"Shroud of Rahmon"
Two detectives are outside of an interrogation room, looking in through the window. They discuss the suspect. One detective thinks the suspect knows the facts and is just playing games with them, the other suggests he may have mental problems. The first detective says it doesn't matter, they already have one body and "if she dies ..." The other detective assures him if "she" dies, the suspect is all his.
They enter the interrogation room where the suspect is sitting with his head laying on the table, face down. The second detective tells the suspect all he has to do is answer their questions and they'll send him back to the holding cell. He assures him if he doesn't talk, his partner will do him bodily harm. The first detective demands to know if the suspect is listening to them.
He still keeps his head down on the table.
The second cop summarizes his assumption of the situation, that the suspect got into something that ended up being more than he bargained for and before it was over, an officer had been hurt. He also points out the presence of a headless corpse at the scene.
The suspect raises his head from the table, it's Wesley, looking disheveled. He's obviously been there awhile. He says it shouldn't have happened, "he shouldn't have been there." Wes says he tried to warn them, they didn't know what could happen. He asks the officers if they brought "it" to the station. He hopes not. The detectives just look at each other, neither understanding what he's talking about. Wes answers his own question, saying they couldn't have brought it there, it would be the end for all of them.
The detectives want to know what happened. Wesley says things just went terribly wrong. Then he says nothing, but we see what he's remembering, an image of Angel, in bloody vamp face, dropping a body to the floor, having just fed.
He tells the detectives he tried to stop him but he got hit, when he looked up "he had her" and then she was on the floor. He knows he could have stopped him if he had found out the facts sooner. The second detective asks him who he's talking about.
Wesley continues quietly, saying "he", of all people, should not have been there but nobody tells him what to do, he's "the boss." The first detective asks for some clarification. Wesley says "he helps people, when he's not in trouble himself". He says he and Cordelia tried to stop him, then seems to remember that he doesn't know what happened to Cordelia.
We now see events unfold from the beginning as Wesley walks into the office, notices Cordelia and asks what happened. She doesn't know what he's talking about. He notes that her hair (which is short now) looks nice, he wonders when she had it done. She tells him it was cut 10 days ago, nice of him to notice.
Cordelia notices Wes is dressed nicely, in a suit. He's on his way out. Cordelia figures he's going to another celebrity gala with Virginia Bryce. She feigns disinterest. Wesley wonders if she's seen Angel recently, he doesn't seem to be doing much these days. Cordelia says he's doing a lot, a lot of brooding over Darla. Wesley says that's enough and he's going to go upstairs and tell Angel as much. He stops and looks up the stairs but makes no effort to actually go upstairs. Cordelia sarcastically offers a compliment on his posturing. She tells him Angel isn't upstairs anyway. Gunn's cousin got himself involved in something illegal and Gunn and Angel have gone to see if they can get him out of it.
Wesley thinks that's a good thing, he's doing something that isn't Darla related. Wes is on his way out. Cordelia notes he's off to one of those shallow Hollywood parties. Wesley says it's a premiere and he happens to have an extra ticket. Cordelia's scowl turns to excitement as she admits that nobody does "shallow" like she does. She links her arm in his and they leave.
Angel and Gunn are meeting with Gunn's cousin, Lester. He's not comfortable around Angel, he's not fond of vampires. Gunn assures him it's okay. He says that Lester has a problem with vampires, Angel has some experience with that, that's why he brought him along. He wants to know what's going on.
Lester says he accepted a job driving for some "big time crew" and now he's having second thoughts. Gunn figures he's having second thoughts about going to jail. Lester says that's part of it, but he heard the crew was bringing in some "psycho vampire" and he doesn't want any part of that.
Angel asks him what the job is. Lester says they're going to rob a museum but he doesn't know which one. They're after something supernatural. The job is supposed to take place later in the week but Lester is supposed to meet with the crew that night. He doesn't want to go but he says the guy who vouched for him assured him if he didn't show up, he'd kill him if the crew didn't. Gunn wants to know where the meeting is supposed to take place. Lester offers a piece of paper with an address on it. Angel starts to take it but Gunn snatches it from Lester's hand first.
Angel wonders if Lester knows the name of the "psycho vampire". Lester fumbles for the name, getting close but not hitting it. His efforts clue Angel, who knows the vamp. His name is Jay-Don. Lester confirms that's the guy. He's coming in for the meeting that night. They're picking him up at the bus station.
Lester asks Gunn what he should do. Gunn tells him to show for the meeting, he'll get him out of it before the heist takes place. Lester is obviously relieved. He gives Gunn a hug (which Gunn is obviously uncomfortable with), thanks him and takes off.
Gunn asks Angel what he knows about Jay-Don. He says he knows of him, a player who's into the night life and way too dangerous for Gunn to be dealing with. He'll handle things from here on out. Gunn isn't buying. This is his cousin's life that's on the line here. Angel says that's why he doesn't want Gunn involved as he takes the paper with the address on it from him. Gunn wonders why Angel thinks he'd take orders. Angel says because he pays him. Gunn reminds him he's not being paid this time, he brought this matter to Angel. Angel again tells him he'll handle it. If he can't shut things down, he'll protect Lester. Gunn wonders what Angel expects him to do, sit around and "knit"? Angel doesn't think that's a bad idea. He could use a new sweater. Angel drives off.
