Part 30
"Diane." David Griffin's eyes lit up when his eyes fell on the blond who was walking into the room. "How good of you to come."
"David," Diane turned the corners of her mouth up in what resembled a flirtatious smile. "I couldn't believe it when I got the invitation," she slightly turned her head, her gaze flickering to one of David Griffin's bodyguards. "And you even delivered it personally, you shouldn't have." Now her eyes narrowed and her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
The same instant David's eyes cooled as well, "I had the feeling you wouldn't come otherwise."
Diane didn't comment that, but her eyebrows rose when she saw Derryl Chambers and his daughter coming through the door of the warehouse. "More guests?" she asked, looking back to David.
"As a matter of fact," he replied, and she saw a flicker of astonishment in his eyes. He clearly hadn't expected for Simone to accompany her father. "Derryl, my old friend," he stood from his desk to greet the two people. "And the beautiful Simone. What an honor."
Derryl Chambers gave David Griffin what could be called a regal nod, while Simone forced herself to extend a hand and endure the kiss the older man was breathing on its back. David Griffin might be a gangster, but etiquette was important for him. Only at the last moment Simone stifled a noise of disgust. And this moment, for the first time in her life, she hated her father. For disguising her, for lying to her, and that he put her through something like that. For his hidden black heart.
"Mr. Griffin," she forced herself to say.
"David, please," he replied with an elegant bow, his eyes traveling over her form, resting on her breasts and Simone suppressed the urge to knee him in his groin.
"Come on," he turned and started towards the back part of the warehouse where several men were waiting for them and a blond woman, Simone recognized as Diane Massey, Griffin's girlfriend. "Let's get to business."
*****
Angel ducked in the shadow of a tree while he approached the warehouse, hoping that nobody saw him before he'd arrived at his destination. He was already close when Spike suddenly spoke through the headset he was wearing. "Last subject not at the meeting point. Repeat. Last subject not at the meeting point."
Angel stopped instantly, his blood turning to ice. "What do you mean," he asked, his voice carefully controlled, "last subject not at the meeting point? I thought you said all players on board."
There was a short silence, but Angel was sure he heard his friend curse in the background, then Spike's voice came back again, "It's my fault, buddy. I thought she was there. But obviously there are look-a-likes running around."
"Damn," Angel cursed as well and leaned against a near by tree, his legs suddenly feeling weak. The person they were looking for, the dirty cop was not on board. Where the hell... and then it hit him like a bullet through the guts. Buffy. The target was Buffy. God, he was such an idiot. She had been a target before. The bomb had been planted underneath her car.
Starting a dead run back to his car, he shouted through his microphone, "Cover. I need someone to cover me in this operation. And I need a free line to the hospital. NOW," he bellowed. His lungs were burning already, but he didn't slow down, if anything, he even increased his speed.
"I'm covering you," Spike replied through the headset. "Repeat. I'm taking your place. Go," he shouted, obviously having the same thoughts. His next words made it clear. "Take care of her."
Buffy had been Riley's wife. And they had killed Riley because he knew something. It had to be the pictures that Riley's brother had brought them. They just had been too stupid to see it. The attack on Buffy hadn't been a warning for them. It had been an attempt to kill her. Her. Riley's wife. The most likely person to know about his secret. Divorce or no, they had been close for a long time. Dammit, he thought desperately, finally reaching the car where Mike, Xander and Cordelia were already waiting for him.
"Do you have the line to the hospital?" he asked breathlessly.
"What the hell is going on?" Cordelia wanted to know, but was handing him her cell phone.
Ignoring her question, he took it, "Faith? Is everything clear? ... Good. Any visitors? ... No? That's ... WHAT? WHO? DAMMIT ... I said no visitors without my direct ... Never mind. Forget about it. It's not really important."
He turned and looked at Cordelia, then at Xander, "Willow is with Buffy at the moment," he told them, repeating what Faith had told him just before, his eyes grave. Turning his attention back to the phone, he said, "Listen to me now, Faith. This is important. I have to tell you something, you’re going to hardly believe, but you have to. There is a dirty cop... yeah, a dirty cop..."
