The story has darker elements.

Miss Reed just stared, the horror on her face obvious as she could not comprehend the situation she was not in. There was her body, her and above her collar, those stitches, those ugly black stitches and above that the head of this man! That thin, tan, male face with an almost bored look, like he was looking at an uninteresting painting at an art gallery!

"No, this is impossible! I can't believe this! You couldn't have done this, no way you could!"

"You're completely right. There is no way we could have done this. How it was done is beyond our ability. All I'll say is that we know people who can and leave it at that. Of course, that doesn't really say much since you could have figured that part out on your own."

He uncrossed her legs and looked down at his new body.

"Feels strange not having any body hair or a dick. I'm going to need to get used to that. Oh well, you're just a head on a machine so I still think I got the better part of this deal. Anyway, onto the actual business. You're going to help us make this right."

"Right? Right would be all of you behind bars! No, right would be you dead right now!" She hissed.

"You tried that already and how did that work out for you?" He asked softly. "See, I think you're confusing me with one of those tough-guy types. I'm not. No, I'm one of the ones who does things quietly most of the time but allows for the earners to earn. I solve problems, and we're flush with them. You're going to help us solve some of them."

"Why would I do that? Especially now?"

"I already told you why, but I do understand if you didn't quite understand. You had a bit of a shock, to say the least. You do it, you get a body, not your body, but a good enough one. You don't, you stay a head until that machine dies along with you, and that machine is designed to keep someone alive for years on end. We can put you in a dark room with the volume to the machine off so you can't even hear a voice and leave you there for a week or so. I'm hoping you as much of an opportunist as I think you are and decide against that."

She saw his look. There wasn't a look of arrogance or power, just a matter-of-factly expression. He knew he was right and she realized he saw no need to hammer the point home.

"Look, if you give me a body..."

"Not a chance." Vinny said. "Come on. You have to have known that was a non-starter. No, I want to know your office procedures. I also want to know who I have to deal with. That's all for now."

"That's it?"

"For now. That doesn't buy you a body, but you do that and you'll have a lot more leverage. You don't and I have to search it's the dark room for the entire time I'm searching for things."

His expression, the calm, almost clinical way he did this, it unnerved her. She had dealt with mob types and they never really acted like this.

Chris and Stephen were in the other room drinking some vodka when Vinny came in.

"So, look who's here amongst the living!" Chris said, getting up to hug Vinny. He did hug a bit hard and Vinny grunted a little.

"Shit, sorry, Vinny, I guess you're a bit smaller."

"Not too much." Stephen said, looking up from his vodka. "You were never very big, but you didn't need to be. So, you got it?"

"I did get it." Vinny said as Chris and Vinny sat down at the table. "I'd join you for a drink but I think I have a full night ahead of me."

"'Ahead'. I like it."

"No pun intended, Stephen, but, yes." Vinny said with a soft smile. "Does anyone know she was abducted?"

"No, and we were able to at least keep her contacts busy for the moment." Stephen said. "At least I was."

"I never said I was any good at pretending to be a D.A." Chris pointed out. "But, how are we going to, oh yeah, that voice thing they installed, you tried it yet?"

"Not yet." Vinny said. "Testing, testing."

Both Stephen and Chris jumped a little despite themselves.

"It works." Vinny said with another bigger smile. "I almost to want prank some of the guys, but I think that would be in poor taste currently."

"So, how are you going to do this?" Chris asked. "I have a few ideas, but I want to hear your take. I feel like you were working this out before we even agreed to it."

"I was, and here is what I'm thinking."

He laid out his plan in detail and after he did, the other two sat there, thinking about it.

"That's not the whole plan is it?" Stephen asked.

"No, but it's a good start for this. Given the situation, we can't have a grand plan too far ahead."

"True." Chris said. "But we can plan now the most likely. Hell, what else do we have to do? What do you think is the most likely scenarios?"

"If this works, it'll take a lot of pressure off of us, but it doesn't solve the underlying issues, and there will still be a lot to deal with." Stephen pointed out before Vinny could respond.

