Chapter 18

[Caz & Cy] Early October

"Counsel for Reverend Matthews called and they want to negotiate," Caz's lawyer told him over the phone the morning after Marty dropped her bombshell.

"I will give the Reverend the same opportunity to negotiate that he gave me," Caz said sharply. "Absolutely none."

"I was hoping you would say that." Caz could hear his lawyer grinning over the phone.

"I still have someone on the inside," Caz replied. "Is it all right to refer to absolute turmoil within a religious organization as 'all Hell breaking loose? Actually, things have been tumultuous ever since his family left. I would think that by this time, it might be a relief to all involved if the ministry shut down." The two men laughed together at that thought.

"I don't know if I will ever take religion seriously," Caz stated, "but there is one thing that I do believe."

"And that is... ?"

"Be sure your sin will find you out?"

"Did you really write that under your signature on the agreement."

"I sure did," Caz attested. "Only on their copy. I could never have envisioned just this scenario, but I always knew that this day would come in some form."

"Can they really come up with three million?" the lawyer asked.

"The ministry has a substantial cash flow and he is the sole owner," Caz answered. From what I can find out, they have about one mil in the bank as we speak. I suspect his own holdings are that or more."

"Any danger of him trying to Cayman it, or something?"

"Can you hear a shrug over the phone? In some ways, I would prefer a trial," Caz answered.

"But the boy - and the women..."

"I agree. It would certainly be better for them to handle it quietly. I can't imagine that Matthews would risk prison."

"I don't know," the lawyer cautioned. "His grasp on reality seems pretty tenuous right now. He might have some delusions that he could never be convicted because he answers to a higher authority, or something."

"It's time to meet the Matthews family, I think," Caz said.

[Rachel & Caz] Early October

When Caz was shown into Julia's office, the women were already there, in robes, and Cy was holding up his mother. It did not help. As soon as Caz entered, Rachel collapsed. Cy struggled to get her seated on the couch. Caz darted over to help. When she was seated and awareness was returning, she saw Caz sitting right beside her. She made a gurgling sound and started to cry.

No one knew what to say, so there was silence. Julia, who was not sure the meeting was a good idea, had insisted on being present, and hurriedly poured a glass of water and handed it to Cy for Rachel.

After taking a couple of small sips of the water, Rachel managed to glance at Caz briefly before looking down. "He ... he ... he promised he would stop if I lied. I'm so s ... s ... sorry!" Then, the tears came in a flood.

"Rachel," Caz said softly, "some years ago I learned that you were as much a victim as I was."

"How ... how did you know?"

"I ... have my ways. I learned how you lived. I felt terrible for you, but I couldn't do anything or I would be charged with rape."

"You don't h ... hate m ... me?"

"I admit that I did for many years," Caz said, "but no more." Rachel kept looking up at him for a second or two, then looked down at her hands. "Did he stop?" Caz asked.

Naomi answered "It stopped as soon as he knew she was pregnant. He never did it to her again."

"It sounds like he wanted a male child," Caz observed. "Did he continue having sex with you, Naomi?"

"He never stopped. I guess he had his needs."

[Caz] Early October

Caz's lawyer's assessment of Reverend Matthews' mental state was not far off the mark. It had started with the flight of his family and had worsened when his last attempt to get them back had failed.

Of course, his loss had made for excellent sermon fodder. The letters of sympathy, with checks enclosed, had poured in at an unprecedented rate. The obvious attack on him by the Evil One had improved his already exalted spiritual stature in the eyes of many, many of his followers.

Matthews' organization was different from that of Frank Schermer in significant ways. Schermer had some huge donors who had insisted on a credible board of directors before they would contribute. Matthews listed only himself, Naomi, and Rachel as directors. Schermer's ministry owned all of the assets and paid him a salary and expenses. Matthews was adamant about personal control of everything and his ministry was essentially a sole proprietorship.

