Flight of the Griffin

by Maddie V

Part 2

 

With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and stepped in front of the mirror. My heart was pounding in anticipation. That really confused me. "It's no big deal," I told myself. "Its just some clothes and make-up. If I look silly I just stay the way I've always been." That's when I realized I really wanted to look good. I wanted to look like a girl. With the shock of that realization, I opened my eyes and saw me for the first time. For most of my life I've felt like an incomplete puzzle. All of the pieces were there waiting to be assembled, I just didn't know how they fit together. A few of those pieces locked together when I looked in the mirror. I looked at myself and felt a strange connection. It just seemed to be right. I wasn't sure what that meant and that added to my growing confusion.

"I knew you'd turn out good," Katie stated.

"I wasn't so confident, but you're right. If I didn't know that was me in the mirror I wouldn't believe it was possible," I responded snapping out of my daze.

"I don't know about you but I could use a break. I need to call Agent Kent and get something to drink. Meet me back here in a half hour?"

"Sure, then we can get started on you," I answered.

"Me, what do you mean me?"

"I might be in mortal danger but they're looking for both of us. Making you a little harder to spot wouldn't be a bad idea, either."

"I thought of that but was going to take care of it myself. I didn't think you'd want to spend anymore time in here than necessary," she replied.

"Oh no, after all you put me through I want to return the favor. Besides, I think you'd look great with a pixie cut," I grinned.

"Pixie cut?!" she stammered. "Well, actually, that's not a bad idea. You sure there's not some little bit of female in you somewhere?"

I wanted to say absolutely not but I couldn't. That little voice was telling me not to dismiss that comment, "she may not be so far off," it whispered, becoming a little clearer. I was hit with a spell of claustrophobia and had to leave that little room. Katie left to make her call and I wandered out into the hallway. I didn't really have a destination. I was just walking and thinking. The day's activities had awakened some part of my mind that had been dormant for a long time.

My claustrophobia didn't dissipate in the hallway. It continued to follow my thoughts and me. The walls had started to close in on me and I was nearly in a panic as I stumbled through the door into the rainforest room. The openness of the room and late afternoon sunlight streaming through glass ceiling lifted the crushing pressure that had been building in my mind. My breathing became easier and my hammering heartbeat began drumming a softer beat.

I took the next few minutes to steady myself then sat down next to the waterfall. Moe had moved from his rock and was happily munching on some leaves in a tree about twenty feet above the ground. I sat and watched him for a few more minutes before I felt anywhere near normal again. My brain had regained function as my panic subsided.

I was trying to figure out what all the feelings I was having meant. I went back over the day from beginning to end. Other than the unpleasant hair coloring process, you'd think by now they'd figure out how to make that stuff smell a little better, I found that I had enjoyed most everything that had happened. The one thing that kept popping up in my head was that I wasn't supposed to enjoy it. Guys just didn't do that stuff. The more logical side of my brain reminded me it was the twenty-first century and that a lot of guys do some of those things.

It wasn't that I had enjoyed it exactly. It just felt right to be doing it. Like it's what I should have been doing all my life. That's when the little voice in my head became clear. I didn't want to admit to what it was saying. It was telling me I like being a girl. That's what I should have been from the beginning. That couldn't be right. I'm a guy. I like girls. I may not be overly masculine but I'm not feminine either. That just can't be right.

The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Some more pieces of my puzzle fell into place. Parts of my personality, thoughts, and feelings definitely leaned toward the feminine side. There wasn't a lot I liked about being male. I just dealt with it. I just didn't know how to reconcile what my head was saying and how things really were. I decided that it was just the stressful situation I was in and did my best to push it into the back of my mind.

Unfortunately, long buried memories began to surface. When I was little I thought I was a girl. I didn't understand that I was a male and was supposed to play with boys. I wanted to play with the girls. I preferred dolls and dresses over bats and balls. I learned pretty quickly that wasn't acceptable so I buried it. Here I was twenty years later and those feelings had returned.

Duncan's voice woke me from my thoughts, "There you are Griff, I mean Gabbie. I've been looking for you."

"Hi, Duncan. You've been looking for me?"

"Yes, we all have. Katie said you were supposed to meet her twenty minutes ago but hadn't shown up. She thought you might have gotten lost, so she sent Max, Bax and me to look for you."

"Has it really been that long?" I asked surprised.

"I guess so, kid. You look great. I almost didn't recognize you. For a second I thought you were one of Max's girls. He's always got one floating around here somewhere," he smiled.

"Thanks, I think," I answered standing up.

"Everything OK?"

"Yes and no. I just never thought I'd end up looking like this. It's kind of messing with my head."

"I'll bet. If I were you, my brain would have scrambled long before now. Just try and remember you are still you under there. The same guy you were when you woke up this morning."

"That's the problem, Duncan, I don't want to be the guy I was when I woke up. This," I said pointing at myself, " is the most real I have ever felt. But that's just fucked up. You are either a boy or girl, right. God doesn't put girls in boy's bodies or boys in girl's. Does he or she?" All the stress and emotions I had been battling all day came crashing through. I broke down and started crying. I couldn't help myself. The iron gate that usually slammed down my emotions was no match for the flood that was coursing through me. I turned and buried my face in my hands.

I felt arms wrap themselves around me and pull me close, that somehow made me feel better. I stood there and cried myself out. Eventually, the tears faded into sobs. I regained awareness of my surroundings and realized I was wrapped in Bax's arms. I looked up to see him looking worriedly down at me. "When did he come in," I thought. I turned to see a look of equal concern on Duncan's face.

"Look, kid, I don't pretend to know how God works. I do know that humans come in such a huge variety that it's likely that occasionally a girl gets thrown in a boy's body for whatever reason. If they all turn out like you when that happens, we'll be in better shape for it. Whether you're a boy, girl, or something in between I'm glad we met you and I hope we get to become good friends," he said with a smile.

"Duncan's right. Society tries to separate humans into two nice neat categories. They see everything in black and white while the world goes by in shades of gray. That narrow minded thinking will never get us anywhere. We have to be able to accept new things. We will accept you no matter what packaging you have. All you have to do is be you and not try to conform to some imaginary standard," added Bax.

I reluctantly pulled myself away from him and tried to compose myself. They had showed more compassion and acceptance than I would have expected. They had known me less than twenty-four hours yet were willing to take me no matter how I would be viewed by society. I knew I had found a group of true friends.

"Thank you, guys. That means more to me than I can ever express," I said and gave them both a big hug, which they returned with equal care.

"Is this a private party or can we join?" Max asked trailing Katie behind him.

"That all depends on whether you can handle another girl around here or not," answered Duncan.

"What on earth are you talking about?" questioned Katie.

Duncan told them what had happened with Bax filling in any gaps that were left. I sat back down and was trying to give my seriously overtaxed mind a rest. Things had happened so fast I wasn't sure what I wanted.

"The more the merrier I always say," laughed Max.

"I knew you wouldn't have any trouble with having another girl around you old pervert," teased Duncan.

"It would be nice to have some help with all the testosterone floating around this place," added Katie as she and Max joined our little group.

"You guys are just full of surprises. I don't know for sure if being female is right. All I know is that for the first time in my life I actually make sense to myself."

"Hey, like we said before, we're here for you no matter what you decide," Duncan said.

