BAD ANGEL

A/N: Well, here we are at the final stretch. Sorry for the delay but I have moved to a new city and started a new job so Bad Angel had to wait a bit. Also, I didn't want to torture you guys anymore so I wrote the last three chapters and posted them together. So anyway, here it is. I can't promise anyone will be especially happy with it because it's not a typical 'happy ending' but I think there is something for everyone. It's been an interesting ride. I hope you all enjoy.


Part 24


“A lead?” Spike echoed.
“Is it credible?” Giles followed.
Walking closer Gunn smiled, “Leads don’t get much better than this.” Then as he began collecting his belongings, “It seems that someone in Rayne’s camp has had a change of heart.”
“Someone? You don’t have a name?” Giles asked skeptically as he and Spike also began gathering their things.
“We don’t but it’s got to be someone pretty high up. My supervisors have already confirmed it with other sources … the information is credible. It gave specifics on events only someone very close to Rayne would know. It details various criminal dealings and also gave the names of the two spies Rayne had working for him.”
“Two?”
“Yes, it corroborates our allegations against Meirs but it also named another … apparently, Finn’s partner, Parker Abrams is neck deep in this as well. My supervisors are already in contact with Internal Affairs.”
“Good Lord, Finn wasn’t involved was he?”
“It doesn’t appear so but who knows what Abrams was able to get out of him. Rayne’s been playing us for fools since day one.”
“So do we know where they are?”
“Yes … they’re in Jamaica.”
“Jamaica?”
“It’s the perfect spot when you think about it. He hid right under own noses.”
“Don’t we have associates there? I’m surprised they didn’t track this.”
“Well we think he’s using an alias, perhaps that’s why making the connection was difficult.”
“So what name is he using?”
“We don’t know yet, we don’t even have an address, just the country but that’s a hell of a lot better than what we had before.”
“Oh most definitely.” Giles agreed.
“So what’s the plan?”
“Well my supervisors are sending a small contingent to keep things secure here, if Rayne figures out what’s happening we don’t want to give him the opportunity to send anyone after the senator while we rescue Buffy. Harris will remain with Ms. Chase and her family. Spike and I will lead a small team to Jamaica for the mission. The authorities there will be under our command and are not to do anything but monitor the ports to prevent them from leaving and try to find their address until we arrive, we can’t afford to bungle this. They’ve asked that you remain with the family Mr. Giles until Buffy’s secured. They will then fly them to Florida to be reunited.”
“Certainly.”
“Great! So we’ll meet with you again once Buffy is in our custody.”
“I look forward to it.”
Giles then went in search of Hank and Joyce to inform them of the new developments while Spike and Gunn headed out.


Lindsey sat in his suite. Not too long ago he did the unthinkable. He betrayed Angel. It took a moment for the reality of it to sink in. But he had no regrets, not as of yet anyway. He was finally doing something right and it felt good. He knew Kate would be proud, well, somewhat. The truth was he had no intention of turning Angel over to the authorities. He wasn’t about to ruin them entirely. Granted, he did send some rather damning information to the FBI but he only disclosed enough to convince them that this was a real lead and not one of Angel’s decoys. Instead he was going to take, or rather, force Angel out of the country and leave Buffy behind at the villa for the feds to find. Hours before contacting the feds he had sent Lorne, Forrest and Graham ahead on the jet under the pretense that Angel wanted them to take care of some unsavory business in Europe and would contact them later with further instruction. He didn’t think the authorities would have arranged surveillance of the airports in time to stop Lorne’s departure but if they had and managed to track the plane then Lorne, Forrest and Graham would be apprehended. They were the perfect red herring. And since they had no idea where he would take Angel or even that he was planning this coup, they would be useless to the feds since he and Angel would no longer be at the villa. If the plane were not tracked, he would contact them once things cooled down and arrange a rendezvous point. With Lorne, Forrest and Graham gone, Lindsey also arranged for the staff to either have the day off or be off the property running errands. Again, once breakfast was over it was easy since Angel was preoccupied. Taking a deep breath, Lindsey went over the plan again. Using aliases he hired a small private plane to take them to Cuba where their associates would readily accommodate them. There they would stay until safe passage to Europe could be arranged. If everything went as he hoped, he and Angel would be long gone before the feds knew what happened. This was the only way he knew to save Angel from himself.
Slowly moving around the room, he packed a few essential items before pulling out a gun and loading it. He would need it to force Angel to leave Buffy but before confronting his cousin he had to take care of Luke and Adam. He would never be able to pull it off with them around and besides, it was the least he could do for Cordelia.

