Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 15:34:38 -0500 Reply-To: Beth Arritt Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Beth Arritt Subject: Studies In Life - Part 08/10 The loft was silent after he left. Maddie sat listlessly on the sofa, staring off into space. Richie sat in a chair across from her, his sword leaning against the chair. After a few minutes of watching Maddie just sit there, toying idly with the tie on her hooded sweatshirt, Richie couldn't take it anymore. "Want to play a game of chess?" he asked. "No thanks." "How about we watch TV? Maybe watch a movie?" "No thanks," Maddie replied again. "Well, then, let's talk. Tell me more about your childhood." "Richie, I really appreciate you trying to take my mind off what's happening, but it won't help." "Sorry,: Richie said. "Do you want to talk about it?" "What's there to talk about? Duncan's out there looking for Kostas because of me. If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive myself." "Maddie, nothing's going to happen to him," Richie said. "You don't know that." "Sure I do. He # " Maddie broke in. "You *don't* know that!" she yelled as a she jumped up from the sofa and started pacing. "Anything could happen! Kostas could get lucky or Duncan could slip up. Life is as much luck as anything else, Richie. And in life, people *die*! Even immortals." "Sure, but the odds are # " Richie began to argue, but then he stopped, his head snapping up. He looked around as he snatched up his sword and stood up quickly. ***** Duncan left the dojo and went straight to the motel down by the docks where Kostas had stayed before. The same clerk was sitting behind the desk. "Hi, remember me?" Duncan inquired with a smile. "Yeah, you were here last month looking for that guy, right?" "That's right. Seen him around lately?" Duncan asked, reaching for his wallet. "Maybe. Maybe not." Duncan handed the clerk a twenty. "I seem to remember # there might have been someone here who fit the description..." Duncan handed the man a fifty. "I don't have time to play games," he said impatiently. "That's all you're getting, so answer me." "Yeah, he was here. Even said you might be looking for him." "Well where did he go?" Duncan asked, his patience clearly at an end. "I don't know," the clerk said. "He didn't say. Just said you would probably be by. He seemed to be in a real hurry to get wherever he was going though." "So he's not coming back?" "Nah, he's still staying here. Just said he had some business to take care of, and that if you came looking for him, tell you that you knew where to find him." Duncan looked blank for a second. Then it hit him, and he raced out the door. ***** "What is it?" Madison asked, though she knew the answer. "There's an immortal nearby, isn't there?" "Yeah," Richie answered. "It could be Mac," he said unconvincingly. "Yeah, right, and I could be Cleopatra," Maddie retorted. "What do we do?" Richie handed Maddie her coat. "We do like Mac said and get out of here. Down the stairs," he ordered, putting on his own coat. ***** Duncan raced through the streets as fast as he could. He tried to reach Richie on the cell phone, but had no luck. Hopefully that meant that Richie had gotten Madison out of there. He didn't like to think of the alternatives. ***** Richie and Maddie crept down the back stairs. When they were at the dojo level, the door leading into the dojo swung open, knocking Richie down. "Hello again, my dear," Kostas said as he advanced on Maddie, who was trying to climb backwards up the stairs. He would have said more, but Richie picked that moment to kick him in the back. "I'm not that easy to get by, Kostas," Richie said nastily. "If you want to get to her you have to go through me first." "Careful, boy," Kostas said, turning towards Richie. "You wouldn't want to lose your head." "We'll see about that," Richie said, opening the door to the dojo. Kostas sighed. "I'll be with you in a minute my dear," he said to Maddie, then turned back to Richie. "But just to make sure, she joins us inside." "No way, Kostas. Let her go." "Sorry, but either she joins us, or I go after her right now." "Richie, it's okay. I'll stay." Richie looked like he would argue, then looked at how close Kostas was to Maddie, and changed his mind. "Fine!" he snapped. "Let's go." He backed into the dojo with Kostas walking toward him, and Maddie in between them. Maddie walked over to stand by the office, hugging herself. "This won't take long," Kostas said over his shoulder to Maddie. "Yeah, we can leave in a minute," Richie said, taking off his coat. "Oh, I don't think you'll be leaving," Kostas said, sneering. "Think again!" Richie said as he lunged with his sword. Maddie watched as the two fenced back and forth across the floor. Each managed to wound the other a few times, but the wounds just healed. Maddie couldn't stand there and do nothing anymore. In desperation she looked around and spotted the swords hanging on the wall in the office. She slowly made her way into the office, and pulled one down off the wall. Then she went back to stand against the windows outside the office and wait for her chance. ******************************************************************************** ****** Questions and comments welcome - arrittb@ezraco.com =========================================================================