The phone call had transformed Buffy. With a new sense of purpose, she changed into clothes fit for patrolling, slipped on Angel’s leather jacket, her crossbow over her shoulder, and was out the door before Willow could even comment. All that mattered now was that Angel could be in danger. If he was, Buffy would blame herself. If she hadn’t gotten angry with him he wouldn’t have run off and gotten himself hurt…or killed…oh God.
Buffy fought the wave of panic that threatened to consume her. Surely if something had happened to Angel she would have known. Right? The thing was, Buffy had no idea where to look for Angel. Was he even still in town? He could have left after their fight…
So, places where Angel could be staying. The mansion…no, the long abandoned building was unlivable at the moment. Still a suitable lair for a vampire, but as a home for a human it needed a lot of work. The apartment he’d stayed in when he’d first lived in Sunnydale surely had new tenants by now. Which left hotels. And Buffy had no specific one to begin her long, possibly door-to-door, search with.
Fortunately, there weren’t that many hotels in Sunnydale. Using the Espresso Pump as a starting point, Buffy began to wander, especially alert for vampires, commandos…and Angel.
As luck would have it, Buffy spotted Angel’s car outside the first hotel she approached. She sighed with relief that he hadn’t left town. Which is a good thing, Angel, because if you had I’d hunt you down and stake you, vampire or not. She instantly felt guilty for the thought and hurried into the office.
Buffy wrinkled her nose in disgust. It wasn’t as bad as the place Faith had stayed in, but it smelled like old cigarette smoke. A young woman behind the desk was watching a small black and white television.
“Excuse me!” Buffy said loudly.
“Yeah?” the woman said, continuing to watch the television.
“Um, I’m looking for someone?” Buffy began, then realized she had her crossbow slung over one shoulder and dropped it on the ground out of site. The woman was too caught up in her television show to notice. “It’s my boyfriend, and his car’s outside, so I was hoping…?”
“You want a room number, I can’t give it to you. You give me a name, though, and I could call him for you.” The girl smiled, a bit apologetic.
Well, that would have to do. “His name’s Angel…” Buffy began, then realized she didn’t know Angel’s last name. “Uh, I have a picture of him.” She pulled out the photograph of them at the beach that she’d hastily shoved in her jacket.
The woman smiled appreciatively. “Yeah, I’ve seen him. Hot one, isn’t he? But he’s not here right now. He left about two hours ago.”
Great. Just great. Now she was looking for one man on foot who had an uncanny ability to hide in the shadows. “Thanks anyway,” Buffy said. “Could you give him a message in case he returns?”
“Sure.”
“Tell him Buffy’s looking for him, and to please call me. It’s very important.” Buffy picked up her crossbow then and walked back out of the hotel and towards the campus. Her next clue, if not to Angel’s whereabouts then at least to the source of the danger, lay in Cordelia’s vision. Military type guys, huh? Well, there was one person Buffy knew she could ask about that.
But Riley wasn’t home, or so the guy who answered the frat house door assured her. “What are you looking for him for anyway?” the guy asked, regarding Buffy’s attire and crossbow oddly.
“Uh, target practice?” Sure, and Riley dresses like an army man to play paintball. So lame excuse. “Could you tell him I’m looking for him?”
Great. So where to now?
The guy looked at the door oddly after
it closed behind the girl. Then he picked up the nearest phone. “Yeah,”
he said into it, “tell Professor Walsh that there was some girl with a
crossbow here looking for Agent Finn….No, I don’t know where he is. No
one does.”
Angel woke up with a start. He was
cold, he ached all over, and his heart was racing. He tried to sit up but
found his hands were tied, making the movement difficult. Still, he managed,
though he groaned as his body ached in protest.
“You’re awake,” a voice said near at hand. “I’m surprised.”
Two men in full military style attire regarded him through masks. “Well, I’m full of surprises,” Angel replied. “Aren’t you two a bit late for Halloween?”
“I’m asking the questions,” the same voice replied. “How are you alive?”
Loaded question, if only you knew. “I feel like I’m in a bad spy movie,” Angel said with a laugh. “And don’t I know your voice from somewhere?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Sure I do!” Angel replied even though he was captured. “Riley, isn’t it?”
The second commando’s start of surprise was all the answer he needed.
“Decided to take care of the competition, huh? Be careful. I’ve seen what jealousy can do to a person.”
Riley pulled off his mask angrily. “I’m not jealous. I’m just looking out for Buffy.”
“Right. I’m sure you had her best interests at heart.” Usually Angel wouldn’t have said these things – though it was fun seeing the boy squirm – but right now he needed to keep Riley off balance. He needed time. That given, he could get out of these ropes.
“I’ll ask again,” the boy said, sounding angry, “how are you alive?”
Angel thought on the question for a moment. “Disappointed that you didn’t manage to kill me?”
“I wasn’t trying to kill you!” Riley replied.
That hung in silence between them for a moment. Like a puzzle, the pieces snapped together in Angel’s mind. “You thought I was a vampire.”
Riley looked flustered and the second man spoke. “He has you there.”
The boy ignored the comment. “A reliable source informed me that you were.”
