Delta City PI #13
by DeannaTroi
This is a work of fiction.  It contains adult material of a sexual nature and should not be read by anyone under the age of 18.  Ms. Americana and Green Spectre are creations of Mr. X.  Nancy and all the other characters in this story are my own creation.  Feel free to use them in your own stories as long as you keep their character consistant with what is shown in these stories.  You can send all feedback to:

troi@hotmail.com


In the morning, it occurred to Nancy when she reviewed what Roberta Sanchez had told her that she had overlooked one avenue of investigation.  The look-alike's body must have been taken to the city morgue.  Had it ever been claimed?   Nancy stopped to check the records at city hall.  The only document she could find was a death record, dated the same day as the newspaper article. It merely stated that the woman had died of unknown causes and was signed by the chief coroner Dr. Allan Deadmarsh.

For a moment, Nancy entertained some hope that a talk with Dr. Deadmarsh might tell her something, but that hope was quickly dashed.  A quick search online showed that Dr. Deadmarsh had been killed, less than a week after the woman's body had been found.  The coroner had been killed in a drive by shooting as he came out of the morgue late at night.  Like all good detectives, Nancy distrusted coincidences.  Had the doctor known or discovered something?  But the article said there had been no autopsy.  Still, it smelled like someone had been tidying up loose ends.

Nancy made one more stop and then decided against going to the office.  There weren't any answers waiting for her there and after yesterday's ambush and consequent fun with Danielle, the blonde decided she could do with a little sunshine, so she turned the Honda towards the beach.  The one stop had been to buy some new panties as she still hadn't gotten around to doing laundry yet.

The beach was busy with tourists and whatever locals who had found an excuse to not go to work.  Girls in skimpy  bikinis, guys strutting their stuff, screaming kids and family groups dotted the sandy landscape as Nancy stood on the spot where her look-alike had been found.  Roberta had given the PI the exact GPS coordinates.  The blonde detective felt a little out of place in her trenchcoat as she looked around and wondered just why she had come.  It wasn't like she was going to find that matchbook cover that the police always overlooked in books and movies, but the gritty detective found when poking around.  It had been three years since the body was discovered and all she was going to find were some McDonalds wrappers which had been discarded yesterday.

"Are you looking for something dear" asked a voice behind Nancy and she turned to see an old woman wearing a large straw hat and sitting in a folding lawn chair in the shade of a large rock.  Beside the woman was a golden retriever dog with what Nancy recognized as a harness used by guide dogs for the blind.  The dog was panting in the heat, but there was a bowl of water beside the dog.

I must be losing it thought Nancy.  I walked up and down this beach and never saw the woman, the dog or even that big rock before she spoke.

"Not really," said Nancy.  I was just thinking about someone who used to come to this beach years ago."

The old woman seemed to consider this for a moment before speaking again.  She gestured down the beach towards where the beach narrowed and a cliff of solid rock rose up to a height of a hundred feet or so.  "You might want to take a walk up on the cliff.  You can see a lot better up there."

Nancy smiled and thanked the woman politely.  Clearly the old lady was getting lost in her own mind, though the detective did wonder how she had seen her and the cliff.  Nancy shook her head and looked back out to the ocean.  The blind woman had simply heard her walking and probably lived around here and knew there was a cliff.  The PI turned back to put that question to the old woman, but she wasn't there.  Neither was the lawn chair, the dog, the bowl of water or the rock.

* * *

There was an old house and a grove of even older white birch trees on top of the cliff.  Nancy found two graves under the shade of the trees and the detective stared at the markers with disbelief.

The first grave belonged to Walter Pope.  The date of death was a year before the look-alike had been found on the beach.  The second grave was for Fancy Pope.  The date of birth and date of death made Fancy 27 when she died and the date of death was the same as the newspaper article.

Nancy heard a sound behind her and turned to see a woman who looked to be somewhere in her fifties coming along the path that led to the old house.  Nancy hoped she wasn't trespassing, but she had seen no signs posted.  Nancy noted the woman was carrying two bunches of flowers and was almost certainly heading for the graves.  Before the detective could make up her mind what to do, the woman caught sight of her and stopped dead about twenty feet away.  She stared at Nancys face, and then collapsed to the ground in a faint.

Hurrying over to the woman, Nancy bent down and checked her pulse.  It was strong and the private eye breathed a sigh of relief.  On impulse, Nancy picked up the two bunches of flowers and placed them on the graves before picking up the woman in her arms and carrying her down the path to the house.  Now that Nancy got a better look at it, the house was a three story rambling affair.  It had been kept in fairly good repair, but there were signs like paint starting to peel from the trim that suggested the upkeep lately had not been so regular.

Nancy hit the doorbell with her elbow while still holding the woman in her arms, but after several repeats and minutes had passed without an answer, the blonde managed to turn the doorknob and push the door open to carry the woman inside.  Nancy found a sofa in the front room to lay the woman down and fetched a cold wash cloth from the bathroom to place on her forehead.  Nancy hovered over the woman, worried and wondering if she should call 911 when suddenly the woman stirred and looked up at Nancy.

"You aren't Fancy are you?" she asked in a weak voice tinged with sadness.

"No ma'am," replied Nancy promptly.  "My name is Nancy and I am a private eye.  I came up to the cliff looking for information about Fancy.  She was your daughter?" Nancy guessed.

The woman removed the washcloth from her head and swung her legs onto the floor.  "My name is Heather Pope, and yes Fancy is, was my daughter.  What is this all about.  I know you told me your name, but just who are you and why are you asking about my daughter?"

Nancy pulled out the newspaper article one more time to show to Heather.  "Someone sent this article to me and I have been trying to learn who the woman was and why it was so important to someone for me to see this article."

Heather Pope glanced at the clipping, but didn't take it from Nancy. "I know the article, I have a copy.  It wasn't me who sent it to you though."  The older woman was now examining Nancy's face closely.  "My god, you are the exact spitting image of Fancy.  It is not just a close resemblance.  You look exactly like her.  How is that possible?"

Nancy shrugged.  "There is some old myth that everyone in the world has an identical twin or doppleganger somewhere.  Most of us never meet them.  I am really sorry about startling you at the graveside.  It was totally unintentional.  I hadn't known the graves were there or that you lived in this house."

The woman patted Nancy's hand reassuringly.  "It is quite alright dear.  You gave me a start seeing you like that, but I am fine now."

At that moment the front door banged open and a few seconds later a teen aged girl appeared in the front room doorway.  She looked about 18 thought Nancy and had a strong resemblance to both Fancy and herself though her hair was more of a dirty blonde than their golden and the eyes were green instead of blue.  Still, the nose and chin and other facial structures were uncannily similar.

"Ellen," said Heather Pope addressing the girl.  This is..."

But the girl cut her mother off.  "I know who she is," spat Ellen  "She is a fucking porn actress and stripper."

