"Immortals. That is what we are. From the dawn of time, we came; moving silently through the centuries, living many secret lives, struggling to reach the time of the Gathering, when the few who remain will battle to the last. No one has ever known we were among you…...until now. That is what we are. We are Immortal. Holy Ground is our only refuge and the only way we die is if another Immortal takes our head, and with that, our power. In the end, there can be only one."
(Cue Princes of the Universe)
Starring
Jack Turpin
Kehli O'Byrne
Adrian Paul
Alexandra Vandernoot
Ellie Cornell
Stan Kirsch
(Princes of the Universe ends)
The Sea Witch
Guest Starring
Markie Post as Janet Elisionne
Stephen Macht as Alexei Voshin
and
Johannah Newmarch as Nikki Simmons
Richie was walking down the street near Helliman's, talking to himself as he strolled.
"Helliman's, Helliman's, Helliman's... Damn, I know it's around here somewhere," he stated to himself, "Helliman's Antiques, maybe it's... twelve eighty-five... Bingo. Helliman's Antiques."
He looked in the store window, and approached a man exiting store, "Is this a jewelry store now?"
"I don't carry no cash, okay?" the owner told him.
"Relax, man, I'm not here to hassle you," insisted Richie.
"You, uh, you want something?" the owner asked.
"Not unless you got some primo Inca statues in the back," Richie answered before he asked in turn, "What happened to Helliman's Antiques?"
"Too many break-ins. Moved to Moorland Avenue last year," the owner answered.
"Last year? Damn. You're away a few months, the whole neighborhood moves out on you," Richie stated as he noticed a man arguing with a familiar young woman at the distance. "Maybe not the whole neighborhood."
Richie then jogged away toward the empty lot that the altercation was happening.
"Hey! Hey, Moorland's the other way!" the owner called out, something Richie didn't acknowledge.
"What's the matter with you, Nikki? This one's gonna put us over the top," Dennis insisted Nikki as he grabbed her arm hard.
"Melinda is alone. I can't," argued Nikki, jerking her arm away.
"Melinda's used to it. She'll wait. You'll do what I tell you!" Dennis grabbed her again.
"Like hell I will!" Nikki exclaimed as she jerked away from him again.
The two began to fight, when Richie walked up and shoved Dennis against the van.
"Keep your hands to yourself, pal," he ordered, shoving his adversary again.
"Richie?" Nikki asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Just checking out the old neighborhood," Richie simply answered, not taking his eyes off Dennis.
"Look, pal, I hate to break up this little reunion, but we gotta go," said Dennis.
"Maybe she doesn't wanna go."
"Oh, beautiful, now the Marines are here. Now are you gonna move or am I gonna make you eat your front teeth?"
"Just forget it, Richie. Just leave, okay?" Nikki urged her old friend, not wanting either boy to fight each other.
"You're sure?" Richie asked.
Nikki nodded. Dennis grabbed her arm and began to pull her away, only for Richie to stop him.
"Some other time, pal," Richie told Dennis.
"Oh, any time," Dennis replied with a smirk before he dragged Nikki away.
I am sorry to say that curiosity and concern got the better of Richie and he decided to follow them.
"There it is!" said Owen as the Lincoln Continental Mark III went over a hill, "Las Vegas!"
"It's beautiful," Lynn replied in astonishment.
"Remember, you need a plan when you go to Vegas, otherwise you could lose everything."
"Good idea."
Dennis pulled Nikki into an empty warehouse room where Marco and Reese were waiting for them.
"You're late," Marco addressed Dennis.
"Minor delay. We're here now," Dennis replied.
Richie snuck behind as he heard Dennis ask, "You got the stuff?"
Marco held out his hand and Reese handed him a satchel.
"The best powder on the coast," Marco answered proudly before he pulled a plastic-wrapped brick of cocaine from the satchel.
Dennis reached for it, only for Marco to interject, "Uh-uh. First we see the money."
So Dennis took the bag Nikki was carrying from her.
"I'll take that," Reese stated before Dennis threw him the bag and he looked inside. "Looks like all the fifty grand is here."
"Here you go, your ticket to play land," said Marco as he held out the cocaine.
Dennis pulled out a firearm from behind his back and pointed it at Marco.
"You don't wanna be pulling that stuff, kid," Marco warned him, only for the gun to be cocked.
"Sure I do," Dennis replied before he looked at Reese, "Hand it to the lady."
He waved the gun at the cocaine brick, "That, too. Do it!"
So Marco dropped the cocaine into the bag and Reese threw the bag at Dennis's feet.
"Pick it up," he told Nikki.
When she hesitated, he shoved her to the ground, "I said pick it up!"
"Hey, knock it off!" shouted Richie from the back.
Dennis turned and fired in Richie's direction. As he turned back, Marco shot him in the chest with a Desert Eagle.
"No! Dennis!" Nikki screamed before she grabbed the bag and ran toward Richie, dodging Reese's bullets. "You were supposed to leave!"
"Yeah, well, you were supposed to be okay!" countered Richie before they both ran toward the exit.
Marco and Reese fired at them but missed every time. So, they chased after the teens.
At the shop, Tessa was working on a sculpture, while Duncan was on the phone.
"Helliman's Antiques, may I help you?" Helliman spoke on the other end of the phone.
"Helliman?" Duncan replied.
"Yes."
"Leonard, hi, yeah, it's Duncan MacLeod here."
"Duncan, how are you?"
"Sorry to trouble you, but I was just wondering what time Richie left with that Inca piece."
"Well, he never showed up. The piece is still here."
"Oh, I see."
"Is there a problem?"
