Chapter 56

Paris, later that night

The silence earlier over dinner had encroached into their bedroom. Burt pulled the covers up and rolled onto his side… his eyes glaring into the darkness. He was as angry as he'd ever been in his life.

He'd reluctantly taken the twins to Liverpool and to Amy's mother's home at her insistence, but he hadn't liked it. When he'd returned, she and Joe had explained that there was some danger in the "historical research" they'd devoted their lives to. Burt snorted. "Historical research" was a laugh. Even finding out for certain that his missing friends Nick and Amanda were a part of that research hadn't made it any easier to take. But tonight… tonight had taken the cake and he was still attempting to put it all together.

His wife and her father had served up an immortal this evening and had done so with little regard for the consequences.

"I didn't have a choice," Amy had argued. "I either gave them an immortal… or they'd come looking for their pound of flesh!"

"He wasn't a major player," Joe had added. He at least had the courtesy to appear guilty about what he'd done. "If this keeps Amy and the twins and you safe… it's worth it. It buys us some more time, and with time… we can discover what's happening to them."

Burt had still not fully accepted his wife's entry into the world of espionage. Once she'd explained what she'd needed to do several weeks ago… he'd taught her some things… and made certain she apprised him of everything… no matter how small each evening.

The transponder had truly upset him. "You let them put that into you?" He'd run his hand lightly over the small bandage on her upper inside left thigh. They were smart… they'd placed it where only someone who knew her intimately would notice it.

"They are tracking you!" he'd yelled. "Do they have the house bugged? Or the phone tapped?"

Amy had shaken her head.

The arguments had been going on for weeks. That had more to do with why he'd agreed to take the twins away than from any real sense that they were in danger. Now, he wasn't so certain.

He could feel her in the bed behind him. She was as silent and as awake as he was. Burt rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

Amy did the same. "I'm sorry," she said.

"I am too," Burt replied, and then rolled back on his side. He didn't feel one whit better. She rolled away from him and he could hear her sobs.

Burt threw back the covers and sat up… letting his bare feet touch the floor.

"Talk to me," Amy said from behind him. "I'm trying to save their lives. I need for you to understand this."

"Understand what… that this is like triage? That you and Joe stand around and decide who lives and who dies?"

"I don't know that they are being killed!" Amy pleaded. "Joe and I and the others are trying to get enough information together to stop this… whatever it is."

"But why do you have to be the one inside?" His anger was tipped with venom. The ghost of his former failed marriage raised its head. With Amy he'd thought everything would be fine. Neither of them involved in espionage… no deadly threats or division of politics to get in the way. They could live and love and raise their children in relative safety. It was then that Burt realized what he was truly angry about.

"You should have told me long before this."

"I wanted to."

"But you didn't trust me, did you."

Amy shook her head. "You like to find out things. These were things you didn't need to know."

"But I did! How can I protect you and the twins if I don't know what's going on?"

Amy sat up and reached one hand out to lightly touch his bare back. Burt shook it off.

"I was wrong," she said. "I should have told you the truth before I married you… but then… it was just a research job… and there was no danger. It didn't seem important. It's only been in the past few years and only step by step. I didn't get into this when it was life-threatening… and I'm still not certain it is. I understand if you have to leave."

Amy lay down and curled on her side facing the window.

Burt considered it. Then he shook his head and lay back down next to her, pulling close to her. "I'm not going anywhere. I ran from responsibilities the last time… I told you that. I'm not running this time. But Amy, you have to be honest with me from now on."

Amy rolled to face him… content at least that his arms encircled her… for the moment. "I promise." Inside she wondered if she could keep that promise… or if her world would fall apart completely. She wondered that if in attempting to save the immortals… she was condemning herself to a life without the man she loved.