Taking his time, Lindsey left his suite in search of his quarry. As he approached, he slowly positioned the silencer on the gun hidden in his jacket. Quietly opening the door, he slipped into the dimly lit security room. He came upon Adam first who briefly acknowledged his presence before turning his attention back to the monitors. Without blinking an eye Lindsey withdrew the gun and immediately fired two bullets into the back of Adam’s head. It was over within seconds but seemed to last an eternity as he watched Adam slump over the monitor, blooding oozing from his shattered skull. Not wasting a moment, Lindsey hid in the shadows until Luke returned to the room. The instant Luke was within range, Lindsey unloaded three bullets into his chest, sending him crashing into the wall next to the door before he stumbled onto the floor. Throughout it all Lindsey barely flinched, hardly noticing the droplets of blood that sprayed onto him. He felt nothing as he executed them. It was quick, cold and devoid of emotion, just as he was taught.
His targets down, he calmly wiped the blood from his face then locked the security room behind him.
Now it was time to deal with Angel.


Buffy and Angel sat lounging on the couch watching television. In the days since her breakdown, Angel had insisted on spending even more time with her. In truth, she was a little annoyed at first but she stopped protesting when it became obvious that it was either his company or a doctor’s visit. She settled for his company. During that time he had completely handed the reins over to Lindsey and taken an impromptu vacation. He was nothing but determined to ensure she was getting better. And in some ways she was. Granted, she wasn’t quite herself but she wasn’t nearly as despondent as she was a few days ago. Her talk with Lindsey really helped to lighten her burden, if only in making her feel less alone. She hadn’t spoken to him about it since but from the occasional glances they exchanged she knew he hadn’t abandoned her, although she still had no idea what he was planning. Nonetheless, simply knowing she could talk to him was a great comfort.
But to be honest, it wasn’t just Lindsey aiding her recovery. Granted Angel was still unaware of her condition but she had to admit that he always went out of his way to make sure she was comfortable, well, as much as she could be given the circumstances. Despite the deeply unsettling implications, she couldn’t deny that since their arrival in Jamaica she had slowly come to depend on him. And not just for her survival. As much as she tried to shield herself emotionally, she was all too aware of how easily Angel affected her. When he was playful and tender she wasn’t as tense and could relax somewhat around him but when he had that intense look in his eyes, which was often, she could feel his desire for her emanating off him in waves and that always made her tense and nervous since she never knew if he would act on his impulses.
Of course the extent to which his moods influenced hers varied daily but it did nonetheless. At times the influence also worked in the reverse she imagined. But in truth the dynamic between them went far beyond setting the mood for the day. In some cruelly ironic way he offered a sense of solace. Whenever her emotions overwhelmed her, no matter what he was doing she could always crawl into his arms for support. He never denied her that or used it against her. In fact, he never spoke of it, neither of them did. She had no idea when it began but if she had to guess it probably started the first time she cried in his arms when she refused to have sex with him. She only became conscious of it after the night he told her his reasons for releasing Dawn. Like the many things they shared but never spoke of, it was an unlikely bond too delicate for words. She was beyond conflicted and riddled with guilt about it. She couldn’t comprehend how she could find any sense of solace with him. It was selfish and dangerous and felt wrong on so many levels. And in doing so was she leading him on? Their emotional relationship was too complex and exhausting to examine. She just couldn’t think about it anymore.

But now she was carrying his child. As much as she knew it was true, she didn’t actually think she’d fully believe it until she felt it move or started to show. Despite her doubts and anxiety, whenever she thought of it she always pictured herself holding a small baby or being very pregnant. In some way she already knew she would keep it but of course the devil was in the details. Recalling her conversation with Lindsey, there was no doubt in her mind that Angel would want the child also. It was for that very reason that she still could not bring herself to tell him, despite their closeness. She didn’t want to give him any more control over her life. But time was not on her side. She could only hide it for so long before Angel discovered her secret. Then it would all be over. He would never let her out of his sight again. Realizing this she really hoped Lindsey would help her escape. If he didn’t it would take a miracle for her to do it alone. Otherwise she would have to resign herself to raising the child with Angel and share a life with him. But could she do that? She could not love him but she did feel something for him. Was it enough? Could they find some middle ground? What would they be to each other? What if he wanted another child in the future? Imagining the possibilities of what a life with Angel would entail was deeply disturbing and quickly driving her mad. She had to believe fate would intervene.
As if reading her mind, Angel suddenly reached for her, his hand gently resting on her abdomen. Buffy nearly jumped at his touch.
Feeling her flinch slightly, “How are you doing over here?”
“Um, I’m ok. I was just thinking about things …”
“Care to share?”
“Hmm, not really … it’s nothing important.”
Shifting to face her, Angel looked at her for several long moments.
Holding his gaze, Buffy smiled slightly and tried to act normal. She didn’t want him to see how nervous she was.
Caressing her, “You are so beautiful.” Then holding her gaze, he slowly moved in and softly kissed her. Grateful for the opportunity to distract him from pushing her to talk, she responded, engaging him. Encouraged by her response, Angel deepened the kiss, taking his time to savor it. It was the first time in weeks that she had returned his kiss and he didn’t want the moment to end. But unfortunately they had to breathe.
Reluctantly pulling away, he gently stroked her stomach, “Would you like to go sailing?”
“Sailing?” She asked skeptically, trying to ignore her rising anxiety over where his hand was.
“Yes, we never went that night. I think it might be fun and the fresh air will do you good, perhaps we can have lunch out there.” At her silence he added, “Unless you’d rather stay in …”
“Um, no, let’s go. It would be a nice change of pace.”
“Great. Why don’t you get ready, I’ll go and make the arrangements.”

