"I've got to get out of here." Spike spit the words out as he looked a bit for the bedroom bug.
"You're upset, I'll go with you." Buffy replied grinning as she pointed to the lamp by the bedside table.
Spike nodded his head at her find, "Fine, grab your coat."
She followed him outside it had just turned dark and there was a chill in the air. He put his arm around her, "We'll take care of the other bug when we get home, don't want them to get suspicious that we know something."
Buffy leaned into him, "Where are we going first?"
"Got a few contacts in a couple bars here. Believe it or not, Wolfram & Hart have a few enemies in this town. They tend to take sides in some of the demon territory wars and that doesn't go over well."
"What do you want me to do? Act all slayerly or just follow your cue?"
"It's probably best that you just follow my cue at first, then if we need you to act slayerly it will be a suprise attack." He kissed the top of her head.
"I can do that." She smiled at him, "Spike, where do you think Angel is?" Her voice was soft and full of concern.
"Don't know, Pet. He's got lots of enemies on the inside and outside of that bloody law firm. We'll find him though, don't you worry. I still have some ass kicking to do." His arm tightened around her, "He'll be okay."
She nodded, "Yeah, we'll find him."
They stopped in front of an dirty door with a small window in it, Spike rapped lightly on the window.
"Password." An ugly vamp with a scar on his cheek rasped through the small window.
"O Pos." Spike rolled his eyes.
"Come on in." The vamp opened the door, "You bring your own human?" His eyes raked up and down Buffy's body.
"Yeah, she's with me. Can't get enough of me, can you pet?" Spike stroked Buffy's cheek, "She's lovely and.....delicious too." Spike gave her a leer that made her shiver.
Buffy could barely control herself , under normal circumstances she would have slapped the leer off of his face, but she took a deep breath and put on an adoring smile, fluttering her eyelashes, "Oh, Spike."
"Do you share?" The vamp asked his eyes never leaving Buffy.
Spike's game face emerged suddenly as he grasped the vamp around the neck and pushed him against the wall, "No, I don't share." He carefully enuciated each word.
He reached for Buffy's hand behind him pulling her closer, as he let the other vampire slump to the floor his eyes full of fear.
"Let's go find a quiet corner, luv." He put his arm around her and guided her through the smoky bar.
"Is it just me?" Buffy asked as they made their way through the crowd, "Or do you not share at all?"
"Just you, pet. Just you." He grinned as he found a small table and pulled out a chair for her.
"You know I think this place is worse then the bar you took me to in Sunnydale." She avoided touching the filthy table in front of her.
"Makes you wish for Willy's, eh?" He nodded, "I'll get us some drinks, bars right there try to avoid trouble."
She shook her head indignantly, "I'm not the one who looks for trouble."
"Sure, luv. As long as you believe that." He tossed over his shoulder as he headed for the bar.
Buffy tried to make herself comfortable without actually touching anything, she wondered if Spike actually wanted her to drink out of a glass in this place. She sighed when she noticed a short three eyed demon swaggering towards her.
"Hello, there." He raised his middle eyebrow as he sat his glass down on the table beside her, "What's a pretty human girl like you doing all alone?"
"Umm, actually I'm not alone." She smiled slighty and waved towards Spike at the bar.
"You're with Spike?" He asked as he pulled out a chair.
"Yes, I am. You can see he's just getting drinks, he'll be right back."
"Those vampires are lucky, they are as much a monster as me, but they get to play at human." He
spit out the words with disgust.
Spike picked up the coke and the bourbon and walked towards the table. Sure enough Buffy had company, Dregs was sitting with her, which was actually a stroke of good luck. Dregs may not have liked vampires but he disliked Wolfram and Hart even more.
"Dregs." Spike nodded to the small demon as he sat down next to Buffy and handed her the coke.
"Spike, I was just being friendly." Dregs became defensive.
"It's okay, in fact I'd like to ask you a couple of questions." Spike opened the bottle and poured himself a shot then filled Dregs now empty glass.
"What you need to know?" He asked as he downed the bourbon.
"Angel - head vamp at good ole' W & H is missing. Have you heard anything?" Spike threw back his own shot and refilled both glasses again.
"Maybe, heard some rumors across the way at Sylvies Place. Couple stupid humans who imagine themselves demon hunters were bragging about a job - taking out a powerful vamp. I don't know details but Smithy the bartender over there can probably help." The small demon downed his drink and stood up.
"Thanks, Dregs." Spike replied sincerely.
"Your welcome." He turned to Buffy and bowed slightly, "And if you ever decide to give up on vampires.....look me up."
Buffy only nodded at him as she watched him swaggering towards another table. "Interesting guy, can we go now?"
"You haven't finished your drink, luv."
"I haven't started my drink, Spike." Buffy wrinkled her nose at the greasy fingerprints and something green on the glass in front of her.
