TITLE: WRECKED – CHAPTER 12 - ALTERNATE ENDING TO DAMAGE CONTROL
PAIRING: BUFFY/OTHER –BRUCE NOVIKOV
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any characters except the ones I make up. They are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is made. My story is for entertainment purposes only.
RATING: - M – FOR ADULT THEMES. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE, I ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY IF YOU DO.
NOVIKOV PRIVATE JET
EN ROUTE TO LOS ANGELES
Bruce clenched his fist as he stared at the number on his mobile screen. He'd been looking at the phone for nearly ten minutes and had yet to get his emotions under control before he made this call. Though try as he might, he knew it would be easier said than done. The anger he felt wasn't going to subside with a few deep breaths and rational thoughts; only time would be able to calm his anger.
Maddox's gaze was locked on Bruce as he talked into the phone to their men, finalizing arrangements for their arrival. It was impossible to miss the anger that vibrated from Bruce; his jaw was clenched tightly, causing the muscles to jump every few seconds from the strain. His eyes jumped to the mobile phone Bruce had clenched in his powerful fist, wondering how the frail piece of plastic was still in one piece.
Maddox knew Bruce hated leaving Buffy behind; understood his need to be with her, especially now, but there was no way Bruce was going to place her in danger by bringing her along on this particular trip. The possibility that she might figure out what they were doing was too high, but at least they had the advantage of her not figuring it out right away.
Ending the call, Maddox remained quiet, his eyes silently communicating with his life-long friend…there was no putting it off much longer. Bruce had to make the call, and he had to put his feelings aside in order to follow through with their plans. Not only did his peace of mind rest on this particular 'errand', but Buffy's did as well.
Bruce felt the intensity of Maddox's stare and glanced up from the glowing screen. Swallowing his pride, he pressed the dial button and brought the phone to his ear. Unable to restrain all his emotions, he gripped the phone a little bit too tightly when he heard the line start to ring, and forced himself to relax his death grip.
A deep voice answered within three rings, irritation evident in the curtly muttered "Navarro". There was no sound in the background, but Bruce hadn't expected the agent to be in a noisy environment anyway. Seeing as it was only midafternoon, Navarro and his men were most likely busy training, explaining why he might be angry at receiving a call this time of the day.
Pleased to hear that he'd managed to push Angelus' buttons before he even said anything, Bruce grinned and said, "I hear time hasn't improved your manners" his voice drawling and only adding to the other person's irritation.
The other side of the line was deadly silent for a heartbeat before Angelus merely said, "Novikov" by way of greeting. After a few tense seconds, he spoke again, "How did you get this number?" he asked then, his voice strangely level and without the threatening undertone Bruce had expected.
"I have my ways." Bruce replied cryptically. The only answer he got in return was a grunt of acknowledgement.
Both men were silent, each thinking a thousand things at once, but Angelus was the first to recover and asked in an even tone, "To what do I owe the honor?" there was slight amusement in his voice but tension overrode it, signaling his distress at what the cause of the call might be about.
Bruce remained silent at first, his anger threatening to overwhelm him. It was hard trying to remain civil with the man he'd resented for so long. Even though he now had Buffy, the thought that she had been with Angelus before was a bitter pill to swallow and he knew that he would never be able to totally forget that.
Feeling his muscles tighten with rage, Bruce ground out in a harsh voice, "Why the hell didn't you contact me when an attempt was made on Buffy's life?" just saying the words were enough to make him brake out in a cold sweat. Buffy might be safe and sound now, but she could have been lost to him forever, and he placed most of the blame on Angelus' shoulders.
Momentarily stunned, Angelus couldn't think straight for a few seconds, his vision going red with anger. Throwing down the towel he'd been holding in his hand with more force than was necessary, he cursed before answering, "Are you serious? You have the nerve to ask me that?" he said, his tone getting higher and higher with each word.
He couldn't believe that Bruce would accuse him of something like that. Bruce was a smart man but it seemed were feelings were concerned, he was as clueless as most men, just like so many women had claimed. Bruce might be one of the most powerful men on earth, but he was just as vulnerable as any other person was where love is concerned.
Unable to control his temper, Angelus ground the words through his teeth, "Do you honestly think I didn't try?" Movement across the room caught his attention and as Giles stepped into view, Angelus forced himself to calm down and take a deep breath.
Not wanting to make a scene in front of Giles, Angelus answered in a more controlled manner, "The second Buffy announced that she was leaving I tried calling you." He stated carefully. His eyes remained glued to Giles' strained figure. Everyone tried their best not to mention Buffy in front of their team leader, as he took her departure pretty hard; harder than any of them expected.
