Disclaimer: see prologue
Chapter 6
"This is it," Charlie said. "Y'know, sir, I hope they're in."
"If they're not in, we'll come back tomorrow," Angelus said. "We have eternity. They do not."
"They don't have long at all," Luc said gleefully. "Now wait here, Charlie, and we'll be out fairly soon."
"Yes, sir. Good luck!"
Luc grinned cheerfully and got out of the car. He waited for Angelus to join him, and together they made their way to the door of the house - a modest semi-detached Edwardian villa, identical to all the others around it. Luc knocked and stood back from the door, his hands folded in front of him.
A slim, pretty woman in faded jeans and a jumper came to the door, wiping her hands on a dishcloth as she did so. Her face bore a welcoming smile, which faded a fraction as she realised she knew neither of the two visitors.
"Mrs Hansen?" Luc said. "Good evening. We're sorry to bother you so late."
"Yes, I'm Mrs Hansen," the woman said, folding up the dishcloth. "Can I help?"
"We work with your brother, Mrs Hansen," Angelus replied. Her expression grew anxious.
"Mike? Is he all right? I haven't heard from him in a few weeks - he's so prone to accidents, you know."
"May we come in?" Luc asked; the crucial question. There was a pause, and then Mrs Hansen nodded.
"Yes. Yes, come on in." She stood back and held the door open. "I'm sorry, the place is a mess ..."
The vampires shared a grin and followed her inside the house. Mike Fletcher's sister closed the door. "Do come on into the kitchen."
They did so, finding themselves in a cluttered little room with children's drawings stuck on the walls and notes attached to the fridge. The sink was full of soapy water and a few dirty plates were waiting to be washed.
"So you work with Mike?" Mrs Hansen leaned against the work-surface. "You know, he's never actually explained what it is he does. He's been very vague."
"He works for a body called the Council of Watchers," Luc said. "Not a nice group of people, really."
"That's a funny thing to say about your own organisation," Mrs Hansen said, her tone showing suspicion.
"We were a little economical with the truth outside," Angelus smiled. "It's just as well for us that your brother failed to explain the intricacies of his job - and the fact you really ought never to invite people into your home. Bad idea. Very bad idea." He took a step towards her, and her face darkened.
"I don't think you've ever met my brother."
"Mike Fletcher," Angelus said. "So high. Mmm, we've met him. I broke most of his fingers - might be why you've not heard from him. Difficult to write or call without your hands." Mrs Hansen had gone pale now, and looked as if she was beginning to move. Angelus said, "Luc!" and Luc slipped round behind her, trapping her between the two of them. "Now," Angelus continued smoothly, "I hope you have a phone number for your brother - a work number, perhaps?"
"For emergencies, yes," Mrs Hansen admitted.
"I thought so." He pushed the telephone, sitting on the surface by the oven, towards her. "Call it."
"What should I say?" She squared her shoulders. "In fact, why should I call Mike? Why not the police? Why not my husband? He'll be back from work any moment."
Angelus shook his head. "Because you would be dead and we would be gone long before the police arrive, and your husband holds no fear for us. Trust me on this, Mrs Hansen. Call your brother, and tell him that Angelus is with you."
"Who?"
His hand shot out and dealt her a heavy blow to the cheek. "Not who, me. Angelus. He knows my name."
She stared at him for a moment, and then picked up the phone and dialled, her cheek turning a smarting pink. Luc met Angelus' eyes and smiled. After a moment Mrs Hansen spoke. "Hello. Password - no, I don't have a password. It's important. I need to speak to my brother, Mike Fletcher. I know he works for you." She listened, frowning. "Please, it really is vital. Thank you." She waited, her left arm hugging her waist. "Mike? Mike, is that you? No, I'm not, not really. You're going to think I'm so stupid - these two men turned up and said they worked with you. Yes, I let them in. You want to speak to them?" She held the phone away from her ear. "He wants to talk to you."
Angelus nodded. "Pass me the phone." Mike Fletcher's sister did so. "Mike, wonderful to hear you!" Angelus said. "Your sister is lovely, and so cooperative." He grimaced, and held the phone at a distance from him. "There's really no need to shout. You can't get to us in time to stop anything. My plans are made. Oh? She is? Well, that makes everything a lot more interesting."
