Note: Please don't get caught up in the semantics of this fic. I'm not really sure about some of this military stuff since I wrote this so fast. So bear with me.
Chapter Twelve – Let's Get to Work
"We'll be going in groups of ten. Five groups. Each group will have its team leader. That's who you will take orders from," Riley stated as everyone involved with the mission gathered.
There were way too many people to count. Wesley did not want to be in charge of that many people, so he let Riley handle most of the logistics. He and Giles had sat down to discuss the slayers. They'd all go, proving their worth. An asset was an asset.
"Each group will have three slayers. My team will make up the rest. Just remember that this is a search and destroy mission, take the leader out. Get in and get out with a minimum of fuss. No engaging the enemy without proper authorization."
"Or if a vamp is breathing down your neck," Faith whispered to him.
"The vehicles we have at our disposal are bulletproof. They also run on solar energy so we don't have to rely on gas."
"We should have had one of those," Dawn whispered to Connor.
"Here are your assignments. I want everyone in their groups."
"Oh, goody. It's like summer camp but without the games," Xander added quietly.
"Those military guys are going to hate us by the time this is over, aren't they?" Faith pointed out.
"There will be no saluting going on here." Xander was on a roll.
"Faith, and you thought I had problems with authority figures," Wesley told her.
"Xander's the master. He'll listen though. Don't worry."
"Who's worried? We're going into a war zone with a bunch of teenagers and men with guns." The guns had actually made Wesley feel a little better, except the guys using them were a little too straight-laced. Demons might scare even these guys.
"My men. Standard issue equipment. That means full arsenal."
"Guns won't stop some of these things," Faith mentioned.
Riley brought out Faith's and Wesley's weapons. Even his trusty shotgun. Wesley smiled like he'd just seen an old friend.
"Not going all sentimental on us are you?" Faith asked as they started stowing their weapons on their bodies.
The military types stopped and watched Faith and Wesley. Both had their jackets on, so it made storing all of them a little easier. Knives in boots, stakes in pockets, Wesley loaded both his handguns, putting extra ammunition in one pocket. When all was said and done, the two of them could have taken on the whole squad and won.
"Sir, the weapons they have?" one of the squad asked Riley.
"Kept them alive for quite some time, Miller."
Wesley hated that they'd have to use helicopters again. To be able to stay in a group. Thank God they hadn't suggested parachuting.
"Looks like the invasion at Normandy," Giles added while they walked to the waiting helicopters.
"Didn't most of those guys die, Giles?" Xander wondered.
"Ready to go back to hell, watcher?" Was Wesley ready to possibly relive the horrors? They needed to stop this. Too many lives depended on it.
"Let's get the show on the road," Riley shouted to his men.
While Dawn and Faith were in his group, the others were divided amongst Riley's people and the slayers. Dawn had grumped at first, until Faith had reminded her she was lucky that she was coming in the first place.
Wesley already planned on leaving the girl with Lorne. With Connor there to back him up, it hopefully would not be too difficult to convince her. Otherwise, he'd just tie her up and suffer the consequences later.
The ride thank goodness was uneventful as was the landing. They hadn't picked the same spot where they had been rescued, but one very similar to it. Closer to the refugee camp though.
The squad of Riley's was efficient and fast. They had everything, including the vehicles, unloaded quickly. Getting there would be the challenge.
"Ms. Summers, how nice of you to join me again."
Buffy was brought before the big bad again. Once a day like clockwork. The guy'd send for her, they'd stare at each other and eat, then back to the cell.
The man in front of her was quite handsome, dark wavy hair, tall, blue eyes. He looked human, but her senses told her something different. Didn't smell like a vampire though.
"Now, out of all the girls in the world, why on earth would you want to converse with little ole' me. Hey, I'm witty and all, but definitely not your type."
"I think it's time I showed you."
"Finally. I was getting so bored. There's only so much you can talk about with evil."
The man just smiled. No evil laugh. No ranting about how evil he really was.
"Come with me."
She knew this might be her only chance to take this guy down. "You know, I don't even know your name, Mr. Evil Bad Guy."
He took her hand to lead her down a dark corridor.
