Change of Course

by

Julie O.

  

Chapter One

Approaching Storm

  

It was early November and the dark gray clouds that hung over Arlington, Virginia looked ominous. The east coast was experiencing an early cold snap. The temperature was only 40, but it felt colder due to the wind. Fallen leaves blew down the sidewalks as if they were racing to beat the approaching rain. It was just a part of the natural cycle of seasons.

However, this poetic way of looking at it did nothing to ease the discomfort of Beth Clark as she stood waiting for her ride home from school. She was shivering slightly in her school uniform. Fortunately, relief was in sight as she saw the approaching car of her Mom's fiancé Steve Williams.

She quickly got in when he pulled up, not waiting for him to open the door for her. She was too cold for chivalry.

"Ohhhhh, the heat feels so good," she remarked, as she redirected the vents.

"I thought you were used the cold weather, you grew up in Pennsylvania didn't you?" he asked, as he pulled away from the curb.

"Yes that's true, the first time I grew up was there. But I didn't wear a skirt to school then!" she answered.

To most of the world Beth looked like any ordinary teenage girl. However looks can be deceiving. Earlier that year she had been LT Ben Carlson USN, aged 26 and stationed in San Diego CA. Then she was drawn into the twisted plans of a grieving genius in genetic engineering, now referred to as "The Martz Incident" in government records. In less than 24 hours Dr. Heinrich Martz had transformed Ben into a teenage girl. Dr. Martz had tried to recreate the unborn daughter that he had lost when his wife was tragically killed in a car crash 15 years earlier. If that hadn't been traumatic enough, she was then drawn into cat and mouse game between Dr. Martz and the government. To make it even move exciting there had been attempt to steal the process by a renegade Naval Officer.

Luckily for Beth she had met Agent Maggie Clark. Actually Maggie had been on the team that contacted LT Carlson. She then watched as the transformation took place. A very tight bond developed between Maggie and Beth. Beth had initially been Maggie's ward but now she was legally her adopted daughter. It was a joining that was mutually beneficial to both of them. Maggie helped Beth to adjust to her new life and protected her during the mission. Beth in turn gave Maggie's life balance and filled a missing void in her life.

The last missing part to Beth's life was Steve Williams. He was an agent who had been assigned to work with Maggie during the Martz Incident He quickly fell in love with Maggie and had developed strong feelings for Beth. He had become very protective of her as if she had been his own child. Much to Beth's joy he had proposed to Maggie back in October. While no date was set for the wedding it didn't matter. To Beth, she was regaining a family, and she hoped it would help her rid herself of the grief of losing her original family.

"What's the real reason why I have been let out of school early?" asked Beth. The private school that she attended had received a call that Beth needed to be let out early for a dentist appointment.

"I can't tell you yet, you'll have to wait until we get back to the office," answered Steve.

Beth nodded. She knew that Steve was in "Agent William" mode and it would be useless to ask any more questions.

The drive to the agency was familiar. Beth had been there several times and had even been made an agent temporarily during the Martz Incident. She accepted that this place would always be a part of her world.

Steve wasn't happy. He was opposed to involving Beth in another operation. Maggie was even more upset with the prospect of her daughter being dragging into some dangerous adventure. But the Director of the Agency had reluctantly overruled them.

Steve glanced over at Beth and smiled. She was maturing into a beautiful young woman and would be 16 in February. They had picked the date of her transformation for her new birthday. She looked like a typical schoolgirl. Her long auburn hair was in a ponytail. She was wearing a white blouse, plaid skirt, knee socks, and sweater of one of the better private schools in the area. She was well liked at school and was becoming very popular in her tenth grade class. He knew however, not to be deceived and underestimate her.

 

Beth had a very high IQ and as part of her transformation received a near perfect photographic memory. She also maintained her memories and skills from her previous life. She could be very tough and had handled herself very well in several dangerous situations.

However, Steve also knew that she was also very vulnerable. She was in many ways the young girl that she appeared to be. He had seen her get very emotional when exposed to some reminder of her previous life. She quickly rebounded and adapted but he knew she still had a lot of personal demons to fight.

Upon their arrival he signed her in and escorted her to one of the briefing rooms.

Maggie was sitting there waiting for them.

"Hi Kiddo, sorry to drag you out of school," apologized Maggie, with a smile. She knew that Beth found her schoolwork way below her true academic status. However they agreed school would be good for her to help her adapt socially.

"No problem Mom," smiled Beth. "Ms. Martin was trying to teach us about the Civil War. No offense but I could do I much better job!"

"I have something to talk to you about," commented Maggie. She still got a joy out Beth calling her Mom.

"OK, " answered Beth in a softer tone. The reason for her being here was becoming clear.

Maggie immediately sensed her daughter's fear. "Don't worry Kiddo, what we need is you to talk to Dr. Martz about something for us."

Beth had maintained a relationship with Dr. Martz. She knew she would never be the daughter he tried to create and that she had no desire to so. Yet she carried his genes. She also wanted to get to know this genius of a man better, if only to learn more about her own make up.

Dr. Martz worked now for the government. He seemed to concentrate on finding cures to various genetic diseases. He was also under constant surveillance and was monitored mentally regularly. He had created the Martz Process, which had transformed Beth and nine others. Actually he had transformed one other person, the traitor Jake Evans, who was now Pearl a female chimpanzee at the San Diego Zoo. He claimed he had destroyed the process and showed no desire to resurrect it. The potential for its use as a weapon was too great.

"What do you need me to do?" asked Beth.

"Follow me Kiddo, I have an old friend of yours that I'm sure you'll want to see. He'll explain everything," remarked Maggie.

 

Chapter Two

It Begins Again

 

They walked into another briefing room. Sitting there was a naval officer. He had four gold stripes on his sleeve and the oak leaf insignia of the Medical Corps. He turned and looked at them as they entered.

Beth immediately recognized him and ran up and gave him a big hug. "It's so good to see you again Doc!"

He was apparently happy to see her too, although he was caught off guard by her enthusiastic greeting. "My God Beth! You've grown so much since I last saw you!"

Maggie interrupted their reunion, "Excuse me, Captain Stevens, this is Special Agent Steve Williams, and you obviously remember Beth."

Captain Stevens shook Steve's hand they sat down.

"Steve, this is the man who saved my life, several times when I was changed," said Beth proudly.

Steve nodded; he had heard how Dr. Stevens had helped save Beth back in San Diego.

"I see you got promoted Doc, congratulations!" said Beth, noticing the change in rank.

"Yes I was advanced in no small part to some major recommendations to the promotion board," he remarked. He looked over at Maggie. "I think I should thank you."

"It's nice to have friends in high places sometimes," she replied. "You deserve everything you got for your service. I can never thank you for what you did for us."

Capt. Stevens smiled. He saw the emotional bond that had formed between Maggie and Beth and was please to hear that they were now a family. He looked at Beth was pleased to see she looked healthy and happy. Unlike others in the medical community who knew about the Martz Process, he accepted Beth as a person and not an experiment. He was a bit sad that he had to talk to her about what had happened 48 hours ago.

"Beth as you may have deduced Dr. Stevens isn't here on a social visit. He has something to tell us," announced Maggie.

Beth sat down next to Maggie. "I understand, please Doc go ahead."

"I am presently stationed at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. This morning, I was called down to the emergency room, as they were overwhelmed with a major crisis.

It seems that one of our destroyers had been giving their crew flu shots when several crewmembers had a severe reaction. By the time they got them to us one had already died. Three others came into the ER in critical condition. Fortunately we had two of our crisis teams working in the ER as part of their training. We took over the case and had the normal staff evacuate the area. By the time I got down there were only one was left alive," he said. He took a long drink of water.

