CHAPTER 12
"Maybe it's a case of too many immortals in the one room," Methos mused inwardly, trying to tune out the raised voices that were coming from the other side of the room. The arguments had started at the breakfast table; at first they had been good-natured enough. A polite disagreement had broken out about what kind of tactics they would use to keep their pursuers at arms length while they reached the volcano's summit. By the time they had reached Duncan's suite, however, all attempts at civility had gone out the window. Methos winced as Duncan's voice rose a few decibels when Robert suggested they make a clean sweep of things and take 'care' of the watcher problem once and for all by taking out their motherhouses.
Methos decided that enough was enough; leaping off the couch, he roared, "For crying out loud, would you please BE QUIET!" Like a flick of a switch, the room suddenly fell silent as they all turned to look at Methos in amazement. "That's better," Methos continued, his voice returning to normal as he sat back down.
A sulky frown spread across Robert's face as he threw himself into an armchair. "I still say that my idea is a good one," he protested sullenly, crossing his arms and pouting.
Methos rolled his eyes. "Robert, do you have any idea of how many motherhouses they are?" Silently, Robert shook his head. Turning his gaze to Amy, Methos raised an eyebrow." Amy, could you tell him?"
"Twenty-three," Amy replied softly.
"Thank you, Amy," Methos said dryly before returning his attention to Robert. "And how many watchers reside in those motherhouses, do you think, Robert?"
"How the heck should I know?" Robert complained grumpily.
"Joe, would you care to fill him in?" asked Methos acidly.
"About six hundred," replied the watcher promptly.
"Six hundred," Methos repeated slowly as he pinned Robert with a glare. "So how do you propose we go about it, Robert? A few well-placed explosives, perhaps, or maybe you prefer a more personal approach? How about a gun to the head...?"
"Okay, okay, I get the picture," interrupted Robert. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all."
With a sigh, Methos promptly changed the subject; he didn't see any point in belabouring the point. "Lets stick to the plan at hand, shall we?" he asked rhetorically as he spread out a map on the coffee table. "This is way we're approaching the volcano," he explained, pointing at the location on the map. "As you can see, it is in a relatively unpopulated area so we're going to have stock up before we leave. I inquired at the desk and apparently, there is a store that specialises in camping and climbing gear not so far from here. I suggest that you do the shopping for this, Duncan, as you're probably the one best able to gauge what we'll need."
Duncan looked up at Methos and gave a nod. "We're going to need quite a lot of equipment," he said aloud. "This climb mightn't be that steep but there has been heavy snowfall in that region for the last few days; that's going to cause a few problems."
A chorus of groans filled the room. "Sounds like a real pleasure trip," commented Amanda with a wry twist to her mouth. "Why couldn't there have been an active volcano on Bora Bora?"
"Oh yes, I can see it now - sun, sand, sea...lava beds," replied Methos with a smirk. "Which reminds me, I need to pick up some new toys to blow up watchers with, want to come along and watch my back?"
"But of course, darling," Amanda drawled.
Robert leaned forward in his chair. "What about Gina and I?"
"I want you two to arrange transport. We'll need two vehicles, four wheel drive if you can get it...and snow chains too."
"That leaves the food supplies for Amy and I," added Joe. "Any requests?"
"Anything but baked beans," Gina piped up. "I can't stand them."
"Consider it done," Joe said as he levered himself out of his chair and donned his coat. Amy followed suit and accompanied Joe as he left the room.
"Robert and I should be making a move too," said Gina, glancing at her husband as she spoke. "Is there any time you want us back by?"
"Well, I'd like us to be on our way before dark, so let's arrange to meet here at about two," said Methos after a few moments of consideration. "That way we should make it to the foot of the volcano before it gets too dark to set up camp. I'd like to start out on our climb at first light."
"See you at two, then," said Robert as he shrugged on his coat and helped Gina into hers.
"'Til then," Methos replied as he watched them depart.
"You may have been a bit harsh with him, earlier on," observed Duncan when the De Valimonts had left."
"Perhaps," Methos answered with a shrug. "But it seemed the easiest way, at the time, to nip his plan in the bud."
"Oh, well, what's done is done," said Amanda as she rose from her seat and picked up her coat. "You can't take it back, can you?"
The other two immortals threw on their coats silently and followed Amanda to the reception area.
"Well, off I go," said Duncan after he got directions to the store from the reception desk. "You two be careful, the arms dealers around theses parts don't play nice."
Methos and Amanda glanced at each other and smirked. "Yes, mother dear," replied Methos with a snigger.
Rolling his eyes, Duncan left them at the reception desk.
"When do we meet them?" asked Amanda as they watched him leave.
"Midday," Methos answered shortly.
"Cutting it a bit fine aren't we?" she asked as she turned to look at her companion.
