THE ELIZABETH SERIES
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
REVERSAL
by JoLayne
EnyaJo@aol.com
CHARACTERS: M, DM, A, Warren, OCs Elizabeth, Brett, Morgan,
Brynn, Claire, Grace, etc.
SUMMARY: Cameron James' days are numbered.
~~~~~
APRIL 23, 2004
Elizabeth couldn't take the time to drive all the way to Chicago, so she
took I-15 North to Helena and caught a plane. Her nervousness at being in
as public a place as an international airport was slight compared to the
need to get out of Montana as soon as possible, back to civilization and
help. She used Amanda's credit card and her driver's license as ID since
she and Amanda could be confused in a pinch. The guy behind the counter
had to look at her twice. Elizabeth said, "I just cut my hair, do you like it?"
When Elizabeth was served on the plane, she got a wrap, a piece of ham,
tomato, lettuce, and cheese on a pita. She looked at the meat and would
normally have sent it back, but instead she looked at it. Touched it. Pulled
it out of the pita. She remembered sitting in an empty room eating a ham
sandwich. It had no taste. No mayo. No salt. When was that? She put it to
her mouth and took a small bite. Rolled it around in her mouth. Hm... she
looked at the rest of the sandwich. Ate it, giving a piece of the pita to
Claire to go along with the child's plate she had been given.
~~~~~
LISBON
Warren and Brynn had arrived in Lisbon earlier and met Brett at the
airport, then waited for Duncan and David to arrive from the states. Brett
had rented a van and when they looked in the back, it was loaded down
with every sort of military weaponry available. Brynn was leery, "Just
what is this plan?"
Morgan startled them as he made his appearance at the back door. He said,
"We're going to annihilate Cameron James."
Brett jumped and rolled his head. Morgan was certainly covert and had
stealth like capabilities. It was a good thing he was on their side.
"And you are?" Warren moved Brynn back from him.
Morgan wiped his hand on his pants, smiled and extended his hand to
shake, "Morgan."
Warren shook it and asked, "Morgan what?"
"That's my business."
Brett told them they had been tracking James together for the last year.
He's a good guy. Warren wondered, "If you knew about James and what
he'd been up to... a whole year? Is that what you said?" Brett nodded.
"What took you so long?"
"We weren't sure," Brett was sorry to say. "We've only been able to get
confirmation about James' dealings with watchers in the last couple of
months. And that it was actually Elizabeth Bennett who he turned into
Angel Bancroft."
Brynn shook her head, "It's still so hard to believe... she's been alive all
this time? How did he do that? Make an immortal forget, be something
that they're not?"
Warren had once had a form of amnesia and knew it was possible, but he
didn't quite understand how anyone could fool with the memory banks of
another. "I really think you should go back home, Brynn."
"I'm not going to listen to the 'you're a woman' speech again, hon," she
declared with her hands defiantly planted on her hips.
Brett began to second Warren's thought then he saw her look; it gave him
the feeling that she would eat his heart out if he were to continue. The
seemingly meek, beautiful, blond immortal grew fierce right in front of his
eyes, and he quieted. She straightened to the point that she towered over
Brett and told him, "I've been a fighter for 624 years... how long have you
been at it, old man."
"Brynn," Warren stopped her from making Brett run away in terror, which
it seemed like he would, "I know you can handle yourself, but I thought
Liz could too. Look what happened. I just don't want you to get in the
middle of it. Also, Antonio is alone for the first time since his turning. I
don't feel great about leaving him alone."
"He's a big boy and has turned into an excellent fighter. He's fine," Brynn
dismissed him.
"But, one of us should be there for him."
Morgan looked at his watch and if they were to stand around there jawing
anymore, they'd be behind schedule. "MacLeod and Sommers are landing
in an hour. Someone has to go to the gate and get them." When he looked
at Brynn, "Please?"
Brynn fingered the Uzi in one of the open cases in the van, "I know how to
use this," she wanted to make sure everyone knew that she could be an
asset and shouldn't be delegated to welcoming committee.
Morgan said, "Well, a busy airport isn't the place, babe," he added. "They
know you. And we need Warren's back, or do you get into heavy lifting?"
Having resolved the issue in his mind he instantly forgot about her and
went onto more pressing problems, making sure everything they'd need
was at the perimeter of the house and all personnel were accounted for.
Brynn walked by Warren and said, "Watchers are so damn pleasant..."
then she saw a woman walking toward them. She stopped, watched her
walk to the van, followed her.
When Brett saw the woman, he looked at her, then Warren hesitantly.
Warren offered her his hand, "Hi. Are you with us?"
She nodded the affirmative and nervously shook his hand, "I'm Hillary
Maddox, Mr. Cochrane."
Brett watched them and explained, "She's your watcher, Warren."
Morgan immediately threw Hillary a flack jacket to put on. "Robert
Laredo is already at the house. I hope MacLeod's plane isn't late. It'll
throw us off schedule," and tossed a look at Brynn, who was still standing
there.
Brynn took the hint and began walking to the doors of the airport. Warren
couldn't get over seeing his own watcher. He knew he had to have one,
and wondered what 'he' would look like. He didn't expect the delicate
little thing that Hillary Maddox turned out to be. She was so close he could
touch her. This didn't seem right, immortals and watchers working
together. Nothing good can come of it. Then he smiled, and thought he
sounded like David. The thought that he might be in a better mood since
the last time he saw him made Warren feel great. The last time, David was
ready to give them Claire to raise. His wife was dead. He seemed dead.
Warren would have liked to have been a fly on the wall when he found out
she was alive. And, that he had been tricked by Cameron James.
He looked at the three watchers doing a quick but quiet inventory of their
artillery and felt extremely uneasy being the only immortal in the area.
They had a lot of guns. A lot of them. They weren't hunters, were they?
He and the other immortals weren't in any danger, where they? Could this
be a big trap to get rid of four immortals in one fell swoop?
~~~~~
CHICAGO O'HARE
Elizabeth hoped James wasn't staking out the airport as she emerged from
the tunnel into the gate holding Claire. She put a scarf over her head and
put on Amanda's sunglasses when she rushed through the airport. She
didn't even stop to pick up the baggage. It could always be gotten later,
she hoped.
When they got in a taxi and the driver asked where to, Elizabeth realized
she didn't remember where Grace live, only the suburb. She said,
"Naperville."
The cabbie turned around, "You have to be more specific than that."
"Just drive, I'll know it when I see it."
The cabbie grumbled and shook his head, but drove off.
~~~~~
Amanda was on a table, naked, with head phones on. "Boss' orders. Keep
her drugged," Gage said.
"The boss sure knows some hot women," Louis took his hand off her
breast and gave her a shot of the yellow fluid.
~~~~~
LISBON AIRPORT
Brynn stood when they announced that the flight had landed and the
passengers were soon disembarking. She looked at her watch and
wondered about Morgan's precious time table. The flight was only a
couple of minutes late, but there was no telling how long it would be
before they deplaned. She smiled and could tell that they were as excited
as anyone about getting rid of James when Duncan and David were the
first two to emerge from the catwalk.
As soon as David saw her, he bonked Duncan's arm to follow and they
made their way past the waiting people to her. She surprised Methos by
hugging him in welcome. "Welcome back to Portugal, David," she smiled.
"And you too, Duncan."
Methos muttered. "Where to?"
"No time for small talk, huh? Right this way," Brynn walked and they
followed. "Brett said that James had brought Liz here to Portugal as soon
as she was kidnaped. She was right here all along..." She saw David's face
and stopped talking. Then she said, "I'm so happy she's alive. I tried to tell
you once that miracles happen, but you didn't believe me."
"Finding Elizabeth again wasn't a miracle. It was brought about through
the work of a man. And it is good to have her back."
"How's Claire?"
"Hopefully, well. I had to leave her in the states."
"Why?"
"To keep them out of danger."
"They both should have come to Sintra. Beatriz would love having them
back near her."
"They're going where James won't have any idea where to find them until
this is over."
"Oh," Brynn said. "I didn't think of that."
Duncan said, "You shouldn't be involved with this, either."
