too tight, it was like my lower body had blown up like a balloon overnight. I only had one dress in my limited supply of clothes, grabbed more on a whim than anything else. It was purple and was made of some kind of soft material. I’d also grabbed a set of black tights to wear under the dress and much to my surprise, I discovered that this outfit was actually comfortable.

Still, I felt totally humiliated it felt like I was wearing a diaper! My male pride wanted to revolt at wearing a dress and then I felt another cramp and I realized I was in no position to even have male pride. When I made it to the lobby I was happy to see that it was empty with only a female clerk behind the counter. She looked up as I approached and gave me a bright smile, “Guten Morgen. Kann ich Ihnen helfen?”

“Ja, ich spreche kein Deutsch.” Then I continued, “Can you give me directions to a place where I can rent a car?”

“Yes, if you go to the train station, keep going straight the auto rental is on the far end of the station.”

“Thank you,” I said and turned in my key.

It was warmer now that the sun was up and I got a better view of the town. There was a part of me that just wanted to rush, get the car and get going. However, the part that was coldly logical knew better than to draw attention, ‘slow and smooth,’ I thought. As I walked I was also aware that my backpack was stuffed now that I also had the nun’s habit packed into it. I felt a little guilty about steeling the clothes and had left a handful of euros in the hanging bag. I’d also considered leaving them at the hotel, but who knows, they’d proven a good disguise once, so I might need them again.

I spotted the train station I couldn’t help taking another look around, this was where I’d ditched the thugs and if they were smart they’d go back and start checking their back trail. Of course figuring out the stop where I’d jumped off would be tough, but they obviously had some resources, they’d found me despite my efforts to keep a low profile.

The most likely reason was they were monitoring my credit cards and saw that I bought a ticket on that train. If they were even more powerful then they’d be monitoring my cell activity. Even worse was the possibility that they could access government records and see where and when I’d crossed a border.

Then I froze for a second as a new thought hit me. What if it was none of the above? What if they were using magic to track me? How would I even know? My heart started racing and I took a deep breath and resumed my walk. I had to be aware of that possibility, but since I didn’t have a way to counter it, I dismiss it for now.

“Focus on what you can control.” I told myself.

Just as I passed the busy main entrance I saw a sign for ‘Hertz’ auto rentals.

“They’ve got a Hertz?”

I couldn’t help grinning at the company’s familiar name. As it turned out renting the car was both easy and frustrating. I had all the necessary identification from Kristina’s purse and I filled out the paperwork. However, even though I wanted to pay with cash, they insisted on running a credit card. If the Syndicate had the ability to monitor my credit activities they’d know in a few minutes that I’d been in Hagen, Germany.

Once again I felt like I was on the clock. The only good thing was that I could use the GPS to calculate a route for me to Berlin. It was after 13:00 by the time I got on the road and even though I was hungry I wanted to get a few miles between me and the rental agency. I spent a few minutes to study the route. The most direct route was too obvious. According to the GPS I’d be there in just under four hours. However, I was betting the Syndicate would be watching that route soon. So what if I took a roundabout way?

The more roundabout route took me through Leipzig and then up to Berlin from the south. It would take me about six hours to get to Berlin but a long drive was nothing new to me. By 16:00 I was getting close to Leipzig and feeling a little light headed from low blood sugar and I was sitting in what felt like a soggy diaper. I saw an exit that looked promising and got off the highway.

Leipzig is a good sized city and the signs showed plenty of places to eat and then I spotted a sign for a Raststätte. As I pulled off I saw what reminded me of a combined, rest area-truck stop in the States. There was even a Shell station for gas. Once I filled up I parked my car by the restaurant/store and headed in looking for the restroom. By this time picking the ladies room over the men’s room was almost an afterthought and when I got into a stall I wasted no time in taking a look.

“Ugh, this is disgusting.”

The damn pad attached to the crotch of my underwear was completely saturated, ‘I guess I needed to change them more often.’ Luckily only a little blood had leaked. I peeled the pad off and wrapped it in a thick wad of toilet paper and attached a fresh one.

“This is gross enough, but I had no idea it also smells bad.”

As I sat there I realized that I had a headache and the cramps I’d been ignoring while driving were worse. I’d needed to find something to help with the discomfort. I’d seen what reminded me of a drug store when I’d come in, hopefully they’d have something I could buy. I finished up in the stall and dropped my messy trash in the bin and then went to the sink to wash up. I was sure that somewhere out there God must hate me. I felt another cramp and my dull headache felt even worse.

I left the restroom and went into the restaurant marked “Serways” and looked around. It reminded me of a cafeteria. Instead of getting a young perky hostess take me to a booth, I had to get a tray and pick food off the line. I got a cup of soup and a salad and then dragged my exhausted body to a booth where I slumped, feeling totally drained. Then I thought to check Kristina’s purse. The only thing she had was aspirin, but at this point I was happy to have it. I took two and then slowly started eating. Between the food and the psychological effect of having taken some medicine I was starting to work my way up to human, by the time I finished lunch.

Just then an older man, wearing shabby clothes, and surrounded by the sickly sweet aroma of body odor slid onto the bench across from me. He gave me a yellow toothed grin and before I could ask what the hell he was doing he said, “Morning, James, how they hang’n. Well, I guess, you wouldn’t know, at the moment. Hehehehe.”

“Kristina?”

The old guy nodded, “Yup, I got up a little early and when you’re phone went to voice mail I decided to try contacting you this way.”

“Do you know what you look like?”

“I saw the guy before I touched him, why?”

“You must not be able to smell in astral form, cause, you stink!”

The guy got a strange look and then he lifted an arm to take a whiff. “I don’t smell anything.”

“Maybe that body’s sense of smell is broken. Hey, I thought you couldn’t just possess people?”

“I normally wouldn’t be able too. But one of my instructors, after I explained what happened with Lana, told me that the weaker willed a person is the more susceptible they are to being influenced. Then he went on to say that over use of drugs and alcohol increase the risk of becoming a victim of a Spiritual predator. So I saw this truck driver sleeping in his rig and wondered if I could possess him. He was a lot harder to get into than Lana, but once I got inside, I’ve got full control.”

“Is his mind, sleeping? Like Lana’s was?”

The guy nodded. “Yeah, so how goes the trip? I was surprised that you weren’t at Jenny’s place. I thought, you’d be in Berlin by now.”

“I ran into a bit of unpleasantness on the train and had to get off in Hagen.” I could see Kristina take a breath to ask me what happened so I lifted a hand to stop her. “But I’ve got a more important issue.” Then I glared at her, “Why didn’t you warn me that I was going to start?”

At this, the man looked confused, “Start? Start what?”

“Yes, start! As in, I’m having your GOD DAMN PERIOD!” I said, it softly but my voice held a good deal of intensity.

The man’s mouth fell open, then in a distinctly feminine move he clapped a hand over it to keep from laughing, although his eyes sparkled and danced while his shoulders shook with suppressed mirth.

“It’s not that funny! Damn it! Stop laughing.” I felt like punching him in the nose, or crying.

“Actually, it is pretty funny,” he said. “I don’t mean to be a bitch, but do you know how many times I’ve wished that the man in my life could go through a period, just once, so he’d understand what I have to go through? Now, here you are, having my period for me.” Then he broke into another fit of giggles. “Awfully . . . kind . . . of you.” he said between giggles.

I didn’t know what to do, all of a sudden, more than anything else I just felt like crying. I knew this was my body’s reaction to the situation, but it felt so real to me. Then there was another part of me that could see how this might be funny, but at the moment I failed to appreciate it, and had no intention of admitting it! Finally there was the cold, professional side of me that saw this as a big distraction from what was really important.

“If you aren’t going to give me any advice dealing with your body’s cycle, then we should move on to business. Four thugs tried to kidnap me from the train. I think I lost them, when I jumped off in Hagen, but then I had to rent a car. I should be in Berlin by seven.”

The laughter left the man’s face and there was suddenly a sympathetic look. “Hey, I didn’t mean it like that, of course I’ll help you. Are you using a tampon?”

I shuddered at the thought, “Are you asking me if I’ve stuck a sponge up YOUR vagina? No, it seemed, I don’t know, kind of gross. I’m just using a pad.”

The guy nodded, “I normally prefer to use a pad. It’s a little messy, but putting a tampon in can hurt. Although, if you have to run, or do anything physical, it would be a good choice.”

“What about medicine?”

“I usually just use aspirin.”

I nodded at that and looked down into my empty coffee cup.

“What do you mean four thugs tried to kidnap you?”

“On the train. The Syndicate had arranged for four guys to grab me. They even had some kind of potion they intended to use on me to get me to do what they wanted.” With that I leaned over and opened up my backpack and pulled out the hanky. I passed it over to Kristina, “Don’t smell it, one whiff and you’ll sort of zone out and do whatever I ask you too.”

The old man poked it with a finger and stared at the hanky for a minute before looking up at me. “I can’t tell you what spell is on it, since the spell has mostly dissipated. It will be totally gone in the next couple of hours.” Then the guy shook his head, “I’ll ask my teachers about this. Anything else?” The way Kristina asked the question made it sound slightly accusatory.

“I didn’t kill anyone if that’s what you’re asking.” I said feeling a little annoyed. There was a long moment of silence. “Are you on your way to Berlin?”

Kristina shook his head, “No, I don’t fly out until tomorrow morning. I’ll send you an email with my itinerary so the next time you log on you’ll have it.” Then suddenly he reached out with a rough hand and grabbed my arm, “Look, James, I didn’t mean to make your feel bad earlier. Going through your first period is a big deal, it’s the moment you truly become a woman. Congratulations.” There was a small quirk at the corner of his mouth.

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to hit him or hug him. I certainly didn’t want to ‘become a woman’ and I didn’t really want to be welcomed into the ‘sisterhood’ particularly if it meant bleeding from my bottom. Instead, I just let it pass, “I should get back on the road. Do I need to call Jenny?”

“No, I sent her an email. She’s expecting you tonight.”

“Oh, any progress on the spell to swap us back?”

For the first time the old guy looked embarrassed, “Uhm, no. Apparently what happened to us is really, really uncommon. In fact, the Society was very upset about it. I guess the Syndicate figuring out a way to swap bodies is considered a major magical breakthrough and an escalation in the shadow war. Then add in the fact that they’ve figured out how to freeze a complex ritual magic into a crystal and it’s another major escalation. The Society was very upset with me for using the crystal to swap with you.” Kristina looked down, “If I’d have known then, what I know now, I probably wouldn’t have done it. I screwed up by not bringing them the crystal.” This last part was said softly and I could hear the pain in Kristina’s voice.

“Do you think they’ll figure this out?” I asked the question quietly but for the first time the idea that I might be stuck in Kristina’s body hit me. It was not a good day to be thinking about being stuck as a female!

“Yeah, actually, I do. James, these guys are really good, they know what they’re doing. It might just take some time.”

I stood up, “Alright, well, it’s time for me to get back on the road.”

Then a thought hit me, “Oh, I was wondering, whatever happened to Lana? Did you get her home safely? Is she alright?”

“Yeah, I managed to get her home and in bed before I lost control. Going by how hammered she must have been the night before I'm pretty sure she slept it off for the rest of the day. I wrote a note in my own handwriting saying that the company had called me off my holiday in order to go to the Continent for a conference, replacing an ill colleague. That should hold her off for a while. Before I left I saw that her aura was restored, so she’s going to be okay.”

“Alright,” I said with a nod and started to turn away.

“Oh, and James,” I looked back at her, “for the moment, it’s your vagina.” Then Kristina burst into a fit of unmanly giggles.

Driving on the Autobahn was different, and similar to driving in the States. Speeding down the highway was nothing new, but because everything was in kph instead of mph my sense of how fast I was going was thrown off. Instead, I just tried to flow with the traffic around me and hoped that I was doing the right thing.

By 18:30 I started seeing that I was getting close to Berlin based on the signs and the fact that the speed was now limited to 120 kph. I used the GPS to help me navigate toward Stirnerstraße 33b. I was a little late spotting the exit and had to jump across two lanes to make the turn and then I was on the off ramp. The suburb just south of Berlin was busy and prosperous. At seven thirty at night there was plenty of traffic and the lights from restaurants, businesses, and shops spoke of a lively neighborhood.

Suddenly, the lights in my rear view mirror sent my heart racing. ‘What the hell,’ I thought, as I pulled over. For a minute I wondered if the Syndicate had found me, but then I dismissed the idea as unlikely. I could see the door open and close as the cop got out and made his way toward me. My mind was racing, the last thing I needed was a ticket or anything that marked my location within a computer system.

I glanced down thinking furiously and my eyes locked in on my cleavage. Almost as if watching someone else’s hands I reached up and undid the buttons at the top of Kristina’s dress. I quickly brushed it back to display the swell of Kristina’s breasts and then pulled the ponytail out of my hair letting it fall lose around my shoulders. A second after I finished there was a light tap on my window and I hit the button to lower it.

“Guten Abend, die Dame. Führerschein und Fahrzeugpapiere bitte.”

I glanced up at the officer, ‘good lord, he’s tall!’ I thought. “Ah, Entschuldigung, ich spreche kein Deutsch. Sprechen Sie Englisch?” I said, stumbling through my limited German. I couldn’t help notice that he was about Kristina’s age and that his eyes were glued to my chest. Then his blue eyes caught mine and he smiled.

“I speak, Englisch, ein bisschen.”

“Uh, just a second,” I said and dug into Kristina’s purse. “Here’s my license and rental agreement. I believe insurance was included in the rental.” I said handing him Kristina’s driver’s license and the paper work that came with the car.

“Danke, I be right back.” With that he took my documents and returned to the patrol car.

“Okay, Jimmy-boy, what did you do? You weren’t speeding, you’ve got all the paper work.” I said to the empty car. What if there was an arrest warrant out for me? I needed to keep him as distracted as possible.

Just then I heard the crunch of boots on gravel and looked up to see the cop’s short blonde hair moving in the breeze. He’d removed his cover when he went to the patrol car and now he was smiling at me.

“Frau Curtis, your papers.” His white teeth flashed as he handed me back my license and rental agreement. “Do you know why I stop you?”

I ‘accidentally’ brushed his hand with mine as I took the documents. I took a deep breath, pushing up into my bra and looked at him through Kristina’s lashes.

“Uhm,” finger twirls in hair, “I really don’t know.” I let go of my hair and allow my hand to brush my cleavage before dropping it to my lap. I could see his eyes tracking my hand as I spoke.

There was a pause and then it was like his brain kicked into gear. “When you left the Autobahn you cut across three lanes without using signal. You must use turn signal for each lane change. Safety. Is very important.”

He stumbled slightly and I wasn’t sure if it was my flirting or him struggling with English. I tried to will up some fake tears but nothing happened so instead I went for contrite.

“I’m sooo sorry officer. I was just in a hurry, I’m visiting a friend and I almost missed the exit. It won’t happen again.”

At this the cop leaned in, his eyes locked onto my chest, “Yes, I can see how it would be . . . confusing for a stranger.” I nodded in agreement and I wondered if I pushed my chest out any farther if I’d lose a button.

“I let you go this time, but no more leichtsinnig . . . uhm . . . thoughtless driving.”

I nodded and raised my hand to draw an X over my exposed bosom, “Cross my heart. I promise.”

For a minute I thought he was going to ask me out on a date but then he nodded, “Drive safely.”

Taking this as my signal to leave I rolled up the window and put the car in drive and slowly accelerated away. I could still see him in my review mirror and for a minute wondered how the real Kristina would have handled that situation. Then I dismissed it from my mind. I needed to get to Jenny’s place and get off the grid.

It took another fifteen minutes to find her house and as I drove up the street I couldn’t help noticing that I was in one of those neighborhoods like you see in the movies from New York. Every house was built right against the next and each one was identical. Four to Five stories, thin, and indistinguishable from its neighbors.

I found a spot to park on the street and grabbed my stuff and walked up to the house looking around. The area looked neither rich nor poor, just a solid, city, middle class, a working neighborhood. I got to the door and saw that there were buttons with each flat labeled. I saw the one for Jenny and hit it.

“Hallo?”

“Jenny? It’s me Kristina. Can I come up?”

“Kristina!? Of course!” I heard a buzz and the door clicked open.

I pushed through the door and started moving up the stairs. The building had been segregated into what looked like two apartments per floor. I made it up to the landing on the second floor when a blonde, shorter and a little chunkier than me rushed out of an apartment.

“Kris! It’s so good to see you.”

I had to drop my bags to return her hug. Based on her enthusiasm she must really be happy to see Kristina.

“It’s been too long! Come, come in.” Before I knew it she’d grabbed the backpack I’d dropped during our hug and headed into an apartment. I followed and couldn’t help noticing that this was an older building with clean but worn looking furnishings. I shut the door behind me and saw that the long entry hall had a door to the left and right, since the doors were standing open I could see that on the right was a bedroom filled with feminine touches - little throw pillows, stuffed animals, and several plants. A little farther down on the left was a door to what looked like a bathroom.

Jenny continued down the hallway her flight attendant uniform cut tightly enough to give me a good idea about her figure. The hallway opened into a living area with a kitchen on the left. She sat my backpack down next to the sofa and picked up the clicker to the large flat screen and shut it off. Then she turned and gave me a bright smile.

“Are you hungry? I take it you’ve been driving most of the day?”

The open hospitality and friendship on her face made me feel guilty over the fact that I was deceiving her. I wasn’t really her friend Kristina, yet I had to play the role I’d been assigned, so I gave her the best smile I could.

“Starving. How have you been?”

“Great, just give me a moment to change and then I’ll fix us a couple of salads.” She moved toward the bedroom and said over her shoulder, “You know where everything is, just make yourself at home.”

I glanced at the TV, I doubted that she’d want to watch the things I typically watched. Besides, getting American football on a Berlin cable station was unlikely. Instead, I ignored the TV and tried examining the apartment to see what I could learn about my host.

The heels of my boots made a clacking noise on the hard wood as I moved into her kitchen. I ran my fingers lightly over the worn granite counter top. Then I randomly opened one of the white oak doors and saw that I’d discovered Jenny’s plates. To my left I spotted a wine rack and after a few more minutes of searching I found a bottle opener.

“Well she said to make myself at home.”

With that I opened a bottle of Merlot and started searching for glasses. It took three tries to find her wine glasses and then I poured two leaving one on the counter while taking the other to the back window.

I discovered I could look out the back window of her apartment into what must be some kind of community park or garden right behind the building. This late in the year everything was in but I figured during the summer it was probably a nice place to sit.

“Hey, Kris, I see you found the wine.”

I turned around and was a little surprised at the transformation. The pretty, professional looking flight attendant had changed into a girl next door in jeans and a sweater. Jenny scooped up the glass of wine and took a sip.

“Mmmm . . . So, what brings you to Berlin? Not that I’m complaining.”

I froze for a second and then gave her the best Kristina smile I had, “Ah, work, actually. They’ve got a branch here and I’m supposed to be doing training for the next week.”

I did my best to make the lie sound believable. A week of training would give me time to hang out until Kristina got here and an excuse to disappear during the day.

“The company will pay for a hotel, but I thought I could crash with you for a few days.”

“Of course you can stay here! Although, the couch isn’t as nice as a bed.” As she said this Jenny moved into the kitchen and started pulling things out of the refrigerator. “Do you mind making yourself useful?”

“Of course not.”

With that she started handing me vegetables, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, and an onion, “The knives are in the drawer behind you.”

I watched out of the corner of my eye as she pulled out a cooked chicken breast and stuck it in the microwave to reheat, and then dropped a couple of eggs into boiling water.

“So, how are your mum and dad?”

“They’re doing well.”

“Really? That’s great! I thought your dad was having trouble after the surgery?”

I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about but tried to adlib it, “Yeah, at first, but he’s doing much better now. Although, I’ve not seen them for a couple of days. Work has been super busy.”

The microwave buzzed so she got out two bowls and another cutting board. I was almost finished with the veggies and saw Jenny quickly slice up the chicken.

“How’s your job?”

“I’m still out four days a week. You’re lucky you caught me. I leave the day after tomorrow and will be gone until next Monday.” Lettuce went into the bowls and I noticed, with a twinge of jealousy that the sliced chicken all went into one bowl. I started handing her the veggies.

“I can check into a hotel if that would be easier.”

Jenny gave me a quick look, “Nonsense. You can stay here while I’m gone. No reason to use a hotel.” By now the eggs were done so she drained the water and quickly peeled off the shells before slicing them and adding them.

“Cheese?”

I nodded and Jenny dug out a half wheel of Parmesan and used a hand grader to shred it.

“There’s dressing in the door of the refrigerator.”

I opened the door and saw several bottles. I grabbed the light vinaigrette and looked at Jenny.

“That’s fine.”

So I brought it over to the now finished salads. Jenny had also cut two chunks of bread from a single loaf and added that to the side of each bowl. For a second I had to fight down the temptation to grab the salad with the chicken, but I knew better. ‘Why the hell did Kristina have to be a vegetarian?’ I thought, snagging my bowl.

I followed Jenny over to the living room area and sat at one end of the sofa. Jenny settled into the opposite end tucking her feet up under her and gave me a bright smile. For the next couple of hours we ate, finished the wine, and I did my best to evade questions. I could tell that my lack of understanding was causing her to become a little confused but I didn’t know what to do. Finally in desperation I asked if I could use the bathroom and get ready for bed.

That did the trick and she disappeared into her bedroom to find me a blanket and pillows for the sofa. I went into the bathroom and closed the door with a feeling of relief. The image of the blonde woman staring back at me from the mirror was still strange. She looked tired, ‘I guess that’s why Jenny bought my story so quickly.’ I thought. I started in on the still weird nightly ritual required to maintain this body. I washed my face, brushed teeth and hair, and got rid of the damn bra. I silently cursed whoever had come up with the concept of bras! Why the hell did all of Kristina’s feel a little small? Then it hit me, “I bet her breasts swell up a little while she’s having her period.”

That reminded me I needed to use the toilet. So I hiked up the dress and dropped my tights and panties, and was greeted with a disgusting mess. The pad was completely saturated and blood had leaked into my underwear. I would need a fresh set before bed. Then I realized at this rate I’d be through all of the underwear I’d brought from Kristina’s before she arrived in Berlin.

As I sat there on the toilet wrapping the pad in toilet paper I grimaced. ‘How long does a period last,’ I wondered. A part of me knew it was normally about four days, but I didn’t really want to think about that right now. I glanced over at the old fashioned looking tub. Jenny had added a hose and curtain to turn it into a shower, but I looked at it a little skeptically. I guess I’d have to figure it out tomorrow. I pulled a fresh set of underwear from my backpack added the required feminine hygiene product and got dressed. I was glad I’d thought to bring an oversized t-shirt from Kristina’s for sleeping in, it would be much more comfortable than sleeping in a dress.

By the time I left the bathroom Jenny had done a great job of transforming the couch into a bed. And even though it wasn’t that late, the alcohol from the wine combined with the stress of the last couple of days left me feeling tired ready to go to sleep.

“Kristina,”

I looked over at Jenny. She’d obviously heard me leave the bathroom and followed me to the living room.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve got to be up early tomorrow. But I should be home by four. I know a great little café, why don’t we plan to go out for dinner?”

“Sounds fantastic.” I said, trying to fill my voice with an enthusiasm I didn’t feel.

“Okay, it’s great to have you here.” With that she gave me a hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’m glad to be here. Thanks for letting me crash.”

I didn’t have any trouble falling asleep, but when I did I started dreaming immediately. The dream was full of color and sound and the feeling of an unidentifiable menace. Then I was running, at first I was in my normal body charging through a forest, the branches and brambles of trees and bushes slicing into me as I fought my way through. I burst into a clearing and as soon as I did my clothes transformed into a sundress and to my horror my body shifted to match.

In the middle of the sun bright clearing was a blanket with a basket and a man. I, unwillingly, approached something just drew me to him despite my reluctance. Then as I got closer he turned to face me. It was the handsome cop from today. He stood up and gave me a friendly smile, his eyes locking onto my chest, “Hallo, Ich habe auf Sie gewartet.” Then he gestured to a spot next to him.

Even though I didn’t speak German I somehow knew that he was inviting me to sit down and eat with him.

“Yes, thank you.”

I felt myself nod, even though I wanted to say no, for some reason I was helpless within my dream. He took my small hand in his much larger one, and I felt a thrill run through me. I knew on some level that I was tall and strong for a woman, yet next to this guy I felt like a little girl. It wasn’t something I was comfortable with, yet I smiled up at him.

He sat down and I settled in next to him, tucking my legs under and to one side while smoothing my dress artfully around me. From somewhere behind him, he pulled out a bottle of Champaign and with a smooth motion popped the cork sending it flying into the distance without a care.

“Sekt?”

“Yes, please.”

He quickly poured two glasses and when he handed me mine our hands brushed. I felt a thrill shock through my system. ‘Why, the fuck, is this guy affecting me so much?’ I wondered while blushing at the contact. I took a sip of the light bubbly wine and instantly felt it go up my nose causing me to sneeze.

“Geht es Ihnen nicht gut?” The concern in his voice was endearing as he moved closer to me gently patting me on the back.

“It’s just Champaign, it sometimes goes up my nose.” I said, and then flushed, “I’m sorry.”

“Kein Problem. Sie sehen sogar hübsch aus, wenn Sie niesen.”

