Title: Brave New World II: Into the Lions den

Authors: cooperative work (Brave New World RPG)

Rating: slash (NC17 for Het rape)

Archive: just let me know

Fandom: Highlander

Categorie: Round Robin RPG

Series:Second part of the 'Brave New World'

Summary:An unexpected visitor leads into Kronos' attempt at getting his long lost brother free

Disclaimers: I don't own Highlander and neither do any of the rest of the people on BNW.

Brave New World II: Into The Lions Den

by the Brave New World Role Playing Group

**New York 1993**

Scene, a large penthouse in New York.

Lilin was draped across the bed, a simple straw in her mouth. She was silently watching as her husband went through a shamanic morning ritual. His muscles tensed with every move his body made and his

words were alien even to her extensive knowledge of languages. The morningsun played across his back, framing his body in a golden shine.Suddenly he stopped. His eyes went wide open as in shock. Lilin

froze, wondering what could be going on. A vision? It had to be bad. It scared her. Temlan was never wrong with any of his visions."Something's happening." was all he said.

He went to the television and turned it on. An image of Methos appeared as two men held him down and put a gun against his head. 'What the hell?'

The broadcaster went on about proof and immortality and for a moment it was as if Lilins heart shattered in her chest.

"Temie, what's happening?"

The young looking ancient didn't respond. He just started packing.

"Temlan!"

"You have to leave Lilin. I'll follow if I can."

"But ..."

Not a single word she said seemed to stop him.

She backed up as someone tried to kick the door open.

"Lilin please."

He opened the window, Lilin went through it and looked back one last time.

"But what about you?"

"I love you mi chikir."

The last thing Lilin heard was the sound of gunfire as she stood on the ledge and tried to get to an open window.

"I love you too."

*
Stella awoke to the sound of her neighbors new baby screaming....again. She groaned as she caught sight of the time. It was not worth it to go back to sleep, she would only get another half hour at the most. She fumbled on her night stand for the remote and switched on the TV, staring absent minded at the ceiling as she listened to the early news.

"It's going to be hot folks, so be careful when going outside." warned the annoyingly happy weather girl. She rolled of the bed and flinched as her tired feet touched the cold hard wood floor. Another monday morning. Another long week. Something told her this was not going to be her day.

Her head was screaming from the night before. Kenya, her best friend since high school, decided she wasn't happy enough and threw her a party. And just like Kenya, she left Stella to clean up the mess.

Carefully she made her way through beer cans and broken chips to the bathroom. Cursing to herself because she couldn't find a single aspirin, so she took a Midal instead.

She got to work late. The traffic was terrible. She could just hear her boss nagging.

"Murray's looking for ya." said the security officer behind the front desk. Stella managed a weak smile and slide her ID card into the slot. The heavy door slide open and Stella slipped in and made her way to the locker room. Murray found her along the way and began his usually responsibility speech, but all she heard was blah, blah, blah. Her head was beginning to hurt again, but it was too late to do anything about it now. She had to get to the first case before Murray docked her pay.

*****

The experiment went off without any major problems. Thankfully the doctors didn't say anything about her being late. They chatted among themselves shooting orders to her when they needed something petty done. Her real job came after: cleaning up after the doctor and in this case, recording the after-effects the experiment had on the immortal. It was this part she hated most of all, actually having to talk to them. She was after all raised to despise them, Her parents had been leading advocates of immortal experimentation and her uncle was in charge of rounding up the strays. It was her uncle that had gotten her the job here after her parents died.

"How do you feel?" she asked as she began to put things away.

"How am I supposed to feel?" a scruffy voice responded.

"Just answer the question, Cullen. I'm not in the mood for your games." snapped Stella.

"Bit of a hangover? tsk, tsk tsk. And on a school night." Cullen joked. His teasing was distracting.

The man was covered half in sweat and blood. His stench was hard to bare.

******

To this day she doesn't remember what happened next. Maybe she didn't turn off the oxygen or maybe some other tank was on, that she didn't know about. She does remember plugging in a fan because the room was stuffy and hot. Then the light and the heat and Cullen's screams. Her lungs burned for air and her head became light. Too light to walk and to see. She gave up trying to find the door and lay down on the floor, waiting for help. But it never came, not in time to save her.

*******

Laura stretched as she woke up. Her husband was still deep asleep and snoring. She was careful not to wake him as she got out of the bed. Her nightshirt rustled along her body as she headed for the bathroom. She looked into the mirror and saw herself. Her long blond hair was rustled by a night sleep (and more). Her eyes were a bit red on the edges. She'd been working late last night. Another set of brainchirgurie. It wouldn't be long before they'd mapped out the workings of the human brain.

She splashed some water in her face. Trying to get herself awake. She hummed a tune while taking a shower. The boys had forgotten to clean the shower again. Julio was just as bad as the kids where cleaning up was concerned. One of Mikes shoes was lying next to the toilet. She muttered a bit while placing it out of the way. She held José's toothbrush under the water. The boy always left it as he'd used it.

She'd have to have a word with him about that later.

********

Stella slept little that night. In another hour she would have to make one of the hardest decisions of her life. To go to work as if nothing had happened or to pick up and leave? As far as she knew they didn't suspect her. She answered all their questions right and without hesitation. Besides, they were her friends, weren't they?

But what about the warning thing immortals had, that she had read about? She considdered it for a second. It wouldn't really be all that hard to hide her immortality from the other immortals. If they felt her presence they would just assume it was one of he others.On the other hand, if she didn't go she would bring much more attention to herself than going ever would. Stella had never missed a day of work since she started. It would seem out her nature to be so irresponsible.

Stella made her decision. Just like if it were any other day, she rolled out of bed and did the usual morning routine, almost in a zombie like trance. She would go to work. It would be better to face her future then to run and live in fear.

*******

It took Laura about an hour to get out of her apartment and to the center. The traffic was still light. Laura passed a few signs offering a chance to have your children tested for immortality. Laura knew those things were bogus. If it were so easy to test children, the IRS would have been holding that kind of tests in schools all over the country.

She winced her eyes as the early morningrays hit her eyes. The sun reflected heavily against the white walls of the Center. Laura took her parking-space and walked up to the gate.

"Goodmorning Dr Mendez." One of the guards greeted her.

"Any trouble?" she asked him.

"Two of the Immies had a fight. We had to separate them. They're in solitary right now." Laura nodded. The regular course of the day.

Another sign of their insanity, immortals just couldn't seem to live together in peace. She headed through the white halls of the building and went straight to her office. The days schedule was waiting for her on her computer.

Brainchirgurie
Bloodresearch
Livertransplant
Electrocifilic research
Psychological reviews

She stopped reading.

Another busy day. She looked at the videoscreens displaying some of the immortals. Most of them were still asleep. Only Pierson and Ryan were in the cafeteria. Byron was awake, but he hadn't left his room yet. There were a few of them in the televisionroom. Watching the early news. Laura presumed they still wanted to know what was happening in the outside world.

Why couldn't they just understand this was for the best? Even for them.

She put down her files and started her rounds.

*******

As Laura stepped into the room, Stella was there waiting for her, ready to start their round. Laura noticed that the young woman seemed a bit nervous. Quite expectable, the accident the day before must have really spooked her. She handed her list of subjects over."We'll start with Pierson. He should be recovered from yesterday's testing by now."

Pierson was strapped to one of the tables in the middle of the room. There were no observers present. Not during this kind of work It tended to scare the investors. The immortal seemed to be uncomfortable. He tried not to show it, but his hands and feet were rustling in the shackles holding them to the cold metal.

Laura took out her taperecorder.

"Pierson, mapping of the brain, test one of day 15."

She looked over at her 'patient'.

"Pierson is fully awake. In order for the test results to be correct, he must be completely aware."

The Doctor hesitated for a second. She didn't like working this way.

Unfortunately any sort of tranquilizer, sedative or drug would upset the results. The brainactivity wouldn't registrate as it should and the test would loose most of its worth.

Pierson shrank back as she approached. It was as if he was trying to melt with the table. Anything to get away from her touch. The immortal knew what would happen and he didn't like it.One of her assistants started the last preparations. His hair had been half shaven off two days before. It was easy to draw the lines on his head that would indicate where she would have to do the incisions.

It was all to clear that the immortal was trying to keep from showing his fear, but she could see it in his eyes. In the way the hairs of the back of his neck stood up, in the slight drops of sweat that showed on his skin.

She looked at the monitor. His heartbeat was going down, he was trying to hide in his mind. She couldn't allow it. Normally she wouldn't mind, but for this test he had to be 100% aware. His brainresponses had to be the regular course for any human. She slapped him in the face to get him out of his concentration before his mind slipped away.

It wasn't until all the preparations were ready that she started cutting. At first the immortal tried to hold in, but soon he was screaming. Especially when she started applying the sensors and transductors to his brainlobes. The brain itself might not have any nerves, but the messages sent through the devices was enough to make any man scream. Laura knew she would never forget those screams for as long as she lived. But she couldn't let that stop her

*****

Stella cringed as she felt Pierson's presence, but to her relief he seemed to preoccupied with fear to think about it. She busied herself with preparing for the operation, trying her hardest not to look at him. Scared to death that making eye contact with him would give her away.

She swallowed hard as the doctor began to cut. Her stomach turned as he began to scream. Stella closed her eyes tightly, trying to block out the sound. Normally these operations didn't bother her as much as one would think. But now things were different. It could so easily be her on that table.

"Stella, are you writing this down?" Dr. Mendez said loudly.

"Umm, sorry. Go on." Stela said as she grabbed a clipboard and turned around. But the sight was too much for her to take in her present condition. Nausea swept over her and the room began to grow smaller.

Dropping the clipboard she ran from the room, leaving Dr. Mendez calling after her.

Part Two

Laura looked after Stella.

'Damn what was wrong with the girl?'

She couldn't stop her work. But decided to search for the girl later.

It was another hour before she was finished. She had Pierson sent to his room. The testresults were coming in and from what she could see they'd be a success.

She sat down in her office for a few seconds and breathed out deeply. Allowing herself to try and deal with what she'd had to do. She could understand that a young woman like Stella Reyme might have problems with it. She didn't always like it either but the work they did was
essential.

She took her communicator and held it in front of her mouth.

"Television on" She thought for a few seconds. "Newsreport."

The set immediately clicked on to CNN. The IFF had just committed another attack on one of the centers. Luckily noone had been harmed and two of the terrorists had been arrested. Both were mortal.

She sighed.Why couldn't these people understand the necessity of the work they did here. These so-called freedomfighters were almost as bad as the rogue hunters. One group destroying years of work in a false attempt to free people that couldn't handle freedom, the others killing those same people out of fear. Simply forgetting everything that could be won for the sake of hate and superstition.

The schedule had held one such appointment. The center would buy a captured immortal from one of those huntergroups. At least here the woman would be safe. From the hunters, her own kind, but most of all from herself.

"Television off." She commanded.

Now where did that girl go. She took a look at the videoscreens. Now what was Ryan doing in Piersons room. How close where those two getting? She had to ask the staff psychologist to look up on that.Ah there was miss Reyme. In the staffs dressingroom.

She got up and headed off to the girl.

******

Stella sat alone in the dressing room puffing away at a camel. Her hands shook a little less each time she inhaled the nicotine. Her shoulder still hurt from her collision with a young redheaded
immortal as she ran down the hall. He had looked at her with such fear as she picked herself up. Almost as if he was waiting for her to hurt him for not being careful. She shivered as she remembered the look of confusion on his face as he tried to figure her out. Stella could almost hear him thinking, "An immortal in the clothes of his torturers." But maybe it was just her paranoia shining through.

Stella was beginning to doubt her decision to stay. This was going to be a lot harder than she'd thought. The only thing that was really keeping her from leaving was, ironically, her fear. With only three hundred dollars to her name, she wouldn't get far and how would she protect herself against other immortals. Stella has never even been in the same room with a sword. She had absolutely no idea how to live without the creature comforts. Basically she wouldn't last a month. When she really thought about it. she found it funny in a sick sorta way.

But now she had to think of what she was going to say to the person that came looking for her. She didn't want it to sound rehearsed or improvised. Damn it was hard to think with all the immortals moving in and out of her range. As soon as she got a rational thought in her head, it was lost within the presence of another. She got up off the floor where she collapsed and moved to her locker. She reached in to grab another cigarette out of her pack, but was frozen in her tracks by the sound of Dr. Mendez's voice in the hall. Why did it have to be her? Part of her wanted to hide, but the other part realized it wasn't rational. Quickly she snatched a cigarette out of the pack and lit it. There was no way she was going to have a conversation with her without one.

