Chapter 13

Inside room 103 of the Sunnydale Motor Lodge, a cellphone rang. It was clipped to Dylan's belt. Kelly and Valerie stopped playfully teasing him and Brandon with their fangs. They all turned their attention to the ringing phone.

Dylan took the device out of its pouch and put it to his ear.

"Hello." He asked, "Who is this?"

"Hi Dylan." The caller said, "This is David."

"Hi David." He looked at the others.

Valerie exclaimed, "Don't tell him I'm here!"

Dylan told Kelly, "He wants to talk to you."

She moved away from the door she'd been blocking, and went over to Dylan. He handed her the cellphone, and she put it too her ear, while retracting her fangs.

"Hi David." she said.

Over the phone, Kelly's stepbrother's voice was tense. "So how are things going?"

"It's hard to say." She told him, "Someone who calls herself a Witch just spoke some kind of 'incantation'. Now I won't be cringing at the sight of a cross."

Brandon, Dylan and Valerie all looked tense.

David asked, "You mean you've got your soul back?"

"I really can't say. I've still got the fangs," she hesitated, "and the temptation." She looked nervously at both guys in the room, who appeared to be as nervous as she. "The temptation is just as strong."

"But you've still got the pigs blood with you?"

"Yes. I'm sure the packaged blood can last at least a few days."

David asked, "Could you put Dylan back on? There's someone here at the Club. He has some business he wants to discuss with one of the owners."

"Dylan." She held the phone out to him. "David says there's someone with him now, who wants to discuss some Club business with you."

Dylan came over, took the phone from her hand and put it against his ear.

"Yeah. What is it David?"

There was tension in the Club D/J's voice. "There's a lawyer here named Lindsey McDonald. He wants to talk to you. He says you spoke with him earlier today."

"Lindsey McDonald?"

Valerie gasped.

Dylan said, "Put him on."

Valerie repeated nervously, "Don't tell him I'm here."

The voice Dylan had heard earlier, now spoke over the phone. "Mr. McKay?"

"Speaking."

"Lindsey McDonald here. Listen carefully."

"You have my full attention."

"I spoke with your business partner, Miss Valerie Malone earlier today. I also spoke with her on the night when she first revived as a vampire."

"When she first revived?"

Dylan looked over at the very tense Valerie.

"Yes. On Tuesday night, she was brought to my office at Wolfram and Hart Headquarters. She and I made a certain agreement concerning her part ownership of the After/Dark Nightclub."

Dylan asked Valerie, "You made an agreement about the Club with Wolfram and Hart?"

She nodded and looked away from him. Brandon and Kelly also looked troubled.

Mr. McDonald continued, "The agreement is that either she signs over her entire interest in the After/Dark Nightclub to Wolfram and Hart, or the police will be informed about the illegal drug dealing and bookmaking that's been going on in your establishment, Mr. McKay."

Dylan, who'd been away for months said, "Illegal drugs and bookmaking?"

The Lawyer told him, "Along with Miss Malone getting a percentage of every transaction."

He looked at Valerie. "A percentage?"

Valerie again looked away from him, and now didn't look at Brandon or Kelly either.

"I see." Dylan spoke with a grim tone. "Extortion. You're running a protection racket."

Kelly gasped softly, exchanging a troubled look with Brandon.

The man on the phone had an amused tone in his voice. "We at Wolfram and Hart prefer to call it 'Insurance'."

"So what do you want Mr. McDonald?"

"What we want is for Miss Malone to come to Wolfram and Hart Headquarters anytime tonight, and sign over her interest in the After/Dark Nightclub to us, Mr. McKay."

"Her interest? Tonight?"

"Any time between sunset and sunrise."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then Miss Malone will be only the first of your employees or customers, who will have a new pair of fangs. One employee or customer will be vamped every night, until she comes in and signs."

Dylan said, "Miss Malone just happens to be in hiding. Nobody knows how to contact her."

"We understand the situation Mr. McKay. Since she is unavailable, we'd like you to come to Wolfram and Hart Headquarters, in her place. I'm sure we can make some kind of arrangement, that will be agreeable to both yourself and to us, and perhaps to Miss Malone also."

Dylan heard Lindsey McDonald's phone click off. Then he removed the cellphone from his ear.

"Dylan." Kelly nervously pointed to the cellphone. "I'd like to talk to David, and make sure that he's all right."

"Sorry." He handed the cellphone back to her. "This Mr. McDonald just hung up.

"Valerie!" Dylan spoke sharply to the trembling vampire woman. "You've been allowing bookmaking and drug dealing at the Club?"

Kelly and Brandon both looked at her. She looked away from them.

"Oh!" Brandon said, "Is that's what's been going on? I've noticed that some of the new regulars look like people who it'd be best to avoid."

Valerie spoke with a trembling voice. "Sorry."

Dylan spoke sharply. "You're 'sorry'? He said that you've been getting a percentage of every transaction."