Luc raised his eyebrows, and said, "The Slayer?" His sire nodded.
"Ah, Mike ... no, that was Luc. In fact, I think I shall pass you on to him. He's done most of the organising, you know. A brilliant organiser, my boy."
He passed Luc the receiver, the cable trapping Mrs Hansen against the counter.
"Salut!" Luc said cheerfully.
"Okay, give," came Mike Fletcher's voice, clear and angry. "What do I have to do to keep my sister safe?"
"You cannot really do very much, can you?" Luc pointed out reasonably. "They tell me broken bones take several weeks to heal properly, for you humans."
"Damn you!" Mike said. "What do you want?"
"Well now, monsieur Fletcher, why should we tell you what we want?" Luc asked. "Naturellement, we're not especially keen on the Council at the moment, but then I imagine you're not either. Perhaps our wishes are the same?"
"Stop talking in riddles," spat Mike, and Luc shook his head in amusement at the vitriol. In the background he could hear a lot of talking, and a raised voice came through strongly - a female voice. He smiled to himself.
"We're just looking for some amusement," he replied. "Here's the game. You know we're in London. Find us, and the next part of the game will commence. I imagine it will be especially interesting now mademoiselle Summers has flown in to give her aid." Listening, he heard Mike's agitated breathing and then the female voice again, saying, "Right, we're off. Don't worry, Mike."
"We'll find you," Mike said, after a pause. "What we started in Sunnydale, we will finish."
"That remains to be seen," Luc said. "Au revoir, monsieur Fletcher." He put the phone down, leaning over Mrs Hansen to do so. "The Slayer's on her way here," he told Angelus in French. "Although it would be interesting to stay for her I think we had better leave sooner rather than later, sire. This is not the place for battling her."
"I agree." Angelus turned his attention back to Mrs Hansen. "Your brother has bought you this, at least - I was going to take my time and enjoy this evening, but it seems we have to move on. Shame." He grinned, and let the grin morph as his true features came to the fore. Mrs Hansen opened her mouth to scream, but Luc had anticipated this and stopped it with his hand, holding the woman round her neck even as his sire bent in for the kill. It did not take long, and they let the body go.
"Spirited," Luc commented.
Angelus wiped his mouth. "Let's find the girl, shall we, and go before Buffy arrives with her little army?"
Together they moved upstairs, Luc listening for the sound of breathing. He found it, pausing at a door labelled, "Katy's Room". Pushing the door open, he saw a room cluttered with soft toys and lit by a single nightlight. In the bed, a small girl slept with her thumb in her mouth and a pink elephant huddled to her chest. Luc opened the wardrobe and pulled out a few clothes, bundling them into a bag and throwing the bag to his sire, who had entered the room behind him. Carefully, Luc picked up the girl, and they hurried downstairs and out of the door.
Charlie was still waiting in the car as they got in, and he started the engine immediately.
"Drive smoothly," Angelus said as they set off. "Screaming children are not my thing, unless I can actually eat them."
"It does seem a pity we planned to use her," Luc said dreamily, looking down at the girl in his arms. "She looks delicious."
"The plan is the plan, though," Angelus returned. "And so far, it's going wonderfully well. Anyway, I want Darla to see her. She loves children."
They exchanged smiles.
Astonishingly, the little girl did not wake throughout the drive back to Belgrave Square, and they were able to get her inside and into the bed ready for her without mishap. Luc pulled the covers over her and looked down.
"Si mignonne. How our monsieur Fletcher will hate this."
"We've broken his bones, now we'll break his heart," Angelus said. "And in doing so, we'll remind the Council not to underestimate us. Are you going to watch her, Luc?"
"I am, oui."
His sire nodded. "Good. Need anything? Someone to eat?"
"Not now, no," Luc shook his head. "For now, everything is perfect."
Angelus went to the door. "I think I agree," he said. "Everything is perfect." He shot Luc one of his lopsided grins, and vanished. Luc turned his attention back to Mike Fletcher's niece, and settled into his chair.
---
'Si mignonne' = 'so sweet'.
