Enemy Incognito

By Wynn

Chapter Thirty: Warning Sign

"Hi! I'm Buffy. And you're the evil bitch that's trying to kill me."

As far as introductions go, Buffy thought that was one of her best. It wasn't the cleverest quip ever, but it was succinct and straightforward, laying her feelings about Lilah Morgan out in the open so she could cut through the evasive bullshit the lawyer would probably try to pull about her part in the recent assassination attempts on Buffy and her friends.

A slow smirk pulled at Lilah's lips as she leaned against the doorjamb and stared at Buffy, Cordelia, and Fred. She was barefoot, dressed in a slim knee length skirt, the top buttons of her silk blouse undone. A crystal wineglass was clasped loosely in her hand, half filled with burgundy liquid. "I am," she said. "Figured that out by yourself did you? Good for you. I suppose what they say about blondes and natural idiocy doesn't apply to you then." Lilah paused, her dark eyes flickering towards Buffy's hair. "Of course, you're not a natural blonde, so that might be why."

"And that, ladies, is the sparkling wit of Lilah Morgan," Cordelia said as pushed her way into Lilah's apartment. "One lame ass comment about Buffy's obvious dye job. Seems like someone's slipping a bit."

Ignoring Cordelia, Lilah turned from the door, leaving it open for Buffy and Fred to enter the apartment. "As much as I loathe your company, I'm afraid this little gathering must be quick. I have a prior engagement."

Buffy followed Fred into the apartment and closed the door behind her. The flat was sparsely furnished, containing a small kitchenette that expanded into a living room with a supple brown leather sofa, gleaming black coffee table, and beaded gold floor lamp. Two closed doors lined one wall, presumably leading to the bath and bedrooms. "And would this engagement have anything to do with, oh, I don't know, my ex-Watcher?"

Lilah grinned as she sat down upon the leather couch. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Actually, I wouldn't. The thought of you and Wesley having sex is too disturbing for words. But there is something else you can tell me."

"Really now." Taking a sip of wine, Lilah watched Buffy stalk across the room over the rim of her crystal goblet. "And what exactly would that be?"

"I think you already know, but I'll tell you anyway since you seem to be a little slow on the uptake today." Buffy circled around the sofa, trailing her fingers across the beaded lampshade. She stopped behind Lilah and placed her arms on the couch, leaning close to the brunette. "I want to know why you're trying to kill me."

"And I want to know the secret to eternal life, so I guess we're both out of luck." Lilah sighed as she placed her wineglass on the coffee table. "Did you really expect I would tell you all of my evil plans if you asked really nicely? Because, generally, evil plans work better if the 'good guys' don't know about them."

Cordelia snorted. "If you were worried about us not knowing about your foray into Slayer slaying you should've been a tad more discreet."

"You think I give a damn whether or not you twits know I'm trying to kill you?"

"I think you should," Buffy said as she sat on the sofa next to Lilah. "Because you've pissed me off, and it's never a good thing to piss off a Slayer. But you should know all of this from your dealings with Faith. She's… intimidating when she's angry."

Cordelia shook her head. "More unbalanced and psychotic when she's angry."

"And more than a little bit scary," Fred added as she wandered around the apartment.

Buffy nodded. "True. Which makes Faith impulsive and unpredictable but not really dangerous because it's inevitable she'll screw up whatever she's planning." Locking eyes with Lilah, Buffy continued, "However, I'm neither unbalanced nor psychotic, so if I were you I'd be very concerned that I know you're trying to kill me."

Lilah stared at Buffy for a moment before she burst out laughing. "Is this supposed to be intimidating? I've chewed up and spit out people a hell of a lot more intimidating than you before breakfast."

"And I've fought and killed demons a hell of a lot more dangerous than you without breaking a sweat. You're just a woman who's decided to interfere with my life, my friends, and my town. You're nothing but an insignificant nuisance. A little fly buzzing about my head."

"You think you know what's after you? Plans have been made, the trap has been set, and there's nothing you can do to avoid it. You're out of your league, little girl."

"Apparently you and whoever the hell else you're working with have no clue what league I'm in. Those thorn demons you sent? Liquefied in less than five minutes. And the assassins? The one that wasn't killed or captured voluntarily told us about your involvement. And the ambush at the law firm? Pathetic." Buffy leaned close to Lilah, her hazel eyes flickering with fury. "You had three chances to kill me and you failed every time, so why should I be afraid of whatever else you have planned?"

"Maybe because we wanted to fail." Off of Buffy's silence, Lilah smiled and lifted her wineglass, draining the liquid contents in one gulp. Standing, she said, "Now amusing as this has been, I'm afraid you have to leave now. Unless, of course, you want to continue humiliating yourself with your less than intimidating interrogation techniques." Lilah walked to the apartment door and pulled it open; she stood off to the side and stared back at Buffy, Fred, and Cordelia.