With that he reached up and brushed my cheek with his hand. Once again the feeling of his warm masculine hand sent a thrill through me. Then he leaned in and I froze. His eyes were so blue it was like looking into the sky and then his lips brushed mine.

I was intensely aware of my body, and how it was reacting to his. My chest felt tight and my nipples were like twin bits of stone and I knew the ache and moistness in my groin had nothing to do with my period. Then he leaned away and I had to catch my breath.

“What’s your name?”

“Ich heiße Martin”

Suddenly I felt like I needed to be honest with Martin, “Uhm, I know we just met, and this is just a dream, but I’m not the person that you see.”

He leaned back looking amused, “Sie sind also keine schöne Engländerin?”

All at once a shadow raced across the clearing and I shivered as the shadow touched me and then I glanced at Martin and he changed. His body morphed becoming smaller and his clothes shifted from casual collared shirt into a stained t-shirt and jeans and his hair darkened with grey touching the temples. By the time the changes were done I saw that I was sitting next to the lead thug from the train. He looked around confused and then when he saw me he grinned evilly.

“Kristina, we’ve been looking for you, love.”

I shuddered and moved away from him as he leered down at me. Now the feeling of being small and protected shifted into being threatened.

“Stay away.” Then I added, “This is a dream, you’re not really here.”

At this he blinked and looked around, “A dream? Really?”

I didn’t know exactly what was going on but I willed it to change, and the dream shifted. I couldn’t tell where I was but I was suddenly thrilled. Maybe I did have some control over this strange dream. I glanced around and saw that I was standing in some kind of executive office with a full wall of windows overlooking a forest scene. I heard the buzzing hum of distant voices and turned to my left to see a conference table and a group of men and one woman. They were all wearing suits and looked like they were standard corporate types.

The man at the head of the table was in his early fifties and looked very fit. His rust red hair had a touch of grey but the iron look of discipline around his eyes gave me the impression he wasn’t someone to fool around with. Then I recognized him from the dram of Kristina’s flat. I could see that they were talking but I couldn’t hear anything. I moved toward the table willing myself to hear the conversation.

“So tell me, again, why is this a problem?” Red said.

The man to the left of the head of the table looked embarrassed. He was short and overweight, and his face became flushed with agitation as he started talking.

“Ah, well, we think that she took one of our prototype crystals and tried to get to the Society with it.”

At this the man at the head of the table glared at the fat guy and I could swear that his eyes started to glow.

“Josef, are you telling me that our enemies have a copy of one of our most prized and secret projects?”

The question was spoken coldly but I sensed that everyone at the table, without moving, had eased away from the guy at the end of the table. The short guy looked up and apparently unworried and nodded.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. The woman was able to hack our security, she down loaded files, and then gave herself permission to access the vault.” He took a deep breath, “Director Drake, these IT people, they can do things with a computer that I never dreamed. Once she changed her permissions she was able to get into the vault and she took a crystal. I doubt she understood what she took.” He shook his head, “Our records indicate that she has some magical potential, but it is dormant at the moment. She isn’t an agent, and isn’t a real threat.”

The Director remained impassive and then said, “That’s not what I’m being told. Then he pushed a button on the intercom in front of him, “Stephanie, would you ask Ms. Jackson to come in, please?”

A pair of doors behind me opened and when I spun around I saw a petite Asian woman enter in a conservative business suit. Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun and it took me a second to recognize Elvira from the club. She came to a stop a few feet from the table and put her hands behind her back in classic parade rest.

“You requested my presence, Mr. Drake?”

“Yes, Ms. Jackson, you are responsible for the retrieval team that attempted to apprehend Ms. Curtis. Please report.”

“Sir, after our initial interview we deemed her a low threat. I directed a two person security team to take her into custody. Surprisingly, she dispatched them. Then we made a second attempt, this time through a third party, and she once again proved more resourceful than anticipated. Presently she is unaccounted for.”

There was a low murmur around the table and Director Drake silenced it with a look. “In your estimation, based on what you know about Kristina Curtis, should she have been able to evade your agents?”

The woman shook her head slightly, “No.”

The pause gave those around the table a chance to look at each other and then the short guy to the director’s left said, “So what do you suspect?”

Now, for the first time the woman they’d called Ms. Jackson looked a little unsure.

“I now think, that she has used the crystal to switch bodies with someone. We just can’t figure out who. We’ve reviewed the members of Kristina’s family and her friends and there isn’t anyone with the training and skill to do the things that she’s done since our team tried to bring her in.”

The lone woman sitting to the right of the director spoke up for the first time, “Can you quantify this new threat for us? Just what has she been able to accomplish?”

Ms. Jackson looked at the board member, “A two person team forced entry into her flat. She killed one, and subdued the other. Then a four person team was divided while searching for her on a train. Two were subdued and the other two tricked while she escaped. Average citizens aren’t able to pull off anything like this, it requires training.”

The female executive nodded, “Is it possible that she was able to reach out to someone new? Or that she might have a friend or two who aren’t close to her in recent years that she might have gone to?”

At this Ms. Jackson shrugged, “Anything is possible.”

Before she could continue the Director cleared his throat. “At this point it’s all just speculation. However, our agents in Cancun have been watching the Society compound. They have brought in a new apprentice, a male, as yet unidentified. I suspect that once we have his identity we will have the identity of the person pretending to be Kristina Curtis. Then the dream faded.

I woke up to the sound of the front door closing. It took me a second to figure out where I was and then I climbed out of bed. The dream I’d had still clung to me making it hard for me to really grasp the fact that I was in an apartment in Berlin. Instead, my heart was racing with excitement. The dream had been disturbing but the first part had been pleasant. I let my mind drift to the imaginary glade and the handsome cop and my nipples started to become hard. I could almost feel the brush of the police officers lips.

‘What’s wrong with me?’ I wondered. Then my sarcastic voice answered, ‘Besides being stuck in the body of a woman and having your first period?’ I couldn’t help grinning a little and then I remembered my girlfriend Jill. After the first day of her period she was always horny. Was I experiencing a similar reaction? In an effort to distract myself from what I was feeling I tried to focus on the last part of the dream.

The last time I’d had a dream like this it was just before I’d been attacked and it had saved my life. Before I’d swapped bodies with Kristina I’d never had such vivid dreams. Normally, I just dropped into a deep sleep and woke up with no idea what I’d been dreaming about. The spell that Kristina had used to swap us had done something to me, ever since landing in her body I’d had such vivid dreams. I’d always been the kind of person to get a hunch, and I tended to trust my gut, in fact my instincts had saved my life on more than one Operation. As I thought about it I couldn’t remember a time when my instincts had lead me astray. ‘Well except for when you met Kristina.’ I thought wincing. Was it this body? Being a female that had kicked my intuition into high gear? Or was it something else? What if this magic, the body swap spell, had awoken something in me, something that had kicked my limited precognition into high gear? I shook my head, “There’s just no way to know.” I said to the empty room.

I climbed out of the makeshift bed and after a second dismissed the dream. Even if it was true, there wasn’t anything actionable in the dream. It had let me know that they’d figured out that someone else was in Kristina’s body, but as yet they hadn’t connected any dots. Although, if they had the Society compound in Mexico under observation, then the chances of Kristina leaving unobserved were slim. I should probably report this as soon as Kristina and I talked next.

I collected my backpack and headed through the empty apartment to the bathroom. By now I thought I’d started to adjust to my new body that is until I dropped my panties and saw the blood on the pad I’d worn to bed last night. ‘God, this sucks!’ I thought, with a shudder, and I was just on day two!

“Well, at least I didn’t mess up my underwear this time.”

Despite what was going on with my new female parts the act of peeing was starting to become somewhat normal. Then I glanced over at the shower and felt the needed to clean up. I turned the water faucet on and adjusted it to a good temp and then turned the knob that directed the water up the hose to the shower head. I stepped into the shower remembering to protect my nipples from the direct stream. I stood there for a little while enjoying the comfort of the warm water massage my shoulders. Then I found Jenny’s loofa and body wash and started getting clean.

I quickly learned that my whole body was much more sensitive while I was on Kristina’s period. As I soaped up my breasts I couldn’t resist massaging them, enjoying the sensation of soft, slippery, skin under my questing fingers.

“Ummm . . .”

Without really thinking about it my right hand drifted to my crotch. I brushed my lower lips and felt a jolt of electricity run through me.

“Ohhhh . . .”

A part of me wondered about playing with my girl parts while I was bleeding but another part reminded me of doing it with Jill in the shower during her period. I focused on the little nub of flesh just above my slit and I felt it sort of expand as I rubbed it.

“God, that feels good.”

The sound of my female voice suddenly turned me on, “Mmmmm.” I couldn’t resist moaning a little, enjoying the sexy feminine sound. If I closed my eyes I could imagine that I was in the shower with Jill. That I was running one hand over her breasts tweaking her nipples, while using my other hand to play with her clitoris. The image of caressing my girlfriend while feeling the results of those caresses was impossibly erotic.

I continued to massage my breasts focusing on my nipples, alternating between rubbing and pinching. It was like my whole body was now an erogenous zone. Was this how Jill felt when we made love while she was having her period? I moved my left hand away from my breast to slow explore my firm, round back side. I’ve always enjoyed a sexy female butt, but I’d never appreciated what it might feel to have it played with from the inside. I turned around so the water from the shower was now massaging my back. Then I bent over slightly so that the water was hitting my butt. I, reluctantly, reached out to grab the side of the tub with the hand I’d been using to rub my pussy. As I did I felt my breasts swing away from my body as gravity did its thing.

I ran my left hand along my crack feeling my anus and I shifted my body slightly so that the water was hitting bottom. Then I continued exploring and found that I could reach my pussy lips from behind. My male mind was almost shocked to realize that I had access to my private parts from either the front or back. On one level I’d known this, I mean I’ve had sex with woman from behind, but to physically explore my pussy from behind was surprising and different on a whole new level.

Now the need, the ache, intensified and I switched hands so that I could stroke my clitoris from the front. The stream of water was still stimulating me from the rear and I had to clutch the side of the tub with my left hand for support. Then I worked a finger up and down exploring my pussy lips, parting them slightly. The ache I’d felt earlier had turned into a fire, I needed something, something that could scratch the growing itch inside of me. Just as I was about to push a finger up into my pussy my eye caught the image of my backpack through the clear plastic shower curtain.

‘How would it feel?’ I wondered and then I wondered if I dared to try it. I’d used my fingers to explore Kristina’s inner depths a few days ago and it had been great, but my body wanted, needed, more. I reached out and pushed the curtain back, not caring how much water I got onto the floor as I moved to my backpack. It only took a few seconds to find the toy, all the way in the bottom, and then I was back in the tub.

This time I sat on the floor of the tub and put the plug in so it would slowly fill. The warm water from the shower felt great on my legs and crotch. The water added a level of stimulation and I sat the dildo next to me as I used my fingers to explore my clitoris. I’d lost a little momentum when I’d made my brief trip to get Kristina’s toy. However, the dual sensation of water and my fingers brought me slowly back and soon my whole body was quivering with need.

Then before I could think about it I picked up the toy with my right hand and with my left I parted my lower lips placing the shaft of the dildo between them. I tried to imagine that the dildo was my cock and I was using it on Jill’s pussy as I slowly worked it up and down. My lower lips were spread to either side of the dildo as I used the bulbs tip to stimulate my clitoris.

My breathing was getting ragged and then unbidden the image of the blonde cop leaning in to kiss me popped into my mind. I let out a little gasp, ‘What the fuck?’ I felt shocked, yet my body responded, it desperately wanted something inside of it. I could feel the first signs of an orgasm and I turned the dildo so the tip was now pointed into my pussy. Then without bothering to think about it I pushed it inside of me. I felt a slight popping sensation and I was thankful that this wasn’t a large toy. This was all I needed to push me over the edge and I moaned in pleasure. Yet I knew that I hadn’t satisfied my body’s need.

I could feel my lower lips stretching to accommodate the dildo but it wasn’t painful. Then I started working it in and out, just a little at a time. With each stroke little electric jolts of pleasure hit me. I knew that the toy I was using wasn’t as big as a real penis. But it was larger than two of my fingers together and the tip was shaped like a male member. This allowed me to hit the bundle of nerves just inside my pussy with each stroke.

I rapidly climbed to a second peak and I felt my body tense up. I began to use the ring of muscles within my canal, clenching down on the dildo, and it occurred to me in a flash that I was using muscles I shouldn’t even have. But I didn’t care as the uncontrollable spasming of another orgasm shook me.

“Ahhhh. . .”

As I came down from my orgasmic high I felt the urge to try again, and I knew that as good as that was I wasn’t satisfied, the ache, was not only still there but it was demanding more. I started working the toy in and out, faster and faster, deeper and deeper. Now, I was lifting my hips in time to my own stroking while the outsides of my knees were pressed against the sides of the tub in an attempt to allow for the deepest penetration possible.

“Oh, god, oh, god, oh, GOD!”

I barely registered my own voice as I focused on my need! The need to be filled, to scratch an itch on the inside, was so intense it was overpowering all other thoughts. I worked the dildo in harder and harder meeting my bodies need with the amazing intruding fullness of my toy as I stretched and filled my pussy.

The warm water directly hitting my vagina added another level of stimulation and now my arm was starting to get tired and my lower lips were beginning to ache, yet my body drove me on. Again, the image of the handsome cop floated into my brain and even though I tried to ignore it my body responded. I was now completely lost in a world of erotic sensation and needed. My panting turned into moaning and the sound of my own feminine pleasure drove me over the top for a third time.

“Oh, oh, ohhhhhhh . . .”

This time when I started to come down from my self-induced carnal high, I realized that the water had changed from hot to warm. I looked down and I could see the end of the purple toy buried in my pussy. I reached down and slowly pulled it out and felt a strange popping sensation. It was as if my body didn’t want to give up the shaft it had been clutching.

To my annoyance I saw blood and my own cum on the shaft and head of the toy. I sat up and looked down to see a steady flow of blood floating way from me in the water. I stood up on weak legs and rinsed off the toy. Now I felt a little disgusted with myself. Here I was, in Kristina’s female body, and I couldn’t wait until her period was over to play with myself? Was I losing my mind? Where was my self-discipline? Was it possible that a young, healthy, horny female body would overcome my male identity with its need?

Not wanting to think about any of that I pulled the plug on the tub and watched as the water drained away. Now, all of a sudden, I was in a hurry to finish up and get out. As I cleaned up I realized that my use of the toy and my stimulation of my feminine plumbing had sort of opened the flood gates. There hadn’t been much blood as I used the bathroom before, but now I was actively bleeding from my crotch. I dried off and used a wad of toilet paper to keep from dripping all over while I added a fresh pad to my panties. Then I slipped them on with a sense of relief.

“I wonder how woman two hundred years ago dealt with this problem.” Then I chuckled, “I guess I know where the phrase, ‘on the rag,’ comes from.”

I quickly pulled on jeans and a t-shirt and glanced at my watch. It was mid-morning. Then I looked around at the mess I’d made of the bathroom. With a sigh I went to work, cleaning up the water, and to my embarrassment, a bit of blood, from the floor and the side of the tub.

Once done I went into the living room and got a banana and glass of water and sat down on the sofa figuring I’d watch some TV. After about an hour I gave up. I couldn’t find any English channels and my German just wasn’t good enough to watch TV. For the first time since I’d left Kristina’s apartment I felt like I was safe and could let my guard down. There was no way the Syndicate could track me to Jenny’s place. This made me wonder if it was because I was relaxed that I’d been comfortable enough to do a little more exploration. That led me to thinking about what I’d done in the shower. The use of Kristina’s dildo was bad enough, but the flashes of the male cop really had me worried. My body had responded to those thoughts pushing me to an incredible orgasm. But what was happening to my mind? Was I losing my sense of identity? When I returned to my body would I prefer men to women? What was happening to me?

I stood up. I didn’t have anything to do and I desperately needed something to occupy my mind. Besides I was full of energy, what I needed, I decided, was a trip to Jenny’s fitness center. Jenny had left me directions the fitness center she used and she said that they allowed people to pay for day to day use. I could get a workout in and distract my mind from what I’d been doing. ‘Just a couple days Jimmy-boy, and you’re back where you belong in your male body.’ I thought.

I grabbed some gym clothes from my bag and stuffed then into a smaller sack I found in Jenny’s apartment and then headed out. Jenny had left me directions to her gym, which was supposed to be a few blocks from her apartment. So it seemed like a good idea to leave the car in Jenny’s driveway and walk to the gym.

The gym reminded me of a 24-hour fitness center in the United States. Modern, with lots of glass and good equipment. There was a free weight area, and area with cardio machines, treadmills, elliptical machines, bikes, stair-climbers . . . I started in the free weight area and set up a rotation with dumbbells to get some cross-fit type work in. I was shocked at how much weaker my body now was adjusting down from 25 lbs to 2 ½ lbs dumbbells. Even with the lighter weight I was able to get a good workout in and then shifted to running one the treadmill.

This was a new experience for me. I’ve worked out several times in Kristina’s body, but running, with wider hips, flesh bouncing on my chest, and the lack of my familiar equipment in my shorts left me feeling very strange. Luckily mid-morning wasn’t a peak time for exercise so I didn’t have to worry about a bunch of jocks eyeballing at me.

I finished up and was pleased to see that I basically had the woman’s locker room to myself. I had a flash back to sharing a stall with Lana and shuddered. It wasn’t that I hadn’t enjoyed sharing with Lana, but the whole experience had left me feeling confused. I still couldn’t understand how, women felt so comfortable being intimate around each other. Although maybe it was just women who were good friends or maybe it was just Kristina and Lana. I shook my head in amusement, since I really didn’t understand, despite being the current occupant of Kristina’s body. After all, I’ve changed with guys, hundreds of times, but there’s a man rule that says we’re supposed to ignore each other while naked. Lana and Kristina had seemed very comfortable with each other in a very different non-sexual way.

After I got cleaned up and changed I figured I’d get a quick bite to eat before returning to Jenny’s apartment. I saw an interesting looking café when I’d walked to the gym so I figured I should give it a try. The server settled me into a small table and I ordered a water and a veggie wrap. Then I pulled out my phone. I was a little reluctant to check it, but I knew that I needed to know what was going on. So I put the battery in and then powered up it up. As soon as it came on line I saw that I had a couple of missed texts from Lana, and one from Kristina’s mother.

I ignored these and sent a message to my old cell.

Me: Made it to Jenny’s. Be careful, they are aware of Cancun.

I didn’t think I could risk anything more detailed so I sat my cell on the table and when my lunch arrived I dug in. I was starting to get used to Kristina’s diet but I still missed the strong taste of a nice piece of meat. This made me wonder if she was still following her vegetarian diet in my body or if she was eating meat. I hadn’t given her any restrictions. I finished eating and paid the bill making sure to leave a good tip. Since I still didn’t have a reply I left the phone on and headed back to Jenny’s apartment.

I made it onto the sidewalk when I started to feel dizzy. A little bewildered I moved to lean against a building and focused on breathing deeply. After a second I heard the click-clack of heeled boots and looked up to see a small Asian woman approach. It took me a second to realize it was Elvira.

“Hello, Kristina, or whoever you are.”

I blinked at her owlishly. “What?” A distant part of my mind registered that a van had pulled to a stop a few feet away.

“Come with me, girl.” She put her arm around my waist and helped me stagger to my feet.

“Where are we going?”

“To a safe place.”

Then I was in the van and I felt a sting in my arm.

“Ouch, what was that?” I said, and then the world started swimming around me.

“Just something to help you sleep, dear.” Elvira said and then darkness descended.

This time I didn’t dream. I felt my awareness return and I tried to look around, but the room was very dark. There was a window to my right and I tried to turn toward it only to discover that my arms and legs were in some kind of hospital restraints and my movements were severely restricted. I blinked for a few minutes and then realized that the room wasn’t as dark as I’d originally thought. It was dark, but there was enough light coming in from the window to allow me to see.

I tried to sit up but there was another restraint across my chest holding me down. Now I glanced down and saw that my clothes had been removed and I was wearing some kind of hospital smock. Then I heard a beeping and looked over to see a monitor flashing red next to my head.

Just then the door opened and a short fat man in medical scrubs came in and turned on the overhead light. I blinked for a few seconds trying to adjust to the light and then my breath caught when I recognized the man from my dreams. This was the guy who’d been sitting at the board room table talking to Director Drake. He was followed by Elvira, and I knew beyond a doubt I was screwed.

“What’s going on?”

I tried to sound innocent and confused instead of scared. Obviously the syndicate had caught up to me. I didn’t know what they had planned but it couldn’t be good. The Asian woman, who I’d thought of as Elvira, but now suspected her real name was Ms. Jackson, moved around to the right side of my bed while the man moved to the side closer to the door.

“I’m doctor Mengele and I’ve,” here he paused and looked at the short female, who gave him a quizzical look, “we’ve got a few questions for you.”

“I’m a citizen of the United Kingdom. I demand you let me go or allow me to speak to an attorney.” I said, trying to go on the offensive. Unfortunately, both of my visitors just laughed at my outburst.

“You’re just as much Kristina Curtis as I am Elvira Chen!” The woman to my right said and something clicked. In my dream she’d been called Ms. Jackson, and when I’d been in Ireland I’d seen a video of a woman how looked a lot like Elvira in a rite that I now realized must have been a body swap. Elvira Chen must have died that night in Maxwell Jackson’s body!

“Do you think you’re in some kind of public institution?” The doctor asked, and then shook his head. “No one will find you here. You are not under arrest, however, the way you are treated will depend on you. If you answer our questions things will go easy for you. If you fight us, then things will get unpleasant.” As he said this there was no emotion in his voice, it was as if he didn’t care either way but wanted to get on with the task at hand. “Now, please tell me your full name?”

“Miesha Tate.”

“And how did you come to be in Kristina’s body?”

“She asked me to swap with her. She needed to get away, a vacation from her life, if you will. I didn’t believe that she could do it and was surprised to wake up in her apartment and in her body.”

I figured, that if I mixed a little truth with some lies it would leave these guys guessing. Just then the Ms. Jackson raised her hand.

“Herr Doktor, she is lying to you. Miesha Tate is an American Mixed Martial Arts Fighter. There is no way she swapped bodies with Kristina without us spotting it. She’s just too famous.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked trying to inject as much doubt into the woman’s story as I could.

“It is as I thought. You will not cooperate. Fortunately, I came prepared.”

The doctor reached into his coat pocket and pulled out what looked like a ring. I curled my hands into fists but between the two of them they forced my left hand open and the doctor slid the ring onto my index finger. As soon as it was on I felt a tingle ripple through my body.

“What are you doing to me?”

“Getting answers. Now, tell me your true name.” The doctor commanded, and with that he held up his hand and I saw a matching ring on his finger.

“James C. Frost.” The words came out to my horror.

“Excellent, James, that wasn’t so hard was it?” The doctor said sounding pleased.

“No.” I whispered involuntarily.

“When did you become Kristina?”

“Saturday.”

“Why did you agree to the swap?”

“I didn’t, Kristina used the crystal but didn’t explain what was going on until after the swap. She told me I needed to help her if I wanted to get my body back.” I focused on trying to limit my answers, but it was like I had no control over my responses.

“What do you know about the New World Research and Development Corporation?”

“It’s a front for something called the Syndicate.”

At this Max and Dr. Mengele exchanged glances. “What do you know of the Syndicate?” she asked.

I didn’t feel compelled to answer so I kept my mouth shut. “Answer her!” Dr. Mengele commanded and I felt my mouth open.

“The Syndicate is some kind of criminal organization, based out of Europe, focused on black magic and world domination.”

At this Dr. Mengele looked very grim. “My dear, I’m afraid you know too much.”

Max held up her hand, “Doctor, wait, we need to capture Kristina and find out what she knows. She is probably working with a Society Adept. Perhaps a trap is in order?”

My mind felt like it was wrapped in cotton, but I could understand this at least, “There is no way I’m going to help you!”

At this Dr. Mengele, grinned evilly down at me. “Oh, my dear, you say that as if you have a choice.” Then he lifted his ring and it started glowing an evil ruby-red. I felt the ring on my hand respond as I strained against my bonds.

“Your name is Kristina Curtis. Now, tell me your name.”

I fought the urge to speak but I couldn’t resist, “My name is Kristina Curtis.”

“You are a woman, and love being a woman.” the doctor continued. “You like dressing in a very feminine way and enjoy makeup, fashion, and flirting with men.” I felt his words hitting my mind and if I could have shivered I would have. Yet the commands continued. “You don’t know anything about fighting, and are intimidated by large men. You want nothing more than to submit to strong men and do as you’re told.” I wanted to scream as I felt each command sink into my mind. “You will do everything you can to convince everyone that you are now and have always been Kristina Curtis. Even when you meet the real Kristina in your former body, you won’t remember that were once James. Instead, you’ll be very attracted to him, you’ll arrange to meet with him and then report the time and location to Ms. Jackson.”

The doctors words droned on and on and I lost track of the commands as one mental shackle after another slammed into my mind. Then darkness descended.

Light filtered in through the expensive curtain to hit me in the face. ‘Why is it that I’m always being woken up by some kind of annoyance,’ I wondered. I sat up and looked around the hotel room. My head hurt and my mouth felt like it was full of cotton. I wondered how much I’d drank last night, it was all a blur. I got up and padded softly to the window and pushed back the curtain.

