CHAPTER FOUR
 
“So, what do you think? Will that work?”
 
Riley leaned back and thought for a few seconds.  “Yeah. It just might.  We’d need to round up the right kind of explosives... maybe throw in a few incendiary devices for the vamps....” He smiled at her. “I like it. No danger to civilians, no hand-to-hand with cyborgs wearing the faces of my buddies.  When do you want to go?”
 
“As soon as you tell me you’re ready.  Spike and I will go in front and clear the space of any vamps and demons, so all you and your men will have to do is follow us and set up your stuff.... and then let us know when to clear out.”
 
“You sure you want to bring Spike with you? Asking him to fight his own kind?”
 
Buffy sighed. “Look, I know you don’t like him, and he definitely doesn’t like you, but you’re both being jerks about this and we really don’t have time for it.”
 
“I don’t like him because he’s a hostile running around loose, and because he looks like he’d as soon kill me first chance he gets. I don’t care if he likes me or not, I just don’t get why he’s singled me out. I’m pretty sure it isn’t because I look tastier than anybody else.”
 
Buffy gave a half-smile and shook her head.  “Remember how he kinda over-reacted to you when you asked how we knew so much about the Initiative? And what I told you about our...you and me, I mean... relationship in the other world?”
 
“He’s jealous?”
 
“Well, partly, I guess – which is where the being a jerk comes into it.  But he also spent some time in that lab back in our world. It wasn’t... wasn’t a very pleasant experience for him, even though, if he’s honest, it’s probably why we had a chance to get to know each other well enough to... Never mind that. The point is, he’s blaming you for things you – this you – haven’t done and aren’t going to. Things that happened years ago and have nothing to do with our lives now. So – bad Spike.”
 
When Riley started to speak, she stopped him. “But, you just met him. And you’re judging him by what he is, not who he is or what he knows about your organization. So – bad Riley.”
 
Buffy bit her lip and looked directly at him before continuing. “Spike is not your average vampire. He and Angel—I’ll tell you about him some other time—have souls.  In Spike’s case, he got it on purpose; he fought for it – for me.  But he was in love with me long before he got it, and he was helping me with stuff long before then too, so it’s not like he wasn’t already doing good... but the soul.... It makes him something very special.  He isn’t, never was, and never will be like the vamps you’re used to staking and capturing.”
 
“So, when you say he was in love with you before... you mean when you were dating that other, much luckier, me?”
 
Buffy acknowledged the compliment with another smile and nodded. “Yeah. He had to spend a lot of time seeing and hearing things he really didn’t want to. It was the only way to be close to me, so he hung around even when it hurt. You really can’t blame him for not being glad to see you again.”
 
“I guess not.” Riley shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t really get all this stuff about souls, but I’ll try to remember he’s not on the to-be-staked list and I’ll tell the other guys.  Now, about those weapons....”
 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
“So, that’s what we did back in my time. I was able to defeat Adam because of a spell that linked all four of us.” She looked around the table at Willow, Xander and Giles.  “And I wouldn’t have been able to stop him without it. It gave me the power I needed.”  She sat back and put her hand over Spike’s where it rested on her shoulder. “Granted, this time I’ve got Spike with me...” She glanced up at him and curled her lip. “...instead of out running around pretending he was helping so we wouldn’t stake him.”  Ignoring his indignant growl, she went back to the subject at hand. “And, we’ve got lots of military help with big explody things and guns that make big holes in stuff.  But, just in case....”
 
“You do not think the ordnances will do the job?” Giles frowned. “Then why are we wasting time on them?”
 
“Well, two reasons, really. One, it gives Riley and the guys who are left something to do to help clean up their mess. It’ll look good to the regular Army guys if and when they get here.  And, it should take care of everything else that’s in there. Instead of them escaping or hiding down there for years, all those demons and vamps will be gone. Poof!  So, job well done... except maybe for Adam.”
 
“I don’t get it, Buffy. Why won’t it kill Adam too? Not,” Xander hastened to add, “that I’m not all onboard with the blowing stuff up.  But seems to me it’s a win-win for us.”
 
“I’m hoping it will,” she replied. “Or that I can at least get close enough to blow that powerpack out of his chest with a rocket launcher. But as Spike pointed out, we don’t really know exactly how invulnerable he is. If I can’t get to the power pack, he might just come crawling out of the rubble some day.  With my luck, it’d be during my wedding.”
 
