Part 11
Angel could feel Cordelia on his heels but didn’t worry. She knew how to stay on the fringe of a fight; in fact if memory served she used her lungs to warn the fighters about surprise behind-the-back attacks. It was one of the reasons he wasn’t letting his guilt about using her for bait stop him from doing what had to be done. She knew the world and the rules. And demons in his lobby usually weren’t a good thing, unless they were invited snitches and Angel knew he hadn’t invited anyone but the woman behind him over.
He was upstairs in a matter of seconds, Cordelia behind him a few moments and trying to readjust his brain to the scene he saw. He’d immediately thought the worst, it was par for the course, especially after everything with Darla. What he hadn’t expected was a four-foot yellow-green demon to be shouting out in a Mickey Mouse voice that’d he’d only speak to Angel. Gunn had it in a headlock and was struggling to keep his balance.
“Stay still…Man, this thing is slippery,” Gunn admonished it and glanced at Angel. “And there is Angel. Talk.”
“Tell the human to let me go.”
No immediate danger. Unknown demon wants to talk. Angel crossed his arms over his chest the situation now clear. “What are you?” He asked.
“I’m Teev. Em’kaar demon. I heard you hate that law firm. I hate them too. Can this guy let go of me now?”
Angel met Gunn’s eyes and motioned for him to let the demon go. Em’kaar demons weren’t his specialty but he knew they were not danger, at least not physically to Gunn or Cordelia. “What about Wolfram and Hart?”
“Heard of Joseph Coe?”
Gunn gave Angel a blank look; Angel met Teev’s eyes and let the demon take in his blank expression he needed more to go on. Cordelia however was suddenly standing right next to him and she nodded.
“Big in financial circles. Being busted for something under RICO. My boyfriend’s been following the case obsessively. He thinks that he’s likely to get off because he has this great lawyer.”
Angel tensed; Cordelia’s boyfriend was in circles near Wolfram and Hart? He’d have to warn her, but later this was what was important now. “What about him?”
“Like the lady said, he’s got that law firm behind and not just because he’s some greedy human. No, he’s a half-breed; don’t know the demon lineage but rumors say it’s one of the nastier breeds. And he likes power and money. He doesn’t want to lose it or the human façade he has going on with the world. The DA has a witness though, some poor human guy with morals, willing to testify but McDonald…”
“Lindsey,” Angel growled, but nodded his head so Teev would go on.
“Yeah him… some men, they just kidnapped the witnesses fourteen year old daughter. Out of some fancy boarding school. The girl is being handed over to some Wolfram and Hart higher ups sometime tonight.”
“Where?” Angel barked, moving closer to the demon relishing the fear he saw starting to form in the thing’s body language.
“That’s, that’s going to cost you,” Teev said.
Angel mentally groaned but Gunn didn’t hide his disgust.
“And here I thought you were helping out of the goodness in your little ugly demon heart.”
Angel motioned to the counter. “Cordelia, if you would go to the desk. One of the drawers should have an envelope of money. Thanks.”
He didn’t take his eyes off of the demon and got into his personal space, his arms still crossed and glared down his nose at the shorter demon. “This is how it works. I give you some money, you make no noise about it and you give me the information.”
“Going snitch rates are…”
“You aren’t getting the point. Either you take what we are willing to offer or I’ll beat the information out of you.” Angel knew his voice brooked no argument and a small rush of adrenaline rushed through him as he smelled the rise in the demon’s fear. Just then the rainy-scent of Cordelia was right behind him again and he turned to her and took the envelope.
“You’re welcome,” she muttered when he motioned her away.
Angel waved the two fifty dollar bills he held in front of Teev. “Where and when?”
“An empty warehouse on Cooper Street, sometime between 9:30 and ten.”
“What kind of security?” Gunn barked.
“I only deal with Angel,” Teev said trying to sound brave but he gulped in the middle of the sentence.
“What he said,” Angel stepped closer and saw that Gunn gripped tighter.
“I-I-I don’t know… I just know time and place.”
Angel nodded. “Let him go.” Gunn let the guy go and Angel slammed the money into Teev’s webbed hand. “Go.”
Teev ran out of the hotel.
And Wesley ran in and right to the weapons cabinet. Angel felt himself tense and walked over to him. “What’s this?”
