THE ELIZABETH SERIES
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
DO NOT LEAVE HER
By JoLayne
EnyaJo@aol.com
RATING: ADULT
CHARACTERS: M, DM, A, Elizabeth
SUMMARY: It's time to go after James and his men...
#######
NOVEMBER 2003
#######
Angel crept against the wall in the hallway of the ridiculously, pompous
and ornate house that belonged to the very self centered immortal, Cole
Roberts. Using her foot, she pulled the table under the surveillance
camera, then climbed up, careful to be out of the lens' line of vision and
sprayed it with black paint. They didn't have much time. Nick had
jimmied the window alarm so there were only three minutes breathing
room. She'd only known Nick for a short while, but hoped she could trust
him to share the bounty with her when it was all through. She had to trust
him. He was in as deep as she was if anyone found out.
Having scoped the place out during the last party, she knew the alarm was
behind the Monet at the end of the hall. She put the paint can in her bag
and jumped off the table, skid across the slick hardwood flooring to a stop
at the Monet. She dropped the bag and swung open the picture frame.
Hoping Roberts hadn't changed the code in the last three days, she flipped
the red switch and entered 569302 on the keypad.
The steady red light began to flash. She grabbed the bag and held her
breath waiting for the light. Looking at her watch, there were only seconds
to spare. Ready to panic, imagining he'd changed the code and looking for
a quick exit, her throat was dry. There wasn't a siren, the light kept
blinking. "Come on!" She saw Nick at the door and stopped him from
entering. She yanked at the hem of the beaded jacket she wore over her
black linen sheath in frustration. The red light finally turned green.
Angel pulled open the secret door to Roberts' study, that he used as a
quick getaway if needed, and held it open for Nick to enter. As she closed
the door, Nick said, "How did you know about this way?"
"The rich may be paranoid, but they're also gullible. When you get
Roberts happy, he starts talking."
Nick was uncomfortable in his rented tux. When he put the briefcase on
the desk, Angel snapped, "Don't disturb anything."
Nick pulled the case back and rearranged the mat and lamp that he
disturbed. Angel felt behind the frame of the Rembrandt in the place of
honor above the fireplace. There weren't any booby-traps that she could
find, based on what James had taught her. She put her head against the
wall and turned on a flashlight, pulled the frame inches from the wall and
didn't see any tell tale wires attached to it. Roberts felt his study was safe.
Angel smiled. He's going to be pissed if he notices.
By the time she got the painting off the wall and out of it's frame, Nick
had produced the exact replica from the case. They fitted it in the frame
and she hung it back up while Nick packed the Rembrandt.
They made sure they had everything they came into the room with and left
the way they came in. Nick left with the painting and her bag as Angel
went back to the Monet and reset the alarm. When she walked out of the
hall, towards the main stairway, she was surprised by Roberts. "Where
have you been?" His smile didn't give anything away that she could see.
"I had a headache, too many people." Even from the top of the stairs, the
party on the other side of the mansion could be heard. "I thought I'd just
get a few minutes of quiet." She put her arms around him, "When are they
going to leave? I can't wait to have you to myself." That got his attention,
he kissed her.
######
JANUARY 2004
SOMEWHERE IN COLORADO
######
Angel screamed at them to let him go, but that only made Roberts and his
goon, Taber, enjoy themselves even more. Roberts slashed her while she
was tied, naked to the metal bed. Then he gleefully threatened, "Watch
your back, Angel. I'm going to kill you. I'll start with your fingers, then
your hands..."
~~~~~
APRIL 2004
CABIN
Elizabeth screamed and sat up in bed. Looked around, tried to figure out
where she was. It was morning. The light coming in the window was
strong. A bright, clear sky. She realized that she was on a bed and jumped
off it. It wasn't metal. The bed had been soft, with a blue and green tartan
quilt. Where the hell was she?! The door was open, that scared her. She
ran to shut it just as David got to the other side. He was more forceful than
she and he walked in looking worried; she flattened herself against the
wall, expecting this to be judgement day.
David looked around the room, then at her, "What happened?" His voice
calmed her, as she looked around the room. There wasn't one scary thing
in that room. He asked, "Did you have a dream?"
"A nightmare," she admitted. It was a nightmare that she lived through.
She could do nothing but wait for the end of it to unfold and she was
certain that would one day happen.
Methos knew what dreams could do to one's psyche. His were
forewarning, if dreamed twice, were hers the remembrance of things past?
Did she remember Pyrius or the visions of his days as a horseman? Did
they have to go over that again. She was cowering against the bed and
flinched when he walked to her. "No one is going to hurt you here," he
promised in a gentle tone.
She softened and seemed to believe him. Then she was embarrassed by her
behavior when she awoke fully from the sun in her face and crawled up to
sit on the bed, joking, "Can I stay here forever then?"
Methos smiled that she still wasn't using James' accent anymore. He was
hopeful that she was free of his grip at last and sat next to her on the bed.
"How did James know about this place?"
"I don't know," she shrugged. "I didn't know about this place."
"How could he have found you?"
"I'm not sure he did," Elizabeth said as she rubbed her eyes from the
brightness of the sun coming in the window. "That was Jason."
"Who's Jason?"
"He worked for James." She realized it gave her pleasure to use the past
tense. Instead of a bullet in his brain, the storm worked just as well.
"Would he have reported to James?"
"Normally, yes. But, from the way he talked, I don't think he did this time.
He was going against James' orders by taking me away and he planned to
use some money he had stockpiled, and probably mine as well."
Methos was glad she was remembering, talking, but take her away? Were
they lovers? Is that why she didn't remember him or her life, she enjoyed
her new one too much? The dead guy they found in the woods was young,
a stud. Methos felt the rumblings of jealousy, but at least he hadn't take
her far, she was back where she belonged. "Good, then for the moment,
we're safe." He reached over and massaged her shoulder and neck. Her
body was so tight.