Brynn stopped. "I'm not having that conversation again. Yes, I'm a
woman. But I can handle myself and take out a few bad guys at the same
time."
"I know. I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say I'm glad you're
here. We need all the help we can get."
She smiled. "Oh. Sorry for interrupting you."
"I wish people wouldn't."
As soon as they walked out the door, they felt an immortal presence.
Brynn saw the van parked by the curb, and said, "It's Warren." As they got
into it, Duncan and Methos were introduced to everyone as Morgan sped
to the exit of the lot.
Brett said, "That's Morgan driving. He's James' watcher."
Duncan put his hand on his shoulder and said, "Thanks for your help."
"No problem," Morgan said, a little surprised at the gesture, then smiled at
David in the rear view mirror.
Brett said, "This is Hillary Maddox. She's Warren's watcher."
Methos knew his watcher had just been kidnaped by James and felt sick to
his stomach again. Joe and Amy had better be all right or he was going to
make sure James suffered before losing his head. Duncan looked at the
van of watchers and immortals and asked, "Well, who's mine?"
Brett asked him, "You don't know?"
"How would I?"
"His name is Robert Laredo and he's watching James' house for us."
Methos saw that Hillary was staring at him. When he stared back, she said,
"You look so familiar up close."
"You've seen me with Warren," he suggested.
"No. You're familiar, but I can't place you. I've seen you before."
"With Warren?" He knew who she was and was pleased that she couldn't
place him. He was nervous about working with watchers but the focus of
their mutual help was the annihilation of James and that was the most
important thing.
"No. I've never seen Warren's friend, David Sommers up close before,"
Hillary said. "I know you. Did you change your name? Immortals are
known to do that."
Brett was going to fill in some blanks, but he realized that he had
questions himself and just sat back to see what David or Adam or whoever
he was would say. All Methos said was, "I must have a twin around
somewhere," then made sure he didn't let her see him face to face again.
He remembered her well. At a watcher convention in the South of France,
when he was still the researcher Adam Pierson, he'd asked her for a date
and she turned him down. He had a rep in the watchers of being bookish,
boring even, and she took it to heart. Hillary had no hope of ever finding
out what she turned down that day and Methos wondered what his life
would have turned out like if she would have said yes. All it took was one
twist of fate to change one's life. Finding Caspian in that forest. Meeting
up with Kronos in the market place. Staying in Paris when he knew Kalas
had found him out. Sticking around his apartment when he knew Joe told
Duncan to go see Adam about Methos and letting Duncan know that he
was the enigmatic Methos. Staying in Seacouver to research their new
museum instead of taking that trip to Guam made him go to Joe's that
night when he laid eyes on Alexa for the first time. Taking on Walker
instead of leaving Joe in a lurch. Going to Amy's wedding. Taking a nap
instead of going to work at the museum the day Elizabeth ran back after
just having an encounter with Logan and his men. Just one moment can
forge friendships, make enemies, change the direction of your life in an
instant. What would have happened if Hillary had just said yes?
He heard Brett and Morgan talking in the front seat and Duncan and Brynn
talking in the back so he looked out the side window at the outskirts of the
city to make looking at Hillary less of a chance, and her inspecting his face
an impossibility.
Hillary on the other hand, hadn't given David another thought. All she
could feel was Warren's stare in the back of her head. As her eyes
followed a landmark they drove by, she looked back to see that he was
indeed focused on her. She was silent as she allowed Warren's inspection,
expecting it. She'd watched him for years, he could watch her for a while.
Duncan hollered to the front of the van, "Brett, why all the watchers on
this?"
Morgan answered, "It's for Joe Dawson and Amy Randall. And us. James'
had three watchers killed in the past year alone. And those are only the
ones we could confirm. God knows how many others there were. I wonder
who told him about us?"
Methos said, "It wasn't me," making Hillary inspect him closer. He must
have been a watcher at one time... there was only one she could remember.
Morgan was thinking it was the immortal wife 'David' had picked up who
had spent the last year with James but didn't say anything. They can't fight
each other, they have a common enemy to get rid of.
"We want James as much as you do," Brett turned around to say.
Hillary finally tapped Methos on the shoulder to get his attention, "We did
meet before."
"Really? I'm sorry, I don't remember," he lied.
Hillary smiled, remembering that he had tried to take her out but she
turned him down. She knew he knew that, then wondered if he could he be
that petty. "You're Adam Pierson, aren't you? You were tracking
Methos."
Morgan laughed, "Adam Pierson?"
Methos was almost offended, but didn't want to give anything away. He
suddenly really didn't want to be in that van. Morgan continued, "You
spent all that time just to find out Methos didn't exist?"
At least they didn't seem to know more than what they were saying.
Methos just chuckled, shrugged. "It was a cushy assignment." Duncan
humpfed and looked at him. Methos wondered
if the watchers had made a simple string search on Adam Pierson and
found out the truth? Joe promised him it was covered, but it didn't calm
Methos. Then he remembered their goal. They weren't in Portugal just
because James had killed watchers, or had kidnaped Elizabeth... Joe and
Amy were in the hands of a lunatic and had to be found.
~~~~~
CELLAR
"Two days ago," Amy said, shaking her head. "Just two days ago I was in
the park with my husband and son like a normal wife and mother and now
I'm sitting in a dank wine cellar, God knows where."
Joe set his cane against the wall and pulled his daughter into a hug. Amy
said, "I'm glad I'm with you, Dad, but... why are we here? Who are these
people? What do they want?"
"We're being used."
"By who?"
"This has to be Cameron James."
"Who's that?"
"An immortal."
"Wonderful."
Joe looked at his daughter and smiled, "I just know David is coming to the
rescue again along with Mac. We'll be okay. We just have to hold it
together."
"But it's been so long. I'm hungry. Aren't you hungry?"
"Yeah," he admitted. Joe looked at the wall of wine bottles in the rack.
"We could get drunk..."
Amy smiled and looked over the old and dusty bottles. "Yeah, wine can be
very filling."
Joe said, "If you drink enough of it."
~~~~~
NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS
Elizabeth pointed and blurted out to the cabbie, "That's it! The green
house."
"About time, lady. But if you're paying..."
She collected Claire's stuff and said, "Don't turn off the meter! I'll be
right back out. I need to go to Lake Shore Drive, so there'll be a big tip for
you."
Elizabeth got out of the cab carrying Claire, who was wondering just what
in the world was happening. One minute she's in a nice car with Aunt
Amanda and that woman, then loud noises, Aunt Amanda's gone, then in a
plane, then in a car, now what? She had stated quite emphatically at points
that she wanted her papa, but she was going to play with glass animals
instead. Elizabeth rang the doorbell, shifted Claire on her hip, smiled at
her to ease the nervousness that was written all over that child's face. "It's
okay, sweetheart," Elizabeth told her, brushing her bangs out of her eyes.
"I want Papa."
"I know. I do too. Soon."
Grace, a hip fifty year old, answered the door. She didn't recognize Angel
at first with the scarf and glasses. Then she smiled and looked strangely at
the girl. "I'm really sorry to bother you and I'm not sure you even
remember me," Elizabeth hurriedly said. "But... I'm in a bind and you're
the only one I can trust..."
Grace looked closer at her and recognized her after she removed the scarf,
"Angel?" Then looked back at the child, not knowing that she had one.
Elizabeth was happy she remembered, now she just had to think of the
right thing to say. She didn't hear the cell phone ringing in her back pack.
~~~~~
DOURO VALLEY
Morgan parked the van in the woods a half mile from where Laredo said
the house was. As they got out of the van, Methos noted that they finally
had a cell tower. He called the apartment in Seacouver. There was no
answer. That's where Elizabeth and Amanda said they were going first, so
she could look over her things and try to remember. He called the dojo and
was sickened when he thought again of Wally's death. There wasn't an
answer. He ended the call and was about ready to throw the phone.
The others had taken everything from the van and were ready to hike.
Duncan told Methos, "I tried Amanda's cell, too. I think it answered but it
was a lousy connection. They might have gone shopping or out to dinner
or are on a plane to safety. Don't worry. There aren't anywhere near
danger."
~~~~~
NAPERVILLE
When Elizabeth got back in the cab without the kid, the cabbie turned and
asked, "Lake Shore Drive, huh?"
