The Wrong Side of the Line
Chapter 14: Going Back
Author: Rylee Jane
See Chapter 1 for disclaimers, rating and summary.
A/N: This chapter is rather short, but there's not much I can do about that. :) The next one should be longer. Hope you like!
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The noise woke her so quickly that she was sitting up before she even got her eyes open. The first thing she saw was a man in fatigues reaching for her. He grabbed her arm and hauled her off the couch, pushing her face down onto the floor. "Don't move!" he barked, pressing what could only be a rifle barrel to her head. "I will shoot you!"
Then she heard Spike, his voice confused, then angry. "What the hell? What are you doing?"
"We're glad you're OK, sir. I knew there were humans here, but I didn't expect to find you."
"Bloody hell!" he snapped again, and Buffy felt the rifle barrel being pushed away from her. "Stop that! Let her go!" An arm grabbed her around the waist and she was pulled to her feet. "You OK?"
She looked up into his face, and nodded, unable to find her voice yet. Her hands were shaking, and she reached up to brush her hair out of her face.
"Sir, we were--- under the impression that she was one of the humans that had captured you."
"No, you stupid git! She saved my life. Her and the red head." He motioned to Willow, who was being held by her arms up against a wall. "Angel was holding me and they broke me out. Let her go!"
The guard who had been holding Willow released her arms and she frowned at him before moving slowly toward Buffy. "I'm--- sorry, sir," the other soldier stammered. "I--- didn't know. Are you OK, sir?"
"I'm fine. D'you bring a truck here?" Spike asked, starting for the door. He had taken hold of Buffy's hand and was leading her along with him.
"Y-yes, sir. Several trucks, sir."
Spike held his hand out. "Gimme' the keys."
"What?"
"The keys, Sergeant. Give me the keys."
He waited until the man dug them out, then snatched them. "Finish your patrol. We're going back to the base."
He didn't wait for an answer, pulling Buffy toward one of the trucks, waiting for Willow to follow them. "Of course, sir. Would you--- like an escort back?"
"No," Spike snapped, holding the door open for the girls. "Radio back to the base and tell them I'm on my way. Get the senior staff together."
The other vampire nodded, digging his radio out of his pocket as Spike climbed in and slammed the door.
"You're taking us back to the base?" Willow asked nervously. "I---Maybe you could just take us back to camp first."
"Sorry, Red," he mumbled, grinding the gears as he took off down the road. "I have to get someone on Angel's ass as soon as possible."
Buffy reached her arm across Willow to grab onto the door handle, trying to keep from getting thrown to the floor on the bumpy road. "I should have checked out his compound better on the way in. I don't know how many guards he has or where they're set up or anything."
Spike shrugged. "Don't make a difference, pet. We can send out a scout squad if necessary, but I don't think that it's going to be that hard to take him down. I'm just worried about Giles."
Willow turned her head in shock. "What about Giles?"
"My guys have him and he was due to be executed. I held 'em off a while on it, trying to get Giles to agree to rehab. He was going to do it, but before I had a chance to tell them that, Angel got hold of me. I just hope they let him live."
Willow gasped, shaking her head. "He---he would never have agreed to rehab. He wouldn't have gone back to being a vampire. What did you do to him?"
Spike started to argue, but Buffy put her hand on his arm. "Spike's trying to get a peace agreement for us, Will. He had a plan to get into command and then order a truce. It was all going fine until Angel stepped in."
"What does that have to do with Giles?"
Buffy looked to Spike to answer, not having fully understood Giles' role in the plan. Spike whipped the truck around a tight corner and got it back up to speed before answering. "He's one of the best political minds we've ever had. He knows how to work people. He could tell me how to work around the concerns and convince everyone that this was a good idea."
"Maybe he---maybe they didn't---," Willow started, but she couldn't finish the thought.
"Yeh," Spike muttered, understanding. "Let's hope."
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Buffy recognized the guard at the outpost immediately. He was the one that had commented about her "disguise". "General Donovan! Welcome back sir!"
Spike gave the man a quick nod and pointed to the gate. "Get that thing open now! I'm in a hurry."
The guard faltered slightly. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm on orders to route you directly to testing."
"What?" Spike snapped. "I have to get in there! Open that goddamned gate!"
The guard squared his shoulders slightly. "I'm sorry, sir. I have my orders."
"Orders from who?" Spike jumped out of the truck and got into the man's face.
"Acting Commander Giles, sir. He told me to make sure that you go immediately to testing and be detained until he releases you personally."
"G---Giles? Rupert Giles?"
"Yes, sir. If you'll please come with me, sir."
Spike turned back to the truck to see Buffy and Willow being dragged out at gun point. "Hey! They're with me! Let go of them!"
