The Teg Legacy

by Prudence Walker

 

The next few days were spent at home, mainly to familiarize herself and clean up the place from damage caused by Elizabeth's abductors. Heather had visited again, and had another treatment that rid her of the remaining cataracts. Her vision wasn't yet perfect, but Ada assured Bethany that Heather's vision would return to normal as the lens reformed its proper shape after having some of the volume inside removed. This gradual return to full sightedness would help, if and when Heather was questioned by her doctor.

Bethany used the time to make some discrete inquiries into setting up a team that would help stake her claim and then protect it as work began to recover it from the ground. She also had Ada check to see if there was any police presence surrounding her true sister Amanda, at the institution.

"There does seem to be someone assigned to that duty," Ada informed her, after checking computer logs in the police headquarters.

Bethany decided to go out on her own and scout around. Elizabeth had just gone out to get her hair done, so it was an ideal opportunity.

Bethany had found out that she now owned a muscle car, a two door Holden Monaco GT, in red. Apparently it was an image thing. Elizabeth had her own car, a blue Holden Estate, the one they had gone to her mothers in. It was a slightly more sedate car, as it hadn't been modified like the GT.

Gary had never been one for messing with engines. If it ran, then you left it alone. Getting into the drivers seat of the GT and starting it nearly sent her into orgasm, as the deep throbbing beat of the V8 vibrated her whole body. She revved it, hearing the low throaty burble turn into a roar that nearly deafened her. She took it gingerly at first, never having experienced anything with so much power before. She could see why people loved these beasts as she gradually gained more confidence. Just a quick stamp on the pedal would send the car surging forward, pressing her back into the seat from the acceleration. Soon, she was speeding along above the speed limit in her new toy.

"Slow down, there's a police unit ahead operating a radar device," warned Ada.

Bethany giggled. "I have my very own radar detector," she enthused, slowing the beast down just in time.

Avoiding the police was easy, but someone else soon had their eye on her, and made a quick call on their cell phone. "Boss, I thought you might want to know. Someone's driving the Chambers GT. It's not Elizabeth, I saw her at the hairdressers not 5 minutes ago."

"I know, Boss, but the chick driving it is her clone."

"I know that, but there seems to be another."

"Okay, Boss, I'll follow her till you catch up."

Bethany drove on, unaware of the danger until the ever alert Ada filed through the millions of cell phone calls. "I think we may have caught some unwelcome attention," she warned, before replaying both sides of the conversation.

Being a cell phone call and knowing that scanners could be listening in, the conversation Ada had monitored mentioned no actual names, nor was any incriminating information given out, but the tone itself seemed threatening, and the general conversation fit the present circumstances to a tee. The clincher came when Ada, through some means known only to her, accessed the number the observer had called. It matched that of the former Bethany's boyfriend.

Nervously, Bethany drove along, keeping an eye out for her pursuers. A brown nondescript Ford that had been following her for some time without suspicion, now became a prime suspect, until another newer BMW took its place Ada advised that she head out into the country away from most of the public traffic.

"Isn't that the opposite of what I should be doing?" she asked.

"Normally, but I thought that you'd like to eliminate the threat once and for, not have it linger."

"Sure, but?"

"If we avoid a confrontation now by going into somewhere public, they get the advantage," Ada calmly offered.

"Huh?" Bethany asked

"They will have time to plan another attack when you least suspect it. By letting them follow now, they will be caught off guard without the chance to plan something devious if you prove to be Bethany. At this point, there's some doubt to your actual identity, and it will be least likely to end in violence till they prove it conclusively. Stop at that park up ahead and walk to the pond."

Bethany did as asked, even though she was nervous about the whole thing. Ada, sensing her state of mind, assured her that she was safe from any attack, although she neglected to say why that was so.

She walked to the pond, noticing that the BMW had parked behind her, and three men got out. Two remained alert at the car, while the third moved in her direction. Ada, using her 360 degree vision, told Bethany that it was Samuel Masters, began keeping her apprised of his position.

Bethany turned as he got within a couple of meters of her. He gasped as recognition awoke fear in his eyes, and he turned several shades paler.

He looked her over from head to toe, trying to discover anything that would deny her identity. His eyes strayed to her hands and in particular, a diamond ring that Ada had supplied her with, when she generated her form.

"You are dead. I buried your body, and I took back my ring … that ring." he choked out, pointing to the ring on her finger.

Bethany realised that when Ada created her, it must have been from data that had her still wearing Samuel's ring. Prompted by Ada, she spoke, following her lines. "Do I look as if I am dead?"

"You can't be her ... I checked my farm only last month. I even threw a rose on your grave," he shouted angrily, reaching out for her.

She twisted away and quickly ran to a small copse of trees that would screen her and the pursuing Samuel from his bodyguards for a few precious seconds, until they caught up. Once she reached the trees, she slowed, allowing Samuel to catch up.

As he reached out to grasp her throat in a choke hold, Ada sent him into p space, leaving Bethany standing there alone, with just the memory of his hands touching her. The two bodyguards followed their boss into p space after grabbing her to force her to tell them what she had done with him.

"What will happen to them?" she asked, thinking of the time she experienced p space, as she made her way back to her car.

"I don't suppose you want them to remain there permanently?" Ada asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, I don't want them dead, although they deserve it," muttered Bethany.

"With no warning to close their eyes, what they experience will overload their senses. I don't think they will be sane when I allow them to return."

"Will they be able to see each other in p space?" Bethany wondered, voicing her question to Ada.

"No, it doesn't work like that. Think of it as having no lateral dimensions. Instead, objects are stacked one upon each other separated by time, rather than space. Your detector is in the same volume of space as the others but separated by a time coordinate. I can retrieve any item in any order I wish."

"You mean it's like a filing cabinet, except there's only one extra deep drawer, with each item stored in a separate folder so there's no contact between them?" Bethany asked.

"That's an excellent analogy. I must remember that, but now, we need to go farming," Ada replied, giving her direction's to Samuel's farm.

Bethany drove east along narrow roads that eventually turned to rutted dusty, bone shaking torture tracks. Ada had located the farm through her net access, telling Bethany that it was imperative to find the real Bethany's body before she released any of the others from p space.

"They might reveal her location inadvertently if they ramble madly, and we need to get to her before any police get wind of it. Besides, I suppose you prefer to have her buried properly, even if it's not official."

It wasn't too hard to find where the body lay buried. A four wheel drive jeep was located in a farm shed and the keys were found in the homestead that Bethany entered via a carefully thrown rock. Using the information Samuel had blurted out, they followed the most recent tracks made by the jeep. Ada helped by using her HUD to show the ground in an enhanced mode that highlighted the tire tracks made by the jeep. Once the area they were traveling over matched the picture that Ada had retrieved from Samuel's computer, they slowed down. Bethany stopped and got out, scanning closely for any sign of a rose left on the burial site.

"Over there," Ada prompted, having spotted it with her superior senses.

Bethany stood next to the rose, and a few tears fell at the thought of the wasted life lying just under the sand at her feet.

"I'm not touching her," she protested, when Ada suggested placing her into p space.

"Just place you hand on the sand," Ada reassured her, after checking that a body lay there. "I'll send the sand and the body, so you won't have to see anything unpleasant."

After it was done, Bethany used the spade on the back of the jeep to fill in the hole created by the body's removal. She was quiet on the ride back to the city, and after putting the car through a car wash to rid it of the reddish dust that clung to the sides and rear of the car, she drove home to do the same to her body.

Elsewhere, three men appeared out of thin air, falling to the ground as normality rushed in at them. One of the goons remained unconscious and was eventually found and placed in hospital, and from there, into a homecare unit where he did little more than vegetate. The other goon became a religious nut, claiming he'd seen God. He confessed to all manner of crimes and was eventually put away in psychiatric care. Samuel? No one knew what he thought. He'd managed to get in his car and drive off. The police later recovered his body from the wrecked car that had careered off the steep and treacherous zigzag road that wound down from the escarpment near Kelmscott to the valley floor below. Whether it was deliberate, or just another statistic of that particular road, no one would ever know.

Elizabeth was still out. She'd left a message, saying she was going shopping, and for Bethany to ring her on her mobile if she wanted anything special. Ringing her sister, Bethany found out when Elizabeth was due home and what she'd planned for dinner. She had avoided telling Elizabeth an outright lie by saying she'd been driving around seeing the sights, when asked what she'd been doing most of the day.

Bethany was in the kitchen helping towards dinner, when her sister arrived with arms full of groceries. "There's more in the car," puffed Elizabeth, glad to dump the bags of tinned goods on the bench.

Bethany went out to bring in the rest, jokingly asking if the stores were now empty.

"No, I ran out of money," she flipped back, having already surrendered Bethany's credit cards back to her sister.

Bethany was going to retort, but saw that her sister was being serious. "I'll settle up later," she promised, knowing how awkward it is to admit being broke.

"I forgot to transfer some of my …your earnings to my account," Elizabeth blushingly explained.

"If you work out what you earned as me, I'll transfer that into your account," promised Bethany.

Elizabeth shrugged, not seeming too concerned about it. With her sister back in charge, things could go back to normal with Bethany becoming the breadwinner for both her and their mom.

Bethany could see she needed to get the gold find sorted out, but first she needed to see her real sister. After dinner, Bethany asked her sister if it was okay if they had an extra guest stay with them, as she planned to bring Amanda back the next day, keeping the promise she'd made to her friend Gary. Bethany found it strange referring to her former self as a separate person, but looking down at her body made the separation easier, as there was nothing left to show the association with her former identity.

"She can use the spare room," Elizabeth agreed easily, showing no reluctance to having a stranger coming to stay. Bethany had not mentioned who it was that was coming, just in case Amanda needed a secret identity.

The next day, Bethany drove to the institution where Amanda was being looked after. Before entering, Ada changed Bethany's looks with a little of her morphing magic, so the police presence wouldn't recognize her and start opening a new can of worms. They had debated having her go in as a nurse, substituting Bethany for a nurse coming off duty, but Bethany pointed it out that questions could be asked if she suddenly returned, and there was the possibility of her being ordered somewhere else in the institution. Bethany, or rather, Gary, remembered the name of one of Amanda's old girlfriends. Ada soon had her profile located and minutes later, an exact copy of Julie Rembrandt walked into the main entry of Harroway House for the disabled.