Cordelia looked at Lilah for a moment before she turned towards Fred. "I think she wants us to go."

Fred nodded. "Yeah. And sooner rather than later."

"That's not very hospitable, Lilah." Shaking her head, Cordelia walked towards the sofa and plopped down onto it next to Buffy, propping her boot clad feet onto the black coffee table.

Fred joined Cordelia and Buffy on the couch as she said, "I guess they don't teach manners in evil lawyer school."

Lilah arched an eyebrow and glanced at the three women occupying her sofa. Sighing, she closed the door again and walked into the kitchen. Placing the empty wineglass on the countertop, she reached for her briefcase and pulled out her cell phone, flipping it open as she said, "If you Girl Scout rejects don't leave now, I'll have to call security to throw you out."

Frowning slightly, Buffy said, "Calling the cops? How cliché."

"They're not cops. They're Wolfram and Hart security. They'll throw you out and… dispose of you properly. No fuss no muss."

"I don't think you want to do that, Lilah," Cordelia said.

"I think I do."

"I think you don't." Buffy arched off the couch and pulled a folded document out of the back pocket of her black pants. Unfolding the paper, she smoothed the creases and examined the photograph of Lilah and the building on Mullholland Drive in Sunnydale. Pushing off the sofa, Buffy walked over to the tiny kitchenette and tossed the picture onto the countertop.

Dark eyes quickly assessing the photograph, Lilah said, "Nice picture."

"It is. And guess where we found it? On your desk in Wolfram and Hart."

Lilah's surprise was nearly imperceptible, a slight widening of her eyes, muscles clenching around the cell phone clutched in her hand, shallow intake of breath, which was covered in less than a second with casual indifference. It would have gone unnoticed had Buffy not been looking for those subtle reactions to the picture and the revelation about its discovery. Smirking, Buffy leaned across the countertop, snatching the phone from Lilah's grasp and crushing it in her hand, dropping the electronic dust onto the floor.

"I doubt you would leave pictures of yourself in Sunnydale lying out in the open unprotected. So someone must have left them there for you to find. Or they left them for me to find. Either way it seems someone's trying to send you a message." Buffy shrugged as she backed away from the countertop. "So now the question is, Lilah, do you want to go against me and mine along with whoever else you've pissed off lately, or do you want to be a nice evil lawyer and stop trying to kill me?"

Mouth set and eyes hard, Lilah moved towards the front door and opened it again. "What I want is for you three to get out."

"All you had to do was ask nicely," Fred said with a smile as she slid off the couch.

Cordelia nodded. "No need to go UberBitch on us."

As Fred and Cordelia made their way out of the apartment, Buffy stopped before Lilah, a broad grin curving her lips. "See what can be accomplished with clear communication. I talk, you listen, and you stop trying to kill me."

Lilah was silent for a few seconds before she said, "Ever wonder why Faith was let out of prison?"

"Good behavior."

Lilah arched one eyebrow. "Spare me. She's a psychotic murderer with superhuman strength and reflexes. There is no way she would be released on her own recognizance for 'good behavior.' Not after what she's done. And not without some sort of purpose… some sort of agenda behind her release. Even then it would take a powerful entity to pull the necessary strings to orchestrate her release. A powerful entity like…"

"Wolfram and Hart," Buffy finished, her stomach heavy with the knowledge that Lilah had arranged Faith's release from prison and subsequent return to Sunnydale, her mind running with the possible consequences of this new twist on events.

"Very good."

Shaking her head softly, Buffy said, "It doesn't matter why Faith was sent to Sunnydale. Or who sent her. She works with us now."

"Is that a fact? You tried to kill her. Put her in a coma for months. She hates you."

"She's changed. Wants to do good now."

"Good and evil are a matter of perspective. What's considered evil for one person is good for another. And what's good for someone else may be very, very bad for you."

Buffy shook her head again as she stepped into the hallway. Turning back to Lilah, she said, "You're saying this to stir up trouble, to make me suspect Faith. It's not going to work."

"Maybe not," Lilah said as she grasped the door knob. "But I bet the next time you see Faith you'll look at her and wonder whose side she's really on. Night, ladies." Stepping back, Lilah slammed the door shut, the echo of impact reverberating throughout the narrow hall.

* * *

It was an odd bunch by normal standards, but the town of Sunnydale and its citizens had never existed according to the norms of the rest of the world, which is why the eight gathered for the meeting in the Summers' living room were not fazed by the eclectic mesh of humans and demons. Faith, Anya, and Dawn resided on the sofa while Giles paced before the fireplace. Emilia was curled up in the armchair and next to her sat Clem. On chairs brought in from the dining room were Willow and Xander.