Elizabeth seemed to remember sitting next to him, someplace, while he
massaged her agitation away. She was frightened about something and
David rubbed the fear away. "That feels good," she admitted. A name
popped into her head. Logan? Who's that?
Methos asked, "Did you sleep well?"
She ignored his question. Logan, she seemed to remember. He was another
jack ass immortal who tried to control her. Then she remembered that she
sat on a couch with David as he massaged her neck. What couch? She
jerked her head towards him, remembering. "You lied to me." That was
the last thing Methos expected. She stated, "David isn't your name."
"Really," Methos smiled. "What is it?" He wanted to hear her say Methos.
He missed hearing her say it.
She shook her head, "It's crazy. I'm confusing something."
"What?"
"I got a picture of calling you by the name Adam."
"It was my name when we met," he said, a little thrilled, but he didn't
want to be disappointed again. "I change my name every so often."
"Why? Are the police after you?"
"No, not the police," he gratefully smiled. "It's just something I do. I
change it with every new chapter... I changed it when I met you." He was
pleased she remembered something about him. She looked a lot better than
the last time he saw her. The harsh, red scrubbed-look of her skin was
replaced by a glowing, healthy flesh color.
She instinctively caressed his face, it was what she was taught by James. It
was ingrained in her to seduce the enemy. Pulling her hand back, she
realized that David wasn't an enemy, he only radiated comfort, peace,
love. Her arm gestures left him confused. He loved the contact she
initiated. Her hand went back to his face. The look on her face was soft,
questioning.
Methos grabbed her, kissed her roughly. He could no longer wait to be a
part of her, he'd wanted her since he saw her in Chicago, thought of her
every night since she 'died'. He thought he had exerted wonderful control
by not attacking her sooner. The night before when she held him and
allowed him to hold her, when she was in the car on the way to the cabin,
when she was at the bar with Davenport and James, when she picked the
guy's pocket on the street, all that time, he wanted his wife!
He couldn't get close enough, pulled her body toward him, they fell off the
bed. He rolled on top of her, he continued using his hands as exploratory
probes, his tongue as a welcome mat, remembering her lines and the
curves of her face and neck, her taste, her smell, her warmth.
Methos was so passionate, fast, rough. When he left her mouth, she looked
up at him, saying, "Slow down... there's no need to rush."
Too engrossed with the task at hand to hear, Methos hiked the nightgown
up as he continued the process of reacquainting himself with her.
Everything he did and everywhere he touched reawaken vibrations of heat
in her body, she loved all he did, hoped he would do more. But, she didn't
like being on the bottom on the floor, wanted to get them back on the nice,
soft bed that was just a few feet away.
His weight held her down, she felt him finger the borrowed underwear to
the side, ready to enter her. She was suddenly wet and ready for him.
While he fumbled with the zipper of his jeans, she yanked his shirt up.
Caressed his chest as he whipped his jeans and underwear off. She took
her borrowed underwear off and climbed on top of him before he could
pounce on her again. He lifted his head to kiss her, pulled her head down
to him. She lifted her butt up so he could direct himself into her.
Elizabeth rocked up and down while he held her sitting up, then he pulled
her legs and she hiked them up behind him. She had to lift her body with
an arm that she planted behind her, between Methos' crossed legs. He had
her head in one hand, and used the other to hold his upper body upright.
From the start, they mutually agreed that it should all be fast and furious.
Amanda held the spoon in mid journey to Claire's mouth when she and
Duncan heard the fall upstairs. She dropped the spoon and ran after
Duncan up the stairs, wondering if they were having a brawl after
Elizabeth had a good rest and got a second wind. Grunts and cries
emanated from the room as they hurried down the hall. Duncan opened the
door, thinking the cries meant trouble. He stopped when he saw them.
Amanda got to the door and they both watched them.
Methos flipped Elizabeth back to the floor and climbed on top of her,
never missing a beat pounding into her. Elizabeth squealed as he kissed
her. Realizing that they were watching a private moment, Amanda said,
"Oh..." and stepped back into the hall. Duncan shut the door and looked at
Amanda. After a second, they smiled and shrugged. Duncan said, "At least
they aren't fighting anymore."
Amanda laughed and kissed Duncan, who started to move them to the
room across the hall. Then they heard Claire cry downstairs. "Oops," she
frowned. "The princess calls."
Duncan said, "They're the parents, not us."
Amanda held Duncan's head and kissed his nose. "Promise me
something?"
"Anything."
"Make sure I'm good and dead before you give up on me? What Liz had to
go through," Amanda's voice was bitter, full of guilt. "I don't want that to
happen to me."
"I will kill anyone who tries to hurt you," Duncan solemnly promised.
She smiled, "You're such a sweet talker, Mac."
Claire yelled out again and since Methos was still occupied, Amanda just
pulled Duncan close. Duncan groaned, "They owe us big time!" as he let
Amanda go and followed her down the stairs.
When she got back to the kitchen, Claire had the bowl and was licking the
food out of it. Apricots were all over her mouth, fingers, and bib. Duncan
scraped most of it off with his finger and licked it off. "Tastes good,
Claire."
Claire smiled at him and said, "You..."
Amanda used a towel to clean up Claire and told her, "Mac. That's
MacLeod, Claire."
"Maconi!" Claire happily sang, he was like her favorite food.
"Not Maconi, Claire. Mac. Just Mac," Duncan urged her to acknowledge.
"Maconi!"
Elizabeth was back on her back again, but she loved the overwhelming
power of David's thrusts. They were so sharp and deep that she lost her
breath on many occasions that morning. His weight on her, his breath, his
smell, his touch. Utopia!
Methos' gut was vibrating with excitement; he was finally back where he
belonged. As he entered her, he remembered their long history, starting
with when she surprised him in Texas, to when she walked out at her first
glimpse of him at Amy's, to the taking of Logan, then Hawaii. When he
remembered the look of satisfaction on her face after taking Pyrius, he
examined her face on the floor. She wanted him and was enjoying him.
