Chapter 3: Kidnapped

Music was banging off the walls of a well lit club on the main street. Young people celebrating…some celebrated finished exams, some upcoming birthdays…and some were just partying the night away, enjoying life in general.

It was midnight when Buffy decided to call a cab and head home. The party though was still in full swing, so a couple of classmates tried to talk her into staying for a bit. But her mind was made up…yes it was her 23rd birthday today but she also had an exam and she wanted to be well rested for ancient Egyptian.

That was one reason... the other was that she had very bad feeling...something was wrong.

She was digging into her purse for a chocolate bar she had stashed somewhere when a cab pulled up beside her.

"Good evening lassie", said a middle aged cab driver with an Irish accent. Buffy smiled when a memory of the trip to Ireland and Scotland with her Aunt filtered through her mind.

Sitting in the back seat of the car, she gave the driver her home address. When the drive started, they began to chat about Brian O'Malley's, which is how cab driver introduced himself, birth town.

Halfway home Buffy smelled something…a very strong smell of sulfur.

"Do you smell that?" she asked the driver while holding her palm across her nose and mouth.

"Yes lassie, I don't know here is coming from. I'll…"

The rest of his words were cut off by his choking

And Buffy's vision slowly blacked out.

When Buffy opened her eyes, it was day and she was lying on something hard. Closing her eyes in annoyance at the fact that again some demon, at least she was hoping that it was a demon, because if it was then she could track it down and have very strong words with it. Preferably with something sharp and pointy.

Because dumping a girl in her sexy, snow white, expensive blouse on some muddy ground is definitely not of the good.

Abruptly sitting up, she carefully examined her surroundings, searching for any living signs…even demonic ones. Coming up with none…. at least as far as she could see.

Only houses that looked abandoned. And kinda old. Like in those cowboy movies.

Nodding to herself she muttered under her breath. "This is creepy with a side of weird."

Standing up, she carefully made way through the deserted streets, keeping to the shadows, but also keeping some distance from the buildings just in case some supernatural creature was hiding in one of them.

Keeping her senses in high alert enabled her to catch the slight sound of footsteps. Eyes narrowing she moved silently around the porch, stalking whoever…or whatever made the noise.

Peeking around the corner Buffy spotted a Goth girl about her age. Feeling nothing demonic, not that she was going to put a lot of weight on that, her senses were swing and miss most of the time. But since stalking wasn't Buffy's thing either, she decided to make herself known.

"Hi." Buffy greeted cheerfully while stepping into Goth girl's view, earning a startled gasp from said girl.

Raising her hands Buffy continued.

"It's O.k. I'm harmless. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm Buffy."

Her tone of voice, which was still friendly and cheerful, seemed to put the other girl slightly at ease. Even while she was looking at Buffy like she was someone from black lagoon.
"Lily."

"Really I had a friend named Lilly…"

"Hey are you alright?" came a voice behind Buffy. Who whirled around and came a face to face…well chest since the guy was tall. Stepping a couple steps back, she regarded the newcomer; he was a tall black man with short hair and a slight mustache. The downside was he was dressed in military fatigues.

"Are you two alright?" He repeated the question.

"Yes." Answered Buffy the same time Lilly said. "No."

Before any one of them could say anything more three more people came running. Buffy maneuvered herself so that she could keep an eye on the newcomers and Lily and the army man.

And boy was the first guy who reached them cute, in a cute puppy dog way. He had a mop of brown hair that fell to his warm brown eyes. She loved the eyes. And he was tall. Very tall.

Next was the guy who was about her height, maybe slightly taller but not by much. With short brown hair…and kind of goofy looking.

Then there was a girl with shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes…and like the Goth girl dressed in jeans and simple blouse. This was making Buffy feel a bit overdressed in her snug red leather pants, matching jacket and stylish white blouse. Not to mention high heeled shoes. Mustn't forget those.

But whatever … at least she looked good.

"Hey are you guys alright?" asked the cute guy.

"I think so." Answered military guy.

"I'm Sam." Cute guy introduced himself.

Military man nodded. "Jake."

"Lily."

"Buffy is me."

"Andy." Said goofy guy while raising his hand.

