CHAPTER 51

Beth looked down from the charred remains of what had been the family's stable, and noticed that her hands were not only covered with soot and grime, but she must have cut herself when she helped pull boards and fencing apart so the horses could get out of the smoke and flames.

"You should have them look at that." Her sister Chris's voice was tired and without emotion as she nodded toward the EMT's van.

Beth shrugged, walked to the trough pump and rinsed off the wound, but couldn't think past that. In the flurry of neighbors and firemen, she stood still, unable to feel anything except the disbelief and sadness she saw reflected in the faces of her family.

Cassie sat on the ground with her head in her Grandfather's lap as he stroked her hair and watched men wheel out the body of another horse, draped with a yellow plastic tarp. His blackened face showed streaks of sweat and tears as the old man leaned against the wall of a nearby shed where he'd found a bench to rest.

Joey was in the south corral, washing down the coats and trying to calm the horses that managed to either be freed when his Grandfather and a neighbor rushed into the burning stable, or had been able to kick their own way out of the flaming walls before they collapsed. Beth shook her head at the bravery the 13 year old boy had shown when they'd jumped out of the car and rushed to help beat down the flames.

In the early morning light, Rayna, her sister-in-laws and a few other women were passing out water and wet cloths as the men walked away from the blackened pile of smoldering wood and steel that remained.

"They were lucky they only lost 5 of them." She heard a man comment as her eyes searched for Ryan.

Beth walked around the yard, wondering if maybe it had been too much for the girl and was about to check inside her Father's house where some of the cousins had gone to escape the painful scene, when she heard the sound of sobbing.

Ryan sat behind one of the trailers, her heart breaking into the smoke tarnished leather of her saddle Kyle had managed to salvage from the tack room. Beth knelt beside her, pulling the girl into her arms as they cried together. There was nothing to say, and although she was certain her daughter missed her father's comfort sorely on this awful morning, there was a connection between the two that transcended anything they could verbalize.

They'd both lost horses that were a part of their heart. Ryan's horse Spitfire had been trapped in it's stall, and faithful, old Galahad managed to escape the flames, but his lungs weren't able to survive the smoke. He'd collapsed in the field outside the stables and they were unable to revive him. Beth couldn't help but wonder through her tears if Craig and his beloved horse might be enjoying their first ride together in a long time.

"Why did this have to happen?" Ryan choked as she tightened her grip around her Mother's neck.

"I don't know honey." Beth wiped her nose on her sleeve, closing her eyes to the scene over her daughter's shoulder. "I don't understand it either."

They were grateful most of the horses managed to escape unharmed, but it didn't make any sense.

After a long while, she convinced Ryan to go into the house. "Try to eat something. You'll feel better. I'll be in in a minute."

Beth desperately needed to talk to Adam, but he didn't answer. Instead she reached his voice mail. "Adam, call me when you get this. The kids and I are safe, but it's important. I love you."

Hoping he wouldn't misread the shaking in her voice and worry, Beth pocketed the phone and walked to where her brothers were talking to the arson investigators.

"Kyle I can't say one way or another. We haven't been able to find the cause of the fire yet. I know how hard this is, but you've got to give us time to sift through it all. As soon as I know anything I'll tell you." Abe Garner was a friend of the family and knew his job well. "But you need to be prepared if it is arson, the first place they'll want to look is to your family. You aren't having any financial problems are you?"

"We're not rich, but no we wouldn't have any reason to torch our own stable." Kyle bristled at the idea.

"Ok, ok I'm sorry. You know I had to ask. It's my job and I have to look everywhere." Abe put his notebook away. "We'll be able to tell more when the sun is up a little higher and we can pick through the debris."

While the men were speaking, Rayna and Chris had walked over as well. Once Abe turned back to his job, the five brothers and sisters stood silently together. They couldn't imagine this ever happening, and were all shaken by it. So much of their lives had been spent building this dream and they were planning to expand the stable in the spring to accommodate more horses since their boarding capacity had reached it's maximum. Now however they wondered who would trust them again. One of Rayna's horses and two they boarded for a family in town had been lost along with Galahad and Spitfire. Three other horses were being attended to at the vet, who took them away in a trailer an hour earlier for observation.

"So what do we do now?" Rayna asked.

"I'm keeping the kids home today. They wouldn't be able to concentrate, and I don't see the point." Beth replied as she leaned her head against Justin's shoulder and squeezed his arm. Her brother was the last to leave the stable and she could see him mentally retracing every step. "There's nothing we can do here until after they finish their investigation. The other horses are being taken care of. Why don't you go home and clean up? That's what I'm going to do. I'll bring a pot of soup back to Dad's when I'm done and your wife is going to make some cornbread. We'll need our strength to figure out what to do next."

