Chapter Twenty-Four

Angel looked at Xander. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Xander asked Angel.

"Yep," Angel answered, placing the cords back down beside Brian. "Time for me to go to work."
Angel walked away from Brian and back over to Buffy. He brushed her long blond hair away from her neck, and checked for wounds. Good, no bite marks, Angel thought as he softly brushed his fingers over the scar he left there, over ten years ago, back in Sunnydale.

The more Angel thought about what happened, the madder he got. He looked across the bed at Xander. "Willow on her way?"
"Yeah," Xander said walking over to stand beside Buffy. "She should be here in a few hours. She's flying in from Chicago."
"Good," Angel told him as he grabbed his coat. "Tell her what's happened, and that I may need her help."

"You got it," Xander called out, as Angel hurried out the door.

Angel paused at the door and looked back at Xander. "She wakes up, call me."

Xander saluted Angel in silent promise and Angel turned back around and exited the hospital.

888

Angel scanned the accident scene from where he sat in his car. He was parked by the curb, out of the way of traffic. When traffic slowed to a lull, Angel got out, and walked towards the middle of the street. Walking across the yellow lines, Angel saw pieces of shattered glass, and fiberglass scattered on the ground. A large stain covered one piece of pavement. Angel kneeled and dabbed his finger over the darkened spot.

Gas and blood, Angel thought as he smelled the fumes. Angel glanced to his side towards the direction of the Semi, and realized it was not a street they had come out from, but a large alleyway. Angel stood, and walked over to the alley where the Semi come from. Halfway down, but still within view of where Brian's car was stopped at the light, Angel saw tire tracks embedded in the concrete.

Angel bent down and could still feel the rubber from the tires. He made a mental note of the impression's length, and headed back for his car. He closed his door, and flipped open his cell. Dialing a number he placed his key in the ignition, and started the convertible, while he waited for someone to pick up.

"Hey," Angel said when Xander's voice answered. "I just checked out the scene, and it was definitely not an accident. I'm on my way to the impound. I'll tell you more as I get it. How's Buffy?"
"She's still out of it," Xander said, sitting between the couple. "Brian looks like he could be getting worse. The doctor's are about to give him a blood transfusion to see if that will help."

"It should," Angel said, pulling into traffic. "Call me if anything changes."
"You got it," Xander affirmed. "Hey Angel, do me a favor?"
"Yeah, sure."
"When you find the bastards that did this, break their necks."
"I plan on doing more than that," Angel said and hung up the phone. Placing his foot on the accelerator, Angel sped away towards the impound yard.

The Impound yard was locked up tight, chains and barbed wire surrounded the property, hoping to keep out any possible thieves. But no one had counted on a ex-vampire who had super human strengths. Angel looked around to make sure no one was watching, and he climbed the fence and flipped over into the yard with the grace of predatory cat.

Angel walked through the yard, looking for Brian's red Range Rover. He saw several cars that had been in some pretty bad wrecks, but none of them was the one he was looking for. The night sky was black, the only light in the yard came from the orange street lamp in the far corner of the yard. Angel quietly stalked through the yard, heading towards the back fence.

As if it were a sign from above, Angel noticed the street light illuminating the only red car on that side of the yard. And it was a Range Rover. Angel approached, and took a long, hard look at the damage. The driver side door was crushed and had been removed, and now lay beside what remained of the front bumper on the ground. Angel pulled the door away from the bumper and looked at the front. The headlight was completely smashed, nothing was left. The engine was wrecked. It was a miracle that the car did not explode, from the twisting metal, and breaking parts.

Angel scanned over Brian's seat and saw something glint at him from the floorboard. He bent down and picked up the shiny object. It was a ring. A gold ring with two twisting bands that came together at the base of a oval. Inside the oval, was a opal. Angel examined the ring closely, and found it had a latch on it. He opened it and found an inscription that confirmed is suspicions. The inscription read : The dead will live.

Jasper, Angel thought as he pocketed the ring. Without another word, Angel put the door back, and quickly left the Impound. He was steering his car towards the old tunnels, when his phone rang.

"Yeah," he answered.

"It's Buffy," said Xander's voice, "She's awake."

Angel burst through the hospital doors, and rushed over to Buffy's bed. Xander was holding her hand and Willow, who had finally arrived, flanked Buffy's other side.

"How is she?" Angel asked as Xander stepped aside.

"Better, now that she's awake," he told the ex vampire. "The doctors said that if she didn't wake up soon, she would have had brain damage."
"She's been calling for you since I got here about fifteen minutes ago," Willow said, worry evident in her voice.

Angel looked from Willow back to Buffy. He grabbed her hand and held it close to his face.

"Hey, Buffy," Angel whispered softly. Buffy turned her head towards the sound of his voice.

"Angel," She said, just barely audible. Angel could hear the conflicting emotions in her voice. Worry, pain, fear, relief. Angel used his free hand to brush Buffy's face.

"Shh, it's okay," he assured her. "Everything's going to be alright."

"Brian?" she managed to ask. Angel glanced up and Willow who looked at Xander. Angel turned around behind him and saw the look on Xander's face. It didn't look good for Brian.

"He's hurt, but he'll be okay," Angel told her. There was no need to tell her how bad he really was. Not until she was better. Buffy managed a weak smile, before grabbing Angel's arm.

"Angel," she cried, her eyes wide with fear.

"What? What is it?" He said as Buffy clamped onto his hand.

"It –It wasn't an accident. They did it on purpose. And they hurt Brian." Tears ran down Buffy's face as she tried to tell Angel what happened.

