With Beauregard found guilty and on his way to a Federal Prison, it felt like my troubles were done with. R.A.M. was melting away, likely thanks to Beauregard robbing the members who joined it to begin with. Eugene Changes was still serving his time for original crime of transforming Molly, which was now nearing a year ago. Some times I wondered what would happen if he were to escape. Would he try to recreate the "freak show" where it had all started? It was possible, but Leona had also told Molly and I that she was the real brains behind the formula. So it was doubtful that he could recreate it...
After all, the carnival where it had started had likely moved on by now to a different town. Even if Eugene Changes did somehow escape and returned to the same site, he wouldn't find anything but a vacant lot. The notes that he and Leona had used to originally create the retrovirus that transformed Molly and others had gone with Leona to her lab where she had been working on the cure for it... and that was now completely gone thanks to the gang's attack on the lab. Leona could probably recreate the original serum, but that would take a large amount of time... and since she never wanted to make it as it was in the first place, it was doubtful that she'd agree to it, at least not to hand it out...
And what did I know of the Federal government's attention the victims of the Animatrix Fun House? Beyond granting them full rights and citizenship in accordance with the Civil Rights Act, I didn't think they had any interest. Equipping me for police-work in Columbia Falls took some special orders and both Molly and I didn't fit all that well in buildings built for humans. I doubted the Federal Government would spend that much money on a genetic modification program to create an army of soldiers who couldn't operate the weapons they had... The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps would prefer human recruits, as they wouldn't have to rebuild their tanks, ships, aircraft, and helicopters to fit the sizes of a reshaped beings...
And we were now in somewhere between January and March 2012. Osama bin Laden had died around the same time that Molly was first transformed, or shortly thereafter. I can't remember the details of those events all that clearly after everything Molly and I had gone through. While I was sure the little men had seen news reports of Molly's transformation and the arrest of Eugene Changes, I doubted they had any real interest in it beyond some sort of over-hyped religious analogy on all Americans being sinners... They could all join their leader in hell for all I cared.
Did I ever worry about some secondary mutation? No. Molly had been as she was for nearly a year, and had not lost anything that made her "Molly". And Leona had been as she was for even longer. And she had never mentioned there being a danger of a secondary mutation... and even if there was, it wasn't like she could make it back to Peoria, Illinois in the course of a night. She would have to cross three states to get from Columbia Falls, Montana to the Illinois/Iowa border, and would be bound to be picked up by someone if she just wandered off naked... or shot dead if she resisted. And that made me shudder. I didn't know know what I would do if I lost Molly, the love of my life... my better half... my wife...
The only real worry I had at the moment concerning some of the people like the cashier at Columbia Falls' grocery store. The Animatrix Fun House had never revealed how its "freaks" looked as they did. In the aftermath of Molly's transformation I had learned that there were all sorts of theories ranging from truly genetic oddities to extremely exquisite costuming. Of course, watching Molly transform into a Bengal Tigress was enough to prove the people the truly were turned into an animal/human "hybrid" or as some people termed it, "furries". And with the truth about the Animatrix Fun House out, many of the humans who felt they had some sort of special connection with a particular animal species or simply wanted to be something other then human had likely found some way to ask Leona to inject them with her serum. To my knowledge, Leona had given them a firm "no" and then explained that they hadn't thought about the non-human instincts they would gain as a result of the transformation, and that they hadn't considered the fact that they couldn't be turned back and that human norms and mores wouldn't go out the window with the transformation. Despite our fur coats, Molly and I were expected to wear clothes in public. But there were always some people that just want to be different, and I was sure that that would be a struggle Leona would face for the rest of her life... until the formula died with her...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"You ready to go home?" Officer Howard sighed as the people began to leave the courtroom.
I nodded. There was nothing I wouldn't like more then to go home... to be with my wife... to nuzzle my whiskers to hers.
"So what do you think will come next?" I asked him as we made our way out.
"Hopefully some peace and quiet," Officer Howard answered, "I spent the last couple months listening to Beauregard's attitude and arrogance... and a conspiracy involving a small gang of thugs driving from Montana, through South Dakota and then Iowa, into Illinois, attacking the person who actually created the formula you say this "Fun House" used on its victims, and then fleeing back here on the same route to try and kill you and your wife... because a rich man wasn't made richer."
"Peace and quiet wouldn't be bad," I nodded, "of course there is still the prospect of R.A.M. sticking around... or at least some of its members clinging to Beauregard's ideas."
"I doubt it'll cling around forever," Officer Howard commented, "these sorts of groups are only as strong as their leader... and the one they had proved to be a lunatic and a thief besides. The organization will die away..."
