Chapter Fifty

Sarah shivered slightly in the chair as she stared at the very severe expression on the black man's face. She even didn't feel like trying to seduce him. She was still too worried that Kingsley would return, although this immortal looked as though he could take him. She stared at his sword and then looked back down the hall.

"Who's down that way?" she asked.

The man shook his head as he leaned against the wall, watching her.

"Let's see. There was the boy, the doctor and you. How many others are there? Is this Gerard that Kingsley is looking for even here?"

Still the man said nothing. Sarah carefully straightened her arm, wincing at the minor pain she still felt, but it was coming along nicely once the doctor had set it. She made a fist. "Is Ben here? Benjamin Adams?"

The man shrugged slightly and Sarah didn't know if he didn't know the name or perhaps didn't know whom she meant. She wracked her mind for the other name. "How about Adam Pierson?"

The man looked at her thoughtfully. Perhaps he knew that name. Still he said nothing.

Sarah smiled easily at him, trying to move seductively as she so often had, and finding that she feared that Kingsley would see her. Nevertheless she managed to stretch her legs out and lick her lips.

The immortal laughed as if he found her contemptible. Whatever else he might have done was lost as a cry went up in the lobby. He turned to see about it and then pushed through the door to see what was going on. As soon as he left, Sarah leaped to her feet and eased down the corridor until she knew the powerful presence of immortals was just beyond the door. She peeked through the window and saw a nurse at a desk, knitting, and several occupied beds in a ward. Gently she pushed the door open.

The nurse looked up at her, saying something in Greek. Sarah gestured that she didn't understand and pushed further into the ward. She froze. There were nearly two dozen occupied beds… all with immortals… sleeping. Curiously she came further in until she stood over the bed of a man of about thirty-five. He was thin… but alive… but he did not respond to her presence. Sarah glanced at the rest of the beds, passing between them as her horror grew. What had happened to them? Who had done this? Were they kept somehow and then used by this Gerard person in some game within the game? Did he keep them and then kill them when he needed a boost in power? Did Ben even know about this place?

Sarah became more and more frantic as she passed among the beds, even stopping to pull at a woman's shoulders. "Wake up!" Feeling a change in the room, she glanced up to see her guard return and stare at her with worry. The nurse stood and said something. The man gestured her to leave. All the while Sarah tried to awaken even one of these immortals.

As the man came closer, Sarah drew her sword and held it before her with both hands. "Don't come any closer! You are not doing this to me! This is unnatural! It's wrong and it's sick!"

The man spread his hands and arms out as he closed in on her. Still he said nothing.

Sarah panicked! She needed to keep him from turning her into a zombie or whatever these immortals were! She'd had enough of being a victim! No more! Angrily she twisted and held her sword above the woman on her right. "Stay back! Don't come any closer!"

The male immortal stopped… a fearful expression on his face. He shook his head at her and stepped closer as if to grab her sword.

Sarah kicked out at him, her left foot connecting solidly in his groin. He bent over with an "Oooof" and stepped back. At the same time, she lost her balance and half-fell… half lunged toward the sleeping woman. Sarah twisted to avoid hitting her, and then thought… What the hell!

She grasped her sword hilt with both hands and swung. At first the only thing that happened was that the head rolled loose from the neck. The male made a strangled sound as if in great pain. Sarah waited. She pulled back from the body in confusion… she could feel the quickening still there, but it seemed inert.

Then a slow wisp of blue-white mist began to curl outward from the neck very slowly. It circled around and around like a small whirlwind as it attempted to gain power and speed. As it rose, it seemed like a cyclone , its base at her severed neck… the funnel reaching to the sky. The whole thing whipped faster and faster. Even the hair on Sarah's head was blown back… she even stumbled in the face of the wind that hit her as she tried to steady herself and await the power that was now hers.

Lightning crackled through the vortex and she could smell ozone on the air. Her attacker had stepped back, his face still reflecting horror… but he'd drawn his own sword now. Sarah realized that she'd likely be incapacitated for bit after taking the Quickening. She'd have to be prepared for his attack. Or should she attempt to deal with him now… before the other took her… maybe she could maneuver him into the path of it so that he'd be the one caught by it. Then she could deal with him easily while he was down.