As a friend of Amanda's, she was allowed entry and told where to go without much fuss when she mentioned wanting to visit Amanda. Bethany saw the receptionist look over to a man in a dark suit. Although not in uniform, it was plain he was watching everyone entering and he gave Bethany a cursory look before dismissing her and nodding back to the receptionist, who then gave the block and room number to her.

"There are cameras in reception and in the hallways," Ada warned.

"Any in the rooms? What about intercoms?" Bethany asked, as she walked down towards her sister's room.

"There are intercoms. I can't be sure if they are being monitored all the time. I would suggest caution."

Amanda was sitting in a wheel chair when Bethany entered the room, knitting what looked like a scarf from where Bethany stood. Amanda turned and gave a smile to what she thought was her old friend.

Even though Ada had checked and found no camera surveillance in the room itself, the intercom on the wall was enough reason to be cautious in what was said. So rather than explain anything right there, Bethany wanted her sister in a place where she could explain freely.

"Buttercup? I have a message from someone close to you," Bethany/Julie began, knowing that 'Buttercup' was Gary's pet name for his sister.

Bethany then asked Amanda to trust her, whispering that Gary's life depended on it. Of course Amanda knew of the police's interest, having been heavily questioned several times about Gary's whereabouts.

"I want to take you to see him, but without the police knowing or following," Bethany/Julie assured her. "I have a plan, but you need to be blindfolded to do it. It's sort of like a magic trick, so things will get quiet all of a sudden. Promise me, no matter what you feel or sense, you'll not touch the blindfold till you hear me tell you to."

"I promise," Amanda agreed, as her friend took out a blindfold and fastened it over her eyes. With Julie using Gary's pet name for her, she knew Gary must be somewhere close.

Ada sent Amanda into p space as soon as the blindfold was secure. Bethany then walked calmly out of the place without any problem. After Bethany returned to her car, Ada removed the Julia disguise.

Then Bethany drove to a seldom frequented fishing spot on the banks of the Swan River. She figured correctly, that it would be empty since it was a workday. Checking to make sure that the area was clear of any visitors and she was completely alone, she had Ada bring her sister back from p space.

Ada brought Amanda and her wheel chair back from the silent world of p space and then removed her blindfold.

"Who are you, and where is my friend Julie? How come you are using Gary's pet name for me?" demanded an angry and confused Amanda.

"What I'm about to tell you will seem bizarre, and totally unbelievable," Bethany began, pacing back and forth before her sister as she struggled to get her story in order. Having decided it was necessary to reveal all to her sister if she was to help cure her, Bethany started telling her all that had befallen Gary, using third person, believing that telling Amanda she was actually Gary would be too much for Amanda to take.

At first, Amanda thought she'd been kidnapped by a weirdo, but as Bethany got into her story, her demeanor changed and Amanda started to see little mannerisms and way of speech that reminded her of Gary. It was hard to believe the tale that the gorgeous girl in front of her was explaining. In spite of the evidence of her own eyes and ears, Amanda felt that somehow Bethany was Gary.

Bethany was only three quarters of the way though her tale when Amanda stopped her and demanded an answer to a question. "Are you Gary?"

"Yes, Buttercup. I am Gary," Bethany answered.

Amanda was almost sure she believed it was Gary, despite the appearance that said otherwise. Amanda wanted concrete proof to chase away the last doubts.

"Okay, if you're Gary, then you'd know this. What did we go as, on our second ever Halloween night?"

"Sheesh, Sis. That was a long time ago," grumbled Bethany, racking her brains for the answer.

"True, but I don't think Gary would ever tell anyone the answer, either," Amanda admitted, thereby giving Bethany the clue.

Thinking back, Bethany recalled the time Amanda had convinced Gary to trade costumes as a joke, forcing him to go out as a cute angel, while Amanda went in his Batman costume. It had been fun at first, fooling people. They were pretty much the same size and being young weren't expected to have shapely bodies. What caused Gary the most embarrassment was being made up by their neighbour after she thought Gary needed to look prettier for her boyfriend, aka Amanda. Needless to say, Amanda held that over him when she had unpleasant chores to do, resulting in him doing them for her. Luckily she stopped teasing him and they became closer as a result.

"You went as Batman, and I went as a fairy princess, and the neighbour added makeup to my face," Bethany whispered, blushing at the memory.

"You are Gary! Give me a hug, please?" Amanda cried, holding her hands out from her wheelchair.

"Well, at the moment, I'm Bethany Chambers, Sis," she laughed, giving her sister a hug and a chaste kiss.

"And with makeup on as well," Amanda giggled.

"And a whole lot more," Bethany added, laughing at the irony.

Bethany then continued with all the details up to using Ada's p space to spirit Amanda away from her home.

"You were Julie too? Amazing, but why didn't you just return to being Gary to explain all this?"

"I can't, Sis, at least not yet, and maybe not ever. Even though we might seem to be alone, I can't take the chance someone might be in a position to see me if I'm under any kind of surveillance."

"Not ever?" gasped a shocked Amanda.

"I have made a promise of sorts to my twin Elizabeth, and I need Bethany's influence to get the gold claim started. I need money, lots of it, to do what I want, and nobody's going to loan Gary any, even if he didn't have the police after him."

"You're going to use a famous model and her feminine wiles to get a loan?" giggled Amanda, savouring the irony.

"Of course," Bethany shamelessly admitted, striking a pose and batting her luscious lashes.

Amanda laughed, and Bethany joined in before sobering with another thought. "Sis, we can cure you and have you walking again, but unless we change your appearance, the "cure" will raise questions we can't possibly answer."

"I will walk again?" Amanda asked happily, seemingly not catching the changed appearance bit.

"Yes! Ada says she will have to be worn to affect the cure."

"Koolies, just don't turn me into a guy, okay?" Amanda enthused, showing she hadn't missed anything Bethany had told her.

Bethany grinned, "No way! That would be just too confusing." "We need to go somewhere better than this. I feel too exposed here, but I didn't want to leave you in p space too long in case you thought I'd abandoned you."

"What about going to your new home?"

No, we can't Sis. Elizabeth doesn't know I'm not her real sister. I don't want to let her in on what I've told you. It would crush her."

Amanda replied with an, "ah!" conveying understanding, far beyond the simple sigh. "Understood, Sis…I can call you Sis? or Beth?"

"Sure, I don't mind either way, seeing Gary sure as hell doesn't fit anymore."

"I know, why don't we go to that cave we found as kids?" Amanda suggested.

"Great idea, Sis," Bethany agreed, already planning ahead.

Bethany bundled Amanda into the car minus the wheelchair which was hidden in the bushes nearby. Amanda was a bit reluctant to dump her only means of transport for so many years, till Bethany pointed out that the cave could only be accessed along the beach. "I'm not pushing a wheelchair in soft sand," she pointed out.

With Amanda safely buckled up, they drove to the beach where as kids they had run freely in the sand and surf. Once again, Amanda was tucked away in p space, while Bethany temporarily regained her manhood, becoming just another Speedo (Australian male swimsuit) clad swimmer running along the shore.

Gary/Bethany felt strange being male again. Maybe because the body Ada had generated was bulkier and more muscled than Gary's original body. Going from a slender supple female to a bigger heavier male body felt uncomfortable, and Bethany nearly had Ada change her back to a female, any female. Knowing it was just for a few minutes made it bearable, but Gary/Bethany realised that the time spent in a female body had irrevocably changed the way she saw her body image.

She still saw herself as female, even though her body was temporarily male. Shaking her head at the conflicting sensations, she tried to concentrate on the task ahead. The cave, set back into cliffs was empty, as was the beach around it. Bethany once inside, had Ada return her to her now familiar female body. She looked down at her body, realizing that she now looked at it as her own.

Once Amanda was released from p space, Bethany sat her down on an outcropping in the cave and the work began. Bethany had Ada return to the same dimension, becoming visible for the first time since Gary donned it.

Amanda giggled at the sight of the helmet, which still looked oversized for the head wearing it. "It reminds me of the helmet in that movie Spaceballs."

Bethany grinned, slowly removing the helmet from her head. Bethany realised how much she relied on Ada's help and advice and felt a reluctance to relinquish it. Steeling herself, for after all, she was only giving it to the sister she loved more than anything; she placed it on Amanda's head.

Ada must have sensed Bethany's reluctance and decided to remain visible for the duration of Amanda's rebuild. Amanda had stipulated that she wanted to be similar in build to Bethany, as her body had gained weight due to the inability to exercise properly.

Bethany was spellbound as she watched her sister transform under Ada's manipulative powers. Not only was her body changed, but her clothes as well. Ada even provided a purse, from which a hand mirror was produced so Amanda could see the results. For the first time in over two years, Amanda stood up, reveling in the simple task standing up.

Admiring her new form, Amanda realised that Ada had adjusted her new body slightly, until it became more like Bethany's without becoming a clone. Now they looked like sisters or maybe cousins, a fact not lost on Bethany.

"My long lost cousin?" Bethany asked, when Amanda announced she was happy with her form.

"Ada says you do have a cousin in America, but her name's Mandy," Amanda grinned. "Do you think I'd make a great Mandy?" Here Amanda twirled, gleefully relishing being able to do it again.

"I guess Mandy's close to Amanda, in case I make a slip of the tongue, but won't being a relative be a bit awkward if Elizabeth or our mom start questioning you?"

"No, Ada says … well let her tell you herself," the newly christened Mandy said, holding the helmet back out to Bethany.

"Mandy has never traveled out of the states and her face is similar enough to pass for the one Amanda's now wearing. I have reproduced her identification papers and a passport, along with everything else needed to keep her disguise intact." Ada informed Bethany, once the helmet was placed back on her head.

"Have you decided to go with being my cousin Mandy?" Bethany asked, double checking her sister's decision.

"I think so, at least this way I can keep a close eye on you," giggled Mandy. "I can't wait to take you clothes shopping."

"Oh no, the dreaded shopping gene," wailed Bethany theatrically. "I'm doomed … doomed, I tell you," placing the back of one hand against her brow, like some of the actresses used to do in the old movies.

