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Ring of Fire by TalesofSpike
 
Chapter 6.09
 
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Note: Thanks to my beta t_geyer for her unending patience, perseverance and support.
SECTION 6 - GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

Some boys take a beautiful girl
And hide her away from the rest of the world
I wanna be the one to walk in the sun

Hey now, hey now
What's a matta with ya?
Girls just wanna have fun now
Come on

(Cyndi Lauper, Album - 12 deadly Cyns... and then some)


A/N. Extra special thanks on this chapter and those immediately following for my wonderful beta t_geyer for providing a wealth of first hand knowledge on the San Fernando railway line, and again to Cherie for keeping me going with an occasional prod here and there.

Chapter 6.09
Wednesday, May 15th, 2002

The convoy was just approaching Oxnard when Spike pulled over again to get the latest update from Tara. He pulled Buffy's phone from his coat pocket and pressed it to his ear.

"Go, Tinkerbell."

"No go, as a matter of fact. They've stopped, or at least Dawn has, so either the train's stopped... or."

"Or they've ditched her. How far?"

"East of Simi Valley, in the mountains. I don't think you're going to be able to get close to it by road."

"You got any good news, pet?"

"How does the idea of reinforcements approaching from the south grab you?"

"It doesn't, but seeing as they might be useful I'd best keep my mouth shut. Ring us back if anything changes."

Spike quickly relayed the situation to Buffy, once she got her helmet off, and left her to deal with Riley.








"...So, can you like get some satellite or something to check whether the train is stationary, or moving or whatever?"

"Shit, I think that kick you gave me earlier knocked my brains loose. We don't need a satellite."

Riley pulled out his phone and hit one of the speed-dial numbers. "Command? This is Special Agent Riley Finn. I need you to patch me through to the person in charge of the central control room for the San Fernando railway line. It's an emergency. Can you sort it out, establish my authority and then call me back on my cell? Thanks."

"What are you going to do?"

"For one thing, the control room will know exactly which section of track the train is on. These days it's pretty much all centralised, and for another if that train is still moving we can get them to divert it somewhere where we want it to go. It can only go where the point changes let it. We can have it diverted into a siding somewhere or something."

"That's fine if we can have people waiting, but if we don't, won't they just realise the jig is up and make a run for it?

Oh, and by the way Tara called in Angel and the people that work with him to help. It'd be a really good idea if none of your people tried shooting any of them. They might get a bit confused as to who's on our side otherwise. Just so you know. I'd hate for there to be any misunderstandings."

"What exactly are we talking about here?"

"Well as far as I know they're all human except Angel and the big green guy with the horns and I suppose..." Buffy tailed off as she realised she really didn't trust Riley with the information about Connor and his origins or abilities. Suddenly a comment Riley had made when Xander got split into two seemed far too ominous; something about was he the only one who wanted to split them up and do experiments. "Does it really make that big a difference? Can't we just say they're on our side and leave it at that?"

"Yes, Buffy, it matters. If I'm going to be asking my men to deal with the denizens of the underworld then I want to know exactly who and what they're dealing with."

"You are dealing with people who I trust. Some of them I don't know well enough to call friends, yet, but I trust them with my sister's life, regardless of their origins, and right now I think my character judgements are a lot less suspect than yours. If you think you or your men are going to have a problem with that then I suggest you leave."

"God, what is it with you, Buffy? You're supposed to have this sacred duty to fight the demons, but every time I turn around you're socialising with them."

"I don't call trying to get my sister back from your psycho spouse socialising. And don't tell me what my sacred duty is. I live with it every day, and the way I see it, it isn't defined as fighting the demons. It isn't even defined by protecting humanity though that might be how a lot of the watchers would like me to see it. It's about protecting the innocent, whether they're human, or whether they're some Class 3 demon that you guys want to annihilate. If the worst thing a guy does is play poker for kittens, then when the human race turns vegan we can complain. And you've been turned around for a very long time, even if you have been spying on us in the meantime. Long enough for some of us to grow up a little bit. You have no idea how glad I am that you didn't bother to look down when that chopper took off, because I'm learning to like myself now, and if you'd stuck around with your blinkered mindset, then maybe I would still be stuck there with you. And I might socialise with the demons. I have every intention of marrying one, but at least I've never paid one to be my whore."

Just in time to prevent the blowout getting truly vitriolic, Riley's cell phone rang.

"Agent Finn."

"Agent Finn we have Mr Colefax on the line for you. He's the gentleman you wanted to speak to."

"Hello, Mr Colefax I wonder if you can help me? We believe there is a military train on the San Fernando line somewhere east of Simi Valley. Unfortunately we have reason to believe that an armed and dangerous fugitive is on board and may in fact be masquerading as one of the officers in charge. We need you to tell us where exactly this train is, and if possible without making the people on board suspicious we need you to divert it to a site where a containment unit can be waiting to deal with it.

