Willow yawned, raising her eyes from the magazine on her knees. It was the third time she'd read it, but there was little else to do while she waited. She didn't like not knowing what was going on, but she trusted Nick. He would tell her everything as soon as he could, and that wouldn't be long now. Evans had left a few minutes ago to go and collect her husband from his long sojourn with this Tobias Acton person. They'd be back in half an hour or so, and then she might finally get some answers of her own.
As she stretched, a young police officer approached her with a smile. "Everything okay there, Mrs. Gregory?" she asked, tucking a long hank of black hair back behind her ear as she spoke. Pale green eyes danced with playful light.
Willow found herself smiling along, though there was little enough to smile about right now. "I guess," she shrugged. "Going a little stir crazy shut up in here all day, though."
The police woman laughed pleasantly. "I can imagine," she agreed. "Say, do you want to come out with me for a few minutes" I have to make a dinner run. Wouldn't be more than twenty minutes. You'd be back before Detective Gregory gets here."
Willow hesitated, deeply tempted by the offer. Don't go anywhere alone, Nick had said. Especially after dark. She glanced out through the window, surprised to find that it was already the deep end of dusk. "I'm not sure I should," she sighed reluctantly. "Nick was pretty clear about not going anywhere alone."
"You won't be alone, you'll be with me," the other woman chuckled. "Seriously, what harm can it do to stretch your legs a little?"
It was a good point, and Willow already knew what her answer was. She wasn't disobeying Nick, after all. He hadn't said she couldn't go outside, just that she shouldn't go alone. With a police woman on hand, she wouldn't be alone. Setting the magazine aside, she rose from her seat with a smile. "Okay, you convinced me," she laughed herself. "But I have to be back before Nick, or he'll tear you a new one."
"I can handle the detective," the police woman chuckled again, turning to lead the way between the desks toward the main doors. "I'm Lorelei, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Lorelei," Willow smiled, falling into step with the other woman as they passed by the main desk. She waved to the officer on duty, who hesitated on seeing her leaving, then relaxed when he noted the uniformed officer beside her. "Just going to stretch my legs," she assured him. "As promised, not alone."
He nodded, obviously still a little uneasy about it, but prepared to take her word. Besides, she was with another officer. What harm could come to her" He made a note of the time, and went back to his work, letting the two women step out into the cold encroaching night.
"So which diner are we going to?" Willow asked her new companion as they walked along, each step taking them further into the darkness, further away from the precinct station.
"Oh, we're not going to a diner," Lorelei told her with a smirk, and for the first time, Willow found herself frowning, not entirely sure this had been such a good idea. "I've got something better in mind. Fresh food is always best, don't you think?"
"What, you're gonna cook for a whole precinct of officers?" Willow laughed, trying to force away the uncomfortable feeling that was descending on her.
"I don't need to cook." Lorelei paused by the dark opening of an alleyway. "It comes fresh and warm as it is."
Willow frowned again, turning to face the other woman. "What, are you gonna slaughter a goat and serve it rare?" she asked, glancing uneasily into the darkness behind the police woman.
"Don't do yourself down." Lorelei smiled, and Willow felt her blood freeze. Those pale eyes held a hint of yellow, a new sense of predator and prey touching the conversation. "You're hardly a goat."
Without any warning, Willow bolted, crying out as a hand snatched into her hair and yanked her off her feet. Her bag went flying into a drift of snow, forgotten, as arms clamped, vice-like, around her torso. She felt fingers probing at her neck, and then ....oblivion. All that was left to mark their passage was her bag, lying forlornly in the snow, the forgotten witness to a kidnapping that no one had anticipated.
As she stretched, a young police officer approached her with a smile. "Everything okay there, Mrs. Gregory?" she asked, tucking a long hank of black hair back behind her ear as she spoke. Pale green eyes danced with playful light.
Willow found herself smiling along, though there was little enough to smile about right now. "I guess," she shrugged. "Going a little stir crazy shut up in here all day, though."
The police woman laughed pleasantly. "I can imagine," she agreed. "Say, do you want to come out with me for a few minutes" I have to make a dinner run. Wouldn't be more than twenty minutes. You'd be back before Detective Gregory gets here."
Willow hesitated, deeply tempted by the offer. Don't go anywhere alone, Nick had said. Especially after dark. She glanced out through the window, surprised to find that it was already the deep end of dusk. "I'm not sure I should," she sighed reluctantly. "Nick was pretty clear about not going anywhere alone."
"You won't be alone, you'll be with me," the other woman chuckled. "Seriously, what harm can it do to stretch your legs a little?"
It was a good point, and Willow already knew what her answer was. She wasn't disobeying Nick, after all. He hadn't said she couldn't go outside, just that she shouldn't go alone. With a police woman on hand, she wouldn't be alone. Setting the magazine aside, she rose from her seat with a smile. "Okay, you convinced me," she laughed herself. "But I have to be back before Nick, or he'll tear you a new one."
"I can handle the detective," the police woman chuckled again, turning to lead the way between the desks toward the main doors. "I'm Lorelei, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Lorelei," Willow smiled, falling into step with the other woman as they passed by the main desk. She waved to the officer on duty, who hesitated on seeing her leaving, then relaxed when he noted the uniformed officer beside her. "Just going to stretch my legs," she assured him. "As promised, not alone."
He nodded, obviously still a little uneasy about it, but prepared to take her word. Besides, she was with another officer. What harm could come to her" He made a note of the time, and went back to his work, letting the two women step out into the cold encroaching night.
"So which diner are we going to?" Willow asked her new companion as they walked along, each step taking them further into the darkness, further away from the precinct station.
"Oh, we're not going to a diner," Lorelei told her with a smirk, and for the first time, Willow found herself frowning, not entirely sure this had been such a good idea. "I've got something better in mind. Fresh food is always best, don't you think?"
"What, you're gonna cook for a whole precinct of officers?" Willow laughed, trying to force away the uncomfortable feeling that was descending on her.
"I don't need to cook." Lorelei paused by the dark opening of an alleyway. "It comes fresh and warm as it is."
Willow frowned again, turning to face the other woman. "What, are you gonna slaughter a goat and serve it rare?" she asked, glancing uneasily into the darkness behind the police woman.
"Don't do yourself down." Lorelei smiled, and Willow felt her blood freeze. Those pale eyes held a hint of yellow, a new sense of predator and prey touching the conversation. "You're hardly a goat."
Without any warning, Willow bolted, crying out as a hand snatched into her hair and yanked her off her feet. Her bag went flying into a drift of snow, forgotten, as arms clamped, vice-like, around her torso. She felt fingers probing at her neck, and then ....oblivion. All that was left to mark their passage was her bag, lying forlornly in the snow, the forgotten witness to a kidnapping that no one had anticipated.