Escape
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the massive pain in my jaw.
Summary: Lindsey makes his move.
Reviews: Yes please. I love reviewers. Readers Rock but Reviewers RULE!
A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out but I've been suffering from an abscessed tooth and have been stoned on Vicodin for several days. I'm also very sorry this chapter is so short and isn't up to standards but I wasn't sure where they were going with it. I think they're mad at me for ignoring them in my agony. I know where I want them to go but I don't know how to get them there. Oh, and the next chapter is almost written and should be up sometime tomorrow or the next day. Anyway, time for another pill.
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Wesley nodded in satisfaction as Willow chanted over the amulet, restoring its appearance. The purpose was to repair it without reactivating its magic. All they needed to do was convince Lilah that Spike had not been corporeal upon his return and had vanished back into the trinket. Lindsey was responsible for convincing her of that. Gunn handed the lawyer back his cell phone.
Lindsey took a deep breath. Angel walked over to him. The vampire crouched next to the chair Lindsey sat in and pinned him with his dark gaze. "Are you sure you can do this?"
Lindsey nodded. "I have to do it. I have no other choice."
Angel frowned. "You always have choices."
"If I don't do this and do it right, I lose more than just my life." Lindsey declared. "They'll never believe you coerced me. They'll know I willingly worked with you."
Angel smiled grimly. "When Willow's done with you, you'll believe it." He promised.
Lindsey frowned. "What do you mean?"
The redheaded witch came over to them. "We changed the plan. To make it more believable I'm going to adjust your memory so that what you tell Lilah will be true. As soon as it's over, the spell will wear off and you'll regain your true memories."
"They'll detect the magic." Lindsey muttered.
Willow grinned. "Not my magic, they won't."
Lindsey grimaced. "They always detect magic. Their witches are very powerful."
"Not nearly as powerful as I am." Willow stated.
The lawyer looked at her, seeing the confidence and feeling the level of power emanating from her. He nodded without further comment. Willow's eyes turned dark and she chanted again. His memories were now of spending the entire time in the cage in the basement. He remembered Gunn's questioning. He recalled conversations about Spike's incorporeal state and his subsequent disappearance back into the amulet. He looked at the slayer and saw her sorrow at losing her vampire.
Gunn fell into his role as jailer and grabbed Lindsey by the elbow, hoisted him out of his chair and shoved him back to the basement door. Following the script, Gunn pushed the lawyer into the cage. Fred followed them and stopped at the top of the stairs. She pretended to hear something from the lobby.
"Charles, Angel wants you. Cordy's had a vision. Hurry." She called.
Gunn closed the door and gave the key in the lock half a turn. The lock didn't catch Lindsey noticed, with a jolt of hope. The big black man dashed up the stairs and closed the door. It bounced on his slam and stood slightly ajar. Lindsey sat on the bed to wait. The thought that maybe he could escape filled him with renewed optimism.
He waited patiently until he couldn't hear any activity on the upper level. Cautiously he eased the door to the cage open and tiptoed up the stairs. He peeked through the crack left by the basement door. He couldn't see anyone. Stealthily, he opened the door just enough to slip out. He cautiously made his way through the empty lobby to the reception desk. The amulet was still lying on it. With speed born of desperation, he took it. He swiftly and silently walked to the front door and grasped the knob. He didn't notice Buffy and Willow watching him from a shadowed corner. Willow made a motion with her hand and Lindsey was able to walk through the door and into the impending darkness. The witch reversed the spell and once more Wolfram and Hart employees were barred from the old hotel.
Gunn and Fred emerged from their hiding places in Angel's office. "Won't he think that was just a little too easy?" Gunn asked curiously.
Willow shook her red head. "No. The spell I used on his memory is blocking any disbelief he might feel. His escape feels like he finally got a break. He'll go call Lilah now and have her come get him. We need to be out there to follow them."
Buffy looked at the others. "Gunn, you, Willow and Wesley need to go with me. Cordy, the rest of you need to wait for Angel." She held up her cell phone. "I'll call you when we know where they are."
Susan moved over to Wesley. "Take care." She told him.
He gazed down at her, his blue eyes roving over her lovely face. "We'll get him back." He promised.
She smiled up at him and shook her head. "Take care of you." She whispered. The smile he carried with him on the mission made the others shake their heads in amusement.
Giles laid his hand on Buffy's arm. "Be careful. This law firm is well known to be the ultimate evil. I shudder to think what would happen if you get caught."
Buffy reached up and kissed his cheek. "We'll be careful…Dad."
His abashed smile warmed her heart as the small group left to follow Lindsey and recover the missing members of their group.
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Lindsey waited anxiously for Lilah to pick him up. She'd promised to be there soon but with every minute that passed, he feared his escape would be discovered. Her dark blue sedan drew up to the curb smoothly and he jumped in.
"Do you have it?" She asked.
He frowned. "I'm fine. And yes, it's in my pocket."
"Good." She pulled away.
Long moments later a black jeep followed at a distance, Wesley at the wheel. They followed the lawyers for some time before they saw the sedan pull into a parking garage downtown. Wes circled the block and they all noted the guards at the entrances.
"That's going to make it hard." Gunn muttered.
Willow smiled calmly. "No, it isn't." She had Wes park across the street. Buffy made a quick call to give Cordelia the address. They casually walked up to the front door of the building. The witch motioned with her hand and the guard looked right past them as if they weren't there. They found themselves in an entryway that had an elevator on one side and a staircase on the other.
Willow led the small group up the staircase, pausing on each landing to determine which floor Lindsey and Lilah had gone to. She nodded when they reached the seventh floor. Buffy took the lead and pushed the door open, nodding for the others to follow. The stairway door clicked shut and they were halfway across the hall when an armed guard moved in behind them. Lilah entered the hall from a nearby door and smiled maliciously.
"Did you really think we wouldn't know?" She asked. The smile turned to laughter when she saw Willow beginning to cast a spell. "You're wasting your time witch. There are barriers in this building to prevent any active magic."
She walked over to another door and opened it. "Hey, you have company." She motioned for Buffy, Willow, Wes and Gunn to precede her through the door. They hesitated and the guard behind them clicked a round into the chamber, preparing to fire. The foursome filed glumly into the apartment. Jake and Dawn stood up from the sofa and gaped at the newcomers. The sisters flew into each other's arms.
Lilah smirked as she pulled the door closed. "I thought you said she was going to kick my ass." She laughed as she locked the door behind her.
Gunn looked around. "Damn."
Wesley gazed around. "Where's Lindsey?"
