CHAPTER 74
Back at the hotel, Duncan got an extra room across the hall. There weren't enough beds in the
suite for all of them, and he also needed a place to talk to Methos without fear of Rayna over
hearing.
Tapping on the door to the suite, Duncan told Ellen briefly what had happened and that he would
be across the hall for a while with Adam. "Try to get some sleep." He advised her before waiting
to hear the lock turn.
Going back in the other room, he sat on one bed while Methos sprawled on the other.
"Want to tell me what happened back there?" Duncan asked.
"What do you mean what happened MacLeod?" Methos weary voice asked. "I almost lost my
head saving your ass."
"I didn't ask you to interfere." Duncan told him.
"Yeah well, a simple thanks will do."
Duncan wanted to ask him why he'd stepped in, but that wasn't the most pressing question. He
still couldn't get the sight of the woman's hazy form clinging to Methos in the mist out of his mind.
"I don't understand what I saw." Duncan continued.
"OK, I give up." Methos said as he rolled to one side and propped himself up on one elbow.
"What did you see?"
"Oh come on Methos, don't play that game. You know very well."
"I'm too tired for games MacLeod. I don't know what you are talking about."
"I'm talking about the woman." He replied. "The woman in the mist. The woman who looked like
Beth."
Methos sat up. "You saw a woman?"
"I saw Beth."
Methos mind began to spin.
"You know something that you aren't telling me." Duncan told him.
"I didn't realize for sure she was real." Methos said, his voice almost a whisper as he seemed to
ignore Duncan's presence across from him for a moment.
"So you saw her?" Duncan asked.
"No . . . no, I didn't see her. I've never seen her." Methos replied. "But I feel her. Every time I
am in the power of the quickening, I feel her presence."
Duncan shook his head in amazement. "My God. How long has this been going on?"
"Ever since I took my first head the week I left town. I thought it was just my sub conscious."
Methos admitted. "It's always seemed so real, but I didn't let myself believe it."
"I don't know if it was real or not." Duncan replied. "But I know I saw something. I know I saw
someone who looks like her."
For the rest of the night neither man slept. They laid on their respective beds staring at the
shadows on the ceiling and trying to understand what was going on. It was early morning before
either managed to catch any rest.
------------
Across the city in the basement of the Old Palace of Justice, there were four other immortals who
weren't sleeping much either. Claudia shifted restlessly in Richie's arms as the words they'd
heard one of the guards say as he walked back down the hall after bringing them a meal rang in
her ears.
"Try not to think about it." Richie's soft whisper rustled near her ear as he pulled her closer.
'I can't help it." Claudia replied. "I'm so scared."
"I know, I know. But we'll find a way out of this. With or without Duncan or Methos we will find a
way."
Claudia wasn't convinced and turned in his arms so she could face him in the dim glow of the oil
lamp they'd left lit. "I wish I could let myself believe that."
"All you can do is try not to think about it." Amanda's voice sounded from the other side of the
room where she shared the bunk with Joe. "I know my neck gets stiff at the mere thought of the
word guillotine."
Joe kept silent. He believed Methos and Duncan would try their best to save them, but this
wasn't looking good. They didn't even know if the two had realized they were both on the same
search. One thing was for sure, they had not mistaken the word the guard had used, or the fact
that this would all be over one way or another in less than 24 hours.
Realizing it was futile to just lay there, Amanda sat up and moved to the table in the middle of the
room and turned up the lamp. "Poker anyone? I think we have a few cheeto's and peanuts we
can divvie up for chips."
Joe slowly slid to the edge of the bed and used the back of a chair to maneuver to the table.
"Never let it be said I turned down a chance at a good hand." He replied, looking for anything to
make the time pass.
"Come on." Richie said as he pulled Claudia up to sit beside him. "We'll only work ourselves up
even more if we lay here trying to forget."
Claudia shrugged and took her seat at the table.
As they played, Amanda took the opportunity to remind them that they were not helpless.
