Gladiators and Vampires

by Maryland Rose

Unexplained killing of Kindred lead Julia to ask for Duncan McLeod's help.

Gladiators and vampires

"There have been several killings in the past two days that you probably know about." Frank Kohanek told Julian Luna. "Eight men and women found beheaded, with rope burns on their ankles in a pattern that indicates that they were hung upside down. The heads were there, by the bodies. There was no blood either in the bodies nor around them. Their blood had been drained away."

"And you think that one of the Kindred is responsible." Julian said.

"Isn't that what you do?"

"An adult has between ten and twelve pints of blood. He or she can loose between one and two pints with no ill effects. What one of the Kindred takes is less than that. Draining the body makes no sense to us."

"But it happens. Say if several decided to throw a party and share...refreshments."

Julian Luna sighed. "It might happen. I have not heard of it happening for a long time. But we have our criminals, as you have human criminals. Can you tell me more about these killings? Show me photographs of the victims?"

"I have them here." Frank threw them on the table. Five men. Three women. Same M.O."

Julian looked at the photos. "Are these the victims?"

"Yes. Why, do you recognize them?"

"All of them." He said grimly. "I do not know if the killer is Kindred or not. But I can tell you this. All the victims were."

Frank's mouth dropped. "All of them?" he managed to ask.

"Yes. They seem to have been killed for their blood. Kindred blood can be a more precious commodity than human blood. Our...powers, our strengths, are carried in the blood. If I took the blood of another clan, I would command that clan's strengths, at least for a while. So would anyone else. A human who took Kindred blood would have Kindred strength, and if he or she took enough, might even change shape into a wolf, as we do. But drinking too much might kill him or her. Still, there is great power there for the taking. There is something else that disturbs me. The victims are evenly split between the clans. Two Ventrues, two Brujahs, two Gangrels, and two Torreadors. It is as if the killer wants to gather as many of our powers together as possible"

"No Nosferatus? Maybe the killer is Nosferatu."

"If Nosferatus were doing it, it would involve a power grab, and I would have heard of it. I have not. I think that Nosferatu are missing because they are hard to catch. They avoid being seen by humans, unless it is to feed, and then they often choose those who are asleep. Maybe our killer has not found any Nosferatu yet."

"You think that the killer is human?"

"Might be. Or Kindred. As I said, we have our criminals. Or it might be something else."

"What could there be?" "I have heard stories about other...things. But they are hazy." He sounded apologetic. "We lost much of our history during the persecutions. Whole documents were destroyed, and too many of the old ones died without passing on their knowledge. We might have the information, or we may not. All I can do is look for it."

"Do so, and tell me what you find."

"Frank, for your sake, do not tackle this yourself."

"Why?"

"Because what is out there has no trouble killing Kindred again and again. What chance do you think you would have against it? He or she has great strength, and probably has not more respect for human life than for Kindred life. The Kindred, if enough of us go together, might have a chance. If you did, you'd probably be alone because you could get not one to believe in your theories, and you'd be killed. And any way, crimes against the Kindred are not in your jurisdiction, they are in mine. Let us do it."

"But..."

"You can help by passing along information about anything unusual. Maybe an U.F.O. sighting. Or strange animals that should not be there. Anything that might be clue to something that is neither human nor Kindred."

"Wouldn't Sonny be passing that along to you?"

"Sonny?" "My partner. Are you going to deny that he is one of you?"

Julian sighed. "If he is your partner, you should ask for a new one. I know enough about police work to know that you have to be able to trust your partner implicitly. If you don't you end up getting killed. If you mistrust Sonny you should not be partnered with him. It is not safe for either of you."

"I do trust Sonny. But I want to know what he is."

"Why don't you ask him?" "Because I want to hear it from you."

"That is something for him to say, not me."

"He is, isn't he?"

"Get yourself another partner before any of you gets killed."

o

"I think that it is a Gladiator." Sonny told Julian. "There was another beheading, but the body had no rope burns anywhere. And there was this freak electrical storm centered at the place where it was found. Not to mention that the blood was still in the body."

"A Gladiator combat soon after the Kindred were slaughtered for their blood."

"The other Gladiator must have taken the blood before the combat to make sure to best his or her opponent."

Julian shuddered, remembering what he had learned about the Gladiators and their unending combats. "Yes. It makes sense. We do not need to cut off heads when we take blood to receive its power. For a Gladiator there is no other way. They cannot take their opponents' power without killing them. So they would apply the same logic to the Kindred if they want their blood to strengthen themselves."

"Now we need to find this Gladiator."

"How many of the Kindred who are Watchers can help us with this?"

"I can think of four Watchers. They can at least give us the names of the Gladiators that are now in San Francisco."

"Ask them. But tell them to be discreet. We do not want the Watchers to learn about Kindred. We do not know how many renegade Watchers are still around. And even if there were none, the Watchers are under no constraint to keep our secret as they keep the secret of the Gladiators."

"But the Gladiators know about us." "

Many of them remember us from before the persecutions, but most believe that we were completely wiped out. And even if they suspect that we were not they have enough problems of their own. After all, we are not the ones who come after them, seeking their heads. And then they do not as a rule pass on information to Watchers, mainly because most of the time they don't know of their existence."

"Is it true that Archon at some time befriended a Gladiator?"

"Yes. When he was still in Europe. A monk named Darius. He was a conscientious objector to the Gladiator combats and lived on holy ground, safe from other Gladiators. But Darius is dead now. The renegade Watchers slaughtered him. Not for anything he had done, just for what he was. He led a blameless life, but that did not save him. When I think of the burdens the Masquerade puts on us, I think of Darius, and what could happen to us if we did not maintain it."

Sonny nodded. He had been embraced long after the persecutions had ceased and Kindred had become a legend in human memory. But he knew enough about human beings from his police job not to have any illusions as what humans could do to Kindred if the ever found them out. And he knew that, unlike Darius, Kindred did not lead a wholly blameless life. While their need to feed was controlled so that no lasting harm was done, it was also true that it involved theft (actually the charge would be petty larceny) and humans would easily object to it.

Julian thought for a few moments. Then he asked. "The bodies. Have they been claimed?" "

Yes. We arranged for "families" to claim them. They will have quiet funerals, to satisfy the authorities."

"I would like to have a funeral for all of them. Have representatives of all the clans come. We spend so much time struggling against each other that we forget about our common threats. We should concentrate on what unites us, not what divides us. If we did, those eight people would not have died as they did."

o

"Mr. Duncan MacLeod?" the young woman shook his hand. "it was good of you to come."

"Mr. Dawson said that you needed my help."

"Yes. Joe understands my quandary. Watchers are supposed not to interfere. But when an Immortal becomes a serial killer I cannot just record it. Something must be done. The law could not handle this case without learning about Immortals, and I am reluctant to let her go on."

"Yes, you cannot let a killer go on and do nothing about it. I wondered how anyone could."

"We observe and record and never interfere, that is what I am supposed to do. But eight bodies in the morgue in two days is more than I can stomach."

"You'd have to be monster to just watch and do nothing" Duncan agreed.

"I am no monster, Mr. MacLeod. I am no saint, but I am no monster."

"Why don't we go have a drink and you tell me all about it?"

"I will let you have a drink, but I want you to come with me. There is this service for the victims, and what is said there will explain the situation better than I could."

o

If Julian saw the two people come in just as he was beginning to speak, he did not acknowledge it. He put his hand on one of the funerary urns before him as he spoke.

"Eight of our brothers and sisters have been slaughtered. They were not killed for revenge, they were not executed for any crimes they had committed, they were not killed from fear, out of some imagined or real threat they represented. They were killed just because they were Kindred. They did nothing to deserve their fate. Two Ventrues, two Brujahs, two Gangrels, and two Torreadors."

MacLeod blinked at the words. ..Kindred...Ventrue...Gangrel... it was as if he could remember when he heard the names. He had not heard the words himself, but his memory went back, to the memories of those whose heads he had taken over the years, and as he did another word came:

"Vampires" he muttered. He looked at his companion, who nodded.

"I am no monster, Mr. MacLeod. Please listen to what he has to say."

"Four of our clans are bereft of two of their members each. This tragedy touches us all, and shames us out of our petty squabbles. We argue over turf, and power. We are Ventrue, we are Brujahs, Gangrels, Torreadors, Nosferatus...What we are is Kindred, all of us. This killer could not have cared less what clan the victims belonged to. They were Kindred and deserved to die for it. Yet we refuse to heed this lesson. How can it be that our worst enemy is ourselves, when there are those who would kill us just for existing? Our fellow Kindred are not, should not be our enemies. They should be our brothers and sisters. If we acted more like brothers and sisters maybe this would not have happened, maybe some of these eight could have been saved. I do not know. What I know is that this hatred between the clans is destroying us. We need to learn to love each other."