'Different year, Different city, Different country, Different building, Same interior decorator,' Monique Crusher thought as she stared at the wall of her gilded cage. For the past nine years, she had been carted to so many different centers that she had lost count a year or so ago. She had lost caring about her location too.'Nine years,' Mac thought as she rubbed the bare spot on her right wrist. Nine years since she had seen her brother, Adam......or Lucky..... Liz..... Connor....Chica ...or even... or even Tommy. She automatically touched her left ring finger when the thought of her husband popped into her head. She didn't even know if they were dead
or alive.

There was a quick knock on her door before it opened and a guard walked in. She slowly got off the bed and followed the guard into the rec room were most of the other 'poor misguided souls' were at. She left the guard at the door and walked over to the couch in front of the TV set. The newsreport stated that the IFF had attacked another center and two of the mortal members were arrested. 'Damn', she thought when she heard this,' Don't be getting sloppy, guys. Don't forget that the key was to free the immortals not get captured by the friggin' Nazis.' She ran her hands through her growing hair. At one of the centers she'd been at recently, they had given her a buzz cut, but it had been slowly growing out and was now at shoulders length.

She glanced around the room to get a feel for who she was being held with.

"Stella?"

Laura was more than a bit concerned. The young woman was almost trembling when she saw her. Smoking a cigarette, as if it were a lifeline.

"Are you alright?"

The girl nodded.

"There's no reason to be ashamed Stella. The experiments we do can be harrowing at times. I wouldn't be doing them either if not for the purpose." She took a breath.

"There's no shame in being bothered by it. I'd be surprised if you weren't.

You are still young and all that." The doctor gave the young woman her brightest smile.

Stella stared at the floor as Dr.Mendez talked.

"I just haven't been myself lately." She answered. "Maybe because of the accident.

I don't know. I'll be fine." Stella would say anything just to get the Doctor to leave.

"Maybe," said Dr. Mendez as she patted Stella's hand, "you should just do some paperwork and follow ups until you feel better."

Stella nodded in agreement and took a long draw from her cigarette.

"You know those things will kill you." Dr. Mendez said jokingly.

Stella could only laugh. If she only knew.

*******

Stella had been filing papers for an hour now. Her arms were exhausted from pushing folders back and stuffing things in. She checked her watch. In another hour she would meet Dr. Mendez to help her process a new arrival.

As she was sorting through the endless files she came across a familiar face. It was the red headed guy she had run over in the hall. She looked around her, making sure she was alone and then pulled his file out. Laying it on the open drawer. Richie Ryan was surprisingly young compared to the rest of the immortals. As she read his file, it suddenly dawned on her. She needed to make some connections not only on the outside, but in here as well. If she ever got caught she would need to know who it was safe to run too.

This Richie Ryan looked promising. He seemed like a nice guy and he might not hold that much resentment against her seeing that she never assisted an experiment with him. It was noted on his file that he was getting chummy with another immortal named Adam Pierson.

Where had she heard that name before? She needed a picture. Her finger followed the row of names until she came to the name she wanted, wincing as she saw his picture. The last time she saw that face it was twisted in pain. He might not be that good a choice when it came to protection. The things she helped do to him might not have been made a good impression.

She glanced at her watch again. She could feel her stomach cry out of a need to eat. At least that hadn't changed.

******

Laura left the young woman with her new load of work. She had more than enough work of her own. She went to her office and opened the file of one of the two new arrivals. Monique Crusher. The woman had been brought in the day before. Rather young for an immortal. Not even a hundred yet. Still she had to be treated with caution, her file said she'd been a member of the IFF. A founding member at that.

Well that life was over now. She looked at the young looking woman on the screen in front of her as she waited.

Suddenly the alarm of her phone sounded. A nice four tune sound that always cheered her up a bit. "Mom." It was José. What kind of trouble had the kid ran into now. "I'm sorry mom, but I got into a fight."

The boy hesitated for a second. "Mister Thompson wants to speak with you." Laura sighed.

She'd had various confrontations with the man before. He was one of those so called immortal sympathizers. She couldn't understand what those peoples problem was. Immortals here in
the center were treated better than a lot of people out on the street in the real world. Sure they were imprisoned, but that was for their own protection as much as for that of the rest of the world.

Immortals couldn't handle freedom. Millennia of selfdestructive behavior had proved that all to well.

The phonecall lasted over half an hour and ended with Josés suspension for the rest of the day instead of the week that the principal had demanded at first. Laura got up to pick him up from
school when the doorbell sounded. "Yes." Two orderlies came in bringing an immortal with them. "You asked to see Crusher doctor."

"Oh yes. Damn." She looked at the screen. Great she couldn't leave now. She looked at the guard. "Lighthorse, can you do me a favor."

The man nodded. She sighed. "José has been fighting again, can you go pick him up from school. Just bring him here. I think I can find him something to do." She pointed at the immortal. "I'll be to busy to pick him up myself."

Jon gave the Doc a hard look. "You know Doc. José may be doing all that because he needs his mother. He's a good boy really. Fighting is a whole lot better than some of the things he could get into. But if you want I can go get him. "

Laura nodded at the man. It wasn't really his business, but she had asked him to pick the boy up on more than one occasion and since the boy liked him.Before leaving Jon gave the Doc a look that spoke words he knew better than to say.

"Hey, don't mind me. We can reschedule if you need," Mac said in a sickly sweet voice that turned ice cold with her next remark," I'd hate to take time away from your family duties, cause you never know when something might happen and you will never see them again." Mac gazed at the doctor with barely disguised disgust. She had seen this type before since Salzer had told the world about immortals.

"Tell me, Doctor," she said in the same cold voice," How do you feel about slavery? or Holocaust? And what do you tell little Jose when he ask what you do at your work? Do you tell him about the electrocutions, cutting the "poor misguided immortals" open, disemboweling them all in the name of science and helping them?"

Laura looked at the woman with pity in her eyes. She'd heard the type of talk before. To be honest, being compared with nazis was one of the nicer words some of the more aware immortals had had for her.She didn't mind. It was understandable from their point of view.She opened up the womans file again.

"I'm afraid I'll have to have a bit of information. Once that's done, we can go on with a physical check up. You could of course tell me what I need to know, it will make things so much easier."

She didn't expect anything though. To bad. If the woman wouldn't cooperate, she'd be forced to do a vivisection to get the information she needed.

Part Three

*** Meanwhile in another part of the Center ***

Stella sat in a chair next one of the orderlies, watching the immortals eat. She so graciously volunteered to keep him company, he had the biggest crush on Stella, but she could care less. He really wasn't her type, but she would use his attraction to her advantage. From her vantage point she could see the entire room. She tried desperately to seem interested in everything the orderly had to say while at the same time memorizing faces and groups. She tried not to stare to long at anyone person.

"So do you?" asked the orderly.

"Do I what?" Said Stella, who now felt bad for not paying attention.

"Do you wanna go out sometime?" He said in a way that made Stella think he didn't ask out girls very often. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she didn't want to go out with him either.

"Umm..I would love to, but...now's not a good time." It broke her heart to watch his face go from hopeful expectation to the rejected puppy dog. "Why don't you ask me again in couple of weeks" She said in the hope of cheering him up again.

He gave her a big grin and excused himself. His charge was due in exam room one and wasn't coming gracefully. She could hear a slight struggle over the hand held radio.

Stella began to study the room more intensely now. Most of them looked down at their food when she caught their gaze. From her experience the majority of the immortals weren't very confrontational, especially the ones that had been here since the beginning. She jumped slightly as she felt a warm breathe behind her right ear. She turned around playfully expecting her admirer to be there, but drew a sharp breath as her eyes met those of the only other person that knew her secret, Cullen.

Cullen's entire body shook from laughter. The look on her face was priceless.

"You're not a very smart girl are you?" He chuckled.

"Keep your voice down!" Stella said as she as tried to get up.

Cullen grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back down roughly. His eyes burned, almost as if he was half mad. "It's not really fair."

Cullen hissed between clenched teeth. "It's not really fair that you come and go as you please while the rest of us suffer."

Stella tried to push him away only to have her wrist grabbed roughly.

Most of the other immortals had moved to the back of the room, to intrigued by what was unfolding in front of them to leave. Cullen yanked Stella off the chair and with almost inhuman strength threw her backwards, hitting the wall with a sickening thud. Stella tried to get up, but he was on her again. "Maybe it's time for the rest of them to know our little secret." He picked her up by her hair and held her against him. By that time the guards had arrived and had surrounded the two of them. "Maybe it's time for you to join us in hell." he hissed in her ear as a large hand enclosed her slim throat. She tried to call out for help from the guards who were holding defensive positions around them, but her breath was gone.

"Make a move and I'll break her neck." Cullen warned the guards. His grip on her throat tightened. "Ahhh..What the hell..I'll do it anyway." He said as he gave his hand a slight twist, laughing insanely as Stella crumbled to the floor.

Dallas was the first to Cullen. Knocking the man out of his way. he knelt next to Stella. Using her hair to block his movements as he realigned her neck . He picked her up and started to carry her out of the room. One of the orderlies yelled at him to stop but Dallas pretended not to hear either him or Cullens cursing.

Stella's first breath was painful. Her neck ached intensely, but the pain was going away. She felt herself moving. It wasn't smooth like she was on a stretcher. Then it came to her. She was being carried. Her eyes opened slightly, squinting as they adjusted to the light. Through a blurry hazy she tried to see who was carrying her, but his face was hard to make out.

"Where are you taking me?" She managed to squeak out.

Dallas voice was rough from not talking for so long. "Hush little one. You need to get out and as far away from here as you can. I can see you are a newbie but some of the others will try to expose you like Cullen. He's usually ok but like most, very bitter. This will all end all we immortals have to to is wait it out. Once you get out of here, find a woman named Margo Kane. She was my watcher and friend. I think she's with the underground. They can help get you out
of the country if that is what you want. But get out of here and fast. "

Dallas set the girl on her feet and slapped her on the rear to move. "Go! Now, before they figure out your one of us and you end up in here."

Stella started to down the hall, but stopped shortly before the door leading into the lobby. Not sure what possessed her to do what she did next. She called after the guy.

"Come with me." Stella said without thinking. "I can get you out if you come now. Look when are you ever going to get another chance this good again."

Dallas shook his head . "They know what I look like. If I tried to leave they would find me and endanger anyone who tried to help me. I hate this place and what they do to us. I want to leave more than any thing. But I can't risk anyone else getting hurt just because they tried to help me. They don't know about you yet, if you leave and don't come back they might think it was because of what happened. We can only hope. When you get home call the Doctor's office and leave a message on her machine saying you are upset and need to get away for a few days. With luck by the time they find out what you are, you'll be safely hidden with the underground. But you must hurry. And if you see Margo Kane tell her I'm alright and not to worry too much, I always land on my feet."

*** Back in Doc Mendez office ***

Laura nodded. First she started of with a few simple questions. The kinda thing she could just as easy get out of the womans file. Their only need was that they gave a check up to see how much cooperation the immortal would be willing to give.

Then it came to the more important questions.

Childhood illnesses, broken bones and injuries from before first death. Her early family life.
Doctor Mendez had a full list to go through and even when she thought a question wasn't really important, she still asked it just to get it out of the way.

They'd been busy for about an hour when the alarm in the cafeteria sounded. Laura quickly pressed a button in front of her and the image was shown in the midscreen.

An immortal had attacked a member of the staff. Stella Reyme. The poor girl to go through something like this right after the accident the day before. The orderlies acted immediately but the immortal held the woman in a dead-grip. Stella's eyes closed and Laura could see her grasp.

Then all of a sudden one of the other immortals interfered, pulling the young woman out of the first ones grasp and pulling her along. Out of the room. She could only get the camera to focus a few moments later when the girl stumbled out of the room.

Kinkade, that was the second immortals name, didn't resist when the guards grabbed him. Cullens body was lying on the ground, dead.

Temporary that is.

Laura watched as the guards pulled him along to solitary. She sighed.

Yet one more for disciplinary measures.

Jacob would love it. He always enjoyed it when he got some more subjects for his research. Laura couldn't understand why he was allowed to stay on. The man wasn't a scientist. He was a butcher who enjoyed hurting his subjects as much as possible. Even when their was no justified scientific purpose. She doubted the man would be held on if not for his military work.