After another round of hugs I was feeling much better. The guys had work to attend to so they left to take care of it. Katie and I were left sitting by the waterfall. She must have sensed that I still wasn't feeling completely solid. She wrapped her arms around me and gave me another reassuring hug. It was unlike those the guys had given me.

"I hope I haven't caused all this," she sighed. "All you've tried to do is help me and I go and try to drive you off a cliff."

"You haven't done anything that wouldn't have happened eventually. The pressure has been building for a long time now. I just didn't know the source. Now I do. I really should thank you for giving me that."

"Geez, you nearly have a mental breakdown and you end up thanking me for it. I don't think you should be asking yourself whether you're male or female. The question should be are you human?" she joked.

"Oh, I'm human all right. Don't think you're getting off that easy. It's your turn to have your nose abused for a while. I think it's about time for your new look," I said as I nearly dragged her back to the little room we had been working in. It only took an hour to give her a new image. I really enjoyed the transformation I was able to give her. Sporting new blonde locks and the pixie cut I promised, she wasn't likely to be easily recognized.

My stomach was growling by the time we had finished. With all of the day's activity we had skipped lunch and nearly missed dinner. "Hey, Katie, I'm starved what do you say about a little dinner?"

"Are you asking me out?" she laughed.

"That all depends on if it'll get me out of this building."

"I think it'll be OK if you leave. I don't expect anyone to recognize you. I'm a bit hungry myself and I know exactly where to go."

I wasn't sure if it was a date or not. I really wouldn't mind that but I didn't know if Katie was interested in a guy that looked like a girl.

"I'll get someone to take this stuff up to your room while we're gone," Katie pointed at the nearly overflowing table. We had managed to make quite a mess. She gathered a few items, threw them in a leftover paper bag and handed it to me. "That'll have to do until we can get you something more appropriate," she said.

"Umm…Katie what will I do for ID? Everything I have says I'm a guy named Griffin."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Thanks for reminding me. I need to get a picture of you," she said pulling out a small digital camera. I stood next to the wall while Katie snapped a few pictures. "Great, all done. I just need to E-mail these real quick then we can go. We'll pick up our new Ids on the way."

"Sounds good to me, but I get to drive. I want to get a feel for my Mustang's replacement."

I followed Katie to her room to send my pictures to wherever it was they needed to go. It only took her a few minutes to get that done. She went into her closet and emerged a few minutes later in a whole different outfit and carrying a couple bags. She had replaced her khaki capris with a denim skirt that was much shorter than the one I was wearing. Her top had morphed to a light olive green linen halter. She looked really good.

"Damn, I thought it took girls a long time to get changed. It took you all of about two seconds. I think that maybe a record," I razzed her.

"It does take us a long time if we don't know what to wear. I knew exactly what I wanted. Here put all that stuff in this," she replied tossing me a small backpack like bag. OK, it's a purse. Old habits die hard. I'd only been in female mode a few hours and my old male habits were still around. I transferred the contents of the paper bag to the backpack/ purse.

Make-up for various repairs was dropped into one of the pockets. A nail file and clippers were added to a smaller pocket. Those made me look at my fingernails. Fortunately, I try to keep my nails reasonably neat. I didn't see anything that needed attention so I continued to get myself organized. There was a small pad of paper and pen already inside. I tried to give them to Katie but she told me to keep them just in case. A travel size package of tissues was the last item to be added, or so I thought.

"We'll pick up a woman's wallet while we're out. One more thing to put in there then we are out of here." she disappeared into the bathroom and returned with two small plastic wrapped packages. I recognized them as tampons.

"Uh, Katie I don't think I'll be needing those," I said thinking she'd inhaled too much chemical fumes.

"No, you won't but all girls carry them. It's just another little detail to help complete your new image."

"Gotcha, this is just so weird."

"Tell me about it. A few hours ago you were Griffin. A pretty good looking guy if you don't mind me saying. Now here you are Gabbie and a pretty good looking girl. It's hard to believe you are one in the same. I'm having a little trouble with it so you must really be buggin' out," she confessed.

"Other than my little meltdown a while ago, I'm doing pretty well. I've been overwhelmed, yes, but I've enjoyed the new experiences. It will be interesting to see what happens when I wake up in the morning. Right now, all I want to do is get something to eat, I'm starving," I replied.

"Ok let's get out of here. We still need to work on your voice though. You're soft spoken which helps, but I you do still sound like a guy."

I tried a few different voices as we walked to the garage. Katie thought some of them were quite funny. She wasn't impressed by any of them, though. She finally told me to try and drop the bass out of my voice and just use the higher tones. I wasn't having much luck when we got to the garage.

Bax was there taking delivery of my freshly painted Mustang. Just as Kel had said, it was a good choice. It seemed to glow under the bright shop lights. I just had to take a closer look. Katie and I walked over to Bax and the car.

"Wow, that looks great," I said. The voice that came out was a husky female version of my own. I'd somehow managed to drop the bass just as Katie had suggested. I guess I'd been trying too hard before.

Bax gave me a surprised look then shook his head as if that shouldn't have surprised him. Kel's response took me off guard.

"And who are these pretty ladies?" he asked as he openly checked both Katie and me out. I didn't particularly like the way I was being looked at. Hopefully, I was never that obvious or made women feel like I did at that moment.

Bax tried to get his attention "Hey, Kel, try and control your hormones for a minute."

"Sorry, Bax, I just lose control around beautiful women," he smiled.

Bax introduced us and I could tell he was trying really hard not to smile. Katie was wearing a grin from ear to ear. I was having some difficulty trying not to laugh myself.

"Bax, Katie and I are hungry and were wondering if we could take the Thunderbird to get something to eat." I asked Bax.

"Don't see why not. The keys are in the rack on the wall," he answered pointing to the wall by the door. "You girls be careful."

"Aw, Bax, you take all the fun out of everything," Katie teased.

"If I didn't, I'd have to come rescue you all the time," he returned.

They kept up their banter while I went and got the keys. Katie and Bax had managed to get pretty wound up in the few seconds it took me to get back. They were both laughing as I claimed Katie and led her to the car. Over my shoulder I asked Bax, "Are you changing tires on this thing tomorrow?"

"Probably, why?" he answered.

"Just wondering," I called back. I turned before he could see the evil grin on my face.

As soon as we were seated Katie looked at me, "I know that look. What are you planning?" Katie asked.

"Me planning? Why on Earth would you think I was planning anything?" I said innocently as I started the engine. Katie grabbed her seat belt and made sure it was tight. I did the same with mine. I know Bax and Kel weren't expecting what I was about to do. They had gone back to looking at the Mustang.

Their heads snapped back around as I stomped on the gas. The tires let out a howl of anguish as I left two long black streaks on the spotless garage floor. Just to make sure I scrambled Kel's brain a little, I did a couple donuts in the parking lot. Just because I look like a girl doesn't mean I have to drive like one. Katie was laughing hysterically in the passenger seat with a huge smile. I caught sight of the two boys right before we headed out of the lot. Bax looked rather amused. I hoped he wouldn't be too upset about messing up the garage floor. Kel was standing there with his mouth hanging open. Hopefully, I managed to push a button or two in that brain of his.

"You are so bad. Fun. But bad," Katie grinned.

"Sorry, I just can't help myself sometimes," I laughed. Driving is the one thing about me that I am pretty sure is masculine. I don't think that will ever change. I just enjoy it too much. "I do try and control myself, though. I do. I really, really do," I said trying to sound confident. A moment later, we were giggling like teenage girls.

