Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 11:55:49 -0700 Reply-To: Selma McCrory <94smccro@ultrix.uor.edu> Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Selma McCrory <94smccro@ULTRIX.UOR.EDU> Subject: These Daughters, 4/5 These Daughters and These Sisters by Selma McCrory copyright 1994 part 4 Greer smiled at Robert over her coffee. She was happy to be there, just reminiscing with him about old assigments. Robert was smiling back, clearly in a nostalgic mood. "You looked so terrified! I couldn't believe it!" Greer said, laughing. "I thought for sure we'd had it. Whatever you said certainly did the trick." "It was nothing. While you were busy talking to the cops, I told him a sad story about us being lovers who had to elope because Dad didn't approve. He'd done some pretty wildly romantic things over the centuries, and so I thought that he'd go for a pair of star-crossed lovers. I was right." "Thankfully." "Speaking of our assignments, how's Michael?" "Well, he seemed a little depressed to me. Perhaps after you leave here, you could go see him? He's in Sacramento." "I will." He shifted in his chair. "Speaking of the job, I owe you that apology for two months ago. I'm sorry, I was just so scared... I just didn't ever think that I'd see someone I knew in that storm." Greer shrugged the apology off. "Apology accepted." "So," he said, leaning forward. "Where've you been for the last two months?" She wove a hand in the air. "Here and there. I didn't really want to be spotted by anybody." An interested light shone in his eyes. "Did you encounter any other Immortals along the way?" "No, I was lucky enough not to. There are still a lot of Immortals around, and the Gathering hasn't really started all that much. Nobody's actively hunting me yet." "Good," Robert said. He took her hand. "I like you, Greer, I'd like to have you around for a while longer." "You and me both. I wish I'd some choice in the matter." "Yeah. Have you had any training?" "Alberta Barrow was kind enough to train me after she found me." "Does she know about us?" "Yes," Greer said gently. "But I told her because I had no choice in the matter. She was threatening to behead me if I didn't tell. So I told. She's not the type to go out and attack us, anyway." "'Us' us or 'us' them?" "Us, as in the Watchers us." "Um, Greer, are you aware that you're not a Watcher anymore?" "Yes, I am. Does that mean that I shouldn't care?" "Uh, no." "Why are you nervous as all get out?" Greer asked, smiling wryly. He blushed. "How do you know that?" "Oh, you have this tendency to have a faraway expression when you're nervous and trying to think of what to say next. Especially if you have to ask about something important." He nodded. "Yeah, I guess it's that obvious, huh?" "Only to me," she said. "Oh, don't worry, I don't bite." "I'm not worried," he said, with a little shake of his head. "I trust you. I know you." "Thanks," she said, moved. "I trust you too." He nodded. "I'm nervous because I'm not sure what to make of this, but I know that you wouldn't betray your friends. I hope that I would do the same, if it came to that." "I have no intention of telling any other Immortals about the Watchers, I promise you, my friend. I don't want to lose you either." He folded his hands together and rested his chin on them. "Greer, What if ... what if you had the chance to become mortal again. Would you take it?" "You bet I would. I didn't want to be this. I'd gladly become a mortal again." "I'd be glad to have you back. I'll admit, I can't figure you out now." "Someday," she said with a frown, "I hope you can. I haven't changed that much." "And someday the Game will be over." "Yeah, well at least I wouldn't be followed around by people like the fellow at about the fifth table down. You see him? I really need to have a word with Joe." She watched him covertly look at the man. "Yes, he's one of ours, all right," he said. "But you realize, he's only doing his job." "Sometimes I wonder whose job he is doing," Greer said quietly. "Ours, of course." "Are you sure?" "What are you getting at?" "We've got renegades." "I know. A couple of months ago, here." "No, this is a new group." "I haven't heard of any such group." "Well, keep an eye out, will you? I'll prove it to you later." Robert shuddered, presumably at the thought of such a group. "Yeah, it'll be just like old times, right?" "Right. Glad to work with you again, Rob," she said, grinning. He managed a brief smile in return. "Yeah. We'll have to be careful, though. I heard that one of us got shot at while doing an observation today." "Who?" "Dunno." She drank the last of her coffee. "I'll ask Joe. He'll know." He then looked at his watch. "You done? I've got to see someone, but I can give you a ride back to the motel." "Thanks. It's getting kind of late to take the bus." * * * Later that evening, the phone in her motel room rang. "Hello?" "Hi, Greer," a warm male voice responded. "Hello, Joe," she responded, a lot less warmly. "Who got shot?" "I did," he said, his tone changing to a strained frustration. "Before you say anything about a conspiracy, it was accidental. I got in the way of a gang war. And I wasn't hit. I'm fine. Not likely to want to go into that part of town again, but fine." "Well, you're going to hear about it anyway. How can you be sure that it was a gang war? Anyone can dress up like a gang member and pretend." "Arguing is useless with you." "I hope that's good, since I'm in hot water with Duncan." "What's