The Life And Death Of Al Parker Part 2: What Ever Happened To Al Parker? free porn video

Warning: This story contains sexual material and transgender themes. If you're not 18 or over, or are offended by such material then don't read it! This story can be posted on Fictionmania or any other free sites however, I do ask that you notify me first before doing so. This story is based on the story called, "I, my sister" and was written by Diana Christy (07/97). I would like to thank Diana for allowing me to use parts of her story in mine. I would also like to thank Arcee and Darkside for their support and suggestions that I needed to finish this story. A special thanks to Elaine for all her hard work in proofing the story and her suggestions on a number of different issues. I couldn't have written this story without their support. Thanks guys! The life and death of Al Parker Part 2 - What ever happened to Al Parker? By Kelly Davidson Chapter 1 - Lost souls Tom sat back in his chair and took a long swig from the bottle. He needed a drink after viewing that last body. This was the third time in the past month he had been asked by police to try and identify a body. In this particular case the person had died a very horrible death. Tom knew he would be having nightmares tonight over what he had seen - just like had from his previous two viewings. To make sure it wasn't really Al, he had forced himself to look closely at the face of the grisly corpse. Its image was now burned soundly into his mind. The only comfort the detective had was knowing the body wasn't that of his friend. The detective tried to remove that image in his mind as he took another long drink. The alcohol burned his throat and already he began to feel light-headed from its numbing effects. He would need it to sleep tonight. *** Al stood in front of the window staring out at the darkness beyond. The clock indicated it was almost four in the morning and in less then an hour he would have to start getting ready for another day in hell. Being turned into a woman had been horrible enough, but being stripped of his freedom was unbearable. This place, with all of its comforts, was still a prison and Al's only purpose for living was to serve his two masters. During the day Al's master was Dr. Jensen, who issued orders to clean the house and make the meals. In the evenings his master was Gerald, who made him do things that inside he found repulsing while outside his female body found to be very pleasing. It seemed important to Gerald that Jennifer enjoyed what he did to her physically, even if he knew emotionally (and Al had told him many times before) he hated every aspect of their actions. There was no reprieve for Al from Gerald. If he resisted him in any way then a spoken command would end his resistance. Al turned and watched him lying in the bed snoring softly. He didn't dare wake him up. Even after an exhausting night of sex, he could still wake up and find himself in the mood. He was a pig, containing the worse aspects of what a man could be. He cared nothing about Al or his feelings; he only cared about his own selfish desires. So each morning Al would wake up and pray that this would be the day someone would come to rescue him. He figured someone, the police, Tom, or even one of Walker's men should have shown up by now. But no one ever did. 'Why hasn't anyone shown up to save me?' he asked himself. 'Hasn't my disappearance mattered to anyone? Isn't there anyone out there looking for Al Parker?' The answers to these questions were as dark as the night outside the window. *** Chapter 2 - First break! "Hello. Can I speak with Tom McClain please." "This is Tom, what can I do for you?" Tom didn't recognize the voice on the other end of the phone. "Well, I don't know if you remember me but my name is Jim Baker and we met at a party last year. I'm a friend of Al's and I'm trying to get a hold of him. I tried his apartment but the phone has been disconnected with no forwarding number. I was hoping you could tell me where I could reach him." Tom took a deep breath before speaking because he hated this moment. Al had a lot of friends he had kept in contact with and every week, Tom would get a call from one of them asking if he knew where Al was. Tom thought by now it would be easier for him to deal with Al's disappearance but he found the opposite was true. Each conversation was always more painful then the previous one. "He's not...around. Can you tell me when you last talked to him?" There was a moment of silence of the other end as if the man wasn't sure how to answer the question. "Well, it was about a week before Christmas. I was being shipped out on an assignment and..." Tom cut the other man off before he finished. "When did you say you talked to him last?" Tom shouted in disbelief. The man on the other end gave him the same answer. "Are you sure it was the week before Christmas?" "Well, let me think. Yea, that would be correct. I saw Al on the 20th. He told me to give him a call when I got back into town. I should have been back sooner but my assignment took a little longer then I thought it would. Why?" Tom could hardly contain himself. Was this the break he had been praying for? Could this person fill in the pieces to the puzzle of Al's disappearance? "We need to meet Jim and now! Where are you?" *** Tom walked into the restaurant and over to the man sitting in the booth in his army greens. "Jim Baker?" The man shook his head yes. "I'm Tom McClain. Thanks for meeting with me at such short notice." "No problem. As I said, we met at a party last year. I guess you don't remember me; you were pretty plastered by the time I showed up. Now, can you please tell me what this is all about?" The waitress brought over a cup of coffee for Tom and left. The detective stared into the cup for a moment before answering Jim's question. "Al's been missing for almost two months now. The last time anyone heard from him was around Christmas, when he phoned in. That call was made on December 20th, the same day you talked to him. That means you may have been the last person to see Al alive before he left town. Since then no one has heard from Al." The experienced detective looked intensely at the soldier to gauge his reaction. It was one of genuine shock and concern. "What?" Jim gasped. "Al's missing? Do you have any idea where he might be?" "A general idea but not enough to go on. Al said he was going on a trip but didn't say where. I've been able to track his movements to Utah but there the trail goes cold. Do you know where he was going or what he was up to?" "No, not really," Jim replied in a voice that indicated he was holding something back. Tom picked up on it immediately. Normally he would have let Jim tell him when he was ready. But after two frustrating months of searching and coming up empty, Tom wasn't in the mood to play games. "What is it? What are you holding back?" he demanded to know. "I promised Al I wouldn't tell you," the soldier answered back, his face showing signs of conflict. Jim didn't want to break his promise to Al and yet...if his friend was missing shouldn't he tell someone? "Jim, look. Al's been missing for almost two months now. If you know anything about where he was going or what he was up to then I need to know about it. His life may depend on it." Tom stopped long enough to swallow his pride. "Please Jim, I need to know! You don't know what kind of hell I've been going through since he disappeared. I have to find him!" The soldier stared down at his drink trying to decide what to do. He had given Al his word he wouldn't tell and to Jim, his word meant everything. But that was before...before what? Before Al had been murdered or kidnapped? Jim didn't want to believe his ex-army buddy was dead. So if he was still alive but being held against his will then he needed help in order to get free. Wasn't helping out his friend more important than his promise to keep quiet? "I don't know where he was going," Jim started off slowly. "Al didn't tell me that part. All he said was that he was doing a job for someone you knew and that he would be back in a few days. My God, he told me he was going to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve. He looked so...so happy when I saw him last. I can't believe he's missing." Tom knew Jim was telling him the truth. No one except the jeweler and himself knew about the engagement ring. He pressed the army soldier for the answer that was burning in his mind. "Who sent him? Who is the mysterious person who sent Al on this assignment?" "You're not going to like it Tom," Jim whispered. "It was Klein Walker. I saw Al coming out of his building that day and he told me he'd been hired by Klein to do some kind of job for him. He didn't tell me what that job was and I didn't ask. That's all I know Tom, I swear." 