***
Chapter 10
***
 
“So this wee slip of a Kwaini ran into Buffy while she was patrollin' jus' like I said," Spike glared at Xander who was continuing to maintain that Buffy had merely left town to get away from the stress of her recent loss.
 
"You were at Pizza Shack and didn't even pick up one?" Dawn was nearly drooling. "They are the only pizza place in town to get the mix of anchovies and pineapple just right."
 
"There IS no right mix for that," Xander shuddered.
 
"So says the man who loves bacon maple donuts," Dawn defended.
 
"I stand by the yummy goodness that is salty and sweet perfection covering fried dough," Xander said.  "Besides bacon is the foundation of the food chain and perfect with everything."
 
"Bit off the point here, children," Spike looked mildly disgusted, although it was a toss-up as to whether at the foods being discussed or the side trip to unimportant things.
 
"Still think it’s odd runnin' into Soldier Boy there.  He took gettin' his walkin' papers pretty hard and hightailed it out of town last anyone knew.  Suddenly, he's right here when the Slayer goes MIA," Spike pointed out.
 
"But Riley knows Buffy is a human," Willow reminded everyone.  She hated to even think that the young man whose suit she had championed could be behind Buffy going missing.
 
"Yeah, but it could be like those groups that nab people outta cults, deprogram 'em. Wannabe Sgt. Rock never did like Buffy's choice of who she let in.  Could be thinkin' he's doin' her a favor with all the new laws and all." Spike reminded them.  "Left with as big a chip on his shoulder as the one they shoved in my cranium and every bit as irritatin'."
 
"I have to agree with Spike," Giles said surprising them all.  He had been agreeing with the vampire more often than not lately.  "It bears looking into.  Any avenue that might bear fruit should be explored.  This IS Buffy we are talking about.  It is alarming that none of our locator spells have shown her anywhere."
 
“It’s weird,” Willow bit her lip in consternation.  “Even if someone uses a masking spell I usually can pick up at least a wisp.  I get nada.  It would take some powerful magics to make her go totally off the grid.”
 
Xander looked troubled.  He had needed to hold onto his theory for his own peace of mind.  "Okay.  I still have a couple of contacts.  I'll see what they might know."
 
"Don't let them know that Buffy is missing.  The fewer people to know that, the better," Giles reminded the sometimes too trusting boy.
 
"Jus' find out where the wanker is livin' and I'll do the rest," Spike offered.
 
"And do what?  If it comes to a fight, are you gonna knock him down with all the thrashing from the head pain, Chip Boy?"  Xander sneered.
 
Spike glared at him and swallowed back a low growl.
 
"It might be too dangerous for you, Spike," Tara gently reminded him.  "There are so many people out there that don't know you're one of the good guys.  You could get hurt or worse."
 
"Coward already threatened me and that's just for existin', so might as well be for doin' somethin' useful." Spike said.
 
"Still, some backup wouldn't go amiss," Giles nodded.  "We are too few to risk losing even one of us needlessly."
 
"Jus' get the info," Spike stared at Xander.  "We can cross bridges when we get to the river."
 
"I can see if he's registered with the Global Human Initiative--that's what they are calling their military operation at the moment," Willow looked excited to put her hacking hat back on.  "My grandfather is keeping up with all that.  Things seem to be changing more often with it all the time."
 
"Yes, Willow, that might save a good deal of time and give us some answers, even if Xander's contacts do not pan out," Giles agreed. 
 
"Speaking of my grandfather, he's asked me to talk to his Rabbi.  He wants me to do a lot of spillage about Slayers and stuff," Willow furrowed her brow.  "Is that okay, Giles?  I mean, Mr. Travers is telling all kinds of stories and partial truths;  should I tell what I know?"
 
"Hardly any point in keepin' things a secret, is there?" Spike pointed out.  "Heard the supposed 'whole story' 'bout me, Angel and the girls on some radio show the other day.  Got more than half wrong, though they also missed some pretty nasty stuff that would've made us look even worse if I’m being honest about it." Spike didn't look particularly nervous at having his dirty linen aired, even if it were not totally accurate.
 
"I heard the broadcast from that Charlie person too," Anya nodded.  "I'm sure someone like him has plenty of people screaming for a nice vengeance wish against him.  It makes me wish I had my power center back.  He had so much wrong!  He listed Bracken demons among the most deadly and most of them live among humans just fine, even intermarry!"
 
"I think Angel's contact from the Powers was a Bracken demon named Doyle," Willow nodded.  "If the Powers thought he was okay enough to be their go-between, I don't know why anyone would put them on the bad demon list."
 
Spike laughed ruefully, "'Cause in this Brave New World anything they decide isn’t human is on the bad list.  You gits at the Council have libraries filled with information that's not 'xactly right and now they're sharin' it with the whole class."
 
"Well, at least what I share will be stuff I learned firsthand, not from some book that probably was written by someone with a prejudice or an agenda," Willow promised.
 