"No, no, no. It's, uh... we'll deal with it. Thanks, Leonard."
"Goodbye, now."
"Well, when did he leave?" Tessa asked as Duncan hung up.
"He never turned up," answered Duncan.
At the docks, Marco and Reese stood before their employer, Alexei Voshin.
"You have endangered my operation for fifty thousand dollars!" Voshin exclaimed.
"We just thought that, uh…" Reese started to say.
"You don't think! You do as told," replied Voshin before he spoke further, "A punk tries to steal from us, that I expect. The punk is now dead - that, too, I expect. What I don't expect…"
He reached behind him and Ramos placed a handgun in his hand, "...is some girl getting away with fifty thousand dollars and MY merchandise."
He cocked the gun, "It is a principle."
"She wasn't alone, Mr. Voshin. She had a partner," Reese countered.
Voshin pointed handgun at Reese, "This partnership... is now ended?"
Reese nodded, but Marco answered, "They must've known the area real good. They lost us."
"The dead one... you know where he lives?" Voshin asked.
"Yeah," answered Reese.
Voshin handed the gun back to Ramos, sat down at his desk for a moment and then he looked up, "What are you waiting for?"
Getting the message, Marco and Reese left the cabin.
(horizontal line)
"Okay, thanks," Duncan replied over the phone before he hung up and turned to Tessa, "No one's seen him."
"You think he's in trouble?" asked Tessa.
"I'm going to take a look around. Helliman's is near Richie's old neighborhood. I'll find him, but it might take a while."
"I'll be here."
"All right."
Duncan got in his T-bird before and drove out of the alley toward Helliman's.
"Nikki, this is not a good idea, this is a very, very bad idea," Richie advised his friend as they were at the apartment stairway.
"I told you, I gotta stop here!" Nikki insisted.
"If they know who your boyfriend is, this is the first place they'll come!" exclaimed Richie.
"I know that. It'll only take a minute," Nikki replied before she entered her apartment.
"Nikki, I'm telling you, you can always buy new clothes, but you cannot buy a new head!" Richie called out before remembering, "Head... oh, the Inca head! Damn. After these guys kill me, Mac is gonna kill me all over again."
He then yelled up the stairs, "Nikki, what is so damn important?!"
Nikki exited the apartment with a young girl in tow, her daughter, "Melinda."
They then started down the stairs as Nikki told him, "You wanna walk... walk."
"Come on, we've gotta get out of here," Richie told her before he asked as they continued down the stairs. "I thought your mother took care of her."
"She's been dead for eight months," answered Nikki.
"Nobody tells me anything…." Richie complained before he spotted the dealers from earlier at the exit, "Ah! Oh, man!"
"What's the matter?!" Marco asked as Reese tried to pry open the doors.
"We've got no time!" exclaimed Nikki.
"Is there another way out of here?" Richie asked.
"Yes! Quickly!"
Richie picked Melinda up in his arms, "Here comes a triple hernia."
Marco pulled out his Desert Eagle and shot the glass door, breaking it.
"Go, go, come on!" both dealers shouted at the same time as they fired at their targets, missing each time.
Elsewhere, Duncan stopped the T-bird as he heard the shots and drove toward the direction he heard.
"Hurry up, hurry up!" the men shouted before they ran after Nikki and Richie.
"Follow them. I'm gonna cut 'em off," Marco ordered before he ran back outside.
Reese pulled out a knife and ran the direction the targets went.
Duncan parked against the curb, then jumped out and ran in the direction of the gunfire.
Nikki led Richie, who was still carrying Melinda into an alley, but Reese was following close behind.
"Marco!" he called Marco appeared at the exit.
"Here, take her, take her. Go, let's go!" said Richie, handing Melinda to Nikki before turning to the dealers. "Okay, hold on, time out, guys. Seriously, let's just sit here and think about this for a second. I mean, nobody's killed anybody yet, right?"
"Wrong," replied Marco, holding his Desert Eagle at the boy.
"Okay, so there's Dennis, but that's ancient history. No big deal; we don't even count him. It'll be like a clean slate, see? So, you can let us go, and then everybody's happy. Come on, whaddya say?"
"We got one rule. You mess with us - you die. You broke that rule."
Suddenly, Richie noticed Duncan appearing at the alley entrance.
"Mac!" he exclaimed.
Marco turned slightly to look and Richie used the distraction to grab his gun hand and punch him. Marco pushed him aside, but Duncan twisted the dealer's arm, disarming him. Then he punched him in the face and knocked him backwards. Meanwhile, Reese through Richie against an old table and began to repeatedly punch him.
"Want to try someone your own size?" Duncan teased Marco.
"Come on! Come on!" retorted Marco before throwing out a kick.
Duncan caught Marco's leg then dodged a left-handed punch. He blocked a right-handed one before unleashing his own series of hand strikes against the dealer before knocking him down again. Reese then stopped punching Richie and turned to Duncan, intending to knife him. Duncan stood ready, but Richie got up and attacked Reese, pulling the knife away and slamming Reese's head the wooden table over and over. Marco grabbed a line of wood and swung at Duncan, but the Highlander jumped over the strike and punched him in the face, knocking him out. Finally, Richie slammed Reese into near unconsciousness, leaving him with a busted nose.
"Come on, let's go!" Duncan told the teens as he picked up Melinda in his arms and asked Richie, "You okay?"
"Fine, no problem. I had it under control, would have taken them both eventually," answered Richie.
"Richie... shut up," Duncan replied before he carried Melinda out of the alley, past two street kids who were watching the fight.
Nikki and Richie followed him. Marco staggered up and ran to the alley entrance.
