The Ghost of St. Jude

On their walk to the center meeting area, Belinda asked, "Now that we're your prisoners, what should we call you? Mr. Robert, Sir, or what? I don't even know your last name sir."

Robert smiled. "I must admit that I'm not used to staying around for very long after an operation is complete so I've never worried about what people will call me face to face. You're not my slave, and I don't want treated like your Master. So let's keep things simple. You can keep calling me Robert. I'm not a big fan of Bob or Rob and only my little brother is allowed to call me Robbie."

As the trio approached the large conference table, they noticed all the seats were taken except the lead chair at the head. Karolyn was standing next to the man sitting just to the right of the main chair and Kenzie was standing next to the stoic middle aged lady sitting to the left. They both wore the same brand of handcuffs that Katharine and Belinda wore. They also wore pink security neckbands that had leashes attached to them.

Robert took his place in the main chair of the table, and his prisoners took their place standing on each side and slightly behind him. They stood passively as a young technician came to each of them and secured a pink neckband around their necks. He punched some data into their phones and both Belinda and Katharine knew that they were now imprisoned behind the invisible walls of the electronic security of the Kove. The technician finished by attaching a leach to each prisoner and handed the ends to Robert.

Robert looked around the table and began the meeting. "I trust everything went according to plan?"

Jillian Watson shuffled in the chair to Robert's left and began her report. "Everything went perfect. We broke their security very quickly. They didn't even know we were here until they faced the guns in their faces. The new security system is up and running with no glitches. All prisoners have been physically and electronically secured per your guidance. We got so much information from your "visit" that we got in and secured them all without any problems. We've hacked their computers already and now have extensive information on their benefactors, support officers, and customer base. With that information, we are now the official owners of Karlson's Kove and all of its assets. Leeds is the only sponsor that we don't have any political info on, but I'm sure we're ready for him should he want to challenge us." She paused and briefly dropped her head in thought.

Robert could see the pain on Jillian's face. As the founder and CEO of one of the biggest and most advances electronics security organizations in the world, she was certainly not accustomed to the worries and concerns she had experienced over the past year. Her 21 year old son had no interest in her business and was quite content to pursue a theatrical degree and possibly an acting career. Several years ago, he had admitted to her that he was gay, but she loved him so much, she supported him in every part of his life. And then he disappeared.

"I found Benjamin... I mean Bonita... he seems fine I guess." Tears began to flow, and she unconsciously tightened the leash attached to Kenzie's collar causing her prisoner to stumble forward. She cried, "He's gay, but he didn't want to be a woman! He wanted to be an actor, but not like this." She relaxed her grip on the leash and looked up at Robert with a sullen face. "Thank you for giving me back my... baby."

Robert reached over and held Jillian's hand. "We have the best doctors and support crew in the world. They're here to make sure Benj... your child gets the best treatment possible so she can still have a good life. I promise you that Jillian." He knew that many of the treatments were irreversible, but he also knew that time and patience could make them a lot better.

After a few silent moments of consolation, Robert continued reviewing today's events. He addressed the man on his right. "How about our new assets Jack?"

Jack Barton had no children, but his sister had two children whom he adored, a boy and a girl. When his nephew Albert had disappeared last year, he contacted Robert and his organization, knowing that they were his only hope at finding and rescuing his sister's son. He promised his sister that he would find him. Jack was known as one of the most successful and powerful lawyers in the world. And he was ruthless beyond shame.

With little emotion, Jack reviewed, "We've contacted the entire customer base and anyone else their computers listed as supporters. I convinced them all that they did not want their connection to Karlson's Kove known to the public. Everyone has rolled over in agreement. We now own the physical property here and there will be no investigations beyond our internal processes. Almost all have agreed to continue their sponsorship and interactions once the new Karlson's Kove is formed and reopened. They seemed to like the idea of having a more legitimate restaurant and dinner theatre that they can visit in the company of willing hostesses and actors. Leeds of course was not worried about any political repercussions, but did express concern about his investments before hanging up on me. We'll need to keep an eye on him."