He was talking to her while getting rid of his headset and signaling Xander to come with him. "Faith, wait a moment," he said, and turned towards Cordelia. "I have no time to explain this. But subject one is at the hospital this very moment. Spike can explain. I have to go. If anything happens to Buffy, it'll be my fault."
With that he slipped into the car and continued talking to Faith, while Xander was flooring the accelerator.
*****
Simone had the feeling as if she was walking through a nightmare. There were armed men. Lots of them. They were surrounding a large desk where two foreign looking men were sitting. They were obviously of South American origin, and they were smiling and joking with Diane Massey.
David Griffin stopped in front of the desk, and then turned and smiled at Simone, "May I introduce my friends. These are Sergio and Enrique Royos. Guys, this is Simone, the daughter of our friend Derryl."
Simone was hoping desperately that the shock she felt didn’t show on her face. Sergio and Enrique Royos. She had never met them before. But she had heard of them. Who hadn't? They were two of the most wanted drug dealers around. Both born and raised in Colombia, they had taken over the smuggling of drugs into L.A. from their father about five years ago.
She watched when her father shook hands with them, no doubt they knew each other, had met before. She felt the last of her hopes crumbling at her feet, and again concentrated on Mike's face last night, when he'd told her he loved her. She would make it through this. And then she would start forgetting about a man who had deceived her all her life.
On autopilot Simone extended her hand again for Sergio and Enrique to kiss. She smiled at David Griffin when he explained that Simone was accompanying her father to learn the business, and she even managed to smile at Diane Massey who she despised. The blond was nothing but a cheap whore in Simone's eyes, looking for the next rich lover to lead an easy life.
But of course this person wasn't Diane Massey. Diane Massey was sitting in the precinct, guarded by two uniformed officers, while her twin had taken her place. Knowing that made it easier to smile at the other woman.
"David," Diane/Darla was saying, while studying her nails, "can we get on with it? I don't have the whole day. I really need to be on time for the appointment with my hairdresser."
David laughed slightly, and Simone saw him shaking his head. God, she wanted to kill the guy. Right here and now. Her father laughed too, and she felt sick.
"Okay, guys," David turned and addressed Sergio Royos, "Show us what you have."
"Why don't we show each other what we have?" Enrique suggested, in his soft accented English.
"The money," David Griffin ordered and snapped his fingers at Floyd Brady, who appeared instantly carrying a large bag. He put it on the table and opened it. There was money in it, lots of it.
Sergio smiled and the same moment another bag appeared on the table. Although she had expected it, Simone couldn't suppress the slight gasp that escaped her mouth when she saw little bags inside, filled with a white powder. No doubt it was cocaine.
And then, chaos exploded. The doors of the warehouse were pushed open, officers and detectives were coming inside, shouting. Simone could see the blond detective who Mike had told her was called Spike. He was holding a mean looking weapon, pointing it at David Griffin, while Darla had drawn her own gun and held it towards Sergio Royos. It all happened so quick nobody had time to react.
"Keep your hands up," Spike warned approaching the table. "Check," he spoke into his headset, "Things are under control." He ripped one of the little bags open, stuck his finger inside and licked it. His face split into a huge grin and he spoke into the headset again, "Tim, my friend," he said to the DA, "I think that case couldn't be tighter. About fifty pounds of nice, white stuff and two eyewitnesses. One of them a police officer. This is like Christmas, buddy." He instantly became serious, when he listened to the reply. "Yes, got that. Any news from Angel?"
*****
"Man, I can't believe this," Xander said for the umpteenth time while he was driving. He had tears in his eyes, but there was firm determination in them as well.
Angel nodded absentmindedly at him, his concentration on the voice that was talking to him over the cell phone. "I hear you. Be careful, Faith. We'll be there in about ten minutes... Yes." He closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them and Xander could see that he was fighting for an answer, "Alright. If necessary eliminate the target."
He turned the phone off and stared at it for a long moment. Xander drove straight through a red light, ignoring the horns sounding around them, "She’s going for Buffy, isn't she?"
"Yes," Angel confirmed. "The target is Buffy because she was Riley's wife. She's expected to know certain things. Even though she doesn't."