A Brujah gave a short snort. "Remember Manzanita." he muttered. "Yes, Cameron. I too have been guilty. But we cannot go on like this. We have learned respect for human life, out of expediency, out of fear, maybe, but we have. Why can't we learn respect for Kindred life? Why can't we look at a fellow Kindred and see not a Gangrel, nor a Brujah, nor a Ventrue, but a brother, a sister? What is wrong with all of us?"

"You speak peace, but you only want power." Cameron challenged. "Maybe you are behind this."

"The killer is a Gladiator. She takes the blood to strengthen herself before she engages with other Gladiators. And we will stop her from killing ever again."

"You promise?"

"You will be there when it happens."

MacLeod turned to his companion. "Gladiator?"

"That's what the Kindred call Immortals. Same as Immortals call the Kindred Vampires. Probably you don't like the name any more than we like the word 'vampire'".

"This Immortal who is killing...Kindred, did he said it was a woman?"

"Felicia Martens. You had a run-in with her before."

"Yes. I spared her life."

"You should not have. She already had killed humans that were close to those he challenged, to destroy their emotional support system, which made them easy pickings for her. Now she kills Kindred to strengthen herself with their blood. She is a remorseless killer, and compassion is wasted on the likes of her."

MacLeod bent his head, accepting the reproof.

Julian continued his speech, pleading for unity and understanding between the clans, sure that most of what he was saying fell on deaf ears, but also aware that a few of his words might be remembered, and that in time they would bear fruit. He just had to continue saying it, and saying it, and saying it, until enough of them listened... His eyes went to the back where the newcomers had seated. This must be Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander. He felt as if he knew him already from the letters that Darius had written to Archon. Would the friendship between Archon and Darius be continued through himself and MacLeod?

He ended his speech and watched as the clans slowly rose and left the hall. They did not see yet what he saw, but they would, given time. All of them left, except from MacLeod and his escort.

"Mr. MacLeod? I am glad that you came to help us."

"You got me under false pretenses. I thought that I was called by a Watcher.

"You were. The lady with you is a Watcher, and Mr. Dawson will confirm it. No, Mr. Dawson does not know that his colleague is Kindred, but except for that, all that you were told is true. Felicia Martens has found a drug that makes her almost invincible. It is Kindred blood, and she kills to obtain it."

"And you don't kill to obtain blood, yourselves?"

"We do not."

"Never? There were some killings that could be laid to the doors of vampires such as you."

"It was not us." MacLeod's escort protested, but Luna silenced her with his hand.

"Mr. MacLeod, please, should I task you with the crimes committed by Xavier Saint-Cloud?"

"It was I who took his head."

"Yes, it would be unfair of me to do so, because not only were you innocent of his crimes, but also you were the one who stopped him. So why should you task me for crimes that I did not commit, and for which I order the perpetrators executed?"

"You did?"

"Kindred have laws, and one of them is that humans are not to be killed. It is a law born of expedience, I agree. We had to hide our existence, and a bloodless corpse is a dead giveaway.

But expedience or not, we all obey that law, and many, myself included, have an ingrained respect for human life. Can you say the same for your fellow...Immortals?"

"No. I cannot." MacLeod admitted. "Our lives are not so different, yours and mine. I hope that you can help us. If not for my sake, then for the sake of Darius' friendship with my sire."

"You know of Darius?"

"My sire befriended Darius before he came to America. They corresponded often, sharing their concerns. They comforted one another. Maybe you and I can be friends, as they were."

o

MacLeod had accepted Luna's hospitality. He smiled at the luxurious setting, as well as the security arrangements.

"Do you find anything funny?"

"I was wondering how long would it take Amanda to pick this place clean."

"Amanda, the thief? A very enterprising lady. And a stalwart friend for those fortunate enough to earn her friendship. For others, a reason for locks, alarms, and security guards. Yes, you are right, if I had something she coveted, I would have trouble holding on to it."

"It would be nothing personal. It is just that she is a thief."

"I understand that she has changed her ways. And you had something to do with her reformation."

"Maybe she would find it a challenge to steal from vampires."

"Tell her to pick less hazardous challenges. We know how to behead. And we call ourselves Kindred." he paused "Mr. MacLeod. I know what you want to ask me. I invoked the name of Darius to have you come with me. I will show you that I had a right to use it."

He went to his desk and took a folded letter out of the top drawer. "This is a letter that Darius wrote to Archon, my sire. Please read it, Mr. MacLeod."

Duncan took the letter, and opened it.

"It is Darius' handwriting." he said, and could not hide his amazement at it. "

Read it, please."

Archon, my dear friend Duncan read It is good to hear from you. I was worried when your letters stopped. I understand your reluctance to tell me of things that you thought shameful. But you were wrong to think that I would despise you for it. Just because I live apart from the world does not mean I despise those like you who have the courage to face it and try to change it. The truth is that I admire you. If I thought that my own struggle was as meaningful as yours I would consider picking up my old sword and join Duncan MacLeod in his battles. But Gladiator combats to amuse powerful unseen beings are not the same as guiding your own people to a better life. So please do not compare yourself with me, for I may come up poorer in the comparison.

You talk me of your disciple, Julian Luna. What I read of him reminds me of Duncan MacLeod. Certainly you love him as much as I love Duncan. Duncan is not the child of my body, for I cannot have them, as you cannot. He is not the child of my blood, as Julian is to you. The only children I can have are the ones who accept my teachings, and I have many of them, but none so special as Duncan. There is a goodness in him that burns like a flame, and he is not even aware of it. Is this the same with Julian? You sound as if you are awed by your child's ethical certainty, even in cases where you would hesitate. You said that he shamed you in a couple of occasions by his right choices so naturally. You must have been very proud, too, of your son. There is no greater joy for a parent than to see his child reach beyond him. You have taught him well, if he has shamed you that way.

You said that you worry about him these days more than you ever did before about his ability to handle the needs of the life you gave him. I suspect I may have an answer, and one you may not like. Forgive me for asking you this, my friend, but did having to take human blood distress him as greatly at the beginning as it seems it does now? I have seen how you do it, I know that you handle well the ethical challenge involved, and that it is represents only a fraction of your existence. It is far from the reason for the anguish that torments you. If you have taught him how to feed, it would be the same for him. But there is another factor, one that you can do little about in this war you are caught on. You are disturbed by the violence that you were forced to plunge Julian in. Is it possible that he connects the blood that he must drink with the blood that he must spill in your battles? Could seek to punish himself for the deeds which are forced on him by these cruel circumstances by refusing to feed? I have seen what guilt and grief can do to Duncan, and while I try to soothe him, and advice him, I recognize that quite often he has to find his own answers. All I can do is to be there, and willing to give him what he needs when he finally comes to me for it. It may be the same with Julian.

It disturbs me with Duncan that I may open myself to a charge of hypocrisy. I preach peace to him, and try to turn him away from violence. But when there is an Immortal who does evil and who must be stopped, I let him go behead him or her with my blessings. I do it because I cannot allow evil to go unchecked. It is that the same quandary you find yourself with Julian. You and I, old friend, keep your hands clean by allowing our beloved children to commit violent deeds in our service. May God forgive us for it. May our children forgive us for it.

These are hard questions, with no easy answers. I wish I had any to share with you, but each time Duncan must go, ready to do battle, I find myself as bereft as you probably find yourself when Julian must take his gun to enforce your Law. If you have an answer, dear friend, a way to soothe your heart when you send him out and wait in dread for his return, please let me know what it is.

Archon, my friend, please write to me. You are probably the only one who knows what my life is like, and the only one who can give me advice. I will wait for your letters patiently.

Your friend Darius

Monk, former General of the Vandal army.

Duncan put the letter away, tears forming in his eyes. He missed Darius so...

"I found this letter and others after Archon died. He spoke of Darius often to me, always with great affection. He hoped that when he was no longer Prince of the City he would be able to travel to Paris and see him again. But by the time he finally could do it, Darius had been killed." Julian's voice dropped "It was a dark day for him when he learned of it. I had never seen him so frail, so vulnerable."

"And now Archon is dead, too."

"Yes. I like to think that they are together now, and that there is nothing to keep them from each other's company anymore. Maybe at this moment they are pacing together along some green path, discussing the world and us. By now Archon must have told Darius that he was right about my reluctance to feed."

"He was?"

