Chapter VI
Buffy angrily hit the repeat button on her phone and listened again. 'Buffy, Buffy!' the taped message from Dawn said, 'I found your mafia guy! I followed him to this really big red brick house at … ' The tape ground out electronic interference, making the address unintelligible.
She turned to Willow and asked, "Do you have any way of cleaning up this tape, Will? Either technological or magical, I don't care."
"Umm, yeah, but it might take a while. Give me the tape, I'll get started on it." She disappeared into the living room.
Xander said, "Buffy, don't we have this guys address? Isn't it on his drivers license?"
"It probably is, but his license isn't in his wallet. I have a phone number though, and it looks like a Sunnydale number."
"Got an idea Buffy, let's see that number." Xander dialed the number and said into the phone with his voice pitched lower than usual, "Hello, this is the UPS Customer Service Center in Sunnydale. We have a package for you from New York City, but the address has been obscured and partially ripped. Could you tell me your delivery address?"
Xander listened intently and wrote down an address. He thanked the supposed customer and hung up. "Here ya go Buff! Although, I guess it's a good thing they don't have Caller ID, now that I think of it."
"Or wondered about where you got the phone number. But thanks Xand, I guess we'd better saddle up."
It took about ten minutes to drive to Don Bennidetto's establishment. The gate was open so Buffy just drove up the circular driveway to the front door; running over the curb and sidewalk, narrowly missing the gatepost with her Jeep Cherokee, tires squealing with her usual driving techniques.
She marched up to the door and rang the doorbell. When she saw a shadow behind the curtained glass she knocked. The door opened a crack and Buffy slammed it open the rest of the way. Buffy, Xander and Willow walked in to confront a very large and surprised man. A trusted Mafiosi who couldn't believe his eyes when he found bunch of college kids walking in his front door. He didn't have much time to glare though, because Buffy attacked him. It didn't take long, a few kicks, a couple of punches, and he was down.
Buffy and Xander walked down the hall, looking into rooms, opening doors, until they got to the end. Buffy and Xander left two or three other unconscious men lying on the floor on their way. There was a large finely crafted door at the end of the grand hall, standing invitingly open. Buffy looked piercingly at Xander until he got the message. They stood on either side of the door, Xander waiting patiently for Buffy's signal. After listening for several moments, she turned slightly and leaped through the door, only to stop suddenly as she noticed the bodies lying on the floor.
"Well, it's about time you got here Buffy," Dawn said, "I had to take care of these guys myself, and you know what mom thinks about me fighting!"
"Then it's a good thing she's no longer around to see you go haring off by yourself. What did you think you were doing? Going after the freaking Cosa Nostra all alone! Without any backup at all!"
"Hey, I called you didn't I? Besides, you're lucky I'm not dead!"
"I'm lucky?" Buffy tried to continue with her angry banter, but couldn't. She grabbed her sister and hugged her fiercely.
"Hey guys?" Xander interrupted, "you can get all familial later, right now lets see about getting out of here."
"Good idea," said Dawn, "but first, let's check out the basement. That Bennidetto guy said something about moving a prisoner from the torture chamber to the dungeon. Maybe we can do some good while we're here."
"Dungeon? Torture chamber?" Buffy whispered, "what kind of monsters are we dealing with?"
"Well you know Buffy, you don't have to be a demon to be a monster. We humans have got that down pat. Of course, if you would have read a history book instead of, you know, saving the world a bunch of times, you'd know that." Xander said with an impudent grin.
"Yeah yeah, let's go downstairs."
"I'm not at all sure that I'm looking forward to this."
Dawn added, "But if they had to move someone that suggests that he's still alive. I think we'd better get cracking."
"Say," said Xander, "do you think we should call the police?"
Buffy glared at him, "And say what: 'We just broke into this guy's house, knocked him and his friends unconscious, come and arrest them because they bruised our knuckles?' "
"Maybe we could come up with a better story than that."
"Let's see what we find in the basement guys, we may not have a choice," said Dawn, as they descended the bare wooden steps.
At the bottom they found a moderately large room, mostly unfinished, with a scattering of ugly old furniture, fitted out as a bar, or clubhouse. There wasn't anyone there, in fact, the whole house seemed very quiet. It was starting to appear that the Summers sisters had rendered every inhabitant unconscious.
They walked down a corridor to the right. There were several steel doors set in steel frames. One had a large and sturdy lock but the others just had surface mounted deadbolts. Buffy opened the first door and looked cautiously inside. She backed out with a look of disgust on her face. Dawn opened the second door and walked in. Buffy could hear her ask, "Are you all right?"
Buffy and Xander crowded in after and found Dawn checking the pulse of a guy who looked like he had been beaten and tortured. Well, that followed logically after what Buffy had seen in the other room. Xander said, "I think I saw a first aid kit by the bar. I'll go get it."
-- --
Special Agent Robertson drank a tall glass of water and said, "Thanks, I doubt that I would've lasted much longer. What agency are you with?" He looked a little doubtful, he thought his rescuers looked awfully young but he wasn't going to complain.
