Chapter Eleven - Discoveries

" What the hell is a spelunker and what equipment are we going to need ? " I asked as soon as we got to the car.

" Cave explorers, " Andrew answered. " You know harnesses, and flashlights. That kind of stuff. "

" Oh, I get it. " I said.

I was staring out the front of the window again, casting glances at Angel occasionally. I really needed to think about whether or not I was going to need him to be more than just my back up. I felt all right but I wasn't really sure whether or not I was up to taking on something like this.

I sighed heavily and dropped my head against the head rest.

" What is it ? " Angel asked. " Are you okay ? "

I managed a weak smile and nodded. " Yep, good to go. " I answered, really trying to make myself believe it, too.

" You don't seem all that good to go. " he answered.

" I'll be fine. " I said, definitively.

" You know, " he said, reaching over and touching my hand. " It's not a crime to not be top form one hundred percent of the time. It doesn't make you weak. It just makes you human. "

I sighed again. " I know, but in my position it does make you weak. I can't ever let the enemy see that they might have an advantage. I have to be in top form all the time. And if not I at least have to pretend like I am. " I chuckled. " You know, never let 'em see you sweat. "

I laughed back. But then he sobered again. " I just want you to know that I'm here for you. "

"So are we. " Willow said, leaning up and touching my shoulder.

" You'll be fine. " Andrew added.

I thanked everyone just as we came up to the road the bartender had told us about. It was a dirt, gravel road that made the car bump with every pot hole. I unconsciously pulled Spikes coat tighter around me and tried to take a few deep breaths to ease the tension that had been building away.

The only light came from our headlights and as we continued down the road, it began to get narrower and narrower until finally it just disappeared all together into the side of what looked like a mesa.

We all got out after Angel eased the car to a stop and started to search around the rock in front of us.

It didn't take much searching to find the big whole in the side, just wide enough for two people to walk through at the same time. Gravel shifted under my boots and I consciously tried harder at being quiet. Willow and Angel didn't make a sound as they moved forward, but Andrew was being very unsuccessful at the stealth. I was pretty sure that if someone was inside they could hear him coming without having to listen hard.

Willow put a hand on mine and Angel's shoulders to stop us. And we paused, turning towards her.

She mumbled something quietly under her breath and a soft glow seemed to encompass Andrew feet, then disappeared.

She shook her head in approval and nodded for us to continue. When we did, we could no longer hear Andrew's footsteps.

We walked noiselessly down a long corridor decorated only by light brown colored rock walls and an occasional stalagmite or was it stalactite. I never could remember the difference. But these were coming from the ceiling at any rate.

About ten meters in, the wall on the left opened up to reveal another passage and the main corridor continued as far as we could see.

I stepped up to the new opening and peered down it as far as the flashlight in my hand would let me see. It looked about the same as the main one had.

I turned to Angel and whispered that it was clear, then we headed down that way. We could hear water dripping into what sounded like a large pool as we walked. The sound grew louder as we continued towards, adding an echo suggesting a large chamber.

The passage made a small turn and I let Angel check it out this time, mostly because he really didn't need a flashlight to see what was ahead. Being able to see in very dim light was one of his perks.

He peered around the corner then nodded to us and we all went forward, turning the corner and coming into a large chamber with a pretty good sized body of water in the center. There were several rock outcroppings around the edges of the water and even more of those stalactite / stalagmite thingys.

I drew the flashlight around in an arch and let it fall to the furthest corner, making sure nothing was lurking in the darkness. Then my danger sense started screaming at me. I caught the movement of Angel spinning around out of the corner of my eye, like he had sensed something, too.

It was Andrew that made the first noise, followed closely by Willow. It was a small humph sound like the air had been knocked out of them.

I whirled around to find Andrew sprawled on the ground and Willow trying her best to steady herself against the wall.

A man was standing over Andrew with a sort of club thing in his hand.

I reached inside my waistband grabbed the stake and aimed at his chest before he had a chance to pounce on poor Andrew.

He stopped short when he saw me and took a tentative step back.

" What do you want ? " he asked, with a sneer. " This ain't no tourist trap. Get lost. "

Angel reached out faster than I thought possible and had the vampire down on his knees with a stack resting against his chest before I could take a step forward.

" We aren't tourists. " Angel said, through gritted teeth. " Where's Warren ? "

The vampire just looked up at him, not a hint of fear in his expression and smiled.

" I don't know any Warren. " he said, evenly.

" Okay let's try again. " I said, helping Andrew off the ground. " Where's Spike ? "

" I don't know any Spike either. " he answered, still stubbornly not scared in the least.

" The only way you are not going to end up turning into a big pile of dust right now is for you to tell us what we want to know. " I told him.

He turned his attention away from Angel and looked at me with cold, hatred in his eyes.

" I guessing your the Slayer, right ? " he asked.

I nodded.

" Well, then I'm going to probably end up a big pile of dust either way. The question is are you going to waist time trying to get me to talk to you before my buddies show up or not ? "

I glanced at Angel who had his eyes narrowed on the passage behind us. Then he turned to me.

" There are more and their pretty close because I can sense them. " he told me.

" How many more ? " I asked.

" Three, not very old. Two are not more than fledglings. "

Damn, I swore under my breath. I should have known better than to try to sneak up on a group of vampires. They were probably tracking our heartbeats.

" We could hide. " Willow offered.

" No, we'll just take them out. " I answered.

