AN: Feedback feeds the soul. Thank you all!
AN2: Words in italics taken from ATS Season 1 "I Will Remember You"
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters.
Warning: Torture; VERY angsty chapter ahead; Lindsey fans may not want to read
Chapter 11
Lilah walked towards Lindsey's office the next morning. After a long bath and a wonderful glass or two of chardonnay the previous night, she discovered a satisfactory alternative to the 'Spike Plan.' She sauntered past Lindsey's secretary and was about to open his door, when a voice stopped her.
"Miss Morgan?" The secretary stood to face the female attorney.
Lilah hastily turned to her. "Yes, um...sorry, I don't know your name." She said with a roll of her eyes, annoyed with the interruption.
"Carol."
"Yes, Carol. What is it?"
"Mr. McDonald is not here today. He called this morning and said he was going to take a few personal days. He said you would not mind."
Lilah's anger was building. He was leaving her alone in the mess. She gritted her teeth. "Did he say where he was going?"
"No, ma'am." She shook her head.
"Fine!" Lilah huffed and stormed back to her office.
When Spike awoke, he felt groggy. Unfortunately, the blood he had ingested made him more aware than he had been. He attempted to roll over; but, most of his movement was limited due to chains. He realized that he was in a room with no windows. It was sparsely decorated with a bed, a desk and a few chairs. He was secured to the wall by the same chains from the previous place. His fear returned as he noted that he was still a prisoner. He began to breathe, albeit shallow, to calm himself. His body screamed in pain as his awareness returned. He did see that he was now clad in jeans. It was not enough to shield him from the cold he felt. He shivered.
"Well, you sure sleep a long time." The quiet voice came from across the room. Lindsey walked towards the crouching vampire. "How ya feeling? Huh?" Lindsey laughed as he circled Spike. The blond vampire looked away.
"What are you trying to prove, Spike? You're not a champion. You're just a killer. That's all you are. Such a simple task we asked of you." Lindsey bent down to eye level with Spike. He grabbed the vampire's face roughly and turned it towards him and said with malice, "All you had to do was kill Angel." He forcefully pushed Spike's head away from him so it hit the wall extremely hard. He smiled as he saw the blood pouring from a cut above the vampire's right eye. Spike kept his head turned away from the lawyer.
"Why do you even care, Spike? It's not like Angel even gives a shit about you." Spike slowly closed his eyes. Lindsey grinned as he stood once more. He spoke flippantly. "I mean, Angel has known that we've had you for weeks, but he hasn't come for you. I bet he hasn't even looked." Spike curled up even more as he tried to ignore what Lindsey was saying. Lindsey leaned in closer towards Spike's ear. "You're nothing to him. You're nothing to anybody! I bet you that no one has even noticed that you're gone!"
Spike felt his heart breaking as he heard Lindsey's venomous words. His voice cracked and was dry from misuse. "You're lying! If h-he knew, he'd come for me!"
"Would he?" The lawyer paused. "Angel is good, Spike! Why should he concerned with a piece of shit like yourself! He has more important things to worry about."
"He's my Sire!" Spike shouted back in his fractured voice. "He would come for me if he knew!" His eyes watered.
"Why, because you two are so close? Because he has helped you so much in the last one hundred years? You've tried to kill him before, Spike. Why would he want to help you?"
Spike's hands flew to the sides of his head as he started to shake. "No...no...no..stop...stop...please..." Spike pleaded as he murmured and shook his head back and forth as tears flowed down his face. He knew in his heart he was truly alone.
Lindsey easily hauled Spike up by the shoulders; Spike's malnourished state had rendered him extremely light in weight. Lindsey threw him against the wall. The blond vampire dropped to the floor as blood poured from his nose.
Lindsey stood over Spike as he struggled to sit up. "No one refuses a deal with Wolfram & Hart, Spike." His eyes narrowed. "No one." He walked over to the desk and returned with a canteen. He placed it on the ground within reach of Spike. "Finish the blood in here." Spike eyes were wide. "This time, it's not drugged. I don't want you all zoned out on me. Where's the fun in that?" With a smirk, he turned to leave the room. Spike slowly lay down on the hard, cold tile floor as his body was wracked with sobs. He whispered, "Sire...please...help me."
Angel sat up in bed with a scream as he emerged from a nightmare. "Will!" He shouted into the air. The dark vampire took unneeded breaths as he attempted to calm himself down. He looked at the clock. 9 am. He didn't realize that he fell asleep. He had come up to retrieve something from his room last night. As he regained his bearings, he walked towards the shower to wake himself up fully. He felt sick to his stomach. He dreamed of his precious Will; all he heard were screams. As the hot water cascaded over his face, he scrubbed intensely to cleanse himself of the sense of doom that plagued him.
Angel slowly dressed and went to meet his friends in the lobby. He attempted to smile at his colleagues as he walked across the main floor. With each passing minute, his fear for Spike grew. He could sense the tension with his Sunnydale friends as well.
