TWELVE

The house turned out to be a mansion overlooking the city of Los Angeles. It sat high on a hill with a view of the entire valley below. As Gunn pulled the van up in front of the house he and Wesley looked for any possible entry that Angel and Nick could use to get into the house.

"It's a very old house," Wesley told the two vampires who had to remain hidden in the back of the van away from the rays of the sun. "There looks to be an old coal chute on the side of the house. I would imagine it hasn't been used for many years. The house would have been converted to either electricity or gas some time ago. But you should be able to get in the house easily enough. It's on the west side of the house so you won't be in direct line of the sun."

"Good," said Angel. "Let us out as close to the chute as you can. Once you have her at the front door Nick and I will go in through the chute. Then I want you and Gunn out of here. She's too dangerous for you guys."

"I can take care of myself," Gunn protested.

"Not this time, Gunn," said Angel. "If it were an ordinary vampire I would agree. But she's no ordinary vampire. Just distract her and then get out of there. Once we've dealt with her we'll contact Cordelia and you can come back and pick us up."

"Right," said Wesley. "We'll wait for your call."

Gunn pulled the van up to the side of the house and Angel and Nick got out of the van. The sun effectively blocked them from direct exposure to the sun. Unlike the myths and legends of vampire, true vampires were only affected by direct exposure to the sun. In a short while, however, the sun would move directly overhead flooding the entire area with sunlight. Angel and Nick would be inside the house long before that happened.

Gunn then turned the van and drove up to the front of the house. Wesley got out, and headed for the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited patiently until someone came to answer. When the door opened he got his first look at the Dhampir.

She was exactly as Nick had described her. She was about 20 years old with brown hair that hung past her shoulders. She had no noticeable scars or tattoos and she was extremely attractive. She was dressed in a leather pantsuit that accentuated her figure nicely. She just smiled at Wesley as she opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

"I hope so," replied Wesley. "I was sent over by the Garner Employment Agency. As I understand it you recently contracted for some of our employees. I was sent to see how the employees were working out for you. It's our policy to contact those who employ our people and make sure they're satisfied with their work."

"Well, that's very thoughtful of you. I've never known a temp agency to be so thorough in its dealings with their clientele. I will tell you that the people you sent over have worked out perfectly. They're exactly what I was looking for."

"Very good. No complaints about their work?"

"None whatsoever. They're working out exactly as I imagined they would. I can tell you that if I am in need of help in the future I'll be sure to call your agency again. And I'll be sure to tell all my friends about you."

"That's very kind of you. Well, that's all I needed. If you should have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to call our office. We would be most interested in hearing any thoughts you would have regarding our service."

"I'll do that. Thank you for stopping by."

"My pleasure."

Wesley walked back and got into the van as the woman stood in the doorway watching them. As they pulled out of the drive Wesley glanced at the doors to the coal chute. One door was slightly ajar and he was confident that Angel and Nick were safely inside.

"That was pretty smooth," Gunn said as he pulled out of the driveway.

"All in a day's work," said Wesley. "Just a matter of flattering her is all. Not the first time I've had to do something like that."

Once they had pulled out of sight of the house Gunn pulled the van over. He shut the engine off and reached under his seat, pulling out a large revolver.

"What on earth are you doing?" questioned Wesley.

"You don't really think we're going to let Angel and Nick do this by themselves, do you? They may need our help and I for one ain't going to just sit back while they do all the work."

"Got any more weapons?"

"In the crate in the back. I keep this van stocked up just in case. Just help yourself."

Gunn and Wesley picked their weapons from the crate and then headed for the house. It wouldn't take them long to get there. And they would be a big surprise for the she-vampire in the house.

* * *

Angel and Nick looked around the cellar of the house. There were no lights on but their vampire senses allowed them to see more effectively than any human. Silently they made their way up the steps to the door to the first floor. From their vantage point it was impossible to tell if Wesley had been successful in distracting Daphne. But since no type of alarm had been raised they both assumed he had been.

