Chapter 5
Giles pulled up outside the old boarding house that had gone out of business two years ago. It was the closest abandoned building to the church where Spike had attempted to drain the life force out of Angel to cure Drusilla.
Everyone piled out and made their way towards the derelict building. From the outside it looked like it had remained uninhabited since it closed down. Giles started to give instructions, "Buffy if you take Willow and try the back, Angel and I will go in the front."
But Buffy was having none of that. Impatiently she walked up to the front door and kicked it off its hinges.
"Or we could all go in the front" said Angel with a straight face.
Willow and Giles hung to the rear while Buffy and Angel searched the building. But it was obvious there had been no inhabitants here, human or otherwise.
Buffy came back downstairs and with a shake of her head indicated that she had found nothing. Everyone stood for a moment alone with their thoughts, each afraid to voice their growing concern that Xander's time was running out.
Giles lead the way back to the car, and once everyone was in drove off as fast as his vehicle could manage. He pulled up outside a pay phone to call Jenny, who had stayed behind at his apartment to wait for any message that may be delivered. Jenny answered on the first ring, and inside the car they could all see Giles' head sink as he heard that there had been no news.
Giles got back in and turned to Buffy and Willow in the back, "there's been nothing, no news. I don't want to give up hope but ."
"We'll find him Giles" said Buffy firmly. Giles nodded even though he suspected Buffy was trying to convince herself more than him.
Giles turned to Angel in the front. "Is there anything else you can think of, places that Spike usually stays at, anything at all."
Angel shook his head. "Spike has no pattern. He stays at the first place he finds, he's not one to search around a whole lot."
Giles grimaced "Superb. He picks random places, which means he could be anywhere."
"Wait" said Willow in a loud voice. Giles and Angel both turned in surprise, hearing the urgency in Willow's voice.
Willow addressed Angel. "Spike came to Sunnydale by car didn't he?"
"Yes" said Angel.
"And Spike would have come from the east. He didn't head south from Los Angeles did he?" continued Willow.
"No, Spike was making his way slowly across America from New York, he has never been to LA" answered Angel, now clearly confused.
"Then that's it!" said Willow.
"Huh" said Buffy. "I'm lost here"
"Angel said Spike doesn't go looking for places, he crashes at the first one he finds" said Willow, now very excited.
"And that means what, exactly?" asked Giles, confused as everyone else.
"It means he will be in a place near the Eastern Highway on the way into Sunnydale. He couldn't be in the centre of town, he'd be spotted too easily, so he must be somewhere along that road but not too far away" explained Willow.
Giles gunned the motor as Buffy leaned over to hug Willow, "Will's you're a genius".
Willow smiled at Buffy and kept her poker face. Inwardly she was terrified. I just hope we get there in time, thought Willow.
Giles slowed the car as they entered the most likely area where Spike and Drusilla were hiding out. There was an industrial estate on one side of the road and an abandoned factory on the other. They decided to check the factory first.
Buffy got out and looked around quickly to get her bearings. On spotting the main entrance, she went through her plan, speaking softly so as not to give away any surprise. "Giles, you and Willow wait here. Keep an eye out while Angel and I head over and check out the building. We'll wave you over when we're ready."
"Ok Buffy. Be careful" said Giles, and ducked down to stay out of sight.
Buffy and Angel made their way over to the factory as quickly and quietly as they could. Sneaking up to the main entrance Angel peered in through the glass and was able to spot a staircase heading down, but there was no sign of any activity. Angel and Buffy split up to check out the sides of the building for any other access points, but there were none to be found. Buffy waved to Giles and Willow to make their way over.
Buffy told Giles what she thought. "This doesn't look great. This door seems to lead downstairs, but we can't see what's down there. I guess there is another door round the back, but we should stick together, right?"
"Yes that sounds fair enough" said Giles. "Are you ready Willow?"
"No." said Willow, still trying to psyche herself up for this.
"Ok, lets go then" said Angel.
