Connor followed Faith’s line of site to Giles and Dru. “What’s he doing having sex when he’s a captive? He should be trying to escape.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Faith said. “We have to get him out of there.”
“I’d just as soon you didn’t,” du Plessis said as he stepped out of the stairwell behind them.
Faith and Connor turned, assuming fighting stances.
“Please,” Armand du Plessis sighed as several vampires walked out behind him. More approached from another stairwell down the hall. Faith and Connor were trapped between to pretty big gangs of vamps. “Let’s not have this foolishness.”
“We can take you,” Connor said.
du Plessis gave a laugh.
Faith grinned. “Usually I tell the kid not to boast. But I’ve seen him fight. He’s not lying. We can take you.”
“We’ll kill your watcher,” du Plessis said, nodding toward Giles.
“You’ll kill him anyway,” Connor said.
Faith, however, was losing heart. She needed a scenario in which all four; she, Connor, Giles, and Spike got out alive or, in once case, undead. “Give us Giles and Spike and we go peacefully.”
“You’d go peacefully,” du Plessis grinned maliciously. “But how long before you came back?”
“When have we bothered you in the past?” Faith said angrily. “You’ve always started trouble with us?”
“You slayers have spread like a plague through out the world,” Armand answered with equal anger. “Angel has cut us off from the senior partners. And with the head detached, you and yours have gone about the dismemberment of what remains of the body of Wolfram & Hart!”
Faith rolled her eyes. “I don’t speak metaphor. Or French. You’re going to need to lay this out in English.”
Armand’s eyes glowed with fury. “You mock me. The slayers have killed thousands of my associates. Humans! And now you come to literally add insult to injury.”
“We haven’t killed . . .” Faith spun and Connor slumped against the wall. She hadn’t even heard the tranq gun. Connor struggled to stand when a dart his Faith and all went black.
**
Spike was still in the beautiful study upstairs, but was locked in. He was upset with himself for not noticing that Dru was near. He should have felt her. He turned as the door opened.
“Eve?” Spike said. She looked awful. Pale, even skinnier than usual, a black eye and many other cuts and bruises.
“Come on,” she said.
“What are you playing at?”
“I’m playing at rescue,” Eve said impatiently. “Armand pulled all the guards to the seventh floor. Now’s our chance.”
“Not without Giles.”
“Giles is on the seventh floor. Where all the guards are. Kind of defeats the purpose.”
“What’s du Plessis on about? Attacks?”
“You tell me. The Watcher’s Council has hit Wolfram & Hart buildings across the world. They’re destroying what’s left of the company. We can talk about it back at your place. Come on.”
“I’m not going without the others,” Spike said resolutely.
***
When Faith came to, she was hanging from her wrists in a cell. Spike stood in front of her.
“How’d you get in here?” Faith said. “Hell, how’d you even get away?”
“Long story, luv. For now, we gotta get you out of here.” Spike unlocked the shackles.
“Where’d you get the key?”
“Part of the long story.” Spike grabbed Faith and kissed her. Faith put her now freed arms around Spike’s head. “I love the taste of you,” he whispered.
Faith grinned wickedly. “How do you know?” she said seductively. “You haven’t tasted me yet.”
“When we get home,” Spike said, lifting Faith into his arms. “I’ll take care of that.” Spike looked at Faith seriously. “First things first, though, pet. We need to figure out how we’re going to pull the next attack off.”
“Attack?”
“Against Wolfram & Hart. This whole debacle here put us behind schedule.”
“What are you talking about?”
Spike set her down. “You don’t have to play dumb with me, Faith. I’m on your team, remember?”
“You’re saying you know about the attacks du Plessis is talking about?”
“You’re saying you don’t?” Spike responded.
“No!” Faith yelled.
“Then you’re useless to me!” Spike roared, throwing a fist. As his fist flew threw the air, Faith was transfixed, realizing that it wasn’t a fist, but an open hand with long fingernails.
The sensation of Dru’s claws ripping her face snapped Faith out of her trance. “Naughty girl tried to steal my Spike,” Dru growled.
Dru tried to press the advantage, but it was a bad move. Unlike a regular girl, or even a regular slayer, Faith’s hand didn’t go to her wound. The slayer knew the scratch wasn’t fatal and that grabbing it would only cost her precious seconds.
Faith immediately threw a punch, nailing Dru in the jaw and knocking the vampire back.
In the next cell over, Connor and Giles struggled against their own chains.
“Sounds like they’re fighting now,” Giles said.
“Good,” Connor said. “Faith’ll kick her ass.”
“Don’t be cocky,” Giles said. “Drusilla is a formidable opponent.”
