The Protector-Hunted

by

Julie O

  

Chapter 1

Special Agent Ally Burns sat nervously in her doctor's examination room. She was wearing a paper-cloth examination gown that barely covered her body. In addition to her annual agency physical, the purpose of the examination was to check on the progress of her shoulder. It had been almost nine months since a crazed serial killer had plunged a large hunting knife into Ally's right shoulder. The recovery was slow and Ally was worried that she might need more surgery. Thanks to physical therapy, she had regained much of her original range of motion, but the shoulder was still weak.

More surgery would mean that she would have to delay her return to fieldwork for the immediate future. While Ally was the head of a department, she still liked to get out of the office. The Director of the Agency had turned a blind eye to her participation in the raid on the Simon's farm in Maryland, but he had also told her that was a special case.

There were other reasons for Ally's fear of more surgery. One was the impending wedding of Donna and Ed. Donna was her top agent and one of her best friends. Additional surgery would cause even more problems, as Ally was part of the wedding party. Ally still couldn't believe that Donna had selected her to be her maid of honor.

The biggest reason for Ally's apprehension was the surgery she was actually looking forward to - getting her sexual reassignment surgery. Ally's SRS date was dependent upon the status of her shoulder. Ally found that she was rubbing her shoulder. She did that whenever she was worried. She silently cursed Brian Wilcox; he was the bastard who had stabbed her. His recent death in prison had done nothing to ease her hatred of him. There was little satisfaction in knowing that he had died due to complications from the wounds she had given him.

Ally was snapped out of her daydreaming by the sound of the door opening. Dr. Harry Oliver walked in reviewing her chart. Harry was in his fifties and had been with the agency for the past twenty years. He was a short, stocky man with a gray beard. His glasses hung on the end of his nose as he reviewed Ally's medical history.

"Good afternoon, Agent Burns," he greeted, without lifting up his head.

"Hi, Doc," replied Ally. She tried to be cheerful, but there was a tone of apprehension in her voice.

He put the chart down and began to rotate her shoulder. He seemed to know just how far he could move it before causing severe pain. He stopped just as Ally began to wince in pain.

"Well, I have mixed news for you. First, I don't think that your shoulder will get much better. However, I don't think surgery will help much either. Unfortunately, the knife wound caused more damage that we originally suspected," he explained.

Ally waited for him to finish.

"Why did it have to be a knife wound?" he grumbled to himself out loud.

Ally shrugged her shoulders, feeling a slight twinge of pain in the right shoulder. "Steve said the same thing. He said that a gunshot would have healed faster."

Harry looked up with a disgusted look on his face. "Don't get me started with him! Agent Williams should know; he's been wounded both ways!"

Ally could tell that Harry's gruff attitude was all a bluff, and that he really cared about the agents. She did her best to hide her smile. "So, what do you suggest?"

"Ally, all I can do is recommend that you continue with your therapy," he answered.

"What about my official status?" asked Ally in a worried tone.

"If you were a fulltime field agent, it would be a problem. However, in your present assignment I don't have any issues. I will tell you that the shoulder most likely will get worse as you age," explained Harry.

"I still want to be able to do field work," interrupted Ally.

"I wouldn't recommend it. Ally, to be completely honest, you're damn lucky to be alive. You're mobility is limited and it would be a problem in the field. I'll reexamine you in four months, but I don't expect you to improve much," replied Harry bluntly. "I also should tell you that it may get worse over time."

"Your bedside manner isn't very good," stated Ally. She had a forced smile on her face.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I wish I could give you better news, but I can't and I won't lie to you either."

Ally nodded and sighed. "So, what can I expect in the future?'

Harry thought about how he would phrase his answer.

"Doc, you can give it to me straight," stated Ally, with a nervous smile on her face.

"Over the long term, your shoulder will become very bothersome. It will ache during cold or damp weather. There is a possibility of developing arthritis, as you age. Mobility will decrease at a much faster rate than normal," replied Harry.

Ally sighed. It confirmed what she had researched on the Internet. "What do you recommend?"

"Continue with your exercise program. I would recommend that you add swimming to your routine. The main thing is to stay active," he replied. "I can prescribe a pain killer when it gets really bad."

Ally nodded. "It's not fair," she mumbled to herself. She began to rub her shoulder.

Hearing her comment, Harry reached over and gently pulled her hand down from her shoulder. "No one said life was fair. Overall, you're in excellent health. The shoulder will be something you'll have to deal with, but I doubt it will slow you down. From what I've seen of you, it would take something far more serious!"

Ally cracked a larger smile. "Thanks. I needed that.

"How's your transition going?" he asked, as he pulled up a chair and sat down next to the examination table.

"As you can see, the hormones are doing their job," stated Ally, holding her arms out to show off her figure. Her breasts were B-cup and there was a definite weight shift from her waist to her hips.

"Yes, they're amazing. The good news is that I will send a note to your surgeon explaining your current situation. I know he's been waiting for a status report on your shoulder."

"Thanks, Doc."

"When are you planning on the surgery?" he asked.

"Now that the shoulder wouldn't be operated on, I guess I'll ask for a date in January or February. Carol is putting in for a leave of absence for the first few weeks of my recovery."

Carol was Ally's lover and partner. It was common knowledge in the department that they were a couple.

"I've been researching the procedure, it's really quite amazing what they can do these days," stated Harry.

"I'll just be glad when it's over," remarked Ally.

Harry nodded and stood up. "Let me finish your exam so you can get back to work."

Thirty minutes later he was finished. "Well, other than the shoulder, you're in great shape. See you in a few months, and don't hesitate to come in if you need anything."

"Thanks, Doc," replied Ally.

 

Chapter 2

"How did it go?" asked Donna.

Ally was sitting at her desk reviewing the weekly reports. Donna was sitting next to her. Ally was training Donna to take over for her while she was recovering from her upcoming SRS. Ally also was planning for the day when she was promoted. Donna would be a great choice to run the department.

"No additional surgery for now, but Doc Oliver isn't optimistic about it getting any better," replied Ally.

"Will it get worse?" asked Donna in a concerned voice.

"Maybe," lied Ally. "Don't worry, it won't interfere with my duties for the big day!"

Donna laughed. "Good, for a moment I thought you might stoop to surgery to get out of the wedding!"

"I'd never do that. I must admit that I'm still in awe that you picked me for your maid of honor," replied Ally.

"That reminds me. My mom wants you to call her, she has some questions about the shower," stated Donna.

"I have her number on my speed dial," laughed Ally. "Actually, your mom has been really nice."

"I know. She wasn't initially pleased when I told her that I wanted you as my maid of honor. I asked her to withhold her judgment until after she met you," confessed Donna.

"I decided to turn on my charm, instead of threatening her with my gun," laughed Ally.

Donna joined her in the laughter.

"Considering the short time you gave us, I'm amazed we've put everything together so quickly," stated Ally.

"I know, but Ed is leaving in October for an overseas deployment, and we wanted to get married before he left," answered Donna. "We also wanted a real wedding and not just a civil service."

"I thought he was going to be on shore duty for a while?" asked Ally, as she picked up her can of Diet Coke and took a sip.

"He is, but part of the job involves temporary deployments to assist deployed units," replied Donna.

"So, you're getting a dose of how to be a Navy wife right off the bat?"

"Yep. Ed hasn't decided if he wants to make the Navy a career yet. He does understand that I have a career too. I was hoping he might consider joining the agency."

"May I ask you something?" asked Ally

"Sure," replied Donna.

"I know Ed knows all about me. Does he mind?" asked Ally, sipping her Diet Coke.

Donna shook her head no. "He was surprised when I told him, but he has no objections."

Ally smiled. "Thanks."

Donna nodded, and then sat there in silence for a moment, as if all the changes in her life were suddenly crystal clear. "I can't believe that I'm getting married in less than a month!"

"I can't believe that I'm hosting your first bridal shower at my home this Saturday," added Ally, with a laugh.

"I tried to keep the list of invitees small."

"With all the agency people on your list, we'll be the best armed bridal shower in the area!" quipped Ally.

Donna laughed. "The hardest thing about planning the wedding was finding dresses that could conceal guns."

"I'm glad I set up a bridal registry for you at the gun store," added Ally.

They both started laughing again.

"So, what time do you want me to be at your place Saturday?" asked Donna, as she wiped the tears out of eyes.

"The invitation was for three," stated Ally.

"Of course. I'm becoming so absent minded lately!"

"It's understandable. By the way, in accordance with your wishes, the bachelorette party will be next weekend," remarked Ally.

"I can't wait!" replied Donna. "I don't want it too close to the wedding, as I want everyone in one piece. I also made Ed promise to have his bachelor party the same weekend. I want everyone out of jail before the wedding."

"Don't worry, Steve is helping Ed's friends plan it," added Ally, with a smile.

Donna shook her head in mock disgust. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"

They both started laughing again.

"So, tell me again when will the second shower be?"

"Wednesday. The women here want to take you out for a supper after work," answered Ally.

 

Chapter 3

"So where did you get the idea for the theme for the bridal shower?" asked Maggie, as she laid out the silverware.

Maggie, Carol, and Beth were helping Ally set up for the party. Thankfully, there was a slight break from the normal humid weather and Ally was able to use the deck, in addition to the living room.

"I saw it on a website. Donna told me that neither she nor Ed had much in the way of kitchen items. So, a recipe shower seemed like the perfect match," replied Ally.

Guests were asked to bring a favorite dish, with the recipe along with kitchen items. This also turned the shower into a pot-luck, as far as food was concerned, and that greatly reduced Ally and Carol's need to prepare refreshments.

"I'm amazed that Ally thought of it. After all, her idea of cooking is ordering takeout," quipped Carol.

"That's only because I love your cooking!" replied Ally in a sweet tone. She then blew a kiss to her lover. Carol pretended to catch it.

"So who else is coming?" asked Beth, ignoring Ally and Carol's actions.

"Some are people from work. You know many of them, Jenna, Cathleen, Michelle, and a few other women in our department. Donna also invited a few of her friends from college. Of course, Donna's mom will be here," stated Ally. "Celeste couldn't make it, but she is coming down for the wedding."

"That's cool," replied Beth. "You know, the cooking stuff is okay, but when do we give Donna all the fun stuff?"

"That'll be at the bachelorette party," replied Ally, as she selected several bottles of wine for the shower.

"You're not going to that party," interrupted Maggie.

"How come I can be part of the wedding party, but I can't go to the bachelorette party?' asked Beth.

"Maybe, it's because you're still legally underage," answered Maggie, with a smile.

Beth gave her mother a disgusted look. "Technically, I'm older than Donna."

"That may be true, but you're still not going," replied Maggie with a smile.

"That is so unfair!" exclaimed Beth, as she stomped her foot.

"Did you throw hissy fits when you were in the navy?" kidded Maggie.

Beth smiled and stuck her tongue out at Maggie.

"I know it's tough, but there isn't a lot we can do about it. On the bright side, you'll be in college next year," stated Maggie, as she hugged Beth.

