Chapter 21
Ste. Genevieve
Phillip stood back from the wall, admiring the paint job. In the last year… he'd found lots to keep him busy about this place. He'd re-shingled the roofs, shored up some foundations, and painted everything. The convent and the school looked new and bright in the late afternoon light. Even as the sun began to dip beneath the surrounding mountains, giving a red glow to everything, Phillip gathered up the last of the paint and brushes and whistling, began to clean and stow everything.
A nearby presence caused him to look up as Micah, the titular head of the lambs since Ian had left, approached him tentatively. Micah had been fourteen when he'd been thrown by his horse, startled as one of the strange new horseless carriages had passed by. He'd been found by a kindly immortal, and after his death, had wandered until reaching Paris about 1950 where he'd met Darius… the priest. From there, Darius had sent Micah to the convent… a place he'd not cared to leave in the years since.
"Is there a problem Micah?" Phillip asked… finishing the job of cleaning the brushes.
"No Sir… but I had a thought."
"And?" Phillip chuckled. He'd noticed the boy watching him whenever he worked out alone in the classroom… Phillip seldom let anyone watch him… and even more rarely taught any of them too much. He'd left that for Amanda to do.
"Some of those moves you make… could someone like me learn them?"
Phillip nodded, a bit amused at the boy. "Some of them… aye some of them you could manage. But know this Micah Goddfried, most of what I know will not work for you."
"Still," the boy shifted his feet, "surely there is something I could learn. Valeraine once told me you were a great teacher."
Phillip threw back his head and let laughter echo in the shed. "Is that what she said? Micah, my lad, you should ask what the lesson was that she learned. I don't think it's one you'd care for."
Micah licked his lips, "But a move or two… Surely there is something…"
Phillip sighed as he nodded. "See me in the schoolroom later… I'll see what I can do."
Micah's beaming grin betrayed his joy. He slapped one hand on the door jamb and backed away… almost skipping. "Yes Sir… thank you Swordmaster!" He turned and raced off, rejoining four of the other five children now living here.
Phillip sobered as he regarded the lambs. Oldest among them was likely the four-year old Denara. Greek as he was… she'd been killed in a raid on her village long ago. Phillip did not know how the child had ever survived long enough to find this place. Someone must have been looking out for her. Madrigal was thirteen… a brunette with a lovely voice and a bewitching smile. Beaten to death by a foster father, she was, as yet, like a shy fawn around grown men. Valeraine had found her on one of her trips out of here and brought her back decades ago. Chou was about eleven. Phillip thought that Methos had brought the boy here from one of his trips to the Orient centuries ago. The last of them was Denis… small, dark-haired, dark-skinned, dark-eyed Denis… who seldom spoke… and whose past was a mystery he did not speak of. Only Marie-France knew where she had found the eleven-year old… and Marie-France was dead. Denis had only recently returned to the convent… and he still seemed openly saddened at Marie-France's loss.
Valeraine, the eight centuries old, eight year old girl… with her blonde braids and bossy demeanor… had abdicated her position as eldest… she no longer spent time with the others. Valeraine took care of Nick. Phillip smiled to himself… the lass was finally acting more her real age… rather than that of her apparent one. Indeed, in many ways, Valeraine's personality had begun to reflect some of the qualities of the lost Marie-France. Perhaps it was her close association with Nick Wolfe that had brought about that change. The immortal girl was far quieter, Sister Luke had mentioned… and far more mature… than she had been in all the time the elderly nun had known her.
Phillip watched the children race off toward the refectory and dinner. He finished with his clean-up and looked in on Nick and Valeraine before heading into dinner himself. The laughter and easy camaraderie of the inhabitants here relaxed the genial Greek. If he were honest with himself, Phillip had missed companionship in recent years… the interaction of immortal friends with one another… a life where someone knew something about him… about who he really was.
Yellow pound cake was being sliced and served when Ursa entered looking around fearfully for Amanda and Phillip. Amanda waved him over, but the somber look she gave Phillip betrayed her unease. Ursa ate earlier… and usually kept watch at night.
