Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 12:50:10 EST Reply-To: Vi Moreau Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Vi Moreau Subject: ELENA IN PARIS, PART IV ELENA IN PARIS Part IV They drove past a row of townhouses--their target, in the middle, was completely dark. "You're our B&E expert, Amanda," said Duncan. She looked the place over. "Around back," she said. There was a narrow alleyway and a short stone fence enclosing small yards. They went up three steps to the back door and, after examining everything carefully, she tried the doorknob and got a tingle. "It's electrified," she said. "Anyone without rubber soles is in for a shock. Which probably means the place is deserted, too." She found a likely window, went inside and disconnected the trap, letting the others slip inside. Duncan looked around--all was quiet. "Let's do this quickly." "What are we looking for?" whispered Richie. "I don't know," answered Duncan, closing the door behind them. There were two doors leading out of the kitchen. Richie went to the nearly closed one--Amanda was already at the other. "Watch out for any more little tricks," she whispered, and went through the door as Richie opened his. Something fell on him, and he cried out in anger, then in pain. "Damn it! Mac! Mac, it's burning me, ahh!" Duncan came to him and stepped in a liquid that had fallen from a bucket balanced over the door. Immediately his shoes began to smoke. "Acid!" he exclaimed in a stage whisper. "Take it off!" he said, peeling off Richie's jacket and then his shirt, making sure Richie's rapier was unharmed. Richie was making moaning noises, swearing, all the time trying to keep quiet. "He needs water!" said Duncan over his shoulder to Elena behind him. Elena had found a bucket in the kitchen and went to put it into the sink, but there was already something in the sink. She drew back in horror. "'Dios mio'!" she whispered. But Richie still needed the water, so she gingerly lifted the severed head out by the hair and laid it on the counter, filling and emptying the bucket over Richie's back three or four times. By this time Amanda came back, saying, "The front door knob was also electrified, so I disconnected it to keep some poor postman from frying. And I found something else out here. Come on!" Richie said with his usual sarcasm, "Someone's seen Home Alone too many times," while Duncan gathered up his coat and shirt, as well as both sets of shoes, in a bundle. Then Duncan noticed the head on the counter. "Damn!" was all he said. "Anyone you know?" asked Elena. Duncan shook his head grimly, and Richie, seeing it for the first time, reacted by saying, "Oh, jeez, Mac! Who the hell is that?" "I don't know, Richie. Let's get out of here quickly. Amanda says she found something." Amanda had already gone back to the other room, and they followed to what appeared to be a dining room. On the table was a large envelope addressed to 'La Putana Argentina.' "I think it's for you," she said to Elena. "Isn't that the Spanish word for..." "Yes," answered Elena. As she took the envelope to open by the light of the window, she noticed two cars pulling up quickly. One had a bubble on its roof. Over her shoulder she said one word--"!'Policia'!" At the same time they heard a sound from the back of the house. "The roof!" ordered Duncan, "And be careful of any little surprises on the steps!" They all ran up. Below them they could see police lights and hear French voices in pursuit. They ran across the roofs of the townhouses and down the fire escape at the end, making it safely to the car and back to the barge. As they burst in the door, Amanda seemed excited and Richie was furious. "They were probably watching for us, waiting for us, one step ahead of us at every turn! Damn it!" He threw his ruined jacket onto the floor. "I don't understand why they would call the police!" breathed Amanda. "For the same reason they had those little surprises," answered Duncan. "To annoy us. To harass us. To hurt us, to slow us down." "Well, I hope they don't think they're going to get us to stop!" exclaimed Richie. Elena had gone straight to the bottle of Scotch they had started before. She poured and downed a glass in one gulp, feeling it burn down her throat and into her stomach, then poured another. She only drank like this when she was shook up. 