"Internment" chapter 8
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In the main cave a stunned audience of immortals watched as MacLeod and Cassandra once again shouted at each other.
Gina whispered to Robert, “I always knew Adam was old, but 5000 years!” Robert nodded.
“Cassandra! Methos has saved your life three times - that I know of!”
Robert whispered, “No wonder he never remembers any first times.”
“First times?” Gina asked.
“Only so he could manipulate you!” Cassandra shouted back.
“Memories.” Robert explained. “When we brag about first teachers, first heads taken, first time having sex, first ships - he never remembers.”
MacLeod lowered his voice to a dangerous growl. “It’s been my experience that all older immortals manipulate younger immortals. And you, Cassandra, were by far the first to manipulate me.”
“Not even his first sword - though he said he does remember his first horse.”
Gina frowned. “Adam doesn’t remember the first time he had sex?”
“I only try to help you, Duncan!”
“No, you use me. And stop trying to use your Voice on me. Listen, Cassandra, we already talked about this. You are justified in your anger - but 3000 years! We need your gift now - not your rage.”
“You can’t expect me to be around him.”
Finally someone else dared speak above a whisper. Kyra said, “I think the man has already eliminated that problem, Cassandra. Methos has left the cave. We seem to have established that all ancient immortals are bastards, and speaking for myself I can verify that it’s true.”
Cassandra watched Kyra toying with a sword, recognizing it as her own. “Assassin!”
“Witch.”
“Ladies!” Walter interrupted, his tone sarcastic. In one arm he was holding Claudia who had been crying. In the other hand he held a sword. His head ached from what he suspected was exposure to the mesmerizing Voice of this scary friend of MacLeod’s. He was rather glad that Kyra had appropriated the witch’s sword before she revived from being tossed out of the helicopter. But he did feel a bit odd about having possession of Duncan’s katana. He nervously handled the ivory hilt, a tad embarrassed.
MacLeod seemed not to notice. He asked, “Does anyone know where Adam went?”
“Gina and I can show you.” Robert quickly offered.
“Good.”
“Duncan, I - ” Kyra started to ask.
“You stay here.” Some how Duncan MacLeod - new arrival and youngster that he was - had already taken charge. He wanted Kyra, who at 24 centuries seemed to be immune to Cassandra’s power, to remain with the others, especially in case Michelle and Sam returned from their hunting trip. Like Claudia they were too young to withstand the sway of the Voice.
A chance for a few private words with the de Valicourts would be good too.
Not bothering to ask for his sword - two being a more even number of swords inside the cave - he slipped outside with Gina and Robert following close behind.
Robert lead them a short distance to where the view of the ocean was spectacular. The three of them watched the waves break against the cliff, the murmur of surf below gentling nerves strained by the turmoil inside the cave.
Finally breaking the silence with a heavy sigh, and a self deprecating smile, MacLeod said, “I’ve come to rescue you.” They all laughed.
“Don’t worry, Duncan, we’ve been building a boat.” Gina reassured him.
“Really. I have a tracking chip implanted.”
“The mercs didn’t find it when they had you?” Robert asked.
“Just the one in my arm. They didn’t find the other.”
“You’re sure? Were you dead part of the time?”
“Well - yes - but I think I’d know if they found it.” He frowned for a moment. “Where do you think Adam went?”
“No idea. Just had to get out of there. He has a dozen little caves we can check where he stashes his tools, trying to hide them from the zoo keepers who keep swooping in and stealing them. It’s like they’ve never seen a stone tool before - ridiculous. They need to discover museums.”
Gina said, “It’s Adam’s age. They must have an idea of his age.”
MacLeod nodded. “I’m sorry about getting you involved with this.”
Robert waved his hand as a dismissive gesture. “This isn’t just about Pierson any more, Duncan. These rotters know about immortals, and act as if they’ve found a shiny new toy to play with.”
“How do you think they caught on to you?”
“Jean Ambroise.” The de Valicourtes answered in unison. Gina continued, “We knew her grandfather during the war. Pierre was in the resistance, and he married a good friend of ours. Their grandaughter Jean is an Interpol agent, so I asked her to make discrete inquiries about Adam. Jean would never betray us intentionally, but...”