"Yes. I do have trouble doing it when I am feeling guilty about the wars between the clans. The problem is most of the blood I saw when I was new to this life was splattered on walls or spilled on the ground after an execution or a shootout. You cannot blow someone away without making a bloody mess, and I saw too many of those. So, feeding later, when I saw the blood I must take it would remind me of the latest scene of carnage. There was a time when I only fed with my eyes closed to avoid triggering a flashback. Just a few weeks ago I almost died because of it. I was in the same place where I had committed some brutal killings, justified at that time, or so I thought. I was ambushed and seriously wounded. I had this human woman with me." His voice became tender. "She loves me, and I love her. I felt myself become weaker and weaker, and I knew that her blood would heal me, but I was reluctant to ask, reluctant to risk a flashback to my earlier crime. I almost died, and I was willing to be punished that way. I did not even think that with people bent on killing me still loose, her best chance to stay alive was if I was well enough to fight for her. I just could not think straight. She saved me. She cut her own arm and put it over my mouth until she was sure that I would live. I woke up and she was tending me. She loves me so much...and all I could do was make her forget the whole episode."

"Why would you that?"

"Because of the Masquerade. I could make her forget, I could embrace her, or I could kill her. that is our Law. I could not kill her, and as for embracing her, I would have to offer her something better than clan warfare and what it does to all of us before I considered it. So I chose the lesser of three evils."

"Embracing her means making her a vampire, like you?"

"Yes."

Duncan shook his head. "I envy you. At least you have that option. When I love a woman, I know that it is only for a short time. One day I will have to lose her. I try to take each day as it comes, and try to cheer myself up with the thought that maybe this time I will get my head cut off before I have to lose the one I love again. I have no way to protect myself against the pain of loss"

"We have our burdens, you and I, and bear them as best we can."

"Yes. Why do you call us Gladiators?"

"That the old name we used for you."

"Do you really think that is what we are? That our battles are only for the amusement of those who put us here? That there is no prize, that the fate of the world does not hang on the balance? Darius seemed to think it was so."

"I do not know. There were those who knew, but they died in the persecutions, and that was one bit of information that they did not pass on. We lost much of our history."

"But if that is true..."

"If that is true, then you are living your life as best you can. I read your file. You do not engage other Immortals in combat unless in self-defense, or because they have committed a crime that deserves such punishment. Otherwise you befriend them and help them, even though taking their heads would increase your power. You may be caught in a meaningless battle, but you give it meaning and purpose, You behave ethically, no matter whatever Immortals, or Gladiators may be."

"As you behave ethically? Taking only a little blood from your victims and making them forget about it, so that you are only a brief episode in their lives? "

"We cannot change our circumstances, you and I. But we can choose how to respond to them."

MacLeod nodded. Yes, that was all that could be done. Live your life as best you can, with what your are given.

"You have the advantage of me. You seem to know a lot about me, and I know little about you."

"That is because we have managed to infiltrate the Watchers. Some Watcher found about us, and we embraced him. There were others. And then we arranged to have more Kindred recruited by them. Thus we get information about you, and more important, we learn how to keep the Watchers from learning that we were not all wiped out centuries ago. If we had not done that, those renegade Watchers that killed Darius would have come after us." he closed his eyes, painfully. "They killed Darius just because he was not one of them. I hurt when Archon died, but at least he died because of something he had done. Darius led a blameless life, but he was not human by their definition, so they slaughtered him in his own church. I cannot understand how anyone could do such a thing."

"Neither can I." MacLeod said.

"You understand why we have to keep the secret of our existence."

"To survive? To keep from getting your heads cut off?"

"Yes. And that is why you were called. Not to dispose of Felicia Martens. We will see to it. No, you are here because when the Watchers want to write down how she died they can put down beheaded by Duncan MacLeod, and close her file with no more questions."

Duncan stared at Julian. "You mean that you do not want me to fight her?"

"What would be the point? For the fight to have meaning the winner would be able to walk away with his or her life. That is, if she beat you, she would keep her head. That I cannot allow. I cannot permit her to walk away after slaughtering eight of my people just because you got beheaded. Her life is forfeit, and no battle will change that. And what good would it do to jeopardize your own life? Do you think that I would allow you to be killed and do nothing to stop it? After you offered to help us? Could I allow Darius' disciple to die so meaninglessly? No, your role is to have your presence recorded by any Watchers, to receive her Quickening, and to say to anyone who asks that you took her head."

"But it is wrong. That is...cheating. That is not how it is done."

"According by the rules that you live by, yes. But they are not my rules. I am not bound by them. And may God punish me if I allow a killer to walk free to satisfy some rules of a game that I have no interest in playing. And may God punish me if I let die someone who came from a long distance to help strangers, just because they needed help. It is my decision, not yours, to make."

"I can't do that. The rules are laid down for us. It has to be a one-on- one combat."

"Then you will have to decide whether or not we are right when we call you Gladiators."

o

"Is there anything you are not telling me?" Frank asked Sonny.

"I know just as much as you do."

"I think that Luna has told you something that you don't want to share with me."

"Luna talks to you, not me."

"But you are like him."

Sonny sighed. "Frank, do you want a new partner? We cannot work like this, with you watching me the way you do. You are obsessing and that makes you careless. I don't care to have you stop a bullet with your body, or have me stop one because you were wondering about Luna and me instead of keeping the perp in your sight. There are too many people shooting at cops out there for you to waste time wondering at someone who is not."

"I just need to know."

Sonny got up. "I am putting a request for a new partner, right now. I will not go into any potentially lethal situation with you as backup."

Sonny left for the captain's office, and Frank riffled through his desk. There was a note there: "Felicia Martens" with an address, and phone number. He copied it and put the copy in his pocket.

Sonny came back. "I am sorry Frank, but I think this is best."

"Who is Felicia Martens?"

"Felicia Martens?" He looked at Frank, and at his desk.

He put his hand in front of Frank and put him under. "You will not remember that name." he said. "You never went through my desk."

Frank nodded.

Sonny picked up the paper with Martens' name on it. He wanted to question Frank as to what else he had seen, but there were too many people at the police station who might get curious. He brought Frank back.

"You asked for a new partner, already?" Frank asked.

"Yes. I cannot work with you anymore."

o

"All right, I will do it your way." Duncan said to Luna.

"Thank you."

"Do you really think that she could beat me?"

"The way she has accumulated heads, and the Kindred blood that she is taking make her a lot more powerful than you. I do not know who could best her now with the sword. I would not go against her alone. One thing we have learned in order to survive is not to pick fights where we are outmatched. Just remember, this is not between her and Duncan MacLeod, it is between her and our justice."

Duncan nodded. He had delivered Immortals before to human justice for crimes committed against humans. This was no different.

"There is something else that we have to guard against. A Dark Quickening. We do not want you to fall victim to another one."

"You think it may happen to me again?"

"Yes, from what I understand of how a Quickening works. When you take someone's head you take that person's knowledge and memory. You also take the knowledge and memories of all the heads that person has taken before. And the heads that were taken by those whose heads were taken by your opponent. So in the end good and evil balance out. Do your remember what happened to Darius? He took a saintly man's head, and inherited the man's saintliness. That man had taken no heads for centuries, so he had no evil to balance his own goodness, and Darius got all of it. And since Darius did not take any heads afterwards, his goodness was not diluted. What happened to you is that among the evil heads that your friend gathered was one that had taken almost no Immortal heads, confining his murders to humans. Thus there was almost no goodness in him to balance his evil. That undiluted evil was powerful enough to take over your friend, and to take over you afterwards. But then you took a good man's head, Sean Barnes, and that restored the balance in you. If your friend had taken your head, he would have recovered his balance too."

"You got all this figured out?"

"Archon did. Him and Darius."

"And you think that Felicia Martens' evil might be powerful enough to take over me?"

"We do not know how Kindred blood is strengthening her, but that is a possibility. We do not want to have you behead Ritchie, nor Amanda, nor Methos, nor any of your friends before you can be yourself again."

Duncan was silent, thinking about the Sean Barnes, who had died trying to help him.

"You say that it took Sean's death to heal me? That he had to die so that I could be myself again?"

"Do not feel too bad about it. I think that this is how he would have liked to die. Sooner or later his head would have been taken. You allowed him to die doing his life's work. He died healing you; he was doing the work he loved to the end. This gave his death meaning, which he would not have had if anyone else had taken his head. I would not mind dying that way myself."

"I do not want to go though that again."

"And you will not. I think I know of a way to prevent it."

o

Frank fell on his sofa. He was tired and frustrated. Sonny was getting rid of him. He was certain now that Sonny was one of them, and he did not see the point of his denying it as he did. He only wanted to know. How could a vampire be a cop? And had he and Sonny ever been friends? Or was it just an act?

