CHAPTER 20
Rick Shafer downed the last of his drink as he watched Garrett make his way to the quiet corner of the airport bar. His flight had arrived earlier than scheduled. When the younger man sat down, Shafer asked the waitress to bring him another drink and a beer for his friend and then to leave them alone.
"Were you able to do as I asked?" Shafer asked Garrett as soon as the waitress left the table.
"If you mean did I make nice with MacLeod, I did." Garrett replied. "Seems like a decent enough guy."
"Decent, honorable and always ready to defend injustice." Shafer told him without emotion. "That would be Duncan MacLeod."
"So he's a friend of yours." Garrett stated, not pleased.
"We have a history." Shafer replied.
UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH - JULY 1942
"MacLeod" Fredrich Shaeffer called to his comrade.
"Shhhhh, I'm coming. And it's Dirk, remember. Someone could hear you." Duncan replied with a thick German accent as he slipped through the back door of the dormitory with another load of contraband paper.
"Right, right . Dirk. We only have a few more hours for Alex and the others to finish these flyers." Fredrich reminded his friend. They all had to be individually typed and ready for distribution before daylight.
"I was almost discovered by the janitor." MacLeod told him as he handed over half of his stash. "I think he may be onto us or at least suspect something."
Fredrich didn't like that news. So far they'd successfully circulated 3 Leaflets of The White Rose in an effort to get the truth about the Nazi agenda into the hands of those at the University who did not realize the atrocities being committed in the name of a very un-free Germany.
"I'll get these sheets to Hans and Sophie for typing. You take the rest to Alex so he and the others can do the same." He ordered his friend. This was an important flyer because it stated emphatically that The White Rose leaflets were not funded by an outside power, but a product of free- thinking Germans who would not be satisfied until the National Socialist regime had been wiped out by whatever means necessary.
The war had taken over every portion of life in Germany. Even the medical students were required to have military training and then finished their studies in uniform. MacLeod and Shaeffer had hidden themselves among the student population at the University of Munich in hopes of working with the underground network that had grown among students who knew the truth.
Shaeffer's closest friend Hans, and his sister Sophie were at the heart of the White Roses. They took extreme risks to spread their message, and had almost been discovered the last time they let the flyers go from the top of one of the university buildings. He and MacLeod were trying to convince the siblings to let them handle this next drop, but the two insisted on doing it themselves. The two immortals could only keep watch and try to divert attention. -------------------------
"Did you hear what I said?" Garrett raised his voice slightly when Rick didn't seem to hear a word he was saying.
"Hear you?"
"I was saying that the wedding of my friend Leandra is still on for tomorrow night. She won't listen to me, and her family isn't showing any opposition either." Garrett's frustration was evident.
"I still don't understand why this is such a problem for you. You aren't in love with her are you?" Rick replied.
"Of course I love her. She's been one of my best friends since we were children." Garrett said. "But that's not what this is about. It's about the promise I made her husband Craig, who was like a brother to me."
Rick Shafer waited to hear the pledge. "He made me promise to take care of Leandra and make sure she was happy if something ever happened to him. I vowed I would, and that is why I can't let her marry Pierson. I don't know much about him, but I don't trust him. And he is not the man who should be raising my best friend's child."
Shafer wasn't that concerned with Garrett's problem, but he was fond of the young immortal and he needed him for a problem of his own.
"If she is as in love with this Adam Pierson as you say, then the only way you can stop her short of taking his head, is to take her away from here." He replied. "Are you sure you want to do that? Didn't you say both of you are close to her family?"
Garrett shook his head. "She loves her family fiercely, and so do I. But if that's the only way then I don't know how it can be helped. Leandra will eventually see the wisdom in it and we can return. I'm sure of it."
"Tell me everything you know about the plans for this wedding. Every detail." Shafer demanded and Garrett told him about the time of the service and the place, as well as the family's plans to celebrate at The Barn after the ceremony.
"I can't see that we will have any opportunity to stop this before the ceremony." Shafer said after thinking a long time. Garrett didn't like that, but he wasn't concerned about a few vows. He was only concerned with getting Leandra and the baby far away from Adam Pierson.
"What about after the party?"
"I overheard Chris and her husband talking about The Ridgetop Inn, that bed and breakfast off the main highway just outside of town." Garrett replied. "Pierson was going to surprise her by taking a suite there instead of going back to the house. Rayna was involved too. I think she's going to stay in a room with the baby."
Shafer smiled at the mention of Leandra's younger sister. "Rayna isn't expecting me back in town for a few more days, but maybe now would be a good time to call and surprise her. No doubt she will want an escort for the festivities."
"But what about MacLeod?" Garrett worried.
"What about him? If anything, he will be pleased to see me and our history will help me convince him that you acted alone and I, as your teacher will feel obligated to assist in the search . that is if anyone still wants to look for her after we set the plan in motion." Shafer replied with confidence.
For the next half hour they discussed the timing and details of what it would take to get Leandra out of town. Garrett was concerned about where to take her that would be comfortable and yet deter her from escaping, and Shafer assured him he would handle all the travel arrangements and destination.
When they were done, Shafer placed a call to the Harris house where a very excited and pleased Rayna let him in on all the details of the next evening, hoping he would be able to attend the wedding and party with her.
