Chapter 4 - Olive Branch

I had an interesting call this morning. I knew the name, although I've never met the man. He was one of those who visited Buffy right after Dawn was taken from us - Simon Westgate. He wants to meet me later, and from the way he's gone about arranging the meeting, he's very keen that someone doesn't find out about it. I run over the details in my head again and sigh. I never really wanted to be James Bond, but when you combine the number of times I get knocked out, and then escape from inevitable death, with the rigmarole I've got to go through to get to this meeting, I suspect I almost qualify.

I haven't told anyone about the meeting. If I had, I doubt I'd be allowed to go alone, and Westgate was adamant that I not have Willow or Jenna with me. I don't know how he'd feel about Xander, but I decided not to risk that either, in case Anya got wind of it. So, I'm going to go alone. I've taken whatever precautions I can, and while they seem pitifully few, I sensed that I could, in some way, trust the man. Certainly, the little we learned from Buffy about their escape from captivity suggested that Westgate had been instrumental in it.

Jacob and Rebecca have brought back what they know about the creatures who are able to absorb magic. They've been working with Willow and Jenna to try to find a way to counter the effect. We're hoping that if we succeed, we can get rid of Dawson and anyone else who's working with her. Our first priority is to get the Defenders off our back. Dealing with the dangers most would consider fictional is our greatest strength. Dealing with the Government really isn't something I'm comfortable with. If we can prove that the Defenders have been infiltrated, maybe we can get back to what we do best. And, just in case that isn't enough, I'm going to meet Westgate.

Life has returned to normal, or as normal as it can be in Sunnydale without Buffy. I keep expecting her to walk in, to be there, to call me, but she doesn't. I know she can't, and that any contact with us would be extremely foolish, but I still wish I knew where they were, and how they're doing.

Little as there has been for me to do since they left, there's been even less for Xander. I know he feels Buffy's absence acutely, and I think Anya's been doing her best to distract him. And I have to say, she seems to have been doing a remarkably good job of it. The alternative, with Xander demanding to know where the evil is so he can go and kill it, would simply exacerbate my current feeling of impotence.

I check my watch. It's time I was going. I know where I have to be, and that once there, I'll find another car with details of where to go then.

The first stop is a supermarket car park. I choose a place close to the store, and go in. I buy a few things, quickly, then walk past my own car to one which matches the description I've been given. It's at the outer edge of the car park, where it stands out clearly. As the note implied, I find the keys in the exhaust pipe, and I throw my purchases into the boot. In there, I spot a note, and another set of keys. I pick them up and get into the driving seat. The instructions are quite clear. I've to drive to a shopping mall on the other side of town, make a purchase, then find yet another car which fits the second set of keys. I can hardly believe that all this is really necessary, but I don't feel I've got any choice.

When I reach the next car, there are further instructions and another set of keys in the boot. This time I've got to go to an industrial area outside town. Another car park, and another car with still more instructions. No keys this time, which I take as a good sign.

I drive to the indicated spot, some way out of Sunnydale, a pull in off a quiet road. There is no one there when I arrive, so I park and look at the view over dry, parched land. At times like this, I realise just how alien this area seems. It's a huge expanse of nothing, with no evidence of human life beyond the car. It's so different from home, and I can't help but think that life would be so much simpler if I were back in England.

After ten minutes, I'm considering the possibility that I've been set up, or worse, that Westgate's been stopped from attending, when I hear another car drive in.

Nervously, I check my pockets. I've got a stake, but given the fact that it's broad daylight, that's unlikely to be of any use. I've also got some powder that Willow gave me a while ago. It should be of use against humans and demons who breathe, knocking them out for a while without doing any permanent harm. Other than that, I'm pretty much a sitting duck.

I'm relieved to see that Westgate gets out of his car, and that he's alone, so I do the same. We walk towards each other in a scene reminiscent of the old cowboy films I watched as a child, both of us holding our hands visible so there can be no doubt about our intentions.

Once we're close enough for conversation, he speaks.

"Thanks for coming."

"You said you had information."

"Yes."

"Well?" I demand. We're still keeping our distance, both wary.

"I have information, but mainly, I need your help."

I turn around and take a few steps away.

"And just why should we help you? After everything you've done, everything that could have happened, you'd better have a bloody good reason for wanting our help."

"I've got Dawson," he offers.

It's not a lot, but it's enough to keep me interested.

"And?"

"She's alive, but not being too co-operative. I know she's been involved in things that're not part of official policy. I think she's in league with something that's not human. I don't understand what it is, or how it fits into everything, but I know it's not good. I'm under … pressure right now. Those in authority are pressing for me to hand Dawson over. She's got support from above, and I don't know if they understand what she's been up to, or if she's just managed to pull the wool over their eyes. Either way, I'm holding them off with the story about her being too ill to be moved, but that won't work much longer. I need something, anything, to discredit her. All I've got right now is circumstantial, and, frankly, so unlikely, that I'm going to be a laughing stock if I report it."

