Wolfram and Hart are sponsoring a fund raising benefit for a local teen shelter. Angel is suspicious of their motives and starts investigating. Meanwhile, Wes, Gunn and Cordy work to establish their own detective business.
[PREVIOUSLY_ON] Lindsey is about to light the Scroll of Aberjian on fire and Angel throws the scythe and cuts off Lindsey's hand before the scroll can catch on fire. (From "To Shanshu In LA") Lilah in Holland's wine cellar: "For god's sake help us." Holland: "People are going to die." Angel closing the door: "I just can't seem to care." Cut's of the pile of corpses littering the floor of the wine cellar and of Darla biting Holland. ("Reunion") Lindsey: "Holland Manners is dead." Angel leaning against the hood of a dirty car, smoking a cigarette. Darla: "Angel?" Angel throws down the cigarette butt, lighting a trail of gasoline leading to the puddle of it that Darla and Dru are standing in. Darla and Dru scream as they catch fire. Angel picks up his bag and walks out. Darla knocks the top off the fire hydrant with a sledgehammer and the vamp girls let the water put out their burning clothes and skin. ("Redefinition") Wesley: "What you did..." Cordy: "...was wrong." Gunn: "You went to far." Wesley: "Right now the three of us are all that's standing between you and real darkness." Angel: "You're all fired." ("Reunion") Cordy's apartment, night. Close on Wesley: "You think I don't have what it takes?" Close on Gunn, staring back: "I *know* you don't have what it takes." Wesley: "I guess we'll just have to find out." They straighten up slowly, never taking their eyes off each other. Gunn glances down at Wesley's right hand. Gunn: "Go on, English, make your move - because it'll be your last." Both Wesley and Gunn raise their right fists, blow into them, then, simultaneously, cast their dice on the table on which we see a game board set up between them. Wesley slumps in defeat. Gunn doing a little dance: "And now I rule Europe, Australia and South America!" Wesley: "I still got Kamchakta." Gunn: "Three fifths of the world covered in water, the rest covered in me!" Wesley: "Shut up." Gunn: "Who's your ruler, baby? What's my name? Come on, English, say it: Gunn." Cordy comes in, wearing a house robe. Cordy: "Fun as it is having you guys over day and night, it's getting kind of late." Wesley: "It's only seven thirty." Cordy: "Really? Oh. In that case: get out!" Wesley and Gunn exchange a glance. Wesley: "What if you have a vision?" Cordy: "I'll call you." Gunn: "What if Angel..." Cordy and Wesley turn to look at him. Cordy: "I thought we weren't going to say the 'A' word." Gunn: "Yeah, let's not say the 'A' word. Lets just spend our lives sitting around waiting for him to call." Wesley: "We're not waiting for him to call. The man fired us. We're on our own now. Separate unit. Fighting the good fight." Gunn: "Yeah, right! With no plan, or office, or business cards of our own." Wesley quietly: "He's not going to call, is he? (Gunn shakes his head) Right. I tell you the first thing we're scrapping. (Holds up one of Angel Investigations Business cards) These stupid calling cards." Cordy: "They're not stupid. I designed them. That's an Angel!" Wesley: "The universal symbol of the one thing we don't have." Gunn takes the card and looks at it. Gunn: "That's a Angel? Looks like a - a lobster with a - growth or... We'll make our own logo." Wesley: "Yes. Something sleek, but edgy." Gunn: "Something that says: you need help, we're there." Wesley: "Exactly. Danger is our business. (Cordy put a hand to her forehead and begins to stagger) We'll catch you when you fall." Cordy falls downs down in throws of a vision and the guys don't even notice. Gunn: "Uh, I like that!" Cordy from the floor: "Guys..." Wesley and Gunn rush over to her. Wesley: "Easy. Breathe... breathe..." Gunn: "What is it? What you're getting." Cordy breathing hard: "It - it has two heads. And it breathes fire. - It's gigantic. (The guys help her up) And it's rising up in the sewers, beneath Kenyard School for Girls." The guys rush out the door. Cordy calls after them: "You shouldn't go alone!" Angel is walking down a sidewalk in a residential neighborhood at night. Bumps into a blonde girl, carrying a big box coming the other way and knocks the box out of her hands, spilling clothes onto the ground. Angel: "Oh, jeez..." Anne: "Oh!" Angel starts to gather up the clothes: "I'm sorry." Anne, putting down her purse, starts to help: "No, it was me. I didn't hurt you, did I?" Angel, putting clothes back in the box, looks at her: "Fine." Anne: "I just... I couldn't see over the box. I was rushing. I'm late for work." Angel holds up a cloth with big bright spots on it: "You do clown work?" Anne laughs: "No. Just some old clothes that got donated. Angel: "East Hills Teen Center." Anne stares at him. Angel: "It's on the box." Anne looks at the box: "Oh. Right." Angel straightens, holding the box. Angel: "You missed one." Anne picking it up: "Thanks. (Sees her purse on the ground) Oh. Oops. Hold on. (Picks it up, then accepts the box form Angel) Okay. I think I'm good. I'm really sorry." Angel: "No problem." Anne: "They're for the kids. We close in a couple of hours and there is always