Chapter XII: Picking up the pace.
He's sitting idly in his living room, cataloguing his basic weaponry. He picks up a carton of pepper steak from a Chinese take-out and the chop- sticks from the bag in the dinner table and sits on the couch. He grabs a piece and just as he bites it there's a knock on his door.
He sets it on the table in front of him and walks towards the door. He looks through the peep-hole and opens the door.
Lindsey: "I need to talk to you."
He walks in, looking casually outside and closes the door. Wesley looks at him with uncertainty in his gaze. Lindsey walks into the apartment nervously and notices the pepper steak sitting on the table in front of the couch.
Lindsey: "Dinner plans?"
Wes: "Apparently ruined."
Lindsey: "No, uh, don't mind me."
Wes: (nods in compliance) "Very well."
He walks over to the couch and sits down. He grabs the take-out and takes a bite. Lindsey smiles as if surprised and sits down in the arm chair opposite of the couch.
Lindsey: "Bon appetite."
Wes: (reclines in his seat and wipes his mouth with a paper towel sheet) "Thank you. Want something to drink?"
Lindsey: "You got a beer?"
Wesley nods and stands from his seat. He walks over to the kitchen and grabs two beer bottles from the fridge. He walks over to Lindsey and hands him his.
Lindsey: (struggling to open it) "You got something to open thi--?"
Wes hands him a Swiss Army knife.
Lindsey: (cont.) "Thanks."
Wes: "Welcome." (drinks from his bottle)
Lindsey opens his bottle and sets the keys on the table. He drinks from it and holds the bottle in front of his eyes. He stares at it for a couple of seconds then looks back at Wesley, who's coming from the kitchen table with a carton full of fried rice. He sits on the couch and looks at Lindsey. He tilts the box towards him.
Lindsey: "Nah... thanks."
Wesley eats his meal, while Lindsey reclines in his seat with the bottle in his hand. He takes a sip from the bottle and stretches his left leg.
Wes: (looking and stirring his food) "How long are we supposed to drag this conversation before you tell me what you came here for?"
Lindsey: (pauses) "They found her."
Wesley stops just as he was about to take another bite. He puts the food on the table and wipes his hands and mouth with the sheet. He sits back on the couch and looks at Lindsey with a cold and dreadful stare.
Lindsey: "I got a call at the office about an hour ago." (his well up) "They found her in Tibet or something... hiding in a sanctuary of some sort. She was... ahem she wa--"
Wes: "When did it happen? Did they know?"
Lindsey: "They don't... my sources told me that the way they found her she could've been tortured for weeks." (he takes a deep breath, choking back the tears) "They said that... that the monks there were all killed too. She'd been hiding there since the coup."
Wes: "Partners?"
Lindsey: "That's what I thought."
Wes: "Could be the kid as well."
Lindsey: "You think so?"
Wes: "It's doubtful, but at this juncture I wouldn't rule it out."
They stay quiet for a moment, processing their thoughts.
Lindsey: "We need to tell Spike."
Wes: "No... not yet."
Lindsey: "Wes. He needs to know what're we dealing with here."
Wes: "I'll talk to him, but it's too soon."
Lindsey: "You're afraid he'll muck up your plan?"
Wes: "He won't understand."
Lindsey: "And Illyria?"
Wes: "She won't be a liability. At least not until it happens."
Lindsey: "We're gonna get a lot of heat for this. And the Partners won't be pleased one bit either."
Wes: (sighs) "Yes. We're going to have to do it sooner than we thought."
Lindsey: "I got everything set. All I need is your confirmation that you have your pieces set."
Wes: "I will. Give me till the end of the week."
Lindsey: "Sure." (stands up) "I'm going to get going. I, uh--"
Wes: "Yes, of course."
Wes stands up and follows him to the door.
Lindsey: (standing by the door) "After this is done... I'm done. I'm not like you... I can't do this anymore."
Wes: "Lindsey, give yourself time to grieve... it's not worth keeping it inside."
Lindsey: "Hmph, you should know."