"I understand. I don't like it, but I understand," replied Beth.

The doorbell rang and as Carol answered the door, she turned to Maggie, Ally, and Beth. "The guests are arriving, try to act normal!"

This was greeted by laughter.

 

Chapter 4

The shower was a real success and Ally was very pleased with how everything went. What struck Ally the most was how well accepted she was by the other women. Granted, many were from work and they knew her status, and they didn't care. Donna's civilian friends were totally cool with Ally, as were two of Donna's cousins. Donna's mom seemed very pleased with the shower.

Thanks to Carol, Ally had long adopted an attitude of being open about her gender status. She didn't advertise that she was transgendered, but she didn't lie about it either. Carol told Ally that her true friends would accept her, and that many people wouldn't care one way or the other. As for those who were offended or disgusted by Ally's status, Carol said they could go to hell. It was a bit simplistic, but it felt better than trying to hide the truth.

Ally wondered how hard it must be to be Beth. At least people knew about transgenderism, the idea that someone could be physically changed via a genetic process would be terrifying for many. She was impressed at how well Beth handled the stress.

Donna was very pleased with the gifts and the recipes. "All this is going to force me to finally learn to cook!"

"It's not that hard, all you need is a willingness to try," explained Carol, glancing over at Ally.

"Hey, I accept that I'm a disaster in the kitchen. I'm content to be really good at selecting wines," stated Ally in her own defense.

"I have to agree that Ally knows her wine," added Michelle. She took a sip and held out her glass. "This one is excellent."

"Yes, but how can anyone who likes good wine so much also drink so much Diet Coke?" piped in Donna.

Ally interrupted them. "I don't drink that much Diet Coke!"

"Come on Ally, soon the soda delivery man will be making a special stop in your office," retorted Donna, with a laugh.

"Hmm, I may have to rethink my succession plan. I can't have my second in charge mocking me!" laughed Ally.

After the shower, they cleaned up and packed up the mountain of leftovers.

"So who is taking all this food with them?" asked Carol.

"Ed said that he and his friends will finish it all off," replied Donna. "That way I'll know what recipes he likes."

"Don't spoil him too much!" interjected Michelle, with a laugh.

"I just want to thank you all for the wonderful shower," stated Donna, as she starting hugging everyone.

Ally looked at her watch and turned to Jenna. "You win. I thought she'd go at least a half-hour before thanking us again!"

Donna tossed a towel at Ally, who ducked out of the way.

 

Chapter 5

Later that evening, Carol and Ally were lying together in bed. Ally had her head resting on Carol's shoulder.

"I have to agree with Donna, it was a lovely event," stated Carol softly to Ally.

"It was nice," answered Ally. There was a sight touch of sadness to her voice.

"What's wrong?" asked Carol, as she ran her hand through Ally's hair.

"Nothing. Well, that's not true. I guess I'm a little jealous of Donna. I wish we could have a real wedding too," replied Ally. "It's just not fair, we're in love too, why should it matter to anyone else?"

"I know what you mean. Technically, you're still male, so we could get married," stated Carol.

Ally turned and looked at Carol and shook her head no. "It's not the same. I'm not Al Burns anymore." Ally's frustration was starting to show.

Carol nodded. "Well, Honey, until the day the rest of the world changes, we'll have to get by the best we can. I love you, Ally, and no law can stop that." She then leaned over and kissed Ally.

Ally felt Carol's lips against her own, and suddenly her problems began to fade away.

 

Chapter 6

Monday morning found Ally and Donna reviewing the cases assigned to their department. They were currently working with six police departments, in addition to their own caseload.

"Mom was really impressed with the shower. She's still a bit confused when it comes to your transition, but she does accept you as a woman," remarked Donna.

Ally smiled and then pointed to one of the files. "Tell me about this case."

Donna picked it up and opened it up. "Arlington, Virginia PD got an anonymous tip about a pedophile cruising for transgendered teens. They requested our assistance. We made contact with the suspect two weeks ago."

"A tip? That's odd!" exclaimed Ally.

"I know, but it looks good. The police think it's legit and they wanted to take a shot at it. We made contact on the net with a suspect, and he wants to meet our 'girl' soon. The police have an officer picked out to play her and they're ready to take the case over," explained Donna.

"Who has been playing the teen online?" asked Ally.

"Kelly Jenkins. I've been keeping an eye on her, she's pretty good. She's been working over at their station the past few days, briefing the officer."

"Good. She is good, but new," stated Ally. She then let out a big sigh. "I should be out with the team more. I hate the fact that I'm stuck in this office so much!"

Kelly was one of the new agents recruited by Ally. She was almost the same size and build as Ally, although her hair was slightly longer and was dyed reddish blond. Donna kidded Ally that they looked like sisters.

Kelly had been working cases on her own for a few months, and she had the tendency to act first, before getting permission. Ally was trying to find a balance between making her conform to agency rules, while at the same time not discouraging her excellent investigative skills.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" asked Donna.

"No, not really. I feel bad enough that you'll have this whole load on your shoulders soon."

"I don't mind. I think it's great that you will soon be whole," replied Donna.

"Let's see if you feel the same way after a few days behind this desk," quipped Ally.

Donna and Ally continued to review the cases. They were presently assisting several police departments across the nation. David, one of their best investigators, was down in Florida. He was holding a seminar on the use of the Internet to trap sexual predators. Following the seminar he would be spending six weeks in Chicago, assisting the police in setting up their own Internet department.

Donna was just about to leave, when Ally asked again about the case with the Arlington PD.

"Tell me more about this tip we got," asked Ally, leaning back in her chair, sipping a Diet Coke.

"It's in this file," stated Donna. She picked up a file and opened it. "Two weeks ago the Arlington PD received a phone call telling them about a man who could be a pedophile. The tip stated that he was cruising the chat rooms looking for a transgendered teen."

"I've been doing this for a while and I've never gotten a tip like this. These guys are rather secretive by nature. They're not the type to announce to others their intentions. What did the phone message say exactly?" asked Ally.

"Let me see. I don't see a word for word transcript in the file. Maybe Kelly has it," stated Donna.

"Call up Kelly and have her report to me. I sense something is wrong about this," ordered Ally.

Donna picked up her phone and dialed Kelly's number. "No answer. I'll try the Arlington PD."

Ally read through the file as Donna talked to the police. The case itself seemed normal, but the phone tip still seemed out of the ordinary.

"They're out on a stakeout. Apparently the suspect wanted to meet with the bait-teen," replayed Donna.

"When Kelly gets back in the office have her report to me. She should know that going out on a stakeout requires my permission," replied Ally, a touch of anger in her voice.

"I will, but don't be too hard on her."

Ally cracked a small smile. "I won't, but she needs to follow department rules. Even I do that…most of the time."

 

Chapter 7

Mid-afternoon Ally was making the rounds of her office when her cell phone went off. Ally answered and heard the voice of her boss, Robert Ledyard. "I was just notified that an undercover officer for the Arlington PD was killed in a stakeout operation. Don't worry, it wasn't your agent."

"What happened?" asked Ally. She tried to appear calm, but every worse case scenario began to flood her mind.

"Apparently, the police were running a stakeout and the suspect never showed up. As they were leaving, the officer playing the bait was shot. It looks like it was from a high-powered rifle," explained Robert. "I want you to help them find out what went wrong."

"I understand," replied Ally. "I'm leaving right now."

"Your point of contact with the Arlington PD is Detective Jack Morgan. He'll be expecting you."

"I'll be there shortly," stated Ally. She tracked down Donna and explained what had happened. "You're in charge until I get back. Get together everything we have on this case."

"I will," replied Donna.

 

Chapter 8

Ally drove over to the Arlington Police Station. The heat and humidity had returned with a vengeance. She had the A/C on high and still felt hot. The idea that an officer had been killed due to one of their operations was upsetting. Ally wondered what had gone wrong. In most of the arrests, the suspect offered little resistance. Oh, there was occasional violence during captures of suspects, but nothing like this. Sometimes the suspect tried to fight off the officers trying to arrest him, and occasionally one pulled a gun or a knife, but this was something new and frightening. It was obvious that this was a deliberate attack on the police department.

Jack Morgan was waiting for her arrival. He was a big bear of a man, in his forties, with dark brown short hair. After introductions they moved to his office.

"Your agent is over at the hospital, she's being treated for shock. She was standing just a few inches away from officer Casey," stated Jack, as he poured Ally a cup of coffee.

Ally nodded. "I'm sorry about your department's loss. Tell me about …"

"Her name was Jamie Casey. She was fresh out of the academy. She volunteered for the bait-teen position. She found the idea of her playing a boy who was playing a girl amusing," interrupted Jack. He handed Ally a photograph of Jamie Casey. "I want this bastard badly."

"So do I. Tell me about the investigation," asked Ally. She could sense his anger over the loss of the officer. She looked at the photo of the pleasant looking young officer. Jamie had red hair and a great smile.

"As you know, we've been working with your agency for a while in setting up our own Internet surveillance department. When the tip arrived, we ran with it. Your agent was of great assistance. Today, the suspect asked to meet with our bait-teen. We went with it and set up a meeting at a local park. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. When he didn't show up, we figured that he'd got cold feet. As Jamie was getting into the van, she was shot in the back with a single rifle shot. She fell into the arms of Agent Jenkins," explained Jack.

"Can I listen to the tape of the tip phone call?" asked Ally.

"Sure. I found it a little strange myself, but I didn't think it was a setup," answered Jack.

He pulled out a tape recorder and placed a cassette inside. A garbled voice could be heard. "Look, I know this guy who is a real pervert. He's cruising the net looking' for some piece of tranny ass. He wants a kid, the younger the better. Look, I don't like to get involved in things like this, but I don't like to see kids, even fags, get hurt. They should be protected and I was hoping you knew a way to stop him. Kids need a protector from someone like him…"

"Stop the tape. Play that section back," interrupted Ally.

Jack nodded and replayed the tape.

Ally sat there in silence.

"What're you thinking about?" asked Jack.

"Just a theory. Have you heard of the 'Protector'?" asked Ally.

Jack nodded. "Sure. The net boogeyman for sexual predators, why?"

"I think that whoever shot Jamie, might have been trying to kill the Protector. There have been rumors of a bounty out there," stated Ally.

"But why kill Jamie? She was just a kid."

"Killing her may have been a mistake. You said that Jamie was shot just in front of Kelly?" asked Ally.

Jack reviewed his notes. "Yes, she was right in front of her. Why is this important?"

"It's just a theory. There have been rumors about a bounty on the Protector. We never took them all that seriously. We investigated them and found they were just angry rants from frightened pedophiles," explained Ally.

"So, why would someone shoot Jamie?" asked Jack.

"I don't think they were aiming for her," replied Ally.

"Kelly can't be the Protector, she told me she's only been with the agency a short time. I've been hearing stories of the Protector for a couple of years," continued Jack.

"No, but the shooter may have thought Kelly was the Protector and unfortunately Jamie stepped in the way."

"Why would the shooter think Kelly was the Protector?" asked Jack.

