bbb31

Chapter Thirty-one

"For a guy whoďż˝s scared for his life youďż˝d think that he would be holed up
in his hotel room." Gunn tossed his jacket on his desk.

"Maybe something happened to him." Wesley sounded worried.

Spike sat down in a huff. "Weďż˝re going to get a big fat I told you so arenďż˝t
we? Those silly chits are going to rub our noses in it for months to come."

"I refuse to let that happen." Angel snorted at Gunnďż˝s comment. "I wonder
what theyďż˝re up to? Probably sitting around painting each otherďż˝s nails and
talking about us men." Gunn headed to the stairs when the front door opened
and Lilah Morgan was pushed through falling to a heap on the ground.

Angel jumped from his chair when the female came flying in and he looked up
from her figure to the man standing just inside the door. "Gee Linds if you
wanted to see me you really didnďż˝t need to bring a gift." Lindsey ignored his
comment and handed Angel the book.

"Sheďż˝s up to something." Everyone rolled their eyes. "I think we all know
that I wouldnďż˝t be here asking for help if it wasnďż˝t something big."

"What an orphanage under attack? No itďż˝s got to be...-"

"Douglass." Angel interrupted Gunn.

"Of course it is." Spike grumbled.

"No, itďż˝s Douglassďż˝s name in this book." Angel held it out for the others to
see. "Where did she get this?"

"Me." Lindsey whispered. "Darla hired me a long time ago to find it, I know a
man that hires out for jobs that involve finding the unfindable. Well, this
is the book that he sent. Darla threw a fit, screeching that this wasnďż˝t what
she wanted, Iďż˝ve tried contacting him since but he never returned my phone
calls." Angel gave Lindsey a look that promised that theyďż˝d talk about his
confession at another time, walking over to the shaking woman on the ground
he loomed over her for a few minutes.

"Lilah. Lilah. Lilah." Angel crouched down in front of her using Angelusďż˝s
sing song voice that had been used several times to torment his victims.
"Tell me what youďż˝re up to." Lilah started to sob unable to look him in the
eye. "Let me guess, you got tangled up with Darla. Sur, sheďż˝s helped you out
and you probably got a few giggles out of it but look were you are now."
Angel held his arms wide open as Lilah looked around at the angry
expressions, putting his arms back down he leaned in closer. "Plus, remember
that funny incident with a little drugged drink?" Lindsey blushed and looked
away. "We havenďż˝t forgotten, none of us have. In fact one of our group has to
remember that night for the rest of her life not to mention your co-worker
here. Iďż˝m not too concerned for his feelings but hers are something I tend to
care about."

Lilah felt each of his words hit her, anxiety rose inside her not really
knowing what direction the handsome vampire was going but when the final blow
was dealt she knew it was going to painful. "I meant to drug Lindsey." She
whimpered.

Lindsey looked at the woman in shock almost asking her why until it hit him.
If he was the one drugged he would have forced himself on Douglass, several
times and if things had played out as planned he would have been skinned
alive by Angel. "You fucking bitch." Lindsey made a dive toward her only to
have Spike hold him back.

"Later mate, Iďż˝m sure Peaches here won't mind leaving a piece of her to
finish off." Spike spoke softly, he was a little floored by the expressions
on the young manďż˝s face, perhaps the bloke had another reason for breaking
off his connection with Douglass other than not getting any information from
the gang.

Angel made sure that his Grandchilde had Lindsey restrained, and continued
on. "Tell me Lilah, whatďż˝s going on, donďż˝t make this anymore painful than it
already is."

Lilah hiccupped back her tears and bowed her head in defeat, she knew that in
the end she was weak. Sure she could hand it out but when it came to getting
it back she crumbled. "We met with Max, Lindseyďż˝s contact."

"Whoďż˝s we?" Wesley asked.

"Darla, Dru and I. He told us some stuff about the book that none of us knew
before, the only way he could get the book from the witch he had to bind her
powers or kill her."

"Douglass." Gunn hissed.

"Darla plans on rebinding Douglass to the book again, I guess that sheďż˝ll
become powerful with it and Darla will be able to get Druďż˝s sanity back."
Lilah watched in horror as Lindsey tried to fight Spikeďż˝s hold, she sure
hoped that the blond vampire kept a hold of her co-worker because Lindsey
looked ready to kill.

"And?" Angel got her attention again.

"Well, we planned with Max on how to get her, Darla wants to recreate the
night that Douglass was attacked but with her new friends taking Toriďż˝s
place. He came here for all of you to do a case for him, when he had all of
you going to different directions we were going to take Douglass, Willow, and
Cordelia."

This time Angel almost had to be restrained. "Down boy. Now that we know
whatďż˝s up weďż˝ll just have to keep an eye on the girls plus weďż˝ve got the
book. Weďż˝ll just push our plans on taking out Darla up a notch."

"Talking about the girls, where are they?" Wesley walked over to the phone
and called up to their floor. "Thereďż˝s no answer." Lindsey ran for the door
followed by Angel who shouted to Spike , Gunn and Wesley to keep an eye on
Lilah.

Bursting through the door, Lindsey ran from room to room stopping at
Douglassďż˝s bedroom door. "Theyďż˝re not here."

Angel walked out of the kitchen when a note came floating to him. "Thanks
Dennis." Angel mumbled as he read the note, he crumpled it in his hand and
threw it across the room. "Theyďż˝re out barhopping."

"What are we going to do?"

"We? Thereďż˝s no we, Lindsey. I hate to remind you that you have no place in
this group, that youďż˝ve done everything in your powers to hurt the people I
care about." Angel turned his back on the other man.

"I care about her."

"Who? Douglass? Lindsey, I find it close to impossible that you have the
ability to care about anyone but yourself. Leave.. her... alone."

"Angel, Iďż˝m not asking if I can help! Iďż˝m telling you that Iďż˝m going to
help, I started this mess by hiring that guy to get the damn book, if I had
told Darla no Douglass would still be in Colorado fighting with her roommate
on whoďż˝s supposed to clean the bathroom."

"I donďż˝t have time for this Lindsey. If you want to help fine but I swear if
this is some kind of trap, or youďż˝re more involved than youďż˝ve admitted, Iďż˝m
going to hold you down so Douglas can pound the piss out of you...and trust
me she doesnďż˝t need my help in accomplishing that task." Lindsey nodded and
let out the pent up breath he was holding.

"First, we find those damn girls." Angel headed back downstairs stopping in
his tracks to see Lilah bound and gagged in a chair, nodding his approval he
let the other males know about the girls night out.

"Why didnďż˝t they tell us?" Wesley asked.

"Maybe because weďż˝d say no." Spike growled.

"Well, Dougďż˝s Jeep is still here so they must have taken a cab." Gunn walked
over to the phone and started dialing the cab services to see it he could
find a lead.

"Spike and Lindsey and I will search some of the clubs. Wesley and Gunn, I
need you to stay here to watch Lilah and in case they show up."

"Why is the bloody bloke coming?" Spike asked before the others could.

"He wants to help. Who knows he might come in hand." A smile tugged at
Angelďż˝s lips at his slip, Lindsey glared over at him. "If anything itďż˝ll be
fun watching Douglass beat the crap out of him." The others nodded.