Found

The man approached Spike, who was now hanging limp and unconscious from his chains. He pulled out a syringe from another of the many pockets in his tweed suit, and emptied it’s contents into the vampires neck. Then he unlocked the vampires chains, and left the room, leaving the door opened in his wake. “Say goodbye to the Slayer for me, as you drain her blood.” He smirked, and then went down the tunnels to find his boss and to tell him his plan was in motion.

Awhile later, Spike stirred. He opened his eyes and shook his head. His mind was a fury. “Kill the Slayer. Kill the Slayer,” were his only thoughts. He stood. He had to find the Slayer, and kill her. He struggled out the door, sniffed in the air, and turned left down the dark hall. He couldn’t smell her. Yet. But he would find her. He would kill her, drain her of every ounce of blood. And then his brain would quiet.

* * *

Oz parked a block away from the Sunnydale Arms. The sun was behind the clouds, thank goodness. Magna would be able to throw the blanket over himself and make a run for the shadows of the hotel. They decided to break up into two groups. Magna, Giles, Xander and Anya would search for Deidra. Magna had a sixth sense for Deidra, and Giles might prove helpful with her when and if they found her. Buffy and Willow and Oz would try and locate Spike and Allison, and then they would all try to join up and take Travers out. Other than that, they really had no plan. Buffy told them all not to worry however. “We have defeated many foes before on impulse and instinct. I mean really, how many plans have we formed and actually followed through with?”

“Yes. Like the plan to get that box from the mayor, when Faith ended up kidnapping me.” Frowned Willow. “That didn’t exactly go to well.”

They snuck up to the Arm’s front door. There didn’t seem to be any guards positioned, and that disturbed them. Magna lead the way, and tried the front door. It opened easily. He took his group down the stairs into the basement. Buffy and her crew fanned out on the main floors, searching rooms in silence. It was eerily quiet. Where was everyone? Was Magna correct about this? Shouldn’t there be Watcher’s running around trying to kill them right now? Or demons? Or someone? It was disturbing.

Willow tried to reach out to see what she could feel. Nothing. Whatever was blocking her before was still in place.

Magna lead Giles and the rest of the gang to the basement. They found some empty shackles there. Magna sniffed tir air and knew that someone had been there. He could smell it. But it hadn’t been Deidra, and that was all he cared about.

While he was investigating the dungeon of a basement, Giles and the others tip toed down the hall. The tunnel seemed to stretch forever. Magna caught up with them, and paused. He placed his hand on Giles to hold him back. “It’s the Hellmouth.” He whispered. “I can feel it. They’ve taken her there, down these tunnels.”

“I suppose that makes sense, since Sunnydale is full of all these underground tunnels. Why wouldn’t one lead to the Hellmouth? I’m surprised there are no big yellow signs pointing, ‘Hellmouth this way, one mile!’” Xander quipped. Giles just looked at him and frowned. Anya smacked him on the shoulder. “Not funny.” She said.

“Perhaps we should wait for Buffy.” Said Giles.

“No. I will not wait.” Growled Magna. “Deidra needs me. And if Travers has her, he must be stopped immediately. We don’t have time to wait.”

They decided that Xander and Anya would wait there, and when Buffy and the rest met up with them, they’d follow Magna and Giles down the tunnels and to the Hellmouth. “Be careful.” Xander told Giles. Giles looked at the young man and smiled wanly. “You too. And please, find Buffy. Tell her to be safe.” Giles turned and followed Magna down the tunnels. His thoughts swirled of Buffy. He prayed she would be safe, and that everything would turn out okay. He didn’t know how all of this was going to end, but he hoped to hold her in his arms, and make love to her again, at the end of this horrible day.

Meanwhile, Buffy and her group approached another room with a locked door at the end of a hall. This had been the only locked room they had found so far in the abandoned hotel. Buffy kicked the door in and saw Allison bound and gagged to a chair. They rushed over to her and immediately freed her. “Are you okay?” The Slayer asked, as she removed the gag.

“I think so.” Allison rubbed her wrists, relieved to be free.

“What’s been going on? What happened?” Willow asked.

“And where is everyone? Spike, and Deidra, and the bad guys?” Buffy added.

Allison glanced at Oz briefly. He smiled at her. “Hi. I’m Oz.”

“Of course.” Allison gave him one of her beatific smiles. Then she turned to Buffy. “Last night Spike and I were in the shop talking.” She began to cry softly. “It’s all my fault. I should have been there for her.”

“Shhh” Buffy tried to soothe the Laus demon. “I’m sure you couldn’t have stopped what happened. Please, go on, but hold the blame, okay?”

Allison sniffled, and tried to calm herself. “Ok. We were talking, and then this feeling came over me that something wasn’t right. And I heard the same song playing over and over from the training room where Deidra was. Spike and I got up to check, and when Spike opened the door a man shot him with a dart. He blacked out. It was Travers and his men. They had Deidra already. She must have been given the knock out drug too because she was already passed out on the floor. The drugs, or whatever, don’t work on me because I am not human.”

“Spike isn’t really human either, how come they work on him?” Asked Oz.

“Spike was human, he’s part human. The drug doesn’t effect him in the same way as it would Deidra. It wears out of him in time, with no permanent damage. But humans will not recover without an antidote. Eventually their organs shut down.”

“So if Travers has given that drug to Deidra, she is in real trouble. How much time does she have?” Buffy asked.

“I don’t really know. I don’t know anything!” Allison was getting more and more frustrated. “He threw us all in this van, and when we got here to this place, we were all separated. I haven’t seen them, or Travers. Some men tied me up in here, and left. I haven’t heard anyone all day until you came.”

“We’ve searched most of this hotel, and have found nothing.” Buffy shrugged. “Maybe Magna and Giles have found something downstairs.”

“Magna is here?” Asked Allison.

“Yeah, and he isn’t too happy.” Said Willow.

They informed Allison of Magna’s arrival, and Willow explained to her what they had determined from Sulu’s prophecy.

“It makes sense then that Travers has taken Deidra to the Hellmouth.” Said Allison.

“Well, this seemed to be the last room up here to check, so let’s head downstairs and see if we can find the others. I guess then we make a trip to the Hellmouth again. So not looking forward to that.” Buffy frowned and looked at her friends. They all agreed.

Suddenly a shadow filled the doorway behind them. They turned to find Spike.

“Kill the Slayer. Kill the Slayer.” He rushed at Buffy in a rage.


TBC