Heather looked back from Ellen to nancy.  "But she said she was a detective and please watch yourlanguage dear.  You know I don't approve of that word in this house."  Then Heather turned back to Nancy.  "You did say you were a detective?  I don't understand what my daughter is going on about."

"She was on television last week having sex like a cheap whore," snapped Ellen, "and there were posters up all over town about her stripper act."

Heather turned back to Nancy looking more confused.

Nancy sighed, not wanting to get into the whole long story yet again.  "Just consider the porn and stripping as a hobby," she finally said remembering Trudy's words of the night before.  "I am really a private eye," and she paused to pull out and display her PI license to the two women. "I am trying to find out what happened to Fancy."

Heather gave a doubtful nod and then looked at her second daughter again.  "And how is it young lady that you know about porn stars and saw such things when we don't have cable out here?"

Ellen came into the room and flopped down in a chair.  "I saw it when I was over at Mandy's house.  The whole f, darn city saw it.  The woman is a total slut."

"Considering what you know about me, I suppose it is hard to dispute that title," conceded Nancy.  "But sometimes things aren't what they seem.  You can think what you like about my moral character, but I really want to find out what happend to Fancy.  That is all I came for, and I have no desire to cause either of you any more pain than you already have gone through."

"And why is it so fu, darn important to you?" demanded a still angry Ellen.

Nancy gave a small shrug.  "I am not sure.  As soon as I saw the newspaper article, I felt something.  I am not sure what it is, but I need to find out what happened.  I think it is sort of like in the fantasy novels where the hero has this geas or compulsion put on them to do something.  A quest, a deed to accomplish.  Whatever."

"Heroes tend to keep their clothes on more than you do," sneered Ellen.

"That's enough from you young lady," broke in Heather.  "I think this woman is being honest with us and god knows we have spent these last three years wanting some questions answered and having no one to turn to about it."  The mother turned back to Nancy.  "Please sit down Nancy and tell us what you want to know."

The private detective took a seat on the sofa beside Heather Pope while Ellen continued to glare, but kept silent.  "I don't know anything about Fancy," said Nancy.  "I didn't even know her name until half an hour ago.  Anything you can tell me about her life, what she was like, what you know about her super heroine identity, how she died.  Everything.  Anything."

 "She loved the water," began Heather quietly.  "She was a tremendous swimmer.  I think she was Olympic caliber, but she wasn't interested in competition.  She said all she wanted to do was swim in the ocean and not in some stinky chlorinated pool.  She was working on her doctorate in marine biology when she died.  She was doing a thesis on the language of dolphins.  Fancy always claimed they were as smart as humans, we just couldn't understand them.  We didn't know anything about her super heroine stuff until after she died."

Nancy saw Ellen turn away at that last statement and made a guess.  "Is that true Ellen?" she asked quietly.  "Or did you know about her super heroine work."

Ellen blushed and glanced at her mother apologetically.  "I, I kind of spied on her a bit.  It started just after dad was killed.  I think she was doing it mainly to try and find out who killed him  She had this grey swimsuit and mask.  I saw her diary once when she um forgot to lock it up.  She was going to call herself Dolphin Lady.  I thought it was kind of corny."

"A diary?" asked Nancy.  "Is it still here?"

"No," sighed Ellen.  "I looked everywhere for it, but never found it.  I think she had some secret hiding place where she kept her costume and stuff.  She probably kept her diary there because I think she suspected me of reading it."

"That diary could be very important," said Nancy.  "If you ever find it, I would be grateful if you would let me see it."  Both Heather and Ellen nodded after exchanging glances.  Ellen's anger towards Nancy seemed to have dissipated as they talked and Ellen became aware of the sincerity of the detective's inquiries.

"I checked the morgue records," said Nancy.  "How did yu get Fancy's body back?  There is no record of it."

Heather looked a bit sheepish and sad at the same time.  "Dr. Deadmarsh, the coroner and my husband were good friends.  Allan recognized Fancy the instant he saw her.  He wanted to protect her secret even if she was dead.  He called me and arranged for Fancy's body to be brought home and the paperwork to vanish.  All of Fancy's friends from school loved her and were  totally loyal to her.  A number of them saw the newspaper article, but they would never betray her secret."

"She sounds like she was a wonderful person," said Nancy putting her hand on Heather's arm gently.

"The best daughter ever," agreed Heather and gave Ellen a fond smile.  "Well tied for the best anyway."

"What about Dr. Deadmarsh?  He was killed a week after Fancy died.  Do you know anythingabout that?" asked Nancy.

Ellen shrugged.  "We were shocked and suspicious, but the police just kind of shrugged it off.  They said it was either a mistaken identity or some gang initiation thing."

"And your husband?" asked Nancy returning her gaze to Heather.

"He was an investigativereporter.  He never talked much about what he was working on.  He said it was better we didn't know in case something went wrong.  I just knew he was onto somethingbig when he was killed and I am sure Fancy found out something about it and was trying to finish his work and find his killer."

"Three deaths within a year and all related," mused Nancy.  "I don't see it as being coincidence.  Does the word 'Ridge' mean anything to you?" she looked from mother to daughter and back.

They both shook their heads.  "Why do you ask?" asked Heather.

"The EMT who tended to Fancy said it was the only word she spoke on the beach beforeshe died.  I don't know if it means anything or not, but it is the only clue I have right now."

"We, we didn't know Fancy said anything," sobbed Heather and Ellen handed her mother some tissues.

"You might want to meet Roberta Sanchez, the EMT who tried to save your daughter," said Nancy.  "I don't know...maybe it will help all of you."

The two women nodded and Nancy left them Roberta's phone number.  The detective promised that she would let them know if she found out anything more and then excused herself to leave them alone with their memories.

* * *

Nancy decided it was time to stop being a coward and to tackle the only other avenue of investigation she saw at the moment.  The detective put in a call to Brenda Wade and after much hemming and hawing from the Billionaire's personal assistant, she got an appointment for that afternoon.

Brenda Wade rose from behind her desk and stepped out to meet Nancy as the executive assistant ushered the private eye into the office.  Looking around, Nancy thought the office was at least twice as big as her apartment and office put together.  The chair the woman had been sitting in probably cost more than Nancy's rent fora year she decided.

"My assistant said you were very persuasive and persistent in asking for an appointment," said the raven haired beauty as she ushered Nancy towards a couple of comfortable chairs near the one wall which was entirely windows with a spectacular view of the city.  "But you declined to say what you wanted to talk to me about."

Nancy arched an eyebrow and once more pulled out  the newspaper article.  "You did send this to me didn't you?" she asked showing the rich woman the article.

Brenda frowned and flushed a bit as she sat back in her chair and causing her breasts to wobble in the silk blouse she wore with the top few buttons undone.  Hmm, probably a cup size bigger than me, thought Nancy, but all those thugs probably only know words like big, bigger and biggest, so I was close enough to fool them.

