Chapter 6

"So Angie's having lunch with an old lady? Man she's a better sweet talker than you Sasquatch and her puppy dog eyes are more convincing than yours." Dean dug into his cheeseburger and chewed with a vengeance. "Then again she can get you to do anything and all she has to say is please."

Sam stared at his brother with a look of disgust mostly because of the chewed food he was watching. His fork was in his hand and basically squishing the bed of lettuce and chicken and other things that made what the diner called a salad. He managed to spear a bite and replied, "She just has to look at you and you rush to do it before she gets a word out."

Dean paused in his chewing. One of his cheeks was bulging as he stared at his brother chewing on the piece of salad. To Dean the only thing that was real food were the bits of grilled chicken. He wondered how his baby brother managed to grow to his Sasquatch frame on rabbit food. That wasn't important though. At the moment his brother returned a jibe and with a straight face. Something was up. Swallowing his food he asked, "Alright what gives? Do you have another stick up your ass?"

Sam looked up and finished the bite he was chewing. Frowning a little he replied, "Nothing's up Dean. Just saying that I'm not the only one that is willing to do what she asks though if she were to ask you to dance in the street butt naked, you would do it without question."

"She would set the hell mutt on you and you would let it steal your drawers and drool on you," Dean spluttered.

"Big comeback Dean," Sam replied with the sarcasm lining his tone as he took another bite of his salad. "Anyway Angie said that she might have found something and that she was staying for lunch and asking questions. She was then thinking about visiting another place on her list. I guess you were right in keeping her busy." He added the last bit as an appeasement to his brother. Besides, his thoughts were on other things, some involving the job and some involving personal things.

Dean recognized that something was on Sam's mind. Probably something to do with the case and working out all the clues, which was how Sam worked when deep in thought. He replied, "Okay. So maybe she'll find out where the stiff is buried and we can salt and burn his ass."

"Dean I still don't think we're dealing with a vengeful spirit."

"Sam. People keep saying they have seen this spirit. We have two disappeared cops near this mine. I'm telling you it doesn't get any better than this." Dean took the opportunity to go for a few fries soaked in ketchup.

"And we also have a cop that is in what passes for a hospital with severe lacerations and we have the hairs that are not from a yeti. Maybe we're dealing with something besides a ghost."

"And we're not going to know unless we go back to the mine and do some readings."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"The usual Sammy."

Sam sighed. Sometimes he wondered how conversations could change tracks so easily and they ended up in a near argument. Maybe he was pushing too hard on Angela's behalf but he was uneasy at her rather lethargic look on things. She did seem better this morning and had even asked about his gaping wounds. Something was going on and it wasn't her emotional state.

He wasn't blind but he had noticed that while she was still friendly with them both. She had been a little reserved now that he had more time to think about it. He wasn't sure if reserved was the right word. She was… careful. Sighing he replied, "It is easier to just get permission and we may find out more information about the mine."

"Not letting Angie do it."

"I didn't say that Dean."

"But you implied it," Dean replied pointing a fry in Sam's direction. "It may be gossip but I wouldn't put Angie in the same room with a douche and neither would you."

"You don't even know the guy."

"And you do?"

Sam gave up. It was true that he would be the first to slug the first guy that hit on her but the way Dean was reacting, it was ridiculous. Did Dean feel responsible for Darby? If anything, Sam was to blame, and even though he and Angela talked, he still thought that it was his fault since he treated her shitty. "No but this is getting us nowhere. Let's just wait and see what Angie has to say."

"Fine. Finish your rabbit food so we can get going." Dean knew it was stupid to be following gossip instead of investigating and finding the truth. Part of it was protecting Angela from unwanted advances and being put through a situation where she would have to suck it up and take it. The other part was that he knew Sam was onto something regarding her lethargy and compliance.

When they were getting ready to leave Darby and Sam was out of the room, Angela spoke to him about her maybe backing off from cases for the next week or so. Dean had also done some research and had spoken to Bobby about Chaser physiology since the man had managed to acquire a ton of lore and information on the subject. Her recovery rate was retarded slightly from the hypothermia and though she managed to get active after getting warmed up, he had noticed that she moved as if she had the flu or something like that and she revealed that she was achy.

He knew she was going to look a little sick for some time and her body temperature was going to be lower than usual; more like a human's. She was going to be sleepy and lethargic and would need large blocks of uninterrupted sleep and nothing strenuous like actually doing the heavy lifting on a job. Basically reduce stress on her.

