CHAPTER 55
Duncan and Ellen had only just stepped into the airport terminal in Munich when they were approached by a courier.
"Duncan MacLeod?" the young man asked in a thick German accent.
"Yes." Duncan replied.
"For you." The man didn't even wait for a signature. He thrust the flat envelope into Duncan's chest and left abruptly.
"What is that?" Ellen asked as Duncan opened the package. Inside was a room key and directions to the Hotel Jederman.
"I think maybe someone has arranged accommodations." Duncan replied, thinking how odd this would be for Methos.
"Sounds like a trap to me. Let's stay somewhere else." Ellen suggested.
"You can if you like. You don't have to get involved."
"I am involved, and if you are determined to fall into this trap then I've got your back." She said, perfectly imitating Connor MacLeod's brogue.
"Suit yourself."
They gathered their bags and in about an hour were checking into the hotel.
"Is there an extra room nearby for my friend?" Duncan asked the man at the front desk.
"Your room is a suite. It has two bedrooms."
Ellen nodded that would be fine and they carried their own bags to the lift.
"Why don't we eat in and see what our host has in store?" Duncan suggested.
"Good idea. You order and then I'm going to bed. After that flight I'd like to try and catch a little rest before all hell breaks loose." Ellen knew something bad was on the horizon so she wanted to be as prepared as possible.
As things turned out, Duncan never roused Ellen from her sleep. The contact they'd expected did not come. For the duration of the night and well into the next day the two waited in the hotel suite, finally venturing downstairs to eat lunch at the café on the main floor.
"I hate this waiting." Ellen said as she picked through her salad.
Duncan knew exactly what she was feeling. The hotel suite felt almost like a prison and they like caged rats while they waited for a contact they knew would happen. "Someone went to a lot of trouble to get me here. My guess is that the waiting is a part of the game. He's trying to grind on my nerves."
"Well from where I sit, it doesn't appear to be working. You look completely cool."
"Yeah, did Colin ever mention I did a little acting?" Duncan laughed nervously as he took a deep swallow of wine and shifted a bit so he could observe the other side of the café.
Ellen slid her salad away, not feeling much like eating. "I've got to get some air."
"I'll come with you. If they want to contact me they can call back." Duncan replied, throwing some bills on the table and following her out.
For the next few hours they walked through the historic district, much of it bringing back memories from his days as a student in Munich. He remembered so many faces and events . all of them culminating in the one event that never strayed far from his consciousness . the memory of standing and doing nothing while his friends were led one by one to the guillotine.
"Are you all right?" Ellen asked as she saw Duncan turn away from the Palace of Justice, his hands covering his eyes briefly as he rubbed them.
"I'm fine . just tired." Duncan replied, not wanting to talk about it. "I think we should get back."
The two had no sooner walked into the lobby of the hotel than Duncan's cell phone began to ring.
"Is this Duncan MacLeod?" a voice with a very distinct southern accent asked.
"This is MacLeod. Who is this?" Duncan didn't immediately recognize the voice, but then it hit him and before he gave the caller a chance to respond he blurted it out. "Garrett?"
Duncan took a deep breath and stepped to a more private part of the lobby, making sure he didn't lose the signal by getting in the elevator. His first response was rage, but he knew he had to remain calm . for all he knew Garrett still thought Beth hadn't tipped them off to what had happened and was with him of her own volition. Garrett's next words confirmed that.
"Yeah . it's me . please don't hang up." Garrett let his voice show signs of nervousness. "Beth had hoped you hadn't changed your number."
"Beth gave you the number?" Duncan asked, motioning to Ellen to remain completely silent.
"Yeah . she's scared, and I'll have to admit . I'm a little nervous myself." Garrett almost snickered at the thought but remained true to the act.
Duncan let his voice show impatience. "Why would Beth be scared, and for that matter . why would she think I care after what she did to my friend?"
"She was hoping you were still her friend as well and understood why she did what she did." Garrett replied. "She told me you knew what a temper Pierson had, and how much he cared for her. I'm an immortal yes, but not one that she believes would have a chance against him . To be honest MacLeod, after what she's told me about him I have to believe she's right."
MacLeod weighed the words carefully. "What did she tell you?"
"She told me about how he killed Asher Devan . about how he took the man apart, and about watching him train. He is obviously very experienced." Garrett replied.
MacLeod smirked. Beth hadn't told him squat. If she had Garrett would have known how he had attained all that experience and would have said so. No, Beth hadn't given him this number and probably didn't know he was calling. "As long as he doesn't know where you are then I don't see how that is a problem." MacLeod replied, his voice still sounding indifferent.