“Merle. He just told me a gang of vampires intend to make a college rave tonight their big meal of the day. Their planning on showing up early and biding their time all night…blending with the victims I suppose…”
“Take Gunn, I have something else I have to handle tonight.”
“What?”
“Man, you shouldn’t go there alone. It’s Wolfram and Hart.”
“They won’t be expecting me. I have nothing to do with this, I have the element of surprise. You go with Wesley, I’ll handle the girl and Lindsey.”
Wesley straightened up from the weapons cabinet. “Lindsey is involved, is it prudent for you…”
“Wes, I’m not going to kill him. I’m going to rescue an innocent teenager. Go.”
Wesley stood straighter. “I’m in charge.”
“Do you know where the rave is?”
“Merle’s out trying to find out that information now.”
“Then you and Gunn, go and try to find out yourselves and then get it from Merle. There is no time. Save the college kids and I’ll deal with the kidnapping.”
Wesley nodded. “I suppose this is the only way to handle the situation…who gave the information about the kidnapping?”
“Gunn will tell you. Track down that rave,” Angel said.
Gunn nodded, “I’ll pull the truck around.”
Wesley stood in front of Angel, making him wish Wesley would stop looking at him like that, with a mixture of concern and distrust. He felt guilty, and maybe it wasn’t enough, but the continuing glimpses of doubt from one of his only friends was getting on his last nerve.
“Wes.” Angel warned.
“I just want you to be careful. Lindsey and you… with the Darla situation…”
“I will,” Angel said.
Wesley nodded and then looked over Angel’s shoulder. “Cordelia, I hope if you said yes that next time we can say hello.”
“Angel and I are still discussing my terms to be demon-bait. But, yeah, I hope there is more time to say hi, next time too,” Cordelia said and Angel glanced over his shoulder in time to see her give Wesley a brilliant smile.
“You should go, I hear raves are hard to find and the odds of them wanting to let you into one are zero to none. Though, I suppose the chances will be higher with that guy Gunn with you. He seems to have ‘cool’ in his DNA code”
Angel almost laughed because Wesley’s expression as Cordelia called him a loser was priceless but he managed to hold it in. “Gunn’s got to be out there by now.”
“Right, right… well until another time, Cordelia.”
“Until another time, Wesley.” Cordelia smiled.
Angel watched Wesley leave, waited a beat and walked over to the weapons cabinet himself. There was no telling what would be in that warehouse, vampires, demons, or humans. He hoped for the humans, easier to knock out even if they tended to shoot him.
Hearing Cordelia’s shoes against the tile, he turned around gripping an ax in his hand. “What are you doing?”
“Putting your measly bribe money stash back in this dusty old desk. What is with the décor? Do you guys use this thing as a desk or a bookcase?”
“Bookcase.” Angel deadpanned.
“Thought so.”
“About paying you, Cordelia. I will, it’s just I need to look at a few things, talk it over with Wesley and…”
“I’ll take 200 dollars. I think I deserve at least twice as much as a short ugly demon.”
“Really?” Angel couldn’t hid his surprise, he’d really expected her to hold out for money or leave them high and dry without any way to learn more about the situation from the inside.
“I’d rather take 250, 300, say even 400, but hey, who am to quibble. You can’t even afford a feather duster. Must be because of all the shiny weapons.”
Angel shook his head, as she dropped the envelope of money into the drawer where she found it. “Okay, so uh, I’ll you to set up a time to talk in more detail about things. I want to get the warehouse now, sooner I’m in the shadows the better chance I have of saving the girl.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Angel said before stepping in front of Cordelia, grabbing his leather jacket and heading toward the side door. She said nothing but fell into step behind and he smiled. He knew she understood the immediacy, and he was relieved she’d agreed to be bait. He hated asking her but they were really in a corner when it came to the situation and he couldn’t allow another five young women to die.
He stopped short when he realized Cordelia had stopped following him and saw her by a small nondescript beige colored car. “That’s your car?” He said surprised.
“The Mercedes belongs to Alec. This is mine. Bought it when I first got out here, saved up forever and it was cheap and used. Trust me, it’s the last thing I ever expected me to drive too.” She slipped the key into the door.
He paused, the guilt setting in on asking her to risk her life and cleared his throat before she slipped into the car. She looked up at him with a small smile and an expectant expression.
“I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”
“Duh,” Cordelia said grinning. “I know you will, Angel.”