Robert shook his head in agreement and said, "Did we find Albert yet Jack?"

Jack's first emotion showed as he clenched his fist around Karoline's leash. "He's not here Robert. The bastards sold him to one of Leed's contacts. Jillian's guys and gals are searching for him electronically." He looked over at Jillian, "Your people are quite amazing Jill."

Jillian answered quickly, "They'll find him Jack, I promise you that my friend."

Jack stood up and drew Karolyn face-to-face with the leash. Robert jumped up quickly and held Jack back by his shoulders. "If Robert wasn't here to stop me, I'd have killed you by now. You better hope we can find Albert and he's okay because even Robert won't be able to protect you if he's not." Jack flung the leash away and angrily left the area.

Everyone needed a moment to settle back down at the table including Karolyn who was still flustered. When the climate was reasonably back to normal, Robert picked up Karolyn's leash and handed it to the man who sat directly across from him. Karolyn quickly shuffled over into her proper position, standing next to and a little behind her new supervisor. "Zeke, I know you hadn't planned on staying very long, but I need to ask you to take charge of Karolyn for a short while until we can work things out."

Ezekiel Fleming had come to Robert for help finding his son. William, who went by the feminine name of Billie, was a known cross dresser who had questioned his gender as a young teenager. Zeke had rejected him as soon as he found out he was different. When Billie had disappeared, Zeke feared suicide or a runaway, and he blamed himself. He had found a note from Billie that was addressed to him and it convinced him that he was still alive and hoping his father would understand and accept him one day. Zeke saw Robert as his only hope to find his son and reconcile with his only child. When Robert tracked down Karlson's Kove as a good possibility, Zeke joined in with his incredible assets. He was an arms dealer and supplier of anything from trucks to furniture and everything available for any project.

"Not a problem Robert, we're still going through all the personnel records and the physical assets to get this place to where you want it to be anyway. Looks like besides the three sisters, there are about a half dozen supervisors, a dozen security guys, and another couple dozen coaches and assistants. Jillian's got them all pink collared, and we're changing all the residents to yellow collars so we can keep track of them and keep them safe. There's over 75 residents that are now being interviewed and identified. That will be a slow process since all of them have had their names changed. They haven't found Billie yet."

Dr. Selina Roberts was the last team leader for Robert. She sat next to Jillian and waited for everyone to calm down before making her report. She had no connections with the residents at the Kove, but she had been a valuable member of Robert's team for several years. Her background in Psychology and Psychiatry specialized in helping individuals who were exposed to severe mental torture. She and her team would have the daunting challenge of counseling and doing the best they could for all of the residents. "We've just started talking to them Robert. We're going to take it nice and slow. Many of them seem to be in shock, and we don't want to traumatize them any more than they already are. I also talked to the security guard Thomas, like you asked. I believe he can be trusted and could become a valuable asset to your team here at the Kove if he wants to be."

As she finished her report, one of her assistants came behind, excused herself to Robert and the group, and bent down to whisper in Selinas's ear. "Thanks Tawnie," she nodded as her assistant backed away. Dr. Roberts stood up, took Karolyn's leash from Zeke and handed it to Jillian. She gave Robert a subtle nod and looked back at Zeke. "Please come with me Zeke. I think there's someone you're going to want to meet."

Dr. Roberts team had set up several offices and interview rooms they had converted from some ground floor "social areas." Selina talked as she guided them to one of the rooms. "She goes by the name Monica now Zeke. She's very confused and frightened. I think she could use a supporting, familiar face to help her come back to reality." She knew that Zeke had rejected Billie at first, but she also knew he was anxious to see her and admit his mistake.

An obviously frightened young girl sat on the couch facing the in-room counselor in her single chair. She was bent over with her head in her hands trying to hide the sobbing and fear that she was feeling. "Hello Monica," Zeke began with the only thing he could think to say. "I missed you. I was so wrong. I'm so sorry."

