Disclaimer in chapter 1
***
Xander, Willow and Jean-Marc climbed into the SUV to head to the crime labs. "This could get ugly," Xander groused. "I mean I thought 'hey, go to Miami, steal a sword, get some sun. No big.' But now we've got a vamp to dust."
"At least one," Willow added. "We don't know how many vampires may have been on that ship or how many were sired while at sea. And my guess is they're after the sword too."
"Which means we take care of the slayage then haul ass back to the ship and take care of the sword," Xander said miserably. "Maybe we *should* have let Giles take care of this."
Speed called Horatio with his finding almost as soon as the trio stepped off the ship. Horatio had the officers searching the ship for intruders.
Tim was taking pictures when Horatio entered the cargo hold. "So, what have we found?" Eric and Calleigh trailed in behind their supervisor.
"Someone's been in here. Obviously after whatever's in these crates," Tim said not looking away from his job.
"Do you think they found it?" Calleigh asked as she peered into an open crate.
"Not sure. I interrupted them. Whoever it was must have used the vents to book before I could see them."
"Let's gather the evidence, then we'll analyze it back at the lab," Horatio ordered.
"I'll call the coven and go to the meeting house to start researching a way to destroy the sword," Jean-Marc said as they pulled up outside the crime labs. He scribbled an address and a couple of phone numbers on a slip of paper and handed it to Willow. "Have a cab take you to this address as soon as you are finished here. Call either of these numbers if there's trouble."
"Gotcha," Xander answered for the both of them. He and Willow opened their weapons bags and each pulled out a cross and a handful of stakes. They turned and headed for the building as Jean-Marc drove away.
After loading the last of the equipment into the hummer, Speed climbed behind the wheel while Calleigh got in on the passenger's side and they headed back to the lab.
"So, do you think our killer, or killers, went back to the ship?" Calleigh asked after a few moments. "And what would be in those crates that was worth the risk to go back when the ship is still crawling with investigators?"
"Apparently there are some priceless artifacts. We're still waiting on a list to see if anything's missing. H is going to have them start removing it all now that the bodies are off." Tim slapped the steering wheel in anger. "I just want to know how the fuck they got on and off without being seen!"
Calleigh studied him a moment before speaking. "Maybe they were invisible," she offered with a smile. Tim snorted. "What? You and Delko bring up vampires but I'm not allowed to joke about the invisible man?"
Willow and Xander stood in the morgue, a cross and a stake in each hand as they readied themselves for their task. The wiccan took a deep breath as they separated and began checking the bodies, pressing their crosses against dead flesh to see if they go a reaction.
The CSIs arrived in the parking lot while the Sunnydale pair conducted their search. Horatio took Speed to check on the last bodies brought in from the freighter.
Horatio stopped at the door to the morgue and listened. He could hear someone rummaging around inside.
"What is it?" Tim asked.
"Not sure, but lets find out."
They slowly opened the door and saw what appeared to be two college kids – a boy and a girl – checking out the dead bodies. Horatio and Speed drew their weapons and trained them on the intruders.
"Alright, neither of you move," Horatio insisted.
Willow and Xander raised their hands and slowly turned toward the officers.
"Damn it," Xander mumbled under his breath.
Xander and Willow sat in separate interrogation rooms as Speed and Horatio stood in the corridor explaining to Eric and Calleigh what they had found on their suspects.
"They each had a cross and five or six wooden stakes," Tim explained.
"Okay, this takes the whole 'vampire' thing to a new level," Calleigh said in disbelief.
"You think they're our murder suspects H?" Eric asked.
"We're running their print now and we'll compare then to the prints from the scene. Then we'll know."
"We gonna question them?" Speed suggested.
"Absolutely. Speed, you and Calleigh take the boy. Eric and I will take the girl."
Xander sat at the table in one of the interrogation room, palms pressed flat against the surface. They were going to start asking him why he and Willow had snuck into the morgue. After they stopped studying him like a lab specimen.
So Xander returned the favor. The slight blond woman sitting before him reminded him of Buffy. She had the girl next door looks that seemed to hide a kick-ass-take-no-prisoners attitude.
The black haired man next to her had an air of quiet intensity and intelligence that gave him the power to either soothe or set a person's nerves on edge.
It seemed to do the latter for the young man from Sunnydale, although he did a good job of hiding it.
"I'm detective Speedle and this is detective Dunsquene. We need to ask you some questions."
//Xander,// he heard Willow's voice in his mind. He managed not to jump sky-high. They hadn't used telepathic communication after Buffy's return.
//Yeah?//
"So," Tim began. "Mind telling us why you were in our morgue?"
//Tell them we were in there because we were curious. Never seen a dead body before.//
//Heh.// Xander fought a grin.
"My girlfriend and I were curious. Never seen a dead body before."
//Girlfriend?//
//How else should I refer to you? This way they'll buy our story easier.//
//Whatever.//
"So you and you girlfriend get your jollies off seeing dead bodies?" Speed asked skeptically.
"Jollies, not so much. More morbid curiosity. You know, couple of small town kids, big city crime." Xander shrugged, looking effectively sheepish.
Speed was prevented from responding when a woman down the corridor screamed. From the direction of the morgue.
Xander recognized that sound all too well.
Before Tim or Calleigh could stop him he was out of his seat and in the hallway, where Willow was already running toward the screams. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Xander asked grimly.
"Yeah."
They could hear the officers running behind them, shouting.
The Sunnydale pair slid to a stop inside the doorway to the morgue. There was a vampire, game-face on, attacking one of the technicians. He was trying to sink his teeth into her neck.
Xander shot forward and ripped the undead creature off the woman and shoved her toward the door. "Get out of here!" The vampire rounded on Xander while Willow studied the room, searching for a weapon. She spotted a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall near the door.
"Willow!" Xander shouted, while grappling with the creature. "Weapon!" She took the fire extinguisher off the wall. "Heads up!" She tossed it to her friend.
Xander caught it and bashed his opponent on the head with it.
Speed and Eric drew their guns. "Break it up!" Speed shouted.
"Be happy to oblige," Xander snapped. "If fang-boy would BACK OFF!" he shouted as hit the vampire in the face as he rushed him again.
Xander and Willow understood how Buffy felt when civilians were around when she had to fight.
Willow's eyes went black and she turned toward Speed and Eric where they stood in the doorway. She threw her arms out and purple light lashed out. The CSIs were knocked off their feet and into Horatio and Calleigh. They tumbled to the floor in the hall.
The team scrambled to their feet, but when they tried to rush back into the room they encounter resistance. It was like running into an invisible wall.
Xander was still wielding the extinguisher. The vamp ripped it from Xander's hands and shoved it into the young man's gut. He then hefted Xander into the air and slammed him against the wall. Xander gasped for air as his attacker tightened his hands around his throat.
"Xander!" Willow searched frantically for something to use. There was a cup of pencils on a counter along one of the walls. The pencils levitated out of their container and flew toward the vampire, embedding themselves into the creature's back.
Horatio and the other watched in shock as the vampire disintegrated into a pile of dust and Xander fell to the floor.
Willow's magic barrier gave way as she rushed to Xander's side. "You okay?" Xander groaned. "Good to go, Wills."
She then noticed the CSI flood into the room. She grabbed Xander's hands and began to chant. Horatio was positive she was speaking Latin. Then there was a bright flash of light and the pair was gone.
The group was stunned and no one spoke for several seconds.
Finally Eric broke the silence. "What the *hell* just happened?"
Tbc. . .
