The lift door opened with a quiet *Ping*. Lilah and Lindsey step out causally and approached the security desk. The both of them smiled as they approached Buffy and Danny.
“Bill, we got word that two young individuals needed assistance?” he said smoothly
Bill, the security guard, gestured to Buffy and Danny.
“Yeah, these two say they need help finding a book.” Bill replied
Lilah approached the both of them hand out stretched.
“Hi my name is Lilah Morgan, this is my associate Lindsey McDonald, and you two are?”
Danny shook Lilah’s and smiled at them in his trademark welcoming fashion.
“My name is Daniel Finn and this is my friend Anne . . .”
Buffy caught Danny’s awkward expression. She realized that Danny never learnt her last name. Buffy quickly scanned her mind for a suitable replacement name.
“Ah . . . Harris,” Buffy replied, “Anne Harris.”
Buffy shook her head for a moment. She had no idea why she used Xander’s last name. Maybe she was still felling guilt for running out on everybody. Danny quickly turned back and faced the lawyers.
“We’re hoping you can help us.”
“Alright if you two would like to follow us we’ll take you up to the offices.” Lindsey prompted.
Buffy and Danny follow Lilah and Lindsey to the lifts.
“We’re not exactly sure how we can help,” Lilah explained, “We mainly deal with corporate law and the occasional Celebrity.”
“I’m sure we could make an exception for these two they look like nice kids.” Lindsey replied.
The lift trip was short. The doors opened to reveal the lavish and busy entrance. Danny and Buffy looked around curiously as they walked through. The place looked expensive and the lawyers reflected it. Buffy noted a couple of the lawyers scuttle out of the way when they saw Buffy walk. These lawyers had a vampire sense about them which made her slayer warning system tingle. Something about the building gave her the wiggins but she wasn’t sure what it was.
After the short journey down various corridors they entered Lindsey’s office. Buffy and Danny sat across from Lindsey while Lilah leaned on the desk.
“Now what can we do for you two?” Lindsey asked
“Okay, this is the deal, I had this book my grandpa gave me,” Danny explained, “I was looking through it the other day when my idiot girlfriend spilt her soda over it.”
“Hey.” Buffy replied in an annoyed tone
“Anyways grandpa told me that it worth a lot of money and I was wondering if there was any you could help us find a replacement.”
Lilah and Lindsey looked at each other.
“This isn’t exactly our area of expertise was the book insured.” Lindsey replied
“Don’t think so.”
“I’m sorry there’s nothing we can do for you.”
“See I told you these guys aren’t the right guys.” Buffy replied, “but, oh no, you had to the fancy lawyer building.”
Danny shot Buffy a look.
“Could we not do this here?” Danny replied sharply
Buffy rolled her eyes and looked around the room. Lilah studied the both of them closely. She wasn’t sure exactly what game the slayer was playing at but she was determined to find out the reason for the surprise visit. She looked over to Lindsey.
“I suppose we could talk to someone in assets and equities if you’d like see if they know someone who could replace it. What’s the name of the book?” She commented
“The Tome of Ronshar. It looked really old and dusty.”
Lindsey and Lilah shared a knowing look. Lindsey stood up.
“You two wait here a moment we’ll be right back.”
They lawyers left the room leaving the slayer and her male companion alone. After a moment Danny turned to face her.
“Do you think they bought it?” he asked
Buffy continued to look around the office. She still couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something off about the building.
“I don’t know.” Buffy replied
“What do you thinks gonna happen?”
“Worst case scenario they have no idea what we’re talking about and we have to look around for the book.”
“And the best case?”
“They bring us the book and I don’t have to hurt anybody in the process.”
Lindsey and Lilah quickly made their way to the research department. Inside Creston Harcourt, head researcher for the L.A. branch of Wolfram and Hart was waiting for them.
“Do you have the information?” Creston asked
“The slayer and her friend are looking for the Tome of Ronshar. Do we have it in our archives?”
Creston took of his thin rimmed glasses and gazed at the pair closely.
“Are you sure they asked for that specific volume?”
