Chapter 34

Tunis

Alisaunne had begun to worry. Duncan had been missing for a second night. She'd paced the halls and the rooftop of their compound most of the night… watching this so-called Watcher… or the glow of his cigarette in the darkness. She felt they needed to get out of here… but she wanted to give Duncan enough time to finish whatever the hell he thought he was doing! One thing she'd noticed since taking the power and essence of Ahmoud Hassan… was that she was developing a bit of a temper.

Ian had shrugged. "It'll pass. We sometimes take on personality traits of those we kill for a period of time… especially if they are older and more powerful."

Alisaunne wasn't certain she wanted it to pass.

Shortly before dawn, she sensed Duncan's return. Eagerly she met him in the courtyard. When she came running out of the house toward him… Duncan paused and backed up a step. In the darkness… she could not see his face.

Throwing her arms about his neck she cried out, "I was so worried."

Duncan stood still for a moment and then slowly raised his arms to embrace her. "I'm fine." He let his hands rest lightly on her back and took a long slow breath… drinking in the scent of her. Then he dropped his hands and stood back, glancing over at the form of Ian appearing in the darkness.

"What is it?"

"We have a Watcher we think." Ian offered softly. "We can see him from the roof."

"Show me!" Duncan followed the two younger immortals to the roof and stared thoughtfully at the cigarette glow in the shadows. Stroking his beard… running his fingers through the tangled dark hair that obscured his face… Duncan considered options. Finally he turned to Ian. "We need to talk to him. Give me five minutes then go out the front entrance and get his attention." The Highlander started down the stairs, only to be grabbed by Alisaunne.

"What do I do?" she asked.

Duncan snapped… and instantly regretted the tone, "Stay out of sight." He brushed her hand away went three steps and then stopped. "Put the burka on… Hopefully he hasn't seen your face." Then he headed to the back of the house… and slipped over the wall.

"He's just worried, lass," Ian offered softly as he went down the stairs. "You'll see… Once he talks to this fellow… everything will be fine."

-----

Five minutes later, Ian sauntered out of the gate just as the dark of night was giving way to the gray light of dawn before the sun had risen. He knew he looked every inch the part of young servant to the man of the house. Poorly dressed in simple clothes… he could fade into the crowds easily indistinguishable from a thousand other house servants filling the streets of Tunis.

Shortly after passing the shadow where he knew the man waited… Ian stopped and bent over holding his stomach and mumbling in a loud voice. From the corner of his eye… he noted the man had paused… exposed suddenly in the street and no longer certain that he was safe from immortal eyes.

Just then… Duncan slipped up behind him… and knocked him out. The man crumpled back into Duncan's arms. "Grab his feet," the immortal hissed at Ian. Together… they carried the man into the compound.

Alisaunne met them at the gate, letting them in and then re-locking it after they'd entered. She was carefully veiled.

Duncan directed they carry the man into the main room. They tossed him onto a stuffed armchair. Duncan rifled through his pockets and then the man's wrists. No tattoo! After coming up with a wallet, Duncan grabbed a vase of cut flowers, pulled them out, and then tossed the water into the man's face.

He sputtered.

Duncan handed a lit lamp to Ian who shone it the light into the man's face.

With a carefully cultivated accent, Duncan asked, "Why were you watching us?"

The man coughed. "I wasn't… I was just smoking a cigarette and contemplating the night."

"For over twenty-four hours?"

The man licked his lips and glanced at the three of them nervously.

Duncan glanced through the paperwork. "Thomas Wheeler… American. Your passport indicates you entered the country four days ago."

"Yes… I'm on vacation."

"And you spend your time staring at my house." Duncan paced slightly.

"I'm… I'm… I'm…"

Duncan leaned into the man's face and glared. "I have no patience with liars… and I don't like being lied to. Now tell me who you are and why you were watching my house."

Wheeler glanced at all three immortals and then nodded. "I followed you after one of you killed Hassan… I assume all of you are immortal."

Duncan rose to his full height, crossed his arms and stared hatefully. "Where's your tattoo?"

"I'm sorry… my what?"

"Your Watcher tattoo?"

Wheeler's eyes widened in fear. "You shouldn't know about us."

"Well I do! Now where is it?"

Wheeler reached for his handkerchief, to wipe it across his perspiring brow. "We stopped using them a few years ago. They were too visible."

