Chapter 2

Making his way into a small suburban city far from L.A. he settled there for a time. He had a bank account he had kept carefully hidden from Mary and the others not trusting any of them fully. The small town feel seemed so different from the sights and smell he was accustomed to in the big city that he had lived in for so long. He decided to keep off the grid for a time. Taking up a name that he had not used for a long time he began using to disguise himself for none of his enemies knew him by it. Distant memories from the past flooded back providing this name, and he knew it was his. Taking on the name of Anthony Burrows he set himself up as a grocer at the local supermarket just to blend in. He got a steady paycheck which he really didn't need. He saved enough over the years to have a solid financial base to work from. Mary and the others had provided the drugs free of charge in effort to control him. As Anthony was now beginning to realize his true potential he saw why this had been a wise move whether they had known what he could do or not.

Anthony had taken to going for walks after work. School was out and most of the high schoolers were going home. As he walked down to the street to his apartment he felt as he should turn right. The feeling was strong and urgent and Anthony decided to heed it. Turning down a side street he saw a group of children in an alley. A group of teenage boys in their late teens had cornered a girl wearing a backpack. Sensing this was the reason for his detour Anthony launched himself forward. The three boys never knew what hit them as he barreled into two of them knocking them to the ground. Losing his feet for a second he rolled back to his feet. Using his fist he held back as he delivered a vicious back hand to the third teenager knocking him unconscious. When the other two started to get up he fixed them with a fearsome stare and bared his canines threateningly. The remaining boys frightened out of their wits ran leaving the last one still on the ground asleep.

When he turns around the girl just stares at him. She had never seen anything move so fast. What seemed to him like his normal movement was in fact to her a blur. During certain times she was able to track it but only when she focused her eyes hard. "Are you alright?" Anthony asked. Samantha nodded saying, "Thanks Mister you saved me. Normally I can hold my own with those guys one on one but there were too many of them this time and I didn't like the look in their eyes." The girl said before offering her hand which he took shaking it. "By the way my name is Samantha" She said. Looking at her Anthony could not shake the feeling that they knew each other. "Have we met before Samantha you seem familiar somehow?" Anthony asked. Looking him over Samantha replied, "Honestly I'm pretty sure we haven't but you're right you do seem familiar to me too." Looking at him more closely Samantha said with a smile, "Hey that's cool you have the same eyes as me." As Anthony began to study her face he noticed she was right, in fact she resembled him in many other ways. If one looked at the both of them standing side by side they might have easily have thought they were related. As Anthony thought about it an image of a woman whose name he could remember popped into his head. Those features that were not his in Samantha's face could definitely be ascribed to her.

Anthony found the whole prospect that they could be related as curious. "May I ask who your parents were?" Anthony asked. To this Samantha shrugged saying, "Don't know either of them. They died before I was born at least that what my foster parents told me. I've been to a bunch of foster homes. I'm something of a trouble maker. I get into to fights a lot, not that I mean to on purpose they just seem to find me."

"Where do you live now?" Anthony asked. Samantha found it strange but she actually decided she wanted to tell him the truth even if it would get her into trouble. It was an odd feeling especially since technically this man was a stranger whether she felt like she recognized him or not. "I'm running away to be perfectly honest. I'm seventeen now so I figure I can make it on my own. I can get a job if need be to pay for the bills and maybe move in with somebody or get a place of my own. I'm tough and can take care of myself." Samantha said. Looking down at the boy who was just beginning to stir Anthony said, "Yes I can see that. Shall we go some place else more hospitable, say the main street?"

Turning around he headed off in that direction and Samantha decided she would follow him. "How did know I was in trouble? I didn't call for help and we were far from the busy street." Samantha asked looking up at him as she walked beside him. Anthony was a little taller than her and she had to crane her head a little. "I guess you could say I just happened by." Anthony replied. Stopping on the sidewalk as they started to cross the street Samantha said, "You are not telling the whole truth." Curious Anthony also stopped looking back at her he replied, "What makes you think that?"