Disclaimer: The Highlander franchise is owned by Davis/Panzer, in addition to Rysher Entertainment. So, that'll be part of the disclaimer from now on. For all other disclaimer, see chapter one.
The Beast Below
"Check this place out!" Richie exclaimed as he, Tori, Tessa and Duncan walked into the foyer of the Paris Opera, "This is unbelievable!"
"I thought they did only ballet here," Tessa declared.
"This is a music and dance benefit for a refugee relief, I think," Richie replied.
"Oh yeah?" Duncan chimed in.
"How did you get us invited to to the rehearsals?" Tori asked.
"Jenny, the girl who sings back up, invited me," Richie answered.
"Aha, why would she do that?" Tessa asked.
"Because I'm irresistible," Richie answered.
The four entered the opera stage where a black woman wearing purple was singing as there were dancers in the background. Richie waved to the pretty red haired young woman, Jenny, who was singing back up.
Tori found Jenny to be a cool person. Nice even. Also, Richie liked her. She was happy that he was happy, and that was all that mattered to her.
Tori was enjoying the performance until the woman suddenly spoke up, "Stop. Stop."
The music stopped.
"I mean, why don't we cut my microphone and let her carry the song?" the woman continued before she waved towards Jenny, noticing the light on her, "And the light!"
She turned towards the balcony box towards the end of the stage, "Frank!"
"Carolyn, do you suppose we could finish this technical rehearsal before opening night?" Frank asked.
"Who told you to turn that spot off me?" Carolyn demanded.
"Oh brother," Tori rolled her eyes, not pleased with the entitlement of this woman.
Frank sighed before he told her, "Carolyn, we have enough union problems as it is. Jenny had a few featured bars, so he naturally thought that….."
"I – I want him fired," Carolyn demanded, "Either you do it, or I will Frank."
"Take ten, everybody," Frank called out.
Richie left Tori, Duncan and Tessa sitting near the stage and climbed up to talk to Jenny.
"Hi," Jenny greeted him before Richie kissed her cheek.
"How are you?" Richie asked.
"Oh, well, we're having a couple of technical problems," Jenny answered.
"Hey, listen," Richie told Jenny, "I want to introduce you to some friends of mine."
"Okay," Jenny replied.
Richie walked to the edge of the stage where Tessa, Tori and Duncan were standing, "Tessa, come here. I would like you to meet Jenny."
"Hi," Tessa shook Jenny's hand.
"Hi, nice to meet you," Jenny replied.
"This is Tori Gordon, a good friend of mine," Richie introduced Tori to Jenny next.
"Nice to meet you," Tori shook Jenny's hand.
"Nice to meet you," Jenny replied.
"And this is my old friend, Duncan MacLeod," Richie introduced Duncan to his friend, but Duncan was preoccupied with something else, which Tori was sensing too: the buzz, "Mac?"
Duncan turned to Jenny, still distracted, "Hi."
"You okay?" Richie asked the Highlander.
Duncan looked up at the catwalk as Carolyn screamed and a body plummeted to the stage, followed by a handful of flower petals.
"Oh no!" a dancer exclaimed.
"It's Frank!" another dancer chimed in.
"Frank!" a third dancer added.
"Is he all right?" another dancer asked.
"Somebody call an ambulance!" another dancer exclaimed.
Tori looked on in surprise as Duncan went to chase after whoever was responsible for what happened.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"I can't believe it," Jenny stated as she was sitting in the seats with Tori, Tessa and Richie, "I mean, one minute he was right there and then….."
"It's okay," Richie assured his friend before suggesting, "Jenny, maybe you should go back to the barge with us."
"He's right," Tori chimed in as Tessa nodded in agreement, "it's a very good idea."
"Okay," Jenny replied quietly.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"And you never saw him?" the detective asked.
"No, the lights were too bright," Duncan answered, noting that LeBrun was not the detective this time.
"Do you think he ran out a door?" the detective asked.
"I only felt a draft," Duncan answered.
"Well, on that side of the stage, the doors are attached to an alarm," the detective explained, "There's also a stairwell leading into the basement. There's no door down there. Anything else?"
"No," Duncan crouched down next to the body and examined the flower petals.
"What the hell are those about?" the detective asked.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Duncan walked down the hallway and found Carolyn's dressing room with Tori and Jack in tow.
