Chapter 3

Awareness slowly returned to Faith as the fog of unconsciousness lifted as Faith awoke with a splitting head ache.

"What did I drink?" She asked as she looked around to get her bearings. Her observation only revealing to her that she was in a dark room.

Did I drink anything? She asked herself as the memories slowly began pouring in. No, didn't have a drink, she realized as the cause of the headache was from a blunt object on the back of her head.

The last thing she remembered was walking down the streets in Rome after leaving a early-morning meeting at the Watcher Council's headquarters and finding herself being smacked on the back of the head.

"Who the hell hit me?" she asked not knowing if anyone was in the room. The only reason coming to mind of the assault was that somehow some petty thief got the better of her. A petty thief gaining the upper hand over a highly trained vampire slayer.

"Whoever the hell hit me, better hope to whatever God they believe in that I never get my hands around their neck!" She barked as she tried to stand up from her chair. Only then when her attempt failed that she realized that she was chained to the uncomfortable wooden with a sharp splinter of wood sticking into her lower back.

"You sure know how to treat a house guest," she continued as her attempts to lure anyone who could be standing in the shadows of the room were futile.

The light in the room was too low for her to see what sort of chains shackled to her chair. And despite the strength she conjured to break her chains grew vain as she remained shackled.

Panicking was absent in Faith. She didn't even remember what that sensation felt like as she closed her thoughts and eyes and listened to the room. All strategies of escaping the room were vain as she couldn't free herself. So she went on calculating how she could free herself.

There's always a way out of a trap, she thought to herself not wanting to voice the words in the case someone was near and listening. But that was unlikely since her shallow breathing did not allow her to hear anyone else in the room. Nor could she smell another prescence. Either her captors wore deoderant, colone, or a stinch. No one was with her.

In the blink of an eye that was a dark low-light room, turned into a brightly light room as the sounds of a metalic door opening and flooding the room with bright outside light that attacked her eyes bluntly. The new light forcing her to close her eyes as she immediately caught a scent and breathing of another person clouded in the bright light until the door closed behind.

"So, this is how you treat guests?"

"I'm sorry the accomodations aren't to your preferance, Faith," the voice of a man responded. A voice that red-flagged Faith as knowing the voice from somewhere.

"You? Who are you?"

Her question was answered by the flick of a light switch and a medium height long dark haired man moved to stand in front of her.

The lights turning on in the room weren't as blunt as the blinding outside light. This allowed Faith to immediately see her captor.

"You," she said realizing who stood before her.

"Hello, Faith. Long time no see," the man greeted with a smirk grin. "Miss me?"

"Lindsey," the tone of her voice was filled with acid. "What the hell is this?"

"You're my guest, Faith. Can't you see? I thought we could catch up on old times."

"I don't go out with goons, Lindsey."

"Oh, no. You got my intentions all wrong."

"So humor me, you bastard. What the hell is this. And what the hell hit me?"

"Oh, that. Sorry about the blow to the head. But I figured you wouldn't come along willingly."

"Really? What gave you that idea?"

Lindsey stood in awe of his captive prey. "Faith, always the tough girl. I'm glad to see some things haven't changed."

"So you know what I'll do to you when I get out of these chains," Faith said as she tried to break free from the chains once again resulting in failure. She knew she couldn't wear herself down trying to free herself. Whatever that was ahead of her, she knew she would need all her strength reserved and ready to be unleashed.

"Don't bother trying to break free, Faith. Those chains are composited of a nice little Majik spell that no-one can break through. Not even that of a slayer."

That would explain how Faith was finding it difficult if not impossible to breaking free. Faith had broken free from numerous chains before. But not of the kind that bound her.

"So, are you going to bore me to death, or are you going to tell me what the hell is going on? Were you lonely tonight?"

"I don't get lonely anymore, my dear. At least, I don't let it bother me too much. I find strength in the absence of companionship."

"You obvious must not date much."

Lindsey smiled at the strength displayed before him. "Strength in the form of wise-cracking insults. Oh, I so missed you."

"Wish I could say the same for you."

"How long has it been, Faith?"

