Andersonville 1 - Home Sweet Home!
by Kelly Davidson
This story is dedicated to Susan M. Bidwell - a young lady who
died before her time.
Andersonville is based on the story "The life and death of Al
Parker". Reading the story is recommend to understand some of
the discussion in the follow series.
Fade in...
Dennis Butz worked on some last minute paperwork with a certain
relief. In a few hours his dream would become a reality and then
the real work would begin. He heard his secretary buzzing him.
"Yes?"
"Your 7:30 appointment is here Mr. Butz."
"Thank you Nancy, send him in." Dennis rose and greeted the
muscular-built man as he entered his office
"Good morning Apollo." The director gave him a slight,
mischievous grin. "Your father isn't with you?"
"You didn't really expect him to come, did you?" Apollo answered
back.
"Pissed off, is he?"
"Let's just say the town of Peace River is lucky to still have a
courthouse standing after he found out what you did." The young
God gave him a concerned stare. "That was a dangerous thing to
do Dennis, out-maneuvering him like that."
"Like he out-maneuvered me on the plains of Apur?"
"That's ancient history Dennis." Apollo warned.
"Tell that to your father!" Dennis almost shouted back. "We
wouldn't need Andersonville if he wasn't so stubborn." The
director took a deep breath to calm down and continued. "But
you're right Apollo, I didn't call you here to discuss past
events. Today we begin a new era in our history."
"When does it start?" Apollo asked with great curiosity.
"This morning. I'm having the Anderson's picked up, along with
Tom McClain and his family." There was a small, pressed smile on
the man's lips when he mentioned the detective's name. "Trisha
is meeting them at the airport and will bring them here. I'd
like you to be there with her."
"I don't work for you," the God of truth announced defensively.
"You misunderstood me Apollo, it was a request, not an order. A
first, positive move in the mutual cooperation between our two
people."
"A number of your people still object to what you're doing."
"Yes," Dennis sighed. "But given time they will come around.
Your father could help speed the process along if he were
willing."
"Show him that Andersonville works and he will be. What you did
to him didn't help."
Dennis smiled slightly. "I couldn't help myself. But I promise
to behave from now on." Apollo gave him a 'can you be trusted'
stare. The director sighed at the lack of trust that still
existed between them. "We are both creatures of truth Apollo,
you have my word on this. No more tricks on your father. As
proof of my good intentions, I'll drive Gerald to Peace River
after everyone leaves."
"You're not allowed there and you know it," Apollo told him
sternly.
"I am well aware of my agreement with your father, Apollo. I
have no intentions of ending up as a resident of Peace River like
my friends. One of your people can meet me at the crossroads,
I'll make the drop there."
Apollo nodded with some satisfaction that this was agreeable.
"So, will you go?" Dennis asked.
"I'll go," he half-grunted.
"Good. There's a plane waiting to fly you to where Trisha is.
I'll inform her that you're coming. Tha--Thank you Apollo." He
held out his hand, which the God took.
'A couple of years ago this would have been unthinkable,' Dennis
thought to himself. How the times have changed.
Fade out...
******
Voice of Dennis Butz - Thousands of years ago there was a war in
the heavens, between the gods of old and the new arrivals. During
the process the earth was almost destroyed by fire and floods as
our war ran unchecked. Finally, after centuries of conflict, an
uneasy peace was achieved between our two people. Both sides
recognized they needed the other, but neither side was willing to
trust the other. However, as man grew in power and knowledge he
challenged the gods themselves. To maintain the balance and keep
the peace, a buffer zone was needed.
It's a small town -- just like thousands of others spread across
the land. Quiet streets, family-run businesses, and Saturday
afternoon picnics. But this town is different. It's a place for
lost souls, for misguided individuals, and for those who are in
need of a second chance. It's also the last, best chance I have
of freeing my people from their captors. The name of the project
is Restoration; the name of the town is Andersonville!
******
Fade in...
Sox Anderson looked over at his son-in-law with slight concern.
For months Tom McClain had been hiding his pain - almost too
well. But Sox saw it and he knew if his son-in-law didn't talk
about it soon that it would destroy him. He cleared his throat.
"What's on your mind Son? You seem troubled."
"Noth - nothing Dad," I stuttered. "It's this business deal.
I've never made a land deal before. I been studying their
proposal for weeks and I still don't feel like I'm ready to be
involved. Now they want me to take a look at what I'm going to
be investing in and - it's a little disconcerting not knowing
what I'm doing."
"That's why you brought me along Son. I may not know a lot about
real estate but I can spot a crook when I see one. Don't worry,
it'll work out fine." Sox continued staring at his adopted son
in the hopes he would keep talking but the young man went silent.
"What is it Tom?" he inquired. "What's really eating at you?"
"I guess it shows." I got a discouraged look on my face and
continued, "It's me and Jennifer Dad, we're having problems. I
guess you know that by now."
"I figured you were. Jennifer hasn't been the same since - the
baby."
"It's more then just that Dad." How could I explain to my
father-in-law that I didn't love his daughter anymore? The first
year of marriage had been like a fairy tale to us. Our love was
so strong that whenever we made love there was nothing to compare
it to. I couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like without
Jennifer next to me. And when she got pregnant, I fell in love
with her even more. Then, tragedy struck our young and fragile
lives. The baby, our son, had been born with an incurable nerve
defect; a genetic disordered that Jennifer had probably picked up
from the serum Dr. Jensen had administered to her. Six hours
later he died in her arms.
It was a devastating blow, only to be followed up later by
another blow that was even more shattering. Test revealed that
Jennifer would never be able to bear children without the same
thing happening again. In fact, their family doctor was amazed
Tracy had been born without the defect until it was explained
that she had been adopted.
'No side affects! That's what Dr. Jensen had told me,' I thought
bitterly. Well, the damn bitch had screwed up again. Or maybe
she was reaching out from her grave to extract her revenge on us.
"Want to talk about it Son?" Sox asked.
I pulled my car into the airport parking lot and stopped. "It's
over Dad. After months of trying it's all over. I - we don't
love each other anymore; not in the way we use to. It's not that
I don't want to be around Jennifer anymore. I love her Dad, but
not as my wife. It was foolish to think I could forget my past
with her."
I got out quickly and started walking toward the terminal. Sox
got out of the car and caught up with me.
"I knew something was bothering you Son. I suspected there were
problems. But before you give up, maybe the two of you should
see a marriage consoler. A death can put a lot of strain on a
marriage."
"I wish it were that easy Sox, but it's not. When I look at
Jennifer I don't see my wife - I see my sister. Just as I used
to see Al as my brother. I do love her, but not in the way I
need to love her. Making love to her now just feels wrong. I
wish it wasn't like that but we both feel that way. I'm sorry
Sox."
The older man raised his eyebrows slightly. "Sox is it. So I'm
no longer your dad now?"
