Chapter 12

Fog swirled on the floor of the club, the lights flashed, strobes adding to the chaotic atmosphere of the place. It was a huge warehouse filled with colored lights and dry ice, the clubbers just starting to arrive. Teenagers whose only thoughts were to dance and party away the night, the twenties crowd who wanted a bit more, hungry eyed women searching for Mr. Right Now as they drank and did the extras not advertised on the menu.

He watched them all, standing on a platform well above all the noise and people. The smile on his handsome angular face was almost angelic as he surveyed his kingdom. A sense of excitement filled him. She was close and coming to him. He knew it. Closing his eyes he sent out a message before opening them and looking down at the pentagram shaped bar. Each of the five points held a bartender, the center filled with sparkling bottles and the prerequisite refrigerators.

The bar was black slate, pricy and beautiful. The chairs surrounding each point were metal, the silver burnished to a dull plate. Black leather covered the thick padded bottoms of each chair. The servers wore bright red bloused shirts, the material billowing over the waist band of tight black pants for the men and short black skirts for the women.

Tables filled every available space except for the wide dance floor, colors swirling from under the translucent tiles. Every table close to the floor was filled, the buzz of people talking growing louder as the band began to set up. His dark eyes shone, almost glowing. It would be a good night.

Glancing over his shoulder, Dorian smiled at his companion. "You were so right Armand, the club business is the way to go in cities such as this. Come up with a theme and they'll rush to fill the seats." He chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "Tonight is the night. I have some special entertainment planned for those down below."

Armand sat and stared at him, stoned faced. A gag was in his mouth, his hands and feet were cuffed and shackled. Blood was dried upon his face, a gash over his head just beginning to heal.

"You're looking better," Dorian said, going to his desk and sitting down behind it. He brought up his hands, his fingers making a pyramid under his chin as he stared at Angel's father. "I didn't mean to let them go that far, Armand. But you'll heal. It'll just take a bit longer without fresh blood to help you. I want you to be good and hungry when your daughter and her friends arrive."

Armand struggled against the chains holding him. They rattled annoyingly but didn't give in the least.

"You're just making yourself weaker, my friend. The warrior god is mine. I think you'll enjoy the wolf. She's quite a tasty looking piece."

Muffled curses came from behind the duct tape that covered his mouth. Dorian rose, a slight smile tipping up his lips. He walked close to Armand Rand, reaching out and yanking the tape from his mouth. A week's growth of beard covered his face, some pulling loose with the tape, and he moved his mouth slowly before trying to talk.

"You bastard," he finally growled. "Don't touch my daughter."

"I plan to do a lot more than touch," Dorian laughed. "I plan to take her with me. She'll come with me willingly when she realizes what will happen to you and all those people down in the club if she doesn't." He reached down and slapped the elder across his face, his nails curving to leave furrows of almost bloodless wounds. "You really are hungry, aren't you? The madness of blood lust is next and then, you'll drain anyone to get what you need."

"Go to hell, Dorian," he said harshly. "Just fucking go to hell."

"Such language," Dorian laughed. "What would your daughter say?"

"She'd tell you that she's going to kill you, that's what she'd say."

"After tonight," Dorian smiled slowly, holding up his hand to check his manicure, "she'll be willing to get on her knees in the middle of Turbail Square and suck my cock. She'll fucking beg for it." He laughed, the sound of a man with nothing to fear. "Now you behave, I have a few things I need to work on before they arrive." Pulling off a new length of tape, he slapped it over Armand's mouth, smoothing it carefully.

Then he turned and walked out the door.

Angel rushed into ASP, her eyes searching for one winged warrior and only for him. She pushed past people, running through the gym and the men's locker room before heading up to his office. Sinking down on the floor by his desk, she wrapped her arms around her legs and rocked.

Callie and Shadow found her there, almost incoherent with fear and grief. Callie sank down next to her, holding her tightly, rocking with her, trying to reach her friend. "Angel, come on girl, you're tougher than this. You've got to get up so we can kick some ass and find Marcus." She smoothed back Angel's tumbled locks, seeing the terror on her face.

"Marcus is taking on Dorian. I-I tried to get him to leave me, to just go away so Dorian wouldn't hurt him, or you and Shadow. He'll take everything that I love and kill it." Angel's voice was calm, almost monotone. Her blue eyes, usually full of emotion were lifeless and flat. She looked at Callie almost as if she didn't know her. "He'll kill you and laugh while he's doing it."

