Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 12:49:36 EST Reply-To: Vi Moreau Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Vi Moreau Subject: ELENA IN PARIS, PART I ELENA IN PARIS Part I This story is a sequel to ELENA, which is available on HLFIC-L: ftp://mithral.iit.edu/pub/highlander/HLFIC-L and you would do well to read that story first. SEX AND VIOLENCE WARNING "You can't be serious!" exclaimed Dawson, pacing up and down with his cane. "This is blackmail! You aren't even supposed to know Watchers exist--what in God's name makes you think we'll let you get away with telling us how to run our organization?" He yelled the last sentence in Elena's face, but if she didn't flinch from sword-wielding Immortals trying to take her head, she sure wasn't backing away now. "The Hunters are part of the Watchers--they only exist because of you." "They're not our responsibility. We just watch, remember? Besides, a polygraph test? What if we find someone who has an inclination to kill Immortals, or who just simply dislikes them a lot?" "I'm not interested in inclinations, Dawson. I have an inclination to kill you, and yet I'm resisting it quite nicely, I think." "That's only because you know McLeod would stop you!" When she had come after Dawson, as she had pursued and killed other Watchers, McLeod had to fight her to protect his Watcher friend. Dawson and Richie had crept downstairs to the dojo after Duncan and Elena's fight and found them both dead on the floor. Only the fact that Duncan 'came back to life' first had saved his head, and consequently, Dawson's life. But instead of taking her head, Duncan had become Elena's lover and now, her ally. "That's not fair, Dawson, and you know it," interjected Duncan. "I don't think we're asking for too much. Look, the Hunters are systematically killing us. I didn't want to do anything about it, but even I can't ignore it anymore. I thought we had enough just killing each other, but at least there's a purpose to that, a Quickening to be had. They have to be stopped, and you Watchers have the best chance of finding them." "Alright, supposing, just supposing for one moment that we do polygraph every single Watcher, and we actually find some Hunters. What do we do then, kick them out? What's to stop them from joining other Hunters anyway? Or are you suggesting that we do more than that? Are you suggesting that we kill them?" "That's not necessary," put in Elena. After eighteen months of killing Watchers and Hunters both on sight, she felt she knew exactly what to do. "You just give me the names..." "And you execute them! Oh, no, no way! You're talking about a witch hunt here, MacLeod!" he appealed to his friend. Richie answered this time. "Wait a minute, Joe-- they're the ones hunting us, remember? Hunters? We're just looking to save our asses, that's all!" "Dawson, you have to weed these people out," put in Duncan. "Do you think we're the only Immortals who know about Watchers and Hunters, or that Elena here is the only one who's ever thought of coming after you? Believe me, Dawson, what you don't want is a bunch of Immortals for enemies!" "You mean including you?" Dawson looked into Duncan's face, appealing to their friendship. "I'm not your enemy, Dawson. I never have been. And I'm not an enemy of the Watchers. But the Hunters are a different story!" Dawson shook his head. "The Hunters are not part of our organization!" "But they're connected to you, and they're using your Watcher data to find us and kill us. You can locate them easier than we can. Look, I know you can't find them all. Just find as many of them as you can, Dawson. Give them to us, and we'll give you the disks back. Simple trade." "I'll never sell this to my people, McLeod. They won't sit still for this." "What are you saying here, Dawson, are you saying the Watchers would come after us?" asked Richie. "No, Richie, you know that's not our way!" Dawson shook his head again. He walked over to the window with difficulty, staring outside. There were a few moments of tense silence. Elena ground her teeth. She still found this 'talking it out' business difficult--her instinct was to use force, to beat Dawson into submission--but Dawson was right, Duncan wouldn't let her do it. Dawson was still his friend, and one of the things that made her love Duncan MacLeod was his total loyalty to his friends. Besides, she really didn't want Dawson's blood anyway. She had come to understand what everyone had been telling her, that Watchers weren't killing Immortals- -only Hunters were. And there was a distinction, and she was willing to make it, up to a point. Joe Dawson was not her enemy, but he certainly wasn't helping her. "Dawson." He turned to face her, his face unyielding. She took a deep breath, trying to figure out the best way to appeal to him. It wouldn't be easy, considering her first approach had been to steal his disks containing Watcher and/or Immortal information, knock him unsconscious, tie and gag him, and start breaking