Chapter 11 – 'A Blast From The Past!'
Lindsey jumped from the cheap brown as he watched is front door splinter and fall to the ground. He backed away from the couch and looked to the side of him of an escape. There was nowhere to run. He backed up further and hit the wall as the shadowed figure came towards him and held him by the throat.
"Angel, what a lovely surprise. How did you find me?" Lindsey asked dryly, fear clear in his voice but a smirk still on his face.
"Come on Lindsey. You didn't think that I would let you go without keeping some tabs on you did you? Aw you did. How cute." Angel seethed. "Where is my son?" Angel now changed in to game face in uncontrolled anger.
Lindsey didn't physically flinch but he felt his heart skip a beat. "I…I didn't know you had a son. What are you talking about Angel."
He tightened his grip around Lindsey's neck. "My son was kidnapped and I bet I know who's taken him?"
"Wolfram and Hart. I haven't worked for then in a year. Give me a break Angel, I can't breathe."
Angel lessened his grip but still kept Lindsey a foot from the ground. "I think you're lying." Angel removed his hand from Lindseys neck and turned from the door. He swung around so fast Lindsey didn't see it until he felt the back of Angels hand connect with his jaw and then again when he hit the wall. He felt Angel lift him to his feet again. "So I'll ask again. Where is my son?"
"I don't know!" Lindsey tried to shout through his bloodied mouth.
"Wrong answer Lawyer Boy!" Angel threw him against the same wall.
Somewhere under LA
Cordelia made her way along the sewers, not caring what she stepped in. The thought that the Oracles might know the answer to whom took her son and where he might be was enough to drive her on. She threw the herbs into the marble bath and whispered: "I besiege access to the Knowing Ones' After the flash of light she found herself in front of two stressed looking Oracles. She ran forward towards them in a blind rage.
"What have you done with my son?" She shouted as she grabbed one by the neck.
Another flash of light and she found herself flung against a wall but felt no pain. "How dare you accuse us of taken the Light you Lower Being. Why would we harm the one thing that is saving us?" The female Oracle questioned.
"Then tell me where he is. You are the all knowing ones."
"Angelus' past has come back to haunt him. He thought he had paid the toll but he has one last payment to make."
"I have had enough of your riddles. Tell me in English you gold bitch."
"We have told you all we know. You must find our Light before it is extinguished. Let it be on your head."
"Allen is my son and if he dies, you will lose your head…again." Cordelia started to walk towards the wall but was stopped by an invisible barrier.
"You harm us and we will take away the Light."
Cordelia chuckled sadistically to herself. "Don't threaten me. I am Queen C, Sunnydales biggest bitch. My bite is worse than my bite. You try to harm or take away my son I will take revenge. Remember, I'm your Seer and Angel is your only warrior."
"Warriors and Seers are replaced."
"Yeah but when will they run out of Oracles? I warn you, don't mess with the Queen C."
Cordelia faced the barrier and waited for the flash of light. This time she prepared for the bumpy landing. She learned an important lesson that day: Never Piss Off The Oracles.
At The Hotel
A black car pulled up outside the aging hotel and 7 people stepped out. Two were bickering while the oldest looked on, taking the glasses from his face and rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and his index finger.
"Really you two. You have been bickering for 2 hours now. Spike. You really can't drive and I think that the Sunnydale sign has been knocked down and re-established enough times without you adding to his damage. And Buffy. Please stop badgering Spike about his speeding. I have been in the car when you are driving, Buffy, and trust me when I say this…your driving is worse."
Buffy spun around, her blonde hair whipping to her face. "Giles, you're my Watcher, I thought you would stand up for me." Spike stood smugly under the moonlight. "Take the smirk off your face Spike. Shouldn't we go in? Fred made it sound like an emergency and with this lot everything is an emergency, including Cordelia breaking a nail." Buffy added dryly.
The Scooby Gang trudged into the hotel and found and empty, silent lobby.
