Disclaimer: A girl can dream, can't she? But for the sake of all that is legal and proper, not mine, don't sue.
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Okay, I know what you're thinking, but please don't moan at me, I'm really a very nice person. You know what real life is like, and this week's been hell, so that's my excuse. And has anyone else ever sat down to write and then spent the next two and a half hours staring at a blank screen? No? Oh well, just me then. I'm not a freak, honest.
CHAPTER 7.
The insistent shrill of the reception phone pierced the calm mood that had fallen in the courtyard, shaking everyone from the pleasant haze of inertia. The creature immediately pricked its ears to the unfamiliar sound, its animal senses even more finely tuned than Angel's. He heard the sound a fraction of a second later, and had already moved for the source by the time the two humans had realised what was happening.
Wesley jerked to attention with an incoherent mumble, only to be dragged by the arm from his seat.
"It's probably Gunn at last", Cordelia told him as she pulled, being sure not to be too rough this time, under the watchful eye of the creature.
The statement was more as an assurance for herself than anything, hoping that the arrival of their absent friend and the accompanying new research material would finally yield some results. Also, the distraction from more reading was readily welcome.
Wesley followed her obediently inside, stifling a yawn and trying not to trip in sleep-induced semi-blindness. Would this day never end? What he wouldn't give for a bed and the chance to use it right now…
Entering the ever-darkening hotel behind an uncharacteristically eager Angel, Cordelia moved to the nearest stool within earshot of the conversation whilst Wesley held the door open for the shortest of the group. The little creature took its time getting in, with none of the excitable mannerisms Wes had become accustomed to. In fact, it seemed a bit down. It stopped at his feet and looked up at him, a slight dullness in its eyes that immediately made him want to scoop it up from the floor. It looked as though it needed cheering up a bit.
Frowning a little as he pondered this new development, Wesley carried the creature with him and joined the others at the desk. Angel was engaged mid-conversation with whoever it was on the other end, his polite and business-like 'yes', 'no', 'I understand' contributions revealing to Wesley's sinking heart that the person he was addressing probably was not Gunn. Cordelia was listening intently, obviously frustrated that, no matter how much she strained, all she could hear was a one sided string of uninformative formalities.
The crease that was gradually deepening on Angel's forehead did nothing to sooth her, either. Putting the handset down on the cradle with a final 'yes, thank you', Angel turned to face Cordelia and Wes with an expression that was nothing short of foreboding. When he hesitated before relaying the news, Cordelia' s face became positively thunderous.
"What?!" she almost screamed, unable to contain her desperate curiosity any longer.
Angel sighed.
"That was Mr. Lovelle. He wanted to know when would be a good time to come in and write us a cheque…"
"But…" Cordelia began, guessing where this was going.
"Apparently, his wife died two years ago, and he didn't much appreciate the 'personal question' when I asked."
"Oookaaay…this is not of the good." Great one Cor, way to state the obvious.
A tense silence fell, everyone imagining the worst when it came to working out what this little revelation could mean. Even the creature seemed to notice the anxiety, copying Angel by bringing up a furry paw to rub at its chin.
Wesley opened his mouth to say something, then stopped, converting it into a puzzled frown instead when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Turning and pointing into the shadows across from them, he said,
"Angel, what's that?"
A long, dark rope hung from the ceiling not far from them, the top end wrapped around a rafter near the skylight. It was so out of place and unexpected that it took a few moments for the guys to comprehend its existence. Angel tensed, suddenly recognising the different scent in the air, and the creature copied, apparently sensing his unease.
Cordelia had just about managed to form the words 'rope', 'open window' and 'intruder' in her mind when it occurred to her that something was very wrong. On reflection, it would probably have been wise at that point to remain calm and fight off the feeling of fear that threatened to panic her, but instead, she did what any other surprised person would have done.
"Oh my God", she said.
Whether that little outburst was the trigger in itself, warning the intruder of their presence and knowledge of the break-in, or whether the attack would have commenced anyway, Cordelia didn't know. Frankly, she didn't have much time to think about it. Before she could draw another breath, a figure sprang out of the darkness and launched straight for Angel, kicking him down with outstretched feet.
He was knocked backwards over the counter, the figure landing perfectly balanced where he had once stood, despite the bold move. Cordelia screamed.
* * *
The figure had watched patiently as the three thieves had entered the lobby, ignoring the vampire's conversation over the infuriatingly loud telephone, responsible for attracting them back into the room in the first place. It was only when the last of the group, a rather tired looking tall man, had stopped at the door that the figure's interest had really been stirred. There it was, trotting in from the courtyard, obviously already feeling the effects of its forced exposure to the world.