"Were you able to discover anything about her?" asked Brenda finally.

Nancy nodded and went on to tell the alter ego of Ms. Americana about Fancy Pope and her family.

"The person who recommended you to me through Ms. Americana was apparently correct about your competence," said Brenda.  "That being the case, Ms. Americana authorized me to tell you that she only met the woman in the article  once.   Ms. Americana told me about it as the girl had some serious allegations about a respected member of Delta City society.  Ms. Americana said the girl had no proof and so she told the girl, er I think she was callingherself Dolphin Lady that she wasnt going to do anything without some real evidence.  Dolphin Lady got a bit angry and said she would get some then.  Ms. Americana never heard from her again, and then she was found dead.""

"And after her accusations against someone, you didn't investigate further after she was killed?" asked Nancy.

"I am a business woman and philanthropist, not a police officer," said Brenda trying to keep her cool.  "Ms. Americana said she felt the allegations were completely offbase and not worth pursueing," said Brenda in a definitely cool tone.  To be blunt, I am inclined to agree."

"Who were the allegations against?" askedNancy in as neutral a tone as she could manage, not wanting to turn the conversation into a confrontation.

"I am notprepared to say," said Brenda.  "I don't want a good person's reputation to be besmirched.  I am sure that is something you can appreciate after your recent uh activities on television and stage."

"No need to be so delicate Ms. Wade," sighed Nancy.  "Yes I know I am portrayed by some of the media as a porn star and a stripper probably even a prostitute and much of the city believes that.  I do what I have to and let others make their judgements as they see fit.  Right now, all I know is that three people were murdered in the space of a year and I intend to find out who killed them, no matter where or to who the trail leads."

"Is that a threat?" snapped Brenda.

"Not at all," replied Nancy.  "I am just telling you what is going to happen.  If you know something or are shielding someone, I would advise against it."

"I think this meeting is over," said Brenda coldly.

Nancy stood up and started to go, but stopped and did her best Colombo impersonation.  "By the way does the word Ridge mean anything to you?"

"No, should it?" asked Brenda in that same cold tone.

"It was the last word that Fancy Pope said before she died," said Nancy and turned her back heading for the door.  She didn't see the brief look of doubt cross Brenda's beautiful face.

"Wait," said the rich woman to Nancy's back.  The detective turned and looked a question.  Brenda bit her lip in thought.  "Could, could the word have been Bridge?"

Nancy frowned.  "Perhaps.  The EMT wasn't totally sure.  Why do you ask?"

"Those, those spurious accusations.  They were made against a man called Skyler Bridge.  He is one of the richest men in the city and unlike most of the rich men in the city, he has been a strong backer and advocate of many projects to benefit women.  He donates large amounts of money to women's shelters, research into pay equity and so forth.  His reputation is spotless.  I, er Ms. Americana felt that Fancy was slandering a great and good man."

Nancy shrugged.  "A lot of people thought that about Bill Cosby before that rock was turned over.  You said Bridge has a spotless reputation, but that is not the same as character, or at least I don't think so.  Myreputation is frankly crap in this city as you yourself pointed out.  Frankly other than being a little embarrassing at times when meeting people like you, it doesn't especially bother me.  As long as I can look myself in the mirror at night and can live with myself, that is all that matters to me.  Of course lately, I have had to wipe all the cum off my face in order to see it, but that is another story.  Good day Ms. Wade."

* * *
After leaving Brenda Wade's office, Nancy retired to a near-bye coffee shop to do a bit of research on Syler Bridge.  The man was a semi-recluse,but nothing on the scale of someone like Howard Hughes.  He lived on a privateisland in the Delta City bay and rarely attended social events, but he was on the boards of at least a dozencompanies and nonprofit groups.  The Bridge Corporation dabbled in a number of things, but their primary interest seemed to be electronics.  They supplied components to major tlecoms, the U.S. military and NASA among others.

Among the many charities supported by Bridge personally was Bridge House, a shelter for victims of domestic violence.  It was easy to see whyBrenda Wadehad defended Bridge as his public record was spotless.  There were no embarrassing and later deleted tweets or inappropriate facebook posts.  One of the few public appearances the man had made was a graduation speech at Delta City University where he championed diversity and gender equality in the workplace.  The man was such a saint that Nancy found herself startingto doubt her one tenuous lead.  There was precious little in terms of personal information on Bridge himself.  He was married, but his wifeNaomi was reputed to be an invalid and was often cited as the reason why Bridge didn't often partake in the glitzy social scene of Delta City.

As Nancy sat there feelingdespondant, her gaze fell on a copy of the Delta City Times.  That reminded her of Walter Pope and that he had been a newspaper reporter.  Nancy thought he had been mainly freelance, but he had likely written for the Times which meant Axanna Morgan.  Perhaps the woman who was also Green Spectre might be able to provide more information about Bridge.

Once again, it took a bit of cajoling to get past Axanna's executive assistant to see the wealthy publisher, but finally Nancy was shown into a private office that only slightly ranked below that of Brenda Wade in size and opulance.

For what seemed like the hundreth time, Nancy showed the newspaper clipping and then went through her investigation from Roberta Sanchez to the Popes and finally her recent meeting with Brenda Wade.

"So, you are trying to dig up dirt on Saint Bridge," remarked Axanna when Nancy was done.

"Does any exist?" asked Nancy as she studied the buxom blonde sitting across the desk from her.  The woman was a bit older than her and had a teenaged daughter, but she certainly looked to be in excellent shape.  The well tailored business suit she wore was at least a match for Brenda Wade's and also did little to hide the enormous breasts that the Aphrodite gene had given her.

Axanna Morgan tapped her teeth with a long, perfectly manicured fingernail and sat back in her chair regardingNancy intently."I only met Walter Pope a couple of times and I never met his family or I am sure I would have seen the resemblance between you and his daughter after your rather public exposure on television last week."  Axanna saw the grimace fleet across Nancy's face at the mention yet again of her debut porn performance, butquickly waved a hand in apology.  "Don't worry, I have some very good sources and I know Borden lied to you and you only did what you did to save lives.  I will make a point of makingsure Brenda understands that the next time we talk.  Sometimes, she can be a bit holier than thou when it comes to sex."

Nancy gave a nod and smile of thanks.  "Did Pope or anyone else ever talk to you about Bridge?"

"Most of Walter's writing was for national magazines," replied Axanna.  "He was an expert sailor and had his own small sailing ship at one time.  I believe he also wrote a number of books about sailing and nautical stuff.  A few months before he died, he came to me about something he had picked up in adockside pub.  One of Bridge's employees or maybe former employees was rip roaring pissed out of his mind and told Pope a seemingly fantastic story about how he had captured a flying woman for his boss."

"A superheroine?" asked Nancy.

