Note: An old friend makes an appearance. And the title does not refer to friend. Just read and enjoy.
Chapter Twenty – The Demon Rears Its Ugly Head
"I think we need an alternative route. Dawn?"
"I'm on it." Dawn flipped through the pages of her map book that she had found at their last stop.
"Go back about five miles. There's a two lane road that'll take us to Tahoe the round about way."
"Take us days longer to get to our coordinates though," Faith said.
"Only option at this point." Wesley knew this was not too good to be true. The more time they spent traveling the more likely something would happen.
"Saddle up and move 'em out, boss." He could see by Faith's expression that she was just as frustrated as he was. Turning the vehicle around, Wesley headed in the direction they had just come.
The two-lane road climbed into the mountains. It was much colder than down in the valley. Wesley stopped at a turnout at one point to look down the mountain to see if anyone was following them.
Everyone climbed out to stretch their legs a bit, since they had been in the car for over four hours. Faith, dressed in a tank top, rubbed her arms to keep them warm.
"Here, put this on." Wesley handed her a pullover sweater. She immediately put it on, and then buried her face in it.
"Nice sweater. Smells good." And she smiled. Her pleasure in that simple gesture not only spoke to his mind, but his heart as well.
"You should smile more. Brings out your dimples." And he walked away. Let her stew on that comment.
Break over, they all piled in. Wesley thought that something seemed off about the road. It wasn't damaged. And there weren't any houses for miles around.
"Should be smooth going?" Faith inquired, still smelling the sweater.
"Should be. Something tells me no though. Connor?"
"Yes, boss?" Now the boy was cheeky with him. Dawn's influence perhaps.
"Keep an eye out."
"Trouble?"
"Isn't there always."
"Totally wigging me out too," Dawn chimed in. But they still didn't see another soul.
"How far do we go before we switch highways, Dawn?"
"Approximately twenty-two miles. How far have we gone?"
"Only seven."
"You don't have slayer senses, Wes. What's the deal?" Faith asked.
"Intuition," he answered.
"More like too good to be true," Connor added, paranoid as always.
Nothing happened until they had gone twenty miles. This barricade looked impenetrable. And they could not go around. Wesley could see two sentries pointing their weapons at the car.
"There are at least two guys on the hill, weapons ready," Connor told him.
"So we ask politely," Wesley added.
Faith looked at the hills, trying to find the snipers. "What are you going to do?"
"Hopefully talk our way through. Stay in the car."
"What? No way." Faith still had a hard time taking orders.
"The less aggressive we seem, the better."
"Oh, and I look aggressive right now."
"Well, now that you mention it." He thought she looked downright adorable in his thick cable sweater, but he wasn't going to mention that to her.
"Just do as I ask." Wesley grabbed his coat off the seat and stepped out of the car.
"Hello. Who's in charge here?"
The men just looked at him, obviously not answering.
"I just want passage through."
A gunshot ran out, kicking up dust near his foot. Turning he could see Faith straining not to come running to his aid. Connor had a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Or maybe he was restraining her. He didn't know which.
"Turn around and go back the other way."
"We can't. The road is destroyed north of here."
"Then go south."
Wesley smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile. "You know as well as I do that's not an option."
"We don't want any more of your kind," another voice rang out from the left.
"I can assure you that we're all very much human."
"That's what we mean." He heard the cocking of a gun.
"Stop. Put that down, you ninny." The voice was coming from a distance, but getting closer. "Put it away you bozos or I'll have your heads."
Wesley thought he saw a flash of green, but with the barricade's height, he couldn't tell.
"I tell you, leave you guys for one minute." Wesley knew that voice. He wanted to jump up and down.
"'Lorne, is that you?" Finally he saw a green finger slip through a crack in the barricade.
"Wes. Wesley. It's you."
"Am I ever glad to see you. Where in blazes have you been? I thought you were dead."
Wesley advanced only to be shot at again.
"Will you just put that down?" Wesley could hear someone slapping someone. "That's my friend out there."
Then he heard a whistle.
"Uh, oh. Let them in now. Now you idiot."
A gate started opening. But before it could finish, Wesley saw at least a dozen demons approaching on motorcycles. He could see Faith pushing Dawn into the driver's seat. She leapt out of the moving vehicle to see what was going down. He waved Dawn through, running after the car and taking Faith's hand at the same time.
"Why'd you get out?" he yelled at her.
"I can't drive. Plus, hey, action you know."
Oh, he knew all right. Faith was poised for a fight.
"Not this time." He pulled her through the gate just before it closed.
"You're gonna pay for that, mister," Faith chided him. Wesley heard the first bullet hit and ducked.
"Get down, you two," Lorne yelled from cover. "This barrier isn't bulletproof."
Wesley tackled the slayer to the ground, landing on top of her. "Should have told me how ya felt."
Wesley didn't have time to dwell on that statement. He had to get Faith to safety. Luckily, Dawn had already driven away. The two crawled on the ground, trying to get to cover. Bullets flew everywhere.
"We need to make a run for it," Wesley finally told her.
"Lead on, babe."
"Over there. Go."
Both ran hard and dove for cover. Faith grunted as they were running. Then a searing pain hit his arm. They landed hard on the ground, but were now protected.
Faith cradled her arm, but said nothing. Although Wesley thought he'd been shot, he could find no blood on his arm.
"Damn, this stings," Faith said, crouched behind him. She held her upper arm, blood dripping from her hand. Wesley turned to see what was the matter.
"Oh dear God. You've been shot."
"And it really fucking hurts. Why didn't you tell me it hurts this bad?"
"Let me see." He couldn't see much because of the amount of blood oozing out. He pulled the bulky sweater up and out of the way. When he accidentally poked the injury, she grunted in pain. And his arm throbbed.
"The bullet passed through. We need to get you out of here."
The gun battle still fiercely blazed around them.
"Hey, you two. This way," Lorne called from another shelter.
Wesley could see a way to get to him and stay under protection. He turned back to Faith.
"You don't look so good, Wes. You're white as a sheet."
"I'm OK. We need to move. You good to go?"
"Five by five, boss."
Wesley took her good arm and led her to where Lorne was crouched.
"You can't believe how happy I am to see you two. Where's everyone else?"
"Lorne, I need to get Faith medical attention." And hope that Lorne couldn't read him right then and there.
"Let's go sweetie."
Lorne led them away from the fighting. Until now, Wesley hadn't even paid attention to his surroundings and the people that populated it. There were humans and demons roaming around everywhere. He could see the SUV, with Dawn and Connor outside it, with Dawn talking animatedly to someone. She didn't look to be in any danger. But just in case, he nodded to Connor, who acknowledged him back.
"Here we are pumpkin," Lorne said as he directed Faith to someone who looked like a doctor. Wesley couldn't tell. The doctor appeared to be a demon.
Faith almost bolted. "Whoa, whoa, Ms. Kick Butt. He's one of the good guys."
"You sure?" she asked looking at Lorne.
"Yep. Positive. Now sit down darlin' before you fall down."
Since Wesley felt like doing the same, he sat down beside her. The pain in his arm had started to ebb somewhat, but he never found a wound.
"You'll be fine. Let's just get you cleaned and bandaged and you'll be on your way, miss." The doctor was efficient and quick as he cleaned her wound.
"Now what is blazes is going on, Wes?" Lorne looked serious.
Wesley didn't want to tell the green demon in the middle of a makeshift hospital that the rest of his friends had died.
"Not good, is it?"
"No, it's not. We need to find a place to talk."
TBC
First time writing Lorne. Hope it's good.