The Adventures of Deadboy and Zeppo

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Angel heard the men debating who was going to get him, and he stood up from the toilet seat and stretched. What was past was past, but he needed to try and get himself and Xander out of their current mess before he had more deaths on his hands. Step one in taking power was to act like you already had the power.

Throwing the door open, Angel strode into the room and went straight to the window where he pushed the curtain back.

"Sun's low enough. We need to get a good look at mansion's security, so I'm going to trip a couple of alarms, make them think they have a glitch in their security system. You," Angel pointed at one of the stunned guards. "Lose the combat boots and watch the front entrance. I want to know how the guards react. Do they look around, go inside, take up defensive position, call for backup? And time them. From the second you first notice a problem or hear an alarm, I want to know how long they take to do whatever they're going to do."

The man opened his mouth as if to protest, and Angel kept right on talking. They had all been in the same room when a voice has assigned the team as "back up," so Angel knew the chain of command was fuzzy at best.

"You and you," Angel pointed out two others. You're going to take up position on the roof of the museum on one side and the light tower on the other. Watch side entrances, record any security light, monitor for electrical surges, keep an eye for any possible evacuation out the back or side entrances."

"You," Angel pointed at the fourth. "You're the electronics expert."

"Yes, sir." The blond man shot a confused look over to another man, but when the squad's commander failed to contradict Angel's plan, the blond looked back to Angel and nodded more confidently. "Security systems, phone systems, computer systems. If it uses electricity, I can figure it out, sir."

"Good, you're with me. We're going to figure out how tight security really is."

"I thought you were going to kill Mugabe," the squad's leader injected, and Angel looked over at the man with grey just starting to pepper his temples and a receding hairline.

"Do you go in without intelligence or a plan for escaping after the assassination?" Angel asked, and the man, who equaled Angel in size if not strength, relented.

"No. I don't send my men in without backup either." At this, the leader nodded toward the blond.

"He's the safest one because I'm his back up. The rest of you are on your own to avoid getting spotted by mansion's security. I assume they have a policy of not shooting observers, but you never know."

"My men can take care of themselves."

"I hope so because the kid's the only one I'm looking after," Angel shot back before heading for the door. "I want to get this done and over early enough to compare notes before you head for your bunks, so let's get moving."

Angel walked out the door and watched the traffic pass on by the hotel. They were only a ten minute drive from the upscale neighborhood where Mugabe was saying while in L.A. Angel had already seen the plans for the impressive four story building as well as the surrounding area. Two sides were equally impressive mansions, behind the mansion was the museum where either frick or frack would set up watch. The tower where the other one would wait was a half block away, and the third would have to find some sort of cover on the street to watch the front. Angel got into the backseat of the hummer without making any further comments, forcing the four member "back up" team to follow.

When the leader parked the car, the men fell into place quickly, gathering equipment and heading for their assigned posts. When the others left, the blond stood with two laptops and a bag nervously shifting from one foot to the other.

"Here," Angel held out a hand.

"I have it, sir."

"And I'm a lot stronger. Save your strength for when you need it," Angel insisted as he took the two laptops by their straps and pulled them off the man's shoulder.

"What's your name?" Angel finally asked. If the guy had the guts to follow him and, more importantly, look him in the eye, Angel figured he could at least know the man's name.

"Clark, sir. Tom Clark, lieutenant."

"Nice to meet you," Angel offered before turning and started a fast trot to a wooded area between the museum and the back of the mansion's property. Dropping into a crouch beside the fence, he felt Clark bump him.

"Sir?" the man whispered softly.

"Yes?" Angel asked as he considered his options. The whine of electricity told him the fence had alarms.

"Are you." The voice stopped nervously. "Can I trust you to back me up?" Angel turned and considered the kid who had the nerve to ask that knowing it was too late for him if Angel planned on betraying them.

"You'll be fine," Angel promised. "Can these things take a fall?" he asked patting the computer cases. The kid nodded, and Angel leapt straight up into a tree. Below he heard a gasp. He quickly tossed his two computers clear of the fence.

"Bag," he called and Clark tossed up the bag for Angel.

"You." Angel held his hand down, and after a brief hesitation Clark jumped for it, and Angel pulled him up to the branch which creaked ominously but held. "I need to get you over that fence," Angel said. All you have to do is fall without breaking your ankle. Can you do that?" Angel could hear the heart beat faster.

"Yes, sir. I had paratrooper training."

