Buffy's eyes were stuck in the book written by Jonathan Levenson as she
stood in her robe at the kitchen counter. She was waiting for the coffee
to finish perking as her eyes read the pages before her.
Dawn shuffled in, yawning. She mumbled a "gd mrnng" and opened the refrigerator, hunting for food. She grabbed a cartoon of eggs, a package of sausage, a half gallon of milk, and a small tub of butter. With it all balanced precariously in her arms, she moved slowly toward the stove, again yawning. She put everything down, almost spilling the milk but saving it with quick reflexes, and then she went searching for the frying pan and spatula.
She looked at Buffy, who hadn't even acknowledged her presence yet. "Hello," she said. "Earth to Buffy. What are you so engrossed in?"
"Hmm?" Buffy looked at her, puzzled. Then she realized there was a life outside the book. "Oh. I'm sorry, Dawn. I'm reading this story about us, except there are no vampires and the only thing close to the truth in this book is that Riley really was an agent."
"Oh. That explains it." Dawn paused. "Actually, it doesn't. What is that book? Where'd you get it?" She turned on the stove and scooped up some butter to put in the pan.
Buffy made a face, refraining from saying anything. "Uh, it's called The Hunters, and Jonathan wrote it."
"Jonathan?"
"Yeah."
"Jonathan who?" Dawn looked at her. "Oh. You don't mean that Jonathan...the one who Willow wanted to turn into burnt toast?"
Buffy frowned. "Well, yeah, that Jonathan." She sighed. "I went back to their last hideout, and I found a box full of books. He wrote a lot of stories about us, you know."
She smiled. "You mean, I'm in it."
"Well, I haven't seen you in it, yet. I haven't seen me in it either, but he did mention in the beginning of this book I was in there somewhere."
"Well, who's in it?"
"Right now, it's about Xander and Riley, and get this, they're best friends!" She smiled. "Isn't that goofy?"
Dawn laughed. "They weren't exactly friends, were they?"
"Not best friends, anyway. I mean, they didn't hate each other or anything. In the story, they're partners. They call themselves 'the Hunters' and I think they work for the government. Xander's really this tough guy who doesn't take any crap from anybody." She paused. "I wonder if Jonathan saw him like that. I've heard that if a person writes a story, most of the characters he writes about is a picture of how he sees someone."
"So he thought Xander was really Mr. Tough Guy?" Dawn paused. "Well, isn't he?"
Buffy thought about Xander. "I guess he is tough. Maybe a lot tougher than we ever give him credit for." She didn't know of anyone else who would have done for Willow what Xander did. He was there for her, and he always would be, no matter the cost. "Yeah, Xander really is Mr. Tough Guy."
Dawn looked at the bacon and moved it around with the spatula. "I'd like to read that when you're done."
"Sure...and there's a lot more in the box beside the couch. I think those stories are after this one. It looks like Jonathan wrote a series of stories about the Hunters."
"I'll go through them after breakfast. You hungry?" She cracked an egg and dropped it into the pan next to the bacon.
Buffy shook her head and poured herself some coffee. "Uh, no thanks. I'm not really hungry." She took her coffee out onto the front porch, sat down on the porch swing, and sighed with contentment.
She began to read...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Chapter 2-Quarantine
It had been twelve hours since Riley and Xander vanished without a trace from Allentown. Since then, the President had declared a full Quarantine around Allentown. No one was to go in or out, and if there were any attempts to do so, the orders were very clear.
Shoot to kill.
Giles didn't like the orders, and neither did Willy, otherwise known as Crazy Man. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy shook her head. "Willy, the Snitch. I still can't believe he's in this, and he's one of the good guys? C'mon, Jonathan, what's the deal here?"
She continued.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) As if things couldn't get any worse, the President decided to send a team along to help enforce his orders of Quarantine. He sent the Hunter's rivals. He sent in a team from the Justice Department. This team was led by known other than Warren Meers. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy gripped the book in both hands so tightly, she almost tore it in half. She was so angry. What the hell was he doing in the story? It was a good thing he was dead, 'cause she'd kill him again if she could. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves then took a sip of coffee.
"Jonathan, I swear to God, he'd better get what's coming to him in this book," she said through gritted teeth, "or I'm gonna come looking for you."
She found her place and continued to read.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Giles and Willy stood side by side at the perimeter of the camp and looked in the direction of Allentown.
Finally, Giles let out a weary sigh. "What do you suppose happened to them, Willy?"
"Me, personally, boss?" Willy shrugged. "I think they snuck out and went for beer and a pizza. Probably watching the Becker somewhere, having themselves a really good laugh. It's what I'd be doing."
Giles looked at him.
Willy grimaced. "Sorry, Chief." He paused as he let out a sigh of his own. "I don't have any idea what happened. Really, truly, honest. This whole thin' is just beyond bizarro, know what I mean? Like somethin' out of the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits or somethin' even more scary like the Brady Bunch. Remember that episode where they went off to Hawaii? Talk about freaky!" He shivered. "Whatever happened to our boys, there's just no logical explanation for it, I'll tell ya."
"We may never know."
Willy glanced up at him. "Oh, sure, we'll know. It's just gonna take some time 'cause of this quarantine, is all. Eventually though..." he trailed off.
Giles looked at him. "Eventually...?"
"It'll get dark."
"And?"
Willy grinned. "It'll get late."
"Are you driving at anything specific, Crazy Man?"
"Only that it'll be getting dark and late. A handful of people will be about, mostly sentries, of course...but it should be a piece of cake with lots of frostin'. Oh, and it's gotta have the sprinkles on top. The rainbow sprinkles! I just love them little colorful candies." He looked at Giles.
Giles scowled. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"
"About the cake?"
"No. Not about the cake."
"Oh, then, undoubtedly."
Giles paused. "I'd like to take that course of action, Willy, but we'd need help."
"Spike and a few of the others should be here within the hour."
"Really?"
"Yeah, well, you know, Chief, I took the liberty of thinkin' ahead. I knew what you were plannin' on doin', so I called the Hardsite for some backup."
Giles nodded. "I see. Then, there's only one thing left for us to do."
"Get a pizza and watch Becker?"
"No." Giles looked across the field toward Allentown. "We wait."
Willy remained quiet. Then he said, "You know, we still could get that pizza and watch Becker while we wait."
Giles just looked at him. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Was Willy some kind of sidekick or the comedy relief or something? Buffy asked herself. She liked Giles' character. He didn't stutter, and he seemed a lot more calmer than he was in real life. At least that's how he seemed to her. She turned the page and saw Warren's name right at the top of the page. Great, a chapter about the worm! she thought. This is probably gonna piss me off, but here goes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Warren Meers sat at a table inside the Justice Headquarters tent, drinking from a can of Mountain Dew and going over reports left for him by the Army specialists. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy glared at the name "Warren Meers" and she wondered if that's why the bastard was hyper when he was alive and campaigning to bring her down. Did he drink too much Dew? Did he think he was a girl magnet 'cause he held up the can, grinned like an idiot, and said cheesy lines like, "Hey, baby. I do the Dew. Do you?"
"I really didn't like him," she growled to herself.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) The reports he was looking over were about theories and ideas surrounding the strange phenomena of Allentown. He had received a briefing, and orders about the situation before he arrived, and he was only concerned about one order.
There was an order to watch Giles and Willy closely, but not to interfere with them. At least not until they hung themselves.
Warren smiled to himself.
He had a master plan that- if successful- would be lead to the final destruction of the Hunters once and for all. He looked up from his reports' as two of his most trusted lackey's entered the tent. They were Andrew Loser and Parker Abrams. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy frowned. "Geesh! This tent is full of creeps! I hope the Hunters get them, 'cause I'd take them all on right now if they were here!" She also noticed that Jonathan was not one of the creeps. She wondered about that. Maybe deep down inside, he never actually wanted to be a part of Warren's gang.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) "What are our friends up to?" Warren asked them without greeting them.