“So, we are to remain close by as a magical back-up?”
 
“Yeah. Is that okay?  I mean, I don’t want you guys to be so close that you’re in danger this time, but if we have to give me that extra power in a hurry....”
 
Giles nodded. “It’s a good plan. It never hurts to have an alternative plan in place. I will research the spell immediately.”
 
~~~~~~
 
 
Spike and Riley exchanged wary nods of greeting when Buffy and the Scoobies arrived at the agreed staging area several hundred yards from the intended entry point. They earned quick smiles from Buffy before she went into her “general Buffy” persona and began running through the plan.  Riley glanced at the van containing Giles, Willow and Xander. Although they were parked well back from where the soldiers were unloading things from their trucks, it was obvious they intended to remain in the area.
 
“Uh... Buffy?” Riley jerked his head toward the van. “Shouldn’t they be somewhere... safer?  This could get ugly if Adam’s demons notice us before we’re ready to blow it.”
 
Buffy sighed. “They’re my backup plan, Riley. It’s too complicated to explain to you now, just trust me. If this doesn’t take Adam down and I have to fight him, I’m going to need them and what they can do.”
 
“I thought the vampire was your backup?”
 
“Spike is my... he’s my partner. He’ll have my back when I fight. That’s not what they’re here for... exactly.”
 
“I can’t wait to see it,” Riley muttered.
 
“I’m hoping you won’t have to.”
 
“Don’t you know how this is going to turn out? I thought you were all future girl who knows everything.” He sounded almost bitter, and Buffy frowned as she looked at him.
 
“I know how things went in my world.  This one is already different, and has been since I got here and started changing stuff. In my world, I had to go in and fight Adam on his home turf – and I couldn’t have done it without the mystical help I got from Giles, Willow and Xander.  I’m hoping that won’t be the case this time. If we can bring this place down around his head, even if he survives, I should have a few minutes to do what I need to do before he recovers his full strength.  But, no, I don’t know how it’s going to turn out – hence the backup.”
 
She turned around and looked for Spike, standing watchfully near the entrance they’d chosen. Riley had stationed squads at all the other exits to capture or destroy anything that tried to come out before they were ready. Their orders were to blow their own targets as soon as they got the signal from Riley that the main event was ready to happen. They wanted to be certain that nothing could leave the facility before they blew it up.
 
“We’re going in,” Buffy said.  “Tell your explosion guys to stay far enough behind that they can’t be attacked by anything that might get past us.”
 
“They’ll have back up and cover,” Riley said, shouldering a very large gun and gesturing to a group of similarly armed men. “Don’t worry about anything that gets past you, we’ll have it covered.”
 
“Yeah, well, just don’t miss and hit one of us, huh?  Neither one of us,” she added.
 
“I’ll be careful.” He turned to his men and gave them quick last-minute instructions, including to be careful not to hit either Spike or Buffy who would be fighting in front of them. “Let’s roll,” he said, gesturing after Buffy and Spike, who were already heading for the big tunnel.
 
~~~~~~~~~
 
Although the tunnels were not as well-lit as they had been when there were humans using them, there was still enough dim light to see by. It was actually lighter than it had been outside where they’d been very careful not to use any really bright lights that might alert the inhabitants to their presence.  They were able to get fairly far in before Spike held up his hand and stopped.  Buffy fell into a fighting stance when he held up three fingers and pointed down the tunnel where it curved and began to drop down into the earth. She nodded and waited.
 
When the demolition team caught up to them, she held her finger to her lips and indicated they should remain where they were.  Then she and Spike walked forward, as quietly as possible, although they both knew that vampires would probably hear them coming, just as Spike had been able to hear three beings of some sort ahead of them.
 
Rounding the corner, they found two vampires and an odd-looking demon, arguing over where they needed to be.  “It’s not like anything alive is going to come in—urk!” His dust was not yet to the floor when Buffy whirled on the other vamp while Spike attacked the demon.  In the interest of speed and silence, there was no quipping from Buffy, just a quick dusting before she turned to help Spike. Whatever the demon was, he seemed to be stronger than would be expected for something his size, and Spike was struggling to get him into a position where he could break his neck.
 
“Fuck this!” he growled softly and pulled his sword, partially severing the demon’s head and exposing the wires holding it on.  As he expected, the demon continued to fight, his now useless head dangling.  “Stand back, pet.”
 
