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Chapter 26
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Charles managed to get the grand tour of the H wing at long last.  He hadn’t nagged, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to his interest.  He'd spent the time scouting everything else he could and testing a theory of Tara's at the same time.
 
Seemed that when that jackass of a sorcerer had put barriers to magic around the place he'd left a little back door for himself.  Any magic done from the outside couldn't penetrate into the compounds, BUT someone could, if they knew how, do magic from within. 
 
Rayne didn't have a chance to utilize his secret ability before they poisoned him, but the small tests Charles had run for Giles and Willow were promising. Rupert's knowledge of the man Ethan was and Tara's prodding that it was worth trying had won the day.  Small victories were to be savored.
 
Willow had supplied Charles with a charm that allowed him to speak without the recording devices picking up his conversations.  He had two more of the charms, one each for Buffy and Spike to use whenever he finally got a chance to be alone with them.  No point in conspiring or planning an escape when the walls had ears!  Now all he needed was the opportunity for a private chat.
 
Federwitz had come through and seemed eager to show off his playground.  The few unfortunate demons on his block were a miserable lot.  The commander, Finn, was a brute of the worst order.  He got off on the screams and pleading.  His handpicked crew was no better.
 
The one meeting Charles had with Finn had made him feel dirty.  There was no shame, no hint that the man ever questioned his own behavior.  He was proud of it all.  Riley claimed he was delighted to be in charge of the "scummiest of the scum," as he called his charges.  All Charles saw was misery that he wouldn't wish on any creature.  Even the vampires Gunn so despised had earned his pity.
 
Federwitz had been disappointed that the star attraction--Spike, as it happened--was in pretty good shape for a change.  Finn had taken a short leave back to Iowa on family business and no one else had quite the same single-minded dedication to putting the hurt on one specific vampire.  Spike still looked like hell and Gunn shuddered to think what the vampire looked like when Finn was here and actively tormenting him.
 
It was serendipity that Federwitz was called away to help with a Chirago having a post-torture seizure two cells over so soon after he had opened the one holding Buffy and Spike.  He'd had to talk fast, introduce himself, pass the charms to the two of them and promise to return later with more time and privacy to work on their plan.
 
Charles told them some ideas he'd had and reassured them that they could talk without being heard or recorded. He also advised they keep their backs to the camera still focused on them for Travers’ amusement and God knows what else.
 
***
Gunn looked carefully as he made his way to the Mosque.  To fit in, he’d had a crash course in behavior expected of a dedicated Muslim, courtesy of Imam Azim. 
Kalil had grinned as he had prepped Gunn.  “Who knows, perhaps Allah, may He be exalted, has arranged this in order to bring you to faith?”
 
“Thanks, but I got my own thing with the Big Man.  No offense,” Charles smiled in return.
 
“None taken.  Only those who distort the Holy Koran would be offended.  Your reply shows you are well on your way to Shahada already; you profess belief.  Still, the offer is open,” Imam Azim unlocked the small office in the Community Center where the hidden entrance to the tunnels was located and hung the “counseling in progress” sign on the door.  “Tell Mr. Giles I am greatly enjoying the book he lent to me and look forward to discussing some of the passages after our next meeting.”
 
“Will do.  Thanks again for the cover. “Gunn went through the carefully disguised door and made certain it locked behind him.  Only the most essential members of the resistance had keys to the various access doors.  Charles had been impressed with the level of organization and security here in Sunnydale.  He had thought the set up at the farm was tight, but this group was borderline paranoid.
 
‘It’s probably a good idea with Travers and his goons making SunnyD ground zero for their power base.’  Charles had met the Grand Muckety-Muck during orientation and had been struck by the old man’s fanatical facial expressions when talking about the world as he envisioned it coming soon.  Travers hadn’t said it, but Gunn was positive that the old codger saw himself at the helm.  ‘Must have a tiny package, needing to compensate that bad!  Too many ladies turned him down, maybe even laughed, when he was still trying to be a player.’
 
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of “Breathe” being sung, badly, in some demon language clearly not meant for American pop love songs.
 
Lorne was hard at work, grimace on his face, and vetting possible guides for the many refugees streaming through the system every day.  Gunn clung to the shadows so he could avoid being recognized elsewhere and blowing his cover.
 
“That’s fine, Ramona.  I’ve heard enough.” It was more than enough, judging by the look on the green demon’s face.  If anything, he was a couple of shades closer to Hunter than Kelly.  He also looked seriously concerned about something he had seen. 
 
Indicating the dark corner that shrouded Gunn, he firmly suggested, “How about you tell my associate about this new group you’ve been involved with?”
 
