Part 4

Cordelia sat on the bed, awaked since a few minutes. The air was cold and wet, she took a sweater and put on some socks. Then she got up and went near one of the four walls that kept her captive. She touched it, passing her fingers on its entire surface. Nothing.

"That's not normal, there has to be some secret passage for the heroine to escape, there always is in the movies!" Cordelia cried out.

Not losing hope, she attacked the second wall, then the third one and finally the fourth, getting irritated and more and more anxious. But she got nothing.

"It's not fair! I want to get out! Where is Angel when you really need him? Why do things like this always happen to me? " She looked upwards and scolded. "Why didn't you send me a vision? You're supposed to protect innocents." She took a quick breath, then got angry, "WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM? "

She kicked the table, sending it crashing against the wall and fell on the bed, discouraged.

"It's not fair," she whispered. "I'm Cordelia Chase. I should be a famous actress, have a big house with clothes to die for, a lot of money and a great boyfriend! Or work with a vampire with a soul, have cheap clothes, a poor salary and a ghost as a room mate. But not here! NOT HERE!"

She took her head in her hands then got an idea.

"What would Angel do if he were in this situation?" She frowned. "No, bad example, first he would have never let this guy kidnap him, and even if he did, he'd kick down the door in no time and leave! Well, what would Fred do then?" Her frown deepened "Worse example, she'd think about a really ingenious thing and escape too! But, I'm not strong and not ingenious, the only things where I excel are complain and do as I please... " She shut her mouth and remembered the words of her kidnapper. "Don't ever call for help... don't ever call for help... don't ever call for help... why if nobody can hear me?" She reflected for a moment then: "I don't even obey Angel, does he think I'm going to obey HIM?"

She got up and went to the door with determined tread. There was some kind of hole to see what was going outside the room. Cordelia noticed another door opposite her, and there was a shadow behind that door. She took a deep breath then shouted.

"Please, help me... My name is Cordelia Chase and I'm working in a detective agency." She was silent an instant, hoping vainly for an answer. "Please, please answer me... I know you are here... ANSWER ME!"

Cordelia closed her eyes and breathed deeply again, telling herself to calm down, then she continued to shout. "My name is Cordelia Chase and..."

She was interrupted by a low voice. "Keep silent or he'll kill you."

"Oh God" She whispered, and then shouted. "My name is Cordelia, what's yours?"

"I'm Mary Jane."

"It feels good to hear your voice Mary Jane."

"I'm Christina." A second voice said.

"I'm here too." Another one added.

"Me too."

"And me."

"Me too, I..." The sixth voice hesitated, "my name is Naomi Cross, I'm a student and I've been here for 8 days... I think…"

Cordelia rested her head on the door and closed her eyes, fighting back the tears. "I'm working in a detective agency and I promise that I'll get us out of there. I don't know when or how yet, but I promise!"

She got no answer back.

Angel was in the basement training, or rather unwinding on his punching-ball. He was missing Cordelia, it was only a day since she had disappeared and he was already missing her as if he hadn't seen her in weeks. He was missing her so much. And he was also scared, terribly scared that something happen to her. What Alex had said earlier was still on his mind: They did something displeasing to him, so displeasing that he killed them. If Cordelia disobeyed him, that bastard would probably kill her. And Cordelia hated to be told what she had to do, she loathed to be given orders, and often tended to do exactly the opposite of what she'd been told. Personally he didn't mind, after all he was not in a position to judge her: he did the same! But now it was different.

Angel had flipped through the 3 dead young women's files, and the forensic pathologist was unequivocal, the three had been raped, several times! If Casanova laid one hand on his Cordy, he'd lose the control of his deed. He was extremely possessive with her, and she reproached him for it sometimes. He didn't know why he acted like that, it was like urges. Nobody had the right to hurt her without have to deal with Angel. At first, he thought that he was just acting like a very protective brother, but it was something else. He didn't know what. He always had difficulties to talk about his feelings towards Cordy, simply because he didn't understand them himself.

When he'd broken up with Buffy, he'd swore to himself to never ever get close to people, let alone human women. And then Doyle came in is life, followed by Cordelia. The three of them got closer, strangely, the fight against the forces of evil really got people closer. And unconsciously he'd begun to love both of his co-workers as a family. But Cordelia and he were not that close yet, everything had begun after Doyle's death. He'd swore to himself to never ever lose a member of his family, which only counted Cordy. Then Wesley came along, and Gunn and Fred. But from all of them it was to Cordelia that he was the closest. He had such complicity with her which he would never have believed to have with anyone. Even he and Buffy weren't that accessory. That's why he'd do anything to find the best friend he'd ever had. Wesley came down and Angel stopped.

"I have news about the demon in Cordelia's vision." Wes said with the ghost of a smile.

"You do?" Angel asked.

"Yes, not much but..."

"What did you find?"

"He's called Lifercy. I found an engraving and it isn't pretty. I also know that it eats human essence. It sucks the life-force out of its victims." Wesley explained.

Angel sighed. "Oh, great! Do we know how to kill it?"

"Not yet, I keep looking, but it's not easy. I must be discrete with our new friends."

"I understand. Any news about Cordy?" Angel asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not. He doesn't left much indication!"

Angel hit the punching-ball in frustration.

"Calm down Angel, we'll find her!"

"Yeah, but before or after she get killed?"

Wesley looked at him, not knowing what to answer.