He was getting nowhere with his investigation into the beheadings. He was not sure that he could accept Luna's explanation that the victims were vampires. Maybe and maybe not. There had been another beheading, and it had tentatively been added to the eight others, but he knew that it did not follow the pattern. Sonny knew something that he was passing on to Luna, and keeping it from him. And he could not find what it was. This case would be one more of the unsolved cases in San Francisco. The killings would stop because Luna would see to that, and perhaps the killer would be punished, but he would never know if that was so. He would never know how it ended.

And he was supposed to be content with that.

It was not even worth it coming in to work under these conditions. He hated being told not to investigate this or that. He hated having to take orders from Luna as to what he could or could not investigate.

True, up to now Luna had played straight with him. The baby had been returned to her mother, the Nightstalker had been stopped. They had punished the rock star that had been transforming groupies. As to what happened to Eddie Fiori, you could not blame Luna for defending himself against assassination attempts.

And it was true that Luna protected him. He remembered Cameron's visit. If Luna died, he might not survive him. It was not so easy as it once was to hate Luna. Under different circumstances he might have liked him.

But he hated being kept on a leash.

He decided that he needed a bath. He took off his clothes. He looked at them and decided they needed a wash. He took them to the laundry basket and methodically turned out the pockets. He found quite a bit of loose change, and several pieces of paper. He looked at them, to make sure that they were not important before he threw them away.

"Felicia Martens?" he said, reading one of them. "Where did this one come from?"

A name, and an address and a phone number. "Felicia Martens? Where have I seen this name before?" "

o

This the first time that an outsider has been involved in our meetings." Julian said to Duncan. "You cannot come in until we had our vote, but you will meet the Primogens of the other clans afterwards. I expect trouble from Cameron, but even he realizes that Felicia Martens has to be stopped. Probably what he is working on is a way to have me "accidentally" stabbed while dealing with her. I intend not to turn my back on him nor any other Brujah until this is done. You wait for us here. There is plenty to read, or you can amuse yourself by casing the place for Amanda."

As expected Cameron was ready to make trouble. By calling in an outsider, Duncan MacLeod, Julian had broken the Masquerade.

Julian heard the argument, and was chillingly reminded how much more dangerous than the crude Eddie Fiori Cameron was. And he also knew that the memory of the Manzanita dead made him reluctant to fight Cameron as hard as he should.

"I called him in because this involves Gladiators and Watchers. Felicia Martens is a Gladiator, and as such the Watchers record what she does, how she lives, and how she dies. When a Gladiator's path crosses our people's path we can, to a limited extent, keep the knowledge from the Watchers, but only limited. The only way we are going to keep the Watchers from learning that there was something different about the eight people she murdered is if she is killed cleanly in the regular way. That is, if she is beheaded by another Gladiator in combat. That will close her file. If she dies any other way there will be questions, and the Watchers will find answers if they look for them. We need Duncan MacLeod to close the file on Felicia Martens. "

"The Nosferatu know about Gladiators and Watchers." Daedalus said. "We consider the danger of one Gladiator knowing about us easier to handle than the Watchers coming too close to our secrets".

"It stands to reason." Cash said. "The Watchers are many, and we cannot always spot them. Several of them have already gone Renegade and kill the Gladiators they are supposed to study. We cannot take our chances with them. We have to trust Duncan MacLeod."

Lillie nodded.

"Can Duncan MacLeod be trusted?"

"I have a hold on him. His mentor and friend was a friend of Archon's. Out of loyalty to his memory he is willing to befriend us. According to his file, he is an honorable man, and if he gives his pledge not to reveal our existence to anyone he will keep it. I studied many Gladiator's files, and I chose him as the one whom we could trust."

"The Brujah would only trust him if he was dead." Cameron said. "

And which Gladiator are you going to take into your confidence to take Duncan MacLeod's head so that the Watchers close his file cleanly? Or do you want Duncan MacLeod's death to be an irregular one, so that Watchers can wonder what really happened and try to find out?"

Cameron did not have an answer to that. While he welcomed the chance to use what has happening to hurt Julian, he knew that in this instance Julian was right. They had to go with Duncan MacLeod.

They took a vote and Julian carried it. Even Cameron, reluctantly, had gone along.

Julian then explained about the danger of the Dark Quickening, about Felicia Martens being able to take over Duncan's mind after he had absorbed her power and knowledge.

"All the Kindred blood she has taken may give her the power to do that. We need to strengthen Duncan MacLeod so that it does not happen and we do not have to deal with her again. Duncan MacLeod must have blood from each of our clans, for protection."

Cameron protested, but was outvoted. "You need not give it, if you do not wish. If he has Ventrue, Torreador, Gangrel, and Nosferatu blood in him, that may be enough to protect him. I do not think that Felicia has taken Nosferatu blood, so that would give MacLeod an edge."

"No." Cameron said. "I will give it. If it does not work, and Felicia takes him over, I do not want to take the blame for it."

They rose from the table. Julian poured a glass of brandy, then cut his arm and let a few drops of blood fall into the glass. Cash followed him, then Lillie, Daedalus, and finally Cameron.

"I am sticking to you." Cash said to Julian in a low voice. "I do not want to see you sprout a Brujah knife in your ribs."

Julian nodded. "Yes, Cameron is too agreeable today."

"I never thought I would say it, but I miss Eddie Fiori."

Julian gave a rueful laugh. "You are not the only one. At least Eddie could never make me feel guilty. With Cameron, I feel the weight of Archon's crime and I worry that I may lose my edge because of it."

"Here." Cameron brought back the brandy to Julian. "Now you cannot say that I did not cooperate."

"Thank you." Julian took the glass.

"We can meet him now."

o

They shook hands with Duncan as Julian introduced him.

"So you are the one who is going to take the rap for the lady's death?' Cameron said.

"That is enough." Julian said severely. "Mr. MacLeod is kind enough to do us a service, you could show him some courtesy."

"I appreciate what you are doing." Cash shook his hand "Julian vouches for you, and that is all I need to know."

When Daedalus shook his hand Duncan's eyebrows rose.

"Did Murnau ever get to take a look at you ever?"

"Not him, but he saw a picture made by someone who had once met a Nosferatu." Daedalus said. "In that respect the movie was accurate. As for the rest, we do not attract rats nor cause plagues, do not drain the humans we feed on, and do not quickly disintegrate in the sunlight."

"Sorry, but I had to ask."

Lillie's look held something of an invitation when she shook his hand.

Duncan wondered whether she was truly interested, or trying to stir jealousy in Luna, or if she just did that with any human male who promised her a drink

He grinned back at her. He could take the invitation. Unless Luna was upset by it, he figured that all he could lose was some ounces of blood.

"Very good." Julian said. "Now drink this."

"What is it?" he sniffed. "It is good brandy, but what have you added to ruin it?"

"Drink it. It is to protect you from a Dark Quickening."

He lifted his eyebrows. He figured out quickly what they were giving him. Well, if it would protect him from a Dark Quickening, he would take it.

He drank it in two swallows.

"Did all five of you contribute to this?" he asked. "Yes, we want to give you as much protection as we can."

"Thank you."

"We will go now, all six of us. I will ride with MacLeod, Cash and Lillie. Cameron will have to give a lift to Daedalus."

o

They got in the car.

"Do you have to have all five of you doing it? Wouldn't it make more sense to send some henchmen?" Duncan asked, puzzled.

"Ordinarily yes. But Cameron challenged me, and doubted my claim about a female Gladiator being the killer. He will not stop the challenge unless he sees the thunder and lightning show with his own eyes. And I have to be there, to make sure that he has seen it. Plus one impartial witness to attest to the fact. That is Daedalus, since it is known that Nosferatu do not choose sides in the struggles between the clans. Which leaves the Torreadors and Gangrels fuming as to why their own Primogens were excluded from the party. Thus Lillie and Cash have to come. Power politics can get a bit burdensome at times. By the way, the reason why Cameron is riding with Daedalus is because Daedalus is the only one that Cameron would trust to be alone with."

"He's made enemies."

"I know that he will try to kill me in this expedition, if he can make it look like an accident, so he probably worries that I may have similar plans myself. Cash is Gangrel, and they are sworn enemies of the Brujah. And Lillie cut off the head of the previous Brujah Primogen. He feels safe only with Daedalus, and I respected that.

" "And you are surrounded by friends."

"Yes." "Then the odds are in your favor."

"Yes. But Cameron is daring, and he might yet succeed.'

