Survivor Part 2 (3/8)

• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
• Next message: Kay Kelly: "Survivor Part 2 (4/8)"
• Previous message: Kay Kelly: "Survivor Part 2 (2/8)"

***

I don't know which of us was more scared. But I got the
door closed, both of us in the bathroom. Then I blurted
out, "I won't tell on you."

After a long silence, he said, "How much did you hear?"

"Not much," I admitted. I kept my voice no louder than
a whisper. "But I got a little last night too. I know you're
working with someone against Jacob. I can't fight him
myself, and I don't dare walk out on him. But I'm sure
as hell not happy with what he did in the Sanctuary.
Especially his risking all our lives.

"I won't say anything, but I have to know. Who are you
working for? Have you been a mole all along?"

"From the start? Hell, no." He was shifting nervously
from one foot to the other. "An' later, all I was thinkin'
of was pickin' up a little extra money. The dude just
wanted information. It wasn't like he was after my
teacher's head."

*"Who?"*

He sighed. "Another Immortal. Name of Adam Pierson."

Once that much was out, Carlos seemed to relax. I think
he was glad, finally, to have someone to confide in. "I've
only met this Pierson guy once. British--leastways he's
got a British accent. I get the impression he's pretty old,
so maybe he didn't always talk like he does now.

"His interest in this is that he's a friend o' Duncan
MacLeod. He's been payin' me for a couple years, since
he got wind o' Jacob's searchin' for Connor. I was just
keepin' him informed. He wanted to be sure Jacob didn't
get so antsy that he'd go after his pal Duncan."

I felt a chill. "Does Pierson seem willing to fight Jacob?
As a last resort?"

"Maybe. But he's never wanted to. He said he'd quit
takin' heads for a few centuries, mostly to shake the
Watchers. He has fought an' killed some recently. But
he's not as solid with his sword skills as he woulda been
five hundred years ago."

"So you told him about the Sanctuary," I prodded.

"Yeah. He knew it existed. He'd never mentioned it
before, but when I called last night, he said he'd guessed
Connor was there.

"He was as freaked out as us to learn that nothin' much
happens when you kill on holy ground. But then he
thought about somethin' we hadnšt. He said he knows
the Watchers well, an' they'll do *anything* to keep this
under wraps. To protect the idea of holy ground as a safe
refuge. They'll kill anyone who's learned the truth,
even their old friend Connor MacLeod."

I sat down hard. On the toilet. "Jesus."

"Plus," Carlos continued, "he's checked with a few
contacts since yesterday. He's sure they've figured out
which Immortal wasn't beheaded, an' who was behind
the raid. The top Watcher brass had known all along
that Jacob has it in for MacLeod, wants to hurt an' not
kill him. An' none o' the other Immortals had enemies
still alive."

I needed a minute to absorb that. "You're saying...the
Watchers knew about Jacob? They could have told
MacLeod who his enemy was, so he could fight him! But
they kept him in the dark and let him throw his life
away. *Urged* him into their damn Sanctuary--that
was just as much 'interfering' as telling him about
Jacob would have been."

"Shit," Carlos muttered. "I hadn't thought it through,
but you're right. The sick bastards!"

Neither of us was a fan of Connor MacLeod. We believed
he'd brought his woes on himself by his long-ago murder
of a priest. But we were revolted by the Sanctuary. We
could appreciate the sacrifice MacLeod had made in
consigning himself to that eternal limbo--as he thought,
to protect the innocent. And we were appalled at the
Watchers' having encouraged him to do it when they
knew--and he did not--that it wasn't the only solution
to his problem.

As events had shown, it wasn't even the best solution.

I made myself focus on the crisis at hand. "You've told
Pierson Jacob finally is planning to kill Duncan?"

Carlos scowled. "Yep. Pierson's in London--it was him
Duncan stopped off to see. An' would you believe, Jacob
was wrong! Duncan hadn't heard from Connor. It was
like Dawson said--he was headed to New York to poke
around the loft an' look for clues he mighta missed
before.

"He'd already left Pierson's place by the time I called.
Pierson tried to stop him from comin' over here. Didn't
want him gettin' whacked by a dirty fighter, or
Watchers protectin' their new secret. So he told him
what went down at the Sanctuary, without namin'
Jacob. Said he thought Connor had been there, an' if so,
there was no chance he could be alive." He gave a
bemused shake of his head. "Duncan seems to take for
granted that Pierson knows all kinds o' stuff, just 'cause
he's old. But he wouldn't change his plans."

I shuddered. "So now what? Jacob will murder him even
if Connor doesn't show up at the loft. Connor will be sure
to hear about it."

"So now," Carlos said quietly, "it's up to me.

"I've gotta keep Jacob from killin' Duncan MacLeod."

• Next message: Kay Kelly: "Survivor Part 2 (4/8)"
• Previous message: Kay Kelly: "Survivor Part 2 (2/8)"