She tried to circle around him… but he'd recovered and straightened. He looked at her oddly and then glanced at the vortex of raw power as it began to blow anything that wasn't nailed down about in its storm winds. Still it had made no attempt to go for either of them.

She sliced forward with all the power she had and he blocked… his muscles bulging. He parried and the force on her sword made her hands tremble. At least she'd go down fighting! She would not be like these others! She would fight. All the rage of the past few weeks roared out of her now as she turned her frustration and pain at Ben's refusal to sleep with her, his denial of their love, his vanishing act, and then Kingsley's treatment of her. It was Ben she blamed! It was all his fault! He should have been her teacher! He should have been her lover! He should never have left her! As she considered each of his faults she struck again and again.

The sound from the quickening had become a roar like a freight train. She found it hard to maintain her balance… as did her opponent. The lightning began to arc about the room… causing electrical equipment to light up and explode. The vortex spiraled outward until it was spread across the ceiling like a galxy as seen through a telescope.

Sarah was stunned… and so apparently was her opponent. Both stopped fighting to gaze in wonder at the vortex. Then it struck. Not Sarah, not her opponent… but those who lay as though dead… silent and unconscious on the beds of the ward.

Thick tendrils of power raced into the sleepers… slamming into their chests and causing them to shake violently. Then they seemed to lift into the air… hovering just above the beds' surface. Blue-white light flickered and pulsed about them. Then excess power shot through a few of them, slamming into the two immortals.

Sarah felt as if she were immersed in fire and that her flesh was being melted away from her bones. Never had she experienced anything this powerful. And then the images began… flittering through her mind faster and faster… as did words in languages she'd never heard. Faster and faster the visions of immortals participating in the game over and over… each time killing their opponent and standing in triumph as the loser's power became part of them. She was lost in antiquity and then thrust into the American West she recalled from her own life. She was samurai… on the field of battle. She was a crusader on a holy quest. She was an African tribesman seeking answers. Sarah screamed! Her sword dropped unbeknownst from her fingers as she fell to her knees and held her head. And still the images roared in increasing speed through her.

The power crackled through her… electrifying every nerve and muscle so that she twitched and lurched on her knees. As it finally began to ease… she was surprised that the male immortal was also screaming… his bass voice was in counterpoint to hers. Then the power at last ended. She leaned on her hands and gulped the hot, ozone-laden air as if it were a fresh spring breeze. Slowly she crawled towards her sword and grasped it as she attempted to stand. It took her three times before she regained her feet. She turned toward him, still on his knees gulping in terror and crying. She raised the sword… knowing that she didn't really feel like taking another one so soon… but still fearful of what he'd do to her once he recovered.

With a cry she stepped toward him… her sword raised. He stared up at her and then behind her with a look of surprise. Sarah turned and stumbled as she dropped her arm.

The immortals had risen… thin, wan, and pale, they looked about and focused on her. Rising from their beds they began to crowd around her… moving stiffly… like actors in some zombie movie. Several lifted arms as they closed in on her.

"Noooooooo!" she screamed and prepared to strike.

Her opponent grabbed her arms. "No! Wait!" Then his face relaxed in a surprise. "I can talk," he said with wonder.

But his words meant nothing to Sarah, who was still screaming as multiple hands touched her.

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Having spent the day in bed, Grace was beginning to get restless. John had remained with her all day, being spelled occasionally when Greg had stopped over from the hospital. Eleanor had also checked on her several times. Things seemed much quieter and she was anxious to be up and about. She wanted to work on her research. Now that she had some sort of idea of what to focus on, she wanted to pursue it before the thoughts in her mind evaporated. Again and again she tried to recal why that DNA pattern in the children looked so familiar.

Her eyes closed as she considered it… she was suddenly aware of another contraction… a big one. Then she felt the warm stickiness flow over her legs immediately afterward. She screamed in denial. It was too soon for this child by several weeks. Moaning… she tried to deny that the birth was imminent.

