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Chapter 30
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Buffy and Spike were wound tight, senses on high alert.  Time seemed to slow to a crawl and both of them were itching to get the show on the road.
 
“You up for this, Slayer?”
 
Buffy smiled, seeing through Spike’s use of her title instead of her name or one of his trademark nicknames for her.  He hadn’t called her Slayer in a long while.  This time he was addressing the warrior, the part of her that was all steel and fight, the part that brooked no nonsense.
 
“Born ready, vampire.  You?”
 
“Same.”
 
Buffy had some bruising and a gash on her forehead but nothing that would prevent their flight to freedom.  Spike was blessedly in one piece as well.  The gods of prison escape seemed to be smiling on them.
 
“Should be anytime now.  I saw Federwitz head for the Charge Officers room for shift change.”  Spike paced, ready to act on a moment’s notice.
 
“See Gunn anywhere?”
 
Spike looked through the glass pane in the cell door and peered out.  “Speak of the devil.  He just showed up at the end of the corridor.  Got what looks like a laundry cart with him.  Suppose that’s our transport.”
 
“I feel like I’m in every bad prison break movie Xander ever made me watch!  Guess I should be glad we didn’t have to spend months digging a tunnel.”
 
Spike grinned, “I’m gettin’ pretty good at playin’ mole-boy.  First, diggin’ up my pretty ring you gave to your ex, then all those tunnels to make a place to hide from these berks.  Can’t say I fancy another round of excavation just now though.”
 
Buffy moved closer to Spike near the doorway and was knocked sideways when the first explosion rocked the building.
 
“Sounds like they’re playin’ our song, Slayer.  Care to dance?”
 
***
 
“And fire two!” Xander grinned in glee.  He rather liked blowing things up.  He might have chosen construction as a career, but there was something to be said for controlled destruction too.
 
The second charge went off closer to the Administration area where most of the “important” staff had offices and barracks.
 
“Hope that first one didn’t accidentally get too close to Buffy,” Willow worried.
 
“Had to give them the heads-up and create confusion in their wing.  Gunn said he set the charge where it wouldn’t do more than structural damage,” Giles reassured the twitchy witch.
 
“I just wish your buddy Ethan hadn’t been so good at his craft.”  Willow hated not being able to use her magic skills in the battle.  She didn’t seem to realize how important her computer hacking abilities had been in deciding where and when to plant the explosives.  It was a different but every bit as important kind of magic.
 
“Now the guard tower,” Xander smiled as he pressed the activator for the charge.
 
“Let’s wait a short while for the next set, shall we?  No doubt there’s ample confusion within to mask their movements,” Giles had everything planned to the second and so far luck had been with them.
 
***
 
“We’re under attack,” screamed Fry.  “Must be those DRA bastards!”  Fry was panicked as all the regular guys were.   They’d all seen the news reports on how the Demon Rebellion Army treated captives.  He really wished Barnes was still alive.  That guy knew his way out of any situation…well almost.
 
“Not gettin’ me!” Fry vowed and headed for the nearest exit out of the facility, ripping off all insignia that would mark him as part of the staff.
 
“Get back to your post, soldier,” barked the CO for the wing.  “Can’t have these creatures running loose.  Contain them, seal the unit!”
 
Demons were agitated, looking for a way to use the miraculous panic and explosions as a way to freedom.  A few cells had sprung open releasing a handful of demons including a pregnant female Fyral, who was happily removing the heads of her former tormentors.  The others were too busy looking for a way out.
 
***
 
Gunn quickly swiped his access card and opened the cell door for Buffy and Spike who leapt into the cart immediately.  “Okay, wheel man, let’s get the hell out of dodge,” Buffy exclaimed.
 
“Might let a few of the other sad buggers out along the way for more cover, mate,” Spike suggested.
 
“Oh, HELL no!  No while I’m wearing a target on me,” Gunn replied.
 
“Most’ll be too dazed to do anything,” Buffy reminded him.  “Keep in mind this is Riley’s playground.  They’ll be lucky if they have all their parts.”
 
“Yeah, that mother is hardcore!”  Charles could see in her eyes that the biggest reason Buffy had for trying to make a case for opening the cells was sympathy for the occupants.
 
“Sides, when they go checkin’ it might make ‘em take a bit longer to snap that we’re gone if the whole wing is loose,” Spike added.
 
“Alright, but if any of them come after me I’ll be expecting some protection,” Gunn agreed.
 
“Done,” Buffy promised.
 
Charles began swiping the card on all the occupied cell doors as he pushed the cart closer to the hallway leading to the morgue.
 
As predicted by Buffy, the demons inside weren’t capable of threatening anyone and looked more dazed and confused than anything.
 
Once in the hallway, Gunn sprinted as fast as his legs could move.  The morgue was at the far end of the building and as yet untouched by any explosives.
 