He turned around, feeling a bit shaky at her faith and he hoped it wasn’t misplaced. He hopped into the convertible, put his key in the ignition and turned it. But the engine didn’t turn over and his brow furrowed. He turned the key again and still nothing.
“What the…”
Part 12
Angel cursed and flicked the keys in the ignition again. The car remained dead and a growl erupted from deep in his throat. He didn’t have time for this. He went to pop the hood but stopped short when his eyes fell on the switch for the headlights. It was turned to the on position. On. He’d left the lights on. “Crap,” he muttered.
“What did you do, leave the lights on?”
He jumped, literally in his seat and shot Cordelia a glare. Opening the door he got out of his car. “No,” he lied. He wasn’t going to admit to the girl that he’d left the lights on. She’d call him something in that sarcastic voice of hers and he didn’t have the temperament to deal with it right now. He had to stop Lindsey from hurting a teenage girl all in the name of evil. What was wrong with people in the world? And what the hell had made him leave the lights on?
“I’ll drive you.”
He turned toward Cordelia and stared at her. “What?”
“I’ll. Drive. You.” Cordelia said again enunciating each word clearly.
He wished she were a demon; he could have threatened her with violence for treating him like he was deaf and dumb.
“Do I have to say it even slower, dumbass?”
Angel growled at her and saw her keys in her hand, grabbed them and hurried to her car. She ran after him, getting in just as he started to pull away. “What do you think you’re doing, Cordelia?”
“This is my car. I didn’t offer you it, I offered to be your chauffeur. You didn’t like that idea but I’m still staying with my car.”
He gritted his teeth and slammed on the accelerator, this was going to be a long night. “Stay out of the way, the last thing I need is a distraction tonight.”
She snorted through her nose and murmured something under her breath about ingratitude, but Angel chose to ignore it. It was time forget about his car, or the fact he had an innocent woman in the seat next to him while he was on a rescue mission.
***
Cordelia got out of the car. She couldn’t just sit there any longer but she left the driver’s door open, making sure for the hundredth time the keys were in the ignition. Angel had said they might have to take off fast, so she’d be ready to take off fast. Good thing she was a speeder, she thought wryly as she paced next to her car in the dark alley.
Everything was dark, and smelled like garbage, the warehouse Angel had gone into via the roof was dark. Dark. Dark wasn’t good, Cordelia thought, opening her purse and getting her cross, stake, holy water and mace set up all within easy grabbing distance. Better to be safe than sorry, she thought and then sped up her pacing, her eyes darting to the building that held Angel and lord knew what else along with a kidnapped girl. If that little yellow thingy had been telling the truth, Cordelia thought cynically. Really, how much could you trust a demon?
Then she heard it, the jackhammer sound of gunshots in rapid succession and her heart dropped to her toes. She started toward the warehouse, her heartbeat matching the sound of the gunshots when a loud voice in her head told her to stop and think.
The second she stopped moving all she could hear was her own heartbeat as her mind tried to remind her that Angel couldn’t be hurt by bullets. But the teenager he was rescuing could be…she thought and she felt her knees start to wobble. Then she saw him, Angel coming toward her from the darkness, carrying someone, she gulped for air and ran back to the car, quickly opening the passenger side door and crawling over the seats to the driver side and starting the car.
But when she glanced back toward Angel he was fighting what was unmistakably three vampires, and the girl was being dragged away from him by another toward some guy in a suit.
Cordelia’s eyes darted from Angel, taking on three vampires, he was holding his own but the other one was getting the girl closer to the guy, who was barking into a cell phone. No way, no way was that guy keeping that poor little girl, lord knew what they’d do to her if they had vampire henchmen. Steeling her spine and evoking past memories of facing off against vampires, Cordelia ran from the car and glanced in her purse, memorizing where each weapon against vampires were – as well as her trusty mace. It had to still sting, she thought hopefully.
“Hey you with the bad overbite!” She yelled at the vampire meeting him halfway toward where he was heading. “Let the girl go.”
The vampire turned his eyes flashing yellow and he snarled. Fear shot through her, and she had to bite her tongue not to scream; thinking for a brief second of her lame audition and how the real thing was definitely scream-inducing.
“Yeah that’s right, you growl-boy. Let go of the girl.”
“Bring me the girl now, Tomas!” The guy in the suit on the phone barked, coming closer. “The limo will be at the alley entrance in a minute…” he trailed off seeing Cordelia. “And who are you?”
