12
21:05 PM
“This is amazing” Faith shouted over the roar of the helicopter’s blades, staring down at the sparkling lights of Los Angeles beneath her. It was mesmerising and breathtaking and all that other poetic crap. She couldn’t take her eyes off it.
“Faith, don’t lean so far out.” Buffy said prissily, latching onto her arm. She looked out herself, clasping a hand around the harness that held her in her seat.
“Scared of heights, Summers?”
“Ever since that near death experience in 2001…” Buffy trailed off.
Cordy patted her arm reassuringly. “Well you’re strapped in nice and safe so quit worrying and enjoy the view.” She looked down from her side of the helicopter, bangs flying wildly in her face. “It is incredible, isn’t it?”
“This is our city, ladies.” Faith said with a cheeky grin. “Let’s all take a moment to shed a tear.”
Cordelia laughed, rolling her eyes. She sat upright suddenly.
Buffy frowned. “What?”
Cordelia’s eyes were squinting into the distance. “Spot the devil amidst the city of angels…”
Faith’s heart sank. “I KNEW a line like that was gonna rear its ugly head sometime soon.”
Cordy only grinned as the pilot of the helicopter turned around, addressing Buffy. The blonde nodded, turning back to her friends. “We’ll be there in a second. He says we have to wait for his signal before getting off.” She shrugged. “Safety issues.”
Faith raised an eyebrow. “He does know we fight demons, right?”
The helicopter gained speed, blades cutting through the night as they soared forward, the city lights now blurring beneath them. Faith spotted Wolfram and Hart almost instantly, its imposing height raising it above the surrounding buildings. The chopper slowed then, circling the building once before descending through the air.
The girls closed their eyes, hair whipping in their faces as the air swirled harshly around them. A slight jerk indicated the helicopter had touched down on the terrace. The pilot turned swiftly, giving them a thumbs-up.
They moved fast, undoing their harnesses and sliding out of them, keeping their heads low as they stepped out and onto the terrace of Wolfram and Hart. They hurried several feet away, nodding at the pilot and watching as the helicopter lifted, slowly ascending off the roof and into the air, turning back in the direction they’d come from. Within moments, it disappeared into the night.
Faith pressed a hand to her ear, activating the earpiece. She followed Buffy and Cordy as they walked across the terrace and towards the roof door. “We’re here, Wes.”
Cordy’s hand hovered over the locked door handle. She glanced at Faith who held up a finger for a moment, waiting for Wesley’s word, then shot her a thumbs up. A soft click was heard and Cordelia turned the handle, pulling open the now unlocked door.
Silently, they stepped inside, shutting it behind them. In seconds, the lock clicked back into place.
21:19 PM
The corridors were dark, and eerie in a way that had Buffy suppressing a shiver as she tightened her fingers around her flashlight, Faith and Cordelia beside her. The slim rays of light cut through the blackness in front of them, highlighting the carpet beneath their feet as they moved forward.
“Turn left here.” Wesley said softly, his voice filtering through their earpieces as he guided them across the floor. “Good Lord, these corridors are long.”
“You’re telling us…” Cordy muttered, raising her flashlight. Dozens of cubicles materialised a few feet in front and to the right of them, small sofas and coffee tables littering the passageway straight ahead. “Watch the toes.”
Buffy snickered, unable to help herself. When they’d first entered the building, Faith had ignored her flashlight and tripped over a wastepaper bin.
Faith shot her the finger.
“You’ll need to keep walking until the end of this corridor.” Wesley said. “Meanwhile, I’m going to take a short bathroom break.”
Faith winced. “Too much information…”
They walked cautiously and in silence for a few seconds, before boredom and curiosity got the better of Buffy and she turned her attention to Cordelia.
“So…” She began in her most casual voice. “Let’s talk about this so called thing that’s NOT going on between you and Angel – ”
“Buffy…” Cordelia warned.
Buffy continued as though she hadn’t heard her. “I mean it’s not so much a thing that isn’t when there are secret smiles and little touches – ”
“And let’s not forget the looks.” Faith chipped in with a grin. “You guys could’ve melted ice back there.”
“I really don’t wanna talk about this here.” Cordy said shortly.
“Why not?” Faith challenged. “It’s as good a place as any.”
Cordy stared at her as though she’d grown two heads. “It’s hell’s law firm! Not exactly making with the warm fuzzies.”