Buffy moved behind the creature, trying to keep it facing toward Spike so he could get a good shot at its chest. When he plunged his sword in, the demon tried to scream – but Buffy was quick to lop the head the rest of the way off and all that came out of the throat was an angry gurgle that quickly died out as its battery exploded and it fell to the floor.
 
“I could get used to this,” Spike said, grinning as he picked himself up. “We may have to invest in a pair of jumper cables, Slayer. Spark up our love life.”
 
She rolled her eyes, and stepped around the body to wave the soldiers forward. As they reached her, Riley’s communicator vibrated and he glanced at it. “Bad news. One of my squads was made. They had to shoot and blow their tunnel closed to keep the enemy in.”
 
“So, we’re almost out of time?” Buffy whirled and called to Spike. “Let’s go. Forget being quiet – we just need to get these guys where they need to be.”  She threw back over her shoulder at Riley, “Tell your men to blow those other tunnels now. I want anything trying to leave to come this way.”
 
“What if it’s Adam?”
 
Buffy shrugged and pointed to one of the men holding a rocket launcher. “Tell him to aim for the middle of Adam’s chest – after he tells us to duck.”
 
“Do we really want a nuclear explosion while we’re still in here?”  Spike touched Buffy’s arm as they ran forward.
 
“Whatever it takes, Spike. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
 
At Riley’s signal, all the other exits from the facility had been blown shut – at least temporarily.   When he shouted to Buffy that they were far enough in for what they needed to do, she and Spike stood facing the now-visible open area while the demolition squad began to place their charges. They moved forward and took up positions just in front of the men who were working swiftly as they moved farther into the big room, placing their devices in the spots they’d pre-determined would do the most damage.
 
“Here we go, pet,” Spike said as the first wave of escaping vampires began running toward the main exit from the room.  They slid to a stop temporarily when they saw Buffy and Spike facing them, but soon recovered their courage as more vampires and demons began to fill in behind them – all eager to get out of the facility that was filling with smoke from the smaller explosions.
 
Using stakes and their bare hands, Buffy and Spike had soon reducing most of the vampires to, if not dust, incapacitated bodies on the floor. As the first of the demons reached them, they switched to swords and began to cut their way through the press of bodies.  Riley had discovered that a shot to the chest was enough to incapacitate the batteries in those creatures that were obviously not all flesh and blood.  Letting him and a few others with heavy-duty assault rifles pick off the cyborgs, Spike and Buffy spread apart and began to pick off any demons or remaining vampires that had figured out what the men working on their knees were trying to do. 
 
When Spike intercepted a vampire just as he was reaching for one of the demolition crew, backhanding it away and then following up with a stake to its heart, the man mumbled a quick “thanks” before going back to his work.  As soon as he was finished, he nodded and stood up. With Spike guarding his back and keeping area around the planted explosives clear, he quickly retreated back into the tunnel.
 
Buffy had performed the same service for the man setting up devices on the other side of the room, keeping his area free of both demons trying to stop him, and those that just wanted to kill. 
 
Riley’s shout that they were good to go, allowed Buffy and Spike to retreat behind a barrage of fire from the soldiers guarding the retreat.  When everyone was clear, they threw some grenades in to keep the demons and cyborgs from getting to the explosives.
 
“Here, let us. Which ones make fire?”  Buffy took the offered incendiary bombs and handed one to Spike.  “Bet I can throw farther than you can,” she said, lobbing hers into the big room, well past anywhere the soldiers had been able to reach.
 
“You throw like a girl,” he growled, heaving his almost all the way across the space. 
 
“Incoming!” The shout was barely soon enough for everyone to fall to the floor and avoid the blast from Adam’s arm.  They could just see him, walking through the flames and smoke and raising his arm again.
 
“Buffy! Spike! Let’s go!” 
 
Buffy threw one last grenade that blew up right in front of Adam, before joining the retreat.  She hoped that would slow him down enough for them to get clear before the whole place went up.
 
“Do it!”  She yelled as they ran past the man holding the detonator.  He pushed the button, then followed them out to the staging area. From above ground, they could hear a deep rumble that grew in intensity as the ground shook and dust and smoke began to billow out of the entrance.
 