"You think that we've come all the way from Sunnydale to save their hides again that they could at least throw us a 'Welcome Back To The Hellmouth 2' party." Spike asked looking around the deserted hotel. "Peaches, here kitty, kitty, kitty. Come out, come out where ever you are."
"Spike enough" Giles said pointingly out of frustration and weariness.
"Angel isn't here, neither is Cordelia or Gunn. Cordelia is at the Oracles, Gunn is A.W.O.L and Angel went looking for the kidnappers. I am afraid you will have to put up with Fred and I for now. Sorry about the lack of banners but we didn't have time between a distraught Cordelia and the kidnapping of Allen. I will try harder next time." Wesley mutter sarcastically before moving away from them and back into his office.
"What crawled up his ass?" Spike asked.
"Spike for the last time Shut Up." Giles shouted before knocking the Vampire to the ground. "From what I gather, Allen has been kidnapped and all hell is about to break lose but not the kind we can fight. Wesley can you explain why we are here?" Giles shouted into Wesley's office.
Wesley hadn't stepped foot outside the office when a bloody body landed at his feet. Spike vamped out at the smell of the human blood. Angel stormed through the hotel lobby and stopped at Wesley. "This is what's going on here. Like I said. The spells were too powerful so who ever took Allen had outside help and I will bet anything it was the neighborhoods favourite lawyers Wolfram and Hart."
"Angel really, did you have to bring him here in this state? I don't think a plastic surgeon will be able to fix that." Wesley muttered.
"I don't care Wes, this is my son. Where is Gunn?" Wesley looked sheepishly to the ground "Never mind. Giles help Fred research, Tara, Willow, can you do a tracing spell or something. Check out Allen's room upstairs and see if you can find anything in there. Wesley and Buffy come with me. Xander, Anya…here's some money. There's a grocery store on the corner, get some food. I think this might be a long haul." Xander went to argue but Angel cut him of with a growl. "Right lets go. Giles can you make our 'guest' comfortable in the basement please."
"What about me?" Spike grumbled pathetically.
"Fine, go play with Lindsey in the training room, but no snacking and I want him alive when I come home." Angel answered and left.
Spike clapped his hands with glee and then headed with Giles down to the basement. Giles looked disapprovingly at him but then looked at Lindsey and simply lowered his head.
The small band left through the hotel entrance just as Cordelia walked back home. Her stature was crumpled, she was defeated and didn't know what else to do. She hated feeling powerless to stop it all. This is her son. She should be on the phone to the police. A special trained police officer would be sitting here with her, an arm around her shoulder telling her everything would be all right. But they couldn't. That would be what normal people did and they weren't normal. She entered the hotel lobby but there was no one around. She looked in Wesleys office to find Fred wrapped up in Wesley's tomes, Giles was coming out of the training room, wiping his hands on his trousers leaving red smears down the front. He stopped when he seen her.
Ah, Cordelia. I didn't hear you come in." He caught her looking at his trousers with a raised eyebrow. "Angel brought Lindsey home. He had a little problem with him. What did the Oracles say?"
"Nothing. Well unless you count riddles as answers." She let out another defeated sigh. "They said that Angelus' past had came back to haunt him. Something about him having one last toll to pay. They threatened me, told me to find their Light or else. Pufh." She exclaimed.
"I'll get on it. Willow and Tara are upstairs trying to find clues. Maybe they have had more luck that yourself."
Cordelia waved a delicate hand behind her as she walked towards the central staircase. She headed up towards her and Angels room. The window had been patched up with one of the heavy drapes from another room. Willow was standing around Allens crib while she could hear Tara in the bathroom off the main bedroom. Willow had her eyes closed. On the other side of the crib was an easel with a piece of charcoal floating in mid-air. It began to move across the paper with a renewed vigor. It began at the top with scratchy movements then moving downwards sketching out a face and then a thin, athletic body that was unmistakably female.
"Willow," Cordelia muttered slowly. "What are you doing?"
Willow lifted one eye and the charcoal paused in mid-air, waiting for further instruction. "I was finding out who was last in the room with Allen. It's the woman in the picture."