The day was overcast as it often is in Berlin in the winter, and I saw that I had a view of the Spree River in downtown Berlin. I ran my hands through my hair enjoying the sensation and then turned and went to the bathroom. The light was a little too bright but the image of the tussled blonde, in the pale blue silk teddy, was attractive.

“It’s a shame there isn’t anyone sharing your bed.” I told the woman and then laughed at my own silliness.

I quickly went through my morning routine, I was in Berlin, on a week long holiday, and needed to make the most of it. When I pulled my panties down I was pleased to see that the pad I’d worn to bed didn’t have any spots on it. I discarded it with a feeling of relief and focused on getting ready.

Shower, hair, makeup and then a nice comfortable dress and low heeled shoes, perfect for spending a day looking into some of Berlin’s best tourist stops. I planned to be at the Käthe Kollwitz Museum and then the afternoon at the Neues Museum. Then a quick workout followed by dinner and maybe some dancing tonight. I felt my pulse quicken with excitement. Normally, I spent my holiday time visiting relatives this was a rare opportunity to do what I enjoyed for a change.

I was at the Kollwitz Museum by the time it opened its doors at 11:00. There were several moments as I walked through the private collection looking at the pictures of horror where I felt tears forming in my eyes. It was a very somber lesson in how good people could be led into evil. The cruelty of the world was so cold I just wanted to go back to my hotel and yet, in fascination, I continued to look at the images, one after the other. The poor. The abused. Those set aside by society as outcasts. At some point during my tour of the museum I thought I was being watched and turned around. Yet, no matter how often I felt eyes on me, I couldn’t find the watcher.

I discovered an interesting passageway that connected the museum to the café Literaturhaus. Since it was already early afternoon and I’d only had a quick breakfast at the hotel I decided to eat. The vegetarian stew was delicious and the Hefeweizen was a perfect complement to it. As I paid the hostess I spotted a guy sitting in the corner.

He was wearing a dark coat and hat, yet when he made eye contact I felt a shiver run down my spine. I didn’t know who he was but he had the most interesting blue eyes I’d ever seen. I turned away blushing and moved to the front of the restaurant. I got into line for a taxi when I heard someone shouting.

“Hey, Miss, Frau?! Is this your phone?”

I turned around suddenly aware that I’d had my phone out during lunch and had been too distracted to put it back into my purse. I flushed, as I noticed it was the guy with dark hair and blue eyes who approached me, my phone in his hand. My breath caught, even though we were about the same height, he was much broader through the shoulders and his clean jaw gave me the impression of an athlete.

“Uhm, danke.”

He handed me the phone and when our hands touched I felt a thrill shoot through me.

“You’re welcome, ah, I don’t speak much German.”

“Well, that’s good, because I don’t either.” I added with a laugh. “By your accent, I’m guessing, British?”

“American, actually, although I’ve spent enough time in the UK to have picked up some of the local dialect.”

He offered a hand and I took it, feeling mine engulfed in his larger callused grip.

“So what brings you to Berlin?” I asked, a little flustered.

“I came over for work, and then decided to stay for a few days to take in some of the sights. How about you?”

Instead of letting my hand go, he raised it to his lips and brushed the back of my hand. I thought my heart would explode out of my chest and my knees went a little weak, but I managed to pull my hand back.

“I needed to use some of my Holiday time, and I got a good price on travel and hotel accommodations.”

“So, what are you doing this afternoon?”

“I’d planned to go to the Neues Museum next. You can come with me, if you’re interested.”

“I’d love to spend a few hours inside . . . a museum with you.”

“I’d like that,” I said, and wondered why I was reacting so strongly to him. Sure he was cute, but the attraction I was feeling was much stronger.

“Let me get us a cab. Oh, and my name’s James.”

“Kristina.”

I watched as he moved confidently away. For a second I was envious of his commanding presence and the quick way a cab spotted him and stopped. It felt like the world paid attention when he raised his hand, while I was pretty much invisible most of the time.

The afternoon flew by, I was surprised by how much fun spending time with James was. He knew far more about history than I’d been expecting from some muscle bound jock. I’d also figured out right away that he didn’t like being called ‘Jimmy’ which for some reason I found funny. By the time we’d evaluated the bust of Queen Nefertiti we were getting a little silly. Then the display of Trojan antiquities, set me off in a fit of giggles, when James commented on how the Greeks, hiding inside a stallion, in order to pierce a forbidden gate, was very phallic.

I slapped him on the shoulder and it hurt my hand! At this he begged my pardon and scooped up my fingers to kiss them. This time I couldn’t deny the moist feeling I was getting in my crotch.

“This has been so much fun. Do you think you might want to have dinner with me?” I asked, suddenly feeling very bold.

“I’d love to have dinner with you.”

By the time I returned to the hotel my stomach was in knots. I didn’t have anything to wear on a date! My limited supply of clothes looked like they’d been picked out by a guy with the focus being on jeans and t-shirts. I’d already worn my one and only dress. Fortunately, the hotel lobby had several clothing stores and I was able to find a nice black leather mini that showed off my toned legs and butt. And then I spotted a blue silk blouse. It would go perfectly with the skirt and, ‘would show just enough cleavage to have James drooling,’ I thought, with a giggle. Now armed with an outfit for tonight I raced up to my room intent on getting a shower in and getting ready. My earlier plans to use the hotel exercise room forgotten.

The two hours I had to get ready went by in a flash. Even though I knew exactly how I wanted my makeup to look for some reason it took three tries to get it just right. I also noticed that my fingers were extra clumsy on little things like the tiny buttons of my new blouse or fastening my bra behind my back. ‘Weird’ I thought, and dismissed it to nerves. Then my cell phone buzzed and I saw that it was James.

“Hi.”

“Hi, yourself. I’m in the lobby.”

“I’ll be right down.”

I grabbed my clutch and my leather jacket and then headed out. When I spotted James in the lobby my breath caught. There was something about him that seemed like it should be familiar. He turned to face me in a black suit and even though he looked a little uncomfortable, he made a striking figure. He met me half way from the elevator and once again scooped up my hand to kiss my fingers.

“You look positively delicious!”

I wasn’t sure how I felt being compared to food, but I smiled back at him, “Thanks, you clean up nice, too.”

He tucked my arm in his and led me toward the doors. Once we got to the entrance he handed a ticket to the valet who brought up his rental. Instead of jumping into the driver’s seat he walked with me around to the passenger side and opened the door to help me in. I settled into the Mercedes and remembered to keep my knees pressed together as I swung my legs in.

Once behind the wheel he looked over at me, “So, how do you feel about Italian?”

“I love Italian.”

“Great!”

With that he hit the accelerator and I felt myself being pinned into the seat as we screeched out of the parking lot. I didn’t know, but wasn’t surprised to find that Berlin had at least one great Italian restaurant. La Marianna, didn’t disappoint. It was outside of Berlin in the Steglitz quarter and reminded me of a neighborhood restaurant rather than the typical tourist trap.

For some reason I was hyper sensitive to every little thing. The way James opened doors for me, or held my seat, made me feel special and feminine. His German was much better than mine and after asking what I liked, he ordered the vegetarian lasagna for me.

Almost at once the bottle of red wine arrived along with a plate of bruschetta. I put a piece on my plate but was too self-conscious to eat at the moment, besides my stomach was in knots. I felt like this was the first time I’d been on a date with a handsome guy and I was tongue tied and awkward. As if sensing my discomfort James did everything he could to put me at ease.

I’d never been the absolute center of attention of a handsome man and he made me feel like I was the most important person in the world. He wanted to know everything about me yet didn’t pry. We talked about some of the places we’d been and our favorite parts of Berlin. By the time the entrées arrived we were on our second bottle of wine and I felt a happy buzz from the alcohol.

Once the dinner was over we ordered coffee and continued to talk as the restaurant emptied out. By the time we headed for the front doors I was feeling a little giddy and wondered how I could invite James up to my room without seeming like a total slut. Figuring that he’d had too much to drink James flagged down a taxi. On the ride back I felt James reach over and close his hand over mine and my heart started racing.

I looked up into his eyes, dark in the dimly lit cab and I felt my throat catch, as if on cue he leaned down and our lips brushed. The soft touch of skin to skin sent a thrill through my body. Abruptly, I was aware of how close we were sitting, I could feel his heat through his trousers where my leg was touching his. At the same time I noticed that my nipples were getting hard and I wanted to rub my thighs together in response to the ache in my groin. So I crossed my legs locking one knee over the other while angling them to one side. James reached out and softly traced my jawline with his hand.

“I had no idea . . .”

“About what?” I asked breathlessly.

“How sexy I . . . how sexy you are.”

I smiled at him and emboldened reached up to capture his head in my hands and brought my lips to his. This time the kiss turned open mouthed and I slid my tongue into his tasting the faint flavor of coffee and chocolate on his breath. At first he was . . . surprised? But then he leaned into the kiss reaching around and sliding a hand behind my back.

I felt my body respond and if we hadn’t been in a cab I’d have climbed onto his lap then and there. He gently slid his other hand around to cup my breast and the heat in my loins flared into a full blown fire. Our kissing took on a greater urgency and I reached down to brush his groin. When my fingers touched the illicit bulge I felt a shock run through me. I’d been toying with the idea of asking him up to my room but now touching his iron hard manhood I knew that I didn’t need to ask.

“Wir sind hier.” The driver announced looking into his rear view mirror with a smirk.

I broke off the kiss and opened my door, “Pay the man, and come with me.”

The look I got from James was full of lust, but there was a slight hesitation. “Are you sure?”

“Of course, now hurry!”

Once the taxi pulled away I ducked under James’ arm and wrapped mine around his waist. I could feel his heat through the clothes and his masculine scent was making me hornier if that was possible. The lobby was mostly empty and as soon as the elevator doors closed I tore into him. I wanted to be as close to him as possible and kissing wasn’t enough! I lifted a leg to hook around his waist pressing close. By the time the doors opened I had his tie off and the top three buttons undone.

I suddenly felt free. Free to do whatever I wanted with no remorse or second thoughts. I pulled him by the hand along the hallway to my room and used my key card to open it. As soon as the door shut behind us I was on him, kissing and clawing at his clothes. He seemed a little surprised and taken aback at first but then I could see the testosterone kick in and soon lust filled his eyes.

His shirt was off before I knew it and I ran my hands over rock hard abs as I kicked off the heeled sandals that I’d been wearing. Now I was an inch shorter than he was and feeling smaller sent an added thrill through me. Then my top hit the floor and we were kissing again and the heat between our bodies increased exponentially without that slim layer of fabric. With a practiced move he unhooked my bra and I shrugged out of it. Now the sensation of my naked chest rubbing against his was wildly erotic.

I reached down to unbuckle his pants and for a second I hesitated, there was a part of my mind telling me that this was wrong, but I didn’t understand why. I was a woman and he was a man, we were both adults, healthy, and at the height of our sexual prime, ‘Why shouldn’t we do this?’ I wondered. Then I felt him lean down and started kissing and massaging my breasts. I thought my toes would curl up with pleasure as my whole body responded to his ministrations.

“I want you.” I whispered, and tugged him toward the king-sized bed. For a second I felt him resist. I unzipped his fly, reached into his pants to grab the velvety hard member within. I felt his whole body shudder as I ran my tiny hand over the monster between his legs. “I think you want me too.”

He shuddered and put his hands on my shoulders, “We shouldn’t, I can’t explain it, but this is wrong, on so many levels.”

I reached up and put a finger over his mouth. I didn’t know why he was reluctant but I wanted him more than I’d wanted anything in my life. I dropped to my knees and pulled his cock out and heard him hiss as it sprang free. For a second I didn’t know if I dared to do it but something in the back of my mind urged me on and I leaned in. The smell was pleasant and when I put my lips to his bulbous head I could taste a bit of salty pre-cum.

I opened my mouth and took his penis in, at first I treated the end of it like a lollypop. Licking and sucking on it just wasn’t enough. I wanted to do more, I heard him groan, in pleasure as I gradually swallowed more and more of it. At last he couldn’t take it anymore I thought he was going to cum but he gently pulled me away.

“Your turn,” was all he said as he guided me to the bed. In a few seconds he’d pulled off my skirt, hose, and panties. Then he pushed my legs apart and buried his face in my sopping wet pussy. The sensations that washed over me left me squirming as he used his tongue and fingers to massage my clitoris and then spread my pussy lips working his tongue into my wet folds.

“Oh, God!” I moaned gripping the sheets with both hands. Then I felt a clenching of muscles and I came in a rush that left me panting.

As if on cue James stood up and finished getting undressed and then he moved over my prone body. He took my left nipple into his mouth he sucked, hard, while somehow using his tongue to tease my nipple. I felt my body respond as though every inch were now an erogenous zone. I tried to reach down and grab his cock but he had it in one hand and was already guiding it to my aching pussy.

I felt an electric thrill as the velvety skin touched my innermost spot and then with a gentle push I felt a sort of pop and I knew he was inside of me. I tried to wiggle closer and lifted my legs to wrap them around his hips but he wouldn’t allow it. Instead he put his hands on each of my soft thighs and spread my legs until I thought I was going to do the splits.

At the same time he slowly pushed his cock into me until our pelvic bones brushed. I was suddenly aware of his scrotum hitting my butt cheeks and he started, oh, so, slowly, pulling out and pushing in. I could feel every inch of his shaft as the taunt skin in my pussy was stretched to the limit. The sensations built and built until I wanted to scream. I could feel his pulse through his cock and our connection seemed to alter me in some unfathomable way. I tried gripping him with my inner muscles and then I came, hard. And. He. Didn’t. Stop. I started to come down from my second orgasm only his steady pumping wouldn’t allow it.

Now the thrusting had increased in pace and his balls sort of pulled up so that they were no longer slapping into my ass with each thrust. I lifted my hips in time to his thrusting and tried to squirm around as I did. I needed to get him as deep as I could. Amazingly, the tension built yet again, and I knew this time would be far more intense then my earlier explosions.

Abruptly I felt him stiffen and his cock spasmed within me. The feeling of warmth hitting my inner canal pushed me over the edge and I screamed out with pleasure, digging my nails into his back. After an endless second he collapsed onto me and I felt nearly crushed under the weight.

“Oh, god, I’ve never felt anything like that.”

I smiled a quick grin of pleasure and wrapped my legs tightly around him. “Me too.”

He leaned back and brushed my hair away from my face. “I really hope that you don’t hate me in the morning.”

“I doubt very much that I’d hate you. Unless you plan to walk out without so much as a good bye kiss.”

At this he laughed, “I don’t think there’s much chance of that.”

I could feel his cock shrinking and as it did there was the uncomfortable feeling of fluid leaking from my pussy. As if sensing what was going on James rolled off of me, and I felt that uniquely feminine sensation as his cock left me. I got to my feet juices now coating my inner thighs, and dripping, I rushed to the bathroom.

I quickly sat on the toilet and let go with a stream of urine before grabbing some tissue. When I looked up I could see James, completely naked, his flaccid cock glistening from our recent activities as it hung between his legs. He gave me a lopsided grin and my heart fluttered.

“You are so hot. I never had a chance to appreciate . . . how good looking you are until now.”

“Uhm, thanks. Before today you didn’t know me, right?” I asked feeling confused. Then I stood up and flushed the toilet and turned on the shower, “Care to join me?”

“Sure,” he said with a grin. “I’ll be right back.”

With that he ducked back into the bedroom. I put my hand under the water and adjusted the temperature when all of a sudden I heard a bang from the other room. Before I had time to think I was moving. I was through the bedroom and into the living area of the suite in time to see James point something at the two guys who’d somehow entered my room. There was a flash of light and both men slumped to the floor.

Then two more entered only they were holding guns and pointing them at James. I tried to move forward but it was like I was in slow motion. The guns’ made the muffled barking sound of a suppressed weapons. There was a flash of light as the bullets hit something invisible between James and the goons. Then the item in his hand flashed again and the second set of goons slumped to the floor.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked, as panic filled my voice.

“Just a second and I’ll explain everything.”

James moved to the hotel door shutting it and latching it. Then he checked each of the four bodies before looking up at me.

“Are they dead?”

He shook his head, “No, just stunned. They should be out for at least four hours.”

“What the hell is going on? How can you stun guys with nothing but light? Why are they after you? Who are you?” The questions tumbled out and I backed away from James as he approached.

“Yes, I’ll explain everything, just take a look at this,” and he extended his hand toward me. I slowly moved forward and saw that he was holding a light blue crystal. When I reached for it he stepped in close and pressed it to my forehead.

I tried to avoid the move but I was too slow and then the crystal made contact. It was like cold water had been dumped over my body. A set of mental curtains, I hadn’t even known existed, parted. All at once my memories came rushing back. I’d been held prisoner for days. I’d been questioned, and questioned. They’d used spells that hadn’t given me much choice, but I’d fought them, eventually, I broke. I remembered their orders, orders to BE Kristina, to be female, to be attracted to men. To be attracted to one, specific, man.

Suddenly I remembered the text message I’d sent just before I left my room for my date. I’d told them I was going out with James and that I would seduce him. Then I remembered what I’d just done with James, and how good it felt. I turned and raced to the bathroom barely making it to the toilet before I got sick.

A small part of my mind noticed that even while I was throwing up I’d reached up with one hand and scooped my hair into a ponytail and was holding it to one side. It was a very feminine move, and I did it without thinking.

I heard Kristina enter the bathroom and felt him watching me. As he did I remembered that once they had what they wanted they’d cast a spell on me. A spell designed to make me forget. Then another to build false memories, to use me as bait in a trap. I looked over at Kristina, he was the person they wanted to catch.

“We need to get out of here.” I said, and my throat felt raw.

Kristina nodded, “Yeah, grab your stuff. I’ll search these guys and then help you finish packing.”

The next few minutes were little more than a blur. I quickly got dressed in the clothes I’d worn earlier. They just seemed like the most readily available. Then I stuffed the rest of my clothes, and toiletries into the suitcase that was waiting in my closet. I suddenly wished I had my backpack, as far as I knew it was still at Jenny’s. By the time I moved into the living room Kristina had taken each of the four goons and pulled them to the far end of the room. He’d found some zip ties, Lord only knows where, and had tied each of the goons.

“We should hurry. My hotel is only a few blocks from here. If we walk then there won’t be any record.”

The idea was safe sounding, particularly since he hoisted my suit case effortlessly. I felt a stab of jealousy at his unconscious strength and looked away. There was a growing awareness of ‘me’ within my mind and at the moment I didn’t want to think about it. We headed out of the hotel and under the city lights I could see that there were plenty of people still up and about. Unconsciously I moved closer to Kristina, his masculine bulk made me feel safe.

The cool night air helped to clear my head and all at once I was very aware of the way my body was moving. The natural, sway of breasts, hips, and ass was oddly normal. I had to hurry to keep up with Kristina’s longer strides, my heels didn’t help.

“Can you slow down?”

Kristina looked at me over his shoulder, “No, we are really vulnerable right now. We need to get to my room so I can shield us. I also need to make a few calls.”

I felt a flash of anger, at him for abusing my trust, and at my situation. Rather than complain I focused on keeping up. It took almost fifteen minutes to walk to his hotel and as we moved through the lobby I was very conscious of the looks I was getting. A part of my mind wondered why and it wasn’t until I saw my reflection in the mirrored doors of the elevator that I knew. My hair was wild looking and my clothes were slightly askew. It was obvious to me that I’d thrown them on in a hurry. For God’s sake, I had a set of buttons on my blouse miss-aligned! The doors opened and we headed down the hall to Kristina’s room and once the door closed I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I followed him over to the couch, where he’d sat my suitcase.

“Kristina?”

He turned to look at me, “Yes?”

The slap stung my hand, but I felt a surge of satisfaction at the red mark on his cheek.

“Ow, what was that for?”

“What was that for? Taking my BODY without explaining what you were doing! Having SEX with me when I didn’t remember you or me and was under the influence of that damn spell!”

At this he looked embarrassed and stepped back. “Yeah, I guess I deserve that, at least for the body swap. The sex part . . . You practically attacked me! I had no plan to have sex, I just wanted to spring the trap, then my body . . . this body . . . I just . . . couldn’t stop you.” Then after a pause, “And hey, as weird as that sounds . . . there was something about the chance to have sex with . . . myself . . . as a man.” He finished lamely.

I knew that he had a point but there was no way I was going to acknowledge it. So I moved to the sofa and sat down at the far end. My head was still a little fuzzy, but I remembered pretty much everything. I leaned over and rested my face in my hands, fighting back the sudden urge to cry.

“Where have you been for the last four days?” At this he moved to the single chair and looked at me, his face filled with worry. “Tell me what happened.”

I shook my head, “No, not yet, it’s too raw. Tell me what happened to you.”

“In a minute.” Then he pulled out the crystal he’d used earlier and focused on it whispering something I couldn’t hear. After a second I felt my ears pop and then he looked up. “There, we’re shielded from magical tracking.”

I nodded but kept silent and then when the silence stretched, “So what happened to you?”

“I lost contact with you the day before I flew to Berlin. I was worried, I figured I’d be able to find you once I got here. Only I couldn’t. I went over to Jenny’s but she didn’t know who I was and you weren’t there. So I settled into this hotel and tried to find you using astral projection. We have a very strong connection so normally all I have to do is think about you and I can locate you. Only I, still, couldn’t sense you. Wherever they had you, it was shielded. We tried everything we could think of including keeping Jenny’s place under surveillance. Nothing worked.” Kristina looked down into his hands.

Suddenly, I realized that Jenny must be worried about me. “Did you talk to Jenny?”

At this he looked up, “We didn’t need too. The Syndicate took all of your things and then had you send her a text saying that you had to leave in a hurry.”

“Oh,” now it was my turn to look down. Then after a minute I met his eyes, “So, how did you find me today?”

“Last night actually. I was searching for you several times a day and then last night I tried again, and I found you! You were sound asleep in your hotel. I can’t tell you how relieved I was. I wanted to rush over and see you, but when I called Lukas, my Society mentor, he told me not to. He suspected a trap and he thought the odds were good that you’re mind had been messed with. So I watched you last night and then this morning a Society Adept stopped by and taught me the stun spell and how to break a compulsion. Lukas had already taught me how to do the shield so the Adept didn’t have to go over that.” Then Kristina moved over toward the mini-bar. “I need a drink, do you want one?”

I nodded numbly, my mind still trying to process everything. “Wait, why didn’t this Adept just free me?”

Kristina shook his head. “It’s not the Society way. They follow the rule of helping those who can help themselves. They want practitioners who can fend for themselves. The Society is too small and doesn’t have the resources to protect all of its members from the Syndicate. The way Lukas explained it to me was that if I was worth the time to train then, I shouldn’t need help.” Then he shrugged, besides, if I really needed help, as a witch, I should have gone to the Berlin Great Coven. Only I haven’t joined a Coven yet, since I’ve only started my training, and I don’t know. I just wanted to do this on my own, to prove I could, I guess.”

I heard Kristina walk back over to the sofa. “Here.” I looked up to see him offering me a bottle of beer. It was a German brand I didn’t recognize, but I took it gratefully. I closed my eyes and took a long drink my mind racing with all of this talk about secret societies, magical criminal organizations, and now covens. Then I realized that this was distracting me from what really had me dazed.

What the syndicate had done to me had been a violation of the most intimate sort. I’d literally forgotten who I was. I’d accepted that I was Kristina, I felt myself start to shake and knew I needed to get control. I took a deep breath and focused on compartmentalizing my feelings. ‘Don’t think about what happened, deal with the current situation.’ I thought. Then when I looked over at Kristina I cleared my throat, “So, what’s next?”

“I’ve got to call Lukas and let him know I’ve got you. Then I expect he’ll want to get us out of Berlin. He’ll probably get us to a Society safe house. Hopefully to meet with one of the Adapts who should be able to swap us back into our rightful bodies.”

I nodded, at that, but then motioned for him to continue. “Then what?”

“What do you mean?”

“After all of this, you don’t think the Syndicate will just leave us alone do you?”

For the first time I saw a look of worry cross my former face and it dawned on me. “You thought that we could just swap back and that would be the end of it for me?” I couldn’t help the sarcastic laugh and he looked a little chagrinned. “Kristina, you’ve just altered my life. They will never let me go back to my normal life knowing what I now know. Once we swap back they’ll come find me to make sure that I’m not a liability.”

“I . . . I guess I didn’t think about that.”

“Well, you should have!” I felt angry with him and wanted to lash out. “You may have borrowed my body, but you’ve stolen my life!”

At this I stood up and drained the beer. Then after a quick glare at him I moved toward the bathroom.

“Uhm . . . where are you going?”

“I’m going to take a damn shower and change into something that isn’t sticky to sleep in . . . if that’s okay.”

I didn’t wait for him to nod, instead I grabbed my suitcase and used the rollers on the corner to drag it to the bathroom. Once I closed the door I looked at the blond reflection and just stared. It didn’t feel weird to see that face. It felt . . . normal.

“What the hell did that spell do to me?”

I knew who I was, I remembered my life as James. But those memories had a distant, dream like quality. Every second they were becoming clearer, more real, but as I looked into the mirror I realized that, I felt . . . comfortable with this reflection.

“Deal with it later.” I said, trying to dismiss my concern.

I turned on the water and with practiced movements stripped out of the clothes I’d worn for my date. The feeling of water cascading down my body felt, new, odd, and normal, all at the same time. It was as if I were two people inside the same skin, the part of me that was James was growing stronger while the part that was Kristina faded. However, the Kristina part was still strong enough to cause me to feel an odd duality. I focused on getting clean, including washing my hair. I wanted to remove every trace of my sexual experience.

