Chapter Eight<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cAngel\u2026\u201d Wesley stopped. There was nothing he could say. Angel was right. Cordelia was missing. She hadn\u2019t shown up at the audition, she wasn\u2019t at her apartment; she wasn\u2019t answering her cell phone. Cordelia always answered her cell phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, there was no sign of a struggle in her apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, all that means was that she wasn\u2019t attacked there. Where is she?\u201d Angel growled, pacing. Cordelia had vanished. Fear, rage boiled through out his body.<\/p>\n
This was unbearable. More frustrating than when Cordy was sucked into Pylea, at least then they knew where she had gone and had a starting point at which to find her. But, now nothing. Angel\u2019s strong fist slammed into the counter, shattering the wood.<\/p>\n
Gunn walked back into the lobby, glanced at the counter then at Angel. He gave an apologetic smile at the vampire\u2019s glare and tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCops still haven\u2019t seen nothing on my truck.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gave them the address of the studio.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, before we went there, but no sign of it in the blocks around the place or anywhere else. Shit, Angel, the cops aren’t looking, they arent’t going to find it, unless it was illegally parked.”<\/p>\n
Angel\u2019s fist rose again.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel ignored Wesley and stared at his fist as it unclenched. \u201cNails, Cordelia said she was going to get her nail fixed before the audition. Where does she get her nails done?\u201d Angel growled.<\/p>\n
Wesley and Gunn looked sheepish again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Hair & Nail Gallery. I go there too, well actually Cordy took me there first.\u201d Fred fidgeted, wiggling her nails towards her hair. She gulped as Angel\u2019s gaze focused in on her. \u201cUm, it\u2019s on tenth near the Boulevard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel was out the door before Fred finished.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chapter Nine<\/b><\/p>\n
Cordelia sniffed the coarse wool around her shoulders and grimaced. She was just going to have to accept the fact that she was not going to stay clean in this dimension. Cordelia halted the \u2018eww\u2019 that was threatening to explode out of her mouth as her foot stepped into a foul mixture.<\/p>\n
She gagged as she lifted her foot, the slime oozed through the straps of her sandals. Cordelia just knew that she had stepped into raw sewage. Her shoes were ruined and she was probably going to catch some nasty disease. Oh, she was in hell all right, and Lilah was dead. Cordelia seriously hopped that the Wolfram & Hart lawyer played difficult with Angel when he figured out that the bitch had kidnapped her.<\/p>\n
Okay, so, Angel wouldn\u2019t actually kill her, but he could scare her plenty. Cordelia hopped the bitch pissed in her expensive designer pants. Cordelia looked down at her feet again, her sandals were ruined. She sighed. Oh well, she would\u2019ve had to get rid of them soon enough, anyway. Strappy red sling backs that exposed her bright red pedicure toes weren\u2019t at all the norm in this place.<\/p>\n
Cordelia continued down the street, careful to avoid mucky puddles and eye contact with the passersby. She glanced up now and again to study the wooden signs hanging above the doors. Her eyes widen as she saw three circles hanging from a bar painted on the sign in front of her. Not neon but definitely the universal symbol of a pawnshop. Damn this dimension copied well, if not on the dirty side. Cordelia hurriedly unclasped her necklace and opened the door into the dark shop. Her eyes peered into the dimness.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat ya selling?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia jumped at the deep voice. She handed the beefy man behind the counter her pearls. The man squinted an eye at the necklace, and then rubbed them against his teeth. He blinked looked at the necklace then at Cordelia. He thrust the necklace back at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI run a respectable place. I\u2019ve no plans to end up in Newgate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me,\u201d Cordelia pushed the necklace back at the man. \u201cThey\u2019re real.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAye, there are. You napped \u2018em, to be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNapped\u2026Oh, I didn\u2019t steal them I swear. They were a gift.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho would be given the likes of you such finery.\u201d The man looked at Cordelia\u2019s dirty cloak.<\/p>\n