A tear slipped from the younger man's eye, "I can't believe it. They’re colleagues. And I always thought we were friends. God, this isn't true." He shook his head, almost missing the entrance of the hospital parking space.
"But it is," Angel replied and jumped out of the car. He ran towards the entrance of the hospital, knowing that Xander was following right behind, and dialed a number on Cordelia's cell phone.
*****
"You should rest now," Willow said, standing up and smiling down at her friend. "You must be tired."
"I'm not that bad," Buffy replied with a shrug, wincing when the little movement sent stabs of pain through her whole body.
"Yes, you should," the redhead said firmly. "Close your eyes, Buffy."
The blond smiled at her again, and then did as told and her lids slipped over her eyes. She sighed, and was apparently falling asleep, when suddenly the phone at her bed stand rang. Her eyes opened again and with an apologetic look at Willow she picked it up. "Yes? ... Angel!" Her face brightened, and she smiled. Only a second later the smile slipped and was replaced by an expression of concern, then disbelief, then almost agony, "No," she breathed into the receiver. "Oh, no. Angel," she whispered. "Oh, God. ... Yes. ... Yes. ... All right. I love you too."
Buffy closed her eyes for a short moment, and when she opened them again, she turned her head to look at Willow. Her friend, since they'd been fifteen years old.
And she gasped.
The woman in front of her wasn't the Willow she knew. It was some stranger, her face cold and set firmly, she was pointing a gun at the blonde's head.
*****
"Faith," Angel shouted racing towards the brunette detective, the phone at his ear. "Yes," he spoke into it, his eyes on Faith and on the man standing beside her, his wrist secured in handcuffs. It was David Gadget. "Yes, we've got him," he confirmed to Giles who was on the other end of the line. "Yes, I know. No, Giles, I'm certain. We always thought it was one dirty cop, but obviously there were two." He turned to look at Xander who had joined them, panting heavily, "Yes, I'm certain, the identification is positive. ... Yes... I know it's difficult to believe, but frankly, I don't have time for this now, because Willow is with Buffy this very moment."
He switched off the cell, and looked at David Gadget who was staring at him with hateful eyes. "You're too late, Reardon. There's nothing you can do. The little bitch is going to die."
"You bastard," Xander hissed, fighting with the tears that threatened to spill over. "What did you do to pull her into this?"
"Nothing," Gadget replied, "It was her idea from the start."
"Her-" Xander's voice cracked and he had to turn away, pain threatening to consume him. Willow. His longest, most trusted friend. God, this was a nightmare.
He flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder, "What?" he asked, not turning around, not wanting for anyone to see his tear streaked face.
"I'm sorry," Faith said gently, nodding at the two uniformed officers to lead David Gadget away. "I can hardly believe it myself. I know she was your friend."
"She's inside," Kate Lockley came around the corner, "and she's pointing a gun at Buffy." She looked at Angel, "What are we going to do?"
"Follow me," Angel shouted at her and she ran after him towards Buffy's room.
*****
"Willow," Buffy breathed, surprise and disappointment in her voice.
"Yeah," the redhead replied, shrugged and sat down again on the chair she'd just moved back into the corner. "Surprise, huh?"
"God, Willow," the blond blinked threatening tears away. "How could you?"
The redhead shrugged again, "You said it before. It's the money. Oz's business isn't what we need it to be and besides, I'm sick of always counting my money, I'm too young to not live life in the fullest."
Buffy shook her head, "That's not you talking here, Will," she said, "That just doesn't sound like you."
Willow raised a brow, quickly looked at the gun in her hand then back at the other woman, "You think? Well, then maybe you never knew me."
"Obviously I didn't," the blond agreed, a sad smile crossing her features. "God, Will. You were my friend. You were my bridesmaid and I trusted you."
"Bummer, huh?" The redhead crossed one leg over the other, rested one elbow on them. "But you said it yourself. Money makes people forget about anything else. I never knew I wanted money so badly until I had had a taste of it. It's really addictive, you know. And comfortable."