"We have orders for them too, sir. Now, please, come with me or I'll be forced to place restraints on you."
Spike watched as two more guards manhandled Buffy and Willow into a jeep. "Where are you taking them?"
"To Commander Giles, sir. Now, please, follow me."
Spike thought about fighting, but shook the thought off. Surely Giles was just carrying out their plan, being covert about it. Undoubtedly, he was trying to follow protocol to keep attention off of them.
He followed the guard to a jeep, climbing into the back and settling back into the seat. "Any way someone could get me a steaming cup of blood while I'm waiting? I'm parched."
The guard sitting next to him gave him an odd look. "Uh, yes, sir. We'll see to that."
They pulled up to the infirmary and the two guards led Spike into the small building. "This way, please," one of the men said, motioning to the isolation unit.
Spike felt a cold chill crawl up his spine. "In there?"
"Yes, sir. Commander Giles has asked that you be kept in isolation until you've been checked for the virus and such."
Spike stood up straighter, turning to face the men. "I don't have the bloody virus. I want to see Giles right now! Go get him!"
"Sir, if you'll just calm down. It's just precautionary. Please, step inside. Commander Giles will be here to see you in just a moment."
"Hell if I will. You're not going to lock me up in there. Get him down here, now! And get the two girls in here too. I don't trust you with them!"
"Sir, please," one of the guards was reaching for the stun-gun he carried on his belt. "If you'll just calm down, I'm sure we can get all of this settled very quickly."
Spike pulled back and punched the guard in the face, trying to catch them both by surprise. Unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough and the other man drew his stun-gun and thrust it against Spike's neck. He let out a howl and dropped to the ground, his body twitching.
"Get him up and get him in the cell. I want his hands and feet cuffed. No one goes in or out until Commander Giles reports." The first guard was shouting orders, his hand over his nose. Spike saw the man's face appear above him. "General Donovan," he said with a smirk. "You are under arrest for treason. You are to be held until such time as your trial for this offense. May the council have mercy on you."
Spike tried to fight off the hands that were grabbing at him, but he couldn't move. He felt the hard concrete under him as they dragged him into the cell, and rolled him over to cuff his hands and feet. Then, they left him.
With several volts of electricity still running through his body, he shut his eyes and let the himself fall into unconsciousness.
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Thanks for reading. Chapter 15 should be up in the next few days, once Halloween is over! Happy Halloween ALL! Have a good one!
Chapter 14: Going Back
Author: Rylee Jane
See Chapter 1 for disclaimers, rating and summary.
A/N: This chapter is rather short, but there's not much I can do about that. :) The next one should be longer. Hope you like!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
The noise woke her so quickly that she was sitting up before she even got her eyes open. The first thing she saw was a man in fatigues reaching for her. He grabbed her arm and hauled her off the couch, pushing her face down onto the floor. "Don't move!" he barked, pressing what could only be a rifle barrel to her head. "I will shoot you!"
Then she heard Spike, his voice confused, then angry. "What the hell? What are you doing?"
"We're glad you're OK, sir. I knew there were humans here, but I didn't expect to find you."
"Bloody hell!" he snapped again, and Buffy felt the rifle barrel being pushed away from her. "Stop that! Let her go!" An arm grabbed her around the waist and she was pulled to her feet. "You OK?"
She looked up into his face, and nodded, unable to find her voice yet. Her hands were shaking, and she reached up to brush her hair out of her face.
"Sir, we were--- under the impression that she was one of the humans that had captured you."
"No, you stupid git! She saved my life. Her and the red head." He motioned to Willow, who was being held by her arms up against a wall. "Angel was holding me and they broke me out. Let her go!"
The guard who had been holding Willow released her arms and she frowned at him before moving slowly toward Buffy. "I'm--- sorry, sir," the other soldier stammered. "I--- didn't know. Are you OK, sir?"
"I'm fine. D'you bring a truck here?" Spike asked, starting for the door. He had taken hold of Buffy's hand and was leading her along with him.
"Y-yes, sir. Several trucks, sir."
Spike held his hand out. "Gimme' the keys."
"What?"
"The keys, Sergeant. Give me the keys."
He waited until the man dug them out, then snatched them. "Finish your patrol. We're going back to the base."
He didn't wait for an answer, pulling Buffy toward one of the trucks, waiting for Willow to follow them. "Of course, sir. Would you--- like an escort back?"
"No," Spike snapped, holding the door open for the girls. "Radio back to the base and tell them I'm on my way. Get the senior staff together."
The other vampire nodded, digging his radio out of his pocket as Spike climbed in and slammed the door.
"You're taking us back to the base?" Willow asked nervously. "I---Maybe you could just take us back to camp first."
