One in Ten Ch. 06

"He was being raped," Fraklos instantly replied. "His plague still reacts in most ways as the normal plague, so it was weakened by the stress he was under."

"Hold on," Seneca spoke up. "You mean Israel is right? Stressing males is killing us off?"

"Please correct me if I'm wrong, but are we saying that Carabolix 37 - the correct application of Carabolix 37 - creates a virus that kills the Gender Plague in males during their first year of life?" Capri requested to know.

"We would need to study it, but it looks that way," Fraklos took the leap.

"Where do we put him?" Agent Vabishi murmured.

"Oh - I have no idea what time it is, but I need to help Ms. O'Hara move into my place before my date with Ms. Sano at six," I declared as I stood up.

"You can't possibly believe we will let you just walk out of here," a different agent regarded me with disbelief.

"I got this one," Capri stood by my side. "When did you learn for a fact that we were dying out as a species?" she addressed the feds.

"We were read in this afternoon," Dimples replied. By 'read in' she meant told about the Big Lie the government was involved in concerning our collapsing population.

"Where are you going to put him where he is safer than in the public eye?" Capri stated. "Any secret installation you put him in is the end of the line for the rest of us. Right Shelia?"

She was looking at her tablet, unresponsive.

"But he is our best bet to end the curse of the Gender Plague," Fraklos begged.

"We don't know that," Dimples interrupted Capri. "All we know is that he can save his own offspring, that's all. We know that if there are any does of Carabolix 37 left, Dr. Fremont is hiding them, along with the research. Can anyone think of a reason we can legally hold Mr. Jensen? Does anyone believe he hasn't fully cooperated with the National Security inquiry?"

"Mr. Jensen - Israel, have you fully cooperated with my investigation?" Shelia Montanyard asked me. It was a formality. I could lie and they wouldn't call me on it. They had no real choice. I knew the feeling and I would be damned if I perpetuated it.

"No. I haven't told you everything," I said calmly. Capri grunted.

"When Dr. Fremont told me about Carabolix 37 she made me relive that memory with the Aurora Slasher - at her mercy, down in her basement. Between that and the beating Magdalena had inflicted on me, it broke me. I'm never going to get my mind back." I looked at them. They didn't know what to make of my little confession.

"But, it showed me the memories of what the Slasher did to me are still inside and when I can, I'll try to go back to them and figure out each and every thing she did to me that might have influenced why the Carabolix didn't kill me. Maybe we can save a few others," I trembled.

"It most likely won't make a difference," Shelia pierced me.

"If I fight, they win. If I don't fight, they win. All I can do is take the best course of action that I can live with," I tried to explain. It was strange to watch them soak in those words. They were winners. Even among women, they were the ones who always came out on top. They were also smart and the enormity of the task ahead gave them pause. Except Dimples.

"I'm satisfied," Shelia announced. "We'll be in touch if we need any more information, Mr. Jensen."

"Thanks, Shelia," I mumbled. Then my mind flipped. "Shelia, get Ms. Silverhorn and her team their jobs back. I don't care if you have to send Dimples down and personally kick some heads in or shove Isobel into a dirigible heading for the Artic - just do it."

"Any other suggestions on how I should accomplish that - such as ways that don't break the law?" Shelia smirked. That was it. We were all in it now.

"Tell the Mayor I'm coming back to work tomorrow," I grinned weakly. "Tell her if she agrees to pardon Francesca, you'll stop me." She nodded. Words weren't necessary.

(Moving In and Later)

To keep all those plates spinning in the air, we all had to go back to our lives. For Capri and me, that meant being unemployed (technically we were both suspended without pay until a review was performed). For me it was obvious - I had pulled a 'Prophet of Doom' on the world stage. I was curious as to Capri's final sin. She made it easy.

"I told my boss that I prayed to the Goddess she was transgender because if she (her boss) was born a woman, I was seeking out gender-reassignment out of shame," Capri informed me, "with my outdoor voice and her door open." Yeah, that would have done it.

"Do you think she is a tranny?" I inquired. Women occasionally attempted to outwardly look like men for reasons I couldn't explain.

"Nah," Capri snickered. "She's self-conscious about her narrow hips looking too masculine."

