Chapter 54
Ray stepped towards Duncan "If you think I'm being left out you can think again. I just made a promise and I intend to keep it" Duncan sighed taking mortals with him wasn't a good idea but he was out number this time. "Oh all right what do you suggest?" he said looking at Methos who smiled at him before answering. "I think this is Alex's show, she knows the players better than any of us". Alex looked over at Methos she still couldn't quite place him she was usually very good at working out what made people tick but this man managed to keep all but the bare minimum to himself. "Thanks Adam. We need to find Du Pont's he's our best bet for finding out how many men he has with him." Alex said as she moved over to the bed and sat down. She hadn't realised until then just how tired she had become. "It's going to take time to locate him," Ray said as he moved near to her "Not necessarily, I know a guy that might be able to point us in the right direction" Joe said as he made his way to the door "Can I use the phone in the office?" he said looking over at Methos "Yeah sure, you know where it is".
"We know he's in hanger 6a but I think we need to get him away from there. Don't want anything accidentally breaking the vials," Alex said as she looked over at Duncan. "I'll just check the web see if I can find somewhere a little quieter for us" Methos said as he left the basement and followed Joe to the office. Duncan was still leaning against the wall his arms folded across his chest Alex could feel his eyes on her but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She was relieved when Ray sat down beside her "I watched that video all the way through I couldn't hear what she said at the end. Why did you tell him you did?" Alex looked over at the inert form of Thomas lying by the wall, his face looked at peace. "That's why" Alex said nodding towards the body "He always knew he had something to do with her death and I knew Christina. She said something before she died it wasn't clear on the tape but I knew how she felt about him. He needed to hear it so I told him and he got a chance to make peace with his ghosts and himself that's reason enough."
Ray lent over looking deep into Alex's eyes "We've worked together for years but I don't think I know you at all. I thought you would hate him with a vengeance for what he tried to do to you but instead I find you protecting him. You're one strange lady". Alex smiled wearily "Thomas and I aren't.weren't much different and in our own way we needed the rivalry we had, it fed us. We both didn't like to lose unfortunately Christina got caught between us. I lost the only friend I'd had the night but he lost more someone he couldn't live without."
"You didn't have to shoot him I would've stopped him you know that" Ray said as he looked into her tried eyes. "I know but he didn't want you to have to live with that and neither did I" Alex said as she took hold of Ray's hand "What are you talking about, that he meant you to kill him?"
"Once he couldn't hide from the truth I could see it in his eyes. He needed this to end and it came down to him or me. His truth versus mine he could've turned the gun on you but he knew you would've hesitated and he didn't want to kill you" She looked up into Ray's eyes "and it's a nightmare you don't need"
"and you do?" Ray asked, as Alex looked away to the floor before looking back at him "What's one more?" Ray didn't know how to answer he knew some of what had happened to her in the past and inside he was glad she had done it. He would never let anyone know but he was still unsure if he could have managed to pull the trigger on his friend and partner. Duncan finally pushed himself away from the wall and made his way over to Alex. He had been watching Alex and for all her supposed detachment from what had just happened, all he could see in her face was a frightened child. "Why don't you lay down and try to rest" he said as he reached for her arm "So you can go without me" Duncan ran his hands over his hair before letting them drop to his side "Ray can I have a word with Alex alone". As Ray stood up he took hold of the loose blanket on the bed he took it over to Thomas's body, he covered the body before turning to back to Alex "I'll be up in the shop if you need me" he said before leaving.
Duncan sat down next to Alex he waited until he heard Ray's footsteps on the wooden stairs to the shop "Are you all right?"
"Yeah I'm fine." Alex said as she looked at her hands Duncan took hold of her chin lifting and turning her to face him "you might be able to play that one with Ray and the others but your forgetting I've seen the person inside that iron shell. You can't keep bottling up your emotions like this. It's all right to be upset with what just happened." Alex looked into his eyes and he could see that the light he had seen in the past few weeks had dimmed "It's all I have".