'Klein Walker...Mr. fucking "W" himself!' Tom swore silently. 'Damn it Al, why did you have to get mixed up with that scumbag?' Now it was all starting to fall together. Klein had hired Al to do something illegal by offering him more money then he had seen in his lifetime. The amount of money Al had on him had fit this scheme too. Klein usually fronted his pigeons with $1,000 for expenses unless the job demanded more. "Thank you Jim. You've helped me out a great deal." "If you find him, will you please let me know. If I'd known this would have happened..." Jim's voice trailed off. There was a lot of guilt in his tone. "It wasn't your fault Jim." Tom replied as he stood up. "You couldn't have stopped Al if you wanted to. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go see the person who's responsible." "Good luck Tom." Jim lowered his head and stared at the table in silence. 'Luck!' Tom said to himself as he left the restaurant. If there was anyone who needed luck it was Klein Walker when he got his hands on him. That son of a bitch had helped murder his best friend, someone Tom considered to be like a brother. His anger grew as each step took him closer to Klein's office a few blocks away. *** Chapter 3 - Meeting with the devil "I'm sorry sir, you can't go in there. Wait! Stop! Security!" The woman cried. Tom buzzed by Klein's secretary and forced open the office door. The fat man was sitting at his desk looking over some business papers. For a brief moment there appeared a look of anger on Klein's face that someone would dare barge into his office unannounced. His anger quickly turned to fear however, when he saw the intruder was not an employee but rather Tom McClain. "Where is he, you fat son of a bitch? Where is he? What suicide mission did you talk him into?" Suddenly two men grabbed Tom from behind and proceeded to pull him out of the office. Klein held up his hand to stop them. "Well, well, if it isn't Tom McClain," he said, a forced smile replacing the fear that had been there just moments before. "It's been a long time since we've talked. So what do I owe for the pleasure of this visit?" "You know why I'm here," Tom snarled back. "I want to know what happened to my friend, Al Parker. I want you to tell me what you did to him?" Klein got a confused look on his face. "Al Parker? Aww, of course -your partner. I heard you quit the force and became a private investigator. You should have stayed where you were McClain; I've heard your business hasn't been doing to well lately." "At least it's an honest living, which is more then can be said about you," Tom shot back while tugging at the two men holding onto his arms. "Why, I don't know what you mean McClain," Klein replied back in a hurt tone. "As you well know, I've never been found guilty of any crime despite the fact the police and DA accuse me of something new each month. But that's the price I pay for being rich and successful. There will always be little scum like the police, the DA, or you who'll want a piece of my action. I've put more than one lawyer's kid through college, just to defend my reputation and good name." "I'm not here to discuss your legal problems Walker!" Tom snorted back. "I want to know where Al Parker is! I know you gave him $1,000 and sent him to Utah. I want the address of where he went and the reason why you sent him. You can tell me what I want to know now or...I can come back after your goons have gone home and get it from you the hard way." "Don't threaten me McClain," Klein replied back angrily. He was uneasy to learn that Tom knew so much about his business between him and Al Parker. "I've eaten people like you for breakfast. Hell, you're not even big enough to be considered a snack. If I tell you anything it will be out of the goodness of my heart, not because of your empty threats. I suggest you reconsider your position and actions before I have my boys throw you out of my office on your ass." Tom knew deep down Klein was a coward. Without his bodyguards to protect him he was as helpless as a newborn baby. Unfortunately Klein did have his bodyguards and Tom realized a need to change his attitude. He took a deep breath to calm down and asked the questions again in a less threatening way. "Okay, where is he Walker? Where is Al Parker?" "I don't know where he is," replied Klein who held up his hand to stop Tom from saying anything more. "He didn't tell me where he was going in Salt Lake, only that he had something which would make us both really rich men. Where he was getting the product from I don't know. Of course if he were doing something illegal then I wouldn't have gotten involved. As you know, I run a legitimate business here." The last line was added with a touch of sarcasm. Tom frowned but didn't say anything. "He told me this product was on the up and up. Said it was a new medical drug that the inventor was trying to sell to someone. Naturally I was interested and wanted to know who this person was but your partner wouldn't tell me." "You supplied him with the money," said Tom knowing he wasn't being told the entire truth. "So what? There's no crime in that," said Klein who went over to the bar to fix himself a drink. "He told me he needed some money up front for travel expenses and I felt it was worth the risk. As it turns out he took my money and ran. And they call me a thief boys." There was a muffled laugh from his bodyguards. Klein swallowed his drink before continuing. "The bottom line is, I don't know anything more than what I just told you and I didn't do anything wrong. If your friend was involved in something illegal then that was his problem, not mine. That's all I have to say to you. Now, before you leave I want you to see how the results of your reckless actions have hurt others around you." Klein picked up his phone and spoke, "Janet, I'd like to see you in my office right now." A moment later the secretary Tom had buzzed by appeared in the doorway. "I'm tired of your screw ups Janet. If this had been someone with gun I'd be dead by now. You're fired! You have five minutes to clean out your desk before security escorts you out of the building." The middle-aged women looked like she was going to start crying right there and Tom felt sorry for her. She stood in the doorway for a moment as if she was going to say something then turned and left. "Was that really necessary Walker?" Tom asked angrily. "She didn't do anything wrong. She couldn't have stopped me even if she wanted to." "That's right," Klein pointed out. "You screwed up, not her. But since I can't punish you directly I'll let you live with the fact that you cost someone else their job. Maybe that will cause you to stop and think the next time you decide to come barging in on me again. Boys, show Mr. McClain the way out." Klein's bodyguards roughly pulled Tom out of the