I stopped walking and turned to the older man who I had come to
love as my own father. "Jennifer is your daughter - I'm your
son-in-law. I can put two and two together."
"So what you're saying is that since you've announced your
intentions to divorce Jennifer, I no longer want to have anything
to do with you, is that right?" I didn't answer him so he
answered the question for me. "Well you're wrong Tom. Norma and
I need you in our life just as much as we need Jennifer. You're
my son Tom. You're as much of a son to Norma and I as Steve was
when he was alive. Don't ever think that what happens between
you and Jennifer changes the way we feel about you. We'll work
it out one way or another."
"Thanks Dad." I said softly
"I mean it Son. You're family, don't ever forget that."
I spotted a finely dressed petite woman standing by the entrance.
"We can talk about this later over dinner - alright Dad?"
"Sure Son. Let's get started on what we came here for."
I smiled slightly; my father-in-law had a way with words. As we
got closer, I noticed a huge, muscular man standing nearby. It
brought back memories of another person I once knew - or rather
still knew only now he looked different.
"Hi Tom, glad you could make it." The woman extended her hand to
me.
"Good Morning Ms. Brown. This is my father, Sox Anderson. He's
going to be joining us on this little field trip if that's all
right."
That's fine Tom. And how many times have I told you to call me
Trisha instead of Ms. Brown?" She gave them both a friendly
smile.
"You'll have to excuse my son-in-law Trisha, he's famous for
forgetting stuff when he's around an attractive woman." Sox
returned her smile with his own, causing the young woman to
giggle slightly.
"Oh, I almost forgot, my business associate will be joining us.
This is Mr. Atkins."
"Please, call me Pete," Apollo told them.
"So, shall we get started," Trisha said. "Follow me, my plane is
over here."
The way she twisted her rear in that short skirt I would have
followed her anywhere. That's when I noticed Pete Atkins was
walking behind us, almost like a guard. There was something
unnerving about this man. It wasn't just his size that bothered
me; the man seemed to have an air of confidence in his
personality as if nothing could hurt him. It was the same
confidence I had seen in Gerald years ago; only the ex-bodyguard
no longer had that attitude today.
We stepped onto a rather large jet, which could have held thirty
or more people. No sooner had we gotten into our seats than the
plane started taxiing. With a loud roar of its engines, the jet
raced down the runway and took off on an easterly heading.
"How long before we get there, Trisha?" I asked.
"About an hour Tom. Why don't I show you and Sox the diagrams I
have drawn up during this time."
Trisha laid a large drawing out on a wooden meeting table and
started going over the finer details of the project. While she
was going over the plans I noticed that Mr. Atkins remained
sitting a few seats back watching us carefully.
'No, that isn't right,' I said to himself. 'He seems to be
watching me.'
My father-in-law didn't seem to be concerned; he was caught up in
the charm the younger lady was dishing out to us.
About 45 minutes later I excused myself to use the bathroom. As
I walked toward the back the man gave him a pleasant smile as if
nothing was wrong. But when I turned my head back quickly I
spotted the man watching me with a nervous look on his face. Now
I knew it was a trap.
The truth of the matter was, I had been expecting this day to
come for some time now. I knew we been living on borrowed time
since I helped Jennifer escape from Dr. Jensen's house but now,
today, our luck had run out; Dr. Jensen's bosses had come to
collect on an old debt. I only wished my father-in-law could
have been spared from whatever was about to happen to us but it
didn't appear as if that was going to be the case.
I locked myself in the bathroom and considered my options. There
weren't many. I didn't have a weapon on me - not that I would
use it if I did. Besides, I didn't want to spend the rest of my
life running and looking over my shoulder. I considered not
coming out of the bathroom but that was just plain silly; they
would only come in after me. So I tried to think of another
option and came up empty.
But I did have one ace on me as I took off my jacket and turned
one of the sleeves inside out to make sure it was still there.
Hidden inside a small pouch of the sleeve was my emergency backup
plan in case anything happened to me. It was a small, leather
case that contained two vials of the doctor's serum with my DNA
sample; along with a spare driver's license, a couple of credit
cards and $1,000 in cash. Dr. Jensen had warned me sternly that
I would never survive a second transition back to my original
self but I didn't believe her. The doctor had been wrong about
her serum before.
Upon leaving the bathroom, I decided to look out the airplane
window and see if I could figure out where they were. What I saw
sent a shiver up my spine. It was an airforce base, one that I
had seen pictures of on the Internet; one that the Air Force told
people didn't exist. It went by many names - Dry Lake,
Dreamland, and more commonly, Area 51.
"Relax Tom, no one's going to hurt you." It was the voice of
Pete Atkins.
"I've heard that line before," I said turning to face the bigger
man. "What's going to happen to my family?"
"They'll be brought here in an hour or so, perfectly safe I
assure you." The big man, who I now took to be a government
agent, flashed me a comforting smile. "You're only here for a
visit, I promise. In a couple of hours you'll be leaving again."
'Dead or alive?' I wondered. "And where will we be going after
that?"
"That depends on you Tom. There's a gentleman who wants to meet
with you. Take my advice, listen carefully to what he has to
say." The muscular man sounded sincere.
"Can't you tell me what this is all about?"
"I'm afraid not. You see, it's sort of an agreement I worked out
with him. We'll be landing soon, let's get to our seats."
The man motioned me forward in a polite manner. Seeing that I
really didn't have a choice, I did as I was told and took a seat
in front of the mysterious man. A few minutes later we felt the
tires of the plane hit the runway pavement and then taxi to a
nearby hanger. When the plane stopped Trisha stood up and gave
us both a smile.
"If you both will follow me please." She opened up the door and
stepped outside. Sox followed her out and was shocked to see
soldiers with assault weapons standing near the plane.
"What's going on here?" he demanded to know. Trisha tried to
calm him down with a comforting smile.
"Don't worry Sox dear. Nothing is going to happen to you as long
as you don't try to escape. Let me assure you and your son in
law that any attempt would be futile. You're in the middle of
the dessert, many miles from any town. If the soldiers don't get
you the sun and elements will. Trust me, there isn't anywhere to
run." Her voice was pleasant but the tone was very matter of
fact, and the comforting smile never ventured from her face.
"Now please follow me."
I took my place beside Sox and whispered, "Don't worry Dad, I'll
get you out of this mess."
"Where are we Son?" he whispered back.
"Ever hear of Area 51?" The older man's face went pale, he had.
Trisha Brown led us through a series of hallways with Pete
following close behind. At least the soldiers didn't come with
us although I suspected both agents were armed to the teeth. We
stopped at a door, which Trisha knocked on and opened up. She
went in followed by me, my father, and finally, Pete Atkins.
"They're here." Trisha told the person who had the back of the
chair turned toward us. The chair turned slowly around,
revealing the one person I had actually expected to see when I
found out where we were.
"Hello Tom." The voice was neutral, neither pleasant nor
unpleasant.