“So there are warm fuzzies involved?” Buffy asked, smirking at the way Cordelia flushed, then glared at her. The brunette strode forward without them, nearly catching her leg on the arm of a sofa. She slowed then, flipping her hair regally over her shoulder.
“I’m not discussing this.”
“Cordelia – ”
“Ignoring you…”
“Cordy come on, we’re your girlfriends.” Buffy tried, glancing at Faith who nodded emphatically.
“And we love ya.” Faith added. “Plus, it’s not healthy to keep all that gossip bottled up inside.”
Cordelia rolled her eyes.
Seeing that they were losing the battle, Buffy grabbed Cordelia’s arm, spinning her around. “We just wanna make sure that you’re okay.” She said, sticking her lower lip out slightly. “You can’t date a guy we don’t approve of, now…”
“I’m not – ”
Buffy shook her finger at her. “I mean, what if Angel has cow’s feet?”
“Or ox’s tongue?” Faith jumped in excitedly.
Cordelia made a face. “He doesn’t have either.”
“Aah, now do you know this because you’ve been intimate with said tongue?” Faith asked, raising an eyebrow.
Cordelia laughed then, despite herself. She shook her head at them. “You’re both mad.”
When they only smiled winningly at her, Cordy looked from one girl to the other, a resigned expression settling upon her face. “Riley’s gonna kill me for not telling him first…”
She ran a hand through her hair, shrugging. “We kissed.”
Buffy’s jaw dropped.
“What?” Faith yelped, grabbing Cordelia’s arms and shaking her. “You KISSED him???”
“Faith – ”
“This is HUGE!”
“Yes, but I – ”
Buffy finally found her tongue, staring incredulously at Cordelia. “And you waited this long to tell us, WHY?”
“I didn’t – ”
“What was it like, Cor?” Faith interrupted her, grinning wickedly. “Mind blowing? Toe curling?” She waggled her eyebrows playfully. “Did he show you *his* stake?”
Buffy burst out laughing. “Faith, that was bad…”
Cordy bit her lip, growling and putting her head in her hands.
“Oh, come on!” Buffy squeezed her shoulder. “You set yourself up for this with the not telling.” She smirked. “Plus, I hate to say I told you so but – ”
“Then don’t.” Cordy snapped, shooting her a glare. “Look, I don’t wanna make too big a deal – ”
“Did you do anything else?” Faith interrupted her again, practically bouncing on her heels.
Cordelia looked as though smoke was about to blow out of her ears. “May I finish a sentence?”
“No. Did you do anything else?” Faith grinned at her, her smile widening when Cordelia reddened.
Buffy’s eyes widened. “You didn’t sleep with him, did you?”
“No!” Cordelia said, blushing furiously at their raised eyebrows. “Not in the connotative sense of the word, anyway…”
“Cordelia!” Faith exclaimed.
“Oh my God…” Buffy pressed a hand to her forehead, releasing a breath. “I cannot *believe* you didn’t tell us this sooner!”
“What the bloody hell are you lot squealing about?” Wesley’s annoyed voice sounded through their earpieces suddenly, making them flinch. “Might I remind you, you are working and are required to be stealth.”
Cordelia sighed, raising her flashlight as they approached the end of the corridor. It split into two carpeted hallways, one leading to a stairwell. “Which way Wes?”
Faith spoke before Wesley, looking oddly at Cordelia. “You really like this guy, don’t you?”
Wesley’s confused voice sounded through the earpiece. “I beg your pardon?”
“Not you.” Faith snorted.
“Cordelia kissed Angel.” Buffy said, filling him in despite the glare she received from her friend.
“Oh, well I…” Wesley began, and Buffy could just picture him going red. “That’s uh, good?”
“Which way, Wesley?” Cordelia repeated through gritted teeth.
“For the record?” Faith said quickly, and Buffy knew she wanted to get one last gibe in before she knew it was time to drop it. “Best gossip EVER.”
Wesley made odd snorting noise and Buffy giggled. Slowly, as though she was resisting it, Cordelia cracked a smile. “Glad to oblige. Now, which way?”
21:32 PM
They followed the stairwell down to the floor below, grabbing the banister for support as they descended the dark, narrow passage. Cordy pressed her ear against the heavy door leading to the corridor, holding a hand up to silence the two girls behind her.
“Someone’s out there.”
A brief flash of light passed beneath the doorframe and all three panicked, flicking their flashlights off. Faith felt Buffy grip her arm, pulling her a step back from the door, prepared to fight or sprint if someone came through it.
