Silent and Deadly Consequences – Chapter 11
Los Angeles, Wolfram and Hart
Wesley's Office"Find anything yet?" Angel anxiously asked Lorne.
"Nothing much since the last time you asked, which was five minutes ago. Something wrong, Gingersnap?"
"Yeah, man, you don't look so hot, Angel," Gunn cut in, glancing from the demon research book that he was reading to get more information on what had caused the odd stormy occurrence in Angel's office.
"I'm fine," Angel lied, looking down and staring into space.
"Uh-huh, right," Wesley observed, smacking his book closed and adjusting his glasses.
Angel paced around the small space feeling awkward. He was never good at sharing his feelings or about waiting to solve a case.
"Penny for your thoughts," Fred exclaimed blocking Angel from pacing. "You need to sit down before you knock someone over," Fred guided him gently to the gray leather sofa next to Wesley's desk. Angel slumped onto the sofa with his head in his hands as Fred laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
He wasn't sure why he felt so anxious. Maybe it was an overwhelming desire to rip apart Wolfram and Hart to find the demon or witch that wrecked his office and almost killed Lorne or maybe it was something beyond that. All Angel knew was that afternoon he experienced painful dreams and visions of his past over cloud his mind as well as darker, fresh visions. When he woke up he discovered he had a sore, scratched up, wounded arm and a hell of a headache.
Visions of the past were understandable, since he deserved to be reminded for what he had done, but the new visions seemed darker, mysterious and symbolic.
"Spill the beans, Angel," Fred nudged him, looking concerned. Angel took an unnecessary sigh, rubbing his eyes with his hand as if to erase the horrific images from his mind.
"I had a horrible dream this afternoon about my past and something else, but it's all meddled together and seems more blurry to me right now."
"It looks like it was one hell of a dream," Gunn pointed out the scratches that zigzagged deeply along Angel's left arm.
"Yeah, well that never-" Angel was cut off by his cell phone ringing to the tune of Beethoven's Fur Elise. Gunn tried to conceal his laughter by coughing into the research book.
"Hello?" Silence fell on the other side of the line. "Hello!" Angel repeated as he detected heavy breathing on the other end and waited for an answer.
"Um…A-Angel?" The voice sounded soft and gentle with a hint of urgency behind it.
"Willow? What's wrong?"
"N-nothing…everything's as sweet as daisies here," Willow quickly replied.
"Is Buffy alright?"
"She's g-good. She um…wanted me to give you a message. She wants you to help us research ancient demons called Hoygles. We need to know as much as we can about these demons. They've attacked in San Francisco and we don't know when-"
Angel drummed his fingers on his desk nervously.
"Can I speak to her?" Angel cut in.
"She – she can't talk right now," Willow choked up with a sad sigh.
"Why not? Is there something wrong with Buffy? Is it a yes or a no?" Angel listened for a response through the tense silence as his insides twisted with fear.
Willow sighed again and then there was a pause followed by an unfamiliar, low, mechanical, eerie voice whispering:
"Darkness and darkness alike, the Slayer will not be able to strike. Evil will slip in, so be prepared to go for a spin," the voice laughed menacingly as the dial tone started to buzz in Angel's ear.
He redialed Buffy's phone number three times, but only got a female voice telling him that the phone number he is trying to reach is out of service. Angel tossed the phone on the desk with frustration, almost breaking it.
"Damn phone is dead. I can't reach them," Angel huffed, putting his hands through his hair, trying to calm himself down.
"What happened?" Wesley eyed the cracked phone and then looked up at Angel thoughtfully.
"I don't know exactly, but I have a gut feeling something is wrong in Italy. Something or someone was hacking into the conversation I had with Willow uninvited and whatever it was did not sound human."
"It chanted:
'Darkness and darkness alike, the Slayer will not be able to strike. Evil will slip in, so be prepared to go for a spin.'" Angel recited, looking disturbed by the rhyme.
