Chapter 9
Angel decided to take the stairs. It would give him time to think and bark out orders. He needed to make sure that Shane got what he wanted, but also to ensure the safety of NCIS.
Gibbs and his team were just behind him. It annoyed him that Gibbs refused to listen to him. Though, really, he should be used to it by now. No one ever listened to him once they started to learn the truth. Why should now be any different? All that mattered to him right now was that Gibbs and his team stay safe. Losing innocence was not an option. These agents were good people. He would not stand for failure on this one.
Angel stopped in the stair well a floor below where Shane was waiting for them.
"Angel? Are you sure you really want to do this? What are you going to achieve by talking to him? He is only here to torture you. You know that." Wesley said.
"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm going up there. Alone."
"Absolutely not, Angel." Wesley protested.
"Angel, you can't. He won't be alone." Cordelia agreed with her friend.
"I know that. No doubt he'll try to egg me into a fight. I want you four to form a perimeter. Gunn and Fred take the floor above us. Take the stairs. I don't want the elevator alerting him to your location. Just don't let him or anyone else get past you. Wesley, you come with me, but stay near the elevator until I have his full attention. Work your way around behind them if you can. Try not to be seen. Cordy…." Angel looked at her, "I want you to stay with Gibbs and his team. Keep them out of it. You are all to stay with her. Do as she says. Shane will use anything to his advantage."
"I don't take orders from suspects." Gibbs said sternly.
"Are you still on about that? Look, I don't expect you to like me. You don't even have to believe me if you don't want to. But as long as Shane is in this building, you will do as I say. It's too dangerous to be taking chances. You are good, Agent Gibbs. But, for this, this you're not good enough for."
Angel turned to move up to the next floor. As they all reached the landing, Angel nodded to his team and they moved into their assigned positions. Cordelia crept back to join team Gibbs and Wesley opened the door and stepped out to find a good hiding spot.
Gibbs grabbed Angel's shoulder, stopping him from entering the squad room, "I was a Marine Sniper, Angel. Why am I not good enough to handle him?"
Without looking at Gibbs, he answered, "Because….I taught him everything he knows."
A look of guilt on his face, he shrugged Gibbs' hand off and entered the squad room. Gibbs stared after him. Tony watched as his mentor tried to comprehend what that meant. If only his boss could open his mind to the possibility of vampires existing like Abby did. This was going to be a hard one for Gibbs to wrap his mind around.
Tony was with Abby one hundred percent. At first, he thought she was just spouting her wishes and hopes. But the more she found out, the more he thought it was possible. Tony had an open mind. He just wished his boss could do the same.
Cordelia stepped in front of the door. She couldn't let them go out there yet.
"I would move if I were you." Ziva warned her.
Gibbs was giving her the glare. Ziva was sure he wouldn't care about forcing his way through at this point.
Cordelia looked him in the eye, "Would you expect your people to follow your orders or completely disregard them?"
Gibbs eyed her angrily. She was right. If Tony or McGee or Ziva ever disobeyed an order he would slap them silly. He paused.
"Angel is trying to protect you. Let's give him another couple seconds before we go in there. I do what I'm told. I have been with Angel long enough to know that when he tells me to stay back, it's best to do exactly that. It's going to get ugly out there." Cordelia said truthfully.
They waited thirty seconds more and then quietly entered. Cordelia led them to the opposite wall and flattened herself against it. She watched as they followed her in and ease the door closed as the last one entered. She inched forward and peered around the corner. Wesley was no where in sight. Angel was just walking around the cubicles and was standing face to face with Shane. No one was talking. When she knew it was safe, she leaned out further.
Gibbs and his team leaned out just far enough that each of them could see. They all watched, the tension rising.
Angel walked around the cubicles and stopped in front of Agent Gibbs' desk. Shane was standing between Agent DiNozzo's and David's desks. They didn't speak for a moment. Angel had spotted movement above them and knew Gunn and Fred were in place. He knew where Wesley was, but couldn't see him yet. Cordelia and the others were safely behind him near the elevator.