Dr. Stevens had been one of the founding members of the crisis teams; they were designed to respond to medical emergencies. He had been called in initially in the beginning of the Martz Incident. The teams had been overhauled since then, based largely on his recommendations.

"Their reaction was similar to your transformation in several ways. However it was happening so much faster. Their systems could not adapt fast enough. The strain of the transformation was literally causing their organs to fail. We stabilized one long enough to see the beginning stages of physical transformation from male to female. Unfortunately, he died from a massive heart attack. No one outside of my teams noticed the changes, as they were too busy trying to save his life," he explained.

He took another long drink of water and then continued, "I was able to get the place secured until we received orders. We evacuated them bodies as if they were still alive. We told the staff that the patients had a severe allergic reaction to the flu shot and they were not to mention it to anyone, until all the vaccine was recovered, to avoid a panic. The point was to buy us time. They immediately sent the ship to sea and will keep it there for the next few days. The Captain was told they were in an emergency preparedness drill and to not allow any communication from the ship. I figure we can keep this silent for 48 hours max," continued Dr. Stevens.

No one spoke a word.

"We impounded the remaining inoculation serum. It seems that the bottle used came from a different lot than the rest. We conducted tests on the deceased and found that all showed signs of genetic change. I have my initial report and a sample of the serum for study," added Dr. Stevens.

He placed a sealed case on the table. He passed out several copies of the report.

"We would like Dr. Martz to examine the serum and see what he thinks. We need to know if this is left over from his work," commented Dr. Stevens.

"Beth, Martz trusts you and the agency believes that you will be able to get him to cooperate with us. He has previously turned down all other attempts to discuss his process. The agency would like you to talk to him and try to get his help," asked Steve.

As Steve talked to her, Beth knew that this was really coming from the Director. She also knew that she had no choice but to accept this 'invitation'.

Once more into the breech, thought Beth. "I'll see what I can do."

"Beth I will accompany you, he seems to tolerate me being around," added Maggie.

"I appreciate that Mom," replied Beth.

Beth and Maggie said goodbye and heading over to the facility where Martz worked. It was twenty minutes away and as they drove over it started to rain.

"Looks like the storm has started," Beth commented as she stared out the window.

  

Chapter Three

Discovery

  

They arrived at the medical research facility. It was a multi-governmental facility. There was work being done by several groups ranging from the Department of Defense to the Center for Disease Control. They were taken to Dr Martz's office and were told that he would be there in a few minutes. He was kept under constant surveillance.

"How should I start this?" asked Beth.

"Get straight to the point, tell him what happened and that we need his help, offer him the report if he agrees to help and don't accuse him of anything," recommended Maggie.

"Do you think he's involved?" asked Beth.

"To be honest I really don't know. I know that I don't trust him completely. I still don't think he was totally honest with us when he was debriefed." explained Maggie.

"Anything specific?" asked Beth.

"I don't buy his story about the other nine being just a distraction. It just doesn't make sense," continued Maggie.

"I know what you mean, I hope that there is more to it," commented Beth.

Maggie looked at Beth. "Why?"

"Well, to be honest If Dr. Martz is telling the truth then I am somewhat responsible for their transformation," replied Beth is a soft voice. "They were only changed to take attention away from me."

"No, you are not responsible Kiddo, he victimized all of you, you have no reason to feel guilty," replied Maggie firmly.

Just then the door opened and Dr. Martz came in.

Maggie looked over and saw that Beth had composed herself; she only hoped that Beth would be able to stay calm.

"What a pleasant surprise. It has been over a month since I have seen you," smiled Dr. Martz. "And Agent Maggie Clark, it is good to see you again."

"Good afternoon Doctor Martz," replied Maggie, as he clasped her hand.

He looked down at her hands, "So, I see young man has proposed. I guess that will make your family whole Beth?"

"Hi Doctor," answered Beth. "Yes it will."

Beth looked over at Maggie and took a deep breath.

"Doctor, something has happened. Its really bad several people have died, and we need your help. It would mean a lot to me if you would help us," asked Beth.

He sat down. "Please tell me how I can help. I do owe you for all I have done to you."

Maggie took out the report and handed it to him. He opened it up and started to read it. They sat there for nearly an hour. No words were spoken; the only sound was the turning of pages as Dr. Martz read the report.

He closed the report and set it down on the desk, "I need to examine the sample of the serum immediately! " he demanded.

"It is being transported over here as we speak Doctor," said Maggie.

"It is vital that I see it quickly," he said in an agitated tone.

"Easy Doc, what's wrong?" asked Beth is a calm voice.

"If I can see the serum I can tell how bad this will get. We may still have time to stop this before it gets worse. I will call down and have a lab reserved. You can watch me if you don't trust me Agent Clark," he remarked.

"Thank you Doctor Martz Yes, we will have to watch you," said Maggie firmly. She was worried that Doctor Martz seemed so agitated.

As Dr. Martz anxiously waited for the sample Maggie thought about his reaction. She doubted that he was involved directly. But she could see that he was acting as if he was responsible for what happened. There was something ominous about what he said about this getting worse. She felt a cold chill run through her body at the thought of the Martz Process being used as a terrorist weapon.

Steve brought the sample into the lab. He handed it to Dr. Martz and then lead Maggie and Beth to the security office, which would allow them monitor his actions via monitors. The only exit was guarded by two of Steve's most trustworthy and dangerous agents. He liked to call them his "Dobermans".

Two hours later Dr. Martz was finished and they met him in his office. He had a very worried look on his face. As he drank his coffee his hands were trembling. Steve noticed something else; there was a blaze of anger in eyes.

"So what can you tell us Dr. Martz?" asked Maggie.

"It is what I feared when I read the report. When I said I destroyed the process I wasn't entirely correct. Yes my lab was destroyed but I felt that someday this formula might be useful. I thought I had designed a foolproof way of hiding it. But it looks like I was wrong. How could I be so foolish? Fortunately, the person who made this doesn't have all the components. That is why those sailors died. They only has one part, he may not know he needs them all!" he stated angrily.

"Please Doctor you aren't making sense, you need to explain what you mean. Where is the formula?" asked Maggie.

"It was foolproof…….the perfect hiding place………... It won't work unless they get them all……….. they need all the codes, without all the codes it is worthless, they don't have the codes….. you must not let them get all the codes…don't you see they need all the codes…. You must protect the other codes!" screamed Dr. Martz. Suddenly he grabbed his chest and collapsed.

Within minutes he was being rushed to the hospital. Maggie called and had Dr. Stevens sent to the hospital. He would be there to assist in any questioning, assuming Dr. Martz survived.

 

Chapter Four

Game On

 

Dr. Martz was immediately transported to a local hospital. Steve had called the office and had a security teams sent to both the lab and to the hospital. The ER staff at the hospital stabilized Dr. Martz. He was alive but he was also in a coma. Dr Stevens reviewed the data. He shook his head and had a very puzzled look on his face.

"This doesn't seem right, I am going to order a full set of blood work," said Dr. Stevens with a puzzled look on his face.

"What do you mean?" asked Maggie.

"I need to confirm it, but I suspect that Dr. Martz may have been poisoned," he replied. "Right now it looks like some sort of neurological poison, designed more to incapacitate him rather than kill him"

"I have secured the lab area and his office. Two of your teams from Portsmouth Naval Hospital are being flown up here and should be in here in one hour," remarked Steve.

"You do good work Agent Williams," complemented Dr. Stephens,

"Not good enough, as they got to him," answered Steve. Someone would pay for this he thought.