wrong? He didn't kick you out, did he? I heard the reports. You had quite an argument!" "I think I upset him, but he's got a good hold on his temper. He didn't kick me out," Greer said. She was glad that Duncan was such a good actor. "Good. As you said, he is a very good teacher." "Yes, and significantly more than I deserve." She heard him sigh a frustrated sigh, then his voice lightened. "I think you better start looking for an apartment. I'll help, if you like." "No thanks, Joe." "Well, if you do need help, give me a call." She felt like giving a frustrated sigh herself. "Joe, the reason I won't need help getting an apartment is that I'm not staying here much longer." "But you've got to stay! How are you going to get trained?" "I'll find my own way." "Greer, what's eating you?" "Well, for starters, the blond guy in the blue sweatshirt that's been following me around for most of the day." "He was doing what he was supposed to be doing." "That's funny, that's what Robert said." "Well, then, you should listen to him," he said. "I should have thought of that. Didn't even know he was in town until he ran into you. Must be on vacation." "Yeah, he must be." "Anything else?" "Maybe you could cut me some slack? I mean, sometime, if I stay, there could be one of us watching the gym instead of three?" "Will you stay if I do?" "I might. Mind you, it's still not as if nobody's observing me at all." "You'll just have to take it. Reducing I might be able to manage." "You better manage it," she said. "By the way, did you dig through the records?" "I did. You know, I didn't find anything to solidify your theory. There doesn't seem to be any such group." "Well, they've got it well hidden. Trust me, they're there." "You know you've gotten distinctly paranoid? I mean, people get killed all the time. Arthur Collier died in a car accident. The man who killed him was drunk. He wasn't killed on purpose." "Oh, yeah, right. Believe me, there is no such thing as paranoid when your fears are true." "You seem to be so sure the shooting was part of a conspiracy." "It was. Trust me." "Stay and convince me, then." "No, you'll find it yourself, trust me. You're intelligent enough, I think." "Will you come over before you leave? If I can't convince you to stay, at least I can say goodbye." "I will. I'll say goodbye to Duncan first, however." "Goodbye." "Bye." * * * The next morning, Greer packed her bags. It was a good time for her to go, anyway, since she was running low on cash. She hated leaving without any clues, any more proof, but Joe was being very stubborn. If she could only find Michael or any others who might be a little more sympathetic, then she could get farther. She got onto her first bus. _It is certainly nice to be on my own,_ she thought. She was even happier when the blond Watcher following her realized that he had missed the bus. He gave a look of frustration that almost sent her into spasms of laughter. She was totally serious, though, by the time she got to DeSalvo's Martial Arts. Duncan was waiting for her, giving her a brief, conspiratorial smile before resuming a frown. "Good morning, Greer." "Morning, Duncan." "Are you ready for today?" "Well, I need to talk to you for a second, except I don't want to make it a public scene." Duncan ushered her inside the elevator. As the elevator went up, Duncan turned to her. "How did it go?" "You should have heard his voice," she said. "It worked like a charm, well, almost. He's convinced I'm paranoid. He didn't find any evidence. Maybe I'll get lucky and I'll leave him with some doubts." "So you're leaving." "I'm going to lose them, and then do the best I can to find out what this is all about. I'll try to find some of my very good friends, ones that I think I can trust, and have them help me look in the archives. After convincing them not to report that I'm there of course. I should be able to convince someone of the truth. And if I meet other Immortals, I'm going to warn them. There's too much sneaky stuff going on within our organization." "Do you have any other plans, any other dreams?" She touched her fists to her chin and thought. "I think I'd like to go to college. The Watchers recruited me right out of high school and I haven't had anything other than extension courses." "That's a good idea." "Speaking of plans," she said, reaching into the pocket of her pants. She withdrew a small white card. "I'd like to keep in touch with you. When I settle down, I'll send you my phone number on one of these." She gave him the card. He raised an eyebrow. "Georgina Lewis, Sales Representative, Turgetto Industries?" "I did do some sales work while I was involved. I was quite good at it, in fact." "I'll take your word for it. Good luck, Greer." "Thanks, Duncan. Bye." She took the elevator down to the gym and got out, hopefully seeming quite downcast. It was not hard to do, especially when she walked into the hall and could no longer sense Duncan. As she walked out the front door of the building, a dark-haired man, about her age, came up to her. He exposed his wrist in one easy motion, and made a signal that meant "help." She followed him into the alley nearby. She thought to ask him what he needed, but as he turned around, something hit her in the back of the head and everything went black. * * * tommorrow...part 5! Selma McCrory "Maybe what the world needs 94smccro@ultrix.uor.edu are more Selmas." selmamc@aol.com -Time Trax =========================================================================