When the lawyers met with Matthews to tell him of the demands, it was a strange meeting, indeed. He played the martyr to the hilt, decrying yet one more attempt by Satan to destroy the wonderful work that he, William, was doing. Even when the lawyers stated that he could be charged with statutory rape and do time, he in no way acknowledged that fathering Cy had been a crime or even a sin. After only fifteen minutes, he insisted that the demands be ignored and left the meeting.

Matthews' lawyers literally begged Caz's lawyer for a face to face meeting. Caz thought about it for a day and then told them he would meet only if Naomi, Rachel, and Cy would attend. That brought a storm of protest, but it was a desperate situation and it was agreed upon.

That left Caz with the task of persuading Cy and the women to attend. Before he approached them, he wanted Julia's opinion on whether they could handle it - Rachel, in particular. What he had not thought about was the issue of whether Julia would allow the women to leave the Tee for such a meeting.

"Mr. Calloway, I..."

"Caz, please."

"Caz, I can understand why you would like all of them at this meeting, but I am very concerned about such interruptions hampering Rachel's progress."

"Oh?"

"Please understand that I cannot be specific with you because of confidentiality, even though you are so kindly paying the bills. I suggest you talk to Cy about it and he can tell you some of his mother's symptoms. I believe that what she needs more than anything is the total immersion, the total insulation from other sources of stress and anxiety that we can offer here.

"I view the task of sending Rachel from here a whole, functional woman to be one of my biggest professional challenges. Now, that is more than I should have told you. I had promised the women one more Sunday that they could go to church, and I may even have to renege on that promise."

"I knew from my sources the kind of problems she had. Of course, I have no desire to impede her progress. What about Mrs. Matthews, then?"

"I would agree to her attending except for one thing. Rachel is extremely attached to and dependent on her mother. It is nearly an umbilical attachment. She has the same sort of dependence on Cy, and not having free access to him is already an issue. Just so you know, I am considering having Cy work here even without the usual training, just so he can be close for Rachel.

"The upshot is, Caz, that if Rachel knows that Naomi is dressing and going out for something important with Cy, it will have a real negative impact on her. I would like to avoid that."

"Believe me, Dr. Waxman, I..."

"Julia, please."

With a chuckle, Caz continued " ... I thought I would be helping them by letting them in on the 'negotiations'. I did not consider that Rachel might be better off not involved."

"Oh, I didn't question your motives, Caz. In fact, you are to be congratulated in the way you have treated women who had a part in the crime against you."

"Julia, my sources are very good. Money can buy excellence, you know. I could tell you things from that house that would make you cry or make you scream in anger."

"In my practice, I see many such situations. If you just talk to Cy's new brothers and sisters at Lindsey's Place, you will find out that what you heard from your 'sources' is not that unusual. In fact, a talk with Floyd and Mary Hall would be instructive for you."

"Would there be any harm in having Cy and his lawyer in the meeting? I am very impressed with him. I sometimes wish..." Caz cut himself off at that point.

"I think that would be all right," Julia answered. "I don't want to dump too much on him, but you're right, he seems very strong-minded. Caz, there is one other thing I would like to have you consider. Transformations weathered a storm of very public controversy not that long ago. What we do works best with a good deal of anonymity.

"In no way would I ask you to back off from what you need to do to shield us. I would very much appreciate it, though, if you would let us know about any major moves. This call is very much in that spirit, and I do thank you for it."

"I have to confess that the reason for the call was just to get permission for Cy and the women to be at the meeting, Julia. But I will definitely keep you apprised of new developments."

[Marty, Caz & Cy] Mid October

Caz, Cy, Marty, Caz's lawyer, and two of Matthews' lawyers were meeting and things were at a stalemate. "There is nothing we can do to get him to agree," the Reverend's lead lawyer said. "I don't see how, in good conscience, we could encourage him to agree, anyway. It seems that you are determined to end his ministry. We could not help you do that to our client."

"Could you help him stay out of jail?" Caz demanded.

"First of all," the lead lawyer said, "it is not clear that he would ever be convicted."

