Chapter 31: The False Miracle

"What did you do to me?" I asked Theodora in confusion.

The nun was still straddling me, my cock still inside her pussy. When she mounted me, when I submitted to her, I had expected her to exorcise me and steal my powers. Instead, she gave me something else, some golden power. The power had sunk into the very fiber of my being, the very essence of my soul. I could see her aura, no longer the gold of a nun but the silver of a regular person. What was going on here? Mary was bound and gagged and I could see the confusion in her green eyes.

Theodora's aura flashed to black as I asked my question. "I gave you my Gift," she answered, and then her aura was bleeding back to silver. From my talks with Karen I learned a lot about how Thralls worked. If I gave someone a simple command their aura would return to silver eventually. How long it stayed black would depended on how much the command went against the person's nature. Theodora's aura returned to silver so quickly, she would have answered my question willingly. A person only stayed a Thrall if my commands rewrote their personality. Like the commands I give cops to view everything I do as being legal. Or those SWAT officers that raided my house, I realized.

I glanced at the last SWAT officer who was frowning in confusion. Theodora's control over him was gone along with her powers. He glanced at me, recognized me. "Sir, do you need some help."

"Free me," I demanded. "And Theodora, go free Mary and then sit on the couch."

"All right," Theodora said and got off me as her aura went black.

The SWAT officer uncuffed me and helped me to my feet. Theodora bent down and ripped off the duct tape over Mary's mouth. Mary winced, then moistened her lips. "I can't do anything about the zip ties," Theodora said in a panic as she realized she couldn't fulfill my command.

"Fine, just sit on the couch." I motioned to the SWAT officer who walked over to Mary, pulled out a knife and cut the plastic zip ties retraining her. She was staring at me in astonishment, rubbing her wrists, and then she flew across the room, hugging me fiercely.

"You were shot," she cried, tears running down her face. "You were dying! How?"

"Lilith," I answered, holding Mary to me. I buried my face in her auburn hair, inhaling the flowery scent of her shampoo.

I looked over at Theodora and anger filled me. She attacked me, killed Chasity and five of my bodyguards. A white-hot rage gripped me as I stared at the woman as she sat calmly on the couch. I looked at the SWAT officer. "Kill her," I ordered the man.

He drew his 9 mm. The very same handgun Theodora threatened my Mary with just minutes ago, I thought with satisfaction. Theodora glanced at the gun. Instead of fear, her face became calm and she closed her eyes.

"No!" Mary shouted, pushing away from me. "Put the gun away!"

The SWAT officer froze as he struggled with conflicting commands. Mary slid between the man and Theodora, arms out-stretched. What was going on here? Did Theodora do something to Mary when she captured her? Place some sort of spell on my fiancee? These damn nuns were cunning, that was for sure. Theodora was staring at Mary with blossoming hope.

"What's going on, Mary?" I demanded. "She killed Chasity." Theodora flinched and tears started falling from her eyes. Why did that make her cry?

"She's my mother, Mark."

Mary's words crashed into me. I stared at Theodora. They did look alike, the same heart-shaped faces, same cheekbones. I remembered discovering the golden thread that touched Mary's aura. The same golden thread that touched Shannon and Missy's auras. I must know someone who is a nun. Mary's words echoed back in my head from last week when I discovered the thread.

"How?" I asked. "I thought your mom ran off with some musician?"

"He was a Warlock," Mary answered. "He ... he did some bad stuff to my mom. Karen rescued her and Mom thought her relationship with dad was destroyed so she became a nun."

"You said you gave me your gift, Theodora? So, what, I'm a nun?"

"Yes," she answered. "Well, I guess you'd be a monk, actually."

"Mark, you changed when she said that word," Mary said. "Look in a mirror. You look eighteen." Mary rubbed a hand along my bare chest. I didn't bother to put on a shirt when I came looking for Mary. "And your chest. Umm, you're all muscley," Mary purred. "And your aura, its bronze, now. Not red. Or even gold."

"Bronze?" I asked. "Is that because I am a monk, Theodora?"

Theodora frowned. "I don't know. The last monk died years ago. I honestly do not know much about them. And, please, call me Tiffany. I gave up my powers, I am no longer Sister Theodora Mariam."

