Date: Mon, 8 Aug 1994 09:38:57 -0700 Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Nath Prachayaamorn Subject: A Watcher's Story This is my first attempt at a story so please be kind and send me many comments. I would like your honest opinion. Your opinion will be the deciding factor as to whether I will continue this story. (no comments on typing mistakes please) :) A Watcher's Story By Nath Prachayaamorn part 1 of ? It was another day in English class for Rick Dolan. He would be graduating from High School next month. Here he was in his favorite class. Not because of the fact that he was in an AP English class or the fact he was amongst the creme of acadamia in his school. It was really because of the girl that sat behind him. Her name was Danniele but everyone called her Danny. She had dark red hair and had a kinky sense of humor. Rick liked that. Yes, this indeed was going to be his favorite year of High School. He wasn't exactly popular but he had a few very good friends. It wasn't exactly easy making friends when his parents were moving all the time. But at last they had settled for a time in San Lorenzo, California. His parents--well his adopted parents did very important work that he knew very little about until he was 15 years of age. By then they felt that Rick was mature enough to know the importance of their true profession. "Richard," said his father one day. Rick knew it was something important because no one called him Richard unless it was important or it was his english teacher Ms. Everest. She always called him that to annoy him. His father called him again, "Richard!" "Yah, dad?", responded Rick as the 15 year old came into the dining room. For the next hour Rick's life would be turned upside-down. What was all this crazy talk about immortals and Watchers?! He thought that his parents had gone mad. It took a lot of convincing to make Rick to even believe that the organization his parents called the Watchers even existed. That day he was introduced to a man named Joe Dawson. As Dawson revealed the incredible secret of immortals and the purpose of the Watchers to Rick, the boy couldn't help but be dumbfounded. He always thought that his mom was a secretary at some shoe company and that his dad was retired from the textile industry. This was in fact true but they were much more than they appeared to be. "I had no clue about this. Why are you telling me this now?" asked Rick. "Because we need you to join us." said Dawson. "Join you?! Why? How could a 15 year old kid help an organization like yours?" "There's an immortal that we want you to watch for us." "What! Are you seriously telling me you want me to go hide in the bushes everyday an watch some person like some kind of stalker or something?" Rick just could not believe the conversation he was having. "No. Of course not. All we want you to do is attend his class. He's a teacher at your high school." responded Dawson. Now this fact had gotten Rick's undivided attention. One of his teachers was an immortal? "Who is it?" "He's a science teacher, he currently goes by the name of Walter Dreyer" Rick laughed out loud. "Your telling me that Mr. Dreyer is an immortal? Your nuts. The guy is one certified wacko but he doesn't act like a man who's seen history happening before his eyes." Rick remembered how Mr. Dreyer would always go into lectures about history or economics in his science classes. He would go on for the whole period talking about the ramifications of a single act on history. "Why would he? He doesn't want to broadcast his identity to other immortals," answered Dawson. Rick thought about it. He was right. Why would he behave like the immortal he really was? Then he realized that he was actually believing all this stuff. From that day as Rick agreed to become a Watcher, everything changed for him. It was like his eyes were open for the first time. He felt important that he was keeping such a profound secret. As years went by, Rick continued to watch his science teacher as Walter Dreyer taught his class. Those days of watching seemed like an eternity away for Rick as he flirted a little with Danniele. But she never took it seriously. He promised himself that one day he would tell her how he felt. If watching ever taught him anything it was that time was precious. Rick learned that harsh lesson when he saw Walter Dreyer, a man that had eventually become his mentor, decapitated before his eyes. Mr. Dreyer had opened Rick's eyes in a different way than Dawson had. He had given Rick a real interest in science and inspired Rick to become an engineer. Mr. Dreyer had also written a very good reccomendation that undoubtly helped Rick to get into U.C. Berkeley. When Rick saw his teacher died, it was like someone had crushed his dreams. Killing him all in the name of one golden rule: "There can be only one!" Dawson had told him that it wouldn't be the first time that he would see death. "With the gathering coming, no immortal will be safe," he said. At least Rick was allowed to stay to finish his last year in high school without having to worry about keeping an eye on someone. "I didn't know you had a tattoo!" exclaimed Danny. "I got it just for you," said Rick. "Lier," and never got to finish the discussion when Ms. Everest began class. A few people were staring at the two of them and then Danny let go of Rick's arm. "Richard, you may begin todays poetry reading." Oh how Rick hated Ms. Everest. She new that he wasn't much of a speaker. She knew that in front of the class he would stutter every syllable as he read the poem from the text. Luckily for Rick he never made it up there. Eventually he would wish he had. * * * George hated waiting for his partner. He wanted to get this job over with. "We are mercenaries," he thought, "not kidnappers." However, today George would be wrong. Harlan came back to the van with a smile