26

Angel heard footsteps but not like before. These were lighter footsteps. "That's not Mac." Angel got up from the bed. "These are a woman's shoe… I have to find a weapon." She looked around the room. "Nothing." The lock slowly turned. "Mac said he was the only one that had a key. Maybe they killed Mac and now they're coming after me… I have to prepare myself." She stood behind the door so she could attack from behind. The door crept as it slowly opened an inch. Angel tightened up her fist till her knuckles turned white. Someone whispered her name. "Angel…"

Angel relaxed some at that but then she thought about it. Anyone could know my name.

She tensed up again, this time even tighter if that was even possible. "Angel…Mac Taylor," when she heard that name she was better. Maybe Mac couldn't come so he sent someone in his place. Where is he though, did they get to him…did something happen to him that I don't know about?

"Sent me…" when Sam didn't hear anything, she opened the door some more. "He sent me…My name is Samantha Flack…"

Samantha Flack? That name sounds familiar…Angel shook the thought. Na couldn't be my old friend Samantha. Just couldn't be…could it?

"I'm coming in. don't be scared." Sam called as she opened the door more.

Angel saw a figure with a small flashlight enter the room. The beam lighted the floor in front of the person. Samantha could hardly see a thing in the dark room. "Angel are you here?" she flashed the light beam around the room. Angel took out hers and flashed it back at her. "Angel? Hello…"

"Sam?" Sam flashed the light at the sound of her name.

"Angel?"

"Watch it with that light." Angel called covering her face from the bright light.

"Sorry, I…" Sam ran up to Angel who was now standing in the far corner. She saw that Angel still didn't really trust her. She stopped short of the edge of the bed. She reached for her necklace. She held it out and lighted it up with her flashlight. Angel saw the pendent and reached for hers. Sam smiled.

"It matches, it matches." Sam walked slowly closer to her.

"It does, it does." Angel smiled. Sam hugged her. "Good to see you. I never forgot."

Sam eyes filled with tears. She sniffed. "I never forgot either. I just never thought I see…"

"Well, here I am." Angel told her.

"Mac sent me…"

"Where is he?" she broke the hug.

"Well," there was hesitation in Sam's voice.

"So he's going to keep me prisoner here."

"No, Angel…um…he's still working on your case."

"So he told you all about my case." She sat on the bed facing away from Sam. "You must think the worst of me too." She sniffed. Sam sat next to her draping her arm over her shoulder.

"No I…" Angel looked at her friend, more like stared.

"You know something Sam don't you?" Sam was hesitant again.

"Mac…" she sighed. "And his team are being followed that's why he sent me."

"By who?" Angel shook her head trying not to think about who it could have been or was.

"They don't know."

"And you?"

"I don't know." Sam responded, Angel laughed at that.

"No, I mean are you being followed?"

"Not that I know of." She sighed. "Mac wanted to ask you about who you thought would be following them."

"I have not a clue."

"So you not in a gang?"

"Now why would you say that?" Angel had a hurtful look why would he think that? Why would he say that? A tear slid down her cheek, he doesn't trust me that's it.

Sam's mind: great now I have upset her. Now she's not going to talk to me anymore.

"It was just a question." Sam swallowed. "A Mac question. He's just a detective. He's trying to get answers. I would have asked the same thing if I thought it was important one."

Angel's mind: Maybe Sam's right I mean…

"Mac thinks he knows but…he can't be sure yet."

"It's one of the tanglewood boys isn't it." Angel swallowed. She knew that these people were dangerous.

"Could be. That's what they are trying to figure out as we speak." Angel told Sam the story about what happened the night of the wreck and all about what had happen to her since she got here. By the time that she was finished, Sam was in tears.

"Chantelle died in your arms," Sam wiped tears from her face and stared at Angel.

"Yes," Angel started to start crying again about Chantelle. Sam reached out and hugged Angel.

"I never know that side of the story. I thought both of you died. I was…scared."

"Me too. I ran from the scene." Angel wiped tears from her eyes. "The only person I told the story to was that Mac Taylor detective guy. I couldn't lie any longer. Not when I knew that I might be going to jail for murdering someone."

"That was…you were protecting yourself, you had no choice."

"I feel guilty thought…and then when your brother took me in…"

"My brother…" Sam sounded shocked. That's when the light bulb went on her that he didn't know that she was Angel. Sam's mind: that's how he knew about the necklace. "He doesn't know yet, does he."

"Not yet. I was going to tell him but….we were hit and then all hell broke lose. I'm now here and he's in the hospital."

"He's doing better, he has high spirits. Does he even know who you are?"

"No, he thinks I'm Chantelle….it was." Angel sighed. "I got the id swap idea from him."

"What?"

"He said we were like close sisters, so I took Chantelle's id and ran." Angel couldn't look at Sam anymore. She turned her head away. "I thought she wouldn't mind. I know that it

was wrong to do but…"

"That's why?" Angel faced Sam again with a question mark look on her face.

"What?"

"That's why Mac wants me to get the DNA swab."

"What's that?" Angel got up from the bed and started pacing the floor. "What do I have to do? Does it hurt?" she stopped pacing. She decided to sit at the table this time. "Does he know where my father is?"

"I don't know about that but he asked me if I would get a DNA sample from you. He didn't tell me why he needed it." Sam sighed. "He told me all I have to do is swab this." She held up a q-tip with a long handle. "Along the inside of you cheek and then put in this container." She showed the container to Angel.

"Let's do this." Angel opened her mouth and Sam swabbed the inside of her mouth.

"Then you have to go right?" Sam placed the q-tip in the container.

"Yes, I have to get it back to him. I'll be right back."

"I know you will come back." Angel smiled. "It's just frustrating being here alone." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if it's day or night."

Sam looked at her watch. "It's now late afternoon."

"Oh,"

"Trust me when I tell you that Mac knows what he's doing? You should be out of here soon."

"He looks like the best."

"He is. One of the best, I know." She went over the Angel and gave her another hug.

"Soon all of this will be over." Angel lay down on the bed placing her arms under her head. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"When you wake back up it will be…." Sam's voice trailed off as she left the room.