"Xander?" Buffy called down the phone line. "Xander! What's wrong?! What's happened?!"
No answer.
"Xander! Answer me, goddammit!" Buffy inhaled angrily. What was going on there? The phone
suddenly emitted a scream, and Buffy was decided; She needed to help her friends.
Rushing downstairs, she grabbed her coat from the banisters and pecked her mom lightly on the
cheek.
"I'm just going out," she explained. "Willow and Xander are doing a project - they need my help
with some...stuff." Buffy grinned uneasily. "I'll be back later!"
Before Joyce had a chance to reply or even protest, Buffy was out of the front door, and onto
the street, running as fast as her legs would carry her.
"Hang on guys," she whispered. "I'm coming."
* * *
"Charlie! We've found her!" the man muttered, prodding his partner with a grimy finger. "She
won't get away from us this time!" Raising the binoculars to his eyes, he licked his lips greedily as
he watched Buffy jogging hurriedly along the road.
The other man reached into the back of the car, dragging out a bulging holdall.
"It's in the bag," he said, laughing. "She doesn't stand a chance."
The two men opened their doors simultaneously, and stepped out quickly. The man with the bag
threw a long pole with a noose on the end over to his associate who caught it easily.
"Here kitty-kitty-kitty," he murmured, waving the noose from side to side. He was going to
enjoy this.
* * *
Buffy realised that she was tired. She'd forgotten how far it was to Xander's house, and even she
- the Slayer - couldn't run all the way. Slowing her sprint to a jog, she stopped and bent over,
pressing her palms against her thighs, breathlessly. She closed her eyes and exhaled, when
something brushed against her hair, softly.
"Angel?" she whispered, hopefully. Suddenly something looped around her neck, and tightened
as she tried to pull free. Gasping, Buffy tried to get her fingers underneath it, to give herself a little
breathing space...but she couldn't. A man began to walk towards her, and Buffy went with her
instinct.
"I'm gonna take a stand," she croaked, hoarsely through her strained throat, "and say you're not
a nice person." Leaning backwards, she lashed out with her leg; her foot connecting with the
stranger's jaw with a snap. He crumpled to the floor, moaning and clutching his face.
Buffy began to struggle with the rope around her neck again. She could feel someone tugging at
the end of it from behind, but she couldn't turn around enough to see how close they were. She
was so engrossed with trying to free herself, that she didn't notice the man that she'd kicked to
the ground, rising to his feet. By the time she'd looked up, it was too late; the man plunged a
syringe roughly into her arm.
"Well," she gasped, cringing. "There's someone who'll never be a school nurse; for that we can
be thankful."
"Shut up," he hissed, injecting blue solution into her blood stream. Buffy squirmed
uncomfortably, swaying back and forth. The man caught her before she could fall, smiling smugly
all the while.
"Careful, now," he taunted. "You don't want to spoil your pretty coat." He gestured to his
partner to remove the noose, whilst he peeled Angel's leather jacket off of Buffy's upper body.
Smirking, he threw it to the ground. "You won't be needing this anymore," he justified. Dragging
Buffy towards the car, he threw his keys to his ally, who thrust them confidently into the trunk. It
swung open easily, and Buffy was shoved inside. "Sweet dreams," the man murmured, slamming
the trunk door hard.
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