"How are you finding out what's going on?" Duncan asked Jack.
"The IUA has suspicion of an immortal," Jack answered, "That's why we have been asked to help you investigate with what's going on."
"That figures," Duncan rolled his eyes.
Tori knocked on the door, "Carolyn Lamb?"
"Yeah," Carolyn replied as she noticed their prescence.
"I'm sorry," Duncan asked, "We're not disturbing you, are we?"
"No, no," Carolyn answered.
"Do you mind if we come in a minute?" Tori asked.
"Sure," Carolyn answered before she asked, "Are you with the police?"
"Uh, no…" Duncan started to answer.
"Not really police, Madam," Jack stepped forward, "Um, Agent Jack Banks. My agency got me to investigate Frank's death."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Carolyn stated as she noticed Duncan, "I remember you. How can I help you guys?"
"Yeah," Tori answered before she asked, "Did you see what he looked like?"
"The lights blinded me, so….." Carolyn answered.
Jack picked up a flower from the table, "Ah, Wildflowers I see. From an admirer?"
"I don't know," Carolyn answered, "They were just here when I came in."
"You know," Duncan chimed in, "they only grow in the forests."
Carolyn replied, bored, "How nice. Will you excuse me, please?"
"Of course," Tori nodded.
"Certainly," Jack nodded.
"We're sorry," Duncan added.
"Sure," Carolyn replied.
With that, Duncan, Jack and Tori left the room.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"You think an immortal killed him?" Tessa asked.
"It is possible," Jack answered, "The IUA brought me here to investigate, and that wouldn't be the case if there wasn't an immortal suspected here."
"I don't know if there was or not," Duncan added, "but there was an immortal there."
"It's someone you think you know, isn't it?" Tessa asked.
Duncan recalled meeting Ursa, a mentally challenged immortal in 1634, saving a peasant from being killed by him.
"Where was he from?" Tori asked, "How did he get here in the first place?"
"I don't know," Duncan answered.
"You never asked him?" Tessa inquired.
"He had a voice, but…...he didn't speak too much," Duncan answered, "It's my guess Ursa grew up in the wilds…...alone. He lived in a cave. We stopped there to get a few things that he owned."
"But what would a man who lives in a cave in the woods be doing in the heart of Paris…...at the Opera?" Tessa asked, "It can't be the same person."
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Carolyn was playing the piano and vocalizing. She saw that someone tossed a small bouquet of white wildflowers onto the stage.
She stopped playing and asked, "Who is it? Who's there?"
There was no answer.
"My friends will be right back," Carolyn announced before she saw the flowers, cautiously walked over to them and picked them up and then she saw a man hiding in the shadows.
"Who are you?" Carolyn asked before she had dawning realization, "You killed Frank….."
"He…...hurt…..you," the man haltingly answered.
"Y – you're not going to hurt me like you hurt him, a – are you?" Carolyn asked with a slight stammer.
"No," the man answered, "Sing. Sing more."
Carolyn sat at the piano, "He hurt me, and you protected me, like a guardian angel. Is that what you are?"
She began playing the piano, "My own guardian angel who brings me wildflowers from the forest floor?"
She looked at the man, who quickly looked away. Carolyn then continued to play and then began vocalizing again.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"Ursa, Ursa, yes, I remember him," Darius stated as he was talking to Duncan and Tori, "He was a…...gardener at the Abbey of Saint Gobain before the revolution. They tore the abbey down and used the stones to build some houses. I lost track of him after that."
"Ah, we were hoping you'd have some more recent recollection," Tori quipped.
"Oh, for me, this is recent," Darius stated before Duncan gave him a look, "Try some of this."
He poured tea for all three of them.
"Oh, this isn't some more of your moss stuff, isn't it?" Duncan asked.
"No, no, no, no," Darius answered reassuringly.
"I don't trust you," Duncan replied.
"Come on, Mac, let me try," Tori chimed in before she took a sip.
"It's from a mold form," Darius stated, causing Tori to spit out the tea and Duncan to scoot his cup away. Darius laughed and picked up the teapot, "Some more?"
"No!" Tori exclaimed, making a face.
"No, no, no," Duncan exclaimed, making a face as well, "Look, uh, do you remember everything else about him?"
