“They always mess up at some point,” Spike told him. “It’s what we count on.”
“You gotta figure though, he knew he’d be missing a ticket that was imperative for their getaway.”
“I don’t care how he missed it, just that he did,” Spike shrugged. “Besides, let’s face it. He’s had small windows in which to carry out his dastardly deeds. He had to fumble somewhere.”
“You know what they say about the best laid plans…” Angel murmured.
“I feel so stupid,” Rayne cursed. “He always presented himself as such a pillar of the community, an asset to the precinct.”
“It’s always the ones you least expect,” Gunn told him.
“We need get the DNA on the hooker, prints on the necklace…” Rayne muttered. “But first, we need to set up a team at the airport, and we need to alert the officials and the team there to be on the lookout for him and for Buffy. No doubt he’ll use disguises and we have to be meticulous about that. There is no room for error here. We have a kidnapping and a life in danger. I’ll alert LAX and set up a team at the airport.”
“I’m going,” Spike volunteered.
“Me too,” Angel jumped in.
“So am I,” Gunn added.
“If he sees any of you--” Rayne began.
“I don’t give a shit,” Spike said forcefully. “He can take a goddamn shot at me if he wants. Buffy is with that rat bastard and I want her to see me there for her. I want her to know that I would never give up on her and fail her. I’m going to be there.”
“Spike, this is a serious matter. What if he takes your presence there out on her?”
“Then I’ll hang back; let the special operatives handle it, but I. Am. Going. To. Be. There.”
Buffy wasn’t sure what time Riley forced her awake, but it was still dark when he had. She was surprised that she had even been able to sleep, but she figured the horror of what had happened, plus the drugs he’d given her to knock her out, and her worry over Spike caused her to just mentally collapse.
He shoved a black wig on her, he himself wearing a blond wig and matching fake moustache that was skewed to the right, and carried her to the car, still tied up. What kind of place was this that seeing a woman being tied up and carried to a car did not elicit a phone call to the cops? What kind of world was this now?
“Where were we?” Buffy asked.
“We were at a friend’s.”
“Oh?”
“I find that if you do special favors for people, such as making it so they can do what they please without getting caught, those same people will do special favors for you.”
“Such as letting you do things so you don’t get caught?”
Riley chuckled . “I wouldn’t get caught, Buffy,” he told her, pulling out of the parking lot to the apartment building they were in. “I’m a cop. No one would believe a thug over a cop.”
“Even if that cop was a thug himself?”
“I’ve worked very hard to present myself in a fashion that would go virtually undetected by the so-called competent men-in-blue.”
Spike knew though. He figured you out, Buffy thought proudly. She was sure though, that was something she could not share with him. Who knew what kind of response that would elicit.
“Was it you in the club?” she asked hoarsely.
“No. It was a friend. I was on the lookout. Made sure no one disrupted you two.” The way he said it, made it sound as if she were left alone to catch up with an old friend. Her stomach turned and she looked away from him. Her mind was whirling with all the things that had happened since Parker and Gwen had been murdered, how Riley was behind it all even if she never once laid eyes on him until after she’d turned herself in as a witness.
“How did you know me, Riley?” she asked, turning back to him.
“How?” he plastered on a goofy grin, his eyes softening to one of tenderness. “I used to come to Parker’s bar after a shift. Saw you there one night and knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That you were my girl. I love you, Buffy.”
“No, you don’t. You don’t love me. If you loved me you wouldn’t have hurt me--”
“Hurt you?” he bellowed, “How have I hurt you? I’ve protected you. I tried to protect you. It’s not my fault you don’t appreciate my efforts. It’s not my fault you decided to listen to Spike when he turned you against me. He tried to turn you into a whore. Just like you were at that club. That disgusting club where you showed off all your assets to anyone that would look--”
“I was dancing! You told me to dance!”
“And you danced like a goddamn whore. Why else do you think I had to scare you? Scare you straight. Teach you a lesson that when you play with fire you will get burned.”
“You’re sick.”
“No, darling, I’m not sick. Everyone else is sick. No one appreciates purity and innocence--”
“I seduced Spike you fucking asshole! I wanted him!”
And that was when Riley snapped and backhanded her so hard; her head hit the car window. She swore she was going to start seeing cartoon birdies chirp and bounce before her eyes with that hit.