Maggie's phone rang and she answered it, "Yes Sir," was all she said.

"We are wanted back at work. They just got the blackmail note," she said to Steve.

"As soon as you know something Doc call me," said Steve handing him his card.

"Beth, you need to come with us," commented Maggie. "I guess you're back on the team."

Beth just nodded. She seemed to be deep in thought. Maggie wondered if was because of what had happened to Dr. Martz but she wasn't sure.

When they arrived back at the agency they were told that the Director was waiting for them in the main briefing room. They entered and found him reading a report. He did not acknowledge their presence for nearly a minute. "We received a message this afternoon telling us that unless $100,000,000.00 was deposited in a off shore bank account in 72 hours that more military personnel would be transformed. Apparently Dr. Stevens was successful in his cover-up as the person who sent this note doesn't know that all they did in their first attack was kill four innocent people. We have agreed to pay them and that we will need the full time to set up the funds transfer. Of course what this really means is that we have no intention of being blackmailed and we have that time to track them down and stop them, permanently if necessary. Now brief me on what happened to Martz."

Steve informed the Director of what Martz had said before collapsing. He then told how Dr. Stevens was investigating the possibility of poison.

"I assume you have already informed the computer section to examine the data on Martz's computer," remarked the Director.

"And the cyrpties too," added Steve, referring to the code breakers.

"Excuse me, but I don't think that Dr. Martz was referring to codes in a computer," interrupted Beth.

The Director turned towards Beth. He looked at this pretty young woman in a schoolgirl's uniform, however he knew that she was more than meets the eye. "Please explain, Agent Clark."

Beth looked and Maggie and saw that she was nodding in agreement, "Well sir, I believe that Dr. Martz would never hide something so valuable in a computer. I think the codes he is talking about are genetic codes. He may have hidden the information necessary to recreate the Martz Process in genetic codes and then hide these in nine different places," she explained.

"Is that possible?" asked Maggie.

Beth nodded. "Sure, Dr. Martz had told me that we could eventually put whole volumes of our knowledge into people with no harm to them. He called it the ultimate in libraries and said that it could be downloaded later and decoded for use. He even developed a prototype reader. He incorporated it into his lab computer."

"And where do we find the codes?" asked the Director.

"Maybe in the other nine from the Martz Incident," suggested Beth.

For a moment there was complete silence as the Beth's words sunk in. The silence in the room was ended by a flurry of orders from the Director. Within minutes agents were contacted to locate and protect the Martz Nine as they were now know.

"What about Beth?" asked Steve. "We should move her into seclusion too?"

Beth remembering her last time in a "safe house" was about to protest Steve's suggestion when The Director spoke before she could protest.

"I think that would be wise to protect her until we have a better understanding of the threat," he said. He word was law.

Beth knew it would be pointless to argue. They had made up their minds and she was being treated like she wasn't even in the room. Additionally her past life as a naval officer had trained her to obey orders. She thought about the boring captivity of being watched and wished that she could ignore her sense of duty.

"You won't be kept in the dark, but we need to ensure that you are safe Beth," explained The Director, sensing her displeasure. "You have shown your value to the team and I fully believe that you will continue to contribute."

 

Chapter 5

Revelations

 

Maggie and Beth sat in the back of the agency sedan as it drove them to their new accommodations. One of Steve's Dobermans was their chauffer. Steve was worried about the possibility of a traitor and he wanted to keep Beth and Maggie's location a secret. They made a quick stop at the house and packed their bags. Maggie could sense Beth's building frustration. She debated whether to wait until they arrived at their temporary lodgings or to ask her now. She looked out the rain-streaked windows and decided that she couldn't wait.

"I know you feel a bit frustrated, but this is the correct decision Kiddo. The others are also being whisked away into safety and at least you know what is going on," commented Maggie.

"Mom, I understand the reasons. I just don't like being treated like I am helpless," she lamented.

Maggie could sense that Beth's frustration was deeper than her explanation. "Come on Kiddo, you can be honest with me. What's really bugging you?" she asked.

Beth sat silent for a while. "I think it is that it is another reminder of my change. Everyone sees me as some defenseless little girl. My past is unimportant now to them. It is so frustrating to be ordered about," she complained, her voice starting to break up a bit.

"Not everyone sees you as helpless, Beth," remarked Maggie. "But, as for the little girl part, people accept what they see. You are a lovely young woman, but not just in looks. You may not be the best judge of yourself, but you act and behave like a young woman too. I see you as my daughter now. I know your past but I feel that the present and the future are what is important and maybe you should feel the same way."

Beth moved close to Maggie and rested her head against Maggie's shoulder. She knew that what her Mom had just said was right. She didn't try to stop the tears as they ran down her face.

The safe house turned out to be a long-term residency hotel. The suite was specially constructed for this use and was never used by the general public. When not being used to guard people, it was used as an off-site office in special operations. The manager of the hotel was, in actuality, a retired agent.

Beth surveyed the suite. There were two bedrooms, each with their own bathrooms, a kitchen with a fully stocked fridge, a living room and an office. The office was totally secure for computers and communication. It would definitely be cozy for a few days, after that she figured it would feel like a jail cell.

Beth looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly midnight. She had completely lost track of time. Seeing the clock made her instantly tired. She hugged Maggie and went to bed.

Maggie had plenty of things to do before she slept. She made herself a cup of tea and sat down at the desk in the office. She looked around the office and saw that there were several monitors, which showed the area outside of their suite. There was also a panic button on the wall, as there would be in every room. She called Steve to check in. He was back at the lab and was reviewing surveillance tapes.

"We're in," she remarked. "Beth's asleep."

"I imagine that I'm not her favorite person right now," replied Steve.

"She's getting over it. I'll explain it to you later. So what's new?"

"Well, we have seven of the nine in protective custody and we have started to question them, the other two should be located shortly. Additionally we have secured all genetic samples and records for the nine and also for Beth."

"What about Dr. Martz?"

"He is still in a coma, but Stevens believes he found the cause and may be able to bring him out of it soon. He is a good man. I can understand why you spoke so highly of him. To protect Martz, we've moved him into the secure wing and will release a statement that he died from a massive heart attack. They won't come after him if they think he's dead," explained Steve

"And if he lives?" asked Maggie. "How will explain his resurrection?"

"We'll just say he "got better"," said Steve with a slight laugh.

"Anything else?" asked Maggie, fighting off a yawn.

"The sweep of the lab is continuing and we are examining Martz's computer. We have discovered the reading device that Beth talked about it. The computer and medical techs think they can figure how to make it work. We have also sent a team to search Martz's home. I will call you with an update in the morning," added Steve.

Maggie looked at the clock; it was now 2:00 AM. "It IS morning, in case you haven't noticed. Try to get some sleep tonight."

"No promises, we're on a tight schedule," he stated.

"I wish you were here, I really need to be with you. I really love you."

"I know you do. I love you too. Get some sleep I will call you later," replied Steve.

As he watched the video he also glanced at the day's security log. It showed the arrival and departure of everyone at the lab. Steve knew that the person who drugged Dr. Martz would appear on the tape. Very few of the employees knew that every room's activities were videotaped constantly, and that included most of the security guards.

Steve really didn't care if Martz lived or died. He was more concerned of the horrors that could be released by his discovery. He felt that society wasn't ready to use the process for humanities benefit, rather it could be a terrible weapon. The issue would be what to do with the nine victims of the Martz Process? There was even a recommendation from internal security that all persons exposed to the process be eliminated. But The Director refused to go to that extreme.

