I'm back from holiday and will post two chapters tonight. This is the first of two. Also, one reviewer asked many questions...

From: LadyJadePerendhil

1.Will Macleod and Amanda have a baby too?

Not planned in this story... but who knows.

2. What piece of Alisaune's birth are we missing? I don't remember that chapter where you explain exactly what Darius's great sin was.

That will be revealed in Entr'acte Three... although part of it may be intrinsically understood from the clues given thus far.

3. And so I understand outside of Methos and Ellie, Darius was the oldest Immortal on Earth? And what is this about the Ancient One and some experiment?

The ancient One was the Oldest of all immortals whom Darius is said to have killed at the gates of Paris about 410 C.E. I have made him the beloved of my original character Aja... the ancient immortal who appears as Methos' childhood protector in Crossroads in Time and who placed Aella/Eleanor where he would find her as a child... centuries later. Aella/Eleanor was born 839 C.E. and is nowhere as old as Methos or even Darius. If you haven't read the other stories mentioned in the notes before the Prologue... you might do so. I try to make each story stand on its own... but I may not have been entirely successful. where information is given on canon characters, I make every effort to stay within those guidelines... and find the chinks in it that allow for my vision.

Thanks for reading... and I hope you continue to read and enjoy the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. More to come when I return. --elle

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Chapter 71

Location Unknown

Between the drugs alternating between the food and the water… Micah had been able to stay alert… as had Madrigal. Chou and Denis, who had taken turns being the guinea pigs to test for the drugs, were not in as good a shape as the larger two.

"We're smaller… we're less able to fight back at the moment. You two have to stay alert and ready to move," the diminutive Chou had insisted.

Reluctantly, Micah had agreed. If they were to find a way out of here… it would be up to him and up to Madrigal to engineer it somehow. So far… he'd seen no openings… but the sounds emanating from outside of their prison… made Micah think they might be coming into a port.

All four were sitting against the bulkhead opposite the door… and each was pretending to be adequately drugged.

"If they take us topside… be ready to run for it," Micah whispered when the wheel on the door began to turn.

"Don't rush it," Madrigal had added. "Be certain of your actions and move swiftly. Remember what Amanda told us."

"Clever… we must be clever," Chou and Denis had recited.

The door opened. The same two men who'd been feeding them entered… the only two they had seen.

"Let's go kids," the taller one said. He held a hand and motioned them forward with his fingers. In his other hand was the fire axe.

Dutifully and as if all were equally drugged and compliant… the children rose and weaved across the hold.

The shorter man chortled and pushed them through the passage toward the gangway. "Told you my cookin' would do them in."

Micah clasped one hand on Denis' shoulder while Madrigal wavered and grabbed Chou. Slowly the two pairs of children climbed onto the main deck.

Blinking in the bright sun they noted the sailors off-loading cargo. The two men pushed them towards the gangplank. "Let's go you four."

Madrigal was ready to race off when she felt another… close by. Staring at the docks she saw a familiar shape. "Swordmaster," she breathed and squeezed Chou's shoulder. He nodded. She glanced at Micah, relieved to see that he'd felt the Swordmaster as well. Drunkenly the children stumbled as they were directed forward.

Sudden Chou stopped and bent over. "I don't feel so good," he moaned.

The short cook gave him a kick. "Immortals don't get sick."

Madrigal rounded on him. "You leave him be!"

Cook laughed and grabbed at her roughly squeezing her small breasts… "Not quite out of it are you lassie. Well maybe you and me can go a few rounds. Whatdayasay? Blow me good and I'll leave the kid alone."

Madrigal's eyes widened as she struggled vainly in his hands, fearfully whimpering.

"Not here," axeman said. "Wait'll we get them in the van."

Cook laughed, and held Madrigal tightly as he ran his tongue over her face. "Soon pretty girl. Soon." He kicked again at Chou. A groaning Micah leaned over and weakly helped Chou to his feet. The three boys stumbled arm in arm down the gangplank.

Already Micah could see the Swordmaster inching closer and getting into position. The Swordmaster shook his head at Micah and moved further into the shadows closer to the ship. On the wharf… Micah saw a black van and four men… waiting. Mentally he reminded himself… "We are not children… we are simply small." He clutched Chou's shoulder in one hand and Denis' in the other… propelling them before him and positioning them both for the push to each side he'd give them. He just hoped that Madrigal kept her head and did not let cook's advances and words keep her from moving when she had to.

They were four… but they had the Swordmaster nearby… and he was worth any two of these men… maybe more. Micah continued to act as if drugged. Halfway down the gangplank he shoved Chou off to one side and tossed Denis over the rail on the other. At the same moment he raced forward toward the van screaming loudly.