It didn't take Stella long to get to her apartment. She stopped at the bank next to her building and emptied her account. Three hundred dollars wasn't much but it was better then nothing.

Her apartment was still in shambles from the party the night before. God forbid Kenya pick anything up. She picked her way through the beer cans and bottles, threw open the bedroom door, and headed straight for the closet. She sighed loudly as she studied all her beautiful clothes. She LOVED her clothes, but there was no way she could bring them all. Her fingers ran over the line of dress that hung to the left. Each one had memories. The yellow satin with the Cinderella style skirt she had worn to her prom. There was the red silk ankle length she wore the first time she became "serious" with one of her boyfriends. And then there was the perfect little black dress. The perfect for any occasion dress. Every fiber in this dress held some sort of memory. There was no way she was going to leave this behind. She laid it carefully in the bottom of a suitcase and fished around for the matching shoes.

From then on she wasn't so picky. She packed all her jeans and T-shirts. You can never have too many of those. She even cleaned her bathroom out, taking everything but the sink. Now it was time to look for things of value. She didn't where much jewelry, but the stuff she did have was worth a pretty penny. It was about the only thing she had that was worth taking. She couldn't exactly drag a television and stereo system with her until she needed the money.

Stella left a note for Kenya. The note didn't explain why she left.

It was just the simple "I have to leave. Explain later maybe. Don't worry, I'm safe." She took one last look at her apartment. Smiling as she remembered all the fun she had had there. It hurt to leave, but she had to.

She closed the door on her old life. Stepping out into a new one. A life filled with uncertainty and fear.

*****

Stella cursed as she fumbled with the door key. She was way too tired for this. The motel she found wasn't exactly the Hilton, but she had to be careful with money. An odd smell attacked her sense as she stepped in the room. She could only describe it as a mix of old beer and mold. Her nose wrinkled as she look at the dank little room, lifting her left foot to let some kind of beetle pass through. The spoiled little rich girl in her wanted run screaming across the street to the $50 a night hotel.

"Thank God it's only for a night." She told herself as she checked to see if this place even had a bathroom.

******

After a long bath and a hot pizza, she began to figure out her next step. Dallas had told her to look up a Margo Kane, but how the hell was she supposed to do that. She laid back on the bed and stared at the brown stain on the ceiling. The logical place to start would be the phone book. She rolled on her stomach and opened the drawer on the dresser. No phone book there. She was going to have to do this the hard way. Grabbing her cell phone she began dial. She had suspected certain people in the center had connections to the underground. It was time to see if her suspicions were true. It rang six or seven times before a familiar male voice answered.

"Lighthorse." it said.

"Jon, It's Stella. I need to talk to you and please be completely honest with me."

Jon was shocked to hear Stella's voice on the phone. Lab help didn't have much to do with orderlies as a rule. But the kid sounded scared and stressed. After what he heard happened to her today no wonder. "Ok Stella what do you want to know?"

"I know we have never talked much, but I need your help." Stella hesitated for a minute, afraid to tell him the whole story. "I always thought your were different from the rest of the us. It was like you cared more or something. Which leads me to ask you.....do you have connections to the underground?"

There was a uncomfortable silence on the other end. Stella felt like she need to say more. "I promise I'm not setting you up or anything.

You know that accident I had in one of the labs. Well I sorta died and I would have been caught when Cullen attacked me if it wasn't for Kinkade. He told me to find the underground but I have no idea where to start." She forced herself to stop talking. It did feel good to tell somebody though. She held her breath as she waited for him to respond. Praying he trusted her enough to tell her something.

Anything.

Jon thought for a wile. He knew he had to do something. "All right .

Tomorow go to the West End movie theater. Hit the 7: 15 showing of that new M-I 2 movie. At 7: 45 go to the ladies room, go to the stall at the far end. Some one will be there to meet you. If you see any one from the center or if any one is watching you leave. Don't hang around. And when you talk to the person you are meeting don't say my name. They won't know me. Till then get some rest, and be ready to take off at any time. Oh and you might take some of your things with you when you go to the movies, if you check out with them you won't be able to go back to where you are and get things left behind. Take care and good luck."

Jon hung up the phone going out side to a pay phone down the road he dialed a number. ' Margo, got a newbie for you . Dallas gave her your name and told her to come to you. She'll be a the usual place at 7:45 tomorrow. Margo this kid is scared, she used to work at the center, so she knows what they'll do to her. OK give Jesse my love."

Part Four

** Paris**

The immortal paced the length of the concrete floor like some caged animal stalking it's keeper. In essence truly he was a caged animal.

Some twenty five years before, a bitch by the name of Christine Salzer had revealed the truth about immortals to the public . The world took the bait, and his life had not been the same since. He had gone from being the hunter, feared on two continents for countless centuries. To being the hunted, not safe among the world of mortals and their 'open season' on the immortals.

His jet black hair was cut short, but not by any barber around town, it was done in his dingy little bathroom, with a hand held mirror and a small pair of scissors. It took a lot of patience and time to give himself an inconspicuously short haircut, but he had all the time in the world, or at least he used to.

He was anything but a wallflower. His eyes were an alarming shade of blue, reminiscent of the summer sky in the heat of August. Directly through the center of his right eye ran a ragged scar that he had bore for over four millennium. With the outing of immortals came the outing of his picture, the scar standing out like a beacon in every photo of him, in every decade. He had to be careful.

He slammed his fist down into a small wooden table in anger, causing the vibration to run up his arm to his shoulder blade. He was furious. He was Pestilence, He rode next to Famine, War and Death for a thousand years. He killed, he maimed, he was fear incarnate, yet he was a prisoner in his own home. If you could call it a home.

The last year he had been hiding in a warehouse that he had purchased. He had cleverly strewn junk around the front so upon first glance it appeared abandoned, but if one looked closely they would begin to discern a pattern among the chaos, the path that led to the lion's den. The trail was laden with booby traps, and he had trapped himself more then one street urchin in the past twelve months. Once he caught another immortal who had been looking for a place to hide as well, Pestilence took his head and had the sweetest Quickening he could remember, for it had been so long since immortals wandered freely and Quickenings were taken at will.

Through the path, and past the traps sat a small three room apartment consisting of his kitchen, which was always well stocked thanks to the immortal sympathizer delivery boy from the Sanctuary down the street. His bedroom, which was home to a dresser full of black clothing, and a modest double bed. His living room, which had amenities like a color TV, his laptop computer where most of his safe acquiring of supplies went through, a washer, a dryer along with his torn leather couch and chipped wood coffee table. For being a fugitive from the world he was perfectly comfortable.

There was only one thing he wanted, only one thing he felt he truly needed. His brother. Not brother in birth, but brother in blood all the same. Methos. The ancient immortal who had ridden to his right for century upon century. The man who brought death upon every village and hamlet like Loki the Slayer of Gods. Methos would have a plan, he always did. Once they were together they could ride again without fear of being beheaded by someone who's presence they could not feel. Someone who had no idea what it would be like to live past 50 and still be viable, let alone four thousand years.

"Methos, where are you?" He whispered in the dim light of his living room, before sitting back down at his laptop, following the gossamer threads of a trail he had picked up while searching for his brother in arms.

****

Outside in an alley next to the warehouse a young girl was standing in the shadows. Her bright red hair stood of against the darkness around her. She shivered slightly. Not from the cold, she was wearing a pretty decent black coat over her top and long skirt and on top of that it was rather warm for the time of the year.

She stood frozen to her place in the shadows. One more step would bring her into sensing range of the man inside. She hesitated. Inside was the one man she'd never wanted to meet again. Well except for the day she could take his head that was.

Kronos
Pestilence.

She'd been standing there for over an hour. Careful not to be seen from any of the camera's surrounding the building.

Did she really want to do this?

Kronos was a monster, her childhoods worst nightmare.She remembered all the times she told Cassandra to forget about them. Terrified the younger immortal would get killed in her pursuit of the Horsemen. She hadn't understood. Just like herself, Cassandra was driven by fears that just wouldn't go away. Believing that the death of the men who caused the nightmares, would take those nightmares away.

But they weren't worth it. Noone should waste their life for those bastards. Then she'd found Caspian and he'd been as bad as ever.

** Romania 1976 **

Lilin entered the room. The bodies of two children were lying on the butchers table. She had to fight to keep in her meal.The smell filling the room was rancid with the stench of human flesh.

She'd found her man alright.

Suddenly she felt his approach. His immortal Buzz hitting every part of her instinct. Telling her to run, to get away from here."My oh my, said the spider to the fly."

Lilin looked him in the eyes.

"Hello Caspian." Her voice was overflowing with sweetness. His eyes looked at her filled with lust and a hunger. He probably thought he'd enjoy her Quickening later.

He came closer. Even though he wasn't all that big, he still towered over the tiny form of the apparent teenager. His hand first touched her cheek, then went down. Suddenly he gasped. His hands went to his stomach or more exactly the knife sticking out of his guts.

"Nice to see you Caspian." Famine died with the young girl looking over him. Her face filled with a smile that brought shivers even in what resembled his heart.

She stood there looking at the body at her feet. She kicked the body.

It didn't move, she didn't really have that kind of strength. She spat on his face.

"How strong are you now Horseman?" she asked the corpse. Slightly trembling, her eyes filled with hate and anger she took out her sword. Its shiny metal blade reflecting its intended victim.

The girl stood over him, ready to strike.

** His hands touching her, hitting her. His knife where was it going, No!***

She almost screamed and dropped the sword. She staggered back a bit.

"Can I kill him?" Lilin knew that if she killed him now, her Quickening would be forever tainted by his insanity. Nearly four thousand years of madness.

Could she handle it?

She looked at the man. He still looked like the man who'd first killed her over 3500 years ago. Kronoss' brother Famine. Holding her hands in front of her she stared at the lingering scars that still filled them slightly.

There near her thumb he'd started driving a nail through her hand, there at the back he'd burned her with a hot poker. She wanted to kill him. She had to stop him at least.

Shivering under the bright light she went up to the phone. In Rumanian she told the police officer where the mad murderer could be found. She forced herself to pull of the Horsemens shirt and clean up his chest a bit. Making sure to leave the knife inside so he wouldn't recover to soon.

When she heard the sirens she quickly pulled out the knife and left out the back way. She could still hear the loud gasps of the cops as they saw what awaited them inside. He would get his due.

******

The mortal hunters had found him in an asylum. Tied up to the wall. The thought of him being the one to be tortured in their labs made her grin evilly. Maybe she should just warn the IRS (Immortal Registration Service). Let them find Kronos and deal with him. Three of the Horsemen in mortal hands. The idea had a strange sort of appeal to her.

The pleasure that thought brought her, scared her. Had she really become that cruel? The temptation of it was strong but she knew she wouldn't do it. She needed Kronos. For now at least. He was the only one strong enough to help her free Methos. The only immortal still free with enough connections to get Death out.

And she needed Death with a fervor that scared her even more. If she had Methos, they'd have a plan. And that was the only way to find Temlan and get him out. And the only way to get Methos was through the monster inside.

Kronos.

She moved one step further. Awaiting the Buzz to hit her.

It didn't take long.

She could still run. Get away from him. The teenage immortal forced herself to take yet another step forward.

The door of the warehouse shrieked as it opened. Kronos was still standing in the shadows. Ready for anything. Lilin looked at him, trying to pretend a fearlessness she'd never have where he was concerned.

"Hello Master." the two words where spoken with a complete show of disgust.

If there where any confusion left, her insultive tone cleared it up. She hated him now more than ever.

******

"Now now kitten." Kronos purred from the shadows of his den. "You don't sound happy to see me." His tongue made several clicking noises on the roof of his mouth, and his lips curled in a feral grin she could not see for the horseman was enveloped in a shroud of darkness.

"After all we were friends at one point weren't we?" He questioned of her, feeling her anger rise around her like a heat. "No don't answer that, you might say something you will regret." He sniffed a small laugh and stepped out of the shadows, a shaft of moonlight filtered in through a broken window pane illuminating him in it's light.

He wore black, for it's color suited him. Black jeans, a tight black shirt which showed every well worked contour of his chest and abdomen. He had been hiding, but he had not been idle. His head was slightly lowered, and he looked at the girl through a thick veil of lashes concealing his ice blue eyes.

Danni. His mind identified her not by her given name, but by the name he called her some three thousand years ago. She was a slave to the Horsemen, along with countless other females. The anger that he had felt at Caspian welled up again for killing her so young. The cannibal could have at least waited until she grew bigger breasts.

