"Go," Xander said to his teammates. Angel had already moved. Having steeled their nerves, the team ran to the edge of the building and leapt, landing more or less intact on the roof of the three-story building holding the terrorists.
Xander and Sanchez, the only two who ended up on their feet, headed straight for the door down from the roof. Getting the door open, Xander held her back as Angel stalked past them and down the stairs, his coat billowing behind him. Deke was dragging the terrorist across the roof.
Xander followed Angel down to the next level. He snuck around a few corners silently using night vision goggles to see in the darkness. Finding the door to the stairs, he opened it and waited. Angel swept past him a minute later.
"Third floor clear," Xander said into his radio before following Angel downstairs. The rest of the team was busy finding unconscious terrorists and handcuffing them.
Xander pulled out a stick of gum and waited by the door to the second floor stairs. Deke joined him after a moment.
"Get all the guys up there?" Xander asked.
"Nah," he said. "I just gotta see this.
Xander nodded and put a finger up to his lips. "Follow quietly."
Another minute later, Angel showed up at that door.
"How many?" he asked.
"Thirteen, counting roof boy," Xander said.
Angel nodded. "Two more."
Deke raised an eyebrow at Xander, but it went unnoticed as it was covered by his goggles. They followed to the next floor.
"Second floor clear," Xander announced into his radio.
"Jesus," came the response. Xander couldn't figure out who said it.
Deke followed Angel as he walked onto the first floor. Angel paused, sniffed the air, and turned left. He walked down the corridor and, as Deke watched, pulled a knife seemingly out of the air and stuck it into a door as he passed. Deke was sure he was making no sounds at all. He was sure that if he hadn't seen him in the goggles, he wouldn't have known he was there. Angel paused outside the door to what had once been somebody's office.
Angel turned to Deke, put his finger to his lips, and smiled. Deke shivered. Angel flung the door open and walked inside. Deke looked in the doorway and watched as two surprised men grabbed for the guns they had rested on a desk. Angel walked calmly up to the first one and kicked him in the head, knocking him out.
As the second brought his rifle up, Angel grabbed it by the barrel and yanked towards him. The terrorist was pulled with it, coming upon Angel quickly. As Deke watched, the vampire flipped the stock of the gun up into the terrorists' face, breaking his nose, then head butted the man, rendering him unconscious.
"Vicious, ain't he?" Xander asked.
Deke yelled out and jumped, startled by his partner's sudden appearance behind him.
Angel came out of the room. "We're done."
Xander nodded. "First floor clear," he said into his radio.
"Jesus!" came the reply. Xander was pretty sure that was Hondo.
"Where are my hostages?" Xander asked.
"Look for my knives," Angel growled. "I want those back."
"Sure thing," Xander said. "Thanks for the help. I'll call you later."
Angel nodded once and swept off.
"Where's he going?" Deke asked.
"I don't know," Xander said, watching his friend disappear into the darkness. "Probably knows some way out of here I don't. Five minutes. Not bad. I hope Gunn's had fun."
Deke nodded and noticed a concerned look on Xander's face.
"What's up?"
"Not sure," Xander said. "I think he's in a bad mood."
"Yeah?" Deke asked. "You'd be able to tell?"
"It's probably nothing," Xander said. "Come on. Let's find some knives."
They sat across the hall way from Fuller's office, smiling to themselves and still decked out in all their gear. They could hear Fuller's muted voice from within. He was yelling at Hondo, who was dealing with Fuller as calmly as he could.
Which, all things considered, was not very calmly at all.
The door thudded and glass cracked when a pencil holder slammed against it. Seconds later, Hondo stalked out of the room, and the team stood up and followed when he walked. Hondo led them to the locker room.
"GET THE HELL OUT!" he yelled to everyone else there. The room quickly cleared. "Here's the deal. Fuller's been looking for a reason to get us off active duty, and apparently we just gave it to him."
They all looked confused.
"What the hell, Hondo?" Deke asked. "Did we or did we not just save the asses of all those hostages?"
"Technically, no," Street said. "That Angel guy did. But I get what you're saying. Hondo?"
"We didn't inform our superiors of our plan, and we acted without the official go-ahead. We're all on suspension," Hondo said. "Effective immediately until a review of the case can be completed."
"What about –" Xander started.
"It's paid suspension," Hondo said.
"Uh, great, but what about Gunn? He put his ass on the line for us."
Hondo nodded. "He's going to be released, I managed to pull that out of Fuller. Told him I'd fight him on that one all the way to the commissioner, and the DA if I needed to."