"Yeah, right. Some how I just don't believe that."

We continued talking while Katie directed us to our first destination. It was one of the most interesting conversations I had ever had. We covered a wider variety of subjects than I had ever done before. Sometimes it seemed almost random, but I could trace the conversation back and find a connection from one subject to the next.

I found myself laughing so hard my stomach hurt at some of her stories. Then she would almost be in tears from a funny story I told. No subject seemed to be off limits. I told her more about myself than I had told my last five girlfriends combined. She managed to pull things out of me I never thought I'd tell anyone. I had never managed such an intimate conversation before. I hoped to be able to do it more.

"Is this the first time you've ever felt you should have been a girl?" she asked.

"No, when I was little I thought I was one. I may have asked my parents if I was one but they made it pretty clear that I wasn't and pretending to be would be totally unacceptable. I still did when they weren't around. Once I got into school, the other kids made it very clear that it was unacceptable. I pretty much buried it there and didn't think about it again. Occasionally, something would happen to remind me but I would stuff it down deep inside," I told her.

"Okay, I feel a little better. One more thing I just have to ask. Do you prefer women or men?"

"I'd have to say women. I've never really thought about it, though. What about you?" I asked to harass her.

"Both really. I tend to be with men more but I've had a few girlfriends. You should try it. You never know."

"Oh God, I'm having a hard enough time just trying to figure out who I am. I don't think I want to add questionable sexuality to my list."

"Suit yourself. Just don't discount that as a possibility."

I thought about what Katie said as we headed toward our new identities. She led us to a small shopping center just off the highway. I was expecting to go to some run down office building in the middle of nowhere. Maybe, I have seen too many movies. I certainly wasn't expecting to end up at a regular twenty four hour print/copy place. In my defense, you couldn't just walk in and order up a new ID. The person supplying our new lives just happen to work there.

"Not what you were expecting is it?" Katie asked.

"No, but that's nothing new. I haven't had a clue since I stepped out of the elevator in the garage last night," I replied gloomily.

"Don't worry, you'll figure it out in time. A lot has been thrown at you in a short period. Shall we go in?" She asked pointing at the door.

I got really nervous when I realized I'd have to walk around in public dressed as a woman. "Umm, Katie, you think you could just run in and get whatever we need?" I squeaked.

"Yes, I could, but you're going to have to go out in public eventually. You might as well do it now. Besides, I seriously doubt you'll meet anyone you'll ever see again."

I could tell I was going to have to get out whether I wanted to or not. She was right, I wouldn't ever see anyone from here again, so what did it matter if they saw me. I grabbed my purse and took a deep breath. We got out of the car and started walking to the door. I really wanted to run. I took almost all my self restraint to just walk.

Katie told me to relax and walk more from the hip than knee. I found her advice helpful and by concentrating on it I didn't think about all the things I was doing wrong. We made it to the door and got inside without anyone shouting about the guy in a skirt. Katie led me to a counter and asked for someone named Roxie.

Roxie was a beautiful girl with energetic fire engine red hair and an equally energetic personality. She was called in from behind a set of swinging doors. The frown she had coming through the doors switched to wide smile when she saw Katie. She nearly ran over to Katie as she was quickly removing the apron she had been wearing. The two met and exchanged hugs like two best friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time.

Roxie had us follow her back behind the swinging doors. The two real girls were speaking so quickly, I was afraid their lips might burst into flames. I reverted to my chameleon type behavior and tried to blend into the background. That lasted all of about tens seconds before Katie was introducing us. Roxie handed both of us an envelope as she was resuming her hyper speed conversation with Katie.

I opened the envelope and checked the contents. I had a new driver's license with my new name on it. It wasn't quite official, but for all intensive purposes, I was now Gabrielle James. It was a very surreal experience. I also had two major credit cards, an insurance card, and various other lesser cards. It was impressive work. The cards even looked as if they had been used for a while.

Katie had been looking in her own envelope, "Wow, these look great. You've really out done yourself on this one, Roxie."

"Tell me about it. I got you both set up with those. You have the credit accounts in your new names. I gave you good but not perfect credit. The same goes with the licenses. There are some minor traffic violations there but nothing unusual. If anyone does any checking they won't find anything to raise suspicion. It's about as close to perfection as there is," Roxie informed us.

"Damn, did I mention that you're the best," Katie grinned.

"The wonderful wired world. With the right know how and a computer you can make people disappear and then re-create them out of thin air."

"Now, don't go and get a God complex now, sweetie," admonished Katie.

"Oh don't worry. I won't. God doesn't get paid for his work,"

"Speaking of which, here you go," Katie said handing her a thick envelope. "You certainly don't come cheap, but you're certainly worth it."

"Well, thank you. Now get the heck out of here. I've got a ton of work to do."

We left after that short goodbye. Katie didn't go back to the car. She headed left from the door of the print shop into a leather store. I nervously followed wondering what she was up to. Then I remembered I needed a new wallet to hold my new credentials. It only took a few minutes to find a suitable candidate. We paid then were finally on our way to dinner. I was getting really hungry at that point.

It was a blessedly short ride to the restaurant. Katie had chosen a medium sized Mexican place. With Mexican being my favorite, I wasn't complaining. It was getting late in the evening so it wasn't busy. We were seated quickly and our waiter wasted no time getting to us. He started flirting almost immediately. At first I was a little uneasy about that, but after a few minutes I decided to flirt back just to see what would happen. It was actually kind of fun. That was a whole new experience, to be pursued instead of pursuing. He finished taking our orders and left. Katie and I chatted a bit before our meals arrived.

"I guess I'm Gabrielle now," I sighed.

"Oh, quit acting like you don't like the idea. You're having way too much fun. You just don't want to admit it. I can see it in your eyes. Sure you're nervous at first but once you get through that you like it. You learn amazingly quickly. All I have to do is give you a little hint or some advice and you take it and run. I'd say the woman inside you has been dying to get out for a long time. I'd be surprised if Bax even recognizes you when we get back," Katie stated.

"You're right. I am enjoying this. I can't believe it but I am. My life could end at any moment but I feel better than I ever have before. I feel like my life is just starting."

"Like I said before, quit worrying about what others will say and just live."

"I'll try. I've spent way too much time worrying about what others will think. I don't think that will change overnight."

"Why not? Look at how much you've changed since yesterday."

She had me there. I don't know why I was fighting it so much. I was thinking about that when our meals arrived. All thought took a break while I tried to fill my stomach.

"By the way, I bet the waiter asks for your number before we leave," Katie wagered.

"Well, he won't get it," I returned.

"Why not? He's cute. It's just a number it's not like you have to see him again."

"For one, I don't have a phone number at the moment. Two, He's at least four inches shorter than me. I at least would like a guy I won't tower over."

"Good point on both accounts. I can help on the first part, but if you're going to be picky about height I can't help. I'll be back in a minute. I need to get something from the 7-11 across the street."

I was a little nervous about being left alone. I didn't realize how much I was leaning on Katie. I was feeling very vulnerable at that point. To make matters worse, our waiter did ask for my number. I made some excuse that I just moved and didn't have a number yet. He seemed genuinely disappointed. I was convinced he was insane. Why would he ask for my number when Katie was obviously more attractive? I was pondering that little tidbit when I overheard a conversation at a nearby table. Two men were talking about Katie and I

"Has anyone seen that thief and her hero yet?" asked one of the men.