There was no doubt in his mind. He remembered her face as she
masturbated, at their wedding ceremony, when she held Claire for the first
time. All the memories of her that he had tried to suppress, when he felt it
was in his own best interest to get over her, forget her, came back at him
full force.
With her shrieks and high moans, he worried that he might be hurting her,
but when he'd try to slow himself down, she only whispered for him to go
faster, then wiggled and met his hips with her own rising off the floor as
he would descend.
He took in the natural smell of her neck and hair as she clung to his head.
Methos could feel another hand make it's way down his spine, giving him
an extra sensation. He hoped she wouldn't scratch him again, then hoped
that she would. She didn't, only rubbed her hand up and down the line of
his spine and kneaded his buttocks between her fingers making his
adrenaline rush faster, harder.
After reaching the peak of climax, he felt himself empty into her. Methos
stared into her eyes, that were trained on his, then at the smile that took
over her mouth and lit up her whole face. He held himself inside her as he
went dry and shrunk. She laid her head back and took a shaky intake of
breath. Then she wrapped her legs around him as he rocked them from
side to side. Their chests inhaled and expelled breaths in unison. Methos
leaned his head down, forehead to the floor, spent.
Elizabeth looked up at the ceiling realizing that this was a man who loved
her, did not just fuck her, or lust after her, or use her. There was an
urgency and it was fast, but it had that extra kick. When her breath evened
out, back to normal, David still laid on her. It was a warm, comfortable
feeling that she wasn't used to, but would love to be. He didn't roll over,
fall asleep, leave. She lifted her head and kissed his shoulder, rubbed her
nose against his incredible neck. Smelled a hint of sweat. Salty, but not at
all pungent, to her, sweet. When she realized he was crying, she rubbed his
cheek and whispered, "Was I that bad?"
Methos groaned, she was too much. He shook his head and shakily
admitted, "I thought I'd never see you again, let alone touch you again. I'm
only alive inside of you."
She pulled his head up to look into his eyes. As far as she could tell, he
was speaking the truth and a rush went through her, she kissed him. "It's
okay," she whispered. "I'm here."
He lifted his upper body and looked down at her body, skin and bones. So
skinny, muscles tense, she'd lost all body fat. Her breasts were smaller.
The delicate curves he was so used to were gone, replaced with jarring
outlines of her ribs and pelvis. The last words they said to each other made
their way back into his mind. 'Amanda, now she's thin,' he had told her. 'I
hope you're both very happy,' she said as she shut the door.
That pained look on her face was the last time he saw her before she 'lost
her head'. It was a look that betrayed her feelings of hurt that he would
tease her over such a matter. He was only teasing, she was never 'fat'. He
just wanted her to take it seriously to train and exercise. Was that why she
lost so much weight while she was gone? Because he hounded her about
it? Or because James didn't feed her? He wanted her old shape back. He
wanted his wife back.
She reached her hands up and caressed the muscles on his shoulders, upper
arms, then his chest. He was down right gorgeous, packed, perfection. The
strap around his neck that held that ring hovered toward her. She grabbed
it and felt it.
He suddenly demanded, "Say my name."
"David..."
No, he shook his head. "My real name."
She looked away from her fingers stroking his nipples long enough to say,
"Adam?"
He gathered both her hands with one of his, to stop her from making him
feel weak in the knees. "You don't know me, do you?"
"I know I'm safe with you."
That wasn't the answer he wanted. Glad she was safe, felt it, but she was
safe with MacLeod, he wanted more than that from her. He needed more.
Jason had been going to take her away, somewhere safe, he snidely
thought. He was just another fuck to her. That's something he'd never
been in his long life. Even Cleopatra was a little speechless during an
afternoon with him even though he was just a pawn in her game against
Caesar.
Methos laid back down as a long sob escaped him wondering just what in
the hell she had been doing during the time he was raising their little girl
and missing her terribly. Was she having the time of her life? How many
men did she have while he couldn't even get it up once? How many people
did she kill? Would he ever have her back?
It scared her for David to be so miserable. What a reaction! He was the
strong one, of that she was sure and he was breaking down. They just had
a wonderful time. Methos rolled onto his back. She rolled over him,
whispered, "You are amazing," she smiled. "I've never felt like this
before."
"Yes, you have." He took her head in his hands. "I've missed you so
much. I still do." He ran his hands through her short, blond hair. It wasn't
Lizzie's hair, it was the hair that bastard chose for her.
She couldn't remember all about him, just parts, not making love with
him, or laughing, having a great time. Just a sense of him, snippets of him,
of their conversations, and knew she was safe. That was a big thing for
her! Safety was something she hadn't felt for as long as she could
remember. She remembered the name of his horse. It all stemmed from the
fact that she couldn't remember a name that seemed important to him.
What's important about a damn name?! Why didn't he just tell her what it
was? What could be so terrible? She told him, "I'm here. You don't have
to miss me. I'm not going anywhere. Jason had me, but I needed to come
back here... It had to be to come back to you. You had to be the reason."
David was beautiful, in soul, deed, and most certainly body. It's
inconceivable that she wouldn't remember everything about him from the
first moment she laid eyes on him. But James had obviously seen to that.
Everything was so different from what she was led to believe. She was
immortal, but didn't get the concept or the natural feeling of buzzes. What
else did James do to her? What else wasn't true?
During her time with James, she knew there was gaps in her life. James
didn't provide her with anything but what he wished her to know. At that
moment, she realized that James only gave her information that was
important to her task or to appease her if she got into one of her moods.
James had to make her feel better, make his needs the most important
thing in the world to her. Was he good! If she knew she had David out
there waiting for her, she would have moved heaven and earth to make her
way back to him.
