CHAPTER 67
Rick Shafer cursed as he changed out of his torn clothes. "I thought you said Pierson had dropped out of site." His comments were directed at Carl Bennett, who supposedly had been keeping an eye on the perimeter of their objective.
"I don't know why he resurfaced like that." Bennett replied nervously. He could see Shafer wasn't pleased. "I swear he hasn't been in contact with MacLeod or the others. He dropped out of the blue."
Shafer muttered something unrecognizable under his breath. "His presence changes things."
Bennett waited for Shafer to finish his thoughts, wondering what would have to be altered. Their plan was already complicated.
"Forget the two smaller tasks. I want to expand our finale'" Shafer decided.
"Expand?"
"Yes. Alone MacLeod would have a struggle to save them all in the individual tasks, and with the help he has now, they wouldn't be a task at all. We have to set up one big assignment that even with Pierson and that child, he can't succeed." Shafer began. "And when he is experiencing the shock of his most profound failure, I will extract my final revenge."
"There is much for you to do so listen carefully." Shafer said as he sat at the table and began going over the change of plans with Bennett.
After the two men had finished, Shafer tried to call Garrett, but there was no answer. "Where are you?" he muttered into the phone.
Back at a hospital near the air base, Duncan and Ellen arrived to see how Rayna was and to make sure no more harm came to her. Methos parked the car and checked the security for the hospital before going upstairs.
"I can't believe you didn't get hurt when that thing came crashing down on top of us." Rayna said to Duncan. "I could have sworn you passed out."
"I got a bump on the head." He admitted. "But I'm all right. I'm sorry we left you, but we didn't want to explain what was going on and we figured the more of us there were to question, the tougher it would be."
"Tell me about it." Rayna grumbled. "I've had 4 inspectors try to question me already. Thank goodness the doctor insisted I needed rest."
Duncan frowned. "So you feel pretty bad, huh?"
"Not as much as I let on to the doctor. I didn't want to answer their questions anymore than you do." She admitted.
It was then Methos knew he'd postponed entering the room long enough. He had to face Rayna and the fact that she knew he'd run out on her sister. Pushing the door open he heard her telling Duncan they'd put 14 stitches in her leg.
Rayna looked up and her face widened with surprise. "Adam! Oh my God!"
It was obvious she was glad to see him, but when he hung back she wouldn't hear of it.
"Come here you!" Rayna insisted and Adam had no choice. He walked over to the bed and let her give him a crushing hug. "You don't know how hard I prayed Duncan would find you. It killed me to know how hurt you must have felt."
Adam pulled back. "I'm sorry you were injured." He said, brushing off her concern over him. He didn't deserve it and he didn't deserve for her to feel so pleased to see him.
Rayna could see the clouded way he concealed his emotions, and looked over to Duncan, but he shook his head and encouraged her to let it go.
"Actually, Adam found us." Duncan explained, changing the subject. "He somehow stumbled onto the fact that Rick was trying to pull something and he showed up at the airbase just in time to save both of us."
"You were there?" Rayna was shocked.
"I got lucky." Adam replied. "I'm just glad it turned out as well as it did."
Rayna nodded.
"How badly do you feel?" he asked. "Can you walk?"
"I am pretty sure I can. They haven't let me try." Rayna admitted. "Why?"
"Because if Shafer took you once, he might try again." Duncan replied. "It will be hard to protect you and find the others if you are in here."
"The others?" Rayna didn't understand.
"Rick's got Ritchie, Amanda, Joe and Claudia." Duncan told her. "And I guess you've figured he probably had a hand in helping Garrett take your sister and Cassie."
"That bastard." Rayna didn't mince words.
"He admitted he helped take Beth." She added. "Right before he tied me into the chopper. He told me how easy it had been to drug me and how invaluable my information about the beer she had ordered to surprise Adam had been."
Looking up at Adam she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I should have been more careful when you trusted me with Cassie."
Her words confirmed what MacLeod and the snapshot had told him. "It wasn't your fault. If he hadn't succeeded in drugging you he might have done something more harmful to get you out of the way. He was going to take them no matter what."