"What about Oz?" Buffy asked."What about him? He knows nothing about my... uh... private transaction here. But he's too tied up with his computers to even notice that there's more money than ever before. He actually thinks he's earned it," she shook her head, "He never had a mind for money. Without me the poor man would be lost."
"I see," the blond replied. "And... what about your baby?"
"The baby?" she shrugged, "What about it? It will be a happy baby. A rich baby. It will have all the stuff I didn't."
"You actually believe you get away with this."
"Of course," Willow said, standing up, and approaching the bed, the gun still pointing at Buffy. With a smile she reached into her pocket, produced a silencer, and then adapted it on the gun. "Because you’re going to die. And nobody will ever know."
"Don't do it, Willow," Buffy said, looking at her friend steadily. "You don't want to do it."
The redhead laughed in response. A hollow sound. "Of course I want to do it." She chuckled, "You are so naive, Buffy. So good. So sweet. Gee, you can’t even guess how bored I was to be close to you all the time, pretending I liked you."
"Pretending you liked me?" Buffy asked, in total disbelief. She shook her head, showing the other woman how disappointed she was. "I'm very sorry Will."
The redhead laughed again, "You shouldn't pity me. Better pity yourself. You're going to need it in your next life."
And then she pulled the trigger.
Part 31
same day, 10.00 p.m., Los Angeles
Angel couldn't stop touching her. He needed to reassure himself that she was, even looking pale and sad, and lying on a hospital bed, indeed alive.
He would never forget the moment he'd stormed through the door of Buffy's room and found Willow standing in front of the blonde's bed, the gun still in her hand, the distinctive smell of a fired weapon in the air.
And he had been sure he'd been too late. Too late to save Buffy, too late to make his dreams come true. But like a miracle, Buffy, summoning all her remaining strength, rolled away the very last moment, and so the shot had only hit the pillow instead of Buffy's head. It was a miracle she was still alive, and that her roll from the bed hadn't caused further damage to her alreadybruised and broken body.
"I still can't believe it," she was saying now, fighting tears again.
In response, Angel took her hand in his and kissed its back. "I know," he murmured. "It's really hard to believe. She was your friend for so long."
She blinked rapidly and then turned her head to look at him, "The problem is, I can't stop wondering what part of her affection was genuine and what part was nothing but acting. Did she ever like me? When did it start to change? Did she start lying when we were in high school together? I..." her voice broke and silent tears slipped from her eyes. "God, Angel, how could this happen?"
He kissed her hand again, this time its palm, and holding it in both of his hands, he thought about Riley and a life-long friendship that had been destroyed by jealousy and fate, and realized that Buffy was experiencing the same thing now. "I've asked the same thing myself," he said.
"About Riley," she replied and it wasn't a question. She understood. "But at least Riley didn't try to kill you. I still can't believe she tried it twice. I just can’t believe she was the one who planted the bomb under my car. How can money be more important than friendship?"
It hadn't been about money in the end, Angel knew, and he told her.
Confused she looked up at him, "But what about then? What pushed her so over the edge that she was willing to kill me? Angel, about two weeks ago we had lunch at Cara's. She was like... the way she always was. My friend. How could she lie like this into my face?"
"It was because-," he began to reply when the door opened and Xander's head appeared.
"Hi," he said, his voice blank, his eyes incredibly sad. "May I come in?"
Buffy's lips twitched into the whisper of a smile, "It's the first time you’ve actually asked," she tried a lame joke, but he didn't pay attention. "Sure, come in."
A little bit uncertain he looked at Angel, but the older man just nodded and stood. "I'm going to go for a little. I need some coffee. Don't make it too long," he said, turning at Xander, "She needs her rest." With that he slipped out of the door.
"How are you?" Buffy asked softly, but Xander didn't look at her, just stared out of the window, his hands buried in his pockets. She had felt horrible about Willow, but now she noticed it was nothing compared to what her friend must feel right now.
He didn't answer at first, just continued staring out of the window. Finally he spoke. "It's strange, you know. After we knew you were all right, and after Faith and Kate took... her away, I went home. I needed to see Anya and the baby. They were the same. Anya kissed me and my son was happy. Nothing's changed." He paused for a moment and took a deep breath, "And yet everything has."