Making his way down to his office, Angel couldn’t help but notice how oddly quiet the house was. Not that it was particularly noisy to begin with but no one seemed to be around, not even the staff. Not thinking much of it however, he assumed they were probably tending the grounds or running errands.
Entering his office, he quickly made his way over to the phone to make a few calls.

At the same time Lindsey quietly opened the main door to the master suite. Keeping the gun hidden in his jacket, he silently approached the bedroom door in search of Angel. Instead he found Buffy changing her clothes. Knocking on the slightly ajar door, he announced his presence and waited for her permission to enter.
When he received it, he pushed the door open and asked, “Where’s Angel?”
“Uh, he went to his office to make a phone call. We’re going sailing.” She replied as she pulled on her sneakers.
“I see. Well, it’s important that I talk to him alone first.” He then turned to leave.
But before he could she moved towards him, “Lindsey, um … are you sure everything’s fine?” She asked hesitantly. She wanted to know what he was up to; if he was helping her but he seemed reluctant to discuss it and she feared he might back out if she pried.
“Everything is fine Buffy.” Then before he left, he turned to her again, “But I strongly suggest that you stay in this room until I come back and talk to you. Do you understand? No matter what you might hear, please stay in this room.”
“I’ll stay here.” She assured him, the warning in his voice sending a chill through her. Whatever he was doing was about to go down and she had no intentions of getting in the way.
Looking at her momentarily, Lindsey felt a slight twinge of guilt for not telling her the truth. He had no intentions of coming back to her. He was going to get Angel away from the villa as quickly as possible and leave the country. It wouldn’t be too long before the authorities found the house soon after which they would certainly find her. But it would be better if she didn’t know. He didn’t want to risk her jeopardizing his plan by making her aware that she could simply walk out of the house.
After one last reassuring nod Lindsey left for Angel’s office.


