Chapter Seven
"Okay, let's be honest, here," Angelus said. "Any other Joe Schmoe victim I'd just tie to a chair and leave while I go get my fucking soul back from that fucking fae-bitch, but you're no Joe Schmoe."
"Thanks," the Doctor said through clenched teeth. He'd propped himself against the wall and was watching the broken (open) door with hungry interest.
It was exactly for that hungry interest that Angelus couldn't just leave the Doctor unattended. And it wasn't like he could let the fae-bitch get away with his soul, either. He didn't want it back for himself, obviously, but he sure as hell didn't want it inherpaws. What was she going to do with it? Turn him into her slave?
"So," Angelus concluded as the only reasonable, albeit ridiculous solution, "you're just going to have to come with me." He strode over to his weapons chest and opened it, keeping a close eye on the Doctor's movements.
"Back to the start of the night, huh?" the Doctor said. "You and me hunting down whoever was stealing souls? We just pretend like nothing's happened?" He was clearly making a valiant effort at piecing his sanity back together. His breathing was still ragged and his shoulders slumped forward in exhaustion, but he was standing and clearly weighing his ability to make a run for it.
"GodI'm going to kill her," Angelus growled as he rummaged for his handcuffs. "I fuckinghad you."
"Did not," the Doctor protested. He fidgeted and looked back toward the door. "I thought it was a rescue. Begging is distracting for murdering psychos."
"I think you mean a turn-on," Angelus replied, standing up with the handcuffs. The Doctor started to backpedal, but Angelus quickly caught him before he could reach the door. At least Angelus still frightened him.
"No, no thank you," the Doctor repeated as Angelus fastened the handcuffs tightly around his wrists, feeling the twinge of pleasure at the Doctor's whimper when Angelus did his broken wrist. "What about a nice, normal road trip?" he managed.
Angelus had fuckinghadhim and now they were back to stupid, fucking banter.
Angelus was not amused and he gave the Doctor a withering glare to convey it. Then he swallowed another bitter piece of pride and tapped the Palm ring on his finger with his thumb, saying into it when it turned on, "A Mhuirnín, meet me in front of Home." He hated using his car's stupid, sappy name (which meant "my darling" in Irish) in front of the Doctor, but it was easier to meet the car on the street than to drag the Doctor through the parking garage, and they didn't have a lot of time to waste.
"Cute," the Doctor commented, looking very pleased to hear that Angel had cute names for things.
"Fuck you," Angelus replied, pulling him toward the door.
"So what do you think she's doing with the soul?" the Doctor asked, stumbling forward, his gait awkward with his bound wrists, broken rib, and Angelus tugging him along specifically so he couldn't catch his balance enough to start running again. The guy was like a damned rabbit. Angelus should probably kill him. Except he wasn't exactly surehowto permanently kill a Time Lord and he didn't have time to experiment.
"Stuff it down your throat, I hope," Angelus replied.
"That's not even a good insult. You're really worried, aren't you?" the Doctor observed. "I wouldn't worry, she wouldn't suck your soul out just to put it back, would she?"
No, probably not. But there were other possibilities that worried Angelus. Chief among them that he didn'tknowwhat all the possibilities were. And with the Fae, there were a lot of them.
"That soul is the single best instrument of torture I've ever seen," Angelus told the Doctor, stopping by the lifts and jamming the button with his thumb. "I wouldloveto force it in you. See how well you screamthen."
"I'm pretty sure I already have one," the Doctor said. "Is yours a weird shape or something?"
Angelus snorted, all the innuendos a bit too much despite his low-key panic. "Never been double-penetrated before, huh? It's okay, I'll go slow."
The Doctor fell blessedly silent for a few seconds while the elevator moved up toward them. When he spoke, he just sounded confused. "Uhh...I'm just going to go with: no thank you," he concluded.
Angelus gave a sharp sigh of frustration. "Sexual threats are no fun if you don't get them," he complained. The elevator arrived and he pulled the Doctor in with him, tapping the button for the ground floor.