Methos sat up, "You aren't the same. I miss my wife."
"Well, I'm the closest thing you'll ever have to her. I'm her." She sat up
and put her head on his shoulder. He grabbed his pants. She stopped
him."What is your real name?"
"My wife would know."
"What's wrong? You don't like to cuddle? That's okay. It doesn't mean
you have to leave."
"Yes, I do." He was more lonely at that moment than he'd been all year.
He'd orgasmed by her, but she wasn't the woman he loved. Well, she was,
but she was just a shell of her former self. He felt like he used her. Or she
used him. For what, he didn't know, it just didn't feel right or feel clean.
"What did I do? I don't understand any of this."
Methos said, "You forgot me."
"And this is my fault? Did I leave you willingly?"
"No."
"Then, why..."
"Did you sleep with him too? James?"
"Too?"
"Did he also make you feel like you'd never felt before? Is that what you
tell them all?" He slid his pants back on and stood, hating what he said, he
sounded like a wounded woman, not Methos the man who couldn't be
compromised. She was bringing out the worst in him and he didn't like it
one bit.
She just stared at the floor, thoroughly confused by the weird and sudden
turn of events. "So... I should have just left with Jason, huh?" When he
continued silently dressing, she said, "Well, if I had, I probably would
have been sitting on a beach right now with a pina colada. I would have
saved myself two... maybe three deaths out there in the cold. I wouldn't
have froze. That hurt! I jumped out of a heated cab in the middle of a
blizzard to get back to you!" She threw her hands up in the air, pissed.
"My mistake!"
"Don't be melodramatic. That's not what I meant."
A thought came to her and she suddenly asked, "Did we get along?"
"You loved me," Methos declared.
"That's not what I asked. Did we ever fight?"
He shrugged and said, "At times."
"To make the sex better?"
After putting on his shirt, he glared at her. That thought would never have
come out of Elizabeth's mouth. "Because we had disagreements. I don't
know you anymore, just like you don't know me, Angel."
"Angel Bancroft is bullshit. I'm Elizabeth... Marie... something. That's
me. Bring me home, I might remember it all. I will. I will remember it all."
They both hastily dressed, Methos in a sweater and cords, Elizabeth in a
robe, couldn't wait to get her own clothes. She was making the bed when
Duncan barged in. "Brett just called on the cell. James has Joe," Duncan
took all the control he could muster to say those words, and sobbed when
he said, "And Amy!"
"What?!" Methos stood straight up. They both watched Elizabeth making
the bed, no reaction at all to what he said, like it didn't mean anything to
her.
"We'll find them," Methos promised. Then he turned to her and asked,
"Liz, where would he have them?"
Hearing about James, that he'd taken another woman, scared her to the
bone. She didn't know Joe and it wasn't anything to her, but an Amy? Had
James found someone to take her place? Her anger at the betrayal scared
her. Why did she care? The chill returning made her snap, "I'm Angel,
remember?"
He took her arm, spinning her around, demanded, "Where would he bring
them?"
She weakly said, "I have no idea."
Duncan was angry. "Enough of this! Where are they being held?"
He had only been friendly, his booming voice scared her. She shouted, "I
don't know! London? Lisbon? Timbuktu? I don't know!"
"You'll have to show us everywhere he could be."
"No fucking way! I'm not going back to him!"
"You're not going back to him," Duncan said. "You're going to help us
save a friend. Someone we love. Elizabeth loved her, too. Liz would help
us."
"Then go find Elizabeth! She seems to be the only one you both care
about. Find her and leave me the fuck out of it!"
Duncan stared at her, wanting an argument, but thought better of it,
leaving the room, slamming the door behind him. Methos stood for a
moment, looking at Elizabeth collapsed on the bed, turned away from him,
reality, the world.
He went down to the kitchen and asked Duncan, "How does James know
about Amy and Joe?"
"I don't know!" Duncan snapped. "But Elizabeth has to know where
they're being held!"
"She's scared!" Methos didn't like how the morning had turned out for
any of them. "Wouldn't you be? That ass took her twice!"
Amanda covered Claire's ears and suggested, "He's probably back in
London."
Duncan screamed, "You only know the social butterfly. You don't know
the vicious, mangy dog!"
Claire cried in Amanda's arms, and wept, "Maconi..."
Methos took her and asked, "Hasn't she finished eating yet? Do you want
macaroni and cheese?"
"No," Amanda said, with a hint of a smile even though the day was awful.
"Mac, Maconi, that's what she's been calling him."
"I'm sorry I was talking loud, Claire," Duncan said and when she raised
her arms to him, he took her.
Methos was thoroughly confused by his daughter and large friend who she
had monikered 'Maconi'. He was about to laugh, thinking back to how he
had tried to teach Claire to make associations with sounds and names of
objects, but that was ridiculous. Claire was holding Duncan around the
neck and he saw Methos' bemused smile. "Don't say a word," he warned.
Elizabeth was at the bottom of the stairs. As she looked at the bay window
in the living room, she remembered being tied in that rocking chair that
was in the corner. It wasn't recently, but it was so vivid, it had to be true.
She walked into the kitchen to confront them about what they had done to
her in the past, but saw David in profile and something else clicked. She
said, "He's probably in Portugal."
Methos stared at her, thinking she remembered Sintra and their life
together, "Where?"
She said, "The Douro Valley. I don't know where exactly. I think that's
where I was brought. It's a... long drive from the city."
Methos was livid. She was brought to the Douro Valley after she was
kidnaped and he didn't know it? The gall of that ass hole! Thinking James
had to have known where they had lived and did everything he could to
make the whole situation as ironic as possible. In actuality, James didn't
have the foggiest notion about their lives before Elizabeth was found in
Seacouver and it was all coincidence.
She continued, "There's a church... a huge cemetery... a quinta on a hill
overlooking a vineyard. A brick house. Mansion. Lots of privacy. I don't
know the specific directions. I never drove there. It's called Terra...
something."