Mandy just laughed. "Don't worry, Cuz. I'll teach you everything you ever needed to know about shopping."

"Cuz?" Bethany asked, before slapping her head. "Oh yeah, I forgot about our change in family relations," she added, ignoring Mandy's comment about shopping.

"At least I'm still related," Mandy pointed out. "It would be harder trying to be a total stranger."

"True …" Bethany agreed, her voice trailing off as she wondered whether they could pull this all off.

Both girls walked barefoot from the cave and strolled back along the beach to the car. Brushing the sand from her feet, Bethany put on her shoes and started driving back home. Mandy remained barefoot, even after they had arrived, enjoying the sensation coming from her feet as she walked inside, holding her shoes.

Elizabeth was out when they came back, but arrived later around noon, bringing several French sticks that were still warm and a hot precooked chicken in a foil bag.

Elizabeth was pleasantly surprised to see Mandy, especially when she learned she was her cousin from the states. She scolded Bethany for keeping her a secret, and over a lunch of chicken on sliced French stick, tried her best to extract every scrap of information, from her newly minted cousin.

After lunch, Elizabeth wanted to take Mandy to meet her mother if she was agreeable. When Mandy expressed her desire to meet her aunt, Bethany quietly asked Ada whether that was a good idea.

"I gave your sister a pocket history of Mandy and her closest relatives, in case this might be needed. Before you ask, yes it was a memory dump, so she can recall it at will. I know you didn't want me doing that sort of thing to you without your permission, so I asked Amanda, and she agreed to it," Ada explained hastily.

Bethany stayed home, letting her 'sister and cousin' visit Heather on their own, explaining that she wanted to get things started on the gold find. Gary had come to know a few reputable people in the business and Bethany was soon sounding them out, while hinting she had a substantial find to develop. Agreeing to a meeting with one of them, Bethany felt relieved to be finally doing something.

It was soon cut short as Ada interrupted her thoughts. "It looks like we have stirred a nest of hornets getting Amanda out of that place." The police channels are full of talk about it and the police have issued more warrants for Gary's arrest."

"What!"

"They seem to think you were behind her apparent disappearance, even though your whereabouts are still unknown," Ada relayed, keeping track of all police communications. "They think you took her out of there from under their noses."

Bethany laughed wryly, knowing how true that was, but annoyed they were blaming Gary without any evidence.

"I suppose they are looking for Julie as well now?"

"Well they have located her, but because we knew she was in New Zealand visiting a sick cousin, and she is provably there now, just hours after Amanda's disappearance, she has the perfect alibi, so the police think the last person to visit Amanda was disguised. One officer even laughingly suggested that it was probably Gary in disguise."

"Smart man, we should send him a prize."

"It probably wasn't a smart idea to tell that officer who visited your intentions to get Amanda out of that institution, as suspicion will fall on you," Ada pointed out.

"True, but then I'm only human. I make mistakes," offered Bethany. "Well I do have one thing in my favour should they come calling. I can say my plans to save Gary's sister could only be undertaken once the claim produced some results. Besides, they can search all they want, since Amanda is now Mandy."

Bethany made a call to Elizabeth on her cell phone and asked to speak with Mandy, as she had yet to get one of her own. Once Mandy was on, Bethany warned her that the police might come visiting and to be on her guard. Mandy thought it was all a bit of fun, like being a spy, knowing with her looks and the ability to walk again, she would never be discovered. Bethany hoped her sister/cum cousin continued to have fun being a sort of Mata Hari.

When the inevitable happened, it was the same officer who'd visited before who knocked on the door. Of course Bethany acted surprised at this extra visit, grumbling about having thought everything had been sorted out last time, as she invited him inside. Both Elizabeth and Mandy were still at Heather's, so that added complication was avoided for the moment.

Bethany pretended to be shocked when Officer Benson introduced himself, and revealed that Gary's sister Amanda was currently missing. "Since when?" Bethany questioned. "Why do you think she is missing, as it hasn't even been a day?"

"Surely she might just have gone out with a friend?" Bethany pointed out. "How come are you involved so soon?" she asked suspiciously.

"We had her under police surveillance in case her brother contacted her. He is now the prime suspect in her disappearance."

"Sounds more like she was under house arrest the way you are acting. And if Gary is the prime suspect, why are you coming bothering me? I just wanted to help his sister if and when this gold claim proves worth while." Bethany argued.

"Well, you did mention wanting to take Amanda out of there. We are just following up any leads we can at this stage," Benson admitted.

"Well don't bother me then. I haven't even met her yet. So find her, I have a promise to keep," Bethany demanded, ending the discussion.

The officer got up, seeing this was just another dead end. After all, the camera never showed Bethany visiting, and the hope that she was involved somehow seemed remote, given her attitude.

Things settled down after the police lost interest. At least they never bothered Bethany and Elizabeth again about Amanda. Bethany wasn't fooled into thinking that the police had forgotten them, but suspected they were probably waiting for something new to crop up.

"What happened to the rest of the ship the Teg was piloting?" Bethany asked Ada as she planned for getting the gold out. She was going to hire bulldozers and was suddenly worried what else might be uncovered in the search for the lost gold of Lassiter's reef.

"It is long gone," supplied Ada reassuringly. All Teg ships have a self-destruct. Should they be critically damaged, the metals which form it all readily decompose in the presence of oxygen, once the field produced by the engines collapse. The fields shield the skin from damage and atmospheric effects. With the field gone, the hull degrades to dust in about ten days."

"It's that reactive? I would have thought it would have been the complete opposite. To think that a primitive dinosaur took out a futuristic space craft is incredible," laughed Bethany.

"Well, the pilot was an idiot, and the dinosaur luckily broke an essential part of the craft. The reason the hull is so volatile, is because of the paranoia of the Teg. They feared having their ships falling into the wrong hands. It's hard to examine a crashed ship if the metal is dissolving rapidly."

"And you survived, how?" Bethany asked, intrigued.

"Remember, I was 0.356 degrees to the left of this plane of existence, so I didn't suffer any damage in the crash. I survived, due to my maintenance programs, and solar power provided enough power to provide protection fields against oxygen degradation."

"So you do have a weakness?"

"If you mean, can I be destroyed, then yes,." Ada admitted without any hesitation.

"I can't imagine what you went through all that time. I'm surprised you didn't go insane with boredom," Bethany muttered.

"I probably would have, had I been awake," Ada laughed. "Once power drops below a certain level, my higher functions cease. It's just like you going to sleep; I didn't sense the passage of time after the Teg crashed."

Having satisfied herself that her worries about uncovering a crashed spaceship were unfounded, Bethany set about organizing a BBQ for dinner. She soon had a few chicken drums immersed in a bowl with a soy sauce and honey marinade, while others were liberally coated in powdered paprika for a slightly different flavour.

She was preparing a desert when Elizabeth with Mandy in tow arrived home. Elizabeth checked what her sister was doing with a look of surprise, but didn't say anything, until she saw the pie Bethany set into the oven.

"Wow, did aliens clone my sister?"

Bethany hoped her sister hadn't seen the expression on her face on hearing the question.

"What?" she asked, wondering what she'd done to have her sister say that?

"You usually let me do the cooking, and I've never seen you make a pie before," Elizabeth pointed out.

"Well, I learnt a lot while I've been away. I just thought I'd help out," Bethany replied.

Mandy wasn't surprised; after all, she knew Gary was a good cook even before he became Bethany.

Elizabeth grinned, saying she didn't mind her sister taking over the cooking duties. Bethany threw a wadded up hand towel at her in response, saying, "The duty will be shared."

While Bethany went out to start the BBQ, the others showered before dinner. Mandy was finished first and joined Bethany out on the patio. Bethany told her what had happened that day, adding her thoughts that they hadn't seen the last of the police just yet.

Then Mandy said something that shocked Bethany's world and made her examine just who she had become.

"It's a pity you didn't make me into Bethany. Then you could have returned to being male again."

Bethany froze as her sister's words reverberated in her mind. 'Damn, why didn't I think of that solution? Ada could have given my sister a download of Bethany's mannerisms and filled her in on her life to date, while I could have returned to being male, even if it isn't as my former identity.'

Mandy saw the stricken look on Bethany's face, as she realised her missed opportunity.

"Sis, take over for me please, I need some time to think," Bethany urged, handing Mandy the tongs.

Mandy nodded, wondering why Bethany seemed upset. She watched Bethany walk out to the edge of the property and disappear down one of the many tracks that led into the bush surrounding the house.

Bethany walked away from her sister, going down a track that soon swallowed her from sight. Trying not to think about the thing on her mind, she found herself approaching a rocky outcrop that overlooked the surrounding bush. The track went past it and down a steep slope that led somewhere into the valley below, but Bethany didn't have suitable footwear for climbing up or down such a track, so she just walked out to the edge of the outcrop. Even though there was a sheer drop of several hundred meters, she felt no vertigo as she looked over the edge. The view out towards Perth city center was magnificent, with the airport lying between her and the city, but she looked out sightlessly as her thoughts were directed inward.

Finally she spoke out loud to Ada, trying to clarify her thoughts into actual words.

"What's happening to me? Did you program me to accept being female and to choose that over returning to a male form?" she blurted out.

"No, I did not. I did help you to use that body in a way that would appear feminine, to give you the same mannerisms Bethany would use, but I didn't change anything about your mind," Ada assured her.

Bethany trusted Ada to tell the truth, so the implications of Ada's denial weighed on her mind. If Ada hadn't influenced her to remain female, then it was obviously something she herself had chosen, at least unconsciously. 'Does this mean I prefer being female?' Oddly this thought didn't seem as repugnant as she thought it might be, had she been asked when she was still Gary. She sat down with her legs hanging over the edge of the rock and thought back to the very beginning of all this.

While the thought of ever being female hadn't entered Gary's mind, he had wondered what it was like to be one. Now that she had gained that knowledge, life as Gary was looking decidedly second rate. It wasn't that being Gary was bad, but that Gary had never stood out. He was average in height and looks and was never the brightest in school … school?