"Good girl, Red, keep it 100," Spike encouraged her.  "If this turns into the kind of war it looks to be shapin' up to be, the good guys'll need the truth on their side."
 
"Indeed," Giles agreed.  "Having had most of my training from the Council of Wankers, I’m not certain if I have all the truth myself, and I am better educated and more open minded than most."
 
"If you people had only listened to me over the years, instead of telling me to shut up," Anya gave them all, but especially Xander, a dirty look.  "I've only lived a thousand years and seen not only plenty here, but in other dimensions as well.  I could tell you stories that would curl not only your hair but your cat’s hair at the same time."
 
Everyone except Spike looked at the former demon as if they had never entertained the idea that she might have something of value to contribute.
 
"What, you think because I got stuck in the body of a high school girl that I have the knowledge and maturity of one?  Just because I'm blunt and openly like sex and money doesn't mean I am stupid."  Anya rolled her eyes, then moved back behind the counter to once more fondle the daily receipts. 
 
"Anya, I deeply apologize." Giles had the expression of a man just waking from a self-induced coma.  "I've been lamenting the lack of materials once available from the Council records and here I have a living, breathing resource working in my own shop!"
 
"You're forgiven," she beamed.  "Now, will everyone please stop always telling me to shut up?  If I don't know an answer, I'll tell you."
 
"I'll just bet you will," Spike muttered with a laugh.
 
 
***

... "The new Pope is urging the faithful to remain calm and remember that there is a benevolent Power over all and this trouble is well in hand.  This message of hope comes in the face of mass panic following the brutal massacre of dozens by unknown red-eyed monsters seen in this exclusive video taken by a tourist in St. Peter's Square."
 
Anya pointed to the television screen. "Those are Rofocaliusins.  They don't usually rile up.  Hmm, they are telepathic.  Maybe the frenzy is with all the chatter.  I'm surprised there are so many all together.  Being telepathic, they usually keep to themselves. Keeps them sane."
 
Willow looked up from her computer screen to see what Anya was referring to.  "OH, those are the scabby demons like the one that infected Buffy years ago!  She was suddenly hearing everybody's thoughts except Angel.  He had to track another one down and make a potion with its heart to cure her!"
 
Anya gave her a dirty look.
 
"What?  We didn't know what to call it," Willow protested.  "It's all scabby...see?"  She finally gave Anya a dirty look in return and muttered, "At least we figured out how to cure Buffy, even if we didn't know its fancy pants name."
 
 
..Meanwhile the President, also urging calm, reassured the Nation that the doers of evil will not succeed in the destruction of humanity. 
 
Across the country and, indeed, the whole world, massive arrests are taking place even as we air.  Non and sub-humans are being processed and classified as they are discovered and captured.  The leaders of both political parties issued a joint statement this morning reminding everyone that as long as you are not doing anything illegal, you have nothing to fear as these new laws take effect.  It is all part of keeping humanity safe.
 
In a related story, the CDC announced they had perfected the procedures using the Human Genome to help screen for humanity.  In trials, it is found to be 95% accurate."
 
"Yes, very reassuring," snarked Giles.
 
"When are they going to test for evil in humans?" Anya queried.  "Just as many evil, murderous humans as there are demons.  Probably outnumber demons actually.  Have you ever watched ‘48 Hours’?"
 
"Or just the nightly news," added Tara as she nodded in agreement.
 
***
 
Reverend Baker took to the podium and gazed out at the full to overflowing crowd.  "I'd like you all to meet someone really special who is here to share with us tonight.   Madeline Cutler is the head of MAD, 'Moms Against Demons'.  She comes to us with a strong background in Biblical demonology and child advocacy."
 
"What kind of school teaches Biblical demonology for a degree?" Andrew asked Warren.  "I'd sign up for that one!"
 
"Shut it, Speed Racer!  This lady's a pro."
 
The 'pro' had begun to speak. "Just remember that God is watching as we work our way through this testing period.  We need to remember that it was our own moral lessening that released the demonic scourge, but once we've proven ourselves worthy, the Almighty will once more smile down upon us.  Anyone who's been pallin' around with these monsters is as bad as they are!"
 
The crowd erupted in cheers and chants of, "Kill the traitors!"
 
Madeline smiled benignly.  "Our children have been corrupted in our own schools!  Taught that there is no moral black and white, that everything is a shade of grey and perfectly acceptable.  I'm here to tell you that the only shade God accepts from his people is white!  Pure, godly white!"
 
More cheering.
 
"Um, Warren, what if we're not completely...moral?"  Andrew looked worried.  "Not monster bad, but, you know, maybe...confused on some things?"
 
"She's not talking about that you, moron.  She's talking about being pure human," Warren looked at the younger boy with disdain.
 
"If I were in charge,” the MAD woman smiled jubilantly, “they would know that torture is how we baptize demons.  We are God's own army, doin' His mighty work of cleanin' up His world."
 
