Disclaimer: I do not own Angel the Series. Boom, Headshot, end of story.
Thanks to Starway Man, my beta-reader
Exit Strategy
By Alkeni
Chapter 17: Something More Direct, Part Two
Wolfram and Hart Safehouse, Los Angeles
October 2nd, 2001
Cordelia spat as the burlap sack was removed from her head, after she'd been kidnapped from the Hyperion Hotel.
"I know you're demons, but would it kill you to clean that thing once in a while?" Her head throbbed with pain, and she could taste a bit of blood in her mouth from where she'd bit her cheek.
"Yea, I keep telling them that." An all too familiar voice commented. Lindsey stepped into view, a phone in his hands. "But it never seems to work. Go figure."
"Lindsey. I suppose you needed them to put that thing over my head, so I couldn't smell you coming a mile away?" Cordelia replied, struggling against the ropes that bound her hands behind the cold metal chair she'd been forced into.
"Now, now. Miss Chase – oh, you don't mind if I call you Cordelia, do you? – normally, I would point out you're at my mercy." Lindsey started, "And that under the circumstances, you really should control that tongue of yours." He shrugged, "But then, we both know that nothing can ever make you shut up, can it?"
"Nothing shuts you up, either." Cordelia replied. "You must really love the sound of your own voice." Although, Cordelia had to admit that Lindsey had a great singing voice.
"It's such a great voice, though." Lindsey countered. "Maybe it's just me, but it seems like such a shame to deprive the rest of the world of it." He held up the phone. "Still, I don't have time to go back and forth with you all day. You're going to call Angel and tell him you're alright. Which is more or less true, you have to admit. And as long as he does something I need done, that will stay true."
"You're blackmailing Angel? That's creative." Cordelia scoffed. "And screw that, Lawyer Boy – I'm not going to help you."
"Fine, I don't actually need you to talk to him. All I really need is proof of life." Lindsey replied. Cordelia watched as Lindsey gestured to someone she couldn't see. He walked over to a door and when he returned, she saw a camera in his hand. "Smile."
"Go to hell." Cordelia spat, as a newspaper was placed on her lap.
"I'm already heading there, Cordelia. Saving up for a nice house in a warm spot." Lindsey snapped a picture.
Hyperion Hotel, Los Angeles
October 2nd, 2001
"Where the hell is she?!" Angel nearly threw the chair his hands were on against the wall.
"Yelling at us is hardly going to accomplish anything, Angel." Wesley replied, taking a shaky breath. "Someone kidnapped Cordelia while we were searching for that key. That much is clear. Perhaps more importantly, it was someone who knew we'd be gone."
"Whoever went after that key must have known we would as well." Gunn said softly. "Fred didn't hear or see anything?"
"She was up in her room, and she says she didn't hear a thing. I can't imagine why she'd lie." Wesley pointed out. Before he could say anything else, the phone rang. Half-instinctively, he picked it up. "Angel Investigations." He paused a moment. "Yes, she's here." He held the phone out for you. "It's for you, Lilah. Says their name is Raymond." An eyebrow was raised in confusion as he said that.
Lilah raised an eyebrow. She hadn't heard from Raymond since she'd left Wolfram and Hart. Raymond was too exposed, and on Lindsey's radar. She'd sent the final payment, to make sure Raymond didn't decide to switch sides on general principle, and ended their professional relationship.
"What?"
"I got a message from Lindsey." A female voice on the other end said.
Lilah raised an eyebrow. "You're passing on messages for Lindsey now? Oh, how the mighty have fallen."
"Whatever. He says he has someone named Cordelia, and to call him on his company cell phone. That's it. Have fun."
The line went dead, and Lilah dropped the phone onto the receiver. "Well. Lindsey has Cordelia. And he wants to be called on his cell number."
Immediately, Angel really did pick up and throw the chair. It went flying into the stairs, shattering on impact and destroying a section of the railing. 'Breathing' heavily, Angel turned to Lilah, "Call him," he half snarled.
"As you wish, your majesty." Lilah walked closer over to the phone and dialed. It rang twice, then Lindsey picked up.
"I take it Raymond passed the message along?" the male attorney asked chirpily.
"She did." Lilah replied. "Should I put Angel on the line?"
"As lovely as it is to hear your voice again, Lilah – yes, I guess that's probably best." Rolling her eyes, Lilah held the phone out to Angel.
The vampire snatched it from her hand. "Where's Cordelia, Lindsey?!"