Angel walks into his room at the hotel and sees a blond woman in the dark. He calls out Darla's name. Lockley, sporting the same annoying attitude as usual, wonders if Angel is expecting Darla to show up. It would make her job easier. Angel wants to know what she's doing in his room. She reminds him of the murder Darla was involved in, the death of the actor who was playing her husband. Lockley figures Angel is about to tell her Darla is innocent.
Angel walks past her without saying anything. She asks if he'd testify against Darla in a brightly sunlit courtroom. Angel is getting annoyed now. He asks her if she's got a warrant. She pulls a wooden cross from under her coat, the base has been sharpened to a point. She holds it in front of her. Angel tells her she won't find Darla there. He doesn't know where she is. Lockley assures him she will find Darla, and when she does, "she's toast". Angel reminds her she's human now. Lockley says "toast" as in a lifetime in prison.
Angel tells her things are going on that she's clueless about. She shoves the cross in his direction and wonders about the "gathering storm." He assures her she doesn't want to get caught in what's coming. She wonders if he's afraid she'll get hurt. He's not, just concerned she'll get dead. He's just giving her fair warning so she can avoid that. She cracks that being dead would make her just like him. She's not going to stand by and do nothing while he and Darla play out their game, whatever it is.
Angel, whose demeanor throughout this confrontation is seemingly subtly becoming more Angelus-like, simplifies things for her. He grabs her and knocks the cross out of her hand causing it to go flying, the sharp end embedding in the wall. He assures her if she gets stuck between him and Darla, it will be the last thing she does. She tells him to let go, pulls away from him and walks out.
Wesley and Cordelia come into the lobby, Angel is standing there. Cordelia has a large red stain on her clothes which Wesley is assuring her isn't really that noticeable. Angel asks what happened. Cordy tells him Wes spilled cocktail sauce all over her. Angel clarifies that he meant what happened to her head, having just noticed her shorter hair style. Angel tries to cover for not noticing earlier (similar to Wesley's trying to cover the same fact when he first noticed). Angel asks when she cut it. Wesley informs him it was 10 days ago, he really should pay attention. Angel wonders why nobody tells him these things as Cordelia goes behind the desk and ducks down out of sight.
Wesley explains the cocktail sauce incident as Cordelia pops her head up to offer that it was humiliating. Wesley asks Angel how things went with Gunn's cousin. Angel starts to explain, then wonders what Cordy is doing ducking down behind the desk. She assures him she's listening. Angel explains that some thieves are looking to lift something mystical from a local museum. Wesley asks which museum. Angel doesn't know, Lester didn't have that information. Wes offers to find out which museums have recent acquisitions. He thinks it's good Angel is working again.
Cordelia pops up from behind the desk, she's changed clothes while she was ducked down behind it. She echoes Wesley's enthusiasm that Angel is getting back into the swing of things and offers to help Wesley with the research. She wonders what Angel is going to be doing.
Angel says the crew is expecting the arrival of a vampire, Jay-Don, one with a rep who wouldn't be involved in anything that wasn't major. Wes has heard of him. He recalls he's known for being flashy and outgoing. Angel confirms that's true. He's going to meet Jay-Don's bus. Cordelia asks if he's going to take his place. She says it's a great plan (but she doesn't say it like she means it). Her babbling winds down as she wonders exactly how flashy and outgoing this Jay-Don vamp is. Wesley tells her he's very outgoing. They both look at Angel with a "this will never work" expression on their faces. Angel wonders what they're thinking. Wesley says he's confident Angel can do it. He is, after all, "colorful". He doesn't say it with much confidence.
At the bus station, Jay-Don is standing between a couple of busses, putting on a pair of sunglasses. (He looks kind of like a refugee from a road production of "Grease".) Angel approaches him playing the role of fawning flunky, pretending to be the one who's there to pick him up. Angel continues the act a bit longer getting close to the guy then asks him for the password. Jay-Don says there isn't one. Angel just wanted to be sure. He stakes him. As he turns to dust, Angel takes his sunglasses and puts them on himself.
A grungy looking demon guy, Menlo, calls Jay-Don's name. He's looking for him in the luggage storage area of a bus. Angel comes up behind him, playing the role of Jay-Don. Menlo says the car is waiting. Angel isn't impressed with the old, beat up station wagon. He doesn't figure it would be good for his rep to be seen in such a piece of junk. Menlo is annoyed with the arrogant vamp.
They pull up in front of a storage type building. A human in a security guard's uniform and a demon, Vyasa, watch through the window from the inside as Angel and Menlo head for the door. The security guard says vampires give him the creeps.
Menlo opens the door and he and Angel enter. He introduces "Jay-Don" who makes a few cracks and generally annoys the others. Menlo asks where Lester is, he should have been there by now. Angel asks who Lester is. The security guard tells him Lester is the driver. Menlo is annoyed that he isn't there, he's suspicious. The security guard says EJ vouched for Lester, he'll show up.
A car door is heard closing outside the building. Menlo looks out the window. He figures Lester has finally arrived. He opens the door and asks Lester why he's late. Gunn walks in, pretending to be Lester. Angel turns at the sound of his voice and looks at Gunn. Gunn says he was late because he wanted to make sure no cops were watching.
The crew are going over plans. Angel and Gunn are standing back a ways. Angel reminds Gunn he told him he'd take care of this. Gunn reminds Angel that nobody tells him what to do.