"I'm Ava."

"Are there any more of you?" asked Sam and boy did he have a nice voice.

"No." answered Jake.

"How did we get here? A minute ago I was in San Diego." asked Lily.

"If it makes you feel any better. I went to sleep in Afghanistan." answered Jake.

"Let me make a wild guess. You are all 23?" asked Sam which made Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. Cute and he knows something. But Sam was already continuing and she put all focus on him.

"We all are. And we all have abilities."

OK not what she expected. What abilities. And where the hell is here?

"What?" asked Jake.

Deciding to act to avoid discussing her abilities for a while she added. "What he said."

Sam looked for a moment like he would want nothing more than to not have this conversation…after a beat he answered.

"I get visions. I see things before they happen."

"Me too." added Ava. And what was it with her…she was making Buffy slightly uneasy. But she didn't feel evil or anything. Just off somehow. Now why was that?

Andy smiled and started to talk excitedly, making Buffy smile at his childlike delight.

"….I have been practicing, like training my mind and I can beam out images not just thoughts and people see it. There is one guy I know…total dick...I've used it on him. Gay porn… all hours of the day. You should see his face."

She smirked again when she saw the look that Sam and Jake exchanged. Jake's "Is this guy for real?" expression was funny. And Sam just shrugged while looking both embarrassed and amused.

And did she say that Sam is cute? Add sweet too.

And she was starting to suspect that Sam had some experience with supernatural…

Her observation of Sam was interrupted by Lily. "So you go Simon says give me your wallet and they do. You get visions. That's great. I would kill for something like that."

Lily was totally freaking out making Buffy wonder what her power was. Apparently not something Lily felt comfy with. Or wanted for that matter. More like scared to death.

"Lily it's OK." Sam said soothingly. And boy was he doing a good job with his voice…terrific now she was developing a crush on him.

"No it's not! I touch people, their heart stops. I can barely leave my house…my life didn't exactly improve so screw you. I just want to go home."

The tone of her voice made Buffy wonder…how exactly she found out that...she extended her senses and picked up guilt and sorrow so bone deep that she nearly burst into tears…Lily was in no small amount of emotional pain

Jake being a guy, totally missed the emotion behind Lily's words. "And we don't?" he said sarcastically.

"You know..." Lily started, but Buffy stepped between them.

"Time out guys…because if we want to get out of here, we are better off working together."

"She is right." Sam intervened quickly. "Like it or not we are here. And we have to deal with it."

"Who brought us here?" asked Andy.

"Better question… where is here?" added Buffy while shooting a look at Andy. "I mean how we can leave if we don't know where we are in the first place.

"I don't know where we are." answered Sam. "But who brought us here…" he trailed off looking even more uncomfortable. Oh yes, Buffy thought, he knows exactly who brought us here.

"It is more of a what." he said finally.

Ava looked at Sam confused. "What does that mean?"

Here it comes…

"It's a …" Sam lets out defeated sigh. "It's a demon."

And here comes denial and you must be nuts look.

"What?"

"A demon?"

"That's impossible."

"Really?" Buffy cut in. "And how exactly did you get from Afghanistan? Lily from San Diego? Not to mention when I was taken I smelled a really strong scent of sulfur. What else could it possibly be? Aliens?"

Then turning to Sam, she asked the question that was bothering her for a while now. "Do you know what the demon wants?"

About an hour later Buffy tried to absorb what Sam told them, and so were the others…

"So we are soldiers in the demon's war to bring on the Apocalypse?" Jake asked incredulously, his voice rising.

"if you put it like that…" Sam said with no small amount of exasperation.

"And we are being picked?"

"Yes."

Ava was shaking her head. "I don't know Sam. Visions and bending spoons is one thing. But demons?"

"Look I know how this sounds. But if we are here that means it's starting and we must…"

Jake interrupts. "The only thing I have to do is stay away from nut jobs…and so are you." he ads looking at Ava, Lily and Andy.

Great I'm a nut job…again, Buffy thought crossly. As Jake took off and just when he was out of sight. Buffy felt a darker presence closing in.

"Sam," Buffy grabbed his sleeve. "Jake is in danger."