"How do you recognize one another now?" Duncan's voice was a low menacing growl. "Secret code words?"

"Something like that… listen… I'm no threat to you… I'm not even certain who you are. I was visiting Hassan's Watcher when I noticed you three hurrying away in the crowd after the quickening. My friend stayed to clean up the mess… I followed you. I really am on vacation."

"Have you reported us?"

Wheeler blanched and nodded.

Duncan smiled, "Well… in that case…" He cold-cocked Wheeler and watched him slide down in the chair." Nodding to Ian he murmured, "Tie him up." He grabbed Alisaunne's arm. "We have to pack now." Hurriedly he ushered her out of the room. "Get what you need. As last time… we can buy anything else when we get where we are going."

For once, Alisaunne did not argue. As she turned to pack, she smiled. They would be leaving here… together… Perhaps she would get another chance to see what she could do. Eagerly she tossed essentials into a bag and grabbed their paperwork.

Within the quarter hour… the three, with Ian slightly behind and carrying their bags… hastened through the sleepy streets and away from the compound they had called home for three years.

-----

Duncan wiped the shaving cream away and stared at his clean-shaven chin. He'd left a mustache for the time being. After checking into a mid-level hotel room… the three of them had begun working on changing appearances. Among the few clothes they'd brought… were ones that would help.

"I thought the Watchers were basically benevolent… or at least non-threatening," Ian asked from the doorway.

"Do you recall the bearded man who was with us when we faced Nestor?" When Ian nodded, Duncan continued. "I've been in email contact with him occasionally in the past three years. The last message I had from him mentioned immortals vanishing… and strange followers."

"You think he wasn't a Watcher then?"

"I think if he was… then the Watchers are something other than what we thought they were. There was a group of them back in the early nineties… they used to kill immortals. They were supposedly drummed out… but…" Duncan shrugged. "At any rate… I didn't want to take a chance. Now… let's see what we can do for your appearance."

An hour later… Ian looked like a wealthy young student. His shaggy hair had been neatly cut and slicked back. He now wore tailored and expensive slacks, a blazer and an English school tie over his white dress shirt.

Alisaunne had trimmed her hair to shoulder length, and then put it up. Between that, and the heels, dress suit, and over-large glasses… she looked ten years older than she was. Duncan stood next to her in his business suit and nodded. "We just might pull this off."

Using his PPC, Duncan made flight arrangements. They'd take several flights and use several sets of identity papers. "We won't have our weapons with us because of security… so I'm booking us back to back." he told them somberly. "You remember how we did it when we left Paris? Same routine. Stay silent if at all possible… follow my lead."

They gathered their belongings and vanished from the hotel… claimed a taxi a few blocks further on and arrived a half hour later at the airport where they checked in… an Indian couple and their teen-aged son… on the way home… to New Delhi. Duncan did all the talking… his accent perfect. He did not relax until they were in the air; Alisaunne wedged between the two of them in coach.

Ian pulled at his necktie and grimaced wishing he could lace his fingers with those of Alisaunne, "It'll be fine… when we get to the end of the line… it'll be fine."

Playing her role to the hilt, Alisaunne had crossed her legs and was casually flipping through a magazine. She glanced at Ian condescendingly and winked. Then she adjusted her glasses and pretended to read.

-----

Avril Mischkov and his squad arrived in Tunis by mid-afternoon. Unable to raise Tom Wheeler by his cell phone… they used the GPS transponder inserted in his skin to track him. When they found him tied up in the deserted compound… Mischkov called Rawlins.

"They are all gone. Evidently they caught sight of Wheeler and bolted." There was a long pause. "Yes sir." Mischkov hung up the phone, crossing the room to where Wheeler sat still tied up… his eyes watching every move.

"What happens now?" Wheeler licked his lips and was shaking.

"Your contract will not be renewed. You have been retired." Mischkov said flatly. He slowly screwed the silencer onto his Beretta. "I'm truly sorry."

"Please… I have a family."

"They will receive compensation for your loss in the field." Mischkov fired… the bullet went between Wheeler's eyes and into his brain. He died instantly.

Mischkov removed the silencer, wiped the gun and tossed it across the room. "If we have everything… let's go. This mess will likely have the local authorities on the lookout for… what was the name they were using here… ahh yes… al Kahir."

The retrieval squad left… boarding a private aircraft bound for Paris within the hour.