"Possibly," replied Axanna.  "Pope said the man had been so drunk, he couldn't remotely be considered a reliable witness.  I don't know of any missing heroines with the power of flight, but new heroines crop up pretty much once a week here in Delta City.  It might have been someone I never heard of, or it might just have been a drunk telling a story.  Pope said he hadn't been able to come upwith any verification of the man's story or an identity for the alleged flyingwoman."

"Nothing else?"   pressed Nancy.

"Only that he had started to look into Bridge's financial holdings.  Pope claimed that it looked like Bridge was moving money to some undisclosed organization via numbered companies and offshore banking accounts.  That doesn't mean it was illegal and such transactions are extremely common among the wealthy in Delta City."

Nancy sighed. "Thank you for your time Ms. Morgan," and she got to her feet.

"Call me Axanna," said the blonde publisher.  "And thank you for everything you have done for the city.  I will tap my sources and make sure they keep their ears very wide open about anything to do with Bridge and let you know if I find out anything."  Please don't be to hard on Brenda.  Women's issues are very important to her as they are to me, but I have been in the muck raking business long enough to be a bit more suspicious of things that look to good to be true.

Nancy gave a nod of her head in acknowledgement of all the points the other blonde had made.
* * *
When Nancy got home, she called Heather Pope to let her know what she had found out and to see if her husband had ever mentioned Syler Bridge.  The detective was surprised when Ellen answered the phone.  "Mom took Paul, that's my brother, he wasn't here earlier, to his music recital and forgot her phone yet again.  I should have gone, but I was just feeling too down to enjoy it.  Paul is actually a very good piano player."

Nancy explained what she had learned, but Ellen didn't remember her dad or Fancy mentioning Bridge's name other than his private island was almost directly across from Heathcliff."

"Heathcliff?" asked a puzzled Nancy.

Ellen giggled.  "Sorry, that is the nickname the family gave to the cliff we live on.  Dad said it was from some old comedian I never saw named Red Skelton.  There is an almost identical cliff on Bridge's island and Dad said it had to be Gertrude.  Parents are just so weird sometimes."

Since she could not remember having parents, Nancy could only make a murmer of agreement.

"So, what are you going to do now?" asked Ellen.

Nancy hesitated.  "I want to visit Bridge's island.  I know it isn't a very smart thing to do, but something tells me that time is running out on something.  It is just a feeling that I can't explain." 

"That geas thing again?"  asked Ellen.

"I suppose," agreed Nancy.  "I know it rarely works out well for the hero in books when they rush off on some quest, but like I said, somewhere in my mind there is a clock ticking that makes it important not to delay."

"You are going to need a boat to get to the island," said Ellen.

"Any ideas where I can borrow one?" asked Nancy suddenly feeling a sense of doom hanging over her.

"Yep," said Ellen with excitement in her voice.  "How soon can you get here?"

* * *

Before leaving for the Pope house, Nancy went to her wardrobe and pulled an outfit from the very back.  It was one of the few things she had brought with her to Delta City and so far she had yet to find a reason to wear it.

The detective stripped out of her normal clothes and picked up the outfit.  She had always been a comic book fan and so she called this her Black Widow outfit.  It was a one piece black body suit with built in rubber soles and a hood that came up to cover her hair and leave only her face exposed  The waterproof fabric clung to Nancy's curves like a second skin which made Nancy's large breasts jut out dramatically in front of her.  The suit was higher tech than it looked.  It could stop low caliber bullets and was pretty much totally invisible to both optical and thermal sensors.  A black belt encircled the waist and it had a number of waterproof pouches into which Nancy stuffed hergun, extra clips, flashlight and a few other tools she thought she might need.

 Ellen let Nancy into the house and led the puzzled detective down to the basement.  Going to a wall lined with rough wood, the girl pushed two fingers into what appeared to be natural knotholes in the wood and a section of the wall slid aside to reveal a flight of stone steps going down into darkness.

"This is one of the main reasons that dad bought this house," said Ellen as she picked up a flashlightfrom a near-bye shelf and led the way down the steps.  "Dad was real big on everything to do with ships and nautical history and stuff.  Fancy was the same way.  I thought it was ok, but computers are more my thing.  Anyway, dad said this house used to be used by smugglers a zillion years ago and he found this setup just after we moved in."
 vf
The steps eventually ended in a small cove built into the cliff which Nancy could only see in the dim light.  Ellen flipped a switch on the wall and several bright lights came on to provide illumination and Nancy couldn't suppress a gasp of surprise.  Floating there in front of her was a small sailboat, maybe twenty feet long.

"Nancy meet the Grey Lady, Grey Lady this is Nancy," said Ellen as if performing introductions.  "Dad loved her almost as much as mom and us kids," she added with a grin.  "When Fancy started her superheroine gig, she used to use her and this was how she could come and go without being seen.   Well, by anyone but me," she added.

"She is beautiful," said Nancy.  "Thank you very much for letting me use her. Um, oneproblem though.  I really don't know much about sailing a ship like this."

"That's what I figured," laughed Ellen and she took a waterproof jacket from a hook on the wall.  "That's why I am the captain of this ship and you be my faithful if dull witted crew.  I am not as good as dad or Fancy, but I can get you there."

"Absolutely not, it is far too dangerous," protested Nancy.  "I am not saying you aren't an intelligent and resourceful young woman," Nancy hurried on when she saw the look Ellen gave her.  "I am just thinking about how devastating it would be to your mother if something happened to you too.  She has already lost her husband and one daughter."
"I know," whispered Ellen hanging her head.  "But, I promise I will just let you off by the island and come right back home.  It is the least I can do for Fancy.  I have to do it for Fancy."

Nancy looked at the girl, young woman, she corrected herself and nodded her agreement.

* * *
Daylight had almost failed entirely when the Grey Lady slipped out of the hidden cove and Ellen set course for Bridge's island.

"Most of the island is nice sandy beaches," explained Ellen showing Nancy a map of the island which her dad had obtained.  "But it rises to a cliff, the one dad called Gertrude which is exactly opposite our Heathcliff.  Bridge's house is built on top of the cliff, a little ways back from the edge.  We will have to sail around to the other side of the island where you can swim ashore easy enough.  It will be totally dark by then."

An hour after they started, Ellen suddenly gave an excited cry and began pointing at something in the water.  "Look there.  Do you see them?"

It took Nancy's eyes, less experienced on water, a few seconds to see what Ellen was pointing at, but she finally made out the two sleek grey shapes pacing the small ship.  "Dolphins?" she ventured.

"Yes," enthused Ellen.  "I have only taken the Grey Lady out a couple of times since Fancy died, but I always see the dolphins.  Sometimes, I think they are looking for  Fancy.  They have even come close to the boat and chittered at me as if they are trying to talk to me, but I don't understand them.  Then they seem to look sad and swim away."  Nancy watched the dolphins for another half an hour as they paralled the ship and then they disappeared.a

It was a couple of hours later when Ellen announced they had reached the drop off point.  Nancy took off her trenchcoat which she had worn over her black body suit and Ellen stared at the blonde detective's jutting breasts.  "Holy fuck, if I was a guy or a lesbian, I could play with those babies all night!" exclaimed Ellen.