Sam took off, Buffy just behind him and soon overtaking him. Letting her senses track down the presence to an old school.

Running in, the first thing she saw was a little girl, with claw-like nails advancing on Jake who was backing up to the chalkboard. Grabbing the nearest object she took a swing, not knowing that Sam had the same idea.

Her stick went through it and hit Sam's arm, in return Sam had the similar event with the iron crowbar, only it hit Buffy's hip. But the iron was the thing that made the demon take off in the form of the dark cloud. Scaring Ava, Lily and Andy who just entered.

"Oww." Groaned both of them, rubbing hurting parts. Though Buffy was glad that when she took the swing she wasn't using full strength, otherwise Sam's hand would be broken.

Then, exchanging glances with Sam they give each other sheepish smiles. "Soo…demon hunter?" asked Buffy.

Sam nodded. "You?"

"Put away a couple baddies." Sam nodded then turned to others.

"In case you were wondering, that was the demon." he pointed to the direction that the thing disappeared.

Buffy meanwhile spotted the chalkboard for the first time. "Hey Sam."

"What?"

"Any idea why the demon wrote 'I will not kill'

Sam stepped to the chalkboard, while still slightly freaked out Jake made room for the taller young man.

"I'm not sure." He muttered under his breath while frowning at the words 'I will not kill' written on the black board.

"Do you know what that kid was?" asked Buffy, then when Sam looked at her she continued. "And how do we make it go away?"

Sam was still looking, making Buffy a little uncomfortable.

"What? I may fought couple of demons and other stuff but I've never encountered something like that….thing."

Looking at the others Sam gave a short nod.

"I think it was as Achiri…a demon that disguises itself as a little girl. But how to make away will be …difficult."

"How difficult?"

"I don't have anything that would kill it."

"That is difficult. We'll have to improvise. Any idea where we are, cuz I'm drawing blank here."

"Same."

Sam looked at the others and noticed that Andy looked a little… lost.

"You with me Andy or what?"

Andy looked up.

"Give me a minute …I'm still working through demons are real thing." He said drawing a small smile from Buffy, who reached out and patted his hand.

"We should look around. There is possibility there is something somewhere which could tell us where we are."

Jake proposed and after getting nods from other four people.

"We should split up in two groups: Sam, Ava and me will look in the right side of the street. Buffy, Andy and Lily will take the left. We should also stay in view in each other. No wandering." The last two words were pointed with a glowering look from Jake.

This, in Buffy's opinion, was making him look funny, trying to be intimidating …but it worked on Lily, Ava and Andy.

Didn't work on Sam, though he agreed with the plan...and she had to admit for a soldier boy, Jake wasn't half bad.

But they had work to do…also Buffy came to realize something. No matter how much she loved being semi normal, she missed this. Getting attacked (or right now kidnapped) by the demon, figuring out what it wants and then kicking its ass. She really missed this…call her little twisted…but she really missed this.

Sam was walking the street with Jake flanking his back, while he was busy figuring out where they were. And about his companions.

He was surprised to see Ava here. Sam hoped that she ran away that demon didn't get her. He was wrong…and she had probably been here all month. Though for her it was two days. He would have to tell her about her fiancé. Poor girl.

Jake kind of reminded him of some of his Dad's friends he meet when the Winchester family stumbled accidentally on one of John's marine buddies.

Andy was…well Andy.

Lily was scared, he would have to keep close watch on that girl so that she won't get hurt or something.

Buffy. He really didn't know what to make of her. On the first glance she looked like those young woman who lived at Beverly Hills. Beautiful, blond dressed to kill…typical rich girl. She was petite, shorter than Jo even, and looked fragile. And yet he recognized a hunter in her.

And she looked familiar and when Sam worked through on who she remained him of…he almost started to chuckle. Dean would have a kick out of this. She bore a close resemblance to Daphne from Scooby Doo.

And Dean loves that movie...mostly because of Daphne.

"So how do you know about all this?" Jake's voice interrupted Sam's musings. He turned to answer, when his eyes caught the sight of a bell. A bell with were familiar engraving on it.

"Hey!" Sam called the other group over.