"Same thing," Angel said as he grabbed the man around the waist and physically tossed him over the fence. The man rolled and got to his feet before Angel even hit the ground. "Mansion's that way," Angel said as he picked up the two lap tops and started running.

Angel's first order of business was to get Clark set up in the basement utility room with the security panel. For a man with as many enemies as Mugabe, it was exceptionally simple. Promising to come back immediately if anyone came downstairs, Angel made his way to the main rooms. This place had entirely too many people, but he was searching for one thing. Angel smiled as he heard the whine of multiple monitors in one room. He'd seen the cameras easily enough and avoided them with little effort, but now he needed to make an impression.

Angel slid from one room to another as he closed in on the security station ready to change the deal. Now he just needed to find someone in power to negotiate

* * *

"Two days," Angel said firmly.

"And will this ensure the President's safety?" the large guard asked in an African accent. He'd given up on the gun after Angel had shown his game face, but his hand was still wrapped tightly around the back of a wooden chair, no doubt ready to break it and use it as a weapon.

"If I can work this right, they'll be afraid to try anything else," Angel said smugly. "But you hurt these guys and the deal's off. I'll hunt you and your entire family down."

"And I should trust an obayifo, a vampire?"

"I'm the one offering to surrender. I'm the one who has to show trust here, but I also know that if this doesn't work, they're going to send someone or something else in here." The large man studied Angel's face for several minutes before answering.

"Deal." The man held out his hand. "I am Tatenda."

"Angel." He shook the man's hand briefly. When a soldier came in carrying a rope, Angel didn't comment as his hands were tied tightly behind his back and a guard led him to another room. A second guard came in through another door holding a crude stake, obviously just recently made. Knowing that he no choice but to follow through with the insane plan, Angel let the first guard push him down to his knees. When the second guard walked behind him and pressed the tip of the stake to Angel's back, he took a deep breath and prayed that the plan didn't end with four bodies plus a pile of dust.

Angel was still kneeling on the floor with when Clark came in under guard.

"Sir?" Clark asked, and Angel flinched at the man trusting him even now, but this was part of the plan.

"They spotted your buddy in the tower, had everyone ready. They took me out as I came in through the kitchens," Angel lied, putting the blame on the unit's leader rather than the young men he commanded. It was a small concession to his guilt, but at least it was something. "You okay?" he asked as a soldier tied the kid's hands behind his back and pushed him to his knees.

"Yes, sir," he said stoically with a steady voice despite the racing heart that Angel could hear. That was an end to the conversation until more guards appeared with the last three members of the team. Each had his gear stripped and his hands tied behind his back.

"What the fuck?" the leader of the team demanded when he spotted Angel kneeling on the floor with Clark. The guards forced the remaining three members to their knees.

"Told you to not get seen," Angel snapped back as he allowed the yellow to bleed into his eyes. The man's gaze went from Clark to Angel to the guard holding a stake at Angel's back.

"We weren't spotted, you tripped an alarm," the man hissed. At that point Tatenda made his appearance. Dressed in his formal uniform with a baton in his hand, he caught the attention of everyone in the room.

"I beg to differ. Surely you don't think we would not notice armed soldiers running across our land? Did you think you would not be seen climbing into a position from which you could shoot at our beloved President?" Tatenda waited but no one was offering any answers.

"Names." Tatenda demanded, and everyone remained silent. "Very well, but you will not be released until your government accounts for your actions," Tatenda said quietly. Take the humans to the basement cells. We will find some place more secure for the obayifo."

Clark looked over in near panic, and Angel felt guilt rip through him. The kid was going to have a terrifying and helpless two days, and Angel couldn’t blame Angelus for that. He was doing the damage to this wide eyed kid who probably grew up in some Midwest state with a lot of corn. But Angel couldn't come up with a plan that had less evil and guilt, and so this it.

At a signal, the guards pulled the other four men out of the room. Angel waited until the sounds of the prisoners had faded from even his hearing.

"So, this is where I find out if you're good for your word," Angel said, not even trying to stand up. Tatenda walked over and let the baton rest on Angel's shoulder.

"You would stop your government."

"Yes."

"For what reason?"

"Because it suits my purposes," Angel answered honestly, and again the man simply stared until Angel wondered if he didn't have some mystical power of his own.

"A fair answer," Tatenda walked away with a wave of his hand, and Angel felt a pull at his arm that helped him up. A knife sliced through the ropes, and Angel nodded to the guards as he headed out to finish his plan.