Bonds
By
Lori
A/N:
The Highlander universe is owned by Rysher Entertainment and Panzer/Davis
along with the characters of Duncan MacLeod, Joe Dawson, Methos, Kronos,
Amanda, Richie, and lastly Cassandra and Darius, who are not in it,
only mentioned. The Sentinel is owned by Pet Fly Productions and Paramount,
along with the characters of Jim Ellison, Blair Sandburg and Simon Banks.
I have only borrowed them and haven't earned any profit from their use.
The characters of Amy Saunders, Dickon, Sandy Parnell and Hank Fielding
are mine. This story is the third of a trilogy, which began with Dawson's
Daughter and then continued in Interference. Although, this one is the
only story that is a Xover. After I completed each story I said it would
be the end, but Amy would not leave me alone. This is my first attempt
at writing a story using The Sentinel characters, and I really would
like to give a big thanks to Cindy Combs who is a wonderful Sentinel
fanfic writer. She graciously agreed to beta read for me and answer
all the numerous canon questions that I had. I had only seen six third
season episodes when I began this work, but after one look at Jim Ellison
I knew Amy would just love him. I would also like to thank Maxine Mayer
for comments along the way, and the biggest thank you to Lisa Hughes
who gave up time with her new puppy to trudge through this. Without
her guidance, perseverance and the numerous rereads, this never would
have been finished.
Chapter One
Amy Saunders pulled her truck and horse trailer next to the squad cars
already there. Their impromptu parking lot was a cleared area along
side the interstate. Up in the mountains, a criminal was running. She
had been listening in on her scanner when the call came in that a murderer
by the name of Johnny Seager had escaped custody. She had immediately
started getting her horse and trailer packed. As a State Trooper and
part of the mounted unit, she was sure that she would be called to assist.
Tracking a fugitive in the Cascade Mountains usually needed officers
on horseback. Because of her horse's unusual talents, she figured that
her involvement was inevitable. Even though technically this was under
the Cascade PD's jurisdiction, they would need all the manpower they
could get. When she got the call thirty minutes later, she was ready
to roll.
Amy got out of her truck and unloaded Shadow. She tied the hay net where
he could reach; this ensured Shadow the extra calories for the trek
and kept him quiet while she got her orders. She walked over to the
State cruiser. Her superior was there, notebook in hand, issuing orders.
"You've been assigned to ride with two Cascade detectives. They
have already ascertained where Seager entered the mountains, and they
are ready to start tracking. I've obtained horses for them, but I'm
not sure of their riding abilities."
"I'm supposed to teach them on the fly?"
"Of course not, just do your job. Let *them* worry about their
mounts."
"What about Mitch?" She didn't like the idea of working without
her usual partner.
"He's assigned to another pair of detectives."
"Wonderful."
Two men walked up to them. One had long curly hair and looked more like
a throw back to the sixties than a cop. He radiated excitement. The
other had short-cropped hair and looked like a Marine. As he looked
at her, she could tell that he wasn't thrilled with his assignment either.
She sighed.
"Saunders, this is Ellison and Sandburg. You three will be teamed
together."
The three of them shook hands.
"Our horses are tied up over there," the Marine, Ellison,
told her.
"I just got here. Let me saddle up and then we can be on our way."
They nodded and she turned away.
Shadow was waiting patiently for her. He was always calm as he waited
for the action to start. However, once she was mounted and they started
tracking, he was an entirely different horse. He had been bred from
direct descendants of the destriers, or war-horses used in medieval
times. Her immortal uncle, Dickon, had been breeding them for centuries.
Shadow was hers from the moment of his birth. She had painstakingly
trained him to be her partner in everything. He had a brain and he used
it. Between the tracking skills she had learned from her immortal stepfather
and uncle, and her horse's unique abilities, the two of them were a
formidable team.
Checking the girth once more, she put the bridle on and led Shadow towards
the two detectives, who were standing next to her captain and another
man, who was probably their own captain.
When she came even with them, Ellison helped his partner mount, and
then got on himself. The Marine looked like he knew his way around a
horse, but his partner was obviously a beginner. He had no business
going on this manhunt. This was going to be hell. It would take a miracle
for them to
just to go up into the mountains and come down alive, let alone find
the escapee.
They rode up to her. "Let's go," Sandburg said, looking anxious
to begin.
She turned Shadow towards them and said goodbye to her Captain. He was
still grinning. "Better you than me Saunders," he whispered
to her.
She grimaced back.
Ellison took the lead, and this naturally pissed Shadow off. He started
prancing and sliding up alongside Ellison's horse. Shadow's ears flattened.
Ellison's horse started to back up to let Shadow take the lead, but
his stupid rider forced him to stay in front.
"I think you had better let Shadow lead, if you want your horse
to stay in one piece."
"I am in charge here, and I stay in front." He had a very
determined look in his eyes, and a strong heel on his horse.
Shadow yawned and flattened his ears again. This time he quickened his
pace and swished his tail. Ellison's horse dropped back, letting Shadow
pass. No matter what Ellison did, his horse would not listen to him.
"Saunders, pull your horse back. If you can't control him, you
shouldn't be riding him."
"Listen Ellison, this is what we do all the time. My job is looking
for lost people, escaping fugitives, and general search and rescue.
Shadow always leads. This is what he's trained to do, and no one is
going to tell him any different."
She turned back to the trail, and they continued on. Every time Ellison's
horse came up, Shadow would sidestep and the horse would back down.
It was almost humorous seeing the frustration on the Marine's face.
But they had a job to do.
The detective broke into her thoughts. "How long have you had that
horse?"
"I bred him. My family owns a horse-breeding place in Wyoming.
I picked the sire and dam. I even helped in the birthing. I trained
this horse to obey every move I make. We are a real team. Don't come
between us, he will fight to the death for me."
They didn't say anything after that.
Shadow came to a stop. She held out her hand, asking them to be quiet.
Shadow turned one way and then another. As she was looking right, she
saw Ellison also looking, as if he could see or smell what had caught
her horse's attention. Shadow turned and the cops followed suit. They
didn't even argue over it. Amy felt the first sign of relief. They weren't
going to be a problem. She let the frown on her face relax, as she enjoyed
the beautiful sunny day.
Shadow picked up some speed, clearly following something now. He didn't
trot, but kept to a walk. Amy could just make out a trail, made recently.
Several branches were broken and she even saw a footprint. She turned
around. Ellison looked comfortable and was also observing his surroundings.
Sandburg, however, was concentrating on his horse, for all he was worth
and not paying any attention to what they were doing.
Shadow picked his way through some brush and made several directional
changes. They stayed on this trail for another two hours. Sandburg didn't
complain, but she could see he was starting to hurt.
"Okay, let's take a break."
She pulled Shadow up and he stopped. The others did too. She dropped
her reins, dismounted, and went over to the kid.
"Let me help you down."
He shook his head no, but his legs weren't cooperating. As his feet
hit the ground, his legs collapsed, they just didn't have enough strength
to support him. She looked at Ellison who gracefully dismounted.
"Ellison, he's not going to make it. We may have a couple of days
of this. We've only been out for a few hours."
"Chief, I told you that I could do this alone. I think Saunders
is right. You should go back."
"But you need me Jim. I won't let you do this alone."
Saunders watched the men and was surprised that Sandburg won out. Ellison
didn't look like the kind who backed down. Sandburg was a fool. He was
never going to make it, and it would slow them all down. She gave them
another five minutes to walk off the stiffness.
"Okay, you guys ready?"
She could see Sandburg smother a groan, but he agreed. He sure did have
guts; she had to give him that. Ellison helped his "Chief",
then she watched him get up on his own horse. He didn't appear sore,
which was a relief.
They rode on for another hour, with Shadow leading. Several times, Ellison
would come up along side her, but Shadow would flatten his ears and
Ellison's horse would slow down. She turned around several times to
gage Sandburg's condition. He looked sore, but determined. What did
catch her attention was that Ellison was continuously looking behind
him.
"You hear something?" she inquired.
"I think we're being followed."
"You
think Seager's circled around behind us?"
"I don't know," he replied. "I wouldn't have credited
him with that many smarts."
"He *did* escape though."
That comment pissed him off. She laughed at disgruntled expression.
"I want to circle around him and catch him unaware."
She sighed in exasperation, although she couldn't fault him for wanting
to see who was behind them. It would slow them down and all she wanted
to do was to find Seager and get out this situation. Ellison was not
the easiest man to get along with. Then she laughed to herself, neither
was she.
Ellison took his horse and left the trail. He told her and "Chief"
to stay put. Shadow was not happy at this delay, and took to snorting
and stomping to show his displeasure. Sandburg eyed him wearily. Suddenly
a shot rang out. She turned her horse and raced towards the shot. She
hoped that Sandburg was close behind. Shadow slowed down and she slid
to the ground. Sandburg slowed and she told him to stay with her horse.
Then she took her gun and loaded it. Using the stealth she had learned
at Dickon's knee, she crept towards where believed Ellison to be.
Another shot rang out. She peeked around and saw Ellison's horse. The
detective was flat on the ground firing towards a mound of bushes. The
horse looked ready to bolt so she slid up to him and led him away. Another
shot, this time from Ellison. He was covering her movements. A man stood
up, blood flowing from his arm, and walked slowly towards them. He looked
like he was on a suicide mission. Leveling his gun, he aimed for Ellison
and just began firing. Amy couldn't believe what she was seeing. She
raised her gun and fired. The man turned towards her and she could see
blood now dripping from his brow. Then he collapsed in a heap.
Ellison leaped up and ran over to the body and felt for a pulse.
"He's dead."
"Better him than you."
"You shot him in the head. Couldn't you have aimed for his arm
or leg."
"I see you already had and it didn't seem to phase him any."