"Not with me around." Cash said.

"Nor with me." Lillie said, but she blushed as she spoke.

Julian pretended not to notice. If she did not want to mention her setting him up for Eddie Fiori's assassin, he would not do it, either.

"And I am not turning my back on him." Julian added.

"By the way, how are you going to keep the Watchers from noticing the six of us going to meet Felicia?"

"Your Watcher tonight is Kindred. As for Felicia's Watcher, he will see you come in, then will be interrupted and will miss the fight itself. When he will come back to business, there will be a thunder and lightning show, and your Watcher will tell him that you took Felicia's head."

"And he will not doubt it?"

"Why should he? Two Gladiators meet. He does not see the fight, but sees the Quickening. One Gladiator is minus a head, and the other one is alive and well. What conclusion can he reach?"

"That Duncan MacLeod took Felicia Martens' head."

o

Frank stood on the street.

The house was secluded enough. The killings might well have taken place here. He did not know where the name Felicia Martens came from, but when he had gaps in his memory, he knew it had to do with the vampires. They could do that to you easily.

Fortunately he had written it down before.

He would get the answer to this one, no matter what Julian Luna said. He saw Sonny one block away. He went back into the shadows. Sonny was here in Luna's business, and he wanted to know what it was.

o

Sonny kept his eye on the Watcher in the parked car. Duncan MacLeod would come to Felicia Martens' house in a few moments. He was to let the Watcher see MacLeod come in, then he would move in and make sure that the Watcher never saw Julian and the others follow. He would then release the Watcher after the Quickening, so that he could write his report.

o

Frank crept closer to the house, keeping an eye on Sonny. He was going to get answers, and he was going to teach Luna not to try to keep him on a leash.

o

"We stop here." Julian said. "Mr. MacLeod will take the car, so that he arrives alone to her place. We fly after him."

"And then what?" Cameron said.

"Then we take it from there. Cameron, do you know how to throw knives?

" "Yes." "I do not want any of us to get close to her. Cameron can throw, and so can I. We tackle her."

"I have my gun." Cash said.

"No gunshots. Gunshots are heard, and get reported. Lillie, Daedalus, and Cash stand behind Cameron and me. This woman is dangerous. We can only hope that Cameron and me are more dangerous than she is."

"And me?" Duncan said. "Your job is to stay alive until we get a clear shot. And to chop off her head when she is down."

They got out of the car and Duncan moved into the driver's seat. Julian checked his throwing knives set.

"Good luck Duncan. Do not let her get close to you until we can come in."

0

Frank kept to the darkness as he approached Felicia Martens' house.

He continued watching Sonny, who kept watching the Watcher. The Watcher noticed Frank creeping around and wondered what he was doing there. Then Duncan MacLeod drove by, stopped the car, and got out. He walked purposefully towards the house.

Sonny, seeing his arrival walked towards the Watcher's car. "Police officer." he said to him. "Can I see your identification, sir?"

Frank walked moved closer to the house now that Sonny's attention was taken.

o

Felicia felt the buzz in her head. Her quarry was here. She checked at her sword. She lifted it with one hand and looked around. There was an Immortal coming her way. And there was something else.

The blood that she had been taking sharpened her senses. There were vampires about. She could not pinpoint their position, but she knew that the Immortal had not come alone.

Her other hand ran over a set of throwing knives. She knew how to stop vampires in their tracks, and how to keep them prisoner, until the time came to harvest their blood. She did not expect any trouble handling the vampires and the Immortal at the same time. She had grown powerful enough.

"There can be only One." she said. "And I intend to be the One." then she turned to the door.

"Come in." she said. "The door is open. Let's settle this now."

Duncan MacLeod entered.

"Hello, Duncan. I have not seen you since 1991."

"I should have taken your head."

"You lost your chance. Now you will lose your own."

Duncan swung his sword. "How many people have you killed here?"

"Not people. Vampires. There is a difference. They take human blood, and I take theirs. It balances out."

Duncan did not move any closer. Neither did she.

"Do you want to come up here?" She invited him. "Do come up and see me sometime."

Duncan remembered the warning of Julian not to get close to her. "Is your floor booby trapped?"

"Why, do you suspect me?"

"You do not fight fair."

She sensed that the vampires were closer. "Maybe we can meet halfway. but you should not accuse me of cheating, when you are having others fight for you."

"I came alone." he said, moving slowly towards her.

"You do not lie well, Duncan. Too forthright, too honest. And now you have joined forces with vampires."

"Which vampires?" Duncan asked.

"These vampires." Felicia pivoted quickly throwing the knives in her left hand.

The first one hit Julian as he came in through the window, pinning him by the right shoulder to the wall. The next knife hit Cameron in his right shoulder too. Then Daedalus right through the chest, Lillie right under the collarbone, and Cash through his shoulder.

She hit the light switch and beams of light imprisoned the five.

She threw more knives, hitting the left shoulders of Julian, Cameron and Cash and another piercing Lillie through the hip.

"There. They will stay pinned until I have dealt with you. Then I will harvest the blood of the Prince of the City and the other four Primogens."

Duncan hesitated. He could not beat Felicia. She was too good. But if he left she would kill Julian and the others. And if she beheaded him, she would kill them too.

"Stall her." Julian mouthed to him. "I will try to get loose."

He saw Julian twist himself, trying to use his teeth to grab the handle of the knife through his right shoulder.

That was their only chance. Stall her.

"All right. Last time we fought I had you on your knees in front of me. I will have you this way again. Only this time I will cut your neck."

"If you can beat me, you can have my head. But I am not going to let you beat me. You will be at my knees.

" "So be it. In the end there can be only One."

o

Frank crept inside. He stopped, stunned.

A man and a woman were at each other with swords. And the man was backing down barely managing to protect himself. Then he heard soft moans of pain.

Julian and the heads of the other four vampire clans were pinned to the wall with knives thrust through them. His eyes locked with Julian, and he felt his plea. He went up the stairs to them.

"I do not know how you got here, but you may save us. Pull out the knife off my right shoulder. Don't worry about hurting me, just pull it."

Frank pulled it. Julian moaned once, then moved his hand.

The paralysis that had seized it when the knife had gone through the shoulder was not permanent. He still could throw.

"No, leave the other knife. It helps me to stand up. Just give me the knife you pulled off me and free the others."

As Frank pulled the knives off Cash and Lillie, Julian balanced the knife blade in his fingers, studying the battle.

If only he got a clear shot at Felicia. But MacLeod was in the way. He was losing, but taking his time in doing so. He evaded her thrusts, and threw whatever he could get his hands on in her direction. His blade hit hers, but was struggling more to keep hold of it than to attempt to hurt her.

"Drop down" Julian muttered. "Get down on your knees."

"What are those two doing?" Frank asked as he released Daedalus, who fell moaning to the floor.

MacLeod stumbled, and fell downstairs. Felicia laughed, and ran after him, her sword held high.

Julian threw the knife.

It hit her in the middle of the back and cut through her heart, coming out through her chest.

She fell down, crashing into MacLeod.

Duncan did not hesitate. He took back his sword and swung it. Her head fell.

"He killed her!" Frank said. "

Yes. Thank God. She was your killer. And that was the only way she could be killed."

Julian reached for the knife at his left shoulder and pulled it out.

"Release Cameron. You deserve and explanation, and certainly an apology. And you'll get it as soon as we are in shape to offer it."

Julian was in pain, but made himself stand up. Daedalus had been seriously wounded and would not get up. Cash helped Lillie to stay on her feet. Cameron stood up straight, not wishing to appear weaker than Julian.

Then the Quickening hit Duncan.

"What the...?" Frank asked.

"What is going on?"

"That's the Quickening." Julian said with awe. "You are one of the few humans to witness it. As we are one of the few Kindred to do so."

"What is...what was she?"

"A Gladiator. So is he."

"She was not human.." He stared at the lighting, radiating from Felicia's body, sweeping the inside of the house and then converging on Duncan, who absorbed it with screams half of pain, half of pleasure.

"Nor was she Kindred. She was something else, as I told you.

" Then the lighting stopped. Duncan fell to his knees and panted.

"Duncan, are you all right?"

Duncan nodded.

"She was strong. She is strong. I can feel her inside me."

"Fight her."

"I will be all right."

Julian turned towards his fellow Kindred. "How are you doing?"

"Daedalus got a bad wound. Came too close to his heart." Lillie said. Julian bent over him.

"Bad wound. He needs blood to heal."

He looked up at Frank. "You already did enough. But if you would help..? We have taken wounds ourselves and are weak."

