aired on: May 16, 2000

written by: Jeannine Renshaw

directed by: Thomas J. Wright

As Angel polishes off some vampires, he hears the groans of a human who's been attacked, and then find himself attacked by a new enemy - a blind woman. The next morning at the office, Wesley tries to find this demon in the books, but comes up empty. Wesley thinks that perhaps she isn't a demon at all, but rather someone who's learned to hone her senses around her disability. Angel said the woman seemed to be able to anticipate his moves before he made them. Punching "Blind Woman Murder" into LAPD Online, Cordelia finds a match - Vanessa Brewer. This woman was arrested in 1999 as a suspect in a double homicide, for which she's currently on trial. She was out on bail when Angel ran into her. Of course, she's being defended by Wolfram & Hart.

In court, W&H attorney Lindsey McDonald makes an appeal to the judge, stating that his client, Ms. Brewer, is incapable of the acts she's been accused of. But then Angel steps into the back of the courtroom, and throws Vanessa's sunglasses at her. She snags them in midair.

But Vanessa isn't just a client of W&H, she's also works for them. Back at their offices, senior partner Holland Manners explains to Lindsey that he needs to "create" a very terrible childhood for Vanessa, because there are some children coming to town - and Vanessa will be doing some terrible things to them.

Back at his own office, Angel is raging - Vanessa was acquitted. As Wesley tries to console him, there's a knock at the door. It's Lindsey. "I need your help," he says to Angel. "I want out." Lindsey explains Vanessa's next job, and that these kids, coming from overseas, are in danger.

Lindsey, Angel, Wesley and Cordelia work on a plan to get into the W&H vault to gather more information. The next day, the plan works brilliantly. Angel gets into the vault, where he steals the necessary files. But on his way out, he spots something else - an ancient artifact. He nabs it, which sets off the alarm. He escapes, but before Lindsey can leave the building, the lawyers are corralled, and mind readers are brought in.

Angel races back to the office with the files, but they're encrypted, so Cordelia gets Willow on the phone, who helps them crack the code. They find out that Vanessa wasn't born blind; she lost her sight when she was 21, and she did it to herself on purpose. Her current assignment is to kill three blind children, who are seers. Together the children have the power to see into the heart of things, making them a particular threat to Wolfram & Hart. The file says they were to have arrived in the country that day, and are being kept in a safe house with a guardian until their mentor arrives.

Back at the W&H office, the mind readers turn up a traitor lawyer, who is shot, and it's not Lindsey. But when the others are dismissed, Lindsey is kept behind. Holland knows what Lindsey has done. But he lets him go, and tells him to take a few days off. He says he believes in Lindsey, and knows that he'll do the right thing. Meanwhile, it turns out the "safe house" isn't so safe - as the guardian is bringing dinner to the kids, Vanessa arrives, and kills him. But then Angel and Lindsey arrive. The fight begins, and Vanessa, tremendously strong, is able to sense their movements and attack. But when Angel lies still on the floor, she can't tell where he is, and Angel realizes the key to defeating her. He stands absolutely still, until she is right up on him, then delivers a blow. Vanessa can't stop this, and Angel kills her, saving the kids.

The next day, Wesley reports that the children have made it to their mentor safely. He adds that they have an important role to play, a role explained in the text of the artifact Angel stole from Wolfram & Hart. The artifact is the Scroll of Aberjian, prophecies that let W&H know the children were coming. When he had brought it back, Angel couldn't explain why he had taken it, but Wesley believes he knows why Angel was drawn to it - the prophecies also speak of a vampire with a soul.

Lindsey returns to Wolfram & Hart to return the disks, and to resign, but he finds Holland waiting for him in his office. Holland tells Lindsey he's impressed - he had the guts to stand up to the firm, and to win. Instead of telling him to get out, he offers Lindsey a promotion. Lindsey takes it.