"Because she looks like me. I'm the one that started the Protector myth, or rather the myth was based on my work," explained Ally. She then went on to tell him how the DA back in California had dubbed her the Protector.

"So, you think that the whole thing was a set up to get you?" asked Jack.

"It's just one possible theory," answered Ally.

"It makes more sense than anything else I can think of at the moment. If you're right then we've got a real serious situation out there. We can't allow anyone to start taking out bounties on us. I know this case could be taken over by you guys, but I want to stay a part of it. Jamie was one of mine and I want whoever did this," stated Jack firmly.

Ally nodded. "I recommend that you continue with your investigation. We'll hit it at our end and you hit it at yours. I'll do my best to keep you informed. In the meantime, we need to find out how this happened and how whoever did this knew so much about both your organization and mine. Do me a favor and don't mention my theory to anyone else here, okay?"

Jack nodded. "I understand your concern. I hate to admit it, but there might be a leak in my department."

Ally called up Robert and told him her theory. She was hoping that he would disagree and tell her she was on a wild goose chase. Instead, he totally agreed with her.

"I want to see you as soon as you get back her. I'll have Kelly escorted back here, she's in danger, as are you," Robert stated.

Ally knew there was no sense in arguing over the phone.

"We'll be sending over a team to meet with the Arlington PD. Don't worry, you're going to be a part of this investigation, Ally."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," replied Ally.

 

Chapter 9

When Ally arrived back in her office, she found that Donna had compiled all the information regarding the original investigation. The data was spread out across the conference table in their operations center.

"So far, nothing stands out as being obviously strange," reported Donna, as she looked up from the files.

"Then look for the obviously normal," replied Ally. She grabbed a Diet Coke out of the fridge and sat down next to Donna. "We're going to need some major computer help on this one."

"I've already called Cathleen. She said she'd be up here as soon as possible," answered Donna.

Ally nodded and cracked a grin, "You're good."

Cathleen was the agency's top computer tech. She had helped Ally's department in many cases.

"I had good a good teacher," replied Donna.

"Enough self-praise. We need to find this bastard. Have we received the recordings of the chat room conversations between the suspect and Kelly?"

"Not yet. They promised to get them to us soon," replied Donna.

"I have them right here," interrupted Kelly, as she walked in the room.

"Give them to Donna. How're you doing?" asked Ally. "Do you feel up to working?"

"I'm okay. I want who did this to Jamie," replied Kelly, as she sat down at the table.

"We'll get him. I need you to tell me everything that happened, from the time you first began to help them until the shooting," stated Ally. "I want you to do it right now, while it's still fresh in your mind."

"I understand. Why would a sex offender shoot an officer?" asked Kelly.

"That's what we're going to find out," answered Ally. She then shot Donna a glance.

Donna figured that Ally had a good reason not telling Kelly her theory on the shooting and gave Ally a slight nod back.

Kelly sat down at a computer and began to type. Ally wanted Kelly busy and figured that the report would take her several hours to finish.

"Donna, get that disc to Cathleen and have her run it through our database of previous chat room conversations. There's a possibility that we've talked with him before," stated Ally. "I'm also going to have records get us an update on the location of all the creeps we've caught."

Donna let out a low whistle. "That will take a while to do."

"True, but I don't see an alternative. I also want you to have to all of our agents review the conversations. They might recognize him."

"How late do you want us to work on this?" asked Donna.

Ally looked at the clock. It was almost 5PM.

"I want this done right. I doubt if we'll find the answer immediately. We need clear minds for this, so no all-nighters," announced Ally. "Donna, I do want you to do one more thing. Call the entire staff together. I want to talk to them in thirty minutes."

 

A short time later, Ally was looking at the faces of her agents. She knew that they needed support. This was the first time that there had been a fatality in any of their operations. Ally invited Jenna to attend the meeting. She also wanted Jenna to meet with Kelly.

"I called you all together to reassure you that we will do our best to capture whoever shot Officer Casey. We're part of the investigation and we will do our part. I also want you to continue your work on your present cases. We cannot, and will not, allow someone to intimidate us," announced Ally.

Many of the agents were nodding in agreement. That was good, thought Ally. They're angry and not scared.

"Why do you think this happened?" asked Joe Davis. Joe had transferred to the department six months earlier. He was 24, short and thin. Like many of the agents he had graduated early from college. Joe had been recruited to the agency upon graduation from The University of Connecticut. He had a great personality and fit in immediately. He didn't even mind when Donna kidded him about using him as a girl on a future stakeout.

"I have a theory, but I don't want to disclose it at the moment. I'd prefer that we examine the case with open minds. There will be a copy of the chat room conversations with the suspect available for review. All agents will review it. I want you to look for anything familiar. There will be a daily meeting and, as usual, I want you to feel free to contribute."

"What about ongoing investigations?" asked Kelly.

"We'll continue to operate. There will be added precautions for future stakeouts," answered Ally. "Are there any other questions?"

There was silence in the room.

"I want to remind everyone that we have rules for a reason. All participation in ANY stakeout requires my permission. Is that clear?" asked Ally.

The agents nodded their heads in agreement.

"I have the greatest confidence in you. This bastard has no idea of who he is messing with," stated Ally confidently.

That caused a few agents to smile and nod.

"Kelly, I need to see you in my office. As for the rest of you, get back to work!" ordered Ally.

"Yes, Mom!" replied the agents in a chorus.

Ally smiled inside to herself. It was the response she was hoping for.

Kelly followed Ally and Jenna into Ally's office. Ally closed the door behind them and then sat down.

"Please have a seat, Kelly. There's a couple of reasons why I called you in here. We have rules in this department. You violated several today. This will not happen again," stated Ally, firmly but in a calm tone.

Kelly nodded.

"Second, we believe that you were the actual target. There's a possibility that the shooter thought you were me," continued Ally.

"I don't understand," interrupted Kelly.

"To be more specific, they might have thought you were the Protector. We're checking the possibility that the shooter was trying to collect a bounty," added Ally. "There was an article about the Protector last year in the Post. They didn't list my name, but they gave a general physical description of me, and said that I assisted police departments. Unfortunately, you also fir that description."

Kelly sat there for a moment, lost in thought. "Do you think that I said or did something to cause the shooting?"

Ally shrugged her shoulders, ignoring the slight twinge of pain. "To be honest, I don't know. The shooter may have been fishing for one of us, like we fish for them. He may have seen you and figured that he got lucky. When you type out your report, try to recall every detail possible. I'd like to have this be the best, most thorough report you've ever written. Both of our lives may depend on it."

"I will," replied a very subdued Kelly.

"Also, keep this to yourself for the moment. It's not that I don't trust our department, I just want to make sure that we don't pass up any other possible motives for the shooting," explained Ally.

"So you think that there might be another reason for the shooting?" asked Kelly hopefully, as the seriousness of the situation sank in.

"No. I have a feeling about this one, and in the past my feelings have been right," answered Ally.

Jenna coughed to remind Ally that she was still there. Jenna was one of the Agency's therapists.

Ally turned to her and cracked a small grin. She then turned back to Kelly. "The reason Jenna is here is that I want you two to talk. You just went through a very traumatic episode and from personal experience I know that you'll need to talk about it," explained Ally.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather get back to work," stated Kelly.

"Kelly, this isn't a request," interrupted Ally. "One more thing, you will have an extra shadow for the next few days."

"What do you… Oh, I understand," replied Kelly.

"If it you makes you feel any better, the agency will have someone watching me too," smiled Ally. "If you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you, Ally."

"Ally, may we use your office?" asked Jenna. "It would save us a walk across the compound."

"Sure, not a problem. I need to talk to Donna and then Robert," stated Ally as she got up. "There's Diet Coke in the fridge."

 

Chapter 10

Ally pulled Donna aside. "Call up David and have him drop down into the sewer."

Donna chuckled as Ally used their slang for the chat rooms that attracted pedophiles. David had established several personas that were regulars in the rooms.

"I take it you want him to see if there is any buzz out there on the shooting," replied Donna.

Ally nodded. "I'm going up to see Robert. I'll see you tomorrow."

As she walked up to see her boss, Ally's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Had she brought this upon herself? The department had had a lot of success and maybe they had become a bit arrogant. Ally wondered if she had gotten slack, with both herself and the rest of the department. In short, Ally began to blame herself for the death of Officer Casey and for putting Kelly's life in danger.

She arrived outside Robert's office, took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come on in, Ally," announced Robert, without looking up from his computer. "I know your knock."

She smiled and sat down. "I have the department working on the case." Ally then briefed Robert on her actions. He nodded in agreement.

"There will be a meeting tomorrow afternoon at 1," stated Robert.

"Good. Are you in charge of the overall investigation?"

"Joint operation. For now, the Arlington PD will do the investigation. Our assistance will be low key. I agree with your theory about the shooting. If we jump in with both feet and the shooter has an inside info source, he might think that we're on to something," explained Robert.

"How is the press being handled? We don't want a panic on our hands," remarked Ally.

"The press will simply be told that it was a stakeout gone bad," replied Robert.

Ally nodded. "Well, my plan is to go back to fishing. Once the shooter realizes that he missed, he may want to try again. We may get lucky and catch him. He may not suspect that we're hunting him."

"Good. Now, go home," he ordered. There was a grin on his face.

"I'll see if I can pick up my tail on the way home," Ally smiled. "It will make the drive go faster."

"Not a chance, Steve assigned one of his best agents to watch over you," replied Robert.

"I feel a bit silly needing someone to watch over me."

"Don't. We don't know what we're dealing with, and I can't afford to lose you."

Ally nodded and left. She suddenly felt a little better. Robert's words meant a lot to her.

 

Chapter 11

Over dinner, Carol and Ally talked about the day.

"Have you ever lost someone who was working for you?" asked Ally, as she took a sip of wine.

"No, but I've had agents injured," replied Carol. "It's never easy to deal with."

"I feel guilty over the death of Jamie, and I never even met her," said Ally, as she stared off into space.

"I understand. It's always easier to put yourself in harm's way. Ally, you're a supervisor and sending agents out is part of your job. Knowing you as I do, I know that you would not be content to going back to just being a worker bee. However, I don't have any magic words to make you feel better. Not that I really need to remind you, but I will be here for you," Carol stated, as she reached over and took Ally's hand in hers.

Ally looked at Carol. "What scares me is that if my theory is right and this is a bounty hunter, then I'm going to have to put someone out there as bait. I know I've done that before, but this is different. This time we're going after a killer. I think about what could go wrong and it makes the decision difficult."

"You assign people to cases all the time, that's part of your job. On every stakeout there is the possibility of something going wrong. You know that," Carol reminded her.

Ally nodded and looked down at her shoulder. "I guess that's contributing to my fears."

"Honey, you're human just like the rest of us. You have to trust your instinct and the agency. This shooter has shown his hand, we're aware of him now, and we'll get him," reassured Carol.

"What scares me about this guy is that he knows that I, or rather, the Protector, cares about transgendered teens. He more or less stated that in his phone call."

