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There was no one at the desk. Giles checked his watch; it was 7:15. The next rounds would normally start at eight, which meant that the guard should be here at the main desk. Careful planning had gone into the security guards scheduled rounds. They were designed so that even though one had to leave his post for a period of time, each of the other guards would pass all the other empty posts in a kind of Olympic circle pattern leaving no post uncovered for more than 5-7 minutes. No one at the desk at 7:15 was an ominous sign.

While Giles pondered the problem he heard footsteps on the stairs. “Canna help you, sir?”
So… this must be the Scottish guard. He was followed shortly by all the ladies from the secretarial pool, their high heels click-clacking on the marble stairs, Mrs. Reed among them. “Good evening, Mr. Giles,” she called in her cheeriest voice. We are just finishing our monthly staff meeting. I didn’t expect to see you here at this hour.”

”Yes, good evening to you as well, Mrs. Reed, ladies… I didn’t expect to be here. I received a message that MacGregor wanted to see me. Do you know MacGregor?” He asked this hoping that she would offer some explanation as to how a security officer had been hired without his knowledge and knowing that the fellow who just greeted him was likely the very same gentleman.

“I know a MacGregor family in the village sir, but I don’t believe any MacGregor has been hired here. As you know, I do payroll and there is no MacGregor on staff of which I am aware.”

“As I suspected. Do we hire ‘temps?’”

“Oh, no sir!” She answered emphatically. “I am very aware of your feelings about being familiar with all staff. Is there a problem?”

“Perhaps, Mrs. Reed, but nothing for you to concern yourself with this evening. Your meeting went well, I trust?” Giles asked more as a means of ending the conversation than interest.

“Quite well, actually. We’ve formed a hospitality committee to make sure we don’t overlook birthdays and special events among the staff. We’ll collect dues for the kitty and….”

“Yes, Mrs. Reed, that sounds wonderful,” he said interrupting, “You’ll see that I get the minutes of your meeting?”

“Of course,” she answered, slightly offended at his brusque manner.

“Well then, I’ll read them through and if I have any questions you can fill me in. How’s that?”
He said, aiming for a courteous but dismissive tone. Judging by the expression on his secretary’s face, it was just dismissive.

Abruptly, she said, “Goodnight Mr. Giles,” turned on her heel, gathered her coworkers and left the building herding them to their cars.

Giles turned to talk to the man calling himself MacGregor and found he was alone.
~~~

Spike and Xander watched the little parade of clerical help as they boarded their cars and left the parking lot. They offered confused glances to each other. They were expecting Giles to be meeting a guard there, not the Watcher’s Council’s Quilting Bee. Without a word they got out of the car to find Giles.

Giles was looking over the security desk as Spike and Xander entered the building. Xander said, “Hey Rupert, the Watcher, what’s goin’ on?”

Spike followed him in, glancing around for abnormalities. His vampire senses were bristling and he just needed to hone in on the aberrancy.

Giles scowled at the overly personal, possibly disrespectful title and glanced around to make sure none of the secretaries heard Xander, “I’m looking for that fellow MacGregor.”

“And you think you’re gonna find ‘im in the desk drawer?” commented Spike still scanning the room.

Giles heaved a deep annoyed sigh and said, “My secretary wasn’t aware of any temporary guards.” Distracted, Giles continued with his train of thought, “I suppose he might have left on rounds, but why would he do that if he left a message that he wanted to speak to me? Looks like this MacGregor may be an imposter. Just what his motives are and how dangerous he may be, I have no idea. I thought perhaps I might find some clue here at the security desk where at least Xander had seen him.”

“Hey, you should have a little conflab with the guard who just locked up the gymnasium. He knew who he was ‘cause he gave you the message.” Xander said.

“Yes, Xander, thank you, I thought of that too. You didn’t catch his name did you?”

“Um no,” …..casting eyes downward, “sorry.”

“Sorry gents, looks like this is one of those times you’ll be grateful for my special skills. I can track this fellow. No need to say thanks. You blokes wait here and I’ll bring ‘im round..” Spike said as he took off out of the building.

Once again, it looked like Spike held the trump card. The lobby was quiet as they fell into private thoughts. They both wanted desperately to hate him and were finding it increasingly difficult. They would never know how remarkably similar they thoughts were.

~~~

Malcolm MacGregor was ashamed of himself in a way he never was in his entire existence.
Why in the name of all things did he choose to run away? Hadn’t he left a message that he wanted to see the Headmaster? Now what was he to do? Think man! He commanded himself. There’s got to be a way to fix this.

