1.20 City of Demons

Quotes

Strella: "You are the best in town."
Chase: "You have no idea...."

Raveena: "That's two less boils on the butt of humanity."

Raveena [to a hopeful boy]: "Really you're not my type -- you bore me in fact."

Chase: "I'm famous for going places I shouldn't."

Raveena: "Figure out what you will, I fancy gambling."

Raveena [looking at Geoff's car]: "Those must be some 'other qualities'?"

Chase: "It's not polite to hit a lady..."

Gabe: Ladies, follow the light. Deaver: Hey, are you calling me a lady?

Gabe [after tracking light self-destructs]: That's never happened before.
Deaver: I bet you tell that to all the ladies.
Raveena: Well he's telling us now ...

Raveena [to couple arguing in upstairs bedroom]: "You two should get a room!"
PeanutGalleryChase: "Well, they did ..."

Deaver: She's the strong one. But we're here too! We're gonna beat up the woman."

Deaver: "I'm such a sucker for a blonde, brunette, or redhead."

Gabe [re: Myra]: "Doc! Windego!"
Deaver: "Ooh! Ooh! That's not a blonde, brunette, or redhead."

Raveena [seeing Eric tied up]: "I always suspected you were in to bondage."
Eric: "Someone is trying to kidnap me."
Raveena: "It does seem you've gotten yourself into quite a bind. [to self] I could go all night!"

PeanutGalleryChase: "And suddenly walking bass has a whole new meaning."

Raveena: "Ethan, really, when you make a getaway, you're supposed to GET AWAY."

Deaver [re: Ethan's inability to hotwire a car]: "Didn't I teach that boy anything in my class?"
Nikki: "I wouldn't know. Some people don't let me take their class and then dump me anyway."

Gabe [re: Chase]: "I would say she's late."
Raveena: "I would say she's not coming."
Deaver: "Actually, she's technically absent. When she gets here, she'll be late."

Raveena [to Eric]: "What is it with you men and getting away?"

Deaver: "Maybe you should give up this line of work."
Eric: "But I'm good at it."
Deaver: "Not according to Geoff."

Chase: "Why are we down here?"
Geoff: "I don't know. There were these guys with guns in black pinstripe suits."
Chase: "You just described everyone in the joint."

Nikki: "Why are you thinking my necklace is making you wear a tie?"

Gabe uses Chase's key and enters Nikki's house, having verified with Chase that she'll be gone for a little while. His objective? Find the damn book. Gabe casts his handy-dandy locator spell on the book, and follows it straight to the safe in the silver closet. Finally! Gabe reaches for the book ? only to find his hand repelled by an invisible shield. Nikki has somehow managed to change the ward Gabe had originally cast on the book. Thwarted, Gabe turns to leave, noticing vaguely on his way back downstairs that something seems out of whack with the furnishings in Nikki's house. They're lovely - very 1940s, black and white pictures in frames, a clock ticking somewhere. Just seems ? different somehow. Thinking no more on the subject, Gabe leave's Nikki's on the skateboard he came in on.

* * *

Black and white film reveals Geoff and Chase handcuffed to a pipe in a dank basement, their feet dangling above the floor. The duo looks quite disheveled, with Chase in a liquid, black, curve-hugging 1940s evening gown and Geoff in a double-breasted suit and fedora. We hear Geoff's thoughts on what a lousy day it has been, and the camera pans out to show Strella cuffed to the same pipe on the other side of Geoff, passed out cold.

* * *

Geoff gets home from work, loosening his tie as he walks in the door. Chase is on the sofa, flipping idly through a textbook. Geoff heads straight for the kitchen for a drink ? and pours himself a straight scotch on the rocks. He asks Chase if she'll take anything, and she asks for a scotch and soda as she gets up and walks over to him. Geoff puts his arms around Chase and tells her how great it has been the past week to have her living there, and how good it feels to see her as soon as he gets home, rather than coming home and thinking about how long it will be until he does. They kiss. Geoff gets a phone call on his cell and has a brief conversation. Frowning, he tells Chase they need to assemble the gang at the Lone Star that night.