Justin appreciated her suggestion and support but he couldn't. He felt responsible. "I need to stay, but the rest of you go ahead. I'll catch up to you later."

They nodded. It was clear he needed to be left alone to deal with this as best he could.

Beth called to Joey, who met she and the girls at the car. "We'll be back in an hour." She assured Chris. "Try to get Dad to lie down. I'm afraid the strain is going to make this even worse on his health."

Chris nodded and hugged her sister before going inside to clean herself up and see how else she could keep busy.

In Athens things weren't going any better for Methos and Duncan. Their flight arrived on time, and they managed to position themselves where they could observe every passenger at the gate for the flight going to Sydney before anyone could board, but no immortal crossed their path.

Duncan stood close enough to the attendant checking tickets and identification to hear her as she greeted each passenger.

"I'm sorry. Your identification doesn't match." He heard her tell a short, older woman. This ticket was issued to Linda Fitzgerald, and it is non-transferable."

"Non-transferable? But it can't be." The woman was visibly upset. "She told me if we traded there would be no difference."

"I'm sorry, but I am afraid there is nothing I can do. Security was heightened last night after we received a threat against the airline and I'm afraid only passengers whose identification matches their ticket can board." The attendant nodded to her partner to take over for her while she tried to sort out the situation.

"But I was helping her. I was supposed to take this flight yesterday and there were no extra seats on the plane. She said her Mother was ill and might not live through the night. I thought I was doing a good thing and would only lose a day on my trip." The woman was almost in tears as they stepped away from the gate. "I'm supposed to meet friends in Sydney. I've been saving for six years for this trip."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing." Duncan slipped beside the woman and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Did you say you traded seats with Linda Fitzgerald?"

Both the woman and the attendant looked at him, wondering why he interfered and what concern it would be for him.

"That's right." She pulled away slightly.

"Can you tell me what she looked like?" He ignored their discomfort, needing to know all he could.

"Sir this really isn't your concern." The attendant started to turn them away.

Duncan pulled out a badge and identified himself as an investigator for the airlines. Methos had to hide a smirk as he watched the Highlander step into action.

"I'm investigating a series of incidents just like this one. We've been tracking a fraud ring that preys on unsuspecting passengers such as this unfortunate woman here who trade a perfectly legitimate ticket for one that isn't worth the paper it's printed on." Duncan slapped at the folded paper the attendant still held in her hand. "Go ahead, check it. It's clever, but a fraud none the less."

The attendant looked from him, to the ticket and began turning it over to inspect it closer. While she was distracted Duncan pulled out his notebook and continued to question the woman.

"She was tall, blonde hair but you know I'm not sure that was her real color if you know what I mean." The woman was intent on helping him catch the person who had caused her so much trouble. "And attractive, in a snooty kind of way if you like that sort of thing."

Duncan reached into his wallet and handed the woman enough cash to cover the cost of a ticket. "Thank you ma'am. We're very sorry this happened and understand if you choose to take another airline. I hope this helps compensate you for your trouble."

He then turned to the attendant. "My partner and I need two seats on this flight so we can try to apprehend this woman."

Methos shook his head in wonder as Duncan produced additional airline identification. The boy scout had indeed come prepared.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid there are no more seats on this flight." The attendant tried to telephone her boss, but he wasn't available and this was getting out of hand.

"What about my seat?" The woman who wanted to get to Sydney demanded. "My bags are on that plane. What good is your money if my luggage is lost?" She looked from Duncan to the attendant, fully expecting someone to do something.

"Ma'am you may take the last seat on the flight and I am very sorry for the inconvenience. Please accept my apologies." the flustered attendant led her to the gate, not knowing what else to do.

"Are you sure it's full? Maybe if I look " Duncan tried, but no luck. The attendant had been pushed as far as she would budge. The next flight wasn't until the next afternoon and by that time they couldn't fly out of this airport anyway once the airline figured out his story was the hoax.

"Nice going MacLeod. Any other ideas?" Methos whispered under his breath as he shouldered his duffel bag and followed him back to the rental car counter.

"I'll get us to Sydney." Duncan muttered. "Make yourself useful while I get a car. Find out if there is a connecting flight anywhere out of the Thessaloniki Airport that will get us to Australia without coming back here. I think it's the closest."

Methos found a flight from Thessaloniki to Rome that would connect with a flight to Sydney leaving in the morning. "MacLeod, the next time you have the urge to start flashing your junior flight ranger badge don't." He grumbled as he contemplated what the next 48 hours would be like in a car, small plane and then the grueling flight down under. At least they could get a decent meal in Rome tonight. His mouth watered as he thought of the place exquisite and expensive, and on MacLeod's tab.

He noticed a message on the phone's display, but before he could check it the car Duncan rented arrived and he needed to navigate the quickest way out of the city by map.

It was another half-hour before he could get a clear signal to check it.