"You may as well put me on speaker, champ. It'll save time after I hang up, y'know, you having to answer everyone's questions." Snarling, Angel pressed a button on the handset and Lindsey's voice came through the phone, all of them hearing it. "Can everyone hear me now?"
"Yes." the members of Angel investigations chorused.
"Good. And as for Cordelia, Angel, relax – she's perfectly safe. You don't think I'd be stupid enough to actually hurt her, do you? Truth is, after she arrived here, I asked her to talk to you on the phone – but she refused to do it. Gutsy, but stupid. Waste of time how I've got someone coming over with a proof of life picture, but hey, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do..."
"If you don't let Cordelia go, right now, I promise you, Lindsey – I will find you. And you'll learn what Angelus could do to you, firsthand." Lilah coudn't help but wince at the rage in Angel's voice – and the threat itself.
"And there we go, less than thirty seconds. I had a bet going with myself on just how long it would take you to start with the threats." Angel snarled into the phone. "The person coming with the picture is coming with two other items, champ. A coin and a key."
Before Angel could reply, Wesley grabbed the phone away from the vampire – which took a moment of struggle, before Angel reluctantly surrendered it.
"Yes. Those. You went to a lot of trouble to get them, Mr. MacDonald. Why, if you're just going to hand them over to us?"
"Ah, Wesley! How are things going with Lilah? Have you shot her yet? Please tell me you've hurt her somehow. Gun, knife, whatever." Lilah watched Wesley look sideways over towards her and she raised an eyebrow at him. She knew the answer, of course. And then some.
"The thought has crossed my mind a few times, but no, I haven't shot her or stabbed her yet." Wesley looked over at Lilah. "And yes, she knows how I feel about her. But that's neither here nor there, right now. You abducted Cordelia. If you hurt her, accidentally or otherwise," Wesley's voice was an icy mirror to Angel's rage. "They will never find your body."
"Already told you, I have no intention of hurting her. As long as Angel does what I need done, anyway. Just one relatively minor task, and we're done."
"Something that involves the coin and the key you went to quite a bit of effort and expense to procure." Wesley surmised. "Why not have it done with more muscle, like you did to get the items in first place?"
"Believe me – if I could do it that way, I would have. But unfortunately, what I need done, only Angel can do."
"Go on."
"The coin and the key, when combined, are a means to enter a pocket dimension. A prison, basically, holding a very special prisoner. I want that prisoner. You free him, we arrange a transfer, and Cordelia is all yours."
"Who's the prisoner?"Wesley demanded.
"That's irrelevant, as far as you're concerned. There's no negotiation on this, for the record, and trust me, Lilah has no idea where Cordelia is. If Lilah knew my network well enough to know where I'm keeping her, then she'd already have what she's really after. Tell her I said good luck on that, by the by." Lindsey said, sounding far too cheerful for anyone's liking.
"She already heard you."
" Oh? Well, I suppose that's my cue, then. You got forty-eight hours to deliver what I need, Angel. The items and the picture will be there shortly. Good luck!" The other end of the line clicked, and Wesley hung up. He looked at Angel, whose anger had been replaced by a look of cold determination.
"I don't suppose pointing out that anyone Wolfram and Hart wants freed from a prison dimension should never be released will mean much to you, right now."
"No, it doesn't."
"And I likewise don't need to tell you that any prison they need you to break into will be extremely well-guarded."
"No."
"And that doing this goes against every principle you stand for, everything you've been fighting for these last two years?"
"You're right." Angel agreed, walking towards the weapons cabinet.
"Then you're not going to object to me coming with you." Wesley told Angel, walking around the desk to stand next to Angel.
Are you an idiot, Wesley? Lilah asked herself at once, staring at the British man in surprise.
"Right," Angel said absently, grabbing a sword, then he turned to Wesley, doing a double-take. "Wait, no. Wes, you're not coming with me!"
"Yes, I am. You're going to need me there."
"I need you to be here," Angel gestured to the hotel, his voice a low murmur. "In case something goes wrong, and I don't come back. You're the only one who can find Cordelia in time, if all this goes completely wrong as far as we're concerned."
Yes, he's probably right. If Wesley put that big brain and that ruthless streak of his to work against Lindsey...
Lilah smiled. Here's hoping this little prison-break doesn't work, then.
Spillway, Los Angeles
October 3rd, 2001
Lindsey watched as Angel's car drove into the spillway. Too many people packed into the one car, but that's what came of being one of the good guys. He looked to the well armed private security people standing around and sitting inside the limo.
Now, if only I could be confident they'll do the job.
Angel's documented ability to make mincemeat out of Wolfram and Hart security was enough to make anyone nervous.