"Damn!" he swore, only arriving in time to see the T-bird squealing away.
"Man, that dude in the T-bird took you down cold," one of the street kids stated.
"T-bird? Did you catch the license number?" asked Marco.
"Ain't nuthin' I don't catch. If I tell you, what's in it for me?"
Marco grabbed the kid by the neck and held his gun next to his face, "Your life, how's that?"
The kid raised an eyebrow as he looked at the firearm.
At the shop, Nikki was wrapping an ace bandage around Richie's damaged ribs, "Okay..."
"How long was your mom sick for?" asked Richie.
"About three years," Nikki answered.
"Three years. How'd I miss that one?"
"Easy. You weren't looking out for anyone but Richie Ryan."
"I just saved your life and you're all over my case. Look, I'm sorry that Dennis is gone, but how did you wind up with this guy in the first place? I mean, he's such a loser, he's... he's like roadkill with attitude."
"Yeah, well, there was nobody else. I was broke, I was on the street with a three-year-old, it wasn't like I had a lot of options, Richie."
"Well, you could've…"
"What? Huh? Who's gonna give me a job?"
"Well, I mean, you never had to... you know…"
"Turn tricks? No. No thanks to friends like you, though."
Richie then retorted, "Oh, Nikki, give me a break. I had to make a choice. It was either get up or go down. Duncan gave me the chance, and I grabbed it."
"Yeah, well, you're lucky you had something to grab onto," Nikki replied before she cinched the ace bandage tighter.
Richie yelped, just as Tessa entered the room, "Am I interrupting?"
"It's your place. Where's my kid?" Nikki answered before asking.
"She's in Richie's room. She's still asleep. You can stay there for now - that is, if Richie doesn't mind the couch," answered Tessa.
"No, the couch is great. Love the couch," Richie replied.
"Look, lady, don't put yourself out, all right? I don't need the kid gloves," Nikki retorted.
"My name is Tessa. And I'm sure you don't, but I thought Melinda might…" Tessa started to say.
"I can look after her just fine," Nikki insisted.
"What is your problem?" Richie asked his friend, appalled by her attitude.
"It's okay," Tessa assured Richie before asking Nikki, "Can I get you something to drink or eat?"
"I'm not hungry," Nikki answered.
"Fine. Listen, Duncan wants to talk to you," Tessa replied before she informed her.
"Unless, of course, it's too much trouble," Richie chimed in.
"Oh no. No trouble at all," replied Nikki before she picked up her bag and started to leave, then stopped and looked back, "Richie?"
An awkward silence occurred, then Richie shook his head and joined her.
"Hey, these are good people. Lighten up," Richie told his friend as they left the room.
"They're your people. Not mine," Nikki stated.
"Damn right. And you're in their house, so shape up, Nikki," Richie stated.
Nikki walked into Duncan's office without answering.
"Sit down," Duncan instructed as Nikki entered the office with Richie behind her.
Richie sat on the edge of the desk while Nikki remained standing.
Duncan flipped a page in magazine, not looking at either of them, "Do you want to tell me about it?"
"What's to say? Dennis set up a deal with some seriously ugly guys," Nikki answered.
"I know. We met," replied Duncan before he noticed that Nikki wasn't continuing, "Well?"
"The deal was about to go down, something went wrong... Richie came, Dennis got shot, and we ran," Nikki explained.
"Is that all?" Duncan asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, why follow you all that way? Why bother?"
"How should I know? Most pushers are pretty screwy, aren't they?"
"Only for two things, Nikki. Drugs and money. Which do you have?"
"Mac, she'd have told me," Richie spoke up before asking Nikki, "Right?!"
Nikki didn't answer.
"Nikki!" Richie exclaimed before Nikki reached into her bag and pulled out the cocaine brick. "I don't believe you."
"I'm sorry. It was my chance to make it out, Richie. I grabbed it, okay?" Nikki replied.
"Nobody makes it out with this garbage," stated Duncan.
He knew his son was a regular smoker, but Owen only did it as a hobby and never encouraged anyone else to smoke as well.
"So what are we gonna do now? We gonna call the cops?" Richie asked.
"No, please, I know what'll happen - they'll tell me I'm an unfit mother. They'll take my little girl," begged Nikki.
"Why don't we just give it back? You know, no harm done, sayonara, see you later."
"So, they can put this back on the streets? So, they can sell it to another Richie Ryan? Or another Melinda?" Duncan asked.
"Those guys are still after us," answered Nikki.
"They don't know where you are. You can stay here until it blows over. As for this poison…"
Duncan walked over to the workshop sink, "I just hope there really aren't alligators in the sewer."
If Owen was around and heard that, he would complain as he did not like alligators. Duncan cut the plastic bag with a knife and dumped the white powder down the drain.
Nikki entered Richie's room where she and Melinda were staying where she saw her daughter sleeping.
Nikki spoke quietly to her daughter, "Hi, Melinda."
Melinda woke up.
"Everything's okay now," Nikki reassured her daughter before asking, "Did you get something to eat?"
"From Tessa. She's nice," answered Melinda.
"Yeah... well, she's rich. Now you go back to sleep, okay?"
Melinda's eyes closed. Nikki gave her a peck on the head, then tiptoed to the dresser, opened the drawer, and hid her bag inside. Melinda, who was pretending to be asleep, saw what her mother was doing. After Nikki left the room, Melinda got out of the bed and went over to the dresser. She opened the drawer and looked in the bag, surprised by what she saw.
"Look, this new guy came outta nowhere. He caught us off guard," Reese stated as he was explaining the latest failures to his boss.
"Looks like he did a lot more than that," replied Voshin.
