The Seventh SlayerBy Kantayra
Chapter Fifteen“So, let’s revise,” Ajaya said, pulling her chart out from under the bed. “You wouldn’t even believe some of the stuff I came up with.”
“Bet I gotcha beat,” Isabelle retorted with a small smile.
“Right then,” Ajaya nodded. “Let’s go. Fletcher, I had.”
“If it was Fletcher, we’d all be dead by now, of course,” Isabelle commented, flopping on the bed beside Ajaya.
“New acronym,” Ajaya agreed. “WBMD – Would Be More Dead… Of course, that assumes his motivation is the complete destruction of SCBI…”
“What else would it be?” Isabelle asked curiously.
“Well, I got this weird idea when I was talking to him,” Ajaya began. “He seemed to be pretty anti-Watcher. It could have been a front, of course. But what if he was doing this to get rid of the Watchers once and for all? He could kind of be playing both sides against each other to get the Watchers to do something grievous enough that we could declare war and wipe them out for good.”
“And lose all those lives?” Isabelle said in disbelief.
Ajaya nodded solemnly. “Despite the cuddly British insecurity, he’s a commander above all else. And all commanders know that sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the cause.”
“You think he would be so callous?” Isabelle considered the idea and frowned.
“I think it’s nearly impossible to tell who would be that callous,” Ajaya countered. “For all we know, the Big Brass here could have had this planned all along.”
“I bet the Watchers would fall for it if he pretended to be a traitor,” Isabelle agreed. “That gives a similar motivation to Buffy, too. I couldn’t come up with any other reason she could have done it.”
“But she saved my life!” Ajaya protested. “The Council would have known—”
“The Council didn’t know that she was the one who saved you, did they?” Isabelle retorted. “She wore a mask. Maybe there was a second reason she wanted to conceal her identity…”
Ajaya frowned. “I still don’t think Buffy did it,” she finally sighed.
“Neither do I,” Isabelle agreed, “but you’re the one who said we have to list all possibilities.”
“Right,” Ajaya nodded and filled out the row next to Buffy’s name. “Who’s next? Willow.”
“I interviewed her, but I didn’t get much,” Isabelle said sheepishly. “Other than the fact that Lily conveniently wasn’t in the medical wing.”
“I got some stuff from Aida,” Ajaya informed her. “It’s seems when Willow was younger she got into Black Magic.”
“You’re kidding?” Isabelle exclaimed in surprise. “Willow?”
Ajaya nodded. “Pretty bad, too, from what I could gather. She had to give up all her powers and everything for a time.”
“And that worked?” Isabelle asked incredulously.
“Apparently,” Ajaya shrugged, “but get this: the Watchers’ Council once offered to restore Willow’s powers in return for her siding with them.”
“And?”
“She refused, of course. But she was still young then,” Ajaya pointed out. “She might have thought she would eventually find another way…”
“Which she hasn’t…”
“Hence, increasing desperation….”
“You think she’d take the offer now?” Isabelle suggested.
“It’s a possibility,” Ajaya decided.
“And all possibilities get listed,” Isabelle said with a wry smile. “Do we really need those last two names on the list?”
“Yes,” Ajaya pouted.
“Fine, fine,” Isabelle rolled her eyes. “What about the rest of our Witches?”
“I couldn’t get in to see Lily,” Ajaya related her experience. “Aida wouldn’t let me in.”
Isabelle’s brow furrowed. “She wasn’t injured that badly,” she pointed out. “She walked out of the warehouse just fine.”
“I know,” Ajaya agreed. “So I don’t quite know what’s going on there. It seems kind of suspicious, though…”
“What about Aida?”
“This is good stuff,” Ajaya said excitedly. “Aida never wanted to merge the school with SCBI; it was Willow’s idea.”
“So?”
“So, now she wants to separate them again. A student of hers was killed in the line of duty last year,” Ajaya explained. “She wants an excuse to move the school out.”
“And blowing up SCBI is the way?” Isabelle looked at her askance.
“Think out it,” Ajaya countered. “All the attacks have occurred while the school’s out. Plus, I got Aida to admit that she was the one who moved Lily from the medical wing.”