Buffy tried the door handle and it was unlocked, the door opened silently beckoning them into the darkness below. Angel made his way down first because of his heightened night vision, but even he was struggling to make out any details of the surroundings beneath them. Slowly the gang made their way down the staircase to the factory floor below. Once they all reached the bottom everyone paused for a minute to try and let their eyes adjust to the darkness. There was nothing but complete silence, and it was hard to imagine that anyone else could be down there without making any noise at all.
Eventually the gang headed off to the left towards the closest wall. Buffy noticed a light switch close by and pointed to it to ask if she should flip the switch. Giles shrugged and then nodded, thinking that if it was a trap then both parties would be equally blinded by the sudden light.
Wincing, Buffy hit the switch and the factory came alight. Quickly they all looked around but there was nobody to be seen, the factory was deserted. Angel headed off to investigate a hallway on the other side of the floor, while Giles, Buffy and Willow searched the main floor for any clues to Xander's whereabouts.
Not a minute later Angel came running out and called to the gang, "I think you need to come and have a look at this." Quickly the three of them ran over and went into the room that Angel was pointing to. Inside there was an old fashioned double bed and several old dolls lined up on a chest of drawers.
Pointing at the dolls, Angel said "these are Drusilla's, I'd know them anywhere. She wouldn't leave them behind if she could possibly help it. This is where they have been staying."
"So where is Xander then?" asked Buffy, now angry and frustrated.
"I have no idea" said Angel softly.
"Giles?" said Buffy, turning to her watcher for advice.
"I don't know Buffy. We can stay here and stake out the factory, wait for Spike and Drusilla to return. Assuming they still have Xander, that would probably be the best idea. Then make our entrance after sunrise to give us the greatest advantage."
"Ok" said Buffy, "lets head outside and wait for fangface to show up. He better not have hurt Xander, or I'll break every bone in his body before I dust him"
"I'll stay as long as I can, it's still a few hours before first light" said Angel.
And with that, the gang switched off the lights and made their way outside to find a hiding place to keep an eye on the factory.
Giles pulled up outside the old boarding house that had gone out of business two years ago. It was the closest abandoned building to the church where Spike had attempted to drain the life force out of Angel to cure Drusilla.
Everyone piled out and made their way towards the derelict building. From the outside it looked like it had remained uninhabited since it closed down. Giles started to give instructions, "Buffy if you take Willow and try the back, Angel and I will go in the front."
But Buffy was having none of that. Impatiently she walked up to the front door and kicked it off its hinges.
"Or we could all go in the front" said Angel with a straight face.
Willow and Giles hung to the rear while Buffy and Angel searched the building. But it was obvious there had been no inhabitants here, human or otherwise.
Buffy came back downstairs and with a shake of her head indicated that she had found nothing. Everyone stood for a moment alone with their thoughts, each afraid to voice their growing concern that Xander's time was running out.
Giles lead the way back to the car, and once everyone was in drove off as fast as his vehicle could manage. He pulled up outside a pay phone to call Jenny, who had stayed behind at his apartment to wait for any message that may be delivered. Jenny answered on the first ring, and inside the car they could all see Giles' head sink as he heard that there had been no news.
Giles got back in and turned to Buffy and Willow in the back, "there's been nothing, no news. I don't want to give up hope but ."
"We'll find him Giles" said Buffy firmly. Giles nodded even though he suspected Buffy was trying to convince herself more than him.
Giles turned to Angel in the front. "Is there anything else you can think of, places that Spike usually stays at, anything at all."
Angel shook his head. "Spike has no pattern. He stays at the first place he finds, he's not one to search around a whole lot."
Giles grimaced "Superb. He picks random places, which means he could be anywhere."
"Wait" said Willow in a loud voice. Giles and Angel both turned in surprise, hearing the urgency in Willow's voice.
Willow addressed Angel. "Spike came to Sunnydale by car didn't he?"
"Yes" said Angel.
"And Spike would have come from the east. He didn't head south from Los Angeles did he?" continued Willow.