"This guy was real good. Hands, feet... moves like I'd never seen before like... like he'd been doing it for a hundred years," Marco added.
"Describe him to me."
"Tall, dark hair, ponytail. He was wearing a long coat. The kid called him something. Mac... Mac."
"Not... MacLeod?"
"Yeah, yeah, might've been MacLeod."
"Are you sure?"
"Well, what, have you run into him somewhere before?"
"It's hard to know. I've had a very long career, run into many people… but there is one thing you should watch out for... when not if you find him, find out if he has a sword."
Marco and Reese looked at each other in confusion. Voshin was a scary boss but was also a weird one as well.
Tori was walking down the streets in Seacouver. It had been a couple of weeks since she had first become Immortal. Things had been unusually quiet. She had expected to run across an Immortal or Duncan but that had yet to happen, which did not really make sense.
Today, out of the clear blue, Tori had gotten a text message from Richie saying that Mac wanted to meet with her. Maybe things would take an interesting turn. Maybe he knew she was Immortal. Who was she kidding? Of course, Duncan knew, at least he would know upon sensing her with this thing that Amanda described as a buzz. The buzz was something that happened when an Immortal sensed another Immortal. Tori could not help but wonder if Duncan always knew if she was Immortal before the changes.
Tori perked up as she was sensing something, "This must be the buzz Amanda told me about."
A car pulled up and she saw Duncan and Richie.
The former looked up at her and spoke, "We need to talk."
"Yeah," Tori nodded. "I think we do."
She got in the car with her friends.
"Is that a cow?" Tessa asked as she noticed Melinda making an animal out of clay at the workshop.
Melinda shook her head, "A dinosaur."
"Ah, I should have known," Tessa replied before she asked, "Do you like dolls, Melinda?"
"Maybe," Melinda answered.
"Maybe? You're not sure?"
"I can't remember."
"Close your eyes and wait here," Tessa gently instructed.
Melinda obediently closed her eyes. Tessa walked to a trunk, took out a doll, and then returned to the table.
"Can I open them yet?" Melinda asked as Tessa knelt beside her chair.
Tessa held the doll in front of her, "Now open them."
Melinda looked at the doll in wonder, "Is she yours?"
"Once, when I was a little girl like you. Now she's yours," Tessa answered.
Nikki entered as Melinda took doll to a corner of the workshop. Jealousy was in her eyse.
"She had toys, you know," she said dryly. "I wasn't that much of a screw-up."
"I never said that. Listen, I know how rough it's been for you…" Tessa started to say.
Nikki cut her off, "You know? What do you know? You, with your money and your expensive clothes. That stuff meant a new life for Melinda and me."
"Drugs don't bring life," Tessa told her.
"Don't judge me."
"I'm not."
"Sure you are. I see the way you look at her."
"Listen, I don't want her. I just want you to get a grip on your life. Give HER a chance, let her have a real childhood. She deserves that much."
Melinda walked back over to the women, "Mommy?"
"What do you want now?" Nikki asked, annoyed.
"I want to go out," Melinda answered.
"Well, you can't," Nikki replied sharply.
She instantly regretted her tone, "Melinda, honey?"
She forced a carefree tone, "Maybe Tessa can take you."
"I'll take good care of her," Tessa told Nikki.
As Tessa and Melinda left, Nikki began to cry. It was all too much for her.
Nikki was standing by the dresser, holding Melinda's doll, "I'm sorry, baby... I'm sorry. I love you, but you're better off here."
It hurt a lot, but Nikki believed it was the right thing to do. She opened door to leave, only to come face to face with Marco and Reese, the two dealers that were after her.
Owen and Lynn sat in their hotel room, counting the money they won from one of the many casinos.
"When you have a gambling master on your side," Owen said, "You cannot lose."
"Well, I'm one lucky woman," teased Lynn.
And they kissed.
"Hey, Richie," Tori greeted Richie.
"Tori," Richie greeted his friend in turn before they hugged, "It's good to see you again. How have you been?"
"It's quite a heck of a story," answered Tori, "But I'm trying to keep it together the best I can since Dale died."
"We're sorry for your loss," Duncan offered her condolences.
"Thanks," Tori replied before she noticed the cuts on Richie's face, "What happened to you?"
"It's a hell of a story," Richie answered.
"So, what's going on?" Tessa proceeded to ask as she entered the room after giving Melinda a snack, and Melinda was in Richie's room.
"It's time to have a meeting with our new ally, Tori," stated Duncan.
"Ally?!" Richie and Tessa exclaimed in unison.
"It's okay," Tori assured the two, "I already know about MacLeod and Immortals. As a matter of fact, I am one."
"You're Immortal now?" Richie asked.
"Yeah," Tori nodded. "It happened after my aunt Dale's funeral, and that's where I met my first teacher, who saved me from being beheaded by the guy who caused my first death."
"Yikes," Richie muttered.
"We're just glad you're okay," Tessa told her.
"Thanks," Tori nodded. "You need to know that there's more to me than just your average Immortal."
"What do you mean?" Tessa asked.
"You're related to Flash Gordon, is that right?" Richie asked, "his niece?"
"That's what I told you when we first met," Tori answered. "With that, I work at a place called the Intergalactic Union Agency or IUA for short, and I'm good with technology and computers."
Duncan, Tessa, and Richie looked at her in surprise.
"Yeah," she elaborated further, "Like my cousins, I know a great deal of creating inventions, and I know a great deal about the assembly and functionality of weapons, and vehicles, particularly, combat vehicles."
Duncan looked amazed by this. Tessa was surprised at the skills she had, and Richie was impressed, especially when Tori was demonstrating a bit of her technology skills.