Then he saw it, a person walking into Martz's office. He looked around and then in a quick motion poured something into Martz's coffee pot. The time on the tape showed that it this had occurred as Martz was examining the sample. So far Steve couldn't see the man's face.

"Come on you bastard, turn around so I can see your face," said Steve to no one in particular.

Then the man turned around and started out. Steve froze the tape. He stared at the image for several seconds. He reviewed the logs and they confirmed what was on the tape. He picked up his phone and called The Director's personal number. Looking at his watch he saw that it was 3:45 AM.

"Yes," came the reply from The Director. There was no emotion in his voice. He knew that any call on this line was important.

"Sir, this is Agent Williams. I know who drugged Martz; it's Doctor Jeffrey Parker. How do you want me to proceed?"

"Put him under surveillance and question him in the morning when he arrives at work. Treat him friendly, as if you are asking for his help. He may not suspect that we are onto him. Anything else?"

"No sir," answered Steve. He knew that reports like this one should be kept simple and to the point. He heard the click of the Director's phone hanging up.

He sat there for a while and debating calling Maggie, but decided to let her sleep. Dr. Parker had assisted on the Martz Operation. He was a genetics expert who had once worked with Martz. Parker also lied and initially withheld information about Martz. At the time he claimed he did it to protect Martz. He also had information on all ten of the initial victims of the process. After his lying Steve restricted his information on the case. He didn't know all the events that happened in San Diego back in June. Those were only known to a few people.

Steve doubted if he was the main person in this present threat. Steve figured that Parker was being used by someone because of his expertise in genetics. He would have to use Parker to get to the real man in charge. He reviewed the work log and saw that Parker was presently assigned to the CDC lab and was expected back at 10:00 AM.

As Steve drove home he received a call that confirmed that Parker was at his home, "Good. That means he doesn't suspect anything," said Steve to himself. He figured that Parker would run into hiding the second he suspected anything. He looked at the time and saw it was 4:15. He would grab a few hours of sleep and then return to the lab and work on Parker.

 

Chapter Six

 

Beth was sitting at the kitchen table in the safe house eating breakfast. She was wearing light blue flannel pjs with stars and moons on them. They were very comfortable and she could understand why some girls wore them as regular clothing. It was Friday but because of the situation she wouldn't be going to school. She only hoped that she wouldn't be stuck in this suite all day.

Maggie joined her at the table. "I called your school and told them we had a family emergency and that we would be out of town for a few days. I will use a better excuse if this is dragged out longer," she said.

"If this keeps up we will run out of excuses before I graduate," said Beth with a laugh, "So, are we going in the office today or do we stay here in the beautiful hotel Alcatraz?.

"We will go in later and I'll ignore that comment about our lovely 'four bars' accommodations," quipped Maggie. "Oh, I checked the answering machine at home this morning. Who is Kyle? He left a message for you last night."

Beth looked up and smiled, "He called? Cool. He's a guy in my class, no big deal. So what was the message?"

Maggie smiled she picked up a piece of paper and read it to Beth, "Hey Beth, this is Kyle, sorry I missed you. I wanted to know if you want to go to the winter ball in December. I know it is a long time until the dance but I really want to take you. I hope no one else has asked you. I don't like asking you this way, but I don't want to lose out to someone else. See you in school tomorrow. Bye."

Maggie watched at Beth's eyes lit up when she heard that this boy wanted to take her to the dance. It brought back memories of her first date. She also saw how much of a girl Beth had become. That also pleased her.

"He wants me to go with him to the dance! I can't believe it, I knew he liked me a little but this is too much," beamed Beth.

"So, you like the idea of going on a date with a boy?" asked Maggie.

Beth sat there for a second, "Yes, I am comfortable with it. I really like him and it all feels so natural. I thought a lot about what you said to me last night. I know that I have this duality in my life and always will. But, I no longer try to control my responses to things."

"What do you mean?' asked Maggie

"Well when I first went to school I was always on guard so that I responded like 'Beth' instead of 'Ben'. But now I just respond as me. It is like they have merged and there is only one response in some areas. I am not 100% whole yet, but I am moving in that direction," explained Beth.

"So, it makes you happy to know that Kyle likes you?" asked Maggie.

Beth smiled and nodded. Yes it does, Mom. I only hope that this mission doesn't prevent us from going to the dance. I know with the seriousness of what is going on that my wanting to go to a dance kind of trivial, but it does mean a lot to me."

Maggie nodded her approval. "And it should mean a lot to you. I think it will work out. I have another question and if it is too personnel you don't have to answer. You like Kyle so you are becoming comfortable with your sexuality; do you feel any attraction towards girls? It doesn't make any difference to me you know that, it' just that I want to help you in any way I can."

"I'm not sure, maybe it is hard to tell. Before I changed I dated a lot, I had several girlfriends and well I enjoyed the times I had with them. After the change you know that I had no sexual drive or interest. I first felt attraction to males starting back in May. But recently I have had thoughts about being with another girl. To be honest I don't know if they are new feelings or residual," replied Beth.

"I think that when you said that you have interest in other girls, it is a pretty good sign that they are new. With your duality in your personality it is very likely that you may be bi-sexual. You just need to be aware of this and be careful of how you respond. There are a lot of closed minded people out there and I don't want to see you get hurt," Maggie replied with concern..

Beth leaned over and hugged Maggie, "Thanks Mom! If I slip up I'll just tell them that it is OK as I used to be a man!"

"Oh, that will make them feel much better!" laughed Maggie. "Tell me all about this boy who is interested in you."

Maggie listened as Beth described Kyle. She could tell that her daughter was in the middle of her first teenage crush. "I'll be there for you when you experience your inevitable first heartache too," she thought. It made her happy to see that Beth was continuing to adjust and adapt. It would make Beth's transition into adulthood so much easier if she was at peace with herself.

Just then the phone rang. Maggie answered and was briefed by Steve on Parker's involvement in Martz's poisoning. They agreed to meet in the office at noon and discuss their course of action.

"OK Kiddo, we need to get into the office. You need to dress up a bit, not fancy but professional," she ordered Beth.

Beth nodded and disappeared into her room to change. As Maggie got changed she thought about the conversation with Beth. She really enjoyed being a Mom. There was so much satisfaction in being a guide to Beth. As much as Martz transformed Beth, his process also transformed Maggie. She knew that her life would no longer revolve around her job.

When Maggie came out she found Beth waiting for her. She was pleased with Beth's wardrobe choice. Beth was wearing a long black skirt, a gray turtleneck sweater, black leather jacket and matching black boots.

"Nice choice Kiddo," complemented Maggie. "Who taught you to be so fashionable?"

"I learned everything I know from my Mom," replied Beth with a big smile on her face.

 

Chapter Seven

The Traitor

 

As Beth and Maggie headed into the office Steve was entering the lab. He had worked out his plan on how to deal with Parker. In his fourteen years of service he had come in contact with some real scum. However, the worse ones in his mind were the traitors. He actually held a begrudging admiration for terrorists, as they were at least devoted to a cause. But people who betrayed their honor and country for money were vermin. He had eliminated several and he felt no remorse at all.

He had Parker paged and sent to a conference room. The room was wired for sound and video. Steve figured he could break Parker in less than an hour. He sat down in the seat closest to the door. This would allow him to prevent any possible escape attempts. Not that he was really worried. Once Parker entered the room his Dobermans would be guarding the outside.

Dr. Parker entered the room and seemed surprised to see Steve, "Well, Agent Williams what brings you in our world?"

Steve smiled and shook Parker's hand. "The Agency needs your assistance again Dr. Parker. I'm sure you heard about the Dr. Martz's death last night. He was working on something very vital for us and I was wondering if you could take his place?" he studied Parker's reactions as he talked to him.