Parker snorted. "You were right." He placed a small, compact eaves- dropper onto the table in front of his superior. The device looked like a mini-tape recorder but it was a lot more sophisticated than it appeared. When used, it shot out a tiny laser beam capable of picking up sound vibrations from a hundred yards.
"Aren't I always?" Warren asked him.
Parker intentionally ignored the question, but he acted like he didn't hear it. "Listen to this," he said as he pressed a button on the device.
"Only that it'll be getting dark and late. A handful of people will be about, mostly sentries, of course...but it should be a piece of cake with lots of frostin'." It was Willy's voice. "Oh, and it's gotta have the sprinkles on top. The rainbow sprinkles! I just love them little colorful candies."
Then Giles' voice responded with, "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"
Warren sat forward and listened intently.
"About the cake?"
"No. Not about the cake."
"Oh, then, undoubtedly."
There was a brief pause, and then Giles' voice said, "I'd like to take that course of action, Willy, but we'd need help."
"Spike and a few of the others should be here within the hour."
Warren looked at Parker and Andrew, a smile tugging at his mouth. A smile of triumph.
"Really?"
"Yeah, well, you know, Chief, I took the liberty of..."
Warren laughed as he reached over and turned it off. "I've heard more than enough."
Andrew raised a triumphant fist and grinned like an idiot. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Hello!" Buffy exclaimed. "He is an idiot. Oh, but you know that, 'cause you called him Andrew Loser." She thought about that. "Good name for him."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) "We've got them, Warren!" Loser exclaimed. "I've got a couple of men waiting outside. We'll go get them Hunters and--"
Warren suddenly slammed a fist down onto the table. "No!"
Andrew and Parker looked at him, puzzled.
"No?" Andrew dared to inquire with a tone of anger in his voice. "I don't understand. This is our chance to take them down."
Warren sighed in disgust. "You don't know one damned thing, do you?" He rose slowly to his feet and pointed at the eaves-dropper. "Words, Andrew. That's all they are. Just a bunch of useless words."
Parker frowned at him. "But they're going to do it!"
"Yes, they are. And we're going to CATCH them doing it. In the act!" He looked from one to the other. "Guys, c'mon, think about it. If we take them now, all we do is end up holding them for a while. 'But, Mr. President,' they'll say. 'We were only talking out of concern for our missing men. We weren't really going to break the quarantine.' Don't you idiot's get it? 'Oh, it was all a misunderstanding,' says the President. 'You can go now.'"
"But the President wouldn't--"
Warren interrupted Andrew with a glare. "Don't be stupid. Giles has a history with the President, moron. The President will NOT allow us to hold them on this recording alone."
Andrew and Parker glanced at each other.
Warren smiled. "So for now, gentlemen, we'll let them be. Is that understood?"
Parker nodded.
Andrew shrugged and with a sullen expression, he said, "Well, I don't really like it. I mean, they'll get away with it."
Warren threw up his hands in frustration. "They will NOT get away with it! Guys, we've been working together for four years now, and you still don't know how to use your heads. Do you?"
"What are you talking about?" Parker wanted to know. His temper was beginning to rise. "If we're so stupid, why don't you tell us what we're missing?"
Warren chuckled, sat back down, tilted back in his chair, and put his feet up onto the table. "You guys are missing the whole picture. What you don't realize is if we play our cards right, we'll not only put away the Hunters for life and close down their operations, but we'll also come out smelling like roses."
Andrew frowned. "We're gonna play cards and wear perfume?" (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Ohmigod," Buffy said, shaking her head. "What a dope! Was Andrew always this brain-dead?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Warren sighed. "What a dope! Are you always this brain-dead?" (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy looked around suspiciously, getting a cold chill. Then, she continued to read.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Andrew was about to say something, but Parker slapped him in the arm, signaling him to keep his mouth shut.
Warren continued, "First of all, think of the quarantine. Now the Hunters are right about one thing. We're not going to find any answers if we can't get into Allentown to look for them. This quarantine is not only hindering them, it's hindering us. Somehow, we've got to find a way around it."
Parker looked at him as the realization began to sink in. "You think if the Hunters go in, then we'll have to go in after them."
Warren nodded. "The quarantine will be broken, and we'll be allowed to do our jobs." A triumphant look crossed his face. "We'll solve the mystery of Allentown, and put the Hunters out of business forever." (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Not gonna happen, buddy," Buffy said to the book. She picked up her coffee cup and frowned. "Oh, darn." She pouted.
She went back into the house to get more coffee and she found Dawn going through the box. She was laughing.
"What's so funny?" Buffy asked.
"You have a bug or something," Dawn told her.
She looked puzzled. "Huh?"
Dawn held up a book. "I found you in this book called 'Unification'. It's Hunters number 4, and you're in it."
"I am?"
"Yeah." She giggled. "Angel is, too. I think he's a pilot."
Buffy stared. "A pilot?"
"Uh-huh."
She paused. "Well...are we together, or anything?"
Dawn looked through it. "I'm not really sure...I mean, on this page, it looks like you're gonna kiss him, but on the next page, Angel gets tossed."
"Give me that!" Buffy held out her hand. "I wanna see."
Dawn held it against herself. "You've got your own. Besides, you're reading the first book. You don't want to read out of turn, do you? You might miss something."
Buffy paused. "Well...alright. Don't you read it until you read this one."
"There are other stories in here besides the Hunters. I like this Quest one. Xander is something called a Fury, and Willow is looking for her sister, Buffy."
"We're sisters in Quest?"
"Yeah, but I think you're bad."
"I am not!"
"In the book, Buffy."
Buffy pursed her lips. "Why would Jonathan write me in as someone bad?"
Dawn shrugged. "Maybe he figures you get tired of being good sometimes, you know, with all you have to be responsible for." She looked at her. "Do you get tired, Buffy?"
Buffy paused. "Well, I will admit, I have my days. I've wondered what would happen if I could just let go and be like...well, like Faith was." She looked at her. "Dawn, I'm glad we're sisters. You do know how much you mean to me, don't you?"
She smiled wryly. "You've been telling me how much I mean to you since that day. Yes, I know." She paused. "I love you, too."
The sisters shared a hug.
Then, Buffy said, "I'm hungry."
"I can make you breakfast."
"Okay." She smiled. "Let's go."
They went into the kitchen and shared a breakfast together. After they cleaned up, they found themselves on the porch, and Dawn asked Buffy to read the first book out loud.
"Just start where you left off," Dawn told her. "I don't mind."
Buffy nodded. "Okay." She filled Dawn in on what had happened in the first chapter, and up to where she had left off. Then, she began to read out loud...
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) The chopper was coming in low. Its pilot was anxious, yet in spite of that, the chopper flew a steady flight path. Angel Liam- (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy stared. "How did Jonathan know Angel's human name was Liam?"
Dawn shrugged. "I don't know." She smiled. "But I was right. Angel's a pilot."
Buffy continued...
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Angel Liam was worried about his friends, Xander and Riley. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy burst out laughing. She laughed so hard, she had to hold her sides. Dawn laughed, too, but mostly because the laughter was infectious. Buffy tried to read again, but a new fit of laughter struck her and she dropped the book.
"Ohmigod," Buffy said, with tears of laughter in her eyes, "this is just way too much!"
"I guess that's something we'll never see, huh?" Dawn inquired. "Xander friends with Angel."
"Xander and Angel have an understanding, but they are NOT friends. And Riley? The last time I saw Riley and Angel in the same space, they nearly killed each other." She handed the book to Dawn. "You read. I'll just laugh again." She shook her head and smiled. "I really needed that."
