MORE THINGS IN HEAVEN AND EARTH

Chapter 2

"He knows we're here." Giles said; his voice harsh with emotion. "He deliberately targeted Clark as his first sacrifice."

It was very late; the remaining students had finally gone to bed. Sleep had not come easily to them even though Giles had given them an edited version of Clark's murder; but they were Sunnydale residents and the violent death of a classmate was something they had all experienced before. Finally, one by one they had dropped off. Once they were certain that the others were asleep Buffy and the rest of the team had crept out of their own quarters and were now gathered in Giles' bedroom, together with Jenny Calendar, for a council of war. Giles had filled them in on what he had seen and learned at the morgue.

"Couldn't it just be a coincidence? After all there are humans who … you know." Willow asked, tentatively.

"Duh! Sex organs, brain, brand!" Cordelia responded.

"OK, so let's say that it was Temporus, Cordy. Maybe the Big Apple has a major virgin shortage. According to my Mom this is the sex capital of America where the Karma Sutra's considered tame. She saw it on Jerry Springer." Xander observed.

"Yeah, and who would have thought that Clark was a virgin." Cordelia said, "What a bragger!"

"I'm afraid Cordelia's right." Giles said, returning to the original topic of conversation. "This is a city of eight million people." he went on. "It is totally implausible to believe that a member of our party was singled out at random. Temporus is sending us a message. He knows we're here and he's daring us to come after him. Poor Clark!"

"That is goanna be the worst mistake of his existence." Buffy said with determination. "When we find him I am so goanna slay his ass!"

"So, what's our next move?" Oz asked quietly. "We can't just sit round waiting to see who's up next for surgical intervention without anaesthetic."

"A ten foot tall guy with the legs and face of a goat, the body of a man and antlers like a deer is goanna stand out, even in New York. He's gotta have someone else doing virgin capture duty. I say we go out, find some vamps and ask them for the location of Demon Central around here." Buffy suggested.

"Yes," Giles replied, "that is an option. But we were hoping that Alastair would be able translate more of the prophesy. Find out more about the ritual, perhaps even a location where it needs to be performed. New York is a big city, Buffy and Temporus a powerful Demon. You will need to be in top shape to face him. You can't risk being injured in some skirmish with a vampire."

"Oh come on Giles." Buffy said. "A good Slayer is a well exercised Slayer. It's like athletics; you need to be well warmed up to be at the top of your game. You don't want me facing him down with stiff muscles and joints do you?"

Her Watcher gave her a look. "You could always do your training exercises." he pointed out, dryly.

Buffy returned the look. "Yeah, but it's not the same is it?" she said. "Besides, Temporus has killed one of our own; we can't just sit here and wait to see what he does next. For all we know he's out there now, picking his next victim. We got to do something!"

"Very well." Giles decided. "You and I will go out while the rest of us remain here. According to members of the Watchers' Council here in New York there's a nest of vampires preying on homeless people in the Bowery area. We'll take the underground."

"Subway, Rupert, over here in the colonies it's called the subway." Jenny Calendar spoke for the first time.

"The subway then, if you prefer." Giles said long sufferingly, "Jenny, I'd be grateful if you would keep an eye on things here. Make sure the rest of the students are safe. Willow, perhaps you might be able to wrest some helpful information from that contraption Columbia issued you with."

"That would be a 'laptop', Rupert." Jenny explained, helpfully. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. I'll contact my on-line coven and see if they've made any progress."

"What about the rest of us?" asked Cordelia.

"I've got an idea." Xander said, with a lascivious look on his face. "This demon has a thing for virgins, right? So why don't we, you know, make sure you're outside his target demographic?"

"Ouch!" he cried as Cordelia punched him hard in the chest.

"Yeah, like you're Mr. Experience." She said. "Dream on, Virgin Boy."

"That hurts." Xander complained, although it was unclear whether he was referring to the punch or her comment.

As Xander and Cordelia bickered, Jenny raised her voice, bringing them back to business.

"What about the police, Rupert?" she asked.

"They seem to believe Clark's murder was sexually motivated." He replied. "It's being investigated by something called the Special Victims Unit, which specialises in such crimes."

"Are they likely to get in the way? Remember, this isn't Sunnydale."

Giles shrugged, took off his glasses and rubbed his nose. "I don't know. Whatever theory they come up with, it's unlikely to be even remotely close to the truth. We will have to extemporise, if necessary."

He turned to the others. "Buffy, are you ready?"

The Slayer held up two stakes in her right hand and opened her bag to reveal further supplies.

"A good workman always has her tools." She said.

"Right, we'll be off. Willow, while you're on the internet thing, see if you can access the police reports on Clark's death. They might contain helpful information the police will miss. Oh, and is there any way we can listen to police broadcasts?"

Willow looked at Oz. "Maybe through the laptop?" he mused.

Willow nodded. "Or the radio." She added. "Don't worry, Giles, we'll find a way."