"Shh, shh, It's okay Buffy," Angel said, calming her. " I know. I know all about it. Don't worry."

Buffy closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She nestled her head against the pillow and tried to rest.

"Angel's always been there for me," she mumbled, dozing. "Angel always takes care of me."

Xander and Willow exchanged glances as Angel leaned his head against Buffy's. Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, Angel motioned Willow and Xander away from Buffy.

Once they were out of earshot, the question and answer session began.

"Angel, what the hell is going on?" Willow asked, searching his face for a an answer.

"Buffy was right, this was no accident." Angel stood with his feet apart, arms folded.

"So the bite marks. They were.."
"Vampire, yeah," Angel confirmed Xander's suspicions. "Apparently there's a hit out on Buffy."

Angel pulled the ring he found at the impound lot, from his pocket, and handed it to Willow.

"What is it?" she asked. "I mean I know it's a ring, but what's so special about it?"
"I found it at the impound yard. I need you to look into a guy named Jasper," Angel told her, as she turned the ring over examining it. "Use your Council connections, your Net skills, anything you can come up with."
"Yeah, sure." Willow said.

"I also found fresh tire tracks from the Semi, and it definitely was a hit," Angel told Buffy's two best friends.

"Why do I get the feeling that there's something you're not telling us?" Xander folded his arms and looked questionably at Angel.

"Because there is," Angel looked at Xander. "If my suspicions are right, then Buffy's dealing with a whole different class of Big Bad." Angel looked back at a resting Buffy.

"How bad is this Big Bad?" Willow asked.

"Jasper and his gang, make the Order of Taraka look like preschool," Angel answered.

"Then somebody needs to play bodyguard," Xander offered as Angel agreed.

"Yeah, until Willow and I can figure out how stop him, somebody needs to stay here and watch them. Especially, Brian."
"But I thought Buffy was the target?" Willow looked at Angel confused.

"If Buffy's the target, then they'll go after Brian first," Xander piped in. "That's why they tried to drain him and not Buffy."
"Xander's right," Angel said tilting his head towards him. "Trust me on this. You guys should know. What's the quickest way to get at Buffy?"
"Go after her friends," Willow said remembering the things Angelus had done when Angel lost his soul.

"Right, so keep an ear out to trouble." Angel told them.
"But why didn't they just kill Brian at the scene."
"Willow's got a point." Xander pointed out. "I mean why only half drain someone, if you know they'll just end up giving them a blood transfusion?"

"Probably got interrupted by the sirens or people gathering," Angel suggested. "Either way, they will probably try to come back and finish the job."

Willow and Xander nodded their hands in agreement. Angel looked at Willow who now held Jasper's ring.

"Call me when you find out anything. Hideouts, paper trails, anything you can dig up," Angel patted Willow's shoulder as he headed out the doors.

"Hey," Xander called out, "Where are you going?"
"To look for leads," Angel told Xander. "If Buffy asks, tell her I went to run an errand. I'll be back."
Angel didn't wait for a response, he just turned around and left the same way he came in.

"Where is he, huh?" Angel said as he slammed a blue skinned, red eyed Demon against a wall. The demon looked like a Romulan, from that TV show "Star Trek", with it's ridged nose and sideburns. Angel slammed the "Romulan" against the wall again.

"I'm not going to ask you again. Where is Jasper?"
"I –I don't know, man. I swear," Answered the demon holding his hands up. "The last thing I heard was they were heading out of town."

"Not buying it," Angel said, throwing the demon aside. The Demon landed against the other wall the alley provided.

"Jasper's gang is out for the Slayer. And I want to know why."
"Like you care," the Demon spat, wiping its green blood from the corner of it's mouth. "You're human now. Why should you care what happens to a Slayer?"

"It's not a Slayer, it's the Slayer, so yeah, I think I care."

Angel grabbed the Demon by the shirt and punched him once, breaking his nose.

"Ow! That hurt!" The Demon said grabbing its face.

"Good," Angel said with a gleam in his eye. "Now tell me what I want to know, and I won't have to break your arm." Angel smiled devilishly at the battered blue demon. "And believe me, I just itching to break an arm."

"I ain't got nothing," The demon replied.

"Okay fine, have it your way," Angel spun the demon around, grabbing and twisting it's arm back into a position that it was not meant to go. The Demon began to squeal and squirm, begging Angel to release his grip.

But Angel only tugged harder, until he felt the arm was close to the breaking point.

"Okay, okay," The demon said, relenting. "I'll tell you what you want."
"And that would be…"
"Jasper put a hit out on that slayer girl of yours. Said it was payback for killing one of his."
"Anything else?" Angel probed, tightening his grip.

"Also something about trying to get back at you," the demon cried out as the pain became intolerable. "But that's it, I swear to the gods. Now please, let me go!"

Angel released the Demon and spun him around, looking him in the eye.

"You so much as breathe a word of this little encounter, and things will get ugly."
"Like what could you do," the Demon scoffed, rubbing its wrists. In seconds, Angel had the Demon pinned against the wall, his feet dangling, Angel's strong, muscular arm, clamped over it's throat.

"I might not be a vampire anymore," he warned the demon, "But I still remember the thrill of killing for sport. Tempt me, and I might just see how it feels to do it as a human. You got me?"

The Demon nodded quickly, and Angel dropped him. Angel wiped his hands as the demon grabbed its throat, and tried to breathe again.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Angel said as he walked away, he black trench coat flowing behind him like a modern cape.

End Chapter

A/N: Sorry it took me long! I've been working on new chapters and got carried away with my own story! LOL

Read & Review!

FEEDBACK: ALWAYS!!!