Xander was now waiting two hours for Angel to leave the mansion. He had
positioned himself in the bushes around the big house, watching the main
entrance through the night vision scope on his M-16. Dressed in army
fatigues it was unlikely that even the souled vampire could see him in the
darkness. At least he knew that Angel was still in the house, he saw him
about five minutes ago through one of the windows.
Finally the vampire left the mansion, closing the door behind him. Xander decided to wait an additional two minutes, just to be sure that Angel didn't forget something.
After the two minutes and no Angel in sight Xander slowly moved in the direction of the door, checking his surroundings, just to be sure that no one was watching him. The lock on Angel's door was a joke and he was able to pick it after a few seconds. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and opened the door.
He entered the mansion and immediately spotted the books lying on a table near the fireplace. He took the rucksack from his shoulders and quickly grabbed one book after another and put them into it.
He just placed the last one in the rucksack when he heard a noise behind him.
He looked over his shoulder and saw Angel standing in the doorway. His whole body tensed at the sight of the souled vampire, especially in this kind of situation.
"Hi Xander. Are you searching for something," Angel calmly asked, like everything was normal.
Xander grimaced. Dressed in fatigues, with camo paint on his face and a rifle over his shoulder he expected something different from him. He decided to play along, just for the hell of it.
"Yeah, Buffy wanted me to look through these books and I thought it would be nicer reading them at home," Xander tried and smiled at the vampire.
But Angel's face had the same calm expression as before.
"You're not buying it," Xander stated.
"No," was the only answer.
Xander shrugged. "At least I tried it."
Suddenly the whole Scoobie Gang entered the room through the various entrances. Buffy and Faith had a crossbows in their hands and immediately aimed at him whereas Willow and Cordelia were unarmed. But Oz had a nasty looking machete in his hand.
"Oh look the whole gang is here. I'm so honoured," Xander greeted them with sarcasm in his voice.
"My pleasure," Buffy responded coldly.
Xander sighed. " Well, I guess that means you found out about my little night time job. Please tell me what gave me away."
"One thing after another. First drop that rifle," Buffy told him.
Xander grabbed the M-16 at the muzzle and let the deadly weapon fall to the floor.
Buffy decided to answer his question. "Willow found out that you were getting paid by the city by.."
".by hacking into City Hall's computer system" Xander completed her sentence. "Great. A damn rookie mistake. Fuck," he cursed.
" How could you do that Xander?" Cordelia asked. "Working for the Mayor and all that?"
"Easy Cordy. He pays good and he respects me and my abilities. In contrary to my "friends". And he has a great sense of humor. God, this guy joked with me about selling my soul for a better handicap," Xander said and laughed at that memory.
"So this crap about us getting close again..," Buffy started her question.
"Just an act Buff. To get back into the gang and have better access to information regarding our little group," he told her with a smug grin.
"But the Mayor is evil. He killed people .. or ordered people to kill people, which is somehow the same," Willow started but had to stop to compose herself. "How can you work for him?"
"Hey, he also killed people," Xander said and pointed at Angel.
"He has a soul," Buffy answered.
"I also have a soul," Xander said, but lifted his hands in surrender. "But let's not get into this kind of conversation again. I'm more interested what you have planned for me."
"We will have to think about that. But for now I think I will be satisfied to lock you away," Buffy told him. "Angel, get the books" she told the souled Vampire.
Angel walked up to Xander and stopped in front of him. He raised his hand and waited for Xander to give him the rucksack. Xander shook his head. "Here Deadboy," he said and lifted the rucksack with his left hand to give it to Angel.
But before anyone could react he dived with his right hand into the backpack and suddenly Angel's body was shocked by the impact of two bullets. The souled vampire collapsed on the ground and Xander removed the pistol from the interior of the rucksack, where he hid it for situations like that.
Before Faith or Buffy could shoot him he pointed the USP at Angel's prone form.
"If anyone of you guys move I will kill him. And don't think that won't be possible."
From under him Angel groaned. "What have you done with those bullets. They burn inside of me."
Xander smiled and looked at him. "Well, a priest blessed them for me. According to some vamps I tested them on they should hurt like hell," Xander told him. He took the rucksack from the floor and slung it around his shoulders.
"What do you want?" Buffy asked him.
"I want out of here, unharmed," he told her and took his M-16 from the ground. "Then I will Angel here live. Or else I'm killing him."
Xander knew that he had her. Buffy wouldn't risk the life of Angel for some old books, regardless if they were important or not.
"That will not happen," Buffy stated, her face stone cold.
"Huh," was the only response Xander could formulate. That answer was the last thing he expected.
"You are not leaving with the books," Buffy told him in the same cold tone.
"Well, guess it's time to say goodbye Angie. Give my regards to Satan if you see him," he told the vampire and tightened his finger around the trigger.
But before he could shoot Angel, he felt a pain in his upper body. He looked down and saw an arrow, sticking out in the center of his chest. He looked up and saw that Buffy shot him.