* * *

It's Friday night at the Lone Star, but it isn't rock and roll. The bar is transformed, and no one seems to notice. Cigar and cigarette smoke fill the bar, and jazz fills the room from the stage. Overstuffed leather furniture and cozy tables abound, and martinis are the order of the day. Shannon stands behind the bar wearing a hat with a chic little veil. The usual gang collects in a large booth - Gabe, Geoff, and Chase realize that something isn't quite normal here, but Deaver and Raveena don't seem to notice that this isn't everyday life. Small talk happens, accompanied by lots of martinis. Ethan stops by and says hello, saying that he hopes he and Raveena can have a dance later. Shortly thereafter, Strella saunters up to the table with Veronica Lake hair, an impossible halter-top, and a boy on each arm. She sends the escort away and squeezes into the booth right next to Geoff. She tells the gang that she wanted to hire them to find out what is going on in McKennit and why everyone is acting like they just landed in a Film Noir. She's also concerned about Nikki. She gestures to the bar, where a very drunk Nikki is holding court with a gaggle of enthralled gentlemen. The scoobies agree to look into the situation, and Strella leaves the table. She agrees, and he leaves. Geoff offers Chase his arm, and they head to the dance floor. Gabe spies Jade at a nearby table with Kyp, and decides to go say hello and see if they have any idea what's happening. A fight breaks out among Nikki's admirers, and she quickly sends them outside. Shortly thereafter, gunshots are heard. Deaver takes the opportunity to approach Nikki at the bar, where he joins her for a drink.

* * *

On the dance floor, Geoff and Chase overhear several muttered conversations talking about a casino outside of town, in one of the old houses. It is apparently the biggest hotspot in town. They also can't help noticing that the addictive substances being passed around the bar aren't limited to alcohol and tobacco. There are lots of drugs. Lots. And they're pretty obvious.

* * *

Gabe approaches Jade and Kyp's table, earning a wary smile from her and a disgusted look from him. He asks if they know anything about the weirdness that is going on, but neither seems to think there is anything out of the ordinary in the Lone Star's dcor. Jade tells him it's good to see him, and the two hit the dance floor. Conversation is guarded on his end and hopeful on hers. Around them, they hear swirling conversations about a casino that has cropped up out on the edge of town. Sounds like whatever is going on there is big news.

* * *

Deaver approaches Nikki a little hesitantly. She looks so sad and so pretty, and he can't help noticing that she's wearing a necklace that he gave her. He orders a martini, and tries to apologize for leaving. But since he won't come back to her, the conversation is a short one, and he heads back for the table.

* * *

Raveena stays at the table, all by herself, trying to smoke a cigarette and coughing up a storm. A gentleman stops by and offers her a dance or a drink, but she brushes him off. After he leaves, she realizes that Ethan never came back for that dance. She goes up to the bar to ask Shannon if she's seen him - Shannon says that he was around earlier, but she hasn't seen him in a while. Concerned, Raveena turns to leave the bar, but a very drunk Nikki suddenly embraces her and pulls her into a conversation. Having finished the song, Chase approaches the two ladies at the bar and dismisses the guys hanging on Nikki with the infallible "girl talk" excuse. She tells Raveena about the casino, and that it sounds like it may be at the heart of what is going on. Nikki begs them not to go out there, telling them that it is a trap. Chase tells her that it's probably the crux of what is happening here, and that they have to check it out. Raveena has no idea what "what is happening" is, but Strella has asked for their help, so whatever it is, it must be important.

The group reconvenes at the table and decides to head for the casino. They head out to the parking lot to be met with a bunch of antique cars - Geoff's jeep is nowhere in sight. However, one of the sedans is missing a door, so they figure that's probably it [thanks, Deaver]. There are too many of them for one car, so Deaver hot-wires a second. Geoff manages to finesse Chase and himself into one car and Deaver, Gabe, and Raveena into the second. The two vehicles head into the night.

* * *

Geoff and Chase pull up outside a house with every window blazing. It's a rambling old Victorian. They approach the front entrance. In the foyer, Chase leaves her fur wrap with the coat check girl (earning an appreciative once-over from Geoff) and she and Geoff enter through the casino doors with no objection from the two men standing guard.

* * *

Raveena saunters up to the bouncers a few minutes later with Gabe and Deaver on either arm. The men look the trio over and refuse them entry, smirking. With very little ceremony, Raveena punches the bouncers out [I guess the coat check girl had her back turned or something]. The three then enter through the doors and into a whirl of lights and noise.