That was met with more silence before the Doctor let out a soft, "Ohhhh, yeah, I picked the right answer."
Angelus shook his head in disbelief. "No seriously, what is it with you?" he asked. "Iknowyou've had sex, I can smell it on you, but also, I'm pretty sure you're the biggest ace I've ever met."
The Doctor made a face like Angelus had just farted. He looked down at his handcuffs, wincing. "So, do fae eat souls or what? That soul seems like it's at risk. Maybe they do auctions!"
"If I snap your neck right now, how long do you think it'll be before you regenerate?" Angelus asked, pulling the Doctor forward again as the doors opened.
"Last one took a few seconds," the Doctor said. "Also, I might set you on fire. I wouldn't risk it. It's a whole explode-y...thing."
It sounded desperate enough to keep Angelus from doing it that he was pretty sure the Doctor was lying. At least about part of it. But which part was probably important to know. Still, he didn't have time to find out either way.
"You oversold it," he told the Doctor as they crossed the foyer. "I don't believe you and I'm definitely going to try it at some point. Maybe once we get the stupid soul back." He shouldered his way through the front door and practically carried the Doctor as he tripped down the stone stairs toward the black car waiting for them at the curb. She really was sleek and sexy, despite her sappy name.
"Your loss," the Doctor muttered until he smacked into the side of the car. Angelus had to jerk him away again.
"Don't chip the paint with the handcuffs," he growled.
The Doctor coughed in response, gripping his side with his good hand.
It was the best answer he'd heard from the Doctor in the last few minutes, so Angelus opened the back passenger door and shoved the Doctor inside in a jumble of long legs and arms.
"I can't sit in the fron-"
Angelus slammed the door on the Doctor and jogged around to the front seat so he could lock the back doors.
"-seat?" the Doctor finished.
"No, you'll get blood on it," Angelus replied as he settled into the driver's seat.A Mhuirnínwas a hybrid, which these days meant electric by default, but Angel had paid a shit-ton of extra money for the gas-powered option because he liked the sound. He'd paid an extra shit-ton for the standard transmission because he liked the control.
Angelus put the car in gear and switched on the gas engine, smiling a little as she purred to life, and took off.
Of course, it was only then that he realized he had no idea where he was going.
"Where are we going?" the Doctor asked from the back seat.
"Shut the fuck up," Angelus barked. "I'm working on it!"
The Doctor sank into the back seat, his head turned so he could look out the window. "Can you ask around?" he asked. "It's not exactly a big city."
Angelus pretended like he wasn't deigning to respond when actually…that was a good point. He could ask around. He knew people. He was (kind of) important. "Yeah," he said casually as he shifted into 4th. "Let's ask around. Ever been to a vampire nightclub, Doctor?"
Alejandro Renato was a smart man.
He was intelligent. Well-read. Self-educated. An extremely successful businessman, thanks in large part to Seth Aisner for seeing and nurturing his potential.
He was also street-smart. He'd been born under a tarp and grown up on the streets of Barcelona; he had learned early in life how to survive in a harsh environment. His survival skills might be out of practice now, but his instincts were still intact.
All together, Alejandro's "smarts" told him to stay as hidden as possible until Martha Jones arrived at Angel's apartment building. It wasn't just that a well-dressed man loitering outside in the middle of the night looked strange, it was that Alejandro knew what else loitered in the night, and he knew his own limitations. Alejandro was great at defensive spells; he'd prepared several to carry in his coat to use in emergencies. But he wasn't much good at the offensive magics. His offensive abilities were squarely in the realm of business, and they didn't stray.
So he waited for Martha Jones in his car, which he'd parked in front of the next building down, and he spent his time reviewing in his mind which spell packets were in which pockets to ward away the anxiety of facing Angelus.
Alejandro had read about Angelus. He'd been mentioned in some of the texts Alejandro had studied over the years, but after the incident in May when it was revealed that Judith Cole was in some sort of undefined but intimate relationship with this vampire, he'd read even more.
