Chapter Six

LOS ANGELES

The operative Angel had stationed at the diner saw the Land Rover go speeding by and radioed his team. They had determined that following Spike would be a bad idea due to the speed he was going. It was then that someone finally told Angel that they could track him through the GPS system in the vehicle.

Spike had turned East first chance he got. His grandchilde was nothing if not predictable. Headed for Cleveland, no doubt, but the tracking device was a nice little fail-safe. If he made it to Cleveland, and if he got some information, he’d be fed some line about Buffy being in Japan. Now maybe he could get some other work done for a change, since it appeared that Spike would be safely far from Buffy for a few weeks at least.

CLEVELAND

He hadn’t driven that hard ever. He pulled over at rest stops to nap whenever he felt too tired to continue, and he ordered rare steaks and hamburgers to supplement what blood he’d brought with him from LA. He didn’t dare take time to find a butcher or hospital to replenish his supply.

But at last he was here. He’d find a room, get a good kip and change his clothes, then find blood somewhere. It shouldn’t be too hard in a city that was home to a Hellmouth.
He found a decent motel and literally fell into bed, exhausted. If Buffy was here now, she’d still be there tomorrow, and a sweet smile graced his lips before sleep claimed him.

^^^^^^^^

After a good day’s sleep and shower, the impatient vampire checked his bag. Rubbing his hand over the stubble on his head he chose black jeans and a black oxford shirt. He didn’t want to be unrecognizable, but he also wanted to remain cautious. He left the glasses behind, but donned the noisy leather jacket and stepped into the night.

Closing his eyes and focusing all his senses, he tried to feel the vibrations from the Hellmouth. The demon bars would be located neaby; it’s not like he could call a cab to take him there. He soon felt the hum of evil running through his bones; a primal force calling to his demon to come and partake of the havoc and mischief that could only be found at the mouth to hell. He followed the vibes and soon caught the scent of several kinds of demons.

Looking around, he saw buildings suited for industrial use and abandoned warehouses. A neon sign was flashing down the block and he could hear music. When he reached the bar his mouth nearly fell open as he saw the name of the establishment. It was Willy’s.

Slipping unobtrusively through the door, he was not surprised that the oily little bartender had hightailed it out of Sunnydale and set up shop here. It was just the sort of thing Spike would have expected him to do. And he was not disappointed to see the man himself pouring drinks behind the bar. He’d have a lock on Buffy’s location in no time.

Stepping up to the bar he signaled to Willy and ordered a large glass of O-Neg with a chaser of Jack. The drink order caused a double-take and the man looked at his newest customer a bit more thoroughly.

“Do I know you?” he asked Spike.

“You might,” Spike drawled. “Do I look familiar?”

Willy peered carefully at him, not wanting to offend, but curious as all get out. The eyes and face were familiar, but it was that voice…

“Spike?”

“Not so loud!” the vampire hissed. “Trying to keep a low profile here!”

“But you’re…they said…aren’t you supposed to be dead? I mean deader? Dust?”

“Who said?”

“The slayers! Everyone! You burned up closing the Hellmouth and haven’t been seen since!”

Spike had to shush the bartender again as his excitement was getting the best of him. “You’ve heard of Wolfram & Hart, right?”

Willy nodded.

“I showed up there after closing the Hellmouth, all ghosty-like. Haunted the place for a while before they turned me back into myself. And now I’m trying to find Buffy. And before you deny it,” for the human had began sputtering and Spike heard his heart rate increase, “I still have my soul and I’m just trying to find her to let her know I’m back. I know she’s here, so just be a good man and tell me where I can find her.”

“She was here, and man, was it just like old times. Shakin’ me down for info every chance she got, only this time she had a bunch of the slayer girls with her. She kept telling ‘em to go for my nose, man!”

“Yeah, Slayer has a thing for noses, doesn’t she?”

“You’re tellin’ me.”

“So where is she now?”

“I don’t know…honest!” he added, as he saw the dangerous glint in Spike’s eyes. “They were all here a few weeks ago; the old British guy, Buffy, Faith, Buffy’s little sis, and all the new slayers. Now I just get Faith in here once in a while, and that guy she’s with –Robin. She don’t say where Buffy is, and I don’t ask.”

“Bloody hell!” he swore, trying not to lose it in front of Willy and his customers. It sounded like he’d missed her again. He wondered if he should find Faith, but if she was still with the principal they might not be so forthcoming with info about Buffy. And if Angel was pulling the strings…well, he knew that the dark-haired slayer owed Angel and if that bastard was feeding them lies they’d stake him first and ask questions later.

Before he could make any decisions he felt the hairs prickle at the back of his next. Slayers! The door opened and the scent of several of them hit him at once.

“Not a word!” he shushed at Willy, and moved to a table nearby where his back was to the bar.

“Faith!” The bartender exclaimed loudly as the slayer approached. “And…the girls,” he faltered. Spike chuckled inwardly, wishing he could watch the little man deal with the baby slayers.

“Willy,” Faith greeted. Spike heard no more dialogue for a few minutes before the man started babbling. The slayer had obviously figured him out; she only had to stand there and look intimidating and he’d spill the beans just to get over his discomfort.

“So what brings you to my fine establishment this evening? I’ve got some new drinks the girls could try, without alcohol, of course – so who’ll be first?”

“Can it, you slimeball. We’re just here checking out the locals, making sure nothin’s going down. Got anything you want to tell us?”

“Now Faith, you know I’d tell you if something was up, right? We got a good thing going on here based on trust and mutual respect, yeah? And you don’t even have to bash me on the schnoz, okay? Not like Buffy always does…hey, speaking of Buffy where’s she been lately?”

Spike wanted to groan out loud. Willy was displaying all the subtlety of a rhinoceros in a china shop. Faith would never give him any info like that.

When the elder slayer heard him mention Buffy, she knew it was her chance to spread the word. The little weasel was obviously pumping her for information about B, and she was more than happy to provide it.

Leaning over the bar, she gestured him closer.

“Japan,” she said in a noisy whisper.

“Japan?” Willy echoed.

“Remember that doomsday cult that tried poisoned the subway a while back?” Willy nodded, wide-eyed. “They’re back, and they’re summoning demons. Poor B’s got to figure out what to do about the crazy humans. That’s not really her gig, ya know?”

Spike heard it all, and he knew. Killing demons was her gift, her art, but evil humans confounded her. If he got there soon enough he could swoop in, help her out, and she’d be relieved for the back-up. Now he needed a plan for getting to Japan. He did not want to waste any more time on a sodding ship, so he’d have to figure something out with an airplane.

He half kept his sensitive hearing on the continuing conversation between Faith and Willy and wasn’t surprised when she demanded some info of her own.

“Tit for tat, barkeep. Now spill. Who’s the new big bad in town? I’m sure you have something for me.”

“Me? No…there’s nothing! It’s like I said before; you know I’d tell ya if something new was here…”

Willy’s stammering was cut short when the back room door opened with a slam and all eyes were drawn to the noise. The creature emerging through the doorway was weaving drunkenly on his feet and kittens were stuffed in every pocket of his pants and jacket. The regulars all turned back to their drinks, used to this spectacle, but one set of eyes met the demon’s and the recognition was immediate.

“Spike!” yelled Clem, and the vampire waited for the shit to hit the fan.

TBC