Absolute Power 2
Nemesis
by Joan Banks
“...miraculously low death rate.
Whether this is due to an improvement in medical care or perhaps due to
the mysterious ‘Whisperer’ aka Larry Jacobs isn’t clear at this time.
What is known is that the injury and death rates in the greater Denver
area are dramatically lower that any time in recorded history.
The ‘Whisperer’ who suddenly appeared on the scene just over a year
ago abruptly disappeared just three months after his first acknowledged healing. If you are out there, Mr. Jacobs, and some of us like to
think you are, a grateful city thanks you.
So how about that weather, Gina?”
“TURN
THAT DAMN THING OFF!!” The man
screamed at the Doctor. The man was
standing over a hospital bed, which now held what was left of his six year old
son. The Doctor quietly complied.
“Now
dear it isn’t.....isn’t....” the woman, his wife, tried to soothe him but
could not complete her sentence.
“If
that ASSHOLE had the balls to do what he was supposed to do then Jimmy would
still be alive right now. He
didn’t have the guts to just come here to County General.” He slammed his fist on the tray, collapsing it to the ground.
“Stan...”
she put a hand on his arm.
“No!
If I ever...EVER find him. He
will pay.” Stan’s fury was almost visible as his wife, once again,
collapsed in sobs over their child.
******
“Another night of
miracles as the mysterious ‘Whisperer’ made the rounds at County General.
Just shortly after this news report last night EVERY child in the
pediatric ward was cured of all maladies. Sadly,
it was too late for six year old Jimmy Lawrence who died just minutes before the
first reported healing. Strangely
enough no one saw Mr. Jacobs near the ward or anywhere for that matter.
Is he doing this by remote control?
No one knows. Paul?
“Reclusive Millionaire Casper Collins has offered a twenty million
dollar reward for information leading to the location of Larry Jacobs.
The ninety one year old widower made his fortune in the pharmaceutical
industry and had dedicated a major part of his fortune to the extending the
human lifespan. He refuses to
answer why he wants to see the elusive Mr. Jacobs but one can only guess it has
to do with his advancing years.”
“Turn
that off, will you Deb?”
“Tired?
I thought you had that problem licked a long time ago.” Debby turned
off the television.
“I
like the sleep. I found I missed
it. Also, I never found a cure for
dreaming. Nothing beats a good
nights sleep for clearing up the emotional cobwebs.”
Larry, still in the form of a young female nurse, was collapsed on the
sofa. He was wearing loosely fitting sweatpants and a T-Shirt.
His eyes were barely open.
“You’re
thinking about Jimmy Lawrence. You
couldn’t have known....”
“Five minutes. FIVE MINUTES! If we would have just got there five minutes earlier I could have done something.” Larry (who called himself Sarah in this form) started howling in huge wracking sobs. Debby put her arms around him.
“Hush..
Hush. You’ve saved so many.
You couldn’t have known. You
really should go to sleep....”
“I
know, Deb.” The tears continued “Where to tomorrow?”
“East
River. Their pediatrics is filling
up, as well as their ICU. Now go to
sleep.”
“Sure
thing, ‘night Deb.” He whispered and changed his body back to his normal
male form. The clothing filled out
to his normal stature. He stretched
and cracked his back and lay back on the couch pulling a comforter over himself.
He reached down and adjusted his manhood within the panties he was still
wearing.
“Sure
I can’t sleep in the bed tonight?” he asked in a ritual that they performed
every night.
“You
know the rules, Larry. It’s your
choice.”
“I’ll
just stay like this.” He rested his head on the pillow.
If he wanted to sleep in the bed, it had to be as Sarah (not for sex, for
chastity).
“Good
night Sarah.”
*******
Over
the time that Larry had been doing his work, the hospitals were becoming more
and more empty as the population became more and more healthy.
East River that morning was definitely the exception.
Throngs of people lined the passages, yet none of them looked really
sick. Larry was getting good at
determining when people really needed help and when they just wanted attention.
These people didn’t need help but they weren’t out for the attention
either. Larry (Sarah) and Debby
passed the crowds without interference but every man who walked by had the rapt
attention of each and every one of them.
Finally
Debby went up to a small group of men and women congregating at one of the
intersections of two hallways. The
man had his arm wrapped in an old piece of cloth and one of the women had a
child’s crutch.
“Can
I help you folks?” Debby asked, reaching for the makeshift bandage.
He yanked his arm back and smiled at the cute nurse.
“Hi,
I’m Chuck Nelson.” He stuck his hand out to hake hers. “Can y’all keep a
secret?” he asked in a heavy southern drawl.
Debby nodded.
“’Taint
nothin’ wrong with us. We’re
just out for the reward on this ‘Whisperer’ fella.
The way I got it figured he needs to come to the hospital, right?
We find him and, BAM! We nab ‘im.”
He slammed his fists together and smiled at his ingenious plan.
“Only
thing is.” The woman with the too small crutch piped in “Is that Genius Boy
over here didn’t figure that everyone else in the world would be thinking the
same thing.” She hit the back of his head with the flat of her hand.
“Just
don’t get in the way of the real patients, okay?” Debby gave the man her
winning smile. He grinned back.
That got him another slap on his head.
Debby left the group and rushed to catch up with Larry.
“Sarah!”
Debby was slightly out of breath when she caught up to her friend.
“What
is it? What’s wrong?” Larry
(Sarah) asked.
“I
need to talk to you for a minute.”
“But
we have to get to work. We can talk
on the way.” Larry started down
the hall again. Debby grabbed her
arm. Glancing back she noticed the
Nelson family staring at them warily.
“I
need to have my dressing changed.....” Debby’s tugging cranked up a notch.
Larry looked over her shoulder and noticed Chuck walking towards them.
Larry finally caught on.
“Oh,
silly of me! We should have done
that at home..” They walked together to the women’s locker room.
Quietly
Debby explained the situation to Larry.
“This
hospital is full of people who want to get that reward.
We have to get out of here.” She told him.
He thought for a moment, there was a lot of good that could be done here,
but not if he had to run from the crowds.
“They
are looking for men, so we’re pretty safe.
But if one of them suspects otherwise...”
“We’re
dead in the water. Okay, let’s
go.” They stood up and walked
out. When they walked out of the
room, they both saw Chuck. He was
watching the door intently and he started walking towards them a serious look on
his face. They were about to start
the other direction when another nurse came up to them.
“Debby!
Thank God. You’ve come to
help today, right? Please say
you’ve come to help today.” The
woman had a vice-like grip on Debby’s arm. She didn’t give Debby a chance to speak.
“You’re
Sarah, right? I’m Monica.
Liz Davies told me about you. We
could really use some help in obstetrics.
Just find Liz. NOW GO!” It
was not a request; it was a command given out of desperation. Larry was pushed towards a new destination way as Monica led
a bewildered Debby away.
