| Have a Little Faith, Chapter 25 | |
This chapter is a bit violent
“Hey Alex,” Faith said, coming into her office and smiling. She sat next to her desk, then rested her feet at the end of it.
“Hello,” Alex replied. She could tell she wanted something. “What’s up?”
“It’s about Gunn—and the stipend—“
“That’s no problem.” Alex smiled. “Close the door. We need to talk about something.”
“Okay,” she said, unsure of what they were going to talk about. She closed the door and sat in the same position as before.
Alex smiled again. She was hesitant to talk about it, but finally she said: “I know about Lindsey.”
“Did—“
“No one told me. I figured it out and
Wesley confirmed it. Don’t be harsh on him. I would have known
he was lying. He told me that it was Lindsey who warned you that
Angelus was trying to kill me.”
Faith did not say anything, she just nodded.
“Faith,” she said, sternly. “He has to get out. Do you understand? He’s not going to survive much longer. I’m surprised he lasted this long. He has no experience doing such long term undercover work.”
“I’ve offered,” she said. “I’ve pleaded. You gotta understand. He brought Angelus into his world. He thinks that he’s gotta die to stop him. I told him he’s finished, but he doesn’t want to listen.”
“Faith,” Alex commented, thinking what to say. “It’s very noble what he is doing and I’m glad that he tipped you off so many times and that he saved me, but he has to get out. It’s to dangerous.”
“Cordelia and me—we’re all that he has and even together we can’t convince him.”
“He won’t last much longer,” Alex said, deadpan.
Faith looked down. “I know.”
The intercom at the front door buzzed. Alex got up to see who it was.
Faith knew she was right. She had been in denial because it had been so many months and Angelus had never suspected. She thought they would find the curse, restore Angelus and that would be it. Lindsey would be freed of Angelus forever. However she had been worried lately that they would never find the texts for the curse.
“Faith, there is someone here to see you,” Alex called from the other room. Faith flew out the door, half thinking it was Lindsey finally making the right decision, but instead she saw a girl about her age, dark complexion but not black with very black hair and dark eyes.
“Faith?”
Faith nodded.
“I’m Lina. This may sound silly, but
Shortcake sent me.”
“I’ve been thinking about him for weeks. He was so sad. I could tell, despite that I felt he was scared all the time. I was so mad, my uncle, my cousin, why save the creature that killed them?”
“To save other people—“
Lina nodded. “I got to thinking that maybe this would save him.”
“You guessed right. So do you know the curse?”
“No, but I have a few favors, maybe I can
find someone who does.”
Lindsey was feeling upbeat. Three weeks ago, Lina had shown up and for the first time the gypsies were actually talking to them. They had not found a trace of the transliteration annals, but at least they were on the right track.
For the first time he thought he may get
out of this alive.
“The final object is where?” Angelus asked.
“In Egypt, right now. It’s part of travel exhibition. First stop New York, then Boston, then Chicago, then LA.”
Angelus laughed. “We’ll be there when it arrives.”
The door opened and a guard came in.
“Excuse me!” Angelus said, loudly, to make the guard more nervous than he was. “Don’t you knock?”
“I’m sorry, sir,” the man said. Angelus could smell his fear so strongly that he could taste it. That reminded him that he was a little hungry.
“What is it?”
“There is a gentle—a vampire here that claims he knows you. We were gonna stake him, but well you might be disappointed if we did.”
“Show him in.”
The guard called out the door and then opened it fully.
In walked Spike.
None of the vampires said anything for a long time.
“Spikey—“ Dru said.
“Hello Love.”
“You have exactly five minutes to explain before I stake you.”
Spike yawned. “Love, I heard you’ve resurfaced.”
“I came because Angelus is back. I missed him—I didn’t miss you.”
“Spike—“ Angelus warned but then he grabbed him and slammed him on the desk.
“Hold on,” he said. “Time out. I came here to help you.”
“Like you helped Buffy kill me,” Angelus still keeping Spike pinned to the desk.
“That was different, that was pure jealousy,” he said, winking at Drusilla.
“No it was not—not pure that is,” Dru said.
“Anyway, I got a bit of info. I need something in return.”
