Part 11<\/b>: Answers<\/p>\n
Angel had a stake pressed against his heart in a matter of moments.<\/p>\n
Gunn was up instantly and jammed a stake across the threshold at Angel\u2019s chest. \u201cGive me proof right now that you\u2019re not Angelus, otherwise I stick this in,\u201d Gunn threatened.<\/p>\n
\u201cGunn!\u201d Lorne called from behind. \u201cCool it, I can feel the guilt coming off him. It worked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunn never took his eyes off the vampire. Angel avoided his gaze, preferring to concentrate on the raindrops falling on his head. \u201cCan I come in?\u201d he asked again. Gunn had to strain to hear him.<\/p>\n
Gunn slowly lowered the stake away from the vampire\u2019s chest. \u201cYeah, come in.\u201d Angel had barely stepped into the room before Fred barreled into him. The small girl held on for dear life.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel! We missed you so much! I\u2019m glad you\u2019re back!\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel slowly wrapped his arms around Fred. \u201cI\u2019m glad to be back,\u201d Angel said.<\/p>\n
Fred looked into the eyes of her first Hero. He was so sad, so guilt ridden. This certainly wasn\u2019t the monster they had been afraid of. But it wasn\u2019t really the man she had come to know over the past months. This was a man she had never seen before. It was a man no one save Willow had ever seen. Someone whose soul is tortured to the point of total hopelessness.<\/p>\n
Angel gently pried himself away from Fred and began to drift toward a far corner. The individuals in the room gave him a wide berth, not from fear, but from respect. Once settled in a chair in the darkest corner, Angel finally noticed the man bound against the wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is he?\u201d Angel asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the guy responsible for the whole \u2018no soul\u2019 thing,\u201d Willow answered. \u201cWe sorta kidnapped him outside Wolfram and Hart.\u201d No one missed the painful wince Angel gave at the mention of the law firm.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel?\u201d Willow asked. \u201cDo you know what happened there today?\u201d Willow slowly approached the vampire and kneeled in front of the chair. Angel nodded slowly, his eyes trying to find anything to look at besides her. \u201cAngel? What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething happened to Cordy,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI thought that Wolfram and Hart would know what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Millions of questions started to fly at the mention of Cordelia. Angel grimaced and pressed himself deeper into the chair. Willow waved frantically at everyone to shut up. When they finally settled, Willow resumed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean something happened to Cordy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel had finally found a flaw in the wallpaper near his chair. That was a good place to focus. He couldn\u2019t see everyone\u2019s stares then. \u201cAngel?\u201d Willow asked again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was talking to her, then she drifted off. I couldn\u2019t smell her soul anymore.\u201d Angel finally focused on the woman who saved his soul so many years ago. \u201cHer soul smells like peaches,\u201d he said in a melancholy voice. \u201cI like peaches.\u201d<\/p>\n
Willow rested her hand on Angel\u2019s, only to have him jerk away. She apologized before asking, \u201cAngel? Do you know where Cordelia is?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s in danger,\u201d Angel replied. He turned away from Willow and focused once more on the wallpaper.<\/p>\n
************
\n\u201cHave you found anything?\u201d Kelemoke demanded of Luke.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe men swept throughout the city, but were unable to locate Angelus,\u201d Luke answered. \u201cHowever, I did go to the woman\u2019s apartment. I couldn\u2019t enter, but I could smell his presence. He had been there recently.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe went to find her friends,\u201d Kelemoke mused.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaster, there is something else.\u201d Kelemoke looked upon the minion with a questioning glance. \u201cWhen I was at the apartment, the scent was Angelus\u2019, I have no doubt of that. But, I swear it was different somehow, like there was also\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA soul?\u201d Kelemoke supplied. The minion nodded the affirmative. \u201cThen Angelus is no more. It is merely Angel now. However, I still want him dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may be difficult to find him, Master. The rain prevented me from tracking him outside. I could not tell where he went after visiting the apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are right,\u201d Kelemoke acknowledged. \u201cHe will be difficult to find. But then again, here in these halls lays an item that Angel and Angels held most dear. There is no reason to believe he won\u2019t return for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