The
harried conversation (if you could call it a conversation), kept Chuck at bay.
Rather than give him another opportunity to approach, Larry did as he was
ordered. Obstetrics was on the second floor.
The
elevator doors opened and Larry saw chaos.
Not total chaos but the controlled frantic motions of seven people trying
to do enough work meant for twelve. One
of the seven was Liz.
“Liz,
I.....” Larry tried to catch her attention.
“Sarah!
Great! Room 203, now!
It’s a premie and they need some help.
Oh, and thanks for coming. We’ll
talk later.”
Larry
hurried over to room 203. The doors
opened as he approached and the mother was being taken out.”
In the heat of the moment objects were thrust at Larry and orders barked.
In
the delivery room, Larry was told specifically what to do.
He was treated as a semi-knowledgeable stranger.
Luckily he had several months of Nurse impersonation and he had the gist
of what to do. The father was
nowhere to be found and for most of the birth he ended up comforting and
coaching the mother.
After
the baby was born it was placed in an isolation crib, glass enclosed with a
controlled atmosphere. Larry was
given charge of the infant at this point.
“Sarah....”
the mother called to him “You’re a wonderful woman. Keep an eye on my little girl for me.”
“Of
course I will.” He leaned down and hugged the woman. He felt the desperation in her grip and he resolved that
there would be no health problems at all.
Larry
was put on baby watch. His lone
duty was to watch the premature infant. He
knew he couldn’t do too much at this point without gathering attention but he
knew he had to do something. As he
sat there holding the babies hand through the gloves of the glass box he made a
few adjustments. He matured her
lungs, making the attached breathing apparatus unneeded. He improved her immune system and essentially matured her the
remaining gestation period without trying to appreciably change her size.
After
twenty minutes the doctor came in and examined the computer readout of her
statistics. As he threaded
through the paper, he ran over several feet of it over and over again.
“Is
anything wrong?” Larry asked.
“No,
not at all. It’s just that there
is this sudden.....” he looked at Larry and then back to the paper “No
nothing at all, she’ll be fine.”
Scared
that he did too much, he realized that at the moment, he didn’t care.
This little girl was the most important thing in the world.
For the few hours that he sat in that room, this little girl WAS the
whole world. He knew the doctor had
spotted him, but he was also pretty sure that the doctor would keep his mouth
shut. At least he prayed for the
doctor’s silence.
Larry
had lost track of time taking care of the infant girls’ needs.
He had developed a real bond with her.
“So,
who’s your little friend?” a familiar voice shocked Larry from behind.
“She
doesn’t have a name. I’ve been
calling her Babs.” Larry looked up at Debby.
“I
think we can get out of here now.” Debby said “We just need someone to cover
you here.”
“Oh
she won’t be a problem.” Larry tickled the little girl, who responded
crankily.
“You’d
be a good Mom, you know.” Debby giggled at her little joke.
“I
know.” Larry didn’t hear the joke in his friends’ statement.
“Liz
is sending someone in. It should
only be a minute.”
“No
rush.” Larry stared at his small charge.
Debby straightened up the room a bit and five minutes later another nurse
came in. Larry teared up a bit when
he said goodbye.
“The
mother wants to see you.” The nurse told her. “Room 203.”
Debby
followed Larry into the room, but held back as he went up to the bed.
The mother had obviously been crying quite a bit but also had that
‘fake-relaxed’ look on her face that told him that she had been medicated.
“How
are you doing?” Larry asked,
grasping the woman’s hand.
“Never
mind me. How’s my baby?”
“She’s
a fine, strong baby. Don’t worry
about her, she’s just fine.” He squeezed her hand firmly.
“I
know. Thank you.”
“Don’t
thank me. Thank the doctor....”
“Listen,
I KNOW who I am thanking. They told
me about how her lungs.....” she broke into tears for a moment.
“I’m naming her Laurie.”
“I
think we had better be going...” Debby stepped up into the conversation.
“Yes,
that would be best.” The mother was trying to seem very matter-of-fact “You
really need to go now. It would be
best.” As Debby and Larry left
the room, the woman started sobbing again.
They both made it past the desk without being challenged.
Safely
past the crowds and in the car Debby turned to Larry.
“That
woman knew it was you.”
“I
think the doctor told her....”
“You
told the DOCTOR!?” Debby was
incredulous.
“No,
of course not. But when Laurie was
on that machine and they noted a marked improvement with a sudden onset, I think
they suspected.”
“You
didn’t confirm it, right?”
“I
just stayed blissfully dumb.”
“Good,
at least that way we can some plausible deniability.”
The
message machine was blinking when they reentered the apartment.
“(BEEP)
Debby, a change of plans for your shift tonight. We need you to show at 5:30 and wear something nice.
There is a finance meeting with new investors and you’ve been chosen to
represent the nurses. At least
it’s a free meal. It’s 5:30 at
the front entrance.”
“Damn!
I forgot about the shift tonight. Can
you give me a boost, Lar?”
“No
problem. Rested and recharged.” He replied.
Instantly she felt like she had more than enough sleep and was ready to
take on another day. They had both
decided that Debby should maintain her normal job (reduced hours for
extracurricular activities) to maintain appearances. Several times a week, Larry would give her a nights’ sleep
this way.
“You
know what this means, don’t you?” Larry said cunningly “I get the bed
tonight!”
“Fine,
enjoy it while I’m out toiling.” Debby almost laughed, “What should I wear
for toiling?”
*****
The
limousine stopped in front of a very expensive looking restaurant.
The door was opened and a large quiet man in a tuxedo escorted her
inside. She was looking good and
she knew it; a blue dinner dress and heels. Debby commanded the attention of
every man in the room, every man except her escort. She tried to strike up the
conversation.
“So
about the funding....” the tall man shook his head and gestured with a huge
arm to a secluded booth in the back of the restaurant. She walked the rest of the way solo.
“You’ll
have to excuse Montgomery, Miss Waters. He
is not much of a conversationalist. Pardon
me for not getting up.” The old
man was in a wheelchair pushed against the table.
He looked so frail that even moving quickly might break most of the bones
in his body.
“My
name is Casper Collins. And I’ve
been dying to meet you.” He laughed at his own words. Debby didn’t find it funny.
“Please sit.”
Debby
stood.
“My
understanding was that this was to be a finance meeting.
Not some date.” She crossed her arms.
“Heh,
heh. Of course, Miss Waters.
Very well, I am planning on funding the pediatric department with a total
of 65 million dollars, payable immediately.”
Debby sat down.
“Now
that business is out of the way, will you have some dinner?”
“And
if I don’t?”
“The
hospital gets the money anyway. You
are not some call girl, Miss Waters. May
I call you Deborah? Not that I
could do much if you were, heh.”