"Well, the monks considered him as one of God's special creatures," Darius answered, "They kept his secret from generation to generation and they taught him to sing."
"Do you know where he came from?" Duncan asked.
"No. No, I doubt he knows himself," Darius answered.
"Really?" Tori asked.
"Yeah," Darius answered in turn, "He once drew me a picture of his home…...of mountains and a cave, but it's strange that he should choose a monastery. None of the monks remembered how he came to be there. None of them."
"Ohhh," Tori stated in awe.
"Listen," Darius told his friends before he played a tape of a man singing.
While the tape was playing, Duncan recalled Ursa singing at the Rural Abbey in 1634.
"But you never saw him again?" Darius asked, pulling Duncan from his thoughts.
"Until yesterday…..I think," Duncan answered.
"I've never met him at all…..period," Tori chimed in.
"Ah, it's a shame about the abbey," Darius replied, "It was his only true home. Of course, now it would be in a suburb of Paris with its own subway line."
"Subway?" Tori asked.
"Yeah," Darius answered.
"Subway…..subway line," Duncan stated, "Are there any woods or parks near the site of the old abbey?"
"A huge park, actually, yeah," Darius stated.
"Then it would make sense," Duncan replied.
"What does?" Darius asked.
"Well, Ursa always lived in caves, except for his time in the abbey," Duncan stated, "He'd be perfectly at home underground….in sewers, in…...in subways."
"The catacombs!" Darius exclaimed, "Those old tunnel works were used during the great plague to empty the city's cemeteries. Ah, yes, but what would draw Ursa so far into the city?"
"The music," Tori stated.
"Exactly," Duncan added.
"Yeah, the Opera," Darius stated, "I suppose that it's possible."
"Yeah," Duncan replied, "Ursa always loved music and beauty."
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Jenny knocked on the door to Carolyn's dressing room.
"Come in," Carolyn called out.
Jenny walked into the room, taking in Carolyn's hair and make up, "Wow. It's, uh, hot stuff."
"Really?" Carolyn asked, unimpressed.
"Uh, can I talk to you?" Jenny asked.
"Sure, Jenny," Carolyn answered.
"Well, um, the guys in the band have been helping me out with a couple of songs I've been working on," Jenny inquired, "and, uh…...well, they think they're pretty good."
"Uh huh," Carolyn replied, "I'll listen to them, and if I like em, I'll try them out in rehearsal."
"The others thought that….maybe I could…..sing them myself," Jenny offered, "You know, I…..I'd like to try."
"I bet you would like to try, Jenny," Carolyn acted supportive, "If they're any good, we'll try them out in performance and see if the fans go for em, okay?"
"Yeah!" Jenny exclaimed happily, "That's all I want."
"That's all?" Carolyn asked with a small laugh, "At your age, honey, I wanted to be the star. No, seriously, Jenny, you deserve the recognition."
"I – I won't forget this," Jenny stammered slightly.
"I won't let you," Carolyn stated as if she was kidding.
"Good thanks," Jenny replied before she left the room.
"Okay, bye, Jenny," Carolyn replied.
"Bye."
"Bye."
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"Wait. Let me just get this straight – you're gonna go down there and look for this big giant named Ursa," Richie stated as he, Jack, Tori and Duncan were at the streets in front of the opera, "who's like, crawling around the opera, you think."
"Exactly as you said it," Tori answered.
"That's right," Duncan stated, "and I'm only going with Jack."
"Okay," Richie replied, "So I take it you were around when they built the Paris sewers, right? You probably know them like the back of your hand."
"Exactly," Jack nodded.
"No, I, on the other hand, am actually not much into sewers, you know," Duncan answered in turn.
"Well, how do you know where you're going?" Tori asked.
Duncan lowered himself into the hole, "Well, as the old saying goes, "I'm going north by northwest". Well, actually, I'm going that way."
He nodded and looked back behind Richie.
"What if your compass doesn't work down there?" Richie asked.
"I'll get lost," Duncan answered before he echoed out of the sewer with Jack in tow, "And don't come after me!"
"Right, sure," Richie sat on the edge of the man hole, "Oh, great, big, dumb, ugly Neanderthal Immortal piece of….."
"Richie!" Tori exclaimed, lightly tapping his arms.
They looked at each other before Tori asked, "You're going in after him, aren't you?"