"Don't insult us!" Caz snapped. "If it goes to trail, even in a civil suit, his ministry is over. The publicity will insure that. In a criminal suit, which I WILL pursue, a DNA test will be demanded, and then, the public will know.

"The fact is that as we sit here today, the Reverend's ministry is over." Caz waited while the two lawyers absorbed that. "I am offering a chance for that bastard to go quietly into the sunset. It's a chance he does not deserve, but I am thinking of his son, his wife, and his daughter. It would be better for them."

"You are a hard, vengeful man, Mr. Calloway," the lead lawyer intoned.

"Just how would you react if that had been done to you?" Caz snapped back.

"It has not been proven that the extortion actually occurred," the lawyer countered.

"Now, that is nothing but posturing," Caz said with harsh laugh. "You know very well how short the extortion trial will be."

"The fact is, Mr. Calloway, that we are unable to make our client believe that he is in danger of legal action. We have tried. It is our duty as his counsel. If we cannot convince you to relent on your overly harsh demands, you must do as you will."

Caz seemed about to explode at the 'overly harsh demands' comment. Seeing that, Cy spoke up for the first time. "Perhaps there is another way to get your money, Mr. Calloway."

"What is that, Cy?"

"Perhaps there are magazines that would pay a great deal for your story."

"But that would put you and the women in the public eye. I was trying to avoid that," Caz said.

"I appreciate your concern for us - I really do," Cy said. "But I can take it and Mom and Grandma are sheltered from it. News like that doesn't last long, anyway.

"I think both of us agree that my grandfather ... my father..." Cy stopped and took several deep breaths before he could continue. "He should not be a minister of the Gospel. As much as I despise him and the things he has done, I respect and love God's Church. He has harmed the Church by being a monstrous hypocrite. That has to stop. If you sell the story, he will be driven out for sure. I will contribute whatever you don't already know about our home life."

Everyone just looked at Cy for quite a while. What he had said shocked them, but the steely tone of his normally pleasant, polite voice left no doubt about his sincerity. He was not finished, though.

"I promise all of you: I will see that he is no longer a minister. If Mr. Calloway decides not to prosecute and not to sell the story, here is what will happen. I will instruct Marty to send evidence packets to all of the elders of the church, the top officials of the ministry,..." at that, he gave a derisive snort, " ... and officials of the denomination. For good measure, anyone else involved in the extortion will get a packet. That should stir up some confessions, don't you think.

"Now, if that doesn't put my grandfather out of a job, I'll just use the rumor mill. I will just start telling the truth to friends and anyone who will listen. Before long, reporters will come asking. When they find out that people in authority knew and did not remove him ... Wow!"

"You would destroy a whole church? A whole denomination for revenge?" the lead lawyer asked.

"If the church or the denomination cannot remove someone that bad once they know the truth, God's work is better off if they are destroyed," Cy said solemnly.

"Mr. Calloway," Cy asked, "Have you decided what you will do next? Are you going to sue?" Marty could hardly contain the pride she felt at the way her new young client had taken over the whole meeting. From the glint in Caz's eyes, she could tell that he was just as impressed and pleased.

"Actually," Caz answered, "I find your idea of informing the hierarchy quite fascinating."

"That won't get you your money, though," Cy pointed out.

"It would if you just changed who you were demanding it from," Caz explained. "Those in authority might have a more rational appreciation of the threat of publicity and the fallout. I suggest that you revise the demands a little and send the packets to the people you mentioned.

"There is one demand I would like included in what you send out to those in authority, Cy. I want to be included in the meeting where the Reverend is removed from office."

Cy looked at Caz in shock for a moment, and then grinned. "I will insist on being included myself. If we are not present, it goes public anyway. Fair enough?"

Suddenly standing and addressing Matthews' two lawyers, Caz said "Gentlemen, you have failed. Unless you return as representatives of the church or the ministry, our business with you is done. Good day."

After the two stunned men had left, Caz sat down and talked very calmly. "Cy, that was a brilliant move. Can I hire you the next time I have to negotiate? I really do want to keep publicity away from you and the women. I also would like to keep Transformations out of the spotlight, if possible.