"We lost the rest of our innocence," Buffy said thoughtfully, knowing instinctively that he felt the same. "I already lost most of it through the mess with Riley, and when Mike died. But today I found out that we never really know another person. I'm glad Angel and I found each other again. Without him, I might have given up on life completely." She smiled slightly when he turned to her and his eyes narrowed. "Hey, I wasn't talking about suicide. I would've gotten through it. But I might not have been able to trust anyone again. And without trust life is incredibly empty. Because without trust there is no real friendship, no real love."
"Yeah, I know," he replied, raking a hand through his short hair. "I just think I’ll ever believe it. It's lost forever. That's why I needed to see Anya and our son. I needed to touch something that's good, not tainted." He turned back to the window again, staring into the night, hoping somehow that the darkness could swallow all ugliness away. Of course he knew it wasn't possible. "I hate her, you know," he admitted finally, "Not only for trying to kill you. But for stealing all the good memories I have of her. I always treasured our time as kids. Now it," he shrugged, a helpless, weary gesture, "it's all tainted. I’ll never be able to think about her with fondness. And I really, really hate her for it."
"I know," she said holding out a hand to him, glad when he came to the bed and accepted it. There was a long way to go, but maybe they could try to heal together. "It's the same for me," she told him when he sat down at the edge of her bed. "Angel understands it too. It might not be exactly the same, but Riley turned against him too."
"But at least Riley felt bad for it. He hated himself so much in the end that he didn't even care he was dying anymore. But Willow-" his voice cracked and he had to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat, had to blink away the hot tears, a mixture of anger, disappointment and deep, painful grief. Helplessly he shook his head, "There was no remorse, no regret for trying to kill you. God, it's going to kill Oz."
"Have you seen him yet?" Buffy asked, squeezing his hand, hurting for a man whose wife would go to jail, had betrayed him as much as her friends, and who was carrying his child. Oz was a taciturn man, he wasn't the kind to open up and talk. Would he ever get over it, Buffy wondered? Could you get over such a thing?
"No." Xander took a deep breath and rubbed a hand over his face, stubble growing in. "I have no idea what to say to him."
"Tell him, you’re his friend and that you'll be there for him whenever he needs you," came Angel's voice from the doorway. He'd entered so quietly, they hadn't heard him. He smiled briefly at Buffy, who returned it and then looked at Xander again, "And he is going to need you. Willow's obviously decided to make a deal."
Xander's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"
"She agreed to make a full statement," Cordelia said stepping into the room behind Angel. She smiled at the woman in the bed, "She’ll tell us everything she knows. About David Griffin, his organization, his contacts, and everything. The FBI has been informed and it looks as if she could get off pretty easily."
"Oh, that's rich," Xander scoffed, stood and began to pace the room. "So she might come off with two years or what?"
"She might not even be charged," Cordelia said, not liking it herself, "The FBI was talking about a witness protection program." She rubbed her weary eyes and then combed the hand through her hair.
"Gee, so she just talks a little, and the reward for trying to kill Buffy, for deceiving all her friends, is a new name and a new life?" Xander walked back to the window, stared into the night again. "Man, maybe I should try it too."
"I know it's not fair," the brunette closed the door behind her and leaned against it. "But David Griffin and Derryl Chambers are the really big fish in the water here. Willow's just a dirty cop."
Xander snorted but didn't say anything. After a moment of silence, Angel cleared his throat, "She told Giles and the FBI that one of Griffin's snipers shot Riley. It seems the whole thing is pretty complicated." He crossed the room and sat down with Buffy. "With his sister escaped from her husband, Riley was forced to do something. So he did. It seems that David Griffin found out everything about Riley's little problem and he knew Eunice's husband. He threatened to expose her. He blackmailed Riley to force himself on Simone Chambers. Griffin needed the pictures to keep Derryl Chambers on track, should he ever consider leaving their little family.
