Escape!

Matt Donner came into the police station and glanced around for the red haired girl. Deputy Molly sat at her desk, her head cradled on her hand while she read a novel. She quickly shoved the book under desk when the Sheriff walked in.

"Where is she Molly?" Matt asked.

"Right there," Molly said turning around in her chair to look at the holding cell. It was empty and the door stood ajar! Molly stood up and looked around. "What the hell…" She spun back to her desk and opened the drawer. The keys were gone. "That's not possible! Who would give her the keys?" Molly ran her hand through her hair in frustration.

Matt sighed a heavy sigh. "This is just great, Molly! Did you leave the keys in the lock?"

"I didn't think so!" whined Molly. "She must have slipped out the back way! I can't believe I didn't hear her."

"Must have been a good book you were reading there!" Matt said grumpily. This night was getting longer by the minute.

Molly turned red with embarrassment and grabbed her police jacket from the chair. "I'll go find her," she said.

Matt stopped her. "Wait, I'll look for the girl. I need you to do me a favor. Could you go to my house and check on Sophia for me. She won't answer the phone and I think she's too mad at me. Maybe another female will be able to talk to her." Matt pleaded with his expression and Molly found she couldn't refuse.

"Alright Matt, I'll swing by your house first and then I'll help you look for the girl."

Matt looked relieved, "Thanks Molly, I really appreciate it."

-

Willow had slipped quietly out of the police station and was now running down the sidewalk as fast as she could. She had to find a pay phone somewhere and call Buffy again. She had to let them know how badly things had escalated before she was locked up again or worse. She didn't seem to have any legal rights in this town so she supposed that she would have to break the law if she had to. She already had broken out of jail! Willow's conscious ached just a little that she was now an escaped criminal. Every car that drove by became suspicious to her eyes and she ducked into shadow until they passed.

One look back down the road and she could see the police station that she had just escaped from. A police cruiser had just pulled away, but it went in the opposite direction. Well that was lucky. She kept running, determined to find a public phone somewhere. There looked to be something across the street and down the road a bit. She ran across the road and didn't see the red GTO with the busted windshield until it skidded to a halt in front of her, scaring her and making her dive forward onto the street.

The driver of the car got out and came up to her, kneeling down next to her. "Hey, you o.k.?" he asked.

Willow got shakily to her feet and looked at him. It was the angry boy with red car! The very, unnaturally strong angry boy! She opened her eyes wide but then decided she needed to play it cool.

"Um… yeah… I think so," she said, looking around for more police cruisers.

"Did I hit you?"

"No… I just freaked. I'm fine," she said nervously.

Luke thought she was a bit strange, the way she looked around for something and shifted her feet. He supposed he just scared her real bad with that almost hit.

Lucas shrugged and said, "Alright then." He turned to go back to his car but before he got in he took one more look at her. She seemed like she was running from someone. "You need a ride anywhere?"

"Um… well… would you know of a place I can make a phone call?" she asked.

Lucas thought for a moment. "The diner has a public phone. I can give you a lift there," he offered. Willow nodded her acceptance, glad to be off the streets. She got into the passengers side. When the car started to move, the wind hit her face as he had kicked out the windshield earlier.

"I like your air conditioning," she joked, squinting her eyes from the wind.

"Yeah, had a bit of an incident tonight," he said. Willow didn't ask as she already knew what happened. But she didn't want him to know that she was a witness to his little 'incident'. Who knows if she may upset him or something? She didn't want to take a chance.

"You're from out of town," he said.

"Yep, just visiting a friend," she said.

"Yeah? Who is it? Maybe I know them." Lucas asked.

"Oh, I don't think you do," Willow said. "She's really the quiet type, you know. Her name is Kathy Jones," Willow lied.

Lucas thought about that name but it didn't ring any bells with him. Just some ungulate probably, he thought. He didn't bother getting to know many ungulates.

Finally they pulled into the diner and Willow got out. "Thanks for the ride," she said.

"No problem," Lucas said as he tore off in his usual reckless way.

"Drive safely," she mumbled as she watched his car disappear. She turned and walked into the diner looking around at the few patrons. There were some kids playing pool in the back and only a few people eating a late supper. Willow looked at their food with longing. She wished she had some money! Deputy Molly had taken her backpack away with her money and her phone in it. She spotted a pay phone in the hallway between the diner and the hotel lobby.

Calling collect, she waited on the line as the operator rang Buffy's line. To her great relief, Buffy answered the phone and accepted the charges. "Buffy?" she squealed, happy to finally reach her friend.

"Willow! Oh my God! I've been trying to call your phone for hours! I've been totally wigged out since you left that message. "

"Buffy, they threw me in jail for no reason. They think I was connected to the Van Halen guy! I didn't get my rights read or nothing," Willow frantically explained.

"Well at least they let you out. What about Oz?"

"They didn't let me out. I… well… I escaped," she said in a low voice, not knowing who might hear her. "Buffy I'm on the run and I have no idea where Oz is, I have no money and no where to go. I know it's asking a lot to come down here, but I really, really need you right now."