"But what if they fire him in private?" Cy asked.

"Here is what I think will happen," Caz said, dodging the question. "I believe the Reverend will accede to your original demands. When he hears who you are planning to send the information to, I think it will finally get through to him that he is done. I think he would rather resign than have his image destroyed with those in authority."

"I'm not sure he acknowledges any authority over him," Cy mused.

"Hmmmm. Good point," Caz said. "In any event, I think your idea is a better next step then my filing suit. Let's see how it plays out. Hold off three or four days to see if the Reverend does panic.

"By the way, don't be concerned about my money. I have plenty of that. The only sad thing is that I had planned to put it all to charitable use. Let's all go to lunch - my treat."

[Julia, Frank & Caz] Mid October

"He's amazing," Caz said to Julia and Frank as they sat at dinner in one of the area's nicer restaurants. "You would never guess it, just meeting him, but he just took over that meeting, and his ideas were brilliant."

"You have to understand what he has come out of," Julia said. "That old adage about 'what does not kill you makes you stronger' applies perfectly to Cy. He has become extremely protective of his mother and grandmother. Somewhere along the line, he discovered that he himself was 'bulletproof' - he could take anything. He used his strength to try to protect them. That did not change when they all escaped.

"Also, he did not learn to hate the church and his faith because of the Reverend. He had the discernment to see that Matthews was the, uh, the 'cancer.'"

"Well, he put me to shame in some ways. He has suffered for almost as long as I have," Caz said.

Julia looked at Caz for a long moment for asking "Ever wish he really was your son?"

"Are you going to send me a bill for a session, now?" Caz joked. "That was surely your shrink side asking, wasn't it? To answer your question, let's just say that Cy has helped to, um, highlight the kind of things I have missed in my life.

"You know, I was so determined that my parents would not have to pay. I swore that I would not let what Matthews did to me ruin my future. I've always thought I won because those payments are insignificant to me, now. I guess the bastard stole a lot of other important things from me, though.

"I can look with honest pride at the large number of people I have helped to make a lot of money and change their lives. But as you know, I have never married. I have never even had a relationship that lasted more than a year. Can I blame the bastard for that? Yeah, I sure can.

"I was so consumed with beating him and getting revenge that there wasn't room for much more emotion, I guess."

"And Cy and the women have broken through that?" Julia probed.

"Go ahead and send the bill, Doc," Caz quipped. "I only met Rachel face to face that once, and she certainly wasn't at her best. But I have watched her many, many times, and I believe I know everything about her. She just has a, what, a naivete, an innocence that seems childlike."

"It's interesting you should say that," Julia commented. "Cy has said that Rachel seems more like his little sister than his mother most of the time."

By that time, they were drinking their after-dinner coffee. Caz said "I will do everything I can to minimize exposure and publicity for Transformations, Julia. I am not really committed to getting a financial settlement. I had planned to put it in trust for Cy and the women, just so you know. I could still do that out of my own funds.

"The one thing I will not back down from is getting the bastard out of the ministry. Cy agrees with me on that point."

"Do you mean that you are thinking of supporting the three of them beyond paying their current expenses?" Frank asked. "I'm hope you realize how much we appreciate that support. It means we can offer free help to more people."

"I'm not sure why I feel this way," Caz once admitted. "For years, I hated the women for being co-conspirators. Once I got someone inside, though, it didn't take long to realize that they were no more guilty than I was. I guess I feel a bond because the bastard screwed up all of our lives."

"Well, I hope Cy's campaign with the hierarchy is successful," Frank said. "It would be the best resolution for all of us."

[Janice & Julia] Mid-Late October

As soon as Ted decided, Julia let Missy be the one to spread the word that Ted would soon be starting as an attendant. She let everyone know how happy she was that yet another great young guy would be having his hands on her.

Julia staged things so that she was present and two of the attendants were right with Janice when Janice first heard that Ted was coming on staff. It was a wise precaution because Janice fainted dead away.