"No it's not I'm here" Alex didn't resist as Duncan took hold of her hand "but for how long?" Duncan felt the pain in her words and he finally knew she was scared to feel as everyone she had cared about had been ripped away from her but before he could reply Methos and Ray came back in. "We've found an isolated hanger and Joe's contact has given us where Du Pont is but he won't be there for long. So we had better get going" Methos said the expression on Duncan's face wasn't lost on him and he wished he had waited a little longer before coming back down. Methos could see how tired Alex was it was written all over her face "I think you should sit this one out and get some rest. Let me just check your wound" he said moving across to her. Alex lay back to let him examine her. She looked over to Duncan "If I let you do this without me how do I know you won't go after Lazarski without me?"
"Because I give you my word" Duncan said looking down into her now cold eyes. Alex nodded "ok, I'll hold you to that" Duncan gritted his jaw as he nodded and then turned for the door. He met Joe coming in at the door "I'll keep an eye on her Mac and I'll get someone to sort all this out" Joe said pointing with his cane at the blanket-covered body. Ray turned at Joes' words "he can't just disappear he has family back home. Can you arrange for the body to be flown back to England no questions? I'll straighten it out with McCormack when I get there" It would have been easier for Joe to just make the Thomas's body disappear but he understood Ray's request it would take a little more planning but it could be done. "Yeah, I think I can handle that. Some of my people will be here shortly" Joe looked over at Duncan "Then I guess we had better get out of here" Duncan looked across at Methos who had just finished checking Alex "Ok, your car or mine?" Methos said as he followed Duncan out towards the stairs, giving Ray a moment alone with Alex.
"I take it my timing was a little out?" Methos said as he followed Duncan up the stairs "Just a little" he turned to face Methos as they walked into the shop "She bottling it all up again. She's building a wall around her again" "It's her defence mechanism Mac" Methos said as he watched Duncan walk a little distance from him stop and look up before turning back to face him "I know but you can deal with your demons by hiding from them we both know that" Duncan said pinching the bridge of his nose. "But do you think she's ready to face them. From what I can tell she has a lot to face," Methos said walking towards where Duncan was standing. "If she is ever to move on and live her life she has to" Methos leaned closer to Duncan and dropped his voice as he heard footsteps on the wooden stairs "then the question is are you ready to find out what lies behind that wall". Duncan didn't have time to answer as Ray walked through the shop to join them. "Let's get this over with," Ray said as he opened the shop door Methos looked over at Duncan and held the door for him "After you" he then locked the door before joining Duncan and Ray at the black Citroen.
Alex had been propped up on her elbows as she watched the others leave but with them gone she glanced over at where Thomas's body lay before lying back on the bed. She stared at the ceiling watching the cobwebs that where in the spaces between the beams gently wave in the breeze. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes pushing all that had happened into the dark place at the back of her mind. Joe watched from the door for a little while before going up to the shop to wait for the clear up team to arrive.
As she lay there pieces of her life seem to break free and it took all of her concentration to push them away. Somewhere in the struggle the tiredness of her body overtook her mind and she drifted off into a fitful sleep. The sleep was so deep she didn't heard Joe come into the room with 3 others, who gently lifted Thomas's body and took it into the other basement room and lowered it into a metal casket. After Joe had seen the men on their way he returned to Alex and settled into the tatty threadbare armchair to wait for the others to return. As he watched her body and face twitch to whatever was haunting her dreams Joe wonder just what her nightmares were and if she would ever be truly free of them.
The information Joe had given them lead them straight to the home of Du Pont, Duncan circled the car around the block several times so they could check out the front and back to see what resistance they might get. He then pulled the car into the kerb a little way down the street from the house before turning in his seat so he could see both Methos in the front and Ray in the back "Now if Joe's guy is right he only has 2 men with him. I think the direct approach will be best we'll just knock on the door, OK?" Duncan didn't wait for a reply before getting out, Methos was first to follow him "That's a great plan does it come with any more detail than that" Duncan looked across the car and smiled "Nope". Methos sighed before following the Highlander across the road, they were closely followed by Ray.
Ray's pace was slightly quicker that the two Immortals and he over took them in his haste to get to Du Pont. Duncan quicken his pace just catching up with Ray just before the door he grabbed Ray's arm "I think we should go first" Ray turned to him a little confused by Duncan's statement "Why?"