All right. I’m smart, I’m agile, I’m strong, I’m educated, I’m experienced…all important qualities…the sort of person any headmaster would want to hire at his school….right?

Right. I can just imagine the interview. An impressive resume. Oh, yes I have my Ph.D. I earned it forty years ago. Yes I do look young. My family ages well. Just how old am I? You’re not allowed to ask that, are you? Isn’t that discrimination? You think I’m 75?Well, you’re close. …. Didn’t I mention I’m a vampire? Immortal you know, that’s a good thing in an employee…longevity and all that. Uh huh, this is a girl’s school. Wouldn’t do to have a vampire work here. Yes, I understand.

I will not become like the vampires I studied all these years. I will not live in a graveyard or a hole in the ground. I never was in a hole in the ground, I’m not about to start now. So much for that tradition.

He clicked on his walky-talky and paged Enfield to tell him to get to the Main Hall and tell the Headmaster he would be right there. That way it would look like he just went on his rounds and missed him. Of course that was bollocks. As the guard in Masterson Hall it was his duty to inquire as to who the man was entering the building before leaving on rounds. Hopefully that little detail would escape the Headmaster’s observation.

~~~

He walked through the woods, over sticks and leaves dry from days without rain without making a sound, no creature able to sense his coming… if it weren’t for his incessant talking. “Lookie here! A cemetery.” Spike said. “Watcher didn’t include this on his grand tour. Makes sense though. Should o’ thought of it m’self. This place goes way back…all the way back to the soddin’ Romans. Bound to be lotsa burial grounds through the centuries.” Spike stalked along talking to himself, letting the scents of the night fill his senses, “Bloody stupid wankers didn’t used to think of preservin’ history back in the day. Just tore down the old to put up the new. Fools. ….. Ha! I’d o’ been one of them m’self if I hadn’t been walkin’ the earth all these years. ’ello! What do I spy with my little eye?” He smiled as he came upon what once upon a time would have made a tasty meal, but now was only the very prey he was hunting.

The hapless guard was strolling along the path on his way to the next stop on his rounds totally unaware of the danger stalking him. Spike’s demon was reveling in the hunt. It didn’t know it wasn’t for real. Spike knew it would be seriously pissed when he didn’t go for the kill. “Ah well, doesn’t mean I can’t have a little fun!” he said aloud as he shook away his human face and sped after the man.

The earth shook as the roar stopped the man dead in his tracks. Fortunately for Spike, in this case, dead is a relative term. It would not do for him to be killing the guards, even if he’d just scared him to death. The man just passed out cold and ….pissed himself as well. “Oh, ain’t that embarrassing for you, mate?” He said as his demon face receded, “Fine guard you are! Wonder if you’re one of the guards Giles hired personally.” He picked up the fellow, threw him over his shoulder, and made his way back to the Hall where the others waited. “Lucky you are I’m in a decent mood….I usually just drag my kills back to my lair.” He snickered as he heard the man stir.

~~~

There they sat…the Grand Poo-bah Watcher and the Watcher Wannabe waiting for the vamp to bring back a clue. What a bloody fuckin’ irony, that, thought Spike as he laid down his capture on the desk ...nicely…di’n’t need any comments about not treatin’ him kind.

“Great! You killed him.” Xander noted flatly.

“Did not! He just passed out…he’ll be comin’ round in a minute.”

“Where did you find him Spike?” Giles asked.

“Leaving the cemetery you never showed me on our tour, Mr. Giles.”

“There is no cemetery on the grounds, Spike. You must be mistaken.”

“Beg to differ there, Rupes….I think I recognize a cemetery when I see one.”

Giles smug reply, “Yessss, of course, Spike, but I think you may have stepped beyond the estate’s boundary. There is a cemetery on adjacent land. The entire property was surveyed when it was willed to the Council and it was determined that it was not ours. Too bad really, we thought it had been the estate’s private burial ground.” Giles noticed the man stirring, “Oh, here, let me help you. Xander get the fellow a drink of water, would you?”

Xander bowed as an imaginary hump appeared on his shoulder and exited the room backward, saying “As you wish, master,” in his best imitation of Boris Karloff and then remembered his tour of duty as Dracula’s butt-monkey and said, “Nevermind.”

The fellow glanced about warily, clearly shaken, “Some beast or other in the woods, scared me right out of my mind.” His eyes were wide with confusion. “Here, how’d I get here?”