Shane faced Angel, a huge smile on his face, "Angel. So glad you decided to come see me."
"You killed a lot of innocent people to get in here, Shane." Angel said. He wasn't going to indulge in pleasantries.
"There are no innocent people, Angelus. Everyone is guilty of something. Some more than others." Shane taunted, making a point to poke at Angel's past.
Angel didn't respond to his goading. He simply stared at him. Shane was a result of Angel's terrible past. Angel had sired him while he was Angelus. Angel taught him everything he knew. He taught him how to kill, and how to effectively torture without killing his prey. He taught him how to fight, how to stalk his prey. It was Angel who had turned him into a vampire to be feared. Angel had created him. It was up to him to destroy what he himself had created.
"We never talk, Angelus. It was such a surprise to see you that first time months ago. I was ecstatic. It had been so long since I saw you last. When was it? London?"
"Your point, Shane?" Angel asked.
"What happened to you, Angelus? You used to be the bastard of all vampires. Everyone feared you. Humans were terrified of you. Vampires world wide coward at the sound of your name."
"Gypsy curse. It's a long story."
"Gypsies huh? Ever kill the one that did it?"
Angel shook his head, "No. I felt the pain and guilt of all the evil things I had done."
"Oh, give me a break, Angelus! We're vampires. It doesn't matter what they did to you. You might have a soul, but you still thirst for blood, Angelus. It's what we do. Humans are our food. You can't live without it. Pigs blood pales in comparison. You can't deny the very thing that makes you what you are. Don't run away from it. Embrace it, Angelus."
"I'd rather not. I'm not that person anymore."
"You will always be that person, Angelus. You can't escape who you are. You're a killer. You're a creature of the night. Even now you are still following your instincts to killer and maim. You are still killing."
"I protect people."
"You kill vampires. You kill demons. You're still a killer at heart, Angelus. You and I, we were a good team back in the day. We could be unstoppable now. Humans these days are so much easier to stalk. The women…ooh….so much more delicious than ever before. I have discovered the Navy personnel are absolutely divine."
Angel saw Gibbs angrily start forward, but Cordelia was good at holding him back. Shane was aware of their presence. He had said it on purpose to lure Gibbs out of hiding.
"Never going to happen, Shane."
"You disappoint me, Angelus. I was hoping my coming here wasn't pointless."
"I had the impression you were smarter than this, Shane. You made it a lot easier for me to kill you by coming here. Now I don't have to hunt your ass down."
"I find it so fascinating that you talk to me like that. You know, just cause you sired me doesn't mean you can talk to me like you own me."
"I don't own you. You're right, but fun time is over. I made you and now I am going to stop you."
"We used to have such great times together, Angelus. It's really a shame. You were the best. No one stood up to you. Everyone was afraid of you. Even me. Now look at you. I didn't think the worlds most formidable vampire could turn out to be so lame."
"The things I did….I was wrong. I wish there had been someone better than me to stop me back then."
"Well, no time like the present. I'm better than you now. I have become far stronger and far greater than you. You have been nothing but a complete pain in my ass for the last three months. I thought that if you joined me, I wouldn't have to kill you. I was even going to overlook that fact that you kill vampires like yourself. You're a disgrace to our kind. Since you won't join me willingly, then I'll take you out myself. I'm about to become a legend. The man who killed the great vampire Angelus."
Shane's features shifted. His face was grotesque and his eyes that of a demons. Gibbs stood up straight. He hadn't seen that. He couldn't have. Cordelia looked at him. Ziva and McGee were having similar reactions.
"I told you. This is so awesome." Abby almost shrieked.
"Shhh. It's not awesome. Vampires are killers. Angel is just a special case. If he ever returned to being Angelus, we would kill him too. Keep quiet. Shane is not like Angel, he will kill you." Cordelia warned, hushing the excited lab tech.