I looked down at my chest and noticed defined pecs and a six pack of abs. I felt different, too. Stronger. More alive. I found a bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like myself, sort of. I looked a little younger, a little more boyish, and the fat in my face was all gone. The fat was gone from my entire body and I had muscles. Not the bulging muscles of a weightlifter, but the toned muscles of a man in peak physical shape. I did a few poses, marveling at my physique.

"Umm, you look so hot," Mary cooed. I glanced back to see her licking her lips.

I walked over to her and scooped her up in my arms. She was almost as light as a feather. She laughed, hooking one arm around my neck and I kissed her sweet lips. I carried her back to the living room and went to set her down but her arm tightened around my neck in protest.

"Why did you do this, Tiffany?" I asked, trying not to get distracted by Mary's ticklish finger running across my chest.

She bit her lip. Mary did that same thing when she was thinking. "I want my husband back," she confessed. "And I wanted to test you. Mary said you were a good person, deep inside. When you submitted, I made my choice. Maybe with my Gift, it will help temper you and bring out the better person inside you."

"And would you have really shot your daughter?" I growled.

She shook her head. "No. I couldn't do that. I would have ordered Dennis," she glanced at the SWAT officer, "to restrain you and exorcise you. I just had to know what my daughter saw in you. Deep inside you're a good man, try and remember that."

Anger was still choking at me. "And what am I supposed to do with you. Am I just supposed to forget what you did to Chasity?"

"She's my mother, Mark," Mary whispered.

"And you hated her, Mary!"

"I didn't know the truth," Mary answered, tears brimming around her eyes. She wiggled in my arms and I sat her down. Mary walked over to the couch and sat down next to her mother, and hugging her tightly, whispered, "I love you, mom. I never really stopped loving you. I think that's why I was so angry with you. Why it hurt so much when you ... disappeared" Mary looked up at me. "Let's go home, Mark."

Mary's eyes pleaded with me. "Fine," I answered, flatly.

Mary hugged me and kissed me, her hands roaming my body. "Thank you, Mark. For coming for me."

"Always," I whispered and stroked her face. "I love you."

"I am sorry," Tiffany whispered, clutching her hands guiltily. "I thought I was doing the right thing when we attacked you." She gave a bitter laugh. "It was all for the greater good."

I ignored her and scooped up Mary in my arms again. She giggled happily as we walked out of the house. "A girl could get used to this," she laughed. Tiffany trailed after us and I had to set Mary down when we reached the cars. The bodyguards all happily hugged Mary, all of their professionalism vanishing into relief that their Mistress was safe. Mary and I slid into the back of 51's car. Tiffany slid into the front seat. Anger burned in 51's eyes as she looked at Tiffany. I couldn't blame her. I wanted to rip the blonde woman's head off. Mary may have forgiven her mother, but how could I ever forget that Chasity is dead.

Mary snuggled up against me on the drive back and I stroked her auburn hair. "What did you have to give Lilith?" she asked.

"Karen," I answered. "Until her child is born."

"Of course," Mary nodded in understanding. "Karen would have died with you." Mary hands were rubbing softly along my muscled chest. "I've always had a weakness for a muscular chest," Mary purred. My cock stirred in my pants.

"What were we doing when we were interrupted?" I asked Mary with a smile.

"This," she said and pulled my lips down to hers and her kiss so was fierce and sweet. I pulled her up into my lap, running my hand around her body through her dirty sundress. I felt her breasts, fingering her hard nipples and swirling them beneath the fabric. Mary's kiss grew more passionate as I played with her breasts.

"I need you, Mare," I whispered, my cock achingly hard in my pants.

Mary purred, "I can feel just how much you need me."

Mary reached under us and deftly unzipped my jeans and fished my cock out. Her fingers were hot on my hard cock and she gently guided me to her wet pussy. I groaned loudly as she sank down onto me. I was back inside my filly and I hugged her tightly to me. Her lips were hungry as she kissed me and her hips were pumping wildly on my cock.

"Mary!" Tiffany gasped in the front seat. "What are you doing!"

"Fucking my fiancee. We were trying to have make-up sex when everything happened." Mary didn't stop riding me as she glanced over her shoulder at her mother. "Mom, you'll need to get used to this. We're a very affectionate family, now."

Tiffany blushed as prettily as Mary ever did. "What does that mean?"

"I've slept with dad. And with Missy and Shannon," Mary answered as she continued sliding her wet cunt up and down on my cock. "And with Mark's mother and sister."

Tiffany gaped at her. "Jesus Christ, Mary."

"If you want to be with Dad, there's a few ground rules we need to cover," Mary told her.