 "I feel as your substitute mother for the night that I should tell you to mind your language young lady," smiled Nancy.  Then more soberly, the blonde gave her folded trenchcoat to the young woman.  "Keep your promise and go straight home.  If I don't make it back or something gets me like it did Fancy, please take this to Mr. Wong.  The address is in one of the pockets. Tell him Detective Boobs won't be coming in for pizza anymore and give him the pin and the coat."

Ellen took the trenchcoat gravely, suddenly looking much older than her eighteen years.

* * *
 Nancy crouched under the deep shadow of a tree and surveyed the house with the mini night vision binoculars from her belt.  The blonde had swum ashore and made her way up the beach and through the forest without incident.  There had been one security patrol that she had easilyevaded and now her objective stood there in front of her.  The house was not what she had expected.  Oh, there was a huge sprawlingmansion shaped roughly like a U.  There was a central portion with a pair of wings curving out from it and the open end facing towards the cliff which was a few hundred yards away.  The cusp of the house held a large swimming pool, tennis courts and several small outbuildings.  What there wasn't, however, was any kind of security fence around the mansion.  Nancy had expected stone walls, topped with razor wire, but there was nothing.  Apparently Bridge felt the ocean surrounding the island to be enough security and didn't want any unsightly walls to mar his paradise.

Nancy began to work her way stealthily towards the back of the wing closest to her, hoping to find a window she could slip through.  She was only half way across the lawn, however, when alarms went off and several bright searchlights pinpointed her as if she had been strolling in at midday.  Before the private eye could do more than think about racing back to the trees, a dozen men with machine guns had surrounded her and she quickly raised her arms in the air.

"I seem to have gotten lost," said Nancy weakly to a grim face man in a grey uniform who stepped forward in front of her, keeping his gun levelled at her.

"We know exactly who you are Ms. Nancy Peye," broke in the man.  You have been expected."  My name is Captin Gregor Sandor and you are trespassing on private property."

"Oh well, then I suppose you will be calling the police to come take me away?" said the detective looking around at the hard looking men about her.  "Or are you from the old school of security guards and we are going to have a little gang rape first?"

Captain Sandor gave a smile with no humour in it.  "Oh, we would never dream of gang raping you," and he paused to see if he could detect any sign of relief in Nancy's face.  "Not out here on the lawn in the cold night air.  The gang rape will be later in the house."

With that, the Captain detached a stun gun from his belt and fired it at Nancy without warning.  The electricity surged through the detective's body and brought her to her knees.  Nancy struggled back to her feet and lunged for Sandor, seeing the look of surprise on his face.  She never made it to him though as two more stun guns hit her and everything faded into black.

* * *
When Nancy woke up, she wasn't overly surprised to find herself dangling from chains in a spread eagled position, feet a foot off the floor.  She was surprised to find she stil had her clothes on, though her utility belt was gone.  Looking around, she spotted the belt lying on a countertop and rather than a dungeon, the room appeared to be a laboratory.  That didn't, however, make her feel any happier.  Torture or experimentation.  She would have to toss a coin as to which she preferred  Well, these chains should be easy enough to get out of and then she could grab her belt and be on her way.  The only problem with that plan she thought, were the half dozen men in the room with their guns levelled at her.  I guess I will just have to hang around and see what they want, she decided.

There was a bustle by the room door and another half dozen men came in, one of them being Captain Sandor.  They were followed by a man in a business suit, another man in a white lab coat and a young woman in a royal blue dress of a fairly conservative cut.  Still, you could put an Aphrodite in a potato sack and they would still look good, thought Nancy, and this woman was definitely an Aphrodite.  At least an F cup decided Nancy though she lacked Mrs. Wong's expertise, and then there was the blue hair.  But there was also something wrong with the woman thought Nancy as she watched the guards fan out around the room and the rest of the party move towards her.  The woman's skin was deathly pale and there was a hollow look to the eyes that a skeleton might envy.

"Ah, I am glad to see you are awake Ms. Peye," said the man in the business suit.  May I call you Nancy?"

Nancy shrugged and made the chains rattle.  "Suit yourself, I have been called far worse."

"I don't dout that," snickered the man in the lab coat who Nancy suddenly recognized and wished she hadn't.  The man was Dr. Pervo who while a genuis had by all accounts themoral level of a grapefruit.  The man was well known for his perverted inventions that he used to rape and humiliate the super heroines of Delta City.

"Now, now Doctor, the lady is our guest.  A very important guest," said the man in the business suit and Nancy gave him a quick study.  About forty, short dark black hair, possibly coloured, blue eyes, well put together face, trim body, but not athletic looking.  "Mr. Skyler Bridge I presume?" asked Nancy.

The man nodded and gave the blonde a mocking half bow.  "I would offer to shake hands, but you seem to be otherwise occupied at the moment."

"So just what is this all about Bridge?" asked Nancy.  "Your good Captain Sandor said you were expecting me and I don't see you picking up the phone to call the police to come get a tresspasser."

Bridge didn't answer for a moment and then he turned to the woman in the blue dress.  "Naomi, I think you should go to our room and wait for me there."  

The woman looked at Nancy for a moment with those dead eyes and then nodded to her husband.  Yes, of course."  She turned quickly and a moment later the door slid shut behind her.

As soon as his wife had gone, Bridge walked over to Nancy, grasped the zipper in the front of her body suit and began to slowly pull it down.  Around the room, Nancy could see the eager looks on the faces of the guards.  She supposed this was when the promised gang rape was going to happen, but she was wrong for the moment.  Bridge only pulled the zipper down enough so that her full soft breast slipped out the opening and then he stopped.  What do you think Doctor?" Bridge asked Pervo.

The infamous doctor stepped forward and grabbed one of Nancy's boobs in each hand and began to squeeze and play with them, ending with a hard tweak of each of Nancy's nipples.  "Definitely an Aphrodite," said Pervo.  "She should do nicely."

"Nicely for what?" asked Nancy, not even bothering to glare at Pervo for manhandling her melons.  The detective didn't believe in hollowthreats.  She would simply deal with Pervo if and when she got free.

Bridge gave Nancy a smile. "You see my dear Nancy, I have a problem of a delicate nature."

"You do know you can fix that with Viagra?" cut in  Nancy.

."Ah, yes I was told you think you are witty.  I will soon change that," said Bridge unperturbed.  "I am afraid my problem is a bit more serious than your mocking words imply.  I am an Adonis male which is the male equivalent of the Aphrodite female."  Perhaps to prove his point, Bridge abruptly dropped his pants and boxers to display a massive cock dangling between his legs.  Nancy's bestguess was it would likely be 18 inches when hard and she gulped.  Time to test the old healing factor again, she thought.  To her surprise, however, Bridge just pulled up his pants and didn't commence the rape she had been expecting.  Instead, he started talking again as if nothing unusual had just happened.