"Dr. Jensen," I replied back in a similar fashion. "You're
supposed to be dead."
"Am I?" she answered in mock surprise. "You don't seem to be
surprised to see me."
"Maybe it's because I always knew you'd pop back into our lives
one day doctor."
"Tom, is this the person that brought back my little girl?" Sox
asked eagerly.
"Well, I see someone appreciates all my hard work," she smiled
ever so slightly. "I'm Dr. Sarah Jensen - the one who gave
Jennifer back to you."
"At the cost of Al Parker's life!" I added dryly. "Or have you
forgotten about that little detail doctor."
"Let's not be bitter Tom," Sarah answered sternly. "I paid for
what I did with my own life if you recall."
"But now, somehow, you're back from the grave and you run this
place."
"She doesn't run this place," someone else said. "I do."
A well-dressed man in his late 40's walked into the room and held
out his hand to me. "I'm Dennis Butz. You don't know how glad I
am to finally meet you Tom. I've heard and read so much about
you."
"Dennis Butz," Sox repeated the name. "I've heard your name
before."
The man smiled and said, "Think hard Mr. Anderson. It was almost
two years ago, just before you met with Tom and Jennifer in
Seattle."
"You're the man who put an end to that miserable scumbag who
murdered my daughter, aren't you. I definitely want to shake
your hand." Sox grabbed a hold of the man's hand with both of
his and shook it vigorously. "My lovely Linda didn't deserve to
die that way. Thank you for finally bringing justice to her and
all the other women he murdered."
Dennis Butz smiled appreciatively at the elderly gentleman.
"You're quite welcome Mr. Anderson. You don't know how much
pleasure I got out of putting an end to that ugly chapter in your
life - as well as all the other families. But I'm afraid the
information was a little off. You see, Robert White didn't
really die, he just got replaced."
"I don't follow you?" Sox replied confused.
"I do Dad. It means Dr. Jensen isn't really who she appears to
be. Remember me telling you about Keith Bennett and how we
activated parts of his memories. That's what Mr. Butz did. He
cloned the doctor from Robert White's body."
"You're very perceptive Tom," Dennis said with a grin, "and also
very right. But don't be discouraged Mr. Anderson, this is a far
worse punishment for Mr. White then death."
Sox suddenly got anger. "If he's like Keith Bennett then you can
give him the power to speak freely, isn't that right Mr. Butz?"
"Yes," Dennis answered cautiously. He knew where the man was
heading with the question.
"Then I want to talk to him directly - man to man."
"I don't recommend it Mr. Anderson," he warned strongly. "Robert
hasn't improved with age. He's still the same worthless scumbag
today as when I first met him."
"All the more reason why I have to speak with him. Please
Mr. Butz, I've waited years to tell this low down murdering-scum
what I thought."
Dennis sighed realizing this was a mistake. "All of you, step
outside for a moment while I get him ready." The four of us
stepped outside and waited by the closed door. A minute later
Dennis Butz let us back in.
"Okay Robert, remember what I told you about trying to stand up.
You may start talking now," Dennis commanded him.
There was a panic wail from Dr. Jensen, who then started
jabbering, "Please, please help me. This is horrible. If I have
to endure another damn period I'll lose my mind! Set me free, I
beg you."
"Do you know who I am?" Sox asked angrily.
"Please, please help me," Robert continued to beg while ignoring
the question. "I don't deserve this. I thought there wasn't
anything worse then death but there is. Oh God, she's going on a
trip next week! We - we're suppose to be meeting a man at the
hotel for a long weekend get away. MY GOD, SHE'S PLANNING TO
HAVE SEX WITH HIM ALL WEEKEND LONG - I know, I CAN READ HER
THOUGHTS. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS BUT SHE WON'T LISTEN TO
ME. SHE IGNORES WHAT I WANT TO DO. IT'S MY BODY - NOT HERS. She
has no right to it or to tell me what we're going to do. She's
already forced me to try on several sexy teddy's and nightgowns
for our weekend date. It's NOT HER BODY, IT'S MINE. PLEASE --
HELP ME GET IT BACK!"
"I want to know about my daughter, LINDA! What did you do to her
you monster?" Sox was clinching his fist hard, barely able to
keep his anger under control. Robert, realizing his pleading was
falling on deaf ears, changed tactics. Misery loves company
after-all.
"Yes, I remember Linda," he sniffed slightly. "Dark hair girl,
pretty face. GREAT FUCK! She was an experienced whore!"
"You're lying!" Sox sibilated. "My Linda was a virgin. She was
saving herself for marriage. She would never have sex before
marriage you lying-scum."
"You're delusional old man. Who was in a better position to know
- you or me?" he laughed loudly in a feminine pitch. "Of course,
you weren't there - when she was BEGGING FOR YOU to save her.
Yes, I had a lot of fun that night. She died slowly - painfully.
You should have seen her cry - no SCREAM for me to stop!" A look
of pure, evil pleasure appeared on the doctor's face
"Apollo," Dennis whispered to the muscular man.
"The knife I had was very dull," Robert continued. "It had to
hurt like hell when I cut her no-good..."
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Sox lunged forward but Apollo was ready
for him. He caught Mr. Anderson in mid-air and pulled him back.
"Enough Robert, stop talking." Dennis ordered.
"He murdered my daughter! Why...Why." Sox kept repeating as he
broke down crying. I moved towards my father-in-law but Dennis
held out his arm and stopped me.
"Trisha, take Mr. Anderson to conference room A, and stay with
him until Dr. Green arrives." The young woman nodded and gently
led the weeping man away.
"As for you Robert, you can plan on spending more weekends like
the one coming up. Plus," Dennis added with a thin smile, "I'll
make sure to throw in a few other surprises for you. Pete, see
to it that Robert is taken care of and Dr. Jensen is returned
back to her proper place. Tom, if you would follow me please.
We have a lot to talk about and not much time."
He led me down the hallway to a large, luxurious office filled
with expensive office furniture. It was almost of the size of a
small apartment and I noticed there was even a small kitchen in
the corner.
"Not bad, don't you agree."
"Must have cost the taxpayers a pretty penny," I observed.
Dennis laughed slightly as he made his way to his private bar.
"Drink Tom?"
"No thanks."
"Sure?" Mr. Butz asked with a mischievous grin. "You're paying
for it after all."
"Since you put it that way. Give me a whiskey-sour on the rocks
- without the drugs in it of course." Dennis chuckled at the
last part and went about his task. While he was mixing the
drinks, I looked over the many awards hanging on his wall - a few
of them over 200 years old.
"Some of the many awards my ancestors received for various
services to our grand country. I keep them on my wall as a
reminder for what they fought for - true patriots everyone one of
them." He handed me my drink and motioned for me to take a seat
in one of the comfortable chairs nearby. "They help me to
remember what I'm trying to do here."
