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Chapter 8

 

 

The look on Lorne’s face made Spike’s blood run cold.  In one movement he was up, sending the chair flying out behind him.  It hit the cabinets with a crash loud enough to make Buffy jump.  Keeping her safe screamed through him leaving no room for any other thoughts.  He grabbed her, making her yelp in surprise.  Even as he was reaching for his gun with one hand he was pushing her behind him with the other.

 

“Hit the floor,” Kate’s voice echoed to them from the general direction of the living room.

 

They did.  Buffy was laying beneath Spike.  He could feel the rise and fall of her torso as she panted in fear of a threat that neither of them knew.  Wanting to comfort her, he caressed her side with small gentle strokes of his fingers.  Although she didn’t say a word, her hands were tangled in his shirt, hanging on to him with a faith that he hoped he could live up to in the end.

 

“What the bloody hell is going on?” 

 

“There’s a car cruising the street outside.  Cassie recognizes the sound of the engine from one that frequented Luke’s place.”

 

“Is she safe?”

 

“Yeah, I’ve got her in the hallway,  Kate responded.  “But we’ve got to get out of here.”

 

Spike leaned down to whisper in Buffy’s ear.  “We’re going to crawl into the main hallway, stay down, don’t lift your head.”

 

“Okay.”

 

The wavering in her voice made him pray that she wouldn’t panic.  It was something they didn’t have time to deal with now.  A plan needed to be formulated quickly.  If that was one of Luke’s goons out there, then they could be ambushed at any moment.  Lorne was ahead of them, his gun pointed at the window until he was lying halfway across the living room. 

 

“Go, Buffy,” Spike said, patting her leg.  He knew Lorne would use his body to protect his girl until she was out of open firing range.  The three moved quickly until they were all in the central hallway.  Out of sight of any windows or doors.

 

“How did they find us?”  Cassie asked.  She was shaking with fear, and proudly Spike watched Buffy go to her and hold her with more confidence then he knew Buffy had at the moment.

 

“There’s a lot of ways.”  Lorne looked almost green as the full implications sunk in.  “More than likely they’ve got someone on the inside leaking information.”

 

“Okay guys, back to the matter of getting us out of here,” Kate, unlike Lorne, looked poised and ready for action.  “That minivan out there isn’t exactly made for speed…”

 

“But it’s common enough that it will get lost in traffic,” Spike interrupted.  “We’ve got to get the girls out there and hope to god that we can at least get a head start.”

 

“Wouldn’t it be better if we split up?”  Buffy spoke up.  “Make it harder for this guy to follow us.”

 

“No!”  Spike replied, staring into her eyes.  He didn’t want to admit it, but she was right.  Unfortunately.

 

“Look, I can leave with Lorne,” Kate said.  “Hope they think I’m Cassie and follow us.  We’ll call the Captain and have him send someone trustful to get you guys.”

 

“No way, sweet cakes that you’re going to pass for Cassie.”  Lorne wasn’t being rude but he was staring at Kate’s chest that was obviously too large to pass as Cassie’s petite form.

 

“She can’t, but I can,” Buffy offered in a tentative voice.  

 

“No way.”  There wasn’t anyway Spike was going to put Buffy into any more danger than was absolutely necessary.  In his opinion, they just needed to take a chance on all of them leaving and now.  “I say we make a go for it.  Call the Captain, tell him what’s going on and get a new safe house.”

 

“You’re going soft,” Kate replied, with steely eyes.  She was still holding her gun in firing position while kneeling in front of the other two women.  Spike could tell there were no thoughts in her head except those of doing the best thing for all of them and doing it fast.  “Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment.”  She paused, but barely for a second.  “Look, I don’t want to put anyone in danger but Buffy is right.  She can pass for Cassie.  Take her and the minivan as a decoy.  The Captain will put a tail on you to keep you safe while someone else comes here to get us.  Cassie is the least expendable in this position.”

 

“The woman is right,” Lorne agreed.  He turned to Cassie and Buffy.  “Cassie, give Buffy an outfit of yours…something unique that Luke would recognize and do something with her hair that you would.  Move it, we don’t have much time.”

 

Buffy quickly glanced at Spike, eyes wide with fear, but yet with the trust that she always put in him.  He couldn’t look away.  All he could do was stare into those emerald pools that promised so much.  A discreet cough from Kate finally broke through their locked gazes.  Buffy nodded, and then turned to crawl toward the stairway with Cassie right behind her.

 

“Stay down and out of sight,” Lorne called.  Buffy raised a hand to signal that she understood as they reached the top of the steps.

 

Once the two girls were gone, Spike turned to his partners and friends.  “I don’t think it’s a good idea that I’m the one to take Buffy out of here.”  How could he explain that there was no way he could be alone with her without falling into temptation?  There was too many things unsaid and too many feelings still unexpressed between them.  If they gave in to those feelings the results wouldn’t be good for either of them.  Both of them would end up hurt, because despite the almost slip in the kitchen, he was determined to remain in his relationship with Fred.  He sighed.  “Lorne, you take her.”

 

“No,” Kate said immediately.  “Look, I know what you’re going through, but if one of us takes her then you’re going to be constantly worried about her.  No matter what you say, we all know it’s true.  You being distracted won’t help the situation with Cassie.  It will only put her into more danger because you can’t concentrate.”

 

“Plus old buddy, the only reason you got involved in this case was because of Buffy.”

 

They both had a point.  Points that were true and valid.  Spike closed his eyes for a moment wishing that things were different.  He was going to have to take Buffy out of here as a decoy and keep them both safe, but keeping her out of harm’s way didn’t worry him as much as keeping her out of trouble.  After saying a quick prayer, he turned to the other two.  “Okay, we’ll take the minivan.  Get that goon out there to start following us.  Lorne, go ahead and call the Captain.  Get him to send someone out here to pick the three of you up as soon as the coast is clear.”