"No, not yet. We have as few confirmed reports that they were at Club Oxide last night. No one remembers seeing them inside but a few people remember seeing a silver mustang with a woman and longhaired guy in the parking lot."

"Who is this other guy anyway? He got the drop on both Bragg and Denso. They're both world-class assholes but they certainly know how to handle themselves," the second man asked.

"We don't know. We think he's an employee of Animal House Graphics. The description matches and he didn't show up for work this morning. He also owns a silver mustang."

"Are you telling me the Bash Brothers got taken out by a civilian?"

"Looks that way. The only thing a background check showed was a penchant for ignoring speed limits. A couple traffic cops saw that mustang being hotfooted a little while later going toward Kel's place. A blue mustang was dropped off at the club a little while ago."

"So they are probably still there."

"Yeah, they are probably hiding out," opined the second. "Two chicks left but neither one matched the description of the thief."

"What's the word, then? Do we still keep looking?"

"I heard they were planning on some sort of raid," he looked at his watch, "It should start any minute. I guess we missed out on the finder's fee."

"The guys! Could they stand up to the type of weapons I was sure were being sent their way?" I thought. I had to find Katie and get back to the club. I threw some cash on the table and ran out to find her. She had just made it back across the street when I found her.

"Katie, we've got to go now!" I grabbed her and headed to the car.

"What are you talking about and quit dragging me?" she hissed.

I let go of her arm and started relaying everything I had overheard.

"Shit, good thing I got these," she said showing me two cell phones. "I'll get them activated while you drive."

We raced across the parking lot to the car. I was hoping we weren't too late. I was really scared, I may not have known the guys for long but I already thought of them as my friends. I had to do something. The thunderbird wasn't as fast as my mustang had been but it wasn't a Pinto either, I was again seriously exceeding the speed limit. Katie had gotten one of the phones activated and was anxiously waiting for Bax to answer.

"Dammit, no answer," she swore. She left a voicemail then tried Max and Duncan without any luck. "I can't get any of them. Just voicemail."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. I think it would be a good idea to get a bigger car. We might need it."

"OK, what do you have in mind? All this is new to me."

"If you had to make a run with all of us, what car would you choose?"

I thought about it for a few seconds, "A BMW five or seven series would do the trick. Ford Crown Vic, maybe an Impala, too."

"I saw a Beemer in a used car lot near the shopping center."

"I saw it too, but the lot's closed."

"Fortunately for us, I'm a thief."

We made it back to the lot a few minutes later. I was happy to see a 540i, it would work nicely if we had to make a run. She pulled a set of lock picks out of her purse and started to work. I heard that a car could be stolen in less than a minute. Katie had the doors open and the engine running in less than thirty seconds, she did say she was good.

"Do I get to carry a set of those around in my purse?" I asked.

"Not unless you know how to use them you don't," she replied with a smile.

"You'll have to show me someday."

"If we make it through tonight, I'll show you anything you want," she said worriedly. We decided I'd drive the BMW and she'd follow me in the thunderbird. She had the second phone activated and gave it to me.

"Let's get moving. If I hear anything from them, I'll let you know. Keep your eyes open. We don't want to walk into a trap."

"They're not likely to recognize me or this car. That gives us a little bit of an advantage. When we get there I'll go in and try to find them."

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"I'm absolutely sure. They helped me out when I needed it. I owe them at least the same."

"OK, I'll keep an eye on the outside and let you know if anything pops up."

We made it to the club without any problems. I didn't see anything that seemed out of the ordinary, but I didn't know what I was supposed to be looking for. I was tempted to try to go through the side entrance but figured I would be harder to spot if I went in through the front. I parked as close to the door as I could get and left the engine running.

I got past the doorman without much trouble. He was too busy trying to look at my breasts to take much notice of my face. My appearance still made me nervous, but my confidence was growing. I made my way to the bar and asked the bartender where Max and Duncan were hiding.

"You must be Gabbie. Bax said he was expecting you. They're upstairs in the VIP section. I wouldn't go up just yet, they're dealing with a rather unfriendly group of people," he said pointing to a set of stairs.

"Anything unusual?" I asked.

"Yeah, we don't normally have any problems in the VIP area. The problems normally hang out down here."

"Thanks, can I get a Flaming armadillo with out the flames?" I asked.

"Of course," he smiled, "anything for the lovely lady."

I got my drink and headed up stairs. I still hadn't gotten used to guys flirting with me. My heart was pounding in my chest as I got near the top. I hated to admit it but the bartender was part of the reason. Damn, I thought he was cute. Maybe my brain was finally starting to scramble. Who knows? The rest was because I felt like I was a lamb walking into the lion's den. Once I was could see the VIP area I saw eight men. I recognized three of them. Duncan and Max were sitting on a large couch talking to a group of three armed men. I didn't recognize any of them. Duncan didn't look very happy but Max was chatting away with a well-dressed man who seemed to be in charge of the group. Bax was talking to the two other men who had their backs to me. He smiled when he saw me. "Excuse me, gentlemen, I see a beautiful lady," he said to them as he walked towards me. They turned to see what he was talking about and I recognized my old friends vampire and Denso.

They didn't seem to recognize me. The vampire never really got a chance to see me the night before and Denso only saw me through a shower of water. They watched as Bax came over and picked me up like I was nothing and spun me around, "Hey girl. How ya been?" he asked.

"I'd be great if I could find someone willing to dance with me," I responded loud enough for vampire boy and his buddy to hear. I wanted to get Bax somewhere they couldn't overhear us.

Bax glanced over his shoulder at them, "Back in a minute, can't keep a lady waiting."

I set my drink on a nearby table as he took my hand and lead me back downstairs. We were back on the ground floor when he finally said something, "We got your message, but it was a little too late. Jensen's men are upstairs. They know that you and Katie were here last night. We told them you were here for a little while but left this morning. They don't believe us. They want to search the place but Duncan and Max won't let them. They aren't taking no for an answer. I think Duncan is trying to play nice but he has had about all he can stand of them."

"I figured they were here when I saw the vampire and Denso. They were the two talking to you," I said.

"Those two are idiots. Dangerous idiots, but idiots none the less. They might have a dozen brain cells between the two of them. The only reason Jensen has them around is because they don't mind breaking rules or bones," he replied as he led me onto the dance floor.

I'm not much of a dancer. I've never felt comfortable doing it, but here I was again doing something totally out of character for me. I was so worried about everyone else I didn't think about what I was doing.

"You're not a bad dancer," commented Bax, " not great but definitely not bad."

"Thanks, I usually don't dance. In fact this is the first time in a long while that I have," I admitted.

"You should do it more often. Who knows, you might even enjoy it."

I was enjoying it. I don't know why that surprised me, but it did. Bax was an excellent dancer. He was amazingly light on his feet and graceful for a guy his size. I followed his lead as we glided around the dance floor. It was just another item on a growing list of things I liked doing as a female but hated as a guy. I didn't want to think about it at that moment. I had more pressing matters at hand.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked.

"Where's Katie?"

"She outside keeping an eye on things," I answered.

"OK good. Get a hold of her and have her stay out of sight. We'll just wait these morons out." I guess things weren't going to be easy. My phone rang just as the words left Bax's mouth.

"Gabbie, have you found the guys yet?" Katie asked.

"Yes, Jensen's men are here looking for us. They're trying to get Max and Duncan to let them search the place. The guys aren't letting them, but they're not taking no for an answer. Stay out of sight."