Cordelia ignored him; she had to worry about the vampire and the girl first. She glanced quickly toward Angel; he’d dusted one but was still fighting the other two. Damn it. Her hand fell into her purse, and started to unscrew the top on her holy water spritzer. Once it was completely loose, she pulled the bottle out and lunged the distance between her and the vampire and doused both him and the scared teenager with it.
The vampire sizzled and writhed in pain, letting go of the girl and falling on the ground. Cordelia grabbed her stake and hurriedly staked him in the heart through his back, knowing if she didn’t take advantage she’d have none. He blew up into dust and she thanked whoever watched over her that her lucky streak with vampires continued.
She then grabbed the girl by the wrist and pulled. “Come with me!”
“Not so fast.” The guy in the suit was in front of her, getting into her space and he looked ready to grab the girl.
Cordelia stared at him, he looked human but there was only one way to tell. She dropped her stake and grabbed her cross. “Stay back!”
He laughed in her face, looking amused. “I’m not a vampire.” He moved closer to her and Cordelia pushed the younger girl behind her. He smiled and tipped his head to the side. “Look let’s just have a discussion. I’m a lawyer and this young lady is important to a case of mine.”
“Don’t try to sweet talk me,” Cordelia snapped trying to think. She couldn’t let this guy get the girl and what was taking Angel so long. He should’ve dusted all the vamps he was fighting by now.
“I’m Lindsey, who are you?”
Cordelia let out a loud huff of air, if this guy thought he was getting her name, he was in for a huge shock. “I’m the person standing between you and this girl.”
He laughed again. “Look, I don’t want to hurt you. And you already know your little cross and your stake won’t work against me.”
Cordelia breathed in and dropped the hand still holding the cross into her purse. “You’re right…” she whispered. “But I don’t trust you.”
“But you trust a vampire? You know what they are don’t you? Do you know who the one you came here with is?”
“Better than you, I’d wager,” Cordelia snapped at the man in front of her. He had a smooth voice, blue eyes that held amusement at the situation they were in and she bet he did win all his cases. He had a certain charm but she wasn’t about to fall for it. He’d probably gotten it from a spell book or something.
“He’s dangerous. Deadly even. Killed a lot of people recently…”
Cordelia’s eyes widened but she shook the doubt away. He was trying to play her to get a chance to get past her and grab the girl. “I’m not listening to you. Get out of my way.”
“Look, I said it before and I’ll say it again,” Lindsey said. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Cordelia gripped the aerosol bottle of mace in her bag, lifted it and started spraying simultaneously. “Well, I have no problem hurting you,” she snapped.
He screamed, and she shoved past him so hard he fell onto the pavement below them and she ran to the car, glancing back toward Angel just in time to see the two vamps go up in dust at the same time. “Neat trick,” she muttered, settling the girl into the backseat.
Angel was suddenly in the passenger seat. “Drive towards China Town. I’ll tell you when to turn on the way and do it fast.”
“Where are we going?”
“To a sewer entrance.”
“What?”
“We have to get her someplace safe and can’t risk them following. And you shouldn’t have gotten out of the car!”
“If I hadn’t gotten out of the car that idiot in the suit would have her!”
Angel’s gaze hardened on Cordelia and then he turned to the backseat. “Are you okay?”
“You, you, they shot you. More than once. I saw it…” the girl stammered at Angel.
“I’m fine. Are you okay.”
“I-I-I, who are you two?”
“We’re going to keep you safe,” Angel said and Cordelia shot him a look out of the corner of her eye. She could see where the bullets had torn through his clothes and there was blood.
“Angel, you are hurt,” Cordelia whispered.
He shook his head. “I’ll be fine. Turn left, now!”
Cordelia winced as she pulled off a last minute hard left causing her tires to screech and the teenager in the back to scream.
***
Angel stalked ahead of Cordelia and the teenager behind him. He made sure he stayed close enough for them to see him in the darken sewers, but far enough away not to upset them as he dug out the bullets riddling his torso. Flinging more to the floor, he glanced back to see Cordelia putting her arm around the younger women with a soft smile. Then Cordelia’s eyes met his and assaulted him with a myriad of emotions that surprised him.