On one level I didn’t blame Kristina. I’d thrown myself at him, and we’d both had a bit too much to drink. At the same time he shouldn’t have taken advantage of the situation! And he shouldn’t have had so much to drink if he thought we might be attacked. Although, I had to admit he’d handled the attackers quite well. This made me wonder how drunk he’d been, and if he was using that as an excuse for sleeping with me.

Abruptly, I felt the urge to pee. I thought about turning off the shower, drying off, sitting down, taking care of business, and then patting myself dry. In a fit of rebellion I just let loose. I couldn’t feel the warm urine along with the warm water. For a second I wanted to giggle, at least I was peeing standing up! Once done I grabbed a wash cloth and made sure I was clean.

Done showering I climbed out and dried off. As I did my mind drifted back to having sex. I had to admit, at least to myself, that I’d enjoyed the experience. I may have been under a spell, but I’d been exploring Kristina’s body from the moment I’d gotten it. I doubted that I’d ever have sex with a guy, I just had too many issues with that to have done it on my own. But the spell had removed my hang ups, and the sex had been great.

“Focus, Jimmy-boy,” I said out loud and then giggled at the incongruity. “You’ve got to get out of this town safely and get your body back. After that you’ll have to check out this Society and see if they can help you escape the Syndicate.”

Feeling a little better to have the start of a plan, I opened my suitcase and began rummaging through the clothes. After a few minutes I realized that the only thing I had that I was comfortable with wearing to bed was a pair of silk PJs. The pants and top did a good job of covering me up, although without a bra I’d be giving Kristina a show. Then I shrugged and dismissed the idea. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen it all before. Besides, I really didn’t feel like putting a bra on.

When I returned to the living area I saw that Kristina was on the phone. As soon as I shut the bathroom door Kristina looked over at me and then ended the call.

“That was Lukas, I’ve got directions to a safe house. I’ve, also, warded this room so we should be safe for tonight. Tomorrow we’ll go get my rental and then head into the country.”

I could see that he’d drained two beers while I’d been in the shower. I went to the fridge and grabbed the last one. “Okay, do you want to flip for the bed?”

At this he laughed, “I’m bigger than you I should get it, or we could share.” As he said this he wiggled his eyebrows up and down. I snorted at that and then shook my head.

“In your dreams. And I’m almost as tall as you. Flip me for it?”

He shook his head looking a little more sober. “Naw, you can have it. You’ve had a rough couple of days.”

“Okay,” I said, and took another long drink.

“Can you tell me what happened to you?” He asked the question softly but I could tell it was really important to him. After a moment I nodded.

“There’s not that much to tell. On Wednesday, I had lunch after a workout and as I left the restaurant I felt dizzy. Then the woman wearing Elvira’s body, popped up. Someone must have used some kind of spell because I suddenly felt dizzy and sort of out of it. The next thing I knew I was in a room with a hospital bed.” At this I paused for another drink. “They had a guy, said he was a doctor. I think he said his name was Mengele. Anyway he was the one who used the magic on me. He had a ring he put on my finger.” At this I held up my hand and was relieved that it didn’t have a ring on it. “He was the one who asked me the questions. I had to answer them. I couldn’t lie, I couldn’t evade, and I HAD to answer. Then he ordered me to forget that I was James. He ordered me to believe that I was you.”

I said the last part quietly and finished my beer. When I glanced up I could tell that Kristina had started to move toward me but then had stopped. I figured she wanted to give me a hug, but I was in no mood to be touched by anyone.

“Just, like that? They were able to replace your memories and free will?”

I shook my head. “No, apparently, I’m a stubborn cuss. I fought them every step of the way. I think the key was when they discovered that they could make me forget who I was and then for a time I’d stop fighting them. When I wasn’t fighting they could start implanting the new personality. They’d have me look in the mirror and tell them what I saw. They did that to me over, and over, and over again. I think I broke on day two.” At this point I could feel my whole body start to shake and moisture started leaking down my cheeks. I heard Kristina take a step closer and I backed away holding up a hand.

“Don’t touch me.”

“I won’t hurt you.” Kristina’s voice sounded hurt.

I just shook my head, “That’s not it. I just . . . I don’t want to be touched right now.”

Then I let out a sigh. “I’m going to go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

With that I moved into the bed room and slid between the sheets. I curled into a ball on my left side as sobs shook me. Now alone in the darkness the memories came back. I don’t know how long I cried I only know that at some point I fell asleep.

Once again my dreams were filled with color. Then I was watching Ms. Jackson, as she worked over a heavy bag. The room was dimly lit and her bare feet made almost no noise on the hardwood floor as she spun in place planting a high back kick against the bag sending it swinging. Then she followed it up with a back fist and a left cross. The sounds came in quick succession. Her black sports bra showed heavy perspiration, yet she never slowed as she focused on attacking the heavy bag. I had to admit that her technique looked pretty damn good. Then there was the sound of a door opening. The man who came in was quite a bit taller than Jackson, yet he seemed a little scared.

“Ma’am, I’ve got the latest SITREP”

At this she paused, one leg up, held in a perfect round-house kick. She looked over at him.

“Report.”

The man swallowed, “The woman, Kristina, she escaped.” Then in a rush he continued, “She had help. She met up with a man. Someone working for the Society. The man she was with used magic to subdue our guards and then when they escaped he was good enough to obscure his tracks.”

Ms. Jackson dropped her leg to the floor and straightened up before walking over him. “I thought we had a team, a team ready to subdue any Society Adept that might show up? A team with a Magi?”

“This wasn’t a Society Adept. According to our agent, it was Kristina Curtis in the body of James Frost. At least that’s what our agent texted us. The records we have on Kristina Curtis indicate she can’t use magic. So we used a mundane security team and held our Magi in reserve. Ready to act when the Adept showed up.”

“Are you telling me that you’ve lost them?”

The man nodded, unwilling to meet her eyes.

“I see, so we had a team in place. A team that included magical support and allowed Kristina and James to slip away? Did your associates explain to you that I’ve got very little patience?”

He nodded, “I’m sorry Ma’am. We were watching and we were ready, but I . . . we . . . he got the drop on us. I’ve got no excuse.”

“Apology . . .” she spun around in a blur and her foot lashed out in a back thrust kick. The blow buried the blade of her right food into the man’s throat. He fell to the ground clutching his neck and his body went into convulsions. “. . . Accepted.” she said, finishing the sentence. Then she shook her head, “And I really liked you. Well, if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.”

With that Ms. Jackson went to her gym bag and pulled out a phone and dialed a number I couldn’t see.

“Rich, yeah, it’s me. I need a cleaner at my location. I also need another team to augment the one in Berlin. We’re going to have to start a search, our target is running.”

Then the dream faded and I lurched up right in bed. I could feel my heart racing and I knew that I hadn’t just witnessed a dream. “Fuck, we’ve got to get out of here.” I said and threw back the covers.

Unable to sleep I climbed out of bed and rousted Kristina by the simple expedient of turning on every light I could find. It took a few minutes of convincing but Kristina eventually agreed that we needed to move, and move now. At four in the morning the city of Berlin is a pretty sleepy place. It took about fifteen minutes to get a cab but the ride to Kristina’s car was quick along the deserted streets. I didn’t start to relax until we were well outside of Berlin headed west. For a while I just stared out into the darkness as Kristina drove. Then out of boredom and curiosity I looked over at him.

“Why me?”

Kristina glanced at me and then back at the Autobahn. “Excuse me?”

“Why did you pick me? To swap bodies with? Did you always want to be a guy?”

Kristina refused to look at me for a few minutes and then finally started to answer. “I . . . I don’t really know. I mean, there I was in the airport trying to mind my own business and get to Mexico, stressed out and worried about the Syndicate and what they might do to me. Then that drunk asshole wouldn’t leave me alone.” He shook his head remembering, “I felt small and trapped and then there you were. You just looked at him and he backed down. I started wishing it was that easy for me to get people to leave me alone. Then I realized with the Syndicate after me, I needed help. You offered to help. So I thought I’d take you up on it. I really didn’t think that much about the gender change until I woke up in your body. Then it hit me.” He glanced down at his crotch quickly with a rueful grin. “Do you always wake up with a hard on?”

“You’ve heard of morning wood, right?” I asked feeling a little amused at the idea of Kristina waking up in my body to my normal boner and not knowing what to do. After that the conversation just sort of died away. Kristina drove and I dosed off as the scenery changed from city to country. Then we were stopping for petrol and I realized that we’d transitioned from the autobahn to a secondary road.

“Could you get me a coffee while I refuel us?”

“Sure,” I said and grabbed the purse I’d been given. The bag wasn’t the one I’d left Kristina’s flat with, so I figured that it had been given to me by the Syndicate. I went into the station and paid for the fuel and then headed to the restroom. I was the only one in the restroom at this hour and then the thought struck me. If I’d been planning this Op I’d have planted a bug in the purse.

It took me about five minutes to find it, and I had to cut the lining of the purse but I pulled the transmitter out and looked at it. I thought about flushing it but then I figured I could use it for some misdirection. I returned to the main store area and got the coffees and headed back to the car.

“Thanks,” Kristina said, and then looked at me. “What was that side trip about?”

I grinned, “I just needed to check out the back of that truck. It seemed awfully lonely.”

He wasn’t buying my story and I couldn’t help laughing. “I’ll tell you later.” With that I ducked back into the car. It took a couple of minutes for him to finish and then we were pulling away.

“Okay, spill the beans.”

“I decided to use the bathroom and while I was there I realized that if I was running this mission, I’d have put a bug on my ‘bait’ so if I lost track of her I’d be able to reacquire her.” I picked up my purse and showed Kristina the whole I’d cut in the lining.

“This isn’t the purse I took from your place, yet it’s got your wallet, ID, make up, hygiene products . . . Why did they go to the trouble of transferring all of that to a different purse?” Kristina just looked at me so I continued, “After I found it I thought the most courteous thing to do would be to return it to Berlin. That truck happens to be headed that way right now.”

At this he chuckled, “I’d never have thought of that or to put it in another car.”

“Yeah, well, how many missions have you been on?”

“Uhm, well . . . none.”

I figured it was time to change the subject. “How long until we get to this safe house?”

“Just under an hour.”

The house was old, built before world war two, with ivy running up the stone walls. I didn’t see any other houses around it and couldn’t help thinking this was like a slice from an earlier time. Kristina parked in the driveway and glanced over at me.

“We should be safe here for the next couple of days. But don’t use your phone while we’re here.”

“Fine” I said knowing my phone was already powered down. I also doubted that this place had internet. Kristina acted the part of the gentleman and grabbed my suitcase and headed up onto the front porch. He unlocked it and threw on the light switch before stepping to one side.

“Welcome home. Would you like me to carry you over the threshold?”

“Very funny,” I said, stepping around him. “But we aren’t married and I’m not anyone’s wife.”

Even with the lights on the inside was a bit dark, with sheets draped over the furniture, and dust everywhere. My heels made a clicking noise on the hardwood floors as I started to explore. The house was an old, perhaps even pre-WWI, unmatched stone farm house. It had a small porch and two floors and was smaller than I’d have expected.

For the next couple of hours we unpacked, uncovered the furniture, dusted, and explored. By lunch time I was starving yet we’d been instructed to stay where we were. Then I heard a shout from the front of the house and when I came to check on it I found Kristina looking out the open front door at a Volvo pulling into the driveway. I moved to stand next to Kristina, watching the car with more than a little suspicion, and wishing that I had my 9mm or an AR-15.

Then the door opened and the tall blonde woman who climbed out reminded me of the Valkyrie of legend more than a human woman. She had to be at least six feet tall and the graceful athleticism that oozed from every pore left me feeling more than a little inadequate. I followed Kristina onto the porch and stepped to one side not wanting to be standing behind him. The woman climbed the steps to the porch and I realized that she was taller than both of us.

“Guten Morgen, James, Kristina, ich glaube, wir müssen reden.”

“I don’t speak German, do you speak English?” I asked moving a half step forward.

“Yes, of course.” Then she gave me a penetrating look. “You’re American?”

I nodded, “Yeah, guilty as charged.”

“I’ve got water boiling,” Kristina said. “We can have a cup of tea and discuss the situation.”

“That would be nice. Oh, my name is Diana,” the woman added and gave us a thousand watt smile that left my heart racing.

Once we were settled into the kitchen I looked back and forth between Diana and Kristina and then figured I’d bring up the topic that was at the front of my mind.

“So, I’m assuming that you’re an Adept from the Society and that you’re here to fix our problem.” I made a gesture between Kristina and me. “Can you fix us? Can you return us to our original bodies?”

At this the woman let out a laugh, louder, and more melodic than I’d been expecting. “You don’t waste any time getting to the point.” Then she took a sip of tea before setting it down and opening her handbag. From within the bag she drew out a candle and a set of eye glasses that were quite odd. They were wire rim glasses and had a hinge on the outer corner of each lens. The hinge allowed one of several lenses to be flipped up or down. Diana sat the candle on the table flicked a finger at it causing it to burst into flame.

She glanced over at Kristina and said, “I’m a sorceress.”

As if that explained something. Then Diana stood up and moved toward me and I felt the hair on my arms stand up as she started flipping lenses up and down, examining me. This was enough to cause me to feel nervous but then she started chanting something softly. As soon as she did the candle flame flared up several inches. It was now burning impossibly bright as she continued to flip the lens up, down, up, and down a different one each time. This continued for several seconds and then she turned her attention to Kristina and repeated the process. As I watched I noticed that Kristina was handling the exam with better grace than me. Finally Diana turned to me and removed her glasses.

“I’ve been told what happened by Lukas, and I understand the urgency. But I’m sorry. There isn’t anything I can do to return you to your rightful bodies.”

For a moment my mind failed to comprehend the words. I’d been counting on the Society to get me back to my body. It had been the life line I’d used to get through the Syndicate’s brain washing. Yet here I was facing a Society Adept and she was telling me that I was trapped.

“Does that mean we’re stuck?” Kristina asked the question before I could voice it.

At this Diana shook her head. “Nicht, you both have talent. I think that is what drew you together to start with.” At this she looked at me, “James can you tell me, has anything odd happened to you since the switch?”

I wanted to laugh, or cry, everyday had been filled with new or odd things since I landed in this body. As if sensing my train of thought Diana leaned forward.

“Have you been able to move an object by just thinking about it? Or caused a candle to light with a glance, or felt like you knew what someone was feeling without having to ask?”

At this line of questioning I forced myself to slow down and take her seriously. I could tell by her intent look that she was very interested in my answer.

“Uhm, well, no, none of that. But I’ve had the oddest dreams lately.”

At this Kristina laughed, “Well, honey, you were just having your period.”

I shook my head feeling a flash of irritation, “Yeah, did you have dreams about people who were about to attack you when you had a period?”

“What do you mean, ‘about people who were about to attack you?’” Diana said giving Kristina a look to keep quiet.

At this I launched into an accounting of each of the weird dreams I’d had. When I got to the one that identified Mr. Jason Drake, Diana held up her hand for me to stop.

“Describe him for me?”

“Tall, in his early fifties, dark red hair with a touch of silver. Very handsome,” I reluctantly added.

“James, I think you’re a Seer. Did you ever have dreams like these before the swap?”

I shook my head. “I’d get a feeling, I learned to always trust my instincts, but no, I’ve never had dreams like these.”

“I think the use of that body swap spell had a side effect. It ‘awoke’ you both.”

I glanced at Kristina but she looked a little unsure then I remembered the dream I’d had most recently. The one where Ms. Jackson had claimed that neither Kristina nor I should have had any magical ability. I launched into a recount of that dream and Diana nodded.

“Yes, that’s one of the reasons we made sure that an Adept didn’t accompany Kristina here when he rescued you.” Then she looked at Kristina and added, “You didn’t know it but Lukas had made several phone calls. The Berlin Great Coven was alerted. We had Guardian Witches and a Society Adept ready if you would have needed them. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your perspective, the Syndicate stayed true to form. They wanted to use both of you as bait for a bigger fish and held back.” She shook her head, “The Syndicate has been targeting the Berlin Society Enclave and associated organizations, like the Berlin Great Coven, for years. Things have sort of settled into a Cold War like series of moves and counter moves. No one really wants to escalate things, but these crystals and the ability to move a person from one body to another, this changes everything.” Diana put down her empty cup and looked at Kristina. “Lukas tells me you’re a witch and that you’ve already bonded a focus?” Kristina nodded and Diana continued, “He also tells me that he has taken you on as his apprentice.”

Kristina nodded, again, and added, “Yes, Ma’am.”

“That is a tremendous honor. You must have a powerful gift.”

I watched as Kristina for the first time since I’d met him blushed. “Thank you.”

Then Diana looked at me. “James, you’ve got the soul of a Seer. This is a very rare gift. With Society training you could become very powerful.”

I didn’t know what to say so I just nodded.

“I thought that the Seer talent was a subset of the Witchcraft gift?” Kristina asked.

Diana nodded, “Yes, that’s true.”

Then Kristina continued an intent look on his face. “I thought that because Witchcraft is spirit based magic, I would be able to learn to use my gift to restore us?”

Diana smiled at Kristina obviously pleased with his line of reasoning. “Yes, but James’ power is also ‘spirit’ magic. She could interfere with your attempts to manipulate the ether. And without her cooperation you would never be able to change bodies.”

“Are you kidding, of course I want to change back! Why would I stop Kristina?”

Diana gave me a patient look, “Because right now you’ve got NO control. Even if Kristina had mastered the spells he needs, which he hasn’t, you would stop it cold because you’ve got no control. Your magic would act to defend you from what it would perceive as an attack and the spell would fail.”

I was silent thinking about that and then something else clicked. “Is that why it took so long for Mengele’s mind control spell to work on me?”

“Yes, exactly.” Then her face grew pale, “Did you say Mengele? As in Doctor Josef Mengele?”

I nodded, “Yeah, he was the one casting all those spells on me. I remember him commenting that I had a very strong will and that I was stubbornly resisting his magic. He seemed very surprised.”

“Oh Scheiße!”

Diana stood up and pulled out a pair of crystals. “James, hold these, one in each hand, please.”

I stood up and took one in each hand.

“Kristina I need you to open that window and bring me a basin of water.” Diana said, moving with a sense of urgency. The candle flared up and as soon as Kristina brought the water Diana submerged a hand. Then as if on cue a gust of wind came in through the window it swirled around the room but didn’t disturb anything. Diana once again put on her strange glasses on and instantly started chanting.

This went on for several minutes and then I felt the crystal in my left hand grow cold while the one in my right hand grew warm. I tried to say something but I realized I couldn’t move. Then it felt like there was a current running through me, right to left, hot to cold, and the world started to grow fuzzy around me and I lost track of time.

Abruptly the world snapped back into focus and I realized the crystals I was holding had gone dormant and I could move. I dropped them and lurched to my left losing my balance for a second. I avoided falling over by grabbing the kitchen table.

“What the fuck was that!”

“James, please, I’m sorry I didn’t warn you.”

At this point I noticed that Diana had sat back down and she looked exhausted. I also noticed the window was closed and the basin was over on the counter. In addition to all of that Kristina had put fresh tea out, ‘When did all that happen?’ I wondered.

“Josef Mengele is a Necromancer of no little skill. He is evil in an alien way. He doesn’t really look at other people as human, they are almost like play things to him. Once I realized he was the one that had bound you, I knew I needed to look you over for any additional spells.” Diana looked down, “I’m a sorceress and I needed all four elements to power my magic tonight. In fact I’ve not pushed my gift this hard in several years.” Then looking directly at me, “You had a couple of deeply buried compulsions. At you’re first opportunity you would have sent your location to the Syndicate and you wouldn’t even have remembered doing it.”

I sat down feeling stunned. “They can do that?”

Diana looked exhausted as she nodded. “Yes, they can do that. Don’t worry, dear, I removed everything. But this just makes it all the more important for you both to get to Mexico. The Training Enclave maintained by the Society is one of the places the Syndicate has agreed to consider neutral ground. You’ll be safe there. Once your both ready, swapping back should be the easiest thing in the world.”

I felt stunned and just sat there my mind trying to come to terms with what I’d just learned. The silence told me that both Kristina and Diana were watching me. Finally I asked the question now at the forefront of my mind. “How long will it take to learn to control our powers?”

I looked up directly into Diana’s eyes. She met my gaze unflinchingly. “It will take as long as it takes. But what you both seek to do is very advanced, I’d say at least a year of training is required. Perhaps longer.”

I felt my world contract around me. A year! A year as Kristina! Eleven more periods! A year as a woman! Would I remember what it was like to be a man? Would I even want to change back? And what would happen to the old life I’d built? My job? My girlfriend, my family? Even if we'd finally swap back after a year, I'd have to start all over again!

I stood up and moved away from the two of them to look out the kitchen window. I allowed my thoughts to drift. I didn’t really want to think at the moment. I’d already figured it out, but hearing it from Diana made it all too real. My life as James Frost, whether I got my body back or not, was over. For better or worse, I was now involved in an international organization that was fighting a hidden war.

The sun was just touching the horizon as I settled into the chair on the back porch. I had a glass of wine in my hand, but I couldn’t feel any effects yet from my first glass. I was still too stunned by the news. I was a Seer. I could learn magic. I could cast spells. And I was most likely stuck, in this female body, for the next year. I didn’t want to be a woman and I knew that I couldn’t let myself accept it. I felt like if I stopped fighting I’d end up in this body for life. There had to be another way, except that I didn’t have a clue how to undo this.

I took a sip of the dry Merlot and enjoyed the way the flavor blossomed over my tongue. I’d never been a big wine guy, but I was enjoying this bottle. I shivered a little in the cold. I was wearing a coat and had a blanket over my legs and I could see my breath in the dim light. Even so, I didn’t feel like being inside. Diana and Kristina were talking, making plans to get us to Mexico and while I knew this was important, I was having trouble wrapping my mind around anything other than the reality that, for the moment, I was stuck.

I took another sip and tried to order my thoughts. Yes, I had to admit, at least to myself, that my biggest fear was the fact that I was already comfortable in Kristina’s female body. When I glanced in the mirror I wasn’t surprised by my reflection. The way my body moved no longer felt alien. Instead, the movement of the flesh on my chest and ass felt normal. Being Kristina hadn’t been all bad, and now, after whatever it was that Mengele had done to me, my body felt ordinary. Then after a minute I had to admit there was more to it.

I remembered my explorations of Kristina’s body and the lesbian sex I’d had with Lana. As good as those experiences had been, they’d been nothing compared to what I’d felt when Kristina had fucked me. Even now, sitting in the cold if I let my mind drift to last night I started to feel aroused. I knew that if given the chance I’d want to do that again, and again, and again. I could feel the need inside. Mengele had done something to my libido and this terrified me.

I didn’t really know what had happened to me when the Syndicate had held me. Oh, I remembered the spells, I just had no idea what they’d done. What terrified me was that if I gave in to my lust, I might not want to switch back and I didn’t know if I could hold out for a full year!

I finished my wine and looked up at the stars. The cold helped take my mind off my inner turmoil.

“Jimmy-boy, you can only do what you can do.” Then I snorted, “At least I now remember my real life.”

The fact that my memories had returned and the fake ones had completely vanished made me feel better. Maybe the jacked up libido would fade as well. It was as if this line of thought triggered a memory and in defiance to Mengele and the Syndicate I closed my eyes and thought of my time in the service.

“Ready, GO!”

At the shouted command I took off. ‘Light feet, light feet’ I thought, as I tore through the deep white sand. The ten foot wall loomed and I jumped as high as I could, ignoring the rope that hung from the wall as my hands grabbed the top. We ran the course in pairs and the guy who’d taken off with me was already a dozen feet behind by the time I reached the wall. I pulled and when my head and shoulders cleared the wall I did a front roll over it, flipping so I dropped to my feet on the other side.

More sand, and then I hit a series of four foot walls. I put one hand on top, kicked my feet to the side as I went over and focused on not slowing down. After the third wall it was nearly fifty meters to the log-run. A series of three fifteen foot telephone poles. The first pole had one end in the ground and the other suspended five feet in the air. The second log was connected to the first, but whoever designed the course made it turn thirty degrees to the right. The third pole was attached to the second with another thirty degree turn and the far end was buried in the ground. That meant the first pole was a ramp up and the third was the ramp back down. While the second was a level, if round, surface suspended five feet above ground. Some people had trouble running on the round poles or got nervous running five feet up. I hit the first pole and accelerated running as fast as I could, in my mind this was forty five feet of hard surface, instead of soft sand.

Then I was back in the sand. By now my heart was racing and I was breathing hard. Fifty meters and I hit the rope swing. I jumped as far as I could catching the rope and easily made it over the water filled pit. Ten meters, and I hit the sand face first in a low crawl under a barbed wire net. Ten meters of low crawling and I was out.

Next up, a twenty foot Jacobs’s ladder. I went up and over as fast as I could and dropped the last ten feet to the ground. I was now covered in sweat and sand as I raced twenty meters to another series of four foot walls, and by now my breathing had become ragged.

The eight foot wall came next and this was more of an annoyance at this point on the course. My muscles started to burn as I rolled over the top of the wall and raced forward. One hundred meters to the second set of suspended logs. It felt like my feet were barely touching as I raced over them. Then the last obstacle was in sight, fifty meters away a set of monkey bars. By now the sand had become a tremendous obstacle all by itself and my legs burned as I gasped for air.