"I'm not worried about me, but that would explain what's going on out here. Three vans just pulled up outside. They're clearing the area of bystanders. Looks like a raiding party is getting ready. You better grab the guys and get out of there."

"OK, let me know if things heat up," I said then hung up. "We better get the guys and get out of here," I told Bax. "Looks like Jensen's patience is running out."

I told him what was going on outside. We decided it was time to get Max and Duncan and get out. I was worried about Katie being alone outside. Bax told me not to worry. Katie is a big girl and can take care of herself. I remembered the Defense Tec story and relaxed a little. Bax led me over to the bar.

"Hey Jeff, I need something with some punch," he told the bartender. Instead of giving Bax a drink, Jeff inconspicuously slid him a handgun.

"How about the lady?" Jeff asked. Bax looked at me questioningly.

"No way. They make me nervous. I don't even know how to use one of those," I answered.

"I'll have to remedy that, but there's not enough time right now. We need to do this quietly. Having a gunfight in the middle of the club would be bad for business."

"I have an idea. Can you signal Max and Duncan to let them know to get ready?"

"Sure, we have codes for that. That's how Jeff knew to give me this," he said patting the gun.

"Good, there are five bad guys up there and four of us. The odds aren't bad. If we get lucky we can take care of them without anyone of us getting hurt. Then we have to get the hell out of here. All I need is a lighter."

"So what do you have in mind?" Bax asked as he handed me his. I ran through my thoughts by him. "Are you sure you haven't done this sort of thing before?"

"Yes, I'm sure. How will I know when the guys are ready?" I asked.

"When both the guys call me Baxtin they'll be ready," he said.

I was about as ready as I was ever going to be. We headed back up the stairs. Max was still busily chatting with the well-dressed man. Duncan looked even angrier than he had been a few minutes ago. I picked up my drink as we walked towards them.

"The bitch doesn't need to be here," sneered the vampire.

Duncan nearly jumped out of his seat, "Bragg, this is Max and my club. If Bax wishes to bring a lovely young woman to see us, then he is fully allowed. You will also refrain from referring to her or any other woman as bitch when you are here."

"Easy there Duncus, you don't need to give yourself a coronary over a little punk like this," Bax said as he tried to calm him. "Maximus, having any luck with the others?" he asked.

"Not really, Baxtin. Any ideas what we can do about them?"

"Maybe, maybe not. How about you Duncan?"

"I have a clue Baxtin. It isn't very nice though," Duncan responded.

"This might be your club, Duncan, but the bitch doesn't belong here. Only men belong up here," he oozed.

Walking up the steps, I'd been uneasy about what I'd been planning on doing. With his comments, Bragg had eased my misgivings. Wasn't this a new century? I never liked chauvinism when I was a guy. Now as a semi-female, I really didn't like it. Bax had moved into a better position. It was going to be up to him to handle Denso and the extra bad guy.

"You know, Bragg, I really hate it when men with little dicks try to make themselves feel big by putting women down," I said trying to make him angry.

"Fucking bitch. I should put you in your place," he said glancing over to Denso.

"Aww, little man afraid to do anything without his protector close by," I said then acted like I downed my drink. I made sure the lighter was lit. I must have pissed him off really good. He started toward me while the others looked on. His mistake. I did my best fire-breathing dragon impression.

I hadn't ever really tried that particular trick before. I had a friend that used to do it at parties. Bragg didn't find it as amusing as I had. He grabbed his face and started screaming. Fortunately, the club was loud enough that he wasn't heard down stairs.

I grabbed a pitcher of water that was sitting on a table and poured it over him to put out the flames. Then I smashed over his head for good measure. I didn't want to cause him any permanent damage even if he might deserve it. The guys had taken full advantage of my light show. Bax had a gun on Denso and the other man was on the floor unconscious. Duncan and Max had disabled their counterparts as well. Max flipped out his phone and made a call. A few minutes later three men in club uniforms came up and secured all five of the bad guys. I was feeling a bit sick at what I had done. I sat down and concentrated on breathing.

"Excellent work Bax. I was getting tired listening to these windbags," grinned Duncan.

"This wasn't me. Gabbie is the mastermind behind this one," Bax replied.

"Gabbie!?" Max and Duncan replied in unison.

"Yep, there's a tactical genius in that skirt," Bax joked.

"Gabbie, if you ever need a job don't hesitate to look us up. We can use someone with a mind like yours," Max offered.

"Enough joking let's get Katie and get out of here. I hate all the attention we've been getting here and there's going to be more unwanted visitors very shortly," I pleaded.

"I agree with you there, Kid. Call Katie and tell her to meet us at the lake house. We need to make a few arrangements and get a car ready," Duncan stated.

"I've got a car outside. Katie thought we might need it," I offered.

"She's always thinking ahead. We'll meet you at the side door in three minutes," Duncan smiled.

I made my way to the car and dialed her number. She answered on the second ring.

"It's about time. I was about to come in there and get you four myself. Looks like our raiding party isn't quite ready. We probably have a minute or two before you're in trouble." she sounded relieved.

I had made it to the car and was pulling around to the side door. "Duncan said to meet us at the lake house. They'll be out here in a minute then we'll be on our way," I informed her.

"Ok, I'm g..." she trailed off.

"Katie?" No answer. "Katie!" Still nothing. "KATIE!" Then I heard some scuffling and a grunt. I waited for a few seconds but didn't hear anything. "KATIE," I yelled but there was still nothing. What the hell could have happened? I hung up and dialed her number again. It went straight into voice mail. The guys came out of the club and climbed into the car. I stomped on the gas as soon as the doors were closed.

"Guys, we have a problem," I told them. Katie was parked a short distance away. I explained what had happened on the way to her. I didn't see her when we got within sight of the car. The door was open but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. I stopped next to the car and we all jumped out.

There was a male body lying next to the driver's door. He was unconscious and bleeding. There was still no sign of Katie. Where was she? I turned a slow circle looking for any sign of her.

"She went towards the club," Max said looking at something on the ground. "She had at least three others chasing her."

We got back into the car and raced back towards the club. I must have looked really worried. "Don't worry, she's a slippery little devil. She won't be easy to catch," Duncan said trying to sound hopeful. I wasn't so sure. I knew she could take care of herself but they were very determined to catch her. We had made it about half way back to the parking lot when we got sight of her.

She was being forced into the back of a new Mercedes and she wasn't going willingly. There was one body laying on the ground while two other people were pushing her into the car. As soon as they got her inside the car, the driver stomped on the gas. The cars rear tires threw up a cloud of dust and tire smoke before propelling the car forward.

*

We had cut the gap between the Mercedes and us in half as it shot forward. "Dammit, they've got Katie," I hissed.

"Katie and Bax tell me you can drive," said Max, "let's see if they're right. You lose them and she's dead."

"Let's go Gabbie. The Mercedes and this Beemer are pretty evenly matched. It's gonna come down to who's the better driver and I know you're the better driver," Bax added positively.

"Not losing them is good, but catching them would be better. Get us up there, kid, and we'll get her back," Duncan encouraged.

I was more scared than I have ever been in my life. Katie's life depended on me. With my heart pounding in my chest and my resolve hardened, I focused all my concentration on closing the gap between us and the Mercedes. I couldn't lose her.

My skills were being seriously tested. The driver of the Mercedes was good. He kept cutting off other cars trying to get them in my way. We narrowly missed colliding with a truck as it spun in front of us. He left the side streets and headed onto the highway.