"Trust me it's safer if Adam and I go first. Don't worry you'll get to deal with Du Pont I promise" the expression on Ray's face told Duncan that he wasn't happy being moved aside but he complied as it was Du Pont he wanted to talk to not his lackeys. "Well here goes" Duncan said as he stepped past Ray and knocked on the door, a few seconds pasted before there was movement inside and the sound of someone walking across a tiled floor. "Yeah, who is it?" a rough voice shouted through the door. "It's Duncan MacLeod I want to talk to Mr. Du Pont about a deal" another few seconds pasted as the man on the other side of the door called down the hall "It's Duncan MacLeod says he wants to make a deal".
Duncan and the others could only just make out the reply "Well let the man in" as the bolts on the door was moved aside Duncan readied himself. As soon as the door was half opened Duncan stepped forward with all his weight on the door. It took the man on the other side by surprise and he staggered backwards as the door was wrenched from his hand. He didn't have time to say or do anything before Duncan had landed a punch on his nose; he then completed his journey to the floor sending a coat stand tumbling to the floor with him. Duncan followed through so he was leaning over him his hand clenched and pulled back to deliver another blow Methos and Ray stepped over him. "Stay down" the man glared at him and tried to get up. The next punch slammed his head against the bottom of the stairs and darkness surrounded him as he lost consciousness.
Duncan then hurried down the hall after Methos and Ray. The door at the end of the hall opened and a man ran out a gun in his hand but he hadn't expected to find anyone just outside the door. Methos's punch sent him flying back into the room he had just come from. Methos entered the room rubbing his hand Du Pont sprang to his feet almost knocking the plate off the table in front of him "You know you really had better look into getting better help" Methos said grinning as he walked over to Du Pont. "Not you again. What do you want now?" the fear on his face was evident to Ray and Duncan as they entered the room. "You said this one was mine" Ray said his eyes flashing with hate. Methos held up his hands and moved aside "Be my guest".
Ray stepped towards Duncan "If you think I'm being left out you can think again. I just made a promise and I intend to keep it" Duncan sighed taking mortals with him wasn't a good idea but he was out number this time. "Oh all right what do you suggest?" he said looking at Methos who smiled at him before answering. "I think this is Alex's show, she knows the players better than any of us". Alex looked over at Methos she still couldn't quite place him she was usually very good at working out what made people tick but this man managed to keep all but the bare minimum to himself. "Thanks Adam. We need to find Du Pont's he's our best bet for finding out how many men he has with him." Alex said as she moved over to the bed and sat down. She hadn't realised until then just how tired she had become. "It's going to take time to locate him," Ray said as he moved near to her "Not necessarily, I know a guy that might be able to point us in the right direction" Joe said as he made his way to the door "Can I use the phone in the office?" he said looking over at Methos "Yeah sure, you know where it is".
"We know he's in hanger 6a but I think we need to get him away from there. Don't want anything accidentally breaking the vials," Alex said as she looked over at Duncan. "I'll just check the web see if I can find somewhere a little quieter for us" Methos said as he left the basement and followed Joe to the office. Duncan was still leaning against the wall his arms folded across his chest Alex could feel his eyes on her but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She was relieved when Ray sat down beside her "I watched that video all the way through I couldn't hear what she said at the end. Why did you tell him you did?" Alex looked over at the inert form of Thomas lying by the wall, his face looked at peace. "That's why" Alex said nodding towards the body "He always knew he had something to do with her death and I knew Christina. She said something before she died it wasn't clear on the tape but I knew how she felt about him. He needed to hear it so I told him and he got a chance to make peace with his ghosts and himself that's reason enough."
Ray lent over looking deep into Alex's eyes "We've worked together for years but I don't think I know you at all. I thought you would hate him with a vengeance for what he tried to do to you but instead I find you protecting him. You're one strange lady". Alex smiled wearily "Thomas and I aren't.weren't much different and in our own way we needed the rivalry we had, it fed us. We both didn't like to lose unfortunately Christina got caught between us. I lost the only friend I'd had the night but he lost more someone he couldn't live without."
