Dawn looked around in confusion. She had no idea where she was, what year it was or even how she came to be there.

 

"Spike...?" her thoughts turned to her last memory, Spike had been coming towards her, trying to save her from the demon... Doc? No, that was years earlier... It was... Gerrard! That was it, Gerrard, the demon had come crashing into their house, her and Spike's home. He had been after... Something... What was it?

 

Dawn's memory was fragmented, she couldn't remember the things she wanted. She needed Spike, she knew he'd make it all better... Somehow...

 

**~**~**~**~**~**~**

 

"Sir?"

 

"Yes?"

 

The tall blonde man in an expensive suit moved cautiously into the office, "The psychics have picked up a hit..."

 

"On? We follow several thousand entities here."

 

"Yes, sir, I know that... But... It's your pet project..."

 

The man in the large leather swivel chair spun round to stare at the blonde man, "Mr. Green, are you telling me that The Key has resurfaced?"

 

"Y-yes sir..."

 

"When?"

 

"About five minutes ago, I came straight here."

 

"Good..." the man turned his chair back to face the window, "You may go Mr. Green."

 

Mr. Green nodded, turned and left, closing the door softly behind him.

 

"She's come back... After all this time... She's returned..."

 

A shadowy figure moved out of the corner of the office, "Yes, she has."

 

"Is everything ready Mr. Shadow?"

 

"Yes Mr. Black, everything is in place."

 

"To quote an ancient movie character, the board is set, and the pieces are moving..."

 

Mr. Shadow scowled at Mr. Black, "How can you remember a movie from four hundred years ago?"

 

"You know the movie I'm quoting?" Mr. Black looked up at Mr. Shadow, "Says more about your age than mine my friend."

 

"Yes, I think it does..."

 

"Spring the trap, I want The Key taken into custody."

 

**~**~**~**~**~**~**

 

Akira made her way back to her dorm room, she hated Snyder, he was the worst tutor on campus, and it wasn't just her that thought so either. She knew at least a dozen other students who she'd overheard complaining.

 

"Ra!" a voice called to her, "Hey Ra!"

 

Akira turned to find Jeanne rushing towards her, "Hey Jee, what's up?"

 

"Didn't you hear?" her room mate looked at Akira strangely, "The cops caught a burglar in our dorm room, they took her off to the station about 3 minutes ago."

 

"My god, really?" Akira's mind raced, trying to think if she'd left anything out that could give away her secret identity.

 

"Yeah, cops said we should go check through our stuff, make sure nothing's missing, I'm on my way there now."

 

"Okay, I'll be along in a sec, gotta make a phone call," Akira hung a left at the next corridor, heading for the student use VidPhones.

 

**~**~**~**~**~**~**

 

"An intruder? In your dorm room?" King was, to say the least, surprised.

 

"Yeah, I dunno if they took anything, I don't even know if they targeted me, Jeanne, or if it was just random."

 

"Then we may have a problem, you should go check your things, let me know if there's anything missing, I will contact the Council, they need to know about this possibility."

 

Akira looked a little disturbed by this idea, "Do you really have to?"

 

"Yes, there's no other option with this news, I am sorry."

 

"Okay, later," Akira sighed before the VidPhone feed cut off.

 

"You heard?" King turned to the other person in the room.

 

"Yeah, I heard, and I know who that intruder is, she'll need help, can you spring her?"

 

King wondered how the other man knew the intruder was a female, "I can try, but why would you..."

 

The other man cut in, "Then do it, and have her brought here."

 

"Very well," King turned back to the VidPhone and hit the FastDial button for the police station, "Hey Bob, how's things?"

 

"King you ol' devil, things are great, say, I got someone here who I think you need to come and check out, I think she's something right up your alley."

 

"The young woman you arrested at the UC Sunnydale dorms?"

 

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

 

"I have my sources," King leant forward, "Can you release her?"

 

"I guess, but it might raise some red flags un the chain."

 

"Then please obtain her release, if there's bail to be posted, debit my account."

 

"Okay, but there's a problem..."

 

King raised his eyebrow, "What?"

 

"There's a prior request for her release on file, posted by the Wolfram and Hart Law Agency, posted not two minutes ago."

 

"Can you supersede that?"

 

"Yeah, but if I get in trouble for this..."

 

"There's always a job opening for you at the Council, you know that."

 

"Yeah, I just hate their politics."

 

"They're neutral."

 

"Exactly... There, I'll have her sent over to your place then?"

 

"Thanks," with that last word King turned off the VidPhone.

 

"So, he knows she's back..."

 

"It's a good bet they both do."

 

"Damn."

 

"Does he know you're here?"

 

"Here, here? No, he can't see things that clearly, but he knows I'm in town, and he'll want me stopped," the other man said to King as he sat down on the sofa.

 

King stroked his chin, "Should we do anything about them?"

 

"No, my bet is he's already sent a team to get Dawn before she gets here."

 

"Then shouldn't we go get her before that team gets her?"

 

The man sighed, "No, if we did that would constitute an act of war on our part, as defined by the armistice signed nearly a hundred years ago, enforced by your Council too..."

 

King watched the man as he trailed off, he knew this man was old, older than human old, but he wasn't a vampire, nor a demon.

 

King suddenly realized that he knew next to nothing about this person he'd let into his home.

 

**~**~**~**~**~**~**

 

Dawn was feeling rather like a tennis ball. Since arriving wherever she was she'd been bundled up by the police, taken to a cell at the nearest station, then taken to detainee processing then taken out to the prison transport, only to be pulled off the transport and put in a special car that was, she had been told, taking her to see someone who had arranged for her bail.

 

She looked out the window at the passing scenery, "Can you please tell me where we're going?" she pleaded with her driver.

 

The police officer in question simply ignored her and concentrated on the road. Dawn sighed and kept looking out at the scenery.

 

"Wish I had something to..." Dawn was cut off mid sentence by the violent swerving of the car and an almighty explosion that smashed the side windows in.

 

To Be Continued...

 

Next time on Timeless: Unlimited...

 

Dawn's troubles are only just beginning as not one, not two but three different groups vie for the honor of having her in their custody. But like a ghost from the past, her friend arrives on the scene, just in the nick of time...

 

Timeless: Unlimited - Book 1 - Part 3 - Competition Is Good For The Soul