“Mr.
Collins....”
“Casper,
please.....”
“Casper.
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful but why?”
“Your
hospital has the most incredible success with pediatric cases.
I believe in rewarding good work.” He degraded into a fit of coughing
that Debby thought he would break in half.
A nurse appeared from nowhere and gave him a short burst from an inhaler.
The coughing subsided.
“You,
yourself have a lot to do with it, I understand.” He stared penetratingly into
her eyes, as if searching for something. Debby
looked away.
“I
don’t understand.”
“You
have an astounding rate of healthy patients.
At least healthy after you have dealt with them.”
Debby
was feeling uncomfortable. She
tried to hide her relief when the meal arrived.
“It
is your favorite, I believe? My
chef prepared it especially for you.” He had a little gleam in his eye.
“It’s
wonderful.” She tried sample bites of it but had lost her appetite.
The meal passed in silence. All the time Casper’s penetrating glare was
on her.
“You
could have just sent us the money.” Debby finally spoke up “Why all this?”
“Direct.
I like that.” He tried to laugh again, it came out as a rasp.
“Very well, Deborah, I want you to work for me.
Salary one million dollars a year.”
She
just stared at him, silently.
“Very
well,” he broke the silence “65 million a year for the hospital as well.”
“You
can’t be serious.” Debby snorted.
“Oh,
I’m deadly serious.” He leaned forward (a daunting task), the candlelight
under his face gave his face a demonic look. “But you must use your special
abilities on me.”
“Special
abilities?” she raised an eyebrow.
“Come
now, don’t be coy. I know you are
the ‘Whisperer’ the remission rates skyrocket whenever you are around.
AT ANY HOSPITAL! You don’t hide your tracks very well.”
“You’ve
got your facts messed up, Mr. Collins. Larry
Jacobs is a man! I’ve met him once. If you’ll check with your precious investigators then you
will find that there is NO WAY that I am him.
This dinner is over!” She
stood to leave. Montgomery blocked
her path. At a nod from Casper he
stood aside.
“Remember
the offer, Miss Waters. Next time
the setting won’t be so.....pleasant.”
The
apartment was dark. Not wanting to
wake Larry up, she groped her way to the bathroom and closed the door behind
her. She removed her makeup and
took a quick shower. She wanted to
wash the dirtiness of the night off.
She opened the door to the bedroom and saw Larry, still in the form of a
young woman, sleeping on the bed. She put on a nightgown and slid into bed
beside her friend. In the morning
they would have a lot to talk about.
******
“SHIT!”
the scream woke Debby out of a sound sleep.
Sunlight was streaming through the windows and the door to the bathroom
was closed.
“SHIT!!!”
the sound was coming from the bathroom. Debby
threw off the covers and rushed in.
“What’s
wrong? Are you okay?”
She asked Larry. He was still in the form of Sarah, naked, staring into the
bathroom mirror. Larry stared
intently at the reflected image.
“Change
back to Larry.” He said to the reflection.
Nothing happened.
“Did
you lose your powers?” Debby asked.
“I
must have. I’m stuck like
this.” He sank to the floor and cried. Debby
sat next to her and hugged her.
“It’s
okay. We’re a team, right?
I’ll take care of you.”
“I
know, but I’m scared. I don’t
even exist like this. Faking it was
one thing, but FOREVER?”
“We’ll
work something out.” She held the now permanent woman at arms length for a
moment.
“You
look really good, Sarah. What did
you do?”
“I
like the dreams better in the younger form.
I made my self eighteen for the night.”
“Well
it works. You have to look at your
assets, babe. At least you are a
beautiful young girl.”
“I
don’t need to hear that right now.” Sarah
replied. Debby just held the grown
man stuck in the body of a pretty girl. A few minutes later the phone rang. Debby got up to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Deb?
Thank god you’re home. Half
the nursing staff is sick with the flu. We
need you here now.”
“I
just got home.”
“You’ll
survive. Can you bring Sarah?
She’d be a big help.”
“Bring
Sarah?” Debby repeated the request. Sarah shook her head frantically.
“She’s not feeling well today either.
We’ll have to do it without her.”
Sarah struggled for her attention. Debby
held her hand over the receiver.
“What?”
“Don’t
leave me alone today.” The young voice came out in a whine.
“I
have to, sweetie. You’ll be
fine.” Sarah plopped onto the
bed, pouting. Debby spoke on the
phone again.
“I’ll
be there in forty minutes. Bye.”
She hung up the phone.
“How
could you do this to me?” Sarah was still whining.
“For
someone who’s really a 30 something year old man, you sure play the whiny
teenage girl well.”
“Shut
up.” Larry said, almost smiling at the realization of how his reaction was
taken.
“I
have to get ready. You take it easy
today. We’ll figure out what to
do by tonight.”
“Fine.”
“Now
let me get ready.” Debby threw
herself together remarkably fast. In
the time it took her to shower, Sarah had managed to put on a pair of jeans and
a shirt. Debby kissed Sarah lightly
on the cheek as she rushed out the door.
“You’ll
probably still want to wear a bra, honey. Especially
without the extra help you’ve been giving yourself.”
“I
will. Come home soon, okay?”
As
Debby sped away in the car, she wanted to kick herself for not mentioning all
the events of the night before. She’ll
be fine, she thought, she’s just going to stay home anyway.
Her
engine quit about two miles from the apartment. There were no noises, no explanation. The car just stopped
running. There was no phone in
sight, so Debby started walking in the direction of home. Shortly a SUV with a nice looking couple pulled up to her.
“Do
you need a lift?” the young woman asked.
“Sure,
that’d be nice. I’m headed to
Greenview Hospital.”
“You’re
in luck, we’re headed that way ourselves.” Debby got in the car.
The couple was eating bagels and offered one to Debby.
Having had no breakfast to speak of, she accepted.
“I’m
Debby. Debby Waters.” She took a
bite of the bagel.
“Pleased
to meet you, Debby. I’m Stan
Williamson.....” he snorted a short laugh as Debby slumped against the
seatbelt.
The
drugs had kicked in.
******
Sarah
moped around the apartment. She
tried watching soap operas. She started cleaning.
She tried to transform back repeatedly.
It
didn’t work.
Sarah
was fuming about the loss of the ability. That
damn genie had lied! Nothing was
ever said about a time limit! Now he was stuck as this little girl.
All
the times she had changed before it was just a costume; a temporary condition
that allowed him to help people. Now
it was permanent. He would be a
woman for the rest of his life. He
was bemoaning this fact when the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Sarah?
Is Debby there? She said she would be in two hours ago.”
“Are
you sure? She left three hours ago! You
say she isn’t there?”
“No.
This isn’t like her. She’s
usually so reliable. I’m
worried.”
“Me
too. I’m going to look for her.
