Chapter 14
Counterplots
"I still don't get the name. Shouldn't it be called Project Faith?" Cordelia turned her perplexed look on Wesley. Wesley looked to Gunn for help. Charles Gunn simply shrugged. "Fine!" Cordelia replied to both of them, holding up her hand palm out. You can just talk to the hand, it said. She turned, instead, and batted her lashes at Mac.
MacKenzie smiled back at her, but didn't supply the requested knowledge. Instead, he leaned over and whispered to her. "The room is probably being monitored." Cordelia nodded sagely.
They had, in various order, eaten, slept, and waited. What they really needed to do was reconnoiter – and plan. Unfortunately, both of those options were out of the question as long as they were the 'guests' of Wolfram and Hart. Wes and Angel had managed only a few hushed exchanges.
The plan, such as it was, was predicated on Kate being held either in or near Lilah's office. If she was being held anyplace else, they were in for a bad time of it. The only other things they were able to agree on were that they needed to go back to the hotel before they took on Sheffield and his men. And, once there, Cordelia would pretend to have a vision. That would be the key to getting her back to Lilah's office.
The only other break in the waiting had been when Mac had requested a first aid kit. He'd needed to rewrap the wound in his shoulder. As soon as it had become apparent that he was going to take his shirt off, Codelia volunteered to help. When the job was done, he left off the sling. His arm was still weak and stiff, but he thought it better to not have it restrained.
They made mostly idle conversation. Mac and Gunn compared opinions on various firearms. Wes and Angel discussed history. Cordy read several magazines, which she used as inspiration to plan a makeover for each of the others. As the sun slipped into a small line on the horizon, tension mounted. The conversations ceased, and they all simply stared and waited.
Without warning, the door to the room opened and man in uniform stepped in. "I'm Captain Corbit," he said by way of introduction. "My men have the scent and expect to have the location pinpointed within an hour. It's time to start getting ready."
"We're going to need to go back to the hotel," Angel said simply.
"Not in the program," Corbit replied.
"Well, lad," Mac said slowly, "I suggest you reset the program. If you expect us to accomplish our end of things, we're going to need our supplies." He paused for a moment. "Or would you rather we, and you, just fail in this little task?"
Corbit attempted to stare them down, but they all calmly returned his gaze. Finally, he pulled out a cell phone and stepped back out of the room. He returned a moment later, a look of dissatisfaction on his face. "All right," he said grimly, "we leave right now. But whatever it is you need to get, you have only a few minutes to get it. Once we have that location identified, you're going in."
Angel smiled. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Corbit didn't reply.
* * *
When they arrived at the hotel, Corbit was in an even worse mood. Traffic had been bad, and he felt he was running short of time. "Ten minutes," he yelled as they group entered the lobby.
Angel and his team immediately divided up and began grabbing supplies. Along the way, they did a final check-in. "Cordelia set?" Angel asked.
"She knows her part," Wesley responded. "They'll take us back to Lilah. We'll subdue her and find Kate. When we have Kate, we'll radio you."
"You're going to need a diversion," Angel advised.
"It would help, but we haven't got much time to plan one." Wesley looked over his shoulder at their escort. They were beginning to get suspicious.
"I'll have Gunn set it up," Angel said, and then turned before Wes could contradict him and walked towards Gunn. "Charles," he called out. "I need you to get me my crossbow from the safe downstairs." He put his arm around Gunn and turned him towards the elevator and began walking with him.
"Give it to me quick," Gunn said, knowing something was up.
"Wes needs a diversion. I was thinking you should get some friends and make one." Angel pointed to the elevator. "Take it all the way down to the tunnels. By the time they realize you're not coming back, it'll be too late."
"Got it." Charles began to move forward, then stopped. "Look, they got some hefty demons in that Wolfram and Hart office. I'm not sure I can round up enough boys on short notice to handle that."
Angel considered for a moment. "Go to Caritas. There's a platinum blonde vampire there playing poker in the back."
"Spike?" Gunn asked incredulously. "What makes you think he'll help."
"Well," Angel shrugged uncomfortably. Then inspiration hit. "We'll hire him. Five hundred should get him there."
"And just where am I going to get five c-notes?"
"Borrow them form Lorne." Angel slapped Gunn on the back and sent him on his way.
"Ow! Watch the bloody arm," Mac exclaimed from just behind them. "I've got a lot to do tonight. You think I can do that with you lummoxes just tramping into me like that?" He was yelling at one of Corbit's men – and effectively blocking him from catching up with Gunn, which is where the man had obviously been headed.
Seeing the elevator door close and Gunn slipping out of their sight, Corbit charged into the room. "What's going on here?" he demanded.
