Chapter 20

SFPD HEADQUARTERS

(10:45 P.M.)

Detective Frank Kohanek had just finished typing up his report, on the incident at the Purple Dragon Restaurant, when klaxons suddenly began blaring throughout the station. Naturally, this prompted him to demand of one of the uniformed officers what was going on.

"A 10-34," replied the latter, giving the code number for a riot in progress.

"Where at?"

"The Haven."

That was all Kohanek needed to know. He hurriedly grabbed his sidearm and a Kevlar vest, before making for his car. Unknowingly providing escort for the S.W.A.T. team as they headed for Lily Langtry's place.

Also unknown to him, at that moment, was the presence of a stow-away in his trunk!

For it just so happened that, two minutes before the klaxons went off, Buffy Summers had been stricken with her second migraine of that evening. Which was promptly followed by a vision of Angel fighting for his life against a whole bunch of Chinese vampires. Plus, two or three Fyarl demons.

And, one of them had succeeded in capturing him.

THE HAVEN

MICK ST. JOHN'S P.O.V.

I wasn't the only one who recognized him.

"Boone?" Angel exclaimed.

"Fight...now!" the purple demon replied: "Reminisce...later."

The tenacity of the Hopping Ghosts was enough to convince Angel to follow that advice. Nor were we alone in doing so. For, in addition to that mysterious werewolf (who was now covering Sonny Toussaint's back), we were now joined by Cash and Daedalus, from the Conclave! And, while a Gangrel in lycan-mode can be just as deadly as a real werewolf, a Nosferatu in "ancestral" mode is something not even a Clan Tremere gargoyle won't hesitate to take on.

It certainly made Daedalus more than a match for the devil-tiger kung fu of our enemies. Every time they tried to lasso him with their chain-whips, he'd reel them in like fish on a line, and use it to strangle them (before ripping off their heads with his bare hands). He similarly disemboweled and decapitated them with their own hook-swords. And, while our enemies had initially seemed endless in number, that soon proved otherwise. Because, one moment we were surrounded. The next moment; we were in the middle of a cloud of vamp-ash!

At which point, Angel took the opportunity to walk up to Boone and thank him.

"It's been what? Eighty years?" he added.

Boone nodded: "Something like that."

"Then, that's two favors I owe you."

"In which case, you can repay both of 'em in one fell swoop. By returning to L.A. with me."

There was a moment of stunned silence in the room. A silence that was finally (and succinctly) broken by Sonny.

"Say what?"

"I've been retained by Wolfram and Hart, Angel. To bring you back by any means necessary. I'm hoping you'll come along peaceably."

"And, if I don't?" asked Angel.

Boone's only response was to snap his fingers. The next thing I know, there's a twenty-something standing right behind him. A guy with dark hair; light-brown skin; and an ensemble straight out of THE ARABIAN KNIGHTS!

Including an overgrown fez on his head.

"Gee!" I remarked: "I didn't know the Shriner Circus was in town."

"This is Lak Nepp," Boone replied: "He's a biomedically augmented mage of the Ahl-i-Batin Craft. And, he's been using his talents to screen us from your senses, Mr. Saint John."

" 'Us?' " I echoed.

Lak Nepp smiled, and closed his eyes. When he re-opened them, there were suddenly three others in the room with us! A mortal Caucasian introduced as Lindsey McDonald...and two Fyarl demons.

"As you can see," declared Boone: "...I also came here prepared to do this the _hard_ way. And, it looks like I'm going to have to do just that."

tbc