Andersonville 25 – Doctor Jensen I presume (part II)

by Kelly Davidson

 

I stood there in my black dress watching them slowly lower the casket into the ground. Standing next to me was my mother, who was weeping softly. Next to her was my sister Jennifer, and she seemed the saddest of us all. Perhaps she was remembering her own mother and father’s funeral who had both died when she was just a young girl. On the other side of the casket I could see Crius standing next to Dennis with an impatient frown. He seemed so out of place, and the expression on his face clearly indicated he didn’t want to be here.

The priest presiding over the funeral said a few words about the resurrection, but I didn’t hear what he said. I was thinking about Steve, and the crash. Why did he have to be such a fool that night and show off? After everything we’d been through, to have it end like this.

As I looked around I was surprised to see only four other graves in the Andersonville cemetery. They had been killed when half of the temps had disappeared after one of the computers crashed (read AV 23). Officer Candy had died that day too, but his body had been flown to a family plot in Phoenix, AZ. Now there was a fifth grave being added to the lush, green grass. It surprised me that for all the details the people in charge had done to make sure this town was normal in appearance, they didn’t have the cemetery filled with fake graves. Perhaps it was better that way.

The priest said a final blessing, and people began to leave. My mother wrapped her arm around me and whispered, "Let’s go." We walked over to where Dennis was standing, his eyes swollen. The man was barely holding up.

"Dennis, I’m sorry about your wife," my mother said to him softly.

"Thank you, Norma." My mother gave the director a hug, and I saw tears falling down his face. Someone else had replaced the strong Dennis Butz I had known. He was…human. She let go, and I hugged him next.

"If you need anything Dennis, let me know," I whispered in his ear.

"I appreciate that, Linda," he said back. We stopped hugging, and he turned to my mother again. "How’s Steve?" he asked with concern.

"My son…is still in a coma," my mother said in a shaken voice. "They think he has brain dam…damage."

"I’m sorry," Dennis answered. "I wish there was something I could do."

"You’ve done enough, Dennis," she explained. "You gave him what he wanted the most. I have faith he’ll get better."

"Brother, we must go," Crius said impatiently in a low tone. "There is something I need to discuss with you."

"In a minute, Crius," Dennis answered. He looked at my mother with compassion. "I’ll try to stop by and see Steve later on this afternoon."

"Thank you, Dennis," my mother smiled gratefully. "I’m sure…he’ll like that. Come on girls, let’s go."

Jennifer grabbed one of my mother’s hands, and I grabbed her other. As we were leaving, I looked back at the grave of Mrs. Butz. Dennis had brought her here so Crius and the others, his family, could attend her funeral. I knew there were strict rules about them leaving Andersonville, although I suspected the Titan Gods did so anyway from time to time. There had been another funeral the day before in Baltimore for Mrs. Butz’ family and friends, because they couldn’t be brought here. They never suspected her body would be moved to another site after the service was over.

"We’ll go home and change first," my mother suggested. "Then we can go to the hospital and relieve your father."

I nodded silently, thinking about my father and his vigil over Steve. He had been staying at the hospital most of the day and all night since the accident had occurred. He sat there, watching and praying for a change in his condition. Steve’s accident had touched him harder than it had me. I felt sorry for my father, and equally frustrated that I couldn’t do anything to help him or my brother.

"Mom, will Steve be alright?" Jennifer questioned, sounding like she was about to cry.

"I have faith that he will," my mother replied as she hugged us both a little tighter. "We all need to have faith. Our family has been through much worse."

"I…I hope so," Jennifer said as she leaned her head against my mother’s side. "I really love my brother."

"I know you do, baby," my mother whispered. She turned to me and asked carefully, "How are you doing, honey?"

"I’m holding up, mom."

My mother held the door open for Jennifer as I got into the passenger side and stared out the window. Massive head injuries and blood clotting. It would be a miracle if my brother ever walked or talked again. June Herns had done her best to fix the damage, but there was only so much she could do until the swelling went down. She promised to try again this afternoon.

"Damn you, Steve," I whispered to myself. "Why did you have to be such a jackass that night?"

My mother started the car, and drove us out of the cemetery.

Fade out…

****************************************************

Voice of Linda Anderson - They say to judge someone; you must first walk a mile in their shoes. When I first came here, I regarded this town as a prison. In many ways that's still true, but only if you look at it superficially. Years later, with the benefit of hindsight, I can now see the town for what it is; a last attempt to bring peace between the Titans, the Olympians, and us, the human race. If the town succeeds, the people imprisoned in Peace River will finally be free and there will be peace. If it fails, the resulting war could end the world as we know it. There are some on all sides of this conflict who have their own reasons for wanting to see the project fail.

These are the stories of the men and women who made a difference during those dark days, and shaped history. It's also about those who had to face their deepest, darkest problems and what they gained from conquering them. It's a place of second chances, hope, and peace. The name of this town is Andersonville.

****************************************************

Andersonville 25 – Doctor Jensen I presume (part II)

Written by Kelly Davidson

Edited by Geoff, Nelson

This story dedicated to Rebecca Anne Stewart, a true fan and fighter. May the sun always shine in her life.

Fade in…

"How are you holding up, brother?" Crius asked carefully. He handed Dennis a stiff drink, and took a seat in one of the chairs located in his study. The director continued standing, staring at some artifacts hanging over the fireplace. A long stick with a glass ball on one end caught his eye.

"I’m doing better now that the funeral is out of the way," he replied. "I see you still have the staff you used in battle. How did you manage to get it back here?"

Crius smiled ever so slightly. "I hid it before they caught me. One of my associates retrieved it for me after I got out. It’s useless now, but it reminds me of our glorious past."

"Humph," Dennis grunted and took a sip of his drink. "I take it you have some news for me."

"I found out who murdered your wife," Crius stated in a cold tone. "There’s no question about it. It was Mars."

"How can you be sure? Did he admit it?"

"Better, my brother. The entire incident was caught on tape. He even stepped out of the car to view the fruits of his labors."

"But why?" Dennis asked in shock and grief. "Why her?"

"You know why," Crius pointed out. "Mars ‘murdered’ her in retaliation for the attacks on his wife and Mercury. You’re our leader, so he wanted to send a message. If we displease them, they’ll make us pay. The Olympians may still need us – but the humans are expendable."

"No," Dennis shook his head. "I can’t believe that. It doesn’t make sense. Jupiter gave me his word this was over."

Crius snorted. "And you believed him, Rhea? Jupiter may be their leader, but he doesn’t control his people. Unless it’s for their common good, his people do what they want. Jupiter may have given you his word, but Mars didn’t. Besides, pictures don’t lie. "

"I…I want to see it."

"No, you don’t," Crius insisted. "It’s very brutal."

"I MUST!" Dennis shouted.

"As you wish." Crius pulled a tape out of a drawer and pushed it into the VCR. He hit play, and Dennis watched the last moments of his wife’s life. When it got to the part where Mars stepped out of the car, Crius froze the picture.

"As you can see, it’s clearly him," he pointed out. "I also had my people interview the witnesses. They told us the driver actually ‘smirked’ when he saw what he had done. And there’s more. One of my men picked up a conversation between Mars and his son, Phobos, in Europe. He was warning him to get ready for an attack, and bragged about what he had done. I have a tape of the conversation, if you wish to hear it."