office and toward the front door. On his way out they passed by the secretary cleaning out her desk. She had tears in her eyes. Tom had to say something, if nothing else to ease his own guilt. "You're better off working for someone else Miss. Trust me on that." She looked at Tom with angry eyes that could have melted the hardest soul. "Tell that to my three hungry kids when I can't afford to put food on our table you creep." Suddenly Tom felt very ashamed about his actions. *** Chapter 4 - Right way, wrong way Tom knew a lot more than before his visit to Klein Walker's office. Al had gone to Salt Lake City to pick something up. What that was he didn't know but more then likely it was some kind of medical drug. While Salt Lake was still a major city, it at least it narrowed down the search. Tom planned on heading out there but first there was a little business matter he had to take care of. It was late and the detective hoped she would still be up. Janet Arkley lived in a house that was old and rundown. The front yard was littered with toys and the bushes that bordered it looked like they hadn't been clipped in a long time. Her mini-van was over 10 years old and was showing signs of neglect. It was a clear case of a single mother who had too many jobs to do and too little time to do them. From the road, Tom could see there were still a few lights on inside. Gathering up his courage, he walked up to the door and knocked. Janet Arkley opened up the door and stared at him coldly. "What do you want?" She asked in an unfriendly tone. "A few minutes of your time," answered Tom holding up a folded one hundred-dollar bill in front of her face. "I really need your help." "Really! And what makes you think I'd want to help you out or be interested in your money?" she replied back harshly. "Three hungry kids," Tom answered matter of factly. Janet Arkley stood there for a moment deciding what to do before letting him in. "I really don't know anything," she said while taking the bill from his hand. "You're wasting your money." "Let me be the judge of that. Do you remember this man coming into Klein Walker's office on December 20th?" Tom showed her a picture of Al Parker. "No. As a matter of fact I wasn't even there that week, I was on vacation with my kids. See, I told you that you were wasting your money. Until today I'd never even heard your friend's name mentioned. I take it he was a friend of yours?" "You could say that. He's been missing since Christmas and I'm sure your ex-boss knows what happened to him. Look, did anything strange happen when you got back? Did anyone new or suspicious show up asking to talk to Klein Walker?" Janet thought about it for a moment. "No one showed up but Mr. Walker did beef up his security right after Christmas. For a while he had two men standing outside his office door all the time. When I asked why they were there he told me to mind my own business. That's the only thing I remember being different." 'Right after Christmas!' Tom thought to himself. 'So Klein did know what had happened to Al. Maybe he was even involved in Al's disappearance. It wouldn't have surprised Tom any. Klein Walker was the worse kind of human scum there was.' "Okay, thank you for your help Ms Arkley. You've told me more than you realize. Oh, there is one more thing." Tom handed her a card. "I felt very badly about causing you to lose your job today. So I made a few calls and was able to secure you a new job with the Seattle Police Department. The pay and benefits are good and well, it's my way of saying I'm sorry. If you like, you can start tomorrow at 9am. Just ask for Johnny, he'll take good care of you." Janet took the card and smiled for the first time that night. "Thank you Mr. McClain. I thought you were just like Klein Walker and all his other associates. I've misjudged you." "That's alright Miss Arkley. Now I have to be going." Outside Tom felt a lot better about himself. He had pulled in a lot of favors from his former boss to get her hired but the look on her face had made it all worthwhile. Tom got into his car and looked at the map one more time. His next stop was Salt Lake City. *** Al sat at the vanity table preparing his female body while Gerald watched TV in the next room. He hated this time of the day more than any other. Gerald was forcing him to do things that, as Al Parker, he wouldn't have dreamed of doing to Sally. As Al brushed the long brown hair, his thoughts kept going back to Sally. He wondered if Sally still thought about him after all this time. How he wished he could be back in her warm, loving arms again. Sally knew how to make love to a man. What Al was doing trapped in Jennifer's body wasn't making love - it was far from it. All he was doing was serving one man's perverted desire. Oh, there was pleasure in the acts that his female body was forced to with Gerald, but it certainly wasn't love. And without love, no matter how enjoyable it was, it made the events seem empty and meaningless. The nightgown, for lack of a better term, didn't even cover his exposed rear. That was just the way Gerald liked it, so he wouldn't have to work on taking something off. Al dressed like a tramp around him. 'No, that wasn't right,' he thought. 'I am a tramp; doing things no respectable lady would do.' During the day he behaved as a prim and proper maid but at night he was Gerald's plaything and personal whore. Nothing Al did could prevent that from happening. And that's what hurt Al the most - being commanded to behave in a manner that was the exact opposite of what he was. It was time. Al put down the brush and picked up some perfume to spray on Jennifer's body. If he were lucky, sex with Gerald would be over in less than an hour. Then he could get some sleep and forget about this living nightmare, at least for a little while. That was the only time Al was really free, when he slept. Only then could he dream about getting his hands around Gerald's neck and holding on tightly until he saw the life slip away in the bodyguard's eyes. Al opened the bedroom door and in Jennifer's shapely body, sashayed up to Gerald to begin another empty and meaningless night of sex with him. Chapter 5 - A needle in a haystack On the map, Salt Lake City didn't look that big. In reality the city was spread out over many miles and with no real starting place, it was like trying to find a needle in a field full of haystacks. The first thing Tom did was check out the police stations and hospitals to see if someone matching Al's description had been spotted. It turned out to be a dead end. Next he purchased a detailed map of Salt Lake City and marked all the pharmaceutical companies. Klein Walker was a very sly person, using lies mixed with just enough truths to keep someone guessing. Tom reasoned Al probably had come to Salt Lake City to steal, not buy a new drug for Klein Walker that the fat man would turn around and make millions off of. After checking out all the companies on the map, Tom started doing the same to the motels that were close by. The number of motels soon climbed to over 50. Tom looked at his watch and made some quick calculations. In 12 hours he had to head back home to take care of his own business. Figuring 2 motels an hour, he could visit maybe 24 of them on this first trip. He wrote down some information about the first motel to check out and then drove off. *** "How long do you intend to keep me here?" Al asked freely yet unable to express his true anger. Dr. Jensen had private conversations with him from time to time where Al was allowed to speak freely. Al didn't know why Dr. Jensen did this nor did he care. All he wanted was to get out of this mad house. "Oh, not for more than 10 years or so," Sarah Jensen answered back as she pulled out a cigarette. "You have to understand Jennifer, your change was expensive and