"Remember, there are four of us. Whatever happens we don't go down without a fight. No meek
lamb to the slaughter or honorable death for me. I plan to give them the fight of their lives and
use anything I can to get out of this."
"Amanda is right. No need for all of us going down if there is a chance anyone can escape." Joe
replied. "Which means no one waits for the cripple or plays hero to get me out. If you get your
chance, take it. Otherwise we are all dead."
Richie didn't like it, but a stern look from Joe silenced him. Inside he knew Joe was right. There
was little chance that they would all get out of this alive, especially if Mac and Methos couldn't
find them in time. It was a cold, hard truth.
Looking over his cards at Claudia, Richie wished she had more experience. He knew he couldn't
leave her, but was afraid that unless she really understood what it might take to escape, they both
would be doomed.
-----------------
On the plane to Munich, Rick Shafer finished going over the details of his plan with Garrett. The
final test for MacLeod would take place that next day at 2pm. That would give them time to get to
Munich, get some rest and then make sure his men had everything in order.
"There is something you need to know." Shafer told Garrett. "Something that is critical in our
success. MacLeod is not working alone. He has help."
Garrett set down the beer he had been drinking and waited for details.
"It is imperative that you do not let your emotions get the better of you. You must not fail." Shafer
continued.
"We are there to make sure MacLeod and the others die. I will not fail." Garrett replied.
"Adam Pierson is with MacLeod now." Shafer told him directly. "It will be your job to make sure
he doesn't interfere with my plan.
Garrett couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I thought you said he had disappeared? When
did he come back into the picture."
"That doesn't matter now. What matters is that you don't forget your job. Pierson will be blinded
by rage when he sees you, and I am counting on you to remain cool and remember your training."
Garrett nodded that he understood and then turned to look out the window of the plane. It was
dark outside and all he could see were a few lights below.
This was not something he'd expected when he'd agreed to help Shafer in return for his
assistance with Leandra. He'd seen Pierson's cold glare on him, and that was before he'd taken
the man's wife and child. He'd have to prepare himself to face the man. He'd have to prepare a
way to make sure the man's rage didn't prove overpowering.
Back at the hotel, Duncan got an extra room across the hall. There weren't enough beds in the
suite for all of them, and he also needed a place to talk to Methos without fear of Rayna over
hearing.
Tapping on the door to the suite, Duncan told Ellen briefly what had happened and that he would
be across the hall for a while with Adam. "Try to get some sleep." He advised her before waiting
to hear the lock turn.
Going back in the other room, he sat on one bed while Methos sprawled on the other.
"Want to tell me what happened back there?" Duncan asked.
"What do you mean what happened MacLeod?" Methos weary voice asked. "I almost lost my
head saving your ass."
"I didn't ask you to interfere." Duncan told him.
"Yeah well, a simple thanks will do."
Duncan wanted to ask him why he'd stepped in, but that wasn't the most pressing question. He
still couldn't get the sight of the woman's hazy form clinging to Methos in the mist out of his mind.
"I don't understand what I saw." Duncan continued.
"OK, I give up." Methos said as he rolled to one side and propped himself up on one elbow.
"What did you see?"
"Oh come on Methos, don't play that game. You know very well."
"I'm too tired for games MacLeod. I don't know what you are talking about."
"I'm talking about the woman." He replied. "The woman in the mist. The woman who looked like
Beth."
Methos sat up. "You saw a woman?"
"I saw Beth."
Methos mind began to spin.
"You know something that you aren't telling me." Duncan told him.
"I didn't realize for sure she was real." Methos said, his voice almost a whisper as he seemed to
ignore Duncan's presence across from him for a moment.
"So you saw her?" Duncan asked.
"No . . . no, I didn't see her. I've never seen her." Methos replied. "But I feel her. Every time I
am in the power of the quickening, I feel her presence."
Duncan shook his head in amazement. "My God. How long has this been going on?"
"Ever since I took my first head the week I left town. I thought it was just my sub conscious."
Methos admitted. "It's always seemed so real, but I didn't let myself believe it."
"I don't know if it was real or not." Duncan replied. "But I know I saw something. I know I saw
someone who looks like her."