She walked around and then noticed a sword. It was tucked away out of
sight. Her breath caught. He was immortal. Sweat started pouring down
her back. She swallowed the lump in her throat and walked slowly back
to the body. With a quick look at Ellison, she put another round into
the fallen body.
"What did you do that for Saunders?" He looked shocked that
she would shoot a dead man. Then again it was a stupid act under any
*normal* circumstances.
She looked at him paralyzed. What was she going to do? This was not
the criminal they were chasing. Oh no, this was some immortal who's
home they had just trespassed on, she felt mild hysteria taking over
her mind. This man was going to wake up and then she'd have to explain
why he wasn't dead, and meanwhile their criminal was escaping.
"Look at him Ellison. This isn't the right guy."
"I know. But he fired at me and I tried telling him I was the police
and to surrender his weapon. He ignored me and started firing."
"He's dead. Lets..."
"He was dead before you fired the second time."
She kept talking, "Let's leave him and continue on the trail Shadow
was following before you went off tracking this guy."
"You want to leave him here for...why?"
"So we can get back to chasing the real problem. We can call someone
in to pick up this joker later."
She was desperate to get them out of there before the immortal woke
up. Before he came back to life.
Ellison looked at her closely. Then he stiffened. Amy turned and put
a third slug into the dead man.
"I think we should leave now." Her words came out in a rush;
her voice filled with an anxiety she couldn't hide.
He was definitely looking at her oddly. "Okay."
They returned to the horses and Sandburg was flush against a tree and
Shadow was standing next to him, on guard.
"Geez Saunders, your horse is kind of vicious."
"He's a war-horse Sandburg. He's trained for battle. Although right
now, he's protecting you with his life, like any other soldier. You
should feel flattered."
He didn't look flattered.
She just wanted to get out of there before the immortal woke up. Chances
were he was only following them to find out what they were up to. She
had to breathe deep in order to control her panic. Ellison must not
see that man come back to life. She mounted and started riding off hoping
that the two men would not be far behind.
"Sorry Shadow. You were right and we were wrong. Find him again,"
she whispered, patting him on the neck.
Ellison didn't say anything for awhile. Shadow found the trail again
and they were off. They continued, for another hour. Then she stopped
them all to grab something to eat. They had trail mix and she had a
couple of sandwiches. She gave her horse his head and he grazed. The
other two horses stayed close to Shadow. Ellison took the time to contact
his captain. The reception wasn't the greatest, but he did let Banks
know that they were fine and still on the right trail. He never mentioned
the dead guy for which Amy was relieved. After eating, they got back
on their horses and continued. She kept an eye on Ellison, but he didn't
give any indication that someone was still following them. He did have
a distracted look and sometimes she could feel his eyes boring into
her back. Occasionally the two men would whisper, but she was unable
to hear what they were saying.
They continued on, until suddenly Shadow stopped and started nodding
his head up and down. Amy turned around to the other two. Ellison was
alert in his saddle as if he could hear whatever it was that Shadow
heard.
"Shadow says there's something ahead. We must be very close now."
Ellison nodded. He slid off his horse and Amy did the same.
"Saunders, you go right, and I'll circle to the left. Chief, you
stay with the horses."
She saw Sandburg acknowledge his partner. They could have used a third
cop. It was too bad the kid was so useless. Then she laughed to herself.
She was probably the same age as Sandburg. So why did she feel so much
older? Maybe it was because she had seen and experienced so much in
her short life. Short that is, in comparison to her immortal relatives.
As it turned out, they apprehended the man without any problems. He
gave up without one shot fired. He was lost, hungry and he didn't have
any fight left in him. Amy rode double with Sandburg, and let Shadow
carry the cuffed prisoner down the mountain. Ellison quickly took the
lead, which Shadow relinquished without question. Amy laughed to herself
at Ellison's expression as he passed her horse. Yep, he was finally
able to take the lead.
Ellison had contacted his captain so when they came out, the cops were
waiting for them. Amy slid down immediately and went over to Shadow.
Several other cops helped with Seager. Sandburg and Ellison had given
their mounts back to the people who loaned them. She could picture him
yelling at these unfortunate owners about how his horse wouldn't listen
to him. Ellison was a piece of work. Leading Shadow back to the trailer,
she noticed a man leaning against the side.
"Mac, what a surprise finding you here."
"Joe was worried."
"So he sent you?"
"Yes."
"How nice. I'd ask you to rub my horse down but I'd hate for you
to get your nice clothes dirty. Also he'd probably bite you."
"I have a way with horses. He wouldn't bite me."
So she stepped back, and let him untack Shadow. She smiled gleefully
as Shadow turned his head and almost connected with Mac's butt. He moved
it just in time. The girth was undone, so all he had to do was slide
the saddle off. With both of his hands occupied, Amy made a hand motion,
and Shadow took a nip out of his thigh.
"Ouch!"
"I am so sorry Mac. Is it bleeding?"
She bent down in mock solicitation.
"You told that horse to bite me."
"Now why would I do something like that?"
"To get even."
"Even? For what?"
"I don't know."
"I think you have a guilty conscience."
"Me, guilty?"
She laughed and took a brush to Shadow's back.
Then she felt a little tingle. She turned to do the other side, she
saw Ellison standing by a truck, just looking at her. His expression
was unreadable from that distance, but his eyes went right through her.
Her breathing quickened, and she bent down to brush Shadow's belly,
hiding behind her horse. When she stood upright again, the truck was
gone.
"Who is he Amy?"
"The cop I was with on this manhunt."
"Is troubling you? Maybe I can help."
"We ran into an immortal." She proceeded to tell him everything.
"He's definitely curious. You're going to have a lot of trouble
discouraging him."
"I know, what am I going to do?"
"Don't know."
"Guess I'll be escaping Cascade and going to Joe's more often than
before."
"Do you work with him often?"
"No this was my first time. He's city, while I'm state. It's only
because...well it doesn't matter. I'm going to do my best so that I
don't run into him
again."
Chapter Two
Jim sat at his desk waiting for Saunders to arrive. He had tried to
do the paper work and was having trouble deciding how much to put in
of the man that had been killed. Granted, there was no body. Somehow
it had disappeared and only existed in his memory, even Sandburg hadn't
seen it. She didn't know that he had sent someone up there looking for
it. When Art had come back and said that he couldn't find the body,
he had to go look for it himself. At first he couldn't locate the spot.
Then when he did, the evidence said that the man had gotten up and walked
away. He knew that was impossible. The man had been dead. He hadn't
had a heartbeat, and he hadn't been breathing. Then Saunders inexplicable
behavior occurred to him. She shot the dead man. In fact she shot the
dead man, twice. Did she think he was going to get up again? That was
a tantalizing thought.
"Hey Ellison."
Another detective interrupted his thoughts. Hank Fielding came over
along with a stranger.
"This is a friend of mine from school. Sandor Parnell. Sandy, this
is James Ellison. They say he's the sharpest of us all."
Jim didn't like Fielding very much. His snide comments got on his nerves.
He walked around with an attitude that said he knew more than everyone
else. Yet he had more unsolved cases than anyone in the department.
Jim stood up to shake Parnell's hand.
"Nice to meet you? Are you a cop?"
"No, I'm just visiting the area, and thought I'd drop in on old
friends."
Fielding started to lead his friend away when they both took a double
take.
"Ellison, isn't that Saunders?" Fielding asked.
Jim stood up again and looked.
"It is. I asked her to stop by this morning."
She talked to someone who pointed her in their direction. She gazed
around, but didn't really lock onto anyone until she saw Fielding's
friend.
"Sandy! What a surprise."
"Amy! I didn't know you were living in Cascade."
"Yep."
They shook hands, both wearing wide smiles.
"What brought you to town?" she asked.
"I'm back in the field."
"No kidding."
She looked at him and then at Fielding. She took a step back. Jim glanced
at Fielding and noticed a fierce look on his face. He wasn't acting
very
friendly towards her; he was down right hostile.
"Hi Ellison. I'm here as commanded. Sandy, if you're up in Seacouver,
stop by Joe's. I'd love to sit and talk."
"Maybe we can do dinner."
"I'd like that."
Fielding was getting more and more furious. "This is not a meat
market. Make dates on your own time."
Parnell looked apologetically at Amy and followed his friend away.
"Jeez Saunders. You sure know how to make new friends."
"Yeah, what was his problem?" She looked troubled but then
her face cleared abruptly. "So what was so earth shattering that
I had to come to see you?"
"I'm writing up the report and I don't know what to put in about
the man who ambushed us."
"He didn't ambush us, he was following us and then we cornered
him. He probably fired on us in self defense."
"Were you there?" This didn't tally with what he remembered.
"He was following us and when I went back to check it out, he fired
at me. We killed him
in self-defense, but now the body's missing." He watched her carefully.
She gazed at him with steady innocence. "You went back to check?"
"I did. It looks like he sat up and walked away."
"Dead men can't do that."
"I know, that's why you're here."
"I didn't help him up. Maybe he had a friend."
"You're awfully glib about this. Doesn't it strike you as odd?"
"I don't have an explanation. In fact I didn't mention it at all
in my report. I put down that we tracked Seager, then we got him. Nothing
else."
"I can't lie."
"Then don't. Put down anything you want to."
Jim was sure she knew something she wasn't telling him. It puzzled the
hell out of him what had happened to that man, yet it didn't trouble
her at all. That was very suspicious. Anyone would be interested in
a body that just up and left. He needed some answers. He looked at her
and noticed that she wasn't paying him any attention. She was focused
on Fielding, who was staring at her intently. While Ellison didn't like
Fielding, the fact that the detective mistrusted Saunders added to his
own uncertainty. He needed to investigate her.
"Ellison, if that's all, I have work to do."
He looked into her eyes. They seemed guileless, but his doubt remained.
"Goodbye Saunders. Thanks for coming down."