The soft white sand had to be at least six inches deep and I concentrated on staying on my toes. Then I jumped skipping the first three rungs of the monkey bars and did the next six two at a time and dropped clear. Ten meters to the finish line. I raced across and heard the Sergeant shout, “Time!” I collapsed to my knees and then struggled back to my feet. I laced my fingers behind my head and tried to catch my breath. I couldn’t hear the time but then Staff Sergeant Hernandez was in my face.

“Frost! Drop and give me one hundred.”

I hit the ground and started counting them out, “One, two, three . . .”

“Frost, do you know why you’re doing one hundred pushups?”

“No, Sergeant!”

“Because you failed to break the course record by one-hundredth of a second!”

The memory faded, and I glanced down at my chest. “I bet there’s no way I could break the course record now.” I said, softly.

“Hey, how are you doing?”

I glanced up at Kristina as he sat down in the chair next to me a beer in one hand. The cold didn’t seem to be bothering him much.

“As well as can be expected, I guess.”

“You don’t sound like you’re doing too well.”

“Can you blame me? I just found out that I’m going to be stuck as a woman for up to a year. My life, as I knew it, is over. I’m a Seer, and the Syndicate, an evil organization dedicated to dark magic and world domination, is after me. Considering all that . . . I’m just peachy.”

Kristina let out a chuckle and shook his head ruefully. “Look, I’m really sorry. I never dreamed things would turn out like this.”

I nodded, “I know.”

“If it’s any consolation, I miss my body, and my life. I don’t want to be a man.”

I glanced at him and then picked up the wine bottle I’d left by the chair and refilled my glass. “Kinda hard for me to tell. You seem to have adjusted.”

“Not as much as you think. Plus, I cheated.”

At this I gave him a questioning look.

“When I first got to Mexico I was having a hard time dealing with,” here he gestured down at himself, “all of this. But I was also struggling to learn even the most basic spells. Then Lukas offered a suggestion.” Kristina looked off into the night, seeing an event that I couldn’t follow. “Lukas knew of a spell called Solatium. It was designed to bring a person’s, body, mind, and spirit into harmony. As it turns out, it’s very hard to use magic if you’re constantly at war with your own self. I couldn’t cast it so I asked Lukas to do it. After that I no longer felt odd in your body. I wasn’t constantly having to adjust my dick, or forced to remember how to hold my arms so I didn’t look feminine. But those were just a couple of the outward signs. My magic finally started to flow.”

“Sounds similar to what Mengele did to me,” I said and took a sip of wine.

“No, I doubt that very much. Mengele wanted you acting female so he could use you as bait. I asked for this spell so I wouldn’t be constantly distracted. So I could focus on learning everything I needed to know so we could swap back.” Kristina drained half his beer and looked over at me. “James, I miss my body. I miss all the pretty things I used to be able to wear. I miss shopping with Lana, going to my parents place for dinner, and I miss my step-sister.”

After this neither of us said anything for a time. It felt nice to just sit, in silence and enjoy the night.

“Kris, tell me what is the Society?”

She looked at me a little surprised. “You don’t know?” Then answering her own question, “How would you.” She sighed, “The official name is the Secret Society of the Eldritch, but everyone just calls it the Society. The society serves three primary functions. You can sort of think of it as the United Nations of the magical world. Now that you’re ‘awakened’ you’re going to learn that there are quite a few magical disciplines and magical creatures.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Well, take me for instance. I’m a witch. My magic is primarily spiritual magic and I need a focus in order to use it. That’s where my crystal comes in. Once I’ve got my initial training I’ll join a Coven and get on with my life. Which brings me to the second role of the society. To find newly awakened ‘talents’ and train them in the proper discipline for their gift and then get them settled into the corresponding magical community.”

“And the third?”

“To prevent the mundane world from learning about the existence of magic.”

“So where does the Syndicate fit in?”

Kristina took a sip of his beer. “The Society was formed in the aftermath of World War Two. From what I understand the Syndicate doesn’t agree with or acknowledge the role of the Society. The people who join the Syndicate believe that those with magical power ought to rule the world. The problem for the Syndicate is that we are all so outnumbered by the mundane population and the power of modern weapons is so devastating that even with magic we wouldn’t necessarily win in a direct conflict. So they want to work in the shadows.”

Kristina lifted his beer and drained it. “They also have no scruples. They don’t operate within the accepted rules and they have no problem with killing or worse.”

For a second I wondered what might be worse, but then I remembered Mengele. “Thanks for telling me.”

At this Kristina looked a little embarrassed, “I probably should have told you sooner.”

For a while silence stretched between us, “Kris, I don’t know if I can do this, not for a whole year.”

There must have been something in my voice that made him pause and really look at me. Before he’d looked a little concerned but also cautious, like he didn’t want to upset me. Now, he looked openly worried.

“James, we . . . we don’t really have a lot of choices.”

I nodded, “Yeah, I guess.” I started to stand up and he placed a hand on my arm stopping me.

“What if there was another way?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I stole the first crystal from the Syndicate, there were others in the vault. If we stole another one, we could bring it to the Society and they’d study it and unlock the secrets. That’s what I was supposed to do with the first one.”

“And you think that this would help us get swapped back sooner?”

Kristina nodded, “I do.”

“But after the first theft, don’t you think they’d have changed the security procedures, and authorizations?” I shook my head, “How would we get in?”

Kristina grinned, “I’ve got an idea or two.”

“Okay, count me in.” I said, and for the first time since talking to Diana I started to feel like there might be some hope.

I reached up to brush my hair out of my eyes and looked out at the sea. The ferry was rocking gently and the day was actually sunny, a rare treat for the English Channel during the winter. I glanced back looking for Kristina and saw that he was still in line for coffee. Then I shook my head, I needed to start thinking of him and calling him, Chris. We’d talked about it and we knew it would be odd for anyone to hear us calling each other by our real names. However, I’d felt territorial about my name. Calling him James or Jim felt like I was giving up my identity. Since my full name was James Christopher Frost we’d settled on him using my middle name. It also helped that Chris sounded similar to Kristina.

As it turned out Kristina’s full name was Kristina Jackeline Curtis. Since I’d asked him to use my middle name it was only fair that I used Jackeline, or Jackie for short. Just then I heard someone approach and looked up.

“Jackie, here you go, black.” Chris said, handing me a coffee.

“Thanks, Chris.”

I couldn’t help smiling at the obvious use of our adopted names, the logic was simple. The more we used them the more familiar we’d be with them and the less likely to screw up.

“Do you think, we’ll get into London unnoticed?”

He took a sip of his heavily modified coffee, “Yeah,” he said, his voice little more than a whisper, “the papers are really good. So even if they’ve got a way to check the government data base, as far as everyone is concerned Kristina Curtis and James Frost are both still in Germany.”

I nodded and took a sip of my bitter black drink and made a face. At this, Chris laughed. “I told you, you wouldn’t like it black.” With that he handed me his coffee. “This one is too sweet for me.”

I took a sip and the rich sweet flavor was much better. I couldn’t help feeling a little depressed at this, it was just another sign of how much had changed. Of course one glance down at my chest was all the reminder I needed.

“What will we do first?”

“Pick up my car and then go up to my flat.”

“What?” I said a little too loudly, and then in a softer voice, “Are you crazy. They’ll be watching your flat.”

Chris gave me a crooked smile, “That’s just it. They won’t. They think we’re in Germany, and even though it might seem like it, they don’t have unlimited resources.”

I shook my head, “We can stop by if you think we need to, but I’m not spending the night there.”

“It’s better than renting a room. We’ve got papers, but I don’t have a credit cards in these names.”

“Is there someplace else we can stay? What about friends or relatives?”

“Do you want to risk meeting my parents? If they’re watching my place then they’ll also be watching Lana. Why don’t we check it out, and if it looks clear we stay, if not we’ll leave and figure something else out.”

I nodded reluctantly and took another sip of my sweet coffee. “What did you put in here?”

“Cream, sugar, and a little chocolate syrup.”

“Good grief, I’ve gone all girlie.” Then I sighed, “But this is yummy.”

Chris chuckled, “I hate to break it to you Jackie, but you are ALL girl.” I just gave him a scowl and went back to my tasty drink.

It was just after noon when we landed in Portsmouth, although the weather had shifted during the crossing. It was now overcast and chilly. I pulled my jacket closer and ducked a little into the breeze as I followed Chris down the dock.

He glanced back at me and flashed a smile, “It’s not too far to the train station.”

“Why is England always so cold, wet, grey, and dreary?”

He gave me a hurt look, “It’s only like this in the winter, and it’s better than the two feet of snow we’d be buried under if we were on the continent!”

The bright warmth of the train station was welcome since true to my prediction it had started raining while we walked. We got our tickets and had a half hour to kill so we found a place to get a snack while we waited. I settled in with another cup of coffee while Chris got some kind of fish-n-chip thing from a vender. As he was walking back to me a couple of young guys, not paying attention, bumped into him causing him to drop his food.

“Hey, watch it!”

The two youths, one slightly taller than Chris and the other several inches shorter, turned to look at him.

“Bugger off.” The taller of the two said.

“You need to watch where you’re going, old man, before we fucking knock your teeth in.” The shorter, darker youth stepped forward menacingly.

By this time, I was already moving. It was only a dozen paces from my bench to where they were standing but it seemed like everything was in slow-motion as I moved forward.

“Hey, you ran into me.”

The shorter guy stepped in and pushed Chris back. “And I’ll do it again if I want to.”

I grabbed Chris’s arm, “Is everything alright, sweetheart?”

He looked down at me and then back at the two guys who’d squared off. For a second I thought Chris was going to punch one of them, then he shook his head.

“It’s fine. Come on.” he said and moved away from the punks.

“Yeah, that’s right, keep walking.” The taller guy said and grabbed his buddy by the arm.

By the time we’d made it back to the bench Chris was fuming. “I should have punched that guy. What a jerk!”

“Chris, when’s the last time you hit someone?”

“I don’t know.” he said angrily. “Why? I’m probably stronger and in better shape than either of them.”

“Make a fist.”

“What, make a fist? Why?”

“Just humor me.” I said, holding up his hand. Chris made a fist wrapping his four fingers tightly around his thumb. I shook my head. “That’s why. Look at your fist.”

“Mmhmm . . . so what?”

I made a fist by squeezing my four fingers into my palm and locking them down with my thumb on the outside. “If you hit someone with your thumb inside your fingers like that, all you’re going to do is break your thumb.” I showed him my fist. “See? You’ve got to have your thumb on the outside.”

At this he looked a little crest fallen, “Okay, but I could’ve taken them.”

“Chris, one versus two isn’t good odds. Particularly, I promise you, with hooligans like those! I bet they get into a couple fights a week. You’re in better shape, they still would have kicked your ass. Why did you confront them?”

“Because they knocked my food out of my hand.”

I just shook my head, “The first thing you’ve got to understand about being a guy, is to pay attention to other guys while out in public. Every other guy is a possible threat. Make eye contact and you’re offering a challenge and a possible fight.”

“What?! That’s ridiculous.”

“Look, I’m not saying be a pansy, but right now, you don’t know much about fighting.”

At this Chris looked down a little glumly. “I guess you’re right.”

“Why didn’t you use your crystal?”

Chris shook his head, “Magic is only for emergencies, plus the Society would kill me if I did something in public. We are a secret society after all.”

“Ha! Okay, then for now, take my advice and avoid trouble. Come on, let’s wait for the train on the platform.”

The rest of the ride up to London was uneventful and once we got onto the tube I started to feel a little nervous. We exited near the club where I’d left Kristina’s car and I let him drive back to his flat. He was far more familiar with the area and at my suggestion he parked a couple of blocks from his place. Then we got out to walk the rest of the way.

As we got closer I moved in next to him, “Put your arm around me.”

“What?”

He looked at me confused but complied. As soon as he did I slid in close and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“We need to look like we’re a couple. Their probably looking for either me or you, but not for a couple out for a walk.”

“Oh, okay.”

His arm was around my shoulder and it felt kind of nice having him hold me. Then he slid it forward resting his hand on my breast.

“Hey, watch it!” I said and slapped him on the chest with my free hand before reaching up to move the offending hand away from my tender flesh.

“What’s the big idea?”

“Well, I figured that as long as we’re pretending to be going together I’d make it look good.”

We were about a block from Kristina’s so I started scanning the street. Everything looked normal. I looked up and scanned the skyline to make sure we weren’t being watched from the top of a building. Then back down at street level.

“Keep walking.” I said as we approached the front of Kristina’s building.

“What? Why, did you see something?”

“No, but I want to do a 360 around the block. Let’s not do anything stupid, just yet.”

We made the circuit and I didn’t spot anything so the second time we approached Kristina’s building we went in. We climbed the stairs cautiously and then when everything felt normal approached the door. I was half expecting to see police tape but nothing. Although, the door looked freshly painted.

I pulled out a key from Kristina’s purse and unsurprisingly it didn’t open the lock.

“Okay, I’ve got this.”

With that Chris pulled out his crystal and held it next to the lock and whispered something. I sort of felt the hair on my arms stand up and there was a tickle in the back of my mind and then I heard a distinct “click”. Chris turned the door knob and opened the door.

“Home sweet home.”

I followed him in and shut the door throwing the deadbolt. Inside everything looked empty. Chris rushed into the living room and looked around before coming back. As he did I poked my head in the bedroom. It was a mess. Even if they’d repaired the door, they obviously had conducted a search.

“They’ve trashed my flat!” Chris sounded more than a little pissed.

“Yeah, I would have thought that they’d just repair the door and leave. I guess they wanted to make sure that you took whatever you stole with you when you ran. It’s actually a little more professional than I was expecting.”

Chris let out a sigh. “I guess we should clean it up.”

I nodded, “Sure, and I’m starving. Can we get some dinner?”

For the next hour I helped Chris put things away. It was kind of interesting because this was obviously his place and he was pretty upset about the pictures they’d broken. Yet they were pictures of me, or rather the body I was in, and I felt no connection. We’d just finished up when there was a knock on the door.

Christ beat me to the door and looked through the spy hole before glancing back at me. “It’s Lana!”

“Shit, what should we do?”

“I’ll go back to the living room. See if you can get rid of her.” With that he darted down the hallway.

I opened the door and smiled over at Lana, “Hey, you. What’s up?”

I couldn’t help feeling deeply uncomfortable at the moment, remembering the last time I’d seen Lana. In fact this was the first time I'd seen her since that fateful, crazy, drunken, yet highly erotic, night. I had no clue if she remembered anything about it. I was desperately hoping that she didn’t.

She gave me a weird look and pushed into the flat, “I thought you were out of the country? Nobody can keep up with your plans these days, Ku! I came by to check on the flat and my key didn’t work and then I noticed the light was on. Did you get back early then?”

Without asking she moved toward the living room. I followed, trying to get ahead of her, to somehow distract her.

“So what’s going on with you? Did you have the locks changed? I . . .” Lana’s voice stopped and I almost bumped into her. She was standing in the doorway looking at Chris sitting on the sofa.

“Hi, I’m Chris. Chris Frost. And you must be Lana! Kristina's heterosexual, strictly platonic, best friend, right?”

He gave her a beaming smile, stood up, and moving forward leaning in from the waist to give her a hug. Lana had a perplexed look on her face, and took a quick half-step back. Chris seemed to understand he shouldn’t have tried to hug her, and awkwardly extended his hand in a lame attempt to cover the faux pas by shaking hands instead.

“Hi, yes, I'm Lana, a friend of Kristina's, and I just stopped by to check on the flat since I thought she was traveling.”

“Oh, I've, miss... err, heard so much about you! It’s so good to finally see you standing in front of me, all healthy, happy, and well, puppy!”

I shuddered on the inside, Chris was doing a horrible job of passing himself off as me! It was obvious that he was so excited at being reunited with his best friend that he’d completely forgotten that he was supposed to be a man! He’d totally fallen out of character. I tried to catch his eye, but he ignored me, apparently oblivious to how he was acting.

“Wow, what a lovely dress, is it new?”

“Err . . . well, yes . . . but . . .” Lana stuttered, taken off balance by the question.

“Let's see it in all its glory, turn around!” Chris made a twirling motion with his hand while staring delightedly at the dress. “Oh, La, I know how long you were looking for a sweetheart cut like this . . .”

Lana turned around hesitantly and as she did she gave me the weirdest look. Then as she completed her turn I caught Chris’s eye and mouthed silently, ‘What are you doing?’ For a second he seemed to look puzzled. Then by the look on his face it must have finally dawned on him that his behavior was very much off key for a tall, toned, and handsome man.

“I mean . . . err . . . I, ah, that is, my sister has been looking for something like that . . . and she’s been going on and on about it for the longest time. With how hard it is to find and how trendy the look currently is.”

Chris’s stuttering explanation sounded so comical I had to put a hand over my mouth to trap the giggle in. I wanted to say, ‘But you don’t have a sister.’ Instead, I resisted the urge.

“Haha, it's alright. It seems you have a good sense of fashion!” Lana laughed. “And a good taste in girls, too,” she glanced slyly at me, “it seems.” Then Lana looked back at Chris, “I mean, you're here, alone, with Kristina, in her flat. Are you sure I am not interrupting?”

At this Chris started to grin broadly, “Nope, at least not right now. If you’d been here thirty minutes earlier. . .” I felt my face turn red, the jerk had found a way to compensate for his screw up by deflecting attention at me! Still, it had been so funny watching him go all girlie without knowing it that I felt a delayed sense of satisfaction. At least I wasn’t the only one who’d had to struggle with my new gender role. I couldn’t help remembering my shopping trip with Lana and all the times I’d screwed up. My first few days in this body hadn’t been easy and watching Chris now made me feel much better. Ever since I met him in Berlin he’d made it look so easy, so natural to be in his new body. Watching him struggle to stay in character, especially with Lana, had been unbelievably cathartic.

As he said it he moved around next to me and slid an arm around my waist. I felt my face heat up several more degrees. I finally had the opportunity to enjoy watching him making a fool of himself and now he was trying to regain the upper hand. Lana was looking at me, her eyes started to twinkle, and she put a hand in front of her mouth to stop from laughing.

“Well, I won’t keep you two love birds, then. Kristina, walk me out.”

She turned and headed back to the door and I followed after a quick glance back at Chris. He was now laughing openly at my embarrassment.

“Just wait, I’ll get even with you.” I whispered and then hurried after Lana.

Lana was standing by the door and as soon as I was within reach she grabbed me in a hug.

“He’s cute. Where did you find him?”

“At the airport.”

“Really, I didn’t know the airport was such a great place to pick up guys. I’ll have to try it sometime. He’s staying here in London?”

“Just for a few days, and yeah, we hit it off right away. We’ve got a lot in common.”

“Well, he's got the same weird sense of humor you have, that's for sure! Kristina's heterosexual, strictly platonic friend? What was that all about? You haven't been telling him anything strange about me, have you?”

“Err, no . . . no! Of course not!”

“Well, that's good. Because from what I've seen, the one of us who comes closest to being gay actually seemed to be him,” Lana giggled.

“Nah, I can say, for certain, that he's not gay at all . . .”

“Oh, my,” then Lana let out a giggle. “Alright, sweetie, I don't need to hear the details, today! We’ll talk soon, and I want to know EVERYTHING. Well, I gotta run, call me tomorrow!”

With that she gave me another quick hug and headed out the door. I shut it and locked it behind her before turning around and leaning against it.

“Thanks a lot.”

Chris was now at the other end of the hallway watching me, “That was just too much fun to resist. I’ve got to say, you’re really cute when you’re blushing.”

“Shut up, Mr. Fashion Man. Do you know what's not cute? Men babbling on about dresses. I was just waiting for the moment when you asked Lana to lend it to you! Yes, you might know a bit more about magic than I do, but at least I've actually become better at being . . . you!”

Then the impact of what I’d just said hit me and I wanted to scream. What the hell was wrong with me? I didn’t want to be Kristina, I didn’t want to be better at being her than she was at being me! And by the way that comment slipped out, it sounded like a part of me was proud of it.

I leaned back in my seat and looked through the binoculars toward the building. Night had fallen but within the fenced in compound there was plenty of light.

“See anything?”

I looked over at Chris, “Not yet. Most of the employees have left but there are still way too many cars in the lot.”

Chris nodded, reached behind the seat, and pulled out a bag that held a pair of sandwiches.

“Are you hungry?”

“No, thanks.”

I returned to staring down at the compound and thought back to earlier. After Lana left, I’d felt a sense of restless energy, a need to be doing something. I’d also been very aware of Chris. I couldn’t help glancing at him and remembering the feeling of running my hands over his chest. The masculine scent that had filled my senses as I climbed over his body. The silky hard feeling of his cock in my hand and the way it had felt inside me. My thoughts had then drifted back to Berlin and my crotch had grown wet, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ I’d wondered. There was a part of me that knew that it was my own body I was lusting for and another part that didn’t care. ‘Is the spell still be affecting me?’ Except, that Diana had examined me and removed the remaining traces. I’d then glanced at Chris as he was bent over digging into the refrigerator looking for something, and the view of his tight round ass had made me even wetter. ‘I’ve got to get out of here, or I’m going to jump him right now.’ I’d thought.

Then, abruptly, I’d felt a different sense of urgency, like a tickle at the back of my neck. I knew that I needed to be doing something but what? In a moment of clarity I knew that we needed to leave the flat. I didn’t know how I knew it, but with Diana telling me I was a Seer, I decided to trust my instinct.

It took a few minutes to convince Chris but eventually we ended up in his ten year old Ford Focus. I knew from my trip out to the facility that it was in the country and after a quick discussion Chris explained that there was a road that ran along a small ridge to the north of the facility. I’d figured that, if we were going to raid the place, we ought to spend some time watching it. Although, the idea that we could just slip in and then get out again seemed pretty farfetched. Especially, now that I was looking at it.

“Chris, I just don’t see how we’re going to get inside.” I swung the binoculars to look at the gate guard. “I mean the first thing we’ll have to do is get past the gate. I’ve got your ID, but won’t they have flagged it?” Before he could respond I continued, “Also, assuming we can get past the guard, will I still have access to the building? The receptionist had to issue me a badge. How do I get you past her? Then the elevator allowed access based on each badge. The security agent had to put his card in the elevator slot. Then buttons lit up and he hit the one we went to. That would seem to indicate that your access is limited to what’s been coded to your profile.”

“Jackie, I know it’s a gamble, but hear me out.”

He swallowed the mouth full of roasted chicken sandwich and I felt like glaring. Chris was obviously enjoying a chance to eat meat again. The veggie sandwich in the bag held no real interest for me at the moment.

“The IT department is viewed as a second class within the corporation. The folks doing the research are the key players. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they forgot to talk to the IT department and tell them to turn off my access.”

I blew a strand of blonde hair out of my eyes and went back to watching the building. I wanted to argue the point but I had to admit that he knew these guys and this facility far better than me. For a few minutes the car was filled with the sound of eating. Before this I’d never realized how strong the smell of meat was. This made me wonder if it was because I was now a vegetarian or if it was simply because my sense of smell was much better in Kristina’s body.

“So what exactly did you do for the New World Research and Development Corporation?” I asked, mostly out of boredom.

“I graduated with a degree in graphic art with a specialty in three dimensional design. They hired me to assist the archeological department. They’d bring me an artifact, or rather a piece of an artifact, and I’d work with the archeological team to reproduce it.”

I glanced over at Chris, in the darkness he was a large shadow resting easily next to me. For some reason his presence made me feel . . . safer. My mind once again wandered back to that hotel room in Berlin and I felt my nipples start to get hard. I clamped down on that line of thought. The last thing I needed to be thinking about right now was sex. Even if I my body wanted it in the worst way! I turned back to the compound and brought the binoculars back up as he continued.

Chris took a sip of water and continued, “That sort of led to work with the team doing more esoteric research. At first I thought it was still just archeology. But they were doing things that didn’t make sense. I helped them reproduce a set of stone tablets and they were supper excited. I just couldn’t understand why. Then I went to visit my Grandma and met Elvira. I knew something was wrong and I was determined to understand what it was. Elvira was working as a researcher in the Arcane Investigation Branch of the Archeology department, so I hacked into the department’s files.”

I glanced over at Chris, “Yeah, and what did you find?”

He shook his head, “What I read was impossible. Arcane Investigation Branch, or AIB as they called themselves, had file after file talking about things that were what I assumed simply fantasy. Methods for capturing an elemental in a crystal. Using a combination of elemental magic and the laws of similarity to enhance fighting ability. The files went on and on, but it all seemed crazy to me. Then I stumbled on a video of the AIB doing a ritual. I saw things that had to be either some of the best special effects or magic. It took me a few days to come to the realization that magic was real.”

Chris stop talking and I could see that he was lost in thought. “So what did you do?”

Chris looked at me and shrugged, “I couldn’t understand why they hadn’t gone public with it. A discovery like this would change the way we all viewed the world. So I got a little suspicious. I mean, why is there so much security for a think tank? Why hide your results? Where did they get the funds for this place? And, most importantly, what did they do to Elvira to make her forget who I was? That’s when I found the records on the ritual.”

“The ritual?”

Chris nodded, “Yeah, and that’s when I got really scared. You see, the Syndicate had uncovered a ritual that could be done at certain times of the year at half dozen locations across Europe. The ritual allowed them to move the soul from one person’s body into another’s.”