Wes: "Yes, well..."
Lindsey: "Yeah."
They look at each other once more and Lindsey takes off. Wes locks the door behind him and walks back to his food. The following morning Lindsey walks into his office and finds Hamilton standing near the window, looking at the traffic below.
Hamilton: "You know, I love the 1 o'clock traffic jams. Every employee in the city leaves at their lunch hour at any given time between 11 am and 12:30, but it's at 1 pm when they all run back towards their jobs." (pauses) "They look so small from here, but when they are closer... they seem even smaller."
Lindsey: "Good morning to you too, Marcus." (walks up to his desk)
Hamilton: "Why did you use the cleaners to get Spike?"
Lindsey: (rummaging through the files in his desk) "Why do you want to know?"
Hamilton: "Oh, nothing, I just thought that the Partners would find it interesting." (turns towards him)
Lindsey: "Well, Marcus, I don't think it's any of their damn business why I did it. As a matter of fact he's being treated in Fairfield Clinic just as we speak."
Hamilton: "No... he's not."
Lindsey: (looks at him) "What're you talking about?"
Hamilton: "He checked himself out just before dawn. You should've seen him acting so tough as he limped out the main door."
Lindsey: (pulls back his chair, seats and rests his feet on the desk) "Well, that's Spike right there for you."
Hamilton: "Word of advice, Lindsey: do not cross the Partners. I'd hoped that past experiences would've taught you that lesson. Don't follow the vampire's example."
Lindsey stares at him and Hamilton smiles. He walks out of the office leaving him alone. After a few minutes the speaker phone rings and Lindsey answers it.
Lindsey: "Yeah?"
Harmony: (through the phone) "Um, boss? Your 2 o'clock is here."
Lindsey: (checks his wrist watch) "It's not even 1:30 yet. Alright, send him in."
He pushes himself back and walks towards the door, just as it swings open. Two large demons walk in followed by Archduke Sebassis.
Lindsey: "Archduke." (bows) "Welcome." (smiles) "How may I be of service?"
-- End.
He's sitting idly in his living room, cataloguing his basic weaponry. He picks up a carton of pepper steak from a Chinese take-out and the chop- sticks from the bag in the dinner table and sits on the couch. He grabs a piece and just as he bites it there's a knock on his door.
He sets it on the table in front of him and walks towards the door. He looks through the peep-hole and opens the door.
Lindsey: "I need to talk to you."
He walks in, looking casually outside and closes the door. Wesley looks at him with uncertainty in his gaze. Lindsey walks into the apartment nervously and notices the pepper steak sitting on the table in front of the couch.
Lindsey: "Dinner plans?"
Wes: "Apparently ruined."
Lindsey: "No, uh, don't mind me."
Wes: (nods in compliance) "Very well."
He walks over to the couch and sits down. He grabs the take-out and takes a bite. Lindsey smiles as if surprised and sits down in the arm chair opposite of the couch.
Lindsey: "Bon appetite."
Wes: (reclines in his seat and wipes his mouth with a paper towel sheet) "Thank you. Want something to drink?"
Lindsey: "You got a beer?"
Wesley nods and stands from his seat. He walks over to the kitchen and grabs two beer bottles from the fridge. He walks over to Lindsey and hands him his.
Lindsey: (struggling to open it) "You got something to open thi--?"
Wes hands him a Swiss Army knife.
Lindsey: (cont.) "Thanks."
Wes: "Welcome." (drinks from his bottle)
Lindsey opens his bottle and sets the keys on the table. He drinks from it and holds the bottle in front of his eyes. He stares at it for a couple of seconds then looks back at Wesley, who's coming from the kitchen table with a carton full of fried rice. He sits on the couch and looks at Lindsey. He tilts the box towards him.
Lindsey: "Nah... thanks."
Wesley eats his meal, while Lindsey reclines in his seat with the bottle in his hand. He takes a sip from the bottle and stretches his left leg.
Wes: (looking and stirring his food) "How long are we supposed to drag this conversation before you tell me what you came here for?"
