| Have a Little Faith, Chapter 24 |
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Faith had made a quick call to Lindsey, but she did not think he would be able to do anything to save Alonna.
“I should have known—“ Gunn said, after she got off the phone. She did not tell him whom she called. She felt sorry for him, but she wanted to guarantee Lindsey’s safety and she did not want to get his hopes up. The likeliness of Angelus leaving her alive was doubtful.
Gunn was a close to crying as he could. She had them all come to Alex’s place. There was about 14 of them were not killed by Penn and Angelus.
“Hey—“ Faith said. She put her hand on his shoulder.
“Get away from me,” Gunn said, knocking her hand off. “The vampire knew who you were.”
“That was Angelus. I told you about him when I first met you. Of course he knows who I am. I’m the slayer.”
“He took my sister—“
Faith did not say anything for a moment. “I’m sorry,” was all she could think of. “I didn’t know Angelus was going out here during the day. It was supposed to be tonight.”
“How did you know?
“I just do.”
Gunn did not reply.
“You guys need to lay low for a while,” Faith
said, anxious to get off the subject
how she knew.
“We don’t lay low.”
Although Faith was annoyed, she was glad to see the difficult Gunn again. “Listen, you gotta stay here. You can lay low there for a little while. This girl Cordelia lives upstairs. Vampires can’t enter her place.”
“We don’t need your help.”
Faith sighed. She had to think of a
way to get Gunn to listen to her. Suddenly she thought of a perfect
way. “But I might.”
Angelus, Penn, Lee and another vampire Lindsey had never seen before, entered the room laughing. The new vampire was black, medium height and female.
“Where have you been. You had an assignment last night?” he said as stern as possible. Although, Faith’s call told him exactly what happened.
“Already taken care of,” Lee said.
“Hello Lindsey,” Angelus said. “This is my new girl Alonna. I figured without Dru I could make another one.” He smiled. “This is the sister of the leader of the pack. His name is Charles Gunn. He’s been fighting vampires for a long time without a slayer’s license.”
“The weird thing,” Lee said, suspiciously, “Is that Alonna told us that the slayer thought we were coming at night. I’ve never heard of a vision being off.”
Lindsey smiled as smug as he could, though he wish for a moment he had Faith’s strength and four stakes.
“This is news indeed,” he said. “It means the powers that be aren’t always right.”
“Or,” Angelus said and smiled. “Someone told them we were coming.”
“Who?” Lindsey asked. “Everyone here shares your goals. The slayer is a nuisance, so were those kids.”
“Don’t know yet,” Angelus said. “But
I’ll find out.”
“Are you sure, shortcake?” Faith asked.
“Yes. I’m sorry. Angelus just left without telling me—“
“Do you think he’s on to you?
“Lee was suspicious that you thought they were coming tonight, not during the day, but I don’t think Angelus suspects. He thinks the vision was off.” Lindsey hated lying to her, but he did not want to hear her desperate pleas for him to leave.
“Get out now,” Faith said, firmly.
“Has Lina shown up?”
“No.”
“Are we any closer to finding the curse?”
“No, Wesley looked over every gypsy book he could find.”
“Then I’m not getting out.”
“Short—“
“Hey, we’ve had this conversation before.
Meeting Lina was a sign. We will give Angel back his soul.”
Faith did not say anything for a moment.
Lindsey could not even imagine what else she would say if she knew the
full truth.
“That guy—Gunn-- his sister-- I don’t know how you can tell him this, but she’s one of them now. Penn turned her so that she could tell them about Gunn.”
“Damn,” Faith said. “I don’t know how I can tell him. He must assume she’s dead, but I don’t know how he will deal with her if she’s vamped.”
“I don’t know either. How’s Cordy holding up?”
“She’s fine. She doesn’t go out with anyone. I’ve been trying to push her on to Doyle, but she’s hung up on you.”
Lindsey did not reply.
“Shortcake?”
“Push her on Doyle, please. He’s a good man. She’ll be happy with him.”
“Short—“
“I have to go. I’ll speak to you soon,” he said, cutting her off.
“All right, but—“ her voice said, but he hung up the phone. He knew what she would say.
He knew what was happening. More and
more vampires were appearing, everything was closing in. It would
all be over soon.
“What is going on?” Wesley asked, when he entered the office and found 15 or so young men and women hanging around.