Dawn found the place where Buffy had left off.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Angel wondered if Xander and Riley were successful in locating Willow. That in itself was enough cause for his anxiety, but now he was finally able to do something about it.
William Spike, who sat in the cockpit with him-- (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dawn started laughing. "W-W-W-William Spike?" She lay back onto the floor of the porch and laughed as Buffy joined her in the laughter from the swing.
"Read...read..." Buffy tried to say.
Dawn took a deep breath and tried again.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) William Spike (snicker), who sat in the cockpit with him ("Uh, that's Angel."), wasn't even bothered by Angel's erratic flying.
In the back of the chopper, the third backup Hunter anxiously awaited the action to come. Jon Levon-- (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"There he is," Buffy interrupted. "I was wondering when he was going to put himself into the story.
Dawn shushed her.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Jon Levon didn't get along with Xander, but as far as her was concerned, Xander was still a member of the team. He didn't want any one to get on Xander's case but himself. Besides, he was hoping that Xander and Riley had found Willow. ("Yeah, where's Willow anyway?")
Jon was definitely concerned about her. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy and Dawn looked at each other.
"'Definitely'?" Buffy inquired.
Dawn paused. "Maybe Jonathan has a crush on Willow."
"Read already!"
She giggled.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Angel frowned. "Oh oh."
Spike glanced at him warily. "What?"
"I just had a terrible thought."
"I say again...what?"
Instead of answering, Angel began to look for a place to set the chopper down. He found a small clearing just below a hill and he went for it.
Jon noticed that something was up, so he stuck his head into the cockpit. "What's going on?"
Angel hovered the chopper a few feet above the ground. "This is where you get off."
"What?!"
Spike wasn't exactly crazy about Jon himself, but he wondered about Angel's motive for kicking the man out. "What are you doing, Angel?" he asked. "This wasn't in the plan."
Angel glanced at each of them. "It is now. Don't forget, the Justice people are all over this thing and you know they can't be trusted."
"What are you saying?" Jon demanded.
"I'm saying we should have more backup in case something goes wrong. Allentown is just over those hills." He pointed. "You should reach it before dark."
Jon thought about it. "Alright. It's a good idea, but I don't like it." He grabbed his gear and jumped out the door.
Angel raised the chopper skyward as soon as Jon was clear.
"Do you really think that was a good idea?" Spike asked. He wondered if Xander had shared with the pilot his suspicions that Jon Levon was a traitor. Every one knew Xander and Jon didn't get along, but did they know what Xander suspected? Spike watched Angel closely.
Angel shrugged. "At this point, an extra precaution couldn't hurt. If something happens to us, we have a backup. If I'm wrong," he suddenly grinned, "we'll have the job done before he even gets there."
Spike chuckled.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Jon began to make his way through the woods toward Allentown. He managed to get a steady pace until something made him stop short. Seven large ostrich-like animals passed slowly by in front of him. They looked like creatures from a science fiction picture, or from Jurassic Park.
One of the creatures, stopped, looked directly at him, and blinked, purring in its throat. The creatures then moved on, leaving him standing there.
Jon shook his head in disbelief. "I didn't just see that."
He moved on. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - -
"That was kinda strange," Buffy said.
Dawn shrugged. "Maybe they came out of the portal thingie. Like the Centaur did."
"Oh. Maybe."
Dawn continued to read.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) The chopper set down on a helicopter pad prepared by the Army, and Angel began to shut all systems down. As he and Spike climbed out, several agents from Justice approached them from Justice.
Angel and Spike exchanged looks, expecting nothing but trouble.
"I wasn't expecting trouble so soon," Angel said quietly.
Spike shrugged. "Neither was I, but I don't mind returning the trouble."
Warren stopped in front of them, looking from one to the other. "Hi, fella's. We've been expecting you."
"And?" Angel demanded suspiciously.
Warren laughed. "Hey, relax. We're all on the same side here."
"Then what are your cronies doing?"
"This is a restricted area, gentlemen. Not from you, of course. We know you've got clearance to be here, but there may be others out there who might want to know what we're doing here. My men are simply securing your chopper for you in the event someone tries to steal it." He smiled.
His smile told the Hunters he was lying. They knew he was lying, and he knew they knew he was lying. ("Huh?") Warren also knew they wouldn't call him on his lie. If they did, it would jeopardize the planned, unsanctioned recon of Allentown. The Hunters couldn't risk blowing it.
"Thanks," Angel growled. It was very hard for him to say that when what he wanted to do was take Warren's head off. "Where's Giles?"
"Giles and Willy are in their tent at the far end of camp," Warren answered. "They're expecting you as well. Before you catch up to them, could you please answer a question for me?"
Angel and Spike again exchanged looks.
"What?" Angel asked.
Warren leaned forward. "Have you ever heard of the Paradox Game?"
He frowned. "I've never heard of it."
Spike shook his head.
"What is it?" Angel wanted to know.
Warren shrugged. "Who the hell knows? Probably nothing. Thanks, anyway. I'll see you guys later." He chuckled, shook his head, and walked away.
"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Spike asked.
Angel shook his head and watched Warren's retreating back. "I haven't a clue, Spike. I don't believe it was any good coming from Meers." He sighed. "Come on. Let's go find the others."
The two men hurried off to the far end of camp. Minutes later, in their tent, Giles, Willy, Angel, and Spike sat around a table and discussed the latest crisis. After every one was brought up to speed with what had been happening, Giles turned his attention to Angel and Spike.
"Where's Jon?" he asked them.
Spike told him.
Giles nodded thoughtfully. "That was a good idea. I have a feeling we're going to need all the help we can get." He let out a sigh. "We don't know too much about what's happening in Allentown. Just before Xander and Riley disappeared, they contacted us and told us they had discovered some information about this Paradox Game."
"What is that, exactly?" Angel inquired.
Spike nodded his head. "Yeah. That Meers queer was asking us if we've ever heard of the bloody thing."
"What did you tell him, slappy?" Willy asked.
Spike gave him a look. "I told him the truth. We don't know."
Giles nodded his head. "Well, unfortunately, we don't know what it is either. Riley told us it has something to do with whatever it is that has happened here, and he has reason to believe the game was aimed specifically at himself and Xander."
"What was his reason?" Angel asked, looking at Giles.
"They vanished before he could explain, or at least...we lost radio contact." Giles paused. "Right across the field, approximately a couple hundred yards away, is a barn. That was their last known location before they vanished and it was there they fought a Centaur."
Spike looked at him. "'Scuse me?"
"What the hell is a Centaur?" Angel asked.
Willy cleared his throat. "It's a beast. Half man, half horse."
"Very funny, Willy. What is it really?"
"It's a beast. Half man, half horse."
Angel just looked at him.
Giles nodded. "He's right, Angel. We saw it."
"A Centaur?"
Spike looked thoughtful. "So, what's our plan?"
Giles looked at his watch. "At midnight, we're going in. We'll check out the barn first."
"Why the barn?"
"Because," Willy began, "that was the last place Xander and Riley investigated. Do I re-e-eally have to tell ya everythin'?"
Giles glanced at him. "We think there might be a trap door to an underground cavern, because that would explain the sudden disappearance, and the fact that we've had no word from them. Something could be interfering with our communications from underground."
Angel looked determined. "If there's a trap door, we'll find it."
"We'd better," Giles agreed. "For their sakes, we'd better."
When midnight arrived, the Hunters stealthily made their move. They left their area, and in the darkness, they headed through the field toward Allentown. They broke quarantine.
From the shadows, Warren watched them. He looked at his watch, and he decided to give them ten minutes. He smiled as he felt that victory was very close. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - -
"I really hate that guy!" Buffy exclaimed.