"Ada? Did you make me more intelligent than I was?" Bethany asked, realizing that there was a discrepancy in the way she thought from how she used to, knowing Gary had an IQ of 100.

"Well, Bethany was known to have an IQ of 115, so I tweaked it up a bit to 125, admitted Ada calmly.

"Ah hah!" exclaimed Bethany, confirming her sudden realization as to why her thinking seemed clearer. So that was another plus in her change of gender. Becoming Bethany, had made her the center of attention, something Gary never experienced. Being a famous model, and having people fuss over her and do everything they could to stay in her good books, was novel, and not without a certain feeling of power.

As far as the sexual side of things, she had been lifted to greater heights of pleasure in her short time as Bethany, than had Gary in his whole life, and this was solely via self masturbation. So far, the pluses to stay female outweighed any that being Gary might have. Also there were practical considerations as well. Gary was on the run from the law and unlikely to be seen without risk. To have to become some strange male instead, was hardly any different to becoming Bethany in terms of getting used to a new body. Being Bethany at least, gave her a history that could be verified and so far she'd pulled it off without a problem … 'Well, only a few problems,' she giggled to herself.

She wondered what her sister's response would be when she told her that Gary might not be coming back. A 747 announcing its desire to take to the air brought Bethany back to the here and now. She watched it rise in the foreground, heading over the suburb of Belmont and starting to turn towards her, heading on its journey east.

"Bethany! Where are you?" came faintly from behind her. Mandy's voice called again, sounding a little nearer. Bethany sighed, knowing she had to tell her sister her decision to remain as Bethany. She stood, looking down at the sheer drop and drinking in the solitude that would soon be broken.

"Bethany where are you …Bethany!" the last was squealed in shock as Mandy finally saw her sister and where she was standing.

"Come look," Bethany urged, not turning from the view.

"Careful, that looks dangerous," Mandy warned, as she approached her sister cautiously.

Bethany laughed, turning to take hold of Mandy's hand and pulled her close. "Isn't the view great?"

Mandy didn't answer for a second, as her attention was on her sister's face, searching for the reason Bethany had suddenly run off. "Are you okay, Sis? Why did you run off," she asked before looking at the view mentioned.

"I'm fine now, but I have something to tell you, something that … oh, crap!" she broke off, before turning and starting to walk back.

"Sis!" wailed Mandy, running after Bethany and pulling her to a stop. "Whatever it is that is troubling you, remember this, I love you, whether as a brother or a sister," she got out, intuitively sensing what was on Bethany's mind.

Bethany turned and hugged Mandy, tears flowing as she struggled to find the words and the strength to admit she loved being Bethany. "Sis… Gary is dead," she finally ground out.

Mandy nodded, her own tears stopping her from saying anything coherent. Instead she hugged her sister, silently mourning the loss of her brother, yet rejoicing in the fact her sister was alive and well. "I think I knew already, Sis," Mandy finally managed to say.

Bethany let go of Mandy, holding her at arms length while she looked at her sister's face in surprise. "How?"

Mandy gave a short laugh. "Feminine intuition."

"Phooey," grumbled Bethany at her sister's glib answer.

"No, really! I noticed how comfortable you are. Not many people would have the guts to change gender and then excel at being a totally different person," Mandy explained further.

"Well, it wasn't exactly my idea in the first place," Bethany looked up and nodded her head indicating Ada's invisible presence. "And I had help," she added.

"True, but you made the decision to remain female, and that counts just the same. I'm going to miss Gary, but no one else is likely to miss him." Mandy reflected. "On the other hand, if Bethany disappeared again, she would be missed far more, and by a lot more people."

"Elizabeth and Heather would be heartbroken, and I would miss the opportunity of teaching you the art of shopping," Mandy pointed out.

This gave Bethany a chance to pout when shopping was mentioned. "I've changed my mind, save me from shopping," wailed Bethany theatrically, pretending to shy away in horror.

"Oh you! You're no fun," Mandy grumped stamping her foot before the two dissolved into laughter at the other's antics.

"Hey, who's looking after the BBQ? I'm so hungry, I could eat ewe," punned Bethany with a giggle.

"Elizabeth, and if it gets burnt, she'll lambaste ewe you," Mandy threw back as she turned to run back home.

"Sounds kinky," Bethany laughed back, following her sister's footsteps.

"Where were you?" asked Elizabeth, when they both got back.

Watching Elizabeth basting the chicken drums and turning the lamb kebabs over made the two in question, exchange a look and their stifled giggles delayed answering. "Oh I was at the lookout," answered Bethany finally. "I needed to think about something without any distraction."

"You aren't thinking of leaving again?" asked a suddenly worried Elizabeth.

"No, Sis, just the opposite. I'm here to stay," Bethany answered to a relieved Elizabeth. "Here, let me take over, while you get the salad out. "Nice kebabs sis," she added using the tongs to turn them again.

"Thanks, I made them this morning, but obviously you didn't see them in the refrigerator."

"Well if there's too much left over, we can always reheat them," Bethany commented sagely.

The three girls busied themselves, working like a team. For Mandy, it was like old times when she used to help Gary at family BBQ's. The thought brought forth a few tears, as she mourned the loss of their parents.

Whether it was because she was now female and therefore closer to her sister, or the often touted feminine intuition kicking in, Bethany sensed what the odd tear in Mandy's eyes meant. She reached and gave her sister a hug of support when Mandy passed by bringing the wine. "I miss them too," Bethany whispered out of earshot of Elizabeth.

Having put on some music, Elizabeth joined them outside to await the end of the cooking and the start of the eating.

Mandy had drunk several glasses of wine and was reveling in her newfound mobility, slowly dancing to the music in a world of her own after eating. Elizabeth got up and joined her, dancing next to her, but without contact. Bethany smiled watching them as she turned off the gas, and started piling a dish with the cooked meat.

"Thaank you both. Thaat was great," slurred a slightly tipsy Mandy, giving the others a hug.

Bethany helped Mandy to her room, and seeing her just collapse on the bed, made the decision to undress her and pull a nightie over the woozy Mandy. Seeing her sister's new body naked, drove home another point in her transformation. Mandy had a great body, one Gary would have drooled over, but while Bethany could appreciate that same beauty, it failed to arouse her sexually. "Poot," Bethany muttered, knowing what the implications of her observation meant for her future.

The next few days were spent doing the touristy thing with Mandy, their supposed visitor from the states. Mandy gushed at everything, everywhere they went. It wasn't hard to pretend to be surprised at anything, as her prior invalid status had precluded going everywhere she had wanted. Mandy made the most of it, keeping her promise, or threat, (depending on the individual point of view) of taking Bethany into as many clothing stores as they could fit into a day.

Bethany, of course, protested, albeit not very convincingly. She could see the fire in her sister's eyes. The more she resisted, the more Mandy urged Bethany to try just another skirt or dress on. In fact, Bethany enjoyed all the fuss and hoo-ha, but didn't let on, lest Mandy lose some of her enjoyment trying to make her sister uncomfortable with some of her selections. It wasn't that Mandy was being nasty; she was just teasing the former male mind that was now housed in a totally different body.

Bethany gradually allowed herself to become enthused, so that she could fully know how the genuine pleasure she felt from trying on the sexy clothes. Finally, Mandy slowed in her headlong rush to have Bethany try on every single garment Western Australia had to offer, or so it seemed. While supposedly, what clothes they did buy were for Bethany, knowing her sister, and given that she was the same size physically, Bethany knew Mandy would be "borrowing" her new purchases very soon. As the days went on, Bethany and Mandy grew together, forming a much closer bond than they'd had as brother and sister.

One evening, because the day had been spent shopping, Elizabeth suggested they eat out for dinner, a suggestion that was agreed on with alacrity. Sizzler's was crowded, but being a family restaurant, they hadn't needed to dress up, or book a table. They just turned up in the clothes they'd been wearing shopping and waited in line. Being the place it was, Bethany and her sisters went up as many times as their stomachs would allow, refilling their plates from the excellent smorgasbord selection.

The day was topped off by a soak in the Jacuzzi at home, as no one felt up to a fashion show with the new purchases bought that day. While relaxing and letting their meal digest, Bethany mentioned that soon she would be heading out to Laverton again. "I'd like both of you to come, but I need to warn you about the conditions," Bethany cautioned, anticipating the desire of both to participate. "It will be hot, dusty and probably noisy as well once the machines start excavating, not to mention the flies during the day. I will be renting a mobile home with aircon and full facilities, but one can't stay inside all day," she warned

"We still want to come," chorused the two sisters, looking at each other in agreement.

"When will you be starting?" Elizabeth asked, thinking ahead.

"I was hoping,Tuesday. The RV will arrive tomorrow, and the others will meet us at Laverton on Thursday."

"The others?" Mandy enquired curiously.

"I've hired a firm to do the actual work, provide the security and handle the filing of the claim once we discover the lode's exact location. They will bring in the machinery. Once the paperwork's even been started, we'll need to stay on site and protect it from claim jumpers."

"Wow! We will need to go shopping for clothes then," Mandy enthused, rubbing her hands together.

Bethany and Elizabeth groaned and attacked Mandy in the tub and dunked her several times in protest. Laughing, Mandy attacked back and soon all were completely soaked with their hair wet and bedraggled looking.

"Don't you every get tired of shopping?"

"Nope, anyway, we need clothes suitable for the bush, unless you want to go round in that sequin number you bought today." Mandy pointed out.

Several days later.

"Here you go, I must say, I'm glad you're driving this monster, Sis," said Mandy, handing Bethany a cold can of Coke.

Bethany took her eyes off the road for a second, as she accepted the already opened can and gave Mandy a smile.

"Oh it's not too bad once you get used to the size. Power steering helps too," she added with a grin, as she negotiated past a wheat harvester moving along the highway in the same direction.

"Well I'm glad I don't have to park it. In town, it would take up three parking spaces," Mandy pointed out. She sat down in the swivel seat next to the driver and locked it in the forward facing position as per the regulations while the RV was in motion.

"How's Elizabeth?" Bethany inquired, knowing she'd experienced a bit of motion sickness earlier in the day.

"Oh, she's sleeping now. I think those pills she took finally kicked in."

"Good, the last thing we need, is the smell of vomit on board," laughed Bethany, wrinkling her nose at the thought.