a feeding frenzy when a new batch comes in." Angel: "You work with runaways?" Anne: "Some of them. Some are from around here, just don't have anywhere to go. We, um, give 'em food, clothes, somewhere to stay if they need it." Angel: "That's good... It's good that someone's... It's - it's good to do." Angel gives her a slight smile. Anne: "Well, I'm late." Angel: "Right." Anne turns to go with a smile: "See you around." Angel: "Uh-huh." Angel enters his apartment. Takes a wallet out of his jacket pocket and drops it on the table - open to reveal a drivers license with a picture of the girl he just bumped into. Angel looks from the drivers license up to a collection of photographs off Anne in different places and with different people until his eyes come to rest on one of her and Lindsey. Intro Wesley and Gunn, each carrying an ax, creep along a sewer tunnel. Gunn: "So it's big." Wesley: "Big." Gunn: "And fire breathing." Wesley: "Breathing." Gunn: "Big, two-headed, fire-breathing..." Wesley: "I think we all have the picture, Gunn. It's not a teddy bear and it probably shouldn't be attending the Kenyard School for Girls." Gunn: "You know, right about now I wouldn't mind..." Wesley: "Don't say it! We don't have him and it's not going to do any good wishing we did!" Gunn: "I was gonna say some dynamite." Wesley: "Oh. - Dynamite. - Maybe it's not to late to go back and..." There is a deep, low roar. Wesley and Gunn look at each other than inch towards the end of the tunnel and lean forward to look around it. Their eyes track upwards as their mouths slowly drop open. They pull back and look at each other. Wesley: "Oh god." Gunn: "The tunnel is almost twenty feet tall. It was crouching." Wesley swallows: "Uh, well. We'll take another look and then we'll..." Gunn: "...die!" The lean forward to take another look and Gunn gets ready to charge, but Wesley holds him back. Wesley: "No, no, wait. Wait. Wait until its back is turned. - Now!" They jump out into the main tunnel only to flinch back from a jet of flame. Wesley waves a hand in front of his face. Gunn: "I thought she said he *breathed* fire!" Both of them charge out of the tunnel with a loud battle cry. Merl gets ready to leave his lair when the door slams into his face to reveal Angel standing there. Angel: "Evening, Merl." Merl: "What do you want, man? I ain't inviting you in." Angel steps over the threshold: "Demon lairs. No invitation necessary." Merl: "Yeah, but it's polite..." Angel: "Are you avoiding me, Merl? (Merl shakes his head once) I ask you for a favor and you're avoiding me. - *That's* impolite." Merl: "Well, nearly drowning me and leaving me hanging in the sewer ain't exactly Emily Post either." Angel: "Okay. So we're both rude. You know what? I can live with that. Now, do you have the information I need, or do I have to see what the inside of your head looks like?" Merl: "Fine! (Sits down) Um, I check out the girl. She's clean. Changed her name a couple of times, but no record." Angel: "What's her connection to Wolfram and Hart?" Merl: "Easy. She runs a shelter over on Crenshaw. Couple of months ago, they almost lost the lease on the place. Wolfram and Hart step in and clear it all up pro bono, and there you go." Angel: "But she's still working for them." Merl: "Well, you know so much, what do you need me for, huh? Come to think of it, why *do* you need me? What happened to that hot chick that was working for you?" Angel: "Pro bono. There's got to be an angle." Merl: "There always is. But as far as I can tell - the shelter itself is strictly legit." Angel turns to go: "Okay." Merl: "Hey! Hey, what about my hundred bucks!" Angel: "You know what? I'll owe you. (Looks around the place) Just make sure you use it for some new furniture. - Bean bag chairs? (Shakes his head) Merl." East Hills Teen Shelter, night. Girl: "What am I supposed to do? He's gonna want to come in." Anne: "Then you tell him no! Benny knows the rules. He's not coming in here drunk. You turn him out. Don't even listen to him." The girl leaves and Anne notices Angel standing a little ways away, holding a brown paper bag. Anne smiling: "Hey! Guy I ran over." Angel: "Hey. Girl who ran over me." Anne: "You can call me Anne. It's shorter." They shake hands. Angel: "Angel. Um, I brought some... I don't know if they're any good." Anne takes the bag: "That's great! Uh, we can take them over here. (They walk over to a table) Whoa. Now lets see. What have you got? (Pulls out a flowered blouse) Well, that's - not what I expected. What's the matter, it doesn't fit you anymore?" Angel: "Cuts me across the bust. A friend - left her clothes at my place. I won't be seeing her anytime soon, so I figured..." Anne: "Girlfriend?" Angel: "God, no. (Anne gives him a look) Uh, I mean just..." Anne: "Well, I really appreciate... *we* really appreciate this. Every little bit helps, you know?" Angel: "I just wish I could do more." Anne: "Well, if you're - not in a hurry. You up for a tour?" Anne steps into her office: "And here is the vibrant nerve center of our massive corporation." Angel: "Wow. It's uh..." Anne: "Small. But I'm hardly ever in here." Angel looks over at a cot: "You just come in for naps?" Anne: "Oh, the bed... No, it's