Part 4<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cThe rest of your gang didn\u2019t come?\u201d Doctor Fox asked as he swiped the keycard to Cordelia\u2019s room.<\/p>\n
\u201cNope, just Fred and me,\u201d Angel answered. The vampire ushered Fred into the room, and his body posture indicated clearly that Fox was not invited to do the same. Fox wasn\u2019t put off by it, he just chalked it up as a man wanting to be alone with his wife.<\/p>\n
Fox went off to make his rounds. Angel shut the door and peered out the small window to make sure he was gone. \u201cAll clear. Give it to her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred reached into her jacket pocket and removed a syringe with a light brown liquid. It had taken most of the night, and numerous raids to various Los Angeles herbalist shops to finally track down all the components for the neuro-stimulant.<\/p>\n
There were a few extremely hard to find herbs that were included in the recipe, as well as a few other things. Cordelia would certainly have a fit if she knew she had Cragnoc juice in her veins. Of course, she\u2019d have to find out what a Cragnoc was first.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope this works,\u201d Fred said as she plunged the needle into Cordy\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will,\u201d Angel assured her.<\/p>\n
The next couple minutes were the longest Angel had ever experienced in his two and one half centuries of existence. His ears focused on the clicking of his wristwatch as the seconds ticked away.<\/p>\n
When Cordelia blinked, a rush of air he didn\u2019t even know he held was expelled.<\/p>\n
Angel could tell the exact instant when she regained her senses. One moment her eyes stared ahead vacantly, the next, they were focused completely. She gasped for breath as if she had been underwater for hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel?\u201d she answered weakly. \u201cWhere am I?\u201d<\/p>\n
Before Cordelia knew what happened, she was the center of a ferocious group hug. Angel and Fred didn\u2019t hesitate to grab on and let Cordelia know how much they missed her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess you guys missed me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, we did,\u201d Angel admitted. He kissed her cheek gently, surprising his Seer immensely. \u201cWhere were you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReceiving orders,\u201d Cordelia said.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Police Precinct 14<\/em> \u201cDetective Louis Anderson? How are you?\u201d<\/p>\n Anderson had almost made it to his car in the parking garage when he heard that voice. The cold sweats began almost immediately, and when he turned, he found the one person he never wanted to see again.<\/p>\n \u201cRamius. How did you get in here?\u201d<\/p>\n Ramius smiled coldly at the detective. \u201cAccess, Detective Anderson. It\u2019s all about access.\u201d Ramius walked calmly towards the detective, grinning all the way. \u201cYou see, up until a short time ago, I had access to just about any place that I wanted. But because of people like you, I had it all taken away. You cheated me, Detective. I don\u2019t like to be cheated.\u201d<\/p>\n Anderson\u2019s hand dipped slowly down to his holster. He unfastened the strap holding his gun down and rested his hand on the grip.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Anderson?\u201d Ramius taunted. \u201cAre you afraid?\u201d he drawled. \u201cPerhaps you should be. Because I plan on making you pay for ever thinking you could fuck with me and get away with it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just did what they wanted,\u201d Anderson defended. \u201cIt\u2019s what the others decided on. I couldn\u2019t go against it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d Ramius continued to taunt. \u201cYou just followed orders like a good little soldier. Guess what? Consider this your Nuremberg.\u201d<\/p>\n Ramius pulled his silenced pistol from his holster so quickly, Anderson wasn\u2019t even able to tighten his hold on his own. The stunned look on Anderson\u2019s face as the bullet passed through his cerebrum gave Ramius great joy.<\/p>\n Not as much as the several million dollars he was screwed out of could have given him, but he still received a happy.<\/p>\n \u201cThree down, one to go,\u201d Ramius muttered.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Hyperion Hotel<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cSo, uh, Fred,\u201d Buffy began. Fred barely looked up from a file concerning a Tigron demon. \u201cI guess things have been pretty strange here lately.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey have,\u201d Fred said simply.<\/p>\n Okay, Buffy thought. This girl didn\u2019t seem to want to communicate. \u201cI kinda get the impression that Cordelia wasn\u2019t the only one who went MIA. Angel was gone for a while too, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Fred failed to acknowledge the question, causing Gunn to shake his head in amusement. \u201cSweetie, I don\u2019t think they would mind if we gave a yes or no to that question.\u201d<\/p>\n Fred shook her head in embarrassment, realizing she had taken the code of silence thing a bit too seriously. \u201cYes, things have been strange, and yes, both Cordy and Angel went missing at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe police found Cordy\u2019s jeep out on the interstate,\u201d Gunn continued. \u201cAs for Angel, he hasn\u2019t told what happened to him. Although we do have a good idea,\u201d Gunn admitted.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah? What?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201dThat\u2019s one thing I don\u2019t think he\u2019d want us to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou guys have a lot of secrets,\u201d Buffy observed.<\/p>\n \u201cYup,\u201d Gunn and Fred agreed.<\/p>\n Xander and Dawn stepped through the lobby, returning from their tour of the hotel. \u201cSo,\u201d Xander started, \u201ccan you tell us what this big old pentagram on the floor is about, or is that another secret?