Sacrificial Nature
By
A. Rhea King
Duncan spun, roaring with a grin. Analees squealed, spun around and ran toward the playground. Amanda and Geneesa laughed, watching Analees quickly forget sneaking up on her dad and start playing with three other girls.
"As I was saying, Mr. MacLeod," Geneesa said in a scolding tone.
Duncan looked back at her. Geneesa was lying on her side, propped up on her elbow. She held a bottle of water in one hand. Amanda was sitting cross legged on the blanket Duncan was sitting on, nibbling on a piece of cheese and sipping a glass of red wine. Duncan had a glass of wine in his own hand.
"Yes Ms. McLearson?" Duncan asked, grinning at her.
"I have to get the papers turned in and I need you to get the passport tomorrow."
Duncan frowned at Geneesa. "Let's just home school her. It'd be easier."
"Duncan MacLeod!" Geneesa said with a frustrated sigh. She rolled onto her back, saying something in her native language.
Duncan grinned. He sat his glass down and crawled over to Geneesa. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. Duncan shook it once and held it up for Geneesa to see. Geneesa stared at the paper a second, the batted at his nose.
"Asshole!" Geneesa laughed. She took the letter of acceptance from the private school she had been trying to get Analees into.
Duncan leaned across Geneesa, shrugging. "Us rich old men are good for something."
Geneesa laughed, sitting up and kissing him. Duncan laughed when she hugged him.
"If I could just train you to put the toilet seat down, you'd be good for so much more," Geneesa joked as she stood up.
"HEY!" Duncan leapt up, grabbing for her.
Geneesa took off running and Duncan chased her. Their chase ended under large drooping bows of a weeping willow. Duncan pulled Geneesa to him, kissing her with a long passionate kiss. Geneesa grinned at him.
"I love you," Geneesa said.
Duncan kissed her again.
"MOMMY! DADDY!" they heard Analees call. "I'M HUNGRY!"
The two laced their hands together and walked back to the picnic under the oak tree, passing several families. Duncan smiled at the thought that for the first time he felt like these families.
Duncan stopped the car by the barge. Geneesa turned in her seat, looking at the sleeping five-year-old in the back.
"She hasn't moved since we left the park," Geneesa laughed.
Duncan turned, smiling at his daughter. "I can bring her in."
Geneesa snatched the keys from the ignition, grabbed the neck of his shirt and pulled him to her, kissing him. Duncan laughed, laying his hand on her face. Geneesa flashed him a grin and got out. She retrieved the picnic basket and blanket from the back, watching Duncan gently pull Analees out of the backseat and rest her head on his shoulder. He shut the car door with his hip and followed Geneesa up the ramp onto the barge. The two came around the corner to the stairs leading below deck and stopped. The door was hanging on the bottom hinge. Geneesa took Analees when Duncan handed her to him and waited as he cautiously walked down the stairs. He stopped on the top stair, staring. The place was trashed and the words 'Sword of Immortals' were spray-painted across the walls in several places. Duncan felt a hand on his arm and looked down at Geneesa. She was staring at the words.
"Does that message mean anything?" Duncan asked, looking down at her.
Geneesa nodded.
"What?"
Geneesa looked at him. "Call the police."
"Geneesa, wha—"
"Not now," Geneesa whispered.
He dug through his pockets until he found his cell phone. He dialed the police, watching Geneesa go back outside. He sighed, hearing the operator answer the phone.
Duncan watched Geneesa tuck Analees in on her cot. She turned and walked to the couch, sitting down with a long sigh.
"Long day," Geneesa said, turning to face him.
Duncan nodded. Duncan found himself thinking again that the barge was not large enough for a family of three. It wasn't the first time he'd thought about it and seemed an odd thought considering the circumstances.
"The message," Duncan said, looking at Geneesa.
"It's my mother's sword. All of the old ones named their swords and her sword is that name," Geneesa said.
"Why would anyone write that?"
"It has a legend. Supposedly, any immortal of your kind that wields it is undefeatable. I don't know if that's true or not, but some people believe in legends, Duncan." Geneesa let out a long sigh.
"Does your mother have the sword?" Duncan asked.
Geneesa looked away. "I can't answer that."
"Why?"
Geneesa sighed, sitting down on the couch. "I just can't."
"You don't know or you won't answer?"
"Yes." Geneesa looked at him when he sat down beside her.