Tiffany sighed. "Of course. You two are Warlocks. Just ... just let me be with Sean."

"That's between you and dad," Mary answered. "First, incest is not wrong. Second, it's okay to have a sex slave. Third, you need to let me perform the Zimmah Ritual on you and, finally, you have to let Mark and I protect you. You can ignore anything else I tell you to do."

I watched Tiffany's aura transform from silver to black. Mary nudged me, her hips stopped pumping. I sighed. "Fine. Tiffany, you can ignore my commands if you want."

Mary smiled and started pumping on my cock again, to my relief, and I moaned as her pussy pleasured me. The disgust on Tiffany's face vanished and a smile formed on her lips. "You've grown up into a very beautiful woman."

"I can see why you became a nun," Mary laughed. "You look as young as me. Shannon's not going to be happy."

Mary's pussy was gripping my cock nice and tight as she rode me and I pushed down the straps of her sundress to expose her perky, freckled tits and sucked a nipple into my mouth. I circled the hard nub with my tongue as my hands kneaded Mary's plump ass.

"Oh, fuck, I love your cock inside me, Mark!" Mary groaned. "Umm, my randy stallion!"

She was bouncing faster and faster on me and I could feel my balls tighten, threatening to fill her with my cum. I released her nipple. "Gonna cum, Mare!"

"Ohh, are you going to fill your naughty filly's cunt with your cum?" Mary moaned. Her hips were pumping wildly on my cock. "Cum in me! Cum! Cum!"

Her chants grew louder and louder, urging me to flood her pussy. She slammed down hard on me, her cunt rippling on my cock as she came, milking my cum out of my balls. I felt it squirt into her, four powerful blasts that left me breathing hard. Mary rested atop me, her cunt gently squeezing my softening cock as she kissed me and hugged me tightly.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," Mary said, and there were tears shining in her eyes. "I don't ever want to see you hurt and dying. You hear me, Mark Glassner?"

"I won't, Mare," I lied to her. I couldn't control the future, and Mary knew that. So I lied and she pretended to believe me. I brushed the tear from her eye and kissed her softly on the lips.

Mary snuggled up to me. "Good."

"I am starting to see what you like about him, Mary," Tiffany smiled. "So, how are Shannon and Melissa?"

"We call her Missy," Mary smiled. "And she's grown into a beautiful and very annoying teenager. She has a boyfriend named Damien and they are so cute together."

Tiffany blinked back tears. "When I last saw her, she was just learning to walk and called me 'baba'. She couldn't say mama, yet." Tiffany sniffed. "And what about Shannon."

"She's engaged," Mary answered. "George is alright."

Tiffany swallowed. "And your Dad?"

"He's good. He still has that ridiculous ponytail." Mary paused. "We gave him a sex slave. You'll like her. Although Dad likes her to dress up like a naughty schoolgirl. I think all those years of teaching High School girls may have corrupted him."

"A sex slave? I guess I'll have to get used to that."

"Oh, she'll be yours as well if you and Dad get back together," Mary giggled, then her giggle turned into a frown. "Mark, I think we need to talk later."

I opened my mouth to ask why, when my phone rang. I fished my phone out of my pocket. The caller ID said it was the house. "Hello."

"Mi Rey," purred Desiree. "Have you saved mi Reina, yet?"

"Yeah," I said. "She's sitting on my cock."

"That's so amazing!" Desiree cheered and in the background I could hear the excited shouts of all the sluts. "Mi Rey," Desiree started saying then paused. I could hear the hesitation in her voice.

"What, Desiree?" I asked. Fear constricted my heart. Did Xiu die? Last I saw, she was on her way to the hospital with a bullet in her guts.

"Fiona's back from watching Karen and that puta, Lilith, appeared and took Karen."

"I know," I answered, sadly. Lilith promised to return her, unharmed, when she had her child. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay, mi Rey," Desiree answered in relief. "We all are eagerly awaiting your return."

As we approached Mountain View Court, Shaw Road was lined with news van. The Puyallup Police had corralled the media around the sign the for neighborhood. Cameras flashed and the media pressed in on our cars as the cops pushed them back and let us through. The street looked different; most of the emergency vehicles were gone. The few neighbors we let stay in their houses were out, inspecting the damage and cleaning up the mess.