Dawn looked at the book. "It's an interesting story, though."
"Why'd you stop?"
"'Cause you said you really hate that guy."
"Oh. Well...read!"
Dawn read.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) The Hunters didn't meet with any opposition as they entered the limits of Allentown. That bothered Giles, and he was certain it bothered the others as well. It was all just too easy, yet there was no turning back now. They had to press on and see if they could unravel some clues of their own.
They arrived at the barn and they were amazed at the sight of the dead Centaur lying still on the ground near the barn's entrance. It was one thing to see it from a distance, and another to see it up close. It was an incredible sight.
Where had it come from? There were no logical explanations. Inside the barn, the Hunters found nothing in their continuing search for answers.
Spike and Angel remained inside the barn for further investigation as Giles and Willy went outside into the pigpen. Next to the feeding trough, Willy found a series of footprints that abruptly ended. He waved excitedly to Giles. Both men began to investigate and they soon made the discovery Xander and Riley had made more than twelve hours ago.
"The trap door?" Giles inquired.
Willy grinned and nodded. "Maybe they didn't go for that pizza after all, Chief."
Angel approached them as the two men pushed the trough aside, revealing the hidden entrance.
In the hayloft far above, Spike looked down and saw that his friends had made a discovery. He was about to go down and join them when something caught his eye. There were dark figures moving out there in the field and they were closing fast.
Suddenly, Giles, Willy, and Angel found themselves completely surrounded by armed Justice agents with itchy trigger-fingers.
Warren stepped forward with a smirk. "Drop your weapons," he ordered the Hunters. "Do it now!"
They had no choice. They dropped their weapons, glaring.
"Okay, boys. Cuff 'em," Warren ordered his men. "And cuff 'em well. These men are extremely dangerous." He pointed to a few of his men. "Find Spike. He's around here somewhere."
The men ran off to continue the search.
Warren laughed as five of his men handcuffed the Hunters with their hands behind their backs. Two of the five kept their weapons leveled at them just in case they did something stupid.
When they were secured, Warren stepped forward and came face to face with Giles. "I don't hear any protest from you, Rupert."
Giles nodded his head toward their discovery. "Let us go, Meers. We discovered why these people vanished!" He was bluffing when the truth was they were close to finding the answer, but they didn't have it yet.
"Really?"
"Yes. Now release us at once!"
Warren chuckled and shook his head. "No can do, Rupert. You see, you and your men broke the quarantine AND violated Presidential orders. Your actions here tonight, however, have revealed your true intentions."
"What are you talking about?"
"You knew exactly where that trap door was, didn't you?" Warren paused for affect. "You know what I think? I think you know exactly what's happening here because you're behind it. Aren't you?"
Giles glared at him. "You're crazy."
Without warning, Warren struck Giles in the stomach, causing him to double over. Angel was about to charge him, but two of the Justice agents held him back while a third put the barrel of a gun into Willy's face. Warren smirked at them as another of his cronies forced Giles to stand up.
Warren looked at Giles. "Maybe I am crazy, but I have all the proof I need to shut you bastards down for good." He glanced at his watch. "I hate to tell you this, Rupert, but right about now, your Hardsite is being taken by my agents."
Giles stared at him in horror.
Warren chuckled with glee. "That's right. It's over for the Hunters...forever!"(TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Ooooh! Somebody please do something about him! I so hate him. I want to reach in there and tear him apart! I want to rip his head off from his shoulders and-and-and-ooooh, he makes me so mad!"
Dawn looked at Buffy. "Are you done?"
Buffy sighed. "Yeah. For now. Please continue. Don't let me stop you."
Dawn grinned. Then, she read...
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) The following morning, the Hunters found themselves inside an armored van. Their wrists and ankles were shackled to chains, which ran through bars at their feet and directly in front of them. They were secured like hardened criminals.
The back door was wide open, and Warren was standing there, gloating. "Well, you boys are off to a private resort for some heavy interrogation. Oh, but don't worry. As soon as we find Spike, we'll send him along. And just in case you're interested, your team at the Hardsite put up one heluva fight. Unfortunately, they had to be killed. Every last one of them."
Angel struggled to get at him, but he couldn't. Giles and Willy remained still, but they both glared daggers at the man from Justice.
"You'll pay for this!" Angel declared.
Warren laughed at him. "I'm so sure. Meanwhile, you'll be telling my interrogators everything you know about your mysterious portal we discovered. At least, you'll talk if you want to escape the pain."
"What portal?" Giles wanted to know.
Warren winked at him. "Okay, sure, I'll play along with you as if you don't really know what I'm talking about." He shook his head. "There's a portal directly below Allentown." He frowned. "Hey, you guys aren't aliens, are you? Maybe I should send you to Roswell." He laughed.
Giles looked at him. "Meers, we are not your enemy."
"Of course not! You're my prisoners." He threw back his head and laughed. "Try to stay alive for a while. I really want to be there when you leave this world." He slammed the door shut.
Warren tapped his knuckles on the side of the van and waved at the driver peering at him in the side mirror. The driver revved up the engine and he began to drive away.
Warren stood with his hands on his hips, reveling in his victory as he watched the van. "Ha! Paradox Game, my ass!" He snorted as he looked at Andrew and Parker, who had been with him throughout his gloating. They were just standing out of his way. He grinned at them. "Hell, I'm a game player myself, boys. At least I'm winning."
They laughed.(TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy was about to say something, but Dawn pointed at her and gave her a look. Then she continued with the end of the chapter.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) From separate areas around the camp and Allentown, two men remained well out of sight from the Justice agents, and the Army. One was Jon, who was using the forests as a cover. He watched the camp from the hills. The other was Spike, and he realized that he had to do something to help his friends or all was lost.
Jon had seen enough to know that the agents of Justice loaded Angel, Giles, and Willy into a van like thugs. He didn't see Spike with them so he was certain the man was either dead or out of sight as he was. He hoped Spike was hiding.
Spike was angry with himself for not having tried to help his friends, but he would have been captured, too. He was free, and he was determined to do something about the so-called Justice people. He wondered where Jon was and also wondered if Xander was right. Was Jon Levon a traitor? What proof did he have? And would he help him free the others when it came time to make a move?
Spike didn't have the answers. But he was damn well going to find out.(TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy smiled. "You read very well, Dawn. You should become a librarian."
"Thanks, but you're gonna read the next chapter." Dawn handed her the book. "I'm going to get some tea for us."
"Great idea."
Buffy sat back on the porch swing and thought about Jonathan Levenson, and Andrew Whatshisface Loser as Dawn went into the house. She wondered what the two were doing at that moment.
Xander arrived and asked what was what. Buffy filled him in on the books she found, and she told him about the first two chapters. Xander laughed at the idea of being friends with Angel, then he stopped when he saw the serious look she was giving him.
"Uh, but he sees me as a tough guy?" Xander asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, but his character and your character aren't friends. Your character thinks he's a spy or something, and Spike is the only one you've shared that with."
Xander frowned. "Now why would I want to do that?"
"Why don't you read chapter three for us? You never know. We could learn a lot about Jonathan from what he writes about us." Buffy grinned. "You could be a librarian, too. I'll have Dawn fix you some tea."
Xander took the book as Buffy went into the house. He looked through the book as Anya appeared.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," he said.
"What are you doing?"
"Apparently, there's a new librarian in town, and that's me. I'm going to read chapter three of--" he turned the book over and opened it to the first page, "--the Hunters, by Jonathan Levenson."
"Out loud?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. I'll listen. Who are the hunters, and what are they hunting? It's the American way, hunting is, you know. This should be a good, American story, except if you read about any hunters committing flatulence, could you please skip that part?"