Everyone knew Giles thought of Buffy as his own daughter and he felt he not only failed her, but he lost her as well. Before Buffy even mentioned anything about leaving Los Angeles and the Hyperion team, Giles had sensed that something was amiss with her. He tried his best to make her more comfortable, but in the end his attempts had been in vain and Buffy still left.
But, just like Giles, Angelus also immediately picked up the change in Buffy. He'd tried talking and prying information out of her but she stubbornly refused to talk to him or anyone else about what was bothering her. After weeks of butting his head against an unmovable wall, it finally dawned on him and he cursed his own ignorance.
Even though it was difficult, he swallowed his pride and tried contacting Bruce immediately. He'd tried every option and every available resource he had to get in contact with Bruce but it was no use; there was no way he was going to find a man who seemed to disappear off the face of the earth.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Angelus focused back on the conversation and when Bruce remained silent, he explained, "Three months after the surgery I tried calling you. I used every source available but you were nowhere to be found. When Faith was killed I searched every damned corner of the earth for you, until Buffy found out and made me promise to leave you alone." He'd been so angry when he learned Buffy had a way of contacting Bruce and even more so when she told him not to.
The knowledge that Buffy was upset and in distress nearly drove him insane and he hated that he couldn't help her; that she wouldn't allow him to help her. Everyone, especially he and Giles, tried reaching out to Buffy but she always refused and insisted she was all right. The fact that she didn't even allow him to help her was the breaking point for Angelus and he helped her in the only other way he could think of…and that was trying to find the person he knew could help her.
Buffy's refusal to give him information on Bruce angered him to the point of madness but he would never lash out at her, and the problem was she knew it, and used it to keep him from helping her. He couldn't understand why she felt she had to deal with it alone; there were so many people who cared about her, but still she felt she had to get through it by herself.
He knew he couldn't help her with what she was going through, especially if she wouldn't allow him. As much as it hurt knowing that Buffy wouldn't take comfort in him, he put his pride aside and tied to contact the man he knew could help Buffy; only she wouldn't let him.
Bruce was shocked at the new information and swallowed hard before asking, "She wouldn't let you?" disbelief was evident in his voice but he didn't care about what he sounded like at the moment.
Why would Buffy have told Angelus to stop looking for him? Was it because she didn't want to hurt Angelus' feelings? It was the only thing he could think of. Bruce heard a shuffling and then a sigh and he guessed Angelus must have taken a seat.
"Is she alright?" Angelus asked then instead of answering.
Bruce could only think how much that question must have cost him, "Yes, she's perfectly safe." Another deep sight told him Angelus must be relieved. He could only image how hard this must be for Angelus; the man also cared…loved…Buffy, and to know that the woman he wanted was with another man was a very hard concept to accept.
Angelus rubbed a hand over his face and closed his eyes for a few seconds before finally speaking again, "Buffy told me you had a little girl, she didn't want to impose on that and be a burden. So I honored her wishes and stopped trying to contact you." He answered honestly. He still remembered how shocked he'd been at the news when Buffy told him.
Bruce shook his head in dismay, "Buffy could never have been a burden." He stated firmly. Once again her concern and thoughtfulness to others were expressed. She'd put her needs last and instead of asking for help when she needed it, she still thought of those around her, and in doing so, she'd suffered alone.
"That's what I told her." Angelus said. He'd known Bruce was in love with Buffy, why else would he have returned her to them if he didn't? Once he was informed of what happened with Buffy and Faith, he knew there was only one person who could protect her. When she refused his suggestion to contact Bruce, he'd been so frustrated that he hadn't known what to do and in the end the only thing he could to was honor her wishes, and be there for her in silent support.
Thoughts and flashes of events and possibilities ran through Bruce's mind, causing him to develop a headache. There was still so much he didn't know and he was pretty sure Buffy wanted to keep most of what happened to herself for as long as she could, but he wouldn't allow her to suffer in silence anymore. Forcing himself to calm down and steady his mind, he asked, "What happened?"
Angelus sighed heavily, remembering the events all too well, "Buffy was working a case on drug trafficking. A specific group of young men were taking over San Diego and the surrounding areas and Buffy got info on their next shipment. It didn't take her long to get everything in order and on the night their shipment was to come in, she nailed them; over a hundred kilos of pure cocaine and every one of the dealers were caught with their hands in the cookie jar…"he said as referring to the large arrests that were made that night.
Angelus continued, "Seven guys were convicted and sentenced to twenty five years in prison. Three of them managed to get out, I still don't know how that happened, but they went after her. She was in L.A with Faith, they tracked her down…" he trailed off, anger seeping through, causing Bruce's hair to stand on end. "Someone leaked the information on where she was to those criminals Bruce. They knew exactly where she was going to be and they went after her." Angelus ground out.