Menlo wonders if something is wrong. Gunn and Angel walk over to the table where the others are standing. Gunn wants to know what they are going after. Menlo tells him it's the Shroud of Rahmon, worth a couple of million. He wonders if that's enough to get Gunn's attention. Gunn assures him it is.
Menlo lays out the plan as he references a layout of the building laying on the table. The security guard, Bob, will turn off the alarm at a predetermined time, the rest of them will enter through the access door. They'll then work their way down the hall where they will meet up with Bob. They will all go down to the vault together. He refers to the diagram and identifies the vault area. The vault will have to be blown open. The interior of the vault has no alarm but it does have a thermal sensor, which is what they need the vampire for. No body heat to register with the sensor. Menlo continues that Jay-Don will enter the inner vault and disarm the sensor at the rear of the room. The rest of them will then enter.
Angel asks how big the box is they're after. Menlo explains that it's big and really heavy. It will take all of them to get it out of there. Vyasa says he can hold up his end but he's not so sure about Bob. Bob assures him he can hold up his end just fine. Gunn makes a crack about Bob needing a forklift to handle his end. Angel intervenes, making a scene with Gunn, trying to accommodate an excuse to get him out of there.
Angel hits Gunn and starts to take him outside, but he's stopped by the two demons. Menlo says nobody is going anywhere and if they try, he'll shoot and Vyasa will stake. Angel says he doesn't want to spend a week with Gunn. Menlo says he won't have to. They're not waiting on the job, they're doing it now and nobody is leaving until the job is finished.
Back at the office, Cordelia is surfing museums on the computer while Wesley looks on. As she looks through the recent acquisitions listing, Wesley makes a note of the Shroud of Rahmon. He asks Cordelia if she's heard of it. Cordy isn't into postmortem attire. Wes suggests she check for information in the demon database while he references his books.
At the museum, the crew backs a truck up to the back of the building. Angel suggests the driver should stay with the truck, to warn them in case someone shows up. Menlo says they need everyone inside. Angel and Gunn lag behind as the others go inside. Gunn tells Angel not to hit him again. Angel informs him he was trying to protect him. Gunn punches him in the face and once more tells Angel not to hit him again.
The crew joins Bob. They all get onto the freight elevator and head down to the vault. Bob says the other security guard will be on his rounds and reminds them they don't have to hit him hard.
They exit the elevator and approach an outer door. Bob slides his pass through the slot just as the other security guard, Earl, comes around the corner. Vyasa comes up behind Earl and throws him into the wall, knocking him out. He heads for the guy to finish him off but Angel stops him, reminding him if they kill they guy there will be cops. They need to do the job cleanly.
They enter the vault room, Menlo breaks out the power tools and begins boring a hole in the vault door. Gunn and Angel look at each other.
At the police station, the two detectives we saw in the opening are describing suspects and showing surveillance photos to Lockley. The first detective identifies the security guard, who they know has a record and works at the museum, in the photo and an accomplice they identify as Menlo. They know he breaks into safes. They figure they're planning a heist, probably at the museum. The detective shows another photo of someone they couldn't identify but someone else at the station said Lockley knew him. It's a photo of Angel as Jay-Don.
Outside of the vault, Menlo takes a vial of nitroglycerin out of a padded case. His hands are shaking. Vyasa urges him to get on with it. Gunn urges him to relax, it's nitro. Vyasa is impatient. Menlo turns to yell at him to shut up and drops the vial. Angel catches it on the toe of his shoe before it hits the floor. He offers to handle things from there as he removes the vial from his foot and places it in the hole that was bored into the vault door. They blow the door open.
Back at the office, Wesley has found information on the shroud. The shroud was made by a priest who was driven mad by the demon. When Rahmon was defeated, the priests dyed the shroud with the blood of female virgin sacrifices then wrapped Rahmon's body in it to prevent him from raising.
Cordelia's wondering why it's always virgin women that end up being sacrificed. Wesley assumes it's about purity. Cordelia thinks it's more about dominance and thinks if it was male body parts that were required for these religious sacrifices, everyone would suddenly turn atheist.
Wesley doesn't quite know what to say to that logic. He goes on to read about the shroud. It supposedly absorbed the demon's power. Cordelia recalls Wesley saying Rahmon was a demon that drove people insane. Wesley reads that the shroud was removed from its case once in the 1800's. The entire town went crazy; lots of hacking, chopping, murdering. Unpleasant stuff. Wesley says they'll warn Angel about it before they steal the shroud. Cordelia thinks that's a good idea, they'll warn him as soon as he comes back, unless they're stealing it now. They both bolt out the door.
At the museum, Angel has entered the vault, the door closes behind him. Almost immediately, he feels the effects but isn't sure what's going on. His eyes change to a luminescent yellow briefly, he shakes it off. Outside of the vault, the others are getting jazzed, also being affected by the shroud.
Angel continues to be affected as well. He stops near the case and looks through the window in the top of it to the shroud below. There's an ugly demon visage present on the shroud. Angel morphs into vamp face, then back to human face again. He makes his way to the sensor alarm and disarms it. The door opens and the others enter.
Gunn notices something doesn't feel right. They all start arguing with each other. Menlo orders them to knock it off and get to work carrying the shroud's case out of the vault.
Gunn lines up on the side opposite Angel and notices Angel's eyes change to luminescent yellow and back to normal. He asks if he's about to change into something. Angel says no. Gunn doesn't think things look right. Angel snaps at him to "shut up and lift."
