Chapter Fuve

Veronica felt the bile in her mouth, she had never been this afraid before and the man before her meant what he said it could be seen in his eyes. There was one ray of hope. Logan and his friends, they would find and rescue her. All the petite blonde needed to do was to keep herself alive.

“My friend will be here soon to save me and he won’t be alone…” Veronica paused trying to remember one of their names if only she hadn't been to focused on Logan and then it suddenly hit her. “Angel.”

Spike turned with a smirk. “Angel, tall, brooding, good-looking, a nancy-boy hairstyle and a vampire.” Spike drawled and grinned when he saw the young woman nod, her face paling at the word ‘vampire’. “He’s here with some do-gooders.”

“His friends are with him yes. “ She stuttered.

“Well, well, well this is now a lot more interesting then I thought. Some torture and the death of the poof.” The bleach blonde muttered more to himself then Veronica.

“How do you know him?” Veronica asked trying to stall for time.

“We go way back, he made my Dru, my dark princess. We killed our way through Europe, he was a nasty bugger ole Angelus was but he was a lot more fun than the brooding pansy he’s become I can tell you.” The vampire grinned at the memories that ran through his mind, the death and horror they had created in the world around them.

“You’re a ……” She stuttered to a stop.

Spike couldn’t help laugh at the look on this young chit’s face. “A vampire, creature of the night, a blood sucking fiend. Yep that would be me. Well sorry the torture will have to hold off for a bit, I have things to plan. Honey we’re going to have guests.”

XXXXX

Logan sat on the bed, Cordy holding an ice-bag to the side of his head which had hit the wall first. All he wanted to do was find Veronica and kill who ever had taken her; those vampires were first on his list.

However, all they could do was wait until the guys got back with information, anything on where, why and who, especially the who. Fred sat on the chair with a crossbow in hand just in case a return visit had happened.
The door opened and the three occupants of the room looked up. Cordy’s face fell as soon as she the look on Angel’s, this was going to be bad, really bad news.

“Well?” Logan asked impatiently.

The souled-vampire said one word that made the seer’s blood run cold. “Spike.”

“Who is Spike?” Logan asked knowing that he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“Spike as in the vampire, the bleach blonde, Billy Idol wannabe, English accent and half of the disturbing duo. You mean that Spike.” Cordy muttered in disbelief just clarifying that they were talking about the same dangerous vampire.

“Yes Cordy that Spike. It seemed someone hired him to uhhh.” Angel stopped and looked at Logan.

“Angel please don’t leave me out I have to know.” Logan pleaded and they all knew that he would work with them but if the pushed him out he would do it alone and probably get himself and Veronica killed.

“Someone hired Spike to torture her, not for information just to make her suffer. Fred we have some emails could you trace them?” Angel turned and asked the Texan.

Fred jumped to her feet, grabbing the paper and running off to her computer just glad that there was something she could do.

“We’ll find her Logan. She’s a smart cookie.” Cordy tried to give him hope.

“But will we find her before or after the torture, will we get there at the point where she just wants to die.” Logan snapped as he stood and paced the floor.

The door swung open and in came a tornado that they knew as Fred.

“Here it is, I have the information. It was easy really they didn’t hide anything some amateurs shouldn’t be allowed to do this it gives others a bad name.” Fred rambled.

“Fred.” They all called out.

She grinned sheepishly and held out a piece of paper.

XXXXXX

“Hello dad.” Logan said as he punched his father in the face.

“Logan, what the hell? You snotty little brat I am going to give you the beating of your life.” Aaron Echolls snarled as he started to undo his belt, the large buckle in front shining. Logan knew what that felt like, it was the one that hurt the most and made the largest marks on his body.

“I don’t think so.” Logan hit his father again and straddled the older man as soon as he hit the ground, taking hold of the shirt and pulling it hard. “Why did you hire Spike to torture Veronica?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about?” Aaron smiled sarcastically.

Logan hit his father once more and watched the blood pour out of the now broken nose. “I am not kidding.”

“She lied to me, all I kept hearing was that little miss nosey had no idea where you were. I had to find you. You had to be punished for disappearing like that.” Aaron choked those words out while he was trying to wipe the blood from his face.

“You’re going to have her tortured because she didn’t tell you where I was. Well, guess what? Veronica was telling the truth no-one knew where I was.” Logan shook his head at his father. “You are insane you know.”