"880 Lake Shore Drive. Step on it."
Now that Claire was safe, she took off the disguise and fluffed her hair.
She looked at Amanda's phone. It was losing battery power. She hurriedly
went through the address book part of it and found Duncan's cell number.
The charger for the phone must be in Amanda's suitcase and it was still at
O'Hare. There was a European number listed that she memorized and then
a USA one. She couldn't remember two phone numbers, so she quickly
tried to make a word out of one of them. 206-842-8626. She noted that the
letters on the keys spelled out convictman. She laughed, then memorized
the European number. Then tried to speed dial, the phone went dead.
The cabbie looked back at her and she noticed him. "You wouldn't happen
to have a cell phone, would you?"
He shook his head.
"I'd pay you for the call." Amanda had money in her wallet.
"What do I need a cell phone for?" He motioned to the radio. "All I need is
to talk to dispatch."
Ah, to not have problems...
~~~~~
880 LAKE SHORE DRIVE
When the cab pulled to a stop at the curb, the driver turned around, hand
extended. "Snap it up, this is a no parking zone."
She pulled money out of Amanda's wallet and gave him a hefty tip along
with the fare and climbed out. As soon as Elizabeth shut the door, the cab
was on it's way. She was alone and in enemy territory, just what the hell
was she thinking? Self preservation made her want to high tail it down the
sidewalk, but she had a memory flash of sitting on a bed with a woman,
comforting her, a short haired woman. They were talking about wedding
plans. She had the thought that it could have been Amy. Elizabeth's
emotions told her that she was friendly with her.
As she took a long look at the skyscraper in front of her, she had a vision
of a smiling older man with a guitar on his knee. He was sitting awkwardly
on a stool with it, but boy could he play. Then she saw both the older man
with the person she assumed was Amy and a couple of kids with another
guy in a gym. David, Amanda, Duncan and she were practicing with
sticks. Going at it pretty good. The little boy on Amy's lap... she just knew
they were damn important to her. A man walking by bumped her and she
spun and pulled him into a headlock before he even knew he walked into
her.
She yelled, "Who are you?"
"Clifford Anderson," the man sputtered, his glasses fell off his face to the
sidewalk. He reached down to pick them up but Elizabeth yanked back on
his neck, making him scream out in pain. "What?"
"Who sent you?"
"I'm sorry I ran into you. I didn't mean it."
She released him and he grabbed his glasses and ran half way down the
sidewalk, clutching his neck. The other people walking by stared at her,
but kept their distance. Elizabeth told herself she'd have to settle down if
this was going to work. Calm down, she told herself. She didn't see any
familiar goons around, but then again, you never do.
After taking a deep breath or two, she clutched the door handle, walked in,
and wondered what was in store for her. Realizing she didn't have her key
and hadn't inspected what she looked like, she asked for a key to her place
from the desk, they gave it to her. "How have you been, Ms. Bancroft?"
"On vacation. Do I look rested?"
As soon as she got off the elevator at her floor, she felt a buzz. She
stopped to collect herself and wiped away any traces of tears or worry. It
was then that she realized why James wiped out the buzz sensation that
now came so easily to her, She felt his buzz and knew he was inside.
She'd have to be fast, if she could feel him, he could feel her. She
hurriedly put herself back into the mind set of Angel as the door was
opened by Gage.
"You were right, boss. Here she is."
She said in her clipped English accent as she nonchalantly said, "Hey,
Gage. How have you been?" She walked in.
"Just fine, Angel. How are you?"
"You didn't hear me, I gather. I shouted for you to take me."
James was sitting in her favorite chair in front of the roaring fire. He
turned. She wanted nothing more than to take his head and burn that chair.
Then she remembered that he thought she didn't feel buzzes. She's have to
act and be damn good at it. She had to find out where Amanda was. Since
immortal buzzes were almost new to her, she couldn't decipher if Amanda
was also there. Elizabeth couldn't ask where she was, or Joe and Amy, she
just had to roll with the flow. She knelt by James' leg like the trained dog
he stole and paid for. She smiled up at him, "Hi."
James just stared down at her, in the position he liked. She had balls, that
was for sure. He almost had the thought of leaving straight away for
Lisbon after getting Miss Amanda, but wondered if Angel would need
him. She did come back to him for help, didn't she? She had no where else
to go? Could he still use her? He'd have to be careful how he dealt with
her. She would definitely be useful, but only on his terms. "You're back,"
he swept his hand along her cheek. "What took you so long?"
"I had to get my thoughts together and try to understand what in the world
happened," she continued in the accent he gave her.
His hand moved to behind her neck, which creeped her out, but she would
let him do whatever he wanted. "Angel..."
"Were you able to sting Davenport?"
"Of course," he said. "I got his money, and his head."
"His head? Why?"
"When you didn't show up for your appointment with him, he was a little
more than angry." James grabbed a handful of her hair and just held onto
it, didn't pull or yank or make her feel uncomfortable. He did it just to
show her who was in control "We got into a tussle and..."
"Well, good," she smiled, interrupting, didn't need to hear the details. "I'm
glad it worked out. What's my next assignment?"
She was good, James almost started laughing. But then he wondered... she
had been under his domination and the drug for almost a year. Could just a
couple of days away from him clean her out completely? "I think it's too
early for that. I don't know if I trust you."
Gage was hovering near her bedroom door that made her think that
Amanda may be in there. At least she hoped she was somewhere, with her
head attached. "Why not?"
"They had you for quite a while. I couldn't find you. Why did you kill
Jason?" She laughed. "It's not funny." He tightened his grip on her hair.
"Yes, it is. You send Rambo to get me? He busted in and shot us all. There
was a blizzard. He froze to death in his zeal to 'rescue' me. He didn't have
a very good plan for getting us out."
"He was supposed to take your head."
She acted perturbed, like it was news to her, and actually yanked her hair
out of his fingers. "Now, why would you have told him to do that? I'm the
victim here. I was taken against my will, and you order an idiot to come
and 'kill' me? I worked like hell to get back to you and my life."
"I can't trust you, sweetheart."
"I'm the best you've ever had," she seethed. "Carlotta? She was a clod.
Why do you think a couple of days is going to make me change my
mind?"
"They may have told you things."
"Like what?"
"Like, you're his wife."
"They did. They had me confused with someone else. They're all sweet, a
little misguided, but they're nothing to me."
He closely watched her expression after making such a statement. Could
she really be telling the truth? "I think you're lying. I think you wanted to
be with them or you would have made sure you and Jason came back
safely."
"I can't control the weather, Cameron." She deliberately softened, took a
dramatic breath, looked at him, focused, like he always liked. "We have a
great thing going here. I've never been richer. I've seen parts of the world
I've never dreamed of. All because of you. You don't want to break that
up, do you?"
"I may have another to take your place."
"But, he or she, isn't me, are they?" She wondered if Amanda, Amy and
Joe were there in Chicago. They couldn't program her in an apartment.
Amanda had to be in the air on her way to someplace. She hoped it was
Portugal, where the men were off to, and hoped there wasn't an ambush
waiting for them.
When she rubbed James' crotch, the little man smiled. "I taught you well."
He leaned down and kissed her. It took her by surprise how rancid his
breath was, but she kissed him back, sucked his tongue as it entered her
mouth. He grabbed her hair and pulled her back. "You didn't bite me."
"I'm angry enough to," she smiled. "But, Gage is right over there, and
Lord knows, I don't like to upset him. Why did you write me off so
suddenly?"
"Maybe you want another shot?"
"Bullet or needle?"
He chuckled, "Injection."
"I don't need it to be obedient. I know where my bread is buttered."
"I remember a time when you would beg me for them."
"I went through withdrawals from whatever it was," she said, might as
well be honest about that so she wouldn't have to play act too much. "I
still made the choice to be here, Cameron. Me. On my own. I want to be
here."
"Who's David?"
Part of the test. She winced slightly. Part of the show for James, and also
because she missed him. "He's the man who screwed everything up so I
won't get my cut from Davenport, unless you were to give me it anyway. I
did try. I would have done my part and I would have done it correctly."