Wesley and Cordelia enter a door they see has been broken open. Wesley realizes the heist is taking place now. The two of them are affected immediately upon entering the building. Wes is feeling a little funny. Cordelia is as well, she thinks it's probably the altitude. Wesley point out they are at sea level. They both start laughing. Wesley says they have to stay focused. Cordelia suggests they split up. Wesley says it's safer if they stay together as he peels off and goes in another direction.
Lockley pulls up outside of the museum, finishes a call on her radio reporting a potential robbery at the museum and then, as usual, goes in alone rather than waiting for backup.
The crew struggles with the shroud case, arguing with each other. Gunn is baiting Angel. He goes after him. The case gets dropped. Angel shoves him against the wall, his hand clutching Gunn's throat. Gunn tells him to let him go. Angel says only if he's going to play nice. Gunn agrees. Angel lets go.
The others are still arguing about moving the case. Gunn pulls out a stake and goes after Angel. Angel puts him on the floor. Menlo pulls a gun and tells them to get back to moving the case.
Bob pulls some rope out of a bag. He's jazzed, reminding the demon tying him up it's got to look real, to be sure to tie him up nice and tight. He's wired, babbling. Menlo finishes tying him up then goes back to lifting the case. Bob's talking rapidly, telling them they have to hit him, somebody has to, they have to make it look real. Vyasa is annoyed. He tears Bob's head off of his body and figures that looks pretty real.
Lockley is stalking through the museum. She sees someone. She turns as the figure is running by, knocking him down. It's Wesley. She demands to know where Angel is. Wesley gets back up. He's feeling the affects of the shroud. He remembers he came there to warn Angel about something, but he can't remember what. He suddenly makes notice of Lockley's hair being blonde. She has no idea what's going on. He clutches his head a minute, clears the fog a bit, and remembers he has to warn Angel about the shroud. He says it makes people "act differently."
In another area of the museum, Cordelia is admiring her smile, reflected in a glass case.
Wesley tells Kate they have to do something before it's too late. Then he's back in shroud affected mode, making a comment on her hair. She seems to feel an effect herself briefly, turns away and when she turns back, Wes is gone.
Cordelia is talking to a mannequin and borrowing jewelry from it which she puts on.
The crew move the shroud case into the building they did their planning from. Menlo wants to open the case. They can't find an opening so Vyasa breaks the glass and tears the lid off.
They all stare at the shroud awhile, then start grabbing at it, each pulling on an end. They argue and fight with each other. Menlo pulls his gun and fires. Vyasa hits him and sends him flying. Vyasa takes off with the shroud. Angel leaps through the air behind him and jumps him. He smashes him into the wall. Angel grabs the shroud. Gunn runs over and grabs a piece of it as well. Vyasa gets back up and heads toward them. Menlo shoots him in the head, then falls back to the floor.
Angel and Gunn are still tugging at the shroud. Angel regains his senses and tells Gunn to trust him, he knows what he has to do with it. After a moment's consideration, Gunn lets go. Angel takes the shroud outside, douses it with alcohol and sets it ablaze. There is an explosion that sends Angel flying backward, then the fire dies down.
At the police station, the detectives are wondering if Wesley really expects them to believe his story about the shroud, that it has the power to turn people into maniacs with super strength. Wesley knows it doesn't sound believable. The first detective yanks Wes out of the chair and informs him he's under arrest for the murder of the security guard and the attempted murder of Kate Lockley.
Lockley comes into the interrogation room and tells the detectives to let Wesley go. Wes looks on in shock.
Lockley is standing behind her desk at the station, staring out the window. She's remembering what had happened at the museum with Angel including something that wasn't obvious before. Angel bit her, turned her away from Menlo who had a gun aimed at her, and whispered to her to stay down or the others would kill her. For once, she took his advice. She fingers the wound on her neck as she remembers.
Back at Angel's, Wes is pacing in the lobby. He sits next to Cordelia on the couch. He doesn't think Angel will be coming downstairs and he doesn't think recent events were a positive for him. Wesley says at least they had good intentions. Cordelia sarcastically notes that sending him into the path of an evil inducing shroud was really a good plan. Wes isn't concerned about the effects of the shroud so much as he's concerned about something else.
Cordelia thinks he's referring to the jewelry she stole from the museum while under the influence of the shroud and assures him she returned it all.
Wesley says that's not it, what has him concerned is that Angel drank human blood, from a living person, something he hasn't done in a long time. Cordelia asks if that might have reawakened that thirst. Wesley thinks that's possible.
Angel is in his room, sitting in the dark. He closes his eyes and remembers the incident with Lockley, his focus is on the drinking.
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Written by: Jim Kouf |
Original Air Date: November 21, 2000 |
Two detectives are outside of an interrogation room, looking in through the window. They discuss the suspect. One detective thinks the suspect knows the facts and is just playing games with them, the other suggests he may have mental problems. The first detective says it doesn't matter, they already have one body and "if she dies ..." The other detective assures him if "she" dies, the suspect is all his.
They enter the interrogation room where the suspect is sitting with his head laying on the table, face down. The second detective tells the suspect all he has to do is answer their questions and they'll send him back to the holding cell. He assures him if he doesn't talk, his partner will do him bodily harm. The first detective demands to know if the suspect is listening to them.
He still keeps his head down on the table.
The second cop summarizes his assumption of the situation, that the suspect got into something that ended up being more than he bargained for and before it was over, an officer had been hurt. He also points out the presence of a headless corpse at the scene.