 

“Gets bossy, doesn’t he?”  Kate commented with a small smile, but Spike could tell she agreed.  So was Lorne, who was pulling out his cell phone.  Knowing that someone could be listening in, Spike crawled on his belly into the living room and turned the television almost to full volume.  Hopefully, it would block the conversation Lorne was making to the Captain’s private cell.  They wouldn’t risk that the phones back at the station weren’t bugged.  Someone had found them too easily. 

 

Spike continued to crawl the perimeter of the house to see if he could see the coast was clear.  Although he couldn’t make a complete observance of everything and everyone, from what he could tell there was no one waiting to ambush them.  He was anxious to get out of there.  They weren’t safe any longer, and he didn’t want to get into a gunfight.  He wasn’t just worried about Buffy, but also about Cassie.  As far as he was concerned, she was an all right kid that had gotten mixed up with the wrong man.  She wasn’t the first one, as his mind went back to the too short time he’d had with Buffy.  Shaking his head, he headed back for the hallway.

 

“Did you get a hold of Roberts?”

 

“Yes,” Lorne nodded.  “He’s agreed to the plan.  An unmarked car is moving into position around the corner to tail you and Buffy to safety.  He said for you to give him a call once you get on the road. He’ll tell you where to go.”

 

“What about the three of you?”

 

“As soon as you two, hopefully, have got Luke’s man following you then they’re going to send in a car for us.  Captain is going to have us taken somewhere else.”

 

“I’m ready.”  Buffy was scooting on her butt down the stairs.  Spike studied the changes the girls had made.  Her hair was hanging in waves over her shoulders. He blinked as he realized what happened. They’d cut it off.  It barely touched her shoulders forcing a shudder of mourning through him.  He’d loved her hair, playing with it, the way it shone in the sun as if it was a part of the star, and most of all, the way it would tickle across his skin when they made love.  No, he couldn’t think like that. 

 

A hand came down on his shoulder.  It was Lorne with a sympathetic look on his face.  Spike needed to pull himself together.  Buffy wasn’t his anymore.  They were in a dangerous place and he needed to be a cop.  Not a lover or even the dreamer he was becoming.  With a shake of his head, he reached a hand out to Buffy to cup her face.

 

“Listen to what I tell you.  Don’t ask questions; just do as you’re told.  Do you understand?”

 

“Yes, Spike.”  Buffy added a nod to emphasize her willingness to obey him. 

 

“All right.  We’re going to crawl to the garage, get in the minivan.  While we’re pulling out, duck down, but when we hit the street I want you come up just a little.  Enough for them to see the wavy hair and the blouse you’re wearing.  The moment I tell you to get down, then get down.”

 

“I already said that I’d do what you said.” 

 

Buffy looked indignant that he would repeat orders.  He almost smiled at her rebelliousness.  He didn’t though.  He gave a curt nod before turning to Lorne.

 

“Good luck and stay safe.”  They shook hands, and then Spike turned to Kate, who he gave a quick kiss on the cheek.  “Keep Cassie and yourself alive.  Promise?”

 

“Hey, I plan on dancing at your wedding.”  Kate replied, with a wink.   It was evident that she meant Buffy, but Spike just shook his head.  No matter what his friends thought, it wasn’t going to happen. 

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Spike headed off toward the garage knowing Buffy was right behind him.  His skin tingled with the acknowledgement while his heart thudded in a hasty rhythm.  If only things were different.  They weren’t.  He pushed it from his mind yet again. 

 

Moving to his knees, he stopped at the door to the garage with his gun pulled and ready.  Buffy hesitated, shifting to a squat so she would be able to hasten to the van when he told her it was time.  Satisfied she was ready, Spike slowly pushed the door open before standing and stepping warily into the garage.  It was safe.  He signaled to Buffy.  She didn’t disappoint.  She was in the van by the time he was buckling his seatbelt.  After doing the same, she bent over so that she couldn’t be seen from the outside.

 

He could hear her even breathing as she went through her relaxation technique.  “It’ll be okay, pet.  I won’t let anything happen to you.”

 

“I know.  You’re my angelic hero.”

 

It was a whisper, but her words hit him in the gut with the power of a sledgehammer.  Memories flooded over him of the very beginning of their relationship.  Back when he was sure of her love for him even if at the time he’d felt it was misdirected.  How did things get so fucked up?  Knowing the answer already, he turned the key in the ignition and pushed the button to open the garage.  A glance in the rearview mirror told him that there was nothing behind him.  He hit the gas pedal, letting the tires squeal.  They wanted the bad guys to know they were leaving so he played it for all it was worth.

 

It paid off.  When he reached the stop sign at the corner, a car was moving around a corner and toward them.  The chase was on.  Thankfully, there would be back up in case of trouble.  He turned the corner, spotting a car that most likely held the other officers to help them.

 

“Okay Buffy, come up just a little so the guy following us can get enough of a peek to think its Cassie.”

 

She did as she was told.  From the outside her hair and back could be seen.  Spike smiled as the car continued to follow them.  Suddenly, Buffy uttered a small scream followed by her hand wrapping around his wrist with a grip tight enough to leave bruises.

 

“Spike, oh my god, the guy in that car is dead.” 

 

She turned back toward the car again as his foot let up on the accelerator.  He was going to look for himself, but he couldn’t get beyond the terror on Buffy’s face. 

 

“There’s blood pouring down his face.  Oh god why?”  she managed to whimper before her voice broke on a sob.

 

“Shit,” Spike uttered, as he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal again.  The car with the bad guy was gaining on them, and their only protection was gone.  Somehow Luke’s minions were ahead of them, and they were on their own.

 

 

to be continued…




Chapter 9
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