He returned to his paper work and skipped over the part of killing the
other man. He turned the report into Simon and then headed home. He
kept thinking about how friendly she was towards Parnell. She thought
nothing of going out to dinner with him, asked him to go to Joe's. Joe
lived in Seacouver. No wait, stop by Joe's she said, like it was the
name of a place. When he got home he called information and requested
the phone number for Joe's in Seacouver. When they gave it to them he
felt a pleasant sense of accomplishment. He was getting somewhere now.
"Hey Sandburg. How would you like to take a drive to Seacouver
tonight?"
"Sure, why?"
"We're going to investigate a place called Joe's."
"I know that place. It's a blue's club."
Jim shook his head. He should have gone to 'Mister Social Life', in
the first place.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
They arrived at the bar just before ten. The place was full. They walked
in and stood next to the bar. An older man was taking orders while a
band played on stage.
"Hey Jim, there's Dr. Pierson."
Jim stiffened. "Who?"
"Remember I told you about the professor who came from Paris? He
came to our department on sabbatical because he's interested in Sentinels.
He somehow got a copy of my master's thesis and found out what my research
was. He came to the States specifically to work with me."
"When was this?"
"Last month. He's brilliant Jim. He has more knowledge about stuff
than anyone I've ever talked to."
Jim's mind was spinning. He didn't like coincidences. Someone who knew
about Sentinels hanging out in a bar that Saunders frequented. Then
he saw Parnell. He was talking to a man over in the same corner Sandburg
had pointed out his Dr. Pierson.
"Chief? Describe Pierson."
"He's wearing black slacks and a red and gray sweater. He's got..."
"That's enough. I see him."
He turned around away from the bar's interior to order a drink.
"Hello. I'm Joe. Can I get you something?"
"We'll take a beer."
"You're new here. I usually recognize the people who come in here
and I don't think I've seen either of you before."
"We live in Cascade."
"No kidding. My daughter lives down there. She's a cop."
Jim stiffened. It couldn't be.
"Part of Cascade PD?"
"No, she's a Trooper. She was stationed up here, but living too
close to her old man got on her nerves so she moved a little south."
"Is she coming in tonight?"
"No, she was going to, but something came up."
"That's too bad."
"She doesn't renege often. Most nights she's here. But tonight,
she said something about meeting an old friend."
Was that old friend, Parnell? They had agreed to meet for dinner, yet
he was here. As Jim picked up his glass he felt someone come up behind
him. He stayed still, until he heard the man speak.
"Joe, I could use another."
"Sure Adam."
Adam turned slowly towards them and then stiffened slightly. Jim watched
and listened carefully for some kind of reaction, but this Adam's heartbeat
had picked up only slightly, but not even enough to show that he was
startled.
"Hello Blair. What brings you all the way up here?"
Adam looked at Jim with undisguised curiosity.
"Just wanted to get out of Cascade for awhile."
"Adam, you know these guys?" Joe asked.
"I know Blair from the University."
"Which one, Paris?"
"No Rainier."
"You're a student in Cascade?"
"A professor Joe. I *did* graduate you know. Didn't I tell you?"
"No. Must have slipped your mind." Then muttered, "Senility
and all."
Jim could hear the amusement in the bartender's voice, but he didn't
understand how anyone could forget to tell friends that they had just
received a doctorate.
Adam returned his attention to Jim.
"Adam Pierson. And you are?"
"James Ellison."
His eyebrows went up and his mild mannered gaze became more penetrating.
"The cop. Amy told me about you." And just as quickly, it
was gone, replaced by a bland expression. "I guess I never made
the connection between the Ellison that you always talk about,"
he nodded to Blair, "to the one Amy mentioned. Small world isn't
it."
Then he gave them an enigmatic smile.
That smile made Jim very nervous. There was a slight undertone that
Jim caught, because of his abilities, that made him think that Adam
knew all along exactly who he was.
"So Blair, what exactly do you do for the Cascade police? I had
heard that you worked with them occasionally," Adam asked casually.
"I'm just an observer."
"Oh," he said with a wealth of knowledge.
Jim had an uncanny felling that he really did understand, everything.
Joe interrupted them. "When did Amy talk to you?" he directed
at Adam.
Adam shifted his eyes away from Jim.
He let out a breath. Jim hadn't even realized he was holding it.
"This afternoon. She's troubled about someone she met at the Cascade
precinct."
Jim at least knew about this. "Fielding, and I believe the feeling
mutual."
"Fielding? Hank Fielding?" Joe asked, pressing for information.
Adam silenced him with a look. Jim was astounded. Adam was a man of
many talents and ... ruthlessness. That was it. The man had a core of
steel, and he hid it masterfully, and maybe it was because of being
a Sentinel that allowed him to see it. Sandburg thought the world of
him. The most intelligent man he'd ever met, Sandburg had said. Yet
when he looked at the man, he saw someone who commanded by mere presence.
Pierson had a way of seeing into your mind and extracting things he
wanted to know. The thought frankly scared the shit out of him. What
was this man doing to his guide? He needed more information about Pierson.
And Saunders. And Fielding. And Parnell. Jim looked around. Where *was*
Parnell?
"The man you were speaking to earlier; where did he go?"
Adam looked at Jim. "I don't know. Probably left to meet Amy."
Joe looked like he wanted to say something, but Adam wouldn't let him.
"Do you know anything about dead bodies that get up and move again?"
He scored big on shock value. Joe's eyes flew to Adam, incredulous,
but Adam stayed serene.
"Did Amy tell you about one?"
"No, she denied it. But the man was dead, and now the body's gone.
I looked at the area around the body and there were no other people
around. He got up and walked away."
Again the two men exchanged looks. Joe's heart was beating rather fast,
but Adam didn't show any reaction at all. That in itself was a clue.
How could a man who was hearing this for the first time *not* react?
"I think Sandburg and I will go sit at a table and enjoy the music.
Come on Chief."
Jim and Blair sat down and faced the stage. He listened in and tried
to concentrate on Adam and Joe.
"Adam, what is going on?" Joe asked.
"Shhh, later," Adam replied.
Jim's breath caught. He now knew for a fact that Adam knew he was a
Sentinel.
"Chief, how much have you told Dr. Pierson?"
"Actually I haven't told him anything. He's been instructing me."
"Instructing you how?"
"Telling me everything a guide must know. We talk about situations
where a guide is indispensable and how to help the Sentinel get past
things.
Mostly he tells me what a guide went through fifteen hundred years ago.
He's got these books, written on the subject from all ages. It's like
he owns a library full of Sentinel material that just isn't in any library
I've ever heard about. He said he's collected them through the ages."
Through the ages? That didn't make any sense. They stayed for another
hour while Jim tried to sift through what he had learned.
Chapter Three
Amy was sitting at a restaurant with Sandy talking about what each had
been doing in their lives since the past summer. She enjoyed hearing
about Gabriel and other new students at the Watcher training academy.
But as soon as the main course was set in front of her, she zeroed in
on what really interested her.
"I don't think your friend likes me very much."
"You make him nervous. He's pissed about you killing those three
Watchers, this past summer. You took the law into your own hands, and
he doesn't trust that you won't do it again. He's also upset that you're
friends with Ellison."
"But we're not friends at all. We worked together once and happened
upon an immortal. I killed him to save Ellison's life and the body disappeared.
Ellison doesn't like loose ends but now he's got a big one. I'm trying
to do damage control, but it isn't working. Now with Fielding acting
suspicious of me, well, it's making an awkward situation more so."
"Quite a problem. The reason Fielding doesn't like your friendship
with Ellison is because he's convinced that by being around you, Ellison
will find out about immortals. Right now he has a monopoly on that knowledge
and he doesn't want to lose it."
"It's already happened. But it's not my fault."
"You see, you're with Ellison one day and already there's been
a dead body getting up and walking away."
"So his problem is ego. You think he might be a Hunter?"
"No. Dawson checked him out thoroughly."
"Enough of Fielding." She continued eating her food. "So
why are you in Cascade?"
"Actually I came to Seacouver. My assignment is hunting someone."
"Mac?"
"No, she'd friends with Mac."
"Amanda? You're watching Amanda?"
"No. An immortal named Cassandra."
Amy felt the blood drain from her face. "Do you know who she's
hunting?"
"Someone named Koren."
"He's in Seacouver too?" She laid her fork down, afraid she
might drop it.
"I haven't seen him here yet. We've been tracking him for the last
six months. Personally I think Koren's hunting someone too."
Amy shivered with dread. "Do you know who?"
"Nope."
She had lost her appetite.
"Sandy, do you mind if we leave soon. I suddenly don't feel so
good."
"I'm sorry. Cassandra hunting Koren upset you, didn't it?"
"Yeah. Koren tried to kill me once. I don't like the idea that
he's loose around here."
So Sandy paid the bill and ushered her to her Jeep. They agreed to talk
again, and she drove away. She turned her scanner on to listen to what
was going on. Several calls were placed looking for help at an auto
accident. One call came for a domestic dispute. Then a call came for
a man at Willow Park with a sword and gun. Electrical discharge was
seen and the possibility of fire was mentioned. Amy's pulse quickened.
An immortal battle. Then she heard Ellison and Sandburg respond. Her
heart sank. She was going to have to go too.
Willow Park was half way between Seacouver and Cascade. She was practically
on top of it. She pulled into the parking lot and saw Ellison's Expedition
already parked there. She got out of her Jeep. She pulled her gun out
of the glove compartment and loaded it. She filled her pocket with extra
clips. She removed her knives from a bag under the seat. She had two
special leather sheaths made, which strapped to her legs. Inside them
rested two knives that Dickon had made. Both were sharpened to a fine
edge. Once she felt completely armed, she locked her Cherokee, and took
off for the woods.
Using her skill as a tracker, honed by years of training by Dickon and
Corey, she followed Ellison's trail. He was good, but Sandburg wasn't.
He left a trail a kid could follow.
She walked for about ten minutes when suddenly a hand snaked out and
grabbed her across the mouth.