Robert picked up the story, “The timing was such that we think her questions red flagged us.”
“Well Robert, you have been living in the same Chateau for four centuries.” MacLeod noted.
“We do change generations every thirty years or so, but you’re right. This is something that Gina and I have talked about over the decades - being outed to mortals. We’ve made plans, but all our plans and networking would work better in Paris than on some forested island.”
Gina nodded. “Which, Adam tells us, gets very cold in the winter.” Gina’s pout was beautiful. Adam could pout like that.
“We will be long gone before winter, my dear. In another week or so the boat will be ready.”
“That may not be necessary. I hope we’ll be rescued by air, soon.” Duncan explained. Robert looked almost disappointed.
“You want to see the boat?”
“Can we do it later? I’d like to talk to Adam before - well I guess he can’t take off any further than he already has, but still - ”
“The old ones tend to be a bit prickly. I guess that’s how they get to be the old ones,” Robert mused.
“Adam is really the oldest?” Gina asked. “He really did those things Cassandra claims?”
MacLeod took a deep breath, shifted his gaze from the ocean to Gina’s eyes. “Yes. And if you ask him, he’ll tell you he was even worse than she said. But that was in the Bronze Age. I’ve only known him for a decade, but I do know he’s spent several life times being a doctor helping people. I’m sure he’d tell you he could dig out his inner monster if he wanted to do it. Mostly he’s shown me friendship; pulling my hide out of trouble whenever he deemed it necessary.”
Gina nodded. “If I were choosing between Cassandra and Adam to fight at my back, I would choose Adam.”
Robert nodded his agreement.
MacLeod smiled, but then sighed. “Well you do have a weakness for pirates and rascals, Gina. But Cassandra is justified in her anger, and we may need her help when we get off this island. She has an unique ability. She can talk her way into the inner sanctum of our tormentors. We need to work out a kind of peace between these two ancient immortals. If we end up outed to mortals - not just a few secret enclaves, but if the general public becomes aware of us - I fear they’ll demand we all be locked up or worse. We need to stop our present tormentors before they let the world know about us. We need both Methos and Cassandra using their manipulative abilities to stop that happening.”
“You want the lion and the lamb to lay together,” Gina said.
Robert asked, “But who is the lion, and who the lamb?”
“Why don’t we go talk to Adam about that.”
Robert pointed in a westerly direction. “Let’s follow the rim this way. There are several caves along here.”
MacLeod got his first clear look at the island as the eked their way along the cliff edge. The distance wasn’t far, but the rough terrain made the journey slow.
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The trouble with being immortal is your quickening buzz gives you away. Jerked abruptly from his meditation, Methos felt the approach of several of his kind, but which ones would it be?
“Methos!” He heard his name shouted. MacLeod, of course. You could set your clock by the boy scout. The hollow feeling in his stomach returned to chew on him some more. He reached for anger to push aside the dangerous guilt Cassandra unleashed in him. He forced rage to squeeze out the regret, or at least cover its tracks. Then MacLeod ducked his head into the cave, and Methos’ stomach twisted some more. No shield protects me from this man.
Robert and Gina appeared behind MacLeod’s shoulder, but Mac’s face filled his eyes.
Robert spoke quietly, “I see there’s not enough room for four in here. We’ll let you two parlay.”
“I expect you back for dinner, Adam.” Gina scolded, before the de Valicourts backed away and departed.
Easing his way into the low cave, MacLeod took a position near Methos’ side, copying the older immortal’s lotus position. Their knees almost touched in the close quarters.
Silence stretched on for several minutes. “Hey.” MacLeod finally said. “Good to see you after a year.”
“You should have left me to rot.”
“Sorry about Cassandra. This wasn’t part of the plan.”
“There was a plan?”
MacLeod reached out and cuffed Methos along side his head, allowing his fingers to briefly touch the amazing head of long hair, causing him to blurt out, “Is this what you looked like back then?”
An evil smile spread across the young old face. “Except for lack of wode.”