Chapter 10
Cordelia paid for her salad and Diet Coke and stepped away from the cash register. She scanned the hospital cafeteria looking for June and found her at a table in the back, sipping coffee and staring off into space. She seemed a million miles away, probably in a place where her daughter was safely tucked into her bed, sound asleep and perfectly healthy.
Cordelia approached and set her tray down on the table. "Hope you don't mind, I haven't eaten anything since some rice cakes this morning and we know how not filling they can be."
"What?" June mumbled, startled by the voice. She stared at Cordelia as she sat down. "Oh, no. Don' worry. I don't mind. Please, eat."
Cordy took a sip of her drink and began to pick through her salad. "Some of this lettuce looks as though it could use a jolt from those electric paddles you see on ER."
"I wish I hadn't quit smoking, 'cause I could really use a cigarette right about now. I'm going to jump out of my skin." June bit at a hangnail, nervously looking around the cafeteria.
"Maybe coffee isn't the best thing to be drinking if you're feeling a bit tense?" Cordy said. She speared a cherry tomato and popped it into her mouth. "Just a thought."
June didn't seem to hear her. "Don't you think I should be talking to the police? You know, since somebody may have done this to her?"
Cordy continued to pick at her plate, searching for something other than wilted lettuce and bean sprouts. "I don't think the police would know how to deal with this one." She sighed and pushed the salad aside. "Think I've had more than enough of that, thank you. You'd think that a salad from a hospital would be a little healthier, maybe?"
"Why?" June asked. "What makes this different from anything else? If somebody did this to my little girl, they have to be caught."
"Let's just say that Angel has a tendency to work on cases that are a bit.funny," Cordelia said carefully. "Not There's Something About Mary funny, but funny weird, and I'm sorry, I can't see the LAPD dealing with some of the funny weird stuff I've seen since coming to LA."
June wrapped both hands around her coffee mug and leaned toward Cordelia. "Are you.are you saying Angel and Serena handle things that.that can't be explained?"
Cordelia took a sip of Diet Coke, crunching on some ice as she considered her reply. "Their cases do have a tendency to lean toward the bizarre."
June was beginning to panic. "Something.unnatural has happened to my child? How is that possible?"
"That's what we all intend to find out."
June put her hands to her face. "I keep telling myself that everything is going to be all right, but."
Cordelia shook the ice around in her cup. "Is there anyone that you know that's into the bizarre stuff? Summoning demons, blood sacrifice, devil worshipping, the Atkins diet? Any of those ring a bell?"
With a laugh, June took her hands away from her face. She seemed to think Cordelia was joking. "No, none of that. The worst thing I can think of is that my ex is a compulsive gambler. Believe me, that was pretty bad."
She picked up a sugar packet and began to play with it.
"David was bad. It was a sickness with him, really. That's why we split up." She looked at the mess she was making. "I'll never forget the first time I realized how bad it was. We were just coming home from the hospital after Aubrey was born."
June started to move the sugar around with her finger.
"We pulled up in front of the house and there was this man sitting on our steps. David got all nervous when he saw him. I asked who he was and David said it was just somebody he knew." Cordy slid the pepper over to the woman to add to her mixture.
June smiled and continued her story. "So we got out of the car and David went over to talk to him. He introduced me and Aubrey. I think his name was Carmen."
June sprinkled some pepper into the mixture and mixed them together.
"Anyway, Carmen didn't give me or the baby a second look. He just started punching David in the face over and over again, screaming that he wanted his money by the end of the week."
"Let me guess, shark, and not the Jaws kind," Cordelia interjected.
June scraped the pile of sugar and pepper into her hand.
"Yep, that's when I first found out he owed some very bad men an awful lot of money. We paid it off with the savings I had set aside to fix up the baby's room."
She brushed the mixture in her hand into her empty mug. Her eyes began to fill. "And that wasn't the last time we got visits from Carmen, or other guys doing the same job. I was so afraid that I bought a gun to protect myself and Aubrey before I got smart and threw him out."
She wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed. She looked at Cordelia and smiled. "No devil worshippers in my life. Just one big loser."
Cordelia wasn't sure how to respond to this and began to clean up. "We should get back upstairs. Maybe Aubrey's tests have come back and they can tell us."
June interrupted. "Are they good?"
Cordy was taken off guard, not sure of the meaning of the woman's question. "Excuse me?"
"Your friends, Serena and Angel. Are they any good at what they do?"