"It sounds like a riddle," Fred chimed in.
"Yeah, quite the riddle," Wesley muttered.
"Whatever it is it cut me off completely from talking to Willow and it seems like Buffy's line is no longer coming through. The only clue Willow dropped us was to find out what the Hoygle demons are and their origins." Angel leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest, looking more pale than usual.
"We'll get down to business and then try to contact Willow later," Gunn concluded.
"Whatever works, but lets make it quick because I have a feeling that the mysterious message on the phone may actually cause trouble and become more than a threat." Angel added as he left the room to refresh his mug.
Angel could have sworn he could hear Buffy's scream in his dreams that afternoon, but now he knew it was no dream. It seemed that Buffy needed him and he didn't know what, where, or when she needed him, but he was certain that he needed to act fast and try to get a hold of the house again. Grabbing his warm mug, he headed back to Wesley's office to try again. There was something about the voice on the phone that reminded him of his dark, new, mysterious visions. Angel had a hunch that the visions and the voice were not just a coincidence and that he had to find as much as he could about the Hoygle demons and get to Buffy as soon as he could before his nightmare became a reality.
Back in San Francisco
"Phoebe? Are you still sleeping?" Piper shouted behind Phoebe's bedroom door.
"No, I am just in the attic and am trying to track those Hoygles," Phoebe threw her voice across the upstairs hallway as she appeared through a red mist in the attic before Piper opened the door.
"I'm calling a meeting about these demons that have attacked us. Willow has been doing some research and told me that these demons are ancient and have old power that may be stronger than all of our powers put together. Leo's checking with the Elders to get a deeper profile on these guys," Piper exclaimed as she sat near Phoebe, watching her younger sister scroll for the demons.
"Nothing like a family meeting," Paige sighed.
"Where's Leo?" Piper's head spun around to look at Paige behind her.
"Dunno," Paige shrugged as she sank on the old sofa beside Phoebe.
"LEO! Where are you? We need you here," Piper shouted to the roof.
"What took you so long? What happened?" Piper asked Leo as a blue mist appeared in front of her to reveal Leo and another young man. Leo's hands were full of blood.
"The Elders have been attacked by the Hoygle demons. It does not look good," Leo explained, breathing heavily and soaking with sweat.
"Say what? How can demons get into the Elders' Sanctuary? I though you said only White Lighters can enter the heavens." Piper shook her head, panicking and filled with confusion.
"Someone or something more powerful must be showing these demons the way to lower the White Lighters' shields by disguising themselves as fellow White Lighters or charges. Many of the Elders are wounded and most of them are being killed, even as we speak. We don't have much time. I heard them moaning that the end of the world will soon be here. These demons are more powerful than we realize. You guys need back up and you need back up real soon because the Power of Three cannot defeat thousands of Hoygles," Leo replied as a shiver slithered down his damp back.
"Okay, that is fine. Back up, gotcha! Right away -" Paige nodded nervously. She was about to orb out of the room when Phoebe grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Wait a sec, sis. I believe Leo has more to tell us about this ground breaking news that meets the eye," Phoebe looked from Leo to the man next to him and then back again. Phoebe could definitely sense power within the man next to Leo beyond the normal White Lighters. He was definitely different from most White Lighters.
"Who is this?" Phoebe hissed and then recovered quickly by overlapping it with a polite voice. "I don't mean to be rude, Leo, but you have never introduced us to your friend beside you."
The man had dark brown hair and angel blue eyes that seemed that they would twinkle and shine when he smiled, but now were steady and serious with a hint of worry behind them.
"Sorry. This is a new White Lighter apprentice of mine who the Elders gave me to help him with his new powers. He has his own share of supernatural knowledge and the Elders also thought he may be some help to us on our mission…." Leo gestured to his companion next to him.
"I'm pleased to make yer acquaintance. My name is Francis Doyle," the man replied in a strong Irish accent.