“Absolutely,” Lilah replied, “why is there something about that book?”
“For starters the Tome of Ronshar is a very obscure text. On top of that they are the second group to ask for it.”
Lilah turned to Lindsey
“The slayer’s definitely got an ace up her sleeve.”
“Then let’s make sure she doesn’t get the straight flush. Creston get the book from the vault I think it’s time we had a talk with Miss Summers.”
Creston nodded and headed out of the room. Just then the head of security entered.
“Sir, ma’am,” he said officially, “We got a hit.”
“Something on the boy?” Lilah asked
“No, we checked him, the boy’s clean, but we did get was a ‘Riley Finn’ come up.”
The head of security handed the folder over to Lindsey. Lindsey opened it and read the profile.
“Riley’s black ops, strictly clandestine for the government, from our last reports he was part of a covert research Project code named ‘The Initiative’.”
“This can’t be a coincidence,” Lilah commented
“Something defiantly isn’t couture here,” Lindsey replied, “Best action, we get them separate. We’ll deal with the Slayer you take the boy down to a holding cell.”
The head of security nodded. Just before he left the room Lindsey grabbed his arm.
“Keep it quiet,” he said seriously, “Just between us.”
“Yes sir.” The head of security replied
Lindsey and Lilah reentered Lindsey’s office a few minutes later brandishing a copy of the Tome of Ronshar.
“Looks like it’s your lucky day Daniel. Assets informed us that we had a copy in our central archives that was supposed to be collected a few years ago but wasn’t.”
“Fantastic,” Danny replied, “god, you guys just made my life time.”
“we’re just happy we could help,” Lilah replied, “Actually could we talk to you’re girlfriend in private for a moment.”
Buffy and Danny exchanged worried looks. Lindsey Predicted what was going through their minds.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious, just want to make sure you don’t have to hunt around for a third copy.” He reassured them, “if you just want to wait outside for a moment.”
“A-alright.” Danny said anxiously
He caught Buffy’s gestures that she was going to be alright and awkwardly left the room. Outside Two security guards were waiting for him and as soon as the door closed behind him they grabbed Danny and hit him with a tranquilizer. Inside Lindsey and Lilah scrutinized Buffy closely. The Slayer shifted awkwardly in her seat as the word ‘trap’ slowly drifted through her mind.
“You know this is a very rare book,” Lindsey explained, “almost impossible to find now according to our research guy/”
“Thanks for the tip,” Buffy replied anxiously, “I’ll make sure to use a less expensive coaster next time.”
“You do that, hey, can we ask you a question?” Lilah replied sarcastically
“What?”
“How stupid do you think we are?”
Buffy looked at the both of them confused.
“I don’t follow.” She replied
“Come on Buffy,” Lindsey prompted, “The slayer arrives on our doorstep asking for a rare text and we’re not supposed to ask questions?”
The alarm bells in Buffy’s mind were quickly replaced with sirens. Buffy frowned at the both of them seriously. How did they know who she really was? Lilah took the book from Lindsey and idly flicked through the pages.
“Quite a page turner you’ve selected here, “ Lilah joked, “Little long winded for my taste but to each his own. I’m sorry I have to ask. What were you planning on cloning with this book.”
“What are you talking about?” Buffy asked
“Well, The Tome of Ronshar is the single greatest reference for duplication and multiplying spells in the world. Where just curious why the great Buffy Summers, Vampire slayer of the people, would want to know about such things.”
Duplication spells? Why would Gwendolyn send her after a book on Duplications spells? This doesn't sound like something that would be involved in a de-powering ritual. Something doesn’t feel right at all.
“I guess she’s not in a talking mood.” Lilah said to Lindsey.
“Oh I’ll think she’ll talk to us,” Lindsey replied, “Once we start torturing her boyfriend I think she’ll hog the whole conversation.”
Buffy looked at the two of them horrified. They couldn’t be serious. I mean they we’re just lawyers right. Buffy couldn’t help but think back to the vampires she sensed on the way to this office. Whatever she was going to do it had to be done quickly and it had to be done now.
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