Duncan slid his arms around her, looking into her green eyes. "All these secrets…"
Geneesa leaned forward. "Not all secrets. And you have some of your own, so don't try to turn that on me, sir."
Duncan smiled, brushing his hand against her cheek. "How do you do that?"
"Do what?" Geneesa sat back.
"We are just on the edge of a fight and you stop it by saying something sensible."
Geneesa laughed. "Because I'm an old woman and I know how to put you young gents in your place. That's how."
Duncan leaned forward, pulling her toward him and kissed her. Geneesa wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes tight. She tensed, moving away from Duncan.
"What?" Duncan asked.
Geneesa looked toward the door.
"An immortal?" Duncan asked quietly, his hand running down her golden hair.
Geneesa nodded. She turned, burrowing her head under his chin as her arms wrapped around him.
"He won't come here," Duncan said.
Geneesa looked back at Duncan. "That doesn't worry me."
Duncan smiled, laying his hand on her cheek. "You won't have to fight. I will."
"Have all immortals you've fought followed the rules?" Geneesa asked.
Duncan shook his head. He kissed the top of her head. "But they have always died, too."
Geneesa looked into Duncan's eyes. "Someday that arrogance will be your undoing, Duncan. Never believe that. Evil can prevail if met with arrogance and pride." She stood up, adding, "Always."
Duncan watched her walk over to the bed and get ready to go to sleep. He had no response to that.
Duncan stopped the car outside the barge, looking at his daughter asleep in the passenger seat. Duncan reached out, gently stroking the five-year-old's black curls. She woke up and looked at him. Analees smiled, catching his hand in both of hers. Duncan got out and walked around, letting her out of the car. Analees reached up and pulled on his hand.
Duncan looked down at her. She was looking down the street with a worried look.
"What is it?" Duncan asked.
Analees looked up at him with a worried look.
"Ana…"
"Is Amanda coming over?"
"No. Wh—" Duncan looked up, feeling another immortal.
Duncan heard a high-pitched whistle and ducked, grabbing Analees close to him. She let out a soft yip, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. A bullet shattered the windshield of his car.
"Daddy," Analees whimpered against his neck.
Duncan heard another whine and dove in front of his car. The bullet pierced the door of his car. Duncan turned and made a run for the ramp. He felt a bullet hit his leg and another burned into his back before he reached the ramp. Duncan stumbled on the edge of the ramp and fell back on the cobblestone. Analees rolled free from his loose grip. She half crawled, half ran back to his side.
"Daddy," Analees cried, shaking him. When he didn't move she shook him harder. "Daddy!"
"Daddy?" someone asked.
Analees spun around, staring at the man standing behind her. The man had thin, light blue hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, comparatively different than the two men dressed in black suits beside him.
Analees turned, running up the ramp, but one of the men in a suit caught her and slapped a cloth over her mouth. Analees fought, screaming into the cloth as he carried her back down and to a van waiting beside Duncan's car. She reached for Duncan's hand as the man pulled her past him to the back of the van. The door was slammed shut and the van drove away.
Duncan gasped when the cold water hit his face. He jerked awake, feeling the other immortal right away. Duncan looked up. A man was sitting on a table with his feet on a chair. Duncan lunged at him but the handcuffs and rope held him to the chair he was in. Duncan glared at the immortal.
The man smiled. "You know Geneesa, eh?" he asked. He had a slight Spanish accent that seemed out of place with his thin, light blonde hair and blue eyes.
"No," Duncan said.
The man laughed, looking around them. Duncan noticed they were in a basement of a building. The only light to the room came through the open door where cement stairs ended. The man stood up on the chair and stepped off, right in front of Duncan.
"You don't lie worth shit." The man smiled. "No matter. Soon you'll be dead."
The man walked toward the stairs.
"Why are you waiting?" Duncan snarled.
The man turned, looking at him.
"Live bait works better than dead. And I'll enjoy feeling the power of the Sword of Immortals when I cut off you head, Duncan MacLeod."
Duncan looked over his shoulder. "Have we met?"
"Before today?" the man questioned.
Duncan didn't reply.
"No, but you can call me Alex."
"I'll call you dead," Duncan hissed.
Alex laughed, flicking off the lights. The door shut and locked behind him, leaving Duncan in complete darkness.