Raveena looks around the hopping casino floor, and immediately notices the room is full of thugs in standard pinstriped minion attire. The place is crawling with them, and they're all keeping an eye on the guests.

Meanwhile, Gabe can't resist the temptation to walk up to the change booth and trade in a fictitious $100 for chips [muggles are so darn gullible].

* * *

Geoff gives Chase his arm and they head for the dance floor to check out the scene. A jazz band is pouring out an upbeat, brassy sound. The drugs are rampant and none too subtle. A lot of the activity seems to be centered in one corner of the room. Dancing closer to the commotion, they see the heart of the crowd: Kevin in full minion gear, looking very dapper. He's taking money and handing out the goods, and doesn't seem too worried about being seen -- in fact, he's making a big production out of it.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gabe divvies up his chips with Raveena and Deaver. Raveena starts scanning the room for Ethan, but doesn't see him. Gabe heads straight for the roulette table. A voice with a heavy New York accent calls out from the bar, "Is dere a 'Raveena Valentine' in da house?" "I'll take that call." Raveena saunters up to the bar and takes the phone from the bartender. Ethan is on the other end, sounding very out of it. "They told me to tell you to find me. See you soon."

Raveena hangs up the phone with a frown on her face. From the floor, Geoff and Chase overhear her end of the conversation and ask her what's wrong. She tells them worriedly that Ethan is in trouble, kidnapped, and that she's been instructed to try to find him. The conversation is interrupted as the group catches sight of two thugs "escorting" a patron out the kitchen door. Raveena corrals Gabe and Deaver and heads for the door where the well-heeled gamblers come and go to start her hunt for Ethan, while Geoff and Chase head for the kitchen to help the unfortunate gambler.

* * *

Moving through the kitchen to the back door, Chase and Geoff step outside to see the thugs giving the casino patron a thorough makeover. They dispatch the pair of minions handily, and help the guy to his feet. He quickly leaves. Geoff and Chase turn to re-enter the house, when they notice a foot protruding from the underbrush. Closer inspection reveals the back door guard, who has been shot. Geoff can't help commenting that gunshot wounds are pretty uncommon for McKennit. Concerned about who has roughed their way inside, the pair heads back in to the house to search for the intruder (and Ethan, while they're at it). There is a staircase leading down from the kitchen with two armed guards; under the circumstances, they decide to look somewhere else first for their intruder. Moving across the casino and in to the high-roller room, they find a staircase leading upward, with another armed guard. They also find Strella, in all her 1940s vampy glory. Chase asks her for help getting quietly past the guard, and Strella saunters over with them, smiles at the dazzled minion, and the three move upwards.

Listening at the first door they overhear a heated argument, male and female, and decide to check elsewhere first. The second reveals nothing of interest, and the third is the same - a pleasant sitting area with an attached bedroom. Strella starts to open the door to leave the room, and quickly steps backwards again. She hisses to Chase and Geoff that they should hide in the adjoining bedroom. It's Kevin - she will get rid of him. Chase and Geoff quickly comply, and manage to overhear some of Strella's conversation. It sounds like Strella and Kevin are planning a repeat performance of their attempt to immortalize Deaver (Strella wants to give Nikki a present, since she's been so down lately). Geoff starts out of the bedroom with Chase close behind him. All at once, something strange happens - Geoff stumbles as a section of the wall starts to move. He comes perilously close to bashing his head into a bookcase, so Strella steps forward to push him out of the way - and the two of them are swept into the room beyond as the wall rotates and closes. From the other side of the false wall, Chase hears a gunshot ?

* * *

After passing the high roller table, Raveena, Gabe and Deaver make for the staircase leading to the upstairs section of the house. There is a guard at the base of the stairs. When a polite request fails, Raveena punches out the guard (making as small a commotion as possible), and the trio zip up into the hallway above. Once there, Gabe casts his handy-dandy locator spell, targeting Ethan. The globe of light promptly explodes. Weird. The intrepid heroes decide they'll have to just do things the old-fashioned way, and they make for the nearest door. They hear a couple, male and female, arguing inside. Raveena throws the door open, and the couple turn around to stare at her. Gabe spies a pair of feet poking out from the other side of the bed in the room. The man starts striding towards her, and Raveena promptly takes a swing at him. The two of them start trading blows, while the woman nervously begins to move towards Deaver and Gabe, begging them to help her out. Deaver graciously escorts her out of the room, with Gabe trailing behind them - after all, Raveena can take care of herself. On his way out the door, Gabe notices that the man is starting to change into the too-familiar form of a Windego ?