There was a look of desperation in the mother's eyes. Cordelia could see she was losing strength; she needed something to keep her afloat.
Cordelia reached out and grabbed the woman's hand. "Are they any good?" She smiled. "Let me just put it this way. When Serena and Angel are working separate, they are probably the best in the business. But together, they are unstoppable." Cordelia thought for a moment. "If there ever comes a time when everybody's given up, when you've given up.Angel won't. He's just not built that way."
She gave the woman's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'd say that's pretty damn good."
*****
"Angel. I found something." Serena called, staring at the same book she had been staring at three hours before.
Angel approached and sat across from her. "Anything interesting?"
"Yeah, I found something that might help." She turned the book around and handed it to Angel, pointing to the picture. "It's a sorcerous device called the collector and it's used to extract souls and it's stored in." She pulled out the vial, "this."
She continued. "Once the soul is collected, its used in many different ways, as I told you before. The souls can also be collected, like some freak who likes to collect them for a living. There's also the demon who eats souls, much like the one we're after. And the drugs." Angel handed the book back to her.
"Cordy call yet?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, she called a little while ago. Said that June was going to stay on a cot in Aubrey's room tonight, so she was going home to get some sleep."
"How's the girl?"
"She's the same, but Cordy did learn that Daddy Bentone is a compulsive gambler, and often owes various loan sharks quite a bit of money," Serena said standing up. "I think we should talk to Daddy."
"I was thinking the same thing." Angel said, smiling at her.
"Isn't that funny?" She snapped, as if saying she still hadn't forgotten what he said to her. "Cordy said that Mom has supposedly lost track of him, but I have a way of finding him. Just leave it to me."
"How?" Angel asked, the smile disappearing immediately.
"You'll find out later." Serena told him.
"Okay. Go, get some rest, find out where Bentone is and meet here at dusk." Angel instructed.
"Dusk," Serena repeated, nodding in agreement. She threw him a hurt look, as if waiting for him to apologize to her, but Angel said nothing. With a huff of anger, she walked up the stairs to her room.
*****
David Bentone tossed the olive-green duffel bag onto the mattress and stuffed some underwear and socks inside. He glanced at his watch. Only three more hours before he was supposed to meet Kendall at the bus station to make the exchange, and then it was out of LA for good.
The crystal vial was resting in the center of his pillow next to the bag. Gently, he picked it up, marveling at the transcendent beauty of its ever- changing contents. He stroked the cool glass with the tips of his fingers and watched the silver, mercurial liquid inside transform to a billowing mist of the deepest red.
Red was Aubrey's favorite color.
A slight hint of emotion stirred within him. He still couldn't believe he did it to his baby girl, but he was almost dead inside. He would do anything to pay off the notorious loan shark, and this guy, Edwards, had the perfect solution. Just steal the soul and he would pay off the loan, including the interest. It was an offer that Bentone couldn't refuse.
He went to the bathroom, unspoiled a large wad of toilet tissue and began to wrap the crystal. All he needed was to deliver damaged goods to Kendall, who was Edward's middle man. Confident that it was protected, he carefully placed the fragile package inside his bag between layers of underwear.
Bentone was startled by a sudden knock at his apartment door, but then remembered he had called for take-out earlier.
"Come on in, door's open." He called out as he fished a ten-dollar bill from his wallet and headed for the door. "Hope you remember the chips!"
He swung open the door, expecting to see an acne-faced teen with his sandwich, but instead found himself looking at a beautiful young woman and a very angry man.
"No chips, just questions." The man snarled as he pushed Bentone back into the apartment. The man had dark hair, blazing eyes, and wore a long, black coat.
Bentone stumbled backward, tripped and fell. From the floor, he watched the young woman close the door behind them.
"Easy, Angel," The woman said to the man. "We don't want him broken before we get the answers we're looking for."
Who are these two? Bentone thought in a panic. Did Edwards lie? Are they from my pal Benny the Wrench, the loan shark?
He scrambled to his feet and lunged for his nightstand. He withdrew a nasty looking knife from the door and brandished it at the one called Angel. "Who the hell are you? What do you want?"
Angel glared. "We've got some questions about your daughter."
Bentone held the knife tighter. They know, he thought. He could feel his guilt spread across his face like a mask.
The young woman stepped forward and Bentone lashed out with the knife.
"Keep away from me!" he threatened.
Serena had enough. She grabbed his wrist in a vice-like grip, bent the arm back painfully and forced him to drop the blade.
"That wasn't too smart, was it, David?" Angel asked as he stood there, hands clasped and an amused smile on his face.