"Now that everyone is present," Giles said as he faced the expanded Scooby Gang, "we can commence with the meeting." Moving to the coffee table, Giles lifted the slim tape recorder and examined it in his hands. "For those who do not know, Anya and Xander discovered this in Tyler's office two nights ago. They've only listened to a brief portion, but that segment dealt with one of the cameras that were used to spy on Buffy and Faith. So far only two cameras have been discovered, one at Tyler's place of business and one at the Magic Box. Scans of the Summers' home, as well as Anya's apartment, reveal no further recording devices."

"Xander and I didn't find any more videotapes," Anya said. "Whatever the little maggot recorded of Buffy and Faith he probably turned over to the psycho's in charge."

"Who's on the tape?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know," Giles said. "It seems it was, um, forgotten in the chaos of the last few days. I have not listened to it yet. I thought it would expedite matters if everyone listened to it at the same time."

Giles placed the recorder back on the coffee table in the center of the living room, turned the volume dial to maximum, and pressed the play button. A burst of static emanated from the tiny speaker before a gravelly male voice spoke.

"Are you sure this thing will get past the detectors?"

"Tyler," Anya said, glancing at Faith from the corners of her eyes. A brief shudder passed through Faith as her fingers drifted over the thin scar marring her throat.

"It should. The magicks surrounding it should make it undetectable to all electronic and magical devices."

"Lilah," Faith said. "Bitch."

"Spying on your bosses, Lilah? Quite the risk taker, aren't you?"

"First, they are not my bosses. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement among all parties in which all members of this circle will profit equally."

"Then why the tape?"

"Insurance. Just because I said everyone would profit equally doesn't mean people won't try to increase their take. By any means necessary."

A door opened and then closed. A brief, low pitched hum drifted from the recorder followed by the sounds of metal chairs scraping across a tiled floor. A few moments passed before Tyler's voice pierced the silence.

"Well, isn't this a cheery bunch."

"The purpose of this meeting isn't to entertain you, sir." A male voice. Smug, superior, snobbish, with a British accent. "If that is what you wish, I'm confidant you can find your way to the door."

"Who is that?" Emilia asked.

"I don't know," Giles said.

"Tyler is well aware of the seriousness of this meeting, Samuel," Lilah said, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "Aren't you, Tyler?"

"Perfectly aware. Now what seems to be your problem and why do you need me?"

Samuel spoke again. "We want you to pose as the owner of a dojo in a town called Sunnydale. Have you heard of Sunnydale before?"

"Yeah. The Hellmouth. What's with the undercover?"

"We want you to gather intel about this young woman." There was a soft scratch of paper being passed across a table before Samuel continued. "Her name is Buffy Summers. She is the Slayer. Do-"

"I know what the Slayer is, Jeeves. Damn… she is fine. Will this be an up close and personal undercover assignment 'cause, if it is, sign me right up."

Dawn grimaced at the leer in Tyler's voice. "Eww. Perv."

"Lilah said you were a professional, Tyler. If you can't keep your libido in check and carry out our instructions, I trust you-"

"Yeah, yeah. 'Find my way to the door.' No harm in asking, is there? So, what do you want me to do besides gather intel? Kill her? Torture her?"

"No," Samuel said. "We only want you to record her on videotape. In a few months, once your business is established, we will arrange for Ms. Summers to be fired from her current place of employment and come across an advertisement for your dojo. You will hire her, record her while she is fighting, report to us anything she says concerning her personal life, any visitors she has at the dojo, and you will give us the videotaped footage every night, right here at this house."

"What kind of equipment do you want me to use? Infrared… standard surveillance cameras?"

"Lilah, would you retrieve the device Tyler will use?"

"Sure."

The metallic screech of chair on floor sounded once more, quickly followed by the sounds of a door opening and closing. "I assume this means you're taking the job," Samuel said.

"If the price is right."

"I assure you, Tyler. You will not be disappointed."

"Here's your camera," Lilah said as the door opened again. "Try to mount it someplace high, preferably near the ceiling. Do you have any questions?"

"No. This chick must have done something real bad to piss you guys off. What did she do? Beat you in the beauty pageant?"

A new voice spoke. Male, British, arrogant and cultured. "What she did is not your concern."

"Oh my god," Faith said, dark eyes widening at the man's voice.

Willow's brows drew together. "Is that…"

The man continued. "Just do what we told you and bring us any useful footage. We don't like to be kept waiting, Tyler, so I advise you install the camera as soon as possible."

"I know I've heard that voice before," Xander said.

"Yes, you have" Giles murmured. "It's Wesley."

* * *

Lilah refilled her wineglass and crossed the kitchenette to her bedroom. Opening the door, she let her eyes readjust to the soft candlelight and focus on the man casually perched on her bed, his button up shirt open and rumpled, his feet bare, blue eyes glinting in the warm glow of the candles.

"Are they gone?" Wesley asked.

"Yes."

"Do they know anything?"

"Not really." She walked over to the bed and placed her wineglass on the nightstand. "Enough shop talk. Now where were we?"

"Right about here," he said as threaded his fingers through her auburn hair and drew her in for a kiss.

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