. . . "I can get into the police database," Brett said as he got to his feet, "See if they have any info on our van in black."
"I keep working on the tracking program." Megan mentioned
"Good," the wanderer replied, "We still need to work out how they're going to get Pen out of the country."
"They're going to do it by plane." A voice said from the doorway
The group turn to see Brant standing in the doorway clutching a wound in his stomach. He looked very pale and liable to collapse at any moment.
"They chartered a cargo Jet that's going to leave in a couple of days." Brant continued
Brant slipped from the doorway. But The Wanderer managed to move in and catch him. He helped him to the bed in the corner and checked his wound.
"What happened?" The Wanderer asked
Brant grimaced with pain.
"That's a rather long story." he replied
~ Hotel room, Phoenix Arizona - two hours ago ~
Penny's head swam. She shook it roughly and slowly opened her eyes. She looked around the room in a daze and soon realised that she was tied to a chair.
"Oh good you're awake," Vic said walking over to her, "I was getting' bored with prissy boy over there."
Brant looked up offended but Vic ignored him. The enforcer kneeled down to Penny's eye line.
"You all ready for your little plane trip?" he continued
"Go to hell." Penny said forcefully
"Sorry grily savin' that for the summer."
"You don't think you're gonna get me on the plane do you?"
Vic laughed.
"No matter how many times slayers say that to me it's still funny." He replied, "If you don't like the accommodations just break out of the ropes and leave."
Penny glared angrily at the enforcer. She pulled against the ropes as hard as she could but they wouldn't break.
"Oh forgot to tell you," Vic stated pulling out a syringe from his pocket, "gave you a dose of this while you were out."
"What did you do to me?"
"Flicked your off switch. See this stuff used to be used years ago to test slayers when they turn eighteen. It turns off their powers and then they were locked in a room with a vamp to see how good they really are."
Penny looked around worried. Without her powers there is no way she was going to get free. Jenkins walked into the room holding a cell phone. He handed it to Vic.
"It's Rodger." He said
Vic nodded and took the phone. He wandered into the next room and started his conversation. Brant made sure the coast is clear and moved over next to Penny.
"I am so sorry," he said keeping his voice down, "I had no idea that this was going to happen."
Penny glared at him.
"And I'm believing you because?" Penny replied cynically
"My role was to negotiate with you, well; at least I thought that was. Rodger kept me out of the loop for a reason."
Penny looked into the next room cautiously.
"Get me out of this and I'll talk."
Brant cautiously moved behind the chair and began to work on the knots.
"Don't worry," he said emphatically, "after this deplorable display I wouldn't let you anywhere near the council."
He had almost got the knot free when he heard the familiar click of the hammer being pulled back on a gun. He looked over to the bathroom to see Peterson pointing a gun at him.
"Up." Peterson said
Slowly Brant got to his feet. Vic wrapped up his call and re-entered the room. He looked at the scene curiously.
"Peterson?" He asked
"Watcher boy was about to let our slayer go." Peterson said
Vic's attention was shifted to Brant.
"Is that so?" Vic said in a menacing tone, "well we can't have that. Peterson."
"Sir?"
"Take the van and dump it, guess the police are looking for it by now, and take the watcher with you."
Peterson grabbed Brant by the collar and led him out of the room. Vic walked over to Penny and kneeled down again.
"Looks like it's just you and me now sweetheart." He said
"People are going to be looking for me." Penny said
Vic laughed
"What? The little nerd you were hanging around with? Do me a favour."
The van pulled up beside an isolated stretch of road. Peterson switched off the engine and drew his gun.
"Out!" he ordered
Brant opened the side door and climbed out of the van closely followed by Peterson.
"You're not going to get away with this;" Brant said seriously, "The Council is going to ask questions when I don't return."
"Sorry mate that aint going to happen."
"And why not?"
Peterson walked up menacingly. He placed the gun in Brant's stomach and fired. The watcher stumbled back clutching his wound.
"Rodgers orders." Peterson replied before he climbed back in the van
The Wanderer starts to tend to Brant's wound.
"It was fortunate that where Peterson dropped me off was close to his house or else I never would have made it."
He flinched as The Wanderer started to bandage him.
"So searching for the van is out," Brett said
"Do you know which airport they're going to?" Megan asked
"Unfortunately no," Brant replied, "That piece of information was kept from me. I suppose I should have taken that as a sign."
"Well we don't have time for you to blame yourself," The Wanderer replied, "there can't be that many airports into the area."
"I'll check it out," Brett said as he wandered into his computer room
"I'll get back to that locater program." Megan said as she went back to her laptop
With the help of The Wanderer Brant sat up. He dropped his head in guilt and stared at the floor.
