Author's Note: I hit a wall with this chapter. As it's necessary to bridge into the rest of Act One & get a few necessary plot points out, I took a lot of liberties and made shit up about procedures and in the process of Angel sharing his past, I may end up having a plot hole or two. If I do a revised story in the future, this chapter may see the most changes. Thank you for pardoning the dust.
Chapter 6
With the van packed up and ready, Angel and Charlotte got into the front seats and he slipped the key into the ignition, firing up the van's engine. As it idled, he opened his phone and checked his email, seeing that Cassie had sent him the details.
"Who's in danger, Angel?" Charlotte inquired, concerned.
"A child's gone missing in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The parents reported him missing about three hours ago, and search efforts have just started. We're about four hours away."
"A missing child, "Charlotte repeated, pained, "But not kidnapped? That doesn't make me feel any better."
"I know, but the silver lining is how soon he was reported missing and is likely just lost. Sometimes these things resolve themselves before I get there, but I told my source to send every news report she hears, and I turn nothing down." Angel explained as he shifted the van into gear and backed out of the parking space, turning the wheel until the van was turned ninety-degrees and put the van in drive.
Charlotte thought for a moment, "What can I do, then? I don't need to haunt anyone."
"By the time we get there it's going to be getting dark. You have amazing eyesight and increased speed, so you'll be best suited to scour the areas that they have set out in quick fashion."
"Smell, too." Charlotte added, and Angel gave her a quick curious look.
Giving Angel an apologetic look, explaining, "When I cornered the one man in the bathroom, I could smell his fear, it was.. sweet… and strong. I realized that in my demon form it isn't just my sight that's elevated, it's all my senses. I could hear you outside when you darted him, too."
"You didn't tell me."
"I know," Charlotte's voice sounded distant, "I was so caught up in the moment, and then focused on the girls on the way to the hospital, and then.."
"No, it's okay, Charlotte, "Angel assured her, "Things happened so fast, but it's good to know you have these abilities. Do you think if you got a chance to smell something of his you could track him easier?"
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Charlotte nodded, "I think so, yes. When I first changed in front of you, last night, I caught a very strong scent of fear, and like the man, it tasted sweet, and it made my insides flutter in a kind of hunger."
"Fear excites you." Angel said, matter-of-factly.
"Sort of? With you, I felt shame and fear of being rejected, but I relished in the fear I put into those men last night. It was exhilarating and.."
She paused, feeling real embarrassment, "..and arousing. I don't understand me."
"We'll figure it out in time," Angel gave her a quick reassuring look, "but right now, our focus will be finding the boy, and it's good to know you have an even bigger advantage going in."
"I'll do my best." Charlotte promised, and then took a deep breath, "You said it's a few hours to the site?"
Angel nodded, stopping at a red light, "About four hours."
"Then," Tentatively broaching the interrupted topic, "Will you tell me about you?"
.
.
Over the next couple of hours, Charlotte listened intently to every little detail Angel shared about himself. Things he loved, how he grew up and his favorite foods, to which she inquired if any of it was animal, and Angel admitted yes and she grumbled at him. He talked about his favorite sports and films, promising to show her many more movies, especially horror to give her more ideas for any time she could use them. He mentioned his sister, who was two years older than him, who left home at seventeen because of their over bearing Catholic parents, and when she could joined the military as a communications officer. She'd since left and now owned a witchcraft shop in New Orleans as she always had an infinity for the supernatural, even though Angel never believed in all that stuff, until now, that is. He revealed to Charlotte that Cassie was his source, sending him intel and directions whenever a case popped up. He explained that when he left the army, and told her what he was going to do, she wanted in, and would use her contacts and connections. He appreciated it, and she has been a huge reason for his successes. What Angel glossed over, yet again, was what made him leave the army but Charlotte was starting to feel it was something incredibly tragic. She also wondered if Cassie might have a way to help her remember who she was, but she was conflicted on if she wanted to know just yet.
When that thought came to her, it was accompanied by another, stronger feeling. Did she really want to know? Did she want to risk discovering that her demon side was the Dominate of the two halves of her, and she'd become for real, the monster she created for those evil men? And what of Angel? If she regained her true self, would she lose him? She realized he was the one thing she didn't want to lose and if it meant sacrificing her past to stay with him, she was quickly accepting the sacrifice. It also lead her to ask him something that she wanted to know.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
It was such an out of left field question that Angel blinked, unsure of why she asked, but answered truthfully, "Not since before the military. I dated in high school like any one else, but there was only one that I was serious with during my senior year."
