Part Two

Willow pursed her lips and again hit "Warning". "There you go 'mister'!"

"You seen my blue top?" Buffy asked while going through her dresser. She glanced over at Willow to repeat her question but her friend's worried expression stopped her mid sentence. "You seen.... wha'za matter?"

"This 'Sherman87J' just won't catch a clue that I don't want to talk to him. So I just warned him... that will show him, or it might make him mad."

Buffy grinned. " 'Potluck444' must have really wigged you out the other night. She laughed again as Willow blushed.

"It's not funny! You saw what he asked me to do! And he wants to send a yellow 'you know what' for me to wear while I'm doing it!" Willow squirmed in her chair. "And then he e-mails me! On all four of my accounts!"

"Relax Will. You dumped them." Buffy said as she came over. "So have you seen it? Hey! Heeesss's baaaccckkk!"

"I'm blocking him!" Willow reached for the mouse.

"Wait a minute." Buffy leaned over and took the mouse. "Eighty-seven 'J'? This might be some twelve year old 'Wicca wanna be, Junior'."

Willow's voice went to a squeak. "And it might be Potluck... I'm just really freaked Buff! That guy knew me... I'm being stalked I know it. I should have changed this account last night instead of going to the Bronze... I hate this, it scares me."

"Then he needs the crap kicked out of him... in person." Buffy hit "accept" and the IM popped onto the monitor.

Sherman87J: Hi Red! How's it going?

"Oh... that's him! He knows I have red hair!"

Sherman87J: About time, Red! Don't you love me anymore?

Buffy and Willow exchanged glances.

Willowwic8: Who are you Sherman? What do you want?
Sherman87J: It's me... Matt Giles. Sherman is Karen's cat and he can't type worth spit. (We're getting him back - whoopee! He's old, he sheds, you want him?) Sorry if I spooked you. I'm in Vermont using Karen's old computer. Guess I should have said something first, but my mind's kinda screwed up here lately. BTW: Your e-mail keeps bouncing back.

Buffy pointed at the screen. "Who's Kaaarrrrren?" She snotted while twirling her other hand in the air.

"He has a girlfriend, they live together over in Columbus." Willow chirped. "She's a hunter too! I never told you 'cause, you know, I know, you don't really like him. But, it's just so cool that he finally got.. you know, someone who..."

Buffy wrinkled her nose and sniped. "Yeah, cool." As she typed a response.

Willowwic8: Hey jerk! It's me, Buffy.
Sherman87J: Hail Slayer! All bow! So how 'ya doing sister? Still kicking ass and taking names? Still hanging with that dead man walking?

"Yup... that's him." Buffy hissed and relinquished the chair to Willow. "Whatta asshole." She added not very softly as her friend sat down at the keyboard.

Willowwic8: Hi Matt! It's Willow! Haven't heard from you in forever! (Bad Matt - I'm going to put a spell on you.) What's up with you?
Sherman87J: So Buffy bailed? [g] Wonder why? Sorry I haven't written, I've been out on every job that's happened. Guess the Alliance would go to shit without me. (HA!) Listen Red, I need to get hold of the Old Man - pronto. Can you help me?
Willowwic8Giles went up North for some wilderness kayaking thing. He heard about it on Saturday, called them and they said there was a space for Monday's trip and he started packing and left Sunday! We asked him "Who are you and what have you done with Giles?" because that was just so un-Giles.
Sherman87: Crap... When's he due back? You got a phone number where I can get him?
Willowwic8: Thursday and no phones in the woods. But the outfit is called "Wild Adventure" and we have that number. .. they can go get him.
Sherman87J: Crap2... No, I'll get hold of him Thursday. In the meantime I need everybody's snail mail address like right now. Can you send them to me?
Willowwic8: Yeah. What's going on?
Sherman87: Can you keep a secret?
Willowwic8: Yes...
Sherman87J: I'm getting married up here next month (on the 20th) and you're all invited. You, Wes - HEY BUFFY EVEN YOU!