The attractive demon looked nervously from the darkness that held the signature of ‘human’ and the obvious demon in front of her.  She squirmed in her seat, “I’m not supposed to talk about them, but they’re on our side,” she fixed her gaze pointedly at Lorne as she said ‘our’.
 
“From what I saw, I’m not too sure about that.”  Lorne made a mental note to look more fully into the vision he’d had while listening to the caterwauling that seemed to pass for singing in her race of demons.
 
“They’re pro-demon,” Ramona cried defensively while shooting a dirty look at the invisible-to-her human in the room.  “Much as your group has helped, especially families, all you’re doing is hiding us!  The humans declared the war.  What do you expect?” Pure hatred glowed in her golden eyes.
 
Lorne leveled a gaze at the bristling demoness that brooked no argument. “Well, speaking AS a demon, I’d expect a little gratitude to the humans brave enough to stand with us in this fight.  They don’t have to and those that do risk plenty trying to do the right thing.”
 
The girl looked conflicted, “But we need to do more than hide!”  Her luminous eyes filled with silvery tears, “Where is our courage, our pride?  T’Mcasla says if they take one of us, we take ten of them.   They want war; we give it to them.  Even if they kill us all, we go down fighting with dignity.”
 
Charles had heard rumors of this T’Mcasla.  The legend was he had been married to a human woman who had turned him in herself.  His group, called the DRA for Demon Rebellion Army, had been formed soon after his escape from an overturned bus filled with demons headed for the camps.  The betrayed demon had been heating up the internet with his message of death for all humans with no exceptions.  It had taken on the trappings of a holy cause and was proving frighteningly popular, especially among the younger demons that were as filled with fear as the humans they now hated.  There were rumored training camps popping up to prepare the young hotheads for direct conflict.
 
Part of Gunn understood their feelings, especially having seen the horrors of the labs and prisons firsthand.  If he had been born a demon, he might be seduced to violent response himself.  Before he could voice this sentiment, Lorne was blindfolding the rejected Ramona in preparation for her departure.
 
All who were brought to Lorne to be read were blindfolded both coming and going and only permitted a view of the nondescript room he used to vet them.  They were taken on a circuitous route through the tunnels as well, so that the safe places wouldn’t be compromised. 
 
“Nelson Mandela, a human who knew a thing or two about injustice and cruelty once said, ‘There are many people who feel that it is useless and futile to continue talking about peace and non-violence against a government whose only reply is savage attacks on an unarmed and defenseless people’,” Lorne lay a sympathetic hand on Ramona’s shoulder.  “I do understand the lure, little sister, but remember Mandela also said, ‘If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy.  Then he becomes your partner.’ We have more and more partners every day,” he shook his head sadly at the thought of all the needless death and destruction.  “What happens to them if your T’Mcasla achieves his goal and we kill all the humans?  Will it really be a better world?  Will we truly deserve it?
 
The blindfolded demon didn’t show a reaction, but Gunn had a feeling she would mull over Lorne’s words of caution in the days to come. 
 
“If we start killing all humans, we become no better than they are.  Not all humans are evil and deserving of death.  Some are just confused and afraid right now. It was a lot to have dumped on them at once and the puppet masters used every one of our bad actions against us to prove that we are all to be feared.  Some humans are just bigots and that’s not going to change; others will come around once they get their fear under control.  More than a few are already helping and more will come.  Patience is a hard thing to ask, especially for a youngster like you, kiddo, I get that.  Just try not to be stupid.”
 
Lorne handed her off to the security unit waiting to escort her back to the world above with a final thought, “Even the current Slayer and her team are against this mess.  If the Chosen One can see what’s just, then there’s got to be hope, right?”
 
Once they were alone, the old friends relaxed a bit and Charles plopped himself casually in the comfy chair facing Lorne.  “Don’t envy you having to turn some away like that.  Nasty place waiting if she gets pulled in.” 
 
“Not my idea of how I wanted to spend my time when I crossed dimensions.  All I wanted was a place where music and peace were valued.  Hard to believe it now that this looked like paradise to me not that long ago,” Lorne sadly lamented.    “Still, have to look to the safety of all those demons who just want to live.  We get involved with that new group and all bets are off and we can kiss any human help goodbye at the same time.”
 
Gunn stared at the floor in contemplation, “Yeah.  Guess if it came to it, humans would have to pick their own side.”   He drew a deep breath and summed it up, “This sucks so hard!”
 
“Indeed, my luscious mocha friend,” Lorne looked grim.  “That’s another thing I miss.  No one seems to take time for the yumminess humans are so good at making.  I haven’t had a decent low-fat caramel frappuccino since I left LA when this whole clusterfuck started.”   He wiped his weary eyes and settled back in his matching comfy chair.  “So, any progress on your secret mission?”
 