For the rest of the night neither man slept. They laid on their respective beds staring at the
shadows on the ceiling and trying to understand what was going on. It was early morning before
either managed to catch any rest.
------------
Across the city in the basement of the Old Palace of Justice, there were four other immortals who
weren't sleeping much either. Claudia shifted restlessly in Richie's arms as the words they'd
heard one of the guards say as he walked back down the hall after bringing them a meal rang in
her ears.
"Try not to think about it." Richie's soft whisper rustled near her ear as he pulled her closer.
'I can't help it." Claudia replied. "I'm so scared."
"I know, I know. But we'll find a way out of this. With or without Duncan or Methos we will find a
way."
Claudia wasn't convinced and turned in his arms so she could face him in the dim glow of the oil
lamp they'd left lit. "I wish I could let myself believe that."
"All you can do is try not to think about it." Amanda's voice sounded from the other side of the
room where she shared the bunk with Joe. "I know my neck gets stiff at the mere thought of the
word guillotine."
Joe kept silent. He believed Methos and Duncan would try their best to save them, but this
wasn't looking good. They didn't even know if the two had realized they were both on the same
search. One thing was for sure, they had not mistaken the word the guard had used, or the fact
that this would all be over one way or another in less than 24 hours.
Realizing it was futile to just lay there, Amanda sat up and moved to the table in the middle of the
room and turned up the lamp. "Poker anyone? I think we have a few cheeto's and peanuts we
can divvie up for chips."
Joe slowly slid to the edge of the bed and used the back of a chair to maneuver to the table.
"Never let it be said I turned down a chance at a good hand." He replied, looking for anything to
make the time pass.
"Come on." Richie said as he pulled Claudia up to sit beside him. "We'll only work ourselves up
even more if we lay here trying to forget."
Claudia shrugged and took her seat at the table.
As they played, Amanda took the opportunity to remind them that they were not helpless.
"Remember, there are four of us. Whatever happens we don't go down without a fight. No meek
lamb to the slaughter or honorable death for me. I plan to give them the fight of their lives and
use anything I can to get out of this."
"Amanda is right. No need for all of us going down if there is a chance anyone can escape." Joe
replied. "Which means no one waits for the cripple or plays hero to get me out. If you get your
chance, take it. Otherwise we are all dead."
Richie didn't like it, but a stern look from Joe silenced him. Inside he knew Joe was right. There
was little chance that they would all get out of this alive, especially if Mac and Methos couldn't
find them in time. It was a cold, hard truth.
Looking over his cards at Claudia, Richie wished she had more experience. He knew he couldn't
leave her, but was afraid that unless she really understood what it might take to escape, they both
would be doomed.
-----------------
On the plane to Munich, Rick Shafer finished going over the details of his plan with Garrett. The
final test for MacLeod would take place that next day at 2pm. That would give them time to get to
Munich, get some rest and then make sure his men had everything in order.
"There is something you need to know." Shafer told Garrett. "Something that is critical in our
success. MacLeod is not working alone. He has help."
Garrett set down the beer he had been drinking and waited for details.
"It is imperative that you do not let your emotions get the better of you. You must not fail." Shafer
continued.
"We are there to make sure MacLeod and the others die. I will not fail." Garrett replied.
"Adam Pierson is with MacLeod now." Shafer told him directly. "It will be your job to make sure
he doesn't interfere with my plan.
Garrett couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I thought you said he had disappeared? When
did he come back into the picture."
"That doesn't matter now. What matters is that you don't forget your job. Pierson will be blinded
by rage when he sees you, and I am counting on you to remain cool and remember your training."
Garrett nodded that he understood and then turned to look out the window of the plane. It was
dark outside and all he could see were a few lights below.
This was not something he'd expected when he'd agreed to help Shafer in return for his
assistance with Leandra. He'd seen Pierson's cold glare on him, and that was before he'd taken
the man's wife and child. He'd have to prepare himself to face the man. He'd have to prepare a
way to make sure the man's rage didn't prove overpowering.