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They met in a small diner in Manhattan, mostly full of Columbia students and businessmen. The two men were dressed in open-necked shirts and slacks. One in his fifties, the other in his twenties. To a casual observer they might be?what?Father and son? Boss and employee? Fags?
They were clearly on their guard, looking at each other intently. They didn't mesh with their surroundings. It was clearly unfamiliar territory for them both. Neutral territory in a war.
"Buffy couldn't make it, huh?" said the young man.
"What do you think, Agent Finn?" The older man took a sip of his coffee. He made a face at the bitterness. "Filthy."
"Giles, I can see why I'm not on her birthday list right now? given my connections?but honestly. I knew nothing about what went down with Willow until afterwards."
"But you still have those connections, clearly."
" My team is freelance. We don't work for the government any more. We just have some access to information."
Giles shrugged slightly. "I would very much like to believe you. But this rather bigger than a game of who's-friends-with-whom. You understand, don't you? After what happened, we can't risk another hostage situation." He pushed his coffee away and leant forward across the table. "I'm expendable. Buffy isn't."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to take you hostage!"
"You bloody better not try it." Giles was smiling now. "But what are you here for? Why did you want to meet?"
Riley leaned forward. "I just wanted to say. Any help you need?any intel. I'm there. Your man on the inside."
The older man looked at him carefully, a hint of raised eyebrow. "I thought you weren't inside."
"You know what I mean."
Giles nodded. "Well? I will have to discuss this with the others." He looked Riley in the eyes. "But thank you. I know you're probably taking a risk coming here so?"
"Least I could do. For Buffy."
Giles smiled. A dry smile, impossible to read. "I'll be in touch." He stood up, leaving a bill on the table ? enough to cover their drinks, and a generous tip for the waitress ? and walked swiftly out of the diner and away down the road.
Riley waited a few moments longer, sipping his coffee. Then he, too, got up and left. He walked down the road in the opposite direction to Giles, turning down an alley. He heard footsteps behind him and turned, suddenly. Then he smiled.
"Geez, Graham, you scared me. I told you to wait in the truck," Riley shook his head. "That was an order, you know, not kidding around. We're not just in the Initiative cub scouts any more?"
"No," I said. "We're not." And I pulled out my gun and shot him twice in the chest. As he fell, groaning, I emptied my clip. Another shot in the chest, one to the head.
He was dead. I looked down at him, feeling less than I thought I would. Picked the wrong team, buddy. Should've come with the general when he asked. Instead of picking them. Instead of siding with terrorists.
The boys came swiftly into the alley, with a stretcher to extract the body. It was a godawful shame. And that bitch was gonna pay.
I don't care how many demon-juiced girl soldiers she's got. It's her army against the whole human race. She's gonna lose. We're the government. She's just a girl.
The end...
They were clearly on their guard, looking at each other intently. They didn't mesh with their surroundings. It was clearly unfamiliar territory for them both. Neutral territory in a war.
"Buffy couldn't make it, huh?" said the young man.
"What do you think, Agent Finn?" The older man took a sip of his coffee. He made a face at the bitterness. "Filthy."
"Giles, I can see why I'm not on her birthday list right now? given my connections?but honestly. I knew nothing about what went down with Willow until afterwards."
"But you still have those connections, clearly."
" My team is freelance. We don't work for the government any more. We just have some access to information."
Giles shrugged slightly. "I would very much like to believe you. But this rather bigger than a game of who's-friends-with-whom. You understand, don't you? After what happened, we can't risk another hostage situation." He pushed his coffee away and leant forward across the table. "I'm expendable. Buffy isn't."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to take you hostage!"
"You bloody better not try it." Giles was smiling now. "But what are you here for? Why did you want to meet?"
Riley leaned forward. "I just wanted to say. Any help you need?any intel. I'm there. Your man on the inside."
The older man looked at him carefully, a hint of raised eyebrow. "I thought you weren't inside."
"You know what I mean."
Giles nodded. "Well? I will have to discuss this with the others." He looked Riley in the eyes. "But thank you. I know you're probably taking a risk coming here so?"
"Least I could do. For Buffy."
Giles smiled. A dry smile, impossible to read. "I'll be in touch." He stood up, leaving a bill on the table ? enough to cover their drinks, and a generous tip for the waitress ? and walked swiftly out of the diner and away down the road.
Riley waited a few moments longer, sipping his coffee. Then he, too, got up and left. He walked down the road in the opposite direction to Giles, turning down an alley. He heard footsteps behind him and turned, suddenly. Then he smiled.
"Geez, Graham, you scared me. I told you to wait in the truck," Riley shook his head. "That was an order, you know, not kidding around. We're not just in the Initiative cub scouts any more?"
"No," I said. "We're not." And I pulled out my gun and shot him twice in the chest. As he fell, groaning, I emptied my clip. Another shot in the chest, one to the head.
He was dead. I looked down at him, feeling less than I thought I would. Picked the wrong team, buddy. Should've come with the general when he asked. Instead of picking them. Instead of siding with terrorists.
The boys came swiftly into the alley, with a stretcher to extract the body. It was a godawful shame. And that bitch was gonna pay.
I don't care how many demon-juiced girl soldiers she's got. It's her army against the whole human race. She's gonna lose. We're the government. She's just a girl.
The end...
