Within an hour Matt or 'Sam' was summoned by the branch manager at the bank. In the managers he found his handler who informed him he was wanted in Washington. The manager assured him his job would be there when he returned. He didn't get a chance to pack a bag and arrived at the organisations headquarters at 3 pm.
Cheryl was waiting for him but after a quick hug he was taken into an office where he was also reunited with Dave. He sat down on a couch with Cheryl who held his hand as Dave put their proposal to him.
"Matt, before we start I need to tell you that what we are about to show you is top secret. Will you swear secrecy?'
Matt looked at Cheryl. She nodded to him "Sure"
Dave handed Matt some documents to sign. He read through them then signed the pages.
Dave perused the signatures than continued "We have an opportunity to insert some of our agents into the cartel and Cheryl has put up her hand to be part of the operation"
"No not Cheryl! They know her!"
"The agency has obtained something which will disguise Cheryl so she will not be recognised. Watch this video. This is a case of a picture painting a thousand words" Dave pointed to a screen at the back of the room then pushed some buttons.
Matt watched as a man in a labcoat (Doctor Mendall, but he didn't know that). "This is a stray cat that has been tranquilised. Time is 9.45. And this is the collar of my pet poodle Rambo. Watch what happens when I touch the collar and the artifact to the cat" Matt watched as the Doctor put on a pair of gloves, picked up what looked like a medallion, then the dog collar and touched the two items to the cat.
"I'll put the video onto 4 times fast forward. The change actually takes 30 minutes to proceed" said Dave. Cheryl sat there silently holding Matt's hand.
Matt watched as the cat began to change. Within minutes it's fur had changed colour. But that wasn't all that happened. Matt found it hard to believe that by the time the video had finished the cat had become a white poodle.
"Is that some sort of trick photography?" asked Matt.
"No it's real. We witnessed the reverse procedure when the doctor changed the poodle back into it's original cat form" said Cheryl. "We can show you that video if you are not convinced"
"I believe you" said Matt "That was incredible"
"We intend to use the artifact on Cheryl. She will for all intents and purposes become Melody Jones. As such she will infiltrate back into the cartel. Her knowledge of the cartel and Melody puts us in a great position. Any other agent would be starting from scratch and that would put them in great danger. Don't worry, the process is totally reversible. When we get her out she can be converted back to her current form or any body she so desires"
"Matt, I'm going in tomorrow. I asked that once I'm out we could do our witness protection together. With this artifact we wouldn't even need to hide. We could change our bodies so we can be unrecognisable"
"You don't think it is risky?"
"Of course it's risky, but this is my job. Another agent is going in with me. I was hoping it could be you"
"Me? I'm not an agent"
"You could be. We are a good team. Your skills could help me get the information I need more quickly"
"But I'm not trained"
"You don't need to be, We will be in and out quickly and your disguise will be flawless"
"I would be changed too?"
"Of course. You have a price on your head. You would be eliminated as soon as they saw you. We would change you into Melody's bodyguard. My bodyguard" said Cheryl.
'But I'm not a bodyguard"
"Doctor Mendall says the skills of a body are also transformed with it. You will inherit the bodyguard's skills along with his body"
"Who would I be?"
"That we are not actually sure of" Dave admitted. "It would be whichever bodyguard comes to pick up Melody when she is released on bail. We suspect it will be either John Figaro or Tony Marbois" he tossed photo's of the two men on the table in front of Matt. "They are Pedro's most trusted associates"
Cheryl picked up the two photos "Personally I hope it's John. Tony doesn't exactly appeal to me" Matt looked at the photos. John looked to be 30ish and had a goatee beard. Tony was a large man covered in tattoos.
"If you take this assignment you won't have a choice. You will have to become whoever picks up Melody" corrected Dave. "We need a decision Matt. This all has to happen tomorrow. You're our preferred agent as you already know many of the characters. Anyone else would be starting from scratch"