On the other hand, I do have Cordelia.
Two people got out of the car; one was obviously Angel. Lindsey wasn't completely sure about the other one. But it was pretty clear the appropriate package had been delivered. Sure, hard to get a good read on his face with all that soot and ash and singed hair...
Though why it wasn't burnt off, I don't know. Obviously, Billy's clothes didn't survive the ordeal.
"I'll be honest with you, champ. My bosses didn't think it could be done. Nice job, Angel." Lindsey gestured to one of his men, and the door was opened. A moment later, Cordelia was pulled out of the car, her hands bound in front of her, duct tape over her mouth. "As you can see, she's no worse for the wear."
"This guy must be really important, for you to go and pull something like this." Angel kept his hand on the young man's shoulder, the grip tight, probably painful.
"The client is quite an important one to the firm, yes." Lindsey replied. "So, let's do this. Count of three?"
"Three." Angel shoved the man towards Lindsey. After a stumble and near fall, the exchange was on. Cordelia walked slowly towards Angel, with Billy Blim walking towards Lindsey.
It took nearly two minutes for Cordelia to arrive by Angel and Blim to get into the limousine. It took Angel a second to cut the bindings and ungag Cordelia. The Seer embraced him, murmuring what were presumably thanks. After a moment, she pulled away.
"Pleasure doing business with you." Lindsey turned, opening a passenger side door.
"Lindsey." Angel said from behind him. "One last thing." There was a slow whistling sound towards him, and a sudden, blinding pain in his hand – his non 'evil' hand. Lindsey fell to the ground, groaning, his vision blurring at the pain.
"Last time you tried to get to me through Cordelia, you lost a hand. Now you've lost the other one. Touch her again, and not only will it be your third strike, I'll cut off something that'll kill you instantly."
Lilah's Room, Hyperion Hotel
October 3rd, 2001
Lilah looked up at the knock on her door.
"If you don't have a key, go away." Lilah told the person on the other side of the door. Her command was answered by the sound of the lock turning, however. Rolling her eyes, she turned towards the door, moving her legs onto the bed, rather than hanging off it. "Of course, if you do have a key, feel free to just waltz right in."
Wesley looked at her. His eyes took in her bathrobe-clad form, but to Lilah's...mild disappointment , his gaze didn't linger.
"Ahm." Wesley cleared his throat. "Sorry. I suppose this is the part where I should offer to leave until you're dressed?"
Lilah cocked an eyebrow. "I suppose, yes. Normal people would at least offer. But then, neither of us are 'normal' people, so why bother. What do you want to lecture me about now?"
"Actually, Lilah," Wesley said, keeping his eyes firmly on her face, "I came here because I wanted your advice on something."
"Oh? This should be good." Lilah sat up a little straighter in her bed. "Hit me."
"Lindsey. What Angel did to his left hand was profoundly satisfying to watch, I will grant you..." Wesley put his hands on his pockets.
"You're telling me." Lilah replied, smiling broadly. "And what, you want to know what I think his reaction to this will be?"
"More or less." Wesley took a step into the room and closed the door behind him.
"Lindsey spent the better part of a year so busy hating Angel that he completely missed how we were losing control of the Darla situation." Lilah shrugged, "Then again, I was so busy mocking him that I didn't notice either, so..."
"Are you reaching a point with this anytime soon?"
"Yes. Angel humiliated Lindsey, Wes. Again. He may have been willing to ignore you merry do-gooders for the time being, at least, generally speaking. But now? Unless Linwood or someone else higher up stops him, he will find the best way to rain hell down upon Angel Investigations. At least until Lindsey gets over his latest temper tantrum." Lilah shrugged. "What he'll actually do? There are some lines he can't cross, we both know that. He can't stake Angel, and he knows that if he kills any of you, Angel won't rest until either he's dust or Lindsey himself is dead meat. Makes him rather pissed the hell off." Lilah gestured loosely.
"I honest don't know what he'll do, exactly." She elaborated with another shrug, "It depends on what kinds of opportunities come up. But believe me, the first time a chance – any chance – comes along to hurt Angel and the rest of you, he'll take it."
"Yes, well. It behooves me to remind you that anything which hurts Angel Investigations ultimately hurts you as well, Lilah. You can't use us in your private little war if we're dead, or too busy licking our wounds. You can't hide behind us so no one else at Wolfram and Hart gets it into their heads to kill you, or at least, so no one can succeed at it." Wesley stepped closer.
"I didn't want it to come to this, but it appears I no longer have a choice in the matter. Your private war against Lindsey has now become company business."