just sometimes I'm here so late it's just easier than going home. - So, what do you think?" Angel: "Amazing. - You said it runs on donations?" Anne: "Every last penny." Angel: "Got to be tough - trying to stay ahead." Anne: "It is. Thankfully we have a guardian angel." Angel: "Guardian angel?" Anne: "Wolfram and Hart. Uh, it's a law firm. They've been a godsend in the last couple of months. Bailed us out of an eviction, defended a couple of our kids." Angel: "They sound like saints." Anne: "As far as I'm concerned. They're the ones that came up with the idea for the big hold up." Angel: "Hold up?" Anne: "Charity ball. It's a fundraiser for the center. Big TV-celebrities go around and pretend to rob the guests of their donations. Wild West theme. It's gonna be big." Angel: "And Wolfram and Hart's picking up the tab." Anne: "They're donating everything, from the music to the food - plus they have connections to all the TV stars." Angel: "That's not surprising." Anne: "It's good for their image, I guess. And it's a pretty dorky theme - but hey, whatever it takes, right?" Angel: "Right." Merl gets ready to leave his lair and the door slams into his face, knocking him down, as a big blue demon steps in. Merl: "Does anybody knock?" Boone: "You Merl?" Merl takes in his visitor: "Ah, Merl? Um... Merl who? Ah, the name's Ed, uh, Silverman?" Boone: "You're Angel's lackey." Merl: "No. No, I'm not... (Boone steps on Merl's hand) Ow! Independent contractor. Independent contractor!" Boone: "And what do you do for him?" Merl: "Ouch! Pictures! Ow! I-I take..." Boone: "Pictures." Boone steps off Merl's hand. Merl inspects his hand: "Ow. Surveillance, you know? Pick up dirt. Check people out for him. Not that he appreciates it. - Who the hell are you anyway? IRS?" Boone: "Angel and I have a history. An unfinished history." Merl: "Yeah? That's nice. What, did you guys go to college together?" Boone: "These people you check out. Who are they? - Friends? Enemies? - What does Angel care about?" Merl: "I ah, I - I don't know. Last thing he had me do was follow some chick. Did charity work." Boone: "Why?" Merl gets up: "Well, between you and me - ain't abou the girl. It's Wolfram and Hart." Boone: "What's a Wolfram and Hart?" Merl: "A law firm, technically. Uh, more like, uh - Evil Incorporated. -You know lately, Angel, he's been gunning for them. Especially these two lawyers." Boone grabs Merl by the throat, choking him: "Tell me about the lawyers." Lilah is walking towards her car in the parking garage. Unlocks it with the remote button on her key chain and gets in. Starts the car and adjusts the rearview mirror, then turns around to back out of her parking space only to find Angel sitting in the back seat. Jumps, and gasps with shock. Angel: "Lilah. - I just had to drop by and congratulate you on your big promotion. Co-vice-president Special Projects. - Wow. That's super. You deserve it. Yeah. That - and *so* much more." Lilah: "Angel..." Angel: "But you know what the real special part is? To *think* that maybe, in my small way, I helped make it happen for you. (Smiles) That makes me feel all good inside." Lilah tires to open her door, but Angel's hand shoots out and stops her. Lilah: "Angel - I can assure you, now that Lindsey and I are in a - position to affect policy, things'll change." Angel: "Change? (Lilah nods) Well, yeah! Because I get it now." Lilah: "It?" Angel: "The game. - It's actually kind of fun when you know the rules. I mean, when you know - that there aren't any. (Taps her shoulder with his finger) You screw with me, and you screw with me, and... you screw with me. And now - I get to screw with you." Lilah: "Uh..." Angel: "That's gonna be great!" Lilah: "Angel, please..." Angel leans in real close: "No. No. No. No. The begging - that comes later." Lilah closes her eyes and swallows and Angel is suddenly gone. Wolfram and Hart, day, Lindsey's office. Lilah pacing: "He was in my car." Lindsey sitting on his desk: "And yet here you are. Still alive. - He was just trying to spook you." Lilah: "Yeah, well, it worked." Lindsey: "Relax. He doesn't kill humans, at least - not with his own hands." Lilah: "He's not playing by the old rules any more." Intercom: "Mr. McDonald? Your ten o'clock is here." Lindsey pushes a button: "I don't have a ten o'clock." Intercom: "I'm not gonna tell him that." Lindsey gets up with a sigh and goes to open the door. Lindsey: "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm all..." Boone walks in: "Shut the door." Lindsey repeats quietly to himself 'Shut the door' as he shuts it. Lindsey: "Why don't you come in, Mr..." Boone: "Call me Boone. (To Lilah) Are you the - better half of this team?" Lilah with a smile: "I like to think so. We run the Special Projects division. Did you have a special project?" Boone: "More like a grudge - with a fellow named - Angel." Break. Boone: "I've known Angel since Juarez in the twenties. We had a little disagreement over a senorita. I called him out. We fought for three and a half hours." Lindsey: "Obviously both of you survived." Boone: "Well, I'd been working on a three day drunk at the time. I wasn't at my peak." Lilah: "How did it end?" Boone: "The sun came up - I let