Chapter Fourteen
"I thought the rules said we were supposed to be sequestered before the negotiations start," Eliot said as he got into the back seat of the car.
"We are, but nowhere does it say who does the sequestering or that it has to be separate," Angel said with a grin.
"It will be morning," Tara said from the driver's seat. She started the car and headed toward the Hyperion. Angel could take Eliot through the sewer tunnels to the Neimic territory when the time came.
"You two should get out of the hotel as soon as we get there. You know that'll be the first place Lilah looks for him." Connor said.
Angel nodded. "Once we do I need you to take Tara and get out of town."
"I'm not going anywhere," Tara said as she slipped into traffic driving as quickly as she dared.
"He's right," Eliot said. "You need to be as far from this as possible."
"No. I'll go catch up with Nate and the others but I'm not leaving till this is done."
Eliot nodded. Nate had enough sense to cut bait and run when the job went south; at least he would now that Eliot was out of the building. "Make sure Parker gets out of there."
"Don't take any argument from her. Just get her out of town," Angel said to Connor then glared at Eliot. He had been expecting a little more support from the man.
"Dude, so not getting in the middle of your lover's spat," Conner said.
"Lovers?" Eliot asked, "You're sleeping with a vampire?"
Tara raised an eyebrow. "I've seen some of the bloodsuckers you've slept with."
"It wasn't literal in my case," Eliot countered.
"He has a soul. and he helped me save your ass," Tara said.
Eliot fell silent but gave Angel a look that was easy enough to translate. He knew what the man was now and how to deal with it.
"Can we stop the pissing contest, please? " Tara said laughing at the display. "This isn't supposed to be a dog fight."
"Yes, it is," Angel and Eliot said in unison.
"Gotta back it up by might as well as talk the talk. The talk is just for appearances," Angel said.
"And this Lindsey McDonald has been their so-called negotiator for years now?" She asked.
Angel chuckled. "Lindsey wasn't your typical lawyer."
"Great," She said parking the car in the shade in front of the Hyperion. "But we have a little time. Parker was supposed to shut off the power and lock the doors the minute Eliot was out. They won't know he's not on track for a little while yet."
Angel adjusted his trench coat to cover all exposed skin and dashed for the door to the hotel. Connor followed him in leaving Tara and Eliot to slowly walk inside.
"How does the sky look today?" She asked her friend as he stared up at it.
"Almost as good as it feels being out under it," Eliot said honestly.
"No one would blame you if you got into that car and drove out of town as fast as you could," Tara said offering him the keys.
"You in love with this guy?" He asked her instead, ignoring the offer entirely. He had to see this through. Not because of the venom, even though he could still feel the pull of it at the back of his mind, but because he had never been one to walk away from a fight; especially not one where innocent lives were at stake.
"We should go inside," She told him, not answering his question. At least not verbally.
Eliot nodded. "I'll try not to hurt him too much," He said and rested a hand on the small of her back as they walked inside. "So what's the plan?" He asked shedding the suit jacket and tie. He tossed them over the couch in the lobby, then unbuttoned the collar of his shirt.
Angel looked him over. "How much control do you have over yourself at the moment?" he asked
"I'm good," Eliot said with a scowl.
"I need to know I can trust you not to turn on me because Rasa demands it," Angel said. "Not that I'm worried about what you can do, but killing you would put a big crimp in my personal life."
"I said I'm good."
Angel scowled, "I'm starting to think it's not just the face you have in common with Lindsey"
Eliot rolled his eyes. "I'm working with a handicap but I'm working," He told him. "Now what's the freaking plan or am I just winging it."
Tara folded her arms and leaned against the door frame.
"We'll talk on the way," Angel said and motioned for Eliot to follow him.
"Come on Junior," Tara said. "I'll introduce you to the rest of the team." She knew that he was there for her protection and that Angel wouldn't budge on that; but she wasn't leaving town, so he might as well come along for the ride. "Be careful. I want both of you back when this is done," She said as she left the building.
Eliot watched her leave then looked at Angel. "How likely is that to happen? "
"30 /70," Angel said with a shrug.
"That's not bad," Eliot said.
"We're the thirty."
"And your point?" Eliot asked.
Angel laughed a little as he walked over to the weapons locker. "How are you at armed combat?"
"Don't like guns," He said following Angel over. "That I like," Eliot said picking up a sword and testing the weight in his hands. "I'm not as good as I'd like to be with this though. What am I facing? Demons or you?" he asked setting the sword aside and picking up a stake.
"Hopefully just demons. Depends on how much you can fight the venom," Angel said.