"Saunders? What in the hell are you doing here?"
"Ellison. Thought you guys might need some back up. Have you seen
anything yet?"
"There's one man, mid thirties, with a scar running down his face.
He has a gun in one hand and a sword in another. He's shot at us twice,
taunting us to come out and face him."
"He's mad." She couldn't believe it. "Did you say scar
on his face? One running down his right eye?"
"Yes."
"Oh shit! We've got to get out of here." She desperately wanted
him to leave.
Ellison grabbed her by the shoulders, "I want you to go back to
the car and call for back up. Wait, he's circling around us. It's too
late."
Amy turned around and gasped.
"Well well well. What do we have here?"
"Kronos."
"Amy Saunders. You are just the person I've been looking for."
"I bet."
"I underestimated the mortal you were with in Switzerland, but
I won't make that mistake again."
"If you want me, fine. Let them go. They have no place in your
private war."
"Sounds like you're attached to them."
"They know nothing. Let them go."
"Because you ask, I'll keep them. I want something and they are
going to get it for me. I'll use you as a hostage."
"They will never be able to track down what you want."
"Yes, the boy can."
She turned around and looked at Sandburg. "Him? How?"
"The boy is *his* latest pet project. I'll keep you and the cop
and let the boy go."
Ellison spoke up, moving up slightly, placing himself just ahead of
Amy.
"What do you want?"
"Adam Pierson."
Amy sighed in defeat. He knew.
"He's not in Cascade. I haven't seen him since Paris, last summer."
"Amy, don't lie to me. I know he's here, somewhere." He paused
as if deciding what to say next. "I happened to see you on the
news last night. Something about a manhunt. So I thought, where there's
one, there's usually the other."
"That is not true."
"Shut up! Now boy, can you find your way to your car?"
"Yes," Blair answered.
"Drive it to the University, find your Dr. Pierson and tell him
I've got your partner and his Little Bit of Fluff. Remember that phrase.
Tell him that if he wants either of them alive, he's got to come to
me, ready to battle." He paused. "Now run boy."
And Sandburg ran.
Kronos turned his attention back to Amy and Ellison. He put the gun
to Ellison's head. Pushing him, non too gently, to the left. When Amy
moved with them, he snarled.
"Oh no. I won't get caught as I did before. You have a habit of
being around mortals who are," he paused again, "Unpredictable.
I'm going to keep this gun on him, until the boy comes back with Methos."
His eyes glowed in triumph.
"I've waited a long time for this. You know, in Europe, I had big
plans for you little girl. Coreolus did a wonderful job raising you.
I see the fire in your eyes, and the wheels turning in your head as
you try to think of a way out. I'm almost tempted to give you a sword
and let us battle. I would enjoy seeing the fighting spirit unleashed
in its warrior glory. But to do that, I'd have to kill your friend here.
Better to have a hostage for when Methos arrives." His eyes left
Ellison and focused on her. The gun lowered slightly.
"Once I take Methos' head, I'll hunt down Rikodius. Once he's gone,
no other can defeat me. I will be the last. Then I'll come back for
you," his voice full of promise.
"And the Highlander? You think he's going to roll over and play
dead?"
"Highlander? Duncan MacLeod? Here?"
"I didn't say he was here."
He stopped talking. His mind was focused inward, planning for this new
contingency. He loosened his hold on Ellison, and stepped back slightly.
Amy looked around. Was there anything she could use against him? This
would be her only chance. She didn't know what her new partner's reflexes
were, but she was going to have to take a chance. If she did nothing,
they were both dead, and possibly Methos too. If they escaped, maybe
she could warn Methos and he could go into hiding. Kronos still held
the gun, aimed at Ellison, but his attention was elsewhere.
Praying aloud, she whispered, "I have one chance. Please God, make
it work. Hope your reflexes are good partner, here goes."
Quick as lightning, she crouched down, removed her knife and threw it
at Kronos. The blade embedded into his heart, but the impact forced
one shot off. Ellison dropped to the ground and somehow it missed him.
He then fired his gun four times into Kronos' heart.
"Quick Ellison, before he wakes up, we got to get out of here.
Move!"
He didn't move.
"Are you deaf? Move!"
"He's dead Saunders. There is no way..."
He stopped talking and looked with surprise as Kronos gasped. Amy grabbed
her gun and fired again.
"Ellison, I'm not staying to debate whether he's dead or not. I'm
getting the hell out. Do what ever you want with your life." She
reloaded, fired another six rounds into the immortal's head and then
took off at a run.
She could hear him behind her. They ran full tilt and then suddenly
Ellison pushed her faster.
"He's right behind."
"Shit, we won't make it."
"Yes we will."
They got to the Jeep and put it between them and the oncoming Kronos.
She fumbled with the lock and got the door open, while he fired his
gun, keeping Kronos at bay. Ellison pushed her in, and took the driver's
seat. He started the Cherokee and pulled out.
Both were breathing heavily, and Amy kept turning around to see if Kronos
was behind them.
"I am so sorry Ellison for risking your life like that. You could've
so easily been killed." Reaction was setting in. "But I just
didn't see any other choice."
"You made a good decision."
"Only because your reflexes are excellent. Thank God you ducked
when you did. That bullet could have just as easily gone through your
head."
She turned around to look again. Could Kronos be right behind them?
"I killed him *again* right before I pushed you in." He seemed
to be reading her mind, or maybe her panic was just transparent.
"That should give us at least a few minutes," she said still
breathless.
"Saunders, it's amazing how the people around you don't seem to
stay dead."
It was a pointed inquiry and one she didn't want to answer yet.
"Listen. Let's not do the cross-examination thing until we find
Sandburg and Adam." She requested. "Do you think Sandburg
knows where Adam lives?"
He shook his head no.
"Well then go to the University first."
Opening her glove compartment she took out her cell phone. As she dialed,
a random thought hit her. She and Ellison made a good team. Each was
able to function almost without talking. It was what saved his life.
It gave her a funny feeling in her stomach.
She dialed Methos' Cascade apartment number.
"Amy?"
"Yes, Adam," she said with emphasis hoping to tell him that
she wasn't alone.
"What happened?"
"Kronos happened. Ellison, Sandburg and I were caught. He let Sandburg
go, and then held us as hostage until Sandburg brought you back."
"I take it you escaped?"
"Yep. We're headed to the University, hoping to find Sandburg there.
If he shows up at your place, give me a call."
"I don't think, wait, I see a truck pulling into the parking lot.
Yes, I see Blair getting out. Come here now. I'm going to pack."
"See you in a few."
She disconnected the phone.
"Sandburg is with Adam." She told him the address and then
called Joe, still mindful of Ellison's presence.
"Hey Joe. I didn't know how much you've been told, but we got away."
"Got away?"
"You don't know anything?"
"Start at the beginning."
So she explained everything that had happened, except she called Kronos,
Koren "I wasn't sure how much had been relayed to you, and figured
that if they told you about me getting caught, you'd going crazy by
now."
"You're all right?"
"I'm fine."
"Mac told me that he ran into Cassandra today. Then Sandy told
me that she's hunting Koren."
"So Mac hasn't battled Koren yet," she mused out loud to herself.
"Well he will thanks to my big mouth. Thanks for the info. Keep
me posted. Bye Dad." She disconnected and put the phone back in
the glove compartment.
She looked at Ellison who was dividing up his attention between the
road and her.
"Later, okay. Now we have to get to Adam and Sandburg before Kronos
does."
"Why didn't you tell Joe about Kronos or Koren wanting Adam or
Methos? Does everyone have two names?"
"He'll find out soon enough. It's not my position to tell him anything."
She deliberately didn't answer his second question.
"You keep secrets from your father?"
"I only met him recently. Another man, named Corey Saunders raised
me. And yes, I keep secrets when they're not mine to spill."
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
They pulled into the driveway and she jumped out, not even waiting for
Ellison to stop her Jeep. She didn't knock, but opened the door herself.
Methos had a backpack and a duffel bag, and was standing in the hallway.
Sandburg was standing against the wall a little bemused. She heard Ellison
come up behind her, but with her hands spread on the doorframe he couldn't
get past her.
"Little Bit, here is my key. If I don't come back, have everything
sent to Dickon."
She took the key, but still wouldn't let Ellison get past her.
Methos continued his instructions. "Here is a pack with some chronicles
inside. I want you to read these aloud to Blair and his friend while
I'm gone."
"I think I did something stupid," she interrupted him.
Methos stopped mid stride.
"What did you do?"
"I mentioned Mac to Kronos."
"You didn't."
"He was threatening me. He said he was going to take your head
and then Dickon's, and then he said he was going to come after me. So
I asked about the Highlander."
"Amy, that wasn't wise. Now he's probably..."
"Good, let Mac handle it. You can disappear and I'll go back to
Wyoming until the dust settles."
"Not this time. This time I have to finish it." His voice
rang with finality.
"But...what about Dickon?"
"No buts. This is my fight, not Dickon's. I want you to stay with
Blair and his friend."
"What?!"
"I won't be able to think if I know you're in danger. I'll have
to contend with Kronos and now you've gone and thrown MacLeod into the
soup. Promise you'll stay with Blair and his partner." Methos looked
up at Ellison for the first time, then back down to Amy. "Let Blair's
friend guard you, until I get back, or until Dickon comes for you."
"Kronos knows about them. He said something about Sandburg being
your pet project."
"Okay, I need to know everything he said."
So she told him, word for word.
Methos turned to Ellison. "I want you to keep her with you at all
times. She's sneaky and will try to make excuses to leave. Use every
sense you have to keep her with you."
Amy saw red. "I'm not some dog that needs a leash."
"No, you are a head-strong girl who is always getting into trouble.
Kronos is my top priority and I need to be able to keep Mac and myself
alive without worrying about your safety."
"What about *your* safety? Who's going to watch *your* back?"
