CHAPTER 9 - BIBLE CLASS
Max came running up from the basement of Joshua's house. Willow, Logan, Alec and Joshua were all in the living room.
"She's gone." Max said. "I hope we are doing the right thing letting her escape. If she attacks a human all is lost."
Willow shook her head.
"That is unlikely." Willow replied. "We made sure she was well fed with frozen blood before she escaped. And her priority will be to find her sire. To find Spike."
"How will she find him?" Asked Logan. "He could be anywhere?"
"The psychic link between vampires is strong here." Explained Willow. "If Spike is still in the city, she will find him quickly. In fact, she will not be able to stop herself. Did you plant the tracking chip in her blood?"
Logan switched on his laptop. A small dot representing Cindy was moving through a map of Seattle.
"Everything is ready." Replied Logan "We can follow her movements without any problem."
"Let's go then! "Said Willow. "We must capture them before they can leave town."
"And before Cindy loses her humanity." Added Max as they hurried outside into the darkness of the evening.
Meanwhile, vamp Cindy crept into the dark, deserted church yard. Spike was very close now. She could feel it in her virgin vampire blood. Beside a tree she saw a small circle of red light hovering in front of a dark human-like form. She smiled. She had found what she had been looking for. The figure stepped forward and she recognised Spike. She smiled at him broadly with her hideous vamp face. Spike smiled back, still in his human face, and took a drag on his cigarette.
"So you finally made it. I knew you would get away." He said.
"They could not keep me away from you, my sire." replied Cindy devotedly.
Spike smirked. He had a good one here. Obedient and clever. He caressed her vamp cheek.
"You poor thing. They have starved you." He said affectionately. "We'll have to get you something proper to eat. Don't worry. Uncle Spike has a nice surprise for you." He took her hand. "Come with me."
He led her to a run-down church hall and opened the door. Cindy beamed with delight when she saw what Spike had in store for her.
Inside, the hall was a mess with the plastic chairs and bits of a table strewn about the floor. In a corner of the hall, Davis and the three other vamps were guarding a group of terrified young adults dressed casually. On the floor in the middle of the hall, two young men lay dead, with fang marks on their necks and wrists.
"Oh, Spike. A bible class. This is wonderful." Said Cindy, licking her lips with vampiric lust, as she looked at the group terrified men and women. "You must have read my mind."
"Actually, an old friend of mine gave me the idea." Replied Spike with a smile, thinking of Lucy. "Now love, which one would you like first?"
Davis stepped forward, very agitated.
"We really must go, Spike." He snarled. "The cops could be here at any moment." Cindy glared at Davis, with hatred in her eyes.
Spike held up his hand and Davis halted. Since the escape from the hospital, Davis had reverted to being the serious cop. Spike found him to be extremely irritating.
"I decide when we go, mate." Spike replied sternly. Then, stroking Cindy's hair. "But first, our new baby sister should have something nice to eat. Now, go and choose a nice fresh one."
Cindy paced in front of the terrified young women and pointing at them one by one like the wicked witch of the East, as she surveyed them.
"Oh, Spike. They all look so tasty. I can't decide. Can I have them all?"
"Of course you can, my pet." Replied Spike tenderly. "But take one here first. We will bring the rest with us for later."
Davis interrupted again.
"But they will catch us if we have to take them all with us. They will slow us down."
Spike ignored him.
"Now, pet. Go and choose your first one."
Davis snorted with rage.
"This is irresponsible, Spike. Are you going to risk as all for the whims of one spoilt girl?"
Spike looked at Davis and smirked.
"Yeah." Replied Spike, now smiling tenderly at Cindy. "I will not deny anything to my little pet."
"This is ridiculous." Protested Davis. "I'm leaving." Davis turned away and stormed towards the door.
"Good riddance!" Replied Spike, shrugging and turning away. "Anyway, you'll be back."
Oblivious to the dispute behind her, Cindy held out her hand and grasped a pretty young woman by the arm.
"I will take this one." She said, licking her lips.