"While I am an Adonis, I also have a rare mutation in the gene.  My semen produces a neurotoxin that kills any normal woman that I ejaculate inside whether vaginally, orally or anally.."

"That must be a real downer on a hot date," commented Nancy.

A look of annoyance briefly crossed Bridge's features, but then he continued.  "It is possible for me to have sex with an Aphrodite female, but only after her body has been purified to handle the neurotoxin.  That is where Dr. Pervo comes in.  He has devised a methodology of sexual conditioning and drugs that allows an Aphrodite female to survive mating with me."

"So, you have been quietly kidnapping unknown Aphrodite heroines for your own personal harem?" asked Nancy with disgust.

Bridge looked suddenly offended.  "Harem?  I suppose I should have expected such a thought from a proven slut like yourself, but that too will soon be remedied.  I am a very religious man and God says that a man should have only one woman at a time, and that woman must be his lawfully wedded wife.  I would never sully my marriage vows by dallyingwith any woman but my wife"

"Then I don't get what your plans are for me," said Nancy.  "Wasn't that your wife who was just here?"

"Yes, that is my wife Naomi.  But you saw what her health is like.  The Doctor tells me it is only a matter of days if not hours."

Nancy reeled under this information.  Perhaps this had been the source of her irrational need to come here tonight instead of waiting and planning the operation better as was her wont.  It didn't make a lot of sense to her, however, as she was quite sure there was not a psychic or spiritual bone in her body.  "I am sorry to hear that," she finally managed.  "What is it?  Cancer?"

Bridge shook his head.  "It is aside effect of the drugs she was given to purify her body to accept my seed.  She is in fact, the third Naomi.  They only live three or four years following the purification."

Now Nancy looked at this monster in horror.  "You have done that to three women  Are you fuckinginsane?"  The blonde detective had to restrain herself from slipping out of these stupid chains and attacking the man.  As angry as she was, there was still the small matter of the dozen guards pointing machine guns at her to consider.

"They are only women," said Bridge calmly.  Their lives are not important.  Women were created by God to attend to their husbands and bear his children."

Reality to nutcase," snapped Nancy.  "It is the 21st century, not the fucking middle ages.  "What about the image you portray in public?  "Shelters for abused women?  Brenda Wade thinks you should be put up for sainthood."

"Ah yes, poor deluded Brenda.  She will be taught the error of her ways soon, as will Ms. Americana and all the super whores.  For now, I am the ultimate in political correctness.  She will never see us coming when we take her and all of those super bitches."

"Who is this we you are talkingabout?" asked Nancy.

Bridge seemed to come to himself from whatever twisted vision of the future was flashing through his mind.  "Never mind Nancy.  That will soon no longer concern you.  I am happy to tell you that once Dr. Pervo has purified your body, you shall be my newest Naomi.  His drugs shall purify your body and properly condition your mind to obedience."

"I think I would rather pick the door with the tiger behind it," muttered Nancy.  "But what about Fancy Pope?  How did she end up dead?  Why didn't she end up as one of your fucking Naomis?"

Bridge flushed with some emotion though it looked to Nancy to be more shame than anger.  "She came to my island soon after I had married my current Naomi.  Like her father, she was intent on trying to ruin my plans, my happyness."

"You had Walter Pope killed for poking into your twisted affairs, stated Nancy flatly and then her eyes went wide in shock and disgust.  "You raped Fancy.  It was the neurotoxin that killed her.  There was no sign of any wound on her body and the EMT who tried to save her said there were signs of sex.  You murdered her.  What about yourprecious wedding vows?  The last time I checked, one of the commandments said something or other about not killing, not to mention adultery.."

"I gave into temptation once.  The girl's body seduced me and she paid for her sin.  I should have disposed of her body quietly, but I was generous and left it on the beach for her family, so they could bury her properly."

"You actually believe all that nonsense don't you?" asked Nancy, but it was more of a statement than a question.  "Then to complete your hat trick of murders, you had Dr. Deadmarsh killed, probably because he was going to run some tests that might have exposed you.  Maybe a toxicology screen or even DNA testing on the semen."

Bridge didn't say anything more, just abruptly, turned and left the lab, leaving Nancy alone with the dozen guards and Dr. Pervo.  Oh goody, now is gang rape time, she thought.

* * *

"First my dear," said Pervo stepping forward.  "You are going to remove tht body suit.  I don't want to cut it off
.  It appears to be very ingenious and I wish to study it undamaged.  You will be released from the chains and you will strip.  I am told you are good at that.  Please remember there are a dozen guns aimed at you, so I would not try anything silly."

"Your boss wants me alive," pointed out Nancy.

Pervo shrugged  "We can use thestun guns again.  You can suit yourself."

"Or unsuit myself, you mean" growled Nancy.  In the end, Nancy decided she didn't want the suit damaged either, so when she was lowered and released from the chains, she simply stripped off the garment and handed it impassively to Pervo while he and the guards ogled her shaved pussy and licked their lips.

"What's the matter boys?  You never saw a pussy before? taunted Nancy lookingaround at the gawking men.  "Or aren't you used to getting pussy until after you hit a woman over the head first or knocked her out with rape drugs?"

Instead of the men all falling on her like a pack of raveningwolves, however, Pervo gestured her towards a device in one corner of the lab.  Obediently, Nancy moved towards it, liking the look of it less and less as she got a better look at it.  It looked like a cross between a medical bed and a torture rack.  Pervo gestured for Nancy to lie down and after she did, restraints were snapped around her ankles and wrists, putting her in a spread eagled position once more.  Pervo then bustled about and Nancy felt aprick in her arm and saw the doctor had set up an IV with a large bag of drugs set to drip into her once he started it.  Now how could this get any worse, thought Nancy and then sheheard whirring comingfrom some equipment attached to the bed.  Oh yes, there we go, thought the detective as a pair of large rubber dildos began to move into place.  One at the entrance to her pussy and the other rubbing on her ass.

Dr. Pervo saw nancy looking at the IV and the dildos.  "It will take aproximately twelve hours to perform the purification regimen.  You will be climaxed repeatedly by the dildos, so repeatedly it will seem continuous which will properly prepare your Aphrodite gene to interact with the drugs."

"I don't suppose you would believe me if I told you I am not an Aphrodite, or at least not your world's demented version of it?" asked Nancy.

Pervo laughed.  "Of course not.  Please spare me some ridiculous story about you beingfrom another universe.  I have heard that sily nonsense before."

Nancy sighed.  "Oh well, the truth was worth a try, but I guess they were wrong about it setting you free."

Dr. Pervo just smirked and pressed one of those ominous red buttons.  Nancy felt a slightburning pain as the drugs started to drip into her body and then the two dildos slammed home and she gasped.  There was another whir from the machines and then the two rubber cocksbegan to slide in and out with a regular mechanical rhythm.  

