Angie awoke with a start at the sound of banging on her door. She looked around with bleary eyes and realized she was actually in her own room. Tom must've brought her back after she'd fallen asleep. After they'd had their fill of kissing, she'd fallen asleep cuddled next to him. It had been the most amazing thing she'd ever experienced. Nothing could trump the feeling of being loved, cherished, of being safe. This was something she could see herself doing forever.

"Angie?" Tom asked, banging some more. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," she answered in a croaking voice.

She pulled herself up against the headboard. Her knee still stung, but the general soreness of her body was gone. She could probably walk on her own. She prodded her ribs as Tom barged in. They still hurt, but the pain was manageable.

"Angie!"

She focused on him, on the ecstatic look on his face, on his sparkling eyes. "What happened?"

"Geaneyi called. Billy is up!"

Happiness exploded in Angie's chest; she whooped and jumped off the bed. Her knee almost gave out, but she switched her weight to her other leg and stayed vertical. She limped to her rucksack and pulled out a new t-shirt.

"Need help?" Tom asked, his voice hesitant all of a sudden.

"To what? Get undressed?" She looked over her shoulder and was pleased to see that he wasn't blushing, but smirking. "Get out of my room, boy. I'll be right out and we can go see Billy."

He grinned, but stepped out. Angie changed her clothes and made her way out to the hall. Tom picked her up the moment she locked the door and sprinted with her down the stairs. She tightened her arms around his neck. He'd never carried her so much before and it was a little startling that he could do it with such ease.

At least when they reached the hospital, he let her walk on her own. She followed him to the elevator and then to Billy's room. They found him sitting on the corner of his bed, his legs dangling over the edge, swinging them back and forth.

"Billy!" Angie squealed and rushed to hug him.

"Angie! Tom!" he yelled back, proving beyond any doubt that he at least wasn't amnesic. "I'm so happy to see you here. And actually awake in some cases."

Tom smiled and hugged Billy, too. "Hey, at least you remember who you are."

Billy frowned and looked from one to the other. "What do you mean?"

"Tom's amnesic," Angie explained. The word still sent an unpleasant weight in her stomach, but it was made better by them actually being together again.

"He is? But you guys walked in holding hands." Billy shook his head. "What did I sleep through?"

"Me being amnesic apparently only messed with my head. Heart's still in the right place," Tom answered with a grin. "And you slept through the best part, as usual."

"How would you even know what usual is," Billy fired back. "And I don't care if it's insensitive. I'm making amnesia jokes. Your life is such a damn soap opera."

Both Tom and Angie laughed, though the affirmation hit a little close to home for her. Sometimes she did feel like she was living a soap opera in which the plot required a million problems thrown at her. Just to keep her on her toes, make it interesting.

For the following hours, they filled Billy in on everything that happened and started the paperwork for his discharge. It was lucky that he could actually walk, even if clumsily. And his optimism was contagious. Angie found herself laughing at his jokes, even if worry gnawed at her. Billy did know Sam's number by heart, but Sam hadn't answered. An automatic message had played, one she associated with the SIM card missing.

She toyed with the receiver of the landline, wondering if she should try again. There was little chance Sam would actually answer. His phone had obviously been lost or stolen. Or destroyed. She shuddered, trying not to imagine the worst. There was another option she had, one she had dismissed because of the whole Japan kidnaping fiasco. She knew the short number for the agency. She'd been on her way to calling them when she and Tom had been attacked yesterday.

Maybe the best solution was to call them, ask for Herrison and give him the news. He surely had a way to contact the others and tell them that Tom was alive. Because if she didn't, even if she'd found Tom and Billy and they were both okay enough to leave, she had no idea what to do.

India was huge and she had absolutely no clue where the jewel was, where the others could've gone. Maybe they were in Mumbai or somewhere else. Should they abandon the mission and just fly out to Chicago?

"What are you thinking?" Billy asked, snapping her out of it.

"I'm wondering why Sam's not answering," she said. "And I was wondering if I should call the agency and get information about the others and the mission or if we should just head to Chicago."

"Seriously?" Billy raised his eyebrows. "I'm not giving up on the missions. And even if he doesn't remember, Tom won't want to either." He looked at the door as he said this. Tom had gone to take care of the discharge papers. "I say you call the agency."

"I guess so..." Even if they were a bunch of assholes. She'd just ask to talk to Herrison.

So with a deep breath, she picked up the receiver and dialed the number. For a moment nothing happened, then she heard a weird beeping followed by static. Then, it started ringing, the sound oddly distorted by the static. She hung up and looked at the phone. Could something be wrong with it? But it had worked perfectly when she'd tried calling Sam. She shrugged it off and tried again. The same weird beeping and static. And as she waited for someone to pick up, her brain finally started working properly.

"State your number and your business," a cold female voice finally answered.

Angie slammed the receiver down, her heart beating wildly. Snitch Gravel had hacked into the agency before. He'd hijacked their phones to set up that whole cheating lie. Why would it be even improbable for him to be screening the calls made to the agency? Especially if he was trying to make sure Tom and Billy were actually dead?

"What's up?" Billy asked.

"I think... I think it's not safe to call the agency. I think the line is compromised," she answered carefully. "I also think we should get out of here as fast as possible."

"Okay," he said. "Let's go see what Tom is doing." And he shuffled out of the room, trying to walk faster than his body allowed him.

Angie followed him and took his arm to allow him to lean on her. "Don't strain yourself. You're going to need your strength."

