Thirteen Steps -4- Blue
by Valyssia
Going to Ground
[reviews]
Thousands of miles away, an older man sat at a desk in a large, elaborate office. Trophies and awards littered the wall. He sat considering as he spoke on the phone. "I'm sorry, Mr. President. You see, it's not like we can just bomb Scotland. They are a NATO country, after all. We have to work within a certain level of political decorum. Of course, you know this," he said in a very even voice.
"General Voll, I really don't care what you have to do! I know there are rules but...I want Buffy Summers now! Get her here. Then do whatever is necessary to make her talk about her little organization. Rules be damned! I cannot abide a terrorist organization working outside the laws I set. I don't give a cuss where they are. This girl is dangerous and we need to tear her little band of mercenaries down," said the man on the phone in a heated voice.
"Very well, Mr. President. You'll have it. I will send an elite team in there tonight to abduct the girl. We'll have to wait for a few hours to make certain the facility she lives in is asleep. It will be best to work this as a quick covert extraction; leaving as few witnesses as possible... I'll report back when we have her."
***************
Buffy woke to a small sound issuing from the hallway outside her room. Her eyes popped open and she listened intently to the noises. Someone was trying to break in. She reached over and gently touched Willow rousing her out of sleep she put her finger up to the witch's mouth.
Whispering, "Bathroom now... Get in the tub...quiet," she laid gentle kiss on the redhead's mouth and rolled out of bed, careful to not make a sound. Finding a pair of sweats and a tanktop lying on the floor, she quickly put them on. Then she made her way to the weapon's chest and hastened to get the scythe out. She turned and saw Willow moving, partially dressed, into the bathroom.
Buffy hit the door to her room at a full run and flung her self at it. Scythe in hand, she held the weapon out rigidly, hitting the door with her feet and the head of the scythe, crashing through the opening and reducing the door to so much debris. She sent the would-be lockpicker sprawling across the hall into the far wall. where his head bounced making a satisfying little cracking noise. She landed deftly and veered around to see a magical portal open just down the hall. There were six other well-armed men starting to level some sort of weapons on her.
She shot forward taking the first two out before they could react with one vicious blow from the broadside of the scythe. Rounding on the remaining four men, she mused, They seem to have caught up. This is going to be more of a challenge from here.
Willow couldn't bear it any longer. I need to go see if Buffy's okay. To hell with this hiding thing...what does she think? I'm not one really in need of the protecting. Well she loves me. Willow sighed to herself as she peeked out the door.
Four on one...not really fair, she considered as she focused to deliver a blast of energy at the man closest to her. I don't want to hit Buffy! Timing, Rosenberg... She watched as the Slayer moved into a roundhouse kick to hit the man furthest from the door. Giving Buffy the space she needed Willow let the pulse go hitting the man closest to the door square between the shoulders as he tried to move to attack the Slayer.
Continuing the moment she created with the roundhouse Buffy brought the side of the scythe hard against the head of number-two. Hummm... Two? Standing men? Willow! She looked to see Willow smiling in the doorway, floating a foot above the floor... Her body looked like it was alive with electricity. She was glowing, hair flowing out as if it were windy, current arcing off the doorframe. One to go...
Willow motioned to Buffy to move aside. She watched the Slayer dive and drained all the energy she's build into one focused blast that caught the remaining man so hard that he flew against the wall smoldering. Settling to the ground, she approached Buffy.
"Woah! Nice one Will. Hey! I thought I told you to clear out?" Buffy said, pulling herself up, trying not to look too angry or impressed. "We need to check to see if any of these guys are alive."
"They are...all of them... That one over there is the leader," Willow offered with a vague gesture to the man at Buffy's 3 o'clock.
"Okay... We'll keep him. I want a word. Help me shove these other bastards back through the portal. I suggest we just throw the bodies through in a pile and then shut that damned thing, please!" Buffy said, staring momentarily at Willow's black eyes she had to force herself to focus to avoid a flashback.
"Yup... You get the arms... I'll take the feet." Willow nodded as she made her way to Buffy's side and began tossing unconscious bodies back through the rift. The final man lay in a pile with his fellows a moment later as Willow whispered, "claudo," and watched as the portal closed.