"No, Spike was making his way slowly across America from New York, he has never been to LA" answered Angel, now clearly confused.
"Then that's it!" said Willow.
"Huh" said Buffy. "I'm lost here"
"Angel said Spike doesn't go looking for places, he crashes at the first one he finds" said Willow, now very excited.
"And that means what, exactly?" asked Giles, confused as everyone else.
"It means he will be in a place near the Eastern Highway on the way into Sunnydale. He couldn't be in the centre of town, he'd be spotted too easily, so he must be somewhere along that road but not too far away" explained Willow.
Giles gunned the motor as Buffy leaned over to hug Willow, "Will's you're a genius".
Willow smiled at Buffy and kept her poker face. Inwardly she was terrified. I just hope we get there in time, thought Willow.
Giles slowed the car as they entered the most likely area where Spike and Drusilla were hiding out. There was an industrial estate on one side of the road and an abandoned factory on the other. They decided to check the factory first.
Buffy got out and looked around quickly to get her bearings. On spotting the main entrance, she went through her plan, speaking softly so as not to give away any surprise. "Giles, you and Willow wait here. Keep an eye out while Angel and I head over and check out the building. We'll wave you over when we're ready."
"Ok Buffy. Be careful" said Giles, and ducked down to stay out of sight.
Buffy and Angel made their way over to the factory as quickly and quietly as they could. Sneaking up to the main entrance Angel peered in through the glass and was able to spot a staircase heading down, but there was no sign of any activity. Angel and Buffy split up to check out the sides of the building for any other access points, but there were none to be found. Buffy waved to Giles and Willow to make their way over.
Buffy told Giles what she thought. "This doesn't look great. This door seems to lead downstairs, but we can't see what's down there. I guess there is another door round the back, but we should stick together, right?"
"Yes that sounds fair enough" said Giles. "Are you ready Willow?"
"No." said Willow, still trying to psyche herself up for this.
"Ok, lets go then" said Angel.
Buffy tried the door handle and it was unlocked, the door opened silently beckoning them into the darkness below. Angel made his way down first because of his heightened night vision, but even he was struggling to make out any details of the surroundings beneath them. Slowly the gang made their way down the staircase to the factory floor below. Once they all reached the bottom everyone paused for a minute to try and let their eyes adjust to the darkness. There was nothing but complete silence, and it was hard to imagine that anyone else could be down there without making any noise at all.
Eventually the gang headed off to the left towards the closest wall. Buffy noticed a light switch close by and pointed to it to ask if she should flip the switch. Giles shrugged and then nodded, thinking that if it was a trap then both parties would be equally blinded by the sudden light.
Wincing, Buffy hit the switch and the factory came alight. Quickly they all looked around but there was nobody to be seen, the factory was deserted. Angel headed off to investigate a hallway on the other side of the floor, while Giles, Buffy and Willow searched the main floor for any clues to Xander's whereabouts.
Not a minute later Angel came running out and called to the gang, "I think you need to come and have a look at this." Quickly the three of them ran over and went into the room that Angel was pointing to. Inside there was an old fashioned double bed and several old dolls lined up on a chest of drawers.
Pointing at the dolls, Angel said "these are Drusilla's, I'd know them anywhere. She wouldn't leave them behind if she could possibly help it. This is where they have been staying."
"So where is Xander then?" asked Buffy, now angry and frustrated.
"I have no idea" said Angel softly.
"Giles?" said Buffy, turning to her watcher for advice.
"I don't know Buffy. We can stay here and stake out the factory, wait for Spike and Drusilla to return. Assuming they still have Xander, that would probably be the best idea. Then make our entrance after sunrise to give us the greatest advantage."
"Ok" said Buffy, "lets head outside and wait for fangface to show up. He better not have hurt Xander, or I'll break every bone in his body before I dust him"
"I'll stay as long as I can, it's still a few hours before first light" said Angel.
And with that, the gang switched off the lights and made their way outside to find a hiding place to keep an eye on the factory.
