Chapter 18
At 3 AM on the dot, the phone rang jarring Angel awake. He fumbled around on the bedside table to grab the handle of the cordless phone.
“Hello,” he muttered, rubbing at his eyes and hoping the clock was wrong. Spike and Buffy stared blurry eyed at him as he sat up. He reached over to stroke Buffy’s hair as he smiled just because she was there.
“It’s Eve. You need to come down to the office immediately.”
Angel’s happy thoughts crashed at the strident tone of the Senior Partner’s liaison. “Can’t it wait? It’s 3 in the damn morning.”
“No, it can’t wait,” Eve said, in a patient tone. “You’re needed now. Actually you were needed almost an hour ago, but your presence is still necessary.”
“Why?”
“There’s a crisis here that you need to deal with. The Partners are not happy.”
Angel knew he couldn’t avoid going. It was part of the show. “Be right there,” he said before clicking the phone off before Eve could say anymore. Sighing, he returned the receiver to its cradle before turning to look at the disappointed faces in the bed beside him.
“Be right where?” Buffy asked, rolling onto her side, and tucking a hand under the pillow.
“Wolfram & Hart,” Angel said, climbing out of bed with great reluctance. “Somebody or something has caused a problem that I need to take of before anything else happens. I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Are you sure you don’t want us to tag along?” Spike asked, sitting up. “It won’t be a problem.”
“No, stay here,” Angel said, smiling. Buffy and Spike were both too inviting for words. It was too bad that they couldn’t have woken up for another, more pleasurable, activity. “There’s no reason for all of us to be miserable.”
After dressing in the clothes he’d taken off only a few hours ago, and giving quick kisses to both his partners, he headed out of the apartment. He was walking through the lobby when he heard the elevator returning to the upper floors. With a shake of his head, Angel put his hands on his hips as he waited for the inevitable.
Spike gave his patent smirk as he stepped out of the car. “What? Did you think that I’d really stay behind? Just because Buffy is here, doesn’t mean I’ve quit us.”
“I’m surprised she didn’t come, too,” Angel remarked.
“She wanted to, but I convinced her to keep the bed warm for us,” Spike said, with a waggle of his eyebrows.
“That’s surprising.” Angel wasn’t used to Buffy taking orders or suggestions from anyone. The girl he once knew was always in the thick of things, always ready for a fight or offering help in finding the solution to the current problem. It was always her show and everyone else was there to back her up. He wasn’t sure if he should accept this turn of events as a sign of maturity on her part or if it meant she was up to something. He hesitated until Spike clapped him on the shoulder.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing, I guess,” Angel replied with a shrug. “Let’s go.” Even with the uncertainty of Buffy’s position, he was relieved Spike was by his side. A long time ago, he’d trained Spike very well in the art of evil and the two of them were an unbeatable pair. Working in a silent synchronicity that left most opponents without any defense against them. He could only hope it would serve them well in facing The Immortal along with the Black Thorn.
The ride didn’t take them long. They walked into the foyer of Wolfram & Hart, stopping at the eerily calm of the office. After the phone call from Eve less than an hour ago, Angel expected the place to be in chaos. But whatever the problem was, it wasn’t turning the place upside down. A glance at the confusion on Spike’s face told Angel he wasn’t the only one on guard. Keeping an eye out for trouble, he strode to his office where he saw Eve perched on the edge of his desk.
“It’s about time you got here,” Eve said, with a tilt of her head. “Things were going very bad, very quickly. The Senior Partners weren’t pleased that you weren’t here to take care of things.”
“I arrived as quickly as I could,” Angel replied, refusing to let Eve’s words make him feel guilty. Maybe he should regret his absence, but he wasn’t willing to let it get to him this time.
“Well, well,” a voice behind them said. “Who would have thought I’d see the day when the great Angelus would prefer the bed of his mistresses over the pleasures of evil.”
Stiffening, Angel turned to look at his enemy. The Immortal was sitting at his conference room table with his feet propped on the shiny wood veneer, and a smirk on his handsome face. Spike bristled beside him but the younger vampire remained where he was, awaiting a signal from Angel. Not that one was coming. Reggie wasn’t going to taunt Angel into either a physical or a mental match. Not until he laid out all the groundwork first. When he made his move, he wanted to be sure that he’d win against the Immortal…for good.
“What happened?” Angel asked Eve, turning his back to Reggie after only a cursory once over. Let the man stew for the time being. He’d deal with him when he was ready.
“The entire Wolfram and Hart computer system was invaded by a virus,” Eve explained. She crossed her legs at the ankles, letting them swing back and forth, as she continued. “If it wasn’t for the Immortal’s quick thinking this could have brought the whole company to a temporary halt.”
“And why don’t you tell me just how did Reggie, the great Immortal, save everything?” Angel asked. His hands found their way to his hips as he stared at Eve, refusing to let any emotion show. “I mean, isn’t it a coincidence that he’s here to save the day at just the right moment? Maybe he spread the virus just so he could fix it and get the attention of the Partners.”