Geneesa glanced at her watch, and then looked at the door. She had gotten home and Duncan's car wasn't there. She had called his cellular phone and he didn't answer. It was now almost midnight and she hadn't heard from him yet. She had gone past worry now. Geneesa looked back at her magazine, flipping through it for a countless time. The phone rang and Geneesa jumped up, answering it halfway through the second ring.
"Hello?" Geneesa asked.
"I want the Sword of Immortals," the caller said.
Geneesa swallowed. "And if I say no?"
The person laughed a little. "I'm guessing your mommy?"
Geneesa's eyes narrowed. "Why's that?"
"Because Duncan's daddy and she knew this phone number. Analees is a beautiful child."
"What do you want?"
"The sword. There is a large park nearby. Meet me there tonight at midnight. Just east of the gardens. If you don't, he'll die. Then I'll kill your baby. Then I'll kill you, Geneesa." The caller hung up.
Geneesa sank to the floor, wrapping her arms around her stomach.
Geneesa got out of the cab and paid the fair. She pulled her trench coat close to her, looking around. The night was quiet and just cold enough that her breath escaped in puffs of white vapor. Geneesa started walking, feeling Duncan and another immortal. She reached the gardens and drew her sword from under her coat. She spotted the immortal standing beside a tree Duncan was tied to. The immortal was holding Analees back by the arm.
"How nice of you to join us," he said.
"Fight me and if you win you'll get it," Geneesa said, turning her hand so her sword glinted as she continued walking toward them.
"Alex here believes in breaking rules," Duncan snarled.
Alex laughed, drawing his sword from under his trench coat. He yanked Analees against him, leveling the sword on her throat.
"Keep walking and I'll kill her," Alex said, looking at Geneesa.
Geneesa stopped advancing, watching Alex's sword. Duncan looked from Alex's sword to Geneesa.
"Drop it," Alex ordered.
"You don't know what your doing, Alex. This is a battle you cannot win," Geneesa said. "If you drop the sword and never return, we'll forget this whole thing."
"You seem to have your facts wrong, bitch. You have two choices. You give me the sword and she will live. Until she dies anyway. Or you play games and they both die now."
Geneesa sighed, stepping back. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, Alex. You'll die if you kill either of them; you'll die if you kill me. There is no way out of this for you."
Alex smirked. "I have the leverage, woman. And soon I'll have your sword and be invincible!"
"You have no idea how wrong you are, Alex," Geneesa said.
Alex swung his sword out to cut off Duncan's head. Duncan closed his eyes.
"Stop," Geneesa said.
Both men looked at her. Geneesa was looking at Duncan.
"I'll drop my sword if Duncan makes me a promise," Geneesa said.
"No. Geneesa, don't—" Duncan started.
"Don't you mean me?" Alex asked.
"No. Duncan."
"What?" Duncan asked.
"Ana must see her twentieth birthday. See to it."
"Geneesa, he'll kill me if you drop your sword," Duncan said.
Geneesa smiled. "There are so many things about me I never got to tell you Duncan. Promise me?"
"I won't promise because you aren't going to do this," Duncan said. "Don't let him have that sword."
"Mommy," Analees whimpered.
Geneesa smiled at her. "I love you Poppet." Geneesa dropped the sword in her hands. Alex ran at her and swung. Geneesa looked him in the eyes as his sword cut through her neck.
Somewhere in the distance, Duncan heard Analees scream 'Mommy'. Duncan felt his own voice rise from his chest to his throat to yell Geneesa's name. But suddenly everything became silent and in slow motion. He saw Alex's sword cut clean through Geneesa's neck and her body crumple to the ground. Alex reached down and snatched up Geneesa's sword triumphantly, dropping his own sword. Duncan started fighting the ropes that held him to the tree but he knew they weren't going to give. Duncan saw Alex turn and start toward him with an evil look on his face. Then time seemed to slow to frame-by-frame speed. He saw light of a Quickening form around Nyssa's body, but it was like none he'd ever seen. The light was a pale yellow with pastel rainbow colors mixing in. Alex turned, staring at the Quickening as it rose above Geneesa's body. Slowly it took on the form of Geneesa and for a moment, it simply hovered above her body reminding Duncan of angels painted on cathedral ceilings.
Geneesa turned her eyes on Alex and she flew toward him. Alex grinned when he realized he had just killed an immortal. At the last second Geneesa's face turned into a hideous demonic looking face and plunged into Alex's body with an ethereal scream. Alex stood straight, gasping. He turned, looking at Duncan with an evil smile again. He raised the Sword of Immortals to behead Duncan and stopped. Alex grabbed his throat, dropping the sword. He began gagging as he stumbled backward. When he looked up his eyes were beams of light. Bright light suddenly severed his head from his body and exploded from him in a blinding flash. Duncan closed his eyes.
