After All Our Nightmares

After All Our Nightmares (3/?)

Connor looked up to the ceiling of their hideaway. “Faith’s coming.”

Angel hid a half-grimace\half-grin as he noted the undercurrent of excitement in his son’s voice. Civilisations came and went, but Faith’s effect on a male’s hormones remained the same. Namely she sent them into overdrive. “I assume Xander’s with her?” he chuckled at his son’s slightly chagrined expression.

Seconds later and the question was answered when the door to their hideout swung open to reveal an unusually agitated-looking Faith carrying in a pair of rucksacks and two barbells while also supporting a dazed-looking Xander. “What happened?” Angel asked as Connor took Faith’s bags and Groo solicitously helped Xander to the armchair.

The smile Faith shot him lacked much of her usual bravado. Instead it was wavering and a little wild. “We got attacked by King Kong, I mean this huge fucker, had to be seven foot tall and five hundred pounds easy, guy was strong even for his size. He was human but I couldn’t hurt him.”

Kate’s head snapped from inspecting the egg-sized swelling on Xander’ face to the sultry Slayer. Angel’s eyes widened imperceptibly when the former cop gently took the beautiful brunette by her elbow and led her to the sofa. “What did he look like, Faith?”

Once again Angel was shocked by the tenderness in the cop’s voice. Faith’s long eyelashes fluttered in rare uncertainty. Then the brunette spoke. “Like I was said, he was freakin’ huge. He was bald with scars all over his face, including one that made the left side of his mouth droop, and he had starred tattoos on his neck.”

“You have a good eye,” Kate praised before looking up at him and then looking towards the furthest corner. Taking the hint, Angel stalked over to the corner where Kate joined him. “We need to get out of here, now.”

Angel’s eyes narrowed at the fear in the blonde’s voice. “Who is this man?”

“I’ll explain while we pack, she’s in real danger, so is anyone who gets in his way.” Angel raised an inquiring eyebrow and waited. “Fine,” the cop sighed. “In late ’99 through to late ’01, seven black-eyed brunette show-girls in Vegas were murdered. Several of them could have been sisters to Faith. The girls were tortured, raped, their throats crushed, and dismembered. By the time news of the first murder hit, I knew about vampires so I kept an eye on the cases.”

“But it wasn’t a vampire.”

“No,” Kate shook her head. “I only wish it was. Turned out it was Dalton ‘Looming’ Towers, a Judo black belt and high school state wrestling champion, and local bouncer. He had a reputation at all the clubs and casinos he bounced at, so when they went to arrest him, the police went in heavy, twenty veteran officers in riot gear.” Kate shook her head. “I’ve read the arrest reports. He killed three officers, and put five in the hospital, two crippled for life. While he was in jail, a number of doctors ran tests on him, and found he was a freak. His nervous system didn’t register pain. In addition his bones, ligaments, and tendons were far stronger than normal. Without ever having training, he broke several world weightlifting records.” Kate paused and licked his lips. “Angel, the things he did and to girls that looked like Faith. We need to get her out of here.”

Angel noted the disquiet in the cop’s eyes and voice before nodding. “Okay,” he looked around and raised his voice. “We need to get everything together and move.”

* * *

“How come we’re flaking so fast” Faith queried as she joined the others in clambering into their vans. “I thought the plan was we left in the morning.”

“It was,” Angel shot her a smile. “I’m just eager to see old haunts.”

“’Kay,” Faith’s brow creased. She sensed Angel was bull-shittin’ her. From anyone else she wouldn’t stand it, but Fang she trusted more than most ‘cept maybe Xan. Still, it bugged her to be left out of the loop. “Ya realise it’ll be almost day-light when we get there?”

Her idol’s smile became more forced. “Then someone else will have to do the house-hunting for once.”

”Right.” Faith fell silent. Even with Slayer healing her throat still hurt. Maybe the rest would do it good.

One thing with the end of the world, it sure cut down on the traffic and in practically no time at all they were on LA’s outskirts. The skyline still looked the same, most of the major buildings and landmarks remained standing. What had changed was the lack of lights glittering in the early morning. Even if people managed to keep power running, they didn’t want lights at night, nothing to draw the demons roaming the streets to them.

Faith grimaced. LA. had been rough back in the day when Wolfram & Hart had been running things, but it was whole lot worse now. Forget about the vampire house that ran LA., there was the Scourge sweeping the streets slaying any human they came across, and the Jhe Sisterhood glorying in the world’s devastation.


Then there was the human scum. Vigilantes brutally enforcing laws from the old civilisations, feral gangs battling for territory, and The Believers, fucked up humans who worshipped demons and preyed on those who didn’t.

Yeah, LA was a real screwed up place. Not that the rest of the country was any better.

“I’ve a question,” Xander’s voice brought her out of her grim musings. Faith glanced towards her lover. As bad as her throat felt, Xander’s purpled and swollen face looked a hell out of a lot worse. “With all the deaths and the exodus, LA’s only got a million people left in it. That’s still a helluva haystack to hide a three year old. And we can’t exactly call Information.”

Angel replied from his position under the blanket in the van’s rear. “What I told you was just the cliff-notes, there are certain other clues.”

“Such as?” asked Connor, Kate, Illyria, and Groo were in the other van.

“Such as this child is in under the protection of the city’s premiere vampire hunters, and he’ll have a birth sign on his neck of the roman numeral ‘one’.”

“Well that narrows it down some,” Xander commented,

“Yes,” Angel agreed. “Once you’ve found us a place to stay, I’d suggest you start looking for the child. I’d help, but I don’t tan.”

