Garfield was uneasy. He had received the latest news regarding MacLeod. The Highlander, in disguise under the appearance of a buxom immortal woman called Kristen Gilles, and him were at a bar near Champs Elysees.
"How long will you cope looking like somebody else?"
"If we're merely chatting without problems, something like three hours." The magic trick included an open cleavage that revealed most of what had been Kristen's breasts. Garfield from time to time glanced at them.
"It is impolite to look at a woman's body like that. Besides, don't forget I'm a man." Connor mocked, in a flirting female voice
"I know." Garfield replied, pissed off. "So... want to hear what I have?"
"Why else would we be here?"
"They hired Nicole O'Ballahan."
"Is the name supposed to mean anything?" Connor asked sarcastically.
"We're talking about a very beautiful woman... and a government-trained assassin capable of anything, just in case your Casanova friend Ramirez feels like calling in when you meet her."
" I visited Tessa Noel. She has Duncan's sword ready for me on Saturday afternoon."
"You went... like you?"
"Yes. Why?"
"MacLeod, Tessa was known to be Duncan's lover. Therefore, she might be watched."
"That was more than twenty years ago." (S)he said with a sultry voice and a seductive look. Connor was playing with Garfield, who was not enjoying it in the least. "Besides, are there so many of you?"
"Are there so many of YOU?" the same words replied the answer. Connor-Kristen grinned.
"Touché. What about the guy who trained you?"
"Joe Dawson." Garfield's voice leaked out a faint trace of sadness. "A great man. Terrific blues player... he died by saving you."
"The voice on the phone." Connor was finally fitting the pieces of the puzzle together. That fully explained why Garfield was helping him.
"Why a woman's body?" Garfield changed the topic.
"Two men alone chatting in a bar on a Friday night... people would talk." Connor beamed another seductive smile at him, who found himself lured by the woman he had in front of him, but at the same time fooled twofold. First by MacLeod, who was picking on him, and then by himself, knowing that what was in front of him was merely the image of a dead immortal. No doubt, life was easier when he ran after thugs.
-----
Saturday afternoon. The door of Tessa Noel's house was knocked. She opened it. Connor smiled charmingly at her. She returned another smile and let him in. Connor was wearing a beige mackintosh. He looked odd on a boiling hot summer day but not as odd as a man walking with a Japanese katana in hands would have looked.
"It is really hot out there. How do you manage?" she queried.
"You get used to it." He commented.
Tessa went to some room inside the house and returned with the katana, holding it by the hilt. She took a piece of cotton and wetted it in alcohol. Then she intently began wiping the blade of dust. Strange. Connor thought. Too strange. When she finished, he grasped the weapon again by the hilt and put the other hand under the blade. Suddenly, she lunged at Connor, attempting to slice his chest. The Highlander retreated in time and stared in not much surprise. Five masked people appeared from diverse parts of the house. All dressed in black, all wearing masks, all holding Magnums in their hands.
"So after Duncan died, you joined them, embittered with all of us." Connor guessed.
"Smart, MacLeod. Really smart." One of the masked men said. Connor had heard the voice before. The mysterious head of the attack to the antique shop.
"He is mine. That was the deal." Tessa mumbled.
Connor produced his magical wakizachi from under the coat. She went forward. He half-kneeled, and slashed her stomach. She stumbled past him and was stabbed in the back. He removed the sword and let her pass.
The others pointed their guns at the Highlander. Connor laughed harshly. Why? He could not know.
"Will you at least let me see your faces?" he asked as some sort of last will.
At first there was no reaction. Then one of then revealed his face. Vincent Muldoon grinned at Connor. The others did the same.
"Now, Highlander, it is time we bring the last immortal to dust."
Muldoon retreated, and the others went forward. One of the men fired his weapon. Connor moved down making a roll forward. Pushing his hands against the floor, he rose and kicked the man's face. Then he stood up and sliced open another's stomach. Those moves were too good. Even for Duncan.
Now only two men remained, plus Muldoon, who was contemplating everything from the kitchen. Connor was surrounded. One to his left, one to his right. The sword vanished abruptly. He felt tired. He would not be able to use an illusion to escape from there.
One of the men fired. Connor saw the shot come. His hand stretched forward and opened, all without his intention, as if it had a life of its own. What the hell was that? The hand glowed dimly and the bullet froze in the air. He did not even hesitate in wondering how he had done that. He moved out of the way and the shot carried on its lethal course... towards the man behind him, who fell dead.
The surviving man was too flabbergasted to speak. So was Muldoon. Connor did not waste time and ruthlessly snapped the survivor's neck.
"Just you and me, now." He said angrily to Muldoon.
"Not quite..." Muldoon smirked knowingly.
Steps were heard. The main door burst open and a woman walked in. Dark-haired, with crystal blue eyes, wearing leather trousers that revealed a worked-out body, and holding a rapier in her right hand. On the left one, she had a small box, the contents of which, seven bullets, were tossed to the floor. Connor glared in surprise and disappointment. His heart began to pound faster. Sweat made his shirt stick to his back. It could not be.
"Hello, Connor." She said acidly.
"Lillian..."
"Actually, I'm Nicole. Nicole O'Ballahan."
Connor grinned sadly. Garfield was right. She was capable of anything. What a tangled web she had woven. He had been manipulated, fooled into believing her.
"It ends today, Connor." She said.
Gunfire came from the street. Nicole jumped inside and hid. Connor recognised Garfield inside a large black van. From inside, two or three masked people had fired and were waving at him. He rushed out and dove inside the van just as it speeded away.