Chapter 2

"I've never even heard of this town but I do admit they have pretty good coffee," Dean said as he downed what was probably his third cup. He looked at his brother and Angela who were sitting across from him and was secretly pleased that whatever shit Sam started was over and they seemed to be getting along. Never mind that Angela habitually sat by Sam even though it was probably a better fit if she sat next to him.

"Ellis is a mining town… well ex-mining town," Angela replied as she read the local newspaper. It was a nice change from the supernatural though she noticed that at the last pit stop Sam bought her a copy of Pickwick. She was still reading when she reached for her cup of coffee to take a drink. "There's dozens of these towns all over the States. The only thing that kept them alive were the mines; sort of like the mill towns."

"Well thanks for the history lesson," Dean replied in mock annoyance. He stuffed another piece of bacon into his mouth and asked, "So you stumble across anything Angie?"

"Not unless you count the rare event of horses birthing twins or something."

Sam stifled a laugh as he finished off his short stack. He knew she hadn't even bothered to look at Pickwick since he bought it for her. He figured she was really sticking to the promise of taking a break for a while and she meant to include them too.

"Very funny. I know Sam bought you a copy of Pickwick and since you're the only one who could read between the lines so to speak," Dean replied with his mouth full of bacon. "So give."

"Check the latrine. It makes good toilet paper."

Sam couldn't help it and burst out laughing. She didn't do that but she sure enjoyed making them both look like beached guppies when she said something like that. His fork clanked against his plate as he put a hand to his face to hide his laughter which was rather late but he couldn't look at his brother's face at the moment. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to stop laughing at all.

Dean wasn't sure if he heard right and it was damned hard to tell if Angela was kidding or not since she was sitting there calmly and reading the paper. "You serious?"

"They ran out of Sears Roebuck in the outhouse."

Dean looked at his brother who was enduring a laughing fit and was probably going to run out of air. He then looked back at Angela who finally lowered her paper and glanced over at him. He then saw the teasing smile she gave when she was joking with them. "Do you have to do that Angie?"

"Couldn't resist since the last place we stopped at was more like being stuck out in the boonies." Angela folded the paper and put it down to pick at one of the last bits of fruit that was on her plate. "Besides things have been quiet lately in this part of the states and I doubt Pickwick has anything about that."

"Then what the hell are we doing here?" Dean asked the question not in a mean way but he was curious.

Angela spotted a small piece of leftover bacon that hadn't been touched by Dean. She snatched it up and on a sudden burst of inspiration, dipped it into some leftover syrup on Sam's plate and popped it into her mouth. She replied chewing, "That bar where I got in a fight, well I was supposed to meet someone there but they didn't show. I guess they saw the fight and didn't want to bother. So they suggested here. Oh by the way, Dean you should try ham wrapped in pancakes with maple syrup. You'll love it."

"Not if you keep stealing it," Dean replied. He had seen her steal the tidbit of bacon and he saw that Sam didn't mind when she took a bit of his syrup. "Next time order your own."

Angela finished chewing with a slight wry grin on her face. "Just sampling the fare, Dean. Maybe next time I will."

"Or it will just be a short stack," Sam muttered with a slight smile. He didn't care if she picked off the syrup like that. She had shot him a look before that to remind him about the joke they had about Dean germs. He was still laughing about the whole thing with Pickwick so it didn't bother him too much about this mysterious contact she was supposed to meet here. He still was concerned since she didn't divulge details. "So where are you supposed to meet this person?"

Angela gave a slight frown as she accepted another cup of coffee. She held the cup in her hands even though the ceramic mug was probably super hot. "Not sure. It's one of them and I humor them on occasion by playing up to secret meetings." She shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of probably scalding hot coffee.

That was fine for Sam. He wasn't going to push about it since he was trying this new policy of being more like Dean and let her give details when she was ready and he knew Dean wasn't though it looked like at the moment his brother was debating on whether or not to ask any more questions. He didn't get the chance to since the waitress who had been serving them directed her attention to the newcomer, "Sheriff, did you see Charlie this morning? He didn't come home last night."

Angela sat up a little straighter and adjusted her head a little to allow for her hearing to pick up the conversation. She made a slight motion with her fingers while she did so. The boys picked up on her cue and went about the business of finishing their meal and listening.

Sheriff Talbert replied, "He didn't check in last night Nancy. I've sent Roger up to look for him. The last place he was patrolling was Mill Creek. He probably got stuck up there."