it's going to take a while for you to pay me back." "Pay you back?" Al replied back sweetly. "Just give me a gun and the control to pull the trigger and I'll pay Gerald and you back right now." Dr. Jensen frowned. "I'm not amused by your answer Jennifer. You could at least show me a little gratitude. I took you out of a cold, drafty boxcar and provided you with a nice place to stay. You now have a warm bed to sleep in, nice clothes to wear, and real security in your life. In addition to that, I set you up with someone who cares about you deeply." "Don't kid yourself doctor!" Al replied back in a calm but cool voice. "Gerald is an asshole who only cares about himself. He isn't concerned about my welfare anymore than I am about yours or his. And no matter how good a life you give me, it can never compensate for my lost freedom and sexual identity. You had no right..." Sarah cut Al off sternly. "I had every right to do what I did. You were going to steal from me blind without any considerations for my feelings. You weren't a member of our society. You were just some bloodsucking leech who makes the society of decent, hard-working people weaker. In time it would have been my tax dollars that would have supported you in prison or some other program; just so you can live a life with no responsibilities. I decided to get my money's worth. What I did to you served a higher purpose. From you I learned all kinds of things about my serum. You saved me almost a year's worth of work and if this information came at the expense of someone like you then so be it. But don't tell me I didn't have the right to do what I did to you; not after what you were going to do to me! At least my actions led to a successful conclusion. Where were your actions taking you? I'll tell you - to jail! At least what I did served a useful purpose!" Al held his tongue. How grand it would be to tell Dr. Jensen the truth and let her know she'd screwed up again. But how would telling her the truth benefit anyone? Klein Walker would get his maybe but who else would suffer? Would telling the truth also put Sally's life in danger? And what about Tom? If he were looking for him then telling the truth about who he was would ruin any chance of a rescue. No, it wasn't time yet. "I had a life which you had no right to change," Al argued. "You don't know how I would have turned out. What gives you the right to play God?" "I'm tired of this," Sarah answered back. She spoke out a command and Al's freedom to speak his mind vanished as quickly as it came. "I want you to fix dinner half-hour later than usual tonight Jennifer. I have a lot of work I need to catch up on." "Yes doctor," Jennifer said with a smile. "I'll let Gerald know. Will that be all?" "Only one more thing." Dr Jensen took a puff of her cigarette and gathered her thoughts. "What I did to you Jennifer is permanent, it can't be changed. You can continue to hate Gerald and me or accept that fact and start living your 'new' life in your 'new' body. You'll never get an opportunity to hurt us...I guarantee it. And since Al Parker had no friends, no one even knows he's missing. Accepting these simple facts will make your life much more bearable. In time you'll even thank me for what I did. You are what most men want in a wife - pretty, affectionate, a good housekeeper. And with Gerald teaching you how to...well, how to be the perfect lover this will ensure you a long and happy life with whomever I decide you'll fall in love with. You see, I'm going to make sure you marry the right man with the right connections to help my research. I'll get what I want and you...well; you'll get a life that you could only dream about before I found you. So you see, I don't intend to keep you here as my maid forever. Once you leave, you'll be able to live your life the way you want to, with some restrictions of course. You'll be able to decide how many kids you want to have, what type of house to live in, what clothes to wear, and other day to day decisions. You'll be free but the first step to your freedom is accepting who you are now. Think about that Jennifer. You may go now." "Yes doctor. And thank you for the talk." Al closed the door as he left. "So damn close," Dr Jensen said out loud while pulling out another cigarette. She really needed to quit smoking. If only her boss would allow her to devote all her time to project Phoenix instead of project Peace. Then she wouldn't be so stressed out all the time. She pulled up Jennifer's file on the computer and began typing in some notes. After all this time she seemed no closer to being broken and accepting her fate than the first day she'd been changed. 'What would it take?' Sarah asked herself. Well, there was still plenty of time to find that out. She made a few more notes then closed the file. *** Chapter 6 - Change of plans It had been two long fruitless days and Tom was exhausted. He'd actually been able to visit 27 motels during his short stay in Salt Lake City; but only a dozen of them could be ruled out as places Al hadn't stayed at. At this rate it would take months to check every motel in Salt Lake City. Tom closed his eyes for a moment. He had managed a few hours of sleep in his car on the way back but that had only been enough to get him home. What he needed now was a decent eight hours of sound sleep to feel refreshed again. He checked the answering machine for messages; there were several of them. Tom sighed. Being a private investigator was a cutthroat business. If you didn't get back with a client soon they would go somewhere else. He picked up the phone and started dialing the first number. "Next time I'll plan my trip more carefully," he said out loud. *** "Will that be all Miss?" the lady behind the checkout counter asked. Al nodded and pretended not to notice the other woman's stares toward Gerald as she reached for her wallet. Today was Tuesday, grocery-shopping day. Sarah Jensen enjoyed eating fresh vegetables with her meals so every Tuesday and Friday Gerald would drive Jennifer down to the store to buy some. Normally nothing happened on these trips but today was going to be different. The clerk's name was Dianna. Every time they came into the store she would stare at Gerald with big, wishful eyes; hoping that one day he would talk to her or even ask her out. Gerald enjoyed this game and made it a point of always getting in her line even if it meant waiting a little longer to pay. But today he had a little surprise for the love-struck cashier. He caught her eyes and smiled. She smiled back. "What the HELL are you looking at BITCH?" Jennifer demanded to know in a loud threatening voice. The clerk was taken back by the rude and mean demeanor of the younger, more attractive woman. "What? Why, um, nothing. I'm just doing my job Ma'am." She turned back to the register. "The HELL you are!" Jennifer said loud enough so that others in the store could hear her. "I saw you checking out my man! MY MAN, not yours. Do you understand me? Mine!" Before leaving the house, Gerald had commanded Al to act and respond to Dianna's flirting as an angry and jealous woman. Al was ashamed at his actions even though he couldn't do anything to stop them. The checkout lady had no idea this was just another little game to pump up Gerald's ego. "I'm sorry, it wasn't like that at all, honest. I was just trying..." Al cut her off at the knees. "That's right, you are SORRY! You're one of the sorriest women I've ever seen. No wonder the only thing you can do is LOOK at a man. You're a pathetic, ugly bitch!" Al saw tears form in the woman's eyes as his words found their mark. How could Gerald stand there and be so cruel? How could he hurt someone who's only crime was to have a crush on him? This lady would have given the world to be with him for one night and he was trashing her feelings for his own