"And what is it you're doing here Mr. Butz?" I looked at the
drink with some reservation and decided I didn't have anything to
lose. I took a sip but didn't notice any strange tastes to it.
"Please Tom, there's no need to be formal here. Call me Dennis."
"Okay Dennis - what are you trying to do here?"
"Yes Tom, a very good question. I sometimes find myself asking
the same thing." The man stopped talking and stared back at me.
"And?" I asked a little impatiently.
"Oh, I'm afraid I can't answer your question Tom," Dennis smiled
slightly while taking a sip of his drink.
"Well Dennis, I must say that was a waste of time. What other
games should we play? Counting the dots on the ceiling of your
office?
The older man chuckled. "Sorry Tom, it's part of my nature to be
secretive. Okay, I guess you're curious as to why I brought you
here."
"Just a little," I answered back with slight sarcasm.
Dennis smiled warmly. "Dry humor, I like that Tom. Yes, but I
think you're right, we need to get down to business. You knew
this day was coming, didn't you."
"More or less. I tried getting rid of any evidence of us but I
knew there had to be some loose ends out there. Frankly, I
thought a bullet to my head or a horrible car crash would be the
way this would all end."
"Tom McClain, you're my guest. I have no intentions of hurting
you or your family. I brought you here to offer you a job, not
end your life. You're much too valuable for me to simply kill
you."
"What kind of job?" I found myself somewhat interested in what
he had to offer me.
"I'm starting up a new project in Montana and I need good,
quality people to help run it. You'll start out as the assistant
to the Court Judge. Your duties will be to keep records on
everything that happens in his court - as well as other events
around town. Then every Friday you'll email me a weekly report.
Now if you think this sounds like a menial job you're wrong -
it's one of the most important jobs there is. You'll find
working for the judge to be most interesting. He's a little
rough around the edges but you'll get used to him - just like
he'll get used to you."
"Sounds interesting Dennis but I already have a job trading
stocks on-line. It keeps me busy."
"Okay Tom, let's cut to the chase." Dennis Butz leaned forward
in a very serious manner. "I know about your son and how it's
affected your relationship with Jennifer. I also know your
marriage is going down the toilet. And most important, I know
how your friend, Al Parker, really feels about his current role
as mother and wife. Like Robert in the next room, he's never
accepted his role as Jennifer Anderson and most likely never
will. Oh, he has good weeks, sometimes even an entire month.
But then he goes back to denying who he has become. It's been a
burden on your marriage and now - now with the death of your son,
your marriage can no longer stand the stress.
"Seems like you've had your eye on us for some time now," I said
in a neutral tone.
A pressed smiled formed on the man's lips. "I've followed your
career with great interest. I also knew this would be a hard
sell since you have a somewhat suspicious mind, so let me add
some incentives to my offer. If you take this job than I
guarantee you that Al Parker will be a 100%, bonafide male by the
end of the day. I'm serious Tom. Your friend won't look like he
use to but he'll be a young, healthy male again with all his
memories in tack."
I eyed him with deep suspicion. "Okay Dennis, what's the catch?"
"Only one - that he stays in my little town without trying to
escape until the day he can be trusted to keep his month shut.
Then he'll be free to leave whenever he wants. But I doubt that
he'll want to. Your friend will find living in Andersonville to
be very pleasant. So will you Tom."
"And the Anderson's? What happens to them?"
"They go with you of course. After all, I named the town in
their honor. It has a rather charming sound to it, don't you
think? And they get their children back as well."
"Are you telling me you can bring back the dead?" I asked.
Dennis shook his head and said, "No, I can't. But I will provide
them with replacements just like the ones they remembered. In
fact, they won't even remember their own kids dying. To them
it'll be as if they lived in Andersonville all their lives.
You'll see some positive changes in both of the Andersons when
they don't have to live with that terrible burden. Oh, one
thing. It's rather a small item but you need to know. Tracy
won't be going with you."
"What do you mean she won't be going with me?" I replied angrily.
"She's my daughter. I just can't abandon her to you."
"Lets be realistic here Tom. Tracy is no more your daughter then
she is mine. She's a 30-year-old man who is being forced to
pretend she's a well-behaved 5-year-old. Her real parents want
him back. And after tonight, Jennifer won't need her. It's
better this way. Gerald has been punished by you two long
enough. If you don't give him back well, I wouldn't want to be
in your shoes when his father comes looking for you."
"Okay Dennis. We've been talking about what happens if I accept
your job offer. Now what happens if I don't? You give me a shot
of the doctor's serum and order me to do it anyway, right?"
"Not really Tom. Yes, I would have to give you - all of you - a
shot of the control serum so you'll never be able to tell anyone
about what you've seen and talked about today. Then I'll send
you all home - except for Tracy that is, she stays here. You'd
be free to live out the rest of your lives as you want without
any interference from me."
"Sounds too good to be true. How do I know you're not lying to
me?"
"Because Tom, I never lie. If I can't tell you the truth then
I'll tell you I can't tell you the truth. I don't lie, not even
to spare someone's feelings. Besides, the control serum is a
failure. I couldn't use it to control you even if I wanted to."
"What do you mean it's a failure? I saw what it did to Al. He
couldn't have acted any other way then a young female under its
control."
"You're missing the point here Tom -- 'control'. When this
happens it takes away the 'free will' of the person and turns
them into a mindless robot. I need someone who is free to think
for themselves, not follow my orders to the letter. Oh, it works
great for someone who's dusting tables and fixing meals - slave
labor you could call it - but it's useless when you want the
person to think for themselves. The job I'm offering you
requires a lot of personal decisions and the freedom to act on
it. You can't control that without losing what abilities the
person has to offer."
I nodded; it made sense. "So Dr. Jensen - "
"That's right, she's a failure. Her mind is so locked down that
she can't finish her research anymore. I thought that
re-creating her thinking process would fix the problem, but it
didn't. Without her mind free from the control serum she's
totally useless to me. And unless I release Robert's mind as
well, there's no way to fix this. It's ironic that the only one
who has a chance of fixing this problem is Dr. Jensen, the one
person under its control.
"You guarantee me that the Anderson's or Jennifer won't be hurt?"
"I do." The phone rang and Dennis picked it up. "Thank you," he
said to the party on the other end and hung the phone back up.
"Your wife and mother-in-law have arrived. I need to know your
decision Tom."
"Right NOW? Can't I discuss this with them?"
"No, you can't. It's your decision alone Tom. Whatever you
decide effects all of them. I need your answer now so I can make
the arrangements."
"I don't trust you Dennis."
"Then don't take my offer Tom. I have enough control serum at
this facility to get you out of here within an hour. But ask
yourself this, do you really want to go back to your old life?
Does Jennifer? What about the Andersons once they lose their
only grandchild? Will any of your lives be complete again? If
you take my offer I'll make sure their lives are complete. And I
promise you more excitement then you'll get by trading stocks
on-line all day Tom."