"But I've heard the stories about Mad Eye Garrison and…"

"Nancy that is nothing but a ghost story."

"Jimmy Knowles said he saw the ghost of Mad Eye when he went up to the old mine when he went hunting. How do you know it wasn't a ghost story?" The waitress Nancy looked scared and worried. She wanted answers and she was looking to the sheriff for them.

"We'll find him. Don't worry Nancy."

The waitress dried her eyes to hide the tears. "Sorry. Can I get you some coffee Sheriff?"

"Black, please."

Angela took a sip of her coffee and waited to see if there would be anything else worth hearing. When there was nothing, she put her cup down and grabbed the bill the waitress had left. She gave a glance towards Dean who cued his brother. She went to the register to wait for the waitress while the boys shuffled outside. When the waitress came back, Angela handed the bill over to be rung up.

Nancy looked at the woman who brought the bill up. She had a pleasant smile on her face and was very pretty. At least Jimmy Knowles hadn't spotted her or she would have been enduring cheesy pick up lines but she seriously doubted it from the way she conversed with her friends. Brothers maybe? She was concerned when she saw the white gauze on her forearm but the woman didn't seem too concerned. Nancy smiled and said, "Enjoy everything?"

Angela smiled knowing that she was being judged and that the question was polite conversation. She was going to have to turn the conversation around a bit. She replied, "Delicious. It's been a while since I've tasted home baked bread."

"Well Mama Jameson makes the best bread in town. Most folks look forward to it when we do the big get togethers for elections and holidays and the like."

"That's nice." Angela made a slight frown as she phrased her next words carefully, "I don't mean to sound rude but I overheard you saying something about a ghost in an abandoned mine. My friends and I actually collect local lore from different places and we write about it. It's for a class at college."

It was not the best cover story but it was the best that Angela could come up with. If there was a spirit haunting an old mine, at least they had a cover for asking questions if they went to a local person or some place that had historic artifacts. It also worked on the waitress Nancy for she said, "Mad Eye Garrison was coal miner back when the mine opened. It was said that he liked to trip up his fellow miners by rigging up snares and pulling them down the airshafts. That was until they did it to him and he died. Now the kids tell stories about seeing him."

"Sounds pretty interesting," Angela replied as she fished out the total amount and handed it over.

"Well there's more on the mine and stuff like that over at the historical society but the mine is off limits. You know trespassers will be prosecuted but the kids still go there anyway. Also Mr. Ellis knows more about the mine considering that his great granddaddy started this town." Nancy gave the change to the woman. The funny thing was she didn't seem like a college student interested in old legends and stuff. She looked to be more athletic like one of those sports fanatics. Still appearances can be deceiving.

"I think I'll check out that historical society. Sounds like there might be some interesting history. History major," Angela replied as she collected her change. "Well, have a nice day."

"If you are looking for a place to stay, Mama Jameson owns a bed and breakfast near Main street. Tell her Nancy sent you."

Angela nodded as she put on her jacket. "Thanks." She then turned and went out to where Sam and Dean were waiting by the Impala.

Sam and Dean were waiting for her though Dean decided to tease her and asked, "Talk about girl stuff Angie?"

"Only if it involves getting revenge on a pretty boy with spikey hair."

Sam chuckled, "She got you on that one."

"Shut up Sam," Dean replied. He then turned on the flirty nature and said to here, "So you think I'm worth the time and the attention?"

Sam couldn't help but roll his eyes. Dean would flirt with anything that had breasts and a pretty face but he did have to admit that maybe his brother had a thing for Angela. He was just going to have to put up with it if it was serious. So far Dean's flirting was the playful kind and he seemed to get a kick out of the comebacks she gave.

Angela narrowed her eyes playfully as she got a mischievous expression on her face. She had hand behind her back. She then played the coy look and replied, "You're worth the attention but not necessarily the time."

"You sure know how to break hearts Angie," Dean replied after grinning at her response. He knew that she was playing along just like he was. He didn't see her as a potential fling or anything like that. Not at the pace she was going to help him with his deal. "I don't stand a chance."

"Well maybe if you had a decent pickup line I might be impressed," Angela replied as she got into her usual place in the Impala.

Dean looked at Sam who just shrugged his shoulders and replied, "She has a point."

