Time just seemed to drag on. Brooke had been ecstatic about going down to the Exhibition, but was unprepared of how slow time could pass when you had something to look forward to. She had attempted to occupy her mind by working out and reading, but her thoughts kept drifting to the night ahead. It was almost a tortuous experience. After years of schooling, Brooke had finally obtained her own shrinking device earlier in the day and was now, under Republic law, able to operate her device in public. She had decided earlier that she would head to the Exhibition located in the downtown district of her city. They provided the perfect opportunity for her to practice her new civil obligation. After returning home earlier in the day, Brooke had made plans with some of her friends who conveniently enough, had obtained their own devices just a few days prior and were still learning how to properly operate them. They had all decided to meet up just outside the Exhibition gates that evening. It would take some time for her to reach the Exhibition so getting ready now would be her best option.

            Since this would be a special occasion, Brooke decided to dress up for it. It would be her first experience in personally shrinking a man. Before her graduation from the School of Civil Service, the only men she came across had come from the shrinking mills. Although Brooke was a highly educated and dedicated member of the Women’s Republic, the shrinking mills remained a bit of a mystery to her. No one could doubt their existence but where they were and who operated them was not part of the common knowledge among the Republic’s citizens. A man who had been “put under” at one of the mills did not seem to have the same enticement as one Brooke would personally shrink herself. This one would be special. Like a first family pet, Brooke would remember this man, whoever he was for the rest of her life. Due to the significance of the event it would require some celebration, but solving the problem of what to wear would be a taxing experience. As she stood in her closet she was utterly overwhelmed at the amount of selection it contained. Normally she would just throw on whatever she found and go about her business but since tonight was so important to her, she wanted it to stand out forever.  The answer struck her. Brooke thought back to one of the earliest classes at the School of Civil Service where Mrs. Jane had told them of the Sirens from Homer’s The Odyssey. It was said that Sirens were able to lure men to their doom with their eloquence and enchanting beauty. It was one of the examples the intelligentsia had used during the early days of the Republic. Literature written by men was carefully examined for signs which proved how easy it is for women to dominate men, and the Sirens were trumpeted as one of the most shining examples. She wanted the men of the Exhibition to come to her just as the sailors were drawn to the Sirens. She imaged groups of men crawling on their hands and knees in total submission to her beauty. Men in the Exhibition would speak of her like a goddess and cling to the hope that in their relative short lives, they would be able to set their eyes on such perfection. Brooke could not help but smile at the thought. It was getting late in the evening, it would be dark by the time she would meet her friends, so she wanted something that would make her stand out against the night sky. Her eyes scanned the rows and fell upon a red dress. It would be perfect.

            After stepping out of the shower, Brooke slid into her dress. It was a crimson red strapless one piece which hugged her figure perfectly. The tightness of the chest cups made her breasts even more stunning. Her entire upper back, neck and chest remained uncovered. The fabric clung to her body almost like a second skin which highlighted her beautiful curves. The dress ended about half way down her thighs, giving her legs, butt and hips full attention. Her dark brown hair was combed down on either side of her breasts so nothing would obscure the goods. Any man who was lucky enough to catch sight of such a beauty would no doubt be hindered speechless. Looking into the mirror Brooke made sure she looked her absolute best. She turned sideways and smoothed the dress down her body, giving special emphasis on her stomach area. One lucky man would have the opportunity to be inside her tonight, but not in that way. She put on a black beaded bracelet and golden hooped earrings to top it off. For her shoes she decided on a pair of black heels. The heels would be especially noisy against the concrete ground of the Exhibition. For each step she took, the taping of her heels would be a countdown which would eventually lead a man of her choosing to his eventual fate in her stomach.