“Yeah,” Connor said, stopping to examine his shackles. “I guess I liked it better when Faith was kissing her earlier. I could kind of see it my head and I felt-”
“Connor,” Giles interrupted. “I’m not sure whether I’d be more disturbed if I knew what you were about to say or if I didn’t know. But in either event, let’s stop the conversation here, shall we?”
“At least Faith just kissed her. You were-”
“I’m well aware of what I did. Although I wasn’t at the time. Drusilla has the power to hypnotize people and play on their weaknesses. And their loves.”
Connor went pale. Would Drusilla know how Connor felt about Dawn? Would she hurt Dawn? Or worse, would she tell Dawn?!” Connor struggled against his chains with renewed vigor.
The sound of tazers going off announced that Drusilla now had assistance in her fight against Faith. There was one last shock, then Connor and Giles heard Faith slump to the ground.
****
“Faith’s not here,” Gretchen said, taking the electronic signature pad from the UPS man. “But I can sign. I’m like an office manager kind of.” Gretchen lost her grip and the device fell to the floor.
“God damn it,” the driver said, picking up the pad.
“Sorry,” Gretchen said meekly.
“No worries,” the delivery man said, though he sounded angry. “It’d take a missile to break one of these.”
As the driver handed the pad back to Gretchen, Xander snatched. “Let’s not tempt fate. I’ll sign. Lorne, why don’t you get the boxes?”
“Affirmative you big masculine piece of boss man,” Lorne sad as he headed out.
The driver didn’t even bat an eye as the green demon walked by. “Friggin’ homos. What’ll they dress up in next?”
Xander held his hand up to silence Gretchen or Dawn before they could jump down the driver’s throat. It wasn’t that he was happy with the gay-bashing, but the less time outsiders spent concentrating on Lorne, the better. “Thanks for coming,” Xander said cheerily, handing the driver a five.
Lorne came back into the lobby. “Um, Xander? I’m going to need some help on this.”
The driver smirked. “I’ll get my cart.”
“Lots of boxes?” Xander said. Lorne nodded.
“What the hell!” Dawn yelled from behind the computer.
“Dawnie?” Xander said. “We have news of some sort?”
“It’s Dawn,” the watcher barked. She hated snapping at Xander, but it was long past the time that Buffy and her friends respect Dawn as an adult and a watcher.
“Sorry.” Xander knew exactly how Dawn felt. He’d always been the most attuned to Dawn’s feelings and he quietly chastised himself for being so insensitive. “What’s up?”
“Wow,” Gretchen said as the UPS driver rolled the many boxes in. “Look at all that stuff.”
“The Watcher’s web site is running slow,” Dawn said. “Uploading the texts we just scanned is taking forever. So I tried to find out why. Turns out someone else uploaded a huge file. I IM’d Andrew for the password to the file, and he says he doesn’t have it. How can he not have it? He’s the web master!”
“You think there’s something Andrew doesn’t want us to see?” Xander asked.
“Willow just IM’d,” Dawn said. “She’s trying to hack into the file.”
Xander was shocked. “Willow doesn’t have access to the file?”
“Holy Mother of Rambo,” Lorne gasped as he pried a crate open.
“Army gear?” Gretchen said.
“Willow says the file’s taking up an entire server,” Dawn said.
Xander looked at the gear in the crate, then to Dawn at the computer. Two unexpected “packages” in one day. What was going on here?
“Who the hell is rw3?” Dawn said.
“Maybe like C3PO or R2D2,” Gretchen offered. “Could it be one of Andrew’s friends?”
“Whoever he is,” Dawn said as she began typing. “He just gave me the password.”
Xander walked to the computer. Willow answered Dawn’s message asking who rw3 was. Will’s response was no such account.
someone must have hacked our system Andrew’s IM came up.
not likely Willow responded. sys is protected by comp firewalls and magic. few have both capabilities.
“Type in Markovic,” Xander said. “They have tech capabilities and at least one witch on the payroll. Plus the stuff we just got is military hardware.”
“The box might be a Trojan Horse,” Gretchen said. “It could have a bomb inside.”
Xander walked toward the crate. “Lorne, we better get this outside!”
“Wait,” Dawn said as she typed frantically. Xander came around the computer and watched her type.
willow, find riley Dawn wrote. information uploaded is initiative database. we just rec’d crate of initiative equip. user rw3 im’d pword to initiative upload. pword is “firecracker.”
“Oh,” Xander said with clear relief. “That explains it. Riley probably sent the equipment here because we’re the closest watchers to the old Sunnydale site.”
riley unaware of upload and equipment Willow typed back. ditto 4 graham. Only 2 surviving Initiative personnel don’t know source of info/supplies.