on his face. He loved his job and he let it show. "I've found a perfect place to get the hostages. We won't even have to go into any of the main buildings. It seems that there are several small classroom out near the parking lot. We can pick one, go in get the kiddies and be out before anyone knows it." George was getting a little annoyed at Harlan's enthusiasm. He hated working for foreigners. "Get some hostages," they said, "teach the Americans they can't put sanctions on us" they said. He was getting really sick of what they said, but with the money he's going to get on this little job, he never made any indication of his annoyance. He just put on his mask grabed his automatic pistol and joined his partner as they ran towards the school. * * * All hell broke loose when the two guys with guns came rushing into the classroom. There were screams and shouting as the two men came in with guns raised. "Shut up! And stay where you are. No one move!" Rick saw the shorter one of the two men whisper to his partner, "Alright George what are you going to do now. Why did you have to kill that security guard? We could have been in here and gotten them out without him noticing!" "You shut up too. And don't call me by my damn name!" Everything passed by very quickly for Rick. Everyone sat at their desks and didn't move for fear of these men. Soon police came by out front wanting to know the demands of the two men. The man the short guy called George got very angry at the police's arrival. He told them to get away from the area or he was going to throw out a body. This made everyone even more afraid. Rick turned a little to see Danny's face. It was covered with tears but he was still amazed by her beauty. He reached out to hold her hand and try to comfort her. "I said don't move kid or do I have to kill your little girlfriend to make you listen!" said George. As those minutes went by, the police moved away but it wasn't far enough for George. "I can still see you pig!" George exclaimed. A moment later he did as he promised and threw out the body of one of the students. All the hostages were at the verge of a heart attack. They couldn't believe how brutal this man was. Rick knew the guy that was killed. His name was Albert. He was the resident nerd of the classroom. The fact that everyone thought of him as a nerd even though most people in the class were considered the same way by others was comical. Albert was really annoying, thought Rick, but he didn't deserve that. After George had killed the boy, there was something in his eyes that Harlan could see. It was as though something cracked and the human part of George was gone. He had killed before but somehow killing that helpless kid broke him. He wanted more. Then he remembered that girl who was sitting in the corner with her boyfriend. And from under his mask he smiled. * * * "No George don't do it. We can still.." Harlan tried to finish but it was a bullet through the head that finished this conversation. After the guy named George killed his partner, Rick knew all was lost. I'm going to die, he thought. He knew it, he felt it. But when George pointed at Danny and said "Come here girl." Something snapped. Rick's life didn't matter anymore. This had to stop now. But Rick couldn't get the courage to say anything as George grabbed the sobbing girl named Daniele. Danny fell to her knees as George pointed the gun to her head. As he was about to pull the trigger, Rick leaped out to save his friend. It wasn't too painful, Rick thought as the bullet meant for Danny went through his body. Rick fell to his knees but with his dying breath tried to grab the gun from his assailant. Rick's efforts were rewarded with a series of shots through the body and head. And then there was darkness. George saw the life drain away from Rick and a part of him couldn't believe what he had done. Rick's death seemed to bring some sense into George. He knew he had to stick to the plan, he reasoned that he might be rewarded more if he sturred up trouble. After all that was what his employers wanted. George knew he had to get out with at least one hostage. He dragged the boy to the back of the room. And grabbed a desk, sat down and thought of a plan to get out. The plan wasn't elegant, but he might get away with a few hostages as planned. He sent a message to the police to allow him to move to the gymnasium with his hostages. As they moved the frightened students and teacher to the gym, George smiled to himself. Yes, he was going to get away with this. If he remembered the plans of this school as well as he thought he did, he would get away and afterwards he would be paid very handsomely. Maybe I ought to take a vacation, he thought. They say that Fiji is beautiful this time of year. * * * Pain. All he could feel now was pain. His eyes opened and Rick took a breath. He wanted to scream, just breathing hurt, but he didn't have the strength to. Rick saw the blood on the floor and looked at his own body. He couldn't believe it. There were sparks around the his wounds and suddenly the wounds would disappear. "What the hell is going on!" he said. As he sat up, he knew the answer to his question. He was immortal. TO BE CONTINUED... (maybe) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ][_______________________________________________________ O##########][______________________________________________________/ ][ Ramirez: "The Kurgen, he is the strongest of all the immortals. He's the perfect warrior. If he wins the prize, mortal man will suffer an eternity of darkness... " Connor: "How do you fight such a savage?" Ramirez: "With heart, faith, and steel. In the end, there can be only one." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nath Prachayaamorn nathprac@ocf.berkeley.edu nath@uclink2.berkeley.edu =========================================================================