Duncan smiled, "Thank you."
"If he's not there, he could be in Rio" Elizabeth told them everything she
could think of, wanting to help. "I've never been there, so I don't know
where exactly. Or Chicago, he has a mansion in Oak Park. Or the house in
London. That's all I know."
Methos rubbed her arm, pleased that she was helping out, "That's a good
start."
She looked at him. "Oh, Brentwood. That's where... "
"What?"
"I don't know why I know that. I wasn't ever in the house. It's on
Sherwood Drive." Robin Hood. She laughed, weakly. It was ironic.
"That's where you and I..." Amanda glanced at Duncan before admitting
again, "Stole his coins."
"I've stolen a lot of things," Elizabeth gravely told her. "I've done... a lot
of things. I'm not going with you."
Methos said, "No, I don't want you to, either. You stay put in the hotel
somewhere and wait until it's over. We'll take care of it."
Elizabeth liked that idea. "Amanda will stay with you," Duncan said.
Amanda didn't take that as well, "I will do no such thing!"
"Yes, you will. Women aren't safe around James and I'm not losing her
again. You guard her and Claire with your life!" Methos said as he took
Claire from Duncan.
"Thanks for looking out for my welfare," Amanda spouted.
Elizabeth said, "I can take care of myself."
Amanda and the men argued while Elizabeth sat on a chair and thought
back to the earliest thing she could remember with James. "I'm not sure
about that Joe," she said. The others looked at her. "But that woman...
Amy? Is she immortal?"
Methos said, "No."
"Oh. That's good. He probably just has them both for bargaining chips, not
to... turn her into me."
Amanda said, "His thief." Elizabeth nodded. Amanda added, "Like you
and Carlotta."
"You know about her?"
"I've met her, before she did a half gainer with a twist off a balcony."
Elizabeth shivered, "Then that woman could be a replacement..."
"Amy!" Methos said. "Her name is Amy. You should know that."
"She's... probably in bad shape right now," Elizabeth intoned,
remembering some of what James did to her. "That bastard." She got chills
remembering him implant something. Duncan asked again if she would
come with them. She very clearly answered, "No fucking way."
Duncan told her, "You should."
"Why? As a bargaining chip to get back your friends? I'm not feeding
myself to the dogs for anyone."
"You're not going back to him," Duncan softly said but glared at her to let
her know he meant business, leaned over her and set his hands on the arms
of her chair. "But you know his inside workings."
"James takes one look at me and he'll kill me." She stopped, realized what
she said, and bitterly smiled. "No, he'll have someone else kill me, he
doesn't do the dirty work. Probably Gage, he lives for that shit and Gage
knows how to do it right and he'll take his own sweet time so I'd be able
to enjoy it. I've seen him do it before. That's why I'm not going within
500 miles of him. Any of them! James could be grooming Amy to take my
place, so I won't be needed. Or maybe so she would be the one to kill me."
Duncan violently shook his head, "That's ridiculous!"
"I'm no longer an asset to him," Elizabeth screamed and pushed him back.
"You all turned me into a liability!"
Methos set Claire down and she ran to Amanda and hooked her arms
around her leg. She didn't like the sound of the talk at all. Methos went
into the living room and asked, "Why would James want to kill you?"
"I know too much. I know everything he's done in the past six months and
how he's done it. Who he's used. Who he's had killed." She darkened and
painfully said, "Who he's butchered."
Amanda, who still couldn't believe that it was the same man, held onto
Claire. She was lucky he didn't ever take his wrath out on her during all
the years of playing cat and mouse. She suggested to them, "Joe and Amy
are both mortals. They're both kidnap victims. We should just call the
police."
Elizabeth said, "We can't do that!"
"Why?"
It pained her to say, "I'm as guilty as he is."
For the first time, Methos saw her as she may have been, as Angel, not as
his wife who was taken from him. "Have you killed?"
"I never shot first..."
"Yes, you did," Duncan countered, surprising them by being in the room.
"You shot David in the elevator without blinking an eye."
Elizabeth looked at David. She had apologized for that, and meant it. Did
he know that? By his look, he did. Amanda said, "You did what?"
She said, "You were there to kill me!"
Duncan yelled, "We were there to save you!"
"How was I supposed to know that? How was I supposed to know I
needed saving?!"
Methos said, "Hey, hey, hey." He didn't like all this talk in front of Claire.
Didn't know if she understood any of it, and didn't want her to.
Elizabeth continued, "The point is... Duncan... I don't know what he has in
store for Joe, but Amy's not going to be easy to save, and she will not
know you. She will not want to go with you."
"How does he do it," Methos asked. "He even silenced your buzz."
"You don't want to know."
"Yes, I do."
"Well, maybe I don't want to tell you. I don't want to think about it." It
was horrendous. The shots, the loss of dignity, the crunching of her brain
of any impulse that was her own, James only allowed what he filled her
head with. All else was wiped out so she almost had to learn how to walk
and talk again. Feed herself. She sat down, cried. "If she's not immortal,
maybe she doesn't have to go through all of that."
"She shouldn't be going through any of this!" Duncan seethed as he sat on
the kitchen chair, looking at the woman who he didn't know. "Amy is your
friend. You don't remember anything? You have to be lying!"
Silence. She watched David hug Claire close and focused on the little
girl's long, waist length hair. It was so long, had always been so long, even
when she was just weeks old, when Amanda brought her to them in Spain.
A rush ran through Elizabeth's body. That was a memory, that wasn't
something anyone had told her! She distinctly remembered putting Claire
in David's arms for the first time. He had to read the directions for diapers.
They were in French! She was remembering!
When she smiled and let out a laugh, Amanda looked at her, "What's so
damn funny?"
Elizabeth sobered, "The house... Casa Segura. Isn't it?"
