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Life is Change	By : trudyw000 Category: BtVS Crossovers > Misc - Slash - Male/Male Views: 9166 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sentinel, I make no money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
Author's Note : Thank you jujukitty for your review, I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope that you enjoy this chapter too. Only the one review last chapter which was a little disappointing, maybe this one will go down a little better. Apologies for the slightly shorter chapter this time but there's quite a lot going on and it seemed a suitable place to stop. Please read, enjoy and review, and if you don't enjoy reviews are even more important, how can I improve if you don't tell me where I'm going wrong!
Chapter 20
Detective John Jones had been working the night shift in the Cascade Major Crimes unit for the last three years. A short man, plump and slightly balding he was as non-descript as his name. A name that the night shift Captain still couldn't remember much to the ambitious Detective's annoyance.
He watched the white-clad back of the runner from the lab as it disappeared behind the closing doors of the elevator and then he slid his gaze back to that darkened room behind the shining glass walls. Every Detective in the unit wanted in on the task force investigating the serial killer currently hunting among the citizens of Cascade. Detective Jones was no exception, he had applied repeatedly but been rejected each time.
Now it looked like they'd finally got a break in the case, if he didn't get in on it soon then the case might well be solved and who knew when another career maker like this might come along. Jones needed to get into that office and see what results the lab had found, maybe if he could get the jump on those glory hounds from the day shift then he could still get his share of the headlines.
Looking around the bullpen he saw the other Detectives of the night shift. Detectives Longmeier and Fox were poring over a PC, using the internet to chase down leads whilst Detectives Flower and Fenwick looked to be getting ready to hit the streets.
Keeping his head down Jones carried on with his work, all the while keeping an eye on the other residents of the bullpen. Half an hour later his patience was rewarded, Flower and Fenwick had left to re-interview a night-club owner and Captain Barrett who ruled the night-shift with a rod of iron had finally left his office, heading down to the weekly meeting of night shift commanders. As he left he stopped by Longmeier's desk and had a quick word with the two men working there who swiftly finished their current search before packing away and heading for home.
Jones didn't know why Captain Barrett had chosen to send the other two men home early, or why he had been overlooked but he could only be glad of it when he found himself alone in the bullpen. Picking up a random sheet of paper to provide an excuse if anyone showed up while he was in Captain Banks office Jones walked purposefully across to the closed office door. Trying to look nonchalant, as if there was nothing more normal than for him to be sneaking into this office whilst the owner was absent. He firmly twisted the door-knob and walked immediately to the desk. Running his eyes down the sheet of paper conveniently draped over the keyboard he quickly took in the details.
He'd feared he would need to risk using the office copier but the details were clear and easy to remember. The blood supplied matched back to Erik Smithson, one of the four victims found at the most recent crime scene. Jones looked at the address where the sample had been found and instantly recognised it. His mother had lived in Federal Way all her life, she'd been a regular customer of Artie Van Den Haus until his death. Since then John had had to listen to her complain long and bitterly about how the business had gone downhill since that stuck-up daughter of theirs, Lauren, had taken over.
Looking at his watch Jones saw that it was past four o'clock in the morning, his shift ended soon and anyway, he was the only one left in the office, who was going to complain if he left a little early. He could finish up what he was doing and be at that butcher's shop by five, he could pick up some of their sausages, one of the few things his mother didn't complain about from that shop, and be at her house in time for breakfast. She didn't sleep much these days and would welcome an early morning visit from her only son. Besides thought Jones, if he happened to see some incriminating evidence whilst he was in the shop he'd be able to make a solo arrest on one of the biggest cases in recent Cascade history, surely that'd get him fast-tracked to Captain.
Happy with his plan Jones completed his current task and took a few minutes to check over his weapon before grabbing his jacket and heading for the elevators whistling a jaunty tune. His career was finally looking up, Captain Barrett would certainly remember his name after this!
Forty-five minutes later he pulled into a parking spot just down the street from the old butcher's shop. The place was definitely looking run-down, it was a wonder they had any customers left, still the extended opening hours were sometimes very useful especially to shift workers like himself.
Getting out of the car he carefully patted his hip, verifying that his weapon was secured in its usual place, then checked his breast pocket for the comforting bulge of his Detective's badge. With promotion firmly in the forefront of his mind he straightened his narrow shoulders, sucked in his substantial gut and thrust out his scrawny chest before striding purposefully to the door of the shop and firmly pulling it open.
Stepping into the harshly lit interior he saw a large man in blood stained butcher's whites dragging trays of meat products from a large refrigerator at the back of the store and shoving them roughly into the display cabinets. Watching the man Jones wondered why he looked so nervous, then he smiled, obviously the man had something to hide. That promotion loomed ever larger in his thoughts.