Call here if you hear anything”
Sarah
bolted out the door without any preamble. Downstairs,
the car was gone. Debby must have
driven away. So without any other
means of transportation, Sarah walked in the direction of the hospital.
Twenty
minutes later, she came across the car. There
were several teenagers around it. One had broken the window and was under the dashboard removing
the radio. The others kept a
lookout. They ignored Sarah.
“Get
away from there!” Sarah tried to sound menacing but the voice she had chosen
to comfort the sick and wounded just didn’t cut it. All the boys laughed.
“Ooh
mama. What’cha gonna do?”
The gang had finished with the car.
The stereo was in the hand of the one from under the dashboard.
Sarah was suddenly frightened. She
felt small, helpless. There was no
longer any power to lean back on. She
knew she should run. She saw an
opening in the circle they were forming around her and she bolted for it.
Miraculously
she made it through. She was free
of the gang and running down the street. They
were behind her and closing. Her
legs ached from the effort and she spoke to her own body.
“Faster!”
she said to her legs.
She
sped up. The ache of effort was
gone. Looking back, she had easily
outdistanced them.
She
stopped.
“Larry!”
she said, trying to regain her normal form.
Nothing happened.
“Faster.”
She said again. The world slowed
down. The gang had a look of effort
on their faces but they were moving in slow motion. She went back to them, for all the effort it took it was a
leisurely stroll but she knew she was moving blindingly fast.
“Where
is she?” she asked of the apparent leader.
There was no recognition in the face.
They hadn’t even heard her.
“Normal
speed.” She said and watched the world fall back into place.
“Where
is she?” Sarah repeated.
“Who?”
the leader replied, still stunned by her sudden appearance.
“She’s
a witch, man.” One of the ones cowering behind said.
“The
owner of the car. Where is she?”
Sarah was getting angry “Stronger.” She whispered.
The gang was getting the idea that surrounding her was a good idea.
The one to her right got a little too close, she punched him in the
stomach and he flew back fifteen feet.
“I
am tired of asking. The woman out
of this car, where is she?”
“Listen,
we found the car empty...No don’t hit me!” the leader cowered.
“What’s
your name?” Sarah asked.
“Tony.”
“Listen
Tony, the iddy-biddy girl isn’t going to hurt you. I need to know what happened to her and you are going to find
out for me.” She patted his cheek and gave him smile.
“You
are also going to put this car back together again, understand?”
“Yes
Ma’am.”
“Good
boy. Now I will be back in a little
while and you will have my answers and car ready for me when I return.”
“Yes
ma’am.” Sarah continued on to
the hospital. She knew she was
missing something and she thought they might know something about it.
Experimenting on the way she found that the only apparent ability she had
lost was the one that would make her male again.
She really was Sarah now.
Rather
than zipping to the hospital at unnatural speed, she decided to run as a normal
person would. She was much faster
than the average person but not enough to attract attention.
She found she could age herself still and did so on the way.
She
went immediately to the lead nurse, the one who did the scheduling.
Kristen was the woman that Sarah had spoken to on the phone.
“Sarah,
great! We need you up on 3.”
The woman looked haggard.
“Have
you seen Debby yet?”
“You
didn’t find her?”
“I
found her car abandoned.”
“She’s
a big girl, I’m sure she’s fine. Meanwhile
I need you on 3.”
“No.”
“No?
You realize that this could mean your job?”
“Of
course. If you want to try to force
me to work, I’ll walk. I would
prefer to find out what happened to Debby, though.”
“Why
aren’t you out looking for her then?”
“I
need to know something. Who did she
meet with last night?”
“Big
new investor.”
“Who?”
“I’m
not at liberty to say.” Kristen
did not like giving that answer.
“I
need to know. Kristen. I
thought we were friends.”
“We
are honey. They threatened to pull
the funding if .....”
“I
didn’t hear it from you, okay.”
“I
can’t.” Kristen bit her lip. Sarah
bit hers.
“Things
are pretty crazy around here, right?”
“Insane.
What are you getting at?”
“I
have to trust you with something. If
I can make your day quieter, will you tell me?”
not waiting for an answer, Sarah started walking.
Curious, Kristen followed.
“Take
me to the most high maintenance patients.”
“Why?”
“Just
do it. This is hard for me to do,
okay?”
Kristen
led Sarah around the hospital. As
she pointed out patients, Sarah cured them.
After one lap of the facilities the workload for each nurse on duty was
reasonable.
“You
are another one of those “Whisperers” aren’t you?” Kristen asked.
Sarah nodded.
“I
think someone is after Debby.”
“Is
she...” Kristen left the question unspoken.
Sarah shook her head.
“Casper
Collins, this all makes sense. He
was the one who offered the reward.”
“That’s
who she had dinner with?”
“Uh
huh, that’s it. He has an estate
up towards the mountains. You think
that’s where she is?”
“I
don’t know, but that’s all I have to go on.”
******
Debby
woke up in a small lavishly appointed room.
Her head ached and she stumbled a bit as she got out of bed.
She checked the door. Locked.
She checked the window. She
was on the third floor; the window had heavy bars with no apparent way to lower
oneself down even if it could be opened.
There
was a bathroom. There was no door
and the mirror was recessed under a heavy pane of plexiglas imbedded into the
wall.
“I
see you’re awake, Debby.” A male voice came from the speaker.
“What
do you want?”
“We
only want to begin a successful business relationship.
That’s all.”
“Who
are you?”
“My
name is not important. If you need
anything, ask.”
“Okay,
let me out.” Debby yelled into the air. There
was a low chuckle that rumbled through the air.
“I
don’t think so. Oh well, ta ta
Debby.”
******
Sarah
returned to the car. One of the
gang members was sitting next to it, urging everyone to move on.
The
car looked great, the smashed window was repaired and its surface shone.
The guard stood and handed a small box to her.
“Ma’am.
We detailed the car and tuned it up.
That little gizmo was attached to the alternator.
Someone set your friend up.”
“Thank
you. I’m sorry I hit you so hard
earlier.” She had recognized him,
he was the one she sent flying. “Are
you okay now?”
“Just
a little back ache. I’m fine.”
He tried to look tough for her and groaned in pain.
She whispered.
“Is
that better?” Sighing with
relief, he stood up straight. She
examined the box in her hand.
“Yup.
Lots better.”
“What
exactly does this thing do?” she handed the box back to him.
“Near
as we could figure it cut off all power from the alternator.
It gets a signal and the car just stops.”
“Where
would someone get something like this?”
“I
know a guy....”
“You’ve
been a big help. What’s your
name?”
“They
call me Bull.”
“Thank
you Bull. Would you take me to this
guy?”
"Then
I’ll owe you one. Get in,
Bull.”
******
“Sarah,
c’mon. He’ll see you.”
“He
will?” she asked.