Cordelia squinted and turned her head to one side. "I don't recognise her. I would remember her, she looks like Buffy…" Cordelia spat the name "…Maybe she's the next Slayer but Faith hasn't died that we know of. Maybe Angel will know her. How did they get past the spells?"
Willow now wore a serious face. "They literally ripped them for the room, battle them with opposing speels and then just barged in. There was nothing that could have stopped then. It must have been some powerful witch to know and fight what spells we placed here. You crossed any powerful witches lately."
"No but I know a Lawyers firm with a whole army of them and shamans as well. You can bet anything that Wolfram and Hart are involved, anything to bring down Angel and the Investigations."
At the mention of his name Angel walked back into the hotel. He looked around the room and then saw the drawing on the easel. Why are you drawing that?" He asked Willow.
"Angel, I thought you had left with the rest of them."
"I forgot my axe. Why have you drawn Alishia?" He flew for the easel. "I never ever want to see her face again." His own face contorted in anguish.
"Angel who is it? She was the one that took Allen." Cordelia asked putting a light hand on his shoulder.
"She was a girl I turned in the early 1900's. She was from a rich family, merchants, and I seen her walking down the street one night. Her long brown curls and her eyes intrigued me. I followed her for a week before I decided to turn her. I know she was having an affair with the local teacher and that angered me, she was worth so much more so I decided to make her worthy of me. It was only when I was drinking from her I heard it but it was too late, I had killed her. I took her back to the house, Darla wasn't happy. She kept swearing and clawing at me. Eventually I had to take Alishia away. I took her to Germany. She was so out of place, her oriental features strange in the Anuran country. I left her there, I never forgot about her but a year after I moved her, I receive my soul and I was too guilty to see her again."
"Why would she take our son Angel?"
Angel looked guiltily away. "I don't know but I'll find her, she'll be looking for me." He ran for the window and jumped through it. Cordelia didn't cry out or rush to the window. She had no energy for that. Instead she let him go and hoped that he would come home before the sun rose in 2 hours.
Lindsey jumped from the cheap brown as he watched is front door splinter and fall to the ground. He backed away from the couch and looked to the side of him of an escape. There was nowhere to run. He backed up further and hit the wall as the shadowed figure came towards him and held him by the throat.
"Angel, what a lovely surprise. How did you find me?" Lindsey asked dryly, fear clear in his voice but a smirk still on his face.
"Come on Lindsey. You didn't think that I would let you go without keeping some tabs on you did you? Aw you did. How cute." Angel seethed. "Where is my son?" Angel now changed in to game face in uncontrolled anger.
Lindsey didn't physically flinch but he felt his heart skip a beat. "I…I didn't know you had a son. What are you talking about Angel."
He tightened his grip around Lindsey's neck. "My son was kidnapped and I bet I know who's taken him?"
"Wolfram and Hart. I haven't worked for then in a year. Give me a break Angel, I can't breathe."
Angel lessened his grip but still kept Lindsey a foot from the ground. "I think you're lying." Angel removed his hand from Lindseys neck and turned from the door. He swung around so fast Lindsey didn't see it until he felt the back of Angels hand connect with his jaw and then again when he hit the wall. He felt Angel lift him to his feet again. "So I'll ask again. Where is my son?"
"I don't know!" Lindsey tried to shout through his bloodied mouth.
"Wrong answer Lawyer Boy!" Angel threw him against the same wall.
Somewhere under LA
Cordelia made her way along the sewers, not caring what she stepped in. The thought that the Oracles might know the answer to whom took her son and where he might be was enough to drive her on. She threw the herbs into the marble bath and whispered: "I besiege access to the Knowing Ones' After the flash of light she found herself in front of two stressed looking Oracles. She ran forward towards them in a blind rage.
"What have you done with my son?" She shouted as she grabbed one by the neck.
Another flash of light and she found herself flung against a wall but felt no pain. "How dare you accuse us of taken the Light you Lower Being. Why would we harm the one thing that is saving us?" The female Oracle questioned.