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy the way,\u201d Dawn added, \u201cI think you got mice in the basement.\u201d<\/p>\n Gunn shivered at the mention of the swishy tailed, beady-eyed vermin. \u201cYeah, about the pentagram. That\u2019s what happens when you hire the wrong redecorator.\u201d<\/p>\n Gunn turned to his girlfriend. \u201cI said hire Martha Stewart, but no, you said hire that nice B\u2019nofren demon. He had a nice business card you said.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell he did,\u201d Fred said, getting into the joke. \u201cPlus, any guy with a big horn like that is okay by me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou said you didn\u2019t look at his horn!\u201d Gunn accused.<\/p>\n \u201cI just took a peek,\u201d Fred defended.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did I even bother?\u201d Buffy asked herself as the two lovebirds continued their mock argument.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n \u201cSo one minute I\u2019m talking to Skip, the next I\u2019m doing the whole heavenly ascension bit. Turns out the Powers said I\u2019d outgrown this plane. They said there would be assignments for me elsewhere,\u201d Cordelia explained.<\/p>\n \u201cSo why are you here?\u201d Fred asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Powers didn\u2019t count on Ramius.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s Ramius?\u201d Angel questioned.<\/p>\n \u201cA shape shifter. He used to work for the Powers, but he was expelled because he was caught doing some bad things. Actually, he was ratted out doing some bad things. He was part of an illegal operation here on Earth. He and a few others were leading a drug running operation. They used secretions from Fratnon demons and sold it. Their business had connections all along the West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFratnon demon? I\u2019ve never heard of them,\u201d Fred stated.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re small demons,\u201d Angel explained, \u201conly about two feet tall. The waste product they put out is similar to LSD, but far more addictive, and far more deadly. There was a vampire gang in Manhattan about twenty years ago that specialized in the trade.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a moral to that story,\u201d Cordy joked. \u201cDon\u2019t do drugs, because you could be shooting Fratnon urine. But back to my story, the Powers told me the identities of the beings involved. A local Powers representative, a Wolfram and Hart lawyer, Ramius, an LA cop, and a Congressman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were sent back to tell us about this?\u201d Angel asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but I think we might be too late. Something\u2019s wrong, I can feel it. At least one of them is dead. I shouldn\u2019t have insisted on a \u2018face to face\u2019 meeting with the Powers. I totally forgot about the possibility of Semele Syndrome. Did you give me the juice?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Angel said astonished. \u201cHow the hell did you know about Semele Syndrome?\u201d<\/p>\n Cordelia turned her best Valley Girl look on him. \u201cWell, I\u2019m not just a pretty face. I can read too. You\u2019d be surprised at what I know. Oh, and I am so going to kick your ass for using Cragnoc juice. Don\u2019t you know you can substitute that with extract from the sumac plant?\u201d<\/p>\n Angel stared blankly at her a moment before grabbing her in another hug. \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to talk about what you\u2019re reading. It scares me when you come up with brilliant reasoning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBastard,\u201d Cordelia muttered, although that didn\u2019t prevent her from enjoying Angel\u2019s display of affection. \u201cHow about springing me from this joint?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh crap!\u201d Fred realized. \u201cThe doctors don\u2019t know she\u2019s awake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell then,\u201d Angel said. \u201cWe need to make them aware of it. Fred, could you go get Doctor Fox?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Fred agreed. She was out the door in moments to retrieve the doctor.<\/p>\n Angel turned back to Cordelia. \u201cNow, tell me about this Ramius and these other four people.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Skylark Apartments<\/em> \u201cThis is Kelly Winger of Channel 12 News. In three days, the Hilton Hotel behind me will play host to a Democratic Fundraising Campaign for the re-election of Congressman Harold Doyle. The four term congressman will be arriving at LAX sometime tomorrow in preparation of the fundraiser.\u201d<\/p>\n Ramius leaned back in the rickety rocking chair and dug his fork into his bowl of Spanish rice. He chewed thoughtfully as he listened to the television news report.<\/p>\n \u201cPreliminary polls show that Congressman Doyle\u2019s popularity seems to be waning, thanks largely due to his failure to vote \u2018yes\u2019 on a bill that would have gone to reduce local air pollution. Also, the alleged affair with Washington DC elementary school teacher Debra Rodgers is fresh in the memory of voters.<\/p>\n \u201cPolls are showing that Independent candidate Melissa Johnson seems to be gaining in recent weeks. When asked, a Doyle spokesperson seemed confident in the Congressman\u2019s ability to gain re-election, calling Johnson \u2018someone with big talk, but little planning\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s smart, Harry,\u201d Ramius mused. \u201cPiss off the women voters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is Kelly Winger of Channel 12, asking you to stay tuned for the latest news on the Congressman\u2019s return to LA.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nLos Angeles, California<\/em><\/p>\n
\nLos Angeles<\/em><\/p>\n