“That sounds wonderful, I’m sure she’ll love it.” Angel remarked as he and the captain of the yacht discussed the arrangements for that afternoon. He wanted everything to be perfect when they arrived at the harbor. “Great, we’ll be there in about two hours, see you then.” He then hung up, eagerly anticipating Buffy’s reaction to the romantic excursion he had planned.
Just then he heard someone enter his office behind him. Turning around to face the entry, “Linds, you’re here?”
“You thought I wasn’t?”
“Well the house was so quiet for a moment I thought Buffy and I were the only ones here.”
“Oh, no, I’m here.”
Angel then smiled and proceeded to inform Lindsey of his plans for that afternoon. But before he could finish, Lindsey interrupted, “Um Angel, sorry to break it to you but that’s not going to work.”
“You don’t think she’ll like it?”
“Oh, I’m sure Buffy will be impressed but that’s not what I mean, I don’t think going sailing right now is a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because we need to be on our way.”
“On our way? Where?”
“Out of the country.” At Angel’s puzzlement, he clarified “In the next few minutes you and I are leaving the villa. I’ve arranged for us to leave the country immediately.”
Tensing somewhat, “And why would you do that?”
“The feds are on their way.”
“Shit!! This is the last thing I need.” Then standing, “Thanks for arranging our escape. I’ll be back in a few minutes with Buffy.”
But when Angel went to leave, Lindsey blocked his path. “Uh, I don’t think you’re getting me.” At Angel’s puzzlement, “Buffy’s not coming with us.”
Tensing further, “What do you mean she’s not coming?”
“I would think it was quite obvious but I will oblige you. Angel, since you refuse to stop this insanity then I must. I have alerted the authorities to our location and they are on their way as we speak to rescue Buffy. I am taking you out of the country because I do not wish to see you go to prison. I’ve already sent Lorne, Forrest and Graham ahead of us.”
Angel stared at him in disbelief. “You cannot be serious.”
“I am very serious.”
“You cannot possibly, do you think I would simply walk away from Buffy? I love her, I would never abandon her like that.”
Lindsey laughed sardonically.
Struggling to keep his anger in check, “I’m glad you find this so amusing.”
Curbing his laughter, he retorted, “Oh come on, you love her? Angel, if you had any real sense of what love truly was then you would see the humor in this.”
Countering, “Laugh all you want, I don’t care. She is my everything and I won’t leave her.”
“I’m sorry Angel but you have to.”
“Why? Tell me Lindsey, why the hell should I leave the one person in this world that I love more than anything?”
“Because if you really loved her you would see what you’re doing to her … how you’re destroying her!”
“What do you know about this? Buffy and I have been managing well enough given the circumstances …”
“Managing well enough?” He asked incredulously, “Do you honestly consider finding her catatonic in the rain managing well enough? Have you even looked at her recently? She is barely hanging on!”
“I didn’t say we don’t have our problems …”
“Problems? You make it sound like this is some mere lovers’ quarrel. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You took her from her family, from the only life she has ever known, you raped her, beat her … disgraced her and now you think you deserve to have a life with her? Will it take finding her lifeless body hanging from the balcony for you to get it?”
Stung by Lindsey’s words, “How dare you? You have no idea how I feel about her.”
“You’re right, I don’t know what you could possibly feel for her because a man truly in love would see this with his own eyes. He wouldn’t need me to tell him this, he wouldn’t need me to do this.”
“I see, so since you can see this so clearly, am I to take it that you are truly in love with her? Is that the motive behind this apparent chivalry?”
“Don’t twist this into something perverse. I have no interest in Buffy other than to help her get home safely.”
“Really? You never seemed very interested in helping her before, why are you suddenly so concerned about her welfare?”
“Because someone needs to be. I can’t stand by and let this continue, I can’t let you do this anymore, not to her, not to yourself.”
Now it was Angel’s turn to laugh, “If I didn’t know better I would think you went and found yourself a conscience.”
“Unlike you I’ve always had a conscience Angel but I was too blind by loyalty to act on it.”
“Obviously now you aren’t”
“Not anymore. Not when my loyalty is so obviously misplaced.”
“Ah, so when exactly did you come to this interesting conclusion?”
“The moment I learned that you had Travers kill Holtz and that all these years you’ve been lying to me. That’s when I realized that I had no idea who you really were.”
Angel froze at Lindsey’s words. So this is where this was coming from. He didn’t know what to say or how to even begin apologizing for deceiving him. He should have told him.
Watching Angel closely, Lindsey continued, “And you know, it’s so funny. If you had asked I probably would have been glad to help you get rid of the bastard but no, you had to give Travers the satisfaction. And to make it worse, you didn’t even have the guts to admit it to my face but then I suppose that would mean you were actually taking responsibility for something. So tell me, how exactly did Travers make his murder look like a heart attack?”
At Angel’s reluctance to answer, Lindsey yelled, “TELL ME YOU BASTARD!! I DESERVE TO KNOW!!!”
Speaking softly, reluctantly, “It was an injection of potassium chloride.”
Shaking in anger Lindsey nodded in realization. Of course, with Holtz’s diabetes the heart attack would seem natural, as would the needle mark. “I still can’t believe I never suspected this.”
“Lindsey I’m sorry …”