Alejandro Renato was smart enough to be scared.
When Angel's car slid into the drop-off area for the building, Alejandro crouched down lower as a reflex, expecting to see the vampire he'd read about emerge from it. He could only hope that Angelus wouldn't spot him. His hands were already sweating as he fumbled in his pockets for his spells.
Nothing happened. He looked down at the time on his ring. Martha would still be minutes away. Maybe enough time for Angelus to go inside? What if he left again?
Alejandro jolted in surprise when the door to the building flew open and Angelus walked out dragging a blood-covered man in a brown suit. He threw the man (probably the Doctor, whom they were supposed to be saving) against the car.
Alejandro whispered a curse word as he peered over the steering wheel.
He was torn. His survival instincts told him to run. His moral instincts told him to try to save the blood-covered man who was now being stuffed into the back seat of the (Alejandro had to admit,verynice) car. Where was Martha Jones?
On her way, to be sure, but in the meantime he was alone and listening to the vampire curse at the man in the backseat. Alejandro froze between his instincts and moments later the car roared to life (which surprised Alejandro - he'd only ever heard gas engines at car shows) and peeled away down the street.
He watched the car go in shock, feeling that his childhood on the streets had let him down. He'd always thought of himself as having a decisive edge over the other people around him since he'd known hunger. But the opportunity had presented himself and he hadn't acted.
Of course, not acting probably kept him alive. He had read about what Angelus was capable of in a good mood, and Angelus did not appear to be in a good mood. Alejandro would be a minor inconvenience to the monster. A pause in his stride to snap his neck on the way to the car.
Footsteps pounded somewhere nearby.
"Carajo," Alejandro swore, startled, and checked his mirrors. Martha Jones was racing up the sidewalk behind him. Alejandro hurried out of his car.
"Great, you're here," Martha panted, slowing down as she approached. "I had to stop for this," she held up a compact mirror and then looked up at the building. "Do you think that's a tower?"
Alejandro blinked at the mirror, his mind furiously catching up. "I-" He looked up at the building. "Perhaps. Why? Also, I'm so sorry Ms. Jones, but-" He turned and looked back at the empty street. And then it occurred to him. "Come quickly," he said, placing a hand on her back and urging her around to the passenger side. "In my car. There's no time to waste."
Martha started forward before she started asking, "Where are we going?" she also muttered to herself, "And what is this for?"
"To follow Angelus and the Doctor," Alejandro said. "They went that way just a moment ago." He pointed down the street. "Here we are, in you go." He opened the passenger door for Martha and held it for her.
Martha looked shocked, but recovered quickly and slid into the passenger seat. "Thanks," she said.
Alejandro dashed back around to the driver's side and Martha asked as he opened the door. "You saw the Doctor? Was he okay?"
"He was alive," Alejandro replied as he put the car in drive while fastening his seatbelt. "I won't pretend there wasn't a lot of blood, but he was able to stand, so…" He checked the mirrors perfunctorily and accelerated onto the street. The nice thing about it being so late was that there wasn't much traffic and he'd seen which way Angelus had gone. He had a chance of catching up. "Apologies for the rough ride," he added as they swerved through a roundabout.
"I'm used to it," Martha said, holding on to the door. "Trust me, if we can catch up with them and not die in the process, I'll be happy."
"That is my goal," Alejandro replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you, by the way. I'm Alejandro Renato."
"Oh, good. It sure would be embarrassing for me to get kidnapped on top of everything," Martha said with a small smile.
Alejandro chuckled appreciatively. "You seem very capable," he replied. "I'm sure a kidnapper would be in the worse position."
Martha smiled. "I'd hope so, but I'm studying to be a medical doctor, not a fighter. But being capable is part of doing rounds. What are we looking for? Or do you know where they're going?"