“OK, that’s starting to look a bit more promising…” Isabelle agreed hesitantly. “Is this separate from the Willow Theory, or a part of it?”
“Not sure,” Ajaya frowned. “It could go either way, I suppose.”
“A family united in crime,” Isabelle joked.
Ajaya nodded. “What about that Warlock you saw helping Willow and Aida out with the spell to lower the shield? Find anything out about him?”
“He was in the personnel database,” Isabelle said, “but not a Warlock, no, no.”
“What then?” Ajaya asked curiously.
“A magical familiar,” Isabelle explained. “From what I could figure out he only exists in this dimension when either Willow or Aida summon him here for magical purposes.”
“One of them could use him for their cause,” Ajaya said thoughtfully.
“But he’s not a suspect in and of himself,” Isabelle agreed. “However, speaking of the personnel database…”
“Yes?” Ajaya raised a curious eyebrow.
“You know how we really couldn’t find anything against Spike?” Isabelle continued to tease her.
“Yeah, and?” Ajaya was obviously growing impatient.
“Well, he’s in the personnel database,” Isabelle drew her explanation out even longer.
Ajaya scowled at her. “Are you going to tell me, or should I just read the database myself? ‘Cause right not I’m thinking that would be faster…”
Isabelle leaned forward conspiratorially. “Guess who the only previous traitor in the company records is?”
“Spike?!” Ajaya exclaimed in disbelief.
Isabelle nodded. “Right after he joined up. Formed a secret alliance with the evil of the time, tried to lure members to their death, and everything.”
“You’re kidding me!” Ajaya’s eyes were still open wide.
“And guess who used to be the Big Evil himself?” Isabelle continued. “Guess who’s killed three Slayers?”
“Really…” Ajaya frowned.
“His rap sheet practically reads like a Future-Traitor-Of-SCBI to-do list,” Isabelle continued. “It was pretty long ago…before he was mated to Buffy…”
“But you think he would still do it?” Ajaya pressed.
Isabelle nodded. “He seems pretty pissed,” she explained. “I don’t think he really likes that Buffy is spending all this time here. From what I gather, they kind of have their own lives together away from all this, and I think Spike really wants to get back to that.”
“To the point of destroying the organization she’s created?” Ajaya demanded.
Isabelle shrugged. “He’s done all kinds of crazy shit like this in the past. And he’s one of the few people that wouldn’t feel any remorse over the deaths here – no soul.”
“That’s a myth,” Ajaya countered, “but still…”
“I’d say he’s pretty high up on the list of people Who-Done-It,” Isabelle insisted.
“I thought you liked this guy?” Ajaya said, surprised.
Isabelle sighed. “I do,” she agreed, “but saving me and turning against SCBI aren’t necessarily contradictory things to do. Plus, haven’t you seen the movies? It’s always the cute one.”
“We are not putting that on the chart,” Ajaya insisted.
“Fine,” Isabelle said with a little grin.
Ajaya finished. “Ack! We’re jumping around out of order!” she exclaimed in horror. “We haven’t done Dawn yet.”
“That was you,” Isabelle said, lying back against the pillows. “What did you brilliant interrogation skills reveal?”
“Nothing,” Ajaya said guiltily. “I couldn’t come up with anything for Dawn. She loves working here. She loves the people. She saved all our lives when she pulled us out of the warehouse…”
“Can we cross her off the list, then?” Isabelle inquired.
“Not yet,” Ajaya shook her head. “We might come across something later. She was, however, a good source of information on Monica.”
“Who we also don’t have anything on,” Isabelle sighed.
“Maybe,” Ajaya gave her a sly smile. “Except that I don’t think Monica is Monica…”
“Huh?”
“She didn’t grow up here,” Ajaya continued. “Did you know that?”
Isabelle shook her head.
“Neither did I,” Ajaya agreed, “and when I commented on it, she practically flat out and lied to me, saying that she did.”
“Really?” Isabelle said in disbelief. “Monica? She seems so honest…”
“And check this out: no one had seen her since she was a little kid before she showed up a few years back. And no one’s bothered to verify her identity. Anyone could have come up to the gates and said ‘Hi, there! I’m your long-lost granddaughter. Give me all our most sensitive secrets.’ She could easily be a Watcher spy.”
