Chapter 8: Part 2

Margaret:

She analyzed the immortal woman in front of her, could she be Helen? Her hand goes instinctually to her sword. "Tell me about it." she mutters back to Cyane. She only hopes that if that woman is indeed Helen, she won´t ask for her. Margaret knows Pierson doesn´t trust her, and a woman popping up asking for her wouln´t help her any.

Calisandra:

Cali leans back closing her tired eyes. The research was extensive and obviously well thought out, but there were a few glaring discrepancies... leads not followed through. Sighing she picks up the last report she had read. The researcher in question had made an apparent breakthrough in the recombination of monoclonal antibodies linked with Interferon bound chemotherapeutic agents. His results had shown promise in combating the prions in tissue cultures, but his research had been halted prematurely on the orders of some high-ranking government doctor. Squinting at the name scribbled on the ‘cease and desist’ order clipped to the file, she frowns, unable to decipher the name. Her brow furrowed in concentration, she retrieves several other questionable files from the extensive pile on the table in front of her. All had the same memo clipped to their folders and all of them bore the same signature. "Damn," she mutters under her breath, throwing the files back onto the table. She stands up looking around for Vivian, glancing briefly at Methos’ closed office door across the room. Grabbing the memos off the folders, she clutches them tightly in her hand, only dimly aware of the sound coming from the radio, the techs had in the lab. As she walks slowly toward the office, something catches her attention and she turns to the radio, listening intently. What she hears is an advertisement, promising a cure for the plague. She listens to the name of the doctor and the address to the clinic, looking down at the pile of memos in her hand. With a brief glance at the closed office door, a worried expression crosses her face. Shaking her head, "Macleod is his friend... he’ll be fine." She thinks, grabbing her coat as she heads out of the lab...

Joe:

Chuckling somely to himself, "No Mac, I knew that there were a lot of Immortals in this town, but never really expected them to be all in the same place...we seem to be having a shortage of Watcher's lately, so it's getting hard to keep track of all you guys." When he looks up at Duncan his eyes are sad and haunted with the memories of the friends in had lost in the last year. "But you're right having this many Immortal this close together must be driving the old man crazy. He never was one for being around too many Immortals, friendly or otherwise."

Brent:

The soft noises of the printer finally cease and Brent gets up from his seat. He retrieves the few sheets of paper from the machine, sifts through them and then makes his way to the laboratory door. The information on this Margret person was a bit sketchy but there were a few pieces that worried him some. He would definately have to share this with Methos and get his thoughts. Something didn't seem right about her. Brent finds his way to the prescribed room, knocks gently on the door to be polite (although his presence has surely been sensed), and he enters. After nodding to the three men he grabs an empty chair and pulls it into their vicinity. "Most of the information I found on her is pretty general........date of rebirth, age, choice of weapon, etc.......," Brent begins as he hands the few sheets of paper over to Methos. ".....but there was a name that came up that I'm a bit concerned about." Brent then leans forward resting his elbows on his knees and simply says, "Kronos........"

Fredrick:

He sits in the house it's really starting to stink but, he couldn't let the crew or cast of his commercial live. The plan might have not work that way. 'Come on where are you', he thinks impatiently. He stares at the body of Doctor Brice placed in a Chair with newspaper. The road flares with the duck taped alarm clock will look like good enough bomb. He has the Computer online. It goes offline either another ISP mistake or someone has cut the phone lines. 'The Fools' He thinks. He knew if he killed all the cast and crew Doctor Brice's home would be the one they would go to. He gets up and hides behind the door his Sword is at the ready. The men come in with 2 from the front door and 2 from the patio all armed with the weapons of assassins. They all come right up to the chair and then stopping when they see Fredrick's cheap time bomb. " Ah Ah Ah... that bomb is set to go off in 2 minutes. Now you can drop your weapons and use those handcuffs under that coffee table and handcuff yourselves to it. A smile comes across his face as they comply "Good well I can notice one thing you guys are just the stupid pawns".

"The Bomb," one of them says nervously.

Fredrick walks over to the bomb his back turned away from them he then swings around bringing the sword down on the mans head. "It's a fake you idiot!" He screams. "Now for the rest of you. I want you to tell me all you know or you too will die slowly as this guy here. He swings the sword again cutting off the leg of the third man. Now I can only cut him so much before he dies. One of you other two better talk quickly before I'm down with him and start on one of you."