Angel shook his head. “Let’s see…heartbeat, check, desire for blood, non-existent, and I’m wearing a cross. Nope, I don’t think so.” He smiled. “And Riley? I’d hardly call a vampire a ‘reliable source.’”
Meanwhile, the ropes loosened a little
bit.
Buffy was at a loss. Cordelia’s vision
suggested that Angel was in danger from Riley’s commando group, but that
didn’t make sense. There was no reason for them to go after him; he wasn’t
a vampire anymore. If anything, Angel was on the same side they were. They
all fought demons.
Unless, of course, the danger wasn’t from that group as a whole. She didn’t think he’d do anything, but the danger could be from Riley himself. If he’s done anything to Angel, I’ll kill him. Several times.
That was, of course, assuming that Buffy could find either of them. She was hoping to find Angel – he was all she really cared about – but something told her Riley had the information she needed. This time she’d get it from him, even if she had to torture him for it. She didn’t know where to look though. Buffy, in increasing waves of panic, was reduced to wandering and hoping.
Something broke through Buffy’s emotions suddenly, making her stop and stand perfectly still. It took her only a moment to recognize it. It was the sense she got whenever Angel was near. Yes! Never had she been so pleased that she could recognize his presence.
Buffy took another step forward, presumably towards her goal, and the sensation vanished. What…? She took a step back and she felt him again. Buffy stared around herself in confusion. But, he’s not here…
Her vision fell on a sewer grate at the edge of the street. If I don’t see him here, that leaves only one option. Down.
Into the sewers and caves beneath Sunnydale.
“It has come to our attention that
Agent Finn is missing and may have endangered the security of the Initiative.
Your task is to find him and any accomplices and bring them back to base
for questioning…”
The ropes loosened with a sudden jerk.
Fortunately, Riley was too blind to notice. No, that’s not true, he wasn’t
blind, he was just too busy listening to himself talk.
He was babbling. Something about Buffy, and how good he was for her, and how obviously bad for her Angel was, but truth be told Angel wasn’t paying any attention to him. Neither was the other commando, who seemed to be lightly dozing against the far wall.
When Riley paused for a breath, Angel cleared his throat. Riley glared at him. I don’t think he’s stupid enough to fall for this, but… “Um, the ropes are cutting off the circulation to my hands. Could you loosen them a little bit?”
Riley stopped his ranting and crossed behind Angel, coming closer. Okay, so he is stupid enough. Why did Buffy ever date you? As soon as Angel knew Riley had drawn close enough, Angel jerked his arms free of the ropes. Before Riley could react, Angel punched him hard in the side of the head. The boy slumped to the floor instantly, making a satisfying ‘thump’ as he hit the floor.
Untying the ropes around his ankles was much easier, and soon Angel was free. He stood quickly. The second commando moved slightly, and Angel instantly moved into a battle stance.
The commando held up his hands. “I’m not going to stop you,” he said. “Actually, I wanted to thank you. I’ve wanted to knock Riley out for some time. Just to shut him up.”
Angel grinned, flashed the boy a wave,
and disappeared into the tunnels at an easy run.
Buffy carefully lowered herself into
the sewer. She landed lightly on her feet, surveying the tunnel around
her. She hated the sewer tunnels. What girl wouldn’t? But Sunnydale’s sewers
were especially nasty, and not with the usual sort of sewer nastiness.
No, these sewers were a haven for Sunnydale’s more troublesome elements.
Specifically vampires. After all, they were a handy, sunlight-free highway
all over town. Or under town. Whatever.
This time, though, Buffy was hunting monsters of the human variety. Sadly, they were the type she couldn’t slay. However, in Riley’s case, she just might have to make an exception.
Her sense of Angel was stronger down here, so she knew her hunch had been right. She followed that sense of him through the tunnels. It led her to a corridor that broke off from the sewer and became something else. A roughhewn hallway of sorts.
As Buffy drew close to the corridor, lights further along the tunnel caught her eye. Voices came as well, but they were too distant to make out clearly. Buffy intended on them staying that way. All she could here was a stern, leader voice calling out “This way!” as they people or creatures came closer. She ducked around the corner…
Just in time to run smack into someone running from the other direction. Both of them went down in a heap, her assailant on top. For a brief moment Buffy panicked and tried to free her crossbow. Then her senses…normal and otherwise…became suddenly clear and she pulled him into a rough embrace.
“Oh God, I was so worried,” Buffy cried, raining small kisses on Angel’s face. “I thought something terrible had happened…”
“Nothing more terrible than listening to Riley for hours,” Angel replied with a small smile as he climbed off her. She would not let him pull away and sat up with him, continuing to kiss him. She shook with relief. “I’m alright, I’m alright,” Angel assured her between kisses, returning her embrace.
Buffy’s soft, relieved kisses changed into one far more passionate, and Angel returned it wholeheartedly. Nothing else was important at the moment. They held each other to reassure themselves that all was well. In each other’s arms, all was instantly forgiven.
But not forgotten. Angel broke from the kiss for the moment. Still holding Buffy close, he looked at her seriously. “Buffy, I…” he began.
Knowing what he was going to say, Buffy silenced his apology with a gently hand to his lips. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “We have plenty of time to talk about everything later.” She kissed him softly again. “Right now, let’s just leave some things unsaid.”