Stealing the Bait

"I know this place," Angel said quietly. "I've seen a few plays here."

It was a small theater of the sort that is rented out to groups too small, too unknown or just hungry for some scrap of acknowledgement. No major production had ever taken place here.

"Will you be able to get in?" Oz asked.

Angel nodded. "It's basically a public building," he explained. "If it wasn't, I would need an invitation. But they'd give me one, since I'm the one they want."

They were currently parked about half a block down from the structure.

"So what's the plan of action?" Oz inquired. "There is a plan, isn't there?"

"I don't suppose I could talk you into waiting in the car?" Angel suggested. But he really didn't have his hopes pinned on it.

"Not a chance, kemo sabe," Oz replied. "When I said I was coming along, I meant as part of the gang, not the getaway driver."

Angel looked up, checking out the upper floor windows. "I'll take the high road," he said.

"And I'll take the low road," Oz finished. "Meet you in the middle?"

"Unless you find Lorne," Angel said. "Get him the hell out of there first."

"Just don't go and get yourself killed," Oz advised. "Rose would never speak to me again if I let something happen to you."

&&&&&&&&

The quiet side street was beginning to be lined with cars.

"Silly sod," Spike said in disgust. "When you're trying to keep a low profile, you don't drive the damn Viper."

"Just the family sedan, huh?" Gunn asked with a grin. Spike had taken the car out of habit, and there it sat with the children's car seats still in the back.

"Do you two think we could keep our minds on the problem at hand?" Wesley refused to be drawn into the debate. "Angel is nowhere in sight, so he must already be inside."

Spike, for reasons known only to himself was looking around inside the Viper.

"Find anything interesting?" Gunn queried sarcastically.

"He's not alone," Spike replied. "Oz is with him." He started to grin. "Wankers aren't going to know what hit them. Two vampires, a werewolf and you two. Ought to be enough."

"It depends on how powerful they are and how well organized," Wes remarked. "We know that Ethan Rayne has quite a few magical resources. But we don't know a thing about his allies."

"Hard to speak a spell with your throat torn out," Spike replied, his voice somewhat altered now. And, so was his face. He was ready to play.

"Split up or stick together?" Gunn had his favorite ax along. Plus a few other odds and ends tucked in his pockets.

Spike was sniffing around. He pointed to a set of steps leading to a basement entrance. "You two go that way," he ordered. "That's the way wolf-boy went." He headed towards the fire escape. "I'll go after the ponce." He started climbing, quickly, agilely, but as he moved away from them, ever upwards, they heard him grumbling. "Rose will never forgive me if I let that stupid ponce get himself killed."

&&&&&&&&

"Where are they?" Harmony asked.

"They're supposed to be sleeping," Rose replied. Her eyes kept darting this way and that, as if expecting something to happen somewhere around her. Which of course, wasn't where the action was. "But I think they're trying to stay awake. They're worried about Angel and their father."

Harmony tip-toed into the children's room for a peek, and was back in a minute. "If they're faking it," she remarked. "They're doing a really good job. I don't think they're the ones that are worried."

"You're right, Harmony," Rose admitted. "I've been ready to climb the walls ever since Spike left. That's why I called you. If I had to stay here with no one but myself for company I think I'd be screaming by now."

"They're big, grown-up vampires," Harmony pointed out. "They can take care of themselves. I think the kids think so too." She put her arm around Rose's shoulders. There was something about Rose that brought out the protective instincts in everyone. "They'll be all right, Rose. I'm sure they will. But I'll stay right here with you until they get back."

"Thank you, Harmony." Rose summoned up a wan smile. "I hope I didn't interrupt any important plans."

Harmony shrugged. "Just another evening at a singles bar," she replied. "What's wrong with me? I used to be one of the most popular girls in high school. Now, I can't seem to get a date no matter what I do."

"Maybe you're looking in the wrong places," Rose suggested, getting drawn from her own worries by Harmony's problems.

&&&&&&&&

"Hello, Lorne, isn't it?" Ethan Rayne sauntered up to where the Pylean was tied. Angela had disappeared since Lorne insisted on giving her the cold shoulder. "I thought you and I should have a talk."

"I have nothing to say to you," Lorne replied coldly. He suspected that Ethan was the one that set Angela on to him. Not that it mattered. She could have said no.

"Not a very cooperative attitude," Ethan remarked. "I'm offering you a chance to get out of here in one piece, demon. In short, I'm proposing a deal."

"And why should I believe you?" Lorne asked suspiciously.

"Because I think you and I could make one hell of a team," Ethan answered. "In general, I prefer to work alone, but I'd hate to see someone with your potential swept under the floor, so to speak, just to keep things neat and tidy."

"I already trusted one of your little group," Lorne said, almost feeling another piece of his heart break off. "And look where that got me."

"The rest of the group is merely a means to an end," Ethan informed him. "I'm the one pulling the strings."

"I'm nobody's puppet," Lorne shot back. As Ethan shrugged and walked away, he added to himself. "Looks like I'm nobody's anything. Except a fool for love."

&&&&&&&&

Oz sniffed carefully. There had been several people milling about here, although there weren't any visible at the moment, and it was difficult, though not impossible, to pick out Lorne's scent. He'd been brought this way. And what shape he found the demon in, and how well guarded would decide on just how exactly he would follow Angel's orders. If the Pylean was ambulatory, Oz would see him out the door, and go back to try to keep Angel out of trouble. Since no one was looking, he permitted himself a grin. It was almost like being back in the Scooby gang.