"Please don't let me hold you up." Rayna turned back to Duncan. "You've got to get to the others before he hurts them. He will do it you know."
"We aren't leaving you here unprotected." Duncan insisted and Adam backed him up.
"Then if you gentlemen will excuse me, maybe your friend could get my clothes out of that closet." Rayna said as she sat up in the bed, wincing a little as she moved.
"Rayna don't be ridiculous." Duncan said, trying to tuck the blanket back around her, but Adam interrupted.
"Do you think you really can walk? Enough not to make it out of here looking like a visitor and not a patient?" he asked.
"Adam!" Duncan protested, but Rayna was determined.
"We're wasting time. Just promise me you can find some good pain killers once we are out of here." She told them, ignoring the pain as she swung her feet off the bed and onto the floor.
Ellen brought her clothes from the closet, but they were torn and cut. The only thing salvageable was her coat.
"I'll be right back." Adam said. "Don't move."
A few minutes later he returned with a red sweater, jeans and two pairs of shoes. "I didn't get a good look at your feet so I couldn't guess your size." He explained as he placed the items on the bed.
"Where did you .." Rayna began, but Duncan interrupted. "Don't ask. You really don't want to know."
The men left the room and Ellen helped Rayna change and take a few steps around the room to make sure she could manage.
"Not bad." Ellen said before they heard Duncan knock softly on the door.
"We need to go now. The nurses are starting their rounds." He said. "Adam is meeting us with the car at the front entrance.
A few minutes later they were in the car and on their way to Duncan and Ellen's hotel suite.
Ellen bought a gown and robe for Rayna in the hotel gift shop and helped her change and get into bed. By that time though, the pain was almost unbearable and Rayna was at the point of tears.
Adam asked if he could come in, and Ellen called out to let him know he could.
"I thought this might take the edge off." He said, handing her a white pill and a glass of water.
"What is it?" Rayna asked, thanking him.
"I took a look at your chart and saw the medication they prescribed. There was plenty in the hospital supply room." He admitted.
Rayna couldn't help but smirk. "I didn't know my sister married someone with such light fingers."
"You should get some rest." He replied, starting to move from beside the bed, but Rayna caught his wrist.
"Don't go . please." Rayna asked as she pulled his arm and forced him to either sit on the edge of the bed beside her or pull away. He reluctantly sat down and waited to see what she wanted.
"I'm sorry you are hurting so much. I know you love my sister." She said. "And I know it's probably tearing you up inside not only to know she is Garrett's prisoner, but to be separated from her."
"Rayna I really don't want to ."
"But you need to talk about it." Rayna appealed to him. "I can see in your eyes how tired and lonely and hurt you are. I can see what this has done to you. It's almost like you are a different person Adam. This has been awful for you. I can see it."
"I'm not the one being held against my will." Adam told her. "It doesn't matter how tired or hurt or lonely I might be. What matters is that we find your sister and the baby and they are returned home to your family safe and sound."
Rayna squeezed his hand and shook her head softly. "Now I know why she loved you. You are so selfless. Even when I can see this is tearing you apart, all you think about is what she needs."
"That's all that matters." Adam replied, standing up and this time not letting her stop him. "I wasted enough time feeling sorry for myself. I wasted time I should have been searching for her. She'd probably be home now if I hadn't failed her so miserably."
"Failed her?" Rayna didn't understand. "Adam you saved her. She was alive and with us this Christmas because of you. And how could you have been anything but upset when you thought she'd left you for Garrett? That note and the jewelry . they were pretty convincing."
"I should have known better. If I'd known her heart truly like she knew mine . I would never have doubted her." Adam retorted. Nothing anyone said was going to let him take himself off the hook for this. It was his fault that she was still out there alone and afraid.
"You need to rest." He insisted before turning and walking out the door, closing it softly behind him.
Rayna sighed sadly. As much as she hated to see it, she knew something had changed in her sister's husband. Something more serious than just guilt over believing a lie. Something in him had died. She knew it wasn't his love for Beth . but something had changed.