him go." Lilah: "You let him go. - Why?" Boone: "The sun came up. - Would have been too easy? - You people know anything about honor? - Anyway, life is long, when you're eternal. Always knew I'd cross his path again. And low and behold, I'm in a Karaoke bar downtown when I get wind of this lizard demon, Merl, who sometimes does favors for the vampire with a soul. I find Merl - and he tells me - that Angel's planning on bringing you two down." Lindsey: "Did he happen to mention how?" Boone: "Don't know. Don't care. All I do know is, when Angel come for you, he's gonna find me instead." Lindsey: "I like it. I like it and I'll tell you why: because of the finding you instead part. How much do you charge?" Boone: "This isn't about money. This is about knowing." Lilah: "Knowing what?" Boone: "Who's better. Him - or me." Lilah: "If you're talking about killing Angel, I'm afraid we can't help you." Lindsey: "Mr. Boone, would you excuse me and my associate for a moment, please?" Boone: "Of course." Lindsey: "Thank you." Lindsey leads Lilah into another room. Lindsey: "I'm using my discretionary fund. Bring him on board." Lilah: "Aren't you forgetting something? The senior partners want Angel alive." Lindsey: "So?" Lilah: "So - what if this guy is actually as good as he says and actually kills Angel?" Lindsey: "Boo-hoo! Let me wipe away the tears with my plastic hand!" Lilah: "Hey, Napoleon, we are *Co* vice-presidents. This plan of yours explodes and we both end up in tiny pieces." Lindsey: "Want Angel hitching another ride in your back seat? So to speak. Beside, if he's not gonna play by the old rules, why should we?" Lindsey leaves Lilah standing and walks back into his main office. Gunn and Wesley are sitting next to Cordy on her couch. Wesley: "It's the biggest thing you've ever seen." Gunn: "And me and English here are just getting stomped, just ducking flames." Wesley: "It hurls me into the outflow drain..." Gunn: "And then you come crawling back, stinking, screaming curses. The mouth on this boy!" Wesley: "And Gunn hits him form behind, yelling 'look at us when we kill you!' and both its heads turn..." Gunn gets up and makes a swinging motion: "Then 'shronk!' Wes buries his ax in the head number one." Wesley: "And Gunn is running him through, pulling out intestines the size of your leg!" Gunn high fives Wes: "We turned him inside out!" They laugh. Cordy: "You weren't scared?" Wesley: "Oh, mother in heaven." Gunn: "Pants wetting, praising the lord to save me kind of scared. All right?" Cordy smiles: "But you did it." Gunn: "No. We did it. (Picks up some cans and hands each of them one) All of us." Wesley raises his drink: "All of us together." Gunn proposing a toast: "To us." They clink their cans together. Wesley: "To us." Cordy: "To us." They drink. Cordy: "Um, I did something. I hope you guys don't mind. - I started looking for an office, you know, for our new agency." Wesley smiling: "Our new agency?" Gunn clinking cans: "Our new agency." Cordy: "There is this little place, not that far from here? It's not much, but..." Gunn: "So why we're still here?" Wesley: "Lets go!" They all get up Gunn: "Our new agency." Wesley: "Wyndham-Price Agency." Cordy and Gunn: "The what?" Wesley: "You don't like it? - It's classy." Cordy: "It's stuffy. - The Chase Agency! *That* has the right ring." Wesley: "Why?" Cordy: "Because it's my name." Gunn: "Uh, Wes, Ms. Chase, alright, there is only one player here with a name that strikes dread in the demon heart." Points at himself. Cordy: "Gunn?" Gunn: "Uh-huh." Cordy: "Oh, yeah, that is so original. (Starts to dance and sing) I got a gun and my name is Gunn..." Starts to laugh. Wesley: "Wyndham-Price is everything you need to..." Cordy and Gunn: "Shut up!" Angel looks at the pictures of Anne and Lindsey then at her drivers license (Anne Steele -5632 Willoughby Ave - Los Angles CA 98881 - s*x: F - Hair: BLM - Ht: 5-88 - Wt: 118 - Rstr: none). Sighs and takes down the pictures. Merl enters his lair carrying takeout Chinese food. He is grabbed and pushed headfirst against the wall. Merl: "Jeez, you got to be kidding me! Swear I didn't rat on you, Angel. I said nothing to that guy! (Gets slammed against the wall again) Ow!" Lilah: "Shut up, Merl." The W&H flunky holding Merl pulls him around to face Lilah and lets go of him. Merl: "Well, jeez. Does everyone know where I live? - Got to get myself a new lair." Lilah: "Merl? Lilah. Now that we're past the pleasantries, we've heard you do favors for Angel. We'd like to know what those favors are." Merl: "hey, I don't go selling out one of my pals. How much you're gonna pay?" Lilah: "I think you'll find our offer (One of the flunkies hits Merl in the nose) competitive." Merl: "Ow. I would have taken a credit card." Lilah: "Merl." The flunky threatens to hit Merl again. Merl: "Okay, okay, okay. Down Fluffy! Jeez. - Last couple of days I've been following this girl." Lilah: "What girl?" Anne sits at her desk at the shelter writing in a book. Hears a sound and goes to investigate it. Anne: "Hello? - Is anybody out here?" Angel: "Anne." Anne: "You startled me. What are you doing here?" Angel: "I have to talk to you." Anne: "Oh boy. You're not - stalking me, are you?" Angel: "Actually, I am." Anne: "Excuse me?" Angel pulls the pictures out of a manila envelope and drops them onto the little table between them. Angel: "These are pictures - I've taken of you. Surveillance photos. (Anne looks down at a picture of her and Lindsey) This is your wallet. I stole it when we 'accidentally' ran into each other last night. (Drops it on the table) Wasn't an accident." Anne: "I'm calling the police." Angel: "Wait. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just couldn't stand lying to you anymore." Anne: "Lying about what? That you're a psycho?" Angel: "I've been following you, that's true. But not for the reasons you think." Anne: "There is a good reason?" Angel: "Wolfram and Hart. They're not saints, Anne. They don't care about you or your shelter." Anne: "You're following me because..." Angel: "I checked it out. They'll use your charity for good publicity. Offer to throw you a big fund raiser, money starts rolling in... but wait! You're not the one counting it. So who knows how much they're keeping back right from the start. Next they'll give you a list of expenses, all very proper and necessary, but what do you know? After a certain number of miscellaneous, untraceable fees, you're left with five percent, tops." Anne: "You follow me. Take my pictures. Steal my wallet. - What makes you think I'll believe anything you say?" Angel: "Wolfram and Hart are not what they say they are. They show the world one face but it's not the truth. - I can prove it. Everything they say is a lie." Anne: "Guess you have something in common, huh?" Lindsey walks into the shelter. Anne: "Lindsey!" Lindsey: "Are you alright?" Anne: "Fine. I..." Lindsey: "He didn't hurt you, did he? (Comes to stand next to Anne) Believe me, if I'd known this man was in contact with you, I'd come sooner. (Faces Angel with a smile) I'm just thankful that I got here in time." Angel smiles back: "Little over the top. Maybe if you worked on that look of concern." Lindsey aside to Anne: "He's unbalanced. Very dangerous." Angel takes a step closer to Lindsey: "You haven't seen anything yet." Lindsey: "Neither have you." The door opens again and Angel looks over his shoulder to see Boone. Boone: "It's been a long time." Lindsey to Anne: "I brought some protection." Angel: "Boone. Working for Wolfram and Hart. I thought you had integrity." Boone: "I do. Here's fair warning." Boone stretches his hands down and a metal coil wraps itself around them, then jumps at Angel. Angel ducks, and hits then kicks Boone as he gets back up. Boone hits Angel in the stomach then the back dropping him to the ground, then throws him across the room. Anne and Lindsey watch as they continue to fight. Boone seems at least as strong and as fast as Angel and after some more fighting Angel runs out of the shelter. Lindsey intercepts Boone as he tries to follow. Lindsey: "Wait." Boone: "He's getting away!" Lindsey: "That's fine as long as he's not threatening my client. (Then adds in a whisper) Soon. But not here. (Regular voice) Go out to the car. I'll meet you there. I don't think he's gonna be back tonight." Boone stalks out and Lindsey turns to Anne. Lindsey: "It's okay. Angel's gone. You're safe." Anne looks from Lindsey to the door Boone just left through then back at Lindsey. Break [SCENE_BREAK] Anne: "That - guy who beat up Angel, he wasn't human." Lindsey: "No. You see, Anne, there is a different world..." Anne: "Lindsey, I'm not naïve." Lindsey: "Oh. Well, Angel's not human either. He's a vampire. He's a sick, deranged..." Anne: "He says you're planning to steal most of the money from the fund raiser." Lindsey: "Well, he's lying. - I mean, there are - expenses... You know how this works, with any charity event, especially one this big. But we don't steal." Anne: "He says he has proof." Lindsey after a beat: "He's lying about that, too. I mean, who're you gonna trust, Anne? You're gonna trust a mentally unstable vampire? Or you're gonna trust people that have worked night and day to put this fundraiser together for your kids? (Anne shifts but doesn't say anything) I would hate to see them lose out because you made the wrong decision." Anne: "So he doesn't have proof." Lindsey after a beat: "He can't have proof." Lilah and Lindsey are walking down the sidewalk together at night. Lilah: "He's got proof?" Lindsey: "Maybe." Lilah: "That's what she said. Angel's got proof." Lindsey: "Everything is gonna be okay." Lilah: "Sure it is. I mean, all we did was to oversee a scheme to steal two million dollars from a teen homeless shelter. How did this happen?" Lindsey: "If he's got proof it came from you." Lilah: "Me?!" Lindsey: "Yeah, you. You opened your mouth to someone, and now he's got it on tape, probably." Lilah: "No, you're the one with the sporadic professional death wish. How do I know you're not on one of your Kamikaze missions, with me as your co-pilot." Lindsey: "Because the only person I ever talked to about it was you. Always in my office, which is swept for bugs three times a day! I never discussed stealing the money in public." Lilah folds her arms and looks around. There are people walking by. Lilah: "Until now. - He's got us. The b*st*rd just got us on tape. What's