"Yeah, and as for the scenarios, best guess, three are most likely. The first is they drop the case, but I doubt that. The second is they delay while they scramble to connect pieces they thought they had, and the third is they just keep going and hope they can get one of these guys to turn state's witness. I think it'll be the second or third. But, that I'll leave up to you two and whoever you bring in. I need to get going. I have an office to go to."

Vinny felt strange driving to her office, unused to having heels when driving a car. He didn't wonder if he'd get used to it. He knew he would have to and that would be that. This was his body now and he had no illusions that this would not be the last time he'd be in a pair of them.

He thought about how he would do this. They did not have any real time or ability to case the building beforehand so he just had her word to go on. He trusted that very little, given what she had done with their previous agreement, but he knew he had few other options. This was by far the best chance they had.

He already had on a wig they had managed to get and it looked very close to her hair. He would avoid a surgical mask if he could help it, but he had one on him just in case he needed it.

Getting into the parking deck was surprisingly easy, he just had to swipe a keycard. He knew the real security would be when he'd try to actually enter the building. He found a spot and quickly was out of the car, her briefcase in tow.

He then took out her cell and called her boss. He picked up almost immediately.

"Jodi! We were starting to get worried. Those text weren't like you at all."

"It was because they weren't from me. Someone grabbed my phone and I had to brick it and get another." He said in her voice.

"You didn't have anything on there, did you?"

"Of course not, I keep all that secure. My carrier should be sending the police the information they have, but I'm not filing a report myself."

"You're not? That's not like you."

"I have too much with the current caseload to worry about a stolen and now dead phone. Speaking of which, I'm going to be in the office late tonight. I know you prefer we don't, but given today, I think I need to catch up. I'll call you back in a few minutes when I get in my office. You still here?"

"No, I had to go to a political fundraiser. Look, our clerk can fill you in, what's his name, Derek, right? At the least, he should have his reports sent or on your desk."

"I'll check, then. Thank you."

"I'm just glad to hear from you. I was about to report it the police. Given yesterday, I was worried they might have tried something."

"No." Vinny had to smile a little at this. "Nothing so far."

Now here he was, the first real hurdle. He swiped his keycard and then put his hand in a biometric scanner. He saw it turn green and the door opened. He kept his head lowered like he was still on the smartphone and opened the door, making sure no one else was around.

He was on the third floor and he saw that there were stairs nearby. The elevator would be faster, especially with his heels, but the stairs were safer. He opted for them. He soon was up on her floor and her directions led him right to her office. Another biometric scan with her hand and he was in her private office.

He sat down and got to work. He knew these systems were highly monitored, but luckily none of what he was looking up should attract attention.

An hour later, he rubbed his male face with female hands. There was a lot here and it seemed almost insurmountable... at first. He did notice that the case hinged on proving they were involved in money laundering with one company (they offered it as a service to smaller, less savvy criminals) and the cryptocurrency that's value was more hypothetical than actual. There was lesser stuff, but that was done to connect the threads, likely for a RICO case.

Interesting thing, the one guy who dealt with the crypto company was now a corpse so all he had to do was handle his contacts, which the police provided in their list of suspects and persons of interest. Only two names there, and he bet he could be persuasive. The money laundering would be trickier, but he knew some of the names here. He had an idea there. Without that, it was all smaller stuff that could stick, but it wouldn't be the end of their organization.

He then heard a knock on the door.

"Miss Reed? It's Derek." The voice said. He sounded a little intimidated.

"Oh, Derek? Yes, what do you need?" He said in her voice. That he might not get used to.

"The D.A. sent me to see if you needed me. He also wanted me to fill you in on a recent development. Said it was urgent."

Great, Vinny thought, a clerk who was probably there to make sure everything was actually fine. Okay, this will be easy.

Vinny stood up and hit the door release (they weren't kidding about security, he realized) and immediately got down under the desk. Lucky for him, it was an older desk and there were cables snaked in what few holes there were.

Vinny heard the door open and Derek walk in.

"Miss Reed?"

"Under my desk!" Vinny said in her voice. "My monitor just started to glitch out. Oh great. Look, Derek, I'm... just, tell me what I need to know while I handle this, okay?"

"Do you want me to look under there?"