Methos slowly turned to her. "Yes."
"I love that house," she quietly remembered, a smile on her mouth. "It's
my house. Outside of Sintra..." Her smile softened, then disappeared.
"Good Christ! I was in Portugal for a long time. You didn't know it. I
didn't know it. We were so close."
Elizabeth wiped away tears that formed and walked to Claire in Methos'
lap. When she laid her hand on Claire's head, the child turned to her.
Methos said, "Claire? This is Elizabeth."
"Lizbet?"
Claire was adorable and Elizabeth loved the sound of her name from the
little girl. Smiling, she knelt down to look her in the eye. The phone rang,
startling them. The phones work! Duncan rushed to answer it. Claire
looked at Elizabeth, poked her in the nose, but there wasn't a sign of
recognition. Elizabeth asked if she could hold her, held her arms out to the
girl. Claire leaned back on her dad's lap, leery of the woman who had
yelled, scared her.
Methos held her out to Elizabeth and Claire let her take her and sit. When
they were situated, she wasn't happy, but looked up at her. After Elizabeth
hugged her close, Claire had enough and crawled down, crawled to the
living room. Methos said, "Walk, young lady. You gave up crawling a
while ago." Claire scowled back at her father and stood up.
"Maybe she forgot," Elizabeth weakly smiled. Methos took her hand and
kissed her. Elizabeth told Amanda, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Bringing her to us. I missed so much."
Methos asked, "You remember that?" Elizabeth nodded, proud. Memories
of all sorts were flying into her head as she looked at all of those who were
close to her, it meant a hell of a lot. Methos hugged her, "We have a lot of
time to make up, but we will."
Duncan slammed the phone down and announced, "They are in Portugal.
That was Brett."
The revery of remembering was crushed by the news of James. And Joe
and Amy. Amy. Amy. "Who's Amy again?"
"Your friend," Duncan seethed. "Supposedly the best friend in the world."
"God, how many more are going to die because of me?"
"She's not going to die," Methos was positive. "We're going to get her and
Joe and take James' head!"
"That sounds like a plan," Duncan said, picking up his suitcase that was
already packed for days. "Are you coming?"
"No," Elizabeth was ashamed to feel that way, but she was scared.
"I wasn't talking to you," Duncan said. "David?"
Methos solemnly nodded his head. Yes, he was definitely going to pay a
visit on Cameron James.
~~~~~
Duncan went outside with his suitcase and warmed up the pickup. The
snow plows were just going by. He then went to the garage and warmed up
the Volvo for the women to take to safety. The cabin could be ruled out.
Who knew what Jason had told James before he came, it was lucky no one
with guns had showed up already.
When the vehicles were packed and Methos and Duncan were ready to go
to the airport. They all gathered outside to say goodbye. Methos stooped to
pick up Claire, who was outfitted in a fuzzy, hooded coat Amanda had
bought in town before the storm hit thinking she'd need it. The coat made
Claire look like the Ever-ready Bunny. He kissed her and said, "Papa has
to leave for a little while. But I'm coming home soon." She looked at him,
put the perfect pout on her face. "Kiss me," he told her.
She did. Then hugged him, tightly. "No go, Papa."
Methos hugged her as he looked at Elizabeth. He handed his daughter over
to her. He told her, "You take good care of her."
She nodded, Claire cried, held her arm to Methos. "Pa! No go again."
Elizabeth held her back as she studied the girls' profile. She knew that she
had to have changed since she saw her before James, but her little pug
nose and petite ears were remembered.
Methos kissed Claire and pulled away from his daughter's grasp. Elizabeth
put her hand to his face, he kissed her. He again warned, "Do not leave
her."
Claire almost got herself wiggled out of Elizabeth's arms, into his. She
cried, "Papa!"
He fought with himself and pushed her back to Elizabeth. She cried
loudly. It was only the second time since Elizabeth's 'death' that he would
be away from her, it was tough for both of them.
He walked back. Elizabeth said, "We'll be waiting. Good luck," she
smiled, then solemnly said, "Make sure he's good and dead."
Methos looked at them, said, "I can't believe I'm leaving you." He had to
hug them.
When he pulled away, Claire clasped onto Methos' coat collar, cried,
"Papa! No go!"
He was ready to correct her grammar, but then wondered if it was her little
trick. That he would stay to correct her. Was he giving her more credit
than she should get? Claire was smart. And she was in pain with a sense of
loss that he was leaving. It crushed him.
Elizabeth promised, "We'll be all right. The sooner you go, the sooner you
come back."
Duncan was properly saying a heartfelt goodbye to Amanda. She kissed
him goodbye and told him, "You take his head."
"You say that like it wouldn't happen. Cameron James' number is up."
Amanda nodded, straightened his coat. "Take care of Joe and Amy. I know
you'll find them and they'll be fine. I really think I should go with you."
"No. I love you."
"You do?"
"Of course I do."
She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply, then whispered,
"I love you too, Maconi."
Methos honked the horn and Duncan pulled away from Amanda and
waved goodbye to Elizabeth and Claire and got into the passenger seat. As
they drove away, Claire was screaming for her father. Elizabeth held her
close, wondered if she acted like that when she was taken from them. Had
the child missed her at all? Amanda put her hand on Claire's back. "It's
okay, sweetie. Papa will be home soon."
Elizabeth whispered to Claire, it seemed like second nature. Then realized,
when it actually quieted the girl, so she'd be able to hear her, Claire would
calm down. It was a trick she used when she was small. Blowing on her
face and whispering was the only way to calm her down. Elizabeth smiled
when the thought that she had to anchor her arms close to her body before
she'd fall asleep. "We'll get through this. He'll be back. It's okay," she
whispered to her hiccuping, distraught daughter and brought her inside the
cabin.
Elizabeth put on yet another outfit of Amanda's the clothes hung on her.
Amanda had to comment, "You've got to start eating, Liz."