"No such luck, sweetheart."
"David," she spouted his name. "Took me from you. He insisted I was
someone else, his wife." He was her husband, she knew it. Against her
better judgement, she teared up. She angrily wiped away the tears and said,
"He's sweet, but I don't need sweet. I need to be with you."
"I can be sweet."
She smiled, "Since when?" He liked that she knew him so well, but then...
didn't. He trained her so well, he really couldn't tell what was the truth
from her anymore. "I know what I have with you, Cameron. You make
things happen. You showed me so much. Taught me so much. I need it.
The thrill of the swindle, the glee of spending money. This place. I never
felt so much power before being with you. You're my teacher. I can't
forget that."
"Oh, how I'd love to believe you, Angel."
"Just keep saying my name." As soon as she said that, she remembered
David after their session at the cabin. That he had plead for her to know
him, to know his name. She was sorry she said it to James, who didn't
deserve to know anything about her real life, the one she needed to get
back to.
"Where's MacLeod?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"They were concerned; you took another one of their friends. I suppose
they went after you. They didn't exactly keep me in the loop." She smiled
to ease the tension from the lie she just told. "You do live an interesting
life, Mr. James. Why do you insist on making so many enemies?"
"Starting with you?"
"I'm not your enemy," she convincingly, lied. "I only want what's best for
you. Because what's best for you is best for me."
"No. I think you care more than you're letting on. And, I'm sorry Angel,
but I don't trust you yet." He looked at Gage, made a motion with his hand
as if he was pushing the plunger of a needle. He nodded and took a syringe
out of his pocket, handed it to James.
Elizabeth said, "Come on. That only makes me groggy."
"It's out of your system. You need it to make you behave."
"Behave? I'll be whatever you want me to be..." Gage stuck the needle in
her butt when she wasn't looking. When he pushed down on the plunger,
she shook and cowered. It hurt like hell for the foreign liquid to mix with
her own pure blood supply. She fell to the floor, convulsing. Remembering
when she received the first injection. She recited to herself, Elizabeth, your
name is Elizabeth, don't forget that. David... Joe, Amy, Amanda.
Remember. David, Elizabeth, Joe, Amy Amanda. Her mind was going, but
still she kept on thinking, David Elizabeth Claire! Joe Amy David
Elizabeth Claire Joe David Elizabeth Claire David... David...
~~~~~
DOURO VALLEY
The immortals and watchers arrived at the edge of James' property and
Duncan looked through binoculars as a truck arrived at the gate. Morgan
asked, "Who's that?"
The truck was allowed on the property and when it got to the basement
entrance of the house, the garage door opened and two men came out with
machine guns on their shoulders. The truck went in and the garage door
closed.
Morgan asked again, "What is that?"
Methos said, "Whoever it is, he or she is immortal."
~~~~~
Elizabeth stood in a vast, luscious field looking at daisies. A whole field of
them as far as her eye could see. Daisies were her favorite flower. So
cheerful. So vibrant. She could hear Cameron James' voice asking her,
"What's your favorite flower?" and she replied, "Daisies." Then she heard
him ask, "Where were you born?" and she answered, "Northumberland,
England."
That seemed so right, but suddenly, it was confusing. Her kidnaper had
told her she was "American through and through." Who was telling the
truth. She panicked, once again feeling alone. There was a house ahead of
her. Her kidnapper, who was that? Turn around, Elizabeth, she ordered to
herself. You are Elizabeth. Turn around. Don't look at that house. She
couldn't help it, but she did. There was a man standing at the door. Tall,
lean, chiseled face. God, that neck! David!
Elizabeth woke up, in the bedroom on the plane. Elizabeth sat up on the
bed, woozy. She felt a buzz, knew she was on James' private plane. She
had spent many hours on it going to the next exotic place for their next
take. At least she wasn't tied up. There were bugs, a security camera in the
room, so she couldn't give anything away.
Gage came in and stuck her with another needle, surprised her. She asked
"Why?" Before she fell, in pain. The manufactured memories crackled
from the headphones as Gage placed them back on her head. She had to
talk over them, tune it out. 'Remember their names'. If you remember'
anything, remember David, Claire, David.
~~~~~
DOURO VALLEY
Outside the perimeter, Duncan tried to call Amanda again. There was no
answer. "They may be on a plane," Duncan said for himself as much as for
Methos.
"They'll be in touch," Brynn told them both to try to relax them. If their
minds were on people on another continent, their minds weren't on the job
at hand.
~~~~~
CELLAR
Amy was drunk. She laughed at her father as he let the last drop from the
bottle fall onto his tongue as he tipped it above his mouth. "I'm not hungry
anymore."
Joe set the empty bottle with the top broken off on the table. "Three down.
Shall we have another?"
"Yes, I do believe we should." She walked to the selection on the rack. "If
only to ruin his collection. Which one this time?"
"The older the better," Joe advised her.
Amy squealed as she zeroed in on one particularly dusty bottle. "1679,
Dad." They both laughed. It had to be worth a fortune. Amy lifted the
bottle off the rack and dusted it off. It was a red. "Is it still good?"
"Well, what a way to go."
"Let me see if I have your agility." She held the bottle on the bottom and
hit the top on the rack. It bottle broke just under the cork and wine flooded
out, onto the rack and her foot. The break was a little jagged, but she
carefully broke off the pieces to smooth it out. "Would you like the
honors, Dad?"
"I've lived long enough." When she looked at him, not appreciating the
joke at all, he laughed and held his hand out for the bottle. She handed the
half filled bottle of red wine out to him and he carefully took a sip.
He sat back and savored the liquid as it filled his mouth and slid down his
throat. "Ah," he smiled. "It's a little bitter." Amy looked at him, his eyes.
When he didn't show a reaction after a minute, he gave her the bottle.
"Nice aftertaste. Of what little I can still taste. Here."
She lifted the bottle to her lips and wine slushed out, onto her cheek. She
pulled the bottle away and wiped her chin, tasted the wine that made it to
her mouth. She spit it out. "I prefer white."
"I see I have to teach you the finer points of wine tasting, honey."
~~~~~
LISBON AIRPORT
When the private plane landed and Cameron James emerged, Louis
hurried to him and said, "Sir, we have company outside the house."
"That's what I was hoping, Louis. Where's Miss Amanda?"
"She arrived a couple of hours ago. She's going through the training."
"Good," he muttered as he walked on past.
Louis fell into step with him. "Sir, I don't think you realize what I said.
Duncan MacLeod and maybe David Sommers are hovering outside the
property."
"Don't let them know we know just yet. Let them think they're sneaky.
We'll get them in good time. I need to make sure Angel isn't just dicking
with me. A major test will be when she takes their heads." He stopped.
Louis walked past, then backed up to him. James was looking at the
ceiling, deep in a pleasant memory. "She was something. I do so love
having an immortal working for me. One who's obedient. I would like to
have her back. She was a good little thief. Made me a lot of profit. Men
were so susceptible in her presence. Then, with Miss Amanda added to the
mix, my, my, my... the takes we'll be able to make."
"Just so you aren't taken, Sir."
He laughed. "Diverting that possibility is what I pay you for."
"What about the man and his daughter?"
"They'll still come in handy." James stopped and thought for a moment.
He wasn't the ballsy sort when his head may be on the line. The thought
that MacLeod could be hunting him wasn't comforting. He thought for a
moment. "You know what? I believe we should pack up and go to my new
estate in Paris. Let the 'heroes' stake out Terra Miata."
"What about Montrose?"
"How is she progressing?"
"Quite nicely by the sound of it."
"Pack her up and take her to Paris. Along with the watcher and his
daughter." James walked on. Then, as an afterthought, said, "Kill anyone
who's hovering in the area."
Louis wondered when he'd get to the point of ordering an execution,
which was his thought all along. It took Cameron James a minute to weigh
all the possibilities, but he always made the right choice when he needed
to. "Yes, sir."
~~~~~
Morgan was getting agitated as they waited outside the mansion. "Are we
just going to stake out the house forever?"
"We don't know if James is inside," Brett said. "He's the focus here. We
can't go in there with half-baked information if Cameron James isn't even
in the country!"
