Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 02:07:05 -0400 Reply-To: GrinnyP@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Carol Ann Liddiard Subject: "Origins" Chapter 3, part 1 Well, this is a little early, but it is Thursday morning (barely), so here's chapter 3. ----------------- "Origins" c. 1995 C. A. Liddiard Chapter 3 "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." _Revelations 6:1-2_ --------------------- Seattle, 1995 Duncan and Richie exited the apartment building. By the time they reached the car, Carol was sitting in the back, waiting. The two immortals shared a silent look as they got in. While Duncan started up the car, Richie turned sideways so he could watch Carol's face. "So, Carol is it?" She nodded. "So, Carol, tell me more about yourself." Carol turned a little to hide her smile. Despite being an immortal, Richie seemed even younger than his apparent years. When she had her face under control she turned back. "What would you like to know?" "Well, for instance, you started all this when you were, what, 16?" "No, I believe I said that I started when I was 18. As that was 10 years ago, I'm now 28." She cleared her throat. "Anything else you'd like to know?" Richie started, having been lost in admiring her eyes. "Yeah, how do you feel about younger men?" Carol didn't try to hold back this smile. She folded her arms and leaned over the seat, revealing a bit more shadowy cleavage than was necessary. "Well, Richie," she purred, "I always did have a thing for younger men." Duncan shook his head as Richie fell under her spell. It was going to be a long night. --------------------- Berri Egoitza, @10,400 BCE Sagu waited impatiently with the other young men and women in the building. Tonight would be their adulthood ceremony, when at last he would receive the final change he needed to become immortal. Once he had this secret he could get on with his plans. *Will we be ready to move tonight?* he asked Bigarren. *Yes, after the ceremony everyone will be too busy celebrating. We can make a clean getaway.* *Good.* Sagu smiled. He disliked sneaking away in the night, but his long range plans demanded it. --------------------- Seattle, 1995 A few blocks from Joe's house Carol stopped flirting with Richie long enough to pay attention to where they were. "Duncan, take the next left." "Where are we going?" "Park the car here. They'll probably have at least one person watching Joe's house, so I think it would be better if we circled around and approached from the back. That way we could get in without being seen." Carol leapt lightly from the back seat as the car stopped. "Come on, this way." She led them through several shadowy backyards, watching alertly along the way. "Now when we get inside the house, don't forget to stay away from the windows." --------------------- Berri Egoitza, @10,400 BCE "Ernalkin's daughter is missing also," said Lagun. "That brings the total to 25 missing, including 10 of the new Changed." Wise One sighed and walked over to a work table. He picked up a nondescript crystal and handed it to Lagun. "They left a good-bye message." *Where did I go wrong, my friend?* Lagun cradled the quartz, but did not activate it. He didn't want to hear the message. *Wise One, I just don't know.* "Shall we send scouts out looking for them?" "No, the council says that they left of their own free will. We don't have the right to track them down and force them to come back." Wise One grimaced and rubbed his aching forehead. "Besides, they have such a head start I don't think we could catch them if we tried." "Well, some of the parents are thinking of going anyway." Lagun hugged Wise One for comfort. *This is not your fault, you know. You couldn't know this was going to happen.* *Thanks, I needed that.* Wise One lingered for a moment in the comfort of his friend's embrace. He hugged his friend back then drew away. "You should listen to the message they left." The crystal began to glow as Lagun accessed the message trapped within its matrix. *To my beloved teacher, greetings,* said Sagu. *I know that it will probably disappoint you and the rest of the tribe, but some of us feel that it is time for a new beginning. We are going to establish our own colony. Please don't try to follow us, we are doing this of our own free will. I hope that one day we will reestablish contact with The People and that we will have made you proud.* One by one the agreements of all the missing young adults sounded from within the quartz. "Well?" "It doesn't sound very threatening," Lagun began cautiously. "In fact, I wondered if eventually this wouldn't happen." Wise One nodded his agreement. "Some of the young ones are restless, true, but most of them just go on long journeys and get it out of their systems." Lagun put the crystal down on the workbench. "You said they had a head start?" "Yes, it looks like they left soon after the adulthood ceremony. You know the celebrations last a week, and no one would particularly notice them missing." Wise One gave his friend a rueful smile. "After all, we expect many of the unmated People to disappear for their own private 'celebrations'." Lagun smiled as they shared a remembrance of their coming of age celebration. *Remember that wonderful redhead?* Wise One laughed heartily. *Mother, how could I forget her?