The fear he felt that day was a stark reminder of how close Buffy came to losing her life, and it still had to power to bring him to his knees. He didn't take time to think about what happened, he just jumped into his car and sped to the airport, nearly causing a slew of accidents in his wake. But his need to get to her had overruled all else and he wouldn't feel bad about that.
Bruce's throat had gone dry and his eyes jumped to Maddox instinctively, silently conveying his distress. Maddox returned his gaze, his face calm as he waited for Bruce to finish the call and inform him of what he'd learned. There was no doubt in his mind that someone had sold Buffy out. Now they just had to figure out whom … and dish out the appropriate punishment.
As flashes of memories danced behind his closed lids, Angelus' body trembled with remembered fear and dread. "Thy Hyperion called in every available favor we could but we still couldn't find out a damned thing…" he trailed off. "Obviously someone went through a lot of trouble to keep this quiet." Angelus said.
When Bruce remained quiet, Angelus took a steadying breath and finally admitted, "As much as I hate to say this, I think someone in her department leaked the information." When a growl reached his ears Angelus knew Bruce was just as upset about the information as he'd been when it first occurred to him.
Needing to give Bruce all the information he could, Angelus continued, "If those punks had been guarded properly, by decent cops, they never would have escaped, so there's no doubt in my mind that they had help getting out of custody." Angelus' mind once again wandered back to that day he received the call, "…they knew exactly where to find her that day…"he said but the sentence trailed off.
With sheer determination, Angelus forced his emotions under control, "I know you'll be able to find out how that happened and who had part in it. You obviously have more…'resources'… that reaches into the legal department." Angelus stated; he was no fool, he knew Bruce had lots of law enforcement agents on his payroll.
Bruce remained silent, not confirming or denying the claim, but Angelus knew it was true; Bruce Novikov's reach stretched farther than any person could imagine. It might have bothered him before, but it didn't now, not when it could help them catch the men that set out to hurt Buffy.
Tension rippled the atmosphere between the two men but neither said anything at first. Angelus clenched his fist in anger, "Those people are still after her" he said with such cold contempt that Bruce felt his veins chill.
"How can you be so sure?" Bruce enquired, even though he knew it was a foolish thing to ask.
Angelus gave a hollow laugh without any humor at all, "How do you think? I had two men permanently follow her around. There were numerous occasions when they saw someone follow her around, those bastards got so cocky they tried to get inside her apartment once. Luckily my men were quick enough to scare them off, but not catch them unfortunately." He muttered, still angry that his men had allowed them to slip through their fingers.
"I only recently called them off. I knew Buffy would go to you sometime, it was only a matter of time. When they called me and said she was making her way to L.A. I knew she'd finally given in and was going to you. I just wished she would have told me how to get a hold of you; would have saved her a lot of pain." Angelus confessed, lost in deep thought.
It seemed like just yesterday when his men phoned him and told him that Buffy was on her way to Los Angeles. He'd been on a mission that took weeks to plan but everything else faded to nothing at that moment. Without saying a word to anyone, he'd dropped everything and rushed to follow Buffy.
He'd arrived with only moments to spare; they'd followed Buffy into the heart of L.A and watched from across the street as Buffy entered a small, nondescript flower shop, of all places. They'd waited for a few hours, carefully watching the shop from their hiding spot and just when Angelus was about to storm inside and get Buffy, Maddox's car had skidded to a halt before them and he rushed inside.
At that moment Angelus felt his body starting to relax from the constant state of tension he'd been in for weeks. Knowing that Maddox was there, that Buffy was on her way to Bruce set his mind at ease and he could finally relax, knowing that she would be safe.
Silently he'd watched as Maddox placed Buffy in his car and buckle her in. Even though he knew it was for the best, he'd still been tense and envious as he'd seen the other man tend to Buffy and finally drive off with her.
For long moments he'd been rooted to the spot, his gaze transfixed to where Buffy had been. Only after nearly ten minutes did his men manage to draw his attention and convince him that all was all right and that he could leave. And, with a heavy heart but relieved mind, he'd gotten into his car and left…left Buffy to the life he knew she deserved.
In light of the new information, Bruce felt slightly guilty for believing the worst about Angelus. He should have known Angelus had Buffy's best interest at heart and that he would do everything in his power to protect her. Knowing that Angelus had indeed been looking over Buffy gave him a sense of relief. He hated to admit, but he owed Angelus a great deal; not only did he protect Buffy when he wasn't there; he did his best in trying to reach him.
