FicWad

Andrea was tired. The call from Joe had disturbed her more than just physically. So much so that she had found it impossible to get beck to sleep again. Instead, she lay with her eyes wide-open waiting for a single sleepy feeling that didn't come.

“Damn you, Joe! Why did you have to scare me like that?” she sighed, pushing the covers away. Rising thirty minutes before her alarm was due to go off , she slammed an angry hand down onto the alarm's off switch, as she headed to the shower. She didn't understand why she couldn't sleep; it wasn't even that she wasn't tired. If the truth were known, she was exhausted. She had had far more excitement in her life than she was used to and way more than she wanted. For the first time in her life, she was hiding her head in the sand - if she couldn't see it, it wasn't real and what Joe had told her definitely wasn't real.

One good thing had come out of her recent ordeal and that was Joe, but even that presented its own problems. Firstly, the very thought of him reminded her of all the trauma she had suffered lately, which contrasted sharply with the depth of feeling she felt for him. In this rare moment of reflection, she had time to really consider how she felt and she could honestly say she was confused. She knew, without even thinking about it that if he were there, she would happily sink into his arms and never move from his side. But he wasn't there and she was allowing herself to have doubts, especially now she had discovered that Beckett had survived.

Joe had already told her that Beckett had probably targeted her and she was worried for more than one reason. She didn't want to die, but more than that, she didn't want Joe to either. Joe would risk his life for her and very possibly the lives of the others too. How could she let that happen? But how could she not be with him? It was too confusing and it would have to wait. Through the steamed glass walls of the shower, the clock showed her that all he pondering had made her late. Now she would have to hurry. It would help stop her thinking about this impossible situation though; perhaps it wasn't a bad thing?

With her thoughts racing, she was heading out of the door on her way to work at roughly the same time the Mayor's aide was being murdered.

*

Beckett entered the lower basement, escorted by Mayor Roberts and looked around with distaste. The room was large, secure and, thankfully, dry. But the bare brick walls and stacks of dusty old and broken furniture lining the walls were a far cry from his opulent mansion. With a deep scowl, Beckett summed up his feelings easily.

“This will have to do for today, but you will find something more appropriate for me for tomorrow.”

“If you want something here, this is all we have,” Mayor Roberts replied flatly.

The words were barely out of his mouth before he was pressed up against the wall, grimacing with pain as Beckett's fangs pierced his neck. Blood trickled from the puncture wounds as the vampire pulled back.

“That's how it feels initially, then I bite hard and you feel excruciating pain and a terrible sinking feeling as I drain you and your heart stops. But for you, I'd make an exception, I'd take half your blood and watch you slowly bleed to death. I haven't had much to laugh about lately.”

“M… Master… I…” Roberts stammered.

“I know you're not used to people giving you orders, but allow me to let you in on a secret - I am your master and you will do everything and anything I say and not only will you do it, you'll do it with a smile on your face. Do you know why?”

“Because you're my master,” Roberts whispered in reply.

“Yes, but what else?”

“You'll kill me?” he whimpered as Beckett bared his fangs, still stained with the Mayor's blood.

Nodding slowly, Beckett allowed a slow, broad, malevolent grin to form. “And how will I kill you?”

“Slowly.”

“And?”

“I… I don't…”

Beckett squeezed his fingers either side of Robert's left shoulder. The sudden aching sensation was debilitating with nerve pain shooting down both his arm and across his chest. Mayor Roberts felt something pop inside his shoulder and he screamed in agony and his knees buckled.

“If you hadn't worked it out yet,” Beckett laughed as he allowed the man to drop at his feet. “That was a clue.”

“Painfully?” he gasped.

“Correct,” Beckett replied dryly. “Now, I'm going to sleep. You either find me something suitable for tomorrow or you have men working through the night to make this eyesore fit for habitation. And let me tell you now, in case you weren't sure, I have expensive taste.”

“I'll have everything you need ready for you, just as you ask,” Roberts gasped through the pain, cradling his rapidly numbing shoulder.

“I don't ask, Roberts. I order and you obey. Remember that. Your life depends upon it.”

*

Andy lay in his bed with his eyes wide open. All he could think about were Pete's words and, if that weren't enough, Joe's actions. The more he thought about it, the more he realised that Pete was right. Joe wasn't being objective. He wasn't even thinking about Patrick at all. Pete had discovered that Patrick had been captured by Beckett and was hell bent on revenge. Yet how did he react? Did he try to establish Patrick's whereabouts? Did he release Pete so that the three of them could track him down and rescue him? No, he had only been interested in his girlfriend. He hadn't even mentioned Patrick. Well, not that he remembered anyway. Pete was right, Joe had become a liability. Andrea had given him a whole new set of priorities and Andy could only conclude that Joe no longer had the group's best interests at heart. The added complication that Andrea was stubborn and independent wasn't helping at all, it was certain to make Joe worry all the more. He frowned deeply. He still felt ill and unusually tired, but he was still recovering from the drugs that Simon, the doctor he had believed to be a friend, had pumped into him. Added to that the shock of discovering that Simon had been working voluntarily for Beckett, it was no small wonder that Andy was up and about at all.

He was exhausted. He could have slept for a week without waking once, but that luxury was way beyond his reach. Throwing back the covers, Andy climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans. Stepping out into the corridor, he knew immediately that something was wrong. Andy had an eye for detail and he knew instantly that the doors were not as he remembered seeing them on his way to his room. Someone had moved some of them.

“Joe?” he called tentatively, receiving no reply.

Pushing open the door to Joe's room, he was unsurprised to see both his bed and the room empty.

“Damn it Joe!” he muttered under his breath. “What's got into you?”

The slightest scraping sound behind him drew his attention and he turned quickly, concerned that someone may be behind him. Again, nothing. It was frustrating; he knew that Joe was somewhere nearby, but couldn't figure out exactly where. Of course, it was only his best guess, but he sincerely hoped it was Joe.

Along the corridor on the right, the movement of a flashlight caught his eye. It was either an intruder of some sort or Joe moving suspiciously and stealthily around the warehouse. Unwillingly, Andy's mind was drawn back to Brendon's statement that Joe was a traitor. Dismissing the idea immediately, or at least trying to, Andy found the doubts lingering. It wasn't something he wanted to think about, but could it explain his behaviour?

Andy almost cursed himself loudly. Beckett and his Coven would laugh loud and long if they could hear his thoughts. They weren't even near. The majority didn't even exist any more and yet they were managing to tear apart the only group of hunters that had kept them contained. He wouldn't allow it!

“Joe!” he called. “Andrea's important to you, so she's important to me too! But so is Patrick. We have to find a way to keep them both safe. Are you with me?”

After a long pause, Joe emerged from the room further down the corridor. Switching off the flashlight, he stared doubtfully at Andy.

“Do you mean that?” he asked with uncertainty.

“If we don't work together on this and I really mean together, we might as well surrender to Beckett now,” Andy replied with an angry and defiant tone.

“I'm sorry,” Joe nodded, lowering his eyes.

“Me too,” Andy replied with a heavy sigh. “Now then…” Andy paused to take Joe's proffered hand for a firm shake. “Let's fix this and kill that bastard once and for all!”