Buffy curled her lip and muttered.

Willowwic8: MARRIED! That is so cool! You and Karen right?
Sherman87J: Nope... I'm going to get hitched to one of the other women that's chasing me. OUCH! Karen just smacked me.
Willowwic8: Serves you right mister! :P So Giles doesn't know?
Sherman87J: No, and you better let me tell him. Okay Red? Don't spill it and don't let Buffy tell him either.
Willowwic8: Our lips are sealed! Hey! Will Xander be there?
Sherman87J: He's invited... cripe, half the world's invited.... bet he'll come up with Sam & Joellen. Listen I gotta get moving, we got a pile of wedding stuff to get done... like talking to the cake lady, because now we got to have a cake too. Mail me those addresses sometime today - you still got my Hotmail?

Willow giggled, Buffy crossed her arms and snorted.

Willowwic8: I still have it, and I have a new address now so you need to change mine. And you do need a cake!
Sherman87J: That explains the bounce. Cake? A pile of Twinkies would work fine. (She's going to hit me again!) BTW: You want to clue my Old Man in on trimming his letters down a bit? He just hits 'reply' and I get the whole nine yards back along with his 30k worth.

Willow grinned. "They're writing each other! That is so neat!"

Buffy snorted again. "Guess it's better than them beating the crap out of each other."

Willowwic8: I'll try. But it might not work. ;)
Sherman87J: Thanks! Bye! M.G./Sign off

Willow giggled.

Willowwic8: Bye! W.R./Sign off

"W. R. sign off?" Buffy rolled her eyes.

"It's an Alliance thing."

"Big deal." Buffy eyed her friend somewhat suspiciously. "So you getting in with them too?"

Willow flipped her hair. "Ah.. com'on Buffy, Matt's okay once you get to know him and those Alliance guys are pretty neat with their planes and dogs and stuff. You know, Xander's doing great down there with Sam. He loves it."

"Yeah... right. Planes, dogs, neat." Buffy mumbled as she plopped down on her bed. "It's just so weird. Xander gone and Giles having a kid who's such a jerk. I mean, you would think that Giles' kid would be born in a tweed suit and go straight into junior high or something. But this guy ain't nothing like him he's just a gold plated..."

"Umm-humm." Willow interjected without really listening to Buffy's commentary. She twisted her mouth and logged off for a second time.

Buffy sat back up. "What now?"

"Oh nothing, it's just that our computer is running really slow. My laptop acted this way yesterday too." Willow frowned. "That is weird. It won't disconnect... there it just did."

******

"So... 'Potluck' explain this."

From his cot against the basement wall Ethan Rayne shrugged and tossed the printouts on the floor. "Don't have the first foggy clue... mate."

"That's 'Mister McKinley' to you. And you will do well to keep that in mind. Now I said, explain this."

The underlying tone of the statement carried unspoken threat.

Without a word Ethan sat up on the edge of the cot and retrieved the printouts. Creative curse laden comebacks formed in his mind, but he knew better then to voice them. He cast a sidelong glance at his 'employer' and held down the shiver that went up his spine, a shiver not due to the cold cement under his bare feet. He was dealing with the devil in the form of Sean McKinley and he did not even want to think about what else this wanker was capable of. God knows he had seen enough in the past seven days.

Last week at this time Rayne had been in Pensacola - sun, sand and lovely, lonely ladies who were more than willing to take up with him for a bit of holiday adventure. All of that changed at 3:00 AM when he was awakened by the cold muzzle of a Glock pressed against his temple.

And the man holding the controlling end of McKinley's leash was no better. Ethan stared across the room at the other chap in this little game, the one, the only, Mister Douglas Conrad-Chaney, the Council of Watcher's very own loose cannon. This one sat back, his bulk draped into a broken recliner looking for the world like a misplaced walrus as he snored and snorted in response to dreams.

Reaching down Rayne picked up the long heavy chain that ran from his ankle to a bolt on the wall and gave it a shake. "Not that I don't appreciate your kind hospitality, but I would like to go now. I cast that spell on the dormitory, I've told you everything I know about Ripper and his friends. That was the bargain...."