We were on the metro; I with three large bins stacked one on top of another in front of me. Capri had two over-stuffed dress bags hanging from one of the metro handholds. The car wasn't crowded, but circumstance wouldn't allow us to move if things looked bad.

"You are that nut from the TV this morning," a strange women pushed my shoulder. I had learned long ago to avoid women having a bad day. You couldn't win dealing with one if you were a guy. It was unlikely you could make her happy in a conventional manner so you sucked up the abuse and prayed she became bored or had an appointment somewhere else.

Capri didn't know about this behavior, or how female-male interactions worked.

"I bet your eye-care provider is pleased that you can recognize people from two meters away," Capri snapped back. The problem was one of numbers and Capri hadn't developed the awareness to understand that Grumpy wasn't alone in her dislike of me.

"Step off, you Cunt," the pissed off women snarled. She pushed Capri who clipped the crates and fell down. Had I my dowel, access to my hard-pressed courage and my back to anything other than more women, I would have shoved back. Instead, I did my best by shielding Capri's body so hopefully she could rise. I could attest to how painful having high heels stomp on your hands could be.

The woman having a bad day lost her fight with her anger. She hauled back and punched me. Or, she would have, but the blow never fell. I heard an 'ugh' and peeked back at my attacker.

"Have you donated blood recently?" a spooky calm voice requested of my attacker. I couldn't see the woman defending me, but she was holding the fist of my attacker a few centimeters from impact.

I knew that tone of voice though the speaker appeared a mystery. It was how the Aurora Slasher sounded whenever she was talking to herself. Totally ice calm.

"What?" the angry one blurted out.

"You never know when you might end up in intensive care, so it is always wise to donate blood under your name, so they have it in your type when you need it," my defender continued.

"Let go of her," a new woman chimed in. My defender let go, but at least I had Capri back on her feet and my hand over her mouth, stifling her curses.

"I can't believe they let a vicious, stupid bastard like you talk on the air," the first woman continued. I struggled for the words.

"I had to do what I thought was right," I responded.

"I can't believe they let you out of jail," she snapped. "Someone should correct you." My defender pushed forward so that her back was to me, but I had caught a look at her face. I felt terrified all over again. It was my first minder from Isobel's party. The one who talked to me.

"I need you to state your intentions at this time," my defender spoke loudly. "I will not let you hurt this man or his companion. If you plan to do so, you will need to get past me first." There were women behind us too, but the declaration was clear.

"Who are you?" a fourth woman demanded.

"You are not behaving in a civil manner so I chose not treat you civilly," my defender replied.

"Do you have a clue what is going on?" Capri hissed.

"I know her as one of Isobel Diaz's guards," I mumbled back. The woman took a second to quickly turn and face me. Her icy façade evaporated into a warm, comforting glow.

"It will be okay, Israel," she winked. "Bravo," and she turned back to face the mob alone. What the hell was I supposed to make of that? Isobel...Vanishers...FBI catchphrases...my lunch was trying to make an acidic comeback. The last bit was anti-climactic. Pre-rush hour commuters don't like getting into fights with someone who acts like they would gladly uses your polished skull as a decoration for Halloween.

They got pissy, they called the cops and nothing happened. Not 'nothing' as in the cops refused to show up. No, it was 'nothing' as in 'no service detected' on their phones. Dimples and Company and the GED were wondering why they couldn't find the Vanishers...the Vanishers were jacking their tech.

They had jobs that allowed them access to critical information. They were walking around in plain sight. They weren't the Illuminati - they were next door neighbor Jill. Getting away from them was going to be a whole lot tougher than I thought - because they weren't hiding. They could simply walk up and take me with no one being the wiser. OH, SHIT.

She escorted Capri and me off at our metro stop. Before heading off her separate way, the protector introduced herself.

"I'm Zara," she shook Capri's hand. She took me by the elbow and pulled me slightly away.

"I'm glad you were chosen, Israel," she smiled. "We know what is going on and we are working hard to make sure you will be fine. Take care."

I nodded good-bye. What else could I do? My tax dollars, had I ever actually paid taxes, had turned that woman into a killing machine. I wouldn't put money on Zara being her real name either. Until a few minutes earlier, I thought my life was making progress. Now this.

"Man, she really likes you," Capri surprised me.

"What!" I gasped.

"Oh yeah," Capri watched Zara's retreating form. "I was afraid I would have to mop up the drool around the corners of her lips. She is definitely hot for you."