"Sorry, Red," he mumbled, grinding the gears as he took off down the road. "I have to get someone on Angel's ass as soon as possible."
Buffy reached her arm across Willow to grab onto the door handle, trying to keep from getting thrown to the floor on the bumpy road. "I should have checked out his compound better on the way in. I don't know how many guards he has or where they're set up or anything."
Spike shrugged. "Don't make a difference, pet. We can send out a scout squad if necessary, but I don't think that it's going to be that hard to take him down. I'm just worried about Giles."
Willow turned her head in shock. "What about Giles?"
"My guys have him and he was due to be executed. I held 'em off a while on it, trying to get Giles to agree to rehab. He was going to do it, but before I had a chance to tell them that, Angel got hold of me. I just hope they let him live."
Willow gasped, shaking her head. "He---he would never have agreed to rehab. He wouldn't have gone back to being a vampire. What did you do to him?"
Spike started to argue, but Buffy put her hand on his arm. "Spike's trying to get a peace agreement for us, Will. He had a plan to get into command and then order a truce. It was all going fine until Angel stepped in."
"What does that have to do with Giles?"
Buffy looked to Spike to answer, not having fully understood Giles' role in the plan. Spike whipped the truck around a tight corner and got it back up to speed before answering. "He's one of the best political minds we've ever had. He knows how to work people. He could tell me how to work around the concerns and convince everyone that this was a good idea."
"Maybe he---maybe they didn't---," Willow started, but she couldn't finish the thought.
"Yeh," Spike muttered, understanding. "Let's hope."
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Buffy recognized the guard at the outpost immediately. He was the one that had commented about her "disguise". "General Donovan! Welcome back sir!"
Spike gave the man a quick nod and pointed to the gate. "Get that thing open now! I'm in a hurry."
The guard faltered slightly. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm on orders to route you directly to testing."
"What?" Spike snapped. "I have to get in there! Open that goddamned gate!"
The guard squared his shoulders slightly. "I'm sorry, sir. I have my orders."
"Orders from who?" Spike jumped out of the truck and got into the man's face.
"Acting Commander Giles, sir. He told me to make sure that you go immediately to testing and be detained until he releases you personally."
"G---Giles? Rupert Giles?"
"Yes, sir. If you'll please come with me, sir."
Spike turned back to the truck to see Buffy and Willow being dragged out at gun point. "Hey! They're with me! Let go of them!"
"We have orders for them too, sir. Now, please, come with me or I'll be forced to place restraints on you."
Spike watched as two more guards manhandled Buffy and Willow into a jeep. "Where are you taking them?"
"To Commander Giles, sir. Now, please, follow me."
Spike thought about fighting, but shook the thought off. Surely Giles was just carrying out their plan, being covert about it. Undoubtedly, he was trying to follow protocol to keep attention off of them.
He followed the guard to a jeep, climbing into the back and settling back into the seat. "Any way someone could get me a steaming cup of blood while I'm waiting? I'm parched."
The guard sitting next to him gave him an odd look. "Uh, yes, sir. We'll see to that."
They pulled up to the infirmary and the two guards led Spike into the small building. "This way, please," one of the men said, motioning to the isolation unit.
Spike felt a cold chill crawl up his spine. "In there?"
"Yes, sir. Commander Giles has asked that you be kept in isolation until you've been checked for the virus and such."
Spike stood up straighter, turning to face the men. "I don't have the bloody virus. I want to see Giles right now! Go get him!"
"Sir, if you'll just calm down. It's just precautionary. Please, step inside. Commander Giles will be here to see you in just a moment."
"Hell if I will. You're not going to lock me up in there. Get him down here, now! And get the two girls in here too. I don't trust you with them!"
"Sir, please," one of the guards was reaching for the stun-gun he carried on his belt. "If you'll just calm down, I'm sure we can get all of this settled very quickly."
Spike pulled back and punched the guard in the face, trying to catch them both by surprise. Unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough and the other man drew his stun-gun and thrust it against Spike's neck. He let out a howl and dropped to the ground, his body twitching.
"Get him up and get him in the cell. I want his hands and feet cuffed. No one goes in or out until Commander Giles reports." The first guard was shouting orders, his hand over his nose. Spike saw the man's face appear above him. "General Donovan," he said with a smirk. "You are under arrest for treason. You are to be held until such time as your trial for this offense. May the council have mercy on you."
Spike tried to fight off the hands that were grabbing at him, but he couldn't move. He felt the hard concrete under him as they dragged him into the cell, and rolled him over to cuff his hands and feet. Then, they left him.
With several volts of electricity still running through his body, he shut his eyes and let the himself fall into unconsciousness.
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Thanks for reading. Chapter 15 should be up in the next few days, once Halloween is over! Happy Halloween ALL! Have a good one!