            Brooke left her apartment right on time and caught the shuttle service which ran from the upper city to the downtown area. It would drop her off near the front of the Exhibition where she would meet her friends. While riding the shuttle her thoughts went ahead to the man she would pick to shrink. She wondered what he would look like and whether or not he would actually survive the shrinking process. It was known that some men had literally died from fright after being shrunk, knowing that their fates were officially sealed. Although technically all men under the Republic had low life expectancies, being shrunk meant that they were that much closer to their end. She remembered vividly the man she had swallowed at school. The look of sheer terror on his face was still as clear as day. What interested Brooke was that since the man had been bound he could not express his full range of emotion; he was gagged so he could only whimper, he was bound so he could only wiggle like a fish out of water. Brooke wanted to know how an unbound man would react after learning he was going to be swallowed alive. She wanted to hear him scream. She wanted to see him kick and thrash as she brought him into her mouth. She wanted to feel his feet kick against her lips and teeth, trying fruitlessly to prevent the inevitable. After he was in her mouth, she would hold him there, feeling him pound against the roof of her mouth and tongue. Brooke was almost squirming in her seat at the very thought of it. But this was not just a sexual fantasy for entertainment; it was a reality and she would live it. All her hopes and desires would be fulfilled in just a short time. Brooke smiled to herself and rubbed her hand across her belly. She looked up and saw that the next stop was the Exhibition; she politely told the female operator and got off a few minutes later. It had grown a bit colder than it was earlier in the day. It was sunny and clear when she left for the post office but an over cast had slowly crept in. A few showers had fallen while she was on the shuttle but they seemed to have moved on. The wet pebbles gave the ground a reflective look and one of strange beauty. Brooke had only a block to walk before she stood out front of the Exhibition. She spotted her friends standing by the entrance and she ran to greet them.

            Brooke was glad to see that her friends had dressed for the occasion as well. They were all similar in age and were completely stunning. Her companions Sara and Cali, she had met after graduating school while meeting her old friend Kym for a lunch date. Sara was a bit shorter than Brooke and Cali but was nonetheless just as beautiful. She wore skin tight black leggings with a pair of leather boots which covered up just below her knees. For her top she wore a white sleeved button up shirt with the top few buttons undone to expose her breasts. Her blonde hair was slightly curled and fell down straight along her shoulders. Cali was dressed much more casually, settling for a grey tank top and tight blue jeans. Her red hair was tied tightly back in a small bun. Cali had gotten her shrinking device before any of them, but had yet to actually shrink a man herself. She had heard through Kym of Brooke’s plan to go to the Exhibition and try it out there, she had passed it on to Sara and now they found standing out front the Exhibition in anxious anticipation. After exchanging greetings and a few hugs, the girls proceeded to the main gate where they buzzed the Exhibition guards indicating they wished to enter. After a few moments, one of the guards appeared at the gates and ushered them into the waiting area where they would wait for their escort through the Exhibition. Since men in the Exhibitions remained fully grown it was considered very dangerous for first time visitors to enter without a guide. Although violent acts were rare, it was just an extra precaution to ensure that everything ran smoothly so visitors could enjoy their experience. As she waited, Brooke glanced around at the various photographs on the walls of the waiting room. Each photo came from the time when men ruled the planet.  Photos of past wars, deforestation, disease, famine, and poverty dominated the walls. No doubt their purpose was to remind visitors (in case they had forgotten) not to have remorse for the men living in the Exhibitions. It was not the Women’s Republic which put them there it was centuries of their own arrogance and stupidity which lead to their downfall. As Brooke studied one photograph of a large factory spewing thick black clouds of smoke into the atmosphere a loud buzzer sounded. The girls turned and saw the large door at the other end of the room begin to open, signalling the arrival of their escort. 

At first glance, the escort reminded Brooke of Mrs Jane, her old school instructor. She was a bit older than Mrs Jane but looked remarkable. She politely introduced herself as E-Sec (Exhibition Security) Officer Rian. Being a guard at the Exhibition was a tough job but Rian definitely looked cut out for it. Her physical features were an odd contrast to her personality. Rian was an attractive woman in her own right, naturally muscular but also quite slender. She definitely worked to keep her form in top shape as her job demanded her to constantly be on alert for the first signs of danger. Under her blue security uniform Brooke could see the toned muscles; she was a woman who would demand the respect of others without having to say a word. Her personality however, caught Brooke by surprise. Rian was not husky or overbearing, but was in fact quite charming and welcoming of the girls. Brooke could not help but wonder how she would react if one of the men happened to get on her bad side.

            “So this is all your first time coming to the Exhibition, correct?” Rian asked the group after exchanging formalities. The girls all nodded in agreement.

            “Ok awesome, I’ll be your guide tonight. I’ll show you girls around and explain some of the Exhibition’s features and how we operate on a day to day basis. I understand some of you have your own devices as well?”