Monica slowly raised her head in disbelief. She thought she recognized her father's voice, but knew that was impossible. But when her eyes met his and she understood his words, she jumped off the couch and leaped in her father's arms. "I missed you too daddy!" No other words were spoken as a father and his daughter started the process of hugging away the guilt and worry from their world.

When Selina reported back, Robert dispersed the meeting and set up a time for the next reports. He took Belinda's and Katharine's leash in one hand and the other two sisters' leashes in his other hand. "Let's have a talk ladies," as he deliberately walked towards the makeup workshop. Robert wanted them to see and be seen by the small groups of residents being guided around them as they gathered their belongings to move to better quarters. When they had almost reached their shop, they passed by one resident who was walking with Thomas who was now an official member of Robert's team.

Thomas stopped and offered his hand to Robert. "Thank you sir, I won't let you down."

"I know you won't Thomas. It's good to have you on our team."

All the time that Thomas and Robert exchanged their pleasantries, Robert stared at the resident, and she stared back too. Finally, she dropped her head and stared at the floor. He couldn't shake the feeling that he recognized this girl, but he knew no girls in the Kove. Suddenly, he realized where he had seen her and stepped forward. "Ronnie?" The girl slowly looked up and with a shy smile replied, "Hello Robbie."

Robert's baby brother was born 10 years after him. To Ronald, Robert was his brother, his father, and his best friend. They were as close as any two human beings could be. When it came time for Robert to deploy overseas in the military, they didn't get to see each other except for a few weeks every couple of years. When Ronald went missing, Robert had immediately put together a team and the plan was formed to take over Karlson's Kove.

Robert handed the leashes over to Thomas and asked him to secure his prisoners in the workshop and stay with them until he got there. He then turned and stared at his brother in disbelief. With a hug, he said, "You're gorgeous Ronnie. Are you okay?"

"I'm Rebecca now Robbie. They let me choose the name as an incentive to being cooperative during my training. You can call me Becky if you want to." They started walking towards Becky's old quarters and Robert helped his sister finish his move. "I'm sorry Robbie, I guess you're ashamed of your little brother."

"Nonsense Becky, look at you. I now have a beautiful sister. As long as you're happy, I'm happy." Becky smiled, but Robert could tell she was not completely satisfied with how things had turned out. He knew that his new sister had a lot of therapy ahead and needed all the encouragement she could get, no matter how she eventually decided to live her life. Soon after they finished the move, a counselor came and asked Becky to come to the office to start the interview process. Brother and sister agreed that would connect each day and spend lots of time together. Robert gave her a parting hug and made his way back to the workshop where Thomas and the ladies were waiting.

When Robert arrived at the workshop, he noticed that the door had been repaired. He had kicked it in earlier in a show of impatience. "Thanks Thomas. I'll take care of the ladies from here. Becky is with a counselor so feel free to get some dinner."

The three sisters and Belinda were positioned exactly like he had asked Thomas to secure them. They were seated in chairs in front of a row of vertical beams and had their hands cuffed behind them and around the beams. "Sorry for the delay ladies, it's been awhile since I've seen my brother, now my sister. Katharine, you asked me earlier why I was here. I would have come here to stop what you were doing without further incentive. It's what my organization does around the world. Finding Ronnie was extra incentive."

Ironically, the lady who was least responsible was the only one to answer. Belinda said, "I'm so sorry Robert." He didn't acknowledge her comment, but the other ladies could feel his agitation and stayed silent.

"Stand," he said as he moved their chairs out of the way. All four ladies slipped their backs up their assigned poles and stood rigidly. "Let's get down to business."

"As of today, I will be in charge of the overall operation of Karlson's Kove. We will be making it into a legitimate business venture that will provide a restaurant and lounge with certain nights featuring a dinner theatre. The clientele will remain mainly the same but will not include those who are seeking the services of an unwilling staff. The most significant purpose of the Kove will be the welfare of all the residents that you kidnapped and forced into services that they had no desire to perform until you drugged and conditioned them. While they might seem to enjoy their place in life now, they were forced into it by your conditioning." Robert walked over in front of Karolyn and raised his voice in anger. "My brother wanted to be a doctor!" Karolyn flinched and backed away as much as her position allowed. "We will also be welcoming other individuals who are referred to us as confused and afraid of their identities in life."