“I don’t need to play games to garner admiration,” Reggie announced. He stood in the effortless way he moved and in a blink of an eye seemed to reappear at Angel’s side. “Unlike you and your childe I do have some semblance of playing fair.”
“Really?” Spike asked with a chuckle. “You play fair? Now, that’s a good one. You don’t know how to do anything but be a liar and a cheat.”
Angel rubbed at his forehead hoping that the whole situation would go away. He knew better though. Nothing ever was easy. He sighed and put his hand up before Spike decided to punch Reggie or some other equally emotionally driven response that would only cause more problems.
“Stop the childish behavior,” Angel remarked, not looking at either of them. Maybe Spike wouldn’t realize he was included in the statement. He didn’t need Spike to get bent out of shape over it. What he needed to do was gain control of the situation. To be the CEO that the Partners wanted him to be. “First, unless you are here by invitation of the Senior Partners, I consider you trespassing Reggie. There isn’t any reason for you to be at Wolfram and Hart.”
“Not even saving your ass?”
“Don’t think you’ve done something miraculous here, boy. I’m sure that one of the geniuses on the payroll would have figured out what to do about it,” Angel said with a chuckle. He shrugged for added effect. “I’m still not certain that you’re not the one who planted the thing in the first place, but I aim to find out for sure. And if you did, you will pay for it.”
“I didn’t do it, Angel,” Reggie said. “Maybe you need to look in your own camp. A few geniuses at home perhaps?”
Spike went to grab Reggie when Angel stepped between them.
“You’re a bloody arse,” Spike growled. “Just give me a few minutes…”
“To what? Write a few lines of poetry to torture me with?” Reggie said, tilting his head but other than that small gesture he didn’t show any sign of being ruffled. “Come now, we can settle this whole thing in a gentlemanly fashion.”
“Eve?” Angel barked.
“Yes, Angel?” Eve asked. She seemed to perk up a bit at hearing her name, even taking her eyes from the fingernails she’d been studying to Angel’s face.
“Does this piece of Euro-trash have an invitation or a reason to be at Wolfram & Hart at this time of night?”
“Nope,” Eve replied with a smile. “He showed up from out of nowhere, saying he knew we were about to be sabotaged and saved the day.”
“Sounds guilty to me,” Angel said. “How about you, Spike?”
“Sounds that way to me, too” Spike said, with one of his crooked smiles.
It took Angel a split second longer than it should have to return his attention to Reggie. Sometimes Spike was just too sexy for both of their own good. He promised himself that one day Reggie would pay for pulling him out of bed. Buffy was probably worrying about them, and he didn’t want her to get the idea to join them. Not when he wanted to bring in the morning, the way they’d started the night.
“Well Reggie, seems to me you’ve overstayed your welcome,” Angel said, when he finally got his mind back on business. “Get the hell out of my company and don’t come back unless you’re invited.” After issuing the directive, he walked to his desk to lean on it. With his arms crossed, he waited for the Immortal’s next move.
“Don’t think you’re going to win this,” Reggie said. “I’ve always won when it came to you bumbling idiots. Both in business and with your women. This time won’t be any different. By the time this is over, I’ll be running this law firm and I’ll have Buffy back on my arm.” Without waiting for a reply, he walked out of the office.
Spike slammed the door shut behind Reggie, making the Immortal jump. This only made Spike laugh. Angel couldn’t help but smile. Sometimes Spike could be annoying with his behavior, but in the end it was endearing to him. It was just what Angel needed to spark his own personality from its brooding qualities.
“Guess that teaches him,” Spike said. He was grinning.
“Yeah, until the next time.”
“Angel, I hate to interrupt your congratulating moment,” Eve said. She jumped to her feet. “Don’t forget the Partners weren’t pleased you were absent when the crisis came down. It’s the reason they gave you an apartment in this building.”
“Yes, I know that’s why, and sometimes I need a little privacy if you know what I mean.”
Eve rolled her eyes. “All they care about is business. Right now you’ve been more preoccupied with your privacy than in running Wolfram and Hart.”
“Are you threatening me?” Angel asked, returning to his normal stance of feet apart and hands in his pockets. “Nothing has suffered and the attack tonight I put on the Immortal trying to play hero.”
“It wasn’t the Immortal.”
“How do you know?” Spike asked.
“Because we traced it back to the IP address despite quite a few detours throughout a few satellites. It seems the virus originated from a computer at The Hyperion.”
Angel closed his eyes. It was Andrew. It had to have been and he was going to wring the kid’s neck when he got a hold of him. The last thing he needed was for the junior squad to try to get in the middle of a battle that was way out of their leagues. It was only going to cause more problems and he was going to have to prove his loyalty to make up for this mistake.
“I’m going home,” Eve said, strolling toward the door. She hesitated with her hand on the knob, turning to look at them over her shoulder. “But think about what nearly happened. It won’t be tolerated again.” And with that, she was gone.
Angel sank onto the edge of the desk, gripping the edge in
an effort to keep from letting his rage loose.
Buffy and the children should have been put back on a plane to
to be continued…