Everyone was waiting for us out front. All our sluts were there, save Karen and Xiu. My Mom and her girlfriend Betty, their sex slave Joy, and my little sister, Antsy, and her slave, Via. And Mary's family: Sean and his slave, Felicity, Shannon and George and their slave, Starla, and Missy and Damien, and their slaves Dawn and Mrs. Corra. Tiffany's breath caught in her voice as she saw her family.

"Wait in the car, mom," Mary suggested. "Let me talk to them."

I stepped out of the car and helped Mary out. The sluts all rushed to us, hugging us tightly and kissing us both. Antsy and my Mom came up, tears in my mom's eyes, and I pulled them both to me and hugged them fiercely. I kissed Mom on the lips, then my baby sister.

"Umm, big bro, you're ripped!" Antsy exclaimed. "What happened to you? Everyone said you were shot and got better. We spent the entire shootout hiding in the basement. We were all too scared to come out until after you left."

"Was it a miracle?" my mom asked. "Everyone said a miracle happened."

"Sure," I muttered, glancing over to Mary, who was hugging her father and sisters.

"Dad, there's something I need to tell you," Mary said, biting her lip. "I..."

"Who is that in the car?" Sean asked, frowning.

"Theodora!" Antsy hissed, recognizing the former nun, and I caught her arm as she tried to run over there. "That fucking bitch!"

I pulled her back. Part of me wanted to let my baby sister claw her eyes out. "It's okay," I lied to my sister.

"That's what I want to talk to you about, dad," Mary continued.

Sean ignored his daughter, walking slowly to the car. Tiffany slipped out, looking like a scared deer in headlights. "Tiffany?" Sean asked, stunned.

Tiffany's lip quivered. "It's me, Sean. I..."

Sean fell to his knees before her. "I'm so sorry," he sobbed, "for whatever I did to drive you away. Please, forgive me! I never meant to hurt you!"

Tiffany knelt down and cupped Sean's face. "You didn't do anything, Sean."

"Then why, Tif?"

"Because Kurt Bronson made me." Pain twisted on Tiffany's face. "Kurt has powers, like Mark and ... and Mary. He..."

Sean hugged her tightly. "Tell me this isn't a dream?"

"I'm real, Sean." She pushed away. "Can you forgive me? When I was freed from Kurt's powers I was too scared to find you. I ... I thought you would hate me. I ... I didn't have faith in your love."

"That doesn't matter," Sean whispered. "Everyday I felt empty without you. Like the best part of me was missing."

Tiffany was smiling and crying. Then she saw her daughters. Shannon and Missy were staring in disbelief. Anger started to twist Shannon's face and Mary bent over and started whispering to her sister. Missy walked forward, almost in a daze, and knelt down next to her parents.

"Are you really my mommy?" Missy asked, in the littlest girl's voice.

"Yes," Tiffany said and pulled her youngest daughter into the embrace she shared with Sean. "My little Melissa's grown up into a beautiful, young woman."

Missy flushed. "No one calls me Melissa. It's Missy."

"Missy," Tiffany smiled, stroking her youngest daughter's face. "I like that."

Shannon stalked up. "You're back, huh."

Tiffany stood up. "I'm sorry, Shannon. I..." Shannon slapped her mother and then stalked off.

Antsy broke from my grasp and walked over to Tiffany. "Bitch," Antsy snapped. "What did I ever do to you! I was nice to you and you tried to destroy my life."

Tiffany flinched from her words. "I ... I was wrong. Please, Antsy, I am so sorry for deceiving you. I..." Antsy's slap caught Tiffany unprepared and she staggered back.

Sean stepped up between the two women and glared at my little sister. "That's my wife," he growled at Antsy. Antsy sniffed and stormed off, dragging Via, her sex slave, behind her.

My mom walked up to Tiffany, who stared warily at her. "Hi, I'm Sandy," she warmly greeted. "Mark's my son, so I guess we'll be family soon."

"I guess so," Tiffany answered and my mom hugged her and kissed her on the lips. Tiffany flushed. "I guess that's how friendly the family is, now."

Sean grabbed Tiffany's shoulder. "Come on. I think we need to talk in private."

Tiffany flushed. "I would like that, Sean."

"Shannon will come around," Sean told her, putting his arm around her shoulder. "She tried to take your place. She had to grow up too fast. I wasn't much help, I'm afraid."

I pulled Mary to me. "Let's go inside."

She gave one last look at her parents as they walked down the street, then nodded. She took a deep breath and asked, "Did Alice die?"