He sighed deeply, the musty air of the warehouse filled his lungs to capacity before releasing it hard enough to blow wisps of her fiery red hair across her forehead. In his right hand he held his sword, it's tip resting delicately on the ground, it's leather wrapped hilt resting nicely in his hand the way it had since he acquired it seven hundred years ago off the body of a Russian immortal, whose name he couldn't quite recall.

"I knew it was you, I saw you quite some time ago standing outside my little window. That's why I came to meet you." He said circling her slowly, enjoying the fury in her eyes, and how her anger had forced her lips into a tight little line on her face. "I didn't want you to get killed before you can tell me what it is you want." He gestured indicating the few well placed traps along the path to his living quarters that would have made the pretty young immortal as flat as a pancake in less then ten seconds.

His blade hit a nick in the concrete and bounced, emitting a few blue sparks from the tip. He backed up a step and sat down upon an empty wooden crate, his legs opened slightly, his blade resting across his black clad thighs. The ancient immortal tilted his head slightly, looking at her sideways through his aquamarine eyes."So Danni. What is it you want?" He deliberately used her slave name to incense her, even after twenty five years of being the hunted the natural killer in him surfaced.

******

"Methos. I know where he is. But I need your help to free him."

She waited for his answer. Not sure what he'd say. The teenage immortal considered what more she could tell him. There was nothing more he'd need to know if he didn't ask for it.

If it wasn't enough he'd kill her. If it were ... She knew she could get one of her knives out of her sleeves, but with Kronos chances were to high he'd stop her and kill her if she tried. Then again, Temlan was worth it. Without him , life just wasn't worth living.

"You know where Methos is?" He said, not even disguising the surprise in his voice. He still thought of her as a slave, albeit she was immortal, she was still a slave, and she was not supposed to know things he didn't.

The scarred immortal stroked the cold steel of his blade as it rested across his parted thighs, the moonlight catching it making it sparkle as if it had a life of it's own. He was a little more then furious. He had been searching for Methos for the past ten years, following paper trails that lead to nothing, gossamer threads of his brother in arms which vanished as if they had never even been there to begin with.

"Where is he?" He snarled, his voice cold as the icy tundra, knowing that he would align forces with the woman in order to get what he wanted.

Lilin had to fight to keep a smile of her face. He was going for it.

"I'll tell you later," then as if in an afterthought she added. "Master."

She knew that she'd have to use every bit of her wits to stay ahead of Kronos. She couldn't openly manipulate him. He'd know it in a second. But being to honest to soon wouldn't be good either. He might underestimate her but that wouldn't last to long.

Kronos was a monster, he wasn't stupid.

"Let's just say I have my sources."

She thought of Lisa and Donovan. Two of her greatgrandchildren that were members of pro-immortal protest movements. Lilin herself had asked them to stay quit. To listen for news. Their effort had finally paid of.

But Kronos didn't need to know about them. Not yet.

"Maybe we should go inside?" she asked. "Someone might notice an adult man such as yourself talking to a sweet innocent girl like me. Who knows what they might think?"

"The only person who would mistake you for sweet and innocent is a blind deaf mute." He snarled, but nevertheless, she was right. This death trap of a warehouse had been his home for three years now, and he was not about ready to blow it for a slave.

"Follow me, step where I step otherwise you will be a pretty little stain on my floor." He said curtly not bothering to wait for a reply.

The warehouse was large, he paid a pretty penny for it, 90,000 square feet zoned for a construction business and Pestilence used it as a maze leading back to a small three room apartment.

He took rights and lefts through the twisting tunnels of strewn metal, wood, and large pieces of fiberglass from swimming pools seemingly at random, but anyone who knew the ancient immortal knew he was anything but random. He held up a calloused hand and hissed softly.

"Two wires in the shape of an 'X' right in front of me, do you see them?" Lilin squinted slightly her vision blurred and then focused again, and she did indeed see the two wires cleverly placed so if you saw the first one you would most likely step on the second one.

"I see them."

"I would step over them if I were you, one is attached to the pin of a grenade, and the other would send that toppling down on your pretty little head." He gestured upward to a sickeningly large piece of rusted metal. He stepped precariously over the wires without so much as a thought, and waited for the deafening boom, or the grinding crunch of the slave's bones as she was blown to bits, or squished. Neither came and he smiled.

******

He gently kicked open a small oak door that lead into his living room. Two ripped leather couches sat at an angle to each other, he gestured to the left couch as he himself took the right. He wanted to stare into her eyes, he could see a lie with one glance, and if she joked about his Brother, she would be minus one head very quickly."Well? Were is he?"

Lilin looked at Kronos.

Damn, she hadn't planned to tell him that yet. But he was paranoid, cautious. To cautious. She thought about the deadtraps they'd just passed coming in. And even though she'd memorized the route up to an inch, she wasn't sure things would stay the same on the way out.

Especially if she'd be forced to run.

"I'll give you the location later." she smiled at him. "Master." Then before Kronos could respond her hand went to her coat. Kronos almost instantly pulled his sword. Lilin didn't let it stop her. She took the envelope out and handed it over to Kronos. The immortal stood ready to kill her.

"A bit tense. Aren't you. Master."

The way she kept hissing the word 'master' was the only insult she allowed herself.

She looked at him while he went through them. She'd seen them all before. All of them showed Methos. Some as he was sleeping or eating, Most showed him in pain. The mortals probably called it scientific research. Lilin plainly called it torture.

"I've got video's as well." She turned down her eyes. "If you want to see them ..."

Part Five

Kronos shuffled the pictures, glad for the little dates printed in an orangey-red in the lower right hand corner, or he would not have believed that the slave was telling the truth. There he was, Methos, two dimensional flesh and blood. One picture he was sleeping, his face looked peaceful, his brow unlined, though his skin was a bit paler then the soft gold Kronos had grown used to seeing in the millennium they rode together.

The following picture was horrific, it was Methos enduring a torture that the Horsemen practically invented. A disembowelment by a scythe like tool, and when the intestines were pulled out of the body, and lying on the victims chest, a hot branding iron was placed to them.
The soft flesh charred and blackened, trying vainly to pull itself away from the body.

Most victims rarely stayed conscious for more then two or three minutes of this torture, but Methos was lying there, bowels exposed and almost charcoal his face contorted into a scream.
Kronos felt his heart lurch, when he saw this, and vowed to kill each and ever one of the bastards who did this to his friend, and brother in arms. The next picture, was Methos again, back to sleep, though nowhere near as peaceful as before. The fine lines in the corners of his eyes seemed to have gotten a little deeper, his forehead was furrowed, and he could tell just by the still photograph that captured a fraction of a second in life and immortalized it forever that Methos was having a nightmare. A nightmare like the ones they caused entire cities to have as they rode through on their horses, their blades cutting down those in their paths.

He dropped the pictures on the coffee table, watching them fan out, making a small art gallery on his chipped furniture. He raised, his blue eyes and looked at the girl, he pushed down his fury at the center for immortal torture and at her for waltzing into his life dangling the one piece of bait he would take.

"Videos won't be necessary little one." He cooed. Two can play at his game. "Though I would like to know, what's in it for you. You hate Methos, almost as much as you hate me."

What could she say to that? Especially since it had been the truth for a long time. If not for Temlan, she would have killed Methos centuries, no millennia ago. But Temlan liked him and for her love's sake, she'd let the Horsemen be. Allowing to a simple deal.

Darius for Methos.

Temlan wouldn't kill or harm the priest, she wouldn't bother the Horseman. She never understood her husbands dislike of Darius. Sure he'd killed the holy man Sadriss and Temlan had loved that man. But both him and Methos had done things at least double as bad. Was it
the sudden change that made him distrust Darius. The fact that he turned around almost in a second. One moment being evil, the next being nearly as holy as the man he'd killed.

She'd never know. Temlan didn't talk about it.

"Have you ever heard of Loki? "

She didn't wait for him to respond. "The Slayer of Gods."

She was sure Kronos knew him. Methos had definitely told her and Temlan how angry the Horsemen had been all the times Loki had beaten them to a target. All the times they'd been just to late.

How some villages almost seemed happy to see the Horsemen come, because at least they weren't as bad as Loki. Because the Horsemen usually just killed everyone. While Loki ate their souls.

"I married him a thousand years ago. The mortals have him in a specially fortified base. I can't find it." She looked her former master in the eyes. "I want my husband back and I need Methos to get him. For that alone I'd go to hell and back to get the bastard out."

Kronos tilted his head back and laughed heartily. It was a laugh that came from the depths of his belly and shook his entire being with its force. He had lit a candle on the side table to afford him enough light to see the horrific pictures Lilin had shown him, but not enough to cause notice from the outside. It's single flame danced shadows across his face, making him look a bit mad in his laughter.

"It looks like you are well on your way to hell if you came here." He said when his laughter died down. His slave had married Loki, one of the few people who he hated in this lifetime. It was a viscous circle they were in. Lilin needed two men she loathed to get her husband free, and Kronos needed two immortals he despised to get his arms mate free.

He cast his scarred eye down towards the pictures, making their macabre display of Death defying death. "I'm in. Where is he? When do we go?"

Lilin looked up at the man. Truly facing his eyes for the first time since she'd come before him.
"I want an oath first. An oath on your blood, on your brotherhood with Methos, with the horsemen, that you will help me free Loki. You can fight him afterwards, but you will help me free my husband and let him recover. If not, you might as well kill me now. And you won't
find Methos. Ever."

She didn't mention that if she didn't call her greatgranddaughter in exactly 6 minutes from now, the girl would call the IRS. Telling them exactly where to find Kronos.

Nor did she mention that Temlan could beat him anytime. He was known as the Slayer of Gods for a reason. Even the Horseman in front of her wasn't able to kill another immortal with his bare hands. Even Kronos needed a sword to decapitate someone. Temlan didn't. Even looking as a teenager he'd survived for well over 5000 years both by his cunning and his skill.

All he'd need were his hands and maybe a slight bit of telekinesis.

Yes, Kronos was immune to the Voice, but he wouldn't be immune to death.

*****

Lilin looked at the man. "I want an oath first. An oath on your blood, on your brotherhood with Methos, that you will help me free Loki. You can fight him afterwards, but you will help me free my husband and let him recover. If not, you might as well kill me now. And you won't find Methos. Ever."

The man who had once rode across two continents and killed ten thousand people with one fell swoop of his blade momentarily contemplated killing the girl. He had only had two slaves in his lifetime whom he despised, this one and Cassandra.He had come close to finding Methos several times in the last three years had had been searching, he wanted to shout, but then he recalled the paper trails he had followed and how they had vanished into nothingness. Almost as if he had been following his own imagination rather than a man.

He rubbed his lips with a thumb, calloused and strong from four millennium of holding a sword. He sighed and rolled his eyes upward as if physically searching for the will not to draw his blade and part this annoyance with her lifeline.

"An oath you want, and oath you shall have." He said standing quickly, raising his lanky frame to it's not quite six foot height.

He extended his hand, loathing her touch, but the will to find Methos overrode. "I will not fight you nor Loki." He practically spit the last word as if it had been covered in poison. "Until everyone has had a chance to recover, but God help me girl, if you are lying to me you will be dead where you stand."

******

Lilin didn't smile, but it took her fiercest effort not to do so.

"Good." She nodded and shaked his hand. Kronos still believed in oaths. Unlike Methos, unlike Temlan, unlike herself. She knew he wanted to kill her. She wasn't obedient, she wasn't terrified and she knew things he didn't. But he would help her, for now at least and that was all she wanted.

"I have a plane leaving for Denver in two hours. That's where he is. The hospital's location is secret. But my sources told me were to find it."

She sat down on the table. Careful but as gracefully as he'd taught her to be. In the Horsemens camp lessons had been taught in pain and blood. She'd learned them quickly. To be as silent as a cat, as quick as an antelope and as obedient as a dog.

She pulled out her phone, with a slow and obvious movement. There was no need to antagonize him any more than was necessary. "I'll have to call my people so they can make reservations. Do you mind?"

Nodding at him to take a step back.

