Dragonet

Chapter Six

“No” she whispered to the man sitting in stunned silence several yards from her. “Check the files, almost a week ago, five dead in a horrible way up on Hightower Street. Girl named Blanca Martinez missing. That was my undercover name.”

“Oh God” Whitman groaned. “I helped cover that. Me and Barlow. You remember him of course. What the hell happened there. Are you okay? Can you... you know.... Change back? Like those comic characters?”

“My umm.. My contact, the guy we were gonna bust... He came up with some mad idea and slipped everyone some new concoction. I never even suspected really. I woke up a long time later a lot like this. There’s been changes since and... I almost slip into something else when I’m not paying attention. Something almost animal like. I think.” She sighed, setting down the coffee she had made for them from some teachers stash. “I’m getting control over that, its exactly like anger management. No, I can’t change back and I’m scared. Real scared. But I’m still a police officer so I’m going to do what I can. I guess that’s all anyone can do right?”

Whitman’s nod was her answer. “I’ll keep quiet on this Theresa, as long as I can. I owe you that, you saved Barlow’s life once. Someone does that for you partner you owe, can’t say why, or how but you do. If I can help let me know just don’t go crazy.” He looked into his half full coffee cup. “Gonna make getting a date to the annual police bash kinda difficult ain’t it? Even worse when NASCAR comes to town next summer.”

They both laughed at that, then talked quietly several more hours before going their separate ways.