Cordelia scowled and choked her retort at the man\u2019s derogatory tone. \u201cI didn\u2019t steal it, you big oaf.\u201d Okay, may be she didn\u2019t choke down all of her retort.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere do you come from?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cUh?\u201d Shit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe colonies, you\u2019re a Yank. What\u2019s a Yank doing in the East End?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s eyes widened. The dimension copied the founding of the colonies and the American Revolution? And the East End of where? \u201cThe United States, right.\u201d She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThought so, ungodly land\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLook are you going to buy this or what? They\u2019re real, I didn\u2019t steal them\u2026.\u201d Cordelia paused trying to calm down. More flies with honey, more flies with honey, she repeated to herself and started again. \u201cSir, I\u2019m sorry to be so rude, but I pretty much was abandoned here with only the clothes on my back and these. I need some money. They were a gift. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man looked again at Cordelia\u2019s cloak, then up to her face. \u201cCome to the light, girl.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Cordelia just knew she was going to lose it.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the light, girl.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia moved to the weak light on the counter. She stared at the man as he studied. The Man leaned back on his heels and raised a brow. \u201cLet me see your hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUh,\u201d Cordelia lifted her hands at the man\u2019s insistence.<\/p>\n
The man studied the long delicate fingers. His eyes widened at the red polish. A sign of a whore. He looked again at Cordelia\u2019s face. But if the girl was a whore, she hadn\u2019t been one for long; either that or the colonies treated their women of trade kinder than England.<\/p>\n
There were no signs of drink, disease, or hardness to her eyes and she had all of her teeth, in fact, she was quite pretty. \u201cNot one for an hard honest day of work are ya. Maybe you did nap it. Or sold yourself for them.\u201d He watched her expression.<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s eyes flashed daggers. Cordelia wanted to hit some thing, mainly the man standing between her and her means to get food.<\/p>\n
A small smile formed on the man\u2019s face. Aye, she was a proud one. And if she was a whore by trade, then he was the Queen\u2019s paramour.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbandoned, said he was a gentleman did he?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s frustration turned to hope as she heard the sympathetic tone.<\/p>\n
Cordelia thought quickly. \u201cIt\u2019s all so horrifying,\u201d Cordelia let a small tear trickle down her cheek. \u201cHe said he would be there, take me to his family, marry me. What am I to do?\u201d Thank god for romance novels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere, there girl. Had me daughter of me own. Men can be bastards that for sure.\u201d The man took the necklace. \u201cAt least, he gave you some valuable treats. Sad, how many times that tossed aside skirts come in with paste or a death shroud. Sad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia decided to let that comment slide and accepted the coins gratefully. She glanced at the heavy gold coins; she brought them under the light, studying them. A monarch\u2019s head was engraved in the coin, as well as the words, \u2018God Save the Queen\u2019. She wasn\u2019t sure, but they looked real, too real in fact. With some trepidation, she looked up. \u201cNot to sound to crazy, but what year is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
The man stared. \u201c1889.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia shot him a big smile. \u201cThought so, that sea voyage and all made me start to think that I fell off the world. But no, I’m here in England\u2026in \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLondon. Whitechappel. Don\u2019t you know where you are girl?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Sea air, I\u2019m from the States, feeling really not myself, right now. Whitechappel, the home of Jack the Ripper, wonderful.\u201d Cordelia\u2019s stomach clenched.<\/p>\n
A dark scowl descended on the man\u2019s face. \u201cThe bastard wasn\u2019t an East Ender, some say he was a society doctor playing games, some say a Jew, I say he was Satan personified. \u201c<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s stomach clenched. She was getting the horrible suspicion that this wasn\u2019t just some dimensions copy of 19th century England, but the real thing. How in the hell, did Wolfram & Hart send her back in time and why? Cordelia couldn\u2019t think about it.<\/p>\n
Dimension, time it made no difference, between Angel\u2019s powers of persuasion and Wesley\u2019s smarts, they would figure out how to save her. She just needed to remain calm, inconspicuous and unfortunately stay in Whitechappel, until they could. Her thoughts were interrupted by the man\u2019s last words.<\/p>\n