A wry grin tugged at his lips, who would have thought that he would actually start liking Angelus Navarro? He'd hated the law agent with every fiber of his being; resented him and had even at one stage thought about how to painfully kill him…
"How is she doing?" Angelus' question pulled Bruce from his amusing thoughts and sobered him up quickly.
Unsure how to answer as Buffy wasn't doing great by any means, he sighed, "She'd doing as well as can be expected." He answered truthfully. "She only told me what happened yesterday, and to say that I was shocked would be an understatement." Bruce admitted.
Angelus merely nodded silently, knowing Buffy well, knowing she tended to keep her pain to herself. He admired her greatly for her courage and determination, but he wasn't sure that that was always such a good thing for her.
"Did you know?" Bruce's strained voice asked. He knew the question would cause the other man some pain but he had to know, and he wasn't going to ask Buffy this particular question.
Not surprised by the question, Angelus gave an honest and direct answer, "I knew you cared about her; that fact was clear when you gave her back. But I didn't know about how she felt until she told me to leave you alone." He shouldn't have been so surprised; after all, he'd suspected it for a while.
Bruce wanted to know more, he had so many questions but he also knew it wasn't his place. It seemed that Angelus read his mind because he answered the burning question, "Things between Buffy and me…ugh, I don't know, things just weren't the same. Our feelings towards each other changed somewhere along the way and we were the last to notice. I love Buffy, and I always will, but I care for her like I care about the men in my team, and I'm sure she cares about me like she would care for a team member or brother. Anything romantic died a long time ago." He said truthfully.
Both he and Buffy had been shocked and upset when they realized things between them had changed. Fortunately they had always been very open and honest with each other and when they talked about it, both had been relieved to find the other felt the same. They'd parted on good terms, still caring deeply about the other. He might not have said as much to Buffy at the time, but he would always love her, and she him, but not romantically.
Bruce closed his eyes, relief washing over him like a tidal wave, "Thank you." He said softly, pleased when Angelus didn't make a biting remark about it. The other man could have been arrogant and self-serving but he had more dignity than that and Bruce respected him all the more.
Understanding how much it must have cost Bruce to ask such personal questions from him, Angelus couldn't only sympathize. It took courage to open one's insecurities and fear and for Bruce to expose his for Buffy's sake made Angelus feel relief, instead of the anger and regret he usually felt when he thought of him.
"As long as you look after and protect Buffy, I'll be a happy camper." Angelus said, hoping to lighten the mood. He'd had more than enough of feeling guilt and remorse; he needed to put that, and the past, behind him. A light chuckle from Bruce made Angelus take a relieved breath and smile in return.
A few moments of silence followed before Bruce voice took on a deadly calm, "I'm going to find out who did that to her, and I'm going to make them pay" Bruce promised then, deadly intent clear in his voice.
Angelus nodded even though he knew Bruce wouldn't see the gesture. He knew Bruce would make good on the promise, "Glad to hear that." A grin spread on his face as he thought of what lay ahead for those pathetic men. He knew Bruce could be cold hearted and downright evil; and those men deserved nothing less.
Thinking of the men that nearly killed the woman he loved; Bruce clenched his jaw in anticipation and renewed anger. There was no way he was going to let those men go unpunished. Not only did their failed attempt on Buffy's life sign their death warrants, but also the fact that they even dared to think about Buffy in any way. She was his, belonged to him in every sense of the word and they would suffer unimaginable pain for even trying to touch what was his.
After exchanging a few more words, both men felt better now that all their worries had been discussed and laid to rest between them. No anger or resentment remained; no jealousy clouded their minds and with surprise, both men realized that they reached a mutual understanding and sense of respect for the other. The call was disconnected after both said their farewells.
Maddox waited patiently while the air stewardess served him and Bruce fresh coffee before relaying the information he just received. His gaze was still focused on his laptop as he started talking, "Buffy was working as a lead investigator in a high profile drug distribution case. An informant provided enough information to issue a search warrant for their containers held at the pier and told Buffy personally when a new shipment was coming in.
Nearly half the San Diego Police department was present as arrests were made. Several men were awaiting trail when three managed by some miracle to escape. They were being transported from the holding cells to a prison facility just outside of San Diego when they managed to escape. The officers escorting them claimed they were driven off the road and held at gunpoint; they had the appropriate bruises and one was even taken to the emergency room with a head wound and a concussion." Maddox stopped for a few seconds as his mail received photos of the particular men.