"So, if she's been unco-operative, how have you come up with all this?"

"Riley, mainly."

"How is he?" I keep my voice level, trying to hide my anxiety.

"He's well, and safe for now."

"Where?"

"He's actually in the psychiatric ward of a military hospital."

"But …"

He holds up a hand.

"I know, it's not fair, but right now, it's the safest place for him. It was either that, or give him up to someone I have even less reason to trust. He's safe, and after everything that happened to Sam, he could do with some down-time. And, while he's there, he won't be seen as a threat."

Ok, I can accept that for now.

"So, what do you need?"

"I'd like to set something up. I'm not sure how the details will work out, but, I suspect that when I try to move Dawson, someone will try to rescue her. I think that attempt will be successful, unless I know a lot more than I do right now. So, I give them a reason to come out in the open, you give me the means to get them when they do. Then, hopefully, I'll have the evidence I need to convince my commanding officers that we have a problem."

"And what will that achieve?"

"I can't promise, but, personally, I'll push for a local disbandment of the Defenders as a minimum, a national disbandment if I can get it."

Which is exactly what we want. The question is, is his offer just too good to be true?

"I need to discuss this with the others."

"Buffy?"

"No, I don't know where she is, as I'm sure you're quite aware. So, how do I contact you?"

"You don't. I'll be in touch tomorrow evening. I'll expect an answer by then."

"What if we want to help, but we're not ready by then?"

"Then, you'd better be ready to have Dawson back in circulation."

I nod. That's the last thing we want.

As I drive back, going through the whole rigmarole in reverse, I'm thinking. I'm still inclined to trust Westgate, at least to a point. I'm not at all sure how the others are going to feel. I suspect I'm going to have to do some persuading.

That evening, I suggest patrolling to Willow. She knows I've got something else in mind, and agrees.

Once we're in a cemetery, she quickly ensures we won't be overheard. I explain what we've been offered, as Willow practises her newly perfected artificial sunlight. It's proving remarkably effective, although its range is limited. This leads to our conversation being regularly interrupted by blasts of light and falling dust.

"So, he offered you a deal that's almost exactly what we need." Her statement re-ignites my own doubts.

"Yes. That could, of course, be because we're both working towards the same end, at least in the short term."

"It could, but …"

"I know, Willow. But, from the sound of it, the deal depends on your success at countering the magic absorbers, whatever they're called."

"We've been calling them sponges," she smiles back.

"So, what's the latest?"

"Well, you could say we've found something that should work. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but we think we should be able to shield ourselves from the effect, and use the same shielding to keep them out of the picture, at least for a short while. Of course, we won't get the chance to do a test run, so it's pretty risky."

There's another flash of light, followed by a dust shower, and I sigh. It seems to me that Willow's playing this for the maximum effect. With her magickally enhanced sight, I'm sure she's aware of their presence long before I am.

"So, how do you feel about the risk?"

"I'll go with it, but we can make sure to plan to keep it as low as possible. Once he's close enough, I can probably get enough of a feeling from Westgate to know whether or not he's for real. It might be too late by then, but I'm hoping not."

"And Jenna?"

"Well, it'll be her decision. But I can manage the mojo on my own if I have to, so we'll be ok."

She pauses then, before asking, "What about Xander?"

"I haven't told him yet. I'm really not sure how he's going to react."

"To tell the truth, I don't know either, but I'm hoping I can persuade him. Even better, maybe we can persuade Anya to help. That teleporting thing could be very useful."

"Is that affected by the, what was it, sponges?"

"Our best guess is no. It's like, for a vengeance demon to teleport is pretty much like us walking. It's not magic, just a skill that's part of them. At least, that's what I'm hoping."

"Willow," I warn, pointing to the approaching vampire.

She negligently waves her hand, and there's another flash, this time far enough away that I don't have to brush down my jacket.

"You up for some more patrolling?" she asks. "There's a cemetery real close to Xander's, and maybe we could invite him to join the fun."

I agree, but do my best to hide the fact that it's been great to see Willow so obviously enjoying herself. She's been better since, well, since Zara arrived. I think the guilt she felt has lessened now that it's obvious that her actions didn't actually affect the final outcome.

There haven't been any other instances of her more mundane sight returning, as far as I know. I wonder if she's considered doing anything to increase the likelihood of that happening, or if she's so used to the enhanced perception she has now, that she feels that seeing with her eyes would actually be a backward step.

And, if she were to ask me for advice on that, I honestly don't know what I would say.