Xander looked at her and wished Buffy and Dawn would hurry up.
*****************
TO BE CONTINUED--
Dawn shuffled in, yawning. She mumbled a "gd mrnng" and opened the refrigerator, hunting for food. She grabbed a cartoon of eggs, a package of sausage, a half gallon of milk, and a small tub of butter. With it all balanced precariously in her arms, she moved slowly toward the stove, again yawning. She put everything down, almost spilling the milk but saving it with quick reflexes, and then she went searching for the frying pan and spatula.
She looked at Buffy, who hadn't even acknowledged her presence yet. "Hello," she said. "Earth to Buffy. What are you so engrossed in?"
"Hmm?" Buffy looked at her, puzzled. Then she realized there was a life outside the book. "Oh. I'm sorry, Dawn. I'm reading this story about us, except there are no vampires and the only thing close to the truth in this book is that Riley really was an agent."
"Oh. That explains it." Dawn paused. "Actually, it doesn't. What is that book? Where'd you get it?" She turned on the stove and scooped up some butter to put in the pan.
Buffy made a face, refraining from saying anything. "Uh, it's called The Hunters, and Jonathan wrote it."
"Jonathan?"
"Yeah."
"Jonathan who?" Dawn looked at her. "Oh. You don't mean that Jonathan...the one who Willow wanted to turn into burnt toast?"
Buffy frowned. "Well, yeah, that Jonathan." She sighed. "I went back to their last hideout, and I found a box full of books. He wrote a lot of stories about us, you know."
She smiled. "You mean, I'm in it."
"Well, I haven't seen you in it, yet. I haven't seen me in it either, but he did mention in the beginning of this book I was in there somewhere."
"Well, who's in it?"
"Right now, it's about Xander and Riley, and get this, they're best friends!" She smiled. "Isn't that goofy?"
Dawn laughed. "They weren't exactly friends, were they?"
"Not best friends, anyway. I mean, they didn't hate each other or anything. In the story, they're partners. They call themselves 'the Hunters' and I think they work for the government. Xander's really this tough guy who doesn't take any crap from anybody." She paused. "I wonder if Jonathan saw him like that. I've heard that if a person writes a story, most of the characters he writes about is a picture of how he sees someone."
"So he thought Xander was really Mr. Tough Guy?" Dawn paused. "Well, isn't he?"
Buffy thought about Xander. "I guess he is tough. Maybe a lot tougher than we ever give him credit for." She didn't know of anyone else who would have done for Willow what Xander did. He was there for her, and he always would be, no matter the cost. "Yeah, Xander really is Mr. Tough Guy."
Dawn looked at the bacon and moved it around with the spatula. "I'd like to read that when you're done."
"Sure...and there's a lot more in the box beside the couch. I think those stories are after this one. It looks like Jonathan wrote a series of stories about the Hunters."
"I'll go through them after breakfast. You hungry?" She cracked an egg and dropped it into the pan next to the bacon.
Buffy shook her head and poured herself some coffee. "Uh, no thanks. I'm not really hungry." She took her coffee out onto the front porch, sat down on the porch swing, and sighed with contentment.
She began to read...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Chapter 2-Quarantine
It had been twelve hours since Riley and Xander vanished without a trace from Allentown. Since then, the President had declared a full Quarantine around Allentown. No one was to go in or out, and if there were any attempts to do so, the orders were very clear.
Shoot to kill.
Giles didn't like the orders, and neither did Willy, otherwise known as Crazy Man. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy shook her head. "Willy, the Snitch. I still can't believe he's in this, and he's one of the good guys? C'mon, Jonathan, what's the deal here?"
She continued.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) As if things couldn't get any worse, the President decided to send a team along to help enforce his orders of Quarantine. He sent the Hunter's rivals. He sent in a team from the Justice Department. This team was led by known other than Warren Meers. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy gripped the book in both hands so tightly, she almost tore it in half. She was so angry. What the hell was he doing in the story? It was a good thing he was dead, 'cause she'd kill him again if she could. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves then took a sip of coffee.
"Jonathan, I swear to God, he'd better get what's coming to him in this book," she said through gritted teeth, "or I'm gonna come looking for you."
She found her place and continued to read.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Giles and Willy stood side by side at the perimeter of the camp and looked in the direction of Allentown.
Finally, Giles let out a weary sigh. "What do you suppose happened to them, Willy?"
"Me, personally, boss?" Willy shrugged. "I think they snuck out and went for beer and a pizza. Probably watching the Becker somewhere, having themselves a really good laugh. It's what I'd be doing."
Giles looked at him.
Willy grimaced. "Sorry, Chief." He paused as he let out a sigh of his own. "I don't have any idea what happened. Really, truly, honest. This whole thin' is just beyond bizarro, know what I mean? Like somethin' out of the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits or somethin' even more scary like the Brady Bunch. Remember that episode where they went off to Hawaii? Talk about freaky!" He shivered. "Whatever happened to our boys, there's just no logical explanation for it, I'll tell ya."
"We may never know."
Willy glanced up at him. "Oh, sure, we'll know. It's just gonna take some time 'cause of this quarantine, is all. Eventually though..." he trailed off.
Giles looked at him. "Eventually...?"
"It'll get dark."
"And?"
Willy grinned. "It'll get late."
"Are you driving at anything specific, Crazy Man?"
"Only that it'll be getting dark and late. A handful of people will be about, mostly sentries, of course...but it should be a piece of cake with lots of frostin'. Oh, and it's gotta have the sprinkles on top. The rainbow sprinkles! I just love them little colorful candies." He looked at Giles.
Giles scowled. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"
"About the cake?"
"No. Not about the cake."
"Oh, then, undoubtedly."
Giles paused. "I'd like to take that course of action, Willy, but we'd need help."
"Spike and a few of the others should be here within the hour."
"Really?"
"Yeah, well, you know, Chief, I took the liberty of thinkin' ahead. I knew what you were plannin' on doin', so I called the Hardsite for some backup."
Giles nodded. "I see. Then, there's only one thing left for us to do."
"Get a pizza and watch Becker?"
"No." Giles looked across the field toward Allentown. "We wait."
Willy remained quiet. Then he said, "You know, we still could get that pizza and watch Becker while we wait."
Giles just looked at him. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Was Willy some kind of sidekick or the comedy relief or something? Buffy asked herself. She liked Giles' character. He didn't stutter, and he seemed a lot more calmer than he was in real life. At least that's how he seemed to her. She turned the page and saw Warren's name right at the top of the page. Great, a chapter about the worm! she thought. This is probably gonna piss me off, but here goes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Warren Meers sat at a table inside the Justice Headquarters tent, drinking from a can of Mountain Dew and going over reports left for him by the Army specialists. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy glared at the name "Warren Meers" and she wondered if that's why the bastard was hyper when he was alive and campaigning to bring her down. Did he drink too much Dew? Did he think he was a girl magnet 'cause he held up the can, grinned like an idiot, and said cheesy lines like, "Hey, baby. I do the Dew. Do you?"
"I really didn't like him," she growled to herself.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) The reports he was looking over were about theories and ideas surrounding the strange phenomena of Allentown. He had received a briefing, and orders about the situation before he arrived, and he was only concerned about one order.
There was an order to watch Giles and Willy closely, but not to interfere with them. At least not until they hung themselves.
Warren smiled to himself.
He had a master plan that- if successful- would be lead to the final destruction of the Hunters once and for all. He looked up from his reports' as two of his most trusted lackey's entered the tent. They were Andrew Loser and Parker Abrams. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy frowned. "Geesh! This tent is full of creeps! I hope the Hunters get them, 'cause I'd take them all on right now if they were here!" She also noticed that Jonathan was not one of the creeps. She wondered about that. Maybe deep down inside, he never actually wanted to be a part of Warren's gang.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) "What are our friends up to?" Warren asked them without greeting them.