Bentone cried out as Serena kicked the knife blade out of reach and drove him to his knees.
"I'll let you go if you promise to answer our questions. Do we have a deal?" Serena asked him.
Bentone shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about," he gasped. "I haven't seen my daughter in."
Serena pulled his arm back farther and emphasized each word. "Do we have a deal?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Bentone screamed as the pain intensified.
Serena let go of his wrist. She turned to Angel. He still had an amused smile on his face.
"What?" she asked.
"For a while there, you were really quiet. I guess you came back to life." Angel said, crossing his arms.
"Sorry, something put a damper on my mood," she said, giving Angel a look, "but I had enough. I just want this done. I had a lot of pent up anger. But don't worry, I feel better now. And I want him to answer our questions."
Bentone slowly stood, massaging his aching arm. "Who.who are you two? Who sent you?" he asked as he walked to his bed and sat down.
"I'm Angel, and you already met Serena." He pointed to the young woman. "We're working for your wife and daughter and we think you know why."
Bentone stared at Angel. There was something about him, something that told him it was no use denying his involvement. Maybe it was Angel's eyes, like the wrath of God staring down on him. Or maybe it was the promise of something else.something far removed from heaven.
"I.just ran outta choices. I owed so much they probably woulda killed me just to make an example to the others."
"They should." Serena spat, feeling no remorse for the man.
Bentone buried his face in his hands. "I was gonna leave town. But this guy kinda dropped into my life, said he had a way I could clear my debt."
Bentone looked up, mixture of fear and shame in his gaze.
Serena moved to stand beside Angel. "Let me guess. Young guy, handsome, in a creepy sort of way?" Serena asked, sarcasm dripping from her tongue.
Bentone blinked in surprise and nodded. "Rich guy named Christian Edwards."
"And how did he say you could pay off your debt?" Angel asked.
Bentone averted his eyes. "At first, I thought he was some kinda nut with a lot of cash, so I went along with it." He picked something up off the bed and tossed to Angel. "Then he gave me this and I didn't know what to think anymore."
Angel caught the object wrapped in plastic. As he peeled away the bubble wrap, an empty glass vial fell to the floor. Angel gazed with revulsion at the soul collector in his hands.
Serena bent and retrieved the fallen vial. "We found another one of these at your wife's house the other night."
Bentone nodded. "Edwards gave me extras---in case I screwed up."
He was beginning to feel shame for was he had done all over again. "He.Edwards said all I had to do was point it at her.and I'd be free and clear."
He glanced up and recoiled in horror. Something had happened to Angel's face; his brow had grown thicker, his eyes had taken on a yellowish, bestial hue and his teeth.
"You pointed this thing at your own daughter?" Angel snarled.
"He said she wouldn't be hurt.that the collector would just take her soul," Bentone stammered, heart racing with terror. He began to cry, furious, ashamed and very afraid of this man who had become a monster.
"Her soul. I don't believe in God, and I sure as hell don't believe in the idea of souls. I though he was crazy. I'd give him something I didn't even believe in and my problems would be solved."
Bentone looked pleadingly at Angel, then at Serena, then back at Angel. The Slayer's face remained rigid, as if carved from stone. "You gotta believe me. I didn't want to hurt my girl. I just had to get out from underneath what I owed."
Angel's features softened as he slid the collector in his coat pocket. Suddenly, he looked like a man again. "Aubrey's soul. Do you still have it?"
Bentone stood and shifted from one foot to the other. "I'm supposed to meet Kendall, who will deliver the soul to Edwards, at a bus station----to make the exchange."
Angel leaned forward to glare at him. "Give it to me."
Bentone backed away and pointed at the duffel. "Its in there.in the bag." He said hurriedly.
Serena went to the duffel bag and rummaged through its contents. Carefully, she removed something wrapped in layers of toilet paper. She removed the tissue and stared with wonder at the wonder at the glass vessel. "Mother a God, it's.beautiful."
Angel went to her side. Both seemed overcome by the beauty of the vial's contents. Bentone watched them, and felt the guilt in his heart continue to grow. Perhaps, he thought, with the help of these two, he could set things straight with his daughter.
A tremendous explosion shook him from his reverie as the door to his apartment splintered and crashed open with the force of a tremendous kick.
Three powerful figures in trench coats strode in, features hidden by upturned collars, fedoras atop their heads.
"Bentone," one of them said, his voice cold and dead. "We've come for Mr. Edward's property."