Methos was still covertly keeping away from Hillary, who was still
bemused that he would ignore her just because she had turned him down.
Men... Brynn was watching them both, almost enjoying the ways David
tried to ignore Hillary. She wondered about all that man had to hide.
Hillary noticed her attention and asked, "Did you date him too?"
"No." Brynn was going to add that they'd only stolen together and had a
beer a couple of years later, but Warren and Duncan came back after
checking the property from all sides.
"We'll go at night fall," Warren told them. Duncan smiled when he
remembered Warren's combat skills.
"Is James at home?"
"If he isn't, we'll still take care of a major portion of his army and get him
next time."
Brett was adamant. "We can't just take over that house when James isn't
there! I'm not sanctioning murder, just justice."
Methos remembered the immortal in the truck. Was James in that truck?
Why would he be in the truck? He had the fleeting thought that James
could have gotten to Elizabeth and Claire and she was the immortal they
felt. He called on the cell. Again, no answer on Amanda's phone.
He was going to mention his thoughts to Duncan when they heard a
rustling on the property. They all stopped. Shots were fired from the
property into the woods where they were camped. Duncan was the first
one shot and he was dead before gravity took over and he fell to the
ground. Morgan rolled back and into the trees. Methos fell on top of Brett
to shield him from the shots, taking a bullet right in the back. Warren
grabbed Brynn before she could get to Hillary and all fell with a thud.
Methos looked over and saw Hillary's cold, still eyes glare at him. He
reached over and closed her eyes and then he died.
Brett waited until the shooting stopped until he moved David off him and
sat up. The carnage was sickening. They were all dead, except for him. He
looked over at the property and saw a caravan of trucks leaving in a hurry.
There was heavy footsteps among the trees behind him. Brett screamed in
terror, waiting for another shot to get him. Morgan leaned over to calm
him, "They'll hear you."
"Morgan! Thank God. Look at this," Brett motioned at the bullet riddled
corpses that covered the camp.
"Sons of bitches!" Morgan knelt by Hillary and touched her cheek. "Sons
of bitches!"
Brett couldn't look at the condition of her body or the others, even though
he knew four of them would revive. Morgan whimpered, "I tried to tell
Hillary she shouldn't come. She only argued with me. Sure, I admit it, I'm
a chauvinist! But if she had listened to me she'd still be alive!"
Brett worried about what Morgan would think when David revived. He
promised he'd keep his secret and secret pacts were important to him.
Brett was going to try to get Morgan out of the area before he could see it,
but Methos revived before he could get a word out. Then the others.
"Shit," Morgan moaned as he sat on the ground. "It amazes, every single
time."
Warren demanded, "What the hell happened!"
Brett said, "James obviously found out we're here."
Morgan mused, "Adam Pierson, Immortal. Isn't that interesting."
Methos shifted his blood soaked shirt and said, "David."
They all tensed when they heard more rustling in the weeds. Morgan lifted
his Uzi and was
going to shoot, but saw Robert Laredo and lowered it again. "Where the
hell have you been?"
"I saw the car coming so I was closer to the house. Then all hell broke out
here. What happened?"
"They ambushed us."
Robert and his assignment, Duncan MacLeod looked each other over.
Robert had been extremely careful around the Highlander the Watchers
made sure that Duncan wouldn't know who his watcher was after Joe.
"Who are you," Duncan asked him.
"I'm Robert Laredo," he said, stepping back out of instinct.
Duncan nodded, he had finally met his watcher. "I'm glad you're okay."
He looked down at Methos and Brynn trying to get Morgan away from
Hillary's body. When Brett saw that Morgan was devastated, he knew for
the first time that they had been lovers and neither one had let anyone
know it.
~~~~~
APRIL 24, 2004
PARIS
Amanda and Elizabeth were both unconscious as they were wheeled into
James' estate outside of Paris on stretchers, IV's of the yellow liquid
dripping into their arms. They both had headphones on, listening to
whatever James dictated.
Elizabeth was still under having had four shots in a row. As soon as she'd
come to, they'd shoot her up again, they finally hooked her up to an IV.
She was coherent enough to know that she had to fight what was being
said to her, that she had to remember her own memories. Her visions were
becoming more confused. She tried her best to block out James' voice and
what he had to say and thought to herself about what she knew. James'
voice was too overwhelming. The tape looped over and over that there was
an immortal after her. A female immortal, who would kill her if she laid
eyes on her. Elizabeth didn't want to listen, but it was getting tougher and
tougher since she couldn't move a muscle having been given another
injection of muscle relaxants for the trip. There was a name she was
supposed to remember. James' voice on tape kept calling her 'Angel'. Yes,
that's it. Angel is after me... no, I'm Angel... No. I'm not... I'm someone
else. Who was I supposed to be?
She remembered a blue faced man who leaned close and sniffed her, then
took out a dagger and slit her open. She screamed internally, but didn't
make a sound that James' man sitting next to her bed could hear. She
didn't move, didn't even flicker an eyelash even though she was chilled to
the bone. Calm down, Angel,> she told herself. Demanded of herself.
Elizabeth realized she was being put through her training again. The name
Hotohke came into her mind.
The voice on the headphones instructed, whenever she felt lonely, or
scared, go through the large oak door of the house. Elizabeth told herself
not to listen, knowing it would be another step to forgetting herself and
bending to James' bidding. Against her will, she walked into the brick
house. When she turned to get out, the door slammed shut behind her,
locking her in. The foyer was paneled with rich, dark wood. Very
masculine. James' territory. The room and being surrounded by Cameron's
things had been comforting for her before, but this time was different. This
time, she felt like snakes were slithering inside her skin.
Then James appeared at her side. Against her will, in her mind, she took
the sword out of her coat and handed it to James. He kissed her on the
cheek. Elizabeth told herself.
"Who was it?> She smiled at James in thanks for the kiss and walked into
the drawing room. Then she saw the Michelangelo statue of David.
For an instant, she was elated, but came crushing
back to earth.
Amanda's visions were filled with manufactured images of her mission.
She was to kill a woman. A woman named Angel. There was a field of roses, deep red roses. There was a
large brick house before her. She told herself, In her dream, she turned to see a cemetery.
Both of the women awoke. They first stirred, then sat up, then saw each
other sitting upright on their tables. Each of the women's heads had been
at each other's feet. As if looking in a mirror, they copied each other's
motions to a tee. They took off the headphones. They looked at each other
and neither made a connection as to who the other was. Amanda, under the
guise of Gabrielle, said, "You're the one I'm supposed to kill."
When she talked, Elizabeth knew her as Amanda, the woman who was
kidnaped when she couldn't prevent it. The first impulse for Elizabeth was
relief, that she could figure out a fact through the haze in her mind, but
then she was afraid they were being watched. She pretended for anyone
who might be listening, "Interesting... I have the same impulse about you. I
don't like competition."
They stared at each other, each happy there weren't swords in the room.
Elizabeth had never seen that look in Amanda's eyes, then she realized she
knew this woman for far longer than just the last week since she was
kidnaped. James walked in and it took a while for them to react to his
presence, Amanda never did, Elizabeth controlled her nervousness to
make him think she hadn't. She got a chill when she realized that Amanda
was concentrated on her, and more importantly, on her neck.
~~~~~
LISBON AIRPORT
Morgan was on the phone with Watcher Headquarters who told them that
a private plane registered to Cameron James had landed in Paris. They
have two women along with Joe and Amy. "Why didn't you stop it?"
Morgan yelled.
"We couldn't send out more reinforcements," the Bureau Chief shouted
back. Then he silenced his voice to a whisper, "This is supposed to be
covert. I can't let more of us in on it. I'm sorry. Just kill that bastard and
get out alive!"
When Morgan relayed the message, Duncan was furious. "Two women?!
James has Elizabeth and Amanda?" Duncan vehemently yelled at Methos,
"She made sure to fuck you good before going back to James so you'd be
her little lap dog!"
Methos let his impulse take over his better nature and punched him,
knocking Duncan on his ass. Duncan yelled, "What about your kid? Where
is she? How did he get Amanda!"