The suspect raises his head from the table, it's Wesley, looking disheveled. He's obviously been there awhile. He says it shouldn't have happened, "he shouldn't have been there." Wes says he tried to warn them, they didn't know what could happen. He asks the officers if they brought "it" to the station. He hopes not. The detectives just look at each other, neither understanding what he's talking about. Wes answers his own question, saying they couldn't have brought it there, it would be the end for all of them.
The detectives want to know what happened. Wesley says things just went terribly wrong. Then he says nothing, but we see what he's remembering, an image of Angel, in bloody vamp face, dropping a body to the floor, having just fed.
He tells the detectives he tried to stop him but he got hit, when he looked up "he had her" and then she was on the floor. He knows he could have stopped him if he had found out the facts sooner. The second detective asks him who he's talking about.
Wesley continues quietly, saying "he", of all people, should not have been there but nobody tells him what to do, he's "the boss." The first detective asks for some clarification. Wesley says "he helps people, when he's not in trouble himself". He says he and Cordelia tried to stop him, then seems to remember that he doesn't know what happened to Cordelia.
We now see events unfold from the beginning as Wesley walks into the office, notices Cordelia and asks what happened. She doesn't know what he's talking about. He notes that her hair (which is short now) looks nice, he wonders when she had it done. She tells him it was cut 10 days ago, nice of him to notice.
Cordelia notices Wes is dressed nicely, in a suit. He's on his way out. Cordelia figures he's going to another celebrity gala with Virginia Bryce. She feigns disinterest. Wesley wonders if she's seen Angel recently, he doesn't seem to be doing much these days. Cordelia says he's doing a lot, a lot of brooding over Darla. Wesley says that's enough and he's going to go upstairs and tell Angel as much. He stops and looks up the stairs but makes no effort to actually go upstairs. Cordelia sarcastically offers a compliment on his posturing. She tells him Angel isn't upstairs anyway. Gunn's cousin got himself involved in something illegal and Gunn and Angel have gone to see if they can get him out of it.
Wesley thinks that's a good thing, he's doing something that isn't Darla related. Wes is on his way out. Cordelia notes he's off to one of those shallow Hollywood parties. Wesley says it's a premiere and he happens to have an extra ticket. Cordelia's scowl turns to excitement as she admits that nobody does "shallow" like she does. She links her arm in his and they leave.
Angel and Gunn are meeting with Gunn's cousin, Lester. He's not comfortable around Angel, he's not fond of vampires. Gunn assures him it's okay. He says that Lester has a problem with vampires, Angel has some experience with that, that's why he brought him along. He wants to know what's going on.
Lester says he accepted a job driving for some "big time crew" and now he's having second thoughts. Gunn figures he's having second thoughts about going to jail. Lester says that's part of it, but he heard the crew was bringing in some "psycho vampire" and he doesn't want any part of that.
Angel asks him what the job is. Lester says they're going to rob a museum but he doesn't know which one. They're after something supernatural. The job is supposed to take place later in the week but Lester is supposed to meet with the crew that night. He doesn't want to go but he says the guy who vouched for him assured him if he didn't show up, he'd kill him if the crew didn't. Gunn wants to know where the meeting is supposed to take place. Lester offers a piece of paper with an address on it. Angel starts to take it but Gunn snatches it from Lester's hand first.
Angel wonders if Lester knows the name of the "psycho vampire". Lester fumbles for the name, getting close but not hitting it. His efforts clue Angel, who knows the vamp. His name is Jay-Don. Lester confirms that's the guy. He's coming in for the meeting that night. They're picking him up at the bus station.
Lester asks Gunn what he should do. Gunn tells him to show for the meeting, he'll get him out of it before the heist takes place. Lester is obviously relieved. He gives Gunn a hug (which Gunn is obviously uncomfortable with), thanks him and takes off.
Gunn asks Angel what he knows about Jay-Don. He says he knows of him, a player who's into the night life and way too dangerous for Gunn to be dealing with. He'll handle things from here on out. Gunn isn't buying. This is his cousin's life that's on the line here. Angel says that's why he doesn't want Gunn involved as he takes the paper with the address on it from him. Gunn wonders why Angel thinks he'd take orders. Angel says because he pays him. Gunn reminds him he's not being paid this time, he brought this matter to Angel. Angel again tells him he'll handle it. If he can't shut things down, he'll protect Lester. Gunn wonders what Angel expects him to do, sit around and "knit"? Angel doesn't think that's a bad idea. He could use a new sweater. Angel drives off.
Angel walks into his room at the hotel and sees a blond woman in the dark. He calls out Darla's name. Lockley, sporting the same annoying attitude as usual, wonders if Angel is expecting Darla to show up. It would make her job easier. Angel wants to know what she's doing in his room. She reminds him of the murder Darla was involved in, the death of the actor who was playing her husband. Lockley figures Angel is about to tell her Darla is innocent.
Angel walks past her without saying anything. She asks if he'd testify against Darla in a brightly sunlit courtroom. Angel is getting annoyed now. He asks her if she's got a warrant. She pulls a wooden cross from under her coat, the base has been sharpened to a point. She holds it in front of her. Angel tells her she won't find Darla there. He doesn't know where she is. Lockley assures him she will find Darla, and when she does, "she's toast". Angel reminds her she's human now. Lockley says "toast" as in a lifetime in prison.