Perhaps, with everything Duncan MacLeod was in need of, perhaps, Tori could be of use and help him out.
I wonder what Owen will think of her, thought Duncan to himself.
Marco was leaning over Nikki on the ship, "Now don't give us that. Nobody flushes fifty thousand dollars worth of dope!"
"I'm telling you the truth," insisted Nikki.
Marco scoffed, stood up, and rolled his eyes.
"You've got the money. Can't you just let me go?" Nikki asked.
Voshin laughed, "And people tell me I have no sense of humor."
He upended Nikki's bag, and then a pile of socks fell out, "This is not funny."
There was a moment of silence before he asked, "Now... where is the money?"
Nikki stared at the socks, "I don't know."
"But you will. Marco…" Voshin replied before calling out to one of his men.
Marco grabbed Nikki's head in his hands and squeezed.
Nikki held out for a few seconds before she answered, "Okay, look, all right. I hid it in the loft. But I can get it for you."
Voshin motioned for Marco to let her go, "You deliver us the money and we leave you in peace."
"Okay. Okay," Nikki replied.
"Of course, Marco will go with you. If you're lying, you will die, and I will take your daughter. Do you have a problem with that?" Voshin warned her.
Nikki could not risk her child being taken and likely raised by Voshin.
Marco pulled Nikki out of the car, and they walked over to the entrance to Tessa's workshop.
"Nobody's here. This way," Nikki stated before she led Marco through the workshop to the apartment.
Marco looked around the kitchen, then shoved Nikki forward, "You have one minute."
"It might take a little longer," Nikki replied.
Marco looked at his watch, "Fifty-five seconds."
"You expected me to carry this by myself?" asked Richie.
"You volunteered," Duncan answered.
"He's right, you know," replied Tori.
"I don't know why the Incas had to make this stuff outta stone," Richie stated.
"It's part of history," Tori explained.
Duncan interrupted as Richie got out of the convertible, "Don't slam the door."
Richie gave Duncan a look as Tori closed the door quietly after leaving the car, then Richie shut his door quietly, "Thanks."
"No wonder they became extinct," Richie stated.
"Not extinct - their empire fell apart because they couldn't feed themselves," Tori interjected.
"Thank you," Duncan replied before he added. "And on a modern level, I don't think we're too far behind."
"Yeah, well, on a personal level, I feel for them. I haven't eaten all day," Richie quipped.
"I feel you there," Tori replied.
Duncan stopped them from entering the building, "I think you're gonna have to wait a little while longer."
"Uh oh," Tori quipped as she saw the door was open.
"You're stalling," Marco told Nikki, who was digging around in the cabinet under the counter.
"It's here, I know it is. Just a little more time," she insisted.
"Time is up," Marco declared before he grabbed her and threw her to the floor. "You know what that means?!"
He opened a switchblade and held it against her neck.
"That's not a good idea," Duncan warned him as he arrived at the room.
"You. Let's see who wins this time."
Marco lunged at Duncan with the switchblade but was simply tripped and sent to the ground. Before Marco could do anything else, Richie stepped on the blade in his hand.
"Surprise," greeted Richie as he and Tori entered the room.
"What do we have here?" Tori asked as she crossed her arms.
"A douchebag giving us a hard time," Richie answered.
Duncan pulled out his katana and rested the blade on Marco's neck, "I'm getting a little tired of this. Hmm? Let go of the knife."
Marco complied.
"Up," Duncan continued as Marco got to his feet, the katana still at his neck.
"Let's see what else we got here," Tori stated before Richie patted Marco's coat pockets.
"You all right?" Duncan asked Nikki, who nodded in response.
"Ooooh, look at this!" Richie stated as he held up Marco's Desert Eagle.
"Now what are we gonna do with you?" Tori asked.
"Do what you gotta do," scoffed Marco. "Freakin' weirdos. He said you might have a sword."
"A sword? Who said that?" Duncan asked.
Marco clamed up. Duncan raised the sword blade under his chin, "Who said that? Who?"
"Not a chance. Look, I... if I tell you, he'll kill me," Marco stammered.
"If he doesn't, I will," Duncan replied, placing the sharp end of the blade at Marco's neck. "Now what's his name?"
Just then, Marco's cell phone rang.
He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Duncan, "Talk to him yourself."
Duncan took the phone, and lowered his sword. Marco bolted for the door.
"He's getting away, Mac!" Richie called out.
"Oh, let him," scoffed Duncan before he answered the phone.
"Marco?" the voice on the other end answered.
"Sorry, Marco's not here. He had to run," Duncan replied.
"Ah, it's the mystery man. You've been causing me a lot of trouble lately, dumping my drugs, stealing my money…"
"Well, life's tough everywhere."
"Not as tough as they're going to be. I know where you live, and unless you want me to hunt your friends and gut them, like rabbit, you'll come to see me."
"Where?"
"A ship, at the old wharf. You wouldn't have a problem finding it. It's called the Sea Witch II."
Suddenly, Duncan remembered the Soviet dock from 1938.
A group of Russian refugees were waiting to board a ship. Niva was standing by ship gangplank.
"Duncan?" she asked, in a strong Russian accent, getting his attention. "They are almost all here."
"We should have been on our way by now," replied Duncan, also speaking with a Russian accent.
"It is not easy for people to leave their homes, their books, all they know. But better the sea than Siberia."
"Stalin is madman. He kills those he fears, and he fears everyone."
On the ship deck, Alexei Voshin walked down the gangplank toward them.
"I am wondering, what is the name of this ship?" Niva asked Duncan.