“Well it doesn’t matter Veronica Mars deserves everything that she is going to get. Always putting her nose in other peoples business, just like that loser of a father of hers.”

“Dad, Keith Mars is worth a thousand of you. He is not the loser you are. Where is Spike holding her?”

Logan held back his fist waiting to hit his father again. He was forcing himself not to stop, all he wanted to do was keep hitting him, to show his father what pain felt like. What it was to be afraid of the person that was supposed to take care and protect you.

Aaron sneered at his son. “You won’t kill me boy, you don’t have the balls.”

Logan laughed, it was cold and emotionless. “Kill you; I’m not going to kill you. That would be far to easy, you dad are going to suffer.”

Angel moved to take place of Logan and vamped out. He watched as Aaron screamed in fear, this man obviously had no idea what Spike was. The fear was a clear, crisp taste on his tongue.

The vampire moved forward sniffed the air and licked his lips. “Mmmmmm you are going to be tasty, very tasty. I think I’ll keep you around for a long time. My own personal happy meal.”

The others managed to stop themselves laughing at that comment because Aaron Echolls deserved every bit of this fear for what he was going to have Veronica live through but most of all because of what he had done to Logan, to one of theirs and that had to be punished.

“Warehouse, Whey Street.” Aaron stuttered as he tried to move away from the demon that had held him in an inhumanly strong grip.

Angel turned to Logan and waited for a nod, and then in a blink of an eye they left and behind them sobbing was a shell of a man, well a coward.

XXXXX

Veronica struggled with her bonds, trying to loosen them so she could slip her hands out but it wasn’t working. It just seemed to be getting tighter and tighter. With a sigh she stopped moving it wasn’t working.

“Don’t worry pet.” Spike grinned as he walked back into the room. “They'll be here soon enough.”

Just as the words left his mouth the door splintered and standing there was Angel.

“Spike.” Angel said coolly as he walked further into the room and behind him armed to the teeth were his friends.

The blonde vampire frowned, the information had been given was that it was only Angel, the whelp, the cheerleader and the other brunette, not the two other guys and one of them was carrying an axe, a very large axe, a very large sharp axe. With one move he had Veronica by the neck.

Spike watched everyone carefully. “With one twist of my hand I will break her beautiful neck. Clear away from the door, make some room, actually make that a lot of room.”

They all moved away giving Spike enough room waiting for the smallest of mistakes so they could grab Veronica and stake him.

As soon as Spike was at the door he flung Veronica at them and disappeared into the night. Angel moved quickly, to quick for a human to see. Veronica just began to scream when she was held in a pair of strong arms. The souled one lowered her to the ground and ripped of the bindings.

“Veronica” Logan whispered as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Thank god you are safe he didn’t”

“No when I told him that you and Angel would rescue me he decided to wait. I have never been so scared in my life.” Tears fell from her eyes.

“You’re safe now.” Soft gentle words as he stroked her hair.

“This is your life please don’t go back, stay here.” Veronica begged him.

“I have to go, it’s my life, and they are my family.” Logan explained hoping that she would truly understand, she nodded but he could see that she didn’t.

“Let’s drop off Ms Mars at home, we have to pack and head off.” Angel said taking charge.

XXXXX

Angel stood outside Cordy’s door, his hand raised to knock on it but something was stopping him.
“Come in Angel I can hear you brooding out there.” The feminine voice from within called out.

He sighed, opened the door and walked in.

“Cordy I love you with all that I am but I don’t know if we can.” Angel stuttered, embarrassed.

“Angel I love you too and we will find a way, just like we always do no matter how long it will take.” Cordy reached up and pulled him into a passionate kiss, showing how much she truly loved him.

XXXXX

Veronica waved sadly as the cars pulled away, it hadn’t been long enough. Logan should have stayed with her but she knew that he couldn’t this was no longer his home, that was LA with the things that went bump in the night. But she would be seeing him soon; a trip next weekend to LA would just do the trick.

“Veronica I think we need to talk.” Duncan placed a hand on her shoulder rubbing it softly.

With a small step she was no longer in reach of his touch. “No we don’t. It was the right thing to do, to split up. I have Logan and you have Meg. This is the way it should be.”

“But Meg and I, we’re not.” Duncan mumbled.

“I want to be with Logan what you do is up to you. As long as I am not involved.” Without a glance back at her old boyfriend Veronica headed back to her car not seeing the pain in Meg’s eyes as she too turned left Duncan alone. Her thoughts and her heart in LA.

THE END