“Lights!” Riley yelled and the powerful floodlights they’d kept shuttered while making their preparations lit up the entire area.  The forest covering the lab seemed to rise into the air, then collapse, making a shallow crater filled with trees.  As reports came in from the squads stationed around the perimeter, they all reported no sign of anything except dust and continued rumblings as more underground collapsing took place.   The men stationed near Lowell house had kept that area clear of students, so there were no civilians in the area to see the fraternity house gradually sink into the ground and disappear in flames.
 
“Nothing could live through that,” Graham said. “It’s over.”
 
“It’s not over till I know that monster isn’t going to crawl out of there,” Buffy said.  “He might be stuck in there for awhile, but—”
 
“I think...” Graham pulled forward a man in civilian clothes wearing a lab coat. They both flinched at the deep snarl that burst from Spike’s throat. The man stared, eyes wide, at the vampire glaring at him from beside the girl he’d been told was responsible for their new knowledge about Adam.  Spike was staring at the man as if he planned to rip him apart, until Buffy put a calming hand on his arm.
 
“Spike. This is not whoever you think he is. I mean, he is, I guess, but he hasn’t done anything to you. And he’s not going to. Let. It. Go.” Buffy stood between Spike and the clearly frightened, but also curious man.
 
“Is he... is that...?” He looked at Buffy. “How are you controlling him? I’d like to compare notes—”
 
“We’ll be right back,” Buffy said to Graham and Riley, as she physically dragged Spike away from man who had no idea what he’d done. Spike was in full game face and snarling without letup. She got him a good distance away and waited until he stopped snarling before releasing his arm.  “Are you okay now?”
 
He took a deep breath and nodded. “’m sorry, pet. I recognize that bitch’s minion. He’s the one that helped her put the chip in my brain.”
 
“Thisminion didn’t do anything to you. And he never will.” She put a hand on his cheek. “Why don’t you stay over here with Giles and let me find out why Graham brought that guy over. ‘K?”
 
“I’m not gonna bite him,” he growled. “Just had a little flashback....”
 
“Doesn’t matter. I’ve got a feeling you and he will both be happier if you stay apart.  I’ll be right back.”
 
Leaving Spike to explain to Giles and the Scoobies what was going on, Buffy walked back over to Riley and Graham. She looked at the still curious lab tech and asked, “Okay, so if you worked for Professor Walsh in the labs, why aren’t you a cyborg? And if you don’t stop looking at Spike like that, I’m going to let him eat you,” she added as the man’s eyes kept going to where Spike was leaning against the van and smoking while he stared at them.
 
“But he... you... You can control him.”
 
“He controls himself,” Buffy said tersely. “But he’s not perfect at it, so you might want to take that look off your face. You won’t be putting a chip in his head – not this time around.”
 
He whirled to stare at Buffy. “How do you—” 
 
Graham interrupted him. “You don’t need to know what she knows or how she knows it. All you need to do is tell her what you told me.  About the powerpack and fire.” From the way Graham and Riley were glaring at the man, it was obvious they didn’t consider him an ally.
 
“All I said was, if the fire gets to Adam’s body, his atomic power supply will overheat and destroy itself.  And anything within a hundred yards or more, probably,” he added.
 
They all turned to look at the area over the labs, noting the thick smoke and occasional visible flames shooting up through the collapsed earth. 
 
“What do you think?” Buffy asked Riley.
 
He shrugged. “We put plenty of incendiary bombs in there along with the explosives. As long as there’s enough oxygen for the fires to feed on, they should keep burning until the fuel runs out.  I don’t know how he’d be able to get away from it. The whole place looks like it’s burning.” He pointed at the flames still coming out of openings in the earth.
 
Buffy sighed. “Okay. I’m going to call it a win.  But I think we need to keep an eye on this area for a while. Just in case....”
 
“We’ll do a complete recon when it’s daylight. If we haven’t detected an explosion of that size by the time the fire dies out, I’ll send a crew in to look for Adam’s body – or parts of it. Whatever’s left.”
 
“Okay. Great.”  Buffy smiled at Riley and Graham. “Thanks, guys.  This would have been a whole lot harder without you.”
 
“No problem. I’m just glad we got our mess cleaned up.” Riley took the lab tech by the arm. “And now you’re going to explain to us why you didn’t come to us right away to tell us everything you know about the monster you helped create.” 
 
Buffy watched as they marched the protesting man over to one of the SUVs and threw him in, then turned around and walked back to where Spike and the Scoobies were waiting for her.