"No," Dennis answered, and finished the rest of his drink. "That won’t be necessary, Crius. Thank you for taking care of this for me."

"It was my honor," the old god bowed slightly in respect. "What do you plan to do about it?"

The director looked out the window at the back yard. Just on the other side of the property line was the home of Vesta, a sister of Jupiter. She and her spouse ran a hardware store in town. It was the only property in Andersonville owned by the Olympians, and was a port of call. This was where they entered and left Andersonville.

"I’ll have to think on it," Dennis said honestly. "It’s not good to make a rash decision."

"Yes, I agree," Crius frowned. He had expected his brother to declare war on the Olympians right away. Now he would have to maneuver him a little bit more.

"Rhea, I know you don’t like violence, but they must pay for what they’ve done."

"Pay?" Dennis shot him an angry glare. "Isn’t that was this is all about, Crius? Mars paying me back for the attacks on his wife and brother? When does it end?"

"Yes, when does it?" Crius agreed strongly. "Do you really think this will balance out the scales? We both know it won’t. The next time someone steps out of line, there’ll be another attack against you – or rather on someone you love. It’s time you face the facts, brother. Last time it was your daughter, this time it was your wife. Who will they go after next? I can put an end to this, Rhea, but I’ll need your help."

"I told you Crius, I won’t launch nuclear weapons against them," he snapped angrily. "We both know where that would lead."

"Yes, and you were right, Rhea, as always. That’s why I found another way to remove their power without anyone being harmed."

"Go on," Dennis listened with interest.

"It’s simple really. As long as the humans in Peace River are around, they have power. But supposing their humans suddenly went into a dreamless sleep?"

Dennis suddenly became very serious. "What have you done, Crius?"

"Nothing yet," he answered. "I’ve enlisted the help of a chemist to develop a formula that will put the humans to sleep for 24 hours. The orb only has enough power to sustain the Olympians for 10 – say 12 hours at most. After that, they’ll be powerless."

"And you think they’ll simply sit around waiting for their power to run out?"

"Of course not, which is where you come in brother. We can use the military to harass them, draining their powers even faster. At the same time we’ll harness all our power to free our people, and make it an even fight. With the help of the military, we’ll overthrow the Olympians and free the humans of Peace River. You’ll be a hero Rhea, to both our people and the humans."

Dennis went back to looking out the window. Last week Andersonville had offered hope for a lasting peace, now it was a base for planning a new and possibly deadly war.

"I need…I need to think about this Crius. If I agree to your plan, how soon will you be ready?"

"Not for a while, a few years at best." The Titan God smiled for the first time that morning. "It will give us plenty of time to prepare."

"You swear no humans in Peace River will be harmed?"
"I do," Crius lied. He wondered why Rhea cared so much for them. Had she been living with them for so long that it had affected her thinking?

"I’m not agreeing to anything yet," Dennis told him. "However, Mars is mine, do you understand?"

"Of course, brother," Crius said with a thin smile.

****************************************************

We found my father waiting outside Steve’s room with Sally and Judge Herns. Steve’s girlfriend was equally as upset as my father was. It was like reliving her nightmare again, seeing the love of her life dying. The stress had been hell on her the past few days. She hugged me with tears in her eyes, then joined my mother who was chatting with my father. I heard my father tell my mother that there was a specialist in Steve’s room, and we had to wait outside. I walked over to Judge Herns, who greeted me with a concerned smile.

"June, what’s going on?"

"I’m not sure, Linda," she said with some puzzlement. "I never made a call, he just showed up on his own?"

"Who?" I asked. Just then the door opened, and Judge Jasper walked out looking tired. The thing was, he wasn’t dressed like a judge. He was wearing green scrubs and a white lab coat.

"Doctor, how is he?" my father asked hopefully.

Jupiter smiled slightly with concern. "He’s resting, Mr. Anderson. The procedure I’m using will take a while for the effects to be known. We’ll know more in 72 hours, but I’m hopeful."

"Thank you, Dr. Jasper," my father said with appreciation. "This is my wife, Norma. Honey, this is Dr. Jasper from, where did you say you were from doctor?"

"It doesn’t matter, Mr. Anderson. Why don’t you go in and see your son now. I’ll check up on him later."

"Thank you, doctor." My father shook his hand and went into Steve’s room with my mother, Jennifer, and Sally. Jupiter strolled over to where we were standing.

"I did my best," he said with a frown. "The swelling is still bad, but I managed to fix some of the damage."

"Can someone please tell me what is going on here?" I asked.

"I’d like to know that too, Linda," Judge Herns eyed her ex-husband. "What are you doing here you old goat?"

He chuckled at our suspicions. "Please ladies, can’t I do something nice without there being a hidden agenda?"

"No," June replied crisply. "I’ve never known you to do anything without a reason. Now what are you up to?"

"Nothing," he smiled, and walked away.

Judge Herns watched him leave with a frown. Under her breath I heard her say, "No good can come out of this."

"June, what’s he doing here?" I asked.

"I don’t know, Linda. I really don’t have a clue. I found him working on Steve when I got here."

"Why didn’t you stop him then?"

June turned and shook her head slowly. "Linda, I know you think I can fix anything, but I can’t. My powers are limited in this area, while my ex-husband’s abilities are about ten times greater. He assured me that he was trying to help, and I believed him. Would you rather I had stopped him?"

"No, I suppose not. But if you didn’t call him, who did?"

Judge Herns frowned again. "I don’t know, but who ever did owes him a big favor. I would be very interested in knowing what his asking price was."

"Do you think you can find out?"

June shook her head. "No, he won’t tell me, the old goat – and don’t you try to find out either. He’s not someone to cross, Linda, but then you should know that by now. Promise me you won't try."

I looked back at Jupiter who disappeared around the corner. It was tempting, but Judge Herns was right. "I won’t, June – I promise."

"Good," she smiled gently and put her hand to my cheek. "I trust you, Linda. I’ll find out what he’s up to, and we’ll deal with it then. Now go see your brother."

"What about you?"

"I’m going back to the courthouse. It’s not that busy with no one coming in, so I’m catching up on some much needed reading."

"June, thank you."

"I didn’t do anything," she said with sincerity.

"Yes you did," I replied. "You’ve been very supportive during this time. You also set me straight with Dennis, and I appreciate that. There are still some things we have to work out, but we will."

"I’m glad, Linda." We hugged each other and parted company.

**********************************************

We stood around his bed whispering although I didn’t know why. Perhaps if we were talking in our normal voices, Steve would hear us and wake up. I knew that was crazy. The doctor told us Steve was in a deep coma, and it could be months, even years before he came out of it. Then again, he could wake up today. No one really knew for sure.

Sally was by his side, brushing his cheek with her hand. I could only imagine the hell she was going through. She had already dealt with the love of her life dying once, now she was going through it again. Even worse, he may never wake up – so how long should she wait? I knew she loved him, but even I didn’t expect her to spend the rest of her life waiting for Steve to come out of this coma. And if he did, we had no idea what he would be like. Would he ever walk or talk again? Would he remember who we were? Judge Herns had healed his broken bones, but memories were beyond her control. There was a knock on the door, and Jeff Summers came in. My parents greeted him first, and then he turned to me.

