Part 7<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cWho is Jeremy Tyler?\u201d Giles asked again.<\/p>\n
\u201cA loser,\u201d Angel answered solemnly. \u201cA drunkard. A womanizer. Basically the same way I was as a human. Worthless.\u201d A dark look crossed his eyes. \u201cI should have killed him when I had the chance. But I didn’t do it until it was already too late.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baltimore, Maryland ~ 1984<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Jeremy Tyler delivered a vicious punch that sent Lana crashing into the bedroom wall. The plaster behind her cracked and left an impression of a human body on its surface.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou fucking bitch! You think you can take them away from me? Not a fucking chance! But you know what? I was actually gonna let you live,\u201d Jeremy Tyler snarled. \u201cBut then I find out you’re shacking up with another man. What’s a matter, Lana? The secretary thing not working for you? Decide maybe you should sell your body like the whore you are? Look at me when I talk to you!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Jeremy reached down and grabbed a fistful of Lana’s blonde hair. He pulled her to a standing position. Tears flowed down her face, even from the eye that was rapidly swelling shut. A small trickle of blood dripped from her cut lip. Somehow she knew it would only get worse.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cBut like I said bitch, I had been planning on letting you live. But not now.\u201d Jeremy pulled a blade from his belt as he tossed her violently to the bed. Before she could move, Jeremy pounced and straddled her. \u201cWhere’s your boy, now?\u201d Jeremy taunted. \u201cOut looking for me maybe? Well I’m right here. Too bad you won’t be.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n With a quick jerk, Jeremy used the blade to slice through Lana’s neck. She released a strangled cry, but with the blood rapidly leaving her body, she couldn’t do any more than that. Jeremy watched in grim satisfaction as the life left her body. When she stopped struggling, he slipped from the bed and sheathed the knife back into his belt.<\/em><\/p>\n As he exited the bedroom, Jeremy saw Jordan staring at him down the hallway. She quivered in fear as she saw the blood matting his hands. \u201cDon’t go anywhere, Baby,\u201d Jeremy ordered. \u201cI’ll be back for you in a minute.\u201d Jeremy turned away and headed for the living room. When he was gone, Jordan silently entered her mother’s bedroom. Joshua followed moments later.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cJoshua,\u201d Jordan cried. \u201cWhy won’t mommy wake up?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI don’t think mom is going to wake up,\u201d Joshua answered.<\/em><\/p>\n Jeremy startled as the front door crashed open to reveal a very furious Angel. Jeremy smirked when he saw the blinding hatred the other man held. \u201cWell, well, well. If it isn’t Lana’s White Knight. Come on his majestic horse to save the day.\u201d Jeremy’s smirk turned even more sinister as he pulled the bloody knife from his belt. \u201cLittle late for that,\u201d he drawled. \u201cNow if you’ll excuse me, I have my children to attend to.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Jeremy turned away from Angel, intent on retrieving his children. It was the last mistake he ever made. A burst of vampire speed later and Angel was right behind Jeremy. Angel grabbed the hand that Jeremy held the knife in. With a quick snap, Jeremy’s wrist shattered, but Angel made sure that he didn’t drop the knife.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIf you’ll excuse me,\u201d Angel growled, \u201cbut I have to kill you now.\u201d Angel buried the knife blade deep into the lower belly of the man he despised. \u201cSay hello to the devil for me.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n Jeremy’s eyes widened in the same fear that Lana’s held only a minute earlier. He couldn’t stop it as Angel manipulated his own hand that held the knife. The blade cleanly sliced open his stomach as it traveled in a lightning fast stroke up to his sternum. Before Jeremy could pass out from the pain, he had the distinct pleasure of feeling his intestines spill onto his feet.<\/em><\/p>\n Angel tossed the rapidly dying body aside and sprinted back to Lana’s bedroom. It was there that he saw her dead body resting on the bed. Joshua stood before him. Never before had Angel seen a look of such hatred on a child.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Joshua shouted. \u201cWhy did you do it?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cJoshua,\u201d Angel said softly. \u201cI’m so sorry. I\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou promised you would keep mommy safe! But you lied! You’re just like daddy!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n A horrified look passed over Angel’s face. It was true. He had lied. He wasn’t any better than Jeremy.<\/em><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n \u201cSo if Jeremy Tyler is dead, then how the hell is he committing these murders?\u201d Xander asked.<\/p>\n Angel clicked on a new link inside the Tyler file. Photographs of a young Jordan and Joshua Tyler appeared on screen. He turned the laptop around for all to see.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s how. The boy blamed me for Lana’s death. I promised to protect them from Jeremy, but I made a stupid mistake and it cost Lana her life.\u201d<\/p>\n Buffy stared at the computer screen in shock. This was too freaking weird. \u201cUm, Angel? How old would those kids be today?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe boy would be about 24. The girl would be a year younger. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n Willow and Dawn both saw exactly what Buffy was driving at. \u201cAnd their names would be Joshua and Jordan?\u201d Angel nodded. As sick look came to Willow’s face. \u201cIsn’t that just\u2026nice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMeaning?\u201d Angel demanded.<\/p>\n \u201cMeaning,\u201d an embarrassed Buffy said, \u201cthat Jordan and Joshua Tyler kind of live next door to us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d There was absolutely no emotion in Angel’s voice. \u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout three weeks now,\u201d Buffy croaked.