For a moment, the figure wondered if perhaps it was already too late, that too much time had been allowed to pass. But all such thoughts were pushed aside as the need to focus reasserted itself. If nothing else, the kidnappers must not be allowed to continue with their plan, whatever it might be. The man further restrained the target, picking it up and preventing its escape. Whether or not he was some kind of demon that was immune from the creature's effects, it was unclear, but it was doubtful that everything was as it seemed. Obviously, extra care needed to be taken.
As it turned out, waiting for just the right opportunity was not an option. Perhaps by some kind of demonic perception not unlike the vampire's, the man had noticed the means of entrance and alerted the others, demanding that action be taken. And the figure was only too happy to oblige.
* * *
Ignoring Cordelia's scream of panic, the black clad figure vaulted up onto the counter, pulling a stake from a conveniently well-stocked belt. This intruder had come prepared, and was leaving little time to think up a plan.
Wesley stood transfixed as he realised what the figure was planning to do, ready to bear down on Angel and neutralise the threat. He had to act fast.
With the creature still attached securely to the back of his shirt, Wesley shot forward, pulling the figure's legs away and creating a distraction just long enough for Angel to make a reappearance. Cordelia quickly caught on and helped him out, and they succeeded in dragging the figure to the floor before any other moves could be performed.
"You're human!" Angel exclaimed with some surprise as he got back to his feet, still too shocked that he was caught off guard to be angry. He chastised himself for not having noticed the fresh scent earlier and realised, with no small amount of regret, that this meant killing was off the agenda. The figure stilled in its struggles as Angel emerged.
"Yeah? Well guess what? I'm also a woman too."
Flipping back too her feet whilst knocking her attackers backward, the self proclaimed woman launched forward, supplying Cordelia and Wesley with a couple of well-placed kicks to keep them back.
Angel rushed at her and she turned to face him, bringing up her stake again for the kill.
"I know what you are, vampire", she spat, eyeing him as he circled, looking for an opening.
Cordelia, Wesley and the creature scrambled away from the brewing fight, heading for the cabinet in the hope of successfully outnumbering the intruder with weapons. The woman spotted their move and intention just as Angel chose his moment, diving for her arms in an attempt to restrain her.
She dodged, but the stake was knocked from her hands, clattering to the floor and rolling out of reach. Angel turned for her again, and she sprang backwards, bringing round a heel to slam in his face. Then she ran, heading straight for Wesley as he pulled a crossbow out on her, all the time hoping that he wouldn't have to use it.
Cordelia saw her coming for interception and shouted a warning…too late. The woman threw a mean punch, knocking him backward as she ripped the creature from its mooring. It gave a high-pitched squeal and thrashed, transforming in an instant to sprout viciously sharp spines all over its body. Her gloved hands were protected from the initial onslaught, but the leather was not thick enough to ward off needle-like teeth as the creature clamped down hard on her hand.
She shrieked and the creature propelled itself from her clutches, scurrying for safety in the shadows of the furniture. With no time to nurse the injury, the woman spun round in time to deflect a blow from Cordelia and her newly acquired club thingy. She easily pushed her back, but was all too aware of the charging vampire making his way towards her. It was time to end the charade.
Staggering back to his feet, Wesley watched in horror as the cat-suited female pulled two pistols from hidden holsters at her side, training them both on Cordelia with deadly accuracy. Angel stopped in his tracks, bringing up his hands in a gesture of surrender and praying that nothing would happen.
Flat on her back on the floor, all Cordelia could do was stare up helplessly as the figure silently threatened her, gesturing for her to stay down. A glance at Angel confirmed that she should do as she was told, and she lay still, struggling to keep her breathing under control.
The woman backed off, keeping the handguns high and making sure all three of her opponents were in her sights. She gave Wesley a sharp nod, and he reluctantly lowered his crossbow to the floor, bringing his hands up again in compliance.
"Just one move, vampire, and it'll be curtains for these two."
Angel nodded his understanding, almost relieved by the thought that if she was going to kill anyone, she would have done it by now. Besides, she needed them alive to keep him back, or else there would be nothing to stop him charging her again. After all, guns didn't frighten him. Well, maybe just a little bit.
His friends, on the other hand, were more than a little scared, so much so that Cordelia had begun to tremble on the floor, and Wesley had turned a shade or two paler. Angel figured that one bullet in the gut was more than enough for one person. Luckily for them, the woman didn't have Angel's nose for fear, and they covered it quite well, their grim expressions threatening dire consequences if a trigger was pulled on the other.
Angel decided it was up to him to amend the situation, before it got out of hand.