'Alright, Elena, what is it that's bothering you so much?' she asked herself. Self-deception was not one of her failings. Duncan noticed her pour the second drink. "Elena, this is not the time for this!" "It was the head in the sink. That's what it was. Leaving it for us like a present, so we could find it." She drank, again in one gulp, coughed, and turned to Duncan. "I'm immortal. I've seen a lot of severed heads in my time, and even I couldn't just leave one like that for others to find. What's wrong with these people?" "What's wrong," answered Duncan, "is that they don't think of us as people. That Immortal back there..." "What Immortal?" interrupted Amanda. Richie took her by the arm and explained in low tones. "...that Immortal," Duncan continued, "was not a person to them, but a thing to be destroyed. Like we are." He hadn't been so angry and upset in a long time. "Mac, what are we going to do?" Richie asked for the second time that night. Amanda and Richie looked at Duncan expectantly. Meanwhile, Elena had torn the envelope open. The only item inside was a broken chain and a cross. She looked down at the floor, saying nothing, unable to say anything, her stomach aching, her heart filling with a great grief and anger. "For one thing, we better stick together. Divide and conquer is how they grabbed Fitz last time. Richie, you better get your things and move in here; Amanda..." "I already have my things." "Alright, I'll go back to the 'pension' and get my stuff. Can I borrow a coat or something?" Richie was still shirtless, and he, too, was shook up. "Sure," answered Duncan, but he was looking closely at Elena. He saw the torn envelope on the floor. Whatever was inside had affected Elena badly. He went to her. Suddenly Elena felt the barge was stuffy and much too crowded. She had to get out. "Why don't I come with you and keep you company, Richie?" she volunteered. "I don't really need a nursemaid." "Think of me as a comrade in arms. Come on." Duncan intercepted her before she could reach the door. "Are you OK?" He was concerned and angry both. He didn't like her drinking, or her reaction to this whole thing-- what if this was the beginning of a slide back to the darkside? And what had she found inside that envelope? "I'm fine." "What was in that message? What did you find?" She was clutching something in her fist. Her eyes burned into his. "Just because there are no lies between us, 'escoces', doesn't mean I have to tell you everything. Let it be." Duncan was troubled and hurt. She herself had admitted she called him 'escoces', when she didn't want to get too close to him. Was this a way of distancing herself? He just didn't know what was on her mind, and now she wouldn't tell him what she had found. He took her arm, pulling her aside, and whispered, "Elena, what is it? Don't you trust me?" "Please let it be. I can't talk about it now. Let me go!" She pulled away angrily. For a moment he held on to her, their eyes locked. He wanted very badly to force her hand open, but was sure she would react badly, maybe even fight him. If she wanted some time to think it over, he'd give it to her. But things couldn't continue this way between them. "We have to talk about this," he whispered harshly. She nodded, he finally let her go, and she rushed out. Richie shrugged at Duncan and followed. It was after two, and the night was dark. Pulling her cloak closer about her, Elena thought, 'Why would he press me like that? Why couldn't he just give me some space? But he'd looked hurt, hadn't he? I don't want to hurt him, just...' Richie suddenly asked, "About Dawson...you really would have taken my head, wouldn't you?" Elena stopped to look at him. Finding Maria's chain and cross made her feel like her heart was breaking all over again. And Duncan's reaction! He wanted so much from her...But she had to pay attention to the present. Richie made so many jokes about everything, but apparently was really serious about taking heads. "Yes, Richie, I would have. But the one thing I've learned in four hundred years is that nothing is sure. Maybe you would have taken my head." "Nah, I don't think so, Duran. I've been with Mac for a while now, and you're the first Immortal I've ever seen who's actually beaten him with a sword." "I never beat him!" "Sure you did, you killed him!" "Richie, that was just a temporary setback. If memory serves, at the end of that fight he was sitting on my chest with his katana across my neck. That's called winning, and the only reason I'm here is because he chose to let me live." "Yeah, and we both know why that happened!" He was referring to the strong sexual attraction she and Duncan had felt from the beginning, but she also knew that was not the only reason Duncan spared her. "It was more than that, Richie, it was compassion. Duncan MacLeod showed mercy, which is very rare, especially in an Immortal, and probably more than I would have done for him." She walked on, but knew that was not strictly true. At one point her sword had been going straight for Duncan's throat, and she deliberately turned it aside, so she had shown mercy to him as well. And Duncan knew it. Why couldn't she just trust him, tell him what she was feeling? End of ELENA IN PARIS Part IV Translations: 'Dios mio' - my God 'putana' - whore 'policia' - police 'pension' - hostel 'escoces' - Scotsman copyright by Vivian Moreau, 1995 =========================================================================