Joe's black car sped through the Paris streets. Each man's mind was wrestling with his own thoughts. Joe was full of conflict. Open warfare amongst Watchers. Not the first time it's happened. But the possibility of a firefight in Paris was riddled with hazards, all the way around. Damn it. But this thing with Amanda was such an X factor in the Immortal equation, leaving all concerned to scramble how to deal with it. Chaos takes over.

Duncan was thinking, 'Amanda didn't want to be a mother, now finds herself at the focal point of a power struggle. This just isn't her thing. She just wants to have fun, get thrills. She isn't really interested in the power games. And now, she's stuck in it, by the biggest game players of all. It's not fair. But then, isn't that the way it goes, all to often?'

Ritchie was more straightforward, 'Swords, now guns. Keep it together, Ryan. Get in, grab Amanda, and get out. Shouldn't be a problem. Joe's an experienced Watcher
and a combat vet, Duncan's a warrior's warrior and you've got the sort of lives a cat would envy. No problem. No problem at all. Just keep it together.'

Joe parked in an alley a block from Amanda's apartment complex. He looked at the Immortals, and saw they were picking up something.

"You guys okay?" he asked as they got out of the vehicle.

"Amanda's still alive, and so is the child," Duncan said. "Just can't tell where they are."

All of a sudden, a flurry of gunshots sounded down the next street.

"I'll take a guess..." said Joe.

Everyone checked their weapons to make sure they were ready to go into battle.

Joe looked at Duncan, their eyes met and each man from long experience knew the measure of the other.

Joe nodded," I just wish I had my damn legs."

Duncan nodded in return, understanding Joe's wish for better mobility. Both men turned and looked at a decidedly nervous Ritchie. Ritchie had taken heads and fought in the streets of his childhood, but this was different. He was covering well but this would be his first running battle under enemy fire. His jitters showed to the two veterans.

Duncan turned to Joe, looking a bit forlorn. "Joe, I think I need to ask you to stay with the car. If this goes down like I think it will, we may need to leave in a hurry. We could get out of here quicker if we have someone standing by. With your background, I would ask Ritchie to do it instead..."

"Hey!" Ritchie exclaimed. Duncan cut him off with a look.

"But we may need to move quickly, and."

"You don't need to finish, Mac. I agree with you," Joe sighed. "Listen, we may be being watched here. I'm probably going to cruise around a bit, to be a moving target. I'll try to be back at this point every ten minutes from this point, ok?"

The two warriors shook hands, and then Joe shook Ritchie's and said, nodding in Duncan's direction, "Bring this old fossil back alive, okay?"

Ritchie smiled, "No problem, Joe."

"Good. Get outta here."

Duncan turned and moved down the street, close to the building. Ritchie followed behind.

The shots were still coming, but intermittent. Dueling Watcher factions? But they would be concerned about bringing out the Gendarmes. No doubt, they had been summoned, and would be here soon...

Sirens. Here already. Damn.

Voices hollering in French. Was that Fitz hollering back in strangely accented Francois?

Duncan hurried forward, Ritchie close behind. He was just about to peak around the corner, when automatic fire belched out. Men shouted at each other. More fire suddenly started barking from where Joe was. He heard the tires of Joe's car squeal as the Watcher quickly put distance between him and the gunner assaulting his position.

Duncan and Ritchie ducked between two cars and hazarded a peak at the carnage around the corner. French tactical police were shooting it out with some Watchers, apparently, and yes, he caught a glimpse of Fitz dashing down another street. And another figure in combat fatigues, no visible markings, who just got gunned down by the Watchers.

Duncan was calculating a way to get across the street and follow Fitz, when movement out of the corner of his eye got his attention. The man the Watcher had just blasted suddenly grabbed his gun with a bloody hand, and shot the Watcher who had previously gotten him. He then shot a policeman and ducked into an alley...

Methos wiped the blood off of his hand on a piece of newspaper grabbed from a trashcan in the alley. Damn but he hated to use that tactic. Nerve wracking to lie there dead. But it had been a calculated risk. Knowing that neither immortal nor watcher would risk a quickening with all the mortal police around. He got to the end of the alley it was a dead end. But then he had known that it would be. "Never go into battle unless you know the lay of the land and have at least one escape route planned," he thought with a rye smile on his lips. He reached behind the corroded drainpipe and found the rope he had hidden there several days before. Skillfully and quickly he scaled the side of the building. Once he had reached the roof, he coiled the rope for ease in reuse if needed. Going to an air vent he grasped another rope and retrieved his sniper rifle. Silently creeping to the edge of the building he looked over. Spotting Mac and Ritchie he was tempted to take a few pot shots. But now was no time for practical jokes. He'd settle on giving them cover as they gained entry to Amanda's building.

Carefully placed rifle shots rang out, and heads ducked. Duncan looked up where it sounded like they were coming from. He saw a hand make a "Get going" gesture.
Methos.

Duncan smiled and dashed across the street, where he saw Fitz bolt. He and Ritchie prepared to enter Amanda's building, when he heard a harsh whisper, "Get your tartan clad ass over here, laddie!"

Duncan followed the voice into an alley, and saw Fitz huddling with Anne and Amanda.

"Not to sound ungrateful, but I hope you came with something a little faster than shoe leather, Duncan," Fitz said.

"We're covered, Fitz," Duncan assured him. "But he's being evasive right now. Lots of guns about."

"I know. Local constabulary. Different brands of Watchers, some Immortals quite determined to make the acquaintance of our fair Amanda, though she's in the family way..."

Shots suddenly rang out, as two tactical suited individuals dashed from an alley and leveled assault rifles at the group.

"Go, Duncan!" Ritchie shouted, shoving the older Immortal, pressing against a wall, and firing as quickly as he could. Fitz took the women and quickly retreated. Duncan fired as he pulled away, and then saw Ritchie go down.

He was not going to leave his friend. He ducked into a doorway, and headed up a flight of stairs to the floor above. He found another door, into an office over the scene. Looking out of a window, he saw Ritchie, down on his back, chest bloody. One of the individuals was covering, while the other was pulling a sword. The attacker raised his blade.
But never got to lower it, as a big chunk of flying Scotsman came down on him. The Highlander rolled with the momentum and came up shooting, and the other went down too.

Duncan turned to Ritchie, just as his eyes popped open, Ritchie drew that sharp breath of life newly returning. Duncan wasted no time. He pulled his friend up and they took off after the retreating Fitz.

They didn't see the men behind suddenly spring back to life...