Doors had begun to open all over the hall as Buffy made her way to the one Willow identified as the man in charge. She grabbed him by the back of his shirt and took off dragging him down the hallway toward the Com Center. As she passed Satsu's door it swung open. "Satsu... Please get Dawn. She's yours now to protect. Keep her safe until morning," Buffy ordered in a harsh voice.
Satsu replied only with a nod as she met Buffy's eyes and took off to find the younger Summers girl.
Buffy called back to Satsu, "Thank you... Sorry for the grumbly..." She didn't hear if Satsu replied or not.
Willow caught up with Buffy on the stairs as she pulled the helpless man along behind her like a large doll.
"I'm temped to just roll him," Buffy mused looking over her shoulder at Willow.
"Now Buffy... Be sort nice. We don't kill humans," the witch chided in a playfully.
"You take all the fun out of being jumped by a bunch of thugs in the middle of the night, Will." She laughed.
"You know we'd be a lot safer in Westbury. If anyone opens a portal within the complex the sisters are all aware of it instantly and there's someone there to snap it shut in a heartbeat. In fact there are places there that are actually protected specifically against that," Willow offered almost conversationally as she did a quick check to make sure the man was still unconscious.
"I know...and we're leaving within the hour to do just that. I'm a lot harder to hit as a moving target," Buffy confirmed.
"Alright... I'll go get us packed," Willow replied, turning to go back to the room.
"There's a tankbag and some saddlebags for Bernie in the closet. Pack light... Only what we need," Buffy called over her shoulder.
Reaching her goal Buffy looked up at the nightshift lead in the communications center. "Wake Xander and get him down here," she ordered, giving a sharp look to the woman who's name she couldn't recall off the top of her head.
"Right away..."
Soon Buffy found herself staring at a half awake Xander wearing flannel froggy pajamas. She was glad Willow wasn't here for this. The witch had some serious frog fear and had just been pulled out a dead sleep to find her self under attack. Xander would have been lucky to make it through this without becoming a frog himself. She chuckled silently to herself.
"Sup Buff?" Xander asked sleepily, finally focusing enough to see the man sprawled on the floor at her feet and the scythe in her hand, he found himself oddly awake. "Oh! Presents for me? You shouldn't have, but I think I got one of these last Christmas. Any chance for a refund?" He chuckled.
Buffy gave Xander a harsh look before she spoke, "Will and I were attacked. They were obviously returning to finish the job Amy started. I think it's best if we bail. They may try again. We'll be headed south. Send my sister in the morning to the coven. I want her with me. She's with Satsu now. I'll send word as soon as we land. We should be able to beat the portal there on Bernadine. Oh and Xander! Lock this place down for the rest of the night! Patrols...the Full Monty... We need to start getting serious."
Xander nodded as he took all this in. "Wouldn't it be best for you and Will to wait until morning and just pass through with Dawn?"
"No, Xander... There were seven of these bastards and they dropped right on top of my room. If I hadn't heard 'em this would've been much with the badness. They would've taken us. I'm just glad that I'm a really light sleeper," Buffy replied firmly.
"Alright then... What you want me to do with him?" Xander looked at the lump at Buffy's feet.
"Well do everything you can short of serious torture to make him talk. We need to know more about these guys and this one was the unit leader or so Will says. He should have a clue. I suggest magic."
"Then?" Xander asked.
"I dunno...use your best judgment. I vote you have the girls take him to Lillake's cave and throw him in. That'll pretty much take care of him remembering crap about us. Bitch packs a serious whammy." Buffy's face spread into a wide wolfish grin.
"Be careful, Buffy," Xander said pulling her into a tight hug, "...And take care of Willow."
Buffy smiled. "I'll try but from what I've seen over the past few days you should be telling her to take care of me." The Slayer put her hand up as she left the room in a vague wave.
Willow was sitting fully dressed on the bed with the luggage packed when Buffy arrived. She reached out and pulled the Slayer into a tight embrace. "So I take it I'm not going to enjoy this ride we're about to take?"