            The girls removed their devices from their purses to show Rian. They also explained that they had come to shrink a man themselves. Rian assured them that would not be a problem and could actually do so at any time during the tour as long as they notified her that they were doing it. After making sure they were all on the same page, Rian lead them out of the waiting room into a long winding maze of fences which would lead them directly into the Exhibition. Rian explained to them that the fences formed the third layer of a complex security system where if any hopeful escapee could actually make it this far, they would get lost and eventually be captured. The maze was so confusing and misleading that only Exhibition guards knew where the entrances and exits really were. To make things even more complex, a series of trick doors were placed at certain intervals. These doors would throw the escapee off balance thinking they were getting closer to the end, but in fact the doors would keep the escapee in limbo, effectively making him run in circles without him realizing until guards could contain him. As they neared the end of the maze, Brooke could see several guard towers and search lights up ahead. They were situated on top of large concrete walls. Brooke estimated these walls were at least 20 metres high.

“Is that the Exhibition there?” Brooke asked. Rian nodded to the wall in agreement.

 “Those guard towers and search lights make up the second security layer and I’ll explain when we get to them.”

Brooke looked around at the other girls and their faces all showed expressions of pure amazement. They had heard and read about Exhibitions in their school days, but to actually be heading into one was an awesome experience. As the group neared the entrance, the walls seemed to grow only larger, now they appeared to be almost twice as high. Brooke could not help but marvel at their stature. She began to feel like the man she would shrink, and that soon she would be like these walls: standing unchallenged and completely dominant.

The group arrived at the main gate of the Exhibition. It was an imposing metal door with yellow and black stripes along the top and bottom. Rian stopped the group by the entrance and radioed to the nearest guard tower. Rian and the guard exchanged a wave and the large metal door began to creek open slowly. Cali and Sara tried to push forward to get a peek but Rian extended her arm and forced them back a bit.

“This door only remains open for a few seconds so we need to be quick and get through,” Rian announced over the sound of the metallic gears. Once the door opened completely another buzzer went and Rian quickly ushered the girls through the gate. The three girls found themselves standing in a very strange but familiar place, and Brooke was not sure what to make of it. To her surprise, the Exhibition looked no different than a normal city under the Republic. She had imagined Exhibitions to be dark and filthy, with large numbers of men fighting each other and running around like animals. But instead, it looked no different than her own neighbourhood. Brooke had a hundred questions but Rian must have sensed it, and had begun to answer.

“This here is the Exhibition,” Rian began, opening her arms in embrace. She remained in that position for several moments before turning to the group. “As you can see, it basically looks like any regular city block in the Republic, but first glances can be deceiving.” Rian eyed the girls one at a time as if waiting for one to figure out the mystery before them. Brooke examined her surroundings and several things began to stand out to her. The buildings were not the normal design you see on Republic blocks, but were in fact much smaller. The tallest one Brooke could see had only two floors. They were bricked, but on each side of the building was a large glass window. The streets were also much narrower, they probably could not fit an automobile down one, Brooke thought. She decided to try to luck at the riddle Rian had posed.

“It looks like a miniature model. Everything is smaller in scale.”

Rian turned to Brooke and gave her a small smile and nodded in agreement. She pointed to one of the closest two story buildings and began to explain.

“All these buildings around you have been built by the male population with the limited supplies given to them. They must follow a strict building code at all times as the guards will often call a lock down and inspect the buildings if we suspect something foul.”

“What do you mean by something foul?” Cali had asked from the back. Cali and Sara had been fairly quiet since arriving. In fact as soon as they had met Rian, the two girls had fallen into silence. Although they had only been on site for a few minutes, it had been eerily quiet. Brooke guessed it must just be a natural reaction that in the presence of silence you do not want to the one making noise.

“Good question,” Rian answered. She began to walk towards one of the larger buildings and ushered the group after her. The girls quickly followed behind her. As they passed some of the buildings, Brooke glanced into the windows and noticed that each building had its own speciality. One was a grocery, a coffee shop, a clothing store and one even contained electronics like televisions and radios. This struck Brooke as a bit odd given how the male population was without freedom and lived under constant surveillance.

“You may notice that some of these buildings sell materials widely used in the Republic,” Rian explained as she kept moving down the street. She pointed out several buildings along the street. “You might not believe it but that building there is a bank, and that’s a bookstore. Here in the Exhibition the men live fairly normal lives. They have jobs, recreation and can even read and educate themselves if they wish to do so.”