The voices outside dimmed to a dull throb and then disappeared. Cordy swallowed, turning the handle with a soft click and slowly inching the door open. Faith waited, holding her breath – literally.
Finally Cordelia nodded, stepping out into the hallway. “All clear.”
They followed her out, the corridor appearing almost exactly the same to the one upstairs, though there were no cubicles and fewer desks – the ones there probably for secretaries. Glass offices flanked either side of the L shaped corridor, long, floor length blinds hiding the interiors from outside view.
This was it, Faith thought – the private offices. An involuntary shudder went through her.
Buffy turned her flashlight back on, careful to keep it low. “Wesley?”
“Hmm?” Wesley murmured.
Buffy raised an eyebrow. “Not sleeping on the job, are ya?”
Cordelia smirked.
“Certainly not.” Wesley huffed indignantly. “But I can’t help you here. Unfortunately Wolfram and Hart’s site doesn’t come with a big red X that marks the spot.”
Faith frowned. “So what do we do now?”
Wesley sighed dramatically. “Spoon feeding you isn’t part of my job description.”
“Pfft, you’re not – ”
“It has to be on this floor.” He interrupted her before she had a chance to argue. “You’re just going to have to look for the correct office.”
“But there are so many.” Buffy whined.
“Yes, but there has to be *something* that sets it apart from the rest. Once you find it, you’ll be able to disable the security system with the gadgets you acquired yesterday.”
“Alright,” Faith muttered resignedly, turning to the other two. “Should we split up?”
“No, it’s safer to stick together.” Wesley mused.
Cordy shrugged. “Floor’s not that big anyway.”
They began walking again, down the corridor and towards the pivot of the L with only Buffy’s flashlight leading the way. Faith made sure to look in front of her, taking cautious steps. Cordy stopped suddenly and Faith nearly ran into her.
“What?”
“Ssh.” Cordy whispered urgently, gesturing at Buffy to turn the flashlight off. She did. For a moment, they were plunged into darkness and silence, until a soft glimmer of light flickered over the carpet a few feet in front of them, its source invisible behind the wall that hid the adjacent corridor of the L.
The voices they’d heard earlier sounded again, clearer this time, though further away. Faith pressed herself against the wall, ducking her head around it and pulling back rapidly with a gasp.
Buffy touched her shoulder. “What?”
“Okay, I’m not much with the spidey-senses.” Faith said. “But I’m guessing whatever’s behind door number one has to be pretty important if they’re guarding it.”
Cordelia looked confused. “Who is?”
Faith tilted her head, motioning at them to follow in kind. Swiftly, the three of them stuck their heads around the corner and Faith pointed at the two beefy security guards taking short steps up and down the corridor, across and in front of a red oak door leading to an office.
“I’m guessing you’re right.” Buffy whispered as she pulled back, feeling for the gun at her hip. “Shall we?”
Cordy held out a hand. “Age before beauty.”
Faith smirked at Buffy. “Shit before shovel.”
“Oh, both of you bite me.”
“Ladies,” Wes interrupted, “We should probably think this through – ” His voice trailed off when Faith, Buffy and Cordy leapt out from behind the wall, swiftly launching themselves at both security guards. “What did I JUST say?!”
His voice drowned out as Buffy punched one of the security guards in the face, dodging his recovery punch and elbowing him in the stomach. He went down on his knees and she swiftly backhanded him, sending him sprawling to the floor, unconscious.
Faith kicked the other security guard in the chest, twirling and spin kicking him in the face as he landed hard against the wall. He swerved drunkenly, lunging for her. Faith merely stepped out of the way and the security guard came face to face with Cordelia, who struck him viciously in the face with the handle of her gun. He too, collapsed to the ground.
“Nicely done.” Wesley admitted, albeit a little grudgingly.
Cordy smiled. “Thank you.”
Buffy quickly stepped forward, shining her flashlight over the entrance to the small office. Like all the others, blinds covered the interior from view but there was something different about this.
“What the hell is that?” Faith asked, pointing to a small, rectangular box that was placed on the doorframe, silver in colour with a red glass panel across the front. A small light blinked inside it.
“Is that the -?” Cordy started.
“Yep.” Buffy interrupted her, pressing down on her cheek and levelling her eye with the blinking light inside the device. It suddenly turned green, scanning from left to right and then back again. There was a strange beeping noise and then –
ACCESS DENIED.