personal enjoyment. She'd never know the real truth about Gerald or how better off she'd be without him. All she'd remember was the young witch who had come into her store and cut out her heart. Al picked up his purse and headed out of the store. He heard Gerald tell the approaching manager with a chuckle, "bad PMS day," as they left. Once outside Al looked back and saw the woman crying uncontrollably at her register while the manager tried unsuccessfully to comfort her. A cold chill ran through his body. Gerald came up and put his arm around him. "I didn't realize you cared about me so much," he said, very pleased with the results. "That was some cat fight you had back there over me." "Not half the fight I'm going to give you once we get in bed," Al said with a seductive smile and totally opposite of what he really wanted to tell this asshole. *** It was Tom's fourth trip to Salt Lake City in the past six weeks. His first three visits had been futile. No one had seen or even heard of Al Parker. The last motel, number 126 on his list, had been like all the others. Tom was getting frustrated at his lack of progress. He checked the next motel on his list called the Sunset Motel. Tom compared its location on the map with the pharmaceutical companies in the area. It seemed unlike he would find any answers there, this place was at least five miles from the nearest one. Well, the place had to be ruled out didn't it? Tom decided to get some dinner first before continuing on with his search. *** Chapter 7 - Paydirt It wasn't much to look at. The motel was made up of 10 rooms and some of them had the windows boarded up. Clearly the entire place was in need of some major repairs. In this case its name, the Sunset Motel, fit Tom decided. The sun had definitely set on this dump long ago. Tom entered the motel office and found an old man sitting in a chair reading a newspaper. "Can I help you?" the manager asked cheerfully enough. "I certainly hope so," said Tom who pulled a picture of Al Parker. "I was wondering if you'd seen this man before." The manager looked at the picture and tugged at his chin as he thought about it. "I sure have. He spent a couple of nights here and stiffed me for the bill. Even left some of his stuff here." Are you SURE THIS IS THE MAN YOU SAW?" Tom shouted out in disbelief. After so many weeks of searching and coming up empty, he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "No need to shout sonny, I ain't deaf yet," the old man replied back in an annoyed tone. "I'm sorry mister that I got so excited. It's just that I've been looking for my friend for a long time and you're the first one who has seen him." "Oh, a friend of yours is he?" the old man replied. "Well, to answer your question, yes, I'm sure that was him. And if you catch up with your friend you can tell him personally that I'm not returning any of his stuff until he settles up." "Can I see what he left behind please?" Tom asked, hoping it would contain a clue about where Al had gone. "Well, okay," the old man answered reluctantly. "But just to look at, I ain't letting you have it." The manager ducked into the back for a moment then reappeared carrying a backpack in his hands. "Does this belong to your friend?" It was Al's backpack all right, Tom could have spotted it a mile away. The pack was covered with railroad patches that Al had picked up from several railroad shows. It was his pride and joy and he would have never left his backpack behind without a good reason. That meant he must have been planning to go back to the Motel before he disappeared. "Do you remember when you last saw him?" Tom asked. "Well, lets see now. He was here just a little bit before Christmas. Came in off the street and boy, did he smell. Stayed a couple of nights and then vanished without a trace. He stiffed me for both nights." Tom doubted the last part of the manager's story but didn't want to upset the man by calling him a liar. Besides, he really needed his help. "So what's your connection to him?" the old man asked curiously. "He's like my brother," Tom replied. "How much does his bill come to? I'd like to settle up." "Well, lets see now." The man rubbed his chin in a greedy kind of way. "It was within a week of Christmas so I have to charge you our holiday rate. That would be $50 per night. Then there is the storage fee for his stuff; that's $30 per month. Tell you what, lets just call it an even $150." Tom wasn't in the mood to barter. He handed over the money and took the pack from the manager's hands. Quickly he started going through it and came across a picture of a house surrounded by a high wall and a heavy gate. It wasn't anything Tom recognized so he laid the picture on the counter. "Have you seen this house before?" "Well...it's looks familiar. I just can't seem to place it yet," the old man answered back with a sly grin. Tom sighed and laid a twenty-dollar bill out on the counter. "Does this help your memory?" "Oh yea, now I remember. I pass that place on my way to the lodge every week. Funny how you forget things like that." "Yea, real funny," Tom replied sarcastically. "You don't know who happens to live there, do you?" The man got another sly grin on his face. Tom laid another twenty-dollar bill on the counter. "If I recall, the house is owned by a lady name Jensen. I think she's a doctor or professor of some kind. There's also a man named Gerald Rogers who lives in the house with his girlfriend. Her name is Jennifer something. I don't know what any of them does for a living." "How do you know this Gerald fellow is living there with his girlfriend? Maybe he's romantically involved with Miss Jensen and this other lady is her daughter or niece." "No, it's his girlfriend all right," the old man stated firmly. "One night I was at the bar minding my own business when they walked in. She was dressed real nicely in a way that gets stares; you know what I mean? And so I was sitting there drinking my beer and enjoying the view when all of the sudden this Gerald fellow walks up and knocks me to the ground. Told me I was staring at his girlfriend too much and he was going to teach me some manners. Fortunately the police arrived before he had a chance to hurt me." "Sounds like a real sweetheart," Tom told the manager. "How far is this house from here." "Not far. I can draw you a map if you want," the old man offered. "How much?" Tom asked in a sarcastic tone. *** The map to the house was free but it cost Tom $60 to rent the same room Al had stayed in. This was because someone had already reserved the same room for the night and now the manager was going to have to disappoint them by putting them in another. At least that was his story for charging him almost double the normal cost of the room. Tom didn't fret about it; he had a more important job to do. He started searching the room to see if Al had left anything behind. When he pulled out the dresser drawer he found what he was looking for; a large envelope had been taped to the bottom. Inside the envelope was a wealth of information about the house and its security system, including a small blueprint. Circled on the blueprint was a small, windowless room at the back. "What could be so important about this Jensen lady and the small room attached to the back of her house?" Tom wondered out loud. The room appeared to be to small for a complex research lab. On the other hand, while Tom didn't know a lot about security systems, he did know a high price setup when he saw one. Many of the top research labs he'd visited when he was a cop didn't carry this much security. Either this lady was paranoid about the outside world or she was trying to hide something. Then there was Mr. Rogers and his girlfriend. Why were they there? Were they her companions, protectors, or guards? Tom would try to figure that out later. He looked