"I know you", he said, inching round. "You're Mrs. Lovelle, or should I say, the woman who claimed to be Mrs. Lovelle not long ago. I can smell you."
The woman paused slightly and narrowed her eyes, finally bringing up a hand, pistol and all, to rip off the mask she'd been wearing. Long brown hair fell over her shoulders and she smiled mirthlessly, throwing the cloth away.
"I suppose I won't be needing that anymore, then. I always did hate it. Gets too stuffy."
Her expression hardened again as she focused, her eyes flicking to the stake lying unused on the floor. Angel didn't miss it, and he addressed her once more, hoping to distract her further.
"What do you want?" he asked, genuinely interested in getting an answer and sure that there had been some sort of misunderstanding. The woman glared, obviously considering the answer to be all too obvious.
"I should ask you the same thing, vampiric abductor. To which cult do you belong? You and your little human minions are mistaken if you thought that the Guardians would just stand by and allow you to continue. Did you think we wouldn't find you, evil ones?"
"Whoa, whoa, wait a second. Evil? I think you've got the wrong guys. We're on the other side."
"You cannot trick me, fool. I know your kind. Deceit and trickery run in your undead veins as sure as blood runs in mine. Not that I'll give you a chance to find out, bloodsucker."
The woman turned her head for a second to scan beneath the chairs she had made her way towards. Angel used the opportunity to mouth 'evil?' to Wesley, but he just shrugged. Cordelia shuffled backwards slightly, nearing the counter and the temporary bullet shelter it might provide at the crucial moment. She wasn't going to give Lara here any chances.
Spotting what it was she was looking for, the woman moved away further, careful to divide her time between watching where she was going and keeping an eye on the others. The creature was curled into a tight ball in the corner under a table, pulling itself as far away from the nasty human as possible. It hissed as she approached, warning her not to dare sticking another hand towards it, or else. This didn't seem to deter the woman, though, and she crouched opposite it, all the time checking for movement on the other side of the lobby.
"Come out, narchie", she coaxed gently, "it is not yet time. I have come to take you back, do not be afraid."
The creature perked its head up at her words, and its once hedgehog like appearance slid away again. Cautiously crawling out from the safety of its hiding place, the creature stood in front of the new human, looking into her eyes and scanning for evil. The woman stared right back, unmoving, waiting for it to satisfy itself and deem her well meaning. It came to its decision, chirping an all clear to the others that seemed to go unheard. For some reason, its other human friends were still afraid of this female, despite her lack of weapon or apparent aggression. Unless you counted the two funny looking shiny stick things, that didn't really look very scary at all. Maybe it was just some sort of human territorial thing, in which case, it was best not to interfere.
The creature stood before her, all fear gone, and the woman stood back to full height, turning her attention back to the problem at hand.
"Get up", she ordered to Cordelia, approaching the group. She flicked her wrist and waved her gun, ushering her and Wesley towards the office. "You too", she told Angel, satisfied when he grudgingly obeyed.
She wasn't usually in the business of killing people, evil or not, and she felt uncomfortable about attempting another scuffle with the vampire. If she made a move for the stake, he'd defend himself regardless of his previous reservations, and he was stronger than she was. She hadn't come here with the intention of fighting, after all. She was better suited to stealth than battle.
The creature followed as she herded the group into the office where she could shut them in, hopefully holding them long enough for her to make her escape without being tailed. As they entered and she neared the door, she stooped to scoop up the creature in one of her arms.
Wesley watched as the woman prepared to make off with her prize, wondering why the creature was not resisting. It looked at him slightly confused, but did not complain when the woman lifted it from the floor. This woman seemed to have all the answers to their questions and, with an accompanying pang of fear, was about to disappear into the night with his creature, not to mention the chance of finding an antidote for Cordelia. He didn't want that to happen.
The woman reached for the door to shut them in, and he found himself stepping forward, all thoughts of bullets forgotten.
"No", he said as the woman backed off, a sudden flare of fear on her features at his surprised move. She clutched her gun, aiming it high, but he did not back down.
She pulled the trigger.
Angel dived forward, pushing Wesley to the side, only to be rewarded with a sharp pain ripping through his chest. He looked down at the small wound, seeping blood, and when he brought his head back up, glowing yellow eyes glared back.
"That hurt", he growled, unable to keep his anger and his demon back now that the woman had decided to up the stakes. He lunged forward, catching her off guard, and smacked the gun from her hand, reaching down and seizing the other where it was tucked back into its holster. He flung it away as far as he could and concentrated on the woman, now struggling in his grasp and attempting to claw at his face with her fingers. The creature jumped down from her shoulder and ran into the office, hiding behind Wesley's legs and peering around the side.