Buffy stared in shock at the letters that came up beneath the flashing light, glancing at the other two.
Faith frowned, crossing her arms. “Did you do it right?”
Buffy made a face. “Of course I did it right! How do you do it wrong?”
Cordy waved her finger around her face. “Try it again.”
“And make sure it’s in properly.” Wesley added.
Buffy huffed, turning away from them and fidgeting with the contact lens for a few seconds. When she turned back she blinked rapidly, then stepped in front of the device again, lining herself up correctly. The light turned green once again, scanning back and forth several times before –
ACCESS GRANTED.
“Ha!” Buffy said, stepping back and raising an eyebrow at the girls. She pushed down on the handle, holding the door open for them with a smug grin. “Shovel and beauty my ass.”
They laughed at her, stepping inside the room. Buffy walked in and shut the door behind them.
21:47 PM.
The room was rather simple compared to the rest of Wolfram and Hart, lacking in any plush seating, oak wood desks or potted plants. There was a water fountain in one corner, a small beige couch in the another corner, and in the very centre, a small desk with nothing but a black, flat screen computer on it.
Faith looked around incredulously. “This CANNOT be her office.”
“Maybe it isn’t.” Cordelia shrugged. “Or maybe she has two.”
Buffy took a seat on the small swivel chair in front of the desk, placing her hands on either side of it. “This thing has an eye scan too.”
Faith and Cordelia followed and stood behind her. Right beside the keyboard was a device angled towards the computer, similar to the one attached to the door. Buffy wasted no time in levelling her eye with it, growling when it once again denied her access.
“Relationships take time, Buff.” Faith said with a smirk.
Buffy pinched her in the side, once again re-adjusting the contact lens and staring into the green abyss of the device. It took two more tries before the computer granted her access.
“I’m in.” Buffy said, frowning when there was no response. “Wesley?”
“Faith, bend down a little.” Wesley’s impatient voice filtered through their earpieces.
“Excuse me?”
“You have the camera attached to your shirt. At the moment, all I’m seeing is the top of the bloody computer.”
“Oh!” Faith flushed, bending down, albeit a little awkwardly. “Better?”
“Much.” Wesley was silent for a few seconds, contemplating the image in front of him. “Well, it appears to be a screen like any other. Hmm, clientele, inventory, – aha! Go into the folder that says employees.”
Buffy double clicked on it, flinching when a long, long list of names appeared on the screen. She shot Cordy a look. “Thank God your boyfriend’s an A.”
Cordelia glared at her. “I thought we agreed this topic was getting old.”
“It’ll never get old, Cor.” Buffy smirked, searching the top of the list for Angel’s name. When she found it, she paused.
“What?” Faith asked, leaning forward.
Buffy glanced at her. “It’s in bold.”
Wesley snorted. “He’s their most important employee, Buffy.”
“Right.” Buffy double clicked on Angel’s name, smiling when a folder opened with several files inside it. “Gotchya.”
Cordelia bent down, inserting the USB key into the computer’s receiver. It flashed blue, then appeared on the screen. Buffy copied everything inside the folder to their key, tapping her foot impatiently as it began to load.
“Go back to the main screen, Buffy.” Wesley said. Buffy obediently returned to the desktop. “I’m almost certain I saw – ”
“Senior partners.” Faith finished for him, pointing at the small folder in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. “Why is it separate from the rest?”
“Maybe it’s more important?” Cordy suggested.
“Or less.” Wesley said. “Either way, copy it. The more we know here, the better off we are.”
“I’m on it.” Buffy copied all the required files to their USB key. It took several minutes to load. When the job was done, Cordelia pulled it out and handed it to Buffy, rising and following Faith as she quietly opened the office door. Buffy pocketed the key and swiftly closed all open windows on the screen, logging out of the system until the same screen they’d encountered when they’d entered the room was back in place.
Cordelia stepped carefully out of the small office, holding her gun in front of her at the ready. She gestured for Faith and Buffy, who followed her out, guns by their sides. The office door closed with a soft click. The girls stepped over the two unconscious security guards, stealthily making their way to the elevators.
Faith glanced over at Cordy as she led the way. “So, I notice you didn’t *deny* that tall, dark and handsome is your boyfriend.”
“Shut up Faith.”
