Larry had been watching Chem Tech since they came to town. Larry had watched as their building began to take form, a few miles outside of town. The actual sight of the building screened for the road by a natural ridge well over a hundred feet high covered by old growth forest. And the way the entrance was setup, if you didn’t know it was there it was nearly invisible. They may not have been hiding but it was clear they didn’t want to advertise. Larry had watch the building go up, or rather down, like an iceberg much more lay beneath the surface. The chrome and glass structure that was visible was just for show. Before the glass had gone up Larry had seen the windowless concrete walls being clad with heavy copper plates. At twelve he didn’t understand it but now at Seventeen it was obvious Chem Tech was a front for some kind of “Black Op” that was backed by serious “bread.” Jason finding the case and opening it had given Larry to chance to crack this mystery. Larry unconsciously flexed his new muscles and a grin passed across his now lean and chiseled face. And there were these other benefits too. This beat the hell out of being the fat little shit he was before.

Whoever these guys were they weren’t FBI if they were any sort of government, it was not U.S. government Larry was sure. Chem Tech was the government whether the people in DC knew it or not.

Larry’s mind returned to the conversation with Pat. “So you want me to bring Jason, Byron and the case in and you will grant us all immunity and put us in the witness protection program if we turn states evidence against Chem Tech on this steroid deal,” said Larry. “That’s right. We’ll put a body wire on you so we can keep an eye on you and you go talk to your pals and get then to come in,” said Doug. “Okay,” said Larry. “I’ll bring them” and thought to himself “Like hell I’ll bring them in.”

Larry pulls off his shirt so that Pat and Doug can glue the transmitter and antenna wires to his chest. And for the first time sees the effects the green vial had on his body. Larry had thought he couldn’t have gotten harder than he was when he first saw the lean version of himself this morning… he was wrong… this was much better. Larry’s mouth fell open. Doug laughed, “Yeah kid you are real pretty, but you better close your mouth before you catch a fly in it.” He had abs, not just the faint hint that there was structure under the skin that a lot of guys had. These were bricks of dense striated muscle lined with veins that snaked upward from his waistband. Framing his eight-pac, his obloquies exploded from his groin and tapered into the thick broad wings of his lats. His delts, pecs and traps fought for space on his torso. He raised his arms in a double bicep pose and flexed. “I know kid you’re beautiful but knock off the flexing or you’ll rip this thing loose” said Doug with an ineffective jab to Larry’s abs. Larry wanted to check out the rest of his new studly body but there would be time for that later. Now he needed to ditch these guys and their “wire” and find Jason. Jas had seriously miscalculated what would happen with Byron and Joe at school and both Jason’s house and his would be under surveillance.

“Ok muscle boy you can put your shirt back on, that is if you can manage to stop gawking at yourself,” said Doug. Larry smiled at him as he slipped his shirt over his head and gave some serious consideration the swatting this pest but quickly thought better of it.

The three shook hands, and Doug and Pat walked Larry to the door. After Larry was gone Patrick turned to Doug and said, “You know of course that he didn’t buy a word of that and he knows Chem Tech is a cover for some black op.” “Yeah and he will lose the wire and soon as he figures we won’t notice at once,” answered Doug. “Right,” said Patrick, “that’s why I used the pink vial on him. He was bright before he used the global enhancer so I have a really good link with him. As long as he doesn’t start popping the greens the way the Jason kid has there’s no way I’ll lose him.

Larry took off at trot toward home. “How was that Pat guy said the Chem Tech goon describe me running last night ‘a hippo that ran like a gazelle…’ well I’m not a hippo any more… that’s for sure.” He grinned. “Panther maybe…” •