CHAPTER FIVE

Lorne struggled in his chair but the ropes were so tight, they were cutting off his circulation. His felt his hands go numb as black-clothed assailants surrounded him. They had a demon with them. " What do you want?" he demanded them all, " What-"

The leader was talking into his walkie-talkie and he punched Lorne in the mouth. Lorne felt blood on his lips.

" Is there anybody upstairs?" the leader asked.

The walkie crackled again, " Yes sir, we found a girl."

The leader looked at Lorne, " Who is she?" the leaded demanded Lorne.

Lorne was silent. They got Abigail, he thought with dread.

He was hit again and this time he literally saw stars. The lobby spun dizzily around him. Why me? He moaned inwardly, why is it always me?

" She's no one. Leave her alone." He rasped. The leader again spoke into his radio.

" Hamish, bring her down. She's with the demon."

" Roger. Bringing her down." Lorne could hear Abigail's protests over the radio. He winced, he hoped they weren't hurting her.

" Who are you people?" Lorne shouted as they pulled a struggling Abigail into the room. Then that's when it hit him. These people were from Wolfram and Heart. They weren't going to extract Cordy…they were going to extract him because of what he knows. Well to hell with them all. He wasn't going to say anything.

The leader grabbed Abigail by the waist and pressed a nasty-looking knife against her throat, " Tell us what you know demon or we'll kill her."

The radio crackled again, " Tony, this is Lilah."

The leader called Tony sighed, " Yes Ms. Morgan?"

" The girl Abigail is not to be harmed in any way." Lilah instructed him.

" All right." Tony said and released Abigail to Hamish.

" What do you want from him?" Abigail demanded their leader,

" Please don't hurt him-"

" Shut up, this has nothing to do with you," Hamish ordered and gave a hard knock to the back of her neck. She slumped to the ground, unconscious.

" You son-of-a-" Lorne hissed, " How dare you hurt her?"

Tony leaned forward and stared at the green demon, whose red eyes stared right back at him, " Now tell us what you saw."

Lorne didn't reply.

" Release the demon." Tony ordered one of his assailants, who was holding the tiny demon. Lorne screamed in pain as the thing burrowed inside his head. Unbearable pain shot through his body as he passed out cold.


The gang went back home after a successful fight with Wolfram and Hart, but Angel was feeling down. Cordy chose to stay with Connor.

" If it makes you feel any better, I would have chosen you." Fred told Angel.

" Thanks…but it doesn't." Angel said grimly. They heard a creaking noise and went to investigate. They found Lorne tied to a chair, bleeding and bruised. Abigail was on the floor, also unconscious.

" Oh my God," Fred exclaimed and knelt down next to Abigail. She touched her gently, " Is he alive?"

" What happened? Who did this?" Angel asked as he and Gunn untied him.

Lorne opened his eyes to find his friends staring at him in concern. His whole body ached and his head…he wished somebody would behead him. That was how much it hurt.

" Wo-" he tried to say but was too weak.

" Wesley? Not again?" Gunn said.

" No. It was Wolfram and Hart." Angel sighed and stood up.

" Wolfram and Hart did this? But why? I thought they were after Cordy." Gunn said confused. Lorne shook his head.

" They must've known Lorne read her." Angel said.

" OK wait, so are you saying that the slam dance at Connor's place was a decoy?"

" And we fell for it like a bunch of rookies. They weren't after Cordy, they were after what Lorne saw when she sang." Angel wanted to kick himself.

Fred dabbed at his wound, " They sucked it out of his head?" she cried.

"Mm-hmm." Lorne mumbled. " Abby-"

" She's knocked out too." Gunn said.

" How much? What'd they get?" Angel asked Lorne.

" They had—they had a demon. I-I wouldn't talk. And the thing burrowed... inside. And took Cordy out."

" Lorne, how much did they get?"

" All of it." Lorne glanced down at Abigail who groaned and stirred.

" Abby? You okay?" Gunn asked her.

" Lorne-" she replied.

" He's here. He's alive. Can you stand?" Angel asked and he helped her to her feet. She swayed a little and almost collapsed again. Fred and Angel held her upright as Gunn helped Lorne stand on his own feet. Lorne moaned. " Let's get these two upstairs." Angel suggested.