Bruce sat across from him, silently sipping his coffee as he absorbed the news. Any fool could see that the escape was arranged and planned. It didn't surprise him though, he had lots of law enforcement agents that 'worked' for him as well, he'd pulled lots of the same stunts over the years as well; hell, he even had more than a few of San Diego's 'finest' on his payroll.
Corruption was nothing new to him, he capitalized on it and used it to his advantage, but it bothered him that there were people under him who believed they could do as they pleased and that they could get away with it. Bruce Novikov is one of the most powerful and feared men on earth, his reach stretched far and even the most vile criminals shuddered when they heard his name; so who would be so incredibly foolish to tread on his 'territory'?
When Maddox remained silent longer than he expected, Bruce looked up and saw the surprised amusement on his face. Taking the laptop from Maddox and scanning through the opened files and photo's, Bruce cursed at what he read.
"Looks like Mr. Crawford Drake has been taking liberties." Maddox said with a hard face. Both men knew the name and face very well. Drake was a regular customer of Bruce's and he'd asked Bruce if he could be the 'area dealer' for him, sort of like an agent for the bigger dealer.
At the time Bruce hadn't minded but now he was furious; Drake obviously thought he could do as he pleased. Bruce always advised his dealers to keep a low profile at all times, he didn't want to make waves or draw unnecessary attention to himself and his business. Drake didn't seem to take the warning seriously and he'd just dug his own grave.
He'd made a huge mistake, and that mistake started the day he bought his first batch of weapons from Bruce Novikov. They were aware that he dealt in drugs and other things as well, but it hadn't mattered to them; as long as he paid for his purchases, Bruce would turn a blind eye. They knew he'd taken lives before and that he'd had hits out on law agents as well, too bad for him it was the wrong agent.
As he looked at the photos, Bruce barely held his anger in check. No wonder Maddox had remained silent for so long; he didn't want to be the one to tell Bruce that they might have sold the weapons that nearly got Buffy killed, to Drake themselves… Bruce himself actually had a part in what happened to Buffy.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Bruce forced his eyes over the reports and photos; the officers that were supposedly held at gun point were rookies, they hadn't even been with the department for five years; Nate Lewis and Oscar Woodstock had several pending cases against them, claims included police brutality, obstruction of justice and they even had some run in's with their fellow officers.
If their files and records weren't enough to show that they were bad cops, then he didn't know what was. But why would the police chief hire men like them if their credentials were less than desirable? That brought on a whole new set of questions that he didn't like.
Deciding not to get ahead of himself, Bruce calmly read through the remainder of the files. According to their sources, Drake tired bailing his men out and even his overpaid lawyer couldn't get the charges against them dropped. Several of Drake's men were sentenced to twenty years in jail on a list of criminal charges.
A few weeks after the arrests were made, the police department itself, including g agents and officers received numbers of threats. But seeing as Buffy had worked undercover along with a few other cops, the chief hadn't paid it much mind. He didn't even feel the need to inform the agents about the threats that were made against them.
Two clicks brought up the photo of an older man, probably in his early sixties, with a bald head and overweight body. Even though he was clad in his police uniform that was adorned with medals and badges, it was clear to Bruce that this man didn't care about upholding the law anymore.
Insider information provided by some of the cops on Bruce's payroll testified that he wasn't as honorable as his record claimed. On the surface Captain Harold William Tucker looked to be the perfect, upstanding citizen, but Bruce always looked beneath the surface. The captain's wife seemed to have developed a severe case of shopping addiction, which couldn't be possible on either of their salaries. No need to guess where the money came from; if the captain kept his mouth shut and made a few things disappear, he was rewarded rather handsomely.
Bruce just couldn't understand how Captain Tucker managed to look at himself in the mirror each day and not feel guilty about what happened; not only had an innocent women and young child, a girl the same age as his Michaela, been brutally killed, but the men responsible were out on the streets, thanks to him. Bruce wasn't one to judge, he'd committed his fair share of crime, but he never took the lives of innocent people or children.
Several hours passed in much the same manner with Maddox attaining information and Bruce acquainting himself with every aspect linked to Faith's death and Buffy's near demise. Maddox himself was tightly wound as more and more disturbing information came to light.
The moment they touched down at the private airstrip, Bruce and Maddox were both on their phones making important calls; obviously Buffy and Eva were notified that they arrived safely. Getting into a waiting car, Bruce felt his body start to hum in anticipation. He couldn't wait to mete out punishment.
Those men were going to pay in blood for what they did, and he would personally dish it out. Slow and painful deaths were too kind a punishment for what they did, but he would make sure they knew why they got what they did. They had been foolish enough to hurt what was his; been arrogant and self-serving when they dared to even think about touching what belonged to him.
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