CHAPTER 34
Back at the house, Richie had grown bored with the movie Amanda selected. He was almost out
the door when a delivery truck pulled in front of the house and a driver in a familiar brown uniform
jumped out.
"A little late for deliveries isn't it?" Richie commented.
"Yeah … I'm covering two routes today … tonight …" the man explained. "Package for Beth
Parker."
"I'll take that." Richie said, scribbling his name and coming back inside.
"What is it?" Amanda asked, her question freezing on her tongue when she noticed the return
address … it was a package from the prison in Atlanta. Devan was becoming more bold.
"I'm calling Mac." She announced. "You call Adam."
Duncan was on his way in a matter of seconds, but the phone Adam had left on the seat of the
SUV rang on and on.
"They said they were going to the Chowder House." Richie said to Amanda and she nodded for
him to go.
Richie rushed down the steps and jumped on his bike … knowing Adam would want to know
about this immediately.
When he arrived at the beach, he saw Beth's car … but they weren't in the restaurant. Taking
long, quick strides, he followed the boardwalk toward the beach, breaking into a run when he
heard Beth's scream. Richie jumped over the railing and saw Adam fighting off the blows of an
attacker with his sword as Beth backed up against a sand dune, with her eyes wide and her hand
covering her mouth in disbelief.
Blake Mitchell had followed the couple to the beach and waited for his opportunity. Moments
after a group of teenagers hopped into their car and drove off, he made his way down to the
beach, grinning maniacally when he spotted his prey clinging to one another in the distance.
Adam's head snapped up when he sensed the presence of the other immortal. He barely had
time to push Beth out of the way and pull his sword from beneath his coat before Mitchell tried to
land his first blow.
"Beth … get out of here." He ordered as he dodged the man's sword, but from the sound of her
frightened cries he knew she wasn't listening. She was frozen in place and could not tear her
eyes from what was happening.
"Oh let her stay … we wouldn't want her to miss any of the fun now would we?" Mitchell taunted.
"You bastard." Methos raged as he began his own flurry of attacks on the cocky immortal.
And then he felt another presence and immediately worried that he would have to defend himself
from Mitchell's partner. To his relief, as he managed to turn his opponent slightly, he recognized
Richie in the shadows as he moved toward Beth.
"Get her out of here." He called out to the young immortal and Richie put his arms around Beth's
shoulders, intending to do just that.
"NO!" she screamed, wrenching herself free. "You've got to help him."
Richie wished he could do as she asked, but he couldn't interfere … he could only take care of
her.
"Beth you've got to get out of here. It's going to be ok, but you need to get out of here." He
begged.
"Adam!" she screamed again as she saw Mitchell's blade come dangerously close.
"Damn it Richie … get her out of here NOW!" Adam couldn't let Beth become a distraction. He
knew he could take Mitchell … but the odds could change if he didn't focus on the fight.
Richie knew he needed to be careful because of the baby, but Beth didn't make it easy for him.
Finally he managed to pin her flailing arms to her side and drag her toward the stairs. As he
forced her to come with him, Beth's eyes continued to watch the battle below. Just as they
reached the top, Adam took one quick glance up to make sure she was safe … giving Mitchell the
fraction of a second he needed to swipe his blade through Adam's arm.
Beth screamed as she saw Adam react to the pain.
"Take a last look sweetheart … " Mitchell yelled up at her laughing.
Richie had to fight the urge to wait and watch the outcome. It was all he could do to get the
young woman up the boardwalk and to the parking lot.
"Give me your keys." He ordered as they reached the car, but Beth didn't seem to hear. She
was still trying to fight him so she could return to Adam.
"Beth … listen to me." Richie gripped her by the arms and shook her until she focused on his
face. "You need to get out of here. It's what Adam wanted and we've got to trust him. He can't
worry about you and do what needs to be done."
She stopped struggling.
"Do you understand?" he stooped to look directly into her eyes. "I need the keys."
"Adam … has them." She managed to choke out.
Richie cursed, dragging her to his bike and shoving the helmet on her head.
"Get on." He asked her, and mindlessly she did as he asked, gripping his waist tightly.
He could tell she was starting to go into shock and prayed she would be able to hold onto him
until they reached the house. He could feel her body shake against his as she wept bitterly,
fearing the worst, and when they reached the curb in front of the porch … she was nearing
hysterics.
"Mac" he called as he managed to slip the helmet off of her head before she fell limp in his arms.
Duncan opened the front door and helped Richie carry her into the living room, lying her on the
sofa as Amanda rushed to get a cool cloth and some water.
"Mitchell surprised them on the beach …" Richie started to explain.
"And Adam?" Duncan asked.
Richie shook his head. "I don't know … he got distracted" he looked down at Beth briefly so
Duncan would understand. "Mitchell landed a blow to his arm … that's the last thing we saw. He
wanted me to get her out of there."
"You did the right thing." Duncan assured him as he bathed Beth's face with the cloth and tried to
revive her.
Amanda started for the door with her sword.
"Where are you going?" Duncan asked looking up.
"To make sure Mitchell doesn't make it back here." She replied.
"Amanda … don't." he ordered. "Let's just wait for Adam." He had complete confidence that
even if he was injured, Adam would have enough fight to finish the job. He hadn't survived 5,000
years by being an easy kill.
Beth drifted in and out of consciousness and Amanda wondered if they should get her to a
hospital. Joe arrived after a few minutes and while they attended to the traumatized young
woman, they all kept a watchful eye on the hands of the clock as more time passed.