at his watch; there was still enough time to see the house before it got dark. He got into his car and drove off using the map the manager had drawn him. *** Chapter 8 - A view to a kill "The doctor wants to know if dinner will be on time. I guess she's hungry. So am I, only not for food," Gerald said with a mischievous smile. "I'm still on my period tiger," Al replied back. There was a sense of shock at saying the words, "my period." "The curse," as Sally had called it, started happening to Jennifer's body a few days earlier. For some unexplained reason it had taken this long for his female body to experience its first period but once the process started it was long, hard, and painful. Al's mind was under a constant bombardment of strange, new feelings due to the hormone changes inside his female body. A wave of sadness gripped his soul and wouldn't let go. Already depressed about his current situation, Al felt like he could break down and cry for a week. Not that any of this mattered to Gerald. He wasn't about to let Al's problems get in the way of his pleasures. He found out, much to his horror, that there was other ways to please Gerald that didn't include straight sex. A shiver went up his spine just thinking about it. "That's okay babe, I'm not a selfish guy. You can find some other way to please me tonight." He gave her a wink and reached for her breasts. *** Tom sat in a tree that provided a good view of the living room, dining room, and part of the kitchen of the house. He could see a young lady wearing a maid's uniform cooking something over the stove. Tom snapped some pictures using the telephoto lens on his camera. Suspect number one. A man appeared behind the maid. Suspect number two! He said something to the maid and then started fondling her breasts. These two had to be Gerald Rogers and the woman Jennifer the motel manager had referred to. Gerald was a big man and he had to be at least 10 years older than the attractive maid who didn't even look 20. Tom sighed, maybe one day he would find a girl like that to be his true love. Suspect number 3 walked into the living room from a hallway at the back of the house. She was an older woman, yet still very attractive. 'This had to be Dr. Jensen,' thought Tom. Gerald must have heard her coming because he stopped what he was doing with the maid and went into the dining room to greet her. A moment later the two of them sat down at the dining room table and the maid started serving them dinner. From his binoculars it looked like roast beef and potatoes and Tom suddenly wished he'd brought something to eat. He made a mental note to bring some snacks next time. Over the next several hours, Tom took more pictures and made notes on the three suspects. Later, after dinner was served and the dishes were picked up, he observed the maid walk towards her bedroom. It wasn't too long after, that Gerald did the same thing. Tom couldn't see directly into Jennifer's bedroom window but he did make out the light shining from the area where her room was. Moments after Gerald entered into her bedroom the light went off. Around 30 minutes later the doctor also went to bed, turning off the lights as she walked upstairs. In a few minutes, the house was completely dark. Tom looked at his watch and could see from the luminous dials that it was almost midnight. Carefully he climbed down from the tree and made his was back to his car without a flashlight. He made another mental note to bring one the next time. The private investigator started up his car and drove back to his motel room to get some sleep. In a few hours he would have to start heading back home. During the drive back he would try to figure out what his next move would be. There wasn't any rush; it would be at least five days before he could make it back. Business had started to pick up for him. There were a lot of cheating husbands and wives in Seattle this time of the year. *** Chapter 9 -- More questions "Are you telling me this is all you could find out about these two people?" Tom asked Rob in surprise. He could have found out more about the President of the United States than what his friend had on Dr. Jensen or Gerald Rogers. His own search for information on these two people (Tom didn't know what Jennifer's last name was) had come up empty so he turned to Rob to find something for him. Normally Rob always returned with good information but not this time. "I'm sorry Tom, but it's as if they don't exist," Rob explained. "If you can get me their driver's license or social security number I could find out more about them but right now this is as much I can give you. It's very strange really." "What do you mean?" Tom inquired. "Well, normally I could find basic stuff like their full names, banking statements, or utility bills just from the information you provided me with. I couldn't even find that. It's as if someone wanted them to be invisible. But what's really strange is their tax forms. I have a direct line into the IRS building and I can't find one tax form on either of them. I mean NOT ONE and we are talking about 20 years worth of old records! That alone makes this situation strange. Who ever these people are, they have some very high connections to be able to hide stuff like that." "Any idea who those connections might be?" Tom asked curiously. "CIA maybe. Most likely it's some sort of secret faction of the government. If I had to guess, I would say this all points to some sort of black project; one which someone or some group doesn't want anyone to know about. This Gerald fellow is probably a bodyguard." "Okay, thanks for your help Rob. You should get your check in a few days." "Forget it, I didn't earn it this time. Look, get me a social security number and I'll get you something worth my fee." "Sure, I'll just go and ask them for it," Tom laughed back. "Thanks for all your help Rob." Tom hung up the phone and stared out the office window in deep thought. How could he get a hold of those numbers Rob needed? *** Al was sleeping in his bed alone. For the first time in months, Gerald wasn't there to bother him. Tonight he'd gone out without taking Jennifer along. Al didn't know why nor did he care. He was happy not having him touch his female body for one night. At that moment Al was having a dream and it was a wonderful dream. In the dream he was Al Parker again and he was lying in bed with Sally; just like they use to do before this nightmare began. Sally was touching him; whispering for him to wake up. The dream felt so real; Al could feel Sally's warm hands rubbing the back of his neck. It felt so good to feel the touch of a real, caring woman again. And Al could smell Sally's perfume although it wasn't the brand she normally wore. Al could hear her talking to him, telling him to "wake up" so she could play with him. That was when the dream became strange; Sally was calling him Jennifer, not Al. Sudden Al realized he was only half-asleep and this wasn't entirely a dream. He woke up to find a blonde woman sitting on the bed touching and talking to him. Gerald was at the foot of the bed watching them with a smile. "What the hell is going on?" Al demanded in a tone that held more shock then anger. "Get your hands off me you QUEER!" The woman quickly removed her hands from Al's body. "I thought you said she liked women?" the blonde woman snapped at Gerald. "You promised me 200 bucks, where is it? I want it now!" "Take it easy Lucy, you'll get your money. Jennifer, come with me." Al covered himself up with a blanket and followed Gerald into the next room. Lucy heard Gerald saying something that sounded like a command but couldn't make out what it was. A moment later Jennifer came back into the bedroom smiling. She reached into her purse, pulled out a wad of bills and handed them to Lucy. "Here's your $200...and two hundred