Queen Bee
by cathy nort
chapter 7
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Buffy woke with a start. She was still at the kitchen table, her head buried on her arms. She realized she had fallen asleep at the table, her tea was cold and the clock had advanced two hours.
She drew herself up. There was a note from her mother propped against the cup holding the tea.
Hi sweetie. I couldn't bare to wake you. I called you in sick at
school so why don't you crawl in bed? I'm going over to the
police station to see if they have come up with anything yet.
No calls from kidnappers. So strange.
love you
Buffy stood up and went upstairs to take a shower. She wanted to get hold of Willow and warn her away from Dusty. Buffy was now convinced that Dusty was behind Dawn's disappearance.
After showering, throwing on some make-up and dressing she headed over to the Rosenberg household. Willow wasn't home so that meant she had went to school after all. Willow had a fifth hour lunch so Buffy figured she could catch her there. That didn't happen either. A guy in Willow's chemistry class told Buffy Willow had said she was going to go home after the fourth hour class's test. Buffy had forgotten Willow had that exam. One too important to miss.
"By the way," Buffy asked him."Was Dusty there for the test."
"Nope," He replied. "Dumb broad. Means she's going to fail chemistry unless they allow her to make it up."
Buffy left the school grounds and was walking back to Willow's. No doubt they had just missed each other. Buffy pulled her cell phone out and tapped in Willow's number. After two rings Willow's voice came on. "Hi Buffy."
"Willow? Are you on the way home?"
"Yeah I am. I'm bushed."
Buffy rapidly explained what she had learned from Giles about Dusty. "This time it's for real."
Instead of a response from Willow Buffy heard a commotion at the other end. Then a short silence before the call was disconnected. Terrified that something was wrong Buffy red-dialed Willow's number.
Buffy couldn't know it but Willow's cell phone was resting in the lap of Willow's skirt. Willow herself was slumped in the front passenger seat of a car her head resting against the passengerside window. Her eyes were closed, her right arm tucked against the door, her left arm on across her lap just above where the phone lay.
A hand reached over and picked up the cell phone. "Hello?"
Buffy didn't recognize the voice on the other end. She did know it wasn't Willow's. "I want to talk to Willow." Buffy demanded.
The person on the other end sounded amused. "I don't think that's possible. She's....aaah...catching up on her sleep at the moment."
Now Buffy recognized the voice at the other end. "I'll kill you Dusty if you have harmed Willow."
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Willow had done well on her test, at least she felt she had, so she left class, and school immediately after turning her's in. She was walking down the street carrying her book in one hand and trying to keep her skirt in place with the other. It had grown hot and a gusty wind was whipping at her short rayon skirt. It was not the kind of skirt to be wearing on a day like today unless you wanted everyone to see what color your panties were.
The walk home usually took twenty minutes but the constant delay in trying to keep her skirt in place was really going to add to that.
"Hey!" Willow heard as a little red sport car pulled up to the curb beside her. Behind the wheel was Dusty Laurent. "Nice undies."
Willow smiled with embarrassment. "Can you believe this wind?"
"Jump in. I'll give you lift home. That way you won't have to flash the whole neighborhood." Dusty said.
"Thanks." Willow went around and climbed in the passenger side. Dusty hadn't been in school to take the chemistry test. She wasn't even dressed for school She had on a loose tank top and a pair of cut-offs. Willow was about to ask her why she had missed the test when Buffy's call came.
When Willow had said, "Hi Buffy" Dusty had tensed. She watched Willow's expression as she was listening to Buffy. First it became concerned, then guarded, then she seemed to grow nervous. Dusty didn't know what Buffy was saying but she was certain it was about her and that wasn't good. With her right hand she yanked the phone from Willow's grip.
With the left she knocked Willow out.
Dusty clicked off the phone and flipped it in the unconscious red-head's lap.
By the time Buffy's second call came through Dusty knew what she had to do. She waited for Buffy to finish her threat then replied. "Listen wondergirl. I have Dawn. And now I have your sweetheart so let's talk sense here."
"Just what is it you're after?"
"It's not either of them. I could care less about either of 'em. Still.....they are going to be off a great help to me getting what I am really after."
"And what is that?" Buffy's asked.
"What I'm after is right here on the phone with me. It's you Buffy. It's all about you and it has been all along."
"I'm listening Dusty."
"Good. Now here's what I want you to do. And I want you to do exactly.....that e-x-a-c-t-l-y as I instruct. Got that? Good. In an hour I want you to go down to the super market on Wander Way. You'll have to walk there but that shouldn't take you long. Look around the lot until you find a red sport car license number Qu bee24. That's easy enough to remember isn't it? If you have any trouble give me a buzz. I'll have Willow's cell with me. The car will be open. The key will be under the mat on the driver's side. All you have to do is get in behind the wheel and put the key in the ignition. When you've done that cell me. I'll walk you through what you have to do from there. Are there any questions Buffy?"
"No." Buffy answered simply.
"Wonderful. If you follow orders I promise you nothing will happen to either Willow or your baby sister. If not then I can't promise that at all."