Chapter 4 - Retribution

Emily was surprised when she got back and found the flat empty. There was a note from Buffy and Spike explaining that something had happened, and that they were going to see Jenny. She was worried, but she was also hungry, so she went to warm some blood while she waited for Alasdair. She had some surprises for him, and she couldn't wait to show him what she'd bought.

Afterwards, she didn't know how they had crept up on her. Her senses were that unique blend of Slayer and vampire, and she didn't think anything could manage that trick. All she knew, was that she was taking her mug of blood from the microwave and then felt a sharp pain in her back. Then all she was aware of was the sound of her mug splintering on the hard floor and everything going dark.

It was very late when Alasdair got back. The job that had to be finished that night had taken longer than anyone had expected. Then, there was an incident on the tube line, and there were no trains. He had tried to call and let Emily know what was happening, but there was no reply. He was concerned by that, but decided she must have decided to go with Buffy and Spike. He was surprised by the wrench he felt when he considered the possibility that she had chosen to spend the night away from him.

That wrench was nothing compared with the one he felt when he got back to the flat. One of the windows had been forced. He ran through the house, calling for Emily but got no reply. The last room he checked was the kitchen, and the shattered mug and blood splattered floor caused his stomach to lurch sickeningly. He immediately recognised the mug as Emily's favourite, and he knew she was gone.

Spike was pulled from a deep sleep by the sound of his mobile. He jumped up to answer it before it could waken Jenny or the children. It took several attempts before he could make sense of what Alasdair was telling him.

Buffy was only aware that Spike had left the bed. She felt his lack, and opened her eyes blearily to find out what had happened. She knew by the look on his face that it was serious.

"They've taken Emily. I knew it. I knew we shouldn't leave her there tonight. If I'd any idea Alasdair was going to be that late, …"

"What's he doing?"

"Going out of his mind is what he's doing. Look, Love, I need to go back. State he's in, he might do something stupid. He stopped me a time or two when Angelus had you. I owe him. And, that doesn't start to account for the fact that I care about Emily. You stay here with Jenny. She needs support, too. I'll be in touch as soon as I can. We need to find her. If Michael's got her, I don't want to think about what he might try."

Buffy nodded. She stood up, letting the sheet fall off her as she did so. She put her arms around him, feeling the tension in his body, and knowing hers was similarly rigid. "Be careful. I almost lost you before, don't do that to me again."

"I'm always careful, except when it's an end of the world situation, of course. The Council might do a lot of things, but I don't think they'd risk that. And you, do the same. Look after Jenny and the kids, but don't take any chances. I'll be in touch."

There was no sign of Alasdair when Spike got back to Swiss Cottage. Swearing vehemently about stupid humans, Spike headed back to his car. The only place he could think that Alasdair would have gone was the Council, so that was where he headed.

The headquarters of the Council of Watchers was a beautifully appointed building in Mayfair. It was surrounded by a myriad of foreign embassies, and didn't look remotely out of place. Unfortunately, because of the area, there were severe parking restrictions to ensure that security was not compromised. Spike briefly considered parking illegally, but decided against it when he realised how close dawn was. The last thing he needed was to be making a swift exit as the sun rose and finding his car had been towed away. The space he found was further away than he wanted, and he went the rest of the way on foot. He felt relief when he spotted Alasdair's Vauxhall parked a hundred yards from the front entrance.

He had no idea how he was going to get into the building. Normal security shouldn't really be a problem. Spike had to admit he had considerable experience when it came to breaking and entering. He certainly had no qualms about breaking in, and if he had to hit a few people, he could certainly live with that. What worried him, was the possibility that there was protection specifically aimed at vampires.

Every nerve was tense as he approached. He walked past, checking for anything obvious at the front door. There were lights on in the foyer, but no sign of life. He checked his watch. It was 2 o'clock. He checked for open windows and spotted one on the first floor to the side of the building. There was nothing on the ground floor, so he decided to make do. There was a tree fairly close to the window, and he climbed it, checking for sounds of occupation. He heard none, so he crept as close to the window as he could without falling out of the tree.

Gingerly, he stood up, grasping a branch above him. He pushed off as hard as he could, managing to grasp the window ledge. He pulled himself up, and into the room.