“Yeah....”
Bull looked a little guilty.
“What
did you do?”
“He
didn’t want to see you. So I
kinda.....”
“Kinda
what?”
“Promised
you would fix his hands.”
“I
wish you hadn’t done that.”
“You
wanted to see him, right? That was
the cost.”
“It
just puts me in a bad spot. If he
knows who I am and tells someone.”
“Give
me a little credit, will ya’?” he was offended “I didn’t give away your
secret identity or nothin’. No
names. Same goes for him.”
“Bull?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m
going to have to do something, just to be sure. Don’t freak out, okay?” she started mumbling.
Instantly her features started shifting.
In a few moments she was unrecognizable as the same person.
“Whoa!”
he fell backward, a look of fear in his eyes.
“It’s
still me. Don’t be frightened.”
Bull stepped cautiously back to the car and gently touched her face.
“Cool.
It feels real.”
“It
is real, now let’s go.”
Bull
led her into the building and up to the third floor. The hallways were unvacuumed and there were bags of trash
outside the doors. Bull knocked on
the door.
“Yes?”
the man yelled through the door.
“It’s
me.” Bull said. The door opened a
crack and was stopped by the chain. The
old man with coke-bottle glasses looked into the hall, closed the door and
opened it again.
“Please
come in.” Sarah followed Bull
inside. The door was latched and
chained behind them.
“There
was mention of....payment?” The old man asked, holding out his hands, palms
up. His fingers curled upward as if trying to hold onto a large ball.
Sarah whispered.
The
old man’s smile of relief made Sarah smile with pleasure.
Fee or not, it was good to help people.
“And
the eyes?” the old man “I can’t help you without fixing my eyes.”
“Don’t
get greedy.” Sarah told him.
“You
want her to put your hands back?” Bull asked.
“No,
no, that won’t be necessary.” He bustled past them and into the dining room.
The table, instead of being set for a meal, was strewn with electronic
components. He picked up the piece that applied to them.
“A
wonderful piece of work. Truly
remarkable.” He held it out to them and then held it back to his chest
“Might purchase it from you?” Sarah’s
hand snapped out faster than the eye could see and snatched it from him.
“Who
made it?” Sarah asked, holding it out of his grasp. He turned back to his table.
“That’s
the funny thing. There are
components that are definitely medical in nature.”
“Medical?”
Bull asked.
“Primarily
new technology that was developed by GeronTech.”
“I
know I’m going to be sorry for this but...GeronTech?”
“They
make artificial parts for the elderly. I
myself was saving for ....” He held up his hands, wiggled his fingers and
laughed. “No need for to keep
saving for those anymore.”
“GeronTech
is owned by....”
“Collins,
Casper Collins.”
She
slapped her hands together in triumph.
“I
knew it!” She gave the old man a
quick hug. “Thank you Mr.....”
“No
names, please!”
“Well,
thank you and....eyes.” she smiled, took the glasses off his face and tossed
them onto the table “...and you’re welcome.”
******
“Bull,
I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done.” They were standing by the car and she had resumed her
youthful Sarah form.
“What’re
you talkin’ about Sarah? Let’s
go get your friend.”
“I
have to do this on my own. I
don’t know if I could keep you safe...”
“That
don’t matter. C’mon you need a
sidekick or somethin’.”
“If
I couldn’t get to you in time, then there is nothing I could do.
I couldn’t live with myself if anything should happen.
But I want you to have this...” she handed him a slip of paper.
On it read ‘[email protected]’.
“If
you need me, write. I’ll do what
I can.”
“Thanks,
Sarah. But I should at least
drive.”
“I
might be on the run after this. I
don’t want to drag you into that. Goodbye
Bull.” She gave him a quick hug
and hustled into the car.
*****
Sarah
walked up to the gate; she was decided uncomfortable. She was not used to wearing dresses and this particular dress
was particularly not her style. The
dress was slinky and low-cut, showing off her newly enlarged assets.
She looked whorish and knew it. The
guard stepped out of the small building. He
looked a little like a seven-foot bald gorilla.
“You
can’t be here.” He said in a rumbling voice.
“Please,
can’t I just warm up for a minute?” Sarah’s voice, slightly higher than
normal for effect, pleaded with him. She
took a step towards him and hoped the next part of her plan would kick in
quickly.
“Please?”
she sidled up next to him. He
bristled and acted as if he would attack for a moment.
Her super-enhanced pheromones wafted to his nostrils.
Without knowing why, he calmed down and felt an overwhelming attraction
towards her.
“Uh...okay,
just for a minute.” He put his arm around her and led her into the shack.
She snuggled against him, fighting the urge to wretch.
“Coffee?”
he asked “Or maybe something a little stronger?” he held a flask up to her.
“Coffee
is good.” her eyes drank in the little room.
“Wow,
look at all these knobs and switches...Do you know how to work all of them?”
her eyes wide with feigned astonishment.
“Yup.”
He chuckled. “I run them all.”
“So
what do you do here? It seems so
important.”
“I
protect a very important facility. This
is the only way in. I’m in charge
of protecting the whole thing.”
“I
saw those nasty dogs and spikes right inside the fence.
Are you in charge of them too?”
“Nah,
I let someone else do that.” He lied. Sarah
knew she had to work fast, she only had a five minute window.
The dogs were problematic; her first choice was to sneak in without human
contact. Her powers were unreliable
when applied to animals and she couldn’t take the chance.
She whispered and upped her pheromone level.
“Can
you show me how that big old gate works?” she caressed his face.
His mind was scrambling with overactive hormones.
She played with him teasingly and drifted towards the levers.
“I...I
can’t.” he said.
“Please?
For me? I won’t tell
anyone.” She lightly kissed his
cheek. “I’ll make it worth your while....”
“Yeah,
okay. You just do this.”
He hit button and pulled a lever and the giant gate behind him opened
wide.
“Wow,
you are a big smart man.” She took a step back and leaned over flashing her
cleavage at him. He nearly fainted.
“Temporary
loss of short term memory.” It
was a mouthful but she wanted to be undetected.
Full blown amnesia was an all or nothing operation; a case of that could
be reported almost immediately. Her
presence would be known. Now he
would remember nothing from the last five minutes, she could stroll in
undetected. Throwing the backpack
over her shoulder, she walked into the compound.
Ducking
into the woods, she stripped out of the slutty clothes.
Quickly she dressed in a black lycra unitard and tennis shoes.
Taking the rope from the pack she left it behind and discarded the pack. Stealthily she entered the woods.
******
“For
the last time, Ms. Waters, will you cooperate?” Stan’s voice reverberated in
the room. The room was much more
sparse now; furniture disappeared each time she fell asleep. The food was down to once a day, and it was terrible.
The water was cut off yesterday and today she found the carpeting gone,
revealing an ominous looking metal grid floor.