&&&&&&&&

Angel looked down from the catwalk just off the stage area. There were people, but he didn't see the requisite number yet. Someone was below him on the stage, painting a magical circle on the floor. Someone wasn't getting their security deposit back. More to the point, he didn't see Lorne. Or Ethan Rayne. Once they had a name, they had pulled up several files on him and one had contained a photo. He double-checked. No, no Ethan. He was about to scout elsewhere when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned and saw Ethan Rayne. With a cocked and loaded crossbow aimed at his heart.

&&&&&&&&

"Ready?" Gunn whispered.

"I've got your back," Wesley replied.

Gunn slipped across the hall an into an open doorway. "All clear here," he reported. "And no sign of any of our people."

Wesley joined him. "We've almost covered this floor. Split up, or stay together?"

Gunn considered. "Lorne might need help getting out of here," he replied. "Then, we'd need the other one for cover."

Wesley nodded. "I'm with you," he said. "Are you ready?"

&&&&&&&

A below stage dressing room, and it was there that Oz followed the scent to Lorne.

The room was crowded with the junk leftover from dozens of productions. And a chair with a very depressed Pylean tied to it.

Oz glided up to the chair silently and began untying the ropes.

Lorne craned his neck around till he heard it creak. "Oz?" His voice flooded with relief. "How did you find me?"

"I came with Angel," Oz replied, working the knots loose. "Can you walk? Because I don't like the idea of him walking into this without any backup."

"Just call me the little engine that could," Lorne answered. Still, he needed a little help from Oz to unfold himself from the chair. The ropes had been tight enough to cut off his circulation.

They headed for the door just as it started to open.

&&&&&&&

Spike entered through a skylight. It had taken some doing and ingenuity on his part, but he'd passed on the fire exit that Angel had used. Just storage space up here. Nothing but boxes and dust and cobwebs. But there were voices in the next room. He went and pressed his ear to the door to listen.

"You actually had to kiss that green demon?" A female voice. And another one, replying.

"It wasn't so bad," Angela said reflectively. "I could close my eyes and pretend that he was human then. It was harder just talking to him when I didn't have an excuse to close my eyes."

Spike reflected that it was probably a good thing that he couldn't bring Rose along, not that he would have. If she had heard that, she would have blown their cover immediately just to defend her friend. Probably scratch the little bitch's eyes out. Then she'd never have to look at anything or anyone again. He peeked through the keyhole. And squinted to get a better look. Evidently the next room was the ladies' dressing room, and they were robing up for the ceremony. He started to grin, then the grin faded before it was fully fledged. What in the hell was he doing looking at other women? Especially when he thought about what he had waiting for him at home.

&&&&&&&

The telephone gave a feeble groan, then completely gave up the ghost. It was the first time either Rose or Harmony had noticed its destruction.

"Not again," Rose sighed. She disappeared into another room for a few minutes and came back carrying another phone. In a moment's time, she'd replaced the destroyed appliance with a new one.

"Does that happen often?" Harmony asked. It must, since Rose seemed to be prepared for it.

"Spike can be a little hard on things when he gets mad," Rose replied. "I usually have to replace the phone about once a year. I suppose that's not too bad, considering."

"I wonder who was calling," Harmony mused. "I guess we'll never know, now."

"If it was important, they'll call back." Rose didn't sound all too convinced herself.

"If they can," Harm pointed out.

"You're not helping, Harmony." Rose started fidgeting and pacing again. It seemed like Spike had been gone forever, even though the clock said that it had been just a little under two hours. To her, it felt like an eternity. An eternity of uncertainty about people she cared about.

&&&&&&&

Oz stood between Lorne and the door, then dropped his vigilant pose when he saw who entered. "It looks like the cavalry has arrived," he commented. "How did you guys know where to look?"

"Spike suspected that Angel might be lured into doing something stupid," Wesley explained. "Hard a concept as that might be to deal with. He had ops take over security for the weekend. Including monitoring incoming telephone calls."

"So Spike's here too?" Oz turned custody of Lorne over to Gunn, who was more of a height with the demon and could be more help to him in his current condition.

Wesley nodded. "Where's Angel?"

"I don't know," Oz admitted. "We split up when we got here. He went up the fire escape." He thought a moment. "One of us ought to get Lorne out of here." The way he said it made it pretty plain that he meant one of them.

Gunn shrugged, despite his burden. "I've already got him," he said, obviously not too happy. "So I guess it might as well be me."

"Take him straight back to the firm," Wes directed. "He may need medical attention."

"Will do," Gunn promised. He started half-carrying Lorne out of the room.

"I don't need a doctor," Lorne insisted. "Just large amounts of medicinal alcohol."

"If the doc says it's okay, Lorne," Gunn assured him. "I'll pour it down you myself."

&&&&&&&

"I've got him," Ethan called out, rather smugly, really. "Why don't you be good lads and help me fetch him down?"

The other male members of the coven filed up to the catwalk at a run.

"Do you people have any idea what you're doing?" Angel asked, hoping against hope to get through to at least one of them.

"Of course we do," one of them answered smugly. "We're going to heal the earth. And your blood is going to help us do it."

Angel was taken aback. Of all the things he expected to hear, such an admittedly laudable ambition wasn't on the list. "Have you ever heard of a white magic spell that required a death?"

"Don't listen to him," Jason warned. "Don't talk to him either. Remember, Nathan said that he'd try to trick us to save himself." Good, dependable, malleable Jason.

"His name isn't Nathan Wayne," Angel said desperately. "It's Ethan Rayne. And if you think that he has any interest in helping with a noble cause, then you've been completely mislead. He's using you." He would have said more, but something hard and heavy hit him on the back of his head, and the lights went out.

"I think we've heard enough from him anyway," Ethan said mildly. "Get him to the circle. Tie him up, tightly, mind you, vampires are strong." He thought for a moment. "You might want to gag him too."