you've converted the wrong guy." Finishing his third burger, Cade sipped his drink again and said, "I don't happen to think so, of course. Speaking of conversions, what's my max going to be?" Mandi swallowed her last mouthful of burger and said, "Your max will depend on how well your system converts. If you're average, you'll be able to lift about six tons by Friday." Staring at her briefly, Cade said, "Well, damn. That's a bunch. How much can you lift, Mandi?" 'That's a bunch?!' thought Mandi with a flash of anger, 'Is any of this really reaching this guy?' "A hell of a lot more than that!" she snapped, then she sighed and said, "Oh, hell. Sorry. You just don't seem to be taking any of this too seriously, Ed." Making a stern, somber face, Cade said, "If it would help, I could fake it for you. See?" When her irritation seemed to increase rather than decrease, Cade also sighed and asked, "Is it reversible?" "No." "Will it be bad for me in any way?" "No. Exactly the opposite." "Can I possibly envision at this moment what it'll be like?" "Well... no, not really. You may think you can..." Raising his hand, he interrupted her. "No, I can't. You tossed a Crown Vic around. One car, about a ton. I saw you do it, so okay, I believe it. But me lifting six cars? It isn't that I don't believe you, Mandi, it's just that the feeling of power like that just isn't there for me yet, and it won't be 'till I've done something to make it feel real." Sipping his drink, he added, "But what's really got you tweaked is my kill sheet." Cade shrugged. "Can't change those numbers. Can't undo the conversion, either. Seems to me that if I turn out to be a big mistake, you'll have to kill me rather than let me run loose in the world. Fair enough, ma'am. Are you ready to go see what they have next door?" For a long moment, Mandi simply stared at him, then she swung her legs from beneath the table and stood up. Cade did the same and they walked around the hedges between the restaurants to another chain burger joint. "There's a Mexican restaurant the other way," said Mandi. "That's why I didn't go that way. You like Mexican food?" "I just mentioned it, Ed. It's there, that's all." "Yeah, and it can damned well stay there. I wasn't hungry enough to eat Mexican food when I woke up today." Mandi snickered and asked, "You really don't like Mexican food, huh?" "No, ma'am, I really don't. The stuff's a health hazard." "It won't be a problem for you after the conversion." "Great, but I still won't want any." At the end of the hedges a loud rustling sounded as a guy in his twenties jumped in front of them and said, "Gimme your money," as he aimed a stiletto at them. Cade opened his jacket and put his hand on his Glock as he said, "You don't get to keep the knife. Drop it, then get lost." "You aren't going to arrest him?" asked Mandi. The guy had spread his arms and leaned as if to put the knife on the ground. He suddenly leaned the other direction and took off running. Cade ran after him, caught up with him almost instantly, and grabbed his knife arm. Bones snapped and crushed in his grip. The guy screamed and the knife fell from his hand to the pavement as he stared at Cade in shock and agony. "Damn it," muttered Cade, "That's the second time... You. Get the fuck out of here. Now." The guy seemed about to faint as his gaze fell to his crushed forearm. Cade raised his voice a bit. "Now!" Without a word, the guy slowly backed away, then slipped into the hedges between the restaurants, disappearing into the darkness beyond. Mandi walked up as Cade picked up the knife. "It happened again," he said. "I mashed the holy shit out of his arm." "So I noticed. Look on the bright side; at least you didn't kill him, right?" Glancing at her, Cade said, "I didn't arrest him, either. What does a double negative do to my ratio?" Giving him a droll look, Mandi said, "Very funny. Ha, ha." Cade stopped at the restaurant's dumpster and snapped the knife's blade in a lid hinge, then tossed the broken parts in the dumpster as he said, "About a week, right? Then I'll be as strong as I'm going to be and I can start learning how to handle things so they don't break?" "You could start now," said Mandi. "It's just a matter of conditioning and a little thought before action." She thumbed at the restaurant they'd just left and said, "For instance, you didn't squash your cheeseburger. Nor your drink cup." As Cade opened and held the restaurant door for her, he said, "Hm. Good points. Guess I just need a little practice." The paper-hatted clerk manning the counter seemed kind of nervous as Mandi and Cade approached. "Uh... was that guy trying to rob you?" Looking above the guy at the menu on the wall, Mandi said, "We'll have six number fours with everything. Fries with each." She then looked at the clerk, who took the hint, nodded, and asked what they wanted to drink with their meals. They again took their food outside to a patio table, and as they sat down, Mandi asked, "Aren't you curious about why the conversion makes you so hungry?" Chuckling, Cade said, "Sure, but I'm more curious about how long I'll be this hungry. This could get expensive." Smiling around some french fries, Mandi said, "The first few days are the worst, and by the end of the week you'll have other options. For example, you'll be able to draw power from heat, light, and electricity as well as food." Nodding, Cade said, "Cool. I never did like cooking." Mandi laughed. "John said you live on canned soup, coffee, and microwave meals." "Yup. That and raw veggies as snacks. I hit the buffet at a steakhouse a couple of times a week, too. You're saying I'll be able to recharge on house current?" "I'd recommend two-twenty current. It's faster." "No problem. I can rig something for the dryer outlet." Swallowing some fries, Mandi said, "Yeah, that should work. You'll need about a fifty-amp breaker." "How long does it take to recharge?" "It varies. Fifteen minutes to an hour." They ate in silence for some moments, then Cade asked, "How long in direct sunlight?" Grinning, Mandi asked, "With or without a shirt?" Returning her grin, Cade said, "Say without." "Five hours or so. Maybe a bit longer. You won't have to worry about sunburn, so get naked. You'll cut your recharging time in half." Shaking his head, Cade said, "Reason enough to become a beach bum, I guess. Nah. I'm too old for a career change." Cocking her head as she looked at him, Mandi asked, "Do you really believe that?" Her tone got Cade's attention. She was up to something. "No, not really," he said. "If I was, I wouldn't have started WiccaWorks.com or written over a dozen books. I figured you had some reason for converting me, but not wanting me to let John know about it. What's on your mind, milady?" Pausing -- probably for effect, Cade thought -- Mandi said, "I'm putting together a special response team. I was kind of hoping you'd volunteer to help train people." Taking another bite of burger and creating a pause of his own, Cade said thoughtfully, "Uh, huh. 'Volunteer', indeed. You were going to wait until after I'd finished converting and had changed so much that my old life wouldn't be enough, but your doubts about me made us reach this point a little earlier than you had in mind. Who's coming at us and what's the setup?" "What made you ask that? 'Who's coming at us'?" With a shrug, Cade said, "Just figures, as I see it. You may only be assembling a team to help with natural disasters and work with cops and firemen, but I'd have to doubt that. If you were, you'd be shopping for cops and firemen; people with that kind of training, who'd know the limitations of the equipment and people involved. Instead, you drafted me." "Drafted you? Volunteerism isn't mandatory, you know." "How long would my conversion be a secret if I turn you down, ma'am? When would all the government agencies and anybody else who figured to hire a super-bodyguard or whatever stop knocking on my door?" "You think I'd tell anyone you'd been converted?" "John, maybe. Or maybe I'd slip up and do something super in public. Doesn't matter how the info gets out; it will. The combined might of an army might not be enough to take you down, but I'm not going to be quite that powerful, am I?" "Well, no, but..." "But I'm going to be powerful enough to make the authorities nervous as hell about having me around, right?" Meeting his gaze, Mandi nodded slightly. "Yes." "So unless I'm under someone's supervision -- someone stronger than me and whom they believe they can control, even if only because she wants their