Scanning the side streets as they went, Alejandro replied, "We're looking for a black car - a Zot Huit if I'm not mistaken. All I know is that he went this- Ah!" He braked and swerved right suddenly. Pointing ahead of them, he said, "That's a black car, anyway. And it seems in a hurry."
Martha squinted at the car ahead of them; it was difficult for them to see more than the shape of the car with the lights reflecting off of it, so Alejandrohopedit was the right car.
"If you pray to any deities," Alejandro said, "it would be a good time to ask for some luck in chasing the right car. And some luck that the right car doesn't notice us tailing him." He swallowed. "And for luck in everything to come after."
"Well, the Doctor is in the car with him. Maybe he can give us a sign," Martha said.
"He was handcuffed," Alejandro said. He slowed for a stop light, looking down the cross street before accelerating after the dark car.
"But he's the Doctor," Martha said. "If he can, he'll find a way."
Alejandro swallowed again and nodded. "I hope you're right."
"You know, you lookgreaton my arm," Angelus told the Doctor as they headed down the side alley toward Decade's back entrance. Still unable to see clearly and with a broken rib, the Doctor was reliant on Angelus to keep him moving at a respectable pace once they'd gotten out of the car. "I haven't made an entrance with a victim in your state incenturies. Look at this beautiful face." He squeezed the Doctor's blistered jaw with his free hand. "Everyone'll be so jealous."
The Doctor tried to bite him with a loud snap of teeth. "Get off," he spat. Clearly the car ride had done him no favors and Angelus was pleased to see it. There was some benefit to letting a person sit with their pain.
"Cheeky," Angelus grinned.
They rounded the corner to the back of the building to find a line of Decade patrons - some with their own humans - waiting to get in. Screw that.
Angelus pulled the Doctor around the line up to the front where Phil - the grumpy, half-goblin bouncer - sat on his stool practically masturbating to the power trip of deciding who got let in and when.
"Phil," Angelus said, trying to sound pleasant. "I need to talk to Emily."
It wasn't true; he didn't need to talk to Emily Slipp, the owner. But it usually worked for Angel when he wasn't planning on being a customer at that time.
Phil looked at the Doctor with interest. "Any chance you'd help me out?" the Doctor asked.
Angelus jabbed an elbow into the Doctor's rib, which sent him into a pained coughing fit.
"He doesn't look like he's on the list," Phil observed.
"Put him down as Food," Angelus told him.
"You skipped the line."
"And I'm not food," the Doctor wheezed.
"And I'm not taking up any paying customers' space tonight," Angelus told Phil. "I swear, I just need some information. In and out. A nice quickie." He winked at the half-goblin.
Phil looked much less impressed. "If you're not paying, then you can't BYOB," he said.
"Great! Thanks! I'll just wait in the car," the Doctor said, trying to walk away.
Angelus tightened his grip on the Doctor's arm and didn't budge. The Doctor reached the end of his available movement and bounced back toward Angelus like a yo-yo. "Okay, fine," he agreed. "He's not food. But he is with me. I'll-" he swallowed the unpleasantness. "Vouch for him. Look, he's actually been here before, he just looked different. Check under 'The Doctor.'"
"I have not!" the Doctor insisted.
"Shhhh…" Angelus said soothingly, patting the Doctor's broken hand. "Just trust me."
Phil started flipping through his list. Slowly. The vampires behind them started grumbling. Angelus turned and shrugged unapologetically at them. He didn'taskPhil to move so slowly.
"Angel," a female voice said from inside the door. Emily stood in the shadow of the door, the light from outside glinting on her various piercings, "I've heard the mostfascinatingrumor."
Angelus gave her a charming smile. "I hope it's about me," he said.
"For your sake, I hope the same thing." Emily's bracelets jingled as she crossed her arms. "I hear that someone stole your soul."
"Twice, in fact," Angelus replied. He took a few steps toward her, dragging the Doctor along with him. "I was grateful the first time. The second…well, that's why I'm here. A member of the Gentlefolk took it and I hoped that someone here might know why."
"You want it back?" Emily said. She looked him up and down. "Nice pants."