John pulled her to him as he tried to support her. His arms slipped around from behind her and encircled her protruding abdomen. "Shhh!" he whispered. "I have you know… just calm down."

Moments later Eleanor arrived at the open door, her face pale and her expression worried. "I sent Carl to get Greg." Approaching the bed she assessed the situation. "I need to put down some fresh linens so that she'll be more comforatbly." She worked around the pair, removing the soaked bedlinens and laying down several layers of clean ones. She tried also to get Grace to relax enough so that she could examine her. But Grace was fighting this and fighting them.

By then, Greg arrived. He too looked frantic. His presence finally seemed to calm Grace enough so that she allowed him to check her out. "You're fully dilated. This baby is coming tonight," he finally told her.

Grace wept. "No! Not tonight!"

"Babies come in their own good time," John assured her, but his glance at Greg and Eleanor showed how worried he was.

Eleanor said nothing. Alisaunne had developed and been safely born in a matter of hours with Darius' intervention… but the other two had gone full-term. This child was close enough to term that it ought to be all right. But she didn't know for certain. She moved some supplies they'd placed in Grace and John's room in anticipation of this birth closer to the bed so that she or Greg would have them at hand if needed.

Grace was manuevered into a sitting position with John still behind her, his back against the headboard. Her legs were separated and her knees were drawn up so that Greg could monitor the baby's progress and still be close enough to assist her.

Eleanor stood back. She felt torn between worrying about Phillip and Kingsley as well as the other immortal at the hospital. But this was neither the time or the place to mention what else was happening on the island. Grace and the others needed to focus on this child trying to force her way into the world before her time. She sensed Methos responding to her worried state and pushed it down. He was coming… he was close, but he couldn't do anything until he arrived. There was no reason to worry him about situations that might not be problems once he did arrive.

She'd told Denis and Denara to keep an eye on J. D. and Marianna while she was busy up here with the others. Jayne was about as well, and she'd keep Watch. The young Watcher had been settling well into her duties here, after Douglas Monaghan had left, although she'd not been happy when Methos had left the island without her.

"Your place is here now," Eleanor had assured her. "Methos won't be long."

Of course, one day had turned into a week… and then several weeks, and Jayne stewed and worried that something would happen without a Watcher with him to choronicle it all. Even after being assured that a Watcher was with him, at least part of the time, and that nothing was happening, and that nowhe was on his way back… Jayne was still concerned. The last Eleanor had seen her, she was pacing about the villa, muttering to herself.

Grace moaned again and lurched in the men's arms. She thrust her arms out as if to fend them off… as if they were attacking her. Eleanor vaguely recalled giving Methos a momentary black eye during Marianna's delivery. She understood Grace's reactions to what was happening… and fretted a little that she'd promised not to be overly involved in the delivery. She met John's worried glance with a reassuring smile and a wink, hoping he'd understand that this all was pretty normal behavior even for mortal women in labor.

"Breathe Grace… focuss on the pain and breathe with it," Greg was saying. "Don't push yet." He examined her again. "I think I see dark hair," he grinned. "She's crowning."

"I can feel that!" snapped Grace and then she pushed. If the baby was crowning, it was time. Eleanor held her breath and clenched her fists. Meanwhile, through the windows of the French doors, she could see Quickening erupting on the mountain-top, and from the hospital.

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The swift turn-around in Athens had not happened.

When Robert had landed at the private airfield where Phillip kept several helicopters for rent, he and Methos discovered that all the vehicles were currently in service.

"The disaster has created a real demand for them," the desk clerk had explained. "I have nothing here about saving one for your use."

Methos had turned the terminal to face him, despite the clerk's objections and cursed repeatedly. Evidently Phillip hadn't gotten his message and confirmed his need to reserve one. He began to be even more concerned about what was happening on the island.

"I want the next one that comes in," Methos growled at the young man. "Else you will be looking for another position… I promise you that!"

