The Net: "The Need For Blood": Chapter 7
"Angel!" Angela heard Jacob call her name a few hours later. She looked at her watch. It was time for dinner. Almost without a second thought, she drew some blood and filled a mug. She took it to him and sat down on the edge of the bed while Jacob drank the mug dry.
"How are you feeling?" she asked when he was done.
"Much better, thanks to you."
"That's good. And those teeth?"
"Happily going away."
"Awesome!"
"Angel, can you tell me what happened? With Sean? And that guy you were with today?"
"Well, we went in with guns blazing. I got my name changed a lot of people died, and we got arrested, as you know. But I have no idea what happened to Sean."
"Oh, and the guy?"
"He's going to be my new boss. He asked me to work for him in the CIC, which stands for Center for Internet Control, which is a division of the FBI."
"How the heck did you manage that!"
"I don't know. But I told him I wouldn't take it unless he got you out of jail. He did and I have to call him in a week after you're well again. And after that, I do believe we're off to Quantico ."
"Cool!"
"Yeah, it is. Now, you get some rest while I get my own dinner and then I'll be back."
"Yeah, OK."
Angela stood up and went to the door.
"Hey, Angel?"
She turned back. "What?"
"You have a nice apartment."
"Thanks."
✠
One week later, Jacob was back on his feet and feeling fine as they stood in front of a small music store.
"Now, you're sure you're up to this?"
"Yes."
"OK. Are those teeth……"
"Angel! They're gone! OK? Now, let's just go in there and get this over with!"
"OK, alright. Let's go."
Together, they walked into the store. A man in his thirties stood behind the counter. "Angela."
"Walter. This is Jacob. Jacob, this is Walter."
"Hi. Um, I guess I should thank you for getting me out of there," Jacob said.
"No problem. OK, Angela, we need to talk about Quantico . Um, can we talk in the back room?" Walter glanced in Jacob's direction.
"Yeah, sure. I'll be back," she said to Jacob, who watched her follow Walter into the back room before he began to wander around the music store, checking out the CD's for sale. Mostly though, it was all Mozart, and Bach, and any other classical artist known to man. All boring stuff. He didn't listen in on Angela's conversation with Walter until he heard her say twelve words:
"I'll go, but only as long as you grant me one favor." Then, he was all ears.
"Alright," Walter was saying. "I'll give you one favor, depending on what it is."
"I need you to let Jacob come with me."
"Nope. Sorry. I can't do that."
"Well, you have no choice, either I don't go to Quantico and don't work for you or else Jacob comes with me and I do go and work for you. It's your choice. What's it gonna be?"
There was a deep silence in the back room for awhile, and then Walter finally spoke, "Alright. Fine. He can go. BUT, I don't want him getting in the way and causing trouble."
"Don't worry. I promise he won't get into trouble."
✠
That following week, the three of them boarded a plane and flew out to Quantico, Virginia where Angela was to start her FBI training. Jacob went to all of her training sessions and watched her learn to fight and to shoot.
"OK, Angel, I'm going to try to block any move you make, alright?" he said, standing in the practice ring opposite her.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I could hurt you, you know."
"Sure you could. But you need to practice and you need someone to practice with. Besides, after all I've done to you, I deserve any pain you put me in."
"Jacob, don't say that. You can't help what happened."
"Are you gonna practice or what?"
Angela sighed and began to throw some punches at him. With the blue pads, he blocked every move.
"You're getting good at this, Jacob."
"That's what I get for watching you, I guess."
She broke off from the punches and randomly threw in some kicks among other things. These were not always blocked, though she never kicked hard enough to hurt him.
"Come on, let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Angela said, throwing another punch at him.
Jacob threw down the pads and blocked her with his arm. As he did so, his other hand turned into a fist and sailed into her stomach. Her right arm came down to sweep his hand away before grabbing hold of his other wrist. Pulling him forward she twisting around to hold his arm over her shoulder.
"Aaach! You're good!" Jacob exclaimed.
"Yes, that was good," John, her trainer said, coming in. "Looks like you need to brush up a bit, Jacob,"
"Yeah, I noticed," Jacob said, with a slight smile.
"Alright, you can end this and go practice your shooting now. After that I'll let you go to lunch," John said before he left.
"Why did he have to mention lunch?" Jacob asked.
"Can you wait for awhile?"
"I think so."
"Good, let's go."
Together, they went out to the shooting range. Jacob sat on a bench several yards away and watched Angela as she shot several bulls eyes in a row. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye Jacob saw someone turn out of the line of FBI trainees practicing their shooting skills. He was standing up and running in two seconds when he saw the man aim his weapon straight at Angela.
