fic: Tower of Strength [PG-15] p 12/14
Title: Tower of Strength
Author: A Lanart
Characters: Richie Ryan & Siannon O'Niall (OFC)
Rating: PG-15 (UK). (Probably an R in the US)
Warnings: Swearing, Angst and possibly disturbing subject matter.
Spoilers: Highlander seasons 1-3
Disclaimer: Davis/Panzer productions own the Highlander universe
Concepts and characters used without permission.
Original characters and ideas are Mine, so is the story.
No profit is being made off this by anyone, especially me!
Title courtesy of the Mission, from the song of the same name,
Summary: Richie's back in Seacouver after the events in 'Testimony', where he meets an *old* friend.
Part 12
Richie came back to himself with a stifled gasp. The floor was hard and uncomfortable. He sat up gingerly, then scrambled to his feet. It was obvious the room was empty and he noticed her coat had gone.
"Shit!" Pausing to rip off his ruined T-shirt, he rummaged in his bag for his spare shirt, pulling it on and buttoning it up in no time. Grabbing his jacket he near flew out of the room and down the back stairs to where he had left his bike. There was only one place he would find any answers now, and that was Joe's.
Joe looked up in consternation as Richie burst through the doors like a whirlwind. He took in with one glance the obvious worry in his face and the unnoticed blood stains on his jeans.
"We'll be in the office, Mike," he called out.
"Right, Joe." Joe guided Richie through the door and sat him in one of the chairs.
"What happened Richie, did you meet up with de Souza?"
"Who? No." He looked at his jeans. "Oh. No, that was Siannon."
"Siannon?!"
"Yeah. We argued, both said some stuff we probably shouldn't have, and then she went totally ballistic. I think she's gone after this guy, de Souza, you said?"
"Yeah, Robert de Souza. He's got quite a history with Siannon and he's actually been looking for her, but with her laying low he's turned up nothing so far." Just then there was a commotion outside the door and a dishevelled young man burst in.
"She's gone after de Souza," he blurted out, only then noticing Richie.
"How did you get here before me?" He asked. Richie looked at Joe, mouthing 'Siannon's Watcher?' at him and receiving a nod in return.
"Short cut, can't do it if you haven't got a bike."
"Oh." Joe frowned at the newcomer.
"Just tell me one thing, Paul, how did she find out?" The young man shuffled nervously and looked at his feet.
"She..uh.. held me up at swordpoint. I told her about the 'Dark Angel' but I don't know anything else. I came here, cause you said you wanted to know if she left and she'd swiped my mobile."
"Fair enough. Now sit down, tell me the whole thing." He sat, just as Richie stood up again.
"Would that be the 'Dark Angel' downtown?" He asked, oh so casually.
"Yeah, that's the one."
"Thanks Paul," Richie said and dived out the door before Joe could say anything.
"Damn!" was all Joe could manage as the door slammed behind Richie.
Richie screamed into the small car park at the side of the Dark Angel. Taking the time to pull off his helmet, he wandered in. The place was not as full as he'd expected, which he hoped would work in his favour. He sidled up to the bar, smiling politely at the blue-haired man serving the drinks. Richie made a point of *not* looking at the various studs and rings that adorned his face and ears, and focused on a spot on the bar in front of him, glancing upwards to catch the man's eyes.
"Hi, I was wondering if you could help me?"
"Might be able to, it depends."
"On what?"
"What you want to know."
"Just this. Was there a woman in here not long back? Tall, good looking, long dark hair in a braid, green eyes, leather coat?"
"Why?"
"I think she was meeting a guy, or arranging to meet him and to be quite honest, she's not really in her right mind at the moment and I'm worried about her."
"Yeah, she was here. Looked a bit... wild. She met a guy all right, fella who hangs around here a fair bit. I don't like him, but his money's good." Richie breathed an inward sigh of relief.
"Did they mention if they were going anywhere else?"
"Dunno, might've." Richie silently cursed the surly bartender.
"Please, this is important. She doesn't know what she's doing." The man behind the bar leaned across it to peer at Richie.
"You related or something?" He asked.
"Yeah, we are," said Richie, defiantly. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"Nah, not me. I've got a sister too. They said something about a warehouse dockside. Can't tell you more'n that I'm afraid, if they said anything else I didn't hear it. Hope that helps."
"It does, thanks. How'd you know she's my sister?" Richie was curious.
"It's like this. You're not doing the whole jealous guy bit, you're scared for her, worried. That says 'brother' to me, see. I'd feel the same if my sister went off with some guy I knew was bad news. Am I right?"
"Yeah, sort of. Thanks again, I gotta go." He ran out of the place with a wave for his unlikely saviour. At least he had a chance of finding them now.