I thought carefully about what Dennis Butz had just said. I
hated making a life-changing decision that affected all of them
but what choice did I have. Could the Andersons stand losing
another child in their lives? They had grown so attached to
Tracy. And what about Jennifer? Dennis Butz had been dead-on
about Al not accepting who he really was. Maybe if our son had
lived things would have been different but now Al hated being
Jennifer and my wife more then ever. It had destroyed our
marriage and I could see it was slowly destroying my friend.
"When do we leave?" I asked. Dennis Butz smiled back
triumphantly.
******
They had been brought to a small but comfortable room - except
for Tracy that is. She had been separated from Jennifer and her
Grandmother when they got inside the complex. I walked into the
room and gave them both a hug.
"Tom?" Mrs. Anderson asked nervously.
"It's okay mom. We're all okay. Dad's fine and will be joining
us shortly."
"What's going on Tom?" Jennifer asked.
"I was talking with Dr. Jensen's boss. They know who we are and
what we did Al." Jennifer raised her eyebrows slightly. It had
been over a year since I had called her by her past name.
"The doctor is still alive?" Jennifer wanted to know.
"Yes, in the same way Keith Bennett is alive. Her boss, Dennis
Butz, is moving us to a town up north." I paused for a moment
before adding, "And you should know buddy, he's going to make you
a man again."
"Have you gone NUTS!" Jennifer yelled back. "You know what they
did to me! Do you think they're going to make amends for
everything that happened to us and then set us free."
"Yes Al, I do."
******
The little girl sat at the table playing with her doll while
Trisha sat close by in silence. Apollo stood in the darkened
room watching the little girl play through the one way mirror.
There was irony in this moment he thought humorously. Well, it
was time for him to explain to Gerald what the real irony of all
this was. Apollo gathered up his nerve and opened the door that
separated the two rooms.
"If I may have a moment please." Trisha nodded and left the
room. The little girl watched as Apollo raised his hand slightly
and snapped his fingers. The spell that had been controlling her
vanished.
"APOLLO!" The little girl ran over and hugged the God's massive
leg affectionately.
"Hello Brother," he replied nonchalantly.
"Where's Father? Didn't he come with you?"
"This is Butz's domain, he isn't about to come here. You'll be
seeing him tonight in Peace River when we get back."
"Where are you going?" he demanded to know.
"That's not your concern Brother! Just be ready to leave for
Peace River in an hour."
"That's unacceptable," the little girl raved while kicking over a
chair. "I want to be changed back into my male form right NOW!
Use your power and take me to him"
"He's not interested in seeing you right now Brother. As a
matter of fact, he's not very happy with you at all. You
disappointed him by going to work for Dennis Butz, our sworn
enemy."
"If he hadn't taken away my powers I wouldn't have had too. He
cursed me by changing me into a mortal."
"No Brother, you did that yourself. You still haven't taken
responsibility for your own actions."
"It was one human female - what's her life compared to the
millions out there?"
"Every life is sacred Brother. Every life is unique! He was
hoping you would've learned this lesson while being trapped in
your current body, but I can see the lesson has been lost on
you."
"You mean to tell me he knew where I was all this time and didn't
do anything to free me?" Gerald growled.
"Correct Brother. We've known where you've been for almost two
years now. Diane wanted to rescue you but Father wouldn't allow
it."
"That lousy son of a..."
"Watch your tongue Brother. He may not be in this room but he
can hear you if he wants."
"If he is listening then he's most likely laughing his butt off."
Apollo nodded that was probably true. No doubt his father was
listening in on them with the help of the orb.
"Cheer up Brother. Soon you'll be seeing your family again, in a
slightly different light that is."
"You don't mean..." Gerald responded in horror.
"If I were you Brother, I'd get used to wearing dresses for a
long time," Apollo smiled ever so slightly. "Don't worry
Brother, this will be a family affair. Diane and some of the
others ladies have already offered to help you along in your new
journey."
"HE CAN'T DO THIS!" the young girl tried to roar.
"He's not doing anything," the God of truth explained. "You did
this by your actions. Maybe after a lifetime of living as Tracy
he will change you back - maybe. It depends on how well you fit
into your role."
"I'll never go through with this!" he snarled. "Never - do you
hear me. And he can't make me either."
"Then my advice to you Brother is to get used to wearing dresses
and playing with dolls for a very long time. You know what
happens to those citizen's in Peace River who don't accept their
new roles."
"He wouldn't!"
"I wouldn't tempt fate. You may be his son but you've
disappointed him too many times. What you did to Jennifer
Anderson sticks sorely in his mind. You made him look very bad
in front of everyone by your 'actions.' It's one of the reasons
why he left you where you were. He doesn't tolerate sexual
assault or abuse from anyone, especially his own children." For
once Gerald didn't have a response.
Apollo sighed slightly and continued. "Dennis Butz will be
driving you to Peace River after everyone has left. I would
advice you to be polite to him on the way there."
"I won't get into a car with that Macoe!"
"Would you rather I make arrangements to have Mercury or Mars
pick you up instead?" Gerald cringed in terror at the thought.
"I didn't think so."
As he walked away Apollo smiled inwardly. His father had
arranged for both Mercury and Mars to meet Dennis Butz at the
drop off point - a small detail that he had forgotten to mention
to his brother. He wasn't sure if his father felt the situation
required both of them to be there or if both Gods had volunteered
to pick him up. Most likely the latter was true; neither Mercury
nor Mars liked Gerald very much. Then again, a lot of his other
family members felt the same way. It would take them almost an
hour to drive his brother back to Peace River from the drop off
point - an hour of pure hell on his brother for sure. Mercury
and Mars wouldn't allow an opportunity like this to pass them by.
Apollo was glad he wasn't in his brother's shoes.
******
We had been flying north for more then an hour. I sat in the
back, separating myself from the others. Had I made the right
decision? In the distance I could make out the town of
Andersonville - almost dead center in the middle of thick
woods.
"We should be landing soon Tom," Pete said to me. "Care to join
us up front"
"May I ask you a question Mr. Atkins."
"Only if you call me Pete," he replied with a comforting smile.
"Why me? Why not pick someone else for this job?"
"I guess it all relates back to what you did to Gerald.
Something like this has never happened to us before. You gained
Dennis Butz's respect by your actions, even if you did ruin all
his plans by killing Dr. Jensen.
"Wait a minute, what do you mean 'something like this has never
happened to us before.' Who is this 'us'?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you Tom. For now, let's just say you
have a pool of untapped resources within you."
"And you want to tap them, is that it?"
"Something like that. But this isn't about you, it's about
stopping a conflict that has been going on between our two people
for a very long time now."
"Care to tell me what it's all about?" I asked. "It would be
better if I had a little background on what has happened than
going into this job blind."
Pete gave me a serious glance. "I'd like to tell you everything
Tom, but I'm not allowed. When the time is right, you'll be
told. For now, not knowing won't affect your job. In fact, not
knowing will probably make your job easier."