"What was she like?" Charlotte was curious what type of woman Angel was attracted to.
"Strong willed, stubborn, sensitive, extremely intelligent and bold. Traits that I loved at the time, but annoy the hell out of me, today."
"Why?"
"One thing I've not explained to you about what I do, is that while I am on the right side of the law… I sometimes… push it to extremes… extremes that would get most thrown into jail or have their license as a bounty hunter revoked. In that regard, I've been lucky… I guess I can say that word.. to have someone who has my back and gives me more wiggle room than I sometimes deserve. Someone who knows me more than anyone else."
"Your ex?"
"FBI Special Agent Amanda Sims." Angel announced, "A frustratingly brilliant woman."
"But you're not together, anymore?"
"No. We had different goals. She went into the academy with the sole desire to work in the bureau and I wanted to serve my country. She was dedicated and very capable, and I'm glad she realized her dreams. She's a very special lady, but we drifted apart."
Charlotte sensed a bit of regret but also felt a sense of relief. She bit her lip and looked out the window again. She had to reconcile her own feelings, being both sad that he was lonely but glad that he was? Fuck, what a way to feel. Human emotions sucked, she decided.
The van went silent after that, with both of them lost in their own private thoughts and the scenery flew by at a quick pace as they neared the campsite. About thirty minutes out of their destination, Angel's phone rang and he pulled over to the side of the road, parked and answered.
"Hey, Cassie, news?"
Charlotte's ears perked up and she could make out both sides of the conversation as if Cassie was in the van with them.
"Nothing bad, but nothing good," Cassie's voice carried, "They've covered a few grids right around the campsite with no luck. Choppers are being sent in, as well as tracking dogs, and they're expanding the perimeter. How far out are you?"
"About 25 minutes or so. I'm coming in from the Northeast."
"Okay, I have Google Maps up and suggest you go to the point I'll send you. The frequencies say a group is amassing there to search an expanded area to the north. And Angel?"
"Yes?"
"It's a treacherous area, usually only experienced hikers go to, so if that kid got lost in that type of terrain…" Cassie trailed off.
"Understood. Thanks for the update."Angel said goodbye and hung up. He got the van back underway, "Shit. If that kid got lost in an area like that, he could be in serious trouble, or worse."
"Get me there," Charlotte's red eyes looked at him and Angel nodded, accelerating to as safe a speed the twisting roads would allow.
.
.
Twenty minutes later, as the sun began to set behind the mountains, Angel parked the van among a group of pick up trucks and off road vehicles and saw about twenty people already beginning to move into the field. He turned in his chair to fetch his duffle bag, and opening it up, he pulled out a box. Charlotte watched him as he opened it and lifted out a surveillance headset.
"Here, wear this. When you're out there, you'll be able to hear me and respond. If you find the boy..."
"When." Charlotte said firmly.
"When you find the boy, radio it to me and I'll come get you."
"How will you find me?"
Angel hands her a smart tag, same as the one he planted on Ben Pry, "This is a GPS tracker. I will be able to pinpoint your location, and come retrieve the boy. Just remember to stay invisible."
"I promise. I won't mess up this time!"
"Don't chide yourself over last time, anymore. That was a learning experience for both of us. I trust you. Now, hide."
"Got it."
Charlotte faded out of sight. Angel got out of the van and headed over to meet with an officer in change of directing the search.
"Officer?" Angel questioned as he held his hand out.
"Barter." The officer shook his hand, "And you are?"
"Kevin Collins, Bounty Hunter and Tracker." Angel produced his license, adding, "I heard about the missing boy and wanted to offer my help."
"We can use all the help we can get, Mr. Collins. We've got a grid set up and I can show you which one we'd need you on. We also have a K-9 unit in route."
"Why this area? The boy went missing south of here, didn't he?"
"Yes, but one of the K-9's in another unit led us in this direction before losing the scent entirely. Since they still hadn't cleared the main area, they retreated to try to pick the boy's scent up elsewhere, and so we set this area up as a secondary search area."
"K-9's coming in? You have an item of the boy's for them?"
"Yes, the parents gave us a pair of his socks."
"May I see one of them?" And at the officer's odd look, he added, "Trade secret. I promise my methods work."