He laughed out loud, "A waste of a perfectly good soda. But, yeah lets go over to Sylvies and see what we can find."
********
"I'm glad we found out the cars weren't bugged, I was beginning to wonder if there was any place that Wolfram and Hart couldn't reach." Wesley toyed with the radio.
" I'm still not sure there isn't anywhere they can't reach, we just got lucky with the car." Gunn shook his head as they watched Spike and Buffy enter the seedy bar, "If you're so sure we can trust Spike, we shouldn't be following him, anyway."
"I really do think that Spike is innocent in Angel's dissappearance. But if whoever has Angel is also watching Spike, then we need to keep up the pretense that we are also watching him. We can't let anyone at the firm think we trust Spike in any way. " Wesley expained as he watched the door to the bar.
"I get it, Wesley. I've just never been good at being patient."
They didn't have to wait long, about twenty five minutes later, Buffy exited the bar with Spike close behind her. They walked a few blocks and crossed the street in front of another bar with a small neon sign flashing "Sylvie's Place".
*******
Angel felt the chills start as he pulled the thin blanket around him. He was sitting on the cot in his cell. Whoever was holding him was telling the truth, it was the same poison as before only this one worked slower. Last time he was already semi concious by now. He wracked his brain trying to figure out who the mystery man behind that familiar voice was.
It was someone who obviously had researched Angel and his ties closely. He knew about Spike and more importantly Buffy - and he knew Buffy was in town. It was someone who wanted to take Wolfram and Hart down or take them over? He groaned slightly as another chill came over him. He had to think...had to figure out a way to get out to warn the others.
He was almost asleep when the voice entered his cell again, "How you feeling?" There was a short laugh, "Don't answer, I can tell the symptoms are already kicking in. I just came to give you an update. Things are falling into place quite nicely, Spike and Buffy are out bar hopping in some dangerous places and your associates are following them trying to collect evidence against Spike. I have a few contacts out there who should help make this quite interesting."
Angel struggled to sit up to listen harder to that voice. One thought filled his fevered mind, Buffy was with Spike and if he was in danger.....so was she.
****
Gunn was startled by a tap on his window. Wesley turned to look, there was a three eyed demon outside the window. Gunn cautiously rolled down the window, "Yeah?"
"You work for Wolfram and Hart?"
"Why?" Wesley asked staring hard at the demon.
"I have some advice for you."
"Really what would that be?" Gunn asked as he opened the car door.
"Don't trust Spike." The demon winked his center eye and smiled.
TBC
"You're upset, I'll go with you." Buffy replied grinning as she pointed to the lamp by the bedside table.
Spike nodded his head at her find, "Fine, grab your coat."
She followed him outside it had just turned dark and there was a chill in the air. He put his arm around her, "We'll take care of the other bug when we get home, don't want them to get suspicious that we know something."
Buffy leaned into him, "Where are we going first?"
"Got a few contacts in a couple bars here. Believe it or not, Wolfram & Hart have a few enemies in this town. They tend to take sides in some of the demon territory wars and that doesn't go over well."
"What do you want me to do? Act all slayerly or just follow your cue?"
"It's probably best that you just follow my cue at first, then if we need you to act slayerly it will be a suprise attack." He kissed the top of her head.
"I can do that." She smiled at him, "Spike, where do you think Angel is?" Her voice was soft and full of concern.
"Don't know, Pet. He's got lots of enemies on the inside and outside of that bloody law firm. We'll find him though, don't you worry. I still have some ass kicking to do." His arm tightened around her, "He'll be okay."
She nodded, "Yeah, we'll find him."
They stopped in front of an dirty door with a small window in it, Spike rapped lightly on the window.
"Password." An ugly vamp with a scar on his cheek rasped through the small window.
"O Pos." Spike rolled his eyes.
"Come on in." The vamp opened the door, "You bring your own human?" His eyes raked up and down Buffy's body.
"Yeah, she's with me. Can't get enough of me, can you pet?" Spike stroked Buffy's cheek, "She's lovely and.....delicious too." Spike gave her a leer that made her shiver.
Buffy could barely control herself , under normal circumstances she would have slapped the leer off of his face, but she took a deep breath and put on an adoring smile, fluttering her eyelashes, "Oh, Spike."
"Do you share?" The vamp asked his eyes never leaving Buffy.
Spike's game face emerged suddenly as he grasped the vamp around the neck and pushed him against the wall, "No, I don't share." He carefully enuciated each word.
He reached for Buffy's hand behind him pulling her closer, as he let the other vampire slump to the floor his eyes full of fear.
"Let's go find a quiet corner, luv." He put his arm around her and guided her through the smoky bar.
"Is it just me?" Buffy asked as they made their way through the crowd, "Or do you not share at all?"
"Just you, pet. Just you." He grinned as he found a small table and pulled out a chair for her.