"How’s he doing, Linda?"

"The next three days will tell," I replied.

He nodded then asked, "Can I talk to you outside for a few minutes?"

"Sure," I replied.

He followed me into the hallway, and we dunked into another room that wasn’t being used. I noticed he seemed nervous about something.

"Linda, I need you to be honest with me about something. What kind of detective was your brother? Was he good at what he did?"

"He was the best!"

"I’m serious," Jeff replied.

"So am I," I answered. "He was twice the detective I was. Al Parker, that’s who he was back then, was a natural. Al’s only problem was that he was a lone wolf who liked to take chances. That’s what got him in trouble with Dr. Jensen. I think you know the story, Jeff. Al got caught while breaking into Dr. Jensen’s house, and she turned him into Jennifer Anderson. Why do you ask?"

"Linda." He clutched my hands with his. "Steve stopped us, Mac, Edward, and I in the hallway the day before his crash. He warned us about a new doctor that started working here last week. Her name is Dr. Ramsey, and he was pretty insistent that we check her out. I was wondering if he said anything to you about her?"

I shook my head. "No, nothing. I was out of town last week and he never called me." I looked at the young man carefully. "Are you saying his accident may not have been an accident?"

"No, I’m sure it was from what I know. It’s just that ever since he stopped us I haven’t been able to get his warning out of my mind. He was so sure there was a problem with her."

"Then check it out."

"Can’t – Colonel Jacobs won’t let me. We have a contract with these people, just like the cops here in Andersonville. They work here, and we won’t do anything to jeopardize their trust."

"But people like me are ‘open game’, is that what you’re saying, Jeff?"

"Linda, it’s not like that at all."

"Really!" I stated strongly. "Tell me Jeff, if one of us were suspected of hiding something, would Colonel Jacobs allow you to investigate?"

Jeff pressed his lips together and answered, "Yes, he would, but that’s different Linda and you know it. The people who work here haven’t done anything wrong."

"Oh give me a break, Jeff. We’ve all done something wrong at least one time in our life. Haven’t you ever stolen a piece of gum or driven over the speed limit. The only difference is, we were caught in our crimes and they weren’t."

"Come on, Linda, you’re not being fair to me. Right or wrong, I have rules to follow."

"Then why come to me about Steve’s suspicions?"

"Because before I throw my career away, I want to make sure it’s for the right reasons."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I’m going to investigate this Dr. Ramsey person despite being told not too."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Jeff stated. "Based on what you told me about Steve, I think his warning needs to be investigated. I could ask Dennis for permission, but I suspect he would agree with Colonel Jacobs and say no. So I’m doing this on my own."

"What can I do?"

"Forget you talked to me," Jeff replied. "I don’t want you involved, otherwise it will only make things worse if this blows up in my face. There’s still a chance Steve was blowing smoke."

"No, not Steve," I told him. "If he told you there was a problem, then he thought there was a problem. Jeff, let me help."

"No," he shook his head. "Look, I’ll make a deal with you, Linda. Whatever I find out, I’ll pass on to you. The price is that you stay out of this right now. Let me see what I can find out first."

"Okay Jeff," I nodded slowly. "I’ll give you 48 hours. After that I’m going to start my own investigation."

"Fair enough, Linda. I have to get back to work." He bent down and kissed me on the cheek. "Talk to you later."

*****************************************************

Dr. Jensen was in her office looking through the latest data from Helen Johnson. The schoolteacher was rapidly losing her status of supplying valuable information to this project. Soon Sarah would have to find a new subject to experiment with. She worried about cutting Helen loose. Sarah would prefer to make sure her subject was taken care of, but Helen’s death would cause too much suspicion right now. Dr. Green was already sniffing around too hard. Dr. Jensen realized she would have to do something with her co-worker soon.

There was another matter that was more pressing. The accident, much to Sarah’s disappointment, had failed to kill Steve Anderson. Less then a minute after it had occurred, the men in the bunker had placed a group of EMT’s at the scene. They had managed to stabilized Steve’s condition before moving him to the hospital. She had been told he was in grave condition, but that did little to relieve her fears. If he should manage to live, and then tell someone what had happened, she would lose her shot at immortality. Something had to be done about this. Sarah Jensen started giving the matter more thought.

************************************************

Jeff felt out of place in the dimly lit bar filled with scantily dressed women hoping to catch the eye of some young soldier. He spotted Robert Cooper sitting at the bar talking to one of the local hookers dressed in black mini dress that did little to hide anything. Jeff never understood why a woman would want to degrade herself in that fashion. Slowly he made his way through the crowd and sat down next to him.

"Hi Rob, can I buy you a drink?"

The other man looked at Steve with glazed eyes. "I know you…you’re from first shift."

"That’s right," Jeff responded as he looked at the girl carefully. "I need to talk to my friend in private. Why don’t you go over to the other side of the bar and check out the action there."

"Why don’t you go to hell, creep," she replied. The hooker grabbed her purse and left in a huff.

"I was going to screw her," Robert muttered in a drunken drawl.

"From what I’ve been told you’re not missing much," Jeff replied.

The soldier laughed as if it were a joke. "I know; I’ve had her before. Lucy is a slut! Give me a beer!" he yelled to the bartender.

Jeff waited until the bartender sat down the beer and moved away before talking. "So, how goes it on your shift?"

"Boring as HELL!" Robert answered while taking a drink. "It’s the same old shit every weekend. They get to have all the fun, and we have to watch them do it. Nothing ever changes."

"What about the accident last week? I bet that was exciting."

Robert stopped drinking and eyed Jeff carefully. "Who are you? I know you’re from the first shift, but what’s your name."

"Jeff Summers." The young sergeant held out his hand, which Robert ignored.

"Oh yes, I know you. You’re the one who lives in our little town." The other soldier looked around to make sure no one could hear, then whispered, "I’ve seen you on our cameras. What’s it like living among all those ‘fake’ people?"

"No different than working with them for a weekend." That earned Jeff a grunt, and the man went back to drinking his beer. "About the accident. I’ve read the report. You guys saved his life."

"Yeah, for all the good it did," Robert replied. "I heard he’s brain dead. We should’ve let him die and saved everyone a bunch of grief. He crashed about a quarter of a mile from one of our staging areas. We were able to practically dump the ambulance on him. Less then a minute after the call came in, we had people working on him"

Jeff had read that part of the report. The staging area was a place monitored by cameras and other devices. It was considered a safe place to materialize people and equipment in case of an emergency. Of course the Courthouse lobby had been considered a safe place too until Officer Candy had been killed.

"I hear he may make it," Jeff explained. The other man eyed him suspiciously, and Jeff added, "I used to date his sister, Linda."

"That explains your interest," Robert commented. He finished the beer and set the empty glass down on the bar. "So why are you allowed to stay there and I’m not?"

"Sorry, top secret," Jeff replied.

"Yeah, I bet," the man answered crossly. "I bet you know more about our project than our colonels. So what’s your role there?"

"I simply observe," Jeff stated dryly. The questions were making him uncomfortable. "I’m interested in knowing if there’s anything else you didn’t mention in the report."

"Like what?" he replied in a gruff manner. "The boy was showing off and crashed. What else is there to say?"

"Nothing, I guess." Jeff threw a five on the bar. "Have a couple more on me."

