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Chapter 16

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"What do we have so far?" Angel asked, glancing around the gathered group. All search parties had met after Angel's alert, and the anxiety in the group was increasing by the minute.

"A stake and a jacket," Wesley replied, "Not much, but enough. All we need is for Tara to perform a spell..."

The insistent ringing of a cell phone interrupted him. Everyone scrambled to get to their phones, but it was Angel who received an answer when he spoke into his.

"Angel speaking... Miss Kirly. Yes, we found...you haven't? Damn. Keep trying. Yes, I know, but...Okay, sure."

He pocketed his phone and turned back to face the group, a grim expression darkening his features.

"Tara is in Africa. There's no way to contact her."

Giles gaped, a red flush creeping up his neck. "She can't be contacted?" he fumed. "Buffy is in danger, and she's the only one who has the skill to find her! What could possibly be so important?"

"The impending apocalypse in Africa, for one," Angel replied dryly, effectively silencing the Watcher. Another shrill ring pealed through the air, and Gunn walked away as he answered his phone.

"So, we have nothing," Angel summed, cursing loudly. "We'll split up again. Keep searching, and stay to your areas. Work you way towards the center of the city and meet at Caritas in an hour."

"Angel," Gunn interrupted.

"What?"

"Gwendolyn said there was a police report filed about a disturbance late last night. In the George Mill's cemetery."

Angel startled. "That's where I found the stake and jacket. Change of plan people; work your way towards the cemetery. We'll meet there in an hour."

The search party departed in a grim silence.

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"I can't believe you guys!" Faith cried, throwing her arms into the air as a sign of her frustration.

"Faith," Willow repeated, "We are absolutely not going to search for Buffy!"

"Why not?"

"Again, because Angel and the teachers are already searching for her," Willow explained through gritted teeth as the brunette potential paced her small room. She glanced helplessly at Xander, who shrugged from the floor. He was resting against the chest of drawers separating Buffy and Cordelia's bed, playing with Faith's lighter.

"And there's something called vampires and demons that think of us as walking blood donors," he added, although he was beginning to think that Faith was actually right. The group of teachers by day, demon hunters by night couldn't search the whole city, and despite the strict orders not to leave their dorms he knew that they could help increase the chance of finding Buffy- and Spike, from what Faith had told them.

"And B is right in the smack of it!" Faith protested, anger flaring in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Buffy's 'friends' were against her idea. She needed help and they didn't want to break rules to do so.

Cordelia breezed into the room, unaware of the conflict raging between Faith and the redhead.

"You should hear the rumours doing the rounds," she said. "Apparently, Buffy has been kidnapped by aliens, drained by vampires and murdered by a Falgor demon. I even heard someone say that she ran away with her secret lover because he turned out to be a vampire and she knew no one would approve. And this is coming from people who don't even know she's the Slayer!"

Xander glanced nervously at Willow, who blanched at the rumours. "Uh, Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think maybe...?"

"Yeah."

"At last!" Faith exclaimed. "If I knew all it would take was some good imagery I could have had you searching for B hours ago!"

"Uh, Faith, it's only been an hour since everyone found out about Buffy," Oz said.

Faith snorted. "Way to get technical wolf-boy."

Anya ran into the room, puffing slightly. " Are you guys gonna go looking for Buffy?"

"How'd you know?" Xander asked curiously, already standing by the door, his question causing Anya to blush furiously.

"I, uh..." she stammered, and Willow's eyes widened in surprise.

"You were listening?" she asked incredulously. Anya ducked her head sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry," she muttered.

"I didn't know you could do that," Willow nodded, as though approving of her.

"Yeah, well, my mom only taught me a few weeks before I came here, but it gets easier every time."

Xander glanced from one girl to the other, baffled by their conversation. "Hey, it may just be me, but what?"

"I'll second that," Faith said, placing her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrows.

"I've been reading a bit about Vengeance demons, and their abilities vary. Some of them can listen to things being said a long distance away, most likely to hear potential clients." Anya grinned wryly at this comment, as though remembering a personal joke. "Seems Anya here inherited more from her mother than we knew."

"Hey!" Anya protested at the alarmed looks that followed Willow's comment. "I was only listening because I was bored. And I didn't mean any harm."

"Anya, Anya, Anya," Xander said with a smile. "The queen of subtlety."

"I resent that remark, Harris," she retorted, but she smiled good-naturedly. "And anyway, I can wish you guys out of here, since there's no way you can get past Miss Tara's protection spells."

"Demon girl's got a point," Faith said, shrugging and looking at the others. "Anyone else got a better idea? No? Then let's go."

Willow exchanged an anxious look with Cordelia. "Uh, Faith? We don't really know how to fight, and I don't exactly want to become undead."

"Same here," Cordelia said raising her hand. "Although the wrinkles deal could be good. You know, with the not aging thing?"

The whole room turned to stare at her.

"Or not," she added meekly.