"What do you think?" Richie answered.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Carolyn was playing the piano. Ursa placed another small bouquet of wildflowers on the piano.
"They're beautiful," Carolyn stated before she stopped playing, "You're back again. How do you get in here without anyone seeing you?"
Ursa slowly walked away, then he turned back, wanting to follow. He led her down to the basement.
"Here?" Carolyn inquired.
Ursa pushed a piece of equipment aside and took her hand, leading her into the catacombs.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Richie and Tori walked into the catacombs. They saw the bones that were present.
"Whoa!" Richie exclaimed.
Suddenly, they were hit with a flashlight beam.
"Whoa!" Richie exclaimed again. They looked to see Duncan, "Oh boy, am I glad to see you."
"The feeling isn't mutual," Duncan replied, "I told you two to stay by the manhole cover. Now go back."
"For the record, this was his idea," Tori spoke up, "I followed him to make sure he wasn't lost by himself."
"And I forgot my ball of twine," Richie chimed in.
"You two are lost?" Jack asked.
"Mac, we're wandering around this place turning, like, fish belly white, growing these…" Richie stated, "phosphorescent tendrils out of my forehead like some bottom dwelling sea urchin….."
"Quiet," Duncan told his ward.
"What?" Richie asked.
"Voices," Duncan answered. The four began walking toward the sound.
Richie stood by a wall plaque that read: RUE St. AUGUSTIN.
"What? What's up?" Richie asked.
Duncan sensed the buzz.
"What's going on?" Richie asked. He then realized what was going on, "Oh, fantastic."
"Stay here," Duncan told the others, "Okay?"
"All right," Jack answered, "I'll contact some agents to help out with this investigation."
"All right," Tori and Richie replied in unison.
Duncan walked forward while the others waited. Jack got out his tablet and informed his fellow IUA agents about the situation.
Suddenly, Ursa appeared from behind and grabbed Richie and dragged him off, screaming.
"Richie!" Tori exclaimed. Duncan turned and ran back, sword in hand. He met with Ursa, who was holding a large blade – a sickle and they exchanged blows.
"I'm Duncan MacLeod!" Duncan exclaimed before Ursa pinned him to the wall, choking him, "Ursa, Ursa, Ursa….."
"MacLeod?" Ursa released Duncan from his grasp.
Duncan fell to the ground as Ursa disappeared into the shadows, "Ursa!"
"Are you okay, Rich?" Tori asked as she helped up a recovering Richie to his feet.
"I'll live," Richie answered before he ran to Duncan, "Are you okay?"
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"Why did he attack you, if he's your friend?" Tessa asked as she was cleaning Richie's head injury.
"He didn't recognize me," Duncan answered, "It was dark. I told him who I was but…...maybe he didn't remember."
"Yeah, I suppose the old memory gets a little fuzzy after a couple hundred years," Richie replied.
"Uh huh," Duncan stated in a noncommittal tone.
"But what was he doing down there?" Tessa asked, "Why did he kill that man at the Opera?"
"Well, that's what I'm going to find out," Duncan answered, "See ya."
"Later," Richie replied.
"You won't follow me again, will you?" Duncan asked.
Richie laughed, "No, not this time."
Duncan left the barge.
"Friend, huh?" Richie stated, "Trust me, he's not exactly the kind of guy you invite over for dinner."
Richie jumped in pain, "Tessa!"
"Sorry," Tessa apologized.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"Hi, Jenny, right?" Jack greeted the young singer.
"Uh, yeah, hi," Jenny answered.
"How're you doing?" Duncan asked.
"Fine," Jenny answered, "Fine, thank you."
"Have the police been back?" Jack inquired.
"Uh, questioning Carolyn mainly," Jenny answered, "She's the only one who saw anything."
"You a friend of hers?" Tori asked.
"Well, uh…..I guess I'd like to be," Jenny answered, "I mean, she can sing anything…..jazz, opera….."
She shrugged.
"Yeah right," Tori muttered, "More like a Whitney wannabe."
"But…." Duncan spoke to Jenny.
"Well, she can be hard to be around sometimes," Jenny explained, "I keep telling myself that's she's just scared, you know. This is her big shot at a comeback."
"How did she get along with Frank?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, well, uh…...I guess I shouldn't talk about that," Jenny answered.