"I'll be careful Little Bit," he said tenderly.
"You think Mac will betray you?" She could feel the tension
in Ellison. His chest was just touching her back and she could feel
his breath on her neck.
"He's going to be really pissed. Not a little, but the kind that
may not forgive."
"I'm so sorry." She was close to tears. "I didn't think
about the ramifications."
"I'm going to try and head Kronos off, before he gets to Mac, but
I may not be able to."
"He doesn't know that Mac knows you, only that Mac knows me."
"And how do you know Mac? I'm the only one who could have introduced
you. He'll know there's a connection."
"No," she was getting scared. "Okay, I'll stay with Ellison.
I won't interfere."
"Is that a solemn promise?"
"My word is gold."
Amy backed up, and bumped into Ellison. So she went forward and Ellison
slipped in front and grabbed Adam by the shoulders. Amy inhaled swiftly,
unsure how Methos was going to handle the assault.
"Tell me how you plan on stopping a man who cannot die?"
Adam gazed at Ellison calmly. "Oh, he can die. You just have to
know how."
"Is he going to come back for us?"
"Only if I can't kill him first. That's why I want you to guard
Amy. Keep her safe. You will hear if I die, Joe will call and warn you.
Then you take her to
Dickon, or some place that only you know about. Either is fine."
Then Adam turned his attention to Amy. Ellison let him go, but didn't
look appeased. "You stay with them. If I lose my head," as
he looked at Ellison, "you stay with him. He may be the only one
in the world who can keep you alive."
She shivered at the intensity. Methos was really scared.
"Okay Adam. I promised."
"Don't forget the books. You can answer any question they may have."
He looked at her steadily, and she realized he was giving her permission
to tell them about immortals. What a task.
"Guard her well," he said in a hard lethal voice to Ellison.
He picked up his duffel. With a deliberate move, he picked up his sword
from the couch and placed it inside his coat. Then he walked past Sandburg.
"Goodbye Blair. It was a pleasure teaching you. I hope we run into
each other again."
Then he took off. Amy stood there watching him, feeling suddenly very
alone and very scared. She had to trust her life to a cop who didn't
really like her and a boy who had no law enforcement experience.
"We should go first to your place and pick up some clothes and
such, then we have to go to the station. I have to file my report."
Ellison brought her attention back to the present.
She nodded absent-mindedly.
She had lost control and didn't care what happened next.
Chapter Four
Jim stood there looking at her. She looked so fragile, as if she was
going to shatter into a million pieces. It scared him to see her like
that. He hadn't known her very long, but what he had seen so far, led
him to believe that she was a tough, resilient, highly intelligent woman,
with a lot of self confidence. To see her like this was eerie.
"Saunders, we should go," he told her once again.
Her eyes went to him. "Of course."
She picked up the backpack and followed him to the trucks.
"Chief, you drive mine and I'll drive her Jeep." There was
no way he was going to let her behind the wheel.
During the drive to her place, she didn't talk, except to give him directions.
Her eyes were blank, with shock, and she hung onto the pack as if it
were a lifeline. He pulled into her driveway and stopped the Jeep. He
didn't need to look to see if Sandburg was behind, he could hear him.
"I'm coming in with you."
She started to argue, but he stayed firm. "From now on, all three
of us will stay together. We have no idea where this Kronos is. He could
be lurking in your room right now."
She nodded and opened her door to get out. Jim motioned to Sandburg
to join them.
It didn't take her long to get a suitcase and fill it with clothes.
Jim noticed that she wasn't careful about her selection, she just grabbed
handfuls of clothes and underwear and stuffed them in. Her room was
immaculate, but her dresser drawers were filled haphazardly. He took
the case from her and the three returned to his Expedition. They would
leave her Jeep here. Sandburg quickly ran to her jeep to remove the
backpack of books that Adam Pierson had given her.
Sandburg got into the back seat, which didn't leave Saunders any choice
and she jumped into the front seat. Not once did she look at him. Jim
started the truck and he could hear his guide opening the pack and looking
at the books inside.
"My God, they must be over a thousand years old. And in perfect
condition. Look at the language. It's made up of symbols and I even
see smatterings of Latin intermixed."
Jim could hear Sandburg run his hands down each page.
She turned around. "They probably *are* over a thousand years old,
maybe even more."
As she turned back, he was able to see her face, which was illuminated
by the passing streetlights. Her eyes looked a little clearer, although
her skin was still pasty.
"Before we head back to the loft, I have to go to the station,"
Ellison reminded them.
He looked at her and she met his eyes with understanding.
"And we all have to go in," she said with resignation.
"That's right."
He pulled out of her driveway and started the return trip to Cascade.
"I bet you have lots of questions for me. Go ahead, we have a long
drive."
Sandburg started. "Tell us about the men who don't die."
Jim put a bland expression on his face, although it hid a seething curiosity.
"Well they are immortals. You can't kill them by conventional ways.
You can't shoot them, stab them, burn them, drown them, and expect them
to stay dead. They are born as babies, grow up and then after their
first death, they stop aging."
"So how do you kill them?" Jim asked.
"Only by chopping off their heads."
Jim recalled the phrase, 'take their head'. It was beginning to make
sense.
"The man we met in the mountains?"
"Has probably lived there for centuries. We were trespassing on
his land. He may have been following us just to make sure we didn't
hurt anything."
"Or maybe he wanted to kill us so we wouldn't disturb his home
again."
She stiffened. "Immortals aren't nasty, but they are protective."
She lapsed into silence.
"Can I ask you a very big favor?" she asked.
"What is it?" he was suspicious.
"I need you to promise me two things. One, you can't tell anyone
that Adam Pierson is immortal."
"Why?"
"Because he used to be a Watcher."
"A what?" Sandburg interrupted.
"A Watcher is a mortal who keeps track of an immortal. He records
everything he or she does, and they keep the chronicles in their many
headquarters and at the school."
Jim's mind was spinning. It was a good thing Sandburg was so quick with
the questions.
"Headquarters? School?"
"There are a lot of immortals all over the world. So that means
each general location has a headquarters. The Pacific northwest headquarters
is in Seacouver, run by my Dad Joe, he's the coordinator. To become
a Watcher you have to go to school and they teach you all about the
different immortals, how to track, how to remain hidden and also how
to defend yourself against attack."
"So," Jim was putting this altogether. "Adam Pierson
is immortal, yet he went to the school and became a Watcher too?"
"That's right, although he quit this past summer. But if any Watcher
found out they'd kill him on sight, because he knows too much"
"Okay, what's the other favor?"
"Remember when you heard Kronos mention Methos? Well forget that
you heard the name. Methos doesn't exist. He's a myth. If anyone asks
you, act dumb. You've never heard that name."
"But Methos does exist and Adam knows him, right?" Sandburg
continued his unending questions.
"Sort of."
"Sort of?" Jim pounced. He wasn't going to let her get away
with telling only half the story. Kronos had all but said that Adam
was Methos.
"Can't we just drop this. Ask me about immortals, ask me about
Watchers, but let's drop the Methos line."
"But Dr. Pierson told me about Methos," Sandburg was quick
to interject. "Adam said that Methos was alive a long time ago."
"Kronos acted like he believed Adam Pierson and Methos were the
same person," Jim insisted. He pinned her with his eyes, not letting
her off the hook.
"All right Adam is Methos. Now can we just forget this conversation
ever took place? You must keep his secret." She was frantic in
making her point.
"I can keep secrets," Ellison looked at Sandburg as he said
it.
"And another thing, you know Fielding's probably going to be at
the Station. Just thought I ought to warn you," Amy told them
"What makes you think he'll be there?"
"He had to dispose of a dead body tonight."
"What dead body?" Jim couldn't believe it.
"Before we showed up, Kronos had taken a head. Remember the scanner
said something about an electrical discharge?"
"So why would Fielding be involved?"
"Because that's his job, he's a Watcher too. He was probably called
when the two immortals first came together and he worked with the dead
guy's Watcher to get rid of the body. That's his job, to prevent the
police from discovering anything about immortals.
"So why does Fielding dislike you?"
"He's territorial. Cascade is his town and he doesn't like the
idea of you hanging out with me. And he was right. One day and already
you know about immortals and Watchers."
"Why doesn't he want me to know?"
"Come on Ellison you're not that dense?" she said disparagingly.
He gave her an innocent look.
"You are the super cop. The whole damned city knows it. Every case
you get, you solve. Nobody knows how you find your clues, but you do
and solve the case. Now you take Fielding. He's average in everything,
except he knows about immortals and you don't. It gives him a sense
of superiority over you."
"Do you think I'm a super cop?"
Sandburg turned his head quickly to look at him. Amazement covered his
face. His guide knew he was teasing Saunders and it shocked him.
"I don't know you well enough." She wouldn't commit.
He smiled inside.
He pulled into the garage. They took the elevator up. Saunders had more
color to her face and didn't seem as fragile, which relieved him.
Sandburg opened the door to the bullpen and sure enough, there was Fielding
working on his computer. There were only two other men in the large
room. Simon's office was dark, which was a relief. Fielding looked up
and gave a passing glance at them. He started to look back down again,
when they popped back up and focused on Saunders.
"Ready for some fireworks, Ellison?" Her cheeks were flushed
as if she was readying herself for a confrontation.
Without waiting for an answer, she walked over towards the hostile cop.
"So who lost their head tonight?" she asked him quietly.
Fielding's face filled with color and he looked like he was going to
explode.
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"We were there. Koren caught us. He held a gun to Ellison's head
and was going to shoot him."
She turned
to Jim and winked, which Fielding didn't see.
"But then with some fancy footwork, Ellison fell to the ground
and got some shots fired. Next thing I knew, Koren was on the ground
dead. I had to urge Ellison to run, the fool wanted to stay and bring
in an ambulance and the coroner. I had no choice but to tell him. I
mean Koren was dead twice and revived twice, what would you have done?"