Amanda gave her the makeup kit and Elizabeth put some on, it made her
feel better. As the women made themselves up and put a little on Claire so
she was one of the girls, they decided to drive to Seacouver to get stuff.
Then they decided to fly to Japan. When they tried to think of a place
James didn't have any connections to, that either women knew about,
that's what they came up with. No need going to the sticks, you might as
well go somewhere exotic. In Japan, they would be safe and Amanda
could show Elizabeth and Claire around, and they could get to know each
other again.
~~~~~
As Amanda drove, she went on and on about the Orient and the customs,
the dresses, the shopping. Elizabeth had to ask, "Are you always this
chipper?"
"No," Amanda said, eyes on the road. "I'm worried to death. I need to
talk." Amanda looked her friend over and said, "How was it? What
happened to you with James?"
"If you want to talk, I think there's better subjects to choose from."
"I'm so sorry, Lizzie."
"Why?"
"I brought you to his attention," Amanda said, looking at the rear view
mirror she saw that Claire had fallen asleep in her car seat. "If I didn't
wrangle you in to stealing those coins, he never would have known about
you."
Elizabeth was stone silent for a moment and then said, "I almost ran over a
dog that night."
"When? When we were in LA?"
"Yeah," Elizabeth turned and really looked at Amanda again. "I was
scared I'd mess up your time table."
"You remember the time table?" Amanda smiled.
"How could I forget your time table?" Elizabeth liked remembering,
"Natalie." With that, they both started laughing. "Did I ever thank you for
that? I'm really grateful. We made a lot of money. But no body was hurt.
At the time."
"We did have a great time that week. I've missed you."
"I'm sure I did too. I do now, looking at you. I know I know you, I know
some things," Elizabeth mumbled. "I can't wait until it all comes back to
me."
Amanda's cell phone rang. Duncan asked, "Where are you?"
Just the sound of his voice made a warmth flow through her and she
brightly said, "On the road to the airport."
"We're just getting on the plane ourselves. I'll call when we get there.
Warren's on his way, too. Everything's going to be fine, so don't worry. I
love you."
Amanda smiled and said, "I love you more. Be careful and watch your
head."
After she was silent for a moment, Amanda held the phone out to
Elizabeth. "For you."
She brought it to her ear, "Hello?"
Methos said, "I just wanted to hear your voice one more time."
"I hope you hear it more than just one more time," Elizabeth smiled. "I'd
ask if you want to talk to your daughter, but she's sleeping."
"How is she?"
"She's fine. Fed, clean, and sleeping."
"How long did she cry when I left?"
"Oh, a long time," she decided to say, make him feel good, not bad. Claire
was inconsolable for almost as hour until Amanda played dress up with
her. "You'd better hurry back. Just make sure James and all his men are
good and dead and come back so we can get on with our lives, if you'll
still have me."
"Well, I'll think about it," Methos moaned. "Kiss Claire for me. Tell her...
well, I'll tell her myself. I'll see you soon."
"Good luck," Elizabeth said, but he had already hung up. She closed the
phone and slipped it back in Amanda's purse. Then Amanda screeched to
a halt when a black panel van roared around them and stopped on the road
ahead of them. They both screamed as the car slipped on the ice but came
to a stop before crashing into the van or flipping over into the ditch. The
doors of the van opened and two men got out with guns, and shot at the
road in front of the car. Elizabeth yelled, "Good Christ! Get down!"
Louis yanked open the car door and grabbed Amanda's arm. Elizabeth
grabbed her other as she was pulled out of the car, pulling Elizabeth across
the seat. "No!"
Amanda was fighting to get out of his hold. Louis smiled at Elizabeth, and
shot Amanda in the leg. No, he wouldn't just shoot her to kill her, he
wanted her to experience a lot of pain first. Gage came over to pick her up
and sprayed bullets at the ground by Liz's head as she was hanging off the
driver's seat. They lifted the kicking Amanda and put her in the van and
drove off before Elizabeth could get out of the car. She stood in the middle
of the road screaming, "Gage! Louis! Take me!"
Elizabeth couldn't believe how fast it happened, then knew. She'd seen it
before. They were always fast. She ran back to the car and yanked open the
back door. Claire's screaming intensified when the car door opened and
Elizabeth checked her over for any wounds. She was awoken by the
jostling of the car and the shots, but wasn't physically hurt, just
emotionally. Without taking the time to calm her, Elizabeth got into the
driver's seat and sped in the direction the van took.
She couldn't find them, didn't know which way they went. She fumbled
for the cell phone in Amanda's purse and dialed Duncan on speed dial, but
there wasn't an answer. After 20 miles of not having luck finding them,
she pulled off onto the side of the road. Claire's crying ceased only when
she was unbuckled and clenched her arms around Elizabeth's neck. "Sh,
sh... it's okay, honey," she lied. Amanda was taken! She sat on the seat and
cried along with the child.
If she was to go to Seacouver, she didn't have the first clue as to where she
lived or where they lived or what in the hell to do there. "Okay, okay,"
Elizabeth said after Claire calmed down. "Think. We have to think." She
looked in Amanda's wallet for an address. Her driver's license's address
was LA, not Seacouver. Not where Methos lived and had friends that
could take care of Claire while she bucked up her courage and did what
she thought she needed to do. She had to do the right thing and help as
much as she could. She would have to go back to the lion's den. Or else
she wouldn't be able to keep in touch with any of them. Duncan and David
wouldn't know where Amanda was held, but she could find out.
She tried the cell phone again, no answer. Turned off because they were on
the plane no doubt. On their way to save their friends, Joe and Amy. Who
were taken because of her. Amanda was taken. What did James have in
mind for Amanda? Why did Louis and Gage take her? They knew Angel
was right there when they pulled Amanda out of the car. Did David,
Duncan and Jason make her going back impossible? Would they take
Amanda's head? Would James know that the men were on their way to get
him and he set up the ambush? Would he know that they were on their
way? She couldn't figure out what James had in mind. She had to go back,
there was no way she could just take Claire someplace safe and wait it out,
and still be able to live with herself, not knowing what would happen to
them all. What to do with Claire?
