Here We Come To Save The Day

By Karen

Chapter Ten

“This is just embarrassing.”

Spike pulled irritably at his restraints and scowled into the darkness. “I’m the big bad, dammit, and Peaches is meant to be the scourge of the fucking known world.” There was the sound of chains being yanked taut and then rattled angrily “I don’t sit around and wait for things to eat me, I eat them for fucks sake!”

He froze as a pointed cough came from Buffy’s general direction and then carried on without missing a beat “When I say eat I mean give them a bloody good talking to and then sent them on their way with a couple of bucks and a thick ear, of course.”

He scowled as he heard Angel give a snicker and then a pained yelp as something connected sharply with his ankle. There was a silence and then the older vampire muttered “Me too. No eating of the food for me. No sirree. Coffee and donuts all around.”

Giles sighed and shifted to try and find a comfortable spot of the cold hard floor. “Children, please. We need to think of a way to alleviate the situation.” He paused “Or at least make use of the facilities and secure a nice warming beverage.”

A maddened explosion of air sounded from Anya’s direction “Yes, that’s just what we need. Tea. I personally find being chained in a basement in the dark and cold, waiting for something to eat me SO much more bearable when I know I have a cup of dead leaves strained through hot water beside me.”

They all paused as they heard a door opening and then Fred’s voice yelled furiously “You get your hands off me you son of a bitch!” There was a muffled thump “I said get your hands off me! I kicked your pet’s ass and I’ll kick yours too.” A pained cry rang out “Ha! Told ya! Ya’ll touch me again and I swear I’ll kill your scaly butt where it stands.” Buffy turned her face towards the sound of the a scuffle and the desperate attempts of a demon to chain two wrists to a wall while simultaneously trying to peel a pair of clawed hands from around its throat. Finally they heard feet retreat hurriedly across the floor and the door bang shut.

“Fred? You ok, baby?” Gunn’s voice was filled with anxiety as he strained towards his love.

Cordelia snorted “Hello? Kicked ass in a big way and then gets dragged back still cursing and fightin’? I say she’s just fine, right sweetie?”

Fred grinned happily into the gloom and said with deep satisfaction “Uh-huh. I’m just fine and dandy. Are ya’ll ok?”

Gunn shut his eyes and swallowed slowly before he could be sure his voice wouldn’t betray him. “We’re fine. I was worried.” Fred blinked back tears at the gruff concern in his voice and silently promised herself that as soon as they were back home she’d be giving him a big surprise the minute she got him alone and naked. She grinned smugly as she thought of the half an hour spent with Cordelia earlier that week and the very informative way her friend had taught her to eat a carrot. Her grin widened as she pictured Gunn’s face when she practised the same moves on a certain part of his anatomy. “Worried about me? Oh please, ya’ll know I can take care of myself.”

“Well, we sure as hell do now.” Xander tried to flex his cramped muscles and groaned as his shoulders protested “Hey, bleach boy, you had a lot of years to practise the fine art of juvenile delinquency, can’t you do something about these locks? Snag a hair grip already and get pickin’.”
“Do I look like the soddin’ Artful Dodger to you, chubby?”
“Oh what, you’re evil but you have standards? You must have picked a damn lock at some point in your oh so blood soaked past.”

Spike snarled and felt his hackles begin to rise at the snarky tone “Oh yeah, then for an encore I went out and picked a pocket or two. I’m a vampire mate. Locks were made to be broken.”
“Oh good grief. Xander, Spike will you please desist from your childish antics and either assist in thinking of a plan to get us out of here or remain silent so the rest of us can concentrate on the problem in hand.”

Xander gave a huge grin and knew without needing to see the look on Spike’s face that his nemesis cum best male bud was wearing an identical evil grin. Time for one of their favourite games. Bait the Giles!

“Speaking of criminal masterminds, Giles, you had an adventurous time of it when you were a wee nipper. What say you break out the hair pins and get us the hell out of here?” Spike laughed and joined in happily as Xander broke off

“Yeah, come on Rupert. The way I heard it you were a bit of a hell raisin' nipper back in the day, what say you take that stake outta your ass and let ol’ Ripper out to play for a while?”

Giles sputtered in indignation and glared over the top of his glasses into the dark “You know very well that those days are behind me and I am entirely respectable these days……..”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re a regular example to us all, librarian boy, now drop the outraged pillar of the community bit and make with the criminal moves already.” Cordelia shifted uncomfortably as her bladder began to throb and her tone was full of the bite of her Queen C days.

“Well, really, I don’t know where you got the idea that I know………”
“Hello? I was in on the rescue party for Glinda and Slaygal when they were looking to get up close and personal with the business end of a flaming torch in high school, remember? I saw you jimmy the lock plain as day. Now jimmy us the hell outta here already.”

Giles huffed in annoyance “That was a long time ago and I’ll thank you to remember that the last few years have consisted mainly of an ability to use a sharp edged weapon and run away from screaming hordes of demons. I’m very out of practice.”

