Chapter ten - Trouble
We all stood and went our separate ways to get things ready. I hurried through packing my bag, which wasn't hard since I hadn't unpacked it the night before. Willow did the same.
I watched her carefully. She seemed all right now, but I could tell all this was bringing up things from her past that she might not be ready to deal with.
Someone knocked on the door and I opened it to find Angel standing on the other side with a perplexed look on his face.
" I just thought of something. " he said. " I was booking us plane tickets to Nevada and it occurred to me that we won't be able to take any weapons with us on the plane. "
I frowned at him. He was right. I hadn't thought about that either. " Well, we can drive. Nevada is like what five hours away. But we have no idea how far this Las Venero. "
" It's on the state line between here and Nevada. It would take about six hours in a car. " Andrew said, coming down the hall. " I even printed a map. "
He waved the paper in front of us and I took it. It was interstate most of the way to Nevada, then it looked like a pretty big highway.
" I guess we drive. " I answered, tucking the map into my back pocket.
Angel smiled and chuckled softly. " There is another small problem with that plan. "
I stared at him, not understanding at first, then it dawned on me. " I'll drive, you can get under a blanket or something in the back. "
He laughed. " I'm going to ride for six hours in a car under a blanket. " he muttered.
" If you wanna come with us, you are. " I answered.
" What if I say no ? " he smiled.
I gave his chest a playful push. " Then I'll take your keys and run outside with them. What are you going to do, chase me ? "
We all laughed for a minute.
" Are you really sure your up to this ? " he asked me.
I thought about that. " I have to be. I don't have a choice. "
" That doesn't answer my question. " he told me. " You're not my back up this time. I'm yours and if I need to be more, you've got to tell me. "
" I'll be fine. " I answered. " With you and Willow to help me, I'll be great. "
He glanced to Willow. " You have everything you need for the spells ? "
" Yep. " she answered, patting a little black bag that looked like a makeup case that she carried over her shoulder.
" Good, let's go get our arsenal together and we can hit it. With any luck we'll get there just about dusk. " he said, walking back down the hall.
We all followed him and I watched in amusement as he opened the hall closet and quite literally pulled out an arsenal. I mean, guns, stakes, bows, I think he even had a spear there somewhere. He put everything in a bag that looked like it was for carrying shotguns or rifles and threw it over his shoulder.
We all grabbed our bags and headed out.
When we got to the car, we threw everything but Angel's blanket and a picnic basket that Andrew had packed while we were getting weapons together, in the trunk and we all settled in.
Angel slumped in his seat trying to stay as much out of the windows as possible and Andrew helped him make sure the blanket was completely covering him before we left his parking garage. Leave it to Angel to think about finding an apartment with a covered garage.
Willow sat beside me alternating between flipping through radio stations and napping. Andrew hummed to himself most of the trip except for the occasions when he was either sticking his head out the window like a dog, or trying to poke food down us. Angel griped about the blanket.
I just drove and thought.
How was I going to convince Spike that I really did love him ? How was I going to make him understand how I felt ? And what the hell was he going to think about the baby ?
I still didn't have the answers six and a half hours later when we crossed the border into Nevada.
The sun had started to set a bit and Angel had begun to peek out from under his blanket, not being able to stand it any longer. I really couldn't blame him, I hated not being able to see where I was going. It must have been murder for a control freak like him.
" We're here. " I said, getting everyone's attention as I slowed down in front of a sign that read Las Venero, Nevada, Population 468.
" Small town. " Angel muttered, behind me, shucking the blanket completely, now that the Sun had finally completely set.
" Yep, " I answered, slowing my speed down to a crawl. I really didn't want to get stopped by a policeman with all the firepower we were carrying in the trunk. " What now ? "
" We go to the Watering hole and ask around. " Angel offered.
" Any ideas where it is ? " I asked.
" No, but in a town this size I can't imagine it'll be to hard to find. " he answered.
He was right. Sitting about halfway through town, right on the main highway was a dilapidated old building with a neon sign above it proclaiming it to be the Waerng Hoe. The sign hung at an odd angle like it was about to fall through the roof any second and by the looks of the building, It was going to go all the way to through the floor when it did.