Rick Shafer downed the last of his drink as he watched Garrett make his way to the quiet corner of the airport bar. His flight had arrived earlier than scheduled. When the younger man sat down, Shafer asked the waitress to bring him another drink and a beer for his friend and then to leave them alone.
"Were you able to do as I asked?" Shafer asked Garrett as soon as the waitress left the table.
"If you mean did I make nice with MacLeod, I did." Garrett replied. "Seems like a decent enough guy."
"Decent, honorable and always ready to defend injustice." Shafer told him without emotion. "That would be Duncan MacLeod."
"So he's a friend of yours." Garrett stated, not pleased.
"We have a history." Shafer replied.
UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH - JULY 1942
"MacLeod" Fredrich Shaeffer called to his comrade.
"Shhhhh, I'm coming. And it's Dirk, remember. Someone could hear you." Duncan replied with a thick German accent as he slipped through the back door of the dormitory with another load of contraband paper.
"Right, right . Dirk. We only have a few more hours for Alex and the others to finish these flyers." Fredrich reminded his friend. They all had to be individually typed and ready for distribution before daylight.
"I was almost discovered by the janitor." MacLeod told him as he handed over half of his stash. "I think he may be onto us or at least suspect something."
Fredrich didn't like that news. So far they'd successfully circulated 3 Leaflets of The White Rose in an effort to get the truth about the Nazi agenda into the hands of those at the University who did not realize the atrocities being committed in the name of a very un-free Germany.
"I'll get these sheets to Hans and Sophie for typing. You take the rest to Alex so he and the others can do the same." He ordered his friend. This was an important flyer because it stated emphatically that The White Rose leaflets were not funded by an outside power, but a product of free- thinking Germans who would not be satisfied until the National Socialist regime had been wiped out by whatever means necessary.
The war had taken over every portion of life in Germany. Even the medical students were required to have military training and then finished their studies in uniform. MacLeod and Shaeffer had hidden themselves among the student population at the University of Munich in hopes of working with the underground network that had grown among students who knew the truth.
Shaeffer's closest friend Hans, and his sister Sophie were at the heart of the White Roses. They took extreme risks to spread their message, and had almost been discovered the last time they let the flyers go from the top of one of the university buildings. He and MacLeod were trying to convince the siblings to let them handle this next drop, but the two insisted on doing it themselves. The two immortals could only keep watch and try to divert attention. -------------------------
"Did you hear what I said?" Garrett raised his voice slightly when Rick didn't seem to hear a word he was saying.
"Hear you?"
"I was saying that the wedding of my friend Leandra is still on for tomorrow night. She won't listen to me, and her family isn't showing any opposition either." Garrett's frustration was evident.
"I still don't understand why this is such a problem for you. You aren't in love with her are you?" Rick replied.
"Of course I love her. She's been one of my best friends since we were children." Garrett said. "But that's not what this is about. It's about the promise I made her husband Craig, who was like a brother to me."
Rick Shafer waited to hear the pledge. "He made me promise to take care of Leandra and make sure she was happy if something ever happened to him. I vowed I would, and that is why I can't let her marry Pierson. I don't know much about him, but I don't trust him. And he is not the man who should be raising my best friend's child."
Shafer wasn't that concerned with Garrett's problem, but he was fond of the young immortal and he needed him for a problem of his own.
"If she is as in love with this Adam Pierson as you say, then the only way you can stop her short of taking his head, is to take her away from here." He replied. "Are you sure you want to do that? Didn't you say both of you are close to her family?"
Garrett shook his head. "She loves her family fiercely, and so do I. But if that's the only way then I don't know how it can be helped. Leandra will eventually see the wisdom in it and we can return. I'm sure of it."
"Tell me everything you know about the plans for this wedding. Every detail." Shafer demanded and Garrett told him about the time of the service and the place, as well as the family's plans to celebrate at The Barn after the ceremony.
"I can't see that we will have any opportunity to stop this before the ceremony." Shafer said after thinking a long time. Garrett didn't like that, but he wasn't concerned about a few vows. He was only concerned with getting Leandra and the baby far away from Adam Pierson.
"What about after the party?"
"I overheard Chris and her husband talking about The Ridgetop Inn, that bed and breakfast off the main highway just outside of town." Garrett replied. "Pierson was going to surprise her by taking a suite there instead of going back to the house. Rayna was involved too. I think she's going to stay in a room with the baby."
Shafer smiled at the mention of Leandra's younger sister. "Rayna isn't expecting me back in town for a few more days, but maybe now would be a good time to call and surprise her. No doubt she will want an escort for the festivities."
"But what about MacLeod?" Garrett worried.
"What about him? If anything, he will be pleased to see me and our history will help me convince him that you acted alone and I, as your teacher will feel obligated to assist in the search . that is if anyone still wants to look for her after we set the plan in motion." Shafer replied with confidence.
For the next half hour they discussed the timing and details of what it would take to get Leandra out of town. Garrett was concerned about where to take her that would be comfortable and yet deter her from escaping, and Shafer assured him he would handle all the travel arrangements and destination.
When they were done, Shafer placed a call to the Harris house where a very excited and pleased Rayna let him in on all the details of the next evening, hoping he would be able to attend the wedding and party with her.