Julia never liked to see a patient take a serious blow like that. In this case, however, Janice had 'stalled' early in her stay, with very little progress. If something drastic did not happen, she would forever see her son's leaving home as an unwarranted betrayal. A martyr complex would be with her forever, and their family would be irreparably sundered.

When Janice regained awareness, she was not thinking about the future of her family. All she could think about was her 'baby' working with all of the naked women - touching them, seeing every part of them. Then, the thoughts got worse. He could be touching HER, seeing every part of HER. That could not be right! He was just a young boy! Naked women, seeing genitals, massaging naked bodies; it was wrong for any male to do, but her baby!

Julia helped Janice to her bed, then sat and talked to her gently. She explained how they were always looking for the right kind of young men to be attendants. She asked Janice how she felt about the current young men on the staff, and Janice admitted that they made her feel special.

"Don't you think the Ted is that kind of young man?" Julia challenged. Janice was obviously up against a serious internal conflict. Despite how proud she was of her son, she could not openly admit that he was a young man. That would put him at a different level, and she would not be able to treat him the same way. She could not have as much control over him. She would lose her significance as a mother.

"He's just ... he's just too young," was all Janice could answer.

"You've seen Terry Torvold, right?" Julia asked, watching for the little shiver or the flare of the nostrils or the quick flush that always seemed to follow a mention of Terry to one of the women. Janice did not disappoint. "Well, Terry started when he was a little younger than Ted is now."

"But Terry's, uh, he's ... I mean..."

"You mean Terry's more of a man than Ted?" Julia challenged. "Just because Ted doesn't have muscles like Terry means he's not really as much of a man? Is that what you're saying, Janice?" That was really pushing hard, but Julia felt it was necessary. Janice had to start thinking of her son in a different way.

Seeing the evidence of confusion and the internal struggle on Janice's face, Julia knew that it was time to back off. The challenge had been laid down. Now, she had to find ways to nudge Janice toward the needed change in perception.

[Missy & Julia] Mid-Late October

"I'm the logical one to really give her the jolt she needs," Missy insisted to Julia. "Sure, it will shake her up seeing him working with the older women, but they're not a 'threat' to her. I am."

"I can't argue with that," Julia agreed. "But why do you want to do it. Is it all just to help with Janice's treatment, or... ?"

"Yeah." Missy said, then giggled. That giggle was a sound that Julia had learned to treasure. As much as anything, it represented the kind of life change that their work could bring about. When she arrived at the Tee, it had been a long time since Missy had felt like giggling about anything.

"Missy, you know that Ted is not completely whole, himself. He is still trying to build his self-confidence, and he is naturally a rather passive personality. Is that the right kind of guy for you?"

"Well, I'm not exactly thinking about marriage, yet," Missy reminded Julia.

"No, I guess you're not. Is this your first crush?"

Missy did not even flinch at the term. "Except for Ricky, yeah. Look, Julia, I don't want controlling, macho types. I've had a lifetime of control, and then some. I'd like a guy that I could, uh, partner with. I think Ted is that kind of guy. Besides, it's not like we're going to shack up, or anything. We can't even go on a date." She paused, giggled again, then said "We can skinny dip, though."

"What I'm worried about, Missy, is that Janice could freak out, seeing you and Ted together. You have to be careful. You can't hang all over him or look lovesick."

"That's fine. Also, Julia, I've already been trying to spend more time around Janice. I want her to feel more comfortable around me. I don't know if she'll ever like me if I go after her baby, but I can try."

"Try not to make it look like you're 'going after' him. Keep it as casual as you can. Be with him as much as possible, but don't let it be obvious that you're pursuing him."

"Julia, what about the girl at Lindsey's - Connie? Is she competition?"

"That's a good question. They really seem more like brother and sister, even after she was with him at Barbara's house."

"Damn, I'm jealous!"

"Missy, just keep in mind where you are today versus June. I know these last months of your sentence are hard, but they will go faster than you think."