* * *

Myra (the woman) is dragging Deaver down the hallway towards a door on the right, pulling him inside. As Gabe moves to follow them, calling a Windego alarm out to Deaver, he hears a gunshot from across the hall [and something that sounds a lot like Chase cussing a blue streak]. He slips through the noticeably swinging door after Deaver and Myra, crosses an empty room, and finds himself on the gallery overlooking the main casino floor. He and Deaver both spot Nikki at the railing, looking down on the scene below.

* * *

In the small hidden room, Geoff and Strella come face to face with a minion guarding a huge stash of boxes. He has a gun, and he uses it, firing a deafening shot. Strella immediately throws herself in front of Geoff, taking the bullet square in the chest. Geoff spins around to attempt to work the secret door, while Strella regains her balance and attacks the gunman. Just as the door starts to open, the gun goes off again; the bullet hits the wall, destroying the mechanism. It jams. Strella breaks the gunman's neck, and with a groan, she sinks to the floor. "Damn, that hurts."

* * *

Chase is frantically trying to figure out how to work the wall mechanism. They secret door is triggered and the wall starts to turn, but suddenly jams when another shot goes off. She and Geoff have a quick conversation: he tells her he's all right, and that Strella killed the guy with the gun. The opening isn't big enough to get through; Chase and Geoff try to pry the door open further, but it won't budge. It doesn't look like they can get out without Strella's help, and as it stands, they need to keep her and Deaver apart. Reluctantly, Chase decides she'll go find Deaver and get him out of here; Geoff will stay with Strella. She warns him to be careful, take the fireplace poker, and leaves the room. As she closes the door behind her, she sees Kevin walking up the hall; he apparently sees her too, because he starts moving more quickly. So does she. She moves through the still-swinging door directly across from her and out the door on the other side of the room. She finds herself on the gallery.

* * *

Raveena [finally] finishes fight with Windego. Goes to the hostage - but its Eric, not Ethan. He explains that someone is trying to kidnap him, but he doesn't know why. Is she going to untie him or not??

* * *

Geoff checks & moves the gunman, checks on Strella, opens the desk, notices the monitors. Strella accuses that he overheard. He admits it. She says they're going to immortalize Deaver anyway. Asks about what's in the boxes. Uncovers Eric's work. Tells Strella its crap. She says she's leaving, unless he has something better in mind ? and with that she backs him into a wall, smiling seductively. Geoff realizes he can't stop by force, can't talk her out of it ? but there is something he can do ?

* * *

Nikki spies Myra, who is still clutching Deaver, just as Chase bursts out on to the gallery. Nikki demands that Myra release him. Gabe notices that the zither player (who is watching the scene with a grin while playing some very not-atmospheric music; the band downstairs is on break) has eyes that carry the telltale sparkle of windego-ism, and he blasts the musician with a spell, sending him flying through the large window behind him. As an afterthought, Gabe throws the zither out the window after him. Nikki's request apparently causes Myra to lose her temper, because she gets fangy and starts purposefully for Nikki. At that moment, Kevin enters the gallery, coming after Chase. The crowd down in the casino is getting antsy for more music, so Nikki takes the opportunity to hand Myra, Gabe, and Chase over the railing and into the arms of the crowd below, telling them that this is the new band. Wierdly enough, Gabe and Chase feel like this is a totally natural and fine thing. Chase heads for the piano (which is also rigged with a microphone), and Gabe picks up the bass. Myra heads to the drum set. The three start into their first number - slow and jazzy.

* * *

Raveena still hasn't untied Eric. He desperately tells her that he lives in this house, and he knows where they're keeping Ethan. Raveena rights his chair, but doesn't untie him - instead she picks the chair up, throws him over her shoulder, and starts walking, telling him she'll let him go when they find Ethan. As they start down the hallway, Eric directs her to the swinging door that leads to the gallery.