Denver, the Hilton
Lisa Moore
Saturday
~~~~~~~~~~
Lisa sat down anxiously, waiting right next to the phone. Anytime now Lilin was supposed to call. She was biting her nails. Looking at the clock every few minutes. If she didn't receive the call, she would have to do something she'd never thought possible.

To turn an immortal in to the hunters.

But she had promised.

If Lilin didn't call. Kronos had to be stopped.

She jumped up almost two feet when the phone finally rang. Taking a deep breath she calmed herself enough to pick it up. After exactly five rings as they'd agreed.

"Lisa. It's grandma."

"You'd better not say that on the phone grannie dearest. "

Lisa didn't mention how odd it would sound to have a teenager say something like that. Her greatgrandmother just laughed.

"Look sweetheart, the devil's in."

"He is?" Lisa couldn't believe it. She hadn't imagined her greatgrandmother would succeed. Honestly she'd thought the woman was doomed the moment she'd offered her plan. To actually make a deal with Kronos. The leader of the Four Horsemen. And all that to get Methos out. Lilins next words pulled her mind out of its wanderings.

"Are there any changes in the plans?"

"Not as far as I know. Should I check?"

Lilin seemed to doubt for a second. Could they afford to waste the time. Could they afford not to. "Yes. Who's looking over that area?"

"Margo Kane." The girl thought back to the Watcher. What would the woman say if she found out who she was connected to? Both she and Donovan had made sure to keep their connection to Lilin and Thomas Moore as quiet as possible. Both for the government and their own friends.

"And?"

"She's trustworthy." Unlike your current travel companion she didn't bother to mention.

"Look, call me back in ten minutes. Take care of reservations in the Denver area. Make sure it's somewhere inconspicuous. Kronos tends to stand out in a crowd."

'That's putting it mildly. The man had been a psychopath for the past 4.000 years. Oh well, grannie knew best.'

She held the phone in her hands for a few seconds longer. Even when the connection had already broken of. Slowly she broke her side of the connection as well.

"Now where did I leave that number."

She started looking through her stuff, it took a while before she finally found her notebook.

She'd made the arrangements already. Both immortals would stay here at the Hilton. With Lisa standing in for them as a proxy. It was the easiest way to get around the hotels safeguards. It wasn't that unlikely these days to be put through the needletest.Someone would prick a needle in your finger to check if the wound healed instantly. It was the easiest way to check someone for immortality. Since Lisa has stood in for them, nobody would bother to check the new guests. Nobody would dare look for immortals in a place like this. Not with all the safeguards.

She waited a few seconds for the connection to Margo to be made.

"Margo. Lisa here."

*****

Margo picked up the phone. Holding the horn in one one hand while she brushed through her hair. "Lisa, hello dear. Two immortals on their way here. To free a guy called Adam Pierson! Talking about from out of the frying pan and into the fire."She listened a few seconds to the voice on the other side. "I know he's here but other than that not much."

She nodded muttering agreement. "I have a friend on the inside, I'll ask him."She put down her brush and straightened up her shirt. "Look it might be a good idea to put your friends in a safe house for a while. We just got some heavy stuff coming down here. I might need you to take a package out of town for me soon. I'll meet you at the same place. The coffee shop in the mall. All right take care dear bye."

Margo hung up the phone. This was the break she was waiting for. If these two immortals wanted Pierson out, they had better be ready to bring Dallas out too.

Grabbing her coat Margo headed out to the cinema. If this girl was what Jon said she was and Dallas sent her. then Margo would help her.

After all, she'd helped several immortals hide in the past few years, she knew what to do and how to do it.

Part Six

*** Paris ***

"Oh call away, I'll go pack." He said rolling his eyes which in the dark light of the apartment sparkled with royal blue promise. He was going to be reunited with Methos once again, and he didn't give an all mighty crap who was helping him. He nudged the door to his bedroom open with his toe, he didn't need to turn on the light for he knew this place better then he knew the back of his hand. He reached under the double bed and retrieved a black duffel bag, that would do just nicely.

He quickly shoved a few pairs of black jeans, and black t-shirts, black socks, and black boxers into the black duffel bag. Kronos was in a black mood, so it seemed only fitting that his clothing should match his heart. He wore a pair of steel toed Doc. Martens which had lasted him five years, he was hoping he could get another five out of them because they were worn in all the right places, and were the most comfortable pair of shoes he owned.

Sweeping his hand over the top of his dresser, swiping in his toothbrush, comb, deodorant and other basic toiletries he jerked the bag once, and pulled the zipper closed. This time he kicked open the door with gusto, he was on his way to get Methos, and damn he was excited.

She quickly ended the call.

"You finished yet girl? We've got a plane to catch."

He seemed bouncing with excitement. Almost like a child. A very dangerous child.

She got up quickly. Her long wide skirt played along her legs. "After you master."

There was no way, she was going through that deadtrap without having Kronos to show her the right path.

"Do not use that tone of voice when you address me." His voice boomed, momentarily forgetting that this was two thousand AD, not two thousand BC. "So cut the crap Grannie." He laughed. The mental image that conjured up was priceless, most likely Lilin was speaking to a
woman who looked old enough to be her mother not young enough to be the apparent teenagers granddaughter.

He wove her in and out of the death trap of a warehouse, and she followed with practiced ease, her youthful face never once giving the appearance of concern or worry.

He constantly switched hands with the lightweight black bag not knowing how he would be able to stand being cooped up on an airplane next to the insufferable woman for eighteen hours when he was just days away from a reunion. He thought of the picture with Methos face contorted in agony, his wet insides spread out on the table in front of him and the anger welled up inside him.

He thought of the doctors in white lab coats, and wondered just how many of them would like to see their intestines burned to a crisp in front of their eyes. He figured not a one would like it. A sweat broke out on his brow as he thought of the steel and bone mask he wore when he rode side by side with Death, Famine, and War. Kronos contemplated how long it would take the doctors to beg for death, when Pestilence came riding into their tidy pristine little center.

The night air was cool, and it washed refreshingly over Kronos' face. He felt the beginnings of goosebumps arise on his arms, and neck, but knew it was not from chill, it was from excitement. He casually spit a snot flecked wad to the concrete and looked down his nose at the girl. He would never think of her as Lilin, her given name, nor Danni the name he had chosen for her. She would be 'The Girl', he had his reasons, even though his conscious was not quite sure of those reasons, his subconscious was. He did not want to give her a name because she had found the one thing he wanted before he had and dangled it in front of him the way a champion dangles a carrot in front of his horse.

"All right Girl. How are we getting to the airport? My car?" He said flicking his head towards a sleek black SUV registered to a mortal in good standing with the officials in Paris, James Kent. "Or yours?" He then swung his arm in a wide gesture indicating the wide open space before them. "Are you even old enough to drive?"

Lilin closed her eyes. This man was intolerable.

"Not right now." she said. She released a breath that was building. "I guess I should be grateful you didn't kill me when I was nine." 'Not that I hadn't wished you killed me then. Permanently that is.' She took place in the back. Allowing herself to stretch her legs a bit. The ride to the airport would take some time and she really didn't want to see the Horsemans face all that much.

It didn't take more than a few moments before Lisa called back. Lilin smiled. "Something interesting just happened." She turned to the Horseman.

"A young woman who worked in the center, just found herself immortal. The underground is bringing her to the safe place I've got in Denver. She'll be able to help us get in that place.Do you want to take her head after she's served her use, or should I?"

Once she got there she look a long confusing path to the movie theater. Stella had no idea what she was doing, but she had seen it in a lot of movies.

At 7:00 she pulled into the West End Theater and backed her baby blue Mustang in a far parking space near the exit. Just incase she had to leave quickly. She bought her ticket like Jon had said and grabbed a large coke at the snack bar. The movie theater was not as crowded as
one might expect for his time of day.

She choose a seat in front thankful for the darkness and waited, chewing on her straw, till it was time to go. It was sorta a shame she had to leave, the movie was actually pretty good. But just like Jon had told her she made her way to the bathroom. Taking a deep breath she opened the door and stepped inside.

*****

Margo saw the girl go inside the rest room. Poor kid, she looked so scared. Following Stella and checking the rest room for others Margo took the next stall. " Stella? Don't talk, listen. When I tell you so, go back in to the movie. Stay there 'till the end credits are rolling, then head to the exit in the back. There will be a car waiting. The driver will ask you if you need a lift to LA. Get in do what you are told. If all goes to plan you'll have a new life soon. Now go"
Margo left without another word and went out to the car. She waited. With luck this one would never fall prey to the hunters.

Laura remained distracted throughout the rest of the questioning. Finally she had to break it of. She had the immortal prepared for physical examination and a neuro while she checked up on Stella Reyme, only to find out the girl had already left. She'd have to see about her tomorrow

When Jon brought José in she put the kid to work, sealing up envelopes. She gave him direct instructions not to leave the room and to stay away from her controls. She hoped he'd listen.
Yawning a bit, she almost cursed herself. It wasn't even noon yet. She sat down on her chair, opening her file cabinet. Determined to get as much work done as possible.

*****

José got bored after only a few moments. His mom was angry and the fight hadn't even been his fault. The guys just kept insulting his parents and mister Martins had even sided with them. It just wasn't fair.

When he saw his mother was engrossed in her work, to busy to pay him any mind, he went up to the door. It lead to the lab right behind his mothers office. Some orderlies were busy with a woman. José wondered if she was one of those immortals you kept hearing about.

The woman was strapped to a table and one of the orderlies was taking her temperature. She didn't seem to like it much. The boy could agree, he didn't like to be prodded like that either. At least he could leave at the doctors when he wanted to. The woman didn't even have that option.

He noticed one of the orderlies inject her with something before leaving her alone. He was just about ready to close the door when she looked in his direction and their eyes met.

*****

Mac hated this part with a fiery passion. As much as she wished she could, she couldn't control her reaction to the meds they pumped into her. She couldn't understand why they wanted to take away the one of the few things she still had left, her control over her body. She had always compared this to the Holocaust, but in truth this was much worst. At least, the Jews and other Holocaust victims had death to end their suffering, the Immortals suffered even after a hundred
deaths.

Suddenly, she spotted a little boy at the door leading into the doctor's office. ' He must be the son mentioned before, José,' she thought as their eyes locked. For a moment, she considered letting him stand there and watch as she lost control of everything and start screaming because of the pain. But for everything she was, she didn't frighten little kids like that. They had enough shit to deal with just from growing up, they didn't need extra things that would scar them even worse. She didn't want to get him in trouble for being in an area that was off limits, so she smiled at him and mouthed the words, You better get out of here before you get caught.

Suddenly before the boy had a chance to leave the doorway, the meds took affect and pain coursed thorough her body. She closed her eyes and bit her lip to bite back the screams. And the last thought she had for a while was,' I hope the kid doesn't see this.'

****

José was about to leave when the womans face was contorted in pain.

'What's happening to her?' he thought. He raced up to the table and looked at her. 'Oh my god. Oh my god. What can I do?'

For a few moments he considered running to his mom, telling her what was happening. 'No, she probably ordered this. But why?' He took the womans hand. Not sure why, but hoping his presence could help her somehow.

****
The pain flowed through her body, it felt like mini-bombs were going off in her veins. Suddenly she felt someone take her hand, she slowly opened her eyes and saw the boy. What was his name? 'José, she thought, his name is Jose and he is the doctor's son.' She could tell he was scared and worried but was brave enough to want to help even though he had been taught that Immortals were dangerous. She musterd up the strength to give him a small smile to thank him for trying to help. 'Maybe,' she thought,' one day his generation will stop this Immortal Holocaust that had been begun by one angrymortal with information she shouldn't have had.

Then the pain took a hold of her again and she could not hold back the screams, even though she knew it would scare the boy. She screamed and screamed till she felt her heart burst and then everything went dark.

****

José looked at the woman in shock. He couldn't even being to imagine the pain she had to be in. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Didn't I specifically tell you to stay in my office."

The boy looked at his mothers stern face. Her words held a kindness to him. But all he could hear were the immortals screams. He didn't answer and ran away.

"José."

The boy didn't stop.

He kept on running. Laura thought to put on red alert, but decided not to. It wasn't as if he was supposed to be here in the first place.

She called the orderlies to stay on the lookout for José and bring him back as soon as they found him before she returned to look at the woman. The orderlies had injected her with a new form of nerve gas.