Frank considered it. He had not intention to become lunch to these five. Yet something in Daedalus aroused his compassion

"How much does he need?"

"You can spare it. The rest of us will manage, but not him."

Frank nodded. "Will you make sure he does not take too much?" For all that the still disliked Luna, he knew that his word could be trusted.

"You will not be harmed by it."

"All right. I'll do it."

Julian made the cut with his fingernail, then pressed the wound to Daedalus's mouth.

"Is that how you do it?" Frank asked.

"Yes."

"Well, It ain't so bad. But I am not in a hurry to repeat it. Once is enough for me."

Cash could not help a small laugh.

"Man, you've been tapped quite a number of times, you just don't remember."

"What you mean?"

"He means that you are strong, healthy, and in the prime of life." Julian said. "Precisely what we go for."

"Because then you can be sure it will not harm me?"

"Would you rather we preyed on the sick or the frail?" Cash answered. "Those we leave alone."

"With one exception." Julian said, softly.

"Yeah, what it is?"

"It is a last service, one that you may still use. You may not need it. Your manner of death may be sudden. Or the laws may have changed by that time. But we do on occasion ease the passage of the terminally ill to whom the laws deny release from their pain. If you are ever denied release from pain, I will assist you. I owe you this much."

Duncan went up the stairs.

"What are you doing?" "Daedalus was badly wounded. He needs blood to heal, and Frank is helping him."

"Why don't you get it out of the refrigerator?"

"The refrigerator?"

"That's where Felicia kept the blood she took. She must have some left..."

"Of course. The refrigerator. Cameron, Cash, you go get it, both of you. Bring it back here. Take some for yourselves first. Try not to think how it got there."

Cameron and Cash did as they were told.

"I hope that they can cooperate for as long as it takes to get to the refrigerator and back." Lillie said under her breath.

"Frank Kohanek, this is Duncan MacLeod, a friend who is neither human nor Kindred, either. Duncan, this is Frank Kohanek who just saved all our lives. He knows enough about Kindred, he might as well know about Immortals. We owe him that much."

Frank and Duncan said a few words of greeting to each other.

Julian looked at Daedalus. His wound was closing, and his eyes were alert.

"This is it." He said pushing Frank's arm away. "He does not need any more. And thanks again, Frank. You have been a good friend.

" Daedalus focused on him. "Is this Frank Kohanek? The human that you protect?"

"Yes."

"I doubted your wisdom when I heard of him. But not anymore. He has proven that he can be trusted. I thank you, Mr. Kohanek. If I or the Nosferatu can ever be of service to you, you need only ask." "

How are you feeling?" Can you stand?"

"Give me a couple of minutes and I will." He shook his head. "That was a close one, Julian. I did not even see it coming, not until the knife hit me."

"We should have seen it coming. I should have known better."

"Well, she took all of us by surprise." Lillie said warmly. "I saw how you got her. You used just your right hand, and did not even free the other arm."

"I had one arm free, and that was enough. I did not dare to pull out the other knife. It was the only thing that kept me on my feet. I felt very weak."

"But still you could throw."

Julian gave a rueful smile. "Thanks to my training. I am not proud of my enforcer past. But it taught me how to take a lot of punishment and still keep on coming."

"An enforcer? Something like a hit man?" Frank asked.

"Something like it." Julian grimaced. "Not my favorite topic of conversation. All right, now we figure out how to get out of here."

he turned to Duncan. "Did you pick any knowledge from her Quickening about anything that we have to take with us?"

"She kept all the documentation on Kindred on the third drawer of her dresser. Wait! There is more on the desk."

"Keep digging through the memories. We need to account for all that before we leave."

Duncan closed his eyes. "She is strong. She is still trying to take over."

"Can you hold her long enough? When we get back to our place I will help you handle her. But now we need all that information."

Duncan nodded and dove again into Felicia's memory.

Julian looked at him with concern. If Duncan made it back to Julian's house, there were ways to keep the Dark Quickening from happening. But if Duncan was overcome on the way...

"No, there is nothing else. Just the blood in the refrigerator."

"Good. Now, take the knife out of her back and then run through her chest with your sword, make the new wound large enough to hide the one already here. Then get out of the house and into our car. Let Felicia's Watcher see you leave, so that he knows that Felicia lost. Then drive to the spot where you dropped us and wait for your Watcher to pick you up."

If Duncan made it to the Watcher it would be all right. The Watcher had backup. If the Dark Quickening took hold of him, they could easily overpower him and deliver him trussed up to Julian. There were only a few minutes in which Duncan would be uncovered. They were going to be very long minutes.

Cameron and Cash came back with a bottle each.

"He took more than I did." Cash complained.

"I expect so."

Julian gave one bottle to Lillie and took one swallow from the other. Duncan gave them a curious look, then went downstairs, to do as Julian had told him.

"What you mean, you expect so?" Cameron said pugnaciously. "I mean that you are a prudent man. You can count. There is one of you against three of us, and the one impartial witness cannot do much to protect you. You have to protect yourself, so you try to make yourself as strong as you can. But you do not need to. Daedalus is recovering. And I give you my word that you will return unharmed to your home."

Cameron snorted.

Julian waited until Duncan had left the house. There was something he wanted to say, but not in front of Duncan. Frank was a different matter. The words would apply to him, too. When he heard the car start he turned towards his companions, and let them see his anger.

"Does any one here realize what happened here?" he said. "Do you understand the stupidity of our actions? We put the five Primogens in the line of fire, for power politics considerations. Three of them cannot throw knives, even that is to be our mode of attack, so more than half of our force was dead weight. Sorry, Cash, Lillie, Daedalus, but that is all you were. We all came together in the same group, so she could sweep us in the same volley. The proper method is everyone approaches from a different direction. This way, she may get one of us, but not all. We were not killed because the God that looks after fools sent us Frank Kohanek. And why did we do it this stupid way? I used to be an enforcer, and if I ever mounted such a ridiculous operation as this, I would not be here today. I have done better than this. Anyone of us could have done better. I could have picked up five people with the proper skills and training and they would have done it. Cameron could have. Cash, Lillie, Daedalus they all could. Do you know why we did what we did? Because of our curse of clan warfare. The pecking order between the clans could be upset if one Primogen was missing, so all five must come, even the deadweight. No, sorry, I forgot Daedalus must come because he is an impartial witness. But why Daedalus himself? Can you tell me that he cannot find a reliable Nosferatu who can throw knives? Can't Lillie find a properly trained Torreador? You mean that there are no Gangrels other than Cash that would have served? Yes, there are. But that is not the way we do things. And do you know why we were so close together? Because we were watching each other. I wanted to make sure that Cameron did not stab me in the back, and Cameron wanted to make sure that I did not stab him in the back. So we kept looking over our shoulders, instead of keeping an eye of Felicia Martens, even though we knew how dangerous she was. Have you heard anything more stupid? I am not stupid. Neither one of us is. But clan warfare is destroying our brains. We were joined against a common enemy, someone who did not discriminate against any clan, but murdered all of them equally, and we chose to bicker among ourselves. Who was it who said, we shall live together as brothers, or die together as fools? Well, we came as close to dying together as fools as we ever will. I suggest that we start rethinking our priorities, because the next time we may not be so lucky."

Cameron shrugged. Julian knew that he had not reached him. But he had to try. Sooner or later the Brujah must come to understand that they were the ones hurt most by the continuing hostilities.

"How come she knew that you were the Prince of the City and we were the Primogens?" he asked.

"She probably tortured our names out of her victims, and they did research to attach faces to the names." Daedalus said softly.

"She was an evil woman."

"Very evil." Lillie agreed. "I know that you are right, but you know that the Torreadors' record. It is not us who have gone to war with other clans. We are nota s detached and impartial as Nosferatus, but we like to keep out of the troubles you fighting clans make for yourselves."

"And you are not spotless yourself." Cameron reminded him.

"I know that I have been as guilty as anyone. But we cannot go on like this. Our survival depends on cooperation between the clans, not warfare."

He descended the stairs. "Let's pour the remaining blood down the drain, get the documents about Kindred, then leave."

"Shouldn't we burn the house, for safety?" Cash asked. "With the electrical storm it just went through no one would find it strange."

"But Felicia's body they might. And if it is not here, the Watchers will wonder about that. No, better leave things as they are. Remember everything you touched and wipe your prints. We may be able to come in tomorrow and do a more thorough clean-up job. Are we all strong enough to fly? Daedalus?"

"I can do it."

"Good." He took a couple more swallows out of the bottle, with evident distaste. "I will have to carry Frank with me. I do not want anyone leaving through the door, just in case there are witnesses. Ideally, Duncan should be out of San Francisco when the authorities discover Felicia's body."

