Chapter 29: Refuge
After examining the damage done to the SUV, Connor went into the dojo. He didn't sense his kinsman so he headed to the office, picked up the phone and dialed Duncan's cell number.
"Hello?" Duncan asked distractedly.
"Where are you?" Connor demanded.
Duncan ignored the question. "Where the hell are you? What's going on?"
"Dawn and I were attacked when we left "Pen and Ink". I told her to go to the dojo then I got shot."
"Your attackers followed her. I was getting ready when I heard some tires squeal and a scream. By the time I got to the street, they had chased her to the LRT station. She wasn't with them when they drove off so I think she got on the train."
"Oh god," Connor said closing his eyes. "Where are you?"
"I'm at the Lexington Center. It's four stops from where she got on, and I figured she'd go somewhere that has lots of people," Duncan replied.
"She would," Connor agreed. "Keep searching the mall. I'll change the tire on the SUV and meet you there."
"What happened to the SUV?"
"The men doubled back to the dojo, picked up the one who got left behind, took some more shots at me and hit the tire."
Duncan let out a breath. "Just hurry."
-oOo-
Not surprisingly, changing a tire on a SUV by oneself in the rain was rather difficult, and it took a while before Connor had the vehicle road-worthy. He went back inside the dojo and phoned Duncan.
"Have you found her?" he asked.
"Not yet," Duncan admitted. "She wasn't at the food court so I'm checking some of the nearby stores."
"Keep searching, I'll be there as – "
Connor stopped in mid-sentence as he felt the presence of another immortal.
"What is it?" Duncan demanded.
"I've got company."
-oOo-
Richie did not have an easy childhood. Orphaned when he was a toddler, he spent a lot of time being bounced from one foster family to another. Still, it hadn't been all bad. One family in particular had been quite nice. His foster sister, Maria, was currently modeling in Milan. They had both spent a fair amount of time at the Lexington Branch Library where their foster mother worked. Unfortunately, he did not have time to reminisce. He was on a mission.
Richie entered the library and, after a quick scan, went to the study carrels thinking they'd be a good place for both privacy and hiding. Sure enough, he found her in the third carrel. Gone was the confident, young woman he had come to know over the past three days. In her place was a frightened girl who looked like she'd completely fall apart at any moment.
"Richie…" Dawn began.
"Come on," he said holding out his hand.
She took it like the lifeline it was, and he quickly led her out of the library. They left the mall and headed to the parkade. He unlocked the passenger door of the car and was about to go to the driver's side when she stopped him.
"Richie…"
He enveloped her in a much needed hug. "Dawn, it's going to be okay, but we gotta go, alright?"
She sniffed, nodded and got into the car. "So what now?" she asked once he sat down in the driver's seat.
"Now I take you some place safe, but first I have to make a phone call."
-oOo-
Methos parked behind a black SUV then got out of the car. As he approached the building, he felt a familiar buzz. He entered the dojo and found one of the MacLeods he was looking for on the phone in the office. "There you are."
"Methos," Connor said exhaling deeply. "Look I don't have time to chat. I have to –"
"Find Dawn?" Methos completed.
The Scotsman's eyes narrowed. "What do you know?"
He ignored the question. "Who's on the phone? Duncan?" When Connor nodded, Methos reached over and put the other MacLeod on speaker phone. "Dawn phoned Joe's and told Richie what happened. He's going to pick her up from the Lexington Branch Library."
"The library," Duncan repeated. "Why didn't I think of that? I'll go there right now."
"Hold on," Methos said as his cellphone rang. He answered it. "Yes?"
"I've got her," Richie said. "I'm heading to your place now."
"Good. We'll meet you there," Methos replied then hung up. "Don't bother going to the library," he told Duncan. "She's with Richie and going to my place. Just come back here and pack a bag."
"Why?" both MacLeods asked.
"Because you need to regroup. Since they'll probably stake out the dojo and may stake out the hotel, you can stay at my place."
"Not to be ungrateful, but why your place?" Connor asked.
"Because it's secure, self-contained and used to be a convent," Methos replied.