“Wait a second, if you can only use the rite at certain specific times per year at specific locations, logistically that would be a nightmare. How do you replace a Senator or a Minister with your guy or gal? I mean you’ve got to get them to the right place at the right time, and do it without anyone knowing.”

“Yes, exactly. The problem the Syndicate has, using this spell, is access. Four of the six sites are to public to use. The two that are remote are only useful at certain times and I passed those locations on to the Society along with the other files I stole. They can set up security at the sites to make things even more difficult.” Chris gave me a self-satisfied smirk. “So even though it was an important new tool the rite was of limited value. Then I came along and helped them figure out how to freeze a rite into crystal. With the crystal method they didn’t need to have the victim at the correct location or even the right time of year. Cast the spell five or six times on the winter solstice and you’ve got five or six crystals all charged up and ready to go.”

Silence filled the car as I thought through the implications. “How is freezing a spell in a crystal different from what you did with your crystal back in Berlin?”

“I’m a witch. I’ve bonded my crystal and I use it as a focus. The power and the spell come from me, the crystal is sort of like a magnifying glass. There’s a big difference. For example I could give you my crystal and you wouldn’t be able to do anything with it. Because you don’t know any spells yet and you’re not attuned to my crystal. What the Syndicate now has, is the ability to store a specific spell into a crystal that anyone who knows the key word can release. Magical training or ability are unnecessary. That changes everything.”

“Do you think they have more body swap crystals?”

Chris nodded, “I think so, or at least from what I saw when I was in the vault they did. I only took one because that was the one spell the Society really wanted to study.”

“What does the Society want that spell for? To fix or undo some of the swaps they’ve discovered.”

“Yeah, and to understand how they’re freezing spells in crystal.”

“So was Diana lying to us when she said that we could learn to swap back on our own?”

“No, I don’t think so. I mean, I’m a witch. My area of strength is in spiritual magic. The body swap spell is almost pure spirit magic. The Society has replicated it between willing practitioners. In fact, Lukas told me about a couple of witches who swapped bodies for a while in the United States. I believe one of them lives in St. Louis. We could always go talk to him if we can’t figure this out on our own.”

“You mean a pair of witches working together to switch with each other?”

“That’s what both Lukas and Diana have said. Apparently, you’re a Seer. Which is a subset of Witchcraft. I think, Diana, believes that with training we can use the method the Society already knows about, and swap back.”

“But it would be a lot better if we had one of those crystals.”

At this Chris tilted his seat back and closed his eyes, “Yeah, a lot better.”

I returned to watching the compound. By now most of the cars had left and I brushed another strand of hair from my face.

“Why does my hair keep getting in the way? I’ve got it pulled back!”

“Hehehe, it’s because it’s so fine. It sort of slips out of ties, unless you tie it really tight.” With that he reached up to brush my hair. His fingers touched my cheek and ear as he tucked the offending lock behind my ear and I felt a thrill race through me and swatted his hand away.

“Stop pawing at me.”

“I like pawing at you. I think you liked it too.”

Again I felt my face flush, and my crotch was now damp and a little messy feeling. It made me wish I’d brought a change of underwear. I ignored my body, and Chris, and focused on the compound, anything to distract me from the signals my feminine flesh was sending me. ‘Why did Chris have to be so cute?’ I thought, and then froze. ‘Where the hell had that thought come from?’ I was so distracted by my inner drama that I almost missed it. Then I sat up straighter and focused.

“Did you see something?” Chris asked, seeing the shift in my body posture.

“Yeah, I think we’ve found the good Dr. Mengele.”

“Let me see!” Chris practically grabbed the binoculars from me and focused on the compound. “Yes.” he hissed, “that’s him.” Then after a few seconds, “What do you think he’s got in that briefcase?”

“I don’t know, but I think, regardless of what’s in the case, it’s time we had a chat with the good Doctor.”

“Agreed!” With that he handed me the binoculars and started the car.

“Uhm, Chris, for this one, maybe I should be driving.”

“Nonsense. This is my car, and I know the area. Besides,” he glanced over at me with a wide grin, “I’m the man and driving is a man’s job.”

I could tell he was teasing so I hit him in the shoulder, “Chauvinist pig.”

As it turned out it was a good thing Chris was driving. He knew the roads much better than me. We lost sight of the Doctor but he wasn’t worried there was really only one way onto the main road. We reached it first and waited for the Mercedes to pull onto it and then got behind him. Tailing the doctor turned out to be pretty easy since he didn’t head into the city, as I’d expected.

Instead he drove for the coast. It had to be getting close to midnight when he pulled off into a parking area with a view of the English Channel. We’d been following him for the whole drive and had at times allowed as much separation as a kilometer now we continued past the parking area. As we did, I could see another car already waiting.

“It’s some kind of drop.” I said as we drove by.

“So, now what?”

“The road turns up there, as soon as we’re out of sight kill the lights and turn this thing around.”

Chris glanced at me, “What are you thinking?”

“The time for subtlety is over. Time for a frontal assault.”

The great thing about a Ford Focus is that it’s a small relatively quiet car. Once we’d turned around, I made sure that we not only killed the headlights but the dash lights as well. Then I made a quick trip out behind the car with a roll of duct tape and the tail lights were quickly covered. We spent a few minutes letting our eyes adjust to the darkness and I rolled down my window. The night air was cold and the sound of the ocean crashing against the shore seemed very loud.

“Alright, let’s do this, take it nice and slow.”

At 15 kph it felt like we were just creeping along but I wanted to get as close as possible before they spotted us. If there was a meeting going on, they’d be inside one of the two cars, due to the cold, and they wouldn’t hear us. If we were doubly lucky they’d have a light on and their night vision would be ruined. If that was the case they wouldn’t be able to see us either, or at least that’s what I was hoping.

We pulled into the parking area and I could see the two cars. The dome light was on in one and it was easy to pick out three people inside.

“Stop here,” I hissed and was out as soon as we came to a halt. I silently wished I had my trusty 9mm. Instead, I’d have to make do with surprise and the lady’s cricket bat I’d found in the back of Kristina’s closet. It was small enough and light enough that I’d thought I’d be able to carry it under my coat into the facility. It was made of wood so I knew it would have made it through the metal detector. Now, there was no need to hide it. I reached the driver’s side of the sedan and pulled open the door and grabbed the first thing I saw.

This, as it turned out, was a thick black braid. I grabbed the hair with my free hand and took a full step back and twisted, using my legs and hips to add strength to the move. Surprisingly, the woman flew out and a part of me realized she was much smaller than me. Then Chris was at the passenger’s side and held a glowing crystal in his hand.

I turned back to face the person I’d dragged from the car just in time to block a high kick. That was just a set up for the hammer fist that connected to my forearm. Unfortunately, that was the hand holding the cricket bat. I dropped it and then was on full defensive, as the woman came at me in a series of punches and kicks. I barely had time to notice that on the other side of the car, colored lights seemed to flash back and forth between Chris and the doctor.

Finally the assault slowed a little and I tried a quick leg kick and felt a little satisfaction as my shin connected with the smaller woman’s outer thigh. The move startled her, and I grinned.

“Classically trained, are we? Maxwell, or would you prefer it if I called you Max?”

The assassin glared at me, “In public, I go by Elvira.” Then she glanced over my shoulder, “Bruce, stay back!”

When she spoke I realized that the third person in the car had been moving around behind me. Looking for a way to help take me down.

“I’ve got this bitch, either go help Josef, or stay out of my way.”

“I bet going from being such a big strong guy to being stuck in that soft, weak, little body was quite an adjustment.” In the dark I couldn’t see if my taunting was having any affect. “Although from what I can see, your current body is an upgrade from your old one.”

“Bitch, I should have let Mengele finish you in Berlin. He can be very creative when he starts experimenting.” Max replied.

“So was it hard to watch Mengele blow the head off your original body, or was it more of a relief? Knowing that you’d never have to go back to being a man?”

“Cunt! I’m gonna kill you with my bare hands.”

I motioned for the smaller woman to attack. I knew that she was fast and flexible, but I figured I’d already taken her best shot. I was wrong. She fooled me with a superman punch that I only partly blocked it. The sting of her fist grazing my chin surprised me. I managed to jam her round house to my ribs but that was only the set up for a spinning back fist. She was moving faster than I’d have thought possible and I was almost completely on the defensive. This made me wonder if she was somehow augmenting her physical abilities with magic. I blocked the back-fist and missed the back kick that had accompanied it and pain exploded in my right breast.

“Fuck!”

The bitch had hit me there on purpose! I wasn’t ready for how much that hurt and she pressed her advantage. In desperation I lunged forward in a double-leg shoot. The wrestling move caught her off guard because she didn’t even try to counter it with a sprawl.

We hit the ground together with Max on the bottom. She might not have been a wrestler but she had some training in ground fighting because Max immediately wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me into her guard. I leaned back and tried to use my size advantage to drop an elbow into her face but she blocked it. Of course that had only been a distraction I reached down with my left hand and pushed her right leg down so I could pass into side control. Then Max made her first serious mistake of the fight.

She tried to roll onto her stomach to push herself to her feet. I seized the opportunity and scrambled with her dropping one leg over her hip from behind and pushed it between her legs while reaching around her exposed neck with my right arm. As soon as the crook of my arm was under her chin I grabbed the inside of my left elbow with my right hand. Now I bent my left arm locking my right hand in place with my left elbow. This allowed me to use both arms to squeeze the arteries on either side of her neck.

Max tried to get her chin under my arm but the choke was already in place. She tried to grab my arm and lost her balance and fell onto her face. This allowed me to weave my other leg around, under, and between her legs. Now I was in back control, with a double under hook, and a rear naked choke. I started to stretch her out and knew it was only a matter of time.

Within a second she went limp. I held it for another slow three count before I let go. I knew she’d only be out for a few seconds so I had to move quickly. I pulled the belt off my jeans and tied her hands behind her back with it. Then I pulled off the slim white leather belt she’d been wearing and used it to tie her legs together. Once done I realized I was exhausted. My breathing was ragged and I felt bruises starting to form that I hadn’t felt when I was fighting.

Then a flash of light caught my attention and I looked up to see that Dr. Mengele had backed Chris up so that he was now fighting with his back to the Mercedes. Chris looked desperate. Clearly the doctor was more experienced and this was now showing. I got up and looked around for the cricket bat I’d dropped. It took me a second to find it and then I was up and moving. Even in that short amount of time things had changed. Up until then the flashes of light had struck what looked like a half dome of invisible energy around Chris. The shield would flare up when hit and then disappear again. As I stood up I saw the shield collapse and Chris drop to a knee. From his hand the crystal he’d been using crumbled to dust.

“You are far more gifted than I’d thought, Kristina.” Mengele said. “I think Mr. Drake would be willing to offer you a place within the Syndicate. Provided you are willing to accept a geis or two.”

As he talked I moved around the car and got ready to rush him. I made it one step before he lifted a hand and I froze. My muscles clinched up and I was unable to move.

“Now, now, now, James is that anyway to treat an old friend?” He looked at me and chuckled, “I’m impressed that you were able to overcome my conditioning. You should have been, how do kids these days say it? Oh, yes, fucking like rabbits, until the security team arrived at the hotel.” Now he turned his back to Chris and moved toward me. “And you managed to take down Ms. Jackson in a fight. Yes, I think the two of you will make a nice addition to the Syndicate. What do you think Mr. MacAskill?”

For the first time I remembered the guy that Max had told to go help Josef. He now stepped forward and I got my first good look at him, my breath caught at his familiar features. I glanced at Chris and saw that he’d struggled to his feet but he had a defeated look on his face. Without his magic we didn’t stand a chance against Dr. Mengele.

“I think, that the Syndicate would love to get these two up to Scotland. A months’ worth of conditioning and a geis to ensure loyalty. Yes, quite a catch . . . or not!”

As he said this last part he swung something at the back of Josef’s neck. There was a dull thud that punctuated the word “not” as the leather tube filled with sand struck. Mengele’s eyes rolled back in his head and he slid to the ground. As soon as he did I felt whatever force that had been holding me unlock and I stumbled forward.

“Who are you?” Chris asked, moving toward me, but looking at the guy who’d hit Mengele.

“He introduced himself as Mr. Black to me.” I said, reaching out to grab Chris’s arm.

“I never met Mr. Black in person, but we talked by phone.”

At this the man nodded, “I’m sorry for the trickery. My real name isn’t Black. It’s actually Bruce MacAskill. I’m a member of the Society but I’ve been working undercover from within the Syndicate. I’m afraid that after today my cover is blown.”

“Thank you, I think.” I said, and I felt Chris slip an arm around my waist. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to hold me up or if I was holding him up.

Bruce looked at me, “So, you are really James Frost?” I nodded. Then he looked at Chris, “And you’re really Kristina Curtis?” At this Chris nodded.

“When we met at the coffee shop, you’d already used the crystal?”

I nodded.

“Well, this is a right mess. Let’s see if it was worth it, beyond freeing the two of you and capturing a pair of Syndicate operatives.”

With that he moved to the car they’d been in when we arrived. Mr. MacAskill pulled out the brief case I’d seen Mengele carrying and sat it on the hood of the still running car. We both moved around to see what was inside and my breath caught. The case had been lined with a black foam and nestled into the foam were six crystals the size of my fist. They each sparkled with different colors and even from here, with my limited ability to sense magic, I could tell they were enchanted.

“Ah, yes, I think we’ve hit the jackpot.” Bruce said and glanced over at me.

Then I heard a moan come from Mengele. “What about them?”

“My own magical gift is weak, but I think I can handle this one.”

With that MacAskill moved over to Mengele and pulled out a small crystal. He touched it to Josef’s forehead and said, “Sleep.” There was a light purple flash and Josef’s body went limp. Then he moved around to where Elvira was struggling against the belts. She looked over at him and I could see the fury in her eyes.

“Bruce, you traitor. Drake will hunt you down for this. You’ll never be safe!”

MacAskill shrugged, “I was never really a member of the Syndicate, Max. You know, I’d have thought with that new body, you would have mellowed out a bit. Although, I must say, being a woman does suit you.”

“Fuck you.” Max snarled.

“Not today, thank you.” Then Bruce pressed the crystal to Max’s forehead and there was another flash of purple light.

Then he stood up and looked around. “I think it’s time to go.”

I nodded, “What’s next? Will one of the crystals in the case swap us back?”

“I have no idea. They need to be fully examined by a Society Adept to know what they do.”

“We need to get back to Mexico then, right?” Chris asked.

“Yes,” Bruce said, nodding. “The London Great Coven has a private Jet, a Gulfstream. I need to call Gwendolyn, she’ll be pissed at being disturbed at this time of night, but I’m sure she’ll agree that this is an emergency and help us out.” He looked at the two unconscious villains. “I hope you’re okay with abandoning your car for a time. I think we can all fit into the Mercedes and it would be better to stay together at this point.”

I nodded in agreement and looked over at Chris. He flashed me a smile, “Mexico, here we come.”

I’d never been in a Gulfstream G 5 before, but once we were airborne I realized it was the only way to travel. The regional airport had been a forty minute drive and the airplane had been in a hangar. Luckily it was already gassed up and the pilots were going through pre-engine start checks when we arrived. We were able to drive into the hangar and then I watched as Chris and Bruce carried our unconscious friends up the boarding ladder into the cabin.

I’m not sure exactly how they handled customs since I never saw an agent. Almost as soon as I was in the aircraft the door was being closed and we were towed clear of the hangar. It was now about two in the morning and apparently the traffic was light because we had almost no delay getting cleared for takeoff. I settled into a wide leather seat next to a window and looked at Chris sitting next to me. There were two more chairs facing us and Bruce was in one of them. Toward the back of the aircraft in another pair of chairs our two guests slept.

“How long will they stay out?” Chris asked.

“About four hours each time I use the spell. So I’ll have to renew it a couple times since this is a ten hour flight.”

I thought about asking him one of the ten thousand questions that had been racing through my mind but settled on one for now.

“What were you doing out there tonight?”

At this MacAskill chuckled. “I got a call from Ms. Jackson there,” he nodded toward the sleeping form of Elvira. “I guess she was running a team looking for the two of you in Germany. Anyway, she wasn’t having any luck because of Society interference. So she asked Mengele for a little magical help.” MacAskill shook his head, “Ms. Jackson, is a killer, but she doesn’t have any aptitude for magic. So she needed crystals with spells already locked into them for her to use.” At this he paused as if seeming lost in thought.

“Okay, so why were you there?” Chris prompted.

“Oh, well, I have a modest talent and the Syndicate uses me mostly as a courier and a driver.” At this he chuckled. “Not a bad position for a spy. Anyway, Max asked me to pick her up at the airport and arrange for a rendezvous with Mengele. Evidently she didn’t want to go into the compound because she was supposed to be in Germany. Mengele wanted to meet with her because he wanted to explain what each crystal does, and to impress on Max that she needed to be careful.”

“Why wouldn’t Mengele just demand a meeting at the compound?” I asked.

“Mengele is a powerful Necromancer and he loves to experiment. To try out new spells on human test subjects. Mr. Drake is very careful about what he lets Mengele do, so this was a chance to try out a few new things, on human test subjects. Mengele couldn’t resist, but he couldn’t afford for Mr. Drake to find out. At the same time Ms. Jackson needed a fast trip to the UK and didn’t want any hassles. I’ve worked with both of them before, and Mengele wanted me to return to Germany with Max, to make sure that she used the crystals properly.”

“So, what would you have done if we hadn’t stumbled on you?” Chris asked.

“I would have gone with them and tried to contact the Society once in Germany. Then we would have set up an ambush and taken the crystals.”

“Then we saved you and the Society a lot of trouble.” I noted.

Bruce nodded, “Yes, and now if you’re done asking questions. I’m going to renew that spell on our friends and take a nap.” He took a quick look at his watch and muttered something about it being almost three in the morning, before he got up and moved toward our sleeping villains.

By this time the plane had leveled off so I kicked off my shoes and reclined the chair. I was surprised that it almost turned into a bed and rolled onto my side. A nap sounded just about perfect.

A sudden jerking sensation caused me to lurch into consciousness. It took a second for my confused brain to catch up and then I realized it was just a bit of turbulence and that I’d been sleeping for the last couple of hours. Then sensation rushed back.

“Ugh.”

I moaned and tried to sit up. I was sore all over. My breast hurt from being punched as did my chin, abs, and shin. I hit the button causing my seat to move back into an upright position and noticed that someone had draped a blanket over me and had given me a pillow. Then I spotted the dark bruises on my pale forearms.

“Damn, I think I’m bruised all over.”

I glanced to the seat next to me and saw my former face, looking peaceful, in sleep. Chris had a good start on a beard from the last couple of days. Since no one had said anything about staying in our seats I got up and stretched. My back made several popping sounds and the underwire of my bra was uncomfortable since I’d been wearing the contraption for more than twenty hours. Both Doctor Mengele and Ms. Jackson were out but I was suddenly worried, I shook Mr. MacAskill.

“Hey, Bruce, do you need to hit them with another knock out spell?”

Bruce shook himself and looked at me and then at our guests. “Oh, what? Them? What time is it?”

I looked at the slim lady’s watch on my wrist, “Six a.m. in Jolly old England. I’m not sure of the local time.”

MacAskill pushed himself out of his chair, “I renewed the spell at three so it’s good until seven. Still, might as well renew it now that I’m awake.” he said a little grumpily.

With that he moved over to Max and Josef and touched each of them with the crystal. Once this was done he returned to his seat. I waited until he settled back in before I headed to the head. I had to walk aft, past our two guests, and I was pleased to see a nice set of bruises showing up on the pale skin to either side of Max’s throat. Her cheek also showed an abrasion from when she’d face planted into the parking lot. I knew I shouldn’t, but this gave me a sense of satisfaction, especially with how bruised I felt.

I shut the door to the bathroom and looked at my face. My hair looked a little greasy and hung limply around my face. My eyes looked puffy and I had a nice bruise on my chin. At that moment I just wanted to brush my teeth, wash my face, and use the toilet.

“Ah, well, one out of three it is.”

But then I spotted a set of plastic bags with unopened toiletries. The simple act of brushing my teeth and washing my face made me feel almost human. I turned around and lifted the toilet lid, and was careful to squat, but not touch the toilet seat, as I did my business. Luckily, there was a rail next the toilet which helped me keep my balance. This was getting to be more and more normal, although I was very aware of my own, sort of sweet, body odor.

When I stood up I again felt my bra chaffing. I pulled my shirt off and reached around behind my back and unclasp the damn device. The sensation of relief was so good I wanted to moan. I ran my hands along the crease just below my breasts feeling where the underwire had dug in. When I glanced down I saw that I had a nice purple bruise on the creamy skin of my right breast.

Even though it would be easy to tell that I didn’t have a bra on I didn’t care as I pulled my slightly stinky shirt back on. At least I would be comfortable for the rest of the flight.

“I could really use a shower.” I said, to my reflection, “And a change of clothes.” Then I checked my face one last time, before returning to my seat. By the time I got back both Bruce and Chris were awake. I slid into my seat and noticed that the view out the window was still dark but there was a hint of light on the horizon.

Chris glanced over at me and grinned, “You’re looking a little droopy this morning.”

“Thanks, just what a girl wants to hear.” Then I wanted to pull the words back, ‘What the hell?’ I thought.

Bruce laughed, “I’m glad you two are so well adjusted you can joke. That’s a very healthy sign.”

Chris shrugged and looked at me, “Whilst you were in the head, the attendant came by and let us know she’ll be cooking breakfast in an hour.” Then he lifted a cup of black coffee, “She’s also made fresh coffee.”

“No thanks, I’m going back to sleep.”

The next time I woke up light was coming in through the window, not bright light but the start of dawn. I looked down at my watch and saw that it was almost eleven a.m.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

I looked over at Chris and saw that he was reading a book, and then couldn’t resist giggling when I saw that it was a Deborah Bladon book.

“’Gone?’ Really, you’re killing the macho image.” I said, sitting up.

Chris looked at me, “This is the second book in the series, and a good story is a good story.”

MacAskill moved back to his seat and looked over at me. “I see you’re awake. We’ll be on the ground in about an hour. The flight attendant said it will be six o’clock local.”

“I guess I should use the restroom again.”

I climbed to my feet and added a stiff neck to my list of contusions. I glanced back at Chris who’d returned to reading and muttered, “It feels like I’ve got a bladder the size of a walnut.” Then I consoled myself with the thought that we’d be in Mexico soon and, if I was lucky, one of those crystals would be my ticket back to my male body. I made quick work of the restroom and once done I returned to my seat. I buckled in and looked over at Bruce who was staring out the window.

“It’ll be nice to be on the ground. I really need a shower and a fresh set of clothes.”

Chris looked up from his book and glanced over at me. “Yeah, me too.” Then he tilted his chin back at our sleeping guests, “What about them?”

MacAskill grinned, “Not to worry. There will be a van waiting for us. It’ll take us to the Society compound. I’ve been on the air phone and everything is in place. You each have rooms waiting and the Administrator won’t be expecting either of you until four in the afternoon, for tea.”

“The Administrator?” I asked.

Chris answered quickly, “The society isn’t a monolithic organization. Each enclave is set up with an Administrator who’s elected from the members of the enclave. There is a council of elders elected from the various magical disciplines to represent their interests but the council only meets a few times a year. Cancun is a training center so it’s a little different, but I think you’ll like it.”

I smiled at Chris understanding that he was eager to show off his knowledge. And maybe to make me feel a little more comfortable. “What do you mean by other disciplines?”

Chris smiled, “Well, I’m a witch. Witches are organized into covens. For the most part each magical discipline governs their own members.”

I looked out the window trying to think through all of this. I obviously had a lot to learn.

“We’re about six hours behind England. So even though it’s been a ten hour flight it’ll only be six when we land. Once you’ve settled into you’re rooms and had a chance to get cleaned up, I could arrange for a tour of the grounds.” Bruce said.

The plane touched down with a light bump and I looked out the window at the standard blue lights marking the edge of the runway. The early morning sunlight was just enough to make out a few palm trees beyond the airfield. We taxied over to a mostly dark hangar and I could hear the first engine spooling down when the main cabin door opened. A wave of warm, moist, air rolled in, it felt like I could cut the water in the air with a knife.

A short slender brunette entered the cabin, “Welcome to Cancun!” Her English was slightly accented but she was easy to understand. “There’s a van at the foot of the ladder. Please watch your step and get on board as quickly as possible.”

Bruce stood up and grinned down at her, “Hello Tabatha. It’s good to see you again.” Then he motioned to the sleeping forms at the back of the cabin. “We could use a hand with those.”

Tabatha moved to stand next to Bruce and when she spotted Josef there was an audible hiss of indrawn breath, and she looked over at MacAskill. “Is that who I think it is?”

He grinned and nodded, “Yep, Josef Mengele, at long last.”

“Lukas will be very pleased, has this been reported to the Elders?”

“Of course.”

Tabatha shook her head, “We’ve been trying to get him for decades!” Then she looked at Elvira. “Who is this?”

“That’s Maxwell Jackson.”

Tabatha cocked her head to one side, “Really? I’ve heard a lot about an assassin who went by Maxwell Jackson, but this can’t be him.”

“You’d be surprised.” Bruce said, “I can’t explain right now. Can you help me get them into the van?”

“Sure.”