Billy just nodded and slowed down. They made their way to the reception painfully slow. Tom was still there, talking to Geaneyi who was laughing playfully. Angie gritted her teeth and pulled Billy a little faster.

"Hey," she said the moment she reached them. "Are we ready to go?"

Tom turned to them all smiles. "Sure. We just need to get the medical chart."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Angie snapped and Geaneyi.

The divisive smile slipped off her face. "You don't have to be rude."

"We're in a hurry," Angie replied between her teeth. If Snitch Gravel's men came charging at them, it would be all her fault.

Tom leaned towards her. "Everything okay?"

"I tried to call the agency," she whispered. "And I think the line is intercepted so there's a chance that Snitch Gravel might know where we are."

Tom glanced at her and for a second she was sure he'd tell her not to be so paranoid. But he turned to Geaneyi instead. "We're going to have to go without the chart."

"But the treatment plan is on it," she answered, surprised.

"Yeah, too bad," Billy mumbled. "If you'd moved your ass, I could be getting treatment. Let's go!"

"Fine, fine!" Geaneyi pulled up a chart and handed it to them. "Will I ever see you again?"

No, now leave us alone!

Tom gave her a smile. "I'll find you on Facebook. Not sure if I have any yet, but I'll make one. Thanks for all the help."

Angie grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the exit. She fought her impulse to be mean, to say something bitchy, because in the end, Geaneyi had really helped Tom. And Angie couldn't blame her for getting a crush on him either. It was hard not to.

They finally exited the hospital and headed down the street towards a nearby bus station. Angie kept glancing over her shoulder, making sure no one was following them. If they could only reach the motel, then they could brainstorm and figure out what to do. Though if she was completely honest, she wanted to go home. This mission wasn't more important than their lives. Her heart tightened at the thought of the others. They'd still be facing the danger, struggling to find the stone and bring it back. And suddenly going to Chicago felt so cowardly.

She looked over her shoulder again. Fortunately no one. As she turned back to face the front, her blood froze. There they were, a group of Snitch Gravel's men heading right for them. She was sure it was them. The area wasn't a tourist transited one, and their eyes were fixed on Tom, too tall and conspicuous in the crowd. And Billy with his blonde hair...6

She stopped and pulled their arms to stop them, too. "We have to run!" She turned again and bit her tongue. Their way back was now blocked as well by men slowly advancing towards them.

"Take Billy to the motel," Tom said.

"What?" Angie asked desperately.

He yanked free from her grip and charged forward.

"Come on!" Billy grabbed her hand and pulled her across the street in a chorus of honks and angry yells.

Angie followed, aware that she must, but her eyes were on Tom who dodged on a side street, pulling almost all followers away. But two of the men crossed the street after them. Gritting her teeth, Angie took the lead and pulled Billy deeper through the maze of side streets. Finally, they reached a very narrow one between beatup buildings, empty save for the clothes lines hanging above them.

She stopped and waved Billy towards one of the walls. The moment the men turned the corner, she charged at them. She kicked on in the stomach and punched the other in the liver. They both yelped and fell against the walls of the alley. With a well-placed uppercut in the jaw, the first man went down, knocked out. Still groaning, the second one grabbed her arm. She twisted and kneed him in the liver again. He let her go and dropped to his knees. Angie finished the job with another punch to his liver.

"Holy hell, Angie," Billy muttered, rubbing his own side.

"Let's go help Tom," she said. If they could find him.

They moved as quickly as possible back towards the main street, Billy's face already dripping sweat because of the overexertion on his body. He wasn't ready to run, to defend himself. He could barely walk properly, but Angie couldn't carry him and they had to find Tom. She wasn't doing much better either. The adrenaline had momentarily numbed her pain, but her knee was aching again, making it hard to walk.

Once they reached the busy street, Billy leaned against the nearest wall, panting. Angie rubbed his shoulder, her eyes scanning the opposite side. Her heart jumped when she saw Tom running out of a side street. There were two men still on his trail.

Angie made to step into the street, cross it to come to his aid. Billy grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back just in time to avoid getting run over by a huge black SUV with tinted window. It honked nervously. The sound drew Tom's attention towards them. He grinned and shot across the street.

She bent her knees, waiting for him, ready to intercept the men. The screeching of tires had her looking to the right. The SUV turned abruptly in the middle of the street, sending rickshaws scattering out of the way for dear life. It accelerated and shot forward. Towards Tom. And that was when Angie noticed the driver. Eye Patch.

A desperate scream escaped her lips. At the sound of the roaring engine, Tom froze in the middle of the street and stared at the car. He raised his hands in front of his chest as if that would protect him from the impact. The car hit him head-on, propelled him over the roof, left him sprawled on the sidewalk.

"Tom!" Angie darted across the street. She'd kill Eye Patch herself.

He pulled over and Tom's two followers got in sniggering. The car shot forward, disappearing down the busy street. The sound of wailing sirens filled the air. Angie threw herself on her knees next to Tom. Her bad knee screamed in protest, but she ignored it, desperately searching Tom's neck for a pulse. It was there, but the side of his head was bleeding.

"Help!" she called out. "Somebody..." Anybody...

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Yay, new chapter up. And it's time to kick this story in the butt and move it forward. Poor Tom never gets a break. But what now? What's going to happen to Tom, Angie and Billy?

Will they ever somehow meet up with the others? Such drama. Soap opera indeed.

Thanks a bunch for reading and don't forget to vote and leave me your thoughts.