"Not any more." Now her voice was firm. "It's over! I was killed because I was involved in it! And I went to Hell because I was involved in it too! That was enough for me! Now I've been given a second chance; so the Club's not gonna be involved in any of it from now on!"

Dylan told her, "Not according to Lindsey McDonald. He wants you to go down to Wolfram and Hart Headquarters tonight, and sign over your entire interest in the Club to them."

"Forget it!" She repeated to them all, "It's over!"

"It isn't over. You'll be getting other people killed by vampires, if you refuse."

"If I do sign over my interests, they'll be getting killed by them anyway Dylan!"

Dylan shook his head and sighed. Then he spoke.

"You were right Valerie." He told her, "I am your business partner. Whether I like it or not, 'Mr. Spoiled Rich Guy' here, should have occasionally shown some interest in the Club."

They were now all quiet, for a very long, uncomfortable moment.

Finally Brandon asked, "Mr. McKay. Since Valerie refuses to sign over her interest in the Club to Wolfram and Hart, is there something else you can do, to keep your employees and us customers safe from vampires?"

Dylan nodded. "Shut down the Club."

Valerie shouted, "Shut it down? No Dylan, you can't give up just like that! Maybe you can afford the loss, but I can't. Neither can David, or Jorge or Yolanda, or everyone else who's employed by us!"

Brandon said, "She's right. You can't."

Kelly nodded in agreement.

"Then tell me Val," Dylan said, "and both of you; what do you suggest I do to assure the safety of all of our employees and customers?"

There was another long, uncomfortable moment of silence. Then Dylan spoke.

"Kelly." He said, "Do you want to call David back? I'd like to talk to him again."

She took the cellphone and dialed David's number. Then she handed the device back to Dylan, who held it to his ear and waited.

"Hi David. It's Dylan. Are you okay, and is that McDonald guy still there?"

"No." David spoke with a peeved tone. "He's gone, and I'm okay. Nobody's been hurt, and nothing's damaged, at least for now."

"Listen." Dylan told him, "Mr. McDonald just informed me that drug dealing and bookmaking have been going on in the club, during the time that I've been away."

"Well Dylan...You see..."

"You don't have to tell me anything. Just listen. If you just happen to know any drug dealers, or bookmakers, I want you to inform them that none of them will be welcomed inside the After/Dark Nightclub, beginning tonight."

David sounded very uneasy. "Me? Tell guys with Underworld connections that they're unwelcomed? Yeah-right. Like they're gonna listen to me."

"Tell them that if they continue to show up, they'll have to deal with the Club's manager, Miss Valerie Malone, who is now a vampire; along with Miss Kelly Taylor, who also has a brand new pair of fangs that she's just aching to try out."

Kelly smiled. "I'd just love to take a 'bite out of crime'. Wouldn't you Val?"

Valerie smiled and nodded. "Wouldn't feel bad about it later, like I would if it was Brandon or Dylan, or any of the other..."

"Okay." David now spoke very nervously. "I'd like to wait, before I say anything to the bookies or dealers, until at least one of those girls is actually here, on the premises."

"Could you hold on a minute?"

Dylan spoke to Valerie and Kelly. "Now that both of you've got your souls back, will it be safe for either of you to go outside in the daylight?"

The women looked at each other, shook their heads and shrugged doubtfully.

"I'm not sure." Kelly said, "After the way that the blanket and the towel started smoking, I'd rather not take a chance."

Valerie nodded, "Me neither."

Dylan spoke into the phone again. "It's okay David. Me, and at least one of them will be back at the After/Dark, with her fangs on full display, before 9 o'clock tonight."

"That's tonight Dylan. What about tomorrow, and the rest of the nights following?"

"Listen." Dylan told him, "I'd like you to call that Ms. Chase again. Tell her that Mr. Dylan McKay and Miss Valerie Malone would like to hire the Angel Investigations Agency, to provide security for the After/Dark Nightclub, of which we are part owners."

Valerie was startled. "I would? Hire 'Angel Investigations'?"

Over the phone David said, "Hire private security? Good idea."

"Okay. You call them, and have them call me back."

Dylan hung up and handed the cellphone back to Kelly.

He said, "I have no idea what I'm doing. Valerie, do you think that this Angel Investigations Agency, along with two sexy vampire gals, will be enough to stop Wolfram and Hart from harassing our customers and employees?"

"That depends just how serious they are, about taking over the After/Dark."

He looked at Brandon and Kelly. "Do either of you have any suggestions?"

Kelly suggested, "I don't know if this'll help. Do you want to also hire that Witch who was just in here? Have her come with us to L.A. and bring the shrunken head with her. She might be able to restore the souls of all the vampires who work for Wolfram and Hart"

"That's right." Valerie told him, "Make them as harmless as Kelly and me."

Dylan asked, "And just how harmless is that?"

Kelly smiled, again displaying her fully extended fangs; so did Valerie.

"You and Brandon" Kelly said "are both still alive."