"Hi, the train you're asking about is currently in the mountains it's pulled over in a siding between the two tunnels. The train driver reported a warning light to say that one of his axles was overheating and he's checking it out."

"What was the route that they originally filed with your company."

"Just a return run from Sunnydale to Burbank."

"Okay, this axle thing, how long should it take to check?"

"Twenty minutes, maybe thirty tops."

"And how long have they already been there?"

"About fifteen minutes."

"Okay, when they're ready to start again I want you to let me know. You can reach me at this number. If they're headed east I need for you to get them into some out of the way sidings or a freight yard or something and clear it of all passengers and personnel, but I need enough warning to get my other team in position first. So you might need to stall them with a couple of signals or whatever. Okay?"

"Yes, sir. I'll be in touch."

Riley put away his cell phone and turned to address Buffy. "Why don't you get Angel and his men to cover Burbank. If we can get a more precise location, I'll let you know."

"Keep the demons as far away from you as possible you mean?"

"Something like that. Or don't you think two of your boyfriends in the same place is enough?"

"You know what? Spike and Angel, they managed to settle their differences. Believe it or not, they can act like grown-ups. And for someone who married someone else within a year of splitting up, you seem awfully fixated. And for the record, boyfriend doesn't even begin to cover what Spike is to me."

"So what is Spike to you? Enlighten me. Tell me how it isn't Psych 101 any more. Tell me how you don't want a guy with super strength."

"God, is that why you tried to kill him? Even when you thought Sam was little Miss Perfect you couldn't bear to see me happy with someone else. Well, get over it. I don't have time for your damn insecurities and jealousy. Either help or get the hell out of my way, but I'm not going to stand here and argue with you while my sister's in danger."

Buffy stalked off to stand by Spike's bike as she put through the call to Angel's cell asking him and his people to head for the station at Burbank. Her anger simmered just beneath the surface, lending a tension to all her moves. Then, Spike's hand reached out and the back of one finger brushed against her cheek in the simplest of caresses and all the stress just melted away. She was in command. She knew what she was doing and Riley and his men were irrelevant. They were along for the ride. They needed to be part of this to salvage their own self-respect, but Buffy didn't need them. She had people she trusted and who trusted her. They hadn't lost a war yet, and they weren't about to start.

She pulled her helmet back on and got back on the bike behind Spike. "Let's go find my sister," she told him.








"Now this is going to hurt quite a bit," Sam said with a self-satisfied smile. "But then we have to be thorough. We've got the hair and the blood. Pity it's the wrong time of the month for egg harvesting, but maybe next time we're in town I'll make up for it. For now, though, we may as well get the skin sample. Say, how about I give you a choice of where I take it from? I could take it from your stomach. No more crop tops, but hey that's not so bad. Or maybe you'd rather I took it from your forearm? More obvious while it's fresh but perhaps not so bad when it heals. Maybe a bit more difficult to explain to Social Services when they get that child abuse call tomorrow morning. Or maybe you would rather I took it from your breast where it'll be hidden away from all but your most intimate acquaintances. What do you think?" She stepped up to the teenager and ripped the duct tape from her mouth.

"I think Buffy's going to kill you, if Spike doesn't get you first."

"Spike? Your toothless guard dog? He couldn't do anything to me, even if by some miracle he did manage to survive the night. And your sister is going to be so distraught over her vampire lover's final demise that by the time she realises that you're not just dawdling on your way home, Riley and I will be gone, on our way to our next exotic locale.

Well, since you won't choose, inner thigh, it is. That should make your walk to freedom a little more interesting."

"You really think I believe you're going to let me go when I know who you are?"

"You wouldn't be much of a warning if no one knew where you came from. But just in case you might decide to try anything official, I've got a little something here. We call it Venom 64. I believe you've recently seen its effects on your sister, only you won't have the luxury of being able to get any antidote."

Dawn's eyes widened in terror. She couldn't face having her reality ripped away from her. She wasn't strong like Buffy. And what about Buffy? If Sam was serious about killing Spike, who knew whether Buffy would survive. It had been scary enough when the vampire had been wounded. Maybe, if she lost Buffy again and Spike too, she might be happier in some fantasy world she created. And if she was crazy would she see herself as human or as some glowy ball of energy? Even through her panic she managed to come up with an air of bravado.

"It doesn't matter where you go on this earth. There will be nowhere you can hide. She will find you."

"She'll be busy trying to keep you away from sharp objects and stop you wetting the bed. If social services don't stick you in an institution as soon as they see the state you're in. Can't take any more sick days, can you or they'll come out to check up on you. And what will they find? Do you think your sister will report your disappearance to the proper authorities? I doubt it, but Social services are going to wonder. And what about when they find all that men's clothing in your sister's closets, from a so-called fiancé who's nowhere to be found? You are going to end up in a mental home, and your sister is going to learn that I am one person she should not cross."
 
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