Standard Disclaimer Applies – Big thanks to Wolf.
There had been no chance to fight when Charlie had been killed 'instantly'. No desire to fight when her marriage ended in a sense of inevitability. No fight at the end of the few romantic relationships she had formed, since splitting from Jack. Sometimes she thought that there was simply no fight left in her, that losing her son and then her husband had stolen it all away. Then there were days like today when the fight came back to her and raged in her belly, waiting for a chance to explode.
The room where they are holding her is disturbingly pleasant. The walls and floors are solid concrete and the door seems to be several inches of thick steel but that hasn't stopped someone from attempting to make her comfortable.
There is a neat single bed, with a woollen blanket and a plump new pillow. On the floor is an off cut of carpet acting as a rug, which stops the cold concrete from chilling her bare feet and a side table complete with lamp and latest bestselling paperback book. Now Sara just had to work out, where they lulling her into a false sense of security or did they really mean to simply keep her comfortable for a while.
The man, who enters her room, is a little over six feet tall, he is built like a swimmer with powerful shoulders and the charcoal suit he is wearing would have cost several thousand dollars. There is a clear earpiece sitting in his ear canal and as he opens his arms wide in a welcoming gesture Sara glimpses the calfskin leather of his weapon holster and his black pistol sitting on his hip.
" Sara, so sorry about all this." He states with a cheeriness, that puts Sara immediately on edge.
" Where is my Father?" Sara asks standing and the man motions with his head.
" He's fine, just a little way down the hall." He answers with a smile and walks past Sara and takes a seat on the edge of the bed. He pats the mattress beside him as a gesture, that Sara should sit as well, but she can't bring herself to sit next to the man.
"Why am I here?" Sara asks folding her arms across her body protectively.
" I'm looking for your son, Sara, and I think you and I know that if you're here, I won't have to go looking for him. He'll come to me."
" My son is dead." Sara says her voice shaking and the man smiles, reaching into his inside jacket pocket he withdraws a single folded sheet of paper.
" The DNA test that you had done proves, that Alex is your son," and Sara cannot stop the gasp, her emotions churning inside her stomach and tears spring to her eyes. Happiness at the thought her son had been returned to her. Overwhelming fear of what would happen now that 'they' knew too.
" I don't know where he is." She states as the tears spill over her eyelids and wind themselves down her cheeks.
" That's ok. You don't need to know where he is, Sara." The man says comfortingly, soothingly, " He'll find you, you and I both know he won't stop looking until he does. We'll wait." He tells her gently and Sara begins to sob as the man stands.
" Don't worry, as long as he comes, we won't hurt you."
" Why are you doing this?" She demands as the man strolls towards the door.
" Your son is very important to us, Sara. We'll be sure to take good care of him, this time around." He explains softly and leaves the room, leaving Sara sobbing on the bed.
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Slowly consciousness pulls him up, sounds break through his barrier of sleep; the hum of air-conditioning, personnel calls over a loud speaker. With one crack of an eyelid an ache appears and Xander can't pin down the source. It isn't a specific site on his body that hurts, but his whole body. He holds in a pained moan, manages to turn it into a groan instead and opens his eyes.
Bright lights above him cause him to squint up at a fluorescent bulb encased in a steel cage and as a chair creaks beside him he turns his head slightly to see Jack seated beside him. The most recent events in his memory play through his head and he groans again. He'd tried to shoot the demon standing next to his Father, only to be taken down with a… with a what? Something similar to the weapons issued to the initiative soldiers in Sunnydale.
Turning his head Xander can see that Jack is watching him closely now and he ignores the concern on his Father's face to have a look at the room, he had been asleep in. Four concrete walls, concrete floor, concrete ceiling, plain pine dresser, single desk, two arm chairs and a double bed. Unable to determine where he is Xander looks back at Jack.
" You're at the mountain. How are you feeling?" Jack asks, seemingly reading Xander's mind and in response Xander raises a hand slowly and rubs his forehead closing his eyes in a grimace.
" Like I got hit by a truck." He answers truthfully and starts the painful process of sitting up. It takes a while but he achieves in the end an awkward position propped up against the bed head.
" You want to tell me why you decided to try and shoot one of my men?" Jack asks bluntly and Xander shakes his head.
" Seemed like a good idea at the time." He states wriggling a bit more to get comfortable.
" This isn't a joke, Alex." Jack's tone is flat, serious and tinged with disappointment.
" Yes I'm painfully aware of that." Xander shoots back rubbing his forehead again, where a headache has set up shop and is shooting tendrils of pain deep into his skull.
" What did I get hit with anyway?"
" Alex!" Jack shouts exasperated standing and moving away from the bed. " You tried to kill a man!"
" I tried to kill a man?" Xander mutters shaking his head, not a man, a demon.
" What you don't remember?" Jack demands and Xander stares up at him, wondering how to get out of the pickle he has put himself in.
" I remember reaching for the gun but that's about it." Xander explains and Jack stares at him.
" You kept a gun on you, even though you knew, you were about to be searched by the cops?" He asks and Xander nods.
" Front of the pants, push it a little deeper and it ain't ever going to get felt." Xander replies with an answer straight from the soldier in his brain.
" Have you gone mad?" Jack asks angrily his voice rising, standing and moving away from the bed he is silent for a moment. " You remember setting the bomb in the high school?" He asks and Xander turns his head away.
" I explained about that."
" Yeah you did. It was a prank gone wrong. " Jack sighs in disbelief and he drags a hand through his hair.
The duo fall into an awkward silence, Xander turning to sit on the side of the bed facing the wall and Jack watching the door.
" You're going to stay here for awhile, while I go look for Sara." Jack says, like he'd just decided the next course of action and Xander stands shaking his head.
" I'm not just going to sit around and do nothing."
" I'm not giving you a choice Alex."
Jack moves over to the door and raps twice against the solid surface.
" Jack!" Xander shouts angrily as the door opens,
" Jack!" He repeats as Jack walks through the door and it slams behind him.
" Son of a bitch!" Xander swares pushing down the urge to lash out at the wall, or chair. He's seen the camera positioned in the corner of the room, knows he is being watched.
Sliding down the wall Xander pulls his legs up to his chest and starts the wait, he knows is coming.
Closing his eyes he concentrates for a moment, before a voice deep in his mind calls out.
" Willow, I could use a little help here."
TBC.