**********
\nNow would be a great time to develop ESP as a demon attribute, Cordelia mused. Then she could shoot a message to Gunn, the Pope, Santa Claus, or any other person who could get her out of this hellhole.<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn handcuffs are chaffing my wrists,\u201d Cordy muttered. The clank of the cuffs against the pole was the only sound in the room. \u201cAt least Noriega got to listen to Van Halen. I\u2019d settle for some fucking Yanni.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia didn\u2019t like the quiet. It was a proven fact that bad shit always happened when it went silent. She\u2019d seen enough slasher movies to know that was true. Hell, she\u2019d been raised in Sunnydale. She knew vampires didn\u2019t often wears bells around their necks. And here she was, in some building with a shitload of them. Including one that seemed really pissed off at Angelus.<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s nose twitched as her ears picked up on the sound of footsteps approaching the door. \u201cSpeaking of the devil,\u201d Cordy mumbled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t seem surprised to see me,\u201d Kelemoke observed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI smelled you coming,\u201d Cordy answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo I really smell that bad?\u201d Kelemoke asked amused.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Cordy said honestly. \u201cIn fact, I may have to ask where you got the bath soap you use.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCoverdale\u2019s,\u201d Kelemoke supplied. \u201cIt\u2019s down on Sunset. I normally get a spicy blend, but you seem more the peaches and cream type of woman.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right, I am. But thanks for the info. I also think that bath soaps aren\u2019t what you were wanting to discuss.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey aren\u2019t, but it\u2019s always nice to have a woman appreciate my efforts to smell good. I just came to tell you that Angelus seems to have betrayed us. He possibly has his soul back. We\u2019re having difficulty locating him, so we thought we\u2019d just use you as bait.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood plan, because I honestly think Angel likes me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019m not the Master because of my good looks. Although I could be. But you could just tell me where he is. I\u2019d forget about the bait idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, don\u2019t know where he\u2019d be. But if he\u2019s really Angel again, I couldn\u2019t really tell you. No offence to you or your hospitality, but I kinda want to be saved now. Unless of course you want to set me free.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo offence taken, but I can\u2019t set you free. I want to kill Angel quite badly, and you\u2019re my best bet to get at him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I guess I wait here then. Anything else on your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot really. I\u2019ll leave you to your attempts to break out of the handcuffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, thanks,\u201d Cordelia called as he left. She had the weirdest conversations with people sometimes.<\/p>\n
******************
\nIt took several hours before Diaz woke from his drug-induced haze. When he finally woke, the vampire greeted him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to know why,\u201d Angel said quietly. The vampire removed the tape from the soul stealer\u2019s mouth with a quick jerk. \u201cWhy did Wolfram and Hart do it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Diaz gasped in pain. It felt like his lips and just been jerked off. He kept his eyes transfixed on the vampire. \u201cBecause they were idiots,\u201d he said in a Spanish accent. \u201cThey saw it as the perfect time to destroy your little group. With the Watcher gone, they decided to finally remove the thorn from their side.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut why Cordelia? Why not just me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA couple years ago, it would have been just you. But Wolfram and Hart felt the Seer had become too key a player. They began to view her as a threat. Don\u2019t look so shocked,\u201d Diaz said, noting Angel\u2019s look. \u201cRemember Billy? That was just a much about screwing with her as it was freeing him. They hired a psychologist to implant false memories into her head. The hope was that they would incapacitate her. But for some reason, they didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause she is half demon,\u201d Lorne supplied.<\/p>\n
Diaz looked at Lorne in surprise. \u201cWell, that would explain it. Demons aren\u2019t as susceptible to mind altering as humans are. Guess Wolfram and Hart didn\u2019t know that she was a half-breed now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut why take away my soul?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause they thought you would destroy the people you cared about. They should have known you\u2019d play mind games with everyone, kill a few people you didn\u2019t like, and generally screw up their plans. They actually thought they could control you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSilly them,\u201d Gunn said, unamused.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery,\u201d Diaz said seriously. \u201cBut then, all I cared about was the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor you? A quarter million dollars. I received half that for your Seer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019re the reason Cordy didn\u2019t have her soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Diaz said without much remorse. \u201cSo, uh, any chance now that I\u2019ve spilled my secrets that you\u2019ll let me go?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot a chance in hell.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diaz shrugged. \u201cThought so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUm, Angel?\u201d Tara asked. \u201cI think I have something here that might be of use to us.\u201d Everyone turned to face the young Wicca holding a magic book. \u201cBut, I\u2019m not sure if it\u2019s something he should be hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Willow removed another vial from her bag. Filling a syringe, she plunge the needle into Diaz\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey!\u201d he protested. \u201cCan you at least use rubbing alcohol? I could get an infection!\u201d In moments Diaz succumbed to the drug.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were saying?\u201d she asked Tara.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I found a way to make sure he doesn\u2019t hurt anyone again.\u201d<\/p>\n