Chapter 6
"This is it," Charlie said. "Y'know, sir, I hope they're in."
"If they're not in, we'll come back tomorrow," Angelus said. "We have eternity. They do not."
"They don't have long at all," Luc said gleefully. "Now wait here, Charlie, and we'll be out fairly soon."
"Yes, sir. Good luck!"
Luc grinned cheerfully and got out of the car. He waited for Angelus to join him, and together they made their way to the door of the house - a modest semi-detached Edwardian villa, identical to all the others around it. Luc knocked and stood back from the door, his hands folded in front of him.
A slim, pretty woman in faded jeans and a jumper came to the door, wiping her hands on a dishcloth as she did so. Her face bore a welcoming smile, which faded a fraction as she realised she knew neither of the two visitors.
"Mrs Hansen?" Luc said. "Good evening. We're sorry to bother you so late."
"Yes, I'm Mrs Hansen," the woman said, folding up the dishcloth. "Can I help?"
"We work with your brother, Mrs Hansen," Angelus replied. Her expression grew anxious.
"Mike? Is he all right? I haven't heard from him in a few weeks - he's so prone to accidents, you know."
"May we come in?" Luc asked; the crucial question. There was a pause, and then Mrs Hansen nodded.
"Yes. Yes, come on in." She stood back and held the door open. "I'm sorry, the place is a mess ..."
The vampires shared a grin and followed her inside the house. Mike Fletcher's sister closed the door. "Do come on into the kitchen."
They did so, finding themselves in a cluttered little room with children's drawings stuck on the walls and notes attached to the fridge. The sink was full of soapy water and a few dirty plates were waiting to be washed.
"So you work with Mike?" Mrs Hansen leaned against the work-surface. "You know, he's never actually explained what it is he does. He's been very vague."
"He works for a body called the Council of Watchers," Luc said. "Not a nice group of people, really."
"That's a funny thing to say about your own organisation," Mrs Hansen said, her tone showing suspicion.
"We were a little economical with the truth outside," Angelus smiled. "It's just as well for us that your brother failed to explain the intricacies of his job - and the fact you really ought never to invite people into your home. Bad idea. Very bad idea." He took a step towards her, and her face darkened.
"I don't think you've ever met my brother."
"Mike Fletcher," Angelus said. "So high. Mmm, we've met him. I broke most of his fingers - might be why you've not heard from him. Difficult to write or call without your hands." Mrs Hansen had gone pale now, and looked as if she was beginning to move. Angelus said, "Luc!" and Luc slipped round behind her, trapping her between the two of them. "Now," Angelus continued smoothly, "I hope you have a phone number for your brother - a work number, perhaps?"
"For emergencies, yes," Mrs Hansen admitted.
"I thought so." He pushed the telephone, sitting on the surface by the oven, towards her. "Call it."
"What should I say?" She squared her shoulders. "In fact, why should I call Mike? Why not the police? Why not my husband? He'll be back from work any moment."
Angelus shook his head. "Because you would be dead and we would be gone long before the police arrive, and your husband holds no fear for us. Trust me on this, Mrs Hansen. Call your brother, and tell him that Angelus is with you."
"Who?"
His hand shot out and dealt her a heavy blow to the cheek. "Not who, me. Angelus. He knows my name."
She stared at him for a moment, and then picked up the phone and dialled, her cheek turning a smarting pink. Luc met Angelus' eyes and smiled. After a moment Mrs Hansen spoke. "Hello. Password - no, I don't have a password. It's important. I need to speak to my brother, Mike Fletcher. I know he works for you." She listened, frowning. "Please, it really is vital. Thank you." She waited, her left arm hugging her waist. "Mike? Mike, is that you? No, I'm not, not really. You're going to think I'm so stupid - these two men turned up and said they worked with you. Yes, I let them in. You want to speak to them?" She held the phone away from her ear. "He wants to talk to you."
Angelus nodded. "Pass me the phone." Mike Fletcher's sister did so. "Mike, wonderful to hear you!" Angelus said. "Your sister is lovely, and so cooperative." He grimaced, and held the phone at a distance from him. "There's really no need to shout. You can't get to us in time to stop anything. My plans are made. Oh? She is? Well, that makes everything a lot more interesting."