"Why not?" Jack chimed in, "It might help."
"How?"
"I don't know…...were they close?" Tori asked.
"Yeah, they were real friendly…..at first," Jenny explained, "and she was grateful. He always said he was her number one fan, but it's funny – with somebody like Carolyn, you could almost see the gratitude working like a poison in her bloodstream. She started riding Frank like she hated him or something. Oh…...I guess this sounds crazy, right?"
"Not really, no," Tori shook her head.
"Some people hate owing anything to anybody else," Duncan added, "Have to believe they'd done it all themselves."
"Yeah," Jenny replied.
"How did Frank deal with it?" Jack asked.
"Oh, I don't know," Jenny answered, "like this thing'd happened before, you know, it's just kind of sad. Look, I really feel weird talking about this, okay?"
"Well, we're glad you did," Tori replied.
"Listen, stop by the barge sometime," Duncan offered.
"Yeah, Richie's been looking forward to seeing you," Tori added.
"Yeah, sure, I'll do that," Jenny replied.
"Okay," Duncan replied in turn.
"Oh, look, I hope you don't think that….." Jenny started to say.
"No, we don't," Jack replied.
"Okay. Bye," Jenny stated before the three immortals left, "You know what bugs me most about Carolyn?"
The three turned and faced her.
"What?" Tori asked.
"That I might turn into her," Jenny answered.
"Oh, honey, I couldn't imagine someone like you being a diva," Tori replied, "You'll be just fine."
"Even then," Duncan chimed in, "I guess that's going to be up to you, isn't it?"
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"Look, we don't need to give twenty-five percent of our money to some manager," Carolyn told the band.
"Who's gonna handle the books?" the keyboard player asked.
"I can," Carolyn answered.
"Sure you can," the keyboard player replied before playing a few notes. Carolyn unplugged the instrument, "What the hell are you doing?"
"I am getting everybody's attention," Carolyn answered.
"We all liked the way Frank ran things," the keyboard player stated.
"Well, he can't anymore. I can," Carolyn argued, "I mean, do you really think Frank was earning his percentage? He was a parasite. I mean. I know this is cold, but that's the way the world is. We were the ones making things happen. We were the ones with the talent. Just let me have a shot at running the group, okay?"
"Why isn't Jenny here?" the keyboard player asked.
"I didn't invite her to this meeting," Carolyn answered, "I wanted to talk to you all about her. She's not working out."
"Come on, what are you talking about?" the keyboard player asked, "She's one of the best backups we ever had and we all like the songs she wrote."
"She is a distraction," Carolyn insisted, "She is not what this troupe is about."
"Exactly what is it about, you?" the keyboard player asked.
She heard some noise nearby.
"Look, we'll finish this later, okay?" Carolyn told the band, "Okay?"
"Yeah, right," the band replied.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Tori looked on with Duncan and Jack in tow as Carolyn arrived down the stairs and they stepped out in front of her at the bottom.
"Boo!" Tori exclaimed. Carolyn reacted in fright in which Tori then asked, "Sorry. Expecting someone else?"
"No," Carolyn answered before she asked, "Where did you guys come from?"
"A secret door that leads into the sewers," Duncan answered, "but you've never seen it before, right?"
"No. How very exotic," Carolyn replied before she started back up the stairs.
"We want to talk to you about the guy who killed Frank Wells," Jack told her.
"Sure," Carolyn replied, "I have a costume to try on. Come along if you want to talk."
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"You know who killed your manager," Tori spoke up as they were now at the dressing room.
"I never saw his face," Carolyn insisted.
"His name is Ursa," Duncan chimed in.
"If you say so," Carolyn replied as she took a costume from the rack, "I told you I didn't know who brought them."
"Well, you do now," Jack replied.
"So why haven't you told the police?" Tori asked.
"Why haven't you, if you know so much?" Carolyn asked in turn, "Who are you people?"
"My name's Tori Gordon," Tori answered.
"Jack Banks," Jack added.
"And my name's MacLeod," Duncan chimed in, "and you're dealing with something very dangerous."
"I think I can handle whatever it is," Carolyn insisted.
"I hope so," Duncan replied before he turned to leave.
"We all do," Tori added before she left the room with Jack and Duncan in tow.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Carolyn looked around until Ursa appeared, "You took your time. She'll be here at any moment."