"Obviously not long enough," Faith said as she prayed for Lindsey to come closer to her. At least if she wasn't able to get her hands around her neck and suffocate the life out of her captor, she could at least spit in his face.

"I've been watching you, Faith. I've been watching you for a long time. If anyone had told me that the rogue vampire slayer: Faith, would go legit and help in the creation of a slayer army, I never would had believed it."

"I'm going to ask you one more time, Lindsey. What the hell do you want?"

"Oh, don't worry," Lindsey said as he could hear the tone in her voice. "I don't want anything to do with your slayer army. And I know you'll be as disapointed as much as me when I say I don't want any information. Hold you disapointment, but I'll doubt there'll be any torture or interrogation this go-around."

"Oh," Faith said trying to muster the impression of serious dissapointment. "You must be loosing your balls, Lindsey."

"I said I doubted it. But if you don't coroperate, I may have to break out my little black bag."

"Black bag of what? Tortureous music?"

"Oh, you may find out after all.," Lindsey said as he began to walk towards her. Stopping out of spit and arm's length, he began walking around her chair. "So, you want to know what your doing here, uh?"

"Gee, what gave you that idea?"

"I've always been able to see the clearer picture. But you, legit? That one's new for the record books."

"You bore me."

"But we're just getting started."

"Hm? Are you going to get to the point, or am I going to get some sleep. I have a splitting headache you might as well have guessed."

"Yeah, I see the blood on her head."

Blood? Without being able to inspect her wound, was wasn't able to tell if she was bleeding. It could be a problem. Continous severe bleeding would wear her resistance down considerably.

"You're here, because I need you."

"Your such a romantic."

"I know," Lindsey countered as he made a complete circle around her chair and now stood in front of her. His deep gaze penetrating her own. "They say the windows of the soul are the eyes. And I see fear in you. Your growing soft."

What the hell, Faith thought as she spit in Lindsey's direction. But missing the target.

"I told them you were such a rebellious spirit. Just the type we need."

"You know, I keep thinking that your going to get to the point and keep on being disapointed."

"Well, I'm not going to tell you everything. So I'll just give you a little tease to keep you on your toes. There's a job that I and my associates need done. And guess what, we need a Chosen Slayer for the job. And that's you."

"Why me? Last time I checked there were several hundred of us."

"Your so blind. You think the several hundred of slayers in your little army are full blooded slayers? They may have all the strength and agility like you and Buffy. But in the end, there just you and Buffy."

"So? My question is why me? Why not go after Buffy?"

"You know, thought about it, should of, could of, would of, but didn't want to go down that road. I needed you."

"You are such the romantic," Faith smiled smartly.

"Oh, I've got far more better things in stoer for you, Faith. And the reason why I chose you, was well, whether you like it or not, you owe me."

"And that would be, why?"

"I hired you to take Angel out. Not find God and be reformed."

"Oh, that," Faith said as she recalled the event as if it had happened just yesterday. She remmeber going to LA, being hired by Lindsey who at the time was a secured employer of Wolfram & Hart and being hired to take his main nemesis out of the grand scheme of things.

"You honsetly think you turned away from your evil ways? You think it can happen just like that?"

Faith remained silent and still.

"It's not that easy. You can treat evil, but you can't reform it. And before this is all over---well, why spoil all the fun. Patience is a virtue, Faith."

The door behind Lindsey open, as he blocked her view of who entered. Only when the individual stood next to Lindsey did she see who it was. A demon. A class of demon that she had numerous encounters in the path. She knew the demon was the type of scum that chose to follow instead of to lead. Hired help.

"The plane is ready," the lackey announced.

Plane? Faith thought as she saw Lindsey nod his head.

"Prepare her for transport," Lindsey said as he turned about and headed out of the room.

"Lindsey, you son of a bitch. Let me go and I'll kill you quickly."

Lindsey turned around. "There, you see? I've won. You disappoint me, Faith. We've only been talking for a few minutes, and already your desperate. Enjoy the flight. See you in LA.

LA? Was the last thought in her mind as she struggled in her chair as the lackey injected her right arm with a hypo-syringue. Immediately she felt the fog of unconsciousness return as her eyes grew heavier to keep open.

Until everything was black.