Chapter 86

Paris, Le Blues Bar

Joe Dawson allowed himself to be lowered into his desk chair. He gestured toward the safe.

"What's so damned important in there," Burt snapped.

"Hush," Amy snapped back. "What's the combination, Joe?"

He told her… and with each word he managed… it was harder and harder to breathe. The fire in his veins and in his lungs made him want to scream. But screaming took air… and it hurt too much to breathe. Already his thoughts were more and more jumbled in a fiery haze.

Amy dialed the combination and jerked open the door of the small safe. Burt found Joe's spare cane and handed it to him. Joe nodded weakly… his eyes on the tattered journals Amy removed from the safe. She caressed them.

"Your personal notes on MacLeod and the others? Is there one for Methos?"

Joe nodded… blinking his eyes. He wanted Amy to have them… keep them safe. He had no illusions about what would happen to them if they fell into other hands. Amy needed to know what he'd done and why he'd done it… she needed to understand and carry on for him…

Amy opened the journals one by one until she found the one she wanted. Tears sprang to her eyes as she thumbed the pages. "He did talk to you… no matter what you said all those years ago to everyone… he really did talk to you." She glanced up at him.

Joe nodded and gestured at the safe one more time. His labored breathing was getting worse. Amy shook her head. "There's nothing else in there Joe."

He pointed at the safe and pulled in a fiery breath. "False… bottom." He shuddered in the pain.

"We need to get him to a hospital," Burt snapped. Amy nodded… but Joe shrugged Burt off and gestured again at the safe.

Amy reached forward and felt around the edges of the bottom. Finally she felt two small metal rings and pulled. The heavy false bottom of the safe groaned upward and she nearly dropped it. It clanged heavily on the floor of the office as she let it go and leaned forward to feel about the revealed hole. Coming up with one additional journal she opened it curiously.

Joe gestured for it impatiently. Amy closed the book and handed it to him. She'd seen so very little… only that it seemed to be about a woman. Something clicked in her mind. Smiling she leaned closely to him and whispered in his ear. "The girl you wanted to marry all those years ago… that's hers… right Joe?"

Joe blinked his eyes. Tears sparkled in his eyes as he held it close. "Protect," he managed and shuddered again wanting to scream. The room around him was getting dark and Amy's and Burt's voices sounded further and further away.

He heard them call for Grace… and then the fire and darkness overwhelmed him and his head slipped to one side as the journal fell from his numb fingers.

Amy retrieved it and stacked it with the others, all the while sobbing. "Don't die, Dad… we need you."

Grace raced in from the bar. Without pausing she felt his forehead and his pulse. "It's thready but he's still alive."

"What about this?" Burt held up the vial with the poison.

"It would kill him."

"Maybe it is the antidote," Amy insisted. "Maybe it will stop what's happening to him. He's dying and we have to do something!"

Grace shook her head. There was no way that poison could be safely administered. The only relief it would give this man was death. She rubbed her forehead trying to think her way through this. What chemicals could act like this on the human body? What could burn and not kill… offering only a burning torment for every moment the victim clung to life. Nothing made sense. How could anyone be so inhuman as to do this to anyone?

Burt's cell phone rang. He picked up on it… listened a moment and then shut it off, crying out, "Damn!"

"What?" Amy asked.

"Roberts and Tamika are dead. Langdon found their bodies at Joe's. Mischkov's body is gone." He narrowed his eyes. "Any chance he's an immortal?"

Amy shook her head. "I don't think so… not unless he didn't know and this was his first death. It's possible… I suppose."

"If he's been hunting immortals as your father's suspected… I doubt he's immortal. Someone would have felt his potential and been prepared for him," Grace added.

Joe's hand gripped hers suddenly and Grace cried out. His eyes bulged out… and his already red face was even redder. "Save them… save them all," he breathed out.

"We will… Dad," Amy said brushing his white hair from his florid face. "I promise you will save all the immortals."

Joe shook his head. "Twins!"

Amy shook her head. "The twins are safe, Joe. We took them to Mom's… remember?"

Joe's mouth worked open and shut. "He knows…" Joe once more slid into unconsciousness.

Burt stepped back. He thought about Joe's living room. Within his mind he saw furniture… lamps… desk… bookcase… pictures! Burt blanched. "He had pictures of us and the twins."

"Mischkov knew we were close… that Joe's my mentor. He wouldn't know our true relationship."

"The Granddad frame," Burt said weakly… already backing away. His children were in danger from this madman… he had to get to his children. "Stay here," Burt snapped and turned to race out of the office and into the bar.

"What's happened?" the immortal Kage asked quietly.

"Take care of the others… I have to go." Burt slammed out of the bar and into his car. Behind him he could his wife's shrieks and knew she was torn between remaining with her father and going with Burt. The children won out and she stumbled out of the bar and threw herself into the car sobbing.

"No!" Burt said and reached across her to open the door. "I can move faster without you right now. The immortals may not survive unless you help them. Only you can contact Joe's old friends. Only you can set events in motion." He kissed her lips… tasting her salty tears. "I love you," he murmured and smiled.