\u201cSatan he was, spreading his evil, then returning to hell where he belonged, but not before he took me Mary.\u201d The man\u2019s eyes were filled with anger and sorrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cMary?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAye, me daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia closed her eyes. Cordelia wasn\u2019t one to study serial killers; she got enough blood and terror through her visions. But she knew about Jack the Ripper, everyone knew about the first serial killer, or at least the first reported one, famous for his brutality and elusiveness from detection.<\/p>\n
Wesley had told her once that some in the Watcher’s Council believed the Ripper to be a demon, possibly a vampire, but they didn\u2019t even know. It was just speculation. Cordelia thought it just a bunch of humans expounding excuses, humans that couldn\u2019t accept that another human could be so evil.<\/p>\n
Which was stupid considering all of the glorious examples of evil that the human race could boast of. Cordelia held up a hand and caressed the gruff\u2019 man\u2019s face. \u201cI\u2019m truly sorry for you. She didn\u2019t deserve that horror, no one does\u201d<\/p>\n
The big man blinked and jerked away, clearing his throat. \u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia smiled. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia turned to go.<\/p>\n
The man watched her. A thrown away fancy piece, maybe, but a lady definitely. His Mary would\u2019ve never been considered a lady, but she was- before the streets and the devil took her. He would not let it happen to another, not if he could help it.<\/p>\n
\u201cChild.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm,\u201d Cordelia paused. She didn\u2019t know why but the man\u2019s attitude had done a complete 360 towards her.<\/p>\n
The man saw the question in her big eyes. He smiled. She really did remind him of his lost Mary.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will need a place to stay and a job. Those coins will get you only so far, then the streets will be your only option.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia looked at the coins in her hand. She didn\u2019t even know how far they would get her. An overwhelming, helplessness washed over her. She was lost, really lost. Please, Angel, she begged.<\/p>\n
\u201cGerty runs an Inn down the road, on the edge of the East End. It\u2019s as respectable as you\u2019re going to get in the Stews. Tell her Pa Kelly sent you, she\u2019ll put you up in a real room with a real bed, and give you a job, but lass, don\u2019t be going upstairs, that\u2019s where the light o skirts ply their trade. You don\u2019t need to be doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pa\u2019s eyes widened as Cordelia filled the room with a bright smile. Lordy, the child could take the wind out of any man\u2019s sails.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be letting them drag you up those stairs.\u201d He warned. \u201cAnd the Ripper as been silent for almost a year, but don\u2019t you be going out after dark.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia giggled and smiled. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I don\u2019t go anywhere I don\u2019t want to\u2026unless I\u2019m drugged, tied up or enchanted, and the after sundown thing, I got that one covered.\u201d<\/p>\n
She laughed at Pa\u2019s expression. \u201cI\u2019ll be fine,\u201d she smiled, running up a placing a kiss on the man\u2019s cheek. \u201cThank you, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tears threatened to run down Pa\u2019s reddening cheeks. He was going to have to visits Gerty\u2019s real soon. He would make sure that the beautiful child didn\u2019t end up like his Mary.<\/p>\n
Chapter Ten<\/b><\/p>\n
Angel scanned the city street.<\/p>\n
Wesley stopped Gunn, as the black man was about to comment. \u201cLet him be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel searched the night air for Cordelia\u2019s scent.<\/p>\n
They had reached the salon moments ago. Long enough to find out that Cordelia had been there, that she had been talking about the commercial and how she had been debating to drive there are just walk.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t that far from the salon to the studios and parking in LA could be a bitch. She had decided to walk; it had been a pretty day. The smog was less oppressive than usual.<\/p>\n
They found Gunn\u2019s truck quickly. There had been no sign\u2019s of a struggle. So, now Wesley and Gunn were visually scanning the area, while Angel utilizes his more discerning senses to find something, anything that would lead to Cordelia.<\/p>\n
Fred watched the men and vampire, impressive, but not very effective. The young woman\u2019s eyes went to a newsstand across the street. She started to cross. Tires screeched as she jumped back. The noise brought Angel, Wesley, and Gunn\u2019s attention to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cFred what are you doing,\u201d Wesley lectured.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was thinking that instead of standing here looking and smelling, that maybe we should ask him,\u201d she pointed to the newsstand\u2019s vendor, \u201cif he saw Cordy.\u201d She blinked, nervously. \u201cI mean who doesn\u2019t notice Cordy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel was across the street in an instant. Wesley and Gunn followed slower dodging the traffic.<\/p>\n