"That will work in your favor. Use it against him."

Ally looked at Carol and broke out in a soft smile. "Thanks for listening to my whining."

"You're a lot of maintenance, but I knew that going in," replied Carol with a laugh.

"Hmm, you think I'm a lot of trouble now, just wait until I'm recovering from my surgery!"

Carol laughed and leaned over and kissed Ally.

 

Chapter 12

Ally arrived early in the office and was pleased to see that most of her agents were already at work.

Donna saw her walk in and waved her over. "David called me late last night. Looks like you're right about the motive."

"Tell me in my office," replied Ally.

They walked into Ally's office and Donna closed the door behind her.

"David told me that he learned of the shooting in a private conversation in the chat room. He said that the other man told him that someone had tried to kill the Protector and that he'd almost succeeded," Donna told Ally.

"What else did he learn?" asked Ally hopefully.

"Not a lot, except that the rumor was that the shooter promised to get the job done the next time."

Ally nodded and looked at her watch. "I'll call Robert, he should be here by now."

"When do we tell the others?" asked Donna.

"After I tell Robert. Does Cathleen have anything?" asked Ally.

"She's still checking. I'm having everyone review the transcripts of the chat room conversations with the suspect. Maybe something will stand out with someone," explained Donna.

"Is Kelly in?" asked Ally.

Donna noticed the tone of concern in Ally's voice and nodded. "She got in right before you. She's over in the operations room printing out her report."

"Okay, I'll call Robert and I'll meet you in operations shortly."

Donna nodded and left. Ally took a deep breath and called Robert. Ally waited for him to pick up the phone. She cursed herself for being right. Why couldn't it have been just some simple wacko, she thought?

Robert answered the phone after the second ring. "I was right, it looks like we've been targeted," greeted Ally.

"That's what my sources say too," confirmed Robert.

"Your sources?" asked a surprised Ally.

"I'll tell you about them later. The meeting has been moved up to noon. Will you be ready?" asked Robert.

"I'll do my best," stated Ally, honestly.

"I can't ask for more," replied Robert.

Ally hung up the phone, took another deep breath, and headed out to talk to her agents.

 

Chapter 13

Ally walked into the operations center and had Donna call everyone together.

"It looks like the reason for yesterday's shooting was to target us. The rumors about a bounty appear to be true," stated Ally. She watched her agents for their reactions. She was pleased to see anger and not fear.

"Are you or Kelly in immediate danger?" asked Joe.

"I doubt it. I think the shooter was looking for a blonde at the stakeout. However, the fact that he took a shot at Kelly means that he has a general description of me," replied Ally. "The agency has assigned surveillance for both of us. Personally, I don't think the shooter will try anything until another stakeout."

"Why do you say that?" asked Kelly.

"Instinct. This person is trying to collect a bounty and send a message. What better way than to kill the Protector at a stakeout designed to catch a sexual predator?" asked Ally.

"So what can we do?" asked Joe angrily.

"We do our jobs," interrupted Donna.

Ally smiled. "What Donna said. We have a collection of great minds in this room; let's use them to catch this bastard. In the meantime, I want everyone to continue with his or her present caseload. Everyone will also review the transcripts of the chat room conversations between Kelly and the suspect. As you work online, I want you to keep an eye out for the suspect."

"I finished the report you asked for," stated Kelly, handing Ally a disc and a printout of her report.

"Good. Give Donna a copy too," answered Ally. "Donna, I want you to read it this morning."

"Don't worry, Mom! We'll get him," Joe exclaimed.

Ally nodded. "I'll let you all get back to work. By the way, the shower is still on for Wednesday after work."

 

Chapter 14

Ally inserted the disc in her computer and called up Kelly's report. For the next two hours she read it, while making notes. What Ally wanted to know was what had tipped off the suspect that he had made contact with the police. Obviously, something had gone wrong. Something that Kelly said online might have given away the sting. Ally also had a copy of the transcripts of the online conversations and reviewed them at the same time.

Ally checked the biography of the bait-teen. Kelly had used their formula and everything looked normal. The biography was designed to be detailed enough to look real, but vague enough to avoid problems. Agents were told not to give away full names or addresses or anything that could be readily checked. It was a real balancing act and if done properly there would be few problems. Ally hoped that she wouldn't find any mistakes. She was sure that Kelly was feeling guilty enough as it was.

Ally felt better knowing that Donna was doing the exact same task. Between the two of them, any errors in procedure should be detected. After all, they were the two people who had written and re-written the department procedures.

Looking up at the clock, Ally saw that she had enough time to grab a quick lunch and then head to the meeting. She debated eating at her desk, but decided against it. She needed to set the example for the department. She wanted her agents to work hard, but not kill themselves, unless it was absolutely necessary.

Ally walked over to the lunchroom thinking about the case. The case was becoming clearer to her. The shooter would try again, but he would wait. He would sit back and watch for anything unusual, then he would try again if he thought it was safe. She wasn't sure how she knew this, but it just made sense. She also didn't think that this was the first time that the suspect had tried to run his own sting and wondered when Cathleen would get back to her with the requested information.

Ally got a tossed salad, a bowl of tomato soup, and a can of Diet Coke. She sat down alone and thought about the case as she ate. The stalking of the shooter would soon begin again. Every stakeout they did from now on had the potential to lead to another shooting. Ally felt a chill run up her spine; she would have to put other agents at risk soon. But she would also have to do her utmost to minimize the risk she exposed them to.

She was so lost in thought that she never saw Beth come up. The sound of Beth setting her tray down on the table snapped her out of her thoughts.

"What's up?' asked Beth with a big smile on her face.

"What're you doing here? I thought we were done with you!" laughed Ally. Inside she was pleased to see her "little sister."

Beth had been working at the agency as part of a summer intern program.

"I came in to see Jenna," replied Beth.

Ally nodded. Beth had more than her fair share of issues to deal with.

"How're you doing?" asked Ally.

"Good. I've been a little down lately. I think it's because I can't have any contact with my original family."

Ally wished she had something to say.

"I'm getting by. Jenna says that it's normal to have ups and downs, especially after everything I've been through," continued Beth. "I read about the shooting. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not right now. I may call you in later," replied Ally.

"Really?" asked Beth excitedly.

Ally nodded as she ate her salad.

"I just want to thank you again for allowing me to work for you this past summer," remarked Beth.

"Hey, you were a big help. Don't forget about the second shower Wednesday," reminded Ally.

"I can't wait!"

Ally looked at her watch and then stood up. "I need to go. I'll see you Wednesday, Beth. Take care, little sister!"

Beth smiled back. "I will, big sister."

 

Chapter 15

Robert held the meeting in his office. Jack Morgan was already there and he was talking to Robert.

"Am I early?" asked Ally.

"No, this is it. I want to keep this low key for now," replied Robert.

Ally nodded and sat down next to Jack.

"Jack was telling me about their investigation. Our assistance will be behind the scenes," stated Robert.

Jack turned to Ally. "Maybe we will get lucky and nail this bastard ourselves."

"I hope you do," replied Ally.

"What have you found, Ally?" asked Robert.

"We're running a screen of our databases. We're comparing the conversations between Kelly and the suspect against our previously known sexual predators. We're also reviewing the procedures used in the case. Something tipped him off," replied Ally.

"I agree. We're running a check of our procedures. If we find anything, we'll let you know immediately," commented Jack.

"I contacted Denise Stevenson in our profiling department. Maybe she can narrow down what sort of person we're looking for," interjected Robert.

Jack then briefed them on the shooting. They had discovered the shooting location. It was from the roof of a nearby apartment building.

"The shot was difficult, but not too hard. Any deer hunter from back in Scranton would make it. The fact that he missed his target tells me that we aren't dealing with a professional sniper. Here is the ballistic information on the bullet. We also found the shell casing. Another sign that we're not dealing with a pro," explained Jack.

"That's good to know, but let's not underestimate him. After all he was good enough to set us up," stated Robert.

"I won't underestimate him. I made that mistake with one psychopath," Ally said in a soft voice.

Jack turned to her with a confused look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"I let my guard down on a stakeout and almost got killed by a serial killer," remarked Ally.

"Serial killer? Wait a minute, I thought your name was familiar," exclaimed Jack. He then gave Ally a strange look, as if he was trying to figure something out. "I have to admit that I'm a little surprised as I had heard that you…"

"Yes, I'm transgendered," interrupted Ally.

"Wow, I'm impressed! Wait, I'm sorry, that didn't come out right," replied the obviously embarrassed detective.

"It's okay," stated Ally.

Jack sat there for a second. "Wait a minute. This reminds me of something that happened in the station. I didn't think it was important at the time, but now it may be important."

"What was that?" asked Ally.

"Our public affairs department has a standing request from a freelance reporter requesting any information on any investigation involving transgendered youth. He claimed he was doing a story on abused teens, focusing on the transgendered."

"Did anyone contact him?" asked Robert.

"I'm not sure, but I will find out. We don't usually allow reporters on stakeouts, unless we know and trust them. We never call them up and tell them about operations. I'll check with my department and find out if someone violated procedures," replied Jack.

Robert nodded. "If you find out that the reporter was contacted, let us take over. We'll investigate the reporter and find out how legitimate he is."

"I will," replied Jack.

"I'll also let you know if we find anything wrong with our procedures," said Ally to Jack.

 

Chapter 16

Ally was pleased that Jack didn't treat her any differently. She wanted to be treated as a woman, but saw no reason to hide the fact that she was transgendered. True, there were agents who were uneasy around her, but since the agency supported her, there was little open harassment. Thankfully, she had a good reputation, and that did much to dispel any problems.

Ally found it interesting that she had more problems with female agents and police officers, than with male officers. Granted, while men did some of the more stupid acts of harassment, the more mean spirited acts were done by women. Ally wondered how Grace was doing in North Dakota. Grace harassed Ally and was responsible for several cruel acts. Ally was pleased with the way the agency had handled Grace, although Ally still couldn't bring herself to forgive the female agent who had caused her so much grief. One of Ally's little daily pleasures was checking the weather in North Dakota, especially in the winter. Still, North Dakota was no paradise even in summer either. Today the high was to be 94, with afternoon thunderstorms.

Ally returned to her office and dove into Kelly's report. There was something wrong, but Ally couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Two hours and three Diet Cokes later, Ally found it. She checked the report against the chat room transcripts and confirmed it. She highlighted the mistakes. Ally leaned back in her chair and thought about what she would have to do.

She picked up her phone and called Donna. "Would you come to my office please? I have something to show you."

"I think I know what it is. I'll be there in a flash," replied Donna.

Ally hoped it was the same thing.

Donna arrived carrying her copy of the report, entered Ally's office and sat down.

"Did you find the high school reference?" asked Ally.

Donna nodded. "Also that Kelly gave away the bait-teen's full name."

They spread out their reports and found the mistakes. Both agents had highlighted the areas of concern. Kelly hadn't kept track of what she had told the suspect. Early in their conversations, Kelly told him the teen's real first name. A week later she gave away the teen's last name. Then two days later she told him that she would be a junior at a local high school and gave away the actual name of the school.