It seemed to be working. The doctor shrugged of her discomfort. Taking up a clean syringe, she injected the immortal with the serum. Soon they would know if the antidote worked. Laura hoped it would. She'd been working on it for the past few years.

It was obvious the moment the serums effect started. For a short while the bruises on the womans body fainted, her heartbeat slowed down and her breathing grew calmer.

Then the heartmonitor suddenly flatlined. "Now what went wrong this time?"

She left the immortal on the table. Ordering one of the orderlies to clean her up, finish the observation and then wheel her back to her room.

******

José was soon lost in the halls of the center. He didn't stop until he hit a black wall. For a moment he sat down, crying. How could his mother do these kind of things? She was supposed to be one of the good guys. Not the kind of monster that would torture other people.

Even if they were immortal.

He didn't notice someone was approaching him until a young man, no more than a boy kneeled down next to him.

"Are you lost?"The boy said in a voice that sounded hard of lack of use. José looked up at him and recognized the outfit. An immortal. He shivered a bit and looked in the immortals wide but friendly eyes.

"I don't know. I don't want to go back to my mom."

"Why not?"

"She's bad. She hurt that woman." José nearly whispered the words. Yet the boy looked up at him a bit startled. He seemed to try and stay right out of reach. As if he was scared of him.

"What's your name?" The immortal finally asked.

"José Mendez." The shock in his eyes at hearing the name was unmistakable.

"I'm Richie."He finally said while offering the boy his hand.

"I wish I could deny it, about your mom."

"But you can't."

"She ..." Hurt spoke in his words.

José looked at the immortal.

"I never thought what she did could be like this. At home, she and dad, they never talk about their work. It's supposed to be classified or something like that. I always thought she was a doctor. That she was helping people. But what she did to that woman. I can't understand why she'd ever want to harm someone, anyone in such a way."

Part Seven

*** Denver ***

They had been driving for about five minutes. As Stella watched the scenery go by she noticed they were going nowhere near the airport.

Which is where she thought they were going.

"We're not going to the airport?" She asked the driver.

"Not yet. We need your help with some things before you go. Don't worry. You'll be okay." The driver waited for Stella to protest, but the girl just sat back and stared out the window, pulling her coat around her tighter. She wasn't really cold, just insecure. She slipped off her Nikes and tucked her feet underneath her, resting her head on the window. It was then that she realized how little she had slept over the past couple of days. Her eyelids felt so heavy. Maybe
she should just close them for a minute. The next time the driver looked back at her she was fast asleep.

Stella was jolted awake but a sudden stop. The driver yelled various curse words out of the window and then apologized to Stella.

"People should learn how to drive. We're almost there. You might want to put your shoes on."

Stella nodded and then stretched out her tired body. As soon as she finished tying her right shoe and looked up, the driver pulled into the Hilton parking lot and parked. Telling her to wait in the car until he gets back. She nodded and followed him into the hotel.

******

Lisa was watching the door as the young immortal arrived. A newbie who used to work at the center. She'd had trouble believing her ears when she'd been told about the girl. The irony of fate she guessed. She was tapping her fingers on the table. There it was the signal. She got up and opened the door as quickly yet inconspicuously as possible. She barely stopped herself from dragging her two visitors out of sight.

The girl seemed somewhat nervous. Unsure of what to do.Lisa hugged her cousin Donovan who'd brought the girl in. "Hi Donnie."

"Lise." The man sighed. "She'll be safe right?"

Lisa wasn't sure what to say. "You know grannie."

"That's why I'm asking."

"She wants Pierson. If Reyme is able to help her do that, then I'm sure she won't bother her."

"Are you sure?"

"How can I be sure? The woman is over 3.500 years old. And I'm not even talking about that bastard Kronos she's bringing with her."

"Lise."

"What?"

"The audience."

Lisa smiled. 'Yes sure. The audience. One very frightened newbie immortal, fresh in her immortality and yet responsible for many crimes against her own kind.'

"Look Don, I'll handle things here. You be a good boy and stay on the look out. Remember what grannie said. If Kronos tries anything ...

The man nodded and left. Leaving Stella with his niece. Not quite sure what to think of that.

******

Stella shifted uneasily on her feet as she watched the two whisper.

It was obviously about her. The man left, giving her an encouraging smile as she slid past her out of the door and Stella found herself alone with a women that didn't look much older then herself.

"My name is Lisa and yours is Stella, right?" Stella nodded. "Do you want something to drink, a place to change maybe?" Lisa continued.

"A place to change would be nice." Stella answered back. Lisa showed her to an a joining room and told her she was welcome to use the shower.

"Company will be coming later, but don't worry. You're safe now."

Lisa left with a smile.

Stella didn't like this girl. Her face was friendly, but her eyes said something else. Maybe now wasn't the best time to let her guard down.

A long hot shower was just what she needed. All the exhaustion of the day was washed away. She wrapped a towel around her slim body and poked her head out to make sure she was alone. Laying her clothes out on the bed, she slipped into a pair of black jeans that fit snuggly
in all the right places. She choose a white tank top to make the outfit complete and pulled her long hair back in a ponytail. The rest of her clothes went back into the pack. Just in case she wasn't staying long. She couldn't bare to leave any more clothes behind.

Walking over to the other side of the bed she found the remote and switched on the TV Before she knew it she was curled up in the middle of the bed. fast asleep.

******

Lisa peeped through the door opening. Looking at the young immortal. She closed the door and headed up to the livingroom. There were a few newspapers lying on the table. Images of demonstrators being beaten down on Washington Square were displayed vividly.

If it weren't for Lilin she would have been there. Joining the march. It had been a peaceful manifestation showing support for immortals right to be free. The texts in the papers were mostly written in a style as negative as possible. They should be glad the press decided to pay it any attention at all. Most demonstrations were either ignored or labelled as riots.

She took out some of the pictures Margo had gotten her. Some of the immortals in the Denver IRC. The former Watcher had wanted her to ask the immortals aid in getting some other immortals out as well. Lisa doubted the ancients would want to risk it. Then again, it could be a good distraction. She opened her laptop and made contact with the web. Checking her e-mail for any hints on her greatgrandfathers location. Nothing showed up.

All they knew was that he was in one of the specially fortified centers. The one holding the most dangerous immortals. The ones with special abilities. She opened Temlans file and stared at the image on the screen.

At first sight he appeared to be a regular teenager. Barely 16. He was dressed in blue jeans and a Metallica shirt. An eternal boy.

Temlan, Gilgamesh, Loki, Thomas Moore, ... His list of names was endless. Lisa had no illusions about her greatgrandparents morals.

Even if they did care about mortals.

They'd both had shades in their past. She'd been shocked to find out that the man her grannie loved so much had once been a headhunter. A man who'd literally killed thousands and thousands of children.

Babies even.

A man who had loved to inflict pain upon others.

It was even harder to believe when you looked at the last file the Watchers had on him as Thomas Moore. Because of them the IRS hadn't looked further than 600 years in locating him. If they had their efforts would have been a lot more severe.

They thought he was a British immortal trained and taught by Hugh Fitzcairne. That maybe he'd had some lessons from people like Cassandra. How could they know Temlan had been a shaman since before the invention of iron. That he'd been fighting entire armies since the days he ruled Uruk.

That the young boy they had in their hands was probably the most dangerous man in the world. No, they didn't know that. What they did know was bad enough in itself. And because of that they couldn't get to him.

She was just about ready to close the file, when she heard a sound behind her.

*******

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you." Stella said as she watched the girl jump slightly. "I was just looking for something to drink."

"I can call up room service. What do you want?" Lisa offered.

"A beer would be nice." Stella said as she sat on the couch. She watched Lisa as she made the call. She then looked at her watch. She had only been asleep for about an hour. Rubbing her eyes she picked up one of the papers that laid on the table. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Lisa watching her. Stella studied the front page.

It came to her, why Lisa's eyes said what they did. In her mind, Stella was still one of them. She would always be one of them in the eyes of the immortals that knew her past. Hated by immortals for what she was and despised by mortals for what she is. Stella had to laugh at the sheer irony.

A knock at the door brought her back to the real world. Lisa cautiously opened it and brought in the beers. Taking one for herslf and Stella and putting the rest in the little fridge.

"So," Stella said to break the awkward silence. "When are the others going to get here?"

"They were on the other side of the country when gran ... uhm Lilin called me about two hours ago." Lisa sipped from her glass." They should be here in a few hours, a day at the most."

Part eight

*** Paris ***

Kronos started the car with a flick of his wrist and a turn of the silver key. The engine purred loudly like some jungle cat hungry for the kill. Throwing it in reverse, tires squealing, soft plumes of acrid smoke rising from the black marks he left on the concrete.

Paris traffic sucked for lack of a better word, and it didn't matter that it was after midnight, the streets would still be crowded, and he had places to go, and people to kill.

He wove in and out of the crowded lines of cars without aid of rear view mirrors or turn signals. He figured he had lived four thousand years and some change, and he held no worries of getting into a car accident. The shrill ringing of a cell phone was cut silent by the Girl's voice. She held a short conversation with the person on the other end before hanging up.

"A young woman who worked in the center, just found herself immortal. The underground is bringing her to the safe place I've got in Denver. She'll be able to help us get in that place. Do you want to take her head after she's served her use, or should I?"

A grin that could be called nothing short of feral spread like the dawn across Pestilence's face. He liked new immortals, they were quite fun. They could be molded in almost any form he desired them to take, rather like a piece of clay ripe for an artists careful hands. He had one student who turned out to be better then any of his others.

Caspian. He had found the immortal fresh out of Sudan, and soon had him roasting the nearest villager over an open fire. A female fledgling could be quite fun for him to play with for a while.

He raised his head, and cast a glacial eye in the rear view mirror falling directly on the soft features of the Girl. "Let's see what she looks like first, if she has a decent rack I might want to play with her for a while." He smiled, though the sentiment did not reach his eyes, it seemed a watertight dam had been erected on his face allowing only hatred and anger through. He was not about ready to let the Girl have anything she wanted besides her stinking husband. If she wanted to take this new immortal's head, Kronos might just have found himself a new baby student to take under his black wing.

----------

Lilin nodded to herself. Yep Kronos was still the same.

Ah well, if it gave him something to do. She took a set of headphones out of her bag. No need to ask the man for some music. She took out a notepad.

It didn't take them long to get to the airport. Damn. She noticed the way some of the men were looking around. Had the Hunters been prepared for them?

She didn't think so. Only few people knew where Kronos was. Herself, Lisa, David and Donovan that she knew of.

And neither of those would have told anyone.

"Oh great. Bloodtests." Almost unconsciously a piece of her hair ended up between her lips while her finger played with another pair of locks.

She quickly pulled a package out of her bag.Without any embarrassment she started placing it under her shirt. Pulling a sweater over it to be sure. When she got out of the car, it was a young pregnant girl that people saw.

"Are you coming?"she didn't bother to tell him about the device under her shirt that would fool the x-ray devices into seeing a child in her belly.

The child that as an immortal she would never be able to carry.

No hunter would ever bother a pregnant woman for blood tests. It was after all common knowledge that immortals were sterile.

*** Denver ***

Margo knocked on the door of the hotel room. She had the things the young immortal would need. Hair dye, different colored contacts. And new ID's.

All she needed to do was change the girls looks take a picture and glue it to the IDs. A fast and dirty job, but it would serve till they could get better done. "Hello it's me Margo ."

"You want me to what?" Stella said as Margo dumped the contents of the shopping bag on the bed.

"Dye and cut your hair." Margo responded. She laughed at the girl's shocked look. "You do get to choose the color." She said hoping to erase that look. Stella looked at each one. Comparing her color to the guide on the box. She also read the warning signs, praying it wouldn't make her hair fall out. Finally after much lip biting debate she chose Platinum Blond #58. She had always imagined herself as blond. Stella savored her strawberry hair in the full length mirror one more time and then went to find Margo,who was busy in the bathroom setting up a mini-salon.

"Have you ever cut hair before?" Stella asked Margo as she brought her choice into the bathroom.

"Yeah, plenty of times." Margo said as she pulled a chair into the bathroom. Stella watched her nervously as she positioned the chair in front of the mirror and patted the cushion.

"Ok. But please, please don't cut it too short." Stella said as she braced herself.

Lisa sat on a bench watching the scene.

New hair, new look. Well at least it would keep people of their tail. She sipped her beer. Not sure what to do so she wouldn't get in the way.

"I'll get us some diner." she said to nobody in particular before leaving the room. Sure she could get roomservice, but she really didn't feel like moping around in a hotelroom, even in one of this size.