I didn't know what he was trying to do. He wasn't going to win a speed contest, the two cars were too similar performance wise. He wasn't even pushing the car. We were only barely over a hundred. He had more options with city streets. On the highway it was pretty much straight ahead. He could still try to through a bystander at me but I'd be able to keep enough space between us for that not to matter.

"What the hell is he doing? He can't out run us in that," commented Max.

"This is weird, maybe he's a rookie and just made a mistake," Duncan said. "He's leading us right to his employer."

"No, he's bringing us to his employer. We're headed for a trap," observed Bax.

"You're half right, Bax. It's a trap but we aren't headed for it. It's headed for us," I said looking at two large vans coming up behind us. They all looked behind us.

"Shit, they're going to try and box you in, Kid. Don't let them and keep an eye on that Mercedes," advised Duncan. I knew I could out run the vans but that would let the Mercedes escape. The odds were not in our favor. I wouldn't be able to avoid the vans and keep sight of the Mercedes for long.

"How many people are in each van?" I asked.

"Two in each. A driver and someone riding shotgun," answered Max.

"OK boys, buckle up tight. It's about to get rough."

I had an idea of how to get rid of the vans. As long as we didn't get shot we had a chance. I tried to act like we hadn't seen them yet and let them get closer.

"They're gonna box us in if you don't do something quick," Duncan yelled.

"I want them to," I replied.

"You what?" he stammered as they eased up beside us. I let them get even with us. The passenger window on the van on my side began to roll down its window. It was time to try my idea. I hit the brake and fell back where my front tire was even with its rear. A slight nudge from me, and it went into a spin. We pulled back farther as it ran into the second van and carried both of them off the highway. The whole process took seconds and we were back chasing the Mercedes.

"Nice work, Gabbie," Max approved.

"I told you she could drive," grinned Bax.

"She'd make one hell of a wheelman in you ask me," Duncan added.

"Wheel woman you mean," Max corrected with a huge grin. He was enjoying himself way too much.

We followed the Mercedes as it took the next exit. We ended up on a nearly deserted street. "We better do something quick. I have no idea where this guy is going," I said.

"He's taking her to Infinicorp. It's a few miles away, but he's not going to get there. Bax, you ready to end this chase?" asked Duncan.

"I think it's safe enough. Gabbie, Duncan and I will slow it down. Just do what you did to the van and we'll put a stop to this," answered Bax. I nodded my head and they rolled down their windows. They both pulled out guns and leaned out of the windows.

"On three Duncan," Bax yelled. "One. Two. Three." On three they both fired. The rear tires on the Mercedes exploded an instant later. It fishtailed wildly but the driver managed to keep control. He slowed to make a turn. I repeated the maneuver I used on the vans and spun the Mercedes out. It backed into the side of a building with a mild impact. I slid the Beemer to a stop a short distance away. Bax and Duncan jumped out before I had come to a complete stop. Max stayed behind with me," stay here and be ready to move at any second," he ordered.

Bax and Duncan had made it to the Mercedes and had both sides covered. A few seconds later a door opened and Katie stepped out holding a gun of her own.

"A few more minutes and I would have had them myself," she grinned.

The guys visibly relaxed. "Just trying to help a girl out," smiled Duncan. "Let's get the hell out of here before reinforcements arrive."

"Let's get to the lake house. I'll drive this time, if you don't mind, Gabbie?" asked Bax.

"Fine by me. I've had enough excitement to last me a lifetime," I answered trying to hide my shaking hands. A minute later I had calmed down and the shaking stopped. " If you guys don't mind could we stop on the way and get me something else to wear. I've got to get out of this skirt," I asked innocently.

"I second that motion," answered Katie. "These outfits aren't very good for running for your life."

The guys nodded in agreement. Bax slid behind the wheel with Duncan riding shotgun. Katie, Max and I squeezed into the back seat. Katie mercifully rode in the middle. The ride to our first stop was uneventful. A Wal-Mart was easily located a few miles down the road. There were no signs of being followed. Max felt confident that we had made our escape, but neither Bax nor Duncan felt as secure. They elected to find new transportation while Katie and I found something better suited to our circumstances.

Max decided he would pick up some items as well. Bax and Duncan dropped the three of us off at the door and left to take care of their task. Max said he'd meet us at the door when we were finished. He grabbed a cart and walked away whistling some unknown tune. Katie grabbed her own cart and headed towards the women's department.

"How in the world do you guys stay so calm?" I asked her. "I'm a nervous wreck."

"You certainly don't look nervous now. Last night you looked terrified but tonight you seem a lot more relaxed," she responded.

I thought about what she said for a minute. She was right. I wasn't as wound up as I had been the night before. Maybe I was getting used to all the excitement. That worried me a little. I didn't have much time to think about it. Katie had other things in mind for me.

"Hey, Earth to Gabbie," she said waving her hands in front of me.

"I'm here, sorry, I just zoned out for a second."

"Well, you've got to concentrate now. We have to find something that you can move around in but still keep you looking like a woman."

"I'm guessing jeans and a t-shirt is out."

"Not totally. Here try these," she said as she handed me a pair of jeans and couple smallish shirts. "Go try these on and see how you can move."

I did as directed. The jeans were a bit more form fitting than I was used to. They had some sort of elastic or something woven into them that made them stretch far more than a normal denim would. I could easily move around in them. I had just pulled one of the last shirts over my head when I heard Katie's voice, "Everything fit OK?" she asked.

"The jeans will work great. The shirts are too small though," I answered.

"Too small? Let me have a look."

I unlocked the dressing room door and she came in. She had changed into a pair of canvas colored pants and dark green long sleeve fitted T. "You look great. Those shirts fit you perfectly."

"What do you mean, perfectly? They barely cover my stomach and they nearly look painted on."

"Yes, and what's wrong with that? You've got a body that most women would kill for. You might as well show it off a little. Besides, it's more feminine to show a little skin. If that doesn't make you feel better than think of it as giving someone less to grab onto."

She had made good points on both accounts. I turned and looked at myself in the mirror. I hated to admit it but I looked pretty good. Katie had started removing all the tags from what I was wearing.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm just pulling the tags off. You'll look silly if you leave them on."

" Huh?"

"No sense taking everything off just to pay for it. Then putting everything back on as soon as we get to the house. We'll give them the tags at the register."

"OK, don't get frustrated with me. Remember I'm new at this living on the run thing," I grinned.

"Don't worry, you're way to cute for me to get frustrated with."

I didn't know what to say to that. I wondered if she meant cute in a you're someone I'd like to spend more time with way or the you're cute but in a little sister sort of way. I decided to just change the subject. "That takes care of the clothing part, how about some better footwear?" I asked.

"You read my mind. Let's go," She answered.

"Hang on a sec, I just remembered something," I said. I ran and grabbed a couple pairs of socks and a few pair of panties. They weren't the highest quality but my options were limited. With that taken care of I went back to Katie.

She saw what I had done and smiled, "That's a good idea. I think I'll do the same." After she made her round, we made our way over to the shoe department. Katie has normal sized female feet. At a size eleven, I have relatively large feet for a girl. Consequently, I had a much smaller selection to choose from. Katie offered her advice, "The sneakers or hikers would probably be best."