She held up an ornamental dagger, "I found this in her dressing room. She's going to use it on me."
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Richie and Jenny walked down the streets of Paris to the Opera all the way to the rehearsal room.
"Oh, hey, fellas, am I late?" Jenny asked.
"Hi, Jenn."
"Hey, KP, how's it going?" Jenny greeted her bandmate.
"Good," KP answered.
"Good? Okay, well, um…..I'm just going to get my stuff, okay?" Jenny informed everyone before she told Richie, "Alright, so grab a seat. I'll be right back."
Richie leaned against a wall as the band was warming up. Suddenly, they heard Jenny screaming. The band stopped playing and everyone looked around. Jenny screamed again, and Richie ran after her.
"Let go of me!" Jenny shouted, "Help me, somebody!"
"Jenny!" Richie called out as he saw her being carried away by Ursa.
"Richie! Richie!" Jenny yelled before she told the immortal, "Put me down!"
Richie ran towards them, and Ursa knocked him down with his free hand.
"Richie!" he heard Jenny call for him, "Richie! Please! Put me down!"
Duncan and Tori found Richie on the stairs.
"Richie, are you all right?" Duncan asked.
Richie groggily replied, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Okay," Duncan replied before he continued down the stairs, "Tori, look after Richie."
"Of course," Tori replied as she helped up Richie.
Carolyn came down the basement stairs, "What happened? What happened?"
"He took Jenny," Richie answered as he was holding his head.
"Oh, how terrible," Carolyn replied in a voice that didn't sound genuine of concern. Tori shot Carolyn a disapproving look before helping Richie and the two of them went after Duncan.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Tori and Richie met up with Jack, who had just arrived with two IUA agents.
"Took you long enough," Tori stated.
"He took Jenny," Richie added.
"We're aware of that," Darren replied, "Agent Banks told us."
"Let's get going," Jack told the group, and they hurried to the catacombs.
Duncan swung his torch at the group.
"Don't shoot!" Richie exclaimed, "At least you don't need batteries."
He took the torch from Duncan and walked forward, "Oh, Mac, look – check it out. It slopes down there – what is this all that stuff?"
Duncan grabbed the torch back.
"The catacombs," Jack stated.
"What? Don't!" Richie ran after him with Jack, Tori and the IUA agents ran behind, "Wait for me, man."
"Let's go," Duncan told the group.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Jenny was sitting on a ledge nearby as the man who took her here was starting a fire.
"No, please don't hurt me," Jenny pleaded as he moved towards her.
The man moved away and pulled a piece of bread from a bundle on the ground. He handed her the bread and walked away.
"Why are you doing this?" Jenny asked, confused as the man continued to walk away, "No, please don't leave!"
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Duncan, Richie, Tori and a few agents went further down the catacombs to find Jenny.
"We should be closer," Jack stated.
"Do you really have to be dramatic?" Duncan asked.
"It's part of the job to let our fellow agents know how close we are to the location," Tori inquired him.
"Help me, someone!" the group heard Jenny shout from further down the tunnel.
"Jenny," Richie stated quietly before he took off down the tunnel.
"Wait up!" Darren shouted.
"Richie, wait for us!" Duncan added as he, Tori and the other agents followed Richie.
"Jen – Jenny!" Richie called out, "Jenny!"
"Richie?" Jenny replied, noticing his voice.
Richie went to her, "Jenny! Oh!"
He hugged her, "You all right? You okay?"
Jenny cried with relief, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."
"Did he hurt you?" Richie asked.
"No, he didn't," Jenny answered, "He seemed almost as frightened as I was. I don't know why he took me down here."
Richie looked around, "Mac?"
"What?"
"Is he close?" Richie asked.
"No," Duncan answered.
"Well, how do you know?" Jenny asked.
"Well," Duncan answered, "it's a maze down here. He could be anywhere.
He then offered Richie the torch, "Come on, Richie. Find a way out of here."
"Me?" Richie asked.
"You heard the man," Tori answered.
"Go on," Duncan urged further before he handed Richie the torch.
"All right. Let's go," Richie relented and led the others down the tunnel.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"You know, I don't understand any of this," Jenny stated as she took a mug of coffee from Tessa as Duncan was talking to the detective nearby at the barge, "He was like a confused animal or something. I almost felt sorry for him. I mean, who was he?"
