Chapter 28

Seacouver

Duncan made small talk over the meal and told Betty Commons just how good everything was... how much he... a bachelor... appreciated a home-cooked meal.

Derrick's foster mother blushed brightly beneath her red hair, "Thank you... Do you have room for dessert?"

Duncan leaned back in his chair, "Bring it on."

"Could we have it in the den, Betty?" Derrick asked innocently. "I want to play some chess with Duncan if that's okay?" He glanced at both Ron and Betty who nodded.

"Maybe I can help you clean up and serve dessert." Ron tossed his napkin on the table with a smile. Behind it, though, he was curious as to why this man kept popping in to check on Derrick... as if they... Betty and he... were somehow inadequate to the task. George Layton had told him that Duncan just felt paternal... after all... he'd had something to do with rescuing the boy from off the streets. Still... if he was so interested... why hadn't he taken the boy in. But Ron liked Derrick... he seemed one of the good ones. He and Betty had known some that were so damaged by their experiences that they never moved beyond them... they were never able to function as mature adults when they'd grown up. He rose to accompany his wife into the kitchen.

Duncan eyed Derrick warily. The boy had neither said nor done anything all evening to indicate he was anything more than a ten-year-old enjoying an evening with foster parents and his un-official "Big Brother!" He hadn't even asked about Ellie.

Derrick grinned and motioned to Duncan to follow him into the den where he'd already set up the chess set Ron had bought him. He was teaching Ron to play... and the man had seemed to enjoy being the learner. Of course, Derrick was only teaching him basic chess... not the other.

"You can be white!" he said to Duncan as both settled on either side of the board set on an ottoman before the fire. He moved a pawn and waited.

Duncan returned the move and watched as Derrick glanced at the kitchen... fingering another piece a moment before leaning over the board to whisper, "Have you seen Ellie?"

Duncan nodded.

Derrick glanced once more toward the kitchen, then returned his gaze to Duncan. "Is she okay?"

Once more Duncan nodded and smiled.

Derrick sat back and let out a slow breath. He continued to finger the pawn... then he finally moved it and let it go.

Duncan looked the board over slowly. This definitely didn't look like any chess prodigy's opening... it looked like some beginner just making moves. He moved a knight, and stared thoughtfully at the boy, meeting his gaze evenly.

Derrick shifted his bishop out. Then he whispered once more... "There's a lady been watching me... at school... she was even at the grocery today when Betty and I went..."

Duncan nodded, "I know... I've been watching her."

Derrick nodded thoughtfully, then brightened up as Betty and Ron came in from the kitchen with dessert and coffee. Once more... he was only a little boy, eager for a slice of chocolate cake and a cup of hot chocolate. The boy reached for dessert saying thanks and dug in, the chess game forgotten for the moment.

An hour later... Duncan said goodnight and left. He noted the presence of an old sedan parked across the street and decided he'd played nice long enough. He walked over to the car and went into a routine about having stepped in something.

A woman got out of the car to wave him off... and he slammed her against the side. "Suppose we have a talk about why you're here..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" she mumbled, still struggling.

"Oh I think you know exactly what I mean... I've seen you watching the boy now for several days. Tell me... who hired you... what's this about."

"I swear," she babbled, "I don't know anything. I was just told to keep an eye on him."

"Who hired you?" Duncan slammed her against the car once more... not happy to be man-handling a woman... but not wanting to take any chances.

"Look mister... I don't know... a friend asked me to watch the boy for a few days while he was out of town..."

"And your friend has a name...?" Duncan put all the menace he could muster into his words. He was tired of this.

"Peter Taylor!" she finally spat at him.

Duncan began rifling through her pockets and came up with a business card with a cell number. He let her go and pulled out his phone... punching in the number.

"Speak to me..." he heard on the other end.

"Peter Taylor."

There was a pause... "Who is this?"

"Name's Duncan MacLeod..."

Once more there was a long pause. "Right... someone's been careless. Look Highlander... I'm not after you... it's your friend I'm interested in... goes by the name of Adams."

MacLeod started... then switched the phone to the other ear while motioning to the woman to leave. She took the opportunity to climb into her sedan and drive off.

"You sliced open Wyatt's throat in London."

"Was that his name? He was Adams' friend... I wanted Adams to fight me... he keeps running away."

"Maybe he has his reasons."

"Not good enough... tell him I want him. Anytime... anywhere!" There was a tone on the other end. The connection was broken. Duncan punched the number in again... this time listening to an out of service message.

He'd never heard of Peter Taylor... but he knew someone who likely knew who the man was... Duncan climbed into his T-bird and headed for Joe's.

***

"You sure he said Peter Taylor?" asked Joe as he was punching things into the Watcher database. They were in his office at the rear of the bar. Outside, in the main room... Duncan could hear the band playing and the sounds of the patrons.

"It's what he said." Duncan leaned over Joe's shoulder to read what popped up on the screen.

"He appeared a little over a hundred years ago. Let's see... he was a student of Hidalgo Montoya. Yeah... when Montoya lost to Martin Kreamer... Taylor was there. He took Kreamer's head before the quickening settled. Seems to be what he does... generally he hunts for young ones... or waits for others to fight it out and then takes the victor's head... not a real sporting guy. Petty crook who likes to think he's big time." Joe shrugged. "Why's he after Methos."

"I don't think he knows who he is. American southwest one hundred years ago." Duncan nodded thoughtfully... "wasn't Methos in that area then... using the name Ben Adams?"

"Yeah... though we don't have much and there's nothing to show they ever crossed paths... but we don't get everything."

"Methos was out of the game since about 1795 he once told me... probably flying under everyone's radar. Check things out. Do some cross-referencing."

"We could just call him..." Joe gestured with his hands.

"We will... but see what you can find out first."

"And you say this Taylor was the one who got Tim Wyatt."

"He admitted it."

"Damn... then we want him too." Joe turned back to the screen and began doing some checking through additional files. He'd have to call the council with this... but it couldn't hurt to do some of the work himself. He hadn't cared for the database when the Watchers had decided to set it up with some additional safeguards after the Kalas affair... but it did make things easier... you just had to have the right codes. And they were long and involved passwords. Only a few senior members had them all... and he was one of them. Age and seniority did have their rewards.