"That's the thing MacLeod . I think he does know, or at least is close." Garrett said nervously. "We've been followed. Almost from the beginning someone's been tailing us. I think Pierson has people working for him. He's chased us across three continents and over a dozen countries."
Before the recent occurrences he would have a tendency to disagree, but even Duncan believed that Methos' hand was all over the disappearances of Joe, Amanda, Claudia and probably Richie. His hesitation to believe Garrett came first from his complete mistrust of the man, and then also the fact that if Methos knew where Beth was he wouldn't send anyone to take care of Garrett . he wouldn't be able to restrain himself from going immediately. There would be no cat and mouse game.
"What do you want from me Garrett?" MacLeod replied wearily.
"We were hoping you would help us find a place where he can't find us." Garrett told him. "A place where Beth, Cassie and I can live without fear."
Duncan almost laughed out loud. If he didn't know Garrett was up to something he would have, but this was the best lead they'd had on finding Beth and Cassie and he wouldn't risk it.
"I don't know if I want to do that." Duncan replied. "I won't lie and say I don't care about Beth and the baby, but she destroyed my friend. Why would she think I'd get involved?"
"She's scared MacLeod. She's afraid that Pierson would not only make short work of me, but might hurt her as well . or at the least take the baby."
Duncan rolled his eyes and Ellen wondered what was going on. She could only hear half the conversation and it was killing her not to know.
"She may have a valid point." Duncan replied, knowing that in truth that although Methos might confront her for what Garrett wanted them to believe she'd done, he wouldn't touch a hair on her head or take the baby . as much as he didn't know his friend anymore, he knew that much.
"So you can see why she needs your help?"
Duncan covered the phone for a moment, pretending to be thinking. "I want to hear this from her Garrett. If she wants my help then she has to look me in the eye knowing what she's done to her friends and her family and ask."
Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. Shafer would be pleased. "And if you decide not to help? How can I be sure you won't tell Pierson the last thing he needs to know to find us?"
"You have my word. I won't tell Adam anything Beth doesn't want him to know." MacLeod replied, carefully choosing his words because when he pledged an oath . he kept it. "Where are you?"
Duncan held his breath as he waited for an answer he wasn't expecting. "We're in Munich."
Duncan almost dropped the phone. He'd thought Amanda had followed a lead that had been fabricated, not the real thing.
"You're in Munich?" Duncan repeated.
"Yeah . there's an old shelter that's been almost forgotten." Garrett told him. "I've taken Beth and the baby there, but couldn't get a signal for my phone so if you can get to Munich we'll have to arrange a place and time to meet."
"Garrett I'm in Munich." Duncan waited to hear how surprised Garrett was at the news. The response was not what he expected. Garrett hung up.
"Damn." Duncan swore into the dead line. "Garrett and Beth are here in Munich. He wants to meet, but when he heard I was already here he hung up before he could tell me where they were."
Ellen's face squinted in disbelief. "So your friend Amanda was really on their trail?"
"It seems so, or ." Duncan's words were cut off by his phone ringing again.
"MacLeod. Sorry . when you told me you were here I got scared." Garrett replied. "I was worried you might be helping Pierson."
"Garrett I haven't even seen Adam since the night he married Beth. He skipped town and I haven't heard from him since." Duncan replied honestly if you didn't count the voice mail on Claudia's phone. His mind was spinning with all the possible scenarios lining up.
Garrett took a long breath and then told Duncan what he wanted to hear. "The underground shelter is beneath the hotel Bayerischer Hof. But you can't get into it from inside the hotel. The entrance is actually across the street under an old tenement."
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Duncan said, knowing the hotel very well and also that it was only two stops off the main train terminal which was a short walk from where he was now.
"Wait MacLeod. You can't go in there until after dark or risk being seen. I'm at the club in the hotel where I could get a clear signal for the phone." Garrett told him.
Duncan repeated his promise to meet him and started for the door with Ellen on his tail. Ellen tossed everything around in her head as he told her the details of his conversation. She could tell Duncan was suspecting his friend more and more . but she wasn't so sure. Maybe he was too close to it and was missing the obvious.
"I'm wondering if your friend Garrett isn't behind all of this." She said, but Duncan wasn't sure that was possible. He was too green.
Meanwhile back at the Villa, Garrett hung up the phone . pleased that the conversation had gone so well. MacLeod would be in for a big surprise. He wished he could be there to see it. With a laugh he started upstairs to spend some time with Beth.