Dean knew she came to him because she didn't want to worry Sam and she didn't want to deal with Sam pressuring her to do the one thing that would increase her recovery rate. Dean knew that Sam would do the extreme if he knew but judging from the scratching he was doing, Sam suspected a few things and Dena was sure that he was getting suspicious of how careful she was in expressing herself. He had no idea what was spoken between them but something from that conversation had her scared.

If someone were to ask why he thought she was scared, Dean would lay it out. She may have been a jumpy thing when they first met but Dean noticed that when she was unsure of an unfamiliar thing, she would tread carefully. What used to be a jump was now a natural maneuver away. She was scared of something and it wasn't the attraction issue between them. He would find out but right now he was keeping his promise in helping her. Sure she wasn't making it easy with bar fights and the drinking but the drinking just made her more lethargic but she was grateful.

Dean could see the wheels turning in his brother's head as they finished their lunch. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he figured out what was going on. Sam had been upset when he learned that she was a part of the deal making and sticking to the cover story but not as much as Dean thought. It was like Sam developed this understanding regarding Angela's actions. Maybe it had something to do with her 'letting' Ruby in though he could see they could fight any moment.

There was no use dwelling on it. Right now they had a case. Maybe Angela found something on Mad Eye and a few other things. Dean said nothing and neither did Sam as they finished their meal in silence and took off to go see the injured Stark.

Susan woke up feeling like shit as the midday light filtered in through the blinds. Once again she put them the wrong way and now she was paying the price. She had a massive hangover… well it felt like one since she hadn't been drinking last night. Groaning she pushed herself up from her bed and winced slightly on the pressure from her right arm.

Somehow she managed to make it to the bathroom to take a hot shower. As the water was cascading down her body, she managed to examine her right arm. It looked like she had gouged out another one again. She never learned that treating injuries while high was actually a really bad thing. Well the damage was done and it wasn't like her guests were going to notice if they happened to see her. Oh well, she would deal.

She couldn't resist going out last night. Sometimes the urge was too powerful to ignore and given what was happening lately, she needed to assert herself. She knew what was up with the disappearance of Charlie Russ but that wasn't her problem. The guy was probably toast by now unless he got lucky. That was highly unlikely since he was a pretty good sized guy and she was sure that if she were one of them, she would have been after him too.

With a snort she finished her shower and dried herself off. It was no big surprise that she was running low on clean clothes. She did laundry in big shifts and it annoyed the hell out of Louisa, the only help she hired to help keep the rooms straightened. At least she had one set clean enough. Well clean enough for her though she could smell the stuff that kept the headaches away clinging on them. It was faint and it wasn't like anyone else around here had that good of a sniffer.

She took care to make sure that her arm wasn't that jostled getting dressed and headed to town. She didn't even need the usual pills today, which was surprising. She headed towards town to pick up the weekly supplies of cleaners and other things for the motel. It was also time to bring in a load of food since she did offer one meal and her guests took up the offer for the evening meal so she might as well get started on that. She really looked forward to going to the mercantile and facing all of them nosy biddies.

It was always a 'joy' to be at the mercantile and listen to the busy bodies gossip. Susan ignored them for the most part as she sorted out the brand of cleaning supplies Louisa liked to use. At least she wasn't too picky and there were a couple that she liked and Susan could work with that. The door made its usual entrance tingle and Susan heard the distinctive treading of Jimmy Knowles boots and she stifled the sigh that threatened.

The man was too nosy for his own good. Susan couldn't count how many times she had to think fast to hide things from him when he came poking around. Ever since the mine closed, he had been doing odd jobs and staying with his grandmother Mama Jameson and tending the upkeep of her house. He also liked playing amateur detective in that he never believed the reason for the closure of the mine but no one took him seriously.

Susan knew though that he was meticulous and methodical. She had heard that he was a good miner and could solve problems before they became a problem. That was one of the reasons why she avoided him unless she had no choice. That was usually when she made the trip to the store since she couldn't be a hermit otherwise she would be called the crazy lady and she had enough of that with the fact that the biddies thought that she was trouble with her motel. Yeah well at least she brought in customers.

"Hey Suzy."

Susan stood up as she picked up the cleanser and replied, "You know I don't like being called that Jimmy."

"Sorry," Jimmy Knowles replied.

Susan altered her features to be polite. Jimmy was a nice guy after all. She tried not to sound annoyed when she replied, "What do you need?"

Jimmy studied Susan. She was still considered a newcomer by some people and he had heard the rumors. However Mama Jameson said that she was a troubled girl and that it had to take the right people to reach her. He was patient since he liked her. There was something about her that intrigued him and it was similar to the feeling he got from his grandmother's guest. It wasn't a brilliant idea to start in on Susan's guests since he badgered those geologist students about rocks and coal and the like. She nearly threw him out with that one. He replied, "Do you have any female guests staying at Hell's Outhouse?"