“Then it is fortunate that your weak skills will not be needed, human.” The gang jumped and cursed as Chanic’s voice echoed through the room. Buffy scowled directly in front of herself and spat venomously “Will you stop doing that, you piece of crap? Knock or something.”

The demon ignored her and continued in a satisfied voice “You will be dead soon and no longer in need of escape.”

Spike snorted “I don’t think so mate. You can’t kill us until you know which one of us is the Key and there ain’t a body here that’ll tell you that.”
“I know who the Key is, vampire. She is on her way here and now there is nothing to stop me bringing forth my brethren and wrecking havoc upon your world.”

Buffy felt her chest tighten unbearably as she thought of her younger sister being used as a sacrifice and being brought alone and scared before a demon intent on killing her. She clenched her hands as images filled her head of Dawn helpless and afraid calling for her sister to come and save her and then, unexpectedly, another image popped up. One of Dawn covered in blood and demon gore and taking down a demon three times her size without breaking a sweat. Then another of her baby sister laughing as she effortlessly took out two vampires with Buffy trapped in her own battle and unable to do anything but watch. The pressure in her chest eased a bit. Dawn was no Slayer but maybe she didn’t have to be. She raised her chin and said calmly “Good luck, Dead Demon Walking, you’re gonna need it.”

Spike grinned into the darkness and deliberately forced away the image of his nibblet dying in pain and fear and instead focused on his beloved girl hacking apart the smug bastard holding them. “She’s not kidding, bollock brain, you just invited the ass kickin’ of a life time.”

This time Buffy felt the demon leave and only then did she allow herself to start to shake. Spike growled fiercely and yanked once more at his chains “Pet, I can’t…..”

Buffy shook her head slightly and blinked back terrified tears “Its ok, Spike. She’ll be ok and she’ll get us out of here.”

The Bronze, fifteen minutes earlier.

“Can you lead us to them, Dru?” Dawn’s voice trembled with relief and urgency but her eyes were steady on the vampire’s face as Druscilla nodded and said with unusual clarity

“Yes. I don’t know the name of where they are but I can follow them on the road in my head.”
“Good enough. Are they…..are…..”

Druscilla smiled widely and put out a gentle hand to rest on the side of Dawn’s face “All the pretty cats live, little bird. Daddy and my William are angry and they rage against the dark but they all live. They cannot die while the Key lives.”

Connor started and stared wide-eyed at Dawn as she flinched back from Dru’s caress
“The Key? Are you sure?” Dru’s eyes swung to Connor at the urgent enquiry and her eyes unfocused as she looked inside herself and at the information she had taken from the captive demon

“Yes, they must have the Key. They do not which one of the kitties is the Key and while they do not know they cannot kill. When the Key is found they will sacrifice the rest as the Key’s power is drained and the portals are opened.”

Dawn flinched as Kit put her arm around her shoulders and said firmly “This is not your fault. You had no way of knowing what this was about and if you had been taken with them you would all have been dead hours ago.” Dawn nodded shakily at the calm words and brought a hand up to squeeze Kit’s as the girl continued “This way they have a chance. We have a chance.”
“I know. You’re right.” Dawn’s chin came up and she gave Connor a fierce smile “Ready?”

Connor crossed the room to catch her against him and press his mouth hard against hers “Always.” He felt her shudder once against him as she allowed herself to lean for a moment into his strength and then she pushed him firmly away and turned to Clem

“You stay here.” Her hand came up to stop his automatic protest and she said calmly “Someone needs to contact the Council and tell them what happened to us if we don’t come back. We don’t know what might come through if we lose and the Council will need all the information they can use if that happens.”
“But Spike…….”
“Will be dead and not able to kill you. You’re staying here Clem.” Dawn walked across to her friend and flung her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek softly “We’ll be ok.” She turned to her Connor and held out a hand for her axe “We need to go steal some wheels.”

They left Clem behind staring anxiously after them and from the balcony above a pair of eyes watched them leave and then slowly drew back into the shadows. Clem turned sharply and stared into the dark recesses up above as an uneasy shiver ran down his spine, after pausing for a few seconds he shook himself hurriedly and walked out the back door.

Forty minutes later they were speeding along the road out of town in Giles’ delivery van and watching Druscilla in tense silence as she sat with Carlos up front concentrating on picking up their missing family’s trail. Kit sat by the rear window of the van peering behind them at the dark road and the flames visible in the night sky from the burning Town Hall “Your sister is gonna be pissed when she sees the mess in town.”

Dawn looked up from sharpening her axe and flashed a quick grin “You’re not kidding. She gets real annoyed when I don’t clean up my room, when she sees what the demons have done there’s gonna be some serious ass kicking going on.”

Connor snorted “You think that’s bad, wait till Cordy sees the state of the hotel. My money’s on her in the pissed stakes.”

Dawn grinned, “That’s your biggest problem? Wait till Gunn sees what’s left of his truck. You are SO grounded.” Connor shifted uneasily and thought of the Angelmobile smoking at the side of the freeway in LA and wondered just how many points he’d be earning saving his family from certain death weighed against the fact he’d totalled two out of their three cars in one night. He had a sinking feeling there weren’t enough brownie points in the world to save him from his father’s righteous wrath.

