All The White Circles (Part 11)
Jennifer
Part Eleven: Buffy
I go back to Giles' apartment ready to prepare myself for war. The gang is there waiting for me with nothing new to report. As if I didn't now already. So I start spouting orders the minute I walk in the door.
"Okay, here's the deal," I say. "Spike we need for you to think hard about this place where you were kept and where you climbed out of. We need to find where below us it is and find an access door. You're the only one who's been in there so you have to come through for us."
"I don't know, Slayer," Spike stands, slightly unsure of himself.
"Spike, he'd do it for you."
"Not bloody likely."
"Spike."
"I'll see what I can come up with. But someone has got to come with me and I can't be seen. If they find me,"
"I know." I said. "It's a risk. We're all going to be taking a risk with this one."
Giles steps toward me. "Buffy, what is going on?"
"There's some kind of secret government program going on here in Sunnydale. And they're using vampires as part of it."
"Government?" Willow asks incredulously.
"Yeah. Somehow we need to get passed all of this security so that we can get to Angel. Willow, see what you can dig up for me on the tech side."
"Got it."
"Xander, you go with Willow. With your military expertise you may come in handy for her."
"What about me?" Anya pipes up.
"Yeah, yeah, you go too."
"Buffy, if this is a government operation then maybe we should try proper channels." Giles says concerned.
"Giles as far as those channels in government are concerned, this thing doesn't exist. And what do we tell them? Oh, one of your agencies has my vampire ex-boyfriend?"
"Yes, yes, I can see where you're coming from. Not a tenable situation indeed."
"No, so I've got to do this." I try to catch my breath. Everything swirls in my mind and I try to
push Riley's betrayal away so that I can concentrate. I lean against the wall and try to pull myself together.
Willow comes to me and puts her hand on my shoulder. "What's going on Buffy?" She's so damned observant it's scary.
"And gang," I say passing on Willow sympathy. "I go in alone."
"No," Giles and Xander say in unison.
"Yes. This is military."
"You need me," Xander tells me. "I know more about what's in there than you do."
"Buffy, you can't go alone." Willow squeezes my arm gently.
I feel myself start to tremble again. "All right. But... No one touches Riley."
"What does Riley have to do with this?" Willow asks.
"He's one of them."
"Oh Buffy," She steps closer.
I hold her off, trying to avoid getting any more rattled then I am. "It's fine. I'm fine. But we have to get on this and quick. I don't know what they'll do to him."
I take Spike out to a grassy area he thinks is where he climbed out of the laboratories. He looks around and I half-heartedly watch him. While he sniffed around and investigated the blades of grass, I roamed the area in a daze. My taste in men certainly does borderline on the disastrous.
First Angel, my vampire with a soul first love, then the prick Parker, and now Riley. Riley. I say his name over and over. How could I have been so wrong about him? Am I that much of a moron that I can't see the bad ones when they're right in front of me? I try to shake his image from my mind when I feel myself being pulled forcefully back. My back hits the back of a tree powerfully. I try to take a defensive stance but my mouth is suddenly covered and Riley's face is before me. He forces me against the tree and holds me there with more conviction than I have ever seen in a man's eyes before.
"Don't scream or yell. I won't hurt you."
I'm so angry I could knee him in the balls. But instead I nod.
He removes his hand. "Listen closely. You be here at the far end of the courtyard with a car at 8:25. After you've gotten what it is you want, you leave quickly and drive far."
I nod slowly feeling a rush of relief. The tears form once more and although I try to stay angry and fight them I can't. I open my mouth to speak but he covers it with his. I kiss him so furiously I lose my breath and stagger. He steadies me and then backs away. He touches my check with a gentle finger and then sprints away.
I compose myself and then call for Spike. "Spike! Spike, we're leaving."
He runs to me and objects. "But I haven't found what we need."
"No. I have." I say. And we return to Giles'.
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