"No, I want you to do what I just told you to do!" Vinny said, making sure there was a bit of a snap to her voice. He rarely snapped at anyone himself and it amused him to play it this way.

"Yes, uh, they have all the suspects in custody. They're all in county at the moment. Two entered not-guilty pleas, the rest will be sent over in the morning."

"Good." Vinny said, pretending to act like he was fixing his computer. "Did any make bail yet?"

"Both did."

"Who?" There was an edge to Vinny's voice that Vinny didn't actually feel. It was an act.

"I forgot their names, the one who ran the money laundering and the one who they grabbed at the card game. Sorry, I won't do that again." That last sentence he said with a stammer.

"It's been a day, Derek. It is fine, you can't remember everything." He said, her voice softer now. "Anything else?"

"No, that was about it. He just wanted to be sure you knew a couple of them were out. We got worried earlier."

I bet you did, Vinny thought. Guy was probably terrified of Miss Reed. While she was undoubtedly rough on some of the staff, Vinny also knew that if you weren't tough and aggressive in a setting like this you don't survive. She likely had to be. Didn't make what she did to them reasonable, but he also knew not to take it personally. She had her goals, and his organization had theirs. Just the way of things.

"Thank you, but I am fine. Just..."

The monitor came on.

"See, it's already better. Uh, Derek, I do have a lot to do, and I am fine, so, if you could..."

"I'll see myself out." He said, quickly leaving. Vinny was impressed how quickly. That wasn't the first time he's left an office in a hurry.

Getting out was too easy. The security was designed to keep people out so leaving was no problem as long as you didn't look right at the cameras. He was soon back at their headquarters telling a tired Stephen (Chris was asleep on the couch, they could fill him in when he woke up) what he knew.

"The money laundering operation is a big part of our earning." Stephen pointed out. "But you know that. I must be tired."

"And a bit drunk." Vinny said, himself having a small glass of vodka himself.

"That too." Stephen had to laugh. "Vinny, John can't go near that place now. Too risky."

"I know. But a D.A., well, most of an assistant D.A. can. Or, at least meet them discreetly."

"Yeah, I didn't consider that." Stephen had to laugh. "The fucked-up gift that keeps on giving, huh?"

"It saved my life and is savings our collective asses. I'd say that's a fair assessment." Vinny had to laugh a little at that.

"I guess." Stephen leaned back in his chair. "So, how is it? Below the neck, I mean."

"I don't mind it. Never being big and tough, I don't have to worry about missing that. As for the other stuff associated with it, I neither hate it nor love it. Probably not the answer you were expecting, right?"

"No, but if you're okay with it, whatever, I guess. Anyway, we'll talk more tomorrow. There's a room up on the third. While you were gone, we found out some sizes of your and a couple of women we know went and bought you some stuff. It's mostly office stuff for obvious reasons, but at least you won't have to wear that tomorrow."

"Thanks." Vinny said. "But, first I need to talk to someone."

"Miss Reed?"

"Miss Reed."

She was still awake, Vinny saw, watching a television. It was streaming a series he didn't know.

"The series good for you? You want to watch something else?" He asked.

"I want a new body." An electronic voice said as he turned up her volume slightly.

"Your information went a long way toward that. For right now I need nothing from you. I wanted to see if you needed anything I could actually provide."

"No, this will be fine." She said.

"You, my having your body," Vinny said, walking over to her. "This isn't personal."

"Neither was the raid." She said with some defiance.

"Never thought it was. You made a play, we made one back, and ours has a high chance of working. Anyway, I was just checking in. I'm turning your volume off."

As he said that, he adjusted her settings so she couldn't speak and he walked away, going upstairs.

They had a few rooms up on the third floor that could serve multiple uses, and in this case it was a bedroom they needed for him. He saw a bed, a cheap nightstand and a dresser partly opened with clothes.

He found some pajama pants and a plain white t-shirt, silently thanking those women who bought these clothes He changed out of his pantsuit, feeling better once he was in less confining clothes.

Another person might have laid up all night contemplating their situation, their new life. Vinny had too busy of a day tomorrow. He was out in seconds.