he gonna do with it?" Lindsey: "What do you think? He's gonna use it to humiliate us." Lilah: "The news. He's gonna send it to the news, isn't he? National coverage..." Lindsey: "No. It's not personal enough for him." Lilah: "What? What's he..." Lindsey: "He's got to be there." Lilah: "What? Why?" Lindsey: "To see us swing, that's why - with the bosses there watching. (Pulls out his cell phone) It's me. I want security at the charity ball doubled and I want you to make sure there's a vampire detector there." Anne is sorting stuff in her office when Angel slowly walks in. Anne: "I sort of thought you'd show up again." Angel: "You alright?" Anne: "I didn't have a big monster pounding my face into the floor, so I figure I'm better than you." Angel: "What did Lindsey say about me?" Anne continuing to fold clothes: "That you were a bad man." Angel: "Bad man." Anne: "A psychotic vampire who cut of his hand, harassed his firm and - is borderline schizophrenic. - I was giving you the short version." Angel: "Do you believe that?" Anne: "Well, I'd say for sure you're a vampire. Human being would be in the hospital, the beating you took." Angel: "And that doesn't frighten you." Anne: "A few years ago it would have been a big turn on. I thought vampires were the coolest." Angel: "What happened?" Anne: "I met one." Angel: "You're not afraid of me." Anne: "Well, I've seen worse things since. A fourteen-year-old girl sitting in her own blood after a rough trick and dozens of people just walking right by, so no, vampires, demons, even lawyers pretty much don't impress me. Maybe you had a good reason for cutting off Lindsey's hand. I don't care. - I care about the shelter. If an evil law firm is gonna help me raise two million dollars..." Angel: "Of which you'll probably see only five percent of." Anne: "Yeah, well, I did the math. Five percent of two million is a hundred thousand dollars. That's more money than this shelter could raise in two years." Angel: "What about the other ninety five percent? You don't care where that's going, who that could be hurting?" Anne after a beat: "I can't." Angel: "There is blood on that money, Anne. Are you the person who can ignore that? Have you become that yet? I don't think you have." Anne: "You don't know what it takes to run a shelter..." Angel: "Help me. Get me into the party. (Pulls out 8mm video tape) I put this on, the world sees a whole new side of Wolfram and Hart." Anne: "Why should I?" Angel: "Because it's right. In the long run, it's better." Anne: "Most of my kids don't have a long run. - No. I'm saying no." Wolfram and Hart's Highway Robbery Ball. Holland Manners is up on a big screen, wearing a shirt, but no tie and a knit cardigan over it, sitting on a park bench. Holland: "The world can be a dangerous place, especially for our most vulnerable citizens, our children. (Pets the collie sitting at his feet then gets up) Far away from home with little money and even less hope, too many runaways find themselves on the streets, over their heads and under societies radar." Anne looks around then sips from the fluted glass in her hand. Holland up on the screen comes up next to a disheveled kid sitting on another park bench. Holland: "But there is a place, right here in Los Angeles that can help these troubled kids - the East Hills Teen Center. (Holds out a hand to the kid and helps it up) It's a terrific refuge that we at Wolfram and Hart support one hundred percent." A bald guy wearing thick rimmed glasses walks up to Lilah. Nathan: "Lilah." Lilah: "Good evening, sir." Nathan: "Things progressing nicely?" Lilah: "Well, it's a pretty simple formula. Rich people pay to touch famous people. Cameras catch all the not quite prostitutional action. Pretty profitable and it all goes into the public consciousness as a good deed courtesy of Wolfram and Hart. It's really true - charity gives you this - warm glow, you know? (Sees Anne and beckons to her) Anne. I'd like you to meet one of my bosses at Wolfram and Hart, Nathan Reed. Mister Reed this is Anne." Nathan shakes Anne's hand: "So this is the young woman whose dedication and hard work brings us together tonight." Anne: "Well, I - try to help - where I can. Thank you for everything, sir." Nathan: "I like to think of my job as underlining the 'heart' in Wolfram and Hart." Lilah: "Remember, save some time for interviews tonight. Now, whether you like it or not, you are the public face of this charity." Nathan: "And what a face it is." Lilah: "Yes. Never underestimate the power of positive publicity." Lindsey is checking with the security guys up on the second level. Lindsey: "He stays up here. Are we forgetting anything?" Guard: "No, sir. My men are stationed at every possible entry point everyone is in constant radio contact. (Behind them a dark robbed vampire detector looks up, showing his pale face) And if this vampire of yours gets within a hundred feet, Zorn will let us know." Lindsey: "The moment he senses anything you alert Boone." Holland on the screen now in suit and tie standing in front of his desk: "Can we really change the world? At Wolfram and Hart - we're counting on it." As the applause comes up Holland's name and 1951 - 2000 are superimposed