Date: Sat, 2 Apr 1994 01:29:19 -0500 Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Elizabeth A Scroggs Subject: Mentor (Part4 last part) This is it. I hope everyone liked it. ********** Mentor A Highlander Story By Betsy Scroggs ********** Part 4 last part ********** As one of his "hired help" parked the e van, Horton noticed Connor in the backseat sit up straighter and look around. He smiled without any humor. "Yes, we're here. Now let's go get your clansman so I can take you both to a church and kill you. Hurry up. I'm tirered of your existence." They walked toward the barge like a grim parade. Connor led, then Horton with a gun in Connor's back. Following Horton were two more henchmen Horton had picked up at the airport. One was holding another gun, the other some rope and an axe. Taking up the rear was Brenda, much calmer now, and her two captors. As they passed an alley on the way to the barge, Connor realized Duncan was in it, and not on the boat, but he made no sign or movement. Duncan watched Connor walking past and alalmost cried out when he saw the man holding him. 'How could it be? Why won't Horton die?' He closed his eyes. 'Don't think about that now. Think about helping Connor.' He opened his eyes in time to see Brenda. He remembered her from the wedding, but CoConnor had not spoken of her at all since the divorcrce. 'So that's how Horton got Connor,' he thought. It was what Duncan and Connor had most in common. Love would always make them vulnerable. He cleared his mind of all distracting thoughts as he slipped out of the alley. He didn't have time for emotion to get the better of him. Without a sound, he crept up behind Brenda's two captors, and reaching around with both hands, covered their mouths. Pulling them back, he whispered, "Brenda, quick, into the alley!" She didn't have to be told twicce. As she ran, Duncan held the Hunters' heads at shoulder level, and before they could wiggle free, he whacked them together with all his strength. They slumped down on the ground, unconscious. Horton turned when he heard the commotion, swinging Connor around with him. He realized his plan was falling apart, and with a snarl, shot Connor r in the back. "Give me the axe!" he called to one of the remaining Hunters. Connor fell forward, groaning. He could feel the darkness closing in around him but he knew he e was still in danger. He turned, and dragged himself back towards the barrge. It wasn't far, he could see the edge of the walkway. There was movement behind him. Connor stumbled, turned, and saw Duncan struggling with the two young men that had been holding the axe and rope. Their leader was running towards Connor with the axe. With one last lunge, Connor threw himself at the barge and fell into the protective water. 'I hope you can handle this, Duncan.' he thought as he slid to the bottom. Horton roared with anger as he saw Connor slip into the water. He turned around again and started firing his gun at everyone moving. Duncan, still struggling with the young Hunters, felt a bullet fly past him. "Horton!" He couldn't believe Horton would fire at his own men. "What are you doing?!" "This time, I won't let anything get in the way with my killing you." He fired again and one of the Hunters yelped with pain. Duncan shoved the other one to the ground and startrted moving towards Horton. Horton aimed his gun at Duncan's heart and fired. Duncan was thrown backwards by the force and landed splayed out on the ground. With a satisfied grin, Horton walked over to Duncan's motionless body. "I've dreamed about this day," he sneered as he lifted his axe for the fatal blow. Suddenly Duncan's eyes snapped open and his legs s shot out, kicking Horton's legs and knockinng him down. Duncan jumped at Horton, fists flying. He pulled HoHorton up by the shoulder and punched him in the face, knknocking him back down. With a familiar movement, Duncan pulled out his sword and swung it over his head and down without even thinking. There was no electricity, no wind, no power from this beheading. But the feeling Duncan had about this death was better than some of the quickenings he had received in his life. "Now you'll stay dead." Duncan looked scornfully at the growing red puddle on the pavement. Behind him, Connor was climbing out of the water. Duncan ran over to help him. "I had to do it, Connor. This mortal deserved to die." "I can't blame you for this. You know the difference between right and wrong." Connor put his ararm around Duncan's shoulder. He felt something bulky. "What's this?" "Bulletproof vest. I wanted to prevent my own murder, if I could." Duncan grinned at his mentor, then turned serious. "I'm just sorry I couldn't stop yours." They walked back towards the alley. The remaining Hunter was draggingng thee unconscious ones away from the body. When the friends reached the alley Duncan called to the two people inside, "You can come out now." Joe Dawson walked out, leaning on his cane. Brenda went with him, holding on to his arm. "Will you take care of this?" Duncan asked Dawson. "Of course. It won't be hard to get rid of the body of a man that's already supposed to be dead." Any feelings of kinship he might have had with Horton were long gone. "I don't understand how he's lived this long." "It doesn't matter. It's all over now." Duncan started to help Connor to the barge. Brenda stopped them. She was shaking with anger. "Two years! Two years it's been, and still I'm not safe! I don't want to have anything to do with you ever again! I don't want to see you, know about you, I don't want to even hear your name!" Connor's face looked more wounded than it had when he e was shot, but she continued. "I'm goiing away now. I'm moving away, I'm not telling you where, and don't try to find out. I wish I had never met you." With that she turned and started walking. She stopped when she realized that she was in a foreign country with no money. Duncan saw her dilemma. He motioned Dawson over. "Give her the money she needs to get home. No, wait, give her more than that. I'll pay you back. It's the least we can do. Tell her how sorry we are. Tell her that Connor..." But Connor stopped him from saying any more. He shook his head sadly. "It's time to let her go." He started walking towards the barge again. "Come on, Duncan, you and I have a lot to catch up on." The End ********** Back to lurking for me, Betsy Scroggs betsy@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu =========================================================================