CHAPTER 38
When Amanda got out of the shower, she found Duncan sitting on the edge of the coffee table with his head in his hands.
"Duncan? Are you all right? I heard the phone." She said as she walked stand beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"That was Joe. He found Methos . sort of." Duncan's pain filled eyes looked up at her and she immediately thought the worst.
"Oh no." she gasped, her hand moving to cover her mouth. "Who did it?"
"He's not dead." Duncan replied flatly. "But he took the head of his former student Don Augustin, and it wasn't even a fight."
"What?" Amanda didn't understand.
"Joe saw Methos pull out his sword and Don Augustin didn't even try to defend himself. He knelt and just let him take his head." Duncan told her. "And then before Joe could tell him anything about Beth, Methos took off. He packed his things and was gone before Joe could catch him."
Amanda brushed the tears from her eyes.
"Did you know him well?" Duncan asked, thinking her tears were for the fallen immortal.
"I thought I did." She replied. "But I guess we never really knew him at all."
Duncan realized she was talking about Methos and stood to put his arms around her. "Maybe we only knew who he wanted to be, or who he wanted us to see." He took a deep breath and blinked several times as he stared into space. "But I don't know him now. I don't know the man who is doing these things, and that is not the man Beth married."
"What are you saying?" Amanda asked, looking up at him.
"I'm saying that we will find her somehow, but I won't look for him any more and I'll encourage Joe to stop looking as well. He's gone too far . too far." Duncan said sadly.
"You're giving up on him?" she asked.
"He's given up on himself." He replied. "Joe will be back tonight and we will leave for Paris in the morning."
Amanda nodded.
"And I'm going to encourage Richie to go with Claudia on her tour, or if he insists, have him come with us." Duncan added. "I don't want him anywhere around if Methos does come back to Seacouver."
Amanda agreed. With Methos, anything was possible at this point.
At the villa, Beth sat at the window looking out at the falling snow. She flexed her hand back and forth a few times, amazed at the way it had healed so quickly. Only the day before she was certain the fragile bones had been broken, and today it was only a little stiff. Even the bruises had disappeared.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Garrett's voice came from the door. Beth quickly wrapped the bandage back around her hand before turning to look at him.
"It's hard to see the beauty when you are a prisoner." She replied pointedly. "Where is Cassie? It's time for her to eat."
"Helen is feeding her, and the baby is taking quite well to the formula." He said flatly.
"You have no right." Beth walked over to challenge him. "She is my baby and I am the one to decide about her care. And if you spout off any more about how it's what Craig would want, I think I'll puke, so spare us both and bring me my child."
Her eyes spit fire as she glared at him, but Garrett was unmoved.
"I'm not sure she's safe with you." He told her. "After that stunt of yours yesterday, I question whether or not you are stable enough to be around her."
"You question my stability? Oh that is priceless Garrett. You kidnap a baby, force it's mother to leave her husband, her home, and her family, to travel halfway around the world and live in seclusion, all because you think you owe something to a man who is dead, and you think I'm unstable?" Beth almost laughed.
"So now Craig is only 'some man' to you? Have you forgotten him that easily?" Garrett challenged.
"I haven't forgotten a thing." She threw back. "I spent over 20 years loving Craig and as much as you think you knew him, you didn't know half of what we shared. I haven't forgotten one word or one look or one moment with him, and losing him almost killed me."
Her chest heaved up and down as she tried to control her breathing and her rage. "When I didn't die of grief, Asher Devan did his damnedest to try and kill both Cassie and me. And if it hadn't been for Adam, he would have succeeded. But you don't care about that do you? And you don't care about the fact that I love him in a way I never thought I could love again. All you care about is that promise you think means you have the right to control the very air I breathe. Craig would hate you for using him like this. If you think I've forgotten him, then maybe you never really knew him."
Garrett raised his hand and for a second Beth thought he was going to backhand her, but at the last second he simply turned and walked out.
Beth stared at the door when she heard the key turn in the lock. Before she had been the one locking him out, but now he was locking her in . and away from Cassie. She pounded on the door and demanded to be taken to her child, but no one seemed to hear or care. Sliding against the doorframe, Beth slipped to the floor and wept. He'd taken everything away from her and she knew if something didn't happen soon, she really would lose her mind.
"Adam you've got to find us." She whispered, wiping her eyes and looking across the room at the snow that continued to fall outside.