Parker snorted. "You were right." He placed a small, compact eaves- dropper onto the table in front of his superior. The device looked like a mini-tape recorder but it was a lot more sophisticated than it appeared. When used, it shot out a tiny laser beam capable of picking up sound vibrations from a hundred yards.
"Aren't I always?" Warren asked him.
Parker intentionally ignored the question, but he acted like he didn't hear it. "Listen to this," he said as he pressed a button on the device.
"Only that it'll be getting dark and late. A handful of people will be about, mostly sentries, of course...but it should be a piece of cake with lots of frostin'." It was Willy's voice. "Oh, and it's gotta have the sprinkles on top. The rainbow sprinkles! I just love them little colorful candies."
Then Giles' voice responded with, "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"
Warren sat forward and listened intently.
"About the cake?"
"No. Not about the cake."
"Oh, then, undoubtedly."
There was a brief pause, and then Giles' voice said, "I'd like to take that course of action, Willy, but we'd need help."
"Spike and a few of the others should be here within the hour."
Warren looked at Parker and Andrew, a smile tugging at his mouth. A smile of triumph.
"Really?"
"Yeah, well, you know, Chief, I took the liberty of..."
Warren laughed as he reached over and turned it off. "I've heard more than enough."
Andrew raised a triumphant fist and grinned like an idiot. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Hello!" Buffy exclaimed. "He is an idiot. Oh, but you know that, 'cause you called him Andrew Loser." She thought about that. "Good name for him."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) "We've got them, Warren!" Loser exclaimed. "I've got a couple of men waiting outside. We'll go get them Hunters and--"
Warren suddenly slammed a fist down onto the table. "No!"
Andrew and Parker looked at him, puzzled.
"No?" Andrew dared to inquire with a tone of anger in his voice. "I don't understand. This is our chance to take them down."
Warren sighed in disgust. "You don't know one damned thing, do you?" He rose slowly to his feet and pointed at the eaves-dropper. "Words, Andrew. That's all they are. Just a bunch of useless words."
Parker frowned at him. "But they're going to do it!"
"Yes, they are. And we're going to CATCH them doing it. In the act!" He looked from one to the other. "Guys, c'mon, think about it. If we take them now, all we do is end up holding them for a while. 'But, Mr. President,' they'll say. 'We were only talking out of concern for our missing men. We weren't really going to break the quarantine.' Don't you idiot's get it? 'Oh, it was all a misunderstanding,' says the President. 'You can go now.'"
"But the President wouldn't--"
Warren interrupted Andrew with a glare. "Don't be stupid. Giles has a history with the President, moron. The President will NOT allow us to hold them on this recording alone."
Andrew and Parker glanced at each other.
Warren smiled. "So for now, gentlemen, we'll let them be. Is that understood?"
Parker nodded.
Andrew shrugged and with a sullen expression, he said, "Well, I don't really like it. I mean, they'll get away with it."
Warren threw up his hands in frustration. "They will NOT get away with it! Guys, we've been working together for four years now, and you still don't know how to use your heads. Do you?"
"What are you talking about?" Parker wanted to know. His temper was beginning to rise. "If we're so stupid, why don't you tell us what we're missing?"
Warren chuckled, sat back down, tilted back in his chair, and put his feet up onto the table. "You guys are missing the whole picture. What you don't realize is if we play our cards right, we'll not only put away the Hunters for life and close down their operations, but we'll also come out smelling like roses."
Andrew frowned. "We're gonna play cards and wear perfume?" (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Ohmigod," Buffy said, shaking her head. "What a dope! Was Andrew always this brain-dead?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Warren sighed. "What a dope! Are you always this brain-dead?" (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy looked around suspiciously, getting a cold chill. Then, she continued to read.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Andrew was about to say something, but Parker slapped him in the arm, signaling him to keep his mouth shut.
Warren continued, "First of all, think of the quarantine. Now the Hunters are right about one thing. We're not going to find any answers if we can't get into Allentown to look for them. This quarantine is not only hindering them, it's hindering us. Somehow, we've got to find a way around it."
Parker looked at him as the realization began to sink in. "You think if the Hunters go in, then we'll have to go in after them."
Warren nodded. "The quarantine will be broken, and we'll be allowed to do our jobs." A triumphant look crossed his face. "We'll solve the mystery of Allentown, and put the Hunters out of business forever." (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Not gonna happen, buddy," Buffy said to the book. She picked up her coffee cup and frowned. "Oh, darn." She pouted.
She went back into the house to get more coffee and she found Dawn going through the box. She was laughing.
"What's so funny?" Buffy asked.
"You have a bug or something," Dawn told her.
She looked puzzled. "Huh?"
Dawn held up a book. "I found you in this book called 'Unification'. It's Hunters number 4, and you're in it."
"I am?"
"Yeah." She giggled. "Angel is, too. I think he's a pilot."
Buffy stared. "A pilot?"
"Uh-huh."
She paused. "Well...are we together, or anything?"
Dawn looked through it. "I'm not really sure...I mean, on this page, it looks like you're gonna kiss him, but on the next page, Angel gets tossed."
"Give me that!" Buffy held out her hand. "I wanna see."
Dawn held it against herself. "You've got your own. Besides, you're reading the first book. You don't want to read out of turn, do you? You might miss something."
Buffy paused. "Well...alright. Don't you read it until you read this one."
"There are other stories in here besides the Hunters. I like this Quest one. Xander is something called a Fury, and Willow is looking for her sister, Buffy."
"We're sisters in Quest?"
"Yeah, but I think you're bad."
"I am not!"
"In the book, Buffy."
Buffy pursed her lips. "Why would Jonathan write me in as someone bad?"
Dawn shrugged. "Maybe he figures you get tired of being good sometimes, you know, with all you have to be responsible for." She looked at her. "Do you get tired, Buffy?"
Buffy paused. "Well, I will admit, I have my days. I've wondered what would happen if I could just let go and be like...well, like Faith was." She looked at her. "Dawn, I'm glad we're sisters. You do know how much you mean to me, don't you?"
She smiled wryly. "You've been telling me how much I mean to you since that day. Yes, I know." She paused. "I love you, too."
The sisters shared a hug.
Then, Buffy said, "I'm hungry."
"I can make you breakfast."
"Okay." She smiled. "Let's go."
They went into the kitchen and shared a breakfast together. After they cleaned up, they found themselves on the porch, and Dawn asked Buffy to read the first book out loud.
"Just start where you left off," Dawn told her. "I don't mind."
Buffy nodded. "Okay." She filled Dawn in on what had happened in the first chapter, and up to where she had left off. Then, she began to read out loud...
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) The chopper was coming in low. Its pilot was anxious, yet in spite of that, the chopper flew a steady flight path. Angel Liam- (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy stared. "How did Jonathan know Angel's human name was Liam?"
Dawn shrugged. "I don't know." She smiled. "But I was right. Angel's a pilot."
Buffy continued...
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Angel Liam was worried about his friends, Xander and Riley. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy burst out laughing. She laughed so hard, she had to hold her sides. Dawn laughed, too, but mostly because the laughter was infectious. Buffy tried to read again, but a new fit of laughter struck her and she dropped the book.
"Ohmigod," Buffy said, with tears of laughter in her eyes, "this is just way too much!"
"I guess that's something we'll never see, huh?" Dawn inquired. "Xander friends with Angel."
"Xander and Angel have an understanding, but they are NOT friends. And Riley? The last time I saw Riley and Angel in the same space, they nearly killed each other." She handed the book to Dawn. "You read. I'll just laugh again." She shook her head and smiled. "I really needed that."