Shadow crouched down next to the two women. "He's not going to kill us, Angel. We're going to take him out. Then he will be the problem of the Vampire council. They'll stake him out for the dawn."

"You don't understand, Shadow. Of course you don't. You've never faced anything like this before. He had powers before, when I was with him, but they're nothing compared to what he's given me a taste of. He's strong, stronger than my father. We go up against him, you'll die and I'll wish I was dead."

"Angel," Callie said shocked. She looked at Brian and then back down to the badly shaken female vamp. "You've got to snap out of this. Do you want Marcus to walk into his death?"

"I tried to stop him. Maybe if I go to Dorian alone, if I give myself to him, he'll leave all of you alone." She shook her head even as she spoke, knowing just the thought was ridiculous. He'd decided she needed punished and he wouldn't stop until she was a quivering mass on the floor on her knees in front of him. That idea terrified her. What would he do to her or make her do before he was done exacting his revenge?

Shadow stood, his eyes on Angel. "Okay, enough. Orchid! On your feet!"

Angel blinked at the harsh tone in his voice, but the ASP trained part of her had her shooting to her feet, standing at attention. "Yes sir!"

"I'm surprised at you, Agent. Have you forgotten that we have all the powers of ASP behind us? Now, stop the pity party whining and let's get our agent out of there."

"Yes sir," Angel said.

"Come on, we've got work to do and I want to go and find Sammy the snake. The way he slithers through the underbelly of this city, he has to know where Dorian Amante is. If not him, then we'll give Kendra another go."

Callie grabbed Shadow's sleeve as Angel led the way out the door. "She's going to lose it when we find him, you know that don't you?"

"Yeah, so we have to give her a reason not to."

Sammy lifted his triangular shaped head, his tongue flicking out and sensing the air in the alley. There'd been too much carnage, too much blood shed and just too damn much drama for him just recently. With his nerves, his doctor had suggested moving to someplace warmer and dryer. Maybe this time he'd listen and go to Arizona or Nevada. The idea of sunning himself on a rock out in the desert was sounding better all the time.

Sliding his way further back into the alley, he began the change, stepping back to where he'd left his clothes. "Yeah, it's time to get out of this town," he said softly to himself, reaching out for his shirt. He jumped back when a hand appeared out of the wall in front of him, plucking the shirt out of his grasp.

When Shadow stepped forward, Sammy gasped, putting a hand to his heart. "God, you could give a guy a heart attack with that trick, Shadow. Give me some warning, would ya? You know the doc said I got a bad ticker."

"Now why would I want to give a slime like you warning when I'm watching you?" Shadow threw the shirt at him. "Get dressed, there are ladies present."

Sammy swiveled his head, staring at Angel and Callie as they moved in behind him, trapping him. "Is this anyway to treat a guy?" he whined at Shadow, yanking on his shirt. "Can't I get a bit of privacy?"

"No way in hell, Sammy. We turn out backs and you're slithering out of here like the snake you are. Nope, I think I'd rather have to put up with watching your skinny behind then have you running." Callie reached out and grabbed the rest of his clothes, throwing them at him. "Tell us what you know about the new power in town."

"What new power?" Sammy whined. "I just got back in town. My doctor says I need rest and quiet. I took a trip."

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy," Callie smirked, shaking her head sadly. "You know my friend Angel? She's in a foul mood tonight. Her father is missing and we think he's being held by this new power. Now we all know that you know who it is and where we can find him. If you don't talk, Shadow and I will turn our backs while Angel finds out in ways only Angel can, what you know. It's not a pleasant way to have a chat."

Angel snarled at the man, letting her fangs lengthen against her lips until the tips could be seen over the top of her lush lower lip. She took a step forward, her hand coming out to grab Sammy.

"No," the were-snake whimpered. "I've heard of you. You're psycho. Shadow, come on man, give me a break. I talk and he finds out I've talked, he'll be wearing a snake skin belt."

"You don't talk and I won't leave enough of you in one piece to make a belt, mother fucker," Shadow growled. "We aren't playing here, Sammy and I don't have time for your shit. Tell me what you know, make me believe you're telling the truth and then you're on your way. I'll buy you a ticket to where ever you want to go."

Angel snarled as the man hesitated once more, taking a step forward to reach for him.

"NO!" he shrieked. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you. Just keep that fanged bitch away from me."