"It is called Morska Vjes'tica," answered Duncan.
"But it's not Russian word."
Voshin approached them, "A Yugoslav word. It means 'Sea Witch'."
"Niva, meet Alexei Voshin, your captain," Duncan introduced her to the captain. "He's going to get us out of Russian waters safely."
"Ah, then it is your ship?" asked Niva.
"Always at your service," Voshin told her before he turned to Duncan, "And the service of the Clan MacLeod."
He grabbed his shoulders, and kissed him in a Russian greeting.
"Ah, then you are old friends," Niva inquired.
"Let's just say we know each other for long time," Duncan replied.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, haaaaa," laughed Voshin.
"And the captain is in my debt," Duncan then added.
"And I repay my debt," Voshin said before telling Niva, "He almost took my head."
"But I did not. And that is why you are helping us, is it not, Alexei?"
"My ship is where you asked it to be, is it not?"
Sirens suddenly began to wail in the distance. Several cars drove toward the dock.
"It is police," Niva stated.
"Do not worry. We have papers for all," Duncan assured her.
"Is not police," Duncan told Voshin as refugees stood together, guarded by several men, "Is Red Army Major... KGB!"
"As Rasputin said before they murdered him – 'What's life without a little excitement in it'?" Voshin replied.
Duncan moved to address the Major, "As you can see, Major, those are legitimate travel papers."
"So it would seem. You are right, Comrade Voshin…" the Major replied before he dropped the papers to the ground as two guards grabbed Duncan, "They are excellent forgeries."
Two soldiers grabbed Duncan's arms and held him captive.
"The deal Comrade Stalin offered was just too good," said Voshin.
"Put him with the others," the Major told the guards.
"No! Do what you want with these sheep, but this one is for me," instructed Voshin.
"You betrayed all these people because of me?!" Duncan exclaimed.
"They are nothing, but you... I'm going to teach YOU something, MacLeod. I'm going to teach you how to lose your head."
Duncan shrugged, then suddenly moved, slamming the two guards against each other and ran.
"Niva, come on! Come on!" he encouraged, grabbing at her arm.
"Everyone, get down! Everyone, move out of the way!" the guard shouted as he was shooting at Duncan.
Duncan ran down the dock, having lost Niva in the chase.
"Not this time, Voshin!" Duncan yelled over his shoulder as he ran to the end of the dock and then pencil dived into the water.
The guards opened fire on the water where Duncan disappeared, only for the major to stop them.
"Don't bother. If he hasn't come up by now, he's never going to."
"Don't count on it," Voshin stated to himself.
"Alexei Voshin," Duncan identified over the phone.
"So it is you, Highlander. Well, when may I expect you?" replied Voshin.
"Is this a summons, Alexei?"
"Merely a courtesy. I assumed you didn't want me coming to you. I can guarantee you complete privacy."
"And I can guarantee that if you harm anybody I care about, I'll send you to hell the hard way."
"You'll be there long before me, MacLeod. Yeah."
With that, he hung up. Duncan then glanced at the teens.
"I'm sorry," Tori glanced over the young lady, "I don't think we've been properly introduced."
"Yeah," Richie replied before he went to introduce the girls to one another, "Nikki, this is one of my good friends I've met recently, Tori Gordon. Tori, this is my former girlfriend, Nikki Simmons."
"Nice to meet you," Tori replied as she shook Nikki's hands.
"Pleasure," Nikki shook her hand respectfully.
"Tori is the niece to the famous Flash Gordon," Richie spoke up.
"Really now?" Nikki asked before Tori nodded.
Nikki then continued, "I heard on the news about your aunt, I'm really sorry."
"Thanks," Tori replied.
"If you guys are finished," Duncan told the group, "We should get moving."
"I'll let you meet my daughter, Melinda," Nikki told Tori.
"That sounds good," Tori replied.
"I wish there was some other way," Tessa stated as she was in the living room with Duncan and Tori.
"There never is," replied Tori.
"How's Melinda?" Duncan asked.
"She's beautiful, and innocent... and has no idea her mother was planning to leave her," Tessa stated in awe. "For a while there, just for a few hours, I felt like she was mine... I liked how it felt. But she's not. I have my own life and it's more than enough."
"Nikki was going to leave Melinda?" asked Tori in surprise.
Tessa slowly nodded. Tori pursed her lips and decided not to press the issue further since from what Richie told her; Nikki was going through a rough patch at the moment. Tori did not want to make her situation worse than it was.
"Are you certain? You could…" Duncan asked.
"Never," Tessa answered before she stood up and kissed him.
Nikki entered the room with Melinda, "I think we have something for you."
She then eyed Tori as she walked over to them, giving out a small smile.
"Hello, sweetheart," Tori knelt down to Melinda to talk to her. "Nice to meet you. My name is Tori. I'm a good friend of your mom's."
Melinda looked at her mother for confirmation.
Nikki nodded, "She's a good friend. She helped Mommy."
"So, what do you have there?" asked Duncan.
Melinda handed a paper bag to Duncan. He opened it and pulled out a handful of money.
"And I'm sorry... for everything," Nikki apologized.
"A lot of people are looking for this," said Duncan.
"It's all there. The whole fifty thousand," Nikki declared before she asked, "Guess I have a lot to make up for, huh?"
"No. You've got a lot to live for," answered Tori.
"She's right, you know," Tessa chimed in.
Nikki smiled at Melinda, then looked at Duncan, "Are you really going to go to those creeps?"
"Sometimes life doesn't give you the choice. I think you know how that plays," Duncan replied.
He patted Melinda's head kindly as he walked out.
"Is he going to be okay?" Nikki asked.