The clerk blanched under Methos' deadly glare, seeing in it the danger such a man might pose if truly riled up. The young man immediately began searching for any helicopter available with any of the services. It was all day, however, before one turned up as all were in use.

Robert signed the forms and showed his pilot's license. Again, Methos considered it might be time to learn to pilot one of these himself. It was just that he hated having licenses that could be easily researched.

It was nearly dusk by the time they left and full dark by the time Robert indicated that instruments showed that they were coming up on Niebos' location. Methos kept feeling Eleanor's tension. She'd seemed fine most of the day, but a short while ago… her walls had gone up. She was shielding him from something yet leaking through her mental blocks were her concern for Phillip and for Grace. He wasn't getting it clearly… and trying to break through right now wasn't a good idea. They were close… and he might need all of his strength and all of his cunning if there was something truly wrong.

"Gnashing your teeth won't get us there any sooner," Robert laughed. He seemed in much better spirits since Gina had joined them. Gina sat beside him and from behind, Methos saw them holding hands, their fingers flickering in increasing speed over each other's hands. There had been no further outbursts or arguments and accusations by either of the couple. That bode well. But observing their burgeoning relationship and the raw sexuality of their touch on one another, made Methos sulk in the back, anxious to get home.

Off to the left in the darkness, it was as if fireworks had gone off. The helicopter bucked slightly in the shock-wave. Methos leaned forward to observe the Quickening evidently being released atop Mt. Niebos. A great deal of power was being released. It looked much like several Roman candles going off… followed by some freak electrical storm.

"Who do you think just died?" Gina asked.

Methos shook his head. "I don't know." He wondered if two of the island's immortal inhabitants had argued… and if so… which two? He shuddered, recalling that Mt. Niebos was an extinct volcano… but what would a Quickening do if released on it. While he knew that Phillip did not consider the temple ruins holy ground… perhaps it had been once. The helicopter continued to buck in the subsequent shock waves as Robert circled around… looking for a place to set down.

Methos tried to direct him toward where he knew the small level clearing that Phillip had set up for emergencies was located near the hospital. They were just setting down when another Quickening erupted from the wing of the hospital.

"Good Lord… is this place safe?" Robert fearfully asked. "Has everyone gone crazy?"

"Hurry up and land," ordered Methos. His sword was already drawn. He was anxious to get out.

Robert settled onto the landing area even as the ancient opened the door to step out.

"Watch your head!" Robert shouted and pointed at the overhead rotors. Methos nodded. Now he remembered why he hated these things. He didn't like being so close to whirling metal blades. "I'm headed to the villa! I have to check on the children and Eleanor first!" he shouted back.

"We'll check the hospital!" Robert agreed. "What about the mountain?" He gestured to where the lightning was dying away.

"Whatever happened… it's over. We'll deal with it later. The two of you make certain the immortals in the ward are all right." Then he was off. He crouched until he was out of range of the blades and then raced toward the villa.

Arriving at the terrace, he paused, sensing immortals and pre-immortals alike. J. D. and Marianna were at the balustrade staring at the hospital. Seeing their father, they both ran to him.

"Daddy!" shouted Marianna as he lifted her up and crushed her in his arms. J. D. gave him an awkward hug. Methos held them both tightly… aware that nearby he saw Denis and Denara.

"What's happening?" he asked the two small immortals.

Denis shook his head and Mnethos could tell the boy had been crying.

Marianna tugged on his earlobe. "Daddy. Opa went to the mountain."

"Phillip?" Methos felt as if a great boulder had lodged in his throat.

"It was some old enemy who landed here earlier," Denara added.

"Phillip told us good-bye and took his sword with him," J. D. explained.

"Where's your mother?"

Marianna pointed upstairs. "Grace is having her baby."

Methos looked for corraboration in the faces of the others. He glanced at the hospital. "Who's at the hospital Denis?"

The small immortal shrugged. "Carl went to get Greg. He got here before it happened. I think the immortal had someone with him."

Denara nodded.