"All the suspect had to do was contact the school and he would have found out that the teen was fictitious," stated Donna.

"That's why we have procedures to keep the biography vague so that this won't happen," said Ally, stating the obvious. "She also failed to follow the checklist."

For most cases, the agency didn't register the names of their teens. It sounded simple enough; just enter the name in the school's database. However, this often led to a wide variety of problems, so unless it was absolutely necessary, it wasn't done. Agents were trained to keep the personal information vague on purpose. In her enthusiasm, Kelly had forgotten these rules, and it had contributed to the tipping off of the suspect.

"What're we going to do?" asked Donna.

"Kelly is suspended from any active investigations, until she's retrained. I still want her working in the department until then. I want her to learn from her mistakes," stated Ally. "Additionally, she's off any online work until she has completed her retraining."

"I agree," concurred Donna. "Do you want me to call her in?"

Ally nodded. She hated this part of the job, but it had to be done. She knew that Kelly would feel even guiltier for Jamie's death, but that couldn't be helped. Ally just hoped that Kelly would take her punishment like an adult and learn from it, and then move on.

Kelly sat there in silence as Ally explained what she had done wrong. Ally was pleased that Kelly didn't deny what had happened.

"So, what will I do until I'm back on full status?" asked Kelly.

"We'll keep you busy," replied Donna. "We need to create a new biography for bait."

"For the shooter?" asked Kelly.

"Exactly. We're also going to make the same sort of mistakes. Hopefully, he'll bite," replied Ally.

 

Chapter 17

The next day Ally was sitting in Robert's office trying to convince him that she needed to be the bait for the shooter.

"Absolutely not!" Robert stated firmly.

"It makes sense. The shooter is looking for me and I need to be the bait," pleaded Ally.

"No. I'm not using you for that. The shooter saw Kelly at the stakeout, and if he sees someone different he might suspect that we are onto him," explained Robert.

"I don't like using my agents as bait," replied Ally.

"But you don't mind using yourself?" answered Robert. There was a slight smile on his face.

Ally sat there trying to think of something to say to convince him. "Maybe… I just don't like putting someone else at risk."

"Neither do I. Remember, Ally, your agents are really my agents."

Ally sat there silently seething. After a few moments she spoke. "I'm not going to win this one, am I?"

Robert shook his head no. "Do you think that Kelly will mind being the bait?"

"No, she's too much like me. Besides, she wants to get this guy as badly as I do."

"Sending others out into danger is part of our job," stated Robert. "You want some coffee?"

"Yes, please. Carol told me the same thing. I understand, but I don't like it."

"No one in their right mind likes it," replied Robert. He handed her a mug of coffee.

Ally took a deep breath. "Shifting the subject a bit, tell me about how you confirmed the bounty aspect of this case."

Robert motioned for Ally to close the door of his office. "What I'm about to tell you stays in this office. There is an ongoing deep cover operation investigating child and teen pornography. We have an agent working in one of the syndicates and he confirmed that a man contacted them with a proposal to kill the Protector. Our agent says that they didn't initially think he was serious, but they did say that if he pulled it off they'd pay him one hundred thousand dollars."

"I'm insulted! I thought I'd be worth at least a million," quipped Ally. She took a sip of her coffee.

A slight smile broke out on his face. "To be honest, you're not seen as a big threat to them. You do scare off some clients, so they figured it was worth a shot."

"I'm even more insulted now! Seriously, wouldn't putting out a hit on a Fed bring unwanted attention to their operation?"

"Exactly. When they found out that he actually attempted it and missed the designated target, they told him he had only one more chance. If he missed again, then they would take him out," replied Robert.

"I cannot imagine them letting him live either way," interjected Ally.

"I agree," concurred Robert.

"Too bad they don't take him out right now. It would save us a lot of time and effort," added Ally with a smile.

Robert shook his head in mock disgust. "You've been hanging around Steve too much."

"Did our agent get a look at this guy?" asked Ally.

"No. We do know that he's local," replied Robert.

"Do we have any idea when he'll strike again?" asked Ally.

"Our agent said that the shooter told them he would try again next month. The shooter said that he would kill the Protector during another stakeout, so everyone would know it was him who did the job. If our agent learns anything else, he'll let us know."

"Well, that helps a lot. We now know generally when and how," remarked Ally. "I appreciate the information."

"Don't tell anyone about how you learned this information. You'll have to convince everyone that you figured out the shooter's agenda on your own," ordered Robert.

Ally nodded. "How long has this agent been undercover?"

"Going on three years," answered Robert.

Ally let out a low whistle. "I'd love to meet him someday."

"That can be arranged."

"One more thing. I recommend that we compile a list of potential stakeout areas and run them by Spec-Ops. They could give us a risk analysis of the locations, so that we don't have a repeat of what happened," suggested Ally.

Robert nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. In fact, I know that they've done that for other departments. I'll run it by Steve. Anything else?"

Ally shook her head no.

 

Chapter 18

Ally walked back to her office and thought about what it would be like to be undercover for three years. She hadn't even been Ally for that long, she thought with a laugh.

So they had a less than a month until the next attempt. Hopefully, he would wait until after Donna's wedding, thought Ally.

Ally thought about using Kelly as bait. So two officers would be in jeopardy during this operation, she thought. As she walked, she thought about the risks. She knew that Kelly would readily volunteer to be in this operation. It would be a chance for her to redeem herself, even if it meant the possibility that she could be killed. Ally was positive of this, as Kelly was very much like her.

When Ally arrived in her office she found a phone message from Jack.

"Ally, We're still running down the name of the reporter. I should have it for you soon," stated Jack.

"Thanks, Jack. How's the rest of the investigation going?"

"We have a general size and build of the shooter. Our CSI team was able to figure that out by the implant he left in the gravel on the roof. They estimate he's between 5-10 and 6-1 and weighs around 200 pounds. He's white and has brown hair. It's not much, but it's a start," replied Jack.

"E-mail me a copy of that, please. I'll pass it around the department. I know Denise will find that information interesting," remarked Ally. "I'd like to get together with you. I have some things that I'd like to discuss with you in private."

"Sure. Do you know where O'Hara's is?" asked Jack.

"Yes. I've been there a few times," replied Ally. O'Hara's was a local bar frequented by law enforcement.

"How about I meet you there in an hour?" asked Jack.

Ally checked her watch. "Sure, that sounds good."

 

Chapter 19

It was very humid outside and the sky was dark with clouds. It looked like they were going to get another thunderstorm, thought Ally as she drove towards the bar.

The bar was heavily air-conditioned and dimly lit. The cold air felt good, compared to the heat and humidity of outside. Ally looked around and saw that Jack was already there, and had commandeered a booth. Ally sat down across from him in the leather-lined booth.

"You want something to drink?" he asked. He was drinking a beer.

"A beer would be great," replied Ally.

Jack motioned towards the bar. The bartender nodded and immediately sent a mug of draft beer over to their booth.

"You come here often?" asked Ally. She then took a long sip of the beer. It really hit the spot.

"My uncle owns the place. He's a retired DC street cop. I was practically raised here," replied Jack with a smile. "So, what do you have for me?"

"We found some mistakes that were made during the Internet conversations. Apparently the suspect was able to run a check on the bait-teen and able to discover that he was fictitious," stated Ally.

Jack took a sip of his beer. "I knew there was something different about you. Most Feds are too arrogant to admit their department made a mistake. I really appreciate your honesty."

"It's the least I could do. I also wanted your team to be aware of the mistakes," replied Ally, she picked up her beer and took a long drink.

For the next thirty minutes they talked about the case and their teams. Ally really liked Jack. In some ways, he reminded her of her chief back in California.

Ally noticed a man approaching their booth. He was a large man in his forties, brown thinning hair that was turning gray, and blue eyes. He was wearing a wrinkled suit, his tie was undone, and it looked like he had been drinking for a while.

"Hey, Jack, how're you doing?" asked the man. "And who is this?"

"Charles Hill, this is Ally Burns, she's with the agency," introduced Jack. "Charles works in Vice in DC."

"Correction, I used to work in vice. I was just transferred to robbery. My old boss didn't like the way I did my job," grumbled Charles. He then broke out in a smile as he ran his eyes over Ally. "Well, I must admit that they always get the prettiest secretaries there."

Before Ally could say a word, Jack interrupted. "Charles, Ally is an agent, not a secretary."

"Okay, my bad, no offense," he extended his hand to Ally.

"None taken," replied Ally, glancing over at Jack.

"Can I ask you a question?" Charles asked Ally.

He leaned over, and Ally could smell the bourbon on his breath.

"Sure," replied Ally.

"I've heard a rumor that there's a trannie, or shemale, or whatever they call themselves, running a department over there. Now, as a woman, and a beautiful one at that, how do you feel about that? You can tell me, off the record of course. I'd imagine that it's a little disturbing," asked Charles.

"It doesn't bother me one bit," replied Ally, holding back her anger.

"Really?" replied a shocked Charles. He stared at Ally as if he was trying to tell if she was kidding or not. "I mean, I'm all for affirmative action, but this is ridiculous!

"Why? If she can do the job, what does it matter?" asked Ally

"It's just unnatural! I mean, a man dressing up as a chick! Look, I see that you're wearing a ring. How does your man feel about you working with someone like that?"

"If you must know, my partner is another woman, and she doesn't care either," replied Ally, in a sweet innocent voice.

Jack almost spit out his beer when he heard what Ally said. Charles stood there for a second, turned and walked away, speechless. He was shaking his head in disbelief. He glanced over his shoulder a few times and walked away mumbling something that neither Ally nor Jack could hear.

"You enjoyed doing that," remarked Jack, with a sly grin on his face.

Ally nodded and took another sip of her beer. "I'm still amazed by the reaction of others concerning my gender. I'm also amazed by the number of Neanderthals that are in law enforcement."

"Charles isn't that bad. He's just going through a midlife crisis. He's a good cop," stated Jack, in the man's defense. "But I must admit that I liked the way you handled it."

Ally doubted that Charles was a good cop, but held back her opinion. "I was a detective before I was recruited by the agency. I came out to them and was for the most part accepted. When I arrived out here, I had become Ally. Still, I knew that there was no use in hiding the truth. I see myself as an agent who is transgendered, emphasis on being an agent," explained Ally. She took a long sip from her glass.

"One of the problems is that, for the most part, the only transgendered people we come in contact with are either victims or prostitutes. It tends to create a distorted view," stated Jack.

Ally nodded. "I had a similar conversation with a detective down in Atlanta."

"Was that when you were working the serial killer case?" asked Jack.

"Yes," replied Ally, slightly surprised that Jack knew about the case.

"I read the report on the case. That was some damn good sleuthing you did," complimented Jack.

"Thanks."

"If it means anything to you, I look at women like you differently now," stated Jack.