"She was alive last I heard," I answered. "But she was in critical condition." I swallowed. "Was that your mom's doing?"

"Yeah," Mary whispered, tearing up. "My mom went from being used by one side to being used by the other." Mary frowned, biting her lip. "Mark, I think ... I think we need to be more careful about our powers. About whom we use them on."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Mark, you've broken up people's marriages and relationships. And who knows what other consequences have happened. You raped that girl, too." I flinched at her words. Mary took a deep breath. "We could use our powers to help people. Make their lives better. Not destroy them."

"So, no more fucking any woman I want?" I asked her, pointedly.

"Well, no," Mary frowned. "Just, don't ruin their lives. Don't break up their relationships. Give them some happiness. And ... And maybe we should release the sluts."

"What?" I asked in surprise. "No, no. I love my sluts!"

"I love them, too, Mark. But, what if deep inside they're unhappy. What if they're like my mom. I say we give them a choice. Free them and let them choose to be with us."

"I'm not sure we can free them from the spell," I protested. "They may still be tied to us."

Mary shrugged. "We can at least give them back their free will, like we did with our family." Mary paused, then pointed out, "You say I'm all you really need."

I sighed. "Fine, Mary. But we need the bodyguards."

"For now," Mary said with a nod. "Maybe we can find others who are willing."

"Okay." Then I grinned, "You do know if there are no sluts around, I'm making you do all the cooking and cleaning."

Mary giggled. "You haven't tried my cooking. You might regret those words."

Inside the house, the sluts were busy sweeping up the broken glass, or wiping up the blood stain from Xiu's wound. Sam was at the table, a pile of books spread out as she was busy translating the Magicks of the Witch of Endor.

"Sam, is there a way to break the Zimmah bond?" I asked her.

"I don't know," Sam answered, adjusting her silver glasses on her round face. "I haven't found that spell in here, yet."

"Find out," I ordered.

Mary and I changed into some clean clothes and then gathered the sluts around the dining room table. I looked them all over; slutty Alison sitting on Desiree, her fiancee's, lap, Lillian with her black hair highlighted with blue and purple streaks, cute and innocent Violet and April, dusky Thamina, caramel-skinned Jessica, cinnamon-skinned Willow, sandy-blonde Noel, doll-faced Korina, olive skinned Sam, and strawberry-blonde Fiona.

Only Xiu and Karen were missing. And Chasity. I closed my eyes, forcing back the tears. Mary may have been able to forgive her mother, but I'm not sure I will ever be able to. Chasity was such a wonderful, and dependable, woman. There was grief and worry on all of the sluts' faces. They miss Chasity as much as I do.

"Master, Xiu is in surgery," Willow, our doctor slut, reported. "The surgeon is very good. He seems to think she'll survive. But ... the bullet caught her in the uterus and they are performing a hysterectomy. 04 and 47 are in the ICU and have been upgraded to serious. Doctors do not expect 30 to survive. Alice is also still in critical condition and is in surgery."

Mary looked over the sluts. "I have come to care for all of you very much," Mary started, biting at her lip. "We forced you to be our slaves and..."

"We wanted to be your slaves," Alison protested.

Violet nodded. "You and Master are so wonderful, how could we not want to be your slaves?"

"Yeah," April nodded. She looked so cute and nerdy with her glasses on.

"Well, Mark and I want you to choose to be with us," Mary continued.

"Oh, I choose, Mistress," Thamina eagerly said. All the other girls also chimed in eagerly.

I swallowed. "Until tomorrow at noon, all of you can make your own decisions and will not have to do what Mary and I tell you. Tomorrow you will return to the house and we will let you choose to stay with us or we'll let you go and live your lives."

Mary repeated my words and the girls suddenly changed as they realized what had happened. Pain, anger, confusion clouded their faces. The girls begin to yell and shout and cry as Mary and I left the house. We gathered up the ten bodyguards and headed over to Good Sam Hospital. Xiu and the bodyguards that got shot were there, and they were all hurt because of us. The least we could do is be there for them.

My Mustang was ruined. A round came through the garage and punctured the engine block. Mary's Eos had a shattered windshield and a shot-up fender. As we were getting into the back of 51's cop car, Chief Hayworth walked up. He was a whip-thin, iron-hard man wearing a navy blue dress uniform. He was Chief of Police of Puyallup and shook my hand with a firm grip.