Faith was glad he did not have that same angered tone as when she first brought Doyle home. This tone was more of confusion than annoyance.
“It’s a party, man,” Doyle said, who was sitting at Cordelia’s desk.
Wesley shot Doyle a look of loath and disgust.
“Oh come on,” Doyle replied and smiled, “lighten up.”
“Angelus is looking for them,” Faith finally explained. “They’re laying low here so he’ll think they’ve scattered. Alex said it was okay.”
“Where is Alex?”
Faith smiled and looked at Alex’s closed
office door. “Oh, she barricaded herself in her office.”
“Knock, knock,” Wesley said and opened the door.
“Hello Wesley,” Alex said and smiled. “Please come in. It’s nice to see another face over twenty.”
“Well, just barely,” Wesley replied, not insulted. He sat down opposite her. “So did Faith give you a precise time for how long these people are going to stay.”
“She said about two or three days. It’s Cordelia that seems to have the biggest problem with it until I reminded her I charge her half the rent I should charge—“ Alex paused. “She then of course remind me that her living there was sanctuary from the vampires and I really should not be charging her anything.”
Wesley chuckled. “That sounds like her.”
“Where did you guys find her?”
“Oh—um—she is an old friend of Faith.” Wesley could not tell her the truth; that Cordelia was here in hopes of a brief moment with Lindsey.
“Doesn’t seem that way. I don’t think Faith can stand her.”
Wesley chuckled.
“Anyway, I said they could stay for three days, because Faith rarely asks for favors except setting up that training room downstairs, hiring you, Cordelia and Doyle, running off to save the world and kill vampires while she’s supposed to be doing work for me.” Alex chuckled. Then she smiled and touched Wesley’s hand. “No, you and Faith have been wonderful. I don’t know how you found the time, but I’ve been getting more clients, and getting through cases faster.”
“I’m glad—“ Wesley paused for a moment, but kept his hand where it was. He liked feeling her touch. “Money doesn’t solve problems, but now that Faith has a little of it, she won’t be jealous of other that have it.”
“That’s just superficial. Faith needs a family. She has it with you, with Doyle—“ Alex paused. “And the person who is really keeping her going is Lindsey.”
Wesley choked up. He pulled his hand away without realizing it. “Did Cordelia tell you?”
Alex shook her head. “I am a private investigator. She called herself Lindsey in the hospital, she asked for Lindsey when she was out of it. She’s always secretly talking on the phone to someone and well, Cordelia didn’t tell me, but she accidentally lets things slip that she had someone in her life. This Lindsey— This is Lindsey McDonald? He’s the lawyer from Wolfram and Hart, right? The one that is working so closely with Angelus?”
Wesley nodded.
“It hasn’t been the visions that have been telling her how to stop Angelus, it has been Lindsey?”
Wesley nodded again.
“That’s why she didn’t know Angelus was going to attack in the afternoon?”
“Lindsey thought it was going to be evening. Angelus took off without telling him.”
“Wesley,” Alex said, with concern in her
voice, “if I can figure this out, what makes you think someone in Wolfram
and Hart won’t?”
Holland was very disappointed. He was the moment Angelus told him that someone might have leaked information to Faith. He instigated a so-called random mind reading sweep. The mind readers turned up nothing. Lilah who said she was worried about missing a meeting was in fact worried about missing a meeting. Lindsey was scared of all the vampires he was working with. Brett who said he needed to get to the Gruber meeting was actually worried about the Gruber meeting.
Holland dismissed them but called back Lindsey and Lilah.
“Yes, sir,” Lindsey said, feeling a little worried. Maybe the mind readers had found something. Maybe the spell was not strong enough.
“Come to my office,” he said, deadpan.
They followed Holland to his office. Lilah looked at Lindsey with a face that read ‘I don’t know what’s going on either.’
Holland opened the door. The vampire gang, Penn, Angelus, Lee and Alonna were standing behind Holland’s desk. There was a new vampire in the room. She was extremely beautiful with long black hair and piercing eyes.
“Lilah, Lindsey,” Holland said, gesturing towards the new vampire. “May I introduce you to Drusilla.”
Neither of them said anything.
“I cannot tolerate this failure again. Is that clear?”
Lilah looked like she was about the protest, but instead she said. “Yes,sir.”