"This is all my fault." He said
"I'm not gonna disagree with you but that doesn't matter now," The Wanderer replied, "We gotta focus on finding penny and getting her away from that enforcer."
"The council was never like this," Brant said remorsefully, "Giles would have never allowed this type of strongarming."
"I'm sure by now Pen's out of her restraints and beating the living crap out of that Vic guy."
Brant reached into his pocket and pulled out a vile of Brown liquid.
"Actually no," he replied, "They gave her this."
The Wanderer took the vile and examined it.
"What is it?"
"It's an organic compound developed by the council many years ago. It suppresses slayer abilities."
"So she's just a normal girl again?" Megan asked from her work area
"For the moment," Brant replied, "The effect is temporary. She'll get her powers back in two, maybe three, days."
"You mind if I hold onto this?" The Wanderer asked
Brant looked at him curiously.
"What for?"
"I wanna see if I can work on some kind of antidote."
Just then Hope flew in through the window. She landed on the bedpost nearest to The Wanderer and started to chirp.
"So no luck then?" The Wanderer said to her
The Night-Hawk continued to chirp
"Don't beat yourself up you did the best you could."
Brant watched this scene with interest. After a few moments Hope flew back up onto her perch and The Wanderer went back to looking at the vile.
"You understood what that little bird was saying?" Brant asked
"Yep," The Wanderer replied
"How?"
"Me and Hope got this special relationship."
The hours ticked by as each of the group continued their task. It was well into the evening when Brett surfaced from the computer room brandishing some printouts.
"Alright I think I got the airport we're looking for." He said
The group moved away from the specific areas and joined the hacker.
"Since Brant told us it's a cargo jet I ruled out commercial airports," Brett continued, "Which left a couple of industrial airports and an air force base. Since I figure the army wouldn't appreciate a British guy with a kidnapped woman walking around so I checked out the last two remaining."
Brett handed The Wanderer the print out.
"This is our flight." He said
The Wanderer read the flight plan frowning.
"This says that the plane is heading to Africa." He commented
"That's what I thought at first but I dug a little deeper and found this."
He handed The Wanderer the second printout. He looked up confused while Brett looked at him smugly.
"This is the actual flight plan," Brett explained, "The first one is the one lodged with the tower. Looks like this jet is going to merry old England."
"Looks like this flight is taking off in an hour or so." Brant commented
The Wanderer looked at him in surprise.
"I though you said we had two days." He asked
"I thought we did." Brant replied
Behind them Megan placed the last crystal in position. Reading out a few Latin phrases they began to glow brightly. Down the bottom of the crystals there was a USB cable running to the laptop. The screen flicked slightly then displayed a map with a dot in the center.
"I got it!" Megan called out, "looks like their on the move."
"Then we got no time." The wanderer said, "Hope."
The bird chirped and flew over to The Wanderer shoulder. The Wanderer looked over to Megan
"Is that thing portable?" he asked
"As long as the spell continues to run." Megan replied
"Good. Let's go."
Brant struggled to his feet and joined the two of them.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" The Wanderer asked
"I'm coming with you," Brant replied
"No you're not you're going straight back to bed. Doctors orders."
"This is my mess I need to clean it up," Brant snapped back at him, "For the slayers sake."
"Alright, not in the mood to argue."
"You guys go I'll see what I can do about the airport from here." Brett commented
The Wanderer nodded. He looked over to hope who flapped her wing and flew out the window leaving Brett alone in the room.
The car pulled up out the front of the industrial airport. Jenkins and Peterson climbed out closely followed by Vic who was Dragging Penny out of the car. As they walked into the main terminal Hope landed in a nearby tree. From around the corner The Wanderer, Megan and Brant walked out. Brant was leaning heavily against The Wanderer but was still determined to follow through. Megan double checked her laptop.
"They just went inside." She said before they followed
The trio hid behind one of the pillars as Vic and his group were discussing the arrangements with the pilot.
"There she is," Megan continued, "looks like she's okay."
"Vic wouldn't harm her. The council still needs penny to fight for them she can't do that injured."
The Wanderer looked at the pilot closely. A sly smile crossed his face. As Vic and his partners were handed over to someone handling the administration he watched as the pilot went into a back room.
"Watch Brant for me." The Wanderer said as he pulled away from the group
Megan looked at him confused.
"Where are you going?" she asked
"Have to clear up an issue." He replied before disappearing into the back room
"It looks like their almost ready to leave." Brant commented
Megan pulled out her cell and started to dial.