* * *

Upstairs on the gallery, Nikki asks Deaver to dance with her. Noticing their distraction, Kevin recedes into the shadows to wait for a chance to get Deaver alone. Nikki & Deaver are dancing. Raveena crosses gallery.

* * *

Gabe notices that Myra is still playing, but whispering to her windego buddies. They start taking up stations at all the exits around the room.

* * *

Geoff and Strella are high as kites. Geoff is watching the monitors. Sees band. Yay Chase! Strella slides her arm around his waist. He winces, turns, and puts his arms around her -- with a pipe in one hand and a bag of some kind of powder in the other. Behind her back, he takes a drag off the pipe, sprinkles the bagged substance on top of it, then draws back and hands the mixture to her. He never said it was a good plan. But it was the only plan he had.

* * *

And the band played on. They start their second song. Myra starts chasing Gabe, as far as she can without losing the beat. Nikki leaves Deaver on the gallery. Deaver watches her go. Chase & Gabe see Kevin knock Deaver out. He suddenly looks up, hearing something, and makes a quick move to stuff the unconscious Deaver in a handy nearby closet. He then quickly leaves. Just as he disappears from view, Top Men appear on the gallery.

* * *

Raveena an Eric enter room with two gunmen. Raveena takes them out. She goes through the door they were guarding and finds Ethan. Unties Ethan and Eric. Tells them to escape out the window. Eric goes without hesitation, but Ethan delays.

* * *

The band is back from their break, so Gabe and Chase make a run for it. They head for the kitchen door, which is now guarded by a Windego. Chase ducks past, and Gabe freezes the windego in its tracks. Myra is still chasing them as they enter the culinary chaos.

* * *

Geoff and Strella are leaning against the wall, Strella unconscious. Geoff checks to see if she really is. Goes to the door to see if he can open it. Hears someone coming. He slumps back against the wall and feigns unconsciousness.

* * *

Raveena convinces Ethan to head out the window, telling him to hotwire a car and get the heck out of the casino. He drops quickly out of sight. Raveena see the Top Men approaching and also ducks out the window, planning on re-entering the casino by another door to find the others.

* * *

Chase and Gabe run upstairs to check on Geoff and Strella (Chase sweet-talks their way past the newly-posted guard). On the stairs, Gabe throws some magick around and in doing so manages to throw Myra back down the stairs. They head back to the room where Chase last saw Geoff. It now contains a Top Man, and the trick wall is busted wide open. Geoff and Strella are nowhere in sight. The Top Man "escorts" them back out of the room with a very persuasive handgun.

Chase and Gabe quickly head to retrieve Deaver from the closet before Kevin does. When they open the door, he is still there, peacefully unconscious on the floor. Chase manages to wake him up. They help Deaver to his feet and head in the direction they saw Raveena go with Eric. They find the two unconscious minions and two untied chairs - Raveena wuz here, apparently. Gabe and Chase try to get Deaver to leave by the same method that Eric and Ethan used. But he refuses. At this, Chase insists that the three of them try to find Geoff and make sure he's okay ? after all, she did leave him with Strella ?

After checking all the rooms on this side of the gallery and finding nothing, the trio heads back across the gallery to the hallway. As they are checking every door (top man is still in the secret room), they run into Nikki in the hallway. Chase convinces her to help them search for Geoff, Strella, and Raveena. Nikki will stay on the casino floor and corral anyone she finds. It's 11:55 now; they'll all meet at the back kitchen door at 12:30. Nikki agrees and leaves to do her part. Chase continues tearing the second floor apart, looking for Geoff. As they follow along behind her, Gabe asks Deaver about Nikki's necklace. It appears to be emanating some serious mojo. No luck on the second floor; the trio heads down the stairs to search the main floor of the house. The guards let her past with no fuss, but they block Gabe and Deaver's passage; they've been warned to keep an eye out for Gabe [throwing magick around like that is bound to get you noticed pretty quickly]. They get a little aggressive, so Gabe and Deaver scamper back up the stairs, leaving Chase on her own. They head back to the open window and lower themselves down a tree onto the grounds outside the house, heading for the back door to meet the others.

* * *

Nikki is on the casino floor, keeping an eye out for everyone. She spies Raveena coming in from the kitchen (she used the back door). She quickly grabs her and explains that they are all supposed to meet at the back door at 12:30. Nikki wants Raveena to play a hand of cards with her, but Raveena is still concerned about Ethan and wants to make sure he got away. Nikki agrees to go out to the lot and make sure he's all right, and then they should still have time to play a round of cards before the meeting ?