With that Tabatha pulled out a string with a couple of beads knotted into it. She spoke a word and the beads crumbled, there was a gust of wind from the door and a light green glow surrounded the two sleeping forms. Then, at a gesture from Tabatha they floated up, out of their seats.

“Come on.”

I felt Chris grab my elbow so I followed him out and down the steps to the van. Once in the van I saw Tabatha step out of the main cabin onto the boarding ladder. She was leading Josef by the hand and if I hadn’t known better I’d have said he was walking, of his own will, behind her. Except that his feet didn’t actually touch the ground. Next came Bruce leading Max by the hand. They got to the van and settled our unconscious friends in the back before the van took off.

Tabatha, introduced the driver to us as Stan. He was an older guy with an easy smile and a thin build. She settled into the front passenger seat and turned around, as the van accelerated away, to hand each of us a key-card. This early in the morning there really wasn’t much to see as we drove to the Society compound outside of Cancun.

“We’ve got everything set up for you. Your suites are stocked with drinks and fresh fruit in the kitchenettes. The compound is on the ocean, and the dining room offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Just swipe you’re card when you use the dining room.”

“Uhm, Tabatha?” I asked feeling a little self-conscious.

“Yes, dear.” she said, giving me a smile.

“We left in a hurry and don’t have any luggage. Is there some place we can pick up a few essentials?”

“Of course. Cancun is full of shops. But it might be best for the next day or two if you stayed in the compound. It’s really more like an all-inclusive resort. We’ve got a small shoppette and a drug store in the compound. You can get a few things there. If you give me your sizes and what you’re looking for I’ll have some things brought in for you.”

I flashed Tabatha a smile feeling reassured. It wasn’t long before we entered a gated compound. There was enough light by now for me to see the palm trees, green grass, and the fountain in the middle of the circle drive gave it a very restive feel. I climbed out and then looked at Josef and Max.

“Don’t worry about them.” Bruce said, “The Society has this from here. Why don’t you two try to get some sleep?”

We said goodbye to Mr. MacAskill and Tabatha led us through the lobby and along a wide hall with Spanish stone tiles and a high arched ceiling. To my right the wall abruptly vanished and if it weren’t for the wrought iron railing I could have walked right out onto the beach.

“Your rooms are right here.” Tabatha’s comment caused me to look to my left and I saw there was a series of doors set several meters apart. “The shoppette doesn’t open until eight, but the drug store is open twenty four seven and breakfast is being served right now in the dining room.”

“Uhm, thanks.” I said, and opened the door to my room. It was like stepping into a five star resort. The main room had a sofa, desk, chairs, bar and entertainment center. At the far end of the room I spotted a pair of glass sliding doors and when I pushed back the curtain I saw that I had access to the pool in the center courtyard.

“Nice.”

Then I explored the rest of the suite. Through a door to my left led to a bedroom and a large modern looking bathroom. I returned to the main living area and saw that on the same wall as the entry door was a tiny kitchen area.

“This will do for a few days.”

I knew that I needed training. I’d been told that I had a magical gift and for me to really learn to use it I needed to spend a few months here getting my initial training. But then what? I was sure that I’d be on whatever list the Syndicate kept of Society agents. I pushed those thoughts away. ‘Deal with them later, when there’s something you can do about it.’ I thought.

I went to the door of the bedroom and stared at the king sized bed. I’d slept enough on the flight, so I knew there was no way I was going to fall asleep again just yet. I wasn’t really hungry, and wanted a shower, but the idea of putting the same clothes back on wasn’t really appealing.

“Maybe there’s something on television.”

I spotted the remote and spent the next ten minutes channel surfing. Nothing was really interesting. I was just about to give up and go exploring when there was a knock on my door. I went over to it and a quick check through the spy hole showed my former body standing outside. I opened the door can gave Chris a questioning look.

“What’s up?”

He gave me a quick smile. “Can I come in? There’s no way I’m going to be able to take a nap.”

I stepped back, “Sure, that’s just what I was thinking, that, and I’m not really hungry.”

He closed the door and gave me an intent look. Suddenly, I was aware of just how close I was standing to him. I had to look up slightly to see into his eyes and his broad shoulders made me feel small.

“Uhm, was there something you wanted?” I asked in a breath voice, why were my nipples getting hard?

“Oh . . . Yes. Very much.” He moved closer to me and I took a step back.

“I . . . mean, can I help you with something?”

His eyes were now locked onto my chest and without a bra on I knew that I was showing a pair of headlights.

“Yes you, most certainly, can.”

He caught my chin in his hand and tilted my head up so he could see the bruise. Then before I realized what he was doing he moved in closer and planted a light kiss on the tender skin.

My body reacted like I’d been hit with a jolt of electricity. Goose flesh prickled my arms and my nipples got even harder. Then he gently brushed the line of my jaw with a kiss and I couldn’t help sliding a hand up around his neck. He continued the kiss until he reached a spot just below my earlobe. What I’d been feeling only intensified and I realized he’d found an erogenous zone. I felt myself start to get wet and I wanted to rub my thighs together, anything, to help deal with the ache that was building between my legs.

“Ohhhhh . . . That’s nice.” A woman whispered and for a second I wondered why the voice sounded so sultry. At this he moved a hand up to caress my right breast and I winced as he pressed my bruised flesh.

I flinched back, “Uhm, that’s a bit tender.”

All at once the pain and the flinching helped clear my head. What the hell was I doing? It was one thing to think about having sex with a man. Or to have sex while under the compulsion of a spell. Even if it was my own body. But if I let this go on, I wouldn’t have any excuses. This would be ME, deciding, giving in, doing what my body wanted, and accepting that I was female, in the most basic way.

“I want you.” His voice was low and filled with need.

“You had me once, isn’t that enough?”

“No. That was different. Here now, without magic, let me make love to you. Let me show you what you can feel. We could be back in our normal bodies by tonight, this might be our last chance.”

As he spoke he moved closer and closer. It wasn’t until I felt the wall behind me that I realized I’d been backing up. My whole body was on fire with need, but I resisted, did I dare to give in? Would I lose my sense of self, my very identity if I gave in to his desire? He stopped less than an inch from me and placed both hands against the wall to either side of my head.

Slowly, softly he leaned in and our lips brushed. The skin was soft and warm and I could taste a hint of mint on his breath and realized he must have brushed his teeth before knocking on my door. Then he touched my lips again only this time his mouth opened and his tongue teased my lips. I felt my will to resist start to break down and as if sensing this he slid his tongue into my mouth.

It was the slightest invasion, a subtle domination, and yet it was enough. My body started responding without me thinking about it. I lifted a hand to the back of his neck so I could pull him into the kiss while I used my other hand to reach around and caress his athletic butt. After a second he leaned back, his blues eyes were filled with need but there was also a twinkle in them.

“I think you want me as well.”

I didn’t see any reason to answer out loud. I pulled him down to me and this time met him with an open mouthed kiss. Our tongues danced and he reached up to gently rub my left breast. As his fingers brushed my engorged nipple I thought I’d faint. I lifted a leg up over his hip and tried to press into the bulge I felt between his legs.

Chris slid his hands down and gripped my butt with both hands and lifted. Without having to be told I wrapped my other leg around his waist so that our crotches were aligned and began to slowly grind into him. I could feel my clitoris pressing against him and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to feel his naked skin against mine.

Then he started walking, still carrying me, as if I weighed nothing. I wanted to ask him where we were going but I was too busying kissing him. Then I felt him bend forward and I landed on the soft wide bed I’d spotted earlier.

He stepped back and looked down at me and then reached up and pulled off his shirt. I could see in the dim light that even though it had been more than a ten days since I’d owned that body, he’d been taking care of it. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on his shredded torso. He kicked off his shoes and then dropped his jeans and boxers in one smooth motion.

I felt like I was mesmerized as I watched him strip. I couldn’t move, from this perspective, my body . . . his body . . . was new, fascinating, and alien. A part of me recognized that it was my body, the body I’d grown up in, yet in that moment, my breath caught.

Then I was looking at his cock as it stood at attention, a part of my mind noticed the lack of pubic hair and I giggled at the idea that he must have given himself a trim. Then he was moving toward me. His naked body straddling my clothed form. I watched in fascination as his cock swung from side to side as he and it moved closer. I lifted my hands up so he could pull my shirt off and the air-conditioning felt cold to my sensitive nipples. He paused to lean in and suck on my left nipple and I felt my toes curl up inside my boots. He moved away from my breast and I let out a soft moan. I wanted him to keep sucking but I also wanted more.

I watched as he pulled off each of my boots and unsnapped my jeans. I lifted my hips and wiggled a little to help my jeans and panties slide off. The cold air hit my sex and I felt a thrill run through me as he slowly stripped me. In that instant I felt like I was a prize and he’d come to claim me, to dominate me, to make me his.

I tried to wrap my legs around his waist but he pushed them down and away. I felt his hand slide down to my pussy. I ached with a desperate need to be filled and he brushed my outer lips with his fingers spreading them slightly with a very light caress, and then he touched my clitoris. I tried to buck my hips to force his fingers into me as little electric jolts filled my whole body.

“Oh, God, Chris, stop teasing me.”

At this he worked a finger inside of me slowly probing my depths and then on the up stroke he found the little bundle of nerves just inside. I grabbed the sheets to either side and moaned again.

“What’s my real name?”

The question came out of nowhere and he had to repeat it before I could answer.

“Chris?”

The stroking slowed and the fire inside made it hard for me to think, ‘Why was he stopping?’

“No, that’s not my real name what’s my real name?”

“James.” I whispered. At this he chuckled and started stroking again.

“No, that’s your name.”

Each time he hit that bundle of nerves I felt like I was going to cum and yet the tension was only building. Then he added a second finger and I felt my skin stretch.

“Oh, GOD!”

It had felt great before but now, the sensation of being filled was pushing me closer to a cliff and I desperately wanted to go over. Then he stopped.

“What’s my name?”

“Kristina . . . Kristina, your name is Kristina!” I almost shouted.

With that he began stroking again and this time he leaned forward and took my right nipple, gently mindful of my bruise, into his mouth. The bruised flesh was so sensitive that it added a hint of pain to go with the building pleasure and in that instant the damn broke and I arched my back as my vagina spasmed. I tried to clamp down on his hand with my inner muscles but he kept up the steady pace.

“Ahhh”

I closed my eyes and tried to keep my back arched this was easily the most intense orgasm of my life and then he removed his hand. I relaxed my back a little but before my ass could settle onto the bed he slid a hand under it. I opened my eyes and looked down. He was holding his cock in one hand and then I felt it.

The velvety head touched my outer lips. For a second I wanted to say no, to tell him to stop. That I didn’t want to do this, then I felt him push. It was a gentle pressure, just enough to slide the engorged head of his penis past my outer lips. It felt huge! I was wet and ached with need and for a moment I didn’t think it would fit. Then the stretching sensation was slightly painful and then he was inside.

“Oh, God!”

I tried to squirm back, to pull off his shaft, it felt like he was splitting me in two! But he slid his other hand under me and pulled me to him with an irresistible strength just as he pushed in with his hips. I felt his thick cock drive into me painfully stretching me and even though I was incredibly wet from my first orgasm I thought he’d tear me apart.

When I’d owned that cock, I’d always thought I was a little bigger than average, but from this perspective it seemed like a monster. I felt the inner walls of my canal stretch and stretch and then I felt his pelvic bone grind into my clitoris and I knew he was hip deep in me. I looked up into his eyes which for the first time seemed unfocused.

“Oh, God, James, this feels incredible. You’re so damn tight!” he said softly.

Then he seemed to see me. Slowly he pulled back until the tip of his penis was just inside and then he slid it all the way in, again, slowly smoothly savoring the connect between his velvety shaft and my slick canal. It was like I could feel every centimeter of skin along his shaft. I never wanted that sensation to end.

“I love fucking your tight little pussy with my big cock!”

“Ahhh . . .”

I couldn’t help responding as the pain and tension had now transformed into pleasure. Very. Slowly. He started to increase his pace. It was like he wanted to make sure that the entire surface area of his cock made a connection every centimeter of my pussy. Now the pounding picked up getting faster and faster and as it did I felt my second orgasm approach. As if sensing it he suddenly slowed down.

“What . . . What are you doing?” I asked feeling desperate.

“Tell me you love my cock.”

In the back of my mind I knew this was some kind of domination game, but I was so close to reaching that pinnacle that I didn’t care.

“I love your cock.”

He resumed his thrusting and I felt the tension build.

“Who’s cock?”

“Yours!”

He started adding a little rocking motion to the end of each thrust, grinding his pelvic bone into my aching clitoris. The sensation pushed me even closer to the edge.

“Say my name!”

“I love Kristina’s cock!” I shouted in desperation.

At this his thrusting took on a frantic pace and he started rubbing my breasts using his thumb and forefinger to pinch and rub my nipples. This time when I came my whole body shuddered and I wrapped my legs around his waist trying to squeeze him tightly. I could feel his cock buried deeply in me and felt the pulse of my orgasm as it squeezed his shaft. Then he slowly drew out. I was in an orgasmic daze, I could feel the aftershock of my orgasm and didn’t understand why he’d left.

“Roll over and get on your hands and knees.”

I looked up at Kristina in surprise. “What?”

“You heard me. If this is our last chance doing it from this side of the fence I want to try a few things.”

I looked at his cock, glistening with my juices and saw that it was still hard. He hadn’t cum! How on earth did he manage that level of self-control? He put his hands on my hip bones and slowly rolled me over. I was way too far gone to resist and rolled onto my stomach and then got my knees under me. He pulled me to the edge of the bed until my feet were on the floor and then pushed down gently on my back. I leaned even farther forward burying my face in the bed and then I felt it.

The tip of his dick was once again pressing into my pussy. I could feel him guiding it with a hand and my pussy lips, already stretched from our earlier session, parted under the pressure and he was inside of me. The stretching this time was easier although my pussy was still super sensitive and the angle was different. Now standing behind me he reached around with a hand to stroke my clit as he rammed his cock into me. The stretching and pressure were similar to the first time he’d fucked me but the angle was different and the non-stop attention he was giving to my clit made everything even more intense.

“Do you like this James?”

I couldn’t answer. I was doing everything I could think of not to scream.

“Do you like me fucking you from behind? You love my cock, you already said so, don’t you?”

Then with his free hand he slapped my soft bottom. I could feel the sting of the slap and somehow the slight pain made the sensations more intense. Then he slapped me again and I could feel it all the way to where we were joined.

“You like it a little rough don’t you James.”

I wanted to say no, to deny the sensations that were flooding into me but I was riding a tidal wave of pleasure. Then he slowed down.

“Tell me you love it.”

At this point it was more like a force of nature. My body was now in complete control and I had to have this.

“Oh, God, yes . . . yes, I love it.”

He immediately picked up the pace and I grabbed a pillow and buried my face into it to stifle my scream as my third orgasm washed over me. And this time I could feel Kristina’s cock pulsing inside of me. The feeling of hot cum filling my depths was like nothing I’d ever experienced.

The sensations were so intense that I thought I might have blacked out. But instead I could feel Kristina still stroking only now the urgency had abated and the strokes were long and slow. I was amazed that he was still hard. I looked back over my shoulder and I saw that he was now dripping in sweat from his exertions but he gave me a bright smile.

“That was incredible.” I said, and my voice sounded raw.

“Yeah, I’ve been wanting to do that ever since Berlin.”

He was still moving his cock in and out and the aftershocks of my orgasm were starting to build. I could feel cum dripping out as he continued to pump and I tried to move forward but he had his hands on my hips.

“I can’t believe you’re still hard.” I said, and grabbed his dick with my inner muscles.

“Hehehe, I’ve got a confession. And a secret.”

With that he sort of pushed me down into the bed and the grabbed my right leg just behind the knee and lifted it up rolling me onto my left side. Even while I was being turned he kept his cock in me.

“I took one of those little blue pills before coming over.”

I gave him a confused look and shook my head. “What?”

“You know, the ones that can result in an erection lasting for up to four hours.”

With that he started pumping again only with my right ankle on his shoulder. This stretched my pussy and changed the angle yet again.

“Four hours?” I whispered, dazed. “Oh, fuck me.”

“I intend to.” He said as he started ramming his hot cock into me faster and faster. “I, fully, intend to!”

“And your secret?” I added softly.

Chris smiled with a devilish grin. “You’ve got a Norplant device.”

My eyes flew open as the realization hit, ‘I’ll be a son of a bitch’ I thought ruefully. ‘No wonder he’d never used a condom! Or seemed to be concerned about getting me pregnant!’ I was suddenly both shocked and amazed that I’d not been concerned about it myself. ‘Could it have been more of the Syndicate’s conditioning? Or my male mind not connecting the dots. That in this female body I’d be the one getting pregnant!’ I thought, stunned at my own foolishness, and then I lost my ability to think as Chris continued to fuck me endlessly. His level of comfort in my male body due to the spell, and that damn blue pill, were certainly serving him well.

By the time we made it down to lunch I could hardly walk. My lower region felt raw and I was hyper aware of the way my breasts and ass moved as I walked, everything was just so damn sensitive. I glanced over at Chris and was pleased to see that at least he was moving awkwardly as well. What the hell had he been thinking taking one of those pills! I was in my early thirties and didn’t need them. Then, I giggled slightly, well, I knew what he was thinking. He was thinking about spending most of the morning fucking me senseless.

It had pretty much worked. I’d lost count of how many times I’d cum. I’d also lost track of the positions, missionary, doggy, cowgirl, reverse cowgirl, Chris had a vivid imagination and apparently he wanted to get a life time’s worth of exploration compressed into one morning. As I thought about it, I was also pretty sure we’d done it in the shower, twice, while getting cleaned up. Even though it had been a marathon sex session when we were finally done, it had still been too early for lunch so we went clothes shopping.

I was still in a stunned state so I pretty much let him pick out most of my outfits. Then when we returned to our rooms he just followed me into mine. Before he could say anything I’d put a hand on his chest.

“I need a few minutes to get ready, then lunch?”

“Sure, do you want some help picking out an outfit?” he asked with an innocent expression.

“No, I think I can manage.”

“Alright, but no jeans. And I want to see you in a top that doesn’t fall into the t-shirt category.”

“Fine.”

Now I looked down at the short peach skirt and my white top with spaghetti straps that showed off my flat tummy. In the ten days I’d been in Kristina’s body I’d managed to drop fifteen pounds.

As we approached a table, Chris pulled out a chair and held it for me, I felt my face blush and settled into it crossing my legs at the knee. He grinned at me and ordered two waters from the waitress.

“I must say, you did a good job with your makeup.”

I looked down wanting to mutter a curse, but I was pleased that he’d noticed and said something.

“One of the gifts, of my four days spent with the Syndicate. They wanted me moving, acting, and reacting like a normal girl in public.”

The waitress arrived just then with our water and I asked for a salad and a cup of minestrone soup. Chris grinned and ordered a burger and fries. I glared at him but he only laughed.

“Don’t blame me. This is probably my last day eating meat. I plan to enjoy it. And in private?”

I looked up feeling a little confused, “Excuse me?”

“You said that the Syndicate wanted you moving, acting, and reacting like a normal girl in public. How did they want you to act in private?”

I felt my face flush but I met his gaze. “With you? Like a little nymph. I was supposed to seduce you and keep you busy until Syndicate agents subdued you.”

At that he chuckled, “Well, it would have worked today.”

I nodded and looked down feeling a little confused. “So, what got into you, earlier?”

At this he reached across the table to take my hand in his large calloused mitt.

“I guess, a couple of things. I’ve wanted to do that to you ever since we left Berlin, but at first we were focused on getting away. Then you were mad at me.” I tried to speak but he held up a hand, “I’m not saying you didn’t have good reasons. Anyway, it was one thing or another. Then in the airplane you looked so cute sleeping all curled up on your side. So when we got here I saw that the drug store in the lobby was open and figured, ‘What the hell!’”

“What if I’d said, no?”

“Then it would have been a long, and uncomfortable, morning.”

At that the image of him sitting on the toilet in his bathroom cock in hand, spanking the monkey, all morning made me break into a fit of giggles. After a second he joined in laughing ruefully.

“Okay, it was a bit of a gamble. But I think it paid off.”

“Yeah,” I said shifting uncomfortably. “I can hardly sit down.”

At that comment he had such a self-satisfied smirk that I threw my napkin at him. Just then our food arrived and we tucked in. I was surprised at how hungry I was, ever since finding myself in this body I’d noticed I was a slow eater and had a much smaller appetite. Right now, however, the food practically disappeared.

“I guess we worked up an appetite.”

“I’ll say.” Chris said, dipping a fry into some mayonnaise before popping it into his mouth.

I glanced out the window at the bright sun, white sand, and clear blue water. “What do you say, to spending some time on the beach?”

“Sure, but I need to work out first.” he lifted up an arm flexing for me. “You don’t get guns like these by sitting around.”

I laughed at that, “I would have thought you’d gotten enough exercise earlier.”

“Nope, I’ll meet you down there?”

“Okay. I need to go change into a swim suit anyway.” I said, standing up.

“Hey, Jackie.”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure you put on a LOT of sunscreen. I . . . er . . . I mean YOU burn like a lobster and I’m not swapping back if you’re all sunburned.”

In a surprisingly short amount of time I was in the black bikini that Chris had picked out. Fortunately, she’d also found a nice wrap so I didn’t have to walk all the way out onto the beach in nothing but my skin and a little bit of fabric. I found a beach chair and settled my towel on it before plastering on as much sunscreen as I could. Then I settled back enjoying the December sun and the cool breeze off the ocean.

I didn’t think I’d be able to fall asleep with all the napping I’d done on the flight out but I was startled awake when a shadow filled my view. I opened my eyes and saw Chris settling into a chair next to me.

“Done already?”

“It’s been forty five minutes.”

“I must have dosed off.” I glanced over at him and could see that he’d gotten a decent pump from whatever he’d been doing. “I think you wore me out earlier.”

“Hehehe, that was part of my evil plan. Hey, I’ll put lotion on your back if you do mine.”

I couldn’t help noticing how broad his back was as I worked the sunscreen in. The feeling of hard muscles just below the skin was starting to arouse me, and this made me worry. When we swapped back would I be attracted to guys? Had I lost my orientation as well as my sense of self? I shut down this line of thought, deal with it later if it’s an issue. Once I finished with his back, I turned around and lay the back of my chair down so it was more like a bed and then I carefully lay down on my stomach.

“Do you want me to untie this?”

The question was innocent enough and the string in the middle of my back would leave a tan line. The real question was, did I trust him.

“Sure.”

As soon as he untied it I felt my top go loose. Then he gently worked lotion into my back. It felt more like a massage than just putting on lotion and I couldn’t help purring in pleasure. I could also feel my body starting to respond to his. His gentle masculine hands, were causing me to remember what we’d done earlier and that was enough to cause my body to start to respond. He was now running his hands up the backs of my thighs coating my inner thighs as well as the back with lotion. Then he slipped a hand under my bikini bottom working lotion into my cheek.

“Hey, I think I’m good down there.”

“I know you’re good . . . down there.”

“Don’t be lewd. Besides, now that Mr. Happy has gone down, do you really think you could get it up?”

I glanced over at him and even though I could see the bulge in his swim suit it didn’t look like it was hard. He was just teasing me. The afternoon was spent pleasantly drowsing and as I drifted into a weird sleep the dreams started.

I was once again standing in Heathrow, in my normal body. All around me people were rushing to get to destinations, yet no one could see me. Then the scene shifted and I was once again in the same board room I’d seen before. Only this time it looked like it had been the scene of a battle. There were several pieces of broken furniture and blood stains on the floor. I turned around in a slow circle until I spotted the man, I thought was Mr. Drake.

He was sitting in the middle of the floor staring off into the distance. I could see the flicker of power around him and knew that this was a very dangerous person. Slowly the door to the room opened and a woman I’d never seen stepped in. She wore a silver-grey business suit and her dark hair, streaked with silver, was pulled back in a tight bun.

“Jason, what seems to have upset you?”

Slowly the man lifted his head to look at the woman speaking to him. “I’ve had some disappointing news.”

“Ah,” she moved forward and rested a hand lightly on his shoulder. “What news was so bad you felt you had to . . . throw a tantrum?”

If I could have hissed in surprise I would have, I didn’t think anyone would talk to Director Drake that way. Yet all he did was look up at the woman before letting out a sigh and pushing himself to his feet. His clothes had several bright red splatters.

“The Society has once again interfered with my plans, mother. I’m starting to think it’s time we took steps.”

“If we must,” she responded. “Why don’t we start by getting rid of the spying spirits?”

I felt my spirit-form freeze in shock. Then Drake looked around his eyes blazing red and they landed on me. Somehow I knew he could see me.

“You! You’re the woman who started this mess! Kristina!”

I looked down, somehow, at some point, my spirit-form had shifted, so that I was once again wearing Kristina’s shape. Before he had time to do anything else I fled. I don’t know how, exactly, but I just sort of wished I was someplace else and I was.

It took me a second to realize I was standing in Kristina’s flat. I looked around and saw that it was empty and pretty much as we’d left it. So I willed myself to go to my house, outside of Chicago. I was almost surprised when I found myself in my living room. I looked around and saw that nothing had been touched. Feeling a little relived I willed myself to return to Cancun and I was standing on the beach. I could see my body and Kristina’s stretched out on a set of beach chairs.

I moved to my normal body and reached out to touch my large muscular back and felt resistance. I wasn’t sure what it was but there was something preventing my spirit-form from entering my normal body. I looked over at the female body lying in the sun, fast asleep. With a sigh I moved over to it and when I touched Kristina’s back I slid inside without any trouble.