"Yes, I heard the terrible news this morning. It was shocking. I would be glad to help you," commented Parker. He wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Great, what I need to know is if it would be possible to reproduce the Martz Process? He was in the middle if doing some analysis of a sample of a possible duplicate of the process. And of course he is unable to tell us now what if anything he discovered," explained Steve.

"It might be possible to reproduce it, but one couldn't be sure until they tested it," noted Parker. "He didn't complete the analysis before he was poisoned? That is too bad, I doubt if anyone else would properly identify the process

Steve didn't say a word for a minute. He just glared at the doctor. "Nobody said he was poisoned Dr. Parker," stated Steve, as he watched the color disappear out of Parker's face. "You really disappoint me, I was hoping that you were smarter."

Dr. Parker began to tremble and shake. He looked at Steve with a pitiful look on his face. He looked like he wanted to say something, anything to make the situation better.

"Now Doctor, what happens to you will depend a lot on how well you cooperate. You will answer every question I ask or else," stated Steve in a very serious tone..

"I think I want a lawyer," remarked Dr. Parker, nervously.

Steve smiled and opened his coat and took out his pistol. Without a word he pulled out a silencer from his pocket and screwed it on. He then laid the gun down on the table in front of him.

"Doc, you haven't been arrested. My agency doesn't exist and if you continue to be uncooperative neither will you. You and your associates murdered four servicemen in San Diego yesterday. Additionally, you have tried to blackmail your government for an obscene amount of money. You make me sick and the only thing that is preventing me from blowing your head off is that we need information. You cooperate and you live, that is the deal. Your quality of life will be dependant upon the quality of your information," Steve exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table.

"We didn't kill anyone, we just transformed them and changed their genders. Your government rewarded Martz for doing that with a job and a lab. I was able to duplicate his process with very little effort," replied Parker in a panicky voice.

"Your process failed. It wasn't complete. Martz designed the process so that it wouldn't work unless it was complete. We let you think it your process was successful. All you did was murder four innocent servicemen," growled Steve. "You're looking at life imprisonment……if you're lucky!"

Dr. Parker's head dropped, all fight was gone. "I will cooperate completely," he mumbled, as he started to cry.

"First, tell me who you are working for and where they are for a start," demanded Steve. He knew the first few minutes after someone was "broken" was critical and they often divulged critical information without a fight. He couldn't give Parker time to change his mind, too much was at stake.

Parker looked down at the table and slowly regained his composure. "I became involved in this back in late May. A man named Jake Evans contacted me and he offered me a lot of money to assist his group. He claimed to be funded by rich industrialist. Initially, I was to help them find Dr. Martz. I provided Evans with Agent Clark and Beth's flight info that was the last time I heard from Evans."

"So you were the leak that almost got them all killed," growled Steve, fighting to contain his rage. Evans had almost killed Maggie and Beth. He rubbed his shoulder to remind himself where Evans had shot him. "By the way, Evans is dead." There was no need for Parker to know the truth that Evans was on exhibit at the San Diego Zoo.

"I thought so when he stopped calling me. I was later contacted by Evans' partner, he didn't seem overly concerned about Evan's disappearance," noted Parker.

"So tell me about this partner," demanded Steve.

"I can't. He'll kill me," whimpered Parker. He looked frightened.

Steve glared at Parker and then broke out in a sly smile and held up the gun, "If you don't tell me, I'll beat him to it."

Parker began to tremble slightly, "His name is Robert Wilkins. He made his money in the dot-com business and pulled out before it went bust. He provided me with a sample of DNA from one of the initial Martz Process subjects. He also had a lab set up to duplicate the process. I worked for him and completed my work two weeks ago."

"Where is the lab, I want an exact location," Steve ordered.

Parker told him that the lab was located on a small isolated privately owned island in the Bahamas. Wilkins had bought the island and had set up the lab in the guise of a private resort. Steve knew that their conversation was being sent directly to The Director's office. He imagined that a SEAL team would be making a visit to the island that evening.

"Where can we find Wilkins?" asked Steve.

"He is usually on his island, but he also has homes in LaJolla CA and New York City," answered Parker.

Steve nodded. "Now tell me about the sample, where did it come from?"

"It was from one of the initial subjects. Wilkins had made a business arrangement to obtain the samples," answered Parker. "I don't know how he got them."

Steve remembered that they had failed to locate the last two subjects during last night's sweep. Steve wasn't surprised about one of the missing subjects. Kris was a one of the subjects who had not only experienced gender change, but she had experienced age progression. One day they had been a 23-year-old PFC in the Marines and then they experienced 24 hours of hell to be reborn as a 43-year-old woman. She had been the least well adjusted of all the subjects. Even her name change was minor going from Chris to Kris. She tried very hard to ignore the fact that she was no longer male. She was extremely bitter and had tried to kill herself. Her therapist had felt she was making progress in the past few months. She was still bitter at everyone responsible for her change, but she no longer seemed suicidal.

The second missing subject was a surprise. Tina seemed very well adjusted to her change. Before Martz Tina had been a 22-year-old sailor stationed in Everett Washington. She was one of several subjects who had stayed her same age. From what he had heard she was very lovely. The last time she had been seen was nearly a month ago.

The interrogation continued for several more hours. Parker claimed that he didn't know the identity of the subject who had supplied the DNA. Steve called in the Dobermans and had them escort Parker to the Agency. He was escorted out very quickly so that no one knew that anything was wrong. He calls were forwarded to the agency in case that Wilkins tried to contact him. There were a few more questions for him that needed to be conducted there.

As Steve drove back to the agency he felt a bit more relived. He still felt Parker was holding back something. He also knew that someone else in the agency had to be involved. Parker didn't have the clearances to gain access to the compromised information. There was a very quiet search in progress for Wilkins. They would turn up the heat once the lab was destroyed. One of Doc Stevens teams would arrive with the SEALS to do a quick sweep of the lab, then it would be blown up. The house had a large propane tank for fuel. The SEAL Team would make it look like an accident. Steve fully agreed with the decision to destroy the lab.

Maggie and Beth were waiting for him in briefing room. They were reviewing the tapes of his interrogation of Parker.

"I must admit that putting the silencer on your gun was a nice touch. Where did you learn that one?" asked Maggie.

"I was inspired by The Guns of Naverone, it was on the classic movie channel the other night," Steve smiled.

"Great flick," added Beth.

Steve smiled at her "We'll have to watch it together sometime. By the way has anyone told you that you look very sharp Agent Clark?"

Beth looked over at Maggie smiled and pointed at her own chest in a "me?" motion.

"If my daughter is going into the family business then she is going to look good doing it. Besides, she has a young man she needs to impress now." informed Maggie.

"Mom! You promised not to say anything!" replied Beth, in mock anger.

"Hmmm, I will need to meet him before he takes you anywhere," remarked Steve with a laugh.

"Great! My first date and my parents interrogate and torture him," replied Beth with a laugh.

They all knew that the operation was far from over, but it didn't have that hopeless feeling that existed the previous day. It also felt good to relax a little.

There wasn't much to do but wait until the raid. Reports came in that Wilkins' homes both seemed to be unoccupied. They were both being monitored and would be searched at the same time as the raid by the SEAL Team. Steve decided to grab a few hours of sleep on the couch in his office. Maggie and Beth reviewed the data on Wilkins, Parker and the two missing women.