"We're not with any agency, we're strictly amateurs when it comes to dealing with the Mob. But they attacked our friend's store and nearly killed us in the process, so we thought we'd investigate. Good thing for you, huh?" said Buffy.
Robertson said, " Well, however you got here, I need to call in my backup, and probably the local police."
"Actually," said Dawn, "the police are nearly here, at least, we heard sirens getting closer as we came down the stairs. If you have some influence with them, you'd better get it in gear."
Buffy added, "Yeah, cause we walked in the front door and between my sister, Xander, and me we cold-cocked most of the inhabitants of this house. We planned to be long gone before the cops got here, do you have a good explanation for our apparent lawlessness?"
"Don't worry," Robertson said, "I just need a phone."
Xander asked, "But what are you going to say? I mean, I guess we can all claim that we're here to rescue you, but how did we know?"
The Agent replied, "Say nothing at all. You are all under my authority."
"Oh that's gonna go over big," said Buffy, "I predict that Detective Stein is going to have a serious case of gastro-intestinal distress."
"Well," Dawn blurted out, "they did kidnap me, technically. And they threatened me with stuff that I don't care to think about. Of course, I was trespassing with intent to eavesdrop at the time, but still. The reason they moved you Agent Robertson, is because they intended to put me in that room."
No one had anything to say as they bleakly contemplated that scenario.
By this time they had all moved back upstairs and ended up in the office. Agent Robertson sat down heavily; he was obviously suffering from the abuse that he had been subjected to the last few days. But he was still sharp enough to notice everything around him, so when Bennidetto started to moan he said, "Does anyone know where my handcuffs are? I think we need to restrain some of the perpetrators that are littering the house," with a pointed look toward the 'Don'.
"Yeah," said Dawn, "I know where your stuff is, I think I saw it all behind the desk, actually I may have kicked most of this stuff off the desk." She bent down and picked up handcuffs, a badge folder, a gun and holster, and all sorts of FBI accouterments.
"Thanks, and why don't you hand me that gun over there, as well as any other guns," said the FBI Agent, looking at The Kids Desert Eagle and Bennidetto's .38."
Buffy collected and handed over the guns, then grabbed the handcuffs and said, "I'll take care of this butthead." She bent over to turn Bennidetto over, but he suddenly twisted and grabbed Buffy around the neck with his left hand. He tried to hit her with his right, but by then Buffy twisted her hands this way and that, and he found himself trussed up in cuffs. Robertson blinked his eyes as he tried to process what he had just seen.
Bennidetto, from his position on his side one the floor, said, "Well girly, you got me for now. But I gotta tell ya, it ain't gonna last. And when I get free again, you and me are gonna have a long talk."
"Well Mr. Bennidetto," replied Buffy, "just how soon do you think you can get out of jail with your torture chamber providing evidence? I just don't think your fancy lawyers are going to be able to help you this time."
"I don't know what's in the basement, I don't go down there. Besides, you don't know my fancy lawyers!"
"You mean Wolfram & Hart? Yeah, I know them, they're not gonna be enough to get you out of this one."
He fell silent for a moment and noticed the still unconscious Kid lying on the floor. "What the fuck is he doin' here!" He exclaimed to no one in particular.
"I dunno," said Dawn, "I whacked him with the sword when he tried to kill me. I suppose we should try to stop the bleeding," she added without any discernible enthusiasm, "although though he is pretty cute."
Agent Robertson was surprised at Dawn's revelation, but couldn't get a word in before Buffy frowned and asked Bennidetto, "Why, don't you recognize him?"
"Yeah," he replied, "that's The Kid." Everyone could hear his capitalization. "He's like the boss's shadow or something. Ever since Jeffrey the Rock got himself put in jail – the kid kinda took over for him." Despite Bennidetto's attempt to be cool under pressure, he shivered as he referred to his boss.
"So," Buffy said, "do you think the boss is here? What's his name anyway?"
"Ummm, Reichs, but I don't think I've ever seen 'im without either Jeff or the Kid, on the other hand he never comes visiting during the day. I think he has some kinda allergy to the sun or somethin'."
The Scoobies all shot meaningful glances to each other. Buffy looked out the front window and said, "There seems to be a black limousine with very dark windows parked under the porte-cochere, blocking my car. I think we should assume condition red. I think I may have misinterpreted the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach." Buffy unconsciously flexed her sleeve and grabbed her weapon when it popped out. Agent Robertson frowned as he considered Buffy's wooden stake. Buffy stalked towards the door looking remarkably dangerous.
"My name," said the newcomer from hall, "is Reichs. I want to know who has been fucking with my business. And I intend to see you all dead, especially you, Slayer!"
As he started to enter the room, Buffy kicked him in the gut. He flew back down the hall and Buffy followed smartly, yelling over her shoulder, "Close the door, lock it!"
