Groggily curling into a ball, Richie lifted his hands up to defend himself
from whoever or whatever it was that was beating him upside the head. It
took him a good 30 seconds in that position to realize that the man with
the sledgehammer was actually inside his head and there was no one
literally assaulting him.
Forcing himself to focus in on something other than the construction crew running their drills across the inside his skull, the teenager pried his hands off his head and tentatively looked at his surroundings.
Well, the good news was, he knew exactly where he was. The bad news was, it wasn't anywhere he had any desire to be. Now if he could only remember how on earth he had ended up sleeping in an alley.
***
"What does it mean?" Tessa demanded, staring at the note over the Immortal's shoulder.
Duncan turned back to look at her briefly. "I have no idea, Tessa."
"To inflict upon you 1/10th of what you have on me. This is only the beginning." Tessa read the note again for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Who do you think sent it?"
"I have no idea." Duncan admitted.
Tessa, however, was not satisfied with that answer. "You're sure it was an Immortal?"
"Tessa." Duncan gave her a frustrated look. "It was attached to the bed with a sword."
"Fine." Tessa told him hotly. "So now what? We just stand here and do nothing?"
"Of course not." He returned.
The Frenchwoman stared at him briefly. "We're still just standing here!"
"I know!" He replied. "I'm trying to figure out what to do."
"Go and find him." Tessa told him seriously.
Duncan gave her a frustrated look. "Tessa, I have no idea where to even start looking."
***
It wasn't until his third attempt that Richie actually managed to sit upright. Which is when he realized that he was lying in a very nasty looking puddle. He groaned aloud. "Good Lord."
Attempting to shift to his knees, he once again found the world around him spinning out of control.
***
"Duncan? Duncan!" Tessa's voice finally brought the Immortal back to reality.
Not that he was particularly happy about it. "What?"
"I said what are we going to do?" Tessa told him impatiently.
The man shared that impatience. "You wait here. I'll call in every ½ an hour or so, to see if you've heard from anyone."
"Where are you going?" The Frenchwoman asked, following him across the loft.
Duncan turned to face her. "To look for him."
***
After what felt like a year, Richie finally managed to drag himself up the side of the phone booth and grab hold of the receiver. Smacking at the zero, he fervently hoped he could keep himself awake and alert long enough to get the operator to connect him. There weren't many things that were clear in his mind at that moment. In fact, the only thing he could remember clearly was Mac's voice. It was ringing in his head. Oh, wait. That was the phone ringing, not a voice.
Who was calling him? The operator? Why was the operator calling him?
***
"I thought you didn't have any idea where he is?" Tessa asked accusingly.
Duncan turned to her only briefly. "I don't."
"Then where are you going to look for him?" The Frenchwoman questioned.
Duncan didn't even pause this time. "I have no idea."
Forcing himself to focus in on something other than the construction crew running their drills across the inside his skull, the teenager pried his hands off his head and tentatively looked at his surroundings.
Well, the good news was, he knew exactly where he was. The bad news was, it wasn't anywhere he had any desire to be. Now if he could only remember how on earth he had ended up sleeping in an alley.
***
"What does it mean?" Tessa demanded, staring at the note over the Immortal's shoulder.
Duncan turned back to look at her briefly. "I have no idea, Tessa."
"To inflict upon you 1/10th of what you have on me. This is only the beginning." Tessa read the note again for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Who do you think sent it?"
"I have no idea." Duncan admitted.
Tessa, however, was not satisfied with that answer. "You're sure it was an Immortal?"
"Tessa." Duncan gave her a frustrated look. "It was attached to the bed with a sword."
"Fine." Tessa told him hotly. "So now what? We just stand here and do nothing?"
"Of course not." He returned.
The Frenchwoman stared at him briefly. "We're still just standing here!"
"I know!" He replied. "I'm trying to figure out what to do."
"Go and find him." Tessa told him seriously.
Duncan gave her a frustrated look. "Tessa, I have no idea where to even start looking."
***
It wasn't until his third attempt that Richie actually managed to sit upright. Which is when he realized that he was lying in a very nasty looking puddle. He groaned aloud. "Good Lord."
Attempting to shift to his knees, he once again found the world around him spinning out of control.
***
"Duncan? Duncan!" Tessa's voice finally brought the Immortal back to reality.
Not that he was particularly happy about it. "What?"
"I said what are we going to do?" Tessa told him impatiently.
The man shared that impatience. "You wait here. I'll call in every ½ an hour or so, to see if you've heard from anyone."
"Where are you going?" The Frenchwoman asked, following him across the loft.
Duncan turned to face her. "To look for him."
***
After what felt like a year, Richie finally managed to drag himself up the side of the phone booth and grab hold of the receiver. Smacking at the zero, he fervently hoped he could keep himself awake and alert long enough to get the operator to connect him. There weren't many things that were clear in his mind at that moment. In fact, the only thing he could remember clearly was Mac's voice. It was ringing in his head. Oh, wait. That was the phone ringing, not a voice.
Who was calling him? The operator? Why was the operator calling him?
***
"I thought you didn't have any idea where he is?" Tessa asked accusingly.
Duncan turned to her only briefly. "I don't."
"Then where are you going to look for him?" The Frenchwoman questioned.
Duncan didn't even pause this time. "I have no idea."
