The Big Payback
Chapter 4 – Buffy Is Tortured
Part 1
When Buffy became aware again she ached all over mainly from being shot so many time with the dart and tranquilizer guns, but also from being secured for hours to car seats and airplane seats. Her legs and feet, arms and hands were numb. She didn't know how they had managed it, but they had traveled in first class on a passenger airplane with her bound and gagged and no one had said anything to them or approached them in any way, not even the airline attendants.
Her legs were bound to the metal legs of the airplane seat; her hands were bound to the arms of the seat and she was gagged and then her mouth covered with duck tape. Couldn't these people see that something was wrong here? Even criminals are not treated so badly. 'I guess as long as they pay the premium price for first class, anything they do is alright.'
It was almost daylight out when the plane landed … in London … Buffy assumed. After everyone else had left the plane she saw Davies make a call on his cell phone, but she could not hear what was being said. After he ended the call, Buffy heard him tell Griffiths. "They're here." Griffiths then freed her arms and legs and tried to help her stand. Because of the condition of her legs and feet she could not stand and, as she almost fell, she began choking. He caught her, removed the tape and gag from over her mouth, picked her up and carried her off the plane. As he walked down the steps from the plane Buffy managed to whisper to him, "A-Angelus, c-contact A-Ange…." before she starting coughing again. He made no indication that he heard or understood what she had tried to say.
A black limousine with completely darkened windows was waiting for them next to the plane and when she was placed inside, her earlier assumption was confirmed; she was not surprised to see Quentin Travers already there. He spoke with his usual haughty, self righteous tone of voice. "Miss Summers. We meet again." Before he closed the door Buffy caught a glimpse of Griffiths' face. He had tears in his eyes.
Part 2
No more words were spoken until the limo arrived at its destination and Travers spoke to the driver, "Drive around to the back entrance; I will meet you there." Buffy looked up at the huge foreboding building and Travers caught the look in her eyes as he got out of the car. "Enjoy the view, Miss Summers, and inhale deeply; it's the last daylight and fresh air you'll ever experience," he said with a sneer as he slammed the door in her face.
At the back of the building the driver pulled into a long winding tunnel that went underground. When the headlights fell upon what appeared to be a brick wall, the driver beeped the horn once and the wall rose allowing the car to enter; Travers was standing to the left of the door along with Davies and Smithers.
"Blindfold and gag her and take her to the cells," Travers ordered and they proceeded as they were told. The two men dragged Buffy from the car and, none too gently, threw her into the nearest cell where she landed hard on the concrete floor. She heard the limo start up and back out before the brick wall fell into place.
"Why don't you give Miss Summers a hearty welcome before you leave, as a sort of example of what she can expect as long as she survives?" Travers asked as he proceeded up the stairs and away from the cells. Without warning the two men attacked and proceeded to beat and kick the slayer unmercifully. Blindfolded with her hands bound behind her back, her feet were the only defense she had. Thankfully her limbs had returned to normal during the long car ride and the prior numbness was gone. Buffy backed away from the blows until she reached the back of the cage; she centered herself. Then, as she felt her attackers approach again, she jumped up and kicked out with both feet catching the two men unaware. They fell to the floor unconscious; their heads hitting the concrete floor didn't help their situation any.
Part 3
Spike had seen the men bring a woman into the prison and throw her into a cell, but he did not know it was Buffy until Travers spoke. 'Bloody hell,' he thought to himself, 'it's the slayer.' He heard the door at the end of the hall slam shut behind Travers and watched as Smithers and Davies attached and beat her; he was surprised at her resourcefulness when they ended up the ones unconscious on the floor.
He had to be careful; he never knew when someone would enter the hall leading to the cells and overhear him talking. He had to leave his captors in the dark as much as possible. "Slayer, are you all right," he whispered, briefly forgetting that she couldn't answer him.
Buffy nodded in reply.
"It's Spike, slayer. Dru and I have been prisoners here for months." Then he had an idea. "Can you follow my directions and come to me?"
Buffy nodded again.
Spike directed her through the three rows of twelve cells until she was in front of his cell. He pushed the blindfold up onto her head so she could see and gently removed the gag covering her mouth. "T-Thank you," was all she could get out.
"Take it easy, slayer. You might be here for a while. Leave the bindings partially on for now so we can put them back before Travers returns later in the morning or when we see your friends over there start to come around."
He then freed her arms that were bound at the wrist behind her back. It took a while for Buffy to get feeling back into her upper limbs and hands.
It was at this point that Buffy got a good look at Spike. He was naked except for what looked like a pair of ragged shorts that were a couple sizes too big; his entire chest, arms, legs and face were covered with whelps, unhealed burns and wounds and what looked like places where flesh had been gouged out. "Gods, S-Spike, what did they do to you?"
"Everything imaginable and then some, but I'm okay, slayer; I'll survive. It's Dru that I'm worried about." He stepped aside to reveal Drusilla in the corner of the cell behind his.