Cordelia paid for her salad and Diet Coke and stepped away from the cash register. She scanned the hospital cafeteria looking for June and found her at a table in the back, sipping coffee and staring off into space. She seemed a million miles away, probably in a place where her daughter was safely tucked into her bed, sound asleep and perfectly healthy.
Cordelia approached and set her tray down on the table. "Hope you don't mind, I haven't eaten anything since some rice cakes this morning and we know how not filling they can be."
"What?" June mumbled, startled by the voice. She stared at Cordelia as she sat down. "Oh, no. Don' worry. I don't mind. Please, eat."
Cordy took a sip of her drink and began to pick through her salad. "Some of this lettuce looks as though it could use a jolt from those electric paddles you see on ER."
"I wish I hadn't quit smoking, 'cause I could really use a cigarette right about now. I'm going to jump out of my skin." June bit at a hangnail, nervously looking around the cafeteria.
"Maybe coffee isn't the best thing to be drinking if you're feeling a bit tense?" Cordy said. She speared a cherry tomato and popped it into her mouth. "Just a thought."
June didn't seem to hear her. "Don't you think I should be talking to the police? You know, since somebody may have done this to her?"
Cordy continued to pick at her plate, searching for something other than wilted lettuce and bean sprouts. "I don't think the police would know how to deal with this one." She sighed and pushed the salad aside. "Think I've had more than enough of that, thank you. You'd think that a salad from a hospital would be a little healthier, maybe?"
"Why?" June asked. "What makes this different from anything else? If somebody did this to my little girl, they have to be caught."
"Let's just say that Angel has a tendency to work on cases that are a bit.funny," Cordelia said carefully. "Not There's Something About Mary funny, but funny weird, and I'm sorry, I can't see the LAPD dealing with some of the funny weird stuff I've seen since coming to LA."
June wrapped both hands around her coffee mug and leaned toward Cordelia. "Are you.are you saying Angel and Serena handle things that.that can't be explained?"
Cordelia took a sip of Diet Coke, crunching on some ice as she considered her reply. "Their cases do have a tendency to lean toward the bizarre."
June was beginning to panic. "Something.unnatural has happened to my child? How is that possible?"
"That's what we all intend to find out."
June put her hands to her face. "I keep telling myself that everything is going to be all right, but."
Cordelia shook the ice around in her cup. "Is there anyone that you know that's into the bizarre stuff? Summoning demons, blood sacrifice, devil worshipping, the Atkins diet? Any of those ring a bell?"
With a laugh, June took her hands away from her face. She seemed to think Cordelia was joking. "No, none of that. The worst thing I can think of is that my ex is a compulsive gambler. Believe me, that was pretty bad."
She picked up a sugar packet and began to play with it.
"David was bad. It was a sickness with him, really. That's why we split up." She looked at the mess she was making. "I'll never forget the first time I realized how bad it was. We were just coming home from the hospital after Aubrey was born."
June started to move the sugar around with her finger.
"We pulled up in front of the house and there was this man sitting on our steps. David got all nervous when he saw him. I asked who he was and David said it was just somebody he knew." Cordy slid the pepper over to the woman to add to her mixture.
June smiled and continued her story. "So we got out of the car and David went over to talk to him. He introduced me and Aubrey. I think his name was Carmen."
June sprinkled some pepper into the mixture and mixed them together.
"Anyway, Carmen didn't give me or the baby a second look. He just started punching David in the face over and over again, screaming that he wanted his money by the end of the week."
"Let me guess, shark, and not the Jaws kind," Cordelia interjected.
June scraped the pile of sugar and pepper into her hand.
"Yep, that's when I first found out he owed some very bad men an awful lot of money. We paid it off with the savings I had set aside to fix up the baby's room."
She brushed the mixture in her hand into her empty mug. Her eyes began to fill. "And that wasn't the last time we got visits from Carmen, or other guys doing the same job. I was so afraid that I bought a gun to protect myself and Aubrey before I got smart and threw him out."
She wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed. She looked at Cordelia and smiled. "No devil worshippers in my life. Just one big loser."
Cordelia wasn't sure how to respond to this and began to clean up. "We should get back upstairs. Maybe Aubrey's tests have come back and they can tell us."
June interrupted. "Are they good?"
Cordy was taken off guard, not sure of the meaning of the woman's question. "Excuse me?"
"Your friends, Serena and Angel. Are they any good at what they do?"
There was a look of desperation in the mother's eyes. Cordelia could see she was losing strength; she needed something to keep her afloat.
