Title: In the Shadows of Twilight
Author: DOKChairman
Time/Spoilers: I have no idea when this takes place. However, everything after season six is fair game.
Summary: There is no summary.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own the rights to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all of its characters. I own nothing except the story.
Author's Note: This story takes place in the not so distant future. As anyone who has read my other Buffy story knows, I love complicated plots, and this story is no different. Things will start off as polar opposites, but eventually everything will converge.
Author's Note #2: This is a short chapter, meant to remind you of the forces at work in this story. I promise that in the next chapter, we will finally get some back story on our intrepid bank robbers.
Chapter 5
"I'm Lilah Morgan. I'm here to see the senior partners." Lilah said to the older and distinguished receptionist sitting just outside the conference room.
The older woman brought her hand up to adjust her glasses as she pointedly looked up and down Lilah's body. Lilah felt an involuntary shiver race down her spine at the look the woman was giving her. There was just something about the way the woman stared at her that scared the hell out of her.
It was that fear that made Lilah understand why this woman was sitting outside the door to the room that held some of the most powerful men in the city of L.A. She was just the first link in a growing chain meant to terrify and intimidate those lucky few chosen to actually meet the senior partners.
This was the high point of Lilah's career. Everything that she had ever done had been done to get her to this point. A face to face meeting with the senior partners at Wolfram & Hart. Lilah knew that this meeting could make or break her career. She had been steadily moving up the corporate ladder since joining the insidious law firm, but this was the last hurdle in her way to reaching the top. She was determined to be the first female senior partner in the firm's long history. She would not be denied.
Lilah refocused her drifting concentration on the old woman sitting in front of her. "Ah, yes, Miss Morgan. The partners are expecting you. You may go on in."
Lilah gave the woman a slight glare, and then made her way purposefully to the two large, very sturdy, oak doors of the conference room. Placing her hand on the matte black handle of the door, she paused as she thought about what she was about to do.
She was about to enter the main conference room of the senior partners. It was almost too daunting for her to grasp. She felt fear and anticipation grab hold of her at the same time. She knew what some of the younger and more easily frightened associates called the room she was about to enter. They called it the Black Hole. Not because it sucked up all matter, but because, they claimed, it sucked out the souls of all those who entered it, leaving only a black hole inside its victims.
Of course, Lilah didn't believe that. Not that it mattered. As far as Lilah was concerned, she had sold her soul a long time ago, so there was nothing for those people in that room to take away from her. Considering the kind of work she did and considering the kind of people she worked with, it was debatable whether or not the fact that she had sold her soul could be interpreted in the literal sense or the figurative.
Lilah took a deep breath and she twisted the handle of the door. The door went swinging inward and she walked inside the dark room with her head held high. She refused to be intimidated. Of course that determination vanished about four seconds after she entered the room and the door closed behind her with a resounding click.
Lilah briefly looked over shoulder to the doors and again felt a shiver run down her spine. There was no turning back now. Lilah turned her head back to face the five senior partners all sitting at a very old, rectangular, wooden table. Four of the partners sat on the side, two on each side, while the fifth man sat at the head of the table facing her. Lilah knew that man to be Johan Wolfram, the most senior partner, and the one she knew she should talk too.
Wolfram addressed her as she walked to the end of the table opposite of him. "Miss Morgan, it is so good to finally meet your acquaintance. I have heard many wonderful things about you."
Lilah was a little taken aback by the friendly tone the man was using and gave him a nervous smile. "Thank you sir. I have always tried to serve this firm to the best of my ability."
Wolfram nodded his head at her words, "Oh, I know you have Miss Morgan and your record reflects that. Speaking of serving this firm, were you successful in contacting Mr. Harris and his little group?"
Business, now this was something Lilah could handle. Adopting her professional tone, the one she always used when dealing with clients, Lilah's nervousness disappeared. "Yes, sir. I made contact with Alexander Harris earlier this evening."
Wolfram said, "And?"
Lilah opened her briefcase and pulled out a folder containing papers. She handed the folder to the one of the closer men and he passed it down to Wolfram. As Wolfram looked through the folder, Lilah continued speaking. "And he agreed, sir."
This time Wolfram looked slightly shocked. He had known that Lilah made contact with Harris but he was unaware of the contents of their discussion. Wolfram asked, "Really? May I ask how you managed that? Alexander Harris is famous for his disdain of corporate business. I was under the impression that he only accepted contracts from private citizens."
Lilah acknowledged what Wolfram said with a nod of her head and then she added, "Normally sir, you would be correct. But I made Mr. Harris an offer that he couldn't refuse."
Realization dawned in the man's eyes, and he asked, "How much?"
Lilah answered quickly, "$20 million dollars." Lilah could see the disapproving scowls on the faces of several of the partners and she felt like she had to defend herself. "That was well within the parameters that you gave me."
Wolfram smiled kindly at Lilah, "Don't let them get to you my dear. My partners sometimes forget the old adage that you must spend money to make money."
Lilah felt her shoulders slump slightly in relief. For a minute there she had been afraid that she might have ruined her chances by offering too much money. Lilah saw Wolfram close the folder that she had given him and he looked at her with a steady gaze. "This was very good work, Miss Morgan. In fact, with the exception of a few isolated incidents involving the vampire Angelus, you have had a remarkable career with this firm. So remarkable that we feel that you are ready for more high profile cases."
This was a little more than Lilah expected, but she wasn't about to let this opportunity slip through her fingers. "Thank you sir. It would be my pleasure to help out this firm in anyway I can."
Wolfram smiled again, but this time his smile was far from friendly. "I am so happy to hear you say that Miss Morgan. It is the unanimous decision of this partnership that the interests of our newest client be entrusted to your care."
As soon as he finished, a blinding white light filled the dark room. Lilah shut her eyes and waited for the light to die down. When she opened her eyes she saw that there was a new addition to the room. Standing behind Johan Wolfram was a tall man, with long black hair flowing down to his waist. He was not a handsome man, but he appeared to be human, and his body was slim but taut. Lilah thought that he had an athlete's body. In one hand he held an ornately carved staff with a blood red jewel at the top. To Lilah, he looked like he had come from another world. Which wasn't far from the truth.
Wolfram stood up from his chair and moved to stand next to the strange man's side. "Miss Morgan, it is my pleasure to introduce to you Wolfram & Hart's newest client and your next case. Lilah Morgan, meet Gresham Bar."