The FBI Agent and the others exchanged looks as they listened to a rapid series of thumps, crashes, bangs, and yells coming from the large hallway beyond the door. The commotion went on far longer than any reasonable fight should have between a three hundred and fifty pound hoodlum and a one hundred pound college girl. Just as Special Agent Robertson suggested, "Shouldn't we be trying to help your friend Buffy? She would appear to be at a severe disadvantage." they could hear police sirens getting very loud and suddenly cutting off amidst the squeal of tires slamming to a stop as an unmarked car parked in the front drive. Robertson couldn't understand why Buffy's friends didn't seem particularly concerned about Buffy. Robertson suddenly stood up, as suddenly as he could anyway, since he was still moving slowly and stiffly, "Open that door, someone help me stand," he said in a voice that brooked no disagreement. Xander opened the door while Dawn helped the agent limp and stumble towards the hall. He finally got a good look at the fight.
The hall was actually more of a grand foyer than a hallway, it was wide and tall, with an even wider spot in the middle. It was lined with painted wood columns, had a marble tile floor, and a fancy scalloped ceiling. The wide spot was occupied by an ugly granite statue. Thus, there was plenty of room for the fight between Buffy and Reichs. Robertson watched mesmerized as Buffy received a kick to her stomach that propelled her into the air and across the hall to smash backwards into one of the columns. She slumped to the floor and appeared to bounce back up, she flipped and spun around with her right leg extended and returned the kick to Reichs, who had run at her full-tilt for a follow-up kick, but now it was his turn to fly through the air. But this time, Buffy leaped after him and with her stake held in front of her she sort of flew through the air like a swimmer diving off a diving board, except her trajectory was altogether flatter.
Whatever, at the end of her short flight she had rammed her stake through Reichs chest, and...
"Damn!" Buffy exclaimed passionately, "I missed his heart!"
There was more squealing of tires as another couple of cop cars braked to a stop outside followed by the sound of flatfoots thundering into the foyer.
Reichs threw Buffy violently into the air. She crashed through a skylight, still in an uncontrolled upward flight pattern, while Reichs jumped up and ran to the front door, knocking aside the detectives in his flight. He sort of jerked a bit as he hit them, but continued on. His claws scrapped across the chest of a uniformed officer, drawing plenty of blood. Reichs grabbed his head with his hands and screamed, but didn't stop running. Three more cops just inside the door were shocked at this monstrous apparition, but they drew their weapons and fired, all to no avail as Reichs continued his headlong charge out the door and threw himself through the opened rear window of his black limousine, which promptly took off like a bat out of hell, violently crashing into a cop car, shoving it out of the way and roaring down the street.
In the meantime, Buffy flipped over in the air and finally landed on the roof. She watched in extreme annoyance as Reichs got away, and then nonchalantly jumped back down into the foyer through the broken skylight.
Buffy landed and dusted herself off. She became aware that she had an audience and looked uncertainly towards the entrance where she saw Detectives Stein and Bianchi looking at her speculatively. With a flip of her wrist, Buffy's stake disappeared up her sleeve. Someone was applying first-aid to the injured policeman, but the rest stared at her with a variety of expressions. Buffy pointed to Robertson and said to the police detectives, "Talk to him, he's Special Agent Robertson of the FBI. He'll explain it all." Agent Robertson looked dismayed, but shrugged his shoulders and accepted the load with a wink and a nod towards Buffy.
A few minutes later Stein, at the request of the FBI, was directing the arrests and detention of the mafiosi that were lying here and there about the house in various states of consciousness. In the meantime, several more FBI agents had arrived, along with a couple of crime scene technicians. Various sorts of cops were grimly looking into the torture chamber downstairs. Buffy and Dawn found a couch to sit on while Xander and Willow stood guard, kind of.
"Geez Willow," Buffy said, "I missed his heart. It's the first time I've missed in seven years. I can't believe it, I wonder if I'm over the hill."
"Before you go thinking you've got one foot in the grave Buffy, lets find this guy and check him out. He might be one of those guys whose insides are switched left to right. Maybe you didn't miss, maybe his heart wasn't in the usual place."
"Thanks Will, you're a true friend, I don't believe you, but you are a true friend."
Dawn said, "No Buffy, it could be true. It's rare condition, but there are a few people like that around. Something like one or two per hundred thousand, or maybe million, I can't remember."
"Well," mused Buffy, "I guess the next time I meet Mr. Reichs, I'll stake him on his right side."
"I think we should call him Mr. Wrongs," said Dawn, "what? what!"
--- ---
To be continued.
Author's Notes:
I had intended this to be the last chapter, and I even wrote an ending where Buffy dusted Reichs in front of everybody. But it just didn't feel right, it was too easy (for Buffy I mean, not me). Here she finally meets the big bad, and dusts him thirty seconds later—it was too fast, there's a lack of suspense. So, even though it's more work, there will be at least one, maybe several, additional chapters because Reichs is shaping up to be the most evil vampire since Angelus, and no damned chip in his head is going to keep him from his human prey if he has anything to say about it. Not only that, but Don Bennidetto still has some life in him; at the very least, he certainly has more to say.
The only problem is that the rest of the story hasn't been plotted out yet, so it may take a little while before I get around to writing it. With good luck, two or three weeks, without, a little longer. Thanks for hanging in there.
