========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Mar 1996 12:20:28 -0500 Reply-To: LC Krakowka Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: LC Krakowka Subject: Long Lost 3/5 Martin made his move later that night. Two men broke into Anne's house and carried her off, leaving the baby behind, screaming in her crib. Duncan sent Richie to tend the child and called Adam first, then Sarah. They gathered at the bar; waiting for news to come to Joe. Adam paced nervously, while Sarah sat quietly on a stool, focusing her hatred. Blind rage would do her no good, but focused energy could be her ally. Periodically, he would try to talk to her, but she would raise a hand and turn her head, refusing to even acknowledge him. "He's taken her to a warehouse down by the docks," Joe said at last, after the long awaited phone call had arrived. Adam turned to make one last plea to Duncan. "Mac...do some-" but he was cut off as Sarah slammed the hilt of her sword into the base of his skull from behind. He fell to his knees, and slumped forward onto the floor. She looked down at him and her expression softened for a moment, then she turned to Joe. "Keep an eye on him?" "Remind me never to piss you off," Duncan said, checking Adam's pulse. "Let's go Mac," she brushed past him on her way out the door. The warehouse was dark and dilapidated; full of nooks that could hide one or more men. They entered back to back, expecting to be ambushed. "I do hope you aren't planning on aiding Miss MacGreggor, MacLeod," Martin said, stepping into a shaft of light streaming in from the broken windows above them. "That would be against the rules." "Where's Anne?" Duncan answered. "All in good time, MacLeod. First, Miss MacGreggor and I have some business." Sarah stepped forward and raised her sword. Martin circled around her. "I wasn't thinking about the fact that it could have been a woman in your clan," he said. "I wish I had...we could have had great fun together before I took your head." She ground her teeth, "Just shut up and fight." "From what I hear, you put up a fight even then..." "Stay focused Sarah, he's doing it on purpose," Duncan said. "But my men said that all the women of your clan were feisty," Martin continued. "I only wish I had joined in the festivities instead of sulking about missing my target." Sarah growled and followed him around the circle he was stalking. She was about to lunge at him when the "buzz" from Adam's arrival hit. "Well, looks like I can kill three birds with one stone," Martin smiled wickedly. "Peter Lenahaughn, isn't it? You should have taken my head when you had the chance." "You won't beat all three of us," Adam said. "What are you doing here?" Sarah snapped. Martin took advantage of her momentary distraction to strike the first blow. She countered it with an upward stroke and a kick to the knee. Mac grabbed Adam's arm and pulled him back as he leapt toward them. "You can't interfere." Adam let the tip of his sword clang to the floor and moaned. Martin and Sarah were trading blows, moving to and fro across the floor. He was trying to beat her down with brute strength, but she used speed and agility to her advantage, dodging many of his blows. She knew that the best way to end this fight in her favor was to do it quickly, the more fatigued she got, the more Martin's strength would count against her. They locked in a downward stroke, dangerously close to Sarah's shoulder. Knowing she couldn't out leverage him, Sarah stepped into the arc of his blade, and used the motion of his down swing to deflect it. It wouldn't hit where he wanted it to, but she knew it would meet her body somewhere. She braced herself for the pain, staggering backwards as the blade bit into her thigh. Nearby, Mac drew his sword. Martin advanced on Sarah, dealing her a slice across the chest that would have felled a mortal. He struck again, this time catching her along the shoulder, near her scar. Sarah managed to bring her sword up in time to block the next blow, which would have severed her head. But the force of it threw her onto the floor, rolling. "No!" Adam screamed, and Duncan restrained him again. Sarah used the momentum of her roll to get back to her feet. She looked down at herself covered in her own blood and felt the rage of watching her clan destroyed, the humiliation of being raped and left to die. When she glanced up again, Martin was grinning at her. Her eyes narrowed in hatred and she struck at him, following through with a kick to the stomach that knocked the wind out of him. He faltered for a moment, and she struck again, slicing him across the abdomen. Another stroke severed the tendons in his right wrist and his sword clattered to the floor. He sank to his knees, clutching his arm. "Where is Anne?" Sarah asked. He looked up at her. "Why should I tell you?" "Because if you don't, I will carve you into tiny pieces before I take your head and you'll know the pain of every person you have ever killed." He caught her stare for a few seconds, then turned his head away, knowing she would make good on the threat. "She's in a room above us, third one from the stairs on the left." "Mac," Sarah said, bringing her sword even with Martin's throat. He dropped his sword and ran for the stairs, taking them two at a time. Duncan found Anne precisely where Martin said she would be, bound and gagged, but no worse for the wear. He quickly dispatched the single guard and untied her. "What the hell is going on Mac?" She said, on the verge of hysterics. "Where's Mary?" "It's okay, Richie's with her," Duncan hugged her tightly, "Mary's okay." She sighed in relief and let her pick him up. "I'm getting a little tired of this being used as bait thing," she said. Duncan smiled, "Anne's all right," he yelled, carrying her to the stairs. Sarah turned her attention back to Martin, who made a last ditch dive for his sword. She took his head with one swift stroke. She glanced at Adam before the essence rose out of Martin's body and slammed into her own, bringing her to her knees. The quickening rocked the building, shattering glass, showering them with sparks and shards, and leaving Sarah unconscious. When the last flash died down, Adam ran to her side and scooped her up. [end part 3] copyright, 1996-Lisa Krakowka -- LC Krakowka /215 CCC/255-5378/ hck1@cornell.edu CIT Learning Technologies Center/Lab Webmistress http://krakowka.cit.cornell.edu/hpage/lisa.html Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it binds the universe together.