"Prolly not... But I don't feel I have much of a choice. A moving target is much harder to hit. Though...these guys look serious enough I wouldn't rule out the possibility that they might just shoot at us from a satellite in space." With this admission Buffy shuddered.
"Well there's a cheery thought... Let's hope they haven't considered that option yet," Willow grimaced as she spoke.
"Nah... If they could do that I'd've been ash in the yard weeks ago. They're just men and we are going to give them a little rabbit to chase. Funny...to think the girls might actually be safer here without me," Buffy replied pensively.
Willow considered the Slayer for a moment, "What do you mean?"
Buffy began to dress preparing herself for the hard night that lay ahead as she continued, "It's just the precision of their placement. They knew right where to find me and will likely know I'm running as a result. Just guessing really...but I feel like I'm being watched and it's really givin' me a serious wiggins."
"Anyway...I'm really glad we bought you that jacket the other day. I'd be a lot less comfortable with this plan if you didn't have good gear. I told Xander to make sure Dawn is sent to us in Westbury in the morning. I don't want her here without me. She'd be way too easy to use as a pawn," Buffy concluded with a sour look.
"Good thought... She's prime bait. And you're prolly right about the watching part. It was a bit uncanny that they inserted so close. Not the sort of thing brought on by randomness and dumb luck." Willow grinned sympathetically at the Slayer as she stood in the bathroom tucking her hair up into a tight bun.
"I want to stop by and see Satsu again and tell her to move forward with your research and get these girls going. We need them trained into a cohesive force...yesterday actually. That was a fine idea love." Buffy turned and caught Willow up holding her and stroking her hair.
Willow gently cupped the back of Buffy's head and kissed her tenderly.
Buffy pulled back after a moment and surveyed the room. "We need a map."
"Packed one in the clear pouch on top of your tank pack... You can look at it as you go. Sort of nifty, that." Willow smiled softly.
Buffy looked at the open weapon trunk examining the contents. She reached in pulling out an ornate looking antique dagger in a sheath and handed it to Willow. "Put that inside your coat just in case. In fact just keep it. It suits you." Rummaging around a bit she found the sling for the scythe and put it on, dropping the weapon onto her back and cinching it down. The last item she took was the Spiderco knife she'd take with her to visit Lillake. She tossed her coat on over the scythe and though the weapon still stuck out pretty badly the coat managed to mask the greater part of it. Grabbing the iPod off the desk, she jacked the earbuds in stowing the device in her inside pocket.
Willow took the saddlebags and threw them over her shoulder and picked up her helmet, heading for the now absent door to the room she considered it. "You really did a number on this, Buff. You know that was a solid door?" she considered, looking a little impressed.
"Yeah well...got that when I smashed it. I wanted to surprise them. Hard to fight when you're picking your jaw up off the floor. Hold up Will." Buffy picked up the cup. She walked into the bathroom and poured off the bleach into the running sink. As it fell she caught the charm and rinsed it, dried it on a hand towel, and put it on, stuffing it inside her jacket. Returning to the main room, she grabbed the tankbag and her helmet, and then stole out of the room not looking back. She caught Willow's hand thinking, I have the three things I really give a crap about in that place with me.
Buffy stopped to knock on Satsu's door as she passed.
"Yes," Satsu said in a cautious voice.
"It's Buffy, I have a few more things to say to you before Will and I bail," the Slayer replied in a flat voice.
Satsu opened her door and looked expectantly at Buffy as she leaned her katana against the doorjamb.
"You're in charge of the girls now. You're the best fighter here so... Look in my room in the morning and you'll find the research Wills did last night on the desk. Get them started on the training. This sparring crap isn't paying off like we need. I'll be in touch with you soon." Buffy extended her hand to the young Asian woman.
Satsu took the Slayer's hand and held it momentarily, saying, "I will miss you."
"We'll see each other again, soon enough," Buffy replied in a soft voice placing hand on Satsu's shoulder.
Willow appeared preoccupied as she spoke, "The pages are all marked Satsu. I covered it pretty well. Xander said he'd get someone to make up the copies so just see him when you have it all sorted. Sorry for leaving like this." She didn't really care if it was an invasion of her space or not. The witch drew up Satsu a hug anyway.