"I don't know," Tessa answered quietly.
Richie took a seat beside Tori's stool, watching as she slipped a thin headpiece on in helping Duncan track down Alexei Voshin at the Sea Witch.
"So let me make sure I've got everything right..." he said, amazed by the skill she had displayed - and maybe just a little bit irked as well. "You hacked your way into traffic cameras, tracked the villains to their secret lair...and now you're gonna hack into their camera too?"
Tori frowned a tad, "They don't have a camera set up in there."
"Ah!" he uttered, triumphantly. "So even Slick Vic knows defeat at times."
Tori stroked her temple.
She stared at the ceiling, "You keep talking to me like you hope that I'll fail - as though you think I'm utterly perfect or something."
Richie squirmed a bit, "I didn't say that."
"When I was a girl, little kids resented me for being 'too smart.' You seem to have the same maturity as some of them."
Richie turned away, regretting his words. He tended to speak before he thought sometimes.
"Listen...Tor..."
"Hold on," she paused. "I've locked in on their signal."
"I thought you said they didn't have a camera in there."
"We can't watch the guys, but we can still hear them."
He folded his arms, "And how, exactly, are we going to do that?"
"Via the device that I planted on one."
Tori moved back and sat the headpiece down, "I'm putting their discussion on speakerphone."
Within a few seconds, Richie could hear the target, Alexei Voshin, talking.
Tori then declared, "That's him. That's our guy."
"So let's smash 'em now."
"Hold on, hotshot..." she settled his wrist. "We might want to see where they lead us first. That way, we may nail the rest of their crew. I'm gonna give my mother a call."
"And inform MacLeod as well," Richie added in.
"Right," nodded Tori.
Duncan walked through the doorway, sword resting on his harm, finding himself face to face with Voshin as the Serbian sat at his desk.
"We have to stop meeting like this, Voshin," Duncan stated before he asked, "It's been little more than half a century, what will people say?"
"Who cares?" replied Voshin, "They're sheep, MacLeod, here to provide us with whatever we want. We tolerate them."
"You haven't changed."
"Did you expect me to?"
"No, that's why I'm here."
"I welcome it."
"Not this time, Alexei. This is the last time," declared Duncan.
"Strong words for a man who spent his time saving sheep from the slaughter," Voshin replied.
"I never fed off human blood and misery to gain power."
"And pleasure. Don't forget pleasure. Stalin was a fool, but he had a talent for brutality, and I love that in a man."
"Sounds like you miss it."
"True," Voshin then laughed before he asked, "What took you so long, MacLeod?"
He leaned forward, and picked up a dress - Niva's - from the table.
"She died in my arms. I even named this ship the Sea Witch II, for how do you Scots put it? For Auld Lang's Syne."
Voshin then stood up, and threw the dress at Duncan, who tossed it aside. Voshin then pulled his Manchu broadsword from the desk and dodged as Duncan sliced the desk in two. They clashed blades twice before Duncan trapped Voshin's blade against the wall.
"You should have taken my head when you had the chance," said Voshin
"I'll take it now, in the name of all the people you've betrayed," Duncan retorted before backhanding Voshin and sending him flying backwards.
Voshin was able to recover in time to block Duncan's next attacks and retaliate with a shove before escaping the cabin. Duncan chased him into the engine control room, where they locked blades. Voshin pressed Duncan's back against the controls and accidently hit a switch. The switch caused the engine to start and the propellers to begin turning. Voshin punched Duncan in the face ran onto the deck.
Duncan followed, moving cautiously along the deck. He jumped out into the open with his katana raised defensively. At first the deck was empty, then Voshin's blade suddenly came at him. The Highlander deflected the attack and swung, only for the Serbian to dodge the beheading. Duncan ran while Voshin tucked and rolled. Upon recovering, he saw he was now along. The two began to play a game of chicken. Voshin climbed onto the upper deck while Duncan jumped down.
"I feel you, MacLeod," called Voshin. "What are you waiting for?"
His laugh echoed around the deck.
"I'm waiting for you, Alexei. It ends here," Duncan declared.
He turned and saw Voshin throw a buoy at him, knocking his sword away. Duncan dodged three strikes and grabbed a nearby baling hook, jabbing it into Voshin's belly. Both men grappled for Voshin's sword, trying to decapitate each other, before they sent each other over the railing to the lower deck. Disarmed and in pain, the Highlander and the Serbian fought fight hand-to-hand. Duncan punched Voshin, who retaliated with his own. Then Duncan punched again and finished with a headbutt. Voshin retaliated with his own headbutt before grappling Duncan.
"You're coming with me, Highlander!" he exclaimed.
Voshin grabbed Duncan and spun them around, tangling them in rope attached to baling hook still imbedded in his chest. Then he threw them both over the railing and into the water. Duncan grabbed the rope, which had caught on a barrel on deck and was able to pull himself out of the water.
The propellers churned under the water, the blades like guillotines as a shape came toward them.
Duncan climbed back onto the boat and stood at the railing, looking into the churning water as the foam turned red. The propellers had cut Voshin's head from his body. Duncan got to the upper deck to retrieve his sword, when the Quickening struck him and threw him against a speedboat. The lightning traveled up the rope and and across the deck toward the Highlander. Sparks flew from behind and the area glowed bright white as Duncan took the last of Voshin's Quickening. When it ended, he crawled back to the railing and hauled up the rope with a frayed and bloody end.
"So long, Alexei. Say hello to Comrade Stalin for me," stated Duncan.