"Of course a lot of people said stuff like that about the KKK many years ago," I reminded him, "and those "dummies" are still running around in bed sheets."
"Maybe... but they're nothing but a bunch of radicals who occasionally demonstrate on street corners with skin-heads and Neo-Nazis and such... they know that if they try anything remotely like what they pulled in the 60s and earlier... they know that the long arm of the Law will crush them like the insignificant bugs they are," Officer Howard said firmly, "and I stand by that."
"I'll stand with you," I told him, "you've been a great help to Molly and I."
"I do what I can," Officer Howard answered, "and for the most part, I would say that you and Molly made your own success. And that is where your real victory lies."
"Thank you, sir," I answered with a slight nod.
We then quietly made our way out of the courtroom. Our first stop was to return to the hotel and collect the articles of clothing that we had left there and our luggage of course. Once that was done, we began the long drive back home.
"What do you think the papers will say about this?" I wondered from the backseat as Officer Howard began the long drive back to Columbia Falls.
"Hopefully the truth," he answered, "a lunatic was found guilty of organizing several crimes, assaulting two officers of the law, and nearly killing one, and will spend the rest of his days in prison. To be forgotten... and his attitude gone with him."
"I hope no one gets the idea that I'm some sort of "hero" because of all this," I commented, "my sole concern is Molly. I want her to be safe and happy. Besides, the real hero in all of this is her Uncle. If it weren't for him, I'd be dead... Officer Barnes would be dead... and Beauregard might have been able to weasel his way out of trouble."
"But your Uncle-in-Law did help and Beauregard is out of our hair forever," Officer Howard answered, "be glad for that."
"Oh, I am, I assure you," I answered.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
The ride from Helena back to Columbia Falls was a long one. Both Officer Howard and I agreed not to stop for anything beyond coffee and gas... though I managed one quick run to a nearby grocery and returned to the car with a couple packets of Oscar Meyer Bologna and some Hard Salami... which was all consumed quickly. It was dark by the time we made it back to Columbia Falls. Again Officer Howard did the polite thing and took me up the cabin that Molly and I owned... Bandhavgarh. Looking at it, and coniferous pines and spruces beyond, I couldn't help but feel at home.
As Officer Howard opened the back door, I collected my trash and things and made my way out.
"Thank you for the ride, sir," I told him.
"It was no trouble," Officer Howard answered, "besides, as you've said repeatedly... you wouldn't be able to drive yourself..." he then chuckled at bit, "so it's not like I had much of a choice."
"All the same, thank you, sir," I told him.
Officer Howard then nodded politely, "You did well, son. You did well... especially considering the stupid questions that Beauregard's attorney was using... liked how you got around him with the use of Ness and Purvis... though Eliot Ness wasn't part of the FBI..."
"He was Prohibition Enforcement Officer, not even connected to the Chicago Police Department during the hunt for Al Capone, but since Capone's crimes all revolved around the control of smuggling then illegal liquor, it is understandable that a Prohibition Officer would be involved."
"Good to see the colleges can still teach," Officer Howard chuckled, "go on and have a good night. We'll both have an early day tomorrow... and likely a lot of paperwork."
"Oh joy," I shook my head, "see you tomorrow."
I then made my way into the cabin while Officer Howard drove off, likely to return to his own home. I was met with a surprise as entered though...
"GEORGE!" Molly cheered excitedly and came out of the dinning room and "glomped" me in a very excited hug.
I soon found myself on my side being hugged and nuzzled in a very excited manner.
"It's good to have you home!" Molly told me and rubbed the top of her head to my cheek.
"I take it you missed me?" I inquired.
"Of course I did," Molly answered, and nuzzled me again.
As the excitement of her greeting calmed down, I got up and managed to shut the door and put the trash that I had collected in a garbage bin.
"So how did it go?" Molly asked, "You didn't call me last night."
"Pretty good," I answered, "and we'll never have to worry about Beauregard again."
"Really?" Molly said looking hopeful.
I nodded, "Found guilty and sent to prison for life. And all records of R.A.M. are being sent to the Southern Poverty Law Center..."
"We're not even close to the south... we're closer to Canada then we are to the south," Molly pointed out.
"True... but from stuff I've seen on television, the Southern Poverty Law Center does a lot of work to fight these various hate groups out there," I told her, "I think they've been involved in combating everyone from the KKK in Georgia and Alabama to the Neo-Nazis in Idaho."
Molly shook it off and gripped me in a firm hug, "regardless... it's over... and we're free..."
"Yes," I told her, as I nuzzled her back, "we're free..."