22:05 PM
Tim took a generous bite out of his doughnut, washing it down with a gulp of his soda. A few crumbs fell onto his uniform and he swiftly brushed them off with the back of his hand. He glanced at the clock, tapping his fingers against the security desk.
Bill shot him a dirty look. “Do you have to do that?”
“No.” Tim replied, but continued to do it anyway. “Slow night, huh?”
“Always is.” Bill said, slouching in his seat. “No one’s dumb or clever enough to even try and sneak in here.”
“Still,” Tim shrugged. “A little action wouldn’t hurt once in a – ”
The shrill ping of the elevator interrupted him, marking its decent downwards. Bill got out of his seat, a confused look on his face.
“Who the hell’s using the elevator at this time of night?” He walked over to the small rectangular area just around the corner to where their desk was placed in the main lobby, standing in the centre of the wide corridor outside the four elevator doors.
Tim stood too, tilting his head just slightly in order to see his partner. Bill stood just around the corner with his hands on his hips, tapping his foot impatiently as the elevator continued its slow decent. In order not to crick his neck, Tim glanced back to the security desk and the various small screens that displayed surveillance camera footage, including the feed from the one just outside the ground floor elevators. He did a double take.
Bill was nowhere in sight.
Tim’s eyes widened in shock. “What the hell – ”
The elevator doors opened with a deafening ping and almost immediately there was a muffled yelp. Then Bill shouted, his voice constricted with pain and panic as it sounded through the front lobby, echoing off the walls.
“Bill!” Tim swivelled around, grabbing the gun at his side and levelling it in front of him. He sprinted a few feet forward, only to see a petite blonde kick Bill in the face, sending him reeling back into the metal bin between two elevators.
Tim pointed the gun at the blonde. “Freeze, bitch!”
The blonde turned to face him, her eyes widening. She swiftly, dropped to the ground and rolled back into the elevator.
His heart pounding in his chest, he cautiously moved forward. “I know you’re in there. Come out where I can see you!” Silence was his only response. “I mean it! NOW!”
A shot was suddenly fired and he was certain it wasn’t from his gun. That was really all the confirmation he needed. Tim hurled himself to the floor, scrambling behind a marble pillar and leaning against it. He looked out from behind it carefully, only to see the barrel of a gun pointing out of the elevator. Tim fired again and the person inside the elevator fired back, knocking a piece of marble off the pillar he was hiding behind. Tiny bits of debris crumbled around him.
Coughing, Tim grabbed his walkie-talkie, breathing heavily into it. “Backup, I need backup! Someone’s down here! Bring backup now!” He heard a vague response before he dropped the device, glancing out from behind the pillar again. “Bill!”
Bill groaned from his position on the ground and even from a few feet away, Tim could see the deep cut on his forehead where he’d hit the metal bin. Tim turned away, resting his head against the pillar. “You can hide bitch, but backup’s on its way!” He laughed a little, trying to sound triumphant but pausing when there was no response. He peered around the pillar again, staring at the open elevator. The barrel still pointed out but –
Something was wrong.
Tim took a deep breath. “Did you hear me, bitch?”
“That is the last ‘bitch’ you’ll throw in my direction, asswipe.” A low, dangerous voice came from behind him and a chill shot down his spine. Tim swivelled around, pointing his gun up at the intruder. He caught a glimpse of short, brown hair before the girl grabbed his gun and wrestled it from his fingers, twisting his arm behind him in the process. Intense pain shot up his shoulder, as though it had been dislocated.
The girl hauled him up, shoving him against the pillar and his chest hit it hard, knocking the wind out of him. Beyond the marble, he managed a brief glance in Bill’s direction, fear striking him deep in the chest as he saw another brunette unload his partner’s gun, then knock him out with it.
Tim was spun around once again by the first brunette – pretty, he noticed, close-up, though she was mostly a blur – only to be backhanded. He sagged against the pillar.
The elevator binged suddenly, causing the brunette to jerk her eyes in its direction.
“Let’s get out of here.” The blonde who he’d seen earlier appeared as if out of nowhere, making a move for the front entrance.
Tim felt the sudden urge to laugh in their faces as the elevator with security guards made its slow decent down. “They’re coming for you.” He spat at the brunette through bloody teeth, pausing for effect, unable to resist. “BITCH.”
The brunette’s eyes narrowed, but then she smiled, eerily, in a way that made his blood turn cold. Suddenly, she spun her hips and kicked up in a high arch, the heel of her boot catching him deftly across the face. Pain lanced through his skull, making him nauseous as the floor lurched upwards to greet him.