"Then tell me where he is. You are the all knowing ones."
"Angelus' past has come back to haunt him. He thought he had paid the toll but he has one last payment to make."
"I have had enough of your riddles. Tell me in English you gold bitch."
"We have told you all we know. You must find our Light before it is extinguished. Let it be on your head."
"Allen is my son and if he dies, you will lose your head…again." Cordelia started to walk towards the wall but was stopped by an invisible barrier.
"You harm us and we will take away the Light."
Cordelia chuckled sadistically to herself. "Don't threaten me. I am Queen C, Sunnydales biggest bitch. My bite is worse than my bite. You try to harm or take away my son I will take revenge. Remember, I'm your Seer and Angel is your only warrior."
"Warriors and Seers are replaced."
"Yeah but when will they run out of Oracles? I warn you, don't mess with the Queen C."
Cordelia faced the barrier and waited for the flash of light. This time she prepared for the bumpy landing. She learned an important lesson that day: Never Piss Off The Oracles.
At The Hotel
A black car pulled up outside the aging hotel and 7 people stepped out. Two were bickering while the oldest looked on, taking the glasses from his face and rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and his index finger.
"Really you two. You have been bickering for 2 hours now. Spike. You really can't drive and I think that the Sunnydale sign has been knocked down and re-established enough times without you adding to his damage. And Buffy. Please stop badgering Spike about his speeding. I have been in the car when you are driving, Buffy, and trust me when I say this…your driving is worse."
Buffy spun around, her blonde hair whipping to her face. "Giles, you're my Watcher, I thought you would stand up for me." Spike stood smugly under the moonlight. "Take the smirk off your face Spike. Shouldn't we go in? Fred made it sound like an emergency and with this lot everything is an emergency, including Cordelia breaking a nail." Buffy added dryly.
The Scooby Gang trudged into the hotel and found and empty, silent lobby.
"You think that we've come all the way from Sunnydale to save their hides again that they could at least throw us a 'Welcome Back To The Hellmouth 2' party." Spike asked looking around the deserted hotel. "Peaches, here kitty, kitty, kitty. Come out, come out where ever you are."
"Spike enough" Giles said pointingly out of frustration and weariness.
"Angel isn't here, neither is Cordelia or Gunn. Cordelia is at the Oracles, Gunn is A.W.O.L and Angel went looking for the kidnappers. I am afraid you will have to put up with Fred and I for now. Sorry about the lack of banners but we didn't have time between a distraught Cordelia and the kidnapping of Allen. I will try harder next time." Wesley mutter sarcastically before moving away from them and back into his office.
"What crawled up his ass?" Spike asked.
"Spike for the last time Shut Up." Giles shouted before knocking the Vampire to the ground. "From what I gather, Allen has been kidnapped and all hell is about to break lose but not the kind we can fight. Wesley can you explain why we are here?" Giles shouted into Wesley's office.
Wesley hadn't stepped foot outside the office when a bloody body landed at his feet. Spike vamped out at the smell of the human blood. Angel stormed through the hotel lobby and stopped at Wesley. "This is what's going on here. Like I said. The spells were too powerful so who ever took Allen had outside help and I will bet anything it was the neighborhoods favourite lawyers Wolfram and Hart."
"Angel really, did you have to bring him here in this state? I don't think a plastic surgeon will be able to fix that." Wesley muttered.
"I don't care Wes, this is my son. Where is Gunn?" Wesley looked sheepishly to the ground "Never mind. Giles help Fred research, Tara, Willow, can you do a tracing spell or something. Check out Allen's room upstairs and see if you can find anything in there. Wesley and Buffy come with me. Xander, Anya…here's some money. There's a grocery store on the corner, get some food. I think this might be a long haul." Xander went to argue but Angel cut him of with a growl. "Right lets go. Giles can you make our 'guest' comfortable in the basement please."
"What about me?" Spike grumbled pathetically.
"Fine, go play with Lindsey in the training room, but no snacking and I want him alive when I come home." Angel answered and left.