Fred pouted for a moment. It was her idea. She shrugged and tentatively crossed the street. She reached the other side in time to hear Wesley tell Angel to put the man down.<\/p>\n
There were times that Fred was envious of Cordelia\u2019s beauty, confidence and relationship with Angel, that was until things like this happened. Fred had to give credit where credit was due, sure, Fred knew that Angel wasn\u2019t a beast, but sometimes he could be rather difficult.<\/p>\n
And Cordelia definitely had the ability to tame the beast. Fred winced at her choice of thoughts. She hadn\u2019t meant the beast part, honest.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel,\u201d Wesley repeated. \u201cGunn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight. Angel, not productive, scary. Put the man down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel growled, but let the man loose.<\/p>\n
The old man\u2019s eyes were wide and his body shaking. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a little excitable, not dangerous, just a bit high strung.\u201d Wesley explained.<\/p>\n
The wrinkled black man squinted his eyes suspiciously. \u201cHigh strung, sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, well, we were wondering, whether you here this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c24-7, that\u2019s what the sign says.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley nodded at the cardboard sign that proclaimed the newsstand opened 24 hours. \u201cYes, well then you were here this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d the man narrowed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you happen to see a young woman, early 20\u2019s, dark hair, red dress, beautiful?”<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is LA, come on,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is\u2026\u201d Wesley stalled, how did you describe Cordelia. There was the obvious, but the old man was right, this was LA, beautiful woman were a dime a dozen. So how do you explain that Cordelia was something more, something special?<\/p>\n
\u201cShe makes time stand still, the breath stops in your throat.\u201d Angel said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. What kind of description is that, except a love sick one. But I did see a very beautiful young girl in a red dress, but she was an actress.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn actress,\u201d Wesley asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, they were filming, the man said it was for a new movie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFilming what?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cSee it was all exciting, at first. Most of the time, you can see the film crews; you know streets blocked off, yellow tape, police telling you to stay away. But this time, none of that. I thought it was real.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was real,\u201d Angel\u2019s voice was low, the growl vibrated in his throat.<\/p>\n
The old black man jumped at the sound. \u201cWhy does he do that?”<\/p>\n
\u201cNervous condition, please ignore him and continue.\u201d Wesley urged.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s it, I saw a dark van pull up and snatch the pretty actress from the street. Then whoosh, off. It looked real, I was about to call the cops, when the man came up and told me it was all for a movie.<\/p>\n
The cameras were up there in the windows, he said they wanted to experiment with the shots. \u201c The old man looked up to where he had pointed. \u201c Funny, I never saw the cameras go up or down for that matter. Weird.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGunn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGot it.\u201d Gunn answered, dragging at Angel\u2019s arm pulling the vampire away from the old man. \u201cAngel, he is not who you want to kill. Okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel grunted. \u201cLet me go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGunn,\u201d Angel\u2019s voice was low and deadly.<\/p>\n
Gunn shrugged and gave up.<\/p>\n
Angel went to the old man. \u201cThe person that explained that what you saw was a movie, did he have a name.\u201d Angel said calmly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, but he gave me a card.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally, may I see it?”<\/p>\n
The old man\u2019s eyes narrowed again, he didn\u2019t like the dark man\u2019s calm approach either. The calmness was just, if not more scary than the craziness. But, if giving him the card would get rid of him, then it was his.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d The old man gave Angel the business card.<\/p>\n