***
"I'm pretty sure I’ve heard of this guy," Buffy reassured Spike.  "Last time I talked to Angel, he mentioned this demon hunter who'd started working with him.  I remembered the name, 'cause, you know, weapon."
 
"Jus' hard to know who to trust in a place like this’s all." Spike ran a newly healed hand through his hair in frustration.  "Hell, likely it’s the same outside, for that matter."
 
"Yeah, I get that, but we can't look gift horses in the mouth," Buffy reminded him.  "And just what the frilly heck does that even mean anyway?  Is the horse the gift?  Why look at its mouth?  And can I just say ‘ewwwww, oat breath’?  If it’s that Trojan kind of horse, I can see why you'd want to look in its mouth…and other places too."
 
Spike chuckled at her nonsense, glad for the proof that her spirit was as strong and uncrushed as ever.  "Think it’s about questioning the age of the nag.  Checkin' the teeth used to be a way of tellin' how old a horse was, how valuable.  The adage is sayin' that if someone's nice enough to give you a horse, don't get fussy about the quality."
 
Buffy nodded, "Okay, that makes sense, I guess.  I'm just hoping this horse is a good one."
 
"He did say your Watcher was in on this plan.  Can't see Rupes sendin' somethin' one step from the knacker to help you.  Likely the lad has skills."
 
They had been relieved beyond the telling to find out the others were safe for now in the hiding places Spike had wisely put together before everything had gone to hell.  Knowing they weren't as alone as they had feared was cause for hope too.
 
"Supplies come in, but there are too many people around to make that a good way," Buffy began to muse about their options aloud.  "They always make it look easy on TV and in the movies.  Prisoners tunnel out using a spoon or hide in laundry carts like it's nothing."
 
Spike smiled, "First time I found the air ducts, made my way out that way.  Gunn said that won't work this time.  Seems they learned after I made it out."
 
"We need to get outside the exterior walls.  Once we do that, the gang can get us the rest of the way home." Buffy sighed.  It seemed hopeless, but she wasn't anywhere near ready to fold her hand.  She wondered just what home was going to turn out to be when she got there.
 
***  
 Charles looked at his watch and knew he had to hoof it back to base soon.  He and the Watcher and his crew had hashed out a few plans for springing Buffy and her current cuddle-vamp.  “I’m thinking it might be a good idea to go a little pro-active, along with just moving people to safety.”
 
“What did you have in mind?” Giles had a decided note of trepidation in his voice.  Enough Watchers were combatants in this bloody war without him suiting up for that kind of battle. 
 
“Not talkin’ about joining up with the ‘bomb first and ask questions never’ group,” Gunn smiled ruefully.  “Doubt they’d let us join up anyway.  No, I mean maybe counter some of the propaganda asshats like that Charlie Cooper lay on so thick you can’t see the truth anymore.”
 
“You have something specific in mind?”  Willow looked interested.  She too was tired of playing defense all the time, especially since the other side was so damned offensive in every sense of the word.
 
“Yeah, actually,” Gunn shared his brainstorm and hoped they could find a way to work it.  “You’re the computer wizard, right?”
 
“Check and check,” Willow said with no humility whatsoever.  She knew her skills!  “Which do you need?”
 
“Both.  I’m thinking if I can get my hands on one of those tiny cameras like the police use in some places I could record what actually goes on in that hellhole.  I have to believe that most people would wake the hell up and demand changes if they only saw the truth.  Why not try to rally the good guys?”
 
They all looked at each other in silence, contemplating the idea and how it might be done to advantage.  “I know there are more decent people than bastards; it’s just that the bastards are currently in the driver’s seat and have the loudest voices.”  Gunn prayed that was the case at least.  If not, then the human race might not be worth saving.
 
“M-m-might work,” Tara’s eyes danced with excitement.  “W–w-Willow could up…l-load the feed live.”
 
Willow caught her lover’s excitement, “Easy-peasy!  I know how to make it go viral before anyone might take it down too.”
 
Gunn smiled in honest happiness for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.  “Get me the gear and grab your air-sickness bags then.”
 
Giles nodded in accord.  “That might just strike a blow in the right direction.”  He gave a wicked grin at Charles, “Think you can get Travers spouting his crap with a frothing mouth in one of those feeds?”
 
Charles chuckled, “Shouldn’t be too hard to do.”
 
Xander brought the group back to the harder issue: getting Buffy out of that same place of perdition.  “Are we going to do this before or after we get our guys home?”
 
“No reason we can’t do it at the same time.  Maybe not film the escape, but there’s plenty of prep work needed for breaking them out to give time for some damning footage.”
 
