CHAPTER 13
It was barely dawn when Methos was roused from a sound sleep by the presence of another immortal. The sensation jolted him awake as he reached beneath his pillow and wrapped his fingers around the handle of his blade, ready to defend himself in an instant. His eyes scanned the dim light of the room, trying to decide whether the intruder was in the house or lurking outside. But when he heard the sound of Beth's father offering coffee and breakfast to a familiar pair of voices, he let out a ragged breath of relief and instead of reaching for his sword, reached for his jeans and a sweater.
"I found your friends sleeping in the car this morning." Peter Harris said as he saw Adam come into the kitchen. He pulled another mug off of the shelf and poured his future son-in-law a cup of what he'd just offered Duncan and Richie.
"You two made good time." He commented, stooping to rub Barkley behind the ears. "We weren't expecting you till late afternoon or tonight."
"Well you know Richie and his lead foot." MacLeod replied, knowing he couldn't mention the real reason they had been in such a rush to get there. Richie shrugged and wrapped his hands around the hot mug of coffee, his eyes half closed.
"Your friends were just telling me how they met Leandra." Peter Harris said. "I can't say I was surprised. Barkley always was a wandering opportunist."
"That would be one way of putting it." Adam replied as he watched the dog begging for bacon scraps before they'd even hit the pan.
Duncan caught the "we need to talk" look Adam gave him and decided not to put it off. "You know what Mr. Harris? Richie and I ate something a few hours ago when we stopped for gas, and what we could really use is some sleep, so if someone could point us in the direction of our hotel ."
Richie figured out what they were doing and hoped that this hotel had room service because he was starving.
"Actually you are staying at Beth's house. It's just over the rise. I can take you there now." Adam said, crossing the room to get his coat. "Will you tell Leandra where we are going?" Adam asked her father before the three of them walked out the door.
Once they were in the car Methos began to brief them on everything he knew about Garrett Linton. "Beth agreed to avoid him until we knew more, but he works for her family at the stable, and is good friends with her brother . AND is in the band playing for the New Year's Eve party we're all attending after the wedding."
"And you haven't been able to figure out if he knows what he is?" Duncan replied.
"My gut tells me he does, but I don't have any proof." Methos replied.
"But even if he does, didn't you say he's only been immortal for maybe 3 years tops?" Richie interrupted. "He might have a clue, but with no teacher and no training, it's not like he's a threat."
Methos knew he meant to be helpful, but his statement only reinforced just how much he had to learn. "There is always a threat Richie. The biggest mistake any of us could ever make is to take the presence of any immortal lightly. You're young and you have proven to be a friend, but if you think that doesn't mean I study what you do or what you say or watch to see what you've done to improve your skills, you would be mistaken." Richie knew he was making a point, but the look Methos gave him creeped him out.
"And if he does know what he is then someone told him." Duncan added as they pulled up to the porch of the yellow house. "You said he was gone for over two years. That's plenty of time to begin training." He finished as they stepped out of the car and walked into the house.
"Ni-i-i-ce." Richie said as he walked into the main room with his bag.
"There are two rooms upstairs, and two beds downstairs. Joe will need to be downstairs of course, but I don't think he'd mind which one. Through that door is one bathroom, another is in the master bedroom and the last is upstairs." Methos gave them the quick run down of the place.
"Their plane gets in at 1:30. Do you know how far it is to the airport?" Duncan asked.
"Half an hours drive. So we've got plenty of time." Methos replied.
"Time for breakfast." Richie interjected.
"Ok ok . we get that you are hungry." Duncan said. "Anything in that kitchen?"
"Are you kidding?" Methos replied, shaking his head at the thought of marrying someone who rivaled Betty Crocker when it came to kitchens. "But then we check out the stables . and see how Garrett takes to meeting a few more of Beth's friends."
When the three men arrived at the stables almost an hour later, Beth's brother Justin was pouring a bucket of oats in the far stall.
"Need any help?" Adam asked as they closed the door behind them.
"Help? No . thanks. I'm just finishing up." Justin replied, sizing up the two men who were with him.
"This is Duncan MacLeod and Richie Ryan." Adam introduced them. "They are friends of mine and your sister."
"Right. Leandra mentioned friends coming for the wedding." Justin said, removing his gloves before offering his hand.
"Nice place you have here?" Duncan commented, looking around the interior of the stable.
"Thanks. We're very proud of it."
"So where's Garrett? I thought he took care of the stable in the mornings." Adam asked.
"I imagine he's at services by now. Dad doesn't work him on Sunday."
Adam didn't let his discomfort at his future brother-in-laws words show on his face. He hadn't even thought about Beth running into Garrett at the church.
"Well sorry to run out on you, but if I hurry I can clean up in time to slide into the pew next to my wife before the first song ends." Justin said. "You mind locking up?"
"Actually we weren't staying. I only wanted to show them the place." Adam said.
When they were back at the car Adam didn't have to tell Duncan what was on his mind.
"Why don't you drop us off at the house so we can change. We can catch up to you at the main house." Duncan said.
"Change for what? Where are we going?" Richie asked.
"Church." Methos and Duncan replied together.
