Chapter Fifteen

The old factory was cloaked in darkness, surrounded by old run-down machines and junk. Clearly, it was abandoned and had been for some time.

Must be the right place.

To be honest, now that he was here, the gravel of the parking lot crunching under the tires of his rental car, he was a bit nervous. More than a bit, actually. He was beginning to think that he was possibly insane.

But, it was too late for that... he was shifting into park even now, and turning off the motor. When he switched off the headlights, the dark became total.

Except for the red glow of a cigarette off near the wall of the factory.

Ethan Rayne drew in a deep breath, tried not to think that it could be his last, pushed open the door of the car and stepped out into the night.

Immediatly, the cigarette dropped to the ground and was snuffed out. Ethan squinted at the dark, as his eyes adjusted far too slowly for his taste. He could hear heavy footsteps crossing the the gravel, see a dark form approaching. He hung back a little closer to the car, feeling the cool metal of the door against his back.

“Ripper?” he called, and was suddenly absolutely convinced that he’s just in fact pulled up next to the *wrong* vampire lair, since there were undoubtably many in Sunnydale, and he was about to be someone’s midnight snack.

But then, blessedly, a familiar voice cut through the night.

“Ethan Rayne. About time you showed up.”

He couldn’t stop the nervous chuckle.

“Oh, right. Well, you know airlines these days... delays like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Mmm, yes,” Ripper’s voice eased around him, different than he remembered it, looser, seductive. He didn’t stop moving when he’d had reached a sociable distance... Ethan instinctively shrank back another inch closer to the car, and then Ripper was right on top of him, close enough that he could feel his coat brushing against his own, and in the light of the half moon, he could see his eyes glittering. “Are you afraid?” Ripper whispered, his lifeless breath tickling Ethan’s cheek.

“Terrified, actually,” Ethan said, with false cheer.

Cold fingers traced from his temple to his jaw, and Ethan shivered, every instinct screaming at him to run, but every muscle frozen solid.

“Good,” Ripper said.

But, oh, it wasn’t just fear. No, no. Not just fear at all. Every second, he could see a little clearer, and right now he could see things in Ripper he hadn’t seen in years... the barely-restrained violence, the power... His doubts were rushing away like leaves on an autumn wind. This was the man he’d known, who knew his own strength and reveled in it, with no fear and no regret.

Ripper stepped back suddenly.

“Walk with me.”

For a moment, his muscles continued to rebel against any form of movement. Then, realizing he was probably safer with Ripper than without, he trotted after him, slowing to match pace beside him.

“So. How’d it happen? Slayer wasn’t around to save your ass, I assume?”

Ripper shot him a glance that was indecipherable in the moonlight, and then said, “I let my guard down at the wrong time. I’d really rather not discuss it.”

“Ah. Right, then.”

They walked on in silence, eventually leaving the warehouse district ending up on a quiet residential street. He couldn’t see well, but the houses seemed a bit tired, run-down.

“So, um... where are we going?” Ethan asked finally.

“To a friend’s place. There’s something I need.”

“Oh, yes? What’s that?”

Ripper smiled in the darkness.

“An invitation,” he said, and then turned up one of the walks. Ethan followed him up to the door and watched him knock.

A moment later, a woman opened the door a small crack, and peered out, yellow light spilling around her.

“Who are you?” she asked, glaring at them.

Ripper smiled a perfectly innocent smile, suddenly and disconcertingly all sniveling librarian again.

“I’m sorry to be a bother,” he said, “But our car’s broken down, you see, and we’re from out of town... I was wondering if it would inconvience you too terribly much if I could just use your phone for a moment? I promise I’ll be gone just as soon as I can.”

The woman considered, but only for a moment, and then stepped back away, opening the door fully.

“Sure. Come on in. Phone’s in the kitchen.”

Ripper’s false smile widened.

“Thank you ever so much, my dear.”

And then he stepped into the house. Ethan felt a tightening deep in his gut. God, he was going to kill her. He was sure of it. He wanted to shout something, to warn her, but he couldn’t quite manage it. He actually didn’t care so much about *her*, per se... he just wasn’t sure about watching Ripper... kill someone... And then, he noticed that Ripper had walked right past her and into the kitchen.

“You gonna come in or what?” the woman said, and Ethan suddenly realized she was talking to him.

“Oh. Um. Yes, of course, thank you.”

He walked in, and found Ripper actually on the phone, talking as though to an actual car repair place. Clearly, there was more going on here than a simple kill. Ethan waited for him to get off the phone, his unease deepening, and when Ripper hung up and headed back out the door, Ethan flinched as the vampire walked past the woman again.

“What was that all about?”

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Ripper replied, and they continued down the sidewalk.

“So, Ripper,” he said, eventually, as they left the neighborhood behind, and began to walk down a darkened path in a small park, “What are you planning?’

Ripper’s only answer was a gesture for quiet, and then a flash of a grin in the dark. They’d stopped walking, and it only took a moment for Ethan to hear a soft cry of passion from the trees off to their right. He arched a brow at Ripper, and prepared to make some sardonic remark about sex in public places, but the words died on his lips.

Ripper was growling, softly, beneath his breath.

Nothing human growled like that. It was a deep, rough sound, that it seemed he could feel on his skin... or perhaps that was just the goosebumps... because there was hunger in that soft sound, and violence.

And when he dared a glance at his old friend, he found himself looking on a demon... ridged brow, yellow eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness... and fangs... sharp, shining fangs.

“Oh, Janus,” Ethan said, and then Ripper flashed into the darkness off the edge of the path.

For a moment, there was silence, then, a sharp, startled gasp.

“Did you hear that?”

A female voice, young, and high with fright, answered by another voice, male, but also still young, deepened with false bravado.

“What? Don’t be silly. I didn’t hear--”

Ethan realized he was shaking. Do something, you idiot! He’s going to kill them. *Do* something.

The girl screamed, then, burst out of the darkness, and barreled straight into him, and screamed again. Unconsciously, he grabbed her to steady her, and, for a heartbeat, held her tighter when she struggled to get away, and then Ripper was back in the relative light of the path, holding the boy by his collar.

“Let go! Oh god, let me go!” the girl cried, twisting in his grip.

He couldn’t. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything but stare at Giles, Giles who was a *demon*, who just ripped out the throat of a sixteen year old boy. Giles, who... who grabbed the girl roughly from his frozen hands and sank his fangs into her throat. He’d known... but he hadn’t really *known*.

No. No, no, no, it wasn’t supposed to be like *this*. Wasn’t supposed to be Randall all over again.

And why the *hell* hadn’t he let her go? She was staring at him now, eyes wide, moaning in quiet horror, and she had one hand on Ripper’s shoulder, like maybe he was her date and they were dancing at her prom, only, only... she’d never go to prom now, would she?

And all he could do was stare as the lights went out in her eyes, and the demon dropped her beside her boyfriend on the asphalt path.

Ripper wiped a hand across his mouth, and when he turned around, the demon was hiding again.

“Now, then. We were talking about my plans, were we?” he said, and walked on.

Ethan stayed where he was. After a few steps, Ripper stopped, but didn’t turn around.

“Ethan. I expect obedience, although I realize it is a foreign concept to you. I strongly advise you not to test me, because I promise you, if you do, it will be, so to speak, your... final exam. Am I making myself clear?”

He followed. What else could he do?

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