"We're all ready on it. Xander and I are catching a red eye to Seattle in about two hours. By the time we drive up there it should be about morning."

Willow shut her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "You guys are the greatest friends, you know that?"

"Right back at you Will. You're going to have to find a place to hang low until we get there. Do you have any plans?"

"I'm at the diner right now, the one that's connected to the hotel. I'll try to find a broom closet or something to spend the night and I'll meet you here in the morning. Oh, and Buffy, if I'm not here, if I'm arrested again or something, check if I'm at the police station but don't trust the woman Deputy. She's one of them."

"Gotcha. Just hang tight; we'll see you in the morning."

"O.K., bye," Willow said, hating to hang up the phone and be amongst strangers again.

-

Miranda Devereaux sat in a booth of the diner, smoking cigarettes and having her nightly cup of coffee. The diner was dead tonight and there was no action anywhere. She looked out the window, dreaming that her knight in shining armor might just drive up and take her away from this hell hole town. She spotted the Sheriff's police cruiser pulling into the parking lot, hoping that Matt Donner wasn't coming about that mascara she shop lifted from the drug store today. She didn't want to spend another night in that cold cell.

As the car pulled up, another movement caught Miranda's eye. A red haired girl who had been on the payphone a moment ago, had turned and ran into the women's rest room. Miranda lifted her eyebrows. So there was another criminal here tonight, thought Miranda.

Matt Donner walked in to the diner, glancing around at everyone. He also sniffed the air, catching the scent of the girl. He knew it was her because she also left her scent at the station.

"Hello Sheriff," said Miranda, "looking for someone?"

Matt looked down at her, "Did you happen to see a girl from out of town come in, with red hair?

"Yep," said Miranda, "but she left awhile ago. Saw her walking down the road out of town, probably gonna hitch a ride. She looked real scared. What did she do?"

"Can't tell you that," said Matt, "but thanks for the tip." Matt started to leave, but he turned and said, "By the way, your mascara looks real nice today." Miranda gave him a small smile and shook her head as he left. She waited until he was driving down the road out of town before she got up and made her way to the restroom.

She opened the restroom door and noticed one stall was closed and no feet to be found. Poor thing was standing on the toilet, Miranda guessed.

"You can come out now little red riding hood. The big bad wolf has left," Miranda said as she leaned against the sink and lit another cigarette.

There was no sound for awhile, but then the door slowly opened and Willow peeked out of the stall looking at Miranda in fright.

"It's all right Red, I know what it's like to be on the lamb. Been there, done that. So what did you do?" Miranda asked casually.

"I didn't do anything," Willow said carefully. What if she was one of them? She started scooting closer to the exit.

"Just found out too much, did you?" Miranda said, hitting it on the mark.

Willow stopped and stared at her. She bravely said, "Are you…?"

Miranda let out a laugh. "No. I'm not one of them. Though I dare say my life would he a hell of a lot easier if I were. But hey, I'm a vegetarian, so I'm afraid it just wouldn't work out." Miranda grounded out her cigarette in the sink and then said, "Listen Red, I'm feeling a bit sorry for you cause I know you're from out of town and that's even worse luck than being a townie when it comes to the law around here. So if you want a place to crash tonight you can stay at my place. I share a house with a roommate, Cindy, but she's hardly around cause she's got a new boyfriend. I know a short cut to my house that won't make us so visible to the road."

Willow wasn't sure she trusted this woman yet, but staying here was definitely more risky than staying in a private home. She could come back in the morning and wait for Buffy.

"Thanks," said Willow, "I'd really appreciate it. Just for tonight then cause my friends will be here in the morning. My name is Willow, by the way, not Red."

Miranda glanced at Willow, "I think I'll call you Red. Easier to remember." She sauntered out of the bathroom with a timid Willow behind her. Willow cautiously peeked out the window to see if the police car was really gone.

"I told you Red. Coast is clear. But for how long depends on how fast you move your ass. So come on."

-

Molly knocked on the door of the Donner residence again. Sophia was taking her sweet time coming downstairs. "Sophia? It's me Molly. Can you open up?"

Sophia finally opened the door, her eyes red from crying. "Something happen to my Dad?" she asked, wondering why Molly would come banging on the door.

"No, nothing like that. I just wanted to check and see if you were alright. I heard about what happened tonight," she said in a soft voice.

"Oh great! Now my Dad is blabbing all over town about it! Will it be on the front page tomorrow?" Sophia snapped. "He sent you down here didn't he?"

"No!" Molly lied. "I just thought you might like another woman to talk to, you know. Some things are hard to talk to men about."

Sophia softened her manner a bit. "Thanks but I think I just want to be alone right now."

Molly smiled at her, "O.K. sweetie. But if you ever need to talk, call me alright?"

Sophia gave her a small smile back and nodded before she shut the door.

-

Coming up next: Buffy and Xander arrive at Wolf Lake!

Please review this chapter. Hope your enjoying it so far.