Angel tells her things are going on that she's clueless about. She shoves the cross in his direction and wonders about the "gathering storm." He assures her she doesn't want to get caught in what's coming. She wonders if he's afraid she'll get hurt. He's not, just concerned she'll get dead. He's just giving her fair warning so she can avoid that. She cracks that being dead would make her just like him. She's not going to stand by and do nothing while he and Darla play out their game, whatever it is.
Angel, whose demeanor throughout this confrontation is seemingly subtly becoming more Angelus-like, simplifies things for her. He grabs her and knocks the cross out of her hand causing it to go flying, the sharp end embedding in the wall. He assures her if she gets stuck between him and Darla, it will be the last thing she does. She tells him to let go, pulls away from him and walks out.
Wesley and Cordelia come into the lobby, Angel is standing there. Cordelia has a large red stain on her clothes which Wesley is assuring her isn't really that noticeable. Angel asks what happened. Cordy tells him Wes spilled cocktail sauce all over her. Angel clarifies that he meant what happened to her head, having just noticed her shorter hair style. Angel tries to cover for not noticing earlier (similar to Wesley's trying to cover the same fact when he first noticed). Angel asks when she cut it. Wesley informs him it was 10 days ago, he really should pay attention. Angel wonders why nobody tells him these things as Cordelia goes behind the desk and ducks down out of sight.
Wesley explains the cocktail sauce incident as Cordelia pops her head up to offer that it was humiliating. Wesley asks Angel how things went with Gunn's cousin. Angel starts to explain, then wonders what Cordy is doing ducking down behind the desk. She assures him she's listening. Angel explains that some thieves are looking to lift something mystical from a local museum. Wesley asks which museum. Angel doesn't know, Lester didn't have that information. Wes offers to find out which museums have recent acquisitions. He thinks it's good Angel is working again.
Cordelia pops up from behind the desk, she's changed clothes while she was ducked down behind it. She echoes Wesley's enthusiasm that Angel is getting back into the swing of things and offers to help Wesley with the research. She wonders what Angel is going to be doing.
Angel says the crew is expecting the arrival of a vampire, Jay-Don, one with a rep who wouldn't be involved in anything that wasn't major. Wes has heard of him. He recalls he's known for being flashy and outgoing. Angel confirms that's true. He's going to meet Jay-Don's bus. Cordelia asks if he's going to take his place. She says it's a great plan (but she doesn't say it like she means it). Her babbling winds down as she wonders exactly how flashy and outgoing this Jay-Don vamp is. Wesley tells her he's very outgoing. They both look at Angel with a "this will never work" expression on their faces. Angel wonders what they're thinking. Wesley says he's confident Angel can do it. He is, after all, "colorful". He doesn't say it with much confidence.
At the bus station, Jay-Don is standing between a couple of busses, putting on a pair of sunglasses. (He looks kind of like a refugee from a road production of "Grease".) Angel approaches him playing the role of fawning flunky, pretending to be the one who's there to pick him up. Angel continues the act a bit longer getting close to the guy then asks him for the password. Jay-Don says there isn't one. Angel just wanted to be sure. He stakes him. As he turns to dust, Angel takes his sunglasses and puts them on himself.
A grungy looking demon guy, Menlo, calls Jay-Don's name. He's looking for him in the luggage storage area of a bus. Angel comes up behind him, playing the role of Jay-Don. Menlo says the car is waiting. Angel isn't impressed with the old, beat up station wagon. He doesn't figure it would be good for his rep to be seen in such a piece of junk. Menlo is annoyed with the arrogant vamp.
They pull up in front of a storage type building. A human in a security guard's uniform and a demon, Vyasa, watch through the window from the inside as Angel and Menlo head for the door. The security guard says vampires give him the creeps.
Menlo opens the door and he and Angel enter. He introduces "Jay-Don" who makes a few cracks and generally annoys the others. Menlo asks where Lester is, he should have been there by now. Angel asks who Lester is. The security guard tells him Lester is the driver. Menlo is annoyed that he isn't there, he's suspicious. The security guard says EJ vouched for Lester, he'll show up.
A car door is heard closing outside the building. Menlo looks out the window. He figures Lester has finally arrived. He opens the door and asks Lester why he's late. Gunn walks in, pretending to be Lester. Angel turns at the sound of his voice and looks at Gunn. Gunn says he was late because he wanted to make sure no cops were watching.
The crew are going over plans. Angel and Gunn are standing back a ways. Angel reminds Gunn he told him he'd take care of this. Gunn reminds Angel that nobody tells him what to do.
Menlo wonders if something is wrong. Gunn and Angel walk over to the table where the others are standing. Gunn wants to know what they are going after. Menlo tells him it's the Shroud of Rahmon, worth a couple of million. He wonders if that's enough to get Gunn's attention. Gunn assures him it is.
Menlo lays out the plan as he references a layout of the building laying on the table. The security guard, Bob, will turn off the alarm at a predetermined time, the rest of them will enter through the access door. They'll then work their way down the hall where they will meet up with Bob. They will all go down to the vault together. He refers to the diagram and identifies the vault area. The vault will have to be blown open. The interior of the vault has no alarm but it does have a thermal sensor, which is what they need the vampire for. No body heat to register with the sensor. Menlo continues that Jay-Don will enter the inner vault and disarm the sensor at the rear of the room. The rest of them will then enter.