<\/p>\n \u201cThree weeks. As in a few days before the first murder occurred? You mean three weeks in that sense?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh huh,\u201d the three girls nodded. Angel pinched his nose in frustration. It did very little to relieve the pressure building inside him.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, as much as I’d love to see you whip Buffy’s ass,\u201d Spike interrupted, \u201cdon’t you think we should be paying the neighbors a visit?\u201d<\/p>\n Angel turned to Spike and nodded his agreement. The one person in this group he was supposed to hate was the one person keeping him from going insane. Maybe Spike wasn’t as big a mistake as Angel thought he was.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we should. Everybody get moving. We’re going to find them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then what?\u201d Spike asked. \u201cYou’re not going to kill them.\u201d Although Spike couldn’t fault him if Angel did.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he won’t,\u201d Buffy emphasized. \u201cWe don’t kill humans.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel glared at her coldly. \u201cWe’ll see how much I calm down on the way over. But I make no promises.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won’t let you kill them,\u201d Buffy answered.<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn’t be able to stop me if I wanted to. Don’t cross me Buffy. You get in my way, and you’ll just be a casualty. You have no idea of the power I can unleash on you. I may have a soul, but I’m still the biggest bad ass in either hemisphere So don’t do anything stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure about this, Joshua?\u201d Jordan nervously clenched her fists as she watched Joshua placed a loaded shotgun in a duffle bag. \u201cI mean, aren’t there other ways that we could have him find us?\u201d Joshua reached into a bureau and pulled out a pistol. It joined the shotgun in the duffle.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m sorry, Jordy. I don’t see another way.\u201d Several stakes were tossed in the bag. \u201cTrust me, Jordy. This will work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI trust you, Joshua. It’s just that I don’t like people getting hurt that don’t need to. I mean, these women that you\u2026well, you know, they served their purpose. But the other people at the hospital\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s just so that he will see our resolve. A show of force so that he will respond. Don’t worry, Jordy. No one will be hurt that doesn’t deserve to be.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess it’s time to go then?\u201d<\/p>\n Joshua slung the duffle over his shoulder. \u201cYeah. It’s time to go.\u201d Joshua ushered his sister outside into their rusty old pickup. Only two minutes after they left, another vehicle pulled into the drive.<\/p>\n A black convertible with a very angry occupant.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n The front door flew off the hinges as Angel delivered it a sharp kick. \u201cAngel,\u201d Buffy started, \u201cyou can’t go in without an\u2026\u201d Her words were quickly stopped as Angel entered the premises without being invited in. \u201cHow the bloody hell?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomebody must like me,\u201d was all he said. Angel swept into the building and was quickly followed by Spike.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m with him,\u201d he smirked. Buffy wanted to stake the both of them, but the look Giles shot her said she couldn’t. She settled for following them inside. The rest of the gang was right behind her.<\/p>\n \u201cSpike, upstairs,\u201d Angel ordered. Spike nodded and raced up the stairs. \u201cThe rest of you stay out of my way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Willow smiled. Buffy buried her face in her hands. Her gay best friend had the hots for Angel still. Willow continued to grin as Angel raced into the kitchen and kicked down the basement doors.<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, Angel. He’s so strong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWillow, it was less freaky when you were smooching girls and werewolves,\u201d Xander said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know,\u201d Dawn disagreed. \u201cI can see the attraction. He’s strong and assertive, yet caring and romantic. He’s unafraid to allow the demon to show itself. It proves an interesting combination of force and honesty.\u201d<\/p>\n Buffy stared at her sister in shock. Chalk up a second groupie. \u201cDawn. You’re grounded.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAngel!\u201d Spike yelled from upstairs.<\/p>\n Angel reappeared at the basement steps and quickly crossed the living room and up the stairs to the second floor. When the gang finally caught up to him, they found Angel taking an empty strong box from Spike. The impression of a pistol and a spare magazine was still imprinted in the foam.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like Joshua likes to play with guns,\u201d Spike observed. \u201cWhere would he go with one?\u201d<\/p>\n Angel examined the strong box. A nagging feeling began to overtake his conscience. \u201cMaybe the one place where he knows I’ll be forced to confront him.\u201d<\/p>\n Realization dawned on Spike. \u201cA man with a loaded gun at a hospital. That’s not good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou think he’ll go after Cordelia?\u201d Giles asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNot if I can get there first.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Nurses and doctors alike dropped to the floor as the man blasted the security camera with his shotgun. \u201cNow listen up!\u201d Joshua yelled. \u201cI know this may sound clich\u00e9, but I don’t want to hurt anybody! So everybody just stay cool and go with the flow! Everything will be okay!\u201d<\/p>\n He handed the pistol to Jordan. \u201cBe careful with that,\u201d he advised. \u201cNow go and lock the doors.\u201d Jordan quickly obeyed her brother.<\/p>\n \u201cNow,\u201d he muttered to himself, \u201cwe just have to wait for Angel to show up.\u201d<\/p>\n