Maggie still felt something was missing. She looked at the records and tried to figure out what was wrong. Maybe it was just her imagination, but her little feeling had never failed her before. She just couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Beth was reading the files on the two missing subjects. She felt sorry for Kris and her inability to adapt. It was too bad that Dr. Martz hadn't shared the modifications that had helped her adjust with all of the subjects. Tina on the other hand was very well adapted. Tina was the only other subject that Beth had ever met face to face. They happened to be in the hospital for checkups. Beth remembered how Tina treated her like she was a dumb little girl. Beth had tried to have a serious conversation and Tina would have none of it. She remembered Tina telling her, "What do you know, you're still a kid. Wait until you grow up experience life, then you can talk to me." Beth knew an asshole when she met one.

The raid was due to strike at 2000 (8:00 PM). Around 1900 (7:00 PM) Maggie woke up Steve and invited him to dinner. They were about to share a pizza.

It had once been said that if a spy wanted to know when something big was about to go down in Washington then watch the pizza and other food delivery services. Their business to govt. offices jumped just before something happened. The agency solved this problem by having a decent internal food service and not just microwaves and vending machines. They even had a real pizza oven that made great pizza.

As they ate they watched the clock. Steve excused himself around 7:55 and went to the control center. Beth, much to her annoyance, wasn't granted clearance and was forced to stay out. Maggie stayed with Beth.

The waiting was very difficult. Maggie figured that if everything went according to plan they should hear something very soon. The longer it took for the mission to be completed the greater the possibility of something going wrong.

At 820 Steve came out of the center. From the look on his face both Maggie and Beth could tell it was mixed news.

"The raid was successful. The lab was there was completely operational. There were only six people there, one lab tech, who is now in custody and five guards who have been eliminated. The lab's computers have been transferred off site and will be delivered here in four hours," stated Steve.

"Were there any DNA samples in the lab?" asked Maggie.

"According to Doc Stevens, there are samples that appear to match the fake vaccine. There was one other thing there. Apparently the sample of DNA supplied wasn't provided willingly. It appears that they killed one of the Martz subjects to get the DNA," reported Steve.

"How?" asked Beth. She felt a feeling of dread run through her body.

Steve hesitated for a moment. But he figured that Beth needed to know the truth. "From what they can tell, the victim was injected with a chemical solution to break down their body's chemical bounds. They were then placed in what Stevens described as a large centrifuge. They turned it one and for the lack of better words "liquefied the victim" to get the base for their copy of the process. Stevens says his team is analyzing the remains to see if they can identify who was killed.".

"My God! I hope they were dead before the process started," gasped Maggie in a horrified tone.

Steve shook his head, "Stevens said that the victim was most certainly alive when this was done, in order to preserve the DNA. He says that it would have been a very painful death.".

"So, it can be assumed that they will attempt to repeat this if they can get their hands on another one of Martz's subjects," added Beth.

"I've doubled the guards on the all of the subjects in protective custody. They will be safe and so will you Beth," said Steve firmly.

"What about the lab?" asked Maggie.

"They are removing certain parts and the rest will be destroyed within the hour. It will be on the news tomorrow as a tragic accident due to a faulty propane tank gauge," explained Steve.

The rest of the evening was a waiting game. Agents entered the homes and offices of Wilkins. The Bahamas lab was destroyed. Stevens and his team began to analyze the samples and the computers were sent to the geeks. Beth was tired but didn't want to go back to the safe house alone. She tried not to think about the horrible death of the still unknown person. But she shivered when she realized that if Wilkins ever got a hold of her that she would meet a similar fate.

Beth woke up on the couch in Steve's office. She looked at her watch and saw that it was almost 6 AM. She got up and folded the blanket and placed it on the back of the couch. She walked out to the briefing room and found Maggie and Steve looking at a computer printout.

"Thanks for letting me sleep," thanked Beth. "What's going on?"

Maggie and Steve looked at each other. It was as if they were debating who would speak first. Finally Maggie spoke, "The Naval Investigative Service received a call last night from Tina. She claims to know where to find the person who is blackmailing the government. She said that Commander Evans tricked her into helping him and that she didn't know that they were going to hurting people. She said that she escaped last night and is in hiding. She says that she will allow herself to be brought in only if she meets with someone she trusts. And that person is you Beth."

"And do you believe this line of bullshit?" asked Beth.

"Your daughter has a mouth like a sailor," commented Steve.

"Of course we don't believe her. Her story has more holes in it than Swiss cheese," replied Maggie.

"Nice cliché Maggie," quipped Steve with a smile. "She's obviously not telling the truth. This may be a distraction to keep our attention divided or it may be an attempt to grab another person. As far as we know, Beth, you're the only other subject that she has ever met. We'll act like she is telling the truth, we'll arrange a meeting and then grab her and hopefully she will lead us to Wilkins."

"Where will this take place?" asked Beth.

"San Diego. She said that she told the NIS that she will contact them in 24 hours and unless you are there to meet her she won't come in," continued Maggie.

"I used to love San Diego," added Beth quietly. "So, when do we leave?"

"We will fly out in a private jet. It will be ready in an hour. Our bags are already packed and are being delivered to the airport." explained Maggie.

 

Chapter Eight

San Diego

 

With each passing minute Beth felt a growing sense of dread. Her thoughts were dominated by memories of San Diego. It had been her last duty station when she had been Ben and she had loved living there. But that all changed back in February when she became Beth. The pain and trauma of the transformation was still vivid. Then there was the trip back in June and her meeting with Dr. Martz, the discovery of the reason why she was transformed, the attack by Evans, the shooting of Steve and many other unpleasant memories. She was still haunted by these events and often woke from horrific nightmares. She hoped that they would fade, but now it looked like there would be new baggage.

  Beth was also thinking about the horrible way that Kris died. Doc Stephens had emailed them an initial report on the technique. From what she read Kris had been alive for nearly an hour as her body slowly liquefied. Beth knew that could be her fate and it made her shiver in fear.

Beth was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she never noticed Maggie sitting down next to her. It wasn't until she felt Maggie's hand on her arm that she noticed that Maggie was there.

"What's wrong Kiddo?" asked Maggie.

Beth turned and looked at her. She knew that there was no way she could have survived the past ten months without her, "You know, I was a lot better hiding my emotions when I was a guy. I was just thinking about the last two times I was in San Diego. They weren't exactly the kind of times that tourist bureau promotes. I am also worried about what they will do to me if they capture me."

"I know Kiddo," said Maggie, "I can't imagine the stress that you have gone through. But we'll get you through this and hopefully we'll see the end of the mess that Martz started."

"Do you really believe that? More and more people know about Martz's discovery and they will either attempt to duplicate it or steal it! Then there the sick bastards like Wilkins who see us as potential guinea pigs or even worse, just walking DNA banks waiting to be harvested."

"That won't happen to you. We will stop him, he won't be a threat any more," Maggie said, trying to convince Beth that everything would be OK.

Beth noticed that Maggie said nothing about taking him into custody. He had to pay for his crimes. Five people were dead as a direct result of his actions. She looked over at Steve and was happy he was with them.

"I really hope you are right, I just want to get on with my life. I want my worries to be about grades, surviving the rest of high school and getting into college," quipped Beth. "Not fighting international conspiracies and being threatened and possibly being killed by wackos."

"You left out boys," Maggie noted with a smile.

Beth smiled back. "That's true. I really do like Kyle"

For the next hour or so, Beth and Maggie talked about Kyle. Steve looked over at them and was pleased to see Beth smiling and laughing. He had grown very fond of her and also very protective. These missions were stressful enough for a seasoned agent, let alone someone like Beth. She had held up well so far, but Steve could tell that she was fighting a lot of personal demons. He knew this from his battles with his own demons.