The second volley of charges began to go off, this time nearer to the women’s wing.  Gunn hoped it got that bastard Fry, Barnes’ buddy and protégé who gave men and humans a bad rep.  The female demons had taken care of that Buster Barnes neatly just the day before.  He’d never rape again--well, he’d never do anything again for that matter.
 
“Next step: changing carts.  Next one won’t smell too good, just sayin’.”  Gunn warned the pair.  “Some of the demons have been dead a while and are kinda ripe.”
 
“I’ve been dead a while too, mate,” Spike quipped.  “Lucky for me, I don’t have to breathe.  Buffy might have the worst time.”
 
“Nothing can smell so bad that it would be worse than being in this place,” Buffy shuddered.  “As long as they don’t set the fire before we can get out, I’m fine with whatever.”
 
“I already told the crew that there’ll be another load before they should light up so you’ve got time.  I think everyone will be pretty busy for a bit,” Charles suggested as he flinched from yet another blast.  “Damn your homeboys musta got a great deal on C4!”
 
“Xan works construction.  Helps to have a man with the right connections,” Buffy smiled. 
 
“Just remember when you crawl out of that pit, you head to the woods to the East.  The A-Team will be right there.  I’m plannin’ on being right behind you.  Time for Lt. Dee to go AWOL if I can’t plant the tags on an unidentified and get listed as dead.” 
 
***

“Miss Jenkins?”  The man wore the uniform of the Global Human Initiative and was backed up by at least five others that Anya could see.
 
“Yes, can I help you?”  Anya had stayed behind at the Box to try to keep from drawing attention to what the rest of the group were up to.  The still undiscovered surveillance devices would finally come in handy.  ‘Nothing to see here.  Just business as usual.’
 
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to come with us, ma’am.”
 
Suddenly it was Anya who was afraid.  “Why?  I’m a tax-paying citizen and I’ve committed no crimes.”
 
“Well, ma’am that’s going to be for a jury to decide.  Please put your hands behind your back and I’d strongly suggest you not engage in any resistance.  My squad have orders to bring you in alive, but nothing was said about the condition.”
 
“What have I done?  Can I get a lawyer?”  Anya felt the bile rise in the back of her throat.  ‘We waited too long!’
 
“That’s not for me to say, ma’am.  I don’t know about a lawyer, but I suspect you’ll be allowed one.  You’re going to the jail, not the facility.  Just come along peacefully.”
 
***
 
“Will someone kindly explain what is going on?” Travers demanded.  “Starling, find someone with answers! “  He stumbled slightly with the force of yet another explosion.  “How is it possible that security has been breached?”
 
“I’ll look into it, sir,” Starling promised then looked around and wondered just who the devil there was to ask.
 
“Director Travers, sir,” the soldier in full riot gear took him by the arm.  “You need to get to a secure area right away.  So far we’ve contained the beasts, but I don’t know how long that’ll be the case.”
 
“Yes, yes,” Travers nodded.  “I want answers as to how this was allowed to happen.  There will be serious consequences for this shoddy security.”  He was incensed.  This was supposed to be the most protected base in the country, yet someone had managed to plant and detonate several explosives.  Heads were going to roll once the inquiry was completed.
 
“Sir, this area is not safe,” Starling tried to urge his angry superior off the catwalk overlooking the female prisoners.
 
“I am aware of that, Starling.  I am not daft.”
 
“No, sir, of course not.”
 
Another charge went off that rocked the building harder than the last.  The female demons were keening and chattering, looking to see if any cracks could be exploited and turned into a way of escape.
 
Travers looked over the rail at them and fumed, “Make certain to have troops around the perimeter in case any of these creatures manage to find a hole big enough to crawl through.  I do not want even one lost, do you understand?”  He addressed the soldier who was still trying to get the director to move out of the area.  “I especially want those five renegade Potentials accounted for, Starling,” he ordered.
 
“On it, sir.” Starling’s words were drowned out by yet another blast and the sound of pulling metal.
 
The catwalk railing was coming lose and Travers had been thrown onto the other side, the one open to the pit below. 
 
“SIR!”
 
“Don’t just stand there, Starling, pull me back up!”
 
From below came an eerie silence as the female prisoners all gazed at the dangling director just barely out of reach.  A vampiress in full demon mode stood directly below Travers and lisped, “Yes, Starling, mustn’t delay.  Wouldn’t want your boss to take a tumble.”
 
The accompanying laughter chilled Starling to the bone.
 
“I get dibs on first blow,” came a human voice.  Starling thought it was Sally, the Potential trained by the late Davina.  “I owe him for my Watcher.”
 
“We all owe him,” the vampiress noted just as Travers grip on the railing slipped, sending him in a screaming fall into the pit filled with living vengeance.