Buffy hadn't realized that that was a person behind him. She took a quick intake of breath and tears came to her eyes when she saw Drusilla. Her physical condition was at least as bad as Spike's was, but the thing that got Buffy was the look in Drusilla's eyes when she turned to face the slayer. "What have they done to her?"
"They restored our souls. Dru isn't taking it too well."
"Can she hear me?"
"Yes."
"Drusilla listen to me; do you know who I am?"
Dru turned completely around to look at the speaker. "Yes, you're the slayer; Angel's slayer."
"That's right, I'm Angel's slayer. Knowing that, you also know that you can trust what I say."
"I know."
Buffy stumbled over the words because of the condition of her mouth and throat, but she continued; she had to get the words out. "Good. Drusilla I know that you have memories of doing a lot of evil things, of torturing and killing men, women and children. Those are not your memories, Drusilla; those are the memories of the demon that inhabits your body, the demon that Angelus forced upon you. You, your soul, would never commit such evil. Would you?"
"No, slayer, never."
"Remember that from now on, Drusilla; no matter what Travers or any of the others tell you, always remember that. Can you do that?"
"Yes. Thank you, slayer."
"You are welcome. And Drusilla, don't let Travers know that I have spoken with you. Let him think we are enemies."
"I will do as you say, slayer."
Just as Buffy finished talking to Drusilla, they heard the sound of a door opening. Spike knew that someone was coming to the cells. "Buffy, quick, let me rebind your hands and blindfold you again. You have to get back to your cell before they get here. I do not know the codes to open the door to the tunnel."
Part 4
When Quentin Travers walked into the cells, he saw Spike and Drusilla in their cells as he had left them, so he turned to go to Buffy's cell; when he did he got the surprise of his life. Buffy was sitting on the floor in the farthest corner of the cell still blindfolded with her hands secured behind her back and a gag over her mouth. On the floor near the door were the two men who had been left to "give Miss Summers a hearty welcome" as Travers had put it.
"You bitch," he swore at Buffy, "what did you do to them? You'll pay for this." He hurried up the stairs and out of the prison.
About two hours later Travers returned with three of the remaining men that had brought Buffy to London; all four of them carried weapons. Griffiths was not among them. "Keep her covered," he commanded; "if she moves, shoot her."
Wilson retrieved the cell keys from a hook near the door and walked over to Buffy's cell. When he went to put the key into the lock, he exclaimed "The door isn't even locked. How in hell did she defeat them bound and gagged as she was?"
"This slayer is very resourceful," Travers said remembering Buffy's success at the cruciamentum on her eighteenth birthday six months earlier. "I won't underestimate her again. Get them out of here."
Between the three men they removed their unconscious friends up the stairs to the hall and returned for further instructions. As he turned to leave, Travers motioned with his head to Beckham, who gladly obliged.
Stepping forward without entering the cell he said, his voice laced with hatred for the slayer, "You remember me don't you, miss? I'm the one who suffered a broken nose because of you." With that he fired three tranquilizer darts into her and Buffy slumped over unconscious. Beckham proceeded to kick the slayer unmercifully until one of his friends stopped him.
"That's enough; you really are a sadistic bastard, aren't you? Kicking a little girl like that, while she is unconscious no less." Wilson told him.
"She wasn't unconscious when I got this broken nose was she?"
"And she wasn't the one to give it to you."
"I take my revenge where I can get it," Beckham said kicking Buffy one last time before leaving the cell.
Part 5
Spike was horrified as he watched the proceedings a short distance away from his cell. How was Buffy ever going to survive the kind of torture they had given him and Dru. He had to do something to help her, but what? There had to be a way for him to send a message to his grandsire. He now regretted not paying attention when Angelus had tried to teach him. As the men passed his cell he mustered up the courage to speak, knowing full well that they might turn their wrath on him at any moment.
"You've just made a big mistake," he said to them.
The men paused, but only Beckham spoke. "And what mistake would that be, vampire?"
"You just attacked Angelus' mate. I'd hate to be in your shoes when he finds out about it."
Wilson looked nervous. "Angelus? The Scourge of Europe? That Angelus? That's his mate?"
Spike wanted to laugh so badly, but he only nodded his head and said, "I saw what he did to a group of humans who attached Darla once; and she wasn't his mate, just his sire. It made some of us sick to watch."
The men started to mumble fearful regrets among themselves. "Don't let that bloody vampire get to you," Beckham warned. "He's just trying to scare you."
"Well he's doing a good job of it," Wilson retorted. "I'm getting out of here and I'm not coming back."
"Ah go on, you're yellow, just like Griffiths," Beckham yelled at him. "If Angelus wants me, let him come." He waved his dart gun. "I'm ready for him."
"Angelus will have that gun wrapped around your throat before you can even breathe," Spike told him.
"Shut up, you mangy vampire; just shut up."
The men left without another word. Spike was pleased with the impact his words had on the men. 'That should give them something to think about before they come back.'