"Not if we have anything to do with it."
Back at the mansion Brett was typing feverishly on his keyboard. Suddenly his cell phone rang. Quickly he answered it.
"Yeah?"
"They're about to go are you ready?"
"Almost give me two seconds."
Brett put down the phone and typed in the last few commands.
"So are we cleared yet?" Vic asked at the administration desk
"Just need to double check with the system." The amin officer replied
He was about to search when his screen when blank. The admin officer frowned.
"That's strange." He said as he experimentally jabbed at the keyboard.
"What's wrong?" Vic asked
"I've been locked out of the system."
The admin officer was about to move to a new computer when he noticed all of the other system doing the same as his. Vic sensed trouble and looked around cautiously. Suddenly something unexpected happened. The public address system started to play the Mexican hat dance. Megan and Brant looked at each other.
"Brett?" she asked over the phone
Brett shrugged.
"You wanted a distraction didn't you? Can't think of anything more distracting then the Mexican hat dance." He replied
Vic knew something was up but wasn't going to go down without a fight. He turned to Jenkins and Peterson
"You two get her on the plane," he said, "I'll be there soon. Got a little errand to run."
Megan and Brant watched as Peterson and Jenkins lead Penny to the tarmac. After a moment they both started to follow them. They hid in the doorway of the hanger as they watcher Jenkins load Penny into a small cargo jet
"Any plans on how to get on?" Megan asked
"It looks like there's only one guard so we might be able to overpower him."
Suddenly Brant felt the cold steel of the gun pressed against the back of his head
"You reckon do you?" Peterson asked
Slowly Megan and Brant turned around. Peterson led them to the back wall of the hanger and kept the gun trained on them.
"Don't usually like doing a job twice but since it's you I can make an exception." He said
"This is madness Peterson." Brant said
"Maybe but orders are orders."
Megan closed her eyes tight as Peterson raised his gun. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, an energy ball shot out and hit Peterson side on. The gunman flew through the air and collided with the side wall. From the shadows a witch stepped out and walked up to the group.
"You two alright?" she asked
"Yes, thank you, who are you?" Brant asked
"My name is Glenda I was sent by the Goddess to find the missing Slayer."
"Willow?" Brant asked
"You've heard of her?"
"I'm from the council," Brant replied
"That explains a lot," Glenda replied coldly
Megan stepped between them.
"Okay guys leave the family feud at home we got a slayer to save."
"She's right," Glenda replied, "I figured you two would know what was going on since you were both being held by a council enforcer."
The three of the headed for the hanger door. Suddenly something struck Megan.
"Hang on you're name is Glenda?"
"Yes."
"So you're Glenda the good Witch."
Glenda shot an angry look at the Techo-Pagan
"Don't you start with me." Glenda replied
On the tarmac Vic was climbing out of the jet to find out what happened to Peterson. He looked up and noticed the three of them standing in front of him in particular Brant. The Enforcer rolled his eyes.
"Bloody hell!" he exclaimed, "Knew I should have done the job myself."
"Give us the slayer Vic." Brant said forcefully
"No can do Watcher got my orders."
"What the hell are you even listening to Rodger?"
"You're one to talk. You've been his lap dog for the last couple of years."
"That's changed now," Brant replied, "What Rodger is doing is wrong."
"Don't give a crap about that. All I know is I gotta get this bird back to the council."
He was about to head back into the plane but suddenly stopped. From under his jacket he pulled out his gun.
"Oh yeah I was supposed to kill you to." He continued
Vic turned around sharply. Glena sharply lifted her hand sending the enforcer flying backwards into the plane. The other were about to join him when he reappeared moments later holding his gun to the head of a red headed woman roughly.
"Come any closer and I do it!" He yelled
"He's bluffing," Brant replied, "Rodger said not to harm her."
"What? You think she's the only Gen S slayer out there. Doesn't matter if this one goes we'll find another one."
Vic stepped down out of the plane. Suddenly, from out of the sky Hope flew down and swooped him across the head. Stunned by this sudden bird attack Vic released the woman and stumbled backwards into the plane. Before the others could follow him he quickly sealed the door. As the plane began to taxi the group rushed up to the woman. Brant watched the plane leave.
"I think Vic has some explaining to do when he returns to England." Brant said proudly
"I don't think so" Megan replied helping the woman to her feet
Brant looked over to the woman and frowned.
"This isn't Penny."
"You just figured that out?"
"Then if she's not here . . ." Glenda commented
The group looked at each other then at the plane as it lifted off the ground and into the air.
"Guess we lost our chance." Megan commented sadly
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