Isabelle’s eyes widened. “That’s…scary. These people aren’t anywhere near paranoid enough.”
“Or maybe we’re too paranoid,” Ajaya sighed. “It’s just a theory.”
“It’s a good one, though.”
“Yup,” Ajaya scribbled a few more notes on the chart. “What about Alex?”
“He’s an asshole.”
Ajaya rolled her eyes. “That’s not really a good motivation,” she countered. “Did you find out exactly who he blames for his parents’ deaths?”
“Er…” Isabelle suddenly found something on the ceiling fascinating.
Ajaya braced herself. “Please tell me you didn’t pick a fight with him?” she pleaded.
Isabelle focused intently upon the drapes.
Ajaya flinched. “You said you handle interviewing him,” she accused.
“But he’s just so easy to provoke!” Isabelle protested. “Besides, he’s an asshole.”
“I know,” Ajaya rubbed her temples, “but the fact that he’s so openly expressing his anger might mean that it’s not swelling up inside of him like a raging cesspool of deceit and betrayal.”
“He yelled a little,” Isabelle provided.
Ajaya sighed. “Moving on then… Nicky?”
“Couldn’t get much out of him,” Isabelle shrugged. “He’s a bit cagier than he seems. He was conveniently well away from the sunny windows during the explosion.”
“Anything else? What about his girlfriend? Buffy, of all people, claimed not to know anything about that, and I would have thought they were pretty close…”
“He wouldn’t tell me,” Isabelle frowned, “and I used my most…persuasive techniques on him. For all we know, she could be a Watcher.”
“For all we know, she could be anyone,” Ajaya sighed. “There are a million reasons to hide something like that…”
“Still, it’s a theory,” Isabelle shrugged. “As long as we’re being extra paranoid…”
“Right,” Ajaya agreed. “Next is…Xeris. Very loyal to his people. More so than to SCBI, for sure.”
“SCBI saved his people, didn’t they?” Isabelle inquired.
“Yes,” Ajaya nodded, “but if, say, helping his fellow Velik Demons contradicted with the best interests of SCBI, I have no doubt which side he’d choose.”
“So, if the Watchers had themselves a few hostages…”
“They’ve got their traitor,” Ajaya finished.
Isabelle thought about it for a minute. “A lot of Veliks have been put in danger by the attacks,” she commented. “One even died.”
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?” Ajaya suggested uncertainly.
“Maybe,” Isabelle agreed. “It’s definitely a theory.”
“Which leaves us only with…Simon,” Ajaya declared.
“Nice guy,” Isabelle said. “Gorgeous bike. He took me for a ride on it. Very cool.”
“And did you find out anything useful while you were consorting with the suspect?” Ajaya teased.
“He’s not at all bitter about not being a fighter,” Isabelle counted off on her fingers. “He was practically raised by SCBI. He’s a diehard pacifist.”
“Doesn’t sound like someone who’s secretly conspiring to blow the place up,” Ajaya commented.
Isabelle shrugged. “He would have know the route the Veliks were taking, being the driver and all… But he seems kinda too out of the main action to be a serious suspect.”
“Still, it’s good we checked him out,” Ajaya concluded.
“Plus,” Isabelle said with a little wink, “he’s kinda cute.”
Ajaya’s eyes widened in shock. “He’s, like, forty!” she exclaimed incredulously. “Besides, I thought it was always the cute ones that did it.”
Isabelle laughed. “Maybe not this time,” she joked. “So, all we have left are the last two names… Are you sure we can’t just leave us off?”
“No,” Ajaya insisted.
“But, I know it wasn’t me!” Isabelle protested. “And if it was you…I’m so going to kick your ass.”
“Likewise,” Ajaya agreed with a smile. “But we still stay on. Just to be thorough.”
“Fine, then,” Isabelle said, snatching the marker from Ajaya. “I get to write my own little theories about you, since I can’t trust you.”
Ajaya’s eyes widened when she saw what Isabelle wrote. “Hey!” she exclaimed, outraged.