over his smiling image. Lilah on the podium and on screen (transmitted from one of the many cameramen circulating in the crowd): "Holland Manners is gone, but I feel he's looking down on us tonight. Don't you feel it? The truth is, Holland had a vision of the future most of us can't imagine. Let's make it come true, together." Applause. Lilah: "Now lets get started, but not with a plea for money. No, no. No, we're not here to ask you for money, we're here to take at gunpoint. (Laughter) Please welcome our celebrity bandits, from the hit show 'Life Lessons' Serena Tate, Holden Rayne, C.J. McCard, and Jordan Johns!" Applause as the celebrity bandits rush into the crowd, wielding guns and carpet bags to collect the donations. A cowboy, with a scantily clad saloon girl with a carpetbag beside him, puts his gun against the chest of a guy in a tux. Cowboy: "Hellooo, that's some pretty nice duds there, fello'. What you say we see some of that cash you got stowed in them silk pockets?" Jenkins: "Hey, hey, cowboy, don't hurt me now!" Smiles at his date as he pulls out a brown envelope with "Highway Robbery Ball - Donor: Mr. And Mrs. Jenkins - Gift amount: $ 25,000 cash" written on it and drops it into the bag. Jenkins: "My daughter from my first marriage, she is a huge fan of your show." Cowboy: "Yeee-haw." A security guard strolls through the crowd listening to others report that everything is clear in their area. A Blonde is undoing her necklace while talking to one of the stars. Woman: "Serena, I have to know, this thing with making your character gay, (Drops the necklace into her husbands fundraiser envelope) is that like all about ratings? Because I don't get it." The stars drop the full bags off at a table were some W&H employees are taking out the envelopes while Lindsey and Lilah watch. Guard to Lindsey: "No sign of your friend yet." The camera pans up to the robed and hooded vampire detector. He pulls back his hood to reveal that it's Angel. Angel takes off the robe and turns to find himself face to face with Boone. Boone: "Angel. I was afraid you weren't going to show. You *are* ready to finish this." Break The employees at the table are putting the cash they removed from the envelopes into one bag. Lilah: "Once again I'd like to thank our wonderful stars from 'Life Lessons' for giving so generously of their time." Applause sounds as the stars smile and wave. Cowboy to Serena: "I'm going to kill my agent." Lilah: "And to you, our benefactors, let me just say that we really *can* change the world. With your support we can make it a safer place for all our children." Applause, which gives way to talk as everyone's attention is drawn to Angel and Boone fighting on the open upper level. Screams ring out, as Boone and Angel topple over the low wall and land a little ways beside the table with the money. Cowboy to Serena: "What, they're doing stunts now? (Looks at his watch) It's gonna take forever!" Angel and Boone continue their fight where they landed and Boone sends Angel sliding over the table with the cash, knocking some of it off. Serena looking at Boone: "I'm not buying the makeup." Two guards grab a hold of Angel as he gets back up and Lindsey starts to pat him down. Lindsey: "Did you really think we weren't gonna be ready for you? Where is the tape? (Can't feel it in any of Angel's pockets) Where is it? Where is the tape." Boone pats Lindsey's arm as he comes to stand next to Angel: "He doesn't have it. (To Angel) Are you okay? I tried to cushion the fall." Angel shrugs his jacket straight: "I'll be fine." Lindsey: "What the hell are you talking about?" Angel to Boone: "Thanks for getting me in. (To Lindsey) This place is like a fortress." Lilah: "What's going on?" Lindsey: "They're in it together." Angel: "Me, I'm just here for the show." Angel turns to look at the screen. Lilah: "The tape. The tape. She's got the tape." Anne is walking towards the video equipment, pulling a 8mm video tape out of her purse. Lindsey and Lilah start to push their way through the crowd, for all to see up on the big screen thanks to a diligent cameraman capturing all the action. Lilah: "Excuse me!" Anne inserts the tape and we see a pair of black shoes walking up on the big screen and hear Wesley's voice. Wesley: "How do you turn this thing on?" Lindsey and Lilah stop dead, watching the screen. Cordy as the picture jerks like crazy: "Just give it to me!" Wesley: "Ah, it's not a toy! It's an expensive piece of equipment. It's for gathering evidence." The camera now show Cordy's beige boots. Cordy: "Let go." Wesley: "You're just gonna play with it, aren't you?" Lindsey and Lilah exchange a look. Cordy talking to a coat rack: "I gave you two children, Bill, and you leave me for a man? No! Don't speak! Don't say anything! What is there to say? You said it all..." Serena to Cowboy: "Interesting choice." Cowboy: "I sort of believe the coat rack more." Cordy slaps the coat rack, knocking it over. Cordy, drinking a tall glass of milk: "Hmm, milk." Lindsey and Lilah exchange another look, while Anne's eyes remain riveted to the screen. Nathan Reed makes a face. Cordy says 'hmm, milk' in different ways, trying to convey different emotions. Then: "I don't get