Time returned to normal speed and he heard the crickets start chirping again. Duncan opened his eyes. Alex lay decapitated on the ground with his Quickening starting to build around his corpse. Suddenly the pale yellow light of Geneesa's quickening returned and began circling Duncan. Warm and cold raced across his body and the sound reminded him of a tornado. Through the light he saw the Quickening lift Alex's body up and seek out another immortal. But it couldn't penetrate the circling wall of light. A thick shaft of bright light shot into the sky followed by the scream of Alex's forsaken soul. The light circling Duncan disappeared suddenly and on the breeze that followed Duncan heard, "I love you, Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. Live for our child."
Duncan stepped away from the tree then looked at his hands. The rope that had held him was ash in his hands. Duncan looked at Geneesa's body then at Analees. She was crouched with her hands over her head. Duncan let the ash drift from his hands as he slowly approached his daughter. Analees jerked her head up, staring at him with wide frightened eyes.
"Shhh," Duncan whispered, kneeling down and pulling her into his arms.
Analees pulled close to him, pressing her face in his chest. She broke down into sobs, her little body shaking in his arms. Duncan sat down hard, burying his face against her hair. His own grief caused him to break down into sobs, wrapping his arms around Analees.
"Don't ever leave me. Please daddy," Analees gasped.
Duncan closed his eyes tighter. "Never," Duncan swore. "I promise."
Duncan closed his eyes when the phone started to ring again. He looked over at Analees asleep in his bed. Duncan picked it up and jammed the on button with his thumb.
He put it to his ear, snarling, "What?" to the caller.
"She's dead?" Nyssa asked on the other end.
"Nyssa?" Duncan asked.
"Is my daughter dead, Duncan?" Nyssa demanded.
Duncan closed his eyes. "Yes."
"She knew she would die."
"She called you?" Duncan asked, looking across the barge at Analees.
"She did."
Duncan didn't respond.
"We're not like you Duncan," Nyssa said.
"And I suppose that's supposed to make me feel better," Duncan snarled into the phone.
Analees groaned, rolling over. Duncan got up and went up to the deck.
"No," Nyssa answered.
"I'm not in the mood to talk," Duncan said. He stopped at the railing, looking down at the water.
"I didn't call to make you feel worse," Nyssa said. "I called to give you hope."
"Hope? I loved Geneesa, Nyssa. I loved her."
"I know." Nyssa sighed. "We all loved Geneesa. But when you go back inside, look at that little girl sleeping in your bed and tell me you can't love and you don't feel hope. Tell me that precious thing won't fuel your desire to fight and win every time."
"How do you know where Analees is slee—" Duncan looked around. Nyssa was standing at the top of the ramp across the barge from him.
Nyssa hung up her cellular phone, sliding it into her coat pocket. Duncan hung up his phone, turning to face her.
"How did you get here so fast?" Duncan asked.
Nyssa walked up to Duncan. "I had heard rumors. I was on a plane to warn Geneesa when she called me to tell me what he had done."
Duncan looked down. "She just…gave up."
Duncan looked up when Nyssa placed her hands under his chin. She smiled. "And there you're wrong, Highlander. She loved you and her daughter. And she chose to die for you both, knowing full well what she was capable of. She knew she couldn't win and that by dying you'd be alive to watch over that precious little girl inside. Don't let this ruin you, Duncan. Don't let her death be wasted. Do you hear me?"
Duncan nodded.
Nyssa patted his cheek. "That's my lad." Nyssa turned, walking toward the ramp.
"How much don't I know about your kind?" Duncan asked.
Nyssa stopped, looking back at him. "More than could be told in one night." Nyssa disappeared back down the ramp.
Duncan turned, looking down at the Rhine. The phone rang and he answered it.
"Duncan."
"One other thing," Nyssa said.
Duncan turned, seeing her across the street on the stairs.
"What?" Duncan asked.
"On her headstone it will read Geneesa MacLeod, wife of Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. We do consider the two of you married. Sleep well with our love guarding you, lad. Good-bye."
Nyssa hung up and disappeared into the darkness on the stairs. Duncan smiled a little, looking back at the water.