The bar downstairs was pretty big. She took a place out of sight, somewhere in the corner, almost getting a heartattack when she saw two men in hunter-outfits heading her way.

'Control' she insisted to herself. 'They can't possibly know we're hiding an immortal.'

When they came closer she could smell their breaths. The three men had probably been wasting themselves out at the bar.

A true relief.

A female hunter joined them, she was a bit more sober as it seemed. But she was just joking with the guys and winked at Lisa when she noticed the young woman looking at her.

"You hear." One of the Hunters drawled out. "Those idiots in Paris couldn't even handle a simple case of bag and tag. They've got two immies running the street and they don't even know where to start looking." Lisa couldn't help but listen. She prayed the immortals they were talking about weren't Lilin and Kronos. "Old man Fisher had to go help them out. The immies were to much for them." The man continued.

'Great. Fisher in Paris. Just what we need.'

"I wouldn't laugh to much if I were you. I remember you having more than your share of trouble when we were after that immie over in Cleveland. It took us a week to get him, remember." The female hunter sipped her cola while the other two drank some more beer. "Oh yeah. What was that rabbits name. Robinson or something like that. Man that guy could run. I heard he used to play baseball in the major league. Back in the old days."

Lisa couldn't handle it anymore. She tried to place her attention on the TV, but they were giving some kind of documentary on the centers. Dr Mendez was nominated for the Noble Prize for medicine. Lisa couldn't believe her ears. 'The woman tortures people for a living and she might even get rewarded for it?'

Lisa was almost frozen to her seat. Hoping the Hunters wouldn't pay her any attention. Suddenly she looked up in shock. Donovan. What the hell did he think he was doing here. If the hunters recognized him, his membership of the IFF alone could get him executed on the spot.

She started hinting at him to leave, looking at the door, but he didn't seem to notice. Lisa nearly felt her heart stand still when the female hunter went up to the bar and headed in Donovans way. "shit." she muttered.

Instead of leaving, Donovan started flirting with the woman. Lisa couldn't hear what he was saying, but the woman laughed in response and followed him up to her.

She tried to be smaller, praying to the powers that be that her cousin would be smart enough to stay away from her. But no such luck.

"Charlie." he started with a grin. "this is my cousin Lise. She's the smart one of the family."

Lisa's eyes glared daggers at him, Donovan responded with an innocent look that seemed to say: 'What did I do wrong?'

"Lise, this is Charlie Rivers. She's one of the brave people protecting us from those immortal menaces.

'What the hell was that idiot planning?'

"She'll be in town for the next few days. Her and her friends. They're on a holiday."

His voice was sweet as honey, but lethal as poison at the same time.

The woman didn't notice it. She wasn't quite drunk, but she'd had enough beer to be lacking in the sharpness department. "Why how nice."

The woman missed the sting, but Donnie didn't. "Don't you think grandma would love to meet her." Donnie said with complete innocence.

"You know Cous" Lisa began. "We might want to warn her beforehand. Her travelcompanion might want to know. I think he'd love to meet a Hunter."

Donovan was standing behind the Hunter now and the grin on his face was ferocious to say the least.
----------
Margo gave the girl a smile " Don't worry dear, it will grow out again. You have all the time in the world for it to. I'd like to keep you at a safe house for a few days but, we have to get you some place out of town and soon. I remember one girl we helped hide she was so small, we dressed her as a boy.

We had Hunters running around looking for a girl and she just walked right past them and on to freedom. Sometimes I wish we could allow those Hunters a taste of their own medicine and hunt them like they do us."

The old womans voice held bitterness when she spoke of the Hunters.

"Just don't make me look like a boy." Stella said as a ringing started coming from her pack on the bed. "Should I answer it." Margo nodded but warned her not to tell anyone where she was.

It took her a minute to get to it because it was on the bottom of the bag.

"Hello." She said, but her smile dropped when her uncle's voice came back to her. She glanced over at Margo who looked genuinely concerned.

Stella held a short conversation with the man, assuring him that she was fine and she just needed a break. Stella knew that it wasn't enough just to say she was fine, but she was relieved to hear he was in Paris. She finished her conversation and turned her phone completely off.

Taking a deep breath she turned back to Margo and sat back down in the chair.

"It was my Uncle Owen. He was worried about me." She said after a moment of awkward silence.

Margo bit her lip "Uncle, I guess we go to plan B Then. I have a friend who works at a morgue. I get in touch with him. See if he has a fresh one that we can pass off as you. With some creative work, we can have "Die" in a burning car crash. It will even throw the hunters off your scent. "

Taking Stella by the shoulders the older woman looked her straight in the eye. "Baby I know you love your uncle, but you must think of him. I know for a fact that the Hunters have tortured relatives of new Immortals, just to find out if they know anything. They beat and raped me repeatedly just because they thought I knew where more Immortals where hiding."

Stella could see the pain in the womans eyes as the memory played across her face.

"Dallas, the Immortal I was watching and one of my best friends gave himself up to save me. This is for the best. If you just disappeared your uncle would go mad with worry, and the hunters would never let him have a bit of peace. They would watch him and dog his every move.

In the end they would take him in just because they would think he knew where you where. As long as they think you are alive your uncle is in danger. Trust me this is the best way to protect him."

"You don't understand. My uncle IS a hunter." Stella watched the women take a step back.

"He's a really important hunter. Owen Fisher." As soon as Stella said that she wished she hadn't. She should really learn how to keep her mouth shut from now on.

"Please don't send me away just yet. I wanna help get those other immortals out. I owe it too them, especially the one that got me out...I think his name was Kinkade" the girl pleaded.

Margo didn't say anything.

"Please, I want to help." Stella said again.

Margo needed to think "Stella I won't send you away but you must promise me to tell no one else about your uncle. If he's a Hunter he may turn you in himself or tell you to turn yourself in, he'll say it's your duty. The others might not understand, they might think you're a plant, that someone should take your head. I know you want to help, but we need time to think."

Stella's eyes followed the black woman as she turned to the window, then back to Stella.

"If I were to bring you the floorplans of the compound could you show us where everything is there. Immortals room, offices, and such?"

After Stella nodded Margo hugged the girl . "Stella I must tell you, Dallas the Immortal I was watching. He was using the surname of Kinkade when they got him."

Stella smiled and hugged her back. "I might be a little fuzzy about where certain immortals are located as far as room numbers go. I know the general location. It really wasn't my job to keep up. The orderlies did stuff like that. But I can tell you everything else. Anything you wanna know. I even know things that even the Doctors don't know...thanks to my uncle."

And Margo was right about being careful with what she said. She was in a entirely different world now. She couldn't trust everyone to be as understanding as Margo. From now on she would have to break ties with the Stella that used to be. No more materialistic, spoiled, opportunistic little rich girl. From now on Stella was whoever she made herself to be.

"So," Stella said trying to lighten the mood. "Is it true that blonds have more fun?"

Margo laughed and fingered her own black locks. " Well I really have no idea. But not being blonde never stopped me."

Part nine

Laura sat huddled behind a stack of paperwork. In between the requests for more material, there was the afternotes of the days testing. The reports, some financial issues that always found their way to her desk. If there was one thing she hated it was paperwork.

Discovering new cures, working to develop serums for illnesses, helping people extend their life... all that was interesting. But the paperwork?

She didn't so much mind the reports. They were a part of the research.

But the rest of it she could well do without.She leaned her chair back a bit. Every dot and stripe on the thing seemed to be in order. She placed the paper in the done file.

Her eyes fell on the envelope in front of her. It was still hard to believe.

A nomination for the Nobel-prize. For her.

The mere idea was overwhelming to say the least. Her hard work for the past few years would finally be honored.

The idea brought a smile to her face as she pulled out the days surveillance tapes. She still had to write her report for that. The Cullen-incident would have to be fully written down.

She watched as Stella came into the cafeteria, her head a bit down. She sat down with one of the orderlies. Nothing special so far. Laura almost missed the moment Cullen got up. Stella's companion had just up and left her alone. By the time Cullen was behind her he had complete
surprise on his side.

He seemed to say something before he grabbed her in a deadlock. The guards surrounded him but he didn't seem worried by them.She almost missed it. Moving over to Kinkade to see where the other immortal had come from.She quickly rewinded. There it was. She looked at the
still.

Reyme's neck was in an angle no mortal could possibly survive.

*****

After a useless talk to Kinkade she checked through the tape for the third time. Hoping she'd missed something. But when she looked close it was unmistakable. Stella Reyme should have been lying in the morgue, not getting out virtually unharmed.

An immortal.

"Oh my god Owen, what will this do to you." the words came out in a whisper. Stella was his niece and the Hunter would be devastated. The mere idea that Stella was one of 'them'.

She knew she had to tell him. She could not not let him know.

As she grabbed for the phone she reconsidered for a second. What if she were wrong. This was to important to the man. She couldn't bother him before she had more proof.

She assigned two of her assistants and one of the technicians to analyze the original tape, telling them to keep silent about it.

She waited a few more seconds before pushing her paperwork out of the way.

It took less than a minute to call up Kinkade's file. Nothing in it showed any kind of explanation to what had happened. Then again, the immortal was known to be unpredictable. Calm and completely passive one moment, extremely violent the next. His mind almost completely withdrawn. Had some last vestige of him recognized the younger immortal and helped her without knowing why? Or was there more to it?

Maybe, she prayed, she was wrong, or maybe she hadn't even known what had happened. It was a known fact that first deaths could be confusing. But had it really been her first death?

Finally she picked up the phone. Nobody answered. Stella's roommate didn't seem to be home either.

The doctor send a call to the IRS to have the other girl brought in for more information. She calmed herself and tried Stella's cellphone. No connection. It felt wrong. Stella had never disconnected her phone. Even while she was working. The girl was never this unreachable.
She place down the phone. Owen. He had to know. She had no choice but to tell him.

It took a few rings before he picked up. "Dr Mendez here"

"Ah..hello Doctor. I have been meaning to get a hold of you."

The man sounded his usual professional self. How could she tell him this.

"Owen." She took a deep breath forcing herself to continue. "I'm sorry but I think I might have bad news"

"It's Stella isn't it..what did she do now?" the man sounded more annoyed than anything else.

She gasped and continued. "I'm not sure, there was an accident. When we reviewed the tapes, certain well facts came to light. I need to speak to her. Have you talked to her lately?" She didn't bother to stop. Afraid that if she did she wouldn't be able to continue.

"I just spoke to her a couple of hours ago."

'A couple of hours ago' she thought. Before she turned her phone of.

"How did she sound?"

"Nervous..she was definitely not telling me the whole truth about what was wrong."

He was right about that one.

"I think ... " she took another deep breath. "I'm sorry Owen, but we have reason to believe that she died in that accident."

"Died?"

"I reviewed the tape over four times today, hoping to be wrong, but slow motion images clearly showed Cullen snapping her neck Kinkade pulled her away before we could see anything more.

The voice on the other side went silent.

"Immortal? My Stella?" There was almost a sign of shock in Owens voice.

"She could be, that's why we need to find her. If you hear from her, anything, tell her to come in. If we're wrong ... Oh god I hope we're wrong, it would be in her best interest to come to the center as soon as possible. Tell her that will you."

"I will." Two words that held more meaning than anything else he could have said.

"Owen are you alright?"She was getting worried about the old Hunter.

After all he'd been through, now this.

"Ask me that again when we find her."

"I understand this has to be a shock."

"I need to see it to believe it ... do you understand?"

"Yes, I do, if José or Michael ... I don't think I could deal with it."she kept silent for a few moments. "The office said you were in France"

"Yes I'm tracking two runaways. I'll be flying in now though."

"Get here as fast as you can. I'll do my best to find her as soon as possible. Let's just hope we're wrong."

"It has to be wrong. I'll want to see that tape"

"I'll send it to you over the web. Wait a minute."

She picked up the tape and pressed send, waiting a few moments for him to be able to see what had happened.

"And?" The line stayed silent for a while. She can hear him order his driver to the airport on the background.

"Owen?"she says finally

"I still need more Mendez...I still need more than this tape."

"When we have her, we can do full testing, make sure that we're right."

Her voice drops a tad as she continues. "I'm truly sorry Owen. I 'can' understand how you must feel."

"What am I going do with her? If she is?"

"I don't know, you'll have to decide for yourself." what would she do if José or Michael were in Stella's situation. She really couldn't think of anything. "But Owen, you'll have to be careful. If she is, she'll no longer be the Stella you knew."

"I know...",his voice trailed of a bit.

Then she thought about her earlier doubts.