Cordelia reached out and grabbed the woman's hand. "Are they any good?" She smiled. "Let me just put it this way. When Serena and Angel are working separate, they are probably the best in the business. But together, they are unstoppable." Cordelia thought for a moment. "If there ever comes a time when everybody's given up, when you've given up.Angel won't. He's just not built that way."
She gave the woman's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'd say that's pretty damn good."
*****
"Angel. I found something." Serena called, staring at the same book she had been staring at three hours before.
Angel approached and sat across from her. "Anything interesting?"
"Yeah, I found something that might help." She turned the book around and handed it to Angel, pointing to the picture. "It's a sorcerous device called the collector and it's used to extract souls and it's stored in." She pulled out the vial, "this."
She continued. "Once the soul is collected, its used in many different ways, as I told you before. The souls can also be collected, like some freak who likes to collect them for a living. There's also the demon who eats souls, much like the one we're after. And the drugs." Angel handed the book back to her.
"Cordy call yet?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, she called a little while ago. Said that June was going to stay on a cot in Aubrey's room tonight, so she was going home to get some sleep."
"How's the girl?"
"She's the same, but Cordy did learn that Daddy Bentone is a compulsive gambler, and often owes various loan sharks quite a bit of money," Serena said standing up. "I think we should talk to Daddy."
"I was thinking the same thing." Angel said, smiling at her.
"Isn't that funny?" She snapped, as if saying she still hadn't forgotten what he said to her. "Cordy said that Mom has supposedly lost track of him, but I have a way of finding him. Just leave it to me."
"How?" Angel asked, the smile disappearing immediately.
"You'll find out later." Serena told him.
"Okay. Go, get some rest, find out where Bentone is and meet here at dusk." Angel instructed.
"Dusk," Serena repeated, nodding in agreement. She threw him a hurt look, as if waiting for him to apologize to her, but Angel said nothing. With a huff of anger, she walked up the stairs to her room.
*****
David Bentone tossed the olive-green duffel bag onto the mattress and stuffed some underwear and socks inside. He glanced at his watch. Only three more hours before he was supposed to meet Kendall at the bus station to make the exchange, and then it was out of LA for good.
The crystal vial was resting in the center of his pillow next to the bag. Gently, he picked it up, marveling at the transcendent beauty of its ever- changing contents. He stroked the cool glass with the tips of his fingers and watched the silver, mercurial liquid inside transform to a billowing mist of the deepest red.
Red was Aubrey's favorite color.
A slight hint of emotion stirred within him. He still couldn't believe he did it to his baby girl, but he was almost dead inside. He would do anything to pay off the notorious loan shark, and this guy, Edwards, had the perfect solution. Just steal the soul and he would pay off the loan, including the interest. It was an offer that Bentone couldn't refuse.
He went to the bathroom, unspoiled a large wad of toilet tissue and began to wrap the crystal. All he needed was to deliver damaged goods to Kendall, who was Edward's middle man. Confident that it was protected, he carefully placed the fragile package inside his bag between layers of underwear.
Bentone was startled by a sudden knock at his apartment door, but then remembered he had called for take-out earlier.
"Come on in, door's open." He called out as he fished a ten-dollar bill from his wallet and headed for the door. "Hope you remember the chips!"
He swung open the door, expecting to see an acne-faced teen with his sandwich, but instead found himself looking at a beautiful young woman and a very angry man.
"No chips, just questions." The man snarled as he pushed Bentone back into the apartment. The man had dark hair, blazing eyes, and wore a long, black coat.
Bentone stumbled backward, tripped and fell. From the floor, he watched the young woman close the door behind them.
"Easy, Angel," The woman said to the man. "We don't want him broken before we get the answers we're looking for."
Who are these two? Bentone thought in a panic. Did Edwards lie? Are they from my pal Benny the Wrench, the loan shark?
He scrambled to his feet and lunged for his nightstand. He withdrew a nasty looking knife from the door and brandished it at the one called Angel. "Who the hell are you? What do you want?"
Angel glared. "We've got some questions about your daughter."
Bentone held the knife tighter. They know, he thought. He could feel his guilt spread across his face like a mask.
The young woman stepped forward and Bentone lashed out with the knife.
"Keep away from me!" he threatened.
Serena had enough. She grabbed his wrist in a vice-like grip, bent the arm back painfully and forced him to drop the blade.
"That wasn't too smart, was it, David?" Angel asked as he stood there, hands clasped and an amused smile on his face.