Xander looked at the box. “The Markovics weren’t involved with the Initiative, were they?”
“Still doesn’t totally deep six the Trojan Horse theory,” Lorne said.
Xander shook his head. “I think Dawn and I should look into this computer thing while I-”
“Xander,” Dawn said, pushing away from the computer. “No offence, but I’m in charge here. Willow, Andrew, and Riley are on the Initiative upload mystery. Our priority should be Spike, Giles, and now Connor and Faith. Faith hasn’t checked in since last night. We need to plan some recon and, if necessary, a rescue.”
As if on cue, Spike and Eve stumbled into the lobby of the Hyperion. Spike pulled his leather coat from over his head and tossed it on a chair.
“Look who I brought,” Spike said sarcastically.
*****
“Oh my god,” Cordeila whispered. “What did they do to you?!” The vamps hired by Wolfram & Hart had thoroughly tortured Connor for information. The skin covering his left rib cage had been mostly stripped away and bones were visible.
“The others,” Connor moaned quietly. “We have to get them. Faith and Giles and Spike.”
“Spike?” Cordelia said. “We’re supposed to rescue Spike?”
“He’s good now. Soul.”
Cordy rolled her eyes. “He always did just copy Angel.” She kissed Connor. Oddly, Connor pulled away. “What’s wrong?”
“Don’t,” he whispered. “Don’t kiss me.”
“Baby, you’re delirious,” Cordy said, kissing him again. He didn’t have the strength to fight, but he didn’t kiss back. “Let’s get you out of here. Then we can be together.”
“We have to get the others,” Connor said.
“Okay, okay. But Connor, we’ll all always be in danger as long as Wolfram & Hart is around. Especially you and I. We should talk to the Council to speed up the attacks. When’s the next one scheduled?”
Connor shook his head. “I don‘t know.”
Cordy caressed Connor’s face. “You have to find out. That way you can protect us. Me. You. The family we’ll have together.”
Connor shook his head. “Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Saying that you love me,” Connor whimpered. “Pretending that you love me.”
“Connor, baby, I do,” Cordy said desperately.
“I loved you so much,” Connor wept.
Drusilla was shocked that this boy, who only barely cried out in pain while nearly getting skinned alive, expressed such anguish now. What she said to du Plessis was right. They’d get nowhere with physical torture. They needed Dru to get inside his mind.
Cordelia had worked so well before. And at that time, Connor had been a well-adjusted college student from a happy family. How was it that this insecure and feral animal could now resist the temptation of the only thing he ever really wanted? Drusilla smiled internally. Her baby brother was much like her lover and childe. In the end, he was a fool for love.
“We can be together,” Drusilla whispered. “You and I.”
Connor shook his head. “You were my . . . my whole world. But I was nothing but a tool to you. No different than a sword or a hammer or anything else you used to get what you want. I loved you. And I’m desperate for you to love me back. But I know you never will. And no amount of my wanting it can change that.”
Part of Drusilla wanted to rip Connor’s throat out. Instead, she stroked his cheek again. “Give me a kiss goodbye?” she said, still appearing as Cordelia to him.
In her own way, Drusilla loved her brother deeply. Dru always thought she wanted the real Connor back. But when he came, the stars had screamed so loudly that she’d been jolted from her sleep. She knew their future. How things must end between them. Yet in this moment, her heart still ached for him as much as any sister hurt for her brother.
Drusilla kissed Connor gently and backed out of the room. She kept the visage of Cordelia for Connor’s sake. Part of her felt ashamed at betraying him. But mostly, she could see some small amount of happiness in his eyes when he looked at Cordy. She wanted him to have that for just a little longer.
“It didn’t work?” du Plessis said, trying to disguise his annoyance.
“But I saw his heart,” Drusilla said. “Soon, I shall go back as the new one. Dawn.”
******
“Connor!” Dawn screamed when she saw the boy’s state. “I wish I knew a healing spell.”
Connor could hear the scuffle in the hallway as Dawn helped him down. She didn’t have a key, so she needed to pick the cuffs. Luckily, the council had former spy guys Riley Finn and Graham Miller to teach them groovy CIA tricks.
Connor nearly collapsed into Dawn’s arms.
“Okay,” Dawn groaned. “You’re going to need to walk because, skinny as you are, me with the carrying is not happening.”
Connor was questioning everything. The ghostly visit from Cordy left him wondering if he’d been hallucinating due to pain or if Drusilla had hypnotized him. Was Dawn an apparition too? Had Dru tapped into him again and seen his desire for Dawn?
