Chapter 20

Buffy, Angel and Cordelia asked at the same time.

- I've got a guy. Has an in with the powers that… well… gets these visions.

Angel and Buffy looked at each other.

- Visions?

- Yeah. Said the powers wanted Buffy dead because she would unleash Angelus and he would succeed into taken the world to Hell when he joined W&H. I would not kill Buffy, of course. So, I want answers.

- How does he look like?

- Well. Can't say much, he dresses like a cowboy most of the time and he said he had his hand cut off like mine… he said it was in his work… Anyway, looks like tattoo boy was wrong this time.

- Tattoos? What kind of tattoos?

- I don't know. Symbols. Tribal-like.

Chapter 21

- No, he didn't kill her. She's still alive. Now they're talking. A lot.

- Hey, it was a long shot. Listen, I'm almost there, all right? You should have left the building when I told you before.

- I could not. I had to check when he would be back. You didn't have the access to the chamber yet and I wanted to be sure that we wouldn't need a distraction.

- I know. Now, get out of the building. Right now.

Eve hung up the cell phone and turned around. Angel and Buffy were standing right in front of her, smiling knowingly.

- Can we have a word with you, Eve?

- Now's really not a good time.

Buffy grabbed Eve by the ear.

- Let's go.

Buffy dragged Eve to Angel's office and throwed her into a chair. Spike was sitting near the window.

- We've got a problem, Eve.

- Damn right, you do. When I tell the partners you assaulted me—

- It seems that a man approached Spike and told him that the Powers That Be have some missions for him. Spike, brain trust that he is, went along with it.

- Hey!!!

- He's the one who told Spike to save me from the parasite. The parasite you put on me in the first place.

- Not this again.

- You know what I think is curious. I think I really know who he is. An old employee of this company that was supposed to be reformed on his evil ways. Seems to me like you and this guy… named Lindsey… are working together.

- Look, I don't know what you're talking about. But you can't keep me here. I have to leave.

- But the thing that really, really pisses me off is that this guy seems to be going by the name of Doyle.

- Doesn't ring a bell.

- It does to me and I wanna know who has the nerve to be using that name. So, I'm gonna give you one chance to tell me where he is.

- Look, I don't know what—

The building started to shake.

- What's going on, Eve?

Chapter 22

While Angel was taking care of Eve, Lindsey had entered a futuristic-looking round chamber with blue fluorescent lights and white walls somewhere in the W&H building. At the center was a round submerged underground holding tank and attached to it were some computerized and mechanical controls. Lindsey turned on the lights and went for the control panel. After pushing some buttons, a tube came up out of the panel and Lindsey inserted a crystal inside the tube, where it fitted perfectly. The tube was taken back inside the panel and a timer started increasing in seconds. Steam vented from the center of the room, and the bars that held the underground tank submerged retracted.

- Come forth my child. Come into the world. Wakey, wakey!

Chapter 23

Gunn entered into Angel's office.

- I checked the server. A message went out. Code 7, right now the building is being emptied.

- Gunn. Get Willow, Fred and Wes and leave the building. Willow, can you take Cordelia out without releasing her?

Willow shook her had positively.

- Thank you.

- Angel.

- No. Gunn. It was my mistake coming here and I won't allow any of you getting hurt because of it. Buffy… out!

- What? Who you think you are? I'm staying right here with you. I really need a good fight.

Angel knew that he couldn't make Buffy leave. He didn't have time for it.

- What's a code 7, Eve?

- I don't know.

Angel turned around after hearing Buffy… growling… and glaring Eve.

- Seriously. You know, Angel… I think this is getting us nowhere. Did you want me to torture her?

- What?

Angel looked confused while he observed Buffy come face to face with Eve.

- Look… sweetheart. You are here. If we go down you will be right there with us… and since I doubt you can fight… maybe whatever is coming will. Eat… You… First... How do you feel about this? I mean… I died, you know… twice… so I can always come back. My Angel also died… well… a lot… and always came back… We can always come back again, but what about you? Whoever is doing this seems to me he or she doesn't care about you?

Buffy used one hand to hold Eve's face, pressing her mouth together in a strong grip.

- Now. What will you say to us? Just remember that I… Am… The… Slayer…

- OK. OK. Stop. It's a fail-safe. They built a fail-safe. Look, the senior partners were never certain they could keep you under their thumb, so they created a fail-safe housed it in the sub-levels of the building.

- What kind of fail-safe?

- I don't know what it is, exactly, but it's huge and alive... and specifically designed to destroy you.

- How can I stop it?

- The only way to shut it down's in the chamber itself.

Angel turned around and looked at Buffy.

- Let's go.

- What about her?

- Release her. I don't want any more deaths around here.

Angel went for his armory, while Buffy released Eve.

- Angel, you're not going down there alone.

- The fail-safe's meant for me. I'm not gonna risk anybody I care about.

Spike was just looking at their conversation, but at that moment he decided he needed a good fight too.

- Whanker, I'll go.

Angel glared at Spike, but didn't say anything. He still wanted to murder his child, but right now the précising matter was to deal with whatever was coming out of the fail-safe. Besides, he knew that Spike's soul would keep Buffy safe.

- Ok. Buffy… please, stay behind us. We can handle it. Besides… if… if this thing gets past me… past us, get the hell out of the building…. Be… be my second front, ok?

- Angel. I won't let you out of sight. No. Save all the crap about my safety, Angel. You can order me around all you want, but since you can't throw me out of here. I. Am. Staying… and fighting.

Buffy grabbed a samurai sword off the wall behind Angel's desk.