“What do you know?” Angelus asked, not letting go of his grip.
“First things first. I want you to promise a favor.”
“Forget this,” Angelus said. “Where’s a stake.”
Dru looked concerned over Spike being killed. “Wait—let us see what he wants.”
“Thanks, love.”
Angelus loosened his grip and Spike got up and straightened his coat. “Howdy, Penn, what gives? I thought you decided to go on your own. That’s what you told me when we met in Italy.”
“For two hundred years,” Penn replied. “But sometimes you miss your family. Heard you’re the black sheep now?”
“I got a rep to maintain. Anyway, the Slayer’s got plenty of work with this thing called the Initiative. Much as I hate her, this is bad news. They take demons and put chips in their heads-- makes them stop being aggressive.”
“You can’t hurt anyone,” Drusilla said. She walked over to Spike and touched his head. “Little chip inside your head fills you with electricity, tells you that you can’t be naughty.”
“So I tell some inside news about your LA slayer, you get your Wolfie and Hart pals to take this chip out.”
“Alright,” Angelus said and Spike wasn’t sure he liked the tone. “What do you know about Faith?”
“You promise about the chip?”
“Sure.”
“Your slayer, Faith, lived in Sunnydale about 8 months before she headed out here.”
“So?”
“Someone told her you were here. That’s why she came out here.”
“What?” Angelus snapped.
“That’s it. And they want to restore your soul. So you can be good and kittenish again.”
“You see I was right, she was holding back and I knew there was a reason I didn’t like him,” Dru said. “His head and heart did not match. His heart was sweet, his head filled with fear. Mr. Blue eyes.”
Angelus looked over Drusilla. “Lindsey warned them?”
Drusilla nodded. “Over and over again.”
“But—“ Lee said. “The mind readers would have picked that up.”
“I said he was off,” Drusilla retorted. “He hides away behind a fake fear to a place we cannot see.”
“It’s a spell,” Angelus said. “His thoughts are hidden by a spell.”
“So now that you got that bit of news, how about the chip?”
“Not yet.”
“What? No fair. We had a deal.”
“And I’ll still have it done. But if I take the chip out, you’ll go kill Buffy won’t you?”
“No man, I’ll leave her for you.”
Angelus smiled. “I know you to well, William. Slayers are your obsession. We get that chip out, Buffy is as good as dead. She’s my prize. I won’t allow you to have her.”
“Well, maybe I’ll have a little nibble, but I was gonna save her for you, honest.”
“After I kill Buffy, we’ll get the chip out.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Spikey,” Dru said. “I’ll make sure he does it.”
“You will, love?”
Drusilla nodded.
“We’ll meet you in Sunnydale, keep Buffy in the dark.”
Spike nodded.
“How long?”
“We have some unfinished business here,” Angelus said. “First I have to break the neck of a lawyer and then I have to kill a slayer.”
“Why not do it both at once,” Drusilla said
and smiled.
“Are you sure?” Holland asked.
“Someone warned her,” Angelus explained. “Remember when he took his vacation last year? He drove very close to Sunnydale. My theory is that he visited them and told them all about me and your plans.”
“I must say this is very disappointing. I’m very surprised. I hand picked Lindsey. This is so unlike him. Are you sure?”
“Humans,” Angelus said, “are cursed with a soul. He took this trip very near the time that I killed a kid. Humans, their souls can make them weak.”
“He will be terminated immediately.”
Angelus shook his head. “Dru and I
have a better idea.”
For some reason he was not surprised when Angelus burst into the office with his vampire pals, grabbed him by the neck and slammed him on the desk.
“Hello, Lindsey. How’s Faith doing?”
Lindsey did not respond.
Angelus yanked Lindsey up by his neck. Drusilla suddenly blew a small amount of red dust into his face. Lindsey closed his eyes, sneezed, then realized the mind spell had been broken. They could see everything.
“Let him go,” Drusilla said. “He is not afraid even a little bit.” She was surprised at that.
Angelus loosened his grip.
“You are so dead Lindsey.”
“Fine,” Lindsey replied. He was not afraid. He knew this day would come and he planned to face it bravely.
Angelus looked surprised. “You really aren’t afraid?”