As he was turning to leave Robert said," You should check with his doctor. Maybe she can shed some light on what happened that night."

Jeff turned and sat back down on the bar. "What doctor?"

"Dr. Ramsey. He saw her that night, after hours. In fact he set off the door alarm when he entered her office. The doctor arrived ten minutes later."

"Why isn’t that part of the report?"

"Come on," the soldier motioned with his hands. "That happened hours before the accident. I didn’t include what the kid had for lunch that day either, so does that make my report incomplete?"

"How long was he there?"

"About an hour, maybe a little longer. Look, it’s in the log if you want to check it out."

Jeff nodded. "Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem. Hey look; if you ever throw a party let me know. I would love to meet some of those special ladies, if you know what I mean."

Jeff grinned. "You’d have better luck with the ones in here. Our women are better behaved."

"Pity," Robert shook his head.

***************************************************

There were bloodstains on the front seat of my car…Steve’s blood. I walked around the Camaro observing the damage. It was a complete wreck. All four corners of the car were damaged, and the top had been cut off so Steve could be removed. I knew the car would never run again, not that it mattered. It was my brother I was concerned about. I checked the tires, suspension, anything that would give me a clue as to what had happen.

"Find anything?" Officer Tabler asked.

"No," I said in a discouraged tone.

"Miss Anderson," he said patiently. "I know we got off on the wrong foot when you first arrived, but I’m a thorough cop. I’ve investigated crashes like this before, and I truly believe it was caused by driver error. I checked the car with a fine toothed comb. I didn’t find any kind of mechanical failure that would cause it to swerve into the ditch the way it did."

"What about my brother?" I pointed out curtly. "They didn’t find any reason why he would swerve either. No drugs or alcohol."

"Again, driver error," he stated patiently. "He was going way too fast that night. I’ve seen the best drivers crash like this before. Even cops who are trained in high-speed pursuits aren’t immune from them. Your brother shouldn’t have been driving so fast that night, but he was. As a result, he lost control of the car. I’m sorry Miss Anderson, but it happens."

"Then why no skid marks?" I questioned.

"Maybe he panicked and didn’t hit the brakes," the cop shrugged his shoulders. "Or perhaps he wasn’t watching the road and simply drove off the side. I’m telling you, Miss Anderson, it happens."

"I suppose you’re right, Officer Tabler," I agreed reluctantly. "Still, I wish you weren’t."

"So do I, Miss Anderson. Unfortunately, the only one who can tell us for sure what happened is your brother. I hope one day he can."

"Thank you, Officer Tabler." I gave him a small smile of appreciation.

"Your welcome, Miss Anderson. I better go on patrol now."

"Officer Tabler, why are you here?"

The cop stopped and looked at me a little uncomfortably. "What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I’m asking. The people being brought here from jail aren’t the only ones who have done something wrong."

"Your friend Officer Brown wasn’t a bad cop, was he?"

"Kevin Brown was an exception to the rule," I explained. "However, the police officers here, you’re just like us. Despite what Dr. Green told me once, you can’t leave Andersonville either."

Officer Tabler’s jaw got tight, and I knew I had hit on something. "I was a drunk, Miss Anderson. One night I screwed up and it cost me. That’s all I’m going to say. I have to go now."

As I watched him leave, I felt a little guilty about confronting him the way I had. Perhaps I should’ve waited until a better time. Still, he had confirmed a suspicion I had been feeling for a while now. Most of the cops in Andersonville had been bad at one time or another. For Officer Candy, I suspected his temper had gotten him into trouble. In Officer Tabler’s case, it was his drinking. As for Sergeant Williams, this was a second chance at doing what he loved best. They were all good cops, but cops who had gone bad and needed a second chance. In exchange for coming here, they weren’t transformed like the rest of us; nor could they leave. In the end they were just like us.

My cell phone rang, and I dreaded answering it. Supposing it was my father telling me my brother had died. I answered the call, and it turned out to be Jeff. He told me to meet him at his apartment in fifteen minutes. I took one more look at my wrecked car and headed for his apartment.

*************************************************

"Why would he be seeing Dr. Ramsey so late at night?" I asked.

Jeff shook his head. "I don’t know, Linda. According to the records, he entered Dr. Ramsey’s office eleven minutes before she did. He was there for almost 55 minutes."

"How long was it between the time he left and the accident?"

"38 minutes according to the log." Jeff saw the anger on my face and added, "Linda, it doesn’t prove anything."

"Damn it Jeff, why would he go there on a Friday night after hours? Maybe it doesn’t prove anything, but it sure as hell means something. Would it be normal procedure to leave the office door unlocked for him? Hell, would it be proper for her to leave him alone in her office for any length of time? She’s lying!"

"Linda, calm down for a moment. I admit it doesn’t sound right, but you can’t go off the deep end and accuse her of doing something wrong."

"So what do you suggest?" I snapped.

"Try Dr. Green and find out what you can. Maybe she knows why he was there. In the meantime, I’m going to learn everything I can about Dr. Ramsey."

"Your career…"

"It’s okay," he told me. "When I was with the Freedom Fighters in Peace River, I had to risk my life to get away. I learned then that freedom and truth is more important than any job I may have."

"Then why do you live here?" I asked in puzzlement.

"Because…because being here makes me feel safe. I would rather die than go back to Peace River. Besides, living in Andersonville isn’t the same. I can leave this town any time I please. Maybe one day you’ll understand what I mean, Linda."

"Perhaps," I expressed hopefully. "I’ll talk to you later on tonight."

We gave each other a hug, and I left his apartment.

****************************************************

"So how are you doing, Linda?" Dr. Carol Green asked with honest concern.

"I’m upset about my brother," I told her truthfully. "There’s been no change since yesterday."

"I know he means a lot to you, Linda. If there is anything I can do to help, I’m here for you."

"Actually there is one thing, doctor. I want to know what you talked to Steve about the day before the accident."

"Linda," she smiled gently, "you know I can’t discuss that with you. It breaks the doctor/patient privilege that we have. How would you like it if I started discussing what we talk about with one of your family members?"

A frown appeared on my face. "I know that Carol, but it’s important. Okay, answer me this. Did you set up an appointment for him to see Dr. Ramsey?"

She looked at me long and hard, as if deciding what to say. Then she shook her head and said, "No, I didn’t. But I did introduce him to her that day."

"What happened?"

"It was a rather short meeting. Dr. Ramsey had to leave as soon as we showed up so they didn’t talk much."

"Did he seem aggrieved toward her?"

"Linda," Dr. Green warned me. "We’re getting very close to that line I talked about earlier."

"Come on, DOCTOR!" I yelled. "I’m not asking you anything personal. I just want to know what he thought about her."

"Which is personal," she replied in a calm fashion. "I can’t go there with you, Linda. I’m sorry, but I can’t. Why is it so important to you anyway?"

"Because Steve had a meeting with her the day of his accident."

I saw Dr. Green face turned white. "Oh, I didn’t know that."

"I bet you also didn’t know that it was hours after everyone had left, did you Dr. Green? Is that normal?"

She shook her head. "No, it’s not. Are you sure about this?"

"Very sure," I replied. "You can check the logs if you like. I need to know the truth, Carol. Did my brother express any kinds of concern toward Dr. Ramsey?"