Angel opened the door to the first floor only a crack. The house was lavishly decorated with all types of antiques and equally expensive items. It was immaculately tended. He could hear Wesley at the front door and a woman talking with him. After a moment Wesley stopped talking and angel heard the van start up and drive away. As the sound of the van faded into the distance he heard the front door close. Angel closed the door.

"She appears to be alone," Angel whispered to Nick. "It looks like the door opens into some kind of study. There's a doorway to the right and another doorway at the other end of the room. I suggest we split up. You take the far end. I'll take the near doorway. We might be able to take her by surprise that way."

"Right," said Nick. "Wait until I get into position and then you get her attention. While you're distracting her I'll move up behind her. That should give us the best tactical advantage against her."

"Okay," said Angel. "We need to do this quick. We can't give her any chance to strike back. If she's the daughter of an elder there's no telling just how powerful she really is. I don't want to give her the chance to use any of that power against us."

"We'll have to destroy her body completely. As I told you, LaCroix has survived at least one staking. And the vampire that turned him actually survived decapitation. If she has that kind of power we can't risk her rising later to complete her mission. Once we've taken her down we'll have to burn her body so there's nothing left."

"No problem with me there. Be careful in there. She's going to have the same senses we do. Which means she might be able to sense that you're there. With a little luck I can keep her busy long enough for her not to notice you until you're in position."

Nick just nodded. Angel opened the door again and looked out into the room beyond. No one was present. They had no way of knowing where Daphne was but they were sure she was still in the house. Angel moved out into the room and took up a position near the doorway to the entryway. Nick moved silently across the room and took up a position near the opposite doorway. They looked at each other and Nick nodded once to Angel.

Angel stepped out into the entryway. He saw Daphne standing at a table in the entryway looking through what looked like a stack of mail. She was casually looking through the stack of envelopes as Angel stepped out into the entryway.

"I was wondering who was trying to sneak into my house," said Daphne without looking up from the envelopes. "Your friend at the front door was very convincing. He almost had me believing what he was telling me. But I'm not as gullible as that. I sensed you enter the moment you forced the door to the cellar."

"It was a calculated risk," said Angel, noticing Nick move into the entryway behind the woman. "Sometimes they work sometimes, they don't."

"And this time it didn't. So tell me. What is a Vetala doing in my home? Come to punish me for violating your territory? Would that be considered noble?"

"I can't let you complete your plans. If I let you kill the elder it will start a war that will be devastating. Not only to the vampire communities but to the humans as well. That's not acceptable."

"And you think you can stop me? Not alone, of course. I assume your friend behind me has plans to attack me without warning. An attempt to take me out before I'm even aware he's there."

Angel looked at her in surprise.

"If you know why I'm here then you must also know that the man who sired me is an elder. And that I have all of his abilities. Not just the abilities of a vampire but those of a vampire elder. I sensed both of you enter. But I wasn't sure what you were doing here until just this moment."

"Then you know we have to stop you," said Nick. "You're half human. Even if you hate what you are don't the lives of all the humans at stake mean anything to you?"

She glanced around at Nick.

"A Stryx vampire? Well, now that is a surprise. I assumed you both were Vetala. Like any vampire I can sense other vampires. Unfortunately it doesn't tell me what type of vampire they are. I just naturally assumed that since this was Vetala territory you'd both be Vetala vampires."

"What type we are isn't important," said Angel. "Stopping you is. If you won't listen to reason then we'll have no choice but to destroy you. But there's no way you're going ahead with your plans. They stop here."

Daphne just laughed.

"Do you really think you are a match for me? I'm the blood offspring of an elder. I'm no ordinary Dhampir. And not even two vampires are a match for me, even if one of them is a Patriarch. I suggest you leave here now while you still can."

"Now that would be a bit of a problem," said Angel. "The sun is still up. Which means we're sort of stuck here until it sets. At any rate we aren't leaving until you either change your mind or you're dead. There's no middle ground."

"Have it your way," said the she-vampire. "But don't say I didn't give you a chance."