"He ran into me, the loaf," Mac supplied.
"Not you – the black one. Where'd he go?" Corbit's face was quickly moving from red to purple.
"He went to get my crossbow," Angel replied. "Nothing to worry about. He should be back in a few minutes."
"We don't have a few minutes," Corbit said. "Get him back here, now!"
"Okay," Angel said. "Charles!" he yelled out. "Come up." He waited for a moment. "You know," he said, leaning over to Corbit conspiratorially, "I don't think he can hear me from here."
Before he could reply, another soldier ran up to Corbit and handed him a walkie-talkie. "Go!" he said, mashing down the button. He listened for a moment, nodding. "Got it," he replied to it. He looked up at Angel and Mac. "We've got the location pinpointed. We are rolling right now. If you're man isn't up here by the time we reach that door, you're just going to be short one." He turned and marched towards the entrance. "Bring 'em" he called back over his shoulder.
Mac, Wes, Angel and Cordelia were roughly shoved towards the entrance and told to get moving. With small protests, they began heading for the door. Just as they reached the stairs, Cordelia cried out and pitched backwards.
Wesley caught her as she fell and laid her slowly to the ground. "She's having a vision," he called out to everyone. While Cordelia murmured incoherently, he leaned close to her, appearing to listen. After moment, he whispered to her, "Allright, pass out now." With a final cry, she went limp.
Wes looked up the crowd on the stairs. "She said the back door of the hideout is wired to blow. If you go through it you'll be killed instantly."
"Good to know," Mac said nonchalantly.
"Allright," Corbit snapped. "Let's get a move on."
"But we can't bring her with us like this," Angel said, gesturing to Codelia's prostate form.
"It's hard enough, what we're going to do," Mac added in. "We can't be carrying the wounded around with us."
"Get her up!" Corbit insisted. "Barker, smelling salts, now."
"I wouldn't advise that," Wesley warned gravely. "The visions are very powerful and leave her incapacitated. Trying to wake her forcibly could bring uncontrolled mystical forces into play. We simply have no way of knowing what will happen."
"Well I can't leave her here," Corbit snapped. "I've already lost one of you, and I'm running out of both time and patience."
"Why don't you check with your boss?" Angel suggested.
"Don't think I won't," Corbit hissed back. He pulled out a cell phone and punched the speed-dial. "Lilah?" he said into the phone. "Corbit here. We've lost the gang-banger, and the chick just had a vision and is passed out." He listened for a moment. "Fine," he said, and slapped the flip-phone closed. "Simmons, bring her back to the office. Lilah will put her with the other one."
"I have to go with her," Wesley said. "I won't allow you to take custody of her in this condition. There's no telling what you animals might do."
"Look, geek, I'm only going to go through this once – "
"Do we have time for that?" Mac asked, interrupting.
"I didn't think so," Angel replied. "Besides, Wes isn't much good in a fight." He looked over at Corbit. "Don't mind us," he said, gesturing to Mac. "We'll just talk amongst ourselves while you lecture."
"Simmons!" Corbit yelled. The fact that the soldier named Simmons was standing right next to him didn't seem to matter. "Bring the geek and the broad back to the office. And if he gives you any trouble, shoot him."
"What about the other one?" Simmons asked.
"Do as you're told," Corbit said, turned, and marched out. Angel winked at Wes, and the two teams separated.
* * *
The patrons of Caritas were oblivious to what was happening in the outside world. That was, of course, the whole point of the club. Come in and leave the big, bad world behind. Thus, it was with a great deal of shock that Lorne received the obviously agitated Charles Gunn.
The host took Gunn over to one corner of the bar and called for a refill on his sea breeze, "… and a Ginger Ale for Captain Crazed, here." Once delivered, Lorne set his penetrating gaze on Gunn. "I don't even need you to hum a few bars to tell that something's very, very wrong. What is it, Charlie Brown?"
"I'm kinda on a schedule," Gunn replied. "It's all goin' down tonight, and I need to bust a move if I'm gonna do my part."
"Okay – bust away." Lorne leaned back a bit, prepared for anything.
"Angel sent me here to pick up a vampire named Spike – " Gunn began.
"Billy Idol with an overbite," Lorne supplied. "What's up with Angel? He get a new maid and decide the place needed to be dusted up before she gets there?" He was clearly reluctant because of the incident the previous night. He didn't sell his customers out, not even to friends.
"Nothing like that," Gunn said reassuringly. "This is a plain old, every day throw down, and we need some hired muscle."