"Oh, I don't ever want to complain. You know that this is the best thing that ever happened to me. There's just a lot of normal teenaged girl stuff that I need to catch up with."

"After being in here, I'm afraid that you will find other teenagers pretty immature. You can still enjoy a lot of things, though. Oh, we've started the emancipation paperwork for you. The lawyer will be here to meet with you next week."

[Janice & Ted] Late October

Ted certainly did not have the kind of preparation for the job that the initial crew of Mark, Terry, Eric, and Andy had been through. Dale's prep had been much different, but still quite thorough. Being older helped Dale, too. Regardless of his level of readiness, for the sake of Janice's treatment and their future as a family, Ted had to start work as an attendant.

The series of dinners with a naked woman hosting had proved to be excellent orientation for Ted, as they had for the other male employees before him. A single naked person in a clothed group seemed to emphasize the exposure.

When Ted walked in for his first shift, it was very early in the morning, and there were only a few residents up and around. That allowed him to work into the strange sight gradually. For the first week, that early shift was his only assignment.

As Julia had planned, Janice was very much torn. She did not want to acknowledge by her presence that it was right for her baby to be there working with all of those naked women. On the other hand, she wanted very much to see him and talk to him, and having him so near was a terrible temptation.

After four days, Janice called Ted in the evening. "Ted, could you come and visit me? It has been so long?" There was no command in her voice, only a plea.

"Mom, I'm there every morning. We could talk while I work. I'll see you in the morning." All of the possibilities had been talked through with Julia, and Ted was ready for her.

Janice did not come out to see him the next morning, nor for the following three. Janice became a terror and an annoyance to the other residents with her constant whining about how terrible the situation was. Julia had anticipated a crisis of that sort, but she had not anticipated the resolution.

On the fifth morning, Missy and one of the adult residents, Joyce, who had spent a lot of time with Janice, came into Janice's room about twenty minutes before Ted was to show up. Joyce was quite strong, and she and Missy hauled Janice out of bed.

"Janice, we have all had it with you," Joyce said evenly. "You are going out there to talk with Ted while he works. This whole thing is all your fault, and we are not going to sugar-coat it any more.

"Now, you have twenty minutes to pee, comb your hair, and fix your face. If you want to just stay in bed, we will carry you out there looking just like you are and with a full bladder. Which will it be?"

Janice protested, cried, cajoled, and generally wasted time. Finally, Joyce said "This is your last chance to pee. It's too late for your hair and your face, now." With a nod, Missy joined her and they pulled her from the bed and led her to the toilet.

Apparently realizing that resistance was futile, or perhaps secretly pleased that she was being forced, Janice did not struggle against them. As she sat and peed, Joyce saw her brush and comb. When Janice stood, Joyce let Missy lead her from the bathroom and wrapped the brush and comb in a towel.

With obligatory but rather mild protests about having to go without primping, Janice was led out to meet Ted, who was just arriving.

In their meeting in the office, there had been no hugging, and Janice did not try to hug him that morning. She was barely able to talk to him, and kept stroking her uncombed hair. Standing behind Janice, Joyce held up the comb and brush, and with motions, got Ted to understand that he should brush his mother's hair.

Trying not to make his reactions obvious, Ted gave a small negative shake to his head. He was not at all interested in that level of intimate contact with his mother. He knew that she had not tried to hug him only because of her nakedness. He knew that she believed the nudity was all wrong and her 'sentence' to the Tee was unwarranted punishment. The lack of physical contact was absolutely fine with him.

Missy moved a little back, out of Janice's vision, and joined Joyce in trying to convince Ted. Ted was frankly in awe of the tall girl with the bubbly personality and the pussy barely showing its new growth of hair. He was rapidly learning to read expressions, and Missy really wanted him to do his mother's hair.

Rather than just give in, he thought for a few moments. Julia had emphasized over and over that he needed to establish himself as at least on equal footing with her. If he could achieve some dominance of some sort, that would be even better. It would destroy the perception of their relationship that allowed her to smother and over-control him as she had done.