it. How am I not working?" Screen goes to snow for a moment. Lilah: "What's happening?" Now it's Wesley dancing up on the big screen, snapping his fingers. Angel comes to stand next to Anne: "Looks to me like you two were acting like a couple of crazy people - on camera, too. - Ouch." Wesley into the camera: "Price. Wesley Wyndham-Price." Serena: "Isn't that the guy that's dating Virginia Bryce?" Cowboy scoffs. The crowd starts to laugh as Wesley launches into a striptease dance. Nathan looks over at Lindsey and Lilah, not laughing. Lindsey: "You don't have us on tape, do you?" Angel smiling: "I got nothing. Do you know how hard it is to secretly record someone as paranoid as you two?" Lindsey: "This whole thing was a setup." Lilah: "You hired Boone." On screen, Wesley apparently hears someone coming into the office and jumps towards the camera, putting his hand over the lens as he drops down with it. Angel: "No. You did. For a whole lot of money, too." Lindsey turns to look towards the tables: "The money." He and Lilah run back through the crowd, pushing people aside and yelling 'look out' and 'move,' running past Nathan Reed, to find the employees knocked unconscious and the money gone. Lindsey: "Damn!" Nathan: "What happened?" Lilah: "He stole the money." Nathan: "Who?" Lindsey: "The cowboy." Angel is walking out of the hotel when Anne comes up behind him, puts a hand on his arm to turn him around then slaps him full in the face. Anne: "How dare you? I risked everything in there. I risked my kids. You never even planned to expose the scheme." Angel: "They would have covered it up. I just wanted to shake them up a bit. - It's not much, but it's a start." Anne: "And the money?" Angel: "The money was tainted." Anne: "I don't even care about..." Angel: "Yes, you do. That's the difference between us. - You still care." After looking at her a moment longer, Angel turns as walks off. Wolfram and Hart, night, Lindsey's office. Nathan: "You embarrassed us all. - You allowed two million dollars earmarked for this firm to be lost. And worst of all, you violated company policy to hire an assassin to kill Angel. An assassin who was in fact, in league with Angel." Lilah: "I'm very sorry, sir." Nathan: "Sorry isn't acceptable. - Holland Manners was a brilliant lawyer - had a tremendous mind - but I think he had a soft spot for the two of you, which I believe clouded his judgement. - I won't make that mistake." Lilah: "Understood." Nathan: "My advice to both of you, start piling up wins. Fast." Lilah: "Yes, sir." Lindsey: "How-how do you expect us to - succeed when you handcuff us with these idiotic rules protecting Angel?" Lilah casually edges a couple of steps away from Lindsey. Nathan: "I'm sorry. Did you say something?" Lindsey: "Angel is an obstacle to everything that we do. Give me one good reason why we can't just kill him!" Nathan steps up close to Lindsey: "Because Angel - is a major player." Lilah: "In business?" Nathan: "In the apocalypse." Lilah: "Oh. That." Nathan: "The prophecies all agree that when the final battle is waged, he plays a key role." Lindsey: "Good for him." Nathan: "Which side he's on is the gray area, and we're gonna continue making it as gray as possible." Lilah: "Works for me." Nathan: "Until then - his growing obsession with the two of you, the increasing possibility that to scratch that itch, he'll go so far as to kill you... - Well, that could actually play in the firm's favor. (Lilah stares at him wiht a frown) It would be a sign that Angel is on the path to joining our team. And as hard as it is to lose good attorneys, well the truth is - you are both expendable. (Smiles at them - then turns dead serious) Angel - isn't." Angel is looking at a picture of Anne and Lindsey back in his office at the Hyperion, then drops it into the trashcan on his way into the lobby. He walks up the steps to his apartment, but stops on the first landing. Angel without turning around: "I thought you'd be halfway to Brazil by now." Angel turns and we see Boone standing on the landing in front of the entrance. Boone: "No, you didn't." Angel: "No, I didn't." Boone lifts up the carpetbag in his hand and throws it down into the lobby. Money and jewelry spill out. Angel: "How much did it come to?" Boone: "With jewelry? North of two and a half million, I'd say." Angel: "That's a lot to lay on the line." Boone: "Yeah. But I got to know." Boone stretches his hands down and the steel coils wrap around his hands. We get a close up of Boone's hand. A close up on Angel's eyes, one on Boone's eyes. Then the two launch at each other across the lobby. Smash cut to the bag with the money dropping on Anne's desk. Angel: "All of it. Little bit more than five percent." Anne reaches in and takes out some of the bundles of money. We see that Angel's face is badly bruised and he has a split lip. Angel turning to go: "Wolfram and Hart find out that you have that money..." Anne: "I can find a way to hide it. (She fingers the money than looks at the dark liquid coming off onto her fingers) What's this?" Angel: "Blood." Anne looks at him, looks down, hesitates for a moment, then: "It'll wash." Goes back to removing the money form the bag. FADE TO BLACK
Blood Money