Susan eyed Jimmy warily. Was he going to bother her guests again? "Yeah. She came with two guys. Friends on some vacation or trip for a project or something. Why? Are you planning on appealing to them with your theories?"

"No. I just met a woman at Mama Jameson's. She said she was a history student studying the rise and fall of industry towns like Ellis."

"Yeah she's one of them. Don't you go bothering her Jimmy," Susan replied as she headed over to where the produce was. She figured the boys were the meat and potato guys and decided on a stew. She could make a mean stew. One of her talents not related to other things.

"Just curious. She kept asking questions about the mine and why it closed. She even asked about Mad Eye and his ghost and if anything strange happened," Jimmy replied as he helped pick out produce. He had an idea what Susan was getting and was able to make himself useful and thus delay the inevitable in being kicked out.

Susan listened to Jimmy and she felt a sense of disquiet. That lethargic girl was asking questions about strange happenings and ghosts? She didn't look strong enough to take her on with the way she was looking and she had seen how her friends hovered around her like they were her brothers. Susan remembered her brothers and how they did the same thing when she used to get sick. It had Susan suspicious and curious. "Really? What kind of history student is she? Folklore?"

The question sounded insulting but Susan wanted to know more about that girl and what she was doing. If she was one of them then she would need to be careful. She would need to observe her and figure out the best course of action and that probably meant that she had to split from town. The other thing was if she was one of them then the two guys with her were mostly likely the same thing and she was in more trouble if they found out about her.

Jimmy noticed her sudden interest and was surprised. Susan usually ignored everything under the sun and just got by. That was how the rumors started. "She said history. She asked good questions and you know by now how Mama Jameson likes to talk if given the right prompting."

"Don't I know it," Susan replied. She had been subjected to the old woman's stories once before. While she had been a little bored, she was interested. The thing was Susan wished she had paid attention. If she had, then she would have gotten out of town and moved on. Instead she stayed and found out what was there and took great pains to stay away. "So what? You interested?"

Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. "Just wanted to see if you thought she would accept an invitation to dinner."

Susan raised a brow at that. "You can ask her while she's at your place. That is if she is willing after listening to your grandmother's stories." She gave a slight grin of encouragement. In the back of her mind however, she made notes of what to look for in order to protect herself. For the first time since she arrived, she felt the haze from her usual lift as she became focused.

Angela stood outside the massive gates. It was like being sent back in time or actually going down memory lane since she had been through that time period before. She took note of the old look about the gates and how well kept they were despite their age. Her tired eyes drifted down towards the center where there was a large 'E' in the center.

She probably should have gone back to the motel and crashed with Setna who was still in her pocket. The kitten didn't like to be left alone too long and it seemed to understand her intentions. Besides he was quiet unless he was hungry or if he felt the need to be ornery like he was with Sam. Right now she was feeling tired and before she left Mama Jameson's house, she took a good look in the mirror in the bathroom.

The dark circles were more pronounced and her skin was a little bit pale. The old lady asked if she was anemic or something when she brought out lunch. Angela didn't know what to say about that since it wasn't really the case. Dean knew the score which was why she tolerated his excessive big brother mother henning and she was grateful that he had been insistent on doing the research. She could take her time and take it slow.

She had been improving but today she felt that it had taken a step backwards when the old lady mentioned fur and claws. It wasn't that she wasn't afraid of the possible yeti. She was more afraid of the fact that she wasn't going to be able to help the boys if it came to that. She had seen up close and personal how fast and vicious they were and one swing could effectively kill them if it hit true. That had her nervous and probably part of the reason why she was so pale. Plus she was still unsure about how she felt being called family by Sam.

Angela could feel the tiredness creeping in but she made it this far. She could hold out until she had some questions answered. She marched over to the call box at the gate and pushed the button.

Yes?

Angela fingered the fake ID she had used on the old lady in her pocket. She pushed the button and replied, "My name is Angela Sevres. I'm here to ask Mr. Ellis some questions."

Go away.

Angela was used to rude welcomes. This though effectively had her raise her brow. She could take that as a gift and leave to go crash so that at least she could make an appearance at dinnertime. However the stubbornness revealed itself as she glanced up at the camera and pushed the button to reply, "I want to know more about the mine."

Go away or the sheriff will be called.

"Technically I'm on public property."

Doesn't matter.