Rian stopped and turned to the girls. “However there are strict rules and if they are broken, punishments are not lenient.” Brooke and the girls found themselves standing in front of a red two story building. Rian walked up to the window and turned her back to it.

“I was mentioning the building code, do you remember?” The girls all nodded. “The main reason that code exists is to help our surveillance crew who watch the population day in and night out.” Rian took a step away from the window and encouraged the girls to take a look. The girls stepped forward and Brooke peered in through the glass. The room was full of sleeping men. They were sleeping side by side in independent beds with a small dresser and lamp beside each. The inside reminded Brooke of a military barrack with a single door leading in and out of the room. Brooke had rarely seen a fully grown man before so the sight of so many came as quite a shock. Rian’s voice cut into the night.

“Since the male population remains fully grown there is always the danger of revolts and uprisings. These windows ensure that private meetings cannot occur without our guards knowing of them whether through the close circuit monitors or through traditional visual confirmation.” Brooke took her eyes from the room of men and listened to Rian.

“It’s a new security idea. Some past incidents began because the men had learned that each room had been wired for audio and visual monitoring so they began to pass written notes as a form of communication, but they serve another purpose as well.” Rian joined the girls at the window and looked in herself. “Whether they are tired or not, the population must have lights out after 21:00 or face the shrinking punishment. These windows, along with the curfew help keep the population in order. It constantly reminds them that as long as they behave they’ll be fine, but step out of the line and there are no second chances.” Rian left the glass and walked behind the girls. The entire time Rian had been speaking, Sara and Cali had not taken their faces from the window. Rian walked to the center of the street and pointed over her shoulders with both thumbs.

“That large wall you saw as were approaching runs around the entire circumference of the Exhibition. You may have noticed the watch towers and spot lights? They are positioned every few metres and they cover every inch of ground. The reason why the buildings are no more than two floors is to ensure that there are no blind spots for guards or lights. This is so we can break up any suspicious activity before it gets momentum.” As soon as Rian had finished speaking, the small radio clipped over her breast pocket began to crackle. Rian excused herself with a wave to the girls and reached for the radio.

“This is Officer Rian 692, go ahead.”

Although Rian remained separated from the group, Brooke could clearly hear what was being said. The three girls exchanged glances as they all heard the news.

“Be advised that we have four runners, last spotted headed towards your sector.” The voice had reported. “They are unarmed but are of red class, over.”

“Copy that, Tower.” Rian confirmed and turned back to the group, placing her radio back on her uniform.

“What was that about?” Sara asked.

Rian assured them with a smile. “Four males have just broken curfew and they’re not that far from here. Nothing to worry about, it happens quite often. It becomes almost fun for us because they think if we don’t catch them immediately then they have a hope.” The confidence in Rian’s voice cut through the tension and put an end to any nervousness they may have felt.

“What does ‘red class’ mean?” Cali asked. The group had begun to move down the street again, heading deeper into the Exhibition. Brooke looked around and noticed that some of the search lights had been turned on and were scanning the nearby blocks. She could also make out various figures running about on top of the wall. They all wore the same uniform as Rian; one of them must have been the one who called her on the radio.

“When men are first brought here we take all their information. Blood type, finger prints, dimensions and enter them into a database. Based on personality tests we classify them into three different colour categories: green, blue and red,” Rian answered. “The colour corresponds with the subject’s personality. Green means they are likely to behave with little or no trouble. A blue class tells us that moderate supervision is necessary, while red shows they are mose likely to cause trouble.”

“So these four who have escaped are considered dangerous?” Cali followed up her question. Hearing Rian’s answer seemed to have made her a bit more nervous, her voice sounded worried. Rian raised a hand to reassure again.

“Don’t worry; it’s no coincidence that they also have the lowest intelligence. All attempts at escape have been made by men in the red class. Everyone else is too smart to even try such a thing...”

Brooke had barely enough time to react. She saw it coming from the corner of her eye and just managed to escape its path. When it hit the ground it exploded into a thousand shards. Small crystals bounced along the ground, some embedding themselves into Brooke’s legs and feet. She did not scream nor notice any pain but Sara and Cali jumped and hugged each other in fright. A second bottle flew through the air but landed too far away be a threat. Brooke had no idea what was happening, but heard Rian on her radio in that calm and confident voice.