“You don’t sing either,” Faith muttered. “At least not well.”

* * *

“Come on! Come on!” ‘Looming’ Towers giggled as he entered his base, the six men he’d led since they’d escaped their maximum-security prison’s death row quickly rising. They’d broke free on the blessed night the monsters had come; proof that god wanted him to continue his work. “We have work to do.”

And such glorious work it was. Like the sixteen bitches he’d slaughtered before the police had caught him, although they’d only convicted him for seven. Like the fifteen he and his boys had killed since.

And this new girl who’d caught his eye was a rare prize, such spirit, such strength. He had to smell her fear and taste her pain. Like he’d smelt all those whores’ fear. Just like he’d felt fear at the hands of that bitch of a mother.

Until he was eleven and then he’d made sure she’d never hurt him again. Just another Nevada runaway according to the authorities, irresponsibly leaving her child behind. But he knew better, knew the freedom such action gave him.

And now he had another prize to plunder, one with a loose tongue who’d told him just where she was heading. Such spirit, such power, she would be his greatest creation.

* * *

Faith pursed her lips as she looked left and right. It had taken them a couple of hours to find somewhere to hide out, but finally they’d found an underground garage. Once they had, she and Xander had headed into downtown LA, Kate and Illyria had headed east, while Groo and Connor had taken west, Angel having stayed at base.

Now it was closing on mid-day. Once Downtown would have been bustling with people, but now it was a ghost-town. Dust and garbage cloaked the quiet streets, the doors torn off and windows shattered in many of the surrounding buildings. Faith dropped to one knee and looked left and right. All around was devastation, the symbols of a fallen world.

”See that doorway across the street, three doors to the left” she muttered as she peered between a pair of stripped-down cars. “Caught a pair of eyes looking at us a second ago.”

“Human?” Xander asked as he inspected the graffitied wall to the right of them.

“Their eyes didn’t glow in the dark if that’s what ya mean,” Faith replied.

“Okay, seeing as I’m bored.” Faith shook her head as Xander slid over the nearest car’s hood and started across the road. Ever since the fall Xander’s patience had been gettin’ shorter and shorter.

“Shit,” she grunted as she raced after her honey. “I thought I was meant to be the one with impulse control issues.”

Xander kicked the door open before striding into the darkened former post office. “Relax we don’t mean any harm.” Faith rolled her eyes as she followed her lover into the room. That’d be a whole lot more convincing without the kicked in door.

“It’s One-Eye,” Faith heard a voice in the darkness whisper.

“More than one man has one eye,” whispered another.

”But look at the girl,” argued another. “She has to be Faith.”

“But where’s The Dark Man and the others?” whispered the second.

“I am One-Eye,” Xander’s face tightened. Her boy hated that nickname. “And this is Faith.” Xander shone his torch over the group illuminating a ragged group of five men, three woman, and four kids. “We don’t want to hurt anybody, all we want is some information. And we’re willing to pay with food.”

“Information,” gasped a woman. “What sort of information?”

“Forget that!” growled one of the men. “What food?”

“We raided a gym a few weeks ago,” Xander replied. “We’ve got protein shake sachets, four dozen in four different flavours, several bottles of multi-vitamin tablets, and a couple of boxes of health bars.”

“What do you want?” One of the younger men alternated between shooting hungry looks at Xander’s rucksack and Faith.

“Who’s the biggest demon hunting group in LA.?” Faith asked. For the next few minutes Faith and Xander listened as the group discussed and argued about just who was the best, Faith spoke. “So this biggest gang, where do they hang out?”

The group’s apparent spokesman shrugged. “No where in particular, but the word is The Coops had a dust-up with The Scourge in Brentwood just a few days ago. Left seven of the demons dead.”

“Well that’s a start,” Xander began taking off his rucksack.

“Sir,” squeaked a wide-eyed six year old, “are the stories true? Are you and The Dark Man gonna save us all?”

A scared-looking woman started to hush the child. Faith waved the woman to silence as she strode over to the kid, dropping into a crouch before the girl. “Hey little sis,” Faith trailed her fingers down the little girl’s dirty face, grinning slightly at the child’s giggle. “Truth is I don’t know. But we’re gonna try our best and a friend taught me that’s all anyone can do.” She pulled a Mars bar out of her pocket and gave it to the girl. “I’ve been savin’ this for the prettiest girl ever and now I’ve found her.” Faith looked over her shoulder to see Xander handing the contents of his rucksack over. “Let’s hustle, stud.”

The sunlight made Faith blink after the post office’s gloomy darkness. “We left the bikes three streets to the left,” Xander shot her a look. “Do I need to be worried? You’re not getting clucky are you?”

“Funny fucker ain’t ya” Faith shot Xander a scorching glare. “Kid just needed someone to believe in, I can relate to that.”

* * *

Angel looked up and smiled as he sensed Faith’s approach. He looked towards Illyria. “Faith-.”

“I am aware of the Slayer’s approach and it interests me not.” The Old One crossed his arms.

“You’re a real people God,” Angel muttered. He stepped back as the garage’s corrugated entrance slid open, letting in a band of light.

“Hey Fang,” Faith greeted as she jumped off her sports bike. “We found the main vamp hunting gang in the city!”

Angel smiled briefly, heart lightening slightly at his protégé’s enthusiasm. “That’s good.”

“Yeah,” Faith nodded. “The Coops-.”

Oh no, Angel’s stomach hollowed. It couldn’t be and yet he knew it had to be. “What’s their leader called?”

Faith shot him a worried look, clearly puzzled by his tone. “Justine, Justine Cooper.”