Then all went black.
—
22:13 PM.
Cordelia ripped the earpiece out of her ear, sliding it into her pocket as she ran frantically through the car park, Faith and Buffy right beside her. The cool night air hit her face as she ran, searching almost blindly for their transportation.
“There!” Buffy pointed out, sprinting behind the adjacent border of the car park. It was lined with bushes and potted plants, and parked directly behind it were two BMW motorcycles. Cordelia pulled the motorbike keys out of her pocket, tossing one set to Buffy and clambering onto a bike herself. Faith straddled the seat behind her, fisting her hands into Cordelia’s jacket.
The sound of angry, male voices behind them and the loud smacking of feet against the granite had them turning the keys in the ignition, the motorbikes’ engines roaring to life beneath them. The sound of a bullet flying through the air was too close for comfort and Cordy lifted both feet off the ground as the motorbike propelled forward, quickly gaining speed as she rode it out of the clearing and onto the main road.
Wind hit her face and ripped through her hair harshly, blowing it off her neck and shoulders. She shivered a little, her eyes fluttering under the onslaught but managed to stay focussed on the road, clutching the bar handles to control the bike as it flew forward with ridiculous speed.
Buffy gained distance from a few feet behind her, glancing back as she came forward. “They’re right behind us!”
Faith shifted, clutching Cordelia with one hand and pulling her gun out with the other. She aimed at one of the two cars behind them and fired. Cordy turned swiftly to see she had hit one of their tires.
“Nice shot.”
“Appreciate it.” Faith replied, aiming and firing once again. Cordelia kept her eyes on the road, wincing when she swerved around a car that was slightly out of its lane and Faith nearly toppled off the motorcycle. A bullet from one of the guard’s guns hit a fire hydrant on Buffy’s side of the road, sending water spurting everywhere.
“Dammit!” Buffy yelled, blinking furiously. “This space is too open! We need to lose the bikes and make a run for it!”
“Are you crazy?” Faith yelped. “Lose the bikes and outrun a fucking car?”
“If we don’t, they’ll chase us all the way back!” Buffy snapped. “One of us might get hurt. It’s too dangerous!”
“So you wanna leg it?” Faith said incredulously.
“We have a better chance of losing them if we hide or make a run for it!” Buffy reasoned. “It’ll be harder for them to see us or catch us on foot!”
“There’s an off ramp a little further ahead!” Cordelia shouted. “Leads to a dead end!”
Faith stared at her. “What the hell kind of good is that gonna do?”
Cordy glanced back at her briefly. “It’s a dead end for vehicles! There’s a gate at the end we could climb over that leads to another main road!”
“Let’s do it!” Buffy yelled, speeding up slightly. Cordelia followed, flinching at the sound of another bullet whizzing past her, though she didn’t see where it hit.
The off ramp appeared within moments and both girls swerved their bikes over it, landing bumpily on the path. They rode along the long, curving and narrow road that resembled a somewhat large alleyway, slowing when they spotted the tall gate a few feet ahead.
Cordelia stopped first, shoving the bike aside as she searched for something to provide them with enough height to jump over the top. Her eyes landed on a rather flimsy looking cardboard box, stacked underneath a few bin liners.
“This’ll do.” Cordy said, grabbing it and placing it on the ground near the gate. Buffy stepped on it, grabbing the top of the metal gate and sticking her foot into one of the diamond shaped holes made by the criss-cross patterned wire. She launched her other leg over the top, snagging her foot slightly on one of the protruding slices of metal. One quick rip and it was off. She landed on the other side of the gate, looking at them through the wire.
“Faith.” Cordelia gestured for her to come forward, kicking the box a little with her toe. Faith went up exactly the same way as Buffy, pushing herself over the top and landing in a crouched position on the other side.
Cordelia made a move to step forward, jerking her head around when she heard the sound of cars screeching to halt at the mouth of the alley. Two sets of doors opened and closed, the sound of guns being unlocked carrying through the air.
“Cordelia!” Buffy screamed. Cordy turned swiftly, jumping up onto the cardboard box. Her heart leaped into her throat in fright as she stumbled suddenly, catching her footing just in time as the flimsy box crumbled uselessly beneath her.
Faith’s eyes widened in horror. “Cordy!”