“Save it Angel. You’re only sorry that I found out.” Then chuckling manically, “You know what I find so ironic about this? You’ve spent most of your life vilifying Hank Summers because, as you claim, he took Ethan from you yet you had no problems taking my father from me. And sure Holtz was an animal but let’s face it, Ethan was no saint either. I mean, you can’t really believe he was innocent of all those charges? But then again maybe you do. You’ve managed to delude yourself into thinking you have a chance with Buffy so maybe you really do think that Ethan was falsely accused. Well, I am a lawyer and I’ve seen the trial transcripts and the evidence that convicted him and for the record, Ethan was guilty of every charge against him and many more besides. I think it’s about time you wake up and stop blaming everyone other than Ethan for the decisions he made. He chose to live the life that led to his ruin. You need to accept the fact that Ethan didn’t love you and Darla enough to walk away from it all. He didn’t even love you enough to stop Holtz from making your life a living hell. Ethan had his priorities and you and Darla weren’t one of them.”
Lindsey’s words shook Angel to the core, ripping open past wounds Angel had thought long healed. But he refused to let on how deeply Lindsey’s words rattled him. “So that’s what this is really about … this isn’t about saving Buffy. This is just your way of getting back at me.”
“In some ways yes but my motives are irrelevant. In the end it still boils down to the fact that you need to let Buffy go. She needs to be home with her family, especially now.”
Curious as to what Lindsey was alluding to, Angel rose to the bait, “I know you want me to ask so I will, why especially now?”
Satisfied that he had Angel’s rapt attention, Lindsey slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out one of the pregnancy tests that Buffy had taken, placing it on Angel’s desk.
Picking it up, Angel peered at it curiously, unsure at first what it was. Then realization struck like lightning, his eyes widening.
Answering Angel’s unspoken question, “That’s why she’s been acting so strangely.”
Still staring at the test stick, Angel was at a total loss for words. How could he be so blind as to miss all the signs? Her lethargy, loss of appetite and overall behavior change, it was all pointing to it, telling him that they had conceived a child. And given the circumstances, no wonder she was so distraught.
No longer listening to Lindsey, Angel again tried to move past his cousin. He needed to see Buffy immediately.
But Lindsey blocked his path again. “No Angel, you’ve hurt her enough. I won’t have you going up there to make this worse for her. She doesn’t need you forcing her into this.”
“Forcing her into this? What do you mean? Is she going to …” He stopped, unable to fathom the idea that Buffy might not want their child.
“She hasn’t decided and that’s why you must let her go.”
“Let her go? Now? Are you insane?”
“Angel, stop and think! Buffy has suspected for some time now that she is pregnant, why do you think she still refuses to tell you? If you go in there and start making demands you’re only going to push her away from you, perhaps make her do something desperate. Do you want that? Stop being selfish and think of her for once, give her the freedom to decide, to make this choice on her own.”
Pulling back “I can’t just leave her, not like this.”
“Yes Angel, just walk away. I’m not giving you a choice here.” It was only then that Angel saw the gun Lindsey was wielding. Lindsey had a gun on him.
Staring incredulously at his cousin, Angel took a step back.
Seeing how struck Angel was, Lindsey murmured, “Come Angel, make this easier on her. Just walk away.”
Angel just stared, rooted in place. How could Lindsey think he would leave without at least saying something to her? She was the love of his life and she was carrying his child, just the thought of never seeing her again was too much.
“You wouldn’t.”
“I wouldn’t kill you but I am not above wounding you enough that you couldn’t stop me from taking you out of here.” Lindsey knew he was being a bit unreasonable by insisting that Angel leave without seeing Buffy once more but he didn’t want to give him the opportunity to get the upper hand in the situation, especially since he was not inclined to brandish his firearm in Buffy’s presence. Besides, they really didn’t have time for it. The authorities could show up at any minute. It was better they leave immediately. Emphasizing his point, Lindsey cocked the hammer. He was serious.
Looking at the gun directed at him, Angel weighed his chances of getting past Lindsey before he could fire the weapon. Since he was larger than Lindsey and outweighed his cousin by a good twenty pounds or more, trying to overpower him had potential but he doubted he could do it and avoid getting shot. He knew Lindsey was an expert marksman, as was he, so there was little chance he would miss. But Angel had to get to Buffy, or die trying.
Taking another step back Angel braced himself, preparing to tackle Lindsey to the floor when suddenly a shot rang out.
Flinching reflexively, Angel clutched his abdomen, futilely trying to shield himself from the fatal wound, even as he felt a warm spray of blood shower over him.
Paralyzed with shock, Angel braced for the instant the pain registered in his brain but as the seconds crawled by he felt nothing. Was this what being shot felt like? His mind still reeling, Angel gradually became aware of the loud gasping and wheezing that seemed to suddenly fill his eerily silent office.
It took a moment to realize that it was not coming from him.
Daring to open his eyes, he was startled to find the gun that moments before was aimed at his chest was now lying on the floor at his feet and Lindsey was slumped over his desk, lying in a rapidly expanding pool of blood. The gasping and wheezing was slowly fading.
Absently touching himself to confirm that he was indeed still alive, he took in his blood-stained clothing and as the shock gradually subsided it dawned on him that the blood he felt was not his but Lindsey’s. Someone shot Lindsey from behind.
Finally looking to the doorway, he watched as Travers quietly lowered his revolver before moving toward him.

tbc ...