Angela decided to get to the crux of the matter. Maybe that would convince Michael Ellis to open the gates. She tried a different take, "I want to know why the mine was really closed."

Read the official statement. It wasn't cost effective.

"Bullshit."

You have five seconds to leave. One.

Angela shook her head. She had one option and that could probably spell trouble for her if she did it. She decided not to however and decided to save it as an extreme measure. She replied, "I know that something grabbed Mad Eye Garrison and yanked him down the shaft. A witness described fur and a clawed hand."

The intercom went silent. Angela stood there with her hands in her pockets. One was petting Setna who was licking her fingers. She had him thinking about it for a moment. She looked up at the camera and then at the gates. It seemed like an eternity before Angela decided to try again tomorrow. She was about to turn when the gates started creaking open. She paused and waited.

As soon as the gates were open, she made the long walk up the path towards the house. It was very large but not overly fancy. In fact it was made to look like the rest of the buildings in town so there was some uniformed look about the place. It was kind of like those fancy rustic retreat places that rented out for prom night and such. Yet it had that lived in look that defined it as a home and she wondered if Ellis saw it as home.

Angela tried not to let her tiredness show as she made it up the porch steps. She knocked on the door and waited. She didn't have long to wait as the door was opened by an elderly man who still looked fit despite his age. Angela gave him a respectful nod.

It was not worth the effort since the old man said, "Enter."

Angela obeyed though she felt the impulse to retort in her usual manner. She was too tired and she wanted to talk to the great grandson whose father shut down the mine and it seemed that he knew the details to that. However given the state of things, it seemed that she might have to pay several visits to the land baron in order to get the answers she sought.

She was shown to a receiving parlor and told to wait there. The old man whom she presumed was the butler pointed to a spot in the middle of the room. She couldn't resist and pointed in the same spot as she walked in, "Right here?"

The butler turned and looked stern. He almost said something but Angela smiled apologetically and he actually returned the smile with a bemused one and left. Angela couldn't help but grin as she turned to look around the room she was left in.

The room looked like one of those displays in the historic society building. Everything had its proper place and was labeled. At least the pictures were. Most of them were in black and white back when the mine was first made operational. They were arranged in somewhat chronological order and there were some mining tools in display cases. From the looks of them they were ceremonial tools like the pickaxe that officially opened the mining operations or something. It was like the whole room was dedicated to showing the history of the mine.

One picture had Angela pause a bit. It was a fairly modern one since it was in color but it was still old based upon the period clothing that the subjects were wearing. It was one taken at the mine and it was very unusual. Angela could recognize the miner Mad Eye Garrison but he was much younger than what people said he was. Standing next to him was a boy that she judged to be maybe thirteen or so; definitely the general size of a teenager and that was what made the picture so unusual. It piqued Angela's interest as she suspected who the boy might be.

"So you think you know what happened to Mad Eye Garrison?"

Angela turned when she heard the voice. She faced a young man in his thirties with dark hair and brown eyes. He was well toned and muscled as if he worked out. He was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, obviously not caring that he had company right now even if it wasn't desirable. She replied, "I don't presume to know but I know that I may not have all the facts. I like to cover all my bases." She stood confidently not allowing herself to be seen as someone being caught doing something wrong.

Michael Ellis had spent the last ten years fending off the rumors of what happened to the closure to the mine. He was experienced with nosy reporters and general busybodies. He had to live with secrets that had been passed down through the generations from great granddaddy Gerald Ellis and he wasn't in a sharing mood. The woman Angela was different.

Michael had to admit that he was impressed she didn't turn and run when he issued the threats. Those were usually enough. He studied her as she stood there waiting for an answer. She looked a little pale and wondered if it was anemia or something like that. It didn't seem to bother her too much or she didn't let it bother her. He had spent a few seconds watching her examine everything in the parlor and noted her observation abilities. Finally he replied, "So what do you know?"

"Just only what Mama Jameson told me. Something about another miner named Martin who saw the whole thing," Angela replied. "I just want to know if Garrison's death was an accident or not."

"You're not one of those nosy reporters are you?"

"History student. I'm writing a paper on towns like Ellis; how they were built and how they died. That kind of thing. I just happen to find Ellis interesting," Angela replied with a slight challenge in her expression. She suspected the young baron knew something.

Michael heard the challenge in her voice. He liked this woman but she was going to have to go through a lot more hurdles if she was going to get what she was looking for. He had some questions too. "So you are interested in Ellis? Follow me then."

A/N: So we know a few more things and Angie pays a visit to the young Michael Ellis. What will they learn next? Find out next time on Pack of Strays...