“What
can I do to prove to you that I can’t do what you say?” her voice was shrill
and tired.
“You
can’t.”
“Then
you can just fuck yourself, Stanley.”
“Now
that’s not very nice, Miss Waters. Someone
has to teach you manners.” The speaker clicked off.
The walls buzzed for a moment and Debby found her feet frozen to the
floor and the muscles of her entire body locking up.
After a few seconds, the electricity stopped.
She collapsed to the floor, painful blisters instantly forming on her
feet.
*****
Inching
her way through the forest, Sarah got a hint of her goal ahead.
There was a slight glow in the woods ahead, and she was starting to see
long shadows from the trees. She
was making it through the woods relatively unscathed.
Occasionally a branch would pull at her clothes but nothing more than a
slight run in her unitard. The
shadows grew starker as she reached the clearing.
The main compound was a massive building in the center of a deep chasm,
hundreds of feet deep. The light
from the complex below stretched the shadow from the cliff, leaving the entire
clearing dark. She could not see
features of the ground. Her belly
crawl caused her a lot of discomfort in her chest.
The large breasts were scraping against the ground and were generally in
the way. She whispered a word and
shrank them to a more manageable size. She
peered over the cliff edge.
The
only apparent entrance to the compound was by a single, well-lit road.
Looking closer, she noted that each lamppost also held a video camera.
Another gatehouse blocked the way from the end of that road. A twelve-foot chain link fence topped by razor wire
surrounded the building. The cliff
face consisted of a 100-foot sheer drop and an incline of large jagged rocks
proceeding for another 100 feet. She
stayed and observed the compound for nearly an hour, looking for the best way
in.
******
Debby
woke up on the floor of the room. Her
body twinged with short bolts of electricity, but not enough to knock her back
out. Her entire body ached.
She tried to stand, her feet screamed at her.
Zap... zap... ZAP!
“Okay,
I’m awake already.”
“Are
you ready to work with us?” The
voice boomed.
“I
can’t....” the tears streamed down her face.
She made her way to the bed and pulled her entire body up off the floor.
******
“Mr.
Collins. I don’t think she’s
the one we’re looking for.” Stan
was talking on the speakerphone. An
expressionless man sat next to him, observing.
Stan found his cold presence unnerving.
“Ridiculous!
You’re just going soft.” Casper Collin’s raspy voice came over the
speaker.
“Sir,
she’s just sitting there wounded. If
she had this power she would at least use it on herself.”
“Stan,
my boy. She’s quite an actress.
It only appears that she is still wounded.
She is perfectly fine. We
are dealing with a monster here. Have
you forgotten what she did to YOUR SON? She
let him SUFFER.”
“I
haven’t forgotten.” Stan’s fists were shaking at his sides.
“Stan,
you have done me an invaluable service. Why
don’t you sit back and let Robert continue.
“I
can do it.” Stan sat back in his chair.
“No,
you cannot. You will be able to in
time. In time, understand?
Please leave the room and go back to your quarters.
Try to get some sleep. Go
now, I do not want to get harsh with you.”
The
implied threat hung in the air. Stan,
rather than fight on this issue, complied.
He left.
“Robert,
continue. And do cut me in on the
video feed, will you?”
“Certainly
sir.” Robert said to the speaker. He
keyed a microphone at the desk “Send in the dog.”
*****
Up
on the cliff, Sarah was oblivious to the conversation below.
The rope was tied securely around the tree and the free end was draped
into the chasm. Enhancing her
strength and grip, she began to lower herself down.
Hand
under hand she worked her way down the rope. Ten....Twenty....Thirty feet, she
made her steady progress down the
cliff.
Her
eyes adjusted for maximum night vision, the glowing cliff face suddenly blinded
her. She locked her grip onto the
rope. Cursing, she adjusted her eyesight back to normal. It wasn’t much better, but the pain was less.
Fifty feet away a large circle of light blasted the cliff face.
Slowly the circle swept away from her.
She continued lowering herself. As
soon as she moved the searchlight stopped and jerked back to her direction.
She stopped again.
Quickly
the light made a direct path in her direction.
Not seeing any other choice (a bullet to the head could stop her cold),
she dropped the rope. She plummeted
down to the sharp rocks below. She
couldn’t see anything but the searchlight passing over her head.
She had a quick glimpse of the passing cliff face and the ground coming
up quickly. There was a sharp
jarring and.....
Blackness.
Her
body lay unmoving in an unnatural position on the rocks.
She
didn’t get up.
******
"Proceed
into the restroom.” A cold voice came from the speakers of the room.
There was no animosity in the voice, no implied threat, just that simple
statement.
“And
if I don’t?”
“Proceed
into the restroom.......Please.”
“You’re
just going to turn the floor back on.”
“I
will not. There is something you
need to see. You must see it.”
Battered
and burnt Debby gingerly stepped into the bathroom. The mirror behind the Plexiglas had been removed, revealing a
window into an adjacent room. The
room was more of a cell, no furniture. There
was merely a door and a light recessed high into the ceiling.
The door swung open and a medium sized dog walked into the room.
It looked at Debby and wagged its tail with a happy smile on its face.
The bathroom door slammed shut and there was a ‘click’ as it locked
solidly.
“This
is merely a demonstration.” The cold voice intoned.
“Is
this some kind of threat?”
“You
will not be harmed. Please
watch.” The dog’s head jerked
up as an audible hissing. The
wagging tail stopped and it started barking.
The barking quickly turned to whimpering.
“No!”
Debby pounded on the glass. “Stop it!”
“Observe
the demonstration, please.” The whimpering turned into a forlorn howling. The
dog went to the corner, and lay down, still.
Debby
was horrified. A stronger hissing
sound pervaded the cell beyond the glass. Two
men came into the room in chemical exposure suits and removed the dead animal.
Debby collapsed to the floor in sobs.
******
At
the base of a high cliff, in a field of jagged boulders, a young woman lay
apparently dead. A branch punctured
clear through her body, poking out just under her right breast.
Her clothes were in tatters, not even giving the impression of trying to
cover her modesty.
If
one watched closely though, they would notice the slightest of shallow breaths.
She took in two painfully shallow breaths and whispered one word.
“Pain.”
Her breathing grew deeper, and she bit back a scream as new spasms of pain hit
her. Her arms and legs hadn’t
moved at this point. I must have
a broken back, she thought. She
hissed out her next word.
“Spine.”
Her arms moved now, but not her legs.
“Legs.”
She said. Nothing happened.
Reaching behind her she found the problem.
The boulder right beneath her was holding her spine apart.
The cords tried to heal but couldn’t through the solid rock. She pushed hard with her right arm and flung herself to a new
position. Her head hit hard against
another rock. Mercifully she did
not pass out again.
“Legs.”