"Hi, Angel." Cordelia tried to be cheery. "I warmed up some blood for you." She said with a smile as she handed her friend the perfectly warmed mug. Angel had lost his appetite, but took what was offered. He sat down at the front desk and placed the mug next to him. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly.
"I did not mean to alarm you, Angel." Giles apologized. "You should rest some more. You do not look well." Giles was commenting on the bags apparent under Angel's eyes.
"I'm fine, Giles." Angel turned to Cordelia. "Any new business?"
"Nope, vision free. Thank whoever! And no new walk-in clients."
Angel did not inquire about Spike because in his heart, he knew there was no new information. He rose to walk into the kitchen. The thought of drinking the blood made him physically ill. He poured it out into the sink and leaned against it and sighed. He heard Giles follow him in. "What do you want?" Angel asked angrily before Giles had a chance to speak.
The Ex-Watcher spoke. "We will find him."
"How? We have no leads. Wherever he is, there is magic protecting the location."
"Wesley and Gunn went to Wolfram & Hart today to confront Lindsey or perhaps interrogate Lilah again. I am hopeful they can return with some new information."
Angel spoke quietly. "I'm having dreams where I can almost feel him. I'm so close and then it all slips away. All that is left are screams of pure agony and the smell of fear." He bowed his head.
"Angel, I have read about the blood bond between the Sire and his or her Childer. Is it possible to use the link to find him?"
Angel shook his head; his chocolate brown eyes filled with regret. "I broke it. After I was ensouled, I had such guilt. I needed to dissociate myself from my previous life. Any family ties I had were broken. Remembering what we had was painful enough. But to feel it as well was unbearable." Giles placed a hand on Angel's shoulder. "I should have been there for him. I failed him." A tear slipped from his eye.
"I am sure you can make it up to him when we see him. Okay?" Giles smiled at him as they proceeded to exit the kitchen.
Gunn and Wesley were talking to Cordelia and Willow at the counter. "Angel." Wesley began. "I am afraid that we have no new information...except this. We cornered Lilah and she still denies having any involvement. When inquiring about Lindsey, she told us that he took a few personal days starting today."
"That's got to mean somethin'. Gunn added. "If we can somehow find Lindsey, we'll find Spike."
Angel turned to the witch. "Willow, can you try the spell again? Maybe it will work since you are now in LA."
"Sure. Let me get my things." She sprinted upstairs.
'This has to work.' Angel thought to himself.
"Feeling better, Spike?" Lindsey taunted as he returned to the room. He bent over to retrieve the thermos and he shook it to determine if the contents were consumed. "Good boy." He said as he ruffled the curly dirt laden locks of the blond vampire. "Jeez, man. You do stink! I'll tell you what. Since I'm feeling generous, I will unlock you and allow you to shower. You did what you were told." He retrieved the key and unlocked the shackles. He aided Spike in helping him stand. The blond vampire's knees buckled as he had not placed weight on his legs for some time. Lindsey said nothing as he led him out of the room. Spike noticed that they were in a rather spacious country house. It was a short walk to the bathroom. He led Spike to the sink where he disengaged himself from the weak vampire. Spike used the white porcelain basin to steady himself. Lindsey left the room.
With shaky hands, Spike's fingers fumbled with his button and then with the zipper. He nearly fell over as he pulled his jean pants down and stepped out of them. Lindsey had turned the water on before departing. As the water hit the blond vampire, he could not help but revel in the feeling of fresh water. He quickly but shakily reached for the soap and began to wash his form.
The water falling over him hid the tears pouring out of his eyes. He reached for the shampoo and attempted to tame the unruly curls that had formed during his captivity.
After about ten minutes, he emerged from the shower. Spike kept his head lowered as he dried himself off. As he placed the jeans back on, he realized that he was trapped and there was nothing he could do anymore. No one was coming for him.
He followed Lindsey back to the room. Lindsey motioned for him to sit on the bed. Fear gripped Spike; but he did as he was told. He sat on the bed with his knees to his chest and his head resting on his knees. His body was turned away.
"If you promise to be good, I won't chain you back up." Lindsey said in a low voice. "You appear to be healing somewhat since drinking the blood. I have a few things to take care of. You may sleep on the bed if you'd like." And with that statement, he left the room.
Spike managed to take a catnap but immediately awoke when he heard Lindsey return. A few hours may have passed; but, he was not sure.
"Sleep well, honey?" Lindsey's speech was slurred as he walked slowly to the bed. Spike scooted as far against the headboard as possible. He noticed that Lindsey's shirt was open and he reeked of alcohol; he held a bottle of liquor in his right hand. Spike started panting and looking for an escape. There was only one way out and Lindsey had the key. Lindsey plopped down on the chair and laughed. He took a swig of alcohol and then placed the bottle down near the chair. He eyed Spike with the look of a predator. "Come here." He said in a low voice. Spike did not move from his position. "NOW!" He yelled. The blond vampire scampered off the bed and kneeled on the floor near him.
"I'll give you one more chance..." He paused. "Kill Angel." Spike sat silently as his head was bowed.