Angel suddenly launched himself at Daphne. His vampiric strength and speed allowed him to move much faster than any human could have. At nearly the same instant Nick launched himself at her as well. Between the two of them there was little doubt she could withstand their attacks.

The she-vampire suddenly side stepped Angel and kicked out with her foot. She struck him along the side of the head sending him reeling into the wall nearby. Almost as fast she turned on Nick. She swung out and struck Nick full in the face with her fist sending him careening into the opposite wall.

Her strength and speed were incredible. Even for a vampire her strength was enhanced. Angel realized that the legends he had heard about elders were true. They were as far above vampires as vampires were above humans. And this Dhampir – this half human hybrid – was as strong and as fast as any elder.

Without hesitation Angel launched himself at the female vampire again. This time he was ready for her retaliation and as she struck out at him with her foot he simply reached up and grabbed it. He used all of his considerable vampire strength and threw the woman against the wall. Then he hit her with all of his might full in the face.

The woman barely flinched. Just as quickly she struck out at him hitting him several times in succession. Even though Angel was able to ignore most pain the pain from those blows was considerable.

She was about to strike him again when Nick suddenly appeared behind her. He grabbed Daphne by the throat and flung her across the room. She slammed into the front door and slid to the floor, momentarily stunned by the blow. Just as quickly, however, she recovered from the attack and stood to face her two attackers.

Angel and Nick faced the woman who was bent on destroying the vampire elder. Blood trickled from a cut on her lip but she barely noticed it. She stood facing the two full vampires with a smirk on her face.

"I must admit you're more of a challenge than I had anticipated. I wouldn't have thought two normal vampires would be capable of standing against me so long. And your fighting is very impressive. But you must know you can never beat me. No one will stop me from exacting my revenge. Not even the two of you."

"That's where you're wrong," said Angel. "We're stopping you here and now."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Daphne. Before either of the vampires could move she turned and opened the front door to the house. Sunlight streamed in through the door and Nick and Angel instinctively dived to opposite sides of the room to avoid the lethal rays. "As you said, the sun is still up. It doesn't affect me, of course. But both of you are still quite susceptible to it."

Nick landed on the floor and rolled to his knees. With one fluid motion he pulled the wooden stake out of his belt and cast it at Daphne. The attack took her by surprise and the stake struck her in the shoulder, embedding itself about halfway. She howled in pain and dropped to the floor in the doorway. She reached up and pulled the offending weapon from her shoulder and cast it aside.

"You think this will stop me? It will heal quickly enough. And since I can tolerate the sun and neither of you can't, you have no chance of stopping me."

"Perhaps we might be able to change your mind," said Wesley, as he and Gunn ran up the yard toward the house.

Daphne looked at the two humans and then at the two vampires who have hurriedly moved out of the sunlight streaming through the door.

"It seems I'm outnumbered. And while I don't suffer the same affects from the sun as the two of you I am severely weakened by it. Oh, still more than a match for two humans. I suggest you return to whatever lives you have. This will be over long before you can interfere again."

Suddenly she turned and ran toward Gunn and Wesley. Gunn didn't hesitate. He raised the revolver he had and fired three shots at the Dhampir. The three rounds struck her in the chest but she barely slowed. Without slowing she swung out striking Gunn along the head sending him flying across the yard, the gun he was holding landing almost silently in the grass.

Wesley also had a pistol and raised it intend on stopping Daphne before she could get any farther. But even in full sunlight she moved with amazing speed. As Wesley raised the pistol she reached him and deftly reached out pulling the pistol out of his hand. She stood looking at him and then threw the pistol across the yard – much too far for Wesley to reach. She stared at him for a moment.

"This time you get a reprieve," she said. "Don't follow me, human. If you do I can promise you I won't be as accommodating. This is not your concern. Let it go while you still can. There's no need for you to die."

Without another word she turned and ran across the yard and disappeared into a clump of trees several yards away. Wesley could do nothing else but stand and watch, knowing that her speed would make her impossible to catch. As she disappeared into the trees Wesley turned and went to make sure that Gunn was okay.