Rick Shafer cursed as he changed out of his torn clothes. "I thought you said Pierson had dropped out of site." His comments were directed at Carl Bennett, who supposedly had been keeping an eye on the perimeter of their objective.
"I don't know why he resurfaced like that." Bennett replied nervously. He could see Shafer wasn't pleased. "I swear he hasn't been in contact with MacLeod or the others. He dropped out of the blue."
Shafer muttered something unrecognizable under his breath. "His presence changes things."
Bennett waited for Shafer to finish his thoughts, wondering what would have to be altered. Their plan was already complicated.
"Forget the two smaller tasks. I want to expand our finale'" Shafer decided.
"Expand?"
"Yes. Alone MacLeod would have a struggle to save them all in the individual tasks, and with the help he has now, they wouldn't be a task at all. We have to set up one big assignment that even with Pierson and that child, he can't succeed." Shafer began. "And when he is experiencing the shock of his most profound failure, I will extract my final revenge."
"There is much for you to do so listen carefully." Shafer said as he sat at the table and began going over the change of plans with Bennett.
After the two men had finished, Shafer tried to call Garrett, but there was no answer. "Where are you?" he muttered into the phone.
Back at a hospital near the air base, Duncan and Ellen arrived to see how Rayna was and to make sure no more harm came to her. Methos parked the car and checked the security for the hospital before going upstairs.
"I can't believe you didn't get hurt when that thing came crashing down on top of us." Rayna said to Duncan. "I could have sworn you passed out."
"I got a bump on the head." He admitted. "But I'm all right. I'm sorry we left you, but we didn't want to explain what was going on and we figured the more of us there were to question, the tougher it would be."
"Tell me about it." Rayna grumbled. "I've had 4 inspectors try to question me already. Thank goodness the doctor insisted I needed rest."
Duncan frowned. "So you feel pretty bad, huh?"
"Not as much as I let on to the doctor. I didn't want to answer their questions anymore than you do." She admitted.
It was then Methos knew he'd postponed entering the room long enough. He had to face Rayna and the fact that she knew he'd run out on her sister. Pushing the door open he heard her telling Duncan they'd put 14 stitches in her leg.
Rayna looked up and her face widened with surprise. "Adam! Oh my God!"
It was obvious she was glad to see him, but when he hung back she wouldn't hear of it.
"Come here you!" Rayna insisted and Adam had no choice. He walked over to the bed and let her give him a crushing hug. "You don't know how hard I prayed Duncan would find you. It killed me to know how hurt you must have felt."
Adam pulled back. "I'm sorry you were injured." He said, brushing off her concern over him. He didn't deserve it and he didn't deserve for her to feel so pleased to see him.
Rayna could see the clouded way he concealed his emotions, and looked over to Duncan, but he shook his head and encouraged her to let it go.
"Actually, Adam found us." Duncan explained, changing the subject. "He somehow stumbled onto the fact that Rick was trying to pull something and he showed up at the airbase just in time to save both of us."
"You were there?" Rayna was shocked.
"I got lucky." Adam replied. "I'm just glad it turned out as well as it did."
Rayna nodded.
"How badly do you feel?" he asked. "Can you walk?"
"I am pretty sure I can. They haven't let me try." Rayna admitted. "Why?"
"Because if Shafer took you once, he might try again." Duncan replied. "It will be hard to protect you and find the others if you are in here."
"The others?" Rayna didn't understand.
"Rick's got Ritchie, Amanda, Joe and Claudia." Duncan told her. "And I guess you've figured he probably had a hand in helping Garrett take your sister and Cassie."
"That bastard." Rayna didn't mince words.
"He admitted he helped take Beth." She added. "Right before he tied me into the chopper. He told me how easy it had been to drug me and how invaluable my information about the beer she had ordered to surprise Adam had been."
Looking up at Adam she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I should have been more careful when you trusted me with Cassie."
Her words confirmed what MacLeod and the snapshot had told him. "It wasn't your fault. If he hadn't succeeded in drugging you he might have done something more harmful to get you out of the way. He was going to take them no matter what."