Giles turned a scornful eye at Spike who turned away and said,“I was out taking my evenin’ constitutional and heard something in the woods. Next thing I know, there you are face first in the dirt. Good thing I got there, mate. No tellin’ what’s lurkin’ about out there. Right? Mr. Giles.”

An annoyed Giles answered, “Quite….Now, sir, do you recall seeing us at the gymnasium a short while ago?”

“Yessir, I do.” The man gave every indication that he was anxious to be of help, almost overly so.

“Good. You told me that Mr. MacGregor wanted to speak to me. Is that right?”

The man looked frightened like he was afraid he might say the wrong thing. After a moment, he finally answered, “That was the message I got, sir.”

Giles looked puzzled, “...the message you got? You didn’t speak to him?”

“No sir, never saw the man m’self, just a note left at my post to pass that information on to you when I saw you.” He should have been calming under this benign interrogation, but instead he seemed more agitated as the moments wore on. “Do you need me anymore, sir? I’ve got my rounds to finish.” He made to move off the desk and be on his way.

Spike stood in the corner of the lobby reached for his cigarettes and lighter and watched the encounter. There was something off with this fellow, he was sure. After taking a deep drag, he leaned back against the wall and cupped his hand over the end of the cigarette as he held it at his side.

Giles told the guard that he could take his leave and asked to be reminded of his name in case he thought of any other questions. The guard put his cap back on his head and backed out the door answering, “Enfield, sir. Charles Enfield’s m’name,” pronounced with the accent on En.

For a vampire that did not need to breathe, he did an excellent impression of a man choking on smoke at his answer. Still sputtering Spike said, “You’re bloody well jokin’, right?….Oh, this is rich! I love a good mystery ‘n’ all, but this is too much!”

Xander, returning too late with the water, wearing his usual out of the loop expression asked, “What? What’d I miss?”

Still choking Spike said, “Enfield, the man’s name is Enfield!”

As they watched Enfield’s retreating form, Giles commented, “Really, Spike. You have such an imagination. What are you suggesting? Are we going to meet your friend Dracula again?”

“Dracula? What? Dracula’s here? No! I’m NOT going through that again!” he said slamming down the cup of water and making a watery mess of the papers on the desk. Spike and Giles snickered at the recollection of Xander rushing to his ~master’s~ assistance.

Giles led off, “It’s just a coincidence…and not a very good one, I might add. As I recall Dracula’s assistant ….that is …before Xander …was Renfield, not Enfield.”

Spike shook his head and offered, “’m just saying, is all….a disappearing guard then a mystery guard and a henchman named Enfield?…I think somebody’s got a sense of humor is all.”

The three men waited a few more moments not wanting to leave the building unattended, finally Giles called to the Office of the Guards to report that a post was left uncovered and a replacement would be needed immediately. The Sergeant on duty told Giles he would lock the main office, notify the rest of the guards to contact him by beeper in the event he was needed and he would cover the post himself. Thus relieved the three men went to the car and continued the conversation.

“Fine, well you’ve had your fun, Spike. The fact remains that this MacGregor is a mystery. I’ve been running this place for a while now without any trouble let alone something like this.”

“Like what, Giles, my man?” said Xander. “No disrespect here, but I think you may be letting your imagination go wild…. I mean, think about it. What do you know? Binny wasn’t at work. OK. Did ya ever stop to think the man might be taking a vacation day? Or have a bit of a stomach bug? Just ‘cause you’re Watcher Man and used to dealing with monsters and demons and things that go bump in the night doesn’t mean that everything is world ending.”

Spike piped up, “The whelp’s right…and just ‘cause your Queen Bee back there didn’t know of this MacGregor doesn’t mean someone in charge of your Light Brigade doesn’t know about him.”

“Yes, yes, of course you’re both right.” Giles said as he climbed into the driver’s seat and put further thought of the puzzle away for the remainder of the evening. “Everybody settled then? Next stop The Riderless Horse for some rest and recreation. Xander and I thought you might fancy a few pints and a game of darts at our local pub.”

“Right then, we’ll put a few quid on the game eh? Just to make it interestin?”

Xander and Giles exchanged conspiratorial glances that caught the vampire’s eye. He smiled and raised an eyebrow as Giles went on, “Oh….yes….I suppose that would be alright…if you insist.”

Xander thought the old man was pouring it on a little thick and wasn’t as sure of his success as he had been earlier. He’d had time to remember Spike’s prowess at pool and Giles didn't know that he and Spike had discussed the matter earlier. He was glad the cagey conversation ended as they arrived at the pub.





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