"So where are we headed for tonight, Sis?"

"Well, I planned to drive till dark. We should be past Coolgardie then, and on our way north to Kalgoorlie. It doesn't really matter where we stop, seeing we are self sufficient."

"This is so exciting! I haven't been on a trip like this since I was 10 years old and we all went up to Carnarvon."

"Well, once we become rich, you will be able to travel the world if you want," suggested Bethany.

"Not if I have to drive one of these brutes," Mandy giggled.

"Wait till tomorrow, when we lose the sealed roads. I'll be glad of the extra padding I gained when we hit the corrugations," laughed Bethany.

Mandy eyed the extra padding mentioned, realizing what a change her new sister was experiencing. "Maybe it will be enjoyable, like a vibrator," she blurted out before blushing furiously.

Bethany laughed, seeing her sister's discomfiture. Yes, tomorrow was going to be very interesting indeed. Refueling at Bodallin, some 60km past Merredin, they made a real sight as they stretched their legs. Elizabeth had woken and decided to use the restroom rather than use the toilet onboard. Bethany grinned as Mandy flirted with the young pump attendant, as he tried to keep his eyes on all three of near identical looking girls.

"You know, when I asked you to get us some pants, I didn't mean hot pants." Bethany whispered in Mandy's ear, as the attendant's eyes tried boring holes in them. The pants in question left nothing to the imagination and were hardly longer than bikini briefs. Gary had pajama pants that covered more than these. It was just as well the RV had sheepskin covers on all the seats to stop people getting their bums boiled from the intense heat the Australian sun generated. It also stopped the itchy sticky feeling you get on long journeys when wearing such skimpy pants.

"Well, you did say you wanted something easy to move around in," giggled Mandy, not at all repentant, as she bent over to tie up an already secure lace on her boots.

"You're such a tramp! Are you sure you're my cousin?" Bethany returned with a grin.

"Well I'm not the one that chose to wear the pink pair," giggled Mandy.

"Harrumph! Well I figured if wore those, men wouldn't be checking out my tits so much," argued Bethany, trying to excuse her choice.

"Oh! Suure, Sis, I might believe that, if your stretchy top wasn't pink too, and didn't have 'Girl Power' emblazoned on the chest.

"Um, well ... they matched, and anyway, you bought them," challenged Bethany, trying desperately to weasel out.

Mandy just giggled, not bothering to reply.

The pump attendant chose then to ask to check their oil, to which Mandy replied that he could check under her hood anytime.

Bethany pulled her sister aside, allowing the young red faced man access to the engine compartment inside the front of the RV. "Stop that, you hussy! Can't you see he's having a hard time dealing with you."

"Hmmmm, hard …" Mandy moaned in a Homer Simpson takeoff, checking out the man's pants.

"Sheesh, I can't take you anywhere," admonished Bethany, dragging her reluctant sister into the service station, where she told her to pick up some chocolate covered ice cream blocks out of the freezer compartment.

Of course Elizabeth had missed most of this, so when she finally got back into the RV and handed her ice cream, she was regaled of Mandy's antics by Bethany. She laughed, siding with Mandy, saying a girl has to do what a girl has to do. She then made suggestive movements with her tongue as she licked her ice cream, which made them all laugh.

They were still some distance from their destination of Coolgardie when 5.30 rolled around. Bethany's assumption they would reach there, had been based on driving a car, but the RV was slower and took more care to drive. They had reached Southern Cross and checked out the town for a place to set up for the night, but Bethany wasn't impressed with the choices available. As the day was still hot, they decided to drive on towards Coolgardie and find a spot on the side of the road.

An hour later, they found a rest area somewhere between Yellowdine and Karalee that took them out of sight off the main road. The road to the rest area was little more than a track, and ended in a clearing among gum trees and brush. Elizabeth and Mandy piled out, thankful to stretch their legs. First, Bethany changed out of her pink hot pants into more practicable jeans like the others were now wearing before joining the others outside. Mandy had found a wooden picnic table made of halved coppered logs, and was sitting in the half shade waiting for the others to join her. Bethany stretched her legs walking around the perimeter of the clearing, then went back to the RV and brought out three cans of beer, which she took to the table where Elizabeth had joined Mandy.

After wetting their whistles, Bethany headed back inside to start dinner. She had made a stew prior to leaving, something she used to do as Gary when he was heading out into the outback. With no refrigeration, Gary would freeze a stew and would have it the second night. All meat had to be processed like bacon or sausages or (cringe) in tins, if one wanted to have meat at least once a day.

That problem was taken care of as the RV had both a fridge and a freezer, which ran on either LPG or electrical power. Still, the stew was handy, requiring no lengthy preparation, just heating. Bethany was making thickly sliced toast on which to serve the beef stew when she heard a vehicle draw up next to them. She just served Elizabeth her meal when she heard knocking on the door, and a voice call out that it was the police. Telling Mandy to take over cooking her own toast, Bethany went to the door and opened it.

"Hello, Miss. I'm officer Stevens, from the Coolgardie road patrol. I check all rest stops between Kalgoorlie and Southern Cross as part of my patrol. Are you stopping the night here?"

"Yes, we plan to head to Laverton tomorrow. We just drove from Perth this morning," Bethany affirmed. "Is there a problem Officer?"

"Not with stopping here. I'm glad to see people using their heads when traveling long distances. It makes my work easier … hmm something smells great," the man added, sniffing the aroma of stew drifting out of the RV.

"Plenty for another plate." Mandy's voice called out, from inside.

The officer looked hesitant, desire warring with his responsibility.

"Surely, sharing a meal would be okay," encouraged Bethany, thinking it was the polite thing to do, then moving back and gesturing for the officer to enter the RV.

"I really shouldn't, but that smells great," the man said, following her inside.

"If you get into trouble, tell them you had to strip search three dangerous women," teased Elizabeth, moving to make room for the officer to sit beside her.

The officer blushed, making him look even cuter. Even Bethany thought so, before catching herself and trying to deny it.

"I hope I don't need backup," quipped the officer, reintroducing himself as Tim Stevens.

Elizabeth made all the introductions while Bethany made more toast and got out an extra plate. Instead of a beer, like the girls were drinking, she offered a can of chilled Coke, which the officer gratefully accepted.

"There is one thing you need to be aware of," Tim told them, accepting his plate of stew from Bethany with a smile. "There are two escaped prisoners on the loose somewhere in the area."

"Prisoners?" questioned Mandy.

"We had caught one of two men involved in a rape case in Coolgardie and were transporting him to Kalgoorlie to be flown to Perth. The van transporting him was rammed off the road, presumably by the other one that had eluded capture. He must have lain low and followed the van before making his move. The driver was knocked unconscious and when he came to, the prisoner was gone."

"Oh dear. So do you think we are in any danger?" asked Elizabeth, holding her hand to her mouth.

"It's unlikely. They are probably headed into the bush, at least that's what the tracks showed. If you like, I can check back here on my return run, although it might be around 3am. Just make sure you lock the doors."

"Thank you, we would appreciate that, just in case," offered Bethany.

Once the officer had left, Bethany was teased by Mandy about whether she thought he was cute. Put on the spot, and having Elizabeth interested to hear her answer, Bethany couldn't just ignore the question, and to deny it might raise questions with Elizabeth.

"He was cute in his uniform, but then I guess most men in the police force look better than the average Joe Blow. I expect Mandy likes all men in uniform," giggled Bethany, trying to move the target to her sister.

"I bet you just wanted to rip his shirt off and ravage him," retorted Mandy, not falling for her sister's ploy.

Bethany couldn't help, but blush. The truth be told, she did find the man to be attractive, something that she hadn't counted on happening so soon. 'Maybe it was pheromones or something,' she thought, trying to justify her reactions. "I'll take those plates and wash them," she said, not deigning to answer her sister's question with anything verbal.

Mandy and Elizabeth looked at each other, knowing by the blush and the abrupt change in subject what Bethany's answer was.

Mandy loved her sister/cousin Bethany, and her teasing was done to get her sister to admit to her awakening feelings of attraction to the opposite sex. She knew that it would be an uphill battle, with Bethany having been male for so long. So she just hugged her sister, then helped out by grabbing a pot towel and drying the few dishes.

That night, after everyone was bedded down, and conversation had died away, Bethany thought back to Mandy's question, trying to come up with an answer. She drifted off to sleep, with the issue still unresolved.

"BANG, BANG, BANG."

Bethany woke suddenly as the knocking on the door continued. She glanced at the luminous dial of the clock next to her, seeing it was 2.45 AM. She stumbled out of bed, straightening her nightgown, before walking to the door.

"Tim you're early," she mumbled as she unlocked the door, trying to get the wool out of her sleepy brain.

"Well, lookie here ... Ain't we a sight for sore eyes," growled a threatening voice.

Instead of seeing the expected, if somewhat early, Tim, Bethany saw two men she'd never seen before. She tried closing the door, but a foot prevented it from closing and a hand pulled her from the RV. Suddenly, it was like a switch being thrown. Bethany's mind became crystal clear as she realised these were the two men wanted by the police. She had to prevent these two entering the RV at all costs, as her sisters somehow were still asleep and helpless.

"Don't go in there, you might wake my husband," she hastily improvised. "Whatever you want, you can ask me," she added, trying to smile seductively.

The two men stopped and looked at each other and nodded, pulling her further away from the RV.

"Well we will deal with your husband later," one of the men said menacingly. "For now, we'll just see what you have to offer," he added with a nasty grin on his face. With that, he tore her gown from her body and threw it on the ground. Both men whistled softly, eyeing her naked form with lust. Bethany didn't show the terror she felt and just managed not to scream. She knew if she did, both Elizabeth and Mandy would wake and become extra fodder for these two creeps.

Ada made a few suggestions, which Bethany intended to follow as the men pulled her further away. The moonlit night helped her avoid the worst of the rough ground underfoot as she was hustled out of sight of the RV. Once she thought they were far enough away, she stopped still. The unexpected resistance brought the two men to a halt; despite the increased force they exerted trying to move her.

"You want it here, then, Missy?" the taller one asked, dismissing the improbable situation that she was actually stronger than the two of them.