"He's someone very lost evidently," Tori stated.
"Yeah," Tessa nodded in agreement.
"Well, if you're right," the detective told Duncan, "it would take the entire police force to flush him out down there. Some of these homeless guys have been living underground for years."
"Well, I don't think you'd flush him out even then," Duncan replied.
"Well, we're also making inquiries at all the asylums and hospitals," the detective informed him, "Maybe he escaped from one of them."
"Yeah, maybe," Jack replied, nodding.
"And you all did well finding her," the detective added in.
"Well, I guess it's just beginner's luck," Duncan replied.
The detective then turned to Jenny, "And, uh, miss? If you think of anything else, just call me."
"Thank you, I will," Jenny replied.
"You know your way out," Duncan shook the detective's hand before the detective left.
"Jenny, have you had an argument with anyone lately?" Jack asked.
"Uh, like who?" Jenny asked in turn as Richie was now sitting next to her.
"Oh, like, uh…...Carolyn Lamb?" Duncan asked.
"For the record, I informed Leader about her," Jack stated, "and she told me based on everything that she's on the top of their list of suspects in this investigation."
"How's that possible?" Jenny asked before answering, "She's been really nice to me lately. When the band wanted me to sing my own songs, she seemed okay with it."
"They wanted you to sing?" Tori asked.
"Well, it's not the first time," Jenny answered, "Um, Frank….talked about it too."
"Carolyn didn't mind sharing the spotlight?" Duncan asked.
"No…...she seemed fine," Jenny answered, "I was kind of surprised. Why?"
"Oh, no reason," Duncan replied before eyeing Tori, "Come with me. Jack, you too."
"Of course," Jack nodded.
"Right," Tori added.
The three immortals left the barge.
Richie leaned close to Jenny and assured her, "Everything's gonna be just fine."
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Ursa walked across the stage as Carolyn was sitting at the piano.
"She isn't dead," Carolyn inquired. Ursa hesitated.
"I thought you were my friend. You don't care at all," Carolyn declared before she told him, "Now there's someone else who wants to hurt me. Her name is Tori Gordon."
"Tori…..Gordon?" Ursa asked.
"You know her?"
He shook his head.
"Well, she's coming to kill me and you'll just watch?" Carolyn clearly lied, "You don't really love me at all….not the way I love you."
Ursa looked down, confused and hurt, and then he sensed the buzz.
Duncan, Tori and Jack all arrived at the stage.
"Ursa!" Duncan called out.
Ursa turned.
"Easy, fella," Jack stated calmly, "We're not gonna hurt you."
"Get the girl!" Carolyn exclaimed, "She's coming for me, Ursa!"
"What?!" Jack exclaimed.
"Are you high, Lady?!" Tori exclaimed as she drawn out her sword.
"She's not coming for her," Duncan insisted.
Ursa ran towards Tori, growling, trying to scare her off.
"That's not gonna scare me away," Tori stated, holding her sword in place.
"What are you waiting for? Stop her!" Carolyn demanded, "She's gonna kill me!"
"I knew you were a Whitney wannabe," Tori stated, "but you have gone off the deep end, Lady!"
"Tori is not gonna hurt her, Ursa," Duncan insisted calmly.
Carolyn threw herself at Tori, who grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her aside.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Tori demanded, "I bet you were responsible for trying to get Jenny killed!"
"Kill her!" Carolyn told Ursa.
"I'm not gonna attack you, dude," Tori replied as Ursa got out his sickle and attacked her and dodged his blows, "I really don't wanna fight you."
She climbed onto the catwalk ladder, "She is lying to you, Ursa."
Ursa followed her in turn.
"I'm getting backup, pronto," Jack got out his tablet to call the IUA, "This is getting out of hand."
"She's trying to fool you about the girl, Jenny," Tori told Ursa, "Come on. You didn't believe that crap, did you? You knew she was a good person as I always knew. MacLeod has always been your friend."
Tori climbed onto the catwalk and pulled out her sword, backing away as Ursa reached the top of a ladder.
"She doesn't want to fight you, Ursa," Duncan called out, "We're friends."
Ursa glanced over at Duncan, "MacLeod?"
"That's right," Duncan nodded, "We're your friends. Carolyn's just using you to to kill people for her."