Spike clapped his hands with glee and then headed with Giles down to the basement. Giles looked disapprovingly at him but then looked at Lindsey and simply lowered his head.
The small band left through the hotel entrance just as Cordelia walked back home. Her stature was crumpled, she was defeated and didn't know what else to do. She hated feeling powerless to stop it all. This is her son. She should be on the phone to the police. A special trained police officer would be sitting here with her, an arm around her shoulder telling her everything would be all right. But they couldn't. That would be what normal people did and they weren't normal. She entered the hotel lobby but there was no one around. She looked in Wesleys office to find Fred wrapped up in Wesley's tomes, Giles was coming out of the training room, wiping his hands on his trousers leaving red smears down the front. He stopped when he seen her.
Ah, Cordelia. I didn't hear you come in." He caught her looking at his trousers with a raised eyebrow. "Angel brought Lindsey home. He had a little problem with him. What did the Oracles say?"
"Nothing. Well unless you count riddles as answers." She let out another defeated sigh. "They said that Angelus' past had came back to haunt him. Something about him having one last toll to pay. They threatened me, told me to find their Light or else. Pufh." She exclaimed.
"I'll get on it. Willow and Tara are upstairs trying to find clues. Maybe they have had more luck that yourself."
Cordelia waved a delicate hand behind her as she walked towards the central staircase. She headed up towards her and Angels room. The window had been patched up with one of the heavy drapes from another room. Willow was standing around Allens crib while she could hear Tara in the bathroom off the main bedroom. Willow had her eyes closed. On the other side of the crib was an easel with a piece of charcoal floating in mid-air. It began to move across the paper with a renewed vigor. It began at the top with scratchy movements then moving downwards sketching out a face and then a thin, athletic body that was unmistakably female.
"Willow," Cordelia muttered slowly. "What are you doing?"
Willow lifted one eye and the charcoal paused in mid-air, waiting for further instruction. "I was finding out who was last in the room with Allen. It's the woman in the picture."
Cordelia squinted and turned her head to one side. "I don't recognise her. I would remember her, she looks like Buffy…" Cordelia spat the name "…Maybe she's the next Slayer but Faith hasn't died that we know of. Maybe Angel will know her. How did they get past the spells?"
Willow now wore a serious face. "They literally ripped them for the room, battle them with opposing speels and then just barged in. There was nothing that could have stopped then. It must have been some powerful witch to know and fight what spells we placed here. You crossed any powerful witches lately."
"No but I know a Lawyers firm with a whole army of them and shamans as well. You can bet anything that Wolfram and Hart are involved, anything to bring down Angel and the Investigations."
At the mention of his name Angel walked back into the hotel. He looked around the room and then saw the drawing on the easel. Why are you drawing that?" He asked Willow.
"Angel, I thought you had left with the rest of them."
"I forgot my axe. Why have you drawn Alishia?" He flew for the easel. "I never ever want to see her face again." His own face contorted in anguish.
"Angel who is it? She was the one that took Allen." Cordelia asked putting a light hand on his shoulder.
"She was a girl I turned in the early 1900's. She was from a rich family, merchants, and I seen her walking down the street one night. Her long brown curls and her eyes intrigued me. I followed her for a week before I decided to turn her. I know she was having an affair with the local teacher and that angered me, she was worth so much more so I decided to make her worthy of me. It was only when I was drinking from her I heard it but it was too late, I had killed her. I took her back to the house, Darla wasn't happy. She kept swearing and clawing at me. Eventually I had to take Alishia away. I took her to Germany. She was so out of place, her oriental features strange in the Anuran country. I left her there, I never forgot about her but a year after I moved her, I receive my soul and I was too guilty to see her again."
"Why would she take our son Angel?"
Angel looked guiltily away. "I don't know but I'll find her, she'll be looking for me." He ran for the window and jumped through it. Cordelia didn't cry out or rush to the window. She had no energy for that. Instead she let him go and hoped that he would come home before the sun rose in 2 hours.