At a movement in the shadows of the house, and the feel of another immortal, Methos looked up sharply to see Kenny. Kenny? He'd known that Eleanor had been focused quite a bit on Kenny since he'd left here, but hadn't realized that the boyman had awakened.

"Do you know what's going on," he said sharply.

Kenny smirked and shrugged.

"Say something!" he growled as Kenny chuckled silently, evidently highly amused.

"Dad… it's okay. Kenny's a friend. He saved my life and Denis's too," J. D. said, tugging at his father's arm. "Even Mom agreed. If not for him… the wave would have gotten all of us… not just…" His voice broke up. "Chou," he finally got out.

Methos looked around sharply as only now it was coming to him that Chou was not here. For decades… where one boy was… so too was the other. They'd been an inseparable pair. He met Denis' gaze. "I'm so sorry," he said quietly, uncertain what else to say. "I need to check on your mother," he told J. D. "Watch your sister." To Denis and Denara he added, "If anyone comes up that path that you don't know, get everyone inside."

He passed Jayne on the way in. "You're back," she said with relief.

Methos nodded, "Watch the small ones… especially Kenny." He squeezed her arm in reassurance and then bounded up the stairs towards Grace and John's room. Already he could hear Grace screaming.

At the door, he paused, Greg was in the process of delivering Grace's baby while Eleanor stood by to help. He waited at the doorway, unwilling to interrupt as it looked like everything was proceeding normally. Eleanor glanced at him with a smile and then leaned forward as Greg lifted the baby and laid it in her arms. She wiped the baby.

"What's wrong with her," Grace asked. "She's not crying.

Methos held his breath. The baby was turning blue and did not appear to be breathing. Eleanor wrapped her in a warm blanket, then suctioned her mouth before gently blowing into the small creature. Greg continued working on an increasingly frantic Grace. Finally a cry emanated from the small bundle and Methos could see she was pinking up well. Eleanor laid her in Grace's arms.

"Look at her," Grace said with a smile. "She's perfect."

"She's a miracle," John added, the wonder of this moment clearly evident on his cragged face. He gently caressed the baby's face.

Greg paused what he was doing and chuckled merrily. He took one of the baby's small hands in his, watching the fingers curl around one of his and he gasped as the baby began to draw strength from him. "What shall we name her?"

Grace held her close to her. "Hope," she replied.

"Hope is perfect, for that's what she is," nodded John.

"I like that, Hope the daughter of Grace," Greg nodded as he withdrew his hand to finish up with the post partum procedure.

Eleanor backed away from them as she was no longer needed and felt Methos' arm slip about her and hug her tightly. She chuckled. "Brings back memories."

Methos nodded. "It does indeed." His voice changed tone and he whispered for her to come into the hall. Once there he pulled the door closed and kissed her fervently. "I was getting frantic with you worrying and not telling me what all was happening."

"I didn't want you fretting about not being here. There was nothing you could do." She pulled back. "Phillip. He's gone to the mountain. He was challenged by some immortal named Kingsely."

"Martin Kingsley?" Methos groaned.

"I think so. He knew Phillip as Gerard and Phillip knew him. He wouldn't tell me what it was about. He said he didn't have time."

Methos shook his head. "Kingsley was a rather twisted man even before he became immortal. He wanted Phillip to teach him. Phillip refused and even contacted the mortal authorities about Kingsley's activities."

"Why didn't he just kill him?"

"He hoped Kingsley would grow and learn. You know he hasn't taken a head since before you were born."

"That long?" Eleanor breathed out forcefully. "He seemed worried about the challenge. I have to…"

"You will do nothing," Methos replied sharply, his hands holding her arms tightly. "I… will deal with this if it went badly. What about the hospital?"

"I don't know. I sent Carl for Greg… but I don't know. Kenny mentioned there being a second immortal."

"Robert and Gina headed over there from the helicopter. Stay in the villa… and arm yourselves." He kissed her again as he headed back down the stairs and out onto the veranda. As of yet, there was no sign of anyone else approaching the house. Since the hospital was closer, Methos decided to head toward it first. As he crossed the veranda he ordered everyone inside.

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