"You might say that," she said in a calm voice, belying the fear inside. "Well, hurry up and get your pants off! I'm getting cold here," she added as sexily as she could. Bethany then knelt down between the two men and licked her lips suggestively.

The two men stared, surprised, but not wanting to question the gift horse, soon had their pants around their ankles. They shuffled closer to her as she reached out to grasp their erections, one in each hand. She ran her hand up the cocks to grasp them around the base and cupped their sacks as well.

"Well, boys, I see you have been naughty. Just how many women have you forced these into?" she invited, licking her lips and making kissy noises, showing none of the revulsion she felt.

"Oh, lots," both agreed, seeing she seemed turned on at the thought.

"Well then, I'm going to make sure no others will suffer that fate," she said, allowing Ada to do her thing.

Ada sent the organs cupped in Bethany's hands into the same void, where Bethany's metal detector had been stored. Somewhere in p space, two pieces of flesh appeared, destined never to be reunited with their owners.

The two men didn't scream as their organs uncoupled from their bodies. In fact, they didn't even realise they were missing, as Ada made sure the nerve endings continued to send the same signals they had been sending. Bethany had time to cup the crotch of both men giving Ada time to work on sealing the major blood vessels preventing any blood loss, other than some seepage from the capillaries. Ada smoothed the ends of the urethras, leaving just holes for urination. She then altered something in the two men's Hypothalamus and Pituitary glands, which would have some strange repercussions for them both in the near future. She hadn't had time to discus this action with Bethany, but had thought it made a suitable punishment.

The men still unaware of their penectomies, grinned at each other.

"Hurry up girl, get sucking on it, before I do something drastic," one of them threatened, looking down at her face.

"Suck what?" she asked, lifting her blood stained hands away, with their Ada enhanced nails that now looked like talons.

The two men both looked down at where their manhood used to hang as Bethany stood up and gave them both an evil looking smile while licking her lips.

Both men cried out fell to their knees reaching for their missing manhood's. At first, they thought the woman had cast some kind of illusion on them, as they could swear that they could still feel their missing organs, despite what their hands and eyes were telling them. Once they saw their hands being covered with the slowly oozing blood, they knew their greatest fear was realised.

"You'd better go before I do something else you might regret." Bethany stated coldly, as she looked down at the men before her.

Ada made Bethany's skin glow with a super luminescence, that gave her slender body an eeriness that belied description. The two men felt their blood run cold at the sight. They shied away, scrambling to their feet before stumbling away in shock. They ran, struggling to get their pants up before the she demon standing in the moonlight acted on her threats.

She knew both men would soon seek help and thus be captured, as the area of the men's groins, while not bleeding a lot, was still a raw wound that would seep blood till extra surgery closed the skin together.

She felt some regret at having to take the matter that far, but it was only what they deserved, and she knew all the women they had raped would agree with her. She walked back to the RV, hearing the faint cries of the men fade away. She then started to tremble in reaction, as she gathered up her torn nightgown. Ada sent the gown and the blood on Bethany's hands into p space and then clad Bethany's body with an exact replica.

Bethany climbed back into the RV and locked the door, marveling that the others were still asleep. 'The fresh air and the long journey has made them sleep soundly,' Ada offered, noting Bethany's look and guessing her thoughts.

Bethany nodded and poured herself a glass of brandy from the mini bar before she went to her own bed. She tossed and turned, trying to get back to sleep, her mind running over possible alternatives to what had just happened.

The next she knew, it was morning, as she had finally fallen asleep. "Wakey, wakey," chimed a cheerful Mandy, a hot cup of coffee in her hands. Mandy sat on the bed and grinned at Bethany. "Guess who I saw last night?" she asked smugly.

"Two rapists?" Bethany retorted, hoping she was wrong.

"No silly! Tim called around about 4 am. I was going to wake you, but you looked so peaceful. He didn't stay long, just letting us know that the men they were after had been seen by a trucker and were subsequently captured by a search patrol."

"Great," Bethany responded, trying to sound enthused.

'Why didn't I wake up?' she asked Ada sotto voice.

'You needed sleep, so I turned your audio receptors down. Don't worry, I was fully aware of the officer's return and would have woken you had there been a need," Ada answered.

"Great …" grumbled Bethany under her breath. 'I wish you had done the same with the two rapists.'

'Officer Tim was driving a vehicle whose engine sound I recognized. I also monitored his radio call a few minutes earlier to say he was going to check some women overnighters. The other two men approached on foot with no prior warning," Ada stated defensively in a tone of voice Bethany recognized.

'I'm sorry Ada, I didn't mean to accuse you of anything, I'm just upset."

"Apology accepted," Ada responded in a lighter tone of voice.

"Talking to Ada?" asked Mandy, seeing her sister's eye grow distant.

"Sorry, Sis, just getting some updates, nothing to worry about."

Mandy nodded, but sensed there was more to it than her sister was telling. Maybe later she could coax the details from her.

"Did Tim mention anything else about the two men?" Bethany asked as Mandy got up and started to head to the kitchenette.

"Yeah, he did. Apparently someone had attacked them. Probably in revenge, so Tim reckoned. He was a bit evasive as to what had happened, saying nice ladies needn't know those kinds of details. You weren't involved in anyway?" she asked, catching Bethany by surprise at her intuitiveness.

"Who me?" offered Bethany, trying her innocent look.

"Yes, you," Mandy prompted, sensing Bethany was indeed involved. She didn't press, as Bethany remained silent, but made a mental note to ask her later.

Bethany got up and had a quick wash. Even though Ada kept her skin clean and fresh smelling, she still liked to wash and bathe herself as a matter of routine. Elizabeth woke then, getting her own morning cup of coffee from Mandy.

"I didn't know we had maid service," she giggled, poking fun at Mandy.

"Oh yes, she rotates her duty with two others, Ma'am," Mandy replied, making her meaning clear.

"More shopping? Asked Bethany, looking at Mandy, who returned a puzzled look.

"For a maid's uniform," explained Bethany, straight faced.

Elizabeth chuckled, to which Mandy poked her tongue out before joining in.

Breakfast smells started permeating through the RV as Mandy started cooking bacon and eggs. Bethany went to help while Elizabeth got dressed.

Bethany, getting a few minutes warning from Ada, promptly stopped what she was doing and went and put on some makeup. Mandy looked at her in surprise, before guessing what was happening. She looked chagrined, having to stay at the cooker, while her sister got beautiful.

Of course Elizabeth had no clue when a knock on the door heralded the arrival of Tim, once again checking in on his morning route. While Bethany answered the door, Mandy moved to her bag and quickly wiped some lipstick on and checked on her hair.

"Still on duty? asked Bethany as she opened the door to Tim's smiling face.

"Actually my shift is over, but before I went home I thought I'd check you out … um, I mean, check that you were okay," he blushed at his badly put words.

"I think I liked the first version," Bethany laughed, feeling strange sensations fill her body. "Come in, we are just having breakfast, and you're welcome to share."

"Hmmm, that smells great," offered Tim as he entered on her heels.

"You certainly know when to visit," Mandy chuckled, adding more bacon to the pan.

"Well, we in the police force are trained for it," returned Tim with a laugh.

Elizabeth scrambled to get her own makeup on while Tim was distracted up front.

"I hope you ladies had a safe night," Tim opened, as the food was dished out and everyone was seated.

"Slept like a log," opined Elizabeth, tucking into her breakfast with gusto.

"Anything happen in the night? Questioned Bethany curiously.

"Curious you should ask that," Tim replied. "We caught the two men we were after. "Boy, they must have been stoned out of their minds, in light of their stories," Tim answered between bites.

"What stories?" asked a curious Elizabeth.

"Well, they were seen running along the road about 5 kilometers east of here, heading back to Coolgardie by a trucker who put a call in to the police. Luckily, a patrol car heading west caught up with them minutes later.. Strangely, they just gave up when the car having first passed them had to reverse direction. Once in custody, they began ranting about seeing a vampire that ate their dicks off." Here, Tim laughed.

"Wow! Some story, if they were on drugs, does that mean they were addicked?" Mandy quipped.

"More like dedicked," Tim answered, with a grin.

"So it was true? Someone cut their cocks off?" gasped Elizabeth.

"Apparently. There's a rumor that one of their victims got hold of them and castrated them both. I didn't see them personally, but I heard whoever it was, made an excellent job of it."

"Did the men describe their vampire?" asked Bethany, holding her breath for the answer.

"Well, I heard it was some kind of a glowing creature with teeth and talons, but then the men just clammed up after being questioned. I think the scorn heaped on them by the officers made them realise how re-dick-ulous it sounded," Tim explained, grinning as he emphasized the word ridiculous.

Bethany sighed; she was in the clear so far. With the attraction she felt for Tim, she didn't want to have anything jeopardize their burgeoning friendship. Suddenly realizing where her thoughts were headed, she excused herself abruptly and went outside to think.

She walked out in the morning's clear crisp air, trying to get her head around the fact she found Tim attractive. Rationally, she could argue that it was just a normal female/male reaction, but the thought that she was actively thinking of some kind of future with him had caught her unawares.

She was so deep in thought that she missed Tim's approach from behind. "You okay? You seemed upset. I hope I wasn't the cause," Tim asked concernedly, as he came up to her side.

"No, it's not about you," she answered not so truthfully, turning to face him. "It's about me."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah, become my security man in a project I'm starting. I'll make it pay ten times your current salary," she laughed, more than half seriously.

"Sounds tempting," replied Tim, wondering why this woman stood out from the rest he had known. Even Elizabeth, her twin in looks, didn't have the same indefinable quality that made her stand out. "What exactly is this project?" he asked in more than just idle curiosity.

Bethany laughed, as she turned and started walking back to the RV.

"You'll soon find out, along with the rest of them," she threw over her shoulder cryptically. "It will be the biggest thing to happen in Australia in decades," she added, catching his interest further.

Tim was intrigued. Bethany's offer was certainly attractive. He could leave the department if he chose to forgo the police pension the force supplied its members. Being young, that day seemed far away and didn't really figure into his plans for the immediate future. Having Bethany for a boss would certainly be an attractive option. He followed her back, deciding to wait and see what developed.

