A hand was on his shoulder. He turned, ready to fight. Cordelia stepped back. She was concerned. "Here." She handed him a small green pill. "This should help" Spike swallowed it dry. Couldn't hurt any more than it did right now. Fifteen, fifteen and only three were too far-gone for help. "OK. We are heading for the exit. James, that's the old guy, he has come out of it quicker than the rest. He's going to stay and help you untie. Edward is guarding the entrance. He has got three lackeys. They are going to be missed soon." Cordelia filled him in.
"Tough kid." Spike croaked.
"Yeah" Cordelia said sadly. What sort of life did he have when this was as innocent as he got? "We need to get another one or our gang out of lala land."
"Yeah" Spike jabbed the knife into the thumb of the teenage boy. The chip sparked in his head. The pill had taken the edge off, but it still bloody hurt. "This still bloody hurts" he complained. "Spose Jean-Claude is giving our host the most trouble. Asher or Anita?"
"What about Angel?" Cordelia asked.
"What about him?" Spike asked, pulling the manacle from the bench next to the sneakered feet.
"Anita? Do you hear me?" Spike shook her. "You are missing all the fun."
"Mommy" Anita whispered.
"No luv. I ain't your mum." Spike put a gun in her lap and untied her.
"Anita. I know you are in there. You need to get these people out. Check their thumbs." He stuck the point of the knife into her left hand. The chip activated and he nearly had his own eye out while grabbing his tortured head. "Bloody hell" He put the knife in his back pocket. Edward had been gone too long. Not a good idea to let the money man get himself killed.
"Ah! Who am I kidding?" Spike spoke to himself. "I like the bugger"
He turned, his long duster swepted round like a cloak as he vanished down the dark corridor.
Angel was groggy. He had woken tied to a bench. Asher was passed out next to him. He could see Anita in front of him. He had been dream of his father. Long since dead. He felt himself go in to full brood mode. But his internal Cordelia, that's what he called the nagging voice, told him to get up. He pulled his legs free of the manacles and broke the rope.
"Asher. Get up!" he shook him.
"Julianne?" Asher mumbled.
"Only on Saturday nights. You up for some bad guy killing champ?"
Asher rolled his eyes. Angel still felt the fog. Through it he could hear his father. No, no no, he thought. Trying to stay focused.
"No more Mr nice vampire." He turned to Asher. Then he punched him. Revenge, felt good. He might have been under a spell, but he still had ripped his shirt when he attacked him earlier.
"Asher!" he shook the vampire. His blonde hair surrounded his face.
"Don't. No. Julianne!" Asher screamed and jerked fully awake. Asher felt Jean-Claude's mind reach out. It was surrounded in a fog but he threw Asher out. He heard him whisper. "It wasn't your fault" Asher sighed.
"Hello Angel" Asher sat up and snapped the ropes on his hands. He produced a hair band from nowhere and tied his hair back. Looking at Angel's shirt, he remembered the fight. "Sorry about that."
Three goons appeared in the doorway. The spotted the two men, awake and the empty chairs. The charged in. Asher and Angel had heard them before they even appeared.
"You can get me a new one." Angel ripped the chain out of the bench at Asher's feet. "Sorry about the eye" He nodded at the vampires scared face. The clean side had a black blue bruise round the eye. Asher nodded in a, don't worry about it way. The goons got up to them. They stood in unison and with one blow each floored the two outside lackeys. The man in the middle looked side to side, seeing the other two knocked out on the floor. Angel gestured for Asher to take him out in a low bow.
"Do we have time to play?" Asher asked.
"Not this time" The lackey reached for the nightstick hanging from his belt. Asher gut punched him. He rolled the man's mind. What there was of it and willed the blood to stop flowing through it for a few seconds. He passed out. Angel kicked him out of their way as they made their way out of the row of people.
"I said we didn't have time to play" the vampire sighed. Running his hand through his hair. Which was still gelled into place.
"My hand hurt" Asher pouted.
"You shouldn't have hit me so hard" Angel pointed out.
"I said sorry" Asher looked at Anita. She was sleeping. Not staring blankly like the rest.
"Should we wake her?" Angel asked. Watching as Asher tiptoed towards the door.
"Trust me. You do not want to wake this lady with anything but coffee if you want to survive."
"She does look awfully peaceful" Anita had her hand on the gun and was flicking the safety switch in her sleep.
They walked out of the room. Asher went left and Angel went right. A second later, Asher followed Angel to the right.
Spike spun round on his left foot and caught the two men with his right. He punched at the demon that got up quicker. While it was down he kicked it in the head. The other jumped him from behind. He elbowed it in the guts and grabbed it by the head. Snapping neck, then dropping it like a used nappy. He completed the ballet of death by, kicking the sword, that the other had been holding into its heart. I should take a bow for that one, he thought. Still got it.
He straightened his clothes and inhaled deeply satisfied. "Stuff it." Spike bowed. A bolt from a crossbow missed his head. Fate stepped in and saved his life again.
"Bloody hell" he turned to see a familiar face.
"Drusilla!" he exclaimed.
"Spike"
"What are you doing here pet?" he stood.
"The man in the moon. He was fishing with a carrot," Drusilla said with a singsong voice. "And the rabbits got caught." Swaying and waving the crossbow.
"What say we make us stew then, my pretty" Spike stalked up to her.
She tutted at him and waved her finger. "Naughty. You just want to take my toy" raising the crossbow again.
"No need for that sort of thing Drusilla. You know all I want to do is take care of you." Spike smiles "Princess." He gave the demon his best cute look. The bugger better be buying this, he thought, easier to stick the bloody knife in when its back was turned.
"Princess has missed you." Drusilla grinned. "We can have stew and blood and jelly. What a picnic it will be. Sit on a blanket and fill our tum tum tums" Drusilla dropped the weapon and spun. Watching her hands move. Just like the real thing, Spike complemented the demon internally.
"This way" he pointed.
"What's that way?" Drusilla pouted.
"Shh!" he put a finger to his mouth, "be very very quiet" he said in a bugs bunny imitating Elmer Fud way (ok, too many cartoons as a child) "we are hunting wabbits" he put his game face on. He held out his hand to her.
Drusilla took his hand and she skipped after him as he led her down a corridor.
What ever could be next? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~