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#23
Adam's lair, Sunnydale:


Adam studied the vampire he saw. He had data on him in
his system. Hostile seventeen. There was an interesting
experiment performed on that one - most interesting
since he should have destoryed himself a while ago. But
here he was, still alive and eager to stirr up troubles.
"What do you want, hostile seventeen?"

Spike, studying the monster up close, felt the need for
a cigarette. Puff some tobacco dust into this ugly's
head, just for the effect it had on asthetics of this
room. Pretty much a dump, of course. What else could he
expect from a gang of lame vamps and demons hanging out
in a town, cowering under the Slayer's heel? Not that he
was doing such a great thing himself, at least noone got
the impression right now. "I want that chip out of my
head," Spike said huskily. Didn't beg for it. "I offer
you a deal...Adam, isn't it?"

"The name is as good as any other," Adam replied. "What
could you have that would interest me?"

Spike grinned, tugged at his duster. "Maybe you want to
have the communication program the Initiative whipped
up to do the remote-control thing on you?"

"This is very much useless without the right code."

"But, they are working on that," Spike chuckled. "And I
know they have something in the making, something that
will make you go where they want."

Could they? Adam wondered. A quick calculation showed he
could not deny the possibility with enough probability.
"They still don't have the code," he repeated.

"Maybe," Spike answered, seemingly bored. "And maybe
someone has another idea about it..."

Adam decided to add some convincing flair to his part
of the discussion - he moved and grabbed the bleached
blonde vampire with one arm, moving him up the air and
nearly snapping his neck in the process. "Spill."

"Watch it, big boy," Spike replied without flinching
back or showing any fear, "dust doesn't talk."

"I could give you extreme pain."

"And I wouldn't talk," Spike replied. "You get that
chip out of my head, I tell you who has the program
and maybe the key to the code as well."

"Cooperate with me and after I am done with that your
chip problem will be solved," Adam answered. He lied
with no hesitation since he had no information about
how to remove the chip without destroying the host. It
wasn't important. He sat the vampire on his feet again.
"Talk."

"There are some vamps in LA and they like to go after
big boys," Spike rasped out after his boots were on the
dusty floor once again. He did not step away, though.
Wouldn't become to show the big ugly was scaring him.
"There is some computer disk with some very important
shit on it."

A disk with a program tool to reach his order program?
Adam could not deny it. With the right code anyone who
had that would control him. He could not let it happen.
"More."

Spike smiled ferlaly and now knew he had the freak
hooked. He had no qualms whatsoever to speak about the
psycho Slayer and the former memeber of the whitehats
gone undead and totally crazy. There wasn't so much to
it except that they were in LA and building for a big
thing, like taking over the town or such. All the reason
to get a weapon like Adam was on their side.
Or they just wanted to kill him because he was such a
mean machine. Spike could well understand the idea but
the reality sucked...to much like his poof of a Sire
they were. Vamps terrorrized people last and first in
his book.
Maybe they even had another motivation.
"I know the whitehates discuss attacking them and
getting back at the sickos."

Adam remembered that as well. There were intercepted
communications between an agent of the new leader of
his opponents, the being known as Angel who operated
in the city of Los Angeles.
VERY enlightening.
Looked like one of Angel's agents had slipped and now
it was revealed hostile seventeen was speaking the
truth. Probability was so high it rated as certain.
Logic dictated action to be taken.
Before the whitehats could get the program back and
use it against him.
And now he had an advantage against them.
Adam even knew where they were. It was efficient to
make use of vampires in LA, as well as here. For just a
minor amount of money they and their daylight-proof
spies kept watch on his enemies.
He knew almost anything about them that there was to
know. If they were not that pityful and incapable of
doing effective damage to him he would have disposed of
them before.
But now Adam had another advantage as well.
He looked at the bleached blonde vampire in his duster
and if he had any human or demon in him he might have
smiled viciously. But as he didn't he just spoke to the
creature about what sort of service Adam wanted of him.
It were just two very minor details.

Spike listened to what Adam wanted - and couldn't help
it but to laugh. Let that chance to work such big bad
mischief pass away? Certainly not!
"I want something in return for that."

Adam looked at him, probably intimidating. Wire brain
was royally annoyed but he needed Spike...so Spike could
demand a prize. Within reason, of course.

"I want a hundred thousand dollars for my assisstance,"
Spike declared throatily. "You can transfer them to my
swiss bank account."

"This is a lot of cash."

"Hey, one has to live and these creeps took everything
from me," Spike defended himself. "Just remember, you
got their money - millions of clean bucks, all their
black budgets!" He shrugged. "What's a hundred thou for
that?"

"I agree," Adam decided. He could always get other money
later on, if he had to. And if Spike failed him he could
eliminate him by pointing out the hostile's betrayal.
His own comared would eliminate him.
Adam considered it a valid way to terminate the hostile
after the real work was done and he had nothing left to
fear.


#24
Harmony's apartment, LA:


Doyle was not exactly happy to accompany him out before
dusk set in but Angel could do it. Always amazing how
much the junior vampires feared the sun, it wasn't that
deadly.
One good robe and he could walk around during the day.
Even if he got a bit singed on the edge, that healed.
And as for the car - that was even easier to achieve.
"This isn't part of my job description," Doyle said as
he lockpicked the door to Harmony's place. "Are you sure
you know what you're doing, Angel?"

"I've been playing that sort of games for a long time
longer than you're alive, and I'm still there. Stop
worrying," Angel answered casually. Wishing he felt as
sure of this himself. Adam was dangerous - no denying
it - and Angel had no big doubts about who would win a
physical confrontation at this time. "Invite me in."