"No, none." Then she got quiet as she thought about something else. "He was concerned about a patient of hers."

"Who?"

"Linda." She looked at me sharply.

"DAMN IT, Carol. For once in your life trust me on this. Do you think I’m asking these questions because I have nothing else better to do? My brother was in her office hours after everyone was gone. Dr. Ramsey claims she left the door open for him. Does this sound right to you?"

"No," she agreed. "So what do you think happened that night?"

"I hate to say this, but I think my brother broke into her office looking for something. His actions must have been prompted by whatever this patient of hers said to him. Something stinks here, and I have to find out why."

"You think she told your brother to kill himself?"

"Sure, why not. It’s possible she could’ve hypnotize him to run my car off the road, or…" Suddenly a crazy idea popped into my head.

"What?" Dr. Green asked when she saw my face.

"The serum Dr. Jensen was working on. Maybe she has access to it. Carol, you have to tell me who he was asking about."

"Linda, you’re putting me in a very difficult position," Dr. Green explained in a calm manner. "Do you know how much trouble I could be in if you’re wrong?’

"Yes, I do," I answered firmly. "So ask yourself this Dr. Green. Who do you trust more; me, or Dr. Ramsey?"

Carol Green thought about it for ten long seconds, then picked up her phone and dialed a number.

*********************************************

It was a rather small but charming house with blue siding and white shutters. Dr. Green walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. I stood next to her, wondering how Helen Johnston would react to seeing us at her place. When the door opened and she saw us, I was surprised by her welcoming smile.

"Dr. Green, Linda Anderson, how nice to see you both. Come in."

"Thanks Helen," Dr. Green replied as we walked in. There were place settings on the table along with some unlit candles. "Having company soon?"

"My boyfriend, Bob," she smiled. "But don’t worry, he won’t be here until later. So what brings you out here?"

"Well…" Carol Green said, and looked at me.

"It’s about my brother," I said.

"Oh yes, Steve," she frowned. "I’m so sorry to hear about what happened to him. How is he doing?"

"Not good, I’m afraid. I understand you saw him the day before his accident."

"Yes, that’s right. I was coming down the steps and he was going up. I think he was going to see you, Carol." She smiled at Dr. Green.

"That’s correct, Helen," Dr. Green said. "Do you remember what you said to him?"

"Sure I do. It wasn’t much really. I told him about my date that night."

"What did you tell him, Helen…exactly?"

She blushed. "Well Carol, I told him we were going to make love that night. I was so…so…so excited and…and…and hap…happy about making lo…love to a…a man for the first time."

She struggled with the words, and I could see it in her eyes. It was that same pain and desperation I had seen in Al’s eyes when I found him alive at the Jensen house. Dr. Jensen had turned Al into her maid, Jennifer Anderson, and that was just the beginning of his nightmare. I could see the same nightmare in her eyes.

"Helen," I said softly, thinking of a way to find out the truth here. "Was Dr. Ramsey there the night you made love to your boyfriend."

"Yes," she replied shyly.

"What was she doing?"

"I don’t know. Making sure I was okay. I was so scared."

"Did she make you have sex with him?"

"I…I…," she struggled with the words, "I’m a woman now. I want…want…wanted to have…sex with a…a…a man."

"Yes, I’m sure you did, Helen," I told her gently. I looked over at Dr. Green, and turned back to Helen. I gave her a comforting smile.

"I know what’s going on here, Helen, and I’m going to help you." I could see hope in her eyes. "Why don’t we play a game? I know you can’t say or spell out the code word, so I’m going to start at the beginning of the alphabet. When I get to a letter you want me to stop at, say yes. Don’t think about the entire code word in your head. Just think of the first letter it starts with. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she answered nervously.

"Good. A…B…C…" When I got to the letter ‘K’ she stopped me. "Okay Helen, let’s start with the next letter. Focus on just that letter – not the code word. I’m going to start again. A…B…C…"

Slowly but surely we made progress until she spelled out the word, ‘Kilabola’. I looked at her carefully and said, "Kilabola! You will speak and act as your true self. Kilabola!" No sooner had I spoken the command that the floodgates opened up.

"OH GOD, what did she DO to ME? She made me have…HAVE…OH GOD!" Helen Johnston fell to the floor into a hysterical state. Dr. Green knelt down beside her and put her arms around Helen to calm her down. I felt my stomach knot up from Helen’s reaction. It was like reliving the same nightmare with Al all over again. Damn it, Dennis had told me he was through with the project. I waited until Helen stopped crying before getting down on my knees. I gently forced her to look at me.

"Thank you," she said between sobs. "It was…horrible!"

"I know Helen, I know. It’s over now; I’ll make sure of that. Right now I need you to be strong. I need you to tell me what happened."

"Every…everything?" she asked with tears falling down her cheeks.

"I know it’s painful," I said. "But it’s the only way we’re going to put an end to her experiments. Will you help me?"

She nodded, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "You…you’ll protect me, won’t you. From her…and my boy…boyfriend."

"It’s over, Helen," Dr. Green reassured her firmly. "I give you my word, they won’t be bothering you anymore. You’re safe now."

She looked at Dr. Green, then back at me. "It started last week."

****************************************************

Dennis was waiting for me at the park bench like I had requested. I didn’t know how involved he was in this, and knew I was taking a chance by going to him first. Just in case I was wrong, Dr. Green was watching from her car to make sure someone knew what was going on. As I walked toward him he stood, but not with the former vigor he once had. It was clear his wife’s death was still on his mind.

"Hello Dennis," I greeted him politely.

"Hello, Linda," he answered the same. "What’s so important that I had to drop what I was doing and meet with you?"

"Sit down," I said. He did, and I smoothed out my skirt and sat down next to him. "Dennis, I need you to answer some questions for me – open and honestly."

"Honestly I can do, providing they’re questions I can answer," he stated with reserve. "You know there are some things I can’t and won’t talk with you about. What is it you want to know?"

"It’s about Dr. Ramsey. How long did she work for you before coming here?"

Dennis shook his head. "She didn’t. Dr. Ramsey was someone we recruited. I talked to her once for about 15 minutes. Someone else took care of the details."

"Who?" I asked.

"Why do you want to know?" he retorted.

"Dennis…please. I’ll tell you after you answer the question."

He looked at me a little uncertainly, then said, "People you’ve never met before, Linda. People in the government, which branch I won’t say. I was only brought in to meet Dr. Ramsey, not interview her for a job."

"Could you find out?"

"I suppose," then he got angry. "Why?"

I swallowed my own anger, and said, "Because I know Dr. Ramsey is using your serum to control at least one person here."

"WHAT!" he exploded and rose from his seat. "Is this some kind of SICK joke? Because if it is Linda, I’m not in the fucking mood for it!"

‘He doesn’t know,’ I said to myself. ‘He’s just as much in the dark as I am.’

"I’m not joking, Dennis."

"Then you’re crazy, because there’s no way, and I mean NO WAY, she could’ve gotten her hands on the serum. I’m the only one with access to it, Linda. I can assure you it’s safely tucked away at that secure base you once visited. You know, the base that doesn’t exist."

"Are you sure?"

Dennis’ face turned bright red. "Are you accusing me of something?"