Meanwhile, just as Davis was about to reach the hall exit, there was a loud crash as the door exploded inwards knocking him to the ground and showering him with splinters.
Max dived in, rolling head first across the wooden floor and landing in a kneeling position with a crossbow in her hands. Just as Davis tried to stagger to his feet, a crossbow bolt darted into his chest and he disintegrated into a shower of dust.
Spike, Cindy and the three other remaining vamps looked round in surprise just in time to see the Davis' last moments. But they were all startled again as they heard a crash from behind them. They all swung round to see Alec crash through one of the side windows and land nimbly on the floor with a crossbow in his hand. Before the vamps could react, he released a bolt from the crossbow and another vamp exploded into shower of dust with a groan.
Spike realised he was in trouble immediately. He and three newby vamps against two well trained adversaries with slayer strength were not good odds at all. Spike decided his only chance was to escape. He decided to attack the weaker of his two transgenic foes. He changed into his vamp face and charged at Alec.
The two remaining vamps charged at Max, but they did not have Spike's strength or skill. With a swift movement, Max drew a stake and thrust it into the first vamp's heart, turning him into a screeching shower of dust. Then, spinning round on one foot, she sent the second vamp reeling backwards with a flying kick to the head.
Willow entered the hall just as Cindy grabbed one a young woman. The other captives cried out in panic. Realising she had no choice, Willow raised her hand, her eyes turning supernatural black, and said one word. "Protect!"
Every one of the human captives was immediately surrounded by shimmering blue light. Cindy screeched and was sent flying back against the wall as if she had received an electrical shock.
"Run, all of you!" Shouted Willow. The capitives didn't need to be told twice and ran out the hall entrance to where Logan waited for them in a van. The temporary protection spell would protect the captives for a few seconds against any supernatural beings. Unfortunately, this would severely drain Willow's magical energy which she had hope to use to bind Spike and Cindy. Now her power would be limited. At least for the moment.
Willow quickly surveyed the situation. Max was waiting to repulse the attack of Cindy and the remaining vamp. But Alec was clearly in trouble and would be killed at any moment. She rushed over to Spike to give Alec whatever aid she could.
After making his dramatic entrance, Alec had tossed the crossbow to one side and waited for Spike to attack in poised crouching position. But this time Spike knew what he was facing and deployed his full vampire strength and speed into the attack. At lightening speed, he struck out at Alec with both fists and feet in quick succession. Alec was surprised by the velocity of the attack, but managed to block the first two strikes.
But the third blow from Spike's fist made him stagger back. Then a swinging kick from Spikes boot sent him crashing hard against the wall. Dazed, Alec tried to stagger to his feet, but Spike was on him in a flash. Alec slumped back to the floor as Spike's fist sent his head crashing against the wall.
This had been easier than Spike expected. Oblivious to the other events in the hall, Spike lifted Alec by the neck and held him high against the wall with one hand, smiling victoriously. Alec looked down at him helplessly. Spike put his other hand on Alec's neck and prepared to break his neck. No time for feeding this time. A quick kill would have to do.
But before Spike could carry out the coup de grace, he realised he could not move his hands. Desperately, he looked round and his heart froze with fear.
Behind him, Willow was standing with her eyes black as night and her arms stretched out towards him. She was here. She had found him. She had him trapped by a binding spell. And she would finally have her revenge. Spike's gulped and waited to be incinerated.
But, suddenly, sparks of magical light sizzled all over Willow and she seemed to stagger back as the magic fizzled out. With the restraining power of the magic gone, Spike felt himself being propelled forward against the wall and he lost his grip on Alec, who collapsed to the floor with a groan.
Willow stared at Spike with desperation and stretched out her hands again, shouting "Bind!", as she tried to cast another spell. Spike just stood there motionless expecting to be incapacitated by Willow's binding spell at any time. But nothing happened.
"Shit!" Exclaimed Willow. Then she turned and fled towards the door.