She straightened up. "He sure has great reflexes," she said
admiringly.
It was getting pretty thick in there. Jim couldn't get over how she
was able to imply something totally false and yet do it with the truth.
Everything she said was fact, but it didn't happen as she said it at
all. It made him wonder at the stuff she had told *him*.
"I need to get going on the preliminary report." He told them,
and walked over to his desk.
They didn't pay him any attention. Sandburg had gone over to the bench
and just sat there waiting patiently. He looked tired. Jim rubbed his
forehead; he was getting a headache. He wanted to get home too.
He punched in a few letters into his computer and then looked up at
Saunders and Fielding. She was waving her hands around, arguing about
something. That woman loved to argue. Maybe that's what made him so
nervous before. She had lost all her fight. It just wasn't natural.
He worked for another five minutes and then he heard Sandburg yell.
He looked up and saw Saunders with a knife at Fielding's throat. He
got up and rushed over.
"If I even have a hint that you're a Hunter, I'll be back and finish
the job." The implied threat hung in the air.
Jim stepped behind her and grabbed her arm with the knife. He knew it
was risky, she might turn and stab him. But her arm stayed rigid and
she let him move it so it wasn't at Fielding's throat any longer. Fielding
was ashen, and he didn't recover even with the weapon removed.
"I'm going to have Dawson kick you out Saunders."
"I'm not in, see?" She whipped up her sleeve and showed him
her wrist.
Ellison didn't see anything there.
"I never took the oath, I'm not official. You go ahead and tell
Dawson anything you want. You just remember what I do to Hunters."
"You kill first, ask questions later."
"If the evidence is overwhelming, then yes, I execute the offender.
I do not wait for a stupid tribunal to try the case and decide. They're
quick to defend themselves but not so quick to defend the," she
whispered "immortals."
Jim figured he had better end the confrontation now. "I'm almost
ready to go. I just need to finish a few lines." He still had her
arm in his grasp and he pulled her towards his desk.
She stopped, took the knife in her other hand and returned it to the
sheath on her leg. Not once did she shake her arm loose from his grip.
It was a good thing, because he wasn't going to let her go. He didn't
trust that she wouldn't go right back and threaten Fielding again.
He threw her onto a chair and quickly finished his report. Her eyes
had that same deadly glow that Adam had used. Maybe he had taught it
to her. Fielding obviously believed her threat was not an idle one.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
As soon as they got into his truck, he turned to her.
"So what were you accusing Fielding of?"
"I accused him of being a Hunter."
He looked steadily at her making her tell him more.
"A Hunter is a watcher who goes around taking heads. That is wrong.
A mortal is never supposed to kill an immortal, because then the quickening
is lost. A Hunter killed my mother and stepfather. He tied them to a
chair and cut off both of their heads. He even killed my mother, who
was a watcher and mortal. But they didn't care. James," and she
spit as she said the name, "Horton just wanted them dead."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Three out of the four of them are dead,
there is only one more left."
"And you think Fielding is the fourth?"
"No, I know what the fourth one looks like. But I still hate all
Hunters."
Saunders sat against the door, slowly losing the adrenaline rush that
she had experienced fighting Fielding. He decided not to question her
any further. Her face had become pasty again which worried him. Jim
knew that she had purposely goaded the other cop, waiting for Fielding
to make the wrong move. They didn't trust each other, and did nothing
to hide it. Although he had never liked Fielding, he didn't think that
Fielding would go out and murder people.
Jim carried her suitcase and Sandburg carried the pack. She followed
them meekly up the elevator to their loft. She looked around.
"I like yours better than Mac's."
"Who's Mac?" Jim felt unsettled at the man's name.
"He's my Dad's assignment, the one he Watches. In fact he was there
at my trailer when we came out of the mountains. Dad was worried that
I might have gotten hurt and sent Mac there to rescue me if I was in
trouble."
"How would he have found you?"
"Are you kidding, we had horses. He can track anything. He lived
with the Indians for a long time in the 1800's I think. He tracked Tessa
once when an immortal trapper had abducted her. I read all about that.
He really is good."
"That day, you didn't seem to like him."
"We have an uneasy truce." Her words slowed down. She had
that worried look on her face.
"What's the matter?"
"I just wish I had kept my big mouth shut. Now Kronos is going
after Mac because I said he was around. This is going to kill Adam."
"Kill Adam, why?"
"Because Mac will never forgive him. Listen I don't want to talk
about this now. Could you just show me where I'm supposed to sleep?"
He looked over at Sandburg. They didn't have any spare rooms.
"You can have my bed, I'll take the couch." Ellison offered.
Sandburg offered his bed too.
"Jeez, you mean Adam pushed me on you guys and you don't even have
a spare room? Damn it all. Listen, I'm probably not going to sleep much
tonight, so let me take the couch for now and we'll think of something
else in the morning, okay?"
Jim couldn't let her do that. "No it's not okay..."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Then I'm going home."
He decided to give in. "Okay, you can have the couch."
He went to the linen closet and brought out some sheets, a blanket and
a pillow. They made up the couch together. Sandburg had already disappeared
into his room. She started looking fragile again. He wanted to stay
and comfort her, but he could tell she really wanted him to leave. So
he said goodnight and went up to his bed.
She took some clothes out of her suitcase and went into the bathroom
to change. She came out and turned the lights off. He heard her crawl
under the covers. He lay on his back, looking at the ceiling, listening
to her breath. He tried very hard to block the sound, but he couldn't.
Concentrating, he focused on Sandburg. He heard his guide shuffling
around in his room, but soon the echo of Saunders penetrated his hearing.
He gave up. Turning to his other side, he got comfortable and just listened.
He must have drifted off to sleep, because suddenly he was awake.
A sound hit him like a glass of ice water. Saunders was crying. He looked
at the clock. Three hours had gone by. He turned to the other side,
and wrapped the pillows around his ears. It didn't help. With a groan,
he softly got out of bed and descended the stairs. He walked to the
couch.
"You're crying."
"I didn't think I was being that loud."
"You weren't, but I can tell."
Without meaning to, his arm came down and his hand wiped the tears out
of her eyes. Slowly he rubbed his fingers together. Her tears had the
same consistency as other tears, but they made him feel differently.
"See, I was right."
"I'll try and be quieter."
"Don't worry...sorry, that's all you're doing is worrying."
"Ellison, have you ever loved someone so much that you would die
for them? That you would willingly give up your will to survive for
that one person? Go into a situation where you knew you might not come
out alive?"
He took a long time in answering. He was a cop; it was his job to risk
his life for the safety of others. Then Blair's face crowded out all
the others.
"Perhaps."
"That is what Adam is doing right now. He has about a fifty-fifty
chance of coming out of this with his head, yet still he'll let Kronos
find him. He could have gone into hiding again. But Kronos found me,
and that meant Adam had to choose between me and himself."
She sniffed and then continued. "Imagine you are that person that
is going to live while your friend dies. Does one ever believe they
are worth a friend's death? I don't. I believe Adam is worth five thousand
of me. He's too important to lose."
A stab went into his heart. How could she think that?
"You're important too."
"I'm not even in the same ball-park."
"When you love someone unselfishly, then you need to make sure
they're safe. Nothing else matters. You'll do anything to protect them.
I'm sure that you feel the same way about Adam. You just said he's worth
five thousand of you. So that means you would be willing to die for
him. Why can't he make the same sacrifice?"
"He's a walking encyclopedia. There is so much knowledge in his
head. He has forgotten more about history than we can even imagine.
He *is* too important to lose. But there is other stuff going on too.
Cassandra's there, with MacLeod, telling him about how bad Methos was
three thousand years ago."
Three thousand years ago!? This Adam was, is, over three thousand years
old? She must be exaggerating.
"How bad was he?" His voice shook, but he tried to stay calm
so Saunders would keep talking.
"The worst. The Four Horsemen terrorized two continents. They ruled
using fear and torture. And Methos held Cassandra as a slave for a long
time, before Kronos got jealous and took her away. You see Kronos suspected
that Methos was getting attached to the woman."
"And he was?"
"He never said. But I think so."
"So how does Mac fit into all of this?"
"Methos loves him. Methos thinks Mac is destined to be the last
immortal and is doing everything in his power to make that happen."
"The last?"
"Immortals fight each other, taking the other's life force which
they call the Quickening. As they fight, the numbers dwindle until only
one is left. He, or she, will have all the power of all the immortals
that ever was. Methos really believes that Duncan MacLeod has the fire,
the honor and the will to survive to the end. And he will do anything
to ensure that this is going to happen. He even offered Mac his head
once. The Highlander is so full of honor it sometimes chokes him, other
times he wears it like a shield. It is so bright that Methos says it
shines on him. The knowledge of how evil Methos used to be, will sever
their friendship forever. He will never accept what Methos was and how
he changed. So how can Methos watch over him and guide him and make
sure he stays alive in the future?"
"But you don't like MacLeod."
"I'm afraid of the power he has over those I care about. He is
killing Methos right now, and he doesn't even know it." Her voice
cracked as she spoke.
"Could be Mac is just as upset and missing Methos and what they,
you know."
"They're not lovers. It's a different kind of bond. This feels
weird," and she gave an embarrassed laugh, "Telling you this,
but men, especially old immortals, need to bond with another man. It's
not a romantic bond, but a bond of souls. I don't know if mortal men
have this, but immortals really do. Corey and Dickon were together for
two thousand years. Dickon is in such extreme pain now with Corey dead."
"Who's Corey and Dickon?" Finally he was going to hear about
this Dickon. Adam had mentioned him as the only other person he trusted
with Saunders.
"Remember, I told you about Corey before. He is the man who raised
me, my stepfather. Dickon has lived with us my entire life. He raises
horses and we lived on his farm. Now that my Dad is dead, Dickon can
hardly function. He is so lost, without his other half. He is one half
of a whole."