"You didn't have to shoot him I would've stopped him you know that" Ray said as he looked into her tried eyes. "I know but he didn't want you to have to live with that and neither did I" Alex said as she took hold of Ray's hand "What are you talking about, that he meant you to kill him?"
"Once he couldn't hide from the truth I could see it in his eyes. He needed this to end and it came down to him or me. His truth versus mine he could've turned the gun on you but he knew you would've hesitated and he didn't want to kill you" She looked up into Ray's eyes "and it's a nightmare you don't need"
"and you do?" Ray asked, as Alex looked away to the floor before looking back at him "What's one more?" Ray didn't know how to answer he knew some of what had happened to her in the past and inside he was glad she had done it. He would never let anyone know but he was still unsure if he could have managed to pull the trigger on his friend and partner. Duncan finally pushed himself away from the wall and made his way over to Alex. He had been watching Alex and for all her supposed detachment from what had just happened, all he could see in her face was a frightened child. "Why don't you lay down and try to rest" he said as he reached for her arm "So you can go without me" Duncan ran his hands over his hair before letting them drop to his side "Ray can I have a word with Alex alone". As Ray stood up he took hold of the loose blanket on the bed he took it over to Thomas's body, he covered the body before turning to back to Alex "I'll be up in the shop if you need me" he said before leaving.
Duncan sat down next to Alex he waited until he heard Ray's footsteps on the wooden stairs to the shop "Are you all right?"
"Yeah I'm fine." Alex said as she looked at her hands Duncan took hold of her chin lifting and turning her to face him "you might be able to play that one with Ray and the others but your forgetting I've seen the person inside that iron shell. You can't keep bottling up your emotions like this. It's all right to be upset with what just happened." Alex looked into his eyes and he could see that the light he had seen in the past few weeks had dimmed "It's all I have".
"No it's not I'm here" Alex didn't resist as Duncan took hold of her hand "but for how long?" Duncan felt the pain in her words and he finally knew she was scared to feel as everyone she had cared about had been ripped away from her but before he could reply Methos and Ray came back in. "We've found an isolated hanger and Joe's contact has given us where Du Pont is but he won't be there for long. So we had better get going" Methos said the expression on Duncan's face wasn't lost on him and he wished he had waited a little longer before coming back down. Methos could see how tired Alex was it was written all over her face "I think you should sit this one out and get some rest. Let me just check your wound" he said moving across to her. Alex lay back to let him examine her. She looked over to Duncan "If I let you do this without me how do I know you won't go after Lazarski without me?"
"Because I give you my word" Duncan said looking down into her now cold eyes. Alex nodded "ok, I'll hold you to that" Duncan gritted his jaw as he nodded and then turned for the door. He met Joe coming in at the door "I'll keep an eye on her Mac and I'll get someone to sort all this out" Joe said pointing with his cane at the blanket-covered body. Ray turned at Joes' words "he can't just disappear he has family back home. Can you arrange for the body to be flown back to England no questions? I'll straighten it out with McCormack when I get there" It would have been easier for Joe to just make the Thomas's body disappear but he understood Ray's request it would take a little more planning but it could be done. "Yeah, I think I can handle that. Some of my people will be here shortly" Joe looked over at Duncan "Then I guess we had better get out of here" Duncan looked across at Methos who had just finished checking Alex "Ok, your car or mine?" Methos said as he followed Duncan out towards the stairs, giving Ray a moment alone with Alex.
"I take it my timing was a little out?" Methos said as he followed Duncan up the stairs "Just a little" he turned to face Methos as they walked into the shop "She bottling it all up again. She's building a wall around her again" "It's her defence mechanism Mac" Methos said as he watched Duncan walk a little distance from him stop and look up before turning back to face him "I know but you can deal with your demons by hiding from them we both know that" Duncan said pinching the bridge of his nose. "But do you think she's ready to face them. From what I can tell she has a lot to face," Methos said walking towards where Duncan was standing. "If she is ever to move on and live her life she has to" Methos leaned closer to Duncan and dropped his voice as he heard footsteps on the wooden stairs "then the question is are you ready to find out what lies behind that wall". Duncan didn't have time to answer as Ray walked through the shop to join them. "Let's get this over with," Ray said as he opened the shop door Methos looked over at Duncan and held the door for him "After you" he then locked the door before joining Duncan and Ray at the black Citroen.