Dean couldn't help but scowl at his brother and replied, "Bitch."

Sam chuckled as his brother got in and started the car. He followed suit and folded his tall frame into the familiar shape of the Impala. He cast a backwards glance at Angela who was leaning back in her seat and smiling a satisfied smile. He asked, "So do we have something with the whole ghost thing?"

Angela sighed and relaxed a little. She replied, "We might have something. I am not sure but if you want to stay and take a look…" She shrugged her shoulders. "The waitress said something about sightings of the ghost of an old miner named Mad Eye Garrison who was said to yank his men down the air shafts of the mine until he was yanked down himself and he died. Since then people have sighted him. She said we might find more at the historical society and she did mention someone named Ellis, the descendant of the founder of the town."

Sam looked at Dean with a silent look. It was an interesting prospect. Dean wasn't too sure since at this point it was just a story however it was something to do but there were going to have to be some rules. He turned to look at Angela and said, "We'll check it out but the only heavy thing you'll be lifting is a book. You're supposed to take it easy."

Angela sighed. She had fought off worse injuries but she did have to admit that getting over the hypothermia was a little slow and of course her ribs and legs were still healing. Her appearance had them worried and she had that in mind when she agreed to take it easy. Now it was biting her in the butt yet she was a person of her word. She nodded, "Alright. As you are fond of pointing out to me: big brother, you win."

"I didn't think you would show especially after that astonishing display of brute force in the bar."

"And I would have thought you would have joined in on the fun. Aren't you a goddess of war Wosret?" Angela gave a grin as she took a drink of the whiskey that she had ordered. It was meant more as a means of playing off being a patron at the tavern.

Wosret smiled back at Angela. She took a drink of her whiskey. It was a strange concoction to her but she figured that she couldn't be rude since she did bail out on the warrior princess. She replied, "And get shown up by the warrior princess?"

Angela gave a slight groan. She was never going to live that nickname down. Hakim thought that she didn't know about that… well she knew and it was one of the rare treats for Dean. She said, "You know as well as I Wosret that I am not a warrior princess. A warrior yes but…"

"Trained in combat by your father initially and then placed under the tutelage of the masters in hand to hand combat… who did you think they were? Mother and Father seriously took an interest in you and it's not because of your other name." Wosret leaned back in her seat. "You were forged in battle if you remember." She studied Angela and noted the slight dark circles under her eyes and the tiniest movements of wincing. Angela was a warrior.

"How could I forget?" Angela looked down at the table and played with her glass. "It was a nest of demons. My first since I was brought back from the dead. I never thought I would be capable of going after a nest again since…" She then looked up at the young goddess and asked, "Why did you contact me Wosret? Why have me meet you here?"

The goddess had wondered how long Angela would play being polite until she decided to get to the point. She had observed that it was considered proper etiquette to talk about how each other were doing before getting to business. She replied, "Well someone we both know well mentioned the possibility of a job. Had I known about your injuries, I would have suggested someone else."

"And I suppose this mutual acquaintance of ours just happened to find out about this through covert means?" Angela posed the query in an attempt to hide the fact that the young goddess could tell that she had healing injuries.

"I can't attest to that but he did say that it is something right up your alley," Wosret replied. She had taken the advice she had been given carefully and she could only hope that Angela won't try to dig too deeply as to the source. "He also said that it might help your case for your friend. It was more of a character thing for you."

Angela nodded as she listened. She knew that there was a purpose to this but then again he was always willing to extend a helping hand. He caught her when she fell during those years they traveled together. "So I take it that he asked you because…?

"I volunteered," Wosret replied.

Angela nodded. "Alright so what is the job that our mutual acquaintance sent my way?" She refilled her glass and took a sip of the whiskey. She was getting into Bobby and Dean's bad habit of drinking. Then again it helped that she didn't really get drunk like a skunk. She held her alcohol better than anyone.

Wosret watched as Angela consumed her alcohol. She had read that for mortals' excessiveness on anything and in particular alcohol usually was a sign that there was something deeper that was bothering the person. She suspected that it had something to do with her pupil's brother and she had spent time finding out about that. What she found was a result of her traveling the world and learning of the world that Angela and her friends lived and fought in and what she found opened her eyes and respect for them.