"Thank you," Angelus grinned. "And I don't want the soul back for myself; I just don't want anyone else having control over it, either. Any leads you can point me to?"
"You can try," Emily said. She turned and waved for Angelus to follow.
He resisted sending a satisfied smirk at the people behind him. He hadsomeclass.
Inside the door was a small foyer. From there, you could go down the stairs and into the dungeons, straight ahead to the bar (with the finest selection of cocktail waitresses), up the lifts to the Fae floor, or into Emily's office at the far end.
Angelus (and the Doctor) were headed to the lifts when a familiar scent caught his attention. He looked. He did a double take. (What washappeningtonight?) He recovered. And smiled.
"Judith Cole," he said, altering course for the plush couch where Judith sat with Claire Renato. Their eyes widened with beautiful fear. "And Claire Rentao." He let their names play over his tongue. "This is an unexpected turn. How fun."
Emily slipped up next to Angelus. "I hear they want to talk with the fae upstairs," she said with a cold smile.
"All by themselves?" Angelus asked as if this was a most concerning thing. Which, actually… What did they know? "I should offer myself as their escort."
"You already have," Emily said. "The only reason Judith Cole can walk into the back of my bar is because she's a consort of one of my patrons."
"That so?" Angelus replied, interested. "What about Claire, though? I haven't fucked her. Yet."
"I thought she was an emotional support human," Emily said.
"Run," the Doctor suggested.
Judith turned her wide, fearful gaze on the Doctor and she - ugh - melted with compassion for him. "Doctor?" she asked.
"Yes, yes," Angelus interrupted before they could get going. "Oh no, Angel, whathaveyou done to him, blahblahblah. Let me think…"
"Nice to meet you," the Doctor said. "Run!"
"Stay," Angelus said sharply, moving to block their path to the door. "The pieces are moving so fast." He looked at Emily. "Calder's upstairs, isn't he?"
Emily let out a soft growl and her face shifted. "I'd be interested to know if he finds anything. Upstairs is nearly empty. The confluence really cuts down on traffic from the Gentlefolk." She lifted a finger and two of the vampire bouncers stepped out of the shadows. "Angel, I assume you'll make it worth my trouble to make a more...definitive move against a champion?"
Oh,thatwas a fun thought.
The corners of Angelus's mouth turned into a twisted smile. "You know, I was thinking that if you had a few cells available downstairs for…indefinite terms, I would be very grateful to rent them out. And please: call me Angelus."
"I keep a few cells open for special occasions," Emily agreed. "Angelus, yes, it does have a nice ring to it."
"You don't need them," the Doctor said, "Why not just send them off? Look, they're harmless."
"Harmless," Angelus agreed. "Like kittens." He caught Judith's eyes and gave her a smile. "We'll have fun playing together, won't we, kitten?" He turned to Emily and added, "You're a delight, thank you. I'm going to go ahead and get this litter downstairs, but if you don't mind, can you avoid killing the champion right away? I just want to hear if he found out anything first."
Emily, for one of the first times in Angel's experience, looked truly impressed by something he'd done. "Say you'll make it worth my time," she said, her yellow eyes glinting with amusement.
With the same expression he used to use on Darla when he'd push her skirts up, Angelus replied, "I'll make it worth your time."
"For once I believe you," Emily said. "I'll meet you downstairs." She snapped a finger at one of the bouncers. "Thoreau, come with me, please."
One of the vampires peeled away to follow Emily. The other vampires in the lounge were all watching the proceedings with obvious interest. Several of them licked their teeth.
"Listen, Angel," the Doctor said quickly. He could probably feel his time running out and now he had people to protect. "Listen, we can talk about this. We can help you get the soul back. We all want the same thing."
"Seriously doubt that," Angelus replied. He surveyed the two women and chose. "Claire. Come here."
"If you hurt them, I'll make you regret it," the Doctor said, his voice suddenly serious.