It was dark. Spike stayed still, every sense on maximum, waiting for any sign there was supernatural protection. When nothing happened, he checked out the room.

It was an office, of the type probably used by clerical staff. There were a number of desks, computers and filing cabinets. There was nothing of apparent interest, so he crept towards the door. The corridor outside seemed deserted, so he headed out. From comments Alasdair had made, he knew the Research department was located in the basement, so he headed for the stairs and went down.

As he reached the basement, he heard a scuffle from somewhere ahead. He froze, listening for anything that would indicate the reason for the noise. There were no words, so he headed towards the sound, keeping to the shadows in the darkened corridor. He came to an intersection, and peered cautiously around the corridor. What he saw was Michael Barrat, talking to someone Spike didn't know.

"What happened?" Barrat was asking.

"We had an intruder. I caught him, but he kicked me and got away."

"Where was he?"

"He was just outside your office. I nabbed him from behind, then called in to security. After that, he hit me, and was gone."

"Did you recognise him? Who was it?"

"No, he was tall, over six feet, but I only saw his back. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and the hood was pulled up. He didn't say anything."

"Do you think he saw anything?"

"No, he was trying to pick the lock of your office. I'd bet he hadn't found anything."

"Ok, don't worry. Security's on it. He'll be picked up before he can leave the building."

With a nod of relief, Barrat dismissed the other man. Spike found a doorway to hide in as the other man passed him. When the corridor was clear, Spike checked around the corner again. By the looks of it, Barrat had gone into his office, so Spike approached carefully. He opened the door quietly, intending to confront Barrat. The room was empty, and there was no sign of another exit.

Spike went to enter the room, then thought better of it. His priority was to make sure Alasdair got out safely. Solving the mystery of a disappearing Watcher could wait. Realising Alasdair must have gone in one of two possible directions, Spike chose one at random.

There was more activity than before. The security alert had resulted in guards patrolling in pairs. Spike was able to keep out of sight, and he thanked his century of skulking in the dark. He finally spotted a hooded man ahead, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He crept up behind the man who was watching the opposite direction, putting his hand across his mouth.

Alasdair relaxed visibly when he spotted who had caught him. By means of a rather contrived sign language, Spike intimated that he had a way out, and led the way, using his preternatural hearing to keep out of the way of trouble. They made their way back to the first floor, and the room with the open window without any problems. Alasdair took one look at the drop from the window and visibly blanched. Spike shook his head at is friend, then picked him up in a fireman's lift. Alasdair started to object, but Spike told him to shut up, adding, "I need to keep my hands free, so you'll have to hold on."

Alasdair complied, and Spike managed to leap from the window, grabbing a branch of the tree on the way down. When the branch had reached it's lowest point due to the weight it now bore, he let go, rolling as he landed and regretting the fact that Alasdair fell on top of him.

They headed for Alasdair's car without speaking. Once they arrived, Spike let rip.

"Bloody pillock! What the hell did you think you were doing? You don't go looking around that place in the middle of the night on your own. Unarmed. We don't need you to disappear too. Now, are you going to get straight home, or do I have to hit you and take you home?"

Alasdair managed to look a little sheepish. His shoulders slumped under his friend's onslaught, but he nodded. "I'll go home. It's just, if she's there, I've got to get to her. She'll be scared, and I thought I'd find out if Barrat's involved. Made a mess of it, though, 'spose I'm not made for a life of breaking and entering."

"Bloody right," Spike agreed.

"It's just, I've got to do something."

Alasdair looked ready to crumple and Spike put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I know, mate, I know. Let's head back, and we'll work out how to do this. Give me your keys. I'm driving."

Alasdair complied, and headed for the passenger seat. There was silence as they drove back. Spike did a mental inventory and decided there was probably enough scotch in the flat to take the edge off Alasdair's misery as long as he didn't have any.

It was nearly dawn before a fairly drunk Alasdair finally fell asleep on the sofa. With a sigh of relief, Spike made his way to bed. There were too many problems to solve, and he didn't know where to start. He just hoped something would come to him in the morning.

There may be another chapter out this week, but I doubt it. As of the weekend, there will be nothing until the end of October. Sorry, just RL interfering. If you put me on your author alerts, you'll get an email when I update. (I'm paying for support services, so it doesn't matter if you are.)

As always, feedback is appreciated.