I nodded to Angel and he quickly plunged the stake into the vampire and we all watched as he turned into a pile of dust.

I gestured towards an outcropping pretty close to us. " You and Andrew get over there and stay down. "

Angel and I both took up position on the sides of the opening to wait. It wasn't a long wait.

Two of the vampires came walking cautiously around the corner, with the third close in tow. As soon the first two stepped from the opening, Angel and I plunged our stakes into them, sending dust flying.

I took the moment of surprised and spun around, using my moment to cleanly and quickly rid of us of the last one as well.

" Well, so much for the element of surprise. " Angel muttered, dusting his hands off as he surveyed the damage.

" Yep, they know we're here. I should have known better than to try and sneak in. " I sighed, " I have never really been one for subtlety. "

I heard Willow and Andrew join us.

" Hard to be subtle when you've got three very loud heartbeats telling ever vampire in the place exactly where you are. " Angel commented.

" Yeah, like I said, I wasn't thinking. " I answered, mentally beating myself up for my flawed planning.

He touched my shoulder and I looked up at him. " It's okay, no harm done. We just have to approach it differently. "

I sighed again and took another stake out of my pocket for my free hand. " Yep, like head on. "

We all nodded and started the way we had come, back to the main corridor.

We found two more vampires on the way and Angel dispatched both of them before I even had a chance to think about it. Apparently, he had decided on his own that I needed him for more than back up.

Well, I did make the fucked up plan after all.

At the main hall, we followed the tunnel, making much quicker progress now that we didn't care if we were heard or not. I was beginning to worry because we hadn't seen anything in a bit when three things jumped out directly in our path.

I couldn't really say what the hell they were actually. Things seemed to best describe them. They really didn't have much form, just more like three separate quivering balls of gelatinous masses.

I jerked back in surprise and Angel cast me a glance that said, he had no idea how to fight the things. I didn't either and I shrugged at him in response.

We were just about to retreat when Willow pushed between us and raised her hand.

" Solid ! " she said, in a commanding tone.

A bright blue light shot out of her fingertips and surrounded the three things. It lifted them off the ground until they were face level with us, then the light disappeared and when they fell to the ground they shattered into tiny pieces at our feet.

" Nice, " Angel commented, throwing a look over his shoulder at her.

" Happy to help " She beamed, happily.

We started off again, more alert now than we had been before. There weren't any side passages, just a straight corridor leading down deeper into the cave.

Then Angel stopped short and I had to take a few steps back to join him.

" What is it ? " I asked.

" Spike is just up ahead. " he said, tensely. " I can sense him, but something's wrong. "

" What do you mean ? What's wrong ? " I said, staring into his eyes.

" I... " he began but his words broke off as he stared off into the distance. " We need to hurry. " he said finally. " He doesn't have much time. "

He was off again before I could ask him anything else and I had to run to catch up to him. There was a very large knot forming in my stomach and I had to fight to push it away. What did he mean, he doesn't have much time ?

We saw the soft glow from what appeared to be candlelight as we approached an opening at the end of the passage. I went first straining my eyes to try and see into the chamber before we just barged in.

I didn't have to strain very hard. The chamber was smaller than the one with the water and there were several lit torches on the wall, but everything else about it was the same. Rock outcroppings, stalactites/stalagmites and all. And against the back hall, held up by chains running to the ceiling was Spike.

He slumped against the manacles around his wrists and I could see the blood oozing from where they were cutting into his flesh. He was shirtless and several angry red welts stood out against the alabaster paleness of his chest. His head was down like he was either asleep or unconscious. A streak of red ran from his swollen bottom lip and a cut across his cheekbone. His eyes were both swollen shut.

My efforts towards checking for danger flew out the window as I darted from the opening and across the room to him. Luckily there was no one else in the room because no one tried to stop me.

I heard Willow and Andrew both gasp as they came into the chamber. Angel was pacing me hurrying to get to Spike as well.

We reached him at almost the same instant and I reached out to touch his face.

" Spike, " I whispered, " It's Buffy. Can you hear me ? "

I thought I saw him move but I couldn't be sure.

" We have to get him down. " I told Angel.

Angel reached up to the rusty iron chains that held him and tugged on them uselessly. Then he tried with the manacles themselves, but came away with the same result.

I turned my attention back to Willow who was looking at Spike in shock.

" Is there something you can do ? " I asked her, my voice edgy.

" What ? " she said, shaking her head like she had been in some kind of fog. " Oh, yeah. "

She walked to where we were, extended her hand and narrowed her eyes.

" Release. " she said in that same commanding tone.

The manacles snapped open, spilling Spike helplessly into mine and Angel's arms.

Angel pushed me back gently and scooped him up in his arms like he weighed nothing, carrying him like a child to an outcropping close by that was about waist level.

He laid him down easily, doing his best not to hurt him more than necessary. Apparently despite all their talk to the contrary there was a certain amount of affection between them. At least from Angel's end. I had heard that the link between a Sire and a Childe vampire was a bond a lot like a parent and child, but I had never witnessed it until now.

" Is he okay ? " I asked, from over Angel shoulder.

He was still hovering over him like he was trying to read something in the lifeless form.

" I don't think so. " he whispered.

I must have stumbled backwards because the next thing I knew, Andrew had his hands on my back to steady me. That damned roaring was back in my ears and I can barely hear everyone asking me if I was all right.

We were too late to save him. I was going to lose him again.