It wasn't the kind of trashed out looking place Magnus' had been. It was different, more old and decrepit than run down and dirty. The front glass door was grimy and had definitely seen better days. The parking lot was vacant except for two trucks parked on the side.
We all got out and stretched our legs before heading to the trunk. Angel unzipped his gun shaped bag and started handing out weapons. I took three stakes, two large knives and a gun just for good measure. He loaded the others down, too. And before he closed the trunk I got into my bag and pulled Spike's coat out, slipping it over my shoulder and pausing long enough to roll up the sleeves. Then we started to go inside.
Willow stopped us before we got to the door. " Should I do the protection spells before we go in and find out it's too late ? " she asked.
" Maybe you should. " Angel agreed.
I sighed, anxious to get inside and find Spike but my good sense won out and I relented and headed back to the car.
Once there, she took several items out of her bag and began mumbling something I couldn't hear or understand under her breath. But within minutes, a bright blue light shot from her fingertips and moved over me, concentrated mostly on my stomach. I couldn't tell any difference after the light dissipated but she said it worked so I trusted her.
Finally, after she put everything back in her bag and flung it back over her shoulder, we headed inside.
The inside of the place was actually quite a bit nicer than the outside. A television showed the news in the corner over an old wooden bar, complete with a gold rail at the bottom. Several stools sat in front on it and the back wall was lined with glasses and bottles of all sorts. The sign that read rest rooms sat over a door leading down a darken hall opposite the front door. Another door sat closed behind the bar with a red neon sign over it that read exit. Dead animal skulls adorned the walls along side artwork with horses and other live stock. Several small tables with red checkered clothes over them were sitting entirely too close together throughout the small room.
The place had really looked much bigger on the outside. There was probably a pretty large storeroom in the back through the door behind the bar.
The places' only occupants were an old man slumped against the bar intently watching the television and the bartender who was also old and also watching the TV.
We went to the bar and sat down on four stool opposite the old man.
The bartender nodded politely as he walked over to us. " What can I get you folks ? " he asked in a jovial tone.
Angel smiled at him and ordered drinks for everybody but me. I ended up with a coke.
" We're actually looking for someone. " Angel told the man as he sat the drink down in front of each of us. " Maybe you can help us. "
" I'd be glad too if I can. " he answered, smiling brightly.
" Guys name is Warren, do you know him ? "
The man's brow furrowed as he thought about it. " Can't say that I do, but we get a few people in here that keep to themselves, so I don't know much about them. "
" We're supposed to be meeting this guy here but I think we're a little early. " Angel explained.
" Well the crowd doesn't really come in until around nine, but you're welcome to grab a table and wait on him if you want. "
I glanced at the watch my wrist. It was barely seven o'clock. I was not all that thrilled with the prospect of sitting around for two hours waiting.
Then I got an idea. " You wouldn't by any chance know of any under caves around these parts, would you ? " I asked.
The man gave me a strange look at first but the smile came back pretty quickly.
" We got lots of caves on the outskirts of town. Spelunkers, right ? " he asked.
" Yep. That's us. " Willow jumped in. " Spelunkers. "
" You just get back on the main road and follow it through town, then there will be a road on the right hand side right after you pass the population sign. There's a pretty extensive cave system out that way. You have equipment, right ? "
I stared at him blankly. But Angel spoke up. " Yep, we have everything we need. " he answered.
" If this Warren fellow comes in looking for you, you want me to tell him where I sent you ? " he asked.
" No ! " We all said at once.
Then Angel cleared his throat and tried to regroup. " We'll come back here. Don't tell him anything about us even being here. We want to surprise him. "
The man eyed us suspiciously. " I thought you said you were supposed to meet him here. " he said, cautiously.
" We are but it's a surprise meeting. " I offered with a bright smile.
" You all aren't going to be causing any trouble are you ? Cause the local law don't like trouble. "
" Us ? " Willow answered. " No, no, we won't be any trouble. "
" No trouble at all. " Andrew added.
The man nodded at us and went back to check on the guy at the other end of the bar.
We finished our drinks quickly and headed back out to the car.