"Do not fret my dear girl," laughed Pervo.  "The machines are programmed to pick up speed as the purification continues.  Then the good doctor turned his attention to Nancy's breasts and began to squeeze them roughly like a kid playing with two large lumps of play dough.

After twenty minutes of fondling her breasts and the machines pumping in and out of her cunt and ass, Nancy had her first orgasm.  The blonde was dimly aware of Pervo frowning as he made a notation on his clipboard and hearing him mutter "that took seven minutes longer than it should have.  Perhaps I will need to intensify the regimen."

The doctor shrugged and pulled down his pants and moved over to Nancy's face.  "Oh well, you can suck me slut while I monitor the initial stages of your conversion."  Nancy was moaning and gasping as the dildos slammed in and out and she just took Pervo's cock into her mouth without fighting it and began to suck on it.  The pervert was no Adonis male, but he had obviously been tampering with his own DNA as he forced his twelve thick inches down Nancy's throat and began to face fuck her.

Nancy had her second orgasm at the 39 minute mark and Pervo followed a few seconds later spewing a warm thick load of his cock cream into her mouth.  Nancy swallowed almost automatically feeling the doctor's sperm wriggling down into her belly.  Pervo slid his now flacid dick from her mouth and wiped it over her face and made another notation on his clipboard.

"I have other work to do," heannounced and prepared to leave the room.  He glanced at Sandor and the other guards contemptuously.  "The system is set up to run automatically for another eleven hours and," he glanced at his watch.  "Nine minutes.  Do not touch the machine, but you may make use of her delightful mouth for the next five hours.  After that, you are to leave her alone until morning, so the process is completed properly.  Is that understood?"

"Understood," agreed Sandor and he pulled out his cock.  "Five hours is plenty for us to have our fun with her.  From the television show she put on, she is a very talented cocksucker."

"Indeed she is," laughed Pervo and left.  Sandor stepped over to Nancy and shoved his cock between her lips.  Nancy's mind was getting a bit hazy as she wrapped her mouth about the Captain's cock andbegan to suck on it.

Nancy had her third orgasm at 57 minutes and by then Sandor and three of the guards had cum in her mouth.

i* * *

By the time four hours had passed, Nancy was having near continuous orgasms and each of the dozen guards had pumped a couple of loads of spunk into her now drooling mouth.  After six hours, Sandor and his men left the room looking very satisfied and didn't even spare a backwards glance at the whore they had just used.

A half hour after the men left, Nancy was dimly aware of the door openingand someone else coming into the lab.  Nancy's arm felt like it was on fire where the IV dripped into her and the burning was slowly spreading throughout her body.  She knew Pervo had not believe dher about not being a normal Aphrodite, and the detective had no clue how drugs designed to work on a Delta City heroine would affect her.  The dildos were increasingtheir speed steadily as Pervo had promised and Nancy was fighting a losing battle to try and hold back the orgasms.  The best she could seem to manage with concentration was to keep them a minute apart and not continuous.  It was a small victory, but you took them where you could find them at a time like this.

"You came back like you said you would," said a voice.

Nancy stared groggily at the figure and finally got Naomi into focus.  "What?" she managed to gasp after another orgasm swept through her body.

"I didn't think you would come back for me like you promised," said the blue haired woman coming closer to Nancy and lookingdown at her.  "You said you would come back for me.  Free me.  You promised.  I waited and waited  I did everything my master and husband wanted while I waited.  I prayed you would come back."

My god, the poor woman thinks I am Fancy come back to save her from that madman Bridge, thought Nancy in a fuzzy horor and then gasped as another  fuckingorgasm hit her and the dildos continued to slam into her over and over again until she thought she would go mad.

"Yes, I came back to get you," Nancy lied and hated herself for the deception, but she was desperate for her own life and sanity now.  "Please turn off the machine and I can take you out of here," promised Nancy.

"Oh no. I can't leave now.  He wouldn't like that.  He would hurt me." cried Naomi.

"Aaaaaiiiiiieeeeeeeee" moaned Nancy  as the machine triggered another orgasm from her.  It was getting so damn hard to think, to concentrate.  How could she convince this poor terrified woman to help her?  "Nao, " Nancy stopped.  No, that wasn't her real name was it?  Had Bridge married the original Naomi?  When she had died, had he just given that name to his next wife rather than accept he had killed his Naomi?  Oh fuck, not another orgasm.  Nancy felt her thoughts washed away as the climax thundered along her nerves.

"What, what was your super heroine name?" gasped Nancy at last when her mind cleared a bit.

The woman looked confused.  "My name is Naomi.  He told me that is my only name.  all others don't matter anymore.  I am naomi."

"Aaaaaaiiiiiiieeeee," screamed Nancy.

The detective looked at the woman's blue hair.  "Was it Blue something?" she ventured desperately.

A look of panic crossed the woman's face for a moment."No, I mustn't think about that.  It is not my name anymore.  I am N, N, Naomi." she finally got out.

The dildos speeded up again and Nancy arched her back and screamed out the loudest orgasm yet.  Tears of frustration ran down her face, makingtracks in the cum leftthere by Sandor and the other guards.

What was it Axanna had said about the missing heroine.  Flyer, that was it.  "You had the ability to fly?" she asked in a raspy voice.

The woman blinked and her eyes seemed to cloud over.  "Fly?  Yes, I used to be able to fly.  Like a bird.  That was my name.  Blue Bird.  I used to love to fly.  To soar among the clouds. I was free."  Then another look ofpanic flashed across her face.  "He says I should not fly anymore.  It was wrong.  It was sinful.  Only angels can fly.  He beat me until I learned to obey.  I no longerwant to fly.""

Nancy wanted to sob for the woman, for all women who had been abused by Bridge and men like him.  But then all she could do was scream out another orgasm to the gods who didn't seem to be listening or give a damn.

"Birds have to be free.  Birds have to fly," whispered Nancy as the pain from the IV was making her chestburn like acid was coursing through her veins and arteries instead of blood.

"Birds have to be free.  Birds have to fly?" repeated the woman.

"Yes!" gasped Nancy.  "Birds have to be free andso do I.  Please Blue Bird.  Remember who and what you truly are.  You are not Naoomi.  You are Blue Bird.  You are a hero.  Turn off the machine."

"Aaaaaaiiiiiieeeeee,"  screamed Nancy once more.

"I am a hero?" said Blue Bird.  "Yes, I am a hero," and the blue haird woman reached out and pressed the off button on the machine.

* * * 

Nancy gave a sob of relief as she felt the dildos stop their pounding of her pussy and ass and then slowly they pulled out of her and returned to their initial rest position.  The IV drip had stopped  She was still restrained by the manual shackles, but so far no alarm had gone off to alert Prvo and the guards.  Holding an orgasm at bay with all her will, Nancy concentrated on the shackles and they clicked open.