Cordelia looked on with a smile of triumph as Angel wrestled the woman to the ground, pinning her arms at her sides to avoid any more surprises and snarling at her when she tried to thrash and scream.
"You know, it's usually considered rude for people to break into other people's homes and try to shoot their friends and kidnap their pets." The woman stilled and fell silent, the menacing tone to his voice convincing her that it was perhaps not the best course of action in her situation. "Now, I think you'd better explain yourself, and fast."
The woman swallowed but kept her mouth shut, challenging him with her eyes. Angel decided that, if she truly believed him to be evil, as she claimed, her cause must mean a great deal to her if she was refusing to tell him anything. He could sense her fear, but their was also something more that told him he would get nothing from her like this. Her determination was set.
Cordelia let go Wesley's hand, having stood squeezing it for all she was worth only a few moments ago, and gave him a flicker of a smile before she moved over to where Angel and his prey were squashed. Bitter vengeance fuelled her courage again as she approached, their near death experience not forgotten. She regarded the woman on the floor coldly.
"You need some help there Angel? 'Cause if she doesn't want to talk, I know a few things about Chinese burns that can be very persuasive…"
Angel smiled at her attempt at humour, but detected the note of resignation in her voice. She knew as well as he did that they couldn't do anything to this woman, no matter what her intentions. She was human, after all, and if scare tactics wouldn't yield results, the only other option was to come clean and hope that she would too. If she thought that they were evil, then continuing like this was not going to help matters.
He sank back on his haunches and changed his face back, noticing the confused look on the woman's face and the hitch in her breath. She must have honestly thought she was going to die, and was utterly prepared for it. That scared Angel more than anything else she could have done. What was so important that she was willing to die to protect its secret? He realised with a touch of dread that he may wish he never asked soon enough.
"I don't understand…" the woman began, looking between him and Cordelia's cross-armed stance towering over her. She didn't get to finish the sentence.
The lobby doors burst open and several men with machine guns ran in, quickly surrounding the group and forcing Wesley and Cordelia into the open. Another couple pushed the nozzles of their guns under Angel's chin and he raised his hands, rising slowly from the woman trapped beneath him. He looked down at her throughout, but her expression remained stony, and she scooted out from under him, brushing herself down as she stood.
"It's okay, guys, I'm alright", she called, addressing the small army of well armed men. Angel had his hands handcuffed behind his back and he was poked and prodded into the centre of the lobby with the others, facing the doors as they opened.
A large middle-aged man stepped through the door, closely followed by two more guards, a badly beaten Gunn between them. Dried blood covered his face from a large cut on the side of his head, and he sagged slightly between the men holding him, his eyes down.
"Oh God, Gunn!" Cordelia shouted, bringing a hand to her mouth.
He looked up at the sound of her voice and smiled weakly at them, none of the feeling behind it.
"Hey, don't worry about me, guys, I'm cool." He pulled a little at the guard on his left and scowled at him, letting him know that he didn't appreciate the tight grip. The guard delivered a sharp nudge in response, his elbow demanding silence. Gunn winced and complied.
The older man stepped forward, slowly making his way down the steps to the rest of the group. Silvery grey mottled his still thick hair, lending his appearance a grandeur that was radiated by his presence. He was built like a mountain, his chiselled features giving his face a hard and steely look of superiority that seemed to quell the other men into unquestioning obedience and loyalty. One look from those cold eyes told why. This guy was powerful and experienced, respected, if not feared, and he was undoubtedly their leader. As such, this was the guy that Angel focused his attention on.
As he approached, the man pulled a cigarette from his coat pocket and brought it to his mouth, lighting it. He took a long breath and came to a stop, pinning Angel with his gaze. The woman, having composed herself and retrieved her pistols, came to his side, rolling her eyes as he exhaled a cloud of smoke in her direction.
"Did they hurt you, Jane?" the man asked her, never taking his eyes from Angel's.
Angel thought he could see a brief spark of concern in those eyes as he spoke, but his tone was flat and unfeeling, betraying none of his emotions. Creepy.
The woman shook back her hair as she replied, telling him everything that had happened in a very precise manner. The man seemed satisfied with the report, no disappointment for the failure of the mission showing through that exterior of his.
"We heard a shot", he explained to her, and she nodded, accepting the explanation for the interruption.
The man took one last drag of his cigarette and dropped it to the ground, mashing it into the floor with his boot. Looking around at Wesley and Cordelia in turn, he sighed before bringing his eyes back to rest on Angel. Things did not look good.
"I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this", he said.
To be continued…