“Oh my God…” Cordelia whispered, staring at the broken remains of the box in shock. She looked up, watching as Buffy scrambled around on her side of the gate, vainly looking for something suitable to replace the box.
“Try climbing.” Faith suggested, panic lacing her words as she stuck her fingers into the holes of the gate. Cordelia mimicked the action, placing one hand higher than the other and sticking her foot into one of the holes. It slipped out of it as soon as she lifted her other foot into the air.
“Shit!” Faith swore. The sound of footsteps gaining behind her caught Cordelia’s attention and she spun around, not yet able to see the security guards but able to vaguely hear their voices in the distance.
Her heart hammered against her ribcage, erratic and frightened. What would they do if they caught her? Torture her? Kill her? She winced. Then again, she considered, they were only security guards. They were hardly allowed to make decisions. Surely they’d have to take her to the boss –
Cordelia blinked, pausing.
“Try it again.” Faith said, cutting into her train of thought. She shook the gate when Cordelia made no attempt to do what she said. “Cordelia!”
Cordy stared back at her, swallowing. “I can’t.”
“Yes you can, just – ”
“No, I can’t.” Cordy cut her off, her voice resolute. She glanced behind her once again, the voices and footsteps getting louder. “You guys have to go.”
“What?” Buffy finally stood from where she was bent over a few feet away, having given up her search for something to substitute the box. “What are you talking about?”
“You have to go.” Cordy repeated. “I’ll be fine.”
“No fucking way, Cordelia!” Faith said through gritted teeth, her temper flaring. “What the hell are you trying to pull?”
“Just do it.” Cordelia insisted, looking solemnly at them. When they refused to move, she narrowed her eyes, her voice rising. “I mean it! Go, it’ll be alright!”
“No!” Buffy yelled. “Are you crazy? They’ll hurt you!”
“No, they wont – ”
“We’re not leaving you!” Faith growled defiantly. “We’ll climb back over and – ”
“Guys, trust me.” Cordelia pleaded imploringly, twisting her fingers into the gate. “Please, I know what I’m doing!”
“Absolutely not.” Faith snapped.
Buffy stared at Cordelia, something shifting in her eyes. “What do you mean -?”
The sound of running footsteps cut her off and Cordy swivelled around, catching a glimpse of a security guard in the distance. She swivelled on her heel, pinning them with a firm glare.
“Please! You guys *have* to trust me!” Cordelia begged them, hoping she sounded as genuine as she felt and hoping that it was enough. “GO!”
Buffy must have seen it then, something in Cordelia’s eyes that made her turn and run in the opposite direction. Faith wasn’t as quick to follow. She paused, staring at her friend anxiously through the gate. “Cordy – ”
“NOW, Faith!”
Faith took a step back reluctantly, then another, turning on her heel and following Buffy around the corner until they were both out of sight. In a few seconds, Cordelia heard their footsteps disappear, and all that was left was the sound of footsteps approaching behind her.
“Put your hands in the air!” A male voice yelled, and Cordy complied immediately, raising her hands up. She felt a hand on her hip, and then a weight was removed from it – her gun.
Crap.
One of the guards grabbed her hands roughly, twisting them behind her back and shoving her against the gate, holding her there. She winced but refrained from making a pained sound, knowing it would only satisfy them.
“Well, well, well,” One of the security guards came forward, hands on his hips. “What do we have here?”
“Your mother.” Cordy spat.
The guard’s smile disappeared and he made a move as if to hit her. His fist uncurled inches from her face and he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, leering. Cordy flinched. She’d have preferred the smack.
“Got a filthy mouth on her for such a pretty little thing, ain’t she?” He murmured, taking a step closer and grinning toothily at her. His hand ran down her neck and settled on her collarbone.
Cordelia fought every instinct in her body that told her to fight, to wipe that cocky smirk off his face with maybe a broken nose or a good old-fashioned kick in the balls. She settled for, “Eat me.”
The guard chuckled lowly, winking at her. “Tempting, sweetheart.” He pulled away, crossing his arms and gesturing at the two guards behind him. “Take this bitch to the boss. He’ll know how to deal with her.”
One of the security guards came forward, grabbing her by the shoulders while the one with his hands on her wrists tightened his fingers around them. Together they hustled her forward, towards the mouth of the alley and towards their car.
Cordy forced herself to stay still and to do as they told her, to walk obediently to the car and get inside. So that they could take her to Wolfram and Hart. To the boss.
To Angel.