Looking carefully around him for any pretext he could use to demand access to the backroom Jones stepped up to the counter and placed his order. Deciding to step up the pressure he briefly flashed his badge at the man while seeming to be searching his pockets for his wallet. His ploy succeeded beyond his wildest dreams as the man behind the counter snatched up the tenderising mallet from the meat preparation surface behind the serving area he swung it in a wide arc as he spun around connecting solidly with the side of Jones' head.
Jones went down like a pole-axed steer and the butcher, Dave moved with surprising quickness for a man of his size. He grabbed the unconscious man by the arms and pulled him through the plastic curtain into the backroom. Jones had been right about the nervousness he thought he saw in Dave's eyes, unfortunately for him he'd been completely wrong about its cause.
Dave had been there the previous evening when those two fairies had been in to purchase the special merchandise. It had been him who had brought the bag through from the back room and he had been sickened by the sight of the blond kissing and fondling the larger brunette. Silently he'd witnessed the fight between Dieter and Laura and after Dieter had left he'd made sure to stay where he could see the front door and the stairs up which the other man had disappeared.
A little over an hour later when Dieter returned, hurrying down the stairs from the living quarters Dave strained all his attention to try to hear the muffled conversation between his two bosses, all the while trying to appear unconcerned. The only word he caught was cops but that was bad enough. Then Dieter was throwing him the keys to the shop with instructions to lock up after the late trade was done and to open up in the morning before hustling Laura out of the shop and away.
Dave had passed a sleepless night, wondering whether or not to turn up to work in the morning. In the end he had decided to turn up and to play it by ear from then on. Dieter, Laura or Dave always opened up to cover the early trade. None of the other lads had been let in on the special merchandise yet, they knew there was something going on but no details. Dave worked quickly to make sure all trace of the cop was cleared out of the front of the shop before the other lads got in. It was clear to him now that Dieter and Laura had legged it, leaving him and the others holding the bag. Well Dave might not be that bright but if he was going down he'd make damn sure those in charge went down with him.
Dragging Jones into the back room he quickly had the man bound and suspended by his ankles from a meat hook. Looking around he saw that no-one had had a chance to clean up after the vagrant had made his donation the previous evening. Normally both Dieter and Laura were very careful to ensure nothing was left lying around that could link them to anything unsavoury, it seemed they'd been too rattled by whatever Dieter had discovered on his little trip out to remember that last night.
Dave didn't normally get involved in the blood letting, having been employed more for his imposing bulk than his manual dexterity, but still he'd seen it done many times now and if he left a few bruises he didn't think his patient would be complaining, not for long anyway!. Pulling on a pair of the thin latex gloves he'd seen Laura use he fished out the equipment he'd seen Dieter using last night. Being careful to avoid touching anywhere that he thought fingerprints might have been left made him a little clumsy but soon enough he had a steady stream of thick red liquid flowing from Jones' veins into one of the stash of hospital blood bags that were always on hand.
They seemed to make enough money selling this stuff, he figured if he had to run he might as well take something to earn a little walking around money. The first few bags filled quickly enough, however after the fourth the flow slowed significantly. Carefully using gloved fingers to check his victims pulse Dave found it sluggish, 'not much longer now' he thought. Checking around he found a used pair of the latex gloves, they must have been Laura's, Dieter never wore them, too cocky by half that damn kraut. Thinking himself lucky that she'd been too angry over Dieter's behaviour, trying to talk a punter out of making a buy that she'd forgotten to throw the used gloves in the incinerator. He gathered them up and carefully wiped them in a few drops of spilled blood before tossing them on the floor between the body, he'd checked definitely a body now, and the incinerator as if they'd been accidentally left by someone leaving in a hurry.
Stuffing the four bags he'd got into a cooler he looked around him, nodding in satisfaction at the scene before carefully bolting the interior door to the front of the shop, shrugging into his jacket and leaving quietly out the back. Tom and Si, the two lads out front today wouldn't be surprised at finding the door locked. Although they hadn't been initiated into the out of hours trade that provided most of the profit for the shop, they knew that something underhand went on behind that door and they knew to keep out if they knew what was good for them.
Dave had been right, Dieter and Laura had left in a hurry. Dieter explained what he'd seen and heard as he re-traced his steps with Laura, back to the motel where he had lost Spike and his toy-boy. Laura finally managed to get a word in as she was practically dragged across the parking lot, "So you got their room number and a spare key from the clerk?" she asked.
"Yes, I told you, a little 'thrall' and he gave me everything I needed!" Dieter sounded impatient as he continued to pull Laura towards Spike's room.
"And where did you hide the body?" the infuriating woman asked next.
This stopped Dieter cold and he turned to face her, "what body?" he asked confused.
"The clerk's" she sounded exasperated at the blank look on his face, then she realised what it meant, "you don't mean you left him alive, after letting him see your face, telling him exactly who you were interested in you left him alive!"
"Of course I left him alive, this place would be swarming with cops by now if I hadn't, he must get a hundred people asking similar questions of one guest or another every day, he's hardly going to remember one more amongst all the others." Dieter tried to resume his course to the motel room, it was about ten o'clock in the evening by now and there were still enough people around that he didn't want to be observed out in the open if he could help it.