He shifted back to the mission. They had to wait until Tina called and then they would set up the meeting. There was a whole laundry list of things that could go wrong. It was his job to ensure that they didn't. The goals were to bring in Tina and then get her to tell where Wilkins is located. He doubted that Wilkins would be stupid enough to be at the meeting place.

Steve reviewed the overall operation plan. It was very similar to the plan used back in June and he was using many of the same agents. Just like back in June , Beth would have a tracking device in her and as before she wasn't aware of it. She had swallowed it after being told it was a vitamin pill. He really disliked parts of his job. But he knew it was for Beth's personal safety.

Once in San Diego they were driven to the operation center. It was located in a hotel suite that doubled as a safe house. It was even in the same hotel chain as the one back in DC.

"Wow talk about Déjà vu!" exclaimed Beth, as they walked in the room. "They even have the same prints on the walls."

If Tina called she would be immediately forwarded to the room. Steve would try to have it traced but he didn't think he would get that lucky. It was just a waiting game now.

Two hours later the phone rang. Maggie answered it and confirmed it was Tina. She then passed the phone to Beth, who had been briefed to keep her on the line as long as possible.

"Hi Tina, this is Beth," she as she answered the phone.

There was a long pause. "Tell me where we last met," demanded Tina.

"Naval Hospital during some routine checkups back in the spring," replied Beth.

"OK, look I don't like trusting my life to a kid, but I figure I can trust you," she answered.

Beth shook her head at the 'kid' remark, "Gee thank you so much, Tina! I am so honored to help you, it makes me feel so grown up!" replied Beth is her best airhead teen voice. Maggie glared at her and Beth rolled her eyes in response.

"Good girl, now I want you to listen carefully. Do you know where Balboa Park is?" she asked

"Yes I think so," replied Beth. She decided that if Tina was going to treat her like a kid than why give her a reason to think otherwise?

"Once you are there, I want you to walk along the main road between the fountain and Museum of Man. It has some sort of Spanish name. Look at a tourist map if you can't find it. What are you wearing?" she asked.

"I am in a jeans and a gray sweatshirt that says 'Hoyas' on it," said Beth, she was wearing a Georgetown sweatshirt she had 'borrowed' from Steve.

"OK I will contact you. You must be alone. I want you there at 1:00 PM. I will contact you sometime later. If I do not contact you by 4:00 then I am not coming," she ordered..

"OK I understand I will be there," replied Beth. Then the phone went dead.

The technician working the phone trace shook his head, "She was using a cell phone with a scrambling device, pretty high tech, not what you'd find on a normal phone."

"I think she was referring the El Prado. It runs the length of the park and is surrounded by various museums and shops. I used to go jogging there," added Beth. "By the way, there are only two ways out of the park by car."

"Good job Beth. Tina obviously sees you a kid and she underestimates you. Use this to your advantage if the worst happens," remarked Steve. "We'll have several agents in the park and we will be monitoring the entire area."

The rest of the time before the meeting was spent reviewing the plans and the various contingencies.

"Remember Beth, even if you are taken, don't ever give up," Maggie stated. She then hugged Beth.

At 1:00 Beth arrived at the park. It was a pleasant day and it was a nice change from the raw weather back home. She smiled when she realized that she now considered the Washington DC area home. Hopefully, this mess would soon be over and then they would all go home.

Beth slowly made her way up the Prado. She wondered how long it would be until Tina showed up. There was also the possibility that people working for Wilkins would just grab her. Steve had warned her that it was a possibility. He told her that if they show a weapon do not resist and to just go with them. Beth knew that she was being watched and it did make her feel more at ease.

As she was making her second lap she heard a couple of young men jogging up behind her. They ran by and one glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her. She smiled back and decided that he was pretty hot. She was getting used to the new feelings and they were feeling a bit more natural. The smile she gave the jogger was a reflex, she didn't even think about it. She wondered what it would feel like to be kissed by a boy. She then shook her head. It was one of her quirks. She did it whenever she needed to focus.

She walked towards the San Diego Museum of Art and walked through the small parking lot. It was here that she heard someone call her name. She turned around and saw Tina sitting in a SUV. She turned around and walked over to Tina, it was then when she saw the gun pointing at her.

"Please get in the back Beth," she demanded.

Beth nodded and obeyed. She hoped that her guardian angels were watching. As she got in two men walked up. One got in the back with her and the other sat next to Tina. The man next to Beth pressed a gun against her side.

"Please don't resist, it will end badly for you," threatened Tina.

"Why are you doing this, I thought you wanted help?" asked Beth, acting every bit like a scared helpless girl. She remembered Steve's advice to make them underestimate her.

"Sorry kid, but we need you. You are my ticket to the good life," snapped Tina.

They drove out of the park and turned onto 6^th Ave and headed north. Beth decided to just act scared and to not ask any more questions. They continued out of town and cut over to the coast. At least they were not heading to Mexico. Beth remembered that Wilkins owned a home in La Jolla but she doubted that they would be going there.

Beth noticed that the goon next to her was staring at her breasts. He looked up and made eye contact with her and then he licked his lips. She shuttered at the thought of this man touching her body and she tried to slide away from her. He reached over and was about to touch her breasts when Tina told him to keep his hands off her.

"You are being paid to guard her, so do your job!" she said in a real bitchy tone.

Thirty minutes later they exited off the highway. They drove for another thirty minutes before they stopped in front of a small industrial complex. There was a ten-foot high fence surrounding the facility. Beth noticed that there was razor wire at the top of the fence. Tina pressed a button on the dashboard and the gate opened up automatically and they drove in.

Tina pulled the SUV in front of the building and they all got out. Beth continued to act passive. She looked around and prayed that they had been followed.

"Follow me girl," ordered Tina.

They walked into the building and Tina led them to an office. Sitting behind a desk was a man. He looked like he was in his mid 30's and was wearing a tailored gray suit.

"As promised, here she is Robert," Tina exclaimed. She walked around the desk and leaned over and kissed him.

 

So that explained her connection, thought Beth. Tina was his lover and she had helped them kill Kris.

"Good afternoon Beth, I am Robert Wilkins," he greeted.

"Why am I here? " asked Beth. She tried to act like a scared little girl.

"Well you have something I need, something only nine other people have," he explained. "I need your DNA for a little experiment."

"What do you mean?" asked Beth. She knew she had to stall for time and give Steve and Maggie a chance to get here."

"Well I don't have time to explain something as complicated to a mere child, but basically I am going to replicate the process that transformed you," he stated.

"What do you need? A blood sample or something like that?" asked Beth. She wasn't sure how much longer she could drag this out.

He laughed, "No, I need a bit more than a blood sample. I am afraid that I will need your whole body. Tina please take her to the lab and prepare her."

Beth felt a hand grab her arm, she turned around and saw Tina grabbing her with one hand and pointing a gun at her with the other. Tina led her to the lab and directed her to a shower stall.

"OK, honey, you need to strip down and get in the shower. We need you nice and clean and sanitized before we can use you. You will be in there for thirty minutes so you might as well enjoy yourself. Oh, don't worry the guards won't be allowed in here. You can enjoy your last minutes on earth in relative privacy," sneered Tina.

Beth stood there for a second and stared at Tina. She debated making a grab at the gun, but decided that she wasn't close enough.

"Come on bitch, get in the shower," ordered Tina, motioning with the gun.

She didn't care for Tina watching her strip down, but there was nothing she could do. Beth slowly undressed and folded and put her clothes on the bench next to the shower.

"No need to fold the clothes. You won't need them anymore," stated Tina with a twisted smile on her face.

Beth ignored her as she carefully folded her sweatshirt. She wanted to make this take as long as possible.