Bentone cried out as Serena kicked the knife blade out of reach and drove him to his knees.
"I'll let you go if you promise to answer our questions. Do we have a deal?" Serena asked him.
Bentone shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about," he gasped. "I haven't seen my daughter in."
Serena pulled his arm back farther and emphasized each word. "Do we have a deal?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Bentone screamed as the pain intensified.
Serena let go of his wrist. She turned to Angel. He still had an amused smile on his face.
"What?" she asked.
"For a while there, you were really quiet. I guess you came back to life." Angel said, crossing his arms.
"Sorry, something put a damper on my mood," she said, giving Angel a look, "but I had enough. I just want this done. I had a lot of pent up anger. But don't worry, I feel better now. And I want him to answer our questions."
Bentone slowly stood, massaging his aching arm. "Who.who are you two? Who sent you?" he asked as he walked to his bed and sat down.
"I'm Angel, and you already met Serena." He pointed to the young woman. "We're working for your wife and daughter and we think you know why."
Bentone stared at Angel. There was something about him, something that told him it was no use denying his involvement. Maybe it was Angel's eyes, like the wrath of God staring down on him. Or maybe it was the promise of something else.something far removed from heaven.
"I.just ran outta choices. I owed so much they probably woulda killed me just to make an example to the others."
"They should." Serena spat, feeling no remorse for the man.
Bentone buried his face in his hands. "I was gonna leave town. But this guy kinda dropped into my life, said he had a way I could clear my debt."
Bentone looked up, mixture of fear and shame in his gaze.
Serena moved to stand beside Angel. "Let me guess. Young guy, handsome, in a creepy sort of way?" Serena asked, sarcasm dripping from her tongue.
Bentone blinked in surprise and nodded. "Rich guy named Christian Edwards."
"And how did he say you could pay off your debt?" Angel asked.
Bentone averted his eyes. "At first, I thought he was some kinda nut with a lot of cash, so I went along with it." He picked something up off the bed and tossed to Angel. "Then he gave me this and I didn't know what to think anymore."
Angel caught the object wrapped in plastic. As he peeled away the bubble wrap, an empty glass vial fell to the floor. Angel gazed with revulsion at the soul collector in his hands.
Serena bent and retrieved the fallen vial. "We found another one of these at your wife's house the other night."
Bentone nodded. "Edwards gave me extras---in case I screwed up."
He was beginning to feel shame for was he had done all over again. "He.Edwards said all I had to do was point it at her.and I'd be free and clear."
He glanced up and recoiled in horror. Something had happened to Angel's face; his brow had grown thicker, his eyes had taken on a yellowish, bestial hue and his teeth.
"You pointed this thing at your own daughter?" Angel snarled.
"He said she wouldn't be hurt.that the collector would just take her soul," Bentone stammered, heart racing with terror. He began to cry, furious, ashamed and very afraid of this man who had become a monster.
"Her soul. I don't believe in God, and I sure as hell don't believe in the idea of souls. I though he was crazy. I'd give him something I didn't even believe in and my problems would be solved."
Bentone looked pleadingly at Angel, then at Serena, then back at Angel. The Slayer's face remained rigid, as if carved from stone. "You gotta believe me. I didn't want to hurt my girl. I just had to get out from underneath what I owed."
Angel's features softened as he slid the collector in his coat pocket. Suddenly, he looked like a man again. "Aubrey's soul. Do you still have it?"
Bentone stood and shifted from one foot to the other. "I'm supposed to meet Kendall, who will deliver the soul to Edwards, at a bus station----to make the exchange."
Angel leaned forward to glare at him. "Give it to me."
Bentone backed away and pointed at the duffel. "Its in there.in the bag." He said hurriedly.
Serena went to the duffel bag and rummaged through its contents. Carefully, she removed something wrapped in layers of toilet paper. She removed the tissue and stared with wonder at the wonder at the glass vessel. "Mother a God, it's.beautiful."
Angel went to her side. Both seemed overcome by the beauty of the vial's contents. Bentone watched them, and felt the guilt in his heart continue to grow. Perhaps, he thought, with the help of these two, he could set things straight with his daughter.
A tremendous explosion shook him from his reverie as the door to his apartment splintered and crashed open with the force of a tremendous kick.
Three powerful figures in trench coats strode in, features hidden by upturned collars, fedoras atop their heads.
"Bentone," one of them said, his voice cold and dead. "We've come for Mr. Edward's property."