"I'm still trying to figure out how to lose that guy sitting in the foyer and trying to be discreet as he spies on us from behind his newspaper," muttered Methos.
"You spotted him too, eh?" answered Amanda nonchalantly. "I wouldn't worry, he looks like a watcher, I thought that the whole idea was that they would be following us..."
"Sssh!"
"What?" asked Amanda.
"He's coming this way. Quick, let's get out of here, I don't want another shoot-out on my hands, I have an appointment to keep."
Running out onto the street, they hailed a cab and jumped in, glancing out the rear window at the watcher who had run out after them, but couldn't find a cab to hail.
"Seems that Amy's 'report' worked" said Amanda as she settled back into her seat.
"Mmm, there is a slight hitch, though," commented Methos.
Amanda turned to look at him "And what's that?"
"Amy hasn't sent her report off yet."
"Oh...that could be a problem."
"You're telling me," muttered Methos worriedly. "Obviously, we haven't been careful enough."
"I'd better warn the others," said Amanda as she pulled her mobile out of her bag and began to dial. "We mightn't have been the only one's they've tried to tail today."
"Good idea," replied Methos distantly, his mind already mentally reviewing their plan. After a few minutes' introspection, he came to the conclusion that they didn't need to change their original idea; they just needed to be a bit more wary.
They cab slowed and Methos looked out the car window. "Why do these guys always want to meet in a warehouse, for crying out loud?" he grumbled under his breath, paying off the driver and jumping out of the cab after Amanda.
Amanda looked up from her phone and shrugged. "One of the mysteries of the world, I suppose," she supplied after she finished off her brief conversation with Duncan and tucked her phone away. "Which warehouse are we supposed to meet them in?"
"That one over there," Methos told her, pointing to a dilapidated blue building across the street.
"I see," said Amanda as she eyed the warehouse with a frown. "So, how trustworthy are these arms dealers, exactly?"
"About as trustworthy as you'd expect, given their profession," Methos admitted. "I'd advise you to keep your back to the wall."
"You really know how to wine and dine a lady, Methos," Amanda said sarcastically as she followed him across the street. "You bring them to all the right places..."
"Ha, ha...and Joe complains about my sense of humour," muttered Methos as he pulled his gun out of his leg holster and put it in his pocket.
"Stop complaining, dear, and knock on the door," replied Amanda smugly as she did a quick check on her own weapons. "We wouldn't want to be late."
Throwing Amanda a dirty look, Methos knocked at the door. A split second later, a slot in the door slid open and a pair of suspicious eyes glared out.
"Good day," said Methos as he stepped back from the door and flashed an urbane smile. "My name is Mr Rogers; I've an appointment with Mr Milkavich."
With a snap, the slot closed and Amanda sniggered. "Mr Rogers? Your first name wouldn't be Buck, would it?"
"It was the first name that came to mind," Methos muttered lowly as, with a creak, the door opened.
Smothering a grin, Amanda composed her face as the guard's head poked out of the doorway and, after a quick glance down the street, ushered them into the warehouse.
"Ah, Mr Rogers, so glad you could join us." A tall, slender man stepped out of a shadowy corner and crossed the empty warehouse to greet them. Grasping Methos's hand in a firm handshake, he nodded towards the back of the storage area. "Your goods are awaiting your inspection. If you will step this way?"
Following their 'host', they approached the table set up at the other side of the hollow warehouse. Eyeing the weaponry laid out in a line on the counter, Amanda began to have a few misgivings; Methos had skipped the basics and had moved straight onto the high-tech stuff.
Seeing the look on Amanda's face, he gave her a small smile. "Later," he mouthed before turning to address the dealer.
"We'll take it," he pronounced.
"Very well, to where do you wish it delivered?"
"Wrap it up, we'll take them with us," Methos informed him as he picked up one of the timer charges and examined it.
With a small frown, the dealer played with the cuffs on his shirt. "This is most unorthodox..."
Returning the timer to the table, Methos gave the dealer his full attention. "It won't be a problem, will it?" he asked rhetorically. "We're in a bit of a hurry, you see."
"Of course, I understand," the dealer said hurriedly, as if afraid Methos was about to tell him why he was in a hurry.
Amanda gave a derisive snort; she'd got the impression that the dealer was a bit squeamish about hearing what happened to his 'merchandise' after they left his hands.
Snapping his fingers, the dealer glared at the guard and nodded at the table. Reluctantly, the dour guard retrieved a box and began to pack the weaponry gently inside it.
"And now there is the matter of payment," the dealer informed them in his oily voice. "I believe we discussed the means of the money transfer earlier..."
Taking the dealers cue, Methos produced a small slip of paper from his inside pocket. "Here is the account number, I'm sure you'll find it all in order."