"You are not helping!" I yelled.

"Is there anything else I need to know about this woman?" Capri nudged me.

"Since I would be really upset having to identify your dismembered body at the morgue - no, there is nothing you need to know about Zara," I declared.

"You and your curse...Goddess, I'm glad I'm not you," Capri remarked. "Being your friend is tough enough."

We moved Capri into her tiny room. She jokingly bitched about the size until she saw mine was no bigger. Capri had been lulled into a false sense of economic space by her status as a lawyer and the resultant apartment space Housing Authority had granted her. Since her living arrangements were courtesy of her job with the Public Defender's Office, she was days from eviction.

My position was secure because I was assigned my condo as a gender quota, not as a city employee. I reminded Capri of this gross unfairness.

"If I have to massage your testicles so we can make rent...well, let's leave it with my mom being more disappointed in me than normal," she laughed.

"Tell her you are living with a guy," I suggested. "That has to mean something."

"Good point. That's something my two perfect older sisters haven't managed to do," she conceded. "I know what she'll say - where are my grandchildren? With your poor decision making, I'm sure you picked a dud."

My whole body shook nervously. Capri looked at me with concern.

"I have an idea," I exhaled. I told her what it was and Capri nearly fell over, it was so irreverent. She called her mother and related her most recent tale of woe while her mother looked on in rapt attention.

"I love you, Mom," Capri ended the conversation.

"Keep in touch, Capri," her mother, Charlotte, murmured. "It was nice to meet you, Israel." The older woman was clearly floored as the connection died. See, the entire time Capri and her mother chatted, she was standing, her top half naked, facing the main screen with her lower body shielded by my sofa.

I stood behind Capri, my hands cupping and massaging Capri's breasts and nipples and masking them from view - this wasn't technically porn. Capri's flowing russet hair was pulled over her right shoulder so that I could continuously kiss her from the tip of her shoulder to her earlobe. Capri wiggled around - all I had on were gym shorts - and extended her hand into the small space between us for me to shake.

"Thank you," she beamed. "We are even. I've waited my whole life to shove any accomplishment in my mother's face. Everything I've ever done, my older sisters did better. Every - single - time. Hey, up for doing my sisters?" I shook the hand.

"We'll have to create something new, in case they compare notes," I insisted.

It was liberating in a way that was nearly impossible to put into words. Sex wasn't fun with Capri - it was funny. It was jovial, nonsensical and teasing with a purpose toward comedy, not foreplay. I could display my body in a way that didn't leave me feeling vulnerable and afraid. I was a joke because I wanted to be a joke, not because I knew the world would see me that way.

We set up her oldest sister in the bathroom, complete with steamy condensation. Capri, dressed in frilly peach colored bra and panties was laying out her story of misfortune to her sister when the older sibling started lecturing Capri on Goddess knows what. I walked in behind Capri. She was holding up her phone so that it caught me from jawline to mid-thigh.

I had a shirt and slacks on this time, so it wasn't overtly sexual. I rubbed behind her, giving the impression that bathroom was smaller than it was.

"Cologne, Babe," I 'informed' Capri of what I was reaching around her for. The sister grew silent. I kissed Capri on the top of her head. "Capri, we have some time," I hinted.

"Again?" Capri muttered in despair. "We just did it."

"I really need you," I purred. I took her left hand in my left and brought it to my crotch. Capri made sure to press the outline of my hard-on several times so that her sibling could see what, in theory, Capri was about to be 'getting again' real soon.

"Sorry, Sara (her older sister), I have to go. You know how pouty men become if they don't get what they want," Capri was very apologetic - and still massaging my manhood.

"Of course," Sara agreed. I doubt she had a clue about what made men pouty. Capri insisted that her 'younger' older sister would handle the next call. We had everything staged.

It was a close call, so to speak. I really had to get going to Kuiko's when the phone rang exhibiting Capri's other sister's number. After several rings,

"Hello, Israel Jensen," I answered.

"Hello Mr. Jensen, this is Melbane O'Hara. Is Capri O'Hara still there?" she asked.

"Ummm - she lives here," I appeared uncomfortable. I was on the screen from mid-torso to a few inches over my head.

"Oh, if she's not there, can you please tell me where she is," she requested sweetly.