She said again. Her lower limbs
made a gratifying wiggle at her command.
“Pain.”
She said again. She hoped that all
the things bringing her new waves of torment were gone. She felt better. She
stood and picked rocks and splinters from her body.
Laboriously
she said the phrases that brought her body up to its normal healthy level.
Half naked, thankful to be alive and more than a little pissed off, Sarah
approached the fence that separated her from the building.
******
“Miss
Waters, get up!” the cold voice ordered.
Debby was curled up on the toilet seat cover, her legs held against her
body up off the floor.
“I
said GET UP!” a bolt of electricity shot through the toilet, shocking her to
the ground. Staring at her through
the glass was a young woman staring unblinkingly at her. She wore tattered clothes and her dead looking eyes were
blackened with fatigue.
“NO!!”
Debby screeched.
“Will
you cooperate?” the voice asked.
“Yes,
ANYTHING!” Debby sobbed.
“Very
well.” The familiar hissing sounded. The
woman looked around in panic, she pounded on the glass.
“You
said you would let her go!” Debby yelled into the air.
“I
never said that.” The voice said levelly. “But I will let her go....in 10
minutes. The gas works much more
slowly on humans. Do you really
want her to be free?”
“YES!”
“It’s
very simple then. HEAL HER!”
Debby
screamed and screamed as she watched the young girl slowly sink to the floor.
******
Sarah
heard the screaming as she landed lightly on the other side of the fence.
She sped up her reactions and speed to a level she had not thought
possible. Her strength increased
exponentially as well.
Once
inside there was no time for the niceties of stairs or the elevator.
She threw open the doors of the elevator shaft and started climbing.
There was no one thing she grabbed onto.
Her arms and legs were flying to whatever handhold they could get
purchase on. If she couldn’t
reach something, she threw herself at one she could see.
The effect was of someone bouncing a ball against the walls of an
elevator shaft, letting it fall into the distance, just upside down.
On
the top floor, the screaming continued. Sarah
threw open the doors of the elevator shaft and stood, trying to determine the
source. She stood naked now; just a
whisp of her former outfit was left on her, and those only strands.
Her body was covered in grease and a thousand tiny cuts that she didn’t
even bother to heal.
The
screaming was coming from behind a door. Sarah
smashed the door, breaking the hinges off the door jam.
Debby
was not inside.
A
skinny man stood and turned as Sarah entered the room.
The console that he turned from was a mix of video monitors and various
microphones and switches. On one monitor there was an unconscious girl on the floor of
a stark cell.
On
the other was Debby, screaming.
Sarah
lifted the man up by his throat.
“Where
is she?” the venom in her eyes should have killed him on the spot.
In fact, if Sarah hadn’t needed him, he would probably be dead very
quickly. He stayed silent and
smiled.
“What?”
“We’ve
got you.”
“Hate
to break it to you pal. Actually, I
don’t hate to break it. Arm.”
His right arm shriveled as if deflating.
“Now,
where is she?”
“There
are fifty guards on the way here right now.
You’ll never get them all.”
“And
there won’t be much of you left, either....Dickless.” She smiled an evil
smile. His eyes opened wide in
horror.
“That’s
right. Now take me to her.”
He nodded (which is difficult with a hand holding you up by the throat).
The
room was on the other side of the wing, soundproof, and locked.
Hastily he unlocked the door. With
the door open she threw him against the far wall, knocking him unconscious.
Breaking the door to the bathroom she found Debby inside.
Debby
was hysterical. She stared at the
bathroom mirror in horror. Sarah
shook her a little.
“Wha....Sarah!
You’ve got to get out of here. How
did you get here?”
“Burns.”
She healed Debby’s feet and skin.
“You
have your powers back! Quick,
you’ve got to help that girl! It’s poison gas!”
Debby pointed frantically at the mirror. There was a stirring in the other room. Robert was waking up. Sarah
looked at the mirror.
“Immune.”
Sarah said, the girl stirred. “Vitality.” The girl stood.
She raised a fist to the glass.
“Wait!”
came a voice from the door “You’ll kill us all!”
“I
don’t think so.” Sarah smiled through the grime on her face.
Debby smiled as well as her friend said “Immune.”
Her strong fist came down on the glass, popping it out in one solid
piece.
“NO!”
Robert cried as the gas seeped into the bathroom. He ran for the door. Much
quicker than the man, Sarah beat him to the entrance and closed the door.
Down the hall, she saw at least twenty security troops wearing gas masks,
charging for their location. She
shut and sealed the door.
Debby
had helped get the girl out of the other room and they were all standing near
the bed.
“That
way’s no good.” Sarah said, noticing the window. She was not looking forward to another jump like before, but
saw no alternative. There was a
pound on the door.
Robert
was starting to gag on the diluted gas. He
laughed as Sarah started beating on the glass.
By the third punch there was a noticeable CRACK! Sarah had to take a step
back. The sound had come from both
the window and her hand. Bones
stuck out in multiple directions, rendering the hand useless.
The pounding intensified.
“Broken
hand.” She said, and her fist was once again whole. Removing the shards of glass from the sill, she set to work
on the bars. Rocking them back and
forth at incredible speed, they soon gave into the stress and fell away.
The skin of her hands were raw and it took another word to heal them. The
door was starting to give way. She
grabbed Robert by the shirt and lifted him to the window ledge.
“Going
to kill me twice? Come on!”
“Everyone
grab his shirt!” They did just as
Sarah pushed the gagging man out the window.
They screamed as they plummeted to the ground below.
“Fat!”
Sarah said. Robert grew in their
hands.
“Fat!”
He grew again.
“Bigger,
Fatter!” Robert had attained gigantic proportions.
Plumb!
They hit the ground. Cushioned by
Robert they had survived with only minor abrasions and a possible broken ankle.
Sarah cured them quickly. Remarkably,
Robert was still alive.
“What’re
you gonna do to him?” Debby asked.
“I
had an idea....” Sarah smirked and whispered.
He
stopped gagging, that was the first thing he noticed. Quickly his size returned to an approximation of normal.
He was astounded as Sarah continued the process and he felt as healthy as
he had ever been in his life.
“Thank
you.....” his voice cracked like a schoolboy.
He coughed several times but his voice stayed in the upper register.
Then he noticed that his reduction in size hadn’t stopped.
He was now the same relative size as the women.
He felt unbearably hot; his solution was to strip all extraneous clothing
off (and that meant all of it).
All
of his hair fell off and a flowing mane replaced his scalp hair.
He felt his bones cracking and straining to fit to a new configuration.
When his breasts developed, he knew for sure what he was in for; they
were stealing his manhood. Sure
enough within a few seconds he was as female as any of them.
“Why?”
he looked at Sarah with tears in his formerly male eyes.
“I
should let you die, for what you tried to do up there.” She looked up the
tower. “But I need the heat taken off. Sarah.”