"Where do we meet?" Lillie asked.

"You all ride together in Cameron's car. Try to be civil to each other through the ride. I will go with Duncan and Frank."

o

"Whoa!" Frank said as Julian touched ground again. "That was quite a ride!"

"The car should be here. And I hope that Duncan is."

"Would you mind explaining to me just what went through here?"

"It was a Gladiator combat. Gladiators fight each other to the death. This woman was a Gladiator, and she though that Kindred blood would make her invincible. We had to call a Gladiator of our own, that is Duncan. And now we have to be sure that he is all right."

He went to the car.

"He is here." the Watcher said. "He started acting strange, so we had to secure him, as you said."

"Thank you."

The Watcher and two men left the car. Julian looked inside. Duncan was lying on the back seat, bound hand and foot.

He bent over him. "Fight her Duncan. Hold on. I will not let her win." he turned to the others. "You can go now. I thank you again for your service."

The three Kindred left.

Julian turned to Frank. "Will you mind driving? I have to tend to Duncan."

"Why is he tied up?"

"The woman he just killed is trying to take over his mind. I can keep it from happening if I get him home quickly."

"This is weird, you know that."

"Very weird. Please Frank, I know that you have helped us more than enough tonight, would you mind one more service? Name your price."

"I am not leaving you until I get answers, and if that means driving you around, so be it. Tell me everything about Gladiators, and how they fit with vampires, and the rest."

"Fair enough."

Julian sat next to Duncan, holding his head in his lap. "Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod, you are not give in. For the honor of the clan MacLeod you must not let Felicia Martens win. You are Duncan MacLeod, of the clan MacLeod. Fight, Duncan, fight."

"I...I am trying." Duncan said. "She is strong."

"You are strong. Fight her, Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod."

"This is weird." Frank muttered as he drove.

"Frank, about Sonny."

"Yes?"

"Did you hear the speech I gave them there?"

"About how you should not fight each other?"

"Yes. We almost got killed because when we went to fight our common enemy together but we did not trust each other. This also applies to you and Sonny. When you must go after an armed suspect you must be able to cover each other. You must be able to trust each other with your lives. If you start watching each other instead of your quarry, you will be killed. You know that. So ask yourself if you can trust Sonny as a partner, and if he can trust you. Don't go out with him unless you can do it."

"I just want to know the truth."

"Then ask him, point blank. Tell him exactly how you feel." He would give Sonny permission to tell Frank the truth. After tonight, Frank deserved it.

"And he will answer?"

"I think he will."

"Julian." Duncan panted "how much longer?"

"Just a few more minutes." he turned to Frank. "I know that it is illegal, but can you run through red lights when in it is safe? The sooner we get home the better."

"Julian.."

"Yes, Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod?" "If Felicia wins, will you cut off my head? She is evil. I do not want her to use my body for her evil."

"Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod, Felicia will not win, and I will not cut off your head."

"Please, you may have to."

"If I need to, I will do it, Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. But I do not intend to need to do it."

"She is so strong."

"But you are stronger, Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod."

"Why do you keep repeating about clan MacLeod. By now he remembers who he is."

"He has to be reminded. The woman he beheaded is trying to take over his body. His full name is the anchor of his identity."

"Possession, you mean?"

"Something very much like that."

Frank whistled. "You people are something else."

Duncan moaned.

"We are almost there, Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. Just hold on."

"How many more like him are there?"

"Enough of them that there is a whole secret society that does nothing but study them."

"And they fight each other to the death, just as I saw?"

"That is supposed to be the purpose of their existence, to behead each other."

"Why?"

"In theory, for the big prize that is promised to the one survivor. In fact, no one knows why they must do it. They just do."

"And these woman was killing vampires because their blood made her stronger?"

"Yes. So she could win all these battles."

"Man, oh, man. Just when I thought I could handle your kind, I find out that there is these other...people to watch out for. What else is out there that you are not telling me about?"

"I am not sure myself. I told you, we lost much of our history."

"Yeah, in the persecutions. But you must have some idea. Should I expect leprechauns? How about centaurs and mermaids? Are they real, by any chance?"

"Centaurs and mermaids, I know for certain that they do not exist. As for leprechauns...well, it depends as to how you would define them."

Frank stopped at the entrance to Julian's home.

"Well, here it is."

"Thank you Frank. Come in. Did you have dinner today?"

"I ate something on the way."

"Because you can have dinner at the club. Put it all on my tab."

"With all I can drink?"

"Yes. Anything you want."

"I will take you on that."

"Are we there?" Duncan asked, plaintively.

"Yes. Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. Do you think that you can walk on your own, or would you rather I carried you?"

"I...I can walk."

Julian released Duncan's feet and helped him up. "Lean on me. We have to go up one story."

Duncan climbed the steps with difficulty. "She is fighting me. She thinks that she can win, and that we are only delaying her."

"I know better."

They went into Julian's study. Julian eased Duncan on a seat and retied his feet. Then he went to the fireplace and stoked the fire.

"Archon" he said. "Can you help us?"

He sensed Archon's presence, as he always did. "Can I reach Darius through you? Duncan MacLeod needs him, more than he ever did.

" As if in answer, he sensed another presence next to Archon's. A soothing, benevolent presence. He sighed with relief. He could do it. Darius would fight for Duncan and help release him.

He went to Duncan and cut his arm. "Drink this, slowly. Close your eyes and empty you mind."

Duncan obeyed. He made a small gagging sound when he first tasted the blood, but made himself swallow. He closed his eyes, and so did Julian.

Julian began to see two figures with his mind's eye. One was Archon, and it made his heart ache to recognize him. The other was a monk, smiling encouragingly at him. He concentrated, trying to channel their presence into Duncan through his blood.

o

Felicia stood alone on the plain, sword in hand. "We fight again, Duncan MacLeod. And this time you won't have a cheating vampire throw knives at me. I will win this battle."

"You will have to beat me first." Duncan said, lifting his sword. "And I have allies."

"Yes, you hope that someone else will fight for you. But I have allies, too."

Kalas was there, and Thorne, and Xavier St Cloud, and Killian, and so many others. They swung their swords and advanced towards him.

"It will be a good fight, Duncan." Fitzcairn said. "let's give our best."

His friends came behind him. Patrick and Michael, and so many others whom he had loved and still missed.

Swords clashed as his friends and enemies fought. He was faced with Felicia and she was strong, too strong for him. But he fought on, for the honor of the clan MacLeod. Then a sword came between them.

"It is over, Felicia." Darius said, holding the sword that kept Felicia and Duncan apart. "You have lost."

"You have no right!" Felicia shouted.

"But I do." A man that Duncan did not know came forward.

"I have come to take back the power that you have stolen from my people."

"Cheating vampire!" Felicia shouted at him. "The only way that Duncan can win is with your help."

"Vampire I am, but you are the cheater, you who stole from my people what you could not get by yourself."

Archon's fingernail slashed like a knife. Duncan saw blood pour out of Felicia's throat, and he saw Archon fasten his mouth to the wound. Felicia screamed, and seemed to dwindle at each swallow that Archon took.

Archon let her go, and she curled up, shivering. She was now weak and inconsequential. Duncan could beat her off with the flat of his sword.

"She does not amount to much once she is forced to return what she stole." Archon said. "She could have achieved strength on her own, but she chose to steal it. Now she has noting."

Duncan moved towards her and she backed off. She joined the rank and file of Duncan's enemies, who were retreating under the sword of Duncan's friends.

"Begone" Darius said. "Return to whence you came."

Duncan's enemies were gone. His friends lifted their swords to him in salute. Duncan smiled at them, then they too were gone.

"Darius." Duncan said. "Is this you?

" "Yes, it is me."

"I miss you so much. There are times when I think I want to go talk to you, and then I remember that I cannot. Why did it have to be you?"

"Because of the book that Archon had sent me. He helped me learn about the Watchers, for I wanted to find out what we really are, where we come from, and what is the purpose, if any, of our existence."

"You never told me you were doing that."

"I did not want to tell you until I had answers. Then Archon found out about the Renegade Watchers. He warned me, and I tried to pass on the warning to you, but they were too fast."

"It was a dark day for me when it happened."

"But good came from it, for it led you to Joe Dawson who has become your friend. It is good that you did not stop living and loving on account of me, Duncan. As this has led you to Julian Luna, who wishes to become your friend."

"If you feel gratitude towards me or Darius, repay it by befriending Julian." Archon said. "He needs what your friendship can give him. He needs a friend who teaches him how to laugh again and how to enjoy life. He needs to know that for all the tragedy he has live through life is to be savored, not endured. The cruel choices forced on him when I made him my enforcer killed his laughter. You can bring it back to him."