Alex had been propped up on her elbows as she watched the others leave but with them gone she glanced over at where Thomas's body lay before lying back on the bed. She stared at the ceiling watching the cobwebs that where in the spaces between the beams gently wave in the breeze. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes pushing all that had happened into the dark place at the back of her mind. Joe watched from the door for a little while before going up to the shop to wait for the clear up team to arrive.
As she lay there pieces of her life seem to break free and it took all of her concentration to push them away. Somewhere in the struggle the tiredness of her body overtook her mind and she drifted off into a fitful sleep. The sleep was so deep she didn't heard Joe come into the room with 3 others, who gently lifted Thomas's body and took it into the other basement room and lowered it into a metal casket. After Joe had seen the men on their way he returned to Alex and settled into the tatty threadbare armchair to wait for the others to return. As he watched her body and face twitch to whatever was haunting her dreams Joe wonder just what her nightmares were and if she would ever be truly free of them.
The information Joe had given them lead them straight to the home of Du Pont, Duncan circled the car around the block several times so they could check out the front and back to see what resistance they might get. He then pulled the car into the kerb a little way down the street from the house before turning in his seat so he could see both Methos in the front and Ray in the back "Now if Joe's guy is right he only has 2 men with him. I think the direct approach will be best we'll just knock on the door, OK?" Duncan didn't wait for a reply before getting out, Methos was first to follow him "That's a great plan does it come with any more detail than that" Duncan looked across the car and smiled "Nope". Methos sighed before following the Highlander across the road, they were closely followed by Ray.
Ray's pace was slightly quicker that the two Immortals and he over took them in his haste to get to Du Pont. Duncan quicken his pace just catching up with Ray just before the door he grabbed Ray's arm "I think we should go first" Ray turned to him a little confused by Duncan's statement "Why?"
"Trust me it's safer if Adam and I go first. Don't worry you'll get to deal with Du Pont I promise" the expression on Ray's face told Duncan that he wasn't happy being moved aside but he complied as it was Du Pont he wanted to talk to not his lackeys. "Well here goes" Duncan said as he stepped past Ray and knocked on the door, a few seconds pasted before there was movement inside and the sound of someone walking across a tiled floor. "Yeah, who is it?" a rough voice shouted through the door. "It's Duncan MacLeod I want to talk to Mr. Du Pont about a deal" another few seconds pasted as the man on the other side of the door called down the hall "It's Duncan MacLeod says he wants to make a deal".
Duncan and the others could only just make out the reply "Well let the man in" as the bolts on the door was moved aside Duncan readied himself. As soon as the door was half opened Duncan stepped forward with all his weight on the door. It took the man on the other side by surprise and he staggered backwards as the door was wrenched from his hand. He didn't have time to say or do anything before Duncan had landed a punch on his nose; he then completed his journey to the floor sending a coat stand tumbling to the floor with him. Duncan followed through so he was leaning over him his hand clenched and pulled back to deliver another blow Methos and Ray stepped over him. "Stay down" the man glared at him and tried to get up. The next punch slammed his head against the bottom of the stairs and darkness surrounded him as he lost consciousness.
Duncan then hurried down the hall after Methos and Ray. The door at the end of the hall opened and a man ran out a gun in his hand but he hadn't expected to find anyone just outside the door. Methos's punch sent him flying back into the room he had just come from. Methos entered the room rubbing his hand Du Pont sprang to his feet almost knocking the plate off the table in front of him "You know you really had better look into getting better help" Methos said grinning as he walked over to Du Pont. "Not you again. What do you want now?" the fear on his face was evident to Ray and Duncan as they entered the room. "You said this one was mine" Ray said his eyes flashing with hate. Methos held up his hands and moved aside "Be my guest".