Duncan arrived at the address that Cassie had written down for him. It was in a very prominent part of town. He wondered just how much damage Horten had done to Joe's organization. Joe had told him that Horten had gotten into the computers and was transferring money in large sums. Well apparently he had transferred quite a bit. Duncan sat across the street watching to see if anyone was stirring. Finally he decided that no one was home. He went to the door and knocked loudly. When no one answered he discretely picked the lock and let himself in.
Duncan looked around, the place was a mess. Apparently someone was interested in something that Horten had. He started sifting through the mess to see if he could figure out who had done this or if anything indicated that Horten was still alive. After about an hour of fruitless searching Duncan decided either Horten covered his tracks well or someone had already taken any information that could have led to any Immortals. As far as he could tell Horten hadn't been back here. Duncan didn't believe in ghosts, but he wondered just how long Horten was going to haunt him. He started downstairs when he heard the door open. He immediately knew that it was another Immortal. Duncan pulled his sword from under his jacket and cautiously made his way downstairs. When he got to the bottom a man jumped out and faced him brandishing his sword.
"I am Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod." Duncan said raising his sword in front of him.
"Well Duncan MacLeod, I'm Martin Stauffer and I believe you are in the wrong place at the wrong time and I am going to take your head." He said lustily lunging at Duncan.
Duncan smiled wickedly. "O.K. come on and try." he said as he skillfully deflected Martin's sword. Duncan wondered just what he was doing here. He knew he hadn't been followed. He needed to get some information out of this Martin Krueger before he cut his head off. Duncan continued to parry with him as he backed up the stairs.
"Just how do you know Horten?" Duncan asked him through gritted teeth as he spun around to deflect another blow. He had reached the top of the stairs and jumped back out of Martin's way as he swung haphazardly at Duncan. Martin stumbled as he missed Duncan and it gave Duncan time to assess the situation. He could see the hate and anger in Martins face. He didn't figure he could reason with him. If he could just find out if he was in any way connected to Robert and Cassie.
"Well, you're pretty good Highlander." Martin growled as he advanced on Duncan.
That statement caught Duncan slightly off guard. "You have an advantage, you know me but I don't know you." Duncan said meeting him in the center of the room, sword poised for action. "I guess Horten was a pretty good source of information for you." Duncan said swinging his sword to meet Martins. "Well it's too bad that you won't be getting anymore. He seems to have had an accident with a knife." Duncan said as he shoved Martin backwards. If Horten and his minions were supplying information to an Immortal it wouldn't be the first time. Martin came at Duncan with renewed vigor and Duncan kept his cool and parried with him.
"Well that's where you're mistaken. I got a call just yesterday telling me where to find you." Martin said lunging at Duncan and catching his arm enough to draw blood.
Duncan spun quickly out of his way and met Martin's sword with a vengeance. Yesterday, was it a coincidence that Tony had kidnapped Cassie yesterday? Did he call Martin and tell him he had found Duncan?
"You're slipping Highlander." Martin taunted as he fended off Duncan's blows.
Duncan looked at Martin closely. He could see the hate simmering in Martin's eyes and he realized that he probably wouldn't be getting any answers from him. He continued to advance on Martin and in a quick flick of his sword he managed to knock his sword out of his hand.
"Now who's slipping?" Duncan said sarcastically. "Now just who is it that is keeping you informed of my whereabouts?" Duncan rested the tip of his sword at Martin's neck, applying just enough pressure to make sure he knew he wasn't joking.
Martin grabbed Duncan's sword and shoved it away from him, he then turned and crashed through the window behind him.
Duncan looked out the window and watched as he got up off the ground. He stood and shoved his bleeding hand into his coat pocket and turned to look up at Duncan. He saluted Duncan arrogantly and turned and fled down the street.
They had finished packing over an hour ago and Richie had sacked out on the bed. Cassie glanced over her shoulder at him. She was still in front of the computer trying to break Robert's password. She sighed loudly and sat back in her chair frustrated. Joe had come over to see how she was coming along and now he rubbed her shoulders and Cassie smiled up at him gratefully.
"I guess he hid it better than I thought." Cassie said closing the computer.
"Don't be hard on yourself. You knew what a stickler for security Robert was." Joe said patting her consolingly.
Cassie looked at her watch and wondered again if Duncan was all right. Richie sure didn't seem worried. "I wonder what is keeping..." Before she had finished her sentence both she and Richie felt the presence of another Immortal close by. Cassie jumped up knocking the chair over and Joe grabbed her arm to steady her. She caught herself holding her breath as Richie moved quietly to the door.
Richie jumped up from the bed and pulled his sword out. "One can never be too safe, it might not be Duncan." Richie whispered at Cassie and Joe's questioning looks.
"Hey Richie, it's me." Duncan said through the door, knowing instinctively that Richie would be standing behind the door ready to take off someone's head. Sometimes Richie was too eager, but in this case he was glad when Richie opened the door with his sword drawn. If Martin wasn't just blowing off steam and someone was watching them, they all needed to be on their toes.
"What took you so long? Was there trouble?" Richie asked closing the door behind Duncan.
Cassie let her breath out slowly when she heard Duncan's voice. She noticed immediately as he stepped through the door that he looked a little disheveled and she started toward him.
"Well I ran into someone..." He paused and started to pull his coat off not thinking about his bloody shirt sleeve. "Joe, have you ever heard of an immortal named Martin Stauffer?"
Cassie froze and looked at Duncan startled. She had heard that name, the man at the mall. "You've been hurt." Cassie said the worry evident in her voice. She had started to tell him she knew Martin's name, but when she noticed that he had been hurt, the name was forgotten for now. She went toward him eyes riveted to the bloody slashed shirt sleeve.