"What about Tracy? What's going to happen to her?" I was still
slightly concern about her fate.
"You don't need to be worry about her Tom," he stated with a
mischievous grin. "She's going to be well-taken care of when she
gets back home. When my sister, Diane, found out that Tracy was
coming to Peace River, she made sure her room was properly
decorated. Tracy may not end up being the happiest 5-year-old in
town but she will be the most pampered. My brother is going to
find life very different than what he once knew." Apollo
couldn't help but chuckle just a little at his brother's
punishment.
"You mean Gerald is your brother?" It explained why the two had
similar body structures.
"Yes, my evil brother you could say. He has no respect for
others. What he did to Jennifer each night," Pete got a
distasteful look on his face, "was hideous. Which is why I hold
no grudges against you or your friend, Tom. It was a fitting
punishment for him. It's also why your friend is being changed
back into his male form again, to right a wrong."
"How is that going to happen?" I wanted to know. "And if you're
brothers why don't you have the same last name?"
Pete just grinned back at me and said, "That's also something I
can't talk about. As for how Al Parker is going to change back
into a man, you'll see when we get there. Don't worry, the
process isn't painful and it'll be over in less then a minute."
He stopped talking and pointed out the window. "Look Tom, you
can see your new home from here."
Below I spotted a number of two and three story buildings making
up the business district of Andersonville. There was one main
road through downtown stretching four blocks long. Close to
downtown was a good size park with a small pond. The houses were
scattered on three sides of Andersonville - the larger
neighborhood being located on the East Side. Toward the west I
noted a rail-line serving an impressive-looking mine complex. As
I looked closer I saw other railroad tracks slithering around the
town serving various businesses.
There weren't any houses prior to entering Andersonville so
anyone driving in would have to go through downtown first before
getting anywhere. Looking north, the main road north dead-ended
near a giant lake. And as if that wasn't enough, the town was
located in a box canyon, with huge cliffs on the west, east and
north sides. Unless you were an experienced rock-climber the
only way out of Andersonville was the main road from the south.
"Beautiful, isn't it!" Pete said. I nodded my head - it was.
"Maybe we can go fishing at the lake one day, I hear it's
supposed to be good. We'll be landing at the airport soon, let's
get our belts on." The big man patted me on the shoulder and
moved forward to join the others while I continued to look down
at the town.
The landing was smooth and unremarkable but it did nothing to
help calm my nerves. I couldn't stop the jitters inside my
stomach, knowing that we had arrived at our new home. I didn't
trust Dennis Butz and as much as I wanted to, I didn't trust this
Mr. Atkins fellow either. What were they really up to? Pete had
mentioned a conflict between their two people. What type of
conflict and which two people were they? Was it some kind of
private family feud?
The first indication there was trouble was when we stepped out
onto the tarmac. A tall, skinny cop with a bushy mustache was
there to greet us. He stood there calmly, perhaps one of the
most laid-back cops I had ever seen. Yet he had a slightly
suspicious look on his face as if he was expecting trouble.
"This is Sergeant Williams," Trisha said. "He's going to follow
us to see the judge." I noticed Pete Atkins didn't get out of
the airplane, instead opting to stand inside the doorway.
"If you will get in the van please," the officer told us. "And
buckle up, I'd hate to have to issue you a ticket on your first
night in town." The officer's joke broke the ice and even I
found myself smiling.
"Tom?" Pete said just before I got in the passenger side of the
van. "Take care of yourself. I'll be seeing you soon." Then he
ducked back inside the plane.
Trisha drove the van while Sergeant Williams followed close
behind in the dark-colored police car. "Pretty laid-back cop," I
threw out while putting my plan into action. I moved the
emergency pack out of my pocket and with one hand, jammed it up
underneath the padding of the seat. I just hoped I'd be able to
find the van once what ever happened to me was over.
"Dave's a nice guy," Trisha replied. "It took us a while to find
him. If you want some advice Tom, you should get to know him
better. He's a good man to have in your corner if he feels you
can be trusted."
We pulled up in front of the huge city hall building. It had
three massive pillars supporting an equally massive overhang.
The building was two stories tall with Victorian-type windows and
made entirely of brick. No expense had been spared when the
contractors had put this building together. Trisha led us inside
to an impressive looking reception area where another tall,
well-built cop was waiting for us.
"These doors lead to the courtroom," Trisha told them, pointing
to a pair of dark, wooden doors. "You'll get a chance to go in
there later if you want. Right now the judge is waiting for us
in his chambers. This way everyone."
She led the way with us in the middle and the two cops following
at a close distance behind. The looks on the police officers'
faces indicated they were concerned that someone in our party
might change their mind and try to leave - although Trisha didn't
seem to be concerned. Maybe it was in a cop's nature to be on
the lookout for trouble.
We walked through a small office and straight into the judge's
chambers. The Judge was a well-built man in his late forty's,
wearing an expense 3-piece gray suit that looked like it had just
been pressed. He stood about 6' 2" and sported a nicely trimmed
beard that made him rather distinguished. But it was his eyes
that caught everyone's attention - he had cold, steel blue eyes
that made him somewhat intimidating when he stared at you. The
frown on his face indicated he wasn't too happy at the moment.
"I've been waiting for you," he started out in an almost
unpleasant tone. "Let's get this over with so I can leave."
He closed his eyes and held out his hands together in front of
him. The four of us, Jennifer, the Andersons, and myself stood
there wondering what was going on. To our amazement, the Judge's
hands started to glow as if a light had been turned on. Moments
later a ball of energy, about the size of a small grapefruit,
rose slowly out of his hands. It stood still for a moment then
took off in a flash and struck Jennifer in the chest. She moved
back slightly, as her body seemed to absorb the light. A second
later more balls of energy shot out and hit the Andersons,
causing them to shift back slightly.
I tried to move but found my feet frozen in place. Then I saw a
ball of light rise out of the Judge's hands and come right at me.
It hit my chest, causing me to move back slightly although I
hadn't felt any impact. It was more like a reactionary movement,
knowing that something had hit me. A slight tingling of pins and
needles spread throughout my body and then quickly faded. I felt
slightly dazed but managed to maintain my balance.
"What was that?" I asked.
"You can go home now," the Judge announced unceremoniously. One
of the officers, Dave Williams, started pulling me out the door
while the others seemed to be walking out on their own.
Jennifer, it was still her, gave me a worried look but didn't try
to stay. She seemed relieved to be leaving the presence of this
man.
Outside we were loaded into the same van that we had ridden in
before, only this time Sox got behind the wheel. I noticed that
both of the Andersons had an almost hypnotic look on their
faces. Only Jennifer and me seemed to understand what had just
happened.
"Officer," I asked Dave Williams as he helped me into the van.
"What's going on here."
