A/N: So here is the next chapter - thx for all the reviews so far - I hope I can update sooner, now that I have my PC back.

Chapter 19: The big bad killer

For a moment Dylan thought they were going to die. The sound of breaking glass and of falling stones was all around her, she started to cough from the dust that was now all around her, but then it was over. At least for a second, then new noises from her neighbours screaming in panic came up.

Yet not a single word or noise from Anthony. The angel just felt him rising and as she looked up he already got hold of her arm and pulled her up. She made it easy for him as he rushed with her out of the building. In fact she hold on tightly to him. Despite her being involved in many explosions, it never had been such a close call. Alone the view from the outside at what was left from her apartment made her feel glad that he was so steady in all this chaos.

Her entire floor was gone, her apartment looked pretty much like Dana Barret's in Ghostbusters. Fire was leaking from it two the two floors upstairs, but there was not much they could do and the angel realised that the killer might not only have tried to kill her, but sent her away from the agency. "I need to call the agency and Natalie - as fast as possible", explained and pulled him with her over the street.

Dylan entered the grocery store, where she often made her late-night food search. The owner was a black man in his forties, named Ruben that did not even noticed his customers, for he was staring outside toward the burning building. Only as they came closer he noticed her: "Dylan, that was your apartment, wasn't it?"

"Ruben, I need to use your phone", she just said and also being surprised he nodded and pointed to the back entrance. The angel rushed through the curtain. "Just don't make it a long distance call", he told her, before he for the first time noticed the Creepy Thin Man. Now he was not sure, whether the apartments on fire or this strange fellow were worth observing. He had occasionally seen the angel with unusual guys, but that was a new top for her. Also he might have reconsidered had he ever met the Chad.

Both men heard the angel cursing in a most inappropriate way for someone with her nick. Dylan just could not help it, all two phone lines to the agency were blocked. Dialling with haste Natalie's cell phone number, she felt a relief as it rang. Then the line was cut before the other angel had a chance to answer. Screaming in frustration Dylan slammed the receiver on the hook. "No", she screamed and collecting herself she suddenly felt Anthony's hand on her shoulder.

He handed her a note he had written on the edge of a newspaper. ~He is there isn't he?~

"I guess he is at the Agency, the lines are down, but Nat is not supposed to be there and her phone went dead as I called. I don't know where to start. I need to get to the agency, but what if something happened to Natalie as well - elsewhere."

Anthony scribbled on another place of emtpy space: ~Then you should go after her - I take care of him.~

"No, the others won't trust you, and you are not familiar with the building", she said. He looked at her in a way that made it clear that he was not going to let her go there. "Look, I know that he is dangerous, but he thinks I'm dead and I might anyway be too late. Natalie is not going to attack you - but the Norman's might or even Bosley. Please we don't have much time to argue."

Dylan wanted to check on Natalie, but somehow she was afraid that Anthony's appearance might add more tension to an already dangerous situation. The killer probably already tried to force his way into the building surprising the others. To her relief Anthony gave in: ~Where is she?~

She took the pen and wrote down Sabine Dawson's address. "We better hurry", she said turned, then she rushed back and kissed a completely surprised Anthony. Her hands closed around his neck and she felt him embracing her. Then she tore away and headed for her car, with him following her a few steps behind. Left was Ruben with many questions, but soon he wrote down newspaper. More than once Dylan paid later, because she had left her purse upstairs.

Dylan smiled opening her car door in Anthony's direction, who had reached his car. The angel felt so much gratitude, she never expected him to help so willingly. He even accepted her judgement of the situation. He looked still worried as he turned for a last look at her direction, but then he nodded softly towards her and got in his Venturi. Dylan did the same with her vehicle and they pulled out from their parking space as if the Devil himself was after them.

They speed off in different directions. Dylan did not cared about the speed limit violation, no police car would stop her until she reached the agency. Actually she was using smaller streets, driving recklessly around other cars, but then she had to make up for at least three minutes. The whole time she was thinking what if the killer had already struck, what if the found the others dead, what if Natalie had not left them.

She stopped right in front of the building. The front door was closed and the angel unlocked it carefully with her key. Then entrance hall was dark only a few lights from the outside shined through the glass part of the roof. She saw dim light in the next room. Listening carefully for an intruder she approached the door. She gasped in terror as she suddenly recognised the bullet holes in the wall. Shots had been fired, that was certain.

Outside a bunch of police cars finally arrived. Dylan used the tumult to sneak down the corridor. The door to the cellar was open and from the directions she realised that the killer must have come from the parking lot, through the office. That meant the other must have head for the front door and then went down in the cellar. Fleeing through the emergency tunnel.

The angel had the feeling that the killer was familiar with that detail. Had not Charlie said the plans had been accessed? She found the entrance wide open. How far where they away she had no clue, but after closing it from the inside she ran as fast as her feet could carry her. Luckily she still wore the comfortable shoes. She shrugged as she heard shots fired in distance echoing through the dark corridor.

Strangely enough they came in a very slow, constant rhythm. It sounded not very far. For the first time she stopped and looked down. Also the light was bad she saw now the bloody sprinkles on the floor. Also hoping it came from the killer, she did not felt that optimistic. She heard a woman yelling and started to ran again. Only as she reached the end she became slower. There was nothing to take cover and if the killer was armed and saw her, she was doomed.