"Wrong answer!" Lindsey yelled and he stood up and stalked towards the vampire with hate in his eyes.
The group sat in the lobby completely silent. Tears poured from Willow's eyes as she bowed her head. "I-I can't see anything. I'm sorry." She said quietly as Cordelia placed her arms around her newfound friend.
Angel sat at the couch with his head in his hands. His demon was rattling in its cage. He has tried to be calm and rational to this point. Now, he just wanted to kill. The tension in the room was palpable.
Suddenly, the lobby doors opened. "Hello, good friends and all!" Lorne said cheerfully. He stopped at the top step as the somber nature of the room hit him like a mack truck. "Whoa! Don't like the vibes in here, kids." He sauntered over to Angel and sat down. "What's wrong, Angelcakes?" All he received from the dark vampire was a growl.
Wesley stepped in. "We have a rather grave situation here, Lorne." The Ex-Watcher turned to his former colleague and the red headed witch. "Lorne, I would like to introduce Rupert Giles and Willow Rosenberg. They hail from Sunnydale. This is Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan; in this dimension he is known as Lorne or the Host . He is an Empath Demon."
Lorne extended his hands to both. "Pleased to meet you. So, the Hellmouth? Hope you find Hell-A a bit more fun! So, what's the sitch, friends? Anything I can help with? You have always helped me out."
Wesley added. "Perhaps you could read Angel."
"NOOOO!" Cordelia and Gunn shouted in unison. Wesley glared at them. Angel did not even seem to notice the mini-protest.
"This could potentially provide a clue to Spike's location." He walked over to Angel and spoke quietly to the increasingly agitated vampire. "Angel, sing a bit for Lorne. It may help us find Spike."
The dark vampire looked up and nodded his head as he cleared his throat. He stood and Cordelia and Gunn prepared to cover their ears. "You are the wind beneath my wings..."
"Always did like the ballads..." Lorne muttered under his breath as he motioned for Angel to stop with the song.
"What did you see?" Angel asked forcefully.
"Sticky situation, oh Broody One."
"Did you see where he is?"
"I don't receive that kind of information. All I can tell you is that, the answer may lie with the Oracles."
Angel and Wesley looked at each other. The dark vampire spoke. "The Oracles were destroyed; they were murdered by Voka."
"Yes, they were." The green demon concurred. "But, do you think the Powers are not capable of filling the void? Seek them out. They may be able to help you. Well, will you look at the time...I've got to go open the club." The tall demon began to walk towards the exit.
"Hey, Lorne!" Gunn called out after him. "Did you need help with somethin'. Why did you come?"
"Huh, you know? I forgot. Anyway, toodles, my campadres!" The green demon departed with a smile.
Angel immediately walked up to his room. He returned with a box and his coat. He looked at Gunn and Wesley and the other two followed him out the door.
"What is this place, man? Looks like some sort of temple." Gunn said as he observed the gray stone walls.
"Do you recall the ritual, Angel?" Wesley added.
"It's right here." He said sadly as he glanced at the paper. The handwriting was in Doyle's script. Wesley sympathetically smiled at the dark vampire as Angel started chanting.
Angel clutched the box to use as an offering and began. "We beseech access to the knowing ones...we are made to survive." Angel lights the caldron.
Suddenly he finds himself inside the temple staring at a man and a woman dressed in white with ornate silver drawings on the skin.
The woman spoke first. Her strong voice echoing throughout the temple. "Come before us lower being. And you have brought an offering." She looked at Angel directly as he extended his gift to her. "I have heard of you; the souled vampire; a champion; what you seek we cannot provide."
"I haven't asked yet."
The male figure spoke next. "We know what you seek...we cannot be bothered with the insignificant travails of vampires; especially those who are evil."
"Spike has changed. He is fighting on the Hellmouth on the side of good!" Angel pleaded.
"He has no soul; he cannot be trusted."
"You're wrong. Please." Angel's eyes filled with tears. "He is my Childe. He is suffering."
The male figure raised his voice. "Is this any different than the suffering he has caused?"
"I am no different than him. Yet, you now call me a champion." Angel walked closer. "I fight for my redemption. He could too."
"ENOUGH!" The two spoke together. "We will ponder your plea. You are dismissed."
Suddenly, Angel was thrown out the entrance and landed in front of Gunn and Wesley. The two helped pick their friend up. The look on Angel's face conveyed all the information they needed. They walked silently back to the car and drove to the hotel.
Cordelia, Willow, and Giles sat in the lobby awaiting their return. The three men entered the lobby. Cordelia walked up to them and was going to ask a question when she screamed as she fell to the ground. Angel caught her before she kissed the lobby floor. He cradled her in his lap as the pain of the vision subsided. Tears poured out of her eyes as she sobbed. The pain of the visions were steadily worsening. Wesley walked up to her with a pad and pencil to take down the pertinent information to their new case.
Cordelia wiped her eyes and looked up at her friend. She quietly said through the tears, "I know where Spike is."
TBC...