Duncan and Ellen had only just stepped into the airport terminal in Munich when they were approached by a courier.
"Duncan MacLeod?" the young man asked in a thick German accent.
"Yes." Duncan replied.
"For you." The man didn't even wait for a signature. He thrust the flat envelope into Duncan's chest and left abruptly.
"What is that?" Ellen asked as Duncan opened the package. Inside was a room key and directions to the Hotel Jederman.
"I think maybe someone has arranged accommodations." Duncan replied, thinking how odd this would be for Methos.
"Sounds like a trap to me. Let's stay somewhere else." Ellen suggested.
"You can if you like. You don't have to get involved."
"I am involved, and if you are determined to fall into this trap then I've got your back." She said, perfectly imitating Connor MacLeod's brogue.
"Suit yourself."
They gathered their bags and in about an hour were checking into the hotel.
"Is there an extra room nearby for my friend?" Duncan asked the man at the front desk.
"Your room is a suite. It has two bedrooms."
Ellen nodded that would be fine and they carried their own bags to the lift.
"Why don't we eat in and see what our host has in store?" Duncan suggested.
"Good idea. You order and then I'm going to bed. After that flight I'd like to try and catch a little rest before all hell breaks loose." Ellen knew something bad was on the horizon so she wanted to be as prepared as possible.
As things turned out, Duncan never roused Ellen from her sleep. The contact they'd expected did not come. For the duration of the night and well into the next day the two waited in the hotel suite, finally venturing downstairs to eat lunch at the café on the main floor.
"I hate this waiting." Ellen said as she picked through her salad.
Duncan knew exactly what she was feeling. The hotel suite felt almost like a prison and they like caged rats while they waited for a contact they knew would happen. "Someone went to a lot of trouble to get me here. My guess is that the waiting is a part of the game. He's trying to grind on my nerves."
"Well from where I sit, it doesn't appear to be working. You look completely cool."
"Yeah, did Colin ever mention I did a little acting?" Duncan laughed nervously as he took a deep swallow of wine and shifted a bit so he could observe the other side of the café.
Ellen slid her salad away, not feeling much like eating. "I've got to get some air."
"I'll come with you. If they want to contact me they can call back." Duncan replied, throwing some bills on the table and following her out.
For the next few hours they walked through the historic district, much of it bringing back memories from his days as a student in Munich. He remembered so many faces and events . all of them culminating in the one event that never strayed far from his consciousness . the memory of standing and doing nothing while his friends were led one by one to the guillotine.
"Are you all right?" Ellen asked as she saw Duncan turn away from the Palace of Justice, his hands covering his eyes briefly as he rubbed them.
"I'm fine . just tired." Duncan replied, not wanting to talk about it. "I think we should get back."
The two had no sooner walked into the lobby of the hotel than Duncan's cell phone began to ring.
"Is this Duncan MacLeod?" a voice with a very distinct southern accent asked.
"This is MacLeod. Who is this?" Duncan didn't immediately recognize the voice, but then it hit him and before he gave the caller a chance to respond he blurted it out. "Garrett?"
Duncan took a deep breath and stepped to a more private part of the lobby, making sure he didn't lose the signal by getting in the elevator. His first response was rage, but he knew he had to remain calm . for all he knew Garrett still thought Beth hadn't tipped them off to what had happened and was with him of her own volition. Garrett's next words confirmed that.
"Yeah . it's me . please don't hang up." Garrett let his voice show signs of nervousness. "Beth had hoped you hadn't changed your number."
"Beth gave you the number?" Duncan asked, motioning to Ellen to remain completely silent.
"Yeah . she's scared, and I'll have to admit . I'm a little nervous myself." Garrett almost snickered at the thought but remained true to the act.
Duncan let his voice show impatience. "Why would Beth be scared, and for that matter . why would she think I care after what she did to my friend?"
"She was hoping you were still her friend as well and understood why she did what she did." Garrett replied. "She told me you knew what a temper Pierson had, and how much he cared for her. I'm an immortal yes, but not one that she believes would have a chance against him . To be honest MacLeod, after what she's told me about him I have to believe she's right."
MacLeod weighed the words carefully. "What did she tell you?"
"She told me about how he killed Asher Devan . about how he took the man apart, and about watching him train. He is obviously very experienced." Garrett replied.
MacLeod smirked. Beth hadn't told him squat. If she had Garrett would have known how he had attained all that experience and would have said so. No, Beth hadn't given him this number and probably didn't know he was calling. "As long as he doesn't know where you are then I don't see how that is a problem." MacLeod replied, his voice still sounding indifferent.