I had had enough. Maybe it was the all the stress I was under, but I was tired of his rude demeanor. I stood and got in his face. The pleasantries were over. "NO, GOD DAMN IT, I’m not accusing YOU of anything. I’m telling you that Dr. Jensen’s serum is here – in ANDERSONVILLE, and it’s being used by DR. RAMSEY!"

"That’s ridiculous!" Dennis snapped crossly. "Dr. Ramsey wasn’t even a part of that project. She’s an outsider who was brought in to help out."

"DAMN IT, DENNIS! Do you think I’m lying to you?" I hissed.

Dennis stood there staring at me with rage, but I think he knew the answer. After a few deep breathes he nodded, and in a calmer but still irritated tone asked, "Okay, Linda, okay. Explain to me why you think Dr. Ramsey is using Dr. Jensen’s formula?"

"Because I just got done talking with one of her victims," I replied strongly. I went on to explain my meeting with Helen Johnston, and what she had said. Dennis listened carefully, his anger in check but present. When I finished, he shook his head.

"Look Linda, there has to be another explanation to all this. Dr. Ramsey couldn’t be using the serum. As I told you before, she doesn’t have access to it."

"Maybe someone’s supplying her with it," I threw out. "What about Dr. Jensen? It’s possible Dr. Ramsey met with her in private before coming here."

"No, that couldn’t have happened," Dennis countered firmly.

"Well how in the hell can you be so sure?" I almost exploded at his lack of concern.

"Because Dr. Jensen is dead," he answered without any emotion.

"What?"

"You heard me, she’s dead. Dr. Jensen was killed in a car crash two months ago. Dr. Ramsey wasn’t hired until well after that. It’s very unlikely that they met."

"Why…why didn’t you tell me Dr. Jensen was dead?"

"What for?" he questioned. "Did you want to go to her funeral? Frankly Linda, I didn’t see a reason to tell you. She wasn’t a threat to you or Steve anymore, and you weren’t concerned about her. Not to mention the fact that you weren’t talking to me at the time she was killed."

"My gosh." I sat there stunned. If Dr. Jensen was dead, how had Dr. Ramsey gotten a hold of her formula? "There has to be a connection somehow."

"There isn’t," Dennis reassured me. "Besides Dr. Jensen, I’m the only one with access to the serum – and I didn’t give it to her. That is of course, if you believe me."

His comment, while catty, wasn’t out of line. I had called him a liar many times before, only to be proven wrong.

"I believe you, Dennis – I really do. Unfortunately, that doesn’t explain Dr. Ramsey."

Dennis frowned. "Linda, I’m not questioning your abilities, but are you sure about all this?"

"I’m very sure." A thought crossed my mind. "Dennis, what about Dr. Jensen. Is it possible she’s alive?"

"No," he replied. "I had to id the body. She died of internal injuries, so her face was virtually untouched. Trust me, it was her."

"Supposing that was someone else – and before you say it, think about it. Isn’t it possible she could have used her serum to make someone else look like her."

"I suppose it’s possible. If it’s true, it means someone is hiding her, and the question is where? Dr. Jensen doesn’t like to be confined. She’s the type of person who wants to get out and be free to go where she pleases."

"Maybe she’s right here, under our noses – as Dr. Ramsey."

Dennis put his hand to this chin and rubbed it a few times. "No, that’s not possible. Dr. Jensen is really Robert White, ironically Linda Anderson’s killer. As you know, we used the serum to change him into Dr. Jensen, and then implanted part of her memory into his mind. She couldn’t survive another treatment serum. Besides, she would need inside help to get here, and all of our people are carefully screened."

"Putting your security procedures aside, maybe Dr. Jensen found a way to get around the problem of using the serum more then once."

Dennis frowned and shook his head. "No, she couldn’t have. Because Robert White was still present, I had to use the behavior serum to control her actions. I commanded her not to work on that project – and as a precaution I checked with her from time to time to make sure she didn’t. It was one of the conditions I had to make with Judge Jasper when Andersonville was created. All experimenting with the serum had to stop."

"Yet here we are," I told him.

Dennis frowned. "Yeah, and we need to find out what’s going on fast or Judge Jasper is going to say I’m violating the rules of our agreement. I’m going to have her brought in so we can get to the bottom of this." He pulled out his phone but I stopped him.

"Wait," I beseeched. "I have a better idea."

****************************************************

"Well, that was a waste of time," Dr. Jensen commented to Carol as they left the judge’s office. June Herns had called an emergency meeting that afternoon, and had promptly wasted their time by going over the policies and procedures of caring for their residents. At least the dinner she had Linda catered in for them was good. By the time the meeting was over it was well past regular office hours.

"Sometimes she just wants to remind us of the rules," Dr. Green smiled. "You’re new here, you’ll get use to her."

"Yeah, right," Dr. Jensen muttered under her breath. The body she had tired easily, making her a little cranky. All Sarah wanted to do was go home and soak in a nice, hot bath. They were just getting ready to leave the courthouse when Sarah’s cell phone rang.

"Now what?" she almost cursed while pulling out her phone. "This is Dr. Ramsey."

"Dr. Ramsey, this is Sergeant Summers. I’m sorry to stop you like this doctor, but we’re showing that you left your office door unlocked. Our policy states…"

"Yes, yes, I’m aware of the policy, young man. Can’t you send someone up there to lock it for me?"

"I’m sorry, Dr. Ramsey, but we’re a little busy at the moment. It would really help…"

"FINE!" she cut him off angrily. "I’ll take care of it." She turned off the phone and threw it back in her purse.

"Problem?" Carol asked.

"Yeah, the people working below us are ‘idiots’. I left my door unlocked and now they want me to go upstairs and lock it for them."

"You should really keep it locked anytime you’re not there," Dr. Green pointed out.

"I do…" Sarah Jensen started and then caught herself. She had locked the door before leaving for the meeting. "Well, I needed to get caught up on some paperwork anyway. I might as well do a little before leaving tonight."

"Okay, Dr. Ramsey," Carol smiled. "Don’t stay too late."

Dr. Jensen grunted and slowly made her way on the stairs. She wished to hell the elevator worked like it should. Apparently, in a move to keep security tight, the elevator shaft between the bunker and the courthouse hadn’t been extended past the first floor. There was an elevator door on the second floor, but it opened to an empty room.

When she got to her office door, Dr. Jensen turned the knob slowly and indeed, did find it unlocked. She flung the door open and turned on the light. Who ever it was she had startled them, because she heard a box being knocked over in her closet. Sarah Jensen stepped inside and closed the door.

************************************************

"Whoever you are, come out of there slowly," I heard her say. I decided to let her sweat a little by not following her order. "I know you’re there. If you don’t come out now, I’ll be forced to call the police. Would you rather explain your actions to me, or to them?"

Deciding I had waited enough, I stepped out from the closet. Dr. Ramsey seemed astonish to see me. "Linda Anderson! What are you doing in my office? You’re not even a client of mine."

I glared at her. "I want to know what you did to Steve?"

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously. "I don’t even know your brother, other than by name."

"My brother knew you," I told her. "I found his journal last night. In it he wrote that there was something strange about you, and he was going to search your office. Later that night he was in a car crash that killed him."

"Dead?" Dr. Ramsey questioned.