Stealthy she came closer to the bend in the passage that was followed by the dead-end - where a ladder at the wall lead again to the surface. Both parties had climbed up, for she found the spot empty and the lid opened. Then again shots - obviously the killer was the only one armed or else he never had been able to leave the tunnel. She did not waste time climbing up. A powerful jump and her hands grabbed the edge from the hole above her.

The angel pulled herself up so she could look above ground. The little park was a this late hour abandoned. A new round of shots emerged south of her and she realised that they were running towards the small alley south of the children's playground. Swiftly she pulled herself out of the tunnel and followed. Then she saw the killer. At least she figured that it was him. An almost sumo-like shape of a fat man, that was not especially fast, but obviously quite determined.

He fired at figures that head into an alley ducking behind a trash can. Then suddenly he turned and fired at her. She dodged the three bullets, jumping at the nearest tree bench and flying throwing the air as she did a spin. Growling the killer reloaded his gun, but was distracted from his target as the figures fled from behind the trash can. It was Robert Norman with Dr. Curshner, who was limping.

Using that moment of hesitation, the angel lunged at the killer kicking against the arm with the gun. He conveniently had turned towards her as she approached and the deadly firearm went off flying. But soon Dylan discovered that he was even without very dangerous. Instead of landing graciously on both feet, she stumbled and fell on the asphalt. A powerful fist hit had knocked her off balance and then his whole weight fell on her lower half.

But not even Batman would have had enough strength to pull himself free from such masses. After a few seconds of trying he grabbed her head and pulled it up, trying to slam it on the concrete. Dylan was too agile for him, she turned halfway round and her elbow still had enough smash in it to knock his hand of her. A second attempt of the killer was brought to an end by Robert approaching and kicking him directly in the face.

Howling in pain he actually rolled enough off, to allow Dylan to move aside. Robert pulled her up and both faced the killer coming up with a bloody nose. For the first time Dylan had the feeling that she knew this guy from somewhere. "Now I am going to kill you all", he said. The angel looked back to see if Anna was still running and realised that she was lying on the pavement. "Robert, take her out of here, I am going to stop him - somehow", the red head ordered.

"No I won't risk your neck, together we have a chance", Robert said and attacked the killer with a karate kick. Seeing how easily the killer blocked this off, the angel doubted that they had a chance, she and the other angels possibly or she and Anthony maybe. Alone his shape made most fighting techniques obsolete and he seemed to knew quite a few that worked pretty good on them.

Dylan tried to kick him off balance, but he stood like a rock and Robert was just recovering and rising up. The angel did not wait for him to join in, she tried to find a weak a spot and got two real nasty kicks in her ribs. 'So much for being careful', she thought, slightly groaning from the immense pain.

Robert lunged at him, but waited for her too join in, before he got closer. Together then knocked him off balance and he rolled to the ground. Quickly enough he kicked back with a power none of them had expected and so all three of them lay on the ground. Only that the two were more agile and jumped very elegantly up. Mr. Norman tried to bend his arm so he could cuff him, but he did not found the right ankle and before Dylan could interfere the killer got free.

Very fast the security chief was buried half in length under his adversary and the uncovered ribcage was violently beaten a few times from the killer's elbow. The angel kicked the killer straight in the chins, wishing she had high-heels on, but it was already to late. Both man screamed in pain. Robert clearly had suffered a few broken ribs and the killer was now very angry at her.

Dylan did not cared that much, she avoided a second kick to the ground by jumping back. Also his face was still in pain he wrestled up and followed her. In the distance she heard a car rushing closer. She could not leave the spot or Robert might be overrun and even if the killer let her help Robert it would give him card blanche to go over an finish off Anna. She positioned herself and concentrated, thought again about weak spots and then they attacked each other.

The killer brought up an completely new tactic - at least new in this fight. Catching her feet he did not threw her off, but lifted her up. Using his other hand he grabbed her neck and then Dylan found herself from being upside down high above his head. His grip wandered around and tightened over her throat and as much as she struggled, she just could not get free. Also her air supply was shortened and left her soon without strength to keep on fighting, it left her awake enough to realise that he was carrying her over to the steel fence that surrounded the park halfway.

She tried to struggle free with the last coming strength the rush of panic gave her, as the angel realised he was going to smash her back over the iron bars. Yet it was useless, he was too strong. Alex and Nat would have got her free no time, but she was alone and there was no light bulb to kick, no sheet to conveniently soften her fall. Dylan was in deep trouble.

Then with out a warning she heard two shots fired and blood splattering against her shirt. Both hands became limb and she rolled herself half-conscious over the killers falling body to the ground. Coughing and taking all the air in she needed to get up, she saw Aurelie approaching with a gun in her hand. Turning back to the killer, she realised that the black woman just had fired two shots directly in his head and ripped it apart.

"What are you doing here?", she said carefully massaging her throat, which was going to turn blue for sure. Aurelie kneeled beside her boss and just locked up with an icy voice: "I am doing my job - so where is the doctor?"

The angel just locked down the street, where the doctor still lay on the pavement. Then she locked at Aurelie: "She is not dead -"

Her voice faltered, she did not knew that, she had assumed Anna just had passed out, but what if she had been wrong. Both women rose and rushed over to her. Sirens came closer and Dylan hoped someone had called an ambulance as well.