The officer smiled back and said, "You'll find out soon enough
son. Just try to relax and not fight it." He closed the door
and Sox drove off in a hurry.
"Dad, where are you going?" I demanded to know. He couldn't
possibly know his way around town
"Home honey," he replied without any thought.
'Home?' My father-in-law's answer and strange behavior perplexed
me. And why was he calling me 'honey?' I was about to ask him
something else when Sox began to change before my eyes. His hair
started growing thicker and darker - and he sat up a little bit
straighter in his seat. In the rear-view mirror I could see my
father's face getting younger as some of his wrinkles started
disappearing.
I looked over at my mother and saw that she was also going
through some changes as well. Her gray hair turned to a darker
shade of brown while become fuller and longer. Her face also
started looking younger - at least 10 years younger. What
shocked me the most was that neither of them seemed to notice
these changes that were happening.
As I turned to say something to Jennifer I was equally surprised
to see her, or rather him, changing as well. My wife had grown
taller in stature; her long hair disappearing and being replaced
by short, dark hair. Her face now appeared boyish, about that of
a 14-year-old and showed many of the same facial features Sox
had. The jeans and blouse she had been wearing changed into a
pair of cutoffs and tee shirt and girlish shoes into a pair of
sneakers.
Suddenly, I felt an attack of pins and needles inside my body. To
my horror, I started shrinking in size by several inches. While
this was happening I felt a heavy concentration of activity
around my chest and groin area.
'Oh no,' I gasped. I hadn't asked to see what changes Dennis
Butz had in store for me. I felt my hair growing longer and by
now there was no question on what my fate would be. This Judge,
who ever he was, had decided to change me into a girl. I deduced
that the people in charge must have figured this was a fitting
response to what I had done to Gerald.
With great terror I watched my breasts start to grow. I could
feel the skin stretching, as they grew bigger before my horrified
eyes. My butt moved in the seat on its own - and I discovered
this was due to that fact my hips were shifting as they changed
to a more female-like mode. My clothes also started shifting to
fit its new body. The pants I was wearing changed into a pair of
girl's jeans that showed off my female figure. The shirt and
jacket became a loose fitting blouse and colorful vest. Then
there was a great deal of intensive tingling in and around my
groin - announcing that a change was taking place. I felt some
tugging around my manhood that wasn't painful but caused me to
sweat in fear. Suddenly the tingling stopped as if a switch had
been thrown. I didn't have to look to see what it had done, I
knew. I sat there in a semi-state of shock.
"We're home," someone shouted happily from the rear seat.
I turned and saw what I could only guess to be a younger version
of Jennifer. She looked to be about 12 years old but was just as
cute and beautiful as the older version. And there was also
something odd about her - a slight twinkle in her eyes that
didn't look right. It looked like a small white light in her
pupils.
The place she had called home was a very nice two-story,
white-framed house build on an acre of land. There were trees
surrounding the property and along the roadway giving the place a
lot of privacy. In back was a small pond with several ducks
swimming in it and some thick woods.
Jennifer scampered out of the van first despite being in the
back. She seemed to be a ball of energy that couldn't be
contained. Al, who used to be Jennifer, got out next. He looked
around in a daze, wondering if this was all just a dream. I
followed him out of the van and we both looked at each other in
bewilderment.
"Hey Son, think fast," Sox said picking up a football and
throwing it at them. The teenager caught it with remarkable
ease.
"He called you Son?" I whispered to him. "That must mean you got
changed into Steve? Jennifer's playing over there so that
means...Oh no?" I gasped.
I ran into the house looking for the first mirror I could find -
while at the same time terrified at what I would see. For some
reason I knew exactly which room in the house was mine and headed
right for it. There was no question that it was a girl's room
when I entered. The bedroom was painted light pink from top to
bottom with a darker pink rug to match. The big canopied bed,
quilts, old dolls on the shelves, and the furniture all announced
this was a girl's room.
Still in a state of bewilderment, I peeked slowly into the mirror
in fear of what I might see; my reflection told the story. I
stood about 5'5" and weighted around 115 pounds. My eyes were
now baby blue, and I had shoulder length, brunette hair that had
been feathered in the front. The rest of my body was pretty much
that of your typical female body and I couldn't help but notice
that I now looked like a younger version of Mrs. Anderson, my
mother. Just to make sure this was for real, I opened up the
purse I had carried in and pulled out my new driver's license.
It read "Linda E. Anderson, Female,"
"Oh God, I'm 17 years old!" I said out loud. Next I turned to
the dresser and started opening up the drawers in the hopes I
would find something familiar. Instead I found them filled with
panties, bras, slips, and other female things that my new body
now required. I rushed over to the closet and flung it open only
to gasped in horror. It was packed with all kinds of female
wonders, including a large number of skirts and dresses. There
must have been at least 15 pairs for shoes, fortunately most of
them being the low-heel kind.
'Oh my God, it's true!' I cried out inside. 'They turned me into
Linda Anderson. That's what Dennis Butz had meant by the
Anderson's getting their kids back.' Al had become Steve; I had
become Linda. But who in the hell was Jennifer? She hadn't been
there in the van when we first got in, I was sure of that.
"Are you okay Tom?" Steve asked softly. "Is there anything I can
do to help?"
"Make them change me back?" I answered with tears in my eyes.
Steve walked over and gave me a big brotherly hug. He felt so
strong to me now - or maybe it was because I was now so weak.
"You're Linda, aren't you? I guess that makes sense. Tom -
Linda, it's not as bad as you think."
"That's easy for you to say, isn't it Al. You're a man again."
"I think it's better if you call me by my current name Linda.
And I'm not a man; I'm still a boy. I think I'm only 14 years
old."
I gave my new brother a mean stare. "Stop calling me Linda damn
it! I'm still Tom, do you understand? I'm not your damn
sister!" Steve put his arm around me and sat me down on the bed.
"Tom, remember in the lab - when we had just gotten control over
Sarah Jensen. You called me Jennifer and I told you that wasn't
my name? But you told me now wasn't the time to get confused and
spoil everything. I don't know what's going on here but I think
until we do, it's better that I don't refer to you as Tom in
front of anyone. We need to play along with this charade for
now."
"That's easy for you to say, isn't it?" I cried out. "You get to
play the part of the boy. Me - I'm supposed to be your older
sister. How can I play a role I'm not accustomed to?"
"I'll help," Steve offered. "First, don't panic. This isn't the
end of the world. I know what you're feeling right now; I felt
that way too. And I had more than two long years of practice
being Jennifer. It seems bad at first but it gets better, I
swear it does."
"Oh, cut the bullshit Al! You never got used to being a woman so
don't sit there and lie to me about it."