"Take off your jewelry too," demanded Tina.

Beth took out her earrings and placed them on top of her sweatshirt along with her rings, necklace and watch. When she was finished she stood their defiantly. She didn't bother to cover herself up for this bitch. She just glared at Tina with eyes filled with hate.

"Too bad you are going to die, you have a nice body. Now get it!" ordered Tina.

She entered the shower and closed the door behind her. Tina closed a latch on the door, thus locking Beth inside.

As Beth turned on the water she wondered if these would be her last moments on earth. No, it wouldn't end this way! She knew that Maggie and Steve wouldn't let it end like this. The hot water felt very good, so good that she almost forgot why she was in the shower. She opened her eyes and saw that Tina was sitting on the bench watching her.

Beth remembered the description of the process used to kill Kris. If it was half as painful as Doc Stevens described then there was no way she was going to submit to it. She decided that she would rather get shot than experience it. She began to plan her attack as she washed. Yes, it would be better to go down fighting. Beth stared at Tina as she washed, building up her rage so that it would explode when Tina opened the door. Maybe she could get the gun, but at least she was going to try.

Beth was snapped about of her thoughts by the sound of an explosion, followed by the muffled sound of automatic gunfire. The main lights went off and dim yellow emergency lights came on. Tina jumped up and looked at Beth. She seemed confused and kept looking back and forth, first at Beth then at the door to the office. She didn't know which way to go. Beth tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge so she went to her knees and huddled near the bottom of the shower. However, she kept her eyes on Tina the whole time.

Suddenly the door of the lab was blown off its hinges. Two men dressed in black combat gear ran in. They were wearing gasmasks, helmets, and combat armor. Each was armed with a submachine gun. Tina looked at them and the turned around and pointed her gun at Beth. Before she could fire a spray of machinegun fire hit her in the chest, knocking her back. She was dead before she hit the ground.

Beth was laying on the floor of the shower in a near fetal position. She heard the door open and felt the water turned off.

"Are you alright Beth," came the comforting sound of Steve's voice.

Beth was now crying uncontrollably and could only nod yes.

"Maggie she's in here!" yelled Steve. "Stay there Beth, Maggie will be here shortly, it is all over."

Maggie ran in and went right to Beth. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her daughter. Beth hugged her hard.

Maggie wrapped her arms around the trembling Beth. "Its OK, Kiddo, I'm here now."

"I knew you were coming," cried Beth. The relief of rescue caused her to cry uncontrollably. The whole time Maggie held Beth tightly. "I knew you wouldn't let them kill me!"

 

Eventually Beth gained her composure. Maggie helped Beth up off the ground and got her dried off and dressed. Beth looked over as the body of Tiny was rolled away on a gurney to join the bodies of the two guards. They had tried to take Wilkins alive, as they needed to interrogate him. However, he was lying in his office with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had tried to kill himself but had only given himself a severe head wound. He was clinging to life and being kept alive only for questioning.

A wave of technicians and medical experts was soon swarming over the lab. Maggie escorted Beth through the lab and outside. Steve met them there. He had to stay to secure the scene and question Wilkins.

"I'll see you ladies back in DC soon," he explained. He gave Beth a long hug. Then he gave Maggie a quick kiss. Steve opened the door of the car for Maggie and Beth. "They are taking you directly to the Miramar. There will be a jet standing by to take you home. I love you both, bye!"

Their drive to the base was totally silent. Maggie sat next to Beth in the back seat and held her close. They were waved right on the base and escorted out to the flight line. As Steve had promised the agency's private jet was standing by.

As they approached the jet the driver wished them a safe trip. Beth turned around to thank him and saw the jogger who had smiled at her in the park.

 

"Thank you so much!" thanked Beth, breaking out into a small smile.

"Glad to be of service Miss," he stated, as he winked at her.

As they got on the jet Beth was giggling.

Maggie smiled at Beth. "I saw that."

On the flight back Maggie debriefed her daughter. She hated making her recall the events but it was necessary. She was impressed with Beth's cool demeanor through most of the ordeal.

She then told Beth how they tracked the SUV the entire trip. As soon as the assault team arrived they moved in. Luckily the lab was in an isolated area and the attack was able to proceed immediately.

The stress of the abduction took hold on Beth and she was soon struggling to stay awake. Maggie let her sleep. She moved to the phone and called Steve. He told her that he was able to get some information out of Wilkins before he was transported to medical facilities. It looked like he was the brains of the operation and there didn't appear to be any foreign governments involved. He didn't give any indication of knowing the secret genetic codes that Martz had hidden in the subjects. He told Steve that he was trying to reverse engineer the Martz Process and figured that he would have eventually succeeded. He also said that Tina had helped him kidnap Kris.

She asked him if Wilkins would survive. He said that it was very unlikely. She knew what that meant. She told Steve to hurry back home and then hung up.

 

Chapter Nine

Conclusion

 

Maggie and Beth were sitting on their couch in watching TV. It had been two days since their return from San Diego and things were just starting to return to normal. Suddenly the phone rang

"Hi Maggie, looks like I will be out here another day. There are a few 'loose ends' to take care of," said Steve.

"I can imagine. I miss you a lot," she replied. "Doc Stevens called and says that Dr. Martz should recover."

"I'll be back soon. I miss you too," replied Steve. "Personally I sort of wished that Martz would have died. I am tired of all the problems he has caused."

"I understand your feelings, I don't necessarily disagree with you," commented Maggie.

"By the way tell Beth her restaurant recommendations have all been winners. I especially like the breakfast place in Golden Hill she told me about. I've been there several times. She was right; the pancakes are as big as the plate. Oh, by the way, you will want to watch CNN in a few minutes. Good night, I love you Maggie."

"Switch to CNN Beth, Steve liked the breakfast place you recommended," stated Maggie, as she hung up the phone.

"I knew he would," answered Beth with a smile, as she switched channels.

They watched it for a few minutes and then the banner on the scene flashed up "Breaking News". The commentator then was handed a report. "This just in, computer software and dot-com multi-millionaire Robert Wilkins was found dead in his La Jolla, California home. He had apparently committed suicide several days ago. The police discovered his body this afternoon. Wilkins aged 36 was under federal investigation for tax evasion and financial fraud. A police spokesman reported that a suicide note was found next to the body. The cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head."

Maggie turned it off. No words were necessary. There was still the nagging fear that they hadn't gotten everyone. Someone had to get the information to Wilkins, and it looked like they were in the agency.

Beth went back to school the next day. She had only missed a few days, but it seemed much longer. It actually felt good to be back in her skirt and jacket. Everyone welcomed her back and asked how she was. Maggie had told the school that they had to attend a funeral in the family. Beth kidded Maggie that if she was on many more missions that they would run out of fake relatives to kill off.

The person she was happiest to see was Kyle. "I'm sorry I didn't return your call but we had a family emergency," said Beth.

"I know I heard about it from Kelly. Everything OK now?" he asked.

"Yes everything is much better now," she replied.

Kyle sat there for a minute and mumbled something that sounded like "Here goes nothing" under his breath.

Beth sat there patiently and waited. She wondered if she was this goofy when she had been Kyle's age.

"Beth, I would like you to go to the winter dance with me," he asked.

"I'd love to go with you Kyle. I got your message and I was hoping that you would wait until I got back," replied Beth.

Without thinking Kyle leaned over and kissed Beth on the lips, "This is so cool, I was hoping you'd go with me!"

Beth blushed and thought about how good the kiss had felt. "I think that life just got a bit more complicated, but in a good way for a change," she said to herself.

 

The End

(For Now)

  

  

  

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