Lindsey: (pauses) "They found her."
Wesley stops just as he was about to take another bite. He puts the food on the table and wipes his hands and mouth with the sheet. He sits back on the couch and looks at Lindsey with a cold and dreadful stare.
Lindsey: "I got a call at the office about an hour ago." (his well up) "They found her in Tibet or something... hiding in a sanctuary of some sort. She was... ahem she wa--"
Wes: "When did it happen? Did they know?"
Lindsey: "They don't... my sources told me that the way they found her she could've been tortured for weeks." (he takes a deep breath, choking back the tears) "They said that... that the monks there were all killed too. She'd been hiding there since the coup."
Wes: "Partners?"
Lindsey: "That's what I thought."
Wes: "Could be the kid as well."
Lindsey: "You think so?"
Wes: "It's doubtful, but at this juncture I wouldn't rule it out."
They stay quiet for a moment, processing their thoughts.
Lindsey: "We need to tell Spike."
Wes: "No... not yet."
Lindsey: "Wes. He needs to know what're we dealing with here."
Wes: "I'll talk to him, but it's too soon."
Lindsey: "You're afraid he'll muck up your plan?"
Wes: "He won't understand."
Lindsey: "And Illyria?"
Wes: "She won't be a liability. At least not until it happens."
Lindsey: "We're gonna get a lot of heat for this. And the Partners won't be pleased one bit either."
Wes: (sighs) "Yes. We're going to have to do it sooner than we thought."
Lindsey: "I got everything set. All I need is your confirmation that you have your pieces set."
Wes: "I will. Give me till the end of the week."
Lindsey: "Sure." (stands up) "I'm going to get going. I, uh--"
Wes: "Yes, of course."
Wes stands up and follows him to the door.
Lindsey: (standing by the door) "After this is done... I'm done. I'm not like you... I can't do this anymore."
Wes: "Lindsey, give yourself time to grieve... it's not worth keeping it inside."
Lindsey: "Hmph, you should know."
Wes: "Yes, well..."
Lindsey: "Yeah."
They look at each other once more and Lindsey takes off. Wes locks the door behind him and walks back to his food. The following morning Lindsey walks into his office and finds Hamilton standing near the window, looking at the traffic below.
Hamilton: "You know, I love the 1 o'clock traffic jams. Every employee in the city leaves at their lunch hour at any given time between 11 am and 12:30, but it's at 1 pm when they all run back towards their jobs." (pauses) "They look so small from here, but when they are closer... they seem even smaller."
Lindsey: "Good morning to you too, Marcus." (walks up to his desk)
Hamilton: "Why did you use the cleaners to get Spike?"
Lindsey: (rummaging through the files in his desk) "Why do you want to know?"
Hamilton: "Oh, nothing, I just thought that the Partners would find it interesting." (turns towards him)
Lindsey: "Well, Marcus, I don't think it's any of their damn business why I did it. As a matter of fact he's being treated in Fairfield Clinic just as we speak."
Hamilton: "No... he's not."
Lindsey: (looks at him) "What're you talking about?"
Hamilton: "He checked himself out just before dawn. You should've seen him acting so tough as he limped out the main door."
Lindsey: (pulls back his chair, seats and rests his feet on the desk) "Well, that's Spike right there for you."
Hamilton: "Word of advice, Lindsey: do not cross the Partners. I'd hoped that past experiences would've taught you that lesson. Don't follow the vampire's example."
Lindsey stares at him and Hamilton smiles. He walks out of the office leaving him alone. After a few minutes the speaker phone rings and Lindsey answers it.
Lindsey: "Yeah?"
Harmony: (through the phone) "Um, boss? Your 2 o'clock is here."
Lindsey: (checks his wrist watch) "It's not even 1:30 yet. Alright, send him in."
He pushes himself back and walks towards the door, just as it swings open. Two large demons walk in followed by Archduke Sebassis.
Lindsey: "Archduke." (bows) "Welcome." (smiles) "How may I be of service?"
-- End.