Absolute Power

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 I 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?"

"Hey, you coulda killed me before. The way I figure is we had a lot worse comin'. I want to be on your side. I'll take you there."

"Then I'll owe you one. Get in, Bull." ******

Bull came out of the apartment building watching his back. Sarah stayed in the car, hoping that he had talked her way in. He tapped on the car roof.

"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 'drwhisper@hotmail.com'.

"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 drwhisper@hotmail.com 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."

"Certainly. We'd do it happily. And Robert?"

"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

Joan's Story Alcove http://www.geocities.com/dejahcarter

joanbanks@ivillage.com