THREE STRIKES
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.
CHAPTER 10-PLANS, AND HEY DON'T I KNOW YOU
Angel and Cordelia were in the middle of the slow process of cleaning the weapons, mostly just to pass the time, when Gunn burst through the front doors. Following closely behind Lorne seemed to be leading a young woman that Angel recognized as the woman that had asked for their help in the first place only to suddenly disappear. Connor was next, pushing an overly nervous Fred in front of him. No one spoke until everyone but Connor and Gunn were seated on the round couch in the middle of the lobby. Angel was the first to voice his concerns.
"Everything go okay," Angel asked softly, with the full knowledge that his question was a rhetorical one at best, as he looked up from the sword that he was cleaning.
"No…everything did not go okay Angel-cakes…we were on our way out when those Wolfram and Hart goons tried to grab us," Lorne recanted sadly as he tried to straighten out his collar, frowning even more when he couldn't.
"They got what they deserved," Elaine mumbled triumphantly at first before looking almost ashamed that she had ever said anything.
"Hey girlfriend don't sell yourself short…you should have seen her Angel, one of them grabbed her neck and she let him have it…right in the old family jewels," Lorne exclaimed excitedly as he put a supportive arm around Elaine's shoulders and gave her a squeeze.
"Lucky shot I bet," Cordelia mumbled with an unhappy frown on her face as she crossed her arms and tried her best to not let her displeasure show.
"No…I know how to fight but…I just try never to use it on another human…but those goons pushed me to far…," Elaine said softly at first before her level of confidence grew along with the tone of her voice.
"She sure showed them…you should have seen it Angel…that guard she clocked will be singing soprano for a good long while," Gunn added with a humorous tone to his voice before he couldn't help but laugh a little bit at the slightly pained look on Angel's face.
"So what did you find out," Angel asked with a growing look of concern on his face as Cordelia stepped up beside him and leaned on his shoulder.
"Well the Lindsey that we saw the night of the party isn't human…or at least that's what the word around Wolfram and Hart is…that he's some kind of magical creation or something," Gunn said with a nervous frown on his face as he slipped an arm around Fred's shoulders.
"Most likely a golem of some sort…," Wesley said with a deep in thought scowl on his face as he slowly descended the stairs with a tired looking Faith at his side. At first Angel only gave the two a warm glance, glad that they finally seemed to have regained their strength. But after catching the look on Faith's face, and how she seemed to be leaning on Wesley a bit more than would be expected Angel's concern grew.
"Faith…are you okay," Angel asked with a worried look on his face as he walked up beside Wesley, who looked concerned as well, above looking like he could still use a couple of good nights of sleep.
"Five by five," Faith answered with her usual trademark smile, before she walked away from Wesley and sat down beside Fred on the circular couch. Angel truly wished that he could believe her but his enhanced senses told him otherwise. From the time she came down the stairs beside Wesley Angel could hear that her heart rate had increased substantially and there seemed to be something off about her smell. Through all the clamor in the room Angel thought he heard eight distinct heartbeats and one very soft one, but after seeing only eight people in the room he dismissed it as being an after affect of the zombies poison.
"Not to sound stupid but…," Cordelia started to say with an embarrassed and unsure frown on her face as she looked back and forth between Wesley and Angel, both of whom seemed to be concentrating on Faith.
"A golem is a creature that's created by magic to serve a distinct purpose…if the spell is strong enough it can appear quite human…but golem's are never perfect and if one were to make a golem to resemble someone then that person would need to continuously drain the life-force from the mark," Wesley replied with a very grim scowl on his face as he kept his gaze sharply locked onto Faith, who seemed to not appreciate all of the attention that Angel and Wesley were giving her as she glared back at them.
"That would explain why they would need the real Lindsey, if what we saw the night of the party was a golem then it'd need recharging," Fred added with a slightly excited smile on her face as she turned towards Elaine.
"So how does that help us…doesn't sound like it's much to go on," Connor asked with his usual look that combined contempt and anger as he turned away from the window and glanced back at Angel and Fred.
"It's a start…if we are dealing with a golem then all we have to do is find a way to cut the strings and it'll slowly fade away when it runs out of energy and can't get a recharge," Angel answered for Fred with a determined frown on his face as he turned back around to face Cordelia.
"Does this mean that we're all going back in there to pull the plug on this thing," Lorne groaned with a worried frown on his face before he shook his head and mumbled something softly to himself.
"Pretty much…but we're not all going…only Connor, Gunn, Wesley, and I are going," Angel said with a commanding tone to his voice as he picked his head up and used his body language and eye movements to tell Cordelia that there would be no way that he'd change his mind.
"But what about me…if you're going to help Lindsey then I should be there…I know the system," Elaine asked with a worried frown on her face as she stood up and approached Angel.
"You should stay here, after this afternoon they know that you're working with us and they'll expect you to come back with us, it'll be safer for you here…in fact you can help Cordelia and Fred take Faith to the hospital to get her checked out," Angel replied with an almost commanding tone to his voice as he lightly laid a hand on her shoulder, hoping not to scare her but to show that he was serious about helping Lindsey.