Striking like a cobra, Sean had Ethan slammed into the wall before the man knew what hit him. McKinley's fingers pushed into Ethan's throat and. "I said.."

"E-e-xplain it." Ethan choked out the words as he felt the gun press into his ribcage. Sean relaxed his grip for a split second then tightened it for another as a warning before he finally let go and backed away. Shaking slightly Rayne began to reread the downloaded transcripts of Willow's correspondence. "Well, this is that Wicca in Oregon she writes to." He rubbed his neck and scanned the letter. "She sent her the new address and continued to bemoan the scarcity of quality toadstones."

"The instant message." Sean rumbled.

Rayne nodded and frowned. "I.. I don't know this other Giles."

"He refers to Mr. Giles as his 'Old Man'." Sean's eyes narrowed. "You said nothing about your friend having a son."

"He doesn't... that I know of." Ethan gulped and pointed at a line. "He says THE Old Man, and it looks like he knows Buffy is a Slayer, he might be a Watcher in training."

"Keep reading, he says 'my' a little later." McKinley stroked the barrel of his weapon. "And he knows them all well enough to invite them to his wedding. And what's this 'Alliance'? Alliance of what?" The mercenary cocked his head slightly and smiled. "I think you've been holding out on us.... not smart Mr. Rayne. Not smart at all."

He leveled off at Ethan and fired.

The bullet smashed into the wall four inches above Ryan's head.

Conrad-Chaney came lurching out of his chair. "WHAT?! WHO?!"

"Our friend needed his memory jogged." Sean said dryly.

"By blowing his bastard brains out?" Douglas questioned. He blinked and rolled his shoulders. "Mind you, not that there's that many to blow out. So what's the problem Mr. McKinley?"

"Is there another Watcher named Giles?"

"Not still living." Douglas yawned and stretched. "Why do you ask?"

McKinley snatched the printouts from Ethan who sat frozen on the cot. "I think the mark has a son, old enough to marry; old enough to work for something called The Alliance." He handed Douglas the sheets. "This came in with the overnight download."

Douglas crumpled the runouts in his clenched fists and read the exchange. "Alliance? The sodding Alliance is in this? And a son?" He shot Ethan a dangerous glare. "It's news to me that bastard has bred, but you should have known."

"I swear to God, Guv'ner, I didn't know anything..."

"Beat it out of him!" Douglas ordered.

Ethan's eyes went wide with panic as Sean picked up a wooden chair and shattered it against to wall. "I SWEAR!! ON MY MOTHER'S GRAVE!!..." He yanked at the bolted end of the chain tying with all his strength to pull it from the wall as Sean approached taking practice swings with a chair leg as if he was coming up to bat. "Oh.. Oh.. No, NO! NO-NO-NO-NO! I'VE TOLD YOU EVERYTHING I KNOW - JESUS! YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME!" With more luck than skill Rayne ducked the first swing and scrambled off the cot rolling under it for the only meager protection he had at his disposal.

Douglas reached down with a grunt, took hold of the chain and began to pull Ethan out. A stench caused him to pause and wrinkle his nose in disgust. "I think he shit himself."

McKinley's eyes narrowed. "So? Pull him out and I'll make him piss himself too."

"Bugger!" Conrad-Chaney tossed the chain back onto the floor as Ethan's hysterical pleading continued to spew from under the cot. "He's telling the truth. Nobody gets that terrified and still lies."

With a crash Sean overturned the cot exposing Ethan who instinctively covered his head and curled up in a fetal position. "You stink like hell!" Douglas snapped while unlocking the shackle. "Go clean yourself up so we don't have to smell you!"

Ethan slowly uncovered his head but did not stand. God! These men terrified him more than any incarnation of Rupert or Ripper or demon he had ever faced.

Smacking the chair leg into his palm for emphasis of each word McKinley repeated the order. "He... said... go... get... your... ass... cleaned.... up!"