After finding out that the girls would be in the Laverton area, Tim said his goodbyes, knowing that it shouldn't be too hard to find them in a small town like that. Bethany was the last to say goodbye, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Remember my offer," she called as he started to walk away back to his vehicle-.

"I will," she heard as he got into his 4 wheel drive.

The rest of the journey took longer than Bethany would normally expect. The RV wasn't exactly suited for the rough dusty roads and the corrugations set their teeth rattling, and made talking almost impossible as every loose item vibrated and shook. Anything that wasn't securely fastened down inside threatened to either fall off or shake to pieces and kept Mandy and Elizabeth on their feet rescuing their belongings.

Finally, Bethany had to slow down, which didn't make the occasional traffic coming up behind very happy. Strangely, none of the drivers that eventually made it past their plume of red dust seemed to make a fuss when they caught sight of Bethany at the wheel. Whether it was because of their "Ah, it's a women driver," or the fact she was wearing a tight skimpy top that made them mellow out, she wasn't going to speculate. Either way she was grateful.

Reaching Laverton in the afternoon meant nothing much was moving due to the heat of the day. Needing nothing in the way of fuel or groceries, having refueled at Kalgoorlie and topped up the tanks with the last place that had good Perth water, they decided to get a drink.

They pulled up at the pub, and went in. If Bethany's prior experience in the place had made an impact, twins and a near look alike made a much deeper impact. The people inside went quiet as the trio entered and found a table.

Mandy and Elizabeth looked around in interest while Bethany went back to the bar and ordered Vodka, lime and lemonades for all of them. The noise in the bar slowly regained its former volume as the locals speculated on reason three citified women were here in their town. Luckily, (for the men), no one bothered the girls or made any attempt to interrupt their conversation.

Finishing their drinks, they went back to the RV and drove to the same camp where Bethany had stayed for the photo shoot. The plan was to stay there tonight and wait the arrival of the crew coming tomorrow to manage the gold mining. After making dinner and showering, they settled in for the night. With nothing other than the pub for entertainment in the town, the girls watched TV, using the small satellite dish Bethany had requested be fitted to the rear of the RV.

The arrival of the convoy of large vehicles the following morning was soon the buzz of the town, especially with the earthmoving equipment on some of the truck and trailer units. While most of the local attention was focused on the large trucks, two four wheel vehicles slipped away to meet up with the girls at the camp.

Bethany climbed aboard one of them, leaving Mandy and Elizabeth with the RV. Bethany told the driver where to head, while the other vehicle followed in their wake. Eventually, Bethany stood upon the spot where all her adventure had started. Ada then aided her, suggesting locations for the pegs to be placed to give them adequate clearance from possible interlopers.

The team of men in both vehicles had their orders, and didn't raise any objections to her decisions on the placement of the claim pegs. Once the claim was pegged, GPS positions were taken and entered down. A Sat phone call was then made, transferring the information back to people ready at Perth and the claim was lodged, notarized and settled. Bethany was then taken back to town, leaving all but the driver to guard the claim pegs.

After a restless night filled with strange dreams of gold poachers, with Tim defending the claim single handedly, Bethany woke to the insistent knock on the RV's door. "You might want to cover up a bit," warned Ada, sensing that Bethany hadn't considered her scanty attire.

"I'll be there in a moment," she called out to the person outside as she grabbed her robe and fastened it around her. The others were just stirring as she went and opened the door.

"Hello, Miss. Is Bethany Chambers available? We need her signature to sign the authorization allowing us to begin the fencing on the claim she's lodged.

"I'm Bethany Chambers," she replied to a surprised man in overalls and work boots. She took the paperwork from him as he gawped at her body for a moment before schooling his expression back into a professional manner.

"I'm sorry for the look, I wasn't expecting someone as young and se … um, attractive as you," he apologized, blushing over his runaway tongue, as he accepted the signed forms back.

"When are you heading out there?" she asked curiously.

"Right away, Miss Chambers."

"Okay, let them know, we'll be there in … an hour and a half," she paused, making a rough calculation.

"Right, will do," the man said, moving to head back to his truck parked just outside the grounds.

By the time the girls had all awakened and had breakfast, it was approaching 9 o'clock. Bethany was itching to get on the road and head out to their claim, so she bitched a bit about the other's apparent slowness.

"Sis, the gold will still be there, no matter what time we arrive," Mandy pointed out.

"Yeah, as the owners of the gold, we should make a good first impression," Elizabeth added while putting on her makeup.

"Sorry, girls. I'm just rather nervous," explained Bethany by way of apology.

Bethany did concede that Elizabeth was right in a way and put on some lippy herself. Not all that fussed about bothering with makeup, she had let Ada do her thing when it was needed while at the shoot. When they got underway, with Bethany driving again, Ada unknowingly tweaked Bethany's makeup attempt, adding a little blush and straightening the bleedover of lipstick on Bethany's lips. She also enhanced the eyes with a little colour. Because this wasn't actually makeup, but the skin being tinted from within, Bethany never noticed the changes. Even the lipstick changed, becoming no more than a protective layer that just looked wet. The lips became the colour of the lipstick, which would never need touching up, not that Bethany would instinctively remember to do that yet. The waxy coating that gave the lips their gloss would be exuded from the skin all day, protecting them from drying out in the heat.

While the RV would normally be too wide to negotiate the windy bush trails leading to the claim, the arrival of the heavy equipment before them had cleared the route of overhanging trees and bush. The broken and sawn branches lay everywhere along the sides of the track as they slowly edged the RV over the worst of the ruts. It looked like a bulldozer had been used in places to allow access for the heavy equipment. They had smoothed out the banks of wash outs, caused by flash floods that had cut across the track. This made driving the RV across much easier.

Their eventual arrival caused a stir. The track ended in a hastily erected gate that had a guard on it. Fencing had already been erected on both sides of the gate, on its way to totally encircle the claim.

At first, the guard refused them entry, saying it was now private property. He was eventually convinced that they were indeed the owners, apologizing profusely when Bethany showed him the proof of just who she was.

Bethany drove the RV to a spot where there were some trees high enough to give some shade. There were already some portable living units for the men placed nearby. A generator was being set up to supply power and cables were already being strung to power up the living quarters. Two men walked over, as Bethany shut off the engine and got out of the RV.

"Hi, I'm Stewart Granger, the manager of this site and this is my second in command, Isaac Smith. I take it that you are the lovely owner, Miss Chambers?"

"Call me Bethany, please," she replied, shaking the proffered hand.

"I take it that you will want power hooked up to your vehicle?" Isaac asked, signaling to the men working on the generator supply.

"Yes, but only after the rest have been hooked up. We are self sufficient at the moment," offered Bethany with a smile.

The men gave each other a quick glance. They seemed impressed that the young owner and her companions, who had just joined her, were so accommodating. After further introductions had been made, the two men left to continue setting up the camp.

"Wow! This is some setup. The fencing alone is going to cost a bundle, do we really have enough to cover all this?' asked an impressed Mandy.

"I called in some favours and used all our funds for this. The house and everything we own is up on the block till we see some returns."

"We could lose everything?" cried Elizabeth, only now realising the scale of things.

"Sis, trust me, we won't lose anything," promised Bethany, hoping Ada was correct in her assessment of the size of the lode.

More trucks bringing assembled units came trundling into the camp area. One was a kitchen unit set up to provide all the crew with meals. A refrigerator unit was setup next to it, containing fresh meat and everything else one would need. Later, two more units providing seating for dining and entertainment would be set up alongside.

Feeling somewhat useless, as the manager seemed to have everything under control; Bethany decided to walk to where the gold Ada promised, was located. Elizabeth and Mandy decided to bring out collapsible chairs, placing them in the shade by the RV so they could watch the proceedings while enjoying a cold drink.

Bethany scrambled to where she had found Ada. Ada then retrieved the metal detector from p space, so Bethany could feel like she was doing something useful at last. Giving Bethany only a general direction, Ada guided Bethany towards the gold.

Hearing a detector locate something positive had always given Gary, a thrill in the past. To find something under the red dirt and rock, and then to catch sight of that yellow metal when you scratch away the surface, will always make the heart race. This time was no different. As soon as the detector bleeped its message, Bethany crouched and started to examine the dirt. Ada provided a trowel from another of her resources, making it appear in Bethany's hand.

"Thanks," Bethany muttered, digging at the soil with urgency.

Bethany gasped, as her trowel hit something with a metallic clink. She uncovered the object with a reverence, as if it was the Holy Grail itself. A nugget as big as her fist lay there, seeing the sunlight for the first time in ages. It was combined with quartz, but she estimated there was at least three and a half a pounds of gold in it, as she hefted it in her hand.

She held it reverently, not because of its worth, but because of what it meant in terms of their future. She didn't even question just how different that future would be from what Gary could ever have imagined.

She looked around seeing the bluff before her with different eyes. Something about it looked odd. She was used to seeing the white and ochre colouration of the breakaways in the region, but the ochre looked more… she moved closer, coming within feet of the massive wall in front of her.

The detector sounded its alarm and it wasn't anywhere near the ground. 'Could it be?" She thought, bringing the coil up from waist height and moving it over the cliff face. The detector howled continuously and she dropped it in shock. Placing her hand over the ochre rock, she realised it was no rock. As the dust of centuries was brushed away, the dull gleam of gold shone through. The white in the cliff face was quartz and it was embedded with large areas of gold. She prised a few pieces away with only her hands.

This was unexpected, and posed new problems. She sat and thought, wondering what to do next. Gold in the ground was one thing, but this was another. She had been expecting to have the machinery turn over the dirt and process the dirt in the usual fashion, not have it showing on the surface where just anyone could pick a piece off and keep it for themselves. She posed the question to Ada.

"Well checking everyone leaving with a metal detector could solve it, but it wouldn't stop someone from throwing bits over the fence to friends or for later retrieval." Ada advised.

"True, we need to make sure everyone is trustworthy, but that is one hell of a task, and not exactly 100 percent accurate," Bethany accepted.

"If you spoke to each and every person here while holding their arm, I could detect skin resistance changes that would indicate lying," Ada proposed.