Laura however had other ideas, pulling her hand free of his grasp she looked around them, then spotting an empty beer bottle on the low wall surrounding the parking lot she marched over to it, grabbing it around the neck and with a hefty swing smashing it on the wall where it had been sat. Now with makeshift blade in hand she set off to the small reception area and the hapless clerk currently sat with his feet up, swigging from another beer bottle and watching some disaster movie on the small TV intended to be used for the security system. Closing the door behind her Laura gave the man a sultry smile that was completely wasted as he never took his eyes from the grainy screen in front of him.
Stepping up to the desk Laura tried again, clearing her throat delicately and tapping on the small bell to gain the man's attention. Finally, grudgingly he dragged himself away from the movie, dropping his feet to the floor and climbing to his feet. He was a small man with the pale, pasty complexion of the habitual night-worker. Beer still firmly in hand he greeted Laura with a belligerent "Well?"
"I'm sorry to disturb you," she started tentatively, trying to look as unintimidating as possible, not difficult for such a petite woman, "but one of the cars out front seems to have been vandalised."
Her words galvanised the man into action, "which one? not the Chevy?" he asked hurrying around the desk to get a look.
"I'm not sure" Laura tittered fluttering one hand whilst keeping the other carefully out of sight, "I'm not good with cars."
Shouldering her rudely out of the way the clerk never realised his mistake as an arm snaked around his head from behind and a hand wielding a broken bottle slashed viciously at his throat. Blood spurted wildly and Laura kept a tight hold from behind, attempting to control the man's death throes, finally lowering his lifeless body to lie at her feet. Leaning over the desk she grabbed a napkin from some long forgotten take-away and used it to wipe over the bell push and the door handle, both inside and out. Finally wiping off the makeshift weapon as best she could she dropped in a wilting rose bush by the reception door and headed back to Dieter, still stood aghast in the middle of the parking lot.
"Well come on then! I thought you wanted to get to their room before they get back from wherever they disappeared off to!" She demanded and Dieter shook his head before leading her once more towards the room, he didn't know whether to be shocked or turned on at the casual way she had killed the clerk. Still, looking at the blood soaked cuff of her sleeve and the smear of blood down one leg from where she had lowered the corpse he knew he had to get her out of sight quickly.
Reaching the door to Spike's room Dieter knocked briskly to be sure the other vampire wasn't home. Listening intently he quickly assured himself that the room was indeed empty and using the key supplied by the, now deceased, clerk opened the door and hurried Laura inside. It took a moment for them to untangle themselves from the folds of the heavy cloth covering the door but soon they stood inside the room of their quarry.
"Now what?" Laura asked, looking around with a slight sneer at the vague untidiness.
"Now we wait" Dieter paused before gesturing to the bathroom, "and you'd better go clean up."
Looking down at herself Laura realised that she hadn't done as good a job in controlling the clerk's final moments as she had hoped and, already slipping out of her blood soaked shoes and stained sweater, she followed his advice and headed for the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later Laura was sat on the furthest bed watching Dieter with some amusement. Clean now and dressed in a t-shirt she had scavenged from an open duffle bag to replace her ruined sweater she watched as he stood at the side of the window, furtively peering round the edge of the blackout curtain as he held it away from the wall with two fingers.
At around one there was a disturbance as the clerk's body was apparently found. Blue flashing lights could be vaguely seen through the heavy blackout material and sirens pierced the night. They heard the heavy tramp of booted feet as the local cops conducted a door to door search, and when that knock fell on the door of this room they sat in breathless silence until the unknown cop moved on. Even that excitement didn't last forever and soon enough everything was quiet once more.
All through the long night they sat and waited, eventually Dieter abandoned his post by the window although several times he sprang up to check at the sound of a car engine outside the room. However each time was a false alarm as the new arrivals went to one room or another but never this one. Eventually Laura lay down on one of the beds and drifted off to sleep, leaving Dieter to keep watch alone until finally the boredom and the soft sound of Laura's breathing lulled even him to sleep and he slipped into a restless doze.
It was eight o'clock the next morning when the deep throated roar of a muscle car pulling up outside the room ripped Dieter from sleep and still only partially awake he sprang to the window and jerked the heavy cloth aside to be greeted with the bright rays of the morning sun. Screaming he dropped the curtain and staggered back clutching his face. It was a glorious spring morning and the light had caught him full on, it had only been a brief exposure but even so his skin was red and blistered, both eyes were bloodshot, his retinas seared by the light, scorched eyebrows filling the room with the acrid smell of burnt hair.
Laura, dragged from sleep by the scream quickly took in Dieter's condition and brushing off his injuries as trivial she took his place at the curtain to check whether their prey had finally arrived.
AN: Well there it is, I hope you enjoyed it, tell me what you think.
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Life is Change