"How's Lorne doing?" Angel asked, exiting the basement and startling all of those upstairs. Cordelia was the first to note that his voice shook slightly, his hair was a mess and his face was haggard and care worn, moreso than usual. Has he been crying? Cordelia wondered inwardly. What fresh hell has Buffy put him through this time?

"Well we have some good news there at least," Fred told them with a smile. "This truth potion should wear off in a matter of hours. I only gave him a little, so it should be less than most. He will be fine."

"That is good news." Angel acknowledged. He was attempting to ignore the concerned looks that Cordelia was shooting his way. The last thing he needed right now was her pity. "And it's possibly the only good news we have right now. The Brillcrall demon is dead and we now have no more leads on what Adamson is up to."

"Where's Buffy?" Dawn wondered, not noticing the look on Angel's face. "Is she downstairs?"

Angel nodded darkly and Dawn headed towards the basement. He put a hand out to stop her before she could open the door.

"You might want to stay up here for a little bit Dawnie," Angel cautioned, "I think she wants to be alone right now."

Dawn smiled at Angel, warmed slightly by the use of the endearment generally voiced only by Buffy and headed back to stand beside Connor.

"So what do we do now?" Cordelia asked, more curious than ever as to what had transpired in that basement. "We've lost our only lead."

Angel allowed himself one more sorrowful glance towards the basement door before hardening both his heart and his resolve and turning back to the gang. They needed his leadership right now, not his heartbreak in their laps. It was time to take some action against Adamson, with or without Buffy by his side.

"Now, we find a new lead." He declared. He looked around the room to see who was and who wasn't usable in his task.

"We'll split up." He said decisively. "Three patrols covering as much ground as they can to find information on both James Adamson and his connection with Wolfram and Hart."

"Oooh, boy I like the plans that involve bustin' some demon ass to get information." Gunn said excitedly. Fred smiled at him, before turning her attention back to Angel.

"Gunn, you can cover the west end, Cordelia and I will take the east."
"What about me?" Connor wondered, casting aside his sullen, unco-operative demeanor and allowing his father to take charge of the situation. "What can I do?"

"Connor, yours is the most difficult task of all." Angel confessed. "I want you to see if you can break into Lilah Morgan's office inside Wolfram and Hart and see what you can find out about James Adamson or his plan. I would do it myself if they didn't have vampire safeguards that would announce my presence."

"And me?" Dawn questioned, knowing already what the answer would most likely be.

"You can stay here and help Fred with Lorne, or at least watch him till he comes out of it," Angel replied, confirming her suspicions. "Also if Buffy comes back upstairs soon, let her know the new plan of action and give her Gunn's cell phone number if she wants to help in the patrols. She can work with him."

"Sounds good to me. I got no problems having a slayer at my back." Gunn said easily. Angel nodded.

"Alright, let's head out people."

"I'll head out in a sec," Connor promised the others. "I want to grab some things just in case they have some tough alarms to get past. You guys go ahead."

Angel nodded and watched his son head up the stairs towards the room Fred had told him he could stay in for the time being, no doubt to retrieve weapons. As soon as he was upstairs, he left the hotel, followed by Gunn and Cordelia. Once outside, the pair parted company with Gunn and headed towards their respective parts of the city to attend to their task. Dawn was left alone with Fred and not very happy about it.

"So Dawn do you want to play cards or something?" Fred wondered. "It's going to be a while before they get back I bet."

Dawn shook her head, suddenly immensely bored with her usual role of sit at home and wait for the hunter-gatherers to return. It's time I do what I came here to do, despite their objections and help out, she thought to herself. Smiling and Fred, she attempted to excuse herself from her presence.

"I'm just going to head up to my room and go to sleep I think, OK?" She asked. Fred nodded, completely unsuspecting. "If Buffy comes up, give her Angel's message for me OK?" Again, Fred nodded and Dawn slipped up the stairs and into her room.

Once in there, she opened her window and peered outside, hoping the drop the ground was not significant. It wasn't and Dawn slipped her feet over the windowsill, closed her eyes and leapt to the ground.

Standing, she brushed herself off and headed in the direction that she thought Connor might have gone. If he was breaking into Wolfram and Hart tonight, so was she.