When Amanda got out of the shower, she found Duncan sitting on the edge of the coffee table with his head in his hands.
"Duncan? Are you all right? I heard the phone." She said as she walked stand beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"That was Joe. He found Methos . sort of." Duncan's pain filled eyes looked up at her and she immediately thought the worst.
"Oh no." she gasped, her hand moving to cover her mouth. "Who did it?"
"He's not dead." Duncan replied flatly. "But he took the head of his former student Don Augustin, and it wasn't even a fight."
"What?" Amanda didn't understand.
"Joe saw Methos pull out his sword and Don Augustin didn't even try to defend himself. He knelt and just let him take his head." Duncan told her. "And then before Joe could tell him anything about Beth, Methos took off. He packed his things and was gone before Joe could catch him."
Amanda brushed the tears from her eyes.
"Did you know him well?" Duncan asked, thinking her tears were for the fallen immortal.
"I thought I did." She replied. "But I guess we never really knew him at all."
Duncan realized she was talking about Methos and stood to put his arms around her. "Maybe we only knew who he wanted to be, or who he wanted us to see." He took a deep breath and blinked several times as he stared into space. "But I don't know him now. I don't know the man who is doing these things, and that is not the man Beth married."
"What are you saying?" Amanda asked, looking up at him.
"I'm saying that we will find her somehow, but I won't look for him any more and I'll encourage Joe to stop looking as well. He's gone too far . too far." Duncan said sadly.
"You're giving up on him?" she asked.
"He's given up on himself." He replied. "Joe will be back tonight and we will leave for Paris in the morning."
Amanda nodded.
"And I'm going to encourage Richie to go with Claudia on her tour, or if he insists, have him come with us." Duncan added. "I don't want him anywhere around if Methos does come back to Seacouver."
Amanda agreed. With Methos, anything was possible at this point.
At the villa, Beth sat at the window looking out at the falling snow. She flexed her hand back and forth a few times, amazed at the way it had healed so quickly. Only the day before she was certain the fragile bones had been broken, and today it was only a little stiff. Even the bruises had disappeared.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Garrett's voice came from the door. Beth quickly wrapped the bandage back around her hand before turning to look at him.
"It's hard to see the beauty when you are a prisoner." She replied pointedly. "Where is Cassie? It's time for her to eat."
"Helen is feeding her, and the baby is taking quite well to the formula." He said flatly.
"You have no right." Beth walked over to challenge him. "She is my baby and I am the one to decide about her care. And if you spout off any more about how it's what Craig would want, I think I'll puke, so spare us both and bring me my child."
Her eyes spit fire as she glared at him, but Garrett was unmoved.
"I'm not sure she's safe with you." He told her. "After that stunt of yours yesterday, I question whether or not you are stable enough to be around her."
"You question my stability? Oh that is priceless Garrett. You kidnap a baby, force it's mother to leave her husband, her home, and her family, to travel halfway around the world and live in seclusion, all because you think you owe something to a man who is dead, and you think I'm unstable?" Beth almost laughed.
"So now Craig is only 'some man' to you? Have you forgotten him that easily?" Garrett challenged.
"I haven't forgotten a thing." She threw back. "I spent over 20 years loving Craig and as much as you think you knew him, you didn't know half of what we shared. I haven't forgotten one word or one look or one moment with him, and losing him almost killed me."
Her chest heaved up and down as she tried to control her breathing and her rage. "When I didn't die of grief, Asher Devan did his damnedest to try and kill both Cassie and me. And if it hadn't been for Adam, he would have succeeded. But you don't care about that do you? And you don't care about the fact that I love him in a way I never thought I could love again. All you care about is that promise you think means you have the right to control the very air I breathe. Craig would hate you for using him like this. If you think I've forgotten him, then maybe you never really knew him."
Garrett raised his hand and for a second Beth thought he was going to backhand her, but at the last second he simply turned and walked out.
Beth stared at the door when she heard the key turn in the lock. Before she had been the one locking him out, but now he was locking her in . and away from Cassie. She pounded on the door and demanded to be taken to her child, but no one seemed to hear or care. Sliding against the doorframe, Beth slipped to the floor and wept. He'd taken everything away from her and she knew if something didn't happen soon, she really would lose her mind.
"Adam you've got to find us." She whispered, wiping her eyes and looking across the room at the snow that continued to fall outside.