It made Angelus's gut squirm uncomfortably, but he refused to let it show. He believed that the murderer of billions could make Angelus regret anything. Butwouldhe? Murders-of-billions-with-souls tended not to want to make repeat performances.
"Thanks for the warning," Angelus said coolly. "Claire. Take my hand." He held out his free hand.
Claire took a few cautious steps forward, her hand clutching at the front of her shirt and looking around at the very hungry vampires. She stumbled the rest of the way to place her hand in Angelus's. He gripped it tightly.
"You have very soft skin," Angelus complimented her. "Good job on moisturizing. Judith, lead the way down the stairs, if you would be so kind." He gave Judith a pleasant smile.
He could see her hesitate; watch the calculations in her mind. He'd known her for fifteen years now, and he knew how her calculations tended to run. Who stood to get hurt? Could she do anything about it? Was it morally right to try even if she would fail? Would the simple act of trying get anyone hurt?Who else might die because of her poor choices?
He'd chosen to take Claire's hand because he knew that Judith wouldn't be able to stand being the cause of someone else's pain and/or death. Again.
"Judith…" Angelus said softly. "I'll break her wrist, too…"
"I don't think we're going to win this particular battle," the Doctor said. "It's okay. Let's go."
Judith took in a deep breath through her nose and it came out shaky. She started forward toward the stairs and, keeping a tight grip on the Doctor and Claire, Angelus followed her closely behind.
Judith's scent was so alluring, wafting over him like a fine perfume as they followed in her wake. One of the things that had always interested him about her was her ability to shove down her emotions and maintain such elegance and poise. It was lovely; even admirable, and lately he'd been getting to see just how deep her emotions went under the surface. The grief. The trauma. The guilt.
Somuchto work with.
Judith led the way down the twisting staircase, which turned out to be a challenge with the Doctor and Claire in tow. Angelus made the Doctor go first, knowing that Judith would help him down the stairs (it would be annoying if he fell and pulled them all down with him), and he tugged Claire along behind.
At the bottom of the stairs, they regrouped. Angelus breathed in the heavy smells of blood and sex and grinned. It smelled like home.
Someone screamed. Another someone moaned. Something else whined andthwacked, causing a grunt. Angelus grinned wider. Itsoundedlike home.
"Right," he said cheerfully. "Let's go find these cells. To the left, Judith."
"So when we were talking about cells..." the Doctor said slowly. He squinted at the "occupied" sign on one of the doors.
"I know not all sex dungeons are literal dungeons," Angelus replied, "but we vampires just like the aesthetic. Embrace the stereotype, you know? Really helps one get into the fantasy of it."
"Wonderful," the Doctor said weakly.
"Let me know if you get any ideas, Judith," Angelus added. "You know how accommodating I like to be."
Claire's arm twisted reflexively in Angelus's grip and he held a little bit tighter.
At the end of the row they found the first empty cell, door open invitingly. "Everyone in," Angelus ordered, and they filed inside.
All of the cells came with the same basic amenities. Chains, torture devices, buckets, chairs. This one had a set of chains already attached to the wall (as opposed to the ceiling or, sometimes, just in a box for the customer to decide how to set up), so Angelus gave the Doctor a grin. "This one's yours," he said.
Without warning, he let go of Claire's hand and shoved her into Judith, forcing them both into the back corner as they cried out in shock. Then Angelus took the Doctor over to the chains and fastened one of the cuffs around the Doctor's good wrist. He didn't need to fasten both of them, with the handcuffs tying them together, so he pocketed the key that had come in the lock.
"I'll be back soon," Angelus promised, backing away from the Doctor in case he got a fit of courage and tried to kick or something. "Hang tight." He chucked at his own joke and then snapped his fingers at the women. "Come," he ordered, already moving toward the door.
The Doctor twisted, already breathing hard as Angelus pulled the women from the room. He started to shout something, but Angelus kicked the door closed on him and pressed his thumb to the lock. Apart from being the most secure key he could ask for, as only his thumb print would unlock it now, this was how accounts were paid. Angelus's prints were on file with Decade, and any services, products, or rentals were charged to his account. He'd be paying a premium for these rooms, but that's the way it was.