"It's Steve now - not Al," he stated firmly. "And my
circumstances were far different so don't try comparing your
experience to mine. I was thrown into the arms of a sexual
deviant and a doctor who didn't care how I felt. She allowed him
to rape me every night without a second thought. You don't know
what kind of hell that was to accept; knowing you were going to
have sex with someone you hated and couldn't do anything about
it. That's how I began life as Jennifer Anderson - in a hellish
way. But you, look around you. Sure you're a young female now
but you were dumped into a nice, family setting with people who
love and respect you. I wasn't, and being Jennifer always
reminded me of the nightmare I once lived in. Is it any wonder I
hated being Jennifer? It wasn't being a woman I hated so much,
it was knowing why I was turned into one."
There was logic to what Steve was saying but I didn't want to
admit it. I wasn't ready to rollover and become this sweet young
woman for everyone to see. I was going to fight this condition.
I was going to find Dennis Butz and this Judge and have them
change me back.
"I think it's time we see what this town is all about Brother.
Why don't you and I go for a drive."
******
I told my mom, now my real mom, we were going out but would be
back soon. I opened up the van door and retrieved my emergency
pack from underneath the seat.
"What's that?" Steve wanted to know.
"My insurance policy back to a normal life," I replied. We got
into my new car, a 1996 white Chevy Cavalier. Not much in the
way of power but it got great gas mileage.
"Where are we going?" Steve asked me.
"West, toward the mine I saw when they flew us in. No doubt
they'll be watching the main road out of town. So we'll going to
try the rail yard first."
"You mean you're planning on escaping? But we just got here,"
Steve protested slightly.
"I have 'no' intentions on staying in this body Al. Once we get
out of this place I'm going to use the doctor's serum to change
me back. Are you with me or not?"
Steve nodded his head that he was but it was clear he wasn't
happy about leaving. There was a risk that he may end up being
turned back into Jennifer if he tried. But he couldn't turn his
back on me, someone who had been there when he needed me the
most? Normally I wouldn't have involved him in this but I needed
his skills if I hoped to accomplish what I was starting.
I parked the car close to the small railroad yard and looked
around before getting out. There didn't seem to be anyone
watching them, a good sign. However, I was a little surprised
about the lack of cop cars in the area. We looked out at the
small rail yard filled with cars, most of them open 100-ton
hopper cars from the mine.
"Let's get in that car," I said, pointing at the yellow boxcar
close by. Steve stopped me.
"Let's get in the Southern boxcar instead," motioning to the one
right behind it.
"What difference does it make?" I wanted to know.
"The last time I rode in a 'Railbox' boxcar I got turned into
Jennifer," Steve said glumly.
"Oh - sorry. Okay then, but let's hurry. It looks like the
train is getting ready to pull out."
I led the way, checking to make sure no one saw us as we got
closer to the boxcar. I spotted a sign on a nearby pole that
read, 'Warning, you are now leaving sector 125. Level 2 security
is required' but paid no attention to it. All I was worried
about was catching the next train out of town without getting
caught in the process. When we were about 10 feet from the first
track I suddenly ran into something that felt like a cushion. It
stopped and threw me back.
"What the hell?" I cried out to my brother. Steve put his hand
forward and felt some resistance, as if there were an invisible
wall in front of him.
"It feels like it's some kind of force field," Steve blurted out.
"It must be there to keep people from doing what we're trying to
do."
"Then let's see if I can run past it." I took a few steps back
and ran forward with a full head of steam.
"Linda, wait," Steve shouted but it was too late. I hit the
field hard and it gave - allowing me to go forward for about five
feet. But then it recoiled and I found myself being thrown back
in the opposite direction at a much faster speed. Steve was able
to catch me on the rebound to keep me from falling hard to the
ground.
"I was going to tell you that won't work but you didn't listen,"
he pointed out. "The force field most likely reacts to a strong
push with more power. The harder you run into it, the stronger
it gets. It's hopeless trying to run past it."
"Then let's try something else," I angrily responded while
shaking Steve off me. "My car may not be very fast but I bet I
can shake them if they try to pursue us.
"You're can't be serious Linda?" Steve said with disbelief.
"You're going to try and outrun the Andersonville police force?
Their cars are made for high-speed chases. You'll never get away
from them."
"Look, are you in or out?" I asked in an angry tone that
indicated I didn't want to argue about it.
"In," Steve said reluctantly.
"Then let's go." We got back in the car and I headed toward
downtown. When I turned the car onto Main Street we found it
completely void of traffic. There weren't even any cars parked
in front of the parking meters.
"Do you notice anything funny about this picture Steve?"
"Yea. It's 4:30 on a Saturday afternoon and there aren't any
cars or people out. It's like a ghost town. Where is everyone?"
"Maybe we're the only ones here," I answered. "Let's not worry
about that right now. Be on the lookout for cops - we're about
to leave town."
We passed a sign that said, 'You are now leaving Andersonville,
have a nice day and drive safely'. I checked the rearview mirror
but didn't see anyone following we.
"That was too easy," Steve said. "Where's all this security
Mr. Atkins was telling us about?"
"Maybe they didn't think we would actually leave," I replied
while not believing my own words for one minute. The people in
charge had to figure we would at least try to leave. About a
mile out of town the car crested over a small hill and we saw the
outline of a town ahead of them.
"What town is this?" Steve asked. "I thought Andersonville was
in the middle of no-where."
"It is," I answered with a bad feeling inside.
We passed by several businesses, including a small strip mall
that looked abandoned, and stopped at a traffic light right next
to a huge building.
"Um, Linda, you're not going to believe this - look." I looked
to my left and saw an impressive looking courthouse with three
huge pillars. Written on the stone frame above were the words,
"Andersonville Courthouse."
"How in the hell did we get here?" I yelled.
"Maybe we went in a circle," suggested Steve knowing that we
hadn't. The road out of town had been as straight as an arrow.
"Let's try this again," I replied.
I punched the accelerator and headed out of town 'again'. We
passed by the same 'You are now leaving Andersonville' sign we
had gone by not more then 5 minutes before. And just like
before, when we crested over the small hill we found ourselves
looking south at Andersonville again.
"FUCK!" I swore loudly. "Tell me this isn't a bad dream."
I spun the car around and headed back the way we just came.
There was an orange sign that read, "Warning, road dead-ends
1,000 feet ahead but I ignored the sign and kept driving.
"What are you doing?" Steve screamed at me. "Are you trying to
get us killed?" He could make out the metal guardrail across the
road, with several orange barrels in front to protect it.
"This is some kind of loop," I told him angrily and not thinking
clearly about what I was doing. "I'm betting this is really a
secret way out of town. If it's not then we should find
ourselves heading into town from the south."
"But what if this loop only works one direction?" Steve queried
as we found ourselves on top of the barrier. It was too late to
stop even if I wanted too.
There was a horrible scrapping sound as the Chevy plowed head-on
into the plastic barrels at nearly 30 miles per hour. While the
barrels took most of the impact the front of the car still
managed to reach the metal guardrail which infected a terrible
blow on the front bumper and grill. The plastic pieces buckled
backwards and cracked in several places as the car continu