When Methos impulsively took his Ivanhoe out of his coat after Duncan
had verbalized the exact thing he was thinking, it took both Warren and
Morgan to hold him back. "Go ahead! Come at me!" Duncan screamed. "If
Amanda is taken, I'm coming after Liz personally!"
Brynn calmly said, "Gentlemen, we have more pressing matters at hand.
One trauma at a time."
~~~~~
PARIS
James placated the two women as they glared at each other. Amanda
wanting to take Angel's head just because it was suggested to her and
Elizabeth acting as she needed to in order to make James think what he
was doing with the serum was working. When he introduced Angel to
Gabrielle, he said, "Girls, try to be friends. I could use you both."
James wanted to test just how far under Amanda was. He moved close to
her. Gabrielle looked up at him as if he was God himself. He told her,
"Gabrielle..." He handed her a dagger. "Stab yourself in the chest."
She did without question or hesitation. James looked at Angel's reaction.
Elizabeth inwardly cringed, remembering that was part of the ritual she
herself had undergone. Outwardly, she put on a smile, "Good, she's out of
the way. But not all the way... can I take her head now?"
"You know she's immortal?"
"She told me."
"No, she didn't."
Damn! She had to think fast, and said, "Yes, she did. I can tell just by
looking at the eyes. She did nothing but look at my neck and imagine how
she wants to sever it."
She was too quick if she was lying, too smug. James didn't like it at all.
She may have wanted to come back to him but she was different. "Do you
remember Tony Willis?" He asked, so calmly, just to put her in her place.
Elizabeth's eyes flared before she could control it. She felt like breaking
down and taking the nearest sharp implement and shove it through his
jugular. How dare he bring Tony up! James had so many reasons to die by
her hand, but Joe and Amy were somewhere in his control and she had to
help get them freed. James saw her reaction to Tony's name, smiled,
pleased with himself. "I see you do. That's okay. It's finished business. Do
you remember Walter Graves?"
If it was possible for Elizabeth's eyes to fall out of her sockets from
surprise alone, they would have. "That's okay, Angel. All you have to do
is give me what he gave you." He roughly pulled her hair and kept her
head near his. "I don't like it when my employees take on the side. When
they're sloppy, anyway." He pushed her onto the floor. "Graves called for
the 'favor' I was to give him in exchange for the 'loan' he gave you. What
did you do for him? Sleep with him?" He smiled, "That's okay. Give me
the money and you're in good favor again."
He saw that she was still sitting on the floor in a daze that her little side
line plan had been seen through. "Stand up!" When she finally did, he
handed her the cordless phone from the desk.
She hesitated taking it and asked, "Just transfer the money and all is well?"
He nodded. She asked, "Why don't I believe that?"
"You don't have much choice."
"It wasn't much money," she tried to play down what she had done, and
what he knew about. Did he know about everything else?
He only smiled. That was sloppy of her. She took a deep breath and
realized that she had just admitted taking it. She'd have to do better if she
wasn't going to get herself killed. "Can I have a Chicago phone book? I
don't know the number off the top of my head."
He produced her personal data recorder that he obviously stole from her
apartment. She thanked him sweetly, wanted to slam it across his head.
That was her money, she deserved every penny of it.
Amanda revived. As soon as she figured out where she was, she bolted to
her feet, glaring at who she knew as Angel, the enemy. While James was
busy cajoling Gabrielle not to take Angel's head at that moment, Elizabeth
had work to do. She tried to remember what she had forgotten. She opened
the address book.
James had his work cut out for him calming his Gabrielle and for the
moment, his mind was focused elsewhere.
she tried to remember as she looked at the numbers in her
data recorder. Gage was looking at her. God, she hated that monster. He
was going to be number two on her list of who was going to die a long,
slow, horrible death when she was sure Joe and Amy were safe. Then she
warmed when their names became more than just names to her. She saw
their faces. She heard their voices. She knew them. She turned back to the
numbers. She looked at James and let out a laugh.
that's what it was. James looked at her like she'd lost her
mind. Elizabeth asked, "Are you sure I have to do this?"
She really wasn't listening when he told her that yes, she did. Her mind
was back on the man who she saw in her visions, both blue-faced and flesh
colored. What a dichotomy of a person. That came out
of thin air. He asked her for
his real name which she thought was Adam.
With the flood of information that came back into her mind, she wanted to
dance on the ceiling, but James was looking at her. She wondered if David
even knew she was there. David and Duncan were going to Terra Miata.
She didn't know where she was, but knew she wasn't at the Douro Valley
estate.
"Any day, Angel," James goaded her to hurry up.
"You know how I hate to give up money," she said, that made him laugh.
"Where are we?"
"What does that matter?"
"Is it an overseas call?"
"Yes."
"Thanks for narrowing it down," Elizabeth knew that it was normal for
Angel to be upset so she let her frustrations fly, "You drug me, take me
somewhere... you know... I could consider this kidnaping."
"We're in Paris," Cameron James said as he forced the phone into her
hand.
"All right..." she dialed the international operator and when she was asked
to dial in the number to be reached, she hoped that Duncan's cell was
charged, and he wasn't in a tunnel, and that James wouldn't be able to see
the numbers dialed. By the time his phone bill came, he'd be dead.
Hopefully. The tower roamed to another tower, it took a long time for the
call to be completed, but then it rang.
~~~~~
ORLY AIRPORT
The men just got off the plane when Methos grabbed Duncan's cell from
his pocket and turned it on now that they were off the plane. Duncan said,
"I don't think Amanda's near her phone."
"Liz may be."
"But where is she with it?"
Brynn said, "Don't start!"
Duncan's cell rang, surprising Methos who held it in his hand. Duncan
grabbed it. "MacLeod..."
Elizabeth cleared her throat and said, "This is Angel Bancroft." Elizabeth
saw Amanda move toward her. Elizabeth acted surprise. "Are you going to
have me take her head now? I don't like to have competition, even though
I know you live for it, Cameron."
Duncan could hear it and asked, "Liz?"
Methos' ears perked up, he took the phone, listened. He heard James say,
"Angel, you two are..." The words drowned out.
James had pulled the phone away from her head so a snoop at the bank
couldn't listen in. "Going to work together. I've already started work on
her programming. I won't have her kill you if you take care of this. Now."
Methos incredulously asked, "Angel?"
When James stepped back, Elizabeth put the phone back to her ear.
"Sorry," she said. "Just to make sure," she said in her proper British
accent, "Is this is the Decatur Bank on Michigan in Chicago?" She waited.
Methos said, "What? Liz? Where are you? Where's Claire! How did you
get back with James?!"
She cut him off, fearing some little piss ant was listening in, "I need to
make a transfer. Write down this number." Methos grabbed a pen from
Brett's shirt pocket. She flipped to the data in the recorder. "My account
number is ZPT46-90087. Got it?" She repeated it as she scowled at James.
He laughed, knowing how much she hated to part with money.
Methos as he wrote on his hand, said, "Yes. What is this about?" She was
talking in a fake accent again. She was supposed to be with Amanda. Who
was the head she wanted to take? A woman's...
"Transfer the entire balance to..." James held up a piece of paper. She read
it off, "RNTO3947650. Mexico National Bank, the Caymans." She
repeated the number, Methos wrote it down on his hand.
Methos said, "Where are you?!"
David's voice flowed through her, filling her with the life she had. She
could do this, she could find Joe and Amy and help Amanda! She just
knew she could. "If you look up my account, you'll see that I can make
phone transfers. Please have this done as soon as possible."
Methos argued, wanted answers. Was scared she'd lost her mind again.
She said, "If there are any questions... my regular bank officer's name is
Matthew Benjamin. Speak to him about this. My code to transfer over the
phone is QH96943. Thank you."
She hoped he would do what he needed to and save her ass, but more
importantly, that he'd know she still remembered him, and hopefully
figure out that not only she, but also Amanda was there. She hung up and
told James, "All done. Do you forgive me?" She looked at him guiltily,
sorry she stole the money. While she waited for James' reaction, she was
still hoping that David got that she knew him, remembered a little more
and that he would transfer the money. She was sure James would check on
the transfer in no time.