He put one hand on each of the women's backs and pushed them into the empty cell across the way.
"Are you separating all of us?" Judith asked, apprehensive because he knew her, but cool on the surface.
"No," Angelus replied. "Too expensive. You two can share. Besides, we've never tried a threesome before. I'm eager to see how you do."
Angelus glanced around. One set of chains on the far wall. It would do.
Claire hissed in Judith's ear, "Don't listen to him, Judy. He's just trying to upset you."
"And Claire wins the Captain Obvious trophy today," Angelus said as he took her wrist again and pulled her toward the wall. "If you try to escape," he added to Judith, who was looking at the open door behind him, "I'll make you watch."
Judith turned pale and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"W-watch what?" Claire asked as he clasped one of the chains around her wrist.
Angelus smiled with delight. "Oh Claire, Iamglad you asked. I was thinking of starting with-"
"-Don't," Judith interrupted coldly.
Angelus looked at her, his grin widening. He knew how scared she was. He knew that she understood what he was capable of. And she was still brave enough to tell him to stop. "Don't?" he asked sweetly.
"Don't," Judith repeated. "I don't want to hear it. Just…don't."
Angelus turned to face her. He looked at her down and then back up, very obviously taking all of her in. He tilted his head slightly. "You know, normally I like it when people beg, but I have to admit that this demanding thing is turning me on. Unfortunately," he sighed, "it'll have to wait. I have a soul to fetch."
He went over and took her by the elbow, forcing her to stand next to Claire while he fastened Judith's wrist with the other chain. He pocketed that key, too and did a quick visual sweep to make sure they couldn't reach anything useful or dangerous, and when he was satisfied, he gave them a charming smile.
"Judith," he crooned. "The last time you looked at me like that in a cellar, we-"
"Stop," Judith said again in her maternal commanding tone. "Go get your soul back."
"Godthat's hot," Angelus breathed. But she was right. The longer that Fae-bitch had his soul, the more likely she would succeed at whatever she wanted to do with it. "Can't wait to come back. Keep each other warm for me."
And he turned, left the cell, and thumbprint-locked their door, too.
Finally without the drag of a prisoner or three hanging off of him, Angelus jogged back down the hall toward the stairs, partly for his hurry and partly for the joy of it. He took the stairs two at a time.
When he got to the top he glanced around, intending to find out if Calder had been dragged out of the fairy bar yet, and something outside caught his attention.
"You'vegotto be kidding me," he muttered as he approached the door.
Martha Jones and Alejandro Renato were trying to convince Phil to let them in, and the other waiting patrons were getting rowdy.
Since Alejandro seemed to be busy trying to smooth talk a half-goblin, Martha noticed Angelus first. "Hey!" she shouted at him, venom in her tone. "Where'sthe Doctor?"
"Who?" Angelus asked innocently. He shrugged. "Sorry, I don't know who you're talking about. Keep up the good work, Phil! These two are riff-raff."
Pleased that they were being kept at bay, Angelus retreated inside again to find Calder. He punched the button at the lifts to head upstairs, and when they opened, there was Calder, struggling with both his upper arms held in the vice grips of two of Emily's bouncers.
"Calder!" Angelus exclaimed. "Just the guy I wanted to see."
The bouncers hauled Calder out of the elevator. Calder was a well-muscled young man, honed at demon-fighting and vampire slaying, and yet these two vampires moved him as easily as a toddler between them. Angelus made a mental note to keep them on his side.
"Shit," Calder spat. He looked around frantically. "Where are Judith and Mrs. Renato?" he demanded.
Angelus shrugged with one shoulder. "I'm sure I've seen them around," he replied. "What did you learn on your field trip upstairs?"
"Fuck you," Calder replied.
"No thanks."
"Where are they?"
Outside, Martha could be heard shouting, "Where's the Doctor, you asshole?!"