"Riley on the other hand blackmailed Simone, because he found out she knew certain things about her father. I'm not trying to find an excuse, but at least his blackmailing had the ulterior motive to save his sister. Of course, he should've told us everything and tried to find a legal way out of the mess. But he was already in so deep, and with the guilt he was carrying around regarding Mike's death, and all he had done to help Eunice," Angel shook his head, and smiled at Buffy when she took his hand, "He couldn't stand the idea of going to jail."
"But why would Griffin kill him?" Buffy wanted to know.
"Because he found out that Riley had stored information about him. Some kind of safety assurance. So he killed Riley. Then his men found the dangerous information Riley had hidden. Yet, it wasn't all of it. They had no idea Riley had sent copies of everything to his brother. So they assumed you had it. That was the moment it was decided to eliminate you as well. As you remember, there were pictures of David Gadget in the envelope. Willow obviously thought she was in danger of being exposed as well."
Xander who had listened to the whole story, turned back to his friends. "Where is she now?"
"They brought her to the precinct," Cordelia replied, "But the FBI wanted to take care of her. Why?"
"If she isn't going to jail, then she's going to keep the baby, right?"
"I suppose so. Oz came to the precinct," she told Xander. "He seemed to take it well, but that's just Oz. He never shows a lot of emotion. The FBI offered to take him into the program with her, but he refused. He knows that she's going to take the baby with her." She paused for a moment, and then added thoughtfully, "Maybe it's best that way."
"No, it's not," Xander replied forcefully, "How can you say that? He finds out that his wife betrayed everyone and on top of it, he's going to lose his unborn child."
"It’ll hurt," Angel said, holding onto Buffy's hand, glad he wasn't forced to make such a horrible decision, "but a clear cut is the only way. For all of them. It's actually the baby who’s going to lose the most in this. Either it will lose a mother or a father. And it will never know that lost parent."
"God, this is such a mess," Xander crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. "Why did she have to do this?" he asked again. "What is so wrong with this life, that she needed to do what she did? Can anybody explain it to me, because I'm never going to understand it."
"Some people aren't as content as you," Angel replied quietly. "They want more. And they want it any possible way. That's why we’re here. To get those who leave the legal path."
Cordelia looked at the lovers on the bed and smiled, determined not to give in to depression, "Well, I suppose you aren't in danger of leaving the legal way. Speaking of being legal, my wedding’s in about four weeks. How about a double wedding?"
"Well," Buffy smiled at her gratefully, understanding what the brunette was trying to do. She felt terribly sad, but life went on, and looking at Angel she knew it had beautiful things in store for her, "we haven't actually talked about a date or marrying at all for that matter."
"You haven't?" Cordelia asked in mocked shock. "Well, then go on, ask her."
Angel chuckled, "I would prefer a more... private moment for that kind of thing," he told her.
"Oh," she grinned. "Privacy. We can do that, can't we, Xand?" she turned and looked gently at her old friend.
"Yeah, sure," he tried a smile and his lips twitched. "I need to go home anyway. I promised Anya not to be too late. See you tomorrow. And," he paused in the doorway, "I would like a double wedding. Hope the cake's going to be huge."
"Love you too, Xand," Buffy said when he slipped out of the room. She smiled at Cordelia who followed him and when the door closed behind them, she turned to Angel. "I totally understand if you don't want to marry now or... ever. We haven't talked about it so far. I don't even know if you're going to stay in L.A. or if you want to move back to New York." She licked her lips nervously, "I mean, I don't want you to feel-"
He stopped her rambling with a sweet kiss and when their lips parted he smiled, "I couldn't think of any better timing," he said, stroking her cheek. "It's like announcing that we still believe in the good things in life." No, they hadn't talked about their future so far, but with the events of the last days it was suddenly so easy to see that life was short and precious and that there was no time to waste a single moment of it.
"Yeah," she agreed, smiling as well. "So are you going to propose, or should I?" she only half-joked. Inside everything was fluttering. This was about a marriage to Angel. Something she'd dreamed about for so long.
"You might laugh at me now," he said, his face serious, "but deep inside I'm a very traditional kind of guy. In my eyes the man does the proposing. So," he grinned and slipped from the bed.
Buffy couldn't stop the tear slipping from her eyes when he went down on one knee.
END
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