"You will not be sent to jail, but you will pay the price for your actions. Each of you will be assigned to a leader of the new Kove organization and they will own you. They will be in charge of your imprisonment and restitution. You deserve a far worse sentence, but at least this way, you will be helping out the very people you hurt so badly. Since I had the greatest risk and because I am the manager of this organization, I get to choose the sister that will be under my supervision. Jillian and Jack are the other two leaders who will be assigned the other two sisters, but I think we will reevaluate Jack's emotional ability to handle that responsibility. I'll make those assignments in the upcoming weeks. And before you assume that my choice will be Katharine, know that I have not fully decided whether I want her or one of the other sisters under my supervision. I may want to personally direct one of the two greater evil sisters, or I may want to work with Katharine."

He walked in front of Karoline and Kenzie. "You two are being assigned to be maids and cleanup. You will function as staff members who will clean and service the Kove and its clients and residents. You will work long hours, you will get your hands dirty, and you will not be allowed to leave the Kove. Kinda like you treated your victims, but you'll at least be aware of your senses." Both sisters took deep breaths and straightened in meek defiance, but did not say a word.

"Katharine, you will be in charge of the restaurant and you will still help out in wardrobe and makeup. Many of our residents and new interns will still desire help in that area. Long hours and no leaving the Kove, but you've earned a certain amount of leeway from the resident reports of your kindness to them. You still have a debt to pay." Katharine nodded her head in agreement and acceptance."

"Belinda, you are a special case. You are both a victim and a criminal. You need to be punished, but there are certainly extenuating circumstances. For now, you will be my personal assistant. You will take notes as needed, be my gofer when I want coffee and you will help me by doing everything I ask of you. You will also be expected to continue helping in wardrobe and makeup and seeing to the residents' morale and positive experience. You are also restricted to the Kove until further notice." Belinda did her best not scream and jump up and down with joy, but Robert caught her eye and smiled a bit for her.

He unlocked Karolyn and Kenzie's cuffs and relocked them behind their backs. Grabbing their leashes, he started for the door. "Let's get you back to your supervisors so you can get to your new rooms and have some dinner. Tomorrow you will start your new life."

When he returned to Katharine and Belinda, he left them standing and secured to their poles. "Don't think you're getting off easy ladies. It will be awhile before I forget how you tried to change me into a ladyboy so I could service your rich men clientele. You were trying to convert me. I am not attracted to men and yet you wanted to change me to love men."

Belinda dropped her head and stayed silent. Katharine said, "Most of our interns learned to like the men and became very happy with their new lifestyle. Most of our customers were kind to them and treated them well."

Robert stayed in control, but raised his voice as he got face to face with Katharine. "But you forced them. They had no choice. You drugged them and brainwashed them. They had plans for their lives, they wanted families and lovers, just like normal people. Some of them might have been gay, but you gave them no choice. I am not gay. I like real women!"

Belinda let out a quiet sigh and Robert noticed a tear on her cheek. Katharine saw his confusion and said to him, "You fool, you can't see what she's going through?

Without looking back at Katharine, Robert held up his hand and said, "Shut up Katharine. Another word and I'll gag you." Katharine rolled her eyes, but stayed silent. He stepped over in front of Belinda and spoke softly. "How old were you when you realized that you may have been born the wrong gender?"

"I was fourteen," Belinda answered without looking up. "I tried to hide it, but a few years later, I knew who and what I was, but I didn't know what to do about it. In many ways, the Kove actually helped me out, even though the change was forced on me."

Robert softly put his hand on Belinda's breast. "These are not implants, did you use hormones?"

Katharine spoke up before Belinda could answer. "We give our residents a special herbal compound that encourages breast growth and a feminine appearance. They work with what is already in their body without mutating unnatural growth."