He stumbled a few feet backwards before he hit the wall behind him. He leaned against the wall, trying desperately not to fall to the floor. He again looked down at the arrow and then at the people around.
"Fuck," was the only thing that came to his mind.
Finally the vampire left the mansion, closing the door behind him. Xander decided to wait an additional two minutes, just to be sure that Angel didn't forget something.
After the two minutes and no Angel in sight Xander slowly moved in the direction of the door, checking his surroundings, just to be sure that no one was watching him. The lock on Angel's door was a joke and he was able to pick it after a few seconds. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and opened the door.
He entered the mansion and immediately spotted the books lying on a table near the fireplace. He took the rucksack from his shoulders and quickly grabbed one book after another and put them into it.
He just placed the last one in the rucksack when he heard a noise behind him.
He looked over his shoulder and saw Angel standing in the doorway. His whole body tensed at the sight of the souled vampire, especially in this kind of situation.
"Hi Xander. Are you searching for something," Angel calmly asked, like everything was normal.
Xander grimaced. Dressed in fatigues, with camo paint on his face and a rifle over his shoulder he expected something different from him. He decided to play along, just for the hell of it.
"Yeah, Buffy wanted me to look through these books and I thought it would be nicer reading them at home," Xander tried and smiled at the vampire.
But Angel's face had the same calm expression as before.
"You're not buying it," Xander stated.
"No," was the only answer.
Xander shrugged. "At least I tried it."
Suddenly the whole Scoobie Gang entered the room through the various entrances. Buffy and Faith had a crossbows in their hands and immediately aimed at him whereas Willow and Cordelia were unarmed. But Oz had a nasty looking machete in his hand.
"Oh look the whole gang is here. I'm so honoured," Xander greeted them with sarcasm in his voice.
"My pleasure," Buffy responded coldly.
Xander sighed. " Well, I guess that means you found out about my little night time job. Please tell me what gave me away."
"One thing after another. First drop that rifle," Buffy told him.
Xander grabbed the M-16 at the muzzle and let the deadly weapon fall to the floor.
Buffy decided to answer his question. "Willow found out that you were getting paid by the city by.."
".by hacking into City Hall's computer system" Xander completed her sentence. "Great. A damn rookie mistake. Fuck," he cursed.
" How could you do that Xander?" Cordelia asked. "Working for the Mayor and all that?"
"Easy Cordy. He pays good and he respects me and my abilities. In contrary to my "friends". And he has a great sense of humor. God, this guy joked with me about selling my soul for a better handicap," Xander said and laughed at that memory.
"So this crap about us getting close again..," Buffy started her question.
"Just an act Buff. To get back into the gang and have better access to information regarding our little group," he told her with a smug grin.
"But the Mayor is evil. He killed people .. or ordered people to kill people, which is somehow the same," Willow started but had to stop to compose herself. "How can you work for him?"
"Hey, he also killed people," Xander said and pointed at Angel.
"He has a soul," Buffy answered.
"I also have a soul," Xander said, but lifted his hands in surrender. "But let's not get into this kind of conversation again. I'm more interested what you have planned for me."
"We will have to think about that. But for now I think I will be satisfied to lock you away," Buffy told him. "Angel, get the books" she told the souled Vampire.
Angel walked up to Xander and stopped in front of him. He raised his hand and waited for Xander to give him the rucksack. Xander shook his head. "Here Deadboy," he said and lifted the rucksack with his left hand to give it to Angel.
But before anyone could react he dived with his right hand into the backpack and suddenly Angel's body was shocked by the impact of two bullets. The souled vampire collapsed on the ground and Xander removed the pistol from the interior of the rucksack, where he hid it for situations like that.
Before Faith or Buffy could shoot him he pointed the USP at Angel's prone form.
"If anyone of you guys move I will kill him. And don't think that won't be possible."
From under him Angel groaned. "What have you done with those bullets. They burn inside of me."
Xander smiled and looked at him. "Well, a priest blessed them for me. According to some vamps I tested them on they should hurt like hell," Xander told him. He took the rucksack from the floor and slung it around his shoulders.
"What do you want?" Buffy asked him.
"I want out of here, unharmed," he told her and took his M-16 from the ground. "Then I will Angel here live. Or else I'm killing him."
Xander knew that he had her. Buffy wouldn't risk the life of Angel for some old books, regardless if they were important or not.
"That will not happen," Buffy stated, her face stone cold.
"Huh," was the only response Xander could formulate. That answer was the last thing he expected.
"You are not leaving with the books," Buffy told him in the same cold tone.
"Well, guess it's time to say goodbye Angie. Give my regards to Satan if you see him," he told the vampire and tightened his finger around the trigger.
But before he could shoot Angel, he felt a pain in his upper body. He looked down and saw an arrow, sticking out in the center of his chest. He looked up and saw that Buffy shot him.
He stumbled a few feet backwards before he hit the wall behind him. He leaned against the wall, trying desperately not to fall to the floor. He again looked down at the arrow and then at the people around.
"Fuck," was the only thing that came to his mind.