"Yes.. I do need to do that." Ethan mumbled as he drew himself up and stood with his hands cupped around his buttocks. "C-c-could someone get me some different trousers?" He felt his face flush with embarrassment as the other two laughed at his actions. Rayne sidestepped along the wall and slid through the plastic curtain into the rough enclosure of the basement shower room. Only then did he began to shake in a sickening combination of anger, and fear.

Out of the two emotions, fear suddenly took the lead. Rayne felt it wash over him as his brain screamed the question, "Why are they keeping me?" He gripped the metal sink and stared into the dull mirror above it. "Why? They want Ripper and Buffy to suffer, so why won't they let me go? Why do I have to run that computer, why do they wear those gloves?" He asked his reflection, then quietly reconsidered his own questions. "Maybe it's better I don't know."

Rayne undid his trousers and let them slide to the floor then gingerly lowered his underwear. Stepping out of the soiled clothing he pulled his shirt off and added it to the pile. Rolling the whole mess into a ball he stuffed it into the corner beside the curtain. Again he looked at himself in the mirror, tracing the scabbed over symbol which Douglas had cut onto his chest in Pensacola.

"That will keep you in line for a fortnight!"

Ethan winced at the memory. At the time it seemed obvious that they would put a mark of subordination upon him, just to keep him from using his sorcery to flee or cause any problems.

"Water's on! Make it fast!" McKinley shouted.

The shower head jutting from the wall began to trickle. Ethan picked up the cracked bar of soap left by the previous tenant, turned the water on as hot as he could stand it and began to clean himself. His mind calmed a bit allowing him to begin to mull over the events of the last week. They had driven him from Florida straight through to Sunnydale without offering a word of explanation. Two very nerve-racking days on the road to say the least. Then when they arrived at this rented house in the middle of nowhere, he was promptly taken to the basement at gunpoint and chained up like a dog. Only then did they introduce themselves and offer him the 'deal'.

He had been handed him a thick envelope containing every outstanding charge against him. Most of them misdemeanors except one. "Thank you, dear brother Edward." Rayne spit, slapping his hand against the concrete blocks. His own brother had filed grand theft charges over that sodding jewelry. "As if Mum needed it anymore. She was so far gone that she didn't even remember she had it." A grim smile crossed his face. "I've done worse, but it's my own brother that gets me in the end." The smile faded as the apprehension of what might be his fate awakened his long slumbering conscience. With a fearful groan he raised his face to the spray of water as if trying to wash away his sins.

Yes, they had him by the balls and there was nothing he could do about it. He would perform whatever sorcery they demanded and tell them everything he knew about Rupert and Buffy and every other player in Sunnydale. In return they would not drop him and his file into the law's lap.

Ethan shivered a bit in spite of the hot water. They were going to murder Willow, he was sure of it. "Not my problem, those two should have not brassed off the Council. And the witch is in it just as deep as they are... she should have known better." He said softly in an attempt to justify his betrayal. Hissing under his breath he remembered three nights ago. They had ordered him to cast a spell over the dormitory so that everyone would slumber without waking until dawn. Sean had handed him a plastic container about a third the size of a shoebox and made him follow in his footsteps straight into Willow and Buffy's room. It had seemed so simple, break in without risk of compromise; attach that box to the back of Willow's desk; run the modem wiring through it; clean up the mess; in and out - done. Then come back here and spook the online hell out of her so she changes her accounts and passwords. But there was no reason for it that Ethan could fathom.

"Finished?!"

"No! Damn it!" Rayne barked back at Sean them muttered under his breath. "Bastard perverted wanker."

The break in had went smoothly. But they had not left after the work was finished.