"You really should pay your electric bill." His hand was warm, so not a vamp. Felt like a human hand. Didn't look like the Mayor, which was a big plus. "OK, so what's your deal? Big bad, power hungry guy like yourself."
A door opened before them. Figures in red robes lined the rooms. But they all still had their eyes. Good, not Bringers. Not all one kind of species. Demons, vampires, you name it, they worshipped.
"Is this a Demons Anonymous meeting? Because, hey, not a demon here."
As the man led her to the front, her tingly senses were on overload. Something up front was not of the good. The demons were chanting. Three altars stood on a platform, two of which were already occupied.
"You know, this really isn't my thing."
Buffy looked for an opening and took the first available, smashing a fist into the lead guy's face. Unfortunately one of the guys behind her had a tazer. Could she recover in time before they completed whatever ritual they were performing?
"This is so not how it's supposed to work," she heard a familiar voice off to the side. The two guys who had been behind her dragged her to the last altar.
Her gasp of surprise wasn't unexpected. The hairs on the back of her neck always did that tingly thing when he was skulking around. Only he wasn't skulking any more.
Angel lay on a slab not ten feet from her, strapped in and out like a light.
"He didn't want to play along. Now be a good dear."
Before they could strap her in though, some of her strength came back. Her body had felt so lethargic the past couple of months. Must have been drugs or a spell. For some reason that now was not the case.
She head butted one and elbowed the other. The tazer guy came running, missing her when she flipped her body out of the way. The chanting behind her became louder and louder. There was supposed to be chaos right about now. They must know something she didn't.
Knives over the first two altars started their downward motion.
"Slash her now," someone yelled from the right.
The familiar voice on the first altar screamed. Through the fighting, she saw blood on the floor. Another demon had taken a swipe at Angel, cutting deep into his stomach. The wound wasn't fatal, but it hurt her to see it. That distraction though got her a knife wound on the arm.
"Don't play with knives," Buffy called as she knocked the offending weapon out of the ugly demon's hand.
"It's not working," the big bad yelled. So this was some kind of blood ritual. "Why isn't it starting to work?"
A hulking demon backhanded Buffy, sending her crashing into a stone pillar. But before she could move, the red robed guys surrounded her.
"I have the ingredients. Each piece in place. The three, I have it right."
Buffy could still hear Cordelia sobbing from the altar. If her wound were as bad as Angel's, she'd be in a world of hurt right about then.
"The seer. I know that's right. And there's only one vampire with a soul." Buffy wouldn't tell them that at one time there had been two. It had been too brief a time. Spike had just earned it to die a fiery death saving her and the world from destruction.
"The third is strength. That equals slayer. Slayer, seer and soul will open the gate to freedom."
But there were potentially thousands of slayers running around now. She was just one of many. None of this made any sense to her.
Some minion whispered in his ear. "I know there are two, but she's the original."
This guy really not up on the history thing. Maybe lots of them running around negated the whole scenario.
The bad guy waved her captors over, towing Buffy along like she weighed nothing. "Where is she?"
"Who?" Ignorance is bliss.
"The other slayer?"
"To date, I have me 422 slayers, buddy." The demon jerked her head back to make a point.
"The dark-haired one. Where is she?"
"No idea who you're talking about."
"I could cut up your friends some more."
What? How'd the guy know about Angel and Cordelia being in Sunnydale? Who was this guy? The man ranted and raved for quite some time, sending his worshippers scrambling for cover. It looked as if they all feared him, like he had some kind of hold over them. And if she could break that hold, then life would become quite chaotic for him. She also would probably get her slayer strength back fully.
"Get the other two out of here."
The guards complied quickly. Cordelia and Angel were still alive but for how long.
"What shall we do with her, my lord?"
"Kill her. She is of no use to us any more. Find me the other one."
This was so not good news. The big bad was so off his rocker, he grabbed the nearest robed follower and squeezed his throat. The body fell to the floor.
"We have to complete the ritual before the next full moon. Find her now."
Several of the robed figures grabbed her arms to drag her away. She'd better get some strength back, or it was history for the Buffster.
TBC
Some Buffy action, finally.