"Okay…but please help him," Elaine relented sadly as he shoulders sagged and Angel cringed slightly at the amount of love that he saw in her eyes before walked back into the office to discuss tactics with Wesley and the others.
* * * * * *
After the initial airing of the news broadcast painting them as murders Oz had remained at his post, sitting awkwardly in front of the television, checking all of the channels again and again. Groo and Kate had retreated to one of the back room's to talk about what they should do and pack up some things that they would need. No matter how many times Oz changed the channel the outcome remained the same. He kept watching the screen so that the trio could stay at least one small step ahead of any authorities that would come after them. The alert about the trio had been followed with what the anchorman purported to be regular people, although Oz quickly became convinced that every interview had been planned out well in advance and was only being used to further the lie. He was about to angrily shut the television off when he heard a car pull into the garage and the engine shut off.
"Oh…you're up, good," The man said with a sigh of relief as he walked into the kitchen with arms full of groceries as he spotted Oz.
"How so," Oz asked with a concerned frown on his face as he stood up and cautiously approached the man.
"Good because they haven't found you yet, I saw the news bulletin while I was at the supermarket and rushed right home, are you all okay," The man asked with a worried look on his face as he set the groceries down on the kitchen table.
"Wait…okay first…who are you…and second, why are we being accused of murder," Oz replied with a confused and hurried frown on his face as he leaned forward slightly on the back of one of the chairs. The man chuckled to himself softly before answering.
"Of course where are my manners…I know your names and you don't know mine…guess we'll just have to change that won't we…so let me introduce myself, my name is Arthur Burkle, but my friends all call me Arty," Arthur said with an embarrassed smile on his face as he turned back towards Oz and then bowed slightly. "As for why you're being framed for murder…well just chalk it up to Wolfram and Hart not wanting to make their activities public, this way they can let the local authorities pick you three up before they storm in and grab you while you're being transported back to the station," Arthur added with a worried frown on his face as he scratched his chin and stared out of the window.
"Well we're not going to be here much longer, as soon as the sun goes down we're out of here," Oz replied with a nervous sigh before he turned off the television.
"Of course, just let me gather a few things and we'll be gone before they know what hit em," Arthur exclaimed with an excited grin on his face before he started to head out of the kitchen.
"Wait a minute…what are you saying, you're not going with us," Oz stated with a confused and hurried frown on his face as he moved to block Arthur's route out of the kitchen. Arthur looked like he was going to yell something angrily for a second before he sighed and let out a small laugh.
"Whatever you say kid…but this neighborhood is pretty close and I have very nosey neighbors, if they catch one glimpse of the three of you in my car without me then they'll call the police and you won't get more than a few miles before you're caught, besides I want to see my niece Winifred," Arthur replied with a tired smile on his face before he ducked past a bewildered Oz and headed for his bedroom.
* * * * * *
He didn't know exactly what had happened, but from how the two women that were currently taking care of him were talking it up it must have been something big. The two didn't seem to care whether or not he heard them talking. From their conversation he was able to gather that the young woman that had been helping him, Elaine, had apparently done something wrong. But when security had been dispatched to accompany her to someone in charge she had attacked them, along with a group of trespassers that sounded awfully familiar, before fleeing the scene. His heart skipped a beat as he heard how angry the senior partners had become over this breach of security and what it would mean for Elaine. If he had been able to do more than simply lay there and try not to die he would have given his all to help her and those that had helped her. As he tried to stay conscious all of his hopes rested in the belief that Elaine's contact with Angel had been made and the vampire with a soul had agreed to help. Because of the events that he overhead he knew that if there was going to be a rescue attempt made then it had to be soon. On that note he let himself slip back into unconsciousness so that he could conserve his strength and wait for the time of his liberation.
* * * * * *
"This is stupid I'm fine…I probably just have a little cold," Faith moaned from the backseat of Angel's car as Cordelia pulled the vehicle away from the Hyperion. Elaine had taken shotgun and Fred had agreed to sit in back with Faith. From the window Wesley had watched them go sadly before returning to help Angel plan their mission for that night.
"Right…and that's why you look like you could almost pass for one of those zombies that attacked you," Fred interjected with a sheepish look of determination on her face.
"My stomach's just been off the last few days that's all…," Faith added weakly before she turned her gaze away from a concerned Fred and stared out towards the street signs as they flew by.
"So that's why Wes and Angel are worried out of their minds about you…all over a stomachache," Cordelia interjected from the front seat with an unconvinced frown on her face before she pulled on her favorite pair of sunglasses. Faith started to growl something back angrily but then stopped abruptly when she remembered how worried Angel and especially Wesley had been about her. Because of that her only response was an incoherent mumbling followed by a determination that she'd find out what was wrong with her and then be back to help Angel and Wesley in no time.
"Are you sure that Angel and the others can rescue Lindsey, Wolfram and Hart is like Fort Knox…the security will be everywhere after what happened this afternoon," Elaine asked, changing the subject, while nervously tapping her fingers on the door.