Cordelia looked to Gibbs again. She almost felt sorry for him. It was hard for some to wrap their minds around the things she dealt with on a daily basis. It was hard for her at first too when she learned about vampires in high school. She knew it would take him time. They would no doubt have more questions after this was all over. She just hoped that Gibbs could handle it when all the truths came out.
Team Gibbs watched as Angel vamped. His features changed in the same way that Shane's did. His eyes were gold and cat like. They seemed not as devilish. They saw his fangs and gasped. Gibbs couldn't believe it. He was looking at not just one, but two vampires. Seconds later, the four other men behind Shane that no one had paid any attention to vamped as well and came forward. Gibbs' whole world was being shattered. Shane waved them off with his hand.
"No, Angelus is mine. Stay back. I want to enjoy this." His smile was hideous.
"My name….is Angel." Angel rushed forward and head butted the younger vampire, knocking him backward.
The second the two clashed, Shane's backups were fair game. Cordelia looked back at her charges, "Stay here. Let us handle this. We are better equipped to deal with this. Just stay put."
With that, she left them to watch. She darted out and went straight for one of the desks nearby. She grabbed a letter opener and made her way around to the other side. One of Shane's vampire bodyguards blocked her way.
Wesley came out of hiding. He knew there were weapons hidden in the squad room. He just had to get to them. All he had to do was take out one of them so he could do just that. He was about to attack one of the vamps while its back was turned only to be stopped by another. The two of them tumbled to the floor, wrestling.
Gunn and Fred made there way down the stairs. Gunn vaulted over the edge of the second platform while Fred descended the entire staircase. Gunn engaged one of the bloodsuckers in battle, grappling with it. Gunn tried to get his arm around the vamp's neck, but it was stronger than he originally anticipated. It broke free and kicked Gunn across the room. Angered and agitated, it leaped over the desks and charged after him.
Gibbs and his team watched the scene that was unfolding before them. His team was split between excitement and disbelief.
"It's just not possible, Boss. It can't be. This has to be some kind of sick joke."
"Does that look like a joke, McGee?" Gibbs asked, watching as Cordelia took a horrible blow to the face.
She slid across the floor and slammed into the wall. She felt her face. There was an open wound just under her eye on her cheek. Slightly winded, she stood and charged again. The vampire came at her. She slashed at it with the letter opener, missing. She slashed again, this time grazing it's shoulder. It cried out and then kicked her in the stomach as protest for her actions. It came at her again, its fangs bared. She threw the letter opener at it. It ducked, It reached out to hit her. She twisted, grabbed it's wrist and back of the head in one swift movement like Angel taught her. She put all her might into smashing its face into a computer screen.
While it was recovering, she spotted a wooden ruler on one of the desks. She broke off the one end and stabbed it through its heart. A few seconds later, there was ash at her feet. She leaned against the desk, careful not to get broken glass in her hands, gasping for breath.
Fred watched as Gunn was kicked across the room. She cringed when he slammed sickeningly into the opposite wall. She hurried to help him, but her path was blocked. A female vampire stepped in front of her, grinning.
"Going somewhere?" It asked her. The female licked her fangs as though she couldn't wait to taste Fred.
The sound of a door slamming distracted them both. Fred and the female vamp looked up. Director Sheppard came darting out of her office. She leaned over the railing and gasped at the sight she was seeing. Her squad room was in ruins. She saw the face of the female vampire and cringed. Her eyes widened in fear and she shrieked.
The female saw the opportunity for a fresh meal and was about to indulge herself when a keyboard was suddenly slammed into her face. She stumbled backward and growled when she saw the object in Fred's hand.
"We're not done yet. You don't eat till I'm dead." Fred warned, sounding a lot more brave than she felt. She hadn't found their weapons yet and a computer keyboard would only wind her opponent for a moment. She couldn't let the vampire go after a member of the NCIS team that Angel was fighting so hard to protect.
"You're feisty for such a little thing. I guess you'll make a decent appetizer."