Ally felt her face getting warm. Shit, she thought, the last thing I want to do is for him to see me blush. Maybe it's too dark in here for him to notice, she thought. "It does mean a lot to me…I need to get going. Thanks for the beer."

"Sure thing, Ally," replied Jack. The sly smile was back on his face. She looks pretty cute when she blushes, he thought.

Ally drove home in the rain. She was still deeply in love with Carol, but she was also troubled by her growing attractiveness to men. The idea that Jack was attracted to her was slightly exciting. In some ways, it was another sign of her acceptance of her feminine status and that pleased her. But, she still felt funny about having any sexual feelings for a man.

Over dinner she brought up the topic with Carol.

"While I appreciate you telling me this, it doesn't upset me. I think it's normal and part of your mental and physical transformation. I know that you love me, still, it's nice to hear you say it," remarked Carol.

"I want to be honest you with," replied Ally.

"I know that, love." Carol then leaned over and kissed Ally.

Ally held out her ring. "Our relationship means so much to me. I guess we don't need a ceremony to legalize it."

Carol nodded and took a sip of her wine. "Still, it would be nice to have a ceremony, even if it was unofficial."

"What do you have in mind?" asked Ally.

"We could have a little ceremony among friends and family. It would formalize our relationship."

"I'd like that."

"Do you want to wait until after your surgery, or would you like to sleep on it?"

Ally blushed and smiled.

"You do look sweet when you blush," stated Carol, as she leaned over and kissed Ally again.

 

Chapter 20

Between the investigation and the shower, Ally's day would be hectic. At first she wished that the shower could be cancelled, but she realized that she needed the distraction and it would be good for Donna and the others in her department as well.

As expected, Kelly was eager to participate in the operation to catch the shooter.

"I'll be safe, Ally. I'll be wearing my vest," stated Kelly confidently.

"And if he goes for a head shot?" asked Ally.

Kelly stood there speechless for a moment. "I didn't think about that. I still want to do it. I owe that to Jamie."

Ally nodded. Kelly was very much like her in so many ways.

"I'll be setting up a meeting with Spec-Ops to plan the stakeout. I'll let you know when it will be," stated Ally.

"Spec-Ops? Cool! I've always wanted to meet them," replied Kelly eagerly.

"Well, you'd better get back to work," stated Ally. "We're leaving at one for the shower."

"I may have to leave early. I'm going to the memorial service for Jamie this evening."

"You sure you want to do that?" asked Ally.

"No, but it's the right thing to do," answered Kelly.

Ally nodded. Kelly had great potential; she might make a good second in charge when Donna takes over the department Ally thought. She just needed to learn the importance of patience and caution.

Ally spent the morning reviewing the information provided by Jack. They'd found a silencer near the crime scene. It was crudely constructed and may have been why the shooter's aim was off. She passed this information over to Denise, the profiler. Denise's work fascinated Ally. How Denise could put together such accurate descriptions of people was amazing, thought Ally.

Ally confirmed the reservations at the restaurant for the shower. They were eating in one of Donna's favorite places over in Alexandria. Most of the guests were from the agency, although there would be a few from other law enforcement agencies.

Ally rode over with Carol.

"So, by your unusual silence I can tell that you're still uneasy about Kelly being the bait," stated Carol.

Ally smiled. "Is it that obvious?"

"Try to put work aside for a few hours," recommended Carol.

"I will," answered Ally.

The event was near perfect. The restaurant gave them their own room. At first Ally thought this was to give them privacy, but it soon became apparent that it was done to shield the rest of the patrons from them. They got a bit loud and there was lots of laughter.

The gifts were a bit more adult in nature. At least Donna wouldn't need any lingerie for a while, thought Ally.

Ally was pleased that so many women from work were there. The idea of taking an afternoon off from work was unheard of for many of these agents; it was a sign of how well liked Donna was. She looked around and saw Maggie, Beth, Jenna, Kelly, Cathleen, and many other women from the office. Even Michelle, the woman who ran the research department, took off from work to attend. Michelle had been Ally's friend from the moment they met. Ally knew that it was Michelle who had eased her acceptance into the Agency and greatly appreciated it.

Michelle walked over and sat down next to Ally. "So, when are you and Carol formalizing your love?"

"Funny you should mention that. We were just talking about holding some sort of ceremony."

"I look forward to attending."

"May I ask you something?" asked Ally.

Michelle nodded.

"How do you think it would be received?" asked Ally. "I mean, I know a lot of people have turned a blind eye towards Carol's and my relationship. If we formalize it, even unofficially, will that cause problems?"

"First off, what does it matter? It's not as if you and Carol base your lives on what others think in the first place. Will some people in the agency get their noses out of joint? Yes. Will it affect your status at work? No. Will your friends support you two? Absolutely!"

Ally smiled. "I can always count on you to be honest. Thanks."

"Look, Ally, there will always be people who will never accept who and what you are. I know that must be a difficult burden to carry around. But remember, you have a lot of good friends too."

Ally leaned over and gave Michelle a hug.

 

Chapter 21

The rest of the week flew by. Ally reviewed the biography of the new bait-teen. It was similar to the one used in the botched operation with the Arlington PD. Ally and her department were operating as if they didn't know that the shooting was directed at them.

Ally briefed her agents that it was very likely that the shooter would be monitoring chat rooms for a while before making contact. She had asked them to pay special attention for anything that seemed out of place.

Denise provided them with a possible profile of the shooter. Ally read it and was amazed with the details. According the profile, the shooter was between 40 and 50 years old. He was a loner, single, seeking acceptance. He was either self-employed or worked alone, and had an above average IQ. He had been in the service, but had been discharged, most likely for insubordination. He had an overly high opinion of himself and was most likely very argumentative. He also might have a drinking problem.

Denise believed he might have been molested as a teen and felt anger that no one was there for him. She also believed that the money was secondary to him. He was seeking both revenge and personal glory for being the one to kill the Protector.

What caught Ally's eye was that Denise said that there was a possibility that he was connected to law enforcement. Denise noted how easily he had escaped from the first shooting scene. He obviously knew police procedures.

Ally finished the report and routed a copy to her agents. She also e-mailed a copy to Jack.

Ally walked into the operations center and found Kelly intently reading the profile.

"How does she come up with this?" asked Kelly, looking up at Ally.

"I have no idea. I just know that Denise is usually right on. It's eerie how accurate she has been in the past," replied Ally. She sat down on top of the table next to Kelly.

"I'd love to do that kind of work," stated Kelly. Realizing what she'd said, Kelly quickly added, "Not that I don't like my present job!"

Ally smiled. "When this case is over, I can arrange for you to spend some time with Denise."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Sure. I think you've got potential to be a great agent, no matter what department you work in," replied Ally. "I'd rather lose you to Denise's department than have you leave the agency. With everything we do here, it might be worthwhile to add a fulltime profiler to the team. Maybe you could specialize in online profiling?"

"That would be cool. I really do love working for you, but I find profiling to be very interesting," answered Kelly. "I have another question."

"Go on,"

"I've never been a target before. Donna said that when you were a detective you did a lot of undercover work. Were you ever afraid?"

"Every time," replied Ally, immediately.

"Even when you…when you were a guy?" asked Kelly.

"Yes. Being afraid is nothing to be ashamed about. Fear is a natural emotion; you just have to control it. I was terrified when I was facing Brian Wilcox, but I didn't lose my head," answered Ally.

Kelly nodded. "That makes me feel a little better. I guess I'm a bit envious of your experience. You're a real agent. I'm just a techie."

"Bull. You're an agent. I only have agents in my department," replied Ally.

"Yes, but I'm not in your league."

"Well, I'm not in the same league as those in Spec-Ops either. And they're not in our league when it comes to trapping sexual predators. You have a good mind, Kelly. Remember that, use your mind, and you'll do fine."

Kelly sat there soaking in what Ally said. "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," replied Ally.

 

Chapter 22

Cathleen finished her scan of the database of Internet conversations and presented it to Ally and Donna.

"I had the system scan for certain phrases that the shooter used in his conversations with Kelly. He uses 'okay' a lot, almost every other sentence. Also he consistently capitalizes the word boobies. I know this isn't much, but it's a start," explained Cathleen.

Ally tossed her a Diet Coke. "It's more than we had before, thanks."

"What are these?" asked Donna, pointing to a list of names.

"Those are some names of people you've run into online who have the same characteristics as the shooter," stated Cathleen, as she opened the soda and took a sip.

There were three names on the list, along with the name of the shooter. The names were Billy, Bill93, B-Man, and Billster. B-Man was the one he'd used when he talked to Kelly.

"Any luck tracing them?" asked Ally.

"No. The chat rooms he uses don't require registration of names. I haven't given up and may come up with something," answered Cathleen

Donna looked at the list. "I'll post these in the operations room."

"I can go you one better. I'll program one of the computers to alert you should any of these names show up," stated Cathleen.

"How long will that take?" asked Ally.

"I should have the program ready in a day or so," stated Cathleen.

"Excellent!" replied Ally, in her best Montgomery Burns imitation.

Cathleen shook her head in mock disgust. "I thought I was the only agent here who watched The Simpsons!"

"Thanks for the help," replied Ally.

Cathleen got up and started for the door. "I'll have the program installed ASAP."

"Don't forget about the party tomorrow night," reminded Ally.

"The bachelorette party? I wouldn't miss it for the world!" exclaimed Cathleen.

"Just what have you planned for me?" asked Donna.

"You'll just have to wait until tomorrow," answered Ally, with a sly grin on her face. "In the meantime, I'll have Michelle scan the system for sexual offenders who fit Denise's profile, and have the name Bill, in one form or another."

 

Chapter 23

Carol and Ally rode over together in a limo to pick up Donna and take her to the party. Both were dressed in short sequined party dresses. "How much did it cost to charter the boat?" asked Carol.

"It wasn't that much. They told me that they've done a lot of parties like this. I was lucky to get a boat. Thankfully, the owner of the tour company is a friend of Steve's," replied Ally.

"That could mean he's either in law enforcement or crime!" quipped Carol.

"Or both!" laughed Ally.

The bachelorette party would be a cruise on the Potomac River. This included a band and dinner.

"How did you keep the cruise a secret from Donna?" asked Carol.

"It wasn't easy. She's been trying to figure it out for weeks. I ran a deception operation to confuse her. I left pamphlets in my office for a variety of places, including a male stripper show," replied Ally.

"If she really wants one of those, you can always lift your dress," quipped Carol, knowing she was probably the only person in Ally's life who could make such a joke.

Ally laughed. "It would be a small show!"

"I don't think of it as small, rather petite!" replied Carol. They both were laughing hard.

They picked up Maggie and Michelle on the way to Donna's apartment.

"I think the nautical theme is great, especially since Donna will soon be a Navy wife," stated Michelle.

"How's Beth?" asked Ally.

"Pissed, but understanding. She's staying with a friend from school," replied Maggie.

"It's too bad she can't be with us tonight. She's much more mature than any teenager I've ever met," interjected Michelle. She was the only woman in the limo who didn't know Beth's secret: that she had once been LT Ben Carlson, USN.