“Have visual, objects thrown from alley in sector 5D, sector 5D.”

At her command all the search lights in the area converged on the alley where the bottles had come from. The dark corridor was suddenly illuminated a milky white. Brooke could not see the culprits, only trash cans and random boxes instead. Rian ran over to Brooke and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m ok,” Brooke responded by reading the look on Rian’s face. She inspected her legs where the glass had hit, some had punctured the skin but there was not much bleeding.

“RUNNERS! OUT NOW!” A large booming voice cut through the air which startled the girls. It had come from the nearest guard tower; Brooke could see a guard holding microphone. The guard repeated the command.

 “RUNNERS! OUT NOW! WE HAVE YOU LOCKED!”

 Brooke noticed the voice was being generated from a large loudspeaker perched on a pole just a few feet away. Rian left Brooke’s side, quickly examined Sara and Cali and then walked and stood in front of the alley entrance. Her posture was imposing, her hands on her hips and her feet shoulder width apart, but it was her face which told it all. It was determined and focused, with just the right dose of anger. Rian’s voice bellowed into the alley, it was far louder than Brooke could have imagined and sent a shiver up her spine.

“Hands and knees, out of the alley, now!” Rian shouted. It had an effect, Brooke could see movement behind the trash cans and slowly male figures began to emerge. The reports had been correct; four males began to crawl out of the alley on hands and knees with their faces down to the ground. Brooke stood and took a step forward just behind Rian’s shoulder. She turned and nodded to Brooke, telling her it was fine but not to get any closer. Brooke looked at the men coming from the alley. As they crawled along the ground, Brooke felt empowered. Like the Sirens from the Odyssey they were helplessly being drawn towards her and their fates were sealed. They looked completely defeated. She could tell by the look in their eyes that they knew they were doomed. They had broken the most extreme law under the Republic: they had assaulted a group of women without provocation. They would be quickly arrested and put under the shrinking device where their fates would rest with their female owners. When they were just several feet from Brooke, Rian ordered them to stand and put their hands on their heads. The men obeyed without hesitation. When they stood, Brooke was quite surprised at their height and build. They were easily a foot or two taller than any of the girls and far more physically imposing. Their shoulders were higher and wider and their bodies more muscular. This struck Brooke as sort of ironic; they were physically more powerful, but were the weakest sex on the planet. Their brawn counted for absolutely nothing.

Brooke’s eyes fell on the largest of the group. He was at least two feet taller than Brooke, and was built like an ox. He had a mean face and evil looking eyes and Brooke instantly felt complete disgust towards him. She couldn’t help it, but she felt her anger build up in her gut as she stared at this hulking brute. This man had thrown a glass bottle at her which could have seriously hurt her. The most heinous crime under the Republic had been committed against her, but she took comfort in knowing that his punishment would be just. As she stared at him, he lifted his head and looked directly at her. What he did next almost made Brooke lash out against him. He licked his lips and winked at her. This must be a big joke for him, Brooke thought. Rian had been right about the intelligence of the red class. He would learn soon enough though, his sentence would be all the revenge she would need. She wished she could be there when his fate was decided. Visualizing his body being shrunk down to mere inches and placed at the complete mercy of the Republic’s beautiful women would be like a dream for Brooke. Suddenly an idea came to her. She remembered the shrinking device in her purse, the whole reason why she had come down in the first place. As she placed her hand on her purse, her stomach began to rumble.

“Tower, this is Rian 692. We have runners in custody. Requesting pick up and transport over.”

“Roger that 692. Teams have been dispatched and are on their way. Good work!”

Rian placed her radio back and waved for the girls to come forward. There was no more danger now that the men had been caught. Even if they all ran in separate directions there was enough lights and surveillance on the area that each man could be followed without being lost. The security was so tight in the Exhibitions that once you had been pinpointed you could do nothing to escape.

“The pick-up squads are on their way. These four won’t be causing any more trouble.” Rian said to the girls. She took a few steps towards the men who all remained still and in complete submission. Even the large mean one Brooke saw did not move. Rian stared directly at the four men.

“Hope your attempt was worth it,” she said coldly. “You’re not going to be seeing this place for a long, long time.” She turned and walked back to the girls, Brooke moved towards her and two women met between their friends and the four men.

“I was wondering,” Brooke inquired.”My friends and I came here to try our shrinking devices. It was really the whole reason why we came here. Would it be possible for us to try on these four?”

