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Survivor Part 2 (2/8)
Kay Kelly (wilusa@EARTHLINK.NET)Mon, 2 Apr 2001 00:16:38 -0400
*** I pressed an ear to the door. My heart was pounding so I almost expected Carlos to hear it. "Yeah, MacLeod was definitely there. An' Jacob didn't kill him... No, I can't swear he didn't stay an' wait for the Watchers, but Jacob seemed sure he wouldn't. Left him a motorcycle... Oh shit, I never thought o' that! You think they'll be after *him?*... "Not yet, not a clue. I'll let you know when I do. But Jacob's crazy, man. Thinks he's gonna be the most powerful Immortal what ever lived... "No, I'm not tryin' to put the bite on you for more money. He really is dangerous, an' I don't know whether I'm more scared to leave him or to stay. But it ain't about money now. This guy's a threat to the world... "Right. Soon as I know an' can get away to use the phone, you'll know." It sounded as if he was close to signing off, so I beat a hasty retreat. I still needed to pee, but I knew the only safe course was to hold it. I raced back to our room, and when Carlos strolled in I appeared to be sound asleep. In fact, I lay awake all night. *** Next day I let myself hope Jacob would forget about Connor MacLeod for a generation or so. But I knew better than to expect it. So I wasn't surprised when we found him on the computer, hacking into Joe Dawson's latest report. "Ahh." A smile spread slowly across his face. "Duncan has left Paris. He's on his way here, after a stopover in London for some reason. To get funds, perhaps? "According to Dawson, he's just coming to New York because the tenth anniversary of his teacher's disappearance has him down in the dumps. Wants to visit the antique shop and loft again, look for clues, so forth and so on. But we know what's really going on." "We do?" Bob sounded confused. "Connor must have gotten in touch with him," Jacob explained. His eyes were glittering in anticipation. "Probably didn't want to draw him into this, but had to because he needs money. We can assume they've made plans to meet at the loft that was Connor's home, so we'll be there to ambush whoever arrives first. "And then...I think the time has come to reveal my identity. After that, I'll make Connor watch while I kill his precious student. Kill him *slowly*." I knew that by kill, he meant murder. During the last decade, the younger MacLeod had become one of the most powerful living Immortals. The Quickenings Jacob had taken in the Sanctuary--not yet fully assimilated--might or might not have made him strong enough to defeat him in a fair fight. But Jacob wouldn't take a chance on that. Wouldn't even exert himself, because his pride wasn't involved. Fanatic that he was, he saw Duncan only as someone whose death would hurt Connor. All Duncan's Immortality meant to him was that he'd have to be murdered in a different way than Brenda or Rachel. He advanced to the next screen. "More good news. Dawson isn't coming with him." When Duncan didn't want a friend joined at the hip, Dawson often trusted him to Watch himself. It was the only way to handle a relationship like theirs. Normally, the odds were overwhelmingly against the Highlander's being killed. If one day he was, the other Immortal would have a Watcher who'd report it. Unless the other Immortal was Jacob Kell. "He's not asking anyone in New York to Watch him," Jacob mused. "So Dawson must really believe it's a routine trip. And that means we won't have to deal with Duncan's leading Watchers to *us*." I glanced at Carlos, saw him taking it all in. Who the hell was he working for? Not the Watchers... the *police?* *** I couldn't take not knowing. So I kept an eye on him till he drifted off to the bathroom. Then I followed him and listened at the door again. He was on the phone, but keeping his voice lower. He had the brains to know he wasn't as safe during the day. I hung in there while he mumbled unintelligibly. There was a long pause while the person on the other end was talking. Then Carlos's voice rose; he let out a string of oaths. At last he said, "I'll take care of it... No, don't think about payin' me. Things have gone too far. Someone's gotta take a stand." I strained to hear what would come next. Turned out that was unnecessary. What came next was Carlos's opening the door. I practically fell into his arms.