"I know, but she's still underage," replied Maggie.

The limo pulled up to Donna's apartment and Ally got out and retrieved the guest of honor.

"I'm a little depressed. I had thought I was a good investigator and yet I still have no idea where you're taking me!" quipped Donna.

"Don't feel so bad, remember that you had several agents working against you," replied Ally with a wink.

"Just as long as it isn't the male strippers! Ed and I promised that there wouldn't be strippers at either of our parties," remarked Donna.

"I can vouch for Ed. Steve told me that there would be no strippers," stated Maggie.

"Ed was picked up this morning. Can you tell me where they took him?" asked Donna.

"Atlantic City. They're going to a boxing match and then hit the casinos," replied Maggie.

"Hmm, sounds like a real testosterone laced event," stated Michelle.

"I believe that they planned on eating raw meat for dinner," added Carol.

They all started laughing.

"How're they getting up there?" asked Donna.

"Steve arranged for a Hummer limo," replied Ally, as she rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm glad that they're doing this low-key," laughed Donna.

"I'm a little upset as I wanted that limo for us," added Ally.

"So, are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" asked Donna.

"You'll see soon enough," answered Maggie.

A short time later the limo pulled up to the pier. The rest of the guests were already on board. The boat was a tour boat that had a large internal room and lots of outdoor deck space. During the day it took tourists along the Potomac, at night it was used for dinner cruises or catered parties.

"Oh my God! You mean we're going to have the whole boat for ourselves?" exclaimed Donna.

"Well, I doubt if anyone else would put up with us," stated Carol.

Cathleen was waiting for them by the gangway. "Everyone is here. We're ready to get underway." Cathleen then saluted them.

Donna was shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you put this together for me."

"Well, the Captain is ready to leave as soon as you get onboard," answered Cathleen.

Donna was led onboard and taken to the main room. The room was decorated with streamers and balloons. The bar was set up in the corner.

"The plan is to have dinner, then start the festivities. The band will be set up on the main deck topside," Ally explained to Donna.

"Just in case I forget to say it later, thank you," stated Donna, who started hugging everyone.

Ally looked around and was pleased to see so many friends gathered together. There were thirty women invited. She was pleased to see that Celeste had made it. Celeste had flown down from New York specifically for the party. Ally had first met her in the spring, while tying up loose ends in the Simon sex slave case. In the past few months, Celeste had become a close friend. Additionally, Celeste had helped the agency find the rest of Margo Simon's funds. Donna had heard Ally talk so much about Celeste, and she insisted that Celeste be invited to the shower.

Jenna was talking to Donna's mom. Denise was standing next to Kelly, who was getting a margarita.

"I think Kelly has the right idea," announced Donna, as she headed towards the bar.

"I agree," concurred Ally.

"What, no wine?" asked Donna.

"I'll have some champagne later," answered Ally.

Thirty minutes after they left the pier, dinner was served. Ally was very impressed with the food. In keeping with Donna's wishes, they had an oriental stir-fry. Ally had had doubts about the caterer's ability, but she had to agree it was excellent.

Following dinner, they began to give Donna a virtual cornucopia of humorous and very off-color gifts. Ally had been to a few bachelor parties as Al, and she was surprised to see that the women in her office had outdone the men she had known.

Donna stood up at the end and gave a thank you speech. "I want to thank you all for the lovely gifts. Apparently, one can never have enough sex toys. I'm so pleased to now have a vibrator for every day of the week!"

On the table in front of Donna, was a collection of vibrators and sex toys, in a variety of sizes and colors.

Donna held up the garter holster that Ally had given her. "Maybe I could use this to hold the vibrator du jour!" She then modeled it against her thigh.

"No, no! Higher up your thigh, and business end up!" yelled Cathleen.

There was a lot of laughter. Ally was pleasantly surprised to see that even Donna's mother was laughing; then again, she was on her third margarita.

Donna continued. She held up a box. "I also appreciate the gift of the rechargeable batteries and charger. It's nice to know I have friends who are ecologically minded."

There was more laughter.

"Seriously, I want to thank all of you for attending. I also want to thank my best friend for putting this all together. Thank you, Ally," continued Donna, as she raised her glass.

"See if you feel the same way tomorrow," laughed Ally.

The party moved to the main deck as they passed Washington, DC. While it was definitely Donna's night, Ally also felt wonderful. The shower was just the medicine she had needed to take her mind off the shooter case.

Carol noticed the change in Ally. She slipped up along side Ally and put her arm around her. "It's good to see you lighten up. Maybe I should pour margaritas down your throat more often."

Ally turned to Carol and smiled. "It's not the tequila – well, it may be partially the tequila – I just feel relaxed for the first time since the shooting."

Carol nodded and leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

The cruise lasted way past one, and by the time the boat pulled alongside the dock, the partiers were ready to go home.

"Thanks again, Ally. It was a wonderful evening," stated Donna, as she hugged Ally.

Donna's mother, Barbara, walked over to Ally. "I also want to thank you for a fantastic evening. Donna was right to put her trust in you."

Ally leaned over and hugged a slightly surprised Barbara.

The limo drove them home. Ally fought to stay awake, as the pressure of the last week overwhelmed her.

"Wake up, love, we're home," whispered Carol into Ally's ear.

Ally shook the sleep out of her eyes. "I must have fallen asleep as soon as we left the pier."

Carol shook her head. "Actually you were asleep before we pulled away."

Ally smiled and stepped out of the limo and walked together with Carol into their home.

The limo driver watched them walk up the steps together and shook his head. Why was it all the cute ones were lesbians? He thought.

 

Chapter 24

Monday was a tough workday. Ally was pleased that everyone made it back to work, no matter how slowly they were moving. Donna was sitting across from her as they reviewed their weekly caseload.

"So, I take it that Ed made it back in one piece," commented Ally.

"More or less. Apparently they drank quite a bit of very expensive Scotch. I do appreciate that Steve threw him an excellent party," replied Donna. "We compared hangovers last night over dinner."

"Who won?" asked Ally.

"We called it a tie," replied Donna.

"Anyway, back to work. Have we gotten any hits on Billy?" asked Ally.

They'd decided to call the shooter by one of his chat room names.

"No, nothing yet. Cathleen rigged up one of the computers to alert us if anyone meets his profile or uses his phrases."

"How often to you have the bait-teen in the chat room?"

"He's in there often. We're portraying him as a very lonely outsider," replied Donna. She handed Ally an updated copy of the bait-teen's biography.

Ally nodded. The bait-teen was a transgendered teenage boy, aged 15. His family had just moved to the area and both parents worked for the government. Joe was playing the boy, called Tommy/Tammy. The bait-teen was given dark brown hair. This way the shooter wouldn't mistake him for Kelly.

"Is Kelly observing Joe?" asked Ally.

"Yes, she's next to him all the time. Who is going to play Tammy when we make contact?" asked Donna.

Ally smiled at the fact that Donna didn't say "if". Like Donna, Ally had a feeling they would make contact soon. "Depends, if the local police get involved then it's their call. I think that the shooter may contact the Arlington PD again. I just feel that he's that arrogant."

"Joe's interested in portraying him," remarked Donna, with a grin.

"Really? I'll keep him in mind," replied Ally. "This case is going to be very dangerous. I feel bad about putting anyone at risk. I know we have to do it, but I still don't like it. I really hate this part of the job. Shit!" Ally smacked her fist down on her desk.

Donna said nothing. There was a long silence.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to vent on you," apologized Ally.

"That's what friends are for," replied Donna.

"Thanks," smiled Ally.

"You still want me to just observe on this case?" asked Donna.

"Yes, We might not make contact with Billy for a few weeks, and I don't want it to interfere with your wedding," replied Ally. "Supervise the case, along with the other ones."

"I'd rather work on cases," stated Donna.

Ally shrugged her shoulders. "Me too."

"Shifting subjects, we have final fittings on the dresses this week. What time would be good for you?" asked Donna.

"Later in the week is better," replied Ally.

"Good, I already made an appointment for Friday at one!"

Ally cracked a smile. "You're starting to know me too well." She then opened the fridge and grabbed a Diet Coke. "Before you say a word, this is my first one of the day."

Donna laughed, picked up the case files, and got up. "I'm heading into the operations center."

"I'll be through there later. I need to take care of some other business first," replied Ally.

 

Chapter 25

"I wish I could give you magic advice, but I can't. It's tough when you have to put agents in harm's way," stated Robert.

Ally was sitting across from him in his office. "I know. I just feel anxious about this case."

"It won't be the last time. I have several agents in deep undercover right now and I worry about them constantly. It's just like the fear you feel when you're out in the field. You know it's there, but you control it," stated Robert.

"There's one other thing. I worry about my status. I don't want my being transgendered to be used against me. I know that isn't an issue with you," stated Ally.

"You're a minority in the agency. There are those who don't like it, but, in addition to me, you have the support of the Director. Your department made mistakes in the last case and you took steps to correct it. I can't ask for anything more," remarked Robert.

"Thanks. I know that you support me, but it's still good to hear it," replied Ally.

"You're a good agent, Ally. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," replied Robert.

After Ally left, Robert called the Director, who had asked him to keep an eye on Ally ever since the shooting. "Yes, sir, Agent Burns is still a little worried about the shooting case." He also described her angst concerning her status in the department.

"I know someone she should talk to. Can you spare her for a day or two?" asked the Director.

It was worded as a question, but Robert knew it wasn't. "Actually, I can't, but if it helps her I'm behind it one hundred percent."

"Good. Have Ally report to my office at two."

"Yes, sir," replied Robert. He smiled as he hung up the phone. The Director rarely referred to an agent by their first name. It was a sure sign that he cared about Ally.

 

Chapter 26

Ally stood outside the office door of the Director. Her mind was swimming with thoughts. Did she do something wrong? Was there a problem with the investigation? She had tried to remain calm ever since Robert called her and told her that the Director wanted to see her.

"Agent Burns, you may go in now," stated Mrs. Reynolds, the director's secretary.

"Thank you," replied Ally and she walked into the office.

"Please sit down, Agent Burns," stated the Director.

Ally obeyed and sat down. It was the first time she had sat down in his office. Something was up, but what? she thought.

The Director put down the report he was reading. "I want to first reassure you, Agent Burns, that I'm very pleased with your performance. However, it has come to my attention that you're having difficulties concerning putting your agents in danger. It is a common occurrence with new department heads."

Ally didn't say a word; she just kept her eyes on the Director.

"Before you feel any sense of betrayal, I ordered Robert to contact me with any issues regarding you and this case. Both of us are merely concerned with your well-being."

Ally nodded slightly, wondering what was coming.

"To complicate things, there is your present physical status. I cannot even to begin to imagine the internal conflicts that you have fought. It would be ridiculous for me to try to talk to you about it, in relationship to your job. I'm sending you to see an old friend and colleague, who has more of an insight into your issues," stated the Director. "I'm sending you up to New York City tomorrow to talk with her. I think you'll appreciate talking with her."

Ally sat there in silence.