Nikki and Raveena search the parking lot ? where they find Ethan wandering around and looking confused. He admits that he doesn't know how to hotwire a car. Raveena sighs and does it for him, making sure he gets out safely. This takes longer than the ladies were expecting, and they head directly to the meeting place rather than hit the casino.

* * *

Raveena and Nikki find Deaver and Gabe waiting at the appointed spot. They're a few minutes early, so they wait for Chase and the others.

* * *

Chase scours the ground floor and still finds no sign of Geoff or Strella. Heading back into the kitchen, she takes the one staircase she hasn't tried yet - the one leading to the basement. There's no longer a guard on duty. She heads downstairs and finds herself in a dank room with very little light and lots of shadows. There is a door on the other side. Her heels echo on the floor as she begins to cross the room, only to stop abruptly when a voice quietly calls out "Freeze." A man with a gun emerges from the darkness.

* * *

It's 12:45, and Chase still hasn't arrived at the meeting place. Neither has Geoff. The gang is starting to get worried. All of the sudden, there is a commotion around the corner - several people trying to move quietly through the bushes and failing miserably. They round the corner to find two windegos and two men chasing a guy with a bag on his head. Bag-head is attempting to get away, but he smacks into a tree (as he can't see anything) and falls over. Raveena, Deaver, and Gabe make quick work of the four thugs; the humans are alive but unconscious. They pull the bag of the head of the unfortunate victim, and it's Eric. Nikki attempts to read the thoughts of one of the unconscious thugs, and learns that Boyd-Townsend wants Eric for something. Eric professes to have no idea what the mayor could want with him; he works pretty exclusively for the Alumni. They point him towards the parking lot and tell him to get out of here.

* * *

Geoff, Chase, and Strella are handcuffed to a pipe in a dank basement, their feet dangling above the floor. Geoff and Strella are both unconscious. The door to the room closes behind Chase's jailer as she starts taking in the situation. At that moment, Geoff opens his eyes, and starts babbling about how hard it is to fake being unconscious. One look and Chase can tell he's flying on something. Chase pulls herself up on to the bar and manages to get a hairpin loose from her now-messy up-do. She hands it to Geoff, and he goes to work on his handcuffs. He gets one undone and walks Chase through picking the other lock. In a few moments, they're both free. They debate about what to do with Strella, but end up taking her down off the pipe. She is still out cold. Geoff mentions that she had enough drugs to do in about three elephants. They start looking around the room, and realize that this must be Eric's lab - there is a ton of supplies and equipment in an area that looks like a converted kitchen. Geoff's eyes light up as he starts checking things out. After sighing a bit over all the things he could do with a lab like this, he instead whips up something that he hands to Chase, keeping it covered, and tells her to give it to the guard. She opens the door, hands it to him with a smile, and closes the door again. A few moments later, Geoff and Chase sneak out of the room - they leave Strella in the basement. They run up the stairs towards the kitchen, and out the back door to meet the rest of the scoobies.

* * *

The whole gang hooks up and immediately starts walking towards the parking lot, intent on getting away from the casino. Everyone but Gabe and Geoff seems to think that there's nothing else wrong now that they're reassembled and Ethan is free; even Chase is now acting as though 1940s is the way things have always been. Gabe mentions his suspicions about Nikki's necklace to Geoff. They ask Nikki for the necklace. She's reluctant to part with it, but lets them take a look. Gabe analyzes it and determines that it is holding some kind of residual magic that resulted from a spell that went awry. Gabe tells Nikki that they need to destroy the necklace to get things back to normal. She sadly tells them they can, on the condition that she is the one to destroy it, and that they don't go back in the house tonight (she knows an unconscious Strella will be too much of a temptation for Raveena). They agree. Gabe draws the magic out of the necklace, and Nikki then slams a rock down on top of it.

* * *

Cut to Geoff & Chase's apartment. The gang (sans Nikki) is assembled in the living room, quite pleased with themselves. After all, they freed Ethan, figured out how to un-jinx McKennit, and fought long and hard to win back the 'Familia Zolorum'.

And there it is, sitting on the table.

FINIS.