"I think Cullens action might not be her first death though, she was acting strangely since the day before."

"The day before?"

"There was an accident in the lab. She went home early afterwards.

When she went on rounds with me the morning afterwards, her behavior was of. I just blamed it on the procedure, brainchirgurie is never easy to look at, especially since we had to keep the subject aware.

But still, Stella never acted that squeamish before.

He seemed almost angry as he asked his next question. "Why wasn't she questioned then..after the accident?"

"We questioned her after the first accident, after the second one ...

well she was gone before I could talk to her. I was processing a new arrival at the time.

"Well what about that Kinkade you said he carried her out.

"He's one of the plants most of the time. It's hard to figure what his type'll do at any time. Still I hadn't expected him to respond to it.

There could be more to him, than he usually shows. Do you want to talk to him when you get here?"

"Yes.. him and the one that atacked her."

"I'll have him ready. Cullen is with Jacob right now."

"Any results yet. Did he say why he did it?"

"Not to us, but on the tapes he seemed to be saying something about letting the world know her secret or something like that, our lipreaders weren't certain.

"If Cullen does say something, make sure it stays between us."

"Of course, the publicity alone would be terrible." Owen Fishers niece an immortal. The media would have a field day.

Owen asked of and Laura put down the phone. She stood up, looking at the screens. Kinkade was back in his room. The man seemed somewhat lost.

"I need Kinkade in my office. "she said to the first orderly she could reach. "get him here."

Part Ten

Stella stood in front of the mirror looking at her new hair. She almost didn't recognize herself. The color turned out a little blonder then it was supposed to but it fit her. Her new cut tickled her shoulders when she turned her head. Margo stood behind her smiling at her handy work.

"I guess this isn't so bad." Stella said. Margo smiled and walked into the other room. Stella grabbed another beer out of the mini-fridge and sat on her bed. Margo wanted her to cut up all her credit cards and ID's, along with anything that would leave paper trails. She rummaged in her pack for her wallet and began pulling cards out.

"I never liked this picture anyway." Stella said as she looked at her license. It took a good ten minutes to break all her credit cards and bank cards in half, creating a little mountain on the bed.

Stella kept a picture of her and Kenya grinning like idiots at their high school graduation, but tore the rest up. Including the only she had of her Uncle and her together. She was tempted to keep it , but she remembered what Margo had said about him. She couldn't take the chance.

She took one last look remembering everything he had done for her and then added it to the growing pile of torn paper and broken cards.

Stella and her Uncle were very close. He was more of a father to her then her own father had ever been. Uncle Owen was the one that came to her dance recitals and picked her up from singing lessons. Her own father didn't even come to her graduation, but her uncle did. It
would be hard to never see him again, but he was better off thinking she was dead. She didn't know how he would react if he ever found out she was immortal.

She'd watched him hunt his best friend down like an animal, just because he was immortal. He'd regretted it of course. They'd served in two wars together and saved each others asses more times then they could count. But when it came down to it her uncle did what he thought
was right. She wondered to herself if he would do the same to her.

----------

Charlie stood with her co-workers slash friends in a Hilton Hotel bar.

They had just arrived that morning for a week long vacation and she was going to use every
minute of it. She was a little tipsy from the two beers and a jello shot she had before and she decided to slow things down with a cola.

She had been there about twenty minutes when an attractive men came in the door.

He made eye contact with her immediately. She returned his gaze with a flirty smile.

He walked to the bar and leaned against it, looking in her direction.

"Excuse me boys." She said to her companions. "If I play my cards right, I might be getting lucky." The two men erupted in whistles and cat calls as she made her way across the room.

"Hi I'm Charlie" She said sweetly. His grin widened as he introduced himself.

"Donovan." he said as he moved in a little closer.

She was really turning it on with this guy. Shamelessly flirting with all her might.

They talked about nothing for about ten minutes. Donovan said he was in town for a family reunion but he was bored and was looking for a little fun. He grabbed her hand and walked over to the table where a young women was seated. He introduced her as his cousin, Lise. This could be interesting she thought to herself. He started talking about meeting the rest of the family. It really wasn't she was looking for that night, but it was still early.

"I would love to meet your family, Lise." Charlie said to the women at the table as Donovan pulled at a chair for her. Whispering in her ear, asking her if she wanted a beer. She nodded her head, shivering as his warm breath surround her ear. This was going to be a very good night, she thought to herself as she watched the man walk away. Keeping her brown eyes glued to his butt.
----------

Lisa could barely contain her contempt for the Hunter. And right now for that damn idiot of a cousin of her. Didn't he realize what a dangerous game he was playing? The woman was a Hunter for crying out loud. How did that guy ever keep his position in the IFF? Outwardly she stayed sweet and nice. Her voice coated in sugar. If the woman had been even the slightest bit better at noticing details, she would probably spot the trap she was walking into from miles away.

Finally the three of them got up. The other Hunters started whistling after them. Especially at their gendermember who was leaving the room with two beautiful women.

The Hunter had to lean against the wall, to keep standing. Lisa helped keep her up.

Donovan smirked at her. Making his cousin even angrier. They dragged the woman up the elevator and to the room.

Gently they knocked the door.

Two firm knocks and five light ones. The signal that had been agreed upon with Margo.

Margo opened the door it took all her will not to slam it shut when she saw the Hunter. After letting them in Margo got Lisa to go in to the other room. "What the hell is going on? That's a scum sucking hunter for the love of God? Do you two want to get us all killed?"

"Hey I'm not the one to blame. That idiot of a cousin of mine is. All of a sudden he decides to seduce that bitch right in front of a crowd. And to make things worse, he actually brings her straight to me. What was I to do?"

Lisa sat down. Anger obvious in her eyes.

"I just hope for him he's got a good reason or I'll kill him myself after I get rid of that Hunter."

*******

Stella heard a knock at the door and watched as Margo got up to answer it. From her vantage point on the bed she couldn't see who it was, but she just assumed it was Lisa who returned with food. "Good I'm starving." She said to herself as she picked up the trash can next to the bed and began dumping the pile in. Laughter drifted in from the other room and then the sound of Lisa arguing with Margo. Cautionary she slid of the bed and made her way into the room. Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw where the laughter was coming from.

A hunter, half drunk off her ass, was shamelessly throwing herself at Donovan.

"This is who we were waiting for?" Stella asked the two women. Both of them were obviously pissed at the man, so Stella really didn't need the answer. This was definitely not part of their plan.

You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Perhaps this was not the best place to be right now she thought to herself as she retreated back into the bedroom.

******

Margo sat down next to Lisa. "You may not have the chance. I may kill them both. Were there any other hunters with her? They almost always travel in packs, like jackals."

"At least three more that I could see. I think they're on vacation. But you can never be sure."

Margo seemed as angry as she was at this.

Still they should have expected it. The very reason why the Hilton was the one place where the Hunters wouldn't expect to find them, was the very reason the Hunters were here. It was a Mecca and restingplace for them.

********

Charlie couldn't believe how drunk she was. It seemed a little impossible to be this drunk considering she drank so little. It never dawned on her the Donovan had put something in her beer. "Why don't we move this party up stairs." Donovan had suggested as he helped the hunter stand. Charlie's body felt numb, so she'd leaned heavily on the other two as the made their way through the bar to the elevator.

The feeling of the elevator going up made her knees weak and her head spin. She would have fallen if Lisa hadn't been there to prop her back up. Donovan finally had to carry her the last couple of steps through the door.

"There you go, honey." Donovan said as she put down on her feet.

She followed him clumsily to the couch. There she fell laughing drunkenly as Donovan jumped out of the way of her grasping hands.

"No, no, no. Let me talk to my cousin first, I will be right back." He said with a wink.

*** Streets of Denver ***

Rowan drove all night. She was tired and needed rest. More she needed to get rid of the dead hunter in the trunk of her car. He was a fool for thinking he could take her alone, and he paid the price for his foolishness.

Pulling next to a sewer outlet Rowan pulled the body out of the trunk and dumped it down.

The rats, dogs, and people living down there would take care of the body in next to no time. She would use his credit cards to create a paper trail to make it look like he went rogue . By the time they found out he was dead she would be long gone and her trail too cold for them to follow.

Getting back in her car Rowan drove to the hotel where Margo was with the new immortal. She entered the booth of a pay phone. " Pick up Margo, pick up "
----------

Suddenly the door went open, showing a grinning Donovan.

"She's almost falling asleep . That sure didn't take her long."

Lisa stood up and confronted her cousin.

"What the hell were you thinking?" She looked him in the face.

"Have you completely forgotten what we're doing here.

That bitch is a Hunter. If you give her a chance, all of us will end up in prison or dead. Not to mention Stella. Were you trying to get her captured? And I'm not even starting about Grandma.
Do you know what the Hunters would do to her if they got their hands on her. Well? What have you got to say for yourself?

Donovan looked at her with the same grin he'd been wearing for hours. "It's simple. She could be useful. We need to know who the Hunters in town are, and how many of them are on active duty. She should know that. And when we kill her we'll have one less hunter to deal with afterwards."

Margo was not convinced. "Still if she should find out who we are, she must be gotten rid of. If that does happen Donovan you will be the one to do it. So don't get too attached. As soon as she's asleep take her to her own room.

Later find out what she may know, but only you Don, only you. If this thing blows up, you will be the one to pay the price. There are too many lives at stake here to play games."

"Don't worry. The Hunter's as good as dead."

Lisa looked at him, understanding. Donnies father had been killed by Hunters seven years ago. His grandmother had been tortured just for being related to an immortal. Before that Donnie hadn't at all been interested in immortals. He'd been your average football-player.

Concerned with nothing but his next goal and the possibility of a football scholarship. After their deaths everything changed. Grandma had shown up and had taken the entire family into hiding. Donovan had begged her to be allowed to help. To do something, anything to avenge his father and grandmother.

Lilin had agreed. More to keep him near her, to prevent him from going off on his own, than anything else. All the men were dead now. All but Owen Fisher.

Lisa shivered as she thought about the Hunters her cousin had killed. It seemed that when he saw a Hunter all reason abandoned him.

Margo agreed. When the phone rang Donnie took the opportunity to get up and leave the room, talking about getting ropes and some food.

Lisa picked up the phone.

"Lisa Moore speaking." She said in her best version of a British accent.

Rowan didn't recognize the voice but she knew the name. " Is my cousin Wyoh there? This is her cousin Hazel from Novylen and I wanted to tell her that Adam Selene says HI"

Lisa immediately recognized the code "Oh how are Mike and Manny. Did things in Tycho City cool down?"

This was good. "Is Margo there, it's Rowan. I'm in a coffee shop across the street. Are things clear for me to come up?"

"I'm not sure Rowan. Donovan caused some trouble with a Hunter. Are you sure you want to come up? We're expecting major company. "

Lisa wasn't sure what to tell the immortal. Rowan was pretty known.

She was as bad with Hunters as Donovan was and one loose canon was more than enough. She hoped the code for older immortal visitors would scare her of. If it didn't, at least she was warned.

Rowan wondered who could be coming that was older than herself. "Lisa all I need is a few hours sleep, I've been on the road for days, and a chance to talk to Margo . Then I'll be off to a safe house for a few days till I can get settled ."

Lisa nodded, almost ignoring that the immortal on the other end couldn't see her. "We'll get things ready for you. Let's see. Grandma and ... her companion won't share a room. Donovan took that ... woman up in his. I'm already sharing with the new girl. Will the couch be good for this night. I'll try to arrange for a separate room later, but I don't think I can get you one right now. With the medical convention and all." Not to mention the bloodtests." Rowan yawned.

"Right now I'd even take the floor. Anything beats sleeping in my car again. I'll be right up."

Part Eleven

*** Paris Airport ***

Kronos looked at her in disdain as they entered the airport.

"You better pretend to be my boyfriend Horseman." she told the him as they went in. "It might keep those damn Hunters from giving you a bloodtest."

The look Kronos gave her scared her. She didn't bother to try and hide her unease. He knew she feared him, so why hide it? They passed a couple of Hunters that pointed at the unlikely couple.

One little pregnant girl with a man almost a head taller than her.

Sure the man wasn't all that big when you gave him a closer look but the contrast, not to mention his behavior made him seem larger than life.

One of them wanted to call them in, but the other one stopped him.

"Why bother Fisher again. The Old man's angry enough about the last screw up. Besides. Not only is the girl pregnant. But they don't even come close to the description we've got."

Lilin hid her smile at those words. She hoped the immortals they were looking for would get away as well. But with Fi