“No,” he said. “I’m happy. So happy to know that before I died I fucked you over badly.”
Angelus did not look insulted, instead he laughed. “You are very cocky. I’m sorry I have to kill you.”
“Do what you have to do. I’m not afraid to die.”
“What if I turned you then sent you to kill Faith.”
“She would kill me first, then you. You won’t stop her Angelus. She’s strong and she’s tough. You don’t want to her to seek revenge on you. She’ll kill you and your pals.”
Angelus suddenly got enraged. He grabbed a letter opener from Lindsey’s desk and slashed him across the side of his face, then slammed him again against the desk. Lindsey got up and regained his balance. He touched the open wound. Blood was all over his hand, running down his white shirt. But he still stood up to Angelus. He looked him in the eye without looking down. He was not afraid to die.
“Oh,” Lindsey said and made a smirk.
“I hit a sore spot didn’t you. What was her name? Darla?”
Angelus slapped Lindsey on the face
where he had just slashed him with the letter opener. It stung, but still
he kept eye contact.
“Why aren’t you afraid?” Penn asked
“Enough, my dear,” Dru said, taking away Angelus’ hand. Angelus licked the bloody letter opener.
“Taste a bit sour. Would you like a taste,” he said, offering her the letter opener.
“I want to play a game,” she said, ignoring the letter opener. “Like the one I played with the man last year.”
Angelus smiled and put the letter opener back on the desk. “I liked that game.”
Dru touched Lindsey’s open wound. She smeared blood all over his face. “My dear, look into my eyes. I want to see you.”
Lindsey felt himself being probed. Drusilla was looking into the very fiber of his being. He tried to resist.
“Don’t fight it. How sweet—So many people to care about you. You used to be so lonely. And you might have worked with us if you stayed lonely. Our plan will work. Faith and—oh you really did not want anyone to learn about dear sweet Cordelia.”
“Cordelia Chase,” Angelus said and laughed. “Why would anyone care about her?”
Lindsey got angry and tried to grab the letter opener, but Drusilla grabbed it instead. She ran if across his chest, it ripped the white shirt, already destroyed by the blood, then moved it to the bottom of his stomach. Lindsey could feel the sharpness of it, then felt it being pushed through the white shirt, a moment later it pierced his skin. She pushed it in deeply and slowly without her expression changing. Lindsey cried out in pain but did not move. Drusilla ripped Lindsey’s head up and made him look into her eyes. She did not remove the letter opener.
“No, no dearie. You don’t have to do that. Stay focused on my eyes. I am amazed that you haven’t been hit by the train of fear.”
Lindsey tried to struggle, but he could not help being fixated on her eyes. She pushed the letter open in deeper. He cried out again, but did not stop looking into her eyes. She pulled the letter opener out quickly and licked the blade. “He’s right, it is a bit sour. Look at me dearie.” She held his head by his cheeks, smearing more blood on his face.
“The two young ladies are your life lines.
One young lady is quite important to us. You will bring her to us.”
Faith’s cell phone rang at around 2. Doyle had no visions, she was done training with Wesley and she decided to catch up on All My Children.
“Hello Faith,” It was Lindsey. She was surprised that he didn’t call her shortie.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I think I have a lead for the curse.”
“You’re kidding,” she said, wondering if this was finally all over. Although there was something about Lindsey’s deadpan tone of voice that disturbed her.
“Yes. She wants to meet alone on the roof of 345 West Hollywood Blvd. Just you, her, and me. She doesn’t trust anyone else. If you bring anyone else, she’ll freak out and leave.”
“Alright, what time?”
“7pm tonight.”
Faith looked at her watch. That would be five hours from now. Just around the time she left to go patrolling.
“Alright I’ll see you there.”
“Goodbye Short—“ he paused for a moment. “cake—“
Faith did not respond for a moment. Something was going on. He used his code name for her.
“Goodbye Lindsey— I’ll see you tonight.”
She turned off the phone. Something was terribly wrong. A moment later the regular phone rang. She rushed over to the phone.
“Darling, it’s Doyle,” Doyle said and he sounded distressed. “I’ve just had a vision of Lindsey. He was hanging off a roof by his neck and struggling to breathe.”