“I just hope you get something horrible enough to get it through some thick skulls that this is not some modern crusade ordained by the Powers,” Anya chimed in.  “Even the original Crusades weren’t that, even though they sold it that way.” 
 
“Won’t be hard to do that,” Gunn assured them and shuddered at the thought of all he’d seen.
 
“Back to Buffy and the Great Escape,” Xander repeated.
 
“Yes, I think your idea of the burial pit is the most likely to succeed.”  Giles looked again at the map Gunn had drawn.  “It is far enough from the walls to give a good head start and, with the forest nearby, we have cover for ourselves to spirit them away.”
 
“How carefully do they check those carts with the dead demons?”  Anya knew Spike could play dead pretty well and, if they didn’t know he was a vampire, could pass for another human-like dead demon.  Buffy might be trickier, however.
 
“Depends on who’s doing the duty.  They take the bodies of those who don’t dust or dissolve out when the holding room is full.  Most of the guys hate that duty and often it’s a crew made up of idiots who are on punishment detail.  Lots of grumbling and more attention paid to complaining about the duty than checking each body.”
 
“So if we can find a way to sneak Buffy and Spike into the room just before they load them up to take to the pit for burning, it might just work,” Willow mused.
 
“We’d have to be on the money with the timing, but, yeah, I think it would be our best option.  I can keep track of how fast the room is filling and the duty roster so that we can have an idea on the exact time.”
 
“How will we make Buffy look like a dead demon?”  Xander queried.
 
Willow frowned and then brightened, “Hey, the talismans you gave them to mask their talking worked, right?”
 
“So far, looks like,” Charles nodded.
 
“So some magic can work inside, like we thought.  If we make the magic signature small enough, it should go unnoticed.  I could come up with a glamour of some sort for Buffy so she will look more like a dead demon than an alive and pissed off Slayer,” Willow grinned widely.  “Piece of cake!”
 
“Now I need to pass the idea over to the dynamic duo and keep my eyes and ears opened,” Gunn added.  “I imagine I can find a way to get them from their cell to the holding room without too much trouble, if it’s the right day and time.  I’ve made some contacts.”  He grimaced thinking about the scum he was associating with in the camp.  “Can’t wait to scrub those memories and contacts!”
 
“I can imagine,” Xander nodded.  “So this pit…how’s it work?”
 
“They build up enough dead demons and take the bodies outside the walls to the pit here on the map,” he pointed to the spot he had carefully labeled.  “Once a month they douse it with an accelerant and light it up.  Once it cools they use slave labor from the ‘honor prisoners’ to rake the ashes and get it ready for the next load.”
 
Willow shivered, “Grandpa was right--it is like the Nazis!  God, how did we get here?”
 
Anya looked sad, “I’ve only asked that question a thousand times over the centuries.  Humans aren’t too good at learning lessons from history.”
 
An uncomfortable Giles cleared his throat, “Yes, well, perhaps this time will be different.  We can but hope.  If we can get Buffy and Spike into one of those carts just before they take them to the pit, that will get them on the right side of the walls.  What about guards or observation?”
 
“Minimal.  They’re got their swagger on in there.  Don’t really see much resistance, so they’re lax, especially when it comes to demons they figure are dead already.”
 
“Good, good.”  Giles looked thoughtful.  “All we need is to get them where they can climb out of the pit and make a run to the forest, where we can whisk them away to safety,” he mused aloud.  “Are they in condition for it?”
 
“At the moment, yeah.  You’ll have to be ready at a moment’s notice, since everything has to be exactly right for this to work.”  Gunn warned.  “Maybe get all these clergy members of your group to start sending word ‘upstairs’ for a bit of help.  It would be easier if it all works out on one of Finn’s off-duty times, because he’s like a cat at a mouse hole where Spike’s concerned.”
 
“Good thing Spike’s a dog’s name then,” Xander quipped.
 
***

“Hey, loyal humans!  Coop here with the scoop of the summer.  Make sure you gather up the grannies and kiddies and get yourself out to the big rally at one of the sites near you this coming weekend! 
 
There’ll be big screen TVs to connect us all in the celebration of mankind finally taking back what should’ve always been ours.  Check our website for the location nearest you.
 
 Along with some really fantastic guest speakers, including yours truly, there will be lots of great musical performances, food, and fun for the whole family.    
 
Don’t miss the demon stoning arena.  Must be seventeen or older, sorry. 
 
Plenty for the young ones too, including face painting and helpful and fun classes on how to spot a demon and how to take ‘em out if they have to! 
 
Best of all, it’s all free, just like we will be soon!  Remember, ‘Earth for Humans’ just like God intended.”