Angel looked at it; with a fierce growl, he crumbled up the small card and took off across the street.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnglish,\u201d Gunn asked torn between following the vampire and finding out what set him off.<\/p>\n
Wesley picked up the crumbled card. \u201cNo.\u201d Wesley shook his head. \u201cNo.\u201d He repeated. \u201cWolfram & Hart.\u201d The damaged card fluttered to the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cShit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go. It has to be trap.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe aren\u2019t going to catch him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley\u2019s words were muted by the sound of Angel\u2019s tires squealing against the curb as the black convertible rolled to a stop.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel\u2026\u201d Wesley started and stopped as the car\u2019s engine started to rev up again. \u201cOf course, you\u2019re in a hurry,\u201d Wesley mumbled as he vaulted over the passenger door.<\/p>\n
\u201cFred, take care of my truck.\u201d Gunn tossed his keys as he jumped into the back seat of the now moving vehicle.<\/p>\n
Fred stared as the black car sped off. It wasn\u2019t fair; it had been her idea to talk to the newsvendor in the first place. Oh well. Fred gave a nervous smile to the old black man. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The old man\u2019s nod and look clearly showed that he was glad to be rid of all of them.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, you know this has to be a trap.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel remained silent as he gripped the steering wheel. He would level Wolfram & Hart with bodies, blood and stone if he didn\u2019t find Cordelia.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, the prophecy, Wolfram & Hart may have found it. And they took Cordelia to bring you to them. They may have found a drug or gas or something that could release Angelus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, then they could just feed Cordelia to you, I mean to him. the evil guy, not to you. Then you’re damned and Cordy is dead. Maybe you better let English and I check things out first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t lose my soul by some drug or gas.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, I beg to differ, it has happened before.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt won\u2019t now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel, I know you want to find Cordelia, we all do. But, you can\u2019t let that blind you to the risks. Drugs can create that feeling..\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy soul is permanent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat simulates the euphoria\u2026.What? Your soul is permanent, since when, how, why don\u2019t I know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEpiphany.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never said that your epiphany included soul permanency, did he Gunn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHell, no. I \u2018d have remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you sure? I mean have you\u2026\u201d Wesley\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cYou and Cordelia haven\u2019t\u2026no, she seemed pretty positive that Buffy was your soul mate, and I can\u2019t imagine\u2026.I don\u2019t want to imagine it\u2026Did you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia doesn\u2019t know and no, I haven\u2019t tested it, by any means. Like it would\u2019ve worked without Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStop, the mental images\u2026\u201d Gunn winced in the backseat. \u201cYou\u2019re talking about Cordy, hey like you\u2019re talking about my sister. She ain\u2019t having sex.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was that Angel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I thought you mumbled or rather growled something.\u201d Wesley shook his head, trying not to laugh. He shouldn\u2019t laugh, this was very serious. But Angel\u2019s growl at the idea that Cordelia wouldn\u2019t be having sex was funny and a bit disturbing when he thought about it some more. Gunn was right; those were not the mental pictures he wished to have.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said Lorne verified it. My soul is permanent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s good. But the prophecy calls for the demon within to kill Cordelia. That\u2019s Angelus. Good lord, have Wolfram & Hart found a way to take away your permanent soul. Angel, you really should allow Gunn and I to check things out before you walk into a trap.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if they have?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you kill Angelus and save Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh. That sounds like a plan.\u201d Wesley shot a look at Gunn.<\/p>\n
Gunn shrugged. \u201cThe tranq guns are in the trunk right?\u201d<\/p>\n