"That would work. I could introduce myself to each of them and ask a few questions," mused Bethany, feeling a lot happier.

She gathered the pieces of gold and placed them out of sight in her pocket, hoping the sag wouldn't be noticed. She picked up the detector and carried it back to the RV.

Showing the girls the nuggets caused them to gasp in wonder, relieving any doubts that the find was real.

Talking to the men proved relatively easy. She commandeered the office unit set up to manage the job. Stewart was inside at the time and invited her to sit. She shook hands with him again, letting her hand linger on his wrist as she asked if she could trust him. Getting prompts from Ada as to his truthfulness, she showed him the nuggets and explained her problem.

"I'm prepared to give each and everyone a generous bonus above what you will normally be paid, if everyone does their job and doesn't try to steal from us." She named a ballpark figure that made Stewart's eyes boggle.

"Miss, I would do my job anyway, even without the bonus, and I'm pretty sure all the men working here are trustworthy, but I can understand your concern and need to talk to each of them privately."

"Bethany was relieved that Ada found him to be truthful. She then asked to meet with all the men, starting with Isaac. As it turned out, only two showed signs of deceit when shown the nuggets. When Bethany informed Stewart of her concern with the honesty of the two in question, he didn't demur.

"Those two are recent hires and are only here to help my guys fence off the property. Once the fencing is done, I'll send them packing. In the meantime, I'll keep a close eye on them and make sure they stay away from the actual lode area. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, as long as they remain ignorant of the source of the gold and its availability," Bethany agreed.

"What made you suspect them in the first place?" Stewart asked curiously.

"I got a vibe from them when I showed the nuggets," hedged Bethany, knowing that Stewart was very astute. Anyway, it was the truth if you consider that Ada vibrated her auditory nerve when informing her of the results from the skin reactions the two men gave to her questions.

"Fair enough," sighed Stewart, not doubting her hunch, considering she'd picked the only two of his crew that hadn't been with him for years, something he was sure she couldn't have known beforehand.

The next few days were critical, and the fence was the first priority. Interest in the site was already being shown by the locals in Laverton. There was just no way to conceal the fact that truckloads of equipment were being ferried to the site.

The first sign of trouble came when Bethany had commandeered and 4x4 and was driving alone outside the completed section of fence line. She was checking the pegs that marked the boundary of her claim when she saw another peg planted slightly further out. She walked over to it to inspect it and saw it was part of some attempt to claim jump. She started to pull it out in anger, when a shout from a patch of saltbush alerted her to the fact, that she wasn't alone.

"Hey, girlie, I'd leave that alone if I where you," the scruffy looking man in dusty clothing menaced, coming within smell range.

"If you were me, you'd be a lot cleaner, and smell nicer," Bethany threw back, not at all worried about the rifle the man carried over his shoulder.

"Lookie here, lady. That is my claim peg, and you're trespassing on my property, so I'll thank ya to git offen it."

"And your name is?" Bethany asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Clyde Smithers, to you," he retorted.

"And to others, you're?" she asked straight-faced.

"Enough of the cheek, Missy, before I put you over my knee and teach you some manners," Clyde huffed.

Ada needed no instruction to do a search on the man. She found what she needed and informed Bethany silently.

"Well Mr. Smithers, I suggest you remove your claim jumping ass away from here before I have you arrested," Bethany replied coldly. "Your tactics won't work here like they did for a time in Leonora. I figured you would have learned your lesson when you tried over-pegging a claim in Kalgoorlie and found yourself in hot water. That's when your once successful attempt was overruled in court," she finished, throwing the accusation back into his face.

Clyde looked like he wanted to argue, despite the fact that this slip of a girl had the goods on him. He even shifted his rifle off his shoulder, bringing the barrel to line up in her general direction.

Just then another vehicle roared up to them, raising a boiling cloud of dust as it skidded to a halt. Stewart emerged like a lion protecting its pride. He was wearing a holstered pistol on his hip and one hand was resting on it, as he strode forward purposely. He didn't stop as expected, but walked right into Clyde, giving the man no time to react. Stewart wrenched the rifle from Clyde's grasp and threw it away into the dust.

"Get the hell out of here, before I decide that you might enjoy a fast trip down an abandoned mineshaft," Stewart spat in Clyde's face, the venom clearly evident.

Clyde went white and scrambled backwards, as if pushed by Stewart's sheer ferocity. Such was his terror; he didn't stop to get his rifle, as he ran back to where he had camped.

Stewart turned his attention to Bethany, frowning a little as he thought she'd been careless. "You okay? When one of my men radioed in that someone was out here, I came immediately," he explained curtly.

"I'm fine. I was handling it okay, but thanks for the help," she answered, wondering what was upsetting him. "You know him? He seemed to know you, or of you," she probed.

"He and I butted heads a while ago. He tried this same stunt at a claim I was managing, down in Kalgoorlie. He came off second best and the courts decided to take back a decision on a prior ruling that had been in his favour."

"Ah! I see."

"Were you looking for anything particular, or was this just a joy ride?" Stewart asked.

"Actually, I was checking for this very thing," Bethany replied, pulling up the abandoned claim peg and throwing it after the discarded rifle.

"I can see we will need to sweep this area each day," nodded Stewart, his previous annoyance replaced with respect at her astuteness. The fence will be finished today, but I think the media have finally woken up to us," he said sourly, looking up at a helicopter approaching from the south.

"Hmmm, I guess I should go back to meet them," grumbled Bethany, feeling annoyed that her peaceful morning ride was fast going down the gurgler.

"Rather you than me," grinned Stewart. "I think I'll check the rest of the perimeter fence." He chuckled, seeing Bethany's grimace.

Bethany made her way back to the camp, to find that the helicopter had landed inside the fence. Isaac, with no clear instructions on dealing with any media, had refused to let anyone out of the helicopter and had posted several guards nearby. He was on the radio when Bethany pulled up, and looked relieved to let her handle it.

Gary had never been a super-confident person, and would have run a mile before wishing to deal with pushy reporters, especially given the situation of both his and his sister's new identities. Bethany, on the other hand, felt supremely confident. Whether this was partly due to the change in sex and her short experience before a camera, or something Ada had given this body as a matter of due, she wasn't sure. One thing that was certain, was her fierce protectiveness for her sister and 'cousin.' Knowing the effect her body had on others, she strode forward assuredly, waving the guards aside.

Of course, Mandy and Elizabeth were soon at her side, having been curious over the arrival of the helicopter. Once they spotted the TV station logo on the side of the chopper, they stayed back, allowing Bethany to confront the crew, as they clambered outside.

"Brian Stevenson, from Channel Nine news. Is it true that this is the site of the legendary Lassiter's reef? And that you …" here, the man paused to look at his notes, "Bethany Chambers, now own the rights to it all?" he asked, thrusting a microphone in her face.

Bethany paused, her confidence taking a hit, as the unexpected question struck her. Seeing the cameraman was already filming, she knew she had to remain calm and not react. "Yes, I do. Or rather, the Chambers family has the exclusive rights to this claim, but whether it is the reef you refer to is best left up to the experts," she replied calmly, not showing her dismay at the leaked information.

"Is it true that you paid for this claim with sexual favours to a known rapist called Gary Carstairs, who is even now, still at large?" the question thrown at her both angered and amused her.

"Gary isn't a rapist and the police still have no proof he ever was, so I'd watch what you say. Yes, I got the claim from him, but, (here Bethany almost quoted a famous line from a former US president), there were no favours granted, sexual or otherwise."

The man backpedaled, seeing she was not the pushover he first thought she'd be. He looked around the camp curiously before asking her another question. "This seems to be a well organized camp and the fencing I saw from the air suggests that the claim is a significant one. This seems to be a strange change in careers. Model to miner, how do you account for this?"

"Well everyone has a right to change careers, and if this pans out, I might not have to work again. Now I don't want to sound rude, but I have work to do, so I suggest you fly back home and don't bother us again," Bethany curtly tried to end the impromptu interview.

"What about this Gary person? Isn't it a little suspicious that you acquire a mine of substantial wealth, and then he disappears? Some might think that you may have put him out of the picture so you could get all of this," the man persisted, waving his hand around at the camp.

"Look, I suggest you leave now, before I have you removed physically," an angry Bethany retorted, signaling to the two men waiting nearby. "As to your insinuation …be very careful or might find yourself on the wrong side of the law," she warned.

Bethany then turned and walked away, ignoring the next shouted question. The two guards didn't have to use force, as they crowded the reporter and his cameraman back onto the helicopter. Bethany didn't even look up as the craft lifted off in a swirl of noise and dust and started moving away.

As the sound of the rotors faded away, Bethany rejoined her sisters and told them that they had a leak in the camp.

"Someone must have told the media for them to have come out and mention Lassiter's reef."

"What about this Gary guy you got the claim off?" asked Elizabeth, who was still ignorant that Bethany, now standing in front of her, was once the Gary in question. "What if the police come asking where he is?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm sure he'll turn up," Mandy reassured her, giving Bethany a quick grin.

"Don't worry, Sis, I'm more concerned about who let the cat out of the bag," Bethany reiterated.

Just then, a waft of something baking drifted past them. Following their noses, they found one man in the kitchen unit, baking bread and scones for the men in the camp. When the trio of girls arrived, he was powerless to stop them tasting a sample, not that he protested at all. He seemed to enjoy their company while they ate his baking with a timely cup of tea.

Elizabeth and Mandy even volunteered to deliver some to the men working outside the camp on the fencing. While they were doing that, Bethany went and questioned her two suspects that had proved to be unreliable in her earlier check. Finding out that they had indeed released information to the media by careful questioning, Bethany talked to Stewart. "I'll have them replaced immediately," he said angrily, feeling his reputation was being undermined by the two men's acts.

"Won't that just fuel more suspicion?" Bethany queried.

"Maybe, and maybe not. I have another crew doing work near Coolgardie. I'll say they are being transferred there to help out, now that the majority of the fencing is completed. I'll warn the work boss there of their dishonesty and have him fire them for some misdemeanor."

"I suppose this place will be overrun with media if the press let loose with the Lassiter claim," grumbled Bethany, getting a nod of agreement from Stewart.

 

(continued)

  

  

  

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