Dawn found the place where Buffy had left off.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Angel wondered if Xander and Riley were successful in locating Willow. That in itself was enough cause for his anxiety, but now he was finally able to do something about it.
William Spike, who sat in the cockpit with him-- (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dawn started laughing. "W-W-W-William Spike?" She lay back onto the floor of the porch and laughed as Buffy joined her in the laughter from the swing.
"Read...read..." Buffy tried to say.
Dawn took a deep breath and tried again.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) William Spike (snicker), who sat in the cockpit with him ("Uh, that's Angel."), wasn't even bothered by Angel's erratic flying.
In the back of the chopper, the third backup Hunter anxiously awaited the action to come. Jon Levon-- (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"There he is," Buffy interrupted. "I was wondering when he was going to put himself into the story.
Dawn shushed her.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Jon Levon didn't get along with Xander, but as far as her was concerned, Xander was still a member of the team. He didn't want any one to get on Xander's case but himself. Besides, he was hoping that Xander and Riley had found Willow. ("Yeah, where's Willow anyway?")
Jon was definitely concerned about her. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy and Dawn looked at each other.
"'Definitely'?" Buffy inquired.
Dawn paused. "Maybe Jonathan has a crush on Willow."
"Read already!"
She giggled.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) Angel frowned. "Oh oh."
Spike glanced at him warily. "What?"
"I just had a terrible thought."
"I say again...what?"
Instead of answering, Angel began to look for a place to set the chopper down. He found a small clearing just below a hill and he went for it.
Jon noticed that something was up, so he stuck his head into the cockpit. "What's going on?"
Angel hovered the chopper a few feet above the ground. "This is where you get off."
"What?!"
Spike wasn't exactly crazy about Jon himself, but he wondered about Angel's motive for kicking the man out. "What are you doing, Angel?" he asked. "This wasn't in the plan."
Angel glanced at each of them. "It is now. Don't forget, the Justice people are all over this thing and you know they can't be trusted."
"What are you saying?" Jon demanded.
"I'm saying we should have more backup in case something goes wrong. Allentown is just over those hills." He pointed. "You should reach it before dark."
Jon thought about it. "Alright. It's a good idea, but I don't like it." He grabbed his gear and jumped out the door.
Angel raised the chopper skyward as soon as Jon was clear.
"Do you really think that was a good idea?" Spike asked. He wondered if Xander had shared with the pilot his suspicions that Jon Levon was a traitor. Every one knew Xander and Jon didn't get along, but did they know what Xander suspected? Spike watched Angel closely.
Angel shrugged. "At this point, an extra precaution couldn't hurt. If something happens to us, we have a backup. If I'm wrong," he suddenly grinned, "we'll have the job done before he even gets there."
Spike chuckled.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Jon began to make his way through the woods toward Allentown. He managed to get a steady pace until something made him stop short. Seven large ostrich-like animals passed slowly by in front of him. They looked like creatures from a science fiction picture, or from Jurassic Park.
One of the creatures, stopped, looked directly at him, and blinked, purring in its throat. The creatures then moved on, leaving him standing there.
Jon shook his head in disbelief. "I didn't just see that."
He moved on. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - -
"That was kinda strange," Buffy said.
Dawn shrugged. "Maybe they came out of the portal thingie. Like the Centaur did."
"Oh. Maybe."
Dawn continued to read.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) The chopper set down on a helicopter pad prepared by the Army, and Angel began to shut all systems down. As he and Spike climbed out, several agents from Justice approached them from Justice.
Angel and Spike exchanged looks, expecting nothing but trouble.
"I wasn't expecting trouble so soon," Angel said quietly.
Spike shrugged. "Neither was I, but I don't mind returning the trouble."
Warren stopped in front of them, looking from one to the other. "Hi, fella's. We've been expecting you."
"And?" Angel demanded suspiciously.
Warren laughed. "Hey, relax. We're all on the same side here."
"Then what are your cronies doing?"
"This is a restricted area, gentlemen. Not from you, of course. We know you've got clearance to be here, but there may be others out there who might want to know what we're doing here. My men are simply securing your chopper for you in the event someone tries to steal it." He smiled.
His smile told the Hunters he was lying. They knew he was lying, and he knew they knew he was lying. ("Huh?") Warren also knew they wouldn't call him on his lie. If they did, it would jeopardize the planned, unsanctioned recon of Allentown. The Hunters couldn't risk blowing it.
"Thanks," Angel growled. It was very hard for him to say that when what he wanted to do was take Warren's head off. "Where's Giles?"
"Giles and Willy are in their tent at the far end of camp," Warren answered. "They're expecting you as well. Before you catch up to them, could you please answer a question for me?"
Angel and Spike again exchanged looks.
"What?" Angel asked.
Warren leaned forward. "Have you ever heard of the Paradox Game?"
He frowned. "I've never heard of it."
Spike shook his head.
"What is it?" Angel wanted to know.
Warren shrugged. "Who the hell knows? Probably nothing. Thanks, anyway. I'll see you guys later." He chuckled, shook his head, and walked away.
"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Spike asked.
Angel shook his head and watched Warren's retreating back. "I haven't a clue, Spike. I don't believe it was any good coming from Meers." He sighed. "Come on. Let's go find the others."
The two men hurried off to the far end of camp. Minutes later, in their tent, Giles, Willy, Angel, and Spike sat around a table and discussed the latest crisis. After every one was brought up to speed with what had been happening, Giles turned his attention to Angel and Spike.
"Where's Jon?" he asked them.
Spike told him.
Giles nodded thoughtfully. "That was a good idea. I have a feeling we're going to need all the help we can get." He let out a sigh. "We don't know too much about what's happening in Allentown. Just before Xander and Riley disappeared, they contacted us and told us they had discovered some information about this Paradox Game."
"What is that, exactly?" Angel inquired.
Spike nodded his head. "Yeah. That Meers queer was asking us if we've ever heard of the bloody thing."
"What did you tell him, slappy?" Willy asked.
Spike gave him a look. "I told him the truth. We don't know."
Giles nodded his head. "Well, unfortunately, we don't know what it is either. Riley told us it has something to do with whatever it is that has happened here, and he has reason to believe the game was aimed specifically at himself and Xander."
"What was his reason?" Angel asked, looking at Giles.
"They vanished before he could explain, or at least...we lost radio contact." Giles paused. "Right across the field, approximately a couple hundred yards away, is a barn. That was their last known location before they vanished and it was there they fought a Centaur."
Spike looked at him. "'Scuse me?"
"What the hell is a Centaur?" Angel asked.
Willy cleared his throat. "It's a beast. Half man, half horse."
"Very funny, Willy. What is it really?"
"It's a beast. Half man, half horse."
Angel just looked at him.
Giles nodded. "He's right, Angel. We saw it."
"A Centaur?"
Spike looked thoughtful. "So, what's our plan?"
Giles looked at his watch. "At midnight, we're going in. We'll check out the barn first."
"Why the barn?"
"Because," Willy began, "that was the last place Xander and Riley investigated. Do I re-e-eally have to tell ya everythin'?"
Giles glanced at him. "We think there might be a trap door to an underground cavern, because that would explain the sudden disappearance, and the fact that we've had no word from them. Something could be interfering with our communications from underground."
Angel looked determined. "If there's a trap door, we'll find it."
"We'd better," Giles agreed. "For their sakes, we'd better."
When midnight arrived, the Hunters stealthily made their move. They left their area, and in the darkness, they headed through the field toward Allentown. They broke quarantine.
From the shadows, Warren watched them. He looked at his watch, and he decided to give them ten minutes. He smiled as he felt that victory was very close. (TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - -
"I really hate that guy!" Buffy exclaimed.
Dawn looked at the book. "It's an interesting story, though."