"And Julian has much to teach you." Darius said. "He strives to do right, as you do. But he is weighted by the responsibility of those he rules, a responsibility you never could understand, as you never held it. He can teach you about it, and how to weight the consequences of your actions."

"I will do so."

o

Julian felt Duncan relax in his arms. He heard Archon's voice telling him that everything was all right now, that Duncan was safe now.

He pulled his arm off Duncan's mouth and saw the wound in his arm close. He held Duncan's head in his hands, feeling a wave of tenderness reach into him. He kissed Duncan gently on the forehead, then quickly released Duncan's hands and feet.

"You are all right now." He said.

Duncan muttered something that might be an agreement. He was falling asleep fast.

Julian took off Duncan's shoes and let him lie on the sofa. He threw a blanket over him, and left the room, turning off the light.

It was only when he was outside the room he realized how hungry he was. He had been wounded, and now had had to give blood to help Duncan.

He had taken very little of the bottled blood in Felicia's home. In spite of his advice to the others, he could not forget where that blood had come from. He did not want tragedy and guilt associated with his feedings. He had guilt enough for four lifetimes, and did not need to add to it. Feeding was something that he wanted to feel good about, because he spent a great deal of time doing it.

He studied the staff at the club. He rarely fed on his workers, because they saw him on a daily basis and could be very observant. Customers were a different matter; they were bent on having a good time, and as long as they got it, they did not get curious, and whatever they might possibly remember got lost in the haze of good times and alcoholic drinks.

But after what he had gone through tonight, he could afford this small self-indulgence.

Cosme was a good choice. Not only he was strong and healthy, but he could earn the young man's gratitude. He knew from experience that anyone who had reason to feel kindly towards him would be very unlikely to be bothered by any half-memories that might surface about bleeding wounds.

As far as Cosme would know, Julian had called him to offer him a bonus for staying up so late so that Frank Kohanek could eat and drink his fill. This bonus would allow Cosme at last to bring his family to the United States, as he hoped. He would fill happy enough not to fight any command to forget anything else that Julian did, and to dismiss as inconsequential any small unexplained wound he found later in his body.

Frank saw Julian come down the stairs, his face drawn.

"He is hungry." he thought.

He saw him call the Salvadorean waiter and go with him behind some curtains. A few moments later both came out, Julian looking more relaxed, and the waiter with a happy and proud smile. Frank looked at the man's wrists. There was a small trickle of blood on the left one.

Julian came to Frank and sat down at his table.

"I still owe you an apology. I see that it was foolish of me to try to keep you out of this business. You found out anyway, and I am alive because you did."

"That waiter." Frank indicated with his head.

"You fed on him, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Why does he have that smile on his face?"

"Because he has very good news. He has been saving the money he earns to bring his family to this country. Today he earned a bonus that will allow him to do it at last."

"Is that a bribe for letting you do...what you do?"

"No, a reward for being willing to stay after hours to take care of you. It is quite late, and he wants to go to sleep. But he is dedicated, and hard working, so I rewarded him for it. It will make him more willing to give his best in this job, and any other he has. And this willingness will probably be noticed by his employers and rewarded accordingly."

"But you bled him."

"Yes, and he will not remember it. All he will remember is that he is happy that he put in the extra effort, and that I am a grateful boss."

Frank shook his head. "Do you feed on your staff often?" "No, mostly the customers."

He explained the rationale to Frank. "As far as I can tell, being bled does neither increase nor decrease the likelihood that they will come back."

"How is Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod?"

"He is all right. He has thrown off the attempt of that woman to take over his body. It was a tight fight, but I had help for him. He is now resting."

"He is a Gladiator, you said?"

"They call themselves Immortals. Gladiators is the old name that we used to give them."

He told Frank everything he knew about Immortals. He had decided that it was safer to let him know everything instead of having him dig up information on his own. Frank could do a lot of unwitting damage that way.

"That is all I know. You can ask Duncan for more tomorrow."

"Good, you answered all my questions on this case. What about all the other ones that you were involved with?"

Julian sighed. "I see. Well I have decided that it is safer to let you know the truth than have you stir hornet's nests trying to find out. You were lucky tonight. No, I was lucky tonight. But it could have gone the other way. If you are going to be backup for me, I want to be aware of it."

"If that half-assed operation I caught you in today is a representative sample of what you do, I might be safer on my own."

"I accept your reproof. It was ridiculous what we tried to do. But you can blame clan warfare for our stupidity. Most of the problems I handle do not require the presence of the Primogens. And next time they ask to be present I will deny it, and have justification."

"All right, tell me what happened in those cases I came to you for information."

"Which one do you wish to know first?"

Julian told Frank all that he wanted to know, and more besides. He even talked of his past as Archon's executioner, and the scars it had left on him. He had decided that Frank could be trusted, and was willing to reveal that much of himself. Maybe it was the memory of Alexandra. He still mourned her, and Frank was his only link to her now.

"You mean that you are a vampire who can't stand the sight of blood?" Frank asked, amazed. "It seems like a bad joke, except that for you it is not funny at all."

"It does not happen often. Not now. Only when I am stressed."

"I can understand it. I have seen people blown away, in my job, and it made me lose my lunch when it happened. It is probably the same way with you."

"Yes, it is."

Frank yawned. "Well, it is time for me to go home."

"Frank, can I have your car keys?" "Why?"

"Because you did not drive your car here. You drove mine. Your car is still where you parked it, if you remember where it is."

"My...car. Yes, you are right." he pulled out his keys and told Julian where he had left his car.

"Will you pick it up so that I can drive home?"

"I will pick it up and then drive you home."

"Why? I can drive."

"You've had too much to drink."

"I can still drive."

"Drunk driving is against the law. As a police officer it is not fitting that you should break the law that you are charging with enforcing."

Frank rolled his eyes. "Man, you are a real pain. For a moment you looked and sounded human, now this."

"I am not human, I am Kindred."

"What you are is a blasted self-righteous prig! You are one of those wretched people whose life has no meaning unless you can go around telling others how they can improve their lives. You always have a lecture for everybody. I feel sorry for Eddie Fiori. Being around you was what sent him around the bend. If I tell you that I can drive, then I can drive, and I do not need you to deliver the MADD party line to me." he got up. "I am going now."

He took a couple of steps, then stumbled and fell.

"As I said, you have had too much to drink."

Frank protested, but Julian led him to a sofa, and as he had done with Duncan, took off Frank's shoes, covered him and turned off the light.

He called on one of Cash's Gangrels to pick Frank's car, then decided that he had had a full day, and that it was time for him to rest.

o

Epilogue:

"Archon is buried here." Julian told Duncan.

"It is a nice spot, and I like to come here when I want to think."

"It is very beautiful." Duncan said. "Very peaceful."

"Archon knew little peace in his life. He did what he had to do to make it more peaceful for the rest of us. He made mistakes, and he paid for them. We all owe him much."

He knelt down and placed a rose on Archon's grave. He stayed on his knee for a few moments, in contemplation. Duncan watched him in respectful silence.

Julian rose and walked to the water's edge. "You can see the city from here."

"It is a beautiful city."

"And my prison. A Prince cannot leave his city. If he did, fighting would break out between the clans. I would like very much to travel, and maybe one day I will. One day Sonny will take over here and I will be free. But there is much that I have to do until then. Is Paris very beautiful, as I heard?"

"Yes, very beautiful."

"Maybe I will see it one day."

"I live on a barge. You could stay with me when you come. It is nothing as luxurious as this, but it is comfortable."

"I thank you for the invitation, but there will be many years before I can do it."

"What are years to you and me? As long as we can keep our heads attached to our shoulders, we will do all we want to do."

"Yes, we will." he was silent for a moment. "I have something for you, Duncan."

He took a small box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside was a small silver crucifix.

"Darius gave it to Archon, to remember him by, when Archon left for America. I think that Archon would want you to have it."

"Thank you." Duncan took the small crucifix and caressed it with his fingers. Then an impish half-smile formed on his lips. "You know, this reminds me of a scene in a movie."

Julian stiffened at the words. "You know that the movies you mean are nothing but fantasy, with no basis in fact."

Duncan smiled more widely. "You are thinking of the wrong movie. The one I have in mind has Humphrey Bogart in it."

"Humphrey Bogart?"

"Yes, you know, the one in which he says to Claude Rains." he threw his arm around Julian's shoulder, laughing. "Louie, I think that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Julian stayed silent for a moment, surprised. Then he too began to laugh.