"Men come… dust on the road," he said simply. The level of conversation trickled off as everyone's attention was riveted on the main table.
Phillip nodded. "Amanda, you and Ursa separate and hide. Luke… you and the nuns be ready to greet the men… be wary. Children… to your rooms… be ready."
"Is that safe, Phillip? Shouldn't we be ready to meet them outright?"
"If they are only men on a scouting mission… looking for immortals… who would they recognize? If they are only men on the road… seeking directions… we mustn't make them suspicious. You and Ursa are the best known to the Watchers. I'll be in Nick's room. Now move!"
As the dark sedan pulled into the courtyard, Sister Luke watched through the window of her office. She was the least of the ones here. She and Phillip had long ago decided that if it came to a sacrifice… that if those who were making immortals vanish… came here… they would find only her. She stretched her ancient shoulders and moved her head from side to side as she clasped and unclasped her gnarled hands. She was more capable than she looked… but even she realized her gifts in the game were slight. The children were safe… Amanda was safe. Ursa was safe. Phillip would be certain that Nick and Valeraine were safe. Now… these men would find only five mortal nuns and an old prioress.
Two men… dressed in black got out of the sedan and were met by Sister Simplice. The three stood talking… then headed toward the main house. Luke sighed, then arranged herself in her office chair… behind the great mahogany desk. She awaited the strangers.
Through the small window of Nick's room, Phillip peered at the strangers nervously. Was anyone else in the vehicle? It remained dark. He saw no tell-tale light that might tell him anything. The hardest part of watching… was waiting.
Behind him in the darkened room… he could hear Valeraine's low murmur as she spoke to young Nick… urging him to relax… assuring him that all was fine. Nick seemed agitated… his garbled cries rising in volume.
"Phillip, I can't get him to settle down. Hold him while I get the meds."
Phillip reluctantly stepped away from the window. He needed to watch… but he needed to keep Nick quiet even more.
As he reached the young immortal, Phillip was startled when Nick's palm rubbed his face almost lovingly and a low cackle sounded deep in the young man's chest. Phillip stared at Nick's pale face in the dim light of the room and realized Nestor had returned.
"Lass… have you that sedative ready?"
Valeraine finished filling the syringe and gingerly approached as Nestor threw back his head and roared. He strained against Phillip's hold… arching his back in an attempt to rise. The Greek tightened his grip against the writhing immortal and held the young man steady while Valeraine administered the dose… Gradually the sounds and movements stopped. Swiftly the two applied the restraints. Once finished, Phillip returned to watch the sedan… worried that he had missed something.
Amanda paced back and forth in the barn… worried that somehow something was happening that she should be ready for. She hated the idea of remaining out of sight. These were only mortals… why should she hide? Exasperated… Amanda grasped the barn door and pulled it open slightly to one side, grimacing in the loud grate of the door as she pushed it to one side.
She paused… straining to hear anything. All was quiet. Satisfied she turned to pull the door shut and was hit from behind by something solid connecting with her head. She stumbled… shaking her head in an attempt to clear it of stars and streaks of lightning. She could feel blood dripping down her face.
Hands grabbed her from behind and began to drag her away from the barn. She tried to struggle… only to feel another blow… and this time… darkness took her.
Ursa sat calmly in the potting shed. He had been told to wait. He would wait. But soft footsteps sounded outside… moving swiftly… then halted near the window. From the shadows where he sat… Ursa saw someone peer into the window. He hefted his great axe, as the sound of whispered voices reached his hearing. The head vanished from his sight and he heard footsteps moving away. The something came crashing through the window and a noxious odor arose from a canister as it hit the floor.
With a mighty roar… Ursa rose and crashed through the door, swinging his axe and feeling the comforting feel as it connected with a human body… With only the barest hesitation he continued his stroke… kicking the dead man aside as he swung the axe at another… This time… a gun sounded… and several bullets slammed into his body several times. He roared… stumbled and kept swinging… bringing down at least one more… before the bullets took their toll.