The entire team nodded.
"So, that's it, kids. We're inactive as of now. I'll need your guns, just the issued ones, not your back-ups, and your badges. After that, clean up and get out, we'll all be contacted when we're back on the job."
Muttering various curse words and obscenities, the now-dispirited SWAT team went around the locker room taking off their equipment and taking Fuller's name in vain.
"Aren't you supposed to do that behind some closed door?" Xander asked of Sanchez as she took her shirt off.
Sanchez shrugged. "You guys get to save my ass, might as well get to check it out, too," she said.
Xander laughed as he pulled off his shirt as well.
"What the hell's that?" Sanchez asked, seeing Xander's scarred torso.
Xander looked down. "Which one?" he asked.
Sanchez pointed to a particularly nasty scar on the left of his chest.
"Ah, of course. Had to pick that one," he said. "I fell down the stairs and cut myself with my own broadsword."
"With your own…"
"Broadsword," Xander said, nodding.
"Uh huh. And that one?"
"Vampire."
"That one?"
"Bar fight in a demon bar… it was a big… oh jeez… well, it looked like a big green pig with claws instead of hoofs. That actually went through," he said, turning around to show her the matching scar on the other side.
"Jesus. You take a beating."
"Yup," he said with a shrug. "Part of the job."
Sanchez shook her head as she slipped a clean shirt on. "You're all right."
"Thanks," Xander said, smiling.
"Well, keep in touch, huh? We're not active, but still…"
"Of course," Xander said. "We'll get together."
Sanchez nodded, grabbed her duffel bag and headed off.
"You did good today," Hondo said from behind Xander.
"Thanks," Xander said. "I, too, consider getting my whole team suspended a good day's work."
"That's not your fault. We did our job, Fuller's just a prick," said Hondo.
"You'll find no argument here."
"Listen, one of the uniforms who booked our terrorists said something. A few of the terrorist guys, the ones in charge, were yelling about some voodoo priest influencing them. Said the guy wanted them to test the warrior, or some shit. He thought it was funny at the time, but knowin' what I know about you…"
"Don't know anything about it," Xander said. "But I'll have Angel and his people check it out."
Hondo nodded and stood there, leaning against the lockers.
"Something else?" Xander asked.
"Yeah. Being inactive doesn't sit too good with me, and I don't just mean not on duty. I can't sit around. I was wondering… any way I could get in on what you're doing?"
Xander pulled his shirt on and shot Hondo an appraising glance. "You mean the thing where I kill demons?"
"Yeah, that," he said.
"Yeah, well, maybe. I'd have to teach you a few things first. And I'll have to run it by Angel and them… it's kinda their thing, you know."
"Well, in any event, can you teach me some of those moves you got?" Hondo asked.
Xander laughed. "Sure," he said. "That's no problem. I'll probably take a day off, but I'll call you."
"Good," Hondo said. "And I mean it. Using Angel was a great idea. Any advantage you can get."
"Thanks," Xander said.
"Well, I'll see ya," Hondo said.
"Yeah, see you around," said Xander.
Xander grabbed a few things from his locker and stuffed them in his duffel bag. Zipping it up, Xander headed for the parking lot. And found the entire SWAT team, including Boxer, standing there waiting by his truck.
"What's up, guys?" he asked.
Everybody looked at Deke.
"We want in," he said.
Xander rolled his eyes as he tossed his duffel bag in the back of his truck. He leaned back against the truck. "You all want to do this?" he asked.
"Hey, that was some kickass stuff your friend pulled in there tonight. Any edge we can get will be good," Street said.
"Plus," said Sanchez, "it's not like we took this job for the money."
"That's fer damn sure," Boxer said.
Xander turned to him and cocked his head to one side.
"Look, I don't like you," the other man said. "But you're a good cop, and probably about the only place I can get some action 'til we're back on."
Xander nodded.
"And if you hurt her, I'll shoot you."
Deke rolled his eyes, but Xander just nodded, knowing the protective feeling well.
"Okay, fine," Xander said. "I can't guarantee we'll see any big action, but at the very least there's some physical stuff we can work on. Be at the Hyperion at 2 pm tomorrow, ready to work. Okay?"
The group nodded.
"Oh, and Chris?"
"Yeah?" Sanchez asked.
"You can bring your daughter. Gunn and Fred are great with kids. And I'm sure Dawn will love her."
"Great," Sanchez said, smiling.
Xander nodded and left. He wanted to check on Angel.
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End Chapter 17