Ever since her parents granted her permission to intermingle with the mortals, she had devoted her time and energy to helping them against the creatures that victimized them. The mortals that did the same thing were called hunters and she jumped into that fully. However she was smart to be cautious and didn't do anything to make herself well known amongst the hunters. She was a goddess and she was still connected to the mortal realm and didn't need to restrict her powers like the others.

Most of her time was spent learning more about Angela. She was familiar with her role as Absolution but she wanted to know more about the person. She traveled to the places she had been and actually learned how to work this thing called the internet. She was amazed at how the mortals could organize their histories in this thing called cyberspace which technically was like the spirit realm. You couldn't see it or touch it but there were ways to tap into it.

It was tapping into the spirit realm that she found out about the deal that Dean had struck with the crossroads demon. It took considerable effort to keep her inquiries discreet. She did manage to find out though that at the time the deal was made, Sam had been killed. Wosret uncovered the pieces regarding Angela and the demon called Azazel and pieced it together and followed through up to this point. It was not fair in her mind that such a good person at heart was forced to suffer the machinations of others and not be able to do anything.

Wosret remembered the day that the spirit realm had been shaken to its core and beyond. She believed that there wasn't a god or goddess or other supernatural being with such sensitivity that didn't feel that cry of anguish. Mother had likened it to a hole being torn in the soul of the natural energies of all living things and even though it had scarred over, it was still there.

Now she was here with the source of the scar. Wosret knew what all the gods and goddesses and the alphas knew from birth. The beings of the world were interconnected. That human theory that everyone in the world was separated by six degrees was a not too far gone theory. The hunter-gatherer groups they called Indians understood this too. She looked at Angela and she could see why their mutual acquaintance cared about her.

Wosret gave a slight smile and nodded. She replied, "Our mutual acquaintance found that there have been unusual disturbances within this town."

"You're talking about the ghost that people call Mad Eye Garrison?" Angela perked up. The boys were doing their own research. She said that she would take a break but took the opportunity to sneak away to meet Wosret. She felt bad for lying to them about that but since the young goddess wanted to meet in secret, she made the choice to do it.

"The truth is he doesn't know." Wosret paused to take a drink of her second glass of whiskey. She liked this stuff better than the stuff they called beer and she was a bit partial to wine since that was often used in worshiping rituals. She continued, "He found high levels of EMF and I am sure that you know about that little trick."

"Oh a lot better than most people think," Angela replied as she chuckled and downed her third drink. "And he has a bag full of tricks that most wouldn't think funny if it was played on them."

Wosret couldn't help but chuckle along with that. "He certainly likes his pranks."

"But he is kind and gentle and a good friend," Angela countered with a smile. "He had your back when he said he did. He certainly watched mine for the longest time. He protected me from the things that I know now Wosret and I thought he lied to me when I found out and we fought and fell out."

"But you still care about him," Wosret pointed out. She knew that the subject of their conversation still cared about Angela. He had implied as much when they met in that desert they called Texas. She could see that his Cat returned the favor.

"Always. He is like a brother to me so I know that he is telling me the truth and I believe that he isn't sure," Angela replied. "Did he give anything to go on?"

"He did suspect that with the EMF it should be business as usual but he suggested checking out everything about the mine and the town."

Angela gave a nod while staring at the empty glass in her hand. This certainly was a case to get on but somehow she had a sense of foreboding in regards to this case. If their mutual acquaintance had trouble pinpointing the source, then it meant that there could be something else. Personally she was rather tired of doing the heavy duty stuff.

Angela could see though how this would be a character thing for the hearing. She had yet to hear from the council and her attempts at inquiries had been met with the usual stonewalling tactics. It wasn't that the council was being difficult but she got the feeling that there was a purpose to this and they could be doing what any good crime scene investigator does; they were collecting their evidence and probably talking to people before they called her.

Angela realized that he was helping her out again. She looked up at the goddess and said, "I believe you on our mutual acquaintance."

"So you'll be looking into it?"

"Well we already stumbled onto the ghost theory and we'll run with that," Angela replied. She was tempted to fill up but she decided to stop. It was another case but it was like a light that was shining to light the way. "So you going to stick around?"

"I was thinking of moving on. I've been enjoying my freedom," Wosret allowed.

"I could use some company since I am probably going to be… well I am on restricted duty for the time being."

Wosret considered it. She did want to get to know Angela better. She replied, "Agreed."

A/N: Looks like they may have stumbled across the case but no one is too sure of anything. Stay tuned for next time on Pack of Strays...