Armand came to the door and raised his arm as if to cast a spell. Dawn’s arms were busy holding Connor up. Armand turn and help up his hand, deflecting a powerful blast. Faith and Spike ran into the room.
“I’ll carry him,” Spike said, scooping Connor up. “Faith’s stronger so we’ll use her for the fighting.”
The slayer’s skills were immediately required. The two vamps that tortured Connor stormed the room. They were immediately on top of Faith, both throwing punches. Faith blocked them and stood her ground, but she wasn’t getting any time to throw her own punches.
Xander, still looking battered and bruised, entered the room and took a swing with his sword at the vamps’ backs. One of the vamps spun and threw a kick. He nailed Xander, but the distraction meant Faith was one on one with the other vamp. The advantage quickly evaporated as another vamp came in behind Xander.
“I can fight,” Connor said, pulling away from Spike and collapsing to the floor. The cell door slammed shut and they were all trapped together. A melee broke out.
“Fire,” Dawn said, trying to concentrate. “Spell to make fire.”
“Bugger that,” Spike said, whipping out his Bic. “I know how to make fire.”
Spike tossed the lighter at the vamp fighting Xander, distracting it while Xander swung a sword through its head. Spike jumped to Faith’s side and, despite not having weapons, quickly took the advantage over the remaining two vamps.
Faith kicked her vamp so hard that he spun. She quickly closed in behind him and grabbed him around his waist. “Xander Sword Head!”
Xander hacked that vampire’s head off and tossed his sword to Spike. In one motion, Spike grabbed the sword Xander pitched to him and swung it through the remaining vamp’s head.
The door swung open. Spike and Faith began to charge out but Giles and Gretchen stormed in, preventing them from leaving.
“Their reinforcements are here,” Giles said quickly.
“This is a holding cell,” Spike said argumentatively. “It’s designed to keep folks in, not out.”
Giles winced. “Um . . . good point.”
“Hold the door closed,” Faith said to Spike. As soon as the vampire pushed on the side of the door that opened, Faith kicked the door off its hinges. “Shield. We should be able to get to the stairs.”
Spike looked at Connor appreciatively. “She learned that move form you, mate,” he said with a grin.
Xander, figuring he was the least helpful in battle, picked up Connor. The group stormed into the hallway and made it to the stairwell. Spike poked his head out from behind the door. The hall was empty.
“What the . . .” Spike glanced up at a flashing light. “They’re evacuating the building!”
The crew ran down the stairs to the sixth floor. The seventh floor was a security area and had no windows. On the sixth, they could get out. Or at least most of them could. It was still daytime. Spike would have to make it to the sewers.
“Why’d they evacuate,” Dawn asked as she climbed out onto the fire escape.
The building shook slightly.
“Earthquake?” Xander answered, unsure of himself.
The building shook again, harder this time.
“Oh, bloody hell!” Spike said.
“They’re blowing the building!” Faith said quickly.
“Spike, meet us back at the hotel!” Giles called.
Spike fled into the stairwell. The others ran down the fire escape.
“We brought a van,” Xander said.
Behind them, du Plessis was shouting. “You’ll pay for this, you . . .” His voice was cut off by another blast. This one collapsed the building. Dawn took the wheel of the car and sped away as the building turned into a tidal wave of rubble rolling down the street behind them.
“Dawn,” Xander said nervously. “Faster would be nice.”
“I know!”
“Dawn!” Xander yelled as the rubble began to overtake them.
Dawn spun the wheel quickly and drove down into an underground parking garage. She pulled into a spot and leaned her head against the steering wheel. She turned and looked at Connor.
“If Spike were here,” Dawn said, nearly out of breath. “He’d tell you I learned that from you, too.”
“Speaking of Spike,” Faith said. “Think he had time to get out?”
Giles bit his lip. “I don’t know. Perhaps we’d better call Lorne.”
“While you’re at it,” Faith said. “Call Buffy. When the hell did we start blowing up buildings?!”
“I don’t think this was us,” Giles said.
“Who else would blow up Wolfram & Hart?” Faith snapped.
“The Initiative,” Dawn said suddenly.
“What?” Giles asked.
“Today we got a shipment of Initiative gear,” Xander explained. “And they uploaded a bunch of data to the council’s web site.”
“The Initiative was discontinued,” Giles said.
“Looks like they’re re-continued,” Xander said.
“Then why would they be sending us their gear and files?” Faith looked around the car. She didn’t like any of this. There was too much going on and none of them were in the loop.
“Call Buffy and Riley,” Faith said angrily. “I want some answers for once.”
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