Willow continued, "Anyway, I was going to say that maybe we should have something to protect ourselves."

"Good idea, Will," Faith said, nodding to her. "Where does Buffy keep her weapons?"

Willow pulled Buffy's bed away from the wall and retrieved her black bag. As she pushed the bed back into its position she accidentally dropped it, spilling its contents onto the floor.

"Wow," Oz murmured as Xander gave a low whistle of appreciation.

Knives of all types and sizes were scattered across the floor, accompanied by sharp wooden stakes and a crossbow. Faith scooped the crossbow into her arms, moving it to get an idea of its weight.

"This is definitely mine," Faith said, grinning wickedly.

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Angel hastily ducked the fist swinging towards his head and kicked out. He felt the bone snap beneath his foot and winced with sympathy toward the vampire. His opponent howled in agony and dropped to his knees, clutching his broken knee. Angel quickly decapitated him and put him out of his misery.

His head shot up when he heard a familiar scream. He would recognize that voice anywhere, mostly because the owner was with him everyday.

He turned and hurtled through the cemetery, weaving past the graves and various trees. He scaled the gate and pounded down the street, fright now filling every part of him. He pushed his head down and forced himself to move faster. He was a blur of black to any passer by, with his black duster flying out behind him.

If he wasn't in time...No, he wouldn't let himself think about that. He concentrated on following her scent and veered off the street into a small side street.

Fred cowered in the middle of the road, surrounded by a mob of vampires. She wrapped her arms around her tiny frame and pleaded with them to let her go.

"Please, please let me go," she cried. "Don't hurt me."

Angel slid into the shadows and watched, a slow smile playing across his lips. He loved watching them. Sometimes it was only to examine their progress and other times he watched them just for pleasure. But he never interfered unless it was absolutely necessary.

The vampire grabbed Fred by the neck and pulled her to his chest. He morphed into game face and smirked when she screamed. He bent his head forward, intent on sinking his fangs into her neck when he dropped her in shock. He glanced down at the stake protruding from his chest and Fred offered him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," she said as he exploded into dust. The rest of the gang snapped out of their surprised state and leapt forward.

"Wait!" Fred shouted. They hesitated, and then stopped.

"Want to say some last words before you die?" a blonde female sneered.

"No, I was just going to say 'behind you!'"

Each vampire slowly turned around, their faces slowly falling.

"Shit," one of them muttered.

"You can say that again," Gunn said, releasing an arrow from his crossbow into the gang. As soon as the arrow hit its target Wesley, Giles and the other demon hunters that joined them jumped into the fray. Fred immediately ducked out of the center of the ruckus and dusted any vampire trying to escape. Within minutes every bloodsucker was gone, leaving the weary, aching and frustrated hunters alone.

"Nice job," Angel complimented as he stepped into the light.

"Angel, man, we were just on our way," Gunn said, reloading his crossbow.

"Yes, we joined the other team a few blocks away," Wesley informed him, still brushing off the dust on his jeans.

"Okay," Angel said. "We had better split up again and search around the cemetery. Fred, Connor, you're with me. You others go left, and we'll go right."

The petite brunette and experienced demon hunter followed Angel back down the way he had come. Angel had found Connor as a baby, abandoned in a vampire's nest, and he had been an important part of Angel's life since. Taking on the role of his father, Angel now doted on his 'son' and was proud of his skills at hunting.

Twenty minutes later everyone met up at the entrance of the cemetery weary, disgruntled and anxious. Angel bit his lip in frustration. Why couldn't they find anything? He had slain, beaten and threatened countless vampires and demons and still come up with nothing. He wouldn't give up until he had found her, though. If anything happened to her he didn't know what he would do.

As he argued with Wesley about what to do next he didn't notice the group that watched them from the shadows in the trees.

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"Where are we?" Xander whispered as they crept quietly through the trees.

"We're right in front of the cemetery," Faith answered from the front, ducking under an overhanging branch.

"Cemetery?" Willow said nervously. "We're not going in it, are we?"

"Scared?" Faith sniggered.

"Shut up!" Cordelia snapped, waving her arm to accompany her order. "Oz senses something!"

The group turned to Oz, who was indeed sniffing at the air. "Humans. Over there," he said, pointing to the group's left. They slunk quietly into the clump of trees as a group and peered out into the night.

"Shit," Anya muttered.

The rest remained silent as they watched Angel and Wesley argue about what to do next. Apparently they hadn't been successful in their search for Buffy. The group exchanged worried glances with each other. If these highly trained adults couldn't find her then how did they have a chance?

Suddenly, the teachers were attacked by a horde of vampires, and they fought the urge to run or scream. Xander gasped as his seemingly powerless teachers fought back skillfully and determinedly.

However, the biggest shock came when Angel staked a vampire and spun around angrily, growling through his fangs and glaring with yellow eyes.

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Angel is finally revealed...da da da da! Did I mention I love reviews?