It was barely dawn when Methos was roused from a sound sleep by the presence of another immortal. The sensation jolted him awake as he reached beneath his pillow and wrapped his fingers around the handle of his blade, ready to defend himself in an instant. His eyes scanned the dim light of the room, trying to decide whether the intruder was in the house or lurking outside. But when he heard the sound of Beth's father offering coffee and breakfast to a familiar pair of voices, he let out a ragged breath of relief and instead of reaching for his sword, reached for his jeans and a sweater.
"I found your friends sleeping in the car this morning." Peter Harris said as he saw Adam come into the kitchen. He pulled another mug off of the shelf and poured his future son-in-law a cup of what he'd just offered Duncan and Richie.
"You two made good time." He commented, stooping to rub Barkley behind the ears. "We weren't expecting you till late afternoon or tonight."
"Well you know Richie and his lead foot." MacLeod replied, knowing he couldn't mention the real reason they had been in such a rush to get there. Richie shrugged and wrapped his hands around the hot mug of coffee, his eyes half closed.
"Your friends were just telling me how they met Leandra." Peter Harris said. "I can't say I was surprised. Barkley always was a wandering opportunist."
"That would be one way of putting it." Adam replied as he watched the dog begging for bacon scraps before they'd even hit the pan.
Duncan caught the "we need to talk" look Adam gave him and decided not to put it off. "You know what Mr. Harris? Richie and I ate something a few hours ago when we stopped for gas, and what we could really use is some sleep, so if someone could point us in the direction of our hotel ."
Richie figured out what they were doing and hoped that this hotel had room service because he was starving.
"Actually you are staying at Beth's house. It's just over the rise. I can take you there now." Adam said, crossing the room to get his coat. "Will you tell Leandra where we are going?" Adam asked her father before the three of them walked out the door.
Once they were in the car Methos began to brief them on everything he knew about Garrett Linton. "Beth agreed to avoid him until we knew more, but he works for her family at the stable, and is good friends with her brother . AND is in the band playing for the New Year's Eve party we're all attending after the wedding."
"And you haven't been able to figure out if he knows what he is?" Duncan replied.
"My gut tells me he does, but I don't have any proof." Methos replied.
"But even if he does, didn't you say he's only been immortal for maybe 3 years tops?" Richie interrupted. "He might have a clue, but with no teacher and no training, it's not like he's a threat."
Methos knew he meant to be helpful, but his statement only reinforced just how much he had to learn. "There is always a threat Richie. The biggest mistake any of us could ever make is to take the presence of any immortal lightly. You're young and you have proven to be a friend, but if you think that doesn't mean I study what you do or what you say or watch to see what you've done to improve your skills, you would be mistaken." Richie knew he was making a point, but the look Methos gave him creeped him out.
"And if he does know what he is then someone told him." Duncan added as they pulled up to the porch of the yellow house. "You said he was gone for over two years. That's plenty of time to begin training." He finished as they stepped out of the car and walked into the house.
"Ni-i-i-ce." Richie said as he walked into the main room with his bag.
"There are two rooms upstairs, and two beds downstairs. Joe will need to be downstairs of course, but I don't think he'd mind which one. Through that door is one bathroom, another is in the master bedroom and the last is upstairs." Methos gave them the quick run down of the place.
"Their plane gets in at 1:30. Do you know how far it is to the airport?" Duncan asked.
"Half an hours drive. So we've got plenty of time." Methos replied.
"Time for breakfast." Richie interjected.
"Ok ok . we get that you are hungry." Duncan said. "Anything in that kitchen?"
"Are you kidding?" Methos replied, shaking his head at the thought of marrying someone who rivaled Betty Crocker when it came to kitchens. "But then we check out the stables . and see how Garrett takes to meeting a few more of Beth's friends."
When the three men arrived at the stables almost an hour later, Beth's brother Justin was pouring a bucket of oats in the far stall.
"Need any help?" Adam asked as they closed the door behind them.
"Help? No . thanks. I'm just finishing up." Justin replied, sizing up the two men who were with him.
"This is Duncan MacLeod and Richie Ryan." Adam introduced them. "They are friends of mine and your sister."
"Right. Leandra mentioned friends coming for the wedding." Justin said, removing his gloves before offering his hand.
"Nice place you have here?" Duncan commented, looking around the interior of the stable.
"Thanks. We're very proud of it."
"So where's Garrett? I thought he took care of the stable in the mornings." Adam asked.
"I imagine he's at services by now. Dad doesn't work him on Sunday."
Adam didn't let his discomfort at his future brother-in-laws words show on his face. He hadn't even thought about Beth running into Garrett at the church.
"Well sorry to run out on you, but if I hurry I can clean up in time to slide into the pew next to my wife before the first song ends." Justin said. "You mind locking up?"
"Actually we weren't staying. I only wanted to show them the place." Adam said.
When they were back at the car Adam didn't have to tell Duncan what was on his mind.
"Why don't you drop us off at the house so we can change. We can catch up to you at the main house." Duncan said.
"Change for what? Where are we going?" Richie asked.
"Church." Methos and Duncan replied together.