-----

Cincinnati, OH

Katya and Amber pulled off the interstate just outside of Cincinnati and changed places. Amber slumped down in the seat to get some shut-eye while Katya focused on the straight road before her. Flying would have been faster… and easier… but Katya had a feeling it would also have been deadly. As it was… everytime a pair of headlights seemed to follow them for some distance, Katya braked slower until they passed and went on.

She most certainly did not like this idea of being followed… of having been followed for most of her immortal life. As she considered the lives she'd led through the centuries and the idea that someone in each of those lives had been recording what she said, what she did, who she killed, what she ate for breakfast, and who she loved… Katya found her anger growing.

"It doesna help dwellin' on it!" Amber's voice spoke up from the darkness.

"How do you know what I'm thinking of? How could you?"

Amber shifted in the seat. "It's what I'd be thinkin' of if I'd just learned about them. My teacher told me about them years ago… when he'd wanted me to be on the lookout for one. I wasna happy. I thought about killin' the one on me just to get away. Then I realized… he had but one life… and he'd chosen to spend it watchin' me. He'd given up makin' his own choices to be led about the world by such as me. I came to accept their presence as shadows. Ifna I needed to get away… I learned how to vanish for a bit. Normally they never bother us."

"I wouldn't call what happened in St. Louis not bothering us," Katya snapped.

"Nah… and that's got me thinkin'. Somethin big is goin' down. Ya said your friend mentioned it happenin' in Europe, too. Could be someone is tryin' to end the game… or at least to influence the end… and is usin the Watchers to do it."

"You think these monsters are no threat to us… the ones who just watch?"

"I think they're a part of who we are. Connor always told me not to pass the word about unless I had to. He vanished soon after that. But he'd told me he would. I kept my silence… even when I heard he died some years later." Amber slumped down again. "I need some sleep… Katya… don't focus your hatred on them that watch… let's find the ones who steal our lives from us… and find out why.

Katya nodded, but she was a woman of strong emotion, passion, and determination. If she had to kill them all to get to the ones who had started this… she would. And no force under heaven would stop her.

The lines on the pavement passed as the miles melted away.

-----

Paris

Melanie Pryor stalked about the room she'd been placed in. She needed to get out of here. She needed to find out what had happened.

She'd been huddled in a corner, her eyes on the rooftop where Delano had been sitting when she'd been grabbed from the rear and told to remain quiet.

In horror she'd watched as Delano was shot by something, a van had arrived and he'd been loaded in… along with her.

The squad of men, dressed like commandos of some sort, was silent, deadly and efficient. Melanie had understood implicitly that if she resisted, she'd be killed. And unlike Delano… she wouldn't be coming back.

Once here, she'd noticed the Watcher logo embedded on the marble floor and been even more confused. Then they'd put her here… and left her. That had been hours ago.

Looking up she saw a burly man of medium height, well-dressed, his thinning gray-brown hair slicked back, enter with a cold nod of his head. Ignoring her pleas of information, he sat in one of the chairs and calmly flipped through a folder.

Finally he looked up at her. "Ms. Pryor, you have an excellent record within the organization. You watched Cassandra for a number of years, then Patton Kenney until his death and finally Byron Delano."

"What have you done to him? Why have you interfered? Who the hell are you?"

He smiled. "Pardon… Avril Mischkov… assistant to the coordinator. I forgot you were not familiar with many of us in the Northern European Bureau. As for Delano… he is safe… for the moment. We have need of him in a little project. I assure you he should be fine and will be released shortly if he cooperates."

"What little project?"

Mischkov chuckled, "I'm not at liberty to say. However, suffice it to say that we should all know quite a bit more about our immortals shortly."

Melanie swallowed nervously. She did not like the tone of his voice or his oily charm. "This man kills!" she thought. "And he does so without guilt." She took and released a deep breath. "How may I best serve the organization," she said pleasantly, and hoped that he believed her. The main thing was to learn what she could… and survive the night. If she got out of here, though, she thought she might pay another call on Joseph Dawson. Perhaps the retired Watcher could help explain things to her.