"I'm here, " He said as if that answered the question. Eliot sighed "It's all mind games. How do you think we can lie like we do and get people to believe us?" he asked. "Your mark wants something. The trick is to give it to them while getting exactly what you want in the process. Rasa wants unity. She wants the future of her clan ensured under her vision. So we give it to her. If I am ultimately giving her what she wants. I can fight it. I can fight it anyway, it's just easier," He said. " I just have to figure out how to give it to her, while taking it away at the same time."
"Are you sure you aren't a lawyer?" Angel asked.
Eliot laughed. "Nope. I'm a thief and a conman," He said tucking the stake in his belt and gathering up several throwing knives.
"There's a difference?"
"About as much difference as there is between lawyers and vampires." Eliot shrugged. "So how do we kill them? The demons if it comes to it?"
"It'll come to it. Just do more damage to them than they do to you."
"And stay away from the teeth," Eliot said picking up the sword after all.
"That's about the size of it. Come on, let's get this over with."
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Lilah was in shock. She was being replaced; by Lindsey McDonald of all people. She supposed she should be glad that she wasn't being sent back to hell in the process; just demoted to Executive Vice President. In the grand scheme of things it could be a lot worse but that didn't matter to her at the moment. Right then she wanted to kill Lindsey McDonald; just reach out and strangle the life out of him. Sadly if she did they would just bring him back anyway.
"I'll have the movers come to get your things today, I believe your old apartment's still available, " Lindsey said, blue eyes twinkling, not with merriment, but something far darker. It didn't take much for Lilah to realize that Lindsey had changed.
It hadn't bothered him when the lights had gone out. It was as though he had been expecting it. "You're exhausted and you look like hell. Why don't you go get some rest? I have work to do," He said getting up.
"You can't get out when it does this. It's part of the virus," Lilah said.
Lindsey laughed shaking his head and then he looked up at the surveillance camera that was installed even there. "If you want me to help your friend you'll turn the power back on. "
Parker's eyes got wide. How did the Eliot clone know? Clones were way easier to believe in than people rising from the dead because Lindsey McDonald was dead.
"If you don't let me out of here Angel will kill him. "
She scowled, "Fine. Just him though." He was just Eliot without. Eliot's soul. Maybe she shouldn't let him out. Maybe she should just blow up the building and forget about the rest of the plan. Parker sighed; then Nate and Eliot would be angry with her. She turned on the elevator, but if that woman stepped anywhere near it she would leave them stuck between floors for the next decade.
"Thank you," Lindsey said as he got into the elevator and headed down to the security offices. He wasn't about to go into Neimic territory alone; not with what his orders were.
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By the time they reached the boundaries of Neimic territory, Eliot thought his head was going to explode with it all. He managed to process it all and as they stood waiting he prepared himself for what might be the inevitable.
Angel shook his head slowly. Spencer was nothing like Lindsey; which was reassuring, and troublesome at the same time. Lindsey, he wouldn't have any trouble killing, however many times he had to do it to keep the son of a bitch in the ground. Eliot was another matter. This was war however and war had its casualties.
"It's not the smartest bet, to team up with this guy," Lindsey states, "He lies, cheats, and stabs you in the back when you aren't looking," He said as he caught up to them.
"Yeah, but he doesn't keep coming back from the dead like some made-for-TV zombie," Angel said turning to look at the man. "So I don't hold it against him."
"I was talking about you," Lindsey pointed out.
Lindsey and Eliot shared similar features, the same face, eyes, and body shape, but that was where the similarities ended. Angel could see it now that they were standing side by side. The stance was different, the walk was different, and the way they looked at you was different. "I was wondering when Lilah was going to switch you two out"
Lindsey laughed. "Is that why you pulled him out of the building? That was never the plan. I was never the plan. I think the one person on the planet right now that hates me more than you is Lilah. She's been demoted by the way. You'll be dealing with me from here on out."
Eliot looked the man over and locked gazes with him. "So you're Lindsey McDonald? Not another stand-in?"
Lindsey nodded and was rewarded by Eliot's fist slamming into his face.
"Five years. Five freakin years I've put up with that bitch because I looked like you and now you show up?"
Lindsey wiped his mouth, yeah there was blood; it was going to leave a mark too. "Don't blame me," he said and tilted his head toward Angel. "He's the one that ordered me killed. " Blue eyes narrowed, "Don't do that again. "
Rasa and Goran stood at the entrance now. "Far too many alpha males in one place, " She said with a smile. "One would think we were preparing for war." She extended her hand to Lindsey, "It's good to see you," She said. "Although I liked your replacement I have more faith in your abilities. "
"To coin a phrase, are you inviting me in?" Lindsey asked. He didn't need it to personally step through the boundaries, but it would make all the difference in the world later.
"Of course, " the leaders of both factions nodded, and Lindsey smiled.