Long minutes passed and then at last Druscilla swayed in her seat and gestured with a languid arm for Carlos to turn off the road and onto a dirt track almost invisible in the darkness “Down there. My Daddy is close, he’s waiting with tea and cakes for his little boy to come play.”

Carlos obediently swung the van off the road and flicked the vampire an amused look “Turn left would have done.”

Druscilla ignored him and leaned forward to press her face against the cold windshield “I can feel them. My Daddy is calling to me.”

Dawn gave her axe one last swipe with the small whetstone she had lifted from the supplies in Giles’ store and nodded to Connor “We should stop the van soon and go in on foot. We don’t want to tip them off we’re coming.”
“Agreed. Druscilla, tell Carlos when we’re close enough to go in on foot.”

Fifteen minutes later they were laying on their bellies on top a small hillock and looking down on a sprawling farmhouse standing quiet in the moonlight. Connor and Druscilla eased forward slightly and studied the lie of the land carefully with their superior night vision. They exchanged glances and them slid back to draw level with the others once more

“There’s demons here, I can smell them. They’re all inside the house and there doesn’t seem to be any obvious early warning systems or alarms around the house.” Connor spoke in a low voice and kept one careful eye on the house as he relayed his findings “We should split up and hit the house from as many sides as we can. Dawn, Carlos take the front and Kit and I will take the back. Druscilla………..”

The dark haired woman giggled, “Go long. Hut, hut.”

Dawn laughed despite herself “You got it. Ok, let’s get on with it.” She pushed against the ground to lever herself to her feet and then turned her head sharply as Connor gave a surprised grunt. He stared at her with wide eyes and she saw a long dart stick out from his neck when he raised a slow hand to his throat then his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell face forward to the floor. Dawn flung herself towards him and then her head snapped round as Kit gave a muffled scream. The other girl pointed with a shaking hand to Druscilla as the vampire collapsed gracefully to the floor with an identical dart in her own neck.

“Get down!” Dawn knocked Kit to the floor and looked frantically around for Carlos as she stretched her body over her prone friend and was relieved to see him looking scared but unhurt a few feet away. She turned her head as the sound of pounding feet reached her over the sound of her heart and watched in astonishment as six humans dressed in de rigueur commando black, complete with ski masks, broke over the top of the small rise and pointed small automatic rifles at them.

“STAY DOWN ON THE FLOOR! DO NOT MOVE! STAY DOWN!”

Kit whimpered again and Dawn instinctively pressed her body down harder in an effort to give some comfort. She hissed with pain as one of the soldiers stepped forward and wrenched her arms behind her back and snapped some cold cuffs on her wrists and then she screamed aloud as she was dragged to her feet by her hair. Carlos and Kit were given the same treatment and then all three were forced to watch as the unconscious Dru and Connor were similarly restrained but with several hard blows and kicks as their captors took advantage of their unconscious state. Dawn pulled furiously at the grip of the man that held her as she watched Connor’s head rock back under a vicious kick and then cried out in terror and rage as a sharp snap rang out into the night when another solid kick shattered a rib.

“Stop it! Leave him alone! Pick on someone who can fight back you bastards!”

Kit screamed as another faceless soldier slammed his fist into Dawn’s cheek and sent her to her knees and then everyone froze as a quiet voice said “Stand down.” Carlos turned his head and watched a tall, well-built man come over the top of the hill and move easily through the loose line of soldiers. He stopped before Dawn and reached out to touch her cheek gently, wiping his thumb through the blood that streamed from the deep gash below her eye “I told you to stay out of this Dawn.”

The young girl blinked at the regretful tone of voice and shook her head slightly as though to clear her thoughts “Riley?” The man reached up to pull off his mask and Riley nodded grimly as he tucked a strand of hair behind Dawn’s ear

“Yes.”
“Riley, I don’t understand, what’s going on? You know we aren’t the bad guys, tell them to let us loose.”

Dawn’s voice was filled with confusion but Carlos looked at her face as she spoke and he watched the slow look of realisation and horror steal across her bloodied features. Riley shook his head and gave a cold parody of the farm boy smile Dawn used to know as well as her own mother’s “I think you know that’s no longer an option. I have to take you in.”

Dawn blinked and stared at the face above her trying to find some small sliver of the man that she thought she had once known “Riley, Buffy and the others are down there. Let me go get them and then I’ll come with you, I swear.” Kit shivered and tried to shift closer to Carlos as Dawn’s eyes filled with pleading tears and her voice cracked with emotion. Riley drew a soft hand over her hair and smiled again as he leaned forward to say softly in her ear

“Don’t worry Dawnie, I’m not here to keep you out.” He brushed a kiss across her filthy skin and whispered, “I’m here to get you in.”

Dawn flinched back and then the last thing she saw before the darkness dragged her down was the flat of Riley’s hand speeding towards her face.

 

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