Lindsey just stayed silent. Mostly out of worry that in a moment Drusilla would see the truth.
Drusilla smiled. She went over to the two of them. She touched Lilah’s face. “Your skin, it’s so soft.”
“I moisturize,” Lilah explained trying to act cool. “I could get you a bottle if you want.”
Drusilla did not respond, instead she walked over to Lindsey. She looked him over, up and down, then frowned.
“I don’t like you at all. You’re off. Something is very funny about you.”
“My dear,” Angelus said. “Lindsey was born off.” He laughed.
Drusilla gave him another disgusted look then walked back to Angelus.
Lindsey knew he was right yesterday that he did not have much time. Drusilla had picked up on the mind spell. It would only be a matter of time before she figured it out. He decided he would have to lie to Faith about it. Drusilla being so close to the truth would start another round of her wanting him to get out. But Lindsey had promised himself that he would stay in the end. If he left now, he would be responsible for every person that Angelus killed.
Oddly enough, he was not afraid to die. He knew that at least it was worthwhile.
“Those teenage vampire hunters wannabes have scrambled. I haven’t been able to find them anywhere,” Penn said proudly. “I don’t think we’ll be having a problem with them anymore.”
“My brother,” Alonna said, “won’t give up easily. He will resurface and returned to his old activities.”
“And the paddy?”
Penn frowned. “He hasn’t been on the street once at night. He’s either at home or at Taylor’s place.”
“What’s to stop us from just going there?” Alonna asked.
“Someone apparently lives there. If
we burst in, they can seek sanctuary in her apartment,” Angelus explained.
“Leaving so soon?” Faith asked, when she came home from patrolling to find Gunn and his group getting ready to leave. Lindsey had told her that Penn had stopped looking for them, but Faith decided not to share the news in hopes that Gunn would stay a little longer. Lindsey had also told her that Drusilla had resurfaced, but did not seem to suspect him.
“Yeah, got the news no one’s out for us.”
“I wish you would stay a little longer.”
“We can’t hide forever,” Gunn said. “I gotta find Alonna.”
Faith looked down. “Listen, you gotta promise me you won’t ask where I got the information.”
“What?”
“Just promise.”
“Okay, I promise.”
“Your sister, she’s a—“ Faith could not bring herself to say it. She could see that Gunn loved only one person in the world.
“She’s dead.”
Gunn looked down. “I know,” he admitted. “When I say find her. I mean find her body, bury her.”
Faith nodded, though she knew he would only bury ash and dust.
“So I can count on you for help?”
“You really meant that yesterday?”
Faith nodded.
“Okay. You come around when you need me.”
“Maybe I can get Alex to give a stipend or something.”
“Sounds cool,” he said, slinging his backpack
over his shoulder.
“It’s here,” Lee announced. “It’s in the building somewhere.”
“You sure?” Angelus asked.
“I wouldn’t say unless I’m sure.”
“What about the three pieces?”
“Working on it.”
“I think I like this plan,” Drusilla said and smiled. “It’s just like the old days, with me and Spikey and Darla, before that horrible little slayer came along.”
“Don’t remind me,” Angel said. “I killed Darla for that thing.”
“Soon we’ll pay her back,” Penn said. “Soon we’ll pay them all back for what they’ve done to our kind.”
“Though I may kill Faith before then, if she ruins any more of my plans.”
“She holds back.”
“What?” Angelus asked.
“She had many chances to kill you, but she holds back,” Dru explained.
“I think the little idiot wants to find the curse. Hope she knows what I do to people who try.”
“She holds back,” Drusilla said.
“You know Holland and Lindsey are going to be suspicious about why we do everything they say,” Penn said.
“I don’t like him,” Drusilla said.
Angelus looked her over. “Holland or Lindsey? Because I don’t like either of them either.”
“Young blues eyes. His heart and his mind don’t match.”
“Dru, remember what I told you about being cryptic.”
Drusilla laughed. “You sounded like William for a minute.”
Angelus was a little angry. “Please don’t confuse me with William. Anyway, I’ve asked Holland to find a very rare vampire book. Except that it doesn’t exist. That should keep the two of them off our trail until we find the missing pieces.”
“Maybe we should turn them?” Lee suggested.
Angelus laughed. “Someone has to suffer in the coming darkness. Let them regret bringing me back.”