"You think that Adam and Mac have this kind of bond?"
"Not yet. Probably not ever, now. Mac doesn't know Methos. He sees
what Adam wants him to see. Adam is able to don a lot of different personas.
He is the mild mannered Watcher around Joe and the rest. When he's around
Dickon, he's an intense, passionate man, and you can see and feel the
power in him. It becomes tangible. But he turns it off so easily. He
uses it to intimidate others, so he doesn't have to fight. If he thinks
you can handle that side of him, he'll let ya see it. But he has to
trust you a lot."
Jim thought back to meeting Adam at Joe's. He did see both of these
personalities. At the time he thought Adam just didn't like him. Now
Saunders was telling him that, not only did Adam like him, he had been
permitted to seeing something not many people saw. His true self. Then
again, he trusted him with Saunders' life. Was it only because of his
being a Sentinel?
He was still standing at the side of the couch. The only light came
from outside and it cast eerie shadows all over the room. Saunders was
looking out the balcony doors. He wanted to sit down, he wanted to join
her and talk for the rest of the night.
"Ellison, I'm better now. Thank you for coming down and talking
to me."
"That's okay. But you want me to leave."
"I think I can sleep now."
"Goodnight then." He turned around as softly went back up
the stairs.
He was just getting into bed, when her voice hit him in the head. "It
sounded like he really cared."
He gulped and slid deeper into the bed.
Chapter Five
She was running on Shadow, feeling the wind in her hair, and the surf
beneath her horse's hooves. Each wave pushed them closer into land,
but Shadow valiantly bent back towards the water. A large piece of driftwood
was lying in their path, which he jumped in one fluid motion. The smell
of frying bacon met her nose. Someone was cooking breakfast on the beach.
It was hard to focus on anything running at this speed, but soon the
beach disappeared and the movement stopped. She could hear voices from
a great distance away. She stubbornly refused to give up her dream,
and she lay there longing for the freedom the run had given her.
"Chief, let her sleep. She was up tossing and turning all night."
"Is she still asleep?"
"Her breathing is slow and regular."
"You're not going to let her sleep on the couch again tonight are
you?"
"No. Tonight we'll have to find alternate arrangements."
"Like your bed?"
"That would be my choice, but I may not be able to talk her into
it."
"How did you sleep?"
"I didn't until she did. Once she fell asleep, I listened to her
heartbeat until it lulled me to sleep."
"Was that better than counting sheep?"
"I sometimes lull myself to sleep by listening to your heartbeat
too."
"You do?"
"It lets me know that you are safe and I don't have to be on guard."
"Don't let the eggs burn." Sandburg admonished, and then continued.
"So what are we going to do today? I take it we can't go to work,
and you're probably not going to let me go to the University."
"Adam said to stay here. I'm going to take this as vacation and
maybe Saunders can call in sick. She can use a family emergency type
of excuse. I don't want the three of us to become separated."
The sound of a plate crashing to the floor jolted her out of the semi-conscious
state she was in.
"She's awake."
"I'm sure the whole neighborhood is awake now," Ellison said
wryly.
Amy opened her eyes and saw Ellison standing over her.
"Sorry about the noise."
"That's okay. What time is it?"
"About ten."
She stretched, and then rubbed her eyes. They felt gritty and her eyes
burned. She didn't do well with a lack of sleep. She went to stand up,
when she noticed Ellison still staring at her.
"What? I know I look like hell. Just let me shower and change and
I'll be back to normal."
"The food is ready, why don't you eat first."
"Because I'm a mess."
"You look fine to me."
"You must be concentrating with your stomach and not your eyes."
She stood up and he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the kitchen.
"Sit there. Chief give me her plate."
"Jeez, you're bossy in the morning."
"He's bossy all the time," Blair returned.
She still wasn't fully awake, but she picked up her fork and tried to
eat the mess on her plate.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
About an hour later, showered and changed, she felt like a new woman.
She entered the living room and looked at Ellison sitting on the couch
looking at the TV. She couldn't hear it.
"What do you do, read lips?"
"Sorry." He turned up the volume.
"I called in and I'm now on temporary leave. You should call and
tell them something," he suggested.
"You're right."
He handed her the phone and she sat on the couch. All traces of her
bed were gone. She called Sergeant Hardy and asked for some time off.
He gave her a hard time and she said she had to have it. Reluctantly
he agreed.
"That was the easy call."
Ellison just looked at her.
Then she dialed Joe's home number. It took a long time for him to answer
it.
"Hello, Dawson here."
"Hi Dad."
"Amy where in the hell are you?"
"With Ellison, he's a friend of mine."
"All night?"
"Yes, is that a problem? I called to find out what's going on."
"Is this line secure?"
She looked at Ellison and smiled. "You bet."
"All I know is that Cassandra's chasing a man named Kronos, but
whom Mac knows as Koren. Turns out that he's one of the Horsemen and
she wants to kill him. This morning Methos went to visit Mac and Cassandra
saw him and started accusing him of being another of the four. He denied
it and took off."
Tears gathered in Amy's eyes. The pain Methos must be in.
"Amy, do you know anything about this? Last night you called saying
something about Koren capturing you. Is this all connected?"
"Sort of."
"You know a lot more than you're saying. Was Methos a Horseman?"
She glanced over at Ellison. There was nothing she could tell her father
that would make him feel any better. It was just a bad situation all
around.
"If you hear anymore, could you call me here, please?"
"Here? You're staying with Ellison? Indefinitely?" He really
stressed the word staying. Did her new father dislike the idea of her
living with a man who wasn't immortal? He never had problems when she
lived with Richie.
"Just for awhile. Until this thing blows over. Methos is worried
that Kronos is going to come for me at some point."
"This Ellison, is he the same man who was in the bar last night?"
She shot the detective a suspicious look.
"Ellison was at your bar last night? How interesting. I'll have
to ask him."
"He was asking questions about immortals. I take it he knows everything
now?"
"Yes, he knows all about immortals and Watchers. I wouldn't have
had to tell him anything about Watchers except Fielding is such an ass.
You sure he's not a Hunter?"
"No, he is not a Hunter. I checked into his background thoroughly."
"Okay. Bye."
She rounded on him. "You were at Joe's last night."
Ellison looked calmly at her. "Yes, is that a problem?"
"Why were you there?"
"Researching you. You were my only link to the missing dead body.
You made some comment to Fielding's friend about Seacouver and Joe's.
So being the super cops that we are, we went to investigate."
"You're mocking me."
"A little."
"What did you learn?"
"Joe's a very a nice man. You must take after your mother."
"Actually everyone, including Mac, says I'm just like Joe. Quick
to lose my temper, as loyal as a dog and as crafty as Methos."
"I also learned that Methos, or rather Adam Pierson has been teaching
at the University, Sandburg in particular."
"Methos loves books. In Paris, he was a grad student. He has probably
lost count of how many degrees he's earned."
"I didn't get to meet Mac though."
"I'm sure you'll live through it."
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Banks," Ellison whispered.
"Your Captain? How do you know?"
"I'm not at work. He must think I'm dead or in big trouble."
"He right then, you are in trouble."
"Saunders we both are."
She wasn't sure if she knew what he meant.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"Ellison what are you doing home. I...Saunders?"
"Hello Captain," she said as serenely as she could.
This was Ellison's call. He knew how much to tell his Captain.
"Simon, come in."
The Captain strode in and stood in the middle of the room. She could
see the mental finger pointing at Ellison.
"Why are you on vacation?"
He added an inflection to his words that made the word vacation, sound
like a profanity.
"I wanted to use some private time to find out what happened to
the body that disappeared up in the mountains."
Amy sat there trying not to show anything on her face.
"The body that only you and Saunders saw."
"That's the one."
"You should just forget about it instead of drawing a Trooper into
this madness."
"I have to know."
Simon exhaled loudly. "So you're planning on going back up there
with horses and track the footprints of a dead man?"
"Possibly."
Simon turned to Amy. "What's your take on this?"
Now she was put in a spot.
"I think the body was moved to make it look like the dead man got
up and walked away. I don't have the burning curiosity that *he* does,
but I said I
was willing to go back and look."
That sounded good. Ellison smiled, so he must approve of what she said.
His smile made her grow warm all over. When had his opinion become important
to her?
Simon Banks still didn't look totally convinced, but as he didn't say
anything else, she assumed he bought Ellison's explanation. Then he
looked over her head at Sandburg sitting quietly.
"Is the kid sick?"
Amy laughed to herself. So the Captain thought of him as a kid too.
"No, I'm just not eager to go up in the mountains looking for dead
men walking around, while riding on a horse."
She had to give him points for coming up with that answer. He probably
didn't trust himself not to give anything away.
Banks left a few minutes later, saying that someone had to get some
real work done.
The door closed and Ellison turned back to her. She felt shaken by the
intense look he gave her. What was going on in his mind?
Sandburg jumped up from his chair, diffusing the tension. "Could
you read some from the books Dr. Pierson gave you?"
"I had forgotten all about them."
Sandburg grabbed the backpack and brought it over to her. "I looked
at them last night and I can't make heads or tails out of the language.
Do you know what it's called?"
Amy took the three books out and opened the first one. She glanced up
and saw Ellison take a seat across from her. Sandburg had taken a seat
next to her so he could look at the pages as she read them. She was
more unsettled by Ellison's eyes on her, than Sandburg's body so close
to hers on the couch. The awareness was something she had never had
to deal with before.
"Let me see, this book takes place in the late sixth, early seventh
century, I think. Methos didn't include any dates when he wrote."
"Methos?" Sandburg asked.
She could tell this reading was going to take a long time. He was going
to question every thing she said.
"These books are chronicles of his life. He's been keeping a journal,
well, forever I think."
She picked up the second book. It was about her. She read the first
few pages and skimmed in the middle. Her hands started shaking.
"We can save this till later."