"It's nothing." Duncan said watching in amusement as she hurried over to check his arm. "I'm telling you it's O.K." Duncan said smiling as Cassie frowned at him and gently pulled the bloody sleeve away from the wound.
Cassie gasped as she saw a completely healed wound. She stepped back from Duncan and looked at her bloody hands. That much blood. It had to have been a massive wound. Cassie felt her heart rushing out of control and suddenly felt lightheaded. Was this what she had become? It hadn't occurred to her that she could be hurt, much less heal so quickly. As a matter of fact she had tried not to think of it at all. She unintentionally backed up as Duncan took a step toward her. Screaming in her mind was the thought that she was a freak. She closed her eyes and immediately felt a pair of strong arms go around her.
Duncan stepped forward and grabbed Cassie and pulled her into his arms. He felt her involuntarily stiffen. "Cassie, look at me."
"Duncan..." It came out a whisper. Cassie's head was spinning and she was still afraid to open her eyes.
"Don't give up on me yet, you've hung in there this long." Duncan said shaking her a little. She was as pale as a ghost and he felt her go limp. He swept her up in his arms as her legs gave out under her.
"Duncan is she going to be all right?" Joe asked his voice laced with worry as Duncan laid the now unconscious Cassie gently on the bed.
"Sure. Richie, get me a cold rag." Duncan said sitting next to Cassie on the bed. He reached over and pushed Cassie's hair off her forehead and smiled at Joe. "I guess it has finally sunk in just what has happened to her. I figured it would hit her pretty hard when she realized just what was going on."
"I certainly hope she can accept this, I'd hate to lose her." Joe said sitting down on the opposite side of the bed. Joe knew what a shock it could be for a mortal to find out what it meant to be an Immortal.
Richie came back in and handed Duncan the rag frowning. "She's been all right all day that is up until she saw the blood on your shirt." Richie sat on the foot of the bed. "Do you suppose she didn't realize what was actually happening? You know, I was rather nosy, I saw it all going on before it happened to me."
"I'm not sure what she thought. She's coming around now..."
Cassie moaned and put her hand to her forehead. She felt sick and when she opened her eyes and when she saw the three of them watching her anxiously she closed her eyes again.
"Come on Cassie, it's going to be fine." Joe said picking up her hand and holding it tightly.
Cassie gripped Joe's hand, hers still a little shaky, and opened her eyes again. "I'm O.K. now." she said lowly. She looked up at Joe, avoiding Duncan's look. She could almost feel him watching her. Joe was smiling at her but she could see the worried expression on his face. Cassie sat up slowly. She was still a little woozy but her head was starting to clear. "I'm not sure what brought that on, but I can't ever remember fainting before."
Duncan got up from the bed with a look of amusement on his face. Cassie still didn't look at him, it seemed like the more she needed him the further away she pushed herself. Well he had been to that point of not wanting to really know what was going on too. When Connor had found him, he was in bad shape. It had taken quite awhile for Connor to straighten him out and he sure made it hard on Connor. It had been many years since he had first found out he was immortal, but he still remembered the feelings.
Cassie felt Duncan get up and now reluctantly looked up at him. He met her eyes and she could see the deep understanding in them. Duncan extended his hand to her she felt her cheeks redden slightly, damn she was going to have to learn to control her feelings, she thought as she felt herself unconsciously taking it. She stood up a little unsteady at first, but her strength returned more quickly than she had expected.
"You had us pretty scared for a minute." Joe said coming around to stand next to her and Duncan.
"I'm not usually that queasy." Cassie said ducking her head to hide her red face. "Well, Duncan, you can't run around in a bloody shirt. Let me get you one of Dad's for now." Cassie said pulling her hand out of Duncan's and going over to her father's suitcase.
Duncan and Richie exchanged glances smiling at each other. Well she had recovered quickly enough. Cassie turned and tossed a shirt to Duncan and he caught it heading to the bathroom to clean up his arm. .
"Joe what time does the plane leave tonight?" Duncan asked sticking his head out of the bathroom as he quickly changed shirts.
"About 8 O'clock. Why?"
"Well there is something that Richie and I need to show Cassie. Is it all right if we meet you at the airport? Can you handle getting all of Cassie's luggage and her father's there?"
"Wait a minute, I'm not even packed." Cassie said protesting. "What's the hurry anyway?"
"Well if someone is watching us, then I want you to be prepared. I also think until I think you're ready you don't need to be out of either mine or Richie's sight."
Cassie sat down on the bed in exasperation her temper flaring suddenly.
"Well just what if I tell you I think I can take care of myself!" She didn't know what was going on, but she had about had enough of it. She still felt queasy at the knowledge that she was really immortal much less that the only way she could die was to have her head cut off. Suddenly she had a thought, what if this Martin that Duncan had run across was looking for her, what if he had killed her mother.
"Cassie, you really need to listen to Duncan. I promise you he knows what it best right now."
Cassie looked up at Joe frowning. She looked around him at Duncan and Richie and their expressions were just a serious. Her heart sank, whatever was going on must be bigger than she had imagined.
"Cassie for your own good, please don't fight him on this."
Cassie heard the desperation in Joe's voice. She stood up and took his hand and squeezed it. "I'm just so used to taking care of myself..."
"I know sweetie, just be patient. I really don't want to bury you alongside of your father. Stay close to Duncan or Richie, please."
Cassie kissed Joe on the cheek. "For you I will." Cassie whispered in Joe's ear. She saw him smile slightly and she turned to Duncan. "O.K. just what do we do now."