Across the room, only feet from where Gibbs and his team were hiding, Gunn had slammed into the wall, leaving a human sized hole in it. Gunn shook his head and stood. He stepped out of the wall and watched as his opponent charged after him. He saw the NCIS agents out of the corner of his eye and vowed to keep them safe. As long as he kept the vamps attention, they wouldn't get hurt.
He ducked as the vampire swung. It missed and he stood, returning with a well aimed uppercut. It took the hit with ease. It didn't even seem to care. It tried to wrestle Gunn to the ground, it's teeth getting very close to his neck. He was not about to become this things next meal. He grabbed it's wrist and broke it. He heard it snap. The vampire cried out, howling in pain.
Gunn took the opportunity to try out his earlier plan. He wrapped his arm around its neck, putting it in a head lock. He jerked his arm and heard its neck break. Once it was down, he pulled his auxiliary stake out of his boot and stabbed the vampire. He watched it turn to ash and then turned to see Fred in trouble. He seriously needed to teach that girl some martial arts.
Wesley was rolling around on the floor, a vampire on top of him. He was keeping him at bay, but wasn't strong enough to throw him off. The vampire was stronger and was overpowering him. He knew he was close to the hiding place he had found for one of the crossbows. He had a feeling that sooner or later they would be suspected. He knew that Gibbs would confiscate their weapons. He hid a few in a cabinet near Tony's desk on the opposite side.
He tried to reach for it. He could see it. The door was slightly open. If only his arms were longer. Angel saw Wesley needed help. He kicked Shane into the window, watching him crash through it. Sadly, it wasn't light out anymore. It wouldn't take him long to recover.
"Wesley!" He yelled, showing his friend the stake he had pulled from an inner pocket.
Angel tossed the wooden weapon toward his friend. Wesley locked his fingers together and jabbed the vampire in the sternum. It clutched its chest momentarily, which was all he needed to catch the weapon and stake the vampire. It screamed and Wesley covered his face as the demon turned to ash. Wesley grabbed the weapons he hid and tossed the crossbow to Angel.
"Cordy…" Wesley yelled, tossing a wooden stake and her favorite dagger her way. She caught them both.
Wesley, Cordelia, and Gunn came to Fred's aid. They surrounded her and the female easily. The female was holding Fred up in the air by her neck. She was clawing at the females hand, gasping for breath. Wesley had grabbed a small axe from underneath Tony's desk. He sliced downward and hacked off the vampire's hand. She screamed in pain, turning on them. Gunn threw the dismembered hand away from Fred and checked to make sure she was okay.
Cordelia staked the vampire with ease. The four of them, finished with the bodyguards, turned to join Angel against Shane.
Shane recovered from his journey through the window. He pulled several pieces of glass out of his side and back. He yanked more still out of his arms and legs. He leaped up the length of the building and landed on the edge of the window. He saw that his minions had all perished. Angel was now backed up by his team. Angel himself was standing there waiting for him, a crossbow pointed directly at him.
Shane grinned. He saw Gibbs and his team come out of hiding and stare at them. Getting at Angel was more difficult than he anticipated. He would be back and with more reinforcements. He slipped a dagger out of a hidden sheath and chucked it at Angel. He caught it with little effort and pulled the crossbow trigger. The second it would have hit Shane in the heart, Shane had already leaped out of the window.
"Are we going after him?" Gunn asked, holding his arm. It had broken when he had gone through the wall.
"No. Not now. I think it's time we got Gibbs and his team caught up first….don't you think, Agent Gibbs?"
They turned to see Gibbs and his team staring at the vampire still standing before them. Gibbs had thought they were too young to understand the harsh reality of the real world. Here, they were dealing with evils that surpassed even what Gibbs and his team dealt with on a day to day basis. This was all way beyond what they had imagined. A team of unspoken heroes stood before him, armed with weapons of a day long forgotten. Angel returned to his normal self, the cat eyes and fangs disappearing.
"I think that's a good idea." Gibbs agreed. It was going to be a long night.