He slammed on the brakes, and yanked her so that she was facing him, his eyes boring into hers with intensity. “You are purity and light. You are not a whore. He tried to make you one like that Faith he cavorts with.”
Buffy’s eyes widened at the mention of Faith’s name.
“Now I confess…I used her. I used her when you wouldn’t come to me. When you went to him instead. Had to see what it was like to roll with filth like you did. I felt dirty after. Absolutely dirty. Had to get rid of her, that filthy whore, and I did. She was disgusting and I got my hands dirty—just that once. But you…” he smiled sweetly then, his hand caressing the side of her face. “You’re not like that. It’s just those around you that try to steal your light. I want to protect it, savor it, and cherish it. Once we go away and start our life together, you’ll see how happy I can make you. I won’t sully you, Buffy. I promise.” And he placed her gently next to him once more, buckling her in. “Just a few things you have to do when we get to the airport, okay? Because if you defy me…it won’t be pretty. I won’t be pushed, Buffy, not now. Everything depends on us getting out of here and that is the one place I will not allow you to back talk me, okay?”
The only place? she thought. Who are you kidding?
Feeling his gun press into her side was enough for Buffy to comply with all he demanded of her. Being in an airport full of people she felt it was her responsibility to the safety of innocent people to not fight him.
Light was dawning, but the airport was still incredibly busy. No rest for the weary. Quickly, Riley got them to the line where he patiently waited with a twitch in his eye for the chance to purchase her ticket to Maine. Her eyes darted all around, trying desperately to see if there was anyone she recognized, anyone that she could catch the eye of and implore to help her. But everyone was busy, everyone lost in their own rat race to pay any attention to her or anyone else for that matter.
She felt tears clog her throat. She felt lost, alone, desperate, and all her options were slipping from her fingers…Buffy had never felt so scared in all her life. This couldn’t be it. This couldn’t be the way it was going to end. She couldn’t go to Maine to live with him; spend her life with this man that had blood on his hands and claimed to love her; this hypocrite that spoke to her of purity and filth while he murdered and hurt those around her. He didn’t do any of it for her; he did it for him!
Once the ticket was purchased, a time in which Buffy tried desperately to catch the eye of the attendant behind the desk – the pair started for the metal detector. She wondered how in the hell he was going to get past them with the gun in his pocket, but she never did get the time to figure it out.
“Get your hands over your head! Freeze!”
Buffy was startled when the man she’d been absently watching as they approached, lurched forward with a gun drawn and yelled that order. And then, watching, she spotted several lurch forward, guns drawn.
Her breath hitched and frantically, she looked for Spike, feeling the uncomfortable squeeze of Riley’s fingers dig into her flesh.
She looked up at him, hoping to see defeat on his features. Instead she saw determination.
“I have a gun pressed right into her side. You shoot me or try to take her from me, I will blow her away,” Riley told them calmly.
“Let the lady go,” one of the officers said. “Come on, Finn. We can take care of this all pleasant-like.”
“I’m going to Maine!” Riley screamed and Buffy felt his passion tear through her body with force, causing her to jump.
Looking around them,she saw him. Spike. He was staring at her intently, his eyes fixed on hers. She wanted to let him know she saw him, she wanted to yell to him, but knew if she did that would rouse the beast beside her that much more.
She had to get to him. She had to get away. She had to take a chance. And a chance she took. With a burst of strength she didn’t know she possessed, Buffy yanked herself free and shoved Riley from her running blindly toward Spike who screamed “No!”
Buffy didn’t dare turn around, didn’t dare see the gun that was aimed at her---
All she felt next was her body being knocked to the floor. She fell hard with an “ooof” and felt the impact of a shot tremoring through her body.
She braced herself, thinking she was the one hit, but when no pain came, she realized she was fine and popped open her eyes. Spike. He was there, pushing her on her back and hovering above her.
“Are you all right?” he asked her.
She gulped and nodded, perusing his body for injury. He looked fine. Alive. Perfect.
She clutched at him and he crushed her against him, running his hands all over her, checking for injury, and kissing her feverishly anywhere he could reach.
Over his shoulder, she saw Riley being dragged away, his hands cuffed, with Gunn behind him.
She let out a cry of relief.
It was finally over.