“I need answers and I need them now.”

 

Angel was pacing behind his desk yelling into his phone.  “How difficult can it be?  I need to know when he was taken down and where.  I need to know who took him down.  I need to know if anyone’s been asking questions.  I need to know who’s going to do this and I need to know yesterday.” He slammed down the phone.

 

“Can I get you anything boss?”  Harmony had come in without Angel noticing.

 

“No.  I need to be left alone so I can think,” he said glaring at her.  He noticed her expression and realized he was being a little too rough on her, on everyone for that matter.  “I’m fine,” he said, motioning for her to leave.

 

It had been over four hours since Angel had left Faith and Spike.  He couldn’t believe no one had told him what was going on.  But then again, he really shouldn’t have been surprised.  Faith wasn’t one to open up and ask for help.  She’d always try to deal on her own.  Spike!  He couldn’t count on Spike for anything besides pissing him off.

 

So what if he saved the world.

 

Angel had Wesley checking all his sources, trying to find anything that would help.  Someone knew something and they were going to find out who that was.

 

Angel was feeling powerless again.  He didn’t like it, not at all.

 

XXXXX

 

Faith rolled over and looked at Spike.  She wasn’t surprised to find him sleeping in the chair.  It’s what she had been waiting for.  She silently climbed out of bed.  She hadn’t slept at all and she couldn’t stand being cooped up any longer.  She needed to move around.  She needed to get out.  Most of all, she needed a smoke.

 

She had noticed Angel’s private elevator earlier and had formed her plan.  She wasn’t actually going to leave the building; she was just going to go downstairs for a few minutes.  She would have her smoke, and then come back up.  She lightly patted her pocket to see if her secret stash was still there.  A fluttering of excitement indicated that it was.

 

She punched the button labeled “G” on the elevator and grinned as the doors slid smoothly shut.  Nobody would be the wiser.

 

XXXXX

 

Angel realized there wasn’t anything he could accomplish by brooding in his office waiting for answers.  He decided to go and check on Faith. 

 

When he arrived he immediately noticed how quiet the suite was.  He stepped into his bedroom and saw Spike sleeping in a chair next to the bed, the empty bed.

 

He barreled towards Spike and smacked him on the side of the head.  “Where the hell is she?”

 

“Wha..?” he asked, standing up and visibly trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.

 

“Where’s Faith?” Angel stormed towards the bathroom to check for her there.  “She’s gone, Spike.  Faith’s not here.”

 

“Bloody hell.” 

 

XXXXX

 

Faith was barely off the elevator when she lit up, inhaling deeply.  “God, I love these things.” She began exploring the garage.

 

“Damn!”  Angel had a hell of a fleet at his disposal.  “Definite perks working for the bad guys.”   She muttered absently.  She stopped, realizing that the comment hit a little too close to home. 

 

“Two words to make all the pain go away.  Miniature golf.””

“Wow, aren’t you a vision.”

“… no Father could be prouder.”

 

“Didn’t need this anyway.”  The memories or the cigarette?  She didn’t really know.  She flicked the smoldering butt to the ground and headed back towards the elevator.

 

XXXXX

 

“How is this all my fault?”  Spike asked Angel.  “You’re the one with all the bells and whistles.  Figured you’d be the first to know if she was gone.”

 

“Do not blame me for this Spike.  Don’t even try.”  Angel took out his phone and punched a key.  When security answered he said, “I need to know where Faith went, and I need to know now.”  He listened for a moment, and then barked, “She’s where?”

 

“Where?” Spike asked.

 

Angel pocketed his phone.  “She’s in the garage.”  Seeing Spike’s confusion he added, “Smoking.”

 

Grinning.  “She could’ve invited me along.”

 

XXXXX

 

Faith was reaching for the up arrow on the elevator when she heard a shuffling noise somewhere behind her.  Did Angel take out a car?  She hadn’t noticed one missing.  It wouldn’t surprise her if he had left.  He was like her.  Just sitting around waiting wasn’t his style.

 

“Hey,” she called out.  After not getting a response she decided to go see for herself.  She checked to see if her stake was still hidden in her jeans.  Satisfied, she set out.

 

She had made her way through the right hand side of the garage.  She checked the cars thoroughly, under them, around them, and inside.  Nothing.  She was beginning to wonder if maybe she had imagined the shuffling sound.  She knew she had been a little jumpy lately.  She hadn’t been sleeping well.  Maybe her Slayer sense was going on overload and she was hearing things that weren’t even there, but then she heard it again.

 

“Damn it.”  She scanned the garage.  “Now, NOT the time to piss me off.  If you’re there, you can come out.  If you make it snappy, I’ll kill ya quick-like.”

 

“That’s funny,” came a voice.  “I was just thinking about how I was going to kill you.”

 

XXXXX

 

“I’m going down to get her,” Angel said heading towards the elevator.

 

“Not without me,” Spike added and jumped in the elevator in front of him. 

 

The two were still grumbling at each other when the elevator doors opened.   Angel cut Spike off in mid-gripe.  “Faith!”  There was no response.  They both stepped out of the elevator, barely noticing as the doors closed.  “Faith?” Angel repeated.

 

“Come on, pet.  We know you’re out here.  Sneaking out for a smoke.  No big.  Girl’s got her right,” Spike called out. 

 

“Could she have gone back up without us noticing?” Spike asked.

 

Angel shook his head.  “No. And she couldn’t have left either.”  Angel motioned towards the front of the garage, showing Spike that the security system was engaged.

 

They began to search the garage, the only thing they found was a smoldering cigarette butt.

 

XXXXX

 

Where had they all come from?  How did they get in?  Faith wondered.  Faster then she could think up a plan, she was surrounded. 

 

Faith didn’t need her Slayer senses to know she was in trouble.  Three of four vamps at one time she could handle, but not the group that surrounded her.  There was no way she could take them all.

 

“So,” she said trying to stall.  “How’s it going?”  She started backing up.  The elevator was too far.  She didn’t have time to make a run for it.  Where’s a flight of stairs when you need them?

 

They closed in behind her, containing her in their vampire circle.

 

Faith reached back to retrieve her stake, warily eyeing the vampire who approached.  He was so close Faith could smell him. 

 

“Why bother Faith?  You can’t take us all.  You know you can’t take us all.  And we won’t kill you here, we need you, but you already know that.”

 

“What I don’t know is why a bunch of smelly-dirty-undead guys can’t find something else better to do then to raise some ripe vamp who’s been gone for God knows how long.  Does ‘get a life’ mean anything to any of you?”  She paused and then added, “No, I guess it wouldn’t.”

 

A vamp to her left started moving in.  The one who had been talking to her indicated for it to stop.  “Do not let the Slayer’s antics dissuade you from your mission.  We take her now and we take her alive.”

 

Faith was going to try to fight off every one of them.  There was no way this was going to happen to her.  Not now, not ever.

 

Too bad it didn’t work out that way.  The last thing she heard was the head vamp laughing, and then everything went dark.

 

XXXXX