Methos:

Methos sits up and takes the files from Brent's hands. He looks over it quickly. "Bloody.. I thought she reminded me of someone.. but Kronos?" He asked. He than heard Duncan. "Cyane," he whispered as he rose off his seat. "She's with Cyane," he said and rubbed his hand over his face with a faint sigh. He quickly thought over his options. "I'm going to get Cyane away from Margaret. Perhaps Margaret knows more than we and maybe we can convice her to tell us..." he trailed. "But if someone has sent Margaret... than my huntch is right... this plague is man made." He paused and looked at the three in the room. "I think we may have to move our location. This hospital just turned into dangerious grounds...."

Cyane:

She glances quickly over to Larry when he tell's the strange women he's name. She turns back to the women in front of her, "yes, and your name is? I'm Cyane by the way." She steps back observing her surroundings and waits for the woman's reply. She has a bad since about this new immortal. Her instincts told her to get to Methos and find out what he knew about Margaret and if she could be trusted. And to tell him about this other immortal, but she knew Methos would be mad if she left Margaret alone to wonder the hospital doing who knows what. I have to talk to Methos, she thought to herself. She looked back to the woman still waiting for her answer...............

Brent:

Brent turns his attention to Duncan. "I don't really know where she is right now," he responds. She left only a few minutes before you all did with Cyane but I have the slightest clue as to where they or what they're doing."

Margaret:

Margaret croses her arms waiting, she was tired of all this and she had a bad feeling. She gave a sigh, "Is there a computer around here?" she finally asks to Cyane. "Maybe I can look at the database of other hospitals... try to locate him---" she says "it drives me crazy to stand here doing nothing while he can be dying..." She trails. She could feel Cyane didn’t trust her, it was obvious. Well, she didn’t trust much people, she couldn’t blame her. she placed her hand softly on Cyane’s arm "You ok? You have a weird look… is something wrong?"

Cyane:

Her attention left the woman in front of her and turned to Margaret. "Yeah Margaret, i'm fine. I'm sure there's plenty of computers around here you could use, maybe you could check the nurses station", she said. All these immortals poping up everywhere was beginning to make her very uneasy. She turned her attention back to the woman in front of them, still waiting for a answer.............

cali:

Frowning down at the address that she had recived from the radio staion for Dr. Brice, Cali looks over at the house. Just as she is about to make a move to go check it out, she sees the men lurking around the back of the house. "Damn" she mutters, "someone else is after him." Jumping from the rental car, she pulls a small caliber pistol from her bag and runs across the street, feeling the presence of an immortal. Keeping low, she sprints up the front steps and tries the door finding it unlocked. Pushing it open quickly, she rushes inside, looking around wildly for the housses occupants or the intruders. Her eyes fly open in shock at the scene before her. The three men are handcuffed and one of them slumped over in a widening pool of his own blood. The man before them, holds a very lethal looking sword. Stepping into the room, her left hand slips inside her coat to grasp the hilt of her own. "Thought you might need some help?" she says, "I guess not..."

Duncan:

"Man made! Someone would make this?" says the shocked Highlander. He looks at Brent, "Brent right? Page Cyane tell her that Pierson has found something ground breaking and to bring Margaret back to the lab. They will sense only one Immortal there. You and I will be there to capture Margaret." He looks to Joe, "help Pierson find a location that a little more private."

Fredrick:

"Well, I guess I will remove another limb" He says.

A women voice speaks "Thought you might need some help?" she says, "I guess not..."

He turns his head, "who the hell are you?" He bends down talking to the Assassins, "do you know her?" He quietly reaches for one of the assassins weapons a pistol with a silencer "who ever you are this is a private conversation." He brings the pistol up for hiding and quickly aims and fires 2-3 shots into her chest and head. He watches her fall. Not sensing that she has immortal blood he assumes she is either dead or dying turns his attention back to the assassins "now where were we? ah yes you were about to tell me about your friends and this plague of theirs".

Joe:

Getting to his feet, using his cane for support, Joe nods to MacLeod. "You heard the man, I think it's time we find you someplace a little less accessible." He says gruffly to Methos. "mind if I use your phone?" he asks moving over the desk and picking up the reciever. Without waiting for a reply he dials and waits for a answer, his eyes carefully watching the Immortals, their tension clearly written on their faces. He sighs, as someone on the other end finally answers and turns his back on the others, carrying on a muffles conversation. Hanging up the phone, he turns back, his eyes grim, "Well they're not too happy about it, but I've managed to convinced them to let you back inside...you do remember where the Watcher house on the outside of town is, don't you? " He looks over at Brett. "and I think you might want to come along too, you can continue your computer research from there...we seem to have a lot of spare terminals there lately." His voice trails off and his eyes grow sad at the thought...