Luc raised his eyebrows, and said, "The Slayer?" His sire nodded.
"Ah, Mike ... no, that was Luc. In fact, I think I shall pass you on to him. He's done most of the organising, you know. A brilliant organiser, my boy."
He passed Luc the receiver, the cable trapping Mrs Hansen against the counter.
"Salut!" Luc said cheerfully.
"Okay, give," came Mike Fletcher's voice, clear and angry. "What do I have to do to keep my sister safe?"
"You cannot really do very much, can you?" Luc pointed out reasonably. "They tell me broken bones take several weeks to heal properly, for you humans."
"Damn you!" Mike said. "What do you want?"
"Well now, monsieur Fletcher, why should we tell you what we want?" Luc asked. "Naturellement, we're not especially keen on the Council at the moment, but then I imagine you're not either. Perhaps our wishes are the same?"
"Stop talking in riddles," spat Mike, and Luc shook his head in amusement at the vitriol. In the background he could hear a lot of talking, and a raised voice came through strongly - a female voice. He smiled to himself.
"We're just looking for some amusement," he replied. "Here's the game. You know we're in London. Find us, and the next part of the game will commence. I imagine it will be especially interesting now mademoiselle Summers has flown in to give her aid." Listening, he heard Mike's agitated breathing and then the female voice again, saying, "Right, we're off. Don't worry, Mike."
"We'll find you," Mike said, after a pause. "What we started in Sunnydale, we will finish."
"That remains to be seen," Luc said. "Au revoir, monsieur Fletcher." He put the phone down, leaning over Mrs Hansen to do so. "The Slayer's on her way here," he told Angelus in French. "Although it would be interesting to stay for her I think we had better leave sooner rather than later, sire. This is not the place for battling her."
"I agree." Angelus turned his attention back to Mrs Hansen. "Your brother has bought you this, at least - I was going to take my time and enjoy this evening, but it seems we have to move on. Shame." He grinned, and let the grin morph as his true features came to the fore. Mrs Hansen opened her mouth to scream, but Luc had anticipated this and stopped it with his hand, holding the woman round her neck even as his sire bent in for the kill. It did not take long, and they let the body go.
"Spirited," Luc commented.
Angelus wiped his mouth. "Let's find the girl, shall we, and go before Buffy arrives with her little army?"
Together they moved upstairs, Luc listening for the sound of breathing. He found it, pausing at a door labelled, "Katy's Room". Pushing the door open, he saw a room cluttered with soft toys and lit by a single nightlight. In the bed, a small girl slept with her thumb in her mouth and a pink elephant huddled to her chest. Luc opened the wardrobe and pulled out a few clothes, bundling them into a bag and throwing the bag to his sire, who had entered the room behind him. Carefully, Luc picked up the girl, and they hurried downstairs and out of the door.
Charlie was still waiting in the car as they got in, and he started the engine immediately.
"Drive smoothly," Angelus said as they set off. "Screaming children are not my thing, unless I can actually eat them."
"It does seem a pity we planned to use her," Luc said dreamily, looking down at the girl in his arms. "She looks delicious."
"The plan is the plan, though," Angelus returned. "And so far, it's going wonderfully well. Anyway, I want Darla to see her. She loves children."
They exchanged smiles.
Astonishingly, the little girl did not wake throughout the drive back to Belgrave Square, and they were able to get her inside and into the bed ready for her without mishap. Luc pulled the covers over her and looked down.
"Si mignonne. How our monsieur Fletcher will hate this."
"We've broken his bones, now we'll break his heart," Angelus said. "And in doing so, we'll remind the Council not to underestimate us. Are you going to watch her, Luc?"
"I am, oui."
His sire nodded. "Good. Need anything? Someone to eat?"
"Not now, no," Luc shook his head. "For now, everything is perfect."
Angelus went to the door. "I think I agree," he said. "Everything is perfect." He shot Luc one of his lopsided grins, and vanished. Luc turned his attention back to Mike Fletcher's niece, and settled into his chair.
---
'Si mignonne' = 'so sweet'.