Chapter 3

Spike ran.

Carrying Willow through darkened corridors and half-lit passageways he ran. The screams here and there of technicians and scientists as the suddenly released demons descended upon them echoed from the labs that he raced blindly past. Occasional gunfire caused him to stop sometimes, and although getting hit with bullets was not a problem for him, it was a risk he absolutely could not take with Willow. He paused briefly to look down on her. Even in the dim light, he could tell how pale she was, her heartbeat slow and her breathing shallow. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on him.

"Spike?" she whispered. He bent down and kissed her gently but quickly on the forehead.

"It's alright, luv. Hang in there, a few more minutes and we'll get you fixed up in a jiffy."

Eyes half-lidded, Willow smiled weakly and nodded, before falling to unconsciousness. Overhead, the cold, impersonal voice of the security system could be heard over the din:

"ATTENTION! HST CONTAINMENT FAILURE! ATTENTION! HST CONTAINMENT FAILURE! CONTAINMENT LOSS IN SECTIONS 3,5,9,12,13…."

"Yeah, no kidding!" muttered Spike as he continued running.

---

Another explosion rumbled through the complex, as Xander nervously walked over to Giles, who was busy with setting up the spell. Riley had his back to them, watching out the small pothole and standing guard.

"Giles, are you sure you can do this spell? What with…Willow… not being here and all?" he choked out. Giles was almost set and was reading the last part of the spell when he looked up at the concerned youth.

"I honestly don't know, Willow was definitely our focal point for all group spell casts, but…" Giles could see the desperate pain in Xander's eyes at not knowing where his best friends were. "I'm sure they're all right," he said as he gripped Xander's shoulder. "Spike may not have our best interests at heart, but from what we've seen, he, in his own way, cares very much for Willow's safety. As for Buffy…well, you know how well she can take care of herself." Xander, not quite convinced, nodded. "Now then," began Giles, "we should be all set...except for one thing."

Xander looked up. "What?" he asked. Giles looked down at the spell book to double-check before answering.

"The spell needs a minimum of three people to perform it," he answered, looking pointedly in Riley's direction. Riley, aware of the focus on him, snapped his head at Giles.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Him??" asked Xander.

"Yes."

Riley looked from one to the other then back. He walked up to Giles, a look of exasperation on his face. "Giles, you've got to be kidding!"

The Watcher merely shook his head. "I assure you, I am not. I've never been more serious in all my life."

"Giles," Riley sputtered. "I'm a military man born and bred! The only 'spell casting' I ever did was during a…a...Dungeons and Dragons session back in high school!"

"Riley," began the Watcher, "we'll got through the steps one by one, just follow our lead and you should be fine."

Riley, unconvinced, looked Giles in the eye. "Giles…I…. don't believe in this," indicating the marks on the floor and spell components, "I don't believe in magic."

Angered, Giles ripped the glasses from his head and gripped Riley's shoulders. "If you don't at least try, then all this, everything and everyone will die and Adam's plans will come to fruition." He could see that Riley was still a bit unconvinced. "You don't believe in magic? Fine. Then put your belief in something closer to your heart."

"What?" Riley warily asked.

"The love you share with Buffy." Riley looked up, then down and nodded, as Giles led him to one corner of the design on the floor.

---

Spike skittered to a halt at an intersection. His sense of where he was going came from the time he spent in the Initiative as a 'guest'. Willow moaned softly in his arms, as he took his bearings. 30 meters down this corridor take a left at the elevator, and we should be there…

He was about to start when the body of a lab tech fell from around the corner, baring his way. A vampire, in full game face, also came around, wiping his chin of blood with the back of his hand. At seeing Spike, he started to growl. He stopped suddenly when he got a good look at him.

"Well, well," he said. "If it isn't my old cell buddy Spike!"

Oh, bloody hell! Of all the demons to ruin into!

"Yeah," the vampire said, seeing the look in Spike's eye. "Real nice the way you threw me to those guards while you got the hell out of Dodge! Leaving me," he kicked he corpse, "as the favored guinea pig for these assholes." He finally took note of the redhead in Spike's arms. "What ya got there, Spike? Lunch? Though," he frowned, " from the look and sound of it, she doesn't have much…uhhhhhh!!!" He doubled over from a swift kick in the groin as Spike ran past.

"Go ahead and run, Spike!" The vampire choked out, "Doesn't matter where you go! Cuz tonight, it's all going down!"

(continued)