David's warning, 'Do not leave her,' echoed in her head. She had no
choice. She couldn't very well bring a toddler with her to confront James.
She didn't know a single soul to leave her with. She tried Duncan's
number again. No answer. Her mind was a completely blank slate and she
didn't know anyone in the world except James, murderers, thieves, none of
them babysitting material. All the other people she knew were with James.
That had to be the plan. She had no where else to turn, and James knew it.
He'd be waiting for her, maybe for both her and Claire.
Then she had a thought! Grace! She was the only one. The woman was so
sweet when Tony invited Angel to meet his mother and have dinner. There
wasn't any way James would know about Tony's family... would he?
Grace Willis lived in a Chicago suburb and James could be watching
O'Hare. Was there a nice baby sitter in Montana she could leave the child
with? No, Grace was the only option Elizabeth could come up with. She
put Claire back into the car seat, which made the little girl nervous again.
"It's okay, sweetie," Elizabeth said to her. "I have something special for
you to see. Do you want to see a whole bunch of little animals? Ones that
you can hold and play with?"
"Papa told me no touch. Just look."
"I think the nice lady we're going to go see will let you touch the animals.
They're all different colors and they're made of glass."
"I want Papa."
"I know. You play with the animals while I go get your papa, okay?"
Elizabeth knew that the look of confusion and the remnants of the tears
from the shock of Amanda's kidnaping were going to make that child need
years of therapy, but that was for another day. At the moment, she had to
get Claire to safety and then make sure Amanda wasn't killed and that
Duncan and David weren't walking into an ambush.
~~~~~
Amanda's leg was on fire, along with her arm that Gage shot as soon as
her leg healed. Then he shot her leg again when she kicked him. He didn't
like disobedient woman, and immortal unmanageable women even less.
There were many times he wanted to shoot Angel dead, but never did
because she was the boss'.
Amanda slapped at the bald headed ass hole in the back of the van with
her as the other one drove. Every time Louis took a turn, they would roll in
the back. The last time, Gage stayed on top of her. "Oh, please," she
grunted. When he grabbed her breast she pleasantly asked, "You want your
kicks? Fine!" Amanda took great delight with kneeing him in the groin.
Gage relaxed his stronghold on her and rolled off of her holding his groin
as she pulled at the door handle. Louis saw what had happened and
screeched to a halt and go out to run around the van to head her off.
Amanda fell out of the van but before she could run for freedom, Louis
punched her in the face and threw her back into the van. Gage pulled a
syringe from a metal box from the back and prepped the yellow liquid for
injection as Louis held Amanda down.
"You should have given her that the second we got her!" Louis yelled over
Amanda's grunts as she tried to struggle free. "You don't have to play all
the time! We have a job to do."
Gage trapped Amanda's arm and waited for the healing to finish. It still
astounded him every time he saw it. Then plunged the needle into her arm
as she yelled for a passing car to stop. Louis punched her again, and she
fell silent. Gage pushed down the plunger on the syringe letting all the
yellow fluid into her vein.
Louis bolted out of the van as that car did stop. The driver got out and
walked back to the haphazardly stopped van. Louis debated on killing him
right there, but there were five people in that car. It would take too much
time. He put on a pleasant face and said, "Thanks for stopping, but we
have it under control now."
"What's the problem?" The driver looked past Louis to the van and saw
Gage's silhouette getting into a sitting position in the back, between the
seats.
"My sister's a diabetic and forgot to take her insulin this morning. She had
a little fit and we finally got it into her."
"Oh, is she all right?" The driver saw Gage get out of the back of the van
and slam shut the door. He walked toward them. "Do you need to bring
her to a hospital?"
"What for?" Gage asked, intimidating the driver.
Louis piped up, "No," he also put an arm out so Gage wouldn't get any
closer to the driver than he was already. "Sarah is asleep now, isn't she,
Mark?"
Gage looked at Louis, who said, "She got her insulin shot and she's asleep
now?"
Gage got it and smiled, "Yeah. Good thing. She seems to be fine now.
Let's go."
They thanked the driver, who went back to his car and they watched them
drive off. Gage looked at Louis and asked, "A diabetic, huh?" Louis
nodded, it was a good ruse. Gage happily popped Louis on the shoulder
and said, "Good lie. You're learning my boy."
~~~~~
Methos was finished with the eight month old Newsweek that he found in
the seat in front of him. He looked past the sleeping businessman to look
out the window and all there was to see was black on the cloudless night.
Duncan was asleep in the aisle seat so he was over his fear of planes at
least. When Methos nudged his arm, he didn't wake up. The businessman,
who was sound asleep, had a New York Times folded up in the outer
pouch of his briefcase. Methos lifted it out as he kept an eye on him but he
didn't wake up.
Methos straightened the paper in front of him and scanned the front page.
The second headline on the bottom caught his attention. With all that had
happened in his life, he forgot about one thing.'The Decapitating Stranger'
had struck again. Methos' blood chilled. He read the article. 'Fencing
instructor and sometime bodyguard, Wallace Marshall, was found
decapitated at his apartment in Seacouver, Washington. This is the sixth
victim of the world-wide killing spree that started in London...'
Methos moaned, "Wally?!"
Duncan woke up and asked, "Huh?"
Methos showed the article to Duncan, who straightened and read it.
Methos shook his head in wonder, "I haven't talked to him for over a
year."
Duncan read the paper and was stunned. Then he looked at his old friend,
"What the hell did you do?"
Methos was dumbstruck, frozen, "I don't know."
CONTINUED in Chapter Twenty-Eight - Reversal
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