Calisandra:

As the pain screams through her body from the gunshots, her last thought before losing consciousness is, "I'm definitely getting too old for this..." the world goes black and her body slumps to the floor. Several minutes later, her breath hisses back into her lungs as her body revives. She cautiously cracks open her eyes, keeping her body still, wondering if he realizes yet that she's awake. But sees that he is concentrating on his task of dismembering the bloody man, while trying to get information from the others...A small smile curves her lips as she watches his back, "Well, I guess he's not Dr. Brice." she thinks, "slightly impressed by tactics. She had learned at a young age that torture could be a very effective tool but, knew from personal experience and from the looks on the faces of the other foolish mortals that he was going about this wrong. These men were paid to do a job to expect loyalty bewtween then was a waste of time. But if they could lead them to the creators of this plague they might yet be useful. Climbing quietly to her feet, she reaches for her gun and fires...not at the Immortal however, since regardless of his methods, he appeared to be their best hope of finding the information they needed and something about his blatent brutallity fascinates her, but at one of the others whose horrified eyes fly open widely as he sees her stand. The bullet catches him in the leg, shattering his knee cap, exactly where she had planned and she steps off to the side. "interesting plan..." she says, keeping her eyes and gun on the Immortal..." but I've always found that pain is rather more effective then blood with men like these...specially their own pain. Now do you want to answer this man's question or not?" she asks the writhing handcuffed man, smiling, as her other hand reaches into her pocket to remove a very lethal looking dagger, the barrel of her gun never wavering. Her eyes shining wickedly at the prospect of what she would like to do to him with the dagger to get him to talk...She meets the strange Immortal's blue eyed gaze bodly, her finger tightening on the trigger slightly..."sure you don't want want some help? or should I just return the favor and shoot you now?" she asks," either way I'm going to find out what these men know...and somehow I think you might be more interesting with your head still attached."

Quincy:

As Quincy arrives in San Francisco he decides to head directly to the hospital. He is not a patient man and doesn't like to wait or dilly dally, so he heads directly toward the hospital where at once he senses the resence of many other immortals and decides caution would be prudent this time........

Methos:

"Inside?" He asked, rather surprised. "Yeah- I remember. If we are going to do this, I need to move a few equipments too. Someone will have to tell Cyane. And I need to tell one doctor-Dr. Lane, relax, she's trust worthy," he said softly. "And this is coming from me, all right?" He asked. "And someone tell Cali too...." he trailed as he stood up. "I'm going to find Dr. Lane and we can get moving. You guys can plan whatever you need to in order to relocate. Let's move fast. And don't worry about me. I won't be long," he sighed and left to find Dr. Lane. Reloacting would be the best- though he didn't wish to leave this hospital. It had every equipment here.....

Fredick:

With this *mortal* standing infront of him with a gun and a dagger his first reactions are that of a caged animal he almost starts to snarl. Then he realizes something and is a bit confused. 'This is quite interesting' he thinks, 'I wonder if I take her head will I have the same power. If not is this head other than pissing me off worth taking then. If this *immortal* can't be sensed. She can set them up and I'll knock them down. But what is her goal?' He looks at one of the men, "She seems tothink I'm doing this all wrong?" He stands up not really caring about the gun that is pointed at him, "If you think you can do better go ahead while your at it explain how come I couldn't sense you?".

Calisandra:

She watches him carefully as he moves, her finger tightening even more on the trigger of her gun. Her eyes narrow slightly and she smiles, "I don't trust you..." she points with the pistol over behind the prisoners, "if you would be so kind as to drop the sword...oh and the gun I know you have hidden under your coat, it's tucked into the back of your waistband I believe." As she speaks she moves cautiously, keeping her eyes on him constantly, circling around to stand in front of the man she had shot. She can see in his eyes that her sudden reanimation has him slightly off gaurd and interested. "Oh yes, and I know what you're thinking, but I'm not a part of your game, so if you try to take my head you won't get anything out of it...and if I take yours, everything you ever were will be lost forever, and that would be a waste of a very intriguing head." As she steps forward, her long coat falls open and he can see the flash of metal off her very ancient broadsword. "Now it's obvious that you are looking for the makers of this plague too, and while your tatics are shall we say, unconvential. I have to admit they are rather effective. But how do I know you won't try to kill me the minute my back is turned?"

Story Intro