his fingers to get him to reveal Watcher secrets. She looked down at the cast on his fingers. If Richie hadn't interrupted, she would have eventually killed him. "Everyone in this room wants to destroy the Hunters. Some of us have stronger reasons than others..." She had a sudden flashback. Her eyes closed. ************************************************* "No, don't kill me!" she hears Maria scream. "!'Elena, ayudame, por el amor de Dios'!" Automatic gunfire follows. ********************************************** "....some of us really want to kill the Hunters, but you have a lot to gain here, too." She looked at him for a long moment, then made a decision. "Duncan says your word can be trusted. Is this correct?" "I'll keep my word, but I won't make any promises I can't keep." "Then I will make a bargain with you, Dawson." She picked up the disks sitting on the coffee table, copies of which she had already stashed away. "I will give these back to you. In return, your Watchers must start a serious effort, any way you can, to stamp out the Hunters. Something we can verify. Right now most Immortals don't even know Watchers exist. If I were to spread the word among Immortals, even those I would kill on sight, that there is a group watching every move we make, I know your people would suffer great casualties. We do not want a war between Watchers and Immortals, do we? I don't like what you're doing, but I'm willing to tolerate being watched. I am not," she spoke quietly and calmly right in Dawson's face "willing to tolerate being killed, and having my friends killed, especially the non-Immortal ones who can't defend themselves!" Dawson nodded. "I hear you, Duran, I..." Dawson knew that Elena was still mourning her friend Maria who had been shot to death by Hunters--even though she was obviously pregnant at the time. "I'll talk to my people. I'll see what I can do. I'll get whatever info I can. You're right--we all want to destroy the Hunters. We'll never get them all, but I give you my word I'll help all I can. But in return you've got to give me your word that you won't kill any more Watchers. You're not the only one whose friends have been killed." Elena considered this. Of course he had friends among the Watchers. Maybe one of the ones she had killed had been especially close to him. Maybe he, too, was mourning. "Palabra de honor," she whispered. Dawson held out his hand, and Elena gave him the disks. She had, of course, previously made copies. He put them in his overcoat pocket, then held out his hand again. Elena looked at him for a moment. "I am trusting you, Joseph Dawson. This has nothing to do with Duncan MacLeod or Richie Ryan or the Watchers or anyone else--it's just between you and me. I am trusting you personally." She put her index finger on his chest. Dawson nodded, and said, "Elena Duran, it goes both ways." For the first time since this business began, Elena saw an end in sight. They shook hands solemnly, then she added, "Let us begin with everything you know about Evan Kaminsky, and especially, very especially, everything about Fernando Rios." "Let me get this straight. Kaminsky is the Hunter from the hotel, the one who caught you and beat hell out of you, right?" "They didn't get a chance to beat me too badly, but they did shoot me to death. Twice," she answered, grimacing. No matter what these Mortals thought, being shot was just as painful and unpleasant for Immortals, only they recovered from it. "Kaminsky was also looking for these disks. And you should see his secret collection of Immortal swords." Dawson shook his head. "I've known him for twelve years, and I never suspected a thing. What about Anna Kaminsky? Does she know?" Elena shook her head. "She just thinks he loves collecting swords. She thinks it's romantic." "That's a relief. She's a good woman. But what about this Fernando Rios? I know his name--he's just another Watcher, assigned to...no, I'll have to check. Why is he so special?" "Evan Kaminsky told me Fernando Rios is the Hunter who killed Maria outside Buenos Aires eighteen months ago. I know Rios is a Spaniard and I believe he is currently in Paris. I even have an address." "Kaminsky told you? But they're fanatics! How did you get him to..." He looked down at his broken fingers, and back at Elena. "I see. Well, I don't think he's supposed to be in Paris, but I'll get on it right away. This whole thing might take some time, you know." He looked at all three Immortals. "I guess I'll see you around," he said, and started to limp toward the elevator. Duncan caught up to him. "Thanks, Dawson. And you can reach us on the barge." Dawson seemed surprised. "You're going to Paris? You and Duran?" "I'm in on this, too," said Richie. "Well, I guess I'm going to Paris too. I'll contact you when I get anything." Dawson left. End of ELENA IN PARIS Part I Translations: 'palabra de honor' - word of honor Copyright by Vivian Moreau, 1995 =========================================================================