Tori stood with Richie right across from her mother. She had had a grim feeling that this would not go well. Now she could tell she was right about that. Janet cupped her hands just on top of her desk, scowling as she studied Richie's lax demeanor. His head was to the side. A hand was in his pocket. He was not honoring the formalities.
Tori heaved a chuckle, then leaned toward her friend. "Arms held straight. Chin held high."
"Right!" he muttered, adjusting himself.
Janet made a nod, "I wanted to commend both of you on your work."
"Thanks, Jammin' Janet," he said with a smile.
Tori closed her eyes, stroking her brow.
"You will address me as 'leader,' Richard, even when you aren't really working for me."
He cleared his throat, "Sorry. Leader."
Tori looked aside.
"I'll say it with honor," Richie continued. "I've heard a whole lot of good things about you."
"Unfortunately, I can't report the same."
Richie squirmed a bit.
"But I certainly hope that will change in time," Janet revealed. "Especially if you plan to socialize with my daughter."
Tori took a breath, "Are we all done now?"
Janet stared a moment, "You both are dismissed."
Tori turned to leave. Richie followed her.
"Well, I guess you're going to be glad to see the last of us... especially me," Nikki stated as she and Melinda were at the alleyway behind the store with Tessa, Richie and Tori.
"Nonsense," Tori shook her head, "We'll miss you."
"I'm going to be thinking about both of you for a long time," added Tessa.
Melinda smiled at Tessa.
"Oh, I'll send these clothes back to you as soon as we get settled in Danville," Nikki replied.
"Why don't you keep them?" insisted Tessa. "They look great on you, and you'll need them for that new job you're going to find."
"Oh, and the money... it's not mine," Nikki stated.
"The police nailed Marco, Reese, and the rest of Voshin's playmates last night, so don't worry about it. They won't come looking for it," Richie told Nikki before he gave Tori a nod, it was actually the IUA who had taken Voshin's men into custody, but he would not tell her that.
"Bad money put to good use... Besides, it's not just for you…" Tessa replied before she leaned down to tweak Melinda's chin, "It's for her, too."
"What can I say? Nobody's ever been this good to me," replied Nikki.
"There is light at the end of the tunnel. It's up to you to get to it," Tessa told her.
"I'm sure as hell gonna try. And I got the best reason in the world," Nikki stated before she hugged Melinda, kissed her cheek, and stood back up, "I guess Danville's gonna seem pretty boring compared to hangin' out in the hood, huh?"
"Take my word for it, you won't miss it for a second," Richie stated as he got in the car. "Well, maybe a split second."
Tessa put Melinda in the car next to Tori before she knelt by her, "I guess we have to say it, huh?"
Melinda nodded sadly, "Bye."
"Aren't we forgetting someone?" Tessa asked before she handed Melinda the doll. "I'm going to miss you, Melinda. Very, very much. I'll always remember you."
"Promise?" Melinda asked.
"Uh-huh. You see, I'm going to save you…" Tessa answered as she placed Melinda's hand over her heart, "...right here."
She picked Melinda up and hugged her.
"Where's Duncan?" Melinda asked.
"He has his own way of saying goodbye," Tessa answered.
Duncan stood on the short dock, Voshin's broadsword in his hand. He paused for a moment, then tossed the sword out into the water.
"That must have cost you a bit," a nearby man called.
"You have no idea," replied Duncan to himself.
In a cell, Marco laid on the floor, motionless as a foot stepped away from him. The alarm blared as IUA agents came in and saw he was missing his left hand.
"Code Red! Code Red!" came Janet's voice on the intercom. "The prisoner Marko Vesna has been found dead in his cell! There is an intruder in this building!"
At a nearby elevator, a tall figure, dressed in agent garb, entered and the doors closed. In his grip, was Marco's severed hand, with a blue tattoo visible on its wrist.
In the dark hideout, Draper admired a large pile of bags that contained stolen money. Then he twirled his cavalry saber around as he celebrated his success.
"One more bank to go," he declared. "Then it's 'hello Tri-State Area'!"
(cue "Princes of the Universe")
Co – Starring
Phil Hayes as Marco/Marko Vesna
John Tench as Reese
Brooklyn Brown as Melinda
Scott McNeil as Dennis
Sean Bean as Kevin Draper
Gina Brunton as Russian Refugee
Garry Davey as Soviet Major
Rob Morton as Store Owner
Adrian Holmes as Street Kid
James Ralph as Ramos
("Princes of the Universe" ends)
Author's Note: Where do I begin with this chapter? Scott McNeil. I thought Dennis looked familiar when I saw him on this episode. Then when I realized who played Dennis, I was like, "OMG! I knew that guy looked familiar!"
Also, Scott would go on to play Robert MacLeod in Season 4.
Now, onto Nikki. In spite of her attitude early in the episode, I actually felt bad for her because she was in a tough situation. Richie tells Tori that Nikki was a former girlfriend because that was how the Highlander wiki described her as.
Speaking of familiar faces, the guy who plays Marco, Phil Hayes, would later go on to play Alan Wells in the episode "The Innocent", and he plays a bit of a role in my take on Book Four. How? You'll have to wait and find out. Is Marco actually Marko Vesna, the helmsman of the Sea Witch II and Voshin's Watcher? It was Roland's idea to make that connection.
The scene where Tori is talking with Richie while she was tracking down Voshin was originally written by James5 but I tweaked it to fit in with the episode.
Despite being uncredited, James Ralph, the actor of Voshin's silent man, Ramos, has been credited here.
This is also the episode that introduces the "Indirect Quickening", when an Immortal is beheaded by something else and the closest Immortal receives the Quickening.
In the meantime, stay tuned! The next chapter is bound to be exciting. Read and review and I'll catch you on the flip side!