Style required the dark brown leather hikers. I do have some fashion sense even if I am male. Besides, if the occasion called for it, the boot would offer better protection for my feet. Katie took a little longer to decide. She ended up with what looked like a black motorcycle styled boot. If GI Joe and Barbie ever had a daughter I imagine she would look something very much like Katie did.

"I think that just about covers it," Katie remarked.

"You're probably right. Max is more than likely waiting for us at the front anyway. We better get going." I replied. We returned to the front of the store and paid for our items. Max was waiting for us just as we thought he would be.

"Why do girls take so long to decide what to wear?" he asked jokingly.

"Because we like to make you guys wait around for us," I taunted back.

"I thought it might be something like that," he laughed. "Now let's get going we've spent too much time here already."

"I see you've been shopping, Max, did you buy all the ammo in the store?" Katie asked.

"No, I didn't. I think I left a few boxes back there. Maybe," He grinned.

"Don't you guys have enough of that already?"

"You can never have too much, my dear," He replied regally. "Come on let's get out of here."

Bax and Duncan were waiting for us just outside the door. They had dumped the stolen BMW and picked up a four-wheel drive Jeep Gran Cherokee. We all climbed in and then we set off towards the lake house. I still didn't know where we were going exactly. I was again hit with how much my life had changed in such a short period of time. The part that really worried me was that I didn't know if I could ever go back to my old life.

I had learned so much about myself. I felt more comfortable as a female. The initial fear and nervousness I had felt at the beginning had quickly faded. A growing sense of correctness was replacing the older ones. I had made more friends in the last twenty-four hours than I had in the last ten years. I just felt real for the first time in my life.

I must have dozed off thinking about all that was going on. We were no longer moving when I opened my eyes. Bax, Katie and Duncan were outside stretching and Max was nowhere to be seen. "Katie, Jensen is pushing his men pretty hard to get to you. Trying to raid the club was a big move. It's probably time to meet with Kent and give him the disk. Hopefully, that will get Jensen off the street. That should help things calm down out here for you," Duncan told Katie.

"You're right. I was hoping to keep it as insurance but it looks like I don't have a choice now," she answered.

"It's too late to do anything tonight. Let's get everyone inside and get some rest. We'll get a fresh start in the morning," Bax offered.

"Sounds good to me. It's been a long day. I'll get Gabbie and get us girls settled." Katie said. She walked over and knocked on my window. I was already awake so I opened the door and stepped out.

"Good, you're awake. I won't have to get Bax to carry you inside," she smiled.

"I might be awake but it would still be fun to be carried inside," I grinned back.

"You're such a bad girl. Shame on you," she giggled.

"I was always a good boy. It's more fun being a bad girl."

"I've created a monster," Katie commented. "Come on, let's get inside and get cleaned up before bed. Max is going to get something to eat if you're hungry."

"I am a little hungry. We didn't get to finish our dinner."

I followed her into a large rustic looking log house. The inside was warm and inviting with plenty of natural wood everywhere. I was happy to see the interior was void of any stuffed and mounted animal heads. I really need to stop watching so many movies. Katie led me down a short hall to a decent sized room.

"We'll stay here. The guys can sort themselves out. There's a small bathroom and shower through that door," she said pointing to a door.

"I think that sounds like a good place to start with," I grinned. "Me first. I could use a hot shower. It's been quite an eventful day."

"What? You think basically changing gender, getting into a bar fight, stealing a car, getting into a car chase and generally running for your life is stressful?" Katie questioned sarcastically.

"Yeah, and you don't?"

"Ok, maybe it's just a little stressful. Fine grab a shower, I'm going to go check in on the guys." With that, she left.

I stripped out of my clothes and started the shower. It was strange to see myself as male again. I had really started thinking of myself as female. I didn't particularly like what I saw so I switched off the light and stepped into the steaming shower. The hot water felt really good. I could feel a lot of tension wash away as I stood under it. After a few minutes I got to work washing my face and hair. This bathroom was every bit as well stocked as the one at the club. I had no trouble finding everything I needed. A few minutes later and I was scrubbed clean and enjoying a nice warm rinse. The adrenaline I had been running on had drained away and I felt very tired. My little nap in the car hadn't helped out much.

I hoped that leaning against the shower wall might help. It did a little, but I slowly slid down the wall and ended up sitting under the falling water with my arms wrapped around my legs. I sat there and tried to process some of what had happened so far. All I managed to figure out was thinking about it was stressing me out.

My life, as it had been, was lost. I didn't know what the next day would bring. There was a price on my head, so I could be killed at anytime. To avoid that, I was disguising myself as a girl. Doing that had awaken some thoughts and feelings in me that seemed to say that being female was a truer form of myself. After spending the day as female, those feelings had been reinforced.

It wasn't all bad. I had learned a lot about how I react to stressful situations, made some new friends, and saw things I never would have had the opportunity to see. Then there was Katie. The vision of her face kept floating through my mind. She had a strength that I found to be intoxicating. She was a girl that could take care of herself but didn't carry around a huge attitude. She was quick to smile even in tense situations. She didn't treat me any differently as female as I was as male. Did I mention she was gorgeous?

A knock at the door saved me from my thoughts. "Gabrielle, everything OK in there? You've been in here over an hour," inquired Katie.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I'd been in here that long," I answered turning the water off. " I'll be out in a minute."

"Not to worry, Max is back with Chinese food. I just thought you might be hungry."

My grumbling stomach informed me that I was indeed starving. "I'll be down in a minute, save some for me."

"OK, but you better hurry, I don't know how long I can hold off Bax," Katie laughed. "I finally heard from Agent Kent. I'll fill you in downstairs." With that she left.

I climbed out of the shower and dried myself off with one of the softest towels I had ever felt. Max and Duncan definitely knew how to treat their guests. I again wondered how long I'd be staying with them. I looked in the mirror and for a split second I thought there was a man in the bathroom with me. Fortunately, it was only the reflection of my old self. For some reason I found it distressing. That image seemed so foreign, as if from another lifetime. I didn't want to get thinking about it so; I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.

At the foot of the stairs, I heard the other's voices and followed them into an open and inviting kitchen. Duncan was busy unloading enough food for a small army. Katie was talking to Max and Bax was halfway through his first box of fried rice.

"Feeling better?" asked Max.

"A little, yes," I answered.

"I hope you're hungry. I think I got a little carried away ordering," he smiled.

"I think I can help with that. Even though it seems Bax has already gotten started," I said glancing at Bax as he finished off his rice.

"Ah yes, the bottomless pit, I knew he'd be more than willing to help."

"Hey, I'm a big boy and big boys need plenty to eat," Bax grinned.

"Sure, just save some of that for the ladies, big boy," Max returned.

Duncan fished out a box and handed it to me, "here you go, love. Sweet and sour chicken for you, right?"

"Thanks, Duncan, that sounds great." I wondered how these guys always seemed to know exactly what I wanted.

"You're welcome. Have a seat and relax. When it's just the four of us here we usually just hang out and eat in the kitchen. The dining room is usually reserved for more formal affairs."

Katie had picked out her meal and was sitting on an empty spot she had opened up on one of the counters. Bax was leaning on another with Max taking up the last space of open counter. I found a nice comfy spot on the floor and Duncan just ate where he stood.

"Ready to hear the news?" Katie asked.

"As long as it's good, if it's bad, just wait until the morning. I've had a rough enough day as it is," I replied with mock drama.