"Hey kid!" shouted axeman and started after him. Madrigal grabbed cook's arm and turned… bending it back and breaking it… grinning at the satisfactory snap and the yelp of pain from the little man. She kicked him down and twisted his head until his neck snapped with a satisfying crunch. Amanda had taught her that move.

By this time the four at the van had started forward only to be met by Micah's flailing feet and fists. He managed to delay three of them before they got him under control. By that time, Chou… who'd been caught by Phillip and Denis who'd twisted to land on his feet along with Madrigal and Phillip rushed the others…

Phillip grabbed the necks of the two closest men and slammed their heads together forcefully. The three children rushed the two men still holding Micah and hurriedly let fly with fists and feet. Working as a unit… they felled the men and grabbed Micah.

"This way!" yelled Chou and the four took off up the wharf.

"What about the Swordmaster?" Madrigal managed when they halted to catch their breath.

"He said he'd meet up with us at the Hotel de Vittorio. He's gonna see what he can find out following those guys." Chou grinned, obviously delighted that he'd managed to deliver the entire message without a hitch.

"Great… did he happen to tell you where the hotel is or how we get there?" Micah said with a smirk.

Chou looked around thoughtfully and then shook his head.

"We're in Taranto, Italy," Denis said with a shrug. "I was last here during the late 1980's."

The three stared at the normally quiet Denis. He grinned knowingly and motioned them to follow him. They laughed, linked arms and did so. When they worked together… they could accomplish anything. That's what Amanda had told them.

-----

Phillip ducked back into the shadows. He didn't think any of the six… make that five surviving Watchers had gotten a good look at him. They were too busy trying to regroup. One was dead… two had concussions and would be out of it for some time… and the remaining three were arguing about whose fault it was that those "blasted kids" had managed to pull a fast one. They bundled their dead and unconscious members into the back of their van and drove off… unaware that they had a hanger-on.

When the van stopped at some iron gates which slowly opened to admit it… Phillip hopped off and hid in the trees. He wasn't here to take this group on… just to reconnoiter. Pulling out his map of the area… he marked the villa's location, then shoved the map back in his pocket and climbed a tree. Settling comfortably on a wide branch, Phillip pulled out a small riflescope and used it to get a better look inside.

The two men whose heads he'd slammed together were helped inside while the other three were apparently being dressed down by a very angry superior. As if to make his point… the man pulled a gun and shot one of his henchmen in the head. Phillip lowered the scope. These people were playing for keeps. They evidently had little respect for human life. He needed to get closer… see if anyone else was about… but right now he didn't see how. Well, he doubted they were going anywhere for the time being.

Sliding down the tree once more, Phillip headed back to Taranto. He still had to make certain the children were all right. Remaining in the surrounding trees, Phillip hiked toward town… staying out of sight.

-----

Northern Italy

"Thanks!" Keith Boyer waved to the truck driver as he alighted from the rig and watched it drive off down the highway. He'd fallen back on some of his old routines… that of a college student hiking across Europe… trying to see the sights. His main goal, however had been to get out of Geneva as quickly and as invisibly as he could. Hitching a ride… solved his problems.

Keith shifted his backpack and glanced around at the hot dusty landscape. Caution suggested he find a quiet place… an out-of-the-way small Italian town and hole up. However, Keith had a feeling that he needed to join forces with another immortal somehow. Those who were alone seemed to be the ones being grabbed first.

Setting his sights on the road south… toward Rome… he began his hike. Maybe he'd hitch another ride… if the right one came along.

-----

Keith felt the immortal as the car slowed and pulled over. The blonde looked at him soberly, eyeing him carefully. She was a real looker.

"Keith Boyer," he introduced himself carefully as he approached the car, one hand already on the hilt of his sword.

She laughed. "Reagan Cole. Get in… We need to talk."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because there are people trying to capture and kill us?" She met his gaze as he nodded. "We need to pool our resources."

Keith opened the backdoor and tossed his backpack in, then climbed in after it. "Hi!" he said to the young man in the passenger seat who nodded back.

"I'm Warren Green."

Keith nodded, "Where are we headed?"

"Rome," Regan said. "I noted there was some immortal activity there that made the news recently. I was looking for some help. I take it you were thinking the same thing."

"Yeah. I'd thought about Paris… but," Keith shook his head, "I thought that was a little too predictable."

"Same here. I have some contacts with some friends in Paris."

"Email?"

Regan eyed him the rearview mirror. Slowly she nodded.

Keith grinned. "I have the latest generation of hand-held… wireless access anywhere in the world."

Reagan chuckled. "I knew you had that techgeek look when I stopped. You, my young friend… are going to come in handy."

Keith lay back in the seat, pulling his hat over his eyes. "Yeah… oh yeah! Just let me know when you want it…" he grinned, "the PPC I mean." But he was rather hoping she might be interested in a little more than his hand-held computer."