Chapter Seventeen
____________

"What the *hell* do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea how dead you're going to be?"

Professor Walsh raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so. We're a government organization, Ms. Summers. I don't believe any resources you have will have any effect on us."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "You have *no* idea what a Slayer is. Believe me when I say: you're gonna find out."

The only indication Walsh even heard her was a slight twitch of one eyebrow.

**

Angelus slammed Riley into the wall, snarling. "Where is she?!"

Riley swallowed, but otherwise managed to stay completely calm. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Fangs to the fore, Angelus shoved his face into the blonde's. "In a second, you won't know what you're looking at either...you won't have eyes."

Voice shaking, the commando began to talk.

**

Giles was on the phone to the Council in the loft, Angelus and Doyle were in the living room making plans, and Willow was trying to hack into the 'Initiative's computer system. Anya and Oz were out gathering the Faithful...and Xander was pacing.

Xander, in fact, would not stop pacing, despite repeated attempts to get him to do so.

Suddenly Willow squealed, bouncing in her seat. "Got it!"

Angelus and Doyle came running over as Giles came pounding down the stairs.

"I got in...I had to go through five different back channels, and they really encrypted this, but I got in. Ok, they have her here...and the main entrance is here, it looks like. There's a *ton* of security between, but I think that fifteen or sixteen faithful should handle it no problem from what Angel said."

"Ok. So, we'll move at dawn."

Angel blinked at Xander, then sighed. "Hello? Vampires. I really feel that our troops exploding in the morning sun won't be helpful."

Xander winced, then nodded. "Right. Ok, then. We attack at dusk?"

Giles glanced at the clock. "No. Midnight. One hour. Someone go find Anya and Oz...whoever they got will have to be enough."

Taking the chance to actually *do* something, Xander grabbed his coat and took off after his girlfriend. Giles waited until he'd left, then turned to Willow, speaking quietly.

"Do you think you could find something for me in the basement? It's a box, about a foot wide, and two tall."

The hacker nodded and went downstairs, unaware that there was no such box. Giles turned to the others when she was gone, and his voice dropped several levels, almost a whisper, in case she could hear through the floorboards.

"They're not ready for this."

Angelus raised an eyebrow, standing up. "The Initiative? No, I imagine not."

The Watcher shook his head. "No. Willow and Xander. Anya and Oz were at the Gathering last year, and Oz the year before. They know what to expect. But the Council is teleporting as many troops as it can, and sending out calls for all other branches to do the same. You understand what that means."

Doyle nodded. "As it should be. The Slayer's been captured."

"Yes. But think how her friends will react. Her mother."

The half demon winced. When he spoke, his voice was soft. "It can't be helped. Slayers...they feed off that kind of energy. She'll need it, after being in a cage. And so will the worshipers...to know she's alive, and well, and still watching over us."

Giles nodded. "Yes. I know. I'm just...warning you. Be aware."

"We are."

"I say...you are what, exactly? And am I counted as part of this? I'd like to know ahead of time...if I want to disassociate before I leave again."

Giles' head whipped around, and his eyes narrowed. "Ethan."


***

Chapter Eighteen
____________

Ethan gave an exaggerated bow and chuckled at him. "Yes. Didn't your Slayer tell you? I decided to teleport...faster, you know."

Giles glared. "And cheaper. Couldn't afford the ticket?"

The other man raised an eyebrow, but nodded slightly, "…perhaps." He looked around, blinking. "Where is the girl? I have something for her."

Angelus came over. "She's been captured. And I'll take whatever you brought for her."

Covering one jacket pocket with his hand, Ethan took five full minutes to look the vampire over before nodding. "Alright." Slowly, his hand moved into his jacket, and Angelus' eyes moved down just in time to stop it from whipping out and throwing a silver knife into his heart.

Ethan winced and glanced at his wrist, where the vampire's hand was now painfully attached. "I say...it's just metal. Can't hurt you."

He was answered by a growl. "It can if it's been dipped in holy water."

Ethan smirked a bit and nodded, deftly twisting his wrist away, then flipped the knife and offered it handle first to Angelus. "Quite. Should take care of both Darla and the annoying demon quite well."

Giles stepped forward immediately, taking the knife from Angelus and looking it over. "Interesting markings..." He turned the blade over a few times, then went over to the table and started looking through his books. When he spoke again he didn't look up. "Ethan, where did you get this?"

The Englishman raised an eyebrow and sat down. "I don't choose to reveal my sources. Suffice to say that this will take care of your problem."

Angelus growled, watching Giles look. "One of them. The smaller one."

The basement door opened and Willow came back up, giving Giles an apologetic look. "I couldn't find the box." The watcher just nodded, though, making her feel better, and continued to look through his books.

She went over to him and started reading over his shoulder. "Are we looking for something else now? Shouldn't we be planning how to get Buffy out?"

"Indeed. We should get the Slayer out."

Willow jumped a mile and spun around, her eyes landing on Ethan. "Who's he?"

"A friend. Well...sort of." Giles glanced over. "He's helping us for now. Let's just leave it at that."

Xander burst into the room with Anya in tow. "We've got a legion of people...well...vampires. I don't know if that's the same thing..." he jumped at Angelus' growl. "Ok. People. We have a legion of people. Anya and Oz did great. They're all gonna meet at Lowell House. And they seem to think they're going to get reinforcements?"

"They will."

"Who's he?"

Giles groaned and rubbed his head, then just launched into his and Ethan's history, one eye on the phone, waiting for a call from the Council.

 

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