Calder looked toward the door. "Martha?" he shouted.
"Calder?"
"Get out of here, Angel's-"
"-Got the Doctor! I'm not going anywhere!"
Angelus sighed and lifted his eyes to the ceiling. Emily was going to kill him for bringing his drama to her establishment. He could practically see the price on his cells going up.
The vampires holding Calder seemed to also be aware of the scene because they started to move Calder toward the entrance without even a shrug toward Angelus.
Cursing under his breath, Angelus followed.
One of the vampires said to Calder just as they reached the door, "We've been authorized to kill you next time you come back, if we want."
The other one said, "And we do want to. Come back soon."
Together, they tossed Calder out of the club. Angelus followed.
"Get!" Phil was yelling at Martha and Alejandro, sparks of angry magic spraying from one of his long fingers as he pointed back down the alley. "This is your only warning!"
The entire back area was in chaos. Martha had rushed to help Calder up, as had several of the patrons (who were only helping to see how likely it was that they could keep the human for themselves), and Calder was shoving his way through the crowd. Alejandro was backing away from Phil, scanning the scene to get his sense of things, and he choked when he caught sight of Angelus.
Angelus, meanwhile, also pushed his way through the crowd. He wasn't going to lose Calder; not if he had information about his soul to share.
Martha and Calder made it to the corner where the back alley turned into the side alley leading to the street and stopped to assess the situation. On seeing Angelus approach, Calder immediately drew his sword from his back and pushed Martha behind him.
"Relax," Angelus told him, but nonetheless slowed down. He'd personally trained Calder in this. Calder was good. Calder also had known weaknesses that Angelus could use, but he was good. Angelus would rather avoid a fight, especially when he didn't have a sword himself. "Just tell me what you learned from the fairies and I'll leave. Pinky promise."
Alejandro caught up to them, but kept his distance well behind Angelus. All Angelus knew about Alejandro was that he was good at protection spells and had studied more than was good for his ego. He could deliver something surprising, but if Angelus was behind his protection barrier, the man wouldn't stand a chance.
"Where's the Doctor?" Martha asked.
Angelus rolled his eyes. The question was getting old.
"And Claire?" Alejandro asked. "And Judith? Calder, didn't they-?"
"They were here," Calder confirmed. "I'm betting they're wherever the Doctor is. They can't be too far. He wouldn't have had time. And he still doesn't have much of it." He checked the time on his Palm ring, looking grim.
Angelus didn't like that look. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "Why don't I have much time? What's she going to do?"
Calder shook his head. "Tell us where they are."
Angelus only needed a half second to make a decision, but he pretended like he needed several. Even if they knew where Angelus's prisoners were, it wasn't like they could get to them. Angelus was the only one who could get back in Decade, and even then, the cells were locked with his thumbprint. Angelus's information was useless compared to Calder's. But he wasn't going to let on to that. He put on a good show of frantically dithering over the decision but didn't drag it outtoolong before he nodded. "Fine. Shit. I'll tell you where they are, you tell me what you know."
Calder glanced at Martha, silently asking her a question. She nodded. "Deal," Calder agreed. "You first."
Angelus shook his head. "You made the offer. You lay your cards down first."
Calder sighed.
Martha muttered to him, "Just do it."
Calder said, "The Fae's name is Ivy and she wants the soul for some sort of ritual. There's a confluence of stars tonight at 3:13am. That's all I know. I don't know what the ritual is."
Shit. Knowing the Fae, it could beanything. Mostly, things that were terrible for the victim. Angelus checked his watch. It was 2:56.
"Your turn," Calder said.
Angelus looked up from his thoughts. "They're in cells 24 and 25 downstairs. Good luck."
If he weren't so worried, he would have grinned at their crestfallen looks as he turned and jogged back down the alley toward his car.
There was one place in town where all the Fae did their nighttime astrological rituals. He could make it to Round Tower down by the bay shores by 3:05 if he hurried.