"Look to Leah and Rowena as your second and third in that order. Make them help you with the others. Tell them I mentioned a shovel." Buffy pulled Satsu into a hug as well. Looking over her shoulder she saw Dawn asleep in Satsu's bed. She raised her hand in a slight wave to the sleeping girl and released the Asian woman. Turning to leave she said, "Thank you for caring for Dawn. Contact Xander in the morning."
"Travel safely, Buffy and thank you for the confidence." Satsu picked up the katana, closing the door and locking it behind her.
"Alright so... This is about a 400-mile ride. I figure five hours tops. It'll be hard on you if you pay attention so I'd like you to just get transey for me and search ahead for any law enforcement or camera vehicles. Fry the cameras if you can and let me know about the cops. Is that possible?" Buffy clutched Willow's hand firmly as she asked.
"I can do that... I'd rather not fry any cameras... Why don't I just cast a disillusionment spell on us to mess everyone up? I can make it so no one sees us at all, even with electronic gadgets. Then you can just do whatever you need to do. Should be pretty effective and my attention won't be split," Willow offered in a thoughtful tone.
"If you can do that...so much the better," Buffy replied brightly. "We'll stick to main roads then and I'll just haul serious ass. What's the fastest you've ever been in a car, Will?" she inquired curiously.
"128kmh roughly...not very fast... That's about 80 miles an hour. I'm sure this will be interesting," Willow responded in a flat tone, trying to hide the grimace.
"Bernadine will do 170mph with me on her or so they say, with the two of us and gear maybe 145mph... I figure for safely I'll try to stick around 130-140mph tops so I have plenty of throttle left to correct. I'm just worried that you won't travel well, is all," Buffy offered. Arriving in front of Bernadine she began to strap the luggage in place.
"I'll be fine Buffy... I plan to just hug you as tightly as I can and spend the time focusing myself on you, not the rest of the world." Willow whispered, "heylm" to Bernadine.
"Touch her and you'll be able to see her again. Contact brings you into phase with the object. Once we are on her we'll slip into phase with her and... Be careful of other cars because they literally won't be aware we're there. If we have to pass through any cities I'll have to remove it. It would suck mightily to get run over at an intersection because...well you get the idea."
Buffy inserted the earbuds and turned on the iPod. Then she put her helmet on, mounted the Ducati and brought it to life as Willow got on and tucked tightly up to her back. She rubbed Willow's hand and then Bernadine's tank as she pulled the bike out of the stable and made her way down the drive. She hit the first corner at 161kmh and drove straight in feeling her boot touch pavement as she set up for the next...
When they stopped at the end of the drive she looked back to Willow. "Was that too scary?" she asked, sounding anxious.
"No it wasn't bad. In fact I might even consider it fun one day if it weren't for all the morons in their shiny metal boxes running around. It's not you or the bike that really bothers me. It's the idiots. You know I trust you completely." She drew up tight to her Slayer's back and fell silent.
"Okay... I'm just worried for you," Buffy replied, stroking Willow's thigh. Then they were off.
The evening evaporated into early morning as they traveled. Willow considered, I'm not sure I'll even recall any landmarks between the Scottish castle and the coven home in Westbury. This seems so fast when you first get there. But after a while everything seems to slow down and the road just becomes another meditation...another thing to focus in and let go. And she had let herself go, pouring her energy into Buffy. Sharing what she could to keep the Slayer strong and alert.
Buffy pulled off the road at a rest area so they could freshen up. Willow broke the disillusionment spell so no one would run over poor Bernadine.
"We're almost there. I need you to show me the exact location on the map, Will," Buffy asked as they both walked to the ladies room.
"No problem... I may need to sleep for another week when we get there," Willow replied with a sniff and a soft smile.
All of their various issues sorted and a bottle of water consumed between the two of them. Willow disillusioned Bernadine again and they set off. It was another hour before they reached the Westbury home of the coven. Willow removed the spell as they traveled through Westbury proper. She didn't bother to replace it for the last leg of the trip. They were both tired and Buffy seemed content to just roll along at normal highway speeds on the country roads.