"Lucky for you it's good. I talked with our secret agent man and he's ready for the disk. We get to deliver it tomorrow morning. Once he has it, he can get the arrest warrant for Jensen. Then they'll pick him up and we all can breathe a big sigh of relief. We won't be totally out of the woods but a lot of the heat will die down once that is done."

"Sounds great to me, the sooner the better. I've got a whole new life to get to. Are we all going to deliver the disk?" I asked.

"Not all of us just you and me. Agent Kent said he wanteded to meet you and I'll be damned if I'm just gonna let you go all alone. It'll be easier for the two of us to get around anyway and easier for just two to get out if anything bad happens."

"OK, I was fine until you got to the bad happens part."

"Don't worry it'll probably go just fine."

"Only if your luck changes," commented Duncan.

We chatted for a little while after that. I was so tired my vision was starting to lose focus and get all blurry. I said my goodnights and headed upstairs. I stripped out of my clothes leaving just panties and climbed into bed. I thought about how much better being femme made me feel as I drifted off to sleep.

"Wake up, sleepyhead, we've got some work to do," Katie said waking me.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Daytime," she answered sarcastically.

"Duh, I can see the sun's up. Can you be just a little more specific?"

"A little after eight. Sleep well?"

"I guess. It feels like I just closed my eyes, though."

"I hate it when that happens. We've got a busy day ahead so let's get moving. Breakfast is almost ready. I'll see you in the kitchen after you get dressed."

I dragged myself out of bed and started to get dressed. I felt stiff and tense. The last few days were catching up to me. I took a few minutes to do a little stretching to help loosen me up. That helped a little and I finished getting dressed.

"What did I get myself into?" I asked myself as I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and slid my shoes on.

I made my way down the hall listening to the sounds of breakfast being prepared. Max and Katie were laughing at something Duncan had said. I found it amazing that they could be laughing and joking after all that had happened the previous evening. I reminded myself that they were people who lived a completely different life than mine, or at least the life I used to have. It had only been a day and I already felt a million miles away.

I suddenly felt very lonely. I could not contact my family or my few friends. I did not want put them in danger. I knew so very little about the people I was with. My instincts told me there were no better people to be in that mess with. They showed amazing compassion toward each other and me. They undoubtedly had skills that would be essential to our survival. And, I liked them. There was an almost tangible feeling of family with them. They cared and protected one another. I needed someone and they had accepted me with all my baggage. I may not have known them long, but I was hoping to get to know them better.

"Well, good morning, Love," smiled Duncan, "how do you like your eggs?"

"I vote for scrambled," Katie called out.

"Ten bucks says it's over easy," Max bet laying a ten on the table.

"I'll take that action, Max," Katie returned.

"Well, Gabbie, it looks like we have a wager on our hands." Duncan asked. "What about you Duncan? You in?" I asked.

"Not me, Kid, Max is going to lose enough money without me adding in. I will say you're probably a scrambled kind of girl, though."

"Very well then. Scrambled please," I answered. "You guys really are trying to spoil me."

"Hah, told you so, Max," Katie said grabbing the cash off the table.

"Damn, She's so easy going I thought it was over easy for sure," He commented.

"You earned your breakfast last night. That was a wonderful piece of driving you did," Duncan complimented.

"It sure didn't feel wonderful to me. I barely kept from freaking out," I answered slightly embarrassed.

"Maybe when the guns were out you were scared, but not just driving. Hell, I think you were even smiling for a little while."

"OK, I admit I like driving fast. The whole kidnapping and gunplay thing still scares the crap out of me."

"Bax and I agree that you'd make one hell of a wheelman, er, woman."

"Speaking of Bax, where is the big guy?"

"Oh, he's out by the lake doing his feng shui thing," answered Max.

"Feng shui? Do you mean Tai Chi?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, that's it. Why don't you go get him? Breakfast is almost ready."

"Sure, I'd love to see someone that big doing Tai Chi." I said as I walked toward the door.

"Just don't watch for too long or breakfast will get cold," Katie smirked.

I wondered what she meant as I made my way down a stone path toward a glass smooth lake. The view was amazing. The lake was surrounded by a small forest worth of pine trees and flanked by a short gray rock cliff. It was a scene straight out of a postcard. Bax was standing on a large boulder sitting in the water a few feet from the shore. He made an impressive sight.

At seven feet tall, Bax is hard man to miss. Add in the body of a Greek god then cover with multi-hued tattoos and you get an amazing sight. The affect was enhanced by his remarkably fluid and graceful movement. There was no hint of the ungainliness that a lot of men his size have. It was if gravity had little effect on him.

I thought that he must have girls lined up around the block trying to get a look at him. He could probably have a different one every night if he wanted. I also had the feeling that he wasn't that type of guy. He gave me the sense that he was like a medieval knight, that to him, chivalry was not dead. Combine those feelings with his intelligence, compassion, and loyalty, made me wonder if he was married or at least had a girlfriend. If he did, that would be one lucky girl.

"How long are you going to stand there?" he asked. I have no idea how he knew I was there. He never looked and like I said before I move very quietly.

"Sorry, I just, I mean, I came to tell you breakfast was almost ready," I stammered. How long had I been watching? Five, ten, maybe fifteen minutes. I didn't know. "That is amazing stuff."

"You should try it then. I bet you'll like it," he motioned for me to join him.

"Me? No, I'm nowhere near that graceful. I'd feel like a hippo on roller skates next to you."

"I doubt that. Come on come up here," he smiled offering me his hand.

"No, really, breakfast is probably getting cold anyway. We should get back."

"Breakfast can wait. If we wait until after breakfast, you'll miss out on this beautiful morning."

"Honestly, I'm a bit stiff and sore from the last few days. I don't think I can get up there."

"Now, we both know you're lying. You are perfectly capable of getting up here. Now get up here before I have to jump down and get you myself," he grinned.

"Hey, I am a little stiff, and I'd like to see you jump down here and catch me." I didn't think he was serious about jumping down. I figured he was just bluffing trying to goad me into climbing up. I thought I'd give him a little bravado of my own. In retrospect, that may have been a small miscalculation on my part. The words had barely escaped my mouth before he was on the ground a few feet from me. I did manage to evade him for about a minute before I was carried to the top of the boulder. We were both laughing hysterically at our behavior. It was a bit childish but fun.

As a guy, I was rather disheartened to be caught so easily. I did have some small amount of ego I was trying to protect. Bax made it look all too easy. The female side of me did however find it exhilarating to be chased. That was another new thing for me. I would have needed a few minutes to process it if I would have thought about it at the time. Fortunately, Bax had my attention and wasn't going to let it go easily.

He spent the next hour teaching me what he called movements. He had me repeat each one until I had it perfectly before he'd move on to the next. I was really enjoying our lesson when he stopped us.

"That's enough for today. How are you feeling now?" He asked.

"Great, really. All the soreness that I had is gone. I feel really energized I guess," I answered.

"I told you you'd like it," he smiled.

"God, he has a great smile," I thought, "Whoa, where did that come from? Did I just think that?"

"Come on let's go get something to eat," he said as he gathered up his stuff.

My mind was spinning from the last few thoughts that ran through my head, so I just nodded and followed him. I wasn't sure I wanted to know why I had thought what I did. I didn't want to admit the affect he was having on me. I followed in silence as he led us back toward the house. I again wondered if he had a girlfriend. Then I hoped that he did not. Geez, stress can do some strange things to your mind. That's at least what I told myself at the time.

(continued)

  

  

  

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