Pop!
Suddenly he was identical to Sarah, a perfect clone in appearance at least.
“But....”
the new Sarah protested.
“Wounds...”
superficial wounds appeared all over her body.
“Amnesia....”
Roberts mind went blank. This was
not the temporary mind wash from the guard shack; this was erasure of identity.
The
newly naked girl ran towards the road. Sarah
had given her a healthy dose of fear. When she got to an area covered by cameras the girl started
shouting “Rejuvenate, rejuvenate!”
Sarah
whispered the same thing and her doppleganger began to shrink again.
In full view of the camera she became younger and younger until finally
she appeared to be about five years old. The
little girl sat on the ground and cried.
“Who
are you?” Karen (the woman they rescued) finally asked “Some kind of alien?
Avenging angel?”
“Just
a friend.” Sarah said.
Putting
on the remnants of Robert’s shirt, Sarah led the two women back to the fence.
Repeatedly healing her cut hands, it took nearly ten minutes to tear a
hole in the chain link fence. The
women proceeded to the cliff face.
Finding
the rope, Debby secured it tightly around her and Karen.
Sarah took a deep breath and made an incredible jump up the cliff face.
Clinging to the rock face nearly halfway up she began to claw her way up.
She made incredible progress, throwing large amounts of rock down towards
the two women below. A dust cloud
developed at the base of the cliff. At
the top she grasped the rope and gave two quick tugs as a signal to get ready. At the replying tugs she grasped the rope tightly and ran.
Karen screamed through the entire assent. When
she thought she might be close, Sarah tied the rope off and ran to the cliff
edge. Sure enough, both women were
suspended fifteen feet below the edge of the cliff.
She pulled the up the rest of the way much more slowly.
Scraped and bruised once again, the women made it to the top.
Back
in the woods, Sarah once again heightened her night vision.
Keeping the group together was the priority.
They walked. The lights of
the guard shack were a visible glow ahead.
They picked up the pace.
Growling.
The
dogs, Sarah
thought, I forgot about the dogs! Huddled around the remains of her
backback, obviously attracted to the intense musk that she left on the dress
inside, a pack of guard dogs waited.
She
held her hand up to be quiet. She
would have to fight them. She took a step forward.....
“Here
Fido. Here Rover.
Meat, fresh meat!” a male voice came from the distance.
The dogs circles around the pack, occasionally looking in the direction
of Sarah. Two dogs left... then
four... six...all of them had abandoned the area.
Thinking it may be a trap, they waited.
Out
of the shadows one man walked in their general direction.
Sarah recognized him instantly.
“Bull!”
she ran up to him and hugged him ferociously.
“Easy
Sarah! Super strength, remember.”
“Sorry.”
She left him go.
“Nice
costume. Who are you,
bachelor party girl?” he smirked. She
blushed.
“Let’s
go.” He said.
“The
guard shack?”
“All
taken care of. Where would you be
without me? You find your
friend?” at that cue, Debby and Karen stepped out of the woods.
“Debby,
Karen, this is Bull.” They nodded a greeting at each other.
“Let’s
go.” He said. The group followed
him through the woods. They passed
the pack of dogs, all unconscious.
“Sleeping
pills in the meat.” Bull said
“Old trick.”
The
gate was wide open. Sarah saw the
man from earlier spread eagle on the floor.
“I
had to hit him pretty hard, Sarah.” Bull said “Not a bad guy. He was gonna
let me use the phone for my broken down car.
Can you make sure he’s okay?”
“You’ve
gone soft, Bull.” She patted his cheek, gently. She whispered.
“He’s
just asleep now.” Sarah said, “He’ll be fine.”
They
walked from the compound and into the night.
******
Epilogue
Sarah
was driving, something she enjoyed doing. Debby
was asleep in the passenger seat. Sarah
spoke into a tape recorder.
“They
were at the apartment when we got there. It
was more than a general ransacking. They were looking for something.
We had just dropped Karen off at her parents and Bull was with us.
Bull, of course, wanted to fight.
I knocked them all out so there didn’t have to be any ugliness.
Bull offered a place for us to stay but we refused.
Bull is still a good person to have on your side.
There have been too many problems with staying localized and I wanted to
hit the road. If we keep on the
move, no one will be able to track us, hopefully.
That... and this other thing.”
“I
still can’t change back to ANY male form.
I have to find out why. In
the meantime I have to really learn what it is to be a woman.
I need to find that Djinn who gave me these powers, only he can answer.
The activities of a Djinn can’t be hidden that well. People getting unexpectedly healthy, wealthy, or ANYTHING
really unusual can be the sign that he is present.
We need to investigate. Maybe
that way, I can get some answers.”
The
drive was sunny, almost painfully so. The
plains were boring, not even a mountain to break the monotony.
After a few miles more, she turned the recorder back on.
“Bull
and Kristen have the [email protected] email address, so do a select few.
They can be our network, telling us of anything unusual or a really
desperate need.”
“The
experience in the compound really shook Debby up. She needs some time now to recover emotionally.
Heck, it shook me up too. I
almost died at the bottom of that cliff. I
need to come up with better ways of doing things.
One bullet in the right place and I’m done. That scares me a little.
“
“Actually,
that scares me a lot.”
******
“Stanley,
my boy. Come in.” Casper
Collins’ wheelchair was in front of a massive fireplace. Montgomery stood right behind him, silently.
“Yes
sir, you called for me?”
“We
have a bit of a dilemma. This....”
he gestured at the small girl sitting on the couch. “Is our invader,
the whisperer.” The girl did not look threatening at all.
She was dressed in a short white dress and stockings almost as if she
were transported from the 1910’s. Stan
held back a snicker.
“Are
you sure?”
“Don’t
question me, Stanley. The proof is
quite incontrovertible.” The television turned on. First was a scene of the naked woman entering the suite,
showing remarkable strength and speed. The
scene cut to a wounded woman on the road yelling ‘rejuvenate’ over and over
again. The woman grew younger until
she was the little girl on the couch.
“She
does not appear to have any of those abilities yet. She is, in fact, a small child.
Nothing more.”
“I
see...” Stan said.
“She
may, however, gain those abilities back in the future.
I cannot afford to let her go. I
have no facilities here for children. I
was wondering if I could impose on you and your wife to care for her.”
“My
son is nowhere to be found. I have
to assume she vaporized him, somehow. You
must bring this little one up with discipline.
When she gains her powers we want her to know who to use them on.
Now, as to your ongoing employment.
I have a new task for you, much along the same vein.....”
The
little girl sat quietly as the adults spoke about things she shouldn’t
understand. The little girl with
the adult eyes and Montgomery, the giant locked eyes. An unspoken message was passed.
Each responded with a barely perceptible nod.
End
Part 2
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