"What a mess," he said sadly, shaking his head. "Officer Vinter was a fine cop."

Yeah, Chasity was the best. "What have you told the media?"

"The truth," he answered. "A group of disgruntled Pierce County SWAT officers attacked you and six officers lost their lives and many others were hurt. Sheriff Erkhart is being grilled by the media. It looks bad for him."

"Can you have a few of your cops stick around to keep the media out of the street?" I asked.

"Sure, Mr. Glassner," he nodded. "I hear you're running for office. State rep, right?"

I looked around at the neighborhood, frowning. I was starting to agree with Mary's plan to run for the Rep for the city of Puyallup. I could do a lot of good with my power, change things. Make them better. So things like this would not happen anymore. I could make sure that Chasity and the others did not die in vain.

"Yeah, can I count on your support?" I asked the Chief.

"Sure," Chief Hayworth smiled.

Vivian Anders - Spaneway, WA

I stared at the pregnancy test. Two pink lines.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered to myself. I looked over at my girlfriend, Cynthia, who was staring expectantly at me. "I'm pregnant, Sin."

When my period did not come on time I tried to tell myself I was just late. It happens to some women. Not to me though, at least, not since I was fourteen. But maybe I was just stressed or something. I had finally come out to my parents about being gay and moving in with my girlfriend, and things were stressed. I barely had time to think about the possibility of being pregnant as my Christian parents badgered me about sexual reorientation therapies. But, I was a week late now, and there was only one man who could be the father.

Mark Glassner.

I could remember that glorious day that Mark Glassner walked into the Starbucks. It was a Thursday morning and I was standing in line. Mark walked in, kicked out all the customers and fucked me and Cynthia and Mary. It was so hot. And I fell in love with Cynthia that day. Since then, Cynthia had quit her job, and we were supporting ourselves by streaming our lovemaking on nasty-girls-live.com.

"You're pregnant?" Cynthia asked. The punk girl's expression became so soft and loving. And then she gave an excited squeal. I had never seen her like this at all. "We're having a baby!" She hugged me and kissed me. I would have to thank Mark when I saw him for giving me a family. I guess I would see him at his wedding. The invitations arrived late last week and Cynthia and I spent a fun day shopping for dresses.

" ... at Mark Glassner's residence."

We broke our kiss, glancing at the TV. The news was on and they were talking about Mark Glassner. He was in the news a lot since that day. Cynthia and I had been following his exploits, wondering how he could do the things he did. He caused that Orgy at Best Buy the same day he fucked us at the Starbucks. And there were all those bank robberies. On the TV, there was a clip of men in black shooting automatic weapons. I frowned, what was going on?

"Violence erupted in this quite street in South Hill," the female reporter said. The crawl at the bottom of the screen identified her as Debra Horne-Darnell of Q13 Fox News. "I'm standing here in the aftermath of a brutal attack by the disgraced Pierce County SWAT Officers on the home of Mark Glassner. Last week, it came out that this very same SWAT unit was embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal centered around the Glassner residence. What you are about to watch is graphic," Debra warned.

An image of Mark Glassner talking with a black-haired woman plays on the TV. I jumped as Mark takes an entire gun-full of bullets to the chest. "Oh no," I gasped and Cynthia squeezed my hand reassuringly as I watched the father of my child dying on the TV.

"As Mark lay dying, the SWAT Officers attacked," Debra reported. "My cameraman and I were on the scene prepping a story when we captured the firefight." More clips of a shootout are shown. We would catch glimpses of Mark being worked on by two women, one in a slutty nurse's outfit and the other in a slutty cop's outfit during the firefight. In fact, the SWAT seemed to be fighting women dressed as slutty cops.

"How strange," I whispered to Cynthia as I was riveted to the TV.

"What?" she asked.

"The cops are all dressed like slutty cops you'd see at Halloween."

Cynthia gave a wicked laugh. "I bet that's Mark's doing."

"The most amazing part came after the firefight ended," Debra said. There was something in her voice, almost reverence. Awe, maybe?

The clip changed to a group of paramedics, three of them, working over Mark when suddenly a scarlet light engulfed the dying man. Everyone around him froze, the paramedics, the watching cops, everyone. Then Mark pulled off the oxygen mask, ripped out the IV and sat up. My heart hammered in amazement. What was going on?

"What the BLEEP!" a paramedic shouted, his expletive censored. My thoughts whirled in my head. That paramedic was right, what the bleep?