I blinked several times. I wasn’t sure what to make of that dream, but it was clear to me that it wasn’t just a dream. I wondered if this was a manifestation of my Seer talent. Then looked at my watch and felt startled. I’d been out for more than an hour.

“Hey, we’ve got to get going. We’re meeting the Administrator at four.”

Chris looked over at me and grinned. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

I reached behind my back and tied my top and then sat up. “You’ve got plenty of time. I need to shower, fix my hair, makeup . . . all of that takes time.”

“It’s hard . . . to be beautiful.”

The light playful tone made me stick my tongue out at him and then collect up my things and head into the main building.

My heeled sandals made a click-clacking sound on the tiles as Chris and I walked down the hallway to the Administrator’s office. I glanced over at him and smirked when I realized that in my three inch heels I was taller than he was. For some reason this extra height gave me a sense of superiority. I’d been a little surprised that neither Bruce nor Tabatha had come to get us, but Chris said he knew the way.

Chris was nice enough to open the glass door for me and I didn’t know if I should feel amused by his gallantry or annoyed that he opened it for me. The office was modern looking with industrial carpet and a large desk for the secretary in the middle of the office. To either side of the desk were chairs so the outer office doubled as a lobby.

Chris went up to the young man sitting behind the desk. “Hi, Pete, is Lukas in? He’s expecting us.”

The young man looked up from his computer and I was surprised by his bright green eyes. The scowl that had been on his face shifted and he grinned up at Chris. “Oh, hi, Chris. Yeah, let me check to see if he’s ready.”

With that he picked up the phone and punched a button. For some reason I couldn’t hear what he was saying and Chris stepped back next to me. I gave him a look and raised an eyebrow in question. Chris just shrugged. Then a wooden door to the left of the desk opened and a slightly overweight man with hair that had mostly turned from brown to grey stepped out.

“Ah, Kris, I’m glad you made it safely back.”

Chris moved forward and traded grips with the guy and I noticed that he was an inch or two taller than Chris but not nearly as broad through the shoulders. Then he turned to look at me and I was arrested by his eyes. They were the exact same shade of green as Pete’s.

“And, you must be James?”

I had to swallow before I nodded and stepped forward. His hand was larger than mine, and while warm and dry, was the softest man’s hand I’d ever shaken.

“It’s good to meet you at last. Come, come, let’s sit down and talk.”

“Please” I said, “call me Jackie.”

“If that makes you more comfortable, certainly.” replied Lukas with another of his broad open smiles.

I followed the two men into what turned out to be a spacious office. The wall facing me was floor to ceiling windows with a fantastic view of the ocean. Just in front of the windows I saw a large desk with a computer and a number of books. Then I glanced to my left and spotted a long boardroom style table large enough to seat at least a dozen people.

“Come, please have a seat.”

I turned to my right and saw a large leather couch with a pair of overstuffed chairs facing it around a coffee table. The table had already been set up for tea so I moved to take one of the chairs while the two men settled onto the couch. I was a little distracted as I smoothed my skirt and sat down because on the boardroom table I’d spotted the briefcase we’d taken from Mengele. It was open and the half dozen crystals sat in their foam cradles glowing softly.

“Ah, yes, I see you spotted our hoard.”

I glanced back at Lukas and his smile seemed too white in his tanned face. But his body posture indicated a warm open personality. I nodded and then gestured with my chin.

“Have you had a chance to examine them?”

I didn’t think it was possible but somehow his smile got even broader. “Yes, I’ve done a preliminary investigation and identified four of the crystals. Although, I must confess that the other two are still a bit of a mystery.” Then before I could ask the question that was at the forefront of my mind he continued. “Shall we have a spot of tea?”

I bit down on my impatience and got my tea and settled back into my chair carefully crossing my legs at the knee. Lukas took several biscuits along with his tea as did Chris. I ignored the food. At this point eating was the last thing on my mind. After a few seconds Lukas looked at me and I could see a playful twinkle in his eye. I opened my mouth to ask him about the four crystals he’d identified but Chris beat me to it.

“So, Lukas, if you’ve identified four of them, have you any thoughts on the two mystery crystals?”

I ground my teeth in frustration.

“Oh, yes, I’ve a few ideas. Of course, as a Warlock myself, it was easy for me to spot the two with spiritual magic. Then Tabatha, our resident sorceress helped me sort out the elemental magic in the second pair. However, the third pair remain a mystery.” Here he paused to sip his drink and I, feeling resigned, took a sip of tea as well. I was surprised that it was quite good.

“Any clues?” Chris asked.

At this Lukas grinned, “As a matter of fact,” then his voice shifted into lecture mode. “List for me the four main magical disciplines.”

Chris scowled a little but answered, “Witchcraft and the associated disciplines, Shamen, and Seers are in the spiritual family of magic. Sorcerers have dominion over elemental magic. Wizards pull essence into their bodies and shape it by will and word, their specialty is in physical manifestations of magic. Psionics have dominion over mind magic.”

Lukas, nodded and smiled. “Very good, however most spells have one or more of the base elements spiritual, mental, elemental, and physical in them. A Psionic might hit someone with a mind blast to knock them out, but it will still have trace elements of spirit in it. The same is true for a Witch. I might cast a sleep spell which will put you into a dreamless slumber but it will have aspects of mind and physical magic.”

Chris nodded impatiently but this was the first time I’d heard any of this. So I sat my tea down and leaned forward.

“What about necromancers?”

At this Lukas looked at me sharply. “Why are you asking about them?”

“Because Mengele is a necromancer, right?”

Lukas looked unhappy, but nodded. “Yes, and he is a very dangerous person. We’ve been trying to capture him for decades. To give you a complete description of the necromancers would require a history lesson. Suffice it to say that, necromancers practice a vile sort of spiritual magic and it has been outlawed by the Great Covens and the Society.”

Based on his reaction I figured I should move on to a different question. “How does this apply to the crystals that we took from Mengele?”

Lukas looked at me and grinned. “Well, to start with the crystals were crafted by a skilled Sorcerer. That much is obvious, since sorcerers using earth magic craft the crystals that most witches use.” I nodded, although I didn’t really understand much of this, “Strangely, I can only find one spell on each crystal. That means to freeze a complex rite into the crystal the spell that does this action must be part of the crystal itself.”

“Kind of like firmware on a piece of hardware for a computer.” I said.

Lukas gave me a blank look but Chris nodded. “Yes, exactly. It’s the software that comes installed on the hardware from the factory and lets you load other applications and use the PC.”

Lukas looked back and forth for a second and then said, “Your comparing magic to computers?”

Chris grinned that lopsided grin I was starting to really love. “Yep.”

Lukas shook his head, “Okay. I guess, I’ll take your word for it. Anyway once the sorcerer has finished with the crystal the rite is performed and the spell at the moment of release is frozen in the crystal.”

“Will you be able to figure out how they do it?” Chris asked.

Lukas nodded, “Tabatha is working on it, and she’s strongly gifted in earth magic. But if she can’t unlock the secret then I’ll send one crystal to Vancouver, Canada. There is a circle of sorcerers in the area and they should be able to figure it out.”

“Sir, you were explaining how the four types of magic apply to the crystals.” I prompted.

At this Lukas looked startled. “Yes, of course. Sorcery was used to craft each crystal, and each of the three pairs fuses all the elements of magic. The pair that are spirit focused have elements of psionic magic and I believe are designed to move two people into each other’s bodies.”

When he said that I felt a tension I hadn’t been aware of drain out of me. I suddenly realized I’d been preparing myself to hear that none of the crystals held a body swap spell and we’d spend the next year as each other.

“And the rest?” Chris asked.

Here Lukas sat his cup down and rubbed his hands together. “The next pair are strongly focused on elemental and physical magic. The first of the two is simple. It holds an Air Elemental and will grant the person using it the ability to fly. Tabatha thinks the spell will last over two hours!”

“Wow, Tabatha told me the longest she’s ever flown is ten minutes.” Chris said.

“True, but Tabatha isn’t strongly gifted in Air.” Then his eyes kind of gleamed, “The fourth crystal is a transformation spell. It uses all four elements and physical magic. The user of it can become an exact double of the person he or she touches with the stone. Tabatha thinks the spell wears off in twenty four hours, but this is a new one for us. For example I can cast a Glamor that gives a person the illusion of looking like another, but this spell . . . Well, Tabatha thinks DNA tests would be identical.”

“Wow,” I was as impressed as Lukas. “But what of the other two?”

Lukas shrugged, “I’ve delved into them, as has Tabatha and we’re both at a loss. Dirk, our resident Wizard is going to come by in an hour and see what he can learn. If he strikes out then I’ll invite one of the Master Wizards and a Psi-Lord to come to Cancun to study them.”

I felt a sudden urge to take a closer look at the crystals, “May I look at them?”

Lukas gave me a curious look and nodded, “Yes, of course, just DO NOT touch them.”

I nodded quickly and stood up, smoothing my skirt out as I did. I caught a smirk from Chris and stuck out my tongue. “I can’t help it, call it a lingering side effect from what Mengele did to me.” I muttered.

All three of us had stood and the two men followed me over to the crystals. “What have you done with our prisoners?” Chris asked.

“Josef Mengele is very dangerous. I examined him and there are so many spells on his body that I’m amazed that MacAskill was able to keep him sleeping. Right now he’s in our most heavily warded cell, wearing shackles that are designed to prevent him from using magic.” I could hear the fear and disapproval in Lukas’ voice. “There is so much we don’t know about him.”

By now I’d moved over to the case and some instinct told me to hold my hand out over the first set of crystals, palm down. I could see that they were completely clear and round, like the one Chris had used on me. I slowly moved my hand over them and I felt a tingle, it raced up my arm and I got a weird sensation and then the flash of a vision in my mind. A clearing nestled into some steep hills. Pine trees. A circle, the floor was covered with intricately wrought glyphs. Then I felt movement within the glyphs, I don’t know why, but I pulled my hand away. I could feel sweat beading up on my forehead.

“Maxwell Jackson, is wanted for several crimes.” Lukas was answering a question Chris had asked but I hadn’t heard.

I moved my hand over the third crystal, this one had a faint silvery cast to it. As soon as my palm got close I heard the sound of wind rushing through my ears. I had a sense of slipping the surely bonds of earth and soaring into the vault of the sky. I felt an urge to touch this crystal and fly out the window. I resisted the temptation. Instead, I moved my hand over the fourth crystal.

This one sparkled with a rainbow of color. As my palm got near it I sensed heat, power, and unformed potential, waiting ready to move. In my mind’s eye, the crystal kept shifting, changing, restlessly waiting for the command that would activate it, even though it never actually changed shape.

“So, she’ll stand trial before a tribunal. We don’t know for sure how many people she’s killed but I can lay three agents deaths at her feet. I think there’s a cell in the Rocky Mountains with her name on it.” Lukas’ voice was sort of like a comforting anchor as I felt compelled to move my hand toward the remaining crystals.

As my hand hovered over the fifth crystal and I felt darkness. Deep endless darkness, then it sort of responded and in my mind’s eye I felt the scene shift. A forest. Tall dark fir trees were all around. Snow was on the ground, yet in the middle of the clearing the snow had been removed to display flat cold earth. In the center of the circle of earth a naked woman had been chained. She had long blue hair and when she looked up I saw that her ears were pointed. She saw me and smiled. A surge of hope. I jerked my hand away.

“There is an Aelf trapped in this crystal, an Aes Sidhe of the Winter court. She’s been chained to a purpose, I’m not sure what that purpose is but she is stuck until the spell is released and her purpose served.” My voice sounded odd, it had taken on a weird echo quality. I didn’t need to look to see that both men had stopped talking and were looking at me.

“Diana said she’s a Seer.” Chris whispered but Lukas made a shushing noise.

My hand moved of its own volition to the final crystal, I tried to stop it, just to show that I was still in control of me. I failed. As my hand approached I felt a flash of fire and saw in my mind’s eye a glowing ring. Within the ring I could see an office. It was an office I’d seen several times before. Suddenly, I was able to pull my hand away.

“This last crystal, is a portal stone. It will open a Gate and allow the user to step from one place to another in an instant.” My voice still held that strange emotionless echo-quality but once I was done I shook my head. Sort of like a dog coming out of the water shakes and the last bits of magic left me and I stumbled back.

Chris was quick, or I would have fallen. He got an arm around me and then I managed to catch my balance.

“I’m okay, I can stand.”

“What was that?” Chris asked looking at me, worry clearly written on his handsome face.

“That was a Seer’s trance.”

We both looked over at Lukas, who after a moment continued, “I’ve spoken with Diana, but I had no idea you were so strongly gifted. That was truly remarkable.”

Then it dawned on me, “This was a set up! You asked us to meet you here and left the crystals out on purpose. You wanted to see if my talent would react to them!?”

Lukas held up a hand, “Yes, guilty as charged, but in my defense. We don’t have any Seers here and we need to know what those crystals can do.”

I sighed. “I don’t know what the one with the trapped Aelf does. But the other is used for travel.”

“I don’t get it, if one of the crystals contains the spirit of an Elf, why didn’t you or one of the other Witches here sense it?” Chris asked sounding confused.

“I didn’t say it held the spirit of an Aelf, I said that an Aelf is trapped within the crystal. Completely, physically, she is held within the crystal.”

“Like a prison?” Chris asked.

I nodded, “But more than that. I can’t really explain it. When the crystal is used she’ll be released and physically manifest. That’s really all I can tell you.”

Lukas nodded excitedly. “Yes, Jackie, this is great work. With the information you’ve given us I’m sure we’ll be able to solve this mystery.”

I couldn’t help smiling at the praise, and then felt like I needed to add something, “Just whatever you do, be careful when you release the Aelf, she’s trapped and angry.”

“I’m confident that Dirk will solve the puzzle and we’ve contacts with the Aelfen Realm. We’ll figure out a way to safely return her to her people.”

“Fine, can we switch back now?” I asked a little more harshly than I intended, but I did it to jar him. I was tired. Tired of being manipulated. Tired of feeling off balance and out of control. But mostly I really just wanted my body back.

“Yes, I think so.” Lukas said looking at me. “We have two body swap crystals, we’ve already learned a lot so I think we can spare one to fix your problem. But you’ll have to let us observe the spell as you use it.”

I nodded. “Fine with me.”

I glanced over at Chris and he looked a little unsure but eventually nodded. “I guess.”

It was a comfortable room. The floors were deeply carpeted and the paneled walls gave it a feeling of age and security. I sat in a deep leather recliner next to Chris and watched as the room filled with people. Perhaps filled isn’t the right word. There were eight other people in the room. Tabatha and Lukas of course, along with six others. Four men and two women. Mr. MacAskill had already left Cancun on another mission or maybe just to get to a safer location. He’d been pretty sure that the Syndicate would be coming after him, and coming hard.

After Chris and I left Lukas’s office I’d wanted to be alone for a while. I’d headed down to the beach and just picked a direction and walked. My life had changed in a lot of ways and there was no going back. Part of me remembered Chris’s warning that night in Heathrow and a part of me regretted not listening. Yet, if I had it to do over again, I thought I’d probably do it. After I’d left the service my life had sort of drifted. Sure I was making good money. But I had no sense of purpose. Now, I felt an urgency, a desire building within me. I wanted to understand my gift. I wanted to start to have some control over my own fate.

Lukas had said to get some dinner and be ready to use the crystal by seven. I made it back to my room around six. I knocked on Chris’s door but there wasn’t an answer so I went to the dining room by myself. I ate quickly and returned to my room to get ready. The skills that the Syndicate had forced me to learn came in handy because at ten to, when Chris knocked on my door, I was ready.

“Wow, you look . . . fantastic.”

The complement made me blush. I was wearing a little black dress and matching black sandals with a three inch heel. I had a dark blue jacket over one arm in case it got cold later tonight.

“You don’t look so bad either.”

Chris was wearing a black suit with a blue tie and I had to grin when I noticed that he’d added a pair of cowboy boots. The two inch heels on the boots meant that we were still almost the same height. He offered me an arm so I snaked my hand through his and together, he led me to a part of the building I’d not seen.

“This is where most of the magic training happens. We try to restrict it to one area so that visitors won’t be alarmed.”

“How many students are here?” I asked, mostly to distract myself from what we were about to do.

“I don’t know for sure, but I’d guess, between fifteen and twenty.”

The hall was lined with what looked like small classrooms. Large enough for no more than half a dozen students at a time. But even as we walked by I could tell that each was different from the next. All the floors were made of stone. Some held summoning rings cut into them, while others were covered in chalk runes. Obviously, these were practice rooms. Then we arrived at the room with the wood paneling.

Now seated in the recliners Lukas moved forward and offered Chris a black velvet bag. “Since you’ve done this once, it should be pretty easy to repeat.”

“Says you.” Chris joked, but I could feel the worry in his voice.

I reached out and touched his hand. “It’ll be okay. I trust you.”

Chris dumped the crystal from the bag into his hand and held it up. It sparkled under the light and this time I could feel its power. He extended the crystal to me and I covered it with my hand. At once I felt it flare up and this time I felt Chris as he silently willed it to do what it had been designed to do. Then he whispered the word that I’d been unable to hear the first time, “Imprecor!” The crystal responded and I felt a surge of power run through me. There was a shock, and then I felt as well as heard a sharp, “Crack!”

The crystal we’d been holding split in half. I lifted my hand away holding my half of the crystal and I felt like I was now on a roller coaster and we’d just left the station. There was no stopping and no getting off at this point.

“If you both will the magic to happen and focus on it, there won’t be a delay like last time.” Lukas said.

It made sense. Last time Chris had wanted it to happen slowly to give me some time and to send me reassurances. This time there was no reason to wait. I focused on my half of a crystal and willed it to serve its purpose. Almost at once it flared up with a bright blue light and then started flashing.

Alternating between blue and violet. Then the pace increased. From the corner of my eye I could see Chris’s crystal also flashing. Violet and blue, violet and blue. I focused on mine willing the magic on. Blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue.

I could hear a murmur within the room. Voices talking excitedly. Along the walls I could see the strobe of colored light. I glanced at my crystal and it was like being a fly caught in amber. Blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet.

Faster and faster now. This time I could feel it as the magic started to pull me. Tugging me away from my body. Blue, violet, blue, violet, I felt a tearing twisting sensation and then I was floating above my body looking down at the now familiar form of a blonde woman sitting in a recliner next to a man. The flashing continued blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet, blue, violet . . . blue . . . . violet . . . . . blue . . . . . . violet . . . . . . . blue . . . . . . . violet . . . . . . . . . blue . . . . . . . . . . violet . . . . . . . . . . . blue . . . . . . . . . . . . Violet . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VIOlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BLUe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VIOLET . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BLUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VIOLET!

Abruptly, the flashing stopped and the crystal I’d been holding was a solid violet. Then I felt Chris, no, Kristina next to me hovering over our bodies as they remained motionless. Then a spectral wind hit me, pushing me toward my ‘James’ body. The pushing became a tugging and I saw that he was now holding a crystal glowing with a steady blue light. My spirit-self fell forward and I passed into my male body. There was a snapping twisting sensation and I blinked. My mouth was dry and then I looked down at the crystal in my hand just as it crumbled to dust.

“I’m me again.” My voice sounded odd to my ears. Deeper than I was used to and when I sat up I missed the shifting weight on my chest. I looked over at Kristina who was also blinking and sitting up. Her hand rose to her chest and she squeezed the flesh there and I had to chuckle.

“Just like a guy.” I said, “The first thing you do is grab your tits.”

Kristina glanced at me, and then smiled. “I’m me again!”

The breeze off the ocean was refreshing as I moved through the restaurant. Kristina had picked a table outside, facing the ocean, and I had to admit I approved her choice.

“May I join you?”

She looked up and grinned and motioned to the empty chair next to her.

“Have you ordered yet?”

“Just drinks, a pair of Guinness’s, I could feel you approaching so I knew it would only be a few minutes.”

I nodded in understanding. It had been almost two weeks since we’d returned to our normal bodies. In that time I’d learned to sense the connection we shared. At the moment the best Adepts of the Society were still debating what the connection meant. If I focused I could sense where she was and what she was feeling. If I pushed a thought toward her she could sense it. It was almost like we had a telepathic ability, only neither one of us was gifted with any kind of Psionic talent.

“I hear the fish here is fantastic.” I commented picking up the menu.

“I know, that’s why I picked this place.” She gave me one of those patented Kristina smiles that had half the Enclave eating out of her hand. I had to chuckle. I remembered using that smile to devastating effect on a cop in Germany.

“So how was your day?” I asked scanning the menu.

“Not bad. I bonded a familiar.”

I looked up, “Really? I thought it normally takes a full year of studying for a witch to be ready to bond a familiar.”

“Lukas, seems to think that our experience sort of supercharged our magic. He wants me to push as far as I can, while I’m so strong. How about you?”

I shrugged, “There still aren’t any Seers willing to come to Cancun. They all say that their sight is blocked. They say something either is happening or is going to happen and they can’t see it. Lukas tried to convince them that the something is me. But no luck so far. I’ve had several good skype sessions with Brittany, the seer in Louisville, and Tabatha, Dirk, and Lukas have all been tutoring me.”

“Hhmmmm . . . I’m sorry, James. Does this mean you’ll have to leave?”

I shrugged, “Probably. Brittany is willing to train me, but she lives in Louisville. I’ll eventually have to go up there if I want to understand my gift. But right now there is plenty I can learn here.” There was a pause and then I felt like I needed to lighten up the mood, “Hey, I don’t think I showed you. I bonded my first focus last week.”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out an uneven crystal. For a second it glowed with a light blue color and then it faded. Kristina reached out and touched it and looked up at me.

“That’s great James. That means you should be able to actively cast spells now.”

I nodded. For some reason it had been very hard for me to bond a focus. We’d tried several types. Lukas swore that it wasn’t because I didn’t have the power, he thought it was more likely my Seer gift was so strong it was overpowering the more normal talents I should have had.

Just then the waitress returned and we placed our orders. After that we both sort of sat, enjoying the silence. Then after a few minutes of staring out at the lights in the bay, I pointed to a set of lights to one side of the bay. “Isn’t that the Society compound?” When Kristina nodded I continued, “I didn’t know that we would be able to see it from here.”

“It’s one of the things I like about this place.” Kristina replied, and then to change the subject, “So, have you heard from Jill?”

“Yeah, we’re finished. She broke it off with me. She can’t understand what happened to us but she wants to move on. I heard she met an accountant from Peoria.”

“I’m sorry James.” Kristina put her hand on mine and I felt the same electric shock I felt every time we touched. She quickly pulled her hand away.

“It wasn’t meant to be. Besides, I resigned my position and put my house up for sale. Those were pretty big indications that I’m not going to return to Illinois.” I shrugged and then looked at her. I loved the way the lights from the harbor reflected against her lightly tanned face. “Have you heard from Lana or your folks?”

“Of course. They’re all doing fine. They’re wondering how long I plan to stay in Mexico. My dad is a little concerned about me quitting my job. But they’re good.”

I drained the last of my beer, “Hey, what spirit did you bind for your familiar?”

At this a grin lit her face, “Take a look.”

She gestured with an outstretched arm and a ghostly owl flickered into sight. I looked around but no one reacted to the image of the spirit owl. It landed on her shoulder and turned to look at me. It still amazed me that most people couldn’t see a spirit, even when it manifested in a room.

“What’s his name?”

“HER name is Alfrún.” Then after a pause, “So what did you do today?”

“Did I ever tell you that I’m a pilot?”

Kristina shook her head, “I don’t think so.”

“Well, Lukas found out and insisted that I learn to fly the plane the Society keeps at the airport. It’s a Beechcraft King Air, and it’s pretty fun to fly.”

“If I’d have known you were going to spend the day goofing off flying around Cancun I would have come with you.” There was a definite pout in her voice.

“And miss the chance to bond, Alfrún?”

“Well, maybe not.” With that Kristina finished her beer and I caught the waitress’s eye and signaled for two more.

“So did you hear the news?” This time there was some real excitement in Kristina’s voice. I shook my head. “They convicted Max of four murders and tomorrow they’ll transport her up to the United States. I guess the Society runs a secret prison in the Rockies for Syndicate agents.”

I wasn’t surprised, “Any word on Mengele?”

“No, actually, I think the Society is scared of him.”

Abruptly, I felt an ice wind blow down my spine. I dropped my glass and sat up straight staring around as it shattered. I could feel an energy moving through the ether. The night had just become dangerous. My instincts screamed at me to run.

“James, what is it? James talk to me.”

I looked at Kristina and I could feel the energy pouring from my eyes. “They’re here.”

“Who’s here?”

“The Syndicate.”

Then an explosion rocked the night. Everyone in the restaurant ducked for cover. I stood up. I looked out over the bay and the darkness faded to light. I could see as if the sun were high in the sky. Then a fireball rose into the air and I felt the passing of spirits. Death had taken them.

“James what’s going on?! James!”

Suddenly, there was a flash of ghostly wings in my face and I flinched. When I did the spell was broken and I looked around. I could see Alfrún alight on Kristina’s shoulder and she was holding her newly bonded focus, the light of the fire was bright in her face.

“The Syndicate has come to Cancun. Drake has come to take back his people.” I turned and pointed at the burning Society Compound. “War is upon us. May the Gods help us all.”