"You know I think this place is worse then the bar you took me to in Sunnydale." She avoided touching the filthy table in front of her.
"Makes you wish for Willy's, eh?" He nodded, "I'll get us some drinks, bars right there try to avoid trouble."
She shook her head indignantly, "I'm not the one who looks for trouble."
"Sure, luv. As long as you believe that." He tossed over his shoulder as he headed for the bar.
Buffy tried to make herself comfortable without actually touching anything, she wondered if Spike actually wanted her to drink out of a glass in this place. She sighed when she noticed a short three eyed demon swaggering towards her.
"Hello, there." He raised his middle eyebrow as he sat his glass down on the table beside her, "What's a pretty human girl like you doing all alone?"
"Umm, actually I'm not alone." She smiled slighty and waved towards Spike at the bar.
"You're with Spike?" He asked as he pulled out a chair.
"Yes, I am. You can see he's just getting drinks, he'll be right back."
"Those vampires are lucky, they are as much a monster as me, but they get to play at human." He
spit out the words with disgust.
Spike picked up the coke and the bourbon and walked towards the table. Sure enough Buffy had company, Dregs was sitting with her, which was actually a stroke of good luck. Dregs may not have liked vampires but he disliked Wolfram and Hart even more.
"Dregs." Spike nodded to the small demon as he sat down next to Buffy and handed her the coke.
"Spike, I was just being friendly." Dregs became defensive.
"It's okay, in fact I'd like to ask you a couple of questions." Spike opened the bottle and poured himself a shot then filled Dregs now empty glass.
"What you need to know?" He asked as he downed the bourbon.
"Angel - head vamp at good ole' W & H is missing. Have you heard anything?" Spike threw back his own shot and refilled both glasses again.
"Maybe, heard some rumors across the way at Sylvies Place. Couple stupid humans who imagine themselves demon hunters were bragging about a job - taking out a powerful vamp. I don't know details but Smithy the bartender over there can probably help." The small demon downed his drink and stood up.
"Thanks, Dregs." Spike replied sincerely.
"Your welcome." He turned to Buffy and bowed slightly, "And if you ever decide to give up on vampires.....look me up."
Buffy only nodded at him as she watched him swaggering towards another table. "Interesting guy, can we go now?"
"You haven't finished your drink, luv."
"I haven't started my drink, Spike." Buffy wrinkled her nose at the greasy fingerprints and something green on the glass in front of her.
He laughed out loud, "A waste of a perfectly good soda. But, yeah lets go over to Sylvies and see what we can find."
********
"I'm glad we found out the cars weren't bugged, I was beginning to wonder if there was any place that Wolfram and Hart couldn't reach." Wesley toyed with the radio.
" I'm still not sure there isn't anywhere they can't reach, we just got lucky with the car." Gunn shook his head as they watched Spike and Buffy enter the seedy bar, "If you're so sure we can trust Spike, we shouldn't be following him, anyway."
"I really do think that Spike is innocent in Angel's dissappearance. But if whoever has Angel is also watching Spike, then we need to keep up the pretense that we are also watching him. We can't let anyone at the firm think we trust Spike in any way. " Wesley expained as he watched the door to the bar.
"I get it, Wesley. I've just never been good at being patient."
They didn't have to wait long, about twenty five minutes later, Buffy exited the bar with Spike close behind her. They walked a few blocks and crossed the street in front of another bar with a small neon sign flashing "Sylvie's Place".
*******
Angel felt the chills start as he pulled the thin blanket around him. He was sitting on the cot in his cell. Whoever was holding him was telling the truth, it was the same poison as before only this one worked slower. Last time he was already semi concious by now. He wracked his brain trying to figure out who the mystery man behind that familiar voice was.
It was someone who obviously had researched Angel and his ties closely. He knew about Spike and more importantly Buffy - and he knew Buffy was in town. It was someone who wanted to take Wolfram and Hart down or take them over? He groaned slightly as another chill came over him. He had to think...had to figure out a way to get out to warn the others.
He was almost asleep when the voice entered his cell again, "How you feeling?" There was a short laugh, "Don't answer, I can tell the symptoms are already kicking in. I just came to give you an update. Things are falling into place quite nicely, Spike and Buffy are out bar hopping in some dangerous places and your associates are following them trying to collect evidence against Spike. I have a few contacts out there who should help make this quite interesting."
Angel struggled to sit up to listen harder to that voice. One thought filled his fevered mind, Buffy was with Spike and if he was in danger.....so was she.
****
Gunn was startled by a tap on his window. Wesley turned to look, there was a three eyed demon outside the window. Gunn cautiously rolled down the window, "Yeah?"
"You work for Wolfram and Hart?"
"Why?" Wesley asked staring hard at the demon.
"I have some advice for you."
"Really what would that be?" Gunn asked as he opened the car door.
"Don't trust Spike." The demon winked his center eye and smiled.
TBC