"Yes, indeed," the dealer said absently as he pulled a laptop out of his brief case and propped it up on the edge of the table. .
"Obviously, nobody has ever mentioned to this guy that he's supposed to wait until we're gone to count the money," Amanda whispered into Methos's ear as the dealer eagerly went online and checked the account.
"Just as long as we get what we need," Methos whispered back as he eyed the guard packing his new purchases.
With a soft snap, the dealer closed his laptop and graced them with a beaming smile. "All seems to be in order...and, as you can see, your merchandise is now ready to go," he told them as he gestured at the box which the guard was now taping up. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
"Indeed," murmured Methos as he picked up the box and headed for the door without a backward glance. Giving the dealer an ironic little wave, Amanda followed him out.
"Well, I'm glad that's over," Amanda pronounced as the door slammed behind them. "That guy gave me the creeps."
"This comes from the woman who has spent the best part of her life consorting with the shadier side of life," Methos observed.
"That's different," Amanda insisted. "At least they didn't pretend to be something other than they were. Mr 'Armani' in there acted like he was selling us Tupperware and, well, that's just plain sleazy. I still have a bad taste in my mouth..."
The gun shot took them both by surprise; with a look of astonishment on her face, Amanda looked down at her bloodied chest and slipped to the ground.
Throwing himself onto the ground beside her, Methos searched the empty street with his eyes as his hand checked Amanda's wrist for her pulse. There was none.
"Oh great," he muttered as he reached for his gun and waited for the next shot. He wasn't long waiting: with a yelp of surprise, he felt the sting of a bullet in his leg. Rolling over onto his back, he peered at the rooftops across the street and eventually spotted what he was looking for: the glint of a telescopic lens from the roof of the warehouse across the street.
"This week just gets better and better," he complained under his breath as he took aim and fired, ducking his head reflexively as the shooter returned fire and hit the pavement a scant few inches from his face. A gasp came from beside him as Amanda came back to life. "Glad to see you're back with us," Methos told her. "I wasn't relishing dragging your dead corpse to shelter."
"Gee, thanks, Methos," she retorted as she fumbled in her coat for her gun.
"You're welcome. Grab the box, we're going to make for that building there," Methos explained as he gestured at the warehouse from which the gunfire was coming for. "I'll cover you."
Snatching up the box, Amanda sprinted across the road, spreading herself flat against the wall when her hand touched the building. With a curse, Methos tried to dodge the spray of gunfire as he chased after her, wincing as another bullet hit him - this time in his shoulder. Thankfully, the wound in his leg had already healed and he managed to reach the wall before being hit again. "This is becoming very old, very quickly," he grunted as he checked his shoulder; his quickening was already flashing around the wound's edges as it closed.
"You really do heal very quickly, don't you?" observed Amanda.
"One of the advantages of my advanced age," Methos answered glibly as he shrugged his coat back into place. "You ready?"
"For what?" Amanda asked distractedly.
"I feel the need to pay our shooter a visit," Methos replied grimly, filling the empty chamber in his gun as he inched closer to the door.
"Do you think he's a watcher?"
"That, or our dealer friend wanted to have his cake and eat it," surmised Methos. "Either way, I'm going to have a little chat with him." Leaning forward, he tried the handle of the door and, finding it unlocked, glanced back at Amanda. With a nod, she slipped to the other side of the door and pulled out her gun as she rested the box on the ground.
Pushing the door ajar with his foot, he poked his head in quickly before dodging back.
"Well?" Amanda hissed.
Shrugging in answer, Methos stepped into the warehouse. "Still here," he called out. "Come on in, the waters fine." Snorting, Amanda slipped in behind him. "He's probably still on the roof," she said as she pointed to the ladder rungs attached the back of the warehouse which rose to a hatch in the ceiling.
"Figures," Methos muttered. "Why couldn't there have been a nice, comfortable, flight of stairs. I hate this...we're going to be easy pickings on those rungs."
"Tell you what," Amanda proposed slyly. "How about you climb up and I'll cover you."
Methos glared at her evilly. "Why thank you, Amanda," he drawled. "For your generous offer."
"You're welcome," she replied with aplomb. "Now...up you go."
Grimacing, he tackled the ladder. "Just remember, keep your gun trained on the hatch," he warned her as he clambered up.
"Trust me, I'm all over it," Amanda reassured him from below.
"That's what I'm afraid of," he grumbled.
"What's that?"
"Nothing, nothing..." Putting his hand on the hatch's lid, he looked down. "Want to lay odds on whether or not I'm going to get my head blown off when I open this?"
"Nah, that would be unsporting," she replied with a grin. "Now, quit putting off the inevitable and push it up."