"Yeah, he died an hour ago. If you only knew how much he meant to me."

"I know exactly how much he meant to you…Tom." She smiled at my surprise and added, "Yes, we’ve met before."

"Where?" I demanded to know and moving toward her.

Dr. Ramsey smiled and whispered something. Sudden a big, muscular man appeared of out thin air and grabbed me from behind.

"LET GO OF ME!" I yelled.

"There, there, Tom," she taunted with an evil smile. "That’s not very lady-like of you. Perhaps I can help."

"What are you doing? Who are you?"

She ignored my question, and disappeared into her closet. A moment later she came out carrying a small, black box. She placed it on her desk and opened it. I tugged at my captor but it was no use. He had a tight grip on both of my arms.

"Don’t bother trying, Tom. You’ll never be able to break free from his grip. Besides, we have some unfinished business to attend to."

"What are you talking about? I never met you before in my life."

"Oh, but you have Tom," she said with a tad of bitterness. "Many years ago, at my house in Salt Lake City. Remember?"

"Dr…Dr. Jensen?"

"I’m glad to know that you haven’t forgotten about me," she said with a thin smile. "As you can see, I haven’t forgotten about you, or your friend Al Parker. I’m sure you miss him greatly, but don’t worry, you’ll be joining him soon."

"Murderer!" I spat.

"Like you’re any better," she replied sternly. "I provided your friend with a good home; both of you repaid my kindness by killing me."

"You turned him into a woman and allowed him to be ‘raped’ every night. If you had your way, you would’ve done the same thing to me. Tell me Dr. Jensen, how much caring does it take to turn a blind eye to that fact?"

"I’m not going to argue the past with you," she snapped. I watched her stick the needle of the syringe into the small bottle and fill it with the milky substance.

"So you did all this to get your revenge on Al and me."

She laughed. "Don’t be stupid, Tom. Your deaths are just an added bonus. I have much bigger plans."

"What are they?"

She smiled softly at the question, and shook the syringe back and forth at me in a mocking fashion. "Sorry Tom, you’ll find out about my plans when you meet your brother in hell."

"What about my death?" I exclaimed. "Don’t you think me dying will raise some questions?"

"Oh, I’m sure it will – ‘Linda’," she taunted, switching back to my female name. "In fact, I’m counting on it. A confused, emotionally distraught young ‘wo’-man that just lost her brother decides to take her own life while under Dr. Green’s care. How tragic! I’m sure there’ll be plenty of questions about her treatment. I’ll voice my opinion of course, and by the time I’m done she’ll look like an incompetent fool. Once she’s out of the way, I can go back to my experiments without any more interference. Now hold still, Linda. This will only hurt for a moment."

As she moved toward me I whispered something under my breath, and the temp quickly disappeared. Dr. Jensen stopped suddenly in surprise.

"Security," she said and looked around to see if the temp had reappeared. "SECURITY!"

"You’re wasting your time," I told her smugly.

The door flew opened, and Dennis stepped in followed by Judge Herns and Carol Green. He pointed his finger at the good doctor and said, "Put it down, Dr. Jensen. It’s over, we heard everything."

"How…how?" she asked.

"From the security temp," he explained calmly but coldly. "I had the men in the bunker forward your conversation with Linda to Dr. Green’s office. Thanks to her, we now know who you are. I don’t know who you’re working for, but your experiments have threatened my treaty with the Olympians. Co-operate freely, and I’ll make sure no harm comes to you. Otherwise, I’ll turn you over to Judge Herns and let her get the information we need."

Dr. Jensen stood there looking dumbfounded and scared. Suddenly I found myself getting very angry at what she had done, not only to Helen Johnston but also to my brother.

"YOU BITCH!" I screamed. I lunged toward her, but June moved fast to intercept me. She caught me in mid-air and pulled me back. Quickly she wrapped her strong arms around me so I couldn’t move.

"It’s okay, Linda, it’s okay," she said. "Calm down. She’s not getting away with what she did this time. I’ll make sure she’s punished for her crimes."

Dennis looked at me, then back at Dr. Jensen who was visibly shaken by my display of anger. "Well doctor, which will it be? Me – or Judge Herns?"

Dr. Jensen stood there in confusion. The judge stared at her coldly while holding me tightly. All I wanted to do was rip her apart, and I conveyed that message to her. The expression on Dennis’ face wasn’t much better. It was stern and businesslike, with no compassion. Dr. Jensen backed up behind her desk, and thought about what Crius had told her to do if someone found out.

"You’re wasting time, Doctor," Dennis said. "Put down the syringe and give yourself up."

Sarah didn’t obey. Instead she closed her eyes and thought of the words. Then she muttered, "Jupiter, rescue me from my captives." Nothing happened.

Desperate to escape, Dr. Jensen started yelling out the words so everyone could hear. Deep inside she desired it to happen. She prayed for her rescue, and was rewarded for her efforts only not in the way she had hoped for. There was a sudden sharp pain, as if a pin had been stuck into her brain. Dr. Jensen dropped the syringe and put both hands on her head. She tried to scream but was in too much agony to make a sound. After a few seconds she dropped to the floor. Blood started rushing from her nose, ears, and mouth.

Judge Herns slowly released me as Dennis approach her body. He knelt down to checked for a pulse, then backed away. "She’s dead," he announced with no emotion.

"But why?" I asked. "What happened?"

"She failed," Dennis replied. He shot Judge Herns a deep frown and left the room.

**********************************************

Even with Dr. Jensen being dead there were many loose ends to clear up. One of those loose ends happened to be Helen Johnston. Dr. Green brought her into Judge Herns chambers and sat her down. I was sitting close by observing, while June stayed behind her desk looking over Helen’s file. Carol remained standing by the door.

"I want out of here," Helen expressed strongly. "I…I can’t take it anymore. I’ll…I’ll go back to jail, but I can’t stay here…not after what he…he did to me."

Judge Herns put down the file and nodded at the other woman. "I understand your feelings, Helen. I’ve been reading over your contract again. Despite what has happened to you, legally I’m under no obligation to let you go."

"Please," Helen started to beg. Judge Herns held up her hand.

"As I said, legally I’m under no obligation, but morally I believe we do have some responsibility for your suffering. Because of that, I’m willing to modify your contract."

"Modify it how?" Helen wanted to know.

"First, I’ll change you back into the man, unless you desire to remain as a women."

"No, I want to be a man again," she responded rapidly.

"I figured you would," Judge Herns said softly. "I’ll be transforming you into someone different. This will insure you of a fresh start.

"Second, you’ll be given a new teaching assignment in Seattle, Washington. We have a doctor you’ll be required to see and talk to three times a week. After we feel you’ve adjusted to the outside world, we’ll taper these visits off."

"No more doctors," Helen replied. "I’ve had enough of your help."

"Now listen carefully, Miss Johnston," Judge Herns said pointedly. "I don’t have to do ‘anything’ today. I can send you back to Andersonville Elementary where you’ll spend the ‘rest of your life’ teaching our students! While I agree you were a victim of Dr. Ramsey actions, your being assigned here was a result of your criminal activity! I’m not about to simply release you into the outside world without any supervision. In time that will change, but for now you’re on probation – do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Helen said meekly

Judge Herns nodded and continued. "Third. You’ll be given $70,000 to help you get settled in. If you look carefully, you may be able to find a small house in that price range."