"So you're going to hire him? No ulterior motives." Lorne needed to be sure. "Hum a few bars for me," he ordered. Gunn rolled his eyes but complied. After a moment's concentration, Lorne nodded. "Okay, you're telling me the truth. Although you might've mentioned that you needed to borrow five Franklins." He looked around at the crowd, assuring himself that he wasn't being observed. "Wait here," he said, and went behind the bar.
A moment later, he handed Gunn the money across the bar, but didn't let go of it. "I'm not a bank, you know."
"I know," Gunn nodded. Lorne still did not let go of the money. "And I promise to make sure that Angel pays you back," he added with a hint of exasperation. Lorne let go of the bills.
"Back table. Can't miss him." Lorne turned away to concentrate on the stage and the demon currently doing karaoke on it.
"Thanks," Gunn said, and then headed to the back of the room. Lorne was right – he couldn't miss Spike. He was propped in a corner with a cigarette hanging at the perfect angle from his mouth. His hand held five cards jauntily, clearly unconcerned with their value. The others at the table stared at theirs.
Gunn stood a respectful distance for several minutes, not wanting to anger the players by interrupting. Eventually, though, he cleared his throat to get their attention. The poker players ignored him. He cleared his throat again.
"You might want to get that looked at," Spike said without looking up at him. "It could turn into pneumonia."
"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Gunn replied. "But first, I need to talk to you."
"Well, I don't need to talk to you, so piss off." The other poker players laughed.
"Angel sent me," Gunn said.
"One of his little cherubs, huh?" Spike finally looked over at Gunn. After a brief inspection, he turned away, bored.
Seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere, he decided to simply lay it out. "Angel wants to hire you. Five hundred, take it or leave it, right now."
Spike's head snapped over to Gunn, and then he quickly looked away hoping to cover his interest. "What's he want me to do, swim across a pool of holy water and then lay in a tanning bed while sipping garlic juice?" He snorted at the assessment.
"Nah," Gunn said. "Nothing like that. I was just goin' to go bust some heads of some folks who've been doing business with the dude who gave you that there wound on your side. He thought maybe you could handle some of the heavy lifting."
Spike looked back at Gunn again. Then back to his cards. Then back to Gunn. "That's it, then? Just bust some heads?" It was impossible for him to hide his interest.
"Yep. That's it." Gunn nodded.
"Normally I don't do that for less than a grand," Spike countered. Seeing that the price wasn't going up, though, he plunged ahead. "But seeing as how it's someone I'd just assume eat anyhow, I'll settle for five hundred."
"Good," Gunn replied. "Let's go."
Spike looked back at his cards, then at the other demons at the table, and then back to Gunn. He was pretty sure he could play this group for seven fifty if he took his time. Pretty sure, but not positive. Five in the hand was a good deal. Added to that was a chance to vent some of his frustration. He liked that.
"Fold," he said, throwing his cards down. He stood, picked up his winnings, and walked away with Gunn. On the way out of the bar, he leaned over and whispered, "You know I can't hurt humans, right?"
"Uh huh," Gunn said. "I think that's why you got the job."
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, Gunn pulled into the abandoned building that the street gang he'd converted into demon hunters used for its headquarters. He got out of his truck and waved down one of the sentries.
"Charlie Gunn, what brings you here tonight? You find something that needs to get sent back where it came from?"
"Yep," Gunn replied. "Tell the others I need some help. Volunteer only."
"More vamps?" he asked.
"Better," Gunn replied. "Rich, white lawyers."
"All right!" the sentry replied, slapping Gunn's hand. Gunn filled him in on the plan and told him where to meet them. Then he climbed back into the truck.
"You didn't mention me," Spike said accusingly.
"So?" Gunn replied, starting the truck and peeling out.
"Well if I have to worry about one of you home boys running me through because he didn't know who's side I'm on, then you can just drop me off and I'll keep the five hundred." Spike reached for the door handle.
"Don't piss me off, chippy" Gunn said, not taking his eyes from the road. Nothing more needed to be said.
* * *
Wesley carried Cordelia through the lobby of the Wolfram and Hart offices. He wouldn't allow Simmons or any of the others to touch her, for fear that they would discover that she was faking the vision. The plan, as far as it went, was for them to wait for the diversion that Gunn was going to supply. Then they would subdue the guards and try to find Kate.
With luck, Kate would be both close by and conscious. Given that, they would affect their escape in the confusion. As plans went, it was one of the worst they had come up with. It stood virtually no chance of succeeding. Unfortunately, it was the best they could do under the circumstances.
It appeared luck was with them, though, when Simmons checked in with Lilah. "She said to put them with their friend." They were going to be brought right to Kate. It couldn't get any better than this.