She picked up the third book and happened to see the look Ellison was
giving her. The intensity had been turned up several notches. Her feeling
of agitation had somehow been communicated to him. Damn his perceptiveness.
The third book was actually the first part of the first book.
"This book starts out with Methos alone. He's been wandering around
for awhile, which could mean decades or weeks, from the language I can't
tell."
She opened to the first page and started to read.
"My belly was aching for food. I had died three times already and
was heartily sick of waking up cold and empty. My sword was not potent
enough against rabbits and deer. My traps were unsprung, and there were
no fish in the stream. Against my own better wishes, I needed to give
up waiting for Claudianus to join me, and move on."
Amy looked up at the men. "He says here that time went by, but
doesn't record time the way we do now."
She continued reading.
"Sitting
on the bank devouring the first meal in a fortnight, a woman came to
the river to fill some baskets. She was comely, with curves in all the
right places. With one hunger filled, I felt another grow within. Silently
I crept to her and caught her. She tried to scream, but I pressed my
mouth to hers and silenced the noise, then took her as we stood."
Ellison exploded to his feet. "He describes raping a woman on the
first page and you just sit there as if it doesn't phase you in the
least? Why don't you have a stronger reaction than just complacency?"
"I'm reading about Methos' life. Things were different back then.
A woman was a possession, like a horse. This one was wandering loose
and Methos decided to steal her. I don't condemn his past actions using
the values of today. He isn't the same man he was back then."
Ellison didn't look convinced, but he sat back down, retaining the scowl
on his face.
"In no time, I exploded, relieving the hunger that had stolen over
me so quickly. Her eyes were dark with fury. I can't believe I hurt
her bad, it just didn't take me that long. I wanted to taste her fire
once more, but the urgency was gone. I had all of her life to repeat
it, and I wasn't going to let her go. It was an instantaneous fire,
which swept me, rare enough that even I recognized it for what it was.
She was mine, for the rest of her life. Of course it may take that long
for me to tame her, but that didn't matter. She was only a woman. But
what a woman!
"Her long hair had broken free by my wandering hands, and I spoke
gently to her. Her answer was to swear at me in my own language and
call me foul names. With her incessant screeching, a new noise came
out of the woods. A tall man, with a sword and knife. I flung her to
the ground ready to defend her against the newcomer. My sword was within
reach and soon it was up and ready for the attacker. She ran to him
and he cuddled her into his arms. I flushed with jealousy, for she was
mine. Fully knowing that I shouldn't be fighting, filled with such emotion,
I fought anyway. Thirty five hundred years of fighting with a sword,
was no match..."
"Thirty-five hundred years?" Sandburg interrupted. "Wow,
I can't believe he's that old. No wonder he knows everything. Why is
it now that I know, he's gone and I can't ask him all the questions
that are popping into my head."
Ellison looked skeptical; then he gave a dry laugh. "The Watchers
just don't know that Adam Pierson is Methos. I can see his dilemma and
his guile."
She wasn't sure if Ellison believed it or not. Thirty five hundred years
was a long time, although not as long as five thousand. How would he
react to that? "Can I continue?" She wanted to get away from
this subject.
The men did not look contrite.
"Was no match for this young mortal. I dealt him his deathblow
within seconds, then claimed my prize.
"She was crying over his body saying all kinds of improper things.
She told me then that I had condemned her entire village to death. They
would be wiped out when the great armies of Coreolus and Rikodius came
through. I had to ask why this man's death could influence such great
warriors. For I knew both, and my word alone would be enough to stay
both their swords and their armies. Then she said that I had killed
the guide. Their Sentinel now had no guide and must die the ritual death."
Both men gasped. Ellison exploded again.
"Methos killed the guide?"
Amy was confused. "What *is* your problem? You're taking this story
much too personally. This happened like fifteen hundred years ago. It
has no bearing on you at all. So chill."
She was getting irritated with them. Ellison was almost as sanctimonious
as Mac. She hadn't thought that was possible. Ellison sat back down,
again, but the fury remained although he tried to conceal it.
She looked back down to the page.
"Sentinel? I knew not of what a Sentinel was. So she explained
it to me."
"I suppose I should tell you what a Sentinel is, or rather was."
Ellison's eyes were cold. Sandburg looked a little green. "Never
mind. I'll just continue. If you can't handle it let me know and I'll
stop."
"Vaguely I remembered something of this from my past. But it was
not called a Sentinel. I fought for the recollection, but it eluded
me. So I asked why must the Sentinel die without a guide? And she replied
that the Sentinel would go mad. A guide was the most important member
of the community. While the Sentinel's job was to use his gifts for
the good of the village, it was the guide's purpose to interpret what
the Sentinel told him and act upon it. I asked her to explain with an
example, for I still didn't understand. She said a Sentinel had gifts
from God that enabled him to see clearer, hear from a greater distance,
and smell more acutely than everyone else. But a Sentinel's mind was
not usually as strong, and he needed the stability of the guide to give
him balance. Twice already in her lifetime, the Sentinel had warned
them of armies and they had escaped the slaughter that came from war.
Now they were alone. Without a guide, they were without a Sentinel.
Without a Sentinel, they were defenseless. "
Sandburg interrupted again. "So back then Sentinels were overcome
by their senses and really couldn't function alone?"
Amy tried to answer. "I don't know if it's like that for all sentinels,
but according to this chronicle, a sentinel must have a guide. And not
just any guide. It has to be someone the sentinel loves and trusts,
or it just won't work."
"It won't work?" Sandburg asked.
"For a guide to function properly...actually for the sentinel to...this
is hard to explain. You see one of the hardships for sentinels is that
they can become lost within their minds when focusing on only one sense.
Therefore the bond between the sentinel and his guide has to be very
strong, so that if the sentinel does becomes lost within his mind, the
guide can bring him out. If there is no guide, the sentinel will die.
In Methos' time, they died by a ritual suicide instead of letting themselves
become insane or lost.
"Methos knew only one Sentinel, Rezi. I've heard stories when I
was growing up about him and Dickon said the man was a wimp. But all
men are different, so I assume that all sentinels are probably different
too. It just so happened that in this particular village the Sentinel
was super-sensitive I guess."
Sandburg didn't look like he was going to say more, so she went back
to reading.
"I wanted this woman badly. I killed her mate so that I could have
her. So I pretended to be a guide without a Sentinel. I made up a well
sounding lie, which in her own desperation, she accepted. We returned
to the village and I became her brother's guide.
"They did not want to accept me. The leader said that for every
Sentinel born, there is only one guide. I was not that guide; I could
not form the needed bond. I implored them to give me a chance. I would
do anything to keep the woman. She would do anything to save her brother,
although she hated me. The elders relented, for any chance to hold together
the tribe, was worth taking. I know they believed that if I didn't function
well as the guide, they would kill me. I might even let them, as long
as they did it without taking my head. The one thing I didn't tell them
was of my friendship with the warriors they so feared. I couldn't tell
them that their brutalities were nothing compared to my own. I wanted
them to think of me as a gentle man, a guide, an interpreter of the
Gods. But my woman knew what kind of man I was. Every night she fought
my possession, and everyday she smiled as if she was happy. I was her
brother's only salvation; her village's only hope. If she turned me
away, I would leave. I was content here for the first time in three
centuries."
The phone rang jarring them all out of the past. Ellison answered it.
"For you," he handed it to her. "Joe."
She closed the book and took the phone.
"Dad? Something happen?"
"Yes. Mac confronted Methos while he was packing up his apartment
in Seacouver. Mac thinks he was running away."
"Not exactly. Methos already said that the time for running is
over. Kronos has confronted me three times. This time, Methos said he
was going to end it."
"Three?"
"First time was in Darius' church when I was only a kid. Darius
said he was trying to kidnap me. The second time was in Switzerland
after Alexa's funeral. Gabriel shot him and we were able to escape."
"I can't believe it."
"Kronos has been using me to try and trap Methos for years. So
he's decided to end the threat now, even if it means his own life. I
had hoped that Mac would help. But no, mister high and mighty Highlander
will never forgive and accept Methos as he is now, Cassandra will see
to that."
Tears were streaming down her face. Listening to Ellison judge Methos
while she was reading, was compounding Mac's own betrayal. She was finding
it hard to cope. Now her own father was acting like he was forgetting
that Methos was his friend.
"I'm sorry Amy. I know how much you love Methos. But even I can't
picture him riding for a thousand years raping and murdering villages
for power and just for fun. That's what he told Mac. He did it because
he was good at it."
"But Joe, it was three thousand years ago. He grew, he evolved.
Darius was just as evil, but he changed. He became good and Mac never
held his past deeds against him. Why does he with Methos?"
"Maybe because he knew all along what Darius was and became. But
he had a mental image of Methos that just got shattered."
"I don't care. So what else's happened?"
"Mac was here talking to me, when I got a call from Sandy. Cassandra
was fighting with Kronos and Mac went to her rescue. I've been pacing
here, wanting to be there, but Mac told me not to get too close to Kronos."
"He's worried about you."
"Yeah. He's afraid my legs won't let me escape if caught and Kronos
would have no compunction about killing me. At least Sandy can fight
and run, I can do neither."
She had never heard such self-pity from Joe before. "So we both
just sit here and wait?"
"I'll call back when I hear how things turned out."
"Bye."
She disconnected and handed the phone back to Ellison. She summarized
what Joe had said.
"You guys mind if I don't read anymore? I feel kind of tired."
"Why don't you go up on my bed and take a nap?"
She looked at Ellison. It did sound tempting. She was so tired.
"I think it's a good idea," Sandburg added his two cents.
With good grace, she gave in. The two men stayed sitting and she went
up the stairs to Ellison's bed. It felt strange. She was going to lay
her body down on his sheets, use his pillow. She was glad he couldn't
see the color suffuse her face. Much to her surprise she fell asleep
almost immediately.
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