Angel asks how big the box is they're after. Menlo explains that it's big and really heavy. It will take all of them to get it out of there. Vyasa says he can hold up his end but he's not so sure about Bob. Bob assures him he can hold up his end just fine. Gunn makes a crack about Bob needing a forklift to handle his end. Angel intervenes, making a scene with Gunn, trying to accommodate an excuse to get him out of there.
Angel hits Gunn and starts to take him outside, but he's stopped by the two demons. Menlo says nobody is going anywhere and if they try, he'll shoot and Vyasa will stake. Angel says he doesn't want to spend a week with Gunn. Menlo says he won't have to. They're not waiting on the job, they're doing it now and nobody is leaving until the job is finished.
Back at the office, Cordelia is surfing museums on the computer while Wesley looks on. As she looks through the recent acquisitions listing, Wesley makes a note of the Shroud of Rahmon. He asks Cordelia if she's heard of it. Cordy isn't into postmortem attire. Wes suggests she check for information in the demon database while he references his books.
At the museum, the crew backs a truck up to the back of the building. Angel suggests the driver should stay with the truck, to warn them in case someone shows up. Menlo says they need everyone inside. Angel and Gunn lag behind as the others go inside. Gunn tells Angel not to hit him again. Angel informs him he was trying to protect him. Gunn punches him in the face and once more tells Angel not to hit him again.
The crew joins Bob. They all get onto the freight elevator and head down to the vault. Bob says the other security guard will be on his rounds and reminds them they don't have to hit him hard.
They exit the elevator and approach an outer door. Bob slides his pass through the slot just as the other security guard, Earl, comes around the corner. Vyasa comes up behind Earl and throws him into the wall, knocking him out. He heads for the guy to finish him off but Angel stops him, reminding him if they kill they guy there will be cops. They need to do the job cleanly.
They enter the vault room, Menlo breaks out the power tools and begins boring a hole in the vault door. Gunn and Angel look at each other.
At the police station, the two detectives we saw in the opening are describing suspects and showing surveillance photos to Lockley. The first detective identifies the security guard, who they know has a record and works at the museum, in the photo and an accomplice they identify as Menlo. They know he breaks into safes. They figure they're planning a heist, probably at the museum. The detective shows another photo of someone they couldn't identify but someone else at the station said Lockley knew him. It's a photo of Angel as Jay-Don.
Outside of the vault, Menlo takes a vial of nitroglycerin out of a padded case. His hands are shaking. Vyasa urges him to get on with it. Gunn urges him to relax, it's nitro. Vyasa is impatient. Menlo turns to yell at him to shut up and drops the vial. Angel catches it on the toe of his shoe before it hits the floor. He offers to handle things from there as he removes the vial from his foot and places it in the hole that was bored into the vault door. They blow the door open.
Back at the office, Wesley has found information on the shroud. The shroud was made by a priest who was driven mad by the demon. When Rahmon was defeated, the priests dyed the shroud with the blood of female virgin sacrifices then wrapped Rahmon's body in it to prevent him from raising.
Cordelia's wondering why it's always virgin women that end up being sacrificed. Wesley assumes it's about purity. Cordelia thinks it's more about dominance and thinks if it was male body parts that were required for these religious sacrifices, everyone would suddenly turn atheist.
Wesley doesn't quite know what to say to that logic. He goes on to read about the shroud. It supposedly absorbed the demon's power. Cordelia recalls Wesley saying Rahmon was a demon that drove people insane. Wesley reads that the shroud was removed from its case once in the 1800's. The entire town went crazy; lots of hacking, chopping, murdering. Unpleasant stuff. Wesley says they'll warn Angel about it before they steal the shroud. Cordelia thinks that's a good idea, they'll warn him as soon as he comes back, unless they're stealing it now. They both bolt out the door.
At the museum, Angel has entered the vault, the door closes behind him. Almost immediately, he feels the effects but isn't sure what's going on. His eyes change to a luminescent yellow briefly, he shakes it off. Outside of the vault, the others are getting jazzed, also being affected by the shroud.
Angel continues to be affected as well. He stops near the case and looks through the window in the top of it to the shroud below. There's an ugly demon visage present on the shroud. Angel morphs into vamp face, then back to human face again. He makes his way to the sensor alarm and disarms it. The door opens and the others enter.
Gunn notices something doesn't feel right. They all start arguing with each other. Menlo orders them to knock it off and get to work carrying the shroud's case out of the vault.
Gunn lines up on the side opposite Angel and notices Angel's eyes change to luminescent yellow and back to normal. He asks if he's about to change into something. Angel says no. Gunn doesn't think things look right. Angel snaps at him to "shut up and lift."
Wesley and Cordelia enter a door they see has been broken open. Wesley realizes the heist is taking place now. The two of them are affected immediately upon entering the building. Wes is feeling a little funny. Cordelia is as well, she thinks it's probably the altitude. Wesley point out they are at sea level. They both start laughing. Wesley says they have to stay focused. Cordelia suggests they split up. Wesley says it's safer if they stay together as he peels off and goes in another direction.
Lockley pulls up outside of the museum, finishes a call on her radio reporting a potential robbery at the museum and then, as usual, goes in alone rather than waiting for backup.
The crew struggles with the shroud case, arguing with each other. Gunn is baiting Angel. He goes after him. The case gets dropped. Angel shoves him against the wall, his hand clutching Gunn's throat. Gunn tells him to let him go. Angel says only if he's going to play nice. Gunn agrees. Angel lets go.