The Watcher nodded his thanks. "Xander, Cordelia, please research Clark's disappearance. Start by making a record of everything you remember about the circumstances surrounding it, no matter how apparently trivial or irrelevant it is. Tomorrow morning talk to the other students and find out what they noticed or anything Clark might have said to them. But be discreet."

As Sunnydale's Odd Couple indicated their understanding, Giles concluded. "Stay alert, all of you. Don't let anyone in to the suite but Buffy or myself until morning. If you come across anything that might be related to Temporus, contact me on this." He held up his cell-phone with obvious distaste.

The Slayer lashed out with a roundhouse kick which connected with the vampire's stomach, causing him to bend double while, at the same time, using her right hand to bury a stake deep in the heart of the vampire attacking her from the side. The vampire disintegrated, covering her in dust. Several feet away Giles struggled with another.

It was a balmy night with many homeless people sleeping in the alleys and it hadn't taken them long to find a group of vampires about to start lunch. The first four had been dusted quickly and the others had run away in shock, obviously not used to their feeding being interrupted. Buffy and her Watcher had chased after them and cornered three in this disused warehouse.

Finally, with a massive effort, Giles freed his left hand and jammed his stake into his vampire's heart, watching him collapse into dust at his feet. He turned to see Buffy about to stake the remaining vamp.

"No, Buffy!" he shouted. "We need him alive."

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Almost forgot."

Buffy, slammed the vamp onto the concrete floor and held him down with her knees, the tip of her stake breaking the skin directly over his heart as Giles walked over to them, brushing dust off his clothing.

"Who are you?" the vamp asked, his yellow eyes moving from one to the other.

"You're worst nightmare." Buffy replied. "Now, you've got a choice. We're goanna ask you some questions. If you answer them, I'm goanna dust you quickly and painlessly. If, you don't …well, you're still going to die but it'll take a lot longer and be a lot more painful." She held up the cross around her neck in front of the vampire's eyes with her free hand. "Get the picture?"

The vampire nodded. "What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Where's Temporus holed up?"

"No!" the vampire screamed, his demonic face contorting even more with fear. "I can't tell you that."

"Oh, good!" Buffy replied, brightly. "We get to do the hurting thing! Got the Holy Water, Giles?"

Her Watcher drew out a small vial from the pocket of his jacket. He knelt down beside the vamp, who tried to flinch away but Buffy's hold was too strong. His eyes followed every movement Giles made as he slowly removed the stopper and placed a small amount of the liquid on his index finger; then used the finger to gently stroke the side of the vampire's face.

The vampire screamed as the flesh the Holy Water had touched bubbled and hissed.

When the screams had subsided into low groans of pain Giles spoke calmly and coldly, his voice expressionless.

"This is how it is going to proceed. I will slowly move down your body, targeting your most sensitive areas until I reach the most sensitive of all. I intend to ensure I have plenty of consecrated water left for that as I imagine the pain will excruciating … Buffy, please be so kind as to remove this gentleman's shirt."

The Slayer used her free hand to grab hold of the collar and the shirt ripped open. "You ought to talk you know." She urged the vampire. "After all you're going to end up as dust either way."

"Now, shall we go for the armpits or the nipples?" Giles mused.

"Or both?" Buffy added.

As Giles damp finger hovered over the vampire's body, his phone rang. He sighed.

"Do excuse me." He apologised to the vampire. "I have to answer this but I promise it will only be a short interruption."

He got up and moved away. "Oh, hello Jenny." he said, his voice softening. Then his tone changed "What? Where?" he asked, urgently.

Buffy glanced round to see his face and the vampire used her momentary loss of concentration to make his move. With an immense heave, he pushed his body upwards, forcing the stake Buffy still held over his heart deep into his body. He stared down at the protruding object and then disappeared into dust.

"Wow!" Buffy exclaimed. "Death before dishonour!"

"More likely fear of Temporus." Giles said, grimly. "That was Ms Calendar. Willow and Oz have managed to access the police channels. There's been another sacrifice."

Central Park, Wednesday, August 25th: 02:10

Olivia Benson looked down at the victim, immediately noticing the absence of the skullcap.

"Same M.O. as the previous victim?" she asked Dr. Warner.

"With three exceptions." The M.E. replied. She moved, allowing Olivia and Elliot to see the rest of the body. "This time the victim is female, her breasts have been removed and the brands are on her trunk, just under where her breasts should be. It's the same perp. though; there are just too many similarities. From what remains of her clothing, I'm guessing this vic. was a nun."

"So, we have a serial killer." Elliott said, his Catholic upbringing revolted by the mutilation of a woman of God. He moved away to catch a breath of fresh, clean air.

"But, El, serial killers usually target a particular type of victim. We have a teenage male Caucasian and a Hispanic female who looks in her mid-twenties. Where's the pattern?" Olivia objected.

Her partner's eyes were studying the crowd that had gathered against the police tape despite it being the early hours of the morning. Suddenly they narrowed in recognition.

"Why don't we ask him?" he said, harshly.

Olivia followed his gaze and saw Rupert Giles standing towards the back of the crowd, accompanied by a young girl who couldn't have been more than sixteen.

T.B.C.