Back at the house, Richie had grown bored with the movie Amanda selected. He was almost out
the door when a delivery truck pulled in front of the house and a driver in a familiar brown uniform
jumped out.
"A little late for deliveries isn't it?" Richie commented.
"Yeah … I'm covering two routes today … tonight …" the man explained. "Package for Beth
Parker."
"I'll take that." Richie said, scribbling his name and coming back inside.
"What is it?" Amanda asked, her question freezing on her tongue when she noticed the return
address … it was a package from the prison in Atlanta. Devan was becoming more bold.
"I'm calling Mac." She announced. "You call Adam."
Duncan was on his way in a matter of seconds, but the phone Adam had left on the seat of the
SUV rang on and on.
"They said they were going to the Chowder House." Richie said to Amanda and she nodded for
him to go.
Richie rushed down the steps and jumped on his bike … knowing Adam would want to know
about this immediately.
When he arrived at the beach, he saw Beth's car … but they weren't in the restaurant. Taking
long, quick strides, he followed the boardwalk toward the beach, breaking into a run when he
heard Beth's scream. Richie jumped over the railing and saw Adam fighting off the blows of an
attacker with his sword as Beth backed up against a sand dune, with her eyes wide and her hand
covering her mouth in disbelief.
Blake Mitchell had followed the couple to the beach and waited for his opportunity. Moments
after a group of teenagers hopped into their car and drove off, he made his way down to the
beach, grinning maniacally when he spotted his prey clinging to one another in the distance.
Adam's head snapped up when he sensed the presence of the other immortal. He barely had
time to push Beth out of the way and pull his sword from beneath his coat before Mitchell tried to
land his first blow.
"Beth … get out of here." He ordered as he dodged the man's sword, but from the sound of her
frightened cries he knew she wasn't listening. She was frozen in place and could not tear her
eyes from what was happening.
"Oh let her stay … we wouldn't want her to miss any of the fun now would we?" Mitchell taunted.
"You bastard." Methos raged as he began his own flurry of attacks on the cocky immortal.
And then he felt another presence and immediately worried that he would have to defend himself
from Mitchell's partner. To his relief, as he managed to turn his opponent slightly, he recognized
Richie in the shadows as he moved toward Beth.
"Get her out of here." He called out to the young immortal and Richie put his arms around Beth's
shoulders, intending to do just that.
"NO!" she screamed, wrenching herself free. "You've got to help him."
Richie wished he could do as she asked, but he couldn't interfere … he could only take care of
her.
"Beth you've got to get out of here. It's going to be ok, but you need to get out of here." He
begged.
"Adam!" she screamed again as she saw Mitchell's blade come dangerously close.
"Damn it Richie … get her out of here NOW!" Adam couldn't let Beth become a distraction. He
knew he could take Mitchell … but the odds could change if he didn't focus on the fight.
Richie knew he needed to be careful because of the baby, but Beth didn't make it easy for him.
Finally he managed to pin her flailing arms to her side and drag her toward the stairs. As he
forced her to come with him, Beth's eyes continued to watch the battle below. Just as they
reached the top, Adam took one quick glance up to make sure she was safe … giving Mitchell the
fraction of a second he needed to swipe his blade through Adam's arm.
Beth screamed as she saw Adam react to the pain.
"Take a last look sweetheart … " Mitchell yelled up at her laughing.
Richie had to fight the urge to wait and watch the outcome. It was all he could do to get the
young woman up the boardwalk and to the parking lot.
"Give me your keys." He ordered as they reached the car, but Beth didn't seem to hear. She
was still trying to fight him so she could return to Adam.
"Beth … listen to me." Richie gripped her by the arms and shook her until she focused on his
face. "You need to get out of here. It's what Adam wanted and we've got to trust him. He can't
worry about you and do what needs to be done."
She stopped struggling.
"Do you understand?" he stooped to look directly into her eyes. "I need the keys."
"Adam … has them." She managed to choke out.
Richie cursed, dragging her to his bike and shoving the helmet on her head.
"Get on." He asked her, and mindlessly she did as he asked, gripping his waist tightly.
He could tell she was starting to go into shock and prayed she would be able to hold onto him
until they reached the house. He could feel her body shake against his as she wept bitterly,
fearing the worst, and when they reached the curb in front of the porch … she was nearing
hysterics.
"Mac" he called as he managed to slip the helmet off of her head before she fell limp in his arms.
Duncan opened the front door and helped Richie carry her into the living room, lying her on the
sofa as Amanda rushed to get a cool cloth and some water.
"Mitchell surprised them on the beach …" Richie started to explain.
"And Adam?" Duncan asked.
Richie shook his head. "I don't know … he got distracted" he looked down at Beth briefly so
Duncan would understand. "Mitchell landed a blow to his arm … that's the last thing we saw. He
wanted me to get her out of there."
"You did the right thing." Duncan assured him as he bathed Beth's face with the cloth and tried to
revive her.
Amanda started for the door with her sword.
"Where are you going?" Duncan asked looking up.
"To make sure Mitchell doesn't make it back here." She replied.
"Amanda … don't." he ordered. "Let's just wait for Adam." He had complete confidence that
even if he was injured, Adam would have enough fight to finish the job. He hadn't survived 5,000
years by being an easy kill.
Beth drifted in and out of consciousness and Amanda wondered if they should get her to a
hospital. Joe arrived after a few minutes and while they attended to the traumatized young
woman, they all kept a watchful eye on the hands of the clock as more time passed.