Shrugging, the officer went and retrieved one of the socks, and Angel took it gratefully, promising to return it in a few minutes. Shaking his head softly as he walked to the van, he wondered what the officer was thinking, and smirked.. if only he knew. Reaching the passenger side door, Angel opened it and leaned in, holding the sock up, "Here. Can you get a good scent?"
Having shifted into her demon form, Charlotte's disembodied voice whispered back after he heard a loud sniff, "It's… sharp. Definitely unique. I think I can pick it up."
"Okay, I'm going to leave the door open when I go hand the sock back and join the search party. Good luck."
He stepped back and turned, feeling her softly brush him as she moved past him, and he walked back to the officer to hand the sock back and get assigned.
.
.
Seconds had ticked by and Charlotte was already ahead of the groups that had begun to fan out. She cleared 50 yards ahead and stopped. Closing her eyes, she inhaled as deeply as she could and was greeted with a barrage of smells. Trees, bushes, animals, flowers, insects.. she could detect them all. But the scent of the boy was absent. Determined, she began to run, her cloven feet deftly carrying her over fallen branches, jagged trails and she moved in a wide zig-zag pattern, covering a lot of distance in minutes. Stopping at a sound she hadn't quite picked up before, she closed her eyes and recognized a river, flowing fast in the distance south of her. She took another strong whiff and was greeted by the scent of water, algae, fish, mud and..
Her eyes snapped open. The boy's scent was mixed into the rolling smells of the river! Turning towards the strongest of the smells, she picked up her pace and raced towards the river, opening up all of her senses to their max. In moments, she stood on the bank and looked down at the rushing waters. The sun had faded and now with the overcast clouds, twilight was taking hold. Darting her eyes and inhaling as deep as she could, she picked up two things; the scent of fear and distant crying.
"Angel?" She whispered into the headset. In took a couple of beats, and she heard his smooth voice.
"I'm here. Had to move away a bit from the others first. You have something?"
"I got his scent! I can't tell how far off he is, but I think he's in the river!"
Angel hissed urgently, "Go! Find him!"
She didn't give a response as her legs started moving. Heart aching, Charlotte followed the scent and sound for nearly 300 yards down river, having now gone out of the search grid area. Thanks to her demon form, she alighted over the rough terrain, her eyes wide to let all the possible light in and give her a clear view of her surroundings. A quick pause to listen, the sounds of crying now lapped over the sounds of the river and she honed in.
Stepping over a ridge of an embankment, she looked down into the rushing water and there was the boy, stuck in a fallen tree that was a third of the way into the fast moving river. She quickly accessed that he had to have fallen in some place upstream and got carried to this spot, catching the tree to stop himself, but the water was too fast for him to pull himself out. She could tell he was fading, fast. If she didn't get him out, he'd drown.
"Angel!" She radioed, "I found him! I found him! Track the tag! I have to get him out, now!"
"I'm coming!" Angel's voice affirmed, with a hint of pride for her, and she clicked off the radio and looked around, seeing what she could do.
"Fuck, if only I had wings!" She cursed her limitations, but pushed it aside as she needed to rely on what she did have. Moving down to the edge of the river, Charlotte saw that he was out of her reach by some twenty feet. Testing the strength of the fallen tree, she tentatively started to crawl out but could only get half way when she heard snapping. The tree was not going to hold her weight if she went any further. Quickly thinking, Charlotte wrapped her demon tail around a thicker branch and slipped into the rushing water, the force more than she anticipated and it knocked her against the tree.
"OOMPH!" She let out a pained shout and the boy looked her way, eyes bloodshot from crying and let out a fearful whimper. Cursing herself again, she bit her lip and reached out for him. She knew he'd be scared at the feeling but if she could carry him around the tree and swim him to shore, maybe he'd think he got a current to lead him ashore.
Charlotte reached out but he was still out of her reach and she couldn't get closer. She saw a six foot thick branch, broken off from the tree, lodged in among the other branches and thought if only she'd grabbed it first, she could reach him with it. She stared at the branch for an infinite but split second moment, wishing she had it and then she felt something solid in her clawed hand.
The branch she wanted had blinked out of it's lodged spot to reappear in her grip, conjured as if by magic. Charlotte gasped. How? How!? She pushed the question aside and slipped the branch through the water until it nudged the boy. Would he grab it? She took a chance.
"Grab the branch." She spoke just loud enough for him to hear.
"Wha..?" He couldn't say much else, his strength was giving out, and he was losing consciousness.
"Please, sweetie, grab hold… trust me.. please.. please."