Patterson opened the sedan trunk as Wilson tumbled Amanda's body into it, then he slammed it shut. "That's one," he muttered.
As gunfire erupted near a potting shed of some sort… the two men raced in that direction. The giant immortal had taken out Baines and Greer before they arrived and added their shots to those of Carter. As they stood over the dead immortal and the bodies of their two companions, Patterson muttered, "Well there goes the element of surprise. Come on… let's get him secured so we can get the others."
Swiftly they began dragging Ursa's body toward the sedan.
Sister Luke nodded warmly at Sister Simplice as she served the tea. "Thank you Sister, you may retire now." Sister Simplice curtsied and left. Luke looked at the two men. "Now… gentlemen… Tell me again how I may help you."
The older of the two men, gray, thin hair, slicked back… a high widow's peak, well-dressed, sat forward, tugging absent-mindedly at his cuffs. "We are sorry to have arrived so late… we know this must be inconvenient… to meet with us at so late an hour…"
Luke sat back as shots rang out. Glancing at the window… she rose to take steps in that direction.
"Sit down Sister… we don't want to hurt you."
Turning, Luke saw that the younger man, dark-haired, held a gun on her.
"We are only here for the demons… We are here to cleanse this convent of those who are the devil's spawn."
Luke looked at them quizzically but continued to rise and take a few faltering steps toward the window. Someone had been found… slowly she turned and faltered at the edge of her desk… her cane seemed to flop impotently in her hand. She gasped. "Demons you say…"
The older man reached to assist her.
Swiftly Luke twisted her slender rapier free of the cane casing and impaled the man… pulling him to her as the other man fired. The body shook from the impact. Luke pushed the body before her as she forced it onto the armed man. Pulling her rapier back… she thrust it with deadly force into the second man just as Sister Simplice and Sister Mona burst in… ready to assist.
Luke let both men fall to the floor. "Gather the children, we're going on the offensive," she said as she headed for the courtyard. "And make certain those two don't get up."
Curses in fourteen languages passed Phillip's lips as he saw the two men load Amanda into the sedan, then he heard the shots. "Stay with Nick… " he tossed over his shoulder to Valeraine as he left, "And bolt the door." Phillip slipped through the shadows toward the gunfire. He saw Ursa crumple to the ground. As the three men began to drag him off… Phillip took a deep breath and attacked… swiftly… before they were even aware of another armed immortal… he dispatched them. He knelt beside Ursa to assess his wound… "Good," he murmured, "You're already healing." Phillip rose and headed toward the sedan. He popped the trunk and was just lifting a bloodied Amanda out of it as Luke strode up.
"Ursa?" she asked.
"He's over there," Phillip replied, as he set Amanda's body on the ground. His plans had nearly failed. He'd almost lost two of them. "You seem quite limber this evening Luke."
"When I need to be. Are there any more?"
Phillip nodded. "If not tonight… more will come."
In the distance they heard Ursa's roar as he recovered.
"We are no longer safe here. We move tonight." Phillip said as Amanda stirred in his hands. "It's all right, Amanda…" he said softly. The nuns and children gathered around. "Gather the essentials… We're leaving."
The five mortal nuns were instructed to take the SUV and head to Geneva and the mother house. "Tell them there that you were attacked… As for the rest…" Luke shrugged… "it might be better if you say nothing else." Luke hugged the young women and bid them, "Godspeed!" as they drove off.
The five children piled into the van. Ursa carried Nick out so they could strap him into a seat. He was still unconscious. Amanda hugged Valeraine as they watched and then they climbed in. Phillip slipped into the driver's seat. Was it only a few hours ago he'd finished the painting? Too bad he'd not see the finished job by daylight. "Hang on kids, we've got a long ride ahead of us." With those words, he drove south out of the convent of Ste. Genevieve. Behind them… they left seven dead men. The immortals were alive and free only because there had been more of them than the men had expected. They evidently had not considered Sister Luke a viable threat even if they had realized she was immortal… and they must not have known about Phillip's presence there.
As he gazed at the night sky, Phillip hoped they'd gotten them all. That no one else was watching… or following.