A few hallelujahs joined the cheers this time.
 
"Earth for humans!"  She shouted.  The response was deafening.
 
***
 
"And all of this was taking place right here in Sunnydale for all of our lives?"  Rabbi Goldstein looked poleaxed.  "How is it we never noticed?"
 
Chaim Rosenberg chuckled, "There is none so blind as he who will not see."
 
"True."  The Rabbi smiled at Willow with genuine affection, "Seems we blind people owe a great deal to some of our own children and grandchildren, doesn't it, old friend?"
 
Willow blushed. "We mostly just help Buffy.  She's the current Slayer.  They've been protecting the blind... er...people for centuries.  No one really knows how long.  The Council of Watchers, the group that Mr. Travers used to head up, didn't really let people read most of their older reference books."  She gave a sly look to her companions, "They also don't know that Giles--that's Buffy's Watcher--and I copied a bunch of their books to the computer years ago before he quit the Council."
 
"Those copies could come in quite handy."  Rabbi Goldstein, ever the scholar, looked like he would love a long look at the copies.
 
"Not all the information was accurate or even true, as it turns out." She frowned, but then brightened. "But a lot of it was!  And we have resources we didn't even think about until recently.  Let me explain about Anya and Spike."
 
*** 
 
Spike hated having to wait for the sun to go down before resuming his search for Buffy.  Each hour that went by was another hour that she could be in pain or danger.  It was eating at him.
 
Restview looked as quiet as a cemetery should be but rarely was in Sunnydale.
 
'If the demon chit saw Buffy here, there must be a trail of some kind.  All I have to do is pick up a thread.'
 
The sudden sound seemed to come from all around him, but before he could pinpoint what it was, he was surrounded by blackness.
 
***
 
"The Rabbi is really interested in talking to you, Giles, when you have a bit of time.  He's trying to form a decent resistance and hopes you can help him find out what demon groups might be the most helpful." Willow had told everyone about her earlier meeting.  There was a bit of hope knowing that not all humans had succumbed to the current madness and hate.
 
"I believe that might be the best option for dealing with this current situation.  We can at least try to help prevent as much needless suffering as possible until we can decide how best to fight back. Resistance groups were a valuable help during the Great War, after all," Giles nodded.  "Of course I'll meet with the Rabbi and any other sane human trying to stem this tide of insanity."
 
"On the bad side," Willow continued, "I finally broke through the firewalls of the Global Human Initiative and if they DO have anything to do with Buffy's disappearance, we may not have enough people to find her easily."
 
"What do you mean, sweetie?" Tara knew the news was bad based on the look on her lover’s face.
 
"I mean they've got camps, lots and lots of camps in a lot of places.  If they did take Buffy into custody, there's no way to know just where they might have her."  Willow's jaw firmed, "We'd find her.  It just wouldn't be quick or easy."
 
“I spoke to a friend who heads a coven in Devon.  Althenea looked into the trouble we’ve been having with locator spells.”  Giles looked grim.  “The coven detected a dark magic at work that blocked such workaday spells from penetrating large areas.  I would hazard a guess those large areas would coincide with these camps you’ve uncovered.”
 
Willow gulped.  “That sounds too logical and really scary.  What if Buffy…?”  She couldn’t put her thoughts into words.
 
“No reason to assume something terrible has happened.  Maybe it’s like Spike thought and Riley has her.  He could live on one of those bases.  We couldn’t trace her, but that doesn’t mean she’s in danger.”  Tara took Willow’s hand and tried to reassure her. "Anything on Riley?" 
 
Xander had been getting the runaround all day when trying to contact guys he had thought of as at least friendly acquaintances if not friends.  "The last guy who would actually talk to me just said that he didn't know, he was out of it.  Then he called Ri a ‘zealot’ and told me to steer clear of him if I didn't want to get dragged into a 'royal mess'."
 
"That doesn't sound good," Anya frowned.  "If even Riley's friends think he's off the spool, maybe Spike was right?"
 
"I'll keep looking," promised Willow as she powered on her laptop.
 
***
 
 
Spike came to, hanging from chains and feeling like every muscle was on fire.  He tried to suss out where he might be without opening his eyes and letting everyone--and he sensed quite a few humans nearby-- know he was conscious.
They seemed to know anyway.
 
“You know, 17, there’s a lot can be done to a vampire without making them dust,” a familiar voice said.   “We’ve been doing plenty of experiments to see how close to the line we can come.” Riley looked gleeful while the rest of his men merely looked cold and efficient.  “Lots of parts you can live without.”
 
Spike glared at the soldiers and put on a brave face.  Not going to let them see that he was in the least intimidated!
“You’re set up for P & P--that’s physical and psychological, by the way,” Riley crowed.  “That means you don’t have to worry about being staked…just yet.  Of course, you may find that bad news instead of good.”
***