"Come in, Ange....hhuuaarrghh!" Doyle coughed out as
he opened the door and stepped inside. And was taken
by a white hand at the throat. Harmony had shot out of
the shadows which hid her sun-proof apartment and
snarled in extreme anger. Just before Angel came in.

"Let him down," Angel replied unimpressed. Staring at
the young vampire with a soul. "Slowly."

Harmony considered her options - kill Doyle, get the
Angelus angry, get staked. Bad. Take a sunbath. Stake
was preferable to that one. Or give in...and maybe
see dusk arrive? "Okay," she said and complied. She
retreated from the door and the angular form of Angel
in his coat, standing in the door and smiling at her.
If that was even half of the legendary ruthlessness of
Angelus she saw in his eyes she was happy that she had
never met him. "What do you want, man?"

"I wanted to see the second vampire with a soul," he
said casually. Doyle was coughing and had his hand at
his throat. He would get allright soon. "Wait outside,
Doyle."

"Whatever you say," Doyle swallowed and got lost. He
really didn't want to be involved with this any more
than he had to. He was just an informant, no fighter.
"Make it quick, okay?"

"Don't worry," Angel patted him on the back. "Everything
is going to be allright."

"Is it?"

"I would think so," Angel nodded, emotion drained from
his features. He towered over her and Harmony could see
why he had earned his nickname. What a hunk. Too bad he
was such a deadly thing...and as such it didn't matter
if he looked like Quasimodo, she would have crawled in
front of him and offered her behind to survive as well.
With Angel, though, she might enjoy it. If he only were
into that stuff... "If you stop hiding things from me."

"About what things are we speaking?"

"You're not the second vampire with a soul, Harmony. You
are the fourth," Angel stated icily and Harmony took
another step back before she felt the wall. He came
closer, stepping over things without so much paying
attention...just enough to make sure he was between her
and the door. "Originally I should stake you, though."

"Stake me?" Harmony wailed, her knees feeling as weak as
at her first date again. And at the first time one of
the guys demanded her to fall on her knees and give him
some special service...though this hardly would end up
like that. "What for!"

"Murder," Angel said, not bothering with details. She
could see he knew she still preyed on people. Angel
figured it was a problem of the modern generation, they
just got no believes left. Even all the proof about the
existence of souls, demons and hell was not enough to
make them believe in god and heaven.
Angel wasn't sure what there was but something it was.
Something that was reason enough to behave instead of
get into a powertrip and fall for the demon. So far the
accounting wasn't exactly in his favor - suicides or
outright monsters, and one good guy in the midst of it.
"I should figure I am in your debt for protecting
Doyle and Cordelia."

Harmony said nothing. She just heard him emphase the
word should.

"If you had done it out of your own desire, I would,"
Angel went on, a half smile lessening the harsh beauty
of his chiseled features. "Tell Xander I appreciate his
action."

Tell...? Harmony thought and almost would have sighed.
This meant she was getting out of here alive! Unlive.
She nodded eagerly.

"Tell him as well that Cordelia is not his or Faith's,"
Angel added, blinking. "And then tell him he messed up.
Always bad business, relying on corrupt city officials.
They tend to be exposed and give up their accomplices to
lessen their own burden."

"What?"

"He'll know," Angel sneered. He would learn of the move
the authorities made about his club. The pair was green
enough to think they would get away with such a big bad
operation...truly, they were foolish. Though, housing it
under that high class brothel probably was an idea!
That was a guarantee for staying largely invisible and
the demons nearby could keep shut up as well. As he had
been forced to learn.
It worked, for a while.
Once vice was through with that the IRS would roll in,
the department of public health and who knew what. The
bureaucratic machinery got moving and soon would crush
that club. So much for them staying in his town for much
longer. "Secondly, tell him this is still my town and I
do not want them here. Yet I am a bit occupied right now
with the newest bug crawling in from Sunnydale, so they
can leave without a fight."

"Sure?"

"Very sure," Angel said and took out the yellow disk
from his trenchcoat. "They probably should. Last I hear
the big bad thing's quite nasty and seems to think they
have something belonging to him...no idea why, but he
might come over for a visit." He reached inside of his
coat and threw her a computer disk. "Catch."

Instinctively she reached out and grabbed the piece of
plastic out of the air. Just a floppy disk as billions
of others. What a waste of time. "What's that?"

"What I could gather on Adam," Angel said. "Might be
useful, though noone's made anything from that yet.
Better tell your master about that when you hand it to
him."

"He isn't my master!" Harmony screamed, staring at the
disk in her hand like it was a grenade about to explode.
She didn't want any part of this, she did not.
All she got then was a sneer before Angel turned around
and left, a humored sneer. That was all she was to the
mighty Angel, a glorified courier.
"He is not! I am my own vampire!" she insisted. "Not his
or hers or yours, just mine! Hear that? I am free!"

"Believe what you want, servant," Angel laughed as he
vanished. "I consider my debts to you paid. At out next
meeting you are dust, my dear Harmony."

"SHIT!" Harmony shouted as he shut the door behind
himself. And that was all she said as she kept standing,
alone. In her dark apartment, with her back to the wall.
And great uncertainty about her near future. She knew
she should have ran away when she had the chance. SHIT!
Now she got no choice.
She had to leave town, had to run...fast. Far. But where
to? And with what! She was virtually broke anyway.
All she had was that disk...and knowing Xander she was
in for a long torture session with Faith if she tried to
blackmail him.