Subconsciously, he did as she asked and she pulled steady and firmly those frightening last few feet against the force of the river and brought him to her. She retracted her claws, letting her human hands take over and she grabbed him and pulled him to her. He was out, his body having given up and she put all of her strength into her tail and it pulled her till she could get her waist above the torrent of water. Lifting the boy into her arms and growling deep, she lunged and landed them roughly on the mud and sludge of the river's edge. She flipped onto her back, the boy held in her tight embrace and she lay on her back, breathing hard, energy spent and she started crying.
He heard him take in a shuddering breath, followed by regular breathing and she cried harder, holding him close and comforting. I won't let anything happen to you, she thought. I won't let anything happen to ANYONE! She declared to herself.
She lost track of how long she lay there, body pressed into the cold wet mud, her cloven hooves splashed with lapping water at the river's edge, but her ears picked up Angel nearing her and she sniffled in relief. She looked up over above and behind her as falling dirt signaled Angel's arrival at the edge of the embankment.
Angel saw the boy suspended inches above the mud, as if floating and he slid down to kneel next to him and Charlotte's invisible form.
"You okay?" He whispered.
Charlotte's wet filled throat croaked back, exhausted "Take him."
Angel slid his arms under the boy, sliding over Charlotte's body and she closed her eyes, grateful for his touch and he lifted the boy up and off of her. He stood, boy cradled in his arms, and looked down at the human shaped indent in the mud.
"You can come out."
The mud shifted but Charlotte didn't appear.
"I.. I'll meet you back at the van."
The tone in her voice told Angel all he needed to know, and without another word, Angel took the boy and began the trek back to meeting spot.
When Angel had moved a distance away, Charlotte finally pulled herself to her feet and wrapper her arms around herself, feeling the sludge slide down her back, her blonde hair nearly a fully dyed shit-brown, and shivered in the growing cold. Taking slow deep breaths, Charlotte pulled at her demon powers and her body began to sizzle, steam rising up off her body, both warming her and drying her. She was still so dirty but the chill in her bones had gone. The few moments alone allowed her to regain her composure, and with a crack of her neck, she turned and took off at a full run, heading back to the van.
.
.
Angel had returned with the boy to a cheering crowd and barking dogs. An ambulance had been called just in case and was on sight, and paramedics took the boy from Angel to quickly attend to him. Officer Barter expressed how impressed he was and others came over to clap Angel on the back, shake his hand and some offers to buy him drinks were added. Angel waved them off, saying he was just doing his job and he needed sleep. A few minutes of quick debriefing by Officer Barter and an exchange of phone numbers in case he had follow up questions and Angel was free to return to the van.
When he reached it, he noticed the passenger side door was closed and he knew he'd left it open for Charlotte so he took that as a signal she was inside. He slid in to the drivers side and closed the door. He listened for a moment.
"Charlotte?"
"Angel." her voice traveled from the far back of the van, as she had stayed invisible the entire time, and it was soft and pleading, "Get me out of here, please?"
Angel started the van in silence, and guided it towards the two lane road, the headlights cutting the darkness. Movement drew his eyes to the rear view mirror as Charlotte's form filled out and she came up into the front passenger seat, falling into it as her body gave up, but she remembered safety and pulled the seat belt around her with a click. Angel waited.
"I do not think… memories be damned.. that I have ever been that scared in my entire life."
Angel responded with silence, giving her time. Charlotte pulled at the belt against her neck, unusually aggrieved by it, "If I feel this way saving them, I don't know what I'm going to do if I fail."
Memories flooded Angel's mind, torrents of pain washed over him, and he let out a slow breath, "I've failed before."
"How do you handle it?" she whispered, sniffing again.
"I curse God."
"I thought your family was Catholic?"
"I lost my faith a long time ago, Charlotte. I stopped believing." He shakes his head in bemusement, "But now that you're here, I'm forced to think that if demons exist, so must angels, and heaven, and that makes it even worse."
"How?"
"Because. If you don't believe in God or the Devil, you can curse man for his evils, but if you do believe, you have to wonder what strings they're pulling, if all this suffering is 'God's work' or 'The Devil's doing', you start to question if any of it is worth it. With what happened, it was easier to just stop believing."
"What happened, Angel?"
"In time. In time I will tell you."
Charlotte so badly wanted to know, so she could understand him so much more, but the pain in his voice grieved her heart and she accepted his request. Leaning her head against the window, she watched the trees whisk buy as they traveled off through the night.