more if my boyfriend gets to join in." *** Tom had been sitting in the tree since before sunrise. For the past several weeks he had been watching the house off and on for days at a time; trying to learn the patterns of the occupants inside. There wasn't much to learn. The older lady rarely left the house, leaving the others to take care of things for her on the outside. Most of her time was spent hidden away in the back of the house. Gerald and Jennifer went out frequently, usually on the weekends, but it was never to the same places. The only time Tom knew for sure when and where they would be was on Tuesday and Friday. Those were the days they went to the grocery store. Searching the Internet had proved somewhat useful. Tom had discovered Dr. Jensen was scheduled to fly out to Washington, DC in a couple of weeks. He had been searching the airline computers for recent trips the three of them had taken and had come across the information. Her return trip was scheduled for a few days later. Tom knew an opportunity when he saw it, but he was unsure how to use it. He lifted his binoculars and searched out parts of the house. There was still a slim hope Al was alive and being held against his will inside the house. He watched as the maid made her way around the living room dusting everything. Dirt didn't stand a chance around her because she went at her job in an almost fanatical way. Tom yawned and stretched a little bit. Not much was happening today as was the case of the previous days. But today was going to be different from the rest. An event was taking place almost 1,000 miles away that would put a spin on his investigation. *** Chapter 10 - The Accident Keith Bennett turned to his left and looked down. He could see his sister, Cynthia, swaying slightly in her harness about 30 feet below. She gave him a frightened, worried look as she swung lightly up against the sheer granite cliff. She looked tired, a bad sign. 'Damn!' Keith swore to himself. 'Why did I let her talk me into this in the first place? If mom finds out she's up here with me, she'll have my head on a platter! I know better than to try this with a novice! ' He'd never climbed this part of the cliff before and it was turning out to be much harder than he thought. It was definitely not the place where a novice like his sister should be climbing. He looked around to see how their situation could be improved. About thirty feet to his left he spotted a ledge that jutted out from the cliff wall. If they moved over to the ledge, his sister could rest for a while and from there the climb up would be much easier. "Don't worry, sis. I'll tie you off over here and then you can climb up and we'll move left. Just keep cool. This part is a little trickier than I thought." He gave her a quick smile to try and calm her down. Cynthia tried to smile back but she was obviously a little afraid. Keith moved his left hand over to another finger-hold, stretching out with all his might. Just as he got a good handhold on the cliff-face he heard a sharp crack of breaking granite. Instinctively he looked over to his right where his own line was strung through. The piton was stuck deep in a small crack and was holding securely. Then he heard the short, sharp cry from Cynthia. He looked down and saw his sister bobbing slightly in her harness. Immediately Keith looked over to her piton and saw it tilting dangerously downward -- an inch or so further out from the crack than it should have been! Keith opened his mouth to tell his sister to reach onto the cliff face and find a handhold but it was too late. There was an even louder snap as the piton came out of the crack and flew downwards under her weight. As Keith saw his sister start to fall, he felt the first tug of the slack end of her line. It quickly snaked out from the D-ring where it hung, as yet unsecured, on his climbing belt. Keith didn't even hear her terse cry as she fell. His mind was intent on getting the loose end fastened to his waist before the line went taut. As he grabbed the line to tie it around himself, he unconsciously braced for the inevitable jerk. But as quick as his hands moved, the line ran out; zipping through his clutching fingers just as he almost had it about him. He looked frantically down at her as she as fell; tumbling once against the sheer wall -- her limbs flailing like a rag doll. When she finally reached the bottom there was a sickening thud followed by silence. His sister didn't move and Keith knew she was dead. No one could have survived that fall. He was responsible for the death of his only sister. A nauseated feeling grew inside his stomach and Keith thought he was going to get sick right there on the rock ledge. Then he become distracted from the terrible sight by the glint of sunlight that reflected off the rooftop of a car as it pulled up next to Cynthia's body. To his horror, his mother stepped out and she was the last person he expected to see. *** It took almost ten minutes for Keith to negotiate his way down to the floor of the narrow canyon. During the descent he wondered if it wouldn't be better to just let go and fall next to Cynthia. At least it would spare him from what was to come. His mother was no longer crying when he reached the ground. Her tears had been replaced by a stoic, expressionless stare. Keith felt sick about what had happened to his sister, but he was now frightened of his mother. He knew there would be no forgiveness from her, even though it had been an accident. He wondered why his mother, someone who always maintained control, hadn't rushed to call an ambulance or someone for help. But then, certainly she could see that it would do no good. He had to face facts; his overconfidence had killed his twenty-year-old sister. Keith took off his climbing harness and walked slowly over to where his sister lay. At that moment he wished he was invisible and his mother wouldn't notice him. His mouth was dry and his heart was pounding with fear and sorrow. "You! You did this!" She hissed at him, almost on the verge of crying again. Keith recoiled, his fear of her growing again. He always wondered how a beautiful woman like his mother could make him feel so afraid. But looks only hid the domineering personality she had. Maybe it even enhanced it. "How could you? You knew she shouldn't be climbing with you!" "But -- but she -- she wanted to." Keith's emotions took over as he blurted out, "Oh, God, Mom! I didn't mean...I mean...can't we...shouldn't we call for help...or something?" "What for?" she blurted out. "Can't you see what you've done? Your sister, my daughter, is dead!" Susan Bennett walked briskly past him to her car. Thinking his mother was going to use her car phone to call for help, Keith followed. But instead of calling for help, she reached into the front seat and grabbed her purse. Opening it up, she pulled out a handkerchief and gently started wiping her eyes while staring down at the dirt. She stood there, staring down for what seemed an eternity, while Keith grew more and more afraid and uncomfortable. He was scared and was looking to her for guidance, but none seemed to come. Then she straightened up, as though she had come to some conclusion in her mind, and stared at her son. "Who knows you two were up here?" Her question startled and confused him. "What? Why do you ask?" "Just answer me! Who knows?" his mother asked in an angry and curt tone that unnerved Keith. "No one. We didn't tell anyone where we were going. Honest!" Keith couldn't understand why his mother would be asking him something like that. "Did you see anyone after you got here?" "No, Mom. No one comes here but me." She nodded and looked down again, as if thinking over again some plan she had conceived in her mind. Keith had no idea what it could be until he remembered the money...his sister's