"Her name is Andrea Carlson, and she is quite a remarkable woman. I want you to read this file. It should make things very clear why I want you two to talk," continued the Director. He then handed Ally a file. "When you get back, please stop by. I would like to talk you again."

"Yes, sir."

"I think you'll find this trip very enlightening," remarked the Director. "Travel should have your tickets. Good afternoon, Agent Burns."

"Yes, sir," Ally stood up and walked out of the office.

She didn't open the file until she got to her office. A file from the travel department was lying on her desk. Inside was a roundtrip ticket to New York. She wondered what was so special about this woman. Ally opened up her fridge and grabbed a Diet Coke. She opened the can and took a sip, and then she opened the file.

For the next hour, Ally became totally lost in the exciting life of Andrea Carlson. She was stunned to read that Andrea had once been a man. So much for thinking that I'm a trailblazer, thought Ally with a smile. She was now eagerly looking forward to the next day's flight.

Ally re-read the file. Andrew Baker was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and had joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in the early days of WW II. He became a fighter pilot and had been shot down over France. He was captured and sent to a prisoner of war camp. Subsequently, he escaped and ended up in Copenhagen. It was then that Andy became Andrea. For the next few years, she had worked with the Danish underground. Several times she had almost been killed. After the war, she worked for the US Government. Initially she had assisted in the tracking down and capture of war criminals, but then came the Cold War. Andrea had worked in the shadowy world of espionage and counter-espionage, before moving back to the US with her husband. She then taught new agents in undercover operations. What really intrigued Ally was that there were sections of the file that were missing, because of their classification. Ally was also in awe of the list of awards that Andrea had been given. Just for her work during WW II, Andrea had received honors from the governments of Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and the United States, along with several other nations.

Ally was also pleased to see that Andrea had been married and had adopted several children. It was nice to see that Andrea had a complete life, thought Ally.

Ally closed the file and put it into her brief case. She then walked into the operations center and located Donna.

"I'm going out of town tomorrow. I'll be back late Wednesday. You'll be in charge," stated Ally.

"Is everything okay?" asked Donna, in a concerned tone.

"Yes. I'll tell you about it later," replied Ally.

 

Chapter 27

Over dinner, Ally couldn't stop talking about Andrea.

"I think it's wonderful that you will get a chance to talk to someone who has had similar experiences. I also think that it shows that the agency thinks you're as special as I do," stated Carol, as she reached out and took Ally's hand in hers.

Ally smiled. "I can't think of the right words that express what you mean to me. I love you so deeply."

"I know you do, my dear. I feel exactly the same way," replied Carol, who then leaned over and kissed Ally.

Ally felt tingles run through her body as they kissed. She hoped that she would always feel this way when they kissed.

"Well, I'd better let you pack for your trip tomorrow. We can finish this later," replied Carol with wink.

"Thanks."

 

Chapter 28

Ally's plane touched ground slightly after nine. A driver met her at the airport and drove her to downtown Manhattan. She hadn't felt this excited about meeting someone in a long time. There were so many things that she wanted to ask Andrea.

The driver stopped in front of a tall building bordering Central Park. Ally got out of the car and walked inside.

"Yes, Ms. Burns, Mrs. Carlson is expecting you," stated the doorman "Take the elevator to the top floor."

"Thank you," replied Ally as she walked towards the elevator.

She stopped outside the door of Andrea Carlson's home and pressed the doorbell.

A petite young woman met her at the door and led her in.

"Mrs. Carlson is waiting for you in the living room," stated the woman, as she led Ally down the hallway.

Ally was led into a very comfortable living room. It was immediately obvious to Ally that this was the heart of the apartment. The furniture was upscale, but obviously selected for comfort. There was a large couch and several armchairs. A piano was against the left wall. A pile of sheet music sat on a table next to the piano, which showed that it was used often. Ally glanced over and saw a very expensive modern stereo and CD player. It was the most modern thing in the room, yet it didn't look out of place. Ally's eyes ran over Andrea's CDs and was surprised by the variety. There was everything from classical to alternative rock.

Ally continued to scan the room. There was a chessboard on an oak table. Ally couldn't be sure, but the pieces looked as if they were antique. The wall above the chessboard was covered with photographs. Ally noticed that they were a mixture of family photographs and official photos from various award ceremonies and official functions. Taking it all in, Ally felt very much at ease and relaxed.

"Good morning, Agent Burns."

Ally turned around and saw a very dignified older woman standing there. "Please call me Ally, Mrs. Carlson."

The woman smiled. "And Ally, you must call me Andrea. I've been looking forward to meeting you. I've heard so many good things about you for a very long time."

That caught Ally off guard momentarily. Then she thought about how the Director was always a few steps ahead of everyone, and it all made sense. Obviously he had planned this meeting well in advance of the present shooting case.

"Please sit down, my dear," stated Andrea, pointing to the couch.

Ally nodded and sat down. Andrea sat down next to her.

"I imagine my existence was quite a shock to you," stated Andrea with a twinkle in her eye.

"I was pleasantly surprised to find out about you," replied Ally. "I have so many things that I want to ask you."

Andrea smiled. "I imagine you do. I also have some questions for you. However, before we start, would you like some coffee?"

"Yes, please," replied Ally.

The same woman who answered the door brought in a tray with coffee and fine bone china cups and saucers.

"Thank you, Paula," stated Andrea. Paula nodded and left. "Paula has been with me for the past three years. I hesitate to call her a servant, she is so much more, but that's another story."

Ally took a sip of her coffee, it was delicious.

"I think the important thing for you to realize is that you're not alone. I know how difficult it is to do your job while at the same time dealing with your gender identity. In some ways, I had it easier than you," stated Andrea

"How can you say that? I read your file. When you transitioned you were undercover in an occupied country, if you had been caught they would have killed you!"

"The war, in some ways, simplified things. I proved I could do my job, and in many ways being transgendered made it easier. The Germans took me at face value and they didn't see women were as much a threat as men. My colleagues in the resistance just accepted me as a fellow fighter in the war against the Nazis," replied Andrea. "When the war ended, I was seen as too invaluable to dismiss. My gender status was a non-issue. By the time I moved back to the states, I was accepted as a woman. Only a few people in the agency knew my past and they protected me fiercely."

Ally nodded.

"You've done a great job so far, and you've earned the admiration of many of your co-workers and superiors. Unfortunately, you still have to deal with the closed minded."

"What's your advice?"

"Just keep doing your job. I know it sounds over-simplified, but sometimes the simple answers are the best ones," replied Andrea. "Eventually, you'll reach a point where you've won over all of those who can be won over. As for the rest, ignore them. If they're too narrow-minded to change, then they won't be around long. The agency has no room for them."

Ally sat there absorbing Andrea's advice. In some ways, it wasn't that different from what Carol had been telling her.

"I know it must be difficult for you, Ally. You just want to get on with your life, but the fact that your status is known in law enforcement could have some positive results," continued Andrea. "I'm pretty positive that you're not the only agent or policeman who has gender issues. You give them hope that they too can succeed."

"I never thought of it that way," replied Ally.

"What's your next question?" asked Andrea, as she sipped her coffee.

"How did you deal with putting people who worked for you in danger?" replied Ally.

Andrea smiled. "I'm glad you brought that subject up. Theodore told me about the case you're working on. He also told me about how you were wounded. It's always easier to put yourself into danger."

It took Ally a moment to realize that she was referring to the Director. So, he did have a first name after all, she thought. Then Ally turned to Andrea. "Did you ever lose anyone?"

"Yes, and before you ask, no, you never get over it. You try to tell yourself that it's part of the job, but that doesn't work. I accepted that it was part of the price that I paid for being a leader. The alternative was totally unacceptable."

Ally nodded. "The alternative being not living up to your personal potential," she said, almost as much to herself, as to Andrea.

"Exactly. You remind me so much of myself. It might be easier to slip into the shadows, but that would be so unnatural. You know that you can make a difference in the world, and to ignore this would be a crime."

For the next few hours they talked about their lives and past missions.

Over lunch, Andrea told her about the escape from Stalag Luft I, the prisoner of war camp that she had escaped from.

"How long did the others keep the Germans from knowing about your escape?" asked Ally.

"Over two days. That gave us plenty of time to get out of Germany. They used dummies at roll call to disguise the fact that we were gone. They then cut a hole in the fence and made it look like we had just escaped. The Germans never did catch onto the fact that we were using dummies to fool them," explained Andrea.

Ally sat there lost in thought. "I wonder if that would still work today?"

Andrea smiled. "I think I know what you're thinking about. It's an excellent idea."

"I'm sure the agency could make a good dummy of Kelly to trick Billy," replied Ally. "Thank you for the wonderful idea!" She then hugged Andrea.

 

Chapter 29

Andrea insisted that Ally spend the night at her place. Ally readily agreed. She was truly enjoying her visit with Andrea.

After dinner they moved to the living room and sat down together on the couch. Andrea showed her a photo album of her family.

"So, do you and Carol plan on raising a family?" asked Andrea.

"Carol says that she has her hands full with me," quipped Ally.

Andrea laughed. "Still, don't forget about the joys of having children. Lars and I adopted five children, and that, my dear, is my greatest reward."

Ally nodded and pointed to the photo of a handsome young naval officer, in his dress white uniform. His rank was Lieutenant and he wore the gold insignia of a Surface Warfare Officer. There was a black ribbon next to the photo in the album. "Who's he?"

Andrea looked at the photo that Ally was pointing at. "He was my grandson, Ben. He was killed in a plane crash, several years ago," replied Andrea. There was a touch of sadness in her voice.

My God, thought Ally. Beth had once been Lt Ben Carlson! Andrea is Beth's grandmother! Ally struggled to maintain her calm as she wondered if Andrea knew the truth about Ben/Beth. "I'm sorry."

"He was such a nice boy. I'm sure you two would have liked each other," replied Andrea.

Ally struggled to maintain her composure and asked questions about some of Andrea's other grandchildren.

Later that evening as she lay in bed, Ally thought about Andrea and Beth. She wondered why the Director had never told Andrea about Beth. It would be something she would bring up when they next talked. Ally smiled at what Andrea said about Ben and her becoming friends, little did Andrea know how right she was!

 

Chapter 30

Ally had a mid-morning flight back to DC. She thanked Andrea for the visit.

"I'm not sure how much help I was to you, my dear," stated Andrea.

"You showed me that others have successfully walked the same path. I now know that I'm not alone. I also have a great role-model!" answered Ally.

"I'm not sure that I'm a great role model for anyone, but I appreciate the compliment," replied Andrea with a smile.

"I would like to keep in touch with you, if you don't mind," stated Ally.

"Do I mind? My dear, I love to chat. Here is my card. It has my phone number and e-mail address on it."

Ally took the card and handed Andrea one of her own. "Thanks." Ally then leaned over and hugged Andrea again.

"You're quite welcome, my dear."

Ally became lost in thought as she flew back to DC. She knew that she had to ask the Director about Beth and Andrea.

 

(continued)

  

  

  

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