Fear, excitement, concern for the young girl in her arms, confusion of where he was taking him and disgust with the sewer. And maybe a bit of worry for him too, he realized as he dropped another bullet and Cordelia’s eyebrow arched and despite the distance he could feel her intake of breath as if she was mentally wincing.
He stopped and waited for them, his eyes falling on the teenager whose name he still didn’t know. “We’re taking you somewhere for the night, then an associate of mine is going to pick you up to take you somewhere else. It’s too dangerous to take you to your parents right now.”
The smell of fear instantly overwhelmed the sewers, and Angel inwardly sighed. Why was it he was always scaring the people he was helping? Cordelia huffed. “He’s not keeping you from your parents to be mean, Emily. He’s going to let you call them right?”
Angel stared at Cordelia, of course he was, why was she looking at him like she wasn’t confident in her opinion. “Oh course, she needs to get a message to her father that she safe so he testifies.”
“And to make her feel better and safer, right,” Cordelia snapped. Then she took in a hard breath and turned toward Emily. “Look, this is freaking you out. I get that but can you wait right here for a minute? I have to talk to Angel for a moment.”
Emily nodded. “O-okay, Cordy.”
Cordelia gave the girl a huge smile but instantly turned to Angel, grabbed his arm and dragged him out of earshot of the teen. “Not everyone has grown up on a Hellmouth you know! Could be somewhat…oh, god I’m going to say tactful…” she cringed at the word but sighed. “You need to be less abrupt at least. I mean she’s just a teenager. Granted so were all of us in Sunnydale but this is Los Angeles. Shiny, bright, not on a gateway to hell. And you come flying in like Batman or something, getting shot and taking her into sewers and talking business like she gets what’s going on. Trust me from someone who has been grabbed, kidnapped and taken by demons – and lawyers can’t be that different. She’s in shock, numb and she needs to have HER put first not whatever your real goal is.”
“She is my goal. Getting her to Caritas, and in touch with her family.”
Cordelia put her hands on her hips and Angel felt exasperation flare out of her hazel eyes like the feeling had manifested itself into a weapon.
“Don’t give me that what look, dumbass,” she said. “Your focus is making sure her father testifies against that demon Joseph Coe.”
“Of course it is. Wolfram & Hart and that demon can’t continue to mess with innocent people’s lives.”
“Look at her, Angel. Look. Innocent person. Name Emily. You never even asked her! Granted you asked her if she was okay, but you are running on getting her to safety and let the dad know he can still testify without her dying – while she’s still on the fact strangers keep grabbing her and taking her places. And that there has been bullets and bloods, and vampires being staked.”
Angel stood his mouth opening but he stopped short as Cordelia’s frustration changed into something that changed the fire in her eyes into sadness.
“I know how it feels, Angel. To be dragged and pulled and have the people who save you more worried about the big picture than you. And the fear, the fear never goes away. She needs more from you than being bullet-riddled….” Cordelia trailed off and her eyes landed on his shirt, taking in the holes and the blood. “Are you sure your…”
“I’m fine. I heard you but we can’t keep standing here…and uh,” Angel sighed, Cordelia’s words echoing in his mind. “You should warn her, that place I’m taking her, run by a demon.”
“What!”
“A good demon.”
“A good…there are good demons?”
Angel crossed his arms and gave her a wounded look.
“Oh get over it, you’re an anomaly, you were cursed by gypsies.”
“He’s good. He’s called the Host. Don’t know his name, really but he’ll help us out,” he moved to the ladder and started to climb up, glancing down as Cordelia walked over to the girl before pushing up at the sewer cover.
“Emily, I’m going to be blunt. We are going to a place that has demons. A good one is going to help Angel, help you and it’s going to freak us both out and everything, so just hold my hand and know we are safe, okay?”
Angel’s mouth curved into a smile, Cordelia thought that was more tactful than him? He looked down. “Cordelia, I want you to go up first.”
Cordelia looked up at him and nodded, squeezed Emily’s hand and started up the ladder. “He’s called the Host? Is like an ugly parasite?”
“No, he’s green and dresses loudly.” Angel said, helping Cordelia pull herself up into the street.
“Speaking of dresses, you so owe me money for the dry cleaning bill of this outfit.”
Angel rolled his eyes and motioned for Emily. “It’s safe, Emily. I promise.”
Emily looked up at him and then past him at Cordy who was peeking down and nodding her head encouragingly at the girl. Emily nodded and started climbing up the ladder.