The others are still arguing about moving the case. Gunn pulls out a stake and goes after Angel. Angel puts him on the floor. Menlo pulls a gun and tells them to get back to moving the case.
Bob pulls some rope out of a bag. He's jazzed, reminding the demon tying him up it's got to look real, to be sure to tie him up nice and tight. He's wired, babbling. Menlo finishes tying him up then goes back to lifting the case. Bob's talking rapidly, telling them they have to hit him, somebody has to, they have to make it look real. Vyasa is annoyed. He tears Bob's head off of his body and figures that looks pretty real.
Lockley is stalking through the museum. She sees someone. She turns as the figure is running by, knocking him down. It's Wesley. She demands to know where Angel is. Wesley gets back up. He's feeling the affects of the shroud. He remembers he came there to warn Angel about something, but he can't remember what. He suddenly makes notice of Lockley's hair being blonde. She has no idea what's going on. He clutches his head a minute, clears the fog a bit, and remembers he has to warn Angel about the shroud. He says it makes people "act differently."
In another area of the museum, Cordelia is admiring her smile, reflected in a glass case.
Wesley tells Kate they have to do something before it's too late. Then he's back in shroud affected mode, making a comment on her hair. She seems to feel an effect herself briefly, turns away and when she turns back, Wes is gone.
Cordelia is talking to a mannequin and borrowing jewelry from it which she puts on.
The crew continue hefting the crate out of the building. Menlo loses
his focus and starts rambling about their having left fingerprints
behind. He obsessively begins wiping down the walls of the freight
elevator. Angel, Gunn and Vyasa continue moving the case until Gunn
can't carry it any longer, he's feeling the effects. He drops his
end and grabs his head, yelling at the others to stay away from him.
Angel jumps Gunn about his whining as his eyes again change to luminescent
yellow. He realizes something is wrong and tries to shake it off.
Wesley comes running up to him, thankful he found him in time. He
notices his eyes and suddenly isn't so sure he was in time after all.
Angel is struggling to keep it together. He calls Wes by name. Wes
relaxes a bit at that and says he came to give Angel a message about
the shroud. Wes has a big grin on his face, he's giddy. He tells Angel
the shroud is bad, which is weird because he's feeling really good.
Angel grabs him by the arm and tells him to leave. Wesley notices
Gunn and asks what he's doing there, he didn't see him as the museum
type.
Lockley shows up, gun drawn and orders everyone to stay where they
are. Angel turns and walks toward her, his eyes once again luminescent
yellow. He mocks her stupidity in coming into the building alone.
As he stalks toward her, taunting her, Wesley comes up behind him
and calls his name. Angel backhands him, sending him flying into the
wall.
He continues toward Lockley wondering what she's afraid of. He morphs
into vamp face and asks if that is what she's afraid of. He
grabs her and puts the bite on her as Wesley and Gunn look on.
The SWAT team enters the museum and finds Wesley crouching over
Lockley who is lying on the floor.
The crew move the shroud case into the building they did their planning from. Menlo wants to open the case. They can't find an opening so Vyasa breaks the glass and tears the lid off.
They all stare at the shroud awhile, then start grabbing at it, each pulling on an end. They argue and fight with each other. Menlo pulls his gun and fires. Vyasa hits him and sends him flying. Vyasa takes off with the shroud. Angel leaps through the air behind him and jumps him. He smashes him into the wall. Angel grabs the shroud. Gunn runs over and grabs a piece of it as well. Vyasa gets back up and heads toward them. Menlo shoots him in the head, then falls back to the floor.
Angel and Gunn are still tugging at the shroud. Angel regains his senses and tells Gunn to trust him, he knows what he has to do with it. After a moment's consideration, Gunn lets go. Angel takes the shroud outside, douses it with alcohol and sets it ablaze. There is an explosion that sends Angel flying backward, then the fire dies down.
At the police station, the detectives are wondering if Wesley really expects them to believe his story about the shroud, that it has the power to turn people into maniacs with super strength. Wesley knows it doesn't sound believable. The first detective yanks Wes out of the chair and informs him he's under arrest for the murder of the security guard and the attempted murder of Kate Lockley.
Lockley comes into the interrogation room and tells the detectives to let Wesley go. Wes looks on in shock.
Lockley is standing behind her desk at the station, staring out the window. She's remembering what had happened at the museum with Angel including something that wasn't obvious before. Angel bit her, turned her away from Menlo who had a gun aimed at her, and whispered to her to stay down or the others would kill her. For once, she took his advice. She fingers the wound on her neck as she remembers.
Back at Angel's, Wes is pacing in the lobby. He sits next to Cordelia on the couch. He doesn't think Angel will be coming downstairs and he doesn't think recent events were a positive for him. Wesley says at least they had good intentions. Cordelia sarcastically notes that sending him into the path of an evil inducing shroud was really a good plan. Wes isn't concerned about the effects of the shroud so much as he's concerned about something else.
Cordelia thinks he's referring to the jewelry she stole from the museum while under the influence of the shroud and assures him she returned it all.
Wesley says that's not it, what has him concerned is that Angel drank human blood, from a living person, something he hasn't done in a long time. Cordelia asks if that might have reawakened that thirst. Wesley thinks that's possible.
Angel is in his room, sitting in the dark. He closes his eyes and remembers the incident with Lockley, his focus is on the drinking.
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