Cali and Sara joined them in the middle street.

“Yes please, it’s perfect.” Cali said.

“They’re easy targets, they’re not a danger anymore you said it yourself.” Sara echoed.

Rian looked at the three girls in turn. Then looked over her shoulder at the four men, all lined in a perfect row in the middle of the street. Their hands remained on their heads and their eyes did not leave the ground.  Rian gave the girls and smile and a shrug.

“Sure why not, they were getting shrunk anyway. Doesn’t really matter who does it. Just let me get their information so we can scan them out of the manifest.” Rian walked back to the four men and took out a small electronic terminal. She went down the line one at a time, punching out their names and information from the Exhibition registry. It was all part of population control; there were now four vacancies that could be filled. When Rian had finished, she took out her radio and told the tower that they were going to handle it, and that the pick-up squad was not necessary. She then moved to the side leaving the girls directly in front of the men.

“When you’re ready,” she said.

Brooke, Cali and Sara all took a few steps forward and removed their devices from their purses. The four men knew what this meant. Two began to shuffle uncomfortably and the big mean one darted his eyes around trying to find a way to escape. He must not be so stupid after all, Brooke thought. Even he knew it was all over. Brooke made sure she stood in front of him and gave him a cold stare. It was a sight all too well known under the Republic. A group of beautiful young women standing triumphant over defeated men. If the Republic could be represented with one image, this would be it. Their power was unconditional and unquestioned. The men were not even bound, but under the eyes of women they were helpless to do anything.

It was time. Brooke aimed her device at her target; the mean brutish man who threw the bottle at her; the man who looked at her like she was nothing but a sexual object. She felt her emotions and desires get the best of her. She pushed the button. A bright red laser shot out of the optic and hit the man square in the chest. His body went rigid and his hands fell to his side. The red laser began to trace an outline of his body, along his arms, down his legs and across his shoulders up to his head. When the outline was complete, the man let out a yelp and began to shrink. Brooke watched in fascination as this man who was once so physically imposing was now equal to Brooke’s height, and was continuing to get smaller. It was all over in a few seconds. Three of the four men had disappeared, leaving only a lone man with his hands still over his head. In place of the other three were a pile of clothes. Brooke had assumed they would shrink out of their clothes but it was still a surprise to actually witness it up front. None of the girls moved, but Rian walked over to the clothing pile and removed three tiny men, each one no more than an inch tall. She handed the girls the man they had shrunk and asked what they planned to do with them.

“I know what I’m going to do,” Sara said.

She held the man to her face, examining him with great interest. She then lowered him to the ground and in one motion brought her entire boot down on his body. There was a loud squishing noise and the girls all made sounds of disgust coupled with laughter. Sara simply wiped her boot along the ground to remove the remains. Cali had decided to keep hers for a little while longer. She would need him for certain “things” around the house, but she did not specify what that really meant. Brooke stared at her man. This tiny figure wiggling from her finger tips. This man who once filled her with great disgust was going to be filling her in other ways. Although she had seen this man in his original form, she would have no reserves towards killing him. He was evil and the Republic would be better off without men like him living under its greatness. The least he could now do was serve Brooke and her beautiful body until the end of his days. She contemplated telling him what she had in store but decided against it. She put the man in her purse and turned to her friends, but answered loud enough so she knew he would hear.

“Let’s just say I’ve already picked up something for supper.”

The girls all laughed, including Brooke. Rian gave her a smile and a shrug.

“Hey he’s all yours now. Do what you want!”

They had almost forgotten about the lone man still standing in the street. He had just witnessed three of friends be shrunk, one was already dead and the other two would follow soon after.

“Should we let him go?”Cali asked Rian.

“Absolutely not,” Rian answered sternly. “The towers will keep him in place and we’ll deal with him later. I’ll show you girls out.”

The four women began to walk back to the main gate. Brooke turned and saw the man still standing there. She wondered what would happen to him once they were gone. She thought about asking Rian if she could shrink him but she didn’t want to come across as greedy so she kept mum about it. Her thoughts went to the man in her purse. He was the first man she had shrunk herself and better yet, she was helping the Republic by serving legal justice. Her hand went into her purse and pulled the man out. She dropped him into her palm and stared at him. Horror was written across his face. All Brooke did was give him a cold smile and dropped him back into her purse.