Amy nodded and kissed him back. "Go swiftly, Burt. Stay safe." Reluctantly she climbed out and watched as her husband drove swiftly away. Rubbing her arms… Amy returned to the bar and stared at the calm face of Kage. "I may have an idea," she said. "But I need your help."

The immortal calling himself John Kirin… nodded. "How may I help? What can I do?"

Amy licked her lips nervously. She eyed their Watcher prisoner. Kage rose and gently took her arm, maneuvering her to the far side of the bar.

"What would you have me do?"

Amy nodded and told him.

-----

Elsewhere in Paris

Duncan slammed his back against a wall and shouted, "I don't want to hurt you!"

The three Watchers progressed down the alley.

"Don't make me fire!" Duncan pleaded. He hefted the automatic in his hand. Once fired… it would bring others. Once he'd killed… there was no going back and the war would begin. What would happen to Ian and Methos and any others held prisoner then?

He shoved his automatic back in his waistband and held his katana before him. He turned it edge down and then uppercut toward the first Watcher… knocking him backward. He flung himself back against the wall as a bullet ricocheted off the stone. He sheathed his katana, counted to ten… bounced and then rounded the corner in a flying kick which knocked one Watcher to the ground. He pivoted and kicked out at another striking the man's chin with his foot while his arms pummeled the third man's face. Already he could here the sounds of more closing in on him.

Then from behind him, he heard a war cry as Alisaunne swept her katana around and flailed back and forth at the Watchers. Amanda appeared next to execute a couple acrobatic flips as she landed on the shoulders of one man and twisted… knocking him out as she landed on one foot and swung her leg around to connect with another's chin.

Duncan grinned, "Thought I told you to skedaddle."

Amanda dragged one Watcher off to the side and then rejoined the melee. "You can't have all the fun!"

"What makes you think this is fun," Duncan smirked as he gave one man a chop across the neck. From the corner of his eye… he noted Cory pulling pants off the downed Watcher. Before him… Alisaunne's torrent of blows had cleared several from around her. She turned and jumped… kicking out at the heads of two men. Another pulled a gun, trying to get a bead on her. Duncan flung his knife at the man's hand. It connected perfectly. The gun fell to the pavement and discharged… the bullet ricocheting off the stone walls of the nearest building. That gun had no silencer.

Sirens could be heard in the distance.

The Watchers still standing hesitated… as if uncertain whether to continue or to run.

Duncan yelled, "Let's go!" Amanda nodded and grabbed the half-dressed Cory… pushing him ahead of her. Duncan reached for the still fighting Alisaunne… once more restraining her arms as she struggled to land further blows.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "Let me kill them!"

"No!" Duncan roared in her ear. "If we kill them… we may lose Ian." His words had no effect on her this time… so lost in her bloodlust was she. He held tightly to her and yelled at the Watchers. "No one has died here today… let's keep it that way. Don't follow us… or I may not be able to stop her next time… or myself!" He lifted his struggling student and pulled her away kicking and screaming from the Watchers. With her still struggling in his arms and screaming… Duncan followed Amanda and Cory up the alley.

The bloodied and beaten Watchers still standing gazed after them, holding their sides and heads as the immortals raced from the alley, through the gawking on-lookers and into the gathering crowds on the Paris street. This fight had gone public.

-----

Two blocks down the street… Duncan released Alisaunne and pushed her against a wall… one hand over her mouth. "Stop it!" She bit his hand and attempted to knee him in the groin.

"If you don't mind my saying so," Cory said as he looked behind them for pursuers. "If you don't shut her up… we're going to have everyone after us."

"I mind," Duncan said glaring at Raines. But Cory was right. Reluctantly Duncan did the next best thing. He pulled Alisaunne's tanto, holding it against he ribs. "Don't make me do this," he begged.

She spit in his face… her eyes maddened, her arms pounding on his. She seemed completely lost in her bloodlust.

Duncan slipped the blade between her ribs, ramming it full hilt into her heart.

The girl's eyes widened. For a moment she stared at him curiously… as if she were once more only his student… who trusted him implicitly; then her eyes closed and she slumped. Duncan pulled the knife free and tossed her unceremoniously over his shoulder. "Nothing is ever easy," he said between gritted teeth and followed Amanda with Cory bringing up the rear. They had to find shelter… and they had to find it quickly.

-----

At the Watcher facility… LeCaron shoved the excess pads from his face… letting the blood spurt forth once more. He grabbed the front of the young woman's blouse who was tending to him. "Rawlins… call Rawlins!" He slumped back.

The Watcher nodded and began again to adjust the pads over her boss' bleeding face. She'd not understood his garbled words. From what she could tell… not only were his teeth shattered… but also part of his tongue had been shot away in the battle. His nose was broken and his eyes swollen shut from the beating he'd taken. She called for a morphine syringe to dull his pain. From the shots outside… she trusted that the others were dealing with the intruders… whoever they'd been. Glancing around the cellar room… she noted the gurney and IV pole. She wondered what the hell had been going on down here. As soon as LeCaron was stable and in hospital… she intended to call Monsieur Mischkov and report on the situation. Surely he would know what to do. When handed the syringe… she bent to give LeCaron the injection.