"She's here - she's just - busy," I gulped.

"It is important," Melbane insisted.

"Okay," I sighed and then I looked down. Straight down. "Honey?" There was a slick, popping sound (Capri slurping on two of her fingers then quickly withdrawing them from her mouth) followed by the sound of my zipper going up. My cock had been perfectly safe.

Capri pulled herself up my body, stood to face her sister and wiped up some drool from around her lips.

"Yes, Melbane, what is it?" Capri grumbled.

"What were you doing?" Melbane was aghast.

"Getting an early start on dinner," Capri snapped. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"You - what - you have a boyfriend?" Melbane stuttered. "You have a good-looking boyfriend?"

"Yeah, and his cock is almost eight inches long and 'this' big around," Capri made a circle with her thumb and finger. She may have exaggerated...a bit.

"But - but why weren't you having intercourse?" Melbane begged to understand.

"Oh no," I interjected. "No vaginal ejaculations from me until she gets a job."

"Ugh," Capri sighed. "Until then it is all 'mouth and ass - mouth and ass'. I swear, if he wakes me up in the middle of the night going 'let's 69' one more time, I'll scream."

"My vagina is sore from all the sex. I didn't know a vagina could get over-sexed. Melbane, does your vagina ever get too much sex?" Capri sounded intensely worried.

"I can - check with people," Melbane evaded.

"All I know is my lips are starting to chap and my butt hurts when I sit down," Capri groaned.

"I shouldn't complain too much," she became all dreamy-eyed. "I mean, it tastes divine - creamy and rich plus just a bit salty - yummy. I'm sure you know all about that. Speaking of which, I need a pick-me-up right now. Talk to you later Melbane - by the way, why did you call?"

"I wanted to be sure you were being presentable, despite your difficulties," Melbane recovered. That was bull. She suspected her sister was lying and this was a call to catch her off-guard.

"I am presented with a difficulty right now, so I'll call you later once I'm done," Capri waved off her middle sibling. With that the connection died.

Capri proceeded to do a spasmodic happy dance all over my inadequate living room. This was the morale boost we needed - to conquer a long term foe. In her case, it was getting one over on her mother and siblings who had always tried to make her feel insufficient in some way. For me, it was a fear of flirting. I had sexually teased several women - even if by live video - and gotten away with it.

We got away with it because the only sex you had to register was vaginal ejaculation. That's why I didn't have to let Bethany scan me this morning and why Capri's family couldn't check up on her by way of my wristband. Anal and oral sex weren't unknown, just unlikely. You couldn't repopulate the human race by tantalizing some girl's taste buds, so only a vaginal deposit qualified you for your 28 day duty.

There were girls (and guys) who liked anal sex but the rule was 'VBA' - vaginal before anal. There was the added complication that if you were going to shoot off twice, society wanted you to pick two different girls, not two different holes on the same girl. The trifecta was being crushingly selfish.

All that rolled back to me, Angel and Saturday morning. On one hand, she'd brought a guy to fruition FOUR times, and all in the right place. Still, there was this feeling that somewhere along the line - you know - maybe after round two - could she have called a friend over to share in her good fortune?

Roni was right across the hall and Kuiko would have burrowed through the ceiling/floor like a gopher to get some. I was sure some of her cop buddies were jokingly saying 'bitch, we are on speed dial' or something like that. That I would want to switch up, or that I wouldn't want to, probably didn't enter their minds.

Thankfully, Angel cared about me and my feelings so that situation never came up. Fortunately for me, Capri was funny, Kuiko and Aniqua were patient, Roni paid attention and Venus and Samantha were coming around. Francesca - if I was lucky, she'd never see me again. The only thing I'd done for her was give her the choice between doing what you do to get by versus doing for the World.

Capri ushered me out the door for my rendezvous with Kuiko. Because my social life was as subtle as a mac-truck, there were only eight women in the hallway between my second story condo and hers on the poolside-first floor. I found myself involuntarily slowing down as I approached her door.

'Maybe she's forgotten our date and gone out with friends,' a voice in my head said. 'No way,' a second voice replied. 'She's probably a horny little rabbit ready to pounce on us, stalking on the other side of the door.' 'Idiot, rabbits don't pounce and even if they did pounce, you can't pounce and stalk at the same time.'