Duncan and Methos were wacked out by the call. Duncan looked at the
numbers Methos hurriedly wrote. "What's the numbers for?"
Methos said, "He has her again. See? She's not living in luxury! She was
kidnaped again! How did that happen?"
Warren calmed him down. "She's alive. What are the numbers for?"
"She wants me to transfer money."
Duncan suggested, "Don't you think we should do it then?"
James took the phone from Elizabeth. "It's not that I don't trust you,
Angel. But... I don't trust you."
He pushed the redial button. It took a while to find the tower and he
understood as it was an overseas call. Duncan's phone rang again and he
was going to answer it. "No!" Methos grabbed the phone from him.
Cleared his voice and using an American accent said, "Decatur Bank, this
is ... Todd..." he put a smile in his voice when he added, "How may I help
you?"
James hung up and smiled at his Angel. She had done what she was
supposed to. When she saw his smile, she knew that David had gotten the
gist and covered her butt. Now, if only he follows through and transfers
the money or she'll have hell to pay when James finds out it wasn't done.
Methos hung up, smiling. Warren, Brynn and Duncan looked at him
bemused. Duncan asked, "Todd?"
Methos shrugged, smiled broadly, "She called me Matthew Benjamin."
"Who's that?"
"Me! We have to transfer some money." He handed the phone to Brynn,
"Pretend you're her. But, I need the number for Decatur Bank on Michigan
in Chicago."
Morgan said he could get it and got on his cell. Duncan stopped, "You said
she was talking about a woman she wanted to take? Amanda?"
"They're both here!"
Brynn said, "Well, that makes it convenient. Unless Elizabeth isn't on our
side."
"She remembered! She called! She didn't have to, but she did!" Methos
was walking on air as he waited for Watchers to give the number to
Morgan over the phone. Then he had a terrible thought. A thought that
chilled him to his core. "Where's Claire!"
~~~~~
PARIS
Elizabeth started yelling as soon as he hung up the phone. Like she did
when she was really fit to be tied. It would only make James laugh. She
accused him of never trusting her again, he has a new one. "I can take
myself elsewhere and work on my own."
"You'll never get out the front gate," he rightfully told her. He liked her
spunk, but not talk about leaving him. He decided to test her to see if she
was telling him the full truth. During the test, she passed and also got mad.
James was in heaven. Angel always got mad when he went too far. After
the session, he had her injected with the fluid again. He was happy he had
them both. He had a new score to make with them. While Elizabeth was
out, he wondered if she'd lost her aim. She was shot by that nincompoop,
Jason. How did she let that happen? He thought it would be poetic justice
that Jason would bring her back to him, but didn't for a moment think that
Jason would screw it up. He had three good people. Gage to kill, Angel to
steal, and Jason to do everything else, above all, follow orders to the tee.
Now he'd have to rely on Louis who wasn't blessed with a brain.
Gage injected her again while Louis injected Amanda. The headphones
were put back on, just to be on the safe side. In her mind, she repeated as
the shot mixed with her blood supply, She didn't know where that came from, but it seemed
so right. Methos... the myth, the legend that... did James tell her about
Methos or did she know him personally? She fell asleep wondering.
~~~~~
APRIL 25, 2004
OUTSIDE JAMES' MANSION
When they arrived, Brett had a floor plan of James' house that he got from
Records at the Court. There were four stories to the mansion and it also
had a turret at the top that would be perfect for a watchman. They studied
the plans and plotted out what they would do, considering where Joe and
Amy could be held and what to do if they came across Elizabeth or
Amanda. Brett didn't understand the logic with regard to the women,
"They're to be rescued, not feared."
Duncan said, "They've been under James' influence for days. Liz shot us
as soon as she saw us the last time."
That got Morgan, Brynn and Warren's attention. "She did what?"
"She didn't know it was us," Methos said to placate them.
"Does she now?" Morgan had already lost his lover, he wasn't ready to
lose his own life for someone who would shoot first and ask questions
later.
"Of course she does," Methos argued. "She didn't have to call us. It was a
warning call. Telling us that James has her and she let us hear Amanda's
voice."
"So where's Claire," Duncan asked him. For that, Methos had no answer.
Duncan told them, "Just keep an eye out. You never know."
~~~~~
To top off a day of tests to see if Cameron could trust Angel, James had
the audacity to give her a gun. There wasn't anyone else in the target
practice room but Elizabeth wondered what on earth he could be thinking!
Elizabeth gripped the Biretta in her hand and wondered if shooting the son
of a bitch in the face and searching up and down for Amanda and Joe and
Amy... it would be too much and Gage would take her head before James
could revive. But, a girl can fantasize...
Elizabeth aimed and fired at the bull's-eye target, emptying the cartridge.
The holes were centered around the middle, only a few shots were a couple
of inches away from the bulls eye. She blew on the end of the barrel like in
a western and talked about what a crack shot she was. Elizabeth was told
that Amanda was still in 'therapy' in the room upstairs when she asked
about her. James wondered why she wanted to know.
"So I can kill her," Elizabeth said for his benefit, and to try and find out
what he had planned for them as she hadn't seen Amanda all day. James
laughed. "You don't need her."
"She's in the room upstairs, right across from yours. I do like fireworks,"
James mused. "May the best woman win," he said as he took the gun from
Elizabeth's hand.
After James escorted her to Angel's room, she saw the closed door down
the hall that she knew Amanda was in, having felt her buzz. She asked
James, "Is my door good and locked?"
"It will be, sweetheart," James cooed as he kissed her. "And I do hope you
come out the victor."
Victor... that made her memory come alive again. Sweet, kind Victor.
Elizabeth pondered that name while she was lead into her bedroom.
Elizabeth was given another shot and put to bed by James, who wanted to
lay with her. She let him, snuggled with him. Dreamed of horses, someone
named Pyrius, and a guy named Methos.
~~~~~
After hearing the target practice, Joe and Amy became as frightened as
they had been when they were first transferred from Lisbon to Paris. The
shooting was followed by complete silence and no one had come to bother
them since. Amy looked down at Joe who was asleep on the couch, he still
had bruises from when James' goons came to move them. The found out
they drank four bottles of Mr. James' wine and turned on them. Amy had
tended the wounds as best she could but Joe may have broken ribs. They
had to get out of there as soon as possible.
~~~~~
After giving Angel another injection and making sure she was asleep,
James got out of her bed and clamped handcuffs on one wrist and hooked
the other end to the bedframe. While she pretended to sleep she realized
that the injections were starting to make her feel good and that his buzz
wasn't as vibrant as it had been. She couldn't go backward and allow the
injection to take over her mind again. When he got out of the room,
Elizabeth sat up only to discover that she was cuffed to the bed. She had to
get through the house to look for Joe and Amy. She already knew where
Amanda was. Damn! She couldn't even find a toothpick in the night stand
to pick the lock.
~~~~~
All Gabrielle could think about was getting control of her legs again and
wiping out that bitch who betrayed Cameron James, Angel Bancroft.
James' tapes and the injections had worked wonders on her mind. James
climbed into her bed, calmed her down. "You will take her, my Gabrielle.
Just be patient. She needs to do something for me first."
~~~~~
Warren crawled through a window well and went straight to the circuit
breakers where Brett's schematics said it would be. He threw a wrench at
them, sparks flew out of all the lights. Darkness blanketed the basement
and he imagined the entire house. He heard doors bursting open and the
beginnings of the gun fight upstairs and ran to the stairs to join them.
Brynn, Morgan, Methos, Duncan and Brett entered the house from various
sides with guns and swords, killing all mortals while searching for Joe and
Amy, Elizabeth and Amanda. Warren appeared at the doorway from the
basement and a gun blast flash blinded him. He stepped back and a body
fell at his feet. A body that held a revolver in its dead hand. Warren looked
up to see Brynn emerge from the dark. "I owe you one," he sighed in
thanks.
"You owe me more than that, hon," Brynn said and together they ventured
down the hallway.
~~~~~
James was in bed with Amanda when the lights went out. She was
frightened when he pushed her into a closet and took a sword. He ran out
to the hallway in time to see two of his men running past. Gun shots were
heard from below and James yelled, "What the hell is going on?!"