Now Ethan had done a lot of perverse things in his life but the predatory look McKinley had as he stood between the two sleeping women made him shudder. And the shudder had turned into revulsion as Sean picked up a pair of panties from the dirty laundry pile and brought them to his face, inhaling and tasting the female aroma, once, twice and then for the third time all the while fondling the bulge of his growing erection. With a long grinning exhale he dropped the panties to the floor while pulling the bed covers off of Willow. Curled up in her pale yellow nightgown she resembled a china doll, her only movement the slow rise and fall of her breasts. Then Buffy was exposed. Also held in unwakeable slumber from Ethan's casting she lay there on her back with one arm flopped across her stomach.

Again Ethan's conscience barked at him. He had watched silently as McKinley moved Buffy's arm and pushed the nightshirt up to expose her breasts. Then he had slowly pulled her panties off, pausing now and then to force his thumb into her slit and bring it back up to his face where he sniffed and licked at the clinging scent like an animal. Only when McKinley had gone so far as to kneel between the Slayer's spread legs and roughly work two fingers up into her, had Ethan even moved.

And that was only to get a better view as Buffy groaned and gyrated her hips in response to the stimulation. Ethan shut his eyes and called up the vision of her lips moving as she softly moaned to her dream lover.

Rayne took a step back from the shower, his hand going to his erect penis and closing around the shaft. With a smile he sent his conscience packing as he began to masturbate to the memory of the mercenary's rape of the Slayer. The one handed loosening of his belt and jeans, the freeing of his erect cock over the unmoving young woman, removing his fingers from inside her and licking them before running his arms under her knees and pulling her legs up and apart.

Three nights before Ethan had groaned in frustration as he watched McKinley's shaft disappear and reappear as he thrust deep into Buffy. That alone had been too much to much for Ethan to bear not adding Sean's satisfied grunts in time with the sound of flesh into flesh and Buffy's sensual panting moans as her mind converted the sensation into erotic dream.

He didn't even remember at what point he had began to pleasure himself.

Rayne clenched his teeth and wrapped the thin washcloth around his erection trying to recreate the sensations. That night he had used a silky top from the laundry pile. Cupping the material in his hands it had been a strangely erotic substitute for a woman. The slick material had caressed him, intensified the burn, sent him over the edge with a howl.

Leaning back against the concrete he trust his penis forward into the shower stream allowing the sharp spray to pound the head. He began to pant through clenched teeth as their final actions echoed through his memory. With a guttural noise McKinley had dropped Buffy's legs and withdrawn at the last possible moment. Arching back with his fingers clamping around the base of his cock he pointed to the blouse. "I got something to add to that." Rayne had complied, bringing the soiled clothing over and wrapping it around Sean's shaft making sure the head of the merc's penis lay in the pool of cum he had left. Then he had tightened his hold and pumped. A hand shot to his throat, but the pleasure of Ethan's bringing him off overrode the other man's outrage. McKinley accepted the hand job and began to counterthrust, adding his own release to Ethan's on the fifth plunge.

"Think she'll want this back?" Ethan had asked.

He laughed at his own twisted wit. "Oooo, yesss. We should have posted it back to them." Ethan bent forward rubbing his thumb across the tip with each handstroke as he hit the point of inevitable orgasm. He came, sending his release splattering onto the floor beside the drain. Still shuddering he straightened up, raised his arms and turned his chest toward the shower using the prickling spray to prolong the orgasmic rush.

The water went off followed by Conrad-Chaney's barked order. "You're done, Rayne!"

Rayne stood and watched the water flow down the floor drain carrying with it the white evidence of his selfpleasure. His wounded ego began to sting, prodding him into defiance of his situation. "Right as usual, Douglas! How did you know?" He chuckled as he strode dripping wet out of the shower room straight to his righted cot. Plopping down onto his back he folded his hands under his head making no effort to hide his half erection. "Nothing better than a good five knuckle shuffle in the shower, don't you agree?"

"You are correct, Mr. McKinley. A change of plans is in order." Conrad-Chaney mumbled under his breath.

The mercenary slid Ethan's suitcase across the cement toward the cot. "Get dressed." He ordered as he went over by the computer and pulled the chair out. With a smile he waved his hand at the empty seat. "Then it's time for your next lesson."