"Angel said he'd help rescue your boyfriend so he will…and with Wes helping him they can't lose," Faith mumbled angrily from her seat as she glared at Elaine before Fred jumped in to try and break the tension.
"She's right Elaine, Angel knows how to get around Wolfram and Hart without anyone seeing him…he's done it like a thousand times before, Connor's just like him, and Wesley and Charles don't do anything halfway, if it's possible to get Lindsey out then they will, you just have to have faith…," Fred said with a nervous frown on her face before she blushed nervously at the end as Faith shot her a confused glance.
"Listen Elaine…I'll bet you that by the time we get back to the Hyperion after getting grumpy back there checked out they'll already be back with Lindsey in tow," Cordelia said with a tempered tone of optimism in her voice that she hoped the others would pick up on and further.
"I hope so…I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him and I could have prevented it somehow," Elaine mumbled sadly before running a hand nervously through her hair and staring at her knees.
"Well you can't help him right now so just stop worrying so much…it's annoying," Faith said angrily before she rubbed her stomach a bit as she tried to keep from vomiting. Luckily for her, and the interior of Angel's favorite car, her action worked and she was able to keep the bile down.
"I wish that I could turn my emotions off and on as easily as you can but I'm sorry…I can't," Elaine shot back with an angry glare in her eye as she half turned back towards Faith, who would have throttled the young woman had Fred not jumped in.
"Hey now…let's not fight, that's the last thing that we should be doing," Fred said with as angry and serious a look on her face as she could muster as she held a hand up in between Elaine and Faith. Faith looked as if she was going to argue the point for a bit but luckily just as she opened her mouth Cordelia pulled into the hospitals parking lot.
"Oh look Faith we're here…guess you won't get to wring Elaine's neck after all," Cordelia said loudly as a thinly veiled threat to the formerly rogue slayer to calm down while she slammed on the breaks and shut the car off before either Faith or Elaine could utter a response.
"Time to see what's wrong with you…," Fred said quickly as she nervously dragged Faith from the car and directed her towards the entrance.
"I told you I'm fine…," Faith started to say with an angry scowl on her face before her stomach lurched and she threw up into one of the large bushes that lined the sidewalk to the front doors.
"I think we can rule out stopping for something to eat on the way home," Cordelia mumbled with completely grossed out frown on her face before she helped Fred usher Faith towards the hospital, with a reluctant and nervous Elaine following closely behind.
* * * * * *
"So how are we going to do this Angel…they're going to be expecting us," Gunn asked with a concerned look on his face as he ran his gaze over the various weapons that he could choose from the new weapons room.
"Don't worry, I have my ways into the building, security will never see us," Angel answered with a grim frown on his face as he paced nervously around the lobby, running over possible scenarios in his head. After sadly watching Faith and the others leave Wesley had resorted to making sure that the small group would go into Wolfram and Hart prepared. He had filled a large bag with every conceivable potion or charm that they might need to both break the real Lindsey free and fight the magically created golem that was posing as him.
"Great…more magic, that's all we need…," Connor scoffed and wrinkled up his nose at the sight of Wesley slipping a few scrolls in between a couple larger bottles of green liquid.
"Yes Connor…more magic, if we're going to be able to rescue Lindsey and make it out of there alive then it won't be without the use of magic, no matter how many secret passages or hiding spots Angel knows in the building," Wesley replied with a forced look of calm on his face as he kept himself from glaring up at Connor.
"Besides…if this works we'll probably be carrying Lindsey out and in the need of a quick exit," Gunn added with a serious frown on his face before he picked up a newly finished sword off of the table in front of him and tested its weight.
"A teleportation spell…of course," Wesley said in an excited whisper and almost a giant smirk on his face before he stood up and rushed back into the office to sift through the desk.
"Why does he get all excited about magic…it never works like it's supposed to," Connor asked with a bored frown on his face as he leaned back up against the wall and began to loop a weapons belt through the loops of his jeans.
"He was a watcher, they learn about magic from the time they're kids, it's almost in their blood, Wes knows more about magic than almost anyone I know, and we don't have time to call Giles or Willow," Angel replied with an impatient scowl on his face before he slipped a dagger into a pocket of his coat.
"Got it…so are we ready," Wesley said at first triumphantly holding up a stained yellow parchment before he continued as he slipped it into the bag and latched it shut.
"As ready as we're ever going to be…," Angel answered grimly without looking at anyone as he grabbed a sword on the way out of the weapons room and headed for the nearest access to the sewers.
"Do we even have a plan yet," Connor asked with a slightly worried frown on his face as he hurried to follow Angel.
"I will by the time we get there…Gunn, you and Wesley drive over there and get everything set up so that when Connor and I arrive we can rescue Lindsey the moment the sun sets," Angel called out with a very serious look on his face before he and Connor descended into the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city.
"Well…what can I say but…into the mouth of madness we go…," Wesley said softly as he steadied himself for the battle to come and followed Gunn out of the Hyperion.
END OF CHAPTER 10