"We're under siege, sir," Louis yelled. "Get back into a bedroom. We'll
handle it." He ran down the hall and down the stairs. James followed him
down the stairs and a little ways down the hall, then was stopped by a
vision he didn't want to see. At the end of the hall stood Duncan
MacLeod, holding two things. One was his katana, the other was an Uzi.
James panicked and stepped back into the shadows, but Duncan knew
where he was. "Come out, come out, Mr. James," Duncan called to him.
There was a commotion to Duncan's left but he couldn't see what it was.
A gun went off. Duncan fell back against the wall. A body slipped to the
floor at the other end of the hallway and Duncan could see Brett standing
there with a smoking pistol in his shaking hand. He knew that he would
have to shoot people and he shot that one to save Duncan, but it wasn't
sitting right with him and he crumbled against the wall.
James looked from Duncan to Brett and called for a man to help him. He
saw a man run up the back stairs and hollered, "Kill them both!" Duncan
heard and slipped down the other staircase before the goon appeared in a
hail of machine gun fire. As he was heading through a hallway directly
under the one James disappeared down while upstairs, he hoped Brett was
fast on his feet. More shots went off upstairs and he hoped it was Brett
doing the firing.
~~~~~
Methos ran up the stairs and stepped over the dead man at the top. He
shone his flashlight down the hall and didn't see any movement, but he did
feel a buzz. He ran down the hall, then slowed to a walk as the buzz grew
stronger.
~~~~~
Amanda came out of the closet she was shoved into by James carrying a
sword. All this had to be Angel's fault and Gabrielle knew that soon she
would be history. She just had to find her first.
~~~~~
The watchers and Warren were busying themselves between the armed
men trying to protect their turf and trying to find Joe and Amy. Brett ran
down the hall and was shot at by Warren, making him cry out in surprise.
He held his arm to his body and cried out, "It's me!"
Morgan told them again, "Watch what you shoot before you shoot."
Warren muttered, "Shit!," and went to him. "Are you okay?"
Brett nodded, more in shock than pain as the shot was just a scrape. He
confided, "I don't know if I can do this anymore."
Warren told him to just stay out of the way then, or better yet, go back to
their van. "I thought watchers were supposed to be great shots with a gun
and that they didn't mind taking out the enemy."
"Who told you that?"
A man was heard behind Warren and he and Brett ducked down, but not
before Brett took his own shot as the gunman took his. The bullet holes
pounded the wall above their head, but they weren't hit. Warren looked at
Brett, then at the dead guy who had just fired. "Good shot," he admitted.
"I do know how to shoot. I just don't enjoy it," Brett croaked, thinking that
he'd like to throw up as soon as possible.
~~~~~
Duncan ran down another hall he thought he saw James take off down. At
the end of the hall was an outside door and Duncan paused to see if there
would be a trap for him. Hearing nothing he jerked open the door with his
gun posed to fire, nothing happened. He walked out into James' garden
and saw, in the moonlight, James' head as he ran away. He ran after him.
~~~~~
Elizabeth had gotten scared when the lights went out and from the
shooting, and was trying to get herself free from the damn handcuffs. Her
wrist was raw as she used her foot against the bed to break the piece of
wood holding her. Then she sensed a buzz that made her turn toward the
open door wondering what James was planning. Or it could be Amanda.
She saw a shadow cross the hall in front of her door. The way the man
moved, there was no doubt, she hollered, "David!"
Methos ran back down the hall and into the room. He moaned with relief
and grabbed her into a hug; they fell onto the bed because she was attached
to it. Methos drew his Ivanhoe and with one precise stroke sliced through
the chain, she was freed. They jumped off the bed and held onto each
other, spinning around the room, laughing. They were completely unaware
of the immortal buzz as someone entered the room, they were lost in each
other. As Elizabeth looked into his eyes in the dark and kissed him, it all
came back. She said, "I won. It didn't take."
"Where's Claire?"
"She's safe. I promise," She told him, "I promise. I didn't know what to do
with her when Amanda was taken, but she's safe."
"How was Amanda taken?" There was the frightening sound of a swish as
Methos repeated, "Where is Claire?!" Even in the dimness, he saw her
eyes bulge. "Liz?"
Shots could be heard downstairs. Methos' felt wet on his arms around
Elizabeth's back. Her head buckled, slipped down in his arms. "Liz!?" He
held onto her dead weight as she slipped down his body. In the dark, he
saw Amanda with a sword. He rolled Elizabeth to the floor, she had been
slashed across her upper back. It was a good thing it was dark and
Amanda's aim was off because she only missed her neck by inches.
Methos ducked as Amanda swung again. He held out Ivanhoe in a
defensive posture just as Amanda swung again. He let a few more swings
come at him, expertly defended against them, then tried to disarm her.
Amanda stepped on Elizabeth, breaking her rib. Methos kicked Amanda in
the stomach, making her fly across the room. With his foot, eyes trained
on Amanda in the dark, he pushed Elizabeth toward the wall so she'd be
out of the way. Amanda thrust again. He held onto the hilt of her sword
and elbowed her across the head.
~~~~~
Joe and Amy were cowered in the corner of the stone room in the
basement. They were both scared by the gun fire, but knew it might be a
good thing. The door flew open to reveal the mean one, Gage, the one who
had beaten Joe earlier. "If they want the prize so much,"he sneered,
"imagine their surprise..." He gleefully shot into the room. Amy threw her
father behind the couch and landed on top of him.
Gage peered through the smoke in the room for any movement, ready to
take it out. He heard Louis holler at him, "MacLeod and James are out in
the garden! Come on!" He didn't see anyone alive so, satisfied, he moved
on.
~~~~~
Duncan and James were in the midst of an immortal fight. Duncan was
definitely winning as James kept moving backward and defending as best
he could. Gage and Louis arrived and shot at Duncan who jumped behind
some shrubs. When the shooting stopped, he ran up to James and grabbed
him, using him as a shield.
"Don't shoot!" James commanded his men.
~~~~~
Amanda kicked Methos in the stomach, jumped on the bed to be above
him and slashed her sword out to connect with his head. He pushed open
the drape a bit to let in moonlight and continued to fight her, talk to her, he
couldn't believe that she had been so thoroughly brainwashed in so little
time. Amanda had to be in there somewhere. She bristled every time he
said her true name, Amanda, and would spout that her name was
Gabrielle! She slashed him a few times. Methos had enough. He expertly
kicked her away and held his sword over her head as she crouched on the
floor and announced, "You're really starting to piss me off, Missy! I don't
want to hurt you!"
~~~~~
Duncan held his sword to James' neck, making James extremely nervous.
He told his men, "Don't shoot. Mr. MacLeod, we will fight like we are
supposed to. Give me a chance to defend myself. You don't live for an
unfair fight, do you?"
"Only if my opponent isn't playing fair!"
"They won't interfere, right fellas?"
Duncan saw that they were agreeable, but said, "They'll shoot me and take
my head while I take your quickening."
"That's a certainty," James agreed. "So, you see, Mr. MacLeod? You can't
win. I always win."
Just then Warren emerged from the trees and shot at Gage and Louis. Gage
was wilier and fell to the ground, crawling like a snake as he made his way
to the protection of the house. Louis fell like a lump, dead. Duncan pushed
James away and slashed out. James defended it.
Warren told his old war buddy, "One got away. You take care of him."
While Duncan was responding to Warren, James ran away. Warren ran off
after Gage and Duncan ran into the house after James.
In a recreation room, with gym equipment and a sauna, Duncan jumped on
the running James and they fell into the heated pool. They choked, pulled
each other under the water, James lost his sword in the melee. Duncan get
his feet under him and stood in the pool with his katana posed over the
head of James who was frantically trying to get his feet on the bottom.
"There can be only one, Mr. James," Duncan cooly stated and then swung
his katana. In a second, the water filled with blood. Then the quickening
took over. It shot out every fixture and piece of glass in the area. The light
force of Cameron James not only destroyed his house, but electrocuted
Duncan standing in the pool. He fell into the water, then rose to the surface
of the red water and floated face down.
CONTINUED in Chapter Twenty-Nine - Aftermath (
geocities.com/enyajo)