"Please don't let me hold you up." Rayna turned back to Duncan. "You've got to get to the others before he hurts them. He will do it you know."
"We aren't leaving you here unprotected." Duncan insisted and Adam backed him up.
"Then if you gentlemen will excuse me, maybe your friend could get my clothes out of that closet." Rayna said as she sat up in the bed, wincing a little as she moved.
"Rayna don't be ridiculous." Duncan said, trying to tuck the blanket back around her, but Adam interrupted.
"Do you think you really can walk? Enough not to make it out of here looking like a visitor and not a patient?" he asked.
"Adam!" Duncan protested, but Rayna was determined.
"We're wasting time. Just promise me you can find some good pain killers once we are out of here." She told them, ignoring the pain as she swung her feet off the bed and onto the floor.
Ellen brought her clothes from the closet, but they were torn and cut. The only thing salvageable was her coat.
"I'll be right back." Adam said. "Don't move."
A few minutes later he returned with a red sweater, jeans and two pairs of shoes. "I didn't get a good look at your feet so I couldn't guess your size." He explained as he placed the items on the bed.
"Where did you .." Rayna began, but Duncan interrupted. "Don't ask. You really don't want to know."
The men left the room and Ellen helped Rayna change and take a few steps around the room to make sure she could manage.
"Not bad." Ellen said before they heard Duncan knock softly on the door.
"We need to go now. The nurses are starting their rounds." He said. "Adam is meeting us with the car at the front entrance.
A few minutes later they were in the car and on their way to Duncan and Ellen's hotel suite.
Ellen bought a gown and robe for Rayna in the hotel gift shop and helped her change and get into bed. By that time though, the pain was almost unbearable and Rayna was at the point of tears.
Adam asked if he could come in, and Ellen called out to let him know he could.
"I thought this might take the edge off." He said, handing her a white pill and a glass of water.
"What is it?" Rayna asked, thanking him.
"I took a look at your chart and saw the medication they prescribed. There was plenty in the hospital supply room." He admitted.
Rayna couldn't help but smirk. "I didn't know my sister married someone with such light fingers."
"You should get some rest." He replied, starting to move from beside the bed, but Rayna caught his wrist.
"Don't go . please." Rayna asked as she pulled his arm and forced him to either sit on the edge of the bed beside her or pull away. He reluctantly sat down and waited to see what she wanted.
"I'm sorry you are hurting so much. I know you love my sister." She said. "And I know it's probably tearing you up inside not only to know she is Garrett's prisoner, but to be separated from her."
"Rayna I really don't want to ."
"But you need to talk about it." Rayna appealed to him. "I can see in your eyes how tired and lonely and hurt you are. I can see what this has done to you. It's almost like you are a different person Adam. This has been awful for you. I can see it."
"I'm not the one being held against my will." Adam told her. "It doesn't matter how tired or hurt or lonely I might be. What matters is that we find your sister and the baby and they are returned home to your family safe and sound."
Rayna squeezed his hand and shook her head softly. "Now I know why she loved you. You are so selfless. Even when I can see this is tearing you apart, all you think about is what she needs."
"That's all that matters." Adam replied, standing up and this time not letting her stop him. "I wasted enough time feeling sorry for myself. I wasted time I should have been searching for her. She'd probably be home now if I hadn't failed her so miserably."
"Failed her?" Rayna didn't understand. "Adam you saved her. She was alive and with us this Christmas because of you. And how could you have been anything but upset when you thought she'd left you for Garrett? That note and the jewelry . they were pretty convincing."
"I should have known better. If I'd known her heart truly like she knew mine . I would never have doubted her." Adam retorted. Nothing anyone said was going to let him take himself off the hook for this. It was his fault that she was still out there alone and afraid.
"You need to rest." He insisted before turning and walking out the door, closing it softly behind him.
Rayna sighed sadly. As much as she hated to see it, she knew something had changed in her sister's husband. Something more serious than just guilt over believing a lie. Something in him had died. She knew it wasn't his love for Beth . but something had changed.