Tori went out from the catwalk onto the building's roof, still blocking Ursa's attacks.
"He's one stubborn puppy," Jack stated as he got out a gun, "Sorry about this."
He shot Ursa in the back until he fell to the ground, temporarily dead.
"That should hold him for awhile," Jack declared and noticed Duncan's disapproving look, "What? He would've killed Tori if I didn't act."
The three immortals noticed Carolyn hurrying back inside.
"Now for the Whitney wannabe," Tori stated.
"I'd like to call her Lady Magdalene," Jack chimed in.
-DCH-Side-Stories-
"Leave me alone," Carolyn demanded, trying to avoid the three immortals on her heels, "I haven't done anything!"
"We'd like to beg to differ," Tori retorted, crossing her arms as Duncan grabbed her.
"You wanted him to kill for you," Duncan demanded.
"That is crazy," Carolyn argued.
"First Jenny, then Tori," Duncan told her, "He was a gentle soul."
"You were friends with that ox?" Carolyn demanded. Jack and Tori glanced behind her, noticing Ursa's prescence.
"Yeah, we were friends," Duncan answered.
"Carolyn Lamb!" Janet exclaimed as she and a group of IUA agents arrived, holding the woman at gunpoint, "We are placing you under arrest for your role in the murder of Frank Wells, as well as the attempted murders of Jenny Harris and Tori Gordon. You didn't kill them, but having someone to kill them counts as attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder."
"You can't be serious!" Carolyn exclaimed, "He was a lobotomy case."
"Then you never cared for him," Duncan replied, looking at Ursa as well.
"He must have hit you over the head," Carolyn continued further, "He was a simpleton. He belonged in some zoo exhibit!"
"A hem!" Jack cleared his throat, pointing to Ursa, who was behind her.
Ursa groaned, causing Carolyn to whirl around and stared at him in horror, then she turned and run.
"Ma'am!" Janet called out as Carolyn was running away, "Ma'am, that is not a good idea!"
She was right as Carolyn had ran out onto the streets as a taxi barreled past her.
"Aah!" Carolyn screamed as she was hit. The taxi squealed as her body rolled to the curb.
Ursa rushed over and scooped her into his arms.
"Ursa, there's nothing you can do for her," Duncan told his friend.
Ursa picked up her body.
"Ursa….." Jack called out, "Come on, man."
Ursa walked away, carrying Carolyn's lifeless body.
"All things considered, I don't feel bad for her," Tori stated, "However, I feel bad for him."
-DCH-Side-Stories-
Night time has come. Duncan, Jack and Tori were with Ursa outside a French Abbey. Jack cleared out the investigation as closed with help from Janet.
"They rebuilt the old chapel," Duncan informed his friend, "You'll be safe here. The brothers will take care of you. This is your home again."
The group listened to the monks singing.
"We've got to be going, Ursa," Tori told him.
"I'll come visit," Duncan chimed in.
Ursa walked towards the waiting monk, then looked back, "MacLeod, Tori….."
"We'll see you, Ursa," Tori waved him off.
"See you, Ursa," Duncan followed suit.
Author's Note: I enjoyed writing this episode. It is one of my favorites, as I enjoyed the Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback of Notre Dame vibes this episode provided and Jenny is one of my favorite girls that Richie interacted with. Probably second only to Marina, and as well as Angie and Nikki as I liked those girls. It was treat when Richie helped rescue Jenny, it's an instance where Richie is not the damsel, contrary to how I've admittingly written him at times. I liked that scene, hence that was why I wrote it in a flashback scene during the cruise chapter back in Defenders Chronicles: Highlander. I'll miss Jenny. Maybe in the future, I'll write where she's doing well in her career, and thriving, unlike a certain model chick who was roasted in Roland Cain's take on "Eye of the Beholder", which I will get to in the near future. I still have "Saving Grace" and "Lady and the Tiger" to get through first before I reach "Eye of the Beholder".
As for Carolyn Lamb, yes, she is indeed a Karen, but given that term didn't exist in the 90s, I settled for her being called names such as Lady Magdalene or Whitney wannabe, Whitney as in Whitney Houston, who was a major artist back in the day. All I have to say to her is good riddance!
I can't wait to write "Saving Grace", followed by "Lady and the Tiger", which are up next! I'll catch you soon!