Gingerly, he tilted up the door a couple of inches and waited for a reaction, nothing happened. Methos frowned worriedly, could there have been a back way off the roof? Cursing that he hadn't checked for a fire escape before he entered the building, he shoved the door open and raised his head above it.
It was the whir of a blade slicing through air that alerted him a moment before the sword hit his neck. Ducking, he cursed as he lost his footing and found himself dangling off the ladder from one arm...it was then that Amanda decided to open fire.
He moved onto the Latin expletives when the guy from above started firing back, bullets ricocheted around him as he grabbed the rung with his other hand and regained his footing. "That's it," he shouted over the din. "From now on, I'm going to leave this good guy bullshit to that bloody Highlander... its bad for my health."
"Oh quit complaining and get your ass back down here," Amanda shouted back. "I'm not made of bullets, you know!"
"You're not supposed to broadcast that fact, Amanda," he roared back angrily.
"Well, it's true," she insisted as she took another pot shot at the hatch.
"Then maybe you shouldn't be wasting them on an empty doorway...aw hell..." With a grimace, Methos glanced down at the now gaping hole in his chest. "Definitely not my week," he murmured weakly as he felt the world fade around him.
The dull roar of blood flooded his ears as he lost consciousness and let the rungs slipped from his fingers. Amanda dodged his body as he plummeted to the ground and grimly took aim at the watcher grinning through the hatchway.
"Say bye-bye, sweetheart," she said softly as she shot him in the chest.
Two minutes later, Methos awoke with a start and rolled to his feet with a shudder. Disorientated, he crouched as he glared around the warehouse, his unease only abating when his eyes found Amanda hunching over a body.
"Glad to see you're back," she said, rifling through the dead man's pockets as she spoke. "That was quite a fall you took, I think you may have managed to break all your major bones on impact.
"You think?" Methos asked sarcastically, wincing as he felt his still mending bones. "Did you find anything interesting?"
Amanda raised the dead man's left arm and displayed the corpse's wrist. "Watcher tattoo," she elaborated. "Other than that, nothing much. I was going to have a look up on the roof and see if he left anything there."
"You go ahead and do that, then," Methos said tiredly. "I'll just sit here and…wait,"
Giving Methos a sympathetic glance, she climbed the rungs and slipped through the hatch as Methos eased himself onto the floor. A few moments later, she descended them once more.
"Nada," she said as she joined him on the floor. "Just the sword and his sniper rifle," she added as she placed the offending weapons on the floor. "Do you think you're ready to make a move now?"
With a nod, Methos got to his feet and tried to put his clothes in order. Ruefully, he realised that neither he, nor Amanda, looked very presentable. "There is no way in Hades that any taxi will stop for us," he said as his eyes took in the bullet holes and blood on their clothing.
"It's better than being headless," Amanda pointed out, taking his arm as they stepped out into the daylight
"You have a point," Methos admitted with a small grin.
"Of course I do," she said softly as he patted his arm. "Now where did I leave that box…ah, there it is!" Bending down, she picked it up and handed it to Methos to hold. "Here, hold the box to your chest, it should hide most of the damage," she explained as she closed her coat over her own bloodied top.
Strolling slowly until the made it out of the warehouse district, they stopped at the first main street they came across.
"You'd better do the hailing," Methos joked. "I have it on good authority that I'm useless at hitching a ride!"
Grinning, Amanda obligingly held out her thumb. Sure enough, a cab slid smoothly to the kerb.
They made it back to the hotel without incident and traipsed into the Hotel a little before two. Looking around the lobby, Methos's eyes grew round with outrage as he spotted the watcher they had evaded earlier.
"I don't believe him," Methos muttered, stalking up to him before Amanda could stop him. Grabbing the watcher roughly by the arm, he hissed into his ear, "Come along quietly or you won't live to regret it."
Fearfully, the watcher trotted along beside him as they headed to the elevator with Amanda following closely on their heels. The elevator ride seemed to take an age but they eventually arrived at their floor. Goose-stepping their captive to his room, Methos flung open his door and pushed the watcher through it.
"Who the heck are you and how the hell did you find us?" he ground out as he advanced on him. Stumbling back, the watcher fell onto the bed.
"I traced Joe Dawson's e-mails," he stuttered. "It wasn't so hard, really…"
"So, you're the one that's responsible for our little welcoming party in the warehouse district, then," Methos interrupted.
"Who me? No!" the Watcher said, aghast. "Why would I do that?"
"I think you're supposed to be the one to tell me that," Methos replied sarcastically. "Seeing as you're in league with them."
"No, I'm not!" the watcher declared with an affronted expression on his face. "I'm the one who warned you about them in the first place."
Pausing, Methos stared at the watcher's face, understanding dawning. "You're Philip Turner?"
"At your service!" Turner replied with a relieved grin.
TBC…