"I've seen that bell before." He started when others reached his group. "I know where we are now. Cold Oak, South Dakota. A Town so haunted that every single resident fled."

"Swell," started Ava, "good to know we are in a place so historical." She finished with a little laugh.

This also drew Buffy's attention back at her, And enforced Buffy's bad feeling about Ava. She'd have to keep an eye on her.

Lily was nervously clutching her necklaces. "Why would that demon or what ever bring us here?"

Sam looked at Lily with soft brown eyes. "Wondering the same thing."

Lily let out frustrated sigh. "You know what? Doesn't matter."

With that she turned and started walking. Tossing her next words at the rest of them

"Clearly the only sane thing would be to get the hell out of the dodge."

Sam stepped quickly after her. "Wait, hold on…" Lily stop but didn't turned around.

"The only way out is through miles of wood."

"Beats hanging on with demons."

"Lily… we don't know what's going on yet. And we don't know how many are out there."

Jack stepped forward. "He is right, we should just…"

Lily whirled around and Buffy had to close her eyes at the fear, guilt and anger that come out of the pale girl before them.

"We….don't talk about we. I have nothing in common with any off you!" She shouted on the verge of a break down.

"Look I know…" Sam tried to soothe her. But she was to far gone…too lost in her pain.

"You don't know anything…I…. I accidentally touched my girlfriend."

Before Sam could answer, Buffy stepped to the distraught girl. "Lily, I know that the words I'm sorry won't help much…but I'm sorry for your loss. I've…I loved a guy once, and …things out of my control happened and he died. I felt like I was living in the nightmare."

Then fleshing a small smile she added. "But you are, right?"

"Buffy..." Jake started.

"No, Lily is right we can't stay here. But we also can't leave now. We need some weapons or something."

Sam nodded. "Buffy has a point. We are all in bad shape, we need rest but we really should find something to defend ourselves with and hole up somewhere for the night. So we are looking for iron, silver, salt and any kind of weapon."

"Salt is a weapon." Jake asked incredulously, drawing a small smile from Sam.

"It's a brave new world."

Andy fell in step behind Sam and Buffy. "I hope there is food in your world, because I'm starving."

Buffy giggled and dug in her bag to pull out a chocolate bar, and handed it over to Andy, whose face lit up like a kids that just got the best present ever.

Lily was looking through the pile of blankets and some other stuff. Noticing Ava was just standing she turned to give the other girl a peace of her mind, When she noticed that Ava's eyes were tightly shut and she was massaging her temples, soft sighs emerging from the back off her throat.

Jake and Andy were going through the house kitchen looking for knives and maybe some salt. With knives there was no luck, but Andy managed to dig out two large bags of salt.

Sam and Buffy were searching one of the rooms, when a scream and breaking of glass echoed through the house. Exchanging worried glances, the two bolted towards the source.

They met Jake and Andy on the way, each of the guys was carrying a brown sack with large words spelling salt on them.

Ava came running from the direction of the scream, colliding with Sam.

"Sam. SAM the demon, that girl, came and took Lily." She said while clinging to Sam.

Knowing that it was futile, Buffy started to yell the girl's name. Wincing when Sam joined the shouting. Boy for such a sweet soothing voice the guy can yell, she thought.

Then a loud noise was heard from outside. Ava and Jake wanted to rush out, but were stopped by Sam, while Buffy picked a iron pole and slowly moved through the door, closely followed by Sam, then Jake with Andy and Ava in the back.

But they didn't see any demons, just Lily hanging by her neck on a windmill.

"Oh my GOD." whispered Ava, eyes wide. "OK that's officially…" she turned to Sam gesturing at Lily's hanging body.

"Sam you said we were chosen that it's not chosen…that's killed."

"Ava, calm down please. We have to stick together and gear up for the next attack."

"Gear up?"

"Yeah."

Ava nodded then shook her head. "Well I'm not a soldier.I can't do that."

"Well you gonna have to." said Sam with a commanding voice, shocking Ava. Then, more soothingly, he added. "If you want to stay alive, you'll have to."

Ava looked at him, and then with a small whimper went back inside.

To be continued…