Love Triumphant
Chapter V
Still Cynical
Back On Earth In San Francisco
John Grant rang the door on a modest but extremely nice home in a quiet residential neighborhood in San Francisco. He still couldn't believe Sam had moved here after she'd left the VCTF but then again she must have been hoping to put as many miles between her and the site of her former torment as possible. He just hoped she wasn't facing something equally as hideous in her new life. Angel had sounded pretty panicked.
When she opened the door and invited him in, John could see that Angel looked truly frightened. They hugged somewhat hesitantly. John knew that Angel and he were still friends but none the less the awkwardness of being former lovers was undeniably present.
"Any new developments since I called you from the airport?" he asked. Angel shook her head. "I know you don't want to hear this John but it's like Sam just disappeared off the face of the planet. There's no trace of her what so ever."
"Look Angel, I'm sorry I was harsh before on the phone. I believe that you saw something strange and that Sam is missing. I just think someone must have gone to a hell of a lot of trouble to plan an elaborate ruse so they could kidnap her. We just have to figure out who that's all. I've contacted George and he's agreed to help. He's already started compiling a list of likely suspects. You know people we put away who are out on parole, escapees, or any convict's relatives who swore revenge. I've also got a call into Grace. I'm trying to track down Bailey, and also Rachel. They'll all want to help I'm sure. Everyone still cares about Sam a great deal."
As John was talking he had started moving around the room, running his hands over the walls, ducking down to look under the sofa and chairs, and behind the curtains. "There are no wires that I could find," Angel informed him. "I looked before you came, and before you say anything about that, I was careful. I've had enough experience with you FBI types to know that I had to be cautious so as not to disturb any evidence. I just couldn't sit around doing nothing while my best friend might be in serious trouble."
John finished his own examination of the living room and found no evidence of hidden projectors, bugs, or even a struggle. It was just as Angel said. John couldn't explain it. He knew without a doubt that Sam would have put up a fight. She wouldn't leave Chloe willingly. At the thought of Sam's daughter, he asked Angel where Chloe was and how she was handling her mother's disappearance. Angel told him that she hadn't the heart to tell Chloe and had told the young teenager that her mother had to leave unexpectedly in the night to visit a very sick friend. Then she had sent Chloe over to one of her neighborhood friend's house.
He applauded Angel's quick thinking but John knew Chloe was a smart girl and wouldn't be fooled for long. Hopefully they would have her mother back to her before this day was through. "Maybe whatever it was the kidnapper used to create the black smoke effect was self operating and he planted it outside the window or maybe he had an accomplice," John said aloud.
"Or maybe it was supernatural," Angel replied. John noticed a shiver run through her. "Angel you are too intelligent and level headed to believe in abracadabra and hocus pocus," he chided. "You're right, John! I am intelligent but Socrates once said the "wisest man is one who admits he knows nothing. I believe that it is possible that there are things and forces at work in this universe that we can't even begin to comprehend. I'm telling you something strange happened here. Something eerie."
"Well you can call the Ghostbusters if you want to but I'm still operating under the assumption that we are dealing with a human perpetrator. You're never going to convince me that a person can just evaporate into thin air. Now I know you were reluctant to call the local police in on this before but I'm going to need access to their resources to find Sam and bring her home. He picked up the phone on a nearby table and called the SFPD. His call was put through immediately to an Inspector Darryl Morris.
Chapter V
Still Cynical
Back On Earth In San Francisco
John Grant rang the door on a modest but extremely nice home in a quiet residential neighborhood in San Francisco. He still couldn't believe Sam had moved here after she'd left the VCTF but then again she must have been hoping to put as many miles between her and the site of her former torment as possible. He just hoped she wasn't facing something equally as hideous in her new life. Angel had sounded pretty panicked.
When she opened the door and invited him in, John could see that Angel looked truly frightened. They hugged somewhat hesitantly. John knew that Angel and he were still friends but none the less the awkwardness of being former lovers was undeniably present.
"Any new developments since I called you from the airport?" he asked. Angel shook her head. "I know you don't want to hear this John but it's like Sam just disappeared off the face of the planet. There's no trace of her what so ever."
"Look Angel, I'm sorry I was harsh before on the phone. I believe that you saw something strange and that Sam is missing. I just think someone must have gone to a hell of a lot of trouble to plan an elaborate ruse so they could kidnap her. We just have to figure out who that's all. I've contacted George and he's agreed to help. He's already started compiling a list of likely suspects. You know people we put away who are out on parole, escapees, or any convict's relatives who swore revenge. I've also got a call into Grace. I'm trying to track down Bailey, and also Rachel. They'll all want to help I'm sure. Everyone still cares about Sam a great deal."
As John was talking he had started moving around the room, running his hands over the walls, ducking down to look under the sofa and chairs, and behind the curtains. "There are no wires that I could find," Angel informed him. "I looked before you came, and before you say anything about that, I was careful. I've had enough experience with you FBI types to know that I had to be cautious so as not to disturb any evidence. I just couldn't sit around doing nothing while my best friend might be in serious trouble."
John finished his own examination of the living room and found no evidence of hidden projectors, bugs, or even a struggle. It was just as Angel said. John couldn't explain it. He knew without a doubt that Sam would have put up a fight. She wouldn't leave Chloe willingly. At the thought of Sam's daughter, he asked Angel where Chloe was and how she was handling her mother's disappearance. Angel told him that she hadn't the heart to tell Chloe and had told the young teenager that her mother had to leave unexpectedly in the night to visit a very sick friend. Then she had sent Chloe over to one of her neighborhood friend's house.
He applauded Angel's quick thinking but John knew Chloe was a smart girl and wouldn't be fooled for long. Hopefully they would have her mother back to her before this day was through. "Maybe whatever it was the kidnapper used to create the black smoke effect was self operating and he planted it outside the window or maybe he had an accomplice," John said aloud.
"Or maybe it was supernatural," Angel replied. John noticed a shiver run through her. "Angel you are too intelligent and level headed to believe in abracadabra and hocus pocus," he chided. "You're right, John! I am intelligent but Socrates once said the "wisest man is one who admits he knows nothing. I believe that it is possible that there are things and forces at work in this universe that we can't even begin to comprehend. I'm telling you something strange happened here. Something eerie."
"Well you can call the Ghostbusters if you want to but I'm still operating under the assumption that we are dealing with a human perpetrator. You're never going to convince me that a person can just evaporate into thin air. Now I know you were reluctant to call the local police in on this before but I'm going to need access to their resources to find Sam and bring her home. He picked up the phone on a nearby table and called the SFPD. His call was put through immediately to an Inspector Darryl Morris.