"That's the thing MacLeod . I think he does know, or at least is close." Garrett said nervously. "We've been followed. Almost from the beginning someone's been tailing us. I think Pierson has people working for him. He's chased us across three continents and over a dozen countries."
Before the recent occurrences he would have a tendency to disagree, but even Duncan believed that Methos' hand was all over the disappearances of Joe, Amanda, Claudia and probably Richie. His hesitation to believe Garrett came first from his complete mistrust of the man, and then also the fact that if Methos knew where Beth was he wouldn't send anyone to take care of Garrett . he wouldn't be able to restrain himself from going immediately. There would be no cat and mouse game.
"What do you want from me Garrett?" MacLeod replied wearily.
"We were hoping you would help us find a place where he can't find us." Garrett told him. "A place where Beth, Cassie and I can live without fear."
Duncan almost laughed out loud. If he didn't know Garrett was up to something he would have, but this was the best lead they'd had on finding Beth and Cassie and he wouldn't risk it.
"I don't know if I want to do that." Duncan replied. "I won't lie and say I don't care about Beth and the baby, but she destroyed my friend. Why would she think I'd get involved?"
"She's scared MacLeod. She's afraid that Pierson would not only make short work of me, but might hurt her as well . or at the least take the baby."
Duncan rolled his eyes and Ellen wondered what was going on. She could only hear half the conversation and it was killing her not to know.
"She may have a valid point." Duncan replied, knowing that in truth that although Methos might confront her for what Garrett wanted them to believe she'd done, he wouldn't touch a hair on her head or take the baby . as much as he didn't know his friend anymore, he knew that much.
"So you can see why she needs your help?"
Duncan covered the phone for a moment, pretending to be thinking. "I want to hear this from her Garrett. If she wants my help then she has to look me in the eye knowing what she's done to her friends and her family and ask."
Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. Shafer would be pleased. "And if you decide not to help? How can I be sure you won't tell Pierson the last thing he needs to know to find us?"
"You have my word. I won't tell Adam anything Beth doesn't want him to know." MacLeod replied, carefully choosing his words because when he pledged an oath . he kept it. "Where are you?"
Duncan held his breath as he waited for an answer he wasn't expecting. "We're in Munich."
Duncan almost dropped the phone. He'd thought Amanda had followed a lead that had been fabricated, not the real thing.
"You're in Munich?" Duncan repeated.
"Yeah . there's an old shelter that's been almost forgotten." Garrett told him. "I've taken Beth and the baby there, but couldn't get a signal for my phone so if you can get to Munich we'll have to arrange a place and time to meet."
"Garrett I'm in Munich." Duncan waited to hear how surprised Garrett was at the news. The response was not what he expected. Garrett hung up.
"Damn." Duncan swore into the dead line. "Garrett and Beth are here in Munich. He wants to meet, but when he heard I was already here he hung up before he could tell me where they were."
Ellen's face squinted in disbelief. "So your friend Amanda was really on their trail?"
"It seems so, or ." Duncan's words were cut off by his phone ringing again.
"MacLeod. Sorry . when you told me you were here I got scared." Garrett replied. "I was worried you might be helping Pierson."
"Garrett I haven't even seen Adam since the night he married Beth. He skipped town and I haven't heard from him since." Duncan replied honestly if you didn't count the voice mail on Claudia's phone. His mind was spinning with all the possible scenarios lining up.
Garrett took a long breath and then told Duncan what he wanted to hear. "The underground shelter is beneath the hotel Bayerischer Hof. But you can't get into it from inside the hotel. The entrance is actually across the street under an old tenement."
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Duncan said, knowing the hotel very well and also that it was only two stops off the main train terminal which was a short walk from where he was now.
"Wait MacLeod. You can't go in there until after dark or risk being seen. I'm at the club in the hotel where I could get a clear signal for the phone." Garrett told him.
Duncan repeated his promise to meet him and started for the door with Ellen on his tail. Ellen tossed everything around in her head as he told her the details of his conversation. She could tell Duncan was suspecting his friend more and more . but she wasn't so sure. Maybe he was too close to it and was missing the obvious.
"I'm wondering if your friend Garrett isn't behind all of this." She said, but Duncan wasn't sure that was possible. He was too green.
Meanwhile back at the Villa, Garrett hung up the phone . pleased that the conversation had gone so well. MacLeod would be in for a big surprise. He wished he could be there to see it. With a laugh he started upstairs to spend some time with Beth.