Nancy rolled off the bed trying to stand and promptly fell flat on her face.  "Fuck, that hurts my tits," she moaned as Blue Bird helped her to her feet.

Pervo had not taken her body suit with him, so after standing unsteadily for a few minutes, Nancy limped over and picked it up.  It took her brain another few minutes to remember how to put it on and then she buckled the discarded utility belt around her hips and looked at the confused and frightened Blue Bird.

"I, I shouldn't havedone that," she wailed.  "He will be angry with me.  He will beat me."

Nancy took the woman's hands in her own and looked Blue Bird in those haunted, failing eyes.  "Remember, you are a hero.  You are a superior woman!" said Nancy invoking one of her most hated phrases to try and reach the distraught woman.

"Yes, I am a hero.  A superior woman," mouthed Blue Bird and to Nancy's incredulouseyes, Blue Bird struck the most pathetic hands on hips hero pose she had ever seen and it nearly broke her heart to see it.

"Now, we have to get out of here," ordered Nancy and pulled the woman with her to the door.  It hissed open and thankfully there were no guards posted outside as Nancy wasn't sure she could have taken down a boy scout let alone Sandor and his goons.  Her healing factor was kicking in and the blonde felt stronger by the second, but she hoped to avoid any fighting if she could manage it.

"Which way out?" asked Nancy.  The detective didn't have much of a plan.  Get outside.  Find a boat.  Get the hell off this island.

"This way," said Blue Bird and began to pull Nancy down the hallway.  

Nancy let herself be led down the hall, and then up a flight of stairs.  It seemed they had been in the basement of one of the wings and now Blue Bird was leading her to a back entrance.  That would put them on the cliff side of the island, but it couldn't be helped. They would just have to circle around to the beach side where Nancy had seen some boats moored.

They almost made it.  With the door in sight, Captain Sandor stepped out from a side corridor in front of them.  "Security cameras bitch.  I was on duty.  I had to let that asshole Pervo have you for his fucking machine, but before I send you back to him, I am going to nail that cunt of yours."

Sandor drew his stun gun and fired it into Nancy before the still reeling detective could react.  Once more, Nancy screamed and crashed to her knees.  Then anger and adrenaline swept through the blonde'sbody.  She had had justenough of thisfucker and wasn't fucking going to fucking take it any fucking more.  He didn't have hisbuddies with him this time to ad their stun guns to his.  He was just one stupid fucking man and she was a fucking superior woman!  Nancy forced herself to her feet and advanced on Sandor who stared at her in shock.  He reached  for his pistol, but was too slow.  Nancy's fist caught him in the jaw, breaking it as he flew backwards and crashed through the door.

Nancy and Blue Bird stepped on his unconscious body as they went through the door to the outside.  It was still dark, though there was a hint of red light in the east.  What was that old saying?  Red sky at night, sailor's delight.  Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.  Nancy could see a huge storm was brewing as massive thunderheads crowded overhead like shoppers at a  Black Friday sale.

There were more cries behind them in the house now and more from the sides of the house.  Nancy looked around trying not to panic.  Every way was blocked except the way to the cliff.  Maybe there was some way to climbdown?  The rain began to fall steadily as she grabbed Blue Bird's hand again and they dashed off into the storm.

There was no way down.

nancy stood at the edge of the cliff and stared at the jagged boulders below.  Far past them were the depths of the ocean, but it was a leap she doubted she could have made even if in perfect condition and the fire from the drugs still hammered in her veins and her legs were like rubber.

"There is no place for you to go," said Skyler Bridge suddenly appearing out of the rain a few dozen yards behind Nancy.  The detective whirled around.  Blue Bird lay sprawled on the ground closer to Bridge and now one of the guards grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet as the woman sobbed.

"Birds have to be free.  Birds have to fly." she sobbed.

Bridge stepped towards the blue haired woman and slapped her across the face.  "Stupid whore.  I am glad you will soon no longer bother me.  You are a pathetic useless wreck of a woman.  You disgust me."  Bridge turned away from the sobbing woman to look at Nancy.  He signalled to his men who raised their guns to sight on Nancy.  "Your choiceharlot.  You can come back and finish yourpurification and serve me for as long as you live or you can die."

I'm sorry Blue Bird," said Nancy sadly to the sobbing woman.  "I tried my best to set you free, but I failed."  Turning to look at Bridge,""I choose death then, snarled nancy in defiance and before Bridge or his men could do anything, Nancy sprinted towards the cliff and leaped over the edge.

As she fell, she knew it was not enough. She was not going to clear the rocks and make the water.  She wondered briefly if she had been right about her employers.  Was there another Nancy now being prepared to continue her mission?  She stareddown at the roks as they rushed up to meet her.

Then Nancy felt hands grip her under the armpits and lift her up from the rocks.  Nancy glanced up to see Blue Bird's face shining with delight as she soared up into the storm.

"Birds must be free.  Birds must fly" proclaimed Blue Bird with a shout of joy as they cleared the rocks and were over open water.

Then Blue Bird gave Nancy a sad look.  "I can't go any farther.  I am so sorry, but it is the best I can do.  You are free.  We are free."  With that, the two women crashed into the raging ocean and were lost below  the turbulant surface.

* * *

Bridge watched the two women soar away and then crash into the water.  He looked at the storm as it raged all around them.  "They are 25 miles from land.  Even if they survive that fall, they are dead  Damn, now I will have to find another Naomi."  He turned his back on the sea and along with his men returned to the house.

* * *

Nancyfought her way to the surface, coughing out sea water as she looked arounddesperately in the roiling water for Blue Bird.  The detective saw her a few yards away and swam to her, turning the woman over from her facedown position.  The detective found herself staring into the finally peaceful eyes of a dead woman.

"Birds have to be free.  Birds have to fly," muttered Nancy as she clutched the dead heroine to her.  "I don't know if you have family or friends left in Delta City Blue Bird but I will get the premiere super heroine in Delta City home.  I promise."

And just how am I going to keep that promise thought Nancy as she stared about her at the raging ocean.  Well, land was that way she hoped and with Blue Bird in tow, began to swim.  She knew there was no way in hell she was going to make it.

The detective had gone maybe a mile and there was no strength left in her arms and legs.  She felt terribly cold despite the body suit and the burning pain in her body from the drugs Pervo had shot her full of.  Nancy started to slip below the surface for what she knew was the last time when something bumped into her ass.  Nancy looked behind her into a pair of bright eyes in a sleek silver face that chittered at her.  The two dolphins lifted Nancy and Blue Bird up and began to swim.

Nancy staggered up out of the water carrying blue Bird's body and fell face first onto the sand on the beach.

A moment later, an old woman walking a golden retriever dog  with a harness on its back, stopped and peered down at the two bodies.  The old woman pulled out a cell phone from a pocket and dialed 911 as the dog licked Nancy's face.

The End