“It’s in marker,” Isabelle stuck her tongue out at the other Slayer. “What are you going to do about it, huh?”
Ajaya snatched the marker back. “I’ll just write my own theories in,” she huffed. “About you.”
“Why, you!” Isabelle screeched when she saw what Ajaya had written.
“Ha, now we’re even!” Ajaya stuck her own tongue out.
Isabelle sulked for a minute before finally conceding the point. “So, what did we learn?” she asked, gesturing to the chart. It looks just as confused as before.”
“Maybe,” Ajaya agreed, staring at it intently for some kind of pattern…
Who Done It?
Fletcher Price WBMD; philosophical differences with Watchers’ Council; loses power Used to work for Watchers; perhaps wants war? Willow Rosenberg Strong family ties; injured; daughter injured Previous addiction to Black Magic; Watchers offered to restore powers; Lily not in med wing during attack; in it with family? Aida Doogan Strong family ties; daughter injured; White Witch Wants to separate school from SCBI; pulled Lily from med wing before attack; attack occurred while school was in recess; revenge for lost student? Dawn Salvatore WBMD; strong family ties; lifelong dream to work here Unknown Buffy Summers WBMD – esp. Ajaya; strong family ties; founder of SCBI; mate injured Perhaps wants war? Spike WBMD – esp. Isabelle; family ties; injured Former history of turning traitor; lack of conscience; wants mate to spend less time with SCBI? Alex Harris WBMD; strong family ties Asshole; angry over death of parents and fiancée; blames who exactly? Monica Salvatore Family ties (?); Ajaya irrationally likes her Caught lying about childhood; may not be who she claims – planted by Watchers as spy? Nicholas Maybe Ajaya WBMD; friendship ties Difficult to get information from – who is secret girlfriend? Watcher, for all we know; not in sunlit area at time of attack Lily Rosenberg-Doogan Strong family ties; seriously (?) injured Not in med wing during attack; impossible to get hold of/injuries not that severe – hiding for a reason? Xeris Liberated by SCBI; species known for loyalty; Veliks threatened/killed in both attacks Loyalty lies with Veliks, not SCBI; would go how far to save people? Simon Denton Pacifist; friendship ties Knowledge of flight plan prior to first attack Ajaya Gupta Attacked (?) by Watchers; didn’t have security code; too busy being anal about her science project to do much else Unknown past – may be spy of Watchers Isabelle Navarro Attacked (?) by Watchers; didn’t have security code; one who brought theory of traitor to light; too busy flirting with the undead to do anything else Used to work for Watchers – may be spy “Well, that was a great exercise in nothing,” Isabelle complained. “Everyone did it!”
“It gives us a several viable theories to test out,” Ajaya pointed out. “And,” she added for emphasis, “it tells us that if it ever becomes vital that we go to someone for help, it should definitely be Dawn.”
“Agreed,” Isabelle nodded.
“It’s just hard to know who it could actually be without knowing how far our traitor is really willing to go,” Ajaya sighed…
* * *
“Are you insane?!” the static-y image on the viewscreen exclaimed.
Clifford Fitzpatrick looked unconcerned by his ally’s outburst. “We used the information you gave us in the way we best saw fit to further both our causes,” he replied.
“There could have been civilians in the medical wing,” his informant countered.
“But there weren’t,” Fitzpatrick countered.
There was silence on the other end of the screen for a few seconds. “I’ll want more advance warning the next time you strike,” the voice finally demanded.
“Of course,” Fitzpatrick agreed amiably.
“Until next time then.” The monitor shut off.
Fitzpatrick turned to the assembled Watchers. “I fear our ally is a bit more…reluctant than before,” he commented, slightly concerned. He turned to West. “You orchestrated this last attack marvelously.”
“For the cause,” West agreed nervously.
“Yes, of course,” Fitzpatrick agreed. “However, it does mean that I will trust you with another task. Keep an eye on our friend over at SCBI, and at the first sign of betrayal…”
“I will take care of it,” West nodded.
“Excellent,” Fitzpatrick leaned back in his chair and watched the sun set…
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