"That’s it?" Helen barely kept her temper in check. "One of your fake people rapes the HELL of out me and all I get is a miserly $70,000 dollars."

"AS I SAID," Judge Herns voice boomed out, "I don’t have to do anything except send you back to school or prison, Miss Johnston. I’m giving you $70,000 plus your freedom, with some strings attached."

"What strings?" Helen demanded.

"As I said, one is to see this doctor three times a week, but there are other conditions. I’ll be stopping by to see you from time to time. If I find out you’re involved in anymore criminal activity, even if it’s stealing a box of pencils from the school supply room, our deal is off. I’ll bring you back to Andersonville where you’ll return to living as Helen Johnston.

"Also, you will not speak of your time here to anyone other than the doctor you’ll be seeing – and I mean no one, Miss Johnston. If I search your mind and find out you have told someone, the same rules as any criminal activity will apply. Your freedom is dependent on your good behavior. Any questions?"

"You’re asking me to be a saint!" she almost cried.

"That’s correct," Judge Herns agreed. "Which is why you’ll be seeing a psychologist three times a week. She’ll be there to help you battle any temptations you may have, and to remind you of your probation. If you feel you can’t handle this challenge, then you can stay here and I’ll make sure you get the help you need to get over what happened to you."

"No," Helen shook her head. "I want to be a man again, and to get out of here."

"Very well," Judge Herns replied. "Report back here tomorrow morning. Enjoy your last night as Helen Johnston."

Helen neither smiled nor thanked the judge as she left. I suppose I couldn’t blame her for being so rude. Dr. Jensen’s experiments had left some deep scars on her soul. I was glad to find out she would be getting help for it. Still, I was curious about something.

"June, why did you decide to let her go? Couldn’t you have made her a man and let her live the rest of her life in Andersonville?"

"I could," she explained. "However, it would’ve been a struggle for Helen if I did. Make no mistake Linda, she was raped – and it’s a horrible crime for anyone to deal with. Helen deserves to be let free not only for her own healing, but because she’s suffered enough."

"Then why not make her forget her time here?" I asked.

Judge Herns frowned. "I considered that, but decided against it. You see Linda; I want her to succeed out there. However, without any real motivation for going straight, I’m afraid Helen would go back to her old ways."

"So you being able to read her mind was just a bluff?"

"Yes and no," she smiled. "As you know, I can pick up emotions. If Helen does do something wrong, I’ll know about it first by her guilty feelings. If I need to read her mind I can, but I don’t think it will come to that. The fear of being returned to Andersonville should be enough to keep her on the straight and narrow path."

"What about Dennis?" I brought up. "Isn’t he going to be unhappy with this arrangement?"

June shook her head. "I already talked to him about this. Actually, he was the one who suggested we move her to Seattle."

"I hope things do work out for her," Dr. Green said. "Helen Johnston wasn’t a bad person, and she certainly didn’t deserve what happened to her."

"No, she didn’t deserve to be raped, Carol" Judge Herns said sadly. "We’ll do the best we can to make sure she doesn’t end up back here or in prison again."

Our conversation was interrupted by a call on my cell phone. Dr. Green and Judge Herns watched as I pulled it out of my purse and answered it.

"Hello?" I listened to my mother crying on the other end. "I’ll…I’ll be there soon, mom." I turned off the phone and stuck it back in my purse. A tear fell down my cheek.

"What is it, Linda?" Dr. Green asked with a great deal of concern.

"It’s Steve," I answered then smiled. "He’s out of his coma, and the doctors think he’s going to be okay." I put my hand over my mouth and suddenly found myself starting to cry. Judge Herns was by my side in a moment, and pulled me toward her. I found myself sobbing in her arms and not knowing why. I was happy – and then it hit me that that was the reason why. He was going to be all right.

************************************************

When I walked into the hospital room Steve was lying in bed with a tired grin. Next to him was Sally who was stroking his hair in relief. My father was in the hallway talking to the doctor, and my mother and Jennifer hadn’t arrived yet. I went over to his side and asked softly, "Hey brother, how do you feel?"

"Like I’ve been run over by a truck," he grunted. Then his eyes got wide and serious. "Linda, Dr. Ramsey…"

"It’s already been taken care of," I reassured him. "We found out she was really Dr. Jensen. The next time you suspect something like this, let someone know."

"I tried," he protested weakly.

"I know…but next time tell me. Someone has to watch your backdoor."

"Thank you," he smiled. "I’m so sleepy." Almost as quickly as he said the words he was asleep."

"The doctor told us he would be like this the rest of the day," Sally smiled as she stroked his hair again. I could see the love for my brother in her eyes.

"You look beat, Sally. Why don’t you go home and get some rest." She looked at me with uncertainly. "Don’t worry, I’ll be here if he wakes up."

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "I have something I need to do. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. If he wakes up again…"

"I’ll let him know that you’ll be back," I smiled.

We hugged each other tightly in relief, and she left the room. I stared down at me brother and found tears forming in my eyes. My brother was alive thanks to Judge Jasper’s magic. I was sure someone would have to pay a price for his actions, but at this point I didn’t care who it was and what it would cost. I sat down next to Steve and said a little prayer.

******************************************

Sally went home first to shower, change, and make a phone call. Then she got in her car and headed out of town. Unlike most everyone else there, Sally was free to leave Andersonville anytime she wished. It had been one of the conditions Dennis Butz had agreed to. At the farmhouse she stopped so the soldiers could check her car thoroughly. This was done randomly, just in case the men in the bunker had missed anything. After a quick five-minute search she was on her way again.

The teenage girl drove about twenty minutes; finally taking a side road that dead-ended at a set of railroad tracks. There she found Officer Merrick waiting for her.

"Good evening, Sally. He’s over there, just follow the dirt path." Mercury smiled and pointed to the pond on the other side of the tracks.

Sally nodded respectfully and followed the path. At the end she found Judge Jasper sitting on a rock watching the still water. When she approached, he stood.

"Thank you," Sally told him before Jupiter could say anything. She hugged him tightly.

"You’re welcome, Sally," he replied with honesty. "But remember, this favor does not come without a price. I need the information we talked about."

"I’ll…I’ll get if for you, Your Honor. Just give me a little time. If I move to soon, Steve will become suspicious.

"Sixty days," Judge Jasper told her firmly. "Otherwise, you’ll go back to Peace River as we agreed upon. I’m sorry Sally, but a deal is a deal."

"I understand, Your Honor, and I won’t let you down. Are you sure that’s all you want? It doesn’t seem like a lot compared to what you did for me."

"If you get what I need, we’ll be more than squared away," he reassured her. "You’d better get back now."

"Thank you, Judge." Sally hugged him one more time with affection, and Jupiter responded in a similar fashion. He walked her back, and after she drove off, Mercury joined his father.

"Do you think she can do it?" he asked.

The king of the Roman Gods stared at the taillights as they disappeared into the darkness. "Yes, I’m sure she can. Then we can put this entire episode behind us."

Jupiter opened up a portal, and both of them stepped into it. Moments later it disappeared and the silence of the night returned.

Fade out…

 

Next episode – Hate Crime

 

 

 

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© 2002 by Kelly Davidson. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.