(no subject)
The blinding pain wasn't all that much different from getting your hand chopped off. Just long enough to get your attention, drop your cup of coffee on the floor, and make the people you work with think you're having some kind of fit. I knew what it was though, and I didn't want them, not at all. The last person I could remember having them was back in LA, the last place on earth I wanted to be. What I didn't understand was why me. Why now?
"You okay there Lindsey?" Matt came over and put his hand on my shoulder. "Looked like you were going to faint or something. You forget to have lunch?" I managed to give him a tiny smile. Couldn't do what I loved doing, it could be used to track me down, so I'd gone into sales with my charm and good looks. Made quite a lot of money. It was nothing compared to what I used to make, but evil paid very well if you're willing to give up that pesky soul.
"You're right, I did forget to have lunch." I looked around the showroom. There were two customers and both were being talked to. "I'll take thirty and come back, okay?" Needed to get out of here anyway, it would happen soon, had to stop it. He nodded, giving me another worried look before going to assist Kristine.
I ran out the door, jumping into my company car and raced for downtown. Had to get to the park before it was too late. Luckily, no police officers seemed to notice my going forty over the speed limit. Screeched into the parking lot and got out, looking around for what I'd seen. There they were. A tee ball team was celebrating a victory by playing in the park. They'd all be dead in a few minutes unless I got them to move.
Walking over, I fixed my hair and turned on the charm. "Excuse me, Ma'am?" The pretty young coach turned in my direction. "I'm with Smith Brothers sales, and because your team has won so many games, I've been authorized to take you all out for ice cream on us." That would get them out of the way, plus make them very happy.
"Really? Tigers! Come over here, I've got a surprise for you." The kids came running over. Surprises were always a good thing. "We're going to follow this man to the ice cream place, and you can all get whatever you want." This was going to be expensive. I smiled again, looking up the street. It was coming, we had to go.
"Come on Tigers, let's go." Started taking them down the sidewalk towards the store. We were almost there when a huge crash followed by an explosion reached our ears. "Get the kids inside where it's safe, call 911." I started back in the direction of the park. A propane truck had swerved to avoid a squirrel, lost control and crashed into a tree. Blew up right where we'd been standing. I bit my lip, looking up at the sky.
A hand touched mine. I looked down to see a little girl. "You have to come with me, there is something you must do. You didn't have to save them, you know. You could have just let it happen." Not human, something else, something other. Probably not a demon either.
We walked down the road and she kept holding my hand. I could feel the power just below the skin. Sat down on one of the many benches that lined the street. "I couldn't just let kids die, not when I could help." She looked me for a moment before grinning.
"The Powers That Be have a task for you, Lindsey McDonald." The Powers needed me, boy did I feel special. "Those marks on your skin will protect you from the long term effects of the visions." She touched my chest and I could feel the large tattoo tingle a little. "You have to go back. The vampire will need you." Oh sure, just waltz right back into the belly of the beast.
"You want me to go back, after everything that happened? Wolfram and Hart will find me, they'll kill me." Or worse. "Besides, Angel and I aren't exactly buddies, what makes you think he'll listen to me?" Or trust me, or give me the time of day. I was still a little pissed off about that damn sign he stuck on the back of the truck.
"They're going to need your help, the new CEO is going to cause problems." A new CEO? I hadn't paid any attention to anything that had gone out out there once I left. Didn't know who was in charge of anything, who was alive, or who had been killed. I raised an eyebrow, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Lilah Morgan is in charge."
Oh yeah, they were in trouble. Second only to Holland in ruthlessness, Lilah would be one hell of an opponent. "I'll leave tomorrow, but can you guys promise me anything? That if something is going to happen to me I'll know, maybe get out in time?" She shook her head slowly. Great, going back to the City of Angels to give an idiot vampire information on things I see. Wonderful. It would be one hell of a ride. Watch out LA, I'm coming home.