"Why'd you stop?"
"'Cause you said you really hate that guy."
"Oh. Well...read!"
Dawn read.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) The Hunters didn't meet with any opposition as they entered the limits of Allentown. That bothered Giles, and he was certain it bothered the others as well. It was all just too easy, yet there was no turning back now. They had to press on and see if they could unravel some clues of their own.
They arrived at the barn and they were amazed at the sight of the dead Centaur lying still on the ground near the barn's entrance. It was one thing to see it from a distance, and another to see it up close. It was an incredible sight.
Where had it come from? There were no logical explanations. Inside the barn, the Hunters found nothing in their continuing search for answers.
Spike and Angel remained inside the barn for further investigation as Giles and Willy went outside into the pigpen. Next to the feeding trough, Willy found a series of footprints that abruptly ended. He waved excitedly to Giles. Both men began to investigate and they soon made the discovery Xander and Riley had made more than twelve hours ago.
"The trap door?" Giles inquired.
Willy grinned and nodded. "Maybe they didn't go for that pizza after all, Chief."
Angel approached them as the two men pushed the trough aside, revealing the hidden entrance.
In the hayloft far above, Spike looked down and saw that his friends had made a discovery. He was about to go down and join them when something caught his eye. There were dark figures moving out there in the field and they were closing fast.
Suddenly, Giles, Willy, and Angel found themselves completely surrounded by armed Justice agents with itchy trigger-fingers.
Warren stepped forward with a smirk. "Drop your weapons," he ordered the Hunters. "Do it now!"
They had no choice. They dropped their weapons, glaring.
"Okay, boys. Cuff 'em," Warren ordered his men. "And cuff 'em well. These men are extremely dangerous." He pointed to a few of his men. "Find Spike. He's around here somewhere."
The men ran off to continue the search.
Warren laughed as five of his men handcuffed the Hunters with their hands behind their backs. Two of the five kept their weapons leveled at them just in case they did something stupid.
When they were secured, Warren stepped forward and came face to face with Giles. "I don't hear any protest from you, Rupert."
Giles nodded his head toward their discovery. "Let us go, Meers. We discovered why these people vanished!" He was bluffing when the truth was they were close to finding the answer, but they didn't have it yet.
"Really?"
"Yes. Now release us at once!"
Warren chuckled and shook his head. "No can do, Rupert. You see, you and your men broke the quarantine AND violated Presidential orders. Your actions here tonight, however, have revealed your true intentions."
"What are you talking about?"
"You knew exactly where that trap door was, didn't you?" Warren paused for affect. "You know what I think? I think you know exactly what's happening here because you're behind it. Aren't you?"
Giles glared at him. "You're crazy."
Without warning, Warren struck Giles in the stomach, causing him to double over. Angel was about to charge him, but two of the Justice agents held him back while a third put the barrel of a gun into Willy's face. Warren smirked at them as another of his cronies forced Giles to stand up.
Warren looked at Giles. "Maybe I am crazy, but I have all the proof I need to shut you bastards down for good." He glanced at his watch. "I hate to tell you this, Rupert, but right about now, your Hardsite is being taken by my agents."
Giles stared at him in horror.
Warren chuckled with glee. "That's right. It's over for the Hunters...forever!"(TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Ooooh! Somebody please do something about him! I so hate him. I want to reach in there and tear him apart! I want to rip his head off from his shoulders and-and-and-ooooh, he makes me so mad!"
Dawn looked at Buffy. "Are you done?"
Buffy sighed. "Yeah. For now. Please continue. Don't let me stop you."
Dawn grinned. Then, she read...
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) The following morning, the Hunters found themselves inside an armored van. Their wrists and ankles were shackled to chains, which ran through bars at their feet and directly in front of them. They were secured like hardened criminals.
The back door was wide open, and Warren was standing there, gloating. "Well, you boys are off to a private resort for some heavy interrogation. Oh, but don't worry. As soon as we find Spike, we'll send him along. And just in case you're interested, your team at the Hardsite put up one heluva fight. Unfortunately, they had to be killed. Every last one of them."
Angel struggled to get at him, but he couldn't. Giles and Willy remained still, but they both glared daggers at the man from Justice.
"You'll pay for this!" Angel declared.
Warren laughed at him. "I'm so sure. Meanwhile, you'll be telling my interrogators everything you know about your mysterious portal we discovered. At least, you'll talk if you want to escape the pain."
"What portal?" Giles wanted to know.
Warren winked at him. "Okay, sure, I'll play along with you as if you don't really know what I'm talking about." He shook his head. "There's a portal directly below Allentown." He frowned. "Hey, you guys aren't aliens, are you? Maybe I should send you to Roswell." He laughed.
Giles looked at him. "Meers, we are not your enemy."
"Of course not! You're my prisoners." He threw back his head and laughed. "Try to stay alive for a while. I really want to be there when you leave this world." He slammed the door shut.
Warren tapped his knuckles on the side of the van and waved at the driver peering at him in the side mirror. The driver revved up the engine and he began to drive away.
Warren stood with his hands on his hips, reveling in his victory as he watched the van. "Ha! Paradox Game, my ass!" He snorted as he looked at Andrew and Parker, who had been with him throughout his gloating. They were just standing out of his way. He grinned at them. "Hell, I'm a game player myself, boys. At least I'm winning."
They laughed.(TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy was about to say something, but Dawn pointed at her and gave her a look. Then she continued with the end of the chapter.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
(TH) From separate areas around the camp and Allentown, two men remained well out of sight from the Justice agents, and the Army. One was Jon, who was using the forests as a cover. He watched the camp from the hills. The other was Spike, and he realized that he had to do something to help his friends or all was lost.
Jon had seen enough to know that the agents of Justice loaded Angel, Giles, and Willy into a van like thugs. He didn't see Spike with them so he was certain the man was either dead or out of sight as he was. He hoped Spike was hiding.
Spike was angry with himself for not having tried to help his friends, but he would have been captured, too. He was free, and he was determined to do something about the so-called Justice people. He wondered where Jon was and also wondered if Xander was right. Was Jon Levon a traitor? What proof did he have? And would he help him free the others when it came time to make a move?
Spike didn't have the answers. But he was damn well going to find out.(TH)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Buffy smiled. "You read very well, Dawn. You should become a librarian."
"Thanks, but you're gonna read the next chapter." Dawn handed her the book. "I'm going to get some tea for us."
"Great idea."
Buffy sat back on the porch swing and thought about Jonathan Levenson, and Andrew Whatshisface Loser as Dawn went into the house. She wondered what the two were doing at that moment.
Xander arrived and asked what was what. Buffy filled him in on the books she found, and she told him about the first two chapters. Xander laughed at the idea of being friends with Angel, then he stopped when he saw the serious look she was giving him.
"Uh, but he sees me as a tough guy?" Xander asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, but his character and your character aren't friends. Your character thinks he's a spy or something, and Spike is the only one you've shared that with."
Xander frowned. "Now why would I want to do that?"
"Why don't you read chapter three for us? You never know. We could learn a lot about Jonathan from what he writes about us." Buffy grinned. "You could be a librarian, too. I'll have Dawn fix you some tea."
Xander took the book as Buffy went into the house. He looked through the book as Anya appeared.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," he said.
"What are you doing?"
"Apparently, there's a new librarian in town, and that's me. I'm going to read chapter three of--" he turned the book over and opened it to the first page, "--the Hunters, by Jonathan Levenson."
"Out loud?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. I'll listen. Who are the hunters, and what are they hunting? It's the American way, hunting is, you know. This should be a good, American story, except if you read about any hunters committing flatulence, could you please skip that part?"
Xander looked at her and wished Buffy and Dawn would hurry up.
*****************
TO BE CONTINUED--