inheritance. Cynthia was the sole beneficiary of their grandmother's will -- eight million dollars sitting in a New York bank. His mother had been one of her heirs before his father had been killed two years earlier. His grandmother had adored Keith's dad, who had died in a car accident after a visit with her late one night. It was a visit he'd made alone because Keith's mother hadn't wanted to go. After the accident, grandmother blamed Keith's mother for her son's death and had removed her from the will. About two months later the old lady died and it was then that they found that Cynthia was the sole beneficiary. Keith didn't know why his grandmother had removed him from the will too nor did he care anymore. But his mother sure did! The will stipulated that Cynthia would receive her inheritance only when she turned twenty-one. His mother had spent long hours lecturing them both on how wrong it had been for Grandma to have written her out of the will. Now Keith knew what was dominating her thoughts. Her daughter and their eight million legacy were lying dead a few yards away. The will stipulated that if for some reason Cynthia couldn't accept the money, it would go to several different charities. Susan reached into her purse and took out a cigarette. Lighting one, she blew out a stream of smoke and looked sidelong over at Keith. She spoke deliberately, matter-of-factly. "I knew you'd be up here with her. I saw your gear missing from the garage and the extra rope you'd just bought. I couldn't find Cynthia in the house and I just knew you'd try something like this with her!" Keith felt daggers fly from her eyes as she spoke but it was familiar to him. They hadn't gotten along for a long time and now it was all coming to a head. But instead of defending himself, he looked down at the ground in shame and fear. His mother was right -- this was all his fault. "I suppose you know what this means? Besides the fact that your sister, my daughter, is dead, we now have no way of recovering our family inheritance! Do you realize what this means?" She repeated. Keith looked up at his mother, her anger registering harshly on her face. He opened up his mouth to plead with her but she cut him off. "When you told me about this place, you said there was a cave - or a fissure or something nearby. Something that was deep and you couldn't see the bottom, didn't you?" "Yeah," he shrugged, pointing to a clump of rocks not far from them, "it's over there. But why?" "Never mind. Come with me." His mother walked over to where Cynthia's body was lying. Keith instinctively followed; still shaken and not knowing what else to do then she stopped next to the body and turned to look at him. Pointing her finger firmly at her son, she sternly said, "now listen to me, Keith. You're going to help me and you are not going to argue with me or say anything! Do you understand?" Keith nodded, afraid to do otherwise. "Now come over here and help me with your sister." She grabbed one side of her body and Keith dejectedly followed her lead. They dragged Cynthia's body over to the fissure and proceeded to push her in. Despite her small size, it was a tight fit and they had to maneuver her body around to get her inside. It was like a bad dream to Keith. He couldn't believe his mother was treating his sister's body this way and that he was helping her without hesitation. But fear was a very powerful tool and his mother knew how to use it against him. With one final push Cynthia's body disappeared into the darkness below. Several seconds later they heard a 'thud' as her body hit the bottom of the narrow cave. His mother picked up a rope and threw it in. "If anyone does find her they'll think she was climbing into the cave and fell to her death. Let's go now Keith. We still have a lot of work to do." The dejected son followed his mother back to cars in guilt and shame. Along the way he whispered a silent prayer to Cynthia; asking her to forgive him for what he'd done and for being to afraid to stand up to their mother to stop it. He wondered if his mother had said a prayer for her too. *** As night came the temperature rapidly dropped well below freezing. This was the worst time of the day for Tom, sitting in a tree shivering while trying to keep his mind focused on what he was doing. To make matters worse, a stiff breeze had picked up making it seem even colder. He checked his watch. Soon they would be going to bed and Tom could go back to his motel room and craw into a nice warm bed himself. He noticed the maid walk over to the phone and answer it. The phone call was about to make the detective's night even longer. *** Chapter 11 - Discussions "Hello, Doctor Jensen's residence. May I help you?" Al answered pleasantly in Jennifer's voice. "Yes, I need to speak with Sarah Jensen please. Tell her it's very important." Al detected a hint of distress in the female caller's voice. "Who should I say is calling?" "Tell her it's Susan Bennett and it's very important that I speak with her now." "I will see if she is available. Please wait." Al put the call on hold and went back to the lab where the doctor was working. "Dr. Jensen. There's a call for you from a Susan Bennett. She says it's very important that she talks to you. Do you want to take the call?" "Yes I do. That will be all for now Jennifer. Please close the door as you leave." Dr. Jensen waited until her maid left before picking up the phone. "Susan, how are you?" It only took a moment for Sarah to realize her friend wasn't fine at all. *** Tom watched the maid come back to finish cleaning up the dining room. The phone call stuck him as being rather odd. Sarah Jensen had never had a phone call this late before. Apparently the call didn't concern Gerald in any way. He was still in his room glued to the TV set. Tom put down the binoculars and wrapped his arms around his body to stay warm. The night was getting colder and more miserable by the minute. *** "How are you doing Susan?" Sarah asked in a concerned voice. She remembered how hard it had been on her friend after her husband had been killed. "I see...good. I'll try to get a flight out tonight. What? Yes, I remember what I told you in December. Yes I was very serious about what I said." Sarah thought it was odd that her best friend would be asking her a question about her research at a time like this. Then she found out why. "Are you sure Susan? Once I do that he can't be turned back...Alright, I understand. What about Cynthia? Are you sure no one will find her body? Good. And you're sure this is what you want to do? How do you think he'll feel? Un uh, okay. Now listen, I need you to bring me a piece of her hair off her clothes or brush. You need to be sure it's hers, understand? And pack some of her clothes, he'll need them when you're ready to return home. Then find out what time your flight comes in and call me back. I'll be there at the airport to pick you up...Okay Susan. Don't worry, everything will be all right. I'll see you sometime tonight. Take care of yourself. Bye." Sarah hung up the phone and lit a cigarette. Smoking helped her think at times like these. She wondered if her friend had really thought this all out. Well, there was still time for Susan to change her mind wasn't there. The earliest they could start would be in the morning. Maybe she'd even try to talk her college roommate out of what she wanted to do. No, she wouldn't do that because there was a lot at stake for both of them. Sarah grabbed a pen and started making a quick list of things that needed to be done. The first item on the list was going to be the hardest, telling Gerald about this breach in security. *** Five minutes after receiving the phone call, Dr. Jensen walked into the living room and instructed the maid to do something. Tom watched Jennifer disappear up the steps and reappear a moment la