"Of course. We're in a Mystic Void." Spike reminded himself out loud. He realised that Willow's magical ability must be limited here. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for during the last ten years. Perhaps the only chance he would ever have to end the threat from Willow for good. With a growl of glee, he launched himself in pursuit of the fleeing Willow.
Cindy and the last vamp circled Max for a moment. Cindy was furious. In her early hours as a vampire, she had fantasised about vamping Max and killing everyone else. But Max had taken away her treat for tonight and all she wanted to do was kill her in a brutal and sadistic frenzy.
Cindy and the other vamp attacked at the same time from different directions in a well co-ordinated move. But it was not good enough. Almost casually, Max hammered Cindy in the face with an iron fist sending her flying backwards. Then, turning to meet the other vamp, she grabbed him by the throat with one hand and rammed her stake into his heart with the other. Even before the vamp's dust had settled on the floor, Max had turned ready to face Cindy again.
For a moment Max hesitated as she saw Willow pursued by Spike from the hall. The split-second distraction was just what Cindy needed to pounce on the surprised Max and grappled her to the floor.
Cindy lay on top of Max and held her hands down. "I've always wanted you, Max." Hissed Cindy, flicking out her tongue grotesquely. "And now you will be mine forever."
"And now you can have me." Replied Max. To Cindy's surprise and delight, Max didn't struggle. She smiled sweetly up to Cindy and wrapped her legs round Cindy's waist."
Cindy opened her mouth and moved her fangs towards Max's neck. Cindy had changed her mind. She would vamp Max after all, ignorant of the fact that the siring wouldn't work.
But Max had no intention to be sired or killed. With a swift movement, she threw Cindy to the side with her powerful legs and ended up sitting on top of her. Cindy's vamp face showed astonishment at the rapid reversal of the situation. Max hammered her fist three times into Cindy's face knocking her unconscious. Then hesitantly, she grabbed Cindy's head and twisted it, breaking her neck. Willow had promised Max this would not kill the vamp Cindy, but would incapacitate her momentarily.
Max began to quickly bind Cindy's arms and legs with rope as the wounded Alec staggered over to her. She had to be fast. Willow was in trouble and needed help.
Even as Willow fled from the church hall, she knew she would not get very far. Only a few meters from the hall door, she felt Spike's hands grab her and throwing her to the ground. Spike mounted on top of her and grinned at her maliciously with his fangs glinting in the moon light.
"Who has the power now, witch." He growled, grabbing Willow's hair. Willow cried out in pain and tried to struggled, but could not move in Spike's vice like grip.
"Now, I'm going to suck you dry." Grinned spike.
But Spike never got the chance. Something grabbed him from behind and pulled him away from Willow and threw him violently to the ground. Spike found himself face up on the ground looking up at a vampire's face.
"I'm going to kill you Spike." Said his assailant. With fear Spike realised it was the transgenic he had been forced to sire by White. But unlike normal vampire's, this one had slayer strength and was clearly pissed off.
"I'm going to rip off your head." Said the transgenic, grabbing spike round the neck with his arms. As the two vampires struggled on the ground, Spike felt his head being ripped from its shoulders and he knew the transgenic was not exaggerating. Not one bit.
Spike never imagined he would go out like this. He always though he would die at the hands of a slayer, or Willow or a mob of vengeful demons. But never from a vamp he had only sired a few hours before. That was embarrassing.
But before his head was finally ripped from his shoulders, the vamp groaned and loosened his grip. Suddenly the vamp's body disintegrated, covering Spike from head to foot in a pile of dust.
Spike sat up rubbing his stretched neck. He looked up to see Willow smiling at him, a stake in her hand. But he didn't have time to ask himself why Willow had saved him. Willow stretched out her hand and said one word. ""Bind!"
Immediately, a shimmering green strip of light wrapped itself around Spike's body immobilising him in an unbreakable supernatural hold. This time the spell would hold. The protection spell Willow had used on the captives had worn off and Willow had finally recovered her magical energy. Spike was hers for good.