* He picked up the message crystal, slung an arm around his friend's shoulder, and headed for the door. "Let's go give the news to the parents." The two men, friends since childhood, left the healer's hut, each lost in his own thoughts about the missing youngsters. --------------------- Seattle, 1995 "I'm sorry, but I'm just not buying it." Carol watched Dawson pace back and forth, leaning heavily on his cane. "You expect me to believe that this giant conspiracy has been going on right under my nose for the last 20 years, that people I've trusted my life to are my enemies? MacLeod?" "I'm not sure what I believe, Joe," Duncan said. "All I know is that Richie and I were attacked tonight by Watchers. And we're not talking solo attacks, but planned, well coordinated, group attacks." "Yeah Joe," Richie added, "something _is_ going on." The phone rang before Richie could say anything else. Joe answered it with an impatient "What is it?" After a few moments of silence he said, "Are you sure? Both MacLeod and Richie?" He looked at the Highlander and Richie, then at Carol frantically shaking her head and mouthing _please don't_. Turning away he asked, "What happened, exactly?" Carol leaned over and whispered in Duncan's ear, "Well, that worked at least. They think you two are dead." Duncan nodded. She could hear Joe's voice droning on, attending to details on the phone while Duncan spoke. "So now we have a tactical advantage." "Exactly," she motioned Richie closer so he could hear the hushed conversation. "Now we just have to convince Joe of the breadth of the conspiracy within his ranks." "Are you really sure it's that widespread within the Watchers?" Richie asked quietly. "Unfortunately, yes. I just have to get it through his thick skull." She looked up and saw Joe wrapping up his conversation. "He's almost done." "Okay, you'll take care of everything? And, oh yeah, tell Mike he's going to need reassignment. Right. Talk to you later." Joe hung up the phone and bowed his head. Neither Carol nor the immortals said anything for a moment, giving Joe time to adjust to the news. After a few minutes he seemed to come to a decision. He slowly made his way back to where they were sitting, keeping well away from the windows. With a slight groan Joe sat down in a comfortable looking chair. "Boy, this has been a long day. Okay, tell me the rest." Duncan and Richie looked at Carol as if they were silently telling her to take it from there. She cleared her throat and looked at Joe. "Well, for one thing, the Watchers have suffered an amazing rash of thefts and fires, the targets of which are the older chronicles, the ones still on paper." She noticed with detached interest that he started suddenly, then tried to hide his astonishment at her knowledge. "These smash and grab jobs are done with such ease that they are without a doubt an inside job." She reached into her pocket and drew out a folded piece of paper. "Here's a list of the people I know for certain are in the Hunter's camp." Joe leaned forward to take the note. "Supposing that's true, how do you know about it? That's a very well kept secret in our organization." He unfolded the paper and scanned the names. "Because I know who's doing it." She paused, searching for some way to shield Joe from the blow she was about to deliver. "I was telling you the truth, you know. Your organization is about to suffer a coup d'etat by the Hunters. They've already copied all of your computer records, the paper ones were the last ones they needed to get their hands on before they could continue with their plan." She went on, her tone gentle but implacable. "I know that the Watchers have a secret meeting set for tomorrow to try to deal with the theft situations. I know that all of the area leaders will be at that meeting. And, I know that you will be there as head of the North American branch." The silence at her last statement was so total you could hear a pin drop. Something intruded on the edge of her consciousness. A popping sound was accompanied by the tinkle of breaking glass. Carol immediately tackled Joe, shoving him down to the floor and out of sight of the windows. "Sniper!" she yelled. Duncan and Richie dived in opposite directions at the sound of the first shot. Richie crawled toward the sprawled figures of Carol and Joe, while Duncan made his way to a window for a better view. When a few more shots were snapped off, he could see the muzzle flashes give away the shooter's position. "There he is in that tree, three houses down! I'll try to sneak out the back." "No, Duncan, they think you're dead, let's keep it that way. I don't think there's more than one of them out there. Let me handle it." Carol immediately started towards the back of the house on her hands and knees. Duncan tried to keep up with her without exposing himself to the sniper. "Richie, stay with Joe. Keep him safe!" "Right, Mac. Joe, you doing okay?" Carol heard the voices recede as she progressed through the kitchen. MacLeod caught up with her before she made it out the door. "You're not going by yourself!" Her mind worked feverishly, trying to come up with a good excuse to keep him in the house. "I work better alone," was the best she could come up with. "An ambush will be more effective with two people." They both ducked as more bullets tore into the house. "You know, MacLeod, your accent gets thicker when you're upset. I find that very sexy." She ducked a half-hearted swat he sent in her direction and her expression sobered. "Seriously Duncan, I can do this better alone. You'll only slow me down." Duncan looked as if he wanted to debate the wisdom of that, but more glass shattered and Richie yelled, "Mac, I think Joe's been hit!" "Go, take care of your friend. I'll take care of this sniper." She sent him a reassuring smile and a saucy wink. "Piece of cake." He looked at her in disbelief, then abruptly came to a decision. "All right, but take care of yourself." "Ten minutes, no more." She waited for Duncan to leave the kitchen and head back to the others before she silently slipped out the door, disappearing into the shadows. (to be continued . . .) --------------------- =========================================================================